She took a deep breath as she began to recount the story of what had happened that fateful night. She had mentioned that night before, but never in detail, and certainly nothing of the warrior who’d tried to save her. The fact that he was here now, and alive, couldn’t be a coincidence. It just can’t be!
When she was finished, the three sat in silence as their minds chewed on the new developments. They sipped their drinks slowly while thinking about the odds of him really being here. Eric finally spoke up. “I know you think there is some kind of destiny here, or maybe you just think you owe him something, but the truth is there’s nothing we can do for him now. I’m even starting to wonder if there is anything we can do for ourselves.” He folded his hands on the table and lowered his head.
They sat a while longer before Jade placed her hand on his. “I’ll just get us a room for right now. Trust me, we’ll figure all this out,” she said as she stood up, giving his hand a firm squeeze before letting go. She glided over to the tall, thin bartender and began talking while the other two stayed at the table.
Jacob’s eyes followed Jade until he was sure she wasn’t looking in their direction, and then he backhanded Eric across the shoulder. “Ouch, what was that for?” asked Eric, startled by the sudden assault.
“You really are stupid, aren’t you? A blind bat can see how much she likes you! You constantly ignore her. Really, I don’t know what you’re thinking sometimes,” Jacob said, his voice very nearly bordering on anger.
Eric gazed back with a genuine sadness in his eyes, which in turn made Jacob draw back in on himself, ashamed of his outburst. Eric had a hard time meeting Jacob’s eyes as the silence started to become uncomfortable. “I’m not stupid...OK?” he finally said, only half looking at his blond friend. “It’s just that she likes who I’m supposed to be... not who I am.”
If it was possible to look even more depressed, he had just accomplished the feat. “I just have a feeling I’m not who she thinks I am—what she wants me to be; what she gave up her life for!” His fist slammed on the table. Now it was Jacob’s turn to look away. “Tell me, how am I supposed to tell her she’s wasted her life chasing a fairytale? Let alone try to steal her heart! Even you can’t be that cold.”
“I’ve got us a room,” came the cheerful call from the bar. The two stood up and walked over to Jade as she waved them over. “Look, guys, it’s been a long day. A lot has happened, and we can’t do anything about it today. Let’s just get some rest and start fresh tomorrow,” she said, seeming rather perky all of a sudden. Her renewed energy was refreshing, and she had a good point. Everyone was tired, and perspectives can be gloomy when you try to make decisions when you’re feeling down. Getting some rest and letting everything wait until tomorrow sounded like as good a plan as any.
The three strolled upstairs to a rather plain-looking room decorated with simple wooden furniture that looked very old. It matched the rest of the establishment, so nothing seemed a surprise. Again, someone would be stuck on the floor as usual. Eric made the decision slightly easier by jumping on one of the beds as fast as he could.
Jade playfully offered to fight Jacob for the last one. He politely withdrew from the competition, as he claimed he was displaying chivalry. Secretly, he didn’t think going toe to toe with Jade was a good bet for any man. They all got settled in and extinguished the single lantern.
Not ten minutes went by before there came a light knock at the door. Eric sat up in a bit of a haze, wondering if he had imagined it. The light knock came once more, proving it had not been a dream, but barely a second later, the door blasted off its hinges from a mighty kick. Armed soldiers flooded into the room, encircling the trio with weapons ready before they could even blink. They had obviously been prepared for the raid, as every soldier ran to a predestined spot in the room and held their ground.
The three were in shock, having no idea what to do. Two soldiers loomed at the doorway, seemly to cut off any potential retreat. “Make way,” one of them called out as they sidestepped to expose the hallway. In walked a tall man whose dark piercing eyes were that of a hawk’s. His thick armor shimmered even in the minimal light.
The man could have been wearing street clothes and it still would have been obvious he was in charge. “Eric Aethello, Jacob Couture, and Jade Ethrista,” he said in a booming voice as those dark eyes bore into each one of them. “You are hereby summoned to stand before Her Majesty, Queen Ilirra Marosia.” He looked to one of the soldiers. “Gather all their belongings, quickly.”
The trio stood up with their hands held high in the air, not wanting to make the situation any worse by showing any movements that could be mistaken for aggression. This was not the way they had intended to see Her Majesty!