We strolled through the castle gardens, the temperature slightly chilly despite the afternoon sun breaking through the clouds. I was quietly admiring the gardens’ green hedges when Oli broke the thick silence, and I was pulled from my absent-mindedness.
“I don’t want to push you, so if you're not ready, you don’t have to answer.” His hands instinctively rested on the hilt of his sword while we strolled. “What happened to you, Bear?”
I sighed and took a seat on one of the stone benches dotted throughout the garden; this one in particular was beside a polished masonry fountain. I watched the water trickle into little ripples in the pool. I reached in and touched one of the lily pads floating in the water. Everything was immaculate in the gardens, every bush and flower placed with perfect precision.
I was stalling, trying to think of what to say. I muddled through my melancholy thoughts, my mind wandering to the moment I fell into the river and worried I’d never see Oli or my family again. It was a miracle I was even alive.
“I was kidnapped by Tassadar and his band of men.”
Oli stayed standing and leaned casually against the fountain. He seemed pleasantly surprised that I was willing to talk.
“They took me to a camp of Obscurum soldiers in an abandoned village somewhere in Severesi. The captain who ruled over them wanted to take me to King Elysian. But first, they were attempting an alliance with a Severesi woman.”
Oli's eyes widened, but he remained quiet so I continued.
“She looked to be someone important. Then, a fight broke out, and in the commotion one of the guards. . .” I thought back to James and his kind blue eyes. “One of the guards, he ended up letting me go during the fight. I escaped into the woods and stumbled upon a house on the border of Ethydon.”
Memories of the festival and Liony’s bubbly personality led me to reluctantly see emerald-scarlet eyes in my head. I frantically pushed back the image, not wanting to feel the emotions that were threatening to resurface.
“A woman named Liony, she took me in and helped me. Then when I was strong enough to travel home, she escorted me to Asmede.'' I decided to leave out every part about Mid because I knew that Oli wouldn’t approve of anything that had happened between us. When I finished, Oli took a seat beside me and was quiet for many minutes. His face was thoughtful, looking to be taking it all in.
“I was searching for weeks. Every time I thought I was getting close to finding you, the lead would come to a dead end. I’m sorry I couldn't find you sooner, Bear.”
I shook my head and placed my hand atop his. “It's not your fault. What matters is I’m here now.” My words didn’t stop the guilt and regret from flashing across his peridot eyes.
“I should've known Tassadar was part of their scheme. I should’ve stopped him.” His head fell into his hands.
“You couldn’t have known, Oli.” I tried to reason with him, but he didn’t seem convinced.
“I promise I won’t let anything like this happen again.” In his moment of imputation against himself, I decided I would ask him a question that had been tugging at me since being home.
“Oli, can I ask you something?”
He nodded sullenly. “Of course, anything.”
I took a deep breath, unsure how he was going to take my next words. “When I was gone, I heard things, mentionings of a curse befalling the Stone-Hearted people.” I struggled to speak the next sentence, afraid of what he might say. “I heard more about the Ethirical, an ancient book supposedly telling of the curse’s coming. And well, I guess what I’m trying to ask is, do you think it’s real?” I didn’t know how to read the expression that came across Oli's face. It was a mix of emotions, and it took him a while to answer.
“I shouldn’t be talking to you about this,” he said, and I immediately noticed his reluctance and instinctively pushed back against it.
“What do you mean? Has someone told you not to tell me?”
“Little Bear, your father. . . he wouldn’t. . . I can’t.”
I stood up suddenly, my chest beginning to burn and my skin prickling with anger. “Oli I deserve to know these things as much as my father does.”
Oli gestured for me to sit beside him again. Slowly I sat down and crossed my arms over my chest, waiting.
“The Ethirical is an ancient book about five kings. It was constructed thousands of years ago when Aveladon was a single kingdom. There was a disciplinary counsel and they all grew hungry for power, and broke off into five kingdoms ruled by five kings. With the separation, wars and contention filled the lands for many years. Eventually, the kingdoms destroyed one another, leaving many dead and the races nearly extinct.” He swallowed and the worried hesitancy in his eyes didn’t dissipate. “The spirits, they were angry with the kings and the divergence among the realm. It is said that if another dissension ever occurred again and wars transpired, a curse would be put onto the kingdoms.”
I gave him a very serious expression. “But you didn’t answer my question.”
He looked at me pleadingly, as if begging me not to ask.
“Do you think it's true?” I asked again.
He responded with a heavy sigh. “I think it's possible, but I'm not supposed to tell you that. Your father doesn’t believe and thinks the curse is a foolish fable to scare the Stone-Hearted. He doesn’t want me to tell you anything about it.” It wasn’t surprising for my father to inflict such demands he never wanted me to know anything.
“What made you believe?” I insisted, and I could see the nervous hesitation in his eyes.
“I think it's best if we head back to the castle. You’ll catch a cold being out here.” He began trying to help me from the bench, but I quickly pulled away.
“No, you can’t just change the subject. Why do you believe, Oli? Tell me.”
An angry growl reverberated from his throat and he suddenly shouted at me. “Because of your mother! Now please, Sabeara, stop pushing this.” He looked pained to have to say the truth, and I gaped at him in shock. He rarely was provoked enough to raise his voice at me.
“My mother?” I whispered, confused and stunned. He swiped an angry hand through his blond hair
“I can’t say more, Little Bear. Not right now. I’m sorry.” He turned around and walked away. He left me, and I was furious. I was appalled that he would dare walk away in the middle of our conversation. I stomped back to the castle, and when I got back inside, my feet began moving on their own accord, heading straight for the library.
SIXTEEN
I laid my hands on the thick door handles that led into the castle library, quickly checking the hallway to make sure it was clear of any passing residents before stepping inside. I’d been in the library many times before I enjoyed reading, and I’d had many tutoring sessions here. Due to all the recent chaos at the castle, they’d allowed me to take a break from my daily lessons. I was glad to be free of the tedious, daily routine—if only for a moment.
I walked into the big room, which was nearly twice the size of the ballroom. The floor had long, burgundy rugs, rolled out along the thick black marble floors. Hundreds of wooden bookcases crawled up the walls to the crystal chandeliers. Twisted staircases and rolling ladders connected each level of books to the next, and against the far wall was an array of glass windows, overlooking the hillside where the castle settled.
Bright yellow sunlight shone into the beautiful room, lighting up the cases that held ancient literature and fictional fairy tales. There were so many books. I didn’t know if I would be able to find the Ethirical, or if it was even here.
Taking a deep breath, I walked towards the wall of windows to the desk where the castle librarian sat. His hair was faintly graying and his body hunched over the desk, small and frail. He had big round eyes and a pair of spectacles that enhanced their large shape exceedingly. He was reading a book that took up nearly the entire desk.
“Excuse me, might I ask you to help me, Xavier.”
His head lifted and his big blue e
yes assessed me from across his desk. Soon a beaming smile spread across his lips.
“Princess, what a pleasure it is to see you.” He stood and shuffled around his desk to give me a polite bow.
“I was wondering if you could help me find a book. I’m looking for the Ethirical.” As I said the name Xavier’s eyes widened in surprise.
“And why do you seek such a book princess?”
I gave him a small smile. “I can’t give away all my secrets, Xavier, now can I?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “Always getting into trouble, aren't you? Well, don’t tell anyone I showed you, but it’s in the queens private collection. Follow me.”
“Thank you, Xavier.”
He gave me a wink and then began leading me to a more intimate section of the library. My mother’s private collection was in the farthest corner of the library, on the second floor, and had a locked door leading into a small, private room.
Xavier pulled a set of keys from his pocket and easily opened the door for me.
The room was dark, and the faint smell of dust lingered in the air. Xavier stepped inside and went to one of the bookshelf on the left hand side. He ran his fingers along the spines, searching for the book. Then he tugged it from its slumbering in the shelves and carried the dusty volume to me. I took it from his hands, almost not believing it was real.
“Now don’t let anyone see you with that,” he warned. With another wink he disappeared, leaving me to my studying.
I found a small reading nook in another section of the library. It held a meager wooden desk and several unlit candles to maintain visibility as the sun went down.
Finding the will power, I sat in the solitude of the hidden den and opened to the very first page. Blowing off the dust from the scribbled letters, I started to read.
I CLOSED the doors again to the library later that night after tirelessly having read what seemed like hundreds of pages. My eyelids were heavy, my mouth dry and parched. My stomach rumbled with hunger pangs and my body ached for my soft mattress.
The first several hundred pages of the Ethirical hadn’t contained much more information than what I already knew. I was hoping it would tell me more about what would transpire when the curse happened, but it seemed to be more of a history of the past kings’ lives, rather than a prophetic literary piece.
I also hoped to read something relating to the artifacts Mid had spoken of in Eslecaster, but so far nothing had come up about them. I assumed I’d have to read the rest of the book to get anything of worth from the detailed pages. I rubbed at the headache near my temple that was pounding quite ruthlessly behind my eyes. It was impossible to reduce though, and the painful thrumming just continued despite my therapeutic efforts.
I mosieyed up to my chambers, dragging my feet in a sleepy trance up the stairs. When I finally stepped into my room, Jasper was setting out a tea tray on the bedside table.
“You’ve been gone a while,” she commented as she fluffed the pillows on the bed.
“I got stuck reading in the library,” I said, hoping it was a normal enough task that she wouldn’t ask questions.
“Well, I thought you might like a bath, so I had the maids prepare one for you.”
A bath sounded heavenly and I didn’t protest. The tub was already full when I stepped into the bathing room. It was steaming with bubbles and sweet incense. Elegant soaps and hair washes rested nearby, and my robe with a fresh nightgown was already set out waiting for me.
“Thank you Jasper. A bath sounds lovely,” I smiled, trying to push past my evident exhaustion.
Jasper helped me undress and then lent me a hand as I stepped into the tub. I shivered as the heat made its way up my body and blissfully lowered myself into the hot water. My headache immediately began to lessen.
I leaned back, closed my eyes, and tried to shut off my mind, blocking the memories of the days before and the worries that followed them. Jasper shuffled around the room and I listened to the gentle movement of her cloak sweeping the floor as she worked. This went on for quite some time until I heard a rustling beside me, and I was stirred from my minor slumbering.
I lifted my heavy lids and found Jasper kneeling beside the tub, head leaning against her arms.
“Oli told me you two fought,” Jasper said, her gaze trained on the window that overlooked the courtyard gardens. It was lit up that night by the pale blue light of the moon, the dense shrubbery eerily still.
“It was a childish spat really,” I replied, my voice hoarse with fatigue.
“Are you okay, Little Bear? You seem. . . sad.” I couldn’t ignore her observation. Ever since I'd gotten home, I’d felt a cloud of melancholy hovering over me. Mid was a perpetual reminiscence inside my head, and alongside those memories that seemed like a faraway dream, I felt like a different person. I wanted to tell Jasper about what happened. But I didn’t want to see the look of disapproval on her face. I figured it was best not to say anything.
“I’m sorry. I’ve not meant to be.” I looked over at her and a sudden thought came into my mind. “Jasper, can I ask you something?”
She shifted her head onto the other arm so she could look at me and several strands of her white blonde hair fell into her violet eyes.
“Of course.”
“Mother’s powers, she used to tell us she had an instinct that could tell when things were going to happen or not.”
Jasper nodded, urging me to continue.
“Like that time we went out on the horses to the lake in the mountains, and she knew before we left one of us was going to get hurt.”
“Yes, I remember. What exactly are you asking me, Bear?”
“Do you think there was more to her gift than she told us?”
I watched her purse her lips in thought.
“I guess it’s possible. I know she used to have dreams. Sometimes
I’d hear her walk past my nursery in the middle of the night when she couldn’t sleep. When I asked her about it, she just told me they were vivid dreams that kept her awake.” Jaspers brow suddenly furrowed. “Why are you wondering?”
“No reason really, I’ve just been thinking about her a lot.” After Oli had mentioned my mother in the gardens, I was wracking my brain for possible ties my mother could have to the curse. It seemed odd that he would believe in the curse because of her. I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe she had said something to him about it before she died.
“I haven’t asked how you are, Jasper.” I changed the subject, hoping to take a break from my incessant circle of thoughts.
“I’ve been well. I was lucky that during the Granting a pair of guards quickly helped me and Father to a safe house, so I wasn’t hurt by the raid.”
I reached over and weakly clasped her hand in mine. “I’m glad you made it out safely.”
“When I found out you’d been kidnapped, I wished so badly that I could take your place.” She wiped the corners of her violet eyes as tears began to fall down her rosy cheeks.
“I wouldn't wish that on anyone, especially you.” I gave her hand a small squeeze. “Don’t worry, soon everything will go back to normal and hopefully it will be as if it never happened.”
A small frown fell onto Jasper's lips. “I don’t know. With the prince coming, I don’t think our lives will ever go back to normal.”
I paused, opening my half drooping eyes, suddenly wide awake.
“Prince? What prince?” I asked, confused as to what she was talking about.
“The prince of Ethydon. Hasn’t anyone told you?”
I shook my head. Reaching for a towel by the tub, I quickly stood and began wiping the excess bubbles still clinging to my skin.
“Told me what?” I couldn't help but feel panicked at the sight of my sister's hopeless expression.
“After the raid at the Granting, Father became worried about Obscurum attacking the kingdom again. He approached the Ethydon king and asked for an alliance. In order for Aveladon to defend itself against Obscurum,
in the chance that war may be waged, we’ll need their armies.” She swallowed thickly before continuing. “To form an alliance, he agreed to a marriage. The Ethydon royal family is coming to Aveladon, and I will be courted by their son. I’m then to be married to the prince of Ethydon on the morning of the winter solstice.”
SEVENTEEN
My hands slammed into the pair of wooden doors leading into my father's study, stinging upon impact with the vexed effort. I barreled into the room, uninterested if I was interrupting something important. I could hear Jasper not far behind me, begging me to stop, but my anger easily drowned out her desperate pleas.
The heads of every person in the room immediately turned to me, expressions of shock evident on their faces. My father, Oli, and several of the kingdom's councilmen were sitting around a large circular table discussing matters.
I wasn’t in the best of attire. I had quickly thrown on the first day dress my hands touched in the closet. My hair was tangled and sopping wet from my bath, my feet bare. I could only imagine just how ridiculous I looked standing there, wrinkled and dripping before them.
“It seems no one bothered to inform me that the Ethydon prince and his family are coming to Aveladon.” I fanned my arms out for dramatic display. “Anyone care to explain?”
My father's face registered shock at my unexpected interruption then was quickly replaced with stone-cold enmity.
“Sabeara, the decision has already been made. Whatever you are trying to accomplish by barging in here, isn’t going to change my mind.”
Oli stood up from the table and walked over to me, his eyes frantic. He didn’t want me to embarrass my father in front of these important men, but at that moment, I didn’t care about his reputation.
“Sabeara, can we please talk about this at another time?” Oli pleaded.
The other councilmen in the room were looking at me with disapproving glares. I felt the tug of Jasper's hand on the sleeve of my dress.
Granted (Granted Series Book 1) Page 12
