The Guardian King

Chapter Thirty-one

~ Phoenix

*

The very essence of my being shifted with a single kiss from my angel. The entwining of our souls strengthened with every second our lips explored one another’s. I’d completed decades worth of research on the bond between destined companions. Nothing written or recorded could convey the depths or intensity of our connection in that moment. The only question that taunted me; did she feel it too?

*

Unfortunately, we hadn’t the time to fully savor our connection as the office door suddenly swung open and we automatically jumped apart, but not before my advisor got a good show. “Oh… um, sorry,” he said awkwardly. “Didn’t mean to interrupt.” I sent Phyneas a glare over Ember’s head, as she replied much too quickly, “You’re not. I was just leaving.” She didn’t so much as spare me a look, much less a farewell, as she fled from the room with great speed.

*

I merely looked at Phyneas who immediately threw his hands up apologetically and said, “I’m sorry, Nic. Really I am. I thought Emmie was still sleeping. How was I supposed to know you two were in the middle of… exploring your bond.” I rolled my eyes and turned towards the bookshelf where I grabbed the decanter of solani and proceeded to pour us both drinks. “I wish you would quit calling her that,” I stated.

“It puts her at ease.”

*

“What are you doing here anyway?” I asked, passing him a glass. “I thought you were running downs leads.” After a swig he sat in the chair opposite me and replied, “I was… until I wasn’t.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“It means I hit dead ends on all fronts.”

“Merde.”

*

I gulped the bracing liquid and embraced it’s effects as I said, “Soren thinks he is so clever to have gotten away with nearly bringing down his successor, all the while there’s a chance he was never meant to proceed me in the first place. I hate this.”

“I know, so do I,” Phyneas replied. After a sip from his glass he went on, “He may be smug for now, let him have his moment. We will find the truth in the end, I’m sure of it.” I drained the remainder of my drink and set the glass on the side table, before I looked back to Phyneas. “In case I haven’t said it lately, I’m grateful to you. I couldn’t carry this weight without you.”

“Wow. That must’ve been a hell of a kiss from your companion to make you so… expressive.”

“Shut up,” I said, reaching for the glass in his hand which he relinquished with a smug look on his face. I swallowed the contents of Phyn’s drink, before I softly added, “And yeah, it was.”

*

A gentle tap sounded at my door and Daphne let herself in, carrying a large box. Phyneas promptly relieved her of the burden, setting it on my desk. “Thank you, Lord Merrick,” she said.

“My pleasure,” he replied.

“Your Majesty, Phillip just delivered this from your grandmother.”

“This comes from Ambrosia?”

“Yes, and she sent a note.” From her tunic pocket she pulled out a card. As I took it she said, “If you have no further need of me, I’d like to retire for the day.”

“I don’t. Enjoy your evening.”

“See you in the morning, Your Majesty. Lord Merrick.” With a nod of his head, Phyneas replied, “Night, Ms. Daphne.”

*

Phyneas came to my side as I finished scanning my grandmother’s message and asked, “What does Rosie have to say?”

“She says to give Phyneas a swift smack on the back of the head if he dares to refer to her as Rosie.”

“Ha. Ha.”

“She says the contents of the box belonged to Leon. It’s all that was in his desk when he died which she couldn’t bring herself to go through. She hopes there may be something inside that will shed light on Soren’s deepest secrets.”

“Interesting.”

“I’m glad you think so, because you get the pleasure of helping me sort through it all.”

*

Upon opening the box, the first thing I found made me freeze. Perching perfectly amongst the books and journals was a beautifully folded dove, identical to the one he gifted me the day of my coronation. With reverence and care I lifted the paper creature from the box. Phyneas, seeing what I held, said, “What is that? A crane?”

“It’s a dove, dummy.”

“Sorry I’m not proficient in paper birds.”

*

I set the dove on my desk and proceeded to rummage through the cardboard box, passing books to Phyneas as I dug deeper. I withdrew a leather-bound journal and flipped through its pages only to find the writing indecipherable. Phyneas peered over my shoulder and said, “Your grandfather wrote in code?”

“I don’t remember it ever being a habit of his. Which means he must’ve had information worth protecting. Question is, do these pages contain the answers I’ve been looking for? And how do I break the code?”

“Surely he left some sort of clue?” Phyneas set down the stack of books and rifled through the box, flipping through more notebooks for some sort of answer key.

*

I knew my grandfather well. He was the wisest, most methodical and logical man I’d ever known. “If the journals were in his desk,” I said, “he wouldn’t have kept the answer key nearby. He would have left it in a place only I or Ambrosia would know about.”

“Okay, so… where would that be?” Phyn wondered.

“Nothing specific comes to mind.”

“Ambrosia sold their house when she moved into the castle,” Phyneas pointed out. “For all we know, whatever clue he may have left back then is now beyond reach.” I considered his point, but answered, “No. Leon was clever. If he left something to be found, he would have taken precautions to safeguard it.”

“Add that to your growing list of tasks, looking for a key that may or may not exist. With everything up in the air with Ember do you really think you have time for what could potentially end up being nothing more than a wild goose chase?”

“Whether or not I have the time is irrelevant, my gut tells me this is important. Otherwise he would have never gone through the trouble of creating this code.”

*

“Alight, Majesty,” Phyneas said tossing a book back in the box. “What do you plan to do then?” I placed the first journal in his hands and replied, “Outsource the task of combing through these to my best friend in the hopes he can c***k the code.”

“Do you have another best friend I don’t know about who is proficient in code-breaking?” he asked jokingly as he scanned the first page.

“Just you buddy.” I said, passing him another journal.

“Nic, I appreciate the vote of confidence, but I think this is beyond my expertise.”

“Just try to find any commonalities you can and we’ll go from there. Can you do that for me? Please?”

“Crap. You’re saying please.” He sighed loudly and said, “I’ll do my best.”

“Thanks, Phyn.”

“Thank me when I’ve provided results.”

***

After Phyneas took the box and left my office I sat in my chair, propping my feet up on the corner of the desk. I reached for the origami dove I’d discovered amongst my grandfather’s effects. Leon had been one of only two people who knew the details of my vision. Only he and Ambrosia knew what the dove represented to me. My greatest blessing, my destined companion… my little dove.

*

As my thoughts drifted to Ember, I contemplated what had gone through her mind and caused her to leave in such a hurry after Phyneas’ interruption. I held no doubt she felt the intensity of our kiss, same as I did. She couldn’t honestly deny our connection. But for some reason she seemed determined to ignore it. What I wouldn’t give to know the details of her strong aversion to romantic entanglements. I came very close to demanding Phyneas hand over the file on her I’d relinquished months ago. Only my heart stopped me, effectively convincing my brain in the logic of gaining her trust first. I had to let her tell me in her own time. Patience had proved to be a bitter medicine, proving I would endure anything for Ember.

*

With the dove still in hand, I stood and left my office. Following the tether that bound me to Ember, I made my way to the top floor. I could feel her erratic heartbeat before I reached the ivory lounge. I stopped just outside the door and evaluated the emotions rolling off my companion. Something deeply troubled her. Something that had everything to do with the kiss we shared. I sighed in disappointment. Though we’d taken two steps forward that day, we’d also managed to take a huge step back. I slowly retreated from the doorway. My presence would only make the situation worse. Ember needed space and time. Unfortunately, time was running out.

*****

~ Ember

“No!” I yelled, sitting upright in my bed and realizing I’d been dreaming again. I wiped the sweat drenched hair out of my face and looked out the window. A faint orange glow appeared on the horizon signaling daybreak. Due to sleeping most of the previous day, I’d laid awake in bed well past midnight. I’d stared at my bedroom ceiling for hours because I knew if I closed my eyes all I would be able to think about would be Phoenix’s lips on mine. I attempted to banish the memory altogether, but it would not budge. Those two kisses left a permanent imprint on my soul. I cursed myself for allowing it to happen in the first place.

*

I went through my normal morning routine, including my walk around the palace grounds. When I re-entered the castle, smells of breakfast wafted through the first floor. Morning air and the scent of food did wonders for my psyche. After a quick shower and fresh guardian clothes I felt better. But a gentle knock at my door had me on edge once again.

*

I knew who stood on the other side before I even took a step toward the door. Somehow since I’d moved into the castle, I’d begun to sense whenever Phoenix was near. I couldn’t avoid him, even if my heart would’ve let me. He was the guardian king and I was in his territory. With a reluctant sigh I went to open the door.

*

Phoenix’s appearance had improved drastically since I last saw him. In fresh clothes of jeans and a deep blue t-shirt, he looked as though he’d achieved a more restful night than I did. His eyes were bright, his hair soft and wavy, and his signature smell of leather and cedar-wood practically made me swoon.

*

“Good morning, mon ange,” the king greeted. “May I come in?” Without a word I moved back, opening the door for him to enter. We migrated into the den but remained standing as Phoenix spoke first, turning to me to say, “I was hoping I could convince you to take the day off-”

“That’s not necessary,” I interrupted. With a gentle smile he replied, “I thought you’d say that.” I clasped my hands with seriousness and said, “I’d appreciate if you’d quit acting as though you know everything about me.” He blinked, cleared his throat, and replied, “And I’d appreciate you quit acting as though my attention is so repugnant to you.” His reply caught me off guard. He’d never been so blunt with me before. He accepted my silence as a flag of truce and continued, “I’ve seen your tenacity first hand and I suspected you wouldn’t want to miss a day of training.”

“I don’t,” I meekly insisted.

*

Phoenix narrowed his eyes and evaluated my face. When he stepped closer I retreated. He ceased his advance and asked with concern, “What’s the matter, mon ange? Did you sleep alright?”

“Fine,” I stated more coldly than he deserved.

“Then where is the hostility coming from?”

“I’m not being hostile.”

“Cold then. You are certainly… different than when we last saw each other.”

“About that… it was a mistake.”

“What specifically?”

“You know what.”

“Say it.”

“You shouldn’t have kissed me, I shouldn’t have allowed it, and it shouldn’t be repeated. Does that clarify things for you?”

*

Phoenix closed the distance between us and I remained fixed to the spot, determined to stand my ground and prove his closeness held no effect over me. It was a dangerous risk on my part. He leaned down eliminating the massive difference in our heights as he spoke deeply, “If you expect me to continue as though it never happened, I can’t do that.”

“Nic…” I whispered. “Whatever this is… I don’t want it.”

“You don’t want it? Or you don’t trust it?

“Both.”

*

Phoenix straightened and stepped back as he said, “I respect your choice not to let it happen again, if that is what you wish.”

“It is.”

“Then I have no choice but to hope you change your mind.”

“I won’t. I just want to focus on training.”

“Alright then.” I couldn’t be sure, but I thought I caught the slightest hint of his voice breaking. Though it felt nice being desired, it wasn’t worth the risk. If I surrendered to my heart I wouldn’t recover when the inevitable day came he no longer wanted me. Nothing lasts forever. I preferred not to start something in the first place rather than watch it go up in flames. The last thing I needed was to be broken by the guardian king.

*

Phoenix’s hand came from around his back as he presented me with a paper bird. “What is this?” I questioned.

“For you,” he said. I hesitated briefly, but ultimately accepted the lightweight object from his palm. “Is this the dove your grandfather made for you? Nic, you can’t give me this.” I instantly tried to return the dove to him, but he gently pushed my hand back and said, “I can give you whatever I wish. And this is not the same dove my grandfather gave me. I came across this one yesterday amongst his belongings and I want you to have it.”

“Nic…”

“Just keep it, Ember. If when your training comes to an end you decide to leave here, I want you to have one thing to remember me by. One thing to remind you that no matter where you go… I will always care for you.” He made a case I couldn’t argue with, though forgetting the guardian king was in no way a possibility. I gently nodded and said, “In that case, I’m honored.”

“You honor me by accepting.”

***

Resuming my normal routine, I began the day in the solarium with Ambrosia. She sensed my unwillingness to speak of the attack on me and kindly began our lesson as usual. Normalcy was just what I needed. Unfortunately when it came time for my truth lesson, confrontation could not be avoided. I half suspected someone else to be waiting for me in the library in Sadie’s place. However, when I entered the room, there she was, though her expression revealed it was the last place she wished to be.

*

“I didn’t expect you to be here today,” I said, placing my notebook on the table and pulling out my usual chair.

“You expected me to shirk my responsibilities because my feelings were hurt?”

“No, I-”

“I made a commitment to teach truth to the king’s companion and that is exactly what I intend to do,” she stated with indifference.

“Of course,” I replied as I sat down.

*

“What are we working on today?” I asked, giving her my undivided attention. I carried a sliver of guilt over what Phoenix accused her of on my behalf. “A review,” she answered.

“Oh, okay.”

“I want to check on your progress.” She flipped her perfectly curled hair off her shoulder as she continued, “Same as the first day, I am going to make a statement and you tell me if it’s true or a lie.” I sensed an ulterior motive, but I didn’t press her about it. “Let’s do it,” I said.

*

Sadie’s emerald eyes locked with mine as she stated, “I am the one who attempted to end your life, by drowning you in the natatorium yesterday.”

“Sadie, you have nothing to prove to me. I know you were in no way responsible.” Her eyes softened as she leaned back in her chair and said, “You aren’t lying.”

“No. And I know you were just now, even without my ability.” She looked at me with confusion, a look I’d yet to see on her ordinarily composed face, as she said, “But I’ve made it clear I don’t like you.”

“I know you don’t like me, but I also know you don’t hate me. And you’re not a murderer.” Sadie looked down at her manicured hand in thought, before returning her gaze to me. “I’ve told you not to trust people so easily, Ember. Why do you trust me without any proof of my innocence?”

“I don’t trust you. I trust my instincts about you. Just as you instructed.” She shocked me when she cracked a small smile and responded, “There may be hope for you yet.”

*

“Sadie, I told Phoenix he was wrong to suspect you in the first place,” I stated. She let out a long exhale and replied, “The king is stubborn and prone to believing his first hunch is always right. I understand why he thought of me, considering my water ability and everything. I just can’t believe after everything we’ve been through he could think I would actually do such a thing; killing the royal companion.” Sadie’s genuine hurt caused me to reach out for her hands as I said, “I’ll talk to him again.”

*

Sadie gauged my sincerity, but ultimately pulled her hands back and spat, “I don’t need you to speak to Phoenix on my behalf. I am perfectly capable of defending myself. And if the king can’t see my loyalty for himself, that is my business, not yours.” Having spent a fair amount of time with her over the past few weeks, I came to recognize her biggest asset and weakness were one in the same; her pride. I gave the only reply she would have accepted. “You’re right.” She nodded firmly and said, “Let’s move on.”

***

Dinner that evening consisted of the usual group, minus Sadie. After our brief heart to heart she reverted to her apathetic treatment of me, which felt oddly comforting. However, she refused to be within Phoenix’s presence until he apologized personally.

*

The main subject of discussion during diner centered around the upcoming Adlegatio celebrations. Having nothing to contribute to the conversation, I reimagined quiet through most of the meal. The king eyed me in concern from time to time, but didn’t press me.

*

Back in my room, I wasted no time in shedding my cumbersome dinner gown, swapping the silk and lace for cotton and fleece. I’d just let my hair down when someone knocked at my door. I stilled briefly until I felt certain it was not Phoenix on the other side.

*

After throwing my hair back in its confines, I opened my door and smiled when I saw Phyneas. “What’s up, pup?” I said.

“I have something for you,” he declared smugly. I looked at what he held and exclaimed with delight as I took the gift from him. “The extended edition of The Lord of the Rings?! Phyneas this is wonderful, thank you! Where did you get these?”

“Just because Amaz0n doesn’t deliver to Ilia, doesn’t mean I’m helpless.”

“You asked Beth to order them, didn’t you?”

“You see through all my tricks,” he admitted.

“You are rather transparent. Can we watch these tonight?” I asked eagerly.

“What, all of them?”

“Yes! This is a movie that has to be consumed in it’s entirety.”

“I dunno if I’m up for that, Emmie.”

“Pleeaaase!” I begged with my toothiest smile. One he couldn’t help returning as he conceded,

“Alright, we’d better get started then.” I jumped at Phyn, hugging him around the neck with my free arm. “Thank you!” I released him and admired the gift he gave me as I added, “This is exactly what I need right now.”

“I know, I’m pretty great.”

“You most certainly are, pup.”

*

Phyneas flipped on the light in the recreation room as we entered. I felt fairly certain we were the only two people to use the room. “I can’t believe out of all the movies you’ve seen, you haven’t seen my all time favorite,” I said as I passed him the first disc to the Fellowship of the Ring.

“All I can say is it better live up to the hype you claim.”

“It will.”

*

Out of the cabinet I grabbed the biggest, softest blanket and made myself comfortable on the enormous black sectional where Phyneas joined me. He reached into the breast pocket of his tunic and pulled out a packet of skittles. I grinned when he passed the bag to me.

*

As I bit into the fruity candy and the movie’s intro music began to play, the stress I’d been under melted away. Phyneas possessed all the traits of a true friend; kind, thoughtful, and supportive. I always felt at ease in his company. If only the feelings that continued to creep up for Phoenix could be redirected. Falling for Phyneas would’ve made my life a lot simpler.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~