Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
TWENTY DAYS LEFT
When I awoke, I found myself in bed. The night before, I recalled being half-asleep, though I was unsure if it was night or early morning.
Keanu scooped me into his arms, tired as I was, and carried me to the room.
I remembered sleepily preparing myself for bed in the washroom and finally asking Keanu for help with the corset.
He was gentle as he unlaced the back, and I recalled the way his fingers ran through my hair after he took out the flowers and let it down.
And then I was here, in bed.
Keanu’s side was empty. How could he function on so little sleep? We went to bed so late and woke up so early. Even now, the sun had not yet risen. Perhaps he was used to the lack of sleep?
I slowly got out of bed, relieved to be barefoot as I made my way to the window. Yesterday, wearing boots I was not used to, had worn out my heels. Even my legs felt achy from the shoes.
The sky was a pinkish-purple, and the ocean looked dazzling. The way the light bounced on the waves played on my heartstrings. I had less than a month to live, and already I missed swimming in the ocean.
A breeze moved through the room and rustled the leaves of the plants within. The sound of pages flipping caused me to look down at the chief’s desk.
The page with tally marks counted eleven days. Next to it sat his journal, and again, it was open. A pen sat in the center of the spine, holding the spot while the other pages moved in the wind.
Someone wrote something.
I looked away in haste. Sure, I was gaining information bit by bit from all the people I met, and from Keanu himself.
But I would not be that nosy and read his journal. Even though every part of me forced my eyes to stay glued to the ocean, and not glance at the book…
But what does it say?
No, Oli. That’s intruding.
What if it says something that will help me survive all of this?
Since when did I care about respecting his privacy? Last night proved he did not care for me, allowing the enemy to force me to dance. If Keanu did not care about my safety, should I care about his privacy? He left the journal out and open, after all.
Don’t stoop to the level of these people, I told myself and turned away to resist the temptation.
It was odd to me that these people–Kalani, Keanu, Pua, and more–were of the “upper” class, but they seemed to have the lowest of character.
They were cruel, confrontational, and seeking their own comfort. Is that what power did to people?
An owl hooted, and I jumped to see Malu perch on the balcony outside the room. We stared at each other for a moment before I approached him. He watched as I slowly extended my arm to stroke his head.
Just as I touched his soft brown feathers, he hooted again, as if to say he found me agreeable.
“I’m not like the rest of these people,” I reassured him, and he hooted again. “At least someone here is normal,” I said with a little laugh. I didn’t even know what normal was anymore…
I made my way to Keanu’s bookshelf and ran my hand over the titles, looking for anything that might help me solve the riddle. An old book about the gods stood out to me.
Flipping through, my eye caught onto the words “eternal flame.” It was in the section about heiau.
The torches at the heiau should always be lit, an eternal flame that welcomes all to worship the gods. To put out the torches is deeply disrespectful. Someone who willingly lights the torches again can make restitution for the one who put out the light.
The door opened, and I turned to see Keanu. He had dressed fully and prepared for the day, while I realized I wore only a white nightgown. It was modest, reaching up to my neck and covering my arms and legs, but still. I closed the book and returned it to the shelf.
He paused for a moment, then he smiled. I glared before making my way to the washroom, intending to ignore him.
I had work to do that day. I had more research to do and people to speak to before my time ran out.
“Good morning,” he said, but I closed the door, not responding.
A dress hung in the washroom, and this one seemed plainer than yesterday’s dress.
It was a black blouse with a sweetheart cut corset, lace that reached up my neck, and bell sleeves.
The corset was also black, and the accents on the matching black skirt were a burnt orange color.
It was actually quite pretty. But wearing it, of course, made me feel silly.
A necklace sat next to it, one with a gold chain and light purple gem.
I brushed through my long, dark hair as I observed myself in the mirror.
If I were prettier… I thought, then shook my head. I did not need to be pretty. I only needed to be smart.
I had information about Kalani that Keanu wanted, so let him beg for it.
When I opened the washroom door, I found Keanu at his desk, writing in the journal. He did a double take at me, which caused my stomach to do the fluttering thing again. He looked exceptional, as always, and wore black as well, matching me.
He bowed. “You look beautiful as usual.”
As usual? What a silly thing to say when he’d only known me for two days!
“Will you join me for breakfast?” he asked. “In the garden?”
“You will not force me to spend time with your cousin?” I asked, venom in my voice. He visibly cringed a little.
“No, Oliana. I am going to spend the day with you. If that’s alright with you.”
I frowned, already tired from this endless game of putting on a face and trying to look out for my own well-being. “It’s not all right with me. I have research to do and a curse to break.”
“And I wish to help you.” In two long strides, he stood in front of me. “Please. I must beg your forgiveness for what happened last night.” At that, he took my hands. My eyes widened as my heart began pattering like rain.
“I promise you, Oliana, I really will protect you. I have your best interests in mind, and I will do all I can to help break the curse. But I must also fulfill my duties as a chief.”
"And do you consider forcing your wife to dance at knifepoint ‘protecting’ me?" I pulled my hands away and folded my arms.
“You are now my queen, and I had hoped to know whether you trust him or not. And, to be honest, I hoped to gain information about Kalani’s plans and troops… all this by letting you dance with him.” Keanu knelt and looked up at me. Nobody had ever done this before.
“Stand up. What are you doing?”
“Asking you to forgive me.” He was serious. He was begging. No jokes. No flirtations. “I am sorry. I admit that I had the intention of using you last night, but I will never do it again.” He bowed his head. “I hope, with time, you can trust me.”
“You throw around the word ‘trust’ like it’s something that happens by chance,” I said.
“Well then how can I gain your trust, Oliana?” he asked. “I want us to be allies, to be on the same side, because, I assure you, I am on your side.”
“Then don’t waste my time–don’t throw me into this world and expect me to understand everything at once!” I fumed. “And don’t force me to do things that only benefit you. Yes, you kept your part of the bargain, but how can you expect me to be your ally when you feed me to the enemy and abandon me?”
Keanu understood, his eyes hurting… for me? “Oliana.” He stood and ran his fingers through his hair. Then he took a breath and said, “I’m so sorry. My intention is not to forsake you or leave you ignorant. I promise.” Why did he sound so sincere?
Keanu walked to his study where he leaned on the desk, wisps of his hair falling over his forehead.
“I can’t promise to always be with you physically,” he said.
“But I want to spend as much time with you as I can while I’m with you.
” At this, he approached me again and offered his arm.
“Kalani’s forces have retreated, and with that, I feel I can do leisure things.
Well.” The corner of his lip turned up. “Leisure, as in, spending time with you, and figuring out the riddle. I thought today might be a good day to do some research together.”
I kept my walls up. The Keanu I saw now was so different from the cocky one I knew previously.
What version could I trust? Or was this how he always was?
I knew, from personal experience, that when meeting someone for the first time, it was easy to put up a face, to make oneself seem larger than life. Was that the case with Keanu?
I hesitated, and he noticed. “I’ll spend the day with you, only if you want to,” he said. “If not, I can tell you some places and people I thought we could ask about the riddle.”
Warmth spread within my chest. It was… sincere that he was giving me a choice. Not forcing or pressuring like yesterday or the night we met. But one thoughtful deed didn’t make up for the fact I could’ve died the previous night.
I fidgeted with one sleeve and then flattened out my skirt.
“Alright, fine. I think I’d like you to help me today.
” I gave him a look. “But don’t expect to gain my trust any time soon.
Remember that you knowingly exposed me–with only weeks left to live–to a hostile enemy.
” It wasn’t enough to just scold him though.
He needed consequences. Real consequences.
“If you ever hope to regain my trust again, you will be honest with me,” I said. “And will not use me–for show, for information, for any other purposes that may put me in harm’s way.”
He took a slow breath. “Understood, milady. I assure you have my word.”
For a moment, we looked at one another, and I knew he felt guilty. Oh so guilty. Then Keanu nodded and held out his arm. “May I escort you to breakfast?”
“Yes.”
Our relationship was more delicate than ever, but I was proud of myself for standing up. Because, much to my surprise, Keanu did start changing… for me.