Chapter 9
After the meeting with Malen, Milla changed into her furs and packed for the journey down towards the Ruin Ship. Milla, despite her constant efforts to push the problems away, started to think about them.
"How could there be a war?" thought Milla as she folded the dress Tal's mother had given to her the previous night.
"What could the war possibly be about? It couldn't simply be about trusting the Chosen. It has to be something deeper than that but what could possibly be so terrible to start a war and what do the Far Raiders have to do with it and what do I do now?"
Milla's train of thought continued on like this until she had fully packed. She then took a step back from the pack and looked at it but her mind was not on the pack but far away and deep in thought.
"I may be a warrior but warriors do not have the power to sway minds." Milla brooded.
"First things, first, I must inform Tal." Milla thought aloud.
Leaving her pack in her room, she strapped on her new Merwin horn sword and went to find Tal to tell him of the bad news. Milla started her search at his quarters and was informed by Tao that Tal had gone to the throne room.
"I'm very sorry Miss but Emperor Tal has left to the throne room." said Tao.
Curiosity crept into Milla's mind as Tao spoke.
"Tao, do you like being a slave?" asked Milla rather forwardly.
Tao was taken aback but Milla's directness but soon recovered and spoke to her as if she had insulted him.
"I'm proud to be in the service of the Emperor," Tao said defiantly, "I do not appreciate being called a slave either, I am not a slave I am the Emperor's servant. In all my years of service to his highness I have never been more at home with what I do."
"I am sorry if I have offended you but I was under the impression that all underfolk were to be freed." Milla apologized.
"Free?" asked Tao confused.
"Yes free, like Crow had wanted all the underfolk to be," Milla explained.
"Crow of the freefolk? That idiot? He was fighting for nothing. We were always free," Tao spat, "We had a wonderful life until he started his little rebellion. If he were still here I'd give him few words of advice."
Tao ranted and rave for what seemed like ages until Milla took her leave as respectfully as she could. As she walked away down the hall she could still hear Tao raving about his hatred for Crow. As Milla made her way to the throne room she was met by many stares from Chosen and Freefolk alike. She answered the stares with an awkward smile that turned into a type of scowl.
Finally she reached the Throne room and saw Tal sitting on the throne attending to business that seemed to make him constantly frown. Standing in front of Tal was Benem, Crows older brother. Tal and Benem seemed as though they were in a deep discussion that was obviously of great importance but when Tal saw Milla enter Benem and Tal seemed to come to a quick conclusion.
Tal dismissed Benem and he left the room stopping only to greet Milla as he passed her. Benem closed the Throne room doors behind him and left Tal and Milla, the only people left in the room.
Tal strode towards Milla with a beaming smile on his face. Milla returned the smile and Tal seemed to visible go weak at the knees as she did. Milla was about to speak when Tal took her into an embrace and kissed her lips affectionately, cupping her delicate pale face in his warm hands. Milla was surprised at his forwardness but didn't resist as she felt some of her worries lift as Tal softly kissed her. Milla wanted to make the feeling of her problems lifting to last so she grabbed Tal's robes and pulled him closer as if she could physically hold onto the feeling and never let it go.
When they parted Milla was left with a feeling of euphoria. It had seemed she had left the world of her troubles and landed lightly in another world where she and Tal were the only two beings. She was far from her troubles. Until Tal spoke
"Milla it is so good to see you. When I found my bed empty this morning I thought you had left and we were going to be separated again." whispered Tal still embracing Milla.
Milla felt a twinge of guilt that ripped her rudely from her special world as she contemplated not telling Tal of the tidings. After all it wasn't directly Tal's problem. Milla didn't want to affect Tal's happiness but she had to tell him.
"Tal I have to leave." Milla said shortly.
Tal let go of Milla and held her shoulders to look her in the eyes. Milla couldn't look at him.
"What? Why?" asked Tal frantically.
Then she told Tal of the bad news. Tal's facial expressions turned from worry to confusion to shock then his face was just unreadable when Milla mentioned the Far Raiders. Milla noticed that Tal was rubbing his wrist where a small triangular scar still remained. Milla waited for his reaction but when Tal just stood there silently, Milla turned to leave. Before she could get away Tal took hold of her wrist.
"When do you leave?" he asked recovering from his silence.
"As soon as I inform Yukin of my leave and return the dress to your mother." Milla replied.
Tal embraced Milla once again and didn't let go. Milla felt his longing to be with her and tried as best she could to shove her feelings for him deep into the back of her mind. Tal was not making their parting easy.
"Tal I-I must go." stuttered Milla trying to sound firm.
Tal responded by tightening his embrace. Milla was about to elbow him in the stomach when Tal let go tears flowing freely from his eyes. When Milla saw this she felt a feeling well up inside her. She didn't know the feeling as it was foreign to her but she knew it to be some kind emotional pain. Tal turned away feeling stupid because he was crying in front of Milla. It wasn't until he had heard footsteps walking away from him that he realized that he didn't get a chance to say good bye. Tal turned in time to see Milla close the door and when it shut Tal felt his heart shattered into a million pieces.
Authors note: kind of sappy but I want to explore Milla and Tal's relationship a bit more.It intrigues me.
After the meeting with Malen, Milla changed into her furs and packed for the journey down towards the Ruin Ship. Milla, despite her constant efforts to push the problems away, started to think about them.
"How could there be a war?" thought Milla as she folded the dress Tal's mother had given to her the previous night.
"What could the war possibly be about? It couldn't simply be about trusting the Chosen. It has to be something deeper than that but what could possibly be so terrible to start a war and what do the Far Raiders have to do with it and what do I do now?"
Milla's train of thought continued on like this until she had fully packed. She then took a step back from the pack and looked at it but her mind was not on the pack but far away and deep in thought.
"I may be a warrior but warriors do not have the power to sway minds." Milla brooded.
"First things, first, I must inform Tal." Milla thought aloud.
Leaving her pack in her room, she strapped on her new Merwin horn sword and went to find Tal to tell him of the bad news. Milla started her search at his quarters and was informed by Tao that Tal had gone to the throne room.
"I'm very sorry Miss but Emperor Tal has left to the throne room." said Tao.
Curiosity crept into Milla's mind as Tao spoke.
"Tao, do you like being a slave?" asked Milla rather forwardly.
Tao was taken aback but Milla's directness but soon recovered and spoke to her as if she had insulted him.
"I'm proud to be in the service of the Emperor," Tao said defiantly, "I do not appreciate being called a slave either, I am not a slave I am the Emperor's servant. In all my years of service to his highness I have never been more at home with what I do."
"I am sorry if I have offended you but I was under the impression that all underfolk were to be freed." Milla apologized.
"Free?" asked Tao confused.
"Yes free, like Crow had wanted all the underfolk to be," Milla explained.
"Crow of the freefolk? That idiot? He was fighting for nothing. We were always free," Tao spat, "We had a wonderful life until he started his little rebellion. If he were still here I'd give him few words of advice."
Tao ranted and rave for what seemed like ages until Milla took her leave as respectfully as she could. As she walked away down the hall she could still hear Tao raving about his hatred for Crow. As Milla made her way to the throne room she was met by many stares from Chosen and Freefolk alike. She answered the stares with an awkward smile that turned into a type of scowl.
Finally she reached the Throne room and saw Tal sitting on the throne attending to business that seemed to make him constantly frown. Standing in front of Tal was Benem, Crows older brother. Tal and Benem seemed as though they were in a deep discussion that was obviously of great importance but when Tal saw Milla enter Benem and Tal seemed to come to a quick conclusion.
Tal dismissed Benem and he left the room stopping only to greet Milla as he passed her. Benem closed the Throne room doors behind him and left Tal and Milla, the only people left in the room.
Tal strode towards Milla with a beaming smile on his face. Milla returned the smile and Tal seemed to visible go weak at the knees as she did. Milla was about to speak when Tal took her into an embrace and kissed her lips affectionately, cupping her delicate pale face in his warm hands. Milla was surprised at his forwardness but didn't resist as she felt some of her worries lift as Tal softly kissed her. Milla wanted to make the feeling of her problems lifting to last so she grabbed Tal's robes and pulled him closer as if she could physically hold onto the feeling and never let it go.
When they parted Milla was left with a feeling of euphoria. It had seemed she had left the world of her troubles and landed lightly in another world where she and Tal were the only two beings. She was far from her troubles. Until Tal spoke
"Milla it is so good to see you. When I found my bed empty this morning I thought you had left and we were going to be separated again." whispered Tal still embracing Milla.
Milla felt a twinge of guilt that ripped her rudely from her special world as she contemplated not telling Tal of the tidings. After all it wasn't directly Tal's problem. Milla didn't want to affect Tal's happiness but she had to tell him.
"Tal I have to leave." Milla said shortly.
Tal let go of Milla and held her shoulders to look her in the eyes. Milla couldn't look at him.
"What? Why?" asked Tal frantically.
Then she told Tal of the bad news. Tal's facial expressions turned from worry to confusion to shock then his face was just unreadable when Milla mentioned the Far Raiders. Milla noticed that Tal was rubbing his wrist where a small triangular scar still remained. Milla waited for his reaction but when Tal just stood there silently, Milla turned to leave. Before she could get away Tal took hold of her wrist.
"When do you leave?" he asked recovering from his silence.
"As soon as I inform Yukin of my leave and return the dress to your mother." Milla replied.
Tal embraced Milla once again and didn't let go. Milla felt his longing to be with her and tried as best she could to shove her feelings for him deep into the back of her mind. Tal was not making their parting easy.
"Tal I-I must go." stuttered Milla trying to sound firm.
Tal responded by tightening his embrace. Milla was about to elbow him in the stomach when Tal let go tears flowing freely from his eyes. When Milla saw this she felt a feeling well up inside her. She didn't know the feeling as it was foreign to her but she knew it to be some kind emotional pain. Tal turned away feeling stupid because he was crying in front of Milla. It wasn't until he had heard footsteps walking away from him that he realized that he didn't get a chance to say good bye. Tal turned in time to see Milla close the door and when it shut Tal felt his heart shattered into a million pieces.
Authors note: kind of sappy but I want to explore Milla and Tal's relationship a bit more.It intrigues me.