Ad Maiora Semper

The Reckoning

"Try this one," Fallon said, handing Merry a deep blue cloak with intricate silver embroidery on the front. It fit snugly around her. They had traveled from Fallon's room to her princess suite that was bigger than twice her previous apartment. He had upended a chest full of clothes that had been packed away while she had been missing. She had outgrown most of the dresses but that was all they had at such short notice from the board. While Merry tried on the clothes, Fallon explained to her the whole process of a cultrora.

"It means knife's edge. You don't get a cultrora summon if you hadn't done something highly inappropriate that shows you're unsuited for the title of a Ginsar and have disrespected the rules of Ardos Academy and its masters."

Merry shimmied out of the blue cloak and handed it back to Fallon. He chose another one, a dark green that highlighted her eyes. "In our case, I've failed to inform the Masters and especially the King about you. I'm charged with discreditable behavior."

"Who sits at the board?" Merry asked, cinching the robe to her waist.

"Usually it's the Headmaster of the Academy with all the other masters sitting at jury but since it's a royal matter, the King's council will attend it too," he said. Merry emerged from behind the wooden folding screen and walked towards the mirror to assess her look. The green robe looked better with her complexion. It had been matched with a pale shirt that showed through the triangle at her neck and black pants made of a material that hugged her legs and gave her agility. The robe provided enough space for her to strut. She picked up the brush and started loosening her tangled hair. She had taken a bath after coming to the room and was still angry about the lack of expensive hair products. But comparing the experience with her imagination of a place without electricity and modern items, she was quite surprised to see that they had hot water and a decent amount of bath salts to suit her.

"What about Count Yalot? What will he try to do?" She asked.

"He'll deny your existence. Put you through tests. The usual," He said, a smile appearing on his handsome face.

"Will the King be there?" She asked, finally voicing the question that had been circling in her brain for some time. Fallon frowned a little. "I hope not."

"Why?"

He hesitated to answer her question. Merry saw that her 'why' made him feel uneasy. Something bothered him. Seeing his discomfort, she quickly threw another question.

"Can they execute me?"

Fallon forgot his earlier feelings and chuckled heartily. "Execute the princess? I'd like Count Yalot to try that."

She laughed with him too. Mimicking his feelings came easy to her. It was as if she could sense all the things that went inside his brain. When he laughed, she laughed. When he was angry, she tried to comfort him.

"Are we a pair?" She asked another question that made him smirk.

"It took you so long to notice," said Fallon, moving closer to her. He looked into the mirror at her. "You were a strong child. Very powerful. The Masters were afraid that if you were hurt or angry, you could burn the whole palace down so they found a reservoir for you, to channel your dark feelings. That's me," he said, pointing his thumb at himself.

Merry suddenly felt sick at the thought of hurting him. They were her feelings. He didn't need to take the baggage. "They shouldn't have done that," she said. Fallon chuckled again.

"Relax. It was meant to be removed when you reached eighteen but..." he didn't finish. She had gone missing at seventeen. Seven years later and she was twenty-four.