Something Found - Book 2

Chapter 16: Honor

   The weeks leading to the Winter Festival passed quickly for Alanis. It was her constant training that kept her attention away from her falling-out with the prince. Though occasionally, his question would sneak into her mind while at rest.

   What was she trying to prove the night she kissed him? If it wasn't out of spite, and it was something she had secretly wanted, did that mean she had feelings for him?

   Beneath his title, the prince was a man and she had given him the same amount of chances that she would give to any man to earn her trust. Instead, he had so carelessly used, and wasted each and every one of them, so she was done, truly done with him until he placed effort to seek her out.

   If it was god willed, he would come to her and apologize.

What a foolish thought that was.

—————

Morning of Anreir Sulsreati
The Winter Festival
Ati Palace

   It was a beautiful day, the late morning light poured through the tall standing windows, warming Alanis' bedchamber. Spring would soon grace the white, frozen plains surrounding Ati.

   With the beautiful morning aside, there was only one thing on Alanis' mind and it wasn't the upcoming Winter Festival.

   Did I make the right choice, she wondered while braiding her hair. He still hasn't come to see me...

   Three weeks had passed and they hadn't even said so much as a hello to each other. Time had passed so quickly, that she was beginning to fear that it would never resolve.

"Beautiful," Fulton commented, his thumb swiped the phoenix sigil that was stricken into the silver breastplate he was holding. His eyes jumped to watch Alanis dress, watching as she slipped the chain coif he had lent her over her head. "You were gifted this by Berthold's king, were you not?"

   Wesley took it upon himself to help Alanis ready for the festival. For the most part, he had acted tame around her. Talks of rekindling their failed attempts at romance never came up—which thrilled her to no end. There were so many things she had to worry about, so it was a relief to know hurting the captain's feelings wasn't one of them.

"Yes," Alanis replied while studying her reflection in the standing mirror. "A reward given to me for shielding King Alexander." She turned to captain and straightened the emerald cloak that bunched at her pauldron. "Truth be told, I don't really deserve it."

"You do know word of that night travelled here? From what I heard you earned it. It would be a shame to hide this beautiful gift"

"Be that as it may, I don't wish to insult my sponsor." Her fingers stroked the sigil at her breastplate, the sigil of a woman with the tail of a fish wielding a tall trident, the symbol of Ati's Temple, Reoal'rin.

   In fact, Wesley had told her days before that he was an adopted son of the temple and that the surname Fulton was later given to him by King Stronghold for his valor in battle. His name, paid homage to the temples original master.

"Aye, I didn't think you would, but you shouldn't hide from the good you've done," he said as he dug through his cloak. "I almost forgot—a letter came by raven last night for you." He handed her a small folded envelope. "It's from Berthold."

"A letter?" Alanis smiled noticing Allard's embossed sigil. The lone wolf had finally written her back, it had been a long-moon since she had last heard word from him. She popped the wax seal and read through the letter briefly. "It seems I'm being summoned to Berthold, to attend Sir James' wedding," she said reading the last of his letter silently.