by C. A. Sabol
WHEN SELENE DISAPPEARED from the throne room, Dorian stood up. “Good. She is gone. I have little resistance when it comes to her. There’s something about her eyes, and her smile ... you know? Yes, you undoubtedly know. I can tell that you’ve fallen under her spell.”
Etoileon saw the bait. He wasn’t going to take it. King Dorian was looking for any excuse in the world to declare him unfit for Palace service. “I don’t know what you mean, Sire,” he said in blank tones.
Dorian frowned as he began to pace. “So, you’re smarter than you look. How old are you ... Etoileon, was it? I have the hardest times remembering the unimportant facts.”
“Yes, it’s Etoileon. I’m nearly seventeen years old.”
“Well, then, I’m going to have to get you trained for the Palace work I have in mind for you. I think that you will do nicely to begin training to be the Princess’ body guard.”
Etoileon’s eyes had been looking at the spotless, shimmering floor when he caught Dorian’s words. “What? You’re going to allow me to watch over her?” he asked. “But ... why?”
“It seems that I share my father’s flaw,” Dorian muttered as he turned away. “I am sometimes entirely too nice.”
Etoileon said nothing.
Dorian sat down once more in his throne. He’d worked out almost four hours that morning, and after all the hubbub that had occurred today, between the Island Representatives, Selene’s secret adventure, and finding this joke of boy following her home like a lost pup, it was almost too much to stand up anymore.
He almost smiled, remembering how his father would drink. At that moment, Dorian understood his father better.
His attention focused once more on Etoileon. “I am no fool,” he said. “You have been able to see what protecting Selene is like somewhat, I assume from her tales. I can no longer keep her safe from the world, though I have tried throughout these last fifteen years. You know the world. You can protect her from it much more effectively than I could. Within my palace, I cannot keep tabs on her any longer. As much as I hate it, you are most suited for such a purpose.”
Etoileon looked down at the ground. He did not know what to say. Suddenly, it seemed like his whole life, the trials, the hard times, all of it had been to build him up for the tasks ahead. It had been mere hours since he’d met Selene. Already his life was changing in ways that he’d never expected, he’d never dared to even dream or speak aloud. “Thank you, Sire,” he said softly, finding nothing to say.
“Let’s get something straight here, though,” Dorian said. “You are going to have to be educated, and trained for more battle skills, and you’re going to have to prove yourself worthy of the task. And we’re going to have to get you some new clothes and definitely a bath. And some medical attention, too.” The king frowned down at him. “If you cannot hold out against the tests I have for you, I want you to know that you are even less of a man than I already think you are. Selene is going to be married in a few short years. Until her husband takes over, the position of protector stands.”
Etoileon’s eyes hardened. “Understood.”
“Good.” The King pressed a button off to the side of his throne. “Garth, please come and take our newest household member to his new quarters in the Training Quarter. Give him anything he needs, and call the maids to ready a room and bath for him, and the Tailor Morris to get some new clothes for him.”
“Yes, Sire,” the voice responded over the intercom.
The King turned back to Etoileon. “There. Garth will take you to your new room. Order some dinner, if you like. You must be hungry after all the excitement.”
Etoileon shook his head, saying nothing more as Garth came in and took a hold of him, guiding him to his new room, to start his new life.
Before Etoileon left, Dorian yelled after to him once more. “Hey, Orphan Boy!” he called. “I don’t like you that much.”
Welcome home, Etoileon thought grimly as he left the Throne Room.
“I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT Dorian actually said that,” Selene dismissed the possibility as easily as though it were dust in the air. “Of course he likes you.”
“Believe me, he said it,” Etoileon grinned. “At least he was being honest about it.”
“Surely then, he was joking,” she responded.
Etoileon sighed, letting it go. He was much more interested in other things. Things that included giving her his present.
“Here ... I bought these for you,” he offered. “I thought that they looked perfect.”
Her eyes lit up at the gift he held. “Wow!” she held the flowers gracefully up to breathe in their fresh fragrance, her hands held in such a way as to cradle the tender buds. “They’re wonderful!”
“I know it’s not much ... ” he was about to tell her that he had not remembered their ‘anniversary’ but she interrupted him.
“Etoileon ... ” Her voice was softer now, more serious, more thoughtful. “I know that the gift is not important, no matter how small or grand. Remember when that leader from Bypass Isle offered me all those jewels and fine materials for me to accept his marriage proposal? After Dorian had to convince him I was still too young, he never sent me a message or anything. Point is, he cared little for me personally. It means so much to me, that you simply came.” She was looking down, because she did not want him to see her eyes water as she came close to telling him just how important to her he was.
“Selene?” he was not sure if she wanted to go on or talk about something else. When she said nothing, he decided to ask her a question. “Do you remember when I came here for the first time?”
She managed to hold back the sentimental tears. “Yes, I do,” she remarked. “It took me forever to sneak those notes into your room, you know that? I had to have Kadrianne sneak them in.”
He grinned. “It was really nice of you. The notes made me feel better. After all, I was suddenly in a new, rich world, in unfamiliar territory.” He had grown accustomed to the five-thirty wake-up calls for the training classes in the morning, education classes with Selene until noontime, and evening meals, the curfews, the sharing, the rough labor, and the constant social balls and parties. But when he’d first arrived, he’d been so unused to everything, so baffled by how much and what he had to learn and do, he had no clue where to start or what to think. All he could remember thinking was that he felt lonely. But that had all changed when he’d met with Selene in their tower.
AT THE BEGINNING OF his life at the palace, Etoileon could only see Selene during mealtimes, when her brother and the entire household were all around. She had always smiled at him, and tried to talk to him, but he could sense that her role as princess kept her from saying some of the things that she really wanted to say. She often slipped him notes under his room door, and had special treats arranged for him. The first night he’d seen his room, he’d found a note under his pillow from Selene, telling him everything was going to be okay, her brother was odd, and she’d help him out, and good night. He kept it safe for reasons unknown even to himself. More notes would follow the first.
The night came when Etoileon was just getting ready for bed when he lay down on his bed to find a note from Selene once again. He opened it up, expected to find a message about how she was and hoped he was, and how she heard he was doing good in class or something along those lines. Instead, it was a short message of a completely different nature.
E–
Come to the Highest Tower, top room.
-S
P.S. Do not get caught.
He sighed. It was close to curfew for those who were being trained. He smiled as he thought about how Selene was right in saying that he should not get caught. Etoileon did not like to take chances, especially after almost a month living here; he’d come to grow fond of having a room that was his, and the great food served every day, and new comfortable clothes, and the uniform. He especially enjoyed seeing Selene every day, even if only allowed for a few moments of quiet talking. She was his special friend. So,
hands down, when it came to seeing her versus risking curfew, it was always going to be seeing her.
He made his way down the hallway, searching for the High Tower. He had one of the trainees show him around, but Etoileon had gotten along with him so well that they had talked more and Etoileon had not paid as much attention to where they were going in the palace.
After a few moments of searching, and even more moments of hiding behind curtains, dodging guards, and running around corners, Etoileon found it. He found the stairway to the highest tower. He took the steps two at a time, a happiness swelling in his heart at the thought of seeing Selene again in private. He had no idea why she was so important to him, and when he thought about it, he’d only had one real night of getting to know her, when they’d first met. But for some reason, she managed to creep into his mind every so often, or he’d hear her laughter down the hall, or here of her getting into mischief again, and he would wonder when he could talk to her again.
Now he had his chance. And he could not wait.
He opened the door to the tower and found Selene overlooking the balcony’s edge. When she heard the door open, she turned around to face him.
She sure looks nice, Etoileon thought. Selene was wearing a white flounced skirt, with crimson patterns sewn in it around the edge, with a plain white silk shirt and a short button-down crimson sweater to match. She had her long crimson stockings tucked into her matching white slippers. It made him wish he’d put on something nicer than his training outfit.
“Etoileon,” Selene smiled over at him. “I was wondering what was keeping you.”
“I got confused,” he admitted. “This is a big palace, after all.”
“Yes, it is,” she agreed. “I suppose that one advantage to living here is getting to know the territory well.”
“I had a friend from Battle Class show me around,” he said. “But we ended up talking more than looking around. His name was Ronal. It was nice. I can’t remember a time when I had the luxury of living in such an honest place.”
“Dorian says that the reason everyone’s so nice around here is because of me and my light,” she laughed. “He’s always teasing me about how light my skin is.”
Etoileon had never really been bothered by the fact that she did seem to light up a room all by herself. Except when other boys seemed drawn to look at Selene in a way that made him feel like he should hit them.
“I did not think that the outside world was so horrible. Are the streets really that bad?” she asked.
“Well,” Etoileon remembered what Dorian had said. It was his duty to protect the princess from the outside world. “It’s not as nice as it is here. There they may have lights and bright signs, but it’s a world that lives in darkness a lot. I was lucky to see early on that the darkness was not something to befriend, but something to fight against. That was one of the reasons I took refuge near a Battle School. The manager allowed me to attend a class as long as I cleaned up and ran errands and the like for him.”
“Is it wonderful to see how our lives seem to come full circle sometimes?” Selene murmured thoughtfully. “Hey, come over here and take a look.”
Etoileon moved and stood a few feet away from her, overlooking the balcony. “Wow,” he said. “That’s a long drop.”
“When I was little, I would toss something over the side, and see if it would break,” she admitted. “It’s silly now, but I was always a little reckless. I think Dorian taught me that.”
“It’s not a bad idea. From what I hear, you’re so nice and kind to everyone that you can’t be seen as mischievous, even by your brother.”
“Yes, that’s true,” Selene agreed. Her dark blond hair caught the wind and began to dance with it. Her eyes looked away to Diamond City’s horizon. “But I don’t mean to be a troublemaker half the time, I really do not. True, I do sometimes get overly curious, and I talk way too much. But I have never really felt the overwhelming need to be bad.”
“Why’s that?” Etoileon asked, his eyes following her hair.
“When I was little, before Dorian was so busy and arrogant, he and I would go to bed each night only after one of the workers here would tell us a story. The story was simple enough, always about the Guardian and the light that he smiles down on us. I remember that I could never wait to go to sleep, with the stories still lingering. My dreams, after hearing the stories, were always ... ” She paused here, trying to find the right adjective. “Peaceful, I guess.” She noticed the confused look on Etoileon’s face and shrugged. “Or it’s maybe because Dorian always encouraged me to be so difficult when I was young, I don’t know,” she confided. “But I think there’s a reason for it I’m not supposed to understand. At least, not just yet.”
“Oh.”
They stood there in silence for a moment.
She spoke up once more, this time her voice was soft and full of uncertainty. “Um, Etoileon ... you aren’t mad at me because I didn’t exactly tell you I was the Princess before, are you?”
“Huh?” He looked over at her in surprise. “Well ... I have to say, I was shocked, and confused, but I was angrier with myself than you. I should have realized who you were the moment I saw your face. But I didn’t. It happens, I guess.”
“I’m sorry if I caused any pain,” she whispered. “And I am sorry that you had to leave your home to come here.”
“It’s okay. I can still go off the Table once in a while,” he said. “And I like being here a lot better anyway. This is much better than any job on the docks.”
His words caused a smile to pop up on to her face, her worry disappearing as it was replaced by a sense of contentment once again. She glanced over at him. “I am glad that you’re going to be put through the stages of testing soon, Etoileon. Dorian told me that I am going to get a new protector soon, and I knew he was talking about you. I could tell by the way he said it.”
“What, with anger creeping into his voice, talking like he wanted to punch something?” He smiled.
“Well ... yes, actually,” Selene admitted, grinning. “I think he plays it up, personally, but I have noticed a bond between the two of you.”
“A bond? More like a canyon,” Etoileon objected.
“Admit it. You respect him, and not for being the King. It’s a quality that I can see in you, because it’s the same for me,” she said softly.
He was surprised. She was a perceptive one, all right. “Okay. But don’t tell him,” Etoileon whispered back. Yes, Etoileon thought, he did respect the king, even if he didn’t like him that much. Dorian was a good person, and he’d helped to raise Selene. Surely that meant that there was good in him, for it to be reflected in her.
She nodded. “Look over there,” she pointed into the sky. “The moons certainly are beautiful tonight.”
“Sure are.”
“Oh, and there’s the Four-point Celestial prison,” Selene said, pointing at a star constellation. It was a series of four stars in the sky that made a crooked box, the night between them the darkest of the whole sky. “Look, the one point is flickering almost, you can see it.”
Etoileon looked up and saw that she was right. “I’ve never seen a star look like that before,” he said.
“I wonder what it could mean,” Selene said. “That is one of the most famous constellations throughout all of Sapphiran history. There’s an old Sapphiran Legend about it, telling about how it was the final resting place for all the bad rulers and people.”
“It’s something to think about, I guess. Oh, by the way, was there any particular reason why you summoned me here, Selene?”
She smiled. “No,” she giggled. Her face grew serious then. “I missed you, that’s all. I like it that you are around, and that you would risk being caught after curfew to come and talk to me for a while.”
She just liked seeing him, she told herself. It was not because she dreamed of him, or because she hoped that he would hold her hand like they did while they were outside of the Castle walls, or that he would sm
ile and laugh with her once more.
“That’s good,” Etoileon said, cutting through her daydreams. “I thought maybe something was wrong.”
“No, noting like that,” she promised. “People won’t believe this, but sometimes it gets very lonely being a Princess. I used to wish I had a sister to play with, like Dorian did, or another brother even. Dorian’s way too busy for me sometimes, and I know how much the maids and bellboys talk. I am no fool. They would usually betray confidences quicker than it takes to turn the corner. Besides my handmaidens, I have no one to really trust.”
“I didn’t know you thought about this kind of stuff,” Etoileon admitted. “I’m used to thinking you’re all smiles and happiness.”
“People are usually thinking things nobody would expect,” she smiled. “And I learned a long time ago that people were not reliable, especially when it comes to the truth.”
“I can see why you would think that,” he agreed. “People usually don’t want to admit to certain things.” I would never confess to thinking about you when I’m supposed to be working, he admitted silently.
“I’ll tell you a secret if you tell me one,” Selene proposed. “How about it?”
He thought about it. “Okay. You first.”
“Which secret do you want to hear?”
“Um ... how about the worst thing you’ve ever done?” Etoileon could not imagine anything that the Princess would have done that would be counted as horrifying. It was a small stepping stone of a secret, a foot in the door.
“Probably go out into the city,” Selene answered. “I’m not allowed to, you know ... ”
He felt a little guilty standing there. He hadn’t meant for her to feel bad. He could see the guilt written on her face as she looked away from him.
A moment later she spoke up once again. “I know what darkness is,” she said. “And I’ve seen it. But I try not to do it myself. You know that ancient sickness? I think I’m trying to keep fighting it by finding things to smile about, to laugh at, to play with. I know it’s there, waiting for me to slip up. But I give it a nice run before I fall.”
