Page 14 of Forgotten Fate
When I looked back up, I realized I had been aimlessly walking with no destination in mind. Add that to the last half hour of walking I did with Elias, and I realized I was utterly lost. A little ways ahead, I saw a sign on a street corner with pointed boards, and stepped over to it. Each board was directing towards a different business:Inn, Library, Carpenter, Market, Tavern. I read through them all, including the last one which someone had attempted to scratch away with a knife.
Theater.
I grinned. The theater where my uncle and I trained seemed like the perfect place to rest for the night, rather than risking an inn or public space where I could be recognized.
I followed the direction of the sign and eventually made it to the city of Oreross where I found the theater and headed inside. It felt strange being back here so soon, where I could still see the shuffle marks in the dust from our training session. I set my pack down and made a small bed behind the torn curtains of the stage.
In a few short hours, I would be making my way out of Rimor for the first time since my mother’s murder. I would travel with Elias, a mysterious and evidently dangerous stranger. My life was aboutto change forever. I didn’t know what the journey would entail, or what answers I would find. The days and weeks ahead were scary and unknown. And yet, that night I slept peacefully for the first time in months.
CHAPTER SIX
Iwoke just before dawn, glad that I hadn’t accidentally slept too long. I quickly gathered my things and rushed out of the theater, the excitement of the journey ahead building in my mind. Although excited, I had to remind myself that there was a possibility Elias would not be waiting at the North Gates for me, and that my perception of him being an honest person could have been wrong.
Too excited to bother eating, I grabbed my pack and headed north. I knew I would eventually find the wall that bordered the city and, in turn, the North Gates. As I walked closer to our meeting place, the darkness slowly brightening as the sun was about to make its appearance, my enthusiasm started to turn into nervousness. What if Elias was deceptive after all? What if he changed his mind? What if he didn’t, and I was about to embark on a journey that would get me killed?
Another thought then hit me hard, and I stopped in my tracks. What if I gethimkilled? The quest would be dangerous, surely, with the possibility of running into bandits, wild creatures, and whatever else resided outside the safety of the Four Kingdoms. I was putting a stranger at risk for that alone.
But on top of that, my father – the most powerful king in the Four Kingdoms – would be searching for me the minute he realized I left. Would he think I was taken against my will? Or would he know I left on my own? No matter the case, he would likely put a large bounty over the head of anyone who might be found aiding my escape. Elias might be killed on sight. I took a deep breath and continued walking.
The sleepy citizens of Rimor had not yet been greeted good morning by the sunrise. My steps slowed and I stared at my heavy feet as my nerves increased. But it was too late to turn back. Too late to return to the safety and comfort of my home, to my father’s protection.
“I was wondering if you were going to show,” a low, sultry voice said from ahead. I looked up to see Elias leaning against a stone building close to the entryway to Rimor. Or in my case, the exit. As the sun slowly continued to rise, I could see Elias in much more detail than I had the previous night.
His hair was short with a modest cut, but just long enough to tousle in the slight breeze. Its color was that of dark chocolate. At night it looked almost black, but now I could see the dark brown hues mixed in. He also had dark stubble, which complimented his chiseled jawline. Just as I had seen the night before, his eyes were a honey-gold color, but as the sun began to rise I swore I could see the tiniest flecks of sapphire blue swirling within them.
He wore a white tunic topped with a black leather vest. His large muscles shown through the tight clothing, something I had already taken notice to the previous night. He had dark pants and nice leatherboots. The belt around his waist was similar to mine in which it sheathed a dagger. He carried a pack with him as well, presumably full of supplies for the journey.
“Good morning, Elias,” I answered.
Elias stood up from his leaning position and walked towards me, his handsome features more captivating in the rising light. “We should leave before the city awakens,” he said as his eyes locked on mine.
I stared into his beautiful eyes and guilt hit me even harder. The extra danger I was putting him in without him even knowing did not sit right with me. I decided at that moment that I should tell him the truth, before we got too far into our journey. He would likely question why I was about to refuse to take the normal traveled paths anyway.
“Before we leave,” I began, “I…have to confess something.” He maintained eye contact, but his expression did not alter. “I hope this doesn’t change your mind about helping me,” I continued. “But if it does, I understand.”
He said nothing, only stared.
“I didn’t lie to you about my name,” I went on. “I do go by Aura. But my full name is Aurelia.”
I waited for his expression to change to shock or confusion – for him to stumble backwards, or run away entirely.
“Okay,” was all he said.
It was my face which turned to that of confusion. Did he not know the name Aurelia, Princess of Rimor? Even though I hadn’t left Rimor in ten years, had the rest of the kingdoms forgotten my name?
I cleared my throat. “I’m sorry, maybe I need to explain further. I am Aurelia, daughter of…”
“I know who you are, Princess,” he interrupted. I looked at him in complete surprise, but he remained expressionless.
“You…you know?” I whispered. He nodded. “How? When?”
He stepped closer, only an arm’s length between us now. “The moment you walked into the alehouse, I could tell,” he confessed. “The way you walk and speak is different. Regal.”
I always thought I was the least elegant princess to ever exist.
“Then you placed a gold coin onto the bar, and I knew you weren’t a mere civilian,” he continued. “A copper piece or two would have been enough.”
I didn’t even carry copper pieces with me, I could only find gold in our vaults.