So I Married a Sorcerer

by Kerrelyn Sparks

  “Got it.” Brody dropped his breeches, shifted into an eagle, and flew away.

  “Damn,” Four whispered. “He’s fast.”

  “A lot faster than us,” Five muttered. “At this rate, it will take us all day to reach the sea.”

  “Not really.” Rupert gathered up some air, then shoved it forward. The boat lurched, causing Four, Five, and Six to stumble.

  “What the hell…?” Five gazed around as the boat zoomed downriver, then he gave Rupert an incredulous look. “You’re doing that? You’re controlling the wind?”

  Rupert nodded.

  “You’re a Wind Sorcerer?” Six asked.

  Rupert shrugged. “Some call me that.”

  “How many ships do you have?” Five asked.

  “Ten.”

  Five’s eyes lit up. “Then you really can defeat the navy.”

  Rupert smiled. “I’ve been defeating them for years. Half of my fleet are former naval ships.”

  Four eyed him suspiciously. “You’re not a farmer, are you? You’re not even from Eberon.”

  Five crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re Rupert, aren’t you?”

  Six gasped. “The infamous pirate?”

  Five nodded. “He’s the only one on Aerthlan who can control the wind.”

  Rupert moved his hands again to keep the wind filling the sails. “Yes, I’m a pirate. If you don’t want to be associated with me, I can put you ashore.”

  Five snorted. “You’ve been harassing Gunther for years. Why?”

  Rupert shrugged. “He’s an ass.”

  “Everyone knows that.” Five stepped closer. “Who are you really? Why do you want Gunther’s throne?”

  Rupert gritted his teeth. “Gunther’s father killed my father. His family has taken what is mine.”

  Five drew in a sharp breath. “The lost prince.”

  “What?” Six stared at Rupert.

  “I am Ulfrid Trepurin, the rightful—” Rupert paused when Five dropped to one knee. “You believe me? I have no proof.”

  Five smiled as he straightened. “My grandfather was chieftain of the Trevelyan clan, and he told me a secret before he died. Only a few of the king’s closest friends knew that his oldest son was actually Embraced and gifted with a magical power. That would be your ability to harness the wind, right?”

  Rupert nodded. “True.”

  “When my grandfather was dying,” Five continued, “King Manfrid came to see him. It was over twenty years ago, but it was my first time to see a king, so I have always remembered it. The proof is in your face, Ulfrid Trepurin. You have your father’s eyes.”

  Rupert swallowed hard. “You saw my father?”

  Five nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty.” His eyes gleamed with excitement. “I’ll take you up on your offer to be set ashore. If you can drop me off in the north, close to the Trey River, I will rally the clans. In four days, we’ll have an army of three thousand marching south.”

  Rupert gripped Five by the shoulder. “You didn’t forget? You remained loyal?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty. We’ve been waiting for you.”

  With a laugh, Rupert clapped Five on the back. “I knew you were more than an inventor.”

  Five grinned. “I knew you were more than a farmer.”

  “What can I do to help?” Four asked.

  “I have an idea,” Six said and quickly explained.

  “I like it.” Rupert increased the wind as the boat reached the mouth of the Loure River. Soon, they would be meeting up with Ansel.

  And soon the country of Tourin would be in chaos.

  * * *

  It took five long days for Brigitta to return to Lourdon Palace, for Gunther’s caravan moved slowly with its fully packed carts. For the entire time, Brigitta was heavily guarded and isolated, either alone in the carriage or alone in her tent. Whenever she was transferred from one place to the other, she scanned the area, searching for Bjornfrid and Sister Fallyn.

  There was a guarded carriage traveling at the end of the caravan, and she suspected that was where Mador was hiding them. She also suspected he had a number of guards who were more loyal to him than her brother, for they were clearly keeping Bjornfrid’s existence a secret. But then, she figured it was possible that they didn’t know the identity of the young man they were guarding.

  While she was alone, she had too much time to think and worry. Would Rupert believe she had betrayed him? How could she convince her brother that a sorcerer was pretending to be Mador? Would she be forced to marry the sorcerer in order to keep Rupert’s brother alive? She considered telling everything to Gunther, but she feared he would have Bjornfrid executed. No matter what, she had to keep Bjornfrid and Sister Fallyn safe. And pray that Rupert would come back for her.

  When they arrived at Lourdon Palace, Gunther escorted her into the Great Hall.

  “Your Majesty.” Lord Argus bowed low. “Praise the Light that you have safely returned. Did the competition finish as you had hoped? Were Captain Mador and General Tarvis the winners?”

  Gunther grimaced as he sat on his throne. “Mador won. Tarvis was burned to death by one of those damned dragons.”

  “Oh.” Argus blanched. “Oh, dear. Then Seven came in second place?”

  “No,” Gunther growled. “He’s a loser just like the others. Once we capture the bastard, he’ll die with the rest of them.”

  Argus’s eyes widened. “You mean Seven has escaped?”

  “Mador and his men will catch him soon.” Gunther gave Brigitta a wry look. “Then our princess will marry Mador and watch her precious Seven hang.”

  Never, Brigitta thought. She might be forced to marry against her will, but they would never be able to capture Rupert.

  “Excellent, Your Majesty.” Argus inclined his head. “Shall I begin preparations for the wedding?”

  “Yes.” Gunther glowered at Brigitta. “She has nine more days.”

  Argus nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty.” He cleared his throat. “It is unfortunate that we have lost our head general and admiral. It could leave us vulnerable if the country is attacked—”

  “Not a problem.” Gunther waved a dismissive hand. “Mador will be my new general. Promote Lieutenant Helgar to admiral.”

  Brigitta recalled meeting the lieutenant who hated Rupert with a passion. If Rupert attacked the navy, he’d be fighting the lieutenant once again.

  “An excellent choice, Your Majesty.” Argus bowed low.

  Gunther snorted. “You’re fawning more than usual. Did something happen while we were gone?”

  With a wince, Argus straightened. “Well, there are a few things.”

  “Out with it,” Gunther growled.

  “An envoy from the Eberoni king has delivered the body you requested. The infamous pirate Rupert.”

  Brigitta stiffened, and Gunther shot her a curious look. “Bring the body here, Argus, so my sister can confirm it is truly Rupert.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.” Argus motioned to some guards, and they hurried from the room.

  Brigitta swallowed hard. What body had Leo and Luciana sent? Should she lie or not?

  “Anything else?” Gunther asked.

  Argus clenched his hands together. “It’s about the prisoners, the three losers from the competition.”

  Gunther narrowed his eyes. “What about them?”

  Argus stepped back, wincing. “They escaped.”

  “What?” Gunther jumped to his feet.

  Yes! Brigitta bit her lip to keep from grinning.

  Argus fell to his knees. “It was terrible, Your Majesty. The guards were knocked out by a powerful sorcerer. They had no defense against his magic.”

  “Ridiculous!” Gunther shouted. “Have those guards whipped! And find the prisoners!”

  Argus cringed. “We’ve been searching for them, but they’re nowhere to be found. We—we believe they may have escaped by boat.”

  “Dammit!” Gunther knocked over a nearby golden candlestick holder, then glared at Brig
itta. “Seven was behind this, wasn’t he?”

  Brigitta lifted her chin. “You’ll never capture him.”

  “Damn you!” Gunther raised a fist.

  Guards marched in, carrying a stretcher with a body covered by a sheet. Brigitta looked away, covering her nose as the stench of death permeated the room.

  “Shit.” Gunther grabbed Brigitta by the arm and dragged her toward the stretcher. “Be quick about it. Is this the pirate who kidnapped you? Is it Rupert?”

  “I wouldn’t know.” Brigitta kept her head turned away. “He always wore a mask.”

  “Look!” Gunther shouted, and she ventured a quick look as a soldier folded back the sheet.

  Kennet! She gasped, then quickly looked away.

  Gunther’s eyes narrowed. “You recognized him.”

  She covered her mouth as bile rose in her throat. Kennet must have been captured by the Eberoni army after he’d gone ashore. Then he’d been executed with the other pirates.

  “Take the body away and burn it,” Gunther ordered, and the soldiers carried the stretcher away. He turned toward Brigitta. “Was that Rupert? Be honest with me, girl.”

  She wished she could be completely honest with her brother. If only he were an honorable man. “That man was a pirate. But he wasn’t Rupert. You’ll never be able to capture Rupert.”

  Gunther gritted his teeth. “Damn you.”

  “I’m being honest!” She touched her brother’s shoulder. “Please, believe me. A sorcerer is pretending to be Mador. He’s dangerous.”

  “Oh, really?” Mador said softly as he entered the room. “Such a sad way for my betrothed to talk about me.”

  Brigitta shuddered.

  “Don’t worry,” Gunther muttered. “She’s just trying to weasel out of the wedding.”

  Mador arched an eyebrow. “That’s not really possible, is it, Princess? You know what will happen if you defy me.”

  She swallowed hard. If she didn’t agree to the wedding, Mador would kill Sister Fallyn and Bjornfrid. If she confided in her brother, he would also kill Bjornfrid. There was only one way to save Rupert’s brother.

  Tears burned her eyes. “I’ll marry you.”

  * * *

  Five days later, Rupert scanned the Tourinian coastline with a great sense of satisfaction. He’d blown eleven naval ships onto the rocks, utterly destroying them. The last ship, the flagship, had finally surrendered. He’d sent Ansel and his entire crew over to claim victory in the name of the rightful king, Ulfrid Trepurin.

  Most of the Tourinian navy had managed to get safely ashore. Rupert had shot multiple arrows onto the beach with messages tied to them. Any seamen who wanted to pledge loyalty to King Ulfrid’s navy would be accepted and paid their wages in gold. Many had accepted. The others had run away, not willing to fight for either the new king or the old one.

  Admiral Helgar had been released so he could take a message to Gunther in Lourdon. The lost prince, Ulfrid Trepurin, was coming for the throne.

  The news should be spreading across all of Tourin now. Six had described his idea as a method designed to win the hearts of the people. Four days ago, Six had secretly returned to his father’s estate in central Tourin, while Four had been dropped off on his estate in northern Eberon. There, the two men would gather everyone who could write, so they could produce hundreds of notices. Then their servants would travel about, posting the notices in villages and spreading around the gold that Rupert had given them for the project. Four’s servants would target villages in southern Tourin, just across the border, while Six would blanket the central part of Tourin.

  “You did it,” Stefan said as he joined Rupert on the quarterdeck. “The Tourinian navy is ours.”

  Rupert nodded. “I’m going to name Ansel as my admiral. And you, old friend, how do you feel about returning to the army? As my general.”

  Stefan snorted. “I think I know who should be second in command.”

  Rupert smiled. “Five?”

  Stefan nodded. “The northern clans remained loyal.”

  “Yes, thank the Light.” Rupert would always be grateful, but he knew, for the future of Tourin, he couldn’t be just a northern king. He needed to unite the entire country. “I think Six would make an excellent chief counsel. And even though Four is an Eberoni, I would like to implement his ideas for farming. I don’t want any of my people to live in hunger.”

  Stefan chuckled. “It looks like the losers from the competition are actually the winners.”

  “They’re good men.” Rupert snorted. “I need to learn their actual names.”

  “Is it true, Admiral?” Jeffrey ran up to him, his eyes wide. “Are you really going to be king?”

  Rupert tousled the boy’s hair. “That’s the plan.”

  “Whoa,” the boy breathed. “You’re going to wear a crown and sit on a throne?”

  Rupert smiled. “I don’t plan on doing a lot of sitting.”

  Jeffrey bit his lip. “What will happen to me?”

  “What do you want to happen?” Stefan asked. “You can assist me with the army, or you can stay on board and help Ansel with the navy.”

  “Oh.” Jeffrey scratched his head. “I still want to be a sea captain.”

  “Then you will work for Ansel,” Stefan told him.

  “All right.” Jeffrey gave them both a sad look. “I’ll miss you, though.”

  Rupert patted the boy on the shoulder. “I’ll see you whenever I need to travel by sea.”

  Jeffrey smiled, then pointed up at the sky. “Look! The pelican is back.”

  Rupert headed down the stairs to the main deck just as the pelican landed. “Brody?”

  With a squawk, the bird hopped through the door to go belowdecks. Rupert hurried down to his old cabin, and Brody joined him there in human form.

  “You have news?” Rupert asked as he tossed him a pair of breeches.

  “Hungry?” Stefan walked in with a tray of food.

  “Oh, good.” Brody stuffed a piece of roast beef in his mouth, then put on the breeches. “I’ve been flying for days. I’m starving.”

  “What’s going on?” Rupert asked.

  “Good news.” Brody poured himself some wine. “The Trevelyan clan has rallied the north and they’re marching south toward Lourdon. On the eastern border, the Norveshki warriors are raiding villages and their dragons are terrorizing the people. They haven’t actually hurt anyone, but they’ve got everyone scared to death.”

  Rupert winced. “And to the south?”

  Brody downed his cup, then continued, “King Leofric has amassed an army on the border. He’s claiming kinship to Brigitta and says they will attack if she’s not delivered to them in three days. Meanwhile, the notices are being spread across the land, claiming you as the new king.”

  Stefan smiled. “Excellent.”

  Brody nodded as he bit off a chunk of bread. “I see you took care of the navy.”

  “Yes.” Rupert refilled Brody’s cup. “Do you know what’s happening in Lourdon?”

  Brody winced. “Gunther’s skulking in the palace. Mador has been named the new general, and he dispatched a few troops to the north and east.”

  “But he didn’t go with them?” Rupert asked.

  “Not yet.” Brody shook his head. “I couldn’t get close enough to catch the Chameleon’s scent. He’s somewhere in the palace, but I don’t know who he’s pretending to be.”

  Rupert grew tense. “And Brigitta?”

  Brody looked away, frowning.

  “What is it?” Rupert demanded.

  Brody grimaced. “She’s getting married to Mador four days from now.”

  Rupert flinched. “No. No, she would never agree—”

  “I heard she did,” Brody muttered.

  “No!” Rupert shouted. “She’s being forced.” He fisted his hands. “I have to get there before the wedding.”

  “You can’t march into Lourdon yet,” Stefan protested. “Mador is there with most of the army.”

&nbs
p; “I will blow them all away!” Rupert gritted his teeth. “If Brigitta wants a wedding, she can have one. But her groom will be me.”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  THREE DAYS LATER …

  Tomorrow morning she would be wed.

  To the wrong man. The words echoed in Brigitta’s mind as the seamstresses made the final adjustments to her wedding dress.

  “I can’t do this,” she whispered.

  Norah looked up from where she was pinning the hem. “Don’t worry, Your Highness. Every bride gets nervous before the wedding.”

  “Do they get nauseated?” Panic bubbled up inside Brigitta’s chest. “Do they feel like throwing themselves off the balcony?”

  Norah and Marthe exchanged worried glances.

  “Captain Ma—I mean, General Mador is a fine catch,” Marthe murmured.

  “Is he even human?” Brigitta cried. Dear goddesses, she had thought she could do this. She loved Rupert so much, she’d thought she could sacrifice herself to save his innocent younger brother.

  Wrong man. Wrong man. “I can’t do it! I won’t!” She picked up her skirt and ran for the door.

  The guards moved to stop her, but she knocked them aside. “I’m going to see the king! If you touch me, I’ll tell my brother that you molested me.”

  The guards gulped and stepped back.

  “Where is His Majesty?” she asked them.

  “The Great Hall,” one of the guards mumbled.

  She ran down the hallway and into the grand foyer, then up the steps to the Great Hall. The afternoon sun gleamed through the long windows, making the numerous mirrors sparkle as they reflected the gilt-covered walls and ceiling. Gold everywhere, from the countless wall sconces to the golden throne on the dais.

  This was where the wedding would take place. Five-foot-tall golden vases held huge arrangements of white roses and gold-plated ferns.

  “More flowers!” Gunther demanded, and the servants scurried from the room. He spotted Brigitta in the doorway and motioned to her. “Come in. We can practice our grand entrance.”

  She rushed toward him. “I need to talk to you—”

  “I like the gown.” He lowered his voice. “Do you know if you’re pregnant yet?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “Please, don’t make me go through with the wedding tomorrow.”