Kingdom of Shadows

by K M Reynolds

  She sat on a large flat rock with her feet dangling in the salty water. It was bitterly cold, but she didn’t mind. She closed her eyes, feeling the sun kiss her cheeks and the wind play in her hair. For a few moments, all was calm.

  A splash caught her attention, and her eyes flew open, searching the water. About one hundred paces off the shore line, something was swimming in the sea. She squinted against the glare of the sun on the waves, trying to make it out. She didn’t have to wait long.

  A huge monster reared its head out of the sea, breaching the waves and crashing back down to disappear beneath them. Cambria gasped, her mouth dropping open. The creature looked like a wingless dragon, but was purple and blue in hue, with a bit of green shimmer on its scales. It had ridges all down its spine, and its head was adorned with spikes and horns. When it leapt into the air, half of its body was still beneath the waves, though its head would tower above before it came crashing down again. It was the largest living thing Cambria had ever seen, and she was terrified.

  The Leviathan splashed in the waves, leaping and diving, twisting and rolling in the surf. He’s playing, Cambria realized with a start. He’s just having fun. She sat and watched it for over an hour, before it turned back out to sea and vanished beneath the waves. When it was gone, she rose from her seat on the rock and made her way back to the cave.

  “Okay, Cambria,” she mused to the empty cave, listening to her voice echo. “Let’s make a plan.”

  Adelaide rocked back and forth on the couch, her arms wrapped instinctively around her midriff. Her mind was racing from thought to thought, never resting on one for more than a moment before rushing to the next. She watched Wynne pacing the length of the room, wringing her hands. Charles sat beside her on the couch, his arm around her. All three were silent. Finally, Adelaide couldn’t take it anymore.

  “Wynne, say something, please,” she begged. “You are starting to scare me.”

  “I’m afraid that if I start to speak I won’t be able to stop,” Wynne grumbled. “I don’t want to say anything I’ll regret.”

  “Please. We’ve always been honest with each other. I won’t be offended.”

  “I doubt that,” Wynne muttered under her breath. She stopped pacing and turned to face the couple on the couch. “Fine then. Here it is.” She inhaled deeply, then unleashed the emotions she had been holding back. “A pregnancy? Are you joking! This is the last thing we need right now, that the kingdom needs right now. How do you expect to take the throne with a bastard baby on your hip? How do you expect to ride into a bloody battle, knowing you have a baby to care for? This will absolutely impact every single step going forward, and not in a good way.”

  Adelaide took each of those words like an arrow to the heart, and she bit her lip to keep it from quivering. “I understand how you feel—”

  “No you don’t!” Wynne cut her off. “Seriously, Adelaide, where was your head? You should have been taking every precaution to avoid this.” She huffed loudly, resuming her pacing. “I can always… take care of it for you.”

  Adelaide’s stomach dropped and she recoiled in horror. “Take care of it? You mean…?”

  “Yes, that’s exactly what I mean.”

  “No! No, absolutely not!” Adelaide leapt to her feet, her eyes flashing with anger. “Charles, help me out here! You’ve been silent, but surely that was going too far! Say something!”

  Charles shook himself from his shocked stupor and stood slowly, taking Adelaide’s hand. He scowled at Wynne, and his voice came out as a low growl.

  “The timing may be the absolute worst in the history of the world, but this is our baby. If you so much as think about hurting it again, I will kill you.”

  “Him,” Adelaide said firmly.

  “Him?” Charles turned to her, his brow furrowed.

  “Yes, him. If she thinks about hurting him, you’ll kill her.” She spoke matter-of-factly, her hand resting tenderly on her slightly-bloated lower abdomen.

  “It’s a boy?” Charles’ eyes glistened and a wide grin spread across his tanned face. “We are having a son!”

  “Yes, I’ve been dreaming about him lately. Malcolm. Named for the man who saved my Gran.”

  “Malcolm,” he whispered, reaching out and gently brushing his fingers across Adelaide’s gown.

  “Yes, that’s all well and good, but what are we going to do about the kingdom?” Wynne snapped. “Or have we forgotten the reason you are here? To wage war and take back your throne?”

  “We will stick to the plan,” Adelaide asserted. “We may have to alter it slightly to accommodate for the new prince, but we will still take back Echaria and raise it out of shadow.”

  “You say that now, but just wait. The farther along this pregnancy progresses, the less you will want to fulfill your destiny,” Wynne warned. “Motherhood is a wonderful thing, don’t misunderstand me. But for you, right now, it will only lead to tragedy.”

  “Was that a threat?” Charles stepped between Wynne and Adelaide.

  “No,” Wynne replied, shaking her head. “It is a warning.”

  “Well, thank you for the warning, but we are doing this all the same,” Adelaide said, stepping out from behind Charles. “So you can get supportive, or you can not mention it again.”

  Wynne sighed deeply, pressing her fingers to her temples. After a moment she straightened up and smiled. “Well then, I suppose that settles that. Moving on. Would you like to know how far along you are, and when he is due to arrive?”

  Adelaide practically squealed with excitement and grasped Charles’ hand. “Yes, please!”

  a thief and a wedding

  C am sat in the open field, scanning the sky. Her gaze swept across the waving grass and up to the clouds, around and around in a continuous loop. Finally, she saw her. Descending from heaven like some kind of angel—her mother.

  “Mom!” Cambria leapt to her feet, running to greet her.

  “Hello, my darling girl! How are you?”

  “I’m doing well. It’s been a while since our last meeting, I was starting to get a little worried.”

  “I thought it would be best to stay away for a while, I was getting worried that our visits were distracting you from coming up with a plan and practicing your magic. I love seeing you, baby girl, but I decided to give this a try.”

  “But two weeks? Was it necessary to go two weeks without contacting me? Especially after almost a month of seeing you a few times a week? I was scared you were gone for good!”

  “No, baby. Never gone for good. I’m back now. So, did the separation work? Did you come up with a plan?”

  Cambria smiled sheepishly. “Yes, it did. You were right, Mama. I think I’ve settled on a plan to take the Time Glass. I’ve been practicing my counter spells, but I still have a way to go before I can effectively disarm Wynne’s enchantments without waking them all up.”

  “Cambria, darling, you’ve been on your own now for nearly six weeks! Surely you’ve mastered what you need.”

  “Almost. As soon as I can shatter this protection spell without a loud noise, I’ll be ready to go.”

  “And you’ll be able to manage it all, even with the snow?”

  “Oh, that won’t be a problem. Where we are, Winter is practically over. It doesn’t stay very long; the snow is already gone except for the occasional dusting, but that melts right away. It’s been lovely out for a few weeks now.”

  “Oh, and where are you, exactly?” she probed.

  Cambria smiled, shaking her head. “I love you, Mama, but I still can’t tell you. Just in case.”

  “I understand.”

  “I’ll meet you back here in two days time to give you an update?” Cambria suggested. “Hopefully I’ll be ready.”

  “That sounds like a good plan. I’ll see you in two days.”

  Cambria threw her arms around her mother, holding her close. “I’ve missed you. I’ll see you in two days.”

  “Yes, two days.” Chloe straightened up and chuckl
ed. “I need to go, but I’ll see you soon.”

  “Soon,” Cambria promised.

  She sighed and watched her mother ascend back into the sky just as quickly as she had come. Seeing her felt so good, but always left her with a deep, swirling pit in her stomach. When Chloe had passed beyond eyesight, Cambria willed herself to wake up.

  Her eyes opened and drank in the soft light spilling through the mouth of the cave. It was another beautiful day, and Cambria hoped to make the most of it. She quickly stood and strode out into the clearing, heading for a pile of rocks that she had stacked near the cave. With a flick of her wrist and a few muttered incantations, she encased the rocks in the same glowing force field that had held her captive back at Wynne’s house. She took a step back, assessing the shimmering bubble.

  Satisfied that she had created the spell correctly, she went to work trying to get it to shatter without making a sound. Over and over she did this, making new force fields and tearing them down until at last, when the sun was beginning to creep lower in the sky, it happened. The spell crumbled away noiselessly, like torn wisps of paper fluttering to the ground. Cambria dropped to her knees, raising her trembling hands high over her head.

  “I did it!” she cried out to the silent meadow. “I finally did it!” She exhaled sharply, turning her attention back to the rocks. “Now, let’s do it again.”

  Adelaide smiled as her arrow found its target, sinking into the tree branch with a thud. She ambled across the yard toward the tree, absentmindedly resting her hand on her protruding abdomen. The last few weeks had been strange without Cambria, and at first, tensions were high at the lake house. No one knew what Cambria was up to or what she was planning, so everyone was on high alert. But as time went by, it became clear that Cambria was gone.

  Spring had come to The Tangle, though Adelaide knew that Winter still reigned to the North. Thunderstorms were frequent now, soaking the earth and leaving behind a rich petrichor. Adelaide still trained daily with Charles, though due to her ever-growing baby bump, the trainings were far less rigorous. As she pulled the arrow from the branch, Malcolm gave a kick, eliciting a gasp of delight from Adelaide.

  “Charles!” she cried out. “Charles, he’s kicking again! Come quick!”

  Charles leapt from his seat by the well, where he had been dozing in the sunshine. “Oh, I’m coming!” He raced across the yard and dropped to his knees in front of Adelaide, pressing his cheek to her swollen belly. “Hi there, little prince,” he crooned. “Daddy is here.”

  Adelaide felt Malcolm stir again, and Charles looked up at her with misty eyes. “Did you feel him?” she asked.

  “I did!” He exhaled and returned his head to its resting position. “I felt him.”

  Adelaide ran her fingers through Charles’ thick hair, her own eyes pricking with tears. “I’m so glad I have the two of you. My boys.”

  “Let’s get married,” Charles said, grasping her hands. “I’m serious, Addie. Let’s do it.”

  Adelaide was startled, and she laughed. “Oh, my love, I want to. I really do, but do you think that would be wise? Is this the best time for it?”

  “It’s a perfect time for it,” Charles countered. “Who knows what the future holds? All I know is that I want you by my side, for the rest of my life. Malcolm too.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Of course I’m sure! I choose you, Addie. In a million lifetimes, I would choose you. Please, let’s do this. Let’s get married.”

  “You’ve convinced me,” Adelaide giggled, helping Charles to his feet. “I suppose I’ll marry you.”

  “Let’s go tell Wynne,” Charles wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug. “We will marry here at the lake, under the stars. It will be perfect.”

  “Yes. Well…” Adelaide’s voice trailed off and her chest tightened. “Almost perfect.”

  “I know you miss Cam,” Charles said, tenderly kissing the top of her head. “I know you’d give anything to have her there with us. But she’s gone, and we are still here. We can’t stop living just because she’s no longer with us.”

  “You are right, of course,” Adelaide admitted, brushing away a stray tear that had spilled from the corner of her eye. “I’ve just always dreamed she’d be right there with me on my wedding day. It’s been that way since I was a young girl. It just hurts to know she won’t be there for me.” She rested her hands on her belly, gently caressing it. “Or for Malcolm. She doesn’t even know about him. Maybe she never will.”

  “I know, my love. I’m sorry she won’t be here for all these wonderful things happening to us. Truly, I am.”

  Adelaide leaned her head into his chest, breathing in his warm, woody scent. “I know. Thank you for understanding.” She straightened up, smiling. “Now, let’s go tell Wynne we have a wedding to plan!”

  The next few days were a blur for Adelaide as she and Wynne planned the wedding. Wynne had created the most gorgeous gown of shimmering white fabric, softer than anything Adelaide had ever owned before. Tiny crystals adorned the bodice, glimmering as the light hit them. The gown was high-waisted, flowing loosely over Malcolm and allowing Adelaide to breathe. The morning of the wedding had arrived, and there was an electric tension in the air.

  Adelaide and Wynne were busy on the lake-front, preparing it for the ceremony that night. Charles was hunting, hoping to bring home a stag for the feast. There was an air of joy that settled over the lake house like a blanket, snug and warm.

  “Thank you for putting in all this effort,” Adelaide said. “I know you aren’t the biggest fan of Charles and I.”

  “The two of you as a pair have grown on me,” Wynne admitted. “You bring out the best in each other. I was wrong to judge Charles so harshly when I first met him. You saw something in him that I didn’t see yet.”

  “Well then, I’m glad you’ve come around.”

  “So am I, Princess.”

  They worked side by side in pleasant silence until they heard Charles shout from the yard.

  “Ladies, I’m back!”

  They scurried to the front of the lake house to see what he had found.

  “As promised, a nice plump stag for our feast tonight.” He shifted the deer from one shoulder to the other. “Where should I put him?

  “Take him to the barn, I’ll prepare him for the kitchen,” Wynne instructed. She turned to Adelaide. “And you, head into the house and draw yourself a rose and lavender bath. You’ve done enough work today, it’s time for you to pamper yourself.”

  Adelaide started to protest, but changed her mind. Her feet were aching a bit, as was her lower back. “Thanks, Wynne. A nice bath sounds perfect right about now.”

  She turned and headed into the house, pausing in the main room. Her skin prickled, as though someone was watching her from the shadows. She turned around, scanning every corner of the room. Something feels off. After a minute, she brushed the feeling off and shuffled down the hallway and into the bathroom.

  Cambria held her breath until Adelaide was in the bathroom. As the door closed, she exhaled sharply, her lips trembling. She felt as though someone had kicked her in the stomach. Addie is pregnant. When did this happen? Have I really been gone for that long? She wracked her memories for clues of Adelaide’s pregnancy before she left the lake house. After a few moments, she shook it off and refocused on her mission—retrieving the Time Glass.

  The cloaking spell was working, but Adelaide had still almost caught her. She needed to get in and out before Wynne or Charles came inside, just in case. She slipped silently across the room to where the Time Glass sat, shimmering quietly inside the protection spell.

  She extended her hands, whispering the incantation under her breath. The spell dissolved quietly, leaving the Time Glass unprotected. Cambria quickly grabbed it from the pedestal and extended her cloaking spell to include the relic. She turned to go, the Time Glass nestled safely under her arm.

  They’ll notice the absence of the spell, she realized. I need to buy myself so
me more time. She quickly replicated the protection spell, leaving an empty, shimmering egg surrounding the pedestal where the Time Glass had stood. Perfect.

  She quickly moved to the door, cracking it open and slipping out into the courtyard. As she crossed, Wynne and Charles emerged from the barn, where they had been butchering an animal. Cambria slowed down, breathing as quietly as she could so as not to draw attention to herself. As she tiptoed, she couldn’t help but overhear their conversation as they crossed the courtyard to the house.

  “So, Charles, are you ready to be married?”

  “Absolutely! I have no doubt that tonight will be the best night of my life,” he replied.

  “I hope so! It truly seems like the perfect night for a wedding. I wish you two all the best.”

  “Thanks, Wynne. We appreciate you supporting us the way you have been, what with Malcolm coming, and now the wedding…”

  “Of course. Plus, I think the wedding is a great idea. It adds legitimacy to your relationship, and to the baby. No one will be able to attack Adelaide’s character, or try to undermine her bid for the throne now.”

  “Yeah, I guess that makes sense. So that’s why you had no objections, eh?”

  “Partly.”

  “Well, thanks anyway—”

  The door closing cut off the rest of their conversation. Cambria fled into the shadows at the edge of Wynne’s property and dropped to her knees, clutching her stomach. Tears boiled in her eyes and ran unchecked down her face, and she ground her teeth as emotions rolled over her like a runaway wagon.

  They are getting married and having a baby, and I’m not going to be there for it. She’s moving on with her life like I don’t even matter, like the quest doesn’t even matter. She swatted angrily at a hungry mosquito. They didn’t even come looking for me, she realized. They just accepted that I was gone and decided that they’d be fine without me.

  Sparks flashed on her fingertips and she felt a dark cloud building in her gut. She rose to her feet, trembling, wiping away the tears that still found their way past her thick lashes.