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I was sitting looking into the mirror deep in thought. My hair was down, having just finished drying. I heard footsteps approaching and turned just in time to see Nathan entering my room.
"I really wish you would knock," I commented, turning back to the mirror. I picked up my brush.
"Tonight is the World Festival, so I brought you this." Nathan laid a box on my bed and lifted the lid. Inside was a really beautiful dress. It was a rich red silk, with an embroidered red, gold, and orange phoenix on it.
I went over to look at it, and smoothed the fabric.
"The Phoenix is a very rare bird," Nathan said. "It rises out of death anew. Let's start our relationship anew."
I decided that the truth was best. "I don't think I can."
"I know are you are unhappy and lonely. I'll allow you more freedoms. You can bring Mirilla here when she's old enough to be your lady's companion. I'll even let you keep that bodyguard, even though I hate him most passionately. I just want one thing from you."
I almost didn't want to ask. I had been here half a year now, and I knew I was lucky that Nathan never expected I show affection. "And what is that?"
"Just give me a chance to earn your love." He was hopeful.
I didn't trust my voice, so I nodded once. I felt I could at least try. I had to make the best of things, I may as well try to learn to .... not despise my husband.
***
The whole village turned out for the festival. Paper lanterns were hanging from the ropes that had been tied off for just that purpose. Everyone was dressed up. Street vendors offered an array of smells and foods.
Men in large colorful masks danced, and juggled balls of fire, while a woman played a large drum that was hanging from a large wooden frame. I dutifully followed Nathan and his entourage around for a while. A rather large man approached and started to talk to Nathan, and suggested they go and get some drinks.
I spotted Kyung and waved.
"Go ahead, have fun." Nathan gave me a dismissive wave.
I grinned and joined Kyung and Mirilla. We ate our fill of various foods, watched the performers, and had a good time. As the evening grew late, Mirilla's mother retrieved her and they returned home. The crowd was slowly thinning as the night drew long.
"This has been rather exciting," I remarked later to Kyung as he was walking me home.
"I'm glad you had a good time. You deserve it." Kyung said.
"Thank you. I'm really glad I got to spend it with you instead of..." I let my voice trail off. Kyung would know what I meant. "You remind me of George.”
"I do? How is that?"
"Well, he didn't have fangs like you have. But otherwise he was very much like you in appearance.”
"Tell me more about George," Kyung suggested, he clasped his hands behind his back.
I turned to face Kyung, walking backwards. "I'm not sure what to tell."
"Well, start with how you met him."
"The first time I met George, I really didn't meet him. He kept himself distant—” My foot hit a rock and I stumbled.
Kyung caught me. "Do turn around and face the way we're walking; I'd rather you not kill yourself tonight."
"You know, that's an idea."
"What?!" Kyung grabbed my arm and turned me to face him.
"Killing myself is an idea. Not that I will," I hastily added. "I have you and Runt. And maybe one day I'll be able to send word to my family that I am alive, when they aren't in danger anymore. I do keep telling myself that."
"Please tell me you won't do anything stupid," Kyung said.
I raised an eyebrow. "I won't. It's just—”
"It's just what?"
"Something that Nathan said when he gave me the doom-ring."
"The doom-ring?"
I nodded and showed Kyung my black onyx ring.
"Oh, your wedding ring."
"Well, if there had been a real marriage I suppose." I shrugged.
"Is it ok if I don't take you home right now? Let's go see Master Sam. He'll put us up tonight, and you and I can talk."
"What if Nathan looks for me when he gets home?"
"Oh, I don't think he'll be home. The men he was with, they'll eat and drink all night at the entertainment house." I must have looked confused because Kyung let out a sigh. "He's been going there often enough, and he'll be home just as the sun is coming up. I followed him a few times because I was wondering where he was going in the middle of the night."
"You mean he's been staying there all night?"
"Yes, which is rather revolting if you ask me. A man should be faithful to his wife."
"Let's not dally and head to Master Sam's," I replied as we turned left and headed towards the old potter's home.
After a while, Kyung stopped walking and asked, "So um ... You aren't angry that your husband is with other women?"
"It is actually a relief, as just having it said I'm married to him is plenty for me." I checked to see if my face as warm as I thought. "I'm so glad its dark right now."
"Why is that? Being glad it's dark that is," Kyung said as he caught up with me.
"If it wasn't dark, I think I would be bright red in the face."
"I see." Kyung nodded. "Now about the other thing—" I could hear the teasing creeping back in his voice.
I spun around and gave him a playful shove. "None of that! I'll explain it all when we get to Master Sam's." I couldn't help but smile.
Master Sam was surprised to see us. He hadn't been back from the festival long himself.
"Elizabeth! What brings you and Kyung this late?"
"Elizabeth said something that concerned me, Master Sam." Kyung answered, as Master Sam had us sit down on some cushions in his little home. The shelves were lined with bowls and cups that he made for the village.
"Just what might that be?"
Kyung was blunt and to the point. “She mentioned killing herself."
"Child, why would you think such a terrible thing?" Sam's eyes were full of compassion and worry.
"It wasn't quite like that. I tripped and Kyung told me to be careful as he didn’t want me to kill myself, and it occurred to me that it was an idea. But I was only thinking of it releasing me from this prison the doom-ring has on me."
"She means her wedding ring," Kyung said.
"I haven't heard a wedding ring called that before," Sam said as he looked at me.
"She also said she isn't really married," Kyung added.
"Now, isn't that interesting," Sam commented, then with a side glance at Kyung added, "Now don't you go getting ideas into your head, young master Kyung. Elizabeth here is lovely enough to catch many a young man's eyes, but she is still tangled up with Lord Mort."
Kyung took to coughing and looked the other way.
Sam chuckled.
"I thought of something Nathan said to me when Kyung mentioned dying. When he put the ring on my finger, he said 'Should you die, I will die. Should I die, so shall you.' Are you familiar with Romeo and Juliet?"
"I'm afraid not," Sam answered.
"I shouldn't have thought so. It's a play from where I am from. Written a couple hundred years ago. In that play, Juliet secretly marries her love Romeo. Her parents arrange for her to marry a man she doesn't love after that, so she dies a false death to escape the forced marriage to Paris." I decided to leave out that Juliet does not get a happy ending with Romeo. I wouldn’t get a happy ending with George, but at least...
"So you want to die a false death?" Kyung asked. "What does that have to do with the ring?"
"Well, surely there is a way to make me die enough to unlink the doom-ring."
"Ane, I don't understand."
"Maybe there's an apothecary that can make me a poison just like Juliet had. She died for three days. Even Romeo believed her to be dead whilst in her tomb."
Sam nodded thoughtfully. "I've never heard of anything, but I can ask around. Is it worth the risk of actually dying?"
"Yes." I was determined.
"No." Kyung was equally determined.
We glared at each other, neither of us willing to give.
I felt anger rising up. "Why not?"
"If you die ... you'll be dead! There is no coming back from the dead, Elizabeth."
"Then what would you have me do?!" I cried, the hot tears escaping against my will. "I don't love him. I didn't want to marry him. I want more than anything to go home, but I can't! Not while we're living."
"I don't know! But dying?"
"My family already believes me dead. I have nothing more to lose."
Kyung’s face fell. "Is it really so bad here?"
"Yes!" I yelled. "I hate everything here."
As soon as it was out of my mouth, I regretted it. It wasn't the truth; it was only part of it. I did hate it here, but I could see the beauty in Dragonspire, and its inhabitants. I could see being quite happy here.
If George was with me.
Silence followed for a while. I could tell Kyung's feelings were hurt. I heard a door slam and realized that Kyung had left.
"Elizabeth, here's a mound of clay. Why don't you work it while I think," Sam's voice filled the silence again, as he handed me some clay. "Work it into a ball. Take your feelings out on that, and not the boy."
I started working the clay.
"Did Kyung say where he was going?" I asked after a while.
"He said he'd be back," Sam answered.
I looked over at his friendly face. His gray hair was worn in a topknot on top of his head, and he had a graying beard. He might have been handsome once.
"Can I see the ring in question?"
I held out my hand. "I can't take it off, I've tried."
"A black onyx ring. Did Nathan say or do anything when he gave it to you?"
"Besides his odd if I die you die comment?" I thought back. "I'm not entirely sure. He did cut our fingers, sort of like how boys would nick themselves to become blood brothers back home. The ring did something odd, though. Once he put his blood on it, the ring changed to fit me."
"I think what Nathan performed was a soul-bonding oath, often performed during a wedding. Once they were very common, but they've fallen out of favor over the years."
"Sometimes I'm aware of his feelings, and I suspect he's aware of mine."
"The longer the bond is there the more attune to each other the bonded pair becomes. It wasn't always used for love, though. It can even reach the point where you feel each other's pains and joys.”
I glanced down at the clay I had been molding. I had, without realizing what I was doing, created a little nine tailed fox. "I'm going to name you George," I told it.
"Oh, very nice Elizabeth. That looks like a huli jing."
"I thought it was gumiho?"
"That is a name I haven't heard in a long time. We call them huli jing, or spirit foxes here. They can be very good, or very cruel."
"I knew a very good half gumiho, and two rather cruel huli jings then." I examined my little clay gumiho and added, "George was a gumiho."
"Did you want to talk about him?" Sam asked as I wiped a tear.
I heard the door open, and Kyung stepped back inside. I gave him a smile to apologize for earlier, and he nodded.
"Yes, actually I do. I want him to be known and remembered." So I began to talk. I told Sam about how I met George and the ball. How he often smelled like evergreen trees and peppermint. The way he smiled. I also told him about the London murders, and how George and his father were investigating it and were killed. "I never even got to say goodbye," I managed to say through my tears. "Not to my George, or even to the Marquis. It's hard to believe I won't see them again, even if I did go to Castle Moonspire."
"Did you just say the Marquis, as in the Marquis Simon Moonspire?" Sam asked.
"I did, why?"
"Dear girl, I think there is something you need to know. Word came a few days ago that there was a new Marquis of Moonspire, and he's the son of the late Simon Moonspire." Sam said. "There's also this, that by order of the High King of the Spires, all portals to the Mezzo-world are closed."
"What? Did I just hear you right? That has to be the same Simon ... did he have another son? They never mentioned another ... I need to go talk to him. I need to find out ... if ... if it's George..."
"Ane, may I have that sketch of George from your book?"
"Of course, why?"
Kyung took my hands in his, despite the fact mine were covered in dry clay from making my gumiho. "Let me go and see if this new marquis looks like the man you drew. If he does, he'll want to know about you."
For the first time in a long time, I felt hope.
I couldn't get home fast enough to get that page from my sketchbook for Kyung.
"One more thing," I said taking a hair stick out of my hair. Then I pulled out my journal and took out a small piece of paper, and carefully copied, the characters for my forever love. "Give him this with the hair stick. If it's George, he'll understand." I tried to sound confident. I wanted it to be George, but I also didn't want to set myself to have my heart broken more.
"Stay safe, Ane," Kyung said in parting. "I'll try to be swift."