10. Aurelio
Iwatch Daelia’s reaction carefully, my heart pounding in my chest.
Is this how everyone feels when they meet their significant other’s family? I wonder.
It feels like a mind trip, staring into the eyes of Alessia’s twin. They look exactly alike. It would be impossible for me to tell them apart from a distance. Standing here and waiting for Daelia’s approval feels strangely the same as awaiting Alessia’s approval; they even have the same look in their eyes.
Or, wait…do they?
No, they don’t. Daelia’s gaze is softer, much softer, with a constant slight smile to back it up. And, now that I’m looking closer, she has a ton of freckles from sunburns over the years. She’s also got a deeper tan—from her recent trip, no doubt. I can barely tell with all her armor on, but I think Daelia has a bulkier build than Alessia, too, a result of training to be a hero all her life. Her workout regimen has to be insane for her to pull off the stunts I’ve heard about over the years. And there—sitting around her neck is a necklace, a simple silver necklace with the symbol of the Church, which is just a circle with evenly spaced lines radiating from it, the symbol of a burst of holy light. Like other mages, I’m sure she’s forbidden from taking it off. I can use it as an easy way to tell her apart when it’s harder to see.
Good. The last thing I need is to mistake one for the other and have Alessia breathing down my neck for it.
“Future king of Celestia, huh?” Daelia says, looking me up and down. “You definitely look the part. Alessia, don’t tell me you picked him just for looks, did you?”
I instantly wish to blink out of existence. Alessia, on the other hand, bursts out laughing at my expense.
“No, I didn’t, although it’s a nice added perk.”
“What am I, a pretty thing to look at?” I grumble.
“Yes, actually. Most kings just sit there and look pretty while the queen takes action. Look to our father, for example,” Alessia says, shooting her sister a look.
Daelia rolls her eyes. “You’re too hard on him. He’s an aging, lonely man, you know.”
“He’s lost his nerve. I’m glad I took the throne before he could let anyone walk all over us.”
I glance between the two sisters, seeing the look of understanding pass between them. It’s uncanny, the way they can silently speak to one another. I know people say twins can practically share thoughts, but to do so after spending most of their lives apart is pretty impressive. Some might call it scary.
“So, I hear you’re going out on a honeymoon of sorts,” Daelia remarks. “Where are you headed?”
I nearly choke on air. “Honeymoon?”
Alessia blanches. “Oh, someone’s given you the wrong idea—!”
Daelia claps her sister on the back, nearly knocking her over. “I’m kidding. I know you’re looking to visit our allies to establish good relations during your rule. It’s customary for royalty; we’ve hosted Wrucerian royalty before, back when their new king was coronated.”
“Oh.” Alessia’s face turns a brand-new shade of red. “Right. Of course you were teasing. I knew that.”
You’re a terrible liar.I run a hand through my hair, hoping my face isn’t matching hers. “Well, all jokes aside, have you decided whether you’ll be accompanying us?”
“I will. I’ve gotten permission from the Holy Mother herself. In my stead, my usual party will stay behind and attend to any quests issued in my absence.”
“Your party?” I question, raising a brow. “Are you part of the guild?”
“Not exactly. I’m a special case. Although my party is registered with the guild, because I’m the Hero of Celestia, I cannot register. Instead, the Holy Mother accepts specific requests and sends me when she deems it necessary. I bring my party along by my choice, not by command.”
“So, do you usually escort people to other countries?”
“That is a common job sent my way,” Daelia says, her smile faltering. “It’s necessary for me to accompany any religious officials or mages on their journeys, and sometimes, a high-profile member of the Church will need assistance getting to the other villages. The most excitement I see is a request to slay a particularly pesky high-level monster, and that happens once every few years.”
I whistle. “Sorry, we’re asking you the same favor as everyone else.”
“Oh, it’s not a problem! This is much different from my usual quests!” Daelia throws her arm around Alessia’s shoulders, patting her sister’s head. “I never get to see this one, so it’s nice to get some time with her!”
“Daelia, you don’t have to tackle me. I know you love me,” Alessia grumbles, fighting to get away.
“Oh, no you don’t!”
I cover my mouth to stifle a laugh as Daelia grabs Alessia’s shoulder, trips her from behind, then scoops her up and throws her across her upper back in one fluid motion. Alessia is stuck being draped across her sister’s back like a giant sack of potatoes.
“Daelia! Put me down!”
“Nope! I express affection through terrorizing my sibling. You’ll have to deal with it!” She gestures for me to follow. “Come on, lover boy. I have to pack this thing into my suitcase.”
“This is no way to treat the queen of your nation!” Alessia protests.
“You’re my sister. I have a free pass.”
“Free pass, my ass! Put me down!” Alessia looks at me with pleading eyes. “Help me? Please?”
I put my hands up in a gesture of innocence. “Sorry, I can’t help you there. I don’t interfere with sibling bonding time.”
“Smart man. Do you have siblings of your own?” Daelia asks.
She casually leads the way into the prayer hall like carrying her sister is perfectly normal. My chest unexpectedly warms at the sight, even though the gestures of affection are so foreign to me.
“No, I don’t. But I’ve grown up around plenty of large families to understand sibling dynamics. My friend Kharu was like a brother to me, and he had six older sisters.”
“Kharu? I’ve heard that name. He’s one of the country’s up-and-coming knights, is he not?”
“He is. I’m not surprised you’ve heard of him. He’s won a lot of knight tournaments recently.”
“Huh. You must be formidable yourself, then,” Daelia says, shooting me a supportive grin. “It’s not just anyone that can rise to the top of the knight ranks.”
“Oh, believe me, I’m no match for Kharu, but I can hold my own.”
“Please. I handed your ass to you in two minutes flat,” Alessia grumbles.
Daelia rolls her eyes. “Alessia, you’re twice as strong as him. It’s not a fair fight. Why did you humiliate him like that?”
“He deserved it.”
Daelia deadpans. “Did he really?”
“I’d like to state for the record that I, in fact, did not deserve that beat down,” I say.
My statement is not received well by the intended recipient, and my shit-eating grin only tempts her frustration to transform into irritation. Daelia, however, holds out her arm for a fist-bump, shooting me a wink.
“Holding out for two minutes is a big deal with this one. You deserve a whole holiday for that triumph.”
I give her a first bump, but a twinge of fear has me a little lightheaded. Two minutes is a big deal with Alessia? If my match is considered successful, I don’t want to know what her match against a run-of-the-mill knight would look like.
Just how powerful is she? Have I married a catastrophe-level magic user?
Shuddering silently, I follow Daelia into the Prayer Hall, which appears as a highly ornate, historic version of a typical church congregation. The vaulted ceilings stretch at least three or four stories overhead, if not five, and paintings from throughout the centuries decorate the walls. The sunlight shimmers interestingly in the spellglass and reflects at random across the walls and floors. A carving of Atena, our goddess of war, sits at the very center of the room, where the vertical and horizontal aisleways meet between the four sections of pews. She stands in a triumphant pose, her face angled toward the heavens, her shield arm raised high above her head, and her sword brandished in victory. Daelia kneels before her, bowing her head in a silent prayer. Alessia goes still on her back and quiets herself respectfully.
I don’t know much about the goddesses, but I do know that if I had followed in the footsteps of the devout Church mages, I would be a follower of Atena. She’s the goddess that most knights pray to before battle, asking for blessings of foresight, mastery of the mind, and mercy to a fallen opponent. I have a feeling that Daelia, being the Hero of Celestia, has chosen to follow her for similar reasons.
When Daelia rises, she sets her sister down on her feet, then turns to address the mages that have been following us.
“Leave us.”
I glance over my shoulder to see the mages bow out of the room, shutting the doors behind themselves as they go. Daelia beckons me closer, and she gathers Alessia and I at the foot of the statue, her eyes glinting sharply.
“Listen, I know you want us to travel alone, but I do have one request,” Daelia says, her gaze flickering to me. “You need to be on your guard. I usually travel through the Wendigo Forest with my party by my side, but you’ve requested to go alone. That means one of me for every monster we encounter. If we encounter more than one, you will be required to fight. Are you sure you don’t want me to ask for backup?”
Alessia shakes her head. “I don’t think it will be necessary.”
I frown. “Have you ever seen real combat, Alessia?”
She shoots me a glare. “And so what if I haven’t? If I can take you down, even a Wendigo doesn’t stand a chance.”
“That’s a risky move,” Daelia warns, her frown deepening. “I almost died the first time I faced a Wendigo, and I had the same attitude as you. It’s not that I lacked the strength; they take you by surprise, those monsters. They sneak up on you without warning, make no sound, and go for the vitals without mercy. They multiply with every kill, and they feast off the flesh of their victims until there’s nothing but bones. And that’s not all; there’s been rumors floating around that demons and elves have been appearing in droves in the forest, especially at night. Some of the recent adventurer disappearances may be attributed to their actions.”
“Then we’ll travel only at night,” Alessia insists. “That way, we’ll never be asleep when the monsters are out prowling.”
My gut twists into a knot. As smart as that plan is, I can’t help but get a bad feeling about this. I understand we need to travel alone to appear as a peaceful delegation of royals—traveling with common adventurers is improper etiquette and taken as a sign of disrespect—but the risks are high. The Wendigo Forest has been getting more dangerous every year. At least one adventurer is slain every month by the monsters that lurk within the shadows of those ancient trees.
I take one look at Alessia’s face, though, and know that it’s no use to protest. Her jaw is set. Her mind is clearly made up, and she’s ready for a fight if one comes her way. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she’s looking for a real fight.
Who am I to stop her? She’s Queen of Celestia, after all.
“Well, what’s the harm in tempting a little danger?” I say, putting my arm around Alessia. “If she says she can take them on, then she can take them on. I don’t need another beat down to know what she’s capable of.”
Alessia glances up at me appreciatively, and I nearly melt into my shoes. Her face is too cute when she’s looking up at me like that! She looks way smaller with my arm around her, and her head tilted back at the perfect angle for a kiss—
Wait, what?! No! Now is not the time!
I suddenly feel the need for another freezing cold shower. I stand there, kicking myself for getting anywhere near Alessia as Daelia finishes speaking.
“Alright, then. We’ll head into the Wendigo Forest, just the three of us. I’ll do most of the monster hunting, but I’ll leave one for you, Alessia,” Daelia promises, her smile returning. “I’ll meet you outside the stables in two hours. Pack lightly.”
“We will,” Alessia promises.
She doesn’t remove my arm as we exit the Church and head back for the palace. I can already tell this is going to be a long, embarrassing, and unfortunately enjoyable trip to our allied nations.