“She has cast a spell over the palace. We and the Queen are all that haven’t fallen prey to it…and perhaps the general, but it is unclear at this time if he can be trusted.”
The others look at me in question. It is just a hunch. He had left me with Mason and Viktor for a reason, I don’t know why and I don’t have time to find out the why of it now. I will when I return.
“We need to escape, to get help from my father; he will know the spell to break her hold over the people here.”
“I was given orders by the King not to help you, your highness.”
I sigh and tears form in my eyes. We will never be able to getaway.
“But you have been kind to me and I do not think your plan to invade the land with Elves as he says. The people I have seen today have seemed to be acting odd.”
I sigh and hug him. I cannot help it.
“Thank you, Tim. This will not be forgotten. Do not tell anyone of this, not even the Queen. She wishes to know nothing so if she asks she is not herself and refuses to answer. We need four horses and supplies for them as quickly as you can, and not the palace riding horses. Hardy horses, ones that can survive the journey.”
He nods and gets five horses together.
“I can help your highness. I know many back ways around this country. Roads not on maps and such. If you are going to have to sneak out of the country into Elvin territory I can help with that.”
I look back at my companions. Madeline and Mason nod yes right away. Viktor walks over to Tim looks him up and down and back at me.
“I trust Tim Viktor, but if you say it is too dangerous I will take your word for it.”
He nods us to our horses jumping up onto the one closest to him.
“Let us ride through the night. Then we will have time to figure out what we need to get together and prepare a route to take.”
I nod. Viktor’s plan makes sense. The horses are all brown. They will blend well into the night and the woods. It is clever. If Marina sends mermen guards after us they will be weaker in the woods. We will need to stick close to the forests, but then again she might figure we will and send humans after us. I will be less inclined to hurt them but Mason and Viktor will have no trouble doing so.
“Princess are you well?”
I nod and smile at Viktor. “Until we arrive safely in my father’s Kingdom we should not use titles. We shall talk using first names only. It will make us less conspicuous.”
Madeline smiles. “Elainne isn’t common here.”
I nod and open my mouth to suggest something else.
“We will stick to your highness or Princess.”
Viktor looks at us and then around. We nod going silent. He is right someone could be listening. Tim leads us out a secret passage and we ride off following Viktor towards what we hope will be a safe place to bunker down for the coming day.
Chapter Seven
Viktor
“Viktor how long has it been since you have been home?”
We had ridden all night, hard. The horses and we are exhausted.
“Six years.”
I get off my horse uncomfortable with the silence that follows my declaration. Elainne seems especially shocked. She just lost her mother and I know she would give anything to get her back. She likely can’t understand why I would leave so young and not return to visit.
“How old are you Viktor?”
“He is nineteen, your highness.”
She turns from Mason who spoke and looks to me. “You left home when you were only thirteen?”
I nod and turn towards the stables. The horses need rest and food. We set them up in the spare stalls and let them be. We leave our gear packed and near the stalls in case we have to leave in a hurry. Now for the hard part.
I walk up to the front door and knock. It is still early, but I know everyone will be awake and eating breakfast before their chores. I hope they will be receptive and at least feed us before sending us on our way.
The door opens and my little sister looks at me and gapes.
“Lottie who is at the door? Tell them to come back later at a decent hour!”
I hear my father before I see him. He comes to see what is taking Lottie so long to answer and gapes as well. His gape quickly turns into a frown.
“What are you doing here boy?”
“I need a few of my things for a journey I am undertaking. I was wondering if we could spend the day here. We have ridden hard since nightfall to reach here by now.”
“You thought you would be welcome?”
I shake my head. What will the Princess think?
“No, but I would think you would respect the Princess and her entourage.”
He looks behind me to the Princess Elainne. She is not in all her finery but she is beautiful and holding herself like a Queen. Not a Princess on the verge of losing everything she has after losing the most important person in her life and moving to a place where very few welcome her.
“A half Elvin bastard. Why would she be welcome here?”
I draw my blade and grab him by the scuff of his shirt.
“Watch what you say in her or my presence. I am in her honor guard and I will shed the blood of any man or woman not showing the proper respect to their future sovereign.”
She walks up to me and puts a hand on my shoulder. I pull back letting go of his shirt but not sheathing my sword.
“This is not a royal decree sir. Anyone that helps us will be greatly rewarded when we return, especially if they keep our visit to themselves. I would think after six years you would be glad to see your son, why would you not be?”
“The boy has not told you how he left did he?”
“He has made a place for himself in the honor guard, he has built a reputation for being a warrior of great skill and is worthy of admiration. Why would you not be proud of him no matter the nature of your disagreement?”
It is hard to argue with her calm curiousness that dares you to defy it at your own cost.
“Who is at the door for heaven sakes? Breakfast is almost….Viktor. You are safe!”
“Hello, Sally.”
“You must come in and have breakfast, your friends as well. We do not have much I am afraid, I was not expecting company, but I am so glad you have returned.”
Elainne
We all walk in following the woman named Sally as she and the girl Lottie, who is clearly not older than eleven, lead us inside. Viktor’s father remains by the door slamming it when we have all entered the house. I get the impression the family is split on how they feel about Viktor returning.
Viktor inches closer to the stairs but doesn’t leave. I stay downstairs and so will he until he deems it safe for me.
“Viktor come sit and eat, your friends as well.”
We all see and Sally serves us food. Before I can eat Viktor and Madeline both reach over and test different parts of it.
“Do you really feel I am in danger of being poisoned here? I should hope not!” I can’t help but smile at their diligence. It is the funniest thing to happen on our trip so far.
“You can never be too careful your highness.”
Sally drops her serving spoon.
“The Princess! I'm so sorry your highness I was not expecting such a distinguished guest!”
I smile trying to put her at ease. “It is fine good lady. It is actually us that are being quite rude for dropping in on you in such a way and so early.”
“You are on a journey by the looks of it. You have brought Viktor home this is all that matters your highness. The hour does not matter.”
I smile. “You are a caring mother madam.”
She nods but looks away. I look at Viktor; he will not look me in the eye. We finish eating in silence. Viktor rises when I am finished, I finish after him and he clears his throat.
“If you will all excuse us I believe Viktor has some things he would like to pack and he refuses to leave me in the hands of anyone but himself, including poor Mason who
is actually an excellent guard.”
I stared at Viktor while I give my speech and he blushes and sighs nodding his understanding. He goes upstairs and comes back down later with a pack and wearing the clothes of a farmer. A good disguise, except for the twin swords and the way he carries himself. No one will doubt he is a soldier looking at him. For people looking at us from a distance though it will work.
“Mason there are clothes on the bed for you, they are your size.”
Mason nods and goes upstairs returning quickly changed. The clothes Viktor has chosen for them both are not loose enough to get in the way, but not constricting enough to hinder movement. I have a feeling he hadn’t made these for farming, although I am not sure how he got clothes his size, he is sure to have grown in the last six years.
“Where did those come from? Did your mother make them while awaiting your return?”
Viktor shakes his head. I hope he realizes I am pointing out his rudeness. His mother has obviously missed and worried for him and he seems to care not.
“My mother is dead.”
I sigh. I am beginning to understand the family dynamic a bit better. Lottie is his half-sister and there’s nothing like a new wife and baby to tear a boy missing his mother and his father apart.
“Well, your stepmother then.”
“No, your highness I did not. I have never seen the shirt before.”
“I brought stuff here every time I reached a new size. I would do it in the middle of the night when I would take my time off. I told my superiors I was vacationing but I would sneak things here and leave before anyone awoke.”
“Viktor why would you do such a thing?”
Viktor
Elainne looks truly shocked. No doubt she thinks of how much she misses her mother and wonders why I would choose not to see any of my family for so long, especially when I had the chance and she no longer does. I feel terrible and I want the chance to explain. I have never been good with words though.
“I'm going to check on the horses.”
I leave hoping the Princess and Madeline will stay with Mason and Tim. They do not, well Elainne does not. She follows me in silence until we reach the barn.
“Want to tell me about it?”
“It will not interfere with my duty.”
She huffs out a laugh.
“I do not believe anything could interfere with your duty Viktor. You walk such a straight and narrow path even Marina’s mind control didn’t reach you. I know you are not under any requirement to tell me anything personal unless it will interfere with your duties, but I'm not asking as your future sovereign but as your friend.”
We brush the horses in silence for a few moments before I start to speak of it.
“My mother died when I was eleven, Lottie’s age now actually. A few months later, my father announced he was to marry. The woman was nice enough and she already had a daughter. Lottie was cute as a little girl. I knew my father didn’t want me to grow up without a mother, and Sally felt the same for her daughter with a father. She was nice, she didn’t push me to call her mom, she knew I already had one and even though she was gone from this world I wasn’t looking to replace her. I understood my father’s reason for marrying.”
“I fail to see how this could initiate the type of feuding your father and you have to go on.”
“Lottie is my father’s natural born child.”
Elainne
I can do the math, no wonder he is so mad. His father had a child with another woman while his mother still lived. Poor Viktor. To have found something like that out at such a young age, he must have been devastated.
“I'm sorry.”
He shrugs.
“I understood you when I heard talk of how you mourned your mother so much you were willing to come to this country even if it meant leaving your father behind. Maybe that’s why… I don’t know. Maybe I felt connected to you in some way. Neither of us cares for our fathers’ and neither of them deserves our forgiveness and both of us lost our worlds when our mothers’ died.”
I understand something about Viktor now that I know I never would have if I had not come here with him. We are the same. We have both dedicated our lives to something challenging, difficult, and maybe even impossible. I to become Queen of a country that wants nothing to do with me in order to forget my mother’s death, and he works hard to be the best soldier in history driving himself so hard he can forget his loss as well. Except I think his story might be the worse of our of the two, for he lost his father, as well as his mother and I, never had my father, to begin with.
I do the only thing a friend can do in these situations. I hug him. He is stiff and smells of fear and uncertainty, sure I would be judging him rather than comforting. I take him by surprise I can tell. He seems unable to just let go as I hope. I don’t care if he hugs me back or cries, but he needs to do something. I hold on refusing to let go until he does one or the other, he has been hurt too often, now he needs someone to be there for him.
Last time we hugged it had been for my sake. This time it is for his, he needs me; perhaps even more than I needed him last night when I lost all I have in the world. If we fail I can return to the Elvin kingdom, I am not exiled. His world is still torn though, and obviously not healing.
“Viktor I wish you great happiness and should I ever find a spell that allows me to grant it to just one person I shall choose you.”
He finally gives in and hugs me back squeezing me so tight I can no longer breathe enough to smell the horse musk, hay, or dirt. I under normal circumstances I would say something, but I feel he needs this chance to release his feelings, more than I need to breathe.
“Thank you. But use it for yourself.”
I smile at his selflessness and shake my head.
“No, it shall be for you.”
He pulls back and oddly is not blushing, for the first time ever around me.
“I wish you happiness more than I wish it for myself.”
I smile at his statement. Simple and short yet it gives me so much insight into his character. He is a good person. Someone that lives for the wellbeing of others even after all the hurt and disappointment he has received in his lifetime.
I pick up a brush and start brushing one of the horses. They are finishing up their breakfast as well it seems and after the ride last night I will be shocked if they don’t eat a bit more before sleeping. Brushing seems to release some of the tension in them, as well as Viktor and myself. He follows suit, brushing a different horse. We brush in silence smiling at one another every time we peer over a horse to check on the other.
“I think I am in need of rest. These sleeping horses are making me tired.”
Viktor laughs and leads me inside. We enter the house and it is fairly quiet.
“Where is everyone?”
“Outdoing chores. They likely sent Madeline and Mason to either what is now the guest room or my room.”
I nod. I hope we will be safe here for we all need sleep after being awake so long and suffering so much in so short a time.
“Let us check the closer of the two rooms you mentioned before.”
He nods and leads me down a hall downstairs. I open the door and Madeline is asleep in the bed. Mason is sitting in a chair, a sword over his lap and asleep. Tim is on the floor with a pillow and blanket. I can’t help but giggle quietly. Mason seemed to have the intention of keeping guard but has not been able to stay awake. I enter behind Viktor and grab his arm when he goes to shake Mason from sleep.
“Let him sleep. He, we all, need rest. You must sleep as well or you won’t be a proper guard on the road tonight when we leave.” I know that better than anything will garner his agreement.
“He should not be sleeping in here with her it is not proper.”
“All the better to protect her, he will awaken should something go wrong I am sure.”
I cover Mason with a blanket so he will not get cold.
“Come, take me to your room we shall
sleep.”
He almost shouts so I cover his mouth and drag him from the room and up the stairs.
“Quiet you. I shall sleep on the floor or a chair if you have one.” Who would have thought he would be the one caring about us sleeping in the same room? Normally it is royalty thinking they deserve their own continent to sleep on. Hence the castles.
“You will have the bed; I have not forgotten my manners enough to allow you to sleep in a chair. Even if we have been far too familiar.”
Of course, Viktor would see this as a bad thing. I know he feels that something weird between us, just as I do. He is trying to ignore it instead of finding out what it is. I am curious by nature and more inclined to find the answer.
The house is sturdy and well built. I notice its age as we walk up the stairs but there is no creaking. It has been well maintained. The wood is light and sweet-smelling. Not something that grew in the Elvin Kingdom I am sure, I have all the plants and trees memorized. I have yet to do so for my new Kingdom as I have not had the time to study the flora and fauna yet.
We get to the room and Viktor pulls down the covers and turns facing the door.
“What are you doing Viktor? I made it clear you are to sleep as well.”
“I am turning so if you wish to remove any clothing you may. I will sleep in the chair, once you are covered.”
I nod, partially undressing so I can be comfortable enough to sleep, and lay down covering myself. Viktor clears his throat and I turn facing the wall. I hear him sit and cover himself. He seems modestly dressed to me when I roll over to check and make sure he is going to sleep but he seems to think it inappropriate that I be looking in his direction at all. I almost laugh but refrained from doing anything more than smiling, rolling back over to face the wall and going to sleep.
Chapter Eight
Viktor
I awake when dusk falls and sneak out of the room quietly so as to let the Princess continue sleeping. I sneak quietly downstairs, I hear everyone at the table eating dinner. Farmers don’t eat dinner until dusk after the chores are done. Thinking about chores I decide to go see how the horses fared and feed them again. We will have another night of hard riding and they will get no breaks from us. We have to get as close to Elvin territory in as little time as possible.
Champion Complete Series Page 8
