Chapter 13 - Clouds in the Horizon
She elegantly walked with clear purpose in mind through the corridors of the castle, the moon was shining bright and beams of light shined through the colorful stained glass windows, it was a exuberant misc of shadows, lights and colors as the princess walked through the corridors.
Soon she reached the wing where the guests rooms were localized, remembering the afternoon when she tried to look for him she quickly went up the stairs as his room was on the higher level.
As she approached his doors, each step became harder... the focused mind with one single purpose was getting weak at the proximity to the door. With some struggle she reached the door, and was now standing in front of it, the turmoil in her mind and the questions she so wanted to ask became less and less, she was not sure anymore of what she wanted there... a few moments passed as she just stood there lost in her head. Was then she noticed a presence nearby, in the middle of the corridor there was a balcony, she moved away from the door towards it, curious to who it was there.
The sky was clear, no clouds could be seen... the stone balcony and its handrail were well detailed and carved in spirals and small twirls marked at the minimal details, giving the rail a great artistic touch to it.
As she approached it, the princess could feel a cool breeze gently blowing caressing her skin, and gently stroking her long straight loosened hair.
There was also a boy in nobles clothing, messy brown hair blown by the wind, he had his hand on the handrail and seemed to be carefully observing the the big bright sky, despite the small shadow in the moons bottom tip, it was still a bright night.
They were at the left side of the castle and of the plateau, very high that the ground seemed far away... being so high proportioned an extraordinary view, so far that it extended to the horizon... The boy could see a few elevations and smaller hills now and then through the landscape, but mostly he saw the familiar color shades of crops in the land, many farmlands were near the castle, and the wilds would start very far away... at the far horizon he could see a mountain chain of some sort, very small and very blurry at the end of the horizon.
She stood there for a moment, contemplating, it was the same view she was so used to, but this time it seemed completely different for some reason... a strange calmness took over her, the turmoil was no more, and she calmly approached taking the boy's side at the balcony.
He didn't move or got surprised, just calmly lowered his head and slightly turned his head towards her, he looked directly into her eyes acknowledging her presence, since she remained silent, he slowly turned back gazing once more into the distance.
She smiled and quietly laughed, it was the first time someone outside her family treated her like this, he didn't bow respectfully or eagerly trowed compliments at her beauty he didn't even tried to engage meaningless conversation to maintain her interest in him... He just acknowledge her, and got back to his own thing... And that truly moved her someway, despite her usual calm demeanor that moment was one of the few she truly felt at peace, and the words started to came to her.
<It's an amazing view isn't it?> - She asked very collected while gazing the horizon breaking the silence between them
<It truly is...> - Shortly answered the boy in an agreeing tone
A moment passed, and the silence started to become rather uncomfortable for Eileen, and as she glimpsed at the boy's face gazing the horizon she felt a sense of melancholy coming from him... so she asked trying to grasp what probably was going through the boy's mind.
- <You came from a far away land didn't you? I can only imagine how different it must be from here>
He gently turned towards her looking her face directly
- <So different you wouldn't even believe...> he said smiling heartedly, but she could still sense the melancholy behind it... <and yet so many things are still the same it seems...>
She felt that the words had a much deeper meaning than she was able to understand... another silence fell between the two....
Mustering all the willpower she could she asked about the topic that weighted heavy in her heart
<What did you think of the duel this afternoon?> she asked very anxiously
<You were fast and precise, opted to a lighter gear while your opponent chose poorly the armor...very smart of you... also you took your time and stroke true into the armors breach... your fighting senses were amazing, a veteran of the First wouldn't be able to do it so efficiently as you> Answered the boy very quickly clearly and deliberately misinterpreting her question....
<I mean our duel...> She corrected with a clear certainty and now even higher anxiousness, she was having trouble to display the calmness she use to have, her hands twitched and moved as she couldn't keep still.
The boy moved around his body trying to get a more comfortable position, looking down and around as if caught red handed, he knew by the way she asked and was behaving that she was well aware now of everything. "No point in struggling now" He thought to himself, and sigh calming himself down before saying...
<It was a good fight, you were clearly one of the bests I faced so far...> before he could continue she interjected
<Why have you gave the fight away?> She said quickly, her eyes were wide open and her breathing was erratic, this was clearly the core question she really wanted to ask all night long...
<well...> he began taking a calmer stance, after seeing the change in the princess... he felt this was really important to her.
<You see, I had just arrived and I didn't know about your customs, I didn't knew who you were, or what was that duel really about... I wasn't aware of your rite thing, Marriage through battle is really a strange concept to me...> he took a deep breath before continuing
<Even you there, you were not enjoying yourself in the duel, seemed like an obligation to you, and I felt you desperately wanted to win... it was strange.... so it seemed really wrong to go all out in those circumstances... Losing to you felt as the right thing to do> Said him with sincerity in his voice and eyes.
She pondered on the words for a while and seemed to began to understand the boy's reasons... But then a question appeared in her head...
<But what about your honor? Didn't you care about the shame of loosing the duel?> She asked puzzled trying to figure that out... to her a warrior should always fight to win, the honor demanded such behavior... and losing would end up in shame and dishonor, as a matter of fact he was indeed ridiculed by the people there... "doesn't he care?"
He turned completely towards her for the first time, and with a serene voice looking deep in her eyes...
<You are mistaken> he said <if you think honor is about fighting... or winning> he started to shake his head sideways for a moment before continuing <true honor lies in doing what is right, even when against your own or someone else interests...>
She went silent... the words of the knight that evening suddenly echoed in her head... "honor and courage..." this boy was certainly something else, "he was never linked to the rites from the beginning, he didn't want to marry me nor he wanted to deny me to marry him... he faked thinking that would favors me and still in doing so he didn't play me for a fool in front of the nobles" she thought happily... Eileen felt as the weight she was carrying since that afternoon was finally lifted from her shoulders... "Losing to you felt as the right thing to do" repeated in her mind in a joyous mood...
The boy smiled heartedly at the sight , it was the first time he saw the princess truly happy.
<Your name is Riou right?> She asked still smiling in a great mood
<Yes princess> Confirmed the the also smiling boy
<Please, just call me Eileen...> corrected the boy as to her they were now friends...
Riou nodded in accordance
It was getting late, and she realized she should be going back soon but before that she said to Riou
<Tomorrow Riou, come see me in the training house in the 3rd step of the plateau in the middle of the afternoon, I could use a good sword practice partner>
<Very well Eileen, I will meet you there> Answered the polite Riou
She then smiled once again and elegantly bowed turning around leaving the balcony...
Riou watched her go for a while and when she left his sights, he turned back into the horizon, leaning in the handrail supporting himself with his elbows... He held a faint smile and his dark blue eyes looked like were made of deep sea waters... he sighted in a melancholy way said to himself
- <Indeed, an unparalleled beauty> while watching at the distance the appearance of some clouds that seemed to be and approaching from the horizon. - <It's gonna rain soon...> he concluded.
-------------------At the Study room
The king was meeting Maximilian in his studies room, it had the small table with the pieces of the game from the other day, a few books were set aside as Maximilian was still selecting others and putting them on the same pile... The king was relaxed in his chair but contemplative...
- <Say Max, what are your impressions on the boy?> Asked the king trying to inquire further the mage after the events of this night...
- <Have you talked to the boy?> Misdirected the Mage while still browsing through the books
The king got confused and turned to the Magus- <What do you mean? I called his name, introduced him to the court this very night...> concluded the king
- <But have you talked with him at any moment, just the two of you?> asked again Maximilian closing his book and taking the next one...
- <No... I don't see what could we possibly have to discuss...> Said an even more confused king...
- <Tomorrow, give it a try, call the boy and ask him about anything... anything at all... Economics, Politics, Agriculture...> Maximilian stopped browsing the books and looked seriously to the king before concluding in a very serious tone -<...War...>
The king stroked his chin as he went back to his chair... he looked at the board in front of him, remembering the first time he met the boy... he began to think about the words that the Magus spoken while continuing to pile books in the table...
The king looked once more to the table and read the titles of a few of the books Max was selecting... "The Traverse, The Legend of Endher, Myths and old Legends..." Indeed a strange selection the king concluded getting back to ponder about what was suggested... Perhaps he should see the boy for himself...
---------------In another place of the castle.
In a darker corner of the castle, a shadowy figure swiftly traversed some less used corridors towards the outward walls... unnoticed... it used a black dark robe covered from head to toe to mask his appearance and providing camouflage in the night... it reached an open window that was directly above the very walls of the plateau itself... it stood before the window. Bringing its hand out of the robe... it conjured a flickering flame, that for 3 times was ignited and then put out above the palm in front of the window... soon after in the distant floor level below plateau it could see the same flickering pattern he demonstrated... for 3 times is ignites and died out... A rock involved with a parchment was taken from the robe's pocket well tied and quickly throw it in the direction of the ground flickering light...
At the ground level a similar shadowy figure took the rock recovering the parchment... The message read "All is as expected, we act as scheduled, be ready" the figured burned the parchment as soon as it was read...
------------------------------------- An hour later
The princess Eileen was readying herself to sleep, wearing a kind of full body yellow pajamas, her mother called her name and entered her room to see the princess brushing her hair sat down in front of the dressing table... The queen Hanna was still wearing the bright and pompous purple dress from the feast, and had carefully walk to be able to approach her daughter...
She took the comb from the girls hand and began to brush it for her... She didn't had to ask anything... the joy she saw in her daughters face was enough to set aside her motherly concerns that had risen in the events of that day.