Carmine

The evening passed by and the weight of the oncoming dinner dawned before me. I could have slept, but it was getting harder to sleep.

Janilla was reading the book aloud so that I could make her voice my mission. It was the only thing keeping me on course.

Biology, whoever wrote that book studied different creature's body types. The specifics of many animals and plants.

I rubbed my eyes as Janilla pieced together long words with a struggle. The setting sun greeted my dreary eyes.

“My Lady, take a look at this,” Janilla said.

I turned my head and saw a large bulky wolf.

“We almost got killed by those things,” I said.

“Yes, the Dire Wolf, hear this. These were made during the four hundred year war.”

“They had a war that lasted four hundred years?”

She nodded. “I think so. It would be mentioned for some of the crazier things these people make. They make them, they created them, with their own hands. Hmm, let us see. Aye, made by the Palisades family. They were made from men and their reproductive organs were removed. Powerful attacking beasts that could be used as cavalry and added way more value than a horse.”

That seemed about right.

Janilla said, “But for their ferociousness, they are pretty hard to domesticate and control. They would kill the owner in a fit of bloodlust just as quickly as the enemy. Maybe the Palisades family had a death wish, who knew.” Janilla looked up. “She, she actually wrote that in here.”

I laughed. The writer of this book was brutally critical from time to time.

A knock stopped Janilla mid-sentence of explaining the different variations of the dire wolves.

Janilla jumped off the bed and opened the door. The door pushed Janilla aside as Acomn came into the room. Janilla shot a dire glare at his back. Acomn stared at me and then at my lap. He groaned loudly and covered his face with his big hands.

He turned at Janilla. “You leave and close the door now!”

Janilla shook.

I spoke, “Stay.”

Janilla shivered, but recovered, shut the door and moved to the side, far from Acomn. Acomn looked at Janilla, but he pointed at me. “What are you doing with Elam articles out in plain view? Are you mad woman?!”

I stared at him, for he returned a vicious gaze, huffing heavily with each passing second. My eyes cut as I gave Janilla a motion of my fingers. She came to me and I laid the box in her possession. I walked into the center of the room and came around the bed to face him.

“You know the situation well enough seeing all of this, yes?” I said.

“Answer my questions first, Lady Carmine.”

“It seemed very obvious we are studying these articles. If that is illegal make an excuse for me, because I have to learn if I am to win this war.”

“War? Oh my.” He started turning and throwing his arms around erratically. Then he quieted down. His eyes pierced through me. “Listen to me Carmine, I was the one that sent that—man to bring you here, because I heard something similar. But that little—”

He clicked his tongue. “—it seemed my source on information skimped on some of the details. If I knew it was the powerful house of Erot I would have never bothered and you would be dead.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. Acomn made a shift in his pressed lips as he stepped back. Once his eyes touched the book he finally smiled. He continued, “I wanted to make my brother happy for once in his life. If I brought you here I thought—”

I was about to speak.

“—But you will die in my brother's arms if you stay here. You love my brother do you not?” He looked at me with eyes of sincerity now.

I relaxed and shook my head. “I do.”

“Leave.”

I shuddered to hear that and made a firm recovery in my face. “You know this world. Me and you know this world. Me and you can fight this right? Me—”

He laughed, but it was mocking. His dry and humorless voice replied, “You know nothing. You cannot fight them. We do not have the tools much less the lives to risk, for you of all people. You are not a Tiam. You are not like us.”

My blood boiled. Arms twitched at my side, but I contained my rage. “Not even for the King?”

He walked away. “The King needed a distraction. You have done your deed. He thinks you are not dead anymore announce you want to leave and die far away from the King. Do not put the King or the royal family of this land in danger for your, war.”

He stopped and looked over at the book. Acomn snarled darkly. ”And get rid of the book woman! No one needs to know about that world here, do not embarrass us like that again. Come out to dinner like a Lady! And keep your mouth shut!”

He opened the door and shut it with force. Janilla said, “That was rude.”

I breathed out wiping the specks of sweat off my face. True, but he was not wrong.