“I was born into a family with too many daughters, and they were excited to finally have a son, but being the youngest of nine meant I was left alone a lot. I read. I studied history and music. I learned. It was what I enjoyed most. When King Ahn came into power, after usurping the last king, he called upon everyone that could read, to go through the history.”“Rewrite it, like many kings.”“Maybe a little, but King Matthios is frustrated with how many holes there are in history and he is frustrated that his people are not educated in sciences, mathematics, reading, and instead rely on superstitions and shaman for their beliefs.”“Hence, why you are here, to fix our bastardly ways, is that it?”Kanisa smiled even though Conrad Hydrock was anything but humorous in her accusation. “No. There is nothing wrong with your village or villagers, Conrad Hydrock. I am only here to make sure you can follow the king’s, your king’s” She added pointedly “orders and decrees. If you do that, you’ll b
Kanisa staggered and lost her footing. She fell with a shout and then stayed on the ground. The light disappeared, and heavy footsteps pounded toward her.“What are you doing here?” Conrad Hydrock demanded. “What did you see?” Conrad Hydrock grabbed his open robe, hauling him to his feet, and Kanisa moaned, pitched against Conrad Hydrock's strong chest. Warmed. Warm skin. Warmed by fire. Controlled fire.“Oh god,” Kanisa gasped, and Conrad Hydrock shook her again, and her stomach lurched. She pushed away from Conrad Hydrock and fell to her knees to finish expelling the rest of last night’s feast.Conrad Hydrock moved away from her and Kanisa cursed in her head. What did she see? Nothing that was possible, that was for sure.A firm hand landed on her back and slid along her body to lift him up. Kanisa whimpered.“Sh, just drink,” Conrad Hydrock whispered.Cool water splashed over her mouth, and Kanisa gulped down the spring water. Another one of her favorite things about this village w
Conrad must have told Kindle Lou that Kanisa knew about his ability. Or that look meant Kindle Lou knew about their kiss. Or both.Conrad followed his glare to Kanisa, but his look did not linger, and he hugged Kindle Lou tightly. “I’ll be fine.”The village had another feast but a more subdued celebration with many prayers and offerings for the safe return of the fisherman. They prayed not to a god like many in the city but to the elements, to the wind and the water and the earth. They prayed for smooth water, they prayed for favorable winds, they prayed for bountiful fish.Kanisa pondered this new development. He had never heard of people praying to the elements.A week after the fishermen departed, Kanisa sat upon the cliff watching a storm move in from the sea. Wind whipped her clothes around and she did not dare to take out parchment in case it blew away. But it was a warm wind, heralding the start of summer. Not that the temperature really changed this close to the sea. It was s
She nodded and added a slice of fruit pie to the tray because she knew Kanisa liked it. Kanisa went to her room and ate the food slowly. She wished she could write down her thoughts, that was always easier for her to think through things, but she did not want the papers to fall into the wrong hands. She did not want Conrad’s trust in her to be taken away so quickly.Instead, she opened her own history book, the one that was as thick as her arm. She pondered the differences, where this one only spoke of kings and their reigns. It spoke of many wars, but nothing of one that ended in the massive destruction of the world. The tome covered history back over a thousand years, but there was no mention of anyone but kings who ruled.The only clue was in the reign of King Arthur who spoke of legendary knights of the king’s army who fought bravely and almost like gods with powers beyond man’s abilities. But it was just two lines, giving credit to the king for the victory.Just as the Knight of
They did not speak of the novels or the elements again. Sora assigned Kanisa as a reading and writing teacher to a class of children whose parents had been killed in the last war. “To get him out of his depressing funk.”He had chosen well because Kanisa adored children and she loved to teach. She was also very glad that hrt next assignment was not away from the castle, or its resources and history books.Sora provided the reading materials for her lessons, mainly children’s stories about the elements, and the characters who used each one for good.Kanisa grew anxious. She had to talk to Sora about what she knew. But she also knew that Sora knew much more about the inner workings of this castle and he would have to trust her to talk about it when they were safe.Or he was gathering more evidence against Kanisa to take to the king to accuse her of treason.Another sign, or coincidence, were the fresh flowers and plants that soon filled her room. She had not asked for them, or seen anyo
Kanisa received no further clues to the cryptic note and no other whispered warnings. But she took Sora’s order to heart and she packed a few bags that she left in her wardrobe, just in case she had to leave quickly. As the months moved closer to spring, she rotated out clothes, keeping a lighter cloak instead of her fur-lined one, and an extra pair of boots.Spring had always been Kanisa’s favorite time of the year. This year, she watched Sora. During the cold winter months, Sora did his best to stay bright and happy ---or as bright and happy as the self-absorbed scribe could be--- but Kanisa watched him, with this new knowledge of him being a Knight of Earth. Winter was hard on him, and he looked pale and weak most days.But one day, with the snow melted and a warmer wind blowing from the south, Kanisa spotted him in the gardens. Sora stood under the lilac branches and watched the new buds show themselves with a small smile on his face. The air was still cool, this early in the morn
If she left and did not come back, that was treason. This was treason. Going away at the word of a young man whose intentions were not clear. Who did she trust? Sora, or her king? King Matthios was a great king. He really was.And Sora?Sora trusted her. Sora did not know for certain what Kanisa knew, and yet, Sora had shown her his gift, Sora had risked capture. And Kanisa had not gone to the king, about Sora, or about Conrad and Kindle Lou.She trusted Conrad. She trusted Sora.Sora knew more than she did about this kingdom. About her king.Sh trusted Sora.Kanisa glanced around the room and then spun around and left her quarters. Servants stopped her to ask her where she was going, and she only smiled and said she was being sent to another village to teach them to read and write. She had been at the castle for almost a year. It was time for something else.At the stables, he found her mare already saddled and prepared for a long journey. One of the stable boys smiled at her. He wa
Conrad snorted. “After that, I ... I had to tell them. Some of my people may not agree with my choice not to have an heir, but the Lord of a Water Knights Village is never a Knight. But my people understand. You have that effect. They love you.”Kanisa sat on the edge of the bed and groaned. She fell back and reached above her, stretching. The softness of the bed felt amazing beneath her.Conrad’s hands slid up her shirt. “I missed you.”Kanisa smiled at him. She opened her mouth to say the words and yawned instead. With a chuckle, Conrad unbuttoned her shirt. “Your clothes are different.”“Fashions have changed.”“The clothes look good on you, but you’ll be more comfortable out of them.”“Good excuse to get me naked.”Conrad smiled and Kanisa sighed and relaxed. Conrad moved to get up and Kanisa pouted, tugging on her shoulders. Conrad chuckled and leaned over her to press a kiss to her lips. Kanisa moaned, hands tangling in Conrad’s hair. The kiss did more than make Kanisa’s heart s