“How do you know?” She asks.
My smile widens. “I just do.” I turn my gaze to her while reaching across the table taking her hand in mine. “Do you feel me? I mean feel what’s inside me? My emotions?”
“I try not to.” She confesses.
“Shadowen, allow your magic to reach to me. It’s all right for you to touch my feelings and hold them to yourself. It’s all right to touch others to know what they feel. Its helpful so you know how to react to them. It’s also all right for you to block someone from feeling you, but… I am your consort and I should know what you are feeling all the time and you should know what I am feeling all the time. Once we are coupled… this will flow easy through us.”
Her fingers gently trace along mine then she says very quietly, “Father said you were furious that he made you give up all six of your consorts for me. He also says that you will find me lacking and will take them all back once you bed me.” She gently continues tracing her fingertips on my palm. She further shocks me. How she can just continue to pull this shocking revelations to me and sound so calm about it is besides me. “I do not want that to happen… if it does then I don’t want to know its coming. I don’t want to feel your disappointment in me.”
“That’s not going to happen.” I say without question. “Trust me. And for the record, I was delighted to release them because it meant I would have you and you are all I want. If you don’t believe me, you can ask them.”
She smiles at me now and I can see this special light in her eyes and just as quickly as I see it I watch it fade as she says, “He says you will hurt me much more than he…” I feel the pit of my stomach lurch when I see her rub the inside of her arm as if remembering or thinking about it. I can’t read her thoughts but I do feel her emotions. Something inside me tells me that each time he cut her also was when he bedded her. I could perhaps count the times on her arm and right now I know there were at least a dozen marks.
I take a long slow breath and I know she feels my emotions. She finally says, “But he is wrong. You don’t want to hurt me; I can at least feel that much.”
“I defiantly do not want to hurt you.” I say standing up and reaching for her to come into my arms. I look down into her face. “I didn’t expect you to come into your magic so early and I’m sorry I wasn’t really prepared for you, but I would have taken you to me the moment we met had I known what he would do. I'm sorry I didn't know. I'm sorry because I should have known about your magic. I felt it when you were so young. I just never thought you could hide it so well.” I gently stroke my fingers along her face. “Shadowen, I love you so much and my heart has only just begun to beat the moment I met you.” I sigh as my fingers caress the soft black strands of her hair. “You do understand what it means to be a consort?”
“I know it means you will help me with my magic but I am unsure exactly about the rest.” She says quietly.
“Yes as your consort I am to help you with your magic. I will help you until you are able to control the burning and accept it fully. But I’m not sure why you are having such problems with the burning and the fevers if you’ve always had magic. I also don’t even know what to think about when it comes to you forcing the reckoning. I’ve never heard of such.”
“I heard a voice tell me to call for it.” She looks down but I pull her chin back up and she looks once again in my eyes. “I knew what he was going to do that night.”
“Phantom?” I ask while brushing my thumb along her cheek.
“Yes.”
“To you?” I whisper to her, but I already know.
“He would bed me and make me bleed but then he was going to use my blood for very bad things. Very bad things.” she confesses and I actually feel her stark emotion.
I stroke along her hair and then she says, “This voice told me to call for my reckoning so I did and then it said, 'Reis will come. He is your consort and will take care of you.'” She looks up into my face and I see the worry in her eyes. “Reis, Father would never let me go with you. I know this. But I decided to trust the voice.” She leans into me pressing her head against my chest. “Oh Reis… I don’t understand it either, but sometimes it’s so painful and I have such strange feelings inside with it.”
I kiss the top of her head. “Shadowen, you are a very incredible and I must add incredibly beautiful but right now I don’t care or understand it at all. The only thing I do know is I'm not going to get you halfway.” She gazes up at me and I see even more worry touch her eyes. “Oh Shadowen, you are my consort and half way is just not enough, it will never be enough. I promise you, I will get you all the way. No matter how long it takes.” Right now my heart is pounding in my chest. I want her so much and I know in a few years this love I have for her will explode into more than just love.
She tilts her head away then back to me and a soft smile touches the corners of her lips. I stare at her in simple awe. She is my consort and I've waited such a long time for her. Then straight out of nowhere she says, “The messenger is here.” I reach out with my magic and feel nothing and then a second later I feel his approach. I gaze at my consort and I realize she is going to make a great assassin.
Shadowen slips up to her room and dresses while I deal with the messenger. Sure enough it's a summons to the Royal Court. I sit in my study reading over the parchment. It seems Shade’s message is correct. Essence has requested the Magistrate to intervene. I see Shadowen shift into my study and once again I am in wonderment with her adeptness.
She is dressed so beautifully in a long dark gray gown with delicate black lace gloves and veil. It is a formal traveling veil that is worn by those of the Royal House. Her eyes are covered with gauze so she can see out but her eyes cannot be seen. The rest of her face is shadowed with lace. I slip my gloves on and veil and I help her into her cloak and she turns back to me with her arms slipping around my waist. Her voice is soft. “I always feel more secure and relaxed when I touch you. When I am not touching you I feel panic inside of me, why is that?”
“Because you are truly my consort. Your magic and body needs me as I need you. It’s not desire as in bedding, but contact with each others body helps our magic converge. Our magic is merging on so many levels and when we part it’s difficult for us. But not impossible to be apart, and if needed our bond can be broken.”
“You will not break this bond, will you?” she asks and once again her fear is in her voice but I cannot feel it from her emotions.
“I will never break this bond.” I answer truthfully.
“Then neither shall I.” She says firmly and she once again warms my heart.
Nine
I decide or rather Shadowen and I both decide to walk to the Royal Court to speak with the Royal Magistrate. It's best we do not let anyone know she can part shadows and to be honest I am glad we have come this way. Holding her hand in mine as we walk is very nice. The Royal Court is huge and I see her lift her head taking in it's massive size. “Have you ever been here?” I ask.
“No, but it feels like I have.” she whispers.
We step through the large archway and Shadowen leans slightly into me. She glances up and then stops. “What’s wrong?” I ask.
“Father is in there and so is mother.” She gestures just up ahead.
“It’s all right little one.” I try to reassure her.
“No it’s not, they are not alone. There is a conjurer with them and there is…” She becomes silent and leans further back into me and I realize she is truly frightened. I reach out gently with my magic, not to disturb them but just to see what the threat is. Assassins.
I slip my arms around Shadowen pulling her closer to me. “Little one, we will have to part shadows but I will part it and you will hold on. This way they will not know you are capable of doing it and they will think you tagged along with me.” I turn her so she is facing me. “Lean into me… that’s it. Now hold my hand. We will part a shadow in the upper chambers, bypassing everyone below.” I smile down at her and s
he snuggles in close.
I part the shadow and we step together. Immediately shadows surround us and feel them touching and caressing her. It’s not the normal touch I feel when I’m parting them. This is more intensive and I find it very disturbing. We step through one more and I feel the shadows caressing her in a way that shocks me. I’m further shocked to feel my little consort respond to their touch in an unexpected way that not only ignites jealousy inside me it fuels it inside my blood. I release her hand and tip her chin up to me. “Do they always touch you in this way?” I ask.
She nods then leans back into me whispering very soft so as not to be heard by anyone but me, “It makes them feel better.”
“I don’t like it.” I confess. “It makes me… jealous.”
“Why would their touch make you jealous? You want them to touch you like that?” She asks so innocently.
“Oh my sweet Shadowen, no.”
“No?” I’m pleased she doesn’t actually understand.
“I do not like them touching you in ways that I want to some day.” I feel her happiness at my confession and realize that she likes me jealous. I lean over and kiss the tip of her veiled nose saying sweetly, “I do not think it wise for me to be expressing this emotion right now. So please do not encourage me.”
She quickly turns back around and now she is backing up into me. I feel exactly what it is she does. Phantom is moving down below, he feels our presence and he’s very unhappy we shifted in avoiding him, thus preventing his conjurer friend and his assassins from getting near us. To my right a shadow shifts and I immediately go on guard as a form appears. I'm ready for whatever Phantom wants to dish out.
To my complete and utter surprise it's my father, the Royal Seer. He stays slightly back within the shadow whispering to me and Shadowen. “Do not fear this day, you will prevail.” He then easily slips back and is gone.
I turn to see that Magistrate Prescience notices us at the top of the stairs. He waves briefly at us that he is on his way and I notice right away that Essence is thrilled he is presiding. This can’t be good... but I hold onto what my father has said. You will prevail.
Essence follows quickly behind him and I notice Phantom does as well. Shadowen is leaning in closer and closer to me and her magic is swarming around me. I can’t understand at first why but now I can feel it. She is channeling her magic into protecting us from Phantom and the conjurers down stairs. My consort is very smart making me quite proud and so I begin uniting my magic with hers and I feel her body relax in our unity.
“Magistrate Prescience,” I say as he steps on the landing. “I hope we are not late.”
His voice is shadowy and I note it has not changed much since he presided over my challenge of Phantom and Essence joining as consorts. He was very much on the side of Essence and I think this might explain the smugness I feel from her.
The Royal Magistrate looks me over then takes a look at Shadowen before he settles himself behind his desk with Essence and Phantom sitting on his right as we sit on his left. I make note that there is a small glass chamber behind us that is used mostly as a holding chamber.
The Magistrate opens up the scroll on his desk and reads it over then speaks to Essence. “Please state your position.”
I can feel the joy surging within her as she clears her voice, “The Royal Assassin lost our daughter for several days. He makes outlandish claims against my husband stating he sent assassins to him and other horrid…” She pauses then says, “…claims against him. Claims I would prefer not like to voice in the presence of my daughter.”
Essence turns briefly towards us then continues, “I believe the Royal Assassin has only taken our daughter to seek revenge for my reprisal of his attentions. He hasn’t allowed visitations with us and now knowing she has been missing and could have been hurt. He simply is incapable of being her consort. I imagine after two years her magic has cooled enough and if it hasn’t her father and I can help until she has cooled and gained control or a new consort can be arranged.”
I feel nothing but hatred from her now. Phantom is also streaming the vilest thoughts and emotions towards me. A ploy to distract me from Shadowen, however I keep my emotions in check and I note so does Shadowen. I’m very proud of Shadowen right now. Her strength is admirable being so close to the man who has abused her so much.
I have placed her on my right and seated myself between her and Phantom. I can feel her gratitude that he cannot reach her physically or magically without going through me. I know he will also be dead should he try. I have no doubt in my mind that I am going to kill him. I want to kill him and I know that when the time is right I am going to. I also know I’m going to take great pleasure in doing so, something I rarely afford myself when killing anyone. An assassin must be detached, cold and non-wavering when delivering a death blow.
The Magistrate turns to Phantom and asks, “Do you wish to say something?”
Phantom is quiet at first but he turns quickly towards Shadowen and I before speaking, “The Royal Assassin has done everything in his power to discredit me and he has stolen my child. I desire her return so she can be well cared for and not used for revenge as he is doing.”
I want to stick my stov-vo-kievs in his flesh and watch the life fade from his body and his breath cease. He turns back around and I feel a smugness roll off him that makes me want to reach across and just be done with it. The Magistrate turns drawing my attention saying, “Royal Assassin, what have you to say about these charges?”
I take a deep breath thinking of what I should or should not say, then I let this breath move slowly out of my lungs. Shadowen has moved a bit closer to me and I'm not sure it's from fear or now for support. My voice is still a whisper but it's strong and spoken with finality. “Shadowen is my consort and they will not take her from me. There is nothing more that can be said.”
Essence makes some odd noise of disgust yet Phantom remains cool. The Magistrate is quiet for a moment studying me. He then turns to Shadowen, “Shadowen, it says here that you…”
I interrupt him. “Magistrate you may not address my consort.”
He turns back to me and I can feel his magic and emotions bristle. “This is an inquiry that regards her well being. I will speak to her.”
“Magistrate with all due respect, she is my consort.” I say firmly showing that I flat out know my rights concerning her.
“That remains to be seen.” He says trying to intimidate me but it doesn’t work.
“No it doesn’t. She is my consort and has been for over two years.” I say firm but holding all my emotions in check. “I know what you can and cannot do in regards to my consort and you may not address her at this time.” The Magistrate knows the laws and he knows I am correct. Shadowen is under my protection and he may not address her unless I say he may do otherwise. If she were past the age of sponsorship he could address her directly, but she is not.
“Is there a reason you refuse for her to speak with me? Are you hiding something?” He asks slowly almost intimidating.
Essence says suddenly, “Of course he's hiding something. Just look at them, they way she is clinging to him. He's probably threatened her to not speak for fear of him. He is the Royal Assassin after all and we all know what he's capable of.”
I will not be drawn into a debate with the Heirs and neither will Shadowen. She is under my protection as she is my consort. “You may believe what you will of me, but I will not allow her to be abused by either of them again.”
The Royal Magistrate studies me for a moment then says, “Fair enough Royal Assassin.” He leans back in his chair placing his gloved hands over the arms and swivels slightly, facing Shadowen and I more directly saying, “I desire to speak with your consort, what conditions do you request?”
“Essence and Phantom must not be present.” I say simply.
Essence and Phantom both make hissing sounds of disgust. But the Magistrate says, “Done. You two will go wait in the conveyer’s room.” He says dismi
ssing them. They both stand to leave but I feel Phantoms magic sweep over to us and just as quickly I repel it back. The Magistrate states quickly, “Calm down Phantom.” He then leads them out of his chambers.
Once they both leave. I gently place my arm around Shadowen. She is very anxious and I can feel every tense muscle in her body sigh in relief with them gone. Her voice is absolutely without emotion when she speaks to me though, “He is quite angry and if I am forced to return he will do…”
I lightly brush my fingertip along her veil caressing her cheek underneath. “No one will take you away from me. No one.” I say doing my utmost to reassure her.
The Magistrate returns sitting back at his desk and I am unsure he actually heard our conversation or not. He looks at us for a moment and I feel his magic try to reach out to her, but I block him. He makes a small huffing noise then says, “Any other conditions?”
“No, you may address her.” I say simply. Magic is not part of the agreement but I think he is testing me to see if I will give in.
He begins slowly, “Shadowen, do you understand the charges against your… consort?”
“I do.” her voice is lovely and I know right away he is taken with it.
“Have you anything you would like to say?”
“What would you have me say?” she asks and he looks at her oddly.
“I would like for you to tell me what you think of your consort?”
She looks down then back up, “You wish for me to speak about him with him here?”
“Are you afraid of speaking in front of him?”
“Oh yes.” She says and I can't help but sigh softly as her hand reaches to me, clutching me. I notice that he catches each and every gesture she makes. He’s a very astute man and I had not even noticed until now.
“Do you mind my asking why you are afraid?” He says very gently.
“Because then he will know how I feel about him.” She says quite lightly and I smile to myself. She is still angry but not so angry that she will give me up. I think she might say we are not halfway but I think we are more halfway she just doesn’t want to admit it.
The Royal Assassin: Shadows of Myst Page 7
