Air {Elements of Power 3}

Chapter Six: Jasmine

Jasmine:

"Come on, Roxy." I kept my voice calm and coaxing as I led my sister to the north side of the palace. The quiet side. Devon walked beside me, her lips pursed. I could feel the discomfort rolling off her-she didn't like how I was treating Roxy. As far as she was concerned, the Helian was a threat-she had betrayed us as we were trying to escape from the Helian Realm and she certainly didn't deserve compassion. But Devon didn't know the truth-she didn't know that Roxy hadn't betrayed us, but that I had betrayed her in my desire to protect Brae. I also hadn't told her that Roxy was my sister. But that had been Brae's idea.

Devon, Imogen and Cameron knew that the Brizan Queen, Aurelia, was my mother-it had been impossible to hide after Emmanuel's attack. Avoiding discussions regarding my father hadn't been entirely intentional; things had been nonstop since Brody had arrived in the Brizan Realm with the news that Brae's father had slipped into a coma. The father Brae had thus far been unable to visit in all the commotion. And Devon hadn't had the chance to corner me yet to press me with questions and I hadn't had time to decide whether I would tell her the truth or not. Now, however, that choice had been taken away from me. I couldn't lie again. Not with Roxy here. Especially not when it might explain my behaviour towards her.

The guest room we led her to was light and airy; calm, quiet, relaxing. Not that Roxy seemed to notice this. As she stepped into the room, she shivered and hugged her arms to her chest. I made a mental note to ask for some more blankets to be brought up; she would feel the cold even more than I did.

"Well, here we are," I told her, cheerful again. "We'll come back later, to check on you. But now I think that it's best if you just have time to rest and adjust, while we talk things through with the Sephan President. Don't worry though-we won't let him hurt you, I promise." Her eyes flickered towards me then, shooting me a look of such loathing, such disgust, that I felt the guilt wash across my face and sink right down to my toes. The glare was momentary and barely a second later she was back to staring at the wall, leaving me to wonder if my conscience had caused me to imagine it.

I didn't give her a chance to respond, too afraid that she might call me out in front of Devon, accuse me of abandoning her to Cinaer's cruelty. She must know what I had done; if the fact that Brae had not come for her hadn't tipped her off, the icy reception she had received must have confirmed it. I was the traitor, not her.

"Jazz, we should get back to the others." Devon's voice was cold. She didn't want to linger here any more than I did, that much was clear.

Roxy was still standing motionless in the centre of the room. She didn't even watch us as we left, locking the door behind us and handing the key over to the two Arcan guards now standing in the corridor. "She's a bit fragile at the moment; you should leave her be," I told them before we set off. Devon raised her eyebrows.

"What's with you, Jazz? She tried to kill us, remember? She doesn't need looking after, or protecting; she needs punishing. I know you try to be kind to everyone, but don't you think you're taking it a bit far?"

Could she have been more wrong about me if she tried?

"The Air god teaches us to show compassion to those in need; if we treat Roxy as the Helians treated us, then we are no better than they are," was what I decided to say in response.

"The Air god expects us to be strong where necessary; not let our enemies hurl us through a tornado and go unpunished for it." Devon's voice was resolute. She had made up her mind that Roxy needed to pay. Air, what had I done?

I was saved from replying by us reaching the meeting room and as I opened the door I knew immediately that discussions were not going well; my lightweight cardigan provided very little resistance against the icy chill that hung in the air, once again courtesy of Brae.

Brae, who excelled in diplomacy, and was usually so good at keeping his powers in check, was too caught up in his emotional response to his father's illness and Roxy's arrival to remain in control. Things were not going well.

"For the first time in centuries, you need us." Tristan was keeping his cool. He was still sat at the table, his hands out in front of him, and his voice was measured, sensible; he knew that he was in a strong position. As the temperature dropped further I realised that Brae knew this too.

Even worse: Grace's face was grave, a small frown on her lips, while the Arcan Elders fidgeted uneasily in their chairs, the displeasure on their own faces even more pronounced. First day on the job and Brae was already struggling. The adults wouldn't intervene-that wouldn't look good in front of the Sephan-but they were taking note.

"That doesn't mean I should hand control over Arcan defences to you-not in exchange for a Helian prisoner."

"A girl who was oh-so-very keen to get across to you, Your Highness. She was so sure that you would protect her. Perhaps her trust was misguided." He lent back in his chair, his eyebrows raised questioningly at Brae.

"Perhaps she should learn not to place her trust in the people she has betrayed."

"Unless, of course, she didn't betray you."

This time, I definitely didn't imagine the glance: Brae's eyes meeting mine, the faintest trace of confusion in his gaze. Tristan followed his line of sight.

"I trust my prisoner is settled comfortably?" Tristan asked, his tone was light, but his use of the word 'my' was inescapable.

To say yes would confirm his control, so I replied, "I have shown Roxy to a room and have left her to settle in, to give her a chance to get used to the Arcan Realm." My meaning was clear: she would be staying with us and for some time.

To my surprise and infuriation, Tristan smiled. "That is exactly as I had hoped, thank you Miss Dystros." I was overwhelmed by a very childish urge to poke my tongue out at him, but refrained, reminding myself that Brae didn't need any more of us losing our cool.

"How about this," Brae said, his voice a little more measured. "You have come to us at a very difficult time, and it will take me some months to become accustomed enough to my new role to consider anything as serious as military action." I wondered if this was perhaps a subtle dig at Tristan for coming over so soon after being elected; he couldn't have spent so much as a day in his own Realm. Perhaps that was one of the downfalls of the Sephan President's brief time in office-there was no time to acclimatise. "Furthermore," Brae continued, breaking into my train of thought, "The Brizans are caught up in their own internal affairs at the moment. Once everything has settled, we will approach them, together, to discuss whether there is a need for retaliation. I do not wish to drag Queen Aurelia into a war she has no wish to be a part of. If we do decide, as a collective unit, that military action needs must be taken, then you have my word that the Sephans will play a key role in orchestrating the attack. You will not be marginalised, as you have told me you fear. However-" He raised his voice slightly, perhaps in response to the smile that was spreading across Tristan's face. "-I will not hand over control of Arcan forces to you-I cannot place Arcan lives in an outsider's hands. I cannot promise to act as you wish, only to give your battle plans my full consideration. Likewise, I would not expect you to ask the Sephans to do anything I suggested unless you agreed with it wholeheartedly.

"In the meantime, I suggest that you return to your own Realm until everything is more settled. I can call for you when the Arcans are ready to consider your proposal and you have my word that no harm will come to Roxy while she is in Arcan care."

Tristan laughed. "Do you really think me that naive? I am willing to wait, Your Highness, but if the Helian stays, so do I."

The Sephan left no room for further argument, which was why Cameron found himself being asked to lead Tristan and his retinue to rooms in the east wing of the castle a few minutes later. "As soon," Tristan insisted, "as I have checked on my prisoner."

{Please vote/comment to let me know what you think. Is Tristan making the right decision in staying? And how do you think Brae is handling everything that's going on? Sorry for the shameless plug, but if you have time, please check out my new short story collection - Lyrics in the Lines. I would really, really appreciate it! 

Great image of Brae by @Tooset }