Leslie Moore - Griffin's Shadow

“Ugh, I don’t know, Ashi. Maybe just the tea.” Jelena sat up and leaned forward to allow Ashinji to mound the pillows behind her back. He filled both cups with the hot brew and placed one in her hands. Tentatively, she raised the cup to her lips and took a small sip.

The morning sun glowed through the shutters of their bedroom window. By the strength of the light, Jelena guessed it to be well past dawn. She had only been asleep a couple of hours, at most. Ashinji drank his tea in silence, studying her over the rim of his cup with worried eyes.

“I suppose we’d better get up and get dressed. I don’t think either of us will sleep any more today.” Jelena sighed and took another, larger sip of her tea.

“How do you feel?” Ashinji asked.

“Better. The tea is definitely helping.” Her rebellious stomach did not feel in quite such an uproar any longer.

“Tell me about your dream.”

Jelena sorted the images in her mind, trying to make sense of them, then recapped her vision as best she could recall. “I had the same dream once before, or one very much like it, except the woman in the red gown wasn’t there that time,” she added. “She frightened me, Ashi. I felt like I was in the presence of evil, but it didn’t seem to come directly from her, which was odd. It came from the strange stone she wore around her neck. What can all this mean?”

“Dreams aren’t literal. Their imagery is symbolic,” Ashinji explained. “The woman could represent an actual enemy…or an ally, sent to warn you. One of the most common manifestations of Talent is lucid and prophetic dreaming. My own small Talent manifests that way. I dreamt of you long before I found you on that riverbank. This woman in the red gown…she spoke to you of a key… A key to what, I wonder?”

“Oh!” Jelena exclaimed. ““With all the worry and excitement about my meeting with the king…I completely forgot to tell you!”

“Tell me what?”

“Yesterday evening, right after you and your father and brother went to meet with the king, your mother sat me down and told me she knew all about my blue fire.” After she had repeated to Ashinji what Amara had told her, she shook her head and said, “I still have trouble believing any of it is true, but how can it not be? Your mother has said it is so.”

Ashinji tugged hard on the rings in his ear, frowning. “Why didn’t my mother tell me any of this?”

“Perhaps she did not wish to worry you. Ashi, your mother says that the Kirian Society can deal with…this key thing.”

Ashinji shook his head and a stray lock of hair fell across his eyes. He brushed it away impatiently. He took her face between his hands and looked deep into her eyes. “Whatever this all means, if it bodes danger for you, I will protect you.” He kissed her on the lips then, with visible effort, smiled and said, “A delivery came for you just now.”

Jelena raised an eyebrow. “Who would want to send me anything?” she asked.

“I think it’s from the king,” Ashinji replied, pausing for dramatic effect.

“What? What is it?” Jelena cried, goaded by the look of sly amusement on her husband’s face.

“I saw a most becoming tunic and trousers in green and blue with a matching pair of slippers. Quite suitable for a high-born lady, or, dare I say, a princess? Shall I go get them, or perhaps you’d rather keep your old clothes?”

Jelena growled and playfully punched Ashinji’s shoulder. “I’ll take the new things, thank you very much!” she exclaimed, then sighed and looked down at her hands. “I may be the king’s daughter, but I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to the idea of being a princess,” she remarked softly.

Ashinji did not reply, and when Jelena looked at him to gauge his thoughts, she could see the war he waged with his feelings-apprehension and happiness together made of his face a shifting landscape of emotion. She knew Ashinji found it just as hard to process the stunning change in her circumstances as she did, and Jelena believed she understood why.

All of her life, she had struggled with feelings of inferiority. Because she had believed herself unworthy of it, she had almost let the blessing of true love slip through her fingers. Now, the man who had freely given her this most precious of gifts suffered from the very feelings that had afflicted her for so long.

“I love you, Ashi,” she murmured. “You’ll never lose me, no matter what.”

“I’m only a captain in the army, my love,” Ashinji said. “I have nothing but what my father, and when he’s gone, my brother, chooses to give me.” He hung his head as he spoke. “You’ve said to me in the past that you felt you were not worthy of me, but in truth…it is I who is not worthy of you, Jelena.” The pain in his voice tore at Jelena’s heart.

“Stop talking nonsense, Ashinji Sakehera!” she chided. She grabbed his face and forced him to look at her. “You are stuck with me. Did you not promise to always protect me?”

“Yes, but…”

“But nothing! I am proud to be an army captain’s wife… Here, let me show you.”

She pushed him down and straddled his hips. As their bodies joined in the timeless rite of lovemaking, Jelena strove to drive out all of Ashinji’s doubts with the strength of her passion. Afterward, as they lay in each other’s arms, the steady rise and fall of Ashinji’s chest soon lulled Jelena back to sleep.

She awoke a short time later to find Ashinji propped on one elbow, watching her. She rubbed her eyes and yawned. “How long have I been asleep?”

“About an hour. Mother just knocked. She says it’s time for you to get up and get dressed.”

Jelena sat up and stretched. “She’s presenting me to the other members of the Kirian Society today,” she said.

“Oh, yes. My mother’s mysterious society of mages. I had no idea she even still practiced magic until she started tutoring you. The idea that this ‘blue fire’ of yours must be removed from you because it’s too dangerous for it to remain where it is…it scares me, love.” He huffed in annoyance. “I just wish she’d told me about all of this herself.”

“Please try not to worry, Ashi,” Jelena said, stroking his cheek.

“Impossible,” he replied. He rolled out of bed and crossed to the window to crack open the shutters. Jelena smiled with admiration. The sight of Ashi’s bare backside made her want to drag him back to bed for another lovemaking session, but she knew Amara waited downstairs.

“How do you feel?” he asked, pulling a robe over his nakedness. “Nausea all gone?”

“Yes, thanks,” Jelena replied. “The tea really helped. Truth be told, I haven’t felt myself lately…I just hope I’m not coming down with the flux.” She swung her legs over the side of the bed.

“What? You’ve been ill and you didn’t tell me?” Ashinji came over and sat beside her, frowning. “How long has this been going on?”

Jelena sighed. “Since Nadaka Castle…”

“Nadaka Castle!” Ashinji cried. “That was over a week ago!”

“Yes, I know, but really…Ashi, it’s nothing. I didn’t want to worry you.”

“You didn’t want to…”

Jelena laid a finger on his lips to forestall any further outburst. “Hush, Husband. It’s nothing. Truly.”

“Everyone is keeping secrets from me,” Ashinji muttered crossly.

Jelena kissed him. “I love you, Husband,” she said, and her words seemed to mollify him. “Now, where are my new clothes?”

Ashinji stood and went to scoop up a bundle by the door. “Your new raiment, my princess,” he announced in his best imitation of a court herald’s pompous voice. He held out the garments with a flourish. “My mother brought them up.” Jelena took the clothing from him and spent a moment admiring their color and cut.