THE LOOKING GLASS

All of maerin's noble people were invited to the royal palace to dine and feast together with the lords of the fell. My mother wanted to make sure when they returned to their kingdom, only great things will be spoken about maerin but most importantly that they knew power and wealth lived in maerin. We needed them for their dragons but they needed us for crops and the ocean. Although the fell was rich in rare stones they were still a land locked kingdom in the middle of a famine.

I sat beside my brother and watched as the people of the fell feasted upon our food ungraciously, It was a dining of over 500 fellians and maerins who barely spoke to each other. We were friends in treaty but it was clear the Cold War still persisted amongst the people. Maerins judging fellians for behaving without courtesy and fellians judging maerins for being snobs. the fellians were loud and unorderly, however my father had no trouble getting along pretty well with the other lords of the fell, he laughed at their jokes and wouldn't stop talking, my mother's expression was unreadable but I knew she definitely was not pleased with my fathers non-chalant behavior.

I on the other hand couldn't have cared less about the way the fellians conducted themselves, my thoughts were completely occupied by aderryrs, he sat 4 sits down, opposite the table, beside him, a man whose demeanor I didn't find welcoming. He looked 25 or 27, short red hair with his body completely covered in fur cloak, he wouldn't stop talking to aderryrs, why won't he just eat I thought to myself, he laughed at everything aderryrs said and would sometimes place his hands around lord aderryrs shoulders, he had a scar across his left cheek that gave his handsome appearance more depth, maybe this man is his brother I thought, but they looked nothing alike except for their brown skin, maybe they are best friends.....or lovers ?.....the thought of that completely cleared my crowded brain. Why did the thought of aderryrs having a lover matter to me? why was I even thinking this thoughts? I resented myself for caring.

"A toast! To your highness!" One of the lords stood up to cheer, interrupting everyone's dinner. A roar like cheer swept across the table from the fellians.

"Our kingdoms United together will bring great peace to the 5 kingdoms of Ethidiea, together we will cleanse the continent of the evil that has swept across all of Ethidiea." The fellians began banging the edges of the table while cheering, I looked at my mother who I knew for a fact was repulsed but she had a big smile on her face and even gave a bow in acknowledgement, a true Queen. I Turned my gaze back to aderryrs whose focus remained on the man with the red hair.

❧

After dinner we moved to the ballroom, I was so over the night. I knew no one will care if I retired for the day, i was after all not an important royal member but mother would often call me over to greet someone when my sister and brother were engaged, I was their substitute, the third choice. It did not matter to me, I was just glad to be of help, but not that night, that night I was tired of the loudness of the fellians, I was tired of stealing glances at aderryrs, I was tired of filling my head with thoughts that did not matter, that just was not relevant.

"I thought they would smell." Celie said. The 6th child of the royal treasurer of maerin and my best friend.

"Why would you think that!" I replied with a chuckle

"I don't know, someone said they do....they are kind of hot", He added, throwing his hand over my shoulder. "did you stand up close to a dragon ?"

"Celie are you kidding? Are you trying to get me roasted"

"They won't just breathe fire so easily...."

"You are the dumbest 21 year old I have ever seen"

"We should sneak out at midnight and go check them out."

"The last time you went to a fire festival you didn't leave the ocean for 2 weeks cause you were too sick, explain to me how in the gods name you want to go see a dragon! Up close!"

I shoved his hand away and he grabbed me by the waist, we were jokingly play fighting. Me and celie had been best friends since we were toddlers, we both found comfort in each other's friendship, being the last borns of powerful households, knowing we will never hold power, it was liberating and yet a burden that only us knew how to carry.

Celie was a flirt and didn't have any preferences, a man whore one could say, I on the other hand was a 20 year old virgin who had never been on a date. My mother offered once I turned 18 to find me a suitable partner to court in preparation for my marriage one day, since I would never rule, my marriage was supposed to be a means to secure more connections for maerin. She only suggested but never insisted.

At least once a month, she still would casually bring it up. I was expected to marry before I turned 25 but i already knew that would not happen, I just didn't bring it up to mother. Celie eventually found a gorgeous fellian woman to dance with and I could tell from the gaze of my mother, she was soon about to find me someone to dance with too, that was my cue to leave.

When mother wasn't looking, I left the ballroom and took the tiny hallway into the garden, there was a flower passage that would lead me back into the castle, then I could pass through the kitchen and find my way back to the royal chambers. I was relieved when i made my way out of the ballroom without mother noticing, but just as I was about to turn into the flower passage, I saw him....Aderryrs.

I had finally stopped thinking about him, Celie had taken my mind off him with his constant ramblings, but then, there he was, in front of the silver fountain, the moonlight lit him up so clearly, He shone like the stars, it was like seeing him through a looking glass, I was hypnotized. I turned  away sharply, trying to catch my breath, trying to get away.

"Your majesty." That soft sweet voice called out, my eyes widened as I stopped in my tracks and turned sharply towards him.

"Lord aderryrs", I managed to speak, accompanied with a pretentious smile. He smiled back at me and took a few steps towards me.

"Running away i see." He said, he's hands behind his back like professor bambish the royal tutor. I exhaled and chuckled, looking down at my feet to avoid his gaze, I would rather stare directly into the sun for 10 years I thought to myself.

Each time I saw his face, something happened to my heart, something so powerful words cannot describe.

"I love your garden" he continued, "you would never see this at the fell."

"What would you see?" I slowly asked

"Steel." He replied as he swayed from side to side.

My eyes following his body. "Would you care to show me more ?"

I wanted to say no and run away and hide under the weight of my soft silk blankets.

"I will find someone who ca..."

"....why not you?"

"Oh ermmm...."

"Do you often do that ?"

"What ?"

"Avoid looking people in the eye"

As those words sharply rolled out of his lips, I could feel my heart skip at least 10 beats, how did he know m? Why did he know! A nervous laughter was the only sound I could make.

"You know.....at the fell, not looking a lord in the eye while talking can be deemed insolent, 50 days in the jail caves as penalty." He stated, tilting his head down to see my eyes. For someone so fairy like, he did have a strong tone.

"This is not the fell" I replied with a scoff

"Clearly." a moment of silence rested between us and I finally gathered the courage to look him straight in the eye. What is this feeling? why do I feel so warm? I asked myself completely at peace in his gaze, admiring his beauty.

"There it is," lord aderryrs said with a tone almost like a whisper.

"What?" I coyly asked.

"You."