Aries and the Prince No More, page 11
Aries sat at the table studying the box while everyone in the pub watched her. They looked on intently, and, once again, the music stopped. She wasn’t typically bothered by awkward situations, but she felt her face reddening from everyone’s eyes on her.
“Well, what are you waiting for? Open the damn thing! We’ve been waiting longer than you,” joked Lee, prompting a round of laughter.
Chapter 9
Aries studied the wooden box resting on her lap. She wondered what could be inside, trying to give it her best guess, solely based on the weight and size of the box. She had only known these people for a few moments, and she was already overwhelmed by how welcoming they were, and now, on top of that, she had been given a gift.
After coming to terms with the fact she would never be able to guess its contents, she took a deep breath and slowly opened the box, revealing a beautiful dagger. The blade was flawlessly crafted but didn’t seem to have a sharp edge. On the blade, there was an etched symbol that Aries had never seen before. It was made up of three separate spirals that met one another in the middle. Moving her eyes further along the dagger, she saw that it possessed a small but formidable-looking crossbar that would protect its wielder’s hand during a clash. Its hilt was wrapped in dark black leather that looked brand new. Perhaps most breathtaking of all was the bottom of the hilt, which was encrusted with a marvelous stone that sparkled in various colors of red. Aries was at a loss for words. She couldn’t believe this was hers and didn’t feel worthy of owning it. Not to mention she thought it was far too generous of a gift to accept.
“Your mother wanted you to have it, Aries. It was hers, although she never wielded it to my knowledge,” said Mum.
“It’s breathtaking. I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much,” she replied, eyes wide and mouth agape.
“That symbol is the triskelia. It means harmony. Between the mind, body, and spirit, the symbol promotes balance in those who wield it. And the stone, yay the stone. I love the stone. It is a blood-red amethyst, very scarce indeed. I don’t think I have ever seen one so large.” Mum smiled before continuing. “And this is the best part: amethysts are said to protect against negative emotions, such as grief and sadness, and they are believed to increase psychic awareness and disrupt psychic attacks.”
“Does it actually work?” Aries asked.
“Depends on how much you believe, my dear. But that’s with anything, I suppose.”
“Aries, I think that is even better than Stur’s axe if I’m honest,” said Kristoff, equally mesmerized by the dagger.
“Thank you so much for carrying this for so long. You truly are the nicest person I have ever met. Seriously, thank you so much for everything. Thank all of you.”
She could feel her eyes welling up again, overcome by their generosity and her joy, and by the connection she felt to her mother, who had possessed the very same dagger. She didn’t know why her mother had left it with the Romani. How could she have known that Aries would find her way to them one day? The last several weeks had challenged Aries’ entire belief system regarding magic, the world, and her parents, and it seemed that the more she learned, the less she knew.
Sensing that Aries was becoming emotional, Mum cued the music signaling for the celebration to begin once more. “There will be plenty of time to catch up in the morning. Tonight, we dance and celebrate. Come, Kristoff, show me how they move in your lands.”
“Umm, they don’t dance there,” replied Kristoff blushing, clearly nervous about the prospect of dancing in front of everyone.
“Even better! Now I get to teach you, and I can’t dance either, so we will both look a fool!” she said, smiling big as she pulled Kristoff to the dance floor.
“So, what ya think then?” asked Lee nodding at the dagger. Aries noticed that he was the only other person at the table.
“It’s perfect. I have never seen such a remarkable weapon, save for an axe that was made in Anveil,” she replied, still staring at the dagger, holding it up to the light.
“True, but it ain’t all about the weapon. It’s what you do with it, right?”
Aries sensed that he was trying to feel out how skilled she was with a blade. “I think I will be okay,” she said, smirking.
“Well, maybe you enter into the games then? We could use another representative.”
“Oh yea, and what event would you have me register for?”
“Whatever you like, love. As for me, the only event I care to win is the tournament championship. One-on-one duels, fighter’s choice of weapon, so long as it’s melee range, and made of wood as to prevent death, of course,” he said as he kicked his feet on the table, one foot laying over the other, his hands resting on the back of his head.
“I’m confused. How can you be so calm now that you’ll have to explain to everyone that you are going to be getting second place since I’m entering the duels as well? Seeing as you are supposed to be the favorite in all.”
Lee laughed. “I have seen stranger things happen. Plus, no way your dad would let ya come all the way to the Southlands without knowing your way around a fight. I wager you are a fierce competitor beneath all that beauty. Let’s just say, no matter what happens, no hard feelings, eh?”
Lee spit in his hand before reaching it out so that they could shake on his proposal. Aries reluctantly spit in her own hand before shaking his, in what she thought could quite possibly be the most awkward handshake of all time. To make it even more uncomfortable, she found herself staring into his light green eyes for far too long. She eventually pulled her gaze away, hoping he hadn’t noticed her lingering eyes. Aries found herself drawn to his charm and confidence, but, confusingly, she was also annoyed by it. On the one hand, she wanted him to do well in the tournament because she knew it would make him and everyone happy, yet she also wanted to see him fall flat on his face so he wouldn’t be so cocky.
“Umm, tell me...the big man from earlier, will he be in any of the events?” she asked, hoping to redirect the conversation before he had a chance to make a comment about her staring.
“Course he will. Every year he goes for tourney champion. Last year he came in second, despite being a twat.”
“Really? Who’d he lose to?”
“Oy, mate! Who won the last tourney champion? I can’t seem to remember,” asked Lee to a nearby table of clan members.
“Why, of course, it was our very own, amazing, overly-talented, and equally false modest Lee! Best dressed in all the land. Pity he has the personality of a sack of wet potatoes,” said Andrew, poking fun at Lee, causing those around him to laugh.
“Funny, never heard of him,” Aries replied, prompting both of them to laugh.
Aries joined Kristoff and the others on the dance floor, even though she wasn’t particularly fond of dancing. Then again, she had never been to a dance where the people actually enjoyed themselves. In the Apex, the dances were formal and served as a venue for citizens to show off their status and discuss business propositions. The Southlanders, on the other hand, were dancing and singing along to the music with not a care in the world about how they looked, simply enjoying themselves and one another. She smiled broadly at the sight; she loved how nobody took themselves too seriously here.
After many hours, the night came to an end, and the clan retired to their sleeping quarters, which Aries discovered were at a campground not far from the tavern.
There were dozens upon dozens of horse-drawn “caravans” as they called them, scattered throughout the camp. Each caravan had a fully enclosed carriage with two rows of open seats at the front of the structure and a cabin area that was much shorter than a typical Apexian carriage. Aries presumed the cabin was shorter because it was made for sleeping, not sitting, and thanks to the Romani leaving their carriage doors open, her presumption was confirmed. Each of the carriages appeared to have been built with comfort in mind. They were filled with thick blankets or quilts, and many comfortable pillows. The sight alone made her instantly tired.
“Jaseen and Andrew, would you two please be so kind and bunk together so we can let Kristoff and Aries have one of your caravans for the night?”
“Not a problem, so long as nobody wets the bed, eh,” said Jaseen as he slapped Kristoff on the back.
“No promises, mate,” replied Kristoff, who did his best impression of the Southland accent.
“To be fair, Andrew’s caravan is like a luxury suite compared to mine, so it would be worth a little pee,” replied Jaseen.
Aries noticed Kristoff’s behavior had changed drastically since arriving in the Southlands. He was laughing a lot more and being far more social than she had seen him in months. She wondered what it must be like for him to finally feel accepted by everyone. While the Southlanders liked to poke fun, it was clear that their words carried no harmful intentions.
Aries and Kristoff settled into the caravan that was lent to them for the night, both of them ready to get some sleep after a long first day in the Southlands. When she laid her head down on the pillow, Aries thought she’d drift off right away, but she found herself wide awake. There was so much that Aries wanted to talk about, she had so many questions, and so much she wanted to share with the one they called Mum. Not to mention she wanted to learn more about this tournament she somehow talked herself into participating in. Aries wasn’t afraid of the danger the event may pose, but she was nervous about being embarrassed in front of the entire clan, especially Lee. She wondered why she worried so much about what he thought. He is just an arrogant Southlander and I’d never hear the end of it, she told herself, even though she knew that wasn’t the only reason she didn’t want to be embarrassed in front of him.
“Do you think my parents would have liked it here?” asked Kristoff, sounding like he had already given the question a lot of thought.
“It would have been different than what they were used to, but they would have enjoyed it, I think. Don’t you?”
“Yea, except for my dad. I don’t think he would have liked all the fighting and loud music,” replied Kristoff with a laugh.
“True, but you could teach him your nose ring removal trick, and he’d be set.”
Kristoff and Aries shared a laugh before finally drifting to sleep. Aries had many vivid dreams. Some of them were about the Southlands, while others were about what was happening in the North. She saw two giant armies engaged in a pitched battle on an open field. The armies marched toward one another. One group was dawning the Apex symbol of the One True God, and their opponents wielded a banner with what appeared to be a raven.
Men in armor met head-to-head while large groups of archers fired volleys toward the flanks, trying to keep cavalries at bay. With force, the Apex cavalry broke through one of the flanks, and it seemed as if the enemy would be routed at any moment. Just before that could happen, airships began to rain fire from above. These weren’t Apexian vessels, though; these ships flew a coat of arms with a raven, matching the opposing army’s banner from below. The casualties on both sides were catastrophic, and yet the battle raged on. When one man fell, another quickly replaced him. This cycle continued repeating until the Apexian army tried to flee, but it was no use. The opposing airships pursued and rained fire once again, blocking their retreat. The soldiers were forced to walk through the flames or turn and face the approaching army.
Aries awoke to a cool breeze spilling into the caravan when Kristoff opened the door as he made his way outside. Her dream lingered in her mind, and she couldn’t help wonder why it had been so vivid. Perhaps Mum was right and the dagger’s amethyst possessed extraordinary abilities. Or maybe her hatred for the Apex caused her to imagine a made-up army giving them a taste of their own medicine. She smirked at the thought as she laid on her pillow.
She always struggled waking up in the morning, but with so much to look forward to, she didn’t take long to get up and prepare for the day. She even took the extra time to brush her hair and style it in a bun. She did find it difficult to change in the caravan since the ceiling of the enclosed carriage was so low, but she eventually succeeded, very much without grace, and then stepped outside. She could see that most of the Romani members were already awake and sitting around small campfires directly outside their caravans. The aroma and sizzle of breakfast cooking on cast-iron pans filled the campground, instantly making Aries hungry.
“Wow, you actually did your hair for once,” said Kristoff when he noticed Aries emerge from the caravan.
“Har har har,” she replied, still much too tired to concoct a witty comeback.
“Oy! Guys, come grab some breakfast. You need your strength. Today is registration day for the Faire, and you don’t want to have to pay to eat there, highway robbery it is,” said Lee, who was sitting at a campfire with Jaseen and Andrew, who seemed to go with him nearly everywhere.
Aries sighed. “I just woke up and he is already at it.”
“At what?” asked Kristoff laughing.
“At being himself.”
“Oh well, since you put it that way. Yea, he can be a bit much. But you have to admit, he is very likable,” he said, giving her a wink.
“Yea, if you like overly confident people who try too hard to be funny.”
“Weird, you didn’t mention his good looks and dreamy green eyes.”
The two made their way over to Lee’s campfire and sat on a pair of wooden, three-legged stools. They were given metal forks with two long prongs meant for getting a piece of meat directly out of the pan and eating it without the need for a plate.
“See, this is proper eating. No napkins, no plates, just a fork, meat, and a bladder of sweetened cold tea,” said Andrew before taking a big swig from his drinking bladder.
“So, tell me about this registration. What do we have to do?” asked Aries.
“It’s more of a formality really. Ya just let them know your event, and then they make sure you are of age, not drunk, and all that good stuff. Simple,” said Jaseen, who was using a large knife to remove the outer bark from a piece of wood.
“What events are there?” asked Kristoff.
“For the main ones, ya got the tourney champion duels, of course. Then bow, the gauntlet, a horseback race, and lots of smaller events you can do throughout the day. Ya fancy any of those, mate?” asked Jaseen.
“Well, I am pretty good with a bow, but what is the gauntlet?”
“It’s brutal, mate. It’s a long run through an obstacle course, full of climbing and such. Then you have to solve a puzzle at the end. As with any race, whoever finishes first is the winner. The Swindletor Clan almost always wins it, sadly,” answered Andrew.
“Probably cause they are used to running from trouble,” Lee commented. “They are known for thieving. They give the islands a bad rep if you ask me.”
“Have to admit, they are a clever lot when it comes to making money without earning it,” replied Andrew.
“How many clans are there in total on the islands?” asked Kristoff.
“Five in total of the major clans. It’s a lot like yer realms, except clans act more like a family than just being citizens of the same realm. Well, the Romani do at least,” said Jaseen.
“So, each clan occupies a region?” asked Aries.
“Yep, exactly. Don’t ya worry, though, you lot will get the hang of it soon enough. Kristoff, can we put ya down for the gauntlet, mate? Seen that look in your eye when he explained it, yea, like a tiger this one! Even has the orange fur,” said Lee before rubbing the top of Kristoff’s head, messing up his hair. Kristoff didn’t seem to mind, but as soon as Lee was done, he quickly fixed his disheveled hair.
“I don’t know, I think—” Kristoff began before being cut off by Lee.
“Tell ya what, how about we let the fates decide, eh? I’ll spin you for it,” said Lee.
“Sorry, what does that mean?” asked Kristoff, who sounded like he had a frog in his throat.
“Each coin has two sides, right? You toss it, and I call which side it will land on. If I am right, then you do the gauntlet,” answered Lee before removing a silver coin from his pocket.
“And if I win?” replied Kristoff, clearly nervous about the proposition of losing.
“Well, name your terms, mate,” replied Lee grinning.
“If I win, then Aries does the bow event.”
The mention of her name drew Aries into the conversation. “Wait, I never agreed to that.”
“Come on, it will be fun,” replied Lee.
“Oy, everyone! Lee and Kristoff are about to spin a coin!” yelled Andrew, prompting a crowd to gather around the campfire.
“Okay, mate, toss it in the air as to make it spin. Then, while it’s in the air, I call out what I pick before it hits the ground. This side with the scratch will be top, and the smooth side will be bottom.”
Kristoff nodded in agreement, taking the coin in his hand so he could examine both sides, presumably to make sure it was marked correctly. Aries hoped Lee would win. She knew that she would completely embarrass herself in a bow competition. She didn’t have the patience to master the bow. In fact, it was one of the only weapons her father let her give up on because of how bad she was.
Kristoff flipped the coin. It was in the air for what felt like an eternity before Lee yelled out, “Top!” The coin fell to the ground, and everyone circled around it so Aries couldn’t see the result.
“Make way, make way, not all at once,” said Lee as he ushered his way to the coin, holding his hands in the air to demonstrate he had not touched it.
“Well, good news, bad news, mate,” said Jaseen.
“Oh yea, what’s the bad news?” asked Kristoff.
“Bad news is you lost the spin. The good news is the Romani has a real contender for the gauntlet!” said Jaseen, prompting the crowd to cheer loudly, while Kristoff stood quietly looking petrified.
Chapter 10
Aries and the others spent the rest of the early morning eating, drinking, and telling stories. She was still getting used to the behavior of the Romani, or maybe it was the behavior of all Southlanders in general. She gathered that they would often tell stories of one another in a highly complimentary yet insulting way, but no one seemed to mind. It reminded her of how she and Kristoff interacted. They would often diffuse intense moments by poking fun at one another, which others often found to be in poor taste.
