The Sage's Reign

by Shakyra Dunn

  “Dressing fancy is unlike you. Are you trying to impress Solus?” Amiria asked, dusting off her simple aquamarine dress, the sequins partially coming undone. Her hair was pulled back into a bun, held in place with Rem’s flower and a red ribbon.

  “I wouldn’t say that,” Leilana responded. “I just think I could stand to look nice for a change.”

  Sien clicked her tongue once. “I’m going to keep believing you want to impress him. He’s a catch indeed, and you two are pretty good for each other. Just sucks that I’ll be too busy serving and making an impression on the inside to see it. But we do need the extra money.”

  “Solus does seem rather keen on following his heart, which is good for Princess Leilana,” Amiria agreed, to which Leilana shot her a sharp stare. Amiria quickly darted past the subject manner. “It almost rivals how spirited Kindall was.”

  Leilana’s heart sank, but she remained calm. It was easier for Amiria to speak of Kindall these days, but it was good that at least one of them moved past it. Not that she hadn’t worked towards looking to the future, but the pendant around her neck carried a piece of their past together anyways. It was never bad to carry the will of others.

  Sien sighed, crossing her arms. “I wish that Rem was better at wearing his heart on his sleeve. He’s always so reserved and cast off. Maybe someday he’ll open up to me more like he does to the two of you.”

  “You should be honest with your feelings, Sien,” Amiria told her. “It would work out better for everyone. Rem, especially. I think he would understand more if he heard it from your lips.” The statement left Sien wavering in her thoughts.

  “I’m going on ahead, I have to start preparing the drinks,” Sien mumbled, stepping out of the inn with her herbal bag in hand.

  “Was it something that I said?” Amiria asked softly.

  “I don’t think it was you. Sien tends to become reserved when it comes to speaking about her emotions or thoughts too. I think it’s part of her charm—she always wants to put others ahead of herself, and to keep everyone happy even if it means that she isn’t.”

  “You sure do notice a lot about her tendencies.”

  “She’s the first female friend I’ve had,” Leilana replied, smiling. Amiria was left to roll down the train of distaste—she could have been that girl, and she wasn’t. She could have become the Princess of Minsura’s best friend, and she sacrificed it to become better. They were standing in front of one another, not even as friends, just plain associates, and only because of Rem.

  They didn’t have a place with one another. And though Amiria knew that they were nothing more than allies, somehow, it hurt.

  “The boys are waiting for us,” Amiria told her, fighting an emerging sob by returning the smile, her hands folded in front of her. “We shouldn’t keep them for too long.” Leilana could read between the lines just as well as Amiria could and decided to ignore it enough for them to head for the plaza.

  Solus was staring at himself in a broken mirror inside of the event plaza, looking over the plain tanned vest and white button-down dress shirt that Rem had provided him with. He was used to seeing others around him in more glorified attire, but to see it on himself at any point spare special occasions in the kingdom was befuddling. “I feel like a stranger in these clothes.”

  Rem rested a hand on Solus’s shoulder. “Come on, you look great. Switching things up wouldn’t hurt anyone.” Rem was decked out in a dark blue double-breasted jacket with a white undershirt and black dress pants. It was rather typical of Rem’s style anyways—he was always the edgier candidate. “Are you worried because of Leilana? You only get nervous when there’s a girl involved.”

  “Well, of course. The princess is bound to look incredible.”

  “She always looks that way to you,” Rem joked, slapping him on the back. “Come on, we should wait outside for them to show up. And don’t start babbling like an idiot the moment that you see her. You’re everlastingly articulate, remember?”

  Solus tugged on his vest, inhaling deeply. “Right, of course.”

  Rem rested his hands on his hips, curiously raising an eyebrow. “You sure? Not just saying it to get out of the intervention?”

  Solus didn’t know why he was so nervous, it wasn’t like he didn’t see her daily. There were so many layers to Leilana that he had broken through, and there was so much that he sought with her. Six months, several shared days and moments. But they were still so young and figuring out their lives. Their age difference was too great. They weren’t ready for anything more than what they already had. Even so, there was more that she kept hidden—by birthright, she was royalty, and by lineage, he was no better as an heir to the fading art of Necromancy.

  Solus pressed his hands to his face, gently slapping his cheeks as if to tear himself from his stupor. “No, you’re right, you’re completely right. I can’t lose focus.”

  “I knew that you’d see it my way. Tonight, you play the prince, and I’ll be the one sitting back watching everything unfold. Sound okay?”

  “No one can replace you on your throne, Remiel. Know that for a fact.”

  By the time that Leilana and Amiria arrived at the plaza, Solus and Rem were already waiting for them outside of the building. Neon lights were shining down, blanketing the town in warm colors, music blaring from the inside of the estate. The atmosphere was setting off warning signs for Leilana, far used to the mellow chimes of bells in the wind and the still of the night, but the moment that her gaze met with Solus’s, her overwhelming concerns shuffled away.

  Solus’s arms were folded behind his back, his bangs covering his eyes. Finally, he whispered, “You look radiant.”

  He spoke as he always had, but she could sense his lack of ease. The words didn’t flow as normally as he wanted; the way that his childlike gaze followed her eyes made him hesitant about moving further. Before she knew it, she was reaching for his hand, and he laced his fingers around hers. She didn’t dare tear away; the close contact was more than enough to show his feelings. Here, they both felt at home. Rem and Amiria glanced at one another and shrugged before entering the plaza ahead of their love-stricken companions.

  The ‘party’ felt no different from a gala in the atmosphere due to the crowds of people mingling, but the music bumping against the walls made Rem feel free. Gone were the strings and harpsichords, and in came trumpets and fast-paced tunes that left him tapping his toes. Amiria stole a glance at her flute. She was gifted with her own incline for music, but she would likely never achieve a feat of impressing the prince with her songs the way that the jazz players or violinists could. A sonic boom; that was all that left an impression from her sound.

  Rem felt a pair of hands on his shoulders and glanced back to find Solus pushing him ahead of the two girls. Amiria and Leilana decided to let them have their moment while they went their own way through the crowds of people. Eventually, they would find their way back to one another, but for now, it was better they didn’t draw too much attention to themselves.

  “I know that you like to sing,” Leilana piped up to Amiria. “Do you happen to like dancing too?”

  “I’ve never tried,” Amiria admitted.

  “Everyone here is enjoying themselves. Why don’t we try it out together?”

  Leilana took Amiria’s hands in her own and led her into the crowd. Amiria’s eyes were darting in every direction, her heart swelling at the sudden burst of attention granted to her, but the constricting flow of people was leaving her socially inept. Still, Leilana was acknowledging her, the girl that she had admired over so many years was pulling her forward.

  “How do we start?” Amiria asked nervously.

  “You just move to the music.” Leilana shifted left and right, rocking Amiria’s arms in a rhythmic fashion. For Amiria, it wasn’t so much a dance as it was an act of confidence; her princess was no longer reserved and quiet, using her voice and spirit to guide others to their own enlightenment. Leilana’s smile, even with the knowledge of her l
ackluster dancing, nearly brought Amiria to tears. Her radiance was contagious, and the days of longing were past.

  Solus and Rem were watching the girls from the sidelines, drinks in hand, happily served to them by the traveling taverness herself. Sien leaned over the table to watch them.

  “Leilana has changed since we first met,” Sien piped up. “She so confident these days.”

  “She’s still a child, regardless of what duties she possesses not only as an Arcana, but as an heir to a regime,” Rem pointed out. “It’s best to let her have fun while she can.”

  “Sometimes being in the dark can be blissful,” Solus agreed. He couldn’t avert his eyes from the liquor in his hands, but he couldn’t bring himself to drink much either. Clearing his head would have been an easy escape, but that only made it more agonizing to attempt—who was he to run away from the truth when he needed to be level enough to protect his allies?

  Sien laid her hands on both boys’ shoulders. “You should enjoy this night, not drag yourself down with your emotions. It’s a party, go nuts, get drunk. Lose yourself in the moment. Dance a little with the girls, show them how much different you are when you aren’t on guard.” Rem shrugged at the remark and strolled over to Amiria and Leilana, deciding to join in on the action, which they were more than happy to accept the company.

  “I have to be precise,” Solus told her, deciding to set his cup down without taking a single sip. “I can’t afford to let my vigilance fall, not even for a night. Remiel needs me.”

  Sien rolled her eyes and pushed the cup back into his hands. “We’ve talked about this—you need each other, and I’m sure that you’ll rise to the challenge. You’re allowed to let loose.” She wrinkled his vest by running her fingers along the woven fabric and brushed his bangs into his face. He blew some of the strands out of his face and playfully smirked.

  “I take it I can’t accept no for an answer?”

  “Not at all.” She pressed her hand to his back to usher him away. “Off with you.”

  Solus held his head high as he returned to his companions, mustering up the best smile that he could. They went through so much trouble to support him, and yet, he couldn’t bring himself out of his growing melancholy. Losing himself for one moment may have been the best thing for him.

  The four spent the better half of a full hour dancing and mingling in the crowds before Leilana ended up taking Solus by the hand and leading him to a back corner. Solus eyed the mirrors in the hall. With his hair in disarray and his vest too ruffled for him to go about fixing due to Sien’s ‘helping hand,’ he looked like a mess, a far cry from the regal and carefree Remiel that wore his happiness well this night. He was a slave to so many systems and castes that he couldn’t maintain his own.

  “There’s something that I want to talk to you about,” she told him. “It’s been bothering me for a while now, and I wasn’t sure how to approach it, but I figured it’s time to come right out.”

  “And that required solitude?” he joked.

  “I’m serious.” She spoke with precision and conviction comparable to a polished dagger, the words cutting through his tongue and shutting down any further comments that Solus fought to muster up. Her grasp on his hand tightened as if she was holding on to all that was left of him. He held up his free hand to gesture her on. It was better to get the elephant out of the room, or else she was going to become irritable, and he was the last person that wanted to elicit her wrath.

  “This whole ‘Princess Leilana’ ordeal,” she continued. “You’ve been treating me differently since you found out the truth. What do you think about it, and about us?”

  Solus was continuing to swirl his lukewarm drink in his cup, but now that he was being called out by his princess on his actions, he was tempted to rid of it. Another escape lining his wavering mind. Why was it becoming difficult just to look at her, to feel his love for her slip through his fingers? She would never be anything less than Leilana Erovina, the girl he cherished more than anything else in the world. Did she know? Did she see through his ruse?

  “You don’t want me anymore?” she pressed on. “Because you only see me as a princess from a fallen country, is that it?”

  “You wouldn’t understand,” Solus cut in. “I was given a second chance, and I was to devote my life to Remiel. I was given a home, a reason to live. I was… I was supposed to care for you not as a lover but as your shield, your servant. I was to stand at your back, not your side. That was Rem’s duty to you. Everything fell apart when we learned about Minsura’s demolition. I’m not supposed to be yours-”

  “You’re speaking nonsense!” Leilana shouted. “That is not my life. My duties are to Adrylis as an active Arcana, and to Rem as his ally! What I was, who I was five years ago, that girl doesn’t exist anymore.”

  She stepped away, and Solus’s sense of reason through once mended wounds faded. More than ever, he wanted to grab her arm and pin her to the wall to keep her from leaving, but the knowledge of her identity kept him from crossing boundaries. Rather, he folded his arms behind his back and let her be.

  “Stop seeing me as Princess Leilana,” she warned him. “I never wanted to be, because it was in vain. I’ve lost so much already.”

  “Do not run from your past, Leilana, and do not expect me to change my ways.” Solus’s throat nearly gave in to the agony withering in his stern words. How hypocritical could he be uttering them with building burdens? “It’s high time that you accepted things for how they are.”

  “You’ve already changed your ways, and I don’t understand why! You’re so reserved, which isn’t like you. Please talk to me, Solus. What have you been thinking about? I know that it isn’t just because I’ve kept this secret—something else is shutting you out.”

  Solus shook his head. As much as he wanted to explain things, it was too soon. The knowledge of Hinju’s betrayal was fresh in her mind, troubling her. Hinju destroyed her life, erased her home, killed her brother. How could he willingly act the same? He would be no more a traitor to her simply because of his birthright and his prior mission to seize the royal throne. Even he didn’t know how to accept it, nor did he know who to turn to with the new knowledge set in stone. Sealing himself away was the only option that he had to keep her from falling apart. Acting as her loyal friend would serve them both better until the time was right.

  “It’s not something that I want to discuss, and if this is all that you wanted to address, then I suppose that we’re done here. I’m going to return to the party if you don’t mind.”

  Leilana whirled around in time to see him walk away while putting his alcohol to his lips, nearly gagging on the warm liquid sliding down his throat before tossing the paper cup into a corner. She slumped behind a pillar and covered her eyes, but the tears wouldn’t fall. Her frustration was too great. She may have been a secret-keeper herself but having more kept from her was annoying to accept, especially with the knowledge that Solus was a totem bearer.

  Once again, she was getting nowhere with anyone.

  How could he be so foolish and immature about handling one ordeal? How had he gone through so many years of turmoil in the kingdom and still not know how to confess his thoughts to one girl? These thoughts continued to plague Solus even after Rem had stepped up and provided him with another drink, this time well on the rocks.

  “You know I don’t drink alcohol often,” Solus told him. “I barely wanted the first one.”

  Rem wasn’t facing him, shrugging as he started working on his own cup. “If you feel as bad as you look right now, you may want to start.”

  Solus tipped the cup back enough to let the liquid fester on his tongue, coughing in surprise at how strong the mixture was. Whiskey, an overabundance of spices lined with a strawberry undertone. It wasn’t the most unique combination he had come across, but it was enough to get his mouth watering for more. He didn’t realize how parched he was. He tipped the cup back more and gulped down what remained in the plastic cup before crushing
it in his hand, wiping his lips.

  “What’s going on with you?” Rem asked. “I’ve never seen you look so bitter.”

  “Things are complicated,” Solus mumbled.

  Rem handed him another full cup from the table. “In that case, how about we talk it over like men, or we end up not talking at all?”

  “What are you implying?” One look at Rem seizing another drink for himself gave him all the answers that he needed. “You want me to confess my thoughts, you’ll have to get me pretty drunk to do it. Times have changed since our early youth, Remiel. You drink too far and in between than I do—you build an immunity when you don’t.”

  Solus was about to put the cup to his lips when Rem snatched it away, downing the mixture. Solus could only watch with folded arms as his drink disappeared, the cup being crushed and tossed onto the floor. Rem was continuing to smirk, but now he had a half-hearted bounce going. He was getting buzzed. Solus curiously raised an eyebrow.

  “Ah. So that is your game?”

  “Set and match,” Rem responded proudly.

  “I wouldn’t want to have to scrape you off the floor,” Solus continued.

  Rem extended his hands and nodded, a gesture of acceptance. Solus only saw it as a challenge. “I could imply the same to you, Lightweight Brenner.”

  “If that is the case, we will settle this like men.” Solus grabbed an unopened bottle, two cups, a spring bottle-opener, and hauled them along with Rem over to a nearby table. “The usual stakes with an upped ante. I win, you tell Amiria the truth, and nothing short of it. And I don’t mean solely revealing your feelings. I mean the whole nine yards. Kiss her under the moonlight, take her somewhere nicer than here, something meaningful.”