by C. A. Sabol
“What?” Selene narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean, the son of Ammos? You can’t mean that Etoileon ... ” her voice trailed off as a memory of him surfaced in her mind, of him telling her of his earliest memory.
She remembered what he’d told her. A black moon, she thought. Could that be ... an eclipse? She gasped, as it all fell into place now.
“Yes,” Obsidian answered her question. “I had led his father to bring him to the City, to establish him as prince once the rebellion took over the monarchy, but the fool was too busy planning how to talk to his true love, the Queen, your mother. He let his oldest brat out of his sight just as the eclipse took over. His son, Etoileon, was playing around the water at the Gemstone Oasis when the darkness took over the sunlight. Ammos hadn’t listened to me, because I knew the Guardian would interfere. And so he did. The Guardian must’ve taken away all the kids memories somehow, because none of my followers could find him for a long time; even I looked from behind the celestial prison and could find no trace of him for a while. But he proved useful in the end, huh? I used him to convince you to give up the Pure Light.”
“Pegasus!” Selene gasped. “No! No, he will come back to me!”
“But he cannot live in you any longer,” Obsidian smirked. “So he won’t come. You will rot all the days of your life in darkness, your inner light fading away to nothing as you wallow in your grief.”
Selene broke off into tears, realizing too late her mistake. “And Etoileon?” she asked.
“His memory of you belongs to me,” Obsidian said. “I will keep true to my word, and I will release him from his prison, but it matters not. He is still trapped in his own mind, thanks to the darkness I have kept there. He will soon be killed in battle, as my forces rally to attack.”
With this, Melantha slumped over, and Etoileon’s eyes flickered open. Selene was still crying. The winds were gone, the smoke had vanished, and there was no evidence that anyone in the hall way had heard the commotion that had gone on. Seeing that her friend had awakened, she wiped her tears away with a hopeful, desperate wish that he hadn’t been affected by her deal with Melantha.
“Etoileon,” she muttered, struggling to push Melantha’s limp body to get to him. She sat down next to him and looked down at him. “Are you all right?” she asked. “Etoileon ... is it really you?”
He rubbed his aching head with his free hand, and then looked up to her, allowing his eyes to focus on her for a moment. He just stared at her, as though he was trying to remember where he had seen her before. Then he slowly, shakingly, raised his hand to reach up and touch her face, his fingertips brushing over her cheek.
She cried, and whispered, “I love you, you know. And I guess that you don’t remember me at all now, because I was so scared I was going to lose you before, I tried to take the fast and quick way out of it ... I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, Etoileon! It was only because ... because I love you so much!” She looked down at him once more, to see that he was smiling up at her weakly.
“Selene ... ” it was a soft whisper, one that could barely be heard even in the silence of the room. But it was real, and he had said it. Selene felt her eyes fill with happy tears as she slowly smiled, amazed that he had been protected from Melantha’s curse.
She was about to ask him if he was feeling better when all of a sudden his beautiful gray eyes lost their focus on her, lowering to the bed. His eyes closed slowly, and his body went limp as he slouched back in his bed. “No!” she cried out.
The door suddenly opened and a nurse came in. “What is going on here?” she asked. “Who let you in, hun? Shouldn’t you be in bed now? It’s after visiting hours.”
Selene just shook her head and said, “Please, Nurse, please, go get Dr. Hamersley! Etoileon needs him, now! Go, I beg you!”
The Nurse looked down at Etoileon and sighed. “Beg Pardon, sweetheart, but he’s just asleep still, that’s all. He’s fine. In fact –“ she looked over at the medical readings coming off of the screen and quickly summarized the facts—“He’s doing much better than he was yesterday. This is good news. I will go inform the doctor of this. You’d better stay here.”
The nurse hurried off and Selene let a long breath exhale from deep within her. “Etoileon’s okay,” she whispered. “He’s okay.” Then she let go of him and fell forward onto his bed, laying her forehead down by his side. “Thank you, Guardian! Thank you, Pegasus! I know that you were the ones who saved him. I couldn’t even save myself back there!”
She knew that there had been a higher power that had intervened and saved her and Etoileon from a cruel fate. But she would be punished, she knew. She could feel the conviction in her heart as she started to cry. She’d disappointed so many people, she thought. She’d run away from her home without permission, she’d lied to the transport crew, she’d wrongfully asked Cyerra to keep it all a secret, and she’d made a deal with the dark master’s servant to bring back the only other human that had ever seemed to care for her! She’d disobeyed Pegasus’ command to follow him, and she’d traded away her inner light in order that Etoileon be saved from death, at the cost of his memory of her. How could she go back to Pegasus? Would she even be able to find him now?
She fell asleep, but she did not dream, her heart still believing that she was unforgivable.
Chapter 11
“My Precious Child”
DORIAN FELT HIS STOMACH turn over in his body as he heard the words of the trembling woman before him. Sitting on a makeshift seat in front of the still-damaged Tree Throne, he just stared down at the handmaiden in front of him. “What?” he spurted out. “What do you mean, you can’t locate the princess?”
Yana looked up, shaken by the king’s reaction as well as Selene’s sudden disappearance. She tried to sound calm as she once more told the king what she had found out. “The maids and the chamber men have all confirmed the reports, Sire, that the princess is not here.”
“Where is she then?” Dorian roared, his frustration taking over.
“I ... I don’t know, Your Royal Majesty,” Yana spoke softly. “I cannot tell you anymore, just that I know that she went to her room last night early. She has been unaccounted for, as of now, for nearly ten hours. The staff is still looking; some have even gone into the city, trying to find out if any had heard the whereabouts of rebel spies of late.”
“You think it is possible that the rebels kidnapped her?” Dorian asked incredulously. “What are the chances of that?”
“Any number,” Yana told him. “It could be possible that a member of the Court or the staff was blackmailed or bribed into getting to her. However ... ” her voice trailed off, as she let her gaze slip to the floor.
Dorian could see what she was trying to say. “However, you don’t believe that such is the case, right, Lady Yana?”
Yana’s eyes shot back up to meet his. “No, I do not,” she agreed. Sighing, she said, “I have a feeling that this has something to do with Sir Etoileon’s relapse in the Silverton City Medical Ward.”
“Really? What makes you think that is so?”
Yana shook her head. “There is no mistaking her great affections for the boy,” she said calmly. “Selene has been sneaking out to meet with him for years before this, actually, Your Highness.”
“What?”
“It is true,” Yana reluctantly revealed. She had to let the king know for the safety of Her Highness. Her voice lowered as she added, “They have met somewhere for nearly every night since the boy had arrived here. It only makes sense that Selene would sneak out to see him again. The trip to Silverton, by transport vehicle, is relatively short.”
He felt his face turn livid red at the thought of his sister hanging with that brat after hours. It was bad enough that the kid had gotten to watch over her for almost all the daylight hours, but to hear this was too much for Dorian. He shook his head sadly. “I don’t know what’s worse, that she was taken by kidnappers, or she left on her own,” he said. He leaned back in his seat and sighed
. “This is all my fault. What was I thinking, allowing her such freedom as I have given her?”
Yana took a precautious step towards him. “You have tried to bring her up accordingly, Your Majesty. I do not think that she meant to break your trust,” she told him, her voice soft, holding no trace of condemnation. “You have merely tried to encourage her to do what she thought was best. I’m sure that she has a perfectly valid reason for why she simply had to go.”
“She might not have even gone of her own free will, Yana,” Dorian reminded her. Then he smirked. “Although chances are that is what happened. I will call up the hospital and have them check and see if she is there or not. If she is, a transport will be sent to pick her up. And if she’s not, the city will not rest until I have Selene back here, safe in the palace, once more.”
Yana nodded. Suddenly, she dropped to a prostrate position, her long abated tears at last let free. “I’m so sorry, Your Majesty,” she whispered, her voice etching with sadness. “This is all my fault. You are not to blame. You wanted me to keep track of her, and I refused. But now, how I wish I had listened! How I wished that I had seen the situation more from your point of view! All of this trouble is a result of my impertinence!” she wailed.
At this, Dorian stood up, and walked over to her. He bent down and took hold of her shoulders. “Stop this, Yana,” he said quietly. “You will not change the past by being sorry. But you will know better next time, right?” When she looked up at him and nodded, he gave her a slight smile. “Good. Then there is some good that came out of this mess.”
“I am truly sorry,” Yana sniffed.
The king took out a handkerchief and held it out to her. “I forgive you, but only if you forgive me. I should not have asked something of you that you felt was wrong. I at least could have worded the request better.”
Yana nodded, and they both gave a nervous laugh. Dorian took her hands and helped her to her feet. “I will have somebody call the hospital,” Dorian told her, allowing himself to keep her hands in his. “I promise.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Yana replied, her eyes still moist, but sparkling now with a glimmer of resolve and gratitude.
Dorian squeezed her delicate hands affectionately. “Go now. All will be well.” And letting her go, she turned and left Dorian and the throne room. Dorian couldn’t help but grin at her retreating form. She really was a very pretty, very fascinating young lady, he thought. He kept getting lost in her eyes when she looked up at him. He kind of hoped that he would see her again soon.
CYERRA HAD SLUMPED over and folded her hands together as she waited for her aunt to wake up from her unconsciousness. The first dim light of sunrise was peeking out from behind the skyline of the horizon. There were no clouds in the sky for now.
She looked over at Ronal, who had dozed off some time ago. He had been busy all day, she thought sympathetically. She was grateful for him, and it pained her to think that he would have to leave her soon to go on duty in the north.
Cyerra was thinking of tracking down a nurse to see if there was a way that she could possibly get to see her aunt, but then Kadrianne appeared out of nowhere, walking down the hall. There was a sense of urgency in her steps, and Cyerra wondered if something was wrong all of a sudden.
“Cyerra,” Kadrianne called out to her. “Cyerra, I have to talk to you!” There was no mistaking the dread in Kadrianne’s tone. Cyerra jumped up from her seat and hurried over.
“What is it, Kadrianne?” Cyerra asked. “Has something happened?”
“Yes ... and it is not good, not good at all. The princess is nowhere to be found.”
“Oh ... I see.”
“Is that all you can say at a time like this?” Kadrianne looked at her incredulously. “I can’t believe it. I’m terrified of what the king will do, if we can’t find her. I mean, she could be anywhere! She could’ve been captured by rebel forces, or whisked away to a secret holding place to be bartered back for land or other terms! She could have even been killed!”
“There is also the possibility that she could’ve run away as well,” Cyerra said pointedly. “I mean, do you really think that an enemy of ours could slip past all of the security we have here?”
“It is unlikely,” Kadrianne agreed. “But that means that ... ” Her voice trailed off and Kadrianne suddenly turned her gaze inquiringly up to study Cyerra’s face. “What do you know of this, Cyerra? Something tells me that you know something that you don’t want to say.”
“Well –“ Cyerra was about try and dodge Kadrianne’s astute observation when a nurse aid came up to them and interrupted their conversation.
“Beg your pardon, Ladies, but I have come to inform Lady Cyerra that her aunt, Rou Saché, has awoken. She is doing fine now, but her external bruises may not heal very quickly.”
Cyerra bowed her head in thanks. “I appreciate everything that you have done for her,” she said gratefully. “Thank you so much.”
“You are welcome,” the nurse aid told her. “If you wish, you may see her now. She is asking for you.”
“Thank you. I will go see her,” Cyerra said, looking uncertainly at Kadrianne. Once the nurse aid was out of hearing range, Cyerra said, “Kadrianne, I cannot talk about this subject now. I am on leave from work today anyway. Please, go and ask Yana or Rosaria, or even Chevée about it. My aunt has awakened, and I must attend to her now.”
After a moment, Kadrianne sighed. “Very well. Yana has gone to inform the king. I will wait for her outside of the throne room.” She paused as she moved to turn around and head back, long enough to say, “I hope that your aunt is feeling much better now.”
“Thank you,” Cyerra said. “Good luck ... ” She watched as Kadrianne disappeared down the hall as quickly as she had come moments before. Cyerra let out a small sigh of relief. She had not wanted to lie, even for Selene’s sake.
She started to head to her aunt’s room, pausing only a moment as she walked by Ronal’s sleeping form. She wondered if she should wake him, but she thought that it was better for him to get what rest he could for now.
Cyerra opened the door to her aunt’s room and smiled, glad to see her aunt was sitting up, awake and alert as ever, as she rested against her fluffed hospital pillows. “Auntie!” she called out.
Her Aunt Rou looked at her, but didn’t smile. Instead, an expression of graveness came across her middle-aged features. Her words managed to stop Cyerra in her tracks as she made her way to the side of the ward bed.
“Cyerra ... He has come back. Aemon has come back to the city.”
SELENE OPENED HER EYES to find herself in an eerily familiar white room. She unsteadily reached up and tried to wipe the remainder of sleep from her bleary eyes. When her eyes were completely adjusted to the light of the room, she noticed that she was not alone in the room.
“Dorian!” she exclaimed in a hoarse whisper. “What are you doing here?”
He glared at her. “I had the head of staff call up this place, to see if you were there. When your doctor told me that you were here indeed, rage and relief at the same time overcame me. When he told me that it looked like you had suffered a relapse into your former weak condition, I was floored with worry. So I came to see you myself.”
He had been distraught with concern all day, as he had watched her sleep fitfully. He had never known his sister to have problems sleeping before this.
“How long have you been here?” Selene asked slowly. She wasn’t sure that Dorian had forgiven her or not.
When he shot her a look of disappointment a moment later, she was pretty sure that he hadn’t. He shook his head and said, “It does not matter. I wanted to get away from the palace a bit anyhow. Some disturbing news has come to our attention and the military personnel’s deployment has changed and moved up. But I left it in the hands of those who know how to handle that kind of situation; I need to get a grasp on this one, this one between you and I.” Selene gulped as his golden brown eyes flicked over to instill a sense of dread in h
er.
Dorian got up and began pacing in front of her bed. “What I want to know is why you decided that this little fieldtrip of yours would be all right by me. Am I too lenient with you, Selene? Is that why you feel so compelled to disobey me?”
“No! No, that is not true, Dorian,” Selene objected. “I’m sorry, I am, that I worried you and caused you such grief –“
“You do not even have any idea of how much I have suffered!” Dorian interrupted her. “You could have been kidnapped by terrorists, rebels, you could have been killed! Don’t you realize that you are the only hope for this world?”
Selene shook her head. “No, I am not,” she rejected. “I cannot be. I am sick just as everyone else is.”
“What are you talking about?” Dorian scowled at her. “Don’t talk such nonsense to me. You mean so much to everyone, Selene. You are my only family, have you forgotten that much? Do you know how much I would blame myself if anything ever happened to you?”
“Dorian ... ” Selene felt a jolt of surprise and rush of guilt. “I’m sorry, I really am. But please understand, I am suffering much more than you know, too.”
“I don’t see how running away solves any of your suffering,” Dorian huffed. “I have a transport waiting for us at the landing station. It will leave in an hour. Do not be late.”
“Wait!” Selene called out to him. “I know that I don’t deserve your forgiveness, Dorian. But I had to come, for Etoileon’s sake.” Her words seemed to hang in the air for a silent moment.
“Selene,” Dorian said as he turned his head back to her, “I forgive you this time. But I will not be overlooking this. You will be punished when we all get back to Diamond City. However, I realize that you are under a lot of pressure and believe it or not, I understand. That is why I have asked that your protector, that silly boy, be moved to the palace medical ward, now that it is finished.”