Carmine

Thick brown satin sheets sheltered my sides. The glossy purple fabric provided a gentle roof that gave me only a semblance of tranquility. Even with the Exodine pills on the chiffonier next to me, I felt lonesome. Comfort avoided my mind.

My anxiety about how the day would have gone on kept me up. I closed my eyes tight and tried not to think too much about what laid ahead.

I was the daughter of a self-proclaimed God. A sigh escaped my chipped lips, while my eyes opened to the rational beating, this information gave me. Confusion settled in my mind constantly.

Me, her daughter, I met my mother, and no warmth resided in me. I should have been happy, but no joy echoed from my heart. Her hug was cold and made me reminisce nothing of worth.

I never dreamed of meeting my mother, for it was a foregone conclusion that she died. Now, I had her in front of me, and I felt nothing.

Was something wrong with me or maybe my intuition told me the truth, that she and I were always separate like the wind, and the sea.

So many questions were unanswered, who was Amishcor? I knew that was the God that represented Darhaith, but did he have something to do with this, especially with his offering, Bi Go Mu, a Darhaith Princess that became slated to marry Canus?

Were they trying to take me out of Canus’s life?

What was Elam like? What was so special about me?

I groaned and looked at my hand. The once ugly scar, but now a minute black mark that blended into my toffee shade, stared back at me. I guessed that was why I was lighter in skin tone. My mother was a drudged-up mixture of what I could have never fathomed. Something I never ascertained.

She was different and so was I. Father, what was I? I got up and stepped onto the stone floor that sent spikes of frost into my soles.

My eyes drifted from the thick shaking curtains by the windows, my clothes chest to the mirrored chiffonier next to my bed.

The mirror gave me a clear image of my face, and I froze. It's been a while since I peeked at a mirror, where the last time had been in Tiam. Naturally, mirrors were a privilege of nobles.

Back then I had cuts in a variety of places, my face was like a ruined painting slowly blurring into muddy smudges. Those bigger scars had melted away restoring my beauty.

My ears twitched to echoing laughter that faded into obscurity, although the memory was rooted deep like eggplants. I looked around and saw no one.

Turning back to the mirror, the truth had not been so cruel to my face. The scars healed, almost disappeared like it never happened. Memory made a crueler streak on my life though.

A knock on the door woke me from my thoughts. I said, “Enter.”

In came in Yallin, he bowed towards me and said, “You are well my Lady?”

I hesitated. Staring at him, his sweet smile made me feel comfortable. This was the King though, yet he never felt like the king.

His presence and his posture reminded me of a servant. “I am well your Majesty, my—what needth my attention that you would come to me personally?” I asked.

“Erot will probably have you to take the throne, spread the religion of Erot through the lands of Ascus, my Lady.”

Then my mother would die. Unless those predictions were lies as she said. “Majesty—like how it is here?” I asked.

“It is a fair guess, my Lady. Erot has blessed us well. It is an honor to be a recipient to her daughter.”

“What do you want? Your Majesty?” I gave him a dead gaze.

Yallin cleared his throat. “As you know my Lady, being the prospective Princess of Ascus I am sure you desire regaining the throne.”

Honestly, I did not, but I answered, “Your Majesty. I do, what of it?”

Yallin smiled, pacing in front of the door. “My Lady, You will need an army, someone of power to support you.”

Offering to help, but I knew the cost was never free. “What do you want?”

Yallin stared in hesitation, while his hands clasped behind his back. “Children, my Lady.”

I almost groaned, but I kept my cool and said flatly, “You can give the honor to anyone within your territory, you are the King.”

Yallin's lips twitched. “My Lady, I want a child of prestige, not some dirty mistake.”

I leaned up and took two exodine pills. Marriage, the only institution that validated a birth’s relevance, if that was a creation of the Elams, what trickery had it served? “I am a dirty mistake myself. I was never meant to be born. Look at me now, running around the sewers and scraps of civilization trying to survive.”

Yallin grinned. “Your beauty still shines through that.”

I stared at him, from his receding hairline to his still eyes, a lot of life experiences crossed this man’s path. My fear was many experiences like that. That smile did not seem so comforting then. I averted my gaze and stared at my exposed legs. “I will have to refuse.”

“My Lady—"

"I am not a Lady, your Majesty." I smirked, and whipped the curls of my hair against my forehead when I looked up.

Yallin nodded. "You cannot take Ascus on your own.”

“I will fare, your Majesty.”

“I am a King, not a lord, the wealth of this nation can be yours.”

“I will do without, your Majesty.”

Yallin nodded, smiling, “A partnership between Ulyia and Ascus can be truly powerful, especially against our mutual enemies Eathen.”

I rocked my head at him. “Eathen is your enemy, not mine.”

“No, they are yours. For a while, the Eathen King has strayed away from Erot’s guide. He despoiled Baska without her blessing.”

Oh, well I guessed Para’s husband had something more important he was aiming for if he did that. Which reminded me, Canus seemed oblivious to who the Gods really were. Where Acomn had that insider knowledge, for he hired Valor to receive me.

That meant the likelihood of the Eathen King knowing the world behind the religious falsehood seemed unlikely. Even Kello a higher authority than Corona had not known.

It had to be someone truly of an insidious nature. Acomn, Corona, I looked up at his shameless smile, Yallin. Those people sickened me to my stomach, but I conjectured I was no different.

“They support the King of Ascus. They have a vested interest in seeing him in power. That cannot go unpunished,” he said.

Eathen was where Erot’s religion was strongest. It seemed amongst her faithful, there were still quarrels, jealously maybe?

He continued, “Erot will not let you take Ascus either, it will only be a shadow of you, your enemies are closer than you think, but me, me you can trust.”

I looked at him. His top teeth bit into his bottom lip. He hitched to say something. I interjected, “What do you mean, your Majesty?”

He shook his head. “Carmine, you are too precious to be a simple servant. You can be more than that and I think if you announce to our patron, your mother about marrying. She will approve.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Because if you ask, she will not grant it, right?”

He shivered briefly hearing that. Yes, I nodded resolutely to his answer spoken without words. “I am tired, pray tell, is there anything else you need? Your Majesty?”

“No, I will take my leave now.” He turned to leave, but when he opened the door. He said, “The lone gazelle is more likely to be hunted, my father always told me.”

The door closed and I realized threats were becoming less creative the longer I lived. I sighed, returning to sleep. It had not lasted long though.

My eyes struggled to close. I hated this. I got up and left for the outside. Walking with no destination, walking without a reason, I found myself walking through the city of Galilee, the capital of Ulyia. The place had a nice feel to it. The people seemed happy, busy, but happy. Still, how did they live in a cold place like this?

Loneliness crept in. My friends, a whole day was too long. I could not go back in time to change what occurred to all the people trying to protect me, but I could do better, and I would.

Somebody bumped into me. I looked back. Valor in his old body put his finger on his lips just before drawing the robe’s hood over his head.

Baffled, I stepped into the back of a soldier who looked around cautiously. I looked back again, nothing remained of Valor, for he disappeared. My lips twisted in shock and dismay.

Going crazy, maybe, still, I could not have denied that I saw Valor.

“What is it, madam?” the soldier asked, his eyes narrowed on me.

“Sorry, it was nothing.” I passed by him and walked briskly.

My feet stopped on top of a hill overlooking the city. It was only then I realized the size of it. Separated into large chunks, there laid many ravines with houses and buildings cut into the rock. The network was vast.

The city lacked much extravagance in the architecture but made up for it with such balanced simplicity.

The wind got louder as it became fierce in its haste. After a short while, I made my way down the beaten path into the city.

I cut through the crowds with ease. No one paid me any attention. I reached inside the castle, and I did not reach far before Corona came in front of me in the hall. “What are you doing?”

“Can I not stretch my legs?” I asked.

Her eyes narrowed. “Never said you could not—” She turned her head. Something was on her mind.

I knew she would be my escort then. The question remained, how were we going to cooperate? Since the start, our encounters were violent and filled with vitriol. Honestly, I was neutral. Corona, a lot of uncertainty existed between us. I decided to pick her brain. “I think we got off on the wrong foot. I guess you and I are allies now. I—”

She turned to me and grunted. “No, we are not. Mother will decide where we will go. Prepare yourself, I do not want to hear you are tired when ready.”

She told me that with an inclination of danger and walked away.

I continued on my way undeterred. When I turned down a deserted corridor with metal armored suits posing as statues to keep me company, yet a chill hits me. I slowed just before something caught my eye. A mask, I sped up and my heart raced emphatically recognizing Sandream’s mask.

I ran over and the mask hovered off the statue. Stepping back, I stilled myself as the eyes opened and she stepped off the platform. Fully armored, she lowered the mask revealing that it was Valor, Valor’s female body.

I swore he was in his old body when I saw him, but a thought passed through my mind. I asked, “Sandream?”

She smiled. “Yes, I had to borrow Valor’s shell for a while.”

She had a red and green sector bloom around her neck, and a strong sour scent permeating off her. I threw myself into her. Her metal clanked with my ensuing weight. I hugged her tight and strong. “You live!”

She shushed me and whispered harshly. “Do not alert our presence so easily!” I hugged her tighter and she whipped her head back and glared down at me. She sighed and patted me on the back. “Yes, Yes, I would die before you as is my duty.”