Syney stared at the queen, and the queen stared back at her. Two pawns waiting to be moved.
"Have you ever played chess?" Mellisandrianna asked.
Syney nodded. "My father used to play competitively. He taught me a thing or two."
"It's a good skill to have, especially in politics."
"So...if I was thinking three moves ahead here, I would guess that this whole thing isn't about Hunter being my Protector." Syney paused. "The question is 'What do you really want from me?'
Now she was beginning to act like a royal. "There are always ways around things of course. If you are adamant that this Lycin be your Protector, I'm sure there is a way we can make sure that happens."
"In exchange for?"
Mellisandrianna sighed. "Your arrival has taken everyone by surprise. All are excited, and few are even eager for you to take your rightful place on the throne. And it is your right of course. The Vilori line was seated and then succeeded by the Crystalliannas after the last queen, Queen Amelia, died tragically. So in theory, the throne is yours as of the moment you walked into the Village."
"You know, that sounds appealing actually."
Mellisandrianna stopped. This was not the move she was expecting from this girl. She still had that dumb look about her that most humans possessed. She obviously hadn't changed in the ten minutes they had been conversing. So what had changed? "You want to take the throne?"
Syney nodded. "Very much." She paused. "But you know, I'm not too... engrossed in this culture yet. I don't really know a Lycin from a werewolf, or so I've been told. All I know about the royal families is what you just told me. A queen can't rule without knowing her subjects or the land. So I think some... lessons or something might be best for me—before I take the throne, that is. And while that is going on..." She walked over to look at a painting of the four birds the queen had mentioned. "...I'm sure you can find some way for Hunter to stay as my Protector." She looked back at the queen. "Since there are always ways to make things happen."
Mellisandrianna smiled, a genuine one this time. Maybe her game plan could actually involve this girl. She seemed to catch on rather quickly. "Everything is settled then."
"Sounds like it."
"Of course I would feel better if other Protectors would be chosen for you."
Syney looked taken aback. "I thought...that..."
"It is always best to be prudent. There should be a contingency plan in case anything were to happen. This is a dangerous time after all."
The girl swallowed. She had been outplayed, and she knew it. "Sounds good. I understand."
The queen smiled. Checkmate.
Syney
The food looked appetizing but the nasty taste in Syney's mouth masked any delicious flavor it should have had. She never liked to make deals or go behind others' backs to get something. That wasn't her. That wasn't the way she was raised. But one day of being in this place and she was playing almost as dirty as the queen herself. And, man, was that woman a piece of work. Syney knew chess like a pro. She and her father had had nightly competitions at times, just to keep their minds sharp, or so her father always had said. But this game, the one the queen so adamantly supported, was different, almost dangerous, and Syney didn't like it. "Always think at least three steps ahead," her father always had said. Syney was pretty sure Mellisandrianna was at least twenty ahead, and each led to something not so good for Syney. She didn't speak to Hunter as he led her back to her room. She could tell he wanted to say something, but he stayed silent. She was happy for that. She knew there wasn't a good way to say you've given up doing what you were destined to do just to keep someone in your life.
After dinner, Hunter followed her into the room and closed the door behind them. He paced silently in front of the balcony for a few minutes before Syney couldn't stand it anymore. "That is really annoying, you know."
He stopped and looked at her—silent still.
"Just ask," Syney said, lying back in her bed. She stared up at the intricate pattern of the canopy over her bed. It looked like silk, black with a twirled white pattern throughout it. She rolled her eyes. He was still silent. This whole honor-and-duty thing would be the death of her. She sat up and was surprised not to see him. She got off the bed and walked out to the balcony, where he stood staring at the expanse of the Village. She walked up next to him and leaned onto the solid stone railing. "She's not going to remove you as my Protector. But she is going to choose some backups."
Hunter didn't say anything, but his breathing picked up a little.
Syney took the moment to study him a little more. He was almost impossible to really figure out. She gave him good news, but he didn't respond. He hesitated before giving her anything that might help her in this place. He was so guarded, and there was nothing she could do to penetrate his silent exterior, she realized with a sigh. She crossed her arms and turned to look out onto the Village. The sun was setting, casting a pink hue on all of the buildings. It made the place look more like a painting than real life. This was a place where she could live and actually get used to.
"Those tests the queen ordered will begin in the morning," Hunter said, his eyes never leaving the landscape in front of him.
"OK," Syney said, apprehension filling her body. She was never very good at tests, and this one was all magic, which made her even more nervous.
"I also arranged to have a memorial service for the Andrews. Nothing big. It's actually a Lycin ceremony. It's the only one I could make happen," he said quietly.
Syney's heart skipped a beat, and grief washed over her whole body at the same time. She gripped the railing a little tighter. That was the best thing anyone could have done for her. She looked over and met Hunter's gaze. "Thank you."
He nodded. "It's tonight, though. I had to pull some strings, so the timing wasn't something I could control."
"The queen wouldn't allow it, would she?"
Hunter looked back over the Village. "No. Not for humans."
"I don't like her," Syney spat out.
Hunter sighed and turned to face her. "Nevertheless she is your queen. So no more picking fights with her. Especially in public. And never about me."
Syney nodded. "That's what the silent treatment was for. Kinda figured as much." She turned to face him. "She has no say about my Protector. You showed me that yourself."
"Not so you could use it to lead a suicide march on the queen."
"You don't have a say in what I use against her."
"You're infuriating sometimes."
"So are you."
"I can't protect you if you put yourself out there against her."
"You can't protect me from everything!"
"I'm supposed to!"
"No!" She took his hand in hers, holding tightly as he tried to pull back. The unbelievable feeling of calmness enveloped her, and she sighed, accepting it. "What I need is for you to be here with me. To help me figure this place out. To save my life when someone decides it would be cool to kill me. To...let me hold your hand when I need to calm down." She gave a small laugh and watched something flash over his face. She couldn't place it, but maybe it was surprise.
"Calm down?" he asked, looking down at their hands.
"Yeah. I figured it was a Protector thing." She continued when he stared at her blankly. "When we touch, I get this...calm feeling. It's almost overwhelming. It happens when you're a wolf too. Is this not...normal?"
He shook his head and looked back into her eyes.
"I guess nothing about us is normal then," Syney said, stepping closer to him. They were only a few inches apart now, still holding eye contact. "I really don't care what the queen has in her icy head about either of us. I won't go through life in this place without you." She placed her hand on his chest, feeling his rapid heartbeat under his fingers. She expected him to step back or even push her away, but he didn't. She smiled, a small victory achieved. She wasn't expecting him to shift his gaze to her lips or move his hand so that their fin
gers intertwined. She wasn't too unhappy about it, though—the exact opposite even. He leaned closer as she lifted to her toes. And then there was a knock at the door. Syney sucked in a breath as Hunter quickly stepped away from her. They suddenly found fascination with the floor as another knock came at the door.
"Come in!" Syney called out.
Noelle walked in and tentatively stepped onto the balcony. "Sorry. I was wondering if you needed help with the dress."
Syney nodded and looked up at her. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I won't be able to get out of this thing if I wanted to, and I really want to." She looked back at Hunter, who hadn't looked up from the floor. "When is the...um..."
He looked up, but at Noelle not Syney. "When she's dressed you can bring her down to the Lycin chapel. You don't need to knock. Just enter."
"Sure," Noelle said.
Hunter gave them both a quick nod and hurried out of the room.
Syney looked after him, not really knowing what to say or do. She was pretty sure that moment had just happened, but it felt like more of a dream—a really good dream she wanted to have again and again. She knew it had been more than just the protection thing, or at least she hoped it was. She shook her head, shaking the thoughts along with it. This had been a long day, one filled with death and deception. It probably wasn't the best day to fall for a guy, if the feelings were real. She sighed and walked into her room. She pulled open one of her suitcases and yanked out a pair of black pants and a gray sweater. She turned to Noelle, who quietly watched her, waiting for when she was needed.
"Let me get the back for you," Noelle said, pulling at the ties at the back of the dress. "Did you enjoy dinner?"
"Not really. "
"I hear the banquets are really nice. Lots of good food."
"There was food. Don't know if it was any good. Little distracted."
Noelle pulled the sides of the dress apart and stepped back from Syney. "Pretty exciting day for everyone."
Syney heaved another sigh and turned to her. "Seems like everyone has different opinions of what my being here means."
Noelle nodded. "They do. This is a complicated place."
"I'm noticing." She smiled at the blonde. "So, friend, do you happen to know anything about Hunter, my Protector?"
"I don't know him personally. Magic Users and Lycins don't really run in the same crowds. I've heard some whispering, but nothing I should be talking about," Noelle said, sitting down on one of the couches.
"Actually," Syney said hurrying over to sit next to her, "gossip is pretty much what I want right now. So give me the scoop, and if it has anything to do with his family or being disgraced, all the better."
"Well..." Noelle hesitated but then smiled. "Everyone has been talking about him since he was chosen from the fire to be your Protector—just that he's not the queen's choice and that his family has been outcast for at least two generations. And that he's not very social. Or happy about being in the palace."
"Have they talked about why his family was cast out?"
Noelle shook her head. "Things like that aren't usually talked about, even as gossip."
"Oh," Syney said, a little deflated. It looked like she would have to ask Hunter about it, and she had a feeling he wouldn't be so forthcoming.
"But there aren't many reasons for banishment from the court, especially for a Lycin. Most likely a member of his family was a Protector, and he failed somehow at his duty."
Syney nodded. "Duty and honor and all that bull."
"Not the answer you wanted, huh?"
"No, no, it was fine. I'm just getting bitter." She stood up and pulled off the dress, not really caring about modesty at the moment.
"Why are you going to the Lycin chapel?"
Syney pulled on the black pants. "Hunter arranged for a memorial service for my parents."
"Your parents?"
"My...um...the Andrews. The...humans who adopted me. They got caught up in the crossfire before we got here."
"I'm so sorry. Would you mind if I attend? I know I didn't know them, but I've seen too much death because of this war."
Syney nodded. This wasn't the first time this Great War had been mentioned, but she hadn't seen any war in the Village—only a scary game of chess. She looked down at her comfy clothes and felt a little better. "All right. Let's go."
Hunter
Hunter closed the door to Syney's room and leaned against it for a moment. He took a few deep breaths. It had been a long day, but that was no excuse for what he almost had done. Syney was trying; all of her questions were infuriating. Her lack of caring about the customs of the Village verged on being rude. She was just so human, and he couldn't seem to get enough of the irksome girl. It was beyond irritating. He huffed and pushed away from the door, then headed down to the chapel. He wasn't sure what she expected from him at times. He gave her the information he could, but she asked so much. Most things he had no place even telling her. But she just kept prodding. In the same breath, however, she held all of the passion and strength of the most powerful Lycin he ever had met. And she was so beautiful—but he should not think of that. He couldn't think like that. Whatever was there had to be buried, steeled over. She couldn't really ask anything else from him, right? What did she expect? For him to open up to her, let himself be seen raw, by a Magic User no less? For him to tell her that he felt the same calmness every time they touched? He knew it wasn't a normal thing to feel, but he had enough sense to keep it to himself. Syney didn't seem to understand that virtue.
He pushed open the heavy wooden doors that led into the Lycin chapel. He gave a nod to Leaf, who stood near the back of the room, speaking quietly to the high Lycin priest, Branch. He took a seat in the middle of the rows and bowed his head. He wasn't going to pray. His mother had stopped attending services soon after his father had died, when Hunter was very small, so he never had been raised to believe in the gods. This service was more for Syney. She needed a way to say goodbye to her parents. He never had known his father but would have liked a way to say goodbye if he could. He thought of his mother for a while. He hadn't seen her since before they had set off to retrieve Syney. It was right after he had been chosen to be her Protector, actually. He had been filled with mixed emotions. He was grateful to his uncle, Sparrow, who was the head trainer for the Royal Guard, for letting him in on the training sessions when the disgraced should not be there. He felt apprehension about being chosen for the assignment when he knew he should not have been. The queen had been right about that point. No disgraced family member ever had been appointed to a position as Protector or a member the Royal Guard. So what had set him apart? And, of course, his excitement had been the greatest feeling. This was his chance to bring his family out of disgrace. Let whatever had happened in the past be gone, and move on to a new future where he was the royal Protector who guarded the Chosen One, the most powerful Magic User. His mother, at hearing the news, seemed to grow sullen and almost came to tears.
"This is a good thing, Mom," Hunter had said, kneeling in front of his mother and gripping her hands. "I can undo everything that has gone wrong for us over the years. No more shopping only on the far side of the Village. We'll be invited to all of the palace events. No more being on the fringes."
She shook her head, her red hair shaking out in all directions. "It just... feels... I don't know..." She placed a hand on her son's face. "I worry so much about you. Now I'll have even more to worry about."
"You worry too much. I'm not like those hotshot wolves. You know that."
"I raised you right then?"
"Well enough for me to be the Chosen One's Protector."
She sighed and shook her head again. "I can't believe they found her already. It seems like only yesterday..." Tears welled up in her eyes. "Just promise me you'll be careful. There's a lot of responsibility in this position...more than you may realize." Her voice had turned grave, which sent a shiver down her son's back.
"I know, Mom," Hunter said.
; She smiled and shook away some tears. "My boy. All grown up and everything."
Nothing had prepared him for Syney, though. Maybe his mother had been right to worry. He was still lost in his confusing feelings when Syney walked in with her handmaiden. He stood to greet them, but Syney walked right past him. What reason did she have to be angry with him? Infuriating girl! Hunter huffed and followed the girls to the front of the chapel.
Leaf bowed to them and gestured to the Lycin next to him. "This is Branch, our high priest."
Syney smiled at the older man. "Thank you so much for doing this for me."
Branch gave her the same smile he gave to young Lycins, one of joy. "Thank young Hunter. He can be quite persistent."
"I'm beginning to see that," Syney said, glancing toward Hunter for a moment.
"Let's get started then," Branch said, leading the four over to the front row of seats. Hunter and Leaf instinctively sat behind the girls. Branch went to stand behind a small altar, when the door in the back opened. Raine, followed closely by Cass, walked in and joined the four already seated.
"She insisted when I told her," Raine whispered, responding to Hunter's questioning look.
"Time flows just like the Great River of Life. Every day, new life begins just as every day life also ends. We are here to pay a warrior's tribute to Richard and Joyce," Branch began the ritual memorial.
Discovery: Altera Realm Trilogy Page 12