by Devyn Jayse
"Have you finally decided to make me proud and behave as a proper lady, or are you continuing to disappoint me?" he asked.
"I'm sure it's the latter. It always is," I replied lightly. As his frown deepened at my flippant response, I charged on, changing the topic. "Where have you come from? I thought we weren't expecting you back until next week."
"The king's work was concluded earlier than we imagined. Negotiations had already been agreed upon, and the Kouatians didn't give us any trouble. They signed the documents and handed them into my keeping."
That was as much as I would ever learn. My father didn't talk much about his work as King's Voice or the treaties he negotiated on our kingdom's behalf. Many attributed the peace of the kingdom largely to my father's work. He was a remarkable man but an absent father.
I think he believed he was a good father. He provided for us and elevated our positions, but I wanted more. I wanted someone who stood up for me. I didn't believe he would force me into an unhappy marriage but he wouldn't place my happiness ahead of his priorities. I wanted him to understand me though I'd already learned he never would.
A low rumble drew my attention. I looked up to see the prince berating my sister at the high table, his nose already red with drink. She talked to him softly and raised her hand to place it on his arm. He must have said something scathing because she looked away from him, withdrawing her hand as she kept her head held high.
I cast my eyes low and kept them on my plate, my cheeks burning. I hated that he dared insult her in front of the court in such a manner.
"How can you sit here while he does that?" I hissed at my father, my voice so low that even Opal wouldn't hear me.
My father pretended not to hear me, but I saw how his eyes flicked over them and away. He took a sip of his drink.
"Every day he gets worse and worse."
"Not here," my father warned, his cup held in front of his lips so no one would see him talking.
No one knew how the king and queen had managed to produce such a vile son. They were the kindest and most just rulers the kingdom had seen, beloved by the court and subjects alike. They worked together for the good of their people.
Their son, Prince Jasper, was reviled by those who knew him, except for the few sycophants who tried to curry his favor. He was lazy and cruel. The only excuse one could make was that he wasn't supposed to be the heir. He had been the kingdom's spare son. Had his brother Prince Edward not succumbed to a tragic accident a few years earlier, Prince Jasper would still have been in second place to inherit the kingdom. As it stood, he was heir to it all, and he was going to destroy the foundations of peace and prosperity his father had built and maintained.
Prince Jasper had been given everything from a young age. He appreciated none of it, taking it all as his birthright. I knew from overhearing my father that the nobles were uneasy about Prince Jasper inheriting the kingdom, but my father was always his staunchest supporter. His job was to defend the royalty, having worked as their Voice his entire life. My father was a man of the court and knew which way the wind blew fair.
Also, he couldn't very well talk badly about his son-in-law.
Valona had enjoyed years of peace. I had been born and raised in the castle, and most of Valona's subjects could say the same. The castle was huge, situated at the top of a hill overlooking the sea. The outer walls were thick and hard to breach. Any attackers would be seen from the walls, so taking us by surprise was difficult. Outside the castle walls, down by the sea, was a bustling town. It was full of trade from the activity the port generated. Many merchants chose to live in town, alongside a handful of nobles, but most of business dealt with the castle and the outer territories. The outer territories were composed of farmland that spread out to the river that acted as a natural border between us and the forests of Serakastra. Relations between Valona and Serakastra were good.
The king and queen were still in good health and had a solid team of advisors. People in the court were always scheming and vying for positions of power, but on the whole, our court was the most stable in the region. As such, we enjoyed peace and prosperity.
No one was worried yet about the prince usurping the king's position, but word was starting to get out about his eccentricities and little cruelties. Even my father, with his skill for spinning stories, couldn't cover those up.
"She's pregnant. She needs your support."
He turned his head to me, and our gazes locked. Anyone watching us would wonder why I looked angry while he merely appeared bored. Unlike others, I knew how well he hid his anger.
He was furious with me, and his next words proved it. "Are you missing your grandmother? A visit could be arranged for a spell."
My grandmother lived in another kingdom. He was threatening to send me away unless I guarded my tongue. Some time had passed since he had used that threat against me, the last being when I had run away from home. My sister claimed I was just like my grandmother, but I didn't remember much of her since she visited rarely. What I knew of her was mostly from letters, which weren't frequent.
I clenched my teeth. My father never made idle threats. He would reprimand me for my conversation, he would remind me that people were constantly listening, waiting for weaknesses to exploit, but he wouldn't defend his lack of action. He wouldn't say that the prince's behavior was wrong. He would continue to allow his daughter to be ridiculed by the prince for the sake of station.
I turned back to my sister and her vile husband. He was gesturing at her. She raised her hand once again to place it on his arm, and her sleeve caught his cup on the edge of the table. The cup toppled over, and its contents spilled onto the prince. He jumped back.
"You clumsy oaf!" He snarled and struck my sister.
I jumped to my feet as my sister raised a hand to her cheek. Her eyes blinked unshed tears.
The queen raised a hand to her mouth.
All I saw was red.
Before I knew what I was doing, my feet were running toward the prince. Everyone thought I was running to my sister.
None of them saw the knife I clutched in my hand.
5
Blood pulsing with rage, I sprinted toward the prince.
"Dare, no!" I heard Tobin hiss into the sudden hush. His rebuke alerted the guards, who suddenly saw the risk I posed to the heir. They rushed toward me, ready to do their duty. Tobin was closest to me, but he hesitated. He could hardly grab at a noblewoman in front of the entire hall.
"Stay away!" I snarled at them, weaving around the table to reach the prince.
Prince Jasper came to his feet. He held up his hand, and the guards stopped their headlong rush. I had reached him by then and stood in front of him, my heart pounding in my ears.
The prince let out a loud drunken laugh, and he smiled widely at me, a smile that didn't reach his eyes. He looked down at the knife I was holding in my hand.
"What's this? Have you come to challenge me?"
The hall was so silent I doubted anyone was drawing breath.
I realized how ridiculous I must have looked, standing there in my long, unfashionable dress, my gloved hand clutching a dinner knife.
My sister made a small sound of distress. As I looked at her, her hand drew up quickly as if to quiet her mouth. Her eyes were wide in panic.
"Enough," my father's voice rang out. "Darelynn, return to your seat."
My head turned toward him.
His eyes were narrowed in anger, his lips thin. He was furious that I had made him the subject of gossip.
The prince chuckled into the eerie quiet of the hall. The entire court had frozen. Even the king and queen were quiet. No one had ever witnessed anything like that scene before. His laughter mocked me. His challenging eyes watched me with glee.
"You heard your father," he said. "Return to your proper place."
My lips pressed tightly together, and I lifted my chin. I let go of the knife, and it rang as it hit the stones. A collective sigh swept through the hall as
the tension broke. The guards eased.
The prince threw his head back in drunken laughter, almost howling. People relaxed, and a murmuring began as they started to talk to one another. I had given them gossip for the ages.
In one quick move, I pulled off my glove and used it to slap the prince across the face. He started, caught aback, his laughter abruptly choked off. Conversations sputtered to a halt.
"Prince Jasper of the Kingdom of Valona, for the honor of my sister, I formally challenge you to a duel." My voice rang out loudly in the renewed hush.
The prince snarled, and fury transformed his handsome visage into an ugly mask.
"Dare, no!" My sister exclaimed.
The guards stepped forward.
The prince waved them away angrily. "I can take care of one little girl."
"Are you certain? I've beaten you before, and I'm sure I can do it again." My voice was steady despite my racing heart.
His face darkened at the reminder. "We were children then. Now, we duel until one of us draws blood." From the way he said it, I could tell he intended to do me serious injury.
"Give us your swords," Prince Jasper commanded the guards closest to him.
One of them was Justus. He looked frantically from the prince to his king, unsure if that was a command he should obey or face repercussions. The hall burst into sound again as neighbors could not keep silent any longer, desperate to share opinions as if at a pantomime.
The king's face was blank, his expression serious. I couldn't tell at all what he was thinking.
The queen was whispering frantically to my sister, who seemed to be struggling to get up from her chair. My father had quickly reached her side and stood behind her, his hand on his shoulder, keeping her down. I had weathered his anger before, but the fury evident on his face at the moment was different. I was certain he was regretting not having banished me to my grandmother's estate before that scene unfolded, but he couldn't speak up in front of his king and prince. Clearly, my sister's welfare meant nothing to him. His ambition was greater.
Behind me, Tobin whispered, "Dare, this is madness. Reconsider what you're doing. This is no game. He won't play. Think of your father. Think of your sister."
I was thinking of my sister. I was also thinking of her unborn child.
"Stay out of it, Tobin. This has nothing to do with you." I removed my other glove and thrust it into his hand, taking his sword away from him. Its weight was familiar as I had used it before, during our practices and games.
"I don't want you to get hurt," Tobin pleaded.
His face was a study in torment. I nearly gave in, but I glanced at my sister, and her pale face gave me strength. I had to fight for her. Clearly, no one else would rebuke the prince.
He realized my decision from my expression. "I'll be at your back," he whispered.
I turned to the prince, who was testing the weight of the sword he had taken from Justus, stabbing the air. He gave me his usual malicious little smile, his eyes as hard as flint. He cocked his head to the side.
"Shall we?" he asked, in the same manner he might have asked me to dance.
He walked toward the center of the hall and to one side, where we would have space to duel without crashing into the diners. The guards stood in a line against the wall. The king must have made some move at them not to interfere.
I stood some distance away from him, the weight of the sword steadying me. I was conscious of how heavy my dress was as I usually practiced swordplay in my day dresses. The fabric of the dress would weigh me down, but I could still beat the prince. I had no doubt about that. I looked at my sister. She had quieted her struggles and looked at me with despair.
I still burned with anger.
"How does it feel knowing you're about to get bloodied in front of your court?" I asked.
Losing the smile, the prince said, "Let's start your lesson."
He lunged forward, quickly covering the short distance between us and struck at me. I raised my sword and blocked his move. Someone in the crowd gave a little scream. I ignored the watchers, but I was aware of where Tobin stood. He was close by, guarding my back.
I pulled back my sword and took a swing at him, but he blocked it easily. I was quickly trying to figure out my plan. The prince was stronger than me, and he had a longer reach. The only way I could beat him was by speed and endurance.
He was intoxicated, so that was slowing down his reaction time, but that still didn't solve my problem. My dress was too heavy for me to be nimble on my feet. I would have to tire him out and then exploit his weakness when he let his guard down. That should have been easy to do, with all the drink he'd had.
I twisted on my feet, circling the area we had taken for ourselves.
Prince Jasper followed my movements, falling for my trap. He muttered obscenities with every strike of his blade. I focused on watching his attacks so that I could predict when my opening would come.
At last I saw it, and as he raised his arm to swing, I moved forward to draw first blood, but I misjudged the length of my skirts, and my foot caught the hem of my dress.
I fell to the floor.
Women shrieked as the impact jarred me. I gathered my feet together and pushed myself back up, but the mistake cost me. By the time I turned around, the prince was close to me, his sword aimed for my heart, glee in his eyes. I didn't have time to raise my sword in defense or move out of the way as I saw death coming for me.
Someone shoved me, and I tumbled to the side. I heard the prince's sword make impact on flesh.
Women screamed loudly. I turned to see what had happened.
My heart caught in my throat.
Tobin was lying on the floor, the prince's sword impaled halfway through him.
Prince Jasper was standing over him, looking down, almost confused that his sword had found its way into someone else.
"No!" I cried out. I scrambled over to him on my hands and knees. His pained eyes watched me.
"Tobin! Tobin! Tobin!" I repeated frantically. His body was too heavy for me to move. I was terrified to touch the sword. I gently raised his head and lay it on my lap as blood pooled on the stone floor beneath me.
Tobin's blood.
My heart clenched.
This isn't happening.
Tobin opened his mouth and closed it, the effort to talk too much for him. Tears welled in my eyes and spilled over.
"Don't say anything. You'll be okay. You'll be okay," I promised him.
"I told you don't get into too much trouble. You never listen." His voice rasped.
"Is the duel over? Do you concede?" Prince Jasper asked, ignoring Tobin completely.
I looked up at the prince. He had a small smile on his face. It widened at the expression on my face. I could only imagine what my combination of hatred and grief looked like. I turned to the other guards, who had moved forward closer to us but still stood too far away to assist Tobin.
Nobody was calling for a physician.
No one was getting Tobin help.
The king finally spoke. "Jasper, enough."
Prince Jasper gave his lips a rueful twist. He pitched his voice low so that only Tobin and I could hear him and said, "I would have so enjoyed killing you. Pity it was only a guard."
I opened my mouth to reply, but Tobin's hand tightened on mine. I looked down at him. His sky-blue eyes were peaceful.
"Don't," he said, and his eyes lost the light within.
I finally allowed my full tears to fall. They drenched his face like a waterfall.
"Foolish girl." Prince Jasper's mocking laughter echoed through the hall. "Guards die for silly girls who play at sword fighting."
The hall was utterly silent so everyone heard his next words.
"Take her to the dungeons."
6
Tobin was dead.
The guards held on to me, and they weren't gentle. Their fingers dug into my skin. It took three of them to keep me from breaking free and going after the prince. I wanted
to kill him, to destroy the monster, but I was held back from exacting revenge and was dragged, kicking and screaming, all the way to the dungeons.
I was thrown into a cell. The key clicked in the lock.
I didn't know how long I railed and cried. I didn't know how many times I cursed the prince or wished I had been the one who had taken that fatal sword blow.
All I knew is that exhaustion finally won, and I fell into darkness.
"Wake up, Darelynn!"
My eyes opened immediately at his voice.
I raised myself on my elbow. My father's face stared down at me. The door of my cell was open, the guards stationed outside.
"How could you shame me in such a way? Are you mad? What did you think you were doing?" He spat his words at me.
Knowing that my father was angry was different from being faced with it. I didn't expect the sting I felt at his torrent of words, but my own fury was roused at his concern for himself and not for the fact that Tobin had died from the sword thrust Prince Jasper had intended for me.
"I was defending my sister's honor while you did nothing but watch." I countered, my voice hoarse from all my time grieving.
"And where did it land you?" He gestured at our surroundings.
"I stood up for something I believed in. He killed Tobin and laughed." My voice broke at the last word.
"The guard?" My father flicked his hand in a gesture of dismissal. He didn't care about the dead guard.
"Your sister has scrambled to make up for what you've done. She's apologized profusely. She, at least, knows how to act in a situation." He gave me a look of censure. "I've already talked to His Majesty, and we've come to a consensus about how to remedy this mess you've created. Challenging the prince in front of the entire court... How could I have such a fool for a daughter?" The last was muttered low, almost to himself, but I heard him.
