by Linda Kage
“You don’t have to involve her,” I told him. “I’ll do it!”
The king lifted an eyebrow.
Swallowing, I reiterated, “I’ll kidnap the princess, Nicolette, and take the mission. I don’t need incentive. You’re my king. Far Shore is my home. It would be an honor to serve you in any capacity. Just don’t bring Sable into this.”
But even as I said the words, acid swirled in my stomach. I’d be betraying the girl who’d saved me. I would doom Nicolette. There would be no honor in my actions.
To spare Sable, however, I had no choice. My sister’s safety came first. Always.
“Sable is useful,” I insisted. “Someday, you can marry her off to another kingdom and form an alliance with them, just like—”
“An alliance?” my father spat incredulously. Then he sniffed and sat back, throwing up a hand to hush me. “Except I don’t want another goddamn alliance. Not any longer. They denied me once, so they no longer deserve me. Now, I just want to crush them all. Alliances be damned. I’d rather rule everyone as I see fit.”
“Okay,” I said, my mind scrambling for ideas before I snapped my fingers, coming up with one. I pointed at him. “Then you’ll need smart and loyal emissaries to send out and make sure your law is being enforced out there. And Sable is the brightest. She could do any number of things to serve Far Shore.”
The king ignored my pleas and turned his attention to Greggor. “We should have a new torture device crafted and finished by the time the Donnelly bitch arrives. Something we could set up in the village square so all can watch her downfall. Something that keeps her legs spread and titties jiggling while I fuck her into submission. Don’t you think?”
Greggor gave a thoughtful nod before smirking. “Only if I get a turn at it too.”
“My dear friend,” the king answered benevolently, pressing a hand to his heart. “But of course. There’s very little I’ve never shared with you, is there not?”
While the two traded conspiring chuckles, I gagged on my own bile and then swallowed raggedly. But dear God. I’d always known they were soulless. Both of them. This, however, was revolting.
“You can’t do this,” I blurted.
Wrong thing to say.
Sometimes, I could get away with talking to the king as Greggor did. But apparently, I’d reached my limit tonight.
My father arched a severe eyebrow. “But can’t I? Which one of us is the king here?”
The guards sent to detain Sable returned then, dragging the quivering, confused, and clearly frightened child into the throne room. She was still wearing her nightgown, for God’s sake, and her feet were bare.
The sight was more than I could take.
“Wait!” Leaping between her and the king, I lifted my hands, determined to talk my way out of this. I had failed my mother, but I would not fail my sister. “I’ll do anything. You absolutely cannot send her to the dungeon.”
“The what?” Sable cried, her eyes growing wide and her trembling increasing. “But what did I do wrong? I only left my room for those few minutes.” Reaching out to catch the sleeve of my tunic, she sobbed, “Farrow, what’s happening?”
I glanced at her and gripped her hand, my gaze apologetic and worried. Then I turned back to the king. “Please. She’s lived an indulged life; she’s not equipped to survive in such conditions. She’ll expire within a fortnight.”
My father waved an unconcerned hand. “Then I suggest you start your journey with the utmost haste, so she won’t suffer long.”
I shook my head. “It’ll take a moon cycle just to reach Donnelly and back, not to mention the amount of time I’ll need to complete my mission. Make her stay up in her rooms if you must, but not the dungeon. I beg you.”
“My word is final,” was all the king would allow. He flicked out a single finger. “Take her down now.”
“No!” I clutched Sable’s hand desperately, but a line of knights plowed into me, separating us roughly as they pulled Sable away.
“Sable?” I called, my fingers still straining her way.
But so many guards came between us that I could no longer even see her. All I could hear was her panicked voice as she screamed, “Farrow!” just before it was cut short and muffled.
“Son of a bitch! Stop.” I tried to move to the side, just to see her. “That is your princess, you fools. Go gently now.” But the guards moved with me, blocking my view. “Sable?”
And just as quickly as that, the guards stepped back.
I fell to my knees when I found that Sable was gone, already dragged away with her fate sealed. I sobbed out a sound and bowed my face, squeezing my eyes shut and trying to think. But I couldn’t come up with a sound plan.
Doom settled hard in my gut. I looked up at the king one last time, hoping to change his mind with the agony in my stare alone. But he wasn’t even paying any attention to me. He was too busy, scanning his remaining knights before he picked out two.
“You and you. Accompany the bastard to Donnelly. None of you return until you have their bitch princess in your possession. Otherwise, you’ll occupy a space in the dungeon next to your princess. Is that understood?”
The two nodded intently. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
And thus, it was decided.
There was nothing else I could do. His mind was set, and Sable’s life depended on me and my success in securing Princess Nicolette.
King Torrance lifted his eyebrows at me before repeating, “I said, is that understood?”
My teeth ground together hard as something inside me broke. Maybe it was my heart. Maybe it was my allegiance and loyalty. But it caused the fragmented shards to scatter until they reassembled into something that resembled defiance.
For, suddenly, I wanted to spit in his eye, pound my fists into his face, haul him down to the dungeon by his damned fur collar, and have him personally unlock Sable from her cell. But any of those options would be my own death, which would probably warrant Sable’s demise as well.
So I pushed stonily to my feet and glared, deciding once and for all that I no longer wished to be his son. I just wanted his pain.
“Understood,” I seethed.
He sniffed arrogantly, gleaning pleasure from my subordination. “Good.”
Unable to stomach the sight of him a moment longer, I turned away and hitched my chin toward the two guards who’d been assigned to me. They marched forward to flank me on either side.
“Gather what we’ll need for the journey ahead,” I told them, my voice hollow and chest still compacted tight with an ugly mix of anger, fear, panic, and dazed shock.
This was really happening. Sable would die if I didn’t kidnap Princess Nicolette. “We’ll meet in the courtyard in half an hour to depart.”
The sooner we got there and back, the sooner I could free Sable.
If she didn’t expire before I returned.
Dammit all to hell, my affection for her was what had caused this. This was the second time my caring for another person had endangered her life. But never again. This time, I would save the one I loved.
As I raced to my stall in the stables so I could gather everything I’d need for the trip, I made another promise to myself.
I swore I’d never care for anyone that strongly again. It only doomed them.
No one else I treasured would suffer because of me, so I’d just never treasure anyone.
It was safer that way.
3
Farrow
Half an hour later, I sat atop the horse I’d borrowed from the royal guards’ stable with my fingers tapping impatiently against the saddle horn while I waited at the opening of the courtyard for the two knights who were being forced to accompany me.
Honestly, I didn’t want anyone else to tag along. They’d only slow me down, and I didn’t exactly trust my father’s servants. Aside from Sable, everyone in this damn castle seemed corrupt.
But only royal knights had enough authorization to access the stockroom and gather all t
he supplies we would need for our journey. So I’d have to devise a way to steal their provisions and lose them on the road. Hopefully this very night.
The courtyard was dark, and the torches slotted into their sconces on the walls cast more shadows than actual illumination. When a single figure meandered into the clearing on foot from a side passage as if lost, a feeling of distinct unease crawled up the back of my neck.
Who the hell was this? I very much doubted they had the same clearance I did right now to be out after curfew.
I frowned before calling, “Hey, halt. Who goes there?”
The figure jerked to a trembling stop and turned slowly in my direction before lowering his hood with quivering, frightened fingers. Torchlight flickered off a bald head where I noticed a purple birthmark covering nearly half of his bare scalp.
By God, I’d seen that birthmark before. It had been on Roloff, the very soothsayer Sable and I had been discussing earlier.
“What’re you doing out here?” I asked incredulously, dismounting and surging forward into his path. “Are you insane? Don’t you know the royal child’s been born and the king’s sent men out to capture you? Why haven’t you run yet?”
“I—I’m not sure, good sir,” he answered in a wavering voice, darting his gaze around fearfully as if not sure where to go now that I’d blocked his way. “I just know I’m m-meant to be here. In this place. At this moment. Even if it warrants my own demise. But p-p-please, if you could just ignore the fact that you see me right now and not turn me in…”
I sniffed out my amusement. Soothsayers were such odd ducks. Lying to save their own necks one moment, only to walk right into danger the next, all because of their ridiculous prophecies.
“But I can’t simply let an outlaw run free, now can I?” I taunted, casting him a dark smile. “It’s just not in my blood.”
“Your blood?” Roloff echoed in confusion, tipping his head to the side and squinting as if he were trying to figure out who I was. Nervous stutter gone, he said, “Just whose blood runs through your veins, boy?”
When his eyes milked over until they were nearly all white, I groaned. “Oh, for the love of God. Don’t try that rubbish on me.”
He was past hearing, though, as he reached out and barely touched my arm, flesh against flesh. As soon as he made contact, a tiny jolt of electricity sparked between us.
I jumped back, scowling. “What the hell?”
It was never good when a soothsayer touched you. They always started spouting crazy shit about your future. And rarely anyone ever liked knowing what would become of themselves. “I gave you no such permission to read me.”
But Roloff didn’t seem to mind the censure in my voice. Blinking his eyes back to normal, he sighed out his relief and smiled cheerfully. “Oh!” he said, his shoulders relaxing. “It’s just you.”
“Just me?” I lifted my eyebrows, cautious yet curious. “You think you know who I am, do you?”
“Of course. Your energy is very strong, my lord. And besides, every seeing eye in Far Shore knows of the Bastard Betrayer.”
I straightened, narrowing my eyes. “Now what did you just call me?”
“Bastard Betrayer,” the soothsayer repeated, bobbing his head and smiling as if either title was something honorable I should be proud of. “You’re to be famous, you know. Soon, everyone in Far Shore will call you such.”
“Everyone?” Cocking my head to the side, I murmured, “Is that so?”
All the while, a bloom of excitement blossomed in my chest. But famous? Did this mean I was going to complete my mission with success and save Sable?
I didn’t dare hope, except okay, I did. I hoped long and hard.
The word betrayer, however, caught me up. Betrayer didn’t sound so good. In fact, it sounded downright treacherous.
“Oh, no. Don’t look so worried, my lord.” The soothsayer patted my arm encouragingly. “Yes, sadly you’ll betray everyone you ever loved and nearly everyone you ever will love. But the worst of your disloyalty will be the very action that saves Far Shore and brings peace to many kingdoms. All your dishonorable decisions will be the most honorable thing you’ll ever do.”
“Right,” I said slowly. “Because that’s what betrayal does—generates honor and brings nations together.”
The soothsayer began to nod encouragingly, only for his smile to falter at my glib reply. “Well, no. Not typically, of course. But in this situation, yes, yes, it most certainly will.”
“That’s it,” I growled, grabbing two handfuls of the front of his tunic and yanking him close. I shook him hard enough to rattle his teeth. “Take it back.”
I’d force him to recant his irritating prophecy, even if I had to pull his tongue out and put it back in sideways to make him say what I wanted.
No one called me a traitor.
“But, I—I—I can’t. Your destiny isn’t mine to change. It is what it is. I’m just delivering the message.”
“A message full of untruths,” I snapped.
“Excuse me,” the little man gasped in outrage, not even mildly intimidated by my glower. “I beg your pardon, but I have been tested for purity, kind sir. I cannot tell a lie.”
“You lied about the gender of the child born tonight. It’s a girl; did you know that? And you told your king it would be a boy.”
Color leached from his face. “Yes, well. That—that was—that was most unfortunate indeed, but I had to discolor the truth a bit, in order to save a life. My own. And in the event of preserving life, extenuating circumstances can be made for lying. It’s written in the scrolls. My purpose hasn’t been fulfilled yet, you see, so I must live longer.”
Unable to help myself, I snorted out a laugh. “You sound like my sister.”
“Really?” he inquired with interest. “Which one? I hope the little opinionated one. She’s quite my favorite.”
At the mention of Sable, I ground my teeth.
She was my favorite too.
Agony ripped through my stomach like cloth tearing in two. And it reminded me of my immediate purpose in life: saving her.
Over Roloff’s shoulder, I spotted the two guards who were supposed to accompany me as they entered the courtyard, cantering up on their horses.
Remembering the urgency behind my plight, I pulled the little, bald man close.
“If you like Sable so much,” I hissed in his ear, “then you shouldn’t mind keeping her company for me until I can return, now should you?”
“Wha—but what does that mean?” he asked, glancing behind him in concern when he finally heard the hoof beats approach.
“Here’s your destiny, soothsayer. Take care of Sable. Tell her I’ll complete this mission they’re forcing me to do so I can return as soon as possible to free her. Tell her to hang tight. I will save her. All she needs to do is survive until I get back. And you? You help her survive.”
“I’ll—what now? Hey! What’s going on here?” Eyes widening when he finally spotted the knights as they stepped under the lamplight, Roloff started to struggle to be free. “You know, I really shouldn’t be seen by any guards just now. They’re after me.”
“I know. That’s why I’m turning you in. I can’t just betray my king and father by letting you get away, now, can I?”
His mouth fell open, shocked by my betrayal of him.
Shoving him toward the other two, I said, “Look who I found, boys? It’s that lying soothsayer the king’s searching for. Why don’t you two take him back and turn him in to the dungeon? I’m sure they’ll reward you handsomely for such a catch.”
They each leapt off their horses to tackle Roloff. Once they had him well in hand, one guard glanced my way. “What about our journey?”
I hitched my chin up. “Go on. I’ll stay here and wait with the horses. We can head out as soon as you collect your bounty.”
“Indeed!” They seemed fine with that idea. “Thank you, Farrow.”
As they fell right along with my plan, brutishly jostling
and steering Roloff toward the castle on foot, I glanced toward their horses they’d left behind.
Perfect.
“No, thank you,” I murmured.
As soon as all three were gone, I relieved one of the guards’ mounts of all its weapons and food they’d stockpiled for our trip, then I slapped its flanks and sent it trotting back in the direction of the stables. After securing the rest of the supplies to the second horse, I tied its reins to my own and climbed back into the saddle.
Galloping out of the courtyard and into the night by myself, I headed toward Donnelly.
I didn’t have time to wait around for anyone else. Whatever it took, I was going to free Sable as soon as possible.
4
Nicolette
A Fortnight Later
Plucking a white rose from the bush in front of me, I broke the thorns free from their stem before dropping the beauty into the basket that dangled from my arm.
“Flower picking,” an offended voice from my right lamented. “There’s a festival going on down in the village right now. Music, dancing, cups overflowing with wine, girls whose bosoms are overflowing from the tops of their dresses, and you choose to go flower picking instead.”
I sent the disgruntled man an amused smile. “Yes, well. While I do love a good overflowing bosom…” Tone dry with sarcasm, I shrugged. “I just didn’t feel much like joining in on the revelries today.”
My personal guard slumped his shoulders and sent me a pleading scowl. “But what about me, my lady? I’m forced to go where you go. Why didn’t you consider what I felt like doing for once? And not that you care or anything, but it’s been far too long since I explored a healthy bosom.”
“Eww.” I wrinkled my nose and turned back to the bush, searching for the next perfect flower to pluck. When he continued to just stare at me expectantly, I sighed. “Indy, really. I told you to just go already. Pursue as many bosoms as you like. You certainly don’t have to stay up here at the castle, babysitting me every second of every day.”
