by Jamie Gandy
“Hurry up, boys.”
Together Hector and I pick up our pace until we are only a few feet behind the man. “Did you hear what the Princess called him?” Hector whispers to me.
“No,” I honestly reply.
“She called him Adir, as in Sir Adir, Head Knight of TigersKeep Castle! Greatest Knight of all Kallai! Gideon’s Mentor!” His face is so close to my own that the quiet squeal in his tone is so crystal clear.
“No way!” I gasp, a lot louder than I intended to.
“If you two do not shut up, you will have a heap of coals burned on your head!” Gideon scolds us.
“In correction, Gideon, the heap of coals will be sent on your head!” I catch the smoldering glare the Knight sends Gideon’s way. “How many times have I warned you not to use your elemental ability unless absolutely necessary? You could have seriously injured or killed any one of those kids in that room, including His, and Her Highness. You put their lives in dang…”
“But Adir, Gideon only did it because I told him to duel with the boy. It was not his fault,” the Prince challenges the Knight. I already know the Prince is foolish for making Gideon and I duel each other, merely to see our strengths against each other, but in this moment, I can truly see how stupid he is for talking back to the Knight.
Adir does not even bother looking at the Prince though. “I know perfectly well that the whole ordeal was your doing, Your Highness, but commanded by you or not Gideon should not have allowed himself to reveal his ability to anyone, you included. That was his own doi…” his words begin to blare in my mind as the adrenaline begins to wear off and the fatigue finally sets in.
“Sebastian what is wron…” Hector’s voice barely reaches my ears; I am already stumbling to the ground seconds before everything goes dark around me.
Chapter Three:
♔ Kage Tora: ♚
“What is wrong with him?” I inquire when Adir finally steps out from the physician’s quarters. “And why did you make Gideon go in there?”
“Their battle drained a lot of important life energy from them because of the amount of elemental mana they used,” he explains to me. His gaze moves from me to Hector, who looks like a ghost white sheet. “You can relax now; your brother should recover in a day or two. I need you to go find your father and report everything to him.”
“Yes, Sir.” Hector lowers his head to the Knight before turning on his heels and disappearing down the hallway. I wait until he is gone before I look back to Adir. “Will Gideon be okay?”
“Yes, he will be just fine.” He allows a few seconds of silence before the fiery expression returns to his blue-green eyes, “I am sure you had no ill will for either Gideon or Sebastian with making them duel, Your Highness?”
“Of course, I did not want them to seriously get hurt,” I honestly reply. I exhale a sigh. “Gideon is much more than just my bodyguard, he is my best friend and honestly, next to you of course, he is my biggest idol. I just wanted to see how Sebastian would fair against him.” A grin begins to slide up along the corners of my lips. “The fire show was pretty incredible though.”
“If you respect Gideon so much, make sure he does not ever senselessly use his ability again. He might not be so lucky next time. His duty is to protect you and your sister and protecting you two should be his only reason for unleashing his ability.” I watch as he exhales a tired sigh while sliding his fingers through his long grayish-blonde hair.
“I am sorry, Adir,” I apologize.
“Go apologize to the two of them,” he mutters under his breath. At length, he strengthens himself before placing a hand on my shoulder. “I know you are still just a kid now, and that everyone makes mistakes, but one day you will be King. The ones you lead will look to you to make the right choices, and I believe you will lead them with justice and wisdom. When the time is right.” He removes his hand and turns to leave. “I need to go report to the King.”
“Adir, please do not tell my father!” I beg as a sudden shudder of fear shoots through my veins.
“Would you prefer to tell him yourself?” he glances at me once more, expecting my answer.
“Well… I….” I struggle a few seconds before I slowly find myself nodding my answer. “Yes, I would rather tell him myself,” I confess.
“Very well then, I will give you until morning to do it, if you do not tell him by then I will be the one to inform him.”
I swallow the lump in my throat. “Thank you, Adir.”
Without responding this time, he continues to walk off down the hall. I wait until he is gone before I turn my attention to the door to the physician's quarters and rasp my knuckles against the wooden base of the door. “It is me, Prince Kage,” I announce myself.
“Come on in, Your Highness,” a warm voice answers me.
I push the door open and step into the dimly lit room. My eyes have to adjust for a couple of moments before I look over to the two cots along the far side of the room. Sebastian is laying in the one closest to the wall, he clearly looks stable now, but is fast asleep. Gideon is lying down in his cot, but his eyes are wide open as he stares at his outstretched hand.
“Hey Gideon,” I greet him as I walk across the room to the chair alongside his cot. “How are you feeling?” I inquire.
His hazel-brown eyes move to the side to look at me. “I am alright.”
I motion to his outstretched hand. “Does it hurt?”
“Kind of, but mostly it feels kind of numb, or something,” he answers. He flexes his fingers absentmindedly, though his eyes remain locked on me. “I think it has to do with using my ability.”
“Adir told me that using your ability has kind of a bad side effect on you,” I lean forward until my elbows are digging into my thighs. “He told me it could even kill you if you push yourself too hard,” I pause for a few seconds before adding, through narrowed eyes. “I command you never, ever to use your fire unless for an absolutely good reason. Do you hear me?”
Gideon sits up in bed, eyes wide in amazement. “You are serious?” he questions me.
“Of course, I am serious! What good are you to me if you are dead?” I glance to Sebastian for a moment before shifting my gaze back to the Knight in training. “Gideon, as ridiculous as I can sometimes be, I never want anything bad to happen to you. You are more than just my guard to me; you are my best friend. I am sorry for commanding you to dual earlier, it was stupid of me.”
“It was very stupid of you,” I hear a muttered remark from him. This time it is Gideon that looks over at Sebastian's sleeping form. His eyebrows furrowing. “He is a great deal stronger than I had expected. Did you notice the way he chose to kick my leg out from under me? It was not just an act of desperation; he was trying to think outside of the box.”
“I am not following what you are talking about, so what if he chose to do something like that in the duel?” I lean back in the chair and cross my arms over my chest.
“Sebastian said Duke Richard Ari had him and Hector get trained in the art of swordsmanship. During your duel with Hector he never stepped out of the line of a fair sword fight, Sebastian did though.”
“Maybe him responding like that was instinct?” I reasonably suggest. “I sincerely doubt it, but I suppose it is possib…”
“I did train in the art of swordsmanship, I was foolish to kick your leg in our duel.” Sebastian exhales a groan of pain as he sits up in bed, his back pressed to the wall. “However,” his eyes shift until his attention is on both Gideon and I. “The man who taught my brother and I was not the only man I have trained with. My father played a big role in my training as well.”
“There is no way Duke Richard taught you how to fight like that!” I protest. Instantly the shadow that covers his face gives more away than he probably means for it to.
“Duke Richard is not my birth father, he is my uncle,” the confession is obviously very difficult to speak aloud. I get the sense that he probably has never said it before. “My father chose a diffe
rent path a very long time ago, and my uncle stepped in to raise me as his own.”
“If that is true, then how did your father train you?” Gideon challenges.
“In secret near the forest of the Peryton between TigersKeep and LionsShield”
“None of this makes any sense. Why would you take lessons from a man who abandoned you? Especially going behind your uncle’s back? What kind of path did your father travel down to take him away from TigersKeep?” All the questions spill from my lips before I have a chance to stop them. Gideon’s look he sends my way tames the remaining questions I have for the fiery haired boy.
“I do not know if it is true or not, but he has told me that he is a spy for the King. I never intended to go behind my uncle’s back, nor did I seek my father’s aid in training. He came to me. He said that one day it would benefit me if I knew as much as I possibly could about fighting, and my elemental strengths,” he explains. “‘In real life your enemy will never fight fair, and your sword may not be able to protect you if you face someone in hand to hand combat. You have to be strong enough, and smart enough to win every battle you go into.’ I remember him telling me that before our first training session.”
“Is that why you are going along with it?” I curiously inquire. His amber eyes lock with my gaze.
“I went along with it because I knew if I was stronger, I could protect Hector a lot easier. I would not have to rely on a bodyguard or Knight to defend us, I could fight with the chance of winning by myself. I never had any intention to show you my fire ability.” Sebastian slowly begins to slide his feet over the edge of the cot.
“You probably should not get up yet,” Gideon remarks.
I am just about to agree with Gideon when the door squeaks open and Hector steps into the room, followed by Duke Richard. Hector certainly favors his father, with their shared jet-black hair and gemstone green eyes. However, the Duke is a large man, with a bit more fat than muscle.
I watch as he strides across the room to Sebastian’s cot, his facial expression is kind as he rests a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “How are you feeling, Sebastian?”
“I am feeling better. You did not need to come down here, I am sure you were busy.”
“Your health is more important than anything else, Sebastian.” At this moment he seems to notice me, and he bows his head towards me. “Your Highness, I am sorry for any trouble my boys caused you.”
“It was not them that caused the trouble, Sir Ari, it was I who was the foolish one that put Gideon and Sebastian in here. Please accept my apologies,” I bow my head to the man. When I lift my head, I see the genuine surprise written across his face.
“That was not what I was expecting, Your Highness. I do accept your apology.” His attention returns to Sebastian. “Do you feel well enough to return to your chambers?”
“Yes, I should be okay walking back to my room.” With Hector’s assistance he rises to his feet, sliding an arm around his brother’s shoulders for support. He looks at Gideon and me and dips his head. “Thanks for the duel, Gideon. It was fun.” A smile inches up his lips for the first time.
“It was much more than I originally expected. Rest up.”
“You too.” They walk to the door and, once the Duke and his sons leave, I return my focus to my friend. “That really explains why he looks nothing like Duke Ari or Hector,” I remark. Gideon’s responding laughter ignites my own.
“You really are observant,” he smirks.
I smile at him as I rise to my feet. “I thought so too. If Sebastian can get out of this room, so can you, come on let’s get out of here.”
Eagerly in response to my words he slides his legs over the cot and stands up. “I do not need your shoulder to lean on,” he comments.
“Good, because I had no desire to have you putting all your weight on me. You are so heavy,” I tease him before guiding the way out of the room and down the hall.
Chapter Four:
♦ Catherine Faline: ♦
“Do you think they are okay?” Esther inquires as soon as we reach the royal gardens. I come to a stop in front of the Wildfire Hybrid Tea Roses. I crouch down and stroke the petal gently.
“Those boys will get exactly what they deserve for being so stupid,” I state. I inhale the incredible scent of the rose before turning my attention to my cousin. “You should not worry so much, Sir Adir is not ruthless.”
“True,” she agrees. I watch while she walks over to the next cluster of flowers, the beautiful tulips. The variety of their colors, from pink to yellow, purple and orange, always take my breath away, no matter how many times I visit the garden.
“Have you ever actually seen the Duke’s sons before?” I inquire.
“A few times, but not recently. Duchess Elizabeth fell ill a couple years ago, so the Duke sent her to LionsShield with their sons. I think she has family in LionsShield’s Stronghold who practices in healing medicine, or something like that. I heard the other day when my father was talking to the Duke, that Duchess Elizabeth did not survive her sickness. She joined the ancestors last month.” When she finishes, Esther turns her focus on me with a sad look on her face. “It must have been really hard on them losing their mom.”
“It must be unbearable,” I agree. “I do not want to even think about anything ever happening to my mom.” I look back down at the tulips and frown. “Those boys seem so strong though.”
“Strength can be perceived as a defense against dealing with pain. Some people can turn their pain into power depending on how they choose to handle it. Pain can also completely destroy a person.” Both Esther and I turn our attention sharply around at the sound of Adir’s voice. I stand up and grin at the handsome Knight. “Your Highness, Lady Catherine, I figured I would find you both here.”
“It is so beautiful out here, especially at this hour,” Esther innocently says as she continues walking down the row of flowers. “The way the moonlight shines on the petals is so breathtaking. My favorite are these Tiger lillies.” She stops in front of the symbolic flower of TigersKeep. With fiery orange petals dotted with burgundy-black, the Orange Tiger Lily has been a Royal staple throughout the country for centuries. Its ability to grow so extremely easily led the flower to bloom all around the Kingdom. She leans forward to inhale the fragrance of the lily. Her radiant smile is so contagious that my own lips stretch upward along my face just by watching her. “I love its smell too.”
“Your mother has always loved the Tiger lillies best too,” Adir simply remarks as he too watches the Princess with admiration. “She used to walk the gardens every night before retiring to her chambers.”
“Have you always been the Queen’s Knight, Sir Adir?” I curiously ask.
“Not always, only for the last five years. I am only away from her side when she is with the King, or with her maids,” he answers. The affectionate glint in his blue-green eyes shows his deep admiration, and possibly even love, for his Queen.
“Do you like serving her as her Knight?”
“Yes, I do. She is a remarkable Queen.”
“My mom really is the best, she loves all the citizens of TigersKeep, and all of Kallai.” Esther looks again at Adir and me and smiles. “I hope if I ever become Queen that I am half the woman my mom is.”
“You will not ever be a Queen, unless you marry some Prince from another Kingdom. Kage will become King one day, and he will be the one to rule Kallai,” I remark matter of factly. I grin at the thought of my stubborn cousin. “He will probably make a pretty annoying King,” I giggle.
“I can just see him now, trying to boss everyone around,” she joins in with the laughter. Her head jerks around until she is looking straight at Adir. “What do you think?”
“I believe one day Prince Kage will make a great King. Sure he is stubborn, but he is kind and cares deeply about the people of TigersKeep. That is the foundation for a King who can succeed.” It is so clear that he believes every word he says.
“You really would fight t
o the very end to protect the Tora family, and this whole Kingdom, wouldn’t you?” His gaze lifts to the starry host above our heads as he slowly nods.
“With no hesitation at all. My life would be such a small price to pay to keep their Majesties and their Highnesses safe.” After a few moments in silence he looks at me with a genuine smile on his face. “That includes you as well, Lady Catherine.”
Even though I am fairly confident that he cannot see the blush that pinkens my cheeks, I have to turn away from him to focus on a Trumpet vine bush to make sure. “I appreciate your loyalty, Sir Adir.”
“Adir is the absolute best, I feel so blessed to have him as our Knight.” Esther reaches out her hands to the Knight and slyly grins up at him in the moonlight. “Adir will you dance with me?”
“I think the two of you should go head off to your chambers now,” he smoothly declines.
“Ahh, come on Adir, just one dance, please!” she begs.
”You are so hopeless, cousin,” I mutter to her. I certainly cannot blame her though, dancing with Adir would be a dream come true. Just the thought of it makes my cheeks become another shade of pink.
“You cannot honestly say you would not want to dance with him if he let you!” she teasingly challenges me.
To this I make no reply, instead I change the subject. “Sir Adir is right though, we should return to our chambers for the night, it has gotten quite late.”
“Chicken,” she pouts. With her smile still in place, she looks at Adir once more. “Will you escort us to our chambers to make sure we get there safely?”
“As you wish, Your Highness.” He turns to lead the way out of the Royal gardens. Esther and I follow a few paces behind him as he guides the way into the torch lit halls.
