Rebel Children

Eli felt like he was going to melt into a puddle. As Rose left the room he sat down hard on the edge of the bed with his eyes wide. He heard Charlie scurry down the hall too, knowing he must have been listening to the confession through the wall and didn’t want to look like he was eavesdropping.


Eli couldn’t care less about Charlie’s snooping right now. All he could think was that if Rose was telling the truth, he was lower than dirt for putting his hands on her or even looking her way. He didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as her.

Rose returned and handed him the water, then sat next to him on the bed. She seemed nervous for Eli’s response, but he downed half the glass before saying anything.

“You have to be fucking with me.”



Rose blinked a few times in surprise.

“What?” she frowned.


“The princess is dead and has been dead for years,” Eli repeated. “So you’re fucking with me, and you’re just really good at it.”



“I’m not fucking with you, Eli,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“But there was a body,” Eli said. “They found a body. There was burial and a headstone and everything.”



“And where did you hear that?”

“There were heralds and messengers-“



“And where did they hear that?”

“I don’t know, the palace? The staff?”

“And where did the staff hear it?”

Eli started to feel a headache coming on. He was overwhelmed and confused. The death of the princess was what lit a flame under the rebellion, and it had been pounded into his head for years. Stories were told to amp the rebels up about how brutal the princess’s death had been, and how her corpse had been mistreated.

“From the queen, I get what you’re trying to say,” Eli sighed. “It’s just… hard to grasp.”



“Do you want me to prove it?” she asked. “I can speak seven languages, including Ailsuri. I can curtsy all the way to the floor while balancing a porcelain vase on my head. I have the constitution memorized. Do you want me to go on?”

“What’s Ailsuri?”

“A language from the ancient world, it’s been lost.”

“I don’t know,” he said. “I just can’t understand it.”



“Can’t understand what?” she asked, exasperated.

“Why you like me,” he said. “Why you even give me the time of day. I’m the lowest of the low, even by peasant standards. Not even the street crazies want to deal with me.”



Rose’s expression softened when she realized that Eli’s worries stemmed from himself more than it did with her. She leaned over and kissed him, which surprisingly eased his nerves despite the situation.


“I like you, because I’m still a person,” she said. “I’m still Rose. I was born somewhere else, and my duty lies with the palace, but I’m still the same Rose who felt that connection with you. And you said you felt it with me. Like I said, you don’t have to follow me to the palace and Lorena. I know it’s asking a lot of you. But I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t miss you and wonder what could have been.”



Eli sighed again, pushing his hair out of his face and thinking for a moment. Then he cursed under his breath and cracked a smile.

“I don’t know what Edgar has taught you so far, but you’ve already caught me under a spell, Princess,” he chuckled. “I said I’d help you get to where you needed to go. I stand by that promise. And by you.”



“Really?”

He held a hand out to her and she took it, giving it a firm shake. He kissed her hand before standing up and pulling her up with him.


“Everyone is waiting downstairs,” he said. “We better not keep them too long, or Tobias might bite my head off. I bet Charlie is peppering him with questions. He was listening through the walls.”



“Saves me the trouble of the confession, I guess,” she shrugged.

When they went downstairs, Charlie was pretending to innocently sit there and acted like he wasn’t just driving Tobias completely insane. Tobias gave Eli a concerned look, and Eli gave him a nod to let him know that everything was okay.

“Do we count on your loyalty?” he asked Eli.

“I can’t say the crown has always been kind to me,” Eli admitted. “But I’ve met Rose and I feel like I’ve seen enough to know she’s the right person for the job. So I guess my loyalty lies with her.”



She smiled shyly and Eli realized she was still holding his hand, though Tobias pretended not to notice it. He seemed content enough with Eli’s answer to let it go.

Eli never expected to be involved in real political affairs. Frankly, he didn’t always care. He knew Lorena tortured the common people and he wanted her taken down, but anything after that was beyond him. What he did know was that he cared about Rose, and he wanted to do anything to help her get home. Even if that meant she would leave him at the end to resume her royal duties.

They had a few horses they could take, though they had to cut down on supplies after having to sell the cart. Eli contributed what money he had saved, but it wasn’t much. They packed their sleeping rolls and rations onto the horses, but it wouldn’t last all the way to the capital.

“Camsier is the first big city on our way,” Tobias said. “We can make it that far, but we’ll have to resupply.”



“We have to pick up Edgar,” Rose reminded him. “My magic tutor. Remember?”

“Right,” Tobias sighed. “The mage. Where is he?”

“Probably the pub.”



“Great,” Tobias grunted. “Sounds like a real catch, Eli.”



Eli opened his mouth to respond, then snapped it back shut. There wasn’t much he could say about that. Edgar really was a character.

They found him outside the pub like they expected, and he had already forgotten the deal he made with Rose. He couldn’t even remember her name.

“Rose,” she said for what felt like the hundredth time. “Remember? Eli brought me to you, and you agreed to help me refine my magic?”

“Beh, go away,” Edgar snorted.

Rose let out a deep, frustrated sigh. She glanced briefly at Tobias, then lowered her voice and leaned in a bit.



“Lilac, the magic prostitute?”

“Oh!” Edgar said, suddenly remembering her. “Of course! What d’you wanna do, learn some party tricks or go upstairs for a spin?”


Rose turned bright red and avoided Tobias’s confused gaze.

“I’m retiring from the business,” Rose said dully. “We’re leaving for the capital. Are you ready to leave with us?”

“The capital,” Edgar said softly. “I used to live there, you know.”



“Yes, we know.”



“Aight, let’s go.” 

“We only have three horses,” Tobias said. “Maria will ride with me.”

“I’ll stay with Eli,” Rose said.

Everyone turned to look at Charlie, who turned pale.


“What?” he grimaced. “How come I can’t ride with Rose? Or Tobias? Or Maria? Anyone else?!”

“Charlie, don’t be rude,” Eli said.


Charlie reluctantly helped hoist Edgar up on the horse, then mounted the saddle in front of him. They had only been riding a couple minutes before Edgar slumped forward and drunkenly rested his head against Charlie, his arms wrapped tightly around the boy like a teddy bear. Charlie looked absolutely mortified.

“Poor thing,” Rose giggled. “We should take turns so he doesn’t have to deal with this the entire way.”



“Nah, he’ll sober up,” Eli shrugged. “Unless it’s so terrible to be this close to me.”



“I think I could get used to it.”



Eli kissed the top of her head, which made Charlie glare at him. Eli almost felt bad for feeling so happy when Charlie was so uncomfortable. Almost.