Free Eden-South by Janelle Stalder

things,” she suggested, pointing at his
glasses.
    “I won’t be able to see,” he replied.
    “Hmmm …” Diana walked over to him, holding
her chin while she seemed lost thought. “Let me see if I can fix
this.” Slowly, she took off his glasses and told him to shut his
eyes. Holding her fingers over each of his eyelids, she began to
chant in the strange language he had heard her speak before. After
thirty seconds, she told him to open his eyes again.
    Looking around at the area they stood in, he
could see the trees and birds in front of him perfectly. His vision
was even better than it had been with his glasses. He began to jump
for joy, exclaiming his amazement at her powers.
    Diana laughed, telling him to calm down.
“Your eyes will remain like this while you’re here in Eden, but my
powers won’t extend into your world. I’m afraid you’ll still need
those things you call glasses when you go back home.” That put a
slight damper on things, but at least he had perfect eyes for the
time being. “Shall we get to work?” she asked, walking over and
picking up one of the swords.
    With his new vision, Aiden felt more
confident and was ready for anything she threw at him.
    Or so he thought.

 
    CHAPTER FOUR
    The moons sat full in the sky, lighting the
Capital with their bluish glow. The night was only beginning, but
already the streets were filled with the people of Capital City. He
looked down at the laughing, carefree citizens, and couldn’t help
but wonder how many more of these nights he would live to see. The
threat from the north was always looming in his mind, making it
hard to enjoy such festivities. Past spring festivals had been his
favourite night of the year, finding it his only escape from the
life and position he held. Tonight, he thought sadly, would
probably pale in comparison to the others.
    “Are you coming?” Melaine asked from inside
the room. He turned to look at her, appreciating the view. She was
dressed in the ritual colour of red, her long dark hair pinned up
in an extravagant twist, and her green eyes accentuated with paint.
Even her high cheekbones were painted pink, making her look
youthful and attractive.
    “I’m certainly not letting you go out
looking like that, all by yourself,” he answered with a smile. “Let
me just change first. I’ll meet you in the courtyard.”
    “Yes, your majesty.” She smiled, grabbing
the mask that sat on the bed. It was common for the women of the
Capital to wear masks that night, finding it more freeing to do as
they pleased while in disguise. The men, however, did not. Jameson
always owned it up to the fact that men didn’t care what others
thought anyway. There was no need to hide who they were. As she
left, he headed to the mirror to make sure his hair wasn’t too
dishevelled.
    Staring at his reflection, Jameson wondered
where the time had gone. He had once been one of the most handsome
men in the Kingdom, but now he just looked old and tired.
Admittedly, he wasn’t that old, but he felt it often. His sideburns
were beginning to show grey, which Melaine constantly teased him
about. She knew how insecure he was about his increasing age. There
were lines around his eyes now, and his stomach wasn’t as flat as
it used to be. He sighed, trying to mentally prepare himself for
the night to come. It would be a long one—the spring festival
usually was.
    “God, you’re vain,” he heard a voice remark
from the doorway. He turned to see the Captain of his army, and
incidentally his best friend, Turk, standing leisurely in the
opening. “Why are you sitting there, staring at yourself?” He
laughed.
    “I’m old, Turk.” He sighed, ignoring his
friend’s jest. “I look old, I feel old, I am old. What has happened
to our youth?”
    “We drank it away,” he replied, laughing.
Jameson laughed in response, and nodded his head in agreement. “Why
are you so glum? It is the festival tonight—you should be excited
and ready for fun. God