13. Timas
Chapter 13
Timas
I ’ve taken to early morning flying sessions to deal with my stress. The wind beats at my cheeks, making them feel a little raw, but I welcome the burn compared to the ever-growing unease in my stomach. The feel of the air flowing over my wings distracts my mind and the expanse of the sky helps me to put some of my worries aside, even if just for a moment. With each pump of my wings, I keep my elevation in the sky. Flocks of birds give me a wide berth as they pass me, and the water below is starting to shimmer with the morning sun. The sky is coloured purple and pink as the sun rises, which on any other day would strike me with awe, but not today. Today I feel troubled.
The point of this early morning flight was to use my pent-up energy and push away this unsettling feeling, but I was naive to think it would work. Last night, I was informed the vote would be cast today, and we would find out what the council was going to do. Force me to bond with Queen Neeve or allow me to marry my darling Emilia. The idea churns my stomach, and a fire courses through me. I will not give up Emilia for anything, and if that makes me a selfish king, I will gladly bear the title. Emilia and I can leave, and they can find someone else to be king, but it won’t be me if Emilia is not by my side. I would be no good to the people if I bonded with Neeve; I would just resent my position. It would impact how I ruled and my ability to empathize with my people. I’m sure I would become more volatile as well. No, I can not give up Emilia, no matter what they say. Besides, it’s not like anyone can stop me. I’m far too powerful for anyone to control me, but I also refuse to follow the Night Court’s way and run my Court with fear and force.
Banking to the right, I fly along the side of the palace’s tall towers. Cresting to the other side, I see my balcony come into view. I have been dreaming of when Emilia and I will be standing there together as a bonded pair looking out over the channel, but that seems so far away. However right now my best friend stands there, not the woman that puts air in my lungs. As I descend onto the balcony, I watch as Milori leans against the door frame, eating a piece of fruit with no care in the world.
“What are you doing here?” I ask as I head into my suite for my bathing chambers.
“Oh, you know, thought I would walk your prickly self to the meeting. I figured you wouldn’t be in the best mood this morning. Though, now that I think of it, when are you ever in a good mood.” I look over my shoulder to glare at him, but he just takes another bite of his fruit. Sometimes his calmness makes me want to do unnecessarily mean things to him.
After showering and changing my robes, we head out of my suite to the council chambers .
“What do you think is going to happen?” Milori may be able to pretend he is calm and collected, but I can tell by his tone he is nervous… So am I.
“I don’t know. We have Estola on our side, and Aecus, now that we have proven he was not responsible for the murder, but that still leaves Raza’l—who we know does not think Emilia is fit to be Queen, Zilor—who is also saying that the Night Court Queen is the best option for the people—and then there is Uldor and though I thought he would vote with us, with everything going on I can’t be so sure anymore.” The situation looks bleak, to say the least, but I must have hope that it will work out and I will be able to bond with Emilia.
We finally make it to the council chambers, where Zornak and Garrick stand outside waiting for us. Emilia isn’t with them yet. Maybe she is running behind, but that thought doesn’t sit right.
“What are you doing here?” Milori asks the two Orcs. Their presence makes the guards uncomfortable and that makes me smile.
“If you are going into that meeting to find out the fate of my daughter’s life, then I am going in too.” Zornak is a beast of a man, nearly seven feet tall and a shoulder width that nearly doubles mine. His arms crossed over his chest does not make him look smaller. Garrick stands in the same way with a cold expression on his face.
“Well, that is unprecedented. We don’t usually have anyone in the chambers that is not a council member or one of my guards…” I see the look of determination on their faces, and I feel agitated by this whole situation. This is going to be hard enough for Emilia, so maybe having them in there will help give her comfort. “But I have a feeling you won’t take ‘no’ for an answer.” Milori raises an eyebrow at me, questioning the sanity of this decision, but I don’t care. I wave at one of the guards, and he opens the door to the chambers. Immediately, the room quiets, and the heavy tension hangs in the air. My steps seem to echo in the small room, drawing everyone’s attention to me. Milori, Zornak, and Garrick trail behind me and the unease that has been bothering me all morning ramps up. Where is Emilia? With a slight wave of my hand, Milori steps up beside me.
“Where is Emilia? Why isn’t she here yet?” I ask Milori. He looks troubled as well.
“I will go in search of her.” Milori says. I give a tight nod as Milori turns and leaves the chambers. I head to the front of the table while Zornak and Garrick take a spot off to the side. The room feels charged, as if one strike and the room will ignite, but I try not to focus on that and decide to address the reason we are here immediately.
“You have called me here to cast the votes for the Royal Compliance Act. It seems in the past couple of days you have not seen reason, and have decided to push the idea of a political bonding between the Night Court Queen, Neeve, and myself.” The words feel like sand in my mouth. Estola stands to lead the vote as she normally does, but her sharp gaze assesses the room, picking out our allies. When she finally looks at me, I can see determination and support behind those eyes, and I am grateful for her support in this moment.
“I will start the voting,” she begins, “and though I think this is a barbaric way to use the council’s power, I stand fully with my King. I vote against using the Royal Compliance Act to force King Timas into bonding with the Night Court Queen.” I feel a sense of gratitude for her words. I am so thankful for her support. “Zilor,” Estola sits, and Zilor stands.
“Yes. Uldor,” Uldor stands.
“Yes. Aecus.” Shock ripples through me. There is no reason for Uldor to vote yes. He has always been levelheaded and has supported me faithfully during my time as King. I make quick eye contact with Estola, both of us confused by what happened. If she too did not see this coming, I know something is wrong. Uldor sits, and Aecus stands.
“No. Raza’l,” a gust of air leaves my lungs. I knew Aecus would vote in support of me, but it is still a relief. Still, I know my fate is sealed because Raza’l has been a staunch believer in the Fae serving the Fae. As he stands, I prepare myself for the verdict, knowing full well that my days as King are numbered because I will not be forced to bond with Neeve. Raza’l opens his mouth to speak, but his words are interrupted by the doors to the chamber slamming open. Milori comes rushing in, out of breath and obviously distraught. I stand from my seat but my heart sinks to my stomach because I know for sure something is very wrong .
“She’s gone!” The words that leave his mouth don’t make sense. Emilia? Emilia is gone?
I rush to him as he tries to regain his breath. “What?” He is panting, trying to get his breathing under control, but instead of waiting until he can talk he holds up a piece of paper to me. Taking the paper—my hand shaking slightly—I open it up and read the contents.
My Darling Timas, I am so sorry to leave you like this. The pressure has become too much for me. I can’t handle the idea that you will be with someone else so instead of making more trouble, I will leave and let you be with Neeve. I’ll love you always, Emilia.
The warmth fades from my body. This can’t be happening. She wouldn’t leave me, not like this. My hand tightens on the paper, crinkling it as I do. I hear the muffle sound of someone calling my name, but I can’t focus on them because my entire world is gone. Emilia is gone. It doesn’t feel real. We were just wrapped up in each other’s arms last night, and she didn’t act any different. She gave no indication that would be the last time we would see each other. She kissed me goodnight and said she would see me in the morning. I feel sick to my stomach.
“What do you mean she’s gone?” Zornak’s voice breaks through my haze. I look up into his dark brown eyes and wonder what he could possibly know. Did he know Emilia was going to leave? After we rescued him from Gormash? I hand the paper to him, completely numb and a low growl emanates from his throat .
“No—no, she wouldn’t do this.” An argument erupts behind me. The noise fills the room and my mind starts spinning wildly out of control.
Something doesn’t feel right about this. She wouldn’t just write a letter and leave, and she definitely wouldn’t call me ‘darling.’ The feeling in my stomach morphs from despair to panic. If she didn’t write the letter, then someone else did, and they took my flower.
“ENOUGH!” My voice is loud enough to shake the room we stand in. The markings on my skin glow as I realize my spirit bond is in trouble. A beat of silence descends the room, but Raza’l looks at Zornak.
“Would Emilia leave like this? By writing a note?” Raza’l looks even more confused by this situation. I expected to see him happy she was gone, but real concern covers his face. Zornak responds quickly.
“No! Never! She is not a coward and wouldn’t be intimidated into listening to this idiotic council. She is loyal to those she loves, and she loves Timas!” His words ring true for me. she would never leave me like this, and she is far too loyal to leave without telling me in person.
“Why did her mother leave you?” Zilor challenges. Fierce anger pulses through Zornak.
“Why does that matter?” Zornak spits back. Good question.
“Because maybe she is following her mother’s example, leaving the person she supposedly loved.” We don’t know much of what happened between Zornak and Emilia’s mother but there have been speculations.
“How dare you compare Emilia to the sad excuse of a person who gave birth to us. Emilia is nothing like her!” Garrick walks towards Zilor, and to Zilor’s strength, he doesn’t back down from Garrick even though he is an intimidating figure.
“She wrote me a note and left, but the circumstances were different. She was ostracized in the Orc village we lived in and… I don’t think she ever loved me.” Zornak’s anger is replaced with hurt. The amount of pain that woman put him through was immense, and it saddens me to see such a strong man so crippled by the actions of a woman who did not care.
“What is the difference here? She wasn’t exactly accepted in Sonas. She’s a human for sun’s sake!” I snap out of the paralysis, lunging towards Zilor. My hands tighten on his robes near his throat as I push him hard against the wall behind him.
“You may have disliked her because she is not Fae, but she is loved by many here! Your arrogance has blinded you to the character of my Emilia. She would never leave like this. Her integrity and love for her friends and family would never let her leave without speaking to us. The fact you never got to know her—your future Queen—because of your prejudice is appalling, and you should be ashamed of yourself.”
Zilor tries to speak. “But—“
“No! Whatever you are about to say is going to be toxic and will waste my time when something has happened to her. I won’t waste a single moment longer talking to any of you. She needs help, and I will find her!” I push hard on Zilor, and he grunts, falling to the floor. Each step that hits the floor shakes the ground, my power pulsing underneath my skin. I knew something was wrong and I tried to play it off as nervousness for this meeting when I should have been listening. I wasted precious time ignoring that feeling when the unease was from Emilia being taken from me. But I will get her back.