Tell you. I can taste victory. AH! I'm so close! Here's the next bit. Although I want to just give it all to you. But we'll go with bits at a time.
Princess Rivalee
The hardest thing about living in a palace again was having no power. It was like Riva had gone backwards rather than forward. She had no control over what happened and she had no idea where to begin. Constantly she ran over the problem, how to get to the dungeons and how not to get caught. There were times she wanted to tear the place apart, literally.
In order to avoid horrible mishaps she immersed herself into her new role, which was surprisingly enthralling. It was easy to get caught up the music, it was her life. The composer seemed to expel new songs from his being, Riva was hard-pressed to stay a step ahead of him. Often she would catch herself dreaming about staying here and just being a singer. She would live in comfort without anyone knowing the wiser. Fantasies crept up on her too frequently for comfort. She was still the ruler of Alsteare, just because she’d left didn’t change that. Her only goal was to get Glen and get out.
Apparently everyone else had other plans. Within a week, she had sung five times and she was thoroughly exhausted.
She was also very famous.
The only word she could use to describe the coming days is this: chaos.
Although she was flattered, she had never considered herself a very good singer, Riva was overwhelmed by the sudden popularity. The King’s attention didn’t help. While he kept his attention polite and pleasant, he was persistent. Riva tried to keep herself distant, truly, but he was so different from anyone she had ever met. He was a puzzle. What did he believe in? Why was he fighting? What were his plans after he’d won? How did he manage to turn so many of her people?
She found herself drawn to the enemy and rationalizing it as reconnaissance.
“May I borrow Miss Riva, Windleton?” Came a familiar voice.
The entire room turned to see Sealidan leaning casually against the door a small smile playing on his lips.
Windleton, unable to tell his sovereign ‘no’ straight out, bowed and motioned for Riva to leave. For a few moments Riva considered the situation she was in, she should stay, but they had been at it for hours, her voice needed a rest. With as much grace as she could muster Riva left the room with the enemy of her country.
The enemy of her country, the reason her people were at war. No, that wasn’t fair. Alsteare and Sealidan had been at war for generations.
The King offered his arm and she took it. Together they traveled in silence, gliding down the corridor and the servants stopping and bowing to the King as he passed. The servants had done that for her father when he was alive.
The silence let Riva’s mind wander to her late father. He had died fighting this man.
“Copper for your thoughts?” The King murmured watching her face.
Riva flashed him a smile, not wanting to seem impolite. Sealidan had only been a gentleman in her presence. It made her wonder what kind of man he was. Was he like her father? Just trying to keep his country safe?
“Why are we fighting?” It had slipped out without her permission. “Why are we fighting Alsteare?”
His expression became serious and aged. Wearily he sighed deeply. “Because I wish it to end. From the first time I can recall, we were at war with Alsteare. As you know my father and had maintained an uncertain peace but that ended a few decades ago. Once the crown fell to me, I promised that I would end it. Permanently. Every action I have made as King has been towards that end. The sooner we win the sooner it’s over.”
“When you win,” Riva didn’t dare argue that point. “what do you plan on doing? You’ll be the King of two countries... how will you get them to submit?”
He grinned roguishly. “People aren’t so hard to understand. They just want to be happy. Food, shelter and safety, that’s all their looking for. If I can show the people of Alsteare that I can give them that, what’s to stop them from joining me?”
Riva was dying to ask him how he’d turned some of her best men traitor, but thankfully was able to keep her peace. Instead she asked something a little simpler, “What was your father like? I mean as a father?”
“He gave his life for his people. Would have done anything to give them happiness.” Sealidan shook his head. “He would’ve emptied the treasury for them if he could, the fool.” The way he said it, made the title loving rather than insulting. “You know his favorite thing to do was to take me to the poor houses. I learned a lot there, about people and human nature.”
Riva was astonished, she tried imagining her own father going to the poor and just talking with them, hearing their woes and troubles. Her thoughts were interrupted as Sealidan continued.
He waved to the city outside the big windows. “I turned Sealidan into a country that could hold it’s own. All the shops, farms, and tradesman are unified in one goal: victory. Took me years to get it to this point.”
“Is that why there is no music?” Riva asked, she thought she remembered the Composer, Windleton, say something along those lines.
The King nodded sadly, “The palace is the only place that can afford such luxuries.”
No wonder Riva became famous so quickly, she had no competitors. The people were starved for entertainment. They worked all day and had no way to relieve their stress, to forget about their meager lots in life.
“Does it make you sad? That there is no music?”
“Of course it does, my living is made off of creating music. How can it not sadden me?”
The King smiled in sympathy. “Where have you been? Surely you’ve seen some amazing places.”
“Most of my childhood was here, but then I was sent to Alsteare, I spent most of my days there. I told you about performing before the King, didn’t I?” Sealidan confirmed that she had. “I’ve also spent some time in the desert, the Nurvian Desert.” Her fingers moved to the scars that peeked over her shoulders. “I’ve seen some amazing things... but I’ve also seen some very horrible ones.”
The King caught her hand and kissed her fingers, his blue eyes staring into hers. “I wish I could have kept them from you.” Sincerity was etched in every word.
His touch reminded her of Glen. Her dear Glen. Tears began to leak down her face. She wanted him to be safe. Oh gods, please let him be safe.
The King was becoming more and more concerned. “Riva?” He held her face in his hand and wiped her tears gently away. “What wrong? Please tell me? If it’s in my power I will give it to you.”
She shook her head. It was so tempting, so tempting to blurt out her wish to see the dungeons and to free the man he held down there, but it was too soon. She had to bide her time. The gods had given her this one chance, she wanted to make sure it counted. “It’s nothing, please forgive me. I don’t know what came over me.”
His face hardened, gently he touched her scars. Riva squirmed away, embarrassed that she had let the enemy get so close to her. She had to get control of herself.
“Can you tell me what happened? Is that why you’re crying?”
“No. That was just from a man who thought he owned me.” She wiped her eyes clear and straightened.
The King snorted. “Just? Who gave them to you? I can have him found and-”
“He’s dead.”
There was a few moments of silence.
“Please your Majesty, I would prefer to speak of something more pleasant.” She smiled to try and lift the heavy atmosphere. “Would you care to go riding? I’ve longed to be out and breathing the fresh air again.”
“Of course. I will have two horses readied.”
“I believe my horse will be just fine, I’ll come with you to the stables if you don’t mind?”
The King smiled his most exuberant smile. “I wouldn’t mind at all.”
No comments:
Post a Comment