The House of Nobility

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

It was after seven when Leanna met back up with Altheia, her afternoon with Ruadan brightened her spirits enough that she felt silly for being so mean to Ali. To let a boy get between them, she laughed to herself, she knew better-- she should trust Ali and Ruadan a little more, give them more credit for who they are to her. Altheia was her best friend, they were destined to be together forever, it was written in the stars like everything else.

She met Altheia in front of the greenhouse, Altheia looked exhausted, covered in dirt and ready to pass out.

"All finished for the night?" Leanna asked, breaking Ali out of whatever thought was going on in her head.

Altheia looked shocked, "So, you're actually talking to me now?"

"Okay, I deserve that," Leanna chuckled, "I'm sorry for earlier... sometimes the shadows take over my moods and my thoughts... I usually cannot control it." Leanna wasn't ready to admit anything about Ruadan, to be fair she still wasn't sure if she was ready to tell Ali about her love.

Altheia shrugged her shoulders, "Alright, I'll believe it for now, but soon you'll have to tell me the honest truth." They walked away together, heading down to the dining hall.

Leanna laughed, "Fair enough." Altheia and Leanna had spent their lives together, they knew one another enough that they could tell when the other was lying, Altheia was right, eventually she'd have to tell Altheia about her and Ruadan. But when would be a good time for that conversation.

"So," Leanna asked, "how was Diana's lessons? Did you learn enough about the history of this place?" Leanna gestured around her.

"There's so much, for a place that seems so small, the history seems so massive," Altheia sighed, "I'm just excited to eat something, I haven't eaten all day."

Leanna looked around, "Brion may seem small but the truth is that the history behind this place is legendary. It is massive. It is rooted deep within the roots that grow to make this place as intricately designed as it is."

"You sound like Diana," Altheia laughed, I quickly stopped as I looked into Leanna's haunting face, "you seem sad," I reached out towards my friend.

"No, I'm okay," Leanna shrugged, "the shadows are a lot today, something happened here and I cannot figure out what." It was almost as if the shadows were trying to tell Leanna something.

"How does that work?" I wondered if Leanna and her shadows knew of my dream.

"What do you mean?" Leanna inquired, "How can my shadows know if something is amidst?"

"Yea," Alethia looked at her inquisitively.

"The shadows know everything, they react to darkness, they are more powerful here in Brion than they are out in the world. Shadows listen, they hear whispers, they feel what others cannot feel. You don't realize it but even if someone isn't controlling them, like I usually do, though I do not control them... Shadows know and tell me all." Leanna looked at me, like she knew, "are you ready to tell me what the shadows have already told me?"

"Helena visited me in my dreams last night." I shrugged at this, it was no big deal, so naturally I told Leanna everything.

Leanna grabbed me before we hit the dining hall, "Did you tell Diana any of this?"

"No, there was no time, we spent all day talking about history lessons. I never got the chance. Besides, I don't want to tell Diana or The Elders." I made to walk into the dinning hall but Leanna's shadows formed a wall blocking me, making me turn to look at her.

"You must tell her, or at least warn her that Helena is coming." Leanna looked sad at me.

"I don't owe anyone anything. My parents aren't here. They're trapped with Helena, their lifeless, almost completely dead. You didn't see them, you didn't see that life was almost completely gone from their faces." The earth shook around us, "My parents are missing, kidnapped, because of what? Something as stupid as love?!" I started to yell. "Everyone keeps saying to do what is right, well this is what I feel is right. I don't owe anyone here anything because no one here is doing anything. I will fix this the way I see best." With that I stormed inside the dining hall.

Leanna looked appalled but ran after me, whispering, "I cannot tell you my secret, not yet, but know that I'm here for you and you can trust me." I looked at her from the corner of my eye, "Yes, you can trust me, Ali," she squeezed my arm in reassurance.

We sat down for dinner in silence.

"Is your secret really so extreme that you cannot tell me until you feel its okay? After everything that has happened don't you think I deserve a little bit of gossip? No one here is talking to me except for you, even Ruadan seems to hate being in the same place as me." I sighed at this last comment, Ruadan always making my heart beat.

"Look you got me," Leanna hurriedly changed the subject when Ruadan was mentioned, I saw it, I don't know if she realized that I noticed it. I noticed it though.

At the mention of Ruadan, he walked into the dining room, we both seemed to look up towards him, I saw it in that instant. The look in Leanna's eyes, she looked down quickly, did she realize I knew what was going on? It dawned on me. Leanna's secret. Her and Ruadan. My heartbroke.