Royal Rescue

by A. Alex Logan

  Almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth, the big gong that opened and closed each day’s showcase rang out, echoing throughout the amphitheater. Nedi’s magically amplified voice followed it.

  “The first rotation of the showcase is complete! The next two days are set aside for meeting and mingling; if you haven’t handed out your tokens yet, now’s the time!”

  Gerald thought again of Omar’s jar, of how many tokens had been dropped into it that morning, and he swallowed hard against the uncomfortable mix of jealousy and anxiety that was once again bubbling up in his chest.

  But Omar didn’t seem to be thinking of the tokens at all. “I wonder what the Council thought about today,” he said. “I don’t think I saw any of them. Did you?”

  “No,” Gerald admitted, looking around even as he answered. “That’s odd. I didn’t think about it, but you’d think they would’ve stood out. Even the oldest of us aren’t more than twenty-two or so, and I would be very surprised if any of the councilors are under thirty.”

  “Oh, they’re here,” Erick said, and Gerald jumped and nearly lost his balance as his cousin materialized in front of him. Omar grabbed his arm to keep him steady and Erick grimaced a quick apology as Gerald took another limping step away from the glassworks booth. The princess, who had finished the globe she’d been working on, was watching Gerald out of the corner of her eye as she began to pack up her things.

  “They wanted to observe,” Erick continued. “Only observe; they didn’t want to be involved, or inadvertently affect what we would do or how we’d behave. So they’ve been hidden.”

  “Invisibility spells?” Omar asked.

  “Nah, those aren’t as easy—or as effective—as everyone thinks. They’re visible, you just don’t want to look at them.”

  “Eh?”

  “It’s like a repulsion,” Erick said. “You know, like if you try to put the wrong ends of magnets together, they kind of…slide off each other? You look at the Council and your eyes just…slide off them. Now, if I did that spell, you’d notice the sliding, you might wonder why you couldn’t focus on a certain spot. But they’re much better than I am. You wouldn’t notice—you haven’t noticed—the slide. I can sense the spells, that’s the only reason I know for sure.”

  “That seems…potentially awkward,” Omar said carefully. He seemed unsure of how much to say, now that he knew there could be a Council member anywhere.

  “Oh, don’t worry about it,” Erick said nonchalantly. “The dragons are keeping a close eye on them. Their eyes focus past the spells just fine.”

  Gerald’s self-consciousness about his canes returned in force with the knowledge that people he hadn’t even noticed could have been—could still be—openly staring at him, wondering what was wrong with him. “I think I’m ready to go back now,” he said, and Omar immediately apologized for keeping him standing there.

  The dragon was leaning over the ledge watching for them, and it lifted the three of them up to save them the climb. Gerald needed the lift. His leg was starting to ache in earnest and he absently rubbed at his knee.

  The dragon crooked its forearm and offered it to Gerald as a seat, but he shook his head. “I think I’m going to go lie down,” he said. “I’m fine,” he added when Omar turned to scrutinize him. “Just tired.”

  Omar looked like he was going to say something or perhaps follow Gerald to their room, but Nedi appeared then, bubbling over with enthusiasm, and he lost his opportunity. Gerald hastily limped away before he could get trapped there by Nedi’s excitement. If I don’t sit down soon, I’m going to fall down. And I don’t want another lecture from Calin.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  WHEN OMAR CAME to fetch him for dinner, he stopped in the doorway and raised an eyebrow at the mess. “What’s all this?” he asked, looking at the crumpled papers spilling off the bed to pile up on the floor. Without looking up, Gerald crumpled up the paper he was writing on and threw it angrily into the pile. He looked like he was considering tossing the inkwell after it and Omar gently took it out of his hand and set it on the table.

  It was only then Gerald registered his presence. He looked up and blinked, still holding his quill in one hand. “Oh. Sorry. I’m trying to work out what to say to my parents about this…about me. It might help to write them first, you know, kind of ease them into the idea. It might cut down on the yelling.”

  “It doesn’t look like it’s going that well,” Omar observed, not unkindly. He sat next to Gerald and picked up one of the balled-up drafts.

  “No, don’t read it!” Gerald said. “I threw it out for a reason.”

  Omar opened his hand and let the paper drop to the floor, and then he put his arm around Gerald. “Hey. There’s no rush. We won’t be leaving for at least a few days, and even with the dragon flying us it’s going to take, what, a week to get to Andine? We can stretch that out, too. Don’t worry about your parents right now. Tomorrow’s supposed to be a day for talking, right? So tomorrow we’ll talk, really talk, about the details of this. Of us. And we can write to your parents together.”

  “What about yours?”

  “My parents?” Omar shrugged. “I told you, I don’t think they’ll mind us going nontraditional. I think they’ll like you, too. Maybe we should stop there first, do you think? It’ll give you more time to prepare for your family, and that might help, too, if we can tell them the King and Queen of Yevin are in agreement.”

  “If they’re in agreement,” Gerald sighed.

  Omar pulled Gerald into a half-hug. “They will be. Stop worrying and come to dinner. How’s your leg? Do you want your canes or your chair?”

  Gerald made a face. “‘Want’ is a very strong word,” he grumbled. At Omar’s look, he sighed and admitted, “I should probably use the chair.”

  GERALD JERKED AWAKE out of a dream that was already fading from his mind. He had no idea what it had been about, but the deep feeling of unease it had created didn’t fade when the memory of the dream did. He squinted into the darkness and tried to determine if there were any lights on in the hall, if it was still early enough he should try to go back to sleep or if he were better off just getting up. I have to talk to Erick about magicking a window in here.

  He decided it didn’t matter what time it was; the knot in his chest wasn’t fading and he didn’t want to stay there in the dark and the silence. The only sound was Omar’s quiet breathing and once again Gerald wished for the palace cats. Their purring never failed to settle his nerves after a nightmare.

  The dragon’s snoring is probably the next best thing, he thought wryly. He slipped out of bed as quietly as he could, not wanting to disturb Omar. He winced as his leg and back let him know he had, in fact, overdone it the day before, but he still took up his canes and made his way stiffly toward the reception chamber.

  The dragon’s snores guided him through the dark and Gerald lowered himself to the ground next to its comforting bulk, wishing absently that he had thought to bring a blanket with him. He leaned against the dragon’s side and closed his eyes, letting the thrum and hum of its breathing loosen the knot of unformed anxiety in his chest.

  When he opened his eyes again, the sun was up and the snoring had stopped.

  “Good morning,” the dragon said when Gerald sat up.

  “Good morning,” Gerald repeated. He rubbed his nose sheepishly. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep here.”

  “I don’t mind. It feels like I haven’t seen much of you lately, between the showcase and the Council negotiations.”

  The mention of the Council sparked his anxiety back to life. “They are gone, aren’t they?”

  “Oh, yes. We escorted them out after the closing gong, and you know they can’t cross back in without our help. Why the concern?”

  “Oh, I don’t know, really.” He craned his neck to look up at the dragon. It was regarding him patiently, waiting for him to elaborate, but he couldn’t. “I don’t know,” he said again. “Nedi was so pleased at di
nner last night. She’s convinced they’re going to approve this, all of it; not only the pairs that are forming now, but the process. For the future, I mean. I suppose I just…don’t trust it.”

  “You do seem to have difficulties with that,” the dragon observed, not unkindly. “Trusting, I mean.”

  “Yes, well, you remember how I ended up in your tower,” Gerald said sourly. “I haven’t exactly had the best experiences with trusting people in authority.”

  “Of the two of us, I’m the one who should be most inclined to distrust the Council,” the dragon replied mildly. “But nevertheless, I find myself agreeing with Nedi that it will all work out.”

  For everyone else, maybe, Gerald wanted to say. For everyone who can do this properly. Not for me. Nothing has ever worked out for me. It sounded like whining even to himself and he kept his mouth shut.

  The dragon snorted softly, as if it knew what he was thinking. “I can understand why you are unable to trust your parents. I can understand why you are worried about the Council. But surely you can trust Omar, and Erick, and Nedi, and me. No matter what happens with the Council. No matter what happens with your parents. I do not need their permission for anything. I can take you and Omar away, and who will stop me?”

  Gerald’s mouth quirked but didn’t quite make it as far as a smile. “I’d rather not have to be rescued at all.”

  GERALD SLIPPED AWAY from the others after breakfast. The amphitheater had undergone another transformation, with dozens of small tables set up for the royals to meet and talk one-on-one. Several couples had already posted their engagements. It was all making Gerald’s stomach knot with anxiety. No matter what the dragon said about trust, the thought of sitting down like that with Omar, of talking about what their lives could be like so far outside the conventional mold, made him feel like he was going to pass out.

  So he hid.

  It never helped, hiding. It merely postponed the inevitable, and it added another layer of anxiety because he never knew when he would be found and be forced to face whatever it was he was dreading. But the habit was ingrained. Never mind that he didn’t know the caverns very well. Never mind that he was sore and limping heavily. Never mind that he knew the dragon was right.

  He hid.

  And Omar found him. Tucked away in a dead-end storage tunnel that smelled strongly of herbs.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey.”

  Omar sat next to him, close enough to touch, but he didn’t bridge that small gap between them.

  They sat in silence for a few minutes as Gerald’s anxiety ratcheted steadily upward. A nervous glance at Omar out of the corner of his eye showed he was calm, although not quite relaxed; there was tension in the set of his shoulders. But he didn’t seem angry at Gerald’s disappearing act.

  “Sorry,” Gerald said finally. He didn’t speak loudly, but the word seemed harsh against the silence. He cleared his throat and tried again. “I panicked a little. As usual.”

  “What are you afraid of?” Omar asked. “What made you need to hide from me?”

  Gerald shook his head. “Not from you. I wasn’t hiding from, I was just…hiding.”

  “Why?” Omar persisted. “We have to talk to each other, Gerald. We’re making our own way. We don’t have a, a framework. We don’t know what the expectations are, what our roles are. So we have to talk. We have to say what we want and what we need and what we’re going to do.”

  “I know,” Gerald said, and he did. “It’s, well, talking about important things, it’s not something I do well.”

  “You’ll have to practice. It’ll get easier. But do you want me to go first?”

  That simple question sent a spike of nerves straight through Gerald’s gut. He unconsciously pressed his palm against his stomach, as if he had been stabbed and needed to staunch the blood. He was afraid of what Omar would say. What if he wants more than I can give? What if he wants me to be someone I can’t? But he was also afraid of letting his imagination get the better of him, of letting his nerves create dozens of what-if scenarios that would only fuel his panic. And he was even more afraid of having to speak himself. So after what felt like an endless frozen moment of terror he straightened up, set his shoulders, and nodded. “Please.”

  “Well, broadly, I want to be happy.” Omar smiled a little sheepishly as he said that. “Who doesn’t, right? I want to be happy and I want you to be happy, and I want us to be happy together. I want to live with you and spend time with you. I want to help with the sanctuary, and I want to do my own things, too. I’ve always wanted a garden. There’s not a lot of call for that in a desert kingdom, but I’ve done a bit around the oases. I want to grow everything. Flowers and ornamental plants, but also food and herbs. And then I want you to cook with them! I don’t want to eat my own cooking. I want to enjoy your company and I want you to enjoy mine. I want to know what your boundaries are because I don’t want to overstep them.”

  Each word Omar spoke dissolved another thread in the knot of anxiety in Gerald’s stomach. He was so earnest, so sure of what he was saying, and everything he said sounded wonderful to Gerald. He was so happy to hear it he didn’t respond, but simply sat there and enjoyed the idea that the dragon was right, it really was going to work out.

  “Gerald?” Omar prompted after a moment.

  “That sounds nice. More than nice. I want that too. Working on the sanctuary, working with the guardians and the animals, cooking, spending time with you. Being happy.”

  “And the boundaries?”

  “Boundaries?”

  “Well, I mean, I know you don’t want to make it formal. You don’t want to get married. And you don’t want to have sex. But what about other forms of affection? Can I hug you? Kiss you? Hold your hand? Do you want to sleep in the same bed? What do you want, and what’s off limits?”

  Gerald blushed but forced the words out anyway. “I… I liked the other night. When I fell asleep with you there. At home, the castle cats always came in to spend the night with me. You don’t purr, but it was nice in the same way. Having another body there…not being alone.” He flicked his gaze over to look at Omar, who was watching him patiently, nodding along as he spoke. “But that’s all it could be. Only sleeping. Maybe, I don’t know, cuddling a little. Hugging is nice. But, you know, with clothes. It’s not just no s-sex. I can’t be naked in front of you. I don’t want you to be naked in front of me, either.” He waved a hand vaguely at his belt, his face burning. “Nothing below the waist. Seeing or…touching.”

  Omar kept nodding, his face calm. He was unsurprised and unfazed, and it made Gerald feel guilty.

  “Does your leg hurt?” Omar asked.

  “What? Oh. No.” Gerald moved his hand away from his knee, where he had been worrying the scars. “Just… I feel bad. You’re letting me decide everything. I can say what I want or don’t, and you’re just going along with it. But I’m saying you can’t do things you want. What about when you, you know, get aroused?”

  To his surprise, Omar laughed, a low, rich chuckle. “Oh, Gerald. I can take care of that myself. I’m quite happy to take care of that myself. I’ve had enough practice! I can do it out of sight and out of earshot and that should work for both of us. As for no sex, well, it’s not like I’ve had that much of it. I enjoyed it, sure, but it’s not like I’ve gotten so used to it I can’t live without it.” He shrugged. “That’s the difference, I think. Why you get to decide, I mean. I’m more…flexible, I guess the word is. I can do what you want without it bothering me. It’s no big deal for me. But the other way, it would be a big deal for you. It’s not something you can compromise on, and it’s something I can, so I am. All right?”

  “All right,” Gerald repeated.

  “You don’t have to worry so much,” Omar said gently. “If anything changes, we can talk about it. But don’t worry about things that haven’t happened and might never happen.”

  “My parents—”

  “It’s not their life, Gerald.” Omar regarde
d Gerald seriously. “What’s the worst thing that can happen? The absolute worst thing they can do to you?”

  “I don’t know. Lock me in the dungeon? Refuse to let me leave with you?”

  “But they can’t keep you there. Even if they put you in the dungeon, the dragon can break you out. They can’t do anything to you, Gerald. They can say nasty things, they can disagree with you, but they can’t keep you there, they can’t keep you away from me, and they can’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do. We’ll be in and out. That’s it.”

  “Okay. You’re right. In and out. They accept it or they don’t. That’s it.”

  “And then we’ll go to the sanctuary.”

  “Which will be where, exactly?”

  “Wherever we want. Even if your parents disown you, I’ll still have money. We can buy land anywhere we want, in any kingdom we want. Since we’re going to have at least one dragon with us, we’ll probably want to be somewhere a little out of the way. But not completely isolated, either. We’ll need some towns nearby to trade with.”

  “Nearby is a relative term, with a dragon,” Gerald pointed out wryly.

  “Near enough we don’t need the dragon to get there,” Omar said. “It doesn’t have to be within walking distance, but somewhere we can easily get on horseback. I don’t want to be too isolated.” He shrugged. “That desert upbringing, I guess. If you were alone, you were in danger. I don’t need a lot of people nearby, but I need some. Trust me, no matter how much you like someone, if they’re the only company you have, you start to get on each other’s nerves.”

  “We should ask the dragon,” Gerald said. “It’s traveled more than either of us. And it will know what kind of climate would be best for what we want to do.”

  “We will. And we’ll keep an eye out when we’re in the air. I want to find a good spot for us. Somewhere that’s ours.”

  Gerald leaned against him. “I want that, too.”