A Nameless Kind of Love

Part 2 My soul, my Seelen

"We will reach the library soon. Depending on what my nephew says- these next few days may be the only time I get to see you." His voice was calm, but he looked away at the desert floor. The sand shifted as a cold breeze flew by. The underlying message was clear. There was not much time and he would return to his people soon. He would need to. Elio, the palace advisor would be pissed that he left to begin with.

"I truly hope that's not the case. If I can convince him otherwise I will. I'd hate to be unable to see those stunning blue eyes of yours."

"No. You are an outsider. This is a matter for my nephew. He alone will decide what will become of me." With having so much of himself stripped away, Nomenlos was eager to hold on to this custom, even if it could be his death.

"You are his uncle, surely he will show mercy. Could you..leave your city?" She hesitated in asking for fear of offending him. But the desire for his safety was too great.

"I could leave but would never again be allowed in the Anite desert. Never again would I feel the warm sand beneath my bare feet. For a scholar, this would break my heart. All knowledge finds its way to the desert. I have accepted the fact that I am merely standing in as Chieftain. To back out now- would be to undo all the good things I have done with that title." He spoke well but his eyes lied for him. They were the sad eyes of a man who lost it all. 

"Oh, I don't blame you at all. I was just curious if there was a way to avoid the possible inevitable."

"Worst-case scenario, I lose my head. At best, I am thrown out of the palace." He said with a laugh. I do enjoy these talks. If the Gods and Goddesses would only give me more time.

"Neither sounds necessarily pleasurable." She giggled back.

"Haha. No, they do not. It is the way of the desert and beyond the desert lies the lands of your King. He does not change things here, but I have met him once. I would like for him to visit our halls and see the desert as no King has." It was the truth. The King of Bebbanburg had never once traveled to the palace of Anite. Not one King had met the Chieftain of the desert. It was an unspoken rule that the Anite Desert belonged to the Chieftain even if it was within the Kingdom and thus under the King's rule.

"My father would be very interested in doing so." Her eyes widened as she realized what she said.

"Well um, King Griam I mean." She corrected. 

"Father?" Oh. I see. He smiled at the thought. He understood why she spoke the words she did. She must have grown up in the capital.

"Um..well..."

"Well?" He teased.

"It's complicated, but no matter. He'd be sure to come. As the King's mage I will advise him to do so." Who knew how this adventure would end, but in a best-case scenario with evil being vanquished and life returning to normal, she could join her father on his quest back to the desert. With the danger behind them, maybe they could create positive memories in the blue room.

"The King's mage?" Again he smiled over at her. He loved her green eyes. They captivated him in a way that no one else had. They were the lush forest trees that he had read about. They were the green fields of Bebbanburg. It was not often he got to leave the desert and when he looked in her eyes he felt like that as long as she was by his side, he wouldn't mind never leaving again.

"I see why Sorin keeps by you." It was not often that a Knowledge Seeker would choose to bind themselves to a new master as their true master was Shigon, the Knowledge Spirit.

"Well... it's a very recent position... Alatar was the King's mage and I was his apprentice until..." Still, the thought of having to slay him made her eyes water. It did not help that upon her head she wore his hat from his days in the Great Five.