Verita - The Guardian of Darkness

13 - Silver Vines

Instantly, Elanthin tightened up. Nothing came without a prize so why had she fallen for Aetrian's kindness? Were a few soft cushions enough to disarm her after years on the Plains?

"I'm aware that it could be an annoyance to you", he continued, unaware of her rising suspicion, "but I would like for you to stay in this palace for the foreseeable future. However, if you don't agree to my suggestion, you're free to leave."

"You wouldn't hunt me down if I were to disappear overnight?"

"I might send a petty letter."

She blinked at his ridiculous reply. "A ... petty ... letter?"

Aetrian didn't reply immediately. Instead he slid to the edge of his seat and lifted the teapot, which was adorned with delicate vines made of silver and pearls, from the sofa table. Uncomfortable, Elanthin watched his movements as he poured some tea into a cup of similar design. This wasn't something the king was supposed to do himself.

Finally, he replied while handing her the steaming cup. "It's not polite to leave so suddenly and without saying goodbye, Your Majesty."

Elanthin raised an eyebrow; not only at the offered tea or his absurd threat but also at the error of his thought process. If the king was considering that she'd want to leave Gratia right away, it was obvious that he didn't understand what it meant for the monsters to rise from the Deep in unprecedented numbers. No one in their right mind would return to the Plains without a good reason now.

Suddenly, the settlements which had been built with her people's sweat and blood flashed before Elanthin's eyes. Would all of them be abandoned and crumble to nothing?

"As I've told you before, there's no need to return. Not as long as my people are safe on this side of the barrier."

"Good."

She couldn't help but glare at him. Nothing about her situation was good.

"Then you might be open for my suggestion."

Aetrian rose to his feet and walked over to one of the rounded windows before looking over his shoulder. The golden embroidery on his suit glittered in the soft evening light and all at once, Elanthin was overly aware of her own attire. Her white tunic was dirtied with dust and blood from her travels but it was also fairly new. It had seemed like an appropriate choice back home; amongst Gratia's luxuries, she felt lacking. If she went to the market place of the village below, she would be able to blend in with the commoners and servants effortlessly.

"From one ruler to another", Aetrian started, unconscious of her thoughts and with the hint of a smile, "I have a confession to make: I am at a loss on how to unite our people."

Elanthin nearly dropped her tea – which would've been a shame because its fruity smell made her mouth water. Wasn't he the one who started all of this under the self-assured premise of protection and unification?

"Easy, I can hear your thoughts. It would have been easier to lie to you but I don't want to do that."

Always the saint, she thought with scrunched eyebrows. "So what am I supposed to do?"

"Just stay close until I know how to use you." Aetrian let his gaze wander out the window and over the palace gardens, which were glowing in shades of red and orange. "As you know, it's impossible to predict the outcome in a situation like this with certainty. I don't know if my people will accept the Veritans and I'm also worried about the Veritans' ability to adapt to the Gratian lifestyle."

His fears weren't far-fetched. Elanthin couldn't imagine a professional monster hunter guarding the kingdom's sheep either but only time would tell if her people would find a place for themselves in Gratian society.

"If it's impossible for you to remain here, I'll have to understand. But there's a way in which we could help each other."

As if he had known that the possibility of a trade would make Elanthin listen, he dropped that offer into her pensive silence.

"What are you suggesting?", she asked without hesitation.

The corners of Aetrian's mouth twitched. "You mentioned that the monsters have been rising in unusual numbers these past months. If we find the reason, your people might be able to return to the Plains more safely – if they choose to do so."

Some of the older generations and the monster hunters who'd chosen their profession not only out of necessity but also held a passion for it, might wish to return. For that reason, Elanthin knew she should do anything in her power to fix the problem instead of ignoring it. Who knew when this strange alliance between Gratia and Verita would break?

But more than anything, Aetrian had the mage tower under his control; an association which had created the Eternal Barrier, a construct believed to be impossible, once upon a millennia. Their magic research had always been far out of reach for Elanthin.

"I'm listening", she replied. "You may name your conditions."

"Then I demand three things, if you choose to stay: Firstly, you'll call me Aetrian instead of Your Majesty – it's bothersome since we'll see a lot of each other – and secondly, you'll tell me when you're about to leave the palace. It doesn't matter if it's for an hour or for good."

He paused as if he wanted his last point to make a special impact. "And last but not least, try not to look at me as if I was one of the Deep's creatures. At least not where others can see. I've asked the same of Ves."

I haven't even treated you like one, Elanthin thought dryly. Otherwise it would be your head hanging over my fireplace by now.

"These are your conditions for your assistance with the issue about the Deep?"

He nodded. "So, what do you say. Shall we lend each other a hand, Your Majesty?"

#

After they'd left the tea room, the head maid guided Elanthin through some smaller corridors, which seemed to be more private in nature than the wide marble halls earlier. Eventually, they climbed up a staircase until the scenery outside changed. Elanthin watched the city beneath them shrink, as they rose up higher and higher.

"May I speak?"

The questioning glance of Laris made Elanthin turn her head. She nodded.

"This might not be the most convenient way as the stairs are quite steep but it's the quickest route to where Her Majesty will be staying. However, Her Majesty can also access the guest wing over the main staircase if she uses one of the portals."

Although Elanthin concluded that Laris had to be over 50 years of age, her breathing was calm and even after the climb. As if the head maid had guessed her thoughts, she smiled faintly.

"I'm afraid we cannot help the fact that His Majesty prefers to locate bedrooms up high."

It doesn't matter to me if he wants to keep me from escaping by putting me into a tower, thought Elanthin. I'm just glad that I'm won't be held in a musty dungeon.

The stairs had ended in a similar corridor as those down below; the marble floors were covered in night blue carpet. But instead of paintings and sculptured, the walls were decorated with runes which were glowing faintly in the dim light entering through the arched windows. In contrast to the orange tint of the evening sun, the rune's blue glow felt cold. Was the magic used to keep things outside – or guests inside?

Apart from a few royal guards, posted at each end of the corridor, no soul was to be seen while they made their way through the hallway. Complete silence engulfed this part of the building, far away from the noises of the city and the palace's busy courtyard.
Finally, Laris stopped in front of an open double-winged door and gestured for Elanthin to step into the room.

The inside was spacious but impersonal. From the rune-covered walls to the white linen on the bed and the landscapes in silver frames, nothing seemed familiar to Elanthin. Nevertheless, it was a luxurious room fitted for a royal visitor rather than a foreign hostage. Although a tower like this could be used as a prison, the floor-height windows prevented its inhabitants from feeling stifled.

Elanthin had stepped towards the four-poster bed, when a shadow shot out of one of the corners. She'd already clasped her swords, when she recognized the shadow's voice.