Rising of the Moon - Chapter Fourteen

@Cherry Shab: I'm so so so so sorry for posting this late. I had a boyfriend over for a month and have to study a lot etc. I'm not gonna stop with writing though. Story is gonna get more interesting now. Thank you for your patience. Tell me what you think of this chapter. Sorry again for the delay. Best regards. : )

@Ravenia James: I will. As long as I have at least one reader. :D And I'm certain that I have at least two. : ) Let me know if you like the chapter.

And to everyone else, comment, give suggestions or propositions. It would help a lot. :D

Chapter fourteen

- Message from the South -

A week passed since she came to the palace and she was resting on a soft bed in queens quarters after yet another sleepless night of practice with Heiller. Queen was surprisingly patient and it turned out that she was behind all the planning even though she made everyone believe she was scared and easy to control. Everyone that didn't know her, that is... Queen was covering up for her, allowing her to sleep after hard magic trainings she's been doing. It required her entire will and focus to start controlling it. It was also beautiful and liberating experience. Heiller was a wonderful teacher and a wonderful man, but Ranel...

Leana turned around in bed towards the wide open window. Sunrays were dancing on the branches of the blossoming tree in the queens garden. Birds were singing happily. But it wasn't all that kept her from sleeping. It was the kiss and the fact that she haven't seen him since that night. They agreed to keep away from each other so that no one would suspect. She wished she didn't let him kiss her, but deep down she knew that she couldn't resist. Now all her thoughts were going to him and it frustrated her very much. That's why she enjoyed trainings when she had to clear her mind and focus on something else for a change.

And she was getting good... Just that night she managed to move the entire bench from the park and hold it up for quite long, with Heiller sitting on it!! Leana smiled thinking of him. His hair was almost as white as hers. He was somewhere between 30 and 35 of age but he behaved like a child at times. Tall with wide shoulders and light skin, he could've been cousin of her mothers. She loved hearing him talk, his voice was soothing and very deep. He was indeed attractive man and she was surprised that he had no family. He was a powerful sorcerer but he told her that she is way more powerful than him. She didn't believe him until last night. Once she got the hang of it, it became easier for her to control energy from within. With constant meditations during her wake hours in day and practice at night... She was getting better and better.

/"Soon, you will have to start training along with Ranel."/ words echoed in her head while her eyes were finally closing from exhaustion.

- "Ranel..." she whispered before finally falling into a long dreamless sleep.
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Ranel walked in to hear her whisper his name. He smiled and sat down on bed, next to her, like he did every morning after she was asleep. Past week has been really difficult for him. He had busy mornings and afternoons, barely finding any time for sleep so these minutes that he was stealing from his time to see her and touch her were precious to him. Every day, after making sure she was asleep, he'd enter her room and spent some time simply watching her sleep. It was soothing and relaxing. He was looking forward to training with her, seeing how far she advanced. For now, he kept himself busy with preparing his fathers army. That was one victory he managed to win for himself in the throne room.

/"Anyone else has any requests."/ heralds voice echoed in his ear as he was thinking back about the scene from 5 days ago. Murmurs of subjects, his footsteps in suddenly silent throne room and nervousness that radiated from the queen. He noticed her clenched teeth and white knuckles, her pale face in silent prayer. It was a big moment for both of them, with their plan finally starting to unravel. Standing in front of the throne, looking firmly in his fathers eyes. /"I do."/ First time his father let him speak without any interruption. He was proud of his calmness and posture that he managed to hold while expressing his request to the king, of training commoners, teaching them to fight with weapons and preparing their army as precaution from the upcoming threat. As always, his brother was there to appose his idea, but king seemed to be in his rare lucid moments. He, Ranel, son of Rulan the Great, heir to the Sun throne was named the high commander of the Sun armies and given the task to reorganize the entire army.

- "Is she asleep already?" Queen asked, interrupting his thoughts.

- "Like a newborn." He smiled back at Amera.

- "Heiller is pushing her to hard. Poor girl is exhausted. I don't think it's good for her. She needs time to adjust."

- "Time that we don't have." Ranel stated sadly.

- "Let's walk out. We don't want to wake her. We have much to discuss. Rulan just got message from the south. Eleries are looking for the alliance." Amera was talking in a quiet whisper as they were leaving the room.

- "Shh, not here. Let's walk to my library. Floors have ears, as my mother used to say." queen just nodded in response and followed him.

Soon they entered Ranels library. It couldn't be compared with the royal library that was size of the throne room and packed with books, even from the first age! Ranel liked his small library though. Its walls were covered with wooden bookshelves, except for the fireplace on the right with big rug in front of it made of bear skin, bear that he killed himself when he was in a hunt with his father. It was black and cozy and he liked sitting on it at cold winter nights with a good book in his hands. Windows were giving view to the royal garden and providing light for his desk. Shelves were filled with books, many of which he found in his journeys. Amera approached the map of the Leera that was laying open on the desk, covering it completely.

- "I see you've been busy." she stated, hands lightly touching northern borders of the sun realm. "Why is it that we're called sun nation when we live so far up north? Have you ever wondered about that Ranel?"

He was setting wards against spying. Soon the entire room was wrapped in a web of power. He was finally able to relax.

- "You would understand it if you could control the power. I drain my power from it. On days like this, when the sky is clear and sun high up, my will is stronger. My opinion is that we're called sun nation for our ability to use it for "magic". People call it magic just because they don't know how to control it. I would call it a talent. We all have it. Even you."

- "Me?" Amera looked at him surprised. "But I was never able to do anything with power."

- "You never tried. That is the difference. Anyone could feel the flowing of the Will. If only people would concentrate. In the past, everyone did. It's what kept us safe. Some people have stronger will then others. But we're not here to discuss the usage of Will. What was the message that my father received?"

- "A messenger came just after the sunrise. I've never seen a southerner before. They are very secretive, you know... I didn't get to read the message, but I did hear Rulan mumbling about it. Eleries are worried. You know that they always ignored our offers for the alliance in the past. This time the message came from emperor Ellan personally."

- "Ellan? What happened to Ellar, his uncle? Wasn't he the emperor?" Ranel asked bewildered.

- "Ranel, you really are in love... You should have been informed about this. It's been a month since the news came of Ellars death. You know that he had no children. Ellan was the next in line for the throne. He is not much older then you."

Ranels gaze was now wondering absent-minded towards the garden.

- "So what was in the message?"

- "Like I said, I didn't get to read it myself, but it was an invitation for the gathering of north and south. He wants to form the alliance. There is a storm gathering on the southern shores of his empire. No one knows what lies behind the Southern ocean. It's wast and whoever tired to sale south, never came back to tell the tale. Ellan is afraid that the peace might be over soon." Queen was looking at the map while saying that. Her eyes were fixed on the shores of the southern empire.

- "How did my father react to the message?"

- "He completely ignored it after reading it. He's not feeling well, Ranel. He's not fit to rule anymore. People are afraid to admit it though. We must do something. I know someone who could help us. He is good with plants. He could make us a powder that would put your father to a long sleep. I am talking about really long sleep. Then, you would be able to..."

- "NO! I won't let you talk about the father of your child like that. I know you hate him for what he did to you, Amera, but he..."

- "Ranel... I don't hate him." She placed her hands on his shoulder. " But I don't love him either. My heart belongs to another, though I would never brake your father's trust, if he even cares about what I do in life... He only took me so that the people would have a queen. What he did to me... It gave me a wonderful boy to raise. And he did it in the influence of drinks. He never touched me again after that. Your mother is the only women he ever loved and that will never change. I don't hate him, but I think he's suffering too much and making his people suffer as well. You have to understand that Leerans need you."

- "Very well. But we will not use such tricks on him. He is my father and I will treat him with respect. I'll find some other way. If not, I'm doing it the hard way. I just hope he won't get insane if I come to him with request to take away his crown. " he shook his head while saying that. " It will all be over in a week."

They both fell silent at that and just looked out of the window in a beautiful sunny day.
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Far away in the south, Ellan was sitting on his throne and listening to yet another report of the stormy clouds in the south. His expression was worried. Is the prophecy true after all? Maybe his uncle was right. His aunts chair was empty. It was strange seeing that seat empty. They kept telling him that he must pick a wife. Emperor can't rule alone. But he couldn't just pick any girl. He wanted more. He wanted to be loved, not because of his power, but because of being simply Ellan.

- "You may go now. I want to be left alone. Thank you for your reports." he addressed to the messenger. Messenger boy bowed deeply with confused look on his face. Never before did a ruler treated his subjects with such respect. People just aren't used to kindness. /"Well some things need to be changed."/ Ellan thought to himself.

He walked quickly to his cabinet, followed by 6 guards. That's what bothered him the most, the lack of privacy. /"Why me..?"/ he thought for a hundredth time already. He didn't want to be ruler. He was too young. He had a life to live... /"Well, not anymore... Now I have other people's lives to take care of."/. He walked in to his cabinet and stopped the guard that was trying to follow him in.

- "Will you please? Just leave me alone for once. I need some privacy."

- "As you command your highness." the guard bowed.

- "Thank you Ellior. Leave only two guards to guard my door. Send others to rest."

- "Your majesty is very kind." Ellior replied with a small smile.

Ellan just nodded and entered his map room. He was finally alone. His gaze went to the northern parts of the map. Langarth was glistening with gold, even on the map. Sun nation. /"Why are they so far up north?"/ He thought back on his history lessons. He knew the story of the present ruler. Rulan, the mad king. Will he even read his proposal? His uncle denied the alliance to the north so many times in the past. Will they agree to it now? He heard that the king is insane. /"Maybe I would be too if my wife was murdered."/ he thought to himself. Face of the girl with white hair came back to his thoughts. He dreamed about her a lot of times. He wondered if she's real. /"She is... she lives up north."/

- "I will find you." he said determinedly, placing his hands on the north. Ellan whispered silently, his voice fading as he was standing in his room filled with maps, all the places that he dreamed about seeing some day: "I promise. "