by Leah Putz
“Then we have to take the risk,” Jion said, nodding.
“Agreed,” Siofra replied.
I stood and paced a bit, never able to keep still when I’m anxious. My mind raced as I thought about how little time we had at our disposal. “We need to hurry. The sooner we get to this village, the better. If there is no empath, we may at least convince them to allow us to bring the healer back with us. Though not as valuable as an empath, a healer would still come in handy.”
“Do we really even need to come back? Can we not just leave from Loch? We’re closer to the sea there, anyway, that would help to speed up our timeline,” Siofra suggested.
“Yes, I don’t see why not.” Jion replied. “How soon could we depart from Capital City?”
Siofra shrugged. “I’m not sure. I’d have to check the docks to see when a boat is available. If there’s something open, we could leave as soon as tomorrow. Can you depart that soon?”
It was my turn to shrug. “The council won’t have time to coronate me. They won’t be happy, but when are they ever?” I crossed my arms over my broad chest and nodded definitively, making my mind up for certain. “Yes, I can leave tomorrow. I’ll just have to sneak away. Otherwise they’ll do everything in their power to stop me. These stupid traditions of coronation are more important to them than protecting our country and our people. It won’t take them long to figure out where I may have gone, especially with my order for the fleet to set sail. My guess is they won’t want to admit they let me sneak off. They might just pretend I’m still here.”
“How about this. I will ask around at the docks today,” Siofra replied. “If there is a ship available, I will secure it for myself for use tomorrow. If anyone asks questions, I’ll say I’m going to visit my family. They live south of the city, along the river. I’ve been to visit before, no one will ask any questions.”
“That should work,” I said. “I’ll head back to the palace tonight, keep up the pretense that I’m working with the council to plan the coronation. In fact, I may as well play it up and give in to some of their more outrageous demands. That should keep them occupied and distracted enough with planning for me to slip away to the docks tomorrow without anyone noticing, or at least not noticing until I’m long gone.”
“How will I inform you if I secure a boat? If everyone thinks I’m leaving and I suddenly show up at the palace to talk to you, people may get suspicious.”
“People will get suspicious,” Jion corrected.
“If you’re able to find a boat, tell Hope.” I nodded in Hope’s direction. Hope merely shrugged and then nodded, not that he had much of a choice. “Hope and Jion live close enough to the stables that it can be assumed you’re in the area to tend to your horse. It will be a lot easier to slip away here quickly to deliver a message than it would be to get to the palace. Once Hope has the information, he can easily pass it to Jion, who is always coming to and from the palace and won’t seem out of place at all.”
“It shall be done, Vik,” Jion said.
“Don’t you mean ‘Your Highness’? I’m going to be king soon,” I teased, fighting back a grin.
Jion stifled a laugh and, with an exaggerated bow said, “Apologies, your highness.”
Hope draped an arm over Jion, and it pained me. I knew their separation would be difficult for both of them, and a felt a pang of guilt that I was taking Hope’s husband from him and thrusting him into a dangerous journey. But, as Jion had said, he’s a soldier, and they both understand that such sacrifices are part of his duty. “It's so strange to see you all act so serious.”
“Honestly, it’s quite strange for us to be so serious. Apart from Siofra,” Jion replied, shooting a teasing wink towards his co-guard, who stood from the table.
“I’ve had about enough of all of you, especially if I’ll be stuck with you all for the next few months.” She moved towards the door. “Hope, I’ll be around tomorrow mid-morning to deliver the message, whether I’ve got a boat or not. Will you be home then?”
“I’ll make sure I am. Someone can surely cover for me at the infirmary so I could spend some time with my husband before he leaves.”
“Alright. I’ll see you then,” she said, before giving a sharp nod to both Jion and me, and heading out of the house.
“I suppose I should go too, before anyone starts panicking and wondering where I am,” I said, making my way towards the door.
Jion clapped me on the back. “I’m sure they’re already doing that. Have fun playing your part!” I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t help but grin at his teasing.
Hope, ever the well-mannered citizen, bowed, dark hair falling into his eyes as he stooped. “How many times has Jion said that you don’t have to do that?”
Hope smiled a heart-shaped grin, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes, his worry for his husband evident on his face despite his effort to hide it. “He can say it all he wants. I’ll continue to give you the respect you deserve as the leader of our nation.”
“I’m not quite the leader yet, that remains to be seen. But alas, your gesture is appreciated. I’ll see you tomorrow, Jion. Goodbye Hope. Have a lovely evening.”
Shutting the door gently behind me, I took a deep breath in preparation for my return journey to the palace. Not that it would be far, but I was going to have to try to make it there and sneak inside without getting caught if I wanted to avoid getting roped into another long discussion about the goddamned coronation. I swear if I have to endure one more lecture about how important it is I’ll deliver the crown to Siglind myself, I thought, huffing as I began my walk through my beloved city.
I reached the top of the hill and paused before entering the palace, choosing instead to use the opportunity to overlook Capital City. Its dark sandstone buildings were quiet, as they often were at this time of night, but my heart swelled as I thought of the inhabitants of its bustling streets. Though this was a rainy, noisy city, I grew up here, and had hardly been away all my life. Then I saw my beloved city aflame, embroiled in the inferno of war, its peaceful citizens cut down mercilessly by the blades of Bushand. Such it would be if Siglind and his famed brutality was not stopped. I will do anything necessary to keep this place safe I thought, heading inside the palace’s back door.
I said a silent prayer as he snuck into my bedchamber, thanking the heavens that I had made it safely home without being trapped. I should sleep before the journey ahead of me, but so many worries weighed on my mind that I doubted I’d get a wink. Nonetheless, I stripped my shirt off and flopped down on the bed, determined to try. It wasn’t long before I fell into a fitful, worried sleep.
My slumber was plagued with a series of frightful dreams, causing me to drift in and out of consciousness. One common thread was the soft, stern voice of a woman. At first I assumed it was Siofra, but it soon became apparent that it was not when she spoke in a harsh tone that Siofra, strong as she was, would never dare use with a royal. Then the distinct resonance of blades crashing together and the cries of battles drowned out any other sound.
***
I woke the next day with a start, jerked out of sleep by a loud pounding on my door that had exploded into my dreams. “Prince V, are you dressed and ready for today’s events?” a muffled voice asked from the hallway outside my room.
I groaned before answering. “I’m awake,” I answered, before mumbling to myself grumpily. “I’ll likely never be ready.”
“Shall I come in? I’ve got your breakfast ready, same as always.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I replied, scrambling around my room to get dressed. The servant I’d had since he was a child, who basically raised me, entered shortly carrying a tray full of eggs and freshly baked bread from the palace kitchens. “Thank you, Gabriel. I appreciate it.”
“Of course, your Highness.”
“Ah, please don’t call me that. Not you too. Everyone keeps calling me that, and I’m not even officially a ruler yet.”
Gabriel smiled, light amusement sparkling in hi
s eyes, before bowing. “I apologize, young Viktor, but now that your father has passed, you’ve taken his place as my Master. I owe you great respect, and as a fine young man, you deserve it.”
I huffed but didn’t argue, knowing well enough that it wouldn’t do any good. Instead, I changed the subject. “What do I need to be getting ready for this early anyway?” I glanced out my window, taking in the pinks and purples painting the sky above the cityscape. “The sun hasn’t even properly risen.”
“You should pay more attention to your royal agenda now that you’re officially on the road to becoming king.” Gabriel chastised lightly. “You’ve got a full day of meetings to plan the details of the coronation.”
Rolling my eyes, I gently took the tray from Gabriel’s wrinkled hands. “Of course I do.”
“Such is the life of a king.”
“Early meetings?” I questioned, digging into my breakfast.
“Sometimes.” If anyone would know, it would be Gabriel. He had been by the king’s side for as long as I could remember, assisting him with everything. Including raising his son for him.
“Hopefully it gets better after all this coronation business is through. There are bigger and more troublesome things to worry about, after all.”
“The fact that you know this is why you will be a fine king, young Viktor.” Gabriel bowed, reassuring me as he could sense my uneasiness at becoming a monarch. “I must take my leave now. There are quite a few coronation preparation tasks I’ve been assigned by the council. Please leave the tray on your nightstand as always. I will be back to fetch it when I tidy your room.”
“Thank you, Gabriel,” I said, feeling slightly guilty about my plans to ditch the coronation in favor of traveling down to the Loch. I hadn’t lied to Gabriel since I was knee deep in gambling debts and trying to hide them from my father. Hopefully they will all understand in time, I thought, swallowing my last bite.
Chapter Three
Viktor
“Valvox!” I cursed, gripping the side of the small boat tightly and leaning out over the edge. “No one ever told me I would feel like emptying every last inch of my stomach the entire time I’m on a boat. I don’t remember it ever being like this before.” Shortly after I had finished my breakfast, Jion met me with Siofra’s message. She’d secured a boat, and they were prepared to leave as soon as possible. That was six hours ago, and we had been on the river ever since.
“That’s because you weren’t on a small boat before,” said Siofra. “The large ships your father brought you on were more stable on the river than this one.” As if to prove her right, a large wave crashed over the vessel, lurching it back and forth.
I heaved over the side once more. “It’s horrible. We’ve got a day more of this?”
Laughing, and not known for empathy, Jion replied, “The current is strong. Hopefully it will get us there ahead of schedule.”
“Do you want anything to eat?” Siofra asked, opening up one of the baskets she had prepared for the journey.
“Kelps no!” I burst.
Simultaneous to my exclamation, Jion yelled out, “Kelps yes!”
Siofra laughed, a dimple standing out on one cheek, and threw Jion a chunk of salted beef before turning to me. “Try looking out over the horizon. Or just close your eyes and try to go to sleep. If you can’t handle this ride on the river, our journey across the sea to Bushand will be a walking nightmare for you.”
Rolling my eyes, I took her advice nonetheless, settling into a corner of the boat and gently closing my eyes. I felt disappointment settle into his skin. Before embarking on this trip I’d somewhat looked forward to exploring more of my own country, but now I could hardly enjoy any of the rolling, forest green hills of our land without wanting to empty my guts. Though the sun was shining, the wind on the water was high and chilled, and I pulled my cloak around me to stave off the cold.
Jion sensed my melancholy. “Don’t worry, Vik, you really aren’t missing much. Along the river is mostly just trees and thickets. It’s nothing different from what we’ve seen at home.”
After giving a very small nod, I drifted into an uneasy, sloshing sleep.
I woke after only a few hours, and spent the duration of the trip leaning my head against the ship, and admiring the scenery. “It truly is beautiful, this country.”
“It is,” Siofra replied. “It will be such a shame if Siglind gets ahold of it. With his love of industry, our forests and clean water would not last long in his hands.”
Looking out over the green of the trees and catching glimpses of the wildlife within, Jion set his jaw, determined. “He won’t.”
We passed a few riverside villages, which paid no heed to the small boat with what looked like three insignificant passengers. The majority of them had never been out of their village, must less traveled to Capital City and caught a glimpse of the prince, so they had no inkling as to the importance of those who were drifting passed.
“We’re coming up to the Loch soon,” Siofra warned. It was near dusk, and we had spent almost twelve hours on the water. I for one was eager to step foot on solid ground once more.
“We shouldn’t approach the Manyeo family at this hour. Let’s find an inn to stay in for the night,” Siofra offered as a suggestion.
“Agreed. I’d like to sleep in a nice bed before worrying about the next portion of our journey. Also, Vik is much more convincing when he didn’t spend the bulk of the day vomiting and passing out.”
I huffed out a laugh. “Jion’s got a point. And we will need to be as convincing as possible. Have either of you been to this village before? Do you know where an inn is?”
“I haven’t been to this village before,” Siofra said. “But for the most part they all follow a similar structure. We can tie the boat up at the docks. Usually there is a road from there that leads directly into the town centre. Once we’re in the town centre, an inn will certainly not be hard to find.”
Jion and I nodded, and I looked out over the water as the river bank on both sides widened in the dark. The stars above sparkled in the reflection of the water, and even with the bright moon and stars I couldn’t make out the other side of the Loch as we floated in. Drifting into calmer waters, the harsh, swift current of the river steadied and slowed. Jion grabbed an oar and began steering over towards the left.
After about twenty minutes of slow passage we reached the small marina. The three of us worked together to tie the boat up to a small and empty section of one of the docks. As soon as the last rope was tied, I practically leapt from the boat onto the dock. “Ahh,” I exclaimed. “It feels so nice to be on solid…” I looked down at the swaying dock beneath my feet. “Well, semi-solid ground.”
“It will feel even nicer to be in a bed,” Jion said, yawning and stretching.
“Yes, that’s very true,” I said, chuckling. I turned to Siofra. “How far of a walk do you think we have before we reach the inn?”
Siofra shrugged. “I can’t say. Most likely not far. The fisherman probably make the walk to the docks and back multiple times a day. It’s probably not too strenuous a journey. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a town center more than half a kelpstep from the docks.”
“Great,” Jion replied, shouldering a large pack of food. “Let’s get going then. The sooner we walk, the sooner we sleep.”
Most of the walk was spent in silence. All members of our small company were exhausted from the journey and pent up with nerves about the longer trip ahead of us. Pulling my hood over my head, I said a silent prayer to the Kelps that I would not be recognized. That would put the secrecy of our mission at jeopardy. The sounds of crickets singing echoed in the night, and the only other sound that could be heard was the squish of mud against our feet on the road. Soon, however, we began to hear the distant, but distinct, sounds of music and people. “We must be coming up to the town centre now. That’s the sound of a gathering at an inn if I’ve ever heard it.”
“You would certainly know,” Jion la
ughed. “Let’s hurry. I’m tired. Some of us weren’t able to sleep the whole boat ride.”
I elbowed him lightly in response and laughed. “Better sleeping than vomiting, surely.”
“I can’t argue with that,” Jion said before looking ahead and seeing Siofra far in front. “Hey! Wait up!”
She turned to look back at them. “If you two would pick up the pace instead of goofing around we’d probably already be there by now.”
Jion and I glanced at each other, laughing and rolling our eyes, but jogged to catch up to our comrade, nonetheless. Quickly, we began to see the glow of light as the trees around them thinned and before we knew it, the road had widened into a large square surrounding a village green. The center of the green held a small well, encompassed on three sides by public and private buildings. The public buildings were illuminated by lanterns that highlighted the hanging signs and murals which identified each building. It wasn’t difficult to pick out the inn, though we couldn’t quite make out the sign marking it as such, people were coming and going from the central building and it was clear that the music they’d heard was sourced there. We all exchanged grins before making our way towards the source of the revelry. Before moving forward, I adjusted my hood, making sure it was pulled low enough to cover most of my face. Though I wasn’t well traveled, I knew the silver of my hair could likely give me away as the prince, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to attract that kind of attention, especially since I didn’t have the greatest of reputations.
Once we had circled around the green, we eagerly pushed open the door of the Empath’s Arms Inn. As soon as we stepped over the threshold a silence suddenly blanketed the room. The common area was packed full of patrons there to drink, and to enjoy the singing and strumming of the traveling bards, or, most commonly, both. Each person turned to gape at the newcomers.
“Is this a common response outside Capital City?” I whispered to Siofra.
“Not particularly,” she replied. “Though it’s not unheard of in small, close knit towns to be wary of a band of strangers.”
