“Bear, please, don’t do this right now,” she whispered and I could hear she truly didn’t want me to make a fuss. Jasper would never fight against my father; she was too submissive, too meek. But someone had to stand up for her, and unlike Jasper, I didn’t mind causing some havoc.
“How can you subject her to a loveless marriage?” I growled at him.
“I’m doing what is best for the kingdom,” he said sternly, obviously oblivious and desensitized to what he was inflicting.
I couldn’t help it, something broke—a dam that I had built to keep back all the hurt and pain he had caused to me over the years. This was the final straw. Jasper didn’t deserve any of this.
“When are you going to release us from your cruel demands?” I screamed, my voice echoing off the tall ceilings.
“Sabeara Aigoviel, you will stop this at once!” my father ordered. In the midst of his anger one of the glass vases on the table was lifted from its place and crashed against the marble floors. The glass shattered instantly, and the splintered remains sprinkled across the bare floor.
I felt Oli begin pulling me toward the door, forcing me to leave. Jasper began helping with his effort and I struggled against them, determined to say my piece. I had been quiet for far too long. Yes, I was sarcastic and caused trouble when I could, but never had I confronted him like this. And it felt good.
“When are you going to stop making us pay for your mistakes?” The room went silent. I could feel Oli’s arms tense around me and heard Jasper’s soft gasp. I watched my father try and formulate a response to my accusation.
When he spoke again his voice was low and harsh. “Sabeara, we are done here. You’re. Dismissed.”
Oli and Jasper managed to carry me out the door and forced me down the hallway to one of the sitting rooms. Angry tears ran down my cheeks, and Oli pulled me tightly into his arms, trying to calm me.
“Sabeara, shhh. . . calm down.”
My shoulders shook with sobs as he held me in his arms and the weeks of pent up emotions came spilling out. The feelings were overwhelming and crashed down on me like a giant wave.
I cried because of my father and for Jasper, meeting Mid and the moments we shared in Ethydon. I cried for all the pain I experienced when I was kidnapped and more. Oli and Jasper tried to soothe me with words and bring me out of the dark place I’d stumbled into. It wasn’t until the tears ran dry that I allowed myself to lift my head from Oli's shoulder and wipe the tear stains from my cheeks.
“It's not fair,” I croaked hoarsely.
“I know,” Jasper said, stroking my hair with her beautiful fingertips.
“He left the kingdom. He neglected his position as king. Now look at what has happened. Our people can’t even defend themselves!” Neither of them argued with me. They just patted my shoulders and looked at me sympathetically. “You shouldn’t have to do this,” I said to Jasper and she nodded, the expression in her eyes suddenly pained.
“I know, but it’s my duty as princess to help the kingdom.” I could tell Jasper was putting up a front, trying to appear strong. I shook my head defiantly, wishing there was another way.
It was ironic that my father was making these decisions, yet in his lifetime he’d never suffered such stipulation. I knew my mother had been a lowly farm girl when my father met her. He had received much ridicule for marrying below his status. But he loved her so much, he had done it anyway. It seemed unfair that he would be allowed to fall in love, and Jasper was being forced into something my father never had to endure. Of all the people, he should’ve understood. He should’ve been the one standing up for Jasper’s happiness—her freedom to choose.
“She’s right, Little Bear. We need her to do this. Without her. . .” Oli didn’t finish the sentence, but I already knew what he was going to say. Without Jasper and the betrothal, Aveladon couldn’t survive against Obscurum in a war. Ethydon was our only hope.
Since I couldn't stop the betrothal and the Ethydon royal family would arrive in two weeks, I was madly trying to find a way to distract myself. I threw myself into the Ethirical. I completely avoided my father and barely spoke to Oli or Jasper for those fourteen days. It was easy to get lost in reading. When I was studying the Ethirical, I wasn't thinking of anything else, and it helped extinguish the angry flame inside me to a quiet simmering.
The Ethirical revealed in the final pages a small excerpt on what would occur if the kingdoms ever separated again. A warning was issued, and a brief paragraph spoke of ancient tokens being the only way to appease the angry spirits. I assumed the tokens were the artifacts Mid had spoken of.
Be warned if contentions rise. The blood moon will heat the black sky; a fiery flame will burn. War will rake the land and consume the innocent. The only escape from the clutches of the Spirit’s wrath will be to deliver the tokens of the ancient kings. Aveladon must atone for their contention and pay the highest price.
I sighed and closed the book in my lap, after reading the same paragraph for what seemed like the hundredth time. The sun has gone down, and I was sitting in my treehouse, wrapped in a mass of blankets trying to keep out the bitter cold. It was now only two days before the prince's arrival. I sighed, feeling empty and numb.
I didn’t know what to feel, and eventually I decided it was easier to feel nothing. I gazed out at the quiet forest and watched a russet brown squirrel scurry underneath a bush. I reveled in the smell of fallen leaves and the loamy scent of the crisp winter air. My mother had insisted this place be built for Jasper and me as children. Jasper didn’t care much for dirt and grime. The meager abode had become my favorite place to think.
At the thought of my mother, I grabbed her book and opened it. I was greeted by the familiar handwriting of my mother on the inside of the cover. I immediately felt a pang of sadness at the thought of her.
For my Little Bear. When you are lost and need to be found. When you are weak and need to be strong again.
I flipped to the next page. It had a picture of a castle and a girl on a white steed. Beneath the picture, in small hand-painted lettering, the story began.
Long ago in the realm of Aveladon, a Stone-Hearted princess and her people lived in peace. . .
The story goes on to say that Aveladon faces an evil dragon king named Romulus. He ruins the peace in the kingdom and roams the land searching for power because he wanted to rule the realm. He starts many battles, and each one the dragon king wins, the stronger he becomes. The princess in the story has a beautiful amulet given to her by a magical merchant that hangs on her neck and protects her. In the last battle, the dragon uses his fiery breath to try and burn down the castle. But the princess uses her Stone-Hearted powers along with the magical amulet to defeat the dragon king and bring peace back to Aveladon.
I’d always loved the very last line of the little book most of all and read it slowly in my mind, taking in its every syllable.
And they drifted on, sated in their ascendency. The days no longer waiting for salvation and the nights suddenly still.
It never occurred to me until that moment that maybe my mother's book was more than just a story. The more I reread the little book, the more I began to think it might be some type of warning. Oli’s confession about my mother resurfaced in my mind, and I couldn't help but think maybe she saw the curse befall the kingdom in one of her visionary dreams. Did she know this was going to happen? Once I started to believe that idea, I couldn’t stop the rest of the thoughts that flooded in. Did Oli know about my mother's gift? Did he know about the book? Did she leave it for me so I would believe in the curse too?
The wild accusations I was making didn’t stop the following day or the next and instead, my inkling just got stronger. Was the dragon king the Obscurum king that wanted me dead? Was I the princess in the story?
I was trapped in my erratic thoughts the next day and the following after that. While studying in my bedroom trying to figure out the story’s true meaning, someone walked in. I was on the floor, the Ethiric
al and my mother's book spread out on the plush alabaster carpet. Quickly, I slammed the books shut, just in time to see Jasper walk into the room. I pushed the Ethirical underneath the bed hoping she wouldn’t notice my abnormal behavior.
“I’m sorry to bother you, but Father wants you to be fitted for your dress.”
I looked up at her confused. “My dress?”
Her violet eyes looked at me with a hint of frustration. It wasn’t an uncommon expression for Jasper to have toward me.
“Yes, remember? For the ball tonight. The Ethydon royal family is coming.”
I had almost forgotten what day it was. My father was putting on a big celebration for the royal family's arrival. The kingdom's most prestigious individuals were invited. There would be dancing, food, and lots of useless small talk—all of which I dreaded.
“I’ll be there soon.”
UPON ARRIVING at the fitting room, I debated on knocking, but decided against it and instead just walked in.
“Jasper, are you in here?” I called.
As I fully opened the door, I couldn’t help but gasp. The room was covered in fabrics. Every corner of the room was draped in them, all different types and colors: satin, chiffon, cotton, lace, wool, and more.
“Jasper?” I called again, and I heard her faintly from the dressing rooms behind a drape of golden lace.
“Right here!” Her reply was barely audible, muffled amongst all the fabrics. Then before I could ready myself, she came out from behind the curtain, causing my heart to jump into my throat.
“Jasper! ” my cry of surprise was scolding.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” She had an impressive pile of dresses in her arms and began setting them out on a little sewing table by the far wall. “So for your dress, I was thinking about something orange, or blue. You know, something sweet but also vibrant.”
I inwardly groaned as the fashion suggestions began and reluctantly watched her pick up a velvet orange vermillion dress from the pile she’d chosen.
“I liked this one. What do you think?” she asked, waiting expectantly for my opinion.
Quickly without hesitation, I answered. “If you're trying to torture me, then yes.”
She moved on. The next dress she pulled from the stack was a fine baby blue strapless tea dress. I put a hand over my eyes.
“I lied. If you're trying to torture me tonight, that is the one,” I said bluntly, and a little bit of fiery frustration flashed into her violet eyes. I pushed back a little bit of my pickiness and tried to be reasonable. The next dress she showed me was a deep carnelian red. It was long and shimmered at different angles in the light. Something inside me stirred when I saw it.
“That one,” I stated.
Jasper looked relieved.
“Glad to see you cooperating.” She took the dark red dress and led me to what I thought was just another wall of fabrics, but I was wrong. She pulled aside several materials and let them fall to the ground, behind them were three hidden floor to ceiling mirrors.
“All right, stand right here, and let me go get the pins.” When she returned she told me to undress then made me step into the gown so she could see how it fit. I began to relax a little, letting myself stand still as she whisked around me looking for imperfections and pinning what she thought needed fixing.
As she worked I couldn’t help but think back to Ethydon when Liony helped me find a dress for the festival. Memories of the beautiful pearl gray gown and the furry shawl came into my head, along with the moments Mid and I had shared.
“What are you wearing to the party?” I asked suddenly, needing to divert my thoughts away from Mid.
“I was thinking green or something light lavender.”
“You’d look good in green,” I replied, knowing the color would complement her magenta eyes.
“Have you talked with Oli since the fight with Father?” she asked, fiddling with one of the sleeves on my dress.
“Not really, has he been worrying?”
“Yes he has. He makes himself sick when he knows you're upset. Sometimes I wonder if he’s in love with you.”
“Ha, very funny. We’ve been over this, Jasper. He is my friend, nothing else.”
She sighed like she usually did at that statement. “Oh come on. He’s handsome, Bear, and he treats you like a queen. What’s not to love?”
“He’s an obedient sentry that follows orders. He has to treat me nicely,” I reminded her.
“I don’t know if I could feel the same way as you if I had the most handsome captain in all of Aveladon guarding me every night.”
“Are you telling me that you think Oli’s attractive? Jasper, he’s been my guardian since I was ten.”
Jasper giggled and had to stop pinning for a couple of seconds to regain her composure. I couldn't help it, I smiled a little. It felt good to relieve some of the pent up tension in the room.
“Oh, Bear, I know it’s pathetic, but I just can’t help myself. He's. . . beautiful.” Jasper sighed, as if imagining Oli inside her head.
I gaped at her. “I can’t believe you just called my guardian beautiful.”
She burst into a series of giggles again while trying and failing to pin the sleeve on my shoulder, accidentally pricking me with the pin instead.
“Ow!” I cried, and that made us fall into another round of fitful giggles.
“Princess, is everything all right in here?” Abruptly stopping our laughing fest, in walked Willow, the castle dressmaker. Her sweet looking face was one I had seen around the castle many times before. She was a quiet woman but a dedicated worker, and her Stone-Hearted power was unique. I often saw her designs in many of Jasper’s dresses and long ago in my mother’s.
Jasper and I both looked at her and quickly choked back our laughter, not wanting to concern her further.
“Forgive us, Willow. Everything is fine, merely laughing. Come in. You’re here just in time.”
Hesitantly Willow stepped through the door.
“We just found Sabeara her dress for tonight's ball. Would you like to do the finishing touches?” Jasper asked.
Willow nodded and proceeded to take Jasper’s spot in front of me. She began inspecting the dress, feeling the silky fabric between her fingers as she examined its fit. Then she closed her eyes and began manipulating the fabric with her power.
Small gusts of wind began pushing around me, making the fabric move like satin snakes against my skin. It tickled and I had to force myself to hold still at the sensation. I could hear the whisper of the threads and watched in awe as the dress began fitting perfectly to every curve of my body. I almost couldn’t believe it when Willow stepped away and I looked at myself in the mirror.
“Willow, it’s amazing,” I whispered, and the dressmaker smiled shyly.
The red satin fabric had morphed into a beautiful evening gown. It was tight fitted at the waist, hugging my hips, and had a long billowing skirt that brushed the floor generously. The bodice was fashioned from satin fabric flowers and was shaped in a sweetheart neckline. Adding to the magnificent gown were small tiny sparkling beads pressed into the center of each fabric flower.
“You look beautiful in it, Your Highness,” Willow complimented. And just then the sun shined through the windows, causing the dress to sparkle like thousands of tiny red stars.
I gazed at Willow’s masterpiece and felt something change inside me. Courage and a new sense of resolve coursed through my veins. Looking at myself in the brilliant red gown, I felt powerful. Even though I knew tonight would change a lot of things for my family, looking at my reflection, whether tonight ended up being good or bad, I wasn’t afraid.
Eighteen
Carriage after carriage pulled up the castle roadway for the festivities that evening. I watched from one of the castle sitting rooms, a nervousness building inside me as I waited to head down to the party.
“Little Bear?” Oli entered the room, startling me from my gazing. He was dressed up that night, wearing a
crisp black tunic and matching black trousers. His weapons were draped impressively from his belt while his red cloak graced his strong shoulders. He’d slicked back his wild golden curls away from his face. He looked older, more mature.
“You really are beautiful,” I said and couldn't help but smile thinking back to the conversation I’d had with Jasper earlier that day.
“Beautiful?” Oli asked, looking at me with a puzzled expression.
“Never mind.” I shook my head and chuckled softly. “You’ve really outdone yourself.”
He sat beside me on the loveseat. “I could say the same for you.” He eyed my sparkling red dress and didn’t look away for a moment.
Jasper had helped me curl my hair high atop my head and several soft tendrils fell loose around my face, tickling my cheeks. She’d put on matching red lipstick along with dark shadow onto my eyelids. He seemed to be admiring her handy work.
“Are you ready for this?” I asked him and watched the determination in his eyes waver slightly.
“I guess, and you?” he replied.
I slowly shook my head. “I don't know...” I said honestly, not as confident as I had felt earlier that day.
“Little Bear, I’m sorry about the way I acted in the gardens. And for not telling you sooner about the betrothal.”
I shook my head at him, stopping him from going further. “It’s okay, Oli.”
I’d had two weeks to be angry, and I was exhausted from holding grudges. I decided it was easier to let it go. The betrothal was out of my control and one day he’d have to tell me about the curse and my mother. Oli couldn’t keep such secrets from me forever.
The moon was beginning to set into the night sky, and I sat patiently, looking down every so often to my mother's book clutched in my lap. Oli gave me a longing glance, like he wanted to say something, but then didn’t.
“I better go. I’ll see you down there?” He stood and began making his way toward the door.
Granted (Granted Series Book 1) Page 13
