Arcatraissa (Free Sample)

Four

The stone walls of the castle were the same as ever, decorated in a flashy display of the Titania's unfathomable power. Tae had spent hours staring at them, longing for the open spaces of the garden or the forest. Somewhere he could run and fly and see the humans. He felt like a fly caught in a spider's web, able to only sit and wait. How long he would be confined this time was anyone's guess.

"Tae!"

Tae stopped his pacing to whirl around and face his sister. "What?" he snapped. He instantly regretted it, seeing her lavender eyes dim and her shimmering wings droop the slightest bit. He sighed. "I'm sorry, Erela, what is it?"

The little girl balanced on her toes, a grin splitting her face. "Can we go to the market?"

As a child Tae had loved visiting the market, listening to the storytellers and watching the performers, exploring the treasures for sale, and even at his age he could find no end to entertainment there. Now, though, he wanted nothing to do with the hot, crowded courtyard.

But the consequences for disobeying his mother's orders would be far worse.

"Yes, let's go." He followed her through the hallways, her skipping ahead of him, airborne for a few feet and then touching the ground again.

In the courtyard fae parted to let the pair maneuver through the crowd. Erela darted between booths, forcing Tae to hurry to keep her in sight. It was unlikely any harm would come to the princess, but without a guard present Tae was to stand in as her protection, and if she remained out of sight for long his aching head would be the least of his pains.

"Erela!" he called after her fleeting form, dodging a weapons merchant demonstrating the sharpness of a blade to a potential customer. He caught up to his sister at a jeweler who was displaying her finest works to the Tybala. The precious gems sparkled in the faery light, mirrored in Erela's eyes.

"Tybal," the jeweler respectfully acknowledged Tae's approach, and he nodded once in greeting. "Is there anything I may do for you this morning?"

Erela lifted a bracelet made from woven leather and deep blue jewels. "It's beautiful," she breathed.

The jeweler smiled and ducked her head humbly. "I'm honored for you to say so, Tybala."

Tae pulled a handful of coins from his pocket. "Your work is magnificent. How much for the bracelet?" Erela turned her bright face on him and he gave her a half-smile. However irritating she may have been at times, her enthusiasm brightened his foul mood.

"For you, nothing," the jeweler insisted. "The color is lovely on you, Tybala." Erela gasped a thank-you and slipped the bracelet onto her wrist, twirling away. Tae echoed her and turned to leave, but the jeweler stopped him. "And for you as well, Tybal," she added, offering a pendant; a creamy-white stone shot through with black veins, hung on a dark leather band. Tae took it carefully, running his thumb over the stone's perfectly smooth surface, cool as glass. "It comes from the river. The rushing water wears stones down until they are flawless like this one."

"You could sell this for a thousand coins," he told her. River-stones were rare and not at all easy to find; few ventured so far to collect them.

She shook her head. "It is a gift, for your upcoming coronation. You will be a wonderful Titani, if I may say."

He slipped the pendant over his head, unable to refuse, though his upbringing had taught him that taking free items of such value was an abuse of his position. "I will wear it at the coronation," he said truthfully, "and spread word of your pieces. Thank you."

"It suits you," she replied, smiling. "Fly well, Tybal, Tybala."

They parted and after a few more stops to browse merchants' booths Erela became restless. "Can't we play a game?" she asked finally with a bored sigh.