A Bridge Between Worlds Ch. 04

Why can't I just tell her the truth?

It is not your place... she is your friend and confidant first and foremost.

Selena had confided to him that the death of her lover, Ahmad, still haunted her, and the return of Mike and Melody had brought these feelings to the surface. She seemed to still be in love with him, but longed to find a way to move past his final sacrifice. Though she was uneasy at sharing this information with Farzan at first, she slowly opened up to him when he proclaimed her to be not only his vizier, but a friend as well.

What if she would want to know? What if she needs to know?

We have been over this before. Thousands of years later, the situation remains unchanged. You know this, Farzan.

Farzan remembered well Ahmad's selfless act. His battalion had been traveling through a canyon, escorting a convoy of supplies to King Ardashir. Their supplies had run short, and their stronghold would not be able to withstand the sorcerers' siege without additional help. As they neared the exit to the canyon, however, they were ambushed by an elite group of sorcerers, who had taken up positions on the canyon rims above the convoy, preparing to lay waste to them. Upon seeing this, Ahmad ordered his men to flee with the supplies, knowing that even if they survived, the destruction of the convoy would likely mean the fall of the Earth Jinn. As his men made their escape, Ahmad, using his mastery of defensive magic, erected an enormous barrier to protect their backside and flank, ensuring them safe passage forward. In creating such a large barrier, however, he expended nearly all of his reserve energy, and soon lay exhausted and gasping for breath on the canyon floor. Enraged that the convoy had gotten through, the sorcerer in charge murdered Ahmad then and there, severing his head and placing it on a pike atop their fortress.

As a result of this sacrifice, Ahmad's name became a rallying cry for the armies of the Jinn, and helped spur them on to their final, decisive victory against the sorcerers. In a fit of grief and rage, Selena had wiped out an entire legion of opposing forces by herself. When the dust had settled, the enemy had been decimated and their final stronghold remained largely unprotected, allowing the Jinn to enter and retrieve their ancient documents that had been stolen, finally ending the war.

For Selena, however, the victory had come at the ultimate personal cost. For months on end, she would lock herself in her quarters, refusing all contact and all but the most necessary of food. Thankfully, she was finally able to regain some of her confidence, enough to at least perform her daily functions. She still questioned her purpose in life, but Farzan was relieved that she had at least been brought back from the brink. During her period of mourning, he did all he could to comfort her, though for the longest time, she still did not seem like her old self. All of that changed one fateful night, nearly a century after the end of the war.

As Farzan rested in his bedchambers that evening, his soul was suddenly pierced by a scream of hopelessness and despair. He immediately summoned Selena to his side, confirming that she had felt something as well. Farzan dispatched her at once to discover the source of the screams, and authorized her to use all of her magic to find a way to aid this individual. Upon her return, Selena related to him the story of Maya and Isaiah, showing him the locket that now contained the vessel of Maya's daughter. Farzan was moved to tears as she recounted to him the details of Maya's dying wish.

On that day, Selena's entire demeanor changed drastically. Her confidence returned in full force, and she dedicated herself completely to her work, determined to scour the globe in search of a worthy man for Maya's daughter and fulfill her dying wish. Though Farzan tried to help, finding several potentially good candidates, Selena never deemed them to be good enough, and thus continued her search. Through her dedication, searching for thousands of years for a worthy individual while never settling for anything less than the best, Farzan's respect for her began do blossom into something more than he had ever expected.

She deserves to know... she deserves to know that... I love her.

You are the King Jinn of the Water Tribe! You can have any woman you wish, and yet you still hesitate! You know precisely why you hesitate: because, deep down, Selena is still in love with Ahmad.

Perhaps. I do not presume myself to be as great as Ahmad was. Still, if his sacrifice has taught me anything, it is not to wait to say such important things.

And yet, if any woman in our tribe would rebuff King Farzan the Wise, would it not be her? Why take such a chance, and risk not only harming yourself emotionally, but Selena as well? Why risk your friendship with her?

Indeed, the risk is great. In the end, however, it may well be worth it.

Farzan sighed, exhausted from his mental debate. "I shall sleep on the matter for now," he muttered to himself. As he crawled into his luxurious bed, Farzan grabbed a few pillows to place around him for comfort and clapped his hands twice, extinguishing the torches in the chamber. Minutes later, he was sound asleep.