Shi’chen laughed softly. “I really hope that is not the most exciting thing that will ever happen to you.”
“I would be fine if it was,” Lai said with a shrug. “Sometimes surviving is enough.”
“I understand that,” Shi’chen replied. He tried to fight back a sudden yawn but was unsuccessful.
Lai glanced over at him. “Think you’ll be able to sleep, now that someone else knows your secret?”
Shi’chen rolled his eyes. “Secrets be damned, I just want to get off the water.”
“Did that medicine help you?”
“It did. Thank you,” Shi’chen said, giving the half-elf a grateful nod.
Lai smiled back. “I’ll have the physician make more for you if you want.”
“Thank you,” Shi’chen said. “Are you going to sleep, too?”
“In a bit,” Lai said with a shrug. “Going to sit out here a while longer.”
“Do you want me to stay with you?”
“No. Go get some sleep, Your Majesty.”
Shi’chen rolled his eyes as he folded up the canvas that had kept him surprisingly warm. “You’re a pain in the ass, Lai.”
“I’ve been told that many times,” Lai said with a smile that reached his eyes this time. “Good night.”
“Good night,” Shi’chen replied before turning and heading back toward the stairs to go below. Before he descended, he glanced back to see Lai had moved to lean against the railing, gazing out at the dark horizon line that was barely distinguishable sea from sky in the blackness, the way he had looked at the stars in the hopes he would feel his twin doing the same. He headed back down to his bunk, hoping he would never have to feel the pain that Lai did from losing the person he loved most.
Chapter ten
A'bbni
TheHiyallen Wordandocked in Csereth just shortly after lunch. A’bbni stood by the window in his cabin, watching people bustle around on the docks, disembarking from ships, unloading baggage and freight, greeting each other. He watched a goblin woman with a little girl run across a dock and hug a tall brunette elf that must have been her father. He scooped her up and gave her a kiss, then put his arm around the woman and kissed her, too. A’bbni felt a pang in his heart as he watched, and several unexpected tears suddenly landed on his cheeks. He swiped them away, continuing to scan the docks.
He did not expect to see his brother. They had left before Shi’chen’s ship had by almost a full day, and passenger ships tended to be faster than merchant ships, as they were not as heavily loaded with cargo. They had seen a few ships at a distance on the sea, but ocean travel was so common, it was impossible to say if any of them had been Shi’chen’s ship. A’bbni was just thankful they had not run into any pirates, though he suspected those were less likely to hit passenger ships than trade ships anyway.
It was very late in the afternoon before Kella was ready to disembark, as he had paperwork and other things to go over with the captain and the dock crew, but eventually he summoned A’bbni to meet him on the deck, and together they walked down to meet a black carriage pulled by two all-black horses. The driver was a middle-aged man in some sort of livery, half-goblin and half-elf from the looks of his coloring, and if he found anything odd about Lord Kella escorting a young goblin nobleman into the carriage, he didn’t show it.
Kella sorted through several files as they drove, and A’bbni took the time to look out the carriage windows. He had never been to Csereth, or even more than a few days’ horse ride outside of the imperial city. Due to its heavy elven influence, Csereth was much different than the goblin cities he was used to. This close to the water, everything was brighter and more built up, no sand dunes or canyons in sight except for the sandy beaches at the edge of the water. He found himself enthralled watching several street performers doing flips as they passed by. If his brother had been by his side right now, this would have been an exciting adventure.
Lord Kella’s house was not far from the docks, but the street it was on was surprisingly quiet for being in the midst of the city. There was a white stone wall with a wrought iron gate around it, which A’bbni suspected also had to do with the privacy afforded them by the authorities. Goblins, at least, very rarely had fences or walls around their homes. Except, of course, for the palace, he reminded himself. Closed off from the world.
The carriage pulled to a halt, and the driver helped Kella down from the carriage seat, then did the same for A’bbni, nodding his head in deference to the young noble. Kella’s house was only two stories tall, like the palace, but it was long and deep, with beautiful glass windows, some stained, others clear, that glinted in the late afternoon sun, the white of its walls not quite blinding. The area between the wall and the house was manicured green grass, and A’bbni tried very hard not to stare at it. The palace had very little grass around it, and what was there grew wild and natural, not even and cared for. Cserethians definitely lived much differently with better access to water and port trade.
Kella led him inside, and A’bbni was not surprised to find that the inside was decorated in a style very similar to Kella’s office on the ship. Despite being from a different culture, its lavishness likely rivaled the palace, and A’bbni could not help but wonder just how rich the Arvay family actually was. He had heard stories, but seeing it for himself was entirely different.
The sound of pattering feet came across the dark wood floors, and two little elven children came sprinting down the hallway. The older one was almost an exact replica of Kella, with black hair and brilliant blue eyes, while the younger one had light brown hair and hazel eyes. The older one clutched a white and orange kitten in his arms, its fat tummy and hind legs dangling awkwardly. “Papa!” they both cheered in almost unison.
Kella laughed and dropped to a knee to embrace them, first the younger girl, then the boy, using one hand to support the struggling kitten. “Cressus, use both hands, please.”
“Sorry,” the boy said, shifting to hold the kitten like he was balancing a full glass of water in his hands.
The little girl gazed at A’bbni with wide eyes, sucking on a finger in her mouth as she stared at him over Kella’s shoulder. He gave her a soft smile, and she giggled shyly and buried her face in Kella’s chest. Kella turned to A’bbni with a proud smile. “These are my children. This is Cressus,” he motioned to the boy with the kitten, “and Nadria. Children, this is Lord An-Bersha. He is going to be staying with us for a while.”
“A pleasure to meet you, my lord,” Cressus said, giving a perfunctory bow and almost losing the wiggling kitten.
“The pleasure is mine,” A’bbni replied, giving him a bow in return.
