FictionPress.com - let the words flow
| FictionPress.com - let the words flow |
|
| Home Just In Communities Forums Beta Readers Dictionary Search | Login Register Extras |
Chapter One: Eahn Hen
“You have to go.” She whispered, smiling as she kissed the nape of his neck and stroked his back. “From the position of the sun, it must be nearly afternoon… My father will be here shortly to tell me I am late.” She finished.
Alerien jerked awake under her ministrations and groaning, turned over, facing Erenia, a quirky smile on his lips. He brushed a lock of silver hair from her face and gently tucked it behind her ear as she looked down at him, her expression not one of haste. It was a wonder to both of them that they were so comfortable. “ I don’t want to move.” He said and he didn’t. “I think it’s time he knew.” He added after a moment of thought.
Erenia suddenly pulled away from him and rolled out of bed, grabbing her robe from its hook on the wall and throwing it over her shoulders. “Ali, we talked about this…” She said seriously, a stern expression on her face that reminded Alerien of the look his mother used to give him when he would steal.
“And you came to a conclusion that I did not agree with and I told you as much…” He snapped back, sitting up. His red hair was mussed up and, to Erenia, his appearance was almost laughable, though she doubted she herself looked any more collected. “I want your father to know- Hell, I want the world to know about us Eren…” He said, his tone wavering her resolve and making the temptation very attractive to her.
“But that would be the worst thing for both of us, Ali… can’t you see this?” She asked, walking over to him and sitting beside him.
Taking her hand in his, he replied, “All I see is you… don’t you see why I want to tell?” He asked and she nodded, leaning her head on his shoulder. “Then why can’t we do it?”
Looking up at him, she wouldn’t lie. “You know why. You know the law…” She said curtly and not for the first time she saw a flame pass through his eyes. Her green gaze locked with his crystalline ones and he shook his head.
“I do not fear death, princess.” He said, his voice low. “Gods know, I have faced it a million times before and that I face it every night when I sneak into your chambers.” He argued, his intense gaze not leaving hers for a second.
“Alerien I-” suddenly there was a rapid knocking on her chamber doors. “Go!” She hissed. “Hide in the… Hide on the balustrade.”
Alerien stood and ran to the doors, knocking a table with bowls of various fruits to the floor in a clatter of cracking hydra glass and muffled thuds. Throwing them open, he ducked low and practically crawled (naked) to the far corner of the balustrade where he sat back on his haunches and waited in the cold of early afternoon.
Erenia stood from the bed and rushed to close the doors. Just as she was pulling the curtains over the glass, her father walked into her bedchamber, a frown on his unusually red face. His small eyes and round face glared at her and all she could do was smile.
“Good morning father…” She began. “I hope you slept well.” Erenia said, hoping the look on her face did not betray her fear.
“Good morning indeed.” He snapped. “It is nearly twelve o’clock in the afternoon and you, my daughter, still basking bed sheets?” He asked, the anger more than apparent in his strained voice. “No daughter of mine will be asleep at twelve in the afternoon, you know better.” The change of tone in voice told her to prepare for a lecture on how things were. “Princesses rise at dawn with the rest of the world and they bed at dusk with the rest of the world. That is how it is.” He spat, looking down on her.
His overbearing height and weight made Erenia slightly uncomfortable but she knew he would never strike her.
“Maybe I don’t like how it is.” Erenia replied shortly, before she could stem the flow of words. The king looked at her, shocked, and she bowed her head, showing a contrite obedience.
“Then you will learn it.” He snapped. “I wished to announce it at breakfast but since the subject itself was not present, I will inform you first.” He began, his voice changing tones to one of a very businesslike quality. “I have finally negotiated your marriage to one, Prince Alwah of the Isles.” Her father said, not pausing to see her almost stricken reaction. “He has offered quite a lot for your hand and his family is of good- no, grand stock. He wishes you two to be married by fall… wipe that ridiculous look off of your face at once.” He snarled and Erenia crossed her arms over her chest, looking away, her gaze falling on the doors to her veranda, now closed. As her green eyes filled with tears, she wondered if Alerien could hear this…
Not realizing he was still talking, Erenia interrupted the king. “Father… I am only seventeen…” She whispered, her voice thick with tears.
“You are nearly eighteen, a late age to be married… and besides that, women younger than you have borne kings.” Her father said in a tone that suggested there would be no arguments. This was it… This was what she had feared since the day she had turned fourteen. “Now collect and clean yourself up and head down to afternoon tea… I have already told some very important men. Women in the tearoom will wish to speak to you, congratulate you, and give you advice. I wish for you to share how you feel about this engagement…” He said, though Erenia knew very well that he wished for her to tell them all how he felt about the engagement.
Erenia began to feel slightly dizzy and she rested her hand on her bedpost, barely leaning to stabilize herself. She had expected that when the day came she would be ready… that she would be ready to be fierce and challenge her father. She had always thought that she would be filled with rage and contempt but all she felt was defeat and the fatigue that came with it.
“I must go speak with my advisors, they will find a clearing in our schedule for the ceremony.” He said, the look in his eyes telling her he was already thinking in white gowns and purple flowers and Erenia was glad to see him go, but just as he reached the door he turned and faced her again, seemingly unmoved by her obvious sadness and discontent.
“Yes father?” Erenia asked, wondering if Alerien was cold at all.
“What on good earth happened?” He asked, motioning to the toppled table and the fruit scattered across the clear, blue floor inlaid with marble spheres.
“I saw it coming.” She said emotionlessly and her father’s frown deepened, an expression of something close to pity on his face.
“There is a price all royalty must pay, my daughter and yours… your sacrifice is the gift of marrying for love. All people must make sacrifices, you know this…” He explained. “It is the balance.” Then her father, the imposing figure of Teyrnen Vearifene, turned away from her and left her chambers.
Listening to the lifeless quiet, Erenia turned back to the doors, which had opened. The dark form of Alerien stepped from the balustrade and he walked over to the bed and began collecting his scattered clothing that Erenia had hastily hidden. They did not speak and only when he was fully clothed did Erenia begin to cry.
Enfolding her gently into his arms, Alerien stroked her silvery hair and kissed her head. “Do you see now?” She cried against his chest, her voice fainter than a whisper and he nodded, whispering words of love to sooth her. “I haven’t even met this Alwah and I am to spend the rest of my life in his company?” She asked and she suddenly pulled away, the look on her face one of deep distress and anger. She slapped his chest then began hitting him. “It’s not fair!” She shouted, repeatedly beating her small fists against the wall of his chest. “It’s just not fair.” He grabbed her hands, nodding, and pulled her closer, restraining her.
“I know, Eren. Life has never been fair and it makes me terribly sad to see that you have just learned this fact…” He whispered into her ear, his accent growing thick as he felt his throat constrict. “But I’ll tell you this… we will always have eahn hén.” He finished and Erenia let out a quiet sigh that turned into a sob.
She could not reply and Alerien, wishing only to make this easier, began humming a tune he had taught her after they had first met. It was a song in the old language, a song he had been taught as a child by his mother.
“Fiv, neh gogeh, kegeahzv ken, ouv zev mahdehr… some, oumz rimzus no resuhruhm, gir lug hu og sahdreh…” Alerien sang softly and Erenia smiled at the melodic sound of his deep voice. She loved it so much when he sang, but now, she wished for his voice to be laced with her own so she began to sing along.
“Be silent, my baby, this storm, like others have, will pass…” She began, her voice singing alongside his and though they sang in different tongues, they matched in tune and tone. “And the flowers of our garden shall grow at last…” They finished the song, they voices fading, sadly into nothing and Erenia found a peculiar solace in the after silence of their song.
Half an hour later, they sat in her closet, fingers intertwined and bodies closer than was appropriate for their varying station. They were in a sad state of dazed disillusionment and neither recognized it.
“So, what do you plan to do now?” She asked Alerien, looking over her left shoulder and into his eyes. “I won’t be staying here, you know… I’ll be going to the Isles… probably to one of those northern cities in the Kingdom of Mesrifen…” She said, her voice lowering. She was beyond crying.
“I’m going back to my tribe…” He said with slight hesitation and Erenia’s eyes were suddenly drawn to the small tattoo on his arm. Taking his left forearm in her hand she turned it so she could see his wrist and began tracing her fingers softly over his marking.
“You are?” She asked. Then she would really never see him again…
“Yeah… the Denner-Nahzunev have been restless… The last letter I received from my father was strange.” Alerien said, his eyes looking somewhere far away. Somewhere beyond the palace and the surrounding kingdom. He was with his tribe crossing the land like free fire...
As Erenia watched him, a thought struck her. Those of the tribes surely enjoy their freedoms… But the thought was tossed from her mind as she focused on what Alerien had begun to say. “He said the tribes were meeting this year for another journey to the Island, which I knew of, but that things were going badly… How things could be going badly when the tribes are joining is… well, like I said, it’s strange.”
“My father probably sent Zhuni looking for me again.” Erenia said, changing the subject as she sat, continuing to slowly stroke his arm.
“Zhuni never liked me much, did she?” He asked, complying. Twisting a sliver of her hair between his fingers he sighed sadly.
“How would you feel if you walked in on your charge in the bathtub with the Nazan bodyguard and were, against your better judgment, sworn to secrecy that could not only lose you your job, but your life?” Erenia asked, the stern expression returning to her soft, oval-shaped face and he laughed at the way she put things into perspective for him.
“Not very fond towards this Nazan bodyguard, I suppose.” He submitted. “And maybe a little bit jealous.” He added teasingly.
“If she finds you here, she will tell my father and you will be…” She said suddenly, her voice trailing off into nothingness as if she couldn’t speak the horrible words aloud lest they come true.
“Why in such a hurry to have me leave?” He asked, his voice sounding like a cross between hurt confusion and suspicion. “I want to have all the time I can have with you.” He said.
“I… I just want you to be safe and the longer we sit here, the less safe you are.” She explained and his expression softened as he gave her another squeeze. “How old are you?” Erenia suddenly breathed.
“Twenty… you know that.” He replied, a smile on his face. “And you, princess, are almost eighteen.”
“Why do you think we’re in love?” She suddenly asked and Alerien looked almost startled then humbled as he thought about her question.
“I’m not sure if I know what you mean, my love.” He whispered.
“I mean, why do you think I fell in love with you when you have so little to offer me materialistically?” She asked and he cringed, thinking this was her way of distancing herself from him before they said their final goodbye. If she thought this was going to make it easier, she was not as smart as he had thought. “And why would you fall in love with me when I have so little to offer you in return for your love and companionships as well as all the life lessons you have taught me?” She added and he sighed a sigh of relief. She was just looking for an explanation for their situation. But there wasn’t one that made sense…
“I suppose,” He began. “It was the fact that we had so much to offer one another… and it was just what we were lacking…” He stated fondly and Erenia nodded.
“I think you’re right.” She said quietly.
“You know that I’d take you if you asked, Eren… All you’d have to do is ask…” Alerien said and there was silence. She only shook her head.
Looking at Erenia, Alerien could feel the end was here. This was their final moment and they both knew it and tried to hold onto it but now, it was over.
“I think I should go now…” He stated, regretting that he had been the one to have to say it.
“Yes… yes you should.” She said and they both stood. “Take care of yourself Ali…” She said, wrapping her arms around his neck and she felt his hands fall to their place on her slender hips.
“You as well, princess…”
“Your offer is so tempting.” She whispered hoarsely into his neck and he submerged himself in her long, silvery hair, trying to memorize her scent, the feel of her, and the sight of her. He burned her eyes into his brain and all of the different expressions she wore when they spoke or made love and he locked them all away into the dark recesses of his mind.
“I will miss you forever.” He said and suddenly, the thought of her with another man took over his mind and he pulled away. It wasn’t fair, and all of the sudden, he was very angry at her, no, not angry at her, angry at the world. He was angry with her father and her fiancé, he was mad at himself for immersing himself so completely into this world of hurt. “Bye.” He said curtly and exited her room, leaving her staring in surprise at his tall, retreating figure…
A/N: So! Welcome. If you're reading this then you've already done me a great service. This is, of course, my baby. This here is my first, full-fledged original piece of fiction and includes my own language, which was a laborious process that has taken me almost four years to perfect. It's not pretty, but it's real. So, after reading this first chapter, just newly edited, I ask one thing. Tear it apart and hand me the pieces. It needs work and I know it and you guys are the prime source of constructive critisism. So bring it on.
Eahn hen: our love
don't ask for the translation of the song, I think I've lost it :)