silverchain.
chapter ten: a surprisingly indirect confession of enamorment
Karis was in a marginally better mood the next morning, having in her mind resigned herself to the unhappy fate of a lovelorn spinster, and all the other occupants of the house were too pleased with this turn of events to consider the reasons behind her, if not exactly content, at least less surly mood. That is, of course, excepting Amiti, who was almost more worried at her strange turn of mind than he was with her earlier temper.
As everybody began breaking the morning bread, Isaac said evenly, "You know, I was thinking that perhaps the three of you would be interested in that little village that's sprung up a few miles from here. It would give you a chance to stretch your legs, and keep you in practice for any future adventuring. I'm sure you can find enough to entertain yourselves on the trip and once there."
The younger generation exchanged looks: Matthew looked warily interested, Amiti curious and somewhat excited, and Karis nearly blank, with a forced expression of anticipation. "You just want to get us out of the house, don't you?" Matthew replied, raising an eyebrow.
"Well..." Isaac grinned. "Honestly, yes. I've missed Jenna quite a lot, being away in that cabin."
"Say no more," Amiti said brightly, "a short voyage would be quite beneficial for all of us, obviously." His usually observant blue eyes were fixed on the married couple in front of him, and so he did not notice the wistful look thrown his way by the lovesick Adept a seat away.
Matthew, however, was not so oblivious, and shot a look at Karis, who returned it with an innocent expression about her eyes. The long-suffering Venus Adept sighed at his two friends, and, giving up, returned to his breakfast.
"Karis?" Isaac asked gently, a trace of concern evident in his darkened eyes. "Wouldn't you like to get out and go on a short trip with Matthew and Amiti?"
Like a magic word, she seemed to snap to attention when the king's name was mentioned, and nodded. Amiti smiled at her, but she turned away before their eyes could meet. Matthew sighed again. He had found himself doing that quite a lot lately.
After loading up a few necessities and emergency provisions, the three young Adepts set out into the unknown once more, although for a much shorter journey than before. The crisp air felt fresh on Amiti's face, and he found himself quite enjoying the natural world, especially when the fate of the world did not depend on the success of their trip. Even Karis seemed to be having a good time, and she laughed out loud for the first time in days when a pair of cuckoos made a nest for themselves in Matthew's messy hair.
They broke for lunch in a pleasant meadow. Eating in silence, the Venus Adept could not help but notice the way that Amiti's eyes would wander towards Karis before he would look away, after which she would do the same. Exasperated, Matthew put down his sandwich, opened his mouth, thought better of it, and returned to his meal. Neither of his friends noticed.
By the time they reached the outskirts of the happy little village, Matthew had become fed up with the behavior of both, and found himself missing Sveta quite a lot. Still, it was hard to keep a smile off of his face as he glanced around the sleepy town. A few stores nestled together in the center of town, and around them seemed to focus all of the dwelling-places of the townspeople. A small park, filled with wooden benches and trees emblazoned with the carved emblems of lovers' names, provided a quiet beauty to the simple village.
Noticing that Amiti was hovering near what appeared to be a tiny, musty bookstore filled with aging scrolls and decorative trinkets, Matthew waved him on. "I don't think there's enough room for us to all go in," he said confidently, "but why don't you go on in and scope it out? Karis and I can wait over in the park."
Amiti nodded, eyes bright, and entered the small shop. The Venus Adept took this opportunity to seize Karis' arm, and dragged her to the park, where he sat them both upon a sturdy bench. Confused and out of breath, she only afforded him a questioning look.
"There's something I need to tell you," he replied to her expression, in a slightly hurried tone. She pulled her arm away, still silent, but her eyes were intense with curiosity and concern.
"It's about Amiti," Matthew elaborated, and her face fell.
"I already know," she muttered dimly. The young man, befuddled by her low spirits, put a hand on her shoulder.
"I thought you loved him."
Bright purple met deep blue, and she shoved him in anger, tears threatening to tumble from her eyes. "Of course I do," Karis answered, admitting aloud what she had hardly allowed herself to believe in her mind.
Matthew threw up his hands. "Why are you upset, then? He loves you!"
Her face froze, and it seemed as though even the tears slowly sliding down her face had stopped their descent. "What?" she asked slowly, her voice husky.
"He loves you," repeated Matthew slowly. "You said you already knew..."
"He loves somebody else," she contradicted, still sniffling.
The young man's eyes opened wider with confusion. "No, he doesn't."
"Yes, he does," Karis countered childishly.
"No, he—look," he said, cutting himself off. "He really, truly loves you, Karis, and you're killing him with the way you've been acting!"
Calm, understanding Karis burst into a fit of furious tears. Matthew attempted to comfort her as she sobbed into her hand, but she just kept repeating, "He loves...her...not me..."
"Who?" her friend asked in irritation, but she would not answer. After a minute she dried her eyes once more, caught her breath, and sat there, obviously teetering on the edge of another breakdown but otherwise reserved.
Matthew tried again. "Who are you convinced he loves? I'm sure you're wrong, but—"
"Sveta," Karis said, in a tone of utmost sorrow and resignation.
This time, it was his turn to freeze, but he quickly shook his head, keeping himself level. "No, he doesn't."
She only looked at him sympathetically.
"He doesn't," he said, trying to put things to rights. "How would you know that anyway?"
She didn't meet his eyes.
"Karis..."
"I read his mind, okay?"
A feeling came over Matthew that made him quite glad he was already seated. Blinking away the shock of the words, he looked at her, almost blankly.
"I read his mind, and...and he loves Sveta. Not me. So thanks, but it's no use." She hiccupped.
It was obvious that his attempt to reconcile these ideas was not successful. Almost to himself, he said, "But I told him that I was going to ask her."
"What?"
Matthew looked up at her, and with the relief of setting a secret free, he confessed, "I told him that I was going to propose to Sveta."
Karis appeared as though this shock barely registered in the aftereffects of the last few surprises. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I wasn't really confident that she'd say yes," he answered, and chuckled bitterly. "Well, it won't now, I guess."
"You don't know that," she replied comfortingly, tucking a spike behind his ear with sisterly affection, forcing herself to remain hopeful even with the fresh and sharp wounds in her heart begging to be pitied.
Matthew sighed, and turned slightly away. "Yes, I do. We both know who you would choose, why should I expect that Sveta would feel any different?" Even though she couldn't see his face, she could tell that a few tears were slipping from his eyes.
"That's not fair," Karis reminded him around the pangs in her heart. "We're different people. I see you as a brother, but that doesn't mean that she does."
"He has everything," he said with obvious pain. "He's the king of a small country, Karis. She's a queen, it only makes sense. I don't know why I ever thought I had a chance."
"He doesn't have family," she answered reflectively.
"He has us," Matthew argued.
Flaring up unexpectedly, Karis glared at him with a rage only equalled in Jenna's most passionate moments. "Clearly we haven't been a proper family to him! He didn't even trust us enough to tell us something like that."
"He told me that he loved you," her friend told her, with obvious anger. "It's hardly my fault that he's a liar."
"Don't call him that!" she shrieked, once more losing control of her emotions. Matthew was finding it hard to ignore the sparks flying in her hair and hands that were getting dangerously close to his person.
"Karis? Matthew? Has something happened?" Amiti was standing, feet away now, but not close enough to have heard the prior conversation. Still, the tear-tracks on both the Adepts' faces and their distraught expressions were clear for anybody to see, and concern etched deep frown lines across the youthful king's face. On sight of him, so worried and so heartbreakingly kind, Karis collapsed once more into sobs, and Matthew glared.
The Venus Adept put an arm around his friend, guiding her into him and comforting him, but he never took his eyes off of the Mercury Adept, who was still standing a few feet away, arms outstretched, completely at a loss.