by Alice Ivinya
She raised an eyebrow and rode right up to me, her voice little more than a whisper. “I’m sure these gentlemen can give you a hand if you find yourself stuck in your corset. It will be good practice for your wedding night.” She giggled and tucked stray hairs behind her ear, leaning back. “You have plenty of gold. Pick up some village girl on your way north. You’ll be able to fool her.”
I met her grin with a glare and barely suppressed my temper. I’d served and helped her for years. I was going to a foreign, dangerous land and marrying her betrothed so she didn’t have to. How could she act like this? Why did she have to take every little thing?
Before I said something I regretted, I guided Falada around, and set off down the road at a canter. Whichever guards and horses were left from her clutches could follow me, but I’d had enough of Elyanna to last a lifetime.
The wind blew in my face and I concentrated on its cold kiss on my nose and cheeks, until everything else faded. After half an hour’s hard riding, an older guard rode level and held out his hand. I recognized him vaguely. Sir Cuthbert? “My lady, the horses need to pace themselves, and the pack horses have fallen behind. This speed serves nobody.”
Begrudgingly, I slowed and let the knight take the lead. I didn’t speak, still frozen numb, yet hot with unvoiced anger. At least I would never have to see the Princess again.
‘She’s jealous of you, you know?’ came Falada’s voice invading my thoughts.
I snorted. “What could she possibly be jealous about? She has spent her entire life belittling me.”
Falada shook his pale mane. ‘She was jealous of many things, so she pretended none of them mattered. She wanted to be the best at everything. Don’t hold this hate within yourself because of the hate she bears herself. Be free of it. It is no way to live. She only poisons herself.’
I bit my lip and attempted to break free of the cycle of thoughts analyzing every way she had ever wronged me, justifying and amplifying my anger. I turned my thoughts to Falada instead. “Are you going to miss her? You’re bonded to her too after all.”
The horse shook out his mane. ‘I am happy to stay with you. I have been bonded to many people over the years. Some have souls that are vibrant. Some are weak. Often I miss them not. Elyanna always had a worrying tendency to take joy in other’s pain. I fear it will only grow as she becomes older.’
I leant forward over his neck. “How old are you, Falada?”
The horse stamped his front two feet. ‘Older than you, child.’ The voice was accompanied by a sense of annoyance.
“Have you always been with the royal family?”
‘Yes. Who else would want a Spirit-Horse? I can only bond with ones with the Old Blood.’
“I know, but… don’t you ever just want to be free? Away from all humans?”
Falada snorted and shook his head, tugging the bridle. ‘Away from humans? Then who would soak my oats or rub me down? I can demand whatever I wish, and it is brought to me.’ He angled his head to regard me with one big brown eye. ‘The royal family have never owned me, Brianna. I choose to stay where I know people can afford to care for me and understand my demands. A wealthy royal family is the obvious choice.’
I raised an eyebrow, suppressing a smile. “You give a lot of life lessons to pretend you only care about oats.”
A young guard pulled up next to me with a friendly smile. I sat up straight in the saddle and waited for him to speak.
“Can you really hear the horse speak, Highness?” he asked.
Highness. I was going to have to get used to that.
I raised my eyebrows. Of course I could. “We’re bonded. I have the blood.” I pointed automatically to my white hair as an explanation.
The young man looked ahead, still with a cheery smile. He had a head full of brown curls that bobbed up and down as he rode. “I wish I could talk to horses. Maybe I could encourage this one to move a bit faster when urged, rather than take every chance to swerve to the verge and eat grass.” He leant forward and patted his horse’s neck.
I frowned at him. “Only Spirit-Horses can talk,” I snapped. The man shrugged and I regretted my tone. I was still seething from Elyanna and he was only trying to be friendly, after all. I needed friends. “What’s your name, sir?”
“Oh, I’m not a sir. I’m still a squire. Jeremiah at your service.” He gave a bow that was awkward from the top of a horse. “The Queen asked me to organize your new honor guard once we reach the capital of Stonekeep.”
I hid my frown. He was far from the most senior of the men. He looked barely older than me, how could he head my honor guard? “It’s nice to meet you. Don’t you regret not being able to return home?”
He shook his head with a grimace. “My family is out of favor. My brother is Sir Yallen and he was caught in tax evasion relating to last year's harvest. I’m his third brother. The Queen said this could be a fresh start for me.”
I nodded. “Hopefully we can both find our place in this new world.” I looked around at the other guards. “Do you know these men well?”
He shook his head. “They are Sir Hellard’s men. They serve the Queen mostly. They are returning home once we arrive. I’m the only one staying.”
“Oh.” Did the Queen not care to provide for me at all? Well at least I would have one Syberan with me in the castle. I doubted Falada would be allowed inside the actual building.
He shifted in his saddle. “I thought it very wise to have your lady-in-waiting to act as your double until we left the city. There might be those wishing to stop this alliance by harming you. Spies of Kilamore, you know? Though I did think she was quite arrogant.”
It was all I could manage not to gape. He had to be the only one here who didn’t understand what was going on. Clearly the Queen didn’t even trust her own men to keep the secret in the Borderlands. Jeremiah couldn’t be the brightest penny in the purse.
He frowned into the distance. “I must ask though, why did you let her take the maids? I thought that odd.”
I fumbled for something to say. “Neither wanted to come. They didn’t want to leave Sybera. I gave them the choice to stay with Lady Brianna.”
The squire nodded. “I thought it must be something like that. You are very kind to them. It is my honor to serve you.”
I tangled the reins around my fingers in thought. “If you’re a squire, which knight do you serve?”
He sighed. “I did serve Sir Percy. I was doing well, but I wasn't expecting this promotion so quickly. To be the head of your guard is the highest honor, and before I’ve even become a knight. I’m hoping I can eventually be knighted in Stonekeep.”
My stomach shrunk. If we were attacked, I didn’t have much faith in this man’s ability to protect me or organize a guard. I assumed the Queen had chosen him more for his lack of brains than any skill.
Dusk fell and Sir Cuthbert called a halt as the road became too dark for the horses to pick their way safely. I eased my aching muscles by the fire while they unpacked the tents and hauled my giant chest inside mine. I felt awkward as they worked except me, but I wasn’t sure what needed to be done. I ate little of the stew for dinner and excused myself as early as I could. I didn’t want to find myself in any more cheerful conversations with Jeremiah, and knew the other guards would feel more comfortable talking to each other when I was absent.
I hobbled into my tent, unrolled my furs and collapsed on top, sinking into the musty comfort. The lantern made strange shadows dance around the canvas flaps, and it was hard to tell which originated inside and which came from the fire. I gritted my teeth and pulled myself up to get undressed, hoping I wouldn’t make a visible silhouette for the guards to laugh at. The tent was too low to stand, and it was hard to crouch in the rigid corset. I pulled off my dress, not caring that some of the fastenings tore. I couldn’t reach the straps of my corset by myself. I cursed Elyanna’s name under my breath for taking both maids. There was no way I was sleeping in this thing. I found my long knife and wedged it
between my shoulder blades, sawing until the cords snapped. It took longer than I’d imagined, and my muscles burned in protest at the uncomfortable position. At last the ties snapped, and I managed to wiggle free. I took a few deep breaths and felt my rib cage relax. I tossed the corset aside; It was too ruined to wear it again. Hopefully I could get a new one before being presented to the Borderland King and Queen. Surely not even a princess could be expected to wear a corset the entire journey on horseback?
I shrugged out of my shift and realized with horror that I had started my monthly bleed. The material was stained and my thighs were a mess. The soreness of my muscles from the ride must have hidden the cramps. I hunted in the chest for my normal bag of rags, but nothing there was mine. It was all new or Elyanna’s. Tears of exhaustion bubbled up, and I muffled my sobs from the guards. I couldn’t do this. It was all too much. I buried my head in the furs.
But I couldn’t stay like this, not while I was making such a mess. After a few shuddering breaths, I tried to clear my mind. I didn’t need a maid. I just needed to find something to use as a rag and get to sleep. In the morning I would be less tired and emotional.
There were two other shifts in the chest. I tore one into strips and used water from my flask to clean myself as best as I could in the limited space and light. Then I bundled the soiled rags with the stained shift and hid them in the bottom of the chest. Once I’d wrapped myself securely, I dressed in the final shift to sleep. The fear of soiling this one remaining shift made tears press against my eyes again.
“Don’t be silly, Brianna,” I whispered. “If you stained it, it would be under your dress. Nobody would see. There’s no maid to notice.” I took a deep breath and blew out my lantern. The men’s voices drifted in low swelling murmurs from the fireside. I drifted asleep thinking of giant wolves that ruled the forests and trapped little birds in their paws.
Autumn was starting to paint the world with its jewel-tipped brush. The horses’ hooves crunched the bronze leaves, and ruby and gold spiraled around us in the wind. The air was still mild, but the wind tugged at my cloak and pierced its way through my gloves. It was already colder here than it had been at Hava.
We rode through farmsteads and small woods, the road frequently busy with carts full of the harvest. Everywhere people were hustling and fretting about bringing in the crops before the weather changed. Whole villages were in the fields with sheaves of corn strapped to their backs, and children ran between them with water bottles and food and far too much energy.
I wondered if this was what it was like in Gilava and felt a pang of loss at never being able to join such a closely bonded community where each person was known and had their role to play. Instead I was just a strange lady with a false name riding by without notice.
The land grew steeper as we neared the footholds of the Fever Mountains. The land no longer produced crops, but was speckled with sheep and cows and lone houses with threads of smoke coming from their chimneys all day long. The road became narrow and rocky and we were forced to ride single file. The wind picked up and flapped the sides of the tents at night making it hard to sleep.
On the third day we reached the mountains and made for Eagle’s Pass. The Fever Mountain Range was high and the peaks were coated in snow, but the Pass remained clear. Huge boulders created a maze and we were forced to dismount so the horses could pick their own footing. The wind was loud enough to snatch words away, and I became used to hour after hour of silence.
Finally, we reached the far side and I found myself looking down at the Borderlands. I’d never left Sybera before and the thought of being somewhere completely new both excited and chilled me. Already the land looked different. At the foot of the pass was a squat tower of dark stone with men circling the ramparts. It was strange that they would have a fort here, when Syberans had never been a threat in the history of our two countries. I wondered if there would be trouble, but the soldiers let us pass without question. Beyond, as far as I could see, stretched a forest of dark pines, woven with roads. Here and there were cleared pockets around villages. To the east I thought I could make out farmland, and beyond, the distant sparkle of the sea. To the north-west were the infamous Sal’hadar Mountains, that kept the monsters of children’s stories at bay; the Border. Their peaks were even taller than the Fever Mountains and made a jagged tear across the horizon. I wrapped my cloak around myself and hoped I would never have to travel to such a sinister place.
Jeremiah rode up with his normal cheery smile. “Straight ahead you can see Stonekeep, where we are heading.” He pointed north. “See that dip and the tops of the spires over the trees?”
I nodded, though I wasn’t convinced that they were spires and not just more trees.
“Two more days, Princess, and you’ll be cozy and warm in your new home.”
He didn’t see that the thought of reaching Stonekeep made me colder than the bitter wind.
‘You dislike him.’ Falada turned his head to give me a long look with one eye. ‘I like him. His soul is bright.’
“Falada, you realize I don’t know what you mean by that? I can’t see ‘souls’.”
He snorted. ‘You are prickly, Brianna, and not yourself. It’s all these reflections on melancholy thoughts.’
I sighed and scratched his neck. “I’m sorry. I’m just tired and scared.” Voicing it out loud threatened to make me emotional again. “And it’s that time of the month.”
Falada shook out his mane. ‘You are quick to excuse yourself. Quick to linger in self-pity. You should act to make things better. You should befriend the boy. You can trust him.’
I glared at the horse. “Thanks for the empathy and support.”
He snorted long and low so it sounded like a sigh. ‘You’re acting like a spooked filly and lashing out at those who feed you.’
I slumped in the saddle, guilt and grief mixing in my heart. “Leave me alone, Falada.”
He didn’t reply. Above us the mournful cry of an eagle drifted.
Stonekeep lay on the far side of a wide shallow river in the center of a valley. The water was full of waders and cranes and was speckled with boggy islands. The ground had been cleared of trees for several miles around to make way for rich farmland, and the crops were already harvested, leaving peaty soil bare for the crows and gulls. Even in the shelter of the valley, I could feel the wind worming its way into my clothes.
Stonekeep itself was not a city of beauty, and I could see little to admire as it grew before us. It was much smaller and more compact than the lazy sprawl of Hava, little more than a fortified town. The thick outer wall was dark grey stone with simple square towers, that hid the smaller buildings from view. Squatting in the middle like a giant toad, was the castle, though it looked more like a fort. It had neat towers and the central two bore spear-like spires that pierced the sky. There were no artistic touches or sweeping buttresses. No balcony gardens with hanging vines or statues on the eaves. This was a building of war.
It also looked like it would be an effective prison, and here I was simply letting myself be led inside.
I hadn’t spoken to Falada since the morning before, and now I felt a desperate urge to make amends before we were separated in that dark squatting fortress.
I leant forward over his neck. “Falada, I am sorry. I shouldn’t have spoken like I did. You’re right, my circumstances don’t justify me snapping at you.”
The horse lifted his head higher. ‘I forgive you, but make sure I get soaked oats tonight. And deep bedding. And I need a good brush.’
I scratched him under his mane. “I’ll make sure you have the best care in the whole stables.”
We reached a long stone bridge that spanned the river on at least a hundred legs, and I resisted the urge to turn and gallop as the thick walls reared higher and higher. I was sure Falada would take me wherever I wished, for all his talk of oats. But that would leave the alliance in tatters and two countries searching for me.
Stonekeep was pure practic
ality, and I guessed so would its people be. I was used to the fussiness of Hava and the invisible role of lady-in-waiting. Everything was about to change. I wound my hands tightly into Falada’s mane, and he didn’t complain.
Jeremiah leveled his horse with mine on the bridge and gave me a grin. “So this is it, eh? Our new home. It’s a bit dark, don’t you think? They should paint the walls or plaster them or something to make it more inviting.”
“That would be a lot of paint. I don’t think they want to look inviting. I think they’re trying to scare off their enemies.”
The squire nodded. “Well, it’s effective. I wouldn’t want to attack that.”
I nodded in agreement, trying to conceive how big a siege engine would be needed to make a dent in walls so thick. The river was wide, and flowed on both sides, so it would be difficult to find a place for catapults in the boggy ground.
Jeremiah seemed to finally sense my mood, or maybe he had all along and simply been failing to cheer me up. “Don’t worry, Princess, they will all love you. Your prince will see that he is a lucky man and all will be well.”
I snorted, but a lump had formed in my throat that made it hard to reply.
Jeremiah raised his eyebrows in an earnest expression “Seriously, Highness. You have an ally in me. I will protect you.”
I managed a small smile in thanks.
3
Prince of the Borderlands
A guard had ridden ahead to announce us, and trumpets sounded as we clattered over the drawbridge. My heart started pounding as I grasped that this was finally happening. No more imagining or fretting. I was about to know for certain what the rest of my life was to be like. I was fully Elyanna now.
