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Amaya never feared the darkness, not even as a child. Her sister had watched over her during the night. Sarai had insisted on sharing a bed with her younger sister from the moment Amaya graduated from a cradle. Her sister promised the sun would always rise and Amaya would see again. Sarai especially promised this when scary thunderstorms shook young Amaya awake.
Amaya had never slept so soundly with Sarai’s warmth and heartbeat by her side.
Sarai forced Amaya to sleep in the middle of the soldiers whether it was in the bunks or camping. Amaya hated being treated differently, but she accepted it was a solid strategy. She wouldn’t be able to hear invading intruders as she slept. She needed the extra moment being in the middle provided to rise and fight. She never feared the darkness amongst her fellow soldiers. She knew they would protect her as she would them.
But this wasn’t darkness and Amaya was terrified. Her vision was scorched from the Sunelves’ test. She could only see a white field with her eyes open and a flashing whiteness when she closed them.
Her eyes watered from pain and she couldn’t control it. She walked in the direction she was lead, leaning heavily on the hands that held her arms. She knew the Sunelf warrior was behind her and trusted her to not let her fall.
She felt the cuffs release and she immediately raised them to touch her eyes. Her wrists were caught in a firm grasp and she struggled.
Amaya knew she was not fit to fight and soon found herself pinned on her back to a bed. She made a halfhearted attempt to buck the Sunelf off of her but was held firmly down. She knew it was her. The Sunelf had a distinct scent of cinnamon and citrus to Amaya.
The water from her pained eyes was joined by more tears as Amaya wept from fear. What if the light scorched her blind? How would she fight? How would she protect Callum and Ezran?
The hands that held her softened and patted her wrists. They slowly removed and Amaya tried to move them to her face. Her wrists were pushed back against the bed, and she sagged as she understood the meaning. She couldn’t touch her eyes.
Amaya flinched as a wet cloth was placed over her eyes. She froze and sighed in relief as the pain in her eyes started to fade. She reached out, trying to find the woman next to her. A hand grasped her searching one. Amaya felt past the golden gauntlets on the woman’s wrist until she was certain she was touching the woman’s forearm.
In the white void, she only had one form of sense left to communicate with: touch. She and Sarai had invented the touch form of communicating when they were children. Their parents and nannies would scold if they stayed up too late. The adults always knew because the sisters left the candle burning so Amaya could see. The pair practiced skin writing in Katolis, using the inside of their arms or whatever was closest. They could talk all night without the adults knowing.
Amaya careful drew a W, H, A, and T onto the skin beneath her finger and pointed to her eyes.
There was a stiffness radiating in the other woman. The few seconds of waiting felt like a lifetime, but eventually, Amaya felt the woman draw on the inside of her arm. The effort was clumsy and Amaya couldn’t understand what she had written. She gestured for the woman to try again, grabbing the retreating hand and placing it back on her arm. The woman tried again and Amaya was able to understand this time. HERBS.
SEE?
There was another pause before the woman replied. HOUR.
Amaya closed her eyes and sighed. She could keep herself together for an hour until her sight returned. She opened her eyes again as she felt the finger traced on her skin.
NAME?
She debated her answer. Her ire at being a prisoner wanted to say something crude. However, a voice inside reminded her that the Sunelf warrior had treated her with respect and was helping her regain her vision. The voice said she should be polite and give her name. The voice sounded a bit like Sarai.
AMAYA.
JANAI.
Amaya was certain the response was her captor’s name. She wasn’t certain how the name was pronounced but she believed it was as beautiful as the elf woman was.
*
“Sisters,” Janai grumbled under her breath as she led the human to the infirmary. Her sister was being a pain, calling the human her pet . The human was not her pet; she was her prisoner. The implication of keeping the general as a pet made Janai flush. She would have to provide for her, keep her fed, clothed, and clean. The thought of cleaning the human warrior made Janai’s cheeks burn harder.
“Find a healer and tell them to ready a sunspot tonic,” Janai ordered Kazi. The translator rushed to obey. She released the human’s wrists from the chains and scrambled to grab her hands before the human could do more damage to her eyes. “Do not rub!”
She cursed when she realized the human could not see her mouth. They struggled for dominance, but Janai knew this fight wasn’t fair. The human was clearly exhausted from the test of light. She pushed the woman down onto an infirmary bed and pinned her wrists to her side. Kazi returned with a healer in tow.
“Do we need restraints?” The healer asked.
Janai shook her head. She could see the woman was crying and knew she feared for her sight. She lessened her grip on her wrists and awkwardly patted them, trying to provide comfort. The moment she moved away, the human tried to touch her eyes again. Janai growled in frustration and pinned the wrists back to the bed. “Do not touch your eyes.”
She could see on the general’s face and knew the message had been received. She let her go and took the soaked cloth from the healer. She tenderly placed the cloth over the human’s eyes, pressing softly so it would have the most contact over the eyelids.
Janai felt the woman relax as the medicine started to work, and she felt herself become more relaxed. The ease faded as the human grabbed for her arm and felt for the soft skin of her forearm. Janai did not know what she expected, but she was blindsided when the human started drawing shapes upon her.
“What is she doing?” She asked Kazi. They moved closer and investigated. “She is writing. What. Perhaps she is asking what is on her eyes?”
Janai barked. “What am I to do?”
Kazi looked around and ran to a nearby table. They returned with quill and paper. “Draw the letters as I draw them. Medicine.”
Janai tried to copy the letters in the word ‘medicine’ onto the human’s skin but they could all see the confusion on the other woman’s face. “Can we think of no smaller word?”
Kazi carefully printed the word herbs and held it up for Janai to trace. The human seemed to understand. They traded words on their skin.
SEE?
“It will wear off in an hour or so,” The healer stated. Janai dutifully spelled out the letters.
“Will we return the prisoner to her cell once her vision has returned?” Kazi asked.
“Of course,” Janai said, absentmindedly. She was busy asking the human for her name and watching an array of emotions cross her face. She wondered if all humans were so expressive.
“Amaya,” Janai repeated, rolling the name around her mouth. It was strong, fitting of the general. She spelled her own name back.
*
“Leave me,” Janai snapped. She didn’t care who was behind her. She just wanted them gone so she could stare into the fire and grieve. She turned and snarled as the person thumped to the ground beside them, their armor clanking. It was Amaya.
“Leave me,” Janai carefully enunciated, making certain the woman was watching her mouth. She blinked as the woman held out a piece of parchment.
You need someone here.
Janai crumbled the paper. “I do not need you here.”
The pair entered into a brief struggled as Amaya tried to take the parchment back. Janai finally released it in disgust and watched as the human diligently tried to smooth the wrinkles out. She blinked in surprise as Amaya pulled out a piece of charcoal and hunched forward to write. She read the words over her shoulder.
I know what it’s like.
Janai felt her skin start to heat and she raised her fist to strike her. “You can’t imagine what it’s like!”
Amaya caught her fist, briefly wincing from the heat. The elf’s glare was met with a calm gaze. Janai let her internal fire fade and the golden lines down her arm vanished. Amaya let go of her hand and returned to writing.
My sister was queen of Katolis. She died saving me and many others. There was nothing I could have done to save her.
Janai sank as if the full weight of her grief hit her all at once. Who knew she would have so much in common with a human? Both warriors, both leaders, and both sisters to lost queens.
Amaya threw the parchment into the fire and Janai was grateful. She wasn’t certain she could talk anymore tonight. Leading the exodus of her people from Lux Aurea was exhausting. Some even looked to her as the new queen, but she balked at the title. She wanted to remain the Golden Knight and for her sister to return as their true queen.
Amaya led Janai to their bedrolls a few hours later. Janai was amused at the number of blankets Amaya tucked around her, but she was grateful for their weight as she closed her eyes.
*
“Your majesty,” Janai greeted, placing her fist over her heart. Ezran returned the gesture, knowing that she would soon be crowned queen of the Sunelves. “How may I help you, Janai?”
“I was curious. What did your aunt say when we first met? I wish to learn sign language to speak with her.”
“Oh,” The boy said. He petted Bait. “She said you think she’s cute but not pregnant yet.”
“What?” Janai gasped, taking a step back. The sound of crashing books caused the royals to turn and see Callum laying on top of a pile of books. He stumbled to his feet. “Ezran! That’s not what she said.”
Ezran sniffed and rubbed his nose. “That’s what it looked like.”
Janai stared at the older boy. “What did she say?”
Callum rubbed the back of his head and looked away. “She did say you think she’s cute but that…”
“But what?”
“But that you won’t admit it yet.”
“Insolent human,” Janai growled, turning sharply on her heel to storm away.
The brothers shared a look before shrugging. Their aunt could handle anything.
*
Janai rolled her eyes when she entered the guest room that was designated hers. Amaya had clearly snuck past her guards as neither had alerted her that someone was waiting for her.
Janai stood at the end of her bed until the human laying in it noticed her. Amaya looked up and smiled. She laid the book down she had been reading, one on Sunelves’ history, and signed. “Hello. How was your meeting?”
“I spoke with your king about your future,” Janai said. She had intensely studied Katolis sign language with Kazi since the Dragon Queen had awoken.
Amaya smirked. “Did he negotiate my release from being your prisoner?”
“Brat.”
Amaya shrugged, her smirk still firmly in place.
“He did agree to your position with me.”
Amaya’s smirk faded. She leaned forward to sign. “He agreed I would be your prisoner?”
“He agreed you would be my consort. Actually, both of your nephews did. Callum was there as well.”
Janai started to laugh. The look on Amaya’s face was priceless. She doubled over laughing.
Amaya crawled down the bed, kneeling at the end, and pushed the queen up so she could see her sign. “That was not nice.”
“It was funny,” Janai snickered. She grinned as Amaya turned her face away, pouting. She leaned forward to place a kiss on the offered cheek.
Amaya relaxed and turned her face slightly back so she could get another kiss. Janai dutifully delivered. Janai turned Amaya’s face back and took a step away. She spoke as she signed at the same time. “Amaya, will you marry me? Will you be my consort? My queen?”
Amaya’s jaw dropped again. She waited for Janai to start laughing again, but laughter never came. She signed, “Did you really discuss this with Callum and Ezran?”
“Yes. They gave their blessing.”
Amaya’s vision of Janai blurred with tears. It was Janai’s turn to be shocked. She had not seen Amaya cry since the test of light. She climbed onto the bed and wrapped Amaya in her embrace. “Are these happy tears?”
Amaya could feel the vibrations of her lover talking. She knew Janai was asking for her answer. She found a bare piece of skin on Janai’s shoulder and traced her answer.
Janai froze as she focused on figuring out the skin tracing. Y, E, and S. Janai laughed and turned her head to kiss Amaya’s face. Amaya laughed as every part of her face was kissed and their lips soon found each other.