“Why would the King’s top knight bring to me, the very key to the King’s undoing?”
I took a deep breath.
I knew that this man would be skeptical of me, although I respect him for not interrogating me in front of Lady Violet. I don’t need her to doubt my loyalty.
“It is no secret that the King is not my favorite man. I didn’t know she is the one from the prophecy. If I did know, I would have still brought her here,” I said.
I hoped he believed my honesty. If nothing else, I would be upfront and honest. Lying won’t get me anywhere, especially when I have no ill intentions here.
“Why?” he asked.
“I hate the King. Wisdom, he is a horrible excuse for a man. He steals little children from their homes in the middle of the night. He takes them unwillingly from their families. He tortures them to ‘toughen them up.’ He trains them to be ‘great warriors.’ What kind of man has to separate such young boys from their families? To what, torture them?”
I could feel my pulse quickening, but I couldn’t control it.
I let vulnerability take control, and I very much wanted to take it back; to be the brave, no-nonsense knight.
“You speak very passionately about this Sir Axel. Was it you that this happened to?” Wisdoms voice softened in sympathy.
I didn’t want his pity, just his help with Lady Violet. I’m guessing I am as obvious as they come.
“Yes, but it wasn’t just me. It was many children. Some from my village, some were from others. He came in the middle of the night; apparently word had spread about me. I was the boy immune to magic. The King knew he could use that to his advantage.
He and his knights tore the whole village apart looking for me. Mother tried to hide me, but someone gave away where I was. They grabbed me and tied me up. I didn’t even get to say goodbye to my mother or sister, they just threw me on the back of a horse and brought me back to the castle.
From looking around, I could see that he took some other boys too. They had all been taken because of me.”
“If you don’t mind my asking, what did he do to you exactly?” Wisdom asked.
I don’t know why he needs to know.
“He would starve us for days, and then throw one loaf of bread in the room. It was enough to only feed one child. He expected us to fight each other for it. It was sickening. Or he would announce he had a favorite boy, and when he left the room, the others would beat up the favorite. He knew this would happen, and he welcomed it. He used manipulation and messed with our minds to get us to do the things he wanted from us. You have no free will when you are under the King’s nose,” I confessed.
I felt better getting this off my chest. A small weight had been lifted.
“So, now what? You hate the King and you are going to accompany the Princess into the castle to take him down? You think that you will be allowed back into the castle again? You don’t think they won’t track you down? You think you won’t lead them right to her?” Wisdom asked.
He seemed a little harsh, but I know he has a valid point. I needed to be cautious now, or I could harm the mission.
“I was careful. The magic was only used once. There were knights searching for me, but they have no idea where I am. They don’t have any idea that I am with a magic worker. And of course, they won’t just let me back into the castle. They aren’t that stupid. The Princess and I will have to sneak back into the castle,” I said confidently.
“If you plan to go through with this, we need to get something clear right now, Sir Axel, traitorous knight of King Eduard. It is Violet’s task to kill the King. It is her role. If you were to kill him, you would ruin the whole prophecy.
Nothing about the Prophecy is set in stone, its details are constantly changing. One person could change their mind and the whole thing is thrown off. If Violet dies, or if she is unsuccessful, which could happen, the whole prophecy is over, and the kingdom will waste away. It is Violet’s task and her task alone.
I can see the rage in your eyes. I can feel the heat of it burning under your skin; you must control it. Put a lid on that darkness. If you want a role in all of this, you need to train Violet. Train her physically and prepare her mentally for the hardships of what is to come. That is all I can allow you to do. If you can’t, I will have to send you away,” the slightly angry old man said.
I should have expected this warning. The fact that the prophecy shifts had surprised me. I didn’t know it did that. I couldn’t let my actions alter it.
I took a deep breath.
“I will do all that I can for her. I’m going to be bold for a moment, but can the reincarnation fall in love? Can she have a romance with someone like me? Would it hurt the prophecy?” I asked.
It was something I was dying to know since my suspicions had been confirmed.
“It is very possible for her to fall in love. Queen Victoria once fell in love. You need to tread carefully. The fate of everything balances in the hands of that young girl. Right now, she doesn’t need to worry about her future with you because she has no future unless she is successful. Sooner or later, she will be discovered. She needs to make her move on the King before that happens. You need to be her support. Leave the rest of those feelings up to fate after she is successful.”
“Thank you for the advice,” I said as I bowed my head to him as a sign of respect.
I didn’t do it often but felt him deserving.
“You are welcome, brave knight. Go get some rest. You are that girl’s protector now; she is most vulnerable in this state. From what I understood of Victoria’s travels, nothing could wake her up in this world if she is awake in hers. You are to make sure no harm comes to her while she rests. It could have devastating consequences,” Wisdom warned.
“I will,” I promised.
“Sir Axel?” Wisdom asked.
“Yes?”
“It is best not to tell her we had this conversation,” he said.
“I understand.”
I quietly entered the bedroom that Violet and I would share. She was asleep here, but awake in her world.
I wonder what she is doing there right now? Is she thinking about me? Is she thinking about the mission?
I climbed into the bed next to her, still careful not to wake her, even though I knew that was impossible. Without touching her, I watched her and took in the magnitude of my commitment to this mission.
My mother, my sweet, sweet mother, was waiting for me to come home. It was promised that I only had a few months left in Eduard’s army. I would be allowed to go back; unless I chose to stay, which I never would.
And I thought of my little sister Jessica.
In Mother’s letters, she told me of how my little sister was growing up before her eyes. She was starting to catch the eye of men in the village, and soon enough she would be of age to bond. I didn’t like the idea of handing Jessica off to live with another man.
The thought bounced around my head and made me uneasy.
I had wanted to go home to the two of them more than anything. Until I saw this woman wondering, just waiting for trouble to find her. If I had to abandon my hopes of going home a free man, I’m glad that it was for Lady Violet.
Her mission was more significant than my hopes; it was bigger than her wishes. The mission was bigger than all of us, steered by something we couldn’t control.
I had a feeling I would never get to set foot in my village again and crawl into the little straw-stuffed mattress that had been mine.
I would either spend my nights in a castle protecting this woman or spend all my time in the ground because I died protecting her.
Violet
I woke up back in my own bed in Arlington. The sun was starting to set, and I could hear someone banging around downstairs.
I got out of bed and wandered downstairs. When I got to the kitchen, Mom was putting down hot soup on the table for me.
“Oh good, I was just about to call you down, come eat something. How a
re you feeling?” she asked.
“Surprisingly, not too bad,” I said.
I looked down to make sure my hair was covering the bruises around my neck.
“That’s great. That’s what good old sleep can do for you,” she responded.
Actually, it’s the possibility of maybe having a boyfriend sometime soon. I wasn’t going to tell her that, though. Also, learning that perhaps I have something else that sets me apart from others besides my intelligence had something to do with it. I’m special; I have a purpose now. It gave me some much-needed confidence.
I sat down and slurped down the soup. This time it was vegetable soup. I liked chicken noodle more, but I guess Mom thought she should change it up.
“Are you going back to school tomorrow?” she asked me.
There was a little bit of concern in her eyes. Normally I would go to school even if I were sick. I didn’t want to risk falling behind.
“I think I have to. I can’t afford to fall behind,” I answered her.
“Okay, I’ll make sure you’re up and won’t leave the house without you,” she said.
She rubbed her hand softly on the top of my head.
“Thanks Mom.”
“No problem.”
She lowered her head and kissed the top of my head.
“Ew, you smell,” she said, fanning her hand in front of her nose.
“You are so nice,” I retorted to be a smart ass.
“I’m going to go upstairs and work on the reading assignment Madison was supposed to email me. Then I will shower and go to bed.”
“Okay, I’m not too far from going to bed myself. Have you seen your Grandmother today?” she asked me.
“No, I haven’t,” I answered.
“Can you just go check on her for me?”
She was worried again, I could tell.
“Sure.”
I walked to her room, and she wasn’t there. I walked through the oversized house looking for her. I got to that door that led to the attic. It was slightly open, and I could see the light was on. I opened the door further and walked up the stairs.
“Grandma, are you okay?” I asked.
“Yes, dear,” she answered weakly.
“I’m just going through old stuff.”
“Do you need some help?” I asked her.
“No, no I’m fine. I was just looking for Mother’s diary, have you seen it?”
“Actually, I have it in my room. Come on down with me, I’ll get it for you,” I told her.
“Why do you have it?” she questioned me.
“I just wanted to know more about her. I thought you told me I could read it.”
“I did? I’m sorry I don’t remember that. It is okay, I’m just glad it is not lost. Answer something for me, child,” she said.
“Sure Grandma,” I replied.
“Do you think she was crazy?”
I felt like part of this went further than if I thought she was crazy. Did Grandma know anything about the world I’ve been traveling to?
“No Grandma, I just think she was very misunderstood,” I answered.
She nodded, accepting what I said.
She must have felt the same way. Sometimes people felt better after being told what they wanted to hear.
Grandma appeared to physically relax at my words.
“I agree with you, I don’t believe she was crazy. Who were any of us to judge what she did and didn’t see?”
Strange, it sounded like Grandma was defending Victoria. Grandma is really giving me the impression that she knows more than she is letting on. She is so quick to call me on my crap that I feel obligated to do the same for her.
“Grandma, I think we are both in on the same secret and both avoiding it.”
I was taking a risk by saying this, but I did it anyway. I was dying to know if I wasn’t the only one to hold on to this secret.
“So you’ve been there, huh?” she asked.
So I was right? She was defending her. Grandma has been there too? Was this a big family secret unraveling?
“Yes, every night since I found the necklace. Have you?”
I waited patiently for her response even though it was killing me to wait for her answer.
“Only once, it scared me. I thought I was going crazy like Momma, I swore I’d never go back,” she said.
“Did you meet anyone?” I asked curiously.
“No, I never got that privilege. I just wandered through a forest. I heard strange sounds and a loud flapping noise like I was listening to a large bird fly overhead. I didn’t want to take my chances and come face to face with it, so I never wore the necklace again.”
“Grandma, that was a dragon you heard,” I told her.
I was afraid I’d shock her into a stroke if I told her I fought one.
“They have dragons there? I’m certainly glad I didn’t go back,” she said.
“It is a shame, your Mother is their hero, and they expect me to be the next one. Apparently, we are somehow part of a prophecy Grandma. Your Mother was the first in the prophecy, and they believe I’m the next. I’m supposed to save the kingdom,” I shared.
“Then be the best hero you can be. That’s how your mother and I raised you. You will always rise to meet any challenge. That how smart and strong you are.”
She had accepted the truth, just like that.
“Grandma?” I asked.
“Yes dear?”
“Do you feel better now, knowing that she wasn’t crazy, and neither are you?” I asked her.
“Much better baby, much. Now let’s go get that diary. But how did she do it? How did she save the Kingdom?”
“Grandma, she used magic. I know it is hard to wrap your mind around, but it exists. I have it too somehow.”
She put her hand on my shoulder for support as we approached the top of the stairs. We walked down them together, and I ran to my room. I retrieved the journal and ran back to her. She was standing at the door of her bedroom.
“Here you go,” I said as I handed her the red diary.
It was starting to collect dirt on its velvet cover, and the ties that kept it closed were beginning to fray on the ends.
“Thank you, dear. Anytime you want to read it just come grab it from me. Have fun tonight, my little hero,” she said and winked at me.
She turned around and slowly walked into her room, diary in hand.
How was it possible that I had the coolest grandma on the entire planet? She was willing to accept that her mother was a hero to a whole group of people, even though she felt resentment at being abandoned. Maybe, it was because all these years she was hoping there was a good reason as to why her mother left her. It must have been closure for her, bringing her some kind of peace.
I walked back to the kitchen and told Mom that Grandma was fine. She thanked me and started to wash the remaining dirty dishes in the sink. She had most of the kitchen cabinets open and had been making a list of what we needed.
I guess she didn’t want to get her hands all gross in case I needed her help with Grandma.
I excused myself and walked back to my room. I took off my necklace and laid it on the desk. I needed a break from adventure. While I felt slightly better, I need real sleep.
I read my English novel until I fell asleep, with the lamp on and everything.
I woke up the next day feeling rested and in better spirits. I shoved the English book back into my bag and dressed for school. I decided to wear a hoodie with our school logo.
We were permitted to wear this with our uniforms if we wanted. I pulled it on over my short sleeve uniform shirt.
I checked my phone for the weather. It was cold enough. I could wear it and not look too strange. I checked outside and could see the trees slightly swaying in the breeze; it would be a little chilly.
I walked downstairs and grabbed my small breakfast from Grandma, who smiled and winked at me. Then Mom and I were out the door.
“Did you catch up on your reading?
” She asked me to start conversation.
“Yeah, I did,” I answered honestly.
“Anxious to go back?” she asked.
“No not really.”
“Sorry, honey. Well, here is your stop, try to have a good day,” she told me.
“I will try,” I said to make her happy.
We both knew that that was much easier said than done. I climbed out of the van and grabbed my bag. I walked straight toward the doors of hell. Madison caught up with me halfway between the car and the front entrance of the school.
“Hey girl, caught up on your vacay time?”
She sounded like she was in a cheery mood. Goodness, does she take happy pills or something?
“I hate it when you speak like that, but yes,” I answered.
“Good, you are going to need to be relaxed and rested to deal with those rumors floating about you,” she said.
I could hear the sympathy she was feeling in her voice.
“So, I committed suicide?”
This is a new one. I was used to Lacey spreading rumors about all of the people she didn’t like, including me. None of them has ever been entirely on this level, though. Suicide wasn’t something to joke about. It was something I have always taken seriously.
“Yup,” she answered back.
“That’s funny, why do I feel my lungs inflating and deflating, that can’t be good. They are letting dead people do that these days? Next thing you know, we will have zombies.”
I was trying to lighten the mood, and I was successful. We both cracked a smile and walked into the school. It didn’t take long for my eyes to rest on Lacey, but I walked past her so fast she didn’t get the opportunity to make a comment. I’m sure she would be thinking of plenty to use in class later.
Madison and I went to our first class together. It was rather uneventful. The teacher talked about what we read in our books last night. It was just a lecture. It was an excellent start to my day.
The rest of the day wouldn’t be so easy, though. When that class ended, I went to the next class, and then to the one after that. Before I knew it, it was time for my history class with she-devil.
I walked into the classroom, and everything went downhill from there.
Emerald Dreams (The Dream Traveler Series) Page 9
