Kingdom's Darkness (Gemstone Royals Book 2)

by Kelly A. Purcell

  Ruby sat straight backed in a chair at the far corner of the room as Deswald was yet again interrogated. This time it was by the best healer in Aldor. The woman had carefully examined Deswald’s scar from the knife wound he had been dealt by Serin when they were at Dravia. The knife they had found out then, had been steeped in a poison carefully crafted by the prince to turn a man’s heart to the darkness. Jasper had described Deswald’s behaviour as rabidly out of control and given his past exposure to the prince’s dark magic, her father was concerned that it was somehow still affecting him.

  “I’m telling you; I feel fine right now.”

  “I understand. But you say you have no recollection of attacking your colleagues?”

  Deswald shook his head, Ruby could see the weariness drooping his sinewed shoulders through the knitted vest he wore. He had gotten a lot stronger since she had last seen him, and the scars marking his body were tell tale signs of what he must have had to endure during those weeks on Quest.

  “I do not remember hurting anyone. I… I remember dismounting from the dragon, I remember facing a bunch of those creatures, they were surrounding them. I remember fighting a few of them off… I remember thinking that we were subduing them and then…” he paused and looked up at the man, then shook his head, “…and then nothing.”

  The healer frowned, “your wounds looks well. This one on your shoulder has healed up almost perfectly. There is a possibility that the journey itself may have taken a toll on your mind. Sometimes these things can happen. We will have to monitor all the Questors closely.”

  The healer looked over at Jasper, who was standing nearby with his arms folded across his chest.

  “I do not recommend you return him to his duties just yet. We need to monitor him, preferably in high stressed but controlled environments. We must ensure that he is mentally well enough to return to his duties.”

  “What? No,” Deswald shouted, sitting up straighter on the bed.

  “Your majesty please,” he pleaded to Jasper, “all I have ever wanted to do was be a soldier. I have my own cohort to lead, they are depending on me. If you do this, the respect I have worked so hard to earn on my quest will be lost.”

  Jasper sighed sympathetically, “I understand Deswald and I owe you a great debt for your service. But you have wounded several of your fellow soldiers. Anyone else would be thrown in the dungeons by now for what you have done. But knowing your history and in light of your service to the throne and my sister’s affections for you, we are giving you an opportunity to get better as a free man. You will return to service as soon as you are well again.”

  Deswald’s eyes grew hard, “so this is how I am rewarded? After all I have done?”

  Ruby sat up at the sudden change in his voice. No one else seemed to notice, how the muscles in his shoulders bunched, or how the veins along his arms instantly bulged. Then just as easily as he had grown tense, he relaxed, shaking his head as if something else had overtaken him for a moment. When he looked up again, his blue eyes were calmer, more like the Deswald she knew and loved.

  “Deswald just take some rest. Work along with the healer and once we are sure you are not a threat to the men; you will be restored to duty.”

  Deswald nodded stiffly, lowering his gaze until they were all out of the room. Except for Ruby and her assigned guard, who lingered by the doorway, blankly staring at the opposite wall. Of course, Ruby thought, they would not leave her alone with him.

  Ruby sighed and got up from where she sat, there was something that Jasper said that bothered her.

  “I will be right back Des,” she said quickly and dashed out the room after Jasper.

  ✽✽✽

  She found Jasper in the hallway a little way off from Deswald’s room talking with the healer. They both turned in her direction when she started walking towards them.

  “That will be all,” she heard Jasper say and he turned to face her. The healer disappeared behind one of the other infirmary doors.

  “Is everything okay?” he asked, standing uprightly in that soldier-like way he had, with his hands clasped behind his back. Since he had returned from Dravia he had been more business-like than usual. He was sterner but not as focused, more preoccupied with matters of the army but never quite satisfied. He was still very closed lip about what had happened during the time he had spent in Drava. Ruby and Topaz wondered if it was Geoff’s absence in the temple that had him so out of sorts. They sure did miss him, he was a more pleasant priest than his father, who had always been highly inaccessible and unapproachable. She did worry for her brother and the secrets he kept so well guarded behind those grey eyes, but right now there was something more personal weighing on her heart.

  She stopped abruptly before him and narrowed her eyes at him, “what did you mean by because of my affections for him?”

  Jasper frowned, leaning his head to the side and shaking his head, “I do not know what…”

  “You told Deswald that father was not going to punish him for his actions because of saving me and because of my affections for him. What did you mean by that?”

  “Ruby I do not understand why this is an issue for you. Is Deswald not your friend?”

  “But why are my affections a worthy consideration all of a sudden? When you know full well that father does not intend for me to act on them.”

  Jasper chuckled dismissively, but Ruby could see in his eyes that he knew more than he was letting on.

  “We thought this is what you wanted. To protect Deswald, I don’t understand what this is about Ruby.”

  Ruby was shaking her head as tears formed in her eyes, “you don’t know what I want and none of you care. You know that father is planning to marry me off. To use me to secure the south and get rid of the trouble that I am all at the same time.”

  Jasper arched an eyebrow, “to get rid of you? Ruby I don’t know where you are getting this…”

  “Don’t pretend that you don’t know what’s happening here Jasper?”

  “But don’t you want to leave here.”

  “But not like that… not when I have finally found someone that I truly love!”

  Jasper’s expressions softened as understanding dawned on him, “you love Deswald?”

  Ruby looked away, swiping away a tear quickly. With her gaze lowered she mumbled.

  “And now he must never know.”

  Jasper looked surprised, a rare expression for him, “Ruby I’m sorry I didn’t know. I don’t think father knows either.”

  He reached out to touch her arm but she took a step back, waving off his comforting touch.

  “No, no. I uh… I understand,” she turned but stopped and looked back at Jasper.

  “I thought the people were stuck in their ways, but you and father are no different. You don’t care about anything but your kingdom, we’re nothing but chess pieces to you.”

  “Ruby,” he called.

  But she had already turned away, heading in the direction of Deswald’s room. She knew that Jasper would not risk following her and making an unnecessary scene.

  Standing in front the doorway, she took a deep calming breath before entering. When she did, she made her way to Deswald on the narrow infirmary bed. He was waiting for her.

  “Where did you go?”

  She smiled tightly, “needed to talk to Jas a bit,” she replied, “I am sorry.”

  He looked at her with sad eyes, “No, I am sorry.”

  She touched his cheek and smiled, “Do not apologize.”

  “But I must. This is not how I intended to return to you.”

  “But you are here, that is all that matters.”

  He looked up at her with those non-native features, his blue eyes holding hers, and placed a hand gently over hers where it rested on his cheek. He turned his head and kissed her palm.

  Ruby exhaled deeply, the touch of his lips on her hand sent a wave of excitement through her. She missed him, more than she thought. She had never quite felt a connection to som
eone like this. She had thought that what she had with Serin was the definition of what it meant to be in love, but now she knew that that was not even close to how she felt about the man looking at her now.

  “We will get through this,” she said.

  Deswald nodded, “we shall.”

  She smiled, “So the question that remains is, what are you going to do with all of this free time.”

  Deswald grinned, “that is easy. I will spend as much of it as I can with someone very special. If she will have me.”

  Ruby smiled, she wondered if this was the right time to tell him about her betrothal, but decided that going slowly would probably be in their best interest. She did not want things to change between them too soon.

  “Excellent,” she replied, “but Des?”

  “Umm hmm.”

  “I need you to put on a shirt.”

  He looked down at the knitted vest barely covering his bare chest then back up at her with a sheepish grin.

  “It is very distracting,” she said with a smirk.

  Deswald chuckled, “as you wish your majesty.”

  She walked around him and sat down beside him on the narrow bed while he pulled a shirt over his vest, grimacing as the movement of his arms awoke fresh wounds.

  Ruby reached over and helped him get his shirt on, taking that moment to reach up and run her fingers through his hair. It was longer and thicker than she remembered. The once short strands now curling into unruly rivulets about his head.

  “I am due for a hair cut,” he said, turning to look at her with a smile, his eyes resting on her face affectionately.

  “Tell me about your quest?” she asked, “the soldiers cannot stop talking about the Tyattaran princess and her dragon whom you rescued. They’ll probably write songs about you.”

  Deswald blushed.

  “I saw her around; she seems really nice… and beautiful.”

  Deswald shook his head, “Well I wouldn’t call her a princess, she’s the daughter of a Tyattaran tribal leader or something.”

  Ruby frowned, “no I’m pretty sure father said that she was the king’s youngest daughter.”

  Deswald was frowning, “why would she keep that from me?”

  “Maybe she was just being cautious, you are a stranger to her after all,” she replied, not missing the look of disappointment on his face.

  An awkward silence fell between them. And the bothersome thought flittered through her mind. What if things had changed for Deswald too on his journey as things had changed for her.

  “She must have been a great help to you on your trip back,” she said quickly.

  Deswald shrugged, avoiding her eyes, “I would rather not place on you the burden of my hellish quest. But yes, Eylisia and her dragon did help us a great deal in returning home…I am grateful to her.”

  “Oh okay.”

  Ruby nodded, trying to appear nonchalant while a part of her felt slight pangs of jealousy. This Eylisia person had shared in a part of Deswald’s life that he was choosing not to let her into.

  Oblivious to her internal distress Deswald carried on. “Tell me, how have you been?”

  Ruby shrugged, lowering her gaze to her hands now folded in her lap. She wondered if she should tell him about what she had experienced recently, the threats, the attack… the Nerubian warrior and his invitation. One look at him and then at Stafford and she decided against it. That would be her and Stafford’s secret for now, her new discovery of not being alone in the world would remain her own. If Deswald could keep his secrets, so could she.

  She reached over and took his hand in hers; he wore a clean white cloth that was bound about his wrist and around his thumb, covering the palm of his hand.

  “Did the healer do this?” she asked, hoping to change the subject.

  To her dismay, Deswald withdrew his hand from her hold and placed his other hand over it protectively.

  “No, the field healer did it.”

  “I see. It does not look very well done. You should get our healer to give you a fresh one.”

  He nodded uncomfortably, “yes… I will. Now, do not think I have not noticed how you side stepped my question.”

  Ruby nodded, “that is because I too do not want to lay on you the burden of my hellish experiences.”

  “Not well, I see.”

  She shook her head.

  “I can handle it you know.”

  “And I cannot?”

  Deswald nodded, “that is fair. You know what? Let us fore-go reliving our terrible experiences whilst apart. Let’s make new memories… better ones.”

  Ruby smiled, “yes I would like that.”

  Chapter 18

  Jasper made his way into his father’s office after leaving the infirmary. He found the king at his desk hunched over a parchment, with quill in hand. His burly hand aggressively attacking the parchment with his words. Jasper tapped against the wooden door, which the king had left open.

  His father barely lifted his head, “Come son.”

  Jasper entered the study and eased himself onto the chair facing his father’s desk.

  “Any updates on Ruby’s friend?”

  Jasper shook his head, “the healer believes it could have been the stress of the journey. He could have merely gotten caught up in the fight… or maybe those creatures got into his head somehow…”

  Jasper sighed, “he did a number on our men, but I must admit… I think our losses would have been greater without him. He is an excellent warrior.”

  The king looked up at him now, his rain cloud eyes dark with preoccupation, “did you get a good look at them?”

  He pointed to a picture on the far corner of the room, the one he had had painted from the guard’s memory.

  Jasper got up and walked to the painting, shaking his head in awe, “she is getting better. Her gift is magnificent father.”

  The king nodded, “even more reason to keep it a secret. I take it the likeness is accurate.”

  “Very, if it wasn’t for the body the men found, I would not have gotten a good look at them. I got there in the middle of the fight and they were fast, really fast. Unlike anyone I have ever fought. They came for the body…”

  He sighed and returned to sit at his father’s desk, “What is going on father?” he asked.

  The king sealed his letter with the royal crest and laid it aside, then shrugged, “that’s what we need to find out.”

  The king leaned back in his chair and sighed. Jasper knew he had something on his mind, he had that look in his eyes.

  Finally, the king spoke again, “you have been very tight lipped about what happened when you stayed back in Dravia. I realized it was something you did not want to talk about, so I gave you your space. But Jasper if there’s anything you know or saw, even if you are worried that I will make too much of it, please I beg of you to tell me now.”

  “I am sorry if my demeanour worried you father. But I assure you, I have told you everything you need to know about Haddin’s plans. If I am troubled, it is with my troubles.”

  Jasper mentally grimaced, he wished that was completely true, but he knew that his father was not ready, just as he had not been. His time in Dravia had taught him that there were things that were difficult to understand unless the light of El reveals it. But the truth was that dire times were ahead. When he came face to face with the darkness in a way he had never known before, he knew he had to come home, regardless of what his heart desired.

  His father’s frown deepened, “there was a time when you did not hesitate to lay your burdens on me.”

  “Yes but… you have so much on your hands right now. I’m grown enough to handle some matters on my own.”

  His father didn’t look satisfied, “I don’t want you to feel that way… what troubles my children troubles me also.”

  Jasper took a deep breath and released it slowly, “I’m just wondering how someone can keep their heart from wanting something everyone says it shouldn’t want?”

&
nbsp; Understanding flashed in the king’s eyes, “Ahhh, your eyes have finally found a maiden that pleases you… but she is not Aldorian.”

  Jasper said nothing, he had not intended to bring this up now. But he knew that it would have to come up at some point, for his heart was sure and his mind was set.

  His father cleared his throat, “Sometimes in times of war the heart can seek solace in the affections of the safest option. I too have fallen prey to this malady of mind.”

  Jasper arched a curious brow, prompting his father to go on. The king chuckled.

  “She was Nerubian, Ruby’s people and it was before I met your mother. Because of our secret alliance with them, I would often make visits to Neru to check up on things. Ruby’s mother was a very dear friend of mine and the woman who captured my affection was a very dear friend of hers. Her name was Amai, she was beautiful and so spirited. Things were tense at that time; we had managed to protect them from a few attacks that year alone. Everyone was on edge. Amai was like a refreshing brook in the midst of the pessimism. We spent a lot of time together and I foolishly fell in love with her.”

  “A Nerubian?”

  The king nodded, “but we both knew that nothing could come of it. I was to be king of Aldor, there was no way I could take a wife from a people to which we had a secret alliance. A people who were so different from us. Nerubians believe in El, they serve him as creator but their ways are so different from ours, their customs unlike what I was used to. And our laws were so much more rigid then.”

  “So, what did you do?”

  The king shrugged, “I let her go. We spent the next few years avoiding each other, during which a match was made for me with your mother and my heart knew love in a way it did not before. I realized that what I felt for Amai was what I needed to feel at that time. But what I had with your mother, that was real.”

  Jasper sighed, “I understand your experience father,” Jasper said, “but I am afraid there is more to my affections for this woman than the stress of war, or a malady of the mind. She is everything I have ever wanted and even more so now. I feel… I feel like she is El’schoice for me.”