Autumn smiled at the compliment, and Kasrian smiled back. “It’s nice to see you smile again. I felt so terrible after . . .” He shook his head. “Enough of that. I came to ask you what your plans are now.”
Autumn waved a hand to her small desk. Several of the offers she’d received to join different organizations were scattered there. He looked them all over with interest. “I see. Most of these are very far away from the city. Do you really intend to leave us?”
She looked down. “What choice do I have?” she signed, grateful for once that she didn’t have a voice to carry her bitterness.
Kasrian sighed. “I understand. You’re angry, and you have every right to be. You’ve given everything to us, and we had to deny you something you truly deserved. I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am for that.”
Autumn waved him off. “Leave it,” she signed. “It’s done. I’m leaving the castle as soon as Harriet finds a replacement.”
Kasrian sighed. “If that’s what you really want.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “I hope you know I’ll always think of you as my daughter.”
Autumn nodded, smiling up at him. She reached out and hugged him close, feeling his comforting arms wrap around her. She inhaled. His scent was so different from her father’s. Rich cologne mixed with the faint smell of horse that never entirely left him. It’s not old leather, but it’ll do.
Kasrian held her close for a while, then pulled away. “Alright then. I’ll help you unlace that dress, then I’ll let you get on with your evening. I’d like to go riding with you tomorrow if you’ll come with me.”
Autumn nodded, turning to allow him to loosen the laces on her dress. She laughed silently as the soldier’s hands fumbled with the strings. He smiled back. After the laces were loose enough for her to take care of the rest herself, he left her to get ready for bed.
Chapter 24
The sunrise was shining on the dew in the courtyard when Autumn arrived at the stables the next day. She shivered slightly, pulling her cloak around her. Kasrian was waiting for her, the reins to a beautiful gray mare in his hand. He waved her over. She smiled and waved back, walking quickly to his side.
“Good morning, Autumn. Did you sleep well?” He smiled as he greeted her.
She nodded. She’d barely slept at all, but she didn’t feel like ruining a pleasant morning with her exhaustion. Once she took the reins and mounted the horse, she turned and waited for Kasrian.
The old commander led the way out the courtyard gate. “I thought we’d ride through the city for a bit while it’s quiet. We can go out to the fields after if you like.” Autumn nodded. Kasrian smiled, nudging his horse gently onward.
Kasrian didn’t speak as they rode, for which Autumn was grateful. She took in the sights of the city, remembering the days when she lived on the streets. It seemed so long ago, almost as if it happened to a different person. Still, when she closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of the waking city, she remembered it as if it was yesterday.
The guards on the street saluted as they passed. Autumn was always proud that Kasrian commanded such immediate respect. After a while, however, she noticed that they weren’t just looking at him; they were saluting her as well. She looked to Kasrian, who shrugged. “You won a lot of respect and a lot of hearts the other day. I’m not surprised in the least.” Autumn blushed, the warmth in her cheeks a sharp contrast to the chill morning air.
As they rode on, Autumn felt a growing sense of familiarity. She looked around closely. They had entered a residential district with small houses packed tightly together. She spotted a familiar garden gate and smiled. My little garden. I’d almost forgotten it.
“This is where we first met, isn’t it?” Kasrian said softly. “It seems so long ago. You were so small but so brave. I didn’t have time that night to delay, but even then I like to think I noticed something special about you.”
Kasrian spurred his horse forward, and Autumn hurried to catch up. Before long, they came to a little alley, where Kasrian stopped and dismounted. Confused, Autumn rode up next to him. He reached out a hand to help her down, which she accepted. She looked up at him, confused. He just smiled and led her to the alley.
Autumn gasped. The alley had been decorated with garlands of hundreds of orange lilies. White rose petals blanketed the cobblestone street, and in the center of it all was Lyall, nervously waiting.
Kasrian turned to face Autumn. “I always said you were extraordinary. I’m just happy that I’m not the only one who noticed. Go ahead.” He let go of her hand and pushed her forward gently.
Still stunned, Autumn slowly walked forward. Lyall walked towards her, the love in his eyes growing with every step. In a matter of moments, they were face to face. Lyall took Autumn’s hands in his. “Autumn. You know how I feel about you. I won’t waste time repeating everything again. I know how much you hate that.”
She smiled softly and looked down at her shoes. Lyall, what is this? You know your father won’t approve. She felt bitter tears welling up in her eyes. What does Kasrian think he’s doing, bringing me here?
Lyall smiled. “I spoke with my father last night. He said what I already knew. You’re perfect for the kingdom and perfect for me.”
Autumn looked up, shock and hope filling her face. Lyall gazed into her eyes for a moment, then gracefully dropped to one knee. “I love you, Autumn. Will you marry me?”
Autumn dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around him, kissing him deeply. He wrapped his arms around her held her gently as he kissed her back. They stayed that way for long minutes. Autumn forgot the street, the rest of the world. Every thought in her mind was of him, of his love.
She smiled as she finally pulled away, then leaned in to rest her head on his shoulder. He stroked her hair gently, then gave a nervous laugh. “That was yes, right?”
Esren grinned. He knew he’d seen the words “Essence of Life” before. It was a recipe, buried in the ancient tome he’d found in the secret room all those years ago. Everlasting life. I’ll be King for eternity.
The first part was already in his hands: a vial of Essence of Life. The second part would be harder. The ritual needed a willing sacrifice, someone completely aware of their actions and under no compulsion. His grin faded. That’s going to be difficult. I guess Aunt Zara was right about trying to make friends after all. He sighed and closed the book.
He stood up to stretch and glanced out the window. It was early morning, the first rays of light just beginning to touch the trees in the courtyard. Esren was tired, but the fatigue in his limbs didn’t deter him. There has to be someone who would sacrifice themselves for the eternal stability of Katrell. Perhaps one of the battlemages? They like me, but the traditions of the kingdom might be hard to overcome.
A gentle knock on the door startled Esren out of his thoughts. He sighed again. “Enter.”
He raised an eyebrow as he saw Queen Miraphina enter. “Mother. How disappointing. I thought it was breakfast. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”
Miraphina scowled. “Don’t bore me with your false pleasantries, Esren. Did you send shadow beasts to Nor?”
Esren smiled. “Yes. Does that surprise you?”
“Not really.” The Queen sighed. Esren smiled wider, noting the gray in her hair. She’s getting weaker. It won’t be long now.
Miraphina sat down. “I’ve come to offer you a bargain, Esren. Stop practicing Soul Magic, and I’ll bring Autumn to you.”
Esren was shocked. “You’d risk upsetting King Aldwin just to keep me away from practicing forbidden magic?”
“My binding keeps you away from Nor, but you’re obviously growing powerful. I fear for the future of this kingdom if you are left alone. Autumn is a fine girl, I’m told. Perhaps she will be able to steer you back to the light where I could not.”
Esren sat next to his mother, thoughtful. “You would truly do this, Mother?”
Miraphina nodded sharply. “I would. Do we ha
ve a deal?”
There was a long silence. “Yes. We have a deal. I will stop practicing Soul Magic if you bring her to me.”
Miraphina nodded again. “Good. I’ll make the arrangements.” Without another word she stood and swept out of the room, closing the door behind her.
Esren smiled thoughtfully. I’ve won. Mother has finally seen reason. She’ll bring Autumn here, and I will have my love by my side. Together, we will be unstoppable.
Tears ran unchecked down Miraphina’s cheeks as she walked down the stairs of the tower. I’m so sorry, Autumn. I know I have condemned you to a terrible fate, but what choice do I have?
She brushed the tears away angrily. This is how it must be. I don’t know how I’ll convince Aldwin to send her, but I will. Autumn will come to Katrell, and we shall see if she can heal Esren’s broken mind. If not, I’ll have to kill him before it’s too late.
The thought made the tears flow harder, and she reached up a hand to brush them away again. Suddenly, her foot caught the edge of her robe. Miraphina felt herself falling through the open air. Panicked, she began speaking the words to the spell that would save her. It was too late. Her head hit the stone steps with a sickening crack, followed by the rest of her body tumbling down the stairs to the next landing.
No. Not yet. Miraphina’s last thought had just enough time to flicker through her mind before she closed her eyes for the last time.
The loud crash startled Esren from his thoughts. He heard servants screaming for help as he opened the door of his room and stepped out to the staircase. Mother? He looked down to the broken body of his mother lying in a growing pool of blood at the next landing. He ran to her, shoving aside the servants who had gathered around her.
His mind raced. She’s gone. I’m free. His heart sank as he saw her breast rise and fall in ragged breaths. Not yet. Damn.
Conscious of the eyes of the servants around him, he yelled angrily for a doctor to be brought. He stood aside when the doctor arrived to examine the Queen. Playing the part of the anxious son, he forced angry tears to his eyes as he waited impatiently.
The doctor shook his head. “Her body lives, but she took a great blow to the head when she fell. She may never wake. I will do what I can.” He summoned servants to move her carefully off the stairs.
Esren hid his elation behind a mask of tears. It’s nice that you saw reason before this happened, Mother, but it will be better this way. When the last breath leaves your body, I will go to Nor and take Autumn to my side myself.
Chapter 25
The six months between Lyall’s proposal and the week of the wedding passed in a flurry of activity for Autumn. Endless engagement parties, dress fittings, and official functions left her with little time to breathe. Three days before the wedding, Autumn came back to her small room well after midnight and collapsed on her bed. She didn’t bother to take off her clothes, but just pulled the blankets up around her and stared up at the window.
It was nearly winter. Chill air crept through tiny gaps in the window frame, promising snow and ice by morning. Autumn shivered and pulled the blankets closer. She briefly regretted saying no to Kasrian’s offer to move her to the royal wing of the castle. A tired smile crept across her face. Her little room in the servants’ quarters was cramped and sometimes cold, but it was home. Autumn was determined to treasure every moment of her former life for as long as possible.
Closing her eyes, Autumn breathed deeply. The air in this room was filled with memories. The smell of the fragrant wood in her wardrobe, the lingering scent of cooking food that drifted in from the kitchen, even the slight stench of manure from the cows who lived behind the servants’ quarters were all comforting to her. She breathed it all in, savoring the scent as if it was the last time she would ever experience it. She knew that was ridiculous, of course. The kitchens, the cows, everything that she loved would all still be here after she was married. She smirked, imagining the courtier’s reactions to their princess slipping away to milk the cows.
Princess. That word was still very strange to her. She opened her eyes and stared up at the moonlight streaming through her window. In three days, I’ll be royalty. It’s like a children’s story. A little girl is stolen from her home in the woods and grows up to marry the prince. Everyone lives happily ever after.
She frowned, biting her lip. But it’s not happily ever after yet, is it? The cult is still out there taking children and doing terrible things. How can I relax before it’s over? And then there was that dragon . . .
Six months had passed, but there was still no explanation for the beast Autumn had destroyed at the tournament. Even worse, their greatest ally in the battle against the Cult of the Black Covenant was lying comatose in a hospital bed. Queen Miraphina still lived, but everyone knew that she would never wake again. Esren had been less than helpful, preferring to spend his energy on private matters.
Autumn winced at the thought of Esren. She hadn’t seen him since the night he had tried to force himself on her. He had been invited to the wedding, of course, but politely declined. Autumn was grateful she wouldn’t have to see him. She thought of him often, especially when trying to focus her magical power.
After the tournament, Kasrian had insisted on formal magic training. Autumn had worked with tutors skilled in varying fields of magic to focus her power. All of them seemed surprised and impressed at the amount of magical power she wielded, and no one could tell her the source. Even more, many were perplexed at the way she focused her power without being able to speak. Muteness usually made it impossible to use magic of any kind, she learned. The best that anyone could guess was that her own force of will was strong enough that she did not need to speak.
Force of will. Autumn was suddenly aware of how exhausted she was. There was another official function to attend tomorrow, and she needed to be well rested. No amount of magic can replace sleep. I’ll worry about everything tomorrow.
With a final deep breath to take in all the comforting smells of the room, Autumn drifted off to sleep.
“Back so soon?” Her father’s smile was loving. Autumn returned the smile and rushed forward to embrace him, breathing in the smell of old leather. He laughed as he wrapped his arms around her. “My sweet little girl. Look at you, all grown up and about to be married!” He stepped back to admire her.
Autumn looked down at her clothes. She was wearing the wedding gown that the court dressmaker had made for her. White silk wrapped gently around her. The dress fell in a gentle cascade to her feet, where it barely brushed the ground as she spun around to admire every inch. The silk was accented with crystals sewn in intricate patterns that caught the light as she moved. She smiled, feeling her cheeks flush as she thought of how Lyall would react when he saw her. I look like a princess in this, but Lyall makes me feel like a queen.
Her father stepped forward, taking her hands in his. “He’s a good man, little one. I couldn’t be happier that the two of you found each other. Love is a rare thing in this world. It’s worth it, even if it can’t last.”
Autumn’s head tilted to the side as she looked up at her father. He smiled sadly, and she felt a heaviness settle over her chest and stomach. I’m crying, she realized. Why am I crying? It’s the happiest time of my life.
She looked up at her father through her tears, her eyes pleading for an explanation. He held her hands tightly, his sad smile deepening into a gentle frown. “I’m sorry, Autumn. I wish I could tell you that this is a fairy tale. I am so proud of you, of the woman you’ve become and of the wondrous things you will do. But you must have realized after everything that’s happened that happily ever after is not for you.”
Autumn felt her heart sinking. She looked around, realizing that she was back in the mountains near the temple. The shadows were converging to create the form of the temple on the cliff face. Autumn’s tears flowed freely down her cheeks. She looked desperately to her father for comfort, but h
e only gave her that sad smile.
She shook her head, refusing to believe that this was real. It’s another dream. It has to be. I need to wake up!
Autumn awoke on her bed. The first rays of sunlight just beginning to creep through her window. She was crying, but she was home now. She clenched her fist defiantly. Everything will be fine. I am going to marry Lyall in two days, and nothing is going to go wrong.
She almost believed it.
Far away in Katrell, Esren was dreaming, too.
In the past, he had dreamed of beautiful things. In his dreams, he was handsome and commanding. His beloved Autumn was by his side, her smile as radiant as the sun. They ruled jointly over a prosperous kingdom. The people of Katrell adored them, and Esren looked forward to many happy years to come.
His dreams had been darker in the months since the announcement of Autumn’s engagement to Prince Lyall of Nor. Instead of Esren and Autumn ruling over a happy kingdom, his dreams showed her being endlessly ridiculed by pompous nobles. Her smile was gone, her soul crushed under the weight of endless responsibility and bitter regret. Instead of being worshipped as the radiant being she was, Autumn was the subject of jokes and jeers by soldiers. Worst of all, his beloved was forced to spend her nights with that clumsy oaf of a prince. He dreamed of Autumn and Lyall together, his rough hands tearing at her perfect skin . . .
Esren woke gasping for breath, his heart pounding. He sat up. The moonlight was streaming in through his open window. The bright light reflected off his pale skin, giving him the uncomfortable feeling that he was glowing. He frowned, stretching his arms and trying to banish the nightmare to the distant fringes of his mind.
The nightmares were getting worse as the royal wedding in Nor crept closer. There were only two days left. Esren sighed and stood, resigned to yet another sleepless night.
The Silent Pact Page 18
