Essentia

by Ninana Howard

  when I stand back up wiping my mouth Enre is right there behind me. "are you ok?" he asks. Always worrying

  "yes I’m fine, breakfast didn’t agree with me".

  he feels my head to be sure I wasn’t running a fever, then says "if you start feeling bad tell me ok" I nod my head and we walk back to our horses.

  Thegan and Aiden both looking at me sympathetically. I say to them "I’m fine I promise" they smile at me. after getting back on our horses we are off again. When we get out from behind the falls, the horses speed up their pace. eventually we are at a full run. I am holding on as tight as I can, as to not get thrown. the ride is smooth though, as if Saber is trying to be more gentle in his steps. it is very much appreciated. I think to myself. as we race through the forest I see a few little animals that look like squirrels scurrying through the tree branches. They are similar to them but they are white and black like skunks. I will have to ask Enre what they are when we stop.

  It feels like we have been riding for a very long time. I ask saber "is there a safe place we can stop for a minute,” ‘yes just up ahead' he replies. soon They slow to a walk and then stop just shy of a small stream. Saber bent down so I could climb off of him. I pet him on the side of his head and tell him "Thank you". he Whinnied and walk off to the stream.

  Enre makes his way over to me after speaking to Thegan. he looks at me and says "are you alright My love". I sit down on the ground, stretching my legs all the way out.

  I say to him "I am alright, I just needed to stretch my legs". he goes to the stream and fills a container with cool water and brings it to me. "thank you" I say, drinking deeply, cooling my throat and wetting my lips. This is the best tasting water I believe I have ever had. I guess it would be considering it is not full of chemicals like back home.

  a few moments pass and saber comes running up, bending down he says to me 'we need to leave now'. I jump up and climb on his back. enre and the other doing the same. 'hold on' saber says to me. I tighten my grip and he was off like a rocket. We are running much faster than we was before. I didn’t even know horses could run this fast. I know there are race horses but this surpasses them by a mile. It has to be because they are guardians. Enre and Thegan are on each side of me riding as fast as they can as well. Aiden is behind us leading the other horses. We ride like that for a bit, on the horizon I can see the top of a huge castle.

  When we get over the next hill I can see the entire castle. it almost takes my breath. it is magnificent. And huge, don’t forget huge. It is by far the biggest structure I have ever seen. Enre yells to me saying "that is Rosewyvrn" grinning from ear to ear. it is very clear on his face that he is happy to be home. The horses run as fast as they can towards the castle. Seeing the surrounding buildings, you can tell that the people here have taken inspiration from many cultures. I wish I had more time to look around but our safety comes first. I glace over my shoulder, seeing Aiden and the other horses being trailed by men on painted up horses. They are shooting arrows at us.

  When we get close to the gate Thegan Yells up at the guards "I am Thegan Erinhall Arthfael, Open the gates". The gates open quickly and we all rush inside. as soon as the last of our horses have cleared the gate Thegan says "close them quickly, we are under attack". The guards shut the gates and bar them.

  Another rings a bell and a horde of Guards appear n the top wall of the castle. Bow and arrows in hand. "Fire" the head guard says. and hundreds of sharp arrows fly through the air. again and again the arrows soar through the air, Aimed at our enemy. Soon the head guard comes down and bows at Thegan and Enre. "Your highness's welcome back, only a few of the rebels escaped" he says.

  "very well, make sure that they stay away from this castle and send someone to clean the bodies off the street when you are sure it is safe" Thegan ordered. "one more thing, this young woman is Enre's wife, she is to be protected at all cost. Make sure the rest of the guard are aware of this"

  The guard smiles and says "congratulations Your highness. My lady" bowing deeply.

  "dismissed" Thegan says in an authoritive voice. The guard turns on his heels, rushing back up to the top of the wall.

  Now that I have a chance to breath. I try to calm myself down. If we would have been a second slower then we would not have made it. I hear a loud thud, spinning around I see Aiden laying on the ground. He has an arrow sticking out of the back of his shoulder. Blood pooling on the ground. "Enre!" I yell. he jumps off of his horse and rushes over to him.

  Thegan yells "Take him inside and get the doctor". Four guards rush over and they pick him up and carry him inside. "He will be fine Sister. it is just in his shoulder". How can he be so calm about this? one of us just got shot. By a freaking arrow. Enre comes over to me and puts his arm around me. "We have a good doctor here My love, so do not worried ok". I nod my head. still shaking from what I just seen.

  a few men come over and bow to us and one of them say "we will take the horses to the stable for you Your highness's"

  Enre tells them "feed them well but do not lock them in the stable. They can come and go as they please and have someone bring all of our thing inside" the man nods his head. Enre's attitude has changed, More authoritive. It’s kinda sexy, I think to myself.

  The guards start grabbing the horses but Before they can take Saber, I walk over to him "Thank you for saving us again Saber" patting him on the neck. 'It is an honor Daughter of Tarna'. Dipping his head low. He walks over in the direction of the stables on his own. I bet he is wearing out from our journey here. He deserves a good meal and rest.

  "Come My Dear, I have much to show you and we need to get cleaned up" Enre says to me.

  I look down at myself. I am filthy, dust and mud from the swift ride here. "That would be nice" I say to him with a laugh. He snickers a little and grabs my hand, leading me towards the massive wooden and steel doors front doors. just before the threshold he swoops me up in his arms and carries me through the door. "How traditional of you my prince" I say with a giggle.

  He gives me a peck on the cheek and says "Aelmere carries many traditions that are similar to your world. We have adapted many of earths cultures into our daily life. You will see when we head into town" Hmm. I wonder how long they have been coming to my realm. Listen to me, now I am talking like him. I almost giggle out loud but I managed to keep it in.

  "I can’t wait to see all of this realm" I say to him with excitement in my voice. I wasn’t lying, I really do want to see all that this place offers. Its people, animals, lands, I want to see everything and learn as much as I can about this once beautiful realm.

  "for now though let’s just get cleaned up and get some food in us, then I will sow you around". I nod my head and follow My handsome prince through the hallways of the castle.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Enre

  The feeling of being home is almost overwhelming. We have been away from here for far too long. Only coming back on occasion, just for a few hours for supplies. I know we will not be here but for a few days while we prepare for the battle that is to come, But I pray that it is a swift victory so we can finally be at peace in Aelmere once again. Walking these halls brings back memories of when I was small. running away from the nurse maids because I didn’t want to bathe. I hated baths when I was little. I would have rather rolled in the mud. But being a prince I had to be clean and presentable all the time. I laugh at the thought.

  We make it to my chambers. I open the door and step inside. My beautiful wife instep behind me. "this room is huge" she says looking around. she notices the balcony and runs over to it, opening the big glass doors. I walk up behind her wrapping my arms around her.

  I whisper in her ear "you are the princess of all that you see and more". Placing small kiss just below her ear. I can feel her warming up. little flower and vines bloom around the balcony. We stand there looking over the balcony for a few moments when there is a knock on the door. "Excuse me my love" I say to her. She nods her head. I walk to the door and open
it.

  "Your highness, the king has sent us to help My lady get cleaned up" I start to laugh. I am pretty sure she is not going to like this.

  I wave the maids in and say "One moment" and I walk over to Terra. "The maids are here to help you get cleaned up My love" her jaw dropped.

  "What?" she asked.

  "One of those thing that you are going to have to get use to as a princess my love, getting waited on hand and foot" I say to her.

  "Do I have to?" She asked.

  "No, but you will enjoy it My dear, they will even do your hair for you" I say. A little pampering should do her some good. Either that or make her mad.

  She looks as thou she is thinking then she says "ok". I grab her hand and lead her into the room.

  I look at all of the maids and say "Take very good care of my wife Ladies. make her shine like a jewel" I look at her and she is blushing.

  "Yes your Highness" they say in unison.

  "I will go get cleaned up and meet you in the dining hall my love, one of the maids will show you the way" I lean down and kiss her on the cheek and head out of the room. In the hallway there is a tub a couple of boxes and a rack full of women’s gowns. yep. 'She is going to kill me'. I think to myself. with a snicker.

  I head to Thegan’s chambers. I know it is going to take a while for terra to get done, so I wanted to talk to my brother about a couple of things before I go get cleaned up. I stand in front of the door pausing for a minute listening to yelling coming from Thegan’s room. "Damn you woman, not so hard". He never did like the maids either. I knock on the door and he says "Enter". When I open it and step inside I see him sitting on a stool with a bandage on his arm. The nurse wrapping it up tight. "What happened brother?" It is not the same wound from the dream.

  "it is nothing, an arrow caught me. I will live. maybe if this woman wasn’t so rough" he says pulling his arm away.

  She put one hand on her hip and points a finger in Thegan’s face. "Listen here your highness, I have been your nurse since you were in your momma’s belly, I may be rough but I haven’t lost you yet, so pipe down and let me finish" giving a sarcastic curtsy.

  "Yes mam" was all that Thegan said. She is the only person alive that would have the nerve to speak to him in such a manner.

  I bust out in a fit of laughter and she points at me and says "You pipe down too your Highness". Ms. Anna has been our nurse since our mother and father was small. She may be old, but she sure does have spirit to her. She is always polite in her sarcastic way. and has always took good care of us when we were sick or injured. Very strict and to the point. "There all done your highness, if you need anything else just call for me" She says.

  "Thank you Ms. Anna" Thegan say to her, flashing a smile. She smiles back and leaves. We always gave her a hard time, but we really did like her attention growing up.

  "How did Terra take to the maids?" Thegan says with a snicker.

  "I do not know really. I left her with them and came here" I say back to him.

  "Wise move Brother, it will take her a while to get use to the life here, but I am sure she will be ok". He says. I hope so. I know all of this is new to her, I just pray that she gives it a chance.

  "How many days before we ride out to the mountain?" I ask him. Hoping he says more than a couple.

  "I believe we should leave in a weeks’ time. That will give us plenty of time to gather our troops and for Aiden to get healed". He says. I think he needs the rest just like the rest of us.

  "Great, that will give me time to show terra around as well" I say to him. She will love the town I think. it’s not as lively as it use to be but it is still a neat place to go.

  "When we get done eating supper, you should take her to the treasury and pick her out some gems and show her the Library". He is always on top of things. Thinking about stuff that I normally wouldn't.

  That is an excellent idea. she would love that. "Great idea brother" I say to him. "I will let you finish getting cleaned up, I need to go do the same". I head to one of the spare rooms and wash up. changing into my normal wear for the castle. It’s a little fancy, but here we have to keep up appearances.

  On the way to one of the rooms beside mine. I ask a maid to bring hot water so I can soak and wash off. Not to long after I get done washing and dressed I head to the dining hall. Sitting at the table is Thegan and Aiden. I guess they got him bandaged up. He still looks pale in the face. He must still be weak from blood loss. "How are you feeling Aiden?" I ask him as I sit down.

  "Weak, but I am alright My lord" he says in a quiet voice.

  "I am sorry that happened to you" Thegan says to him. motioning to the bandage on his shoulder.

  "I would rather it me than one of you three My lord" Aiden says. Speaking of three, 'where is Terra?'. No sooner than I thought that the Dining hall doors open.

  An usher says "Announcing Mrs. Terra Arthfael My lords" We all stand, Poor Aiden shaking as he does. Terra walked through the door dressed in an Emerald green gown that fit snuggly around her waist and bosom. The wondrous mounds almost slipping over the top. begging for attention. Her dark Brown silver streaked hair was braided to one side with a matching ribbon ran through it. The color was perfect for her. I looked at her face. She was looking at me very sternly. Not taking those big emerald pools off of me for a second. Yep, I was right, she is mad.

  I walk over and hold my arm out for her. Whispering in her ear "You are the most stunning woman I have ever seen".

  "Thank you" she says back quite curtly. I better let her cool down a little. I pull the seat out for her and she sits, scooting closer to the table. Aiden sits, well collapses back into his seat. He really should be in the bed recovering.

  Thegan says to terra "Why sister, you look very lovely, that color suits you well".

  She smiles real big and says "Thank you" still curtly. She must be mad at him too. He is the one that sent them in there after all. Without saying anything else we sit and wait on the meal to arrive. "Aiden, Are you alright?" She asks him. A lot nicer than the way she was talking to us.

  "It is not as bad as it looks My lady, I will be ok in a day or two" he says back, forcing a smile. Putting on a strong face, so she doesn’t worry. I know he is in a lot of pain. He really should be in bed resting.

  Supper arrives just as my stomach starts to growl. I am starving. We all fix ourselves a plate and start eating. I notice Terra is making these cute little sounds with every bite she takes. she must have been very hungry herself. I really do need to start making sure that she eats. I can tell she has lost weight since we met. It worries me that she is not getting the minerals and vitamins she needs. I am going to have to pay closer attention to that.

  After we get our bellies full, the attendants come and clear our plates. Thegan looks over at Aiden and says "I think you need to go lay down Aiden, we need you healed, not dead my friend".

  "I am alright My lord" He replies.

  In a sterner voice He says "If you cannot go lay down to recover on your own Aiden, I will have Mrs. Anna come take you".

  Aiden gets up quickly as he can and says "No My Lord, that will not be necessary, I am going". he slowly heads towards the door, then out in the direction of his quarters.

  "Who is Mrs. Anna?" Terra asks. Oh yea. we have not told her about Mrs. Anna.

  Thegan tells her "She is our head nurse here at the castle, she has been here since our parents was small. Not very gentle, but she is a good nurse".

  "oh ok" She says.

  Thegan bites the bullet so to speak and asks "Are you still mad at us sister?" I am glad he asked and not me.

  She tilts her head to the side and says "I am not mad. Just next time, warn me before you send four women to strip me and scrub me. That caught me off guard a little. I just about roasted one of them." Yea I guess I should have told her what was going to happen.

  "I should have told you, I am sorry" I say to her.

  "It’s ok, one of them explained everything to me" She smiles and stan
ds up stretching.

  "You should take her exploring if she is not to tired brother" Thegan says. That right I was going to take her to the treasury and the library. She smiles excitedly, the thought of exploring makes her happy.

  "If you’re not too tired my love I want to show you a couple of places before we retire for the night". I say to Her.

  She steps over to me and grabs my hand and says "What are we waiting for?" Me apparently. I snicker at her excitement.

  She looks over at Thegan and says "Thank you for the gowns and stuff Brother"

  He smiles and nods his head saying "Go on, be off with you. I will see you in the morning" She smiles at him and looks at me. I smile back and start walking out of the dining hall with my hand in hers.

  "So where are we going?" she asked. over her mad spell.

  "It is a surprise my love", Winking at her. We walk in silence down the hall, then down a set of stone steps. We arrive at The guarded steel door leading to the treasury room. The guards look at me then turn their gaze on terra. That’s right, they are not use to other people coming here.

  Bowing, the guard on the right says "It’s good to have you back your highness".

  "I am glad to be back; this is my Wife Terra. She is to have access to this room whenever she wants".

  They bow to her and say "Welcome to Rosewyvrn My lady". She smiles at the guards and nods her head. I bet she feels uncomfortable with all these strangers Being so formal to her. I pray that she will come accustomed to the culture here. I do not want her to feel uneasy in our homeland.

  "We would like to enter; my wife is in need of something to adorn her" I say winking at the guards.

  "Yes your highness". They open the door to the treasury, The heavy steel squeaking on its hinges.

  "I am in need of a what?" She asks, looking at me confused. Without saying anything I just smile and lead her into the lit room. Gold and silver is stacked all over the room. Gems of every color are scattered throughout the piles. Silver goblets and silverware are on the wooden shelfs. The room has stored treasure from my family and the many quests that has been profitable for many many generations. We have accumulated a mass of wealth.