While I played with the children, I watched Kiran walk to each door and knock gently, interacting with the owner of every house. He seemed to be speaking kind words, or he would listen intently to whatever the homeowner had to say. At the end of each visit he would reach into his bag and produce an envelope that looked to be full of money, some bread and a bag of rice before moving on to the next house. Kiran was hugged, bowed to, or said tearful thank yous to, but always he waved it off as being nothing and would graciously return the handshake or hug with equal emotion.
This was a side of him I had never seen before, a side I didn't even know existed. I was blown away by his desire to help these people and my heart longed to be a part of the same act of heroism. I felt moved by the simplicity of the village and the genuine authenticity of each individual. But more than that, Kiran moved me. Kiran, in his deep desire to help these people and their love for him, stirred my soul, connecting me more to him than I thought possible. He was a good man.
He would be a great leader.
Eventually he reached the last house; the other occupants had left their houses after Kiran visited them to watch the game happening in the middle of the street. The children continued to laugh at me and my poor attempts at getting involved. I was pathetic and they had too much fun reminding me.
Kiran finished with the last house and walked over to the children, conceding that he would play with them now.
"Lets give Eden a break, shall we?" he turned to wink at me, the mischief back in his happy expression.
"Yes!" the boys in the group cheered loudly and I couldn't even feel insulted, they were too funny.
I walked over to the edge of the crowd of parents, the little girl with big eyes following me closely, holding on to my skirt and never taking her overly-large brown eyes off of me.
The parents gathered around me, too, engaging me in small talk and voicing their appreciation for Kiran and all the work he had done for them. I listened to story after story of how he had saved one family or the other over time and how the children loved him for an hour, watching him play tirelessly, laughing more than I had ever seen him.
The sun began to set in the sky, making the canopied village grow dark. The parents started to call their children in for the night and the game ended. Kiran put Ritesh in charge of the new soccer ball but made him promise to share the ball equally with all of the other children.We said our goodbyes and then climbed back in the waiting three wheeler, driving noisily away from the village.
My heart hurt to leave the beauty of those families behind. I knew I wanted to help them in more ways, offer them everything I had. I smiled peacefully, knowing that a good thing had been done today and that I had been a part of it.
I looked over at Kiran, wanting him to explain today to me. I wanted to know every detail, of how he came to find the village and grow so attached; I wanted to know how often he went there and get even more details out of him than the village parents had offered. But I couldn't break the perfection of the day by questioning it to death. I just stared at him, an amused smile, my permanent companion.
"What?" He grinned, reaching his arm across my shoulder and pulling me close.
"I just.... I had no idea," I smiled back, unable to put into words the feeling that was inside my heart.
"That is what life is about, isn't it? Not different races or magic or kingdoms or life and death. That. People. Giving yourself wholly to someone else and making their life better," he kissed the top of my head, sighing sweetly.
"I agree," I mumbled, finding myself choked up and emotional.
"Thank you for coming with me," he whispered into my hair.
"Thank you for taking me," I looked up into his eyes with all the sincerity I felt. He didn't move to kiss me and I knew that a kiss would ruin the moment; it was about something more than physical attraction. This feeling, this connection was defining our relationship.
"Eden, they knew you," Kiran broke the silent moment, his voice more serious than he had been all afternoon.
"What do you mean?" I asked lightly, wondering how any of them could possibly have known me.
"They said, I mean, each one of them told me that you were part of India. Part of their earth." He gazed at me intently, asking me to explain.
"What do you mean?" I scooted backwards, not understanding either.
"I thought you would know what they meant," he said, letting me go.
"I don't," I said simply, innocently.
"Me either," he mused.
"Maybe because of the Walk?" I guessed, wondering if I should take their words literally, and believe that I had become a part of India's earth or at least the wind.
"Yes, the walk," Kiran mumbled, pulling me to him again and turning silent for the rest of the ride to the palace.
It was in those moments of silence that I knew I couldn't share the extent of my experience with him. With anyone. Something about the wind spoke to me, telling me that it was mine alone, that not even Avalon would understand the entirety of what had happened. The wind was mine and mine alone and I would bear the secret the same way.
24.
I had one more day left at the palace. I was frustrated and just wanted to go home. After Kiran and I had arrived back from the village yesterday we had had to part ways, he on some important kingdom business, me to roam the empty corridors alone.
I had a new servant, an Immortal servant. She was Indian, in her mid twenties, with silky black hair pulled tightly into a bun, and a British accent. Ricasah, was proper and polite but had a strong air of dignity about her that made it hard to believe she was a servant. I liked her, but I didn't really need her around. I wasn't used to a servant, I could do things on my own.
She had brought dinner to my room last night and then told me about a private movie theater inside the west wing of the palace. Ricasah had explained that since none of the royal family would be using the room, I was more than welcome to.
I swallowed my irritation with her phrasing, knowing she had nothing to do with the laws and by-laws of the monarchy. In the end, I opted for the movie out of sheer boredom and fell asleep in the plush reclining stadium style chairs.
I had woken sometime early in the morning and zombie-walked my way back to my room, where breakfast had been waiting for me at the vanity. After I had sufficiently stuffed myself from the same delicacies I had enjoyed the day before, I decided to explore the gardens.
I got lost, both literally and figuratively, wandering around the palace grounds discovering walled gardens with beautiful climbing flowers and ancient shade trees. I found a stone pathway that led to a crystal clear brook that reminded me exactly of the one in Kiran and my Dream Walk world, complete with far off mountains sitting as a backdrop. I stayed there a while, with my feet in the soft current wondering if this was where Kiran had drawn inspiration from.
On my way back from the brook, I stumbled upon the stables for the elephants and had fun walking through, and interacting with the trained beasts from the ground. They were massive, I never felt so small or delicate standing next to their leathery tree sized legs.
In the center of the palace was more gardens and a huge atrium with elegant stone statues and fountains. The atrium housed all manner of wild and exotic birds, including colorful but very territorial peacocks that chased me out of their home with haughty indignation.
When I finally found my room again I was exhausted and starving. I had missed lunch and was in desperate need of a nap. But only seconds after collapsing face forward on the pillow-top king-sized bed, Ricasah knocked softly at my door.
"Come in," I hollered through a muffled voice, face down in my pillow.
"Pardon me. Your presence has been requested for dinner with the king and queen this evening," Ricasah announced politely.
That got my attention. I rolled over to make sure she was serious and when I realized she had no reason not to be, I threw my arms across my face with exasperation.
"Why?" I sighe
d.
"Excuse me?" Ricasah asked, assuming my question was directed at her.
"Why me?" I clarified, still not really talking to her, but too frustrated to care. I didn't want to eat dinner with Lucan and pretend I was someone I wasn't and worry about my food being poisoned or passing some secret test proving I was completely average. I didn't want to have to be polite and call upon the table manners Aunt Syl had drilled into my head as a child; I really just wanted to sleep.
"Why you?" Ricasah asked very perplexed. "Well, because of the Eternal Walk. There is always a dinner in the King's honor after the Walks are completed," she walked further into the room carrying a long white box that I noticed for the first time. "Granted, there are usually hundreds of candidates attending and the dinner is more of a ball than a private setting, but I suppose your circumstances are unique." She finished with an air of dignity.
"Oh, of course. I'm sorry, I'm new to all of this," I sat up, forcing myself to smile even though I truly hated using that excuse.
"I am aware," she smiled forcefully back. "The crowned prince sent this over, suggesting that you might not have anything appropriate to wear this evening." She set the box down on the bed and opened it, revealing a silk sari in soft pink, the same color of the dress he had sent me for the Fall Equinox dance. I rubbed the luxurious material between my fingers, feeling differently about this gift than I had the last.
"He was right about that." I eyed my carry-on suitcase with a little bit of contempt, wishing I would have been prepared for meeting Kiran's parents at least emotionally. Although, I realized that since neither Amory nor Kiran had warned me before now, the dinner might actually be a surprise to everybody.
"I will be back in an hour to help you dress," Ricasah finished and then left me alone in the room with my thoughts and new sari.
----
I stood outside the dining room doors not ready to go in yet. I was told dinner would be served promptly at six and I had a few minutes before I would be late. I swayed back and forth feeling like I would be sick, watching my reflection in one of the few glassed windows around the palace.
The pink sari was exquisite, with silver stitching outlining delicate flowers and loopy designs. I had opted for minimal makeup, not wanting to draw attention to myself; so other than mascara and a little lip gloss, my face was plain. I was afraid that my hair would draw unnecessary attention, so I had pulled it into a side braid; but now I wondered if I should have gone Ricasah's route and chosen the low bun.
"Did they not tell you we eat supper in the dining room?" Kiran's amused voice came from behind me; I turned to meet him. He looked especially handsome in a white seer sucker suit and soft blue dress shirt underneath, that was unbuttoned at the top in lieu of a tie. His hair was tousled underneath his crooked crown and he fidgeted with it, trying to get the elaborate piece of heavy gold to stay on correctly.
"Oh, and not out in the hallway?" I tried to make a joke, but still couldn't get my nerves under control. I had been having visions of Lucan slamming his fist down on the table screaming, "Off with her head," all afternoon. If I could get through this dinner without being arrested, I would probably be in the clear. I would be able to make it out of India alive and still a free girl.
"Come along, it shan't be all bad," he smiled and held out his bent elbow to me, gesturing with a nod of the head.
I linked my hand daintily through his arm, trying to recall my fairy tale knowledge and how exactly a guest of the king should behave.
We walked through the doors of the dining room and I was a little surprised to see the long table I had eaten breakfast at the day before gone, and a smaller, more intimate table set for five. I wondered absently how they had managed to move the larger table, it had seemed like a permanent and very heavy fixture.
The small table, in its place, made the room seem extra large. Underneath the table was a wide rug with a colorful mosaic pattern covering the cold stone floor. The fireplace on the east wall had been lit, but even though the room needed the opposite of heating, I couldn't feel any warmth across the expanse of the room. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling had been dimmed to provide a more intimate dinner setting. An exotic floral arrangement adorned the middle of the table.
Kiran walked over to the table and pulled out a chair for me. We were alone so far in the room and I was thankful for that.
"You look exquisite by the way," Kiran said softly to me, sitting down to my right.
"Thank you," I smiled, but rushed on. "Ok, what are some rules I need to know? Like guidelines? Um, do I need to bow or whatever when your father comes in?" My face flushed red, I felt sick again.
"Relax, you'll do fine," he smiled patiently at me. "When Father enters, you need to stand; a small curtsy will do fine. Make sure you keep your eyes down until Father has been seated and then you are allowed to sit and lift your head. Do not eat anything or even drink anything until Father has taken his first bite. And, don't speak unless spoken to, that is very important, Eden." Kiran finished quickly, giving me a worried glance before standing at the opening of the doors.
Lucan and Kiran's mother, Analisa, entered the room with all of the demeanor I would expect from a king and queen. Lucan was dressed in a cream colored suit with a white dress shirt underneath and was the perfect older version of Kiran. He had the same tousled blonde hair sitting underneath his crooked but larger crown, only he didn't mess with it the way Kiran did. He had strong blue eyes that swept over the room in an irritated, disapproving manner that made me nervous.
Analisa, Kiran's mother, was breathtaking. She was dressed in a turquoise sari that had silver stitching like mine, but was so superior in beauty she made mine look plain. Her long dark hair flowed about her as she walked. She had turquoise eyes that matched her sari; they were kind and not nearly as unpleasant as her husband's. Her dainty golden crown was the only one that seemed to fit exactly on the top of her head.
Behind them, followed a young girl, probably no more than eleven or twelve. She was also dressed in a sari; hers was in a fun magenta, and had gold beading all over the front sash. Her eyes were a golden brown that reminded me of someone but I couldn't put my finger on who it was. She was wearing a thin band of gold with a large diamond in the center, around her head; her crown was very age-appropriate.
I moved to the front of my chair and curtsied awkwardly, wishing I would have anticipated this moment and practiced the movement earlier this afternoon. I stared at the ground afraid of lifting my head and even more afraid of doing something wrong.
"Alright, that's enough of that," Lucan declared gruffly, "Eden, as I remember, you don't have much regard for the monarchy at all," he took his seat and everyone else followed, Kiran laughing to the right of me.
"No, please forgive me, I have the utmost respect for the monarchy," I sat down and cleared my throat, defending myself and afraid my previous beheading fears would actually come true. "I was um, I was just raised...."
"Human," Lucan finished for me, his frown turning briefly into a reassuring smile. "We are aware."
"Yes, that's right," I confirmed softly.
"Father, don't be so hard on our guest," Kiran said in good humor.
The servants brought out the first course, a green salad with a citrus dressing, and the delicious Indian bread I had come to love.
After we were alone again, Lucan spoke directly to me, "My son is quite taken with you Eden. I'm quite certain you have bewitched him." He stared at me, his deep blue eyes searching mine; I didn't know what to say. He didn't seem angry, but I felt like he was still accusing me of something that should be wrong.
"No, no, not at all," I glanced at Kiran, hoping he would help defend me, but he was suddenly very interested in his wine. "Kiran is betrothed," I finished weakly.
"I know," Lucan snapped, but not unkindly.
"Of course. Forgive me. What I mean to say is that, Kiran is too respectable of a man to mistreat Seraphina," A deep blush crawled up my neck and onto my
cheeks.
"Is that so? Well, my dear," Lucan continued, turning to Kiran's mother, "at least their feelings for each other are mutual," he smiled at his beautiful wife who nodded her agreement eyeing me over with her turquoise eyes.
"I am Amelie," the younger girl introduced herself. "It is very nice to meet you." She smiled genuinely at me, her golden brown eyes sparkling from even across the table.
"Oh yes, Eden, this is Amelia, Sebastian's younger sister," Kiran smiled between the two of us.
I recognized the difference between how she introduced herself and how Kiran had said her name as the difference between the French and English pronunciations; at least French class had taught me something.
"Do you know my brother?" she asked excitedly, a look of pure pride in her eyes.
"Yes, I attend Kingsley with him," I smiled back at her, not wanting to go into too much detail on exactly how well we knew each other. Her excitement was catching, though, and I mused at how sweet and enchanting she was, especially for being Sebastian's sister.
"How wonderful!" she gasped, reaching out for Kiran's hand. "I wanted to join the boys so badly, but mother said I am too young to be that far from home." She pouted, looking up at Kiran with a mixture of hero worship and pleading.
"That you are, Amelia," Lucan scolded from behind his wine goblet.
She was instantly silent, her eyes falling desperately back to her salad. My heart went out to her; she had that kind of contagious personality that demanded empathy with every emotion.
"It won't be long, dearest," Kiran reached out for her hand again, and she looked up at him, her large golden brown eyes flickering with hope. "You'll be with us again soon enough," he smiled down at her and I saw that she believed him; there was complete trust between the two.
The servants appeared to clear the first course and then a second group of servants brought out a delicious-smelling soup. I was pleasantly surprised to find it sweet and a little sour, with apples, potatoes and raisins.
Hopeless Magic (The Star-Crossed Series) Page 19