She knew at once who he was. She didn’t know whether to be angry about knowing, or surprised that she had noticed him that much in the shop that day. Three days ago, she reminded herself. In three days, she would have thought his memory would have become no more than wisps in her mind, like the breeze that sifted around her. It hadn’t. The closer he came to where she was sitting, the more the butterflies flitted around in her belly. Shit, she thought. Why did he have to have his shirt off? She was such a girl.
He smiled, as he closed the distance between them. “Hello, again. You’re the lady from the shop that wouldn’t give her name.”
“I’m the lady from the shop that still won’t give my name,” she said irritatingly.
“No need, Eielawyn, clan of Nelglis.”
Her shock must have shown on her face, as he stood smiling down at her. “Wow, it must take a lot of effort on your part to ask around.”
“Are you always so disagreeable?”
She stood, brushing the sand off the back of her dress. “I am with people I don’t want to be agreeable with. Royal guards in particular.”
“And the fact that I’m a royal guard makes you particularly bitchy?”
“Bitchy? You invade my privacy, call me disagreeable, and then call me a bitch?”
“This,” he said with his arms opened wide to show that taut, muscled, expanse of his chest, and the large biceps of his arms, “is a public beach. You stated that because I’m a royal guard, you are particularly disagreeable. And I didn’t call you a bitch. I remarked on your…disposition as bitchy.”
She focused on him, trying to read his thoughts, but got nothing one again. She shook it off as a fluke. Both times had to be a fluke. There was no other reason for it. “Fine. Wonderful. And you’re right. This is a public beach. You’re free to have the run of the whole place, if you wish. Have at it.” She turned to make her way down the opposite end, and away from him. She looked back to face him. She knew it was petty and juvenile, but she suggested he run into the sea, but nothing happened. She turned back around, frowning in confusion, as she continued on her way.
“I hope to see you again, Eielawyn, clan of Nelglis.”
Eielawyn faced his direction, seeing him standing in the spot she’d left him as he stared after her. “What the fuck?” she said to herself as she almost ran toward Kinsbithu’s inn.
Once at the inn, she walked into the living room looking for Kinsbithu. A Drisian woman was sitting on the sofa with a young girl, brushing her hair. “Are you looking for Kinsbithu?”
Eielawyn nodded. “Is she here?”
“Yes, but I think she’s busy. There were some royal guards that came to the door a few minutes ago and asked her to speak to them. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but they mentioned some man by the name of Filkothinor.”
Eielawyn’s heart began to beat faster. “Where did they go?”
The woman pointed to the back door that led out to the deck and the beach. Eielawyn quickly walked over to the door, looking out the door’s small window to see Kinsbithu flanked by four menacingly muscled guards. One of the guards was the one that went by the name of Zhoardaeash.
She quietly opened the door and closed it behind her, then slowly walked down the steps and over to where the guards were standing with Kinsbithu.
“According to several witnesses,” Zhoardaeash said, “you were very close to Filkothinor. Were you intimate?”
“No,” Kinsbithu said, her arms crossed defensively over her chest. “Filkothinor was married to a close friend of mine. He’s also twice my age. His wife…” Kinsbithu looked up to see Eielawyn making her way closer. She gave a slight shake of her head to tell Eielawyn not to try suggesting. “His wife was found dead on the beach a ways down from here several weeks ago. But maybe you heard about that,” she said with a glare.
“I think you know more than you’re letting on,” said Zhoardaeash. “Maybe if we get you into one of the palace cells in Morhais…? Maybe if we keep you there for a while, you’ll be more forthcoming with information?”
“Leave her alone!” Eielawyn said, running over to Kinsbithu. “Why the hell is Filkothinor so fuckin’ important to Queen Balaedras anyway? Or maybe he isn’t. Maybe you’re just obsessed with him because he dared to elude the precious royal guard of Teveoch.”
“You’re that bitch from the shop a few days ago,” Zhoardaeash sneered. “I should have taken you in then.” He laughed, looking around at the other three guards with him. “It’s not too late.”
Eielawyn knew it was risky to suggest on four guards. Three were her maximum, but Kinsbithu needed her help. A small suggestion was all that was needed. Think small, she thought. So, she suggested they feel the urgency to head back to their camp. But then she didn’t want them back to harass Kinsbithu, so she also suggested they never come back to the inn, and had never heard of Filkothinor. Too much.
One of the guards abruptly turned toward the water, and started walking into the sea. Kinsbithu’s eyes widened, as she stared at Eielawyn. Two of the other guards began to strip off their clothes, and fondle each other, and Zhoardaeash began singing children’s rhymes and turning cartwheels in the sand. Eielawyn grabbed Kinsbithu’s hand, as they quickly walked back to the inn.
Once inside the inn, Kinsbithu calmly walked up the stairs with Eielawyn following behind her. They walked into Kinsbithu’s bedroom at the end of the hall, as she closed and locked the door.
“Eielawyn? What the hell did you do?”
“I was trying to help,” Eielawyn whispered. She went to the window that looked out onto the beach to see the guards all walking around in a daze. Her suggestions only lasted for as long as she was within their presence. After that, the suggestees came out of their suggestive fog without any memory of what had happened. The guards on the beach seemed fogged and embarrassed.
“They seem…okay. They could have taken you away, Bithy.”
Kinsbithu walked over to where she was standing and hugged her warmly. “I know. Thank you. But in the future don’t suggest on any more than three, cuz I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not, but the guard that went for a dip hasn’t come back.”
They both stood staring out the window and toward the ocean. But the guard finally appeared, walking onto the beach and collapsing, as the others went to him. Eielawyn let out a breath of relief.
“Oh, by the goddesses! See.” She nodded to Kinsbithu. “He’s good. All good.” She considered telling Kinsbithu about not being able to read Raenos’ thoughts or suggest on him again but decided to keep it to herself for now. They continued to stand, looking out at the guards. She’d never used her gift of suggestion to kill. She caused harm in some instances, but never to kill. But as the guards gathered themselves and left, she couldn’t help thinking that in the instance of Zhoardaeash, she could make allowances.
* * * *
A week had gone by since he’d seen Eielawyn on the beach. He knew it had been a week because he’d set that day in his memory. She hated him. That much was evident from the way she spoke and interacted with him. But it didn’t matter to him. She’d seeped into his pores. And if he had to admit it, he liked getting her riled. The way her cheeks reddened, and how her eyes glistened was more than worth the effort.
“Lieutenant Raenos,” a guard said, walking up to him where he stood keeping watch along the street.
“Dontelsor,” Raenos said in greeting.
“I was sent to tell you you’re needed back at camp. There’s someone asking for you, sir.”
Raenos frowned. “Who?”
“I don’t know, sir. We tried contacting through TCD, but…I was only sent to relieve you so you can get back to camp.”
“Fine,” Raenos said as he got into the car that was waiting at the curb for him.
Ten minutes later, he arrived back at the camp. It wasn’t a camp in the traditional sense of tents and fire pits. Teveoch’s technology surpassed many other kingdoms in Ai. That technological superiority could be a goo
d thing and a bad thing, since Teveoch depended highly on it at the detriment of other defenses.
The camp was positioned on the outskirts of Yaesdrah, a few miles south of town along the winding roads. But the open area designated for the guards wasn’t filled with tents and lean-tos, but with state-of-the-art recreational transports, divided into shelters for the men, canteens, operational headquarters, and weapons storage. The transports automatically lowered to ground level once in position, and were raised and ready for mobility in seconds. There was also another facility where meetings were held, and communications were made to the queen. It was in that transport he was led.
Two men stood sentry at the entrance. Men he’d never seen before. He knew who they were because they were wearing the uniforms of the Zinvian army. Their scarlet-red shirts were trimmed in gold and silver to represent wealth, and they wore black camouflage pants tucked into high, black leather boots. In contrast to Teveoch guards, Zinvian guards weren’t as muscled and large. Women in Zinvia didn’t opt to take a supplement in their pregnancies to make sure their male children developed the characteristics of the Teveoch guard. But it was known that the Zinvian guards possessed intelligence and combat skills, making the Zinvian army superior on many levels.
Raenos glanced around the camp to see if there were any more Zinvian guards. Zinvia and Teveoch weren’t enemies, but they also weren’t allies. The two guards gave him a curt bow and opened the door to the transport. Raenos only glanced curiously at them and entered. A man was seated at a table to the right with his back to him.
“‘Bout damn time you got here,” the man said with his back still turned. “I do hate to be left waiting.”
Raenos smiled. “Maybe it’ll be easier sitting there waiting if you remove the stick you have shoved up your ass.”
The man made a motion as if he were removing something from his butt. “Ahh, yeah. That is better.”
The man stood and turned toward Raenos. “Laeros, you ass! What the hell, man!”
The two men embraced, slapping each other on the back. “You got old, you son of a bitch!”
“Which means you’re fuckin’ old, too, since we’re the same age,” Raenos laughed. “By the goddesses, it’s good to see you.” He sat in the chair across from Laeros. “What brings you to Yaesdrah?”
“I had business in Yaeltaran, heard you were stationed here and figured, shit.” He shrugged. “It’s good to see you, brother. How long has it been? Eight or ten years?”
“Since I went to an Ai-sponsored university, and you went to a privately funded one. A little after high school graduation. Shit.” Raenos thought. “Since we went through tactical and defense training. I thought for sure you would sign up for service with Teveoch.”
Laeros laughed and shook his head. “Mother would never have approved of that. You know that.”
“Yes. How is your mother? Well, I hope.”
“Liar.”
It was Raenos’ turn to laugh then. “Okay. Fine. I really don’t care how your mother is doing. She never liked me. What was that she used to call me? Half-bred mongrel?”
“Mother still has a way with words. They say you have to love your family, but not necessarily like them. That’s how I characterize me and my mother’s relationship.”
“And what about relationships? Are you married? Kids?”
Laeros seemed to think about what he was about to say. Then he gently shrugged his shoulders. “I-I-I’m soon to be engaged, now that you mention it.”
Raenos smiled, but it faltered as he saw the look on Laeros’ face. “This isn’t something you want? Let me guess. Your mother arranged it all. You don’t know, or perhaps you don’t love the woman.”
Laeros ran a hand through his dark blond hair, and stared at Raenos with his penetrating, light gray eyes. “You know how my mother is. She never does anything without a purpose. The marriage—my marriage—is to the niece of Queen Mordrialahr of Tulor. Her children are all married and Mother wanted to cement an alli—”
“It’s a nice day today,” Raenos interrupted. “I hate to stay inside on a day like today. Let’s take a walk,” he said, staring intently at Laeros.
Laeros frowned, but then nodded in understanding. “Yes. I hate to stay indoors on a day like this.”
Raenos led Laeros out of the transport, as they began to walk toward a stretch of beach that he knew followed the shore around Yaesdrah. They walked in silence for some time, as the encampment began to fade in the distance behind them. Even though they were five miles outside of town, Yaesdrah was a small town. It meandered and wrapped itself back and forth along the shoreline and rocky outcroppings of the landscape, making it possible to head out of town yet still be within walking distance along the beach. It was one of the many things Raenos had come to love about the quaint, seaside village.
“I have to be careful where I speak. Balaedras had devices installed in most of the transports. Our TCDs don’t work this far away from Morhais, but she can still hear whatever is said in the transports and with portable TCDs when they’re working. I have a feeling that what you were about to say might not be something Balaedras should be privy to. Am I right?”
“Yes, you are.” Laeros sighed deeply. “My mother, Queen Ethroahs—”
“The Queen of Zinvia,” Raenos said with mocked authority.
“The fucking queen. Yes. She feels that an alliance with Tulor would be beneficial to the kingdom.”
“Tulor is in alliance with Teveoch. Out of need, if not out of want.”
Laeros raised an eyebrow, glancing at Raenos and then out to the sea. “You’re a royal guard, Raenos. I would think you would want an alliance between your kingdom and one as strong as Zinvia.”
Raenos stopped by a low dune, towing the sand with his boot. “I’m loyal to the realm, Laeros. I want peace to come to Ai. Like the peace they have in Jahlmerikahl. It can happen here in Ai, but only if all kingdoms thirst for it. Balaedras thirsts for power. Power above all else, and she’ll ally Teveoch with whoever she feels will help her achieve that power. By whatever means, Laeros.”
“I know. I’ve told my mother as much. Zinvia’s military is strong. But we’re in a difficult position, Raenos. If we concede the alliance with Tulor, Balaedras will pick us clean like she has Drisa. She’s smart, but more than that, she’s cunning. I know that her ultimate goal in this so-called alliance is to acquire Zinvia. If we ally with her willingly, she’ll roll through us and then set her sights on Balknae. We’re allied with Balknae, but it’s not a formal alliance. It’s historical. My mother doesn’t want to honor that alliance. She thinks it’s best to ally with the strongest kingdom.”
“And you?”
Laeros looked around the beach before coming back to Raenos. “There’s a rumor. A rumor that many in Ai have wished for a millennium. More than that. Millenniums.”
Raenos’ stare was unwavering. “What is said in the ancients? A true ruler of Ai.”
Laeros nodded. “Yes. My mother doesn’t believe in the ancients. She used to. But a few months ago she takes a trip to Morhais. A trip to strengthen peace, she said, between the kingdoms. Then she stopped go to the clearing. She always went to the clearing every Seventh day. It was after that she started speaking about allying with Teveoch. I wanted to speak with King Lavaerion of Yaeltaran. I only wanted to feel him out on what he thought about Balaedras’ latest action in Drisa. Raenos.” Laeros smiled wide. “The ancients were true. There is a child. I saw her. I bowed to her and pledged my fealty. She bears the mark, Raenos.”
He felt it in his gut. That quickening. The feeling that everything he had been told was truth was. “It’s true? A true ruler of Ai? Then what are we all doing? We should all pledge our fealty. If Balaedras knew this, she’d would do the same.”
Laeros shook his head. “Raenos. Come on, man. Don’t act like you believe Balaedras is the kindhearted ruler she makes herself out to be.”
“No. I know she isn’t. But I have to believe that given the c
hance to know the truth, she’ll give up this campaign she has for control over the kingdoms.”
“Raenos! Shit, man. Balaedras is a sadistic queen. Even more sadistic and coldhearted than Gaeldos ever was. She’s instituted death warrants to all of Gaeldos’ concubines that happen to have children, and those children. Even those that prove not to be fathered by him. She’s cleaning house and doesn’t give a shit about who she puts in the incendiary, Raenos. So, do you really think she’ll believe, or even care that the true ruler has been born?”
“I want to, but…” Raenos let out a defeated sigh. “No. As I’ve said, I’m not loyal to Queen Balaedras, but I am loyal to the realm. So, I’m asking you again. Who do you believe Zinvia should ally with?”
“Raenos…man, I want to put all of my cards out on the table, but—”
“You don’t trust me.”
“I don’t know if I can trust your loyalty. As a man, yes. I would trust you with my life. But you say you’re loyal to the realm, and right now Balaedras is the realm, Raenos.”
“Laeros, you just told me that the true ruler to Ai has been born. A ruler—a queen—that I will bow to. But I have to do what’s best for Teveoch.”
Laeros nodded. “I understand that. So please understand that I can’t say any more about who I believe Zinvia should ally with.”
Raenos thought about what Laeros had said. He’d been at war with himself for months over his loyalty—his pledge. He wanted to rip himself away from the grip Teveoch had on him. But he’d made a pledge to defend the realm. A pledge to protect it from any threat. But a true ruler wasn’t a threat. It had been foretold. It was a blessing. He was also sure that Queen Balaedras wouldn’t see it that way.
Raenos nodded to Laeros finally. “I understand, brother. I’m conflicted with my loyalties. It’s something I have to come to terms with within myself. So, I understand, and forgive me for asking. I wasn’t…” His words trailed into the sea air, as his focus became riveted on the woman walking onto the beach some distance away.
Eielawyn [The Maidens of Mocmoran 3] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 4