The Princess found herself unusually fidgety as she sat and waited for Shade to finish bathing. She could feel the room steaming up, her body getting almost too hot. She let the shawl fall off her shoulders, helping to cool her down some.
When she heard Shade stepping out of the tub, she swallowed, sitting up straighter. She busied her thoughts, distracting them from her situation. She thought about what tomorrow would bring and prayed the council would agree to the alliance. If they declined, Elysia determined she would have to stay until they agreed. They would be persuaded in her favor, she would make certain.
Elysia jumped in her chair when she felt the blindfold slipping.
"Easy," Shade soothed. "I'm done, you can get up now."
A thought jumped into her head. Would she finally get to see Shade in normal clothes? Would she finally get to see his face, no longer shrouded by the blasted hood he always kept up over his eyes?
She turned expectantly in her chair to get a better look at him. Her face fell. "Are you wearing the same cloak you wore earlier?"
"Of course not," he said as though the idea were absurd. "I always pack a spare in my bag."
Elysia rolled her eyes. Of course he did. She was about to stand when Shade's touch made her freeze. His fingers grazed her arm softly, quickening her pulse. She was about to ask what he was doing when he spoke, cutting off her question.
"You've been hurt." His voice was almost pained.
She frowned, wondering which injury concerned him. Surely he knew she had taken a few bruises from Bacciballum's welcoming committee?
Then she noticed what he was referring to. His fingers traced the yellow bruises around her arm where the men had grabbed her days ago. While the markings had once been dark and blue, they appeared more jaundiced now.
"It doesn't hurt," she said, her voice suddenly hoarse.
"When did it happen?"
"At night. I was followed from the village. Three men tried to rob me. Really, Shade, I'm fine."
His brow furrowed. "Did you sustain any other injuries?"
While her torso had taken a few good hits, she felt fine now. Time had healed her nicely.
In answer, she shook her head, finding it difficult to breathe as he gently wrapped his hand around her arm, mimicking the way the bruises were formed. His fingers were coarse against her smooth skin. Then he let his hand drop, his fingers grazing the length of her arm as he did so. She shivered.
He took a step back, distancing himself from her. "Are you satisfied?" he asked expectantly, his tone changing.
Her brain fought to understand the question. If anything she felt completely dissatisfied.
"Now that I'm clean?" he clarified, as though his meaning were obvious. "You can rest easy now Princess, the room will smell only of kindled oak."
She fought to smile, her mind catching up. She came to her feet slowly, still stunned from his touch. "Yes, I believe I will sleep quite well now."
Once in bed she tossed a few times. The fire was dim, the embers burning hot. The bed was luxuriously soft, more so than her own at home. Yet despite the bed's comfort and her complete exhaustion, she found it difficult to rest.
Shade was seated in the chair by the window and Elysia tried to shut her brain up so she could sleep. She thought back to the past hour and remembered how she had felt sitting in the chair while Shade bathed. Her body was restless.
"How is it you are still awake?" Shade asked incredulously. "We both know how tired you are."
Rather than answer, she found herself inexplicably asking, "Will you come here?"
The question was mortifying and she could hardly understand how her mouth was spewing out words without her permission. Of course he should stay where he was, what was she thinking? She only recalled how comfortable it had been sleeping on his chest.
The memory of how good it felt to be close to him, how safe she felt in his arms, forced its way into her focus. She remembered the warmth she felt. How she had fallen asleep to the steady rise and fall of his chest.
"No," he said firmly.
Elysia closed her eyes and exhaled a shaky breath. "Please."
If possible, Shade seemed more confused than she was. "What do you want from me?" His voice was quiet.
She sat up in bed, her body positioned toward him. He was yards away. "I don't know what I want," she replied helplessly, "I only know I don't want to be alone."
"I'm right here."
"It's not close enough." She buried her face in her hands. Clearly she was deranged. Why couldn't she simply lay back and fall asleep? The bed was soft and warm, she felt no threat from this kingdom. There was no explanation.
Shade sighed. "Will it help you sleep?"
She nodded, though she knew he could not see it. A sense of relief warmed her as she felt him draw near. The bed sunk to the left as he climbed on, keeping close to the edge, away from her. She moved under the sheets, shifting closer to him.
He lay atop the covers, maintaining as much propriety as he could. Happily she found the comfortable spot on his chest once more, resting her head blissfully.
"You do realize once we return to the castle, this can never happen?"
The statement was displeasing, no matter how sensible it was. He was right, of course. Her father would be livid. People would talk, rumors would spread. They would morph this innocent moment into something immoral and wrong. The truth was, Elysia had no idea what her intentions were. She only knew Shade made her feel unfathomably safe. There was comfort in such safety and she had a mind to cling to the sensation.
For days she had traveled alone in the woods. She had been stalked, attacked, and injured. Was it so wrong for her to crave companionship? Even if it was with the most reclusive person she knew?
She ignored his previous statement and snuggled into him, disregarding his personal space entirely. "Goodnight, Shade." Then she fell asleep.
It was a rude awakening in the morning. Shade was calling for her to wake up, clearly no longer in bed. When she didn't rouse fast enough, he threw an outfit at her roughly. "We don't have all day, Princess. Wake up already."
She groaned into the pillow, rolling over slowly.
"That woman stopped by with some clothes for you to wear and requested we be ready soon. So hurry up."
She took one of the pillows and threw it in his general direction. He dodged it easily.
"Can you give me one minute to wake up? Some of us actually sleep and need a moment before getting out of bed."
"We don't have a minute," he insisted. Clearly this man had no patience. Elysia rolled over once more until she was closer to the edge of the bed. She sat up slowly, stretching and yawning.
Shade stared at her, waiting. "Your hair is lovely," he said sarcastically.
She glared at him. "Any other kind remarks for me?"
He thought for a minute. Then smirked. "You drool in your sleep."
She narrowed her eyes at him, quickly grabbing a pillow and throwing as hard as she could. This time she hit him, although he obviously allowed it. He laughed, holding onto the pillow.
"I do not drool," she sneered, self-consciously rubbing at the corners of her mouth.
He opened his arms and gestured to his chest. "My shirt would say otherwise."
Her cheeks reddened at the evidence. Perhaps she did drool in her sleep. Great, something else she needed to worry about.
Elysia stood and scrounged the bed for the outfit that had been laid out for her. She sulked to the bathroom and slammed the door. It took her several minutes to understand how to put the outfit on. It was unlike anything she had ever seen; some strange fashion trend in Bacciballum. It was a dress--at least it appeared to be--with pants built in. After several attempts at putting it on, she finally decided to step into it. Groundbreaking! There were no corsets, no strings to tie and tighten. All she need do was step into the pants and pull the rest up. It rest on her shoulders comfortably.
Giving herself a look in the mirror, she determined she could get used to such clothing. She turned, getting a view of her side profile. Slimming without the pain of a corset. Revolutionary! These women were clearly pioneers of fashion.
She opened the door, stepping out confidently into the bedroom. Shade raised an eyebrow. "Interesting," he remarked.
Elysia rolled her eyes. "Thanks." She decided to leave it at that. She ran a brush through her hair, combing out the tangles. She managed to tie it up, though it paled in comparison to how her maids normally styled it.
They found Priscilla and were escorted to breakfast. It was warm and filling. Then they were shown to the courtyard. Priscilla graciously provided them with warm winter coats, mittens, scarves, and snow boots. The weather was brisk with several inches of snow on the ground. Despite the cold, Elysia appreciated the fresh air.
After walking around with Shade, she crossed paths with the woman who had spoken to her about the alliance. She reintroduced herself as Mayla, Official Representative of Bacciballum, one of nine.
"I've been meaning to talk with you privately," she explained to Elysia. Shade stepped back, giving them plenty of space as they walked. "You said King Alan sent you. I'm finding it hard to believe he would send his only daughter for such a task. Why not his sons, or someone from his council?"
She had prepared for such a question. "He knows I am capable of handling myself. I also have the added benefit of my guardian. Wherever I go, he is there to protect me. This isn't our first journey together either. He also sent me on a task to another kingdom." She didn't want to give away too many of the details. If she mentioned the kingdom was Sagrada, Mayla might think they had asked the Ultimate Question. And if she knew they had asked the Ultimate Question, she might come to realize Bacciballum was the key to their success. Yes, she figured keeping things vague would be best.
If Bacciballum knew how desperate Lyra was for their alliance, they might make unreasonable demands. Better they think the alliance was mutually beneficial.
"Sounds as if you must be skilled enough for your father to send you on such dangerous quests. May I ask what you excel in?"
"I've practiced archery since I was a child. Recently my guardian has been teaching me how to yield throwing knives."
Mayla's eyes widened, clearly impressed. "Mind demonstrating your skills for me?"
The Princess swallowed. She hadn't been expecting to put on a show.
"I can have Priscilla fetch your weapons. It would only take a few minutes." Mayla seemed eager for the demonstration.
Elysia agreed to the task; though it felt more like a test. She knew performing well may determine the fate of the alliance. At least, that's the feeling she got from Mayla.
They moved to a more open field and Elysia concluded it must be a training area. It was lined with targets, some simple bales of hay, others placed higher up in trees.
Both the training area and the courtyard were beautiful landscapes with gorgeous views of the mountains around them. If it weren't for the snow, Elysia could have easily pictured herself living somewhere as magnificent as this.
Her weapons were brought to her and Mayla instructed her through the target course, letting her know the proper sequence. Then Elysia readied her bow and steadied her breaths. She glanced at Shade, who was standing quietly to the side. He gave her a nod of encouragement, then she began.
Though some of the targets were rather difficult and far away, she managed to complete the course in good timing with an approving look from Shade. Mayla was also clearly impressed. She didn't even ask Elysia to demonstrate her knife throwing skills; something Elysia was grateful for. After all, she was only a novice with that particular skill.
Mayla was smiling at her. "You would fit in well here, Princess Elysia. You are bold and confident. Your skills with the bow are extraordinary. Tell me, what are your plans for the future?"
Elysia faltered. It was a question she had not considered. Did she lie or risk the truth? "I am still finding my path," she said carefully. Not a deliberate lie. She certainly wasn't going to admit she planned to marry a man she didn't know for the benefit of her kingdom. She figured that probably would not bode well with these women.
"I enjoy traveling," Elysia continued. "It would be nice to see more kingdoms, experience more cultures. I fear such a thing may be far into the future. Traveling is not an easy task when a war approaches."
"I have been to many foreign lands myself," Mayla admitted proudly. "Every couple years we voyage to some of the neighboring islands east of us. There are lands beyond that few have ever seen, some of which are not even inhabited."
"Do you plan to colonize such places?" Elysia asked. Expanding their kingdom would be an impressive feat for Bacciballum. Few kingdoms had the ability to take such voyages. The waters were treacherous and required an almost unsinkable ship. Elysia was surprised this kingdom had managed the task. They must have had an impressive ship to undergo such travels.
"Maybe some day," Mayla answered thoughtfully. "For now we are content in our humble abodes here. We have made some remarkable discoveries abroad. Many resources that have been vital for the success of our kingdom."
"The innovations here are incredible," Elysia complimented. "The architecture, the paintings, the ability to even have such beautiful constructions in the mountains is very impressive. Other kingdoms could learn a lot from you."
Mayla bowed in appreciation. "You are very kind. I will admit, we have made some formidable structures and weapons for defending our kingdom. Weapons that could be used for your war."
Elysia resisted the urge to ask whether or not that meant they had agreed to the alliance.
Mayla saw the brief excitement in Elysia's eyes. "I cannot give you an answer yet. The council has discussed the advantages and disadvantages. I will meet with them once more and together we will provide you an answer."
"I am grateful for your careful consideration," Elysia replied. The more time they spent debating an alliance, the higher their chances of agreeing to one. Otherwise, they would have declined the alliance straight away.
"Before I go," Mayla lingered. "Is there anything you would like to add to your proposal? Anything that might persuade the council in your favor? Speak now before it is too late."
Elysia thought quickly. This was an opportunity she could not waste. While she had certainly spent bouts of her journey pondering what to speak on, she found herself at a loss. Instead, she settled for, "We are open to negotiations. We understand your kingdom would expect some form of compensation for the alliance. I have authority from my father to approve or deny such terms."
"Very well," Mayla said. "I will discuss the matter further with the council. We should have an answer by noon."
"Thank you," Elysia curtsied gracefully. She watched as Mayla left and Shade appeared. She allowed herself to relax. There was nothing more she could do. The rest was up to the council.
"Everything will be fine," Shade assured her. "All you can do now is wait."
"I've never been very good at that," she muttered truthfully. Patience was not one of her virtues. Of course, Shade knew this all too well.
They spent the next few hours casually wandering the grounds. There was certainly much to see. Priscilla met back up with them and guided them through a tour. The amount of detail these people put into their work was amazing. Everything, from the artwork on the ceilings, to the delicate details in the trim-work was expertly crafted. It must have taken them decades to produce such quality.
As they wandered through common areas, Elysia found herself growing puzzled. Everywhere they went, there were men. While the ratio of men to women was significantly less than most places, she could not help but wonder how so many men managed to live in a kingdom that was supposed to populated only by women.
While they took a moment to observe the fountain in the gardens, Elysia turned to Priscilla. She was hesitant to ask the question. The last thing she wanted was to sound rude.
"Something troubling you?" Priscilla asked observantly.
She thought it over once more. Finally, "I do have a question, though I hate to come across as rude or ignorant."
Priscilla looked hesitant, her eyes shifting quickly to the room, as if to ensure they would not be overheard if the question was in fact rude. "Yes?"
"In my history lessons I was taught how Bacciballum came to be its own kingdom. I was always under the impression your kingdom was populated by women only. Obviously this is not the case."
Priscilla looked relieved of the question, as if she had anticipated something worse. "It's true. Our people originated from Impetus. The women were treated inhumanely there. They were seen as breeders, good for populating the kingdom and nothing more. Over time, the women sought to be seen as equals. They were smart and slowly became excellent innovators. When the men recognized their abilities, they used them to their advantage. In addition to breeding, women became slaves. They were used for their designs, forced into assembly lines, their ideas beaten from them."
"The men took credit for the weapons the women produced, for the innovations they created. Eventually, the women were able to come together in secrecy. When they finally overtook the men, they escaped into these mountains, earning their right to this territory. They defended it well. Over time they officially became their own kingdom, acknowledged on the maps."
"As the years pass, people form their own stories. We have always been seen as masculine women or unnatural creatures. It's easier for most men to think of us as these strange beings opposed to normal, intelligent, women. When our kingdom parted from Impetus, it wasn't to forge our own land comprised only of women. We don't see ourselves as the dominant, superior gender. We only wanted equity. To be seen for more than our ability to bear children and work in factories. We wanted to be seen for our intellect. Our creative skills. To offer more than they allowed us."
"We still desire the same things other women desire. We still want families, husbands, children. We have never and will never isolate ourselves from others. Men are welcome in our kingdom. Somehow others have morphed our desires into their own twisted stories. They have made us the villains. We have only allowed their stories to circulate. The stranger we seem to everyone else, the more they leave us alone."
It was a lot for Elysia to absorb. She had always been taught the opposite. Always wondered how their population remained when they didn't allow men in their kingdom. The rumors were they adopted unwanted children from other kingdoms. Now Elysia knew better.
"Thank you for explaining," Elysia said. "Your ancestors were very brave to fight for their freedom and find refuge in this mountain. Everything here is so dreamlike," she looked back at the fountain in front of her. The detail chiseled into it was unreal. It looked as if the angels themselves had crafted it.
Priscilla smiled warmly, her arms hugging around herself. "We all have our special abilities here. There are many talented artists amongst us, my sister one of them. It takes years to create some of the murals we have inside."
"I can only imagine," Elysia wondered. "I've never seen such beautiful artistry before. I could spend ages looking at everything."
"Perhaps you will get the opportunity to return to our little kingdom."
"I hope so." She stared back into the fountain and watched the water jump from one level to the next.
Eventually they were shown to a table for lunch. Elysia was not hungry, her mind too anxious. Priscilla had announced the council would see them after lunch. The fate of her kingdom was already determined. Elysia wished she could sense if their decision was good or not. Her stomach churned with apprehension.
"Worrying benefits no one," Shade warned.
She bent forward, placing her head in her hands. How did he expect her to stay calm under these conditions? "The fate of my kingdom depends on this alliance, Shade."
"There are always other options," he reasoned, taking a bite of his pork.
She glared at him. "The Fates said this was the only way. You don't believe them?"
He shrugged impassively. "Never been a big fan of theirs. Dramatic creatures, toying with people for their own amusement. They dangle us like puppets on a string, making us dance when it pleases them."
Elysia frowned. He seemed to be passionate about this. "They're supernatural beings who know the outcome of every situation. I imagine boredom is prevalent in their immortal lives."
"That does not warrant their manipulations." He stopped eating and stared ahead, deep in thought.
She tilted her head at him. "You have never spoken well of them. Is there some personal grudge you have against them?"
Shade looked at her. "I'm not the only one. Ralf shared his experience of them with me. They have a nasty tendency of dangling your deepest desire over your head and bouncing it just out of reach."
"What did they hold over your head?" Her curiosity was peaked. This was a lot of emotion for Shade. He obviously had repressed disdain for them.
He looked ready to tell her, but something stopped him. "It doesn't matter. They didn't tell me the answer anyway."
Her frown deepened. Before she could think further on it, Priscilla alerted them that the council was ready. Elysia shot up from her seat, forgetting Shade's elusive words, and abandoning her plate of food.
She followed Priscilla. They took the bridge that connected the village to the mountainside and Elysia followed closely behind Priscilla as they wound through the narrow corridors inside the mountain. The dim lighting and damp interior was all too familiar with the Princess. She was glad this time she was not blindfolded with her hands bound behind her.
When they stepped into the large room, Elysia recognized it as the place they had been taken to the first night. It was still dimly lit, a fire blazing strongly providing the majority of light. The women were seated less casually this time, most of them sitting up straight.
She expected Mayla to speak. Instead, another woman stood. The others remained seated, their postures relaxing slightly. The woman who stood was older, her face wrinkled with time. Her skin was dark, her eyes almond-shaped.
"I will not waste any more of your time, Princess Elysia. We appreciate you making the journey to our kingdom and stating your case. Unfortunately, we have decided to accept your alliance." Elysia glanced at Shade, confused. She thought she heard her say they accepted the alliance...her tone suggested otherwise.
"I say unfortunately," the woman clarified, "because I was not in favor of this alliance. However, I was the only one not in favor. While we typically call for an absolute majority vote, I did not want my decision to outweigh the rest of the council's. I willingly allowed the council to overrule my single vote and carry on with a simple majority. This is not how we normally do things around here, but I am making an exception for you. Mayla tells us you are quite an extraordinary girl. I hope you do not lead our kingdom to its destruction."
Elysia swallowed. It was a lot for her to follow. She wasn't sure how to respond to that. On the one hand she was shocked. It almost felt unreal. She was also confused. This woman was against the alliance. Yet she was allowing her vote to be outweighed by the others, even when doing such a thing was not mandatory?
Shade nudged her, cueing her to speak. She took a breath. "I am very grateful for your sacrifice and for the council's decision. You will not regret this alliance, I assure you."
Mayla stood up, walking forward until she was next to the other woman. "We have some conditions." Elysia waited. "You will tell only the royal family of this alliance. No one else is to know."
"Of course I can grant this request," Elysia said, accommodatingly . "May I ask why?"
Mayla eyed Shade carefully, as if suggesting he was also to remain quiet about this. "We are surrounded by your enemies. Naturally through this alliance, your enemies become our enemies. Neibla, Impetus, and Trueno surround us. If word spreads we will be fighting alongside your kingdom, we fear this may lead to an early attack on our people. We cannot afford for this to happen."
"I understand. I swear to you, I will only tell my immediate family and inform them no one else is to know." She looked to Shade. "He will not say anything either. He is under the authority of my father."
Mayla looked unconvinced, as if she expected Shade to verify for himself.
Shade looked a little peeved to step forward. "You have my word." Shade was not one to step out of the shadows. He preferred to be ignored and unthought of.
Mayla accepted his vow and continued. "We also have another stipulation. Bacciballum will not step foot on the battlefield until you and a dragon are in our kingdom. I have witnessed your skill with the bow. I would be honored if you would fight alongside me and my sisters."
The other woman spoke up once more. "This is not a request, Princess Elysia. Bacciballum will not fight until you fight with us, and one of your dragons."
The Princess had not expected such a request. Shade cleared his throat behind her. He leaned forward slightly, until he was close enough for only her to hear him. "You can't fight in this war Princess. Tell them you will come here with one of the dragons, but you will not fight."
Elysia turned the ring on her finger around and around. It was her family ring, the ring of Lyra. Never in her life had the Princess thought she would be expected to fight in a war. All her life she had fought to prove herself worthy to her father. She wanted to make him proud. That's why she learned how to shoot, that's why she made Shade teach her to fight. It was all for him, to finally win her father's approval. But not once had she ever anticipated fighting in a war.
She was not naive enough to think war was anything resembling the epic tales she read in novels. War was brutal, it was bloody, and it was horrific. She had only killed a few people as of recent and it was a few too many for her taste.
To be expected--forced--to fight in this war was too much for Elysia to take in. Her gaze shifted to the women in the room. They expected an answer and watched as she fought for one. When her eyes met Mayla's, the woman tilted her head slightly. Her eyes were firm, as if to say this is not a negotiation. Elysia suddenly realized the alliance relied on this specific condition. Were she to refuse, that would be it. The opportunity for an alliance would be revoked. Mayla's eyes said it all. If she said no, there would be no hope for Lyra.
Finally Elysia found her voice. "When the time comes for Lyra to wage war, I will return here to you with a dragon. I will fight alongside of you and together we will win this war."