“Ouch!”
“Oh, look at you! What would the
king say if he saw you now? What a disgraceful sight, honestly…”
Elinor continued to scrub at Lina’s
hair profusely, forcing the dirt off of each strand without mercy. Tears came
to Lina’s eyes and mixed with the soap bubbles sliding down her face and into
her eyes, adding to the pain she was feeling, though she made no attempt to
wipe the excess from her eyes because her little hands were too preoccupied.
The poor girl was clinging onto the sides of the tub to keep from slipping into
the tub altogether, for Elinor’s movements were causing her to lose her balance
even though she was sitting. Her feet, too, were braced against the porcelain
edges in a pitiful attempt to maintain her balance. She focused on keeping still
as though she were caught in a tumultuous storm at sea, for the water made
waves as she swayed left and right, escalating in magnitude. She even turned it
into a small game, attempting to see how high she could get the water to splash
without spilling over the edge of the tub. Her little fun was ruined, however,
when Elinor suddenly dumped cold water over her to wash away the suds. A small
wail escaped her lips, and little goose bumps formed on her arms as she
shivered.
Elinor forced Lina to get up and
out of the tub and quickly threw a towel over her as she proceeded to empty the
tub full of murky water and refill it with fresh water. Lina needed to be
washed twice—she was just that filthy
when she had arrived. Elinor could hardly believe her eyes when she set her
sights upon the little princess, soiled from head to toe and hardly
recognizable, standing outside in the open midnight
air and letting the dirt seep into her royal skin. The maid could not speak a
word, and simply took the girl’s arm to lead her to the bath, taking long
strides without regard to Lina’s difficulty in keeping up.
This time, however, the bath was
prepared with warm water and plenty of fragrance-filled oils. Lina could hardly
breathe—Elinor had dumped in so many fragrances that it had overwhelmed her
sinuses and made the air thick with perfumes. Elinor turned to Lina and
remained silent for a moment, then turned back around and opened yet another
container, commenting idly, “We’re going to need a lot…you smell like you fell
in a pile of cow manure.”
“That was a fine feast if I may
say so myself,” the king of Zelphia said, allowing the words to float upon his
liquor-laced, effervescent breath as he reclined in his chair and relished in
his contentment. He licked his lips and mustache, savoring the last little
droplets of rose petal sauce lingering upon his grey hairs, and rested his
hand, adorned with rings of gold and jewels of every shade of the spectrum,
upon his stout belly. His son sat beside him and was silently finishing his meal
in a fairly refined and humble manner; he kept his tongue within the
confinements of his mouth and decided to practice patience until his father
decided it was time to bring him into the spotlight. Besides, his thoughts were
centered elsewhere—the image of the lively princess stumbling upon his path
lingered within his mind, and he predicted how entertaining it would be to be
in the company of such an adventurous little sprite.
“Come now, we have yet to touch
the desserts,” King Frederick chided, gesturing toward the mountains of
pastries at the end of the table, though he, too, already had his fill. In
contrast to the king of Zelphia, he was not elderly, but not youthful either.
Though he was battle-hardened, his soul was truly warm and gentle, and the kingdom
both loved and revered him. As he observed the prince, he was glad to find out
that the boy was respectable and honest, but his primary concern—whether the
two children would develop a strong, lasting bond—would not be answered until later.
“Oh, no, I mustn’t or I shall
burst!” King Elliot XII replied in the same jovial manner. He sat up straight
and folded his hands upon his lap, then inquired, “So where is our dear little
vixen? Has she evaded us or does she still remain in waiting within her burrow?”
As if on cue, one of the butlers
came through the door, bowed, and declared, “Presenting the princess of
Elsmaria, Lina du Mar L’ciel.”
For the first time that night,
Prince Elliot’s eyes were no longer filled with lethargy and apathy, and he
glanced up from his plate expecting to see the pre-instilled image of the
lively princess standing before him. But that was not the case, and as a result
of the shock he clumsily dropped his fork onto the ceramic plate, creating a
loud clanking noise that echoed off the walls of the dining hall. He flushed in
embarrassment and dropped his head, quickly moving the fork off the plate, and
sheepishly raised his head to meet his father’s menacing glare.
What surprised him, though, was
that no one seemed to notice his mishap. Instead, all attention was focused on
the little princess who was elegantly sauntering over to the dinner table, and
the only noise heard was the soft clacking of her heels against the stone
floors. She was clad in a satin dress of a soft pink color draped loosely off
her shoulders, like what was common of her time, and adorned at the hip with a
small twist in the fabric. The rest of the dress fell back behind her leaving a
small trail where she walked, and she hung her pale, ethereal hands in front of
her in a prim and proper manner. Her hair was nicely brushed and cascaded down
her shoulders and body in tranquil, little waves. She looked nothing like the
riff-raff princess she had been only a minute ago, and the prince couldn’t help
but feel slightly disappointed. If I
hadn’t known it was her, I would have assumed they were two entirely different
people, the prince thought silently.
Lina chuckled to herself. Even if
Elinor was amazingly relentless in the process, she was undoubtedly the miracle
worker. Lina’s attempt at gracefulness was also due to Elinor’s create-a-perfect-princess
process, and this was one of the few occasions during which Lina felt grateful
to have gone through the trouble of preparation and practice. She had her
audience completely mesmerized, and
she took a little bit of self-satisfaction in knowing that little fact. Elliot’s
first reaction, especially, made her do mental flips in her brain, for she knew
she had him captured at first glance.
King Frederick stood up proudly
and stepped forward to receive his daughter. She curtsied in respect to her
father’s presence, an act that made her dad have to stifle a small chuckle, and
awaited her father’s introduction.
The king of Zelphia took it upon
himself to be the first to speak, however, and exclaimed, “What a fine young
lady this is!” as he rose from his seat with his son obediently at his heels.
He approached the little princess, who curtsied again, this time remaining in
the position for a while longer, and grinned. “I must commend you on your
efforts, my dear Frederick, for
your daughter makes quite the
picture-perfect princess needed to rule the country.”
“Indeed, she does,” King Frederick
answered abruptly. Lina was surprised to hear the sincerity in his voice, even
though she knew he couldn’t have meant what he had just said. Or could he…she wondered, casting an
inquisitive look up at her father.
Prince Elliot glanced up at his
father for the cue, and upon receiving it stepped forward and bowed gracefully
to the princess. “So happy to be here, my lady.”
She curtsied once again to him,
measuring each movement she took with meticulous precision. When she was
satisfied with her well-taught grace, she answered, “It is my pleasure, my
lord.”
Then, with one swift movement,
Elliot reached forward and took her hand, then respectfully kneeled and kissed
the back of it lightly. His lips lingered against her velvety skin, of which he
was somewhat reluctant to let go. Lina’s cheeks turned a rosy shade of pink,
and she stood breathless as he removed from his pocket yet another white rose
to offer her. She hesitated before taking it, and then shied away from him and
back to her father’s side, whispering a barely audible “Thank you.”
The kings seemed to be fairly
pleased with this set of events, and each let go of the breath he was holding
throughout the process. King Frederick turned to his company with renewed hope.
“So tell me, friend, how long do
you plan on staying?”
The following morning progressed
with similar success, for as soon as Lina stepped out of her quarters, the
prince was there to receive her with a batch of freshly picked wildflowers. She
had initially turned beet red and retreated back into her room with the bouquet,
but a few minutes later returned, still with a small blush on her cheeks, to
inform him that she had placed the flowers in a vase to keep them from
spoiling. He had then proceeded to invite her on a walk, suggesting that she
show him around the palace, and she agreed wholeheartedly.
She seemed a little livelier than
she had been the night before, talking non-stop about a variety of things as
they walked. Every now and then she would realize she was being overly
garrulous and would blush and apologize, embarrassed about her lack of
restraint, but Elliot reassured her that he enjoyed her stories. He found that
they shared common dreams of escaping the restraints of the mundane royal life,
and he suggested in jest that they run off together. Lina responded by jumping
back and exclaiming “Whatttt!?” to which he teasingly answered, “Shh, if they
hear you then it won’t work.” She listened intently as he described a plan off
the top of his head to her, and he chuckled when she asked if it would really
succeed.
She pouted when he confessed the
truth, which he commented on as being “cute”, and she turned a bright red. He
laughed some more, then took her hand and encouraged the continuation of their
journey through the gardens.
Lina stopped when they reached the
cherry tree. Now that it was daylight, she could see clearly how its growth was
inhibited by the glass built above it, and the scene made her frown ever so slightly.
Elliot noticed the change in her expression and looked up to see what it was
that bothered her, and he understood almost immediately the symbolism that the
image represented in their lives.
Lina wet her dry throat by
swallowing, and began to narrate the story to him, describing what happened
that day and why her father decided to build this section the way it was built.
Upon hearing her admit to having a fear of heights, Elliot smiled warmly and
inquired, “If you’re afraid, then how can I take you flying with me one day?”
Lina glanced up at him, confused.
Had she heard him right? “Flying?” she questioned, expecting to hear him work
it off as a figurative joke.
But instead, he nodded. “It’s one
of the best experiences in the world,” he explained, and leaned back to look up
at the sky. They were resting on one of the benches to the side, enjoying the
beauty of the cherry tree before them as they relaxed their aching feet. Lina
looked to him, patiently waiting for more, but then realized that there was
something mysterious about the way he looked. His facial expression could best be
described with the word “longing,” but she thought the sunlight was just
playing tricks on her eyes. The light even reflected off of his blond hair,
making it appear more of a golden color. His blue eyes seemed to glow slightly,
and she found herself getting lost in them as he turned back to face her. He
smiled and brushed her cheek lightly with his fingers, then spoke gently, “Will
you try to get over your fear of heights? For me?”
She nodded but couldn’t resist the
urge to ask, “How? Do we fly, I mean.”
He chuckled at her and raised a
finger to his lips playfully.
“Now that is a secret.”
King Frederick was sitting upon
his throne, delighting in the fact that his daughter appeared to enjoy the
presence of Prince Elliot as much as she did. He was equally as pleased to know
that Elliot enjoyed her presence equally as much, and mused about how perfect
the match seemed to be.
The king’s thoughts were
interrupted, however, when Elinor appeared at the door with news of a visitor.
He stood up worriedly but told her to welcome the visitor regardless. She
disappeared behind the door once more and a few seconds later returned to let
the man in.
King Frederick was relieved to
find that the man was actually a scholar. Receiving scholars was nothing out of
the ordinary considering the existence of their extensive library downstairs.
He stepped forward to receive this foreigner warmly, extending a hand to shake.
The scholar hesitated before taking
his hand in surprise. “This is the first time I’ve ever shaken the hand of
royalty,” he explained, but seemed fairly pleased and relieved.
Elinor then stepped forward to
whisper in the king’s ear. “Be careful, your majesty. He refuses to disclose
his country of origin or anything about himself. He has also been in your lands
since last night at least, for I saw him in the marketplace, but has only come
to greet you now.”
“Oh come now,” King Frederick
began, “It is not in our nature to be wary of our visitors.”
“But…” she protested, knowing it
would be a useless struggle. She then sighed and curtsied, taking her leave.
The scholar watched her as she
left, then turned to face the king once more. The man seemed to be an ordinary
traveling scholar based on his clothes: a weathered white tunic, a pair of worn
gray pants, and a gray cloak to go on top. He also appeared to be quite
intelligible based on the amount of scrolls and books present in his bag, which
hung casually over his left shoulder and crossed his body, landing at his right
hip. The only strange thing about him was his constantly upturned eyes which
added an effect of mystery, and yet he seemed friendly enough to trust. What a paradox, the king mused.
“So tell me, what brings you to my
kingdom?” King Frederick asked, though it was more of a formality rather than
because he actually wanted to hear the answer.
The answer hadn’t been what he had
been expecting, though, and caught him slightly off-guard. “I am actually here
to offer my knowledge to your young princess… I was quite taken by her behavior
last night in the marketplace, and I’ve needed a place to stay and a pupil to
teach,” he explained.
The king raised an eyebrow
questioningly, but he understood the traveler’s need by the tone of his voice. “I
trust, by your daring to offer this proposition, that you are a well-educated
and trustworthy companion?”
“Though I do not mean to
boast…yes, indeed I am,” he answered, bowing his head humbly.
After a few seconds of thought,
King Frederick replied uncertainly, “Alright…I suppose I will grant you
your wish.” He then called for Elinor to set up a room for the visitor, giving
the man a chance to prove his worth.
“Oh, I almost forgot. What is your
name?” the king asked as his guest was leaving.
The scholar paused for a minute,
almost as if he was deliberating, and then answered, “Cless.” He apparently had
no intention of disclosing his last name, and the king wondered whether or not
he had actually made the correct decision in allowing this mysterious person to
stay.
The rest of the day progressed fairly regularly, and by the time Lina was permitted to retreat back to her bedroom, she was utterly and entirely exhausted. She barely managed to reach the bed before passing out into a deep slumber, giving way to a myriad dreams and stories waiting to unfold…
Darkness beyond blackest pitch…
Gusts of wind were blowing
fiercely against her body, yet somehow she still managed to stand despite of it.
By straining her ears she could make out three very faint voices around her,
calling her name and pleading for her to stop…stop doing what?
Deeper than the deepest night…
She then realized that the voice reciting
the incantation was indeed her own, though it belonged to someone much
older—perhaps in her mid to late teens. For some reason these words were
floating from her lips with ease, without her even having to think about it.
She could feel a strange sensation beginning to flow throughout her body,
starting from her hands and progressing through her arms until it traced the
flow of her blood and seeped through every vein and inundated her heart. The
racing beat of her heart was threatening to leap out of her chest, and she
could barely maintain the pressure building up from within.
Lord of darkness…
She felt something materialize
from the space between her hands, forcing her palms apart. Somehow, she knew
that if this power got loose it would engulf her completely, and so she used all
her effort to keep it under control. She wanted to open her eyes to see what it
was that was causing her all this distress, but if she did then she would risk
losing focus and any chance she had of surviving this perilous situation, so
she continued to chant…
…shining like gold upon the Sea of Chaos…
With this line the winds changed
course and began to circle about her. Gravity felt much heavier. Her knees
almost buckled beneath the weight of her own body, but nevertheless she fought
hard to stay standing.
I call upon thee…swear myself to thee!
She heard a deep, masculine voice
call out her name: Linaaa! For some
reason this struck a chord within her heart, causing it to ache, but the
incantation was a job only half done. She took a deep breath and continued.
Let the fools who stand before us be destroyed by the power you and I
possess!
The mysterious sensation flowing
throughout her body suddenly swelled immeasurably, escaping through her fingers
and joining with the power that could barely be contained there. The energy
suddenly threatened to explode, and she was forced to bring her hands above her
head as if to protect the fragile object from colliding with the ground. Her
eyes shot open in alarm as she took in her surroundings all at once.
Rubble was flying everywhere
around her. Lightning struck here and there, cracking the barren earth and
shattering large boulders. Before her stood a gargantuan…monster with a smirk on its face, as though it found the situation
to be genuinely entertaining. She surveyed her surroundings and saw her
comrades, wounded and fallen and drenched in their own blood, extending their
hands in her direction and continuing to shout, though their concerned voices
no longer reached her ears.
She felt scared. She swallowed,
though it did nothing for her parched throat. Something told her that more than
her life was being risked in this situation, but she couldn’t figure out what
exactly was happening. Feeling helpless, she shut her eyes and prayed…
Giga Slave!!
She then used all the force in her
petite body to propel forward the energy radiating from her fingers.
Immediately, she felt a disconnection in the flow going through her body. Her
stomach doubled over, a sick, sick feeling filled her, and she couldn’t resist
when nausea overtook her and caused her to vomit.
As soon as her hand touched the
ground, it split from beneath her and the energy raced out, swallowing her up
in its gold-laced darkness…
Lina woke from her nightmare with
a start, perspiring and breathing heavily. She brought her hands to her face
and realized that tears stained her cheeks, and after a few seconds of being
stunned, she fell back onto her pillow and sobbed. Her entire body was shaking,
and she thought she could almost feel the same sensation that filled her body
in the dream. Upon realizing she couldn’t feel her feet, she threw the covers
off of her body in panic to make sure they were still there, afraid that the
darkness had indeed stolen a fragment of her body. She was relieved for a
second to see that her entire body was still intact, but immediately fell back
into a frantic mess and clutched the sheets of her bed as she curled up into
fetal position and cried. The darkness suddenly felt so threatening, almost
suffocating. The feeling of someone squeezing her air passage sped up her
breathing, making it even more difficult to get an even supply of oxygen, and
she felt her head getting light and dizzy. She whined and whimpered, unable to
compose herself.
Help…
She gradually became aware of the
presence of another person sitting next to her, and before she could scream he
scooped her up onto his lap and lulled her. For some reason, Lina found it
easier to breathe, and the chilling sensation left her body. She drew back
slightly as the touch of cool fabric brushed against her face, but quickly
relaxed and allowed this stranger to wipe the sweat from her. When he was
through, she hesitated before gazing up to see who was providing her with so
much comfort.
Her mouth was left gaping open as
soon as she recognized the face of her savior. It was the same man who had
visited her the night before—the same man with the raven black hair and dark,
black eyes. He was smiling warmly at her, holding her gently until the tension
finally left her body.
Lina immediately felt drowsiness
overtaking her once more as soon as she felt calm, but she fought the urge to
close her eyes and sleep. How this man managed to make it into her chambers
still puzzled her, and she knew that she shouldn’t trust him, but for some
reason something deep within her told her that this was a man whose hands she
could place her life in. So out of all the thousands of questions flooding her
mind at the moment, she chose one out of them all to ask.
“Who are you?”
He paused before responding
jovially with: “Your guardian angel.”
Seeing that Lina wasn’t satisfied enough
with his answer to go quietly to sleep, he stroked her hair tenderly and
stopped his hand where her pendant was resting beneath her shirt on her back,
the object most likely having found its way there while she was lying down. This
time, when he touched it, she felt as though he was speaking to her through it,
and a strange emotion filled her as he his words flooded her heart.
“This charm lets me know how
you’re doing,” he explained. “It connects you to me.”
She felt as though he was telling
her the truth because it honestly felt as though their hearts were connected
for the moment he touched the pendant, and when he let go it felt like she had
lost a part of who she was. Slumber was quickly overtaking her, though, but she
worried that a nightmare would easily invade her sleep once more. Looking to
her “guardian angel”, she implored him not to leave her side.
He chuckled and shifted aside to
give her room to lie down again and tucked her into bed gently. “Don’t be so
concerned, Lina-san. I’m much closer to you than you think…”
Seeing the sincerity in his eyes
and sensing the truth in his words, Lina at last felt at ease enough to fall
asleep again. This time, rather than another nightmare, she dreamt of flying
through the skies, grasping the gloved hand of a mysterious figure…
And as she turned her head to look
at him, his name played upon her lips as she smiled, but she had forgotten it
as swiftly as she had remembered it, and the next moment a thought passed
through her mind was when sunlight poured through the window and the sweet song
of the bluebird sifted through the air. Her fingers reached instinctively for
the jewel resting upon her chest as a single question came to mind.
“Was it just a dream…?”
<--Back one Chapter Table of Contents Go on to Chapter Fourteen-->
View My Guestbook
Sign My Guestbook