The Four Kingdoms

by Maryam Durrani

  “What are you thinking?” I asked, but I could see the answer in her eyes. King Adrean wasn’t afraid of Zinovia, nor was he worried about an alliance against him. In fact, he wasn’t worried at all. He saw Zinovia as a weak ruler, and he knew what he wanted. The king wanted her kingdom.

  THIRTEEN

  When I returned home two days later, Isabel was standing in my room, her arms crossed over her chest.

  “Where have you been?” she asked, tapping a boot against the wooden floor. I stared at her face, wondering how I would answer. You’d think I would have thought up two dozen excuses with all the time I spent standing guard in a castle. “Start talking, Adalia.”

  I scowled at her.

  “So you’re just going to stand there? Or are you going to lie again and say you don’t know what I’m talking about? Or, better yet, make up some excuse about not staying at a castle and working for the princess of Crea?”

  My jaw did drop, then. “How did you find out?”

  “That doesn’t matter. Why didn’t you just tell us?”

  “I couldn’t,” I said plainly. I couldn’t admit I was going back to what I left two years ago. “Does Jax know?”

  She raised an eyebrow. “He’s the one who told me.”

  Alright. Hopefully, Jax would applaud me on my choice and let this go.

  “What are you going to do about it?” I asked her.

  “We are going to wait for Jax to get home,” Isabel said, taking a seat on my bed, her arms crossed over her chest.

  She didn’t let me leave. We waited until, finally, I heard the door swing open and footsteps enter the house.

  “Is she home?” I heard Jax call out. “I saw Butternut tied outside.”

  “Yes,” Isabel said loudly. The footsteps neared, and then Jax was standing in the doorway, blond hair disheveled.

  “Good,” he said almost breathlessly. “Guess who I found on the way here?” He looked over his shoulder as if he was trying to look for someone, and stepped inside the room. My heart sank as Xavier followed him inside. “Battle Lord here tells me he’s working with you to train soldiers for an army?”

  I was outraged. “You told him?”

  Xavier shrugged sheepishly. “He asked nicely.”

  “Damn it, Xavier.” I pinched the bridge of my nose, frustration building up inside me.

  “Who’s the war against?” Isabel asked, blue eyes wide. She didn’t know.

  “There might be a war.” I shook my head, exasperated. “This is why I didn’t want to tell you.”

  “I wondered why they skipped this house taking recruits that day,” Isabel frowned. “Is that why they didn’t take Jax? Did you ask for that?”

  “What?” Jax asked, flabbergasted. “Is this true?” He turned to me.

  “No, it’s not. I never asked for anything.”

  “Does she know who I am?” Jax asked.

  I hesitated. “Maybe.”

  “Normally, I would be flattered,” Jax frowned, “but now I’m just disappointed.”

  “Get off her back,” Xavier interrupted. “Let her do what she wants.”

  Jax turned on him. “You’re one to speak.”

  Xavier narrowed his eyes, and I could see him working his jaw. He was getting angry. “You don’t know anything,” he snarled.

  “Oh, yeah? Adalia told me everything about you, and my deduction from her stories are that you are the jerk that ruined her life and came back from the dead to rub it in her face.”

  “Both of you, shut up,” I hissed. “This is not the time to fight over whose allowed to speak or not.”

  “He’s saying it’s alright for you to work for the princess!” Jax sputtered. “Look what happened last time you got tied up in royalty. You became a killer and he died!”

  “This is an opportunity for you to start over and live your life as something other than an assassin or a fighter in the Rings,” Xavier shot back, his eyebrows drawn together. Amber, stubborn eyes versus cold blue ones.

  “I—” I tried to interrupt their quarrel, but Xavier cut me off.

  “I’ve known her half of my life,” Xavier sneered. “Of course she’s going to listen to me.”

  “Really? Half your life? What are you, sixteen? Your squeaky voice seems to confirm that.”

  Xavier’s voice was anything but squeaky.

  “Oh, we’re going there, are we?” Xavier laughed, but there was no humor in it. “Have you seen your girlish features?”

  “The word you’re looking for is handsome. Refreshing,” Jax added. I snorted. Both heads turned to me.

  I cleared my throat. They needed to get this out of their system. I looked at Isabel, who seemed amused.

  “They’re so stupid,” she noted. As if that weren’t obvious.

  Xavier looked back at Jax who took a step towards him. I knew something was going to happen before it did, but I didn’t have a chance to stop it.

  Then Jax said, “You’re opinion doesn’t matter. Who knows when you’ll fake your death again and run away from

  your problems?” My jaw dropped open.

  Xavier was enraged. In a flash, his fist connected with Jax’s jaw who staggered back, clutching his face.

  “No!” I shouted, reaching for Jax, but not before he tackled the former prince to the ground. He punched Xavier in the mouth who kneed him in the stomach. The boys fell back, bleeding and bruised, then got back on their feet to continue their squabble.

  “Stop it!” I yelled, jumping between them. I grabbed Xavier by the collar, pulling him down to face me as Isabel got a hold of her brother. “You should not have done that.”

  Xavier spat blood on the floor, wiping his swollen lip across the back of his sleeve. He looked over my shoulder at Jax.

  “Not so refreshing anymore, are you?” he sneered. I followed Xavier’s gaze to see Jax sprouting an already-darkening black eye. He sniffed, wiping the sweat off his upper lip.

  “I’ll kill you,” Jax sneered.

  “Been there, done that,” Xavier smirked.

  “Shut up, Xavier,” I scolded. “Shut up. You started this.”

  “I can’t help that he’s such a sissy,” Xavier snickered. Frustrated and close to punching him silent, I turned him around, one hand on his chest and the other gripping his collar.

  I could feel his heartbeat under my palm, beating furiously. He was angry, even though he was keeping up a cool persona. He looked down at me, a lock of dark hair falling into his eyes.

  “I will hit you if you say another word,” I warned.

  “Really?” he asked.

  “This is your last chance.”

  Xavier’s eyes met mine and he grinned. “When did you

  become so prude—”

  I let go of Xavier’s collar and slapped him right across the face. The sound echoed through the silent room.

  It was a more girlish way to deal with things. I would’ve punched him, but I figured that might do some additional scarring to his almost perfect features, so I took the harsh-but-less-damaging route.

  Xavier was taken aback, as if he hadn’t expected me to take action. I waited for Jax to burst into laughter and mock him, but he too was scared silent.

  “Uh . . .” Xavier trailed off, the tips of his long fingers brushing his red cheek. “I deserved that.” I noticed his knuckles, raw from punching Jax.

  “Yes,” I agreed. “You’re getting blood everywhere.” I pulled up my sleeve, stretching it to wipe Xavier’s torn lip. “Come on.”

  I took Xavier to the small kitchen, handing him handkerchief to clean the blood. It was already swelling, a dark bruise forming against his jaw.

  “I apologize,” he said, leaning against the counter. I shrugged.

  “He had it coming.”

  Xavier was silent. “He seems nice.”

  “Jax cares,” I said. “He gets attached.” Xavier nodded.

  “I’m sorry,” he said again.

  “You already said that,” I frowned.

&n
bsp; “I mean, for everything.” I stayed silent, trying desperately to find a way to change the topic.

  “I might be stuck in the middle of a war,” I said to him. He laughed.

  “You always are.”

  I took a seat. “King Adrean wants Crea.”

  “Dystalphi?” Xavier rolled his eyes. “I always knew there

  was something evil about him.”

  “That’s how the world works,” I said. “Everyone wants power. And now that Crea is weak without a real ruler, Adrean has his chance to send out his forces. All he needs is Trella’s fleets to block every escape route.”

  “Doesn’t Crea have Astodia as an ally?” Xavier frowned.

  “We need Trella too,” I said, curling my fist under my chin as I leaned forward, elbow resting on my knee. Dystalphi couldn’t get their hands on the last kingdom, or there was no way for us to win. Xavier understood, a smile on his face. “Why are you smiling?” I glowered. “I’m not making jokes.”

  “You said ‘we’ and ‘our’.”

  “Did I?”

  “You’re becoming a part of Crea. It looks like this isn’t just a job anymore.” He shook his head. “This is who you are, isn’t it? You’re investing yourself into a kingdom that may ruin your life again.”

  “I don’t know how to do anything else,” I said. “And I met Lorelle. I think I saw a few gray hairs on her head. She hates me.”

  “Why don’t you help her?”

  “I am helping her,” I protested. “From here. I can do it.”

  “You shouldn’t have left her.” When the words left his mouth, I saw the regret in his face, as if he was trying to take back his words. But I didn’t care. I scoffed, getting to my feet.

  “I shouldn’t have left?” I felt his eyes on my back as I walked away, the small moment destroyed.

  Staying away from Xavier wasn’t easy. He was everywhere all the time, and he watched me. All. The. Time.

  Another problem I faced was Isabel.

  Oh, Isabel.

  She wanted to see the castle. She begged me every day, hoping one day I would cave just a little. And then, I did.

  “I can’t believe there are people afraid of you out there. You’re such a . . . child,” I said, rolling my eyes at her.

  Xavier laughed from his spot on Bandit, his sleek black horse. Bandit stomped his hoof and snorted through his nose as if he too were laughing. I mounted Butternut and stared down at Isabel who was scowling at the ground, refusing to meet my eyes. “Alright!” I threw my hands up. “But even if I wanted to take you, you have no horse.”

  “She can ride with me,” Xavier offered. I turned in the saddle to shoot him a murderous look. He winked at Isabel, who broke into a smile.

  “Wait here while I tell Jax,” she said, shooting into the house to inform her younger twin.

  Xavier snorted behind me.

  “What?” I scowled, turning to face him.

  “She reminds me so much of you,” he said through a smile. “Stubborn, crazy.”

  “Is that how you remember me?” I tugged on Butternut’s reins as she tried to take a step forward.

  “It’s been two years,” he said, his voice almost teasing. “How much do you think I’ll remember? Oh right, those tantrums.” I hid a smile. Ah, those tantrums. He always made me so mad, I couldn’t help but explode every time he entered a ten foot radius of me.

  “You’ve always gotten under my skin,” I rolled my eyes at him, even though he couldn’t see them.

  “I was the only one. Besides L—” he stopped, swallowing the name down.

  “Lance,” I completed with a shake of my head.

  “Have you spoken to him?”

  “No. I’m sure he hates me too.”

  “May I ask a question?”

  “I may not answer,” I said, turning his words on him. He cracked a smile. I pulled Butternut around to face him.

  “Why did you leave Lance, of all people?”

  The words didn’t sting as much as I expected them to. I missed Lance, and I regretted leaving without a word, but I would’ve left anyway. I felt terrible for not thinking about him for so long. Suddenly, I wanted to see him in person and apologize.

  So I said the two words. Two, simple words I kept throwing at him. They were overused and boring, but that was my reason. My only reason. The reason that trumped all the other reasons.

  “You died.”

  Just then, Isabel came running out. Xavier held out an arm which she grasped, pulling herself up and adjusting into the seat.

  “Let’s go,” I pushed a loose lock of hair behind my ear, digging my heel into Butternut’s flank. I hated how all of our conversations took such dark turns.

  Isabel shrieked as the castle came into view.

  “It’ll be a while before we get inside,” Xavier said, trying to calm her down. He fidgeted slightly, looking over his shoulder at the blond girl behind him. She grinned, and he smiled back, straightening his shoulders and turning his gaze ahead. I threw my head back and let out a groan. This felt like the longest trip I’d ever taken to the castle, and suddenly realized I should’ve asked Zinovia for a carriage instead.

  “It’s even more beautiful up close,” Isabel said, leaning her chin against Xavier’s shoulder.

  “Tell me about it. This would’ve made my father seethe

  with jealousy,” Xavier said, his eyes fixed on the large towers of the castle.

  “He did,” I nodded in agreement. “I remember clearly. But he also smirked when I assured him his kingdom was stronger.”

  Xavier smiled, his eyes clouded over slightly, as if stuck in a memory. My heart ached for him. He reminded me of a child who’d gotten his favorite toys yanked away from him.

  Which, in this case, was his kingdom, his father, and his pride. I swallowed back the lump in my throat, pushing on.

  We were almost there.

  The first thing Isabel did was crash onto my bed, spread-eagled. “Oh my,” she said, her eyes fluttering shut, “now I see why you never come home.” Xavier’s eyes met mine, but I looked away.

  I watched Isabel with my arms crossed over my chest, one boot tapping against the floor. Xavier, who had changed into a dark outfit that contrasted against his light skin, leaned against the doorframe, his head cocked. He seemed a lot taller than I’d remembered—or maybe it was because I hadn’t paid much attention to him since his return, seething at his every move.

  “Adalia,” Xavier said, jerking his head towards the door, “a word.” I followed him out, leaving Isabel undisturbed on the lush bed. I shut the door gently behind me, and then leaned against it, waiting for him to speak. “Have you heard of the princess’s new plan?”

  “What plan?” I asked, confused. Dozens of plans came whooshing into my head as I tried to decide what terrible news he would lay on me in the next few seconds.

  “She wants to send us to Trella to speak with King Tarquin about an alliance,” Xavier explained, his golden-brown

  eyes serious. “It’s a dangerous trip, and—”

  “Oh.” I pursed my lips. “Uh-oh.”

  Xavier narrowed his eyes. “Was this by any chance your idea?”

  “It could have been,” I said with a shrug. “You don’t have to go,” I waved him off, turning to open the door.

  “If she asks, will you go?” Xavier wrapped his fingers around my wrist. I turned, taking in his concerned face.

  “It’s my duty, Xavier. Don’t stop me from my job.”

  “I wasn’t going to,” he said. “If you’re going, I’m going.”

  “Alright,” I said plainly. “Whatever you wish, Xavier.”

  When I was safely inside my chambers, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. I didn’t want him to come, but at the same time I needed him to have my back. I waited until I was sure he was gone, and turned to Isabel, sliding the door open softly. “I’ll be back. Don’t get yourself into any trouble.” I didn’t hear a reply. I narrowed my eyes, p
eering towards the lump under the heavy fluffed blankets.

  “Isabel?”

  There was a soft snore.

  She was sound asleep.

  Rolling my eyes, I clicked the door shut and started up a quick run to the throne room, where Zinovia stood waiting, same as always.

  “When are we leaving?” I asked, my voice surprisingly calm.

  “We don’t have much time,” she said, handing me a scroll. I set it on the table and rolled it open, finding it to be a map. “This is the most accurate map we have. It’s a week’s trip from here to Trella. I’ll notify you when it’s time for your de-

  parture.”

  I nodded. As I left her again, making my way back to my chambers where Isabel slept, I thought about the worst things

  that could happen on our seven day trip to Trella.

  We could cross paths with one of Trella’s ships—which was highly unlikely, since they didn’t want anything to do with us. Trella was the neutral kingdom. If you gave it two pieces of candy, it would lean towards whichever one it liked better, and it was our duty to pick the right piece. Or—

  “Pirates,” Isabel’s voice said. Startled, I turned towards her, my hand reaching towards the sheath at my side.

  “What?”

  She rubbed her blue eyes sleepily, sitting up. “Xavier told me about the trip. I’ll have to come along, to protect you from the pirates.”

  When the soldiers were given swords, I wished I could capture their faces and store it in the back of my mind forever.

  They were horrified.

  I hadn’t seen anything like it.

  “They’re just pieces of metal,” I called as Xavier handed each of them a sword fit to their body and arm length. Princess Zinovia had decided they would be our infantry, and the guards would take over cavalry.

  I was losing hope. The army wasn’t big or experienced enough to fight a war. It made me realize we were nothing without Trella.

  “Why do you care so much for a kingdom you’ve barely spent time in?” Xavier asked me, blowing hair out of his eyes. Sweat beaded on his face, his shirt clingy. I could feel the sun boring into my skin.

  “You and your stupid questions,” I shook my head. “I have a right not to answer.”