For the next two days, Garen and Elurra sparred for long, sweaty hours. Garen seemed to enjoy their bouts after he realized Elurra was a formidable opponent. Even with the secrets of a master swordsman at her disposal, their matches turned into competitions of endurance, which Garen almost always won. After one particularly lengthy battle, Elurra collapsed to the ground, panting.
“I surrender on the condition you get me some water,” she said between gasps for air.
Garen gave her an exhausted grin. “I do not need your surrender. I plan to take you right now.”
He lunged forward playfully, but Elurra rolled away from his sword and stopped her blade an inch from Garen’s ankle.
“We know I cannot be trusted near anyone’s leg, so I suggest you accept my terms,” she countered, an evil grin on her face.
Garen lifted his hands and backed away.
“You win,” he declared as he plopped down beside her. “What are your plans for the rest of today? Would you like to go into town with me this afternoon? I know of this nice little place that has some incredible fried—”
Elurra put up a hand, and he stopped.
“I would love to go into town, but I have a meeting with Queen Lira in an hour, and I am covered in sweat. Maybe another day?” She immediately sensed his disappointment.
“As you wish, Princess.”
His smile masked his true emotions. She stood and groaned; her muscles made her regret moving.
“Maybe we can dine there tomorrow,” she called over her shoulder as she walked toward the staircase.
She enjoyed sparring with Garen, and she appreciated his assistance in her training, but she wished Lira hadn’t asked him to focus so heavily on swordplay. She leaned against the inner wall of the castle and sighed heavily. Her heart ached every time she used her sword.
It would not be so bad if I did not have to constantly hear his voice.
Not for the first time, she wondered what Terrin was doing. She once asked Lira if she could use Magic to see how their mission was going, but the queen said they’d need a special looking glass that could transmit cybug-collected images based on search parameters. Unfortunately, there weren’t many left in Incari, and she didn’t have one.
After getting Finila to help her change into something suitable, Elurra made her way to Lira’s tower. The guards allowed her into the chamber without difficulty, but she discovered Lira sprawled on her bed when she entered.
“Queen Lira?”
Lira had been the one to arrange the lesson, and Elurra thought it odd she’d sleep through it. The bell tower chimed, but Lira didn’t stir.
Elurra climbed the pair of steps to the raised platform where the canopy bed sat as she called the queen’s name again. As she approached, she stared at Lira’s chest and noticed it wasn’t rising or falling. The queen wasn’t breathing. Dread washed over her. She rushed to Lira’s bedside and checked her pulse. It was present but faint. Lira’s chest was barely moving, and she looked pale.
Was she poisoned? Is she in a deep sleep? Is she dying? Maybe I can use my nanites to heal her somehow?
Elurra closed her eyes and took a few controlled breaths before reaching out with her newfound scanning abilities. Lira’s nanites were functioning at top capacity, but something else caught her attention. Although she appeared unconscious, Elurra couldn’t sense anything from the queen. Her mind was as protected as when she was awake.
If she is unconscious, how is she shielding her mind? Lira once mentioned the mind is most vulnerable in sleep because your subconscious cannot hold up barriers—
“Very good job, Elurra. I am impressed.” Lira’s voice appeared inside Elurra’s mind, startling her.
A second later, Lira’s eyes snapped open.
“I did not expect you to notice so quickly,” the queen said as she sat up.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“What was that?”
“Call it a self-induced coma, if you wish. I was fully aware, but my body was in stasis. If you had tried to pinch or hit me, I would not have felt it. The nanites suppress pain and paralyze the body until you give the command.”
“How is that helpful?”
“There are many uses, like combatting toxins in your system or healing extreme injuries. The stasis slows down all internal functions, and your nanites take control. If you are poisoned, the nanites can sometimes neutralize it, and if you are injured, it enhances your healing ability and can correct damage much faster than natural regeneration or even enhanced nanite repair. If you are somewhere without food or water, putting your body into stasis could save your life. You can also use it to gather information. If you need to trick someone into thinking you are asleep, then this command is useful. Or you may need to fake an illness. It is a simple command, and the nanites can regulate your system in stasis for almost two weeks without food, although water is another issue entirely. If you are presumed ill, people may feed and hydrate you while you are unconscious.”
Elurra nodded. The idea fascinated her.
“What is the command?”
One glance at Lira answered her question.
“I will figure it out myself,” Elurra grumbled as she walked over to the low couch where their lessons normally took place. She closed her eyes, and within seconds, the phrase came to her.
“Nenjavi ńai,”[i]
She immediately lost feeling in every nerve. Her breathing and heartbeat slowed on their own. She was trapped inside her mind.
“Can you hear me, Elurra?” Lira’s voice penetrated the paralysis.
Elurra wanted to nod, but she had no control over her movement.
“I can hear you.”
“Good. You know my feelings on this kind of communication, but for now, I will make an exception. Can you feel this?”
Elurra heard something hitting the couch beside her. It took her a moment to realize Lira must have raised one of her limbs and let it fall. Elurra gave Lira a negative answer.
“Perfect. Your body has shut down all functions not necessary to immediate survival, excluding your hearing. You can turn it off as well, but do not do so unless it is necessary. Being trapped inside your mind can cause insanity. There is no way to tell the passage of time without outside input. You can come out now.”
Elurra hastily thought the command, then gasped and sat up quickly, relieved to have control of her body again. Lira laughed.
“A bit daunting, no?”
Elurra nodded and moved her fingers just because she could.
“I would rather avoid doing that ever again if possible,” she said honestly.
Lira grinned, but before she could say anything, Elurra changed the subject.
“Has there been any word from Terrin’s party?”
Lira appraised her for a moment before answering, “Bajor sends me regular updates. I hear he is doing very well. It appears he inherited his father’s sharp intellect. My advisers assure me he is excelling in swordplay, geography, history, Magic, and social etiquette.”
They both could knew what Elurra wanted to hear, but Lira was going to make her ask. They lapsed into an awkward silence for a few moments before Elurra gathered her courage.
“Why did you send him away?” she asked, the words bursting out of her like a pent-up tidal wave. “Why are you training me instead of your son?”
The queen stood a bit straighter and looked over the young princess coolly. She began pacing the room, her arms crossed over her chest. Elurra knew Lira well enough to know she was debating sharing her thoughts.
“The best way to spot deceit is to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Between you and my son, it was clear you were the leader. You have him completely under your control, and if your quest for vengeance goes wrong, he will be the first casualty. You were right. I need an ally from the North, and I believe you will keep your word if you do regain your kingdom. I hate to admit it, but I need you to succeed, and I will do whatever I can to prepare you for your fate.”
She paused for a moment before turning her back and looking out over the balcony. Her voice was softer when she spoke again.
“My son, however, is a different matter. Terrin and Raeya are the only ones I have left to love, and I thought I would never see him again. Against all odds, you brought him through Demon-infested lands and discovered the truth about his heritage. I am eternally grateful, but I cannot lose him again. We both know he would eventually leave with you if you stayed together during training. Staging a coup against Nitiri and her Demons is ambitious, and the odds are against you. I sent him away as a child to keep him alive, and I sent him away weeks ago to help him realize he could live without you.”
Although her words were harsh, there was no malice in Lira’s voice. Elurra felt like a dagger of ice had been wedged into her heart. Heat rose to her cheeks, and she struggled to check her rising temper.
“It is his choice if he wants to be by my side,” Elurra managed through gritted teeth. Despite her efforts, bitterness tinted her tone.
Lira spun on her, flames in her eyes.
“You gave him no choice. You tore him away from the only existence he knew. What would he do without you?” Lira exploded. “When a lamb loses its herd, it blindly follows the shepherd to survive the wolves. But this is his homeland, and these are his people. Why should he risk his life for Lur Alava? He does not belong there any more than you belong here. He deserves to live his life, Elurra, and if you cared about him, you would accept that.”
Elurra wanted to argue, but she couldn’t find the words to justify her emotions. A tear slipped down her face and dripped onto the stone floor. She locked eyes with the queen, and great storms of feeling flashed across their warring faces.
“I need him,” Elurra lamented, breaking the heavy silence. Despite the tears on her face, there was steel in her voice. “But you are right. This is where he belongs.”
Lira nodded her head. “You may go. I must prepare for a meeting.”
Without a word, Elurra stood and left the room, her heart heavy with sorrow.