Sun-King Avad's Selection

Chapter 5 - Stars Above

Slipping below the balcony, Emily climbed down swiftly and followed the trail that took her along the all of the building overlooking the city. Heights did not bother her, if there was a way to tame a Stormbird and ride it, she would do so in a heartbeat like in a dream she once had.

She walked slowly hugging the wall, basket in one hand and eyes glued to the horizon. Blue lights of roaming machines glowed in the distance all around and she exhaled trying not to let it bother her, whatever that meant. The narrow path ended with a dark tunnel and she crawled inside unsure if this was trustworthy. A single torch lit the way as the ceiling rose allowing her to stand up as she approached the light source. Meridian was filled with hidden passages and Emily decided this was perfect for evading her father and his bad taste in suitors. All she had to do was find more of these passages.

Passing the torch, she climbed down a ladder, continuing on this one-way trip. She had no idea where she was in the city now as she continued to walk as all was quiet within the darkness and her eyes adjusted accordingly. At least I made some friends today, but why does this lead to the palace gardens? What good am I there? She wondered as she continued to follow the tunnel as it became narrower and took her on a curve to her left.

There were more torches on the walls and moss began to appear on the stone ground beneath her. Someone had been here before and must have used this passage many times if they left light sources. Thank you, whoever you are, she thought as she continued, believing she must be somewhere inside the city's precipices between the Lodge and the palace. That was the only logical conclusion. She was no cartographer, but the two places were certainly not next to each other from what she had seen from the guard playing tour guide before she slipped away.

Finally, the sensation of draft brushed upon her cheeks as she reached the curve's end and was met with a ladder leading up into the moonlight. She climbed it carefully and was greeted by the clear night sky full of stars and a luminous moon beaming down on her. The ladder she climbed turned out to be through a large mossy stone in the middle of a bed of red flowers and bunches of ridge wood to conceal its presence. Carefully, she stepped around the plants and onto the stone patio of the gardens. The path wound in a big circle with many beds of every flower imaginable she had seen in the wilderness. Along with it were many benches made from wicker and other materials the Carja put their best work in.

Emily sighed and sat down on the nearest bench, placing her basket beside her. The night sky gleamed with such an enchanting presence above her, but what seemed to shift her gaze relentlessly was the Palace of the Sun itself looming ahead of her from a golden archway at the garden's edge with stairs leading to its heart. This had to be the rear of it as the view she saw during the day was entirely different.

From a distance, a few braziers were lit but Emily could not see the movement of guards and other inhabitants in the darkness. The palace seemed to beckon silently to her as if she was being invited inside. She sighed, it was like everyone wanted her to go here, what was she doing in the garden? She had followed Talanah's instructions and took this passage to the garden. It only felt like a temporary sanctuary to her, but then she remembered her conversation with the two girls Alyah and Katoha back at the Lodge. I guess I will have to see the Sun-King after all, if my father is as stubborn as a Sawtooth, the only way to get him to stop arranging all these outings with men I don't like is for someone of higher hierarchy to order him to stop, she thought.

She paused in her thoughts and gazed at the stars, it seemed easy enough, she could just wait until dawn and go see him before anyone else, including desperate ladies noble or not, started lining up. But the mere thought of just talking to him made her shudder. Ugh, what is the matter with me, she thought, standing up frustrated, I'm not afraid of him or anything! He's been praised as a great ruler, compassionate, caring, nothing like his father, it's just that...... her heart thudded. She had always admired the Sun-King, she was just never able to admit it. How he usurped his father and would stop at nothing to repair the Carja's tarnished reputation, that took guts, lots of guts, and the only thing she could do was sneak out to go head to head with a machine that wasn't even twice her size. She sighed, I can't even stand up to my own father like he did, every time I try he just shoots me down. Going to Avad would just prove to her that she could not solve her own in her father's mind, wouldn't it?