We're riding the back of Circes horse with her back pressed against my front.
I gulp as I try to focus on something else besides my arms around her waist.
"How did you get the fires out? Does it have something to do with your quhal to be able to stop time?" I ask curious.
And fascinated.
It's incredibly rare for someone to be able to stop time as a quhal, I've never even heard of someone having it.
She shakes her head. "No, it has nothing to do with stopping time. By the way you can't tell people what my quhal is, it'll be dangerous if other people knew about my ability to stop time," she pauses to take a breath before saying something Id never thought I'd hear. "I have a second quhal, I used it to suffocate the fire."
"You have a second quhal?!" I practically screech.
Nobody has ever had a second quhal. Not none that I know of anyway.
Well now I know one.
She nods. "I can call upon this black smoke and bend it to my will, I can make it more solid, or as light as fog. It's called Typhokinesis. This quhal is still a secret but my people in Asthlim know about it. That's why I keep the Temporal Stasis a secret. I trust you enough to keep both of my quhals a secret to everyone, I hope you don't break it."
I look at the back of her head. "I would never tell anyone Circe, you can trust me. I swear."
She breathes out. "Good."
"Wait, Are you okay?" I ask concerned. "You used both of your quhals at the same time?" I assume.
"I'm tired and drained but I'll be okay." She answers honestly.
"You can lean on me if you want," I hesitantly ask her, "we still have 20 minutes until we get there."
"Thanks." She says as she leans further in to me and rests her head on my shoulder. I gently take the reigns from her hands, caging her in as I see her eyes close.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
The twins struggle out of Cela and Levos's grasp as we pull up to the front of the destroyed mansion.
I gently tap Circe awake and whisper, "we're here."
She slowly comes too and immediately jumps off the horse as she sees Seri and Syrian running towards us, i hop off too and make my way towards her crouched figure.
The kids are both in her arms as she squeezes them tight, mumbling words I can't hear. I let her have her moment while I take a closer look around. Most of the people from the closest towns are here, most of them look fine, standing up and talking, others look injured and bleeding, thankfully my staff knows what to do and my physicians are attending to them.
"King Kamau!" I turn my head to the right and see Ms. Clarke running up to me. She has soot all over her face and clothes, i probably look the same, possibly even worse.
She stops a few feet in front of me and breathes out a relieved sigh. "I'm so glad your alright! I couldn't find anyone so I had to run all the way up here," she pauses when her voice cracks. "I thought you were already dead, I'm sorry I couldn't get help sooner." Her eyes water but she puts on a brave face.
I grab her shoulder. "Hey, it's fine. I'm totally okay. I'm just glad your not seriously injured."
She smiles at me before she looks to the arm on her shoulder and gasps. "King Kamau your arms!" She looks at my burns.
I pull my hand away. "There not severe, I'll be fine. Did you meet up with your family."
She nods. "Yea, I did." She looks behind me to see Circe hugging and talking to the kids. "Did Queen Circe rescue you?" She questions with this weird look on her face.
I furrow my eyebrows. "Yes she did."
"Huh." She says while folding her arms.
"What is it?" I almost grit out defensively. I'm usually calm but I don't like the way she's looking at Circe.
"Nothing, it's just with everything people are saying about her-"
"What are they saying about her?" I get agitated.
Her eyes go wide like she didn't realize who she was talking to. "Oh nothing King Kamau! I didn't m-"
"Tell me." I demand.
She gulps before talking fast. "Well they said that Queen Circe was evil and that she was only marrying you to take kill you and take your throne."
What?
"Why would she do that? She has her own throne and country to rule. She came here to help me. You said they, who else thinks this?"
She doesn't make eye contact as she says the rest. "Me and the people in Alerassa have been talking-"
I cut her off. "Ms. Clarke, listen very carefully and then tell everyone else. Queen Circe is not evil and has no logical reason to kill me or harm anyone in Beluson. This is all just opinions that you and whoever else had about her without knowing anything but rumors made by the enemy. Are you guys really the type of people to judge a person by the things that are said about them?"
She looks down ashamed and I walk away, I don't want to talk to her about this anymore.
What their saying is just crazy and makes my stomach twist.
This is really how my people think of Circe?
I see Levos and close my eyes to take a deep breath. I can't be upset about peoples opinions right now. They have no say in what I do as King or who I marry.
Of course I don't believe Circe is evil.
I shake my head, ashamed of myself. I can't even judge. I'm a fucking hypocrite. I was scared of her to at first. I just need to convince everyone else that she isn't a bad person like I've come to learn. She's an amazing person actually. I mean look at her hugging the kids. Cant they see she's not heartless?
She shouldn't have to change who she is just to make people like her.
I shake my head. I need to get my head on straight. I have responsibilities.
I walk up to Levos and ask the dreaded question. "How many lives lost?"
He gives me a sad smile, "thankfully not many but still lives lost nonetheless. 20 deceased."
I curse under my breath, my mood dampened by the earlier conversation and now this.
"Do you know what caused it? Or who? I can chalk up the earthquake on the mansion as an coincidental accident at the same time as the fires, but most of the towns in Beluson setting on fire at the same time? Someone had to do it."
Levos is about to speak but Circe joins us with the kids. Circe has Seri in her arms and she picks up Syrian off the ground with his arm and hands him to me. I carefully cradle his tiny body to my chest as he yawns and rubs his eye.
"It was definitely a planned attack and I'm betting all my money that it was Delos from the Derroth district. The reason I'm here is because I was sent a letter to come back, and it was signed with Kamau's name. Kamau said he never sent a letter meaning that they all wanted us to come back, and were all in danger."
Cela who was silently listening to us the whole time finally speaks up. "People's homes are destroyed, the castle is destroyed, we can't fight Derrith District if we don't have a home base, it will take months to rebuild everything."
Circe nods, "yes which is why we will all relocate."
"Where?" Levos questions.
Circe looks at him like he's asked the dumbest question. "Well Asthlim of course."
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Words- 1463
I hope this book doesn't stress you guys out 😭 I want it to be a good vibe read.
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It's like I have writers block but I know where the book is going just not how to fill in the gaps.
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Life literally sucks, just got some bad news and on top of that it's way too fucking hot outside 😭 I literally can't function in this weather.
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In honor of spring break (at least mine.) I've decided to give you guys not only this chapter but another one later todayyy! I still have to proof read that one and I'm in the middle of doing my nails but I'll try to post it in the next few hours.
My nail inspo - (and yes I have them this long;)