Shrouded Kingdom

by Rachel Medhurst

  My limbs trembled as he pointed at the throne. "You cannot wait for your true powers to come in. Within the year, the shroud will have swallowed the whole of Althea. You must defeat Jordeek and sit on that throne as the rightful ruler of Althea."

  About to reply, I paused when my father, and the surrounding palace, started to fade away. No, I had only just met him, they couldn't take him away from me now.

  "Layanna? Wake up!" Sarsia's voice hissed into my ear.

  Coughing, I surged into a sit.

  Larnika put a hand on my shoulder, forcing me to stay seated, even though a whole army of humans and Seelie stared down at me.

  "How did you know about the sword of Althea?" Trenton asked Heck.

  The fairy had a dagger extended towards the mayor of Loridon. The human's armour clattered as he moved, his cheeks bright red under his helmet.

  "I know everything about the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. How do you think I've been able to have humans and fae living side by side for so long? I control everything that happens in this city. Until now."

  "If you keep the humans in your army out here, they'll find out about us." Sarsia helped me to my feet as I spoke. "You should take them back and allow the Seelie to fight Jordeek."

  Handing me my sword, Larnika gripped my free hand. "It happened, didn't it?"

  Nodding, I took my weapon and placed it into its scabbard. My dress caught on my feet as I turned to the mayor. Larnika kept hold of my hand, preventing me from walking away. Glancing back at him, I gave him a smile.

  I know who I am now, I really know.

  You met your father, I saw it in my mind. We will defeat Jordeek, Layanna.

  Releasing my hand, Larnika let me go. I didn't need to reply to him. Our telepathic bond was strong, but I could feel his emotions now. My empathy for my people almost drowned me as I turned back to the field. Heck had called over his commander. Several men were retreating back into the city on their horses. The humans.

  Once they were safely inside, I looked at Heck who knew what I wanted.

  Stepping forward, I placed my hand on the handle of the Althean sword and opened my mouth. Before I could speak, Sarsia stepped beside me, chanting a spell as she brushed her arm against my cloak.

  When I spoke, my voice carried loud and clear over the meadow and up to the hill. "My name is Layanna Fairling. I am the true heir to the Althean throne. For years, I've lived as a changeling in the human realm, however, I'm back to take what's mine. Not because I want power, but because King Jordeek is not a just ruler. The Seelie Court needs a true queen, one that will defeat the shroud and return Althea back to its original glory!"

  A cheer rose as I finished my speech. The guards clashed their weapons against their armour, the sound vibrating through the valley. My heart swelled as their love poured from them. It was the first time that I had ever known, deep in my heart and soul, that I was Layanna Fairling, the Lost Queen of Althea.

  "You've proved who you are," Heck said as he joined us. "We had lost hope."

  Forming a small circle, we invited Heck into it. He had removed his helmet, his cheeks no longer bright red, but almost too pale. The threat of Jordeek was only moments away.

  "We will serve you, Princess. Witnessing you absorb the magic of the Althean rulers was more than enough confirmation that you are who you say you are. We are constantly fighting the Unseelie who try to get into our city, but with you back, we're prepared to face Jordeek and put an end to it. He has attempted to merge the two Courts, causing mayhem. It has to stop."

  Trenton glanced over his shoulder. To the side of the city came the noise of disruption. The cavalry had arrived.

  My stomach plunged as we spun to watch a band of Unseelie emerge from behind the wall much further down. They had come around the city in an attempt to catch us off guard. It would've been a treacherous journey with the harsh mountainous terrain, but they had made it.

  "We are on our way to Dragonscale," Sarsia said. "It will take Layanna a year to come into her full powers, so we need the dragons to help defeat Jordeek."

  "You go!" Heck demanded, pushing us towards the pathway that led away from the city. "We will hold them off for as long as possible."

  A battle cry exploded around us as he commanded his army to attack the oncoming Unseelie. I was caught up in a rush as the others dragged me away. Horses were jostled in front of us, my legs swinging up and over the saddle before I had the chance to breathe.

  "Good luck, Princess!" Heck shouted as we kicked our horses into a gallop.

  Looking over my shoulder, I pushed my hair out of my face as it flicked into my eyes.

  The Unseelie formed a cloud of darkness on the horizon as they drew nearer to the Seelie guards. There were two times the amount of warriors, making it obvious what was going to happen to those battling to protect us.

  "Larnika!" I called over the clattering of hooves.

  We were riding through the throng of guards who were going in the opposite direction, swallowing us as we moved through them. The mountain rose high ahead of us, the iced capped terrain far away. The others had told me that there was a sea at the bottom of the mountain, one of the hardest to cross in the whole realm. Dragonscale was a floating land that hovered high above the mountain.

  "Layanna?" Larnika replied as he drew his horse closer to me.

  "We can't let them die, we have to help them!" My words were almost drowned out by the battle cry that increased around us.

  As we came to the brow of the hill, I reined my horse in, forcing him to stop before Larnika could reply. Spinning around, I faced out towards the oncoming Unseelie.

  At the head of the group, I could clearly see a white horse with the banner of Glyneria flying in the wind. Jordeek had come with his Unseelie warriors. A pang deep in my chest made me put my hand over my heart. My land was torn apart because of him, and yet...

  "What are you doing?" Larnika barked as he joined me, trying to control his agitated horse as it skipped around.

  "Look at them," I said, my eyes transfixed by the shapes and sizes of the fae that had a bad reputation.

  The thundering of their feet or hooves was loud in my ears as the Seelie, who rode down to meet them, kept up their battle cry.

  "No sense in getting sentimental," Trenton said as both he and Sarsia pulled their horses beside mine. "These people are your people, fae that want to fight for you."

  We sat there, looking down on the fields below as the first wave of enemies met in a clash of steel and metal. Groans and cries reached us as men and women died on the land that didn't even belong to Althea.

  "I can't watch," I said, my hands shaking as I took up the reins. "Not without doing something."

  Kicking my horse into gear, I charged down the hill, towards where Jordeek sat on his horse at the side of the battle. The blood that spurted from his men didn't seem to make him flinch, although I couldn't see his face clearly from far away.

  Layanna, cease this! You will get yourself killed! Your father must have told you to act with caution!

  Larnika's telepathy cut through my anger, through the empathy of my people. He was right. If I died today, it would have all been for nothing.

  Jordeek?

  My thought was spontaneous as I slowed my horse. Men and women around me were shouting, their weapons raised high. A pixie flew overhead, luckily not spotting me below him as he fired pixie darts into my people. Their shouts of pain were followed by the thud of their bodies hitting the ground as they fell from their mounts.

  "We have to go!" Larnika shouted, appearing beside me.

  Throwing the hood of my cloak over my head, he indicated that I turn my horse around.

  Ducking, I kept my gaze low as Unseelie started to bleed into the Seelie, their attacks brutal. A male troll picked up a female fae and squeezed her so hard, the sound of her bones cracking reached me. Tears slipped into my eyes as I turned. Why did it have to take a year for me to come into my full powers? What good would that do if I h
ad to wait so long? I had to stop Jordeek and the Unseelie now!

  Layanna? You dare to force your telepathic skills on me? Where are you?

  Jordeek's smooth voice filtered into my mind. I shivered as I guided my horse back towards the brow of the hill.

  Sarsia and Trenton were ahead, waiting for our return. I was about to reply when my horse reared, sending me flying to the ground. Someone landed on my back, their hot breath running over the side of my face as they tugged my hood from my head.

  "I thought it was you!"

  Turning me over roughly, Lincoln, the assassin, sneered down at me as he straddled my body, pinning me to the ground. Extending my fist, I pushed it as hard as I could into his side.

  He grunted slightly, but the laughter that followed showed my weakness. I thrust against him with my whole body weight, trying to buck him off. He slipped a dagger from his leather boot, evading me as I tried to grab his arm.

  "Don't move!"

  A sword tip came over my head and hovered in front of Lincoln's face. The assassin dropped his arms, his gaze travelling slowly upwards to stare into his brother's eyes. My chest was heaving as I waited to see what the brothers would do. The battle raged on around us, the cries loud in my ears.

  What's the matter? Jordeek's voice echoed in my mind. Too afraid to face me?

  "Get off your rightful Queen," Larnika spat through his teeth.

  “Yes,” I ordered. “Release me at once!”

  Lincoln chuckled as he glanced down, his teeth clenching when our gaze made contact. He might be an assassin, but he couldn’t ignore my command. Slowly, he climbed off, leaving the cool air to rush over me.

  Clambering to my feet, I backtracked as Lincoln dropped his dagger on the ground and took out his sword. An arm came around me, hoisting me upwards. I screamed before a hand clamped over my mouth.

  "It's me," Trenton whispered in my ear.

  His horse sped away from the scene, but I kept looking back, watching Lincoln and Larnika as they circled one another.

  Swiping his sword forward, Larnika started the fight. His brother was just as skilled in swordsmanship as the former guard, which made my hands shake as I held on to Trenton's cloak.

  "Daniel has persuaded a few of the Seelie to escort us out of here," Trenton shouted. "We'll wait for Larnika at the cave of mermaids."

  "No!" I exclaimed, still watching the fight as it unfolded below.

  The brow of the hill came far too quickly. Jordeek came into view, still to the side of the battle, still not engaged in any combat.

  Stop this at once, Jordeek! These men and women are dying. Our people are dying.

  Our people? My people! This is your fault, Layanna. Come out and face me, end it for everyone.

  Slinking further onto the horse, I tucked my hood over my head, just in case he raised his eyes in my direction. My heart had never beaten so fast, my breath never been so heavy.

  Leaving Jordeek to his war, I glanced back to Larnika, just as Lincoln sliced through his free arm. Larnika's cry echoed around the field, my ears picking it up easily. Bodies littered the grass, the red blood staining the lush green.

  "He'll win." Trenton's tone was so confident, it eased me slightly.

  Sarsia came to meet us, pointing at Daniel, who waited on the path. I couldn't stop the battle below, I couldn't stop the death and the destruction, but I could do what I had promised. Dragonscale was only days away, which meant we could come back and defeat Jordeek, once and for all.

  "What do you want to do, Layanna?" Sarsia asked as we reined the horses in for one last look behind.

  Her gaze never left Larnika as he fought with his brother. Sweat lined my skin as I pushed my hair off my neck.

  Looking down to the battle between my friend and his brother, I took a deep breath. About to declare that we leave him behind to defend himself, I paused when Larnika swung his sword so hard, it swiped through the air and sliced through Lincoln's neck.

  Larnika had just killed his brother. For me. Taking a deep breath, I watched as he slipped his sword away and vaulted onto his horse. Spinning towards us, he kicked his steed into a gallop. Blood coated him, but he didn't pause as he made his way back to us.

  "Layanna?" Sarsia's voice was tight, tears slick in her eyes as she waited for my command.

  My gaze landed on Jordeek as he shouted to his men in the distance.

  Larnika finally joined us on the crest of the hill, his face contorted in anger, spittle flying from his lips as he breathed hard. He didn't stop riding, instead pushing his horse forward on the path that would lead us away from Loridon, away from the fake Althean King.

  "We leave," I said loudly as I turned my horse away from the battle. "We find the dragons. We bring hell on Jordeek Glyneria and all those who would defy the true ruler of the Seelie Court. Layanna Fairling will not fail her people. Ever.”

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  Copyright

  Copyright © 2018 by Rachel Medhurst

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Published in 2018

  Author

  Rachel Medhurst grew up in Surrey, England. She writes to prove that no matter where you come from, you can be anything you want to be. Your past may shape you but it doesn't define you. When Rachel isn't writing, she can be found reading and walking in nature.

  www.rachelmedhurst.com