The Darknight Chronicles: Book of Genesis

Chapter 4

"Cyrus, you don't have to share your suite with me if you don't wish to. I wouldn't want to sully your reputation." Eve looked back at the mural again, fighting the tears that had threatened since her uncle had called her a bastard.
"Eve, you are forgetting that I am a Praetor of the First Order of Mages and Champion of the Eternal Kingdom. If they looked down upon me, then they would be spurning someone who was instrumental in giving them the freedoms they enjoy now. Besides that, I was serious. I fear that I need to keep an eye on you, lest someone tried to gut you in your sleep."
Giving an almost bitter laugh, Eve looked up at him. "Sad to say that, assuming that my parents are alive, I'm worth more to him alive than dead."
"If your parents are alive, he automatically loses the throne. With you alive, he'll more than likely lose it still. That being said, you're much safer with me." Eve grew pale at his words, the thought that she might actually be an orphan now brought her to her knees, and she began to cry.
"Shh, no Eve, don't cry. We will find them, and we will return the true king and queen to the throne." He knelt beside her, hugging her to him. The close contact slowly calmed her, and as the tears dried, Cyrus saw a flash of the Kitsune warrior in her eyes, her words coming out in a growl.
"If I find that he's harmed a single hair on their heads, my dear uncle will have a lot more to worry about than merely losing the throne." Cyrus grinned, giving her an approving nod.
"Calm yourself, young one. There is not to be a war today. When we find your parents, and we will, then we shall see how to proceed next." He  gently stroked her hair, and she wondered, almost dreamily, how he knew that doing just that was one of the few ways to calm an irate Kitsune. "There, now, dear. Let's see if the suite is ready, and we'll see about some dinner. Perhaps after food and rest… well, soon, perhaps tomorrow or the next day, we'll meet the Court council, depending on how long Merrick will make us wait. In the meantime, after you get some rest, I will train you in what you need to do."
"Okay." She followed him a moment, lost in thought. "Cyrus? Do you think I could be a good leader someday? I… I know I'm not exactly what they want, seeing as I'm not full blooded Fae…" Anger flared in his eyes at her words, and he turned her to face him.
"That right there is exactly why I need to train you. Right now you need to focus on being the strong warrior princess, not the coddled royal exile who doesn't know how to stand up and fight back. You were strong enough to seek my help, to come close enough to help me, even though my powers weren't stable when you found me at the Worldstone. You faced your uncle, and soon you are going to face your people. Do you want them to think you are a strong woman who will someday be able to rule them, or would you rather them to continue to treat you like an outcast?"
"But, Cyrus…"
"No, Eve. You are better than that. I need you to believe in yourself as strongly as I believe in you."
"I… yes, sir…"
"You have to believe in who you are. All of your royal blood means nothing if your people won't follow you without hesitation. Right now you're doing exactly what your grandfather did. Earning your blue blood and the respect of your people." As he spoke, he saw another glimpse of the Kitsune warrior in her eyes, and he smiled as she stood up straight, her five foot nothing frame coming to full attention, determined pride in her heritage showing on her face.
"Yes, you're right, Cyrus. I… I know I can do this. I think."
"Good girl. Now," he smiled down at her, "if I'm not mistaken, I believe that the servant coming our way is coming to take us to my suite and bring us dinner." As he'd said, the serving boy led them quietly, motioning for them to enter. Eve looked around in awe, memories flooding her mind.
"I remember this place. And you, Cyrus. I remember that I was just learning how to shift and the maid was chasing me. I was too scared to remember how to shift back, but you picked me up and spoke gently to me until I was calm enough to remember what I needed to do. Then you took me to mama."
"Yes, I remember. The poor maid had just started that morning and hadn't known about your heritage yet." He laughed, shaking his head.
"It was because of you, I studied magic. Old Magic." She sighed then chuckled softly. "Do you know, I remember you creating miniature galaxies to entertain me?"
"Miniature galaxies, hmm?" A fond smile crossed his face at the memory. Cupping his hands before him, he concentrated, a  miniature galaxy forming before her eyes. "Yes, like this… I remember teaching you the constellations of this world." Smiling up at him, Eve mimicked his posture exactly, cupping her hands and allowing another miniature galaxy to form there. Cyrus gasped, eyes wide in awe. "My gods… you can do that? You studied ancient magic?" Eve nodded, still concentrating on the stars spinning slowly in her hands. "It's taken me nearly a lifetime of study and practice to even begin to scratch the surface, and yet, you're able to control it at this young age. That's astounding, my dear. You could become a very powerful sorceress someday. Imagine what I can teach you…" His voice trailed off as he watched the slowly moving universe, lost in his thoughts until Eve's soft laugh brought him back.
"Cyrus, you forget that I'm still half Fae. We start to learn how to use magic almost as soon as we can walk. I showed you that I can do this when I found you, mostly to prove that I am who I said I was." Nodding, he smiled at her as he allowed his miniature galaxy to dissipate.
"There are minor blanks in my memory from the shock I took yesterday at the Worldstone, I suppose. I do remember most of it, but I do believe that I forgot about the galaxy making.  Anyhow, the Fae have an affinity for nature, especially with a culture as ancient as this. I forget sometimes just how much more powerful the Fae are."
"Mother is much stronger than I am. She taught me everything I know." She smiled a little, letting her own galaxy disappear. "Hope I'm as good as she is, someday."
"You will be, dear one." He looked around at the suite, a nostalgic look in his eyes. "I don't know how I could have forgotten this place until yesterday when you found me. Some of the happiest and most peaceful days of my life were spent here."
"You being here made me happy. When I was a little girl… well, I'm sure you knew that you were my first real crush. I always hoped that if I met anyone when I grew up, he'd be just like…" her eyes went wide and she blushed deeply as she realized, almost too late, how much of her childhood crush on him she'd revealed.
"No, don't be embarrassed. It's not uncommon to attach to someone who is an older figure at a young age. It's flattering." He stroked her cheek gently, tenderly. "I never thought you'd grow up to be such an astounding young woman. So young, yet so mature. So powerful." Eve pressed her cheek into the palm of his hand, eyes closed.
"Mature enough, and yet, still too young. Is it wrong that none of the few men introduced into my life, none of them ever measured up in my eyes? I just… they weren't…" she didn't finish the sentence, even though the words 'they weren't you' hung unspoken in the air between them.
"Eve… you still have feelings for me, don't you?" Eve didn't answer immediately, ducking her head so  she wouldn't have to meet his gaze. When she finally spoke, her voice was almost a whisper.
"I, um… you must think I'm insane."
"No, not at all. Yes, I knew you had a crush on me a long time ago. But I am rather surprised it's lasted this long."
"Why? Why do you think it's surprising?" Before she could stop herself, before Cyrus could even answer, she stood up on her tiptoes and softly kissed him on the cheek, then backed away, going to the smaller bedroom and shutting the door.
Cyrus watched her go. Few things surprised him, but her kiss did. He'd left his answer unspoken, and decided that he, too, would retire for the night.