Atlantis (A Waterfire Saga Fanfiction)

Chapter 3

After the meeting, Alma had felt sick to her stomach. Part of her wished that she had never seen Orfeo, while the other part wanted to know more about him.

Alma and Thalia walked through the halls of the palace, heading to Thalia's chambers.

"Don't deny it Alma. I know that you like him as more than a friend..." she hesitated slightly and said "... just the way that I do."

Alma raised an eyebrow and laughed.

"So that's why you brought me here. But if you love him, why aren't you two courting?"

Thalia stopped walking and glanced around uneasily. They both knew that rumours and news in the citadel walls spread like a wildfire.

She lowered her voice, to a whisper and said: "Orfeo and I, well... we've talked about it and... he only sees me as a friend. Besides, he has plenty of women to choose from."

A look of confusion spread across Alma's face.

Thalia rolled her eyes and said: "People would die for him. He's wealthy, charming, powerful and has magic." she said with a smile.

"Magic? My father told me that there were stories but he had dismissed them as rumours..."

"And you believe him?" Thalia interrupted.

"Yes I do." replied Alma.

Lady Thalia had stopped walking and looked at her friend as if she had come from another planet.

"Thalia...What is it? What did I say?" asked Alma with confusion in her voice.

Instead of responding, the noblewoman grabbed a sword from a guard standing nearby and drew a large cut across Alma's right arm.

Thalia grabbed a few coins from her pocket and handed them to him. "You saw nothing." she whispered as she gave the guard his sword back.

Alma clutched her arm, which was now bleeding.

Her life was so peaceful inside the walled city of Elysia. She had almost never experienced true pain before.

"Thalia...why?" she wondered aloud.

"I'm doing you a favour Alma."

"A favour?" Alma scoffed. "Friends don't do this to each other Thalia."

Alma's arm was stinging by now and she pressed her wound against her dress.

She sighed as she realized that she had stained Neith's lovely gown.

As if Thalia could read her mind, she said:"We can easily wash it in cold water, if you'd like."

For a moment, Alma had forgotten about her anger and followed her friend to her chambers.

When they had made it in front of the large doors, a question popped into Alma's mind. "What was the point of cutting my arm?" she asked.

Again, her friend did not respond and whispered something to one of the guards that was standing in front of the doors.

Alma closed her eyes and listened to a very faint melody coming from inside the chambers. Someone was playing an instrument that sounded similar to a harp. It was lovely.

Whoever is playing that truly is a talented musician she thought.

The guard that Thalia had spoken to knocked on the door and stated: "Lady Thalia is here to see you."

With that, the beautiful song had stopped and Alma heard footsteps coming towards the doors.

Alma looked at her friend, confused. "If these are your chambers, why did you have to ask the guard to announce your presence?"

Thalia completely avoided her question and said: "Now that I think of it Alma, I'm actually doing you two favours. One, you will believe in magic by the time that your arm is healed. And two, you have a very reasonable excuse to speak with him."

"Him? Who is this him that you had mentioned?" she asked, annoyed that Thalia had another big surprise rolled up her sleeve.

Before the noblewoman could answer, the doors opened, and standing in front of them was a tall boy with white-blonde hair, bronzed skin and piercing blue eyes.

He looked at her arm and Alma felt a flush of embarrassment.

"Alma, this is Orfeo. He can heal..."

That was all that she had remembered before everything went black.

***

Sorry for the long wait. Hopefully this chapter will make up for it!