by Lisa Daneils
“Your Majesty, I think this might need a professional.”
“Really?” She looked at her arm and noticed that it was not the full needle, which was good. That meant the wound wasn’t as deep as it could have been. Reaching up, she grabbed it tight with a couple of fingers and yanked it out. Doubling over from the pain, the queen bit her lip to hold in her scream.
“Your Majesty!” The knight’s voice was full of reproach. “You might have just seriously damaged your arm!”
“No, look, it’s fine.” She held up her hand and moved it. Unable to hide her grimace, she amended, “It’s mostly fine. Now, can we focus on what is important?”
Sir Newman grabbed her arm, “Now you are definitely going to get fixed up by one of the men with more medical experience. We have to make sure that doesn’t get infected.”
Something was bothering the queen, but she was desperately trying to hide it. “Nonsense, I’m fine, and we cannot afford to lose time treating such a minor injury.”
“Minor! You had a knitting needle embedded in your arm!”
“And there are people who are missing limbs, some of the men have serious burns, and some have died. This is nothing by comparison.”
“You are missing the point, Your Majesty. We are soldiers, you are the queen.”
She patted his arm, “And that is exactly the point I am making. If a ruler is not willing to risk everything for her people, she does not belong on the throne. How can I make a fuss about my injuries when so many have suffered worse?”
Rhionnan tried to walk away, but was again stopped as he grabbed her hand. “Please, Your Majesty. That is exactly why we are so desperate to take care of you. None of us want to lose you.” The sincerity in the knight’s eyes was too much for her to deny. When he stepped toward her and said, “Please,” Rhionnan lost her ability to resist.
“Alright. But I would like to get to work as soon as possible, Clark.”
A smile spread across his chiseled face, “I promise, once your wounds are tended, I won’t stand in your way. Until then, command me to do what you wanted to handle yourself, and it will be done.”
Giving him a pat on the arm, Rhionnan replied, “You are such a smooth talker, I don’t understand why you are still single.”
“Like you, I feel there are more important things to do than to worry about marriage.”
“It isn’t quite the same,” she said, strolling along beside him. “I am not marrying because we can’t afford another ruler who knows less than me. I believe that my mother proved how detrimental the wrong match is for the kingdom. Repeatedly. I am not willing to have a man come in and undo all of our progress because he thinks he knows better.”
“You do have the concern about succession, though. If you were to die, we don’t have anyone to replace you.”
“My sister can be brought back from exile and—”
“That will never be approved.”
“Better to have her than a civil war.”
“I cannot agree with you there.”
Rhionnan gave him a look. “You are being very contrary today, Sir Newman.”
“I am simply trying to help you to take your own protection more seriously.” He gave her a weak smile, “For the good of everyone.”
“Well, that I can believe. Perhaps it would be best to name you my successor. You are one of the few men I would entrust the kingdom with if I were gone.”
The way she said it bothered the knight, but he refused to consider her words too much. “I am honored that you feel that way, but I would rather your line continue.”
“Nonsense. If you think that it is in our nation’s best interest to have a stable lineage, you are as good a choice as me. Perhaps better. The kings would not have ignored you the way they have dismissed me for so long.”
“I doubt the people would accept me, let alone other kingdoms.”
“Nonsense.” She swatted away his response, “You are one of my most trusted knights, and the people love you more than me. You aren’t too aloof and headstrong. Though, you really are.” Rhionnan gave him a knowing look.
Sighing again, he said, “The only reason I am a knight now is because you ensured I received the title. If not for you, no one would have allowed the bastard son of a traitor to have any lands.”
“And people have been learning to think differently. Give it time, and I’m sure they will come around to seeing more things my way.”
The queen sat in a chair and held out her arm for one of the men to take care of it. Sir Clark Newman bowed to her. “What would you have me do?”
She flinched as the closest thing they had to a medic started to apply disinfectant to her wound. “Determine what is the closest inn from here, then try to get everyone ready to leave. We shouldn’t remain here any longer than necessary.”
“I know, Your Majesty. There could be another band of them coming along in the near future.” He bowed low to her and left.
Several riders were sent out to find the closest place to rest for a retinue of their size. It was likely farther than they would like, but they certainly weren’t going to make it to their next planned stop in their current condition.
About an hour later, they had set off for a town about a mile away. The queen rode behind Sir Newman, while Lady Cinthia rode with a knight who was related to her through marriage. It was not exactly what any of them had expected, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been.
In total, three men had died and seven had been seriously wounded. Rhionnan looked at the men and felt her heart clench. The dead remained by the side of the road. Tomorrow, she would send men back to fetch them so that they could be taken to the capital for a proper burial. Already hobbled, the remaining men could not manage to tend to the wounded and the dead.
“It’s alright, Your Majesty. We all understand.”
“That doesn’t make it right.”
“Under the current circumstances, it is the best we can do. All of us understand. We will discuss who will return for them this evening, and those chosen will take off first thing in the morning.”
Placing her head on his back, Rhionnan said, “I wish I could have saved them. They didn’t deserve that. I should have listened to my gut and remained at the palace. The whole trip was a complete waste of time.”
“Nonsense. You learned something from the experience, and that is all anyone can ask.”
“You are too kind to me, Clark. Far too kind.” She sat up and pulled out a small journal that she kept tucked into the folds of her dress. The pair fell silent as she began to scribble information that she could use later.
The group had settled into a small inn that was barely able to hold them. But it was just big enough for four men to a room. Certainly not the most comfortable quarters, but better than sleeping outside. The eating area was turned into a makeshift treatment area as it was the only place big enough for all of the care the men needed. One died during the night, but the rest seemed to be on the mend by morning.
Rhionnan looked down at the soldier who had died simply escorting her between two cities. She knew it was a waste, and again she cursed herself for having been foolish enough to go. Everyone else was so busy, that she decided to go out for a walk. The debate on whether to ask someone to accompany her or to go it alone did not last long. A few minutes later, she snuck into the woods away from the inn.
Chapter 3
Everyone’s Friend
The sunlight punctured the leaves of the woods, creating numerous shadows around her. Shivering a little, the queen pulled her cloak around her shoulders. The sounds of nature gave her a bit of peace because shape shifter attacks were almost always preceded by an eerie silence. It may have been difficult to notice while traveling in a carriage with the men chatting outside. However, a stroll through the woods made it far easier to hear the normal sounds of nature.
Her attention was drawn to the sound of someone laughing. Turning to look at the inn, which was still in sight, the qu
een knew that the voice was that of her lady-in-waiting. Though she was clearly some ways away, it was impossible not to recognize the bubbly and lively intonations of her friend. The thought that her lady-in-waiting could be laughing after everything made Rhionnan feel better. She had been afraid that the poor woman would be devasted by the events, but Cinthia seemed to be taking it better than they had expected. Probably because they had avoided telling her that some of the men had died.
The question was who was she talking to? All of the men had their tasks. It had meant that both of the women were being left to their own devices, and each of them had their own idea of how to spend downtime. Yet the tones of the other person were lower, more masculine. Realizing that she hadn’t yet seen Cinthia that morning, Rhionnan decided to go see what was happening. Guided by the laughter of her lady-in-waiting, the queen made her way around the area behind the inn. After walking for a couple of minutes, she could hear water and knew that Cinthia was probably sitting beside a stream to talk to whomever she was with. The woman seemed to love being near water, probably because she had grown up near the ocean. Given how jovial the woman sounded, Rhionnan felt almost certain that she was chatting with either one of the workers at the inn or another guest. Though the queen had thought they were the only visitors, it was possible that someone had stopped by for food; the queen had not required the place to be shut down just because she and her retinue were present.
Smiling despite herself, Rhionnan looked forward to a bit of distraction after everything that had happened. For a fleeting moment, she was even glad that Cinthia had joined them. If there was anyone who could lift her spirits, it was her lady-in-waiting.
“Oh, but you are naughty, aren’t you?” Cinthia giggled.
“Not at all. Do you not have any younger siblings?”
Rhionnan froze. She knew that voice—Cinthia was talking to Greyson. The queen had no desire to approach them now, but she also didn’t want to leave. The years had done nothing to diminish how much she loved him, and seeing him laughing with Cinthia was too difficult to just walk away from. Feeling guilty, she moved a little so that she was behind a tree. Peeking out, she watched them chatting.
“Of course I do. And I dare say that I did even worse when we were young.”
“Well, there you are.”
Cinthia giggled again, “I consider myself to have been quite naughty when I was young. So, you must be too.”
“You know they say that people don’t change, don’t you?” There was laughter in that voice that pricked at Rhionnan’s heart. Any happiness he was feeling now would be completely destroyed by her appearing. Feeling that it was wrong to eavesdrop on them, she began to try to move away from the scene that was before her. From where she was, Rhionnan could just make out his form, which made it that much more difficult to turn and leave. Her eyes latched on to him as her hand reached out for a nearby tree, once again unable to pull herself away from him.
The pair continued talking and laughing.
“No, what is it that they say about people not changing?” Cinthia asked, the giggles punctuating almost every word.
“It doesn’t happen.”
“Sure it does. People definitely change. You most certainly didn’t use to be such a handsome young man. Once upon a time, you were a crying child who clung to his mother.”
Rhionnan bit her lip, knowing what a touchy subject it was.
Instead, he laughed, “Indeed. My mother was quite a love, and she would never take sides between my brother and myself. My father would always reprimand me when I tormented the poor kid, saying that as the older brother, I needed to be more mature. If my brother started a fight or needed something, I was always expected to be the bigger person, sacrifice myself and my wants to meet his needs and desires. And to comfort him when he was down, but that one was honestly easy. Liam was always an easy brother to love. It was less natural to constantly give for him, though. According to my father, whatever he needed should have been my priority. My mother once pulled me aside, though, and told me that I should be a good older brother to a certain point, but that my little brother couldn’t always have it his way.”
“Scandalous!” Cinthia gasped before devolving into more giggles. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard a mother say anything that would compromise her baby so much.”
He leaned over and knocked his shoulder against the woman. “Well, my mother was not normal. She liked to take care of both of her sons equally, while my father subscribed to the idea that it was absolutely necessary to be cold toward the eldest. After all, much is expected of the eldest.”
“Well, I think your mother had it right.”
“I don’t know,” he sighed. “I have to say that for the most part, my father’s assessment of my brother was right. He ended up being much better than me.”
“Oh, please, Greyson. With an older brother who clearly loved him as much as you do, how could he have gone wrong? And you know, that proves that you aren’t all bad.”
He shrugged, “Not being bad isn’t the same as being better. There is plenty of evidence that proves that Liam would be much better at assuming control after our father.”
“Well, if he were really so good, he would support you now instead of making things harder for you.”
“Believe me, he tries. I just… have no reason to let him know what’s going on in my life.”
Where most people would have probably continued to push the idea that it was Liam’s fault for not being more supportive, Cinthia simply nodded. “It must have been tough. I can’t say anything about your brother, since I’ve never met him. I barely know you.” She gave him a bit of a smile. “Shame as that may be. I do know that lots of expectations are heaped on our older children, but it is still better than being an only child. I’m sure you’ll do just fine. It sounds to me like what you need is to be out from under your father. That should help you sort yourself out, and any problems you are having with your brother.”
“I wish that were true, but distance doesn’t seem to work. I’ve had time away from home. For most of the last decade, I’ve largely avoided them.”
Rhionnan clutched her chest. She had thought that he would be able to get closer to his family after she said she no longer wanted to see him. What had happened that he had chosen to entirely separate himself? Surely it wasn’t guilt about having been with her. The whole time they were together, he had been afraid his family would find out. Their breaking up should have made his life easier.
“Now, why would you do that, Greyson?” Cinthia was wearing an expression that was far more serious than Rhionnan had seen before, almost as if she were someone else.
“It’s not something I would expect anyone else to understand, especially someone like you, with your cheery disposition and a heart of gold. I doubt you have an enemy in the world.”
She laughed, “Well, that is sort of the point of me. My purpose in life has always been in helping the people I care about. I don’t have to worry about a kingdom or make sure that an entire nation is alright. I’m not in a position where I am likely to make enemies.”
“I’ve often envied people like you, my little Cinthia.” Greyson reached out and patted her on the top of her head before putting his hands on the ground and leaning back. “How different would life have been if I had been born second or a part of a different family?”
Cinthia let out a deep breath before leaning back, mirroring his actions. She looked up at the sky as she spoke, “Well, I’ll tell you what I am constantly telling one of my dearest friends. If your birth were under a different circumstance, you wouldn’t be you. It is easy to look at someone else’s life and to wish to have it instead of your own. To think, if only I had been born to that set of parents or been born first—or last. That’s simply not how things work, though. Believe it or not, there was a time when I was most jealous of my eldest sister, Nadia. There were 13 of us, and I was born smack in the middle, number 7. Nadia was the second born, and she was easy to
adore. She was… always the one my parents fawned over. Probably don’t need to really talk about that because I’m sure even you have heard the stories about how our family was.” She looked over at him, and Greyson nodded. There was a sadness in her expression, but Cinthia continued, “On some level, I can definitely understand why your kind are so quiet about your personal lives. Coming from a family that is as much of a cautionary tale as my family highlights the wisdom of keeping drama to a minimum. I can understand wanting things to be different, but there is always another reason to be unhappy or to want what someone else has. Something else to make you wish that you had been born in a different time and place, to a different family. But you can’t change that. You have to learn to appreciate what you have. If you envy me, then know that there are many who envy you.”
He smiled over at her, “Does that include you?”
“You better believe it.” She laughed. “It’s actually more accurate to say that I envy the way you have been able to live your life. Clearly, you are avoiding something, but I’m not going to pry. Just know that I’m here if you need me. Sometimes it is best to talk to someone with no stakes in what is happening to get an objective perspective.
Rhionnan frowned. She had known Cinthia most of her life, but she had never heard the woman talk so seriously or so wisely. Who had required that kind of advice? She couldn’t imagine anyone in Cinthia’s life who would express such an emotion besides her. And Greyson was being far more open and honest than Rhionnan would have expected. It had taken her weeks to learn half as much about him. The fact that Cinthia had been able to draw so much out of him was strange. Not entirely surprising, but something about it seemed a bit off to the queen.
Whatever Greyson was going to say in response was obscured as a voice rang out from behind Rhionnan, “Your Majesty.”
Whipping around, she saw Sir Newman approaching her. Unwilling to look around to see the reaction of Cinthia and Greyson, she began walking toward her knight. “Yes, Sir Newman? Is there something I can do to help you?”
