When The Night Falls Book 2 of When Good Things End trilogy

CHAPTER 12

Asshur seemed to not believe his eyes as we made our way to talk with him. "Where the hells did she get that outfit from. You know commoners are not allowed to be wearing any of the high courts garments Zina."
"Know your place Ash." That one grandma from the council warned with a click of her tounge. "Are you forgetting she's of higher rank than you?"
Her comment ticked a nerve. "That's only if she passes the trials." I muscle in his jaw twitched as she waved him off.
She smiled kindly at me, her silver hair sparkling along with the thin golden crown laying atop it. "It's nice to you wearing our traditional court dress."
"Why are none of the women here wearing this style of clothing if it's traditional?" I asked as Ashhur took Zina aside to talk. He didn't seem happy that I was here in general.
"Times change," the grandma shrugged.
"How much time do I have till the trials start?" I asked, trying to figure out what was going to be happening.
"They don't start until early tomorrow morning, today is just the trials announcement ceremony. Most of the officials heirs will be competing in the trails to get into the courts otherwise they wont be able to claim their families status."
So I dont even have to be here. Why would Asshur even want me here in the first place?
"Speaking of ceremonies, the announcements are about to start." She gently pulled my hand around her elbow as if escorting me and took us to were most of the nobles were gathering.
The garden was large but I didn't even notice the stage like center until someone took their stand in the center of it.
"Dear ladies and gentlemen, this day we are officiating the names of the tributes of the trails." The man had a typical showman voice, loud enough to hear from far. Away but not to loud to cause a headache.
Soon the nobles high court officials were introduced, they either selected a trained substitute or the heir themselves.
"Last chance, do you want to die in the trails? Take my offer while it still stands." Asshur had crept his way behind me.
"Leave me alone," I whispered.
"And now for our special guest, this young lady is here to claim her official title to the lands of the far south."
I ignored Asshur last taught and followed the grandmas lead as she walked me to the stage. Ive seen enough to realize the process of this whole ordeal. The man gave me a choice.
Announce a substitute to go in my stead.
Or face the trails on my own.
No one spoke as the man motioned to were he stood. The other fighters joining the trails stood stiffly in a line. My hands weren't sweating as much as I thought they would in this situation, I just feel brittle and ice cold to the touch.
I didnt speak.
All I had to do was point out the hooded figure waiting at the outskirts of the crowd. Laurent didn't take his hood off until he made his way to my side. It feels better having him close to me. His presence an anchoring point even as the room seemed to burst into an uproar.
Laurent didn't seem fazed by their reactions so i just mirrored his stance and played along.
"Why is a Ro'mave here?"
"Who let them back into the court!"
Zina's whisper stood out as to be the loudest. "Why is he with her?" I couldn't help but glance back at her as the announcer tried to explain the situation.
Zina looked lost and for the first time since I've met her she looked broken.
"And that raps up the announcements!"
I followed Laurent after the other competitors. We lined up to sing our names on a sheet of paper.
"You can't be here!" Asshur pushed past a few men trying to hold him back and barreled over towards us.
"Stand down Asshur." The grandma from earlier said, interceding between us and raising her voice.
Asshur didn't try making his way past her. "He's a Ro'mave. You know none of the competition can compare to that! He shouldn't be allowed to keep on participating in the trails after more than however many times he's won!"
"Like I have said last time. You made the rule so follow it!"
"But what if he gets hurt? Dad you said that he was dead what if he's the last one?" Zinas added herself into the conversation as the competitors awkwardly signed their names on the papers.
"You've done this before?" I asked, tugging on Laurent's sleeve for an explanation.
I could feel the embarrassment creep up my face as he bent down and kissed my cheek. "Ive always won. You dont need to worry."
"That's not the point—" I shut my mouth realizing the room had turned quiet.
The grandma coughed slightly. "Laurence, maybe next time warn us your married."
"Or maybe next time don't kiss some random girl infornt of your fiancé!" Zina yelled.
What?
"The cousin thing," Laurent sighed in explaination.
What!
"You were going to marry your cousin!" I gasped at Zina.
"Looks like you stole that from me!" She yelled, storming out of the room. the only people left at this point were Asshur, the grandma, Laurent, and me.
"Your going to regret this half-blood," Asshur muttered as he made his way out to go check on his daughter.
"Like I said," the grandma waved. "Time change, thankfully." She made her way out the room leaving us to stand their alone.
I blinked up at Laurent. "What just happened?"
"You met my extended family. Good news my grandma seems to love you," Laurent smiled as if my mind wasn't racing.
What is happening? "You were engaged? Since when? Are you kidding me!"
He must have misunderstood me for being mad at him. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."
"No thats fine. I'm just trying to wrap my head head around the whole thing. How old were you ten?"
Are these people insane?
And to his cousin of all people?
"Can I try to explain?" He asked picking up the pen and swiftly singing the papers.
I sat down at the edge of the glistening fountain, the whole garden was somewhat blocked off from everything with pillars lined with roses decorating the place.
"First. How's the little boy? Is he alright?"
"He's sleeping back at our place, I gave him some medicine and let Class take care of him while I was here. He should be getting better soon."
Our place? Does he mean the guys villa?
"Okay, second. What's going on with the trials? What are they? How much times have you even done them?"
Why is everyone scared of them? What's with the whole dangerous aura surrounding it all?
Laurent leaned against one of the pillars a few feet away as he counted on his fingers. "The trials are a tradition mostly for the nobles to prove themselves to gain the title of heir to their families title. All of its about taming the types of birds you flew on recently, nothing to hard. Ive participated in the trail around five times now."
"It's not dangerous?"
He shrugged, "It was hard the first time but I have a built in cheat code I can't escape. It's the only reason my Uncle wants me back in the council."
"You were in the council before?"
"When my older brother joined I was the one to go into the trials for him." He didn't seem to realize he was calling him brother once more.
I bit my lip knowing we were in this mess practically from my own doing. "Why couldn't he go instead?" I whispered before biting my tongue.
I feel like I'm dying each time I bring up the image of his brother.
"He was scared to lose his claim over the bloodline. Only two out of all the kids my mother had were born with the Ro'mave's bloodline signature engraved in their blood."
Now it's only him left.
"It's your eyes right?" I asked.
He smiled as he made his way in front of me. "Yes," he muttered. "It's the damn eyes." He closed them, bending down and leaning his head on my shoulder.
I pulled him closer and wrapped my arms around him as he sat on his knees. If feels like his pain is seeping into me. He muttered something as he let his muscles relax with a sigh. I steadied myself balancing with his weight.
"Let's go home soon," he whispered.
"Let's go take a nap." I kissed his forehead, feeling an overwhelming amount of sadness running over me.
I want to go home too.
"It's still morning," he chuckled as he gently squeezed me before sitting back up.
"I don't care," I frowned, "but you need to get ready right? Since the trails are tomorrow."
He smiled and gave me a hand up once he stood. "I can teach you somthing if you'd like?"
"I should go check on the boy. Then there's Doyle and the patients back at the hospital. The crew's been planning to go scouting again so I need to get some more space ready for any new survivors."
It's not a lot but it feels like it.
Ein's still there.
My eye twitched as I remembered that he's also on that list.
"I can fly you to the treehouse then to the hospital to speed things up if you'd like," Laurent offered.
"I should get changed first," I giggled as he picked one of the roses before we started to walk. Everyone was gone already since the whole announcements ended. We were both somewhat tired but still happy together as he walked me to Zinas room so I would get changed. She opened the door for me and went to get my clothes.
Laurent paused me before I went into the room. "Keep the color."
"What?"
"Your lips," he said with a slight blush, "the color looks nice, keep it on for me?"
"Careful there or this colors going to end up being smeared all over you with kisses," I laughed as I made my way to the bathroom.
That boy. I can't believe that was on his mind of all things.
"Hey Zina?" I close the door to the bathroom once I finished changing. "Can you gift me the paint you must on my lips earlier?"
She pulled out the small jar of the paint and handed it to me with a smile. "It's called chapstick. I just added some of the traditional red color to it since I still wanted the feeling of nostalgia."
She didnt look angry at me. Almost as if she had forgot the whole ordeal back at the ceremony. That was until I opened the door and she spotted Laurent waiting for me.
"You didn't tell me this was her room!" Laurent said with a startle as Zina slammed the door wider.
"You! How dare you show your face here again!"
"Thanks for the gift! Bye!" I yelled as Laurent and I ran away. The both of us laughing historically as she threw her hair brush at Laurent.
Laurent helped me up onto Cherise his bird once we made it outside. I pocketed the small container of colored chapstick and steadied myself as Laurent sat down behind me.
"What are you-"
"Hold on." He guided my hands over the birds feathers and shifted his hand while adding some pressure to his hold in a signal.
Cherise moved with a fluid motion and shot up into the sky. My hair whipped up in a frenzy as Laurent shifted his hand once more and Cherise steadied into a soft drift.
It's just signals and pressure. I mused as Laurent shifted my hand under his and Cherise turned.
"That's all it takes," he said as he sat back.
My back shivered with a cold sweat as his weight disappeared from behind me.
"Laurent?"