Chapter Three #3
The king nods, smiling.
Brandt puts a hand to his chest and sighs.
I try to unclench my teeth as I ask, “How many people did you discuss the matter with?” The worst thing that could happen right now, with David still so uncertain about our relationship, would be for someone to talk to him about it.
I should be able to get him back to Earth without running into anyone else, but with the migration plans proceeding, he’s going to have contact with many elves and dragons, and if they know, they won’t hold back.
Oversharing is a cultural failing.
It seems to have missed me, though. I’m very discreet and private about my feelings.
The king waves a hand dismissively. “Just Brandt.”
Finally, some good news. “It might be best if we keep it that way.”
“But—” Brandt begins to protest.
Firmly, I repeat, “It would be best. When the time comes, I’m sure you can be the first to spread the news.” I sneak a sideways glance at David, mostly to see if he’s guessed what we’re talking about, but also partly because I like looking at him.
There’s a tiny quirk to his lips and a curious gleam in his eyes. I’m going to assume that means he doesn’t know we’re talking about him, but he finds the antics of my leaders to be charming rather than ridiculous. I can be glad for that much, at least.
Then he looks at me, and for the first time ever, there’s a softness to his gaze. It’s warm. It’s… dare I say, fond?
“I think we’re all going to get on well together,” he declares. Hope perks up inside me.
Maybe this day turned out well after all.
Later, while David, a silent Gideon—I’m still not entirely sure why he came. He hasn’t said a single word since he greeted the king—and Brandt discuss the specific needs of dragons, the king takes Garin and me next door to his office.
“Your Majesty,” I begin as soon as he closes the door, but I don’t get the chance to say more before he pounces, wrapping me in a tight hug.
This has never happened before.
Literally never.
I’ve worked for King Raeulfr in some form or other for thousands of years, and never has he embraced me, much less with such fervor and enthusiasm.
I meet Garin’s gaze over the king’s shoulder. He’s as wide-eyed with shock as I imagine I am.
“Ah… Your Majesty?” I manage. Am I supposed to hug him back? We don’t generally lay hands on the royal person, but it seems rude not to hug him back. I compromise by giving him a genial pat on the back.
“I’m just so thrilled for you!” he exclaims, finally letting go.
I take a few quick steps back in case he decides to get grabby again.
I wonder if there’s a way to put Garin between us without seeming odd.
“You’ve fallen in love, and it’s with a paired soul”—my heart jumps, joy filling me—“ and it will cement relations between species and help pave the way for our acceptance on Earth!”
The bottom falls out of my world. I hadn’t thought of that.
Why didn’t I think of that? It’s even been discussed that David and I are representatives of different peoples coming together after not having contact for millennia.
How did I miss the fact that our relationship would be held up as an example of cooperation between species—between worlds?
Garin seems completely unfazed by the king’s comments, so clearly he thought of it. David likely has too—that might even be the reason he’s so reluctant.
The king’s not done yet. “I can think of no greater reward for someone who has served so tirelessly for so long than for the life force to grace you with a loving partner, but even in love, you find a way to aid your people.”
Er…
How do I diplomatically tell him that my people were the last thing on my mind when I met David?
Garin shakes his head slightly, so I dredge up a weak smile and say, “You’re too kind, sir.”
“Sit, sit. Tell me all about your David. Garin says he’s reluctant to enter a relationship before our alliance has been solidified?” He strides around his desk and sits in the large thronelike chair.
I perch on the very edge of one of what I privately think of as the supplicants’ chairs and say, “Yes. He’s also a very practical man and not used to the concept of paired souls.” I hesitate. “You did say our souls are—”
“Beautifully, wonderfully, unmistakably paired,” he assures me.
I’m still not sure what to make of this more effusive, almost casual version of my king.
Could it possibly be that some heretofore unknown alien being, desperate to escape the forthcoming destruction of our dimension, has taken over the body of our leader and plans to flee to Earth with no one the wiser?
Or maybe the king slipped and hit his head? Though surely somebody would have noticed that. He’s very rarely entirely alone.
Just as I’m trying to think of a way to ask that won’t earn me a reprimand and a demotion, King Raeulfr makes a sound of pure pleasure, raises his arms to the ceiling and tips back his head, and says, “I feel giddy today. Giddy, I tell you! It’s like a weight has been lifted from me and I can finally breathe again.
I haven’t failed my people. They’re not all going to die.
They’re going to live, and be safe, and our numbers will grow again, and everything will be okay.
” He lowers his arms and looks at us both.
“I shouldn’t burden you with my worries, but it’s been a tough road, especially these last few centuries, when everything really started to look hopeless.
All I had to hold on to was my faith in the life force and my thirst for vengeance.
” He tips his head and gives me a wry little smile.
“I know you thought I was crazy when I told you to go to Earth and do whatever you could to thwart éibhear. Maybe I was. Certainly, we could have used you here, helping to maintain the settlement. But I have been vindicated! There is hope, and there is love, and we will enact our revenge upon éibhear so we can all live happily ever after.”
Garin clears his throat. “Forgive me for asking, sire, but have you been drinking?”
My sentiments exactly.
He laughs. “No, but I feel almost as though I have. I was so worried. I’ve been so worried.
Even after you came back and told me the lucifer had offered sanctuary and asked for Garin and Eerika to go with you and begin work on the plans, I was worried.
I thought it could not be true. I thought perhaps their offer was too good to be true.
Or that it would have conditions attached that I could not in good conscience agree to.
It wasn’t until I saw your David and his pure, beautiful soul that I knew all would be well.
A soul like that would never knowingly subject thousands to death or misery if it could act to prevent it. ”
Ahhh… I understand now. He feels the way I did when Lucifer Percy first made his offer and I wanted to weep and shout my joy all at once. I had to restrain myself, not wanting to make a bad impression and cause him to change his mind, but the king is free to express himself.
But I didn’t realize that he also could see David’s soul so clearly.
That’s not a gift we have—even those of us who can see paired souls only see the direction of soul growth, not the essence of the soul itself.
I thought I could see David’s glowing soul beauty because of what he means to me, but if the king can see it also…
I turn to Garin. “Can you see David’s soul?”
“Of course not. You know I can’t see… wait. Do you mean his actual soul, not just the pair bond? I didn’t even know it was possible.”
“Neither did I,” I admit. “I thought it was because I’m in love with him.”
We both look to the king. He’s got a distant, thoughtful look in his eye.
“Your Majesty?” Garin prompts.
“Yes… No, I’ve never been able to see a soul before either. But the life force is being very calm and reassuring right now, so I have to assume it had something to do with it. Perhaps a way of showing us that migrating to Earth is a wise choice?”
Considering that the alternative would result in our extinction, I really don’t see how the migration could not be considered wise, but it’s already decided, so there’s no value in further discussion.
“That’s probably it,” I agree. “I’m sure if others also see it, they’ll mention it, and then we’ll know it’s something else.”
“Excellent point. Now. Tell me, how do you plan to convince your David that he should cleave unto you forever?”
I resist the urge to squirm. While I appreciate his support, I’m not certain I want to discuss courtship plans with my king.
He watches me expectantly.
On the other hand, I don’t seem to have a choice.
I sigh. “As I mentioned, he’s extremely practical and committed to work.
His primary focus right now seems to be the current situation with éibhear and now our migration.
Attempting to distract him from that may cause him to think I don’t respect his work ethic—or take the current crisis seriously.
Now that I’ve established my feelings for him, I believe the best move would be to step into a supportive colleague role.
Show that I can be a valuable part of his life.
And then once all is settled, I can test the waters again for more. ”
King Raeulfr purses his lips, appearing to consider my words.
“I like it,” he decides finally. I don’t mention that I hadn’t asked for his opinion.
“It shows your commitment and at the same time respects his boundaries. And in the meantime, we’ll have plenty of opportunities to show you in the best light.
In just a short time, I can already tell you both have so much in common. ”
It seems King Raeulfr has decided to help me woo David, and I’m honestly terrified by the very thought.
He has innumerable resources at hand. And that “we”…
did he mean the royal we? He doesn’t often use it, especially not in informal situations like this one, but the alternative is that he plans to rope others into whatever cockamamie scheme he has planned to “show me in the best light.”
But, once again, I really can’t refuse.
“Thank you,” I say weakly, and Garin shoots me a sympathetic grimace. I’m not going to forget that this is all his fault.
The king nods in satisfaction, then thankfully moves on to working out the minutiae of our next steps.
David believes that with sufficient input for his team of organizers, we’ll be able to begin the migration in as little as a week and potentially be finished within just a few months.
The actual travel time is inconsequential, of course, since a portal takes only a few steps to cross, but there is the detail of opening and maintaining portals large enough to allow big groups to cross quickly.
We considered using smaller portals and keeping them open for longer stretches of time, but ultimately that is a larger energy drain, and we don’t have so many elves left capable of opening portals that we can afford to exhaust them.
Lingering at the back of all our minds is the knowledge that at any time, the collapse of our dimension could speed up, and at that point, we’d need to be able to move as many people as possible as quickly as possible.
The first group to travel to Earth will be a tactical response team, accompanied by several officials with the requisite knowledge of what a settlement of elves and dragons will need.
The tactical team will assist to locate and neutralize éibhear while also assessing the safety of the proposed settlement locations.
As soon as they judge it appropriate, we’ll begin migrating civilians—a group of young and able-bodied first, so we can put them to work assisting with the setup and maintenance of the settlement and then have them help the elderly and young families to acclimate when we start to bring them over.
Small groups of soldiers—not that we have many left—will accompany each migration group, until all that’s left behind is a rearguard to ensure nobody’s been missed and nothing of value has been forgotten.
Still up for debate is when the king and Brandt will move to Earth. Garin and I would like it to be with one of the early civilian groups, but he seems to think he should be one of the last.
“We don’t need to decide this right now,” Garin finally says tactfully. “It’s past time for lunch—why don’t we see if our guests are hungry?”
The king narrows his eyes. “Are you trying to manage me?”
“Absolutely,” Garin assures him. “We’re determined that you won’t be the last one to leave, but we don’t want to argue with you about it.”
I nod. “A lunch break is a tactical decision,” I add. “A temporary cease-fire that will allow us all to regroup.”
He stares at us, then throws back his head with laughter. “People ask me sometimes why I rely on you two so much when there are others with more experience,” he chortles. “This. This is why.” He heaves himself out of his chair. “Come on, then. Let’s have lunch.”