Falling in Love with the King of Beasts

Elia

Unfortunately, she hadn't seen Reth, or her Cohorts before dinner. She'd spent the couple of hours in the meadow trying to come up with ideas for how to win the hearts of the people. She didn't want to talk to her companions without at least an idea… but she was coming up blank. The truth was, she didn't know enough about the Anima to understand what they enjoyed.

It was time to speak to her adviser.

She left for dinner early and dropped by Gahrye's market stall. He was there, but with no customers, and when she arrived, he smiled. "Good to see you."

"You too," she said, looking at the braided leathers he had displayed on the table. They were all so pretty. "I know I spoke with you all about doing some research today, but I've had another idea. Or maybe it would be better to say I want to have another idea. Are you able to go for a walk with me? Just for a few minutes? Then we can go to dinner and maybe find the others?"

"Sure, let me close up."

A few minutes later they were walking through the Tree City, away from the market, but only because it was early to head to the meal. Elia had been throwing some of her ideas at Gahrye, only to discover that, just like her Champion plan, much of what she had either wouldn't appeal, or would be see as flaunting weakness.

She groaned. "I am so determined, Gahrye, I'm not going to be beat by this. I haven't been myself. I've been so worried about people, I haven't let them see my strength. And I want to do that! So I need to find a way to get people excited and together so I can talk to them—"

They turned a corner into an area of the forest that Elia hadn't entered before and almost ran into a woman hurrying along with her head down.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Elia gasped as they came chest to chest.

"Please don't—"

It was Lucine.

They stood, staring at each other for a silent moment, then Elia swallowed. This wasn't how she'd planned to reach out, but… she hadn't seen Lucine for a week. She didn't know when she'd get another chance. And she didn't want to leave this awkward cloud hanging over herself.

"Lucine!" she said quietly. "I'm very sorry, I didn't see you there."

The woman stared at her, flat faced, then looked at Gahrye, and to Elia's surprise, her face softened.

"Hi, Lucine," Gahrye said.

She nodded, then turned back to Elia, and all expression fell from her features once again.

"I'm very glad to have run into you, actually," Elia said quickly, keeping her chin high—until Gahrye nudged her and she remembered, that bearing your throat to a predator was submissive. So she put her shoulders back but dropped her chin. Lucine's eyes widened slightly, but she didn't say anything. "I was wondering if perhaps we could speak privately at some point. There were a few things I felt like we never got cleared up after the Rite—"

"I cannot meet privately with the Queen," Lucine spat, her face suddenly a picture of offence and rage. She shot a pleading look at Gahrye, then darted past Elia, towards the market, and almost ran.

Elia stared after her. "What was that about? Why couldn't she meet with me?"

"She's shunned. If you were to meet with her and not kill her, it would dishonor you, and make her position even worse."

"How can that possibly be?" she said rounding on Gahrye. What kind of messed up system did these people have?

"You chose not to kill her in the Rite," Gahrye explained. "By doing that you essentially called her incapable—someone who, like a child, should be protected, even from themselves."

"So… how do I tell everyone she's not that."

"The only way would be to challenge her. Fight. To the death."

Elia's mouth fell open. "Are you freaking kidding me?"

"She's shunned because you declared her incapable, and Reth didn't kill her—which technically he should have done, but because you'd declared her incapable, she is instead treated like a child. Or perhaps a mentally unstable adult? Anyway, unless one of you fights her to prove that she's capable…" He shrugged.

"There's really no other way to bring her back into her normal standing?"

"It will happen eventually. But it will probably take a few years. She'll go to battle, or kill a Silent One, or make some other achievement, and she'll begin to claw her way back."

"Does she know that?"

Gahrye nodded. "But keep in mind, she went into that Rite as the strongest Wolf heir, and expected to come out of it as Queen, on Reth's arm. The reality has been… quite different."

Elia stared at the spot where the woman had disappeared down the path. "What's the difference between being shunned, and being disformed? In terms of how the people treat you?" she asked, turning back to Gahrye boldly.

He ran a hand through his sandy hair and shrugged again. "In some ways I have it better. I'm not seen as incapable. I'm generally treated like an adult. But I'm expected to stay out of the way and not… influence people."

"What?"

"They don't know what causes disformity, so those of us with…. Issues… generally stay away from anything important."

"But… you're my cohort!"

Gahrye widened his eyes. "Which is exactly why everyone got real quiet last night. I… I really think you should choose someone else, Elia. I'd be happy to tell them I couldn't do the role—"

"No! You were the first one to help me, and your insight is always exactly what I need. I trust your judgment, Gahrye. I know it's going to be awkward, but you're sticking around. And who knows, maybe one day things will improve?"

He took a deep breath. "I guess we'll find out."

Elia blinked. "I'm sorry, I didn't actually ask you… Gahrye, do you want to be my Cohort? My advisor? Because if you don't, I don't want to force you. This is going to be a difficult time while we both find our feet."

Gahrye nodded. "I… honestly, I have never been so honored in my life. My fear is that by keeping me, you put yourself in a more difficult position."

"Do you want to do it?"

"Yes."

"Good, then that's settled, because I want you. The rest of them can go jump."

"Jump? Why would they do that? And what would it help?" he asked, confused.

Elia groaned and turned back towards the market and dinner. "It just means that I don't care what they think."

"Jumping is an expression of lack of care in your world?"

"No! It's a saying. Look, nevermind. Forget I said it."

He looked relieved and started back with her towards dinner, and the others.

"Is Reth going to be there?" he asked nervously a few minutes later.

"As far as I know, why?"

"No reason. I just need to… make sure he's comfortable. It might be better for me to sit at a different table until things have settled down."

"Oh no you will not," Elia said firmly. "You're my advisor. You'll sit at my table. Besides, this is a working meal. You and the others are going to talk me through this until we figure out what to do."

He gave her a grim smile, but she noticed he wasn't walking slowly.

*****

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