Page 45 of Forgotten Fate
“My name is Rose, and this is… Gabriel.”
Elias shot me a glance. Even though I wasn’t so sure that Horus even knew his name, I wasn’t going to take any chances. So I picked the name of Magda’s lover. Seemed fitting.
“Where do you reside from?” the guard asked.
“We are nomads who have been traveling between kingdoms in peace,” I replied. I was afraid if I gave a specific kingdom, he would quiz me on it. And although I was well-versed in knowledge of the Four Kingdoms as one of their princesses, I was in a hurry to get in before the guard could potentially recognize me.
The guard shouted an order down to someone who stood behind the gate, then it began to lower. “Welcome to Monuvia,” he then said to us. I bowed, then Elias and I crossed the bridge and entered the kingdom.
The moon was full that night, and it lit up the city beautifully. The streams and channels that flowed through the kingdom reflected the light from the moon and the stars, and I had never seen anything like it. Each waterway had a number of bridges throughout, so people couldsafely cross.
I wasn’t sure exactly where I was going, but I found myself following the sound of the music, Elias in tow. Eventually we reached Enaver, their main city, and came up on a large group of Monuvians dancing and clapping around three musicians. One played the flute as he danced around, making the children around him laugh and cheer. Next to him sat a woman playing a string instrument that resembled a small harp, her eyes closed as her body swayed with the alluring music she created. Lastly, an elderly man patted his fingers against two large drums, creating a rhythmic beat. He, too, laughed as he watched his colleague dance around with the flute. My eyes lit up at the scene.
It had been some time since I witnessed something so jubilant and festive. Even in Rimor, the only music I heard was when my father hired someone to play for us at the castle. It was nothing like this, with a crowd of people dancing and laughing together. It was never this cheerful and full of life. Per my father, there was nothing to celebrate in Rimor after my mother’s passing. No need for gleeful music and dancing within our castle walls.
I turned to a woman who stood next to me, her arm clinging to a man as they swayed and laughed together. “Excuse me,” I said to her. She looked at me with a big smile. “Is this some sort of festivity? Or does this happen every night?”
The woman dropped her head back and laughed. “No, my dear, we are celebrating the full moon!”
I had almost forgotten the strange traditions Monuvians had. They believed our connection to water brings us closer to the gods, and that water and the moon were somehow linked. It didn’t make sense to me, but it did to them. And clearly it brought them joy and enlightenment, and who was I to argue with that?
Just then, the musicians finished their song and took a bow, the crowd whistling and cheering their appreciation. I turned to Elias,who appeared impassive. He glanced around, eyeing his surroundings carefully. I placed my hand on his, energy silently pulsating through the touch.
“I think we’re safe here, Elias,” I said quietly to him. “You were right. We can relax.” I gave him a reassuring smile. Before he could respond, the musicians began playing another upbeat song that got the crowd going. I started to laugh. “Dance with me?”
Elias peered into my eyes. “I don’t dance,” he said huskily.
“Suit yourself,” I shrugged, and I tossed my pack to him and made my way deeper into the crowd before he could stop me. The music reverberated in my soul, and I bounced with the beat along with the crowd around me. As a princess, I was taught to dance, but they were slow, waltz-like dances that required a partner. This? This was different. I could move the way I wanted to move, and let the music take over my body. It wasn’t an instructive set of movements I had to memorize. I was free to be completely me.
Song after song, I danced with the Monuvian people. It didn’t seem like I would be recognized here. Not when they were so focused on the celebration. Children came up to me and took my hands and I laughed as we danced in circles. One of them gave me her necklace made of flowers. I thanked her and kissed her forehead before continuing our dance. One woman came up and handed me a drink. It smelled like berries and oranges and honey. I took a sip, and it burnt my throat going down, indicating it definitely had some sort of liquor in it. It was delicious though, and I finished it a little too quickly.
I noticed Elias had made his way to a bench where the non-dancers sat and watched joyfully, most of them being elderly people. Elias’s large, brooding frame stood out like a sore thumb between them, which made me laugh. He watched me intently as I let my hair down and danced like the commoner I suddenly wished I was. A commonerwho was free to do as she pleased. A commoner who wasn’t bound to a castle by guards and rules. A commoner who didn’t carry the heavy weight of an entire kingdom on her shoulders.
After a few more songs, I quickly realized how tired I truly was as my legs wobbled beneath me. I made my way to Elias, my head slightly buzzing from the drink. Perhaps I shouldn’t have taken it on an empty stomach.
“There is a small inn down the street here,” Elias said to me as I wiped the sweat from my brow. “We can see if they have rooms available.”
“Did you learn that from your new friends?” I joked, nagging him for sitting with the old folks. I playfully slapped him on the shoulder.
Elias pursed his lips. “Have you had too much to drink?”
I scoffed. “No. I only had one.” Or was it two? I couldn’t remember. The pure bliss of the night drowned out everything else.
“Alright, let’s get you to bed,” he said, gently interlocking our arms as he led the way. I complied, and we made our way to a cozy little inn only a few streets down from the city center.
We stepped inside, and the place reminded me of a storybook. A small fire lit up the fireplace, and a few patrons sat around it, drinking and laughing. Decorations hung all over the walls, mostly night-sky themed. The innkeeper who stood behind the bar was a jolly-looking man with a large belly and bulbous nose and round, rosy cheeks. His black beard matched his full head of long, wavy hair, although his beard had much more gray mixed in.
“Welcome to the StarMoon Inn, travelers,” he boomed. “The name is Sam. What can I do for you?”
“We just need lodging for the night,” Elias replied, his solemn demeanor the complete opposite of Sam’s boisterous attitude. I had let go of his arm and walked around the inn’s lobby, admiring the beautifully crafted art that lined its walls.
“You’re in luck, lad. I’ve got one room left for you.” I half-listened to them behind me while I admired the décor and they exchanged coins for a room key. “Breakfast will be available in the morning at no extra charge,” Sam said with a smile. Monuvians really were the friendliest people. I almost wished Rimor was more like that. Compared to the Cracked Hoof, this inn was paradise.
After a moment, Elias came up behind me and gently nudged my arm. I followed him up the staircase and into our safe haven for the night. The room was quite small, but cozy. Similar to those I had seen downstairs, sculptures and paintings of moons, stars, and night skies lined the walls of our room as well. Sam really went all out with the theme of the place.
I sat at the edge of the bed, trying to sober my mind to stop my head from spinning. I had been drunk before, much worse than this, when Rose helped me sneak a few bottles of wine into my room from the castle kitchen. Neither of us could even function the next day. Of course my father found out and was livid.
When I looked up, I saw Elias laying out his blanket on the floor. I gave him a confused look, and turned around to look at the bed. It was much smaller than my one at home, but certainly big enough for two people.