Where Smoke and Light Collide - ONC 2022

From riches to rags

Once in the confines of her room, Anya gawked at the paper without blinking. Whoever drew the face made an excellent job at capturing every single detail. She could see the strokes on every hair, the light reflected behind his dark eyes, the stubble growing along his jaw. She ran her finger along the silhouette of his face as if she could actually touch his skin. 

It was Kieran. Or was he?

Maybe I just want it to be him. The thought crossed Anya's mind as she paced the room.

A soft knock came on her door.

"What?" She snapped and the slashing tone in her voice astonished her. She tried to soften it when she said, "Who is it?"

The door cracked open and a smooth round face peeked inside. The servant girl smiled. "Miss De Vous, it's me Tati." When Anya signaled her in, she almost tiptoed inside. "Your parents—"

"You mean the Lord and Lady De Vous?"

Tati nodded, her eyes wandering through the room. "Yes...they've arrived a while ago and they're waiting for you in the sitting room. Her Majesty, the Queen is present, as well as for the prince Aaron."

Anya winced. She'd not yet changed from her sparring clothes nor fixed her hair. And after fuming away from the practice fields, she wasn't sure she wanted to see Aaron so soon. "Very well...can you help me get ready?"

"At once, Miss De Vous," Tati moved in short quick steps to the wardrobe and brought out a blue dress in the colors of the royal ordinance. She helped Anya slip into it and fasten the ties. Next, she sat her down on a chair to preen her hair.

Anya stared vacantly at the girl reflected in the mirror. She almost didn't recognize herself anymore. Once Tati brushed her hair into a sleek brown sheet of waves, she placed a golden pin to secure it from the side. "There," Tati smiled. "As lovely as ever, Miss De Vous."

"I've told you to call me Anya."

"And I've told Miss De Vous I can't. I've been in service for so long I wouldn't feel comfortable taking such liberty. You can't ask a fish to breathe air or a fox to breathe underwater. Some things can't be changed."

Anya reached for the drawing. "And what am I, Tati? Am I a fish or a fox?" What would Kieran respond? But Tati couldn't say; she opened her mouth but the words didn't come. "Don't worry Tati, you don't have to answer, I'm trying to figure it out myself."

"He's a handsome man, that one." Tati's words surprised Anya. She looked up at the girl and saw her eyes on the drawing. "Is he a suitor for Miss De Vous?"

"No," Anya said. "He's the leader of the rebellion."

"Oh dear! I've heard so much about him." Tati leaned in to take a closer look at the face. "The way people speak of him, I thought he'd be a seasoned man with years of experience under his belt. There is something mysterious about his eyes...commanding. No wonder people describe him as uncanny and supernatural."

"Who are these people you mention?"

Tati straightened and went about picking up the discarded clothes. "Mostly the help. Some of the merchants. People who bring in gossip from the city."

"And what does the gossip say about him?"

Her brow wrinkled. "That he's rallying people to what they call 'the cause'. They say he moves from city to city, and town to town, as quickly as smoke moves through the air. It's a miracle someone managed to compose his face on paper, the way I see it, he's pretty much a ghost."

"Has anyone mentioned his name?"

The girl shook her head. Anya asked no more and when she stepped out of the room she felt a weight pressed on her chest. Is it Kieran?  Voices seemed to whisper over and over, you know it's him.