The Meridian Gamble

by Garcia, Daniel

I look away, even though I have dreamt of seeing him again for so long. I don’t want to jeopardize him or draw attention to him. I can’t let the royals suspect that we are in league, on the off chance that they know I am a hidden assassin. And perhaps he won’t notice me. He barely noticed me when I stood before his people in the arena. But, my hopes are quickly dashed.

  As I look at him from the corner of my eye, he gives me a nod of recognition, and I quickly turn my head. It must be the Luminos glow that gave me away, the same one that sparkles about him, though clearly no one here but us can see it.

  Luckily, the servants of the royals come in next, and they quickly draw the attention of everyone in the room, even my Luminos prince, who watches them with interest. They are beautiful women and a few fetching young men, dressed in the finest of clothes, and the guests cannot help but to make small grunts of approval. But everyone goes silent, as the Pharaoh and his Queen enter the room, along with their son, our Prince.

  It is the first time I have seen the monsters up close, unless there are some hidden amongst the guards that I have not recognized. And now I understand why Mar Mar twittered with such excitement. They look like gods, almost too beautiful for a mere mortal’s eyes. And a few of the newer servant girls gasp when they first see them, but somehow I manage to remain silent.

  The Queen is slender, and has straight brown hair that is cut to her shoulders, and trimmed straight along her forehead. She wears thick gold jewelry, bracelets around her wrists and large adornments that hang from her neck, along with her crown. Her gown is white, with golden thread woven through its fabric, to match her jewelry. Pharaoh is tall, the tallest man in the room, with muscles far more impressive than even the savages. And his hair is a strange color I have never seen before. It is lighter than brown, almost yellow, like straw. And it has bits of grey in it, as some people get later in life, though he is certainly far from old age. The prince also has hair the same color, with none of the grey, and he is likewise tall and handsome. And the color of their locks alone must help to make people think they are something more than mere mortals.

  Pharaoh has a strong jaw, and his robes are cut low in the front, revealing his chest in a way that makes me flushed, a feeling I try to repress. And his eyes have great intensity, as he looks about and carefully surveys the room.

  The royals sit at a table that is elevated above the rest of their guests, and once they touch their seats, we are signaled to bring the food into the room. Mar Mar holds a platter of the small hens, and I begin placing them on the plates of the savages, hurrying so she has less of a burden to carry. And as we do, they try to put their hands on us. One of them fondles Mar Mar’s buttocks, and the girl doesn’t seem to mind. Another tries to pinch me, but I manage to shift quickly out of the way, and step back.

  The brute glares at me, and motions for me to come back to the table to serve him, with a sneer on his face. He has a thick forehead, which makes him appear exceptionally stupid, and it is all I can do to keep myself from striking him down. Luckily, I am near the center of the table, where my friend from the Luminos sits. Apparently, he is their leader, and he clucks his tongue, subtly, barely making a sound. But it is enough that the thug turns back to his plate, angrily, suddenly not wanting to look at me. But at least he allows me to serve him in peace.

  I try not to stare at their leader, but our eyes connect. The green of his is so piercing, it’s almost hard for me to look away, though I must, in order to protect him. Yet there is nothing I want more in the world than to stare at him again.

  We dole out vegetables and pieces of bread, and the newer servants pour wine, beer and water into their cups. And when the visitors seem sated, we stand against the wall with our heads bowed, waiting to see if the savages grunt for more. But they seem pleased for the moment. And I try not to look to the dark-haired man I once loved.

  My eyes drift to the royals instead, to study my enemy. Pharaoh and the prince have such strange hair. It is rare for such fair colors to exist in our realm, which makes me all the more convinced they are unnatural. And another girl sits next to the prince, a delicate creature with long brown hair, a woman of extraordinary beauty. But something about her makes me think she is not one of them, not a monster.

  The royal court do not seem to eat very much of the food they are offered, only the girl who is the prince’s consort takes small bites, smiling with approval. And the others look around, seeming bored. I wonder if anyone other than myself and the Luminos leader know the truth, that their real food is the blood of their servants.

  As I look up covertly, I notice the Queen is staring at him, my love from a past life. He is very handsome, and it is difficult for her to hide her appreciation of his beauty. The heathens seem to notice, and they laugh and chuckle, they joke with him like young boys coming into manhood, who see a pretty girl in the marketplace. He returns her gaze, and finally gets up and approaches her table. He bows at her feet, to share a few words with her.

  And I am frightened. I wonder if this is the moment when he will attack her, and leap to kill them all. My body tenses, as I am ready to spring over the tables to assist him, but the attack doesn’t come. He only smiles, and continues their conversation.

  Pharaoh doesn’t seem to mind their obvious flirtation. But Mar Mar has heard whispers that they have an odd relationship, that they both take others into their bed.

  As I watch them, I feel a strange sensation, an aching in my head, which seems unusual. I have never once had a headache, like the ones my precious Lina has complained of her whole life. But this is not quite what she has described. It feels like something tickles the edges of my mind, and then, what is even more strange, it is almost as though fingers are trying to press themselves into my skull. I look behind me for a moment, wondering if someone is touching me. And it scares me, but I cannot allow myself to feel this strange sickness, and I push the sensation away. If for some reason the heathen leader attacks, he may need my skill in fighting.

  But I realize it is not an illness at all. It is the vampires‘ dark magic. I look to the royals, and am shocked to see that Pharaoh is staring at me. It frightens me, and I try to look away, but I cannot keep myself from looking back. I’m convinced his eyes peer directly into my soul. But, he finally looks away, in boredom. And I stare at the ground, praying I am wrong, and that he was looking at Mar Mar instead.

  As the feast progresses, the royal slaves approach the table, to entertain the guests. And I am thrilled when we are given the chance to clear away plates. I see the leader looking at me again, and I worry that he will approach me. I don’t want to talk to him, I don’t need to speak to him to complete the mission the General has given me. So I fill my arms with a load of dishes, and scurry back to the kitchen.

  When I get there, Famoush can see that something is wrong. It is one of the few times he shows concern for me.

  “What is it?”

  “One of the princes, from the neighboring land. He has taken notice of me. I fear he wishes to claim me.”

  We hear noises in the corridors, of men approaching. And I cannot help but to think the worst.

  “Hide,” he says. “In the storeroom.”

  He takes me to the space where we keep our supplies, and inside of it, there is a large clay pot, where we store grain. Luckily, it is almost empty with all the cooking we have been forced to do for the feast. Famoush lifts the lid, and I get inside.

  The lid of the jar is slightly open, and I can hear the noises of the kitchen, muffled sounds. Famoush goes back to his task of cleaning plates, and I hear the sounds of men entering the room. My ears detect the voice of the Luminos prince, at least what I think is him.

  And I hear him ask for me.

  “You know … young girls … run off with a drunken soldier. I just hope she doesn’t come back with child.”

  I hear them saying something else, in hushed tones. And the sounds come closer toward the storeroom.

  Suddenly, Famoush throws off the lid of the
jar.

  “Here she is.”

  The dark-haired young man laughs, and pulls me out. I catch only a brief glance of Famoush, as he passes him a pouch that no doubt contains his payment.

  “You can do what you like with her here. No one will know.”

  The other men leave the room, and even Famoush abandons the kitchen for a few moments, which he never seems to do. And it will take every ounce of willpower I have to resist the urge to kill him, for betraying me.

  But the dark-haired young man stares me down.

  “What are you doing here?” he asks, full of concern.

  “The same as you. I am of the Luminos. I have been sent here on a mission.”

  “What mission?”

  “To kill the royals. Didn’t you know?”

  “No. The Luminos are very secretive. We are only told what we need to know, in case we are captured and tortured.”

  “Are you are also here to kill them?” I ask, hopefully.

  “No. I’m here to negotiate a peace treaty. The Luminos work slowly, sometimes. Only after we have lulled them into a false feeling of safety will we attack. And only then when the moment is right.”

  He stares at me, shaking his head.

  “This is madness. You are no match for them. I must get you out of here. I will ask the queen to give you to us as a gift.”

  I put my hand on his shoulder, and it is a mistake. Touching him makes me feel weak.

  “You cannot do that,” I force myself to say. “You cannot go against their plans. You know it as well as I do. The Luminos will punish you.”

  “And how will you kill them?”

  “I will find a way,” I say, not sounding very convincing.

  “Here.”

  I feel my heart’s beat quicken, as he pulls aside his robes, revealing the naked flesh of his legs. They are hairy, and it is difficult for me not to stare. But he unties a small knife that is strapped to his upper thigh, and hands it to me.

  “If you are to be an assassin, you will need a hidden weapon.”

  “Thank you, I …”

  And before I can finish, he pulls me into his arms, holding me close. I think he is about to kiss me, but instead, he tugs at my hair, hard. I cannot help but to scream out in pain, and he gives a self-satisfied groan, as a broad smile creeps across his face. The Luminos man almost starts to laugh, and for a moment, I’m confused.

  “Why did you do that?” I say, angrily.

  “Because you never know who might be listening, out in the halls. The others must think I have taken my pleasure with you. Unless you would really have me do it.”

  It is wrong, but there is nothing I would like more. But I say nothing, and he turns to leave.

  “Wait. I don’t even know your name,” I say.

  “I am Adam,” he says.

  “And do you really not remember me?”

  Adam looks to me, questioningly.

  “What do you mean?”

  “From a life long ago. You were a hunter. And the vampires killed you. It was a time when we lived in caves.”

  He shakes his head.

  “I’ve lived so many lives. It’s difficult to remember them all,” Adam says. “Were we lovers?”

  “No, I don’t think so.”

  “I would remember that, I think,” he says.

  And now it’s his turn to look confused, with almost a look of anger.

  “And why did you not tell the Luminos of this?”

  “I … the memories have only just started coming back to me,” I say, lying. “It was a short life. I attacked them in vengeance, for killing one of our people. I think I destroyed the eye of a red-haired one.”

  “You are the one who scarred the Elder vampire?” he says in disbelief. “We’ve never known who it was.”

  “Yes, I think so,” I say, suddenly feeling bashful.

  His look turns to one of respect.

  “Perhaps you will be able to survive this after all,” he says. “If not, I hope to see you in the next life.”

  He walks out of the storeroom, leaving me standing there alone, like an idiot. And my heart sinks, because it feels like a part of me has gone missing.

  I wake up in the servants’ quarters early the next morning, and am shocked to find Mar Mar’s bed empty. I only hope that she has not found her way into the camp of the enemy soldiers. I hope that Adam has not taken her as his own.

  It pains me even to think of him, to know that I may never see him again. I consider the idea of rushing after them, to take up his offer of demanding me from the Queen, but it is madness.

  I go to the kitchen, to help Famoush prepare for the day, and am shocked to find that I am at work before him. I go to our lower storeroom, to bring up more grain for the empty container where I hid, and set about making the loaves of bread we will need for the day. He comes in shortly after I have arrived, and seemingly cannot believe I am there. No matter how hard I work for him, on some level, Famoush still thinks of us as little more than lazy slaves.

  “Saga, you are here so early,” he says with a surprised look on his face.

  “It’s good to work,” I say, coldly.

  “Did you sleep well?” he asks, bearing a malicious smile on his face.

  “As well as a person can sleep after being abused by a foreigner,” I say. Even though it is a lie, and Adam did not take advantage of me. But Famoush must think that he did.

  “Oh, do not put on airs,” Famoush says. “It could not have been that bad. You were not pure. There was no blood on the floor of the storeroom. If he even took you in that way.”

  And Famoush laughs in a cruel manner that I have never seen from him before.

  It is the stupidest thing I have ever done, but I pick up a knife, the one we use to cut up the meat. And before he can react, I have it at the man’s throat.

  “Sell me again as a whore and I’ll kill you,” I say.

  And the look of shock on his face is indescribably delicious.

  “I … I am sorry, Saga. I should not have betrayed you. You deserve better from me than that. But I was afraid. For someone such as myself to refuse a foreign prince is a death sentence.”

  And I set the knife down on the counter again, slowly. If I am to lose my life in this palace, it will not go wasted on killing Famoush.

  “You may have the gold if you like,” he says, still feeling guilty.

  “No Famoush. You keep it. It means far more to you than it does to me.”

  And I go back to my work.

  As the day goes on, I wonder if we will be cooking more for the guests, but a servant girl pokes her head in the kitchen soon after to tell us the news.

  “The foreign army is leaving! The gates open for them as we speak.”

  And a part of me dies inside, knowing that Adam is definitely gone. I will not escape my fate. I will die here, trying to kill vampires.

  For the next several days, Mar Mar doesn’t come to the kitchen. Another girl takes her place, sleeping on the mat next to mine, and I am confused. But then, she suddenly appears again, out of nowhere, dressed in fine clothes. Mar Mar enters the kitchen, carrying a tray with some of the other servants from the royal chamber, and for a moment, I don’t recognize her, as she looks just like the rest of them.

  “Famoush, may we have some of your delicious food? We are tired of what is served on our floor.”

  The girl says it in a way that’s not mean, but that she knows will give me a laugh. Mar Mar looks to me and giggles in delight. I go to hug her, relieved that she is all right.

  “Oh, Saga. You will never believe it. I work as a servant of the royal court, now.”

  Mar Mar wears the white gowns that the rest of Pharaoh’s servitors don. Her hair seems to shine in a way it never had before, and she wears a gold comb in it, along with other jewelry. I smell the pleasant scent of oils and perfumes on her. She seems happy, but I was wrong to feel a sense of relief. I am afraid to look for what I know is there.

  The punc
ture wounds of two sharp teeth on her neck.

  I fill up their trays with food, and Mar Mar hugs me gently again as they leave, and whispers to me.

  “It’s wonderful on the upper floors. Pharaoh is an amazing man, more than I had even imagined. I will try to get them to bring you up so we can be together again.”

  And my stomach drops. As much as I desire exactly that, I am also terrified of the thought of stepping into my doom. And I smile at her, pretending I am thrilled by her offer.

  And with that, the girls walk away, giggling. When Mar Mar is gone, Famoush gives me a knowing look, and his eyes seem to say that she is lost to us.

  A few days later, a strange woman comes into the kitchen, to speak with Famoush. She stands in the corner with him, looking at me, and I am nervous, because I instantly know what it means. I look to Famoush, hoping he will save me, but in my heart, I know it is useless. I know by now that he will gladly sell me out.

  And the two walk over.

  “Come with me,” the woman says.

  I look back at Famoush, and he cannot even face me. He turns away, to go back to his work.

  She takes me into the depths of the palace, so deep that I get confused as to where I am. We enter a room full of tubs with steaming water, where other young girls like me are being fussed over. I am stripped of my clothes, and placed into a scented bath. And from the way we are all being treated, I wonder if we are being prepared to be fed to the royals.

  “What is …”

  But the woman who brought me here looks at me with steely eyes, and puts a finger to her lips, quieting me.

  It seems pointless, since this is what I wanted. This is my mission, and I submit to them.

  After I am bathed, they dry me off, and apply scented oils to my body. The smell disgusts me, it is musty and almost foul, but this is what people like the royals enjoy. My hair is braided and a comb of metal is placed in it, nothing quite so valuable as what Mar Mar wore. And I am led out with the others into the corridors of the palace, up several flights of stairs to the upper floors.

  I try to remember which way we twist and turn, but it’s impossible. The corridors seem designed to confuse me. And eventually, we come to a large room that reminds me of the one where the great feast was held. There are two large chairs on a raised dais, and I realize this is the throne room of the royals.