"You do realise that we're the official guard duty for the lost Queen of Althea?" Larnika said when one of the guards pushed me roughly. "And, you're insulting the princess."
Sarsia had told us to keep my identity unknown but circumstances had changed. Announcing who I was had helped us get inside the city gates before the pixies had caught us. However, the mayor of Loridon would want to know if I was the real lost Queen. Trenton had warned me that there were people out there willing to give me over to Jordeek. The reward would be handsome, far outweighing any duty to conscience. I couldn't blame the people of Althea. The king had taken everything from them.
Looking over my shoulder, I checked on Trenton. Two guards lugged him along behind, his still form unable to carry himself. Poor Trenton would suffer because of the pixies and now we were to be put in the dungeons. What a disastrous start to our trip into the city.
"Do you know how many women claim to be Layanna Fairling?" my guard asked as we marched through the streets.
The mud lined the bottom of my skirts, causing them to drag on my legs. I tried to keep up, tripping occasionally when I wasn't given the chance to right my balance. Ignoring the bite of the guard's fingers as they clenched the skin under my arm, I pushed down the bubble of fear that simmered in my veins.
"No, I have no idea," I said, trying to keep my voice neutral. "I've lived as a human my whole life, I had never even heard of Althea, let alone Loridon."
Clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, the guard looked down at me. "I must admit, you look like her more than anyone who's claimed before. The mayor will find you very intriguing."
Turning at the end of the street, the guard signalled for another of his companions ahead to open the big wooden door at the bottom of a tall tower in the ramparts. A street led off to the left, stalls lining the walls of the buildings on either side. People were haggling, their wares held high to gain the attention of the buyers passing by.
At the end of the street, the buildings opened up to reveal a fountain in front of a grand house.
"That's the fountain of light," the guard said as my view got cut off by a stone house. "Fae from all over the kingdom come to drink from it. It's supposed to enhance magic."
"Magic? Aren't you human?"
Propelling me towards the door, the guard shook his head. "I am human, but it is my duty to keep my kind safe, so I have to know what goes on in this city."
Before I could reply, he pushed me into the arms of the waiting guard. "Lock them in the blue room. I'll go and fetch the mayor."
The stone walls crowded me as the guard escorted me through the tunnel of the hallway, one hand on my elbow to stop me from attempting to escape. Not that there was anywhere for me to go. The candles in their sconces flickered violently as my breath grew rapid. My heartbeat increased as the darkness started to envelop me, hiding whatever lay ahead.
"There," the guard ordered when an old thick worn wooden door came into view. "Go in there!"
Listening as the others moaned and cursed, I pushed the door, struggling with the weight of it. The damp smell of darkness permeated my skin as I made my way inside.
The guard moved around the room with his torch, lighting the candles that stood high on the walls.
As light flared, I put a hand to my mouth, a gasp escaping before I could stop it.
"This isn't a room fit for a princess," Sarsia said as she glared at the four guards.
They glanced at me, a question in their gaze. If they had seen the books written about me, they would have recognised me. If they didn't believe that there was a chance I could be the princess, wouldn't they have let us be on our way? Or execute me for treason? Either way, the cold damp room made me shiver as they backed out of the chamber and locked the door behind them.
"Trenton," I gasped when he lost his footing and slumped to the ground.
Larnika lifted the fairy and lowered him onto a table that rested in the middle of the room. The walls had manacles and chains attached to them. The implements made me shudder as I stared, unable to believe that another being could use them on a creature or human.
"You might need to try and heal him." Sarsia clutched my hand to get my attention.
Looking down at the fairy, I reached out my shaking hands and laid them on his forehead. He flinched, but his eyes stayed closed. The pixie poison was deep in his veins, I could feel it. Wait, how could I feel it?
"I can't do this," I exclaimed, ripping my hands away.
Sarsia stopped me with a hand on the small of my back. "You healed your horse, you can at least try to heal your friend."
"Friend?"
My heart flipped in my chest. Sarsia believed that we were all friends. We had only been acquaintances for a few days, but the three people trapped in the dungeon with me had become extremely important to me. Maybe we were slowly becoming friends.
Taking a deep breath, I leant over Trenton.
His breathing was shallow, his dark skin a paler shade than normal. A tinge of blue outlined the ring of his closed eyes. I had to get the poison out of him. Resting my palms on his chest, I closed my eyes and cleared my mind. A vision entered my head, as if I was travelling through tunnels at fast speed. Stopping, I gasped when a pixie turned and stared at me, his eyes bright red as he threw his hands in the air. Black swirling string released from his fingers, heading in the direction I had been going.
"You think you can save him?" the pixie cried loudly before he threw his head back and laughed.
Without thinking, I ran forward and took hold of the black string. It started to wind itself around my wrist, burning my skin as it tightened. Ripping it off with my spare hand, I flinched when a red welt appeared. I had to stop the poison, but how?
"What would it take for you to stop?" I asked the short nasty man.
Flicking his arms, he sent more poison down Trenton's body. Yes, I was somehow inside the fairy's body. Turning his head to look at me, the pixie pursed his lips. "Jordeek will never allow you to steal his crown. The less help you have, the better."
White hot heat seared my skin. The crown that was currently resting on Jordeek's head was rightfully mine. Not that I wanted to rule Althea, but I had sworn to help the others overthrow him. A kind king or queen would be on the throne before I returned to my life as a human. If that could ever happen.
"You will stop!" Charging for the pixie, I wrapped my arms around his waist, trapping his arms against his side.
He grunted as I forced all my weight into him, causing us both to tumble to the ground. Gripping his wrists, I was able to wrench them up. As soon as I did, the black string stopped flowing from his fingers.
Crying out, the pixie tried to buck me off him, but I held firm.
"In the name of the princess of Althea, you shall leave this place, and take all your poison with you!"
His resistance only lasted another moment or so before he puffed into nothing. The black string of poison that had accompanied him followed, the long flow of it racing backwards and disappearing where he had been.
I got to my feet, hunching over to catch my breath.
Thank you. The words were loud in my head, but there was no one around to utter them.
I need a moment to recover, but you saved me. Trenton was speaking to me with his mind.
Larnika had mentioned telepathy between fae. I hadn't realised that I could do it with fairies too. Although, I was currently inside Trenton's mind, which was beyond reason.
"Come back," Sarsia's voice echoed around me.
Shaking myself, I concentrated on closing my eyes and-
"Well done." Larnika's voice reached me as I jolted.
I was back in the dungeon room. What had just happened? It had been one of the most surreal things I had ever experienced. Being a princess was bad enough, but being able to heal others… I couldn’t get my head around it.
"He's healed, he just needs some rest."
Almost falling down myself, I stumbled when I went to m
ove away. Larnika took hold of my shoulders and helped me to sit on a small wooden stool. Leaning my head in my hands, I calmed myself enough to get my rapidly beating heart back to normal.
"Larnika," I said softly. "Please will you teach me combat? I was able to overcome the pixie that was controlling the poison in Trenton, but it was luck."
Nodding, Larnika took out his sword and laid it on the ground in front of me. "As you wish, Princess. Rest now, and when you're fully recovered, we will begin your lessons."
*
The light tap of a hand on my shoulder awoke me from my slumber. Rubbing my eyes, I looked up at Larnika. The dim light that fluttered from the candle flames cast shadows on his face. He offered me his hand, tugging me into a stand when I took it. The others were asleep, Trenton still on the table, Sarsia curled in a ball on the floor next to him.
Handing me a long wooden stick, Larnika stepped back several paces before he firmly placed his feet apart, one slightly more forward than the other. The guards had told us that the mayor would visit us in the morning, so we'd taken the opportunity to rest. It had been hard on the stone floor, but the day had exhausted me, making it easy for me to slumber deeply.
"Copy my stance," Larnika said once I had removed my cloak and thrown it over Trenton to give him extra warmth.
Moving opposite him, I put my feet apart, my knees slightly bent and my arms raised, the stick facing towards him.
He hopped gently from one foot to the other.
My skirts hindered me as I tried to do the same. Instead of commenting on my snarl, he waved away my weakness.
"You have to be comfortable fighting in anything, including nothing."
Spluttering, I dove forward, lunging my stick at him.
The male Fae might be high-born, but that was no way to talk to a lady. Especially when he was training her for battle.
My stick struck mid-air as Larnika jumped back, swiping his sword around my head. The top of my hair fluttered with the movement, causing me to skip back myself.
"Careful," I warned, smiling gently as he grinned.
"Don't worry, Princess," he said. "I would never take off that royal head of yours. It's too valuable."
Without waiting for him to advance, I switched the stick to my other hand and swung it towards his head, changing directions when it got close, hitting him on the shoulder. It was a weak hit, but it was still a hit.
Resisting the urge to celebrate, I retreated when Larnika came for me, his sword jabbing closer. His frown marred his handsome features as he concentrated on his footwork.
"Aren't you going to praise me for my hit?" I asked.
His leg came out of nowhere, swiping at my shin. My knees collapsed, sending me sprawling to the ground. My stick clattered on the stone, landing away from me, out of reach.
Bending over me, Larnika got in my face, his lips pulled back from his teeth. "You cannot celebrate one tiny victory when there is so much to learn. Being humble suits you better, Princess, make sure to remember that."
"My name is Layanna." I puffed out my breath as I jumped to my feet.
I appreciated Larnika's blunt honesty. He was right, one small victory didn't win a war. I had so much to learn, and here he was, forgoing his rest to help me. I swore to stay humble, no matter what.
"Sorry," he muttered, bowing his head. "I shall call you Layanna from now on."
Brushing down my skirts so they sat properly, I looked around for my stick.
Sarsia still sat on the floor, awake now, and holding my makeshift weapon in her hand. Her eyes were red from where she had only just awoken, but she smiled at me when I gestured for her to hand it to me.
"While you're practicing your combat, you need to work on your magic too. Don't forget that."
Moving closer, Larnika bent down right in front of her. "Yes, witchy woo, I promise to leave her with enough energy to practice her magic with you."
Tapping her nose with his finger, he took the stick from her and came back to me.
Her cheeks flared bright red as she glanced at me, her mouth slightly open. I hadn't seen much intimacy between the pair, but the look of longing that sat on the witch's face told a deeper story. I vowed to help their love story along the way. Another little secret mission wouldn't do any harm.
"Now," Larnika said, throwing me the stick to catch. "I want to teach you a trick. We will learn specific attack routines that will help you to defeat an enemy."
He proceeded to show me how to swipe one way, then the other. How to distract before upper-cutting into the chin. The battle poses helped my posture as I practiced them, wearing myself out as we played out the routine several times.
"You're getting better," the fae admitted as I perfected the pattern for the first time. "You’ll probably forget it the next time we come to practice."
The clunk of the lock on the outside of the door made us both drop back.
Sarsia surged to her feet when two guards came in, their armour clanking as they stood on either side of the door.
A tall man with a big nose strode in, his frame held straight. His maroon red tunic fell to his knees. A black floor-length cloak brushed the dirt, swinging as he took his gloves off and held them out to one of the guards.
"You must be the woman claiming to be Layanna Fairing," he announced, staring at me.
The piercing brown of his eyes caused me to take a step back. He was human, I could feel that straight away. His energy was intimidating as he slowly came closer, his lips rubbing against one another.
Larnika stood in front of me, guiding me behind him with his free hand.
"Who allowed this fae to keep his sword?"
"I gave it back to him, Mayor," the man who had escorted me in the day before spoke.
Looking over his shoulder, the mayor glared at the young guard.
The young man dropped his gaze to the ground, clearly regretting his decision.
"Why are you holding us here?" Sarsia asked.
Trenton stirred when the mayor went up to the table and slammed his hand on the hard wooden surface.
The fairy opened his eyes, confusion creasing his eyebrows as he looked around. The poor man had no idea what was happening around him.
"My name is Herk. I've been mayor of this city for ten years. For all that time, we've kept the Unseelie away from our gates. Yesterday, you brought pixies to our doorstep."
The glare aimed at Trenton made me swallow. Did the man think that he was one of the pixies? Surely he knew there was a difference between the two? Although, I hadn't known that myself straight away. The others had had to explain it to me.
"We did bring the pixies here." Trenton spoke calmly as he pushed himself up from where he had rested overnight. "I'm a fairy, however, not a pixie."
The fairy winced as he stretched his neck from side to side, rubbing his jaw as he glanced at me. A little nod was the only acknowledgement he gave me before he faced the mayor.
"Why were they after you?" Resting against the wooden table that was now vacated, Herk chewed his nails as he watched all four of us.
Tilting her head to the side, Sarsia put her hands on her hips, under her cloak. "Because this is Layanna Fairling. We told your guards the truth. You need to set us free so we can go about our day. You have no reason to hold us here."
Eyeing Sarsia's hips, Herk raised his eyebrows. "And, who are you?"
Stepping around Larnika, I slowly approached the mayor. He watched me, his eyes following every movement. I kept my head held high, and my gaze on his. "What can we do to make amends for bringing the Unseelie to your gates?"
Pushing away from the table, Herk got so close to me, I could smell the musky scent of his human body. I closed my nose from the inside of my mouth, not wanting to disrespect him any more than we already had.
Larnika and Trenton came forward when the human bent his head to look into my eyes. I held an arm out, warning them to stay back. Maybe we needed to gain the trust of those who were not in our group.
"And who did you hear it from?" Sarsia asked them.
The guard dug his hand into the pocket on his tunic under his armour. Pulling out a piece of parchment, he handed it to Herk, who waved it in Sarsia's face. "See, written by King Jordeek's hand."
"I notice you didn't call him King Jordeek earlier," I said, ignoring the paper as he read it.
Biting his lip, he shook his head. "He may be the King of the Seelie Court, but humans are not part of the fae. He's not really our king."
"And, yet, when he beckons, you bow to him, no doubt." Trenton looked fresh-faced as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"I have one assignment here, and that's to keep humans unaware of the creatures who live among them. If the balance is upset, there will be many problems." Herk's jaw was tight as he spoke, the words pushed through clenched teeth.
The idea of humans living among people who were happy to use them to their advantage made my belly heavy. Sarsia had told me of the stories where fae influenced humans to do their bidding. It was a culture I wasn't used to, one that I would have to accept. Seelie were kinder than the Unseelie, only using humans when necessary, whereas Unseelie lured them to their death often, creating unbalance, which was why Herk was so insistent on keeping the Unseelie out of Loridon. A request we had to respect.
"This is Layanna Fairling. The King did not kill her a week ago. In fact, she's been travelling with us the whole time." Larnika put his hand on the hilt of his sword where it rested on his hip.
The guards stepped forward, their own weapons drawn.
Holding up his free hand, Larnika snarled at the two men. They glared back, locked in a standoff. Fae against human, not exactly a fair match according to what I'd been told.
That tune you were humming yesterday... came Larnika's voice in my head... do it again.
Shrouded Kingdom Page 13
