The Best of All Possible Worlds Read online

  Arnot waited impatiently as Vio lined up against Avigail. They were each sporting a pair of heavy katas, and though the twins were used to working with the heavy wooden batons, Arnot could tell by his sister’s manner that these were much heavier than anything they’d worked with in the past. For one, her guard was too low, and her left arm was trembling slightly, not something a normal person would notice, but when it came to fighting, Arnot noticed everything. They were down on the flat of the beach, just far enough from the water so that the sand was dry. The day was warm but overcast with a threat of rain and there was a strong wind coming up from the west which pushed the tops of the trees about noisily.

  ‘And it’s about time we’re sparring!’ Arnot thought. He was about ready to crawl out of his skin; after all they’d been on Noble for nearly three weeks and all Vio had them doing was running, swimming and meditating….meditating for crying out loud. On the first night she’d confiscated their katas and forbidden any forms of sparring, including hand to hand until the time was right.

  “When will the time be right?” Arnot asked incessantly. He was tired of running…tired of losing. Even now, after three weeks he still had yet to beat Vio, and was only close that very first day. She was a running machine that never seemed to tire.

  “When you’re worthy,” Vio quipped back every time he asked about sparring, and said nothing more on the matter until this afternoon.

  “You’re guard is low,” Vio told Avigail and she raised it and held it in place with effort. The katas were very, very heavy.

  “Prepare,” Vio warned, paused for just a moment and then attacked with simple fluid movements. It was time to evaluate the twins. She’d decided to start with Avigail, who was much less temperamental than her brother and much less eager to fight. But despite her temperament Avigail was able to block the first attack with ease, even with the extra heavy sparring weapons.

  “Good,” Vio said and stepped back. Arnot nearly laughed. The attack was insultingly simple and very basic. It was an attack the twins learned from their father long ago. Avigail, however, was thankful for the simplicity for it allowed her to become accustomed to the weight of her weapons. She smiled shyly at Vio, who was immediately struck by the simple beauty of the girl standing on the beach before her. Avigail’s hair was long and dark, nearly black, but not quite. It was tied back tightly, but the wind was working hard to free as many strands as possible. Avigail’s face was soft and round, the roundness accentuated by her full cheeks. Her eyes were dark brown, exactly like Gwaynn’s. The princess was short but not overly so, just a few inches shorter than Vio herself, and her shoulders were narrow and her arms thin. ‘She will need to gain some upper body strength,’ Vio thought as she continued to study her opponent. Avigail’s torso was slim with small breasts but her legs seemed surprisingly long, though Vio suspected it was an illusion perpetuated by the girl’s slim stature.

  “Again,” Vio said and this time attacked immediately, moving faster and adding several subtle moves designed to confuse her opponent, but again Avigail was able to thwart every blow. Vio attacked several more times and with each attempt she increased the tempo and difficulty. Arnot was no longer on the verge of laughing; instead he was watching the older woman with an expression of awe. Vio’s every move was perfectly timed and executed with no wasted motion. Every one of Vio’s movements left her in the perfect position to execute the following move, every attack flowed from the last as easily as a mountain stream gliding to the valley below. Arnot had never seen anything like it…never watched any one fight with such perfection. Even his father, who might be the best swordsmen in all the land, did not move like this. He watched Vio closely as she sparred, very conscious of her legs, her narrow waist…and her breasts which stood out prominently through the thin white fabric of her gi. Arnot was surprised to find that, despite her age, he enjoyed the look of Vio’s body in the loose fitting clothing, especially the way it molded to her backside. The young prince felt a sudden overwhelming desire for Vio and blushed, deeply confused but grateful that both his sister and his teacher were busy at the moment.

  As heir to the throne of the Inland Sea, Arnot had many opportunities to explore the opposite sex, and like any healthy young man he could not help but do so, mostly at some young lady’s urgings. And while the encounters were enjoyable enough, they often led to sticky, unpleasant situations that were not always worth the pleasure of release. Plus afterwards, he was usually gripped with the strong dread that his sister would find out about his activities, and while he was not sure exactly how she would react, he was positive she would not be pleased. He could hardly blame her. The mere thought of Avigail rutting with some ignorant bastard was enough to cause Arnot to boil over with anger. No one would ever be good enough for his sister!

  Arnot came back to himself as Avigail went sprawling in the sand, her left kata flying from her grip. Arnot was instantly on his feet, while his sister sat up slowly with a grim, slightly embarrassed smile on her face.

  “You know what you did wrong?” Vio asked, very encouraged by the girl’s ability. She was easily on the level with any third year student on the island.

  “Yes, I wasn’t watching your feet,” Avigail said as she wiped the sand from the back of her pants.

  Vio nodded. “You became fixated on the pattern of my attack, concentrating only on the katas and ignoring the rest of my body.”

  ‘I wasn’t,’ Arnot thought, anxious to face Vio for himself, but she ignored him and squared off against Avigail again. They fought for nearly a half an hour as Arnot watched and studied Vio’s technique. He tried to learn her tendencies but she appeared not to have any or if she did they were so subtle it would take many months for him to learn them. Vio dropped Avigail four more times, all the while lavishing her with praise before finally allowing her to rest. Arnot happily grabbed the katas from her and moved down closer to Vio. He stood testing the weight of the weapons, they were indeed very heavy, but not impossibly so.

  “Be very careful with him,” Avigail whispered as she moved past Vio and dropped into the sand. The strong breeze felt good and quickly dried the sweat at the nap of her neck as she drank from the common water jug they’d brought with them.

  Vio held up a hand to Arnot. “A moment please,” she said and had a strong flash back of the very first time she’d sparred with Gwaynn. She smiled and sat down next to Avigail, who handed her the jug. Vio drank and wondered briefly how Arnot’s fighting skills would differ from his father’s. Arnot was obviously impatient to begin but to his credit he said nothing and began a series of stretches in an attempt to burn off his excess energy. Vio took another drink, eyeing the young man. He was lean and wiry, more so than his father, and he was much taller than Gwaynn was at his age. His hair was nearly shoulder length and also dark, but not nearly as thick as Avigail’s. And Vio noticed whiskers on his face for the first time. He had the look of his father, but if anything, might even be a touch more handsome, and like Gwaynn, he was all male.

  “Relax,” she told him, wondering just how good he truly was. According to Bethany, the King’s Weapons Master, he was exceedingly good. “You’ll get your chance.”

  Arnot smiled sheepishly, still acutely aware of Vio’s body, especially where the thin fabric of her outfit clung to her skin. His eyes passed over the woman’s, then over to his sister who was watching him with raised eyebrows. Arnot blushed slightly and turned away and looked out to sea. Vio finally stood behind him.

  “Come,” she said and Arnot turned and slowly smiled.

  Vio took up position and paused for several long minutes. Arnot held up his guard and did not move. ‘That’s one difference,’ Vio thought, ‘Gwaynn would have attacked almost immediately.’ But Arnot just stood and waited, now perfectly relaxed, perfectly in his element. Vio used a variation of the first attack she’d used on Avigail and fully expected Arnot to be able to thwart it. He did, but unlike his sister he did not stay on the defensive, like his father, he attacked
…and attacked…and attacked. Once the sparring began there was no let up on Arnot’s end, no pause, no break, just an endless stream of attacks and counters. Vio was shocked. His fighting ability was miles above his sister’s…miles above her expectations and she quickly ramped up her own effort to match.

  Soon she was fighting at her highest level. Gwaynn should have warned her! After nearly ten minutes of solid fighting she managed to score her first hit. It was a glancing blow off the boy’s left shoulder, but it was a hit nonetheless. The two backed away slowly, Arnot bowing slightly in acknowledgement, but a self-satisfied smile was fixed on his face. Vio glanced over and caught Avigail rolling her eyes in disgust. Vio smiled inwardly, but on the outside she remained stoic. Perhaps it was time to teach Arnot a little humility.

  Vio attacked quickly, full out, but again he was able to block every threat, even when she began to incorporate sophisticated kicks and combinations. But then, as the Solitary N’dori taught her, Vio began to tweak time ever so gently and with impressive control. As she concentrated, Arnot began to slow, but he never stopped entirely because before it went that far she put him on his back with a kick to the chest…just like she had with his father so long ago. Once he was down, Vio released her hold on time; she was weakened, but not drastically so…N’dori had taught her a good deal about control.

  Avigail sat up straight as her brother went down. “How did you do that?” She asked standing and staring accusingly at Vio. “You moved very, very fast.”

  Arnot was looking at her from his back, a very surprised expression on his face. Obviously Gwaynn had not told him about his own abilities with time. That was good; it was not something that should become common knowledge. Up until Gwaynn, the Solitaries guarded their secret abilities very closely, but with the Just War some of their secrets emerged; their ability to Travel for one.

  Avigail marched up to Vio as Arnot began to climb to his feet. “What did you do?” The girl asked and Vio was taken aback by Avigail’s protective nature for her brother. Vio was under the impression Avigail would be pleased to see her brother knocked on his butt from time to time. Apparently she was wrong.

  “There are things you both do not know,” Vio answered calmly, glancing from one twin to the other. Avigail frowned, but there was a wry smile on Arnot’s face.

  “Avi…sit down,” Arnot said, then to Vio. “Try that again,” he said and held up his katas in preparation. Vio smiled as Avigail finally retreated back to her place in the sand.

  This time Arnot attacked at once, very fast, very furious in an attempt to keep Vio off balance. He succeeded but still was unable to score a hit, but the aggressive manner of his attack demanded all of her attention for several long minutes. He lunged and she skipped back away from him, leading him down toward the water’s edge. Arnot continued to follow, continued to attack but when a wave suddenly washed over his ankles he was momentarily distracted. It was all Vio needed and with speed and complete control she adjusted time slightly, Arnot slowed and Vio lashed out again, this time her kick connected with his left thigh. He dropped to his knees and she slowed time a bit more before moving in and kneeling close. She placed a kata directly at his neck.

  Time returned to normal, and again Arnot’s face showed surprise as he looked up at Vio. They were very close, both breathing hard from their exertions. Neither said a thing for a moment, but then Vio stood, this time fighting the hunger pangs that threatened to overwhelm her.

  “You cheated!” Avigail spouted as she moved down through the wet sand toward them.

  Arnot laughed. “There’s no such thing as cheating in war Avi. You’re either alive or dead.”

  Vio looked down at him and nodded then she held out a hand and helped him to his feet.

  “No one can move that fast,” Avigail insisted.

  Vio frowned and turned on her. “You would believe such a thing…and you a Traveler. How fast can you move from one place to another? Faster I’d say, and farther.”

  Avigail remained quiet for a time, considering this new twist on her own abilities. “Did you Travel as you fought? Is it possible to Travel such small distances? I never saw a bridge…that can’t be possible.”

  Vio chuckled. Arnot was looking at his sister as if she’d lost her mind.

  “I did not Travel…but something very close to it,” Vio admitted and Arnot’s head shot around, suddenly very interested.

  “What?”

  “Before you leave…I will teach you…I will teach you both.”

  †

  “You fancy her,” Avigail teased a month later as she was packing the few things she’d brought to Noble with her.

  Arnot scowled. “I do not,” he replied, trying to play his interest in Vio Valencia off with a shrug.

  “You do! I see the way you look at her,” Avi snapped back, not really understanding why she felt the need to goad her brother. “I see you watch her while she’s swimming!”

  Arnot’s face reddened. He knew Avi had caught him staring at Vio a number of times though he tried to be discreet. But his infatuation with his beautiful instructor continued to grow as the days past. “So what if I do? What’s it to you anyway?”

  Avigail frowned and shoved her book into her bag and then laced it tightly shut. “She’s as old as mother! Just don’t embarrass me in front of the Solitaries,” she finally replied then immediately felt a rush of guilt.

  Arnot stared at his sister for a long moment, clearly angry. “Fine…I find her fascinating and attractive. I like girls…I like women, just because you’re a cold fish and never felt anything for anyone doesn’t mean we all have to be prudes.”

  “Aaahhh…you…you…I like boys!” She shouted her voice getting louder as she spoke.

  “Who? No one alive!” Arnot retorted angrily and had to skip back as she swung her bag at him, then suddenly she was crying and Arnot’s angry expression changed to one of confusion. But she swung her bag at him again so he fled the cabin leaving his own packed bag on his bunk.

  “We may not return for several months…” Arnot heard and turned to find Vio and Nolan walking toward him.

  “Yes mum,” Nolan answered and gave Arnot a wave and a smile. He would miss having the twins about. He liked young people and the royal twins were more behaved than most.

  “Are we ready?” Vio asked as she moved closer and Arnot found he couldn’t look her in the eye.

  “Nearly, Avi is still packing,” he answered just as Avigail opened the cabin door. Arnot glanced at her, feeling bad and noticed that her eyes were dry but glinted at him like ice. He found he didn’t much care for such a look from his sister and best friend. She was carrying two bags and without a word she held Arnot’s out to him.

  “Thanks Avi,” he said a little sheepishly. ‘She started it,’ he thought as he turned back to Vio, who handed her own bag to Nolan.

  Arnot thought Vio would then move through the twenty-nine steps in order to open a bridge, but instead she went very still and then suddenly a bridge sprang into existence before them.

  Avigail gasped as Arnot took a step back, thoroughly surprised.

  “Travel!” Vio said and reached out and took her bag from Nolan. Avi moved forward and Arnot followed and within seconds they found themselves at the base of mount Erato just below the very cabin where their father trained and lived so long ago.

  Two people waited outside, an elderly woman was walking off the porch while a man stood in the doorway and watched their approach with a huge smile on his face.

  “Welcome,” the woman said when they were close. “James and I have been looking forward to this day, though we didn’t expect it so soon,” she added then glanced with raised eyebrows at Tarina Valencia.

  “They’re ready,” Vio stated confidently. “Arnot, Avigail, this is the Solitary N’dori…and her companion Captain James Kerr.”

  “Companion?” Arnot asked and winched when Avigail kicked his left shin. “Ow!”

  N’dori just laughed lightly, and whe
n she did, they all could see the girl she had once been in the aging face she showed to the world. “Yes young prince, as a Solitary I’m a contradiction.”

  The Captain cleared his throat from the doorway behind her and N’dori laughed again. “Well,” she added, still smiling, “as a woman I suppose I am as well. Welcome to our home.”

  She held out a hand to Avigail, who took it noticing that while the woman’s skin was still without blemish it was not nearly as tight and firm as her own. James moved out of the shadows and off the porch and greeted Avigail just as Arnot was shaking N’dori’s hand. Her brother was clearly taken aback by this strange woman. She was not at all what he was expecting from the Solitaries.

  “Your mother and father are well?” Kerr asked and Avigail nodded, suddenly missing her parents very much.

  “They keep busy,” she added with a shy smile.

  “You’ve a book I’m told,” N’dori added once all the pleasantries were over.

  Avigail nodded with an expression of worry.

  “May I see it?” N’dori asked and Avigail knelt and placed her bag on the ground, loosened the cord and pulled it open. ‘Insights,’ was lying on top and she pulled it out into the sun. She had finished the book long ago but still a dread came over her that the Solitary would take it from her.

  N’dori stretched out her hand and Avigail’s dread grew stronger.

  “Ah…Galen, very good,” the Solitary commented and then thankfully handed it back to the girl, who snatched it up, feeling enormous relief.

  “You will give it to your brother,” N’dori ordered. “He’ll have more need of it than you. You, young lady will have far more need of a set of katas.”

  Avi’s smile turned to a frown but she did as she was told and held the book out to Arnot, who was also frowning. N’dori chuckled, with one small demand she had made both young people very unhappy.

  ‘Well if they are to learn the secrets of Noble, a little unhappiness was a small price to pay,’ the Solitary thought and led them all up and into the cabin.