A Tale That Dawned [Book 4 of Selvina's Tale series]

Chapter 35: Alone Among Thousands

Selvina stared up at her bed's canopy, her arms and legs spread wide, and her mind a jumble of thoughts, doubts, and worries.

The day was nearing its end and her thoughts were no clearer than when she was told she would have to actually kill The Writer. She barely knew him. He was apparently a terrible being that could not be allowed to live but the same was said about the empress.

Could everyone be wrong about The Writer too? What if he didn't need to be killed? Perhaps he could be reasoned with somehow. He was apparently out to control the world and rid it completely of free will but Selvina had seen none of that yet.

Eventually, her thoughts bounced about into the direction of the Black Knight. It was suspected that he had been sent by The Writer. If it was true then there was no doubt that he was dangerous. The Black Knight's mission was to kill Selvina and word was already spreading that there was a price on her head for all the damage the Black Knight had caused in her hunt.

It was safer for her to remain in Corbeau. The empress, as far as Selvina knew, would protect her from any assassins or bounty hunters. King Arthur, Merlin, and everyone in New Avalon would do the same but unlike Empress Rhiannon they didn't have a vast city and massive fortress to protect them. The entirety of Maron, keep included, could fit inside Caer Gobiyth several times over. Include the fact that the dragon empress herself resided within the fortress and any foolish assassin would be hard pressed to attempt anything. Even if they succeeded, they'd never leave alive.

Yet, for all of the empress's generosity and kindness, Selvina didn't consider her a friend. She was on another level, one that Selvina felt she'd never climb to. Her life experiences were simply too numerous and Selvina never felt more like a child than when she talked to her. She hated that feeling. Rhiannon had seen and most likely done it all. How could Selvina, a young and spoiled wannabe actress, relate to her in any sense?

Selvina sighed deeply and rose. She slid the window aside and stepped onto the balcony, resting her arms on the stone balustrade, and looked down at the sprawling city of Corbeau. Hundreds of feet below were thousands upon thousands of people going about their daily business. Selvina could probably relate to several, if not many, of them in a way. She might even make good friends of a few.

But she already had friends. Good ones. Amazing ones. Beloved ones.

Selvina rested her elbows on the balustrade, pressed her palms into her eye sockets, and groaned. She missed them so much. She was surrounded by innumerable lives and yet she felt completely alone. Rhiannon was still too intimidating to get close to and Accolon, though he seemed nice, was too embroiled in his work as a legatus, whatever that was. Selvina guessed it was some sort of general, seeing how militarily minded Accolon seemed and how all the soldiers around him had acted upon their morning meeting.

Lowering her arms and blinking rapidly, Selvina gazed at the horizon. Hills, forests, and fields rolled off into distance. The world seemed at peace and comfortable. One couldn't even tell it was at war.

Selvina sighed once more and straightened herself to head back into her room. Maybe she could find a book to read or something. She needed something to take her mind off of her loneliness. Perhaps, with a bit of wishful thinking, the dwarves had invented television somewhere. Selvina made a note to ask the empress whenever she'd see her again.

Mid-turn, Selvina stopped and furrowed her brows. Far below, bouncing from rooftop to rooftop, was a tiny blinking light. It would fly over rooftops, pause on some of them, and then hover over the streets. The tiny light appeared to be flying in a wide pattern, as if searching for something.

A wonderful pulsating feeling burst out of Selvina's heart and spread throughout her body. She knew that light! A great smile stretched across her face as she watched it more closely, just in case she was wrong. No, she wasn't. She couldn't be. That wasn't just a light.