Petor's brow creased. 'What? No, you're not in trouble.' Aleyna noticed he was going to say something else, but stopped. Instead, he picked up her hand. 'I don't know how to say this.'
'You're worrying, Petor. What has happened? And what has it got to do with the Mynythians? For that matter, what's it got to do with me?'
'It has everything to do with you, and everything to do with them.' In that moment, he found the words from somewhere. 'You said when you met the Mynythians something was mentioned about a prophecy, and they behaved rather superstitiously. Well, you were half right. A prophecy was mentioned, but they were not acting odd at all. They were bowing to the woman who...who...'
'Who, what? Petor?'
'Who is prophesied to be their queen.'
For a moment, Aleyna simply stared at Petor. Those words were completely unexpected. Then her confusion got the better of her, and she said, 'I don't understand.'
'Neither did I. I had to get Arner to explain. When he became king four years ago, a prophecy was given announcing the circumstances in which his queen would be found. She will be framed in gold and silver light, glowing brighter than the sun and moon.'
'But what has this to do with me?'
'They think...no, that is rude of me as it implies I know better than they. They are saying you, Aleyna, are their queen. The prophecy describes how you appeared before them today.'
'There must be some mistake. I would have known if I were glowing.'
Petor ignored her. 'Apparently the sun's light was reflecting off the windows of the Academika, and the water from the fountain was catching the light, framing you. Gold and silver light.'
'I don't believe this. This is ridiculous.'
'Arner and his people are taking it very seriously, Aleyna. And therefore, so must I.'
'What does that mean?'
'To be honest, I don't know. I told him I can't tell you what to do. I also told him, that although you are not married, you have promised yourself to a man, who has promised himself to you.'
'And what did he say to that?'
'Aleyna, Arner is my friend. He's a good man. I know this has come as as hock to you. It has come as shock to everyone, including him, believe me. He came to Lyknisia with the intention of offering us aid, not causing us trouble, and certainly not to hurt you, a stranger to him and his people. He is as perplexed as I am at how this has gone.'
'You didn't answer my question.'
Petor was finding this difficult. He looked away as if fortifying himself to speak the next words. 'Arner said a prophecy is a prophecy. He has no control over them. And he can't ignore them. His whole party saw it, and reacted to it. Wheels have been set in motion which he hasn't the power to stop.'
Petor gently let go of her hand and stood up to pour them each a glass of wine, which he thrust into Aleyna's empty hand. 'Drink, my dear. You need it.'
Aleyna downed the contents. Holding out her now empty glass to the king, she said. 'Another.' He poured. This time she sipped the wine.
'He asked what I thought you would do.' At this, Petor had laughed. 'I laughed then too, you know. "You clearly do not know Aleyna Rienenska", I said. Your decision was anyone's guess, that you are wilful and headstrong, and have always gone your own way. But I repeated that I won't make you do anything. Not as your kin, and not as your king.
'Aleyna...I have never faced anything like this. I don't know how to counsel you. I don't know of the repercussions should you refuse. I don't understand how prophecy works, or even if it works. All I know is this is some tangled mess we find ourselves in, and I can't apologise enough for you being caught up in it. I've let you down.'
'It's hardly your fault, Petor.' Then an idea struck her. 'Are you sure it's me they are speaking of? After all, they didn't know who I was, and I certainly didn't give them my name.'
Petor shook his head sadly. 'I'm sorry. It was clear after what you had told Leena and I at afternoon tea that you were the woman they had encountered. Arner relayed the story almost as you had done. And, there's more. Arner arrived here at the palace not long after I left you. He spotted you from the window as we were talking. You were walking in the garden with Leena, and he pointed you out.'
'He didn't mean Leena?' She wanted to marry a king. Would she have been happy to find one like this?
'You look nothing alike, Aleyna. I'm sorry. And I don't think Leena has stepped foot in the Academika since she graduated.'
Aleyna's shoulders slumped, defeated. She was all out of arguments.
'Did he mention our problem with the attacks on Styvania?'
Petor looked, if it was possible, even more uncomfortable. 'I don't want that to form any part of your decision in this, Aleyna.'
'Did he?' she pressed.
Petor sighed. 'He said he would give us any help he could. That is why they are here. He wanted to discuss in person what was needed and to make plans for when the sea is calm enough for raiding. He also said their offer has nothing to do with the prophecy. He won't use it as a bargaining token.'
In that heartbeat, she hated Arner for being a kind and reasonable man. If he had been horrible, she was sure this would have been easier to accept. But nice? Fair? Honest? Petor's friend. The hate quickly subsided to a numbness as she thought over what this man was willing to do for a friend he hadn't seen in years. This man and his men had ridden from a distant kingdom to answer a call for help when his friend had asked. This, when kingdoms so much closer than Mynythia, whose land bordered the coast, and might even fall victim to the sea-borne raiders themselves, had ignored the king of Lyknisia or flat out refused. It was this thought alone which helped Aleyna to see things in a better light.
'Petor, how can we ask them for help, to fight for us, die for us even, and not fulfil a favour in return? In the great scheme of things, what they are asking for is so little compared to our own request.'
'It's not little a thing to you, though, Aleyna. This will cost you everything you know and love. Your home. Your work. Your friends and family.' He paused, then said, 'Eyvan.'
Aleyna nodded and stood up. She had never felt so sad and dispirited in all her life. 'I'm going home.' There was no need to say anything else.
'There's one more thing you need to know, Aleyna,' Petor said quietly as she reached the door.
'This can't possibly get any worse. Surely?'
The king winced at the pain and pleading in her voice, and then crossed the room to place his hands gently on her upper arms. 'I must tell you it all. There is some kind of time sensitivity involved in this. Arner tried to explain it but I...something about a danger to you, and that they needed to get you back to Mynythia as quickly as possible. Do you understand what I'm telling you?'
'I have to leave soon.'
Petor pulled her close. 'I'm so sorry, my dear. I am.'
'I know. But it's the right thing to do. I need to talk to Eyvan.'
'Arner would also like to talk to you. At your earliest convenience.'
'We will have a whole lifetime in which he can talk to me. But I'll not waste what little time I have left in Lyknisia, talking about how he's sorry for ruining everything.'
* * * **
[Word count for chapter: 1297, Word count for whole story: 8191 ]
Thank you so much for reading this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please consider voting for it and / or leaving me a comment to let me know what you think.
So now Aleyna knows why the king had wanted to speak with her. They both sounded like they were in an impossible situation, or do you think differently? Should Petor, as king of Lyknisia, have done more to keep her? Or was he right to give her all the information he knew and allow her to make her own choice? Another question to think about is this: can they trust the word of a distant king and a friend not seen in many years, when he said he wouldn't revoke his offer of aid should Aleyna decide to stay where she is? I would love to hear your thoughts...
Have a great day!