Atlantis (A Waterfire Saga Fanfiction)

Chapter 18

"What happened?"  Alma repeated.

"King Deucalion..."

Alma let go of the mage's hands at the mention of that name.

"When I arrived at his palace, things were going fine, but then..."

Alma furrowed her eyebrows.

"He began questioning me. The King asked me why I had brought so many servants to Minoa. More specifically, servants that were women. Then I was forced to tell him about our engagement and after that, I lied saying that Alcina, Idra and Neith are tending to your needs and that you were out sightseeing."

"Wait, I don't underst-"

"All that I did was stretch the truth. As far as he is concerned, I am engaged to a lovely noblewoman, Alma from Elysia, which is you, of course. You brought three servants with you to Minoa, and I brought one. He has absolutely no idea that those servants are your relatives."

At that very moment, Alma felt as if someone had blindsighted her.  She was terrified.

"This man..." Alma gulped, "...knows that I exist?" she inquired.

Orfeo nodded.

"Is that all that you wanted to tell me?" Alma uttered, staring at the mage, bracing herself in case there was more.

"He wishes for us to have dinner with him tonight." Orfeo finished.

"Oh my gods." Alma's mouth gaped open.

"No." she declared, shaking her head.

"Alma, when Deucalion stated this, it was more of a demand than a request." the mage explained reluctantly.

"Where in the gods's names does Deucalion think that I am right now?!" Alma exclaimed, her voice rising.

"On your way...to the palace." Orfeo whispered.

Alma sighed, defeated, and trudged towards the farmer's house.

She opened the door, telling her father that she was going for a walk with Orfeo.

Aeneas nodded and she closed the door.

Alma marched past Orfeo, to the stallion that King Deucalion let the mage borrow.

She hopped onto it, eyeing the mage.

"As far as my father knows, we are going for a simple walk and I will return in one piece." Alma informed Orfeo.

"You will. I will not keep my eyes off of you for a second." the mage assured her.

***

"At last, we finally meet," King Deucalion grinned.

Alma forced a smile.

The King sat at the head of the long dinner table in the dining hall. Alma was seated on the right side of Deucalion and directly across from Orfeo. Deucalion's sisters, brothers and relatives of all kind sat at the other end of the table.

Apart from the bright white tunic that was hemmed with a golden pattern that he wore and the crown that sat atop of his head, the King of Minoa looked like any ordinary man.

"Orfeo has often times spoken of your beauty that I simply had to meet you to see for myself," Deucalion continued.

"Have you ever been to Minoa, Alma?" the King asked her.

Alma took a bite of her meal and felt a hand on her knee.

She looked up at Orfeo and noticed that he was busy cutting his meal using both of his hands.