Hytheira: The Tunnels Underneath Part 2

Sequel to the novel's preface: Part 1: The Tunnels Underneath.

Nigredo found himself being passed from one person to another, being suddenly noticed by everyone; praising, chattering. Many people--smartly dressed people--spoke to him instead of around him like he was used to, even though he never really listened. He had no idea what they were talking about most of the time, but smiled and nodded anyway, politely dismissing himself whenever he could. He couldn't care less about the colour of his cape or which design would look best lying on a table, or which food would best lighten the mood.
Maybe he did care about the mood. He'd pleaded his father to cancel the ceremony--he'd already been Royaled, after all.
"What is the point of all this?" he finally burst, "I was a Royal when I took that sword."
His father clapped him on the shoulder, he thought, a little too hard.
"The people need something formal about it. They want a chance to celebrate. After all, it's tradition."
Nigredo made a face. So it was for the public was it?
He ran home to ask his mother. Of course, she gave the same answer, just in a longer, calmer way.
"You need to calm yourself Nigredo," she said. "The ceremony is tomorrow. It shall be short and discreet." She closed her mouth for a few moments and put a few dishes away. Nigredo took the silence to his advantange and sat at the table, letting his tired face rest on the cool surface.
"Of course, you be expected to stay afterwards, for the celebration," Lilitha continued, unperturbed. Nigredo groaned.
"How long must I stay?" he mumbled into the wood. Lilitha didn't answer, but took her washing bucket and threw its contents out the window. She glided over to her son, face askew.
"You really must be a bit more sociable."
BAM.

An echo filled the room. The two were confused for a moment, trying to find the sound.

BAM BAM.

Nigredo's ears twitched.
"Oh, someone's knocking. I'll get it!" he flew to the door before his mother could move. The latch turned slowly, and the door swung lazily open, a burden to its hinges. Nigredo's eyes went completely blank when he saw who stood behind it.
"Oh, my," gasped Lilitha, "you look terrible Waldeck. Is something wrong?" She came up behind her son and held his quivering shoulders. Waldeck's skin was see-through, his eye glazed over and red, his already ragged hair even more a mess, and a most peculiar odor was dripping from him. A corner of his lip curved upward into a fragment of a smile.
"I did not sleep last night, he sighed, leaning on the doorway for support. Lilitha's eyes lost their grace. She stared at him dumbly, feebly.
"Come in," she spat. He stumbled over to the table and invited himself to sit down. Nigredo didn't dare sit by him. He sat across, staring at his eyepatch, which was slightly askew.
"This is not a matter for Dresden to know about." He paused and folded his arms on the table. He shook the urge to doze off, and continued, "I could not sleep because--" he glanced up at Lilitha, who looked worse than grim. "This is something Nigredo must know. If you do not want to hear it," he snapped, "then leave." Nigredo looked up at his mother, confused, and a little shocked at Waldeck for speaking to her that way. To his surprise, she did not retort. She left, shutting the door noisily behind her.
"Waldeck..." Nigredo twiddled his thumbs. "You're going to tell me why you wear that patch, aren't you?" Waldeck nodded. Nigredo's heart skipped a beat. He saw Waldeck's arms slowly lift, and so did Nigredo's, ready to shield his own eyes from whatever lay under it. The string was untied, and hung loose in his hands, but Waldeck's eye remained closed. Its lid was dark and puffy, the blood under his skin thin and sick.
"Nigredo, as you know, some people have special gifts," he began, placing the patch on the table. Nigredo stared at it like it was a rotting animal. "I will explain many things to you today. Each thing I am about to tell you is of the utmost importance." Nigredo leaned in, still wary of the eye. "You must promise me--" his closed eyelid twitched, and he rubbed it, "you will not tell your father of this meeting." Nigredo gaped at him. One of this father's only rules was 'no secrets'. Was he asking him to choose between him and his father?
Waldeck sighed. He thought this would happen. "Your father said I cannot speak to you anymore. Though, what I must tell you is crucial. You have every right to know the severity of these recent matters. It is cruel of him not to tell you this when you need this information the most. You might believe I speak lies, but I promise you, on my life, that they are not. This is the last time I shall be able to speak to you, so listen well."
And so he sat and listened. First, he was told about the news his father had neglected to tell him; how he was now technically the King, and had every right to know all current events, and when he veered off to the topic of folklore, he paused, becoming more and more grave with every word he spoke.
"Have you heard of 'the Guide', Nigredo?" he asked, finally giving Nigredo a chance to speak.
Nigredo stared him down, dumbfounded. What was this? A bedtime story, now?
"It's just a story, Mother told me once, when I was little." He shrugged. "T'is nothing important." Waldeck snorted, amused.
"Not true!" he laughed, contradicting his tired, soggy face. "Listen boy. Every legend comes from something true, at some point. Tales are twisted by foreign tongues and naive authority. The legend of the Guide is as true as the tale I'm about to tell you now."
Nigredo didn't believe a word of this, but said nothing.
"Has your father told you about when your brother was born?"
Now Nigredo was interested.
"I've overheard some of it," he sighed.
"I'm not proud of what I did, but, the day Nrakkon was born, I left the city." He glanced up at Nigredo's startled face. "I did not return until now."
There was a moment of silence. Faintly, Nigredo could hear the carts rolling in the street, dogs barking, children playing.
"But...why?"
Waldeck didn't answer for quite a long time. He fiddled with the patch in his hands, he scratched his closed eyelid, he shuffled nervously.
"Your father doesn't even know the answer to that, I'm afraid," he finally said. He swallowed a lump. "I know it's not really my place to be talking to you today. I don't know if you should know this or not, but time is running out."
Nigredo raised a brow.
"What shall happen?" he queried.
"The 'something grand' I have predicted shall happen tomorrow, possibly during your ceremony. I believe," he stated, "the outcome will not be good."
Suddenly Nigredo realized he was avoiding his question. He thought for a moment about confronting him, but thought better and kept his mouth shut. Surely he would get to it eventually.
"I'm sure you're wondering about my eye. Your uncle is quite terrified by it, even though he has not looked upon it. He as a good intuition." He paused, meaning to change the subject. "I believe that everyone has a..gift." He emphasized the last word, like it were foreign. "Do you believe this, boy?"
Nigredo thought about it. He thought of his father, with his determination, his mother--patience was her gift--and Fethenai, her joy, and Tantianna, her strength. Sure: everyone had a gift.
"Yes," he said lamely back. Waldeck smiled at this. His eyelid slowly, painfully, raised.
Nigredo gasped, and nearly fell backward. His face went white, his eyes stared, kept open only by fear and awe. What was this man? He glanced at his face. And look! He was even laughing at this!
"There is no need to be afraid of me, Nigredo--You look like you've seen a ghost!--for what you are looking upon is a gift."
"No way!" he spat, "It looks like someone killed and and drained all its colour! How can such a horrid thing be a gift?" He was standing now, yelling, his shoulders shaking a little. Was this the man's big secret? A blind, sick, diseased eye?
"Sit down Nigredo. My, I've never seen you like this before!" he let his voice lower, suddenly aware of the open windows. "You needn't get so heated!" He waited a moment for Nigredo to sit down, let his ears grow pale again, and resume his calm expression. Nigredo sat patiently through the next silent spell that followed, assuming the man would explain further.
He did. And quite blatantly, as well.
"This eye cannot see."
Nigredo grunted and rolled his eyes. "Obviously."
Waldeck sighed and took a moment to plan his next words.
"Let me begin again. This eye can see--just not anything in front of me."
Nigredo could feel his ear twitch, with both annoyance and confusion. "Nigredo, you must think of every possible meaning of my next words when I say them. They are utterly true." Nigredo prepared himself, but made no attempt to guess his next words.
"With this eye, I can see the future."
Nigredo's azure eyes stared in disbelief, at this amazing, insane, strange, tired man. He looked a bit less tired now, he sat up straight and let out a long breath, like something was lifted from his chest. He had the hardest part over with now.
"Yes, Nigredo, think of me as you like. I foresaw your brother's birth...and I left because I believe I was..." he lowered his eyes. "Waiting for you." Nigredo felt his breath stop in his chest, and blood rushed in his eyes. Again he drifted away to the streets, with the dogs barking, and children playing. He thought he could hear his mother, quietly chatting with a neighbor. His fingers went cold and clammy, and to his surprise, he felt a tear fall down his face. Waiting? What did this mean?
"Nigredo, look at me."
He did, reluctantly.
"Look, I don't know how to prove it, but you, Nigredo Swift, are the most powerful person in this city right now." Nigredo turned away at this, but Waldeck grabbed his shoulders. "You will be cursed and blessed with many things in this life...You will have love, and loss, pain and joy, but..."
Nigredo narrowed his slender eyes. There was bad news coming. He could nearly hear the words before be spoke them.
"But, sacrifices..." he stopped and he seemed a bit unwilling to continue, "will have to be made. Please," he choked, tears brimming in his eyes, "do not hate me for what I am telling you today. For what I am about to tell you. It is not a lie. You know I can't lie.." Nigredo hoped he would get on with it. His heart was running faster than it ever could.
"Nigredo...you are the Guide, whether you believe in it or not." Nigredo gaped at him. "I know this. You are the one I was waiting for."
Yes, there were tears on his face now.
"How much do you know about the Guide, Nigredo?"
He pried his eyes away. "Father mentioned it, but it seemed he didn't want to talk about it much."
Waldeck nodded.
"Rightly so. It isn't a very cheerful story, I'm afraid. You will lose your rights to have many things, being a Guide. The magic that flows in your veins will turn against you, Nigredo. A Guide cannot die. Ever." For a moment both of their jaws fell open, both shocked at how blunt the words had come out. Live forever? Was that a blessing, or a curse? Or both?
"The only way you can possibly find peace is when your purpose as a Guide has been fulfilled. That is the biggest sacrifice. You might not understand why it is so unfortunate now, but you will. Sometimes you will wish for it every day, and it will not come."
Nigredo backed away from the table.
"No!" he yelled in defiance, "I don't believe a word of this!" His grace was completely gone now, and his voice had cracked, revealing a younger, more impatient Nigredo.
"You don't have to," the sailor said coolly, and bade him to calm down. "It will happen to you, whether you believe it or not. I'm telling you this because you deserve to know, and no-one else has the guts to do it. Will you please sit down? I must finish." Slowly, clumsily, he did once again. Waldeck continued, his voice cool and controlled. Whatever doubt he had before seemed to be gone now.
"The next big sacrifice you will make is...control." Nigredo raised his brow at that. He didn't have any real control--at least, not yet.
"You will lose control of you. Sometimes, things you do won't make sense, and you won't understand why you've been compelled to do something. Instinct will take over, and your emotions...will never be the same." Once again, Nigredo looked puzzled. "You will have no control of your emotions. None," he clarified.
Nigredo's lips moved, but no words dared to come. Why? That was the word. Why?
"People will be confused by you. They will not understand why you are this way, and neither will you, really. You will appear cold and grave to them, so choose your company wisely." What life would that be? If you couldn't act like a normal person, if you couldn't control your actions, would that be a life at all? He would be living a cursed, half-life. And no-one would know about it but him.
"Another sacrifice you will make is your right to forget. Don't give me that look. Everything from this day on, you will remember. Nothing--even the tiniest detail--will ever be forgotten. If you will live for as long as I think you will, that is a lot of memory. You will hold Kingdom's histories in your hands; their rises and falls. You will see the birth and death of many peoples and wars. You will be the Seer of it all."
Nigredo didn't know how much of this was sinking in. It all seemed too surreal; too sudden; too strange. Surely all of this 'prediction' of his couldn't be true.
"Are you finished yet?" he grumbled. He was beginning to feel sick now. And hungry. He realized there was no supper cooking--his mother was still outside.
"No, not quite." Mercifully, he put his eyepatch back on. Waldeck seemed grateful as well, when it was covered. "There are many other small sacrifices that will be made. You will pass them in the seasons to come. There are a few others I want to mention. For one, from this day forward, you will not age." Nigredo had to stop himself from grinning. "You will never age another day, suspended at the age you are now. I'm sure you will look older as you get more weathered, but Nigredo, you will remain a teenager forever."
Well, that didn't seem so bad. There had been a bit more female eyes on him than usual lately. He wasn't too keen on growing old and wrinkly, either.
"Ha! You seem a bit pleased at that." He gave him a look over, as if sizing him up for the first time. "Jeez, are you ever going to be short!" Nigredo's mouth twitched, but he didn't have the energy to smile. Waldeck did, and began to laugh too, but Nigredo's sour expression cut his moment short.
"There is one more thing. You know very well that hardly anyone in this city has ever lied, cheated, or been the least bit disloyal. That is just how we are; it's part of our culture. For you, it will be different."
Confusion again.
"These things from here on in, are forbidden to you. Lying, cheating, stealing..it will pain you both physically and mentally to commit these actions. This will make you more trustworthy, but it certainly will make your life more difficult."
Waldeck stopped talking, giving Nigredo time to compose himself. Slowly, Waldeck could see his grace returning, the shock wearing off, the news sinking in. He smiled in spite of himself. His job was done. Finally.
"Do you have any questions before I leave, Nigredo?"
"Yes. One." He actually had many, but this one would have to do. He figured the other questions would answer themselves. Nigredo was scrutinizing him now. He watched his face like a hawk, trying to find which part of it would move first as he asked the fatal question. The most obvious question he hadn't answered. "As this..Guide, what am I here to do?" He caught his mouth moving a little, trying to sound out the words before he spoke them. It didn't seem to work.
"I-I'm not sure. All I know is that whatever is going to happen tomorrow will be the beginning of it. You are here to save something...and to stop something else. It will take a long time, both for you to find out what these things are, and to do it."
Nigredo didn't look satisfied. What kind of answer was that? It was the simplest question he could ask.
"That is honestly all I know, Nigredo." He got up to leave. "I'm sure you've seen enough of me to last a lifetime." He smiled, as if he meant a little more. "I must leave now. Your mother is in the garden." And he left, just as awkwardly as he came. Nigredo stared after him for a long time, wondering to himself if all that really had happened. He left no physical trace of himself on the table, no trail, nothing. He found himself wandering out the door, his vision already blurring. Somehow he found his way to the garden. His mother looked up at him. Shock and horror filled her face as her son stumbled closer.
"Nigredo? What did he say to you? It looks like you just saw the world end!" She took him in her arms, and his shoulders began to shake.
"I'm frightened," he rasped into her shawl. Soon he erupted into a sob.
"It's alright," she soothed, "nothing has begun yet." She ran her fingers through his thick, lustery hair. "Shhh. Whatever is coming, you will get through it."
And the two stood there, locked in time for what seemed, to Nigredo, like forever.

Yes I will mother, but will you?




The next day came swiftly. The whole morning seemed to be fogged and blurry for Nigredo. He hardly spoke to anyone, as they dressed him and combed his hair and washed his hands and face. They changed his outfit many times, but finally decided on one, a beaded and brightly coloured one, lined with gold. Nigredo felt absolutely ridiculous wearing it, but he bit his tongue. The team of women around him never seemed to stop chattering. It was only when one of them began to braid his hair with leather that he realized they were scared. Their chatter was nervous, and they deliberately did not speak of 'the news'. He caught one woman's hand shaking as she put beads in his hair. He wanted desperately to say something to calm her, but he couldn't think of a thing. How could he tell someone to be calm when he himself was terrified? He was frightened more than anybody. After today, a completely new, cursed life lay ahead of him, and there was a good chance he would be doing it alone. He tried to hide the cold sweat on his hands, but those poor women just kept catching him, wiping them off. What would he see today? Death and destruction, or something more subtle, slower and predictable? The more he thought about it, the more he wished he didn't know. Could he really do nothing to stop it? Was he just going to stand and watch this disaster unfold? Waldeck said the things he saw would happen, no matter how much resistance there was.
When he finally got a glimpse of the outdoors, he saw them. He had to squint to see, but on top of the city's outer walls, he could see the guards, armed and ready. The preparations below were nothing but an illusion; the real danger lay just outside those towering walls of brick and mud. He'd heard his father talking to someone about something called a Barrier, above the city. He had no idea how that was possible, or even sure what a Barrier was. The guards were stationed all the way around and the opening to the port was closed off, leaving the ships stranded without their captains and crew, open to fire. Waldeck certainly wasn't happy, Nigredo thought, as it was now nearly impossible to escape the catastrophe he himself had predicted. Nigredo wondered how many people would actually show up to the ceremony. Shouldn't they be locked up safe in their homes?
"Homes are easier to burn," said his father to the Defense minister earlier, "they would be sitting ducks. If we trick them into thinking we're in our houses, even for a moment, it might buy us some time."
So it was going to be an attack, then. Waldeck didn't really specify what kind of disaster it was. How did they know it wasn't an earthquake? Or a giant ocean wave? Or a fire, or even a plague? He guessed for something to happen so suddenly, it would have to be a siege of some sort. But when would it happen?
"Master Swift! Get over here!" yelled Sorena, one of his mothers' maids. He caught her eye and shuffled over, careful not to trip in his ornate, but completely dysfunctional outfit. He attempted to give her a smile, but she pushed him in the door.
"I'm not finished with you yet. We still have plenty to do. My, what did you do to your face? I've never noticed that scratch before."
Nigredo sighed and sat down. "Your cloak." She pulled the fasten over his head--careful not to mess his newly tamed hair--and let it rest on his shoulders.
"It's heavy," he whined.
She ignored him, and unfolded the hood at his back, smoothing out the wrinkles.
"It's beautiful. Nice and thick. Such a pretty colour, too." She took his chin and lifted his head. "Hmm..no, that scratch just won't do." His heart skipped a beat as she touched the scratch with a finger. A blue spark came on impact, creating a light pop. He lurched backward, startled. His hand flew to his face. Of course, the scratch was gone. She ignored this as well. "Hmm..you certainly have a horrid taste in earrings, don't you?"
Holy cow. This woman caught everything. At least her fussing kept both their minds off the hundreds of guards outside. He flinched with pain as she tore out his old wooden stubs, and replaced them with new, painted ones. A few piercings he had neglected, and she had to stab them through with a pin to get them in.
"Ow.." he squeaked. He could feel a trickle of hot blood on his ear.
"Stop whining. If you had taken care of your ears properly, this wouldn't have happened." She put five in each ear, some of them stubs, some of them beaded metal rings. He could have sworn he ears felt heavier.
When she finished that, she gave each ear a little touch, and the redness, sores and blood vanished, though they still hurt him, and throbbed warmly. Just when he thought she was finished, she found something else to pick at.
"You are not plucking my eyebrows!" he batted her hand away. This had simply gone too far. She put her hands on her hips.
"Fine. It's either that, or eye blackener. See, I wear it too," she pointed to her own eyes, which were rimmed with black, and curled at the ends, making her lashes look bigger; more feminine. It was a girl thing. Not a guy thing.

He chose the eyebrows. They were less obvious. For a moment, he wondered if Tantianna was going through this too. Surely her parents wouldn't allow her to go out with her tangled, wild hair and boy's clothes. He felt a little less sorry for himself them. He stole a glance out the window, at the sun. It was high in the sky, but still not overhead. After all, she still had to tan and polish his boots, shine his hair, clean his nails (he disliked that greatly) ,strap on his sheath, and go over the ceremony. He thought his father should maybe be doing that, but he guessed he was busy.
"Are we almost done?" Nigredo begged, trying to sound polite. Sorena had a small bowl in her hand, and with a crusher, she was mixing something. It looked like paint.
"Almost, little one." She sat down and picked up a brush. "Lean in a little, please." She dipped the brush in the paint, and lifted it to his cheek. He felt the cool tip glide across the marking already there on his face; a natural one. The paint was just a little lighter and brighter, and it made it stand out, like it was made for decoration instead of its true purpose. "Nigredo Swift takes over Daine the Strong. Never thought I'd see the day." Nigredo gave her a weak smile. He didn't know why so many were happy to be rid of his uncle. He wasn't a bad King at all. Maybe they weren't happy to be rid of his uncle, but at the arrival of himself. He hoped that was not what it was.
Sorena found other visible markings to paint: a few on his arms, a fragment of one on his neck, one on the topside of his hand. When she finished, she stood back to admire her work.
"Are we finished {i]now?" he pleaded, stealing a glimpse of the sun.
"Hmm." She put a little powder on his face, turned an earring, tightened his cape. "Yes," she smiled, "now you are. Go and find your father. And don't run." He smiled and scurried out the door. "Mess anything up, and I'll fix you good!" she warned. Nigredo cringed at that--he'd gotten quite a few good smacks from her--but walked on, going the opposite way of his father. He knew exactly were he was--he hadn't moved since dawn. No, he wasn't off to meet his father. Tantianna was more important right now. He was sure her parents were done with her by now. As he moved out of the courtyard and into the street, he could feel the stares, hear the mutterings, and caught a glimpse of a chattering group of girls, gawking at him with sheer amazement. He guessed he looked good, but he didn't care. He felt ridiculous. Instinctively, he counted the houses. He could feel himself speeding up as he got closer to his destination. Between the twelfth and thirteenth houses, there was an alley. They always met there. He forced himself to slow down; he was drawing even more attention to himself, half running, half walking.

"Coo. Coo."

His ears caught the sound instantly. His head swivelled to find it, but he couldn't. It didn't sound like a bird...Then it hit him. It was Tantianna. He could just see her amongst the buildings' shadows, smiling. Girls lined the streets like ants on a hill now, so she hadn't called him over. Slowly, he made his way over, averting their eyes as best he could.
"'Bout time," she said, her voice low. When he stepped closer, her eyes lit up. "Wow!" she popped, when she eyed his outfit. "You look like you just came from a beauty parlor!" Nigredo's ears went red, and he stared at his feet.
"Fine. Rub it in." He looked up at her, finally taking in how good she herself looked. Her wild hair was tamed into a tight ponytail, her bangs cut perfectly straight. A cloth was wrapped around the pony, and its tails trailed down her back, almost to her ankles. She wore long, golden earrings and her eyes were painted black and gold, and like him, the markings upon her face were painted over. On her shoulders was a thin, elegant shawl, curling towards her feet. Long, billowy pants covered her scabbed knees and bruised legs, and on her feet were gold trimmed sandals.
She was utterly beautiful. Nigredo was lost for words.
"I was just kidding, Nigredo," she said, her eyes lightening. "You actually look quite...handsome."
He smiled. Tantianna tried too, but inside a fire burned. She tried to hide it, arguing with herself whether or not to say those three little words.
Nigredo saw right through her. Inside him, he could feel it too. What was this feeling? It felt most strange. It felt as though little birds were just hatching in his stomach, and beginning to fly around, their little wings tickling his sides.
It was a strange moment, when their eyes locked. It was like they were one person for that moment, as they both spoke books to each other through their eyes. Nigredo finally broke the silence.
"Tantianna..." He took her hands in his. She felt tears brimming in her eyes, but forced them back, not wanting to mess up the makeup her mother had so meticulously applied. She knew what was coming, and no-one could prepare her for it now. "I..I love you. I always have." Nigredo smiled, leaned forward, and kissed her, leaving her stunned, relieved; exhilarated. They held together for what seemed like a very long time, both their worlds stopping, both oblivious to the sound of the streets behind them, oblivious to Waldeck's predictions, oblivious to what their parents had told them.
They finally separated, leaving both of them flushed for a moment. Nigredo tore his eyes away to check the sun.
"Time to go," he said quietly, Tantianna straining to hear. "Come." He offered her his hand, and she took it. "I have so much to tell you. We'll walk together, okay?" She nodded, her mind slowly coming out of the fog which is love, back into reality.
The new couple walked out of the alley, hand in hand, out into the street, avoiding second glances and stunned glares, knowing there was much more important things to be worrying about. It only took Nigredo a few moments to spill everything of the day before, giving her spare moments to breathe, and ask questions. When he was finished, both were silent, Nigredo trying to soak in his own words. He gripped her hand tightly, a desperate attempt to keep the tears brimming in his eyes from flowing over. He found himself choking them back, making a pitiful sound. They were close to the citys' center now, and the streets were crawling with people.
"Nigredo," she cooed, sounding like his mother. He stopped walking and so did she. They turned to face each-other. Tantianna reached out to touch him. Nigredo fought the instinct to flinch, and her fingers glided across his face. Yes, there was pain there, she decided. He looked at her so longingly, like she was somewhere far away and he couldn't quite reach her. "Sadness will come later, Nigredo." She brushed a tear away from his eye. "It is too close to the ceremony now. Let's keep walking." She took his hand again. Nigredo couldn't bring himself to say another word. He forced his head up and stopped his tears. "I need you to be strong for me, buddy," she chirped. "Put on a happy face. Just for today."
"I will...try."
She looked unsatisfied.
"Your father will be very disappointed in you if you show up teary-eyed and distraught." Nigredo turned the attention away from himself.
"He's frightened. His smile will be as forced as mine."
They could see the spires overhead now, and the feeling of many bodies close together. A crowd had already drawn. They both glanced at the sun. Tantianna pulled him ahead.
"Look! You're nearly late!" she broke into a run, dragging him along with. He tried to watch his feet to keep from tripping, but voices pulled his head back up. He could hear Sorena yelling for him to get over there or else, his father calling his name and where the hell he'd been, and he caught a glimpse of Waldeck. He was giving him the strangest look. It was almost like a glare...Did he want to say something to him? Did he forget to tell him something?
"Nigredo Swift! Quit gawking and get over here!" screamed Dresden.
"Here he is, Royal Swift!" Tantianna let go of his hand, made a little bow and ran off to find her parents. Nigredo watched her disappear into the crowd, feeling what little confidence he had disappear with her.
"You're lucky I don't twist your ears!" Sorena squawked, straightening his cape. "I told you to go find your father! And instead you go gallibanting around the city--with some girl!" she fumbled with his hair. "Honestly. Your father has to be up there is just a few moments, you know."

Nigredo snapped back to reality. It was happening now? He glanced around to find Waldeck, but he was gone. He looked at the guards. They were looking at him, he could feel it. For a moment he wondered if they were protecting the city, or him.
"Quit staring boy! Get up to the front and remember what I told you!" She pushed him a little, and he began walking through the crowd, all the new information whirling around his head.
Stand up straight. Don't let your cape twist over your leg, hold your head high. Don't look distracted, look content.



final installment coming soon.