Shrouded Kingdom

by Rachel Medhurst

  "Why do I feel like I know you?" My whispered words made her frown.

  Her gaze dropped to the thick green grass. I still held her hand, unable to let go. My heartbeat moved the flesh of my chest as I looked down.

  Layanna took a deep breath and looked up at me before forcing her free hand into my chest. Pain mixed with pleasure as I sat back on my heels, rocking as I gasped loudly. She grabbed the back of my head and forced me to look at her.

  "You're broken. The blackness leaking from the palace is draining you of your magic. It's killing those on the land around you. Can't you see? This is all you."

  Letting me go, she pushed me before getting to her feet. Her hand was covered in blood as she gripped something in her grasp. Was that my beating heart?

  "I know, deep within me," Layanna said as my blood dripped on the lush grass, leaving a vivid bright red stain. "That there's good within you."

  Staggering to my feet, I scowled at her. No. She had no idea who I was and what I was capable of. She could try and win me over with her beauty, with her innocence, but it wouldn't work. I was the son of Pryon Glyneria.

  "You think you're malevolent, just like your father."

  Clasping my head in my hands, I tugged my hair. "Be quiet," I breathed.

  When I looked up, I stared. All around the princess stood Seelie Fae, mostly of the past. Their faces were familiar to me from the great reaping when the darkness started to spread. The shroud had killed people as they slept in their homes, the earth beneath them turning toxic and releasing fumes that killed them. My hunting party had shown me many of the bodies as they bought them back to the palace for a proper burial. It spread before I could warn people, meaning that many more suffered before it halted.

  "I... it's not my fault. I don't know why the darkness has spread."

  The Unseelie suddenly appeared, crowding around the Seelie, their faces full of sneers and maliciousness. I held up a hand, a silent command for them to back away, which they did.

  "There is evil in the palace," Layanna said, her voice appealing amongst the confusion. "You need to find where it's coming from, because as much as you like to believe it, you're not evil. It's not you. Look within your heart, Jordeek."

  Before I could reply, the Unseelie attacked, their fangs and arms wrapping around those that stood between me and them.

  Layanna was grabbed by a troll, her legs dangling as he held her off the ground by her hair.

  I charged forward, ordering the beast to let her down. He ignored me, instead spinning away and stomping towards the centre of the orchard. Opening my mouth, I bellowed at the creature, desperate to get the princess back. Running behind them, I tried to avoid the other Unseelie who grabbed at my ripped tunic.

  "Sire!"

  The shout awoke me, the sudden intrusion into my dream causing me to surge from my bed. "What?" I barked at the witch as she backed away, her hands held up in surrender.

  "You told me to wake you if you had another dream about... her." The witch tucked a strand of her long black hair behind her ear.

  Trying to gain my breath again, I stood still for a moment, allowing the panic to subside. I had been petrified for Layanna.

  “You will end these dreams I’m having,” I ordered her as I brushed a hand through my hair.

  "I can't control anyone's dreams, Sire," the witch said as she turned away. "No one is that powerful."

  A growl rumbled in my chest as I tugged my undershirt over my head and threw it on the ground. The witch kept her eyes averted as I strode to the wash bowl made out of gold vines. It was carved from the trunk of a tree that had grown through the stone floor of the palace. Fae, especially Seelie, were so in tune with nature, they could manipulate it to their advantage. I had grown fond of the king's chambers with its opulent qualities and natural furnishings.

  Sighing, I rubbed my face with water. The cold liquid sprung from a spring that ran under the palace. It refreshed my face as I turned back to the witch, who now offered a clean shirt.

  "I've created the spell you wanted. It won't take affect for twenty-four hours. And..."

  Her dark eyes dipped to the floor as I thrust my head through the shirt and roughly tucked it into my breeches. Searching for my boots, I looked over my shoulder. "And?"

  The door burst open before she could answer. Jin's heavy boots thudded across the floor as two guards dragged in a high-born fae.

  "Lincoln," I said as I pulled on my boots. "I see you've failed. Where is she?"

  "Sire," he spluttered as the guards jostled him to the ground. "She is the true heir. She was able to use her magic to repel me. They're in Loridon."

  Laliya coughed, raising her eyebrows at me. The witch had created the spell I had requested. When it was cast, it would place a barrier spell around any city that held the fake heir to Althea.

  Knowing that they were in Loridon sent a chill over me. Where were they going? The only thing beyond the city was...

  My eyes stretched as I took two steps over to Lincoln. Bending, I gripped his shoulder and squeezed. "Where are they going?"

  Shrugging, Lincoln kept his gaze on my boots. "I don't know, Sire, I was unable to read Larnika's mind."

  "I have a feeling you let your brother get away."

  Shaking his head violently, Lincoln dared to meet my gaze. "No, never. He's a traitor. You are the true king, Sire. I'm your servant, and I have been since the beginning."

  He was right. Pushing him, I spun on my heel and clenched my hands into fists as I went over to the heart shaped clear stained glass window and looked out onto my kingdom. He had been a loyal guard and assassin since I had taken over from my father.

  My gaze traced the black soil on the hill, the dead trees catching my eye. The land beneath stretched out in darkness, the shroud taking over. The gardens directly below the castle were partially dead, but the rose gardens and the lawns were lush. Jin had suggested that we trace the shroud to see where it came from, but I had been too busy with the impostor princess.

  "Do you have any other news of them?" I didn't want to voice my concerns, especially in front of the witch. I might have control over her for now, but she could use her magic against me at any moment. The whole time I kept my violent threat against her twin sister, she would bow to my command.

  "It was still just the four of them. They were on horseback, their clothes tatty." Lincoln got to his feet when I gestured for him to rise. "The pixies passed me by as I left. I knew I had to request backup. She's too powerful for me to attack alone."

  "The great assassin has been bettered by a woman." My smirk was returned when I glanced at Jin. The guard knew too well how hard it was to fight against the princess.

  Ducking his head, Lincoln refused to look me in the eye. "If you would allow me a guard to take to Loridon, we'll flush them out."

  Looking at the witch, I kept my expression clear. Her shoulders sagged in her warm orange gown. The rough material left a red welt across her neck. She itched it occasionally, not even aware of what she was doing.

  "You," I said, pointing at her. "Order yourself a new gown, that thing is vile. While you're at it, get your hair groomed. I won't have a guest of mine looking like an Unseelie witch."

  "But, you love the Unseelie," the witch quipped back, her glare piercing me.

  Waving away her offensive comment, I pointed at the door. "Go!"

  She huffed before she raised her hand, her finger aimed at me.

  Jin was on her in two steps, his hands trapping her arms to her sides. "I wouldn't try that if I were you, witch."

  Before she could respond, the doors slammed open again. The pixies I had dispatched came in, their faces full of scowls.

  The head of the group shook his head, his lips screwed up in frustration. "They managed to get into the gates of Loridon," he announced. "As you know, the Unseelie can't penetrate the city."

  My cheeks flamed hot as the pixies glared at the witch. She sneered back, her disgust for the Unseelie evident in her eyes
. The woman was a Seelie witch, one who valued others and stayed true to the Seelie law. Whenever the Unseelie showed themselves in the court of the Seelie, they were ordered to leave immediately. In fact, they shouldn't have come without checking with me first.

  "Get her out of here!" I ordered Jin, who instantly removed the witch from the room.

  Turning to Lincoln, I gestured at the pixies. "Why couldn't you have accompanied these men back to the city?"

  Frowning, Lincoln scratched his head. "Sire, I'm a Seelie high-born, I would be allowed entrance to the city of Loridon with a guard of Althean men. The Unseelie-"

  "Enough!" The word rang out loudly as the pixies exploded in protest.

  The assassin was correct, he would be able to gain access to Loridon, but so would I.

  "We all go."

  Dismissing them, I went to exit my chambers. Lincoln's shout made me spin back to them. "What is it?"

  "Sire," he said, his nod respectful as he came closer. "What are we going to do when we get there?"

  A smile spread across my lips as I imagined the heads of the traitors on spikes high on the walls of Loridon city. Instead of sharing my fantasy, I cleared my throat.

  "The Seelie attack the city until we find them. If they manage to run, the Unseelie will be outside, waiting to destroy them. I'm no longer playing nice. Tonight, the Seelie princess dies."

  Chapter Fifteen

  "I have something for you," Larnika said as he lowered himself next to me.

  Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I pushed up from where I had rested on a pile of blankets.

  Daniel had given us bread and wine to fill our bellies before we slept. He had told us about the city and his plan to get us out.

  Sarsia had cast a truth spell on him, confirming that he was being honest with his words. My heart had been lighter since we'd settled in our hiding place.

  "What is it?"

  Brushing my hair back from my face, I looked up at Larnika. He had both hands behind his back, his cheeks slightly pink as he watched me. "Seeing my brother has made me realise how much danger we're in. Well, I always knew, but..." His cheeks grew even redder as he settled in his crouch. "... My brother is a dangerous man. He killed Seelie loved ones that rebelled against Pryon. You caught him off-guard, but he'll be back. You need to be ready."

  Grabbing his arm before he could move it, I squeezed the flesh and tunic beneath my fingers. "I'm sorry for your heartache. It must have been difficult to not only lose your family, but to watch your brother take them down."

  Blinking, he looked at the fur beneath his feet. Wolves had been slaughtered for our comfort. Larnika was a kind, yet hard, soul. I could feel the justice that pulsed through him, needing to find some sort of outlet, but unable to.

  "One day in the future," I whispered. "Will you do me a favour?"

  He glanced at me, his dark eyes searching mine. His nod was solid, even though he had no idea what I was going to ask him to do.

  "Will you be head of the Althean guard again? When we've found an alternate heir, you can swear your allegiance and be back in your rightful place beside them."

  Trenton, who had been walking past, scoffed. His hair was wet, the droplets of water running down his neck and onto his over-shirt.

  "Here," Larnika said, bringing out a sheath and offering it to me. "This is yours."

  The fairy stood watching as I took the offered sword. The scabbard was brown leather with embroidered roses lining the edge. My fingers wrapped around the handle as I got to my knees. The cold silver entwined tree vines was strong in my palm as I took out the sword.

  "What are these markings?" I asked Larnika.

  Reaching out, he traced the swirls with his finger. "These are the markings of the Fairling rulers. Every single heir has their swirl added to the sword when they make their first kill with it."

  "These are from previous rulers of Althea?" My finger replaced Larnika's, heat searing my skin when it touched the silver.

  Nodding, Larnika rose to his feet. I did the same, almost stumbling under the weight of the sword in one hand and the scabbard in the other. He steadied me, his gaze full of anticipation. "Layanna, when you make your first kill, you'll become a true Althean Princess. There's no going back."

  "What he means to say…" Trenton interrupted. "... is that there is no other heir to the throne. You are the only one."

  "What?" My mouth hung open as Sarsia came over.

  She hit Trenton on the arm, her aim perfect as he flinched away from her.

  Larnika watched the witch, his eyes widening slightly when she focused all her attention on me. Was that a sign of something?

  "Layanna." Grabbing the arm that held the sword, Sarsia shook me. "You know what you are. There's no point in pretending that you can go back to a human life. You're growing into the woman you're supposed to be."

  Just a few days before, I had sworn to step up as a person. The others were asking me to do that. By accepting full responsibility for who I was and what I was to Althea, it would change my life for good.

  "I'll try." My answer was weak, but it was enough for them.

  Disbanding, they went to gather their things. Daniel had awoken us, urging us to rise before dawn. Larnika's surprise gift was heavy as I attached it to my side, and yet, a great warmth flowed through me as the leather tied into place.

  "Let me help you," Daniel said as I picked up my cloak. "I'm honoured to be in the same room as the Althean princess."

  Placing my hand over his when he took my cloak, I looked up at him. His features were pleasantly even, his wide blue eyes piercing as he gazed at me, waiting for me to speak. My heart fluttered in my chest, the feeling unfamiliar.

  “I appreciate that, but please, I was once like you, a human. I prefer to be treated like a person.”

  Frowning, he took the cloak from me and gestured for me to turn around. “How can royalty of the fae be human?”

  Allowing him to clip my cloak to my dress, I glanced at Sarsia who gave me a smirk. It had been a silly statement, but it was the truth. I had lived as a human for twenty years.

  “Ah, I remember, you’re a changeling. A mermaid told me all about your kind.”

  “A mermaid?”

  Spinning back to him, I steadied myself when I almost went too far. His hand caught my waist in an effort to help me keep my balance. I swallowed as my heart skipped a beat. No man had ever made me blush before. Well, apart from Jordeek, but that had been different.

  “Yes.” Turning, he picked up his dagger and tucked it into a pocket under his green tunic. “She may have tried to lure me to the deep after a chance meeting. I resisted, but not before she had told me everything about your world.”

  The others were watching us, waiting to set off. I glanced at them, my mind torn. If Daniel knew about us, he could tell the rest of the humans in the city. That would be dangerous for both races.

  “And, you’re trying to prove that dragons are real to your father?” Larnika slunk over, his fingers wrapping around the hilt of his sword.

  Holding up a hand, Daniel kept his other arm by his side, hovering over his dagger. Looking at Larnika, I stepped in front of him. His stare was intense as it met mine, his eyebrows pulled low.

  “I thank you for your protection,” I told the fae, “but, I think the mayor would have known if Daniel was spreading the news to the humans.”

  Clicking his tongue, Daniel shook his head roughly. “I’ve not told a soul. You’ve nothing to fear. My father and I were mucking around in jest when I told him of the dragons. As you know, he set me a task I couldn’t refuse. That doesn’t mean anyone else has to know.”

  “We need to get out of here now,” Trenton interrupted. “Before that pompous mayor finds us and turns us over to Jordeek.”

  Daniel and Larnika glared at one another, their weapons close at hand. Closing my eyes briefly, I tried to speak to Larnika with my mind.

  Leave him be for now, we’ll see how he does along the way. If he’s a
traitor, you can kill him.

  I watched Larnika’s face closely, waiting to see if I had succeeded with my telepathy. He glanced at me, nodded once and went to join the others. A thrill ran up my spine as I gripped Daniel’s hand and looked into his eyes.

  “Please, help us out of the city. Once we’re safe, we’ll help you with your personal mission.”

  It wasn’t an outright lie, but I would know whether or not we could trust him by the time we were far away from the city. One thing that had become obvious in the last few days was that I couldn’t trust anyone. I had to keep my guard up at all times, including with other members of the Seelie.

  “I’m happy to help, like I said earlier,” Daniel replied.

  “How are you going to get us out of here?” Sarsia asked him as she checked that her sword was tucked safely into its scabbard.

  The weight of my new weapon was heavy on my hip as I joined the others, Daniel close behind me. He indicated that we should follow him to the back of the room. My belly was tight as I imagined the consequences of getting caught.

  “There are tunnels that run under the city. They were built by the mayor for humans to hide if the Unseelie were ever able to penetrate our walls.”

  “You really do know a lot about our kind,” Sarsia murmured.

  Ignoring her, Daniel lifted a thick wolf skin that hung on the wall. Behind the light grey fur, a gaping hole in the stone opened into darkness.

  “You expect us to traipse through pitch black tunnels?” Trenton's prominent nose screwed up. “I would rather risk the mayor and his men.”

  Daniel had picked up two torches from where they leant against the wall. Turning, he went to the fire and lit them both. Once he had rejoiced us, I took one from him and plunged into the darkness of the tunnel.

  “Wait,” Trenton called. “Layanna?”

  Looking over my shoulder, I raised my eyebrows at the fairy.

  Daniel was waiting behind the others, a smile on his face.