He’s a skilled fighter, one of the best, and as you could tell, he possesses the power of Earth and can work a bit with Wind. He’s hard to get to know and even harder to try to like. However, if you nod your head and act like you’re listening to him, he’ll be a lot easier to deal with. Also, Winterset may be in disarray, but I promise you that you’ll not regret being here, so try to smile more. It’s not the end of the world. Not yet, anyway.”
“Thank you,” I replied sincerely.
“You look tired. Do you need an escort back to the palace?”
“No, that won’t be necessary. I could use a guide though. I mean, if you’re up for it, and it won’t get you into any trouble,” I added hurriedly.
“Are you kidding?” Rowan laughed. “If the princess tells me to guide her, then I can be in no trouble seeing as she’s the boss.”
“Boss’s daughter,” I corrected, and Rowan’s eyes sparkled with humor as he studied me.
“Same difference. I’d be honored to show you around. Come.” He nodded to a few of the men practicing, and I followed him off the grounds. “Did anyone show you anything?”
“Soran showed me some of the gardens, and I’ve wandered down some halls,” I admitted sheepishly. “I’d really like to go back to the gardens if it isn’t too much trouble.”
“No trouble at all.”
I walked beside Rowan and listened as he spoke about the palace and the history behind it.
“The palace has stood here for over five thousand years,” he said, gesturing up to it. “It was built by King Marek of Oxendale. However, the king kept acquiring more providences and the once small kingdom of Oxendale became Dar’ish, named after his beloved queen, Daria of Ishia, Court of Light.”
“Are they dead?” I asked a little too bluntly. Rowan laughed again and nodded.
“Yes, long dead. King Marek would be your great grandfather many times removed. He passed after aging to a grand old fifteen hundred. He’d have lived longer had he not caught the rattles.”
“The rattles?” I asked, envisioning an old man making the sound of a baby toy.
“It’s what we refer to as a disease of the lungs. He spoke of it to no one until it was too late. Queen Daria died shortly after.”
“How?” I asked.
“She threw herself off the North Tower.” He grimaced as he said the words and shot me a sidelong look.
“She killed herself?”
“Yes, she was heartbroken over the loss of King Marek. This probably wasn’t the best story to tell,” he mused as an afterthought.
“No, it’s fine.” I waved off the tragedy to him, but it remained heavy on my mind, reminding me of Calix and my broken heart. “Where do people go who are as old as that?”
“Well…” Rowan said thoughtfully. “Most don’t really live as long as we once did. It’s been a very rough time. Over the centuries, we’ve warred with one another, cutting short many lives. There aren’t very many healers left in Winterset. It’s not a very common gift to begin with. Sometimes when we get sick, we simply succumb to the illness like any other mortal creature. Some age many years. Others aren’t as fortunate.”
“That’s awful,” I murmured. “And you?”
“And me? What?” Rowan asked, casting me a sidelong glance.
“How old are you?”
“I’m not very old, actually. I’ve just hit my eighty-fifth birthday.”
“Pff.” I scoffed, shaking my head. “That’s dead in Earth Realm practically.”
“Which is exactly why I keep myself right here in Winterset. No realm hopping for me.”
“Is realm hopping common?” I asked, perking up at the news.
“No, not really, but there has been word about such things.” He frowned. “We’re in a trying time, Princ… I mean, Ana. People don’t want to die. They’re willing to flee Winterset in the hopes of some preservation of life, even if it means a drastically shorter life, because let’s face it, a short life is better than no life.”
“How do they do it? How do they escape? I mean, if they do escape.”
“Well…” He looked at me carefully, apparently choosing his words wisely. “You’d need to find someone who can create a portal. It’s an even less common gift than healing.”
I thought back to how Kellin had ripped a terrifying hole into the fabric of Earth Realm. It definitely didn’t look like an easy task. We continued our walk, Rowan pointing out and naming the various unfamiliar plants and trees to me, commenting on their usage and even prodding me