Bound by Birthright

by Janeal Falor

  I move through a couple halls and step into the kitchen. Constance looks up, her face momentarily relaxing before she looks back down at the meat she is working with. Sounds of something being shuffled about come in from the dining room. Emeline is working at the table, her gaze tense on us when we enter.

  “Jocelyn, go fetch Stewart from the dining room and let him know you and Adelei have returned,” Constance says.

  “Yes, miss.”

  Jocelyn cuts across the room and leaves through the servants’ entrance to the dining hall. A few seconds later, she returns with Stewart barreling in behind her.

  “Are you all right?” he blurts out.

  “Fine.” For now.

  “I wanted Stewart to come after you,” Constance says, as she continues working with the meat. “He told me to give it a bit more time. What did Captain Smythe want?”

  I sit at the table next to Emeline, who’s working with dough and trying not to shake from fear. She halts her work while I talk.

  “He said he doesn’t care for humans working for elves, especially as servants, and that the two of us are to join him tomorrow, when he leaves.”

  Emeline punches the dough. A thump sounds to my side, and I turn to see that Constance has dropped the meat on the counter. She picks it back up and heads over to the fire pit. We all watch her try to put it on the spit, until Stewart helps her. Any relief that came at my return has vanished. A pall slips into the room. The echo of the pirates’ footsteps moving about the castle, followed by a few vulgar words, make the gloom heavier.

  “Work on your tasks and hope the intruders don’t stay in the castle too long,” Constance snaps.

  Next to me, Emeline moves back to life. Jocelyn heads to the sink and begins working. How is it she knows what to do without being told? I’ve never before done anything in the kitchen, except for the times I snuck down for an extra treat when I was a girl. I’m long past those years, though, and I doubt that would help me blend in for the pirates.

  Constance washes and turns around. She stops and tilts her head when she sees me. “Emeline doesn’t need any help,” she says. “Why don’t you jump in with Jocelyn? She can show you what to do, in case a pirate walks in. Got that, Jocelyn?”

  “Yes, miss.”

  “Is working only when they come around going to be enough?” I whisper just loud enough for Constance to hear me.

  “It’ll be fine. These scums probably won’t notice if you do nothing, but we’ll show you to be safe.”

  I nod, though the thought of helping out, even if it’s only when one of the pirates comes in, fills me with almost as much nervousness as seeing Captain Smythe. If I can’t do it right, I will be seeing him again in a worse way than before. Jocelyn shows me what to do, but it doesn’t make any sense. My thoughts turn back to her words of marrying for love instead.

  It’s a nice thought, for commoners. For me, duty comes first. My people need something to help their relations with the humans, or war is sure to come. Humans are so arrogant, I’m not sure my marriage to a human will be enough to prevent it, and with Captain Smythe’s demand thrown in, maybe my wedding won’t happen after all.

  I take the last bite of my portion of wild boar. The sweet, lightly nutty flavor fills my mouth. Delectable. Constance could switch to working in the kitchen back home, instead of staying with me. Life would be odd without her around, though.

  If only one of us knew some way to poison the food, we wouldn’t have to be dealing with the pirates anymore. But even with magic, none of us knows how to. If only magic was easier and without consequences, we could get out of this mess.

  Light from a candle on the table flickers across my empty plate. The kitchen is growing chilly without the hearth lit. The spit hangs empty, the pirates having finished eating long ago what Constance didn’t hoard for us. They don’t deserve her cooking. I hope they choke on whatever they are still eating. I concentrate on the dining hall, trying to hear what’s going on. I haven’t been allowed in all night.

  “Haven’t had this good a food in a long while.” Captain Smythe’s compliment sounds odd after his earlier harsh demands.

  “Aye. That it ‘tis good, Cap’in,” a sailor replies.

  “Perhaps we should take the older one with us. I should be eating like this all the time.”

  “You’ll leave me here, in peace.” Constance’s snippy voice disrupts the pirates’ banter. The sound of a dish being slammed down halts any remaining conversations.

  “What do you say to that, men? Should we leave her alone or not?”

  My heart pounds. Another pirate speaks up, his speech slurring. “Don’t thunk we wanna have anythin’ so crabby as that, Cap’in.”

  The ruffians burst out in drunken laughter. There wasn’t any alcohol in the castle until they brought their own from their ship. I want to curse its foul nature, but I can’t help but hope it will provide us some means of getting out of this mess.

  “The ravishing human maidens will join us in the morning, instead. Where are they, anyway?” Captain Smythe asks.

  Jocelyn glances at me from across the table, and I sit up straighter.

  “Attending to their duties,” Constance says.

  “Ah, well, they’ll be around soon enough,” Captain Smythe says. “They are mine. I’m not sharing this time.”

  “But, Cap’in, I wanna play with the bonny lasses, too.”

  The clink of glass breaking on the stone floor makes me jump. Constance had better control herself over its ruin.

  “They’re mine. Touch them, and I’ll hang you from the yards,” Captain Smythe roars.

  Any desire to sneak a peek into the dining room is gone. My fear doubles in intensity, causing a physical pain in my chest.

  I don’t know how we can escape his demand. The plans he has for me as Adelei sound worse than if he took me for who I truly am. I’m not sure what he would do to me if he knew I was the princess, though. Either way, it isn’t looking cheery. With a shudder, I stand to pace in the corner of the kitchen farthest from the dining room.

  After a few minutes pass, I slow my pace. Jocelyn watches me from the table, playing with her silverware. My nerves continue to ease until another outburst from the pirates.

  If only I could charge in there with my sword and take them all on. I would need a sword, though. Plus I’ve never been in a real fight, and with as many pirates as there are—some of them with guns—it would be futile. It would make me feel better, though.

  Hearing the scuffle of chairs and moving feet, Jocelyn and I glance at the entrance to the dining hall. Only my servants have been in here so far, but I don’t trust things to stay that way. The noise heightens then drifts away as the pirates begin to leave. After a few minutes, Constance comes through the door, followed by the rest of my servants. I come to a standstill, glad to see them but still wary of the shuffling going on in the next room.

  “Captain Smythe is leaving early in the morning,” Constance says. “He demanded his crew prepare the ship to depart. We are supposed to have their food ready before first light.”

  The sound of someone heaving reverberates through the room.

  “Good riddance,” I mutter, glaring toward the sound, but thankful I can’t see the cause.

  “We best get to work ourselves,” Constance continues.

  “Not that it’ll matter much,” Emeline mumbles then raises her voice. “We’ve all heard rumors about Captain Smythe. He’ll get what he wants, even if he has to torture it out of us.”

  “We don’t know that those rumors are true,” Constance says. She must not have seen what I have. Lowering her voice, she continues. “I won’t turn over the princess. Captain Smythe understands she’s not here, and he’s leaving to go look for her elsewhere. So far, they haven’t shown the cruelty we’ve heard of. We can do this. We need to figure out how to help Jocelyn and A
delei out of going with him.”

  “I don’t know, miss.” Jocelyn puts her elbows on the table and her head in her hands, muffling her voice. “There’s nothing that can save us from this.”

  Constance walks over and puts her hand on Jocelyn’s arm. No one speaks. Jocelyn’s shoulders start to shake with silent sobs. Emeline sits next to her and rubs her back.

  I feel helpless. I can’t order Captain Smythe to leave us alone.

  The quiet is broken only by the occasional sound from Jocelyn. Constance and Stewart look deep in troubled thought. Emeline looks about to cry too.

  The door to the dining room slams open, and a surprisingly sober pirate stands in the doorway.

  “Just a reminder from Captain Smythe. The human girls will join us before first light with their things, or all of you will suffer his wrath,” he says.

  Jocelyn’s sobs become vocal. For an instant, the pirate’s face softens, but then he turns and leaves. He tramps through the now quiet dining room and out, until we no longer hear him.

  Stewart goes into the dining room and returns a few moments later. “They’re all gone.”

  That statement should ease the tossing in my stomach, but it doesn’t. I won’t let it show. “We should leave, too.”

  They all turn to face me, looking at me like I’m mad, but not daring to say a thing to a royal.

  “I know there no’s way off the island, but I think I know somewhere we can hide. Even if they catch us, we’ll know we tried.”

  “She’s right,” Stewart says. “Gather what you need, and I’ll check if they left anyone guarding the back entrance.”

  “Wait.” Constance begins moving about the kitchen, throwing things together as she talks. “We will prepare their food first. If we have it all ready to go, they might not search as hard for the girls. Emeline, more bread. Jocelyn, go out and pick as many apples as you can. Stewart, go with Jocelyn and make sure no guards bother her, then gather any leftovers we can reuse for them from the dining room.”

  They jump to their tasks, Jocelyn following Stewart out the back and Emeline heading to her counter. Constance goes to work, getting the hearth going.

  I slip past them, down the hall to the servants’ quarters. I enter my room and shove my clothes in a bag. We have to get out of this. My plan had better come through.

  Chapter

  Five

  The pack on my back feels bulky and awkward. Stewart says it is the lightest one and that he wouldn’t ask me to carry it except for the fact that no one else has room. Many of our clothes got left behind. When they finished preparing the food and came to my room, Constance shook her head at the bag holding half my clothes and I let it remain on the floor. Mostly we are carrying food.

  “You lead the way. I’ll be right next to you in case you need anything,” Stewart says. He has a few strands of gray by his thinly pointed ears, and I wonder how many more this situation will be adding to them. I used to think he was too young to have gray hairs, but now I wonder how often he deals with situations like this that cause a lot of stress.

  I head out the door and through the garden. The moonlight changes it. It’s even more beautiful, but in a different way. I stop to make sure everyone is following me. Stewart’s right next to me, as he said he would be, followed by Emeline and Jocelyn. Constance comes last. She uses magic to cover our trail.

  I try to keep a steady pace. The garden isn’t the only thing that looks different in the night, and I hope I can remember my way in the dark. Every rustle has me jumping. I’m tired and heavy, but I keep pushing along. The farther we get from the castle, the more comfortable I am. The tiredness and ache are worth it. The girls chatter with each other, quietly at first, but then loudly enough so I can hear.

  “It’s not bad,” Jocelyn says. “It’s just that I want to meet someone. I know I’m still young, but I worry I won’t ever find a man. Nothing is better than true love.”

  “Love is grand,” Emeline replies.

  I’ve never heard so much silliness.

  “You know the law, though. We have to be released from her service before we can court and marry. But if that happens, we won’t be able to support ourselves.”

  “That’s enough, girls,” Constance says.

  They can’t marry or even court? I heard about that once. Maybe I could give them some type of extra pay before they leave my service, but I’m not ready for them to leave yet. Perhaps I can amend that law when I marry. Would Prince Phillip mind? Maybe he won’t want to spend time in Amara, and I’ll be free to make all the choices. Or he’ll want me to always be on Bardus with his humans, and I’ll be able to do nothing. Like always.

  Not many elves have met Prince Philip. It’s been hard to get any information on him. It’s not surprising since most of our contact with humans comes from trading or plundering, with the exception of the occasional human servant, like Jocelyn. It would be nice to know something other than how they only care about themselves. How they are selfish, greedy pigs. Jocelyn isn’t like that, but maybe that’s because she grew up with elves. Captain Smythe acted like humans are said to. What if Prince Phillip is just like him?

  Worry swirls through me. I brush thoughts of it away and focus on the scenery around me. Dawn is looming, which doesn’t do a thing to ease my worry. We’re almost there, though. I hope the pirates won’t find us in the cavern I found. The hill can be seen from over the tree tops. After another half an hour, the sun has broken through the night sky, and we stand at the base of that hill.

  “This is where we’re hiding?” Jocelyn asks.

  “I’m sure the princess knows what she’s doing,” Emeline responds.

  They talk more than they ever did back in Amara.

  “This is almost it. I stumbled onto a cave last time I was here. The opening is hard to see.”

  We walk around the side of the rocky hill. A squirrel runs across the ground in front of us then scrambles up, jumping from rock to rock. The misshapen, lumpy hill hides the cave entrance so well, I’m not sure I can find it again. At one point, I backtrack.

  “Are you sure this is the right place, my lady?” Stewart asks.

  “No,” I snap. I rub my eyes and try to use a calmer tone. “I’m pretty sure it’s somewhere around here. I was touching some of the rock, exploring it, when I found the crevice. I couldn’t see it after I found it.”

  They spread along the hill, touching it, trying to help me find the way in. I run my hand across the bumpy surface, moving it in and out. Then I move it further and further away from me. I squeeze around the dip in the hill, and the crevice sits before me.

  I sag with relief. “It’s here.”

  My servants come running. I head in first, dropping my bag to the side as soon as I’m in, and the girls follow after me. Once past the narrow opening, we come to a large cavern. The floor is fairly even, with a few rocks scattered about. The air is damp.

  With a few grunts comes Stewart, followed by Constance.

  “Bit of a tight fit,” he says, “and it was hard to see. Hopefully that will be enough of a deterrent for the pirates.”

  “I’ve covered our tracks well enough. They won’t be led straight here by our footprints, at least.” Constance pulls out a few cloaks and wraps one around me. “Bit chilly. Glad we have this stuff, though. I didn’t think we would need it until tonight.”

  She hands me a small piece of cheese and a hard roll. “Sorry it’s not much,” she whispers.

  I eat the bread and cheese while she hands out small portions to Emeline, Jocelyn, and Stewart, and keeps some for herself. Once it’s gone, I lie down. Though the ground is hard, it’s easy to drift off after the night I’ve had.

  A hand covers my mouth. I squirm and reach for my sword. It’s not there.

  “Shhh. It’s me,” Constance whispers.

  I sit up and open my eyes. Light come
s in from the hole at the top of the cave, casting a weird light on everything. The others are awake, the girls sitting huddled together while Stewart stands to the side of the entrance.

  “The pirates are coming,” Constance says.

  I nod my understanding. I tuck my knees closer to me, wrap my arms around them, and strain to hear sign of the pirates. At first I hear nothing, then the crackle of sticks and leaves being stepped on and a low murmur of voices reach the cave. I tighten my grip around my legs. Please, please, please, don’t let them find us.

  As they get closer, it feels harder to keep quiet. Their voices get louder.

  “The captain wants them found now,” a gruff voice shouts.

  I can’t help but scoot back. The farther from the voices I get, the better.

  “Such a waste of time. We already got all their food, and the princess isn’t here. We should get on with the job. Captain’s gonna drop them in a couple weeks anyways,” a second voice says.

  Drop us where? What type of condition would we even be in? I use my hands to scoot back further. The sides get tighter, but my back hasn’t touched the wall yet. I scoot more and bump against something. Next thing I know, a loud crash comes from behind me. My hand flies to my mouth.

  “Hear that?”

  “Yeah. Maybe we found them.”

  I hold my breath as the shuffling nears the entrance of the cave.

  Chapter

  Six

  Nah. It’s nothing.” The man’s voice echoes throughout the cave. “Musta been that squirrel hopping about.”

  A ruckus echoes through the cave and then silence. The bread and cheese go sour inside me. Not daring to make more noise than I already have, I wrap my cloak more tightly around me and wait. I can’t bring myself to meet the others’ gazes.

  Once in a while, we hear a scuffle outside, but it becomes so infrequent I don’t know if it’s the pirates lying in wait for us or an animal. Time drips by so slowly, it’s hard to keep track of. I wiggle around a bit, trying to bring my limbs back to life. The cave grows dark as the sun sinks lower in the sky.