by K. E. Drake
Melody stared after Lyall as he left and placed a trembling hand over her mouth.
Her father came up to her side and she met his gentle gaze with fresh tears brimming in her eyes.
James gave her a sad smile and held a hand out to her. “Come with me.”
Melody drew in a shaky breath and wiped her tears away. She set her hand in his and he gave her fingers a gentle squeeze.
They stepped out of the study and James guided her down the stairs and back into the entrance hall. He took them through the front doors that hung open and brought her back outside to the clearing surrounded by the nearby forest.
Melody saw Lyall standing several paces away by the edge of the woods. He didn’t notice them. His head was bowed and he hunched over with a hand pressed against the base of a tree.
She looked back to her father. “What are we doing?”
“Just watch.” James instructed, not removing his eyes from the line of trees.
Melody sighed but returned her attention back to Lyall.
The sun sank past the horizon and the last rays of light faded as they disappeared past the trees, casting the forest in shadows and leaving a sudden chill in the crisp air.
Lyall grunted as his body convulsed. He let out a yell that turned into a howl, and he fell to his hands and knees in the grass.
Wisps of glimmering, silver magic twined up his arms and his legs. The magic quickly enveloped his entire body and then exploded outward, blasting rays of the silvery light and illuminating the shadowed clearing.
Melody threw an arm in front of her eyes to block the flash of the bright light. Slowly, the magic began to fade and she lowered her hand from her eyes.
Lyall was gone, and in the place where he once stood was a giant, silver wolf.
Devon.
Lyall and the wolf were one in the same this entire time?
He looked to them then, and his eyes met Melody’s across the distance.
His gaze spoke a million words and what she saw there pierced her soul.
He said not a word but turned and walked into the forest, leaving Melody and James in silence.
Melody clutched a hand over her heart as a sharp ache began to take hold. I’m so confused.
Chapter Ten
Forgiven
“You shouldn’t be angry with Lyall, Melody.” James told his daughter. He was seated in a white overstuffed chair beside the soft bed that Melody sat on the edge of.
Through an open window beside the bed, the full moon shone into the guest bedroom Melody had been given. From the window, one could see the stables nearby and could see a glimpse of a beautiful garden off to the side of the estate.
“He took you from me and mama and kept you trapped in this place!” Melody insisted.
“He did,” James agreed. “Then he let me go.”
Melody fell quiet as she watched her father, replaying his words in her head. “He... let you go?”
“Yes. A few weeks after I came here, Lyall saw how much I missed you and Rose, and he realized the mistake he had made,” James explained. He fell quiet a moment and hung his head. “When I first left, I went back to our home, but you and Rose weren’t there. I found my cousin there instead. He explained to me that he had bought the house from Rose, and that you went to take work at the palace. He also told me that he had heard news that you and Rose had taken ill and died shortly after. I...” He trailed off, shutting his eyes against the pain of the memory.
“Oh, Papa,” Melody whispered.
James ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t know where else to go. I had no money and no home. No one, relatives or friends, were willing to take me in or take me on to work, so I came back here. I’ve been here ever since.”
She was quiet. She longed to reach out to him, to comfort him, but she didn’t know how.
“I thought you were dead,” James belittled himself. “All this time. I abandoned you when you needed me most.”
“It isn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known,” Melody softly assured.
James nodded, although he didn’t seem convinced. “I’m just happy to have you back. I still can’t believe it.”
She gave a small smile. “I can’t either. I feel like I’m dreaming.”
James extended a hand to his daughter. She placed her fingers in his open palm and he gave a gentle squeeze.
As he released her hand, he gave a small smile that was quickly replaced my lines upon his brow. “Melody, what happened to you?” he asked. “When I left you?”
Melody was silent for a moment. A lump formed in her throat and she swallowed hard. “Part of what you heard was correct. We did sell the house and mama and I went to the palace to find work.”
She hesitated and James watched her a moment, holding his breath. “And Rose? What of your mother?”
Melody’s gaze dropped to her hands. “She took ill not too long after we went to the palace. We lost her.”
She heard her father take in a deep breath. “Of course,” he quietly accepted. “I already knew that. I only had hope. It’s just enough that I still have you.”
Melody nodded a little. They both fell quiet then, both deep in their own thoughts.
A thought occurred to Melody. She hesitated a moment but finally spoke. “After mama died, Queen Monet took me in. She adopted me. I’m the princess now. Did you never know it was me?” she asked gently.
“I knew the queen adopted a young girl of the same name, but I had no idea that she was you,” he confessed.
Melody’s heart squeezed. She swallowed hard but remained quiet. She fingered the knot in the fresh bandage her arm had been wrapped in when she’d had a bath earlier and her wound had been seen to.
Her mind swirled as she tried to let the many events of the day sink in, but her mind kept going back to one question. She drew in a steadying breath and looked back to her father. “Papa… why did Lyall make you stay here? How could he do it?”
“He didn’t do it to hurt anyone.” James insisted, though gently. He gave a heavy sigh and got up from his chair, coming to sit beside Melody on the bed. He took her hand and clasped it within his. “Lyall wanted you to pay the price of the rose because he thought that you might could be the one to break his curse.”
Melody’s heart tripped over itself. Her thoughts race but she considered what her father said. “He mentioned that he was under a spell, but he could not say anymore about it.” She recalled her first meeting with Lyall as the wolf. “He also told me that his name was Devon.”
James nodded and let go of her hand. “Devon was his father’s name. It was probably the first name he could think of that the curse would allow him to share with you.”
Melody considered that a moment. “Who put the curse on him?”
He rubbed a hand over his jaw. “It happened three years ago. Lyall was only seventeen. He and his father traveled to Glendower for business. There was a mistake made in the dealing and Cassius accused Lyall’s father of cheating him on their business deal.” James shook his head with a scoff.
“Did Lyall’s father steal from the king?” Melody prompted when he didn’t continue.
“He tried to assure the king that he didn’t try to cheat him, but Cassius wouldn’t listen to reason. He punished them by cursing Lyall to take the form of a beast every night at sunset until sunrise unless the curse could be broken.” James recalled. “He was killed in an accident less than a year later, and Lyall was left to run the estate by himself.”
Melody tried to imagine Lyall, struggling with a curse and with the sudden loss of his father. Her heart ached for him. “How can the curse be broken?” she asked. “And why would Lyall think that I could break it? He didn’t even know me two years ago.”
“‘To break the curse, your beastly heart must see the light.’” James quoted the words that Lyall had used when telling him of when he was cursed. “Lyall thought that meant it would be broken if he could find someone that he could love and who would love h
im in return. He tried for a couple of years to find the woman capable of breaking the curse, but nothing he did worked, and he eventually stopped trying.”
Melody nodded but remained quiet as her thoughts strayed once again.
“He loves you, Melody.” James told her. Melody’s eyes snapped up to him and he smiled a bit. “And you’re in love with him.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but she realized that she did in fact love that beast. She breathed a shaky breath. “So that’s why it hurts so much.”
“Love can hurt at times, but it’s worth fighting for.” James took his daughter’s hand again and kissed it. “I love you, my song.” He stood then and left the room, leaving Melody to her racing thoughts and feelings.
The first light of the rising sun shone through a break in the gray clouds that hung low in the sky.
The warm glow of the daylight came in through the guest room window and shone upon Melody’s face. She opened her eyes to the morning gleam and smiled. She pushed back the covers and sat up in bed, feeling her heart lift as she put her feet on the wood floor and went to look out the window to the gloomy sky.
She had slept restlessly that night, overwhelmed by the discovery of her feelings for Lyall and by the danger she knew her mother and the kingdom were in because of the king.
Melody looked out over the clearing at the back of the estate. She saw the garden below and tried to get a closer look, but she could only see a glimpse of it from where she stood. She looked down at her borrowed nightdress. I can’t wear this outside.
She left the window and moved past the bed to go to the door when she noticed a dress draped over the bench at the foot of the bed.
Melody stopped in front of it and picked the gown up, holding it aloft as she admired it. It was a dress of rich, sapphire-blue. The skirt was decorated with white embroidery and it had long sleeves of white lace.
She looked back to the bench and saw a pair of matching shoes there.
Melody glanced to the window and back to the dress and then quickly changed. She went to the vanity on the other side of the room. She washed in the bason there and then brushed her hair through, leaving it unadorned to flow in soft curls to her waist.
She put on the matching shoes and then slipped the door, the heels of the shoes clicking quietly on the wood floors. She walked softly down the halls and then descended the stairs down into the entrance hall.
All was quiet in the estate. The only noise was clattering of pans in the nearby kitchen.
Melody hurried to the doors and slipped outside before someone noticed her. She shut the door back in place and turned to face the picturesque view of the nearby forest, breathing in a deep breath of crisp morning air.
She went to the side of the estate, the cold morning dew dampening the soles of her shoes. She approached the fenced in garden and opened the iron gate as she stepped inside. She admired the garden and strolled past rows of blooming flowers, the tips of her fingers brushing over leaves and small buds. She sat down on a stone bench that was half hidden by an overhanging cluster of pink roses.
Melody lingered in the garden a half an hour when a roll of thunder rumbled nearby and light raindrops started to fall. She looked up to the sky and gave a sigh. I suppose I should go back in now. She got up from the bench and smoothed her skirt.
“What are you doing out here?”
At the sound of his voice, Melody spun around and her heart lifted.
Lyall stood just inside the garden gate. He wore a fine silver shirt and black pants and boots, but faint circles were evident under his eyes and his rich, brown curls were rumpled slightly as if he had run his hand through them.
Melody fidgeted with her hands. “I missed the gardens back at the palace, so I came out here to see yours.”
Lyall nodded, though not really looking at her. “You should be getting back inside. It’s starting to rain.”
“I was just going to,” she assured, feeling a bit of a blush begin to creep up her cheeks.
A moment passed and he turned to leave, but Melody called out to him. “Wait. Don’t go.” She hurried to him but slowed midway and stopped only a few steps from him.
He stopped and turned back to her, but he kept his eyes on a red rose bush. “I’m here.”
“I… wanted to talk to you,” she confessed, her hands clutching and releasing the satin fabric of her skirt. “I wanted to apologize, and also to tell you that I forgive you.”
Lyall met her gaze then, although he looked doubtful. “You’re not angry?”
“I was,” she admitted, “but my father explained everything to me, explained what happened to you. I thought about it and I realized that I love you, Lyall. I love you. It just took me until now to recognize it.”
Lyall hesitated and his eyes searched hers. He was slow, careful even, but he closed the distance between them and slipped a hand beneath her chin. He leaned in closer and their lips met as he kissed her tenderly.
Melody kept still, almost afraid that if she moved he might leave, but he remained there. He continued the kiss and her heart fluttered. She sighed softly and kissed him in return.
Several moments passed and Lyall broke the kiss then and laid his forehead against hers. “I love you, Melody. You’ve had my heart since I first met you at the masked ball.”
She pulled back and stared at him. “The ball? That long?”
“Yes,” he affirmed. He gave her another warm kiss. “I love you, and I thought I had lost you for good yesterday. It made me realize that I never want to lose you. Will you marry me?”
A startled giggled escaped Melody’s throat. “Yes!” She threw her arms around his neck and her heart swelled with love. “Yes, I’ll marry you!”
Lyall wrapped his arms around Melody’s waist and she gave a laugh as he swept her off her feet and twirled her around the garden. They slowed to a stop and he set her back down.
Lyall stepped back and pulled off a silver ring he wore on the last finger of his right hand. He took Melody’s left hand and slipped it onto her third finger.
She gave a small gasp and admired the ring. It was a simple band made of pure silver and a single sapphire gleamed brilliantly from its place in the circlet.
“This was my father’s ring. He gave it to my mother when they were married,” Lyall told her. “Do you like it?”
“It’s perfect.” She sighed and couldn’t help but smile as Lyall pulled her into his arms and kissed her again.
Another roll of thunder rumbled directly overhead. The light rain turned into a steady downpour and soon they were both soaked through. Neither of them noticed.
Lyall broke the kiss and wiped away a raindrop that slid down Melody’s cheek, smiling down at her. “We should go inside and tell everyone the news.”
He took her hand and Melody allowed herself to be led back into the estate. She thought about Lyall and her thoughts went to the impending danger they faced, but she decided not to worry about it. With him, I feel like I can face anything.
Chapter Eleven
The Royal Wedding
“We’ll need to lure the king away from the palace. We can’t risk anyone getting hurt.” Lyall stated, drumming his fingers on the top of the desk and looking up to James, who sat across from him.
“How do you plan to stop him?” Melody asked, crossing her arms over the red-silk gown and robe she had changed into.
“The king is a sorcerer. His life is tied to a jewel that he wears at his throat. The jewel contains a powerful magic, but it can be broken,” Lyall explained, his expression turning grim. “Cassius gave his soul to wield the power of that pendant. Now his life is tied to it. If we get it away from him, he’ll be powerless, but if it’s destroyed, Cassius will be with it. I’ll draw the king out of the castle. There I can get the jewel away from him and destroy it.”
“The wedding is to be held at sunset,” James informed him. “You will already have changed by then.”
Lyall frowned and sat back in
his chair. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“I can go.” Melody suggested. “I could get the king out of the castle.”
“No, you won’t. It’s too dangerous,” Lyall stated firmly.
“ I can help you,” she insisted.
“I know you can, but this is my fight, not yours.” Lyall stood from his chair. “I cannot and will not risk you getting hurt.”
“No. This became my fight when the king planned to marry my mother just to kill her and take over the kingdom. He cursed you, and sent an assassin to kill me!”
Lyall planted his hands firmly on the desk. “No, Melody. I have to go alone.”
“I’m going with you.” She stated, leaving no room for argument. Lyall’s eyes looked into hers, his gaze pleading. Melody faltered and her arms fell back to her sides. She almost changed her mind, but resolved against it. She turned on her heel and quickly left the study.
Lyall collapsed back into his chair. He placed his elbows on the desk and laid his head in his hands. “I only want to protect her.”
“I understand,” James sighed. “I knew that she wouldn’t sit still when you told her that she had to stay behind.”
Lyall scrubbed a hand over his jaw and looked at his soon to be father-in-law. “I knew she was stubborn, but I didn’t think she was reckless.”
James laughed and stood up from his chair. “I’ll go and talk to her, although I know it will be just a waste of time.”
The light of the evening sun cast a golden glow through the trees in the forest where Lyall and Melody rode on horseback on the short trip to the palace where the royal wedding was about to take place.
They came to the edge of the trees just beyond the palace and slowed to a stop. The palace was illuminated by the light of the fading sun as an array of pastel colors highlighted the wisps of clouds on the horizon. Rows of guards lined each side of the stairs that led up to the palace doors, and countless carriages were parked off to the side of the towering structure.
