Chapter 29 #2
Jay’s face lit up. Rain squeezed his hand and held the door open for him. A welcoming jangle of a bell and the smell of old books washed over them as they stepped inside. Rows of wooden shelves filled the space, every inch utilised. Rain was surprised the young territory had such a treasure trove.
Jay moved eagerly toward the historical section; his special interest. Rain followed close behind, watching him with quiet adoration.
“Oh, by the Gods, what a collection,” Jay breathed, standing before columns of old tomes. He reached for several but hovered, too reverent to touch.
Rain settled beside him, prepared to stay as long as needed.
He noticed an original copy of The Reign of King Caelum; his grandfather, on the shelf above Jay’s head. Only one other copy existed, locked in the palace library. He’d been forced to recite from it as a child during heir lessons.
Beside it sat more volumes of his grandfather’s reign—numerous, thanks to his endless queen consorts and children. He hadn’t stopped until he produced a son: Azrien.
Rain was about to look away when a glistening title caught his eye: Shahariar: Prophecies of the Blue Kingdom. He reached up and took it. The cover was glossy gold, embossed with runic symbols.
He opened it carefully. Inside was a handwritten note addressed to him:
Your Majesty, Rain Beau Royale.
The one true king the world has waited for.
My predictions end with you; many believe you to be the end of times.
I choose to believe otherwise.
May my life’s work gift you a deeper understanding of who you are, and the path forged for you.
We rarely get the life we want; we get the life we need.
Your humble servant,
Shahariar
Strange.
Rain closed the book and turned to look at Jay, only to find him gone. He followed Jay’s energy signature to another aisle and found him standing over a pile of books laid at his feet.
Rain smiled as Jay looked up with a hopeless expression.
“I can’t decide,” Jay said miserably.
“Then we take them all.” Rain kissed his forehead.
“No. I can’t afford them all or carry them home by myself.” Jay pouted adorably, miserable in the dilemma he found himself in.
“You don’t need to. I’m not letting you go home alone, and it’s my treat. Come on, before you have me buy the entire store.”
Jay gawked in horror, but Rain ignored him and used his power to lift the books toward the counter.
“Rain, you can’t. I can’t accept—” Jay hurried after him. Rain paused, turning toward him with a wicked smile on his face.
“Okay, choose only one right now and we’ll buy only that one,” Rain countered, fully aware Jay wouldn’t be able to. Jay’s face matched the exasperation in his energy.
“It’s okay, I want to get them for you. Seeing how happy you are surrounded by your books brings me so much joy. Besides, you can pay me back in… kisses. I think that’s a reasonable trade.”
Jay pouted, but his energy betrayed him—bubbling with excitement he tried and failed to contain. Rain couldn’t hide his massive grin as the store clerk popped her head out.
“Oh my, look what we have here. Sorry for keeping you waiting, my senses take a while to catch up with me these days.”
The old woman; female, an aetherial, shuffled forward. Rain hid his shock. Normally he could sense another Aetherial long before they were close enough to see, but this ancient-looking female had somehow masked her energy signature entirely.
Instinctively, he reached for her energy. It took effort, but eventually a faint flicker allowed him entry; only for him to be kicked out immediately. The woman let out a devious chuckle.
“My dear boy, I see they haven’t taught you any manners in that gigantic palace of yours. Then again, Azrien is your father.” She croaked as she hobbled around the counter. “Let me see you. Oh my, yes, you are even more handsome in person.”
She reached up to touch his face. Rain instinctively pulled back, bemused.
“I don’t bite. Those eyes; you must have inherited them from your mother. We don’t have green eyes, no we don’t. But my, what a very handsome nephew you are.”
Rain stilled. Nephew?
He racked his brain for the names of his father’s sisters and came up empty. Dammit—he knew he should’ve paid more attention.
“Come on, boy, speak! Now that you’re here, I don’t have many days left to live.”
Jay shifted awkwardly, stuffing his hands into his pockets, his energy nervous.
“Don’t worry, I’m three hundred and eighty-five years old, dear mortal child. It is my time, as foretold.” She turned back to Rain. “Do people always assume you’re going to kill someone?”
“Actually, yes,” he laughed. “Forgive my ignorance, but who are you?”
“Auntie Ambrosia!” she beamed, her weathered face brightening.
“The fifth daughter,” Jay added shyly.
Rain shot him a puzzled look.
“I told you I was doing my boyfriend research. You don’t share, so I reach for the books.”
“Boyfriend?” Ambrosia echoed with a delighted smile. “Azrien mustn’t be ecstatic about that.” She cackled.
“He doesn’t know about me. I’m a secret. He likes females too,” Jay blurted too quickly.
Rain side-eyed him, sensing a storm of drama behind those words, and redirected.
“Ambrosia, what is your power? I can barely sense you, which is unusual.”
“I can sense life force; very helpful in emergencies. I used to assist our wonderful emergency services up in Azurien Falls. Beautiful place. Have you ever visited?” Rain politely shook his head, he had sadly seen more of the Green kingdom than he had his own.
With understanding in her eyes, she continued.
“You should, it is the home of the Blue Aetherchrome source, a must visit for a Blue prince don’t you think?
As for my shields, you can’t feel me because I trained with The Order for many years.
I can feel when someone is trying to take what is mine.
You really should practice some decorum. ”
Her eyes sharpened as she scolded him.
“Sorry,” Rain said sheepishly. “In my defence, it hasn’t always been something I can control.”
“Perhaps that used to be the way, but it isn’t anymore, is it?”
He tilted his head, considering her words. Since his powers had returned, he hadn’t lost control; not even in lust.
“I think you’re right.”
“I am,” she said bluntly. “Rain, I am happy to finally meet you. I’ve anticipated this moment since they announced the birth of you and your sister. It is a shame I never had the chance to meet her.”
Her gaze drifted to the book tucked in his arm.
“I see you found the book. Marvellous.” Her smile softened into nostalgia. “Please take good care of it. Shahariar was a dear friend of mine. Oh, how I miss him. He was envious the day he told me we would meet…the Rainbow King, my nephew.”
She beamed again, warmth radiating from her pale blue eyes.
Without warning, a rush of pride and genuine fondness filled Rain; Ambrosia had opened her channel to him.
He smiled and nodded, unsure how to express how deeply the gesture touched him.
He had never known relatives outside the palace.
He’d assumed they were all bitter like his father.
Ambrosia proved otherwise. The realisation was unexpectedly healing.
“Now, I won’t keep you males any longer! Oh my, this is part of the research?” she asked Jay as she sifted through his pile of books.
Jay blushed. “I don’t normally have access to other kingdoms’ work. I would die for such an extensive collection.”
“Let me do the dying, dear. Perhaps your new king will allow you the honour of spending time in his library at the Rainbow Palace, when he inherits my life’s work.”
“There is a Rainbow Palace then?” Rain asked.
“Perhaps there is, perhaps there isn’t. It is your destiny to uncover the truth, not mine. Your chip, please, Rain.”
Rain rolled his eyes; more cryptic bullshit. He pulled out his pendant, letting her scan the embedded chip with a small square device.
“I’ve already said too much in my excitement. Shahariar made me promise to let you uncover things at your own pace. However, now that the isolation phase has passed, you should know you have many supporters waiting for you to rise. You are not alone.”
“Thank you, Ambrosia. I’m glad our paths crossed and even more glad to see you are nothing like my father.”
“The feeling couldn’t be more mutual,” she smiled. “Farewell, our true king.”
Rain left the store feeling lighter. What a serendipitous encounter.
Jay followed behind as Rain powered up the street, lost in thought, heading toward Greys Water Hotel two blocks away. If there is a Rainbow Palace, there is a Rainbow Kingdom, near a Rainbow source. Presumably the entire realm had once been a Rainbow Kingdom before it fractured.
His mind drifted back to the dream Isarion shared, recalling the son he embodied ordering his father back to the palace before the thorned walls trapped them.
He needed an exploration team. He needed to head south. He needed answers. No more waiting for information to trickle to him.
“Rain!” Jay called, snapping him back. He sounded too far away.
Rain looked around and found him standing on the opposite side of the road. He raised a brow apologetically and waited for Jay to cross.
“You’re in pain,” Rain said, shifting the books from his arms into the air. His new power required touch; he needed his hands free. Jay reluctantly let him absorb the pain. It was the kind of constant ache that made everything miserable.
Rain inhaled as he took it on. It was tolerable for him, but uncomfortable, nonetheless.
“Come on. You need to rest that rib.”