Silver Silence

Run Away

Loneliness wasn't familiar to Siles. When he had spent his days watching the Queen drink, he had occupied his time with arguments. She had been everything he hated about himself, so she had given him a route to vent without damaging his own ego. Of course, those arguments had always been imaginary, since he was a coward even if August's shy demeanor made him feel confident by comparison. But bravery was irrelevant. What mattered was that loneliness and anger were mutually exclusive, and he couldn't find a way to be angry at August.

So he was lonely. August didn't speak to him, to Siles' relief. He stayed in his room all day, his continued existence confirmed only by the glimpses Siles saw of him when the servants delivered his food. Siles spent his days outside the door, watching the sun dance through the corridor windows and across the stone walls until it dipped below the horizon and the candlelight rose in its place. The servants who carried August's food glanced at Siles with curiosity each time they passed him; they recognized the change in routine. Each time they looked at him Siles hoped they didn't recognize anything else about their relationship. Not that there was anything else to see.

Siles left after a week. He hated the silence, but as the King's Shadow he couldn't speak to anyone but the King. Speaking to others would make him human in their eyes; he had to be seen as an indomitable force. The King's Shadow did not have emotions.

But the bookbinder did. He could argue with Bart, laugh with the commoners, sympathize with the plight of the rebels; he was free to act as he wished, so long as it worked in the kingdom's favor. So Siles removed his mask and departed from the castle walls. He knew he was running away from his problems, but the technique worked. The moment Siles stepped from the Royal City cobblestones to the dirt road, the anxiety that had weighed down his shoulders drifted away. Only a sliver remained, weighing no more than a songbird. It tweeted in his ear about August's safety, but he assured himself that he had nothing to worry about. August wasn't like the Queen; his magic was much more powerful. He just had to remember to react quickly.

Siles drifted through the commoner towns, speaking to the teachers at the new schools, listening to what they had to say without remembering their words. He patched a few books as he traveled, though he didn't remember advertising his skills. Word had traveled; the man in the green coat heals broken books.

A woman with hair the color of rust was the first to ask him to repair a truly considerable collection of books. Siles met Georgia at Amery's new school, where she taught reading and writing. She kept her books in her classroom, filling shelves which themselves filled every patch of wallpaper.

"I had to work on a farm after the old school burned down," she explained. She opened a book, cringed as a chunk of pages threatened to come loose, and placed it gently upon the growing 'to-fix' stack at the back of the classroom.

"I can assure you that the new King will not burn any schools during his reign," Siles replied, separating the stack into two before it could collapse.

"I hope so." Georgia pressed her lips together and scanned the classroom's shelves. Nearly all of the books had found their way to the pile at the back of the room. "I think that's all. My daughter can help you carry the first batch to your room at the inn. You can deal with the rest once you're done with those."

Siles nodded, though Georgia didn't wait for him to respond before lifting her head and yelling towards the doorway, "Gillian! Get in here and help this man carry the books! Have Sonia help!"

Two girls shuffled into the room, Georgia's daughter immediately apparent with her muddy red hair. The girl who followed her was recognizable too, but for an entirely different reason. Siles stared and Sonia stared back, her eyes still wide and dark just like August's. Their expression was disinterested, now, and he hoped it would stay that way.