Sapphire

by Sarah Olson

  “Luther was a very wealthy noble, Layla,” Mrs. Hopkins replied. “His land was the location of the Great Lake. As I am sure you know, it is that lake that feeds most of the rivers and lakes south of it. If Luther wanted to hurt the nobles, all he had to do was dam up the rivers leaving the lake and the Harvest Plains would be useless. That put him in a place of power which is why he built his palace near it. As long as King Luther controls the Great Lake, he controls the nobles.”

  I stared back wide-eyed. “This whole time I thought he had become king because the nobles liked him and chose him.”

  “They did, and still do,” a man’s voice said from the doorway.

  I looked up and horror filled my eyes. It was General Hamilton.

  “I didn’t hear you come in,” Mrs. Hopkins said, standing up.

  “The door was open,” he said. “I came to have a word with Layla.”

  A shudder ran through my body the blankets thankfully hid. I clenched the tray on my lap and tried to keep it steady.

  Mrs. Hopkins stood and wordlessly left the room.

  My thoughts screamed for help at her back as she disappeared behind the door.

  “Are you really that unaware about what Luther has been doing?” he asked.

  “Well, yes,” I hesitated. “It was only recently people began to be honest with me.”

  He did not respond but kept his sharp gaze on me.

  “Is there something you need?” I asked, finding an object in the room to stare at and avoid his eyes.

  “Charlotte told me Elizabeth Fallon is down south,” he said casually. “I need to know who she is with so my men know where to look.”

  “What do you mean where to look?”

  “They are going to get her and bring her here safely,” he said.

  “She can’t come here. She is very sick and needs to stay in the warmer climate. She may not be able to come until summer.”

  “You do realize it’s dangerous for her to be over there after what happened, unless the prince doesn’t know who she is—but I doubt that since Mitchell told me you had him over for dinner,” he hissed.

  “She’ll be fine, she knows what she’s up against,” I said.

  “Does she? Because if she did, we would not be in this mess and the king would still be completely unaware of your whereabouts.”

  “We all make mistakes,” I whispered.

  “You’ve got that right. The only difference is some people realize them before they get worse. These people, Layla, were waiting for their princess. Now, as they learn the truth, they may never want you to become their leader because of the example you set.”

  “You think I want to be queen?” I snapped, gripping the tray harder. “All I have ever wanted is just to be happy! But here I am, my life ruined. And you want to know why it’s ruined? Because of people like you!”

  “People like me?” he asked, taking a step forward.

  “Yes, people like you. I was doing perfectly fine as a commoner, content with my life until you people decided you wanted to start a ridiculous revolution. Now, I am caught in the middle of it because of my bloodline. I never asked for any of this!”

  “You would rather live a lie than try to fight for what your parents died for?”

  His words stabbed right through me. “If I was happy,” I hissed. But I did not mean it—I just refused to give in to him.

  “Have it your way,” he said. “Live your pitiful life of regret and ridicule. I have better things to do than listen to you complain.”

  “Yeah,” I said to his back as he turned. “Go and fight your stupid war.” I regretted the words as soon as they left my tongue.

  General Hamilton stopped and turned slowly, fire burning in his eyes. “My stupid war? Look around Layla!” he yelled. “This isn’t my war! This is a war for all people! A war to end the injustice of King Luther! Just because you like to sit back and think about how awful your life supposedly is, does not mean the people here can. I have been to the farms down south and have looked into the eyes of men and women loyal to your parents and in them, I saw hope. Hope that the only child of King Hector and Queen Aria would one day rise against King Luther and retake the throne of Asteria. The next time you want to complain to someone about your life, think of the slaves Luther has made of your people because the one thing you have that they do not is freedom. The one thing they are willing to die for.” With that, he threw my saddlebag on the bed. “You left that in my tent. If you rethink your life and decide to be the princess, let me know. Don’t come looking for me otherwise.”

  As if I ever wanted to come looking for him.

  James left the room slamming the door behind him.

  I stared at the door for a long time thinking about his reference to your people. They were my people and even though I hated the responsibility that had been thrust upon my shoulders, I knew that even if I chose to turn it down, it would never be truly gone. My betrayal to my people, my parent’s people, would always linger in my mind no matter what I did.

  Chapter 19

  AS THE NEXT few weeks passed, I busied myself helping Mrs. Hopkins with some household chores. The morning sickness came and went, but, overall, I was feeling much more like myself. I stayed in the house and saw very few people. The only ones that visited were Charlotte and her family, up until Mitchell came by.

  “I was beginning to think I was never going to see you!” I exclaimed as I let him in the house.

  Mitchell smiled. “I’ve been busy.”

  I closed the door behind him and offered him a seat.

  “James found extra work and training for me to go through after he chewed me out for not telling him I knew you and the prince were seeing each other,’” he said.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “It’s my fault.”

  Mitchell smiled. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

  I smiled back.

  He ran a hand through his hair. “I understand Charlotte told you I’m courting her without much success.”

  “Perhaps,” I laughed. “Did I get you in trouble for that too?”

  “Possibly,” Mitchell answered. “She’s made it very clear she is not interested.”

  “She’ll come around.”

  “I hope so,” he said. “You should put in a good word for me.”

  “I’ll see what I can do, but I don’t think I’m the person who should be giving pointers on relationships.”

  “Why would say that?”

  “I’m pregnant, remember?”

  “Right . . . and unmarried,” he said, leaning back in the chair.

  “Exactly,” I said, looking into the fire. “So what brings you here?”

  “I just thought I’d come and say hi before I leave.”

  “Leave?” I asked. “Where are you going?”

  “Eagle’s Nest,” he answered. “James wants me to see how our allies are doing.”

  “Is that what you were doing there when you stayed at my house?”

  “Yes, I was making friends,” he said. “Spreading the underground resistance, if you know what I mean.”

  “I’m not sure I want to. But either way, be careful,” I said as he made his way to the door.

  “Don’t worry about me,” he said. “Just take care of yourself. You may be angry and hate the way things are for you now, but in the end, everything will work out for the best.”

  I smiled even though I did not believe him.

  ☐☐☐☐

  The next morning was a bright and beautiful sunny day—it was the first day I ventured out of the house. Charlotte had come to deliver wonderful news. First that her father had received a letter from Tristan reassuring them that he was safe and that a few rebels had found Dusk and Robert’s horse wandering around the base of the Northern Mountains. When Mitchell had seen them, he recognized Dusk immediately and found Charlotte. It was the best news I had heard since the day I had realized I was pregnant. Surprisingly enough, James allowed Dusk and Robert’s horse to s
tay in his barn. It was the only extension of kindness I had received from him.

  I stayed in the barn for a while that day grooming the horses. Dusk seemed overjoyed to see me again and showed me how happy she was by playfully nipping me whenever I stopped stroking her muzzle. If there was anything at this time in my life that brought me an incredible amount of joy, it was the knowledge that Tristan and Dusk were safe.

  As the next month passed, I spent most of my time in the barn with Dusk. It was wonderful to have her again and being with her helped me keep my mind off things. While Mrs. Hopkins was happy to see I was not spending all my time in her house, she sat me down after dinner one night and told me I needed to stop hiding from the villagers. As their princess, it was time to get to know them. ‘You can’t let Luther win,’ she had said.

  Her words kept me awake that night. I wrapped myself in a quilt and walked to the window. The night was dark and there was not a light in sight. I could just make out the dark looming shadows of the houses and shops. I placed my hand on the window soaking up its iciness. The snow was still thick and icicles glittered as the moon’s rays touched them.

  As I stared into the quiet world, my conversation with Mrs. Hopkins kept playing through my mind. She was right though, if I was going to be the villager’s princess, I had to get to know them. The problem was I still did not want to be their princess, but by deciding I did not want to lead these people, I was letting Luther win. By allowing this pregnancy to ruin my reputation, he was winning. Life was not easy, it was never meant to be and that was the one thing I had missed.

  I had watched the misfortunes of those around me and never thought for a moment they could one day be mine. When I met the prince, he made me feel special and loved. I thought my life was perfect—but many truths had been kept from me. Had I known them before, would I have done anything different? My life was full of lies and deceit and they had taken their toll on me. I wondered how different things would have been if my parents were never murdered. I would have been raised a princess, raised in a castle without lies but luxury. Yet, all of that was gone because one selfish bastard decided he wanted that which was not his. And he won.

  He won.

  Or did he?

  I suddenly realized it was not over and these people were proof of that. They were banding together because they knew what was right and they were not going to give up the way I had. They saw the good in the world and were going to fight for it no matter the cost. It was that notion that made everything clear. For once in my life, I knew what I wanted. I did not want to let these people down. I was not going to let everything that had happened to me and to my parents destroy what they believed in. I was going to help them in whichever way possible because that was the princess they needed—the princess my parents would have wanted me to be.

  At breakfast the next day, I rolled the food around on my plate trying to figure out how I could help and get to know my people. I sighed and looked out the window when a knock sounded at the door.

  Mrs. Hopkins got up and answered it. “Davorin!” she exclaimed. “What brings you here?”

  “Hello, Mrs. Hopkins,” a man’s voice said. “I came to get Layla. James would like to see her.”

  I felt the food in my mouth go bad at the sound of that name. I forced myself to swallow before I choked.

  “She’s right here,” Mrs. Hopkins said happily. “Come on in.”

  Davorin walked in and I recognized him as one of the men in front of the tavern the first day I had come to the village. I had not gotten a good look at him that day but seeing him now, he reminded me a lot of James. He had a similar build with a fairly squared jaw with a faint hint of stubble, dark blonde hair and gray eyes. There was no question to whether he was handsome but there was a dangerous glint in his eye that made me wary.

  “Layla,” Mrs. Hopkins said. “This is Davorin Bateson. Davorin, Princess Layla.”

  “Your Highness,” he said with a bow.

  “You can call me Layla,” I said.

  “Layla,” he repeated. “James would like to have a word with you so if you don’t mind, I will take you to him.”

  “Well, I don’t know—” I began.

  “Go ahead, dear,” Mrs. Hopkins said. “I’ll clean up the kitchen today.”

  “Let me get my coat,” I said, smiling weakly.

  “I’ll be outside,” Davorin said. “I will see you later, Mrs. Hopkins.”

  Davorin walked out to the porch as I slid into a pair of snow boots, and found my coat.

  “I’ll be back soon,” I said, walking out the door. I found Davorin leaning on one of the porch beams.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  “Yes,” I said. I hugged my coat around me as I stepped down into the snow.

  Life went on around me as busy as ever. People smiled at me as we passed, some even bowed their heads. It was the first time I did not slink around the back of the buildings trying to remain unnoticed.

  “You didn’t have to wait for me,” I said to Davorin as we headed towards the camp. “I know where the general is.”

  “It’s the proper thing to do,” Davorin said, flashing a handsome smile. “Besides, I hadn’t had the pleasure to meet you yet. James has spoken so highly of you.”

  “I doubt that,” I said.

  “I was trying to be polite,” he laughed. “But I can’t see what it is he doesn’t like about you—you seem like someone easy enough to get along with.”

  “Thank you . . . I guess,” I said, keeping my eyes forward. “So what does he want?”

  “Just to talk. Don’t worry, it is nothing serious,” he said as we reached the tent.

  A guard pulled the flap of the tent open and I walked in, followed closely by Davorin.

  James sat at his desk reading what looked like a letter. When the tent closed behind us, he looked up. There was no greeting in his eyes. He remained completely emotionless. The hairs on my neck rose as I sensed the lone wolf in the corner of the tent lay its orange gaze on me.

  “You asked to see me,” I said as Davorin went to stand by James’ desk.

  “Yes,” James said, putting down the letter. “Davorin, would you take this to Sir Nicholas?”

  “Sure,” Davorin said, picking it up. He smiled at me and left the tent.

  James turned his blue eyes to me. “Mrs. Hopkins told me she was going to speak to you on the matter of the seclusion you’ve put yourself in.”

  “She did,” I said, trying to find a place on his face to keep my eyes on so I could avoid his. “She said I need to get to know the people.”

  “You do. It’s very important the people know the princess that will be ruling over them if we overthrow Luther.”

  “I know.”

  “She also worries about your health.”

  “What?” I asked surprised.

  “She says you spend too much time alone fretting about your mistakes and misfortunes. It is not healthy for your child.”

  “You care about my child?” I asked sarcastically.

  “I am simply relaying her message. She didn’t think you’d listen to her but since I’m the general and in charge of your protection and well-being, you have no choice but to do as I say.”

  Anger welled up inside me. “If I remember correctly, the princess comes before the general.”

  “Maybe if the people knew you. They all know me and would back me up on this matter. Find a way to get involved and stop spending every waking hour in Mrs. Hopkins house or in my stable. Then after you have the child, you will begin training.”

  “Training?” I asked incredulously. “What do you mean by training?”

  “Training as in learning how to fight,” he said.

  “Fight?”

  “You didn’t think leading these people only meant telling them what to do, did you?”

  “You aren’t serious! I’ve never even held a sword!”

  “You will learn, but for now you need to start getting to know the people who are pu
tting their trust in you.”

  “I can do that, but training is out of the question.”

  James did not respond.

  I sighed. “How do you want me to get to know the people?”

  “I don’t know,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “Go talk to Charlotte and have her introduce you to some.”

  “Fine,” I said. “Is that all you wanted to say?”

  “Yes,” James said. “You are dismissed.”

  I opened the tent and let myself out into the sunny winter morning.

  “Layla!” I heard Charlotte call.

  I turned and saw her running toward me from a snowy open field right next to the tents. She was wearing pants, a coat buttoned all the way up, boots, and had a sheath of arrows slung over her shoulder.

  “Wow,” I said. “What are you wearing?”

  She laughed. “It’s for combat training. You didn’t think I’d wear dresses.”

  “I guess not,” I said, surprised her mother had let her out of the house like that.

  “Come on Layla! Get over your doubt in what women can do! Your parents were strong advocates of women learning to defend themselves.”

  “Defend themselves,” I said. “Not look for war.”

  Charlotte rolled her eyes. “I’m not the only woman. There are a few others but most still don’t agree with such radical ideas.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “You just need to remember that since you left Eagle’s Nest, I was gallivanting around in ball gowns the whole time.”

  “You’re ridiculous,” she said, pushing me playfully. “So what are you doing out here?”

  We began to walk away from the tents and back into the town’s realms.

  “Well,” I said, “The wonderful general wanted to tell me I need to get to know the people and stop hiding in Mrs. Hopkins house.”

  Charlotte laughed. “So you are accepting your role as a princess now?”

  “Yeah,” I said.

  “That’s really great,” Charlotte said. “I’m proud of you. And did James tell you how he wants you to get to know the people.”

  “He told me to talk to you.”

  Charlotte raised an eyebrow. “Okay, well I think I may have an idea. We need to get the women in town to like you and not think you are a . . . well you know.”