Chapter 45
Chapter forty-five
Linnea
“Be careful,” Azurill said quietly, biting his lip as he struggled to contain everything he wanted to say, but couldn’t.
“Be smart, but most of all, use your heart. I’ve seen you since you’ve arrived here, the way you are with people.
You have a natural warmth and compassion that draws them to you.
You had to bury that for so long to protect yourself, but you don’t have to do that anymore. ”
He reached up to brush away the tear I felt slipping from my eye. I nodded silently, struggling to form words. I reached up and kissed him, a part of me terrified that I would fail this trial and have to watch as Sania walked away with everything I’ve ever wanted.
With the man who owned my heart entirely. I knew I could never get it back, and my entire future now rested on the results of this one trial.
“I promise,” I whispered as we pulled back. I took a moment to caress his face, mesmerizing this moment, just in case. But then it was time to sneak away, Azurill watching me worriedly as I rushed back to my rooms to change for the competition.
I’d definitely stayed too long. I should have returned to my rooms last night, but I couldn’t seem to help myself when it came to him.
I brought out the outfit I’d worn for the obstacle course, still not sure what we’d be doing in the city, but the fact that they’d requested we wear these made me suspicious. When the knock came, Alfrikr walked in with a smile on his face, a blindfold hanging from his fingers.
I sighed deeply, “Really?”
“Sorry,” he snickered, not sounding the least bit sorry. “You’re not supposed to know exactly where we drop you.”
“And what am I supposed to do when I get there?” I asked, as he began tying the damn thing around my head.
“You need to find the Takara family,” Alfrikr told me quietly. “There is a golden ring in their possession, studded with diamonds all the way around. That’s your target.”
“And I supposed to figure out how to find this family on my own?” I asked testily, making him chuckle.
“I’ve seen you handle worse odds before.” His hands came to my shoulders, keeping me upright. “You can do this. I believe in you.” His voice lowered, “Az believes in you. Just follow your heart.”
Follow your heart. I had only just begun to learn how to do that, but so far, the results had definitely been worth it.
Now it was time to put it to the test.
Alfrikr walked me through the palace and out into the city streets.
I could tell we were getting quite deep into a city I already wasn’t overly familiar with, as we went up hills, down them, and seemed to be walking to fucking Pearl Court at this rate.
By the time we came to a stop, I was exasperated and ready to get going.
Alfrikr removed my blindfold, smirking at me as I huffed, rubbing my eyes against the blinding sunlight. It seemed like the sun dragon must have had a few extra flames along their scales today, and I found myself wishing night would fall so the moon dragon could take over instead.
“Good luck on your quest, Lady Jacinth,” Alfrikr told me solemnly, before disappearing into the city as if he’d never been there.
Leaving me to look around and take in my surroundings.
The area had businesses and residential buildings mixed together as far as I could tell.
Buildings several stories high lined either side of the cobblestone roads.
Some were made of stone, and others were brightly painted wood, creating a beautiful mishmash of colors and textures.
And somewhere within was the Takara family, and the object I needed to win this competition. A fierce resolve rose within me. I may have started this competition with the goal of killing the high king, but I was now determined to marry him against all odds.
I began walking up and down the street I’d been left on, thinking through the few clues I’d been given.
If I was going to win this then I had to consider all angles.
I decided to start with the most simplistic route.
A couple and their two children were passing by; a man with blue hair so light it looked almost white and a woman with dark sapphire-colored hair.
“Excuse me?” I called to them, making them both stop to look at me. “I was hoping you could point me in the direction of the Takara family?”
The couple looked at one another before smiling secretively, looking almost excited, oddly enough.
“Oh, my Lady,” the woman began, “I’m afraid we aren’t allowed to tell you, but I’m sure you’ll find the right path.”
I blinked in surprise, a soft “Oh” leaving my lips without my permission. The woman gave me a wink before huddling the children further along down the street.
Okay, so they’d clearly gotten all the citizens in on this, then. I was as impressed as I was surprised. How did they manage to get the message out to everyone?
While they didn’t help lead me to the family I needed, the woman did mention finding the right path. Which meant I needed to find the right people to point me in the right direction. I tried asking several more people up and down the road, all with similar answers.
My frustration began to rise, and I took a deep breath as I considered what else to try. It was then I saw a young woman holding a baby on her lap, struggling as she begged for coins on the corner.
Follow your heart, they said, and my heart ached at the sight.
It was so similar to my own experience, only I’d been the child myself, and without a mother to protect me.
All thoughts of the competition left my head, and I walked up to her, slipping a few coins out of my pocket to hand her.
Her eyes went wide, and her hand shook as she reached out to let them fall into her palm.
“Thank you, my Lady, you don’t know what this means to me,” she said tearfully, looking over the amount I’d given her. It may have been overly generous, but I knew what it felt like to survive the night with no food in your belly or a roof over your head.
“I do, actually.” I smiled sadly, enclosing her palm around them. She smiled shakily, but held onto my hand, making me look at her curiously.
“Head further south, my Lady,” she said in a low murmur. “Toward the residential section, where a pink house sits within a sea of blue. If you see the city gates, you’ll have gone too far.”
A surprised gasp slipped from my lips. I had completely forgotten about my goal in the face of her struggle, but I was indeed meant to be finding someone to give me the right clue. They’d told me to follow my heart, so perhaps they meant for us to find people needing help?
I thanked the woman profusely, taking off south and keeping my eyes peeled for the residential section.
I spied it in the distance and ran the rest of the way, until I began seeing townhouses and apartment buildings surrounding me.
I wandered aimlessly, keeping my eyes peeled for a pink house in a sea of blue.
As I passed through the streets, I finally spied several blue houses clumped together ahead. I sped off, my heart pumping as I indeed discovered a neighborhood full of different shades of blue. The long, winding street continued, slightly uphill, and as I crested the hill, I saw it.
A small, lone pink house sat at the bottom of the hill, surrounded on all sides by blue.
I made my way to it and knocked on the wooden door, waiting until it was answered by what had to be the oldest Elven man I’d ever seen, with deep wrinkles lining his face and his hair having gone completely pale, who smiled at me kindly.
“Lady Jacinth, please come in,” he said, much to my shock.
“Oh, of course,” I said, my nerves rising as I looked around, unsure of my purpose here. “I’m honestly not quite sure why I’m here.”
He chuckled warmly, “I know. High King Azurill was clear about that. You have two options before you, my Lady. I can give you a clue to someone who will get you to the family quicker, or if you help me, I can take part of the way in return.”
Follow your heart.
My mind said getting there quicker was imperative if I wanted to win, but…if this man needed help, then I knew what the right choice was.
“I’ll help you, of course.” I smiled back at him. “What do you need?”
The man’s smile widened, and he waved me through to a back room, which was filled with boxes from floor to ceiling. My eyes widened as I turned to him, and he looked around the room with a sigh.
“These items belonged to my beloved wife,” he said quietly, grief echoing in his voice.
“I can’t bring myself to go through them.
My daughter packed everything up before she returned to Onyx Court, but I need the papers she packed away.
There’s important information in them. If you can help me locate them, I’ll help you in return. ”
“Right,” I sighed, putting my hands on my hips as I observed my task. “Okay, nothing to it but to get started.”
I began opening boxes, rifling through their contents as I watched the sun sink lower in the sky, biting my lip.
But I kept on, and finally hit what I was sure I was looking for in the sixth stack of boxes.
I checked the papers to be sure, and stopped in my tracks upon realizing they were instructions for his daughter for use upon his death.
A deep sigh left me, my body nearly shuddering with it, as I considered why he needed these now. I left the room, papers in hand, and found him drinking tea as he looked out on his little garden.
“Are you sick?” I asked quietly, making him turn his head to look at me. He sighed lightly, putting down his tea and coming closer.
“I’m dying, my Lady. The gods call me home, and I’ll be able to see my wife again in the Otherworld.” He looked at peace, and I found myself envying him for that surety. He had clearly lived a full life that he was happy with, and he seemed just as pleased to face what came next.
I swallowed hard, nodding at him. He chuckled raspily, taking the papers and laying them out neatly on the kitchen table, adding a note on top that had to be for his daughter.
“Well, we’d best get you where you need to be, hm?” he said after setting everything as he wanted it.
“How long do you have?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“Not much longer, maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day,” he replied, easily as anything.
“You shouldn’t be alone,” I argued, making him laugh and shake his head.
“High King Azurill said you were a feisty one! But I promise you, I won’t be alone.
My community will be here for me, and your desire to help an old man shows the kingdom will have a good queen in you, should you win, my Lady.
Now, come along,” he insisted, leading the way to a horse tied up beside his house.
“This is for you,” he explained, while handing me a piece of paper. My eyes widened when I realized it was a map. Not just any map either, but one that had a star dotting the end point, with the name Takara right above it.
“Good luck, my Lady.” He winked, making his way back inside as I shook my head in confusion.
Azurill and his tests. The man lied to me about what the outcome of helping him would be, but in the very best way.
This was much better than going through even more people to get clues.
A direct map to the family meant my win was on the horizon.
I jumped up on the horse, eyeing the setting sun with a racing heart, and took off down the road, following the map to my future.