ELRIC’S ICE-BOLT RICOCHETED off the wall to Arara’s right, leaving a frozen streak in its wake. Arara put on a burst of speed. There was a point on each stride where her feet left the ground and Ottont instructed her to push herself forward at that point, making each step the equivalent of four.
That worked until they reached the corner, where the corridor curved sharply. On the next step Ottont propelled himself ahead of her, jumped, and twisted so that his feet hit the far wall. His claws dug into the wood with a creak, and he launched off, losing almost none of his momentum.
Arara skidded underneath him, scrabbling at the floor as she tried not to hit the wall. By the time she got her legs underneath her she had lost her lead on Elric. She put up a force-shield between him and her but he blasted through it like it wasn’t even there.
The mental backlash hit Arara, tangling her legs and sending her into a nose-dive into the floor. Before she’d even stopped sliding Elric was on her. Only a judicious use of a force-push deflected his swinging cane, which whooshed by only a hair’s breadth from her head.
Ottont was racing back down the hallway towards her, and he mentally hit Elric’s hand. The cane spun out of Elric’s grip and bounced down the hall where it impacted with the head of his assistant behind him. The Kin dropped to the floor, senseless.
Magic crackled around them, making Arara’s fur stand on end. Through the bond Sels shouted a warning that Elric was gathering his power. She looked up and Elric’s delicate Kin features were twisted with rage as he chanted. Arara whimpered, more in reaction to getting a stab of pain from Sels than fear.
White flashed in front of her eyes as Ottont threw himself bodily at Elric. At the same time Arara dove into Elric’s mind with all the strength she could muster, just as Ottont had instructed her. Once inside Arara ripped and flailed, throwing subtlety to the wind.
Ottont’s claws hit Elric right in the chest. Inside his mind Arara felt his pain as the claws penetrated his thin robes. She felt herself getting swept away by Elric’s mental defenses and struggled to tear her mind away from his. Sels helped her keep a grip on herself as she pulled herself free from Elric. The last thing she felt as she broke away was teeth on Elric’s throat, tearing it out.
ASSISTED BY BOTH RECKA and Sesay, Sels limped into the entrance hall. His leg still screamed at each step, and only the hands at his shoulders kept him upright. With the circle destroyed and Elric dead, his throat ripped out by an enraged Yaka, the power of the false-sun spell had broken. Without the Sun to power Sesay’s healing magic Sels would have to wait until morning to have his leg fixed, something he thought he’d never be glad to hear.
Both Sesay and Sels had felt the massive outpouring power let loose at Elric’s death, they guessed that the whole city had. As the group slowly made their way back out, soft moonlight was all that illuminated the dark halls. Once outside Sels couldn’t help but admire the star filled sky. He’d never noticed how pretty it was before.
All the Jegera and Yaka lifted their heads to howl at the sliver of the moon visible overhead. Sels had the strangest urge to join them, but contented himself with admiring the way that the starlight lit up Sesay’s smile.
The carriage waited where they’d left it. As they all piled inside Sels though he heard cheering and music, but a stab of pain from his leg pushed it from his mind. It was a tight fit with all of them. Arara ended up on the floor in front of Sels, balancing his injured leg on her shoulder. Recka was tightly packed in next to Sels, with Sesay sitting on his lap. The three Jegera who’d been in the circle were arranged on the floor. Elric’s two Kin assistants sat on the opposite bench, along with the bonded pair who’d attacked them in the hallway.
As the carriage vines pushed up and off his leg was jostled, but the rest of the trip was short and uneventful. They all piled out in the courtyard, which had been lit with sun flower lanterns, to find a double line of Alpha-Guards awaiting their return, Yegra among them. The guards all stiffened and presented their necks as Sels and Sesay exited the carriage.
No one said anything as two of the guards lifted Sels down to the ground. The Kin and Jegera prisoners were led away without comment. Once the carriage was empty the guard commander approached Sesay.
“Elric?” he growled.
“Dead,” Sesay placed a hand on Sels’s arm. “We left him in the mansion. Take that,” she waved to the carriage, “and go retrieve the body. Quietly.”
Moments later the carriage crawled away, vines flashing in the moonlight.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
LOVE WINS
Arara awakened and instantly stiffened at the unfamiliar scents and surroundings; the soft cotton sheets that smelled like cleaner, the foreign lumps of someone else’s bed and the low murmur of Kin whispering. After a moment she was able to process the stinging undertone of disinfectant plant used by the Healers and remembered she’d fallen asleep with Sels in the infirmary as they waited for morning.
The Healers had done their best to make Sels comfortable for the rest of the night until the sun came back up and they could heal him. They had set the leg and spooned a thick foul-smelling gunk into him that helped to dull the pain they both felt.
Kin didn’t have bones like Jegera did, she’d learned during the long claw-markss of waiting. Instead their skin contained thick strong layers that supported the limbs and organs. With such a bad break the skin might never be able to be healed well enough to support weight again. Since Kin healing merely sped up the body’s natural healing, if there was too much damage Sels might not be capable of walking without support even after the healing. Just like his father. The thought pained her.
Once the sun, the real sun, had finally risen they’d started healing magic. She hadn’t realized how much pain Sels had been in until it was gone.
A familiar voice brought her the rest of the way out of her sleep fog.
“Can’t we see her? She’s our daughter!”
“No, leave now. You will be sent for when the Prince and the sedyu are ready to receive you.”
“Mother!” Arara scrambled out of the low bed. She checked on Sels, still sleeping soundly, his feet buried past his ankles in the soft soil, before she ducked out through the door vines.
The room beyond was empty except for Yegra, her parents having already left. All the familiar smells enveloped her like a comforting blanket.
“Yegra!” Arara grinned and pounced. Yegra barked back in wordless joy and met her with a big hug. She’d visit her parents later to make it up to them.
Sometime later she felt Sels stir in the back of her mind. She and Yegra had fallen asleep on the floor, with Arara’s head rested on Yegra’s outstretched paw and Yegra’s breath tickling her face. Teeth closed on her ear as she wiggled free.
“Sels is up,” Arara said by way of apology.
Their clothing hadn’t escaped their reunion unharmed. Arara’s outfit had been torn down the back and Yegra’s uniform was missing a sleeve.
They finished dressing as best they could just as Sels staggered through the vines. He had only a slight limp as he hobbled over and hugged Arara. Arara rubbed her muzzle against his chest.
“My leg hurts,” Sels said, leaning into her touch. Arara was just glad he was walking.
SELS VISITED HIS MOTHER and Tukura the next morning. He was on crutches; the healers had done their job, but warned him not to put his full weight on it for at least a week.
His mother had woken during the night and the Healers were confident they would make a full recovery. When they let him and Sesay in they found the Queen in her sitting room on the couch, a thick blanket over her lap and Tukura curled up next to her.
“Lsander,” Seuan smiled as Sels came in. Her skin and petals were pale and washed out, but her smile was as vibrant as ever. Sels rushed over and wrapped his mother in a hug. She kissed his forehead and pulled him down to sit next to her.
“Saywyn,” Seuan said to his cousin as she sat in a nearby chair.
�
��Your Majesty, I’m glad you recovered,” Sesay’s smile was genuine. He suspected she was glad to be able to pass the burden of rule back to his mother for a while.
“They told me what happened with Elric,” Seuan sighed and Sels leaned into her.
“Mother, let's not talk about that.” Sels let his mother pull him close into another hug.
“You’re right, son. I’m glad you two were not hurt worse, but,” she sighed again and Sels could see tears in her eyes.
“The wedding,” Sesay said, trying to change the subject. “It’s less than four days away and we still-”
“No.” Seuan said, cutting her off. “Sels, Sesay. After all that has happened with Elric, it left me to think. If I’d been able to choose who to love and marry, would any of this have happened?
“Sels, Sesay told me of the love you feel for that common girl, Roel, and the pain it has caused the two of you.”
“What?” Sels blinked in confusion.
“Sels, I release you from the arranged marriage.”
“But what about the alliance?” Sesay’s voice was low.
“Sesay, do not fret. The alliance with the Summer Archipelago is still intact. You are still heir to my kingdom, joining the two as one. But I want both of you to find love with whoever you choose. Do not let the circumstances of your birth keep you from finding happiness, like they did for me.”
Sels could only stare at his mother in stunned silence.
“I'll,” Sesay swallowed hard. “I’ll go inform the wedding planners of the change of brides.” She stood to go.
“Sesay, no,” Sels rushed after her.
“Please don’t make this harder than it has to be.” She only half turned towards him, her hand already pushing aside the vines.
Sels clasped his hands together in front of him, twisting his shaking hands together. “Sesay, will you marry me?”
She gasped and dropped the vines, turning fully towards him. “What?”
“Sesay, I’m asking, will you still marry me? I know I messed up, that I’m not perfect. But I love you.”
In answer, Sesay wrapped her arms around him and pulled him to her, kissing him deeply.
SELS CONTACTED ROEL one last time so he could let her down gently. He met at her clinic at dusk, right before it opened. After all the times he’d snuck out to visit her, it felt odd to take a carriage there while wearing his full royal regalia. When he knocked Roel answered the door herself, rather than have Niq or Poy do it for her. He respected her all the more for it. She let him in without a word, merely raising a leafy eyebrow at Yegra when she tried to follow Sels inside.
Sels trailed her into the lobby. “We have to talk.”
Roel turned to face him and crossed her arms at her stomach. “Yes, I suppose we do.”
“I should have said something sooner, Roel,” Sels stammered, suddenly unwilling to dash her hope of a royal wedding.
“Your Highness-”
“Call me Sels,” he smiled at her. “All my friends do.”
“Alright, Sels.” She smiled back tentatively.
“Roel, I do really like you,” he clasped his hands together to stop them shaking. “But I love Sesay. I hope we can still be friends.”
“Of course,” Roel said, the smile slipping from her face.
“Perhaps,” he hesitated. “Um, would you like an invitation to the wedding?”
Roel shook her head and turned away, hugging her arms around herself. “No, I don’t want to get you in trouble again with your new bride. I hope you both much happiness.”
“Thank you.”
Sels left without telling her about the monthly stipend he had set up to go to her clinic. She’d find out soon enough, when the treasurer delivered the first payment.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
EPILOGUE
Arara tugged at the collar of her black sedyu uniform while she shifted from foot to foot. Standing on two legs for a long period of time was harder than it looked. Next to her Yegra’s wagging tail brushed her back.
At least the summer heat had finally broken. Fluffy gray clouds blocked most of the sun’s rays; the first of the fall rains. A light breeze caressed her fur. A fly buzzed by her face and she flicked her ears impatiently trying to drive it off.
“We would like to extend an invitation to our northern Yakan neighbors, a hand of peace.” The Queen announced. “Too long have we been torn apart by war. As a gesture of that peace, we’d like to present you with the Flower of Heroism, to be presented by sedyu Arara of Last Home.”
The Queen gestured to Arara. Arara took a deep breath and stepped forward to slip the loop of red ribbon over Ottont’s head. Attached was a red flower, one of the Queen’s own blooms. It was an honor only bestowed on a select few. The magically preserved flower had been set into a dark wood disk inscribed with the Sebaine family’s royal crest. The dark wood and cherry red contrasted with Ottont’s snow white fur and cream leather vest.
Ottont presented his neck to the Queen and then to Tukura to a flurry of howling and Kin foot stomping, then turned away from Arara and Yegra to move off the stage. As he passed Sels, hidden just out of sight on the far end of the stage, he inclined his head in a gesture of respect.
SELS TOOK A BIG BREATH, closed his eyes and counted to ten to steady his nerves, then moved out in measured steps across the stage. His left leg still ached, and the weight of his ceremonial robes made it worse, but he did his best to hide his limp. Recka followed along behind him holding up the train of his long robes.
The Queen bent forward to kiss his cheek, giving him an earnest smile as she straightened before pivoting to face the audience. “My son, Prince Lsander of Sebaine.”
The audience howled and stomped. The Queen stood, smiling, for a moment, letting the crowd celebrate, and then raised her hands. Everyone went still.
The wind picked up, flapping his heavy robes and plastering his pants against his legs. Behind him Recka struggled to keep the train from blowing away. The Queen smiled and raised her arms higher, leaning back. Her own robes barely fluttered as the wind rippled around them.
The clouds parted and a circle of sunlight speared the stage. Sesay floated down, seemingly lighter than air. Her yellow dress streamed up and out behind her like cloth sunlight, revealing her bare roots and shapely legs. She landed next to the Queen with a flutter, her dress falling in perfect frilly layers around her. The diamonds sewn in the hems glittered, refracting the sunlight into rainbows that shimmered randomly about the stage each time she moved.
Sels suspected his own vine-do and robes were worse for the wind, and felt shabby next to his beautiful cousin.
“My niece, Princess Saywyn of Sebaine.” The Queen announced. “I hearby announced the two of you officially married.”
The announcement and the cheering brought him back to the present and he realized he’d been staring at Sesay. She smiled and he blushed, and then shyly smiled back at his new wife.
THE END
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
MADISON KELLER lives and writes in the Pacific Northwest. When not writing they can be found bicycling around the woods of Oregon or at the dog park with their adorable Chihuahua mix.
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Also by Madison Keller
Dragonsbane Saga
The Dragon Tax
Dragons Ahoy
Dragon Fried Cheese
Silence of the Dragon
Flower's Fang
Flower's Fang
F
lower's Curse
Snow Flower
Flower Buds
Standalone
Poppy and the Great Expo
Crossroads: The Donovan Frump Story
Romancing the Tombstone: A Vampire Short Story
Northern Delights: A Short Story
The Monster in the Mist: A Short Story
Watch for more at Madison Keller’s site.
Flower's Curse Page 21
