The Heart of Myrthalas

It was a circular chamber in a palace that looked as if it had been built from wood. But in truth, it hadn’t been constructed. It had been carved out.

Many of the furnishings and seats were sculpted directly into the surfaces of the trunk itself. But what drew my attention most was the round table at the center, reached by a set of steps carved into the sunken ring that circled it.

The light above our heads came from strange floating bubbles, illuminating flowers and other vegetation that seemed to draw their nourishment from the trunk itself rather than from soil. Yet nothing was left to chance. Every blossom, every vine sprouted from a recess or ornament specially carved for it.

We were inside the seat of government of the new city of Myrthalas, a palace carved into the colossal tree overlooking the twin rivers that crossed the heart of the forest of the same name.

Of course, although the resources and especially the magic of the island had made the city grow at an astonishing pace (not to mention that time flowed faster in Orb than in Ameritia), it was still far from complete.

What had been finished, however, was the lavish space that had been turned into my chamber, the very one I had described just moments earlier.

Surprisingly, it had been Lirilien herself who prepared it for me, instead of insisting that we sleep together. According to her, the kings and emperors of Ameritia were supposed to have their own chambers, so they could share them with whomever they pleased at night, since, in her words, "one of their main duties is to leave behind as many possible heirs as they can."

I could have refuted that we were in Orb, not Ameritia, or that after all the years I’d supposedly already lived, having children hardly felt like one of my most urgent concerns (for all I know, I may already have children I’m unaware of).

Don’t get me wrong, I might seem indifferent, or even annoyed, but if it were up to me I’d sleep with every beautiful woman in this world (I might be exaggerating). It’s just that I’m not convinced it’s quite right when I don’t even fully understand who I am... I feel like this place is spoiling me.

But I digress. Getting back to the point, omitting what Lirilien said, there were many reasons to have my own chamber, though with everything going on, for me it was more about finding some peace and quiet for a while...

Unfortunately, at that very moment, the anteroom to my chamber had already turned into a place for meetings, not the nocturnal kind but heated all the same.

"That is unacceptable, my lord!"

"Zendal, do you really have no faith in me?!"

"Master, why would you say something so terrible..."

It sounded as though I had just declared an execution or something like that.

On my right, Coletto was holding my hand and looking up at me with teary eyes.

On my left, Merite placed her hands on the table with a fury I had only ever seen when Coletto stole the last of those strange fruits that grew in the southern part of the forest.

In front of me, Lirilien pressed her hands together in a pleading gesture.

"I will not go to the surface accompanied by an army!" I proclaimed, folding my arms in a show of unshakable resolve. "Myrthalas is not yet in a state where Lirilien can delegate her work. Coletto and Merite, you still need to finish building and organizing your respective estates."

"But—!" they all cried at once.

"No buts! I will head to the surface on my own."

"My lord... at least take some of the Comet Stella with you," Lirilien tried to insist. "I already hear complaints from them that they spend too little time with you, despite being the elite guard..."

"I’d rather not be surrounded by peopl—spirits in such a confined space as those caverns. If a horde of Abyssal Spawn attacks, I won’t be able to experiment with magic. I’m still having trouble gauging the intensity of the new spells."

"Well, that is true..." Merite muttered beside me.

"The Comet Stella could take care of the Abyssal Spawn. A normal Stella would struggle, but not one of those ten would have any trouble," Lirilien argued.

"Or you could use the spells you are already familiar with..." Coletto added.

"And where would be the fun in that?!"

"..."

"..."

"Mmm, that is true as well!" Merite nodded, crossing her arms.

"Look, it’s not that I fully trust this world inside the sphere, so I’m not going to take along the ten most powerful greater spirits just because," I said, rubbing my brow. "And it’s not like I’m leaving on some distant journey either. In theory, you’re all coming with me. I can summon you whenever I want, or return at any time."

"But promise you’ll try to come back as often as possible," Lirilien pleaded, sounding somewhat resigned.

"Or to call us!" Merite and Coletto exclaimed at the same time.

"Of course. Your company is never unwelcome," I said with a smile, trying to reassure them.

***

The relocation of the spirits had finally come to an end, and it was the night after the closing of the two big portals I had opened in Deeproot Sanctum (yes, two portals, one for entering and the other for leaving. Turns out that a difference in the flow of time causes all kinds of accidents when there’s only one…).

Now I was enjoying the peace and quiet that had returned to my chambers, sipping a cup of herbal tea beneath the moonlight that fell across one of the smaller wooden tables carved into the room itself.

That was when I heard a faint, almost hesitant knock on the double doors.

To keep from going crazy, I avoided trying to sense everyone’s presence in crowded places like this new city, which was why the knock caught me by surprise.

It wouldn’t have been the first time Lirilien tried to sneak into my room to sleep with me. But the knocks were far too timid for that bold princess.

To my surprise though, when I opened the door, I found someone even bolder than Lirilien, yet now showing not even a trace of that usual personality.

It was Merite, fidgeting with her fingers and keeping her eyes down. Behind her, even more embarrassed, stood Coletto, holding on to Merite’s skirt.

Honestly, they looked more like children about to be scolded than young women trying to do what I think they have in mind.

Young for spirits, at least.

"Zendal, tomorrow is the day you leave… and every hour out there is a whole day here… and…"

Merite was struggling to explain, while Coletto just nodded behind her, looking away.

"Come in," I said with a sigh, stepping aside so they could enter.

Both girls’ faces lit up as if the sun had risen and they crossed the threshold almost trotting.

"Why did you both come at the same time?" I asked as I closed the door.

"Because I’m going first. I’m the older one."

"There you go again! Only by a couple of decades! Zendal, I’m going first, right?"