Old Legends

Chapter 12 - Than

Gabriel stood at the entrance to the village to see us off. He gave us each a horse to shorten the journey and travel strain on Sela. Even though there was no hope for a relationship between the two, he still loved her. Dagon led our posse with Sela and me in the middle and Theo pulling up the rear.

"I'm so glad you came, Than... and you too Sela." Dagon shouted over his shoulder as we set out on the journey home - if I could even call it that.

I looked at Sela, who was fiddling with the brown rags she wore. I watched as inner turmoil rolled in her eyes. She was worried she wasn't going to fit in in the City. I knew she wouldn't, but I never did either. I'd be there with her so she wouldn't be alone like I was.

As I stared at her, she looked up at me and smiled. "Tell me about the Royal City."

This would allow the journey to pass quicker and hopefully ease her nerves. I looked forward and started describing the place where I was born. "Well for starters, it's huge. Far bigger than your village. There are a ton of people, all wearing these dresses and suits that are so fancy."

"I'm going to look like a freak!" Sela says, throwing her face in her hands.

"No you won't, you're from a village, they will understand, and if you want we can get you some beautiful dresses," I say, reaching over to squeeze her thigh.

"Ok...continue." She sounded so meek, not the powerful woman I'd grown to love. She would get adapt well. She was strong.

I spent the remainder of the trip telling stories about the City I grew up in. I told her about the trouble Dagon and I got into when we were kids and how if I couldn't talk our way out of the trouble, he would punch our way out of it. Dagon would occasionally chime in to add a little flare to the stories or advice about the city. By the time we reached the gates, she had relaxed and actually seemed excited. But as the entrance came into view and the guards approached our horses, I saw her nerves creep back up.

Dagon had a smile that stretched ear to ear as the guards waved us into the gates and the city unfolded around him. Our horses trotted through the city, the sounds of their hooves clopping on the ground. We had arrived at midday, so the streets were packed with people. I made sure my horse matched pace with Sela's. Her face was even paler than it normally was.

I reached over and pulled the reigns of her horse to stop it. Theo slowed to a stop behind us, he watched the crowd with extra attention. I slid from my horse, handed the reigns to him, and climbed behind Sela. I pulled the reigns from her hands and braced her between my arms as I urged the horse forward. I whispered in her ear to calm her down and watched her body relax into me.

We approached the castle and Sela's eyes grew wide. To be fair, it was massive. Her entire village and then some could fit within its walls. It was unnecessarily extravagant and many of the rooms and corridors were left unattended for the majority of the year. I brushed my lips against her neck to calm her down. I wasn't sure when I had gotten so comfortable touching her so intimately, but she hadn't told me I had gone too far and it seemed to calm her, so I embraced it.

Standing in front of the castle entrance was my mom, Una, and my stepdad, Ari. My mother was as beautiful as I remembered. She had black hair that cascaded to her hips. Her green eyes shone like emeralds and could warm you on even the coldest nights. At her side was her king. Ari was a tall, muscular man with fiery red hair and green eyes. His face held a permanent scowl. He had age marks that stretched from his eyes and mouth. The two dressed in opulence and dawned jeweled crowns. They wore their wealth and status in such a way that even an outsider would know they were beneath them.

I tensed against Sela's back and she reached forward and rubbed my hand. I couldn't help but smile and fall more in love with her. Even nervous in an unknown land, she put her own feelings aside to make me feel better. My stomach clenched at the thought of ever losing this beautiful woman. Before we got too close to the entrance, I lean down to steal another kiss from her neck and smell her foresty scent, but she twists her head and meets my lips instead. My nerve endings roar to life and I became semi-erect against her back. Gods, I hoped she didn't notice.

She shifts her gaze forward and stares at my parents. With a gasp, she whispers "She's beautiful." I stare down at her, unable to take my gaze away from her soft, white hair, and hmmed in agreement. I pull my vision from her beauty and brace myself to speak with my mother and stepfather.

Once we reached the pair, I slid off the back of the horse and reached to help Sela down. Once Sela was on the ground, I turn around and hear my parents gasp. I snap my eyes to their faces and frown at their expressions.

Ari's face was twisted in a disgusted grimace as his eyes scanned Sela. Another emotion momentarily flashed across his face as his eyes lingered on the curve at the base of her back. Even my mother's face showed a mix of both disappointment and jealousy. My stomach clenched and I bit the side of my cheek to stop myself from making a snide comment. Instead, I pull Sela in close, lightly squeeze her arms, and then straighten to face my parents head-on. 

They may have been able to hurt me in the past, but I won't let their actions harm Sela.

A slight swish of Una's hair signals her disapproval. A moment later she walks up to Dagon and me with her arms spread. She pulls us into a huge hug. She whispers between us "my boys, finally home where you belong." When she pulls away, I look at Sela who was still staring at my mom in awe.

I brush my hand along her thigh and smile at her. "Hey, don't you want to introduce yourself?"

Her eyes widen and then resolve strengthens her face. She gives me one of her beautiful smiles, turns to my parents, and says "Hello, I am Sela, the holy child of the Moon Village."

"I am King Ari, and this is my wife, Queen Una." Ari gazes down his nose at Sela. His arrogance is abundantly clear, yet Sela doesn't let it affect her.

Instead, she bows deeply "It is a great pleasure and I am humbled." Then lifting her head to meet my mother's gaze she says with so much sincerity "Your beauty rivals that of the night sky."

To my surprise, an almost unnoticeable twitch of her nose is my mother's response before she quickly turns and gestures for us to follow. "Come on in, I'm sure you want to see your brother." Did she not understand the weight of Sela's compliment?

I tsk and turn towards Sela to scan her face. My mother's dismal either didn't affect her or she didn't notice. I reach out to grab her hand and lead her into the castle. As we make our way through the castle, her eyes fly in every direction as we pass elaborate furniture, beautifully dressed girls, and warriors in full armor. She is completely out of her element, but she doesn't let that stifle her fascination. My heart tenses at her joy, I knew taking her with us was a good idea. She'd never experienced anything like the Royal City in her 18 years and I was thankful to be at her side to enjoy these firsts.

We climb the spiral stairs to the second level as we head toward Aidan's room. When we enter, I see Aidan lying on his bed. My once tall brother that had more fight and life in him than even Dagon is now a shell of who he once was. His face is pale and his lips cold blue. Dagon and I run up to him and drop to our knees at the edge of his bed. I scoop up his hand in mine; it's stiff and cold as if he were already a corpse.

Unable to take my eyes off his face, I choke out "What happened?"

"He went on a hunt and things didn't go the way he'd planned. In the process of defending the others in his hunting party, he ended up getting stabbed by the horn of the bull" Tears stream down my mother's face as she turns into her husband's arms.

Even though my mother's tears make me want to go comfort her, I sit there staring at Aidan. His eyes open.

"Than? Dagon?" The voice that comes out of my brother is weak.

"Yes, we're here," Dagon says. Seeing our brother appear so small, when he was always the one we looked up to, broke my heart.