Battle of Illaria: Book Three of the Illaria Series

by Dyan Chick

  "She's the rightful heir to the throne. It doesn't matter who she marries," Celeste said.

  The blacksmith looked at Celeste. "A woman sorcerer?"

  Celeste tensed. "What makes you think I'm a sorcerer?"

  He shrugged. "Both my parents were sorcerers. Don't have the skill myself, but I can sense those that do."

  "Never thought I'd have two sorcerers visiting me. I joined up with the White Ravens right after they were formed. Lived in the woods with you all." He smiled at Ashton. "I remember you as a little kid."

  Ashton didn't remember this man, but there had been a lot of people in and out of the camp over the years. Though, most people who left did so because they died for the cause.

  "What made you leave?" Ashton asked.

  "Same reason any man gives up everything." He looked away from them. "I fell in love. Saved her from a town the king's guard destroyed. Brought her to camp to fix her up, fell in love. She didn't like the life, so I gave it up for her."

  He gestured around the space. "This was her father's shop, they took me in, taught me the trade."

  "Did she know you kept in touch?" Celeste asked.

  He shook his head. "I didn't. My wife died a few years ago and my son went to study at the University. He was such a smart boy."

  He sniffed and cleared his throat. "They hung him in town square. Not even sure what he did wrong. I got nothing left to live for. I'm willing to give the last of what I have to see that king dead. Nobody should outlive their child."

  "I'm so sorry." Celeste covered her mouth to mask a small cry.

  "That's why we're here," Ashton said. "What we're doing, it's going to help take down the king."

  The blacksmith studied Ashton for a moment. "I suppose you won't be giving me the details of what you're doing, what with the king's abilities."

  "I'm sorry, but it's safer for all of us that way," Ashton said.

  The blacksmith held up his hand. "I don't want to know. I don't want to be the one who hurts the cause." He rested his chin between his thumb and forefinger. "I'm going to call you sorcerer and girl sorcerer."

  He reached his hand out to Ashton. "I'm Thomas." He shook Ashton's hand then Celeste's.

  Thomas led the group to his home, a modest stone building with two glass windows. It was well made and had been cared for over the years. What was it like for Thomas to come home every day to an empty home that was once filled with the people he loved? Ashton wondered if his life was going to turn out the same way. He couldn't imagine spending his life with anybody other than Etta. The thought sent his stomach into knots. What have I done?

  The house was furnished with wood furniture in warm colors and had blankets hanging over every piece. It was warm and comfortable. Ashton had a hard time imagining Thomas here alone.

  They walked past a large dining table and Ashton noticed it was covered with a layer of dust. He supposed you didn't really need a large dining table if you were eating alone.

  "Up here," Thomas said, leading them up the stairs to the second level. He opened a door and ushered them into a small room. It contained a desk with a chair and a wooden chest. Ashton's heartbeat quickened. Was this a strap?

  Celeste backed toward the door, she must be thinking the same thing, and positioned herself in front of the open door, preventing it from closing.

  Thomas didn't seem to notice their concern. He slid the chest across the room and started to remove the floor boards where the chest had been. Ashton relaxed a bit but Celeste didn't move from her place by the door.

  Thomas pulled out a large object wrapped in blankets then set it on the ground. He knelt down next to it then looked up at Ashton and Celeste.

  He raised his eyebrows. "I'm not going to hurt you." He lifted his chin toward Celeste. "You can come into the room. Trust me, I have no ability to use the magic inside me. You two could finish me off in a second if you wanted to."

  Ashton sat on the ground next to Thomas and nodded to Celeste. She stepped slowly into the room and knelt down next to the object.

  Thomas started to remove the blankets, pulling back several layers to reveal an unimpressive looking sword. It was dingy, the shine long gone. Thomas rubbed at the sword with one of the blankets. "I can clean it up for you before you go."

  Ashton wondered why he went to so much effort to hide a sword. He reached his hand out to touch it. As soon as his fingers brushed against the cool steel, a shock ran through him. He pulled his hand away, then reached out again, slower this time. He ran his fingers along the blade. It hummed inside his head. This was no ordinary sword. "Where did you get this?"

  Thomas smiled. "Told you, both of my parents were sorcerers. They fought for the true king. My dad made this, it's enchanted with something that can kill the undead. I don't understand it, I just have a feeling that you two might need it wherever you're going."

  Thomas held out the sword and set it in Ashton's hands. "I think he'd want you to have it."

  "You have no idea how much this will help us," Ashton said. "Thank you."

  "Like I said, anything I can do to see that demon killed." Thomas lifted the sword back out of Ashton's hands. "I'll take it to my shop, get it cleaned up for you. You two are welcome here as long as you'd like."

  "Thank you, Thomas," Ashton said. "But we'll need to head out in the morning."

  Thomas stood and lifted the sword over his shoulder. "I'll have this ready for you before you go."

  16

  Etta

  I rolled over onto my back, blinking up at the fabric of the top of my tent. My eyes were still stinging and my throat was dry. I groaned and rubbed my eyes. Please tell me that was all just a bad dream.

  Birdsong sounded from outside my tent and I could hear the mumbled conversations of people going about their business. No. I sat up and ran outside. Bright sunlight blinded me and I lifted my arm to shield my eyes. No. My stomach churned.

  It was late morning. Ashton and Celeste were planning to leave before daybreak. Something must be wrong. He would have said goodbye. Last night's fight couldn't be the last memory I'd have of him for a month. He didn't mean it. It had to be stress, something. It isn't how he really feels.

  Running through tents and around people, I reached the stables to find them short two horses. Ashton's brown steed and Celeste's spotted mare. So this is what heartbreak feels like. I leaned against the wall and slid to the ground. I didn't have any tears left after last night so I sat there staring blankly ahead of me.

  He was really gone. He didn't even say goodbye. Maybe he really meant it. I hugged my knees to my chest and rested my forehead against them. Celeste didn't even come say goodbye. She was his friend before she was mine. Had I lost her, too?

  I don't know how long I sat on the floor in the stables. Time seemed to stop. If it weren't for our horse master finding me while completing his chores, I might have stayed there all day. I forced a smile on my face when he asked me if I was alright. I stood and smoothed out my clothes. "Just needed a quiet place to think. Thank you for your concern, Travis."

  Travis bowed at me. "You're welcome here any time, highness."

  "Thank you, I may take you up on that. It's very out of the way here."

  "Sure is, good place to be alone and think." Travis shifted the heavy bag of feed in his arms.

  "I better let you get back to work." I waved to him and walked back to camp.

  Travis was a good reminder that no matter where I went, people were always watching me to see how I reacted. They looked to me as an example, as a sign of strength. I pushed my shoulders back to straighten my posture as I walked and held my chin high. I couldn't let this get to me. I had to stay strong, no matter how broken my heart was.

  It was nearly lunch time already. I couldn't remember a time I had ever slept through breakfast. The lack of sleep over the last few weeks had caught up to me. I glanced around as I walked, looking for members of my council. If they had let me sleep instead of starting on our work for the day, then t
hey must already know about Ashton.

  Our camp was too small for secrets. I'm sure everybody knew by now. Even more reason for you to be strong. Don't let anybody know you are upset. My stomach grumbled. I couldn't remember the last time I ate. Facing the whole camp for lunch was the last thing I wanted to do, but was probably the quickest way to show everybody that nothing was wrong. I took a deep breath in and let it out, then turned around and headed toward the common area.

  Saffron was seated at a table with Calder and Master Flanders. They were already eating their lunch. She stood when she saw me and walked over to me, hugging me before I could stop her.

  "I'm fine," I said, surprising myself with the steadiness of my voice.

  She narrowed her eyes at me, inspecting me as if I should be showing visible signs of my heartbreak on my face. His gaze softened. "You don't have to be fine, you know."

  I waved her away. "Everything is just fine. In fact," I said as I walked toward the lunch table, "I've never felt better before in my life."

  She walked with me, unable to drop the subject. "Etta, we know what happened. Ashton shouldn't have done that to you. I'm sure he still cares."

  I stopped and turned to her. My heart felt like it had been ripped from my chest and I didn't think I could handle re-living the whole thing. "Look, don't blame Ashton, it was me, I told him it was over. Didn't make sense to keep dragging it on. If he told you otherwise, he was just being noble."

  Saffron pursed her lips and didn't say anything more.

  I walked over to the food and added some bread and cheese to my plate. When I arrived at the table where my friends awaited me I spoke before they could ask anything. "I don't want to talk about it. I'm not upset. It was my idea and we all knew it was going to happen anyway. So please don't ask me about it."

  I sat down and bit into the bread, chewing slowly.

  My friends looked from me to each other, then down at their own plates. We ate in silence for several moments.

  "Want to go for a ride later, your highness?" Calder asked.

  Did I ever. How wonderful would a ride be? The wind in my hair, my heart pounding, the thunder of the horse's hoofs to shut up the thoughts inside my head.

  "She can't today," Master Flanders said. "She's got lessons with me."

  I sighed. The Darkness. While I still struggled to fight against it inside the wards of the camp, it seemed to be stronger if I left them. It was safer to stay. Riding would have to wait. "That's right, maybe another day, Calder?"

  "Sounds good," he said.

  "Lessons all day?" Saffron asked. "You haven't done that in a while. Learning something specific?"

  "Just getting caught up on things she's missed with all of the excitement over the last few weeks," Master Flanders said.

  I nodded along, my mouth full of food so I didn't have to join in on the conversation.

  "Council meeting this evening, then?" Saffron asked.

  I swallowed. "Yes, right after dinner. We need to discuss Gallia."

  "Off to the training fields. Classes for a few new recruits today." Saffron stood. "I'll see you after dinner."

  "I'll go with you," Calder said. "Maybe I can help."

  I waved to them as they walked away and finished my food in silence. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Master Flanders watching me.

  My mind was a tangle of thoughts and emotions. I focused on pushing away the anger, but that was harder than I thought it would be. Ashton's words kept resurfacing in my mind. The look on his face kept haunting my vision. I'm nothing like my brother. Why would he say something like that? I pushed my plate away, unable to eat any more.

  "You ready?" Master Flanders picked up my plate with his.

  I nodded and followed him away from the common area. Doing anything with magic was going to be challenging today. For magic to work best, you needed to be completely focused. A clear mind and even temperament. How was I supposed to keep my mind clear today?

  When we reached the clearing we used as our practice space, Master Flanders sat down on the fallen log we used as a bench. He patted the space next to him and I sat.

  "I think I have an idea of what happened last night," Master Flanders said. "Do you want to talk about it?"

  I fidgeted on the log, unable to get comfortable. "No, I don't think that's a good idea."

  "We both know it wasn't your idea," he said. "Are you doing alright?"

  I stood up. "I just want to focus on me for a while. Can we get started? I'd like to be able to leave camp again."

  Master Flanders nodded and pushed himself to standing. His movements were slow and deliberate. He was really starting to look old and I worried about losing him. A stab of sadness went through me at the thought. I've lost too many people close to me already. Did my father go through the same thing? Was this just part of being a ruler?

  Ashton's words from last night rang through my ears again. Your father, your brother, they both chose power over love.

  "Master Flanders?" I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer to the question in my mind, but it was beginning to gnaw at me. I had to ask. "Did my father give up Max's mother to marry my mother? Were they in love?"

  Master Flanders eyebrows pressed together in concern. "Is that what Ashton said?" He shook his head. "Oh, Etta. Your father and Max's mother were in love, but they were young. They both knew it wasn't the best thing for either of them to stay together."

  I could read between the lines. Just like Ashton had said, my father had left my mother to gain power. My shoulders sunk. Was I destined to follow in his footsteps? Would I have done the same thing to Ashton? "He did leave her for power, then."

  "It's not as simple as that, Etta. Max's mother was already betrothed. Your father could have overturned it, but he didn't. I don't know why. We may never know all of the pieces that went into that decision. Everybody who was involved is dead so we can't ask." He paused. "What it is that's really bothering you?"

  I sighed. Might as well tell somebody. "I'm worried that I'll turn out just like Max. That I won't be able to resist the pull of power. Especially with the Darkness. What if it's in my blood?"

  "It's not." He patted my shoulder. "Your father was a good man, a great king. The decisions he made were in the best interest of his kingdom. If he wanted to keep himself alive, he would have agreed to marry you to the Duke, secured a bloodless transition that would have resulted in a tyrannical king. He took a chance, tried to stop him, at the risk of losing his crown and his family."

  "How am I supposed to do this on my own?" I said. "Even my father couldn't take down the king when he had an entire army."

  "You aren't on your own," Master Flanders said. "You won't gain your crown until you learn to start trusting people and believing in the power that you have. The people want you to lead them."

  I remembered the runs in Greenville. The smoke rising from the ashes of a once great city. "So far all I've done is hurt the people of Illaria."

  "You've done so many great things, and you will continue to do great things. I believe in you."

  "The Oracle made it sound like the fates were against me." I'd never shared that with him before. Master Flanders didn't seem to want to talk about the daughter that had helped the king to trick me into opening a portal to the Darkness. "What if I can't do it."

  "My guess is she can no longer see your fate at all." Master Flanders stood, knees cracking. "You are carrying the Darkness with you all the time and visions of the future can change in an instant. The only things we can rely on are prophecies and those are few. If anything, you carrying the Darkness may help us in that sense. She cannot predict what you will do and report it to the king."

  I perked up a bit at that news. While I would have done the same thing every time if it meant saving Ashton's life, I'd spent a lot of time wondering if there had been another way. A way that would have not resulted in me being a way of helping the Darkness enter Illaria. For once, there was something almost good to come from my mistake
. I took a deep breath. "Are we going to practice some magic today?"

  Master Flanders smiled. "Ready to do some more work with fire?"

  I took my sorcerers stance and prepared for the lesson.

  17

  Etta

  The council meeting didn't feel right with the empty chairs where Ashton and Celeste usually sat. Saffron, Master Flanders, Sir Henry, and Calder sat around the table. They all looked at me as if I were something fragile perched on an unsteady ledge. Or maybe that was just inside my head.

  "I'm sorry." I walked over to Celeste's usual chair. "I just need to move these out of the way, the table feels too empty with these." I picked up Celeste's chair and moved it to a corner of the tent.

  Before I could get to Ashton's, Calder had it in his arms and carried it outside the tent. I bit back a smile, appreciating the gesture.

  "That's better." I nodded to Calder. "Thank you."

  I turned my attention back to the group. "Thank you all for joining me. We have a few items to address today. First, we need to discuss what we are going to do to help Annalise. She's put herself in danger by keeping this information safe for us and she can't return home. Saffron, you were going to talk to her, what did she say?"

  Saffron set her hands on the table in front of her and straightened in her chair. "I think we have a very easy solution for the time being. She's asked to stay with the White Ravens until you have taken back your kingdom."

  "That does make things easier," I said.

  "Just wait till you hear the best part," Calder said.

  Saffron shot a glance at Calder. He pressed his mouth shut and raised his eyebrows.

  Saffron turned back to me. "As Calder indicated, she did have a request from us. She'd like to open a tavern for the camp. Says she doesn't feel right if she's not contributing and would like to start brewing ale for everybody."