Omake 1 - New Year Special

Selene

Rina’s hand brushed against my scarred cheek. She’d been doing it since we came to Eldoria, or maybe even earlier, but during our slow and tedious journey south, as the news of our victory spread throughout the land, I had been too busy to pay any attention to it. Was she feeling guilty? I’d never dared to ask.

I put my arms around her and held her for a moment until she broke free and looked away, trying to hide her blush.

“Karim will be here at any moment, and they will let him in unannounced.”

I smiled and shook my head, glancing out through the tall window towards the stormy sea.

“You don’t know him then. In weather like this, he rarely leaves his chair by the fireplace, and when he does, it is to take a hot bath. Uruk’s ship will arrive at midnight.”

She chuckled and sat down on the sofa, pulling her legs underneath her. The marble floors of the palace, encrusted with gold and silver to resemble the night sky, were bitterly cold, and she insisted on walking barefoot even if she didn’t do ‘Goddess stuff’, as she called it, any longer.

Now with the new year celebrations behind us, I hoped we could have some quiet time. The winter rain made journeying difficult, and I hoped that the strong currents on the Great River would discourage any ruler from travelling to Eldoria to pay homage to their goddess.

Our dream cottage had turned out to be just a dream that faded with the first rays of the morning sun, and we had settled in the Astorian palace. It was my ancestors' home, built in the eastern part of the city after the Great Retreat forced my people to abandon their homeland and settle in the South. All that was left from the dreams we had whispered to each other as Tarnis slowly appeared on the horizon was the balcony of our bedroom, overlooking the busy harbour.

I added another log to the fireplace and watched the flames licking its surface before I sat down next to her on the sofa.

“I miss them...”, she whispered and rested her head on my lap.

“I miss them too…”

Aki and Chaya had left our company when we reached the Great Fortress of Zarion, disappearing in the crowd with a brief goodbye that had left an uneasiness lingering in my heart. I’d tried to tell myself it was Chaya’s wish to go back home quickly, and Aki had followed her since they had grown closer during our travels. But the few letters we had exchanged since hadn’t dispelled my worries, especially when I learnt they would miss our reunion and instead would travel to Eldoria when the spring’s sun calmed the Great River. Yet I didn’t share my thoughts with Karim or Rina, I didn’t want to put yet another burden on their shoulders. After all, maybe they simply wanted some time alone, they were still so young.

I smiled at the pleasant thought and began to comb Rina’s hair with my fingers. It had grown longer over the months we’d spent together, and she seemed to like it that way. At least I hoped that was the case, and she didn’t force herself to keep it long to resemble some marble statue that stood proudly in the temple.

“Are you happy, Rina?”, I asked.

I regretted it the moment she sat up, and I watched those brown eyes that looked so different from mine. Was this one of those moments when a well-intended word stirred something she wished to forget?

She looked at me with a soft smile and took my hand in hers. I found comfort in her answer and rested my head on her shoulder as the cold rain outside drummed against the windowpane.