by Tristan Vick
“If you need anything,” I say to him. “Don’t hesitate to call upon me.”
He looks upon me fondly and nods. Then he turns away to wipe a tear from his cheek.
The Royal Guard begin to usher everyone out of the banquet hall, as per Dathrium’s orders. I tag alongside Queen Sabine when, finally, we happen upon Bethriel, who stands off to the side waiting for us both. She bows before Queen Sabine, holding her prostrate posture for the longest time. The queen places her hand on Bethriel’s head and says, “You did well, my daughter.”
“Your daughter?” I gasp.
Rising back up, Bethriel looks right at me. She points to her blonde hair and blue eyes then to her mother’s. “What, it wasn’t obvious?”
Queen Sabine laughs and then sees herself out, leaving me staring in shock at Bethriel with my mouth agape.
Zarine slithers by and brushes my shoulder with hers. As she heads off to follow the Queen, she looks back and winks at me. I do a double take but then ignore her.
“The Queen’s daughter…” I murmur, still barely able to accept it.
Bethriel merely bops me on the nose with her finger and whispers in my ear, “Just remember, you turned down the advances of the future Queen of Bellera.”
I don’t say anything. How could I? What would I even say?
She laughs spiritedly, then takes me by the arm, as if we’re best friends and pulls me to her side. Bethriel guides me out the palace and through the courtyard, down the stairs and past the fountain, toward the main gate. “Come now,” she says, “there are some people waiting to see you.”
38
My cheeks flush scarlet with embarrassment when Bethriel leads me out to the square. To my surprise, Leif, Lisette, and even Alegra are waiting for me. When I see Alegra’s amethyst eyes, a huge sense of relief comes over me. When I saw Queen Sabine at the banquet, I didn’t know whether Alegra has made gotten the message to her about Sabolin. But if she’s here now, at the same time as the Queen, she must have.
Standing in my evening dress, with more skin exposed than I’d like, I fidget nervously trying to cover myself in the hopes of feeling less awkward than I already do. I rub my arm as I wait for them to say something. Anything.
Eyeing me up and down, Leif lets out a shrill whistle, and says, “You clean up nice, chérie.”
“Behave yourself,” Lisette says, reprimanding Leif with a strong jab to his ribs with her elbow.
I run to Alegra, take her in my arms, pick her up, and twirl around. Her platinum hair flows in the air and she looks down at me with her amethyst eyes, and I realize how much I’ve missed staring into those sparkling purple eyes.
As I set her back down, she slides down my front, our bodies brushing together. Unable to control my thirst to taste her sweet lips, I pull her in and kiss her in front of everyone. She seems caught off guard by the pertly kiss but she melts into me.
“People are watching,” she says, after I finally come up for air, her eyes lingering dreamily on my lower lip.
“I don’t care. Let them watch.” I place my hands on both her cheeks and hold her face up so that her eyes meet mine. “I just missed you so much, Alegra. Every moment of every day, it felt like a part of me was missing. And then I realized it was you. And all I could think about was whether you were safe.”
“And I you, Arianna of Bellera.”
I take Alegra’s left hand in my right. With my free arm, I reel Lisette into our little group and give her a squeeze. “I missed you too, kid.”
“As I you, master.”
“Where’s the big guy?” I ask, searching for the Juggernaut.
“Oh, he’s attending the horses outside,” Leif informs me. “Apparently, he really is a gentle giant. Wouldn’t hurt a bug, that guy.”
I raise my eyebrow, showing my surprise, and we all begin to laugh. And in this moment, for the first time in my life, it feels like I’ve found my true family.
Before we have time to relax, however, Queen Sabine and Zarine ride up to us on their matching white steeds. Queen Sabine appears to be in a rush. Both horses’ hooves tear up the dirt and kick up a small dust storm.
Skidding to a halt beside us, the Queen addresses the group, her eyes remaining fixed on mine. Zarine’s horse also comes to a stop, and it snorts.
“The army of the dead has breached the walls of the Holy City,” Queen Sabine informs us. “I’m issuing a state of emergency and ordering all able men and women soldiers to ride with me to the city this very hour. If we can get there by daybreak, there may still be hope of saving lives.”
Giving her horse a swift kick to is sides with the stirrups, Queen Sabine yells out a determined, “Hee’yah!” and gallops away at breakneck speed.
Zarine, who lingers a moment longer, looks down at me with her kohl eyes. It appears she has something she wants to tell me. Her horse snorts again, and it snaps her out of whatever daze she was in, and with a stiff kick to the stirrups she follows after the Queen.
“Well, you heard my mother,” Bethriel says with urgency. “Let’s get a move on! We have a city to save.”
“Mother?” Leif asks, looking at me with a dumbfounded expression on his face.
“It’s a long story,” I say. And, still holding onto Alegra’s hand, we follow Bethriel.
“Come on, you slow-poke!” Lisette teases, dancing a circle around Leif. “Last one to Sabolin is a rotten egg.”
As we head out of the city gates to the dell where the military is already beginning to assemble, I glance back in time to catching Leif sniffing under his arm, not understanding the nature of Lisette’s joke. I can’t help but smile, being reunited with all my friends again. It’s the best feeling in the world.
As we leave the safety of Valandra’s walls, I see a massive cart, with wheels the size of giant boulders, being towed by four elephants.
“Please tell me those are elephants,” Leif says. “Or else I’m seeing things.”
“Indeed, they are elephants,” a gruff yet jovial voice bellows.
I look around but don’t see anyone. The voice says in a disgruntled fashion, “Down here.”
I look down and see the red-bearded dwarf. “It’s you!” I say cheerfully.
The dwarf bows to me, revealing the bald patch on the back of his ginger head, then smiles. “The name is Gromelin. And I’m at your service.”
“You knew Master Kel,” I chirp. “I remember you from when I was a young girl.”
“Indeed,” he affirms. “Your master and I went way back. All the way to the first Great War, as a matter of fact.”
“You fought in the Great War?” asks Lisette, unable to hide her astonishment.
“But of course, I did, my child. Without me, we could not have won the war.” Gromelin boasts proudly in typical dwarf fashion. “Which is why I’ve come to aid you now, in your time of need. Apparently, I’m the only one experienced enough to remember how to transport your friend here.”
We all turn in the direction of Gromelin’s stubby finger to see our gentle giant being loaded onto the massive transport wagon. Although, by the looks of things, he seems to be resisting slightly. Lisette walks over and consoles him. “It’s all right, Guerriero. Just do as they say and I’ll be with you shortly.”
The gentle giant nods and then climbs onto the transport vehicle without any further disruption.
“Guerriero?” I ask.
“It’s what she named him,” Leif says.
“He didn’t have a name so I gave him one,” Lisette says, protective of her pet’s feelings. “It means warrior.”
“She treats him like a lost puppy,” Leif adds.
“That’s one hell of a guard dog,” Bethriel says, looking up at the giant automaton.
“He’d sooner rust in the rain than step on a lowly worm,” Lisette says in admiration of her new guardian.
“That is, unless she commands him to,” Leif states.
Lisette shoots him a look which suggests she’s beginning to grow tir
ed of Leif’s digs at Guerriero.
“He has a good heart,” she tells us. Touching her hand to hear heart, she adds, “I know, because my heart and his heart are one and the same.”
“And you have one of the purest, more loving hearts of anyone I’ve ever met,” I tell her. Lisette smiles at me affectionately and I return her smile with the same warmth.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Gromelin says. “But I have something for you, Mistress Arianna.” Gromelin claps his hands. A servant appears out of nowhere and hustles over to us with a bundle of clothes, my armor, and my sword practically spilling out of his arms.
“Thank you,” I say. “You can set my things over there.” I point to the large wagon upon which Guerriero perches. The servant boy looks at me, then at Gromelin. Gromelin gives him a scowl, urging him to follow his instructions. The young lad gulps hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing anxiously in his throat, and then reluctantly does as he’s told.
I wrap my arm around Alegra’s waist and pull her tight. “You’ve been awfully quiet tonight.”
She brushes her platinum hair behind her ear but several strands fall back into place so that just the pointy tip sticks out. She looks at me with her enchanting purple eyes. Her face seems to be stricken with a kind of sadness which seems off-putting, especially given the fact that we’ve only just been reunited after such a spate of unprecedented events. “I failed you, Arianna,” she confesses, her gaze sinking to the ground in remorse.
“How so?”
“I raced with Merrium all the way back to Bellera, as you instructed. But by the time I returned to Sabolin with a full battalion of Bellera’s finest soldiers, Ashram and his army had simply vanished without a trace.”
“Until today,” I interject.
“Until today,” she says. “I honestly thought it was over. I never expected they’d return so suddenly. If I had stayed behind, maybe…” her voice trails off.
I slide my hands up her slender white arms and squeeze tight. I force her to look me in the eyes. “It’s not your fault,” I assure her.
Alegra wipes a tear from her eye and then looks at me with all the love in the world. “I love you, Arianna De Amato,” she says.
Kissing her hand, I reply, “And I you, Alegra Lockwiel of Thananor.”
As the others head off to make preparations for the night’s journey, Alegra and I gather my things. Moving to the far side of the transport, we find a nice patch of moonlit grass between one of the giant wheels and the nearby tree line that’s just out of sight.
I motion for her to help me undo the back clasp of my dress, which causes her to glance around nervously. Once she’s satisfied nobody will stumble upon me changing, she unclasps my dress and I let it fall to the ground. Covering my front with my arms, just in case someone does come looking for us, I look over my shoulder and catch Alegra’s eyes inspecting my body, following the curve of my back, and descending to my buttocks where she lingers long enough for it to constitute a veritable scandal. When she sees that I’ve caught her staring, she turns various shades of pink.
“Do you know that the tips of your ears turn bright pink when you’re embarrassed?” I ask, hoping my playful tone will spark an equally playful response. It does.
“Do you know that your skin pricks up like a plucked goose when you’re cold?” she retorts.
There’s a long pause and then we both begin to laugh.
“Hand me my things,” I say, pointing at my armor and undergarments. She does as I ask, and ever so slowly, she helps me get dressed.
I raise my arms above my head and slide them into the openings of my sleeves, allowing Alegra to pull my shirt down for me. When I feel her fingers brush against my skin, her touch stirs my deepest longings. I close my eyes and bite my lower lip in an attempt to stay in the moment.
Unexpectedly, she grabs my hips and pulls me firmly into her. I feel a shiver of forbidden excitement shoot up my spine as I wait in anticipation of what will happen next.
Alegra kisses my neck and I inadvertently let out a sensual moan. I crane my neck and my lips find hers. We share a wet, sensual, kiss. My heart beats with excitement and it takes nearly everything in my power to fight the temptation to steal away with her into the woods and make love on the eve of battle.
When I look up at Alegra, hoping to catch another glimpse of those sparkling amethyst eyes staring back at me, I find something else instead. Her head is turned and she’s looking up at two pinking eyes glowing softly in the evening as they gaze down curiously at us.
Guerriero’s eyes glow softly inside the dark slits of his metallic helmet as he sits on his perch, staring down at us curiously as we embrace one another.
Both of us gaze up into the gentle gawking giant’s pink eyes. “I think it’s watching us,” Alegra says.
“I think so too,” I reply in a low whisper.
With the mood killed, I quickly slip into my leather pants and strap on my body armor as quickly as my fingers can cinch up all the straps. As I turn around, Alegra holds out my sword and teases, “Forgetting something?”
Brushing some loose hair behind my ear, which quickly becomes dislodged again, I smile and take the Moon Blade from her. I strap it to my waist. Alegra begins to turn, but I grab her by the arm and reel her back into me.
Her pensive gaze settles my flushed lips, and I steal another kiss. Once again Alegra’s lips taste of honey, and as her sweet flavor enters my body, it feels as though her very essence subsumes me.
If it weren’t for Guerriero’s prying eyes, we likely would never stop kissing. But as the age-old adage goes, all good things must come to an end, so as to make way for better things, because the best is yet to come.
In the distance Gromelin can be heard barking orders are young soldiers. The caravan of horses is already beginning to pull away as the long march to Sabolin begins.
Gently touching Alegra’s elbow, I guide her several feet away from prying eyes and ears.
“What is it?” she asks.
“I need to tell you something. During my time here I noticed something peculiar,” I inform her.
“Peculiar? Like what?”
“The people of the city seem to be completely unaware of what’s happening outside their borders. Even Lord Dathrium seemed to be completely unaware of the dead army’s presence in Sabolin. It seems as though a dark spell has been cast on the entire city, causing everyone to turn a blind eye to the world around them.”
“But that kind of dark magic goes far beyond anything I’ve ever heard of,” Alegra says. “Who could enchant an entire city like that?”
“I don’t know,” I whisper, pausing long enough for a soldier carrying provisions to pass by. “But I have a bad feeling about all this. If Dragoron was merely acting out of selfish desires, then all of this would be over by now. But the moment he was slain, the army of the dead rose up and marched on Sabolin. It cannot be a mere coincidence.”
“What do you think is going on?” Alegra asks, trusting that my intuition has been right so far. The fact that she puts so much faith in me boosts my confidence and makes me love her all the more.
“If I had to guess, I’d say there is puppet master pulling the strings from behind the scenes. Someone much more powerful than anyone or anything any of us have ever encountered before.”
“If your intuition is correct,” Alegra whispers back to me, “then we might be heading into a trap.”
“A trap,” I echo, “or something much worse.”
“If that’s true, and this person is as powerful as you think they are, then what can any of us do about it?” she asks me.
“The only thing we can do when faced with such insurmountable darkness,” I answer. “Hold fast to the light and resist.”
Epilogue
Vermillion hues light up the billowing haze rising up from the ore pits of Bulgoroth. Elf and human slaves toil miserably down below, unaware that I watch them with contempt and loathing. If I could bring about both races’ destructio
n, I would. But for now I will settle for their blood, sweat, and broken bones.
Into my tent steps my first lieutenant, Lord Dragoron of Koroth. “Mistress, you summoned me.”
“Lord Dragoron, you have more lives than a cat.” Taking my slender white hand in his, he kneels on one knee and kisses my knuckles.
“You were right about the girl,” he informs me. He looks up at me with his dark brown eyes, searching for my reaction, but I give him none. Instead, I play with the pendant that hangs around my neck. Noticing that Dragoron is watching me intensely, I allow one of my blackened claws to slide down the opening of my dress where, snagging on the soft skin of my inner breast, I draw blood.
As blood trickles down my cleavage, I wipe a dab of the glistening crimson onto my talon-like finger and suck it dry. I close my eyes and savor the salty-copper taste, and by the time I’ve finished enjoying myself my wound has already begun to heal. Within a matter of seconds I am whole again. Opening my eyes, I ask, “Refresh my memory, Lord Dragoron. What is it, exactly, that I was right about?”
“She is an Outlier. Like the other.”
“Silence!” I hiss, my smoky black dress fluttering in the arid atmosphere of the tent as I lunge at Dragoron. I grab him by his throat and squeeze tightly, lifting him back to his feet. “Bite your tongue, Dragoron, lest I rip it from your mouth.” Relinquishing his larynx, I brush his ruffled robes with tender finesse. I smile apologetically. “No one is to know about the other. There are spies everywhere.”
Rubbing his throat, Dragoron apologizes in a coarse voice. “My sincerest apologies, High Mistress Daeris Darkthorne.”
Swiveling around, I swing my long black hair across my slender shoulders. I swagger back to the opening of the tent to peer out at the progress of the mining operation. “The dwarves assure me that we will have it by nightfall. And then…the real war begins.”
“Are you sure it’s wise digging it up after all these years? There was a reason it was sealed and buried in the first place. There wasn’t one in all the realms could harness its power.”