Scars of Alera

2.

Nobody ever comes to Adaymos.

One day, several years ago, there was a dispute between two fruit sellers in the marketplace that turned violent. The King was supposed to send his officials to Adaymos to sort it out.

Nobody knows how he found out, but one day there were fliers stapled all throughout the village that announced their impending arrival. Just like the other fliers in the village, we still don't know how they got there. Everyone in Adaymos spent the week preparing the village for their arrival, trying to clean up the violent messes the disputing villagers left in their wake.

But the officials never came.

The night before they were set to arrive, both villagers went missing. Nobody knew where they went, when they'd left, or if they were even alive – but with no dispute to settle, the officials had no need to come to Adaymos. And somehow, they must've known because they never turned up.

I wake early the next morning, the sight of Alyx's mangled body flickering against my eyelids. Patting my hair down and changing into a light blue dress, I slip into the kitchen, the bottoms of my feet cold against the wooden floor. Imelda is seated at the table with Papa, excitement brimming beneath her eyes and fingertips tapping against her cup. Something is different.

"Did you hear the news, Alera?" Imelda is almost bouncing in her seat.

I furrow my brows and look towards Papa. He simply rolls his eyes and takes a sip from his cup.

"About Alyx?" I take a cup from the table and fill it with water from the bucket on the wooden bench.

"No." Her eyes shimmer like moonlight reflecting on water. "There's a visitor in the village, someone from the Palace."

Surprise flickers in my chest but it is quickly overpowered by irritation. "You're excited over a visitor coming?" I spin around to frown at her. "Imelda, need I remind you that Alyx died last night – you know, the kid you went to school with?"

After Alyx's body was discovered, the men were sent out to retrieve him and return his body to his family. They've yet to set a date to his memorial service, but the weight that hangs over the village can't go ignored, making it difficult to breathe. Nobody had been killed in years – and never in that way.

And still, nobody knows why Alyx was in the forest.

"He arrived early this morning. I think he's here to investigate Alyx's death." Her tone is less excited and guilt flashes in her eyes.

Realisation settles my stomach. Imelda is 22. She wants to get married, and according to the standards of Adaymos, she should have been married two years ago. She does currently have a suitor – Ethii Toledano, a man whose ego is bigger than he is. And despite the fact that she should be pining over Ethii, she's always dreamed of something bigger. This man from the Palace is her chance.

I'm not complaining. On the list of people I find it hard to tolerate, Ethii Toledano is at the top.

"From the Palace?" I bite the inside of my cheek. I have never seen anybody from the Palace, let alone anyone from outside of Adaymos. "Why? Can't we settle this ourselves?"

Papa sets his cup down on the table. "It doesn't matter. He is from the Palace, we must be respectful and keep ourselves in check." He shoots a look at Imelda and her cheeks turn scarlet.

"Of course, Papa," Imelda sighs and stands up to tip the remains of her cup down the drain. "We must be off now. The children's home is expecting me, and Alera will gather some more stones for your designs."

Imelda hooks an arm through mine and tugs me towards the front door over the cobblestones. Arm in arm, we go down the steps and through the village, the warmth of the morning sun spreading across my chest.