His shout of laughter finally brought the upward curving of her lips. “That’s not what I meant and you know it. It’s just … you look a mess.”
“I see you still speak openly, my friend. At least that has not changed.”
Instinctively her hand went to her stomach causing Shemek to look down then back at her face.
“All of Aleone has been concerned since we learned of your match, Ya. You’re well then?”
“Yes,” she responded too quickly.
He searched her eyes, probing her soul for truth. “Ya?” he whispered, leaning in to pursue his questioning. “He has not hurt you, has he?”
“No. No. Not at all. He is a fair man, Shemek. He is.” Her voice softened as did her features when she spoke of Tahruk. “It’s just … it’s difficult being away from home, away from my family. And with all the turmoil and not knowing when we will be reunited…”
“And your concern, Ya? Does it lie with your family or with him? No doubt you know of the missing men?”
Elenya stiffened, stepping back slightly. “I’ve been informed. Just.” She frowned, confused by his tone. “Though I have been told not to be overly concerned.”
His eyes bore into her making her fidget uncomfortably. “How can you truly care for him, Ya? This … this man from the family that sent Aleone into exile in the first place? He’s your enemy, a trained killer. I know, Ya. I fought beside him on the fields.”
Elenya shook her head, the vigor causing her curls to sway unsteadily. “No, Shemek. He’s a warrior, trained to kill or be killed, just like you.”
“No warrior should find glee in taking another man’s life, and yet I witnessed his smile as he thrust his sword through another man and the whoops of enjoyment when his battleax came down on his victim’s neck.”
“Do not mistake zeal for pleasure, my young friend.”
Both Elenya and Shemek turned to an older man dressed much as Shemek with a bared torso revealing scars of battles past as well as the dressing of a newer one.
“You should be proud of your warrior, my lady. The man is a magnificent force, fighting with both purpose and conviction. He has the strength of many men and the singleness of mind to persevere. The King should be grateful he is among the men who rode out with the smaller group. If they persevere, it will be in no small way due to that man alone.” He squinted his eyes and pointed at Shemek. “Why, if not for him, you would not be here, lad.”
“This is not your discussion, old man,” Shemek barked at the older warrior. It was rather obvious this information imparted to Elenya was not something Shemek wanted shared with her.
“He saved your life, Shemek? And yet you would speak ill of him? Why?” Her eyes implored him, trying to understand.
“I can’t believe this! You’re in love with him, aren’t you?” She shushed his raised voice when Daruh looked at them. “He wants one thing from you, Elenya, and that only because he is forced, unable to control his needs because of the marking. Once you have produced his family’s heir he will turn from you.”
She pulled away, anger and sadness churning her insides. “Master Daruh, I must go now. I do not feel so well.”
“Just like that, you’re leaving? Are you choosing, Ya? Putting this man you do not know above our friendship? Did you not feel anything…”
“Be silent, Shemek! Your lips speak foolishness.” She hissed a whispered warning as Daruh approached. Forcing herself to relax fists clinched at her side, she placed her hands on Shemek’s shoulders and leaned up to kiss his cheek. “The choice was made for me even before I was born. You said so yourself -- my destiny is one of sacrifice.” Her quiet words were for him alone. “Be well, Shemek.” And with her parting pat to his shoulder, she turned and stepped out into the hall.
She could feel Shemek watching her walking away.
“You weren’t supposed to give him your heart, Ya. He’ll only break it, you know,” he yelled at her as she neared the end of the hallway. “Those kind of men always do if you let yourself fall for them. You’ll see. If he returns at all.”
Daruh stopped, motioning for one of the nurses to go to Shemek. Turning back to Elenya, he apologized. “Please, my lady, pay him no mind. The pain and the drugs often make the wounded say things they shouldn’t.”
She nodded, though Shemek’s parting words echoed in her head. She quickened her pace, going through the outer hall without even bothering to cover her nose from the stench. Her one thought was to get out and away from her old friend.
Friend. She wondered if she could even consider him that anymore.
Blinded by the bright light as she burst through the door, she nearly toppled, saved once again by the strong arms of Tahruk’s brother. She looked up at him as he steadied her and was sure she saw concern flit across his face before his mask of derision slipped firmly back in place.
“You’d best be careful, my lady, or I may begin to think my arms are a place you wouldn’t mind being.”
“I’m sure your brother would enjoy hearing your theory of where his chosen would like to be. Unless you intend to try to convince me he is not returning as well,” she growled, taking her hurt out with a slap to his chest as she moved away.
Redahn looked from her to the Great Hall before turning and falling in at her side. “Were you told otherwise inside? Why did Daruh take you in? What was said?”
“Nothing,” she snapped. “And his reasons are none of your concern.”
“All things pertaining to my brother are my concern.” He grabbed her arm, halting her progress toward the small group waiting for her under a nearby shade tree. Turning her to face him none too gently, he forced her to look up at him, no doubt wanting to see if sincerity resided in her green eyes. Satisfied, he released his hold and they continued toward the others. “I am not afraid for my brother and you shouldn’t be either. He has a knack for all things working out for him in life.”
Elenya thought about his words. She contemplated her warrior’s brother, realizing he’d given her a glimpse into his true nature, as had Shemek. She tried to come to terms with how she felt about her old friend and the unseemly way he had acted. And also with what he’d said about Tahruk. Where did the truth lie? No doubt reality fell somewhere in between.
“I find comfort in your words, my lord. Thank you for that. It was quite … brotherly,” Elenya told him just before they reached the group.
“Brotherly!” Redahn’s hooting laugh caused more than just their small group to look in their direction. “Do not misjudge me, my lady. I assure you the thoughts I have of you are anything but brotherly. Though, if comfort is what you desire, I am certain something can be arranged between the two of us …”
“Thank you, no.” She rolled her eyes and stepped back from his reach just before Nema grabbed her hand. The concern on the other woman’s face took precedence over all other matters in her thoughts. She touched the weathering cheek. “Don’t worry, Nema. They know little, though sometimes no news is best,” she repeated Daruh’s words before giving the older hand a comforting squeeze.
What had Nema said? The waiting was the hardest part, and then once they return, you wait and wonder when it will happen again. She thought about that as they turned for home, wishing this part of the waiting period was already over, wishing she’d had more time with her warrior before he’d gone so that she might be assured of her position in his heart. Damned Shemek for acting as he had and filling her head with concerns.
Chapter 28
Waiting became an unwelcomed visitor accompanied by the turning of the leaves that signaled the advancement of time. Elenya’s worries increased along with her midsection, though some relief had come with the first movements of the baby within. She now spent her days watching Nema prepare the garden for cooler weather while she sat at the very table where Master Daruh and Renaine had first spoken of the conflicts that had taken her lover away. To occupy her mind, she’d begun writing stories, fictional fantasies perfect for someday reading
to their child. She had even tried her hand at adding drawings to a few. It was a calming tonic to an otherwise relentless string of waiting.
With a satisfied smile, she gathered her pages into a neat stack and leaned back in the chair to watch Nema move among the flowers and vines of the garden she loved so much. Most of the stories Elenya wrote were about a garden pixie with an uncanny resemblance to the older woman Elenya loved every bit as much as her own mother. Without Nema she was quite certain she would have gone mad during this waiting. Some days the melancholy was near unbearable and there were nights when her dreams were plagued with fear Tahruk would not return, or that something would happen to their baby. She dreamed of never seeing her family again, or of that awful encounter with Shemek. And when she would cry out, Nema was always there to comfort her, whether it be with stories of assurance or to sit by her bed until she fell back to sleep.
Elenya watched her, knowing she had to have concerns of her own, and yet she remained solid, taking care of everything, her confidence in their return never wavering. She was a true pillar of strength within this family. Nema was every bit the true lady of the house.
Neria didn’t seem to love the garden as much and had taken to spending most of her time in her quarters quietly occupying herself with needlepoint and daydreaming. With the social activities of the Centrehead at a standstill, she seemed to have little need to venture outside Zanak’s walls. On occasional afternoons, like the one they enjoyed now, she would join Elenya and Nema in the garden, voicing her excitement about the baby. She was delighted with the stories Elenya showed her, and with the bouquets of flowers Nema would gather for her to brighten her rooms. Elenya marveled at the odd relationship between the sisters. As much as she loved her own sisters, she doubted she could have so gracefully handled sharing Tahruk with any of them. That thought always led to visions of Cerissa and an unwanted dose of jealousy. There seemed to be no jealousy between these women, each accepting their positions as their honor bound duties. They each seemed content with where life had landed them.
Elenya caressed the moving bundle beneath her dress and wondered if anyone besides the baby had heard her growling stomach. She was pleased to see the servants beginning to arrive with the trays of cold meats, cheeses, fruits, and breads for lunch.
“I think I’d like to walk down to the harbor this afternoon,” she told the two women as they ate. Neria agreed that it would be a wonderful idea. Nema was a bit more hesitant, especially since she hadn’t planned to accompany her.
“I know you miss the sea, but please do be careful down there. Make sure you have at least two corisans with you. And don’t stay long. It’s a farther distance. It wouldn’t do for you to wear yourself out.”
Had it been anyone but Nema, Elenya would have graced her with one of her placating smiles and a hidden eye roll. Pursing her lips, she looked away.
“You do not appreciate my concern?” Nema asked with a quiet chuckle.
Elenya’s face reddened before she laughed. She shook her head. “Actually, your concerns got me to thinking about my childhood, how growing up there were so many restrictions. It seemed the job of everyone to protect their chosen, when all I wanted to do was run free and wild.” She laughed a little, and tipping her head down lest she meet with disapproval, told them how Shemek would sneak her and her sisters out through her window for exploration excursions. She regaled them with stories that had all of them laughing, to her great relief.
Neria patted her hand at one point and told her every young girl should have the freedom to explore. “Nema and I had our share of questionable outings growing up.” She and Elenya both laughed when Nema frowned and shushed her.
“Our mother was the youngest sister of the King of Corigan. There was also an older sister…”
“Neria! Do not bore the poor girl with stories of our lineage.” Nema sat back and crossed her arms. It was obvious by her deep frown she didn’t really want her sister sharing their improprieties.
“Oh no. I’d love to hear.” Elenya couldn’t help herself. She’d always been overly curious. She laughed again when Nema shook her head. Folding her hands in her lap, she sat back as Neria leaned closer to impart her secrets.
“Well,” Neria leaned closer and continued, “This older sister... some thought her a bit touched in the head. She was always wandering off, getting herself into one mess after another. But those are mostly stories for another day. This one involves Nema and me.” Neria glanced at her oldest sister then winked at Elenya.
Elenya smiled and shook her head, her brows drawing down. “But… the King’s daughter, she wasn’t marked, then? Being the oldest and all…”
“Oh no, dear. Corigan doesn’t practice the ritual of marking. Nema was the first one, and that was at the request of King Andorak to unite the kingdoms. Now mind you, royalty is still not free to marry whomever they desire. Many say that’s why Princess Lauris ran away in the first place. She’d been promised to one of King Venderlay’s brothers. The current King Venderlay, Lord Gaius, is not the eldest son of his family, you know.” She stopped and looked around to see if extra ears were listening. “There were three sons before him who all died of mysterious deaths,” she whispered then nodded slowly when Elenya jumped back with a start. “He is power hungry, that one is.”
Elenya felt an added weight heap itself upon her already burdened heart. She placed one hand over it and the other on her protruding belly. The baby squirmed before quieting again. With this ruthless lunatic as their enemy and knowing Tahruk was in line for the throne, Elenya wondered if Venderlay could possibly let her husband live. The thought that her baby might never see its father had plagued her since she knew for certain she was carrying his child. If she could turn back the hands of time, she would not have wasted those first days, instead allowing herself the pleasures of lying in his arms on the night of the Dremis – a magical night that almost assured conception.
She looked at Nema. It hadn’t assured a baby for her, though Neria and Neria’s children had no problems conceiving, it seemed. Could it be possible that her father was not one and the same as the man who had fathered King Mardek and Princess Lauris? Or maybe she had a different mother. That would make more sense even if not quite as exciting to think upon. Elenya chastised herself for thinking romantic thoughts about a clandestine affair between a lonely queen and someone besides the King, a man who allowed her to produce a daughter who conceived much easier than did her older two children. She closed her eyes for a moment. She had to stop writing silly fictional pieces. They were beginning to affect her way of thinking.
With a mental shake, she pulled her mind back to Neria’s story about Lauris running away and wedding a forest vagabond who supposedly saved her from a band of thieves. How together they had a son and lived in a small settlement across a great chasm toward the edge of Corigan. The story that was told had always indicated Princess Lauris yearned for her easier life back at the castle until one day she could take it no more and threw herself off the side of chasm that kept her from going home.
“…and to this day,” she was saying, “her ghost is said to still inhabit the settlement. The people abandoned the place shortly after she died.” Neria’s voice lowered yet again. “I believe there was more to her death than anyone knows.” She glanced again at Nema, who seemed completely lost in her own thoughts. “She used to sneak away and visit our mother, Princess Emylene.”
She nodded when Elenya’s brows shot up.
“How did she get away when they were supposedly unable to cross the chasm?”
Neria shrugged. “That’s what we set about to find out one day. We’d heard stories from our mother our whole lives, how she would sneak out to meet her sister. How Lauris would come to her from a secret passage that blended into the hillside, much like our tunnel system blends into the cliffs of the sea.”
Now it was Elenya’s turn to nod. “Did you find it? The opening, I mean?”
Neria laughed. “Oh no, my dear. We
never even made it anywhere near the settlement before our voyage was found out and cut short. We managed a ruse to flee our corisans, and elicited the help and protection of some young warriors in training. I scarce care to think of what punishments befell them all.”
Elenya laughed with her before asking, “So do you believe you would have found it? And what if you’d come across Princess Lauris’ ghost?”
Nema’s quick rise from her seat halted the answer on Neria’s lips. “That’s it!” The older woman mumbled to herself, obviously lost somewhere other than where she was.
“Nema, dear? What is it?” Neria asked her after a moment.
“What?” Nema looked at her sister as if she was surprised to see her. “Neria. Don’t you see? That’s it. That’s where they are. King Travensworth, Elenya’s father, Tahruk, the others. They’re at the settlement. They have to be. It’s the only place that makes sense!”
Nema’s excitement caused the other women to sit taller. Neria slowly began to nod her head. “You might be right, Nema. Though many know of it, few know where the actual settlement is. It would be the perfect hideout for young Travensworth.” She leaned back in her seat, a frown taking up residence in the lines of her forehead. “But how would he know how to find it? We were only going on the stories our mother told. There would be no one there now who would know.”
“There are always those who know, Neria. Always. Besides, the word Renaine received was that the forest vagabonds had attacked the carriages of Garrick’s bride-to-be on her way to the castle. They were in search of the jewels and gold she carried to present to the King. Only the King was with them, unbeknownst to anyone other than his second in command. What better prize than just jewels? They got riches and the King!” Nema turned without a word and began to leave the garden area.
Dance With The Enemy Page 14
