Emriana
I didn't see either of them the following day. I was so curious about who "he" was. Why did Zeke look so afraid when Drakkar said that? These questions occupied my mind the entire day as I painted the mural with Dana.
I hadn't talked to her about them yet for some reason. Maybe it was because I was having a hard time figuring out why I felt this way when I was around them. I felt weird and sort of ashamed to be feeling that for three different men, worst, three brothers. What would she think of me if she knew?
The day went by fairly quickly, and I tried to see if I could spot one of them whenever I walked down the hallways, but it was like they had vanished. I had totally forgotten about the gathering the painters had planned tonight, and if I was being honest, I didn't really feel like going.
"What about this one?" I looked at the orange dress Dana held in front of me.
"It looks good," I commented, and she rolled her eyes.
"You've said that for the last three dresses, Emri. I need your full attention. This is of the highest matter," she said dramatically.
"Sorry," I smiled.
"No time for that. Tell me which one you like the most," she said, and I looked at the three dresses on her bed.
"The green one was pretty," I said, and she grinned.
"That's the one I wanted too," she shrieked, yanking it off the bed and going into her closet. I watched her with amusement.
"What about you? What are you going to wear?" She called from her closet.
"I don't know. Probably the same thing I'm wearing now."
The loud gasp from the closet told me this was the wrong answer.
"Emriana, you can't possibly wear a dress covered in paint tonight," she said, and I shrugged.
"I could lend you one if you want," she offered.
"No, it's fine. I'll just pick one of mine," I said, grabbing my light blue one.
I changed quickly, Dana insisting we had to get there early to get good seats. I didn't even know where we were going. I just followed. I wondered if Drakkar, Zander, and Zeke would be there too. I redid my braid, flatting out all the crazy hair before joining Dana at the door.
Jareth and Gathar were waiting for us at the entrance of the female wing.
"You girls look great. Let's go," Jareth smiled before the four of us began to head toward the castle entrance. We showed them our seals, and they let us pass. I noticed they weren't always doing it for some reason. I remembered they hadn't done it when I was with Drakkar, Zeke, and Zander.
We walked down the steps and entered the surprisingly busy streets. I hadn't expected to see so many people at this late hour of the evening. I glanced toward the street Drakkar, and I had explored the other day.
"Why are you smiling?" I looked at Dana, watching me.
"Oh, nothing," I brushed it off. I stayed a bit behind as Jareth and Dana got into a heated conversation about the best musician performing tonight. I knew none of them, so I just stayed quiet. I noticed Gathar would gaze back at me now and then as if he wanted to make sure I was still there. I found it sweet.
Akira walked next to me, following my pace. I was proud of him. He was getting used to this a lot faster than I would've thought.
"Here we are," Dana turned to tell me just as a tall skinny guy wearing a loose grey undershirt walked up to us. Music erupted from the building behind him, and I noticed the number of people coming in and out through the narrow entrance. I felt a pit in my stomach as I suddenly became nervous.
"Woah, what's a tiger doing here?" He exclaimed arrogantly as he laughed with his friends while looking in my direction. I blushed and looked away.
"Don't mind him," Jareth said to the guy as he came to stand behind me.
"He better not cause any trouble because if he does, you pay, little girl," I frowned at what he called me but nodded, not wanting to irritate him.
I followed Dana and Gathar inside while Jareth stayed behind me. I tried to ignore all the watchful eyes that fell on me as we walked down the stairs into the main part of the tavern.
The flickering candles on the wall lantern provided enough light for us to see well. The air felt thick and warm. It was cramped with people. Some gathered around tables further back while some talked, standing up. I noticed a stage on the right of the room where two men and one woman played instruments I had never seen. The sound blended with the loud voices of the people.
I followed Dana as she led us to an empty table, and I awkwardly took a seat, holding Akira between my legs. This was a bad idea to bring him here. There were too many people. I was afraid he would hurt them.
I flinched as a woman not too far from me yelled loudly at the man next to her. He banged on the table as they argued in a foreign language. I wondered why I'd been brought here. This was clearly not a place for me to be.
"I'll be right back," Dana said before disappearing amongst the crowd. I opened my mouth to call for her, but it was too late. She was long gone.
Jareth took a seat on my right, and Gathar sat beside him.
"Don't worry. You'll get used to it?" Jareth said.
Will I? Cause it certainly didn't feel like it right now.
I waited for a while, looking out for any sign of Dana as she hadn't come back from wherever she had gone to. I gripped Akira's fur to calm my nerves as he pressed into me. Gathar suddenly stood up as well, and walked over to a guy I'd never seen before. They shook hands, throwing a glance my way before disappearing into the crowd.
"Where is everyone going?" I asked Jareth, and he shrugged.
"Who knows?"
I bit my lips, tempted to tell him I would head back to the castle, but I was embarrassed. I didn't want him to think that I was too soft for these kinds of things. I didn't need another person seeing me like a child as Roza had.
The music was actually not that bad, but I would've enjoyed it a lot more if Dana had been here. I felt bad for Jareth. He looked really bored. I didn't say anything when he stood up, saying he would look for the others. That left me alone. Great.
The seat dipped, and I watched as a boy around my age sat down next to me. His dark auburn hair was slicked to the back but what really caught my eyes was the scar that went from the right side of his forehead all the way down to his cheek.
"Hey," he said, and I smiled politely.
"Why are you alone?" He asked after a moment of silence passed between us.
"I'm waiting for some friends to come back," he hummed at my words.
"Oh, I see," he observed the people in front of us moving around, some swinging along the music while others were laughing intently with each other.
"I know this will sound crazy, but I feel like I've seen you before. What's your name?" He asked.
"Emriana, what about you?" I returned the question. I didn't miss the way his eyes slightly widened at my name.
"Nokon, pleasure to meet you," he said, holding out a hand for me to shake. I did, my mind flashing back to when I shook hands with Drakkar when he found me on my second day at the castle.
His eyes dropped to the locket around my neck.
"That's a really nice necklace. Where did you get it?" He asked.
"It actually belonged to my mother,"
"Oh, it's a nice gift. Does she work in the kingdom?" He questioned.
"Umm...I don't know to be honest...I haven't seen either of my parents since I was five," he nodded.
"Have you heard from them since then?" He asked, and I shook my head.
"I'm sorry," he said, seeming genuinely saddened by the information.
"I'm sure I'll find them one day," I said to cheer him up, but his frown only deepened.
"You seem so sure. Why is that?" He asked, chuckling, and I shrugged, giving him a smile.
"I don't know, but they're great people. Why wouldn't I be able to find them?"
"Yeah, Angar and Clara were great people," he muttered, and I froze at his words.
"Wait, how do you know their names? I never told you that," his eyes widened before he cleared his throat, looking like he'd been caught.
"I'll let you enjoy the rest of your evening, Emriana," Nokon hurried to stand, but I caught his wrist.
"You know my parents?" I asked, and he sighed, letting out a groan.
"It's not like that. I assure you, it's best if you forget I said anything," he quickly said as he began to pull away.
"No, please, Nokon. If you know anything, tell me, please," he looked at me with sorrow as he gently pried my hands off him.
"I'm sorry, Emriana. Trust me when I tell you that it's better if you drop it," he said, glancing around nervously. He began to walk away.
"Wait!" He stopped.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"To sit with some friends...you want to come?" I nodded, looking around to see if any of my friends had come back.
"If you wouldn't mind, it's getting lonely there," he smiled and led me to a quieter area of the tavern. Four men were gathered around a table, cards in hands as they mumbled to each other. They glanced at us when we arrived.
"Meet Emriana," I noticed how all four of them seemed taken aback by my name.
"What?" I asked Nokon, and he shrugged.
"Don't mind them," he said as he pulled a chair for me, and I thanked them as I sat between him and a bulky blond guy. Like Nokon, his face was covered in scars.
I observed them for a while, trying to get an understanding of what they were playing. They were all very focused on the card in their hands. One would say something, and the others would place a card on the table. Someone else would then grab the cards.
The men were all concentrated on the game they were playing. They were holding cards, and they occasionally pushed what looked like game pieces to the middle while mumbling something I couldn't quite catch.
I glanced up when a man holding a platter of drink approached me.
"Are you Emriana by chance?" He asked, and I frowned at how all five men snapped their heads toward him.
"Umm...yes," he nodded.
"This is from one of your friends. They wanted me to give this to you. They also wanted me to tell you that they'll be here shortly," the man said before leaving the table and walking back.
"Are you guys okay?" I laughed, noticing how tensed they all looked. I brought the drink to my lips, taking a small sip. It was fruity. I took another one before lowering the glass to the table's edge.
"These friends of yours? Why are they not here with you? I don't want to come off as rude, but you don't look like the type to come to a place like this," The bulky guy spoke, and I chuckled.
"It's actually my first time in a tavern. To be honest, I'm not sure if I like the experience," I sighed, and he chuckled.
I wanted to trust that Dana hadn't forgotten about me, but it was getting more difficult as more time passed and nobody showed up to the table. I continued to slowly nurse my drink as I watched them play. Nokon would ask me random questions here and there, but other than that, I just stayed quiet.
I pretended not to see the lingering curious stares of the men and the table as I moved the remaining liquid around in my glass.
I was getting frustrated. Dana had insisted that I come with her to this tavern, and the second we walked in. She left me alone. She was supposed to be my closest friend. She knew how uneasy I was before we came.
The thoughts faded into the back of my mind as a sudden wave of nausea hit me. It shifted into a mix of drowsiness and dizziness. I almost fell off my chair, but Nokon caught me.
"Emriana, what's wrong?" Nokon asked as I gripped the table's edge to stop myself from falling.
"Can you come with me? I don't feel very good," I said to Nokon as black spots started covering my vision. He murmured something to the guys and lifted me to my feet, and I gripped his shoulders for support.
Every movement I made seemed harder than the previous one. I felt dizzy from the hot temperature inside the building to the loud voices and music. Nokon guided me between the bodies toward the exit, pushing people out of his way.
My heart pounded rapidly as panic started bubbling inside of me as I had no idea what was happening to me. I felt my breathing become more ragged, and my vision continue to blacken.
"You're right, she looks just like him." Was the last thing I heard before darkness overtook me.