by K. G. Reuss
Chapter 22
I groaned as I opened my eyes, my head still aching.
“Where am I?” I rasped out, trying to sit up.
“Be still,” Tarek’s deep voice commanded me, and I fell back onto the bed, not caring to argue with him.
“Please, your highness, let me do my job,” the voice of Gregor cut through.
Soran cursed under his breath and came to my side. I peered up at him through my thick lashes, his fear written plainly on his face.
Gregor’s wizened hands massaged the sides of my head, and warmth swelled through me. The headache subsided, and I breathed out easily.
“Is she going to be OK?” Soran asked in a worried voice.
“She’ll be fine,” Gregor murmured. “She’ll need to rest.”
“Analia, Sister, can you hear me?” Soran squeezed my hand gently, and I opened my eyes again and stared up at him.
“Yes,” I croaked out. “What happened?”
“You had a spell of some sort. Your eyes…” Soran breathed, shaking his head. “They turned white. I’ve never seen anything like it before in my life.”
“White?” I asked, my head pulsating slightly.
“Your entire eyes turned white, and you started speaking in the old language,” Soran shuddered, glancing over at Tarek who had a strange look on his face.
“I don’t speak any language except this one and a little bit of Spanish,” I mumbled sleepily.
“Trust me, you speak the old language,” Soran assured me. “How do you feel?
“Like hell,” I muttered, closing my eyes again. “Like I want to sleep for a hundred years.”
“Prince Soran, perhaps we should move Analia to her room. I can carry her. You’re supposed to be meeting with the king in the War Room. You need to report to him what happened,” Tarek stated, staring down at me, then back to Soran.
“Are you sure? I can take her, Tarek,” Soran started, but Tarek held up his hand to stop him.
“My prince, I’ll care for the princess. You go meet with your father. I’ll ensure she makes it to her room safely.”
Soran gave him a curt nod and bent down, kissing me lightly on the forehead.
“I’ll come and check on you the moment I can,” he assured me fiercely. “Tarek will care for you until I get things sorted out and let mother and father know what’s happening.”
I nodded tiredly. I tried to keep my eyes open as Soran left the room.
Tarek bent down and scooped me into his arms again. I rested my head against his chest, far too exhausted to put in the effort to fight him.
“If you need anything, please come get me,” Gregor said as Tarek carried me to the door.
“Of course,” Tarek answered.
We left Gregor’s study quickly, and I rested comfortably in Tarek’s arms.
“You had us scared to death,” Tarek commented as he took the stairs swiftly.
I didn’t say anything as we walked the long halls to my chambers. He opened the door easily and brought me to my bed where he laid me gently onto it.
“I was worried about you,” Tarek said softy, bringing the blankets up to my chin and sitting down beside me. “You were fine and then you weren’t. Your eyes turned white as snow, and you began speaking in the old language. You were shaking, and you hit your head when you fell. Then you stopped breathing. I-I thought you died.”
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled sleepily, struggling to keep my eyes open.
“Don’t be,” he whispered, pushing my hair off my face with an uncharacteristic tenderness. “As long as you’re OK now.”
“I must have hit my head pretty hard.” The words tumbled clumsily out of my mouth.
“Why?” he asked, concern thick in his voice.
“Because I must be dreaming. You’re not being a jerk to me.”
Tarek chuckled softly and tucked the blanket tightly around me.
“Go to sleep, Princess. I’ll wait here until Soran returns.”
“M’kay,” I said groggily. “Jus’ don’ kill me in my sleep.”
“You have my word,” he replied, his voice thick and barely audible.
He dabbed my forehead with a cool cloth as I slipped off into a peaceful sleep, the world black instead of blinding white.
Chapter 23
I woke sometime late the next afternoon, feeling groggy but way better than I had the night before. I had a calm night with no weird dreams, and that was a relief. Rubbing my eyes, I sat up and sucked in a deep breath.
The girl I used to be tried to reason with my mind, telling me stress caused whatever the hell happened yesterday. Deep down I knew it was more than that. I was the Oracle, a Seer. Obviously, I was doing what I was supposed to do and Seeing.
What had I seen, though? What was Zaros up to?
“Analia.” Soran knocked softly on my door and pushed it open. “You’re awake.”
“Hey,” I greeted him hoarsely.
“Are you feeling well?”
“Definitely better than yesterday,” I answered, forcing a smile.
“I’m glad to hear that.” He sat on the bed beside me. “You had me worried sick. What happened?”
“I-I don’t know. One minute I was standing there, and the next I was somewhere else, seeing things I didn’t understand.”
“What did you see?” Soran pressed, concerned.
“Zaros. He was performing some kind of ritual with men in cloaks. I-I think they were bringing someone back to life.” I chewed my lip thoughtfully, pushing down the fear within me at who it could be. “And then, all these images rushed at me. I couldn’t capture them all. Some were clearer than others.”
Soran breathed out deeply, his blue eyes focused on me, prompting me to continue.
“I-I saw Calix. He was standing in the field outside the palace walls.” I frowned as I said the words. “He was dressed in black armor, engulfed in black flames. He reached for me, and then I was engulfed in flames, but they were different colors. He said the word Incaendium. Does that mean anything here?”
“Yes,” Soran’s face paled. “It does.”
“What?”
“It means wildfire,” he whispered, his eyes wavering as he gazed back at me. “It’s supposedly the fierce power of the Oracle.”
“Oh,” I managed, bile rising in my throat. “What do we do?”
“I don’t know,” he answered helplessly. “Perhaps Gregor would know something. He’s not only a healer as I’m sure you’ve guessed by being in his study. He also studies the old language and alchemy, among other things. He may know more about it than me.”
“Can we go see him?”
“Unfortunately, no. Tonight is the ball. Besides, I saw him taking off early this morning. Tonight’s a full moon, and that means he’ll be out looking for Dallywonks.”
“What’s a Dallywonk?” I asked, bewildered at the strange name.
“It’s a flower that only blooms the day of a full moon. They’re useful in his arts so he claims. He goes to collect them whenever there’s a full moon.”
“OK,” I whispered.
“Tonight will be fun,” Soran continued, forcing a smile. “Let’s forget about all this for the evening. We can revisit it tomorrow. Tonight, I just want us to celebrate what we have right now.”
“It’s your birthday, and I haven’t gotten you anything,” I answered sadly.
“Oh, my dear sister. You’ve given me more than you realize. You saved my life, after all. I think it’s fair to say I’ll be OK without a wrapped present.”
“It’s not the same,” I scoffed, wishing I had something to give to him.
“Listen, if you want to do something for me, then promise me that when Father announces your betrothal, you’ll smile and be calm. You will accept it,” Soran said softly.
“You still don’t know who it is?” I asked, fearful of the entire situation.
“I don’t, but Father loves you, so he’d never pair you with some hideous beast of a man. I mea
n, he did once, but he was quick to remedy the problem,” Soran joked weakly.
I had to smile at him. He had awful timing, and while the joke hurt, I knew he didn’t mean the pain.
“Me, on the other hand, I still have to meet with the wretch he has set me up for. I was fortunate to have to leave and cancel our last meeting.”
“Will you accept it smiling?” I inquired, picking at a piece of fuzz on my blanket.
“As if I have any other choice. I’ve been holding Father off for over a hundred years. I’m certain he tires of my excuses. Unfortunately, I think we both have reached the end of our ropes. Both of us may be set to wed someone we’d rather not.”
“Maybe you’ll get lucky.” I shrugged, knowing better than to complain about the thousands-year old tradition of arranged marriages. “Maybe she’ll be a bombshell.”
“I can only hope.” Soran chuckled sadly. “I have terrible luck, Sister. The last girl I liked kicked dirt in my face and stole my horse.”
“What was her name?”
Soran smirked at a distant memory. “Thalia of L’Mons, a region within the kingdom of Bornia, the spring court.”
“You must lead such an exciting life.” I nudged him playfully, and he grinned at me.
“Hardly. I’ve had my share of fun, though,” he remembered fondly, and I smiled as I watched him look faraway to a time only he could see.
I wondered what it would’ve been like to have grown up in the palace with Soran. He was a lot older than I was, but I imagined he would’ve been a very attentive older brother, not like the terrible annoying kind I’d pictured a brother to be.
“You’ll make a good husband, Soran,” I said as he came out of his reverie.
He blushed at me and looked away. “I hope so,” he murmured.
We sat in silence for a moment before Soran spoke again. “Are you hungry?”
“No.” I shook my head.
“You’re skin and bones,” Soran tsked. “I can get you something from the kitchens. Word in the palace is that you’ve made quite an impression on our staff.”
“They’re kind people.” I shrugged. “I like them.”
“You’ll make a good leader someday, Analia.” Soran smiled fondly, getting to his feet. “And tonight will be the start of it. Please, promise me you’ll accept this betrothal. It means a lot to me for you to do it.”
“Soran,” I started, but he shook his head at me.
“Analia, please. Promise me. At least in public, wear the mask, OK? We don’t need rumors or an uproar over our princess denying our time-honored traditions.”
“Fine,” I sulked. “But remember this, brother. My new husband will be your new brother. How are you going to feel if he’s someone awful? He’ll work beside you in the army, I’m sure.”
Soran paled at the possibility of being stuck working with someone he didn’t like.
“See? Not so easy, is it?” I asked, folding my arms across my chest.
“It’ll be fine.” Soran pulled himself together. “And no more visions. You scared me.”
“It’s not like I can control them.” I sighed sadly.
“Why can’t you?” Soran turned to me with a frown. “You can control your other abilities, why not that one too?”
“Huh…” I contemplated his words, wondering if I could control them. They were a lot like the fire had been in the beginning. I never really knew when it was going to happen. “I-I guess I never considered it.”
“See? What are big brothers for if not to point out the obvious?”
“Well, big brother, what sort of progress have you made on getting me unbound from Calix?” I asked, hoping for good news. If we were unbound, perhaps I could keep Calix safely tucked away from Zaros’s darkness. It hurt like hell to know he might never come back unless I could control Void, but I also knew his return could be even more painful if he wasn’t my Calix. My recent visions had left me with a sinking suspicion that Zaros was definitely up to no good. Being bound to Calix wasn’t an option anymore.
“I have nothing,” Soran sighed, frustrated. “Zaros had no siblings, no other children. Calixto was last in the line. I hate to admit it, but we may be at a dead end.”
I nodded sadly, already suspecting as much. It all boiled down to good footwork, luck, and my ability to kill Zaros when the time came. It had to be me who did it. I owed him my sword for all he’d done.
“We’re going to fix this,” Soran declared confidently, although his words didn’t quite mirror his blue eyes. Behind them I saw fear, the same fear that was eating at me. “But tonight, let’s just focus on making it through meeting your future husband. Perhaps I need some wine in me so I can think clearly about this problem.”
“Don’t you have some place you need to be?” I pushed him out the door, a smile biting my lips. I appreciated how he tried to make me smile even when I was clearly hurting and scared. He was a great older brother.
“I do. Those terrible palace designers have been trying to track me down all day. I think I need to get to the stables or the gardens, so I can continue hiding from them.”
“Get out of here.” I pushed him out the door.
“Analia,” he said, turning toward me before I shut him out. “You didn’t promise me.”
“I said fine.”
“No, say it. Say you promise.”
“I promise,” I said, the words thick on my tongue. My stomach flopped nervously.
“Thank you.” He pulled me into a quick embrace. “This means the world to me. To all of us. It shows that Zaros cannot break us. That we bounce back. And despite it all, we still value our traditions. We are defiant.”
“I know.” I hugged him back sadly. “I just wish I could choose.”
“You are choosing,” Soran said, pulling away from me. “You’re choosing to do it.”
“Go back to hiding from the designers, will you?” I wiped at my eyes.
He gave me a sympathetic look then walked down the hallway.
I closed the door and managed to take a long bath before there was another knock.
“Come in,” I called out, pulling my bathrobe tightly around myself, wondering who it could be.
“Princess, we’re here to get you ready for the ball,” Marisole exclaimed, waltzing in, dressed to the teeth.
I groaned inwardly and nodded. I was happy to see Brena was in tow and dressed in a beautiful, purple gown. I hadn’t seen her in days.
“Brena,” I greeted her warmly.
“Princess,” she nodded, a grin on her pretty face.
“I’m happy to see you’re ahead of the game.” Marisole nodded enthusiastically at me, and I grimaced. This was going to be a long afternoon.
Chapter 24
Night had fallen by the time I was done being decorated like a Christmas tree. Marisole painted my lips the color of the reddest rose, while Brena finished twisting and curling my hair in such a way that it cascaded around me in soft waves of splendor. She’d even fixed tiny diamonds in my tresses to add extra flair.
I gasped when I turned and looked at myself in the mirror. I didn’t even recognize who I was. A beautiful, blonde woman stared back at me. Eyes that were an alarming shade of green took in flawless, alabaster skin.
“You are simply breathtaking,” Marisole breathed out, nodding her approval, her assistants agreeing.
There was a knock on my door, and I looked expectantly toward it, wondering who it could be.
“Analia.” My mother swept into the room. The women bowed as she entered. “You are stunning.”
She embraced me quickly before holding me at arm’s length to survey me.
“You look beautiful too,” I said taking her in.
Her hair was swept up on top of her head. A delicate silver crown was nestled in her locks. Her long, sapphire dress flowed around her, hugging her perfect body.
“Thank you, sweetheart. I came to give you something,” she said. She gestured at the door, and two guards entered, each holdin
g a box. “First, you need jewelry.”
She opened the first box and removed an exquisite diamond and emerald necklace with matching teardrop earrings. They had to be worth more than my entire house back home. She put them on me and stood back, grinning.
“Perfect.”
I peeked in the mirror and fingered the jewelry.
“It’s beautiful,” I breathed out.
“It is,” she agreed, reaching for the second box. “However, a princess isn’t complete without her crown.”
I stared in wonder as she pulled out a delicate, silver crown with tiny emeralds and diamonds in it. Gently, she placed it on my head. I gazed at myself in the mirror in utter shock. This couldn’t be me. This couldn’t be my life. I wasn’t this girl standing in front of the mirror.
“You’re gorgeous,” she whispered. “Know that. Own it. It is yours.”
I nodded and turned to her. “I’m afraid.”
“There isn’t anything to fear, I promise. Now, come. Your father and brother are already at the ball.”
“It started already?” I asked, surprised. I hadn’t realized it was that late.
“Yes.” She smiled. “We have hundreds of guests waiting for us. We’re fashionably late as they say in the Earth Realm.”
“Marisole, ladies? You’ll be joining us, right?” I asked, turning back to the women who’d made me look like royalty. They nodded, and I smiled shakily.
Brena walked behind my mother and me when we left the room, making sure to give us enough space to talk amongst ourselves. We descended numerous stairs to the main floor where the ballroom was located. Brena gave me a reassuring smile before disappearing down the hall toward another of the ballroom’s entrances.
“Take a deep breath,” my mother instructed. “We’ll be announced, me first, followed by you. You simply walk into the room, smile, and go to your brother’s side. He’ll take care of everything else and help you the rest of the way.”
“That’s it?” I asked, taking in a deep breath.
“That’s it. We’re very proud of you, Analia. Tonight is a big night.”