by S. J. West
“No. They didn’t come for that. They came for the ball.”
“Ball? Are you talking about a physical ball of some kind or a dance?”
“A dance,” Viktor clarifies. “Shael has invited all of the houses to come to the castle so that they can meet you in person.”
“Great,” I say rather unenthusiastically. “So I get to spend time with a bunch of strangers all at once.”
“Well, they’re only strangers because you weren’t raised here,” Viktor accurately points out. “Besides, after tomorrow night, they won’t be strangers anymore, and you’ll know the egos you have to contend with as heir of this house.”
“You make it sound like I’m about to enter a boxing ring with these people,” I joke. When Viktor doesn’t crack a smile, I automatically assume that’s exactly what he means. “Your empathic skills will give you greater insight into their true feelings than either Shael or I have been able to discern. Although, Alden has been indispensable in giving Shael accurate information about the other house rulers. He must have spies everywhere, but he refuses to divulge their identities, even to Shael.”
Yes, the mysterious Alden Highborn seems to have the complete trust of the queen. The fact that I can’t read his emotions still troubles me, and Viktor just unknowingly answered a question I had about the alfar in general. I thought perhaps alfar are more immune to my empathic ability than humans are, but since Viktor seems to believe my special gift will come in handy when dealing with the other house rulers, I have to conclude most alfar aren’t resistant to my ability to read them. So what’s shielding Alden’s emotions from me? I have no idea, but I plan to find a way to figure it out.
“Did you tell Shael that I’m an empath?” I ask Viktor.
“Of course not!” he replies, looking shocked I would even consider such a thing. “I will never betray your trust in me, Sarah. Any secret you share shall never pass my lips to another soul. I consider everything in your life sacred information unless you wish to make it publicly known.”
“Good,” I say. “I wouldn’t want Shael to start feeling uncomfortable around me. She seems to like to keep her emotions to herself, and I don’t want her to feel as though she needs to keep her guard up when we’re together. I would rather get to know her better and vice versa. Maybe after we’ve been able to forge a relationship I can share more about myself with her.”
“I’m certain she would like that,” Viktor replies. There’s a sadness in his eyes, and I can feel a sudden sense of melancholy sweep through his emotions.
“What?” I ask, knowing I don’t have to say more than that to get the true meaning of my question across.
“I was just remembering how sad Shael was when your father left Alfheim. It broke her heart. They were very close, you know. Twins tend to be closer to one another than regular siblings.”
“Wait, they were twins?” I ask, having had no idea.
“Yes. Your father was born first, so he is the one who was supposed to inherit the crown. I always thought it was strange how a few seconds can make such an impact on two lives. Shael hid her pain from others after he decided to leave us, but at night, she would come to me to help her alleviate a small bit of her grief for a little while.”
I don’t ask how Viktor was able to perform such a service. All I need to do is visualize my aunt having a romp underneath a set of sheets with my cat.
“Why hasn’t Shael ever married?” I ask.
“She didn’t want to burden someone she loves with her infertility.” Viktor shakes his head at my aunt’s missed opportunity at happiness. “I told her that was ludicrous and that any man would be lucky to have her as his wife, but she seems to believe denying a man the chance to be a father would be a selfish act on her part.”
“Well, is it that, or has she just not found someone she loves enough to marry?”
“Oh, she loves someone,” Viktor says with certainty. “She just won’t admit it to him.”
“Who?” I ask excitedly.
“I can’t tell you that,” Viktor replies, his tone insinuating that I should know better than to ask such a question. “Shael told me that secret in complete confidence. I won’t break her trust in me, either, by telling you her secrets.”
I sigh in disappointment. I know he’s right. Shael’s affairs are none of my business, but it certainly doesn’t mean I can’t pay closer attention to her reactions to people from this point forward. Now that I know my aunt is in love with someone, I want to find out who among the alfar has captured her heart.
“Viktor,” I say, “would it be possible for me to pay my respects to the healers who gave their lives for me before the official funeral? I feel strange not at least knowing what they look like or even what their names are.”
“I’m sure it can be arranged,” he says, looking pleased with my request. “I’ll go inform the queen of your desire and come back with her reply.”
Viktor transforms back into a cat and heads for the door. He looks back at Julian with a rather superior, Well, are you going to open it for me or not?
Julian complies, but I can tell from the irritated expression on his face he doesn’t like being passively bossed around by a cat.
Once Viktor leaves, I continue to devour all of the food on the table. My rapacious appetite leads my thoughts to the realization that Julian hasn’t fed on me since that night in Destin.
“Are you hungry?” I ask him. “I think we have enough time before the ceremony for you to feed.”
“It can wait until afterwards,” Julian tells me. “I would rather you saved your strength for the funeral.”
“So where is this dress you said they brought for me to wear?” I ask, looking around the room but not seeing one laying around.
“They hung it up in the closet,” he tells me, walking toward a door that is located on the right side of the bed, which I hadn’t noticed before now.
I follow Julian over to it. When he opens the door, a light inside automatically comes on and illuminates a space almost as big as the bedroom.
“Holy cow, this is like my dream closet,” I say in awe of the space. The walk-in closet is an extension of the bedroom as far as structure and design goes. The shelves, drawers, and clothing racks seem to be completely devoid of garments except for the black dress hanging on a rod on the wall directly across from the door. A pair of black high-heeled shoes has been set directly underneath it.
“Perhaps we can build one similar to it when we get back home,” Julian suggests.
“I’m not sure your house can accommodate a room like this,” I say. Julian’s house is large, but adding on this much space doesn’t seem feasible.
“I was thinking we could design a new house,” he reveals. “You know, one that we both like. I bought the house on Bayou Road because it was the best available and I was able to move into it right away. I was hoping you and I could buy some land and build a home that suits both of our needs.”
I smile—not because I want a new house, but because of the hope for a better future I see on Julian’s face.
“I absolutely love that idea,” I tell him.
“Good,” Julian replies, looking relieved, which doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.
“Did you think I would say no?” I ask.
“To be honest, I wasn’t sure what you would say. I’ve never offered to build a house for anyone. All the homes I’ve ever lived in have been pre-owned. This will be the first time in my life that I’ve actually designed something I want to live inside.”
“That seems odd. Why haven’t you done it before now?”
Julian takes a moment to consider my question before answering.
“I think it’s because when you spend so much time building something from the ground up, a piece of your soul goes into the project. If I did that, I probably wouldn’t want to leave the home that I built, and I’ve always had to move every ten years or so.”
“Then let’s start building a house as soon as we get
back home,” I say, full of confidence that Julian’s ten-year relocation plan can finally stop. “And I know exactly where we can buy some land to build it on.”
“We can construct it anywhere you want,” Julian says, looking cautiously happy and excited about our plan.
He’s taking the first step into uncharted waters for him. Having a home of his own and building a life for himself always seemed out of his reach until now. All we have to do is solve the mystery behind his curse and free him of it so he can live his dream of a normal, human life.
“I should probably bathe before I put that dress on,” I say, giving Julian a playful sideways glance. “I don’t suppose you would like to help me with that little chore.”
“I brought you someone to help you get ready, Your Highness,” I hear Nadia say behind me.
I scrunch up my face in irritation before I turn around with a welcoming and royally gracious smile.
Standing beside Nadia is a slim young girl who can’t be older than eighteen. She has short blonde hair styled in a bob and is wearing a plain white dress with short sleeves and a skirt.
“This is Cia,” Nadia tells me. “She’s here to help you prepare for the ceremony.”
“Hello,” I say to Cia. The poor girl looks as skittish as a mouse.
Nadia looks at Julian and says, “I’ll escort you to your room so you can get ready too.”
Julian looks confused for a moment, but simply says, “Thank you.”
Nadia begins to walk away but turns around to look back at us, indicating that she expects Julian to follow her out of the room right this minute.
“I guess I’ll see you in a few,” Julian tells me.
“I guess so,” I reluctantly agree.
Julian walks toward Nadia and follows her out of my bedroom.
“Would you like me to prepare you a bath, Your Highness?” Cia asks.
“Sure,” I say, having lost my enthusiasm for bathing since Julian won’t be joining me now. “That would be great.”
I end up finding Cia to be a very attentive attendant. She seems to know what I need before I do and be right by my side with whatever item I might require.
It takes about an hour before I’m fully prepared to go to the ceremony. When there’s a knock on my door, Cia answers it. She instantly takes a step back before curtsying deeply as my Aunt Shael walks into my room holding Viktor in her arms.
“Oh good,” she says, eyeing me up and down, “I thought the dress would fit, but you never can tell about clothes until you actually put it on.”
I smooth my hand down the front of the black taffeta dress with a full skirt and lace top. I consider it to be a bit fancy to wear to a funeral, but apparently I am properly attired for the occasion considering Shael’s gown. Her outfit also has a full skirt with an overlay composed of black lace, which has large transparent gaps in the skirt, so that the pale tan fabric underneath can be seen.
“I was told that you wanted to view the bodies before the ceremony,” Shael says, not mentioning who gave her the information in front of Cia.
“Yes,” I reply. “Is that why you’re here?”
Shael nods. “The official service doesn’t begin for another hour. I thought we could take a walk outside and go to the pavilion together.”
“I would like that,” I say, finding that I enjoy having a blood relative who seems interested in spending time with me.
“Wonderful,” Shael replies, bending forward slightly to let Viktor jump out of her arms and onto the floor.
I walk over to the door realizing I’ve been in my bedroom all day and have no idea what lays beyond its threshold. When I step out, I discover that the wall I assumed was part of a long hallway is actually only a small partition wall that hides the bedroom from view of a much larger sitting room on the other side. I don’t have time to look at much, because Shael walks out of the double doors in the room so quickly, I end up having to jog a bit just to catch up with her and Viktor. As we walk down the blue carpeted hallway, I glance out the windows dotting the outer wall and get a glimpse of the vast exterior gardens. I notice some people milling about and picking up tools as their workday comes to an end.
“How many people will be attending the funeral?” I ask my aunt as we continue to make our way down the hallway.
“We try to accommodate everyone who wishes to be present,” Shael tells me. “Usually, only the closest family and friends of the deceased attend, but considering the circumstances surrounding the deaths of these six, we’re expecting quite a large crowd to come this evening.”
“Do you think it will get out of hand with so many people?”
“Oh no,” Shael says in a reassuring voice. “We brought in some of the senior Valengard Academy students to help with the security issue. I’m sure they will be able to keep things under control.”
“Valengard Academy?” I ask. “I assume that’s where the children you select to be recruits of the Valengard study.”
“Yes.”
We come to what looks like a steel cage elevator at the end of the hallway. Shael slides the folding door to the right, and we both step inside. We quickly descend to what I assume is the bottom floor. Once we reach our destination, there are two guards waiting for us. One of them opens the door so we can step out into another hallway, while the other one opens an outside door only a couple of feet up from where we disembarked. When we step outside, I breathe in the crisp air and find that it smells a lot like fresh apples. I look to my right and discover a grove of colorful apple trees, but the fruit hanging from the limbs isn’t red, green, or even yellow. These apples are purple, pink, and blue.
“They smell like real apples,” I comment as I stand and study the colorful crop. “Do they taste like real apples too?”
Shael laughs. “Yes. They taste just like apples do on Earth. Your planet and Alfheim aren’t that dissimilar. We have most of the same resources, though ours might have slight differences, like the color of our apples.”
“Your chocolate is definitely better,” I’m quick to point out.
“It’s probably our sugar that you’re tasting a difference in more so than the chocolate itself,” she clarifies. “I’ve been told that ours has a bit of a honey taste to it.”
“Whatever the difference is, it’s awesome,” I declare.
Shael smiles. “Then I’ll make sure you have a box of our chocolates before you return home.”
As we begin walking down a brick sidewalk next to Shael’s massive castle, I ask her, “Have you spoken to Alden today? Has he been able to find out anything else about the men who tried to kill me?”
Shael shakes her head slightly. “No. I haven’t heard from Alden, but he’ll be back in time for the farewell ceremony. I’m sure he’ll fill us in on what he’s learned so far when we can all have a moment alone together later this evening. And I want to thank you for agreeing to stay here until we’re able to clear this matter up. I certainly don’t want you to go back to a bad situation when we have the resources to keep you safe.”
“I just want to find out who is trying to kill me and Julian. The sooner we do that, the sooner my life can get back to normal.”
“I know you said you don’t want to live here permanently, and I understand that you don’t feel at home here yet. Earth is all you’ve ever known, and it’s where your loved ones live, but I would like you to consider making time to come here on a regular basis. I think it would be beneficial to you and to our people, so they can get to know you better and vice versa.”
“There isn’t any rush in doing that, is there?” I ask, becoming worried and slightly panicked. “You don’t have some terrible disease and are about to die on me, are you?”
“Good grief,” Shael says, looking at me as if she can’t believe I just said what I did. “No. I do not intend to die anytime soon. Is this something you always do?”
“What exactly?” I ask, slightly confused by the question.
“Do you always look for the wo
rst-case scenario to a situation?”
“No. You just worried me for a minute there. I thought you were trying to rush the grooming process because you expected to pass away soon.”
“My urgency has nothing to do with my health, which is perfectly fine by the way. I simply want you to learn to love this world as much as you do Earth. You’re a child of both, but in this one, you have greater responsibilities. If you become queen one day, I want you to do it without any reservations and because you care for the people within House Moonshade. We have a reputation of fair treatment and honest judgments that we need to uphold.”
“I realize and appreciate that,” I say, “but you need to understand that I need some time to adjust to all the changes in my life. I’m not a person who just jumps into things without thinking them through first. I’ll do my best and learn all that I can from you, but that isn’t going to happen in a day or two.”
“All I ask is that you not shut us out and pretend that we don’t exist.”
“Is that what you think my father did?” I ask, sensing Shael’s fear is rooted in something else besides conjecture. “Did you ever see him again after he left to be with my mother?”
“No,” Shael replies. Her face doesn’t show it, but I can feel how sad she is having to give her answer.
“Why not?” I have to ask. “Why didn’t you know that we lived only two hours away from New Orleans? Didn’t you try to look for us?”
“I did look for Rhys,” she says, “but he kept a very low profile in your world. I believe he also used some sort of magic to keep his whereabouts hidden from us. If I had known he passed away and that you existed, I would have sought you out after his death. I didn’t even know who your mother was until recently. Honestly, I simply feel lucky that our paths crossed at all. Having you here almost feels like having your father back with us.”
Shael looks away from me and doesn’t seem to want to say anything else on the subject, and I have no desire to make her more uncomfortable, so I decide not to push the matter any further.
When I look down the path to see what’s up ahead, I notice a large circular building made of white stones. Several pillars line its perimeter and support segments of stone slabs to form a portico. From what I can tell, the main structure is open to the sky and lacks a door of any sort. On either side of the entrance to the building are two figures made of alabaster. One is of a man and the other of a woman who are both dressed in flowing robes. Each of them holds a lantern made of gold with what looks like a glowing blue crystal inside providing a bright illumination.
