Tyran opened the door and allowed me to enter first. It was surprisingly clean. One of the many things I remembered about my dad was that he was a slob. My mom was always picking up after him. Putting his coffee cups in the dishwasher, dirty clothes in the hamper and making sure his crumpled papers in the study made it to the waste basket. To see a single male’s apartment pretty near spotless was shocking for me.
“If I show you this, you must promise not to tell anyone.” He was so serious I was almost afraid to agree. He laughed at my expression and went into the kitchen. When he returned, he was holding something behind his back. “Do I have your word?”
“Yes. You have my word.”
From behind his back he pulled out a familiar red tub of Folger’s coffee. My face lit up and he laughed.
“Would you like some?”
“Please!”
“It’s not against the rules to have this, but the kingdom kind of frowns upon anything we don’t cultivate here. Plus we have to use kingdom money to purchase it, which is selfish, but my weakness is coffee,” Tyran explained as he started to prepare the coffee.
“How did you start drinking it if it’s not offered here?”
“About a year ago I went along with some of the Runners to the farmer's market in town to sell some of our surplus. We had to leave super early in the morning and I was exhausted. Runner Simon said he had some coffee which would help. I remember opening the thermos and that first smell of coffee was amazing to me. My first sip was all it took for me to know I couldn’t ever be without it,” he explained dramatically.
“I used to steal sips of my dad’s coffee when he wasn’t looking. I can’t really remember a time when I wasn’t drinking it.”
When the water was boiling, I watched the brown coffee bubbles and inhaled the beautiful aroma. Tyran pulled cream out of the refrigerator and a sugar bowl from the cupboard. We assembled our cups in silence. He was deep in thought. I was enjoying myself so much I had almost forgotten that we were starting to talk about choosing my assistant.
“Thank you so much for this,” I said sincerely. “It smells so good.”
“I’m sure it’s no Dunkin Donuts, but it’s pretty good.”
We took our mugs and he led the way to the sofa again. I could tell that he was trying to find a way to bring up the assistant thing again so I chose to help him out.
“So you were wondering about me picking an assistant?”
“Yeah. Have you put any thought into it yet? I know you haven’t told your decision yet, I was just curious.”
“Not too much really. I don’t know too many people here and it seems to be a pretty big decision.”
“It is. I know I’m being a bit forward, but I would really like to be your assistant.”
“Oh. I don’t know. I mean, I’m really not sure.”
“I just would like you to consider it. I could protect you, I wouldn’t let you down and we could hang out and drink coffee anytime without a second glance.”
“What do you get out of it?”
“I would be close to you,” he responded almost embarrassed to say it.
I could feel myself blushing again, but at the same time I wondered if he was just putting on an act. Being the assistant to the Queen is really looked at as an honor. Did he just want the status? Finally I said, “I promise I will consider it.”
“Thank you.”
We drank our coffee and he spoke about some of the people in the kingdom. I didn’t recognize most of the names, but they were interesting stories all the same. He asked me about my life with my mom. I told him stories about the many adventures we had been on, and I told him about how my dad was killed. I was open to telling him about my past, but at the same time I wondered if he actually cared or if he was just pretending.
I don’t know how much time had passed, but my second cup of coffee was gone and the pot on the stove was no longer steaming.
“I better go.”
“All right. If you have a coffee craving, you know where to find me. The next time I go to town, I will be sure to get you some of your own.” he said as he stood up to walk me to the door.
“Thank you.”
“Jasmine. No pressure okay? I just want you to be safe.” His green eyes found his way to my heart and I couldn’t speak. I just nodded and waved goodbye as he opened the door for me to leave.
After spending so much time with Tyran, I was feeling a whirlwind of emotions. It was obvious that whatever I was feeling for him had the potential of turning into something much more than a crush. I already had enough on my mind; I didn’t really need a guy to complicate matters even further. The only way I could think of to stop this in its tracks was to avoid him as much as possible so that I could focus on things that were more important. Obviously there was no way he could be my assistant if I was avoiding him.
Chapter 8
Decision Time
That night I had a dream. I was at the campsite again but my mom wasn’t with me. I was alone and for some reason I was so scared I couldn’t move. In front of me was a sign that read, No Trespassing. I looked through the trees beyond the sign and saw my house that I had lived in since the day I was born. Surely it didn’t pertain to me so I took a step forward I heard my mom’s voice telling me to turn around. When I did, I saw the kingdom of Tamporlea with Tyran, Cali and Orion standing at the front door all waving happily at me.
When I woke up I felt an amazing sense of peace and I knew what I was going to do. I don’t think it was ever really a question. Before I officially gave my answer, there was one thing I needed to know so I went to find Orion who was in his quarters. He invited me in and brewed us a pot of tea.
“Orion, I need to know why my mom said no to taking over as Queen.”
He passed me a cup of tea and said, “You know I can’t tell you the answer to that, it would influence your decision too much.”
“Please tell me. I’ve already made my decision, I just need to know.” I was ready to beg but I could see that he was already considering it. I took a sip of tea and waited for him to respond.
“If I tell you, you must swear to me that you will not tell anyone that I have given you this information before you’ve made your decision.”
“You have my word Orion.”
He nodded, took a sip of his tea and said, “Okay then. Well, your grandmother, and your great-grandmother as well were never given the opportunity to take the throne. Queen Holly was not ready to step down at the time. Your grandmother was never informed of our world until it was time for your mom to decide.”
“How long was my great-great grandmother Queen?”
“She came when she was eighteen and she died at a hundred and thirteen years old. She was a very beloved Queen for ninety-five years. She was ready to step down when it was your mother’s choice, but when your mom said no, she chose to wait until the next Queen took the crown. However, when it became closer to the time of your arrival, she chose to let nature take its course and stopped taking the potion. It was a very sad day in Tamporlea when Queen Holly passed on.” Orion looked as though he still wasn’t over the Queen’s death. He quickly composed himself and started talking about my mother.
“When your mom came here, I knew she was going to say no. She went through the motions of meetings and even slept five nights right where you are staying now. When it was time for her to tell us her decision, she stated that she believed her purpose was not to rule Tamporlea but to raise a family. She apologized to Queen Holly for disappointing her but the Queen assured her that she would be more disappointed if she were to take the crown when she didn’t really want to. She knew your mother would be best suited to raise the next possible heir.”
“She gave up being Queen to have a family?” I asked in awe.
“Yes, Miss Jasmine. It was all she ever wanted and there was no way for her to have that if she were to say here.”
“Why not? Why aren’t the descendents raised here?”
“They used to be. However, when the potion to have the Queen live as long as she desired was created, the descendants became a major risk to Tamporlea. They could attempt an assassination to take the crown, or worse, they could refuse to have children of their own, which would end Tamporlea all together.”
“Thank you for being so honest with me. I don’t know everything about Tamporlea, and I’m not completely sure what I would be getting myself into, but I can say with no uncertainty that this is where I am supposed to be. Orion, it would be an honor to be the Queen of Tamporlea. I hope I am able to bring honor to this kingdom as Queen Holly had done. As much as I will miss my mother and friends, I truly believe that Tamporlea is where I belong.”
“Miss Jasmine, I believe Queen Holly would be most pleased that you have chosen the crown. I will immediately tell the Heads and we shall make the announcement at dinner tonight.” To my surprise, Orion embraced me in a strong hug. “Please forgive my boldness Miss Jasmine but I am very happy you have decided to stay.”
He started to turn away but I pulled him into another hug and said, “Me too Orion.”
“So, you told me that the one thing I had to do first was to choose my assistant, but who do I choose?”
“Like I said, it is up to you who you ask. It is usually a male Guard, like me.”
“What exactly does the assistant do? I mean, what qualities should I be looking for?”
“The assistant is basically the Queen’s best friend. Any information that you are given, the assistant should know. They help with making important decisions concerning the kingdom. If something were to happen to the Queen, the assistant would become the Head of Tamporlea, which basically means that they keep Tamporlea running until the new Queen is crowned. You need someone strong minded, somewhat unemotional and very loyal.”
“Unemotional?”
“Yes, because they are given so much information that no one else knows, they could easily give away the state of things if they were an over-emotional being. They also need to have qualities that would help to achieve the power they need to keep the kingdom running. I know you’ve become close with Calalilly and that’s partially my fault for throwing the two of you together so much. I don’t know if you were considering her or not but I must advise against it. Whomever you choose, must be able to protect you. I don’t think Calalilly is the right person for that.”
“It sounds like you have someone in mind.”
“Yes, I think Tyran would be an excellent choice.”
“Tyran?” I asked surprised. Tyran made his dislike for Orion quite known. I was surprised to see that it didn’t go both ways.
“Tyran has very strong powers Miss Jasmine, and his loyalty to Tamporlea is unwavering. I cannot make this decision for you but if I could, I would choose Tyran.”
As I walked to my room, I was looking at everyone along the way. I had to choose someone as my assistant and even though I already had two people in mind, I had to look at everyone as prospects. Or did I? Why couldn’t I choose someone who had shown interest in me since I showed up here? Then again, maybe they weren’t trying to befriend me. Maybe they only wanted a head start getting close to me, knowing that I would consider them first.
Calalilly was sweet, but did she have the strength needed? She was my age but she was a lot smaller than me. I couldn’t imagine her trying to protect me if needed. I wasn’t sure of how she would handle emotional situations, but I knew it must have taken a lot of courage to take me to see my mother when it was a risk to her. She could have been banished for what she had done and that wouldn’t be forgotten.
What Orion said made me think of Tyran as my assistant again. I wasn’t aware of what his powers were but they would surely to be enough to protect me. He was already showing his protective nature of me, which made me feel good. It was a little strange having him lurking around, but I had to admit that I liked it.
I went to find Cali who was in the reading room doing her job. I felt guilty interrupting her, but she assured me that it was fine. I couldn’t stand being in the palace at the moment so Cali suggested we go for a walk around the grounds. It felt good being outside, the sun was shining brightly and there was a light breeze coming from the west that kept the heat from feeling too oppressive. We sat in silence on some logs by the waterfall.
“Jasmine, are you okay?”
“Not really,” I admitted. “There just seems to be too much to think about. Orion tells me that I need to choose an assistant before the ceremony. Tyran wants me to choose him and I don’t know what to do.”
“I think Tyran would make an excellent choice. He’s strong and confident, I think he would do really well for you.”
“I don’t know. There’s something else that complicates the situation a little bit.”
“What do you mean?”
I confessed to her how I felt about Tyran. I told her about the first time I had seen him at my first dinner and how the crush was getting stronger and more impossible to ignore. I didn’t know how to put those feelings aside, but I knew I wanted to, or I had to for the sake of doing a good job for the kingdom.
“Jasmine, you do know that you two couldn’t be together if you both really wanted to anyway right?”
“No, why?” I asked.
“I told you this before, Guards can only be with Guards.”
I didn’t respond to that. I obviously had no idea what I was getting myself into. I was probably making a big mistake by choosing to be Queen, but I also knew this was what I was meant to do. There was obviously so much I had to learn and Cali seemed to be the only one willing to give me real answers without sugar coating anything.
“Cali, would you be my assistant?”
“What? No, you’re kidding right?”
“No, I’m not kidding. You are the only one I can talk to here.”
“And I disappoint you over and over with the information I give you. I could never protect you the way Tyran could,”
“And I could never talk to Tyran the way I talk to you. You are honest with me about everything. Even with Tyran I feel like he is holding back what he really wants to say.”
“Jasmine, not that I don’t totally appreciate you thinking of me, but I don’t know if I’m the right person for this.”
“Well, then we’re a perfect match because I don’t know if I’m the right person to be Queen.” She laughed at my reasoning but sat quiet otherwise. “There’s something else, isn’t there?”
“Yes. It’s just I’ve always thought I’d grow up and have a family. I’ve always wanted a family of my own.”
“And you can’t have that if you’re my assistant?”
“No, the assistant…”
“Never mind. I get it. Just think about it ok?”
“Yes. And thank you. Just considering me is a great honor.”
“Ok, I need to get my mind off of this stuff. Let’s talk about something else.”
We walked around the garden and she told me the history of how when the High Priestess was building the palace she wanted all the different wildflowers to bloom on the mountain. She wanted to bring as much beauty to her kingdom as possible. Cali knew all the names of the flowers and there were some that I had never even heard of let alone seen. The flowers that I did know about seemed to be bigger and more beautiful than I had ever seen before.
“They will pick some of these flowers to decorate the palace on special occasions. You’ll see at the crowning ceremony. The arrangements are beautiful and always make a huge impression on the guests. They make a huge arrangement of the Queen’s favorite and the assistant’s favorite to go by the crown.”
“What’s your favorite flower?”
“My favorite is pretty boring compared to most people. I really love the yellow roses over there,” she said pointing to rose blossoms the size of grapefruits. “What about you?”
“My dad used to buy me a bouquet of gerbera daisies every birthday and then my mom did the same when he died. I would have to
say they are my favorites for just that reason. But I don’t see them here.”
“Oh they’re over here.” When we reached a small patch of the daisies I wasn’t able to recognize them at first. The flowers were the size of dessert plates and the colors were incredibly vibrant. Cali picked a bright fuchsia daisy and tucked it into my ponytail.
“Thank you,” I said, and I realized that I was smiling. “Hey, what do you all do for fun around here?”
“A lot of hiking and camping. Sometimes we are able to go into town and enjoy the amusement parks or my favorite is the balloon festival every fall.”
“I go to the festival at the little airport every year with my mom. We fly kites on the runway and eat the funnel cakes. We always swear we’re going to wake up early enough to make it to the first lift-off but never do.”
“That’s when I go. It’s so pretty watching the balloons go up at sunrise.”
“Let’s make a date to go together this year.”
“Jasmine,” she sighed. “We can’t. The Queen and the assistant can’t leave the palace so easily. We’ll have to watch from here. I’ve been told we have a pretty good view from here.”
“Oh come on! The Queen doesn’t get to do anything! What’s the point if you’re stuck in the palace all the time?” Then it dawned on me, what she had said between the lines. “Hey wait a second, does that mean? Are you agreeing to be my assistant?”
“Of course! I can’t turn down a life of confinement!” she joked.
I hugged her so tightly I thought I was going to break her ribs. “I’m so excited!” I said releasing her. “And I promise we won’t be destined to spend our lives inside the palace. But what changed your mind?”
“Well, to be honest, you’re the best friend I’ve ever had. I think we’d make a great team.”
“But what about a family?”
“Eh, who would want me anyway?”
“Cali, I would arrange a marriage with anyone you wanted. It’s a lot to give up. My mother couldn’t do it.”
“I think I would regret it if I said no. I never thought I would be considered for the assistant position. I’ll be the first female to be assistant you know.”
Tamporlea (Tamporlea Trilogy, Book 1) Page 9