Warrior's Heart

Illeium

-Merun-

The sea port bustled with people. Men, women, and children alike all walked about, buying goods at the market right next to the port, receiving shipments, conversing with sailors. It was strange, and somewhat overwhelming, but it was exciting. James, Justin, and I all wandered around the busy port, Justin trailing behind a step. He had an angry scowl on his face that he wouldn't let go away.

"James! Look at this oddly shaped fruit!" I exclaimed, pointing to a squat sort of purple melon. One part of it bulged out and had small spikes.

James chuckled, "My people call them ninrellos, they grow on several of the islands I grew up around. Perhaps they grow in this country as well."

The fruit-seller glanced between James and I, then to the fruit, "Would you like to buy some?" He spoke in an accent, as most people from Illeium often did. Estraleon and Illeium were one and the same language, but the pronunciation was far different.

"Do you want to try one?" James questioned me.

I paused, looking over the fruit. Then, decided that I did, in fact, want to try one, "Do you take Estraleon currency?"

The fruit-seller grinned, "Of course, my friend. But most people in town don't, so it might be best to convert some of your money. There's a bank down the street where you can do that."

"Thank you!"

Once we had bought the fruit, we went on our way. James tossed the fruit in the air, drew one of his long knives and sliced it in half, then in quarters, midair. I caught the fruit in my hands, staring at him in awe. I couldn't help but notice that the display earned him a few admiring glances from some passing women. I couldn't help but blush a little with the thought that James didn't even glance at them, only keep his gaze fixed on me. I handed James and Justin each a piece of the fruit. Justin took it and nibbled on it just a bit, as though unsure. However, when he tried it his eyes lit up a little, and he took a bigger bite. The fruit was sweet and soft, with a little bit of a tangy flavor also. I quite liked it.

We only had a few days in Illeium, otherwise the boat we had chartered would depart to go back to Estraleon. Therefore, we headed to the address that was our only lead.

"I'm sorry, sir," the man who owned the large metal building apologized when we asked him about my brother, "I keep records of slave auctions, but not the names of the slaves. They're only identified by number."

"Where could we find out his identification number?" James questioned calmly.

The man shrugged, "I don't know. And honestly, this slave you're looking for could be halfway across the country by now."

James and I exchanged a glance. How would we find him now?

Discouraged, I left the building quickly, not quite certain if James or Justin were following. Once outside, I wanted to hit something. Honestly, literally wanted to hit something. However, a pair of warm, strong arms wrapped around my body, picking me up and holding me.

"I'm not a child," I muttered angrily.

James sighed softly, pressing his forehead against my own, "I know that. But you're upset." I relaxed into his embrace, not wanting him to know that it was working. He did, though, his grin apparent. He kissed my forehead, "Don't be concerned. We'll find him."

***

But we hadn't found him. Not by the time that we had to depart. I was so distraught at the fact that we had found no leads, I just stood numbly by James's side. What were we going to do? I didn't want to be the prince whose honor had been shattered by his own father. I wished to find my brother and bring him home safe regardless of my status with my father, but I still wanted to be king. Why couldn't I just take the throne without all this drama?

Justin paused before we boarded the boat, looking into my eyes, "I will stay here and find your brother."

"What?" I stared at him, shocked. He would do that for me?

"If I keep looking, I'm bound to find something eventually," he explained, shrugging, "I'll send word to you in Estraleon once I have located him."

Tears were gathering in my eyes. He was kind, to do this for me, "Thank you."

We boarded the ship, leaving Justin behind. I was surprised, to say the least. He hadn't seemed like he'd liked me at all, but he'd followed me to another country and in the end was there for me. It was hard to believe.

"I think he liked you," James decided.

I blinked in confusion, "What?"

"He liked you, that's why he followed you here, why he didn't like me from the beginning, but also why he stayed," he explained. I frowned. That didn't make any sense. Why would he stay if he liked me? Wouldn't he have followed me back and tried to win me over? I wasn't sure. Seeing I was still confused, James clarified, "He understood that you were happy, and wanted you to remain happy. He wouldn't have disrupted you by pursuing you."

I shrugged. Maybe one day I would ask him. But for now, I settled for being near James. I snuggled into his side, earning a soft chuckle from him. He wrapped an arm around me, holding me tightly. From here, we would check on his people, then head back to Estraleon. Our future was still open and full of opportunity, so I was content for the moment. There was still a lot of things to work out, but I didn't want to worry. Instead, I chose to focus on the new relationship I had formed, and the potential of a happy future with the man who had already stood by my side through so much.