The Kingdom of Secrets and Ruin

Ruairi

Dalliah free falls under me, her hair and dress floating around her like the jellyfish I used to hunt as a boy. Their stings could be lethal but I’d risk them all if it meant she’d come out of this alive.

The waters are dark, the waves are rough and only an islander born on the sea would be able to navigate this mess. I close in on her, straining my muscles to fight against the current, but every time I feel as though I can reach her, she’s pulled in further.

Feeling the air burn my lungs as I try to hold it longer isn’t something new to me, but the panic that sets in is unfamiliar. I’m losing her and she might not be the only one gone tonight.

I jump to my feet from the uncomfortable chair next to Dalliah’s bedside. Again my dreams of the other night have haunted my sleep, and it’s no wonder I’ve been fighting it off despite how worried my mother is starting to get for me.

The surgeon made it clear on his last visit that Dalliah’s not out of the woods yet, we’re to keep a close eye on her until she wakes up and still, there’s a risk that the pneumonia won’t go.

It’s been 4 days since I pulled her from the freezing water and I think it’s the waiting that’s the hardest part for me now. When she wakes I’ll be able to ask her what she was doing there, hell, I won’t even ask why she lied if it’ll keep her safe, but running like that was foolish and she needs to know not to try that again.

If she’s in danger I could help her, desperate? I have plenty, but there’s nothing I can do if she won’t talk to me. I slam my fist to my forehead in frustration, why wouldn’t she talk to me, why would she run?

Surely after all she’s seen she’d know I’d never hurt her? It’d take an idiot to think I don’t care for her and yet here we are. It doesn’t make any sense.

The creak of the door tells me that Avery is back and I kick Tedric’s boot over where he’s slumped on the chair next to me. My brothers have been my rocks through all of this and without them, I’d probably have died out there too.

They might not feel the same way I do, but they stand guard with me all day every day all the same. Part of me wonders if it’s me they’re looking at for, rather than the possibly dying girl.

No, not dying. That’s not happening.

“You sister is a menace.” Avery greets me in a soft voice, the sort we’ve all adopted lately, while holding three steaming mugs in his arms.

I reach for two and hold the second out to Tedric who is rubbing his eyes while coming around, “I’m still your King, you know, making her your Princess… Show some respect.”

It’s clear in my voice that I’m not being that serious, he’s practically part of my ‘royal family’ which still sounds strange to say, but Avery either doesn’t care or notice.

“Oh, she’s a princess alright.”

“What’s got you riled up?” Tedric takes a sip of the coffee and sits forward, now ready to join the conversation.

Avery opens his mouth as if to start, pulling the face he usually does when ranting about Odelina, but thinks better of it and goes to sulk by the window instead.

I don’t think I’ll ever understand their relationship, but the longer time goes by, the happier I am that I didn’t force that marriage to happen. I doubt the kingdom would have survived the blowout.

“If I end up as whipped as either of you, I want you to take that sword and slam it right here,” Tedric gestures to his heart, “Cause you’re not selling it, to be honest.”

“I’m not whipped I’m pissed.” Avery snaps while I don’t bother to reply.

Neither of them understands the pull I have towards Dalliah and sometimes I don’t either. I wouldn’t say I’m whipped, that would imply a relationship, or even friendship which clearly doesn’t exist or she wouldn’t have run.

Instead, let’s just say I’m concerned.

“Not even going to deny it, eh?” Tedric raises an eyebrow at me.

“Not worth the breath, brother.”

Considering the subject dropped for now, the subject turns towards Apheya and the rest of the kingdom I’m meant to be ruling from Dalliah’s bedside. The updates are all the same and I’d be lying if I didn’t find my mind wandering for most of it.

I doubt I’ll be able to properly concentrate again until I get my answers.

I suppose it helps that we have the ravens we used during the war to send messages between camps, they have been and will continue to be invaluable when it comes to quick communication. In a matter of days, between anxiously studying Dalliah’s sleeping face, I’ve been able to monitor taxes, law updates and offer council without even needing to be back at the castle. I could almost kick myself for thinking I couldn’t leave sooner, even if this wasn’t the trip I dreamed it would be.

“Are you even listening, Rhu?” Avery glares at me from his new position by the door, as he’s the kind of person who can never keep still when reporting.

It’s a good reflection of his character, always moving, never resting, while Tedric is more relaxed with his quiet confidence. Sometimes I wonder how they see me and where I fit in with this dynamic.

“If I answer no, will you sit down?” The lack of sleep is starting to get to me and while I usually humour him, watching him pace is taking up more energy than I currently have.

“Rude.” He sits and picks up one of the bits of paper that arrived this morning.

The surgeon is due again within the next hour to check on Dalliah and the longer we go with the same update, the more stressed it’s making me. I mean, she can’t sleep forever, right? At what point do I need to worry? Not that I’m not already.

“If I can’t stand, you can’t bob.” I receive a sharp kick to my shin which stops my leg from bouncing up and down, a sign of my nerves.

“Do that again and watch wha-”

My threat is interrupted by the rustling of bedsheets and all three pairs of eyes turn towards the woman on the bed. Her body turns and eyelids flutter as they start to open and I hastily push Avery and Tedric away towards the door so as not to scare her when she comes to.

When the familiar set of brown and blue eyes look up at me from the face I’ve been staring at for the past few days, I swear it’s like the weight of the world just left my shoulders.

She’s okay.