Secret of the Sunstones, Part 1: The Wanton Kingdom

Chapter VI : Unrequited

Earlnight of Quartus, Twenty-Eighth Day of Harvestmoon

Cedric Curtis was delighted to welcome the distinguished Rosa Reynolds to his estate. For so long, he had dreamt of the day she would consider him for marriage. As far as Angkorian noblewomen, she was one of a kind. Others vied for his attention, but they were boring, with small minds and tightly drawn worlds. Rosa, on the other hand, was outgoing, curious, well-versed, and intellectual, all qualities that Cedric valued.

Perhaps even more stunning, she was a veteran of The War and a witness to unspeakable horrors. Yet, she survived those terrible ordeals without the trauma of a hardened heart. A woman like Rosa could do or become anything. Yet, she wasted her life as a prisoner, trapped inside the high walls of Angkor’s social elite. Cedric had always wanted to be the man to help her take flight and sail away. If only she’d let him, he’d fulfill her every dream and ambition.

The first time he met her was two years earlier. Angkor was commemorating the centennial of its founding, which they called Unification Day. It was a glorious event that recognized the union of two countries that eventually became modern day Angkor.

Rosa should have had the time of her life, but her very own betrothed stood her up at the last minute, leaving her feeling abandoned and alone. Cedric never understood how a Gnostic Knight could pretend to carry on a serious relationship. Like his brethren, Bram was a good soldier. But he still chose the life of a cold-blooded killer. Cedric, on the other hand, was more like a sommelier. He knew that a mead of a man like Bram would never pair well with a delicate, complex blend like Rosa.

There she was, at the event, sitting all alone at a table. She caught Cedric’s eye, so he sat down and introduced himself. The first few moments were nothing but small talk, and Cedric wanted only for Rosa to leave the conversation cheerier than when she entered. He had no expectations, just genuine kindness, which happened to be just what she needed.

For months, Cedric went out of his way to see her, searching for any opportunity. He knew that wealthy Angkorian women were exposed to sculptors, painters, and musicians, but Cedric wanted to open Rosa up to others forms of entertainment. Ones that usually caused those in the noble class to turn up their haughty little noses. These were the bards, comedians, and theater performers who provided joy to Angkor’s less affluent. As expected, Rosa found the artists of the proletariat to be far more authentic.

Over time, Cedric saw Rosa as more than just a friend. In fact, he couldn’t imagine a world in which she wasn’t always at his side. He wanted to share everything! And as it happened, he had the means to do so. He was Angkor’s Grand Craftsman, Inventor of the Airship, and Innovator Extraordinaire. This afforded him a rather comfortable lifestyle, one that was well compensated by the king’s coffers. It seemed that Richard had an insatiable appetite for Cedric’s inventions. He was the best craftsman in the kingdom, if not the world.

Long ago, Cedric grew up as the son of a deep-sea fisherman. His father knew little outside of ship maintenance and repair, but he did all he could to pass skills onto his son. Cedric loved tinkering and learned quickly. Before long, all the shipwrights in the region sought his expertise.

One day, a high-ranking official took note of his handiwork and offered him a position on a top-secret project. The kingdom had been experimenting with a combination of magic and ordinary nautical mechanics to create ships capable of air flight. In the very early stages, the contraptions proved dangerous and unreliable, so the king sought talent and expertise from the realm’s top artisans. Cedric spent countless hours and sleepless nights devising solutions, until at last, he devised an invention that ushered in the modern world.

King Richard hired him on the spot and created a whole new office at the top of his administration. Pretty soon, Cedric’s design spread across the world. Schools taught his principles, and others improved upon his initial framework. Yet, he always remained modest. Not only had his efforts made him famous, but his humility gained him the respect of his peers.

As for physical appearance, Cedric considered himself to be rather comely. He wasn’t as broad chested or chiseled as Sir Morrison—and some might even call him stocky—but he received compliments from women all the same. He was midway into his forties, with a dark, close-cropped beard that covered the lines of maturity around his face, and bright hazel eyes that carried an air of dignity and intelligence.

Recently, a man had approached his doorstop with a dark pointed beard and a top hat, who called himself Andrews. The man introduced himself as an employee of Rosa’s father, and he asked Cedric to share whether he had any romantic feelings for the man’s daughter. At first, the Craftsman was outraged. Normal people respected privacy and wouldn’t dare delve into personal affairs—much less on behalf of a young girl’s father. However, Andrews explained that Rosa and Sir Morrison were having problems, and Tom desired a remedy for his daughter’s hurt feelings. Andrews encouraged Cedric to follow his heart, as long as it was wanting.

It was an odd proposal, but Cedric wasted no time in finding the right chef to cater a bountiful dinner for the now single sorceress. After a succulent serving of apricot-glazed roasted peacock, a ragout of wild game hen, and a velvety spiced wine, he brought his date to a chamber deep in his abode, which he called the Garnet Room.

It was his favorite place to entertain guests, named for its lavish color scheme. Elaborate brass lighting fixtures cast a perfect warmth upon the carmine décor. Kitezhian rugs topped dark mahogany floors, and Vinetan oil paintings of beautiful landscapes hung atop hand-stenciled wallpaper.

She sat opposite him across a cherry tea table in an ornate chair with plush cushions and armrests carved in the shapes of maple leaves. He took out an ironwood pipe, hoping to pass the time with a smoke, since Rosa had been mostly silent during dinner. Given the awkwardly arranged evening, he expected her to be shy. So, he invited some silent time while she digested dinner.

At last, she decided to speak. “Your home … it’s lovely.”

It occurred to him that she had never been to his manor before. Of course, it wouldn’t have been proper to invite another man’s lady without his permission. But this time things were different.

“Thank you, my dear,” he told her, hoping it wouldn’t sound too formal.

In that moment, he thought of the perfect icebreaker. He had been working for months on a small-scale model to represent the final battle of The War. Cedric knew that Rosa loved art and history, so he figured she would enjoy seeing it. Plus, it would offer up plenty of new subject matter.

He turned to his date wearing a giddy smile. “I’d like to show you something, Rosa. Would you care to follow me?”

She seemed grateful for a change in mood. Taking her by the hand, he led her down a long hallway across shimmering pools of light cast by ornate chandeliers. At the end was a large room with long tables set in a rectangle. Each of them was decorated with scaled-down replicas of mountains, rivers, and trees. Laid across these landmarks were hundreds of miniature soldiers in a reenactment of Dobb’s Plain, the battle that ended The War.

Rosa approached, her eyes sparkling, and her lips moving in silent astonishment. The look of wonder on her face warmed Cedric’s heart.

“It’s … incredible!”

Cedric closed in and laid a hand on her shoulder, gently guiding her to each of the various scenes. “Here’s the outcropping where General Friedreich Rommel of Kitezh fell to the Angkorian defense. Some might argue that Rommel’s fall signaled the end of The War.”

He moved on to another section. “This field is where the Kenju Warriors of Koba met their match against Richard’s Royal Guard. It was the riskiest move of The War: positioning the last of his elite forces into battle. It would have left Angkor vulnerable to a direct attack, had it not succeeded. It was also where the Grandmaster, leader of the Royal Guard, lost his life.”

Rosa stared in disbelief. “Where did you find the time to build all this, Cedric?”

He hoped he wasn’t blushing. “Well, to be fair, it’s taken me almost a year to get this far. I dedicate a few hours per week, if that, and I know a few artisans in my workshop who have offered to help making miniatures.”

“I love it,” she professed, her eyes dreamy.

Cedric took her to the back side of the model and picked up his favorite figurine, a woman in a blue sorceress’ uniform. “Many say that scholars … well, sorceresses in particular … played a very important role in The War.”

Rosa brought a hand to her chest. “That looks like me!”

Cedric nodded. “It is you, Rosa. I wanted the model to show how soldiers and sorceresses integrated into battle. Many claim it’s the reason why Angkor held such a clear advantage. Certainly, we’ve come a long way as a society. A few hundred years ago, before Angkor was a country, scholars were considered outcasts.”

Rosa closed in on the table, scrutinizing the scene. It looked like something bothered her.

“What is it?” he asked.

She brushed it off. “Oh, it’s nothing. I recall a few differences; but really, I shouldn’t nitpick.”

“No, no, I want to hear!” he begged. “Your personal expertise would truly help to improve the accuracy. Please, tell me: What would you change?”

“Hmm, let me think.” She bent down to study the landscape, the hills and trees, and everything in between. “When Bram and I fought the Kitezhian forces, we were here.”

She pointed to a rock outcropping to the side, rather than the hill where Cedric had originally placed the figures. “We were ambushed by archers, who had snuck up the knoll and hid behind these rocks, there.” Her brows scrunched, and her eyes traced what seemed to be a distant and unpleasant memory.

Cedric felt guilty for forcing her to relive a potentially traumatic event. He tried his best to backpedal. “We should stop, Rosa. There’s no need to rehash a painful past.”

“No, I was just trying to recall the details. That’s all,” she insisted. She plucked the blue robed figurine from his hand and grabbed a few others from the model. She then began setting them back up. “I was here … and Bram was there.” She placed both figures. “We had limited visibility, so we didn’t see the archers until they made their first shot.”

Cedric watched in wonder as the scene came to life. Rosa’s memory of the events was still fresh in her mind.

“Bram was shot before I could react. I’d never been so scared in my life,” she paused to take a deep breath. “We never saw it coming. All of a sudden there were eight of them, firing on us. To our side, a unit of Kitezhian soldiers had us flanked. We were cornered, with no way out.”

Her tale pulled at Cedric’s heartstrings. He could imagine how powerless it must have felt to have the enemy round the corner with murder in their eyes. It was one thing to build a model that represented the actual battlefield, but quite another to be there firsthand.

Rose motioned toward her chest. “The arrow that hit between Bram’s breastplates ended up piercing his lung.” She teared, her jaw trembling. “I was running low on manna, having already cast too many spells that morn. But if I didn’t do something ….”

Cedric hung on every word, experiencing the moment-by-moment narrative.

“His breath came in short rasps. He coughed, and … the blood … it was everywhere. I was certain he was going to die, so I summoned whatever magic I had remaining. All of it.”

Rosa’s body suddenly radiated a pale blue. Her memories were so strong that actual magic surged inside of her.

“I raised a shield against the downpour of arrows, and I … I brought him back.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “I don’t know how, but when I needed the magic, it was there. I healed him, Cedric. It shouldn’t have been possible, but I did it. I just couldn’t let him die. I couldn’t ….”

She sobbed gently, squeezing out a few gentle tears. Cedric realized why. It was clear as day. “You still love him, don’t you?”

She was choked up, so she merely nodded.

Cedric was crushed. “But … I don’t understand. Why did you come here tonight, Rosa?”

Seeing the look of humiliation creep across her face, he led her to a small red sofa on the side of the room and offered a handkerchief from his breast pocket, so she could dry her tears.

After dabbing her eyes, she confessed. “I was foolish to come and drag you into this. I let my father talk me into the stupidest of things.”

Cedric sighed. “I should have suspected this wasn’t your idea. Your father’s messenger mentioned that you and Bram were having trouble, and he made it seem like you had already decided to part ways. Believe me, Rosa, I wouldn’t have attempted to make this a romantic evening, otherwise.”

She sniffled and used the tip of her handkerchief delicately against her nose. “Perhaps I half-believed he was right. You see, Bram is mostly absent from my life, these days, and my father knows it. He tells me I’ll never be a mother without being wed, and I’ll never be wed without Bram at my side. I’ve felt alone for so long … and now my father has threatened to force me out of the house, if I don’t change—”

“He did what?” Cedric couldn’t believe it. “He threatened you?”

Rosa explained. “He implied, as he often does. He said living in his house has been a form of charity, and I shouldn’t expect it to continue. He made it clear that I either found a man who can provide for me, or I leave the household with Bram and figure it out, myself.”

Cedric scowled. He found the tactic crude and unfatherly. He had never raised a child, himself, but if he had, he would have given them all he had to make them happy.

“What do you want, Rosa? Assuming you had the means, what kind of life would you live?”

She lowered her head. “I don’t know. I mean … when The War ended, I thought I wanted to raise a family. So when my father offered me his cottage, I pictured me and Bram raising a child. A little girl, in fact. We even talked about it a few times. But when Richard reformed the Gnostic Knights and sent them on secret missions, things changed. Bram changed. He feels … distant and unhappy. And I suppose that makes me unhappy, too.”

Knowing the truth, Cedric was hurt. His role was just that of a man who happened to get in the middle of two lovers hitting a rough patch. He had nothing to offer Rosa, other than friendly advice. Living by himself had made him lonely, too, but Rosa had what it took to change her situation. She didn’t need to end up like him.

“Listen, my Dear, I don’t want you to think for a moment that this has sullied our friendship. But to me, it’s clear that you and Bram still love each other.”

She sighed, her relief palpable. “But what am I to do? I want to be with him, but we can’t afford to live without my father’s help.”

“Balderdash.” Cedric was certain. “You’ll figure it out. Together. Just don’t let anyone—especially your father—tell you what you can or can’t do. Life is too short to run away from your dreams.”

Her face brightened, and the pall that had fallen over her vanished. She seemed genuinely grateful. “Thank you, Cedric. Thank you so much for understanding.”

“Of course,” he responded.

She hugged him tightly. The embrace was warm and wonderful, but also melancholy. Once finished, his dreams would go with it.

“I’ll walk you to the door,” he offered, trying hard not to appear disappointed.

Rosa smiled. “Thank you for a wonderful dinner, Cedric. You’re a true friend.”

He forced his best smile. Despite the goodness of his deed, his date was at an end.