Chapter 4

The garden seemed more beautiful every time Nate saw it, and today was no exception. As always, he paid special attention to the black roses at the very center of the garden. He had planted them all himself, carefully placing each one two inches from another. No matter how many times he stared at them, there was something about them that always gave him inner peace.

“You’re thinking about her again, aren’t you?”

Nate turned to see the gardener. “Yes, Peter, I am. Aren’t I always?”

“I suppose so,” Peter replied softly, silently slipping into the garden. He filled a watering can and began to water the white roses in the east corner of the garden.

“Tell me, Peter,” Nate said, a thoughtful look on his face, “do you think I’m foolish to hope so blindly?”

“Blindly, young sir? No more blindly than the Lady Ariel hopes for your heart, I think.”

Nate considered this for a few moments before asking, “So you think there’s a chance she’ll accept my offer?”

Peter stopped watering the flowers and looked at him. “I could not surely say, my lord, since I have never met the young lady. Nor am I sure of how close you were to her. I could only assume that by the nature of your ‘offer,’ as well as the consideration period, that she would accept.”

A hint of a smile crossed Nate’s face as he turned and exited the garden. “Maybe you’re right, old friend,” he said, “maybe you’re right.”

As he walked up the long tunnel leading away from the garden, a voice cut through Nate’s thoughts. “My lord, there is a matter most urgent. You have some...visitors...”

“Visitors?” Nate thought. “The Darkness Realm doesn’t get any visitors.”

“I know, my lord. That’s why the matter is so urgent!”

Not wanting to waste time, Nate flew the rest of the way up the long tunnel, donning a long, flowing black robe along the way. It was traditional for the king to greet anyone new to the kingdom in this fashion, though Nate never understood why. Several people in the throne room were somewhat surprised, since Nate had shied away from many Realm traditions, but he ignored them as he cast a curious eye among his visitors.

The first was a young man, dressed in a green, black and white uniform. “A Green Lantern? Most impressive.” The young man only nodded his agreement. The next was a decidedly alien female, dressed in a tight-fitting purple outfit, save for a green cast on one of her legs. She was supporting herself by leaning against the young man. The third was a tall, armored figure that Nate had seen many times before. “The Gray Wanderer? A most welcome visitor, indeed. What can I do for you, my friend?”

“These two,” the Wanderer gestured with his hand, “need medical attention. I brought them here so that they might receive it.” Nate nodded and instantly two figures appeared. Their flowing robes, much like Nate’s, included large hoods that concealed their faces. They began ushering the two teens out of the room when Nate commanded them to stop.

“The Green Lantern should be taken to the Houses of Healing.”

“What of the girl, my lord?” one of the hooded men asked.

Nate sat silently for a moment. “Take her to the Chamber,” Nate said, “and anything they desire, within reason, mind you, is theirs.” The men nodded and led the pair out of the room.

Nate stepped away from his throne to stand before the Wanderer. “Tell me,” Nate said, staring down at him, “why did you bring them here? To me?”

“I believed you would help them, if no one else,” the Wanderer said.

“I will help them, and you are welcome to stay as long as you like, though I suspect you won’t stay long.”

“You are correct, sir,” the Wanderer said, turning to leave. Nate watched him walk out of the throne room and disappear around a corner.

Kory stared at the heavy doors as they slid closed, leaving her alone in the Chamber. She was seated on a medium-sized bed in a corner of the room. Her eyes wandered across the stone walls, the chair against the wall, the large window, and finally to the large painting above the bed. There was a young boy in the center of the painting, wielding what had to be the longest and largest sword Kory had ever seen. A black jewel was set into the sword’s golden hilt. Kory’s eyes drifted back to the young boy.

He was tall for such a young boy, no more than 18 or 19, she decided. He was dressed in a torn dark violet uniform with golden trim. Wherever the suit had been torn, blood leaked from several open wounds. His red-brown hair was wet, and the white streak in the front was matted against his forehead. Kory then looked at his face, and was somewhat surprised. For all around his left eye, a bright flash of light was glowing. The glow seemed to radiate from his eye and engulf his entire body. Yet she could still see that his eyes were blue and filled with rage. "Wow," she thought to herself, "what could have made him so angry?"

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Kory turned to see the black-robed figure from the throne room. He slowly approached her, as if trying not to frighten her. “Don’t be afraid,” he said, “I’m only here to attend to your wounds.” His voice was gentle and had a soothing effect on Kory. Despite the fact that she couldn’t see his face, she felt she could trust him. She slowly nodded and he pulled the chair over to the bed and seated himself in it. He gently touched her right leg, poking and prodding it. She winced as he reached a sore spot. He stopped and the hood lifted, and Kory knew he was staring into her eyes. “Forgive me," he said, and Kory nodded again.

He raised his hand and Kory looked up to see a small box that had been concealed in his robe. He opened the box and sprinkled its contents onto her leg. A sparkly powder fell from the box, landing on Kory’s leg. The pain vanished as the powder touched her skin, and her leg went numb. He began to touch her leg again, looking to her face to be sure he didn’t hurt her. When he was sure that the pain was gone, he rose and slipped out of the room.

Several minutes passed, and Kory amused herself by staring up at the painting. She began to wonder what this boy was like, and what his face would have looked like if it were smiling. Again, the sound of the door opening ended her thoughts, and the hooded figure returned, holding a tray. He set the tray on a bedside table and sat in his chair. The tray held various types of sliced fruits, though Kory only recognized honeydew melons, pears, and apples.

Kory began to eat, and found the fruit surprisingly fresh. The hooded figure remained silent and motionless, though Kory could tell his head was lowered. She quietly finished her meal and stood up. She placed her hand on his shoulder and his head rose instantly. She stared into his hood, her eyes meeting only total darkness. “Thank you,” she said at last, and the figure nodded. Kory suddenly became dizzy and the room began to spin. She lost her balance, and could feel his hands on her arms as he caught her. Kory moaned and saw a bright flash of light beneath his hood just before she blacked out.