by Ben Alderson
“I could list something more delectable to the eye.”
Warmth spread up my checks as I thanked him and patted the side of the bed. “Will you sit and have it with me?”
“Hunger escapes me. I will eat later, after the New Council meeting which, I am afraid to say, begins shortly. There is something about the way worrying can affect my hunger. I must tell you, it has been a while since I have had a proper meal. Knowing you were out there, alone. It was all I could think about.”
I got up onto my knees and leaned over the tray. Wrapping my arms around his shoulders I placed my forehead against his. “I am here now. Please, eat.”
Hadrian hand stalled on my neck where it tickled my skin. “With the weight of events that we have still yet to speak on I fear that I cannot eat. Not until it is cleared.”
“Then I will wait until the meeting is over, I can eat with you. It would be lovely to share a meal after this long.” My finger lifted Hadrian’s chin, so he looked dead into my eyes.
“I insist you eat.” It was all Hadrian said.
“And why the sudden command?” I dropped my hands from him and sat back.
“Well, I do not know what you have been fed over the time you have been away. I have spent far too long imagining you starving and weak. Even seeing you and knowing it is not the case, I cannot shake the visions.”
Being within Lilioira, I had lost some muscle tone, but not much. I made sure I ate when I could, I knew how important it would be to keep up my energy source.
“And I need you to gather some energy for this eve. The nights are long on ships, and I think we have a new way of passing the time.”
Hadrian’s fingers lingered gently on my thigh.
“Oh, I see.” I chuckled, picking the reddest apple from the bowl of fruit.
“This ‘New Council’,” I said through a mouthful, “is there anything I need to know before they arrive?”
Hadrian picked up a white napkin and dabbed the corners of my mouth. “You can ask them everything you wonder soon enough. I fear my descriptions will not do justice as it has only been a few days since I met them myself.”
Both our attentions snapped towards the door as a shuffling beyond it demanded our attention.
“Here they are.” Hadrian sighed. “Never late.”
I could hear the light footsteps of those walking up the wooden staircase towards the great cabin. Shadows fussed beyond the door, voices no more than a whisper. Then I heard one above all.
“For goodness sake, I’ll go first.”
Someone pushed through the crowd and pushed the door open. Fadine. She stood, long dark hair like sheets of midnight resting over each shoulder. She smiled, alluring eyes glowing as she regarded us both.
As I remembered, her features were sharp. Pointed, manicured brows and long lashes. But her beauty was a disguise for the soldier I knew her to be. One look at her unkept hands would give away just how skilled of a fighter she was. Her knuckles were marked with white scarring, and her nails were bitten short.
“Well if it isn’t Hadrian and his little play thing.” She strolled right up to me, hand extended out. “I jest. It is good to see you, and finally grand that Prince Hadrian will stop his moping about. Between me and you, it was easier when he was out cold for so long. The second he woke up he has been in a thunderous mood.”
“He has?” Her grip was tough.
I looked over my shoulder at the boy in question, who watched us, arms crossed and knuckles in his mouth. “That’s it, Fadine, spill all my embarrassing secrets.”
Fadine laughed, shaking my hand then dropping it. She turned back to the crowd who hovered by the now open door. “Would you just come in? Hadrian, you have picked a council who can’t even decide who is to open a bloody door first.”
“Those decisions are not what they specialize in,” Hadrian replied, putting his hand to the side of his mouth and whispered. “And that is why you are my second in command.”
Hadrian guided me to my seat at the oaken table. He found his seat beside me, Fadine next to him than the other three walked in and took their places at the table.
I scanned their faces, noticing their age. Each was as young as me, not marked by aged lines or grays in their hairs.
Looking at their clothing, I felt underdressed, but mostly under decorated. Each of them had countless weapons strapped to them, belts, across shoulders, at their ankles. For a council, they looked more like a war band, nothing like Queen Kathine’s council in Kandilin.
“Thank you, New Council, for attending our first meeting with such punctuality,” Hadrian announced. “And for your patience whilst we waited for our final member to be retrieved.”
“First meeting?” I leaned into him and asked.
“Yes, the first of its kind. I could not host without one of its most important members missing. And now Zacriah is with us, we may begin.”
His announcement shocked me. I was one of the New Council, yet he had not mentioned it before this. I supposed we had been too busy, but it would’ve been nice. Now, I felt even more unprepared.
“Perhaps we should go around the table, starting with me, and introduce ourselves so Zacriah has a better grasp on who you all are. Understood?”
“Aye,” the table agreed in unison.
“Prince Hadrian of Vulmar, son of the late King and Queen. Head of the New Council.”
I didn’t hear what he said next. I’d been too lost in Hadrian’s arrival and swept in the tidal wave that followed that news of his father’s survival had slipped past me.
In truth, I’d not thought of him since I was taken from the city. I needed to tell him. There was a small worry that me doing so it would be part of Gordex’s plan, using the sleeping king as bait for Hadrian to return.
I directed my attention to Fadine next, gifting her a false smile as my mind whirled with images of the King in his slumber.
“Fadine, second in command. Is there much else I need to say? I represent the Niraen people.”
The elfin girl next to Fadine spoke up next. She had short honey hair, cut close to her scalp. Her eyes were a mixture of azure and gray, and her skin was as pale as fresh cream. She wore a dress, the corset piece beaded and pulled tight. A band was wrapped around her wrist. It was a snake, made from some metal. The mouth of the snake bit into its tail, completing the piece of jewelry.
“Vianne Mill, cousin to Queen Sallie of Eldnol, wife of the loved Queen Kathine. I represent the voices of Alorian elves. Those who are still on our land during such tumorous times.”
It was Hadrian’s turn to lean into my ear and whisper, “Without Vianne, we’d never have made it out of Lilioira. I cannot remember much of the escape, but I know that Gallion took me to her. She has a unique skill set. One that would impress you.”
Vianne must have heard, as her pale cheeks blushed with gold from her Alorian blood. She fluttered her eyes and peered down at her crossed hands on the table.
Next was an elfin boy who I thought I recognized from Olderim. By the time he’d sat down and finally raised his face, there was something about his rough exterior that rang clear in my memories.
“Samian, shifter of faction known previously as Rank Mamlin,” Samian said, rubbing his square jaw. Everything about him was wide. His chin was square with a single dimple in its middle. He had broad shoulders, mirroring his equally broad stomach. I couldn’t take my eyes of his arms. They were as thick as his neck, which also protruded with veins and lines. His hair was both blond and auburn depending on the light. Simain had it slicked back over his head but occasionally it would fall over his hazel colored eyes. “I talk on behalf of the shifters in Thessolina.”
“Do I know you?” I asked. All eyes turned to Samian besides Hadrian, who had a knowing look about him.
“We shared the same dwellings in Vulmar Palace. Even arrived in the city on the same cart,” Samian explained.
Brushing the cobwebs in my mind, I vaguely remember seeing someone like him
on the cart once I left Horith. Did we pick him up from a neighboring town? I made a mental note to ask him as we moved onto the third and final visitor.
The final girl was by far the quietest out of the council.
Her sky colored eyes stood out in contrast against her dark skin. Her gaze flickered from her clasped hands to the rest of her peers. Her hair was jet-black and cut sharply at her shoulders. Every time she moved her head to follow the conversation I noticed the shimmers of light that reflected off it. She was short in build, even sitting down I could tell that. Her frame was small, but there was no denying the power her tunic and trousers hid. Muscles practically bulged, stretching the seams every time she flexed.
“My name,” she said, voice louder than I expected, “is Kell. I am the daughter of Morgatis itself, and I act as a mouthpiece for the Morthi people on this council.”
She bowed her head slightly and said no more. It was impossible to deny the authority in her voice. It sparked my interest in her immediately.
Hadrian cleared his throat. “Zacriah, the floor is yours. Please introduce yourself.”
I opened my mouth to introduce myself as every other had before me, but it was as if my own control faltered, and the urge to speak on the King’s behalf took over. It’d been too much keeping it from him as I let those on the New Council introduce themselves.
“Hadrian, I’ve something of importance that I must tell you before we go on any further.”
His face melted, sensing something wrong.
“What is it?” he asked, resting a hand on my own. “Tell me.”
I looked through my lashes at him. “I have news about King Dalior. I am sorry I didn’t say anything before. With everything that has happened, it simply escaped me.”
“Zac.” The use of my name chilled me. “Say what troubles you.”
“King Dalior is not dead. He is very much alive, lost in a similar state that you, Hadrian, had been in. But alive.”
In the next moments I could have heard a pin drop in the room. Even the gentle crash of waves against the ships wooden skin sounded terribly loud.
Fadine had her arm around Hadrian as she whispered into his ear. She’d reached him in only a few short movements. His eyes were unmoving from the spot on the table as he listened to her.
“This changes everything,” Hadrian mumbled over Fadine, eyes static and wide, his face white. “My father is alive. The Goddess had shown me this, but only now do I finally believe it.”
“It changes nothing!” Fadine said back, clapping her hand on Hadrian’s shoulder. “Nothing. Until he returns, you are acting King.”
“And our mission?” Hadrian questioned, voice quiet like a child, Fadine his acting mother.
“Is the same, unwavering and firm. I know what you are thinking Hadrian, but we can’t go. There is too much at stake,” Fadine replied.
Hadrian snapped his head around at her. “And my father, your King’s life, is not priority over reuniting the Dragori?”
“No, it is not.” Her answer clearly shocked Hadrian into silence. “My priority is protecting you, and that means I will not allow you to walk straight back into the hands of the Druid.”
“That is my decision.” Hadrian gripped the edge of the table, the air around him warming. We all could smell the faint burning, which only stopped when I reached out for him. He raised his hands and revealed the burn marks on the edge of the table.
“Again, you are wrong. It is no longer your decision alone. You created this New Council, you made us all sign the dotted line making it clear that decisions that affect Thessolina must be put past us all until a mutual solution is found. Zacriah has yet to sign, but I am certain he will not want you returning to get your father.” She looked across the table at me, urging me to agree.
I nodded. “That was the last place I saw him, and if Gordex wanted to harm him, kill him even, he would have done that by now. I am certain that the King is safe for the time being at least. And I wouldn’t want you returning to get him. Who knows if he has been moved in the days past?”
“I accepted that he had died. Now you tell me he still lives. Do you understand the pressure my mind is putting me under? I know it is not wise to return, but he is my father. My last blood relation and the King to Thessolina. His safety is as important to me as yours.”
“And I understand that,” I said, threading my fingers into his. “But even you know what we need to do first. Rid the world of Gordex, prevent him from raising his fellow druids all before he kills anymore.”
“My suggestion, as second in command, is we discuss exactly that,” Fadine said. “But if it makes you feel any better, Hadrian, let us pass your request to return for your father. New Council, raise your hand if you are in agreement with Hadrian and believe our priority should be retrieving the King?”
No one raised a hand. It didn’t stop Hadrian sweeping his eyes across the table with hope burning within them. He dropped his chin, sighed and took a labored breath. Then, shaking himself off, he looked back to his council and nodded.
I gripped his hand and squeezed.
“For now, we will focus on our mission at hand. But the moment it is done, I want to know of my father and his position. Perhaps we can pass message onto Queen Kathine now that she is out. She may be able to act on our behalf and fetch him.”
“Nyah, can you reach her?” Hadrian asked me. “Do you think she can pass on this to Queen Kathine?”
“I can try, but when I last spoke with Nyah, she told me that the Queen has been taken into hiding whilst she heals. I’m unsure how much reach she has during this time.”
“It is worth a try,” Vianne added. “My aunt has many creatures willing to do her bidding. As she uses birds for messages, I am certain she can scout out your father and see his state.”
“Then I will speak with Nyah as soon as I can,” I agreed.
Still the room was tense with the truth I had spilled. I could see from Hadrian’s expression that he tried to stay present within the meeting but something about his stare was lost to us.
“Vianne, I will need you to help me if I tell it incorrectly.” Hadrian looked at her.
She nodded.
Hadrian cleared his throat. “Vianne was able to get us far from danger, but we had to separate. Gallion said it was best for us to return to Thessolina and rile up support, even in my unconscious state. And Nyah was sent to the soldiers around Eldnol to rally them up in hopes to get you out. Which, we know now, did not go to plan. Gallion sent Emaline and Illera to Morgatis for protection. It is a place still untouched by the Druid, so it was the best option in keeping Emaline away from Gordex.”
“But the Morthi people despise the Dragori,” I added. “Cristilia told me as much.”
“Yes, but they hate the druids more. It would seem they are willing to put their discomfort to one side to some extent.”
“That is where I come in,” Kell said, her voice gruff and deep. “I was sent here to join the New Council and guide you all back to my home. If we were to protect your own people, we wanted security that if the time came you would do the same for us. My task is to ensure that end of our agreement is held up.”
“A task I hold seriously,” Hadrian said, shooting Kell a stare that spiked my interest. There was an unspoken tension between them both. A clash of authority. But he must trust her to place her on his New Council, regardless if it is just a political safety net.
The conversation flowed from one topic to another. It ended with me recapping my own events during my strange imprisonment with the Druid in Lilioira.
“The owl familiar, who does it belong too?” I asked, finally close to getting an answer. I had not thought of the owl yet, but it did intrigue me to whose it was.
“The small elfin boy,” Fadine said.
“Fadine, his name is Tiv. Quite an interesting boy, full of magick and potential. He refused to go anywhere but our side. Something about being the best solider…” Hadrian said.
&nbs
p; I hadn’t seen or heard of Tiv being here. I had hoped he was left with Queen Sallie and her children.
“I would like to see him,” I said briefly before moving onto my next pressing question. “And what of Marthil now?”
“She is being kept on another ship. If what you suggest is right, she will not be coming off it. I would happily offer myself to keep watch of her whilst you reach shore,” Samian said, clicking his large knuckles. “That demon murdered my friend alongside Gallion. I will be sure to make it known what I think of her.”
Samian’s anger was powerful. The hate in his eyes would burn hotter than any of Hadrian’s fire.
“We need her,” I told the group. “If we ever have a chance against Gordex we are going to need as much power as we can gather. Power that Marthil has an abundance of.”
“Forgive me, but I do not see how she will ever join us,” Hadrian said. Throughout my entire retell he had gripped the cushioned sides of his seat until his knuckles dusted white.
“Regardless, she is a Dragori, and if we ever are going to stop Gordex, we are going to need her power on our side,” I said, brushing the tips of my fingers across Hadrian’s clenched hand until he relaxed.
“Let me speak with her.”
“She doesn’t deserve hospitality and idle chatter with us. She should be punished, not kept alive,” Samian announced, his face a thunderous storm of expressions.
“Well whatever conversation you are going to have with her will have to be through me,” Fadine said. “As Hadrian requested, she is being kept in a sufficient means of prison, and it would be foolish for you to go and also be affected.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“When Gordex ruled as my father, he’d commissioned more than just one golden cage. When we returned to Olderim, it was Gallion who found them. I thought it best we bring it for back up. A decision I am now glad I made,” Hadrian answered.
A memory of Hadrian trapped within a cage of gold on a ship very much like this one flashed behind my eyes. I remember the pain he was in, how it broke him down physically and mentally to unlock his Heart Magick.