Mystic

Chapter 17; Amira

Amira followed Matthew silently down the road. She was puzzled by Matthew's sudden shift in mood. Just a few minutes ago he had been roughhousing with Orion, but now he had gone quiet. Then again, Amira was used to him ignoring her. Matthew chose a random inn and gestured for Amira to follow him in. They took a table near the back, away from the other customers. Amira tried to make herself comfortable, but had great difficulty doing so in the rickety wooden chair. Matthew set both of his hands on the table and gave her a serious look as she shifted in her seat. She should see the glimmer of metal poking out of his left sleeve. 

"What is your plan?" Matthew asked. Amira just stared.

"Plan?" She asked, but a bit too loudly. people turned their heads and gave her annoyed looks. "Sorry..." Matthew narrowed his eyes.

"This is serious. If you want to win back your kingdom, you need followers. You need to have a plan of action, a dream for your kingdom. Otherwise, why take back the throne at all? Give these people something to fight for."

"I have a dream." Amira stated defiantly, crossing her arms and closing her eyes. After a minute, she opened her right eye to see that Matthew had his head in his hands. "What?"

"Okay, so you have this dream. Put it into words. Tell me your plan." He said, looking at her expectantly.

"I never want anyone to go hungry in this kingdom." 

"And?" Matthew asked, urging her to continue.

"I want everyone to have a home to look back on."

"And?"

"I want every children, the children that carry the weight of the future on their shoulders, to receive the opportunity of education. I want everyone convicted of a crime to have a fair trial, and I want to defend our borders against those who seek to harm us." Amira said, and all of it was true. She had experienced what it was like to not have a home, and she never wanted anyone to experience that under her rule. She also never wanted rebels to have an opportunity like they did. She thought as hard as she could about how to make Javan a better place for everyone, and shared her ideas with Matthew. 

"It sounds solid, but remember where you are. These people don't care about border security; they live outside the borders! Think about how to make this town a better place, and you will get their support. Maybe connect these towns to your kingdom using roads and bridges. Maybe strengthen communications? These people probably don't even know about this rebellion that happened yet! Try to be specific to the area you're in, and that will get you support." Matthew said once she was finished. She was surprised. He mentioned that he had lived in Everdean's capital, but how did the son of a silversmith know so much about politics?

"Right." Amira answered, lifting her head up and feeling more confident.

"Get your thoughts organized, maybe write them down. Also, talk to some people here; find out what they care about. Get ready to give a speech tomorrow. Make it somewhere open near the center of the town. Wherever you choose, make sure you can be seen." Matthew advised. 

"Good idea, but I don't have anything to write with." Matthew pulled his notebook from his bag and ripped out two pieces of paper from the back. He also handed her his quill and ink.

"Thank you." Amira said, then added, "How do you know so much about this stuff?" Matthew laughed nervously.

"Ah, you know, I have my ways." He exited the inn through the door and escaped to who-knows-where. Amira rolled her eyes and started writing down what she wanted to say. Her thoughts wandered to Matthew, who was probably out in the woods hunting down pixies or redcaps with Orion. She rolled her eyes at the thought. She remembered the redcap tied up on the rock that morning, looking dejected and trying to pout it's way out of captivity. It was astounding to her how he knew where they all were, as if he had some sort of sixth sense. She would never have known that such astounding creatures surrounded her if Matthew hadn't showed them to her. Though the redcap was a little frightening, she was amazed at what was hiding among the rugged terrain in the wild. Most impressive was Orion, with his star-patterned wings and bright blue eyes, he was nothing like what Amira expected of a dragon. He was playful and loyal to his friend. Amira wished that she had someone like that, someone who would never leave her side. In the castle, she had had servants to talk to whenever she was lonely, but she realized she never had any real friends. The only kids her age who visited the castle were the sons and daughters of Nobles, and she always had to be on her guard with them. 

Once she was done writing down the ideas she had, she sat down at a table where a married couple was arguing. She asked them about their day, their jobs, and their family, then listened to what they were saying. Then she moved onto the next table. Then the next, then the next, until she had gathered all the information she could about the town. Then she went back to writing, writing down all the complaints and hopes and dreams of the people she had talked to, trying her best to come up with a plan that would benefit them. Once she was done, the sun had set and Matthew had gotten back. He was now pacing the length of the empty inn, thinking to himself.

"You don't have to be so nervous, I'm going to be fine." Amira said.

"I know you are. But... have you addressed the issue?" Matthew asked.

"What do you mean?" Amira asked.

"In that... When you.... the people..." Matthew stuttered, but Amira knew what he was trying to say. 

"It was just a misunderstanding. They thought I was a mystic because one of the rebels said something, but it's okay."

"Well, they were right." She heard Matthew mutter.

"What she said, her stomach tying itself into a knot. She prayed to herself that he wouldn't say what she thought he would.

"You are a mystic. And an important one, from the necklace." Matthew said. Amira felt a mixture of shame and astonishment clawing up her throat, threatening to escape.

"No, it's not true. My family wouldn't keep secrets, especially not from me!" Amira said, though she knew it wasn't true. Matthew said nothing, just looked at her sadly. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, but she dare not let them fall. Not here, not in front of Matthew. She managed to hold them in through sheer force of will until she made her way up to the bedroom that she had rented for the night, then cried into a worn pillow. The truth was that she had already known, but refused to let herself believe it. Her people did hate her, not because of some big misunderstanding, but for lying to to them, and because of what she was. She was sure that her people would never accept her then, now that they knew what she was. Her and her family had betrayed them; they outlawed magic while being magical themselves. Amira cried until she didn't have any more tears left to give.