The Stolen Princess

by Kristen Gupton

  The elder vampire’s condition had dramatically improved over the months since he’d arrived in Tordania. Though he was still thin, it wasn’t the emaciation of starvation. His hair had started to grow back with a vengeance, though it would take a few years for it to reach the length he’d kept it at before his imprisonment.

  Keiran entered, his eyes fixing on the painting. It was a proper portrait of their mother. He’d commissioned his elder brother to create it, wanting the forgotten queen to have appropriate representation in the gallery with his other ancestors.

  Garhan sat back after another minute, rinsing out his brushes in a small bowl. “Well, what do you think?”

  “It’s remarkable. I never saw her alive, but it feels right. She looks much like she did in the painting I took of yours from Aleria.” He moved closer, crossing his arms over his chest. “You have quite a gift.”

  Garhan set his brushes aside and looked up at his brother. “No, what I had was a nearly unlimited amount of time to practice. Such talents aren’t gifts, they are the result of a craft developed over years of devotion. I can do this well because I earned it. If I threw you into a room with only paint and brushes for decades, I imagine you’d get rather good with them, too.”

  Keiran furrowed his brow and gave a weak nod. He’d never had an artist put it to him like that before. “Either way, it’s beautiful. She looks as though I could reach out and touch her.”

  Garhan squinted at him. “Well, you could, but you would ruin it, so please don’t.”

  “I thank you for doing this,” Keiran said, taking a step back as Garhan stood. “She deserves to be remembered like this.”

  “Don’t make it sound like I’m being charitable. You are paying me, and quite handsomely. Still, it makes me feel useful.” He grunted and stretched after sitting bent over for hours. “That’s not something I’ve experienced much during my lifetime. It fills the time.”

  Keiran frowned, hearing Garhan’s tone dip at the end of his last statement. “You miss Mari. She’s’ been gone for over two months.”

  “Nearly three.” His shoulders rounded, eyes closing as he continued to try and work the tension out of his back and neck. “Despite her claims of wanting to give up her job, she was growing restless.”

  The king turned his gaze to the side. “I should have sent her north to the coast or on another shorter run.”

  “I’m the one who came and asked you to send her on a run in the first place. I have no one to blame for her absence but myself,” Garhan replied.

  “You could have gone with her,” Keiran said.

  His teal eyes opened again, but only halfway. The corners of his mouth tugged down, his hand waving toward the window. “I don’t belong out there.”

  “I would think after being locked in that house for all those years, you’d want to be outdoors as much as possible.” Keiran, like everyone in the castle, knew Garhan never went out. Even stepping into the open courtyard was something he avoided at all costs. “What is it, Garhan? Why do you still lock yourself away?”

  A pained expression overtook him, his gaze drifting to the side. “I never have been one for outdoor activity, that’s all.”

  Though Keiran’s senses were dull from a lack of fresh blood, there was an immediate punch to his gut from the anxiety spike Garhan felt. “Are you scared of going out there?”

  Garhan set his jaw and considered his brother again. It was something he didn’t openly discuss. While Mari knew of his phobia, he’d managed to not be asked about it otherwise. “As I said, I’ve never been one for being outdoors. It actually took quite a bit out of me to get here from Aleria. Once we arrived and settled in here, I just…”

  “What?” Keiran took a step closer.

  “My general dislike of being out has morphed into something a bit worse.” Garhan turned away, ashamed. “Keiran, I’m terrified to go out there. I don’t know why. Maybe I do. All that happened between here and Aleria, it set something off in me. I don’t feel safe out there. I feel exposed, and I don’t care for it.”

  Keiran hadn’t considered such a thing. To hear Garhan admit to his agoraphobia left him speechless.

  Garhan rolled his eyes. “See? It’s absurd, isn’t it? Who’s afraid of such a triviality as stepping outside?”

  “A lot did happen on the way here, Garhan. I won’t pretend to understand it, but I have no doubt you’re being honest.” He shook his head, feeling the awkwardness of the conversation starting to swirl around him. “I won’t push you on it, though, and I’m sure Mari will be home soon.”

  “I hope she gets over those mountains before the snow begins to fall,” Garhan said, turning toward the window. “This is about the time of year you said it tends to happen. What could be keeping her out so long? It was only supposed to be a month long trip.”

  “She knows what she’s doing,” Keiran said. He’d started to grow more than a little concerned himself, but it wasn’t unheard of for couriers to be delayed for assorted reasons, or to get sidetracked with investigating topics of interest.

  “Of course I know what I’m doing.”

  Both men turned to see the small woman standing in the doorway, saddlebags draped over her shoulders. The heavy riding cloak she wore dragged the ground, hiding away most of her body.

  Garhan brushed past Keiran and ran over, picking her up and giving her a kiss. She squealed in delight, giggling once she was set down again.

  “Miss me?” she asked, looking up at Garhan.

  “Terribly.”

  “Good, I would hate to find you apathetic to my absence.” Mari looked at Keiran. “I apologize for how long I was out, but there were some very serious matters I needed to look into on your behalf. I know it will be spring before I can head south again.”

  “I trust your judgment,” Keiran said. “I’ll leave the two of you alone for a while. Come find me when you’ve had a chance to settle back in.”

  “I will, and I hope you don’t mind me asking for Garhan to attend the debriefing with us.” Mari reached over and placed her hand against one of Garhan’s arms.

  Keiran had started for the doorway but paused upon her last request. He wanted to ask her why, but the two Alerians needed some time to catch up before they got down to business. “I’ll agree to that. I’ll be downstairs when the two of you are ready. Whatever you learned took three months, I’m sure another hour or two won’t hurt before you relay it.”

  * * *

  “Old woman, I need to talk to you.”

  Corina smiled to herself. Kanan had been coming around with assorted reasons to talk to her a lot recently. She patted the dough she’d been kneading into a ball before turning around. “And what is it this time, old man?”

  He sighed and closed the distance between them, his usual confident air wavering. Though he’d tried to prepare himself over the previous weeks for this discussion, his nerves cropped up like he’d not felt since he’d been a young man.

  “I have been thinking at length, lately. With Keiran and Jerris both now grown and married…” His words trailed off, his line of thought breaking down before it could be expressed.

  Corina waited for him to continue, wiping her hands on the apron she wore. “Aye, and what of it?”

  “We have dedicated both our lives to raising them.” He moved to lean back against the counter she’d been working on. “Since Viv died, that’s all I’ve put my energy into. You helped me greatly with Jerris over the years.”

  “And you have helped me with Keiran, in return.” She gave a smile. “I think we did a fine job with them, too.”

  “Not to be boastful, but we did, indeed.” He returned her smile, but it faltered, and he dropped his gaze to the floor, crossing his arms over his chest. “And now, that is done. So, what do we do with the time we have left? We’ve met our major obligations, yet I think we both have several years still left within us.”

  Corina had no idea where he was going. “We still have our work to do. You with the guard
s, and I have the castle staff to keep in line. You’re not thinking of retiring and leaving, are you?”

  Kanan scoffed and waved a hand. “Not at all. I may have turned the title of King’s Knight over to Jerris, but I still have my uses around here. I’m speaking more in regards to what should we do with our time outside of work, now?”

  She was lost. “Kanan, we’ve managed to fill our time all of our adult lives without needing to question it. I don’t know what you’re after.”

  The knot in his stomach tightened. He hated the situation, but something pushed him forward. “We have, but we’ve done so alone all this time. Perhaps we should spend that time in each other’s company.”

  She braced herself with one arm against the counter, her head cocking to the side. Corina knew what she hoped he was trying to say, but didn’t want to get too excited. “Kanan, are you saying you’d like to spend time with me in the evenings?”

  He fidgeted with his hands. “I know we’ve never broached the subject, but it seems logical the two of us should end up together.”

  Adrenaline poured into her blood. “Together? As in married?”

  “Yes, woman, am I not being clear?” he asked. “Perhaps you have no interest, I don’t know, but I thought it might be enjoyable to have that sort of companionship during what’s left of our days.”

  Though she’d been secretly hoping for something like this with Kanan for years on end, it never seemed likely. He’d never let on that he might be interested in her. “Are you toying with me, Sir Steiner?”

  He drew a long breath, his cheeks growing hot. “I wouldn’t joke around about something like this. I wouldn’t make a game of your feelings. I know this is coming out of the—”

  “Yes.”

  “Yes?” he repeated.

  Corina broke into a wide grin, shaking her head. “Aye, yes. It’s possible I’ve thought about it more than once. I never imagined, though, you’d go for such a thing.”

  There hadn’t been many occasions in Kanan’s life that had left him speechless. He hadn’t anticipated her agreeing so easily.

  “Well?” Corina asked, straightening up from the counter.

  Kanan pulled away from the counter as well, reaching out and pulling her into an embrace. “Then it’s settled. We will be married.”

  “What do we tell the boys?” Corina rested her cheek against his shoulder, closing her eyes.

  “They’re adults. They’ll handle it just fine.”

  * * *

  “What?” Jerris asked, his eyes going wide, jaw slack.

  “You understood me,” Kanan replied, standing with his arm around Corina’s shoulders. “We are to be married.”

  Keiran lingered closer to the throne, where he’d been waiting for Mari. They were the only four present, his eyes shifting between the couple and Jerris.

  The younger guard turned around to look at the king, waving an arm toward his father and Corina. “Well? Don’t you have something to say about this?”

  He sighed and moved to stand beside his friend. Keiran, like Jerris, was shocked by the news, but he was doing a much better job of handling it. “I’m not sure what you want me to say, Jerris. If this is what they’ve decided, then we are in no position to question it. If it will make the two of you happy, then the matter is settled.”

  Corina smiled and started to respond, but Jerris wasn’t done yet.

  He turned to face Keiran. “So that’s it? You’re all right with this?”

  The vampire blinked and shrugged. “Why shouldn’t I be? Honestly, Jerris, they’re adults. They’ve acted as both our parents all our lives, so why shouldn’t they be together? It caught me by surprise, but that’s fine.”

  Without Keiran willing to back him up, Jerris lost some of his bravado and slouched. “Well, that really fixes things.”

  “We didn’t want to upset you,” Corina said. “It’s simply going to make our lives more fulfilling.”

  Keiran gave a nod. “I’m happy for the both of you, and deep down, Jerris is, too.”

  The redhead frowned, not fond of being spoken for by the king or otherwise. “I’ll be happy when I decide I’m happy.”

  Keiran leaned in closer to Jerris. “So much for the new mature Jerris, eh?”

  The guard stiffened his posture at the remark and caught his upcoming tirade in his throat. “I… fine, fine. I suppose it doesn’t really affect my life one way or another. I don’t have any right or power to stop it, regardless.”

  “You’ve married, Jerris. You’ve moved beyond being a boy needing our full attention.” Kanan pulled his arm from Corina and took a step closer to his son. “While we don’t need your approval to do this, it would be appreciated.”

  Jerris was outnumbered and outvoted. He relented and stared at the floor. “All right. I suppose Keir and I are both happy for the two of you.”

  “Good boy.” Kanan reached out and tugged his son in for a hug.

  He wasn’t accustomed to such things from his father, awkwardly freezing up until he was released again.

  “I’ll be heading down to town to have our marriage recorded.” Kanan smiled and glanced back at Corina.

  Keiran went forward and kissed Corina on the cheek. “The two of you can go into town together. I’m certain we can hold down the place for a little while.”

  The older couple thanked him before turning and leaving the room. Keiran returned to his throne, and Jerris came over and dropped himself into the vacant queen’s throne to his side. He laid sideways across the seat, tipping his head back over the arm and looking at Keiran upside down.

  “Doesn’t bother you in the least, does it?” Jerris asked.

  Keiran gave him a sidelong glance, slouching down into his seat. “We’ll get used to the idea, Jerris. It’s something I never gave much thought, though, I suppose it makes sense. Frankly, with Thana due to give birth any day, I don’t have the energy to worry about the affairs of others.”

  The guard frowned. “Did she stay in bed again today? I haven’t seen her around.”

  “Aye, she’s not feeling up to doing much,” he said. “I’m worried out of my mind. Corina and the others keep assuring me everything is going well, and I need to let her rest instead of fretting over her.”

  “Magretha is excited for it,” Jerris replied, rolling his eyes. “Thana asked to have her attend the birth when the time comes. You couldn’t pay me to be anywhere near it.”

  “Good, because I don’t intend to pay you to be anywhere near it. What will you do when it’s Magretha’s turn?” Keiran asked.

  Jerris wriggled around to get into a more dignified position in the seat. “I know she’s hoping to conceive, but the prospect of children terrifies me beyond all reason.”

  “Why? Are you afraid your children will be like you?”

  Jerris smiled. “That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. That’s what Kanan always said he hoped we would have to endure someday. Children who acted just like we did. At least the old folks won’t be having any, given their age.”

  “True enough.” Keiran turned his head toward the entrance, his ears picking up something. “Mari and Garhan are on their way.”

  “Want me to leave?” Jerris asked.

  “Not at all. I’ve come to value your input. Besides, if you hear all of this for yourself, you won’t hound me to tell you about it later.” Keiran offered him a smile before standing up.

  Jerris didn’t get a chance to reply before Garhan and the courier strode into the room.

  Mari carried her saddlebags clutched to her chest, Garhan walking to the side of the room to pull a side table into the center of the space. The courier proceeded to dump the contents of the bags onto the table, hastily sorting out the assorted documents into piles.

  Keiran and Jerris went closer, both curious to see what she’d brought back with her.

  She stopped, satisfied with the arrangement she’d made. Her attention turned up toward Keiran. “You may wish to have the doors closed. I don�
��t know how much of this you want getting out quite yet.”

  Intrigued, Keiran nodded to Jerris, signaling him to get the doors shut and to alert the guards outside to not allow anyone in.

  Mari waited until Jerris had rejoined them before picking up one of the documents. “There’s a reason I was gone so long. I apologize for not being in a position to send word to you about what I had to go do, but it wasn’t feasible.”

  “We were starting to wonder,” Keiran admitted.

  “I know you dispatched me to the Sador Empire, and I did go there and meet with Emperor Betram. On the way back, however, I took a small detour and went to Aleria.” She offered a weak smile, bracing for their reaction.

  Garhan was the first to respond, turning to look at her. “Are you absolutely mad? After what we went through to get out of there, why would you do such a thing?”

  She’s expected him to be upset, hence why she’d not yet told him. While she’d hoped he’d hold back some of his anger with others present, she still winced at his tone. “Garhan, I assure you, I wouldn’t have gone if I’d not been confident it would turn out all right. I think I suffered enough during our escape from there to judge the risks involved in going back.”

  Garhan didn’t seem pleased with her explanation, his gaze wandering off elsewhere.

  Keiran didn’t want the conversation to dissolve into an argument between the two, so he jumped in. “Well? What would be important enough to prompt you to go and do such a thing?”

  Mari looked at the king. “I ran into another courier whom I knew from Aleria. He told me Queen Adira was dead.”

  Garhan snapped out of his huff and glanced at Keiran before looking at Mari. “Dead? When? How?”

  She frowned and stared at the paper in her hand before holding it toward Keiran. “It would seem she was assassinated shortly after our departure.”

  He took the document, his eyes narrowing as he struggled to read it. While Alerian and Tordanian were based off the same root language, he couldn’t read their written word. “Assassinated?”

  Mari hadn’t anticipated him being able to read the paper; she’d simply collected it as evidence. “That’s the death announcement that went out after she was found murdered. Her daughter, Theryn, is now in charge. Once I learned about it, I went to go see her directly.”