AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The second place that comes to mind is the library, which has become a bit of a safe haven for me over the last few weeks. When Lizette and I gave up searching for information on potions, I turned to the other texts. I started learning what I could about Ulleh and its people. I wanted to understand their customs and their way of life outside the castle walls, and while there aren’t many historical books in English, I’ve picked my way through the ones I can understand. I would love to take Nor so he can translate the ones written in the language of his ancestors, but that can wait for another day, when he’s in a better mood.
Lastly, I consider the garden. While Lizette and I frequent the quaint place nestled in the middle of the castle, I’ve yet to return with Nor. Considering it was the first place he ever took me, I feel it’s almost poetic that we go there now, and he doesn’t object when I suggest it. Instead, we hang a right where a minotaur guard clad in shiny armor stands watch with a spear at his side.
“It’s interesting that they don’t even acknowledge you when you walk by,” I say when the guard stays stone still as we pass. “In Hyatt, they’re required to bow.”
“Our guards must be on high alert. Any distraction disrupts their ability to search for and sense danger. Therefore, they are exempt from royal greetings while on duty.”
I raise a brow, impressed by their level of commitment to safety and mentally adding it to the list of customs and practices I’ve been generating. Even though I won’t be here forever, I commit everything I can to memory. At the very least, it serves as a distraction from our terrifying reality: even with the guards poised and ready, we are not entirely safe.
When we step out into the garden, the sky is a vibrant blue swatch with puffy ribbons of clouds stretching across it. The floral scent swallows me as soon as the door opens, and I take a deep breath of the familiar aroma. It’s a chaotic blend of scents that muddle into sweet, earthy air, and I can’t help but be reminded of home.
As usual, there’s no one else in the garden.
“You must like it out here,” Nor says as the door closes behind us and we step into the space.
I nod my reply. “It’s peaceful and beautiful. What’s not to love?”
We move leisurely around the cobblestone walkway that circles the garden, and my eyes dance over the collage of colors around us. By now, I’ve memorized the numerous plants, their blooms, and where they sit in the space. I’ve learned their magical properties and what potions they can be used in. All but one.
“Do you know all of the plants here?” I ask gingerly, my eyes automatically drifting to the back of the garden.
“I suppose so.” His gaze sweeps over our surroundings like he hasn’t been here hundreds of times throughout his life. “Why?”
“There’s two that I’m unfamiliar with, and I can’t find any records of them in the library,” I say, already leading us in the right direction. “I was hoping you could tell me about them.”
“Show me.”
I lead him to the very back of the garden. During our first trip, there were two plants Lizette and I were unfamiliar with: one with thousands of pink berries, and the shrub covered in bulbous orange blooms with white polka dots. Even though I’ve seen it at least a dozen times, it still strikes me as odd and out of place.
“These.” I point at them, my hopes high. If he can tell me anything, even just a name, it will be more information than we had before. Maybe that will lead to uncovering some revolutionary information about them, or simply sate my curiosity.
Nor doesn’t miss a beat. “That’s just a berry plant,” he says, pointing to the one with pink berries. “If it has an official name, I don’t know it.”
Damn.Not exactly what I’d hoped for.
“And this one?” I ask, pointing to the plant with orange blooms.
“That’s an Orris plant.”
My heart flutters with excitement as my eyes bounce between him and the plant. This is the plant Zenobios was talking about. Maybe this is why he’s so interested in plants.
“Do you know anything about it?” I ask, eager to know what Zen could possibly find so intriguing about it.
“Not much.” He shakes his head. “I told you my grandmother loved to travel, and she would bring back all kinds of plants from foreign places. This is one of them. It came from somewhere up north, although I’m not sure where exactly. Oryx and Orabelle are both named after it.”
“Oh, wow.” I stare back at it, marveling at the piece of Ruthok family history. The information doesn’t help as far as magical properties go, but it’s touching, and I suddenly feel some kind of personal connection to the plant. “If they’re named after this plant, what are you named after?”
He laughs, the sound ripped right out of his chest by my unexpected question, and I don’t fight the smile it puts on my face. After weeks of watching him silently suffer, it’s a welcome relief. “You ask the strangest things.”
“It’s probably embarrassing, isn’t it?” I joke, taking advantage of his light-hearted mood.
With a shake of his head, he turns and heads back down the walkway. I stay on his heels until he takes a seat on the bench, and I join him. He drapes his arm along the back of the bench, but I’m keenly aware of his skin brushing my shoulders. It’s closer than we’ve been in weeks.
We sit this way for several minutes, until I begin to think he’s ignoring my question altogether. “Nor means light in our language,” he finally answers. “Father wanted to name me Atsirk, which means merciless. He wanted an heir who would be as callous, if not more so, than he is, but Mother vehemently refused.”
I scrunch my nose at the thought, suddenly more appreciative of Queen Torria than ever. “What a terrible name. Thank the gods for your mother.”
He smiles, and his arm curls around my shoulders. “She’s an incredible woman, that’s for sure.”
