Prince of Alasia (Annals of Alasia Book 1)

by Annie Douglass Lima

  Jaymin looked up, feeling as though he had just woken up in a different way. Around him in the bare, cold classroom, ragged boys and girls were bent over their slates, scratching away with styluses. His slate was empty, and at the moment, his heart felt empty too. He remembered the feeling of his mother’s lips on his cheek, his father’s hand in his hair. Blinking back tears, Jaymin bent over his slate again, but he couldn’t think of anything to write.

  Chapter 4

  At long last, they heard the welcome sound of a bell ringing once more, and everyone lined up at the classroom door to go to lunch. Jaymin and Erik found spots at the back of the line, and Jaymin’s stomach growled as he followed his classmates outside and over to the opposite end of the schoolyard. There they joined a long column of students filing past a table from which several adults in aprons were serving food. The line moved slowly, and it was not until Jaymin finally reached the front that he turned and realized Erik was no longer with him. Startled, he looked this way and that, wondering what could have become of his friend. There were only a few students behind him in line, and all of them stared at him curiously as he spun around, his eyes searching the schoolyard. Erik was nowhere to be seen. Could he have gone back into the classroom? But why hadn’t he said anything?

  “Don’t just stand there,” one of the boys behind him ordered finally, giving Jaymin a little push to get him moving. “You’re holding up the line. We’re hungry!”

  Jaymin turned indignantly to face the other boy, drawing himself up to his full height. He could feel his face growing hot. How dare the boy push him! If he only knew who Jaymin was –

  But of course he didn’t know. He was a hungry schoolboy waiting for his lunch, not a rebel purposely attacking the prince. Perhaps ordinary children pushed each other all the time. The best thing Jaymin could do was ignore it. Don’t stand out, he reminded himself, and deliberately lowered his gaze. You don’t want anyone to think you aren’t one of them. He turned back to the table, accepting the tin bowl of sliced potatoes and vegetables one of the servers had filled for him. As he moved forward to catch up with the rest of the line, he could hear the boy who had pushed him snickering to his friends, probably thinking he had won some battle of wills. Jaymin flushed once more. He almost stopped to face him again, but what would be the point?

  This wouldn’t have happened if Erik had been there. But where was Erik? Could something have happened to him? Surely there can’t be any danger here at school. If there were, Erik would never have left his side.

  Jaymin frowned, feeling uncomfortably alone, though he told himself there was probably no reason to worry. There had to be a perfectly logical explanation for his friend’s sudden disappearance. He would show up again at any moment, chuckling at Jaymin’s concern. And yet it was nerve-wracking to be alone in a new place where he was unsure of how to act or what was expected of him. Jaymin wasn’t used to going anywhere without at least a few servants or guards. And now, with his parents gone and his home far away, Erik was all he had left of the life he knew.

  Determined to push the worries out of his mind, Jaymin followed the line of students to a brick-paved courtyard behind the kitchen. Pausing at the entrance, he looked around at the boys and girls seated on the ground, a little puzzled as to what he was expected to do. Was it proper to just sit down and start eating? Or would someone be making a speech or a toast first? His only experiences with dining in large groups had been in formal dining halls.

  The last of his classmates were crowding up behind him with their own bowls. “You’re blocking the way again!” the same boy exclaimed in annoyance. “If you’re not going in, get out of our way!”

  Having no desire to be pushed a second time, Jaymin chose to step aside with dignity, swallowing an indignant retort as the boys jostled past. “What’s wrong with him?” he heard one of them demand, and they all laughed. Jaymin clenched his teeth in anger and embarrassment, but contented himself with thinking, If you only knew who I was you would all be dropping to your knees and begging my forgiveness.

  Well, he couldn’t keep standing there forever. Jaymin moved into the courtyard and picked his way carefully through the crowded area, looking for somewhere to sit. He held his bowl awkwardly, wondering if it would be better to set it on his lap or the ground. Erik would have known what to do at once, since he sometimes ate his meals in the servants’ kitchen or even out in one of the palace courtyards in between training sessions with the master-at-arms. But Jaymin had seldom dined without a formal arrangement of knives, forks, cups and napkins, not to mention a table. Looking around again, he realized that everyone else was already eating, their bowls held in one hand, spoons in another. Some of the other children were starting to look up at him curiously, no doubt wondering why he was standing there in confusion.

  Of course. This was a school, not a banquet hall, after all. Embarrassed once again, Jaymin sat down quickly in an empty spot on the cold bricks. He picked up his spoon and hastily took a bite, sure that almost everyone was staring at him by now.

  Well, I’d like to see them try to fit into life in the palace, he thought, keeping his eyes on his bowl so he wouldn’t have to meet anyone’s gaze. I’m probably the only one here who would have any idea which fork to use first in a sixteen-course banquet.

  Ordering himself to ignore them, he turned his full attention to his meal. The food was plain but not really unpleasant. Though he would probably have turned up his nose at it two weeks ago, it was still better than Ana’s cooking. And Jaymin was definitely hungry.

  As he ate, he was surprised and a little offended at the lack of table manners in this place. Though he tried not to look at anyone, he couldn’t help but notice the way the children around him wolfed down their meal. Many of them chattered loudly, laughing and talking with their mouths stuffed full. Some licked their fingers and even their empty bowls, or slurped and gulped down their food so fast that he had to wonder if this was the only meal they expected to get that day. If eating this way was what it took to fit in, he wasn’t sure he could ever do it. His mother would have been horrified, he thought, and picturing her expression brought a sad little smile to his face.

  Just as Jaymin was finishing his last bite and wondering what to do next, he looked up to see Erik plop down beside him, bowl and spoon in hand. Erik said not a word, giving him only a quick nod before setting to work on his lunch. Knowing better than to ask him anything in front of so many people, Jaymin waited impatiently for his friend to finish. It seemed rather unfair of him to just stroll over and start eating as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened, when Jaymin felt as though he had been abandoned in a foreign land.

  By the time Erik’s bowl was finally empty, the courtyard nearly was as well. The two of them clambered to their feet again and followed several other students back around the building to the table where they had been served. They dropped their bowls and spoons into a large basin with the rest, and then headed toward the edge of the dirt field where most of the other students were already out playing.

  “Finally,” Jaymin exclaimed, when at last they had put some distance between them and the nearest students. “Now tell me why in the world you disappeared like that.”

  Erik shrugged as though it had been nothing. “I thought I should go scout out the area while no one was watching.”

  “The area?”

  “The school, of course. We have to know if there are places to hide, or any ways out besides the main gate. And I did find a few possibilities. I’ll show you later. We may need them someday.”

  “And you couldn’t have told me where you were going? I would have come with you.”

  Erik shook his head. “Bad idea. Someone would have seen us sneaking off together. I knew I could manage better on my own.”

  It was true, Jaymin thought glumly, that people never seemed to notice Erik when he didn’t want to be noticed. But that didn’t make it any more pleasant to be left behind. “Just don’t leave me alone like that again,
all right?”

  “It’s a good thing you didn’t come, anyway,” Erik told him. “I saw a couple of soldiers just outside the schoolyard.”

  “What were they doing there?” Jaymin lowered his voice anxiously. “They couldn’t have come to look for me, could they?” Surely they don’t have any idea where I am.

  “I don’t know. They were talking to one of the teachers over the wall, but I wasn’t close enough to overhear. It’s better that they didn’t see you, anyway.”

  Erik stopped talking suddenly, his eyes flicking to something behind Jaymin. Jaymin spun around, half expecting to see soldiers approaching from behind one of the classrooms. To his relief, it was only a boy he recognized from their class strolling toward them where they stood at the edge of the field.

  “Hello,” the boy greeted them cheerfully as he approached, looking them over with curious eyes.

  “Hello,” Jaymin replied cautiously.

  “I’m Tark. Who are you?”

  Erik was shuffling his feet, starting his shy act again, so Jaymin knew it was up to him. “I’m … Jay. This is Erik.” Again, the lie sent a little throb of guilt through him, but it was easier than it had been the first time.

  “You’re new here, aren’t you? Where’re you from?”

  “Almar.” Jaymin was thankful to be back in truthful territory.

  “Really?” Tark brightened. “I’ve never been there. What’s it like?”

  Jaymin shrugged. “It’s a lot bigger than Drall.” He wasn’t sure what else to say. He really didn’t know anything about the parts of Almar where the poor lived.

  “The royal palace is there, isn’t it? Have you ever seen it?”

  “Yes.” Jaymin shifted uncomfortably, wishing Tark would stop asking questions.

  “Really? Is it as big and grand and beautiful as everyone says?”

  “I suppose.” Worried, Jaymin tried to think of a way to change the subject before he accidentally gave himself away as a palace insider.

  “Wow.” Tark regarded him with admiration. “I wish I could see the palace. I wonder what it would be like to live in one, don’t you?”

  Jaymin shrugged again. “I’m sure it’s … it’s very nice.”

  “Have you ever seen King Jaymin or Queen Esarelle, or Prince Jaymin?”

  Jaymin blinked at him awkwardly, his mind going totally blank at this unexpected question, while Tark waited eagerly.

  Fortunately, the bell rang at that moment, and Tark’s face fell. “It’s time to go back to class, but we’ll talk more later, all right? I’ve got lots of questions for you!”

  “I think some of the other students are starting to get suspicious,” Jaymin confided that afternoon, glancing sidelong at Erik to see his friend’s reaction. “They were looking at me strangely.”

  School was finally over for the day, and the two of them were walking back toward Ana’s house together, thankful to be out of Hilltop.

  Erik was unperturbed. “People always look at someone who’s new. It doesn’t mean anything.”

  “But you should have seen the way they looked at me,” Jaymin protested. “I’m sure they think there’s something different about me.”

  “I did see the way people looked at you, and I’m telling you, you’re overreacting. You’re just not used to being looked at with anything but awe and respect or envy.” He said this last part so softly that Jaymin had to strain his ears to hear. “This is normal life for normal people. Trust me, you’ll get used to it.”

  If a day like this was normal life, Jaymin wasn’t sure he wanted to get used to it; and his pride felt stung at the thought that he was only accustomed to being looked at with awe. But he suspected that as usual, Erik was right. And he knew that as a bodyguard, his friend had been trained to notice anything out of the ordinary in people’s behavior. If Erik said there was nothing to worry about, it must be true.

  They hurried through the town in silence, shivering a little in the cold wind. The dark clouds overhead were grim promises of rain, or possibly snow, tonight. If only all this had not happened during the coldest winter Alasia had known in years.

  Jaymin wished with all his heart that he could go home – back to the palace, where everything was clean and elegant; back to his own bedroom, always warm and inviting in winter with its huge brick fireplace – and most of all, back to his parents, whom he could still hardly believe he would never see again. For a moment he struggled to force down the memories that rose to the surface. His home. His family.

  But he had to be strong, as his parents would have expected him to be. He couldn’t let himself think of them now, or the pain would be too much to bear. He would have to wait until tonight, when it was dark and Erik was asleep; then he could remember and let the tears come if they must.

  “Let’s not go back to Ana’s house yet,” suggested Erik presently. “It will probably be locked anyway, if she’s still at the market.” That was true. Two or three times a week Ana spent the day at the market, selling the stockings and caps she knitted for a few small coins.

  “All right,” Jaymin agreed readily, glad for something to distract him from his thoughts. “We’ll go out by the pond instead. We can practice our sword-fighting or wrestling or something.” That was a much more interesting prospect than sitting around in Ana’s dingy little house with nothing much to do. The boys altered their direction and headed eagerly for the other end of town.

  Jaymin had to admit he enjoyed the freedom of being able to go wherever he liked and change his mind whenever he wanted. It was something he had never been able to do before. Any time he had left the palace, the trip had had to be arranged well in advance, with guards and sometimes servants to accompany him, and often a trumpeter to announce his coming and clear the way ahead. He had usually ridden – either on horseback or in a carriage – with one or both of his parents. In fact, Jaymin thought, searching his memory, he had probably never before been outside the palace grounds with only Erik, especially not on foot. And to think of being able to change his mind on the spur of the moment and go somewhere else just because he felt like it – why, he could hardly have dreamed of that just two weeks ago.

  The boys took deep breaths of the fresh, cold air as they came past the last row of houses and into the open countryside. Even the faded patches of dry wintry shrubs and bushes stretching out before them were a relief to their eyes after the dull grays of the town. Here and there, bare trees stood starkly, the occasional evergreen standing out in grateful green against the brown. Half a mile away, a large pond gleamed silver in the afternoon light, evergreens clustered around it.

  Jaymin smiled at the sight of the world outside the town. In the last week or so, he had decided that if he couldn’t be somewhere warm, comfortable and clean, surrounded by friendly, respectful people, then he preferred to be out in nature and away from others entirely. After a hard day, his mother had sometimes gone out to walk by herself in the palace gardens. Now he felt he understood why.

  “I’ll race you to the pond,” Erik suggested, and the two boys took off. They pelted across the hard ground, squinting against the stinging wind in their faces. Erik was a pace ahead when they finally pulled up, panting, at the water’s edge.

  “Oh, that felt good,” Jaymin gasped, leaning against one of the trunks for support. “Isn’t it wonderful … to be out doing this … instead of cooped up in town?”

  Erik nodded, saving his breath, and Jaymin wondered if his friend felt the same way he now did about dirty places crowded with noisy people who had no idea who he was. He sank down on a rock at the water’s edge, and for a few minutes the boys rested in silence, listening to the birdsong and the rustle of twigs in the breeze. Before them, the silver water of the pond shimmered silently, crusted with ice around the edges.

  “I wonder if the sticks we used before are still here,” Jaymin remarked presently, clambering to his feet. Townspeople sometimes came out here to gather firewood, so he and Erik had hidden them carefully. He circled
around the pond until he found the right tree near the water, reached up to a wide branch above his head, felt carefully around on it, and pulled down two sturdy sticks, roughly the size and weight of swords. “Shall we practice again?”

  “Yes, let’s.” Erik had glided noiselessly up behind him, making Jaymin jump. “But we should go further into the trees.” He reached for one of the sticks and hefted it like a sword.

  They moved away until the town was out of sight and the cold, quiet forest surrounded them. Shivering a little, Jaymin pulled off his ragged cloak and tossed it over a branch, reminding himself that he would warm up once they got started. The old cloak didn’t fasten properly anyway and would probably fall off or get in the way as they dueled.

  He twirled the end of his stick expertly between his fingers, trying to imagine it was a real sword. Across from him, Erik gripped his in both hands and bent his knees a little. “Ready?”

  “Ready.”

  Erik sprang forward and Jaymin leaped to meet him. Their sticks met with a thud. Erik aimed a blow at Jaymin’s chest, but Jaymin deflected it, spun around, and struck at his friend’s side. Erik darted out of the way just in time, quick on his feet as always. Their sticks clattered together as they gave their all to the mock fight, slashing and striking, dodging and sidestepping and parrying.

  Jaymin felt exhilarated. This was something he enjoyed, something he was good at; a chance to hone his skills instead of hiding them. And by practicing something so important, he felt he might be preparing for whatever it might take to win back his kingdom. The environment of the forest added to the challenge; the boys had to continually dodge low branches and be careful not to trip over roots or bushes, slip in patches of old snow, or back into tree trunks; and the dimmer light made things a little trickier too. Jaymin decided that except for the lack of real weapons, he preferred this to practicing in the palace courtyard. It was wise to learn to deal with your surroundings as well as your opponent. Real battles usually took place outside, after all. Though not, he reminded himself grimly, the one that had claimed his parents’ lives.