The fact that she hardly knew Brutas was another thorn in her side. How was she supposed to give herself to a man she would have trouble picking out in a crowd? He had certainly shown no interest in her. She had at least expected to be courted while they waited the customary three months to be wed after their engagement was announced, but Brutas was too busy courting his own brother.
Leonosis was, in Olyva’s opinion, an ass. He cared only about himself and everyone around him deferred to his wishes, treating him as if he were Earl already, even though his father still wore the royal torc and was officially in charge of the city. She thought him a spoiled incompetent. He would ruin Avondale, which was truly a wondrous place. It was a tragedy in Olyva’s mind, not only because it was a great city, but it would be her home, and there was nothing she could do to keep the self-centered Earl’s son from wrecking it once his father was dead.
A knock at her door interrupted her musings and sent her hurrying to see who was calling on her. Hellen should have answered the door. It was unladylike to answer one’s own door, but Olyva had no patience for the rotund maid, who would take three times as long to do the simple chore as it took Olyva. She flung the door open to find Selma, the Countess’ maid, looking down her long nose at Olyva.
“What is it?” she asked, ignoring the woman’s rude glare.
“I was sent to tell you that the danger is past,” she said in haughty tone.
“What was it?” Olyva asked.
“How should I know,” the maid said, as she turned to leave.
“You don’t know why the alarm was sounded?”
“Because the city was in danger, I suppose.”
Olyva wanted to run after the tall scarecrow of a woman, but she refrained. The Countess, Lady Wyndolyn, already thought her brash. Olyva knew that the Countess listened to her maid Selma’s opinions about everyone in court, and who could blame her. As the Countess’ maid, she could go freely about the city, while Lady Wyndolyn was kept behind closed doors in the Earl’s chambers of the palace. The fact that Selma found her to be unladylike didn’t bother Olyva in the least, but she knew she would have to deal with the haughty maid for years to come and she didn’t want to make things harder for herself than they had to be.
“This is ridiculous,” Olyva said angrily, as she slammed the door.
“We are safe,” Hellen said, not even bothering to look up from her needlepoint. “That is all that matters.”
“No it isn’t,” Olyva said. “It’s maddening to be cooped up here. What if whatever was attacking the city broke past the Earl’s defenses? Do you really want to be trapped here with no clue that we are about to die?”
“Ignorance is bliss,” the maid replied.
Olyva started to argue, but realized it was just a waste of time. Her maid wasn’t even looking up from her needlepoint. Olyva resumed her pacing, thinking once again about Rafe. The danger was over, but did that mean everyone was safe? She tried to force herself not to care, but it was impossible.
There was another knock on the door, then a slip of parchment was slid underneath. Olyva picked it up and unfolded it. The parchment said five minutes.
Olyva’s heart began to race. She recognized the handwriting—it was Rafe’s. He was okay after all and coming to see her. She needed to get rid of Hellen. Olyva cleared her throat.
“I want figs,” she announced.
“Figs? They’re not even in season yet,” Hellen complained.
“They aren’t in the castle yet, but I’m sure they’re selling in the market. You don’t mind going find me some, do you?”
Hellen sighed as she set her needlepoint down. Olyva knew that her maid would do whatever she asked of her, even if that meant leaving the castle and walking halfway around the city to the market to look for figs. She didn’t want to be mean or mistreat Hellen, but she needed time alone if Rafe were coming to see her.
“Figs,” Hellen said as she straightened her dress. “Is there anything else you need?”
“No, but thank you. Figs would calm my nerves. You’re such a dear.”
“Of course, my lady,” Hellen said.
Olyva watched as Hellen left the room. Then she resumed her pacing. A few moments later, there was a knock at the door. She flung it open and pulled Rafe into the room. He was the exact opposite of Brutas. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a head full of thick dark hair which he kept tied back with a leather thong. He was thin and moved with a grace that Olyva both admired and envied. He wore a long narrow sword on his left hip, and a dagger was tucked into his belt on his right side. Olyva flung herself into his arms.
“Oh, I was so worried about you,” she said.
“I’m fine,” he assured her.
“It was maddening to be stuck down here.”
“I’m sorry for that,” Rafe said, although he personally had no power over where Olyva went or what she did. If he was caught holding her the way he was, he would be executed for treason, or worse still, banished from Avondale.
“What was it?” she asked.
“A Forkus; it’s sort of a big cow, but scarier. We turned it back easily enough.”
“I wish I could have seen it. I wish we didn’t have to hide our love.”
“I know, I wish that too. But we have to be careful. No one can ever know how we feel.”
Then he kissed her. It was a long passionate kiss that Olyva felt all the way in her toes. She fancied boys in the past, but her feelings for Rafe were different. She wanted to be with him forever and not just as a wife or mother to his children. She wanted to share in his adventures, to support him whether he was fighting on the city walls or planning strategy in the Earl’s war room. Of course she knew that would never happen. She was promised to Brutas, who no doubt saw her as a trophy to be trotted out like trained dog when the occasion called for it, but at all other times she was to be out of sight. Her world would soon shrink down to a pinpoint, and her heart would shrivel up and die.
“Take me away,” she whispered.
“And go where?” Rafe said. “There’s no place in the city we could hide that Leonosis wouldn’t find us.”
“Then we could leave Avondale,” she pleaded.
“No,” Rafe said, his face stern. “We knew our fate. We knew our love could never last. We cannot live in a fantasy. It would cost us everything.”
“I would gladly give up everything just to be with you,” she said.
“You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“I do,” she said, her hands on his shoulders, her large brown eyes filling with tears. “I would rather die with you than live a hundred lifetimes with a man I don’t love.”
“Brutas will treat you well,” Rafe said, the words sounding like thorns being shoved into his heart.
“You know I don’t love him. I can never love anyone but you.”
“I love you too,” Rafe said.
Olyva laid her head against his chest and listened as his heart slowly beat. She had never felt as safe as she did in his arms. And she knew she couldn’t stay.
Avondale Chapter 3
Lexi
The call to arms was the perfect distraction. Lexi had been on her way to find Tiberius anyway, but with the guards moving into defensive positions on the city walls, slipping into the royal palace was easy enough. The palace was a large structure, but the lower levels were reserved for servants. Lexi meandered down past the stables, winking mischievously at the young boy who served as the stableman’s apprentice. He smiled and looked away. Lexi darted into the corridor that ran under the east wing of the palace. Boxes of food were stored in the cool confines of the corridor, waiting to be loaded into the great airship that floated above the palace. The food would be sent to King Aethel as part of the royal tribute that each city paid.
Lexi ignored the food boxes and made her way to the stairway that led up into the palace. She had met Tiberius there many times in the past. Lexi liked Ti, he was open minded and fair, but she didn’t let her
feelings go too far. She was a common-born orphan after all; dreams of life in palaces were just that, dreams. She had no time for dreams—she was too busy surviving. Ti helped in small ways when he could, but he was training to become a Paladin, which would make them enemies at some point.
The Paladins served the city as peacekeepers and enforced the Earl’s laws. Unfortunately, Lexi’s skills weren’t exactly legal. She hurried up the stairs and into a small room where she found a shawl that she draped over her shoulders and head. Then she moved out into the main level of the palace. It was normally a busy place where citizens pled their cases to Earl Aegus or his son Leonosis, and where merchants loitered, waiting to bribe a city official in hopes of navigating the intricate maze of Avondale politics.
Everyone had gone out to see what sort of creature was attacking the city. Lexi understood their curiosity and their desire to ensure their own survival, she just had a different way of doing it. She tried one door and found it locked, then tried another and went inside a small series of rooms. She knew she didn’t have much time, so she hurried to the large desk. It was a massive piece of furniture, carved from dark wood with dozens of small drawers and bins that were filled with rolls of parchment. She pulled open several drawers before finding a small pouch. She lifted it and felt the weight of gold coins and heard the delightful sound as the coins clinked against one another.
She was tempted to take the entire pouch and flee. She guessed there was enough coin in the pouch to keep her fed and safe for a year, but she also knew if the pouch went missing, a search would be made. Security in the palace would go up and she wouldn’t be allowed near the royal residence, much less inside it. She pulled the leather opening and saw the glint of yellow gold. She fished out a single coin, then pulled the leather thong to close the little pouch and returned it to the drawer. The single coin was more than enough to feed her for a week. She slipped it into a hidden pocket of the thick rawhide belt she wore, then slipped back out toward the palace’s main entrance.
Lexi’s clothes were simple gray homespun garments. She didn’t wear shoes and her hair was cut short and left sticking up at odd angles. But she had a pretty face, and a smile that put most people at ease. She may not have been properly dressed, but being an attractive young woman made most people give her the benefit of the doubt.
Lexi waited while the battle on the city walls took place, doing her best to stay in the shadows and not be noticed. Once the danger had passed, scores of people returned to the palace. Most ignored Lexi completely; those that took a longer look got a flash of her smile and most returned it.
“What are you doing here?” Tiberius asked as he came down the winding staircase from the watchtower above.
“Waiting for you, of course,” Lexi said, her smile not forced this time.
“Is something wrong?” Tiberius asked as he walked her out of the palace.
“No,” she said. “I have something to show you.”
“I don’t mind you coming to the palace, but you could at least clean up a little.”
“I thought you liked me this way,” she teased.
“I just don’t want you getting into trouble.”
“Why would I be in trouble? I didn’t do anything but wait for you,” she lied.
“If Leonosis sees you, you’ll wish you had listened to me.”
“Your brother doesn’t scare me,” Lexi said, lying again.
“That’s because you don’t know him,” Tiberius said. “Where are we going?”
“This way,” Lexi said, taking the lead.
The city of Avondale was made up of long streets that ran around the edge of the mountaintop. At regular intervals, wide stone steps led down to the lower streets, where homes and shops were carved into the porous sides of the extinct volcano. The avenues on the lower levels were narrow and some ran into long tunnels. The city was in many ways a circular maze and most residents only knew a small section of the city well.
On the main thoroughfare, the street was wide and paved with flagstones. The homes were large, with grand views of the forest, fields, and lake in the center of the crater. The shops were set against the city’s massive wall and were decorated with brightly colored banners and signs.
On the lower levels, the streets were narrow. The homes and shops were simple structures and everything was either dull wood or red stone. There were taverns and brothels on the lowest levels that catered to the farmers and hunters who rarely came up into the city proper. In some of the dark tunnels and natural caverns along the edges of the city, outlaws hid from the Paladins who searched for them. It was not a safe place, but Tiberius was drawn to the darker side of Avondale and in his wanderings he had met Lexi, who had become his friend and guide.
They walked quickly, weaving up and down among the winding streets of the lower levels before finally going into a natural cavern that was roughly the size of half a dozen shops on the upper level of the city. The cavern was filled with stalls, and goods were being sold in the semi-darkness of the cavern. Lanterns gave a dim, grungy light to the space, which only made it more mysterious to Tiberius.
“What is this?” he asked.
“It’s a market, silly,” she said. “Only you won’t find regular goods here.”
“So why am I here?” he asked, feeling self-conscious.
“Because I found something I know you’ll be interested in,” she insisted.
She took his hand and led him down through the center aisle, past the shady looking patrons and between the tightly packed booths of strange items. Lexi saw the look of surprise on Ti’s face when they passed a stand selling human bones and jars of organs. They also saw a booth with covert weapons, boot knives, straps with spring-loaded shivs that were worn under a person’s sleeves, and gloves with metal spikes on the knuckles.
“There it is,” Lexi said pointing.
Ti smiled at her and she led him to a table with ancient books. Most were leather bound, but the covers were rotting or damaged. The old man selling the books looked as if he hadn’t eaten in weeks. His smile revealed several missing teeth.
“My lord,” he said, bowing his head.
“He doesn’t know you,” Lexi whispered to Ti, who had tensed at the title. “He says that everyone who stops here. He called me a lady.”
Tiberius laughed, but it wasn’t cruel. Lexi knew that the Earl’s third son didn’t like titles or the rules of society that kept Lexi down, and elevated him without cause or achievement.
“You did well,” he told her.
His smile was more than genuine—it was warm and appreciative. It made Lexi feel happy, even though she secretly scolded herself for letting Ti’s praise get to her. She had struggled to get by once her parents died. Women in her position had only one real choice in life, and that was to find work in a brothel. She could sell her body for a few years and if she saved the pennies she got from the pimps working the taverns or seedy bordellos, she might have enough to open her own place once she was too old to attract customers anymore, that’s if she lived long enough. Lexi had decided early on that she would rather die than wench her way through a grim existence, so she had taught herself other skills. She had learned to find out what people needed and then found a way to get it for them, for a fee of course. Tiberius had offered to help her before, to try and get her an apprenticeship or a place serving in a wealthy house, but Lexi refused. She knew her lifestyle was dangerous, but she enjoyed the freedom it gave her too much to try to fit into an acceptable roll in society.
Ti was looking at each of the books, his hands feverishly opening each book cover to read the hand-copied title, before closing it just as quickly. Lexi didn’t know what he was looking for, but he was always interested in old things, so she had brought him here once she discovered the old man’s booth of antiquated books.
She leaned against the table, her back to the old man, her fingers absently rubbing the outline of the gold coin in its hidden pocket as she watched the crowd of people aro
und them. It was gloomy in the cavern, and the smell of unwashed bodies was strong. Her sharp eyes watched for any sort of threat, while her friend searched through the books.
“Do you have anything else?” Tiberius asked.
There was note of desperation in his voice.
“Just some old books that were damaged over the years,” the old man said as he pulled a box from underneath his table.
Ti began rummaging through it. Lexi saw him freeze, his body tensed as if he were afraid that what he had found would disappear if he moved. She stepped closer to him, but couldn’t see what he was looking at. He pulled a small ancient-looking book from the box. Lexi could tell that most of it was missing, only the front cover and the first several pages were intact.
“Do you have the rest of this book?” Ti asked, his voice sounded strange to Lexi.
“I don’t know,” the old man said, taking it from him.
Tiberius searched franticly through the box, finally coming out with what appeared to Lexi to be the back cover of the book. The covers weren’t large, even though both had yellowed paper still sticking to the ruined spine.
“This was all that survived the purge,” the man said in a low voice.
“Most of it is missing,” Ti observed.
“It was once a widely copied title, but that was long ago, before the cataclysm. This book was saved from the fires by my great-grandfather.”
“I want it,” Ti said.
“It’s not for sale,” the man croaked, suddenly clutching the two pieces of the book to his frail chest. “It’s too dangerous.”
Lexi frowned. She couldn’t imagine what sort of bargaining tactic the old man was employing. Everything in the underground was for sale for the right price.
“I have silver,” Ti said.
“No,” the man insisted.
“Sell him the book, old man,” Lexi hissed menacingly.
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