The Four Realms - Book One - Truth

Episode 10 - Truth or Lies?

The back of the king's hand made contact with my face at such a speed that I was thrown off balance and landed hard on the cool flagstones. The pain was intense; my jaw felt like it had been taken off and placed back on again, but what hurt even more was the indifference I saw in Serefin's expression. She didn't even flinch. Is she lost to me already?

The King linked Serefin's arm with his own and began to walk away towards the stairs.

"Everen, bring Esatain into the room and seat her beside me once you have shown her how to behave around her king. I don't want a scene. Ensure she knows her place before she joins me. I must see my guests."

My eyes were still closed when I heard the click of the king's shoes disappear completely. I remained motionless, the cold invading my bones from my palms and knees that were in contact with the flagstone floor.

I felt a hand on my back. Something I could not explain was suddenly happening. The heat that had balled up within me began to flow, as if a lock on a river had been suddenly opened.

"Esatain, listen to me. Esatain." Everen's voice was forceful enough for me to open my eyes and look at him. He had removed his mask, and it lay on the marble dresser beside us. I saw strain in his features. "I need you to trust me."

"Trust you?" My surprise at such a request was filled with sarcasm and came off my tongue without hesitation. "Trust you?" Although I would have preferred to be a little more explicit in my response, Everen's request had rendered me unable to articulate more precisely.

"I had hoped to have a little more time, but it seems as though Finrick has taken to you in a way I had not accounted for." Although I knew exactly what Everen was hinting at by this statement and had experienced an intense reaction to the king's looks and touches, I was extremely unnerved by the way Everen was now talking to me. "But then I never imagined you would be quite so..."

My breath caught in my throat, and my chest tightened as if willing him to say the thing I wanted to hear—something complimentary.

"...developed." Everen's hands dropped from my back now. A scowl flittered on the features of his face.

The moment his hands left mine, I was empty, and the ball of heat that had built within me had gone. The pain at my temples was gone. I could feel a tingle, as if the energy would build again, but for now it had settled. My confusion must have been obvious on my face.

"At this point, Esatain, you don't have anyone else. So my advice would be to listen to me." I closed my mouth, which had opened to make another smart remark; he had a good point. I had no one, so what could I possibly lose by trusting the one and only person currently asking me to do so? How much worse could things get?

"Ok. If, for arguments sake, I were to trust you, how would that help my situation?" It was worth a conversation, at least.

"Tonight, you need to stay calm if I am to protect you."

"Protect me? Why are you going to protect  me?"My thoughts reeled. "You work for the king. Why would you want to protect me from him?"

"Finrick is not, and never will be, my king." Everen seemed to bristle, and the air was suddenly charged with anger.

"We don't have time for this; the music has started; we have to go." Everen turned me to face him. "Esatain, promise me. No matter what happens, you will stay calm and trust that I will get you through this."

I swallowed hard. My throat was dryer than the sand dunes of the rebel plains. Everen's hands were now on my shoulders.

"I promise. I hope it wasn't your job to protect me before now, as I would question your protective abilities if that were the case, given the mess I am in." My comment was met with a rye smile from Everen.