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Amaya was slightly nervous as she walked up to the Queen’s personal tent, despite having done much more nerve wracking things in her life than make simple requests like this one. What she and Janai had was… very new for both of them, and in more ways than one. She didn’t want to mess it up. But then, Janai had said that she was welcome to visit at any time. She smiled, trying to exude confidence, and nodded to Gren, who walked up to the guards in front of the canvas doors and whispered her title. The guards removed their spears from blocking the entrance. One of them turned and walked into the tent, with Amaya and Gren following behind.
Janai’s smile was warm and familiar as she caught sight of Amaya, but she stood respectfully to keep up appearances in front of the guards. Amaya bowed for the same reason. After she’d given Amaya permission to stand (Gren tapped her on the shoulder so that she’d know), Janai dismissed the guards with a wave of her hand. As soon as they were out of sight, the queen lost her aloof air and grinned at her recent girlfriend. Amaya noticed a slight blush on the queen’s cheeks, and felt a small one creep onto her face as well. She hadn’t felt this enamored with someone since… well, ever.
“General Amaya,” Janai said shyly, “To what do I owe this pleasure?”
The queen sat back down on the bench and patted the seat next to her. Amaya obliged, sitting what she hoped was a respectful distance away.
“Do you remember my oldest nephew, Callum?” she signed, with Gren providing the translation.
“The small, energetic mage?” Janai chuckled when Amaya nodded. “Yes, I remember him.”
Amaya smiled at the apt description. “He got his heart broken recently.”
Janai’s face took on a look of confusion and concern. “The… moonshadow elf?”
Amaya nodded sadly. “My other nephew, King Ezran, sent me a crow to explain. She abandoned him one night, leaving only a letter behind to explain her absence. Evidently Callum has been taking it about as well as can be expected. He is depressed, and unmotivated, and lonely.”
“That is… very unfortunate. But why are you telling me this?” Janai asked, placing her hand gently on her girlfriend’s knee.
“They are going to be visiting again soon. Ezran has asked for extra volunteers to help accommodate your people here. They intend to bring more supplies, as well as engineers to work with yours and help make this arrangement, although temporary, more comfortable.”
“He is a generous king.”
Amaya smiled softly. “He has a good heart. The other half of this mission is one of diplomacy, a way of ensuring a positive relationship between your people and the people of Katolis. It will be good for both sides to see their leaders interacting peaceably.”
“And what does this have to do with the young mage?”
“I have known Callum since he was very small. There is nothing that cheers him up more than someone else taking an interest in what he’s interested in. Right now, King Ezran tells me that Callum is obsessed with primal magic.”
“You… want me to talk to your nephew about primal magic?”
Amaya shook her head. “I want you to introduce him to your younger brother.”
Janai’s eyes widened. “Oh.”
“He’s a mage, right?”
“Well, yes.”
“Then he will be perfect. Talking to him will give Callum a distraction; keep his breakup off his mind, and hopefully allow him to have a somewhat enjoyable stay here. Would you be willing to make the introduction?”
Amaya smiled hopefully, producing the biggest pleading eyes that she could after sensing Janai’s hesitation.
“I guess it would be worth a try,” Janai conceded, smiling tentatively, “If it will help your nephew.”
Amaya felt a wave of relief wash over her. This would work. She grinned, leaning forward and taking her girlfriend into a tight embrace. She held on for a moment longer than was probably necessary, taking the sunfire elf in; the feel of Janai’s chest pressed against hers, the softness of their cheeks touching, the smell of her hair and clothes… She finally leaned back and smiled appreciatively, leaving one hand on the queen’s shoulder.
Thank you, she signed with the other.
Janai nodded. “Of course.”
Amaya watched as the elf’s eyes flicked down to her lips, and she smiled nervously. The queen lifted a hand gently to Amaya’s face, running her thumb over the small scar on the general’s cheekbones. Amaya felt her skin go warm and pink under the touch, which she leaned into. She was increasingly grateful for the privacy that Janai’s personal tent afforded them. Janai leaned forward hesitantly, letting their noses brush up against each other for a second before pressing her warm lips to Amaya’s. Amaya melted into the other woman’s kiss, wishing that Gren wasn’t there, or that she had more confidence, so that she might ask to stay the night. But no, it was too soon. She could take this slow. She wanted to take this slow, if it meant that it would last a while longer. Their breath mingled as they both pulled away slightly, leaving their noses together. Amaya held Janai’s wrist where it was resting at her neck, slowly rubbing her thumb back and forth over the smooth skin. After a minute of wonderful silence and enjoying each other’s company, Janai sighed and pulled back a little further.
“You should probably go. People will get suspicious if your ‘audience’ is too long.”
Amaya nodded, stealing one last brief kiss before standing.
“They plan to arrive in about a week,” Gren said, resuming his duty as her translator, “Let me know if there is anything you need help with, as always.”
“I will,” Janai said sweetly. “Thank you for the visit, General.”
Amaya grinned. “Anytime.”
Janai sighed as she watched Amaya and Gren leave the tent. What had she just agreed to? Introducing her brother to a teenage, human mage? She knew Karim had mixed feelings about the assistance that the people of Lux Aurea had been receiving from the humans, and she doubted that his opinion of them would undergo a dramatic positive change after a conversation with Callum. But then, Amaya’s nephew had been so earnest and excitable when Janai had met him. Perhaps it would be exactly what Karim needed. She debated on giving him warning, but to give him warning would be to give him a week’s worth of complaining to her about it. No, best to surprise her younger brother with this when the day actually came.
And it came. Quickly.
Amaya stood anxiously at the edge of the camp, watching the dots that were her nephews draw nearer. She stood close to Janai, but not too close. Still, every once in a while the elf would shuffle her feet nonchalantly and lean close enough for their hands to brush. Amaya smiled every time.
She noticed Gren’s hands start moving out of the corner of her eye, so she turned to him. He smiled and repeated the sentence.
Janai is wondering if you’re nervous, he signed, his mouth moving alongside his hands so that she’d know that Janai was included. Amaya turned to her girlfriend and smiled.
“I’m anxious to see them again. I miss them, and I feel like it’s been too long. I know that Opeli is taking good care of them at the castle, but it is… hard, knowing that they don’t have any parents there,” Gren translated.
Janai’s expression softened, and her lips began moving. “You know you can always go to them.”
Amaya shook her head. “King Ezran assigned me to stay here as his emissary to your nation. I will simply have to make do with the visits I get. Maybe I will try to persuade him to come more often.”
Janai nodded, and they both turned back to the approaching group of people. Amaya’s grin grew bigger and bigger as the silhouettes grew clearer. She took off into a jog towards the horses, not checking to see if Gren was following or not. Ezran stopped his horse and dismounted, jumping into her arms just after she made out the words Aunt Amaya leave his lips. She scooped the young king into a swirling hug, feeling his chest bounce with laughter against hers. She set him down after a moment and bowed appropriately to him, to help preserve his royal standing among the guards at this border of the city. She felt slightly regretful for having hugged him, but he was still a child, and she knew for a fact that he didn’t get as much affection as he needed. She stood and grinned, then glanced to her side and noticed Gren breathing laboredly next to her, with Janai standing elegantly by his side. Perfect.
“Welcome to camp Lux Aurea, King Ezran.” she signed, with Gren translating through heaving breaths.
“It’s a pleasure to be here. General Amaya, Commander Gren ” Ezran said, nodding his head to each of them in a gesture that somehow felt right from him, even though he was ten.
She gestured to Queen Janai, indicating that she should take over the conversation. As the two monarchs began a polite chatter, she told Gren to stay with Ezran. And then she went to find her other nephew. Callum was on a horse a single row behind his little brother and the royal entourage, staring blankly into space in the vague direction of camp. Amaya frowned. That wasn’t a good sign. She approached him and tapped his arm. He jumped, yanking the reins and causing his horse to shuffle nervously from side to side. Amaya held out her hands to steady both the horse and its rider.
Sorry, Callum mumbled, while rubbing his fist against his chest.
Want to get off? Amaya asked, exaggerating her signs so that he’d understand. He nodded, clumsily slipping himself out of the saddle. As soon as his feet touched the ground Amaya grabbed him in a gentle hug, much gentler than her usual bear hugs. She assumed that Callum could use some gentleness right now. He returned the hug, and Amaya held on even as the rest of traffic began to flow around them, migrating towards the prepared area of camp. Eventually, she pulled back, steadying his shoulders with her hands. She noticed that his eyes were slightly puffy.
I’m sorry about Rayla, she signed.
He shrugged her off and shook an open hand once in front of his chest. I’m fine.
Amaya frowned. He was a horrible liar. A trait he had inherited from his father, Damian, she supposed.
Walk with me? she signed.
He shrugged again, but nodded a little, and they meandered together in silence with the rest of the crowd. Their walk to the official diplomacy tent was mostly uneventful, although she did have to grab the back of his jacket a few times to pull him out of the way of the waves of horses and soldiers. Eventually, they bypassed the guards and stepped inside the heavy fabric entrance of the canopy that had been built for this occasion. Callum’s eyes widened at the flowers, lanterns, and decor, and Amaya smiled as the boy instinctively reached for his sketchbook. Her nephew was still in there after all. She tapped him on the shoulder as he grabbed his charcoal, pointing to where the queen was still deep in conversation with King Ezran. Callum’s cheeks went pink.
“Right, greeting the queen.”
She nodded and lead him over to the front of the room. Janai smiled at her lovingly as they approached, and Amaya tilted her head pointedly towards the aloof figure in the corner. Janai glanced over, a brief look of confusion crossing her face before being replaced by understanding.
“Queen Janai,” Callum said, bowing reverently in the way he’d been taught by Sarai, “Thank you for having us.”
“Callum, was it?” Janai asked, giving him permission to stand with a wave of her hand.
“Yeah, I’m, um, Amaya’s nephew. And the-the King’s older brother,” he stuttered, obviously nervous about messing up in front of the ruler of the sunfire elves, despite having proven himself at the battle of the storm spire several months ago.
Janai smiled affably. “I know. You aunt tells me you have an interest in primal magic?”
Callum blinked, then looked back and forth between Amaya and Janai. “Y-yeah, yes, yeah, I do.”
The queen took him by the shoulder and led him towards one end of the tent.
“There is someone who I’d like you to meet.”
Janai was wrong about Karim, of course. He did not have “mixed feelings” about the humans that were slowly assimilating further and further into Sunfire society; no, his feelings were very clear and clean cut. He had read enough history to know that Humans were a plague upon the world. It was nothing personal, of course, he liked General Amaya well enough as an individual, but her people as a whole? He could really have done without them.
He sat draped across a chair in the corner of the tent, swirling his cup of wine in one hand. He kept a scowl fixed firmly on his face to dissuade any interaction from their human ‘guests’. He didn’t know why they even entertained the presence of the human child that they were calling a king, much less why they’d thrown a party for his arrival. The wine was a nice perk though. He caught Miyana’s gaze from across the tent, and she glanced away a little too quickly, a maroon blush spreading across her cheeks. The edges of his mouth quirked upwards, and he took a long sip of his wine.
“Karim.”
He glanced up at his sister’s voice, frowning as he noted her over-eager grin.
“I have someone for you to meet!” she said cheerily.
He glanced slightly downwards and to the side of her and noticed her company; a young human boy. He stifled both a sigh and an eye-roll and forced a humorless smile at her instead.
“Oh?” he said cooly, telling her silently through a lifetime of sibling communication experience that he wanted nothing to do with this conversation.
She forced her smile even wider, and he knew that he was going to be talking to this human whether he wanted to or not.
“This is Prince Callum, of Katolis, one of General Amaya’s nephews.”
Karim faltered, doing a double take. This child looked nothing like the King, and also appeared to be several years older. Was there some sort of strange tradition in the human kingdoms regarding the line of succession? Why was this older prince not on the throne?
“I see…” he recovered, sitting up to be polite, if only to keep up the appearance in front of his older sister.
Janai smiled warmly at the boy, gesturing to the seat next to Karim. “I will leave you to it.”
Karim raised an eyebrow at his visitor. The boy was grinning at him stupidly, fiddling with a large book and a pencil in his lap.
“So…” the boy began eagerly, “You’re a sun mage?”
Karim scoffed. Of course Janai had thought that he’d entertain this ‘prince’ with his magic like some sort of court jester. Most humans were entranced by primal magic, since it was so far beyond their comprehension.
“Yes,” he drawled monotonously, “I am a sun mage.”
“Woah,” the boy breathed, “That’s so cool. I, uh, I’m a mage too.”
The prince smiled proudly, but Karim recoiled. Janai had sent him a dark mage to talk to? They really started the corruption young in the human kingdoms. The boy’s face fell as he noticed the visceral reaction that Karim had.
“Oh, no, sorry, I’m not a dark mage; I don’t do dark magic, I’m a primal mage, like you.”
Karim gave the boy a skeptical look. “Humans can’t do primal magic without primal stones.”
“Ah, well, see, that’s what everyone thinks, but I forged a connection to the sky arcanum all on my own.”
The boy beamed, clearly expecting an impressed response. Karim figured he was lying. Most humans did, and he presumed a prince was no different. Better to play along with the boy’s silly fantasy, though. Maybe it would convince him to leave faster.
“I see…” he began uncertainly, “That is.. quite impressive.”
“Thanks! You know Ibis, the sky mage? Sorry, is it rude to assume that all mages know each other? He’s this really cool skywing elf, and mage, and he taught me how to do this spell with my—”
Karim stopped listening, but nodded along as though the education of a human prince with made up magical powers was of any sort of interest to him. He glanced around again, but couldn’t find Miyana. He frowned, but kept nodding to whatever the prince was saying. He took another drink of wine.
“—would that be okay?”
The young prince smiled at him expectantly. Karim froze.
“Um. Yes. Of course.” What had he just agreed to?
“Perfect, I just have a few questions,” the boy chirped, opening the book in his lap and twirling his charcoal pencil in his fingers.
Great, Karim thought, I agreed to an interrogation.
“Okay first question: what does it feel like, when you do sun magic?”
Karim frowned. That was not the question he’d been expecting. All the wealth of knowledge that Karim contained as the most capable sunfire mage on the continent, and the boy wanted to know about his feelings?
“Powerful,” he explained simply, “And dangerous. The sun, she is relentless; unbiased. She will burn anyone, even those who are closest to her. Using her magic is to harness the same ruthlessness and fire. It requires precision; finesse. I would not expect you to understand.”
The boy began scribbling away in what Karim now realized was a sketchbook. Was this human truly taking notes on his commentary? He had to admit, it was refreshing to see someone treat his experience with the reverence it deserved. After a moment, the prince smiled and looked up from his book.
“Okay, second question. I noticed that your staff doesn’t have a primal stone. How do you know that your spells will work all the time?”
Karim rolled his eyes at the ignorance of the question.
“You claimed to be a sky mage, yes?” The boy nodded. “The sun and the sky are two different things. The sky’s power is constantly shifting in potency, depending on the winds and the clouds and the energy of the atmosphere. The sun is different. She is always shining at full power. It is true, some sun mages struggle with more powerful spells on cloudy days, but those of us who truly understand her know that she is still there, even behind the clouds.”
“Okay, but like, what about at nighttime, when the sun isn’t out?” the boy continued, after jotting down a few words.
Karim curled his lip. “Why would I be casting spells at nighttime?”
“I dunno, I just figured— like obviously, the daytime is preferable for you because you’re a sunfire elf, but surely there are times when you’re out at night that you might need some magic?”
“The only time that I am ever awake during a nighttime is to perform a traditional funeral rite, other than that, no, I am never ‘out at night needing some magic.’ Why would I be? There is nothing in the nighttime but darkness.”
“Well that’s not entirely true,” the prince countered, “I mean, there’s the stars, and the moon…”
“The moon?” Karim laughed. “Clearly, you know nothing of the sources. The sun, she is always shining, but the moon? The moon is the opposite. She is a fickle thing, prone to withholding her light. She may shine brightly for some nights, but make no mistake, she will always disappear again.”
Karim closed his eyes and drank more wine. He waited for the noise of scribbling charcoal that would precede the next question but none came. He frowned, lowering his goblet and looking at the boy. The excitement had left his eyes completely, and he was now staring blankly into space. His breathing seemed to be slightly more labored as well. Karim raised an eyebrow, wondering what could’ve caused the sudden physiological shift in the young prince. Eventually, the boy blinked a couple times and looked back up at Karim.
“Sorry, I should— I should go check on my broth— on the king, sorry,” he stumbled, shoving his charcoal into his book and getting to his feet.
Karim shook his head as he watched the youth walk away. He wasn’t even going the right direction to find the young king. Humans, he thought to himself as he finished his glass of wine, they are so strange.
Amaya smiled at both her girlfriend and her young nephew. They were two of the most important people in the world to her, and she relished the opportunity to see them interact, even if they were both still stiff and diplomatic.
This was what they needed, to begin the process of healing their world. Elves and humans interacting regularly, sharing spaces and thoughts and love. Amaya felt accomplished, oddly enough. Like she had helped to bridge this gap. She didn’t know how much credit she could take for the success of today’s festivities, but it was nice to be a part of the change nonetheless. And, even if she couldn’t take the credit for the whole event, she did know one success that she could take the credit for. She glanced over to the corner of the room where Callum was doubtlessly pestering Karim with questions. Except that he wasn’t there. She frowned at the empty space where his messy head of hair should’ve been. She gestured to Gren that she didn’t need followed, then made her way over to Karim’s brooding space.
My nephew? she signed, hoping that Karim had paid enough attention to her signing before to pick up on this one word.
The elf raised an eyebrow and shook his head in confusion. Amaya rolled her eyes, pointing to her ears and then placing her hand to her side at about Callum’s height. Recognition flashed across the sunfire prince’s face.
“The boy? He left the tent a few minutes ago. I’m not sure why, it was pretty abrupt.”
Amaya frowned, beginning to worry. She knew that events like this weren’t Callum’s favorite, but she had hoped that the sun mage would keep him occupied for at least another hour. He was always sending her crows asking questions about her experiences living in Xadia. Amaya pointed in the direction of one of the exits, and Karim got the message, pointing her in the direction he’d gone. She nodded her head in thanks, then left him to seek after Callum.
It took her a minute of wandering, but eventually she found him curled up behind some boxes next to the secondary celebration tent. She knelt down next to him and touched his shoulder. He jumped, but relaxed when he saw who it was. His eyes were red and puffy, and he wiped at them with the sleeve of his jacket as he mumbled a greeting.
Can I sit here? she signed, gesturing to the grass next to him.
He shrugged, but smiled. “Be my guest.”
She situated herself next to him, waving at the guards who passed by with inquisitive looks on their faces. After a few minutes of silence, Amaya touched his shoulder again gently to get his attention. He turned.
Do you want to talk about it? she asked.
He sighed. “Just… her.”
Amaya waited patiently for him to elaborate. He leaned his head back against the boxes, tilting his chin towards her so that she could more easily read his lips.
“It’s like… I know that I should be over it. I try to be over it. It’s been months, and she’s not coming back, so I should move on with my life, but then… something comes up, and reminds me of her, and it all feels so raw again. She’s always there. In my mind. In my heart, maybe, I don’t know. It’s stupid.”
He pulled his legs up to his chest, resting his chin in between them. Amaya smiled softly, tapping his knee so he’d look at her.
It’s not stupid, she signed. You loved her. It’s okay if your feelings don’t disappear as conveniently as you want them to.
Callum chuckled softly, then sniffed. Tears started to fall down his cheeks again, and Amaya wrapped her arms around his shoulders from the side. He held his hands out away from his chest so she could see what he was saying.
I just hurt, he signed crudely, body shaking as he cried.
Amaya held him tighter, wishing there was something more she could do for him than just this. Still, she felt it was better than nothing, as he clung to her arm, wetness seeping into her sleeves. She knew from experience that this heartache would lessen eventually. It might never truly leave him, but it would lessen.
She held him until his breathing leveled out and he ran out of tears. He needed to drink more water. She’d have to find a way to explain her absence to Janai later, but for now this was where she needed to be. She kissed him gently on the forehead before releasing him from the hug.
I’m going to kill that moonshadow elf, Amaya thought, for the second time in her life.