"You're special to him," Trenton said quietly as we traversed the hot space between the two lands.
"He doesn't even know me, this is all just a..." My mind went blank. What was it? A dream? Reality? A trick?
Turning his sharp nose up at me, Trenton sniggered to himself. "If you say so, Layanna. However..." He dug his hand into the satchel attached to his horse's saddle. "This tells a different story."
Handing me a book, he smiled, his eyes lighting up as his gaze landed on the title. The paper was roughly cut, the binds coming apart.
My gaze traced the outline of a woman with dark hair flowing behind her. She wore a splendid emerald green gown with gold trim, a flower tucked into her hair.
"The Lost Queen of Althea. What is this?"
"It's the story of your life."
Loosening my reins, I opened the book, careful not to damage the already worn parchment. A gasp escaped me as my finger traced the image of a baby being left in a home, while another was taken away. My hands moved fast to turn the pages, my heart getting heavier at the story told. It was exactly as Sarsia had shown me, the story they'd told me.
"This is so easy to make up, I..." I still had so many doubts. They believed me to be their lost princess. How could I live up to that expectation?
"Look at the last page." Trenton's words were soft as he patted my hand. "We all have a purpose in life, Layanna. If yours wasn't this, you wouldn't be here."
My gaze shot to his. The green of his eyes was a bright contrast to the darkness of his skin and hair. His kind face made my heartbeat slow down. The flood of emotions were almost constant as I investigated new territory in an unfamiliar kingdom and within myself.
Looking down at the book, I turned to the last page. An image of me... yes, the features were exact... on a... was that a dragon? Yes, I was riding a dragon. "What is the meaning of this?"
The other's came into alignment with us, their horses either side of Trenton and I.
Larnika was beside me, his expression troubled as he pleaded with his eyes. It looked like he wanted to say something, but he couldn't. He held back, nodding at me as we approached a clump of trees.
Sarsia looked at me sideways, the shake of her head catching my attention. Her braid flicked as she leant over and punched Trenton in the side. "You were supposed to wait to show her that."
"Well, she's still doubting who she is, which we don't have time for. She's a fae princess, she needs to pull up her girly boots and realise the power she has. So many women allow themselves to be undermined, it's about time they know that their own beauty isn't in their physical looks, but in their feminine energy, their female magic!" Trenton's outburst made my mouth drop open.
Larnika cleared his throat. "You'll have to excuse Trenton, he's-"
"Passionate about the opposite sex," Sarsia interrupted, sending Larnika a warning stare. "Come." She looked at Larnika with wide eyes. "Let's go ahead to check for trouble."
As they moved away, I glanced at Trenton who had his reins firmly wrapped around his fingers. The tightness of his jaw made the skin stretch across his cheeks, his frown pulling his thick eyebrows together. Finally, someone who showed as much emotion as I did.
Looking down at his horse as the others waved for us to wait outside the grove of trees, Trenton cleared his throat. "My wife. She was the princess of the fairies. She was incredible, but..."
I waited for him to go on, but when he stayed silent, I had to prod him. "But...?"
His gaze met mine, his bright eyes cast in shadow, filled with water.
My chest squeezed as he stared at me, pain radiating from every part of him.
"She was beautiful. Long light hair, light eyes, light skin. Everyone praised how she looked, and she became obsessed by it. When we met, I asked her who she really was. It touched a chord in her, and we fell in love. Once married, I saw the decline in her moods. She missed the attention of the other fairies. I tried to show her the inner beauty that was begging to be felt by her, but she couldn't see it."
"What happened?" I was hanging onto every single one of his words, my hands now also tightly holding on to the reins.
Sarsia came back out through the trees, waving us to join them. Trenton kept his gaze on mine as I nodded to let her know we would follow.
"She not only lost faith in herself, she lost it in everything. She grew weak, her body losing the magic that kept her alive. Fairies need to believe to live, but she died, not able to ever see underneath the surface of who she was. She suffered for that. Many people do, human, fae or otherwise."
The sorrow that laced his voice made me swallow hard. Tears slipped into my eyes as he moved his horse away from me, giving me a moment to myself.
The men in my village would have never shown such compassion and understanding of a woman. They would care for them, provide for them, but they didn't see them the way Trenton did. It was something that spoke to my heart. As his back disappeared in between the trees, something hardened within me. If I really was the Princess of Althea, I had to become stronger.
"Well, well, well," a voice said behind me.
Spinning in my saddle, I opened my mouth to call the others when I saw a tall handsome man standing there with a crocked smile.
"I'd heard rumours that you were back, but I never believed them." Raising his hand, the man chuckled when a bow and arrow appeared in them.
"Sarsia!" I shouted as he drew back the string and aimed for me.
Not waiting for him to strike, I swung my leg over the saddle, ducking as he let the arrow loose. The swish that flew past my head made me huff out loud. Jumping down, I stepped under Bolnio's underside to hide behind him. The man stood his ground, his feet firmly in place. He was watching me, amusement still lining his face.
"Lincoln!" Larnika's voice rang out as they came back out of the woods.
"Get on your horse," Trenton told me as he drew nearer.
"Brother!" the stranger replied, his arm relaxing slightly.
Brother? Larnika had a brother?
Larnika rode up to the man, his gaze narrowing. The pair stared at one another, the atmosphere heavy. The men might be brothers, but they were also enemies.
I was about to do as Trenton told me, but Larnika's brother turned the aim of his bow and arrow to my horse's throat. Running in front of him, I shielded Bolnio.
"I command you to leave us alone!"
"Lincoln," Larnika said as he slowly drew his sword. "Listen to your princess."
Lincoln gripped tightly to his bow, his jaw clenched as he stared at me. "No. I will not obey the impostor."
His fingers released the string of his bow, sending the arrow towards me.
Throwing my arms over my head, I waited for the impact. The pain would be-
The clang of the wood on the ground in front of my feet made me look up. The arrow lay on the dirt, its head snapped. How had that happened?
"Leave us, now, Lincoln!" My words couldn't be ignored, not according to the others, although he had fought them enough to shoot me.
"I will assassinate you!" he shouted, spinning on his heel and running away.
We waited for the man who looked like his brother to disappear over the land, towards the woods that led back to Althea.
"That was too easy," Larnika said, guiding my horse into the clump of trees. "He'll be back, probably with hundreds of Unseelie Fae. He's one of the best assassins in the land. There's only so much power you have with your words."
"Time to hone your magic," Sarsia said from behind. "Otherwise you'll get your buttocks tanned!"
Trenton cleared his throat. "Indeed, it would be a shame for such a nice royal behind to be damaged."
"Excuse me?!" I exclaimed as the others laughed. "I'll have you know that I won't allow anyone near my backside!"
“Queen’s should not talk about their backsides.” Trenton winked at me, his eyes bright.
Larnika and Sarsia however were having a heated whispered conversation between them. The
fairy was distracting me so the others could talk about what had just occurred. That wasn't how it was supposed to be. We were a team now, working together.
"What are you talking about?" I asked them.
They both eyed me before sharing a look.
Sarsia nodded, her eyes instantly ducking to the ground as Larnika turned in his saddle to face me completely.
"My brother saw your power. Being able to deflect one of his arrows means that you are more powerful than Jordeek, who was shot in the leg by my brother. He will go back and tell the King this news, which means he'll pursue you even more. We have to hurry, Layanna, before the Unseelie Court catch up to us."
"We've done well so far, why would it get more difficult?"
My words were naive, I could tell from the look all three of them shot me. My chest squeezed as I thought back to the arrow that had dropped in front of me. I had repelled Lincoln’s arrow, protecting myself in the process. I had powers. I had magic. Which meant, I had threats. A lot of them.
"Don't answer that," I muttered. "It was a silly question. Who's going to teach me how to fight?"
Trenton and Sarsia glanced between themselves as Larnika kept watch around us. Danger was everywhere, there was no denying that. Which meant that I had to learn how to handle myself. There would be no princess wiles. If I couldn't defend myself, why should they protect me?
"Before you refuse," I said when they went to shake their heads. "That wasn't a request but an order."
"Well, Your Grace," Trenton said, rolling his hand high and bringing it down as he bowed on his horse. "If you're ordering us around now, how can we refuse?"
"You can't," I replied, trying my hardest not to laugh. "Not because I ordered you, but because you like me."
"If you say so." Trenton shook his head as he pointed behind me. "Let's proceed to the city of Loridon, the gateway between Althea and Sariah, thus leading us to Dragonscale."
My heart thundered in my chest as I turned to look at the looming city at the base of a towering snow-capped mountain. Loridon, a city where I would find my strength, I was certain of it.
Chapter Thirteen
The fields leading up to the gates of the city were full of crops, the ground fertile and lush. The dirty track that weaved between the various plants was mostly empty, except for a few farmers tending to their harvest. A couple of them looked up at us, their heads ducking when we passed.
"I’ll give you a sword lesson when we arrive." Larnika brought his horse next to mine. "Just remember, humans and fae live side by side here."
Inclining my head when he looked at me, I tucked my fingers into my cloak. The weather had grown cooler as we'd come closer to the base of the mountain. They had told me that humans had no idea that the fae existed among them. I didn't know how I felt about the secret, but I had decided to withhold judgement until I saw how people fared within the city.
The gate loomed ahead, its spikes high in the stone wall. At least we wouldn't have to waste time persuading them to let us in. We could enter the city and rest.
The night was starting to draw in, the sun dropping behind the mountain. I was ready for sleep after a day in the hot sun.
Larnika had told me that his brother had been an assassin for the Unseelie King since he had been sent to squire for him in an attempt to bridge gaps between the Seelie and Unseelie. The kind gesture from both of our father's had ended in tragedy when the King of the Unseelie had ordered Lincoln to assassinate his own mother. Which he did. Ever since Larnika had promised never to speak to his brother again.
"I remember everything you told me. It will be easy for me to pretend that I'm human, won't it?"
The smile that lit his face disappeared as his head turned to look behind us. Following his gaze, I froze when I saw the group of pixies flying down the hill.
"Go!" Larnika shouted at the same time as a horn sounded from the ramparts of the wall in front of us.
Loridon had strong defences. The mayor of the city saw all Unseelie as a threat, therefore, he had ordered that they be kept out. Seelie Fae and humans lived in harmony, but there were a few Unseelie Fae hiding in the shadows. The others had given me a history lesson of the city during our ride.
Kicking Bolnio into gear, I held onto my cloak as he galloped towards the gate. My companions were beside me, their horses keeping up with mine easily. The creak of the gate made me look ahead. They were lowering the spikes to block access to the hundreds of pixies who swarmed behind us.
"They're not going to let us in!" I shouted.
Larnika's bow and arrow appeared, aimed towards the men who were winding down the impressively large metal gates.
Throwing my arm out, I knocked his elbow.
"What are you doing?" He growled.
"Don't maim those men," I shouted. "Aim for the pixies."
Looking over my shoulder, I gulped. The Unseelie were gaining on us, the flap of their little wings forming a chorus that travelled down the hill towards us.
"Please!" I shouted to the men in front of us. "Let us in!"
They only just heard me, their heads lifting as we approached. They wore metal helmets with their armour, the banner of a dragon printed on their chest plates.
One of the men waved his arm to the other, halting him. He stepped forward and pointed at me before his gaze traced the pixies who attacked from behind.
"Close the gate!" the guard called.
"No!" My shout went ignored as fine needles fell on us.
One or two of them lodged into my cloak. Throwing the hood up, I kept my head down and pushed Bolnio forward. The gate started to creak down again. We weren't far from it, only a few more steps and we would be inside. As long as the guards let us through.
They moved to the entrance, their swords drawn and ready for a fight.
"In the name of the Princess of Althea, let us through!" Larnika shouted.
"Princess?" one called as Larnika reached over and pulled my hood away from my head.
I gasped as a needle from the pixies flew into his wrist, narrowly missing his thumb. He winced, but gestured for the guards to move out of the way, which they did.
Our horses galloped through the entrance just as the spikes of the gates started to lower. I watched over my shoulder as the guards ran back into the compound and the gate crashed to the ground.
The pixies were blocked from entering through the bars, their small bodies slamming into an invisible wall. The city was magically protected too.
"We were lucky!" Sarsia rode up beside Larnika and grabbed his hand. Tugging the needle out, she smiled up at him when he grimaced. "You're going to need a cure for that."
My gaze traced our surroundings as I breathed hard, trying to catch my breath. The stone houses were solid here, row after row. A big building in the centre of the city rose on a knoll of a hill. The streets were lined with thick mud, but there was something sweet smelling wafting my way, which covered the griminess of the city we had just ridden into.
“I need more than a cure.” Trenton’s croak caught our attention.
His body slouched to the side, falling off his horse. The thud of his head on the ground made me scramble off my horse. The others did the same, Sarsia reaching the fairy first. Needles protruded from his back. The bright pink feathers fluttered in a breeze caused by Sarsia's sleeve as she waved her arm in the air above Trenton.
"The poison is bad," she murmured.
Slowly, she took out each needle, her nose screwing up when Trenton moaned.
I lowered myself to my knees next to him. Taking his head, I stroked his hair away from his face. His eyes were closed, but they closed tighter with every tug of a needle.
A commotion just beyond our horses caught my attention, but before I could see what was happening, Trenton's arm reached up and wrapped around my ankle. He squeezed tight, the pain etching lines in his face. Would I be able to heal him too?
"We need to get him out of here," Sarsia said, looking over my shoulder. "We're a
ttracting too much attention from the humans."
Glancing over my shoulder, I bit my lip. Larnika was trying to prevent the guard from approaching us, his sword extended in warning.
The guard took out his own sword, a threat on his lips as he glanced through the horses’ legs to see what we were doing.
"Get those needles out," I encouraged Sarsia. "At least we can pretend that he's taken ill from the hot ride."
"They saw the pixies." Sarsia's tone was low as she sped up her plucking.
It reminded me of preparing the chicken for dinner back in my village, plucking the feathers from its skin. A pang tightened my chest as I thought of home. The village I grew up in was a world apart from where I currently knelt in the mud.
Reaching forward, I helped Sarsia rip out the last of the needles. A sword appeared in front of my face, the tip moving to tuck under my chin. Sarsia scowled when another sword appeared in front of her.
Whoever controlled the sword that held me to ransom brought my chin up, forcing me look at him.
"The mayor has ordered the arrest of any persons who bring Unseelie to our city." The guard bent down and looked into my eyes. "You're a pretty one, aren't you?"
"You will not arrest us," I replied, trying to sound stern.
Laughing, the man grabbed me under the arm and hauled me to my feet.
Sarsia shook her head in warning. I knew that Loridon was different from Althea, but was it not still in the kingdom?
"We don't take orders from anyone other than the mayor."
The guard propelled me forward, dragging me when I tried to hold back.
Larnika walked without being held, his hands up in surrender. His sword had been taken away, tucked neatly into one of the guard’s holsters. That wasn't a good sign. Either they'd disarmed him or he had given it up on his own volition. Which meant we were in more trouble than I may have first realised.
As we walked through the streets, people stuck their heads out of their dwellings. A couple smiled at me, dropping their gaze when the guard glared at them. Was the city under control of a tyrant? Or were these people actually safe from harm? I couldn't tell just yet.
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