But Galla and Astrea would not give up. They continued to see each other despite the interdictions and never stopped dreaming of a life together as they broke every one of the unwritten laws on unions between nymphs and humans.
From the day they were married, many things changed.
The king and queen decreed that traditional divisions must disappear; the two races were to cooperate. To that end, they arranged for villages to be built in which humans and nymphs would live side by side. The experiment was successful. Initially, the two groups looked upon each other with suspicion, but life in common gradually led to acceptance.
Astrea addressed Soana. “My lady sorceress, it pleases me greatly that you have returned to visit us after such a long absence. My people and the Council need your wisdom. There are terrible rumors going around, and my heart tells me that the Tyrant’s power is constantly growing.”
At those words, her consort squeezed her hand and looked at her tenderly.
“I thank you, Queen,” replied Soana, “but as you well know, my contribution to the decisions of the Council holds little weight. This is why I have brought before you Sennar, my most promising student. I’ve had the opportunity to discover and help him refine his prodigious talent, and I am certain that he will be a great help to our world under tyrannous oppression.”
Galla looked with liking at Soana. “I believe you are right, Soana. It may be that this young man is the element the Council has long been awaiting, ever since Reis stepped down: a strong guide who can show us the way to freedom.”
The young sorcerer cleared his throat. “All I hope, for now, is to be able to make my contribution to the struggle of the free lands against the Tyrant. I don’t know what plans destiny reserves for me, but I am flattered by the faith all of you place in me.”
As Sennar spoke, however, Astrea’s full attention was on Nihal. She stared with such intensity that Nihal began to feel uncomfortable.
“But this girl in your retinue, Soana …” The queen spoke no further, as Soana begged her with a glance to be silent.
Nihal was confused. She wondered what Astrea had been about to say and why she had studied her so intensely. She was tempted to ask Soana to explain, but the group had already broken up, and everyone was taking their places at the long table at the center of the hall.
Nihal followed the others, still preoccupied, until the sight of the lavish table swept away all of her musings. One free seat remained, and it was next to Fen.
Nihal felt her stomach flutter. Her heart began beating wildly, and for a moment she worried her fellow diners might notice. She feigned composure as she went to the table, but just as she moved back her chair, Fen gave her a luminous smile.
Darned ears, Nihal thought, as she felt them turn bright red. And darned knees. Why in the heck do you have to go all shaky like that?
Sennar, who was sitting directly opposite Nihal, winked at her in affectionate mocking.
Soana sat at Fen’s other side. For the entire duration of the lunch, she spoke with Galla and Astrea about the war and the Tyrant. Only rarely did she turn toward the knight, but he was very solicitous of her comfort, pouring her drinks, smiling at her, and brushing his hand against her knee beneath the tablecloth now and then.
Nihal tried to stay calm. She planted her eyes on her plate and set to eating in great haste. She didn’t taste a bite. She didn’t take part in the conversation. She was aware only of the presence of the knight at her side. It was like being next to a fire. And furthermore, she could smell him—no particular scent, just the smell of his skin. She sat there, head bowed, trembling inside.
Despite all her efforts, Nihal was unable to avoid Fen’s glance for the duration of the lunch.
“So, are you going to reveal your secret?”
Nihal choked down the mouthful she was chewing, gulped in water to help it go along, and turned toward the knight with the air of a lamb heading off to meet the wolf.
“What secret?”
“The secret of your sword. Where did that beautiful weapon come from?”
“Where did it come from?”
Fen burst out laughing. “Listen, do you always answer other people’s questions with questions of your own?”
“Yes. That is, no. Not always. Sometimes.”
“I get it. You don’t want to tell me the name of your trusted arms maker. That’s the way it should be. Warriors have to hold on to their secrets.”
“Of course, that’s it,” Nihal managed to stutter out, and then she was relieved to hear Soana’s voice interrupting the pathetic conversation.
“Nihal, Sennar is going to need some help tonight. He’ll be staying up, meditating to prepare himself for tomorrow’s trial. Someone who’s not entirely clueless about magic will have to keep him company. I think it’s a good job for you. What do you say?”
Nihal couldn’t wait for that torment of a lunch to be over. “Yes. Of course. I’m glad to do it.”
“That means you and I will have to take care of our fencing this afternoon,” said Fen, and this time Nihal’s face flamed more fiercely than ever.
At the end of the meal, Galla and Astrea left the party and the guests went to their rooms. Sennar taunted Nihal as they went down the long corridor.
“So?”
“So what?”
“Are you looking forward to a nice, restorative nap?”
“Of course. Why do you ask?”
“Oh, no reason. It’s just that tonight’s going to be a long night, so it would be a good idea to get some rest now. I wouldn’t want for all that’s weighing on your mind to keep you …”
Irked, Nihal said, “Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m about to sleep like an angel. There’s nothing on my mind.”
Sennar smiled. “All the better. If you need me, you know where to find me.”
Nihal closed the door of her room in her friend’s face.
If Nihal had knocked on Sennar’s door that afternoon, it wouldn’t have been the first time. More than once, Nihal had put pride aside and gone to her friend during the long nights in the house on the edge of the Forest.
Since that first night in the Forest, she’d frequently had nightmares filled with thousands of desperate voices.
She’d wake in terror. The first times she’d cried alone in the dark, but one night she mustered up her courage and decided to go to Sennar. Since then she’d leaned on her friend to get through those frightening moments, even though she’d never told him what happened in her dreams.
That afternoon, though, Nihal had no need of Sennar. It was simply impossible for her to fall asleep.
Fen would be waiting for her in a couple of hours, and she was unable to think of anything else. She was about to face a Dragon Knight, one of the strongest warriors in the world. The time had come to see whether or not she had the stuff warriors were made of. But that wasn’t the only thing bothering her. What if Sennar’s right and I really am in love? she wondered. This possibility struck her as an affront to her self-respect. Warriors fought. They didn’t get caught up in a lot of romantic nonsense.
All the same, she went on thinking about Fen and at the way he’d smiled at her when she’d taken her place at the table.
Nihal didn’t manage to sleep, but the time for their sparring match caught her by surprise all the same. Fen’s squire, a kid younger than her, came to knock on her door to take her to the palace’s hall of arms.
The knight was waiting for her in the center of the room, ready for the duel. A suit of golden armor covered all but his head. He wore an entirely different expression on his face than a few hours before. The smile had already disappeared; his eyes wore a look of absolute concentration.
Nihal felt tiny and lost before this man. She was tempted to hightail it away, but reminded herself that courage is the hallmark of a warrior.
“You don’t have body armor?” Fen asked the moment he saw her.
“No. Actually, I haven’t really fenced until now
. Fenced for real, I mean,” Nihal answered.
“Not bad. It means you’ll have agility on your side.”
Nihal did her best to nod confidently, but there was a lump in her throat, which refused to go either up or down. Her head was crammed with thoughts.
“En garde,” Fen ordered.
And Nihal didn’t know what to do.
She tried to calm herself by going over in her mind everything she’d learned about fencing during the course of her brief life. She braced herself.
Fen’s attack was overwhelming and unexpected. He relied on the strength that was his advantage, clearly aiming to tire and confuse his adversary. Nihal, terrified and lacking focus, was easy game. It didn’t help that she couldn’t take her eyes off Fen’s face. It was as if the world began and ended in this man who was advancing on her, sword in hand.
Nihal began to retreat immediately. She couldn’t even muster up a lame attack. After a pair of blows her sword flew from her hand and fell disastrously to the floor.
Fen stared at her in amazement. “What’s going on? Do you want to fight or what? Don’t tell me that’s all you know how to do!”
Nihal felt like she was about to burst into tears.
“Soana said you’re good. Don’t be afraid. Show me!”
Don’t think. Fight. Just fight. Nihal stood, ready to fight for real. She closed her eyes and emptied her mind. Who’s that in front of you, Nihal? An enemy. Just an enemy. He’s handsome, that’s for sure, and you may be falling in love with him. But none of this has anything to do with fighting. And anyway, don’t you hope to impress him? Then show him what you can do with a sword. Because you’re good. You know you are. You’re good. All you’ve got to do is show him.
Nihal stood with her eyes closed until she felt the blow from Fen’s sword about to land on her. Only then was she truly ready to begin. With a sidestep, she dodged it just in time and began to get a sense for the space she was moving in. She didn’t parry. She didn’t thrust. She just dodged each of Fen’s blows with precision.
She closed her eyes again and listened to the rhythm of her adversary’s steps. She familiarized herself with their cadence, got a sense of his habitual moves. Then she began to attack.
Fen’s weak spot was the fact that his moves were so predictable. His technique was flawless, but precisely for that reason, it was possible to anticipate what he’d do next. It didn’t take long for Nihal to be able to guess what would happen. At that point, she began to move quickly. She parried every single blow and began to attack by swiping downward from above, which forced Fen to move backward. Then, after a pair of feints, she drew very close to her adversary, forcing him to raise his sword high in the air. That was what she’d been waiting for. She dropped to her knees and began to strike from below. But the knight certainly didn’t lack for experience. Nihal hadn’t noticed that he’d been holding his sword with a single hand for a while. One of Fen’s hands was free and, like lightning, he used it to grab her arm and twist her wrist. She was disarmed.
For a few seconds they stood in that position, gasping for breath. All of a sudden, Nihal realized how close she was to Fen’s lips. She blushed, freed herself and, with a little leap, regained a safe distance.
Fen wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Soana was right!”
Nihal held back a proud smile. She liked fencing with this man. He wasn’t predictable at all. He was precise. He could keep his wits about him. And he would do anything to win.
“Ready for another round?” asked Fen.
Nihal was past her fear. “I can’t think of anything I’d like better.”
The two of them spent the afternoon fencing without pause. Nihal felt free and happy. There wasn’t a thought in her mind. Her body moved like clockwork and as if of its own accord. The determination and fury of the encounter induced a kind of trance, and the longer they fought the more excited she felt. She didn’t even notice when Sennar joined them and sat in a corner to watch. In the end, they sat on the floor, backs resting against the wall, sweaty and exhausted.
“Who do you usually train with?” asked Fen.
“With nobody.”
“What do you mean, ‘with nobody’?”
“Well, you know … Sennar is a disaster with a sword.”
“Well then, listen, Nihal. I have a proposal for you. You have a natural talent that you need to nurture. Soana often comes to visit me. I’d like you to come too, so you can train with me.”
Nihal felt as if her heart had stopped.
She pictured herself passing thousands of afternoons exactly like the one she’d just spent with Fen, and maybe others, too, during which they wouldn’t even fence, just talk. She was brimming with joy, but she tried to disguise the feeling by assuming a worldly air. “That could work for me.”
Fen laughed heartily. Then he stretched out a hand and helped her up.
Nihal’s career as a warrior had begun.
She couldn’t wait to tell everything to Sennar. But there he was, right in front of her face as she came out of the room, a cross expression on his face.
“Sennar, you can’t imagine what just―”
Sennar didn’t let her go on. “Yes, I can. And please allow me to tell you that you’re making a mistake.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Nihal, don’t go getting strange ideas about Fen.”
“Oh, come on. Are you still on about that? It’s an obsession!”
“Look, if there’s anyone here with an obsession it’s you.”
Nihal grimaced. “And so what if it’s true?”
“Nihal.”
“You’re always complaining that I act like a boy. If I have a crush on someone it must mean I haven’t forgotten what a good little girl should be doing―”
“Nihal, listen to me!”
“―which,” Nihal concluded, as she flashed Sennar a dazzling smile, “is finding someone to marry.”
“Listen, Nihal. I want to make sure you understand. Fen loves Soana. And Soana loves him.”
The smile faded from Nihal’s lips.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know how you managed not to notice. But it’s the truth. Believe me.”
All of a sudden, Nihal felt immensely stupid. How, indeed, had she managed not to see? It was as clear as day. Soana’s joy during their journey. The way the two had behaved when they’d met up. Fen’s hand on Soana’s knee during the lunch.
Silent, Nihal squeezed the hilt of her sword and set off for her room, head held high.
TThe night before Sennar’s initiation was long and sleepless.
Nihal attended to her friend with care. She tried not to think of anything else and to concentrate on being there for him, but toward dawn she couldn’t take it anymore. “Sennar, can I ask you a question?”
“Go ahead.”
“Have you ever been in love?”
“Um … I think so.”
“What’s it like?”
“It’s different for everyone, but in general you think about the person that you love all the time and your stomach is tied up in knots and your heart starts racing the minute you see her. Stuff like that. Can you really not know?”
“Sennar?”
“Nihal, please! I need to concentrate!”
“I think you were right.”
To Nihal’s great disappointment, the initiation ceremony took place behind closed doors. She was very curious to see what went on. Instead, she had to make do with a fleeting glimpse of the Council Room as Sennar was going in. She had just enough time to make out a big dark room and eight sorcerers and sorceresses of different races sitting solemnly on stone thrones.
Then the door closed and Nihal stood outside torturing herself with her thoughts.
She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t dare go looking for Fen. She didn’t know the Land of Water well enough to know where to take a walk. In the end, she went back to her room. There, inevitably, she ended up pondering her heartache.
&n
bsp; She spent some time crying over the fact that Fen already had a ladylove. But it was a huge, sweet sorrow, and she threw herself into it without holding back. Suddenly, she loved the idea of love and the sensation of being in love.
That she might forget about Fen because he was Soana’s lover didn’t even cross her mind. That afternoon, Nihal locked her feelings for Fen jealously inside herself, where she could continue to nourish them with hopes and dreams through moments of mild desperation and of fleeting exultation.
The initiation ceremony went well. The members of the Council of Sorcerers were deeply impressed by the tall, thin kid and his magical powers.
When Sennar came out of the room, he was exhausted, pale, and sweaty. He was a sorcerer now. He had been given a black garment that he was to wear from that moment on, a tunic similar to the one he had worn as a novice with the addition of an intricate red decoration depicting an enormous eye in the middle of the torso.
“Wow, that’s kind of scary,” was Nihal’s comment.
That very afternoon, Soana, Sennar, and Nihal took leave of Galla and Astrea and set off.
Soana and Fen briefly embraced in front of the entrance to the palace, the roar of the waterfall all around them.
Sennar and Nihal had already started walking when the voice of the knight came booming over the noise of the water. “Nihal!”
She turned.
“See you soon! And make sure to practice!”
Nihal started counting down the days the minute she reached home.
8
THE END OF A FAIRY TALE
Back in the Land of the Wind, they quickly settled into their usual routines. Nihal gave cursory attention to her magic studies, while Sennar studied night and day.
The eight sorcerers had decided that he should continue working with Soana for another year in order to learn about the duties and tasks of a member of the Council. When that period ended, Soana would report on his abilities and then he could try for membership.
Since becoming a full-fledged sorcerer, Sennar was completely caught up in his new role. He spent hours bent over his books, and after he finished everything in Soana’s library, he began to wander around the Land of the Wind looking for new volumes.