by C. A. Sabol
Selene felt her mouth fall open in slight surprise as though she wanted to say something but was unable to; she merely nodded at his words.
She remained unable to speak as she watched Pegasus fade away into the bright light, as her dreams once again came to close.
It was seconds later that Selene found herself in her bed, surrounded by worried looks. Her handmaidens were there, as well as a few doctors. Aura was not present, which surprised Selene until she caught a glimpse of the clock. It was well past noon.
“What happened?” she asked, looking up at Kadrianne’s concerned glance.
“We were unable to wake you up this morning, Your Highness. I was concerned after you did not get up at your usual time this morning, but I did not call the doctor until I was unable to get you to wake up,” she answered.
Chevée looked up at the princess, her large eyes still wary. “Your Highness, we were all unable to wake you up. It was almost like you were in a deep sleep for a while there. Are you feeling all right?”
Selene recalled the touch of Pegasus’ nose against her hand once more and nodded. “I am feeling so recharged,” she said. There was a burning in her heart that had not been there last night. “I am sure that I am better than okay, Doctors.” She looked up at Kadrianne and smiled wearily. “It is true that I did not get to sleep well until late last night.”
Kadrianne studied the princess’ face for a moment and then slowly nodded. “Okay ... Your Highness.”
Yana came up beside Selene and bowed her head. “The King has summoned you, Your Highness. He wishes for you to come and see him as soon as you are ready.”
Selene sat up and brushed her wayward hair away from her face. “All right then, Yana. Let’s get moving, everyone. The King awaits.”
“I AM SO SORRY, YOUR Highness,” the guard in front of the King’s Library said, “But His Majesty is not here at the moment. He had a meeting that ran over. He contacted me to assure that he would be along within the hour, and to ask that you await him in here.”
Selene had come shortly after she had awakened, but upon her arrival, she regretted her rushing about to come and meet with her brother. Dorian had not exactly been waiting for her when she headed out to his library. In fact, he was not there at all; the guard had been waiting for her arrival, to tell her that the King would be late. She nodded to the guard, and asked, “May I wait for him in his library?”
The guard concurred. “Certainly, Your Highness.” He had moved out of her way and let her in.
As Selene looked in his office and around the room, she sighed. It had been several minutes ago that the guard had left her alone inside the library, and now Selene found herself wandering around the rows and rows of books with no particular goal in mind.
“Somehow I’m not surprised that Dorian is late,” she murmured to herself, slightly disappointed. Dorian loved her, but he was quite busy these days. Though he would want to take time for her, he may have been caught up in a meeting with the councilors or the generals, or even the peace seekers.
Selene looked around at the newly furbished walls; there were murals restored, and several tapestries that hung from decorative rods. Selene smirked at the center of the library; there was a large, relaxing section, with comfortable chair and exquisite furniture there, placed for the comfort of the reader, and the enjoyment of the eye. This was a place for study perhaps, but it was also a place for grandeur and finery to be displayed. Dorian certainly likes his precious toys, Selene thought as she studied a picturesque vase on a wooden table near the end of a bookcase. Looking up, she saw a preserved depiction of Crystallon painted on the ceiling amongst the arched windows. Light streamed in, illuminating the library in patterns of the window shapes.
Selene decided to walk around. She had been in Dorian’s library before, but she had never seen the whole room; after all, it was huge. It was not open to the public, but it had to be the biggest collection of books Selene knew of.
She turned down a row of no particular importance, and walked slowly, stopping every now and then, reading some of the titles on the book spines. Some were strange, some were clearly outdated, and a couple were faded and well worn. Selene was about to move onto another row when a book caught her eye.
It was a dark shade of silver, and it looked as though it had not been touched in years. It looked like just another book, except for one very distinguishing characteristic—the spine of the book was blank; there was no title.
Curious, Selene reached up and pulled it down. She sensed that she had seen this book before, but she could not remember where. There was no title on the cover of the book, only a picture of wings. Gingerly, Selene opened the book to the first page inside and began to read out loud.
“There was a time, once long ago, when all dreams had been beautiful.” Wait a minute, Selene thought. I have heard this before. It’s the storybook that Dorian and I used to have read to us before we would go to bed when we were younger.
“There was a time, long ago, before the Guardian had dreamed of Sapphira, that the world of Dreams existed, powered by the Everlasting Life.” Reading on, Selene smiled as she could almost recall the story word for word. She stopped after the next couple of lines and shut the book, carefully holding it in her hands. There had been a man, an older gentleman, who had treated her with a kindness back then, who had called her special, who had treated her like a father would treat his daughter. He was the one, Selene recalled, who had first told her the stories of the Guardian.
She was searching her mind for the memory of his name when the door to the library opened up, and she jumped at the unexpected intrusion. Still clutching the book in her arms, she made her way to see if it had been Dorian who had come into the Library or not. She peeked around the corner and saw that it was Dorian.
“Selene!” he called out in joy as he noticed her. He headed over to her with much enthusiasm in his step. As she came closer to him, his arms opened up and embraced her tightly.
“Dorian,” Selene muttered as he squeezed the air out of her playfully. She did smile though, once he released her. He had not hugged her in a long while, she thought wistfully. She had missed it more than she’d realized.
“How are you, sister?” he asked as he stepped back from her. “Are you feeling better now that you are back in your home?”
“Yes, but I think for other reasons than just that,” Selene admitted. She looked thoughtfully at him. “And you, my brother? Are you well?” He looked tired, Selene thought as she studied him. If it weren’t for the impish grin on his face, he would look much older than thirty, she decided.
He nodded. “I know that it does not look it, but I am happy to be home here,” Dorian said. “I have been making checks on my soldiers every so often these past few weeks and there are some that are so angry, some that are so weary, and some that have no hope for us. It’s very hard to encourage those who do not seek encouragement.”
“I’m sure that your presence alone does lift their spirits, in a way,” Selene replied. “You are a true king, to be at battle with your followers, Dorian. The people admire that.”
“Would you be a warrior princess then?” Dorian questioned. They started to walk in the library, heading for Dorian’s study on the other side of the room.
Selene shrugged. “Maybe someday I will –“ she broke off as she looked at him intently—“If I ever get the chance to get away from here.”
Dorian rolled his eyes. “Wasn’t three weeks enough?”
“It was only two.”
“Oh, all right then. Wasn’t two weeks enough for you?”
Selene looked up, her cheerfulness gone as her pain came rushing back to her. “The time I spent away, though it was away from here, was not free of the same burden I feel here.”
“You will find that feeling everywhere, Selene,” Dorian said gravely. “I know what you feel, believe it or not. I was once your age, with your dreams. I wanted to be free of all my burdens, my duty most of all. I grew
used to the feeling of imprisonment, and it no longer plagues me. But the dreams of freedom elude me now, so that they are gone, except for a fragment of a memory from long ago.”
His words were not condemning, nor were they trivial. Selene could see that Dorian was being honest with her, in a way that would be frowned on in the Council or the High Court. Her heart heard his words and felt sad for him, because that was where they differed; Selene believed that one day her dreams would come true, while Dorian had finished dreaming new dreams all together, finding only reality to fulfill his destiny.
“I feel sad for you,” she admitted after a long pause.
“Why? Because I take life as it comes, not what I think it should be?” he asked, as they continued to walk together much as Selene had done earlier, through the halls of bookcases.
“No. Yes. Sort of.” Selene sighed. “What I mean is, you can’t stop believing that there’s something bigger, something better out there, because of the trouble in life. Dreams fuel the passion for wanting to do good for the sake of everyone.”
“Not always,” Dorian interrupted.
Selene nodded. “When I say dreams, what I mean are dreams that are not ... corrupted by evil, I suppose.”
“It is too hard to live to such pure standards,” Dorian replied gently. “Especially when the whole world is counting on you to make the big decisions.”
“Maybe the decisions you mean aren’t so big, then,” Selene remarked. “Maybe the biggest decisions a person can make are not about taxes or battle strategies, but what kind of person he wants to be, the person he can be.”
Dorian sighed. “You are so idealistic, my sister, and this surprises me,” he said. “But it is one thing to say something, and another to do something about it. And it’s also another thing to expect everybody to go along with you. There will always be some who are unhappy.”
“That may be true, but sinking down to their level will bring nothing good out at the end of the long run,” Selene argued. “Dreams are one thing everyone has in common. Everyone dreams of something wonderful, something beautiful, I’m sure.” She glanced over at him. “Do you remember, brother, when we were young, and that kind man used to read stories to us, about the Guardian of Dreams?”
Dorian stopped walking for a moment. His fingers clenched in a ball as he thought of that painful day so many years ago. “Yes,” he admitted stonily.
“What was his name again?”
Dorian felt dryness in his throat as he answered her, saying, “Haiasi.”
“Oh, yes, now I recall,” Selene smiled. “He told us all about the Guardian and how Sapphira was created and all of that, remember?”
“Yes.” It was the same curt yes as before.
“Well, Dorian, I remember that he told us once that there is nothing in life that was constant, and that only the Guardian’s love and power remained the same, from day to day. Do you believe that?”
“Selene ... I do not think that there is really a Guardian, okay?” His words silenced her and caused the smile to leave her face. “If there was a Guardian, who was in control of everything here on Sapphira, don’t you think that this world would not be so full of fear, or of hopelessness? Wouldn’t there by much more peace and prosperity, and life and laughter, not war and destruction, not evil and those who seek relentlessly after power?”
Selene could say nothing. She was still horrified that her brother was so pessimistic. Finally, she managed to get out, “Dorian ... I know this world is not perfect, and as a king, you are exposed to all of the evils of it every day. There is no end, I would imagine, to all the problems that must be solved and to the people to deal with.” She paused here, and thought of her dream last night. “But I do not think that it would be the Guardian’s fault that people are so corrupt. If the people are lost, and in the darkness, it is because they have no love for the light, nor do they have the will to seek it. They have fallen, and are content to lie down and die.”
Dorian looked over at her, thinking about what she was saying. “Then why does the world continue on with such a pitiful future? Why do we go on living in such a way if all we see is bleakness and woe?”
Selene met his eyes, her gaze sure. “Because those of us who find the strength to stand up again believe that there is hope, and it is worth getting back up for.”
Dorian shook his head. “It is people like you, Selene, that the world needs more of.”
“No,” she shook her head. “It just needs people that will listen and have faith.”
They were silent in the next few moments, before they arrived at Dorian’s study. Walking inside, Selene sat down as Dorian headed behind his desk.
“Well, Selene, since you are feeling as good as you were expected to feel by now, you will be resuming your lessons with Master Omni tomorrow morning,” Dorian said as he rummaged through his collection of papers and notes on his desk. “Ah, yes, here it is.” He held up a piece of paper and read from it. The note said:
To Her Royal Highness, the Princess of Sapphira and Heir Apparent to the Throne of the World,
On the occasion of this strenuous time in history, I humbly write this message in hopes that the king will hasten you to study several of the courses listed below. I ask especially that you be on time for class, in the East tower classroom, at nine o’clock beginning tomorrow morning. Your handmaidens will escort you and I am instructed to allow them to study along with you, but not to help you, as I am currently living in the inner city area, and cannot be in the palace to teach you all the time. I humbly thank you and wish you the best of luck in your educational endeavors.
Your Servant and Teacher,
Master V. Omni
Below the signature were several subjects, including writing, history, mathematics, logic, and literature readings. Selene had to stifle a groan as Dorian read off the list. She had always dreaded doing her schoolwork.
“Is everything clear on that?” Dorian asked her, as he studied her profile carefully. He knew all too well about how Selene was reluctant to stay on schedule with her studies.
“It is fine, Dorian,” Selene assured him. “But I am not looking forward to it, that’s for sure. I wish I was old enough to pursue other interests I have.”
“You can do that in your free time,” he pointed out.
Selene looked down at her lap and saw that she still held the silver book. “Does that mean that I would be able to borrow a book from you if I asked, Dorian?”
He shrugged. “I don’t see why not, sister, so long as I get it back.”
“I’ll take care of it,” she promised. “I want to borrow this one.” She held up the silver book and showed him. She wanted to see if he recognized it as she had, but he did not, so far as she could tell, because he waved her off a second later.
“That’s fine,” he said. “Take it if you want.” He stood up from his chair and nodded to her. “You may go now, Selene. I have another meeting I have to prepare for, if you don’t mind. I would like to get ready in the last few moments I have.”
Selene nodded and started to leave when she suddenly thought of something. She turned around and pursed her lips, unsure if she dare ask him. When he looked up at her, she decided to voice her question.
“Dorian ... do you think I would be allowed to go visit Etoileon in the Medical Ward every once in a while until he gets better?”
Dorian felt the old irritation with the boy come rushing back, but he knew that the twerp had saved Selene’s life. So for a moment he just looked at his sister, with her hopeful expression. He moved to find a reason to reject her request, but she interrupted him before he could speak.
She looked up at him with a somber expression on her face and reminded him, “After all, it is my fault that he is there. He saved my life, Dorian, by laying down his own.”
Dorian sighed, feeling defeat. “I suppose you are of age to start making decisions on your own,” he reasoned. “But only once in a while, do you hear? I won’t have you going to se
e him every blasted day. And you will not go if I hear that you are skipping your studies. In fact, why don’t you wait until you have your studies started up regularly before you go? I think that would be best.”
Selene felt her face break out into a large grin and she wanted to bounce with the happiness she felt. “Thank you so much, Dorian! I will go once in a while, as promised! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! Now I cannot wait to start my learning sessions up again!” she exclaimed joyously. Clutching her borrowed book to her chest, she nearly hopped out of his library.
Dorian couldn’t help but smile at her childishness. She was a wonder all right, he thought. There was no getting past it. There was a sparkle in her that made him wonder if she was right about all that idealistic rubbish she’d told him earlier.
“AUGH! AUGH!” THE SCREAMS of fury from the master of darkness could be heard into the distance as he tried to gain control of his anger.
He tried to calm down, but his frustration ate at him. Once again he had been thwarted by the power of that annoying Guardian. Grabbing a hold of a nearby rock, he flung in away in anger, causing the rock to hit the ground a long way off with a loud crunch! Obsidian felt no release of his irritation.
“ What a little monster, that princess is!” he muttered spitefully, grabbing onto more rocks and slamming them together with enough force to shatter them both. “How dare she refuse me! How dare she! I will make her rue the day that she turned me down!” He looked around at the barren lands, covered in sand. “And it’s all that Pegasus’ fault that I’m stuck here in this wilderness!”