“Test you? I did not know you could tell if a man was,” Rose struggled for a word before continuing. “For lack of a better word, a virgin.”
“Not that kind of test. The temple would throw temptation my way and see how I reacted. Honestly it was the most maddening part of my existence.” Leaning back in his chair he marveled at just how beautiful she was. “Care to ease my mental tension?”
“Who says I would be willing to give you my favors?” Rose replied while crossing her arms and turning her head to the side, looking at the wall more than anything else. “Impossible man.”
“Well males are only good at two things so I’ve been told.” His shoulders shrugged and he wore a wry grin. “Fighting and fornicating.”
“Foolery fits well between the two.” She retorted and looked back at him. “I am not so easy to bed; I am a free woman now you know.”
“Well then I shall try my best in the future, next time I shall bring a large club to subdue you with.” When she gave him a sour look he threw his head back and laughed from deep within his belly, accordingly she laughed a little as well and shook her head. “Well I suppose it is time to put the pleasantries aside.”
“Already?” Rose sighed and let out a light snort of amusement. “I think I’d rather bed you than talk about today’s events.”
“The offer still stands.” He winked and waggled his eyebrows.
“You’re a completely different person off of the battlefield my dark knight.” Rose smiled at his antics and for the moment felt better. “So apparently we’re going to be sent on some quest to retrieve an artifact or something. How hard can that be?”
“Artifacts are usually guarded. Otherwise they’d be in someone’s hands right?” He let that sink in, knowing she did not know much about the outside world. “This is going to be a dangerous journey to say the least. As long as the queen is willing to put some resources behind this quest I think we have a shot. We’ll need help.”
“Nina wishes to join us. Honestly there is nothing I can do to stop her but I think it will not get any further than her mother. Nina is obviously the favored child. She has a sister as well but I did not see her in the court today with the rest of her family.” Rose shrugged and let her hands come to rest on the table. “What kind of help do you think we’ll need?”
“I am expecting to get minimal help, optimally a full war band would most likely handle the job without a hitch but I think the queen will cite the prophecy literally and force us to go it alone. I think I can at least convince her to give us a few guardsmen to accompany us on the journey.” Liostro stood up and walked over to the balcony, looking over the side down to the ground far below. “I’m not sure how much help the princess will be; she could hardly stand up to me.”
“You’re older than her, figuratively speaking, and you’ve been trained in the martial ways for far longer and more rigorously. Anyone but a seasoned combat veteran would have a hard time standing for long in a battle with you.” Rose walked over next to him and sat down against the wooden railing, leaning her back against the strong wooden lattice. “The prospect of this quest frightens me to no end but it seems I have no choice in the matter.”
“I’ll protect you.” Liostro didn’t look down at her; he couldn’t bear it at the moment. His emotions were getting the better of him, his life had been a cloistered affair up until now, it was all he could do to remain civil while in such close proximity to her. “No harm will come to you while I am by your side; I swear it by the gods.”
“You hardly know me.” Rose looked up at him, his soft white skin, the breeze rustling his hair from these heights and the soft light of the moon. Everything seemed to only accentuate him, he was an attractive man.
“It hardly matters, I am smitten.” His gaze fell down to her as she was looking up at him. Those beautiful gold-and-blue eyes called to him. He went down to his knees and took her hands in his, pressing his lips against hers with a sudden urgency. She did not fight his advances which only spurred him onward until the door to his room swung open, causing them both to lock eyes with the queen.
“It seems my orders mean nothing to the both of you then?” She fumed as she crossed the space between the two by the balcony with two guards in tow and Merik not far behind, leaning on the door frame. “Just as well, I need to speak with the both of you.”
Rose could feel the daggers in the queen’s stare, her opinion of the wayward naarabian was already low but having disobeyed and being found with her lips locked to Liostro’s obviously did not help her situation. She stood up with his help and sat down at the table across from the queen with Liostro at her side. “My queen this was all my idea, I felt the need to speak to him about our journey. This task you have named for us seems difficult and out of reach, I needed to talk to someone.”
“Yes, I see much discussion going on here.” She retorted quickly, eyeing Rose for a moment.
“We had already finished, what I do with my own time is none of your concern.” Rose countered. She regretted it immediately but she was fed up with being treated like a lesser being. “For a queen you are opinionated and lacking manners.”
“Ware your words Blood Guard.” Mira replied with her voice low and menacing. “I’ll not have dissention in my ranks.”
“I ask only for the common courtesy you seem to extend to elves alone.” Rose huffed out a breath and looked down at the ground.
“Guards, leave us.” The queen ordered abruptly.
“Yes my queen.” The both of them replied as they strode out of the door leaving Merik to step in and close it behind them.
“Queen Miralastra, I am of a mind to agree with Rose on this. You’ve not been very hospitable to one who shows you nothing but kindness. I would not question your authority around the guards but you are not setting a very good example.” Merik strode up next to Mira and put a hand on her shoulder. He alone knew the stress she was under from all turns and corners, being one of her chief advisors as well as her body guard.
“Rose I am under a tremendous amount of pressure. The council disapproves of your sordid past. I must say that I commend the performance you displayed though in the future please refrain from causing harm to the senior council members.” Mira said and put her face in her hands, letting her long blonde hair spill out and touch the table. “Forgive me, but your past reflects upon my decision to appoint you to your standing rank.”
“I only wish to leave my past behind me my queen.” She said cordially. “No forgiveness needed, I do not wish to cause you any more stress than you already have. I could not begin to imagine the difficulties of running a kingdom so you are forgiven before you even ask; I wish only to repay you for the freedom you have given me.”
“It is with a heavy heart that I ask the two of you to perform this task. The dangers you will face may be beyond your abilities.” She looked up at the two of them for a moment before continuing. “And my father has told me that one of royal blood should attend with you. My first thought is to send my older daughter but he has insisted that I send Nina instead. His reasons make no sense to me but I trust his judgment. He cited the prophecy and how Nina was to guide you, I have not the time to question his interpretations but I have a feeling Nina has a hand in this.”
“So you must send us on the typical no-one-returns quest to face danger and death?” Liostro smiled broadly and made a dismissing gesture with his hand. “Why not come up with a better challenge? I fear neither danger nor death. I have dined with the latter more times than I care to count.”
“My youngest daughter will be with you; above all else it is she I treasure more than my own life.” Mira’s eyes were hard as she stared at the flippant knight. “You will see that she gets back to me safe or I will destroy you.”
“I swore an oath to your family; your legacy will be protected with my life. I do not take such commitments lightly or I would have defected from the employ of the scale of darkness a long time ago.” Liostro held her gaze steady. “
Do not question my loyalty or my ability to protect my charge.”
“Then I am satisfied.” She said simply as she stood and turned toward the door. “My father wishes to see the three of you before you depart. Take some time to explore and rest before your journey. The two of you are free to roam the city but while you are outside of your quarters I request that you wear the garb of your station.”
“Yes my queen.” Liostro replied immediately.
“As you wish.” Rose chimed in after a moment of silence. She watched the queen go then turned to Liostro, who was smiling. “What?”
“Well, shall we visit Leonidus then?” His fingertips brushed her cheek lightly. “Or shall we continue on where we left off?”
~~~~
“I value your opinion highly but is this the right direction to take?” Leonidus said to a ghostly image standing before him within his workshop. All around him were tables strewn with books, jars, alchemical equipment, magical components and scrolls among other things. Tall book shelves lined the room and small pedestals with glass containers on top of them stood in one corner, showcasing items that he had acquired and made in his travels. Sitting on a plush chair in front of a desk with mounds of paperwork and books he shook his head. “You know what this means my old friend, the good old days long past are almost upon us again.”
“Your enthusiasm is duly noted but what should happen if they fail?” The wavery ethereal voice asked him with a certain note of monotony. “You know how hard we have worked to make this come to pass.”
A knock at his door forced him to dismiss the image quickly. “The door is open, come in.”
“Leo, are we disturbing you?” Rose asked as she walked into the room with Liostro and Nina in tow. She looked around at the ground floor of his tower and marveled out loud. “I’ve never seen so many books in one place, this is amazing!”
“A small collection compared to the royal library my dear. Please come in, I summoned you did I not? So how could you be disturbing me?” Leonidus motioned to the chairs gathered in front of his main desk and took a long gulp from a glass of wine sitting in front of him. “I have summoned you here for a purpose. I have to prepare you for your journey.”
“Is it far grandfather?” Nina inquired first.
“Not as far as you may think. The ruins you seek are deeper within the forest, few who go that deep return and those who do usually do not survive long after. It pains me to send the three of you alone but I have no choice. I am not authorized to give you any of our guardsmen; the prophecies are clear on who shall go and who shall not.” He said with a bit of lament in his voice.
“I heard no mention of Nina in the prophecies.” Rose said while simultaneously trying to dodge the sour look she got from the young elf.
“Not true, the part about her assisting you is in the first paragraph of this prophecy.” Leo leaned forward toward them and offered them each a glass of wine. When they all declined he shrugged and poured himself more. “We know little of the ruins, to continue on, but what we do know that they are guarded by powerful creatures of darkness. Rumor has it that the former masters of the city were dabbling in the darker arts when it fell. The city used to be a haven for both humans and the naarabi as far as I have seen in my research. What has perplexed us is how the elven artifacts that we seek came to rest in such a place. That information is lost to time.”
“Do you know anything more about what we will face?” Liostro said while looking nonchalant the whole time.
“Honestly no, all attempts at scrying the location turn up nil.” He shrugged and motioned to a rounded crystal standing on a pedestal behind him. “Trust me I have tried, all I have are rumors and tales.”
“The first tale says that that one of the magi from a past age founded the city in hopes that he could persuade his brothers to stop draining the life from the world. That does not hold ground because this area has been protected by the gods for millennia. The city was destroyed by something, and granted a powerful enough being could get past the wards but they would have drained this place dry almost immediately within moments of stepping foot on the soil.”
“Good point.” Liostro replied with a knowing nod. “I have met one of the sorcerer lords before, a minor player for sure but he was a greedy bastard. Power hungry and drunken mad with magic.”
“Impressive.” Leonidus said as he nodded his head at Liostro. “Few who see those old power mongers live to tell the tale.”
“The worst part of this is that I don’t know where the artifacts are hidden. The story only says that they are within the city somewhere.” Leonidus shrugged at them and turned around to the bench behind him. “I must give you each something.”
When he turned back around he motioned for their left hands and dropped a ring in each then closed their fingers around it and pushed the arm back toward them. Each one was made of a silvery metal with a dark red gem in the center of the band, each had engravings in the metal but all were different in that aspect. “They are attuned to each of you now. Keep them on you and they will protect you from the worst of this world. I have given Nina a trinket that will translocate you back to the city once you’ve found the artifacts. Make sure you are all touching one-another before breaking it Nina. Be sure to use it wisely, they are expensive to manufacture.”
“I will treasure it, thank you.” Rose replied as she slipped the ring on her finger. She felt a soft tingle as she did. Idly she turned the ring a few times as she listened.
“The queen has given us leave to explore the city but we have decided that we want to leave in the morning.” Liostro said as he put the ring in a pocket at his breast. “Magic still unsettles me even after walking among your people. I shall hang on to it until I need it.”
“As you wish.” Leo said with a nod of his head.
“We will leave early to avoid gawkers and onlookers. Can our supplies be ready by then?” Nina slipped the ring onto her finger and looked up at her grandfather.
“They have been prepared already. The queen knew you would want to set out immediately though I have no clue how.” He inclined his head at them and stood up, having them do the same. Leading the three of them toward the door he sighed. “I wish I could do more to prepare you but my resources in this matter are limited. We must adhere to the prophecy or risk the consequences.”
“You have done more than you are required to anyway. I have hope that we will be successful.” Rose smiled at him and put a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, we will return triumphant.”
Rose left the room unsure of herself regardless of the proud words she had said to Leonidus. While she didn’t want to worry him it troubled her to have to lie to him about her confidence. The task ahead of them was a daunting one to say the least. She listened half-heartedly as Liostro and Nina made plans spoke of the journey as if it were going to be some sort of outing. Their tone wore on her a little, feeling like she was the only one of the trio worried about the task and its outcome. When they reached her room she entered and bid them both good night while simultaneously dismissing the question of her want for company. She needed to be alone with her thoughts.
Rose removed the symbolic clothing of her station and folded it neatly; placing it in the tall wardrobe next to several other sets of clothing Marna had made for her. Every set was beautiful, like a masterpiece of fabric. Looking down at herself she found the same body she had brought with her from the harem only toned and tighter. Life outside of the plush harem was changing her physically as well as mentally but at least that was for the better. Rose walked out onto the balcony with her clothes in hand and leaned against the wall for a moment feeling the cool, humid breeze wash over her body. She slid on the gray-colored clothes of her preference and turned back to the room, sitting down on her bed with her back against the wall.
With no other sound but her breathing the silence became maddening quickly. Rose rolled her eyes and gritted her teeth as she thought deep down how much she could use some company
at the moment. A sharp blade engraved with the word irony was waiting for her.
It was then that she heard singing coming from outside of the window. Having caught the curious melody she stood again and walked out onto the balcony, sweeping her gaze out across the trees. In the distance she saw a procession of elves walking across a long rope-and-wood bridge carrying what looked to be another elf, silent and still. “A funeral.”
The sound of her own voice was shocking to her, as if someone had invaded her room only to say one phrase then vanished an instant later. She listened attentively to the song and picked up a few expressions and words here and there about the elf in question and his exploits. As they walked closer she could see the singer was a tall blonde-haired elf with a white robe and gold trim with a veil draped across her face. Rose could not see her features otherwise but the haunting melody soothed her. She slid down to a sitting position by the rail, looking out through the bars of her balcony watching them walk while holding a litter with a white see-through sheet draped across what looked to be a male elf. “Even those untouched by age can succumb to the perils of death.”
“A sobering thought.” Rose stood up after they had passed by and walked over to her bed, figuring it would be a good idea to try and sleep before their departure. “When faced with your own mortality what do you say as you stare yourself in the eyes?”
In another part of the palace Leonidus in his robes and trappings leaned over his crystal ball and sighed, shaking his head and running his fingers down the smooth sphere as if caressing someone’s cheek. His dark eyes scanned the image within the round device. “When you find the answer let me know young one.”
~~~~
Morning had come all too quickly for her and though she wanted to sleep in she knew that the journey ahead of them would not allow her to relax. Pulling herself from her mattress had been the hardest part seeing as their supplies had been delivered to their rooms in the night by some unseen hand. Even now they were walking through the thick brush of the forest toward their destination with Nina interpreting their direction using a map her grandfather had given her. Rose felt the need to be in bed again. The forest around them was alive with activity and movement. She couldn’t help but be a bit nervous about every rustle in the bushes and crackle of a twig on the ground. Several times both Nina and Liostro had stopped to ask her if she was alright but she could not give them an honest answer.
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