The carriage is a vision of gold and silver. Sculpted wings fan out in bright crystal feathers from its rear, giving the outlook something of an Egyptian chariot. Painted in the royal colors, which I'm speedily learning is red and gold, the carriage is pulled in front by four horses. Not the usual two I guess. A uniformed redhaired girl sits at the helm of the carriage. She has the reins in her hand, ready to break free at my command. I nod approvingly at this. A female horse trainer is a nice touch. I haven't seen any female knights and though the kingdom might not yet be an egalitarian society, history has taught me it's one step at a time. One can't rush these things, even a monarch—especially a female one.
Three knights are spread out before the horses, the first in the forefront bearing a flag and the other two sidelined a pace behind. Some others are positioned behind the carriage itself, the crystal wings pointing towards them. Few yards behind my ready troupe, the castle itself rises as a stony monstrosity. I see turrets, steeples, and chimneys and stables, and storeys upon storeys of grand rooms. The castle looms like some creation of Michelangelo; more perfected by the viewer's imagination. And just like the prelude to a Walt Disney cartoon, a flag peeks as the highest point, billowing scarlet and gold in the wind.
Since the castle is set on a promontory, the rest of the city is a sprawl before us. From where I stand, the kingdom is a Florentine dream. Red brick roofs, some buildings which I presume are Inns higher than the rest, but never contradicting with the balmy skyline and perpetual horizon. I think there's also a sea beyond it all—or perhaps it's just the morning sun in my eyes. I'm grateful for these few moments because in staring into the beauty of an entire nation, I forget the other beauty beside me. The tall, blond viking of a man. I forget, or at least try to—until Yennara moves close.
I catch a whiff of honey.
"Your Grace, the sun is rising in the sky. We should be on our way."
"Yes, yes." I turn from the view, instantly falling into her brown eyes. "Sorry, let's go."
A shadow falls over me and I peer up. Another set of dreamy eyes.
"Oh, Lance."
He looks at me some way like he doesn't quite understand why I called him Lance. But he offers his hand and I stiffen. Besides the warrior's bracelet covering his forearm, it's the exact same gesture on prom night. A little bend at his waist. Riparian eyes intent on mine, offering something far more than either of us understand. Surely not a dance this time. The last time I'd taken Lance's offered hand, I had the most beautiful twirl of my life—right before a fight with his crazy girlfriend had me swapping universes.
Even though circumstances are different, do I dare take his hand?
I glance at Yennara standing to the side, peering faithfully at us. She has nothing of crazy in her eyes. If anything, she has on her face a bit of worry at my hesitation. I look back at his hand and all hesitation fades. Yes! With Lance offering a hand, I will absolutely take a leap.
Holding my breath, I slide my hand into his.
Nothing happens. Well, nothing out of the ordinary.
His fingers are long, his palm larger and callused. War-borne arms. At his touch, my body remembers, itching for the closer contact experienced mere days ago but in a totally different world. Rather than let myself fall into the seducing comfort of his embrace, I follow his lead as he guides me up the small wooden steps leading up the carriage. His fingers fall way and I immediately miss them. I'm not needy or anything, but years of wanting a person makes you want to have every second with them when they're finally near. Now that I can have Lance, I want him in every possible way. But I don't want to come off strong. It'll look a bit weird for a queen. But back when I was just the cute nerd in the background, maybe?
Yennara follows shortly after me, taking the empty space opposite me.
The carriage is actually wide enough to seat three on either side. Lush red couches line the interior, adorned at both sides by velvet drapes drawn apart and held by golden pegs to grant us an unhindered view of the streets we pass through open windows. Settling into the comfy seats, I take a long full breath of the sublime air. Feels like someone spritzed the carriage with lavender.
It smells a bit like Church bright and early on Sunday. A bit of Scottish fields too.
My eyes fall closed for a moment and I hear the swift whack of reins. The horses give a collective neighing and the carriage lurches forward. Feeling eyes on me I sneak a peek and catch Yennara staring. She averts hers as soon as she realizes me watching but not before I spot her first.
"What?" I grin.
She shrugs but remains silent. The carriage is rumbling slowly through the cobbled streets and through my peripheral vision, I can make out cottage-style homes, fields of corn ears, and wide stalls in the distance.
"We are still on the castle grounds," Yennara puts in, reading my thoughts.
I nod, pulling my focus fully to her. The cottages must be the homes to the stable hands then. I figure it's wise to keep residences for the stewards closer to their jobs. A surprising industrial whiz for this era. The carriage jostles a bit and Yennara squeezes her twined fingers over her lap. I can't help myself.
"Scared?" I taunt.
She gives me a look but says nothing.
"Oh come on!" I push at her walls. "Nothing? So you just like staring then? At everything in general...or perhaps, at me?"
Yennara shakes her head at my smile. She knows I'm enjoying this. I love playing with her, bringing her out of her introvertive bubble, trying to learn more about what Cheyenne would've been in the real world if she wasn't struggling to be such a bitch all the time. Yennara doesn't know this of course.
"You have cute freckles." I keep at it. "Did anyone ever tell you that? A boy? No...a girl?"
She remains rigid, attractivey stoic and straight-spined for a woman in a vehicle with wooden wheels. Come to think of it, I've never once asked her if she has a boyfriend, or lover I suppose. I mean I've seen the looks she gives me and the moments we share but no way Yennara isn't attached to a sturdy knight or fawned over by some Lord. Hell! Back in my geek universe, boys had been in a waiting line to snatch up Cheyenne if Lance ever broke up with her. She was the full package: goal-driven, pretty as a pie, with legs forever. Only she was too hung up on Lance to see the other guys.
Absentmindedly, she lifts a hand to caress her cheek. I watch her run her fingers over the lovely smatter of little dots a concealer can't cover. Her freckles branch out her cheeks, making the shape of a drizzle. And I wonder why Cheyenne had ever hidden it. It's the simple things like this boys go crazy about. Yennara follows my line of sight and drops her hands.
"It's alright," I offer. "They're beautiful."
The silence begins to stretch and Yennara blinks rapidly, as if suddenly remembering something. She unfolds from her handy satchel the book she'd given me earlier; Other Worlds Beyond Ours.
"I thought you'd need something for the road," she says in her syrupy voice. "It won't be long before we reach the Capital but I thought you'd need something to while away time."
My grin returns in full force. "You don't like me ogling you now, do you?"
"No, it's not that." Yennara's small voice rises, pink flooding her face.
I break into a full laugh. She is more entertaining than the view of the city.
"I'm only teasing," I ease her, taking the book off her hand. I spare the rough leather cover only a glance before I lift my eyes back to her. "But I'd prefer your company to that of a boring old book."
There'd be time for all that later. I keep this part to myself.
She says nothing but her eyes twinkle and I let the book fall to the side. "Now, tell me something."
Yennara nods. "Anything, Your Grace."
"Sir Lancelot, what happened to his parents?"
Yennara twists her fingers in her lap, lowering her gaze for a bit which makes me think she looks for the best place to begin. "Oh, they were friends of the Crown."
Were? Past tense? Not good.
"They're dead?" I question impatiently, wishing an answer in the negative.
Yennara nods solemnly. But then her eyes holds something of worry, the same look I'd seen on her face earlier when I'd requested for the books on metempsychosis. "Your Grace, don't you remember? Sir Lancelot's parents were Lord Ceres and Lady Amber Grimm, emissaries under your command. They were sent as envoys to the Pirate tyrant Vileyns Crave..."
That name again. Yennara's brown eyes flare in anger as she says it.
"... representatives of the Crown to enquire his intent at the first appearance of his ships on our borders. The madman accused them of treason against his authority and executed them. He sent their headless bodies to the capital as warning."
I shiver in my seat.
Dear God! Poor Lance!
Yennara shifts closer in her seat, a new fire lighting her eyes. "But then you arose, my Queen. And you rallied the scattered, devastated troops of Mythronos, bringing into ranks every man who could wield sword and shield...and with a mighty navy like never seen before, you yourself led the attack on Crave. It was a battle that boiled the seas. I could hear the cannons firing hundred times a day from the castle as I prayed for your safety. Finally, you returned, and with you, the recovered heads of Lord and Lady Grimm. Sir Lancelot swore undying fealty to you that glorious day."
Wow! My eyes are rooted to Yennara.
What a gory tale? Oh, if Peter Pan could see me now?
"Because of the multitude of dead found floating to the shores of Mythronos afterward, we were named the Dead Empire," Yennara finishes in gusto.
I sound like such a badass. And I am not!
I couldn't even stand up to Cheyenne in Highschool. And in this reality, I'm waging war against one-eyed usurpers?
"And Vileyns Crave," I ask with sweaty palms. "Did we get him?"
Yennara shakes her head with a frown firm on her pink lips. "Sadly, the body of Lord Crave was never recovered from the bowels of the sea."
Damn! The bastard. Him killing this world's Lance's parents is enough to make me hate him because...because—well, I love Lance in all worlds. Sadly I know a lot about villains to know they don't fully die until they're dead. You know?
Yennara removes from her bag an ornamental handfan, adorned in a crescent spread of peacock feathers. She opens it to its full breadth and begins to wave over me. I should say I'm surprised but at this point I'm not. How many other useful things are in that satchel of hers?
"Thank you," I say, reclining back against my seat as a much needed breeze cools me off. Apparently, not only my hands were sweaty. Yennara could see this. I feel like I hit the mother lode with her. She gives me a caring smile, and keeps fanning as her words settle like lead in the pit of my belly.
The Dead Empire? I'd done that.
After a while, she says, "I have arranged for the Physician to meet us when we get back."
I sit up. "What? I said I'm fine. I—"
"It's not up for dispute." Yennara stops fanning, pinning me with a shocking authority in her eyes. "You haven't being feeling well for days now. I though this cruise would help, but it isn't. Not the way I anticipated. The Physician will see you," she finishes flatly.
"Okaaayy," I put slowly. I like this dominant side of her.
She starts fanning again and I relax into the carriage.
"Your Grace, we are entering the Capital now," a feminine voice announces from outside. The cowgirl.
I look out the window just as a celebratory fanfare erupts. Uniformed officers stand on high walls blowing on trumpets as the carriage rides in through the streets. Lance leads the entourage in front as dozens of people begin to gather. Yennara and I stare from behind the scarlet curtains as smiles light up faces, just like the sun up above.