Through The Door

Wounds on Our Hearts

When they were finished, they all cleaned up.

“Hey Will, don’t you have servants or something?” Maia asked curiously.

“Well, yes. No, wait. I just dismissed them early this morning. They should find work somewhere else. But sevants or no servants, I usually like to do the work myself.” He took Rionen’s tray and placed it on the table in the corner. They would put the dirty plates and silverware in the scullery later.

“Thanks, William,” Rionen said quietly. Just eating tired him out already. It was the first time he had eaten in… more than five days.

“You’re very welcome.”

“If he’s not busy, could you tell Edmund that I’d like to speak to him?”

William opened his mouth to speak, closed it, and opened it again.

“Well, yesterday morning, he was summoned by the king and he made his scouting report. He was given a re-assignment, but we don’t know where he is right now. He could be in training for the war, in another scouting assignment, or in Taridius for… the next attack.” He spoke in short bursts and looked at the floor the whole time.

Rionen closed his eyes and lay back on the pillows.

“So it’s true… Everything they told me… And I thought they were all lies. How could he?” he whispered.

A few tears trickled down his face. Rionen had held in these tears for days now, ever since he had been dragged to Alexander’s “throne room” and they told him the news. Lord Rionen of Chyronia, they had called him - in mockery. Chyronia didn’t exist… not anymore. Then he wondered why the Alexandrians didn’t kill him. He thought back. The last unimagined thing he remembered before waking up in Edmund’s house was pain. So much pain. Then darkness. They must have thought that he was dead, then threw him out in Dragon’s Breath.

He was lucky he was alive. Alive, but could hardly move without pain. I can’t even wipe away my own tears. Rionen opened his eyes. William, Kirian, and Maia were still there.

“Please… I want to be alone for a while.”

The two men nodded and exited the room with the things they used for the meal. Maia put her hand on the doorknob, paused, and turned back to Rionen.

“Just call me if you need something,” she said quietly.

“I don’t need your help.”

Maia bit her lip and slipped out of the room. Rionen sighed and closed his eyes. Should he tell them about… what they had done to him? Then he decided against it. They already had much to worry about. He would tell them when the time seemed right.

Maia bumped into Kirian, who was on his way back to his room.

“Oh, sorry.”

“That’s okay.” He paused and looked at his sister. “Hey, why the long face?”

She shrugged. “Nothing important.”

“Huh. Okay. Well, I’m going to go training with Will outside in the back. We’re going to be back in about half an hour. And I don’t think you should disturb Rionen. He looked upset when we left him.”

“Yeah, I know. See you later. I’ll just be hanging around.”

“All right. See you.”

They parted ways, and Maia went back to her room. What to do? She spotted a bookshelf in the corner of her room. She walked over to it and looked at each of the titles until one of them caught her eye.

“Argonian Legends,” she read. Something told her that she would need this book. Maia slid the book out of its place on the shelf and sat on her bed. She blew the dust off the cover. It was soft, and its colour was a dark blue. Small white jewels dotted the blue, giving it the appearance of a majestic night sky.

Maia flipped it open. “No one knew where Alexander came from, or how he rose to power.” A picture of Alexander was below that sentence. A black cloak covered him from top to bottom, so that his face was not visible. Her mind’s eye went back to the first day - the day of the capture, the day of their escape, the day they met Edmund. She could still see Alexander as a dark figure standing aside, watching as his soldiers chased us. His laugh resounded in her head again and again, threatening. Alexander seemed to come alive, and she almost felt that he was standing in her room. The worst was that he seemed more hideous, more evil than what she remembered.

Impulsively, Maia slammed the book closed. The book fell out of her hands and slid to the floor. She covered her face with her hands and lay down on the bed. A few minutes passed before Maia heard footsteps from outside. Suddenly, William entered the room.

“A- Are you alright?” On his face was an expression of worry.

Maia sat up and took a deep breath. “Yes.”

“Are you sure? I heard a scream.”

Maia’s hand flew to her mouth. I screamed? I didn’t scream. At least I don’t remember screaming. “I- I screamed?”

William sat beside her. “Look, you can just tell me what happened... if you want to.”

“Well, I- I just saw that book on the shelf,” she said, pointing to the book on the floor. “I flipped it to a random page. And… and I saw a picture of him. Then I remembered… things I don’t want to remember. The picture seemed to come alive and it almost was as if he was standing in this room. But it’s a book of legends. He isn’t supposed to be there, is he?”

“Argonen, I think, is much different from your world. Our legends are our history, while, I think, your legends are just twisted tales and not true. I- I sometimes have nightmares about him too. I have seen him before. I know how it feels. If this happens again, you can tell me.”

“Thank you, William.”

“Anything for a friend. See you at the evening meal. We’ll have it in Rionen’s room again. Don’t worry, he’s fine with it. And I would advise you not to ask about anything he doesn’t bring up himself. He needs time, Maia. And space. Some, or all, of us don’t only have physical wounds, but wounds on our hearts as well.” William picked up the book from the floor and walked out of the room.