Chartile: Prophecy
Page 23
“You’re alright with this?” she asked. They had not spent a single night apart in weeks.
“We should be respectful of our host. I trust Valin. And Valar. Besides,” he pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her waist. “As much as you detest it, you will need to get used to being pampered sooner or later.”
He kissed her again and turned for the door way. Piper caught his wrist and pulled him back to her, kissing him hard. They broke apart, and Piper eyed him fiercely, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. She turned back to Valin’s quarters and shut the door quietly behind her.
Piper leaned against the study room door and exhaled. Even the grandeur of the towering bookcases throughout the room could not ease her mind. She was yet another step closer to confronting Taraniz, to meeting her sister for the first time. She had a thousand questions for her. The pained realization that she would undoubtedly succumb to killing Taraniz or imprisoning her before she could get any answers made her stomach churn.
She walked across the room to the bed chamber, her soft leather boots making little noise on the wooden floors. As an extra precaution, she moved a nightstand in front of the door and a small cabinet dresser in front of the entrance to the secret passage in the fire place.
She undressed and scrubbed herself in the warm water provided for her in the washroom basin. She found a linen chemise hanging on the back of the door, and hoped it had been intended for her. The bed was warm and comfortable. It cradled her back and relaxed her better even than the luxurious Dwarvik beds. She reached over out of habit to grasp Dimitri’s hand. She closed her hand on cold air, sighed, and drifted into uneasy sleep.
There was a loud thump at the bedroom door. Piper bolted out of bed and grabbed the sword she had laid unsheathed beside her. She nearly tripped on the bedcovers as she crept towards the door, cursing the creaky wooden floors and wishing for the stone of the Dwarvik mountains.
The door handle jiggled violently against the top of the night stand, nearly jostling the top drawer out of the stand entirely. There was quiet conversation on the other side of the door. A woman’s voice spoke softly to a man who replied in return. Piper took the opportunity to quietly lift the nightstand out of the way and moved it to the far side of the door.
With a loud crash, the door was shouldered open, and a man in sweeping robes stumbled into the room. He fell to the floor, and Piper snatched him up, resting the tip of her sword in the tender crevice above his kidney. The woman behind him screamed. Piper turned to face the woman who stood holding a tray of tea and biscuits.
“Piper, it’s me!” Valar said through the strangling of Piper’s arm. She dropped the sword and released Valar quickly. The woman with the tray stood in the doorway, trembling so much the pottery clanked. Valar dropped to his knees and rubbed the back of his neck.
“Forgive the confusion, Krista,” Valar said to the woman in the doorway. “Please leave the tray in the study, thank you.” The woman nodded, curtsied, and hurriedly set the tray in the other room. She picked up her skirts, and bustled from the room as quickly as she could.
Valar sighed and rose from the floor. Piper sheepishly sheathed the sword and laid it on the bed.
“Did you think we did not place additional securities with you and the boys here?” Valar asked, a bit angrily.
“I am sorry,” said Piper, fidgeting with her fingernails.
Valar sighed again and placed his hand on her shoulder. He forced a smile and replied, “A queen is never sorry.” He showed her to the door of the washroom, where her traveling clothes had been washed and hung on the back of the door. He left her, still rubbing the back of his neck.
Piper dressed quickly, the smell of freshly baked bread taunting her out to the study. When she entered, Valar stood waiting. A young man perhaps a few years older than Dimitri, sat regally behind the desk. The sight of him made her stop in her tracks. She tried hard not to stare at him, or blush too fiercely as she took the seat across from him and beside Valar.
He was gorgeous. There was no other word for it. She could see the similarities from Valar. The light brown hair, the shape of his nose, even the curve of his jaw beneath the scruff of a beard. His eyes were what held her the most. They were the most piercing and icy blue she had ever seen, framed by full, dark lashes.
He rose when he saw her, and bowed, reaching out a hand.
“My Lady,” he said in a voice very unlike his father’s, and kissed her hand.
She blushed scarlet, and silently cursed herself for tying her hair back. Instead, she smiled nervously, and inclined her head in respectful acknowledgement.
“Lord Valin,” she said, her voice shaking far more than she intended. “Thank you for opening your home to us. I do wish to apologize for the misunderstanding this morning.”
“You have not lived the life of the Royal that you were meant to be,” he said gently. “It is understandable. I am only glad Krista did not drop the tray! Please, eat.” He motioned toward the tray.
Piper’s stomach was attempting some form of acrobatics. She was no longer hungry, but she knew neither Valin nor Valar would eat before she did. She reached for a piece of the steaming bread and took a small bite.
“Where are the others?” she asked.
“They are taking their meal in their room,” said Valar. “I wished to speak with you privately.”
Piper’s stomach gave another lurch as she swallowed the bread. Private conversations with Valar had yet to yield any good omens, and Piper was far from optimistic.
“Well, I have learned there is little point in attempting to be drawn out and diplomatic with you, Piper,” Valar began. “You are well aware that as Queen you will be expected to choose a Royal advisor even before your crowning ceremony.”
Piper nodded.
“And, as I am sure you are also aware, since I was Royal Advisor to your father, I am no longer permitted to retain that title. A new advisor must be chosen with each new ruling King or Queen.”
“Are you suggesting Valin?” Piper asked, and nodded toward the man sitting across from her. Though she dared not look at him. She was too afraid she’s blush again.
“In a manner of speaking,” said Valin. “As the only child to the Lord of Cannondole, I had no choice but to become the new Lord of the town when my father became Advisor. I was too young at the time, and my mother helped a great deal before she passed. I have only taken on the role in a full capacity in the last several years. I take pride that I have run the town with great success, but it is not what I ever truthfully wanted.”
“There is also the matter of marriage,” said Valar bluntly.
Piper sat straighter in her chair, her hands trembling more and more with each passing moment.
“I know you and Dimitri are…” Valar trailed off, searching for the words, “Well, you know it is just not possible. He is not Elven, and half Human. Chartile needs order and reassurance, not revolution.”
“So you wish me to marry Valin to appease the people?” asked Piper. She looked between Valin and Valar and could feel the anger begin to rise inside her. “What about what I want? Aren’t I already giving up all of who I am for the sake of everyone else? Am I not permitted this one happiness?”
“When you chose to be Queen, you gave up every right!” Valar cried and slammed his fist on the desk.
Valin stood, silencing whatever retort Piper was about to throw. He leaned in to his father, who turned away from Piper and breathed through his nose. “Let me speak with her,” Valin said. He turned to Piper, pleading with those bright blue eyes. “Please.”
Valar nodded, and left the room, slamming the door behind him. Valin pulled a decanter and two small, crystal glasses from the shelf behind him. He poured a splash in each glass, and offered the first to Piper.
“The finest brandy in Cannondole. Made by the father of the young man who helped Dimitri find me, I might add.” He grinned and drank the thick, luscious liquid. Pi
per took a sip. It was like nothing Piper had ever tasted, and its effects were nearly as instant as the Dwarvik pearl wine.
Valin refilled his glass and leaned against the bookcase behind him. “I had rehearsed this conversation much differently,” he admitted. Piper remained silent and sipped at her brandy. “There was supposed to be mention of my father attempting to remain your advisor before any talk of marriage.”
“You forget I have the returned kings at my side,” Piper replied icily. There was more edge to her voice than she had expected, and she hid her face in her brandy glass.
“Yes, and they are children who know nothing of our laws and customs.” Valin said more kindly back. “They are nothing more than symbols of hope. Though, admittedly, that is much of what Chartile needs at the moment.”
“I have promised myself to Dimitri, Queen or no. I can do as I please.” Piper placed the crystal glass on the table.
“I do not wish to come between you two. Not in that way. If he is where your heart truly lies, then I will not force myself to you. I only ask that you consider our proposal so that my father may still act as your advisor from a distance. So long as there is both a King and Queen, a Royal Advisor is not required.”
Valin drank the rest of his brandy in one swallow. He walked to the desk and pulled a small box from one drawer. He stood before Piper then bowed to one knee. Her heart beat wildly in her chest, and she shook visibly from both fear and confusion.
“Piper, I will treat you with the respect I know you deserve. Not just as a Queen, but as the lady you are. I will not push, I will not pry. I will be whatever you need me to be when you need it. I love the people of Chartile as much as you, and only want the best for them.” He opened the box and a brilliant sapphire necklace dazzled in its depths. The stone was as large as a quail’s egg and caught the morning sun like a thousand stars. “This was my mother’s, and I promised her I would give it to my future wife. All I am asking is for you to keep it until you have made your decision.” He reached for her trembling hands and placed the box between them. He closed her hands around it and kissed them gently. Then, he rose, bowed, and left the Piper in silence.
Leo lay awake staring at the wooden beams of the ceiling above him. His friends had not yet stirred, but he could hear the sounds of early morning birds outside the shutters of their window. He had not slept well, despite the mattress the Sisters of the chantry had so graciously donated. Their conversation with Piper about life in Chartile after the ordeal with Taraniz had left his mind buzzing.
You could always stay, she had said. I can give you whatever you desire.
But what Leo desired most was to go home. He wasn’t a fighter like Jayson, or a diplomat like Jack. He had no place in this world, or much less so than his friends believed. He never wanted to be part of this prophecy, and he still wasn’t sure if he believed it. He still held to a strange hope that he had perhaps fallen out of their tree fort and was lying unconscious in a hospital somewhere.
Everyone seemed to expect so much of him. His parents, his teachers, his friends, even himself. And he had always delivered. But he knew things about his world, about Earth. He was like a fish out of water in Chartile, and he didn’t like it. He had never felt so helpless, despite the sword beside him and his ability to conjure a flame in the palm of his hand.
The prophecy said four kings would return to right the wrongs. Well, this was wrong. All of this. This should never have happened, he knew it. No matter what anyone said, it would still fall back on him to fix everything. Leo always fixed everything. The ability to get them all back home where they belonged was his responsibility alone. And the only way he could do so was to be involved in the murder of Princess Taraniz. Jayson may have had visions of killing someone, but Leo didn’t want blood on his hands any more than the rest of them did.
There was a quiet scraping outside the door, and then a soft knock. Leo rose, dagger in hand. He reached for the door handle and felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Dimitri behind him, a finger pressed to his lips. The boy hadn’t heard him move from the bed.
“It is our breakfast,” Dimitri whispered in Leo’s ear. He opened the door, and removed a tray from a folding table outside the door. Another small table held a pile of their clean and laundered clothes. Leo grabbed the clothes, thankful for clean jeans once again, and closed the door behind him.
Jack sat awake on his mattress, rubbing his eyes from the light pouring in the door. Dimitri set the tray of food on a small table beside the door. Leo passed out their clothes, dropping Jayson’s directly on the still sleeping boy’s face.
“Should we wake him?” Jack asked, stifling a yawn.
“No, let him rest,” said Dimitri through a mouthful of apple.
There was a scream down the hall toward Valin’s quarters. Dimitri grabbed his sword, dropping the apple, and rushed down the hall.
Valin was already a few paces ahead of him. A woman bolted toward them, frantic and shaking with fear. Valin caught her in his arms.
“Krista, what is it?” he asked. The edge in his voice betrayed the fear he attempted to hide.
“The girl!” she cried. “She attacked Master Valar!”
Valin released the woman and continued his course down the hall. Dimitri and Leo followed close behind, and they could hear Jack bringing up the rear. Valin rounded a corner in the hall and up a very short flight of stairs. He threw the door to the study open, and found Valar closing the bedroom door. Dimitri, Leo and Jack charged into the room, weapons out and ready.
“Father,” said Valin concerned. “Krista said—”
“I am alright,” Valar reassured his son. “I suppose she was only acting out of habit. She does not trust easily. We will work with her.”
Dimitri gave a small laugh. “I wish you luck in your endeavor.” he said. “Piper will change for no one.”
“She will have to if she is to be Queen,” said Valar sternly. He raised his hand to silence Dimitri’s rebuttal. “Let her finish dressing in peace. We will send for you when we prepare to discuss further plans.”
“We always eat together,” Jack protested in a small voice.
“Today I need to speak with Piper alone.” Valar nodded curtly, and ushered Dimitri, Jack and Leo to the door. Valin strode to the desk and sat. Dimitri glared at him and stormed back down the hall.
Once back to their room, Dimitri dropped to the bed, ignoring not only the plate of food, but a rather confused Jayson who sat on the floor, rubbing his eyes.
“Where’d you guys go?” Jayson asked sleepily.
No one said anything at first. Jack and Leo kept glancing at Dimitri, looking away quickly.
“Valar surprised Piper, and she attacked him on accident,” Leo finally said.
“Everyone’s okay,” Jack added, taking a piece of cheese and passing the tray.
Dimitri grunted. He shook his head and gathering his clothes in a huff, heading to the washroom to change.
Several minutes later, a knock on the bedroom door made them all jump. Dimitri, who had returned from the washroom much calmer, rose from the bed.
“Who is it?” Dimitri asked gruffly through the closed door.
“Krista, my Lords,” said the timid voice of the woman who had rushed from Valin’s quarters earlier. “I am Lord Valin’s servant, my Lord. He and Master Valar have asked me to escort you to the morning meal.”
Jayson leapt from his seat on the floor and pushed past Dimitri to open the door. “You mean there’s more food?” He asked.
Krista’s eyebrows furrow, and she nodded at the strangely dressed, young boy before her.
“Yes!” Jayson exclaimed. Jack and Leo joined him at the door.
“This way,” said the woman, and looking slightly confused at the entire situation, led them down the hall.
At the bottom of a magnificent, sweeping stair stood Valar dressed in his usual stately clothes. He smiled at them, and ushered them into the next room.
Dimitri took the seat beside Piper, who sat at the head of the table. She smiled weakly at him as he kissed her on the cheek.
“Are you alright?” he asked. He did not bother to hide the glare he aimed at Valin as the man sat across from him on Piper’s other side.
“Yes,” said Piper softly. “I thought someone was trying to break into the room.” She gave a small laugh. “I suppose I am not used to such things. Servants and being Royal.”
“It will come with time,” said Valar, taking the seat at the other end of the table. He accepted a plate of pork from Jack as he spoke.
“So, speaking of royal and all that,” said Jayson through a mouthful of food. “How long are we staying here?” He had forgotten how much he missed having a meal at a table, or having a familiar meal at all. The Dwarvik food had tasted well enough, but he missed meat, and meat was not something one easily came by when living at the top of a steep mountain.
“That is in part why we are gathered here this morning,” said Valin politely. “We will be leaving at nightfall back into the forest.”
“Do you have a plan so we will not be seen?” Dimitri asked.
Valin nodded through a sip of wine. “To a degree. I have been closely monitoring the schedules of the soldiers surrounding the manor. I know precisely when and where their guard duties are changed, and which soldiers we can more easily slip past.”
“If you knew all this, why did we not use this way to get into the manor in the first place?” Dimitri asked, his tone growing more hostile by the moment. “Why did you not tell me of this before when I went back to get Piper and the boys?”
Valin looked at Dimitri sternly, his face set and his icy blue eyes reflecting the chill within. “I did not wish to use this way so as to draw suspicion in attempting to use it two days in a row. Simply because these men seem controlled by Taraniz in some way does not mean they have lost their wits. They continue to act ordinary and outwardly appear themselves. I distracted them last night. Tonight, we need a new distraction, and I am open to ideas.”