The Savior's Throne

Chapter Twenty Seven

Hand in hand, me and Arlo walk all the way back to the Northern Society. "So, I'm not sure about this whole name issue. On one hand, Winn gave me my nickname, but it's based off of the title Sahil gave me. On the other hand, Orianna is the name I was born with, the one my parents gave me."

"What feels right?" Arlo asks.

I shrug my shoulders, "Will it be odd if I suddenly asked everyone to call me by a different name?" Arlo shakes his head, "It doesn't matter what everyone else thinks, this is your decision. You want to make up your own name, then do it, but in the end, it's your name and your life."

I watch as a butterfly passes us by, flying effortlessly through the wind. Maybe I can be like a butterfly and completely transform into something new-someone new. "You're right," I tell him.

After walking in silence for a long while I eventually say, "Orianna Gale, that is my name." I nod as I speak, really getting used to this new side of me. "I get a fresh start now, you know. Arie, while I'll always thank Winn for the nickname, it will always be attached to The Salvare. I don't want to be The Salvare anymore, I just want to figure out who I am and be that person."

The corners of Arlo's mouth lift, "Orianna it is."

#

"So, how did it go?" Winn asks me. Arlo and I have just made it back to the palace and Winn was standing outside my door when we got back.

I give him a smile, "it was really good. I not only learned why my eyes are gold, but also my name." I feel giddy, knowing I finally have the information I've wanted since I was thirteen years old.

"Did you now?" he asks.

I laugh, "Yeah, I did."

He spreads his hands out, "What is it?" I bite my lip, letting the anticipation build up, but in seconds I'm blurting it out, "It's Orianna, my name is Orianna."

"That's a beautiful name, Arie." He laughs to himself, "I guess it's not Arie anymore, is it?" I shake my head no, "I think I'm going to try Orianna from now on."

"Sounds good to me," he says. I nod and reach around him to open my door. He steps out of the way and I invite both inside. Now that I've taken care of some personal business, it's time to shift back into responsibility mode.

Once both guys are in my room and Arlo shuts the door, I ask, "Are you two ready for tomorrow?" Tomorrow is the day everything changes. Tomorrow is the day I, we, finally turn our backs from Desmond and do the right thing.

"I think so," Winn says, "I just want to go over the details one more time."

"That's a good idea," Arlo comments. I take a seat in front of my vanity as Arlo and Winn sit on the bed. I fold my hands in my lap and list off our steps for tomorrow. "Well, first step is us slipping away from the North, which shouldn't be too hard. Arlo and I will skip the meeting Desmond has planned for tomorrow and we'll meet you at the back exit. We will travel on horseback until we reach the tunnels, saving us a massive amount of time. Then we'll use the tunnels to get to the East and quickly make our way to the gates. Next we will infiltrate the Eastern palace as quietly as possible and make our way to the throne room. Considering we have no contact with anyone from the Eastern court, we will have to be careful fining our way around the palace."

A sudden lump finds its way into my throat, but I speak against it, "Once in the throne room, we'll attack the ruler. I'll be the one to take the final shot, but if I can't, one of you will have to. Last step is to get Winn on the throne and then we deal with the aftermath." I shrug my shoulders as if tomorrow will be the easiest day of our lives.

"Should we leave today instead?" Arlo suddenly asks.

"What do you mean?" I ask him.

Arlo shrugs, "I think that maybe we should leave tonight, skip the tunnels, and ride horseback all the way to the east. If we walk, we won't make it to the East until the end of the day which will give Desmond a lot of time to catch up. If we leave tonight, Desmond won't realize we're gone until tomorrow, giving us a huge head start." Why have none of us thought of this sooner? The words press at the edge of my lips, but I silence them. There's no need to ask pointless questions.

"Will you two be able to ride all day on horseback without a night's sleep?" They both look at each other before nodding. "Then it's decided, we'll leave tonight."

#

The sky is now a dark blue hue and stars give light to the darkness. My breath puffs out in the chilly night and I tighten my coat around me. As quietly as possible, I head to the stables with Winn and Arlo walking by my side.

Strapped to all our backs are swords as long as my arm and daggers are sheathed to our waists and ankles. My leather boots lightly cross over the land as my heart races through the sky. This whole ordeal has me more anxious than I ever thought possible. As we set up the horses, I spy on Winn and Arlo, but neither of them look nervous. I try to gain some control over my own emotions and make my face a mask of confidence.

When we reach the stables, Winn gets the horses ready and I stand off to the side with Arlo. "You ready for this?" he whispers.

I keep my voice as quiet as his when I respond. "I don't think I'll ever be ready for this, but it's not about me." Arlo nods like he understands and maybe he does. He's sacrificing just as much as I am.

"You?" I ask him.

He nods, but doesn't say a word. Instead, he gets up on a horse. It's a beautiful mare with blonde locks and dark brown eyes. Winn hands me the reins of a horse, whose mane is darker than the night sky. With Winn's help, I haul myself up to a sitting position on the horse. Winn comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. Two horses and three humans-together we race to the East.

#

As the horse's hooves clank against the ground with frightening speed, all I can think about is the word revolutionary. Arlo once told me that I'm a revolutionary-a person who is capable of changing everything. Fizza once said very similar words to me, but they're both wrong. One person cannot change everything alone. I cannot change anything alone. I am not the revolutionary everyone thinks I am. We are a revolutionary: me and Arlo and Winn. Together, we have the capability to change everything and anything.