Chapter 6: Major Tenance

A Prince of the Nobillo

Chapter 6: Major Tenance

Lindsay walked down the stairs in a daze, the parchment hanging from her hand.

"Is Prince Rivuk not with you? I thought I heard him." Carak asked as he set out two plates of food.

"No." Lindsay's voice sounded distant to her ears. Like someone else was speaking. "No, there was some flooding... in the West."

"Ah, I should have guessed when I saw the rains last night."

"Why did he have to go?"

"He's the third prince, which means he commands the military. It's his job to make sure the evacuation goes smoothly," Carak answered, not looking up from setting the table.

"Oh."

Carak looked up from his task. "Is something wrong, your highness?"

"He set me free," she said. Her knees buckled and she fell to the couch.

"He set you free?" Carak asked in disbelief.

"He said he would take me home when he returns, if I wanted to go." She needed to talk to someone, to tell someone what just happened, and Carak was there. He'd listen; as strange as it was for her to be confiding in a Child of the Immortal, he'd listen.

Lindsay thought she heard a note of sadness in Carak's voice as he asked, "Do you?"

She shoved her face into her hands, running her fingers through her hair in frustration. "I did. I said I did. But then we kissed and now I'm not so sure."

"Is a kiss a good thing?"

"It's something humans do when they lo- like someone. Carak, does Rivuk... He really loves me, doesn't he?"

"I think he's grown to."

"What? You mean he didn't love me when he took me?"

Carak chuckled. "He barely knew you. He was... infatuated, of course. You're a beautiful and spirited woman, and you put a spear through his side."

"That was Veralosa."

"You tricked him into letting his guard down."

A half-smile twisted her lips. "True."

"He thought you could help with the plan and if, in that help, you renewed your physical relationship, so much the better. I wish I could say his feelings ran deeper than that at first, but you must understand he's been single-mindedly pursuing this plan for many lancs."

"What is his plan? I mean, I know he wants to stop the war, but it can't be just that."

"It's not, but I can't tell you more."

"How many people know about the plan?" she asked.

"Just he and I, and you, now."

And now Sirix. She felt the parchment crinkling on her knee. "He went to the Bonat encampment last night to see the Bona Serat Corsar."

Carak's expression darkened, he turned and began pacing in long strides.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I knew he was worried about you but Jericho's teeth that was a reckless thing to do! He's lucky he wasn't caught! How would he have explained it? We would have all been executed!"

"He... risked everything..." Lindsay stared at the parchment, stunned. "To lose me."

Carak stopped pacing and leaned over the back of the couch. As much as his large white eyes could convey any emotion, she felt a great compassion in them, a pleading. "I've known him almost all of his life. I'd follow him to the ends of Okeshi if he asked. All I ask of you is that you give him a little longer."

"I'll think about it," she said softly, feeling the weight of the letter in her hand.

* * *

"You're staring at the garden again," Carak said, tapping the paper in front of her. He was sitting on the couch beside her with an old book in hand that was meant to teach the Nobillo alphabet.

"I'm sorry. I'm trying to pay attention. I've just never been good at learning things. Donil had a lot of trouble teaching me Bonat, too. It's ok if you want to give up, I know I'm hopeless."

"You aren't hopeless, I will teach you. We may just have to consider other methods. When do you find it easiest to focus?"

When I'm having sex, she mentally answered. "When I'm doing something active, like exercising," she said.

Three days had passed since Rivuk left and Carak had wholly devoted himself to her education in that time with the idea that, by the time Rivuk returned, she might be able to read and write a few simple words and sentences. But this quickly was proving out of reach for Lindsay. Her powers had made her a good student, that and the Ritalin she bought, but she'd never actually been able to focus enough to learn as easily as the other kids.

"Let's end the lesson for today. I'll give it some thought and we'll begin again tomorrow," Carak said, closing the book.

"I'm sorry." She looked at her paper, slightly embarrassed at what she was about to ask. "Carak, do you think you could read me another one of your stories?"

"Of course." He picked up the now familiar book of tales of the Immortal and opened it to where they had left off, leaning back against the arm of the couch.

Lindsay curled up her legs and leaned into him so she could see his finger tracing under the words as he read. A month ago, she would never have believed she would ever be so close to a Child of the Immortal unless she was killing it, but now she found comfort leaning on his muscular, grey arm. She no longer shrank at the sight of his smile splitting his cheek or the long, sharp teeth within. He was Carak and, like it or not, he was the closest thing she had to a friend in this place.

"Could you spell that word for me?" Lindsay asked.

"Es-ni-ah," Carak said, pointing to each of the letters.

"Ok, and that means sunlight?"

Carak nodded.

There was a knock at the door.

"Who's that?" Lindsay asked. "We've never had any visitors."

Carak's warm smile disappeared, his lips tightened. "I don't know. Stay back." He got up and went to the door. "Who is it?" he asked.

"It's Elihim, First Prince of the Nobillo. I'd like to speak to Princess Lindsay."

Carak looked to Lindsay.

"He's not like Boz, is he?" she whispered.

Carak shook his head.

"Stay with me," she said.

Carak nodded and opened the door. "Her highness, Princess Lindsay, will see you."

Elihim bowed low, so the feathers of his wings brushed the ground. "I do apologize for not sending notice of my visit, but I didn't want to bring any... unwanted attention to it." His voice had a weird, silky quality to it, like a cartoon snake that was just trying to keep from sticking his tongue out and hissing.

"It's fine," Lindsay said, eyeing him suspiciously. Rivuk had always made a point to say she should not trust his brothers. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, it occurred to me that we've been less than welcoming to you since you arrived."

"You could say that," Lindsay replied, coldly.

"Anyway, if you would allow me to rectify the situation, I would like to invite you to dine with me tomorrow evening so we can get to know each other better. I know my wife would love to meet you properly. She watches all your interviews, and my daughter just adores you."

"Ok, sure. Tell them I'm looking forward to meeting them."

"Of course. I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"See you tomorrow." She shut the door and turned to Carak. "You're coming with me, right?" she demanded.

"I wasn't invited," he said.

"I don't care. I'm not going alone."

"It's illegal to enter the council of the First Prince without an invitation."

Lindsay regarded him slyly. "Could the order of the king overrule that?

Carak thought for a moment. "Yes, it could, but it would be considered extremely poor manners."

"So what? The king ordered you to stay with me at all times, didn't he?"

A smile split Carak's cheeks. "He did. To disobey the order is punishable by death."

"Exactly. So, you're coming with me."

"Of course, your highness. Would you like to return to our reading?" he offered.

"Yes."

The next morning, Lindsay came down to a strange sight. There were holotabs hung all over the first floor. The little computer tablets displayed a Nobillo letter above a word that began with that letter, below that, they showed a Nobillo performing a physical action. "Stations!" she cried. "I loved these in gym class!"

"I thought they might be more helpful to your learning, your highness," Carak said.

Lindsay's heart overflowed with gratitude. Had he really done all this for her? "This must've taken you all night! Thank you."

"You're welcome, your highness. Now, if you would," he threw her a staff and picked up one of his own, "let's begin."

Hours passed and Lindsay was dripping with sweat before Carak proposed they break for lunch. He pulled up a hologram with a word on it. "What's this word?"

"Efe... I don't know that letter... ri?"

"Ka," he supplied.

"Efe-Ka-ri," she said, poking each letter in turn, causing them to glow. "Ka like in your name?"

"Yes, it's spelled like this," he traced the letters on the hologram, "Ka-ra-ka."

"So is the word efekri or efekari?"

Carak thought for a moment, then replied, "It is not efekari."

"Argh! These nanobots make it so much harder to learn the language! Every time you say it the right way all I hear is the word in English."

"You'll learn in time. At least today you can say 'lunch.'"

"Efekri."

"Good. I'll reheat the breakfast."

Lindsay laughed. "We forgot about that, didn't we?"

"It doesn't matter, it tastes better with a little age."

After lunch, practice resumed and Lindsay began to realize some of the moves she was doing with the staff seemed strangely familiar. "Carak? Are you training me to fight with a Nobillo spear?"

Half a smile split Carak's cheek, there was a slyness in his look. "No, your highness; that would be against our laws. I am only teaching you a few exercises to keep you in shape and to help you learn your letters."

"Why are you so kind to me?"

"You're my prince's wife," he said, simply. "Now Vu. No, to the left. Yes, that one. See how the letter flows like a river branching off down a mountain?"

"It looks like a squiggly upside-down y!" she shouted in frustration as she began tracing the strange s-shaped motion with her feet, keeping her staff low.

Carak laughed. It was an actual laugh, not just the shaking of his shoulders she was used to. She could see his full jaw open like a hinge, revealing his sharp teeth. Her breath momentarily caught in her throat. Then her irritation won out.

"Oh sure. Laugh! You try doing this!"

"I'd be happy to learn Bonat, or English, if you'd like to teach me."

"Oh, you're going down!" she said, lunging at him with her staff.

He easily blocked the blow. She tried again and again as he simply moved his wrist and parried her attacks with his own staff.

"Fight back!" she shouted.

"It doesn't seem especially fair."

"I order you to!"

He shrugged. "If you insist, your highness."

She had no idea how she'd wound up hanging upside-down by her ankle as he looked her over. "Yes, I suppose using your entire body to make the shape of the letter is one way to learn vu."

She tried to swing back and forth to hit him with her fists, but his arm was too long. Finally, she gave up and slowly swayed helplessly as he laughed.

"Ok, ok. Put me down."

She was gently lowered to the couch from where she looked up at him.

"You'll have to teach me how to do that," she said.

"Maybe someday, after you master the basics."

"Fine, but then."

"Perhaps."

She grabbed her staff from the floor. "Alright, vu."

"I think it would be best if we stop for today. You need to prepare for your supper with Elihim."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that." She wiped an arm across her sweat-slicked brow. "Can we cancel it?"

"No, your highness."

"Of course not. Royal duty calls." Her British accent was atrocious, but it wasn't like Carak would know that. "Toss me a towel, will you? I'm so gross right now."

"Yes, your highness." Carak tossed the towel to her.

Spinning her staff, she caught the towel on the end and pulled it off. "See, I've already got it-" She would have said 'down' but another towel hit her right in the face, covering her head.

"Showing off is a good way to get yourself killed," Carak said. "Your arrogance will lead you to grieve if you aren't careful." He turned toward his room.

"You call me arrogant," she muttered.

"Yes." Carak said, not turning back from his door.

"Errrg!" she cried in frustration, throwing the towel at him.

He didn't even look as he caught it from behind. "I'll put this in the wash for you, your highness," he said as he shut the door.