Philos,
It has been so nice to be around Sam and Sorin over the past couple of weeks, although I do miss the freedoms, I had with them in Tikilium. They are supposed to be my guards here in Helomasi. Logically, I know that once I marry the prince that will be over entirely and moreover, I would not have had them anyway had they not had this plot to disguise themselves as Fadres and Credour, but still. Having them so close and yet so out of reach has been difficult. I have found that the crush I have on both of them that I have been trying for so long to bury has only gained in intensity by their constant nearness (yes, I admit it. Hush your teasing!!). At least in Tikilium their constant distance from missions made it easier for me to ignore these feelings, but now... I do not know. Any of your sage wisdom would be welcome here.
Moreover, thereisthe issue of the prince of Helomasi. He is.... complicated. We have only met once and yet I find that my thoughts get tangled up between the three of them in the middle of the night (you would be proud of me admitting so). Should I go back and see him? Would I survive losing Sam and Sorin? I do not think so and yet what choices do I have?
Speaking of! What all have you heard of Helomasi? I should have asked you sooner, but I figured I would be able to learn more of this kingdom organically. That is not proving the caseunfortunately…. I did read a children's book mentioning some kind of plague here as well… have you heard of it? The book is called Fables of Helomasi: Children of the Sun. Also, do you have tiny elvisera in your land? They tend to be yellow and fly quite quickly due to their size, but I find them quite unnerving. I never thought to ask the question before, but I have not seen these creatures so small in Tikilium. Any information would be welcome at this stage.
I miss you dearly,
Alaceandra
p.s. I do hope this letter gets to you. I am having my elvisera burn any letter close to interception by others. If you do not receive a letter in a while, please do not think I am ignoring you. It only means our means of communication has been interfered with. I will be sure to write out a code for you in the future... just in case you never see this one. Love you so much!
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I fold the letter into a nondescript envelope and call Addie to me. She comes with a loud caw, and I giggle at her antics. I lay my head against hers conveying my need for privacy with the letter and her returning emotions tell me she understands her duty. Kissing her nose, I give her the letter and with one last look she flies off, her speed gaining until she is just a speck in the sky. I smile and lay back onto my bed, closing my eyes for the night.
Chapter ten
Secret Messages
Alaceandra
Iam standing outside my door staring at my disguised Fadres and Credour. It is weird to see the boys in these forms knowing it is them. I am starting to see some of their idiosyncrasies peek through the surface. Sam always chews on the bottom of his lip when he is nervous or worried about something. Sorin always jiggles his leg when he is feeling onedge. It is adorable and something about seeing them be them, even in their disguises, brings me much-needed comfort.
“So…” I begin, mischief alight in my voice. “What are we getting into today?”
Sam looks up and seeing my good mood releases his lip and smiles at me. I squirm a little, his smile evoking all kinds of forbidden feelings. “I don’t know. What are you thinking?”
“Well… it seems like a waste to only know the landscape of the castle and the gardens… maybe we can explore the grounds today?”
Sam’s eyes twinkle a little mischief speaking through his serious expression.I love that look. “I know a route we can take.”
Sorin, catching on to our excitement, chimes in. “I know how we can go undetected.”
“Sounds like a plan.” My body vibrates with excitement. “Come on, then,” I say to Sam and Sorin “lead the way.”
Sam guides us through the hallways of the castle while Sorin trails us ensuring we are undetectable as we make our way outside. We come across a large teal bookcase teeming with various literature about the botanicals in the area. Sam pulls a book wrapped in blue leather labeled:Pink Lolcasis. With a soft click the bookcase swings open into a long hall with a light just peeking out on the other side of it. We walk into the hallway and Sorin shuts the bookcase behind him. It is dark and a tad bit creepy in here, with the only light being at the end of the hall.
“How did you know this was here?” I ask Sam.
“I accidentally stumbled upon it when looking for some reading material. I wasn’t in here long but I was looking forward to showing it to you. Thanks for the excuse to do so.” He throws me a wink.
“We should be careful who we use this around.” Sorin touches one of the black stones lining the passage.
“We will,” I supply.
We finally make it to the end of the long hall and find ourselves behind a large red bush. We squat and move around it to peer out. I gasp. The world around us is not lush with pink and red blooms and teal foliage but instead is covered in hard rock. The stones are black with red rivulets running through them as dark as blood. I do not remember this landscape when flying here, but maybe something has changed since I arrived. I really have not seen much of outside. The staff steering me mostly to my room or about the castle. The stones are strangely mesmerizing. I did not know Helomasi had lands like these, not that I was informed much about Helomasi lands before arriving, but I am eager to explore them.
“The coast is clear.” Sorin’s voice jerks my eyes away for a split second. As a unit we come out from the bush and approach the rocks. I brush my fingers across one and notice how warm they are. The rock responds to my touch, emitting a soft light.
“Whoa,” I say in awe.
“What did you do?” Sorin asks.
“Nothing I just touched it.”
Sorin runs a hand across a stone opposite of mine, but nothing happens. “Sam, try touching this.” Sorin points to a rock. Sam places his palm against the stone, but again nothing happens.
