The Starriest Summer (The Cycle of the Six Moons, #1)

Chapter Twelve: Long Live the Prince

I sigh. "A week, huh? What day is it?"

"The twenty-sixth of Consier."

"Con-what-what?"

"Consier. The seventh month of the year. Do you call it something different on Tyme?"

"Yeah. July." I sigh again. "I left home July twentieth. I guess it has been almost a week already."

We discuss the names of the months, telling each other their respective names in our own worlds. He tells me my birthday is the twentieth of Hermise and his is the eighteenth of Jarnit, which is January. I keep a note to remember this date if I can't return home by then.

"So, I bet everyone asked you how you came back to Starrs from Tyme," Jayse says, smiling like he's prepared to ask the same question.

I have the virtual reality speech memorized now. "You too, huh?"

He shakes his head and laughs. What a cute laugh. "I want to know what it's like there. What you do for fun, what your towns are like, what kind of magic you do."

Even though I didn't want to at first, the first thing I talk about is video games. It's strange explaining Earth to him, because I never thought I'd have to tell anyone. I feel stupid telling him about everyday things, like a microwave, the supermarket, a car, school and vacations, but Jayse seems fascinated and asks me more about them. I didn't think anyone could find these things so interesting, but Jayse does. It's not that I'm complaining because I like the attention.

"Gare would love it if you could tell him some of this," Jayse tells me. "He's the librarian at Arriscyal and does a lot of research about the Cycle and Universal Mirrors."

"Gare is my buddy!" I hear Nichols from across the deck.

"What about me?" Launce says, and they start punching each other.

"In fact, I can take you to the library later!" Jayse says. "If that's all right with you, of course. My mother or the king might have different plans for you, though."

"Psh. I'll go with you. They probably want me to make speeches or something."

It turns out, being stuck on a ship for half a day isn't that bad, especially if I'm stuck with a hot prince and about twenty other attractive soldiers.

It actually feels like Arriscyal comes too soon, and the soldiers pull cheerfully into the port. The Arriscyleans at port don't look very welcoming, though. In fact, they look confused, and they gather staring at us like the ship is a car full of clowns. I even spot out the big man Byran in the crowd.

When they see Jayse step off the ramp, I hear gasps and squeals, and a swarm surrounds him and pulls him to the tele-sphere at the top of the walkway. As soon as they see me, they pull me into the crowd, and everyone shouts so much I can't tell what they're saying, except for Byran's, "You all came back alive!"

I see a flash and the next thing I know, I'm in the throne room, but this time both chairs are occupied. The king and queen are wearing dark colors, and the queen is as beautiful as the last time I saw her.

I try to remember their names so I won't have to sound stiff calling them "Your Highness" and stuff. His name is King Oresonn, and hers is Queen Trissa. Right.

Nobody knows what to say. Jayse steps toward his parents, and their thrones descend to ground level. The queen steps off first and rushes across the floor to embrace her son. She closes her eyes and smiles, but it looks sad, relieved, and happy all at the same time. The king stops a few steps behind her, and I get a good look at him.