these people.” As he speaks, the guilt from Eramane’s disappearance stirs inside him and masks his feelings of joy. Samiah commands his horse to proceed, but instead of obeying him, the stallion begins scratching at the ground with its front hoof. Samiah looks down and sees the reason for his steed’s disobedience.
CHAPTER NINE
The Glass Tomb
I WAKE FROM THE SOUND of thunder. For a short time, I look up into the seemingly endless nothing above me. Adikiah ordered his servants to provide me with a proper bed so that my stay is more comfortable. I am thinking about the past few days I have been here with Adikiah. He has been at my side every moment, and I have become fond of his company. He has told me stories of far-off lands, some of which I have never heard of. He told me of a place where the air is so cold it forms an ice bridge that is so long you cannot see to the other end, and that when the warm weather comes, the bridge melts; if you have crossed to the other side, you will be trapped there until it freezes back. Of these far-off lands, my favorite is the underwater cavern. Adikiah said that there is a place underneath the ocean that opens up to air. I listened in disbelief as he described the span of the cavern, large enough to build a town in. He says that he is the only one to know of this cavern, because he can hold his breath longer than any man, and you must be able to hold it for a good length of time before reaching the cavern. “It is just beyond those rocks,” he said, pointing to a small cluster of protruding boulders, not far from the mountain palace.
Not all of Adikiah’s stories are of frozen bridges and underwater towns. Last evening, he told me of his life, how he had no family, no one to share time with. His words were somber, barely uttered when he spoke of the torment in his solitude. “Why do you live this way?” I asked.
“There was no other way, until you, Eramane.” Until me? His answer filled me with dread, the burden of an assumed commitment. And this is where my thoughts land as I look up into the dark.
The daylight spills through the large window across from me as I dress. After offending Adikiah by refusing the burgundy gown, I decided to wear the items he placed in the washing chamber for me. Yet these garments are not extravagant like the gown; they are simpler, like my yellow dress. I choose a pale green dress with long sleeves; it is cold in the mountain palace. As soon as I exit my chamber, I see Adikiah. He waits for me each day and walks me to the dining chamber. I am not very hungry this morning. Sadness has set in my belly, replacing the feeling of hunger. I miss my parents, Samiah and Mira, my home. What is more unsettling is that I have come to feel that I belong here, that fate brought me here for a specific purpose. Yet becoming Adikiah’s wife seems a detail outside of fate’s plans. I have tried to imagine myself as his companion, but my heart still pines for Lebis, and as long as it does, there is not room enough for anyone else.
Adikiah sits in quiet while I pick at the berries on my plate. “What troubles you this morning, Eramane?” he asks. I do not wish to answer, but my words come out easily, despite my desire for them not to.
“I feel better now, Adikiah. My foot has been healed completely for some time now, and my bruises and lacerations were never anything to be concerned about,” I say, stopping to gauge his reaction. He sits expressionless, staring at me. Finally he speaks.
“Let me show you something,” he replies. He slides his chair in a quick motion that sends a loud screech throughout the chamber. I stand, more delicately than he, and walk over to him; his hand is outstretched, as it is most times.
We enter a chamber, lit only by the flame of a single torch. We have no sooner entered when a servant moves from behind us and to the unlit torches that remain. The servant is quiet and swift; the room is bright in a matter of
CHAPTER NINE
The Glass Tomb
I WAKE FROM THE SOUND of thunder. For a short time, I look up into the seemingly endless nothing above me. Adikiah ordered his servants to provide me with a proper bed so that my stay is more comfortable. I am thinking about the past few days I have been here with Adikiah. He has been at my side every moment, and I have become fond of his company. He has told me stories of far-off lands, some of which I have never heard of. He told me of a place where the air is so cold it forms an ice bridge that is so long you cannot see to the other end, and that when the warm weather comes, the bridge melts; if you have crossed to the other side, you will be trapped there until it freezes back. Of these far-off lands, my favorite is the underwater cavern. Adikiah said that there is a place underneath the ocean that opens up to air. I listened in disbelief as he described the span of the cavern, large enough to build a town in. He says that he is the only one to know of this cavern, because he can hold his breath longer than any man, and you must be able to hold it for a good length of time before reaching the cavern. “It is just beyond those rocks,” he said, pointing to a small cluster of protruding boulders, not far from the mountain palace.
Not all of Adikiah’s stories are of frozen bridges and underwater towns. Last evening, he told me of his life, how he had no family, no one to share time with. His words were somber, barely uttered when he spoke of the torment in his solitude. “Why do you live this way?” I asked.
“There was no other way, until you, Eramane.” Until me? His answer filled me with dread, the burden of an assumed commitment. And this is where my thoughts land as I look up into the dark.
The daylight spills through the large window across from me as I dress. After offending Adikiah by refusing the burgundy gown, I decided to wear the items he placed in the washing chamber for me. Yet these garments are not extravagant like the gown; they are simpler, like my yellow dress. I choose a pale green dress with long sleeves; it is cold in the mountain palace. As soon as I exit my chamber, I see Adikiah. He waits for me each day and walks me to the dining chamber. I am not very hungry this morning. Sadness has set in my belly, replacing the feeling of hunger. I miss my parents, Samiah and Mira, my home. What is more unsettling is that I have come to feel that I belong here, that fate brought me here for a specific purpose. Yet becoming Adikiah’s wife seems a detail outside of fate’s plans. I have tried to imagine myself as his companion, but my heart still pines for Lebis, and as long as it does, there is not room enough for anyone else.
Adikiah sits in quiet while I pick at the berries on my plate. “What troubles you this morning, Eramane?” he asks. I do not wish to answer, but my words come out easily, despite my desire for them not to.
“I feel better now, Adikiah. My foot has been healed completely for some time now, and my bruises and lacerations were never anything to be concerned about,” I say, stopping to gauge his reaction. He sits expressionless, staring at me. Finally he speaks.
“Let me show you something,” he replies. He slides his chair in a quick motion that sends a loud screech throughout the chamber. I stand, more delicately than he, and walk over to him; his hand is outstretched, as it is most times.
We enter a chamber, lit only by the flame of a single torch. We have no sooner entered when a servant moves from behind us and to the unlit torches that remain. The servant is quiet and swift; the room is bright in a matter of
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