by Cait Marie
“One of the pages said there was a woman?” Shane asked, passing the men.
“It’s Gwyn, your Majesty,” the guard said.
Shane stopped and looked back at him. The man nodded slightly, sadness filling his eyes. A pit formed in Shane’s stomach. He reached for the door but froze. “Melanie, can you bring up some tea and something light to eat? I have a feeling Gwyn’s not going anywhere tonight.”
“Of course,” she said with a hand on his arm.
He waited until she stepped away to close his eyes and take a deep breath. When he finally opened the door, the sight beyond it broke his heart. Curled up on the edge of his bed with her back to him, Gwyn shook with silent sobs. Shane closed the door and crossed the room. He toed off his shoes before climbing up onto the bed behind her.
Gwyn was one of the fiercest women he’d ever met. Her strength and bravery outshined most of the men in his army because of her loyalty that went right along with it. He could think of only one thing that might tear her down as such.
Slowly, he reached out and rubbed a hand down her arm. She rolled over to face him, and the tears streaming down her face tugged at his heart. He moved to hold her, and she buried her face against his chest.
“I’m so sorry.” He knew that wouldn’t truly help, but what else could he say?
“He’s dead.”
His shirt muffled her shaky words. He heard the agony in the statement though and tightened his hold on her. With her cocooned in his arms, he kissed the top of her head, wishing he knew how to make it better.
“Why are you so damn stubborn?” Lee stormed into the cabin.
Ada stomped after him, catching the door before he could close her out. She followed him to the large table. When he came to a sudden stop, she nearly collided with him. Outside, the crew worked to dock the boat. She could see the familiar streets of Senfyr through the grimy window.
Lee had agreed to take her back to Rayerna, but not to look for the Heulwen. He truly thought the prophecy meant that was where the curse would break, and he wanted to get more medical supplies to bring to Detmarya and Obaith. Throughout the two and a half weeks it took to return, they’d argued to the point of barely speaking. He’d even started taking the night shifts at the wheel, leaving her cold and alone in the bed they’d shared for months.
He turned to face her, and she steeled herself for another argument. The defeat in his beautiful green eyes instead stole her breath away.
“One last search, then we need to move on, Ada. I’m sorry.” His hand lifted but stilled, not quite reaching her face.
She waited, wanting him to close the distance. She missed him—his warmth, his smile, his touch. The space he’d kept between them the past weeks caused an ache so deep within her, she feared what it meant. Their lives were connected. The prophecy told of their love, though she refused to speak the word. She was almost glad they hadn’t said it.
Swallowing past the tightness in her throat, Ada nodded. She stepped around him to grab her bag off the floor. Fighting back the heartbreak as his footsteps receded, she pulled a sweater over her head. When the door clicked shut behind her, she let out a shaky breath.
She had already pushed them far enough—she knew they didn’t owe her kingdom the help—but she didn’t know what else to do. She couldn’t lose Shane.
The door opened and closed quietly. Before she could get her emotions under control, familiar arms wrapped around her. Phillip turned her around and held her to him, brushing a hand through her messy hair, and a soft cry escaped her.
“I can’t lose him,” she said. If anyone understood what losing her brother would do to her, it was Phillip.
His lips pressed to her temple. “I know. I can’t either.”
“Phillip, we have to find that cure.”
He pushed her back enough to tilt her chin up. Meeting her eyes with matching sorrow, he said, “We will.”
She leaned against him, hugging him tighter than before.
“Besides,” he started in a lighter tone, “nothing can happen between us until he’s better. He won’t risk infecting me.”
She froze. Her eyes widened as his words registered, and she stepped back a little. “Wait, what? You talked to him?”
“After you talked to him.”
Her sadness ebbed away, her mouth tilting up into a smile. “That was Gwyn, not me. He asked why you kept tensing up around her. When she told him it was because you were jealous, he told me to tell her that wasn’t true, but I couldn’t…”
A blush rose on his cheeks, and he gripped the back of his neck with one hand while walking to sit on the edge of the bed.
She turned to follow. “So, what happened?”
His mouth tugged up on one side, though he refused to look at her. “We had a moment just before I came after you. Neither of us specifically said anything but…”
“But what?”
He finally looked up, and the happiness in his eyes—in his smile—lit up his entire face. “It was implied that the feeling may be mutual.”
Ada wanted to squeal. She’d waited years for them to finally realize their friendship was something more. She closed the distance between them, pulling him into a hug. Despite everything else, the revelation was a light—a beacon of hope. “Then, we need to hurry and find the flower so you can get back to him.”
Ada brushed her forehead with the back of her hand. They’d searched Shirewood Forest for hours with nothing to show for it. Starting near the edge of the castle grounds, they worked their way northeast toward the river. If they found it, they’d return to the royal family and tell them. She would prove it was real, and then they would no doubt help. They’d give her the petals to save her kingdom. Her brother.
Thoughts of what it might mean for her if he didn’t get better consumed her. She had never wanted to be the queen. She loved her kingdom and its people, but she didn’t want to rule them. Lee’s words from their first few days together, before he knew her identity, about the careless princess with her head stuck in the clouds fill her mind. She cared a great deal, and it hurt knowing the people weren’t aware of that. One day, she hoped to prove that, but not by becoming their queen. Eventually, had she married Michel, she would have been crowned Queen of Rayerna. Michel would have taken charge though. His people would not have relied solely on her.
Hands caught at her waist as she stumbled over a tree root. Her thoughts scattered as her surroundings came into focus.
“Careful,” Lee said in a hushed tone before letting go. She waited for the teasing about her clumsiness, but it never came. Lee didn’t even look at her. He simply continued walking.
She glanced around, suddenly worried she might’ve missed the flower too.
Everyone kept trudging through the thicket. The only one who noticed she’d stopped was Ren. He moved closer to her and asked, “Are you all right?”
She nodded, afraid her voice would shake if she tried to speak. Ren offered her a rare smile then held out a hand to help her over a fallen log. She took it, and they followed after the group. When she didn’t let go right away, he squeezed her fingers and whispered, “It’ll be fine. Give him some time.”
Ada shook her head, resisting the urge to blurt out all her concerns to the quiet man. She watched Lee lead the group through the trees. Everyone kept telling her the same thing about him, and it grew tiresome. She understood the trust issues and needing to break the curse, but she couldn’t be the only one to put in any effort. If he refused to talk to her, she wasn’t going to force it.
Signs of Senfyr were long gone. Villages spotted Shirewood Forest, but none were anywhere in sight. The sun lingered high in the sky, warming the day as they searched. They took a short break to eat but otherwise kept looking.
“This is ridiculous,” Lee said as they neared the river and lake. “This forest is too big. It would take weeks to comb through thoroughly with a much larger group.”
Ada crossed her arms, hating that he was right. She
couldn’t give up—wouldn’t give up. She’d search every day by herself if she had to.
“Why don’t we split up and spread out as we head south again?” Brienne suggested. “If the flower was found that long ago, I would guess the castle and kingdom were built close to it. The royal family had it within their reach, so it couldn’t be too far from them, right?”
“I agree,” Phillip said. “It wouldn’t be any farther north than the river.”
“All right, half of you go west, half go east,” Lee said. “Fan out and head south. We’ll meet back at the warehouse.”
Ada watched the group split and move out. Phillip and Brienne went west with a few others; Lee and Ren turned east with everyone else. She stood still, unsure of who to follow, until Lee glanced back. He motioned for the others to continue as he moved to her side.
“Come with me,” he said, taking her hand. “We’ll look around the lake a little more first.”
“Thank you.” She laced their fingers together, willing him to let her in. The hard wall he usually put in place for strangers had been rebuilt in the past couple weeks, and all she wanted to do was tear it down. She’d hoped it had fallen for good after they’d stopped her father.
They walked along the banks of the large lake. Its calm, crystal water reflected the high sun. Ada smiled as a pair of rabbits scurried beneath some bushes when they neared. Rayerna was known for its serene beauty, but she’d never seen much outside of the castle and its gardens. She looked around the tall trees and wondered if it had changed since Lee grew up there. She wanted to know more of his past, but she wasn’t sure where to start.
“Did you ever come to this lake as a child?” she asked.
There was a long beat of silence before he said, “A few times, yes.”
She started to ask more, but he cut her off.
“I grew up in this forest,” he said in a quiet voice full of emotion. “When my father died, my mother moved my sister and I across the sea to start a new life. I thought it was grief that sent her running, but she was scared. She never did tell me what frightened her so much, or if she did, I don’t remember. I was still a boy when we left, so the memories were faint. Now… they’re all but gone.”
Ada stopped walking. She’d never thought about losing memories after all that time. The thought of him forgetting his family one day… and her one day…
She pulled on his hand to get him to face her, and the sorrow in his eyes nearly shattered her heart. Regardless of their fighting, she couldn’t just ignore his pain. And it didn’t matter if it was just because of the prophecy. She moved close and wrapped her arms around him, knowing she couldn’t say anything to make it better.
He hesitated, but she didn’t let go. When his arms finally went around her back, she let out a relieved breath. Turning her head to lay against his chest, she looked out over the water. A breeze drifted by, scattering fallen leaves. They stood on a grassy embankment with the trees around them. The eastern side of the lake ended in a rocky cliffside with a waterfall rushing down to the river. Above them, birds chirped, and Ada could hear the faint buzzing of insects along with a humming she couldn’t identify.
The humming grew louder, morphing into a thudding against the ground. Ada stepped back from Lee and looked around. “What is that?”
“It sounds like…” Lee ducked as an arrow flew past them. A couple dozen soldiers on horseback appeared through the trees, charging in their direction. When another arrow shot toward them, Lee yanked Ada out of its path. He cursed, grabbed her hand, and ran away from the oncoming army.
“Why are they shooting at us?” she yelled, not daring to look over her shoulder.
“Would you like me to stop and ask?” He pulled her around a tree.
She let out an exasperated huff. They ran toward the rocky cliffside, where she hoped they could get down to an area out of reach from the horses and archers. It would give them a little time to get away at least.
Lee turned their course in a different direction. Instead of going toward the incline, he led her to the waterfall. As they neared the edge of the cliff, he said, “There is a cave beneath the waterfall. It’s not visible from up here.”
If they could duck into it without the men seeing, they might continue on past them. There was nearly a two-day ride down the river to the sea. The forest was immense. Perhaps the soldiers would keep searching and Ada and Lee would get a chance to make it back to Senfyr in one piece.
Ada glanced from the incline to the water, her stomach sinking. “You’re going to make me jump, aren’t you?”
“We don’t have time to climb down.”
“It’s deep enough?” She knew it was, but she needed to hear it.
The thudding grew louder, and Lee tilted her chin up with his free hand, the other squeezing her fingers. “Trust me.”
She knew in that moment, she always would. She nodded and looked back down to the river. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and jumped.
Lee tightened his hold on her hand, but it did no good. As soon as they hit the water, Ada was ripped away. She kicked her feet, thanking the stars she hadn’t worn a heavy dress that day. But panic began to set in, and her lungs burned with a desperate need for air. When she finally broke the surface, Lee was already there. He quickly pulled her into his arms.
“I’ve got you.” His soft voice was in her ear.
She gulped in another deep breath, nodding that she was all right. He kissed her temple before guiding her toward the cliffs. They didn’t hesitate to go through the cold, cascading sheet of water. He helped her onto the stone floor of the hidden cave, then he lifted himself out of the river. Small pebbles and dirt fell around them as the rumbling of horses’ hooves closed in.
The walls of the cave trembled under the army’s approach, and for a moment, Ada felt hope dwindling as they moved deeper beneath the lake. The sound grew so intense that Ada knew the men were right over them. More and more rocks tumbled, and Lee pulled her to the side as a large boulder, half the size of Ada, fell. It took everything in her not to scream.
Lee wrapped his arms around her, holding her as far away from the entrance as they could get. With a loud crack, the small space shuddered one final time before the edge of the cliff collapsed, falling to the mouth of the cave and winking out the daylight.
“What do you think?” Shane held up the vial, tilting it back and forth as he stared at the bright green liquid inside.
“We can’t trust him,” Gwyn didn’t bother to keep her voice down.
Shane turned to the worn-looking scientist perched on a stool at the end of the table. With anyone else, Shane might have felt guilty at the sight of the dark circles under Viktor’s eyes and ragged clothing.
“Looks like you have a choice to make, King,” Viktor hissed the word with a sneer. “Are you going to use it, or are you going to make someone else take the risk?”
“Take him back to the dungeon,” Shane responded without looking away.
The two guards stepped away from the door and grabbed Viktor, each with a hand on one shoulder. The scientist glared, mumbling under his breath, but let them lead him from the room. When the door closed, Shane slumped against the table with a sigh.
“Shane—”
“He’s right,” Shane interrupted. When Gwyn raised a brow in confusion, he clarified, “I can’t let someone else test this.”
“But you can’t take it.” She moved to stand in front of him.
The circles beneath her eyes were just as dark as Viktor’s, and Shane knew she hadn’t slept well in days. Not since William died. Shane had wanted to visit the man before he passed, but with everything going on… it was no excuse. He should have gone sooner than the funeral the day before. William was the one who informed Shane of the Kald—he’d risked his life to tell Shane the rumors about the former king’s involvement. In the end, he’d helped Shane see what needed to be done. Without him and the rest of those who were a part of O’ Chwedlau, Shane might not ha
ve had the courage to stand against his father.
“Shane, you’re the king,” Gwyn said, stepping forward. “You can’t take that kind of risk.”
He shook his head. “I’m not going to ask another person to do it.”
Gwyn raised her chin. “I know you’re not.”
Before he could ask what she meant, she cupped the side of his face and kissed him. The surprise stunned him, making it take a second for him to realize what was happening. He quickly pushed her away, staring at her with wide eyes.
“Why the hell would you do that?” he demanded, gripping her arm. He couldn’t pass on the Kald through a simple touch, but a kiss? Gwyn read Viktor’s journals. She knew just as well as he did that was one way to spread it. They’d talked about it more than once.
“You’re not asking another person to test it. I’m volunteering.” She shrugged from his hold and took the vial from his free hand. “I’ll wait a couple days for the symptoms to start, then I’ll take it.”
“Gwyn,” he started, but he had no words. Instead, he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her. He kissed the top of her head and took in the rest of the quiet room—all the jars and vials full of plants and various liquid concoctions. There was an entire kingdom outside that had no idea what happened in that room. No one would know of the risk this woman took for them and all those beyond their borders.
“At least tell me it helped answer any lingering questions you had about your feelings for me,” she joked.
“It’s not funny,” he said, but he let out a soft chuckle.
She leaned back. “Shane, you are the king now. You are beloved by this kingdom. You would never have to ask for something like that. Others would have volunteered too.” She paused, and the corner of her mouth tilted up as she added, “Phillip would have.”
“No, he wouldn’t,” Shane said, rolling his eyes. “He wouldn’t have given me a choice. He would have done the same thing, demanding it be him. Well, maybe not the exact same thing.”
