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.
