by M. L. Greye
The ruckus of the tavern was practically overwhelming. Sazx wished he could tune out their voices as he wanted, but he was still on Dagon’s quest. He had to listen to each and every trivial, nonessential conversation circling the room, as he had been doing every night for the past four months.
“More ale, sir?” A young woman approached his table with a pitcher in hand. He shook his head and she moved on.
Sazx was surprised that she had even offered. This was one of the better taverns he’d stayed in. But then, this was Relivaynt. Oldron tended to take good care of his world and people. Sazx grunted. He wasn’t looking forward to leaving Relivaynt. As long as he was on this fool’s journey, he wished to be in a half-decent world.
Two young men sank into the chairs across from Sazx. He glanced up at them. They were barely older than boys, most likely here to spend their day’s earnings. One was dark-haired and tall, gangly even, while the other was much shorter with flaming red hair. Both held large, full mugs between their fingers.
“I’m telling you, Kave, the girl’s stallion is the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen,” the redhead blustered.
Kave nodded, taking a deep swig of his ale. “I was sad to see her go.”
“Which one? The princess or the horse?” The redhead snickered.
Kave paused, struck by the idea. “Well, that princess could rival Lady Aeorin in beauty, something I always thought impossible.”
Sazx furrowed his eyebrows. He hadn’t heard of any royal visitors to Oldron’s home, and he should have. He had strategically placed himself in Devonshire the past few days so as to learn of Oldron’s doings. Devonshire was the closest city to the Castle Relivaynt, not quite three miles away. Many of the servants and soldiers who worked at the castle lived in Devonshire, which allowed Sazx to overhear much of the current gossip. This princess’s arrival must have been a surprise to Oldron.
“Too bad you won’t be seeing her ever again.” The redhead frowned.
“No,” Kave said, “she’s coming back in a few days, something about talking to Captain Vel.”
Sazx recognized that name. Enrid Vel was practically a relative of Oldron with how often he visited Relivaynt. Sazx already knew of his upcoming arrival.
“What’s a girl of High Royalty needing to talk to a Saerd for?” The redhead blurted between gulps. “Unless he’s suddenly jumped a few social ladders, he’s got nothing to offer.”
“Don’t know.” Kave shrugged. “But she’ll be back Tuesday. Heard her brother tell Lerrbin.”
At the mention of High Royalty, Sazx’s jaw tightened. There were a very few who could boast of such lineage. Also, Relivaynt had little Eveon blood. Its population was mostly Saerds. How had Oldron acquired such an important visitor? Sazx frowned, unable to hold his tongue any longer. “Which princess is this?”
Both boys turned. Kave lowered his mug from his mouth. “I didn’t catch her name.”
The redhead nodded. “But I think her brother’s was Zedgry or something like that.”
“Oh.” Sazx returned his gaze to his ale, forcing his face back into his mask of disinterest. The boys went back to their conversation.
This Zedgry was no doubt Zedgry Reien, brother to Princess Olinia. Sazx shook his head, slightly in disbelief. There was no way he should have discovered news of Olinia and her twin. Sazx let his breath out in a rush and pushed himself up slowly. His young companions didn’t seem to notice. As Sazx made his way up to his room, he planned out exactly what he would say to Dagon. Shockingly enough, he had learned the potential whereabouts of Legann’s heirs.
* * * * * *
From the way the moonlight shone on the floor of his bedroom, Will guessed it was long after midnight. He rolled onto his side, rubbing his eyes with one hand. They were burning from the lack of sleep – sleep he desperately needed. Too bad it wouldn’t come.
He groaned and sat up. It was no use; he wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight. No, he was well on his way to becoming an insomniac, and sadly, the Other Worlds didn’t offer any sleeping pills. But then, Will wouldn’t have taken them anyway. He didn’t believe in forcing sleep onto his body through drugs.
Maybe he’d go to the Courts for a while. There was no reason for him to lie in bed aimlessly. Will sighed and let his feet hit the floor. He yanked on a pair of his Eveon trousers, but didn’t bother with a tunic, and moved out onto his balcony through the already open glass doors. Those doors never shut. The only time he’d ever come close to shutting them had been during a summer storm a month or so ago. But at the last moment, he’d decided there really wasn’t enough rain coming in to close them after all.
Outside, there was a full moon. A few wispy clouds spread across the dark sky, but none touched the moon. It lit the balcony and garden below as if there were giant floodlights overhead. Will paused at the thick stone railing and leaned forward onto his forearms, observing the shadows the moon cast below him. It was quiet and peaceful. A soft breeze tugged at the hair on his forehead, barely making a sound as it whistled past his ear. Will sighed. He should be asleep.
He rarely slept anyway, even before his family had died. His body simply didn’t require that many hours of sleep to function. But before, he’d been able to keep his mind busy with homework or TV. When he entered Olinia’s realm of the Other Worlds his options became limited. In Evedon, he generally went to the Courts on nights like these. But now that he was out of bed, he wasn’t feeling up to a workout. His mind was still bothered with what had been keeping him awake. Surprisingly, tonight it wasn’t from the pain of his memories. No, this time it involved the princess.
Will was becoming attached. He was finding himself wanting to spend more and more time with her. When he wasn’t with her, he was missing her. He was to the point that he went out of his way to be near her, to watch her, to touch her. And for what? When they parted, no matter how brief the separation was, Will felt a slight loss, like he’d left behind something he was supposed to remember or released a prized possession. Such feelings were insane. Will was beginning to wonder if he was losing his mind. He shouldn’t be missing anyone so strongly.
She was so full of the life and energy that Will had been drained of. Her easy smile and deep, dark eyes pulled him in, bringing back the emotions he’d lacked for so long. She seemed to hold the element that his body and soul needed to survive. Will ran a hand through his hair. Alright, he was beyond attachment. He was on the brink of obsession. It couldn’t be healthy.
And he eventually had to leave. Olinia’s realm was not his own. He knew he couldn’t live in the Other Worlds forever, no matter how much the idea pleased him. His home was Earth – the only planet he had ever believed to be populated. He hadn’t believed aliens existed – at least not in the way Hollywood defined them. It was funny to think of the princess as some strange breed, raised in a galaxy far, far away, but in a way she was. Olinia was a Wend. She could do things Will had never thought possible. Her gifts should confuse and perhaps even frighten him, but in her realm they made sense. They were as much a part of her being as were her hands and feet. Will smiled to himself. He knew she hadn’t grown up using her gifts, but he doubted that she had ever been completely without them. There had to have been some sort of sign that told of her blood and abilities.
Will let his breath out in a rush and shook his head. Her past shouldn’t even matter to him. He would be leaving her for good someday, and it would be for the best. She was to become a queen. Her future needed to include a king. From any story he’d ever heard, one had to be royalty to marry someone of royalty. Will sighed and pushed himself up off the railing. Maybe he would go to the Courts after all. It was really too bad that he left his iPod in Sivean. It was times like these that he wished for music.
He turned towards the stairs and stopped. Olinia was in her room’s doorway, partially behind the sheer curtains. She noticed his gaze and ducked her head, realizing he’d caught her staring. Even in the moonlight Will could make out the fresh blush on her
cheeks. He blinked. “Olinia?”
“Sorry, I should have let you know that I was standing here.”
He lowered his eyebrows. “What are you doing up?”
“You know,” she walked to him, “I could ask you the same question.”
“I asked you first.”
“Is that supposed to make a difference?” She leaned back against the rail, facing him. The breeze blew a few strands of hair across her forehead.
He watched her for a moment before repeating, “What are you doing up?”
“I just came out to observe the view.” She swept her hand over the garden. “You know, to get one more look before I left.”
Will frowned. “You’re leaving?” Enrid Vel wouldn’t be in Relivaynt for at least another day. Where was she going?
“Yes.” She nodded once, her eyes not meeting his. “I told Zedge earlier.”
“Where are you going?”
“Grennich,” she replied. “I want to see Sadree and Denon. Dallyn’s going to take me in the morning.”
“Why didn’t you tell me before?” Will asked, wondering if he was the only one not in on her little trip.
Olinia was surprised to find herself enjoying his disapproval of her keeping a secret from him. It was as if he felt he had some sort of claim on her. She smiled at that thought. “Sorry, I didn’t think it’d matter.”
His eyebrows grew even closer together. “What about Enrid Vel?”
“Zedge said he’d go talk to him.”
“Why are you wanting to see Sadree?”
“Well, I’ve been awake for two weeks now. Isn’t it about time I stop by and say hello?”
She waited for another question, but he only nodded. “Alright.”
Olinia blinked. What had happened to his disapproval? He must have noticed her face because he asked, “What’s wrong?”
“That’s it?” She frowned. “You’re not going to tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
“Everything and anything,” Olinia retorted. “But what you’re really thinking would suffice.”
He chuckled. “I thought Eves could read minds.”
“Not yours.” Olinia grimaced. “For some reason my gifts don’t work on you.”
Will smiled out the side of his mouth. “You really don’t know what I’m thinking?”
She shook her head. “No, and you have no idea how frustrating it is.”
“Don’t I?”
“No. While you can’t hear anyone’s thoughts, I can hear everyone. Well, everyone except you.”
He grinned. “It drives you insane, doesn’t it?”
“Yes,” she admitted.
At that, Will broke out into laughter. A deep, husky sound that Olinia had yet to become familiar with. “I’m sorry that you can’t hear my mind on your own, princess. If I could, I’d help you with that.”
“Oh, really?” A slow smile spread across her face. “Do you promise?”
“Promise?”
“Yes,” Olinia nodded, “because I know one way you could help.”
“How?”
She hesitated, prolonging her answer by taking a step closer to him, putting her face within inches of his. “You could promise to tell me your thoughts whenever I ask for them, no matter how trite they may seem. Do we have a deal?”
His stormy eyes watched her for a moment. Finally, he said, “I promise, on one condition.”
“What condition?”
“You do the same for me.”
“Alright,” Olinia agreed.
Will smiled crookedly again. “I’m assuming you want to know what I’m thinking now.”
“Please.”
“I’m thinking you should get back to bed.”
“You liar. That’s not all you’re thinking.” Olinia began to turn towards the railing, but Will’s hand grabbed her wrist, pulling her back to face him.
“Hey,” his voice went soft, barely above a whisper, “next time you decide to go somewhere, let me know. I don’t like being told last.”
“And why is that?”
“Someone’s got to keep you out of trouble.”
“I’m plenty capable of taking care of myself.”
“Right,” He grunted. “Just like how you managed to evade the Beltok?”
“That’s not fair. It surprised you and Zedge, too.”
“But you were the one bit.”
Olinia narrowed her eyes. “Fine. I’ll make sure Dallyn keeps me safe.”
“Thank you. I’m glad to see you caring about your own well-being.”
“Don’t get used to it,” she grumbled.
“I’ll try not to,” he laughed.
“You’re different, you know?”
“Different?” He blinked.
“Yes,” she nodded. “When I first met you, you practically never smiled. Now you do.”
“Oh.” Will wasn’t exactly sure what to say to that.
Olinia grinned and brushed back the hair that had fallen over his forehead. “You don’t need to be so serious all the time.”
Will opened his mouth to reply, but Olinia glanced over her shoulder at her room. “I think I’ll go back to bed now. Goodnight, Will.”
He watched as she disappeared behind her room’s curtains. “Goodnight, princess.”
6
---------------
“You would like Tlaid.”
Tiara glanced up from her soup, her face carefully arranged in the blank-eyed grin she’d mastered during the past week or so. Now, because the conversation demanded it, she added curiosity to her smile. “Really? What would I like about it?” As if there could really be anything worth praising, Tiara’s mind retorted.
“The sky is the deepest shade of blue, hardly ever a cloud in the sky.” Foehn grinned.
“Oh!” Tiara faked interest. She liked clouds – one strike against Tlaid.
Foehn nodded at her from across the table. “Yes, the elevation we have places us closer to the sky than other worlds, making the sky clear and deep.”
“Elevation?”
“Our world is made up of mostly mountain ranges.”
Tiara liked mountains.
“Because of the high elevation, we get colder weather than here. Even in the summer we sometimes wake to find a thin layer of snow on the ground.”
Tiara did not like snow – another strike for Tlaid. She forced her eyes to widen in an appropriate response. “Then you must be terribly cold all the time!”
“Oh no,” Foehn shook his head, “the cold’s perfect. It’s far too hot here.”
Considering the fact that it snowed in Drivian during the winter, Tiara seriously doubted that it was “far too hot,” as he put it. But Tiara didn’t voice this opinion. Instead, she laughed lightly. “The heat does get tiresome.”
“See?” Foehn glanced at the other two Kendren officers they shared the table with, one being Archrin. “I knew she’d like Tlaid.”
Archrin grunted. “She’s never been there.”
“Do you not think she’d like it?” Foehn asked, frowning.
Archrin looked up from his plate, directly at Tiara. “No, I don’t.”
Tiara somehow managed to maintain the smile on her lips and her light tone, while narrowing her eyes, “And what would I not like about it?”
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he took another bite of his food, as if deliberately making her wait. Tiara gritted her teeth and contemplated repeating her question. Before she decided, though, Archrin opened his mouth. “Tlaid and Drivian are like night and day, Miss Anteal. What you love here wouldn’t even be an option in Tlaid.”
Tiara blinked. She had a feeling he wasn’t referring to differences in nature. She frowned, but then added confusion to her face for Foehn’s benefit. “So, you think I’d hate it?”
Foehn picked up on her confusion. “Archrin does not know your mind, Tiara. When you go, you can decide for yourself.”
“Oh.” Tiara forced her features into the blank
-eyed grin again and laughed. “Then, please, tell me more.”
As Foehn began again, keeping his descriptions simple – as if she wouldn’t understand anything else, Tiara avoided Archrin’s gaze. It was difficult. His deep eyes were luring, especially his right eye – the violet one. His eyes were distracting enough to hold her attention; she was only able to nod or laugh in response to Foehn, not that he noticed her lack of feedback. The man didn’t need a lot of encouragement to talk about himself, which included his world.
Tiara continued to hate Archrin’s intensity. He was completely ignoring his half-finished plate now. Tiara groaned inwardly. Why did he always seem to be assessing her every move? When she would flirt and pretend to be infatuated with Foehn, rather convincingly, Archrin would see right past her front. For the first time in her life, a man’s steady gaze was making her uncomfortable. Foehn was so easy to read. Why was Archrin so difficult?
“Do you like ice cream?”
Foehn’s question startled her, bringing her thoughts back to the conversation she was supposedly participating in. Tiara focused her eyes and nodded eagerly. “Oh, I love ice cream!”
“Then you would just adore Tlaidian cream,” Foehn replied, grinning. “It’s sweet and smooth as silk. It truly melts in your mouth.”
Because no other ice cream melts in your mouth, Tiara muttered inwardly. Out loud, she gasped, “I cannot wait to try some.”
Tiara once again found herself hating the sound of her own voice. This was what her life had diminished to. She was unable to grieve her mother as she wished, and she couldn’t contact her siblings for fear of being discovered. Tiara was the middle child of five. She had an elder brother and sister, who were twins, and a younger brother and sister, who were also twins. They had all chosen to become Equilan, like their mother, leaving Tiara to be raised as an only child. She had decided to remain Saerdian. Now, she wished she had picked otherwise. Another night pretending to fawn over Foehn could lead her to suicide.
“How do you like your room, Miss Anteal?” The other officer at the table asked. Tiara had to stop herself from gawking. He had hardly spoken three words to her, let alone a full sentence.