Calaistas

Night Twenty-Two

The word that the queen had returned echoed off every wall through the city, followed by the stranger news of her companion, her so-called "Champion." There wasn't a royal in the city not demanding an answer from her Majesty. She didn't want to, but finally she relented to an audience that night.

"There is no rest," the queen groaned. The moon was high in its course through the sky as she chose her parts for her first official appearance in twenty-two days.

C looked over her choices. "Perhaps you should choose something a little simpler," she suggested as she looked over the elaborate selection. "Leandrios is not accustomed to this yet. If you appear too unlike what he knows, I fear the consequences."

The queen frowned. "What should that matter? I can't appear 'simple' in front of the whole court."

"You could never appear simple," C assured her. "Trust me."

After a little persuasion on both their sides, the queen was finally assembled. Pausing in the mirror, she said, "Make sure Leandrios is presentable, please. Let him know what's expected of him. We don't want any bumbling. Then you may bring him to the court."

C bowed her head, leaving her queen to carry out her command. The attendants had returned to Leandrios, sharply accusing him for sleeping on the floor. Grumpily he gave in to the pushing and prodding as they tried to erase the sleepy, messy stain that seemed to be his personality. They all stood to attention as the door opened.

Leandrios tried not to stare at the Drakiri that came into the room. Each attendant bowed as they saw her. He didn't know what to do.

"Leave us," she said, and they did.

Leandrios stood in his uncomfortable clothes and stared. The Drakiri looked the same but completely different. She was in a collared, sleeveless dress as white as her queen. Two slits ran up to her bare, blue thighs. A thin, silver belt circled her waist. Her brown hair was pulled away from her face tightly, falling like a rockslide down the center of her back. She was striking, and he was wary.

"The queen explained your quandary to me," she said in the same exact voice he knew. His eyes kept travelling between her felt-like ears, her butterfly-wing eyelashes and her heavy-horse hooves. "She explained she used my form in programming a projection to help you through her mission. It wasn't entirely successful, and she apologizes. The technology has a way to go before it ceases to malfunction. I assure you we've never met."

Leandrios didn't know if he was standing face to face with a liar, but he also knew it was impossible that it was her who had followed them through the country. It didn't make sense. Nothing did make sense, but he shook it off.

"Leandrios Petrovious." He stuck out his hand.

"Calaistas Asi--" She took it firmly, letting go just as quickly. A jolt ran through her stomach at the touch, and it dropped knowing he swallowed every word she said. They were strangers. "Handmaiden to the queen."

Leandrios shivered, trying to tell himself that they didn't know each other. They had never met. She hadn't kissed him. His head was spinning out of control.

The Drakiri gave a small nod as if to end something. "Now, the queen is having an audience with the court. She would like to present you as the rightful and legal Champion, as you always have been. Angrick cheated too many out of a fair fight."

Leandrios felt his blood chill. "Cheated?"

She paused. "He was using a drug to throw off his opponents. If he felt his odds were poor, he would release it from the pores in his skin onto his opponent. The effects included paranoia and weakening in the muscles. It was extremely hard to uncover; the drug is very rare, and he had strong backing. Of course, his ownership of the title can no longer stand. Who knows how many times he may have lost if his rivals had simply been vaccinated. Not only that, of course it's illegal."