Aquaica: From the Depths(Teaser)

A Letter from Samarian

The castle was silent, and the world was pitch black outside as Samarian sat in one of his cozy chairs of the library. The warm glow of the fire was his only source of light which seemed to dance on the walls of books that surrounded him. He had been attempting to read a book that now lay open on his lap, unable to drown out the worries on his mind. It must be close to midnight by now, he thought to himself as he gazed into the flames unblinking. A soft knock on the door broke the silence, followed by a meek, feminine voice.

"Would Your Majesty like some tea or sandwiches tonight?"

He thought for a moment. Tea did sound nice. He gave her a slight nod, saying, "Yes, please. Thank you, Estrid."

The maid quickly bobbed her head and left to fulfill her king's wishes. Samarian closed his book and stood up stiffly. His old bones felt as if they crackled with each movement. He walked over to the fireplace and picked up the cast iron poker, stoking the flames back to life. The remnants of a charred log reignited, lighting up the room a bit more with its warm glow. After what seemed like a long time, there was another knock at the door.

"You can put it down at my desk," said the king as he turned to face them.

But it wasn't the maid returning with his tea and sandwiches. Standing in the doorway was a thin, elderly man with a narrow face and emotionless expression. "He is awake, sire."

Samarian was now wide awake. He quickly shoved the poker back into its holder. Any signs of the weary king melted away as he swiftly made his way up the stairs and down the halls. He opened the door slowly, trying not to wake up any of the sleeping residents.

Gale was propped upright with a stack of pillows behind him, his bandaged arm bound close to his body to prevent movement. He still looked like he was in a daze, as if he was just waking up from a deep sleep.

"Samarian," he said groggily. "Wh... why am I here?"

Gale tried to use his bandaged arm to remove his blanket, but quickly clutched at his shoulder as he hissed in pain. "Wha... what happened?"

"You took a sword blade through the shoulder, I am afraid," Samarian said, getting a cool damp rag from a nearby basin and wrung it out. "You are lucky to be alive."

He pressed the wet cloth onto Gale's sweaty brow. "It is going to take quite some time to heal."

Gale looked like he was thinking hard, and then there was a flicker of remembrance in his eyes.

"Where is Serenity? Is she safe?" he asked with a note of concern.

"Don't worry. Serenity is back home in Aquaica, safe with Ikan, Colton and Bruce." The king said reassuringly. "Once you are fit to travel, I want you to join them."

Gale shifted uncomfortably, attempting to find some form of relief. He winced at the pain and then looked at Samarian. "But you need me here! Didn't you see how big their army was? They will be back, and–"

"–And you are in no condition to fight. Your arm is badly wounded, Gale. You need time to rest."

Gale glanced down at the bandaging around his shoulder. "How bad is it?" He asked. There was a hint of fear in his voice.

Samarian took a deep breath. He would have to tell him the truth.

"The wound is deep. A lot of tissue was damaged. It may be a long time before you can use that arm fully," he paused, not wanting to continue, "if ever."

"If ever?" Gale repeated in shock. "That is my dominant arm! Are you saying I will never be able to wield a sword in that hand again?"

Samarian sighed. "It is a possibility. You may need to adapt."

Gale remained silent.

"I know what you must be thinking right now. I promise that everything will be fine in the end. You will feel better once you are back in Aquaica with Serenity. I know she will be happy to see you again, too."

"What good am I to her like this?!" he spat venomously. "I am a worthless knight-in-training who can't even hold a sword, much less protect a kingdom!"

"You are not worthless, my boy!" Samarian's voice boomed with disapproval. "I can guarantee that she wouldn't think any less of you if you came back with no arm at all. She would be happy to know you are alive! She cares for you, Gale, and not because you are strong and good with a sword."

"What would you know about how she feels about me, old man?" Gale retorted.

"Because," Samarian said, lowering his tone, "I heard the desperation in her voice when she pleaded for you not to leave her on the battlefield. I saw her face when she came here to check on you. And I saw the heartbreak in her eyes when she had to leave you behind."

Gale looked down at his good arm on his lap. He lifted his hand and stared at it for a moment before making a fist. "But what am I to do now? Everything I trained for, everything I have learned, was to become a knight like my father. If I am not a knight, what am I?"

"Perhaps you should stop trying to be your father, and try being Gale Leighton?" Samarian suggested.

Gale only gave him a confused look.

"Your father was a great man, one of the best I ever had the pleasure of knowing. But you will never be your father. You need to be you. And you can be so much more! A man's greatness isn't measured by his skill with a sword or even by the title he is given. It is measured by his ability to rise up when life knocks him down. To be strong when he is feeling weak. To find hope in the darkness. To be dependable when chaos ensues. To be honorable among the dishonest. Those are the markings of a great man."

Gale leaned back on his stack of pillows and stared at the ceiling.

"So am I supposed to pick up cooking now?" he asked sarcastically. "Lord knows that I can't knit."

"If that is what you want," Samarian stifled a chuckle. "I am not saying to give up on your training, but that you should try to broaden your horizons."

Samarian started making his way to the door. "It is getting late, and I am sure my tea is getting cold. I know you have a lot on your mind right now, but you should try to get some rest."

"I will."

"I will write to Serenity right away. She will be happy to know you are doing better," the king said as he started to slip out the door.

"Samarian," Gale stopped him. "Do you really think she..."

"Loves you?" Samarian finished for him.

There was a look of surprise on Gale's face from his bold choice of words.

"I may be old, but I know love when I see it, Gale. She may not even know it yet herself. But I see it. The kiss on the forehead she gave you before she left was a good sign, too," he smiled mischievously, leaving the stunned lad with that last thought as he closed the door behind him.

He heard a muffled voice on the other side of the door as he started walking away. "Wait, she kissed me?! Samarian, come back! Samarian!"

A chuckle escaped him as he began his descent down the stairs and back into the library. Sitting at his desk was a pot of tea and a plate of finger sandwiches. His fire had dwindled down to nothing more than a few tired embers once again, so he took a moment to light the few candles on his desk. He sat down in his chair and poured himself a cup of an earthy, fragrant tea. It was still warm enough to be enjoyable. He opened up a drawer, pulled out a piece of parchment, and dipped a red-dyed quill into the inkwell.

Dear Princess Serenity,

I am thrilled to inform you that Gale is now awake and on the mend. He took the news of his arm as well as can be expected, considering the circumstances. He has a hard road ahead of him, but I know he will work through it. He will need your support to help him along the way.

There is also another thing I wish to discuss with you. If Aquaica is to become a full-fledged kingdom again, then it will need a monarch. We should plan your coronation...