8. Emilia
Chapter 8
Emilia
T he sun is rising and colouring a gorgeous orange and purple sky. The wind beats against my face, sending chills down my spine as I shiver against the cold. I’m holding onto Timas’ neck, and I am sure there will be bruises left behind after our trip through the sky. I keep my eyes on the horizon (because I learned my lesson from the sea) and just look out ahead. I don’t want to be sick again, especially in Timas’ arms. I wouldn’t categorize myself as being afraid of heights per se, I’m just, well…fine, I’m scared of heights. The palace comes up quickly, and Timas flies us up to the top of the Northern part of the palace. At the top is a large balcony that takes up more than half the level. Flowers and vines hang from the sides, and large windows decorate the wall behind the balcony. Timas lands softly on the balcony as he descends. My heart is still pounding as he walks us into what I can only assume is his suite.
“Um, I think I can stand now.”
“I’m sure you can, but that whole experience has put me on edge, and I don’t want to put you down.” He pauses before saying, “Sorry. ”
Tension pulls at me, but I need to look at all the issues I am facing. I am aware of the bonds the other races have, and I have always admired them. I might even go as far as to say I want one myself. Even in our Orc village, I had hoped one day I could have a soul bond with an Orc, though that’s hardly applicable now. This may be hard for Timas, but it’s not his father whose life is being threatened, it’s mine. Timas sits on a very comfy-looking lounge chair with me in his lap, but I just can’t sit right now. I push at Timas’ arms and pull myself away from him. He is not overly pleased with that, but I need the space. If for no other reason than to think without his physical presence influencing me.
“Look, your Majesty…”
“Timas. I am just Timas to you unless you want to give me a pet name. I have never had one of them before…” His eyes drift away as I realize he is literally contemplating this.
“OK, fine, Timas…”
“So, no pet name,” He mutters.
“Timas!” I say with as much force as I can because I am tired, so very tired. “Look, I know a bit about the bond, but you have to understand. This is great and all, but I need to go back to Lady Dahlia. She will be getting up soon, and if I am not there to help Sigrid get her ready, I will lose my job. I can’t lose my job.”
My hands are shaking, and I am terrified of what might happen if I don’t return on time. My anxiety is spiking, yet again, showing me the toll all this has taken on my body. A tear rolls down my cheek as my emotions overwhelm me. How much more information do I need to provide in order to save my father? How do I help protect my brother after leading Timas straight to him? Timas stands slowly and comes to stand in front of me. His hands slide down my arms and hold my trembling hands. The same shock I felt in the garden roars to life as I slowly lean into this man’s strong, safe, comforting arms.
“My darling flower, I am sure this whole thing is very overwhelming. But I assure you we can figure all this out… together.”
Looking up into his eyes, I see his conviction. I have only ever had my brother to lean on. Occasionally, another Orc has aided us, but it has only ever been us trying to keep Father from being killed by Gormash, the chief of the Northern Orc Clan. But maybe, maybe I can trust him with the truth? No, I need to wait for Garrick. It’s not just my life being changed here, it’s his, too. I let out a breath and bring my hands to his chest, noting that the markings are no longer burning bright like they were in the warehouse but lightly glowing like they were in the garden.
“I don’t know why I trust you so much.”
“It’s the bond.”
“That may be, but I need to wait until Garrick gets here. He is my brother, and I will feel better speaking with him first.”
Timas looks hurt. Does he expect me to trust him implicitly? Maybe if I were a Fae, that’s how it would work, but I’m not–I’m human. This idea of finding a spirit bond is so unbelievable, but I can’t help the doubts that creep into my mind. Despite Timas’ feelings, he nods to me anyway, directing my attention elsewhere.
“Are you hungry? I have a selection of fruits and cheeses that might interest you while we wait for Garrick.”
At that moment, my stomach growls, making itself known as I remember that I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday afternoon. Even while Lady Dahlia was at her meal, I was worrying about what happened with Timas in the garden and anticipating meeting Garrick this morning. Timas must have good hearing because he doesn’t waste time as he goes over to a table laden with fruits, cheese, bread of some kind, and what looks to be a steaming pot of tea. I follow behind him, now drawn in by the delicious smells. Timas pulls out a chair for me to sit on, and that simple act makes my stomach flutter.
Timas grabs an assortment of food and piles it high onto a plate, setting it down in front of me. Without thinking, I begin to devour the food before me. I should be more embarrassed by how much I’m eating or maybe how I’m eating, but I have reached my limit today and just want some food. I’d also give anything for a warm bath , I think to myself but bring my attention back to the present. A steaming cup of tea is placed to the right of my plate, and a waft of peppermint and lemon hits my nose. Gently, I pick up the warm cup and bring it to my lips. Swallowing the hot liquid, I moan with satisfaction. I flick my eyes up to Timas and find him staring at me with unbridled passion. He looks as if me eating and moaning over tea is the most enticing thing he has ever seen, which I highly doubt. He seems to shake off whatever he is thinking and takes the chair right beside mine, scooting it as close as he can to me. I’m not sure what to say, so I just go back to eating my food. Maybe Garrick will get here soon.
“My flower, are you ignoring me?”
Pushing air through my nose, I decide to face this head-on.
“First, I am not ignoring you, I am eating. Second, why do you call me a ‘flower’?”
“I call you flower because I found you in the garden.” He gently tucks a stray piece of hair behind my ear, and warmth courses through my body. His eyes are so enchanting I can barely look away. What a lovely thing to say , I ponder, realizing I really want to like this man–maybe I already do. These bonds don’t make any sense. Just as I am about to ask another question, the doors to Timas’ suite open, and Milori and Garrick walk in. Standing from the table, I run to Garrick and throw my arms around him. I know Timas said he would come, but a little part of me was scared, especially that I wouldn’t see him again. His big arms wrap around me and squeeze me so hard I can hardly breathe, but it feels like home, bringing a strong wave of tears to my eyes. I want to go home, I want to see my father, I want this to be over. I’m so tired. Garrick holds me tight as I let out the emotional weight I have been holding onto for months, the same weight he has likely been carrying as well.
“It’s OK, Emmy. We’ll be OK.” I pull back from Garrick and wipe the tears from my eyes. The snot that is likely falling out of my nose gets unceremoniously deposited onto my dress sleeve .
“Stupid tears.” I can’t help but mutter.
Turning around to face the Day Court King, I notice that he is no longer across the room by the table but a mere foot away from me, staring at me with deep concern and worry. I feel foolish for breaking down like that, wishing I could have at least tried to hold it together for a little bit longer.
“I’m sorry,” I say to no one in particular. Milori hands me a handkerchief from the opposite side of me, and I am suddenly aware of the testosterone that surrounds me. It makes me feel a bit claustrophobic. This situation is getting out of hand. Timas stares at me, questions floating around in his eyes, but I don’t have enough time to answer them all right now.
“Garrick, I’m not sure what to do.”
Garrick lets out a loud breath, which sounds in equal parts annoyance and resignation. That simple expression tells me all I need to know. He is going to tell Timas our story.
“King Timas, you need to understand this is not an easy situation my sister and I are in… but it is obvious you have a bond with her, and the fates are too strong to fight even if I do wish she had ended up with an Orc.” At that, Timas growls deep in his throat, and the floor shakes a bit. I swear Garrick is just antagonizing him. Hitting Garrick in the shoulder, I quickly move over to Timas and place my hand on his arm. Last time, touching him worked to calm him down, so hopefully, it will work again. I glare at Garrick because that statement is not helpful, but he smirks and continues anyway .
“We are from the Southern Orc Clans. We lived in a village close to the Northern Clans’ borders. Just over a year ago, our village was raided by the Northern Clans, and what we thought was a normal raid turned into a kidnapping. Our family is known throughout the Orc Clans as… unique.” That is the biggest understatement. Our family is a laughingstock to many Orcs.
“Everyone knows that I am half human and half-Orc and was raised by my Orc Father. Everyone also knows that when I was sixteen, my good-for-nothing mother came and dropped off my fully-human sister, abandoning her and leaving her in an Orc village.” The pain of that memory reverberates through my heart. I remember the bitter wind and the snow beneath my feet as I rushed out of the house, trying to find my mother, who slipped away in the night. Apparently, I am not good at hiding my emotions because Timas pulls me closer to his side.
“We were living in the main Clan areas, but Father felt it would be safer to move away from the larger group and raise Emilia in the smaller village, away from so many eyes. It helped living closer to the mines anyway since Father is a blacksmith, and a very well-respected one at that. It was a good life, and for a long time, no one bothered us; the village had accepted us. But like so much in the Orc lands, peace only lasts for so long. A raiding party from the Northern Clans arrived in the dead of night. Normally, raiding parties come for our resources, occasionally taking prisoners, but it’s more about upsetting the balance than anything. This wasn’t a normal raiding party, though–the Chief of the Northern Clan himself came. We were all pulled out of the house and Father was dragged in front of Gormash. Father attempted to fight back, but they beat him so badly he could barely move. Despite my efforts, I couldn’t get to him.”
I can hear in Garrick’s voice how much pain that brings him. I know he feels like he failed in some way, even though that’s not true. At this point, tears are pouring out of me as I relive that terrible night.
“Gormash brought us back into our house and told us what was going to happen. The Northern Clan had allied with the Human Kingdom to conquer the Southern Clans. The problem was that Gormash knew the High King was going to betray them. He had tried to get a spy into the inner circles before, but was unsuccessful. Not many human nobles hire Orcs, as you can imagine–we are better known for our blacksmith work, not our domestic abilities. Gormash knew of our family and decided Emilia would be a perfect spy, but we were in the warring Southern Clans. His solution was to come in and force us to work for him. Emilia was set up in the Hemmet House to get close to Duke Hemmet, and I am the liaison between Emilia and the scouts watching us. I would receive reports from her and send the information back to Gormash.” Garrick’s shoulders are tense, and he is obviously struggling to tell Timas our story. Garrick continues.
“If we don’t produce enough information, they will continue to torment our father. If we become useless, they will kill him, and we will be exiled from our home. Father can send notes to us, but we haven’t seen him in over a year. All we know is he is being held in the main city, serving as a blacksmith to Gormash. His life is used constantly to ‘keep us in line.’ So Emilia keeping this job is imperative to keeping our father alive.” Timas listens to Garrick, his face giving nothing away as to his thoughts. I hope we didn’t misplace our trust because if he doesn’t help us, well I guess not much will change.