Who sows fear,

reaps weapons

- Friedrich Dürrenmatt

Bellhaven was nothing that I had expected or ever have seen. My whole life I only had known the grey stones of Melar, the big tower with it's hoary clock face, the bay, the market, the abandoned alleyways. It had the smell of a big city, as did Teliassen. When I had spent my brief time in Teliassen, I had felt like the colors just had turned from grey to flavescent, that at it deep cores both city were beating to the same rhythm.

But Bellhaven was different, it wasn't a village, but it wasn't a metropolis either. The steady pace of Kallisto, the warmth of Fion's body in front of mine, the buzz of the light of dawn, gave me a security I never had experienced on any road. The houses were strung together, all in the color of white, they didn't tower into the air, they looked modest and welcoming, the window shutters were multicolored, yet I noticed dirt on the pavement, broken glass and the howling of stray dogs. Not even this place could be circumvented by poverty.

My eyes trailed over the street and ended up an a building bigger than the others. Building might have been a misleading word, it was much rather a ruin. It could have been a castle, or one of the houses built by people before our time, Edan probably would have been able to tell the difference.

For the first time after the dead children, I saw people. They were enveloped in dark shabby cloaks, sitting on the ground and on the debris. A woman with long raven hair and typical tan teliassian skin, like sun kissing bronze, was bent over a body that she held between her arms. Blood-curdlingly soundless she was crying over her dying child. Next to her were children, beggars and what seemed like homeless large families. The ruins were filled with gruesomeness. How could a city so beautiful and untouched be so damaged and indigent at the same time? My brain couldn't comprehend what was happening quick enough, because we were already unnoticed had passed the ruin when I found my voice again.

"We need to halt, we need to help them", I told Fion, who turned around to face mask best as he could.

"We cannot halt", he objected "We also cannot help them, their affliction is carved out of gold"

"What do you mean by that? Something only can be carved out of stone and even in that relation it doesn't make any sense", I replied.

"Their suffering is caused by the crown and their gold they are sitting on", he answered.

I pressed my lips together and raised my eyebrows. "If the crown knew of all this, they would help. I most definitely know that, I know the people who rule the council, I know the person who is the head of our realm. No injustice would be overseen, they rule quickly, they rule easily. This is without a question an easy decision to make", I said.

"Levitas vincit. Levity wins. It's easy to do nothing, that is the truth. Your uncle he knows about the circumstances here, he knows about the circumstances anywhere. He has to know it, he is king. His web of spies is inescapable, you will notice that soon enough. I'm astonished by the fact that you act like there are no dying children in Melar and that you are defending the monsters you ran away from", he retorted.

"I did not run away from them. I also did not run away from responsibilities or out of fear. I left because I wanted my freedom, it should be everyones greatest asset. Regarding dying children, it highly likely that they do exist in Melar. But they die behind closed doors because of lack of medicine, not on the open streets, our beggars are beggars because of the destruction of their houses during the attack of the North, where the crown spent all savings on reconstruction of the city, but unfortunately  there were not enough", I told him.

"We cannot halt, you will have enough time to help them, believe me", Fion answered simply and Kallisto began to move again.

I wondered why I felt so offended, that he disagreed with people, I disagreed with. The people that had raised me, the people I didn't consider mine anymore. I asked myself when their stain would be washed of, when I would start speaking without seeing their faces in my mind.

I remembered the book that I had recalled in the tunnel, before leaving Melar. Maybe I had been a salesman all along and I only had pretended to be a vermin out of defiance. I shook my head and riveted my eyes back onto the street.

.

The place where Fion brought me was neither similar to the white houses in the city of Bellhaven nor to the ruins I had spotted earlier.

We were standing in front of a building, that I would have called a palace, if I wouldn't have lived in one. The edifice was rather elongated than tall. A big crystalline bluish dome was its roof, the beams of the sun made it shimmer like the depth of the sea. An arcade made of uncountable arched windows were surrounding the dome. Smaller semi-domes were on either side of the dome. Two large towers lined a big marble stair up to the entrance. It was undoubtedly the most beautiful thing I ever had seen. I was stunned by it's splendor, that I almost felt melancholic.

I recalled the story of Arnemetia. The goodness of the pirates. I wondered if she truly did existed and would inhabit a place, if this would be her choice of settlement. It certainly was a good fit, for a fearless women who was born into river and had made the world for the purpose of mankind to sail on the sea.

Fion and I had decided to walk the last few meters to the dome. It had been a silent agreement, when we halted and he helped me get off Kallisto's back. On our stroll, I just had eyes for the building, yet I did notice that we were alone. There were no women in bright linen tunics, no men with dirty hands, no children singing songs, no sound of the hoof of a horse hitting the ground, but the one of Kallisto.

I did think that Fion's comment on Melar sitting on gold had been hypocritical. He most certainly brought me to a place whose inhabitants did have money and power. They didn't seem like they were helping the dying child on the debris either.

Before I even dared to ask a question, Fion spoke. "This place is called Gliocas Naomh, which as far as I recall translates to holy wisdom. It was built a long time ago by people before our time. It was a place people came to pray, a place where people came to learn and study what their heart desired. The people that live there now, have always tried to keep up that legacy, but they were not the ones who built it."

I wondered if he had an ability to detected thoughts and emotions of others or if I had an incredibly readable face.

We both had tried to defend the people we were loyal to. Loyal to in an extend, rather been brainwashed to be loyal to. I knew that he felt similar, I knew that he would tell me Bellhaven and Gliocas Naomh were his home, but that his heart still had it's remains in the North.

I gave him a quick nod and spared him any remarks. We walked up the stairs which lead into a big forecourt. There was still no human soul around. Just Fion, me and Kallisto. The mostly silence made shivers go down my spine. I knew that they were somewhere, watching every step of mine.

Fion pushed open a big iron gate for us to enter the building. Ornaments of multiple snakes and some flowers, that I suspected to be part of the morning glory family, embellished the dark metal.

I didn't think it was possible, but the interior upstaged the exterior on many levels. It felt like I was below the surface of the sea. Blue light was shining down on us, some walls were painted in rose color, decorated by drawings of flowers and ornaments, some walls were covered in tiny ceramic tiles. I spotted several tulip paintings. The flamboyant colors made the room seem like I had entered a fantasy world, far beyond my own imagination.

A big chandelier was hanging inside of the room. Under it two figures were standing. One was facing us. It was a woman, not older than I would have guessed Moira Adalsteinn to be, but much prettier. She was wearing a sheath dress, a simple garment in the color of white, it was held up with two shoulder straps and fell from bellow the breasts to the ankles, a golden sash was bound around her waist. Next to her with the back to us was sanding a masculine figure with a bald head. They had awaited us.

When Fion and I approached, the figure turned around. It was a man, his face round, his eyes dark like charcoal, his smile seemingly genuine.

"Welcome to Bellhaven, Keeva Regani. I hope there were no disturbances on your journey. Has our knight been treating you well?" his voice sounded as old as the building itself, wise, erudite and as deep as the red evening sky.

I felt like I was hearing myself talking. "Who are you?"

"You are talking to Imhotep, regent of Bellhaven and Nefri regent of Beyda", he pronounced gravely.

I certainly have learnt about regents during my preparation to succeed the throne. They worked as representatives for the crown. They were able to make small decisions in a certain area they had been given. Mostly the people who ruled before they pledged loyalty to my family, were able to keep some of their administrative bodies, still they were bound to the law, which was made in Melar. Some regents were easier to collaborate with, some showed aversion and tried to rebel, most of those who take it to far were silence, something I truly would have hated while being queen.

"Then tell me, Imhotep regent of Bellhaven and Nefri regent of Beyda, what exactly is the use for me? Am I your prisoner?" I asked with a calm voice.

"Has nobody taught you manners, child? You have just arrived in Bellhaven, city of the scholars. Imhotep is granting you the opportunity to say here. It would be highly discourteous to refuse his hospitality", the woman has began to spoke. Her tongue was so sharp, like I suspected her mind to be. She reminded me of the sort of women, I rather eschewed. Women who were ruthless and would stop at nothing to get what they want, who had no sense of sisterhood and betray other women like breathing air. I have learnt to not trust women, who don't share empathy with other women.

"Discourteous?" I repeated her words, with a hint of sarcasm in my voice. "Imhotep, hasn't express any word about hospitality yet, much rather he order somebody to kidnap me and bring me here without my consent. I don't call that hospitality. Do you?" I uttered.

Imhotep examined me with his kind eyes. He somehow reminded me of Avala's Master Eachann, they had a similar bibliophile aura. "Sir Fion, Nefri of Beyda, would you please excuse me and crown princess Keeva, for a moment. I think it is better for all of us, if this conversation is private."

They both nodded simultaneously. Fion reached out for Nefri's hand and escorted her out of the room. I wondered why a lionhearted knight and a unconscionable regent would obey an old man so quickly without hesitation. I never truly heard of an Imhotep.

"Long before you parents were born, your family invaded Teliassen. After they brought Teliassen city to fall, they did not stop. They wanted more. Don't people always want more? So, they took every single inch of Teliassen, also Bellhaven. The knights fenced a colossal area and drove people inside, once they were inside they were high and dry. The knights told them, it was to count the population or gave different excuses, much rather they wanted to eliminate them all, to make space for the melarian populace to take their houses. Tremendous crowds sat there, slept, walked back and forth, waited for something to happen. To eat, they got nothing. Gradually the began to rip out gras and dig out roots to survive at least a couple days. They drank water out of puddles. After a couple days the place had turned into a wasteland. The nights were cold, the people who slowly started to look less human began to bundle up. In the mornings piles of the bundle stayed on the ground, because they died because they were chilled through or to weak. After a week, they let us go. Half of them were dead, the other half had gone insane."

"Why?", I asked him. "Why are you telling me all of this?"

"Nobody can wash their hands in innocence. Not even me. I apologize Keeva Regani Doughlas for escorting you here like you are a prisoner and for keeping you a prisoner here, if you don't decide to stay willingly.", he answered.

"What is keeping me from running away? I could walk out of this door at any given moment. You certainly couldn't stop me.", I retorted my fiery eyes fixed on his face.

"The boy. You are fond of him. You trust him.", he answered.

"Fion? I don't trust Fion Fearchar", I lied. "I barley know him. If you really think I would give up my freedom for a boy, you certainly have no idea who I am."

"He is very intriguing. Resembles you in many ways. He wasn't born here. But his loyalty, his dedication to us it fascinates you. All you are use to is forced loyalty, who in the end is fictional.", he looked at me with a complacent look.

I didn't take my glance of him. "You act like you have seen my heart and you now know how to play to its beats. I understand you are a wise and savant man, but if you think I'm that simple, you are mistaken. I'm afraid that I'm highly complex, but let me elaborate. It is true I'm intrigued, I'm intrigued by many things, beauty, honesty, kindness and even loyalty. But things that intrigue me do not ever keep me from my goals. This is not something a Master in Melar has taught me. This is who I am. A word of advice. Next time when you meet someone who potentially could be your enemy don't try to read them. Your assumptions might turn out to be wrong."

He smiled at me, there was no hint of cruelty in his face. "I know you are telling me that you chose to resist. That you do chose violence. What if I rephrase my statement from earlier. Give us a month. After that you are free to go wherever you want. Although I understand if you wish to stay after that. We are able to provide food and a roof over you head. You have no place to go anyways."

"I think you made it very clear that I do not have a choice. Although I am willing to accept your offer. One month, after that I have the freedom to do as I please.", I retorted.

The smile on his face grew wider, so that he almost was grinning. "So it be", he said. He reached to his throat. Over his white tunic, he was wearing a gold chain with a pendant. That very pendant turned out to be of pipe-like nature. He put it between his lips and blew. A high sound echoed through the room.

A girl appeared where Fion and Nefri had vanished. She was wearing a lovely yellow dress and had teliassian features. "To your service", she said, her cheeks covered in a blush.

"Would you be so kind and escort our guest to her chambers?", he asked

She gave him a quick nod and looked at me with anticipation, as I made a move into her direction. Well, at least I would be given a chamber and not a prison cell, although I didn't want to speak too soon, before I have actually seen the place I would spend a month in.

The girl lead me through doors, past columns and more incredible architectural work. I was slightly jealous of the fact, that I hadn't spent my childhood here, but in barren Melar castle. She stopped in front of a door, covered in ornaments of sunflowers. With a big push she opened up the door.

The room had been designed in warm colors, I had a bed and a dresser. A big mirror was hanging  on the wall. "Imhotep has ordered a long time ago to get this room ready. Never could I have imagined it to be inspirited by the crown princess of Melar.", the girl began talking. Something about her sweet voice made her amicable.

"I do not want to know for how long they have been expecting me. I happen to dislike both and they both happen to dislike me.", I answered and sat down on a chair, on which she invited me with a hand movement to sit on.

"I do need to get you ready, you have to meet the others. Also I am sure Imhotep doesn't dislike you. I don't think he could dislike any soul. Nefri on the other hand"

"Loathes me after minutes of meeting me.", I cut her off a tad too harshly.

"You shall not be frightened by her attitude.", she said, a smile on her lips like a gentle breeze. "Fighters, warriors, queens, regents. They all are recognized by their intentions, which are more valuable then their portrayal.", she continued.

Her yellow dress floated through the room. She took a comb and started to untangle my hair. A yellow gardenia was placed behind my ear. Her face was not to far away from me, she smelled like flowers, coffee and an unidentifiable spice. Her lips were resplendent, I couldn't take my eyes off them. A red liquid had damped them. I wondered if I tasted them I could tell which red wine she had been drinking.

"I have something to wear for you", she told me. I have heard this sentence over and over in my life. It was associated with another person I have left behind. I felt a knot in my stomach grow.

"Alright", I replied.

.

The girl had given me black pants and a plain maroon shirt, so that the gardenia behind my ear only could look ridiculous. I did not take it away, because I didn't want to upset her. She polity had left the room, when I changed. I knew about people who made their ladies dress and wash themselves. I personally felt like that was rather a strange thing to do.

With a soft knock on the door she announced herself. She also had changed into a nearly identical outfit as I was wearing. "Are you ready?" she asked me.

"Yes. I'm afraid I don't even know your name", I told her.

"I'm Vega", she said. Her eyes widened in shock as I raised my hand to shake hers. It was an act of setting us both on an equal ground. When I left the castle, I had wished not to become queen. All that happened so far is that I am still Keeva Regani Doughlas, the stray crown princess, but I didn't want to be that. I had to remind myself somehow that I wasn't that and I had to start somewhere. "Nice to meet you Vega, I'm Keeva"

"Shall we go then?" she asked, her eyes trailing to the door. Wherever she was going to bring me it was probably better than to rot away in my room.

I gave her a quick nod and we both were back in a maze of the most beautiful sculptures and colors I ever have seen. "Do you know Fion?" I queried her.

"In fact I do. Is the follow up question whether he has a girlfriend or not? Asking for a friend of course.", she gave me a cheeky glance.

I raised my eyebrows in protest. "Are you taking the piss at me?", I hit back.

She laughed. It felt a like a long time since I made somebody laugh. "Maybe I am", she answered.

"The broken and brooding aren't really my type.", I told her.

"Well something tells me that the broken and brooding are exactly your type. Fion is rather handsome", she said in a sing-song tune.

"I guess he is.", I replied scarce.

"Didn't you two have any fun on the way here?" she asked. I didn't look at her, but I was sure she was suggestively wiggling her eyebrows at me.

"We killed a man on the way, injured two other. Saw some dead children, some dying children. Indeed our trip through the murder forest was very fun", I snorted.

"Oh, that almost sounded romantic, till the dead children came in of course. I mean I do know his sister very good. Fion is as beautiful as he is reserved. If he is anything like his sister, he could seduce anyone in seconds.", Vega stated.

"She can do that seduce anyone in seconds? How did they even end up here? They are from a northern tribe.", I asked her, hoping she would give me the answer I craved for.

"Well she is as deadly as she is seductive. About his heritage you do have to ask him personally. I mean I do know, but I don't want to say anything that I shouldn't. I'm already telling you too much. But I can tell you how I ended up here. My cousin happens to be Nefri. My family is scattered all over the world, I have brothers. They are most likely dead. One, the oldest, Alistair, he does write me letters. Or better he did write me letters. He is currently in Melar. Both of my parents are dead and I happen to not be born a boy. People in Teliassen are sadly still thinking very traditional, so I was not able to ditch everything and find me my freedom. Staying in Beyda, would have been boring. So I decided to join them.", she told me.

"Join who exactly?", I asked her.

"Them. They do not really have a name. I just know that some of them are the most talented people of the whole realm. People came to this place to study literature, science and art. Imhotep teaches us all of that too, but above all we are trained soldiers. Fion is a knight, probably one of the best, some of us are the smartest. Together we do complete each other pretty well.", she explained.

"What is the use of you? To take down my family and hold me as a hostage?" I interrogated her.

"We don't really know yet. Some of us have been given a roof over the head and thats why they are staying. Lynel thinks we are here for greater good, whatever that might mean, Tomoya says that we are taking up the ancient tradition and are becoming polymaths, people who succeed in different numbers of subjects.", she babbled.

"So, I have to be a part of that group?"I asked her, my head slightly spinning, either from the fact that everything was to much information to process or the fact that every pillar had started to looked the same and we might have been walking in circles.

"I guess it is Imhotep's intention for you to join during your monthly stay", she explained and halted. We were standing on a upper floor on which we were able to see into a forecourt. The sound of swords clashing against each other was prominent. "Well that is them", she said cheerfully.

"Fion, you already know", she said and my eyes wandered to the tall man who was holding a longsword in his hand. Behind him an ash-blonde girl was sitting languidly. Her facial features were more distinctive, her cheek bones were almost as sharp as a throwing knife. The girl was unquestionably his sister. "That's Finley.", Vega, who was following my glance, explained.

"They almost have the same name", I assessed.

"I think that is a northern thing", Vega explained and pointed into the direction of a dark skinned man, who was standing opposite of Fion. "That is Lynel, he is our leader. The people who are sitting are Kiowa and Tomoya.", she continued.

I didn't see much of their faces, but they had arms as big of the size of my head. I felt my stomach turn and the blood run out of my face.

"Oh, Keeva you do look really pale. I think we should go back and you can meet them properly tomorrow.", Vega carried on.

I looked at Vega, she was being very kind to me and I instantly wished we could be close friends, although leaving another friend behind I may not be able to bear.  "That is a good idea, can we drink some tea in my room, maybe?"

Vega nodded, her dark hair falling into her face. Her big brown eyes almost looked concerned. "Of course we can, I would very much like that"

Vega had already accelerated, but I took a last glance at the training group. They all looked like they could have been on a magazine cover. I was surprised that I soon would be part of a lethal group of supermodels.