Freedom
Disclaimer and Author's note – Okay, this should be the last of the past chapters, but there may possibly be one more if it doesn't go quite like I expect it to. Hm. Anyway, I own only Talamina. Carry on!
Chapter 3
Time passed. I watched as my Emperor aged and weakened even as he took control of Nabradia, then Dalmasca. The fight was a short one, one that nobody really expected Dalmasca to win. My beloved friend Larsa, who thought of me as his older sister and one of the very few people he could trust, grew before my eyes and became more and more involved with politics. I watched as Vayne's older brother, whose name I learned was Jherm, was assassinated in his own bed. I learned of the errant son of the renowned Doctor Cid, who had ran shortly after receiving the armor of the Judge. I never said anything, but I was glad that he had done so.
I watched as one day Larsa approached his father and asked to be allowed to investigate the Lushu mines of Bhujerba about the magicite shortage. I half believed this was the only reason for his desire to leave the palace, but I saw the gleam of wanderlust in his eyes. When his father gave him permission to go, I admit I was sad. I hadn't been allowed out of the palace after I was brought in, and wished I could go out and wander freely… As this thought came to me, the Emperor looked up at me.
"Talamina."
"My lord?"
Gramis smiled and waved a hand that shook toward his youngest son.
"You will accompany him? Along with a Judge and a few guards, of course."
I nodded my head, a thrill of excitement flooding my chest. I had practiced magick under the careful eyes of tutors and had even learned how to use throwing knives and a dagger during my ample free time of the past three years. I would be able to protect the boy and myself if it came to it…
The Emperor soon had us on an Imperial airship, a craft built for speed. As we rode, it became apparent that my hair, now nearly to my knees, would prove to be a hindrance on this journey. Larsa wanted the whole thing quiet, and asked me to sneak off the ship with him when we got the chance. Then I looked at my clothes.
I wore a long red tube dress and a matching robe with the crest of House Solidor on the shoulder. In my hair were gold and silver ornaments and my jewelry sparkled with precious gems and metals. I sighed and stripped off my rings, bracelets and the long silver chain around my neck. My hand went to my earrings, but I left them in. They were very plain, simple hooks to which several strands of lightweight multicolored beads hung. They had been a gift from Larsa for my nineteenth birthday, and I loved them dearly. No, they could stay.
I shrugged out of my clothes and dressed myself in the plainest things Larsa gave me. Apparently he had planned this little excursion far more than I had origionally thought. He had packed a pair of homespun cotton pants and a tunic of muted blue for her and left them in her room, neatly folded along with a bandana that matched the tunic. I pulled these on and smiled, liking the rougher feel of cotton more than I had ever liked the smooth silks and satins.
I tried to tie my hair up in different ways, first in a ponytail, then braids, then looping it around my head. Finally I figured that if my hair had attracted the attention that got me to the palace, it would attract attention anywhere. With a sigh, I called for Larsa, telling him to bring a razor and a pair of shears with him.
I almost cried as I watched my hair fall to the floor in piles, then Larsa had to shave the rest off with the razor. When my hair was gone, I wrapped my head with the bandana and turned to him, a vague smile on my lips. Bhujerba was waiting, and I was ready to be away. We slipped past our guards and toward the mines. When we saw a small party heading toward the mines, we ran to catch up.
We introduced ourselves as brother and sister. Larsa took the name of Lamont and I took the name Mina. Nobody would know the name of the Arcadian Emperor's favorite, Resplendent Concubine Talamina Sho… Not as I was now.