The Chosen

by K. J. Nessly

  “I understand.”

  “For seven days I want you in the barn mucking out the stalls.”

  Natalie felt her shoulders droop. “All the stalls?”

  He nodded. “All the stalls.”

  The others had already left by the time the three arrived back at the campsite, but they didn’t have that much of a lead and David, Natalie, and Kathryn quickly caught up with the rest of the group. Later, around the campfire, Kathryn sat down next to Natalie. “Why didn’t you fry Sebastian with your gift when he took you?” she asked quietly.

  Natalie was silent for a moment, the flames flickering in her emerald eyes. Finally she spoke. “He recognized me,” she said quietly.

  Kathryn stared at her in disbelief. “He what?”

  “After he ripped off my mask he recognized me from a party several years ago. He threatened my family if I didn’t cooperate.”

  For the first time in her life, Kathryn was truly grateful that she didn’t have a family that could be held over her as leverage. “Did you try?” she asked finally.

  The older girl nodded. “Of course I did. I tried several times. He made me so angry when he threatened my family, but deep down I was terrified for them. I wanted to make sure he could never hurt them, but when I tried…” she took a deep breath. “It was like I’d never had the power. I couldn’t find it inside myself. It was like my gift had abandoned me.”

  Kathryn shook her head. “It didn’t abandon you, you simply lost your focus.”

  “It happened back at the castle too.” Natalie said quietly remembering the difficulty she’d had controlling the fire used to demoralize the rest of the knights.

  “We can fix that.”

  Surprised, Natalie turned to look at Kathryn. “We?”

  “I’ll work with you on improving your battle skills.”

  “Really?”

  “We start tomorrow.”

  “Thank you!”

  Kathryn smirked slightly at Natalie’s enthusiastic tone. “You won’t be so excited once I get done with you,” she warned.

  “I can handle it.”

  “That I seriously doubt.”

  Chapter 20

  David led the group back to the Capitol where Princess Roseanna rejoined her grateful family and, after a heartfelt thanks from the royal family, the group set off for home. During the ride home David noticed that Kathryn and Natalie spent a lot of time together. He had planned on talking to Natalie about what had happened at the Duke’s castle, and later with Sebastian, but Kathryn appeared to be covering that for him. His lieutenant spent radians after they had camped each night working with Natalie, utilizing both physical weapons and their gifts. Occasionally Kathryn would enlist someone else’s help during those training sessions, usually Matt or Daniel. David had been recruited for one such session and found himself slightly shocked at the degree of ruthlessness that Kathryn employed in her teaching. Gentle was not a word he would be using to describe her anytime soon.

  He noticed, with some confusion, that Kathryn spent more time focused on physical training than on Natalie’s gift. When he’d asked her about it she’d replied, “Natalie’s problem isn’t her inability to use her gift, it’s her inability to react when facing an opponent who truly means her harm. She panics when faced with something that wasn’t covered in school. By increasing her skills that don’t involve her gifts, she’ll be able to adapt to new situations with confidence and that confidence will help her retain her control over both her physical and gifted abilities.”

  He hadn’t been able to find a flaw in her logic so he let them be. After a few days, he noticed an easiness in the group that hadn’t been there before. However brutal and bizarre Kathryn’s technique was it appeared to be working.

  When they were three days away from home he and Natalie went hunting for dinner together and David asked her about it.

  “I notice you’ve been spending a lot of time with Kathryn lately,” he commented as they fought their way through the thick underbrush. “Does that mean you two have ironed out your differences?”

  Natalie nodded. “Yes.”

  “What, no elaboration?” He joked half seriously. Any insight into Kathryn would be appreciated.

  “Do you need it?”

  “I guess not,” he conceded, spying the tracks of a wild pig. “Has Kathryn opened up to you at all?”

  “No.”

  “No?” He found that hard to believe. “All the time you’ve spent with her and she hasn’t mentioned anything?”

  “Not a word. And I’ve done enough prying, so I’m not going to ask.”

  They followed the tracks to a large growth of dense underbrush. Taking up defensive positions David was preparing to scare the pig out from its burrow when a piercing shriek from above commanded both Guardians’ attentions.

  A dark blur shot downward into the underbrush. There was the sound of branches breaking followed by the roar of an irate pig and the continued cacophony of squeals and shrieks. Suddenly a large wild boar, weighing in at what looking like about two hundred fifty pounds, burst out from under the bush, bucking and hollering at its attacker.

  “It’s Destiny!” Natalie cried in amazement.

  It was. Kathryn’s eagle was dive-bombing the pig with the force of an arrow launched from a powerful longbow or ballista. The pig stomped and charged the bird, but Destiny was far too small and had the advantage of speed and agility. Both Guardians watched in amazement as the ferocious bird completed the task they had set for themselves. After about fifteen minutes the pig was lying dead on the hard ground, dead from massive blood loss. Destiny swooped in and landed on the pig, letting out a victory call.

  “That is one impressive bird,” David said shaking his head in amazement. But Destiny wasn’t done yet. After preening her feathers for a few moments, she thrust her talons into the dead animal and attempted to drag it away.

  “I do believe that Destiny’s eyes are bigger than her stomach,” Natalie laughed.

  David threw back his head and laughed as the little bird struggled to move the dead weight. “Come on, Nat, let’s get this thing back to camp.” David field dressed the animal while Natalie cut and trimmed some staves. They secured the legs to the poles, hefted the poles to their shoulders and headed back.

  During dinner, Natalie and David had great fun telling the story of Destiny’s great feat. Matt, Jenna, and Daniel were as amazed and stunned as Natalie and David had been. But Kathryn merely sat quietly, feeding Destiny strips of hot pork as she listened, giving David the impression that this was not the first pig Destiny had taken on, nor would it be the last.

  As was their custom, the Dragons took a different route each time they returned to the compound. This minimized tracking signs lest they leave an easy route to follow for an adversary or a curious countryman. In this case they took the northern route over a holt that rose several hundred meters from the assault wall. As they reached the summit, Daniel peered through the massive trees.

  “As many times as I’ve seen it I still can’t get over it.”

  “What’s that?” Jenna replied as she ambled up next to him.

  “The magic.” He motioned his hand pointing in the direction they were heading, “It looks like a swamp, even smells like a swamp. There is no sign of the river, no sound at all, no barn or buildings, no smoke or smell from a cooking fire. It just amazes me.”

  “No honking pribbles either,” Jenna replied with a grin.

  For the most part the pribbles enjoyed the company of people. But there was something about Daniel that set them on edge. Every time he entered their pen, a troop of them would rush towards him hissing and bellowing until he relented and left. It was a mystery because Daniel couldn’t think of anything he could have done to upset them.

  Daniel frowned and prodded his horse forward and muttered to himself, “pribbles”

  They reached home without any further incidents and when Luke reported that all had gone smoothly during their absence, D
avid breathed easier. Having been separated for nearly two months, the rest of the Dragons were eager to hear about the rescue, and the rest of the family was only too happy to oblige. When they got to the story of Destiny and the pig the startled bird suddenly found herself at the center of unwanted attention as the rest of the family tried to pet or stroke her. With an indignant ruffle of her feathers she leapt from her perch and flew upstairs, drawing more laughs from the family.

  Midsummer, three months after David and the rest of the Dragons returned home, David received a letter from the Council. As he studied the missive, he smiled. Natalie was going to be thrilled. Kathryn would probably try to get out of it. He was going to enjoy this.

  The next morning he woke early and told Matt to prepare enough food for the whole family. Despite Matt’s curious glances, he refused to say anything more and instead went upstairs and woke everyone up.

  Those who weren’t scheduled to be on duty that day weren’t all that thrilled to be woken up at the crack of dawn, but David told them that he would make it worth their time. They came, if only to satisfy their curiosity.

  He kept the news to himself throughout breakfast and resisted the urge to laugh at the various attempts made to force him to reveal it. Finally, once everyone was practically done, he said, “I’m sure you’re all wondering why I dragged you all out of bed this morning. Well, to start, I’m canceling patrols for today.”

  Immediately the Dragons stopped what they were doing and looked at him, waiting for his explanation. Kathryn shot a frown in his direction and he knew that, as the second-in-command she should have had prior knowledge to something as big as this, and he hurried to continue. “I have an announcement and I wanted the whole family to hear it at the same time.”

  “Who’s in trouble this time?” Tyler asked dryly.

  “It’s nothing serious, like a rescue or anything,” he assured them. “But perhaps something just as exciting. Well for some of us,” he amended.

  “We don’t have to eat rabbit anymore.” Natalie piped up dryly.

  “No,” David told her chuckling. “Although this is something you might enjoy. Last night I received a summons to court for a three-night celebration.” He barely got the last words out before Natalie squealed with joy.

  “Court!?” Delirious with excitement Natalie pressed David for more information. “What kind of celebration? Will there be balls every night? Will we personally meet the royal family?”

  David held up a hand to try to stop her questions. “Hold on, Natalie, let me finish. The celebration is for the Queen’s birthday, and yes there will be balls every night for your young ladies delight, and for us gentlemen there will be tournaments during the day, and as to meeting the royal family, that’s entirely up to them.”

  “Don’t forget Natalie,” Kathryn added seriously. “While at court you cannot reveal that you are a Guardian.”

  Natalie sighed. “Yes, yes I know that Kathryn, but a ball! This is going to be so much fun!” Suddenly she paused, cocked her head, and then looked straight at Kathryn. “What court dresses did you bring?” she asked. “I don’t remember seeing any in your closet.”

  Kathryn arched an eyebrow at her. Small red spots of embarrassment appeared on Natalie’s cheeks. David fought the urge to laugh again. He watched as Natalie kept her focus and didn’t back down to Kathryn.

  Kathryn’s eyebrow rose again, whether in surprise or approval David couldn’t tell, before saying, “It’s in the back of the closet, you must have missed it.”

  Natalie stared at her. “It? As insingular?”

  “Why in the kingdom would I have need for more than one out here?”

  Natalie’s jaw dropped in disbelief. “You are kidding, right?”

  Amy laughed. “Honestly Nat, haven’t you figured out by now that if it isn’t practical, Kathryn doesn’t want anything to do with it?”

  Natalie was still staring at the younger girl in disbelief. Finally she turned to look at David. “When do we leave?”

  He took a sip of his tea before answering. “To avoid attracting attention, we will be leaving in small groups over the next few days. Your group leaves tomorrow morning.”

  “Tomorrow morning!” Natalie jumped out of her seat, sending it crashing to the floor. “You mean you’re only giving me a couple radians to put together a wardrobe for Kathryn?”

  “A what?”

  Instead of replying Natalie raced over to Kathryn, grabbed her arm, jerked her out of her chair, and dragged her out of the room. “Come on Kathryn! I need to get your measurements and color choices.”

  “For what?” Kathryn’s reply was almost lost as the rest of the girls hurried after them, eager to help.

  David could barely contain his laughter and his curiosity. What in the kingdom could Natalie cook up in a couple radians? At the very least it would be entertaining.

  “Who wants to bet that Natalie strangles Kathryn two radians into this project?” Luke asked. The boys burst out laughing.

  “I don’t know,” Matt managed between laughs. “Kathryn looked like she was about to face a hangman’s noose. I’d bet that it’s Kathryn who strangles Natalie.”

  David wanted to groan: Natalie’s vanity versus Kathryn’s stubbornness. He wasn’t entirely sure which would win today. “They don’t need any encouragement, guys.”

  Luke grinned at him. “Oh come on, it would be epic.”

  Tyler rolled his eyes. “Sure, but think about the collateral damage. The house would be gone, destroyed first by fire and then by water and we’d all probably look like pincushions.”

  Daniel shook his head. “Kathryn doesn’t miss with her bow. She’d only need one shot.”

  Tyler glanced at him. “I wasn’t referring to arrows from Kathryn’s bow.”

  Sighing, David shook his head. “Come on guys, we have packing, and in my case buffing and polishing, to do.”

  A round of groans traveled around those remaining at the table. Luke made a face. “Right now I’m really missing a servant to make sure my clothes are presentable for me.”

  “You could always ask Natalie or Kathryn to do it for you,” Matt suggested teasingly.

  “Oh, sure,” Luke returned sarcastically. “And after they agree, they’ll give me the option of how I want to die.”

  “By fire or by helcë,” Daniel laughed.

  Tyler stood, “Ask Kathryn. It would be quicker,” he advised as he left.

  Matt pondered his words. “I’m not so sure,” he said slowly.

  David turned to face Matt. "Lacey stays here," he said firmly. When Matt opened his mouth to object, David cut him off. "No arguments Matt, we can't risk her raising eyebrows at court."

  Sullenly, Matt nodded his acquiescence.

  “That’s the last of them,” Natalie commented as she wrote down the last of Kathryn’s measurements.

  “Finally,” Kathryn groused as she moved to stand near the window.

  Natalie laughed. “Oh, it’s not that bad. It’s not like you have to infiltrate a castle without being seen.”

  “I’d rather be assaulting the castle,” Kathryn grumbled as Natalie picked up her sketchpad and started drawing. While she appreciated that Natalie had dropped her inquisition into her life, she wasn’t sure how she felt about the older girl’s attempts to treat her like a beloved sister. At best they confused her, at worst she found them just as annoying as her questions about her past.

  “Since I don’t have time to create these dresses from scratch, we’re going to have to alter some of mine.” Without looking up Natalie asked, “Who here is really handy with a needle?”

  Since all the girls were moderately handy with a needle and thread, except for Kathryn, Natalie simply placed them into three groups.

  “Wonderful. Leia, Amy, and Lindsey when I finish this you can start altering,” she pointed to a green day dress hanging in the front of her closet, “that dress there. Cass, Rachel, and Elizabeth can work on the second dress,” she nodded towards a light
blue dress, “and Jenna, Kathryn, and I can work on the third…whichever that will be.”

  “I don’t need three new dresses!” Kathryn protested as Natalie handed her first altered design to Amy.

  “Yes you do!” Natalie countered. “While at court, you have to play the part of a noble lady and you can’t do that in three dresses. My goal is to get at least six done.”

  “Six?” Kathryn looked like she was ready to run. “It’s only three nights!”

  “What about slippers?” Elizabeth asked.

  Natalie paused. “Slippers are easy,” she finally said. “I’ll just buy them in the capitol.”

  Seconds later she tore a page from her book and handed it to Leia who immediately shared it with the others in her group.

  “It’s only three nights,” Kathryn muttered again, but no one paid her any attention. Sighing she gazed at the drawing; it was far more elegant and lavish than anything she’d ever worn. “Can you at least make them less ornate?” she asked, knowing she could never talk Natalie down in number, but perhaps in style.

  Natalie looked at her, and then shrugged, “Okay.” She turned to her sewing book and began to make a few corrections.

  “Just out of curiosity,” Kathryn said. “Do you have enough fabric to complete these dresses?”

  Natalie nodded towards her closet, just as Lindsey opened the door. Inside were bolts upon bolts upon bolts of fabric and trimming.

  “Where did you get all this?” Kathryn asked, forcing her jaw to remain upright.

  “I love to sew and design. My mother collects fabric. She gave me some of her collection, and I’ve done some collecting of my own since we’ve settled here,” Natalie explained, handing a second design to Cassandra who returned to her group for color choice.

  Kathryn glanced at her. “I notice that there’s not much pink or red colored fabric in here,” she said casually.