The Name You Gave Me

Chapter 7 - The Huntress

"You want to do what?" Aaron asks out of shock as he sits up to look at me better. I can tell by the look in his golden-brown eyes that he isn't entirely on board with what I am saying.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Jessie exclaims "The Room of Names is hidden somewhere in the royal palace. Somewhere secret! They won't even tell us where it is. There is no way that they will allow one of us to go into it! We are merely princesses and princes. Our roles are not near high enough for that kind of clearance!"

"Who says that I am asking for permission?" I question as I raise an eyebrow and look between both of them.

They both seem to be taken back by my response. Even I am surprised by how determined I sound, my voice being so full of drive. But what can I say? I have a strong source of motivation.

"Rohanna, you really need to think carefully about what you are saying," Aaron says as he grabs my hand, "If the wrong person hears you talking like this, it can get you thrown in the dungeons, or worse- executed."

As much as I want to argue with him, I know that he is making a valid point. I won't be able to do anything to find answers if I am locked up or dead.

"Well, I think that you are absolutely crazy."

My head jerks around to look at Jessie as she speaks up.

"Excuse me?" I ask.

"Exactly what I said, Rohanna. I think that you are crazy," she says as she shrugs, as if what she is saying isn't putting me down, "I understand that you are upset about Emilio being killed. He was your best friend, I get that. But look at this opportunity that you have been given! You were once a commoner. Now you are a princess who is getting to stay in the royal palace. Are you really about to throw all of that away just because you are so bent on exposing a system that has been working for literally decades?"

I feel as if I have been slapped in the face, but honestly what else did I expect? Neither Jessie nor Aaron have even the slightest reason to be suspicious of the palace. They had both grown up rich, in the high society. I shake my head as I stand up, knowing that I never should have told them.

"You know what? I never should have told either of you," I murmur as I walk out of the room, despite Aaron's protests. After all, the meeting that the king and queen had called us in for is over with, there is no other reason for me to stay in the waiting room.

As I walk down the hallway, I come to the realization that there is only one person who will understand me. Well...Maybe. When I make it back to my room, Kace is standing outside my door as usual, waiting for me.

"Hey, how did the meeting go with King Ryan and Queen Sarai? Getting the band didn't hurt too bad, right?" He asks me.

I don't even answer him as I open my door and grab his hand, dragging him inside despite his sounds of protest. I don’t have time to explain out in the hallway for everyone to see.

"Wait, Rohanna. This isn't really allowed. I am not supposed to be in your room alone with you and I-"

"I have to talk to you," I interrupt him as I shut the door behind us, "It is important."

What I say seems to do the trick because Kace gently turns me to where I am looking at him.

"Tell me what is going on," he says, his expression serious for once.

I let out a breath as I gather my thoughts. I have to word this carefully. Kace is my last option to tell and the last thing that I want was is him to react how Jessie and Aaron had. But he wasn’t raised as high class. He had been raised as a commoner. Surely, he would understand more than the other two had.

"Look, I know that this is going to sound crazy, insane even. But ever since I found out about Emilio dying, I just can't seem to stop thinking about," I begin talking, my voice slightly frantic, "The system just doesn't make sense. Why would the Counsel give somebody a name if they knew that it was just going to get them killed?!"

I expect for Kace to look shocked, or perhaps even mad. But instead, he looks...Well he looks as if he had been where I am, standing in my shoes.

"I think it is time that I introduce you to someone," Kace says suddenly.

Wait. What? I had basically just admitted to him that I am practically questioning the very foundation that the Six Kingdoms were built on, yet all he had to say about it is that he wanted to introduce me to someone? Something else must have been going on.

"What are you not telling me?" I question as I furrow my eyebrows at him.

"It isn't safe to talk here. The walls here aren't very thick," Kace shakes his head before he walks to the door and opens it.

I hesitate, still, and eye him. He is being sketchy; though he did have a valid point. I share a wall with Elodie and I can hear it every time she chides one of her maids. It is quite awful. Kace seems to be able to sense my hesitation, because he sighs and purses his lips into a firm line.

"Don't you trust me?"

Don't you trust me?

Aaron had asked me those exact same words two weeks before when he had asked me to dance at the ball. I had told him no. But now the real question is- Do I trust Kace?

Without even so much of a thought, my head nods on its own accord. I do trust Kace, with my life in fact. While I have been growing closer to some of the other princesses and the princes, Kace always seems to be there for me.

"I do," I nearly whisper.

"Then please, just follow me."

I suck my bottom lip between my teeth as I look at his pleading features before I nod and walk out. I can hear him as he shuts my door behind me before he walks in front of me. Silently I follow him, as a sheep would follow its shepherd. But I am no sheep. I am a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Kace leads me back down the stairs and to the grand hallway. First, he goes to the waiting room and peeks inside, but as soon as he does, he pulls back and makes a face.

"Your friends are still in there. We need to go through the ballroom," he mutters before he motions with his hand for me to follow him again.

Friends...Yeah. Some friends they are. They wouldn't even hear me out. They just wanted to judge me. Well, more Jessie did than Aaron. But he sure didn't do anything to support me. And why would he? We had only known each other for about two weeks, despite how close that we had gotten.

I follow him to the next door to the right, which is the ballroom. Oh, how I hate this room. How can I not? It was here that I had first heard of Emilio's death. It was here where all of this had started. But I follow Kace regardless. We walk into the ballroom, which is now empty and vast. I kind of like it better like this than when it is bustling with guests and maids and servants. The silence, despite the light echo of our shoes tapping against the marble floor, is strangely comforting. I find myself enjoying the silence more and more, each and every day.

When we reach the other side of the room, coming to a stop in front of a set of large double glass doors, Kace peers through the spotless glass. Then he nods and motions for me to continue following him, as if I have anywhere else to go. He opens the doors and we walk outside. The bright sunlight causing me to squint slightly, but the warmth from the sun washes over me, causing me to tilt my head back slightly and take it all in.

That is when the aroma of different flowers hit my nose. Honeysuckles, roses, lilies, daffodils, lavender, wildflowers. I am not a flora expert, but I know enough from the time that Portia and her best friend, Emma, spent picking various species of flowers.

"She should be returning from her hunt soon."

I frown as I lower my head again and look at Kace.

"Who exactly are we meeting again? You never told me," I retort as I cross my arms.

A small smile appears on Kace's lips and he places a hand on my arm.

"Look, I am sorry that I am acting weird about all of this. We just have to be careful. But who I am about to introduce you to- well she is amazing. She-"

"You like her, don't you?" I ask, giving him a knowing look.

"What?! Of course, I don't! I just-" He stops as he looks at me and sighs, "How did you know? Is it that obvious?"

I offer him my own sad smile as I shake my head.

"No, not at all. That's just how I talk to Jessie about Aaron," I say quietly.

Of course, that is probably all over now. I am sure that they both think I am crazy at this point. How could they not?

"Kace?" A woman's voice sounds from behind the tall blonde.

I shift slightly to the side so that I can see around him and that is when I see her. A woman who is dressed in brown pants and an olive green top. Armor pads sit on her shoulders and animal fur hangs from her belt that is wrapped around her waist. The boots that she is wearing reach her knees and thrown over her shoulder is a burlap sack that is weighted down with something. A stench reaches me and causes me to wrinkle my nose.

She is beautiful. Her light brown hair is in a braid over her shoulder and her brown eyes are dark. Various scars along her arms show against her light brown skin.

"Asena! We were waiting on you," Kace says as he turns and looks at her, a dopey smile forming on his lips.

She raises an eyebrow as she slowly nods her head.

"Yeah, I can see that," she states before she motions to me, "But who is this?"

I can hear the distaste in her voice. Is it because I am a commoner? Or was one to be more accurate.

"Oh right! This is Rohanna Perez. She is a-"

"She is a princess. So why did you bring her out to see me?" Asena deadpans.

"No, she isn't a princess," Kace quickly defends me, "Okay, well she is. But she was a commoner before and her best friend was killed because his name apparently meant rival and now, she is questioning everything. So, I thought that it would be best if I introduced the two of you."

Asena grows quiet as Kace rambles before her eyes shift to gaze at me. Once he finishes his long piece, her lips shift into a sly smirk. A panic settle in my bones, causing my breath to hitch ever so slightly. Why would he tell her that?! Surely, he knows that I can get into big trouble for what he had just told her! But when she speaks, I feel myself relax.

"It's about time that they let someone with some sense to be a princess," she says as she holds her hand out to me for a shake, "I am Asena Kai. The palace's huntress."

"I am Rohanna Perez. But you already know that" I reply as I shake her hand, feeling the rough callouses on her palms, "So you are a huntress? Does that mean that you can go into the Unknown?"

The Unknown...That is the land between the Six Kingdoms. Apparently, it was deemed to be unsafe decades ago so nobody is allowed to venture out into it. But ever since I had found out about Emilio, I couldn't seem to stop my mind from wondering about even the most basic and oldest rules that we have in the Six Kingdoms.

"I'm not technically supposed to. But sometimes I manage to get away with it," Asena answers my question with a glint of mischief in her eyes as she lets go of my hand. She then glances back to Kace. "It was stupid for you to bring her to meet me...But it would have been even more stupid for you to leave her to go digging around on her own. So, thank you."

I give them both a quizzical look when she calls him stupid. She seems to notice the look and suddenly she laughs.

"We have been friends since we were fifteen. Both commoners and we both came to the palace last year after our Meaning Ceremony," she explains.

I glance over to Kace, but all he is doing is gazing at Asena with an endearing smile. Well, he is being of no help.

"Oh, okay..." I say slowly, trying to get my thoughts together, "So, why exactly did he bring me to see you? No offensive, of course, you seem lovely. I am just a tad bit confused I suppose."

"Of course, you are. I am taking it that this dimwit hasn't explained anything to you?" Asena questions me as she shoots a look at Kace.

"Wait! Why am I the dimwit?!" Kace asks as he throws his hands up in the air before letting them fall and slap against his thighs, "I just didn't tell her because I didn't want anyone overhearing!"

Asena purses her lips at him before she rolls her eyes and turns back to me. Despite her actions, I get a sense that, perhaps, something is going on between them. Most likely romantically by how Kace is reacting to her every movement.

"I will explain everything to you, don't worry," she assures me before she glances around, checking to make sure that no one else is around us, "But before I do, you have to promise me that you are serious about this. Because if you aren't and you decide later on that you don't want to keep digging, the royals won't be the only people that you have to worry about.”

Is that a warning? Or is that a threat? Regardless of what Asena's intentions are, I know that I want this. No, I know that I need this. I need to find out what happened to Emilio. I need to find out how Sir Ambrose decides who gets what names. I need to find out why society is the way that it is.

"I am positive. I have someone that I have to find answers for," I say as I nod my head to her.

My words seem to confuse her because she frowns and glances to Kace.

"There is someone else with her?"

"No, she is talking about her friend Emilio," Kace shakes his head and looks down at Asena, "I mentioned him earlier. He was killed because-"

"He was killed because of his name meaning," Asena interrupts before she looks back to me, "Okay, well if you are a hundred percent certain that you want to go through with this then I will tell you everything that I know. But we need to go deeper into the gardens. There is not enough privacy right here."

I inhale as I slowly nod, getting ready to follow her wherever she wants to lead me. I have never been a trusting person, but if I want to get answers then I will have to trust someone other than Kace.

"What exactly are you supposed to be going through with?" Aaron's voice sounds from behind us suddenly.

I nearly choke as I turn on my heel and see him standing there with an unreadable expression. His brown eyes seem to bore into mine.

"Who is this?" Asena asks, her voice quickly growing defensive.

Kace shifts to where he is looking at us before his eyes land on me. Why is he staring at me? What am I supposed to say?!

"Aaron, it is nothing. Kace is just introducing me to one of his friends," I quickly try to persuade him, but he just shakes his head.

"I came out here because I saw you through the windows in the waiting room and wanted to apologize," he says, "But I clearly just heard her say something about you going through with something and how here wasn't private enough. Rohanna, I know that I upset you earlier. But don't lie to me, please."

I part my lips to speak, but whatever words I am going to say get stuck in my throat. So, instead, I turn to Kace with a helpless expression. I had been mad at Aaron, but he is still someone who I consider to be my friend and lying to him doesn’t feel right. Kace sighs as he looks at me before he shakes his head and turns to Asena.

"This is Rohanna's- Wait are you two dating now? Oh, never mind, that isn't important," he mutters, "This is one of Rohanna's friends. I don't know exactly what he knows, but I don't think he will do any harm."

"What exactly does he know?" Asena asks me, her once playful tone turning daunting once more.

I swallow thickly. Usually I am not easily intimidated, but the look in her dark brown eyes make me want to take a step back.

"I told him about how I wanted to find the Room of Names. But that is it, I swear," I defend him as I move to stand next to him. I can feel his hand instantly grab mine.

Much to my demise, Asena shakes her head out of frustration.

"The rebels won't be happy when they find out that I told not only a princess, but also a prince about the Fate Defiance. But, perhaps, I can make it work," she says, obviously not too happy about the change of plans. But my mind lingers on what she said.

"There are rebels in the Six Kingdoms?"