The Iron Rose: Volume 1

FORGETTING FEAR

“How are you feeling?” Kunagi rolled his chair from the bed Gudomlay lay in to the counter where his tinctures were. She sighed and turned to watch him, feeling rather comfortable for having fainted. Though, she couldn’t account for the reason that happened.

She shrugged. “Fine,” she began, running her fingers through her hair. “Listless maybe...”

“Anything else?” He asked, rolling back to her with some juice.

She sat up, letting her legs fall over the edge of the bed, and accepted the glass from him. She drank, enjoying the cool sweetness of its contents and glad it wasn’t one of his strange concoctions.

“Hmmm...” She tapped her finger on the glass and thought. “Tender. Not physically, not sore. I mean like...the emotion. Soft, I guess.” She sighed and let her feet sway under her. “What happened? I don’t really remember.” She glanced at Kunagi who was looking at her strangely as he leaned back in his chair. “One minute I was talking to Britta and the next there was this sudden overwhelming joy in my chest and I was warm.” She shut her eyes, placing a hand over her heart. “It was as if someone wonderful had embraced me, and I was able to forget all my fears and inhibitions.” She brought the glass to her lips but didn’t drink. “I could have stayed there forever...”

“That is a dangerous thought, M’lay. Be careful of such feelings,” he warned, his brow tight.

She glanced at him. “What do you mean?” She asked.

He turned away with his back to her so she didn’t see the despair that had fallen over his face. He didn’t answer, he couldn’t. He shut his eyes and covered them, gritting his teeth. She was already under his spell. The man whom he supported and wanted to rule this world but... In order for that to happen--Gudomlay would have to give him her life.

Hot tears started to trickle down his face as the meaning behind that man’s appearance settled in his heart. This was really happening. He was going to lose her. This little girl who’d been handed to him so young. She’d been covered in her parent’s blood and was looking nowhere with such clouded eyes. It took her so long to see him. And when she finally did, he felt himself suddenly loving again. It was a feeling he thought he’d lost long ago. But when she lifted her head and looked at him with that clarity he’d seen then. When she said his name and smiled at last. It was when his heart had started beating again.

He hadn’t thought that he would bond with her. He hadn’t thought that she would teach him so much. Or… that he would be able to help ease the heartache she might’ve blocked from her memories by now. His heart felt as if being torn like a piece of fragile paper. He strained his neck, locking his jaw forward. His brow had come down to crush painfully above his eyes, turning them into slits. Yet tears still sped out of them to shine against his pale skin. He lifted a hand to cover his face and held his breath to keep any sounds from escaping him. Even so, his shoulders trembled and he couldn’t contain this sorrow he’d been trying to bottle. He’d not hurt like this for many, many years.

Why? Why did he have to love this human so much? She wasn’t a pet, a daughter, or a lover. So why did his heart dread the idea of her death like this? Why, when he knew from the start that was how this was all going to end?

“Kunagi.” Her voice was soft as she came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him. He froze, his tears stopping. She kissed his cheek. “Don’t be sad. Everything is going to be all right,” she whispered and then chuckled. “I wish I was always at ease like this. It won’t last, but for now, I want to trust it.” She squeezed him, pretending that she didn’t know he cried.

“M‘lay,” he said, his voice hoarse. She wasn’t fooling either of them. He knew better.

“Hm?” She straightened and stroked his hair the way he had done when she was a little girl.

“What kind of cake do you like?”

__

“Gudomlay...” Gudomlay looked around as she waited for Wild Lands to start and smiled at Zhi when he came to sit beside her. Though they talked some, it was rare that they were ever in close proximity during class or social hours. He turned toward her, leaning a little in his seat. It was the first time she’d really looked at him.

His face was like Kunagi’s but more feminine. She wondered at the iridescent quality of his skin and the care he’d taken with his hair. He was even wearing black eyeliner, which seemed to be a thing for men now. Though she’d seen Jyukai guys wear it before. She tilted her head at him, wondering if he knew how pretty he was. She thought better of saying anything though. There were few men who’d like that, she thought.

“Is everything all right?” She asked, turning a little to face him better. With the cool air blowing through the class room, bits of her hair were pushed into her face. She frowned at the uncomfortable tickle and pushed them back as he stared at her.

Considering what he ought to say, he rubbed a hand over his mouth. “I heard you fainted the other day. When you tried to apologize to Britta,” he said, sounding a little concerned. “And then Professor Kunagi came and there was some kind of light show. No one actually knows what happened so all sorts of rumors are spreading.”

Gudomlay growled, a shadow coming over her face as she sunk in her chair. “Why can’t people mind their own business?” She moaned into her hands.

“I didn’t think you’d be pleased,” he sighed, now turning in his seat to sit back in it. He folded his arms and looked down at her. “What do you want me to say to those that ask?”

“Stop picking on Britta or Gudomlay will never forgive you,” she drawled.

He smiled small and nodded. “Very well,” he said, now sitting upright again.

“Excuse me!” Zhi and Gudomlay looked when a familiar voice shouted into the classroom. Then, when they realized it was Britta, they sat up further and looked on with round eyes. “Where is Gudomlay?” She called in a loud voice, her head swiveling around as she looked for her.

The other students blinked at her and then looked back at where Gudomlay sat next to Zhi. Britta’s gaze flew that way in an instant. And then, almost as quickly as that, she was sitting on Gudomlay’s other side. She started to take out her books and plopped them noisily on the table. And then she displayed a knife on the side of her things, its blade shining.

Seeing it, Gudomlay’s round eyes grew wide and she gasped. “Whoa! What are you doing?” She cried while hurrying to hide the knife. Though they were allowed to have weapons, they weren’t exactly encouraged to display them. It was like a dare!

Britta twisted to face her, her eyes looking into hers. She was silent, peering at her as if waiting for something to come out of her. Gudomlay leaned back a little. But then she realized she was encroaching upon Zhi’s personal space and stopped. What was going on? Britta had never invited herself into another class before. And she certainly didn’t go around showing off her knives.

“B?” She asked, a little startled by her intensity.

“Don’t worry,” Britta whispered. “I’ve come to keep my promise. I will protect Gudomlay...” She tilted her head and came a little closer so she almost hovered over her. “Is he there?” She asked in a low voice. “I mean. The guy that possessed you. Is he there? Can he hear me?”

“What?!” Gudomlay screeched. What was she talking about? When had she been possessed?

“Hmmm.” Britta, easing back, stroked her chin and looked away thoughtfully. “Maybe she doesn’t know...”

“Miss Britta!” Suddenly, Professor Kaja’s voice called with the droll sound of irritation. Hearing it, Gudomlay glanced at her. She knew all too well that the professor wasn’t going to let Britta stay. Even if she did seem to think she was on some kind of mission. What that mission was exactly was difficult to tell when she was, well, Britta.

“Yes!” Britta called automatically at being called on and sat at attention.

“What are you doing in my class?” Kaja asked, her arms crossed and her face stern.

“I’m here to protect Gudomlay, ma’am!” She replied seriously. Her hands were set straight and poised on the cool wooden surface of the table she sat at. It reminded everyone that Britta was the daughter of a War Lord family, making some of them nervous for her military display. Gudomlay, however, only gawked at her, not getting it still.

Kaja blinked, unamused. “Go to your class, Miss Britta,” she drawled, turning to the board.

“Bu--Professor Kaja,” Britta whined, raising her hand and coming a little out of her seat. Its legs groaned against the floor as it was pushed away by the backs of her legs.

“Britta,” Gudomlay hissed, tugging on her uniform.

Britta looked at Gudomlay with a fierce expression. “I was asked to protect you so I will.”

Gudomaly shook her head slightly. “By who?” She asked, not understanding. “Kunagi--”

“It wasn’t Kunagi,” Britta said, plopping down into her seat and leaning in toward her. She glanced at Zhi, but he wasn’t looking at them. He actually seemed absorbed in one of his textbooks. With a hardened brow, she thinned her lips before putting a hand up to her mouth. Her next words were obviously meant to be secretive. “It was the man that stopped me from hitting you the other day. He asked me to protect you.”

“Oh, Britta...” Gudomlay sighed and put her head in her hand. Had that light show Zhi mentioned messed with her head? Britta was a little odd to begin with. But this was something else.

“Miss Britta!” Kaja roared. All the students ducked for the fierceness of her voice and scowled back at Britta for angering her. They all remembered what had happened with that fire.

“Ma’am!” Britta replied, sitting at attention again. She was fearless and didn’t look worried a bit.

“To your own class!” Kaja threw her arm towards the door, a twitch in her nose now.

Britta’s shoulders shrunk and, too aware to disobey, got out of her seat. But before she left, she leaned in toward Gudomlay again so she was forced back slightly. “Look out,” she warned, her eyes narrow. “I heard the boys talking. This Lover’s Day is going to be as bad as any other.”

Gudomlay sighed, and her eyes falling shut, nodded. “All right...” Just thinking about all of that made her dizzy. Every Lover’s Day was a bother. Who could eat that much candy anyway?

Britta left, and Zhi looked after her before glancing at Gudomlay. “What about Lover’s Day?” He asked, curious by the exchange. Though he still had his hands on his textbook, it looked like he hadn’t actually been reading it. That or he was able to read and listen to conversations at the same time.

“Hmmm...” Gudomlay shifted uncomfortably as Kaja started class. “It’s usually troublesome. I get a lot of chocolates and things that day. Sometimes things get out of hand.”

Zhi chuckled. “I bet you have a lot of jealous girls too?”

“Well...” She glanced at him and made a face. “They give me chocolate too.”

And then, not expecting it, Zhi threw his head back and laughed.

––

At the end of classes, Gudomlay started out of the academy, relieved to finally be done for the day. There was so much talk about Lover’s Day it was becoming irksome. And despite the fact she received plenty of love from her classmates, she didn’t have anyone to give that love back to. Her heart had never settled on anyone, and she didn’t consider herself good enough friends with people besides Tapp and Britta. Besides that, she was too cheap to bother with obligatory items. Nor did she care for returned gifts. It seemed all so unnecessary.

She was starting for the gates toward the stripe’s section of the grounds to visit Kunagi. But she got curious when she saw a group gathered around one of the posts. By the sound of it, there was a stripe there. The jeering and rudeness was a clear indicator that an unwanted individual was there. Though that he was still on the stripe’s side of the gate didn’t give them any grounds to harass him. She broke through the crowd and forced her way in to stop it when she realized she knew who this stripe was.

“Albert?” She blinked at him. He was standing cool and collected leaned against the hard brick post with his arms crossed. His head was bowed, and his eyes were shut against the mob forming around him. When he heard her call to him, however, he lifted his gaze and started toward her. The shift of his weight made the pebbles under his boot scratch together. But then an arm coming up like a bar from one of the male students stopped him before he could get near her.

A flash of impatient irritation crossed over his face. But with another shut of his eyes, he was able to keep a calm expression and stopped as it was meant for him to do. He slid his gaze at the young man who’d gotten in his way, looking a little downward for him being shorter. A cold breeze rustled the ends of his golden hair, the overcast sky making it even cooler and the tension metallic.

“What do you think you’re doing here, stripe? What business do you have with a star?” One of the star boys asked as he took a step forward. His foot sliding against the smoother stone of their side could be heard and was a cruel reminder of the difference between them. And, in that moment, it sounded menacing.

“He’s my friend,” Gudomlay deadpanned from behind.

The mob fell silent and Albert glanced at her with wide surprised eyes. She grumbled, reached for his arm, grabbed his wrist, and started into stripe territory. There, the stars wouldn’t follow. Honestly, it was a bother her fellow students couldn’t get along with stripes. And even more troublesome that this stripe still didn’t trust her. After all the time they’d spent together. Couldn’t he at least understand?

When they’d gone far enough away from the lonesome gate, she let his wrist go. Once she had, she turned to look up at him, her arms across her chest over the books she carried. With the trees on one side and the academy on the other, they could have looked like any other couple in the world. At least, if it wasn’t for the uniforms they wore. They screamed their difference in social status and privilege. And that indicated forbidden territory. No matter anyone’s fancies. A clash of the classes was taboo.

“Well?” Gudomlay asked. She didn’t want to stand there all day with him staring at her with that dubious look on his face. Really. Had she surprised him that much?

Albert continued to stare at her a time, his face looking a little dumb as he gawked softly at her. She waited, realizing that he’d been taken aback by her calling him her friend. She thinned her lips now wondering. Did...he consider her a friend? Or was he just tutoring her? Was this a one sided thing? Had she called him such and now he wasn’t sure how to tell her she was wrong.

A grayness took over her face and, lowering her head, she took a step back. But then she looked up in surprise for him suddenly bowing and clapping his hands over his head as if in prayer. She blinked, startled. This was a sudden and unexpected turn. She watched as he raised himself a little to look at her with pleading eyes, his hands now parallel with his nose.

“I need your help,” he said, looking uncomfortable now. Whatever it was, he seemed embarrassed by it.

“Oh?” She was a little nervous now. Maybe she shouldn’t have called him her friend.

“Chocolates,” he said, his voice strained. “For Lover’s Day.”

She stared at him openly, not quite certain what this was supposed to be.

“I can’t cook,” he said, now looking defeated and miserable. “And it’s not exactly something we’re taught in Kunagi’s class.” He was looking down at her, his arms fallen and he seeming as if he wanted to sink into the ground he stood on. Well, if he wanted to nap on the grass it was dry and soft enough...

“You want help making chocolates for Lover’s Day?” She asked, staring at him with aquizzicallook.

He shifted uncomfortably and put his hands in his pockets. “Yeah,” he finally sighed, looking down sideways at the patches of dirt scattered around the uncared for lawn.

“Sure,” she said with a nod and staring up at him.

He glanced sideways at her and then, losing his cool, seemed to melt with relief. He grabbed her hand and bowed again. “Thank you!” He cried.

She chuckled, now amused and tilted her head with a small smile. “Sure. But Lover’s Day is tomorrow. We don’t have much time.”

“That’s all right.” He tugged on her hand he held then and started into the stripe’s part of the school. They went through its entrance, a way she wasn’t used to, and started up some stairs.

It was like a castle keep. Gray stone, dark, and meant to train soldiers for battle. It was so different from the airy, white, and marble architecture of the star’s side of the school. It was a wonder anyone didn’t notice the disharmony between the two sides. Coming here was like coming to a totally new world. A world of tragedy, legend, myth, and a touch of reality. A reality missing in the iridescent quality of the star’s Athenian golden glory. She wondered at her liking it better.

Many stripe students still hanging around for one reason or other paused when they saw the two. All goggled and stared as one of their lead third-year students dragged Gudomlay up the stairs toward the cafeteria. Why it was upstairs she couldn’t guess. But there they were soon in an empty kitchen. Albert glanced at her and took a breath.

“Well, what do we do?” He asked, putting his hands on his hips.

She blinked and glanced at him. And then, determining this a mission, she put her things down and started going through the place. She got everything out they would need and then put on an apron. When she’d tied it secure, she tossed one to him. Surprised, he managed to catch it. The linen was rough just like everything else in the stripe’s territory. Even so, he slipped it over his head and tied it as she had.

“Where did you get the ingredients?” She asked with a nod at the tub he’d set on the counter earlier. All sorts of things were in there. Cocoa powder, sugar, powdered sugar, milk, butter, bars, cream, and other things. Amazingly enough, they were all useful. And there didn’t seem to be anything important missing.

“I did some research before sneaking out to town and making purchases,” he said. He was a little bashful as he looked at it all. There was a pink blush on his cheeks, and he was rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. “A good deal of my pocket money went into this.”

“There’s lots we can do with it!” Gudomlay said, digging into the bag and getting excited. She giggled, definitely pleased when she found silky pink and red ribbons to boot. She pulled them out and waved them at him, taking great pleasure when his face went even more red than before. “Oh? Were you planning on hand wrapping them too?” She asked with a mirthful giggle.

“Gudomlay. That’s... I mean.” He was flailing at her, stumbling over his words. She ran away from his attempts to grab them and circled around the counter. He ran for it after her a few times before giving up.

“Are they for Tapp?” She asked, leaning toward him from the counter that was behind her.

His face fell and he pouted. “Am I that easy to see through?” He asked dully. His gaze fell to the scratched up counters. Though the kitchen was as medieval looking as the rest of the castle, they at least had somewhat modern facilities when it came to the necessities. A sink, metal counters, a stove, and ovens. But the walls were stone bricks and dirty, the floors were slabs of cut out stone, herbs hung from the ceiling. And the pots and bowls and things were all ceramic or brass or wood. It was quite the eclectic collection.

“Well, I haven’t seen you with any other girls. And that you went through all this trouble. Breaking the rules and getting this stuff. It doesn’t scream obligatory sweets.” Her teasing grin had him wincing and looking away.

“The stuff they sell on stripe campus is no good,” he said, pulling a stool over to sit on. He pressed his hands on the space of the seat between his legs and looked at her. “I should quit while I’m ahead, right? I mean. There’s no way she’ll accept them.” He was looking at her seriously, his brow twisted.

At that, she chuckled. “Don’t be silly.” She pulled out what she’d decided to start with and smiled back at him. “She’s making you chocolates too.”