Carmine

I resided in the grand hall. The King was smiling from cheek to cheek. His fellow court was reasonably refreshed after dinner.

I was here waiting, yet my gaze was wrapped in the eclectic dance of this court jester. Who performed in front of the other guests sitting on a long wooden bench.

The court jester was tall and wrapped in a strange haphazard tight black and white patched suit. It had a round ugly bronze mask. As the Jester whirled, I noted Acomn.

If I did not knew better, Acomn's eyes were always resting on me every chance he got. I found more enemies than allies as time passed.

The court Jester slid and stopped next to Acomn then he copied Acomn's stance and mirrored staring in my direction. If that did not make it obvious that Acomn was watching me I did not knew what would.

Acomn drifted back in shock and muttered something angrily. The Jester turned and did the same action with the same angry hand gestures only to nobody, but the empty space.

We all laughed out aloud. Even Nor was snickering silently at the display. Acomn stormed off.

Where was Five? He was taking way too long now. I was about to contact him when the King came up to me.

When we left together we made our way to the garden. We walked along the blooming mass of colors, while the wind shook the stems and cooled our burning flesh.

"It is so good to see you after so long Carmine," he said.

"Yes, it is very good for me as well," I answered.

He held onto my hands and we stopped before a set of orchids. "What happened to you?"

I looked away from his sunken eyes on the edge of tearing up. He should never see me like this. "I was banished, my King."

He peaked up hearing that. "I see b—"

"My King." I slipped my fingers out and played with his fingers. Our hands cradled the other. "Let us not talk badly of my father. As you know he is not with us. I want to bury him if he has not already. I need to see him. I cannot stay."

His face flexed and scowled. He nodded his head and grinned. "Okay, my love I understand. I will go with you."

I got flustered. "Ah, well, ah, yes I-I ah, no hm. My King do not, I do not want to distract you from your duties."

"Duties?" He waved his hand upward. "Nonsense. Acomn always ran the country. People rarely see me. If I leave no one will notice I am gone."

"My Kin—"

"Call me Canus." his eyes fluttered briefly then his arms slowed as they came to his sides. "You don't love me anymore?"

That took the breath out of me as I paused. His eyes steeled. I quickly recovered. "Of co..."

Who was I joking, I did not feel like that even now. Besides, it was probably better for me to cut the ties with this. Guessed Acomn got what he wanted.

I said, "I do not think so. I mean I am happy to see you. I am glad you are well, but a lot has changed. A lot—has changed."

His eyes started blinking rapidly. "Is there another?"

"No, no one else. I just have a lot on my mind."

He laid his hand on the side of the brick wall sheltering the bed of flowers. "This witch, Acomn said it was just delusions." He looked up at me with a somber stare. "But I heard what happened in Eathen."

"What have you heard, Canus?"

"That the Princess of Ascus killed Erot priests and is consorting with witches. That is what I heard from other’s mouths. I am sure Acomn has heard as well, but he thinks I am too weak to take hearing such things about the woman I love." Canus sighed and straightened his stance.

Perturbed, I was looking into the morphing features of his face. "What happened to you Canus?"

His eyes widened as he shifted backward.

I swallowed. "You don't look so good Canus. I have been thinking about it for a while, but you just—"

He laughed, but stopped abruptly as he looked away. "Yes, I am sure you would notice. You always had an eye for details. Ever since you disappeared I have been—"

Canus shook his head. "Sleeping a lot. Even now, I am a joke. I do not even rule my country, I mean I could. But everyone knows Acomn is better at it. Even if someone saw me they would ask where is Acomn."

He snorted as a tight smirk appeared. "It is sad is it not? How both of us have fallen."

I wished things were not like this. Time was cruel to us. "Like some bad theatrical play?" My words came out mocking my life more than they should. I pushed my fingers into the hair just off the top of his forehead. It was a tough stretch at my height.

He laughed. "Something like that." Canus grabbed my hand and moved closer. I smelt the dull scent of an alluring kind. Deep, but acerb, making my tongue whirl in tandem with my dreary thoughts.

He asked, "How much danger are you in?"

If I told him the truth he would get all mushy and become my hero. I could not take him with me. Would that be so bad though? "Not that much, you know me, I get scared easy. Once I reach into Ascus I will be fine," I lied.

Canus nodded. "Right, you were always holding onto me back then every time you saw a lizard. You were like oh Canus kill it!" I pushed him and he laughed.

My urge to laugh was suppressed, yet he touched me on my chin. Our eyes connected, and a warmth burst at the top of my bosom. I spurted out a snicker as my chin lifted. "A union between us would make both our nations quite powerful. I mean I am a suitable husband being a literal King."

He was never a good boast.

"I thought you were—you have not married?"

"No, my family have tried to force me, but I was set on you. I-I still am. It was not like they did not like the idea of you being my wife. I mean you are destined to receive Ascus in all its glory after all. That made my brothers at least tried to find you. My parents are still spewing that pure blood foolishness."

In the game of life, no one married for love. Property, power, resources, this was not foreign to me. My training as a child implored me to pick my battles and my men just as easily as I picked the clothes to go to a gala. Canus, I knew for a long time.

He had never been a bad person. Canus still loved me. I knew I would do well off in his care. He had the ability to protect me from Erot.

And his large army and their strength would be essential to me stabilizing my country. But not yet, I had to make some adjustments on my part.

"If you are willing to wait for me?" I asked.

"I waited ten years. I can wait a little longer." He shrugged.

I leaned into him crashing into his torso. He returned the warmth with the strength of his arms curling under my shoulders and lifting me briefly out of my despair.