Love.
Love…
Suddenly very aware of Roann’s last words to her, “Let me love you…”, she pulled the blankets aside and was relieved to see that she still wore her trousers. Taking a moment to ensure she hadn’t been assaulted, she finally brought her knees to her chest as she blew out a long breath and took in her surroundings.
The room was large and inviting. Beautiful tandlewood paneling adorned the walls. The furniture was well-made, the bedposts and dressers crafted from the same material. Grand windows flanked by draperies took up the entire far wall, one of the balcony doors cracked slightly to allow a wisp of fresh air into the chamber. A large wooden wardrobe sat in the corner, a full-length mirror resting beside it.
She was in Roann’s bedroom, no doubt. Where he was, she had no idea. Deciding that she couldn’t be expected to not snoop around, Kaia slid out of the bed, wincing as her bare feet hit the cool wood floor. Locating her boots by the bureau, she put them on before beginning her reconnaissance. She made quick work of the window shears, throwing them open to let the morning light into the room.
Kaia began at the door, tugging on the ornate knob with slight hope. She figured Roann wouldn’t be so stupid as to leave the bolt unlocked, and she was correct. It was fastened tight, and no amount of jiggling would get it to open. She bent down and peered through the keyhole, unable to see anything in the adjacent room. Shrugging her shoulders, she kept moving.
The mirror in the corner caught her eye, and she saw her reflection for the first time in ages. She scowled at her tangled, mussed hair, and dingy clothes. Yes, she washed her linens in rivers and community washbasins in the hamlets they stayed in, but it was a far cry from a good scrubbing with soap. Certainly not befitting of a princess for sure—but she wasn’t a princess any longer. She was warrior, nothing more. She moved closer to inspect her face, the red mark on her cheek glaring at her. The small cut from Roann’s ring had healed overnight, a scab sticking to her skin. Her cheek was still slightly swollen from the impact. Rubbing the angry area gently, she hoped it wouldn’t leave a scar. She had enough already.
Deciding to pry, she opened the wardrobe beside the mirror. Men’s clothes hung within: doublets and vests, pants folded neatly on the shelving. A few worn cotton shirts, hardly befitting of an emperor, peeked out of a cracked drawer. The light scent she recognized from Roann’s uncomfortable closeness the previous night tickled her nose. Closing the cupboard, her eyes rested on a glittering pink gem sitting on the top of a dresser. She immediately recognized it.
Taking a peek back to the door to make sure she was still alone before picking it up, Kaia held the witching stone in her hands. Even in the marginal morning sunlight of the room, it shimmered from the inside out. Kaia thought to the almost identical stone nestled in the wagon, cradled in a small, unassuming box within their food stores. A shiver ran down her spine as she tilted the gem to get a better look at it. If he had one of these…
Kaia was suddenly struck by a horrifying epiphany.
She was holding in her hands that which had corrupted Roann. It had to be what Lyrax used to gain control of him. More than likely, it had been a staple of the young man’s life in his early, formative years. A way for Lyrax to connect without being seen, without being heard. With his young mind perverted by promises of power, Roann never stood a chance against the necromancer. Rebellion wasn’t an option, because Lyrax made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Of course, this was pure speculation on Kaia’s part, but standing there with the gem in her hands, she couldn’t think of any other explanation. She set it back on its velvet pedestal, careful to ensure it looked as if it hadn’t been touched. Walking past the wardrobe and dressers, she spied an open door, no light emanating from the small room behind it. She pushed it open, letting in the light from the open drapes, to reveal a modest bathroom, complete with a porcelain claw-foot tub. Kaia, absentmindedly scratching her dry skin, briefly contemplated taking advantage of Roann’s “hospitality” by using his bath. She ultimately decided against it, not wanting to be caught in a compromising position by her captor. All she needed was to give the bastard the wrong idea.
She rounded the bed before moving past a plush chair and small table. An oil lamp and a stack of books sat on top, a leather bookmark poking out of the topmost tome. Kaia leafed through it, purposely moving Roann’s bookmark to a different section. A historical reference book about economic strife of centuries past, she rolled her eyes at the dull content.
Kaia finally ended up back at the windows, and decided to explore the balcony. As soon as she left the bedroom, the wind whipped past her face, blowing her hair around in a tangled nest. She grabbed it by the handfuls and tied it in a loose knot at the nape of her neck. The breeze was chilly, reminding her that even though the sun was shining and Keld was in a warmer climate, it was still winter. A glass table and a few chairs sat well-used on the veranda, a tea cup and saucer left haphazardly behind—no servants to remove it after use. The soldier walked forward, bringing herself closer to the railing with each step. The breeze continued, lifting the sickening stench of decay up from below. She stopped, not wanting to witness the horrors of the promenade underneath.
“Beautiful view, isn’t it?”
Kaia whirled around to find Roann, toting a cart laden with breakfast foods. Her fists clenched at her sides out of instinct. He wheeled the cart closer, stopping at the table. With a smile, he moved toward her, Kaia inching backwards away from him with each of his steps. He looked at her with confusion.
“Something wrong?”
She stared at him with a blank expression, wondering if he was really that stupid—or just didn’t care.
“Cold? Would you like a jacket?” When she didn’t respond, he continued, knowingly. “Ahhh, it’s about last night, isn’t it?”
“You got want you wanted, why am I still up here?”
“You’re really determined to get into that dungeon, aren’t you? If you’re worried about your friends, I can assure you they’re just fine. Crabby, but fine.” Roann moved back to the table, motioning for her to follow. “Join me?”
Kaia peered over the balcony at the open-air mass grave below them. “How can you eat when your people lay decaying down there?”
“They made the ultimate sacrifice for me, Kaia.”
She scowled, crossing her arms over her chest. “You didn’t give them a choice.”
Roann huffed and rolled his eyes. “I really don’t want to get angry with you. You have no idea what you’re talking about. You will—in time—but for right now I think we could both use a little breakfast. Morning crankiness is soothed by a cup of coffee and a fruit tart, wouldn’t you agree?”
“I’m not hungry.” At that exact moment, Kaia’s stomach betrayed her, grumbling loudly.
Roann raised an eyebrow at the growling. “Starving yourself won’t help your situation. Allow me to be a gracious host.”
“Why, so you can stab me again? You have a funny way of showing your hospitality.”
“Then allow me to make up for my misgivings.” He pulled out a chair for her and waited, a hopeful smile crossing his lips. “Please?”
Kaia blew out a long breath and begrudgingly accepted his invitation. She was hungry. She also figured if she played nice, she may be able to get valuable information from the emperor about her friends and Lyrax’ plan. If it meant feigning politeness and turning on some female charm to get what she wanted, so be it. The soldier sat, allowing Roann to ease her chair closer to the table. He rounded the cart and placed a few trays of fruit and cured meats on the tabletop. A basket of sweetened bread joined the rest of the foodstuffs as he sat.
“Juice?” He poured the amber liquid into a glass for his guest.
“How’d you manage such a spread when everyone in Keld is either rotting in the square or a mindless ghoul?”
Roann laughed, his smile wide and perfect. “Contrary to popular belief, just because I’m royalty doesn’t
mean I can’t take care of myself.”
“You did this?”
Roann nodded his head and put a spoonful of scrambled eggs on her plate. Kaia immediately pushed it away with a grimace. Mildly offended, Roann slid it back toward her, adding a slice of melon to the bounty. “There are no sinister motives at work here. I’m not going to poison you. I’ll even eat first, if it’ll squelch your fears.”
He seductively brought a slice of fruit to his lips, teeth slowly sinking into the soft, orange flesh. His eyes, back to their original emerald hue, never broke contact with her own. He set the melon down on his plate, waited a minute before checking his pulse, and smiled. “I’m still alive. Now won’t you do us both a favor and eat before you pass out? I know you must be famished, and I’m fairly certain you haven’t eaten off of a proper breakfast set in an eternity.”
With her stomach growling again, she relented and sprinkled a bit of pepper on her eggs before lifting a forkful to her mouth.
“Good girl. I can’t have you keeling over on me, you’re too important.”
The soldier said nothing, turning her attention to the Keld skyline. A grand spire rose from across the city, the sunlight glaring off of the small metallic inclusions in the rock. From her vantage point, she could see vast gardens, the the last of the winter blossoms of thousands of flowers peppering every vine. Purposely not looking to the promenade directly below them, she let her eyes wander across the rest of the metropolis, staring at the buildings and fountains, now empty and dry. She wondered where Ryris’ shop was. A wistful wave washed over her, and she thought that in another time, in a different situation, she would have very much liked to have seen Keld alive. Roann’s voice broke her reverie.
“Tell me about your father’s kingdom.”
“I’m sure your master could enlighten you about anything you wanted to know.” Kaia continued to stare out at the city. “Does he know you’re fraternizing with the enemy?”
“I don’t answer to him.”
She finally turned to look at him, a skeptical expression crossing her face. “Funny, it seems to me that you do.”
Roann took a sip of his coffee. “You’re awful sure of yourself. There are a lot of men who would feel threatened by your assertiveness.”
“Don’t pretend to know anything about me.” She set her fork down and leaned back in her chair. “We’re not here as friends, remember? You took us prisoner. I don’t know what you have in store, but I’d appreciate if you’d cut the act and tell me what’s going to happen.”
The emperor threw his head back and laughed. After a moment to catch his breath, he wiped a finger under his eye and finally turned his attention back to his guest. “It’s a pity that alchemist didn’t wake you up sooner. My mother was always trying to find me a wife—and it seems like the perfect woman has fallen directly into my lap.”
“Keep dreaming. There’s no way I’d ever marry you.”
“My feelings are hurt, dear. You can’t say that you don’t find me even a little bit interesting—or attractive.”
Kaia’s cheeks flushed. She was sitting here with an insane emperor, controlled by a lunatic necromancer brought back to life by his own powers, and yet she found herself fighting his captivating allure. He was handsome, yes, and in another time she may have been attracted to him. But her heart belonged to another—and no amount of prodding would ever change that fact.
“You’ve yet to realize your potential. At my side, you can be part of history—for a second time. Granted, the first time your name crossed the time currents it was for naught. But now…” He reached across the table and took her hand in his own. Squeezing tightly, there was no way for Kaia to wrench her fingers from his grip. “…you have a chance to witness more than history. You’re a part of this whether you like it or not, so why fight it? Why ally with Bren and those idiots? You deserve so much better.”
“So you said last night.” Kaia wiggled her hand away from him. “Nothing you can say will sway me, Roann. You’re the enemy, and I’ll do everything in my power to take you down.”
He narrowed his eyes seductively. “We’ll see how you feel about that later.” Roann arched his back and stretched his shoulders, eliciting a sharp pop. “I trust you slept well? I must admit, the couch in my den isn’t very comfortable. But, I couldn’t let you get your beauty sleep on a sofa, now could I?”
“Opulence isn’t my forte.”
“My life is far from opulent. I’ve always prided myself as being a monarch of the people. I never shied away from city life, good honest work, and the simple things Keld had to offer. Just because I was born into royalty, doesn’t mean I had to surround myself with diamonds and gold.”
“I guess that’s the only thing your parents taught you.”
“On the contrary. My father instilled in me the confidence to be a great ruler. When I was thrust into this position before most young people have even decided what they want to be ‘when they grow up’, I knew I had to make a name for myself. And I did—as I shall continue to do.”
“Your sense of duty is severely skewed.”
Roann huffed in annoyance, his eyebrows furrowing. “I don’t want our relationship to be like this.”
“Relationship? There’s nothing more here than a warden trying to get something from his prisoner. You can’t butter me up with meals and comfort. I gave you what you wanted, you should be proud of yourself that you got it out of me at all.”
The emperor stared at her. “You know, cooperation is your best ally right now. You may think you can smart off to me, push my buttons because I like you. And yes, I do like you—and I admittedly find you very attractive. But Lyrax…” Roann leaned forward and commanded her attention. “…he’ll kill you without a second thought. I’m the one keeping you—and your friends—alive right now. You’d be wise not to cross me.”
The sudden seriousness in his voice, the way his eyes bore directly into her soul—Kaia knew he was telling the truth. She had to remind herself, sitting here eating off of fine china on the balcony of a palace, that she was still a prisoner. The man sitting across from her might be charming, but he was her enemy and held her life in his hands. Whatever he was trying to do, whatever he hoped to accomplish, she would be wise to allow him his druthers and play along. Making him angry was only going to make her situation much worse. She thought to her friends, somewhere in the bowels of the castle, and hoped they were alright.
“I’d like to change the subject, if I may. I don’t want to squabble anymore; it’s not good for either of us.” Roann pointed to her face. “If you don’t mind me asking, where’d you get your scar?”
“Which one? I have two now, remember?” Kaia’s inner sass came roaring back. Obviously, she would have a harder time controlling herself than originally thought.
Roann’s eyes softened as he put on an apologetic air. “I am sorry for that. Marring that beautiful face of yours was a mistake. Chalk it up to the heat of the moment. You must admit, you forced my hand—quite literally.”
“That’s pretty low, blaming the victim for the abuse. The decision to strike me was yours alone.” She narrowed her eyes. “Your mother must be horrified to see what her son has become—or did you kill her too?”
“My mother is very much alive and well.”
Kaia’s thoughts went to the empress for a second, as she sighed internally with relief. Although they had obviously never met, she felt a twinge of sadness for the woman who had inadvertently given birth to the bane of the planet.
“You’d like her, my mother. She’s a kind soul, but has fire in her breath, if you catch my meaning. You and she are very much alike in many ways, although she’d never lift a weapon.” He smiled warmly. “And she’d most definitely like you. A strong woman, she always said, was needed for a strong man like her son.”
Kaia had several biting responses, all at Roann’s expense, waiting in the wings of her brain, but decided not to engage any further. They sat quietly, Roann periodically ca
sting his glance over his city. She wondered if he would talk again, of if he had grown bored with her antics. After all, she hadn’t been very polite to him—something she was quite proud of. But, she wanted more information out of him, and decided to pry a little. She really wanted to know about the witching stone and how it came to be in his possession, but quickly decided against asking such a thing. Kaia didn’t want him to become suspicious that she even knew the gem was significant, or that she knew its purpose. She wracked her brain for something to present him with, something he couldn’t—in his arrogance—deny her an answer to. Kaia knew she had to word her query carefully, to maximize his interest and force him to respond. Perhaps, in a way, he’d admit to the significance of the gem in his bedroom all on his own.
“May I ask you a question?”
Roann’s eyes perked in surprise, and he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “By all means!”
“I’m curious as to how you knew where we were. It couldn’t have been just dumb luck to come across our party.”
“Since you’re being polite again, I’ll be glad to share.” Roann stood up and moved around the table, taking a seat right next to Kaia. He draped his arm over the back of his chair and relaxed in the sunlight, the rays bouncing off of his golden locks. “I dreamt about you. About that little alchemist and his massive friend, and that arrogant soldier that blindly follows you. I saw your beautiful face in the mists and knew you were the key to unlocking all the mysteries that plagued me.”
“How poetic.”
“Indeed.” The emperor smiled, lust in his eyes. “Can I tell you a secret?”
“Please do.”
“Some of my dreams actually come true. They have since I was a child, for as long as I can remember. And I’m not talking about what I’ve wished for over the years, or what I hope will happen when I least expect it. No, I’m talking about actual dreams. I see things in my head, and they come true, as simple as that.”
The Alchemist: Dawn of Destiny Page 47
