The early fall wind was colder than Cobal remembered. It was an early fall as well, normally it would still be summer weather right now. A year ago he was in Milinia with Mana, Kimi and Cassandra. The weather was much more agreeable there due to the constant cover of the forest. Saphestan was built on top of a hill so it caught a lot of the wind running through its winding streets. The shops were mostly closing down for the evening and the bustle of the city was pleasant compared to the rest of the day. Cobal had gained an appreciation for life outside of the palace in a way he never thought he would when he first left home that day with Mana. He thought back to when he escorted her to their wagon and watched as she sat there in silence, only answering when spoken to. The journey to Ravadier was tense and unpleasant and it would be a while longer before things got better. But since he met Mana, he had seen so many new sights. He’d visited an underwater city, a magical prison holding a spirit, an elven city and a sage who became his mentor. He’d seen pirates and cultists, bandits and libraries that reached all the way to the sky. He found friendship and love and a feeling of freedom and purpose that was missing from his life when he was younger. Yet when he walked through the capital for the Blueyerd Kingdom like this, with the sun going down and the cold wind blowing through, he couldn’t help but still feel a sense of pride walking through this town. Through his town. He would never be the king and that was perfectly fine with him. But this was his kingdom as much as it was his father and brother’s kingdom. He did worry that he would become much more busy when Nazuren took over from their father, but he hoped his father would get out of his slump and many years would pass before that happened.
A nearby vendor recognized him and greeted him. “Your highness, would you like a free sample?” Cobal looked over at the grill where the fire had gone out but a batch of chicken skewers were still sitting there. “I would normally say yes, but I’m on my way to dinner so I’ll have to pass. It would be terribly rude to arrive with a full stomach.”
The man smiled. “Next time.”
“Next time,” Cobal agreed. He continued down the street until he reached the alleyway where Dorgan’s jewelry store was located. He hesitated for a moment .Although he knew it was no fault of his, Selvia had gone through some very traumatic events due to the actions of his family and he felt a sense of guilt for that. Not to mention that Dorgan was a very straightforward person and if he was angry with Cobal he would certainly let him have, prince or not. Cobal took a deep breath before knocking on the door. A few moments passed before he heard footsteps followed by the rustling of keys. Dorgan opened the door and let him in. The old man was polite but never one for theatrics. Cobal appreciated that about him and he followed him down a narrow hallway and to the back of the shop, where their home was. Selvia was putting the final touches to the table and filling the glasses with wine when he entered. She smiled. “I’m so glad you could make it.”
“To be honest, I’d take any excuse to be out of the palace right now.”
“How come?” Dorgan offered Cobal his pipe but he declined.
“Meetings. A lot of it can’t be disclosed, but then again it’s not like much gets decided anyway. Let’s just say I miss traveling.”
“Talking never fixed any problems,” Dorgan grumbled.
“It certainly isn’t going to fix this one.” Cobal agreed.
Selvia put the pots on the table and sat down with them as well. “Hopefully you can put your mind off of it tonight and enjoy the food. Dad worked hard on it.”
“I didn’t know you could cook,” Cobal said.
“I am a man of many talents.” Dorgan grinned. He took the lid off the pan. “Dig in.” The smell emanating from the pot was wonderful. A stew that was still slightly boiling greeted him as he looked into the pot. Fresh meat and vegetables swam in the thick brown soup and to the side was a large bowl filled with broken off pieces of bread. Finally there was another large pot which had a big chunk of lamb meat still simmering inside. “Please, help yourself,” Selvia said with a bright smile. She spooned some stew into her own bowl and reached for the bread.
Cobal followed her example and the three enjoyed a decent meal in silence. The space behind the jewelry store was new to Cobal. He’d visited Dorgan and Sevlia many times, but they’d always met in the storefront or outside, never in the home of the two. A small shrine sat in the corner of the room with an urn placed on top of it next to some candles. The urn had a beautiful golden band around it with several gemstones set into it. Etched into this golden band was a single name. Vela. Cobal figured that this must be the name of Dorgan’s wife who passed away many years ago. He noticed other things in the room. There was a painting of a lake with lush green plant life around it. There was also a small cabinet with pieces of jewelry laying on top of it. It was a humble abode but it felt cozy. Cobal felt blessed for being invited over for dinner.
Dorgan cleared his throat. “I wanted to officially thank you for saving my daughter. I heard that she was in quite a bit of trouble when you found her and that you made sure she got home safely. I was worried when she didn’t return for a long time.” He grabbed Cobal’s hand tightly and held it. “Seriously, I owe you.”
Cobal put his other hand on Dorgan’s and smiled. “You don’t owe me anything, friend. I’m thankful I was there to be able to help when Selvia needed it. She wouldn’t have gotten into this tricky situation if it weren’t for my family in the first place.”
“You are not responsible for the actions of your family.” Dorgan let go of his hand. “You stepped in where you could and that is more than I could ever ask of you.”
Cobal blushed a bit. “Well, I wasn’t the only one who helped.”
Selvia put down her spoon. “On that topic, where did Eliana go? I wanted to invite her as well, but I couldn’t get a hold of her. I thought we were getting along on the journey back.
“Eliana’s situation is complicated.” Cobal chuckled to himself. “After we got back to Saphestan she quickly had to leave again. I suspect she’s sailing somewhere around the coast with her crew again. She mentioned something about clearing out the rest of Triban Island to make it a safe haven. Mana was of course grateful for the invitation but was tired. But she did tell me to send her regards.”
“Well, please give both of them my regards when you see them, Selvia said. Seeing her in her home, smiling and eating at the dinner table beside him, he wouldn’t guess she’d been through so much recently. But Cobal had learned from Mana and Eliana that trauma is often far from obvious as someone looking in from the outside. Mana explained to him once that even though Eliana was boisterous and confident in her ways, the trauma she experienced when she was younger was still there. It didn’t define her, but it was a crucial part of who she was and what she went through. Perhaps Selvia was working through her experience as well. “How are you feeling?” he asked.
“I’m doing fine. I still wake up in the middle of the night sometimes, shivering, but that’s the worst of it. I’m slowly starting to feel more comfortable again. I’ve been working at the shop already although I don’t think I’ll be going abroad anytime soon. Perhaps it’s time for me to settle down and find a husband in town.”
“You’re not getting any younger either,” Dorgan said before flinching as Selvia kicked him under the table. “You’re the one who’s complaining about not having a son to take over the business so you can retire.”
“Well, I couldn’t give the store to you, you leave on some grand old journey every day, the place would lose its customers in no time.
“I’d be a responsible store owner,” Selvia protested. Dorgan looked at Cobal and they both laughed. “The day you settle down is the day I’ll walk on water,” Dorgan said. “But I would be happy to see it. I’m not getting younger, you’re right about that much at least.” He looked at Cobal. “Would you like to own a jewelry store?”
“That sounds pretty fun actually, I don’t think I’d mind it. But where would Selvia go once me and my wife move in here?”
They all laughed. “No, I don’t think the life of a jewelry salesman is for me, my dad would disapprove.”
After dinner, Dorgan cleaned up the table while Selvia and Cobal enjoyed a nice herbal tea. “So how are you feeling?” Selvia asked.
Cobal’s eyes narrowed. “Are you asking for any specific reason?”
Selvia rolled her eyes. “Salandra. You may have left on good terms and all that, but you still had to leave her behind. I’m no stranger to a whirlwind romance in a foreign land, so I know how the aftermath can feel.”
Cobal raised an eyebrow. “You never told me about any of that.”
“A lady never tells.”
“Some lady that goes around breaking hearts.” He sighed. “I don’t know. I miss her very much, but it doesn’t feel like the decision to split up was bad. Is that weird?”
Selvia shook her head. “Even I could see she wasn’t ready to leave her life in Marsolin behind and you had no choice to return. So this was the right decision for sure.”
Cobal nodded but let out another deep sigh. “It was the right decision, but it wasn’t a fun one.”
“The right decision is rarely a fun one,” Dorgan said as he sat down again, holding a small black box in his hands. “I know you’re probably going to be all nice and decline it, but I wanted you to have something as a thank you for saving Selvia.”
Cobal hesitated before carefully picking up the small box. It was lighter than he expected and made of fine wood. He opened the lid and it slid off with ease. Inside the small box was a lining of silk fabric in a beautiful light blue color, reminding him of the ocean waves in Ravadier. Sitting in the center of the box was a silver necklace with a beautiful piece of cobalt hanging from it. Cobal held up the piece and looked at it. He was no expert on jewelry but he could tell at a glance that it was a masterpiece. “I can’t accept something this valuable,” he started, but Dorgan quickly cut him off.
“Nonsense, I polished the stone specifically for you. It’s not that valuable of a rock either way so I can’t just sell it to other people. The necklace itself was made by Vela, my late wife. I added the stone since you were named after it and all.”
Cobal couldn’t help but smile brightly at the gift as Selvia unclasped it and hung it around his neck. He touched the rock which felt cold to the touch. “It’s gorgeous, I don’t think I’ve seen a piece of jewelry this pretty in my life.”
Dorgan grinned ear to ear. “It means a lot to me to hear you say that.” He slapped Cobal on his back. “Wear it with pride and always remember why I gave it to you.”
“I will, I promise.” Cobal felt a warmth in his chest. He felt so at ease here, talking freely with close friends without the decorum of the palace that he’d spent the last few days in. It was at that moment that he realized he had to leave the capital soon. He would go crazy staying here. Unfortunately he had no excuse to leave and the meetings didn’t seem like they would end anytime soon. His attention was quickly brought back to the here and now as the conversation shifted to lighter topics. Cobal would spend the rest of the evening talking with Dorgan and Selvia until he finally made his way back home just before midnight, greeting the anxious guard at the gate who was relieved to see that the prince had made it back safe, as he would be in major trouble if Cobal never showed up again. The lights in Mana’s room were already out and after getting undressed, Cobal went to sleep as well.
Opal Kaharis 