Page 43 of Heir Of Sun And Moon
Alexi shook his head and pulled a small black bag out of his pocket. He extended his palm out to me, a minuscule smile on his face. “Go ahead and open it.”
I gently picked it up and untied the strings, the fabric velvety beneath my fingertips. I felt the cool bite of metal as I reached my finger and thumb in and pulled out what looked like a bracelet. It was gold and dainty with intricate flower designs on the band.
“What is this?” I breathed, holding it up into the moonlight so I could see it better. I had only ever seen the king’s rings or the necklaces and bracelets drawn in books, but this was better than them all. It was the most beautiful piece of jewelry I had everheld.
“A special gift for a special girl,” he responded as he removed the bracelet from my hand and clasped it reverently around my wrist. I held my arm out in front of me, marveling at the delicate chain and how it looked against my skin. “Happy thirteenth birthday, Rhea.”
I looked up at him and smiled widely before looking back down at the bracelet, tracing over it repeatedly with my fingers.
The memory fades away as I hold the bracelet up in front of me. I am too nervous to wear it in case the king stops by and demands to know where I got it. So I keep it in its little pouch, hidden in the drawer of my white vanity. I slept heavily last night, unbothered by nightmares or strange dreams. And though the memory of Alexi gifting me what—I would later find out—was Alanna’s bracelet makes me yearn to see him again, I don’t have that same gut-wrenching anguish that I had before. I am still sad, still miss him terribly, but I am also… happy to reminisce. I set the bracelet back in its pouch and tuck it into the drawer. I finish brushing my hair before tying it back with a ribbon and standing from the vanity.
After a morning spent cleaning, I have the urge to move my body and exercise. My magic wiggles inside of me, the warmth of it actually more dominant than that bone-deep cold today. Pushing the tea table out of the center of the room, I sit on the floor, closing my eyes and imagining a golden ray of light pouring from the heavens and landing on the crown of my head. I pretend the light spills down my body from my head, dripping onto my shoulders and hips and toes. I relax each muscle as the light hits it, warmth curling inside me as my mind begins to quiet. It is a different sort of silence than what I have been forcing it to be. This feels like pure stillness, like calm. It feels like an undisturbed lake underneath a sunny sky. It is warm and caressing andlight.And without guilt, for the first time in a long time, I let myself relax in its softness. In the way my mind doesn’t feel like a battlefield and how my heart has nearly gotten rid of all the shields I have been placing around it. Those things are still there—still tucked into the depths of me—but now there is space around them, enough for light to shine through. Like sunlight piercing a small hole in a dark cave.
As a teen, I thought these mind cleansing exercises were boring and often grumbled about it to Alexi, but now I understand their importance. They are meditative, like the kinds of practices I have read of mages doing in the Mage Kingdom. I take another breath, filling my lungs deeply, before I slowly release it and open my eyes. Coming up to stand, I work my body until sweat drips and fatigue sets in. I miss Alexi terribly, and a part of me still wonders if I should have defied his wishes and just saved him anyway. If I should have tried harder.
The boxes I have shoved all of those dark feelings and emotions into begin to rattle, as if to shout,we’re still here, and you can’t ignore us forever.I know that—of course I do—but for now, I enjoy the peaceful space between them.
The next ten days pass by with only letters from Flynn. He claims to have some sort of training or guard duties, and that is why he can’t stop by. But every morning, I wake up to a letter, which usually consists of him explaining what boring thing he isn’t excited to do that day followed by a question or two for me. And every evening, I leave one for him, laying outside on the landing in front of my door.
SUNSHINE,
TODAY, WE HAVE TO DO A MANDATORY TRAINING ON HOW TO FIGHT WITH OUR SWORDS, AS IF WE DON’T ALREADY PRACTICE THAT DAILY—OR AT LEAST I DO. IT’S BORING AS HELL. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FLOWER? DO YOU LIKE TO DANCE?
SINCERELY,
AN ALREADY STRAPPINGLY STRONG GUARD WHO KNOWS HOW TO USE HIS SWORD
Flynn,
Why am I not surprised that you are well-versed in swordplay? Something about that just makes sense. At least you get to be bored outside, surrounded by other people. My favorite flowers are drangyeas; they were the first ones I was ever given. I don’t know if I like to dance. I’ve never tried. I think with the right partner, I might. What is your favorite food? Favorite color?
Sincerely,
Rhea
SUNSHINE,
TODAY, A GROUP OF GUARDS IS BEING SENT OUT BY THE KING TO A SMALL CITY NEAR THE MAGE BORDER. THE CRUEL DEATH HAS HIT QUITE HARD THERE, AND THEY ARE TO SEE IF THEY CAN FIGURE OUT A REASON WHY. I’LL HAVE TO HELP COVER GUARD DUTIES WHILE THEY ARE GONE ONCE I LEAVE MY SHIFT AT THE TOWER. APPARENTLY, I WAS RECOMMENDED TO DO SO BY MY COMMANDER. LUCKY ME.
I MAY HAVE BEEN SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE, BUT DOES IT HELP TO KNOW THAT THEY ALL SMELLED TERRIBLE? FROM THE AFOREMENTIONED SWORD PRACTICE.
ANYWAY, MY FAVORITE FOOD IS PROBABLY ROASTED CHICKEN. IS THAT BORING? IT SEEMS BORING, BUT IT’S TRUE. MY FAVORITE COLOR IS A SPECIFIC SHADE OF GREEN. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR? HOW IS BELLA?
SINCERELY,
FLYNN
P.S. DON’T THINK I’M LETTING YOUR SWORD JOKE GO UNNOTICED. I’M STILL TRYING TO CATCH MY BREATH FROM IT.
Dearest Boring Flynn,
Yes, chicken is quite boring. Though I’ve never had it roasted before, so maybe it is good enough to be your favorite food? Mine is undoubtedly a sweet—lemon loaf. Alexi used to sneak me in pieces whenever the castle baker made it. I would have thought your favorite color is black, given it’s all that you like to wear. My favorite color is purple. Bella is perfect; in fact, she is sleeping next to me while I write this.
I wonder what the king is hoping to truly accomplish by sending those guards there, as the Cruel Death doesn’t answer to him. I hope they stay safe on their journey. The Cruel Death doesn’t discriminate, does it? I’m sorry you have to cover in their absence, you must be exhausted. I’ll be here, reading another book and trying not to go insane. What is your favorite season?
Sincerely,
Rhea—not Sunshine
