Chapter 12

Skylar pulled Rose from Petra’s bedroom and into her own room once Petra was sound asleep. He pulled out the once white cloth and showed his sister. She gasped and took it from him.

‘It stayed gold?’ She touched the tears of the woman that had come to mean so much to her. ‘Her tears stayed gold.’

‘Yes.’

‘Ours fade after a very short time.’

‘She is the first person outside our direct family . . . our cousins don’t even have this.’ He took the cloth and spread it on the small table. ‘But hers are . . .’ He stopped and touched the gold marks.

‘It’s almost as if its pure gold painted on it.’

‘Who is she sis? She was more surprised than she let on about us being able to activate her things. I find her standing on the cliff side looking at them, and something about her rings . . . familiar in me.’ He picked up the cloth and folded it so the gold was not visible and placed it into the void.

‘That is what I felt from the moment I saw her in the street. Wait there.’ She hurried to the table beside her bed and retrieved a book. ‘Read this passage.’ She opened to the tagged page and handed it to him as she pointed to the first passage.

He arrived this morning; his paleness doesn’t worry me in the least. This man stopped and talked to workers that waited for the foreman to give them orders. They couldn’t do anything until I find the right design for the castle and town I know I am waiting for. This newly made country needs the perfect setting out. I can’t find it. Not one design is right. I watched the stranger for a short time before greeting him. His eyes . . . they are the colour of violets sitting in the sun. I think I love him. How can I love a man I have only just met? When I first stood before him, I would swear he wrapped me in his heart, I have never felt more complete. Skylar looked at his sister with an unreadable look in his eyes. He continued to read. He handed me a scroll, when I examined it, I knew this was the design I’d been waiting for. The castle and city that surrounded it would be in perfect harmony with each other and the surrounding area. All I could do was hug this man before I rushed off to the foreman. I told him to follow the design to the smallest detail before I return to the man. I know he will stay if I ask him to; there is such sadness in him and all I want to do is hold him until he is happy. Will he ever be truly happy? Will I have the courage to ask him to stay with me? May all the gods that have been and will ever be give me the courage.

‘Skylar, that sadness is what I feel in Petra.’

‘Me also.’

‘That paragraph was written by the first Queen of this land as you know. But the whole book is written about the man that would visit from the forest once a generation. They describe him the same.’ She held up her hand to stop him talking and quickly ran back to the same table and picked up a piece of paper and handed it to him. ‘This is a timeline of every time that man was said to be here.’ She waited as he red it through before looking at her with a frown. ‘Okay, this man visited one person in every generation of our line since this castle was built, right.’

‘So this tells us. But remember that sometimes people write things to make them sound more important. Remember the so called history of the Dark Swamp.’

‘Yes, yes, yes. But look at the last time. Every generation, except our parents. He didn’t come during our parents’ life time.’ She looked to Petra’s door.

‘Are you telling me . . . you think Petra is from the same people?’

‘Why didn’t he come to our parents, is he dead? He’s lived for fifteen generations and never changes in appearance.’

‘How can you know that?’

‘Because of this book.’ She took the book from him and turned the pages. With every new entry there was a painted picture of the same man. She watched Skylar look at the man’s eye, and the recognition that showed. ‘Yes Skylar, they’re Petra’s eyes.’

‘They are from the same people; they even have the same bone structure.’ He ran his finger down the picture.

‘That’s what I’m thinking.’ She watched as Skylar looked to the door. ‘I will ask her about it.’

‘No . . . I mean, would you let me ask?’

‘Okay, but there’s one more thing.’

‘What?’ He looked to her with a soft frown.

‘I have had messengers from many . . . families asking if she’s unattached.’

‘No?’

‘Yes, there are men in this place who are on the verge of calling on her. They’ve written to families and friends and word is spreading that one of the most beautiful women around may not have a suitor.’

‘What?’ He tried to keep his sudden anger under control. ‘Who?’

‘Well, I won’t break a confidence so I will just say men of high titles.’

‘Tell them to stay the hell away from Petra.’ He didn’t make eye contact. ‘She’s . . . in no state to fend off men.’ He returned to Petra’s side and just stood there with the book in his hands as he watched her sleep. Rose stood at the bedroom door and smiled before closing the door and sitting in her room.

Skylar stayed there for a few minutes before placing the small book into his void and leaving for a meeting. His mind returning to Petra so often that his men thought he was unwell and called an end to the meeting an hour early.

Later that afternoon after eating, Petra walked slowly up to the walkway and looked at the cliffs. Standing there, she tried again to call on Great Mother.

‘Please, I think I might be in trouble Great Mother. I have never felt this kind of draining before, or this emotional turmoil. Is it only using too much of my ability without being fully recovered . . . or something else?’ She waited hoping but heard and felt nothing. Tears fell as she stood there looking at her homelands. ‘Please, you know I need your help.’ Nothing happened.

‘Petra?’ Skylar's voice called softly from the doorway, she quickly wiped her eyes before turning to him.

‘Sorry, must still be tired.’ She went to hurry back inside but stopped as he stepped in her way, she stopped as she walked into him.

‘Are you all right?’ He lifted her chin so he could see her eyes.

‘Yes.’ She gave him a smile but had to turn away as she felt more tears falling.

‘Are you worried her family will try and harm you again?’

‘No, I’ve seen their strength and I can easily protect myself. I’m just in need of more rest.’

‘I need to talk to you about something.’ He took her hand and walked away from the door, took the book out and opened it to the first picture of the man. He held it out and showed her. ‘This is the man that’s said to visit this castle.’ He watched her closely, her eyes grew and she just stood there before she took the book and walked away a few feet then turned back to him.

‘This is not possible Sire.’

‘That one man is painted for every entry.’ He watched her flick the pages before looking back to him.

‘How old is this book?’

‘It was started by the first queen of this land, fifteen generations ago, but he hasn’t been since my grandparents’ time.’

‘Before . . . but why would she send another?’ She stood perfectly still and closed her eyes as if praying.

‘Petra, what are you thinking?’

‘He came here, every generation; he gave the map to this place. He walked these streets.’ She suddenly looked at him. ‘He was here for your grandparents?’

‘Yes.’

‘That isn’t possible.’ She said only to look at the cliffs with a deep frown. ‘Is he still alive?’

‘I have no idea Petra.’ He lifted her chin and looked deep into her eyes. ‘You have his eyes.’

‘Yes, I have no doubt that he is of my people. From my own part of the land. If I’d come this way before . . .’ She stopped.

‘You still wouldn’t have met him, you’re no that old.’ He smiled.

‘Yes.’

‘There’s something else.’ He again reached into his pocket and pulled out his hankie, letting it unfold so she could see it.

‘I didn’t realise I . . .’

‘I figured, you’re very careful to hide them. That’s not what I want to talk to you about.’ He watched her move away from him. ‘Your tears keep the gold colour even after they fall.’

‘Yes, it’s a quirk of my people.’

‘My family . . .’ He was interrupted when the door opened and his guard rushed out.

‘Sire, Lady Petra, I apologise for the interruption, there is an urgent message for you sire.’

‘We will talk later.’ He said then he remembered something and knew the quickest way to spread the news was do it in front of a witness that would happily tell others. He placed a light kiss on Petra’s lips before hurrying through the door. Petra stood there with her eyes glued to the king, the guard smiled and bowed to her before rushing after the king.