Amelia Merlin and the Game for Okamila

Part 90:The Train Ride to the Sea

Marco sank back in the shadows of the pub when he saw her. He didn't know her name, or anything about her but he saw her three days ago and had been following her ever since. He had to strain his ears to hear what she was saying to the pixie faced boy across the table from her.

"Back to Kalishterya?" Her pretty face pinched together in annoyance. "She's ridiculous if she thinks I'm leaving before I get him back."

"I think we should do as she says." The devilish eyes darted around the room. "She knows best."

"I'm his mother. And I'm not going anywhere." Marco had to admire the ferocity in her voice although to hear she had a child sank his heart. He kept his ears peeled for a whisper of a husband.

"Rose-" that was her name, Marco slid an inch down the wall. Rose. It was beautiful. "She's the most powerful girl in the world. You need to trust her."

"This has nothing to do with trust." The silver haired lady snarled at her companion.

The boy with the mischievous eyes took both her hands in his, Marco had to resist the urge to strangle him. "Rose, I know what's going to happen. I've seen it. She will get him back. As sure as I am she will rule the city and kingdom. Let me show you."

Rose closed her eyes and Marco watched as a small shudder ran through her small figure. The boy was staring at her with a sly smile on his face. When her eyes opened the most incredible grin spread across her face and Marco slid down the wall until he rested on the floor. His neck craned upwards to look upon her, his mouth hung open and his knees wobbled.

"Let's go home then." She conceded and the boy grinned once more. Marco hated him, he decided. The creature was obviously manipulating her and he would be damned to the deepest of hells if he didn't protect the silver lady. So that night, as they came down the stairs of the pub and boarded a train headed for the coast, Marco hid among the shadows and followed them across the country. All the while he watched the silver lady, and with every breath she took he felt himself inexplicably discovering more and more love for her than he ever felt possible.

.............

Eli had tried reading, he had tried walking and looking out of the window, he even conversed with these strange people from this strange land but there was no solving it. The train to the sea was the most boring thing he had ever participated in and he grew up in a village that raised sheep. So he satisfied his time with Rose instead. He found her rather more interesting than anyone he had met so far, second only perhaps to the Merlin girl.

"Rose?"

"What." she stared out the window and tried to ignore him.

"What are you thinking about?"

"The easiest way to get you to shut your mouth."

"You know what, Rose?" Eli laughed. "You're supposed to be the kindest woman in the whole kingdom. You're supposed to be in the highest favor of the gods, you're supposed to emanate purity and grace. People told bloody stories of how great you are. And then I met you and truth is, you're sort of a bitch." he laughed again and she raised her eyebrows at him.

"Yeah well when your parents are killed and the first love of your life steals your child away from you, you become a tad less kind and pure." she said dryly.

"Fair enough." She started pulling strands of hair from the side of her face into a long braid that trailed down the middle of her spine. He watched in a sort of fascination at the intricate movements, the hair flowing over her fingers with purpose. "Rose?"

"What."

"What do you want to do when we get home?"

"I'm going to make sure my cousin is doing okay, he's the heir to the Dellisandro seat at Castle Ortus so he should be enjoying that. Then I'm going straight to Stone Garden, that's my home now."

"I thought Re'na would always be your home? You grew up there, you were raised there, you fell in love there-"

"Times change, and the North is where I belong now." she smiled at him and a hint of the old Rose flitted back into reality. Eli had never known her when she was that kind creature and he had to say he was grateful. He much preferred this Rose, the one who told him to shut up or punched obnoxious men in pubs, (that had been a really interesting night).

She turned back to the window and Eli tried his best not to interrupt her thoughts but just as he was about to say something, there was a knock on the door. A man wearing thing black robes stood there, he had black hair and black eyes with angular features which made Eli uneasy. He looked at Rose who had gone white as a sheet. So he stood up and went to the door, opening it he said to the man,

"What can I do for you?" he smiled and tried to ignore the fact that he was looking straight past him to Rose. "Sir?"

"You need to leave." he almost whispered, like he was praying.

"Yeah," Eli laughed. "That's not going to happen."

"I need to talk to her." 

"You're not going to get anywhere near her-"

"Eli," she stood up and walked beside him. "It's okay. Let him in."

They all sat down on the blue cushions of the compartment. Eli and Rose were beside each other and the stranger across from them. Eli's eyes darted back and forth between the Silver Princess and the dark man.

"Marco," she said softly. "What are you doing here?"

"You know me?" he breathed, his face illuminated by her moonlit hair.

"Of course I know you, don't be an idiot-"

"I don't remember. I don't remember anything. But then I saw you," he sounded like he was going to cry or something and Eli felt his palms get uncomfortably sweaty. "I saw you and I knew I had to meet you and protect you and I couldn't leave you."

"I don't want you around me. Not anymore." Rose stood up. "You've met me, and I'll take you back to Kalishterya, where you belong but I won't have you around me. You stay in the south, you always liked the south better."

Marco went to speak but Eli held up his hand, "Okay everybody slow down. Rose, why are you totally okay with the fact that this complete fucking stranger with amnesia is obsessed with you? And weird guy, you coming in here, saying all that weird stuff makes everyone feel - well it makes us feel weird. And I think you should maybe explain your shit a little bit more. Rose, sit down."

He was surprised and excited that they both listened to him. Rose floated down onto the seat beside him again and regarded Marco warily. The dark stranger took a deep breath and began his story,

"The first thing I remember was waking up in a pub. The Three Broomsticks, I was piss drunk and everyone told me how much fun I was the night before. I didn't remember anything and they all laughed at me and clapped me on the back and then they left. Rosmerta gave me a room and introduced me to as many people as she could until maybe someone would recognize me but no one did. There was one man, Horace Slughorn, who took an interest in me. He thought I would make for interesting conversation or something so he took me to parties and continued to introduce me. That's when I met her, the Merlin girl, I knew she was familiar but I barely had a chance to speak with her. So I followed her for days and that's when I saw her meet you in the pub. And-" he faltered and stopped talking. Rose looked at him like a panther at its prey and stood up suddenly.

"I don't care. I don't care about any of your shit Marco. I still stand for what I said before. I'll take you home, only because I loved you once, but that is it."

"You loved me once?"