by N. C. Hayes
I spent the day in between the kitchen and Aydan’s study. Not reading—I’d finished Enchanted, Enchanting the previous night after dinner while I waited for the tincture to kick in. No, today I wanted to practice my magic, and see what I could do without instruction. I started with the handful of skills Aydan had taught me. Then, I decided to stack books on his desk. Willing the action, I gestured for the top shelf and waved my hand toward the desk to force the book to stack itself where I told it to. The volume wound up lying about eight inches from where I’d intended it to, but it was there, without me touching it. I continued, making a stack that was ten books high before I started shivering and I realized the fireplace was completely cold. I bent to add some fresh wood when I paused. An idea crossed my mind, and I wasn’t sure it would work.
Using all the intention, all the will in my being, I closed my eyes and pushed both hands in the direction of the fireplace. Power tingled beneath my skin, startlingly warm and nearly alive. I faltered, and nearly let it go when I realized the warmth wasn’t just coming from me. I opened my eyes to a roaring fire in the hearth. I loosed a satisfied sigh, and grinned to myself, feeling quite a bit of pride in my own progress.
Such pride was short-lived, however.
When Aydan returned that evening and dismissed Captain Whittaker, I carefully asked, “Can I show you something?” I led him to the study, where I had put the fire out before Aydan was due home that day.
I repeated what I had done earlier, and another huge grin split across my face when fire crackled on the hearth once again. Aydan took a step back, his eyes widened slightly.
“What do you think?” I asked, wilting a little when he wasn’t nearly as excited as I was.
“That is . . . impressive, Shaye,” he replied carefully.
“Have I upset you?” I asked.
“No,” he said. “Just . . . maybe keep the fire to yourself for now.” I opened my mouth to ask why, but Aydan quickly excused himself to prepare for dinner. He retreated to his bedroom, leaving me standing alone and confused in the study.
~
The next two days were more of the same. Aydan would leave early to attend meetings with the grand council while Captain Whittaker stood at his post in the foyer, watching the servants and me go about our day until Aydan returned for dinner. Irsa had finally returned from Xarynn and was assisting in the negotiations with the would-be rebels.
On the third day, I was sitting in the parlor, flipping through an uninteresting book about cheesemaking, debating whether I should go retrieve Enchanted, Enchanting from my bedroom, even though I’d already finished it twice over. I felt the captain’s gaze burning into me from across the room, so I sighed and placed the book in my lap.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing, Miss Eastly, just keeping an eye on things.”
“That’s bull and you know it,” I snapped. “So, out with it. What does the king want from me? What does he want to know?”
“It’s not hard to reach the conclusion that you have some connection to Sylvanna, Miss Eastly.” The captain stared down his nose at me. “His Majesty wants to know what it is.”
“And if I told you that I didn’t even know that I was a sorcerer, or who my father was until the prince brought me here?” I asked. “Let alone have a connection to Sylvanna, on the other side of the continent?”
“I would not be inclined to believe such a story unless I was presented with sufficient evidence.”
“So I’m guilty until proven innocent, then?” The captain didn’t answer. I glared at him. “How did you even come to be a captain? You can’t be older than, what, twenty-five? And a mortal. Why would the king ever give you such a position?”
“It wasn’t given, it was earned,” he snapped. “Every man in my family has served in the King’s Guard for two hundred years. My great-grandfather saved King Zathryan’s life the night of the Rebellion at the Grand Palace. I have been working since childhood toward this position.”
“What is your first name?”
“Why?”
“It seems I’ll be here awhile, since I don’t have any information you want.” I opened my book and began aimlessly flipping through the pages again. “I’m curious to know the name of the man openly spying on me.” He continued glaring. “Suit yourself.” I stood and placed the book on the table, then started toward the kitchen.
“It’s Stefan,” he said, but I didn’t look back as the door swung shut behind me.
~
An hour later, I was covered in flour, kneading away at a ball of dough by myself in the kitchen. I’d asked Zale and Tory if I could have some privacy and got to work making bread. I hadn’t been able to cook a thing since I’d left Nautia and punching into a risen dough ball was all I could think to do to relieve some of the aggression I felt following my discussion with Captain Whittaker. I scattered some flour on the tabletop and pushed and pulled at the dough until it stopped sticking.
“Rough day?”
I looked up and Aydan, dressed in a black tunic and matching pants, was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, watching me as I continued to beat the dough.
“Oh, just more of the same,” I said. “Being treated like a monster, ready to strike at any moment, so I must be kept in my cage until my keepers decide what to do with me.” I threw the dough back into the bowl and gripped the edge of the table. “I’m never going to get out of here.” In an instant, Aydan was standing next to me.
“We’re leaving, Shaye,” he said. “Very soon. We reached an agreement today. A treaty will be drafted before the end of the week.”
“What? That’s . . . that’s wonderful,” I said, breathless. “How?”
“Zathryan finally saw the benefit of negotiation, it seems.” Aydan laughed lightly. “I never thought I’d see the day. He came to the council chambers today and announced that he wanted a treaty and granted the mortals most of their demands. He had to deny a few, of course, but—”
“The captain has indicated that the king wants more from me,” I told him, hope deflated following my conversation with the open spy in Aydan’s foyer. “That he thinks I’m working for Sylvanna. He said that I’m not going anywhere until the king is satisfied with his investigation.”
“My father has told me himself, today, that you and I will be released upon signing the treaty.” Aydan brushed a stray curl from my face before taking my hands in his own. Heat flooded my cheeks, and my chest grew tight, “I know. I know this has been unbearable, and it’s my fault. I am sorry you’ve had to endure so much these past weeks. It’s all coming to an end. We’ll soon be in Sylvanna, and your new life can begin.”
“Would you think less of me if I told you I was a little scared to go to Sylvanna?” I asked.
“Of course I wouldn’t.” He squeezed my hands. “Though, if you are trying to tell me you’d rather I drop you off in Xarynn, I’ll have to decline the request. Kenna will have my head if she doesn’t meet you soon.”
“Will they like me, your friends?”
“What’s not to like?” He smiled down at me for a moment before releasing me. He looked at the table, and my mess of flour and dough. “Can you teach me?” he asked.
“You want to know how to make bread?”
“I’ve never cooked,” he replied, removing his jacket and throwing it onto a nearby chair. “Unless you count warming rations on a campfire.” He rolled up his sleeves and reached for the bowl. I snatched it away.
“If you’re going to learn, you’re going to do it right,” I said. “This is nearly ready to go in the oven. You’re going to start from the beginning. Get a clean bowl.”
Aydan’s eyes sparkled and a grin spread across his face as he turned to look for a bowl in the cupboard.
~
Aydan and I spent the rest of the evening in the kitchen as I taught him how to make a loaf of bread, and he told me about Sylvanna, and what I should expect when he could finally show me the city. We talked about Gideo
n, and I told him more stories about my childhood in Nautia while he told me stories about misadventures he’d had while in the army. Halfway through waiting for the dough to rise, Aydan opened a bottle of wine and by the time the loaf was ready to slice we were both slightly drunk and covered in flour. We spent the rest of the night talking and laughing as we ate his creation with leftover cheeses and fruit from the day before.
It was well past midnight when Aydan walked me to my bedroom and bid me good night by kissing me swiftly on my cheek. I hoped that he didn’t see me blushing in the dim light of the orbs Elise left on the ceiling before I stepped into the room and quickly shut the door behind me. Catchfly lay sleeping on her pillow and I sighed, realizing how tired I was.
After a much-needed bath, I took my tincture and crawled into bed, excited for the next few days to pass. Of course Captain Whittaker would be trying to get into my head; he was irritated that I was not intimidated by his presence, so he was trying to upset me. Just a few more days, I thought as sleep began to overtake me, and I would finally be free to start a whole new life.
Chapter Fifteen
Hours later, I was torn from sleep by the sounds of crashing and screams from somewhere in the castle. I sat straight up, fumbling to my feet in the pitch black of my bedroom until I formed a ball of light and sent it to the ceiling. The door flew open and Aydan rushed in, hands and arms consumed by blue light. He was breathing hard and sweat beaded at his forehead.
“You need to hide,” he said.
“What’s happening?”
“We’ve been fooled. The mortals have infiltrated the castle. They have silver, they’re slaughtering courtiers in their beds.” He crossed the room in two strides and peered through the curtain. “Our forces are assembling as we speak. I’m going to join them.” My eyes widened and I opened my mouth to protest, but Aydan stopped me. “Get dressed. Stay here, in your room. Elise and the others will be here too, they know what to do. I’ll be back soon.”
“Aydan, don’t go—”
“People need help.” He placed a hand on my cheek, and I felt the wards strengthen around me. Then, as quickly as he arrived, he effuged from the spot in front of me.
For an instant I stood frozen, then I flung open the doors of my wardrobe and threw on the first dress my fingers touched before running to the window. I could hear yelling and clashing of metal against metal mixed with explosions of magic, and as I peered around the curtain, my heart dropped into my stomach.
It was a full-fledged battle.
The mortal forces clearly had the element of surprise. Medeisian soldiers were fighting to form lines, but it was too late. Weapons clashed at all angles. Utter chaos. I spotted the captain—Stefan—taking on two mortal soldiers himself, roaring as he brought down his sword, cutting through the air, through flesh, blood spattering his skin and armor. On the other side of the yard, a blue flash erupted. King Zathryan himself stood on his castle grounds, engulfed in light. Aydan and Irsa stood on either side of him, aflame as well. They worked in tandem, the blue glow soon turning into what looked like lightning as the three royals, all at once, shot their power forward into the oncoming mortal forces. Men shrieked and fell where they stood.
I watched with my hand at my throat. Irsa shouted something, pointing toward the castle. Both Aydan and Zathryan nodded and she effuged away. They turned back to the field and began knocking soldiers out of the way with their power. Even from my window, I could see Aydan faltering. He’d told me once during our lessons that this power, the power that lay only in the royal bloodline, tired him more quickly than other uses of his magic. Like a drain on his life force.
A sword appeared in his hand and Aydan swung at a charging man who, by his ornate helmet, looked to be a commander of the mortal army. He was well matched and the two carried on their fight for three terrifying clashes before Aydan finally shot him down with the lightning. Aydan yelled something at his father and the two stood shoulder to shoulder to face what remained of the mortal forces descending upon the battlefield with weapons raised. The blue light once again began to form, not at their hands, but within the chests of both men, expanding and crackling like a violent storm until—
Light exploded from them in every direction, and what remained of the attacking forces became nothing but mist on the wind. Aydan hit his knees, gasping for air. Then he turned, and when he looked to his father, my eyes followed.
King Zathryan lay sprawled on the ground, an arrow sticking out of his chest. Aydan was at his side in an instant, pulling the arrow out in a single motion, but when he examined the tip, his eyes went wide. He gathered his father in his arms and effuged away without a trace.
I stepped back from the window and turned to see all of Aydan’s servants standing behind me in their bedclothes. Tory and Isolde held hands while Zale gripped his husband’s shoulder. Elise was stone-faced and pale.
“He’s okay,” I said with a confidence I didn’t feel. “You’d better get dressed.” Elise nodded and swept from the room while the rest of them trailed out more slowly. Once they were gone, I started gathering some of my belongings—an extra dress, fresh stockings, a shawl, a few toiletries, and the now dog-eared copy of Enchanted, Enchanting—and threw them in a knapsack I found in the bottom of the wardrobe. Catchfly stood by dutifully. Once I was satisfied, I set the bag on the floor by my bed, and the tiny kitten curled herself on top of it. I sat between it and the window with my back to the wall, waiting for whatever came next.
~
I didn’t realize I was asleep, until I felt myself being shaken.
Aydan crouched before me, hands on my shoulders. His shirt and hands were caked in blood. His fathers or his own, I couldn’t know. I scrambled to my feet.
“What’s happening? Are you all right? Are you hurt?”
“I’m not hurt,” he said tightly.
“I saw, from the window. Is—”
“Irsa is dead,” he choked. “She fell after she left my father and I to help inside the castle.” My heart sank and I reached for Aydan’s hand.
“Aydan, I’m so sorry—”
“My father was shot with a silver-tipped arrow.” He seemed to struggle to get the words out, “He lives, for now. His healers tell me he will not linger for long.”
“What—”
“The king has named me Crown Prince, Shaye.” Silver lined Aydan’s eyes now. “He has ordered me back to Sylvanna.” I nodded.
“Okay,” I breathed, reaching for the knapsack. “We can go when you’re ready—”
“No,” Aydan took my hands and squeezed them. His breathing was shallow, and his palms were clammy as he explained, “My father has lifted his hold on me. Just me. I’m supposed to have gone already, but I-I couldn’t just leave without—” It dawned on me what he was trying to say.
“You’re leaving me here?” I asked in horror.
“Only, only for a short while,” he gasped. “The healers, they say it will not be long. They say they can’t keep him going longer than a week or two.” I stared. The breathing, the cold sweat. I remembered now what Aydan had told me a few days before, how the heir to the throne was bound to follow the king’s orders. He was disobeying, to say goodbye.
“What do I do?” I gripped his hands as they held mine. “What will they do to me if you’re not here?”
“Nothing,” he said firmly. “The wards on this place are strong. Your blood shield still stands. Elise and the others will stay with you. You’ll stay in these chambers and wait, and when the healers can’t keep my father alive anymore, I’ll return for you.”
And Aydan would be King of Medeisia.
I looked at him. His breathing was labored. “I’m so sorry, Shaye,” he whispered.
“It’s okay. I’ll be okay.” My voice was shaking. Tears began to spill over onto my cheeks. Aydan wiped one away and held his hand there for a moment.
“Two weeks,” he said again. “I’ll see you in two weeks.” I closed my eyes as he bent down and kissed th
e top of my head. He let go of my hand, and when I opened my eyes, I saw that I was alone.
~
It took two days for the banging to begin on the door to the chambers.
First, it was just the voice of a single guardsman, knocking, ordering me to open the door. As hours, and then days passed, the banging increased, as they attempted to use various tools, then magic, and on the eighth day I heard a man call for a battering ram.
When it first began, Isolde had nearly fainted, but after a couple of days, we grew accustomed to it. I asked the servants to try and go about their days as normally as they could. At night, however, the banging continued, and we all decided to sleep in the same room, just in case.
Today was day ten, and with only a few more days until Aydan was expected to return, I could not help but feel slightly more cheerful than I had since our holdout began. That is, until I heard the commotion outside the front door. I walked to the foyer, and from what I could tell, the battering ram had started once again. Paired with it today was a blinding green light that poured in through the perimeter of the door. The wood splintered and I jumped, gasping. The air around me felt like it had begun to crack as well. It seemed that they had found the right person to break through Aydan’s wards. I called out for Elise. She came quickly to my side, the other servants following close behind. The door rattled again as the battering ram hit. Dust fell from the ceiling. I gripped Elise’s hand.
“You need to go,” I said.
“My lady, I will not leave your side.”
“You will,” I looked over her shoulder at Zale, Tory, and Isolde as well, “You all will. Go back to Sylvanna.”
“My lady—”
“The Crown Prince has blood-shielded me. I’ll be all right. I cannot guarantee that you will be. Please, go home.”
