Arranged (25 page)

"You alright?"

"I just want to be alone," Alison repeated.

"All right."

Alison could only guess that the servant girl had left because she didn't hear anymore from the door. She laid back into the pillow, her fingers kneading her temple. All of this emotion was giving her a headache. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. She didn't want to think anymore. She didn't want to feel the ache of her leg anymore. Sadly, oblivion in sleep wouldn't come.

QWINN GROANED AND ROLLED OVER, his whole body was stiff and his head pounded all the way down to his neck. He tried to remember what he did last night. He vaguely remembered leaving Alison's room and returning to the training hall, not to sharpen swords this time. When he was good and tired he…he couldn't remember. He swung his legs over the bed and sent something skittering across the floor. He eyed the wine jug, understanding his headache.

He looked around his room; at least he had not destroyed anything. Pushing himself up from the bed, he went to his window and peered out. Judging by the dimly lit cavern, he figured it to be the early hours of the evening. However, since he was up, he knew there was no way that he could go back to sleep.

Sweeping his dreadlocks out of his eyes, he let himself out of his room and made his way down the quiet halls to the baths. Everyone would still be well asleep at this hour.

The steam that met him when he opened the door was a relief as he stripped and stepped into a hot pool, sighing.

The heat helped his headache tremendously as he rested his head back against the edge of the pool. His argument with Alison replayed in his head for the thousandth time. She had a right to be angry with him. That was the first time he had ever seen her so angry, even when he was scouting the forest and saw her there. He wasn't sure how to react to her. He could have yelled back, could have screamed at her until she gave in, but he hated the thought of her hating him.

Even now, he was anxious at the thought of their argument. If he healed her, he had no doubt that she would run. He could see it in the way her body reacted every time they talked about the surface. If she ran, he would chase her. There was no question about it. Perhaps he could put her under constant guard.

He completely immersed himself. This thinking was not making his headache better. Maybe the best thing to do would be to avoid her for the day.

The pool was warm but it was not helping his situation, so he climbed out and without pausing, he dove into his frigid pool, shocking his senses back into him. When he was dried and dressed, he headed for the training room to check in with his men. That was only the beginning of the very busy day he was planning.

He had put a lot aside because of Alison. Jabr compiled a list of things that needed his attention. Qwinn threw himself into his duties. He checked in at the fort, rechecked the wall, spoke to the soldiers and listened to reports. He held court for a few hours, listening to the complaints of his people. Just because he had a temper didn't mean he was a bad king.

Adalia tried to arrange for Alison to return to the dancer's tent. However, with the state of her leg, he wouldn't have it. That didn't stop her from continuing to pester him as he wrote in his library, updating his diaries, keeping log of the happenings in the kingdom. Usually he would have a scribe do such a thing as he spoke the words to be written, but he was desperate for distraction.

He knew his sister wouldn't relent unless he bargained with her. "Let her leg heal for a few days, then you may take her," he said impatiently, turning back to his work.

Adalia crossed her arms across her chest. "And what is she going to do for those few days, lay in bed and rot? Especially since you two are not speaking to each other."

Qwinn stopped writing and looked to Adalia in surprise. How had she known? As far as he knew, she hadn't been to see Alison yet today. Adalia rolled her eyes at him. "It is obvious you two had an argument by the way you are acting. And considering how busy you've kept yourself, I assume you have not stepped foot in her room at all. I haven't seen you so interested in your work in a long time. Now are you going to tell me what the fight was about or do I have to guess?" She teased with a serious undertone.

"That is not your business," Qwinn answered shortly.

She sighed in frustration. "Sometimes I wish I could read minds!"

"With the extent of your power, it is almost as if you can," Qwinn said.

"Nevertheless, you cannot just ignore her all day. She has needs!...May I visit her?"

"You are asking me?" Qwinn asked in surprise.

"I know you Qwinn. I would rather ask now rather than have to bear the brunt of your anger when you found out I went secretly."

He remained silent for a moment. "Naliya has been assigned to her. She will be taken care of. There is no need for you there."

Adalia glared. "So I cannot speak with her either?"

"I would prefer if you didn't."

After a tense moment of silence, Adalia threw her arms up in the air in exasperation. "You're impossible!" she turned and left the room, finally leaving him in peace.

NALIYA HELPED ALISON BATHE HERSELF with buckets of warm water and gave her a new dress, this one dark purple. She carefully wrapped Alison's leg with cloth, trying to lessen the swelling.

Through the whole bath, Alison couldn't bring herself to say more than a few words to the girl. Thankfully, Naliya sensed her mood and didn't press to talk. Afterwards, she brought in food.

Somewhere deep in her mind, Alison wanted Qwinn to come back and apologize. He should heal her because she was his…friend? She sighed, frustrated, and Naliya looked up, waiting for her to say what was on her mind.

Alison contemplated whether to answer or not. "Are men always so hard headed?"

Naliya furrowed her brows in confusion.

Alison tried again. "Do they always do things the way you don't want?"

The girl fought a smile. "Yes."

Alison sighed again, this time Naliya burst into a small fit of giggles. The sound was so pleasant compared to Alison's mood that she couldn't help but laugh too.

"Is about Raasnna?" she asked hesitantly after she had regained control of herself.

Alison nodded and laid back heavily into the pillows, rolling on her side to see Naliya, who was sitting on the edge of the bed. Her tray lay before her. She picked through the food, not interested in actually eating anything.

"He good Raasnna."

"I'm sure. I'm just frustrated because he won't heal me," she said, thankful for someone to talk to, even though Naliya's vocabulary wasn't extensive.

"He…want you stay."

Alison furrowed her brows as she studied the roll that she was slowly tearing to shreds. "I don't understand why. I'm just a problem for him."

She shook her head. "You no pr…problem. Not same as Vidarian, but not problem."

Alison smiled sadly. "Were you alive when you moved down here?"

She toyed with her fingers distractedly. "No. My mom."

"Was she angry?"

Naliya looked away awkwardly. "Yes. Lot Vidarian angry."

Alison nodded. "What happened to get you banished down here?"

"I don't think−"

"Please Naliya. I have nowhere to go. I'm not going to run away and tell on you."

"I no know words enough."

"Try?" Alison pleaded.

Naliya sucked in a deep breath and stood. Alison slumped in her pillows, thinking she was going to leave; however, Naliya walked to the dresser of sorts that was in her room and ran her fingers over the wood, lost in thought. "Vidarian an humans were together."

Alison's brow rose. She was sure that if any creature such as Vidarian's were on the surface, she would have heard about it. "Go on," she encouraged.

"We live in forest. Come out at dark…" she sighed in frustration when the words wouldn't come to her. "E…enemy no like human Raasnna…hurt?"

"Did the enemy kill the human king?"

Naliya shook her head. "Raasnna son."

"The prince."

"Pr…prince," she tried out the word.

Alison sat straighter, "Did they kill the prince?"

Naliya nodded. "Emry Vidar…he Raasnna then…try help prince, but prince…d…?"

"Died?"

She nodded again, her face scrunched in sorrow. "Raasnna try help…" she pointed to her side and patted it. "Help," she bit her lip, looking for the words.

"Help…stop the bleeding? Heal?"

"Heal!" she exclaimed, remembering the word with Alison's assistance. "Raasnaa try heal Prince, but Prince die. Human Raasnna find son. He say Emry kill…" she trailed off, turning her back on Alison.

"Please, Naliya. Continue. What happened?"

She took in a shaky breath. "Human Raasnna kill lot Vidarian and enemy. Send Vidarian's underground. Emry say yes to underground to stop human the killing."

Alison sat in silence with Naliya, imagining how horrible that must have been for the king to try to help, only to have his people murdered then banished underground where monsters dwelled. Goose bumps grew on her arms. It was almost as if she could see it. How could a memory be so vivid when it wasn't even hers? She wasn't even born yet. And how could a memory hurt Naliya so much when she too wasn't born?

Naliya turned to face Alison, tears streaking her cheeks.

"No wonder you hate humans…"

The girl wiped her tears away. "Bad time. Better now."

"I am so sorry Naliya. I…" she didn't know what to say.

Naliya came back to sit on the bed, her hands cradled in her lap as she suddenly looked shy. "We speak some else?"

"Sure," Alison said, happy to change the subject. She was glad that at least one of her questions had finally been answered. She sifted through her thoughts for another question that she wanted to know, something not as depressing. "The dancers…does Adalia like one of them?"

Naliya smiled knowingly through her teary eyes, "I should not say."

"Please? No one else will talk to me about anything."

Eventually the girl relaxed. "Vin."

"Huh?"

"Adalia like Vin. He try…how you say…win her?"

Alison frowned in confusion. "Win her? As in buy her?"

She shook her head. "Win her," she repeated. This time she patted the area above her heart.

"Oh!" Alison said. "He's trying to win her heart? He's courting her?"

"Yes?" Naliya said, unsure of the word.

Alison couldn't help but smile at the thought. Unlike what her uncle tried to do, Adalia was free to choose whom she would marry.

"He try for lot years."

"But she seems to like him."

"She do," Naliya giggled. "She not ready for mate."

Alison processed what she had said. Naliya sat forward suddenly. "I fix?" she said, pointing to her hair.

Alison sat up so that she could reach her hair to braid it. They fell into a content silence and Alison allowed her mind to wander. She thought back to her trip the night before.

The gardens had been beautiful yet haunting. She could almost feel the energy in the memories depicted in stone, just as she felt Naliya's memory tonight. The statue of Qwinn's mother…she couldn't get it out of her mind. She looked like a girl Alison's age. Had she been kidnapped in the same way? Adalia said she was in a similar situation, but what did that mean exactly? Had she been allowed to stay in the palace too? If Qwinn was King and she was his mother, she guessed yes.

Did she try to run away and end up hurting herself? Apparently she had fallen in love with the King…was she drawn to him the strange way Alison was to Qwinn?

She took a deep breath to get rid of those thoughts. Instead, she turned her thoughts to the dancers. It had amazed her how graceful they were. She had never seen anything so beautiful, even the children were more graceful than she was. She looked at her leg. She was pretty sure she had no grace left.

Adalia and Vin had danced beautifully together. She wished she could go again to watch. Then she remembered the woman, Shea. The one that looked at Qwinn as if she knew him…intimately. For all Alison knew, she did.

Her brows furrowed at the thought of Qwinn with that dancing…seductress. It was embarrassing to witness the looks she gave him. However, as far as Alison could tell, Qwinn wasn't returning those looks. Did that mean he wasn't intimate with her? Even if he was, she shouldn't care. He had already proven how much of a friend he was to Alison. Even so, her throat dried slightly at the thought. But, if he was with Shea, why was he wasting his days taking care of a human girl?

Alison's mind spun with dizzying thoughts. Almost all of them things that she shouldn't have been thinking about. For some reason, the longer she stayed in Vidar, the harder it was to regain control over her thoughts. One thing was certain, no matter what she thought, she wasn't going anywhere until she her leg was healed.

"Do you enjoy living in Vidar?" She asked.

Naliya continued to style her hair as she answered. "I no know different. Beautiful down here. Much to see. Raasnna take you to town, you see with you eyes."