Chapter 36
I often wonder from which moon you fell, you know?
That was the first thing my mind replayed the second I opened my eyes.
The light of the immortal flame gave me enough visibility.
I looked at him. He was lying face up, beautiful, fast asleep.
I memorised every shadow that blanketed his face.
He looked calm and peaceful, his brow, his jaw, void of any tension, his breathing, deep and steady.
Eldric was right, he did sleep like a bear in hibernation.
Perhaps what we did last night also had something to do with his slumbering state.
I tiptoed around his room. I put on my dress and without noise, I closed the door behind me.
I went to check on Sabriela first. I didn’t know why I was surprised to see that she seemed well, unfazed by what happened. She reminded me of the sun—red and bright—always coming back shining, resilient to passing sandstorms. I should have known she wouldn’t break that easily.
Before I left, she told me, “Delia, I hope that Daekon doesn’t count this as a sin, but I’m glad Mounir is gone.” Her words were whispered, as if to prevent Daekon from actually hearing her. “He can never hurt us again.”
I assured her that it was not a sin and that I, too, felt the same way. And that Daekon was too busy tormenting his tainted soul to hear her.
Then I went to my room, entered, and exited as silent as a ghost.
Like Aegir, Nadya was also deep asleep, snoring.
Cinnamon was happy to see me.
I set my braid loose and rode her beneath the rising sun. Warm wind glided over my face and my arms, whipping my hair. I imagined myself to be someone brave, riding fiercely like the wind, pretending I was one of Princess Yosefa’s Sand Warriors.
“Good girl,” I told her, resting my forehead against her own.
I placed a blanket in the middle of the stable and sat down, crossing my legs.
I opened my bag and took out the black vial.
I held it horizontally with my thumb and forefinger, then moved it closer to my face.
The onyx liquid swayed from side to side as I tilted the small bottle. Then I twisted the lid open.
“So here goes nothing,” I mumbled, extending my arm, readying it for my mouth.
But my arm froze. I just couldn’t. Ghhh!
Why did this always happen?
I closed the lid—with it, closing the doorway to the Seer.
Today.
Today, I will tell him everything.
Today, I will bleed my heart out.
I bathed, smiling and chewing on my lip, as the memories of last night came in burning flashes—the promise he made me. My toes curled, knowing how he always kept his word. Pity he didn’t propose a bargain—he always kept his side of those.
Then I lay myself on the blanket, facing the beamed ceiling.
I let out an intense huff as I went through and categorised all that I wanted to tell him.
For some reason, I waited there, for him, thinking that he would come.
But perhaps he had to further heal his injury; maybe he would need to replenish his powers again. And so I headed back to the castle.
I enjoyed how his warding powers enveloped my hand, allowing me to open his door. “Aegir?”
He wasn’t there.
I knocked on Eldric’s door.
No response.
Maybe they’re somewhere discussing yesterday’s flaming event.
It seemed that I was right, as the moment I turned around the corner, I saw Nadya. She came running towards me, her face tense.
“Delia!” she hissed. “Where have you been? We’re expected on the third floor.
” Nadya hushed her words as we hurried upstairs.
“The king has summoned Lord Hailin for an urgent meeting. Farah told us not to enter the meeting room but to stay in the foyer in case we are needed. The king has already asked for water and bread. I served the two of them earlier.”
Water and bread? King Belzari was in mourning. I only nodded at her.
We finally made it into the foyer. I looked up and around.
A smile grew on my face as the calming scent of warm florals hit me.
Grand lavender bouquets occupied each corner of the foyer.
Their soft purple hues brought with them a sight of radiating elegance, and their welcoming scent created a serene ambience.
Even Nadya smiled at me as I took a seat on the side bench next to her.
“Today, I’m a sad king, Prince Hailin.”
Nadya and I snapped our heads at each other. Our eyebrows leapt simultaneously.
“I’m sad because this afternoon we will cremate a dear friend of mine. A true, loyal servant…until he took his own life. May Amfir redeem his soul. And then I hear about what happened on my Land. So I’m just going to get straight to the point with you.”
Our gazes shifted towards the door and we looked at its window vents.
That’s when we noticed that the right upper one was cracked open.
We faced each other again, silent, both understanding that we had the opportunity to eavesdrop on the meeting, which I was sure was confidential.
Although the words wafted like echoes, vibrations from afar, we could still make them out.
We didn’t interrupt the meeting to inform them that the window was ajar.
No, instead we surreptitiously listened.
“I’ve been hospitable to you for how long now, Lord Hailin?
Four months? And every encounter with you, every event, every dinner, every meeting, you pressed me for an alliance.
An alliance that, truth be told, I did not intend to agree upon…
until yesterday…a Naari, the Phoenix, entered my Land, wreaked havoc at the School of Dunes, and traumatised my youngest children.
My sweet Ira and Yuri. My godsdamned eight-year-olds!
We were promised no harm would come upon us if we remained passive, and yet they dare harm my children.
My blood! Amfir’s blood!” I had never heard King Belzari sound as furious.
I stood, knowing that Nadya shouldn’t be hearing any of this, but she pulled me by my hand and shushed me. The king’s next words stoked my curiosity, so I surrendered without a struggle.
“My first and only attempt to negotiate with Silch was ten years ago, Lord Hailin, when I sent a plea to your mother, Queen Akaterina, who conveniently refused to replenish the Wellspring Oasis. And so I have remained passive and held my patience as I witnessed the oasis become nothing more than a puddle. Wellspring no more.” His last few words were raw and raspy.
“I had to enforce stringent ration laws on my people. We will soon have to start depleting the Dunehaven Oasis. However, now, the guarantee that harm will not come upon us, upon my people, stands no more, and I will not stay idle, risking this precious Land. I heard that you, Lord Hailin, and your second, were the ones who brought my children to safety, and for that, I am now compelled to come to an agreement with you. A negotiation.”
A negotiation. A bargain. King Belzari was speaking Aegir’s language.
The king continued. “Nonetheless, Prince, I do not forget. I don’t forget the unanswered plea. Therefore, our negotiation must benefit my people justly, and I will not proceed with discussing my offer for an alliance if the Wellspring Oasis remains parched.” His tone was firm yet calm.
A small smile appeared on my face when I finally heard his voice.
“Unfortunately, King Belzari, that was the decision of my beloved parents; I’m sure their negligence was purely out of fear.
That it would have been seen as retaliation against Naar, which could have led to the deaths of our people, our sacred Water Priestesses.
But my brother, King Ryvar, and I have a different opinion from our parents.
We’ll find a solution to your water shortage.
That I promise you.” Aegir’s words seemed careful, also spoken with a certain calm.
“I’m glad to hear that you are promising what was denied by your parents, and therefore, I will now proceed with the proposal that I’m going to offer to you. But first let me ask you this, Lord. Are you married?”
“I am not,” Aegir replied, his tone slightly dipped in confusion, just as my thoughts now were.
“And have you found the woman whom you want to spend the rest of your life with, like eagles do?” The king’s words sounded mocking, as if sharing your life with just one person was a joke beyond his comprehension.
“Not yet, no,” Aegir replied.
I knew I wasn’t his soulbound; he would have certainly told me by now if I were.
And besides, the recognition of one’s other half—the burning desire of it—was almost instantaneous.
Faern had told me that soulbounds cannot deliberately hurt one another, whereas he had once held an ice dagger to my neck, leaving me with a cold burn that marked my skin for days.
Yet hearing Aegir confirm it made it a hundred times more real and a thousand times more painful.
It stifled my hopeful wish, like a blanket does to a fire, that his god had made some sort of fixable mistake.
But gods do not err. Black shadows suffocated my heart.
Perhaps it was for the better. I wouldn’t want to cut his life short anyway.
“Good. I was beginning to worry about you,” King Belzari said.
“Worry about me?”
“Yes. Of course worry about you. My men often tell me that they see you leaving and entering the castle glued to your servant. I was starting to think that your gods had chosen poorly for you.”
Nadya’s gaze fell over me, over my neck. And I couldn’t help but wonder if she could tell that the little scar came with an identical one hidden beneath the neckline of my dress.
“My god,” Aegir corrected. “Boreas commands my soul, Sylva, my body. And no, surely my god isn’t that cruel. She’s just a lonely girl craving some attention, so I let her run around my feet.” That’s when I caved in. My broken eyes met Nadya’s. She gave me a small, pitiful smile.
“Good.” The king emphasised the word like he meant it.