Revelation

by Kealohilani

  Tierza let out a squeak of approval and clapped her hands quickly three times, before clasping them in front of her bright smile, as her handsome man came forward. He grinned at the attention— and because he knew he looked good.

  “Thank you so much!” Kendra exclaimed. “This dress is stunning!”

  “Think nothing of it, dear. I was all too happy to help.”

  “This outfit is pretty cool too,” Raoul decided. “Thanks!”

  “Again, it was no trouble at all.”

  “I would also like to thank you, Tierza. You’re the best,” Justin added, with his deeper voice and a charming smile.

  Tierza blushed in response to Justin’s praise. She avoided looking at him directly as a small smile curved her pink lips.

  Drakne rolled his eyes. How had this adventure turned into a blasted fashion show?! They were all such vacuous oxygen thieves! The prancing! The flirting! The blushing! How had any of these rebels even gotten this far?

  Arante returned— her posture perfectly straight, a proud expression on her face, and a knowing look in her eyes. She strode over to Raoul, gave him a cursory glance, and executed an abrupt about-face next to him— looking expectantly in the direction from which she had just come.

  A quiet moment passed in which everyone looked at Arante with questioning expressions. One or two more seconds went by until, finally, Erik came into view— walking tall, with a smug yet serious look on his face.

  Erik’s outfit was exactly the same as Justin’s— but, it looked as though Arante had gotten it tailored to fit Erik perfectly. Her proud smile widened as she saw the result of her purchases. Her eye for size never failed her.

  And, for a touch of flair she had given him a golden chain to wear around his neck. She had also purchased a new sword and scabbard.

  Erik marched over to her with a cocky strut, seized her by the waist, and kissed her quickly— imagining himself as a dashing pirate who had jumped right out of a romantic movie. As his lips left hers, he still kept hold of her waist with one arm and stared intently into her eyes.

  A thousand snarky comments raced through Justin’s brain all at once and he opened his mouth to unleash them. But, just as suddenly, he closed his mouth and let the remarks fall into the pit of his stomach— as he realized Tierza was standing right beside him. He diverted his full attention back to her and smiled widely as she carefully straightened the collar of his shirt.

  Once again, Drakne had to resist the urge to set someone on fire. He nearly lost the battle with himself— deciding that Erik would be the least missed of the group— when he noticed a sudden stillness amongst the rebels.

  Raoul’s mouth fell open and all heads turned as Lani walked back towards them with shy steps and a nervous smile. Her gaze remained just to the side of anyone who was looking at her as she tried to quickly and discreetly rejoin the group.

  Arante beamed even more brightly as she surveyed the stunned looks on the faces of all around her. Raoul continued to stare and quickly realized— along with everyone else— that Arante clearly had an agenda beyond fashion.

  “Wow. Good job, Arante,” Raoul whispered. “Way to make Jharate feel like the moron that he is!”

  “That’s the plan,” Arante replied quietly with a wink.

  Lani took in a deep breath and held it as she took the last few steps toward her friends. Being in the spotlight always felt uncomfortable to her— especially in smaller groups like this.

  She tried to push the fact that all eyes were still on her from her mind as she looked at Arante with a grateful smile. She had already thanked Arante before they returned to the group, but it just didn’t seem like enough.

  Arante nodded as if to say that Lani didn’t need to say anything more. Lani had an intuitive feeling that Arante would rather she didn’t say anything in front of everyone else. But she mouthed a “Thank you” to her anyway and smiled again.

  Lani couldn’t help but love the spectacular royal-purple one-piece dress that Arante had given her— despite all the current attention it had brought. She had gasped aloud the moment she had seen it. From the instant she put it on, she constantly had to fight the urge to sway her hips back and forth just to feel it move.

  The small smocked short sleeves that were gathered with metallic gold thread covered her shoulders and went about an inch farther onto her arm, which suited Lani’s sense of modesty. It also had an attractive yet comfortably-shallow V-neck, with a one-inch slit at the center. The whole neckline was trimmed with gold embroidery about a half inch wide.

  Lani couldn’t believe how perfectly the dress fit her and how it accentuated her small waist and curvy hips. It had always been difficult for her to find dresses that fit her due to the fact that she had a skinny little waist and a curvaceous behind. If a dress fit her hips it was too big around her waist— and if it fit her waist she usually couldn’t get it down around her hips.

  How did Arante even find this dress? Only a fairy godmother could have created it!

  The same smocking that was on the sleeves was used around the middle to evoke a corset-like effect from her waist to just below her bust line. This faux corset came to a point in the center at the bottom.

  A delicate, sheer, very-dark-purple triangular scarf was tied around her waist. Hundreds of tiny gold beads covered each and every strand of the fringe to help it hang just so. The beads glimmered with every move she made.

  Just below her hips the fabric of the dress exploded into an extraordinarily full silk skirt that followed her every move. The bottom of the dress had a one-inch decorative metallic gold line that wrapped around the entire skirt and shimmered in the light, as it showcased her ankles.

  Arante had not forgotten to accessorize Lani either. Nor had she forgotten that hair is a big part of pulling off a look. She had bought Lani a darling purple brush with inlaid gold to match the outfit.

  This brush was the best brush that Lani had ever owned— it made her naturally straight hair almost as silky smooth as the Pure of Heart Sanctuary had made it. Arante backcombed Lani’s hair to get a little volume in order to set off the headband that held Lani’s hair back from her face.

  The headband was made of golden vines with delicate gold leaves— and gold flowers that had tiny purple crystals in their centers. The halo effect made her blue eyes sparkle even more.

  But Arante had not stopped there. A thick gold bracelet adorned Lani’s upper arm and a set of gold bangles graced the wrist of her opposite hand. A stunning gold necklace with a thin chain and an artistic pendant rested just above her very modest cleavage.

  The pendant had a symbol that caught Lani’s eye when she had pulled it out of the bag. Gold filigree twisted around a purple stone to form an upside down heart inside of an upright one. She recognized it instantly from the mark she had described on the doorknob in the first chapter of her book.

  Arante had also selected clip-on earrings with teardrop-shaped amethysts, about the size of dimes, set into gold filigree settings, as well as two matching anklets for Lani.

  Apparently the anklets were meant to wear on both ankles at once. Amethyst pendants hung from delicate gold chains, dead center so that the bottom of the pendants nearly reached the base of Lani’s toes. They had a nice weight and a coolness that felt good against her skin— but the weight was also practical for helping the pendants stay in the right place.

  Lani marveled that any shoe could be this comfortable and durable, while simultaneously being so aesthetically pleasing and light. The sandals Arante had chosen were made out of the softest leather that Lani had ever felt. She couldn’t even feel the ground. It was like walking on pillows. They were a natural brown, with purple and gold intricate beadwork to match the dress.

  Lani couldn’t help smiling. But at the same time she felt a little uncomfortable with how much Arante had done. She figured that the outfit must have cost a fortune. Jharate and Arante must have possessed a mind-blowing amount of money before the fall of their kingdom, if they
still had this much to spare on one outfit— contest or no.

  Regardless— she worked hard to ensure that her slight discomfort at the grandness of the gift did not come across. That was her problem— not Arante’s.

  The last thing she wanted to appear to be, was ungrateful. Lani had always felt that it was a shame when anyone was made to feel awkward or bad because they were willing to share their abundance. She certainly felt nothing but positive feelings toward Arante for this act of generosity and sweetness.

  And— beyond the cost— she was even more blown away with Arante’s taste and skill. If I ever do marry Jharate— which she was no longer planning on, but just in case, by some miracle, it happened— I will definitely ask Arante to plan the details!

  Though Lani never looked at Jharate— Arante did. She had been watching closely. Jharate hadn’t taken his eyes off of Lani since she had come into view. His eyes had widened and followed her every step.

  Alas, the moment faded and he diverted his eyes to the ground. Arante sighed and shook her head slightly as she looked away. But her frown quickly turned upside down as a grin spread across her face when she saw Tierza.

  Tierza’s lips were shut tightly in an unhappy pout and a frustrated sigh escaped through her nose as she breathed out sharply. She turned to Arante with a civil smile on her face.

  “It seems you have some talent when it comes to fashion after all.”

  “More than you do— that’s for sure,” Arante muttered under her breath.

  Only Erik heard her and he laughed. He felt a burning pride within him for his sweetheart and he punctuated that pride with a sweet kiss. “Mmmm,” Arante purred, happily, as she kissed him back.

  “Could you two please knock that off?” Justin asked, irritably.

  “No,” Erik shot back— and he kissed Arante longer.

  “Oh brother! Sorry I said anything.”

  “Okay people, now that we’re all dressed properly, maybe we should get back on track and head for Zenastra,” Kendra began, hoping her interruption would stop Erik and Arante’s current kissing session. “We can’t just sit here and wait for Drakne and his army to catch up with us. So we should leave now— after I get my earrings.”

  Drakne smirked. It was priceless that he was there right next to them. But he was also smiling for another reason.

  He had always prized things of beauty and had noticed Lani’s from the beginning. And the fact that she had just become even more beautiful impressed him— increasing his appreciation of this trait in her.

  It was a shame that so much beauty was going to come to nothing. On the other hand— if she were the Half-Heart his master was seeking, the magic preservation would ensure that her beauty could be worshipped for centuries after her death. So perhaps it would not be a complete loss.

  “Yes, we should leave,” Tierza agreed. “We know a good man here in the Gypsy Kingdom. He lives in this very town. We should stay with him for the night. Come, I will lead you there.”

  “I bet she will,” Arante said, once again quiet enough that only Erik could hear her. She returned her voice to its normal volume, with a tone dripping in defiant challenge. “I’m sorry— but why would you think anyone in this kingdom is trustworthy? Haven’t you ever been to Zenastra before?”

  “The Elven Kingdom lies within Zenastra’s borders. I live in Zenastra.”

  “I know that! You prattle on and on about how connected you are here— so even the people from Earth can’t have missed that fact. And of course I know the Elven Kingdom lies within Zenastra’s borders! But the point I am making is— the fact that you think you can trust anyone here makes me think that maybe you’re as gullible as you are useless!”

  “Arante!” Jharate warned.

  “And what do you— Princess of Trisakne— think you know of Zenastra?” Tierza snapped back.

  “My parents were ambassadors to Zenastra long before it fell. I know quite a bit about their history and culture— probably more than you do since you elves only care about yourselves!”

  “Arante!” Jharate growled, but she did not stop.

  “Zenastra was never known for being the exemplification of virtue even before Vranah conquered it! And Vranah has ruled it for nearly ten years! Do you really think Zenastra’s moral compass has improved?”

  “You insolent girl!” Tierza raged.

  “That’s insolent Lieutenant General to you!”

  “ENOUGH!” Jharate roared.

  Arante finally stopped. Although, if there was one ounce of penitence in her heart, it surely wasn’t visible.

  “We will be happy to trust your judgement, High Priestess Tierza,” Jharate replied. “Please forgive the insults of my cousin and accept my apology on behalf of my kingdom. Princess Arante means well.”

  “I’m sure,” Tierza replied, shortly.

  “Tierza, Princess Arante does have a point,” Laern began in a hushed tone so as not to be overheard. “Those in this town who have proven trustworthy for us may not prove trustworthy for those in this party. Prince Jharate is one of the most wanted fugitives in Alamea.”

  “Nonsense. Our man can be trusted.”

  “I believe that as well. However, can everyone in his household be equally trusted? Are we certain there are none who could become traitors in his midst?”

  “It’s only for one night. You and I can watch out for any danger. And then Arante will realize just how wrong she is.”

  “Very well,” Laern yielded. “I will support you in this.”

  “Thank you, brother.”

  “You’re going to get us all killed!” Arante whisper-yelled into Jharate’s ear. She turned her back on him and didn’t give him a chance to respond. “Blasted hitchhiking elves!” she muttered under her breath— once again only heard by Erik, who put his arm around her sympathetically.

  The rebels and the Earth friends looked conflicted. They all knew and trusted Arante far more than they trusted Tierza. And, all except for Justin, liked Arante more than they liked Tierza as well. But Jharate was their leader.

  “No one will even look at us twice,” Tierza assured, as if reading the crowd’s minds. “Not if you all assume an air of confidence and power. They will simply believe you are wealthy traders— traveling with their servants— coming with us to negotiate with a head of state.”

  Jaresh and several of the others narrowed their eyes but remained silent.

  “Yes, Tierza— because no one will recognize Jharate,” Arante muttered sarcastically.

  “Arante…” Jharate chided.

  “I know, I know… But you know I’m right,” Arante gave up.

  Lani sighed quietly in frustration. She still really disliked Tierza— and Arante was brilliant and had a point as far as Lani could tell. However, Lani did have a feeling that Tierza could be trusted. And Tierza seemed to know what she was talking about.

  Lani only hoped that Tierza was right— that Jharate would not be endangered, along with everyone else— and that they could all blend in as they should.

  As Fate Would Have It

  Lani drew in a surprised breath as they passed through the open-air market on the way to the home of the man that Tierza had spoken of. Lani correctly guessed that this had to be where Arante and Tierza had purchased their new clothing. Even though the bazaar was partially dismantled— as it was in the process of closing down for the night— it was still enchanting.

  Fascinating objects lined every shelf and filled every corner of every shop and every stand. Shiny jewelry. Elaborate handmade bags. Dresses that astonished the eyes.

  And the food! The smell was mouth-watering! Lani wished that she had both money and time. This place was a glorious world of its own. Perhaps someday, if circumstances ever changed, she would return.

  They reached their destination just before sunset. When Lani had heard Tierza utter the words “Gypsy Kingdom,” she had imagined nomads like the typical gypsies on Earth. She couldn’t have been more wrong.

  The lar
ge three-story château was set into an enchanting landscape. Its sandstone walls framed elegant French doors, arched French windows, and ornate wrought iron balconies on the second and third floors— which dripped with deep burgundy bougainvillea and greyish green Spanish moss.

  Tierza strode up the five, wide, rounded, tiered marble steps to the arched front door, which was elaborately decorated with wrought iron. She lifted and dropped the golden lion-head knocker.

  The massive door opened immediately. Lani’s lips unconsciously parted as the corners turned up slightly. She felt as if her breath had been stolen from her.

  There, in the doorway, stood a young man in his mid-twenties. He was six foot two, with wavy black hair and green eyes. His rich brown skin contrasted with a flawlessly white smile that could melt ice.

  Form-fitting black pants— with intricate scrolling golden embroidery running down the sides— disappeared into his spotless black leather cuffed knee dress boots. A white ruffled shirt with an open V-neck revealed part of his muscly bare brown chest and billowing long sleeves extended to his wrists.

  Around his waist was a burgundy sash— tied on his right side— that fell to his knees. The sash was edged with the same intricate golden embroidery.

  Their eyes met and locked. The man did not seem to hear Tierza talking to him— nor did he acknowledge her. He stepped down the steps directly to Lani and took her right hand with both of his. He kissed it slowly— his warm breath somehow lingering even after his lips had withdrawn.

  “You are welcome here, my lady,” he declared with an alluring accent, which sounded Spanish to Lani.

  Lani felt her chest rise up and fall quickly. She carefully slowed her breathing, but it was difficult. The way his hands held hers was both passionate and gentle— and his left index finger stroked the inside of her wrist, almost imperceptibly. Shivers rushed up her arm to her neck.

  “My name is Rezarahn. My father was King of this land— before it fell— and I am his only heir. And you, beautiful lady?” Rezarahn kissed her hand once more.