Merlot's Eyes

Chapter Eleven

I walked through the overrun plot of grass that was neatly bordered by trimmed bushes and exotic flowers, still in bloom despite the cold months in Korath. A warm greenhouse stood to the left of the royal garden, offering heated seating in front of another array of potted, nonnative flowers. The smaller flower bushes formed a miniature world of their own, full of mysteries and wonder and buzzing with insects. There was a tranquil calmness in the silent courtyard as I paced near the greenhouse. I should have listened to Nilou and donned a cloak before going out, yet I needed to feel the bitter cold; it helped me think. And gods knew we needed all the working brains we could right now. Various stones hinted at paths around the garden, leading people through it and marking all of the best spots and views. Vines and jade grass disrupted the pristine look as they hungrily searched for more pieces of land to expand to.
Since arriving back at Korath with King Dren, I hadn't been able to stand still. The others had baked the rest of the king's lemon pies in my absence so there was no large baking order for me to slave myself to. Instead, I started working on that night's dinner until Dren ordered me to take a break to wrap my head around things. Only I couldn't wrap my head around anything. We were on the brink of a catastrophic war and it was all that filled my mind.
I hadn't spoken to Dren since that day and it has been well over three days. But who was I? Naught but a cook to stay in the kitchens. Gods knows I didn't need or deserve to be face-to-face with the king himself. Even Lex had been ignoring me... not that she conversed with me that much anyway. For the past few days I'd taken myself to spending time in nature. Not that it would fix anything, but I had a thought that I would never see it in its green glory again.
"You'll catch your death out here."
I turned to see Lex, bundled in brown and white furs, walking towards me at a steady pace. She had her hands stuffed in her pockets and a hood about her head. Her cloak was askew on her shoulder and she shook her entire body to fix it. "What the fuck are you doing out here without the proper attire?" she asked, actually sounding like she gave two damns.
"I prefer the cold," I answered, sniffling through my clogged nose. "It helps me think and brings me back to this harsh reality."
"Harsh or not, now's not your time to die." She grabbed my arm and began heading back to the castle, pulling me along with her. "Dren told me to come out here and get you. And since he's the king, I don't have a fucking choice."
Lex seemed even more distraught and irritated than usual. I chose to keep myself silent as she opened one of the doors to the castle and pushed me inside, pulling the door closed behind herself. "Go get warm," she ordered, waving her head as if she was a wet dog. "Dren requires your presence in his quarters in an hour. Make sure you don't spread a cold. The last thing anyone needs here is to be sick." With that, she left in a stormy huff, rubbing her arms frivolously to generate heat.
Instead of waiting the hour and Lex's orders to get warm, I marched straight to Dren's quarters and pushed open the door.
The nymph king was seated in a large metal tub in front of the roaring fireplace. His back was to me yet he said, "Disobeying orders from your superiors, Merlot? Either you have something you want to talk about or you just wanted to see me naked."
"Hardly the latter," I shot back, shutting the door and walking over to the tub. "Why not just use the one in your bathing room?"
Dren met my eyes. "Heat."
Shrugging, I sat on the floor next to the king and said, "What is it you wanted to see me for."
"Take off your clothes."
I froze. "What?"
"Come join me. I'm watching you shiver."
"I can take a bath in my own quarters, thank you."
"Suit yourself." Dren closed his eyes and laid his head back, exhaling deeply.
The tension was deafening. Making an irrational decision, I untied my tunic and undid my belt, sliding off my pants and undergarments. Dren's eyes stayed closed out of respect and he moved his legs aside to make room for me in the large tub. The water was steaming and boiling and it felt like knives against my cold skin. But I breathed through it until I was seated in front of Dren in the tub, my front to his.
"That feels better, doesn't it," he asked, opening his eyes.
"Yes," I answered. I didn't know my eyes were wandering until they settled on a large scar near his left ribs. "That wound," I said, pointing with a finger. "It healed already?"
"Nymphs heal at an exceptional rate," said Dren, touching the scar. "Only a fatal stab to the heart finishes off a nymph."
"Good to know," I said lightheartedly, smiling as the king whipped his eyes to mine in a panic. It felt strange being so close to him—especially after his confession at the Viridis Palace. He looked at me as if I was a specimen he'd never seen before. And I wasn't sure how that made me feel. "Any news from Queen Nokomis?" I asked, dipping my fingers into the water and giving the swirls of clear liquid my attention rather than the king's prying eyes.
"Conleth is unhinged," he murmured, sighing. "I sent message to the Maiko Isles in hope they would lend a hand in this war... yet they refused. Truly no one wants to be involved with anything that has to do with Köd Kunta. All the dark numas of the otherworlds couldn't save us from this fate."
"It's not all doom and gloom," I said. "Why not meet with the Pale King. Discuss surrender terms."
"I'm a king myself, Merlot. Do not forget. Never would I bow before another king. Especially a monstrous one."
"Why is he monstrous?" I asked.
"The Pale King is also known as the Numa of Serpents. Köd Kunta is a dangerous land filled with exalted creatures and deformed changelings. One whom steps foot in the shadowland never steps out; devoured or whisked to the Pale King to be fed to his army of asps. The Pale One does not eat or sleep or breathe. He isn't a living organism of this world."
"Can he be killed?"
"No one has ever attempted. None have even got within range to do so." Dren met my eyes. "Meeting with the Pale One is something never to be attained. The God of Serpents is not human nor wishes to dally in the presence of such. If he is ahead of this war, we are all truly condemned."
"I can talk to him," I said, pressing a hand to my chest. "Let me. I talked to the other Three—"
"And where did that get you."
"I came out alive."
"I was protecting you," sighed Dren. "If Momi or Conleth put a hand on you I would have sliced it clean off and shoved it so far up their ass they could taste it upon their tongue." He sighed and slouched in the tub. "I have connections. Places where we can hide. I'll take you with me when things start to get bad."
"I'm not hiding," I breathed, shaking my head. "What about all of your servants? The other bakers and chefs and Nilou?"
"They aren't important to me, Merlot; you are."
"You'll have to drag me because I'm not leaving the people of this city or in this castle to die, Dren!" I stood and got out of the tub, grabbing a soft towel and wrapping it around myself. "Is this what you've been cooking up in here for the past days? Plans to hide away whilst we face a war?"
"What else am I supposed to do?" asked Dren, also standing, his tail whipping towards me. "My kingdom is in shambles against the Pale King! Gods help me that I don't go and execute Conleth myself because I am at my wits end with him!" Dren began pacing, wrapping a towel around his waist in the process, his tail going back and forth with each step. "I'm done for, Merlot. Don't you see? Everyone under my hand is going to die because I don't have the fucking strength to save them!"
I walked over to Dren and pushed on his shoulders, happy he was in his nymph form because he was only slightly taller than me. "Please," I whispered, "let me help you. I never forgot what you said that night in Momi's palace. Each night I go to sleep with your voice in my head. Telling me that I'm safe. I don't want to lose you, Dren. We need to work together to keep this city safe. We can't go off and hide like scared villagers. We need to stand and fight. Stand beside me, Dren. Please." I had an unbearably strong desire to wrap my arms around Dren and hold him close, to feel his warmth and dig my fingers into his skin. But I stilled myself and stared into his eyes which were crystalized with tears.
My breathing hitched as King Dren stroked the back of his hand down my face. "Your skin is hot," he whispered.
"We just got out of a boiling bath, you clod," I said, my voice an octave higher than its usual tone. What is happening to me?
Dren opened his mouth to speak, but stopped. Staring over my head, he turned me around to face the fireplace. There, betwixt the orange, flickering flames, walked out Raziel Hellebore, in the flesh.