“Your Highness?” he prompted.
Alina blinked and looked back to him. The bow seemed heavier in her hand. Her anger had dissipated. Now her heart hammered and her legs ached with the weight of her body. She rarely felt this off, only when severe attacks approached. “I think I should...” I need to run. “I think I shall retire to my chambers.”
Nin retrieved the bow from her and took her arm in support. “Come, your Highness,” she said, patting Alina’s arm. “I’ll have the servants draw up a hot bath for you.”
Alina allowed Nin to pull her off the field. Her guard trailed behind. Once she was a fair distance away from the archery range she felt her strength return. Her legs held her weight better and warmth crept back into her fingers and cheeks. She pulled her arm out of Nin’s supportive grasp and refused all help to climb the steps to the palace. The guards at the entrance exchanged looks when they saw Alina approach with the archer’s brace still on her arm and the bow still carried by Nin but she did not care. She pushed past them and continued into the entrance hall.
Alina intended to go up to her room and sort through the mishap on the field, but fate did not wish to be kind that day. As she passed the main walkway to the meeting chambers, a clamorous and hurried voice shouted, “Lord Demek!” Alina froze and turned in the direction the shout had come from. In her days at the palace she had yet to meet the ex-advisor to the late king, and she considered herself overdue for an introduction.
“Your Highness,” her guard called after her. Nin gently tugged at her arm as if to remind her of their original course, but she brushed the hand off her and kept walking. Two men stood ahead of her, one of them being Councilor Gosman, pale and hunched over, his hands tugging at the sleeves of his blue robes. The other man stood tall in crisp white pants and a white jacket embroidered in gold. Medals decorated his left side just above his heart and a royal blue cape spilled off his shoulders, flowing around him.
Alina’s footsteps rang through the open chamber and he looked up from the whispering Councilor. A handsome man, his features could have been chiseled from marble. His dark hair was swept back into a ponytail with gray hairs frosting his sideburns. He smiled warmly at Alina, but the warmth did not reach up to his amber eyes.
Gosman looked up as well, halting in his sputtering. “Your Highness!” His words rang through the room. “What are you doing at the chambers? You know we are discussing sensitive matters—”
“Were discussing,” said Lord Demek. He placed a gloved hand on the Councilor’s chest and pushed him aside as Alina drew closer. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you, your Highness.” The man swept into a deep bow, pulling his cape around with him. He glanced up at Alina. She stared down at him with her best apathetic look. “It is a shame you don’t say the same about me.” He winked and turned back to the Councilor, who looked as frightened as Alina shocked. “Do you not have that tax regulation to attend to?” Demek asked.
The Councilor swallowed and nodded. He still fiddled with the sleeves of his robe.
“But Lord Demek, you asked me to...” His voice trailed off when Demek frowned at him. Both looked confused. “I...my mistake. Pardon me, your Highness. I must excuse myself for the time being.” He bowed, perhaps in the most respectful manner since she had arrived, and left, walking down the hall and away from the chambers. Alina watched him disappear around a corner. She noticed Nin and the guard standing nearby. They seemed tense, unsure.
“I apologize for that,” said Demek. His voice was gentle and, had anyone else possessed it, soothing. But when Demek spoke it caused wariness.
“No need for an apology,” said Alina, finding her voice once more. She tried to stand tall, to look authoritative like she usually did. “I find his company rather tiresome as well.”
Demek smiled again with that false warmth and laughed. “They did not speak of your wit, Majesty.”
Alina wanted to think he flattered her, but something in the man’s voice sounded sincere. She had to refrain from looking away. Her fingers burned to touch the signet ring laying heavily on her right hand, the only reminder left that she should rule.
“But where are my manners?” he asked, breaking the silence. “I am Lord Sorez Demek of Osota.” He reached for her hand with the signet ring and held it in his gloved hand. He bent his head and leaned down to kiss her signet, his lips touching the stone briefly before Nin walked forward and pulled Alina away. Lord Demek froze, hand still outstretched and head still tilted forward. His eyes darted up to Nin. “Did I offend you, madam?” He straightened his posture and smoothed out the front of his jacket.
“You are too presumptuous, my Lord,” said Nin, with a curtsey. “Her Highness has recently taken ill and must be escorted back to her chambers.”
Demek raised his eyebrows and frowned. “How terrible! No wonder you stand so silent and pale. Your Majesty, I must insist on accompanying you the rest of the way to your chambers, if not for your sake, then to allow me to atone for my audacious behavior.” Demek extended his arm, gesturing down the hall as he waited for her to make a move.
Alina was cornered. Even if she refused his help, Demek would insist on accompanying her. Slowly, she curtseyed and bowed her head. “It would be an honor, Lord Demek.” He smiled and they walked down the hall together, his right arm linked with Alina’s left. Even with Nin urging her along as discretely as she could, Alina decided that she needed to use her predicament to her greatest advantage. “Lord Demek,” she said.
The man glanced at her with a smile. “Yes, your Majesty?” he said. He seemed pleased, as if her willingness to speak with him was all he wanted.
“It has come to my attention that the Council is meeting with foreign dignitaries.”
“And what concerns you about this, your Majesty?” Lord Demek asked. They walked at a leisurely pace down the hall to the noble quarters.
Alina wondered if he had moved into the royal suite. “I was only curious,” she said. “The Council barred me from observing all meetings with them, saying it was too sensitive an issue for me to witness.” Lord Demek frowned. His puzzlement seemed genuine. “And I thought it would be beneficial for me to observe these negotiations, considering I shall rule one day.”
He rubbed his chin slowly with a gloved hand. “You are right. You should be actively involved in these political matters if you are ever expected to rule the kingdom in confidence. I must warn you though, these negotiations are...troubling on the mind.” He paused. “But, you are twenty and able to make your decisions. I shall make sure you are free to attend the discussion next week.”
Alina knew he played off an angle, but she did not care. He was the fool if he thought she would buckle under pressure. “Thank you, Lord. You are much more agreeable than your counterparts in the Council.” They turned down the hall that led to her quarters. “Now, where are these diplomats from?” I have yet to get a name from Nin.
“They hail from the kingdom of Shedol. Have you heard of it before?”
“No, the name slips my…” The draining sensation of fatigue was coming over her like it had on the field. Her steps faltered and Nin’s arm wrapped around her waist, holding her upright. Her arm slipped from Demek’s grasp as she took another stumbling step forward. Her vision blurred and her ears pounded. Not again, not now. Her heart pulsed in her chest. Everything went dark for a moment. With a few deep breaths, her eyesight cleared and the room appeared before her again. It took several more breaths for the ringing in her ears to stop.
“...don’t care what you say, she needs the attention of a healer.” The voice sounded harsh. Lord Demek, no doubt.
“It is not your place to call one, my Lord.” Nin spoke just as harshly, tugging on Alina’s arm. “I will escort her to her chambers and then send for one.” Alina blinked and tugged her arm out of Nin’s grasp.
“Yes, I believe that is a fine idea.” She spoke, surprising her attendants and Demek. “Lord, I am faint from the excitement of the day. My quarters are close by, we can manage fro
m here. I give you leave to return to your duties.”
“Your Highness, please, I want to help.” He stepped forward and she backed up. Something had changed in his eyes. He looked genuinely concerned, more aware of the actual danger Alina faced in that moment. Usurpers should not seem concerned.
“Thank you, Lord Demek, but I do not require assistance. Farewell.” She turned away and walked as quickly as grace and manners allowed her.
“Good day, your Majesty,” he called after her.
Alina could imagine him bowing despite the lack of an audience. The feeling hit her once more, threatening to suck her under; her pulse quickened. She reached for her door and pushed it open, ignoring her servants. “Everyone leave me.” The room darkened. Her balance pitched. “Leave, I need to rest.” Alina stumbled farther into her room and Nin yelled at the lingering onlookers to get out. Everything kept coming in and out of focus.
“Your Highness, please lay down.” Nin walked toward her.
The room pitched again. “Stay away from me!” Alina stumbled toward the washroom door. How long has it been? Days? They’ll all think I have gone mad. “I’m ill.” Alina felt the handle of the washroom door and pulled. “I need to be alone.” Darkness danced in front of her eyes. “I don’t want to make a mess on you.”
“Your Highness, please trust me,” Nin said.
Alina had already stepped beyond the threshold and pulled the door shut. She locked it, the tumblers closing with a satisfying click. Nin’s words echoed in her mind, clashing with what the runes had told her: Nin is loyal. “I can’t do that,” Alina whispered. She sank to her knees and leaned against the cool wall. She breathed deeply, every intake bringing her a little bit farther away from reality.
It crashed down on Alina with tidal-like force, sweeping her from her chambers and flinging her into the unknown. The palace dissolved under her touch, unraveling like thread. Her body hovered in nothingness for a moment and all she knew was the deep, rhythmic breaths she took. Then, like brushstrokes, the world reappeared around her in slow, measured sweeps. She sat on warm sands that sifted underneath her grasp. The cityscape of a foreign land spilled out before her. Rough looking men walked the streets. Thin, hungry, unpolished. Their sallow, sickly skin spoke of a difficult life. Screams drew her gaze to a cart full of even scrawnier human beings, malnourished. They sat bound in shackles.
The world shifted again and she stared at Lord Demek. He sat beside a man as the guest of honor at a feast. The people around him cheered, none of them her countrymen, all of them waited upon by slaves; emaciated people, once proud and now so thin and starved. Alina’s breath caught and the images fell away, breaking like grains of sand scattered by a wind. Time flew past her. Fear, betrayal, hurt. She breathed in the emptiness.
And then she breathed in the stale air of her own washroom and everything fell back into place: the floor beneath her, the wall at her back. She heard Nin in the next room knocking against the door and pleading with her. She stood, swaying only a little as she walked over to her mirror. Alina gripped the rim of her countertop as she stared at her own blood-drained face and crystalline eyes. The brown color would return to her irises; it always did. The dark, scattering seer lines fading on her skin worried her most. Usually the marks were confined to her chest. Now they crept up over the low neck-line of her dress. That would not do.
“Your Highness?” Nin’s voice pierced her thoughts. Alina shook her head and rubbed her eyelids. How am I supposed to hide the lines if they had grown? Nin is loyal. “Please open the door. I do not want to drag the locksmith into this.” She could not imagine facing the council or anyone else not with the seer marks. Nin is loyal. “Your Highness, I will break this door down to assure your safety.” She had to do something before her maid caused a scene. “You have three counts—”
“All right, Nin!” Alina called out. “I’ll let you in. But please, promise me you will stay calm.” Her heart hammered as she opened the door and stood aside, allowing Nin to walk in before shutting the door again.
“Your Highness, I don’t see the need for these theatrics,” Nin started. She looked around the room first, observing that there was no vomit or evidence of illness. She then turned to Alina. “I only want to hel—” Her words died in her throat as she caught sight of the seer’s marks on Alina’s chest.
Alina rushed forward and clapped a hand over Nin’s mouth in case the maid screamed. She pushed Nin back into the wall, her grip tight. The girl’s eyes widened. “Not a word,” she said. “Nin, it is very important that you do not tell anyone what happened just now. It is also important that you never repeat what I am about to tell you.” Nin stared at her, breathing heavily through flared nostrils as she nodded. Alina squeezed the woman’s face a little. “You will swear it upon your name, Ninian. You will swear it upon the Almighty.” When Nin nodded again, Alina lowered her hand, though she still kept the woman pinned.
“I swear on the Almighty,” her maid whispered. “I will never betray her Majesty’s secrets.”
With the words spoken Alina backed away, though she still blocked the only exit for her maid. Nin was shrewd. “Good.” Alina nodded and smoothed her hands over her dress in an attempt to compose herself. Her heart raced. She had never done this before. “Nin...”. The maid stayed exactly where Alina had pinned her, staring at her wide-eyed. “Nin, I...I am a seer.” The words sounded strange passing her lips, coming from her voice. A terrifying secret she had sworn to never reveal now hung between her and Nin, voiced, meaningless.
Nin looked at the faded lines on Alina’s chest; she followed the pattern of the vein-like web as it disappeared under her clothes. She finally pushed off the wall and took a step towards her. “How?” she asked.
Alina shook her head. “Nin, you know how seers come into being—”
“I beg your pardon, Majesty,” she said. “I meant how have you avoided detection for so long?”
In truth, Alina counted herself extremely lucky for alluding detection for so long. Her evasion had only carried her so far in the isolated tower, and now, in the heartland, she had failed.
“I got lucky.” Alina shook her head and thought back to the first time a vision seized her. “I came into my powers when I was eight. I was fortunate enough to be in my room in the middle of the night when it happened.” Alina did not mention that her mother had come to her, answering her child’s hysterical shrieks when the visions had withdrawn. “I did research, learned what had happened and how to conceal it,” she lied. Her mother, a seer as well, had taught her what to do and had warned her that if anyone discovered her gift she would be taken away. Seers of royal blood were not permitted to rule. Though she did not care how Nin chose to perceive her now, she did not want her mother’s memory dug up simply because she was a seer in the Royal Court.
“It must have been hard,” said Nin. She seemed to be in a daze, only half paying attention to Alina’s words. It made the lies come easier.
“It was hard.” This was true. “Though living in that keep made things easier.” Alina remembered running from servants when a vision drew near. They left her alone for the most part, so they never took offense at her. She also played up being stubborn, royal, and alone. She threw tantrums when servants tried to help her dress. They learned quickly that she wanted nothing to do with them, and they were content to let her be. A spoiled girl with no parents and no future. They did not need to worry about her. Nin stared. Alina drew in a breath. “The visions were almost never a problem when I was little.” She paused. “Every time I felt a bad one coming, similar to something like this, I’d run and hide. The attendants did not bother keeping a close eye on me when I was older.”
Nin nodded. “How fortunate.” The maid seemed upset. Alina worried that she might run and grab a guard. People told terrifying stories about rogue seers.
“Nin, you have to understand I’m not a danger to anyone. The stories about seers needing control and isolation are a lie.”
“Of co
urse I know that,” said Nin. She took another step closer. “Your Highness, you need to trust me.” Nin looked her in the eye and Alina swallowed. Intensity burned in her maid. It made her think she was little more than an asset to Nin, but to what purposes?
“And why is that?” Alina stepped back, suddenly wary of the plain woman. That deep look, the feeling of a trap looming around every corner, Alina knew this look, and Nin bore it. “Who do you answer to?”
Nin sighed and the intense look vanishing. She stopped and sat back on the counter. Alina relaxed a little with the girl a safe distance away, but she remained ready to move. Nin buried her face in her hands a moment before looking back up. “Shall we exchange secrets then?” Nin asked. “As a show of good faith.”
What harm is there? Alina nodded. “Very well.” She settled down on the edge of the wash bin. “Talk.”
Nin rested her chin on her hand and seemed to think over her explanation. “You see the future, correct?”
Alina nodded. “Hence the name seer.”
“But there are others gifted with powers, the energy readers, touched by the Almighty so humanity could shape their world. Each has their counterpart.” Nin paused and looked down at her feet. “What do you think is your counterpart?”
She opened her mouth to speak, and then paused. Alina did not think seers had a counterpart. “I...”
Nin smiled and laughed. A small laugh, but better than her previous moodiness. “After the Almighty bestowed power over matter to some,” she said. It sounded like a recitation. “The Almighty turned to two people. The first one blinked, and when they saw again it was only into the future so that humanity may control their destiny.”
“I’ve heard this,” Alina said, recognizing the story her mother had told her.
“You haven’t heard the next part. Most people haven’t.” Alina tilted her head to the side and studied her maid. Nin looked nervous. “The second person put a hand to their heart and felt the warmth there. After, they could stare into the souls of others so that no one would fall prey to a corrupted spirit, and so I see intention.”
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