by C. A. Sabol
Etoileon thought about it. “What happens if you do fall?”
“I have fallen,” she replied quietly. “I’m trying to get back up. Think about it, Etoileon. Before you could fight, you wanted to be better. And you got the skills with hard work. I think it is the same with people.”
“What do you mean?”
“We don’t always want to do the work or follow the rules, so we give up. We give up, for silly reasons or fears, on being something better than we are right now. I think that it’s just sad to give up. So I try to get better. And I try to set an example for others.” She smiled for a moment. “I really hope that one day I ... I don’t know, exactly. But I know that there’s almost like a secret wish hiding itself in my heart, and I want to know what it is.”
He thought about her words for a moment. “I think that’s pretty noble of you,” he admitted. “Dorian’s probably right in saying that you are the reason that everyone here is more pleasant. You don’t hide the light from others. You try to reach out and embrace others with it.”
Selene turned away. No one had ever said such a thing like that before about her. It was something she almost could not accept as a compliment. She could not remember a time when she had not been this way—she was just living her life, trying to follow her heart. She had thought it was that there was a specific reason that she was this intent on being good. But she could think of nothing that made sense. Nevertheless, she smiled. “Thank you.” That was all she could think of to say.
“I’ll tell a secret now if you want,” Etoileon offered up, causing a smile to come to her face. It was obvious that she wanted to hear more about him.
“Okay. Tell me about your first clear memory.”
He sat down. “Well, my parents died, or at least, I think they did. I can’t really remember them that well. Nothing but distinct shadows can be made clear in my mind, truthfully.”
Selene sat down across from him, arranging her skirts in a ladylike manner. “Distinct shadows? Hardly a memory.”
“Well, When I was little, the first thing I remember seeing is a black moon,” he said. “That’s the first thing I can remember.”
“A black moon?”
“Yes. It was a black moon. That’s all I remember. I remember standing around near the oasis, looking up at a black moon, looking around for my parents. And they were nowhere to be found.”
“Is that why you stayed near the Oasis? To see if they were alive still?” she asked softly.
“I guess. But I’m not real sure.”
They looked up at the sky in a comfortable silence, aware that such silence was more intimate than words.
Etoileon was over an hour late for curfew that night. Before he left, Selene took hold of his shoulder. “Will you come here tomorrow?”
“Yes,” he promised, before he stepped out into the hallway and disappeared from sight.
So it went on nearly every night, the two of them met in the High Tower. And that’s how it was for three years to the day.
YES, SELENE THOUGHT, Memories are something to cherish. She looked down at all the people arriving, and saw to her disappointment that more than a few old-looking men were coming in from the city transports. Deciding to forget what she could worry about later, she turned her gaze to face Etoileon. He was almost twenty now. And he still managed to have the same effect on her senses as he’d had three years ago. Time had gone by, but her understanding of this feeling had not yet been revealed.
They stayed up in the Tower for a few more moments, quietly enjoying each other’s company, looking down at the arriving guests. It was soon after that that Selene sighed, looking into the beginning of the yellow-gray sunset.
“Look,” she whispered. “It’s almost time now.” She sighed. “I have a busy night ahead.”
“I know.”
Suddenly, all of her boundaries were let down. She did not want to be alone on her pedestal. She wanted to be comforted, to share in the sorrow of seeing her time with Etoileon go. Selene leaned on his shoulder and closed her eyes, relaxing against him.
“Etoileon, why can’t you protect me from this?” she whispered. “I have a strange feeling that something is going to happen tonight.”
He did not respond. He was too much in shock from having the Princess leaning on his shoulder. A whisper in his head murmured, reminding him that he was just a child of the streets—maybe in royal attire, and fancy clothes, with a bunch of highly coordinated education and skills—but a child of the streets nonetheless.
Chapter 5
Two Guys, a Girl, and a Rebellion
ETOILEON WAS PRACTICALLY glaring as the Representative from Kani Island danced with the Princess for the third time that evening. Etoileon felt the unpleasantly familiar feeling of jealousy creeping into the pit of his stomach. It had always been like this; he would watch over Selene at some banquet or some gala, and she would be looking into the eyes of some handsome stranger. He had to stand off to the side, and watch the one person in the whole world he wanted to be with twirl the night away in the arms of her endless list of dance partners. Deep inside his heart, he dreaded each dance she took more than the last. It meant that she was one dance closer to falling in love and leaving him to hold her wedding carriage door open as she and her husband stepped in.
But this time it was slightly different; she was of the age to get married now. Before, Etoileon could rely on Dorian to hold off the suitors. Now he was left to consider that any dancer could be Selene’s future husband. The thought was more than a little irritating.
One of the maids, a young girl whose name he couldn’t quite remember, sauntered over to him and stood next to him.
“Hey,” she greeted him. “Some party, huh?”
His eyes remained on Selene’s laughing smile as Kani Island guy swung her around in a twirl. Not wanting to be rude, he answered her with a simple, “Guess so.”
“I see the Princess is busy for the moment,” the maid whispered. “Do you want to sneak away for a while? Some of the other workers have their own little party going on.”
“No.”
The maid pouted her mouth and put her hand on his shoulder. “There’s plenty of moonshine and cookies in the kitchen for the staff,” she offered. “You can go get some and be back here in time for the next dance.”
“No, thank you.”
She scooted a little closer, and tried again. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I am certain I do not want to eat. I ate earlier. Please, you are distracting me from my work. Find someone else to play with.” He hadn’t wanted to be rude, but she’d left him little choice in the matter.
The maid stalked away, apparently unused to having her offers turned down. Etoileon looked back at her and shook his head sadly. That girl could have only been sixteen years old. She should try to find someone her own age.
His complete focus turned once again to the Princess. She was more radiant than he’d ever seen her, he thought. Dressed in a ruffled, flounced gown the color of wild burgundy berries, she more than looked the part of a Princess. The gown was decorated with thousands of tiny ruby beads, each sewn on to highlight the deep tones in the dress’s fabric and cut.
Everyone had been awaiting her arrival. It seemed like a sea of eyes had turned to throw the most deadly waves at her when she’d come down the main hall’s staircase. Etoileon had taken the servants entrance down onto the ground floor to see her come in. It was like watching a lightning bolt light up the sky—striking, electrifying. Every cell in his body had tingled with a sense of enchantment as he watched her glide down the halls staircase.
The music began playing a medley that was off beat and loud, even making one as engrossed as Etoileon start to hum a line or drum a beat. Another dancer tapped on Selene’s shoulder. Etoileon watched, prepared to see Selene start dancing into another man’s arms, but then she held up her hands, bowed slightly, and walked away.
What is she up to? Etoileon thought. He was just thinking that he sh
ould see where she was going when she came up behind him, her arms straight and her eyes somewhat narrowed.
“And just who was that you were just talking to?” she asked, trying to sound interested rather than annoyed.
“I don’t know, to be perfectly honest,” he said. He shrugged. “One of the maids, I suppose. “Why aren’t you dancing with that guy? It is his turn.”
Selene looked away. “I ... did not want to dance this time. My feet are tired.”
“Oh.” As much as it sounded reasonable, and most likely true, Etoileon wondered if it was the main reason she had left the dance floor. “What are you going to do now?”
“I don’t know,” Selene shrugged. “I am glad that you did not leave me here alone, though. I was worried for a moment there that you were going to leave with Seri.”
“Seri?”
“That maid. I recognize her now. She’s over there,” Selene said, jerking her head in that direction. Her voice suddenly grew gentler. “You were not really going to leave me here, were you?”
He shook his head. “No. You know I couldn’t do that to you. What if you got hurt or something? Selene ... ” Both of them looked away. There was a slight pink tint to their cheeks. Neither of them could say the words.
Finally, Selene peeked up once more at her friend and decided that she couldn’t stay like this forever, much as she might have wanted to. She reached out and took his arm. “My feet are feeling much better,” she said, her smile starting to come out once again. “Why don’t you dance with me for once?”
Etoileon immediately felt the uncertainty. “But, Princess,” he started to object. “It’s not ... it’s hardly appropriate ... ” his voice trailed off as Selene pulled him onto the dance floor and took his hand in hers.
“Please, Etoileon, I know that they train you in dancing as well as fighting,” Selene said with a knowing look. “Might as well put it to use, right?”
His eyes met hers, and that was his first mistake. If Etoileon should have learned anything by now about the Princess, one pleading look from her was enough to ensure she would have her way. No human could possibly resist those eyes.
“All right.” He took a much better hold of her hand, and took a step closer to her.
Catching the beat of the music, he started to whisk her away.
The advanced level of his dancing skills was surprising to him most of all. He could find the tune, could remember the steps. In class it was always harder because the teacher was old and frail and she tended to spit in his eyes as she curtly instructed him to turn this way, or go that way. But something about having his choice of partners made dancing appealing. What he’d come to see as a burden and embarrassing was more pleasant and even fun. Holding onto the Princess, he felt a lightening of his heart and began to laugh. He guided her into a few easy steps, and then pulled her close to him, twirling her away. Soon she was smiling up at him, those eyes sparkling with her own laughter.
The music was blaring fast now. Around and around the ballroom they went, twirling this way, switching to a two-step that way. It wasn’t long before Selene found herself laughing; she was having such a wonderful time.
What’s going on here tonight? I must be crazy, she thought. This is so wonderful, I can’t seem to stop smiling or laughing, and I don’t want this dance to end.
The music was loud and fast and exciting. They were laughing so hard it was difficult to keep up their pace; they almost didn’t realize what happened next.
It would be argued later who tripped over who, but in a whirl of burgundy red and black, Etoileon suddenly found himself off balance with Selene holding onto him. He stumbled back, completely lost his footing and hit the floor. Selene followed after him less than a second later. He reached forward and tried to stop her from falling, catching her ... in his arms.
“Selene?” he asked. “Are you okay?” he was still smiling, trying not to laugh. Her laugh had been completely forgotten as she lay there, with her face in his chest, her ear pressed up against him so she could hear his heartbeat. Etoileon grew worried a second later. “Um, Selene?”
She had landed on his chest, and her arms folded up between them, trying to break her fall unsuccessfully. For a moment neither of them moved. Selene could smell him through his uniform, a warm, intoxicating scent that reminded her of the waterfall. He held onto her tightly, encasing her into a protective, almost comforting shell. She did not want to let go.
She grimaced at the thought of getting up, but she put on a smile and grinned up at him. “I’m okay,” she said, scrambling to hurry and stand up. It was difficult with all the layers in her dress. She did not want to cause a scene. A hand extended out to her, and she took it, helping herself up off of the floor.
She brushed herself off and said, “Thanks, Etoileon. We’ll have to work on that dance, I suppose.”
“Ahem.” Selene looked up to see that the man who had helped her up was not Etoileon in the least. She found herself blushing as she realized her mistake.
“Oh, excuse me, sir, I thought you were –“ She stopped in mid-sentence, taken aback by surprise. This man was gorgeous. He had the most perfect black hair, with light blue eyes, just like the sky, with a twist of gray in them. And when he smiled at her, Selene could feel a sense of recognition wash over her.
“I know who you thought I was, dear Princess. Please pardon my intrusion, but I was under the impression that I had been promised this next dance.”
“Huh?” Selene had barely noticed that there was indeed a new song playing now. “Oh.” Remembering her protector, she noticed he had gone. “Please hold on for one second, Sir.”
She turned and looked to see that Etoileon had gone. She looked around wildly for him, finding him a moment later at his usual post, watching over her once more. With the new man’s arrival, their playtime had been brought to an effective halt. She was about to go to him, but he caught her gaze at that moment. Even from the space of a few yards, Selene caught the expression in his eyes. You have to do your duty. I have to do mine. Go.
She hesitated a moment before Aemon came up beside her. “Sorry about that,” Selene apologized as she was led around the dance floor by this handsome young man. He was around Etoileon’s age, but he seemed to have less of a sense of humor. Selene noticed that he shared Etoileon’s hardened look, but that was all they seemed to have in common.
“It’s okay, Your Highness. I understand. After causing that fall, I think that the gentleman should have apologized to you as well.”
“Hmm? Oh, no, I was going to see if he –“
“Let us forget your rude dance partner for the moment, Princess. Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Aemon, of Jewel Island, located in the Southeastern part of the Sapphiran seas. Might I say that you look ravishing as a flower in bloom tonight?”
“Thank you, Sir,” Selene answered automatically. She’d had compliments thrown at her all night. She smiled up at him and politely said, “You look very nice yourself, Sir.”
“Please, call me Aemon,” he insisted. “I intend to get to know you very well in the next couple of waltzes, my dear Princess.”
“But I have a full card tonight, Sir,” Selene meekly reminded him. “I cannot forget about all the gentlemen who have been longing to dance with me since I was sixteen.”
“Believe me, if I have my way, I will have been waiting much longer than any one of those gentlemen.”
Selene was suddenly worried. She did not like his tone at all. That feeling she’d had earlier came rushing back to her, fueled now by a sense of dread. Something was wrong here. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she gave an interested half-smile. “What do you mean, Sir?”
“Please, call me Aemon,” he repeated. “What I mean is that I shall be the one who you will be married to. As your future husband, I think it would be wise to start thinking about how this arrangement of ours is going to work.”
Selene dropped his hands, and pulled away from him. “Excuse me?”
“I know, I know. You’re so concerned that you won’t like your home on the Island with me and my people, but I assure you, we’re all looking forward to your arrival, Princess.” He tried to take her in his arms, but she stepped back.
“Stop it! My brother the King has given the right for me to choose who it is I am going to marry,” Selene informed him, anger creeping into her voice. “I think you should brush up a little bit on your manners before you see me again.” She turned around, hurrying to find Etoileon.
She nearly ran into him. He’d come up behind her while Aemon had tried to dance with her.
“Excuse me,” Etoileon said, stepping in front of the Princess. “Is there a problem here?” His eyes blazed with the anticipation of battle.
And he wasn’t the only one who was preparing for a battle, either. The music stopped. The room hushed over in silence.
Aemon’s eyes met Etoileon’s with a hatred that startled the Princess even from where she was standing.
Dorian came into the room. “What is going on in here?” his voice thundered throughout the silent corners of the ballroom. As he made his way over to his sister and her guard, everyone else in the room bowed deeply in reverence to the King. Even Aemon went down on his knees. It was only Selene who remained completely upright before him. “Someone, tell me now.”
Selene stepped forward. “This gentleman is trying to claim my hand in marriage, Brother.” Her voice was soft and light, but Dorian could tell she was trying hard not to get upset. He turned and faced this man, who was bowed facing the ground.
“Rise, Sir,” he commanded to Aemon. “What is your name? Tell me.”
“I am Aemon,” he lifted his head up to look up at the king. His voice, inflicted with deep, resounding tones, was completely different from the harsher voice he’d used in talking to Selene. “Of Jewel Island.”