Romance Short Story: Of Sword and Power

Chapter 1: A Tavern Brawl

Sanara walked through the crowd at a brisk pace. Even though the streets were crowded, she had very little dodging to do. The second people saw her coming they scrambled to get out of the way. She fought the urge to cover up the bright white emblem of the crown that was stitched into every one of the items of clothing she owned. It felt like a beacon of attention. Her auburn curls, which were usually tied up in a tight set of braids hung loosely around her shoulders. Sanara looked down at what she was wearing. She had only been permitted a few hours off between her shifts and was still in her uniform attire. Anything to do with the palace always got attention on the streets though. Especially in this part of town.

Sanara sighed; trying to ignore the blatant stares she received. She had asked for this time off for a very specific reason. Her stomach was a bundle of knots just thinking about it. It would be okay she kept on telling herself. All she had to do was make it to Brie. She would know what to do. She always knew what to do.

The streets were narrow and winding. Anyone who didn’t know their way through was bound to get lost in sea of merchants and cobblestones. Compared to the stuffy, strict rules of the palace Sarana almost felt like she could relax here. It was where she had grown up until she had gone through the Choice three years ago. The store fronts were tattered and looked as if they could fall apart at any moment. Mud caked the bottom of woman’s dress hems and the smell of feces and sewage permeated the air. If you weren’t careful you were bound to take a knife to the back, but the people here were actual, real people. They weren’t the shells of humanity that the crowns were. The whole family, with their perfect white hair and slightly tanned features. Looking more like a different species than humans.  Well, everyone except for Ray.

Tucked away off the main street was the place she had been looking for. The Copper Kettle. It had a faded green door, that was easy to miss if you didn’t know what you were looking for. The sign was so faded on the side of the wall it looked like it could be some dirt smudges. Sanara smiled to herself before walking in. The last faint whisps of sun were still lingering outside, but it could be any time of day in here. Dark, soot filled curtains that were once red were draped over every window. It was so smokey you could see a haze between one end of the room and the other. There had been low chatter before it stopped abruptly the second Sanara walked in the door in full uniform. But the pause was only brief. All it took was a clank of heavy glass from one of the tankards and the whispers started back up.  

Sanara searched the faces of the servers mingling with the patrons. The tight knot that had been forming in her chest on the walk over released as she found the person she was looking for.  

“Sanara!” A petite woman with tight blond curls waved at her from across the room. She was balancing a full tray of drinks and passed them out before making her way over to Sanara, who hadn’t moved far from the door. “What brings you over to this part of town? You almost never take the time.” She asked, putting her tray down near the bar. She motioned for Sanara to take a seat.

Sanara felt a twang of guilt over that comment. She had only been out here a handful of times in the last three years. She had meant to come out more. The trek was only about an hour walk from the palace. Except, well, no one ever envied the schedule of the guard. “Sorry, I couldn’t come Brie. It’s been busier than I thought it would be. You know how it is.”

“I don’t actually.” Brie said mildly. “When I went through the Choice, I didn’t have enough power for a skilled trade.” Her smile nearly faded before it was replaced with a more forced one. “I mean, not everyone can be as powerful as the personal guard to the crown prince. More magic than what was good for you, is what Sal always said.”

Sanara gave her a tight smile. Even as she said the words se could feel the ruin just underneath her collarbone burning. Continually eating away at the excess power that she had. Causing her to be at less than half the strength unless she was on duty. The crown said it was because power was only meant to serve the crown. “Sal might have been right about that.”

Sanara gave Brie a meaningful look. The tension that had released upon seeing her friend felt like it had come back with a vengeance. “I need to talk to you. I can’t talk to anyone at the palace about this,” she said. Even as the word fell from her mouth her cheeks burned red.

Brie’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “You don’t normally come in here looking for advice. What is it that you couldn’t have talked to one of your guard friends about?”

Sanara’s cheeks flushed even brighter. “I had a few drinks the other night,” she said slowly. Gah, this was so stupid. “There was this guy that I like. Well, have liked for a long time. He’s just really nice, and handsome, and nice. I mean, there was so much wine that another guard had brought out and usually I only have one or maybe two drinks.”

Brie tried to keep herself from laughing out loud. “Oh hun, I know a great healer in town that can get you set up with the right herbs.”

“What, no!” Sanara nearly screeched, which got her a disgruntled stare from a nearby table. “No, no. I got it in my head that it would be a good idea to go to his room. Thank the gods that I was only half way there before I ran into another guard and they got me back to my room.”

“Then I don’t understand. What is the problem? You didn’t go to bed with anyone, right?” Sanara shook her head. “Right, then you are going to be just fine.”

Sanara opened her mouth and then closed it. How could she explain to Brie just how mortified she was. Also, she couldn’t let herself get involved with anyone. It would be far too dangerous for her, and for them. Plus, if anyone were to truly get too close to her, they might find out some things that they really shouldn’t know. “But guards talk. He’ll know what I almost did.” Was the only thing she could think of saying.

“From the sounds of it you could use a man to come in and rumple your sheets if you catch my drift,” Brie said, with not an unkind tone. Sanara’s cheeks deepened to a shade of red it rivaled the ripest tomato. She shifted her gaze to the side. “Oh, unless you’ve never done that with a man before?”

Sanara shook her head, “it’s not like I haven’t done anything before,” she said slowly and quiet enough Brie had to lean in to hear her. “But I just don’t know what came over me. I just, I don’t know. I outrank him. I’m supposed to be a leader. It undermines me if anything happened and people knew. It’s hard enough to get anyone to take me seriously as it is.” At least that was part of the truth. Even Brie couldn’t know the other part.

“You have your job, sure. But you are also allowed to be a person. Don’t forget that. Also, my dear friend. Do not think that you are the only person ever to try and get in another man’s bed chambers after having a few extra drinks.” Brie looked like she was going to say something else, but in that moment a glass broke and a loud, gruff voice came from across the room. “Oy, don’t you go insulting me.” The voice came from a grungy looking man that was a out the size of a barn. His shoulders were massive, and he had at least six inches on anyone else in the room.

“You sure about that?” The other man said. “We could find out right here and now who is right.” The other guy had a far slighter build. He had a raven black hair that was cropped short, in the style of a guards. It was a build that she knew very well. Too well.

Sanara inhaled sharply. Curses. She recognized the small smile that danced around his lips. The laugh that made her tingle whenever she heard it. What was he doing here? He should be at training right now. Not that she knew his schedule or anything, but she knew enough to know that he was not cleared to come all the way out here just to get into a bar fight. And why here? Why now? 

“Let’s go,” the first man growled and made towards the guard. Sanara calmed herself. Regardless of how she felt she was in uniform. This couldn’t get out of hand while she was here.  

Sanara was at their sides in a flash. “You know the rules gentlemen. No fighting.” She said, staying as professional as she could. She grabbed the wrist of the larger man who had raised it.

The first man bristled, “This has nothing to do with you, soldier girlie.” He made to twist his hand out of Sanara’s grip, but she held firm.

Her fellow soldier on the other hand didn’t resist. “Sanara, it was just a bit of fun.” He said, trying to assure her with one of his signature crooked smiles, which she tried to ignore.

Instead, she glared at him “Get your stuff, Conrad. We are going.” She released the wrist of the first man.

Conrad raised both his hands up and shrugged at the other guy. “Sorry, we’ll brawl another time. Gotta do what the boss says.” He gave him a wink, grabbed his navy-blue cloak and threw it over his shoulders. The bright white emblem of the crown was stitched onto the right side of his breast. He glanced at Sanara.

The two of them turned to leave but the gruff man moved in their way. “Doesn’t matter if there’s one or two if you. I’ve knocked plenty of soldiers down before. Even as one as pretty as you.” His hand made to slap Sanara’s rear. 

It was over quicker than anyone could process. In an instant Sanara was on top of him, with the heel of her boot pressed against his windpipe. He had gone down as loudly as if she had just thrown a sack of potatoes across the room. The room went silent.

“Get out,” was all Sanara said. The man picked himself up and shuffled his way out, his eyes fixed on Sanara. If looks could kill, she might not have made it out.

Everyone at the tavern was looking at them. No one spoke. “Well, I guess this is where we should make our exit,” Conrad whispered.

Sanara waved at Brie who was looking at her with wide eyes and then dragged Conrad out the back door. It led to a side ally. They closed the door before she spun around. “Conrad. You have training right now. What are you doing all the way out here? If Sebastian hears about this.” She kept her tone low and even, even though her heart felt like it was beating at about twice the rate as it should be. What was he doing here?

“And how would he hear about this? I’m certainly not going to tell him. I’ve been in bed all day. Terrible food poisoning. Who knows, I might not even make it tomorrow either.” He let a slow smile creep on his lips and grabbed her hand a bit more gently. “Come on, besides you no one comes all the way out here. Why do you think I picked it? Plus,” He threw part of his cloak over one shoulder, covering his emblem. “See, no one needs to know that a soldier was around these parts. Not unless you flaunt it like you do,” Conrad said, smirking.

Sanara tried to brush him off, “I didn’t have time to change. I actually got time off to come down here, unlike some people that shirk their duties.” Despite the other night she felt just a prickle of annoyance at Conrad’s ease with the situation. He was behaving as he always had. Maybe that meant that she had blown all of her worries out of proportion? She hoped that was the case.

“Well, I can only hope that I feel good enough to scrape myself out of bed tomorrow and try to be half as good of a soldier as you. Defending the prince. So noble.” Conrad said, an easy smile playing at his lips. Sanara realized that he had yet to let go of her hand and took it back.

“Well, as long as you get to guard tomorrow, I suppose Sebastian never has to know that you somehow felt well enough to walk all the way out here just to get into a bar fight.” Her eyes met his, and softened. This was how every interaction went. He teased her, she tried to act like a professional and the world kept moving forward. She let herself relax just a fraction more.

A grin spread even further across his face, “I will do my best to make you proud.” He grabbed her hand again and pulled her in closer to him. “But I think I may need your help.” His other hand found his way to her hip.

Sanara’s breadth caught in her throat for a split second before she regained her senses, and she pushed him away. “Conrad, this is wildly inappropriate,” she said in a warning tone.

Amusement shone in his eyes. “What? I heard you were rather tempted by the idea the other night.”

Sanara felt heat rush to her cheeks, “how did you hear about that?” She asked. No, no, no. This was not what she had wanted to hear.

Conrad let out a short laugh, “I guess that answers that particular rumor.” She felt like her face was about to catch fire. “Don’t worry. Most people wouldn’t dare believe that Sanara, the most strait-laced palace guard of them all would dare seek out someone in their private chambers on anything but official business.” He kept the twinkle in his eyes.

Sanara straightened up. She was not about to deal with this right now. She had always kept her feelings clamped down and locked up tight. She couldn’t afford it any other way “We had better be going. I only have a couple more hours before I’m back on shift.” She turned to go, but Conrad held her hand gently but firmly.

“To tell you the truth, I was flattered. I didn’t realize you thought of me in that way,” he said, this time in a gentler voice.

“It was a mistake. I shouldn’t have let it happen,” she said a little too quickly. Internally she was kicking herself. Then, she had been thinking of his wavy hair. His muscles gleaming from sweat after a long training session. The sound of his laugh, and she had wanted to see him. Gods, what she would have done if she had actually gotten to his room? If her face could go any deeper of a shade of red, it did.

“You know, it is okay to have fun every once in a while. If you let yourself.” His tone was quiet. It mirrored what Brie had said just minutes ago. He gave her hand a quick squeeze before letting it go. “It doesn’t have to be me, but you should let someone in.”

Sanara stopped for a second. She cursed her own body for betraying her. She wanted nothing more than to lean into him. She wanted to feel his body pressed into hers. She might have stayed in those thoughts for longer, but a deep burning sensation pulsed just under her collarbone.

She gasped from the pain, but it was a familiar one. She knew what came next. Just as suddenly as the pain started it stopped and the power that had been suppressed flowed back into her. It filled every inch of her body, nearly bursting at the seams. It was ecstasy. Full, and unbridled access to the magic she was born with. She let herself bath in the feeling for just a second before the realization hit her.

She turned toward Conrad, “The prince is in trouble.”

He gave her a tight nod in understanding. They took off towards the palace at full speed.