by D. E. Morris
Once more, Ashlynn turned to Vala. The girl took an instinctive step backward, her eyes widening. “I brought sweets for the baby and played them some music! I heard the maids talking about how she kept crying and thought to try to offer some comfort!”
“You were given strict instructions to stay away from this part of the castle, specifically. Did you think that order was given to deny you something? We do not know these people or anything about them. This was for your safety and that of everyone else in the castle. You are young, Vala. You could have said something to put us in danger without even meaning to or knowing you had done so. You are in my house and under my care and tutelage for a reason, and it is not to ignore my authority.”
Vala hung her head and spoke with a quivering voice. “I am truly sorry, Your Majesty.”
“Was the wife always here when you visited?”
Still looking at the floor, Vala shook her head. “Not always, but neither was the child. I thought she had been allowed to take her for walks.”
“No, she was never allowed out.”
“She never passed us,” the same guard offered as soon as Ashlynn turned to him. “She tried once, but we stopped her.”
Ashlynn swore quietly. She looked to the window at the end of the hallway in thought. “Keep your post. If she returns, hold her here and find me. Until either myself or the high king returns to tell you otherwise, no one else goes in or out. No one. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Come with me,” she muttered to Vala. She spun on her heel, her skirts swirling around her as she walked briskly down the hall. Vala hurried to keep up behind her, close to tears but silent. “I want you to return to your room and wait there for now.”
“But I can help!”
“That word seems subjective to you. You will do as I say. Once we catch this woman, you and I will have a conversation.”
Vala swallowed heavily. “Yes, Your Majesty.” She followed Ashlynn only as far as the central part of the castle, then turned down another hallway when Ashlynn kept going. Already there were castle staff searching for the missing woman and the child. She could hear Cavalon's voice coming from somewhere, giving a description of Cirilla. Guards were going through the castle room by room, confused courtiers watching as their personal spaces were invaded.
“Mama!” Lochlainn came running down the corridor toward her, Jaryn and Wessely walking swiftly behind him. Ashlynn crouched to welcome her son with open arms, hugging him close.
“We heard,” Jaryn told her as they approached. “Any luck finding her yet?”
“None that I have heard.” Straightening, she looked at her husband. “Where is Lucien?”
“With Cavalon.”
“Good. Has anyone seen the child?” When neither of them could say that they had, Ashlynn let go of a frustrated sigh. “All right, then we should fan out and help search as well. Cirilla's disappearance could mean any number of things, as could the child's.”
Though Wessely nodded in agreement and hastened away, Jaryn fell into step beside his wife, with Lochlainn walking quickly to keep up between them. “I'm staying with you two.” The couple shared a brief, strained glance. “We knew the risks in taking the family in, love.”
“I suppose now we will find out if it was worth it or not.”
“Your Majesties.” Cailin met them halfway up a set of stairs with two armored guards behind her.
“Have you found her?” Ashlynn asked.
“No, which is why I came looking for you. I think it would be best to keep you and the prince in a safe room until we can be certain of your safety.”
Though she wanted to argue, Ashlynn knew Cailin's concern was legitimate. Given her lack of abilities and the fact that Lochlainn was not yet protected by the Element he would inherit, she needed to take extra precautions. With a nod of acquiesce, Jaryn scooped Lochlainn up and followed after Cailin. The three of them were left in Jaryn's office, the door closing solidly behind them and opening only once more when Lucien was also brought in minutes later. They were up high enough that no one could climb in through a window, and the only way in or out was under heavy guard.
Minutes passed that felt like hours. Had it been just the two adults, the confinement might have been a bit more tolerable, but the boys quickly grew bored of the room full of books. Jaryn read them one story after another as Ashlynn paced, then tried to sit and listen, then paced again. The castle was not wide as far as high kingdoms went, but Altaine was much taller and had more levels than most. It could take the rest of the day before the woman or the child were found. Heaven forbid the search continued on into the night.
With her thoughts far away and her back to the room, she had been unaware of the new activity with which the boys were occupying themselves. Both of them had wooden swords in their hands, smaller than a real weapon, but solid and heavy. Jaryn watched as Lochlainn and Lucien took turns swinging at one another, giving pointers in the way they stood, how to swing from the hip, and which ways to pivot as they either lunged or dodged. The loud smack of wood against wood and Jaryn's cheerful exclamation shook Ashlynn from her oblivion and made her turn to see what was happening. She watched in shock as Lucien swung his sword at Lochlainn's shoulder, too horrified to be impressed when her son lifted his own sword to block what could have been a critical hit if their weapons had been real.
“What in the world are you doing?”
All three of them turned to her with wide eyes, as though caught in some scandalous act. The boys quickly turned their attention to Jaryn in confusion, believing that they had permission and even encouragement to engage in their present activity. Ashlynn's reaction was the complete opposite of anything they could have been expecting.
“Relax,” Jaryn laughed. As Ashlynn's incredulous gaze moved to him, his jovial expression sobered and he swallowed. “I was only showing the boys a few simple stances. No harm done.”
“Cavalon and I spar all the time,” Lucien told her with a proud nod. He pointed to a small scabbard on his belt. “I even have a real dagger.”
Many things came to mind that Ashlynn had to bite her tongue to keep herself from saying aloud. “Lochlainn is still two years away from the age at which Sinessian boys begin training with a sword. Things may be different in Braemar.”
“Things are different everywhere,” Jaryn argued softly. “We live in unconventional times now, Ashlynn.”
She nodded and looked at her son, working hard to keep the sadness from her eyes by smiling at him. “That is precisely why I want to keep him from growing up for as long as I can.”
Lochlainn returned his mother's smile, confident and unaware of her unease. “It's okay, Mama. I've been watching the knights.”
That was how it started with her. She used to sneak down to the training barracks below Oceana when no one was keeping tabs on her so she could observe the knights train together. She loved watching them as they put their armor on and went rounds with one another. It was thrilling to watch them test weapons out on training dummies, or wooden shields fixed to the walls and lashed to thick posts in the middle of the rooms. They were so careful and so precise. Though each one was weighted down with so much armor, they were as graceful and calculated as dancers. She wanted to be just like them. “Oh, Lochlainn...”
“Watch!” With a quick stomp of his leading foot and a thrust forward with his sword, he caught Lucien off guard and knocked the weapon from his friend's hand. It went clattering to the floor and the winged boy jumping back with a yelp of fright.
“Well done, lad!” crowed Jaryn, but Lochlainn turned with expectation to his mother for her approval.
“See?”
“I do not doubt your prowess, my son.”
“I just want to help keep you safe.”
Ashlynn glanced at her husband with pride before crouching to be at eye level with Lochlainn. She opened her arms to him and pulled him in for a tight embrace. After only a second, she pulled Lucien in as
well, who grumbled, but couldn't hide his grin at being included. “Listen well, both of you.” When she let them go, Ashlynn held both boys by the arm and looked them in the face with gravity. “One day far too soon you will bear the burden of kingdoms on your shoulders. Lives will depend upon the choices you make. You will know what it is to be loved, feared, and hated all at the same time. For now, you are children. Be children. One day you will have to protect us, but for now, let us protect you.” She put a hand to their cheeks and mustered a small smile. “All right?”
“All right,” they muttered. “Can I still watch the knights?” Lochlainn asked, making Ashlynn roll her eyes as she rose.
“You're as stubborn as your father.”
Jaryn's brows lifted. “Stubborn as who now?”
The doors opened and everyone turned to see Cailin as she came into the room. “Neither the woman or the child have yet to be found,” she reported before anyone could ask her, “but Connor and the others have just returned. One of the new guards didn't recognize Nyx and tried to shoot her down, then Nyx tried to eat him...it could have been a real mess.”
“Is everyone all right?” Ashlynn asked.
“Everything is taken care of. I have Connor and the girls under guard in the bailey, though.”
Jaryn shook his head. “Why?”
“Because I meant what I said. No one moves until we find this woman. It isn't safe.” Cailin scowled. “If I had seen Connor before things got out of hand, I would have told him he couldn't have come back yet. The less people we have to worry about, the better.”
“Well, he's here now. Nothing to be done about it. If I stay with you, will you take me to them?”
Cailin looked at him with a pinched expression. “Do you have to see him now?”
“It is better we hear all we can now,” Ashlynn supported, “while their memories are fresh, rather than later. The boys and I will be fine on our own here.”
Reluctant, Cailin gave a slow nod of her head and turned for the still open doors, Jaryn following close behind. The castle halls were eerily quiet. With only Cailin and himself about, it felt close to deserted. Every now and then they would pass a room with a guard or two stationed outside, giving away the fact that someone important was carefully tucked away within, but no one else was to be seen.
“Don't slow down on my account.”
Jaryn watched her pass him, determination in her uneven steps as they hurried on to their destination. “We don't have to run, Cai.”
“We don't have to stroll, either.”
“You're limping more than you were this morning.”
“It's been a busy day,” she told him through gritted teeth.
They could hear the snarls of a disgruntled dragon long before they could see her. Cailin grumbled under her breath and took the stairs down at a much faster rate than Jaryn thought she should have. Some of the guards were yelling at Nyx, with Connor, Lilia, and Rowan yelling back at them. By the time Jaryn and Cailin stepped outside, some of the guards had spears pointed at Nyx. Connor had his sword drawn, and Rowan was holding a blazing ball of fyre. Cailin immediately commanded her men to put their weapons away. An argument broke out between Connor and Jaryn as to why he felt he needed to draw his sword and make the situation worse. When the bickering reached a level that was too great for Jaryn to hear his own thoughts, he threw his hands up and cried, “Will everyone just shut their mouths!”
Silence slowly fell over the bailey and he let out a slow breath. “Thank you. Now, for goodness sake, put your weapons down. Rowan extinguish that fyre right now.” With quite mutterings, everyone did as their king commanded under Jaryn's watchful eye. When he was satisfied, he turned to Connor and shook his head. “Do you have any idea what you're coming into?”
“No, because no one will tell me anything!”
“That's because you came in here with a dragon trying to eat people and your sword drawn!”
“They were trying to shoot her!”
Jaryn lifted his hands as though he was about to strangle Connor, a growl on his lips. Thinking better of it, he linked his fingers together and pressed his knuckles to chin. He breathed in and out before speaking in a calm tone. “The castle is on lock down at the moment.”
“What? Why?”
“Where's Ashlynn?” Lilia asked.
“She's safe,” Jaryn assured, not wanting to say much more than that in such a wide-open area. He glanced at Nyx, who still eyed the guards like cans of fish she wanted to open and eat. “How about we do something about her first, hmm?”
Connor looked at his dragon in assessment. “Nyx, ar shiúl.” She rumbled low in her throat, displeased at being told to leave. Bitter but obedient, she took to the sky to find a perch on one of the higher turrets of the castle. “Hope no one was in there,” Connor muttered with a sheepish grin. “So, what's going on?”
“You first. Have you found out anything we need to be aware of?” Connor opened his mouth, no doubt to launch into a long, detail-filled story, but Jaryn lifted a hand to stop him before he could. “A simple yes or no will suffice.”
“Yes,” Lilia answered for him.
“Who needs to hear it?”
“Everyone,” Rowan supplied.
“Of course.” Jaryn scrubbed his hand over his beard and turned to catch Cailin's eye. He wiggled a finger at her to get her attention, lowering his head to bring his mouth close to her ear when she was near enough. “What protocol has been followed so far in the search?”
“We've begun flushing out the castle room by room, floor by floor starting at the top. Last I spoke with Killian, the top four floors have been completely cleared in the eastern wing. There's no one there.”
“Guards?”
“Not even them.”
Jaryn nodded thoughtfully. “Okay, here is what we are going to do since I refuse to be held prisoner in my own home. There is an oratory off the chapel on the ninth floor. This is where we shall all gather and share whatever information we need to.”
Cailin made a sour face. “And how do you propose we all get there? The point of everyone staying put is to keep them safe and to not draw attention. Walking through the hall in a growing parade is the opposite of subtle.”
“I appreciate the gravity of the situation, Cailin, but watch your tone. I am still your king.”
She checked herself, expression dropping. “I'm sorry. Sometimes it's hard for me when the line between friendship and duty is blurred. Tell me what you wish of me and I will do it.”
“I reckon there is pain that makes you speak out of turn as well.” When she didn't answer, Jaryn frowned. Instead of addressing it, however, he continued with his plan. “We need to find armor for everyone we can, make it look like we're sending a company of guards to that area of the castle to keep it untouched. No one will know it's us.”
She smiled up at him as though she pitied him. “Cavalon isn't going to fit in any armor we have.”
“What about fyre? The Elementals can teleport there through fyre.”
“How many of them have been to the oratory? How many of them have even been to the chapel?”
Jaryn gave a deep frown. “You have a point. They have to have at least been up to the higher floors, though...right?” She gave a small, hopeful shrug, prompting a nod from Jaryn. “We'll go with it and hope for the best.”
“Who do you want?”
“The core group. Bring the boys to Mairead and Vala, then get armor to everyone you can. We need to get this done quickly. No one speaks a word during the transition, nothing until we are secure inside that room.” She nodded and hastened off. Jaryn turned back around to rejoin Connor and the girls. “The three of you will come with me to where Ashlynn is. Speak nothing of what you have seen or heard since you left and ask no questions for now. All will be answered soon enough.”
Connor and Lilia looked at one another, then returned their attention to Jaryn with a nod of understanding. Rowan bobbed her head in agreement before taking Lilia'
s hand and following the group inside. Even once they were reunited with Ashlynn, the quiet moment of freedom was short lived. Jaryn told everyone of his plan and Rowan disappeared in flash of blue and gold flames only moments before Cailin came in to fetch the boys. Guards that Ashlynn and Jaryn knew well, older men who had been in the service of the crown when Nir was still on the throne, came in through a doorway that was hidden behind one of Jaryn's book cases. They brought with them enough armor to fit the four remaining adults.
All were silent and the air felt heavy as buckles were fastened and rivets were tightened. Though the others seemed well at home in the metal plating, Lilia watched with a growing unease in her face. She'd never worn armor before and without having any sort of idea as to what was taking place to make the castle so locked up, it was clear that she was frightened. Ashlynn, closest to her, stiffly held out a hand as her pauldron was being attached and squeezed Lilia's fingers in reassurance. The small bit of contact seemed to give the younger woman a little comfort and lifted the edges of her lips the tiniest bit.
Once the guards were satisfied that everyone looked the part, they helped the four into their helmets, then led them out of the secure room and down the hall in a regimented procession. The men and women standing guard outside certain apartments watched them with curiosity. Though they were unaware of what was going on and no doubt filled with questions, they knew to leave their stations was not worth the consequence for breaking an order. It was either luck or providence that had the groups spaced so well apart that they didn't draw too much attention. Each one came from different wings and different floors of the castle, arriving at their destination in well-timed intervals. Jaryn and Ashlynn's guards led them up to the chapel. When they saw they were the last to arrive, the men left the group to station themselves outside the only doors in or out of the large place of worship. Here, armor had already been discarded. Others had moved farther back into the oratory, a smaller, private place for worship that was usually reserved for the royal family alone.
“Lilia!” Kenayde embraced her former lady as soon as she entered the room, relief in her drawn expression. “Rowan was telling us you had quite the adventures.”
