As we fall, I close my eyes, thinking about what's going on right now on the Alkina. The seige is probably going to take a while. It might take a few hours, it might take a few months. Most likely it's going to take a week or two, knowing the Alkina's defense system. But then again, the attackers would know about that too, now wouldn't they?
"Lyn." Kaden's voice echos and I turn in the air with some difficulty to face him. His golden hair stands at an odd angle due to the winds and I almost laugh.
"YA?" I holler, but he shakes his head, struggling to point to his head. I frown, giving him a puzzled look.
"Think. Don't talk. We can do that now, since we're both Caltrit." I nod, at least, I nod as much as anyone falling at who knows how many miles per hour can nod. I try to sort of think my words at him, and after a few attempts he nods, signaling he got it.
"So are we war prisoners or something?" I can hear Kaden's laugh in my head and I smile.
"No, Lyn. We're practically gods. I mean, you and I are. Crystal and Mercy are just under our protection. You and I will be living the high life down there. Or up on the Alkina if that pleases you, but frankly there's not much to really do up there. Down in the Hylyns, it's a whole new world. Literally. There are unexplored seas and possibly entire continents nobody has ever laid eyes upon. There's this stuff called grass, and these animals. Horses. It's amazing, Lyn. You're going to love it."
"Were you born there?"
"Ya. You kind of have to be in order to qualify to become a Caltrit, and even then it takes so many different attributes and technical stuff it's almost impossible. I'm not surprised you made the cut, though. You're special, Love." I frown, letting the information process. Then it hits me.
"Wait, you said you had to have been born there."
"Yep."
"But... I was born on the Alkina."
"Nope. Not according to records. You're actually technically royalty as well as a god now. Once we ran your DNA through the Alkina's high tech stuff we managed to place you as this long lost second removed cousin or something of the type of his royal pain in my ass Tanner. Say, didn't you have a friend? That one that visited you a while back?"
"You mean Charlie?"
"Ya. That one. That Charlie fellow is marrying Tanner. Probably like right as we speak, actually."
"What? Where? Why? How?"
"Chill, Lyn. It's for the peace treaty between Tanner's country and Charlie's. It was the only way."
"Couldn't you have just told him you had me?"
"Well you see, about that... I mean we really didn't think... Well the truth is that it never really crossed our minds." I gawk.
"Really? Are you fucking serious? It never occured to you that you could trade royalty for a few troops and a promise not to shoot? You had to go and marry off my best friend?!"
"Okay fine yes it did occur to us, but frankly after we turned you into a Caltrit, you could no longer be used as a bargaining chip. You're basically walking neutral ground now thanks to the Counsil of the Hylyn's."
"Then why did you make me Caltrit? That whole for my safety bullshit is kinda out the window now, unless you think Tanner would have killed me or something."
"Okay fine it was me. I fucked everything up. Okay? You were never approved to be a Caltrit. I went past the Counsil and made you one anyway. If you were used as a bargaining chip, there's no way I would be allowed back around you. Tanner hates me for personal and if I'm being completely honest here probably good reasons. He would have just married you off to some other country anyway and I couldn't stand to see you just be tossed around like a game piece."
"Why? Why even care so much? Why would any of this matter to you? It's not like I'm anything special."
"You understand what it's like to be an outcast. You didn't change your hair, you were willing to play those pranks with me, you can stand my stupid mood swings and trust issues, you didn't hate me even when I tried my hardest to make you want to throttle me. I really like you, Lyn. You're the only one who I can even be around anymore. I love mercy like a sister, but my real sibling? He hates me. My parents? I can't ever face them again after causing all this. You're the closest thing I have to family that wasn't forced on me. I chose you and you chose me. Not the computer, not the Diamonds, not the stupid revolution or the Royals of the Hylyns. We chose eachother of our own accord. I couldn't let that go no matter how fucking selfish it is. Please don't hate me, Lyn. Please." I think back to how we met, back in the Sinking Feeling. How in pretty much the first 30 minutes of knowing eachother I'd managed to almost drown, he'd promised to teach me how to swim, and I'd finally felt like I belonged with a group. Even if that wacky group was just us four. Myself, Crystal and Mercy and Kaden. I'll admit that he'd done some stupid shit in the weeks I'd come to know him, but I'd come to quite enjoy the stupidity that is Kaden. Even if half the time I really did want to just throw the goofball off the top of Aitmil, the other half of the time I wanted to jump after him. A feeling that Charlie had always tried and failed to instill in me. I finally felt strongly enough towards a group of people to be ready to sacrifice for them. I wonder if this is why Charlie agreed to the marriage. I guess this is also why Charlie could never truely hate any of our fellow Bronzers no matter what they did. This is why I can't hate Kaden. Why I don't.
"I don't hate you, Kaden. I don't hate you at all."
ns 15.158.61.23da2
