The Remembered (Elements II)

Chapter 49

With a sigh, the princess settled on the arm of the chair, unable to stop herself from glancing between her brother and Isla. She was nervous, unsure what was going to be asked, and what she would need to do. As she looked at her brother again as he paced the room, it was clear that he felt the same. His eyes were cool, almost guarded, not showing any of his emotion, but she could see the tenseness in his hands. Isla seemed to be the only one of them who was completely calm and at ease.

“Would you like anything, Isla?”

“No. Sit down, bach tywsog. You are making your sister nervous.”

With a  guilty look at the princess, he obeyed, pinning his pale green gaze on Isla’s dark one.

“Isla, what do you want us to know?”

The elemental smiled, leaning back. “You have the bandits,” she remarked conversationally, and Catriona shivered as the now familiar rage crept into her brother’s eyes. He fought to keep his voice steady.

“Yes. I do. Why?”

Isla  lifted an eyebrow. “Catriona hasn’t released the vines yet, I gather. What are you going to do with them?”

“Catriona’s not going near them!” he snapped, and Catriona flinched, almost falling off her perch. Pablo noticed, and turned to her, regret in his expression. “Cat,” he began, but she shook her head.

“No, Pablo. Isla’s right. What are you going to do with them? You can’t do anything until the vines are loosened, yet you won’t let me near them. They can’t stay there forever.”

“Watch me.”

“Don’t be silly.” Isla broke in sharply, her glare just as sharp. “You’re the King, Pablo. You must show an example to the people.” She got to her feet as she spoke, sweeping to the window. “Not only did they kidnap you, Cat, but they are bandits. They burned and pillaged the farmers of your land, taking what they could. Yet you say you will do nothing about them.”

“I don’t know what to do!” he retorted. “Isla, I don’t know!" He was breathing heavily. “Everyone expects me to know exactly what I’m going to do for every little thing. No one dares tell me what to do, and I –”

“Deal with them, Pablo.” The order was short and stopped him dead. “Yes, you are only nineteen. But you are the king. You must show to the people that th laws will be obeyed – no matter what the circumstances.” Softening her voice, the elemental came forward. “You will do well, un bach,” she continued, gentler still. “And you will make me proud. I know you will.”

Catriona gave a sigh of relief as he wavered for a moment, and then nodded, dropping back into his seat again. “I will try, Isly.”

“That’s my boy. Now, if you are quite finished being annoyed and angry, your sister has news for you.”

At the words, Catriona felt the blood drain out of her face. She looked down as her brother turned to her, swallowing nervously.

“Cat? What is it?”

She bit her lip, and slid off the arm of the chair to sit on it properly, as she had been taught. Glancing up at Isla, she took strength from the nod of encouragement.

“Pablo, when…when I was in Isla’s land, she…she told me something. About myself.”

He was staring at her. “What is it?”

She swallowed again. “She…I don’t know how to explain how she knows, but it’s true. I…I have magic, Pablo. I’m a mage.”

He didn’t move, still staring at her, and she dropped her gaze, unable to look at him further. She was shaking, her hands trembling, and she clasped them together in her lap, hoping that the deadening silence wouldn’t go on for too long.

Thankfully, Pablo broke his trance. “A mage?”

She nodded, daring to glance up. “Yes,” she whispered.

He studied her closely. “My sister glows, Isly,” he whispered, as if recalling a long-forgotten memory. “She glows, and she won’t hurt me.”

Catriona felt a slight smile grow on her face. “You’re not angry?”

He shook his head, stunned. “No. Of course not. How could I be, Cat? You’re my sister!”

At last, she could relax. She was hiding nothing more from him. “It’s such a relief.”

“You thought I would be angry?”’

She nodded, turning to meet Isla’s eyes, but she froze. The elemental was no longer there. It was like she’d never been there. “Pablo?” she said softly. “Isla’s…Isla’s gone.”

He looked at where the elemental had last been seen, and blinked, just as she had. “Maybe she had to go back,” he said, but it was clear that he too was disappointed. She rose to her feet, going to him and perching on the arm of his chair.

“You know you shouldn’t do that,” he said absently, but she just shot him a cheeky smile.

“I don’t care. You’re really not angry?”

“No. There’s nothing that I can do that changes it. But you’ll have to be trained though, won’t you?”

“Yes. Isla suggested Flynn or Korith. She said that they were the most powerful, and would be best. Because I’m going to be powerful too.”

Pablo grinned up at her, sneakily reaching behind her to tug her hair. “On your sixteenth, right? That’s when it will show?”

She nodded. “That’s what she said.”

His grin grew wider. “Then we’d best make sure that nothing can go wrong, hadn’t we, Kitty?”

She laughed, and gave him a hug. “If you must,” she said, still laughing. “Thank you, Pablo. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

"You’re my sister, Cat.” He returned the hug, his crown slipping sideways somewhat. She snorted with laughter, and straightened it. He grinned at her. “You should have one, little sister. You’re a princess, after all.”

She shrugged, almost self-conscious. “I don’t need one. You’re the boss around here.”

“But…”

She shook her head firmly. “No, Pablo. I don’t need one. Promise me you won’t get me one.”

He sighed. “Fine. I promise.”

She ruffled his hair, and got off the chair, glancing back at him. “Thank you. And those men? They’re bandits, Pablo. Forget what they did to me, and deal with them. You’ve done it before.”

She slipped out of the room before he could respond, but she knew that he would do it. He had always been going to – he’d just needed the knowledge that it was the right thing to do.