Criminal

"Hello, I am Idril." She waved and smiled the audience. Her hand squeezed mine even tighter. "And I am in serious need of your assistance. But I'll get to that in a minute, first I think you deserve to know who, exactly, I am. You may have heard of me about a year back. The king was throwing his mid winter ball and some random blonde girl was caught dancing with Dallenth, prince of the humans. She wasn't on the guest list and no one knows how she got in. However, if you were never informed of that occurrence, there's also the child's tale called the Legend of Idril. I just heard it, myself, a few days ago. Really this whole speech thing counts on you having heard one of those..." She paused and took a deep breath, trying to stop herself from rambling. "Basically I'm trying to say that... That I am the king's daughter." She was cut off by a member of the audience.

"Where is your royalty mark then?" He rudely shouted. She looked at me.

"Tell me if it works, okay?" She asked, I nodded slowly. She whispered something I couldn't make out. Then her cheek began to shimmer, it ran down her neck down her arm and curled around her fingers that were holding mine. But it didn't stop at her fingers, it transferred to mine, and ran up my arm all the way to my face. Then black designs followed the simmer. I stared in awe, I haven't seen my royalty mark in years.

Idril's mark started as two delicate butterflies on her cheek then they multiplied to smaller butterflies as they traveled down her neck, then they simply turned into smooth curls and swirls in random patterns down her arm, but where our finger met the jagged patter from my arm and swirls from hers mixed together.

"It definitely worked." I gasped. She smiled and continued.

"The king locked my mother in the dungeon and me in the castle. I didn't know he was hiding me until I became tired if being stuck inside and ran away. That's where I met him." She smiled and gestured toward me. "Elessar, the beast whisperer. He was our greatest weapon in the war against the monster. And he went to jail. Do you know why? Because he used magik to save his family from a fire... That the king had ordered to be lit because his dad had met me. So my father killed him and sent Elessar to jail because he tried to be a hero! He's also sent a lizard monster to kill me when we visited Corinth in the town of Corjhi! Now he's sending a dragon and an army to capture Elessar and me. Even if we leave this city he will destroy it. And don't believe you're safe tucked in you bed in your town far away from Cassiere, I promise he will destroy every town to find me." She let it digest for a minute. "How can you let a rotten, lying king rule you? He's releasing monsters throughout the land, he hid his daughter from you. He's going to destroy countless cities simply to keep his name untarnished. So please, help us. We aren't going to leave this city. We will stay and fight to protect it. We have five days before they return. Without any help we will surely perish as well as everyone in this city. Please, we can't do this alone." She ended with tears in her eyes. She was very convincing. Her eradict hand gestures kept it interesting and her passion was infectious.

"Will you help us?" She yelled over the chatter in the crowd. They roared with approval, they were easilyed wooed by her fervor. She beamed brightly and held up both arms, bringing one of mine with her. So, I also raised my arms up. I looked over at her and she was glowing. She was born to lead, and would make an excellent queen if her father was forced to step down. I can picture it now, her standing in an elegant dress a golden crown atop her head. She is strong, and beautiful. Even when staring death in the face she's able to inspire people with a spontaneous speach and her infinite zeal.

She looked over and smiled at me. "I did it!" She screamed and hugged me. I squeezed her tight.

"You did more than we ever could have hoped for. Look at them, they are so excited and would probably follow you into a dragon's lair." I smiled at her. "You looked so perfect up there. So powerful and strong. It was beautiful, you're beautiful." She pulled back and smiled brightly at me, a light blush covered her cheeks.

Corinth was suddenly behind us and screaming in excitement. "Guys that was wonderful. I've already gotten responses from a few magik users in ten different cities. People are already on their way to help. They're coming in the hundreds... At least that's what they're saying. But we can't get our hopes up."

"I know." I pulled away from Idril. "But any help could change the odds. The king won't be able to send reinforcements, it's too late."

"We could really do it." Idril giggled in excitement. "I was convinced there was no possible way for us to live, but it seems as if we really have a chance now."

Corinth suddenly gasped. "Elessar... Your... Your mark it's back!" She exclaimed. Idril gasped, I can't believe she didn't notice it before.

"Look!" She pointed to where our fingers intertwined. "Our marks are meshed together on our hands... Why would they be connected like that?"

"I've only heard of such marks in old wives tales. There hasn't been anything like this in hundreds, maybe even thousands, of years." Corinth gasped and pulled our conjoined hands apart and examine the marks closer. However, mine vanished as quickly as it had manifested. A thousand pounds landed on my heart and depression quickly shoved its way in my weakended heart. I thought it was back for good, but just as everything that has ever caused me happiness does, it was ripped away.

"Grab her hand again." Corinth instructed, a thoughtful look draped over her features. I grabbed Idril's hand again and watched as the black patterns crawled up my arm again.

"Now let go." The mark disappeared again. "That's interesting, for some reason when you guys touch you create enough energy to cancel out spell paper." She pondered.

"Which is a lot." Idril pointed out, Corinth nodded slowly.

"I need to do more research." She mumbled and dashed toward the town's slightly charred library.

"Shouldn't we be focussed on the battle and our impending doom?" Idril muttered.

"She has always been like that, she has this strange urge to know everything. And when she doesn't she has to find out before she even so much as thinks about anything else. Sometimes she even forgets to eat." I remember when she would insistently beg my parents to come and 'play' and she always ended up sitting in the library surrounded by countless books.

"Can we go back to the hotel?" Idril brought me back to our bleak reality. "I don't like being on this stage."

"Yeah." I muttered, still consumed in thought. Why are our marks intertwined? What does it mean? Sure, I would rather be around her than any other woman... But how is it possible that royalty marks, which grow with you in a set pattern, grew together? I've heard they can be triggered to grow fast by certain events but never of two separate marks twirling together on separate people.

She grabbed me hand and gently tugged me off the stage, but not before a shout from the now dwindling crowd caught my attention.

"It's Sääst Paar!" An elderly woman screeched. I pulled Idril to a halt and looked over at her.

"Sääst Paar!" She screamed again. The people that had been leaving stopped and began repeating the phrase as if it was vaguely familiar.

"What does that mean?" I shouted at her.

"Sääst Paar!" She merely repeated. "Saving pair! Sääst Paar!" She held up a boney finger, pointing at our intertwined marks. There was a gasp amongst the crowd and all was silent. Except for the woman's continual howl. Sääst Paar, Sääst Paar.

I ran off the stage, taking Idril with me. I need to get to the library and tell Corinth. Maybe she knows the significance of sääst paar.

Saving pair, she had said. What's does that mean? Are we the saving pair? What does that entitle? How are we supposed to save anyone when we're the ones who need saving?