by Donna Hatch
The beasts no longer came in as close, instead leaping and then falling back as if they hit an invisible barrier. Kai’s blade continued to slash and cut unimpeded, but the wyrwolves could not get near him. He wondered if Jeniah was somehow responsible.
The last wyrwolf died. Silence fell, almost as tangible as the noise of the battle. Kai waited, breathing hard, for further sounds of attack, but none came. He lowered his arm, calmed his heart, and pulled Jeniah close. Wrapping his arms around her, he let her softness soothe him.
“You did it,” she murmured.
As his breathing slowed and his muscles unclenched, he lifted a corner of his mouth. “We did it. Thanks for watching my back.” Then another thought struck him. “I wonder why your chayim didn’t come.”
Jeniah’s brow furrowed in concentration. “I can’t feel her any longer. I think she’s bound to Arden.”
“But we left Arden weeks ago.”
“I think it has to do more with natural barriers rather than political lines. I sensed a kind of parting from her a few days ago when we passed through that last valley.”
Kai nodded, disappointed at the loss of their silent guardian.
Jeniah’s gaze fixed on the castle crowning a rocky hill, surrounded by several tiers of walls in a pentagon around the castle. A high tower sat at each corner. The castle itself was a large, sprawling structure made of gray stone, rough-hewn and without any adornment. The walls were at least four times the thickness of Arden’s walls. The fortress lacked the grace and beauty of Arden’s architecture, but was functional and clearly impenetrable.
“Once we reach the city, we will go directly to confer with the king. It will be his decision as to what Darbor can offer you in the way of sanctuary.”
Jeniah had been so focused on reaching Darbor that she hadn’t thought of what would happen once she arrived. She was completely at the mercy of the king. Darbor and Arden were staunch allies. The Darborian king’s mother had been the former princess of Arden, and his daughter Karina had married Jeniah’s brother Aven. The king of Darbor and her father had been friends since boyhood, often hunting together. Still, there was no guarantee that King Farai would grant her sanctuary. Would he view her as a burden, an unnecessary risk? Darbor was a large and powerful country with nothing to fear from the Hanorans, but Jeniah doubted any leader would want to create animosity with the Hanoran’s war-loving leader.
“What do you think his reaction will be?” she asked Kai with some trepidation.
“I cannot speak for the king.”
“Will he be angry that I’ve come?”
He turned to look back at her. “No, of course not. He will welcome you.” Then he added with pride, “Do not be concerned, Princess. The king of Darbor has no reason to fear Hanore.”
As they neared the castle, Kai slowed Braygo. “There’s a secret entrance that leads into tunnels below the city and up into the castle. I had planned on getting you in through the city that way. But if you think you can shield us long enough, we’ll ride in through the castle gates.”
“I can do it,” she replied confidently.
“You should probably blur us both until I can confer with the king. My arrival might be enough to tip off a spy watching for you.”
Jeniah nodded, surprised at her own confidence. “No one will even notice us.”
They rode up to the city wall and through the open gates. Several alert sentinels stood guard but barely glanced at the peasants and their pack animal who passed by. Jeniah smiled. This was getting too easy.
The gates opened to a large tunnel. The tunnel, about thirty hand spans long, led to another set of gates.
“Are all the walls this thick?” she asked.
“They are. All the way around the city.”
“Arden needs walls this strong. I wonder how long it would take to build some like this.”
“I couldn’t say.”
The next set of gates stood open. They too were guarded, and again, the sentries paid them no attention.
Kai grinned. “That was my closest friend and he barely glanced at me.”
Jeniah turned to look at Kai, thinking how little she truly knew about this man. He had a life here that she knew nothing about. She wondered if she would even see him now that his mission to bring her to Darbor was accomplished. The idea of living in a strange land without a friend left her unsettled, and the thought of not seeing Kai every day opened up a hollow ache in her heart.
They passed through the city streets. Everything had been laid out as if on a grid, engineered with straight lines. It was efficient and symmetrical but austere, without any thought for beauty. It was, however, clean and orderly.
Kai reined at the gates surrounding the castle proper. “The gates remain locked at all times, and one must either be expected or have clearance to enter. I’ll have to reveal myself if we go in this way. But there’s another way in.”
He rode around the side of the castle wall, away from the main gate. He stopped in front of an expanse of stone wall.
Jeniah eyed the solid wall dubiously. “A hidden entrance?”
Kai nodded. After they dismounted, Kai looked up at a sentry patrolling the top of the wall.
“He can’t see us,” Jeniah assured him. “We’re completely invisible.” It was odd to her how confidently she knew this.
Kai traced strange markings carved into the face of the cliff, carefully going over each graceful line and curve.
“What are those?” she asked when he finished.
“They are called runes—primitive writings.”
He spoke strange words. Cracks appeared around the stones where there had been solid mortar a moment ago. Jeniah stared mutely as the cracks widened and formed the outline of a door. He placed each hand on the wall and pressed. A slight scraping noise answered, and the stone door swung inward, revealing an empty room. Kai stepped through the door and paused, listening, before lighting a torch in a sconce. Once they were inside, he pushed the stone door closed and pressed a rune carved in the door. Again, he spoke words of another language that caused the cracks to disappear.
“How did you do that?” she asked in wonder.
“It’s an ancient magic, placed here generations ago to protect the royal family.”
“Magic?”
“It’s completely benign, with no price to pay and no inherent abilities as a magic-user required,” he reassured her quickly. “All one must do is touch the runes and repeat the proper words. Your ability to blur is a form of magic, is it not?”
Jeniah knew Darborians were superstitious, but she had always believed the magic they accepted was only myth. She had heard of ancient dark magicians who tore the land asunder and caused the Great Wars, and that the Hanoran king practiced a portion of their dark art. She’d also heard that the Darborians accepted mages. Kai seemed to accept it as commonplace.
“Yes,” she confessed reluctantly. “I believe blurring is magic. That’s why I never told anyone about it. I feared its source was dark, although my chayim and my mother said otherwise.”
“From my youth, I’ve been taught that magic is neither dark nor light, but rather a tool to be used. A magic-user is either light or dark, not the magic itself.”
Jeniah stared at the nearly verbatim repetition of her mother’s words. Her heart whispered that Kai spoke the truth. She smiled, feeling lighter as she let go of the last vestiges of fear and doubt she had carried for years. “I can’t tell you how liberating that is.”
After tying up Braygo, Kai untacked him, rubbed him down, and covered him with a blanket. “Let’s hope no one finds him before we get back.”
“I don’t think I can blur him if he’s out of my sight.”
“It’s all right. This room doesn’t look well-used.”
He led her to a door opposite their entrance and turned back to her. “Blur. We may meet someone along the way.”
She projected the image of plain servants over them. Beyond the inner door lay a wide
corridor lit with smokeless lamps. Kai led her through the corridor, passing a few servants along the way, and around a corner to a door.
“The king’s chambers,” he explained. “We’re deep inside his private quarters, which is why there are no guards here. They are all outside the main doors.” He knocked boldly.
Jeniah withdrew her magic from around Kai so his king would know him.
“Enter!” came a command from inside the door.
Inside sat a man about the same age as Jeniah’s father, but there the similarities ended. Atrifle shorter, he resembled a barrel with a jovial face. His clothing was much less formal than her father’s, and his only adornment was a medallion around his neck.
Bowing his head, Kai placed his fist first on his chest and then on his forehead.
“Kai, my boy!” With more dexterity than his form suggested, King Farai leaped from his chair to catch Kai by the forearm in a warrior’s grip and then pulled him into an embrace. After slapping Kai on the back several times, the king pulled back, laughing and wiping his eyes. “At last, you’ve come! I had almost begun to fear the worst.” Then with a curious look toward Jeniah, he asked, “You brought someone along?”
Kai’s eyes darted about the room.
“You may speak freely, here, Kai. This room is completely secure.”
Kai nodded. “Your Majesty, may I present Princess Jeniah of Arden.”
She stopped blurring, pushed back her hood, and sank into a courtly curtsy.
The king’s eyes widened but he recovered quickly. “Your Highness.” He stepped forward, kissed her hand, and looked her directly in the eye. “You look so much like your mother. Please accept my deepest condolences for your loss. Your father was a great man and a dear friend.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” She inclined her head.
“I grieve for the loss of my daughter as well,” he added quietly.
“It was a privilege to know her, Your Majesty.”
The king turned back to Kai. “I had heard the rumors about the princess but I didn’t put much stock in them. I figured they were either started by the Ardeenes to give them hope of being freed from the Hanorans someday, or by the Hanorans to give them an excuse to terrorize both Arden and Lariath searching for her. Now that I know that you were with her, I can see how it could be possible for her to escape.”
He ran a hand through his thinning gray hair, making it stand on end. The Darborian King looked more like a grizzled war veteran than a regal ruler. “The kingdoms are outraged at the Hanorans’ actions. I didn’t imagine even Rheged would be capable of such barbarism.”
As the king’s eyes fell upon Jeniah, his face softened. “I’m glad you’re both here. First, you must eat and rest. My impulse is to keep you locked away for your protection, Princess, but I do not wish you to feel that you are a prisoner. I will assign two of my own personal bodyguards to you. They will remain with you at all times until this is settled. I would like to believe that there are no spies within Darbor, but I would be foolish to count on that. You will need an alias, as well.” King Farai smiled, taking her hand into his. “My dear Princess, I hope that you will consider this your home until Arden is freed.”
She looked up into his kind eyes. “Thank you, Your Majesty. I’m very grateful.”
Kai spoke. “Your Majesty, do you think she should stay with someone outside the castle? It might be less conspicuous.”
The king stared at her, his thumb stroking his chin. “I’m reluctant to introduce any sort of intrigue. Those often have a way of playing out for the worst. And I prefer her to be kept here in the castle proper. Keeping your anonymity will be impossible, Princess.” He studied her face while sadness touched his expressive mouth. “At times such as these, I very much miss my queen.”
The king continued to study Jeniah as he thought. “Hmm. You have obviously Tiraian features. Anyone who travels would see that instantly, so we might as well say right from the start that you are Tiraian to avoid speculation that you might be the missing Ardeene princess.” He clicked his tongue if he were debating the details of the plan in his mind.
“Your Majesty.” Jeniah moistened her lips. “I’m able to appear as other than I am.” She paused. Telling Kai had been much easier than telling this virtual stranger. “I call it blurring. It’s a form of matriarchal magic. I can’t do it for more than a few hours, but I can make myself appear as a serving maid, or a lady in waiting, or even a tree or a piece of furniture.”
The king’s face lit up in obvious pleasure. “Truly? Ah, that’s how you arrived so quietly. That is a unique ability. Lady Zayla is a shape-shifter, but she must remain in similar size and cannot blend in that effectively. The high priestess is an empath and a prophetess with a great deal of magic. I must arrange a meeting. Otherwise, she will pester me. Perhaps she can help you discover other abilities you don’t yet recognize. It could be of great value to your people.”
“I would like that, Your Majesty.”
“Meanwhile, since you cannot remain in disguise indefinitely, we must still find you a new identity.” He tapped his chin. “You were visiting your distant cousin, the queen of Arden, when Hanore attacked. We will introduce you as Lady . . .”
“Illané?” Jeniah supplied. It was the name of a favorite heroine in a Tiraian story she had read repeatedly since her early childhood.
“Very well, Lady Illané.” The king inclined his head. “And the reason you came all this way with Kai is because . . .”
Jeniah could almost hear the gears spinning inside his head.
His gaze moved from her to Kai. His eyes danced. “Because you and he fell in love while you were both visiting Arden and have decided to marry.” He snorted and turned to look at Kai. “Although, with your reputation, some people might have difficulty believing that.” He chuckled while Kai managed to look properly offended.
“Sire, my reputation has been grossly exaggerated.”
“Yes, I’m sure,” the king replied dryly. “Do you agree to my plan?”
Instantly enjoying the intrigue, as well as the idea of pretending to be promised to the handsome man for whom she was already developing strong feelings, Jeniah looked back at Kai.
“As you wish, Your Majesty,” Kai replied as if the king had given an order to call a meeting with the advisors, his face perfectly impassive. “Although I fear she will draw unwelcome attention, even with a new identity.”
“We can use that to our advantage. Anyone seeking her will expect us to keep her secret, hidden, not out in the open. In fact, we’ll start a rumor of our own. It wasn’t the princess who escaped, but the prince, and he’s here, somewhere in Darbor, hidden safely away where you have put him.”
Kai paused and then nodded.
King Farai turned to her. “Princess, do you agree?”
Jeniah looked up at him in wonder. The king actually sought her permission, rather than simply advising her of his decision. Perhaps it was only a courtesy, but to have her opinion considered by a king was an unprecedented honor. “I’ve no objections, Your Majesty. But is it appropriate for us to carry on a ruse of this kind?” It had occurred to her that she might be required to play the part in every way.
“As long as you do not mind being seen frequently with Sir Kai, dining, dancing, and so forth. Any further display of affection in public is purely optional.” His eyes twinkled.
“It might avert speculation,” Kai offered, his body rigid with tension, his expression stony.
Only the touch of quiet resignation in his voice gave any indication of emotion. Jeniah frowned. Something bothered him or he wouldn’t be shielded so tightly.
“Very well, Your Highness. I will behave as though I’m about to marry Kai,” Jeniah said, wondering at the fluttering of her heart. It wasn’t as if it were true, but she decided to enjoy her role. However, she would feel better about it if Kai wasn’t so guarded. What were his misgivings?
They left the same way they entered the castle, even riding all
the way back out to the outer city gates while Jeniah blurred them. Riding in front of Kai, she felt the familiar warmth of his body. And she felt his tension.
“You’re opposed to us posing as betrothed?” she ventured.
“No. I agreed to it.”
“You are not happy about it.”
“I’ve no reason to object.”
Clearly, he was not willing to discuss his feelings, but Jeniah’s instincts screamed that something troubled him deeply. Her safety? No, Kai’s carefully guarded distress stemmed from a more personal nature. She wondered if the enigmatic Kai would ever trust her with his thoughts, however deeply hidden.
A league outside the castle, they rode Braygo down the main highway until they reached a bend in the road that blocked the castle from view. In the deepening dusk, shadows lengthened and the sky was awash with color.
“It’s time to reveal ourselves to the guards.” Kai’s voice belied his misgivings.
Jeniah removed the illusion and they retraced their steps, cantering directly up to the main gate. Guards at the outer city gate recognized Kai immediately, and many called out friendly greetings. In response, Kai gave them a very military salute, but he grinned as he called them by name. Inside the wall, they continued through the city to the castle proper and entered those gates as well, passing another set of sentinels.
Kai helped Jeniah dismount, and a servant came to lead Braygo to the stables. Kai put his hand under Jeniah’s elbow as he guided her toward the main castle doors.
In moments, they were surrounded by soldiers gripping Kai’s arm and pummeling him on the back, enthusiastically welcoming him home in their charming, lilting Darborian accents. Kai slid his arm around Jeniah and pulled her into the protective shelter of his arm as he greeted them.
