Chapter Twenty Two

Sleep had succeeded in avoiding me during the night, not once showing itself even in a teasing manner. It had been a long night, one I was sure the day would surpass in length.

I began wondering whether Kai was lying in his own bed, thinking of me. Perhaps he was already enchanted by all the sireenides that were bound to surround him. He was exotic and beautiful to them, despite that he was not of the same species. Once they learned how different he was, I was sure they would scatter away like mice. However, all of them? There would be that one who would remain.

I had been informed by a guard that Kai was being taken away instead of kept here. While I did think that was best, something still pierced through my heart at the words. Kai was my steady rock even if he was volatile. He was the only remainder of my life I had left. Now there was nothing, simply myself. I was alone.

It was something that I had never truly experienced within my life, the feeling of isolation. It was a bittersweet feeling, swirled with regret. Being Alone was different. Isolation was my container, my thoughts slowly filling up inside, brimming to the top. My feelings consumed themselves in Isolation until they spilled over, even Isolation unable to bottle them up. They transformed, splashing towards the bottom of an endless void, furthering themselves from their container and hope.

It was easy to forget the constant chattering that the leap entertained itself with, all the noise that never seemed to end. There was never silence there, even when no one was talking. It was the same way with Kai. We could both be sitting quietly, holding one another, but silence was never around. Now, it seemed silence was my only companion.

My thoughts were interrupted from their temporary downfall by an abrupt knock on the door. I glanced towards it, still lying on the bed. It was relatively later than usual, but I had not made an attempt to get up yet.

"Ivy, it is Prince Gordon. I will leave if you would like, but I thought it was best if you talked to someone." His voice was as kind as his words, reminding me that there were other things going on.

"Come in," I replied, sitting up. I looked down at my attire, realizing I was still in the dress from yesterday, as I hadn't changed out of it.

The door knob turned and I watched as light fell into the room, flickering in and out as Prince Gordon stepped in. It disappeared the moment the door shut, its shadow visible underneath the door.

"Good morning, päästja," I said softly, watching as he came over, sitting on the bed's edge. He gave me a brief smile, turning his face towards me. It was clear he had gotten as little sleep as I had.

"Are you doing okay?" he asked me, studying my face.

"No, but I will be fine. Kai and I will be reunited once everything is okay. I have no reason not to be fine," I told him, the words sounding less for him and more for myself.

Even in the dark room, I could see the worry etched on his face, his green eyes staring at me with concern.

"You may not see a reason, dear, but that does not mean you have to be fine. Not all of our feelings and emotions have a reason for existing. They just are," he replied, his words careful and quiet.

"I will be fine, päästja. I promise," I said quickly. I knew if we lingered on the subject too long, I would reveal just how "fine" I truly was.

He didn't reply, simply watching me. I could feel his eyes examining me, determining how much truth there was behind my words. After a moment, he sighed, running a hand through his hair before talking once more.

"I came to check on you, but I also wanted to inform you that I am not busy for the day. I thought it would be fitting to show you around, although it is rather late."

I smiled at his gesture, wanting to decline politely. But I decided against instinct, curious as to whether I could find something to do with my spare time. It was better than remaining here, surrounded by my thoughts and nothing else.

"Thank you, I would appreciate that," I said, satisfied with my decision when he smiled at me, his face lighting up.

"Perfect, I will give you time to get ready. I have something to tend to before we leave, but I will be back by the time you have finished," he explained, standing up.

I watched as he left, quickly opening the door and closing it. I hesitated before finding something to wear for the day and bringing it into the bathroom with me.

I took a brief shower, thinking about what would happen. I would be taken to his brother's palaces where I would be evaluated based on multiple things, more than enough. A simple mistake would cause not only a change in my future, but a continued disgrace for my entire kind.

However, if all went well, and hopefully it did, then my kind would have their name cleared. I knew it would take time, but perhaps they would be able to come out of hiding and enjoy life as it was meant to be enjoyed. I did not expect it to happen suddenly or abruptly; however, if it happened at all, I would be happy.

Once our name was cleared, Kai and I would be reunited. By then, our village would be rebuilt and ours to keep. We would be allowed to start our own leap there and live in peace for the remainder of our lives with our little ones. We would be happy, finally. But for now, it would wait.

These thoughts remained with me even after I finished showering and changed into the simple white dress I had found. As I left the bathroom, slipping into a pair of sandals, those very thoughts clung to me still, weighing down my shoulders.

I walked towards the door, opening it after a moment's notice. As promised, there stood Prince Gordon, looking down at his faded watch. Upon hearing the door open, he looked at me, a smile now on his face.

"You look beautiful, dear. Are you ready to go?" he asked, and I could feel some of my worries drifting away.

"Thank you, päästja. You look very handsome, as always. I am ready whenever you are," I told him, a small smile appearing on my own face.

He offered his arm, which I took, placing my hand on it. He smiled at me once more, with both his green eyes and lips, before we departed from my room.

We began the tour downstairs where he showed me the kitchen first. Despite how early it was, it was busy. I could see several people buzzing around, doing multiple things at once. They were working in the same place, yet managing never to collide with one another. In the center was the chef who had delivered our dinner many nights ago.

"Chef Marco has shaped up the staff. They work more efficiently than before and less incidents have occurred. He does not talk loudly, but it seems his silent nature is sufficient," Prince Gordon explained, as we watched them work in the same manner of a bee hive.

We then walked down the wing reserved for enforcers, which he told me was on every floor. It allowed for them to arrive more quickly to an area whenever a situation happened. The hall itself was quiet, although I did hear the occasional laughter or booming voice. However, I thought it was the most quiet wing in the entire palace.

There was a similar wing for the servants, although it was located on the second floor. He told me that it was louder than the enforcers' hall and more busy as well. Prince Gordon also said we would go upstairs after we had taken a tour outside.

"Would you like to view the stables? It is where the horses are kept," he explained, looking at me.

I nodded, interested. We had never seen horses within the leap, as there was no reason for them to exist there. However, while here I had seen them with the enforcers but never been close to one.

"Do you have a horse?" I asked, curious. Prince Gordon did not leave the palace often and if he did, it never seemed to be on a horse.

He smiled, nodding his head. "Yes, I do. However, I do not have the time to ride him often. I do ride him when the weather is nice and would rather not be inside the palace all day. Otherwise, he is left in a field with a few other horses to roam as he pleases."

He took me inside the stables, which smelled strongly of a rich mixture between fresh hay and manure. I could hear hooves stomping against the ground, loud rushes of air leaving the horses. Other than that, they were silent creatures, appearing both intimidating and kind.

"These horses are saved for the more experienced guards. They are equally skilled. In the other stable, the larger one, you will find the rest of the horses," he said, his voice echoing in the quiet building.

I started towards them but he quickly grabbed my hand, halting me in my steps. "I would not advise going too closely to them. They have been trained to work with particular people, not everyone as the other horses have. They will not respond well to you, and I am not sure how they will react to your scent."

I frowned, not having thought about that. I was aware my kind smelled different, although it was undetectable to a human. However, it was said to be noticeable to animals and that some did not react well.

"Can I meet your horse perhaps?" I asked, desiring to see a horse more closely. He smiled, nodding and then taking us out of the stable.

We wandered for a while before I saw the fenced area where several horses were roaming around. The grass was thicker in the area and seemed greener. There was a small field of flowers as well, dancing with the wind to a slow song only they could hear.

Prince Gordon went towards the fence while I followed behind. He found the gate and opened it, stepping in and holding it for me. I walked inside, my eyes still on the horses that had finally taken notice of us. They all remained still but one, who walked towards us slowly.

His coat was the color of tanned sand, seeming to glow as the sun bounced off it. His dark brown, almost black, mane flowed behind him, the wind dragging it back. He was as quiet as the other horses, yet as he got closer, I realized just how large he was.

"Ivy, I would like you to meet Spirit. Spirit, this is Ivy," Prince Gordon said, his voice affectionate as he reached towards the horse. I only stared up in amazement, unsure of what to do.

"Spirit is a little more social than the other horses. He was trained this way, as I did not want him to be frightened if we were ever in a crowd of people. He should not react badly towards you. Come," he said, beckoning me over with a wave of his hand.

I walked towards them slowly, waiting for Spirit to buck away from me, or show any sign that he would act aggressively. I was sure he had caught my scent by now, yet he had given no sign that it bothered him so far.

His soft brown eyes were on me, watching my movement. I was now by Prince Gordon's side, still staring. I could hear his laughter before he grabbed my hand with his own, guiding it towards the horse. The next thing I knew, my palm was flat against Spirit's mane, Prince Gordon's hand still holding my own.

"He will not bite, dear. He enjoys affection just as any animal does," he encouraged from behind me, his breath rustling through my hair. I shivered before I began petting Spirit, Prince Gordon's hand falling away.

I smiled when I continued doing so, my smile growing when Spirit seemed to lean towards me instead of away. "Ilus," I whispered to him, running my hand through his mane and down his back.

"Beautiful," Prince Gordon said, his words soft. He had remembered the word I had taught him, something I admired.

"Would you like to know why he is named as he is?" He asked, coming to my side, his own hand grazing Spirit.

"It is an odd name," I murmured, quickly adding, "However, it strong and fitting for such a horse."

Prince Gordon laughed before telling me a story. "When my brothers and I were younger, we used to have a collection of old movies. We watched them often when we were younger, although they were quickly forgotten when other things became more important.

We all had our favorites and I enjoyed a movie about a horse named Spirit. When I was looking for a horse to call my own, this was the one I found. He looked startlingly similar to the horse in the movie, so it only seemed correct to name him Spirit."

I smiled at the story, finding it adoring. We had heard of movies within the leap, but were not sure if they were real and had never seen one ourselves. They were something of the past and had not been important enough. But upon hearing his story, I itched to see the movie.

"I wanted to introduce you to him so that you have someone to talk to." I turned towards Prince Gordon, surprised. His eyes were on my own, a look of guilt in them.

"I know it is hard now that Kai is gone. You may feel as if you have no one. I thought perhaps it would be refreshing to talk to Spirit when things are not as you wish. I am also available, but do not think you have to talk to me.

Spirit is a wonderful listener. You're free to come here at anytime. There is a brush in the small shed to the side if you would like to brush him down. There are also treats such as apples and whatnot to feed him."

I was touched by the gesture, so touched that I turned my attention away from Spirit and wrapped my arms around Prince Gordon, who was surprised.

"Thank you, päästja. You do not know how much this means to me. Not just for allowing me to borrow Spirit, but everything you have done. I will not forget it," I whispered in his ear, squeezing him lightly before adding, "You truly are my päästja."

Prince Gordon was quiet for a moment before his own arms wound around me, holding me firmly. "You have yet to tell me what that means, my dear. I am determined to find its meaning," he said, his voice deeper than usual.

"Perhaps I will tell you when the time is right. Or perhaps I won't," I teased with a smile.

We remained like that, holding one another, neither of us letting go until we heard the scream.

Sireenides- (sirens)

Päästja - (savior)

Ilus- (beautiful)