When I opened my eyes again, I saw Sophie sitting at a small table beside our window, eating from a tray piled high with food. The light streaming onto her looked like morning sun.
Please, please tell me I haven’t slept away another two days!
She shook her head. Only one. Apparently we both slept for a whole day and night, but that means the next ball isn’t until tomorrow night. And, I don’t know about you, but I feel amazingly better.
I considered her words. I did, indeed, feel remarkably recovered. My head was clear, and I would almost describe myself as full of energy. I joined Sophie at the small table, even more famished than when I awoke from the fever, if such a thing were possible.
Helena entered the room and wished us both a good morning. A sudden thought struck me. “Helena, did anyone bring up a parchment with our scores?” I had forgotten all about checking the branch for it.
“Indeed,” said Helena. “Princesses Hazel and Emmeline performed strongly, but neither of you lost ground overall.”
None of us met each other’s eyes, and Helena quickly moved the conversation on to other things. Apparently Jon had proven true to his word, and we were to have a riding tour of the duchy.
Riding through the city two hours later, I felt more happy and relaxed than I had since arriving in Marin. Jon had found two amiable and lively mares for me and Sophie, and Teddy, Gabe, and Millie had all decided to join us.
At the last moment, Teddy and Millie’s younger sister had come rushing from the palace demanding to be included. After a short dispute with her siblings, a groom was dispatched to saddle her pony as quickly as possible.
I used the time to get to know my new mount, attempting to keep my mind off my own pony. Sophie and I had been gifted ponies of our own at a young age and had loved them passionately. Although we had long ago graduated to full-sized mounts, we had still regularly visited the ponies until they had been struck down by a disease the previous year. Thinking about the sweet-tempered animals still brought moisture to my eyes. They had been our closest friends—with the exception of each other, of course—during our loneliest years.
Daisy seemed as full of energy as Millie had warned, and I noticed her eyeing me inquisitively throughout our ride. Jon led us down through the wide cobbled streets, pointing out buildings of interest and markets as we passed them. Many of the people stopped to watch us. Some looked unhappy at our intrusion, but most smiled and waved in our direction. The stone buildings had all been decorated with a profusion of window boxes holding bright spring flowers, and it made the city look alive, despite the mass of stone.
Before we arrived, I had imagined that a duchy consisting of a single city must be grey and dull. But the colors and the plants made it feel vital in a way I hadn’t expected. And although, in reality, the people were all strangers to me, their friendly greetings felt warm and welcoming.
Our own capital city, Arcadie, was considered large, but this city-state dwarfed it. A wall encircled the city on all sides except for where it met the harbor, and it seemed to take the longest time for us to reach it. Past the walls, hills rose steeply in all directions, covered in green grass and the occasional clump of trees. I could see a couple of distant flocks with attendant shepherds, but otherwise the land was empty.
“The pastures on this side of the hills belong to the duchy,” Jon explained. “But everything on the other side of the peaks belongs to our neighbors.”
I pictured the maps of this land in my mind. The southern half of Marin bordered Talinos, a kingdom that raised my curiosity. Millie made it sound as if the entire kingdom were as scared of their own shadows as Pearl and Opal, while their prince, Gabe, was daring and impulsive. Was it just because he had been raised in Trione with Millie and Teddy?
But the northern half of Marin bordered the cursed Palinar, a kingdom I had no desire to see. “We’re close to Palinar, then?” I glanced at Millie, but it was Jon who answered me.
“The wastelands don’t start for a full day’s ride north. We have nothing to fear here.”
I nodded and forced myself to smile. In only a few weeks, one of us would be travelling north toward those wastelands. I turned my mind from the thought. The green that met my eyes in all directions was far too appealing and cheerful a sight for such dreary thoughts.
As we started up the hill, Daisy angled her pony toward me. “I’m Princess Daisy. You’re Princess Liliana.” She tipped her head to one side and regarded me curiously.
I smiled at her. “I am. But I prefer to be called Lily.”
She nodded solemnly. “Daisy isn’t my full name either.” Her sideways glance warned me she knew she would be scolded for whatever question she intended to ask next. “Do you eat with a knife and fork?”
I bit back a smile and responded seriously. “I do indeed, why do you ask?”
“Oh!” She paused to digest the information and then gave me an impish smile. “Back home, I heard one of the maids say that if the Emissary’s ship found other lands, the people would most likely be barbarians who don’t even eat with a knife and fork.”
“Daisy!” Millie threw me an apologetic look. “You should know better than to listen to such talk. Does Lily look like a barbarian to you?”
Daisy examined me consideringly, and I waited with equal parts curiosity and amusement for her assessment.
“I don’t know,” she said at last. “I’ve never seen a barbarian. Have you?” she asked me with a hint of hope.
I suppressed another smile. “I’m afraid I have not.”
“That’s something we have in common,” said Daisy. “I think that means we can be friends.”
“Thank you,” I said gravely, and then couldn’t help adding. “What about Sophie?”
Daisy looked over at my twin. “Have you seen a barbarian?”
“No, sadly,” said Sophie. “I hope that means we may be friends also.”
“I suppose so,” said Daisy. “I have a lot of friends, you know.”
“I’m sure you do,” said Sophie.
Daisy nodded and then directed her horse toward her brother without another word.
“Goodness.” I laughed. “She must keep you all on your toes.”
Millie rolled her eyes. “You have no idea.”
“Spare a thought for our poor brother,” said Sophie with a chuckle. “He was in your position only reversed—us young ones were the twins, and there was only one of him.”
Millie shuddered dramatically, and we all laughed. The unbroken blue sky and bright sun had put more than just me in a good mood it seemed. It made the dim underground gloom of the Tourney feel like a different world. Riding along with the breeze on my face, I found it hard to believe we would be down there again so soon.
An escort of guards and servants had accompanied us, bringing a picnic meal. Jon directed them to spread it out on one of the highest slopes, giving us a stunning view down over the whole city. From this height I could see no sign of the faded air that had struck me when we first entered the city all those days ago. Only the grandeur and the size and the life showed from up here.
“It’s incredible,” I said to Jon when he came to stand beside me. “We don’t have a city like it in the Four Kingdoms.”
“Marin is older and larger than any of the other capitals. Despite our lower rank, our family has always been well-respected amongst the kingdoms.”
I nodded. “A trustworthy neutral ground. It’s a great honor to your family and your people.”
He smiled at me, and I felt a pleasant shiver at the warmth in his eyes. “There’s an even better view from just over there.” He pointed to the peak of the hill behind us. “Would you like to go take a look while the servants set up the food?”
Our attendants were in the process of laying out a carpet of rugs, and the closest one smiled at me. “We’ll be a few minutes yet, Your Highnesses.”
“We might as well then,” I said to Jon who called our intentions to the rest of the group.
/> Do you want me to keep them all away? asked Sophie.
I have no idea what you’re talking about.
She shook her head. You’re hopeless.
Jon and I started ahead, but most of the rest of the group began to drift along behind us. I told myself I had meant what I said to Sophie and had no desire for a tête-à-tête with Jon. I wasn’t quite convinced, however.
Millie and Sophie both stopped to pick wildflowers, but Daisy ran ahead of them to catch up with us.
“Don’t you want to pick some flowers, Daisy?” I asked.
“Nope,” she said as she raced past. “Flowers are for ninnies, I’m an adventurer.” She reached a large rock and began to scramble up it, heedless of her embroidered skirts.
“Do you think that’s safe?” Not having any younger siblings, I wasn’t altogether sure what sorts of things you were supposed to let them do.
Jon shrugged. “You heard her, she’s an adventurer.” He looked over and must have read real concern in my eyes. “Daisy has been a little monkey since the day she learned to walk. She won’t come to harm on a rock like that.”
I bit my lip, embarrassed by my worries. Did he think me an overcautious fool?
“This is the spot here.” Jon stopped and turned. I joined him and sighed happily at the view. From this angle we could clearly see the entire city, the large palace and the sparkling ocean stretching away to the horizon.
“Lord of all you survey, hey?” I smiled at him, and he grinned back.
“We’re proud of it. Although Palinar was the truly magnificent kingdom, back before…” A dark shadow crossed his face, and he didn’t finish the sentence.
The thought of Palinar and the Tourney crept across the scene like a blight. I could feel it looming menacingly at my back, and had to resist the urge to turn around and check behind me. I frowned and rubbed my arms.
Millie called something out to us, but Jon’s name was all we could catch. “Just a moment,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”
He moved back down the slope toward the others, and I looked around for Daisy. I hadn’t heard her in the last minute or so.
She had disappeared from the rock, and I could see no sign of her. I moved a few steps to the left, and then to the right, trying to increase my field of vision. I didn’t want to be alarmist, but I’d feel better if I at least had her in view.
I didn’t spot her until I reached the highest point and finally looked down the other side. My heartrate picked up a little. Daisy had crossed over into Palinar.
It looked surprisingly normal from here, this side of the hill visibly no different from the Marinese side. Still. Everyone had made it clear that the whole kingdom was cursed and unsafe. Only the magical nature of the affliction kept the danger safely confined within its own borders. Which made stepping over that border seem like a bad idea to me.
“Daisy!” I called to her, but she either ignored me or didn’t hear her name. I half turned back to call to Jon but paused. He had said the wastelands were far away, and that we had nothing to fear. And he had shrugged off my anxiety for Daisy earlier.
If I went after Daisy myself, I wouldn’t need to admit my, probably unnecessary, concern to anyone. I started down the far slope, stepping carefully to avoid loose rocks or hidden burrows.
Daisy darted back and forth, moving downwards, away from me, apparently looking for something or playing a game with herself. When I got close enough I called to her, and she looked up with a wave and a smile. I gestured for her to come back up to me, and she started skipping in my direction.
But at the last second she must have spotted whatever she was searching for, because she veered off to the side.
“Daisy!” I called to her again.
“Wild honey,” she called back, pointing at a tree. As she turned back to it, however, a large shape rose, seemingly from nowhere, to tower over her.
She screamed and, without conscious thought, I took off running toward her.
Chapter 16
The low, deep growl provided the ultimate counterpoint to Daisy’s scream. The dark, shaggy fur of the bear looked out of place against the cheerful colors of the hill. It lumbered two steps toward Daisy who seemed to have frozen in fear.
“Run!” I screamed at her. “Run!”
She still didn’t move.
As I flew down the slope, no longer minding where I put my feet, I called to Sophie in my mind. Bear! Bear! Bear!
Launching myself forward, I grabbed Daisy’s thin wrist and thrust her behind me. The bear seemed confused by my wild approach and, for a second, I hoped it would back up. But, instead, it rose to its hind legs and roared.
When it dropped back down to all fours, it charged forward. As it neared, it lifted a clawed paw ready to swipe at us.
Spinning I wrapped my arms around Daisy and flung us both flat to the ground, shielding her with my body. I waited to feel pain tearing up my back, but it never came. Instead I heard a deep yell and then a thwack. I recognized the sound. It was quickly followed by a second and then a third. Another roar from the bear cut off suddenly. A loud thud followed.
Cautiously I raised my head and looked up the slope. Gabe stood there, a bow in his hand, his eyes fixed on something behind me. I twisted my head to follow his gaze. Jon, a sword gripped in his hand, stood panting over the body of the bear stretched out on the ground just behind us, three arrows protruding from its fur and its head severed.
I looked back up at Gabe in time to see Sophie and Millie push him aside in their rapid tumble down the hill. They both dropped to their knees beside us and tried to pry us off the ground. Their efforts were more hindrance than help but, after a chaotic scramble, we all managed to get back to our feet. Sophie gave me a tight squeeze before we both turned to check on Daisy.
Millie had wrapped her arms around her little sister but kept pulling back to look at her instead. She cupped her face in her hands, opening her mouth as if to yell at her. But, instead, she started crying, pulling Daisy back in for another hug.
“Oomph, errgh, get off me,” said Daisy, fighting her way free of Millie’s grip. Her gaze locked on her brother, and her eyes lit up. She pointed at the dead bear. “Look, Teddy! A bear! It nearly killed me.”
Teddy looked queasy, his gaze moving from Daisy to the bear to Millie. “You sound entirely too gleeful about that.”
Millie shook her head. “You’re just fortunate Lily was here. And that Gabe keeps his bow ready.”
“And that Jon had his sword.” Gabe walked over to get a closer look at the bear. He whistled. “It’s a big one. No wonder my arrows were barely slowing it down.”
“Thank you,” I said, my voice wobbling a little. “Thank you both.”
Jon finished cleaning his sword and returned it to his scabbard. He took one of my hands in both of his. “Are you unharmed? Are you sure? This is entirely my fault. I shouldn’t have left you alone without even a weapon. But it never occurred to me that Daisy would cross the border.”
For someone with younger sisters, that seemed like a startling oversight in perception. He had obviously forgotten what eight-year-olds were like. But it was an accident, and his prompt reaction had prevented disaster, so I couldn’t find it in myself to be angry with him. Especially not when he seemed so very contrite. And so very close to me.
I told myself the shaking was the aftereffects of nerves and had nothing to do with the fact that an attractive prince had just saved my life and was now holding my hand while gazing into my eyes with concern. Nothing whatsoever.
“We’re both fine,” I said. “That’s what matters. Although I’d feel a great deal more comfortable if we could cross back over onto Marinese land.”
“Yes, of course.” Jon ushered me and Sophie back up the slope. I caught him exchanging worried glances with Gabe. “That bear shouldn’t have been here. No one has reported any dangerous animals this close to Marin. If I had had even the least suspicion, I wouldn’t have brought us so near the border.”
“Honestly,” I said. “I’m merely shaken. And Daisy appears to be delighted.” The young girl had rushed ahead of us all, pulling her brother along with her and chattering rapidly about her recent adventure.
“She’s certainly resilient.” Sophie shook her head in admiration.
“I should have called you from the beginning,” I said to Jon, “rather than going off alone and unarmed. I knew I was entering Palinar. I’m merely thankful the two of you acted so quickly.”
“We heard the scream, of course,” said Gabe. “But it was Sophie here who told us to grab our weapons and run.” He looked at her. “I don’t know how you knew.”
Uh oh. I carefully avoided looking at her, not wanting to fuel any possible suspicions.
“Just a twin’s connection, I guess,” said Sophie. “I had a bad feeling as soon as I heard the scream.” That’s true enough, she added in my mind.
“Good instincts,” said Gabe, but he seemed satisfied.
Our small retinue of guards must have been coming to our aid, because they had made it most of the way from the picnic site. However, they had stopped and now milled around in confusion as Daisy regaled them all with her story. The highest-ranking guard approached Jon.
“What would you like us to do, Your Highness? I take it you’ve dealt with the animal.”
“We’ll pack up the picnic, of course,” said Jon. “And get these girls to a doctor.”
“What? No!” Daisy dashed toward us, apparently having overheard the conversation. “The cook told me she packed my favorite pies. And I’m starving!”
“What are you doing talking to the cook, you rascal?” asked Teddy, ruffling her hair. “You know you’re not supposed to be bothering the servants. They’re busy enough with all the Tourney festivities without having you underfoot.”
She stuck her tongue out at him and danced out of reach, fixing her pleading eyes on Jon. “Please. Please.”
“There really is no need for a doctor,” I said. “I’ve spent countless hours over the years assisting in the palace infirmary in Arcadia, so I know what I’m talking about when I say I’m unharmed. But, if you feel any concern for our ongoing safety …”
Beyond the Four Kingdoms Box Set 1: Three Fairytale Retellings (Four Kingdoms and Beyond Box Sets Book 3) Page 14
