Rise of Heroes

Chapter 31 - Something Special

Aaron picked up his pace after he left the library, squeezing the piece of paper in his hand. It was a note from Estelle — he knew that to be the truth, even though she didn’t sign it or put her name on it. Her perfect handwriting was so familiar that he could recognize it faster than he could recognize his own. What puzzled him was how she managed to get the note under his door. She must have used magic since he doubted Reinhart would have missed seeing her in the library. Even more unlikely was that she actually sneaked into their living quarters to deliver it.

The boy took another turn, nodding at the guards passing him by. They didn’t pay him any mind but rushed on their way, heads bowed together as they whispered to each other. Aaron couldn’t help but notice the sudden liveliness that took over the city the day the two Anamirian princesses arrived. He barely held his excitement the past few days, worried that Estelle would laugh at him or Reinhart would reprimand him for daydreaming too much and not spending enough time on his studies. But then the news of the royal convoy getting attacked by a large group of demons spread and even Reinhart forgot about his duties.

Aaron had thought for sure that would be the end — of the princesses, of the alliance, of Roder. Thank the spirits, he was very, very wrong. Later that night, Reinhart had told him that both princesses were accounted for — scared out of their minds, bruised and exhausted, but alive.

Aaron reached the throne room, glancing around in search of Estelle. Her note said that she would wait for him there, but there was no sign of her, or anybody else for that matter. Only more guards walking around — twice as many as before, as Aaron noticed, most likely to provide extra protection for their important guests. This made him wonder where they were — it had been two days since their arrival, and Aaron had seen them only once, from afar.

Well, he had seen their future queen attending dinner once, and he had been amazed at how young she was. She couldn’t have been much older than him or Estelle, white as a sheet with eyes constantly darting around as if she was expecting more demons to jump from the shadows. Her older sister was nowhere to be seen, which raised a lot of questions and concerns. Some even said that she had been severely wounded and disfigured during the attack. She was probably not going to show her face at all.

Aaron sighed as his eyes kept searching for Estelle in the empty hall. He checked the front yard and the drawing room where Queen Lillian and her escorts spent most of their days gossiping or reading one of their romance novels. Slightly disappointed when he didn’t find her, he decided to check in her quarters and the garden.

As he walked, his mind drifted back to the conversation he was dreading having with his friend. Asking for the book back, especially after seeing her excitement just by looking at it, made him feel terrible. But what really worried him was what would happen if Estelle simply refused to return it. She was a princess, after all, he couldn’t force her. Their friendship, as unexpected as it was, existed only because she wanted it. And Aaron was terrified of the idea of losing whatever it was between them.

Lost in his thoughts, he took another turn, eyes drifting as his mind played various scenarios in his head. He jumped in surprise when a massive hand caught his shoulder, forcing him to stop in his tracks. He raised his head, slowly releasing the grip on his magic as he realized he was facing a human, not a demon. It occurred to him that if he ever let a demon get this close to him he was going to be as good as gone.

He studied the unfamiliar soldier for a second — he was tall and muscular, with short hair and a freshly shaved face covered with numerous old scars. The man just stared down at Aaron with a stern expression, as if trying to decide if he was dangerous or not. His face was absolutely devoid of any emotion, but his sharp eyes held the boy as still as the hand carefully placed on his shoulder.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Aaron glanced at the blue cloak buckled around his neck, falling heavily on his broad shoulders. His chest piece held the mark of Anamir as well as the symbol of a Royal Guardian. Instinctively, Aaron’s eyes switched to the figure that stood right behind him, her head c****d to the side. Barely surpassing Aaron’s height, the young woman watched him curiously, her pale, tired face seemed to relax as she realized he was no threat.

She had bandages covering both her palms and peeking from the neckline of her dress, but as much as Aaron looked, there was nothing about her that was disfigured. Even the scratch on her cheek didn’t take away from her beauty. Her red hair and striking presence only confirmed her identity.

Stupefied, Aaron didn’t even think of how rude his behavior toward the princess of Anamir was. Luckily, she didn’t look offended.

“It’s just a boy, Simon. Let him go,” she said, gently touching her Guardian on the shoulder. The man named Simon immediately pulled away, but remained between Aaron and the princess. She cleared her throat, and he finally took a step aside.

Princess Isabelle Niabard raised her chin with more confidence, giving Aaron a warm smile. He was so mesmerized that he just stared like an i***t. He had always thought Estelle was the most beautiful girl he had seen in his life with her long, pitch-black hair and dark, piercing eyes. Staring at Anamir’s eldest princess, he realized he was wrong. The way Isabelle Niabard moved, and the way she stood and spoke were so graceful that he felt even more ashamed for gawking at her.

Her long hair was falling on her back completely loose, but it seemed like somebody had been tending to it for hours. The young woman’s smooth features and bright blue eyes stood out, especially in Roder, where one could rarely see light-colored eyes or hair in such color. And there was this almost invisible glow around her that reminded him of Estelle in a way — more like a feeling of power, of danger. Her expression held none of that, though.

“Your Highness!” he finally blurted, bending in a low bow. She stood still for a moment before asking him to rise. “I am so sorry, Your Highness! I didn’t want to get in your way! I’m sorry that…”

“It’s alright,” she sighed, raising a hand to silence him. Aaron immediately shut his mount, surprised by the commanding tone in her voice. “What is your name?”

“Aaron, Your Highness,” he said, eyes locked on the floor. “I’m the Keeper of the Chronicles. The apprentice, I mean. His apprentice. I’m too young to be the Keeper…” he chuckled nervously, glancing at the tall Guardian, who was still staring at him with a blank expression.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Aaron.” She nodded. “Can you tell us how to reach the East wing? I’m trying to find my sister’s chambers, but this castle is a maze.”

“Would you like me to take you there, Your Highness?” He offered immediately, squaring his shoulders. His mind chose that moment to remind him of how unpresentable he looked — there were stains of the potato stew he ate in the morning on his shirt; his boots were still muddy from running errands for his master and his fingers were covered with fresh ink stains. Shame squeezed his chest at the thought of a lady like her seeing him in this state, but he found no disdain in her eyes. “I’m going there just now. It would be my pleasure.”

Her Guardian shifted as if in disagreement but didn’t actually say a word. Princess Isabelle touched his shoulder again as if giving him some kind of signal, then nodded gratefully at Aaron. The boy hesitated only for a moment before turning and giving them a sign to follow. He steadied his pace, adjusting it to that of the princess.

They didn’t speak on the way, although he had a million things that he wanted to ask. Her Guardian’s intense gaze helped him keep his mouth shut. The intimidating man was constantly looking around as if expecting a demon to jump out of every shadow, and Aaron had to stop himself from telling him that there was no way a demon could find its way into the castle. Something was telling him that the Anamirian man wasn’t going to take his word for it. Especially considering what had happened.

So Aaron just walked, turning to look over his shoulder from time to time to make sure they were still following. When they reached their destination, he slowed down, turning to face them. Princess Isabelle immediately met his gaze, a sense of warmth spreading through his chest as she smiled, nodding thankfully.

“Lady Elaine’s chambers should be just behind those doors, Your Highness,” he said. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“No, Aaron, thank you,” she replied hoarsely, clearing her throat. His eyes stopped on the fresh bandages on her neck, spreading from her chin and disappearing under the lace of her dress. Now that he was closer, he noticed other traces of the assault covering the exposed skin around her face and Aaron was sure that she had chosen the long-sleeved dress purposely, to cover the rest of them.

He was just bowing again, ready to walk away, when the corridor filled with the echo of steps, forcing them all to turn in the direction they had come from. Two guards were half-pacing, half-running toward them, hands on the hilts of their swords to keep them from getting in their way. Aaron hesitated whether he should stay or leave, but before he could make his decision, they were upon them, bowing in unison in front of the princess.

“Your Highness,” one of them spoke as he rose frantically. “His Majesty wishes to speak to you. He apologizes, but due to his poor health, he asks you to visit him in his chambers.”

She turned toward her Guardian, exchanging another meaningful glance. His eyes measured the two soldiers, and he nodded so lightly that Aaron thought he imagined it. The subtle way the two communicated with each other was so fascinating, he found himself staring with his mouth hanging open.

“Very well,” Princess Isabelle said. “I suppose my sister can wait. Lead the way.” Her eyes stopped on Aaron for a second and she gave him another one of her breathtaking smiles. “Thank you for the help, Aaron. Looking forward to meeting you again.”

Aaron was still staring after them when a familiar voice made him jump.

“She is something, isn’t she?” He turned to look at Estelle, who had appeared next to him as if out of thin air. He looked around, wondering how he missed her when their eyes met, and she smiled, her sharp features smoothing over. Looking at her now, he couldn’t help but unfairly compare her to princess Isabelle. “Do you feel it too?” she asked, turning to look in the direction where the princess had disappeared. “There is something about her, but I can’t put my finger on it. Did she say something to you?”

Aaron shook his head, not sure what she meant. Or rather, he had his suspicion about what she meant, but it was impossible. What he felt when he was around Estelle or Reinhart was clear as day — their powers evoked this sensation like a feather barely brushing against his skin. It was familiar, and he knew it came from their magic. He even felt a similar thing with a soldier he had passed by in the castle one day, which meant he had magic too. But Princess Isabelle… he didn’t feel anything similar to that from her. There was something special about her, Estelle was right, but it wasn’t magic. It couldn’t be.

“I got your note,” he said, pushing any thoughts of the Anamirian princess aside and turning to face Estelle. “What do you want to talk about?”

To his surprise, the dark-haired girl frowned in confusion.

“Note? I have not sent you any note,” she laughed, crossing her arms. Aaron frowned, relaxing his hand that still held onto the paper and raised to look at it. Estelle stood on her toes and took a look at the few short sentences, snorting. “That’s a very good imitation of my handwriting. I’m almost impressed. But I have not written this note. Somebody is playing you.”

Aaron’s frown deepened as he tried to think of somebody who would have a reason to do this and why. There was not one person who would benefit from it, and he doubted that anyone would find it amusing at all. Nobody would get…

‘Reinhart,’ he thought, ‘Reinhart knows. Damn it!’

“Anyway,” Aaron said, pushing the sudden realization to the back of his mind. He was going to deal with it later. “I have something to ask you.”

Estelle raised her eyebrows, a mischievous grin finding its way to her lips.

“It’s about the book I gave you,” he elaborated. Her face quickly changed and even though she tried to keep her smile on, he could see right through her pretense. “Reinhart is searching for it everywhere and he is running out of places to look. I’m afraid I need it back unless you want him to know it’s in your possession.”

She didn’t say anything at first, just turned her head aside, staring blankly at the empty corridor. Aaron waited patiently for her to respond, but she seemed like she had no intention of speaking again. He cleared his throat, but that didn’t make a difference.

“Princess, are you okay?” he finally asked, and she jumped, startled.

“Yes, I’m fine!” She said, smiling again. Aaron frowned. She had been spacing out a lot lately and every time she did, she had this haunted look in her eyes. Sometimes she would even mumble to herself or smile for no reason. “But I am afraid this will be a bit difficult. It has been stolen.”

“Stolen?” He gasped. That was not good, that was not good at all. “What do you mean, stolen?”

“Well, it’s self-explanatory, really. Somebody has taken it without my permission and I don’t have it. And I looked, believe me. I actually thought you took it back!” she replied, giving him an accusatory look. “Is there somebody else who knew about the book? Except for Reinhart, you, and me. They must have wanted it really badly if they dared to go into my room. And past my guards, on top of all.”

She didn’t seem that bothered, Aaron realized. She had been so excited when she got the book and even if she had gone through it in one night, he thought she would have been crushed if somebody took it from her. She seemed… disinterested.

Something was not right.

“Are you sure it’s stolen? Have you looked everywhere?” he insisted.

“Aaron! I’m your friend! You know I wouldn’t make this up. A theft in my own room? If it wasn’t a secret, I would have reported this to my brother already!” she exclaimed indignantly. “I’ll keep looking, I promise. But I can’t give you something I don’t have. Please, don’t tell Reinhart that you’ve given it to me before it got stolen. He’ll assume somebody took it when he doesn’t find it. This way he’ll be looking for the thief too and the chances of finding it would be much bigger! Promise me!” She looked back at him with a pleading expression, her big, dark eyes piercing him straight into the heart.

He sighed, nodding, and she let out a happy cry, throwing her hands around him. Aaron froze as she pressed herself against his arm, but unfortunately, he didn’t have time to react before she pulled away.

“I must go back to my room before my guards find me. Let’s go on a walk tomorrow.” She smiled and then she turned her back on him. She had barely taken a few steps when he swore he heard her muttering something to herself.