Aeron Returns (Guardians of The Realm Book 2)

by Amanda Fleet

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “No. Give me a minute.”

  I perched on the edge of the table, my head down. Faran stayed where he was. Once my breathing had settled, I pushed myself away from the table. “Okay. Teach me.”

  Faran taught me a range of evasive manoeuvres and defence until I felt confident I could escape.

  “Try it again?” he said, eventually.

  We did, and Faran still managed to pin me against the table.

  “One… two…”

  He reached around me and I expected him to tuck his thumb in as he had before. To my horror, he undid the top button of my trousers. Then the next.

  “Faran?”

  “Well, he won’t manage to violate you if you’re still dressed. Get free.”

  The third button getting unfastened galvanised me into a whirling dervish. I not only managed to get free, but walloped Faran across the head so hard that he staggered, then brought my knee up to connect satisfyingly with his crotch. Faran went down like he’d been shot, coughing and gasping. I managed to pull back from the kick I’d lined up with his head, and crouched beside him, putting my hand on his shoulder. He straightened slightly, but his colour was decidedly green. I thought he was about to throw up.

  “I did not teach you that,” he said, his voice strangled.

  “No. You didn’t teach me roundhouse kicks either but I know them… You okay? Maybe you should wear a box.”

  “Box?”

  I made my hands into a shield and held them in front of me to indicate what I meant. He nodded and turned his back to me. I could tell from his arm movements that he was massaging the point where my knee had landed.

  “You need the magic ointment?” I asked.

  “No. But I need a minute. And a box.”

  He puffed loudly, his head down, his colour still off and I reached out to rub his shoulder again. “Sorry. You okay?”

  He slid his eyes to me. “Tender.” He straightened, blowing his cheeks out as he exhaled. “Let me find some protection. I don’t trust you not to do that again.”

  “Smart move.”

  He rummaged through the cupboards at the side for a few moments, pulled out something that looked like it could be suitable and excused himself for a few minutes. I laughed when he returned. “Is that a box in your trousers or are you just pleased to see me?”

  He blushed deeply. “It’s protection so that should I ever be that pleased to see you again, it might be physically possible.”

  “You might want head-protection too. I don’t appear to be able to pull my punches the way you can and you’re lucky I didn’t just kick you in the head.”

  He retrieved a head-guard, smiling as he fastened it. “Only my father has managed to land any blows on me since you left. You’re fighting at less than half your skill and have split my lip, cuffed me around the head, and kicked me so hard I wonder if we’ll ever have children. Who taught you to fight? Because none of the injuries you’ve dealt me came from techniques taught here.”

  “Finn,” I said, a lump forming in my chest.

  He grimaced at the name. “When we’ve finished training, will you tell me more about your life Outside? I don’t even know why you can fight. You said you drew pictures.”

  “Aegyir isn’t the only bad person Outside. I learned how to defend myself.”

  “Your brother?”

  “He’s not my brother. But yes, the man you mean. Faran, would you have stripped me if I hadn’t got free?”

  “No!” His eyes widened. “No, I would have undone the buttons and then pretended. Shall we run through it again?”

  We did, and although Faran used different holds on me, he didn’t even manage to undo a single button before I punched him. He got another solid kick in the nuts too and looked grateful for the box.

  Finally, he held his hands up. “Enough! I’m too tender there now, even with protection! We should shower and change. See if Aned has brought anything useful.”

  ***

  Faran and I went to the State Rooms – a series of rooms off the Great Hall. Like everywhere else, they had wooden panelling over the lower part of the walls and white plaster above. The light came via the glass ceiling. Leather arm chairs were dotted in the corners of the room, grouped around circular tables, but the majority of the seating was made up of upright chairs around a long, rectangular table, reminding me of images of the Cabinet meetings in Parliament. Lord Eredan sat at the head of one end of the table, with the curly-haired Mathas to his right, the Seer’s pale grey jacket standing out against the dark leather of the chairs. Aned stood next to the table, bubbling with excitement, his arms full of the contents of several recycling boxes by the looks of things.

  “Lady Aeron, the Scouts have managed to find information for you,” he said, his chest puffed out and his face wreathed in smiles.

  Faran and I sat at the table, opposite Mathas. Aned wasn’t invited to sit. Despite my descriptions to Council of what newspapers looked like, the Scouts had also brought a handful of glossy magazines, including Good Housekeeping, a gossip magazine and a TV guide. I put these to one side. They’d be useless for telling me what Aegyir was up to but might be educational if the Guardians wanted to understand life Outside. I spread the papers out.

  “These are excellent, Aned. Please congratulate the Scouts on their endeavours.”

  I sorted them, date-wise, putting the newest to the back. The dates covered a month or more and the papers were a mix of tabloids and more serious papers. I concentrated on the more serious papers. Faran peered over my shoulder with undisguised interest. “Who writes these?”

  “A number of people,” I said. “They go out like the Scouts do, find out what’s happening and then write about it.”

  “Who decides if it’s true?” asked Mathas.

  “Well, there are rules about it. Obviously, the same facts can be presented in different ways and the different papers have different agendas, but these are thought to be more neutral in the way the information is presented.” I indicated a couple of the broadsheets. “That said, sometimes these other papers report things that aren’t in any other paper.”

  “News is controlled?” Faran quirked a brow at me.

  “Information is power. Isn’t that true everywhere? People only know what they’re told.”

  I wondered how information was dissipated in The Realm. There were clearly no TVs here, or newspapers. People were told what they needed to know?

  None of the headlines in the papers Aned had brought announced Armageddon, but as I skimmed through the oldest local paper, dating back to about six weeks ago Outside, my stomach flipped at a small picture of me at the bottom of a page. Faran spotted it too.

  “My lady? Is that you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “Let me read and I’ll tell you.”

  I checked the date of the paper. Two weeks after I’d been thrown through the portal into The Realm. The police were still anxious to hear from anyone who had information on my whereabouts and were concerned for my safety. Both Helen and Paul – my adopted parents, though they’d divorced years ago – had pleaded with me to get in touch and let them know I was safe. Stephen had been taken in for questioning after being found in possession of a sword with my blood on it, but released without charge. The paper said that ‘a body part’ had been found at the scene, but didn’t give more details. Although I doubted that Helen was desperately upset about my disappearance, Paul was probably distraught.

  “Aeron?” Faran prompted.

  I cleared my throat, composing myself. “It’s about the fact that I’m missing. They think something has happened to me and are appealing for information.”

  I carried on reading the papers. There was nothing about a flu outbreak or murders in any of them. I skipped over the general news, feeling far away from my old life. The UK was gearing up for an election, there was a general rise in support for Far-Right parties across Europe, there’d be
en an outbreak of Ebola in West Africa.

  “What do the newspapers say?” said Faran, an impatient edge to his voice.

  I read some headlines to him and summarised the contents. “But there’s nothing so far to indicate that Aegyir’s reformed.”

  “Why don’t you think that these other deaths are Aegyir?”

  “Well, Africa is very far away from where the portal is – across oceans – and the way the people are dying is too specific. I’m looking for deaths from something like flu. Or unexplained murders.”

  Faran took the paper from me when I’d finished, interested in the pictures. “People do not all wear the same Outside?”

  “No. Let me finish and then I’ll explain.”

  I managed to read the full stack of papers without further interruption. Finished, I sat back. “Okay. I can’t see anything about an increased number of deaths in any of the papers. Either Aegyir is somewhere else, or he’s not yet reformed after I attacked him at the portal.”

  “How do we know that what you’re telling us is what’s written?” asked Lord Eredan.

  My temper prickled. “Are you calling me a liar?”

  “I am ascertaining the truth.” He turned to Mathas and raised his brows.

  “Oh, Lady Aeron is reading what the papers say,” he said, a dimple forming in his cheek as he smiled towards me.

  I turned to Aned. “Can any of the Scouts read this?”

  “Er.” He shot a glance at Lord Eredan, who narrowed his eyes.

  “Well?” Lord Eredan snapped.

  “Er. No. We’re not familiar with the script,” he said in a low voice.

  “But you all know the language Outside, right?” I said, then clocked his expression. “Right?”

  Aned’s eyes widened, and I stared at him, a sick feeling forming in my stomach. “Oh, shit.”

  “My lady?”

  I pinched the bridge of my nose. “It’s a different language Outside and none of you know it. Of course you don’t. You’ve been in blissful isolation for centuries. No Guardian has been Outside in over a thousand years.” I looked up at Aned, the only one of them who’d ever been Outside. “What am I saying? What do the words mean?”

  I spoke in English for a moment, reading out sections from the papers before switching back to the language of The Realm. Everyone exchanged uncertain glances.

  “Aned, could you understand any of that?” I said.

  He hesitated. “A very small amount. I would not say that I understood you perfectly.”

  “My lady? What were you speaking?” asked Faran.

  “English. The language used Outside.” I buried my face in my hands. “Oh, jeez. I should have known! I obviously remembered the language of The Realm from some deep part of me, the way I remember you. Shit! If any of the Guardians go Outside, they won’t be able to read anything and they won’t be able to understand what anyone is saying to them either.”

  Lord Eredan flicked his fingers at Aned. “Thank you. You may leave.”

  Aned’s shoulders slumped, and he no longer preened like a peacock. I hurried to soothe him. “Aned, this was excellent work from your Scouts. This information would have been difficult to come by without these newspapers. Please congratulate them and commend them on my behalf?”

  Aned bowed and withdrew. Lord Eredan scowled at me but I didn’t care.

  “Lord Eredan, the Scouts obviously understand some of what’s being said, but I don’t think they understand much. Two years ago, how did they know what was happening Outside?”

  “They saw many people being buried.”

  “Oh, jeez. Maybe they don’t understand any English. If you went Outside and saw many burials happening each day, you wouldn’t need to understand the language, you’d know something was seriously wrong.”

  “Are you questioning the honesty of the Senior Scout?” snapped Lord Eredan.

  I clocked his expression. “No. My apologies.”

  Lord Eredan turned to Mathas. “What would you recommend?”

  Mathas pursed his lips. “The picture is not entirely clear. Perhaps it would be sensible to wait.”

  My heart raced. “Lord Eredan, with respect, it may not be long before Aegyir is strong enough to storm the portal.”

  Lord Eredan slammed his hand on the table. “Do not ‘with respect’ me! The Realm is already on full alert and prepared for any attack. I don’t see any point in risking Guardian lives Outside, if they aren’t able to find Aegyir and deal with him.”

  With that, he shoved his chair back and swept out of the room. Mathas followed him, leaving me with Faran.

  “Do you believe me?” I asked.

  He fiddled with the edge of one of the papers. “Yes. Let me talk to Lord Father. But even if I can persuade him to send a group Outside, I suspect he’ll insist that you remain in The Realm… Will you explain the colourful newspapers to me sometime?”

  “Sure… If Guardians go Outside without me there to translate, they’re risking their lives.”

  “I know. But if we wait until Aegyir storms the portal, we may lose more.”

  “Will your father let me try to brief them at least?”

  He shrugged. “Let me talk to him. Come. Lunch. I don’t want to end up eating at the second sitting with all of our enemies.”

  10

  Lunch was another variation of stewed meat and vegetables, followed by a cake-based pudding drowned in cream. My shoulders sagged as I ate. Being in The Realm felt worse than being at school – get up, go here, go there, eat horrible food when the bell rings, do as you’re told, don’t question people, don’t back-chat… I’d hated school.

  Faran prodded my foot with his toe. “Will you walk in the Labyrinth Garden with me after lunch? Before we return to training?”

  “Labyrinth Garden?”

  “Somewhere we can talk privately. The Courtyard has too many flapping ears.”

  “Yeah. Sure.” I abandoned the cake, half-eaten.

  “You used to love going there,” he said, his eyes sad at my lack of enthusiasm.

  “I also used to like riding a motorbike too fast and getting hammered on cheap vodka.”

  He frowned, puzzled, and I waved my words away and glanced around the room. About half of the tables had emptied.

  “Do you believe me? That the language Outside is different and that what I’ve said I’ve seen in the papers is true?”

  Faran cleared the last of his dessert. “Yes. Why would Outside speak the same language as here? As you say, our cultures haven’t mixed in many years. Why would you lie about what’s happening Outside? Unless you were intent on leading us into a trap, or wanting a reason to be allowed to leave.”

  I didn’t miss the undercurrent in his voice. “Why would I want to go Outside if all that awaits me is getting tortured by Aegyir? I know I can’t give you any reassurances over why I did what I did, because it wasn’t me. But I can assure you that I’ve no intention of siding with the demon that killed Finn. I want him destroyed.”

  A serving boy cleared our dessert dishes and Faran stood, waiting for me to follow him.

  I’d never have found the Labyrinth Garden without him. It was accessed via a narrow hallway and an unmarked doorway. When Faran led me out, I gasped at the beauty. Like the Courtyard Gardens, it was open to the sky and a light breeze filtered in. Large slabs of a pinkish-grey stone paved the paths. Low green hedges that reminded me of the box hedging in Elizabethan knot-gardens formed a boundary between the paths and borders full of vibrant colour and heady vanilla scent. Ruby-coloured flowers I didn’t recognise billowed from the borders, spilling petals the size of my palm on to the paths.

  I turned to Faran, grinning. “This is gorgeous!”

  A shadow flitted across his face. “You don’t remember it.” A statement, not a question.

  I shook my head.

  “It was your favourite place for us to spend time together. Especially after an argument. You used to pick me a flower and make me wear it.”

/>   He offered me his arm, and I slid my hand into the bend of his elbow, the curve of his biceps pressing against my fingers. We strolled towards the end of the path to some high hedges that dwarfed even him. The labyrinth.

  It was cool and gloomy once we turned between the solid lines of green, a stark contrast to the vibrancy of the knot-garden before. Faran led us confidently through the twists and turns before we finally emerged into a central circular paved area with a breath-taking fountain at its heart. There was no inkling of the water until you rounded the last turn and arrived, and I gazed around me, enthralled. Three stages high, the fountain towered over us, a vertical spray making it taller still. The water then cascaded over the edges of ever-increasing diameter stone bowls, the largest and lowest of which was about six feet across and waist-height at its surface. This lowest level had vertical sides down to the ground. Faran waited by the fountain as I walked around, trailing my fingers through the ice-cold water in the lowest bowl before joining him again.

  “We used to come here to get away from everyone,” he said. “As you’ve seen, it can be hard to be alone in The Realm. Here, we could be us.”

  I rested my back against the fountain. “What do you mean?”

  He mirrored my posture, resting his hips against the deep bowl of the fountain. “As the second most senior couple in The Realm, there’s no anonymity for us. Everyone is watching us, waiting for any slip, looking for cracks. My friends want me to leave you; my enemies want you to betray me.” He screwed his toe into the ground, his head down. “I spent so long hating you for what you did to me and then you return and I take one look at you and my hate evaporates.”

  “Really? That’s not quite how it felt. It felt more like you took one look at me and punched me in the face.”

  He blinked an acknowledgement. “Forgive me. I will never hurt you again. I swear. Despite everything, I want us to be together, because the alternative hurts me even more.” He dug his fingernail into the corner of his eye. “You’re tearing me apart.”

  I bit my lip. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to.”