Power Hungry

Chapter One

    It was evening when they arrived. 

    The sun was setting over the river, casting beautiful mirages over the crystal roofs of Rintiero. On a normal night, Naya would pause to admire the gorgeous scenery of her kingdom, but it was an urgent night, and the arrival of the foreign visitors didn't help. It set Naya back from her schedule, incredibly. Now she needed to see who was entering the palace gates, as she was sure she caught a glimmer of white hair. But no. That's impossible, she thought. The Winterians are Spring's slaves. There's no way for one of them to be here now. Even so, Naya had learned to expect the impossible, and so she made it her mission to investigate. 

     It took her a while to get near enough to the palace for her to see anything. Naya wasn't far from the forest that enveloped the palace grounds, but she had to dodge the guards, in constant fear that one of them had heard of her forbidden target practice. She hoped her newest mask, a crystalline sunset that covered her from cheek to cheek, would conceal her features well enough, but she wasn't about to chance her luck. Instead, she avoided every flash of a beige uniform, every full-faced mask, constantly wondering if the person under the disguise could be Alan.

     Naya's brain threatened to wander to her secrets - even Alan's secrets - but she wouldn't let it. I can daydream once I know who's in my city, she told herself, not completely believing it. She had an odd sense that her endeavor to the palace would last much longer than that one day. 

     Keeping her mind focused, Naya crept up side streets, eventually coming to a wrought iron fence with intricate designs. It wasn't sturdy, and couldn't keep much out. This wasn't a protective barrier - simply a beautiful feature added to a beautiful city. Naya stayed close to the gate, always keeping it in sight, as she meandered around buildings to keep away from the prying eyes of patrolling soldiers. Finally, she came to one of the few gates that led into the forest surrounding the palace. The doors were open, of course. Naya sauntered through them with the flowing stream of people, silently cursing the royals for letting themselves be so exposed. If I was Queen, she thought, we'd always be protected. But not just the royals, she added. The common people as well. Even the peasants living on the streets. Even they would be protected in case of an invasion. 

     Bitterly, Naya knew none of that would ever happen. She knew King Jesse was a good man: young, with a new perspective. But still, he could only change so much. He most certainly couldn't change the way an entire kingdom viewed the lower-class, even if he had pity. He could never force it on others, and judging him from the few public broadcasts she'd seen, Naya didn't think he'd try. He was no fool, if a quiet ruler. 

     Naya wondered if Queen Raelyn would opt for change. She didn't know much about her. Raelyn had only married Jesse a few years before. They'd been quick to have children, although it wasn't surprising. Even strong rulers still feared Spring, and Jesse wanted to make sure they'd have a male heir. Naya found the process of bearing children sick when the couple wasn't truly in love and didn't really want the infants, but she could at least understand one's loyalty to their kingdom. Even she, a peasant her whole life, loved her kingdom greatly, and would do just about anything to save it. She envied Jesse, and even Raelyn, that ability. They had the power to change things. If only they ever actually used their power. 

     Naya was jolted out of her thoughts when she hit the thick back of a burly man in front of her. He grunted but didn't turn around. Instead, he kept scanning the crowd before him, even reaching up on the tips of his toes to get a better view. Naya didn't try to see beyond his large form: if that huge man couldn't tell what was going on, her 5'4 frame sure couldn't. So she kept to the side of the loud route. It appeared traffic was clogged, with a good fourth of the road left to go to get to the protective wall around the palace. Naya assumed it was the visitors' arrival that had halted the way. Most likely, the King didn't want the common people to see his visitors. He definitely had something to hide, and Naya desperately wanted to find out what it was. Unfortunately, she didn't trust him, her own King, to keep her kingdom safe. I'm sure I saw white hair... Could a Winterian have escaped Spring's camps? But no, she chastised herself. That's foolish thinking. They wouldn't ride the many-day trek here. So who could it be? 

     Naya plopped down on the side of the gravel road, crouching atop a mossy boulder. She didn't have the patience for this, but she wouldn't ring herself out complaining about it. She determined that she'd rest, and go over exactly what she planned what to do once she got to the palace. She couldn't exactly waltz into the grounds, past the guarded fortress gates, and demand to speak to the King and his secret audience. Naya doubted that the guards would even let anyone past where they were now, to the connecting civilian road. Although, if they do, she plotted, I could skirt the palace on that, then veer off and hide in the trees until dark. After that... That was as good as Naya's planning was going to get, and she knew it, so she didn't push herself. She decided that, rather, she'd scout the commoners on the road, checking to see if anyone here was a Winterian in disguise. My paranoia is beginning to get the best of me... Naya knew she was being irrational, but she couldn't shake an uneasy feeling about that white hair, and that something here was wrong. She also knew evaluating the strangers would calm her nerves, and keep her buzzing mind busy, and most importantly, on task. 

     About 10 minutes into Naya's investigation, she floated by a group of merchants speaking in hushed voices. She stopped casually a few paces away, her back turned to them, but listening intently:

     "...Lyn won't like it..."

     "What's Jesse's opinion on this? He's who matters?"

     "Fool! Jesse has absolutely no input here. He may be the King, but Raelyn's the one who matters. This whole kingdom's run by her. Tell me you didn't know that." The man's voice drips sarcasm, but Naya is truly shocked. Apparently life on the streets really is the equivalent of living under a rock. 

     "He's right," a woman's voice chimed in. "I heard the King's mother's ladies talking... Jesse has no say in anything. Raelyn is too controlling. It's sad, really..."

     "Sad," one snorted in disgust. "Serves the coward right for marrying such a hag. You know what her family's done."

     "Of course," the woman said. "But it is sad. He doesn't know what to do. I mean, what can he do? She's the queen."

     "And he's the King. He's the ruler of our country. I say he should grow..."

     Naya turned away quickly, hoping the group wouldn't notice her. She didn't find out much about the arrivals, but it was interesting information. Naya knew she should dismiss the group's ramblings as petty gossip, but some part of her believed it. Jesse always did seem to be a background figure in the broadcasts, at least in the few she'd seen. Naya had been so uneducated in the manner, she'd managed to miss the truth. But it did seem right that Raelyn was ruling over Jesse. After all, with her family's backstory, it wouldn't be surprising...

     Naya decided that yes, she would get through the crowd of people to the official barrier, and yes, she would get into the palace grounds. But it may not be, specifically, to find out about the newcomers. It may be, she admitted to herself, to save the King?