Chapter 6
"I thank you for your kindness," the young savage woman said, accepting a cup of warm tea from Robin.
"We should be thanking you," he demurred. "You saved us all."
"You do not know this place," she replied, pulling the wool blanket they had given her tighter around her shoulders. "It is understandable that you do not know the creatures either."
"Yeah," Robin agreed, sitting next to her on the log they had laid down in front of their small campfire. "That may bring up some complications if we keep going. Raven said we have about two more days before we reach Malchior's castle."
"Perhaps," the girl paused and looked down, as if searching for the right words. "I could do the guiding for you. I know this land very well and could help you."
"Really?" Robin smiled. "That would be great. If it's not too much trouble, that is."
"Oh no, it is no trouble at all," the girl insisted, smiling widely. "I would like it very much."
Robin smiled. "You still haven't told us your name."
"Oh," she squeaked, giggling lightly. "I had forgotten. I believe that in your language my name is… Star… fire."
"Starfire," the king repeated, grinning. "Nice to meet you. I'm Robin."
"It is very nice to meet you," the girl, Starfire, replied. "And what of the others? What are they called?"
Robin looked around the small camp they had constructed a mere hour ago. His traveling companions had spread out and were each busy with other things.
"Well, his name is Garfield," Robin began, pointing at the green man tending to the horses. He glanced up a waved when he heard his name. "He's a knight from the Kingdom of Caldweilla, in our realm."
Raven sat a few feet away from Garfield, on the other side of the fire, hunched over a map of Malchior's realm. She was finding it increasingly difficult to read in the dark with only the small flickering of the fire for light.
"That's Raven. She's a sorceress, but she's very kind. Unless you annoy her, then watch out." Robin whispered the last bit, and Starfire giggled appreciatively as Raven looked up and glared at the king, who laughed apologetically.
"It's nice to meet you, Starfire," Raven said in a perfect monotone. The warrior woman smiled.
"Likewise."
"And that," Robin finished, "Is Victor. My friend and a former member of the Tamborinian royal guard."
The large man walked over to them, carrying a pot of water that he would be using for stew. Placing it on a rack above the fire he looked over and nodded.
"Nice to meet ya," he greeted.
"I am most pleased to have met you all," Starfire replied, clasping her hands together excitedly. "I believe we shall be great friends."
"I'm sure we will," Robin agreed. Starfire looked over and smiled at him expectantly.
"And what of you, Robin?" she asked. "You have told me that Garfield is a knight, Raven is a sorceress, and Victor is a royal guard. But what is your position?"
A small blush crossed the king's cheeks, although it could just be a trick of the firelight. "I- well, I'm the king of Tamborinia."
"That is very interesting," Starfire nodded, seemingly unfazed by his high position. "And, who is this princess you have come to retrieve? Is she perhaps your future bride?"
"No!" Robin exclaimed immediately. "No it's not like that! I'm not getting married. I mean- maybe someday, not that I actually- I mean…"
"What he means," Raven interrupted, saving the young monarch from further embarrassment. "Is that she's the princess from the Kingdom Caldweilla. Gar came to Robin's palace in the name of King Caldwell soon after Princess Terrianna was captured, requesting help from Tamborinia in the search for his daughter. And so, we're all here to save her from Malchior."
"Ah," Starfire nodded her understanding. "This is very unfortunate for her."
"What do you mean?" Gar asked, walking over from the horses and sitting down on the ground next to Raven. "We're here to save her. How is that unfortunate?"
"You misunderstand me," Starfire replied. "I meant that it is unfortunate for her to be taken by Malchior. I have heard many tales of his capturing of the princesses- one of which was the princess of the village I come from. Many say that they have seen him holding the rituals of dark magic that require the death of his-"
"Death?" the green knight squeaked nervously. "You don't think he's going to kill her, do you?"
"No," Raven answered. "In the letter he wrote me, he said that she was his 'guest'. And while I don't think that he would really treat her as one, I know it wouldn't serve his purposes to kill her."
Gar sighed in relief. "That's good."
Raven looked over at him, an unreadable expression on her face as she gazed at him pensively. Slightly uncomfortable under the witch's intensity, the knight shifted uncomfortably and looked over at Victor.
"Eww!" he exclaimed, watching as Victor dropped a plate of ingredients into the boiling water.
"What?" Vic asked, looking at the pot's contents in confusion. "What's wrong?"
"You just put in dried beef," Gar replied, wrinkling his nose in disgust.
"Yeah, so?"
"So that's disgusting!" the green boy replied. "How can you eat meat?"
"Uh, it's simple," the dark man said. "I cook it, put it in my mouth, and chew."
"That meat used to be a cow!" Garfield pointed out. "How can you eat anything that used to have a face? It's like… practically cannibalism!"
"It's not cannibalism," Raven protested. "Cows aren't human. Trust me, I've seen inside the minds of cows. All they know is eat, sleep, eat more."
"It's still disgusting," Gar replied, folding his arms stubbornly.
"All right, then you can pick out the beef," Robin allowed. "Just put any meat you get back into the pot for the rest of us."
"Yeah," Victor agreed, turning back to the food. "Freaky, leaf eater."
"Hey! At least I don't eat poor, defenseless animals," Gar argued.
"That's it," Raven snapped, folding her map angrily. "Garfield, you go collect some more firewood. Victor, stop picking petty little fights and make the food."
Both boys jumped at Raven's outburst. Victor immediately complied and bent over the stew. Gar looked about to do his own task as well, but stopped when he looked out at the dark forest.
"Uh…" he hesitated, looking over at Raven who was tapping an index finger impatiently on her crossed arms as she waited for him to do what he was told. "But… it's dark out. I don't want to go out there alone."
Raven sighed. "Fine. I'll come with you. I can't read my map anymore anyway. But no talking!"
"Yes ma'am!" he replied, snapping a salute at the girl. Rolling her eyes, Raven walked past him into the forest. The green boy followed closely at her heels.
"Think they'll bring back the firewood before Raven gets tired of him and comes back?" Victor asked, chuckling.
"I give them two minutes."
-
"…And that library! I've never really liked books, but I found so many interesting ones on geology and precious stones that I think I might actually like going there again. Ah man, my governess Tally would have a fit if she ever heard me say that!"
Malchior smiled as the blonde beauty across the table from him laughed as she recounted the day they had spent together. She lifted a forkful of food to her mouth as her laughter died down, a smile still on her face.
"Then, you are enjoying your stay here?" Malchior asked, poking at his own food.
"Yeah," Terra nodded as she swallowed her food. "It's great here and…"
She blushed and looked away.
"And?" Malchior prompted with a smirk. She looked back up at him with her bright blue eyes and smiled.
"And, it's hard to explain," Terra began. "I just feel like, I can be me. I've always known that I was 'Princess Terrianna, daughter of King Caldwell VII and Queen Aila, and future ruler of the Kingdom of Caldweilla', but I never really knew who I was, you know?"
"I am sorry, but I do not understand," Malchior admitted.
"Well, it's like, all my life I've been what everyone else expects me to be. But here, I just feel like I can learn more about… myself," Terra explained, twisting her red cloth napkin in her hands.
"I think I'm beginning to understand," the sorcerer nodded. "And I am glad that you feel this way."
"Thank you," Terra replied, nodding. "When you took me away from my home, I really didn't think I'd have such a nice time. I guess I was wrong. I judged you too quickly."
"I am most humbled," Malchior grinned, but quickly sobered. "But perhaps… perhaps you did not judge me too quickly at all."
"Why?" Terra asked, slightly suspicious. "What are you trying to say? Is this about why you stole me in the first place?"
"Yes," Malchior admitted. He stood from his place at the dinning room table and walked over to a window. "The fact is, with my reputation, I don't get many visitors. And living here all alone… well, it can get quite lonely."
"So… you brought me here for company?" Terra asked.
"Perhaps we should finish this talk in the morning," Malchior suggested, a strange hint of panic beginning to tease him, though he didn't know why. "We have had a long day and I'm sure we are both quite tired."
"No," Terra rejected the idea. "I want to know now. Is that why you took me? Because you wanted someone to talk to?"
She didn't sound accusing, Malchior noted, just curious. He sighed and continued to gaze out the window.
"No. I brought you here as bait. I once knew a sorceress who stole my heart, then crushed it. I knew that if I took you, or anyone, really, she'd agree to switch places and stay with me."
Silence filled the room, and Malchior turned around to try and gage Terra's reaction. He immediately regretted it.
Anger marred her previously happy face, and she had tightly curled her fists. She pulled back her shoulders and lifted her chin regally.
"So," she said. Her voice, which had been full and almost loud just a few minutes ago, had lowered to a dangerously quite tone. "I was just bait so you could get the girl. I was a pawn in your twisted game."
"No, Terra, please understand-" Malchior tried to explain himself, but she cut him off.
"That's Princess Terrianna, to you," she spat.
Before he could say anything else, Terra spun on her heel and left the dining room. Once the door had closed behind her she lifted her skirts and began to run, though she knew he wouldn't chase after her.
Despite the grand size of Malchior's castle, and the numerous twists and turns, she easily found her bedchamber. Slamming her door behind her, she sprinted across the room and flung herself on the bed.
Burying her head in her pillow she angrily reflected on everything he had just said.
'Perhaps you did not judge me too quickly at all… I once knew a sorceress who stole my heart… a sorceress… stole my heart… I brought you here as bait… bait… I knew that if I took you, or anyone, really… anyone… anyone…'
"He's horrible," the princess mumbled into her pillow. "He was just using me to get what he wanted. I knew I couldn't trust him. I hate him!"
Then… why was her pillow suddenly so wet?
-
At least an hour passed before Malchior left the dinning room. He slowly made his way down the corridors of his castle, fully intending to go to his own bedroom, but as he stopped in front of a familiar door, he realized that he'd taken a short detour.
He lifted a hand to knock, but hesitated before slowly lowering it again. She didn't want to talk to him. Instead, he pressed his ear against the door and listened. All was quiet inside her room.
Groaning, Malchior turned around and leaned his back against the door. Emotions he hadn't felt in a long time raced through him, the most predominant being guilt.
He shouldn't have told her. He shouldn't have mentioned it at all. It had only upset her before he could explain the slow, but steady change of heart he was having.
His original plan had been to lure his first love, Raven, to his castle. He knew she would never love him again, but she would stay if she didn't have a choice, and that was good enough for him.
But over the past two days, he had gotten to know Terra. She was so like, yet unlike his Raven, and both the similarities and differences intoxicated him in a way he could never have imagined.
And now, to know that he had caused her pain…
A small sigh escaped his lips, and wearily, he stepped away from her door. He began to walk away, but stopped after only two steps. Turning back, he waved his hand in the direction of her room, and gazed sadly at the wood that separated them.
"I can give her that much, at least."
With nothing left to do, Malchior turned and morosely retired to his chambers.
This chapter is dedicated to the wonderful Zaknafain because it's his birthday and I couldn't think of anything else but a phonecall to get him, and since he likes my writing for whatever strange reason, I figured what the heck. Heh
Sorry it took so long to update. I really don't have a good excuse this time except sheer laziness and a computer that decides to revolt the few times I get over said laziness. So, please forgive me.
-Tammy Tamborine