Two hours later we arrive in Middle Maurasia, not knowing what to expect. I do know quite a few people in this part of Maurasia, like the apothecary, and the pastor, and Miss Linda, a teacher at the high school. I am the first one to speak since everyone got into the van. Ayla, of course, is sitting in the front. When we pull onto the side of the road, I am the first to get out.
"Follow me, everyone" I say. Ciro looks at me and asks, puzzled, "Where are we going?" Then I ask him if he has any idea whatsoever where the Royals' palace is located. He shakes his head. I roll my eyes and mumble "Humph; boys. Never wanna stop and ask for directions."
I walk over to the apothecary's house and knock on the door a few times. He answers at the third knock. "Now who could that be...? Katie! What a surprise! Come for some fireweed, I presume?" My answer is not quite what he expects. "Not today, Jardin. I have actually come to ask you for directions." I put an emphasis on the word, so Ciro will get the hint.
Jardin seems taken aback by my response; apothecaries usually give healing herbs, potions, and aromatic spices, not directions. "I see. Where is it you are going?"
"We are headed to the Royals' palace today. We are supposed to meet with them and plan routes through the different Realms."
He seems interested as soon as I tell him our purpose. "From here, you just follow the red path, and that will take you directly to their palace."
"Thanks, Jardin. Your help is much appreciated."
"It's here anytime you need it, Katie." I nod and head back to the car and instruct Ciro to take the red dirt path. He nods and starts the engine.
Twenty minutes later we arrive at the Royals' palace, still without full knowledge of what to expect. Aiden strides boldly to the door and, as if he's here for some other purpose, knocks three times, and from somewhere inside the room behind the gargantuan doors, a loud, booming voice calls "Enter!"
I don't recognize the voice right away, but Marie does. She manages to mutter "Ilmatar..." before walking up to the massive oak doors. Violet, Ayla, and I follow her and Aiden inside, with Ciro, River, and Adam close behind.
As soon as we walk in, we are in awe at what we see. A multi-colored carpet runs from the door to a set of stairs, atop which sit the four thrones of the Royals. Tapestries adorn the wall behind the thrones.
The tapestries each have a picture on them, representing a certain Realm. The first one has a picture of a flame, representing the Fire Realm. The second has a picture of a waterfall, representing the Water Realm. The third bears a picture of a tree, for the Earth Realm. The fourth displays a gust of wind, for the Air Realm.
Aiden sees the first tapestry and, enveloped in his own excitement, yells "Fire Realm, represent!" I barely have a chance to calm him before Ilmatar growls "Silence, commoner!" Aiden is quiet after that, if only for a second.
The next thing he says throws the purpose our visit a little off-kilter. "What right have you, to boss me around like that? I thought each Royal ruled over only one Realm, and that's the way of it." Egan looks at Ilmatar and, in his calm voice, he says "The boy is right, Ilmatar. You think after eleven and seven years of being a Royal that you'd have known that by now."
Ilmatar grumbles in response. Egan looks at Aiden and says "You may have a critical tongue, my boy, but you make a fine point. Ilmatar has no right to boss you around, as, by the looks of it, you are of the Fire Realm, am I correct?" Aiden nods. "I am, Your Highness." King Egan smiles, his pearly teeth showing from beneath his rugged beard. I speak now.
"We have come to plan routes through the Realms with the four of you." Queen Amethyst looks at King Egan and says "Egan, dear, I would like you to meet Ayla, the girl I chose for the journey. She is very intelligent, strong-willed, and an excellent fighter. Care to give us a demonstration, Ayla?"
"Yes, your majesty. Come on, Ciro, tackle me." Ciro looks at her questioningly. "Are you sure about this?" he asks. She nods and prepares to block him. Without waiting for Ciro to prepare himself, she rams into his shoulder out of desperation. Sigh. Ayla, Ayla, Ayla, always spoiling for a fight. During Ayla's "surprise" attack, Ciro is somehow knocked unconscious.
The moment she realizes this, Ayla kneels on the ground and cradles his head in her lap, caressing his golden-brown locks the whole time. She tucks her head close to his, and mumbles in his ear. I can just barely hear what she is saying. "I am so sorry, my love. Honest to Amethyst, I never meant to hurt you."
At the mention of her name, and I'm surprised she can hear it at all, the Air Realm queen glides over to where Ayla is crouched over the comatose love of her life. She kneels next to Ayla and says, in a much calmer voice than King Egan, "Is there something I can do to help?"
Ayla looks at Queen Amethyst and asks if she can check for a pulse and breathing, as she can't find either. Queen Amethyst looks at Ayla and asks her, "Have you tried using your powers?" Ayla is somewhat confused by this.
"My powers; what powers? I didn't even know I had any." Queen Amethyst says "Watch and learn, child." At this, King Ilmatar looks over at King Egan and says "Brace yourself, Egan; your wife is about to huff and puff, and let's pray that she doesn't blow down the palace. I don't think we want a replay of the Cerulean incident."
Hearing this, Egan walks over to where Ayla and Amethyst are- who is apparently his wife; no one in the Fire Realm is aware of this, except for Aiden and me. He places both hands on her shoulders and says to her "Amethyst, my lovely, why don't we go outside and do this so as not to blow down the palace? Or, for a better alternative, let's stop this altogether."
Queen Amethyst smiles at him, strokes his chin, and asks "Egan, my dearest love, do you want me to remain in a mentally balanced state or go crazy because one of my Realm is no longer conscious, and I'm not able to do a thing about it because you are distracting me?" King Egan looks at her resignedly for a moment, then smiles and whispers in her ear "Maybe I like it when you're crazy." Queen Amethyst giggles at this.
Aiden decides he wants to have some input. "Ugh. At this rate, we'll never get to actually go on the journey!" I pinch him to stop him from saying anything else. "Ouch!" is all that comes out of his mouth afterward.
Moments later, we hear Ayla's voice whisper "Ciro, my love; are you alright?" The rest of us (The four Royals, Violet, Marie, myself, and the remaining boyfriends, Aiden, River, and Adam) figure that Ciro is awake, so the ten of us venture over to where Ayla is crouched in front of her previously unconscious boyfriend.
I hear a muttered reply of confirmation escape Ciro's lips. "Yes, I am fine. Are you going to be okay as well?" Ayla nods, rises from her crouched position, and says "A god! There, I said it! He is a god to me!"
While I just barely manage to keep a straight face, Marie and Violet start to giggle their heads off; Ayla glares at them, although their chortling has been reduced to a light chuckle. "You know what? I'm just going to sit here and meditate. Hopefully that way you guys won't bother me!"
Ayla then closes her eyes and, out of nowhere, she starts to levitate above the ground! Marie and Violet have stopped laughing at this point, and now they, along with the other eight of us, are standing in awe, mouths gaping with astonishment.
The remaining Royals (Queen Brook and King Ilmatar) stroll over to where we are all standing. Brook is wary of Aiden and I, as our element, fire, basically wastes water, her element. But if you look at it, her element does the same to us, as water can put out fires. We start to get back on topic. It is Ilmatar who opens his obnoxious mouth now.
"Shouldn't we plan routes through the Realms so that you can get on with the journey, and leave the four of us at peace?" Egan waves us over to where he is standing. "Come, you two; we have lots of planning to do." Aiden looks at our king with astonishment.
"Does this mean we get to see your map-room?" All the Royals have their own room where they do all the planning for raids (which I'm guessing Ilmatar enjoys), Meetings, and check-ups (making sure their Realms are in good condition).
Egan's room is roughly four-and-a-half times larger that the house I share with Aiden and Aunt Melissa. Once we enter the immense chamber, Egan notices the expressions of awe that Aiden and I are wearing. "It's a big room, isn't it?"Aiden and I nod in unison, unable to say much more.
