21. The City
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
THE CITY
When he picked me up the next morning, Riel looked like a model out of a fantasy clothing catalog. Gone were his usual extravagant earrings, simple hoops in their place. He wore high-waisted pants with a line of metal buttons and a linen shirt that was better suited to hard work and travel. Around his waist was a utility belt with various pouches and a sheathed knife. To top it all off, he wore a tan cloak with a hood and clasp composed of twining silver vines. He held out a nearly identical one for me to take.
“Look at you,” I exclaimed, cracking a smile as I accepted the offering. “That’s different. I’m getting… elven pirate prince at a Renaissance Festival. That’s a vibe and a half.”
I could have laughed aloud at the baffled expression on his face.
“Thank… you?” he tried, not sure how to respond.
“You’re very welcome,” I assured him, tossing the cloak onto the bed and waving him inside. “Come on inside, but give me a minute. If that’s what you’re wearing, I need to change into something else.” If Renaissance Festival was the vibe, I was there for it.
I went to the wardrobe and rifled through piles of clothing until I found what I was looking for. Holding the selected pieces to my chest, I rushed into the bathroom to strip out of the tank top and capris I’d originally put on.
“Did you eat?” Riel called from the bedroom.
“Yep,” I answered as I stepped out of the pants. “The lack of raast was unfortunate.”
“Thank you for reminding me what a poor start to the day it’s been.” The smile was audible in Riel’s response. “Then again, I’m not the only one who lives here.” A wistful sigh carried through the door. “I suppose the cooks have more than just my tastes to consider.”
“It’s a tough life you live, being a gorgeous prince in a fancy castle and not getting your favorite food for breakfast every day. I can’t imagine,” I teased, emerging from the bathroom in a tiered maxi skirt and off-the-shoulder blouse. After collecting my bag and the cloak from where I’d placed it on the bed, I joined Riel by the door. “Ready when you are!”
“A vibe and a half,” he said, looking me over appreciatively as he reached out to take my bag from me. It took me a moment to catch on, but when I realized that he repeated my words from before in an attempt to pay me a compliment, I beamed.
“Why, thank you.”
Figuring that we were out of sight from anyone who might walk by, I hopped up on my tippy toes to plant a quick peck on Riel’s cheek. As I withdrew, he leaned in and looped his free arm around my middle to pull me in for a proper kiss. It was just long enough to steal my breath and wake up certain parts down below, yet over far too soon. When he drew back, I found myself reluctant to let him go.
As if reading my thoughts, Riel chuckled.
“Later, eseri ,” he murmured, his voice low and rich with promise. My face warmed, and I busied myself with pulling the cloak around my shoulders and engaging the clasp before I followed Riel out into the hallway.
Oyanni waited outside for us. In place of her usual simple rein strap, she wore a more intricate harness that held large bags over her rump. I watched with interest as Riel added my bag to the bunch, attaching it with a series of straps and buckles, before turning his attention to me. He beckoned me over.
“Hang on,” I interjected, extending a hand to stop him. “Can you just”—I made a series of vague gestures to get my point across—“just give me a bit of a boost, and I’ll sit with my legs on one side so that my skirt doesn’t ride up?”
“My pleasure.” Riel lifted me up and held me there so that I could sweep back my cloak and skirt before letting me go. It didn’t feel as secure as sitting astride, but with straps to grip and Riel at my back, I was sure I’d be fine for the brief ride to the city. This way, I didn’t have to worry about flashing everyone on my way in.
We headed down the main road at a brisk walk, my excitement growing the closer we got to the buildings in the distance. Eventually, dirt and grass gave way to man-made fields portioned off by dainty little fences. Gray pinpoints in the distance became grazing livestock beasts as we neared. They resembled cows or bison, except that they were varying shades of gray and their backs appeared to be covered in a layer of moss.
“Those aren’t food?” I questioned, knowing the castle inhabitants didn’t eat meat. I’d never asked why, but I assumed that it was like Hindus and their belief in non-violence.
“They’re called lya ,” Riel answered. “Some of our citizens do eat their flesh, but they are more prized for their milk.”
“Oh. I’ve been meaning to ask; not eating meat, is that a religious thing?”
“Not specifically. A majority of Ishameti , my family included, believe that it would be cruel to slaughter another intelligent being for food, especially when other sources of nutrition are so plentiful. We don’t judge those who believe differently, though. From what I’ve heard, the situation in your world is not quite the same. ”
“I mean, we have a division between the vegans and vegetarians and the meat-eaters, for sure.” I thought of the avida , of their sensitivity and the attachments they formed with their owners. “I guess our animals aren’t as smart, so that’s a big part of it. Not that they aren’t intelligent,” I conceded, thinking then of pigs, cows, and horses. “But not like this. If all your animals are like the avida , it’s totally different.”
We passed close by one of the cow creatures. My heart melted at the sight of little slender birds nesting in the moss on their backs.
“They seem so sweet,” I remarked. They had to be , I supposed, in order for those little fences to keep them contained .
“They are gentle creatures, for the most part,” Riel agreed. “Only aggressive when protecting their young. Even then, they have a sense for friends and those that wish them harm.”
“The same cannot be said for those,” he added as we drew closer to the edge of the city and passed a large pen with big, emu-like birds meandering about. They must have been the ones that Riel mentioned, the ones that laid the eggs we ate. They weren’t as large as I’d envisioned, coming up to about hip height. One noticed us, sticking its head out at a creepy angle and ruffling its feathers in warning as we rode by. I felt Riel shiver against me.
“Not a fan?” I asked with a grin.
“When I was young and exceptionally stupid, Solois dared me to steal a fertilized egg from a nesting female. If not for a talented mender, I would still have the scars.”
A horrified laugh escaped me. “Oh my God.”
“Although it was a long time ago, the trauma is still fresh,” Riel acknowledged.
“I can imagine.” And I could—trauma was something I was familiar with.
Another moving object caught my eye. Someone tended to the animals with what appeared to be a little motorized cart, like a golf cart or utility vehicle. “Is that a…? I didn’t realize you guys had automobiles.”
“Not like yours. But we do make use of machines where needed.”
“Machines, plumbing… you guys are well on your way to computers.”
“Your government has offered to provide us with technology on numerous occasions.”
“Oh? Why… sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, but why don’t you take us up on it?”
“We’re happy with the way things are,” Riel answered, untroubled by my question. “Everything we need is either handled by hand or with magic. There’s no need.”
“I mean… things like TV and the Internet aren't necessities, I guess, but they’re sure nice to have,” I insisted. “Don’t you ever get bored with just… books and board games?”
I felt Riel shrug against me.
“We have our methods of passing the time,” he said simply. I made a doubtful sound but put the conversation to rest since I didn’t want to miss anything as we entered the city. A massive, arching stone gate towered over our heads, flanked by statues that were delicate despite being at least three men tall. One looked like a benevolent praying saint, the other a warrior goddess poised to strike. I couldn’t begin to guess what they were supposed to depict.
On the way in, we passed a handful of guards who wore the same uniforms from the castle. They nodded to us as we went by, their gazes lingering on Riel.
The thing that first struck me about the city was how modern the whole place felt. Metal, wood, stone, brick, and concrete came together to create an environment somewhere between the medieval village I’d expected and early London. Every roof, wall, and pillar was crafted with care—using magic, perhaps, if not construction equipment?
There were dozens of buildings with shop fronts displaying various kinds of merchandise along the main road. An assortment of people lined both sides, going about their lives without sparing us a second glance. I supposed travelers were common enough that we didn’t appear out of place. That, or it was a regular occurrence to see the princes.
Many of the townspeople were tall blonds with pointed ears, but not as many as I expected. There were plenty with shorter statures, varying shades of skin and hair, and other unique features. I noted some small, pudgy figures in the crowd that I would have pegged as dwarves if I didn’t know any better. Off to one side, a shopkeeper argued with a customer who had horns and furry legs like a faun. Another had dragonfly wings!
“I’m… wow.” I found myself afraid to blink for fear of missing anything. “This is… remember when I was telling you about fae? We have all these people in our fairy tales. How did we not know about this? If people back home knew that they existed… well.” There weren’t any words. I had to settle for, “There’d be a lot more fanfiction, for one thing.”
“You’re the first human that’s been to Miderrum,” Riel told me, removing one of his hands from the rein strap to rest it casually on my thigh.
“Huh?” Distracted by the movement, it took me a second to process what he was saying. I met his cool gaze with wide eyes. “You mean… Not even the president? Or George?”
He shook his head and repeated, “You’re the first.”
I gripped the strap between my hands tighter, marveling at the scene around me with fresh eyes. As I took things in, the general cacophony of the city began to separate into distinct sounds. Many were inoffensive and familiar, like people walking and chatting, the purring of engines, and shopkeepers calling out their wares. But I couldn’t help but notice one that was an assault on the ears—a hellish combination of discordant clanging and loud wails interspersed with groans—coming from somewhere up ahead .
“Yeesh. What in God’s name is that?” I groused, only just resisting the temptation to cover my ears.
“Ah. That would be Epitgig music.” Amused, Riel nodded toward a section off to one side, where people gathered around a fountain. “It’s not to everyone’s taste. In fact, it is sometimes used on the battlefield to inspire fear in an enemy. Here, it makes for a rather brilliant business. No one asks them to perform, but they show up anyway. They’re playing by the public well, where everyone gets their water, so they can’t be avoided. Most people will give them money in hopes they’ll pack up and go home for the day.”
“That’s ridiculous. Why isn’t there some kind of law against being a public nuisance?”
Riel shrugged. “They’re not hurting anyone.”
The crowd parted just enough that I caught an eyeful of the offenders, a small group of pale gray goblins wearing ratty skirts and playing an assortment of odd instruments. On second thought… that was perhaps too generous a term for what they were doing. One of them appeared to be banging his disproportionately large head against a metal board with great enthusiasm. Another clashed two blocks together while wailing loudly and without any clear rhythm.
“That’s just awful,” I muttered as the sounds began to fade out of earshot. “Really, I could happily go the rest of my life without ever hearing that again.”
“You never know. It might be the first thing you miss when you leave.”
“Somehow, I doubt that.”
Riel chuckled to himself as he turned us down a side street. We passed by a tall signpost with several wood slats pointing in various directions. I couldn’t make heads or tails of the collection of symbols there, but it was safe to assume he knew where we were going. People were quick to get out of our way, but they weren’t scraping and bowing at our feet. Either nobody recognized Riel, or they simply didn’t care. It was… reassuring. A part of me had expected us to get swamped with admirers, but with the way Riel and his family regularly interacted with the townspeople, maybe they weren’t considered to be a big deal.
It took me a moment to realize we’d stopped before a four-story building lined with black windows. My eyes didn’t stray from it as Riel helped me down.
“Is this where we’ll be staying?” I asked, leaning forward to admire the pale copper bricks that made up the outside of the structure. It was truly an impressive creation for people who didn’t have any factories or heavy machinery. Though, then again, I couldn’t assume that at this point.
“So long as there is room,” Riel answered, moving to Oyanni’s rump to begin untying our bags. After a moment’s deliberation, he added, “It’s unlikely to be full. So, yes.”
As he passed, I made to take my bag from him, but he shifted it out of my reach and continued on toward the steps.
“I can carry my own bag,” I protested, chasing after him.
“I have no doubt,” he responded with the utmost sincerity. Upon reaching the front door, he placed his own bag at his feet to give himself a free hand to operate the door knocker. I stopped two steps behind him, grumbling under my breath about unnecessary chivalry.
The door was opened, revealing a slight woman with a generous smattering of freckles not unlike my own. She was dressed practically, with a short apron and a sort of cloth turban covering all of her hair. She struck me as being the most human-looking person I’d seen across The Rift thus far, despite her too-wide, upturned nose resembling a pig’s snout.
Greeting Riel warmly in the Ishameti language, she stepped aside for us to come in. The interior was furnished to be luxurious but welcoming, with solid wooden furniture and a variety of soft, golden-toned accents throughout the room. The lady scampered past us to take her place behind a front desk to our right .
While she and Riel talked, I wandered away to take in the space. A tapestry on the far wall caught my eye. It depicted a woman bathed in light with a tastefully nude man kneeling at her feet, gazing up at her with clear adoration. Behind and to the left of them was a backdrop of darkness and fire, but the woman was bent over and holding out her right hand to provide shelter for a series of small figures that reached for her in return.
Is this… the Goddess? My hand hovered over one edge.
“Avery?”
I yanked it back with a guilty look.
“Would you prefer to have separate rooms?” Riel asked, observing me for my reaction. At the sound of English, the proprietress eyed me with renewed interest.
It took me a moment to process his words. “Oh! Uh…” Would it be coming on too strong if I said no? “That’s fine, actually. I mean, if you want to just get one room and share, that’s fine with me.” More than fine, really. My mind’s eye was already taking the opportunity to run through the tantalizing possibilities that came with having real privacy for once.
Riel relayed my response to the proprietress, and I returned to examining the tapestry. The skill of the weaver was clear even to me. Each color blended with the next to create depth, life, and movement. Additionally, the threads had a subtle shine to them that made the whole thing glow. It was a work of art, if also a bit creepy. Then again, that described a lot of art.
When Riel pulled away from the desk and gathered up our bags, I joined him.
“All good?” I asked.
“No issues,” he replied, a twinkle in his eye. “She has the perfect room for us.”
So, we would be sharing a room. I ducked my head to hide the pleasure on my face.
The proprietress came out from behind the desk holding an ornate key. She walked quickly, leading us upstairs and down the hall. She babbled the whole way, with Riel giving short, polite answers in response. I just smiled and nodded along. Finally, she brought us to the last door on the far end of the building and unlocked it with the key. Riel stepped aside to let me enter first, and my eyes widened when I saw the interior.
It was much nicer than my guest room at the castle. It was nicer than Riel’s room too. Large windows lined the opposite wall, complete with gauzy golden curtains. Against the right wall was a massive four-poster bed, perhaps even larger than a king, with a bedside table on either side and a large landscape painting above it. On the left side, a wide opening in the wall revealed the bathroom nook. I ventured further inside to get a better look. The bath was even bigger than the one I had in my room, large enough to fit maybe four people. While there was no door, an embellished folding screen sat at the entrance to provide some privacy.
The place was immaculate and tastefully furnished, including an intricate but not too busy rug and a modest writing desk by the windows. It even had a cozy fireplace. The overall effect reminded me of some of the rooms at the White House.
“It’s gorgeous,” I murmured when I realized I had yet to say anything. Riel had placed our bags by the bed, and the proprietress still stood by the open door. While her gaze remained on me, she directed a question at Riel. He nodded and said something in response. The only word I caught was “American,” but our host nodded knowingly. She said one last thing, made a generous sweeping gesture, and was gone. I gave Riel a questioning look.
“She asked about our journey and how long we’re staying,” Riel translated for me. “I mentioned I’ve been to the city before, but it’s your first time seeing it. She asked if you were from the land across The Rift. She’s pleased that you’re happy with the room, and she made it clear that we’re welcome to anything we need. All we need to do is ask. ”
“Oh, that’s nice of her.” I made my way to the bed to feel the covers. They were thick and fluffy but not too heavy. The top layer had beautiful embroidery. “We don’t have many royals anymore these days,” I remarked. “But when we did, they were treated much differently from normal people. Bowing and scraping and all that. I’m glad that you guys aren’t like that.”
“We have a place in society, same as everyone else. Respected, but not worshipped.”
“I like that.” Nodding absently, I continued to explore. On the bedside table nearest me was a glass object somewhere between the shape of a fishbowl and a lantern. I picked it up to examine the base, trying to figure out what its purpose was.
“It’s a mana lamp,” Riel’s voice came from right behind me, making me jump. I stepped aside and watched, fascinated, as he made a gesture over the lantern. In an instant, pale blue light sparked into being, lighting the room with a cool, steady glow.
“Making magic is an interesting case, because it involves coaxing mana from the environment into a usable form,” he explained, withdrawing his hand. “ Mana does not generally change states by itself, so once someone has manipulated it to achieve a certain effect, it can remain that way indefinitely. For example, in the case of creating light.”
“Pretty sure that breaks, like, all the laws of physics,” I said wryly. “But I don’t know enough about science to argue that, so I’ll take your word for it.”
Riel chuckled, sliding out from under his cloak and bundling it under one arm. “Which side do you want?” he asked. I followed his gaze down to the bed, and the thought of us both in it together made my face begin to burn.
“Doesn’t matter,” I mumbled, easing toward the window to put some space between us. “You can take whichever you want, and I’ll just have the other one.”
“So be it.”
He deposited his cloak on the bed and went to retrieve his bag, and I made an effort to appear entranced by the view of the street from our room. For some reason, things felt awkward between us. Was it just that the prospect of sharing a room made me nervous? Had I used up all of my newfound courage the other night getting my nipples pierced?
“May I wash your feet?”
Distracted, I turned around to find Riel standing patiently by the bed with a cloth in one hand and a small, stoppered jar in the other. His eyes never left my face.
“I’m… sorry?” I couldn’t have heard him correctly.
“It’s a courting custom,” he offered, raising the items he held to show me. “A way of tending to one’s partner after travel. It will only take a moment. Unless you’re ticklish, in which case I might be tempted to draw out the process.”
He cast a disarming smile my way.
“Uh…” When I remained frozen by the window, Riel took mercy on me, putting down the items he carried and taking my hands to guide me. He brought me to the bed, and I could only watch as he lowered himself to kneel on the floor before me and took up one of my feet. I was torn— do I let him do this? There was no harm in it, and he seemed to want to…
“This is kind of…” I fidgeted with my skirt as Riel unbuckled my sandals and slipped them off one by one. He set my shoes aside and paused, looking up at me.
“Does it bother you?” he asked, studying my expression closely for signs of distress. “If so, I’ll stop.”
I squirmed under his steady gaze. “No, I guess not. It’s just not something… I mean, it’s a little awkward, but… you do you. I won’t stop you.”
He nodded and continued, breaking eye contact to lay a cloth down on the floor and set my feet upon it with great care. Picking up my left foot, he reached for the little jar and unstoppered it with one hand. He poured some onto the foot he held, a warm and spicy scent like cinnamon or cardamom filling the air as he did so.
“What is that?” I tried to get a better look at the bottle.
“An oil made from the vali nut. It cleanses and softens the skin.”
He punctuated his words by taking my foot in both hands and beginning to spread the oil. I shivered as his fingers massaged skin and muscle, adding more pressure when he got to the heel and keeping his touch light as he stroked the arch and delved in between each toe. My eyes started to close in pleasure. Before I realized it, he was repeating the process with the other foot.
Once both feet were tended to, he sat back on his heels and used a clean cloth to wipe off any excess oil. Finally, he collected the bottle and the cloths he had used and stood up. I flexed my feet in front of me, admiring the glow and how warm and baby-soft they felt.
“Thank you. That was really lovely.”
I hadn’t expected to enjoy it that much, but… huh. Maybe people who were into feet were onto something after all? Looking up, I realized with some degree of alarm that Riel had re-stoppered the oil and was putting everything away. “Wait! Shouldn’t I do yours too?”
“No need. I just wanted to do that for you,” he replied, giving me a sweet smile that, combined with his charming words, made my heart trip over itself. “Also, I’m ticklish,” he added, which somewhat dampened the effect of his previous statement.
“Okay,” I conceded with an awkward laugh, grabbing for my sandals and pulling them on. It didn’t escape my notice that this was the second time he took care of me without asking for anything in return. As much as it warmed my heart, I’d have to find some way to return the favor at some point, or it wouldn’t feel right. That would have to come later, though. “I guess we should go find that mender, then, huh?”
“There’s no rush. Feel free to settle in first. Are you hungry?” Riel slid his bag underneath the opposite side of the bed and took a seat beside his discarded cloak .
“Not yet. Honestly, I’m more keen on getting down to business, if it’s all the same to you. I mean, if you’re hungry, though, that’s fine, we can eat first!”
“Not enough to merit bothering our host. We can set out now, then, if you’re not tired. The mender will be expecting us soon anyway.”
Riel got to his feet again, collecting his cloak and shaking it out with a sharp snap . He fastened it in place while I finished putting on my shoes and came around the bed.
“Are there any customs I should be aware of while in the city or meeting this person?” I asked as I followed him to the door.
“Nothing comes to mind. But I’ll let you know if I think of anything,” Riel assured me, putting a hand on the small of my back and letting me exit first.
“Okay, great. Thank you.” Having someone reliable with me kept the anxiety at bay for once. Feeling good about this, I stepped out with a smile on my face, and we headed downstairs together.