Tale of Four

”Tristan.” Annabell softly said to her summoner, rubbing her head against his as he lay on a silk pillow. Looking at the door ahead, he took a deep breath and reached up, stroking Annabell, before getting out of bed. At such a late time, he couldn’t be bothered to get fully dressed and instead chose to put on a pair of light trousers, leaving his chest bare. It was midnight, and other than the guards and graveyard shift, no servants would be awake or care.

Leaving his room, Tristan wandered around, his footsteps echoing in the massive halls. The moonlight glow added a bluish tint that mingled with the milky white of the stained glass, creating a peaceful atmosphere. The Palace was different at night, lacking the tension and disgust it had during the day, instead feeling lonely, a place too big for the people who lived in it.

Occasionally, a servant or knight would pass him, but with tired eyes, they gave a passing glance, not bothering to keep it to memory, having been unable to see his face properly anyway. ”Tristan.” Landing on his shoulder, Annabell spoke, ”You don’t need to go outside. I can do it.”

Tristan warmly smiled and shook his head, grabbing the dove and pulling it towards him, giving it a soft kiss. ”Annabell. I know I can always send you, but it isn’t about that.”

”But remember that time you passed out trying to leave. What if it happens again?” Annabell said, making Tristan’s cheeks flush up in embarrassment at the memory.

”That is exactly why I need to do it. I need to break this fear.” Sighing, he paused and looked to his left out the window. On the other side of the window was the Palace garden, nestled in the centre of the building, surrounded by its thick walls. Small insects danced around, some glowing yellow, others bathing in moonlight.

Resting a hand on the glass, he sighed and closed his eyes, ”Survive. All this time I have been desperately trying to Annabell for a reason I don’t know and because I want to. But I’ve realised. Inside these walls, I hardly am.” With a thin, sad smile, he chuckled to himself, ”I was content with only having Hank and you as friends to live my life in the background until I was told otherwise.”

”So why stop. You’re doing fine.” Annabell said with her childish, echoing voice. Nuzzling her head into his neck, she tried to cheer him up.

”Maybe, but...” Thinking about his conversations with Mabel, it was the first time he felt so alive and in control of his future. Even if it was done in pursuit of the same survival goals, it was the first time he had truly taken action. ”I want more Annabell. I want to be normal like others. To have friends, to be able to step outside without worry. I don’t care about my name or the throne. I just want to be normal, to enjoy my life like others.”

Tristan let out a deep sigh and removed his hand from the glass, clenching his fist in the process, ”What is the point in only surviving for a reason I don’t know?” Tristan asked the dove. Looking into her white eyes, Annabell tilted her head. Although her face didn’t change, Tristan could tell she was smiling at him.

”Tristan.” Spreading her wings, a small glow came from her body. The glow’s warmth wrapped itself around Tristan’s body, like a mother’s embrace, one that seemed able to shield him from the world’s horrors. ”Whatever you want, I will always be there. Even if I don’t agree.”

”Even if.” He paused and took a deep breath, staring into the dove’s eyes, ”Even if my desires clash with the command I was given before birth.” There was silence for a while as Annabell’s warmth surrounded him. The dove blinked a few times, and once again, even if her face didn’t change, Tristan could tell she smiled.

”Even if. It’s you and me. Always.” Her voice was loving as she dropped her wings, the power spreading around Tristan vanishing. Touching her head, he ruffled her soft feathers and carried on.

”You and me.” Repeating her words, he happily chuckled. Even if it wasn’t all he wanted, it was enough. ”First, though. I need to leave these walls.”

”Silly Tristan.” Annabell replied, ”One step at a time. Make a friend here first. I know you want to investigate the heresy, but you’re smart enough not to rush these things.”

”Yeah. Maybe if I can have a guard, I will feel safer.” Gulping, he thought about the training yard and all his years with the sword, ”Perhaps I should ask if I can get formal training.”

”Exactly.” Annabell flew off his shoulder and circled above his head, talking with an excited voice, ”You should match my strength first before you leave. Then when you step outside, you can feel safe.”

Tristan smiled and nodded, continuing his walk around the palace in silence. It was peaceful, easy on his mind as he walked, and soon enough he found himself at the Archive, the library of the Palace which held the collective knowledge gathered by the Cosmaton dynasty.

Letting himself in, the room was dark, every torch and candle put out, only the thin glow of moonlight providing any way forward. Walking to a nearby table and lighting a candle, he walked around, seeing a candlelight in the distance past the towering bookshelves.

”Hello?” Calling out, he saw a figure jump up in fright, their long shadow scrambling. Tristan slowly walked over and saw a person with short black hair holding a book, sighing in relief that it wasn’t a ghost. Tristan looked at the person, a year younger than him and realised who it was.

”Cousin Edmund.” Placing his hand on his chest, he bowed his head towards the sixteen-year-old boy. Edmund suspiciously looked at Tristan, trying to work out who he was. Only the Golden hair showed he was royalty, but after thinking for so long, he came up blank, unable to recognise Tristan from anywhere.

Tristan could tell Edmund had no clue who he was and smiled to himself, ”It’s Tristan. We met a few years ago.” Making up a fake scenario where they met so his cousin wouldn’t feel embarrassed, he walked over to the nearby bookshelf and dragged his finger along its covers, reading them.

”Cousin Tristan. Yes, forgive me, it’s quite dark.” Edmund meekly said, nodding and returning to his book. Although he wondered why the boy was up so late reading, he didn’t press, knowing that he was also strange. ”Shouldn’t you be wearing a shirt, Cousin?” Edmund asked, peaking up and seeing Tristan’s toned body.

Turning around, Tristan smiled and shrugged, ”I couldn’t be bothered. Besides, when would I ever get to walk around shirtless? It’s quite a rare chance.” With a soft chuckle, he turned back to the bookshelf and read the titles once more. His eyes narrowed, seeing that each one was related to religion, and he peeked back at Edmund. Seeing his book was also on it, he couldn’t help but throw up.

’Is it really a coincidence that he is looking into it. So late and secretly no less.’ Watching Edmund as he got lost in his book, he shook his head, ’He’s Mary’s son. She was always close with both Anton and Brandon.’

Carrying on, he grabbed a book that piqued his interest, one related to the history of the Gods and walked off, creating a distance from Edmund, but sitting just close enough where he could watch him. With one eye reading, the other occasionally peeked at Edmund, watching him and waiting for anything he might do or people he might meet.

The book, although in-depth, was boring, and Tristan groaned, realising it was material he had already read, detailing how the Creator rose to save humanity. With it, he created the other Gods to watch over aspects of human life. Next came the rebellion of those Gods created by the Creator, who believed themselves better than their master, leading to the creation of those labelled the Heretical Gods by the Church. Reaching the end, Tristan couldn’t help but sigh when the rebellion suddenly ended. Every aspect of the war had been in depth, talking about humans and Gods, important people who died and how they did, yet the war suddenly ended, only loosely tying the First King and another God that, unlike the rest of the Heretical Gods, had neither a name nor an aspect of life they ruled over.

’It makes no sense.’ Tristan leaned back and looked up. ’It was almost like it was purposely left blank, but why?’ Tristan stared at the final page, saying how the unnamed God was slain in battle and the rebellion ended. From it the Cosmatons rose and soon unfided the continent. ’The founder is definitely tied to it, but how? What is being hidden?’

Sighing, he looked over at Edmund, seeing the boy closing and carefully putting the book away, looking around before running off. ’Lady Death as well. Even talking about the Heretical Gods, not one is mentioned to be related to Death. So where has this come from? A new God or changing an existing one.’

His mind spun as he tried to think of Gods related to women or described as looking like women. With a click of the tongue, he sighed. Of the Gods he could remember, only three matched that description. If he included the Heretical Gods, then it was five. ’Lady Death. Foreign perhaps.’ In the distance, he heard the sounds of birds and realised that the moonlight glow was slowly being replaced by sunlight. He didn’t realise how much time had passed, and quickly put the book away, running back to his room before he was caught dressed so thinly.

’I need to read more about the Foreign Gods. Maybe those Northern ones as well.’