Ashinji had suggested that today they have their language lesson in the gardens below the east wing of the castle. In a shady bower, protected from the midday sun and surrounded by a riotous profusion of flowering shrubbery, he patiently tutored Jelena in Siri-dar by reciting stories from elven mythology, then quizzed her on what she’d heard. She could answer only in Siri-dar; Ashinji supplied any word she could not come up with and corrected her grammatical mistakes as they occurred. Within the deep shade of the bower, the air felt pleasantly cool on the bare skin of Jelena’s arms and face. Like Ashinji, she wore a wraparound tunic and trousers of light cotton, hers dyed the color of the summer sky. Ashinji also wore blue, though of a darker hue, closer to peacock.
“ Now, tell me what you remember about the story of the twin brothers Aje and Rei,” Ashinji gently commanded.
Jelena squirmed a little on the smooth wooden bench. Ashinji had told her that story several days ago, and she didn’t know if she could summon up all of the details. Clearing her throat, she began.
“ Aje and Rei were brothers of great…rivalry. Whatever one had, so other brother must possess. Aje… had possession of…
“ How did Rei get close enough to Ashoya? This was a magical horse, after all,” Ashinji prompted, smiling in encouragement. Jelena’s heart skipped a beat.
“ Rei…himself dressed in clothes belonging to twin Aje, so Ashoya saw his master’s clothes, and thought Rei was Aje.” Jelena paused for a moment to think, then continued. “So, Rei rode Ashoya many days north to lands of the trolls…where he hid with the troll king, who was his friend…and…there was cave made of ice…and that is all I remember!” Jelena let out a whoosh of air and playfully crossed her eyes.
Ashinji burst out laughing. “That was very, very good!” he exclaimed. “You made only a few minor grammar mistakes, but all of the words were correct, and your pronunciation is getting much better. I fully expect you’ll be speaking fluent Siri-dar by midsummer.”
“ With heavy Soldaran accent!”
“ Well, yes, that will take time to disappear, but…” The sound of the castle’s big brass bell, signaling the hour, interrupted. “That’s enough for today. It’s time I got back.” Ashinji sighed, and his face, so cheerful and animated a moment ago, became solemn, and the light in his eyes faded.
Jelena tentatively laid a hand upon his sun-browned forearm, unsure as to how he would react. “What is wrong, Ashinji?” she asked softly. To her surprise and secret delight, he covered her hand with his.
“ Jelena, there is something I must tell you,” he said, swiveling his upper body so that he faced her. “I think you know that my older brother will be married soon-in three days, to be precise. I won’t be able to spend much time with you after today, and I will very much miss your company. My brother Sadaiyo is…he’s someone you want to stay as far away from as possible. That shouldn’t be too difficult, since you are living in the barracks now. However, when you start your duties as my father’s messenger, you will have reason to be at the castle more often.”
Jelena shivered in response to the fear for her that she saw in Ashinji’s eyes.
“ Promise me you’ll watch out for yourself where my brother is concerned, Jelena. Whatever you do, don’t be alone with him.” A lock of Ashinji’s honey-gold hair had fallen down across his forehead, and Jelena struggled against the urge to reach up and brush it away from his face.
She swallowed hard. The perfume of the flowers and Ashinji’s closeness together conspired to made her dizzy. “I can care for myself, Ashinji, but…I promise I will do as you say.” She didn’t tell him she had already decided to avoid Sadaiyo. “Your brother, Ashinji…What is it I must fear?” she asked.
Ashinji stood up, pulling Jelena with him. He did not answer her question, but instead, clasped her hand in his and began walking back towards the upper gate. Jelena kept pace beside him, and both remained silent until they reached the barracks.
“ Remember the story of Aje and Rei, Jelena,” Ashinji said quietly. He squeezed her fingers, then turned away.
Jelena stood at the foot of the barracks stairs and watched as Ashinji walked back toward the castle. He turned around once and waved, just before disappearing through the upper gate. Jelena raised her hand and waved back, wanting very much to run after him.
She thought about Ashinji’s last words. The cautionary tale of the dueling twins served as a warning against the dangers of sibling rivalry spun out of control. Jelena knew from other comments Ashinji had made that he and his older brother did not get along. Could Ashinji’s reference to the story of Aje and Rei mean that he had feelings for her, his brother knew it, and therefore desired her for himself?
For weeks, Jelena had stubbornly refused to even entertain the idea that she and Ashinji could have any kind of relationship beyond that of friends, and at first, nothing in his behavior indicated that he did not feel the same. But lately, she had detected a subtle shift in his attitude, and she’d begun to wonder if Magnes had been right all along. The way Ashinji looked at her now seemed different. She could feel a definite heightening of tension whenever they were together, and it seemed as though he wished to be as close to her as he could without actually taking her into his arms.
The thought that Ashinji might be in love with her deeply troubled Jelena, for she had some inkling as to what the cost would be to him should he openly declare his love. He could not freely choose his own mate, and even if he could, she knew that his family would deem her completely unsuitable. A marriage between them, even if legal, would be his ruination.
After losing sight of Ashinji, Jelena turned and slowly climbed the squeaky wooden stairs up to the barracks. A raucous chorus of catcalls greeted her as she entered the common room. Aneko, and Kerala Castle’s youngest guardswoman Kami, lounged at the long oak table, the remains of a meal before them.
“ I see that Lord Ashinji has escorted Jelena home again! Whatever does this mean, eh?” Kami called out in a teasing voice.
“ I think it means that our new friend has definitely caught the eye of our handsome young lord,” Aneko answered. “Come sit with us Jelena. There is still some chicken left if you are hungry.” The older woman waved Jelena over and indicated that she should sit beside her, then added, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Lord Ashinji so taken with a girl before…Here, have some beer.” She filled up a clay mug from the pitcher at her elbow and offered it to Jelena, then topped off her own mug.
“ Ai, Goddess, but you’re lucky, Jelena,” Kami sighed. She rested her chin in her hands, her girlish face wistful. “I wish Lord Ashinji would notice me… Those eyes! I could get lost in them forever.”
Aneko snorted derisively. “Whatever happened to ‘Oh, I’m sooo in love with Gendan! He’s the only man for me!’ eh?”
Kami stuck her tongue out at her friend. “Just because I wish Lord Ashinji would notice me doesn’t mean I don’t love Gendan. I’m not married yet, you know! I’ll bet Lord Ashinji is as good in bed as he looks out of it. Jelena, you might be the only one of us lucky enough to find out.” Kami winked, her hazel eyes sparkling lasciviously, and Jelena felt her cheeks ignite with embarrassment.
“ Lord Ashinji and I are friends only,” Jelena protested. “How could we ever be anything else?” She tugged self-consciously at a stray coil of hair.
“ Don’t say that, Jelena,” Kami responded sadly.
“ The girl’s right, you know.” A new voice spoke from the doorway. “She and our lord’s son shouldn’t even be friends, really. It’s not proper, her being a hikui and all.”
All three women looked toward the door as the speaker entered the room.
“ Why do you have to be that way, Anda?” Kami retorted angrily.
“ I don’t know what you mean, Kami,” Anda replied primly. “I’m just saying that Lord Ashinji should know better than to go all starry-eyed over a hikui.”
Anda served as a guardswoman, like Aneko and Kami. The bed that Jelena now slept in had once been hers until she had married a fellow guardsman and had moved out of the barracks. She and her husband had a small cottage of their own now on the castle grounds nearby, but Anda still came around often to visit her comrades.
“ Lord Ashinji is wise enough to listen to his own heart,” Aneko said quietly, pouring a mug of beer for the newcomer.
