CHAPTER XIX #7
The full of the table shifts quietly, but Thomas’ eyes narrow on mine just slightly.
“Have you ever been, Sir Thomas?” I ask him sweetly, taking a sip of my drink, “to Pyre?”
“I have yet to make the travel,” he replies.
“A pity,” I extend my glass in a toast and smile again, “to your safe travels to Pyre, then. Whenever they may be.”
Miles shifts in his seat next to me, as does his wife, but I drink to the Discerni man knowing that he’ll never make the trip for the rest of his years.
“And what of the Prince?” Constance asks, averting my gaze from Sir Thomas, “did he take the travel with you?”
That’s the second time her and her husband have inquired into Keane. Why?
“He did,” I nod to the Discerni woman, “we had a full company. His brother, Prince Desmond, Lord Daniel, and a few human soldiers as well.”
“Fascinating,” Constance smiles. She leans back in her chair and looks over the rest of the table slowly, “a proper delegation accompanied the Lady Alexis, one that was sanctioned by our King.”
I try to hide my grin.
She’s reminding them.
Reminding the men and their wives that I traveled on behalf of Zander and was escorted into foreign lands by his sons.
She’s reminding them to play nice.
“And Golem?” Sir Kirke glances behind me with a small scowl directed at the magical creature, “has he been at your side as well?”
“He has,” I quip, not caring for his tone.
“Why?”
I narrow my eyes on him before slowly turning in my chair. Golem looks back at me with one of his rare smiles and nods his head softly. I grin in understanding and turn to the table, making sure to look directly at Sir Kirke in my reply.
“Why, for the adventure, of course.”
Sir Miles and Lord Alexander each try to hide their smiles, their gazes looking anywhere on the table but at me and Kirke.
“But surely you must understand why we are all confused,” Kirke’s wife glances stoically between Golem and I, “for you to walk into court with our King’s Golem. The look on the Queen’s face was one born of shock.”
“Our entry tonight was not meant to slight the Queen,” I reply genuinely, “but rather, it was an entry between two friends who only wish to enjoy each other’s company tonight.”
“Friends?” Thomas scoffs from across the table as Golem shifts behind me, “you were only gone for less than a month, Lady Alexis. That’s not nearly enough time to make friends with the King’s Golem of over a century.”
My next inhale is slow and measured as I try to still my raging heart. I know, without looking behind me, that Golem is also trying his best to maintain his indifference.
“How very wrong you are in that sentiment, Sir Thomas.”
“Is this even allowed?” his wife huffs, tossing her hand into the air, “a human with a magical being? Two magical beings?”
“Lady Alexis is sitting at a table filled with magical beings right now, Lady Maryann,” Lord Alexander reminds her.
“This is different,” the woman scowls, her eyes glancing back to me and Golem as I grip my drink in front of me.
“How so?” the Lord inquires.
He keeps his tone simple and relaxed, letting no emotions through.
I steal a glance in his direction and watch as his toned body leans forward, truly seeming interested in whatever answer Maryann has to give.
The Discerni woman looks over to her husband for help as the rest of the table remains quiet.
“What I’ve learned from my recent travels, Lady Maryann,” I push down the resentment I already have for this woman and try to give her a genuine smile, “and something I hope will transfer into my presence back here in Bardot, is that no amount of magical ability will stand between two people, two beings, who genuinely want to appreciate the time they have here on this Old World.”
“Well said, Lady Alexis,” Sir Petarch smiles, as does his wife.
“It is a sentiment held by the Court of Warriors,” I push calmly, turning back in my seat to nod to the swath of black in the room, “they do not discern between magical ability. Nor, do they seem, to care.”
“But your lives are so short,” Lady Jordyn shakes her head softly, truly curious, “why would you want to be reminded of those of us who live longer?”
I give the Discerni woman a small nod, recognizing her question as genuine.
“If it is a reminder, Lady, I hope it only serves as one to you all,” I slowly look around the table, “as humans, we seek to embrace our limited years and thrive within them, to experience everything that the Old World has to offer without idleness and without patience. We seize each day, knowing that it truly may be our last…”
The ground below me begins a small rumble, “and the people I have met along my travels, those from Warrior and beyond, act as no reminder to a shortened life, but instead as a reminder to a life worth truly appreciating as one to live.”
The glasses on the table begin to shake, their vibrations causing the seated Discerni to look around in confusion. A few of them steady their hands on their drinks as I hastily push back in my seat, recognizing the movement for what it is, what he is.
Sir Miles stands with me as I bow to the group in departure, “if you’ll excuse me…”
I quickly make my way from the table, though not before noticing Lord Alexander’s hazel eyes looking quietly in the direction of Keane.
“Another water show…”
Lord Daniel moves to stand at my side at the edge of the balcony, the two of us the only ones outside as Edam manipulates a fountain within the large room for court.
It’s a beautiful spring night filled with the bright moons and stars above us, but the presence of the Leviathans seems to take away the glitter that usually resides.
“Lord Daniel,” I smile, catching his light brown eyes with mine. Daniel reaches for my hand and brings it to his lips, nodding in greeting.
“Hello to you too, Storm,” he smiles at the Bird of Ash. Stormfall gives a small caw from my shoulder as Lord Daniel hands me a new ale, the two of us continuing to watch the crowd indoors.
“I was surprised to see you bring him tonight, Lady Alexis.”
Lord Daniel glances at me in question. I take in our position on the veranda and then look back to the entranced crowd, thinking this may be just as good a moment as ever.
“I’ve actually been meaning to speak with you, Lord Daniel,” I smile, tilting my head farther down the balcony. Daniel takes the hint and walks at my side towards the ledge, the two of us resuming our quiet view of the crowd.
“This has to do with your comments from last night, yes?” he asks curiously, taking a sip of ale.
“Yes,” I affirm, turning to him in open gesture, “and everything that has happened since we departed from Gaumond. There are things that happened along our travel that I wish for you to know, things that only a certain few between us are already aware of.”
“If you choose to share with me, Lady Alexis, then I will consider it a testament to the friendship we have built over the past month.”
“Alexis, please,” I chastise with a smile, “and it is a testament, Lord Daniel, because I feel the same sentiment.”
The Discerni Lord openly grins and nods behind his ale, “then I would be honored to share the conversation, Alexis.”
My eyes crinkle at his use of my given name, still spoken with the same politeness that always inhibits his actions. I slowly angle myself towards the crowd and focus my sights on the Leviathan Prince with a sigh.
“I found Stormfall on my travel to Pyre, as you know. He was born from ash that fell into my hands after discovering a magical book in the library at Red Falls…”
Lord Daniel watches me with surprised and perceptive eyes. He brings a hand up to his beard in thought but remains quiet, letting me continue.
“I’ve been traveling over the last two years at the request of King Zander.
He’s allowed me to grace the mystical libraries of Disce due to an agreement formed by him and the other leaders of the Four Kingdoms. The agreement dictated that an exception to the Old World rule would be made for a single human to enter the Kingdoms’ libraries. ”
“You’ve been visiting our magical libraries for the last two years?” he asks, gaze filled in both disbelief and awe.
“I have,” I nod softly, “I have been searching for a book on behalf of the King.”
“Ancients, Alexis,” he exhales, “you’re the first of your kind to do so in-”
“-Thousands of years,” I smile.
He chuckles, shaking his head in wonder, “no mushrooms for you and your men then?”
“No,” I laugh, “though we did come close on one of our travels.”
Daniel’s eyes sparkle as he takes a hefty drink, “so you found your book in Pyre… and Stormfall?”
“Yes. And what I learned from that recent travel is that Stormfall is the Ancient Hirovale’s Bird of Ash, his right hand. He’s been gifted to me by the Ancient.”
“I suspected after last night’s conversation,” he nods, turning a curious glance to Storm, “but why would the Ancient reach out?”
I eye Daniel quietly, “because the magical book I was sent to find on behalf of the King was more than just a book. It held a prophecy within its pages about the Old World, a prophecy that promotes the restoration of magic to all beings, and I suspect that the Ancient Hirovale is its main author.”
Lord Daniel’s gaze darts back and forth across my face in bewilderment, “surely you don’t mean…”
“Humans,” I nod with a conflicted smile, “he wishes to restore magic to humans.”
“Ancients,” he grimaces, “and you’re okay with this?”
I blanche at his question, at the way his simple words take me by surprise. Is Lord Daniel the first Discerni to be of the same opinion as me?
“I’m battling,” I admit, taking a sip of ale, “I don’t enjoy knowing that the Ancient feels humans need the magic. He’s told me that he wa-”
“-You’ve met him?” Lord Daniel takes a step forward in shock, “the Ancient does not sleep?”