Chapter 9: Tales of hearts

Elize meandered deep into the garden as dusk was approaching. The servants had lit the lamps and she slowly and deliberately navigated the stone path around the rose bushes she loved, the fountain of cherubs hidden from view of the house and all the smells of greenery, savoring every step and every change of light. She was engraining into memory everything it meant to be a Sharil and she knew she could no longer be of use to Rowen and Driselle. In her pocket was a letter requesting a leave of absence from her post. All this time Elize had lived to assist them and repay her debt but there was also a tiny wish that wanted something for herself, something that was hers and only hers. She turned her heavy eyes upward looked up at the fading sky and wondered what it might be.

Elize left her letter for her undersecretary to deliver to her sister, afraid that Driselle would ask too many questions, and departed Sharilton, pointing her mare towards Xian Du. The long journey was mostly uneventful, save a few stray monsters here and there, and in the course of a week she made her way from Sapstrath Seahaven to Lakutam Seahaven, and then through the trade route across the Plains of Auj Oule.

After settling her horse at the inn, Elize wandered the streets of Xian Du until she came across the grand statue in the Central Ward. She looked up at the tribal forefather and wondered if young Erston had looked up at the same face, many years before, praying for success in the Coliseum to distinguish himself and make a name for his small tribe. In the Xian Du tradition Elize paid for a piece of rice paper from a vendor and scribbled down a prayer for the ancestors. She looked up to the sky and sent her prayer gliding out from the bridge down to the river, wondering if The Great Maxwell would catch it. Elize laughed a little as she imagined the paper hitting Milla in face in mid-air, and watched her prayer carry off into the distance.

When she asked the locals about Luke she was directed to the local school. The Xian Du Academy of Learning focused on Auj Oule history, economics and the art of animal training and husbandry. It was funded by King Gaius and the various remaining tribes.

As she approached the steps, Elize noticed the familiar face of a woman with raven hair. This lady's eyes were just like her brother's, brown flecked with gold when calm, and fire red when serious - a fitting trait for a tribe that was named after an eternal flame in the ancient tongue.

"Well hello," said Karla, noticing the pale featured young lady at the base of the steps.

"Hello Miss Karla. How is that biography coming along?" asked Elize with a smile.

"Nearly finished," smiled the king's sister, moving down to meet her. "What brings you here?"

"I'm looking for someone named Luke. I hear he's a teacher at this academy."

"Oh, you must mean our economics lecturer. I'm afraid he's been out sick recently but he's expected back next week. I was just about to bring him the staff meeting syllabus to him. Would you like to accompany me?"

Elize followed Karla to a nearby flat and Karla rang the door bell. When there was no answer, she impatiently knocked on the door. "He might be out," she frowned. Elize quietly hoped he was not collapsed inside.

As she was contemplating whether she should come back or break down the door, a neighbor passed by and indicated he had just left. Karla suggested they have tea at the local inn and wait for his return.

There was something about Karla's demeanor that made Elize grin at the similarities with her brother. Even the way they stirred their tea was identical.

Karla picked up on Elize's distracted smile and asked, "What's so amusing?"

Elize giggled behind. "Erston and you are very much alike."

"Erston?" asked Karla with a quizzical eyebrow.

"Well...Gaius, I meant," Elize corrected. "I have a habit of calling him Erston now. Whenever I'm with him I can only see him as Erston...who is extremely kind. Gaius is a touch too intimidating," she said honestly.

"I see," nodded his sister knowingly. "I had no idea my brother showed that side of himself to others. He probably wouldn't like it if I included all this touchy-feely stuff in my book."

"Probably not," Elize laughed, imagining his reaction. "He would summon you to the castle immediately."

Karla laughed out loud. "You know him pretty well."

After tea, Karla asked quietly, "Is he all right?"

"Yes, though he definitely needs more sleep. Sometimes I think he could use a friend to share his day with," Elize smiled thoughtfully. Rowen was probably the closest he has to a 'bestie,' though theirs was a working relationship and they spent most of their time in meetings. Ludger came even closer, and they even renamed a sword arte in commemoration of their their friendship. But aside from the occasional business meetings for managing spyrite technology she thought it unlikely they would find time to interact often.

"We all have different roles to play in rebuilding the world and have mostly gone our separate ways. King Gaius' role is to protect the weak and ensure the wellbeing of Rieze Maxians, but in exchange he sacrifices his own needs and suppresses a lot of who he is underneath. He works extremely hard. I don't know if he realizes that we're all just a GHS call away, but then again…," Elize stifled a laugh, "he's really awful when it comes to using technology."

After a long pause Elize looked up from her teacup to see that Karla was observing her with greater scrutiny now.

"Do you…care for him?" Karla asked gently. "I can tell you're fond of Gaius. Are you in love with him?"

Elize blinked in surprise.

Elize had so few examples in her life for comparison. The feelings she had for Jude were replaced by a sisterly affection, and any romantic feeling was too brief for in-depth study. It was the same for Ludger who was destined for someone else. The closest thing she had to familial love was Rowen, Driselle and Jiao. They were a grandfather, a sister and an overprotective uncle to the young Elize. What she felt for Alvin bordered more closely to flirtatious friendship. What she felt with Erston was unlike any of these.

Love was all encompassing and sacrificial, as Wingul who died for his king and friend, or her mother who left a life of luxury to marry someone of her own choosing, had exemplified. Her life was complicated enough and Elize had easily rejected love and its havoc for many years.

Yet she couldn't deny that she enjoyed being in his presence and that he gave her a continuing sense of calm over the growing darkness. She needed only think of him to feel his warmth, like that of a rising dawn. A flush crept across her face as she recalled the more tender moments they had shared.

"Reminiscing?" asked Karla with a wry smile.

Elize shook her head, "It's...complicated."

"It often is," Karla responded. "I don't know if you knew this, but I was engaged once. Though I was only eleven at the time I imagined myself in love though I really wouldn't marry until I came of age. My fiancé was valiant and handsome and from a well known tribe. I imagined myself in love with him. I was sick through most of my childhood, rarely venturing outside, and I saw my marriage as a means of escaping monotony while my family saw it as a means of rising up in power. One fateful day, my fiancé's decision caused an enormous loss of life, wiping out all the men of my tribe during the Battle of Fezbel. My brother could not have forgiven him for that. My fiancé never came back and neither did my brother. I often wonder if I actually loved my fiancé because I grieved the loss of my brother more. I could never forget Erston's kindness or his loyalty. So I'm not surprised that you've grown fond of him, especially not if he's shown you who he really is."

"Did…Erston kill…?" asked Elize, unable to complete the sentence. Gaius was known for his blood stained hands but Elize still thought him above a slaying a lesser man for the sake of revenge. Yet, if he was in a fit of rage, that would be different.

Karla merely shook her head. "I never did ask," she smiled. "It didn't matter. Whether my brother ran him through or he died of shame, or he was forced to commit suicide to atone for his actions made no difference to me. I only know that I loved my brother and I can at least support Gaius from the sidelines, right? Though sometimes I wish I saw him more often."

Elize looked out the paned window to the bustling street. Above everything was the same sky that had witnessed the events of the past, and knew the truth. It was the same sky under which Erston was traveling now. In that moment she felt connected to him under that sky, and regretted she did not speak with him before she left Sharilton.

For the first time her feelings were telling her not to run from him.

"I need to be strong because I made a vow to save his people, and he promised to help me. That relationship should be enough," she declared, hearing the conviction in her voice rather than feeling it.

"Is it?" asked Karla.

"It is," she responded. Because anything else is impossible.

-000-

When she parted ways with Karla, she intended to stop by Luke's flat again, but a familiar shimmering form with wings stopped her in her tracks. In her hands was the piece of paper Elize had earlier sent off into the breeze.

Múzet smiled mischievously and said, "If it's the king's happiness you wish for, I'll be the first one to help."