“A bookshop, sir! Would you bring me a book back?” Richie’s hazel eyes lit up at the prospects.
“You know I will, Richie. I always do,” he replied. He took another bite of his beans and a quick bite of bread while he waited for Richie’s reply.
“And you’ll teach me to read more too, right?” Aston nodded. “Thank you, Aston.” The boy smiled and went back to shoveling beans into his mouth. They spent the rest of the meal in silence, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Richie was one of the few people he called a friend.
“I must go now. I’m bringing Talbot with me and I’m sure he’s already waiting at the stables,” Aston said, finishing his bread. Richie’s freckle covered nose crinkled at mention of the prince.
“You have to bring Prince Talbot?” the boy whispered, moving in close to Aston and covering his face with his hand. “But he’s so mean.”
The knight smiled at the boy. “Yes, Richie, I have to bring the prince. Maybe he will be helpful.”
Richie’s face quickly turned skeptical. “I doubt it, Sir. Just watch his feet. He likes to kick people.”
“Only you, Richie. He only bothers you.” At Richie’s confused expression, Aston elaborated. “It’s because you are small. He thinks he can intimidate you.”
“But it’s not just me! It’s all of the maids and cooks and stable hands and--“
“Okay, Richie, okay! I’ll watch his feet,” Aston said, laughing as the boy continued his list. Richie nodded, seemingly satisfied, and went back to eating.
With a quick ruffle of the boy’s hair, Aston bade Richie farewell and went back to his chambers to grab his satchel. He took one last, longing look at his bed before heading toward the stables.
The white building came into view as soon as Aston walked out the castle’s front doors. The stable was tall with a dozen wooden stall doors on two sides. An open hallway ran between the two rows of stalls, ending at a wall made for tacking horses. A door to the right of the wall led into the tack room, filled with saddles, bridles, and halters.
A small gold plate rested on the door of every stall, a different horse’s name engraved on each one. A wooden peg to the left of every door held a halter and lead for each horse. As he entered the stable, Aston noticed Talbot at the other end, some poor groom saddling his ride. Shaking his head, Aston started down the hall to Sterling’s stall. He stopped to pat his rouncey, Edward, on the nose before continuing to the stall of his courser. He let himself inside and whispered soothing words to the animal as he slipped a red halter over his long silver nose.
The dappled grey beauty was the fastest of all the coursers in Fridel. The horse had been his loyal companion since the beast had been born. Aston had trained Sterling himself, and there was no better mount for a knight. He led Sterling from the stall, taking him to the back wall to be tacked.
Tying Sterling’s lead to a waist high wooden bar, the knight went to the tack room to pick out a saddle and bridle before going back to Sterling. He quickly brushed the animal, checking for burs, before settling a wool blanket over the horse’s back, topping it with the saddle. He tightened the girth on his saddle, looking up when the animal made an annoyed grunt.
“I know, boy,” Aston said, rubbing the horse’s neck. “You didn’t get much time to rest, and I apologize. Once we are back, I will refuse the next mission in favor of some rest.” Seeming satisfied, Sterling turned back around, allowing him to finish.
“Are you ready yet, O mighty warrior?” Talbot asked sarcastically.
Aston mouthed some names he would love to call Talbot before answering. “I’m ready. Are you?”
“Of course.” Talbot mounted Red, a glorious red bay that he’d named himself. While the horse could be fast if he had to be, he shared Talbot’s demeanor for the most part. Being lazy and impossible were the horse’s best qualities.
“Then, we ride.” Aston climbed nimbly onto Sterling’s back and guided the horse out of his stall, onto the path leading out the palace gates. Talbot followed behind, but Aston didn’t check to see how far behind he was. It wouldn’t be his fault if the lazy prince got lost. Talbot had always been a good rider; it was the one thing in his life he seemed passionate about. Aston knew he could count on Talbot catching up with him if the prince did lag behind.
Fridel’s largest city, the one closest to the castle and named after the country’s first king, bustled with life as Aston and the prince rode through. People stopped to wave as they passed, and while Talbot chose to ignore everyone, the knight smiled and waved back. He passed a quick smile to Zane, the town jeweler and also a good friend of his. Aston’s younger sister, Eiko, met them on the path at the edge of town.
“Ride fast, brother, and return home to us,” she told him. Aston climbed down from Sterling to pull his younger sister into a firm hug. Her golden hair whipped into his face in the gentle wind, and her sweet, lavender scent invaded his nose.
“You’ve been playing in Father’s lavender garden again, haven’t you?” he scolded. Eiko smiled but didn’t answer, instead pulling her brother into a firmer hug. When she pulled away, her light blue eyes were wet with unshed tears.
“Be safe, brother.” Aston nodded, giving her a smile before mounting Sterling again.
“Tell Father I will return home soon,” he told her. Eiko smiled and ran off, extending her arms as if she were a bird, about to take flight. Aston smiled as he watched her disappear in the crowd flooding Fridel’s streets.
“Now can we go? It’s hot, just sitting here,” Talbot said, a slight whine to his voice. Aston sighed. They hadn’t even left Fridel yet and already the prince was anxious. The sun was still high in the sky as they left the town’s streets and started down the hard-packed dirt road to Adion. It promised to be a long ride.
“One of the hardest things in life is
having words in your heart that you can’t utter.”
- James Earl Jones -
Two
Jade sighed as her mother pulled her toward the ballroom. Her burgundy dress swirled around her feet as she walked, her auburn curls bouncing against her back.
“Come now, Jade. We don’t want to keep them waiting.” Queen Margaret continued to stride forward, tugging lightly at her daughter’s wrist. The queen’s greying hair had been twisted into a tight bun, held in place by various pins, each one shining with gemstones. Her navy dress was much fuller than Jade’s, barely moving as her thin frame glided down the hallway.
Jade tried to match her mother’s pace, but she still found herself taking two steps to match every one of the queen’s. She didn’t know what the fuss was about. This ball would be her last outing as an unmarried woman. The next night, her father intended to announce her marriage to Duke Aeron’s eldest son, Marquess Jacob of Summerslade. This ball was a final celebration in her mind, though her father had described it as something different.
“One last chance to mingle with your friends,” Jade muttered under her breath.
Margaret heard her and looked back at her daughter, her small hazel eyes narrowed. “Watch your tone, young lady. Your father has worked hard to convince Duke Aeron to come to Adion, and even harder to convince him to allow Jacob to marry you.”
“Oh, he’s allowing Jacob to marry me? So Jacob had a choice and I didn’t?” Jade asked, pulling her wrist from her mother’s grasp and stopping.
The queen sighed and turned to face the princess. “Jade, now is not the time for this.
“Then when, Mother? At the altar, before I am promised to Marquess Jacob? Years from now, when I have born his children? When is the time for this?” Jade asked, exasperated. She wasn’t ready to be married. She was nineteen, past the age she should have been married off, but her father had waited this long to pick a suitor. Why couldn’t he wait just a bit longer?
“Oh, daughter, really? Is this necessary? Jacob is a fine man. He will be good for you.”
“I don’t want a man that is good for me, Mother. I want a man that cares about me and wan
ts to know my thoughts,” the princess argued, turning away from the queen and crossing her arms over her chest.
“Well, you won’t find a man like that. Women are objects to men, Jade. I don’t love your father, but he has done things for me that the boy I loved as a young woman could never have done. So, who is it, Jade? Who is this man that makes you think love is more important than status?”
Jade sighed and closed her eyes. Her mother would never understand. “There is no man, Mother. That’s the problem! I have never known love, and with Jacob, I never will!”
“You don’t know that. You hardly know the man!”
“One more reason I shouldn’t be marrying him,” she replied, her tone curt. Jade opened her eyes again as her wrist was roughly grabbed. Her mother was staring at her with a sternness she had never shown.
“You are going to marry Marquess Jacob in two days and you are going to enjoy this ball. Your father put this together so you could spend one last night with your friends before you go to Summerslade with Jacob.”
“Go to Summerslade? Leave Adion? How could I? This is my home!” Jade exclaimed. She tried to pull her hand away again, but her mother’s grip was strong.
“It is your duty. Now, come and dance with your cousin. He has waited all night to dance with you and you have been hiding away in your chambers. It is most unbecoming of a lady and a hostess.”
They entered the ballroom and Jade forced a smile onto her lips. She could be unhappy with her mother all she wanted, but if she showed that emotion in front of her parents’ friends, she would get an earful later. Instead, she would pretend to be happy until their guests retired for the evening.
The du Halen family’s ballroom was nothing short of spectacular. Deep mahogany wood floors, gleaming marble pillars and emerald curtains surrounded Jade as she made her way across the room. All around, pairs were dancing. Dresses in all colors swirled around her while men in coats waltzed their partners across the floor.
“Oh, Uri. Thank you so much for coming.” She smiled, curtsying to her cousin.
The young man smiled back at her, his dimples showing. “I wouldn’t miss it, Jade. Would you care to dance?”
With a slight nod, Jade took her cousin’s hand and allowed him to lead her around the floor. They twirled past couples, some of whom Jade knew and others that were unfamiliar to her. They all smiled politely at her as she spun past them, and Jade returned the expressions halfheartedly. She found herself wishing she were still in her room, lying on her bed in her beautiful gown and dreaming of a different life.
She noticed her father across the room. King Aric was speaking in low voices with high ranking officials from three of the countries that bordered them. King Damien of Azazel was there, his face sunken. The death of his son had been hard on the king. The kings from Summerslade and Fridel were absent, but Duke Aeron was there, as well as the prince of Canterbury. His name escaped Jade at the moment. She was more concerned with the worried lines etched into the faces of each man in the circle.
“What are they speaking about?” Jade asked Uri, motioning to her father with her head. She didn’t stop dancing; she had to keep up appearances. The smile didn’t even slip from her lips.
Uri looked at the circle of men before turning back to Jade, one brow raised. “You haven’t heard about the letter?”
Jade shook her head. “What letter?”
“The Rogue Royal has targeted Duke Aeron. He is supposed to strike tonight, at the stroke of midnight. This ball is a huge controversy right now. Many people have said that your father has no class, holding the ball with the duke’s life in danger.” Uri looked at her apologetically, but Jade waved away his words.
“Why would the Rogue strike here instead of waiting until Aeron is back in Summerslade?”
“Some have said it is a message to King Aric.”
“A message about what?” Jade asked, sneaking another quick glance at her father. He was looking at her as well, but he quickly turned away when he met her gaze.
“About you and your marriage to Marquess Jacob. They say it is a warning.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Jade snorted, though she knew the predictions may be right. It sounded like something the Rogue would do. He always did want what was best for her. She wished he would be more discreet. At this rate, he was bound to be caught.
“Maybe, but nevertheless, people are talking.”
“Mother says that no talk is bad talk, because even if the gossip is bad, they are still talking about you,” Jade announced. She wished she knew more about the night’s events, but she couldn’t question her father with the other men. They would frown at her and tell her to leave, like she was a child.
Sometimes, she hated being a woman.
“I am prepared to die, but there is no
cause for which I am prepared to kill.”
- Mahatma Gandhi -
Three
A day’s ride and many inconvenient stops later, nighttime found Aston hunched in the forest outside the castle of Adion, Prince Talbot at his side. They were hidden behind a thin group of cypress trees in view of the palace gates. No one had entered yet, and Aston wondered if they’d gotten the day and time wrong. He found himself wishing King Donn had told King Aric of their arrival, but, as usual, the king hadn’t burdened himself with the pleasantries.
Instead, he had Talbot and Aston standing guard outside the palace walls, too far away to be of any help if the Rogue did appear.
“Why is it so damn cold in August?” Talbot asked, pulling his blanket tighter around himself and glaring at Aston. Talbot had requested a fire, but the knight had refused. A fire would draw attention to their position, and they needed the secrecy.
“It’s a few hours to midnight, Sire. It’s windy and close to fall. It’s bound to be cold. You just aren’t used to being outside after dark,” Aston answered. He knew he was being overly snooty to the prince, but he was tired of Talbot’s whining. He’d had to listen to him complain about being sore for the majority of the ride, and Talbot hadn’t helped at all with making camp. Or dinner. So now, Aston was happy to see him suffer.
“Well, what’s taking so long! The Rogue should have shown up and killed someone already.”
“Prince Talbot, the point is to not let him kill anyone, not to wish for someone to die faster,” he scolded the prince.
“Fine. Wake me up when it’s time to actually do something.” The prince pulled his blanket over his head and lay down, pulling his feet under the cover. Aston sent a prayer to Heaven, thanking his Lord for finally making Talbot sleep. He’d hear about his attitude later from King Donn, but for now he was happy to let the prince wallow in his misery.
As the hours passed, Aston found himself taking in his surroundings. In front of him, the great stone wall that surrounded Adion’s palace towered, slowly turning green as rogue moss took over. A narrow, dirt road led from the castle to the actual city, where no light could be found. Everyone lay in bed, sleeping. Aston snuck a glance at Talbot, grimacing as a loud snore ripped through the prince’s open mouth. So much for being subtle. Once again, Aston found himself wishing King Donn had sent an experienced soldier with him instead of the prince.
Another hour passed before anything happened. Aston looked up at the wall surrounding the castle and saw a light flash once, followed by two short flashes and then a long third one.
Something was wrong. Someone was signaling for help. His heart racing, Aston shook the prince, pushing his shoulder as hard as he could until he heard Talbot murmur.
“Wake up, Sire. We need to get in there,” he said. With one final shove, he stood and crept toward the wall, keeping low to the ground. He didn’t know if Talbot was following him or not, but he wasn’t stopping to check. The knight had a feeling the Rogue resided somewhere in the palace, heading for his target. While he would have loved to leave Talbot behind, he couldn’t let anything happen to the prince.
Aston took his grappling hook from his belt, swin
ging it in a wide circle beside his body as he neared the wall. With one well-practiced throw, the hook caught. A quick look over his shoulder showed him that Talbot was slowly following him. Using the strength in his arms and very careful steps, Aston made it over the wall fairly quickly, despite the moss that kept trying to make him lose his footing. Once over, he dropped to the thin, wooden walkway on the other side. The guard that had been positioned there was dead, his throat slit. Whatever danger he had seen had already left, undoubtedly the murderer.
“Dammit.” Aston leaned over the wall. The prince was two thirds of the way up, moving sluggishly, struggling to find his footing. “Prince Talbot! I’m going ahead. Stay close, and hurry! We don’t know how far ahead of us the Rogue is,” he shouted, knowing no one was around to hear him. He ran along the walkway until he got to a set of stairs, taking them three at a time to get into the palace. He heard the prince clomping along behind him.
All the torches were snuffed out in the hallway he entered. Aston stopped and listened, trying to locate people, but he couldn’t hear anything. It was late, but there should have been guards patrolling every inch of the palace. The duke’s life had been threatened.
He could feel his throat constricting as he crept close to the wall and started down the hallway, more alert now than he had been before. This wasn’t his first mission, but it was the first time he’d been ordered to save a man’s life. Normally, he was sent to battles or as a messenger. This mission had a completely different feel, and something deep inside told him he was already too late.
The wide corridor forked off in two directions at the end. The left side was dark, the right lit. Aston headed left, knowing The Rogue Royal would be somewhere in the darkened corridors. He paused at the end of the second hallway, listening again. Something rammed into his back and he turned quickly, pulling a dagger from his belt and crouching down.
Knight's End (The Knight Trilogy) Page 2
