Summer heat clashed with the winter cold all around Eleni, while she slowed her intense run. The red forest trail which was now adequately etched in her head after two months of routine back and forth, seemed to make way for her, sprinkling along yellowish-red autumnal leaves, which scrunched in delight under her cat-like footsteps. A tangy smell of limes and floral musk of plums wafted in the clearing while she plucked a pink spring rose from a teeming shrub, coming to a halt and put it over her ear.
Her fellow trainee-mates were dispersing for the evening, after an entire day of weaponry drill. The training grounds to the east of the palace, a vast area of open land, a forest trimmed neatly to hide the warriors in action, was fast becoming Eleni's favorite place to be. She had always wondered—ever since finding out that she wasn't a Vacant, nor a Spring Realmer—how her life might have been if she were raised in one of her rightful Realms. A royal of the Summer Realm or a warrior of the Autumn Realm.
And now she had both. Well, sort of.
The other soldiers were in much better shape than her. While she was catching her breath near her regular carriage, they were laughing amongst themselves, patting each other's backs, tossing sweaty clothes around, picking up the swords and knives scattered after the work out. Eleni had offered to help for the first couple of days, but when they repeatedly rejected her, with pretentious polite smiles and steps retreating away, she dared not try again – and stuck to the shadows.
From her satchel, lying on a boulder, she fetched a flask and lapped up the cool water, splashing some on her sweat-laden face and neck. And she realized between a mouthful, it wasn't her regular driver-turned-Head-Guard on the front seat. And before she asked, the stranger turned around.
"Dylan, I suppose is his name, had to rush back, Your Highness. Thereby, I am at your service." The strange old man said with a kind smile.
"Oh. Is everything alright?" Eleni asked, as she heaved herself up inside the carriage.
"I am clueless, aye. Just following orders. Pick up the lady from the training grounds, they said." He tipped his hat in jollity, his lilt as old as his age.
Tutting his tongue, he gently tugged the reins of the stallions pulling the quaint carriage. When their hooves strutted on the wet soil of the autumnal land, Eleni felt an unusual energy swirl. Peeking out through the small window, she looked up and felt a rumble in the sky and a rustle in the trees.
"Might want to pull the curtains, Your Highness. Seems like the clouds are opening again." The old man advised and she obliged, settling for the short journey to the palace.
Tired from the workout, her eyes might have closed for one heartbeat or for a whole hour and when she awoke with a jerk of the carriage, her earthen instincts writhed like the layer of milk about to spill from an overheated vessel. She decided against using her ancient golden sundial to check the time, for it required knowing where north was and her tiny brain acknowledged 'left and right' as the only two directions in existence. Runs in the family, she supposed.
Eleni slid her silver-ringed fingers through the sea-green curtains just to find rain softly drizzling and... a valley beneath.
Her heartbeat quickened. It was happening yet again, just like it had in the very first week when she had arrived in the Autumn Realm and began her combat training. But then Dylan had been with her and now she was alone. She placed her hands on either of her sides—on her thighs, reassuring herself that she was sufficiently equipped for danger. Staring at the old man's back like a hawk, it dawned on her in all entirety –
She was as reckless as day one.
The carriage took a sharp turn.
"You tricked me, didn't you, sir?" Eleni said, reclining in her seat with a frown.
He laughed.
"Such an easy prey, tch, tch, tch. Thought you learnt something after the last incident."
"I am an idiot, yes. But..." she shrugged to herself, "...what can I say. I am not afraid of pesky protesters anymore."
The old man laughed in a shrill tone yet again, pulling the reins harder and the mounts took up speed.
Eleni sighed and spoke calmly, "Stop the carriage right now or you know what I am capable of."
"Go ahead, Luesha."
Her confidence shook. She swirled her fingers and, in a beat, realized—there were protective wards. Well, shit.
The trickster oldie harrumphed, "You, bastard lass, get ready to meet your fate. I reckon you don't burn, do you?"
Eleni rolled her eyes. "No, sir. Fire Elemental, through and through, and quite eager to show you how the fire burns. Begins with a hiss and ends with a poof."
"I was told you are..." he clicked his tongue, "silent as a lamb. But aye, you can talk."
If only Eleni could tell him about all the friends in her life who had turned her world upside down and molded her into what she was in the moment. She unstrapped a dagger off the leather straps around her thigh, bored of the conversation. Moving across the small space slick and quick, she yanked his grey hair in a fist, and her other hand snaked around, dagger at his throat. "Is this enough talking?"
Maybe he knew that Eleni's hands would shake before she made even the smallest of the cuts and thereby, he laughed. "Go on," he spat, "Royal abomination of the low-born Realm."
"Never going to learn, are you?" she hissed in his ear, while her eyes finally took in the scene ahead. Eleni had lost all sense of directions with the curtains pulled, and now that she saw what lay ahead, panic arose in her, fast and heavy.
She yelled, "You would die, too. And so would the horses. Stop at once." With a hand extended she tried to take ahold of the reins somehow.
"So be it. I'd die protecting my Realm's honor. Our new Queen, you see, is a kind woman. Heart as big as an oak tree. Shelters the peasants, the beggars, and now even the Lueshas." His black eyes moved to her and he hissed, "It's the new High King's influence. Old chums, those."
Enraged thoroughly, Eleni made a cut at a side of his neck, but he pulled at the reins yet, tutting his tongue.
"Stop." She let go off him and urgently bent over the divider to stop the horses who were running wild, their neighing intensifying as they sensed the danger too. The carriage shook, jostling her wildly. And she knew there was no other option.
Protective wards were only inside the carriage.
Eleni jumped out of the window, as if she were diving in a pond, thanking Heavens for her toned body. Before she even touched the solid ground, soft moss which had sprouted with just a command from her head, caught her like she was a ball in a game of catch. Cocooned inside, she wasted naught but one moment and swished her arms.
The ability of Earth Elementals to control solid objects was a blessing of the best kind. The carriage froze, the wheels skidding harshly on the wet mud. The horses neighed, their front legs in air, hind ones firmly on the ground, a foot away from the edge of the valley, whose depth Eleni had no desire to measure.
Dusting her hands, she rose up and walked in the rain, over to the disheveled carriage. The valiant driver—valiant for all reasons imprudent—glared at her with murder in his eyes, while blood trickled down his neck and temple. Maybe he hit his head in the scuffle.
"Next time, sir, don't come alone. Give me some credit, will you?" Eleni gave him a smug little smile and walked away, not before conjuring thick red ivies from the ground, which coiled and knotted around his wrists and fingers, immobilizing the one of many protestors of the Autumn Realm.
***
A search party had already been sent in Eleni's honor. And after confirming and reconfirming, that the soldiers she had found, or who had found her a mile away from the averted disaster, were indeed the trusted Autumn ones, she climbed a cream horse and galloped with them to the front yard of her new dwellings.
The islandic Autumn palace never failed to take Eleni's breath away every single time.
Rolling green land all around, encased by woods on either side as long as the eye could see and nestled at the center—a palace made of aventurine crystal, glistening in the roseate after-sunset glow. High balconies, spiraling staircases, and a waft of coastal smell from the serene seashore in the backyard infiltrated her senses. Butter-yellow tulips, lilac bellflowers, white-leaved creepers and red-leaved branches, crawling gracefully all over the walls and turrets, seemed to have a mind of their own by the look of the design they had created. The fragrance and ambiance were nothing but homely.
Her body loved the cool Autumn wind, its whisper, an amalgamation of all other Three Realms—fruity like Spring, cold like Winter and warm like... Summer.
Eleni wanted to explore all that the island of Virgo House had to offer, but she was a walking-talking life hazard as per the locals and the High Council. Her very existence was a burden on all those around her. Especially the Queen of this Realm, and the High King of all the Realms. The previous Summer King had paid a price too and another Summer Lord was still recuperating from the consequences.
But she had to endure it like them, for staying hidden in the shadows wasn't an option anymore.
Even before Eleni entered inside the great hall of the astounding earthen palace, Dylan found her. His red hair askew, bluish-gray eyes worried and... raged.
"I told you to always wait for me." Dylan screamed in a hiss, walking with her inside. His red uniform was dirtied as if he had ransacked the entire of the woods.
"Shouldn't you be happy that I made it back safe and sound?" Eleni mumbled. "And might I ask where were you slacking off to?"
Dylan gasped in offense, "Slacking off? Look, someone told me that there was an injured baby stag on the outskirts of—"
Eleni mockingly thumped her friend's shoulder, "And you got tricked. Whose fault is it, then?"
The Fire-Water Eclipse glared at her. The Fire-Earth Eclipse gave him a cheeky smile.
The sweat and the exhilarating rush has descended by now and she hurriedly walked to the huge marble staircase, leading to her cozy chambers which she shared with her younger sister. Eleni had received a letter from Serena, who had informed her that the people in Liberan, where she had a peaceful home before her ordeal, had destroyed her house and it now lay in cinders and shards. She couldn't have asked for a better replacement... at least that's what she told herself.
Leaving Amelia in the palace, while Eleni went for training was easier because of all the Eclipses soldiers. They had offered their service to the throne for they felt indebted to Nova who had un-slaved them during the Battle of Piscean with his alchemical drug, conjured with a bit of Eleni's hellfire. And with the restlessness amongst the masses, the excess security was much welcomed.
Dylan and Celia, along with a few more Eclipses whom Eleni had met and befriended during the battle were always around, her people as she'd come to think of them. The Mind Sorceress, Althea had helped almost everyone with clearing their disoriented minds, who had been mind-controlled as slaves, like Eleni and Nova. The counter sorcerous spells had helped Eleni to a great extent but she wasn't sure about Nova. Two tranced years was nothing compared to just a mere day of enslavement.
Eleni wanted to believe that part of the reason why the Chief had provided her squad was for her daughter's safety but she couldn't believe it, no matter how much she wanted to.
"You were lucky this time, Eleni. People are horrible to the likes of you and me," Dylan said a tad grimly, walking after her till her chamber. "And I wouldn't be that lucky if something happened to you. My Lord would murder me, then your brother, then my Chief..."
"Ugh." She scratched her tangled mess of black voluminous hair tussled up from the workout, "Then don't tell them what happened."
Dylan sighed, "For the love of the Throne, I have the worst job ever."
***
Una glared as her reckless friend entered into her study, squeaky clean after her bath, looking like she was groaning for dinner. Eleni's morning pea-green combat jacket was now replaced with a tight silken white gown, black hair let loose...
Reminding Una of another girl from the Spring Realm...
As if the worries weren't enough already, that this little nuisance called 'Eleni' had to put her life in danger every chance she got. She wasn't around in the palace in the daytime, or she'd have known that there was a steady rush of court heralds, panel ministers, the High King's council, the ever-increasing horde of commoners who would invite themselves in the palace's bailey and demand for the High King to address them, demand their Queen to throw the 'Lueshas' out.
Demand justice to be served for the hundreds of soldiers dead in the Battle of Piscean, which according to them—could've been avoided.
"I am sorry you got attacked again," Una said, pushing an annoying strand of her short black hair, which shyly brushed over her broad shoulders, behind her ear.
Eleni's eyes widened dramatically, "Am I hearing things? Did you just apologize and not blame this on me?"
Una frowned. "Well, it is your fault that you aren't careful. But I do apologize for the absence of security and freedom here."
"Alright, slow down, there."
Sighing, Una sat on the ornately carved high-back chair, behind the ebony table which was stacked with ledgers and scrolls, quills and parchments. She spoke, wiping the blue ink off her fingers on the hem of her black leather jacket, "Do you not see what is happening here? The trap which is being lain out."
When Eleni simply sat twirling one of her rings, Una added, "They want to provoke you to use your powers... which I am sure you did today. Self-defense or not, People's Council has their eyes on you. They want to see you in chains, tamed for their satisfaction, all the Eclipses for that matter. If the demands for you to be presented in the High Councilor's presence surpasses the level where even I'd have to put my foot down—"
"But you are their Queen... how can the Council demand that of you?" Eleni's face had turned slightly disheartened.
"Eleni... across the Three Houses of Autumn Realm, there are thousands of daily cases of felony, slaughters, sly magical practices, sorcerous misconducts, some even as mere as muggings and brawls. The People's Council is responsible to take care of such matters and only the most critical ones are presented forth me, forth any monarch. If the Council deals with these offenses the way people want them to, they stand to gain huge favors, assets, silver and gold and shit. Sometimes," Una nursed her forehead, "I wonder whether my Minister of Security is wealthier than my entire royal treasury."
Eleni seemed to have frozen like an ice figurine, with only the eyes rapidly blinking. In the moment, Una realized that Eleni hadn't really completed her schooling. Royal by blood yet molded as a commoner—she must not be aware of such dogmatic mechanisms.
Perhaps, she should've softened the blow a little.
"Listen, Eleni. At some point they're going to make you stand in the courtroom like a criminal. Thereby, you are not safe here. Hell, you are not safe anywhere."
Eleni's hand went to her frantically heaving chest, "Thank you for the reminder, Your Royal Majesty."
Una clenched her fists, reminding herself to soften the damn blow. "It... it is still new for the people. Having Eclipses around. The feud hasn't died and it won't for a very long time. They can't digest the fact that there is someone who harbors both Fire and Earth powers. It's all too much. All at once."
Eleni gulped, but raised her chin. "I know. And I also know what you're going to propose, to which I have already given my answer."
Una leaned forward in her seat, her eyes searching Eleni's, "Think about it Eleni. It's the only safe place for you right now. Until the matters cool down, for your own safety and for people's sanity... you should take that option."
"No."
"All I'm asking is that you consider..."
"Una!" Eleni spoke through clenched teeth, "Look, I had no problem going there. But ever since I was a kid, I wasn't invited. All other Eclipses were a part of it but I was kept away from that society. Even after the war, my mother did not deem it important to offer me a place in her army, to train with them. She just... left. And you expect me to knock on her door and ask for shelter?"
Una went silent for a few heartbeats, but then spoke soft and careful, "That is the exact reason I want you to go. Eleni, think about it. There are going to be amendments in the laws for you, for all the Eclipses. But what if it blowbacks on us? I want to make sure that the ones we are fighting for... are indeed worth it. There's a lot at stake."
Eleni threw her hands up. "The Eclipses proved their worth in the war."
"Half of their own were slaved."
"Do you not trust the Chief at all? Where is this coming from?"
Una licked her lips and added as if chewing on every word, "Chief Cora, as you know, has provided us with many of her trained soldiers for security. And I, in turn offered her a place in my court since she isn't an Eclipse herself, she is an Earth Elemental, but she refused and prefers to live in hiding with her army. All the while keeping you away. Isn't that... strange?"
A sudden wave of defensiveness creeped on the said Chief's daughter's features.
Una shut her eyes. "No. I am not saying that the Eclipses are up to something... uh... dangerous, no. I am saying... maybe they are hesitating. Maybe they are still wary of us. Maybe they need our help after the battle. But there definitely is something. And you can find it—"
"No. I am not going. Besides, I can't leave my Amelia here alone. I left her once and see the consequences. She suffered for a month inside a watery dungeon. She can't even sleep in a room alone like before." Eleni's voice cracked a tad bit.
"I understand, Eleni. But I am giving you a job... a task. We will find a way around it if you choose this option."
After an awkward eerie stretch, Eleni huffed a breath and got up. "Fine, I'll think about it."
She left with dejection in her wake and Una hated doing this to her friend, who only ever wanted a normal life, whom she had to send for self-defense training, right the week after arriving into her Realm post the wretched battle. Eleni had not wanted to train inside the palace's private arena, for she preferred outside like a normal warrior and Una respected that. But not at the cost of her life, no.
Una knew her Realm trusted her, her people wanted to trust her, they had always wanted her to be the Queen, had dreamt this dream with her. And as long as she had that trust, she'd stand true to it. Because unlike others, she never made a rash decision out of pesky emotions. Her calculations were like a fine crisp line even when drawn without a ruler scale.
According to Eleni, the Chief had stated that she had made an entire secret society for Eleni. And now her daughter was nineteen, had been abandoned at the age of thirteen, six years back.
Una scoffed.
With the eyes of a honed warrior, she had observed the working of the Eclipses army in the battle. A society as organized as the Eclipses, as trained and armed with enchanted armors and weapons as them, with undying loyalty for their leader, would take at the most two decades to settle down and spread their roots so unnervingly deep into the world. They had a smooth harmony that even the Twelve Houses of the Four Realms did not possess. Impossible to achieve that in mere six years.
Una's mother, Lady Tessa had informed her about the unspoken details about her fallout with the Chief of the Eclipses, who had been her old sister-in-arm, her trusted Head Guard. And things did not settle well with Una's 'sharper-than-the-talons-of-a-hawk' instincts.
Well, who better to spy on the Eclipses than their own princess?
✨