Other Lives(8)

A bit shocked Nikolaos did not react at first, then kissed her back because he wanted to, had wanted it for a long time now.

A splinter of jealousy dug into his soul every time he saw her with Darius. He pushed that jealousy aside, ignored the itching pressure inside his throat because she was for Darius.

But thoughts about Darius were quickly stripped aside. He kissed Miranda and she wrapped her arms around him, pressed herself into his body.

A flicker of sanity reaching his muddled mind, Nikolaos pulled back and stared at her.

“No,” he said hoarsely. “Never.”

She seemed hurt and ashamed as she rushed out. He was tempted to stop her for a moment. But he could not. Would not.



6



Miranda carefully avoided Nikolaos for the next few days. It had been a rather silly thing to do. Because if it the story was true, and she’d thought it was, then she was placing his life in danger with that kiss. She wasn’t even sure why she’d kissed him. Perhaps she was being bold, trying to prove the stories false. Maybe she was feeling lonely. Or perhaps she’d merely needed it.

She closed her book and glanced at Darius who lay on a regal looking chair, his feet propped up on another chair.

“Do you think spells can be broken?” she asked.

“What kind of spells?” he muttered.

“A curse.”

“My grandfather said a curse can be bent, tamed, if you will.”

“I wish your grandfather was here.”

“He’s been dead for the past five years. But if it’s magic you want I’ll take you to Trivek. There are small dragons there that swim in the rivers and cry pearls.”

“That’s a lie,” she said sadly.

She saw her face reflected in the glass windows of the library and looked away. The silver surface of the cups they had been drinking with also reflected her. The library was growing darker and she didn’t want to be there anymore.

Darius walked up to her, abandoning his book.

“If you don’t want to go to Trivek I’ll take you somewhere else.”

“Take me to Nortre,” she said, afraid of his nearness, of the window that so close and her reflection there.

“Back to that sheep infested hole you despise?”

“I need to go home. I belong somewhere else.”

“Surely not in the middle of nowhere herding along a flock.”

Darius chuckled. She did not laugh, turning to leave. He caught her arm, his face growing composed and serious.

“Stay,” he said. “We can get you those dragon pearls and sail on a barge. I’ll make you Queen…”

“I don’t want pearls, I don’t want a barge. You can’t make me queen of anything. You are always offering things you do not have, all these fancy tales and lies. Nothing is real.”

“Who needs real?” he said with disdain. “It isn’t all fancy tales either. But stay for the tales if you wish. I do my best to entertain you.”

“I’d like to go,” she said.

“You are not a prisoner. You may leave any time you want. But if you’ve come all this way just to give me up before I solemnly ask for your hand in marriage, then you are a bit of a fool.”

He was smiling again. It was a different kind of smile though. It had an edge.

“It’s the whole reason Nikolaos has dragged you here, isn’t it? Don’t feel bad. Many other men have piled their nieces, daughters and even mistresses at my feet hoping I’d pick one of them. To tell you the truth I think marriage doesn’t suit me, but what do I know?” he chuckled. “I like you, though.”

She thought she saw movement in the silver surface of the cups. She backed away from him and felt her back press against a bookcase. He frowned.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I’ll bring you bad luck and shame and—”

“I’ve had plenty of both since the King barred me from court.”

“Barred you?”

“For being a wicked, ambitious man. I can vouch it is true, that my ambitions are indeed quite high and I intend to wed you and place a crown upon that pretty head of yours. For you are my talisman, Miranda, and with you I shall have the whole world in the palm of my hand.”

“You are joking and it’s not funny,” she said, for he was talking treason and insanity.

He laughed and she could not help it, despite all her misgivings and her fear, and the reflection upon the cups, and despite it all she smiled at him. And she thought perhaps he was mad, but she liked his madness, his pretty lies, the stories he spun for her.

But she thought of Nikolaos with his solemn face and her smile died on her lips.

***

She tried to appear dignified. Instead, she succeeded in looking like a flustered child and stammered, forgetting her well-rehearsed speech.

Worse, Nikolaos stared at her without uttering a word for what seemed forever until she couldn’t take it anymore.

“Well?” she blabbered.

“I’m extremely pleased,” he said.

His face, drawn and stark, displayed little joy.

“It’s what you wanted,” Miranda said. “All this time you’ve been telling me how I must marry the man. Now the man wants to marry me and I do not know what I should say.”