by L. Danvers
Chapter Thirteen
It was twilight by the time they neared the harbor. Snowflakes caught the pink and blue colors of the evening sky as they fell upon them, but the bitter cold couldn’t put out the renewed fire within Daphne.
The boys docked the vessel, and the five of them descended upon the seaport city. Daphne would have loved nothing more than to continue on to the Perdeus Ruins, but it was getting late, and they wouldn’t want to spend the evening there.
The night came swiftly, bringing with it fierce winds. The group slipped into a shop in hopes of finding apparel more appropriate for the bitter chill. If the blustery weather continued like this, they would freeze to death before ever finding the prince.
The shop was run by a woman with hair like fire—red, vibrant and wild. She kept watch on the group as they walked around. They looked like a suspicious bunch. Their garments carried the lingering stench of rain and sweat. They hadn’t bathed in days, and instead of getting straight to shopping, the five of them huddled around a lit oil lamp, rotating their hands back and forth until warmth returned to them.
The woman, draped in flowing silk finery, narrowed in on them. She pursed her lips. “May I help you?” Her voice was thick with reluctance.
“I believe so,” Daphne said, pulling away from the flame and turning to face the woman. “I am Princess Daphne of Vires.”
Daphne was about to reveal her ring when the woman erupted into a fit of laughter. The shopkeeper drew her hand to her side as she hunched over, guffawing. “Yeah, right, and I’m the king.”
Daphne cleared her throat and showed the woman her ring. The shopkeeper looked both amazed and horrified. The color drained from her face, and it took more than a moment for her to compose herself. She bowed and curtsied at the same time—Daphne couldn’t have replicated the awkward movement if she tried—and showered the princess with apologies.
“It’s alright. I know I don’t look much like a princess at the moment. Please, my friends and I are in need of clothes more suited for this weather.”
“I see, my princess,” the shopkeeper said with a nod. The woman scurried about the place. She rummaged through clothes, looking the group up and down to estimate their sizes. She gathered the loveliest, most expensive garments she had to offer.
Lillian whispered something in Daphne’s ear about King Edgar not being pleased with the cost. She was right, but the clothes looked so warm. The shopkeeper presented them with dark leather boots, pants and gloves along with flouncy white shirts. She handed the boys studded leather doublets, and she waited for the five of them to change. Once dressed and fitted, the shopkeeper gave them each brown cloaks lined with white and gray-speckled fur.
“My apologies if it’s improper to ask, my princess,” the woman said, “but I assume... regarding payment—”
“We do not have any money on us, but do not worry. I will see to it that you are repaid as soon as we return to Vires.”
The woman curtsied. Daphne could tell her nerves had settled, as this gesture was far less awkward than the last. “Thank you.”
“Of course.”
They said their goodbyes and walked out into the bustling cobblestone streets of Proelium. They were fortunate to find a stable just around the corner. They wove past merchants and beggars, families and drunks who wandered the streets alone. A black and white cat gave an ear-piercing screech when a child stepped on its tail. For a split second, everything fell silent. But when it became clear what had caused the commotion, people continued on their way.
Gregory was growing tired. They all were, but he had spent days manning the ship. Sure, Thomas and Merek relieved him on occasion, and their journey was easier after the initial storm, but even a calm journey still required one to be alert.
Daphne and Gregory hadn’t spoken much since last night’s dinner, and whatever they did say to one another was all business—which shop to go in, how the clothes looked, where to find a stable, how hungry they were. Daphne was somewhat annoyed with Thomas, but if she were to be honest, he might have done her a favor. She would never have told Gregory how she felt, and, considering the differences in their social standings, he might never have told her, either. At least it was out there in the open. Now, the question was what to do about it. Daphne would have given anything for Gregory to pull her aside and talk to her about how he felt, but that sort of thing wasn’t in his nature. And anyway, they had a quest to complete, and that’s where their focus should remain.
With a little luck and a good deal of begging, Daphne convinced the stable boy to lend them five horses. He was reluctant, but when he saw her ring, he relented.
They rode deep into the seaport city, taking in the sights and searching for shelter. They passed one inn, and they thought about stopping there for the night until they saw a group of drunken men stumble out of the door. One of them relieved himself right there on the street. Lillian wrinkled her nose in disgust, looked to the rest of the group and shook her head. She had no interest in staying there, and neither did they. So on they rode until they neared the outskirts of Proelium. There would be no shelter past this point. Beyond it lay stretches of snow and the long-abandoned Perdeus Ruins. So they stopped at the last inn on the street: The Blazing Dragon.
“Mmm. Bread,” Merek said with a long sniff. The door swung open while they secured their horses, and the winds carried the warm yeasty scent their way. The five of them went inside. Every seat was taken, but there was a fireplace at the far end of the room surrounded by a stone base. They sat there, hugging their cloaks tight around themselves and enjoying the heat given off by the crackling flames.
A gray-haired serving woman limped over to them. She carried a tray with a steaming iron teapot and five small cups. “Thought this would warm you up,” she said. Daphne tried not to stare at her nearly toothless grin. “First round’s on the house.”
“Thank you,” Gregory said, taking a cup from her. “That is kind of you.”
He placed his cup down on the stone beside him and stood to hold the tray for her while she poured tea. It gave off an overwhelming flowery aroma which tickled Daphne’s nose so much she sneezed. The woman said she would be back to check on them soon, and she hobbled back across the room.
Lillian sipped from her cup. She breathed in the scented steam and sighed, and it was as if her whole body sighed with her. Her eyes were heavy and her shoulders hunched over.
“What is it, Lillian?” Daphne asked.
“Drinking this reminds me of my mother. She makes a tea similar to this. I never liked it much, but somehow I find it comforting now. I miss my family.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It isn’t your fault.”
It was Daphne’s fault, but Lillian was kind not to point that out. Lillian looked to Gregory, Thomas and Merek, who had finished their drinks, and she kept shifting her focus from them to the ground. She wanted to say something. It was obvious, though, that she was debating whether she should. She turned to Merek first and asked, “Do you ever want to give up this life—being an outlaw, I mean—and go back home?”
“No.” Merek scratched the back of his neck while he spoke. “My parents died a few years ago. Being away from home, well, it can be a good distraction.”
Thomas ran his fingers through his perpetually messy brown hair. “I had no choice but to leave mine.”
This surprised Daphne. “What do you mean?”
“Let’s just say my father was a cruel man. I’d rather not talk about it. Anyway, these guys are my family now. They’re my brothers, thanks to Gregory. He took me in when I had nowhere else to go. He and Merek are more family to me than mine ever was.”
A few moments of silence passed. Daphne took a sip of tea, deciding the warmth it gave off was worth the awful taste. She wanted to ask Gregory about what had led him to the life of being an outlaw. She wasn’t sure if she should, though. This would be the first real thing they had spoken about since that humiliating dinner. No one else was
asking, though, and she wanted to know. She mustered up the courage and asked, “What about you, Gregory? What’s your story?”
He was taken aback. His lips parted, and he looked to his cup, which was so small in his strong hands. He rubbed his fingers against the side of it and said, “Nothing as tragic as these two, I guess. My father died when I was a boy. He was a good man. My mother... she and I never saw eye to eye. I didn’t trust her. Or my brother, for that matter. They were so much alike. Always scheming. Always looking to move up in the world, no matter who they hurt along the way. I left home as soon as I was old enough to fend for myself, and I’ve never looked back. I don’t—”
Gregory arched an eyebrow and turned, and the others did the same. There was a familiar clanking of metal coming from outside. Patrons of The Blazing Dragon cupped their hands around the windows, peering into the night. There were whispers, which silenced when the door flung open and three men covered from head to toe in glistening armor stormed inside. Their helmets were topped with feathers, and their backs were draped in purple capes.
Lillian leaned over and whispered in Daphne’s ear. “Your father must have sent them.”
“By order of the king,” one shouted across the room, “we are searching each establishment for His Majesty’s daughter, Princess Daphne of Vires. Anyone who has seen Her Royal Highness or who has knowledge regarding her whereabouts is to come forward at once.”
Daphne turned to face the flames, thankful the hood of her cloak had remained draped over her this entire time. Through the corner of her eye, she could see Gregory’s eyes darting about the room. They rested on a fixed point, then he turned toward her. He mouthed the words, “Under the stairs.”
She cocked her head to the side, trying to decipher the message he’d given her. Under the stairs? What did that mean? And what did that have to do with anything?
Before she could figure it out, he sprang to his feet and socked Thomas in the jaw. Thomas yelped and swore, and he rubbed his reddening face. He realized it was Gregory standing over him, and understanding dawned on him. Thomas lunged for him and tackled Gregory to the floor. Daphne wanted to break them up, but she was terrified of drawing attention to herself. Metal clanked as the guards turned to find the source of this commotion. Thomas pinned Gregory belly-down and held him while Gregory tried wriggling his way out of Thomas’s grasp. What had come over them? They were fine just minutes ago. Then Gregory’s eyes met Daphne’s and he jerked his head in the direction of the staircase.
He then forced Thomas off of him, rolled over, pinned him and punched him again.
The shouts of King Edgar’s knights did little to stop crowds from forming around the boys. Merek stood and raised his lanky arm high, his hand balled into a fist as he egged the two of them on. Daphne was confused. Were they not friends? Had they not just said they were brothers? What were they doing?
Men bet on who would win. Most had their money on Gregory, but some thought it wise to choose Thomas, the underdog. He was smaller, but faster.
Lillian tugged at Daphne’s sleeve, signaling they should back away from the pandemonium. The knights were closing in. The girls stood and hurried for the stairs. Daphne saw what Gregory had referred to. There was a door underneath the staircase which blended in so seamlessly with the wall that she would never have known it was there had he not drawn her attention to it.
It made sense now. Gregory was creating a diversion. He was protecting her.
She took Lillian’s small hand in hers and, once certain no one was watching, they slipped behind the cupboard under the stairs. They were in such haste that they bumped into a broomstick when they stumbled inside, sending it crashing to the floor. Daphne’s body went rigid as she waited for someone outside to hear it, but no one noticed over the rumblings.
She and Lillian sat huddled together in the dark space while chaos ensued on the other side of the door. Lillian squeezed Daphne’s hand so tight she thought her bones would break. Lillian was stronger than Daphne had realized.
Daphne leaned her head back against the dusty wall and closed her eyes. She couldn’t believe that Gregory would do this for her. And Thomas, too. She forgave him for last night’s outburst right then and there. He may not have been the most sensitive person, but this proved his loyalty. This was a debt she could never repay. If they hadn’t created a distraction, the knights would have spotted her, and she would already be on her way back to Vires. Her quest to save Phillip would have been for nothing.
The rumble dragged on, and the knights grew more impatient by the second. One of them had finally had enough. Daphne heard him draw a sword, and he threatened to strike down anyone who made a sudden move. She prayed Gregory, Thomas and Merek were taking his threat seriously. Her father’s knights were not to be trifled with.
“In the name of the king,” one bellowed. “I command you to cease this nonsense at once. No one moves until we search the tavern up and down.”
Lillian squeezed her hand even tighter. They both knew it was over. It was only a matter of time before they found them. Daphne tried to calm the pounding of her heart. It felt like it could burst any moment. Part of her thought they should give up now and save themselves the embarrassment of being found in a dusty old broom closet, but the other part of her still clung to the hope that, for whatever reason, the guards wouldn’t notice the cupboard under the stairs.
It was agonizing listening to the swinging and slamming of doors, the overturning of chairs and the interrogation of patrons. Now and then, shadows blocked the light separating the floor and base of the staircase door. She and Lillian would still their breath, praying their cover wouldn’t be blown.
It was a true miracle that the knights didn’t take notice of the door.
The knights announced they had concluded their search of The Blazing Dragon. They departed, and the tavern door had hardly shut behind them when tankards clanked and patrons cheered. Lillian started to stand, but Daphne tugged at her cloak, and she sat back down. Daphne thought it would be smarter to wait for Gregory, Thomas and Merek to get them. They were out there. They could see and hear what was going on. They would let them know when it was safe to come out.
Chapter Fourteen
Dark figures morphed into shapes right before her eyes.
“We must leave at once,” Gregory said. His voice was so hushed it took her a minute to understand what he had said.
Daphne nudged Lillian, who was still asleep. She yawned and rose along with the princess. They followed the boys, dodging scattered tables and chairs in the dark. They proceeded down a narrow hallway and out of a door on the backside of the inn. Five horses waited for them. They appeared magnificent in the moonlight. Gregory pressed his finger to his lips, reminding the others to keep quiet as they mounted the horses and rode in the direction of the Perdeus Ruins.
The dry wintry air stung Daphne’s cheeks and burned her eyes as they cut through the harsh wind. She readjusted the fur-lined hood of her cloak to better protect her ears. Fresh heaps of snow covered the ground. She rubbed her frosted nose with the back of her hand, which was now streaked with blood. She cursed this wretched cold for causing her nose to bleed. How she longed for the warm summers back home. She let out a sigh of frustration, tilted her head back and pinched her nose. This was going to be a long ride.
And it was. No one said anything for the longest time. They were too afraid of being heard. But when there was much distance between them and Proelium, Merek reached into a satchel and tossed each of them a crusty roll.
“I swiped them from the inn,” he said.
Daphne bit into it, and she found it had hardened from the cold. She chewed and chewed until her jaw ached. She had to take a swig from the canteen just to get the bite down.
“Great steal, Merek.” Thomas’s voice was thick with sarcasm.
“What else was I supposed to do? Fill a bag with porridge?”
“I would kill for some warm porridge right now,” Lillian moaned.
There was a long stretch of silence. Snow continued to fall in heaps. The sun began to rise, and its brilliant rays bounced off the snowflakes so that they were nearly blinding. Daphne’s gloves, though nice to have, were irritating her. They kept sliding down her wrists, exposing her skin to the cold. She kept having to slide them back up over and over again. The constant movement was good for her, though. She wiggled her fingers and took turns fidgeting each of her limbs, trying to keep the blood flowing. Men were known to have died traversing such elements.
She was tired and growing weary, but then she saw it.
Crumbling columns and glistening gold statues stood perched atop a snow-covered hill.
The Perdeus Ruins.
“Thank you,” she said.
The others turned to her. “What for?” Thomas asked.
“For getting me this far. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
Thomas flicked his hand in the air. “It was nothing.”
“No,” she said. “By the bruises on your cheeks, I’d say it was something.” She noticed Gregory hadn’t said a word. She turned to him, and their eyes met. She blushed just looking at him. “Thank you for creating that diversion.”
He smiled. “You needed me.”
“You’re right.” She bit her lip, then she smiled back. “I did.”
“Whoa,” Merek said, pointing ahead.
Thomas’s jaw dropped. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
It was a sight to behold. Even with the toppled columns and collapsed buildings, the city was spectacular. They rode for the ruins with haste, no longer minding the stinging wind when graced with this glorious view. Some of the tips of the golden statues were melted. The heads of the people that they depicted were reduced to globs. That would have been the dragon’s doing if the tales were to be believed.
