by G. Bailey
"It’s your favourite drink, an herbal tea of sorts," Shan comments.
"Lemon flower," I murmurer when I smell it and surprised that the name of the herb rolls off my tongue so easily.
"Yes," Shan says, with clear excitement in his eyes. I want to tell him more but that’s all there is, just the name of an herb tea I liked to drink but not who these men are to me. I should know that. Shan sees my defeated look and looks away for a second before finally facing me.
"So…we met when we were ten. Twelve years ago now," He tells me.
“We met so young," I comment.
“Not especially, you met your other husbands not long after as we all started school on the island. Well everyone but Thief, but that’s his story. I just met you a few hours earlier than them,” he winks and it makes me laugh a little.
“I love when you laugh, it’s like the cold world warms a little for you,” he says, leaving me speechless.
“Shan…”
“I know, you don’t know me. This is just difficult, I’ve loved you since we were ten,” he admits to me and shakes his head. “Maybe we could start with something less personal, like where we live,” he says but its more to himself.
"You live on a large island called Sixa, that is covered in ice and creatures that live on it with us. Our village is right in the middle, and your father and mother were on the council. You are a council member now, the last one." He says but I only seem to hear the middle part of what he said as I try to think of my parents. I remember a dark haired man and woman singing to me as I wore a white dress and danced around with someone. I was young and they both looked so happy.
“I danced in front of them, in a white dress with a boy…” I mutter the end part as I remember the boy, the blond hair and playful blue eyes haunting me, making me never want to forget.
“Thief. You’ve danced with Thief at the winter fair for your parents when you were twelve. You dance every year since then, you are an amazing dancer,” Shan says gently.
"Are my parent’s dead?" I ask quietly, not knowing because I don’t remember that.
"Yes. Your father died when you were twelve, when a large ice creature attacked the town and several other council members were killed that day as they saved us. It was a few days after the dance, and you told me once dancing reminds you of him," he tells me and some part of me knows that. Dancing reminds me of my father, how he smiled at me, how he loved to see me dance.
"What happened to the others? The other council members I mean," I ask him, needing to change the subject.
"Another two council members where killed by their son, for doing terrible things." He says, a sad look on his face.
"Where is the son? Why couldn’t he be a council member?" I ask, wondering if he was killed for killing his parents.
"I don’t know where he is now, but I hope we will meet one day once again. He was a good man who got put in a terrible place. You knew Zack too, you used to be friends with him and helped him escape with all of us," he tells me but I don’t remember anyone called Zack.
"And the other council members?" I ask.
"There were two left and your mother, one got killed when a disease hit the town." He says, and I can see its difficult for him to tell me all this. I have the feeling he is avoiding telling me about my mother and I need to know if I can’t remember myself.
"And my mother? And the last one?" I ask him bluntly, I don’t want to mess around when this is information I need.
"Your mother died in your arms two weeks ago, the same day she told you something and you fell off the cliff into the water. A secret of the kings, a secret that apparently could save everyone but you didn’t tell us what. You said you would explain after you got it," he tells me, “Lucky we decided to follow you anyway, just to see you being pushed off that cliff and into a deep, cold pool of water,” he says, fury spreading across his eyes and making them look like they are burning.
"I remember the king, we have a king..." I say but all I can feel is a burning hate when I think of the king, but I don’t know why. Why would I hate a king?
"An evil king?" I ask and he nods.
"The last council member. What happened to him or her?" I ask.
"He is dead, I killed him for pushing you off that cliff and trying to kill you." He says, not one part of his sentence speaks any sorrow or regret for killing someone. I guess I feel the same way as he does, except part of me is happy.
"Then I’m glad he is dead," I say, feeling little emotion other than happiness and respect for Shan. I watch him drink the tea and he puts it down. Shan is really handsome, and I feel so attracted to him as I stare. A memory flashes back into my mind suddenly I look at his dark hair,
“So many years, we waited for this,” Shan says as he looks down at me. I moan as he thrust himself deep between my legs and my back arches from the pleasure.
“We would have waited many more,” I reply, knowing I married Shan today because I love him. I waited for three years to get to the age my parents would let me marry.
“I love you,” Shan says and he leans down and kisses me at the same time he moves his hips in and out of me.
"No part of you knows me?" he asks and I shake my head as the memory slips away. The pleasure I felt, the memory of his naked chest and his long dark hair falling around us as he made love to me is all I can think of, but it doesn’t mean anything to me now. I feel like I watched a stranger’s memories, not my own, no matter how good they felt.
"I’m sorry, I wish I could say I knew you but I don’t, not really." I tell him, almost wanting to take it back and tell him about the memory when his face drops.
"You know in here," he pats his chest where his heart is, “and that will never leave you. When you remember, and you will, I will be here." he says and with a sad look, he gets up and walks out of the room and the cold air from the outside burns against my cheeks.
22
Chapter Four
Fen
“Any luck?” I ask Shan as he walks over to the large town fire where I am stood and picks up a mug. I watch as he undoes the lock on the barrel and pours himself a drink, drinking it whole before making himself another one and coming over to me. People walk around us, most going into their huts or looking back at ours in case Eowynn comes out. The people love her, as much as they used to love the other council children like Zack. Zack and Eowynn had planned to make everything right when they took over, to find a way to avoid the king and stop the hunt on changed ones getting to us. Even if it meant hiding the families when the king is here. They both believe that we should be free, but their parents didn’t. Or they were too scared to fight back. Eowynn isn’t like that, and even without Zack here to help, she will lead us out of this. With her husbands at her side.
“Not good,” he replies and I drink out of my own mug slowly as I think about what to say to her.
“My turn next then,” I say, looking back at the hut.
“We will need to leave soon, war is coming and our people must choose a side. We are not staying here,” he says firmly and I agree, “If Wynn could remember, she would choose the rebellion and I know that. To side with the princes and the changed ones,” Shan comments and I look around at the town, seeing bags packed outside people’s homes on sledges. He has a point that we can’t delay for much longer. The last thing Wynn did before she fell was to tell the whole village to pack their bags, and that we are leaving. She never gave a reason and now she can’t remember why she did.
“We have a day, one day to get her to remember and make a decision. I trust our wife, if she wanted us to go to Fiaten, she must have known something worth taking us there,” Shan says, before taking a big sip of his drink. I give him a sharp nod before walking over to our hut and letting myself in. I take my scarf off, and my hat, before kicking my boots off as well. Wynn is sitting on the couches, a book in her hands and she looks up.
“Why did I call you Thief? Did you steal from me?” she asks, making me smile
.
“Why do you want to know?” I ask, leaning against the wall and watch her as she grins.
“I want to know you,” she says, her voice is so deep and seductive that it could bring me to my knees. She has always had that effect on me though.
“Yes, well not exactly you but your parents,” I say and she gives me a curious look as I walk over and sit next to her. I wrap my arm around her shoulders, hating how she tenses a little at the beginning but doesn’t push me away as I settle next to her.
“I met you in the local school, not that I could attend because I was from the orphanage. I watched you meet Shan, Diego and Cullen before following you home. I was a starving child and I didn’t have a choice in the end. Not that I’m proud for what I did, or making excuses. I just couldn’t think straight from the lack of food and I was young,” I admit.
“You stole food, and then my parents found you,” she says, making me lean closer to her as her eyes widen.
“You remember?” I ask her and she nods, her face scrunched up as she thinks.
“My mother was upset, and my father was angry. But my mother wanted to keep you and look after you. They didn’t realise how many of the orphanage children were so hungry,” she says.
“That’s the day I moved into your home, and you called me Thief. I realised quite soon that I had found a treasure with you,” I say, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. She looks up at me, her lips parting slightly and I sit shocked as she leans forward and kisses me. Her kiss is nothing like I expected, its urgent and I groan as I return the kiss, stroking my hands down her back, feeling her shiver against me. She breaks away suddenly, looking at me.
“I remember you, our first kiss, and how I used to teach you how to read. So, did Shan, Diego and Cullen.” She says suddenly.
“Do you remember the rest of our lives? The day we got married? The day you fell? Any of it?” I ask and she shakes her head.
“I remember being in school, but nothing from after that. I’m sorry,” she whispers and I lift a hand under her chin and make her look up at me.
“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” I say. She leans her head on my chest, letting me hold her for a long time.
“What are these marks?” she asks me, lifting her arms up to show me what she means. I pull my shirt up, showing her the island mark tattooed on my left wrist.
“Marriage marks. It’s a Sixa tradition that no other islands have. Most islands give a ring to their wives but we have matching marks done that the wife chooses. You chose an island for me because you know how much I craved a home, a place to really feel like I belonged.”
“Do you have that now?” she asks.
“I had it from the moment I met you, even if I had bread stuffed into my mouth at the time,” I say, laughing with her. Her eyes glaze over, looking at me but she doesn’t really seem there and I shake her shoulder.
“Treasure? You okay?” I ask her and she smiles.
“Fen, your name is Fen,”
“You remember?” I ask and she smiles as she nods.
“Not much,” she admits, biting her lip, “But we went fishing, and I remember shouting for you,” she says.
“Better than nothing, but yes I’m Fen. Its lovely to meet you,” I say, making her laugh.
“I love you, I know that. I love all four of you but I can’t remember the last few years. It’s so frustrating,” she huffs, pushing the book on her lap to the side.
“Love is all we need, everything else will come in time,” I tell her and lean over, picking the book up. Inside is a painting of us all, and of her parents.
“I found it, who painted this? It’s amazing,” she asks.
“Diego did, I will send him to see you next and he can tell you about this,” I say and she nods, resting her head on my shoulder once more.
“For now, will you tell me about each painting, see if anything comes back to me?” she asks and I flip back to the first page.
“Of course, my wife,” I say, and start telling her the story of our life.
23
Chapter Five
Eowynn
“I heard you were looking at my paintings,” Diego says as he comes into the room and I put his book down on the bed where I’ve been sitting looking at each photo for the last hour. I look up at Diego, seeing his white hair that is so unusual and the way he looks back at me. His voice is cold and icy, but its soothing. Like when you burn your hand and put something cold on it. It hurts at the start, but then the relief is amazing.
“Your paintings are incredible,” I say, making him chuckle.
“You know when we first met, I didn’t like you and you didn’t like me,” he tells me, coming to sit next to me on the bed as I cross my legs.
“Why not?” I ask.
“You were, are, pretty and I didn’t think you would look my way, so I used to annoy you. Only little things, like stealing your pencil in class. Or drinking your water at lunch when you weren’t looking.”
“I imagine that did get annoying,” I laugh.
“But then one day you came to my hut because I had forgotten my bag at school. My parents let you in and you saw all the paintings in my room that I did of you,” he says, and gets off the bed. He walks over to a cabinet and opens it up, digging around before finding an old scrap book. He brings it over and places it on my lap. I open it up to see all the photos inside, there are dozens of me as a child, then growing up as the book goes on.
“You told me that you liked me, that it was clear I liked you too. Then you informed me that we were going on a date at the weekend and I had to plan something.”
“I did?” I laugh, stroking a finger over a painting of me standing on the cliffs, my hair blowing around and my dress moving in the wind.
“Yes, so I panicked. Shan suggested I take you to the snow caves to look at the creatures inside,” he tells me.
“Did I like the date?” I ask, wishing I could remember it.
“We had our first kiss in that cave, and returned years later when we were married for far more than one kiss. So, I would say yes,” he chuckles.
“When I remember, maybe we could return to that cave?” I ask.
“It would be my pleasure Wynn,” he says and stands up, “Let’s get you some food, you must be hungry?” he asks.
“Yes, a little bit,” I say and my stomach rumbles its agreement. Diego gets off the bed, with me following and goes into the next room, which is half storage and half a kitchen. He opens a storage barrel, pulling out two fish that are frozen in ice before putting them on the side. I watch as he cuts them up before cooking them over the fire in the main room. We eat in silence, a comfortable silence because even if I can’t remember, I know we have done this many times.
“Tell me about the world? What is it called?” I ask him when I finish eating.
“The world is called Calais, which is actually the last name of the old royal family but not many know that,” he pauses to pick up my plate and put it on top of his, “There are seven islands, and a new royal family that rules them all,” he says.
“The king?”
“Is evil, do you remember what changed ones are?” he asks and then shakes his head at my confused look, “Of course not. Changed ones are children kissed by gods, blessed with powers and the king hunts them. Orders them killed as babies before they can get strong and maybe even fight against him.”
“Has there been any changed ones born here?”
“Your brother and two others, all killed as babies,” he tells me, causing a sharp pain through my heart as a memory flashes back to my mother screaming as a man in green uniform takes away a baby from her. My father was on the floor, being held down as they took my baby brother.
“I remember, I was only seven,” I say quietly.
“It crushed your family, but they were lucky the king didn’t have you all killed like he usually does,” he says, reaching over to put his hand over mine on the table.
“What can
we do to stop this? Was I trying to stop this? I feel like I was,” I say all of it quickly as I try to remember something that is pressing against my mind.
“There are rumours that a changed one has lived, a changed one strong enough to kill him,” he tells me.
“I can’t remember,” I say, giving up slightly and standing up. I walk over to the mirror in the room, looking down at my arms as I feel Diego step behind me, his hands going to my hips and pulling me against him.
“Which mark is yours?” I ask.
“The shield, because I will always protect you,” he says, kissing the top of my head as I relax into him.
24
Chapter Six
Eowynn
I stop pouring myself a glass of water when the door opens once more and Cullen walks in, shaking off the snow from his large shoulders. Cullen has dark brown hair, cut short and shaven on one side. His warm brown eyes seem to match his warm and husky voice I remember.
“Wynn, my love. How are you?” he asks me, making a memory flash into my head and the glass drop from my hand.
“My love, it’s always been you from the moment you slapped me around the face for suggesting you needed help building a bird nest house in school,” Cullen says, making me laugh as he holds my hands tightly in his and lowers himself down onto one knee. I didn't expect him to propose to me today, not a day after I married one of his friends. All my men don’t mind sharing me, it’s never been an issue and we all agreed that I would marry them all but I just didn’t expect this. My Cullen, who is kind, handsome and would do anything for others. I catch a glance at the claw tattoo on his chest through his shirt, knowing if I say yes it will go next to Shan’s tattoo.
“You should know better than to suggest a girl can’t build something with tools, girls are far stronger than we look you know,” I say, winding him up a little as tears fall down my cheeks.