The Everlands Chronicles: The Truth

by A. J. Bell

  “You don’t need to tell me about it, Uncle. Dorian sent me a letter, too.” Sir Richard laughed. “Although I think the letter was meant only for my eyes, I will share it.” He began to read out loud:

  Dear Cousin,

  Times are rough here on the battlefield, where men’s courage seems to reach its limit quickly. At times, it seems like all is lost, even though we have not had to actively engage in full battle until I received your squire’s letter. He didn’t have the authority to seal the letter with the Royal Seal, but his message was not any less important. He and his men have dealt with hardship throughout their journey, and at the end, they were victorious, with minimal help from my men and me. Yet, he doesn’t feel deserving of gratitude or praise for leading your men into battle. I did not witness it all myself, but from what I saw and what others told me about him, I trust to be true, and so I testify that he has the makings of a Royal Knight of the Everlands. He has shown courage, leadership, and excellent sword-fighting skills. But above all, he has shown compassion for others, and his love for the King of the Everlands. As you might already have figured out, I’m sending this letter to inform you that I’m in favor of John becoming a knight.

  Richard, I have sent a similar letter to our uncle, His Majesty King Tobias. If he sees in John what I see, I believe you will need to start looking for another squire.

  Also, I was told that your squire might have a set of hidden wings on his back, since I heard he literally ‘flew’ from Gaelac to Tishan and arrived there before the enemy did, who had two full days’ lead on him.

  Love,

  Your cousin, Sir Dorian LaFonte

  “What do you think of that, lad?” Lord Darius said.

  “I believe the men exaggerated, My Lords. I’ve only done what any other men loyal to the Crown would’ve done,” I said humbly.

  “I hate to disagree, John, but I wouldn’t have gone across a gorge hanging only from a leather belt on a rope that was tied to the end of an arrow, shot into an old tree by an eighteen-year-old farmer,” said Sir Richard. “That was reckless.”

  “It got us across the gorge!” I said defensively.

  “I’m not questioning the results, John. Only the recklessness of methods used to achieve them.”

  “So do you think Dorian’s wrong?” Lord Gilbert asked his son.

  “Not at all. I think he’s definitely right. John may not have been born of nobility, nor raised in a world of wealth, nor been a page; yet, he has all the knowledge and the spirit a knight is meant to have, not to mention he won the Squire’s Tournament. He is a Knight at heart, of that you can be sure! All that’s left is for me to find another squire that’s as good as you, John, if that is possible,” Sir Richard said.

  “No, you don’t, My Lord. I’m still your squire today as I was yesterday. That hasn’t changed. Besides, one act of bravery or one of stupidity, whichever you want to call it, doesn’t make me worthy of wearing the Royal Seal and calling myself a Knight.” Besides, the fact that I was a woman wasn’t going to work out either, but I didn’t say that.

  “Are you refusing to serve the Crown?” His Majesty asked.

  “All I’m saying, Sire, is that this decision shouldn’t be made without careful thinking,” I said apologetically.

  “John, I can assure you that this has been in the back of my mind for a long time now. That’s the reason I wanted you to participate in the tournament this year – to see if I was correct about what I believed to be the right path for you. You can’t be my squire forever; I won’t allow that.” He turned to the King. “Your Highness, I’ve given my approval to dub John, and I’m sure His Majesty Prince Victor will also approve this act if you decide to call upon John to serve the Crown and the Everlands.” Sir Richard bowed respectfully to his uncle.

  “I shall ponder this decision on our way to the Royal City and give my final answer before the feast to celebrate the treaty we’ve made with the King of Ganzale,” His Royal Highness said thoughtfully.

  After our meeting with the King, Sir Richard stayed in the castle with his father and Lord Darius, while I went back to Lord Darius’s home.

  I sat for a while looking outside the window – sad to know we’d be leaving this paradise behind; sad to leave the place Sir Dorian loves so dearly; and sad to leave Meav, my friend, who in such a short period of time had become almost a sister to me. I wondered how I would survive without her. At least, she won’t be alone anymore since Ghad would look after her.

  I lay down in bed and closed my eyes. The image of the picture Sir Dorian had sent back home haunted me. Who was the man next to me in that picture? Perhaps, if I saw it again, I could remember. I opened the gold chest. I saw more than pictures inside – a tiara with gorgeous diamonds and rubies, a few rings with huge jewels, even an elegant white gown that I didn’t dare to pull out. There were too many pictures to count, and I was in almost all of them. Me in countless gowns. Me in trousers and boots… was it even me?

  My hair was always wild and all over the place and never pulled back, except in the pictures of me in trousers, in which I was normally carrying a sword. Why can’t I remember these moments? And why is it that he has witnessed them all? I was so frustrated.

  The last picture I saw was of us together, sitting next to each other. Though it was framed, a second faded grey border surrounded the picture, drawn to make it look like a framed painting. I lay down thinking about it. Why put a frame and then another? And then it became clear. “It was a mirror!” I mumbled. Satisfied with my discovery, I fell quickly into sleep, surrendering to my dreams.

  “Stay still! This is the f irst time I am trying to draw by looking in the m irro r. The fact that you keep m oving doesn’t make it any ea sier to capture your ess ence,” he s aid, gently mo ving my head to face the mirror agai n. I was giggling uncontrollabl y. “ W e’re almost done,” he sai d, drawing the last few line s. “Here, this one is for you,” he said, giving me the picture.

  “ You keep the picture,” I sai d, “so that you rem emb er this moment alway s.”

  “ What can I g ive you so that you don’t forget me ?” he ask ed.

  “Do I have to tell you?” I sai d, leaning close to him.

  “I don’t want you to get in trouble,” he said, but he nervously lea ned for ward also.

  “I don’t car e,” I whispered and kissed him softly.

  I was abruptly awakened from my sweet dream as my door opened up, letting a crying Meav into the room. She didn’t want me to leave. I was a little upset she had interrupted my dream, or perhaps my memory, but this passed quickly when I thought of how much I would miss her too. I gave her a hug that was comforting to both of us.

  “We’ll see each other again,” I assured her. “I’ll come to your wedding, I promise.”

  It took about three more days to get everything ready so that we could head back to the Everlands. Saying goodbye to Abilene and everyone I had come to love there was the hardest part of leaving, but leave we did. Just in case of trouble, the men were alert all the way to the Royal City, and we left a few encampments on the way to guard the road of Gether, in case of any future uprisings. Yet, everything was peaceful this time around. Sir Richard was riding in the carriage with both the King and Lord Gilbert, so I rode Rogue, always keeping him next to the carriage.

  I felt uncomfortable in my own skin, as if everyone was watching everything I was doing. I was also worried we might encounter Gypsies on the way. Although some Gypsies were my friends, there were others who didn’t consider me a friend, and if given the chance, they’d try to kill me and those around me. Regardless of how many men we had in our company, I would still hate to have another fight so soon. I was ready for some peace.

  There was not much time to rest because, a day into our journey, Sir Richard sent me and a few others ahead to inform the Prince of the arrival of His Highness to the Everlands. We rode without delay, barely making any stops. The sooner we arrived in the Everlands, the better they would be prepar
ed for the King’s arrival.

  We arrived at the Royal City a week after we left the encampment. We were all hungry and tired. Luckily, Sir Daniel’s men spotted us a few miles before we reached the gates and brought us to Prince Victor to deliver our message in person, because he knew Victor would want to see me.

  Prince Victor was in the council room discussing security matters for the kingdom with the Councilmen. News about the plundering of the villages around Abilene had reached his ears. He welcomed all of us, but then quickly dismissed my companions after I had delivered the message, I was asked to stay. As soon as the Councilmen left and the doors closed, Victor took me in his arms and kissed me passionately.

  “I was so worried about you,” he whispered and kissed me again, leaving me almost breathless. “Dorian’s letter said you were almost killed in battle.” I hid my face from him at the mention of his cousin’s name. My reaction didn’t go unnoticed; yet, he didn’t stop hugging me and caressing my hair after removing my cap. Nor did he refrain from desperately kissing my forehead and lips over and over.

  “Why did you do it? Why did you risk it all like that? Did you not think how much I would miss you if you were gone forever?” There were tears in his eyes. “Do you not know how miserable my life would be if yours is over? It would be a terrible loss for everybody in the Everlands if you were no more. Elle, you are a very unique woman. Nowhere would I find anyone like you. Dear Elle, you don’t have to do this ever again. I want to take care of you, day and night; let me protect you, let me prove to you that I can love you.” He knelt down and held my hands together with his shaking hands. “Marry me. I beg you to become my wife,” he pleaded sincerely.

  I wasn’t sure how I should answer. I loved Victor, at least the side of him that had befriended me, but I felt wrong to marry him when the ghost of Dorian and my forgotten past haunted me every minute. He deserved to be loved more than as a friend; he deserved someone that could make him happy, someone who loved him and him alone.

  “I want you by my side. I know that, as time passes, I’ll earn every little piece of your heart that now may belong to Dorian,” he said, reading my thoughts.

  Out of all the people I had met, Prince Victor had been the only one who had embraced everything I was – my skills, my strengths, and my weaknesses. He had accepted me, given me his trust, and he had the means to protect me even from the Queen. Without giving it more thought, I gave him my answer.

  “I’ll marry you if it’s meant for us to be married. I promise to put my best effort in making you happy. I’ll be by your side for as long as you want me to be there,” I replied.

  “That will be always,” he said and picked me up in his arms and spun me around, kissing me again as he lowered me back down. “You will not regret this decision. I’ll make sure of that. Will you stay in the palace tonight, rather than in a tent with the rest of your traveling companions?” asked the Prince.

  “Only if you promise to keep your hands to yourself,” I joked. Normally, I would break that part of the deal, either by wrapping his arms around me or by cuddling with him until I fell asleep, never going beyond the boundaries I had set for our time together.

  It felt heavenly to get a warm bath, a clean night gown, a lit fireplace, a warm bed, and someone waiting for me with no other intention but to love me. That was so much more than what I had experienced since I last left the palace over three months ago.

  He waited for me to get under the covers and to lie my head on his chest.

  “I missed you, Victor,” I said, cuddling with him for a moment. Once his strong heartbeat rocked me to sleep, he slipped out of the room unnoticed.

  The next morning, Victor was adamant about talking about wedding details. He wanted to invite the entire kingdom, but first he wanted to go to Stoneburg and ask my father officially for my hand in marriage. I could only imagine what my parents reaction would be to these news.

  “Father will be extremely surprised to know I have finally made my mind up and chosen a wife!” he said excitedly.

  It made me nervous though, to think the King might not approve of me in the same way the Queen did not approve.

  “He’s going to love you,” Victor said, again reading my thoughts. It was a little scary when he could feel my doubts. He tried to calm them as soon as they arose, sometimes even before they came.

  “How can you be so sure of that, Victor?”

  “Because it’s impossible not to love you, Elle. You don’t have the most minimal idea of how wonderful you are!” he said. “And soon you will be all mine, dear Elle.”

  I did feel a little guilty that he was spending all his time thinking of details for our wedding, instead of surveying his father’s welcome feast. I must admit that his excitement was contagious, so I soon found myself thinking of the satins and laces my dress could be made of, what food could be served, the music I would like…details, details.

  “Come with me,” said Victor. I walked with him to the Royal Stables. “This is my gift to my future wife, the woman who has stolen my reason,” he said, pointing to a horse – a white mare of a majestic size and strength beyond many other horses I had seen in my lifetime. Gorgeous creature of stunning white coat almost like Rogue, but this one had a few silver spots on her legs, as if she had been sprinkled with silver star dust.

  “She is beautiful,” I said, astounded at the beauty of such a fine animal. I began running my fingers through her mane.

  “She is yours, Elle. Are you not going to name her?”

  “Stardust,” I said quietly.

  “Stardust,” repeated Victor. “I like that name. Are you ready to take her for a ride?” Victor said, pleased by my reaction to such a marvelous gift.

  I continued petting her. “Where can I get a saddle?” I asked.

  Victor clapped his hands together, and two servants came forward and saddled Stardust for me. Victor stopped me when I tried to help them. “You must let them do their job.” I knew what he meant, but it felt wrong that something as simple as saddling a horse had to be done for me when I was very capable of doing it for myself. Against my better judgment, I stood still and let them carry on with Victor’s orders.

  Although we continued to talk and think about things we could use for our wedding, I was grateful that Victor wasn’t yet telling the world of our engagement, since it wasn’t entirely official, the King had yet to be informed. My Prince was planning to announce it during the feast to welcome his father and introduce me as Lady Elle from Stoneburg, since that was the place where my current home was located.

  It was tradition in the Everlands for the couple to be married to present a gift for their future spouses on the day of their announcement, but what gift could I offer my Prince when he already had it all. I could give him a song, but since I had done that before, it wouldn’t be as special. I had already given him a full armor of Clouds too – my other trade. Finding the perfect gift for him was too complicated. At the end of the day, I decided to make him his own symbol of power and of the Lovan legacy – a crest, much like The Ethro .

  I worked hard with the Royal Jeweler in turning my thoughts into a reality, but unlike Dorian and other artists, I wasn’t very good at drawing, so it was a little hard to get done exactly what I wanted. However, I had an idea in my mind of what I wanted to accomplish and when that idea was completed, I’d know it! When we were finally done, I couldn’t be more pleased with the final product – the hard part would be to keep Victor from seeing it. So I kept as much distance as I could from him.

  It was nice to have that time for myself, and it gave him time to work on his father’s welcome. He would come to my chambers at night exhausted, but that wouldn’t stop him from talking about new ideas that had come to him for our wedding. He talked about inviting Valdo and Vince, and that maybe we could take part in an agreement between Gypsies and Everlanders to cease the fight between both nations.

  Something deep in my gut told me that Vince wouldn’t be happy about the news
of my wedding. He shared Victor’s opinions about my uniqueness and had asked me to stay among the Gypsies, but I didn’t. Yet, the possibility of having peace between them and the Everlands might be worth his unhappiness.

  Victor’s promise of a peace treaty with my friends the Gypsies would be his wedding gift to me. “I would love that. It would be amazing if we can live in peace together,” I told him before he left my chambers. I fell in deep sleep shortly after.

  It was still night when Victor woke me up. His father had come home very late at night because His Highness didn’t want to spend another night away from the palace.

  “Grab a few gowns and get dressed while I wait for you in the stables,” he said, distressed. I held his troubled face between my hands.

  “Victor, what is the matter?” I asked, trying to appease him.

  “There is no time to waste! We’ll go away where we can’t be found, where they can’t bother us.” He grabbed garments from the dresser and threw them on the bed.

  “Victor! Victor! What is going on?”

  “Father is back!” he said, upset. “He signed a treaty with the King of Ganzale!”

  “I know. I had told you about it. A treaty is great news for the kingdom. We have a new ally. Abilene doesn’t have to safeguard their shores thanks to this treaty. Why is that bothering you so much?” I said, still sleepy.

  “Because the only way that treaty would be sealed is through a marriage between me and Ganzale’s Royal Princess,” he said, full of anger. “I won’t do it,” he said firmly. “I won’t marry her!” He continued to pull more things out.

  I walked towards the nearest window and opened it; we both needed some fresh air. I didn’t know it would hurt so badly to know it wasn’t meant to be, like I had thought it would be for the last couple of weeks. He came over to me and hugged me.

  “We aren’t running away!” I said, though I felt the words were cutting my throat from the inside out. “This is the duty you owe to your people because of the crown you wear.”