by Monica Doke
“I can be, but I do have secrets,” she said as a blush washed over her features.
“If you tell me a secret, I would tell you a secret,” Jax said. He moved around the trunk exploring the space. Melody watched him move. He moved as one would if they spent time hiding from someone - silently.
“Your whole life is secret to me,” Melody replied, “you know much more about me than I know about you.”
Jax stopped in front of her and gave her a measured look before he replied, “This is true and fair, what would you have me do?”
“You must tell me a secret you have told no one, not just a secret you have not told me,” the Pramacretine answered.
“Very well, but you first,” he said. Melody sighed heavily. She sat in thought for a few moments before she decided what to say. Absentmindedly Melody twirled a loose curl in her fingers.
Finally, with a very deep blush and a small chuckle, Melody spoke, “When my father brought me home to this palace, I could only sleep in his bed.”
“How old were you?” Jax asked.
“Maybe a year,” the Pramacretine answered.
“Oh, that is not so strange!” Jax exclaimed. Melody shrugged.
“It is a secret I do not tell people,” she supplied. Jax nodded and circled her a few more times. He stopped on the other side of the trunk, behind her.
Melody could feel the waft of his breath in her hair as he spoke, “My secret is much more impressive, I think.” His tone had changed to be more measured and low. Melody felt heat filled her face and travel through her body. Jax moved around the trunk and sat beside her. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. His kiss was soft and careful at first, but when she did not move away, it became more fervent. He put his hand against her cheek and held her face to his. When they parted, his bright green eyes, though filled with pleasure, also betrayed his confusion.
“What is wrong?” she asked, embarrassed. He shook himself and smiled.
“Nothing at all could be wrong,” Jax, his face flushed and close, replied, “I guess there was still some secret in that even from me.” Melody smiled brightly. She glowed with the pleasure of her first kiss.
“You were right,” Melody finally said with a smile.
Jax smiled in return as he asked, “About what?”
“Your secret was more impressive,” Melody declared; her azure eyes glowed in the sunlight.
…
“I must be on my way, my lady,” Jax said as they walked around to Willow's stable.
“From the palace or from this outing only?” Melody asked. Disappointment took root in the pit of her stomach.
“From the palace, for a time,” Jax answered, “I have some things to take care of and then I would like to return - if I would be welcome.”
“Of course you are welcome, Jaxon. You know my father is fond of you,” Melody replied.
“Is that the only reason?” Jax asked of her, grinning at the Pramacretine.
Melody turned away as she felt her face grow hot. She replied from behind her hair, “I think you know I like you,” she looked up at him after a moment, a huge smile played over her mouth, “I am only concerned that my constant falling on you would be a determent against your return.”
“Nonsense, which is just an incentive. Someone has to catch you,” Jax replied, his response charmed the Pramacretine. She smiled, but with the knowledge of his departure, it was short lived. Seeing her disappointment, Jax stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. She felt his lips gently graze behind her ear and she felt the familiar heat of her emotions boil over.
“Be safe, if you must go. I will look forward to your return,” Melody replied into his ear. Hesitantly, Jax released her and smiled. He handed her the far lighter basket.
“I will see you soon. Take care of your Dragon and maybe it will want to meet you,” the Conjurer said as he walked away.
Melody watched him as he walked all the way to the palace and into the doors. She watched after him, frazzled and lightheaded. She had her first kiss that day, with a handsome, mysterious young man to whom she felt drawn. Her heart hurt allowing him to leave.
Melody made her way to Willow’s stable. He had his own large building that had no door to contain him. She did not want him to feel trapped. She placed an Ethereal barrier on it to protect him when he entered. She walked into the stable and saw her beautiful winged horse waited for her. She smiled up at him. The Pegasus stood about twice the size of a normal horse.
The Pramacretine walked up to the horse and pulled out some oranges. She handed him one and dumped the rest onto the floor. Willow brayed appreciatively as he ate the fruit. The Pegasus loved citrus, and oranges were easily his favorite. Melody used his distraction to brush him and check his hooves and wings. After a long while of quiet companionship with her winged horse, Melody decided she should get back to the palace. Willow was stoic in their goodbye, but he nuzzled her before she left.
The evening air was crisp and smelled of freshly bloomed flowers. She smiled as she walked through the garden, thinking of Jax. A small voice broke through her reverie and she looked around, confused. A young boy ran up the path, which led from the forest beyond.
“I have a message for the Pramacretine of Agoura!” He shouted, then stopped, leaned over and panted for a long while. He ran a far way, it seemed. Melody waited a moment.
“What message have you, boy?” Melody asked, smiling.
“It’s for the Pramacretine of Agoura, Miss,” he said, still catching his breath. Melody knelt down beside his bent form.
“I happen to be who you are looking for,” she said, smiling. The boy looked at her sideways.
“You don’t look like a Pramacretine,” he said skeptically.
“You know, I hear that more often than I should, I think,” she said, laughing. The boy looked at her again and after a long pause, he smiled. The boy knelt down and dumped his pack onto the ground. He rummaged through the pile until he found what he wanted. He pulled out a neatly sealed scroll and handed it to her. Melody eyed the seal and found that she was not familiar with it.
“Thank you, young man,” she said gently. “Have you come far? It is far from here to anywhere, you know. And a journey for a tiny Gnome such as yourself, I would think you would need a nice night’s sleep and some food before you weather it once more.” The boy nodded delightedly as Melody asked, “What is your name, lad?”
“My name is Jerr, Pramacretine,” he said proudly.
“How far have you come, then?” Melody asked again, leading him into the palace.
“About five days far, Pramacretine,” Jerr said, looking up at the inside of the palace. Isaac approached the pair.
“A new face, then? Wherever did you find this one?” Isaac wondered. Melody smiled at Isaac as she ignored his condescending tone.
“He is a messenger, Isaac. Would you please have the staff come and wash him, feed him and give him a room,” the Pramacretine asked as she knelt down to the boy. “You do not mind that, do you?” The boy shook his head excitedly. Melody nodded at Isaac, who took the boy’s shoulder and led him away. Melody tucked the scroll into the belt on her dress as she stood. She went to her room, released her long hair from its braid and washed her face and arms with her lavender soap. Melody left her chambers enjoying the cacophony of her emotions. She went into the library and sat in the giant armchair in the center of the room. The Pramacretine opened her most recent reading adventure and lost herself for the rest of the afternoon. The scroll she received sat beside her forgotten.
…
Thane entered the library at sunset, their father in tow. He smiled at Melody. She sat up and placed the book on the small table beside her.
“Thane, Father,” she said, inclining her head to them. The two men responded in kind and sat across from her on the sofa. Andover looked at Thane, then Melody. He was clearly waiting for something.
“Melly, I spoke with Father about the situat
ion you presented to me this morning. We feel it is necessary to discuss this together,” Thane said.
“In private,” Andover finished with a wave of his hand. Melody felt the Ether spread around her to keep their sounds closed in the room. He smiled, expressing his approval.
“Thane informed me this afternoon that you found our Conjurer guest in a restricted area. I would hesitate to assume any automatic wrongdoing in this encounter, however, for you to distrust his conduct, I must confess to being suspicious myself,” Andover explained.
Thane interjected helpfully, “Because you trust everyone, Mel and we can see you are partial to him.”
“Anyway,” Andover resumed, giving Thane a sharp look, “Thane decided to share with me since we prefer to be cautious when it comes to you, Melody. Nevertheless, I should share with you both what I already suspected of our young Conjurer friend.
“His sudden appearance here after so many years made me curious. When his mother was younger, she spent most of her time within our walls. As it turns out, Jaxon’s mother, a close friend to my former wife, has been gone for a long time. I could not find out what had actually happened to her, but I know she was beloved here and with deep sympathy for a situation to which I could relate, I sent a courier to deliver some gifts for Jaxon and his father.”
“That is very nice, Father,” Melody said, smiling.
Andover nodded but did not return her smile as Thane said, “The courier returned wounded.”
Andover glanced at his son as he continued, “yes, our courier returned with a deep cut across his face. He informed us that the elder Callfah was angry that we had not sent him currency. He was dissatisfied with our offering.”
“Oh, my,” Melody gasped, fear crept into her heart, “Will he be recovered, the courier?”
“Yes, my dear, he will be fine. He may have a scar but he did not seem to mind,” Andover informed his daughter.
Thane chuckled as he added, “He said it would make him look like a warrior. You know the ladies, they love this.” Melody laughed at this explanation. She did not enjoy the comedy for long, since the trepidation had grown.
“What is wrong with this elder Callfah? Why would a dignitary be so blatantly aggressive against his own government, and particularly against his wife's dear friends?” Melody asked.
“This is what I know,” Andover said, “Ziodin Callfah had never been very close to our family, and his wife had been before she met him. When he began to court her, she was a free spirit, beautiful and strong. Serry loved her as if she was her own sister. When she married Callfah, the man and wife both disappeared from here until the one time Aliyah showed up with a very little Jaxon in tow. This occured a while after Serendipity passed. Aliyah spoke only with Genewen and after they spoke, she left. She never returned. Genewen had been close friends with Aliyah as well. I do not know what they spoke of, only that she had been worried about her friend with her husband. I believe you were only a few years beyond Jaxon at that time, Melody, though you were younger considering our aging. You may have seen him.” Andover paused as he tried to move past his own distraction.
Finally, he continued, “I did not find out much more after that, but I had my suspicions. I am not a young man and I have dealt with many situations involving married couples. You both know what happened to Acacia, but what you may not see is the beginning of this. She fell in passionate love with a man who she did not get to know before she married him. When they were married, he became a different person, he took ownership of her and this is not a proper marriage. Seeing the desperation and fear of a battered woman, you begin to recognize it. I saw the lady Callfah and I knew she was suffering at the hands of her husband.” Andover looked displeased as he considered his lack of action at the time. He considered his position, and taking action against abusers. He had been considering it since Melody became old enough to realize why Acacia had been imprisoned.
“Why did they do nothing for her?” Melody asked poignantly. Andover sighed knowing his daughter would catch him.
Thane rescued his father as he said, “Mel, imagine the humiliation of being victimized by the person you trusted most. These women must accept help before we can do a thing.”
“We did investigate it, but we turned up with only questions and no answers,” Andover confessed. “Serendipity worried for her friend, but if she did not seek our help, our hands were tied. When she brought her boy, I knew I had to keep an eye on them. I have had many spies on him since and I plan to revisit the reports as soon as we finish here.”
“Jax has scars on his body,” Melody said with a blush, “I saw them at the collar of his shirt. They were deep wounds which may not have been treated properly.”
“I saw them, too,” Thane supplied, “They are all over his back and front and probably the rest of him. They look like lashings, but they could have more severe origins.”
“The question I think we have to ask now is - should we be worried about the elder or the younger Callfah?” Andover mused. Melody looked at her father and brother, discomfort plain in her features.
“I know you both think that I work only in emotions, but I honestly believe Jax is more good than bad. I think his father may have broken him. When we spoke he would begin thoughts involving the man and stop abruptly refusing to continue or elaborate,” Melody supplied, “He seems so sad, I struggle to imagine he is going to hurt any of us.”
“I trust your instinct with his character, my dear, but pain and torture can do odd things to people,” Andover said, “We need to be cautious.”
“I promise, Father. I would have kept what I knew to myself if I were being anything but cautious,” Melody assured her family.
“For the time being, this information is privileged and I trust it will remain between the three of us. I believe discretion will maintain order and safety in our household. Until we have empirical proof that young Callfah is a danger we will continue to treat him as a favored guest,” Andover concluded.
“He left,” Melody told them. Thane and Andover both looked surprised. Then they looked at Melody curiously.
“It was not me!” She argued, “We had a nice walk in the garden and he told me he had to take care of some business. He seemed certain he would return.”
“That is curious as well,” Thane said, sharing a glance with their father.
“I thought so, too,” Melody decided, “But Thane, you should remember your diplomacy. Jax is my friend. I like him. I want to help him because I think something is wrong. While I must be cautious, you both must behave rationally. You are protective.” Melody stopped and eyed her father and brother before continuing, “This is a bias we cannot tolerate in this situation. Jax must be given a proper chance.”
“Wisely stated,” Andover replied, smiling. He clapped his son on the shoulder and said, “We will be cautious of ourselves as you will be of your friend.”
The trio parted amicably, a plan formulated for the handling of their concerns.
The Tracker
Melody stared at the same paragraph in the book she had been reading for half an hour. Thane sat across the room in a desk. He read A Book of Sorts. She laughed at the way his nose twitched when something interested him.
Melody thought of Jax. It had been a few days since he left them and she was anxious to see him again. She wanted to sort through her conflicting feelings. He was so kind and gentle. She sighed with frustration - Jax was an animal sibyl – he had to be gentle. Natural prey trusted only the softest spirits. Melody looked up and grinned when she saw Thane standing impatiently in front of her. The Healer waved a scroll in front of her face.
“Dearest sister,” he said while the laughter in his eyes belied his serious demeanor, “Are you going to read this?”
“I forgot about it,” Melody said, blushing. She took the scroll and opened it.
She read it aloud. “'Pramacretine of Agoura,'” Melody quoted, “'my name is Jennifer Mortyer. I am writing this to you to indulge you in s
ome information. My first memo is to announce my arrival in a fortnight at your residence. Likely, it should occur shortly after you read this letter. I would also like to alert you to some activity I have witnessed in my travels here north of the Divide.
It appears, to my utter dismay, that there has been an awakening. I cannot write more, as I risk interception, though I will hope it not so, since the messenger is my dear friend’s son and apprentice. It is doubted that it will be, but I will take every precaution.”
Melody looked up at Thane curiously as she said, “The letter was signed by Jennifer Mortyer. She also asked for her courier be housed for only a short time so he may be escorted back to his home.” Melody smiled at the last line, since she had hoped to have him escorted back anyway. The Fae forest was very dangerous.
Melody sighed. She did not find anything very urgent or informative about the letter. She wondered why the woman would send a messenger to announce her. Also, why add a mysterious message in the middle that she felt too imperiled to explain? Melody shrugged. Thane shrugged also and went back to his reading. A moment later Haroah burst into the room.
“My Lord and Lady,” he sputtered. Melody looked startled. Thane looked curious.
Melody stood quickly, concerned. She walked to him and grabbed his hand. Haroah panted a bit, as he tried to compose himself. Melody asked, “What is it, Haroah?”
“Someone sent word that my family’s home in Krin has been burned down, my mother and younger sister were inside. My sister was not found in the home, but it was evident she had been injured. They do not know where she is,” Haroah exclaimed with barely a breath. Melody gaped.
“You have family? Were you forced to work here?” Melody whispered. Most of their younger staff members were orphans.
Haroah looked around impatiently before he replied, “No, my lady, my father came here begging for the guard to take me in, but I was too young still. The Pacretine offered me the task of footman and though my father declined, I begged for the opportunity. The salary I earn here I send to my mother and sister now, since my father passed. I make a fair amount every fortnight and I am able to keep them quite healthy,” Haroah explained quickly. He was desperate when he cried, “I do not understand what has happened at their home, but I must find my sister!” The young man stared at Melody helplessly. Melody hugged him compassionately.