by Helen Jones
Friendships Are Tested
Alma and Sara were in the school library, supposedly doing research for a project due in a couple of weeks’ time. Instead, Alma was staring into space, twirling a pencil absent-mindedly in her hand as she thought about Ambeth. Well, to be more specific, she was thinking about Deryck. About how he had looked, lit from above as he walked towards her, his eyes meeting hers, his lips on her hand… Sighing, she rested her chin in her hand. Her eyes were half closed against the light shining through the large windows running down one side of the room, the slightly warm dusty smell of books filling the air. She went back to her notes, trying once again to concentrate. Sara, writing furiously on the opposite side of the table, looked up and frowned.
‘Have you finished that section yet?’ she whispered. Alma, startled back to reality and seeing Sara’s annoyed look, felt terrible. Not being able to tell her best friend about Deryck was killing her, but she had no idea how to approach the topic. Looking across at her friend, seeing her familiar and loved face, Alma was overcome with remorse. She reached out across the untidy piles of book and papers and touched Sara’s hand.
‘I’m really sorry… for everything.’
Sara stared at Alma, incredulous. ‘What? Are you kidding me?’
Her voice was sharp and Alma’s eyes filled with tears as she looked away, feeling even worse. She hated having to lie to Sara. How the hell was she going to do this?
But Sara’s face softened. ‘Hey,’ she said, reaching out to poke Alma with her pen. ‘It’s OK. Well, it isn’t, but I can see you’re going through something you don’t want to talk about.’ Alma could only nod, while on the inside feeling relieved Sara had finally brought up the issue. Sara, her mouth twisting for a moment, went on quietly. ‘But I’m here, you know, if you want to talk about it. I always will be.’
‘I really am sorry,’ Alma whispered, ‘and I wish I could tell you. It’s just, I don’t even know where to start.’
‘I wish you could tell me too,’ Sara said. ‘I don’t like these secrets. I mean, I know something’s going on with you, I just don’t know what.’
Alma grimaced, her chest feeling tight. It was just too much to keep inside. She needed to talk to Sara, even if she couldn’t tell her the whole story. ‘Well, there’s this guy…’
Instantly, Sara was all ears. ‘What? Who? Oh my god, where did you meet him?’ Her voice had risen in her excitement and there were several shushes. Lowering her voice, Sara leaned forward over the table and said, ‘Tell. Me. Everything.’
Alma thought fast. ‘Well, he’s from out of town. A-a friend of the family. I haven’t seen him in years and, well, I met him again last week and he is, well, he is totally gorgeous.’ Wincing slightly, she hoped Sara wouldn’t see through the half-lies she was telling. But Sara was agog.
‘And…’ she breathed, twisting her pen in her hands and wide eyed with anticipation.
Alma shook her head. ‘There’s not much more to tell. I mean, except I can’t stop thinking about him,’ she said, blushing furiously.
Sara squealed in excitement. She waved her hand when the shushes came again, as if to say ‘Whatever’. ‘I knew it!’ she hissed, ‘I knew it! What does he look like?’
‘Tall, blonde, green eyes, gorgeous,’ said Alma, smiling as she pictured Deryck walking across the foyer towards her. Hmmm.
‘Wow.’ Sara sat back, still twirling her pen. Then she frowned. ‘But why has this been freaking you out? I mean, why couldn’t you tell me about it?’
Seeing Sara’s earnest face Alma didn’t know what to say. ‘I know, I should have told you before but it was all a bit, um, weird, I guess, him being a family friend and all,’ she finished weakly. ‘I’m really sorry. Plus I’m still a bit freaked out by the whole Ellery thing.’
‘I know,’ said Sara, her eyes wide, forgetting to keep her voice down again. ‘It is weird, right? The way no one really remembers her anymore? I still don’t get it.’
Alma nodded, standing up and starting to gather her books together. ‘C’mon,’ she said, looking around at the indignant faces. ‘Let’s get out of here and go somewhere we can talk properly. We can do this later.’
‘Yes, I need to hear more about this guy!’ said Sara, hastily shoving her stuff into the jumble of her bag. The two friends left the library smiling, both relieved that things between them were back to normal.
***
As she walked up the spiral staircase behind Adara and Caleb, Alma wondered what was going on. Ambeth was still so new to her she was never sure what to expect each time she visited. She had come across as planned to meet Caleb and the Elders but when they reached the Great Hall only Adara was there; the others, she explained, would arrive later. ‘In the meantime, though,’ she said, looking very pleased with herself, ‘Caleb and I have a little surprise for you.’
Intrigued, Alma had followed them out of the Great Hall, through the foyer and behind the great pillars to a stone stair that curved up into one of the towers.
‘Where are we going?’ she asked finally, amused by all the secrecy and by Caleb, who was obviously bursting with excitement.
‘This is one of the towers that house the apartments of the Court,’ explained Adara as they continued on up the curving stair. ‘On this level-’ she gestured with one slender arm as they passed through the first floor and Alma glimpsed a corridor lined with several timber doors ‘-our friend Caleb has a room.’
Alma looked quizzically at Caleb – were they going to see his room? But he shook his head and Adara led them up one more level, past a window set into the tower wall through which Alma caught sight of the distant sea. They arrived at the second floor and a similar stone hallway, lined again with several wooden doors. Pausing at one halfway along, Adara, a mischievous smile on her face, produced an ornate golden key.
‘Will you do the honours, dear Alma?‘ she asked, handing her the key. Perplexed, Alma fitted it into the lock and turned it – the latch popped with a click and the door swung open. Caleb and Adara both smiled widely and motioned for her to go in. So she did.
Her eyes opened wide as she looked around. The shape of the room followed the curve of the tower, the stone walls panelled with carved wood to two-thirds of their height. A large fireplace dominated one wall while a bed sat opposite, made up with white linens and a velvet bedspread in shades of green that echoed the twirling vine patterns of the deep rug underfoot, guarding against the chill of the stone floor. The ceiling was vaulted, painted a dark blue with golden stars picked out, just like the night sky. Alma imagined how it would be to lie in that bed gazing up at the stars, cradled in feathers and soft velvet, like lying in a cloud. Another door was to the right of the bed – on further investigation Alma found it opened onto a small bathing chamber.
‘What a beautiful room!’ she said, turning to Caleb and Adara, who had been watching Alma as she explored.
Adara winked at Caleb, mouthing ‘I knew she would like it.’
Caleb nodded in response, then said simply to Alma, ‘It is yours.’
‘What!’ cried Alma. Mouth agape, she looked at Adara and Caleb, both of whom were now grinning. ‘Are you serious? This room is for me?’
Adara nodded. ‘It is only right,’ she said, golden eyes twinkling, ‘that you should have your own space if you are going to be spending time with us. And, you are going to be spending time with us, aren’t you?’
‘Yes, yes, of course,’ said Alma, completely flabbergasted. This room was too much. She spied a wardrobe standing against the wall next to the bed – running over to it, she opened the doors to find it full of gowns.
‘A few things I picked out for you to wear, if you want to,’ said Adara.
‘If I want to…!’ Alma pulled one of the gowns from the cupboard and held it against her. It was midnight blue silk, the sleeves and hem edged with silvery ribbon, the neck and waist embroidered with flowers that shimmered a lighter blue than the dress. She twirled a little and laughed out loud, t
hen looked over at Adara and Caleb. Putting the dress on the bed she ran over and hugged them both in turn.
‘Thank you so much! This is just too much!’
‘It is our pleasure,’ laughed Adara, while Caleb looked flustered, but very, very pleased. ‘Now, my dear ones, if you will excuse me,’ Adara went on, her perfect face looking fondly on them both. ‘I must go and meet Thorion and the others. Alma, we will see you in a little while.’
‘Oh!’ said Alma. ‘Yes, of course, I’ll be there.’
‘See you later, Caleb,’ called Adara as she drifted out through the door, lithe in her azure robes.
‘Y-yes, my lady,’ he stammered, having not yet quite recovered his composure. The door closed softly behind her and Alma and Caleb were left alone in the room. They looked at each other a moment, then Alma, grinning, gestured towards the pair of comfortable chairs set near the fireplace.
‘C’mon, let’s sit for a while. I don’t have to go to the Elders quite yet, do I?’
‘So you really like it?’ asked Caleb, not moving. Alma eyed him curiously for a moment.
‘God, yes, it’s fabulous!’ she said, sinking down into the velvet chair. ‘I mean, this is more than I could have ever imagined. Why, is something wrong?’ she asked, realising Caleb still wasn’t coming to join her.
Shaking his head, he came over to take the seat opposite Alma. ‘No, nothing’s wrong,’ he said, looking at her intently as he sat down. ‘It’s just… important to me that you’re happy, that’s all.’
Alma gazed at him a moment, perturbed. Was Caleb interested in her? She cared about him but she wasn’t sure if she felt that way about him. And anyway, her romantic interest was in Deryck, not Caleb. Not wanting to hurt his feelings, however, she reached over, putting a hand on his where it rested on the arm of the chair. ‘I really am happy,’ she said. ‘Thank you so much.’ Then, sitting back again, she swung her long legs over one arm of the chair. ‘So, what shall we do now?’
***
Alma came slowly through the door of the council chamber into the Great Hall. She put her hand to her forehead, rubbing between her brows. She felt as though she’d been doing a lot of frowning.
‘Alma, hey!’ She looked up to see Caleb emerge from a cushioned alcove between two of the pillars. ‘You all right?’ he asked, coming up to link his arm with hers, his blue eyes concerned.
‘Um, yeah. I guess. I mean, I am, I’m just a bit…’ She stopped, thinking. ‘It was an interesting meeting, let’s put it that way.’
‘How so?’ he asked, pulling her gently towards the alcove. ‘Come on, sit down and you can tell me all about it.’
He was so eager Alma couldn’t help but grin at him. But it had been an intense morning. Her first meeting with the Elders and already her head was spinning. She sat down on the plush velvet bench, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. She heard Caleb get up, then a moment later he was back, putting something cool in her hand. She opened her eyes to see it was a drink in a silver cup. Perfect.
‘Thanks,’ she said, taking a long gulp.
‘Sooo…’ he said, leaning forward with his elbow on his knees, blue eyes bright with interest. Alma made a face at him, then relented.
‘Oh, well. It was interesting. I mean, they talked a bit about the history of Ambeth. And the first humans.’ She paused, frowning a little. That one had been hard to take in. ‘And some stuff about the Balance and why it’s so important. So, you know, that’s cool.’
‘That’s it?’ Caleb sounded deflated. She grinned at him again.
‘Yeah, nosy, that’s all. No hidden clues or arcane secrets yet.’ Seeing his face fall she reached out and jabbed him in the arm, regretting her sarcastic tone. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll tell you everything, I promise,’ she said, conciliatory. ‘I’m just a bit tired, that’s all.’
‘Sure,’ said Caleb. She was relieved to see his eyes going back to blue. ‘So, shall we eat before we go to the library?’
Alma looked around, realising a long line of tables had been set up on the other side of the Great Hall. Servants were starting to bring in covered dishes and appetising smells were drifting around the room. Her face lit up. ‘Ooh, can we?’
‘Sure,’ Caleb said again, but this time with a smile. ‘This lunch is for everyone. Let’s dig in.’
***
Her belly comfortably full, Alma felt revived enough to let Caleb take her to the library after lunch. She was confident her bracelet would get her back in time as long as she didn’t stay over, though the thought of spending a night in her starry tower room was very tempting.
‘Now, I’ve already spoken to the Librarian,’ Caleb said, as he led Alma along a stone corridor to the right of the Great Hall, ‘and she’s searching out any reference she can find to the Regalia. So all we have to do is look through them, and hopefully we might find some clues.’
‘Well, it’s a start,’ said Alma, feeling doubtful about the whole thing. Then she squeezed his arm with hers. ‘No, that’s great. It really is. Thank you.’
They arrived at another large wooden door, this one with a curling latch handle. It was ajar, letting a line of golden light into the stone hallway. Caleb pushed on the door so it opened, and Alma felt her heart leap.
The library was glorious. Large arched windows on three walls let in golden afternoon light, while in between them wooden shelving filled with books reached to the high vaulted ceiling. There were cushioned chairs and wooden desks set in groups around the room and the whole place felt warm and welcoming. Alma immediately wanted to grab a book and settle in one of the comfortable looking chairs for the afternoon.
As they entered a woman got up from a large desk on the other side of the room. Full figured, dressed in a simple dark grey top and skirt, she was quite unlike anyone Alma had seen in Ambeth so far. Her salt and pepper hair was pulled back from her lined, smiling face and, as she came closer, Alma could see embroidery around the sleeves and collar of her top.
‘Welcome, welcome, Master Caleb,’ she said as she came towards them. ‘And this is the Child of the Prophecy?’ Alma screwed up her face at this, then remembered herself and smiled as Caleb introduced her.
‘Just Alma is fine,’ she said, holding out her hand.
‘Welcome to you as well, dear Alma,’ the woman said, taking Alma’s outstretched hand in both of hers and squeezing before letting go. ‘I am the Librarian.’ The way she spoke it was clear this was more than just a title. ‘This way, if you please. I’ve found quite a few things already that I think will be useful, though I think you may want to start with this.’
As she spoke she started towards the back of the room, where more rows of shelves were weighed down with books and paper scrolls. Alma glanced at Caleb and he winked at her. She grinned, his excitement contagious. They followed the Librarian across the room, Alma’s shoes sinking into the rich soft rugs. The Librarian had retrieved a large scroll from one of the shelves, which she presented to Caleb.
‘Here it is. I only found it the other day. It’s quite old, I think, but very useful.’ Her brown eyes twinkled at them both as Caleb took the scroll from her. ‘Now, come over here. I’ve reserved a nice big table for you so you can work in peace.’ She shot a glance around the room at the other occupants. Alma looked around too. Several of the desks were occupied by older men, each with a pile of books and a pad of paper. All of them were writing furiously, though one or two lifted their heads to look over. Alma smiled uncertainly, feeling shy under their stares. Meanwhile, the Librarian helped Caleb to unroll the scroll on top of a large wooden table, its surface pitted and marked with years of use. Caleb placed paperweights at the corners and beckoned to Alma. His face was glowing with eagerness.
‘Look at this!’
Alma came over and had a look. ‘Wow!’
‘Well, I’ll just leave you to it,’ said the Librarian, turning to go. ‘Please do ask if you need anything else.’
‘Thanks,’ said Alma, her attention taken by the
images on the scroll in front of her. They were beautifully done, pen and ink drawings touched with light washes of colour. A Sword, a Cup and a Crown.
‘Are these…? Is this…?’ She reached out to touch the paper gently, her finger lingering on the curving lines of the Cup. Her voice was quiet, reverent and Caleb moved closer to her, his blonde head bent over the page.
‘Yes. This is the Regalia. I remember the Sword, at least.’
Alma licked her lips then swallowed as she took in the straight smooth blade, the twisting lines of the hilt. There was an answering twist in her stomach, similar to how she had felt in the Great Hall as she stood before the alcove. It was as if the pieces spoke to her, somehow. She became very conscious of the air around her, the way her feet were on the floor, the warmth of Caleb’s arm as he leaned against her. It was as though everything was perfectly poised in that moment, as though she stood at the beginning of something wonderful and terrible, all at the same time.
‘Um, so, good.’ Her voice was a whisper and she cleared her throat, wanting to break the spell that seemed to be weaving around her. ‘I mean, it’s good we know what to look for, at least.’
Caleb nodded. He seemed equally mesmerised. ‘It’s pretty exciting, isn’t it? I mean, if we can find them…’ His voice was quiet and she looked at him, leaning into him a little.
‘Hey, you never know, right?’ He turned his head and smiled at her.
‘Yeah. You never know.’ Realising how close he was to her, Alma wondered at how she’d felt before, the uncomfortable moment in her room where she’d thought he might be interested in her. But, as he leaned forward again to study the document, all she could feel from him was friendship, pure and simple, no trace of awkwardness. Which was fine, she thought. A friend was just what she wanted Caleb to be.
