The Shadows of the Four Realms [BOOK TWO]

CHAPTER 11 - Of Scrolls and Ciders

As if she had whispered a feathery spell, Nova slowly raised his chin to look out towards the entrance, towards the bright... sun. While Ralph... looked at Althea, wondering whether she was speaking from her own experience.

A string of fresh sunlight fell across a side of her bronze face, bringing the violet specks in her eyes to the surface.

Sorcery! Look away, mate, look away!

He moved his gaze away, focusing on Nova. The sunrays were slowly spreading around, as golden as his hair, bouncing off his pale skin, his hunched shoulders now tightened to accentuate the remarkable width of his warrior-build, giving his otherwise gloomy aura, a sprinkle of color and life. His thunderous heartbeats seemed to calm down as he closed his eyes, and inhaled the dewy morning in.

Their gazes clashed again, before Althea dashed away and for one brief moment, one fickle moment, Ralph watched the strange woman go, climbing up a staircase, two steps at a time and disappearing from sight. At least, she knew how to clean up her own mess.

Long moments passed before Ralph broke the lingering awkwardness, "Do you perhaps think she was giving me the cold shoulder?"

A beat passsed and tiniest of the smiles curled up on his face. "Coldest, Ralph. Whatever did you do?"

"Me? All I did was arrive naught but moments ago!"

Nova stood up, dusting his hands and putting on a strong front. "I'm sure you're at fault, because Althea is a smart and sensible girl, if not a liiiittle eccentric."

"Also, pretty arrogant," Ralph mumbled.

Nova smirked, "Pretty or arrogant?"

Ralph glared, while Nova gave him a hand and pulled him up to his feet as if nothing had ever happened.

***

Voices buzzing like hive of bees, reverberated from all around the autumnal palace for the preparation of the decennial coronation ceremony had begun, which was about to take place in two weeks from now. It was when the newly throned Conqueror would be branding the four new rulers of the Four Realms, which Ralph was definitely not a part of.

He followed Nova, as he whirled from turns to turns, sure of his way while Ralph didn't even bother to keep track of how many spiral stairs they had climbed. Even when Nova stood in front of an old dilapidated door in an otherwise colorful foyer, Ralph did not object. Inside, there was dust and damp and Nova held in a sneeze. A little further down in was what seemed to be a fortified hideout, a similar Ralph had back at his home for barricades during war crisis. He had never though he'd be seeing one of his enemy's.

Another tattered door stood short of tumbling, on the other side of which chairs scraped, smell of bread and cheese, ciders and ales, and sugar and honeycakes wafted around, and on cue an embarrassing rumble erupted in his stomach. Nova pushed open the door with a flourish.

A smile lit up his face as he took in Doran, Una, Arlette...

...and beside them, he spotted the dark greyish-green clothes, black hair wet from bath, the dark rings from her eyes vanished, cheeks rosier and a half-finished plate of something in her hand, sitting cross-legged on a chair as if she owned it all.

Ralph's feet froze for this feeling was still new. How could one feel so deeply for a girl, one's own blood or not, met naught but three months ago and spent two of which apart? Her smile was contagious and he found himself inhaling deeply, with a sense of satisfaction rumbling low in his guts.

After the tumultuous past months, Eleni was finally at a much better place. And to see that smile, to hear that laugh, he'd even live in a hut...

Even with the view of her side face, blanketed by her hair, he could feel her freezing. Her earthen instincts made her snap her head directly at the entrance, big black eyes widened like saucers. Then the chair tumbled back as she rose up with the force of an earthquake.