Aureate Fates

28

                       PROPER ETIQUETTE

                                       —REESE—

Dear Reese,

Nyall worries too much. His mother even more! Each time I hang around the super strong Verskyian guards outside the house, he tells me to come back inside. What a weenie, as you would say. I miss you, Reese. And I miss Mari so much. Sometimes I think that if I run fast enough, I can reach Verskyia in an hour.

But the guards will never let me leave. Or Nyall (again, weenie).

I'm not sick, but a lot of Blues are. Some Reds, too. I'm as blue as a blueberry, Reese! I feel better this way. No more painful blood-churning.

Gianna comes around a lot, to Blue Quarter. Lots of Reds do. Since Captain Orvar left with you and Mari, the Ghostly Five have disappeared. Poof! There isn't anyone to keep Reds from coming over anymore. So they do. Mostly the ones that are sick.

Nyall's mother's house is much warmer than the hut. I haven't been there since you left.

Do you have a new girlfriend in Verskyia? Gianna likes Nyall more now, I think. They think I don't know much, but I know plenty, Reese!

I hope I can visit soon. Please write back.

—Jaak

                                      _*_*_*_

Jaak's letter arrived two days after the wedding.

The kid was doing well. And it seemed as if Delphinia had kept her promise to station Verskyian guards near Jaak. To protect and feed him. Reese could only imagine the array of guards that were posted at Ziralem's border, killing beasts. He wondered if there were any Levantica Trees left.

The protection Jaak had was more than anyone in the country, though from his letter, it appeared that Ziralem was changing.

Could it be possible that Ziralem was both ill and healing? Creating strained alliances and relying on each other? Maybe Jaak was lying, only to rile him up. Reese couldn't imagine a united Ziralem.

It wasn't possible. Reese tried to shake the thought away, because he had another challenge at hand.

Today was the first day of palace festivities, where Erik and Marisol would pretend to make nice with the council members and play games. Nearby villages were invited to bring their children.

As Reese walked outside his chamber and into the unusually dark corridors in his wing, he saw someone unexpected. No one voluntarily walked these halls.

Drew's wide blue eyes were tired, and stained with dark blemishes. His nights might have been restless, either from being in a new place or something else Reese didn't know.

He was tempted not to say anything as he passed, especially since Reese had completely ignored him yesterday. But he simply couldn't resist, not with the sadness he saw on Drew's face and in the way he walked.

"What are you doing here? The festivities are outside," Reese asked, placing himself in front of Drew, monitoring his face. It was then that he realized the boy was thinner. Fragile.

Drew looked up at him, appearing relieved, a morsel of light coming back to his face. His smile didn't reach his eyes, nor did his dimples appear, but for a moment, he looked like himself again. Reese wished he didn't have the ability to memorize the details of his face. It was inconvenient.

"Well, I—," Drew trailed off, sighing. "I just decided to explore the castle further. Every part."

"You shouldn't be in these corridors," Reese advised, more coldly than he would have liked.