She nods, distraught over the outcome of the attempt. She was hoping she’d get more information instead of declarations of a love she no longer wants. “I guess so.”
We leave the way we came, through the dark, narrow passages and out into the murky depths where Mimi waits for us. Once we’re on, she takes us back to the city, to the Docking Station in the FH. We’re there in minutes, Sampson, Clarence, Qippert, Chancellor Keller, Maris, Salva and a few guards already waiting.
Maris, Salva and the rest of the guards help the princess down while Sampson and Clarence offer me their hands. I take them both in mine and find myself planted firmly on the ground, Sampson grasping my shoulders to face him.
“How’d everything go?” he looks over me, searching for any injuries. “Are you both unharmed?”
“We are fine,” Ariana walks over, her fleet of guards following. “But I am disappointed to report we learned very little.”
“We did not expect he would reveal much,” Chancellor Keller says, “even to you, Princess.”
“He really does hate everyone who’s not Mybyncian,” I look to Qippert. “Called us a plague.”
“Did you speak with him?” he frowns.
“How did he phrase it?” Clarence asks before I’m able to answer. “Did he call you a plague? Everyone a plague?”
I run through the conversation, making sure I transmit it correctly. “He called me a plague and then…” I glance to Ariana, “he said he’s the only one to save the princess from the plague to come.”
Clarence, Sampson, Qippert and the chancellor exchange nervous glances.
“It could just mean us…” Qippert offers. “Another name to describe his war.”
“Yes…” Sampson strokes his chin. “Or something else.”
“What else did he say?” Clarence asks me.
“Well…” I glance to Ariana again and sum up the majority of the conversation, “he’s really got it bad for the princess.”
“Yes…” Maris nods, following my stare. “He will not let her go. He still believes they will be joined.”
“He is vastly mistaken,” the princess says, a combination of anger, sadness and guilt rushing over her face. “I am so very sorry we were not able to procure any additional information. I fear the visit was a waste… nothing more than useless drivel and threats on poor Fallon.”
“How did he threaten you?” Clarence asks.
“Besides calling me a plague, he said I was a dead human. Also told the princess that if she let him out, he’d dispose of my ‘putrid presence.’”
The others look around at each other.
“He’s really bent on killing everyone not Mybyncian. Dofinikes, humans and anyone else who doesn’t belong in this World.”
Again, the others look around at each other, silently communicating through worried expressions. Finally, after a solid minute of silence passes, Clarence speaks again.
“Okay,” he places a gentle hand on my shoulder, “we should probably get you back to your quarters to change for the feast. I hear there’ll be a surplus of Jiji,” he smiles down at me.
“Very good,” Ariana smiles, “now our guests will actually be able to eat at our feasts.”
“Come along, Princess,” Maris and the fleet of guards start to walk her away. “We need to get you ready.”
“I would like to arrive with Fallon and the other female humans. As a testament to last night’s events, that our lives are not valued over theirs.”
Maris and the guards stop at this, Chancellor Keller exchanging nervous glances with the lot. Hesitantly he approaches, keeping his voice light, “But Princess, it is. You are royalty. You must be last to arrive, with your sisters and mother.”
“If it bothers you so much, I will have our guests enter the hall before me. But I will be arriving with them, not behind Varille.”
“Princess…” Maris starts. “I am not sure how your mother…”
“I have already discussed it with her. She thinks it shows good faith. To reassure our people that we continue to honor the Way. She thoroughly approves, I assure you.”
Maris nods, retreating to allow passage for Ariana. The princess takes a few steps, her guards beginning to follow but then she stops, throwing me a glance over her shoulder. “Fallon, I will see you in a bit.” With this she leaves, Maris and her guards behind her.
Once they’re gone, the rest turn to me, Sampson sparing no time in explaining.
“It is imperative that you, Mae and Pratt enter before she does. Anything else would be a great disrespect and right now, we can’t afford that. I’m sure it took a long discussion with the queen to agree to this, but I’d rather not push her if we can help it.”
“I’ll make sure we’re in the hall first.”
“Thank you,” Sampson nods, obviously comforted by my assistance. I head for the tunnel to the Great Hall when Sampson goes on. “The princess has taken quite a liking to you. It’s very important to keep this relationship strong.”
“What do you mean?” I face him.
Clarence exhales, running his hand through his hair. “Several Mybyncians support the Muskos and what they stand for. With their imprisonment… there’s fear that a civil war could spark here, especially if any foreigners are granted higher honors than the queen and her daughters.”
“Like entering the hall last?”
“Precisely.”
I look from Sampson to Clarence to Chancellor Keller and finally Qippert. “Are there enough Mybyncians who would strike against the throne just to stand behind Perio?”
“Not right now…” Clarence starts.
“So let’s not give them a reason to,” Sampson continues, locking eyes with me. “I’m sure by now you realize we’ve come to a very dangerous place. The last thing we want is to divide Mybyncia as Dellapalania has been. We need this ally to stand strong and united, especially since they’re a target for the Vermix.”
“Well… wouldn’t it be best for us to just leave?” I ask. “If Mybyncia has recouped from the Vermix’s attack, shouldn’t we be joining up with Blovid?”
“Yes…” Sampson eyes Chancellor Keller. “I think tomorrow evening is most likely when we shall leave. Possibly the following day. But before we can depart, we need to make sure we leave on the right terms with her majesty and the kingdom. I’d also like to visit with the captured Vermix… see if I can get anything useful from them.”
“It is not just Blovid they are after. It is the Shadow Bag, as well,” the chancellor admits, his sage face growing pale. “No foe has every retrieved it, but I fear this search will be unlike any other.”
“Reuzkimpart is relentless,” Sampson says with confidence. “He’ll continue to come for it. He’ll continue until he sees his master plan achieved.”
“What is his master plan?” I ask.
“No one knows exactly,” Clarence shakes his head, with the same worry and fear as the rest, “…but best we find out soon.”
Chapter Nine: Boys and Girls
“Are you excited for the feast?” Mae asks, tugging up her scarlet floor-length skirt. With it clinging to her hips, she gets nowhere and after a minute, gives up completely.
“I’m excited to eat,” I admit, adjusting my shelled bra, trying to cover as much as possible. “Seriously,” I glance between her and Pratt, “we have to enter the hall first. If we don’t, it’ll be a huge slight on the princess.”
“But she’s the one that wants to go with us,” Pratt plops down on the bed, already dressed for the feast. “How come we have to be careful?”
“We just have to prove our respect for her position. We go in first, she goes in last. Simple as that.”
“I just hope tonight will be less eventful than last night,” Mae mutters to herself.
“Let’s eat, do a bit of socializing and be done. We have another big day tomorrow…” I pace the room, brushing the petals on Reid’s Callix around my wrist. “I’m sure Maris and Qippert have loads more to show us.�
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“Think you’ll pick up where you left off with Reid earlier?” Pratt wiggles her brows.
“I think you should…” Ariana’s soft voice says from the tunnel. “He is very much in love with you.”
“What?” I spin.
“Oh it is more than obvious,” Ariana walks in. She’s draped in the similar scarlet apparel, her long lavender hair plaited with pink pearls. “Everyone can tell.”
“Oh…” I blush. “Um…”
Ariana sits next to Pratt on the circular bed. “You are lucky to mean so much to someone…” her thought drifts as her smile turns to a defeated frown.
“Well what about you?” I ask. “There’s got to be someone you care for. Someone who cares for you?”
She begins to smile but stops herself, moving to a stand. “There is no one.”
“No one?” Pratt giggles. “Not even…Tucker?”
Ariana spins to her. “Why do you say that?”
“Come on, Princess, don’t play dumb! He’s interested! Although…” and now she taps along her chin, “I’m still trying to figure out whether you are.”
“I…” the princess stumbles, eyeing the ground.
“Would that even work?” Mae asks. “Could you be with someone not Mybyncian? Or even royal?”
“I am allowed to select whomever I deem worthy… but yes… my mother would expect a miyon.”
“Would she be totally pissed if he wasn’t?” Pratt raises a brow.
“Well…” Ariana sighs, pacing the room, “she would need to know why I made the choice and what it would mean for the future of the kingdom. I am very lucky, you see. Sansa is the future queen, so her marriage is already selected. Varille and I have more flexibility in our choices.”
“So it’s a possibility?” I ask.
She shrugs, “… It is conceivable.”
“So?” Pratt refuses to give in. “Tucker then?”
Ariana blooms a lovely crimson, her eyes on the ground. “He is handsome,” a shy smile grows, “and seems strong and honest. But he does not say much…”
“No,” I agree, trying to remember the handful of times I’ve heard him speak. “Tucker’s not a big talker. But he gets scared stiff around you. Maybe Jace and the boys will give him some Hunnis tonight. Loosen him up a bit.”
“Oh, and your friend Jace,” the princess grins coyly. “I have heard several mayans speak of him.”
“Oh yeah?” I laugh, already knowing where this is going. “What’re they saying?”
“Well, as you know, he is very attractive for a human male. Many noticed him among the humans as soon as you arrived. And apparently,” she blushes, “Caryen spent some time with him last night—for only a few minutes as I have heard it—and she cannot stop talking about it. If I did not know any better, I would think she is in love.”
“She’s in lust,” I explain, “happens with most girls around him.”
“She hopes to see him tonight… most of them do.”
“Princess,” Salva arrives at the tunnel’s entrance. “It is time to depart.”
“Yes, of course,” Ariana beckons us to move ahead of her and as practiced, Mae, Pratt and I head straight for Salva. Ariana is behind us in an instant, walking next to Salva. A few minutes into the tunnel and Ariana breaks up the stark silence. “I believe it will be Brekin tongue and Wigwig again. Oh and Jiji.”
“What?” I scoff. “No Glippis eye or heart?”
“I am pretty sure my mother and sisters finished that off earlier. I hope you are not upset…” she grins.
“No, Princess,” I smirk back. “Not at all.”
Once we near the opening to the Great Hall, I slow and turn to Ariana and Salva. “We’ll enter now. Give us a few seconds so everyone can see.”
“I will count to thirty,” the princess grins. She understands—like I do—the importance of this. But she still keeps a playful manner, much more than Salva who looks uncomfortable with the situation.
“See you in a bit,” I say, nodding to Mae and Pratt.
We make our way into the filled hall, most watching with keen interest as we head for Sampson, Clarence and Qippert, who are waiting in the room’s center. Holding my breath, I find the boys are already there, clad in loin-cloths of the same scarlet hue.
My heart races at the sight, especially over Reid, who’s gnawing his thumbnail raw. He doesn’t see me, only the ground where his eyes are focused, as he paces behind Tucker, also twitching anxiously. Jace is grinning to the side of them, laughing with Booker and Werzo who seem to be fully enjoying some Hunnis.
“Good evening,” Chancellor Keller’s voice breaks my stare, “may I present Queen Ravan and her daughters, Princess Sansa, Princess Varille, and Princess Ariana.”
The queen and her two eldest enter from the same entrance as last night, but Ariana arrives through our tunnel. Most do their best to conceal their surprise but some still can’t help it. Several jaws drop as the youngest princess makes her way through the tight crowd to join her family atop their golden coral thrones.
Tucker watches with uninterrupted focus as Ariana floats up the steps to peer out into the hall. She dutifully scans her people, but pauses over our center lot, especially Tucker’s conspicuous gaze. A large lump rolls down his throat and in return, a deep scarlet blooms in her cheeks.
After the chancellor advises that the queen and her daughters have sampled their food, he announces for the feast to begin. Bodies move around, passing out the food but I don’t see any of it.
I only see Reid.
He’s drowning me with his intense stare and I’m locked to it, my heart pounding away in my chest. Tucker shifts back to whisper something in his ear, but Reid doesn’t flinch. His eyes are set on mine, but as his mouth drops to say something, Clarence shifts forward, blocking our view of one another.
“Did you see Tucker?” Mae grasps my elbow, pulling me toward her. “He can’t keep his eyes off Ariana. Think they’ll talk tonight?”
“The real question,” I turn to her, “is which lucky lady will win the Jack of Hearts. That’s the unknown.”
She frowns, “You don’t think it’ll be Caryen?”
“Hell no!” Pratt laughs, folding her arms over her shell bra. “Jace plays around. In fact, he’s been known to hook up with different girls in the same night.”
“Ew…” I wince, trying not to think of how many girls on Harrizel actually slept with him. And what’s worse, how many he might’ve gotten pregnant. Shuddering at the thought, I narrow my eyes at Pratt. “What else do you know?”
“What do you mean?”
“You seem to have the ‘in.’ Anything you know about Tucker? Booker or Werzo?”
Pratt inhales, rolling her eyes to the top of her head as she tries to recall something. “Tucker not so much. He was always wrapped up with Reid on Rogue business. Booker never said anything and everyone wanted to kill Werzo at some point.”
“Pretty much what we know,” I glance up, finding Clarence gone. My stomach drops as I find Reid and Tucker have also disappeared somewhere in the crowd, probably going for some Jiji or maybe a bowl of Hunnis. Jace, Booker and Werzo still chuckle nearby, their red eyes slightly glazed over as they pass around another bowl of the relaxant. I turn to Pratt and Mae. “You guys hungry?”
After downing a hearty helping of the rice-like mush, Pratt and Mae take off to explore the Great Hall with the princess but I decline the invite, needing a moment to myself. I’m not alone for more than a few minutes when I hear his voice over my shoulder.
“Hey.”
Reid’s one word sets a fire loose. Spinning, my heart races at his overwhelming proximity and his bare, stone chest. He’s grinning devilishly and I can’t help but mimic his excitement. “Hey…”
“Sorry about earlier,” he rubs the back of his neck. “I didn’t get you in trouble, did I?”
“I was only scolded a few times.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“You?”
Reid laughs. “Sampson asked where I was and I told him,” he rolls his eyes. “You think I would’ve committed a murder or something.”
“I must’ve been told it was unacceptable at least five times.”
“Yeah…sorry. Didn’t think everyone would freak out. So,” he folds his arms, growing serious, “how did it go with Perio?”
“You were right. He didn’t want to talk about anything other than them.”
“Nothing?”
“Not really. Kept saying he did everything for her.”
“Did he see you?”
“Towards the end.”
“And?”
“He really hates outsiders.”
Reid narrows his eyes. “What’d he say?”
“The usual. Mybyncia is the greatest World… everyone else is an outsider… we’re all going to pay for our crimes. Blah, blah, blah.”
“Did he threaten you?”
“Only a handful of times.”
Reid’s eyes frost over.
“Did you expect anything different?”
He exhales, glancing around the Great Hall. Eyes averted, he nods. “Sampson said it wasn’t very productive. At least it’s out of the princess’s system.”
“Boss,” Jace cups his shoulder, red-eyed and grinning. “You going to join us for some Hunnis? Tucker’s partaking and so are Sampson and Clarence. Thinking it’s going to be a good night,” he glances my way. “Hey, Fallon.”
“Hi, Jace.”
Reid nods. “I will in a bit.”
“Oh,” he hiccups, “and Tucker’s looking for you. He’s getting all panicky about something.”
Reid sighs, weighing a decision. Finally he acquiesces. “Give me a sec. I’ll be right there.”
Jace nods and retreats as Reid turns back to me. “You’re not heading back to your room yet, are you?”
“No.”
“Good. Let me hang with Tucker for a bit. Don’t leave, okay?” a lump rolls down his throat. “I want to talk to you.”
“Okay…” I feel heat burn into my cheeks.
“Okay,” he grins with a wink before heading off into the crowd, disappearing almost instantly.
I wander for a bit and eventually Pratt and Mae find their way to me, huge, giggling grins painted on both their faces. Although Mae looks like she wants to be the one to tell me, Pratt beats her to it. “Tucker and Ariana are talking!”
Plague of Mybyncia Page 13