“Well, I suppose it was better for him that you found him and not I. I still should have liked to wring his neck personally for how he endangered you.”
“I stripped him of his knighthood and left the firin in charge of appointing new leadership. There’s little else he can do now.” Peter shifted uncomfortably. “So what do you think of Katy?”
“She’s a pretty little thing. Looks terrified.”
“If anyone has reason, it’s her.”
“I’m afraid, however,” his uncle stopped and faced him, “that I cannot celebrate your return as quickly as I had wished.”
“What do you mean?”
“The coronation ball should have been held in three days, if you recall.”
Peter nodded, hoping the relief wouldn’t be too evident in his face. A delay was only a delay, but it was better than nothing.
“Unfortunately, we shall have to delay it until we can find out more about what the forest is up to again.”
They began climbing the gray stone steps that led to the knights’ tower. Why were they going there?
Peter frowned. “What has happened?”
“The forest has begun growing again.”
“I was afraid of that. I saw signs of it when I was in Downing.”
“Other parts of the isle have seen far more than mere signs,” his uncle said. “Two more villages have been taken since you left.”
Peter stopped and stared at his uncle. “Two villages? Which ones?”
“Farn and Hagth.”
Peter could only gawk. “Both of them?”
His uncle nodded gravely, the dark circles beneath his eyes making him look older than usual. “Did you see anything odd while you were riding?”
Peter nodded and leaned against the wall to rub his eyes with his palms. “While we were in the mountains, Katy was separated from us during a violent lightning storm.” He shivered as he recalled the feeling of eyes in the forest. “I could have sworn there was someone there with us when I went to find her.”
“Peter, you went into the forest alone?”
Peter avoided his uncle’s gaze. It would probably not be a wise time to tell his uncle how often he’d gone into the forest alone since finding Katy. “Briant, Tomas, and Carey were looking for her as well. We thought we could cover more ground separately.”
“I’ll be having a stern word with them.” His uncle shook his head. “Really, Peter, you know better! Your life isn’t your own anymore! It’s—”
“I’m aware of that, Uncle. But wouldn’t you have done the same for Aunt?”
His uncle’s bushy eyebrows shot up. “I thought you were going to propose to Lady Saraid.”
“I plan to. But Katy’s like a sister. I don’t love her any less.” He shifted. “Just differently. But truly, could you have left Aunt in the forest alone?”
His uncle let out a huff and frowned at him, and Peter knew he had won. “Very well. I’ll let it go this time. But in earnest, Peter, you must be on your guard.” He reached inside his robe and pulled out a parchment and held it out.
“Where did you get this?” Peter took it and frowned at the unfamiliar brown seal.
“It appeared on your window sill this morning. One of the servants found it.”
“My window is five hundred feet off the ground!”
His uncle just shrugged and watched as he read the contents.
Prince,
By now you’ll have noticed the forest. If you’re wise, you and your men will leave well enough alone. I only spared you several days ago because of the girl. If you choose to enter the forest again, don’t expect me to repeat such mercy.
“Your Highness.” Antony’s quick steps clicked down the hall. “I apologize for coming so late. I hadn’t realized—”
“No need to apologize.” The king waved his hand. “I was just talking to Peter here. He will explain.”
Antony gave Peter a quizzical look.
“I’m afraid,” Peter held up the parchment, “that our forest olc is back.”
16
If Not for You…
As soon as she had bid the men goodbye, and Peter had begun talking with his uncle, Lady Saraid began to walk in the opposite direction. Katy had a sudden ridiculous desire to beg one of the knights to come with her. Dom or Briant, perhaps. Though she’d known them for less than a week, they felt like old friends when faced with the daunting task that was the castle.
“So you’re the infamous Katy.” Lady Saraid’s bright green eyes turned to Katy. “Peter said you were small, but you’re even a bit smaller than I expected.”
Katy blinked, unsure how to respond. “I suppose to Peter everyone is short.”
“Ha! That’s probably true! But really,” Saraid waved a gloved hand in the air with an easy smile on her perfect pink lips, “it matters not. I’ll simply have the gowns adjusted a bit.”
“Gowns?”
“Oh, I had the seamstresses take in a few of my old gowns for you to wear while new ones are being made.”
“Oh! Um...thank you. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble.”
“No trouble at all, I assure you. I’ve long grown out of them, and yours won’t be done for several weeks. The seamstress is coming this afternoon to take your measurements.”
Katy gawked at the long corridor they were walking down. The corridor was made of gray stone, but unlike the outside walls of the castle, these gray stones were flat and slick, reflecting any bit of light that touched them. Every so often a door would appear, though most of them remained shut. Intricate green tapestries hung from the windows, twice the height of an average man. Even the servants that passed wore pristine uniforms of black and gray. Lady Saraid stopped one of them, a girl who looked about fifteen years of age.
“Have they finished preparing Lady Fiona’s room?”
The girl curtsied. “Yes, ma’am. I just tucked new linens in the bed myself.”
“Excellent.” Lady Saraid smiled, putting even more bounce in her step as she resumed their walk. She glanced back at Katy. “So, I’m aware that you and Peter are quite old friends.” They turned down another hall.
Katy hurried to follow, but her legs were stiff from so much riding. Her boots made uneven thumps that echoed up and down the stone halls as she tried to keep up with her guide. She nodded. “My benefactor rented a cottage on his father’s land. We lived close to one another, so it was easy to play as children. His father taught me to read, write, and do some basic figures. ” She dared a glance at the lady. Perfect. Everything about her was polished. Katy felt her confidence sinking.
“Do you live here? In the palace?” she asked, forcing her voice to sound normal as they passed a set of wide doors that were open to what looked like a great hall. But Lady Saraid didn’t slow enough for her to see what was inside.
“Yes. My family lives in one of the mansions just outside the castle’s inner wall. But after I began receiving more palace duties, I requested permission to stay here in order to carry out my duties to their full extent.”
Every time they went around a corner, Katy couldn’t help staring wistfully at her guide’s beautiful gown and the way it swished with every turn. It was simple, with a cream skirt suspended by multiple petticoats, but its elegance was impressive. Small swirls of brightly colored threads had been sewn into the bodice, decorated with what looked like little red stones. Garnets, perhaps? Not that Katy had ever seen a garnet, only read about them in Sir Christopher’s books. The cut of the fabric was expertly designed to show off the lady’s full bosom, contrasting it with her delicate shoulders and arms.
But the gown wasn’t all that was lovely about Lady Saraid. Her hair was so pale it was nearly the color of the sun, and it had been pulled and tucked into the most intricate of curls gathered above the nape of her neck. Full pink lips rested in a confident smile, and there wasn’t a shadow below her eyes. In fact, there wasn’t a single blemish visible at all.
“What kind of duties do you keep?” Ka
ty asked in an effort to distract herself from Saraid’s beauty. She wanted to think kindly, as Firin Reaghan had taught her to do. Kind thoughts were what Atharo wanted, after all. Or so the firin had reported reading in the Twelve Scrolls. But thinking kindly was so very hard! For every time Katy looked at Lady Saraid, she couldn’t help regretting such foolish fancies as she’d once entertained. No wonder Peter was going to marry Saraid. When he had found Katy, she’d been wearing her only dress, a brown hole-riddled gown made from leftover oat bags. She hadn’t even been wearing proper shoes to cover her feet. But Lady Saraid...
A man would have to be blind to miss such beauty.
“I choose the decorations for our noble guests, not that we have many. I also plan feasts, arrange seating for official events, and organize the servants’ duties for large gatherings.” She stopped at two curved wooden doors and grasped their ornate handles before giving Katy a grin. “I also prepared this for you.”
Katy gasped as the doors were opened. A room larger than four of Firin Reaghan’s cottages stared back at her. Every inch of floor and the bed was covered in white. White rugs, white blankets, even the walls and furniture were painted white. With the windows thrown open and the sunlight streaming in, the glow actually made Katy’s eyes a little sore. She slowly followed Lady Saraid inside, terrified that if she touched anything, she might dirty it.
“It was his mother’s room.” For the first time, Lady Saraid’s mouth turned down at the corners.
Katy shook her head and fell back a step. “This is too much.”
Lady Saraid stopped bustling around and took Katy’s hands gently. It was a moment before she spoke. “I don’t know what happened to you or Peter back in that wretched town. But,” her voice fell to nearly a whisper, “I do know that Peter has wanted to bring you here for a long time.” She gestured at the walls. “I suppose he wanted you to feel at home with the paintings.”
Only then did Katy look up to see the dozens of paintings that covered the higher portions of all four white walls.
Oh, Peter. I hadn’t planned on crying today. And yet it was particularly hard to blink back the sting of tears as she looked up into the face of the man she had known as Sir Christopher.
“As I said,” Lady Saraid gave Katy’s hands a squeeze, “I don’t know you yet, but...I wish to. Peter says you were always like a sister to him.” She let out a little laugh. “To be honest, I’ve always wanted a sister. Do you think...I know it won’t be the same, but I hope that maybe someday we can find something similar, at least.”
Katy studied the young woman for a long moment as jealousy and foolish hope dueled inside her. This young woman was clearly everything Katy would never be. She was confident, charming, primped, and had probably known more about running a kingdom at age five than Katy would ever know.
And yet, Katy couldn’t ignore her undeniable yearning for a friend. After all, that was what Peter wanted for her as well, wasn’t it?
“I would like that,” she finally said with a shy smile.
“Splendid!” Saraid pulled her hands free then clapped.
Katy turned to look around the room again, but as she did, a sharp yelp made her jump. She looked down to see the tiniest, strangest looking…dog?
“Edward, my baby! Oh, I’m sorry!” Lady Saraid bent down and picked up the strange little creature, which was now growling at Katy so hard that its rat-like body trembled. “Edward is really a sweet boy.” She had to nearly shout over his barking. “He’s just a little skittish, that’s all.” She went to the door, dumped the dog into the hall, and shut the door behind her. “The seamstress will be here soon. I’ve instructed her to make you all the various types of gowns you’ll need while you’re living here.”
“How many is that?” Katy had only ever owned one dress at a time.
“Day gowns, ball gowns, supper and dinner gowns. And Peter has requested you have a riding outfit as well.”
“Do you have a riding outfit?” Katy couldn’t picture what one of those might look like.
“No, and to be honest, I’m not sure why he wants one for you. It doesn’t seem practical with all he has going on right now. I’m not sure where he’ll find the time.” Lady Saraid looked around once more before going to stand at the door. “Take some time freshening up and rest for a while without all those stinky knights around.”
Katy couldn’t help laughing a bit, which made Lady Saraid’s smile even wider. “There’s water in that pitcher over there,” she continued, “and the maidservants will be in soon to prepare your bath. I’ll come to fetch you for supper tonight. And Katrin?”
“Yes?”
“I really do hope you like it here. From what Peter tells me, if anyone deserves it, it’s you.”
“Thank you. I’m grateful. Really. And please…call me Katy.” But just as Lady Saraid began to close the door, Katy called out once more. “Lady Saraid?”
“Yes?” The young woman paused.
“I hope this isn’t...too forward,” Katy said, looking at the ground. “But you know him well enough to know. What was it that he gave up in exchange for his uncle’s blessing to search for me?”
Lady Saraid’s eyes grew large. “He didn’t tell you?”
Katy shook her head.
“My dear Katr—Katy, Peter never wanted to be king. In fact, he’s been fighting his position since the moment he arrived, begging for his uncle to choose the next in line instead.” She gave Katy a half smile, her eyes distant. “I’ve never seen someone who wanted so little to be king. Of course, everyone here thinks he’ll make a fine king. I’ve been begging with him to reconsider for years.”
“I see.” That didn’t surprise Katy in the least.
“But as to your question, when he found out that you were in danger, Peter marched straight to his uncle’s study and made a bargain with him.”
Katy felt her heart begin to thrum.
“Peter swore that if he were allowed to go and fetch you, he would allow his uncle to officially anoint him as crown prince immediately upon his return.” She paused again, and when she spoke, her words were slow and thoughtful. “I suppose we should thank you, really.”
“Thank me? Why?”
“We’ve been trying to convince him to accept the title of crown prince for years. If not for you, Peter may never have consented to his fate.”
17
Hiding Something
The war room was hot. Uncomfortably so. And that didn’t make Peter’s mood any better as he listened to the scouts report their sobering news. “So let me make sure I understand this.” Peter pinched the bridge of his nose. “Between when we left and when we returned, in the span of less than two weeks, the forests have begun encroaching again, the olc has returned, and...what was the other one?”
“The outer forests are beginning to die, but the ones growing inward, toward the center of the isle, are as green as can be.” One of the scouts nodded.
“So all of that,” Peter looked at his uncle incredulously, “in a span of thirteen days?”
His uncle nodded and gestured to the map rolled out on the table. “The scouts returned last week. They say that the isle is now ringed entirely with forests of some sort. Only thin passageways such as the mountain pass allow travel across the isle without passing directly through the forest. And those aren’t much better because the forest edges them so closely.”
“What about the harbor towns like Downing?”
“Reports,” the young scout spoke up again, “say that Downing and the other towns on harbors are still free of forest for now because of their rocky soil.”
“But the forest is even beginning to grow closer to the village there,” Briant recalled, glaring at the map. “If I didn’t know better, I’d bet my own firstborn the forest will have swallowed Downing in less than a year at this rate.”
“Good thing you don’t have any children.” Benjamin smirked.
“We ran into some trouble of our own,” Tomas said, scratching hi
s red beard. “That storm we encountered on the mountain was nothing natural.”
“How so?” the king asked.
Tomas stood and leaned in to look more closely at the map. “The lightning struck again and again right in the same spot. And it stopped as soon as the girl had been separated from us.”
“Separated?”
“Her horse spooked,” Tomas said.
“Even before the blasted storm came,” Antony grumbled, “I felt like we had eyes on us the entire time.”
Carey nodded. “Winds changed, too. ’Fore we left Downing. ’Fore we even got there.”
“But what’s the cause?” Domnhall asked, his white brows furrowing. “Nothing like this ever begins at random. It’s too much like the old times for it to be a new creature. And yet, why would the creature pause its efforts for so long?”
Peter looked at his men. Dark circles hung below their eyes, and most leaned heavily in their large chairs. He felt guilty for summoning them first thing the morning after they’d returned. He’d driven them hard, and they deserved time with their families. But the threat they were facing was clearly something that couldn’t be afforded the luxury of time.
Antony sat up straight in his seat. “Sire,” he turned to Peter, “how long have you been here?”
“About eight years, give or take a few months.”
Antony jumped up and ran to the back of the room. Everyone watched as he rummaged through a stack of ledgers, dust flying from their thick leather covers and spines as he leafed through them. After a moment of searching, he closed one and brought it back to the table they were gathered around.
“Antony, what is this?” Domnhall asked.
But Antony only opened the book and began to skim the pages. “Tomas, one of your girls has a birthday soon, doesn’t she?”
“Aye. She’ll be eight years soon. But what does my little girl have to do with monsters in the trees?”
The Autumn Fairy (The Autumn Fairy Trilogy Book 1) Page 10
