Heart Song

by Samantha LaFantasie

  He approached me, coming closer than I expected, which forced me to take a step backwards. My heart started to pound. “You will understand soon enough. Please just try to get to know me. Don't be so quick to judge me.” His voice pleaded as much as his eyes did. He took another step closer.

  “What makes you think I'm judging you?” I took another step back.

  “Are you saying that immediately assuming that I'm conceited and I'm trying to put my charms on you isn't judging?” He stepped closer as his words started to hypnotize me.

  “Are you saying you aren't?” I stepped back again.

  “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying.” He stepped closer again.

  The room started to spin. My head felt light and filled with a strange buzzing sound. Before I could faint, I said, “I need some air,” then turned quickly, walking onto the balcony. The coolness of the stone helped to reground and refocus me. I took in a slow and steady breath.

  Marren sighed, as if to surrender or give up whatever it was he was trying. “If you would like, I can place a guard at your door to protect you?”

  “Why would I need protection?” I spoke my words into the wind.

  “You're blind,” he said, then let out an uneasy chuckle. It still made my heart flip. He was close behind me. But not so close that I couldn't walk away from him again. I gripped the stone railing as tightly as I could to push away the spell I was falling under. The last bit of sunlight disappeared behind more clouds. I closed my eyes.

  “How exactly am I blind?” I tried to form the words evenly, though the last word shook slightly on the way out.

  Silence returned to me. I turned to look at him only to see the doors to the room closing. I let out a huge breath that made me feel like I could slide to the floor of the balcony and cry. My heart beats sounded loudly in my ears. I felt exhausted and worn. I turned and looked over the trees one final time. A dark figure moving below caught my attention. I looked down just as they looked up. I felt a jolt to my heart and, for unknown reasons, thought again of Marren. I forced myself to turn around and walk back into the room.

  I grabbed a few pillows from the bed and threw them to the floor in front of the fireplace. I laid on top of them and stared at the fire, letting the tears fall, hoping they would wash away my cares by morning.

  3

  Unsettling

  I didn’t intend to fall asleep on the floor. My body felt stiff and unwilling to move. Enid stood over me, trying to wake me gently, “A'lainn, you must wake now. Marren wishes to see you.”

  “Then he can come to me. Not the other way around,” I muttered sleepily.

  “Very well, I will tell him that, but there is something I would like to show you as well.”

  I nodded, sat up, and watched Enid approach the bench to grab the robes. He walked back over and handed them to me. “Oh, the bump is gone. Put these on, I will meet you outside.”

  “I’m a fast healer,” I said and took the clothes. I waited until he left the room before changing. A pair of black boots fell out of the folds along with a straight bodice, obviously for keeping my breasts in place. But it did look rather odd.

  I dressed the best I could, trying to use my memory of the way they were on Marren and Enid as a guide. It wasn't too complicated. Actually, it was much easier than it looked. I pulled the boots on and wrapped the laces around the leg of them a few times and tied them. I left the hood off of my head and placed the clothes I had taken off back on the bench, then walked out the door.

  He nodded with approval then said, “Follow me.”

  I walked behind him down the hall and along the balcony above the corridor. He descended the stairs with me in tow. We walked to the doors that had been closed when I saw them the day before. This time, they were opened into the room, allowing bright sunshine to filter out into the corridor. Windows filled the outer walls of the room. I stood by myself after stepping through the door. It was the ball room, large enough to hold hundreds of people. Large stone statues, sitting in front of each window, lined the far wall of the room. The statues were of creatures that were banished from the mortal realm of existence.

  The first was a centaur warrior, in what I would assume would be life sized proportions if they still existed, poised with his bow in hand and an arrow ready to be loosed on his target. His face held a serious expression, as his eyes fixed on a spot ahead of him. A large quiver of arrows was strapped to his back. His hair, in many tiny braids, was pulled back. Another was of a dwarf, also lifelike in size, clad in battle armor. His long beard was divided into two braids and reached the belt around his thick waist. In front of him, with his arms resting on the top of the blades, was a dual ax. The next statue was possibly the most beautiful and captivating of all. An elf, tall, sleek, and elegant stood wearing a smooth gown and a delicately crafted belt around her waist. She held her right hand over her heart with her head bowed, as if in a silent prayer. Her other hand remained at her side, holding a flower resembling a large poppy.

  The end of the room held a massive fireplace. It took up nearly the entire wall. Surrounding it were floor to ceiling shelves filled with more books than I had ever seen. It was hard to believe that there had been so many written. The wood was dark and had a red glossy finish to it. They were smooth and plain, without the intricate carvings all over them as was found with most of the other wooden furnishings in the small palace. I found the contrast intriguing. I liked the change. Especially for a room that held such a serene feel to it.

  The final wall held the most curiosity for me. Besides the door that was near the corner, the wall was filled with weapons of all types and sizes. Underneath the display were rows of chairs in the same wooden color with deep burgundy cushions in the seats.

  “Wait right there.” Enid pointed to the spot I stood and removed the hood from his head. Eyes of a captivating blue stared at me with a sadness that glowed beneath them. I was surprised by his long blond hair, pulled back and tied low. I half expected him to be bald or look more like Marren. His nose was not as long as Marren's and was rounded at the tip, not pointed. His lips were more squared than round and his cheeks sat high under his eyes. His thick eyebrows were slightly curved and didn't take away from his overall appearance. I found him handsome, but not astonishingly so.

  I nodded and watched him walk to the display of weapons and pull down a short sword. He brought it over, holding it out to me like a lavish gift.

  I took the sword, handling it gingerly, inspecting the craftsmanship. It was much lighter than expected. The blade curved out and then back in at the tip with a small dip in the center of the blade that is at its deepest at the hilt and disappears entirely before it reaches the tip. The length is the same of that from my waist to my knee. The hilt was wrapped in green fabric and brown leather strips. The cap on the end had a beautiful light blue crystal clasped by silver fingers, clutching it tightly.

  Out of the corner of my eyes, I watched Enid pull his sword from its sheath. My eyes met his with a question that quickly dissolved into a challenge.

  “Let's see what you've got.” His lips pulled back, revealing white rows of teeth in perfect alignment.

  I smiled in return, with the anticipation of a duel. “You've asked for it.”

  “We shall see,” he lightly retorted.

  I held the sword in front of me, taking my stance as he took his. When he stepped to his right, I quickly matched his movement, keeping eye contact with him. For several paces we moved like this. Neither of us wanted to make the first move.

  Realizing we could go on like this forever, I lunged first. He defrayed my attack, taking his counter immediately. I dodged it. The thrill of the exercise energized me, making me feel good again. Almost whole.

  Soon we were dancing to an orchestra of clashing steel and shuffling footsteps. The more we fought, the more energized I became and the better I felt. Then Enid increased the skill level. He moved faster than me and nearly disarmed me more times than I cared to count. />
  On a turn, something bright caught my eye. The gleam stung and forced me to blink it away. In that very moment, Enid swept my feet from underneath me. My fall caused me to release my sword. It slid out to my side just out of reach. I moved to grab it but the point of his sword was at my throat. I lost.

  “Not bad,” he praised. “It takes skill to hold up as long as you did. Who taught you to fight, if you don't mind my asking?” He removed his sword, giving me leave to stand. The question opened up a wound I would have rather just kept shut and let heal.

  “The man that was responsible for the Balai coming after me in the first place.” I clenched my hands in an effort to hold back the tears. The tips of my nails dug into my skin.

  “That wasn't entirely his fault,” Marren spoke, walking up behind me.

  I turned, startled by his appearance. “Are you always so quiet?”

  “Yes,” he answered in a matter of fact manner.

  I shook my head and rolled my eyes. “And how was it not entirely his fault?”

  “He was set up.” He walked over to a sword, pulled it out then inspected it by spinning it in his hands. All the while remaining nonchalant.

  “By who? How do you know this?” I asked with insistence.

  “I would think that after my conversation with you last night you would have figured out that I have been following you.”

  “Ah, well I also recall that you refused to answer any of my questions, and so I still don’t know how you know about the set up.”

  His eyes rested on me, taking in everything they could. I almost felt exposed with the way he stared. It was as if he saw right to my very soul. Before I could say something about it, he blinked a few times then said, “Pick up your sword.” He pointed to mine with the tip of his.

  I hesitated, wanting to question his seriousness but thought better of it as I walked over to my sword. The excitement in me was about to burst. I was going to take some of my frustrations out on him and I wouldn't hold back. By the time I turned around with my sword in hand, he was already advancing on me. The element of surprise was definitely his strong suit. I fought him off the best I could. But he was fast—incredibly fast. Too fast to be human. But I didn't have time to think about that.

  “Breathe,” he instructed coolly. I let out a breath, not realizing that I had been holding it the entire time.

  Our swords clanked against each other, hitting hard. Thrill, excitement, and strangely, a heated, powerful passion ignited within my center. I couldn't help the way it felt to make my body move faster than I’d ever moved before. I twisted and dodged his attacks while he did the same to mine. Moving together in perfect unison.

  Just as I was feeling the rhythm of our dance, he spun so he stood behind me. He held his blade to my throat with one hand and gripped my wrist that held onto my sword with the other. His body pressed firmly against mine, hard as stone. A pulsating rush ran through my veins.

  “Don't think, just do,” he whispered calmly into my ears, sending tingles down my spine with the warmth of his breath, increasing the rush.

  “How can you not be out of breath?” I spoke through gritted teeth, still holding a hate for Marren, despite what this dual was doing to me. I rammed my elbow into his side, forcing him to release me.

  “Many years of practice.” His words came out effortlessly, along with another attack that disarmed me.

  I watched my sword slide across the floor, spinning several rotations before settling with its point in our direction. The crisp slice of his blade on my neck brought my attention back to him. I glared into Marren's eyes only to have the look dissipate as I saw my own reflection staring back at me. I lowered my eyes, submitting to my second defeat.

  Marren lowered his sword as Enid walked up to take it. Marren stepped closer to me, pulling up a part of my hood and lifting the hair from my neck with a gentle graze of his hand, to reveal the cut. The touch lingering long after his hand was gone. My heart flipped. Stupid heart.

  His brow furrowed slightly as he placed a cloth firmly against the cut with one hand and his other on the lower part of my back. He put enough pressure on my neck that I had to grab a hold of his arm that held me to prevent myself from falling over. The warmth in his skin was surprisingly soothing. I felt everything within me that was once frozen start to thaw.

  “Sorry,” he said softly.

  “I've had worse, trust me.” I worked to control my breathing through the stinging of the cut, the pressure he had placed on it and the fact that he was standing against me and it didn't bother me. I actually rather enjoyed it, much to my dismay. My mind started to spin with the conflict. I forced my focus onto other things, resisting looking at him again for fear of completely losing myself.

  “You shouldn't keep yourself so guarded,” he spoke quietly. His voice was so soft it brought out of me a nervous chuckle. I was losing it. It felt too good, standing against his body, having his warmth seep into my skin. I felt too good. I couldn't resist looking into his eyes any longer. Confusion flashed across his face. It made me feel like I had done something to upset him. He removed the cloth from my neck. The need for me to hold onto him was no longer there, but I didn't want to let go. It wasn't until he started to back away that I followed his lead by releasing my grip on him.

  “At least the bleeding stopped.” His words matched his look of confusion. He walked to my sword, picked it up and brought it to me. “She's yours.” He smiled a blazing, heart racing smile. One I couldn’t resist returning.

  I took the sword, feeling unworthy of such a beautiful gift. “Thank you.” It came out meek and sounding like a question.

  “Enid can take you to the blacksmith to have the nicks forged out and then you can sharpen it to your liking.” He stopped, as if to consider his next words. “You are a wonderful fighter. I'm surprisingly impressed.” He smiled again, more to himself. As he walked away from me a flood of heat rushed my cheeks.

  “I will take you to the blacksmith now,” Enid said, walking towards the door.

  “Okay,” I replied automatically as I slowly stepped behind.

  ***

  The weather turned pleasant. The cold was only noticed in the slight, lazy breezes that blew by. We stepped onto the road in front of the marble palace. The front of it looked like a normal building made of marble with pillars holding up the roof to the half circle porch. The trees were just as thick in the front as they were in the back, but the land remained even in the front whereas it rose and fell in large hills towards the mountains behind the palace.

  It would be impossible to know the place was there, but also incredibly easy to forge a strike against it. The trees provided the perfect cover for anyone looking to start trouble, despite the place being secluded and peaceful. An attack seemed very unlikely.

  Enid walked silently next to me. His sword swayed in rhythm to his steps. The metal caps on the handle glinted in the sunlight. There was more to him than met the eye and I wanted to know more about my new found friend.

  “What does A'lainn mean?”

  “It means thing of beauty in my native language. It's a compliment.” He twisted at his waist towards me with a grin pulling at his lips.

  “There's nothing beautiful about me,” I muttered. I felt flattered and embarrassed at the same time. If he only knew what happened, perhaps he wouldn't feel so willing to dote compliments on me.

  “No? You have the most wonderful shade of brown hair, the color of cinnamon, and when the sun strikes it—it makes you glow. I think that is quite beautiful. You also have the most beautiful brown eyes and fair skin. A combination that is rare nowadays and said to be a symbol of beauty. So, tell me, what makes you think you are otherwise?”

  I knew I had to answer his question. It seemed only fair, but I didn't want to share my nightmare, the thing that scarred me. But I could give him a little of what he may already know. “I guess it's the way that people treat me. The names they call me. I've never had a reason to see beauty in myself.”<
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  “It's also what I used to call my daughter. I would like to think she would have looked like you, had she grown to your age.”

  “What happened to her?”

  “She and my wife were killed, a long time ago.” I heard the pain in his voice as if they were killed just yesterday. Guilt forced a lump into my throat.

  “Enid...I'm sorry...”

  “Don't be.” His words were free from pain. “It was a long time ago. Shortly after their deaths, Marren found me and gave me a new purpose in life. It gives me a sense of pride and honor defending him.”

  I became incredibly curious about that bit of information and quite interested as to what I had been brought into the middle of. “Defending him? From what?”

  He glanced at me, then back to the road. “I'm sure you already know Marren has a certain reputation that follows him. It tends to bring him more trouble than he cares to deal with. But you should know he's quite the opposite.”

  I raised an eyebrow. Maybe that was the point of this morning's routine. “Uh huh. Was that the point of the duels?”

  “It was to gauge your ability to wield a sword.”

  “Why is that important?” He ignored me. “If you’re impressed with that, just wait till you see what I can do with a bow.” It was meant to be bitter and sarcastic.

  “Marren will be pleased to hear of more abilities.”

  I’d had enough of the coy banter. I needed some real information. “Okay, that's enough.” I stopped in the middle of the road.

  Enid paused in his walking to turn and face me. “Is there a problem?”

  “Yes, there is. I'm spinning my mind trying to figure out what is going on here and for the life of me I can't! As soon as I get one theory down, there is another one that completely replaces it. Why is my ability to fight such an important need?”

  “Your questions are best kept for Marren.”

  “Wonderful,” I spat, throwing my hands up into the air and stomping forward.