15

It was exhausting and energy consuming, Lorcán knew. He knew by the time he was done having this excited chat with his brother, he would be so weak to even lift a finger but that was the least of his worries. He didn’t mind a bit. Dûsan was the only brother he had ever had and now, the only family left. Just a few hours of tiredness was worth that beautiful face and that innocent smile from him.

“Why wouldn’t you come back to Kestramore, Dûsan? I’ve been missing you for so long, you know?” The magic of appearing in two different locations wasn’t an easy one, but nevertheless, he didn’t mind. He was in Kestramore, in his room while Dûsan had gone as far as Yunabia to learn swordmanship but he could see his brother on his bed, seated beside him as though they were together even though the magic mirror hugely appeared behind him and likewise in Yunabia, Dûsan could see him that way.

Dûsan smiled, he had always done that. Not specifically to his brother alone, but to anyone whom his eyes were laid on. He could be dangerous if he wanted to, but Lorcán could see he had never seen that side, only once, when they all lost their parents and their entire clan. “You sent me to learn swordsmanship, Lorcán, I have to learn that before I can come back. And besides, your little brother missed you a lot.”

Lorcán studied his face, for the week he wasn’t able to craft the magic, Dûsan had changed. There was a pleased smile on his face, he was happy, extremely at that. Something about him spoke of a secret he was both willing and reluctant to share. “What’s the good news? I can see it all over your face.”

He threw his head back and laughed, how could he have doubted that Lorcán could see through his hardened expression? Trying all he could to look as serious and unbothered as he did last week, but that wasn’t possible, he knew. “How could you have tell? I kept thinking whether to tell you or not, but now I think I don’t have another choice but to do that.”

Lorcán grinned, whatever this was, it had surely made him happy. “Spill already, I’m even excited to hear everything.”

“I’m in love,” the shocked expression he saw on Lorcán’s face and how eyes nearly bulged out of his eye sockets forced Dûsan to cover his face with his palms as though he was a girl that had gotten a compliment from her crush for the first time. “Lorcán, stop giving me that look!” If someone saw him whenever he was together with Lorcán be it physically or through the two location magic, one could think he was a whiny brat, but that was how it had always been, they loved each other enough for him act this way.

“How can I not give you this look? I sent you to Yunabia for swordsmanship, Dûsan, not for love!” When he saw the displeased look that had begun to paint itself on his brother’s face, Lorcán figured out that the long conversation about what he went there to do will come afterwards, he wouldn’t have to force his excitement down. He smiled widely at him, “Tell me, who is she? Or is it a he?” He bulged his eyes out dramatically, as if he would kill himself whenever Dûsan informed him that it was a he.

Dûsan threw his head back and laughed, “It’s a she, come on, Lorcán, how could it be a he? She?” He let his words trailed off and effortlessly, a beautiful smile graced his lips without knowing it did before he continued, “She’s a fairy, Lorcán. She’s as beautiful as a goddess could ever be, her smile is so beautiful that I could watch her smile all day without getting tired. Her hair, it’s long, so long that it dangled on her hips. When the sun casted its rays on the hair, you could think she was a brunette but at night time, Lorcán, she has a black hair that added beauty to the red gown draped over her sleek shoulders…”

Lorcán didn’t know when he began to clap his hands and surprisingly stared at his brother. Dûsan had never said something nice about women, he had never even noticed the beautiful women walking around Kestramore. “Has she turned you into a poet, Dûsan?” He asked, but his smile was genuine, so happy to see that Dûsan was truly enticed by the fairy. He preferred to call her that, Dûsan’s fairy.

“I’m not yet done, she’s an entire universe we have to unravel. I’ll tell you everything about her when next you visit me. You’ll visit me, right?” He said with a sheepish grin, which he was sure would lure Lorcán into coming to see him even if he didn’t want to.

“Why do I have to come? The reason why I used to come was because I was afraid you’ll feel so lonely and wouldn’t even be able to learn well. But you have your fairy with you now, just don’t impregnate her before I see and approve of her.”

‘Lorcán!” He shrilled like a baby and Lorcán threw his head back and laughed. When the laughter died down, Dûsan sighed and figured since they had come as far as this in their conversation, he should as well tell him what he wanted. “I want to marry her, Lorcán, I really want to.”

“Woah, you’re enthralled, titillated even. Will she marry you?”

He vehemently nodded his head, “I told her I can’t proceed with the marriage without you knowing and as much as I love her, I wouldn’t be able to marry her if you don’t agree. We’re only waiting for me to have this conversation with you and then I’ll go visit her mother.”

Lorcán stared at him for a while, a fatherly smile on his face and he wished they were together so he can give him a pat on the back. His baby brother had done so well over the years that sometimes when he looked back, it felt so unreal. “You said she’s so beautiful, so I wouldn’t have to mind about my nieces and nephews being ugly. You love her, Dûsan, go ahead with the marriage.”

“You Agreed?! I’m soo excited, I wish I could hug you, Lorcán!”

He chuckled and shook his head at the childishness of his brother but figured he wouldn’t blame him, love was always this way, it turned you into things you’ll never thought you could be. “What is she? A Tiger like every other being in Yunabia?” He asked, figuring he hadn’t asked that question, which was so important.

Dûsan shook his head and smiled proudly, “No, she’s not. She seems powerless, that’s why I have this urge of protecting her for the rest of my life. I’ve already started learning new magic tricks for her, I’ll make sure no one harms her.”

“She has finally made you responsible.” A proud smile spread across his lips. “What’s her name?”

“Lorcán, I’m in love with her.” He sighed, as though making sure Lorcán didn’t forget. “And what amazes me is that she doesn’t have a single name, sometimes she’s Kenna, sometimes she’s Avyannah, and I’ve once heard an old man called her Úlfa. But to me, she answers the name Avyannah.’

Lorcán wrapped his hands over his head as he threw everything he saw in her suite. He couldn’t believe this, silently praying that this wouldn’t be true. She couldn’t be the one that Dûsan was in love with, she could not be. But whenever he remembered the way Dûsan described her to him, Lorcán wanted to scream until the whole people in Elara ran for their lives.

Why hadn’t he noticed all the similarities all this why? Why did he have to go to all the nearby places in search of the woman that had long being in his arms? Had he been so selfish to have notice that she was right by his side? “Why, Avy—” he stopped on track, not knowing what to refer to her as. Because he knew this wasn’t her name, maybe it was merely a coincidence that she told both Dûsan and him the same name.

He remembered, the thread of terror that flashed through her eyes when she told him her name, which she cleverly concealed. Had she remembered then? That she had once told someone the same name? And that someone happened to unfortunately be his brother?

He immediately stood up, he had to find her. She could never go free this time. He had been looking for her for years, and she couldn’t slip off his hands when he had just gotten his arms around her. He rushed out and when he met Portia on the tree branch, he called her to see if he could get an information of where she had gone to.

•

Aranya sighed and smiled when the abandoned royal building of Zinambra came to their view. She turned her eyes to Jaromir that looked weary but at the same time, excited. He wondered if he could see through her eyes that she wasn’t what he thought she was, that this wasn’t what he thought it was. She didn’t love him, she wasn’t going to marry him, rather, she brought him to his grave, his ending.

“This is it, can we proceed?” She asked as she seductively entwined their fingers. Jaromir smiled and lightly squeezed her hands, he was so excited. He was glad that the unending journey had ended and his new life with Verena will shortly began.

“Yes, we’ve been traveling for the whole day.” They took the next step together, and he turned to look at her face, she was smiling. It was odd how she felt a feeling of homecoming filled her heart, she had missed Zinambra, as weird as that would sound. And even though she knew she had made a mistake this time, or nearly made a mistake, because Jaromir himself was a very powerful dragon, Aranya couldn’t tame down the urge to see her mother. She had missed Betla as well.

“What is this place called? I’ve never been here before, not even when I’m traveling around the world.” He asked and before she answered, as the view became even clearer to their eyes with each step forward and also the dark greenery of the place sent a chill down his spine-he realized it was a palace. A very huge and magnificent palace. Abandoned palace. “You told me you weren’t a princess, Verena. I’ve always known, your aura exudes something more powerful that who you claim to be.”

She felt a thud in her heart, had he finally seen it that she was taking him to her mother for a sacrifice? He was, but only a hunt to her? But when she saw the smile on his face, she eased. “I’m a princess, but only because I lived in an abandoned palace. Our clan has been raided thousands of years ago, and since then, my mother lives alone and when I was born, we became the two souls living here.” She was meticulous to cut out the name of Zinambra from her answers, knowing so well how Betla could be unpredictable. She might reject him for the sacrifice and demand for Lorcán, maybe set him free. And if she told him the name, how could she avoid herself from making the mistake she had always been avoiding?

Even though she knew if Betla set him free, even if he followed the same route they did, he could never find Zinambra, it was as though Betla had made it invincible to everyone unless you were together with Aranya. When he opened his mouth and from his expression she knew he was going to ask her another question, she smiled and pulled him forward. “Let’s get inside, Mother has been waiting for long, she’s excited to meet you.” The hell, she was. And as Aranya guided them through the trees and shrubs, she thought of Lorcán and a slow smile graced her lips knowing he would be so furious for her to have left the way she did.