Queen in Exile

by Donna Hatch

  An unexpected smile touched her face, humanizing the untouchable perfection. His stomach did an odd flip.

  “Yes, Captain, you did.”

  By the moons, even though they sat several hand spans apart, her presence sent tremors of awareness through him. “If I can do something to atone for my actions—”

  She held up a hand. “No, please don’t. You acted with courage and gallantry. I forgive you. Speak of it no more.”

  Though reluctant to leave her presence, he realized that agreeing to ride with her may have been a bad decision. He might loose his wits and say something stupid, or worse, improper. What was wrong with him? She was not even of age yet. According to Tarvok, Ardeenes reached their age of adulthood at nineteen years, which meant he was at least seven years older than she. She was far too young for her opinion to be of consequence. Practically a child.

  No, not a child. A breathtakingly beautiful young lady with eyes that threatened to dissolve his will. He took a steadying breath. Facing an army was less daunting than facing this woman-child.

  “Thank you for your graciousness and your explanation.”

  She smiled and his heart slammed into his chest. Desperate to distract himself, he picked up a handful of sand, letting it sift through his fingers. “It’s much finer than desert sand.” He had spent far too much time battling Hanorans in the desert.

  “Have you killed many men, Captain?”

  Her sudden turn of thought caught him off guard.

  She fixed an unblinking stare on him and added, “I know as a warrior you’ve probably killed hundreds.”

  “You disapprove of my profession.”

  “I’m not saying we don’t need men like you. Without you, the northern wild men and their ogres would probably have destroyed all of civilization. I’ve heard that they are as bad as the barbaric Hanorans of the desert. But I question the motives of men who willingly spend their lives learning how to kill with more and more efficiency. Why else would a man spend all of his waking hours learning how to fight with every imaginable sort of weapon?”

  Though her words revealed an attitude common among Ardeenes, Kai felt a knot form in his stomach. “There is a great deal of skill involved, and I enjoy the challenge of perfecting my technique. It’s a form of art. But most men train for defense, to protect themselves or their families and homes. Surely you understand that, especially with the threat of war hanging over Arden.”

  “But warriors take pride in their ability to destroy.”

  “I understand what you are saying, but I’m not a Sauraii because I enjoy killing. Life is precious and I would gladly give mine protecting others. That’s what I do every time I go to battle— protect the innocent. Now I teach others how to survive a war and protect the ones they love.” He turned to face her fully. “Do you think that makes me someone who enjoys killing? Do I seem that cruel to you?” It was inexplicably important that she believe him.

  Her eyes upon his face, she took a long time in answering. “No, you don’t. I believe I’ve misjudged you.” She turned and looked out over the water, her eyes upon the horizon.

  Kai could not resist driving home his point. “Knights serve their king and country out of loyalty and a desire to protect them, Princess. I’ve yet to meet a bloodthirsty knight in Arden or Darbor.”

  Knights were usually arrogant and boasted shamelessly, Kai admitted to himself. He had sat in many groups while men relived their glorious battles. He was even guilty of that himself, and he well understood the kind of euphoria that comes after a well-fought battle. Most men, at least those in Darbor, enjoyed the prestige that came with being a knight, but few loved to kill. In fact, the knights here in Arden had never even taken a life . . . yet.

  Clearly pensive, the princess nodded slowly. She turned her eyes upon him and he had the oddest feeling that she could see right into his very soul. “I understand. Please accept my apology, Captain.”

  “Apology accepted,” he replied as unreasonable relief flooded through him.

  She held out a hand. “Can we be friends?”

  He looked at her in astonishment. “I would like that, Your Highness.”

  She smiled. It was fortunate he already sat, or his knees might have failed him. When her fragile hand closed in his, the same warmth he had felt when he touched her hand in the forest traveled up his arm and spread, stirring a place inside his heart he thought had died years ago. He swallowed and withdrew his hand.

  They stood and walked side by side on the white sand. Then the princess veered off and clambered up onto the massive rocks with the agility of a duocorn. Birds flew overhead, some perching on a nearby rock, some bobbing in the water. Small, multi-legged creatures scuttled in and out of their homes in the rocks. Unseen animals bubbled and sputtered in the sand, while long-legged birds ran along the waves, occasionally burrowing their beaks in the sand. Waving, swimming, and crawling things populated the sandy seabed.

  “Follow me, Captain. I’ll show you my favorite place.” She disappeared inside a deep cave.

  Kai halted at the entrance. He hated closed-in places. Not about to confess a weakness, he drew his courage and scanned the area until he found one of the princess’s guards, Breneg. After Kai caught the guard’s eye, he motioned that he and the princess were going inside the cave. Breneg looked unhappy but nodded, moving in closer.

  Kai braced himself and went in after her. The sunlight streamed in through the mouth of the cave, but she moved beyond the light. When his eyes had adjusted to the gloom, he saw the princess with her skirts tucked out of the way, scrambling up the side of the cave. He glanced nervously back at the mouth of the cave and gritted his teeth. Carefully placing his hands and feet on the slippery rocks, he followed her up until he reached a ledge where she perched. Darkness closed in around them.

  Kai eased himself onto the ledge beside her. It was wide enough to comfortably sit, and long enough for them both to stretch out if they chose. The ceiling hung only a few hand spans over their heads. Kai forcibly controlled his breathing, reminding himself there was plenty of air.

  “This is the best hiding spot.” The princess dangled her legs over the edge. “When it is high tide, the water comes up to here.” She indicated with her foot a place a few hand spans below them.

  Kai suppressed a shiver.

  “I came here once to hide from Aven,” she added, oblivious to Kai’s discomfort. “He was furious with me, so I ran away and came here.”

  “Prince Aven? I find it difficult to imagine Aven getting that angry with anyone. He’s always so composed.”

  “I suppose baby sisters have the unique ability to annoy even a holy man to the point of murder.” Her smile was wry.

  He laughed and concentrated on her face, which took some effort in the dim light until his eyes adjusted to the gloom.

  The princess grew sober. “But by hiding here, I only made matters worse. When the tide came in, I was trapped. The water grows turbulent at high tide and it would have either dashed me against the rocks or caught me in an undertow and dragged me out to sea, so I had to stay here until low tide.”

  As vivid images of being trapped in a cave with dark water cutting off his only escape filled his imagination, Kai wondered how cowardly it would seem if he suggested they leave now.

  Clearly unaware of his silent struggle, the princess continued her story. “By the time I could get out, half the Home Guard was looking for me. I’ve never seen Captain Tarvok so frantic. Or angry. Then I had to answer to my parents.” Then she added brightly, “But you have to admit, this is a really good place to hide.”

  “Yes, wonderful,” Kai agreed sarcastically. “If you don’t mind suffocation, undertows, high tide, total darkness, or drowning, it’s a charming place.”

  Her laugh washed over him. “I admit I tend to lose my common sense frequently, but I have some wonderful treasures here.” She gestured to a nearby collection of shells and odd-looking dried plants. Her voice took on a hesitant tone. “This pr
obably seems really childish to you, doesn’t it, Captain?” She looked up at him with vulnerability.

  “Everyone needs a place to go when they want to be alone.” His eyes were drawn to her lips, but he gave himself a mental slap. She was the princess, not someone with whom he could indulge in a dalliance. He looked away. “Are there many caves like this?”

  “The whole coastline is riddled with them. I’ve explored a lot of them, but as far as I can tell, this is the only one that doesn’t completely fill up with water during high tide.” She watched him curiously and he realized his expression must have revealed his alarm at the thought of being trapped inside a dark, water-filled cave. “Do you wish to go?”

  Kai nodded, past caring if she knew of his fears, and immediately began to climb back down. To his relief, the princess did not question him and followed him down. Out in the sunlight, he took a deep, steadying breath.

  Breneg stood near the entrance on full alert as if poised to come charging to her rescue should the princess have made any cry. Kai nodded and the knight nodded back, clearly relieved to have the princess in his sight. A part of Kai wanted to needle the guard for thinking Kai would be so dishonorable as to try to harm the princess, or stupid enough to risk execution. But the rest of him wanted to salute the man for his loyalty and caution. Breneg dropped back to make another sweep of the area.

  They walked close enough to the water that the waves splashed them, but Kai’s well-oiled boots repelled the water and the princess’s skirts were tucked up almost to her knees to keep them dry. She didn’t seem to mind that her feet and legs were both wet and sandy.

  “Do you have any brothers or sisters that you annoyed?” the princess asked.

  Kai averted his eyes from her graceful, slender limbs. “I probably annoyed them some, but I’m the oldest, so they annoyed me more. My half-brother got really good at talking his way out of trouble.”

  “Tell me about your family.”

  He glanced at her curiously. Usually women sought him for his fame or his looks or his status; very few actually expressed a desire to discover his real self. The princess had made her request in such a gentle, genuinely interested way that, despite his normal inclination to keep his personal life private, Kai wanted to comply.

  “My father died of a fever when I was a child, but I remember many days out in the lists learning swordplay from him. My mother remarried an old family friend a few years later.” It had seemed to Kai as though his mother betrayed his father’s memory by remarrying, but he kept that portion of the story to himself. “The rest of my childhood was spent on his farm. My two half-brothers and I stirred up mischief and really tormented our sister.” He smiled. “My mother arranged to have me foster with a Sauraii master. Out of respect for my father, the man took me even though I was too young. I’m sure the farm was more peaceful with my absence.”

  The princess smiled, her eyes soft. With growing dread, Kai realized that his feelings for this girl might easily grow into something more than respectful duty, more than desire for a beautiful young woman. He could not allow that to happen.

  Fingering the braid tied to a thin leather thong around his neck, Kai remembered, and the empty place in his heart ached.

  The princess’s voice broke through his thoughts. “You are looking very serious, Captain.”

  He swiftly came back to the present and summoned a smile. “Forgive me. It grows late. We should return to the castle.”

  Oddly subdued, the princess nodded, her eyes probing his, and he realized that she knew he hid something. That alone was a disturbingly astute observation. Normally, others could not even discern when he applied self-defensive measures. She could. Alarm shot through Kai.

  While she lowered her tucked skirts and donned her shoes, the princess’s eyes continued to penetrate his mask of discipline. Kai positioned a carefully neutral expression on his face and kept his tone light as he chatted with calculated ease.

  “Captain, is something wrong?” the princess asked quietly.

  Fortifying the shields over his eyes, he put on a disarming smile. “Of course, not, Your Highness. I don’t remember when I’ve enjoyed myself so much. Thank you for a wonderful afternoon—” The hackles on the back of his neck rose.

  He scanned the terrain behind them, his hands moving automatically to his weapons. Something was wrong. Danger lurked nearby. He realized that he hadn’t seen her guards in several minutes. His muscles bunched, screaming for action.

  “Get back inside the cave,” he ordered tersely. “Here.” He handed her one of his daggers hilt first. “Use this on anyone who comes near you.”

  She accepted the dagger, holding it with her thumb and forefinger as if it were some sort of filthy rodent. He resisted the urge to reposition her hand on the hilt. The weapon was purely precautionary; he would ensure that no one would get close enough for her to need it.

  He waited until she was inside the cave before moving to the line of trees. The forest sounds around him noticeably absent, Kai reached out with all of his senses.

  There. A furtive movement. Not a guard. Kai soundlessly withdrew a dagger and let it fly. A strangled groan sounded. Kai glanced back at the cave but no one came near the princess’s hiding place.

  He crept into the woods, searching for additional threats. All the forest sounds had hushed. Kai moved forward and discovered Breneg’s lifeless body, pierced by darts. Controlling his anger, Kai slowed, moving more cautiously into the trees. The rustling of leaves led him to a dark young man with Hanoran features, writhing on the ground. The hilt of Kai’s dagger protruded from his chest and his face twisted in pain.

  Kai leaned over him. “Are you part of a strike team, or are you a spy?”

  Hatred glittered in the boy’s eyes and he clamped his mouth shut.

  “How many more of you are there here?” Kai pressed.

  As the Hanoran struggled for a last breath, he spit at Kai. Then he was dead.

  Kai cursed. He hadn’t meant to kill the Hanoran. A prisoner who could provide information was far more valuable than a corpse. He retrieved his dagger, cleaned it, and continued to search. There. Another.

  Footsteps darted away and Kai made chase. Again, he let his dagger fly, this time aiming carefully for the legs. The man went down. He, too, was undoubtedly Hanoran. As Kai approached, the Hanoran placed something in his mouth. He was dead from his own poison before Kai got to him.

  Swearing at a second missed opportunity, Kai resumed his search, but there were no signs of others nearby. Keeping one eye on the vicinity of the cave housing the princess, he swept the area thoroughly. He found the body of the second guard, Ciath. He clenched his fists, silently raging at the loss of two lives. Kai made another pass before he went back to the dark mouth of the cave.

  “Princess? It’s Darkwood.”

  “I’m here.” She appeared out of the darkness and immediately handed him his dagger.

  “We’re returning to the castle now,” he said grimly.

  “What’s wrong?” She looked up at him in innocent fear.

  Normally, Kai’s first impulse would be to shield a lady under his protection from the knowledge of a threat so nearby, and simply take her quickly to safety. He also did not wish to offend the king if his intent had been to keep his daughter uninformed. But after recent events, her ignorance would be a greater danger. At least now, the Ardeenes would be forced to take the Hanoran menace seriously.

  “Two Hanoran scouts.”

  She blinked at him in disbelief. “Here?” She visibly struggled against the improbability of his words.

  He lifted her into her saddle. Then, after grasping the reins of the guards’ duocorns, he mounted and led out, urging them to a run. He’d send someone back for the knights’ bodies later rather than retrieve them now and upset the princess.

  She looked back. “Where are Breneg and Ciath?”

  “Dead.”

  She emitted a cry of sorrow, and Kai regretted his bluntness. They cantered al
ong the road, Kai alert for danger while the princess fell silent. He did not slow their pace until they were safely inside the inner castle walls.

  All nearby guards snapped to attention as Kai dismounted. “Where is Captain Tarvok?” he demanded.

  “The south guard tower,” one of them answered, picking up on Kai’s state of alarm. “Trouble, sir?”

  “You and Eriq escort the princess inside and see that she’s safely in the care of her lady-in-waiting. Gaebe, send a message to the king that I must see him immediately.” While the men scrambled to obey his terse instructions, he turned to the princess. “Do not go anywhere without at least two guards with you at all times. I’ll speak with Captain Tarvok about the assignments.”

  She was pale, her eyes wide with fear and shimmering with unshed tears. “You’re sure they were dead?”

  He blinked. He had not told her that he had killed the Hanoran scouts. Then he realized that she spoke of Breneg and Ciath. Touched at her distress over the lives of her guards, he nodded and reached out to her, but balled his hands into fists instead. “Breneg and Ciath were good men, Your Highness. They shall not be forgotten.”

  Tears leaked out of her eyes and ran unimpeded down her cheeks. She nodded and went inside the castle, flanked by two guards. Kai headed for the south guard tower. On the way, he passed Lord Alivan, who shot him a look of annoyance. Then, obviously noticing the grim expression Kai knew he must be wearing, the nobleman studied him more closely and halted.

  “Troubled by something, Captain?” Alivan’s tone was mocking.

  “Only if you call lurking Hanorans and two dead knights trouble,” Kai shot back. Normally, he would keep such news quiet until he had spoken to both Tarvok and the king, but some instinct in him urged him to speak, and observe the lord’s reaction.

  Alivan’s expression changed and then was quickly masked, but not before Kai detected a touch of fear. Fear, not surprise. Interesting.

  The nobleman made appropriate sounds of shock, and then mumbled something about a meeting. Stifling his desire to interrogate Alivan right then, Kai moved on in search of Tarvok to report the loss of two of his finest men and the presence of at least two Hanorans.