Chartile: Prophecy (12 page)

“
Are you excited for the
pre-banquet?” he asked the Princess.

Gemari cleared her throat. Oh, of course I
am,” she replied rather unconvincingly. She stopped to bow to a
group of men who walked past them in the corridor, then continued
onward. “Though, one must admit, the monotony of these council
meetings does grow tiresome.” She glanced over her shoulder at her
guards and hushed her voice even further. “The endless speeches,
knowing all the internal relationships… it can certainly drag on
after some time.” she sighed and smiled sweetly up at Jack.

“
Yeah, that sounds
exciting,” mumbled Jayson. Leo paused and elbowed him in the ribs.
“Dude! I just broke that, like, a month ago!”

Gemari giggled quietly behind her hand. When
they had reached their rooms, the Princess held the door open for
them and bowed as they walked past. They entered the common room
area and found a fire had already been made for them in the little
fire place along the outer wall. Three tunics had been laid out
across the high backed chairs and sofa. Their sleeves were
embellished with tiny jewels, and golden threads ran through the
entire garment. Otherwise, they were plain, pale grey tunics
similar to those the Dwarvik royalty wore.

“
Between you and me,”
Gemari whispered, and handed each boy an outfit, complete with
belt, pants and shoes, “My sister would have been the better
choice, but she was too old to be chosen” she sighed. She was even
pretty when she looked miserable. “There are endless restrictions
on everything I say and do. Ketari does not mind rules so much. I
suppose I will learn to accept them in time. I have had to fight to
convince the elders that Orctkar is only a friend. Our meetings are
already frowned upon.”

She looked at the floor and played with the
beads in her hair. She shook her head, and stood tall again, her
smile wide. “But, there are already arrangements made for Orctkar
to marry in three years’ time. She already has a Harasan, so the
House is much respected. He should be able to find work easily, or
continue into an apprenticeship.” Gemari paused and bit her lower
lip. “I should not be saying these things to you. I am sorry. I
love my people, and I will be proud to be Queen or Empress one
day.”

“
It’s alright,” said Leo,
waving the hand the held his gem covered shoes. “We won’t tell
anyone.” The entire affair had given him a difficult internal
struggle these last few days. His desperate fight not to interfere
in anything was becoming far more difficult to do the longer they
spent in Chartile. And keeping his friend from courting the
Princess seemed nearly impossible at this point.

“
Thank you,” Gemari
replied sweetly.

“
Wait a minute,” said
Jack, “Who’s this Orctkar?”

“
Oh, I… I met Orctkar last
year at a council meeting.” She looked at the floor shyly, nudging
the corner of a rug with her toe. “He works for the kitchens. He
was ever so kind to make me a lovely wild strawberry tea instead of
the usual pearl wine. I met him afterward, and he showed me the
kitchens, and cooked for me. We often meet in the kitchens. He is
just a friend, though. We cannot be more than that. It is the
law.”

“
So, he’s not really your…
uh, suitor or anything, right? Like, you guys aren’t… courting?”
Jayson asked. He watched Jack fidget uncomfortable with the hem of
his tunic.

“
Oh, no! He is only a
friend.” Gemari’s eyes widened in surprise. “Ketari thinks
otherwise, but she can be too protective. She is my retainer, and I
rather think she believes she is my personal body guard as well.”
She giggled and crinkled her nose as she did so. Jack smiled and
the strange tension in his neck and shoulders vanished. “Yes, I do
believe Ketari would have made the better princess, but please do
not mention I said such things.”

“
What’s your sister think
about that? Does she want to be the Princess instead?” asked Jack.
Gemari’s eyes widened. She whipped around the check the closed door
behind her before turning back to Jayson, Jack and Leo. “It’s
okay,” Jack continued. “Maybe we can help.”

“
Do you truly believe so?”
asked Gemari.

“
It’s worth a try. What’s
the worst that could happen? You don’t get to be Princess anymore?”
Jack paused a moment and swallowed. “Then you’re free to have a
boyfriend, right?”

“
Well, I suppose— but, no,
no. I never should have said anything! Jack, please, I should not
say such things. It is not proper of me. Promise me you won’t say
anything.” Gemari buried her face in her hands and began to cry.
Jayson ran to her side and awkwardly patted her back.

“
Well, now you’ve done it,
Jack,” said Jayson.

“
Oh, no, it is not you. I—
I’m not good at this, really I’m not. I’m always messing everything
up,” said Gemari through little hiccups.

“
Hey, join the club!”
Jayson, threw his arm around her and hugged her. Gemari smiled and
wiped the tears from her eyes.

“
Ketari is both strong and
gentle, and when she speaks, everyone listens. She has such a
lovely voice. I was selected by the council and started my training
as Princess when I was very young. I am sure with time I will learn
to be better. And, Ketari will be there to help me.” Gemari nodded
her head curtly, as if this were final. “Well, we should not keep
the council waiting. They have all been ever so excited to meet
you! Please, dress swiftly, and I will take you to the
pre-banquet.”

The boys headed to one of the bedrooms on
either side of the common area. Two beds sat side by side, and
Jayson flopped down on his before bouncing up again. The other room
across the common area was where Leo slept alone. Jack said he
snored too loud.

“
Jack, what are you
thinking?” Leo asked, pulling off his shirt and tossing it to the
corner. He was markedly less pudgy these days. The hunting treks
through the mountains and fighting practice had left him with a
shadow of defined muscle. Though it failed in comparison to his
friends’ sleek physique, or even Dimitri’s muscular tone, it was
the fittest he had ever looked.

“
What?” asked Jack,
pulling off his jeans. They had just gotten their regular clothes
back from one of the Dwarvik washers, and were rather disappointed
they could not wear them to the banquet. The cotton tunics were
very itchy.

“
We tried to stop Jayson
from interfering when we first met Piper. Now you’re doing it. We
can’t interfere! This isn’t our world! Did you think that maybe
she’s just doing this so we’ll vote for her to be the next
Queen?”

“
Take that back!” Jack
shouted. “Gemari would never do that! Have you stopped to think
that we don’t know how long we’re gunna be stuck here? In case you
haven’t noticed, we’re kind of important. We should start trying to
use that to make this place better. We’re nobodies back home! We
have a chance to do something here, even if it’s just for one
person. Besides, it’s not like I can really date her. She might as
well be happy with someone if we can get the laws
changed.”

“
It’s not just about one
person, Jack, or even two,” said Jayson. He hiked up his trousers
before realizing they were on backwards. “What if Ketari would be a
horrible princess? She hasn’t been trained like Gemari has. What if
the Queen or Empress dies and Ketari isn’t ready? All because you
decided Gemari should have the right to date some guy, whose name I
can’t even pronounce? This ain’t all peachy-keen just because we
might be these king dudes.”

“
We wouldn’t let this
happen if it were one of our friends back home. Gemari is our
friend. The laws here are totally bogus! Come on! You have to agree
with me!” said Jack.

“
I do agree with you, man,
but we don’t know enough about stuff here yet. Not without messing
up the whole system.” Jayson stepped toward his friend, a sparkly
shoe in one hand. He placed his other hand on Jack’s shoulder.
“Look, maybe we can talk to Ketari and Nefiri. The Empress seems
like she would at least listen to us. Deal?”

Jack sighed and nodded. He pulled his gem
covered shoe on and opened the door.

“
This Orctkar guy better
be worth it,” Leo whispered under his breath.

The boys reentered the common area. They
felt ridiculous with their sparkly shoes and belts fitted over
their tunics. But they knew this was simple compared to the
clothing of the middle class they had encountered on the days
before. Some of the dresses they had seen when meeting with the
middle class merchants must have weighed at least forty pounds with
all the gemstones. Gemari clapped and giggled as Jack spun in a
circle for her. Jayson and Leo rolled their eyes.

“
Oh, you look wonderful,”
she cooed. “All of you! Now, there are a few things I must instruct
you in before we depart.”

“
Great! More etiquette
lessons!” Jayson rolled his eyes, and Jack glared at
him.

“
It’s just a few simple
things. The pre-banquet is the social time before negotiations.
There are to be no matters of state discussed at this time. Though
they have been asked not to, some of the Elders may wish to bestow
you with gifts and pearl wine. Talk of who you are has spread
rampant throughout the mountain. Accept the gifts, but graciously
turn down the wine. Those with a sharper mind accomplish more,
especially at Council meetings. Avoid the lamb, unless you like raw
meat, and remember to smile and bow. My teachers used to put goat’s
lard on my teeth to remind me to smile. Luckily for you, I couldn’t
find any today.” The boys blinked stone faced at Gemari until she
began to giggle and laugh behind her hand. “I am only jesting.” She
smiled and they laughed, relieved. At times they did not understand
Gemari’s odd sense of humor. It was unnerving. “Well, shall we
depart, then?” she asked.

They all nodded and headed for the door.

“
May I escort you, my
lady?” Jack asked holding out his arm for Gemari. Jayson covered
his face in his hand. Gemari blushed crimson beneath her dark
complexion and giggled.

“
It is very thoughtful of
you, Jack, but as Princess, I must walk alone.”

Jack nodded, and held the door for her
instead. She smiled coyly at him as she exited, and Leo promptly
smacked Jack on the back of the head as he walked past. At the
entrance to the Emerald Quarter, two guards stood waiting. Gemari
bowed to them and took the lead.

“
The Crystal Quarter is
reserved specifically for entertaining guests, and when the Council
of Elders meets,” Gemari explained as they walked. She tried to
catch Jack’s eye, but he stared at the ground, determined to ignore
her.

“
How many elders are
there?” Leo asked, trying to break the awkward tension.

“
There is one Elder for
each Quarter, but as we have grown, so have the number of
Quarters,” Gemari replied, and she began ticking the quarters off
on her fingers. “At Mount Kelsii, there is the Emerald Quarter, the
Ruby Quarter, the Amber Quarter, the Obsidian Quarter, the Topaz
Quarter and the Sapphire Quarter. That is where the Queen and I
reside, and the Empress, of course, when she is visiting. At the
Tutarian Mountains there is the Amethyst Quarter, the Cobalt
Quarter, the Moonstone Quarter, the Garnet Quarter, the Citrine
Quarter, the Opal Quarter, the Carnelian Quarter, and the Diamond
Quarter, where the Empress, Princess and Queen of the Tutarian
Mountains live. Queen Isla and Princess Faeridae just arrived
today.”

“
So, the residents of each
Quarter get to pick their elder?” Jayson asked. He already knew the
answer, but was desperate to keep the conversation going in any
direction other than one that involved more sickening moments
between Jack and Gemari.

“
Correct,” said Gemari.
“The elders appoint our Empress, Queens, and Princesses. We are
selected by the age of five to be trained. We leave our families to
live with the Queen and Empress.”

They passed tunnel after tunnel, door after
door. Each was beautifully decorated with faceted gems, or polished
smooth to create murals that continued nearly an eighth of a mile.
They passed one of these along the way, and Leo slowed to admire
the craftsmanship. A golden fountain beneath a tree bearing golden
apples. As he examined the detail, he discovered behind each
fist-sized gem were smaller carved gems that portrayed a different
scene. The technique was fascinating since the entire piece was
completely flush with the wall. Leo ran his hand along the
completely smooth surface and stopped. Jayson, Jack and Gemari were
gone. They must have continued on without him. He listened
carefully, hoping to hear their echoing voices or footfalls in the
distance. The tunnel was as silent as stone.

Leo felt his heart begin race and his breath
quicken. Now alone, he remembered he was miles beneath the earth,
under thousands of tons of rock. He couldn’t remember the last time
he had seen the sky. Or felt the air against his face. His breath
caught in his chest. He felt claustrophobic for the first time in
his life. The stone walls seemed to close in around him.

“
Don’t panic,” he
whispered to himself. He tried to slow his breathing as he hurried
in the direction they had been travelling. He came to a tunnel
decorated with pearly white stone. Was this the way to The Crystal
Quarter? Or perhaps this was the Moonstone Quarter. But The
Moonstone Quarter had been at the Tutarian Mountains,
right?