by J. D. Wright
“I know that we need the land. I understand that, Father. But maybe I can go to the fairies and convince them to assist us.”
“Rianne, that is by far the most outrageous argument that you have come up with yet. It simply isn’t going to happen. The sooner you come to terms with my decision, the easier all of this will be.” Nolan’s voice may have sounded firm, but his heart broke for his daughter at the same time.
“But Father—” she began.
“That is enough, Rianne,” her mother said. Rianne stopped speaking. When Queen Isabelle said it was time to stop, Rianne knew to listen.
But that didn’t cool the raging fire burning inside her mind. She was angry and heartbroken. It wasn’t as if she expected to marry for love. She knew better than that, deep down. She was a princess. Princesses rarely married for love. But she hoped to at least be wed to someone she could perchance learn to love. And that wasn’t possible with King Carneath.
She knew there was no use in trying to change their minds, anymore. That plan had failed. Now it was time for her backup plan. She turned on her heels and left the room.
Tristan watched Rianne leave then looked at his parents. Neither of them looked happy about the situation. But sometimes people must make sacrifices for the betterment of the kingdom. He understood this.
“Ah, Tristan,” Nolan said, just realizing his oldest son was in the room. “I’ve been looking for you.”
“My apologies, Father.”
“I have news about your engagement to Princess Seraphina.”
Tristan braced himself. He had been betrothed to Taten’s princess since her birth when he was six years old. She was now nineteen. Their engagement had been placed on hold for three years.
“In light of the recent attacks in Everealm, King Leonard and I have decided to set aside our disagreements and continue with the marriage. It will strengthen our ties with Taten. Which combined with having Carneath as a more solid ally soon, will reinforce our position in the realm, in the case of another attack.”
Tristan once hated the way his father spoke of marriage as if it were a chore, but he had grown to accept it over the years. Nolan and Isabelle were wed under the same circumstances and had grown to genuinely love each other. Tristan wondered if, perhaps, his parents’ fortunate circumstances had wrongly convinced them to believe that every couple could have the same fate. That simply wasn’t the case.
“Yes, Father.”
“The girl will be coming here in two weeks’ time. The wedding is planned for this summer. I don’t expect there to be any complications with this arrangement.”
Tristan knew that his father’s words were more of a warning than a statement. But it didn’t matter. He didn’t intend to fight his fate the same way Rianne did. Tristan had accepted a long time ago that this would be his future.
~*~
Rianne watched two men loading empty barrels onto a wagon. She had been observing the routines of the servants for over a month now, looking for a good opportunity to escape unnoticed. This had seemed to be her best path to getting out of the kingdom.
The bag over her shoulder was heavy so she slipped the strap over her head and wore it across her chest. She hoped that would help make it more comfortable to wear. It was as full as she could get it and still be able to close. It mostly contained food and clothes that she stole from the servant’s quarters. If she wore one of her gowns, she would run the risk of someone recognizing her. Or at the very least becoming suspicious as to why a noble’s daughter was traveling alone.
She also had to carry the weight of her weapons, which were tied to her thigh and belt. She even had a small dagger tucked into each of her boots. Convincing her brothers to teach her how to use them had been easy and she spent almost every free moment in her room, practicing on a makeshift target hidden behind her armoire.
When the last barrel was placed in the wagon, one of the men tied a thick rope across the back. Then he joined the other man in the drivers’ seat. Rianne quickly snuck up behind the wagon and climbed into the back. She was careful not to allow her head or bag to be seen. The sun was setting in the sky behind her.
She turned her head and watched her home continue to get smaller in the distance as the wagon rolled along. She took a deep breath and said farewell to Labara.
Chapter Two
“Are you sure you haven’t simply misplaced it? It wouldn’t be the first time…”
“Sidonie, that only happened once and I said I was sorry.”
Dagan had already apologized for losing her amulet at least a half dozen times. He shouldn’t have suggested she take it off in Odustis as it had probably been stolen while they were gone from their room at the inn. The likelihood that they would return to that wretched island was close to none. He felt terrible about it because she had become very fond of the amulet, even overlooking the fact that it had come from his ex-lover, Cassandra.
“I remember where I left it,” he continued, “and now it’s gone. He took the amulet when he snuck out during the Winter Ball. I just know he did.”
“I thought you didn’t want the amulet, anyway? When Edmund gave it back to you, you refused to take it at first.”
“Yes, but why would he need to take it? When he has his magic now? Why does he need an amulet that can change his appearance when he can do that on his own?”
“I don’t understand the logic, either. But it was his amulet—”
“That he gave to me. I know it shouldn’t bother me, but it does. He gave me something and then he stole it. I would have given it back to him if he had asked for it.”
“I know you would have.” Sidonie frowned at him. She had spoken to Dagan’s father, Edmund, before their trip to Odustis. Edmund mentioned that he was going to leave and Dagan would never have to see him again, so his absence wasn’t a surprise. But it still hurt Dagan because he thought the two of them were finally working to mend their relationship.
Dagan sighed and crossed his arms. His bowl of pork and cabbage was already cold and he didn’t feel like eating anyway, so he pushed it away.
“You need to eat,” Sidonie said. She pulled her long brown hair behind her and tied it with a piece of ribbon. “That’s only your second bowl. You usually have at least three of them.”
“It’s cold.”
Sidonie reached her arm down onto the table. Then she summoned fire magic inside her palm and held it close to the bowl until the soup was steaming again.
“There. Now you have no excuse,” she said.
Dagan scowled at her. He could have done the same thing to heat his soup, but she had done it for him, which irritated him and he had no idea why.
“Stop acting like a child and eat it,” she said. Annoyance spread across her face, as well. Neither of them wanted to let the other win the argument, which was a ridiculous argument to begin with.
Rowan approached their table in the middle of the soup standoff. He glanced back and forth at the two of them, then turned and walked back to Bree’s table. He knew better than to get into the middle of a lover’s spat, especially between a wizard and a sorceress.
Dagan knew she was right and he was acting like a child, but he didn’t care to admit it. He just wanted to sulk and Sidonie’s positive attitude was making it hard for him to do so. He grunted, stood up, and started to leave. Immediately, he felt terrible for walking away from her. So he returned to the table. Then he bent over and kissed her on the head before turning and walking away, again.
Sidonie glanced over at Bree, who gave a sympathetic smile, then came over to join her.
“His father leaving has really upset him, hasn’t it?” Bree asked, taking Dagan’s empty seat. It was a redundant question as they both knew the answer. Edmund had missed most of Dagan’s life and until a few months ago, Dagan thought his father was dead.
“He’s pretending that the real reason he’s angry is because Edmund stole the amulet. I wish he would talk to me about it, but he feels guilty. My father wa
nts nothing to do with me, either, but I’ve come to terms with it. He feels like he has no right to be angry when I am in the same position.”
“If I let someone into my life and they left me, I would feel the same way. Actually… I did feel the same way.” Bree tried to avoid thinking about what happened nine years ago when she and Rowan were separated. Now that they were engaged to be married, she tried not to dwell on the past. Rowan hadn’t left on his own accord, however. It had been at the command of her father, the late King Frederick. Dagan’s father choosing to leave of his own free will was harder to understand or accept, especially since he snuck out in the middle of the night.
Sarita wandered over and climbed onto Sidonie’s lap, out of habit, straightening her ivory colored gown after she got situated. She was growing too large to sit comfortably now, at eight years old, but Sidonie didn’t complain.
“The wizard is mad again, isn’t he?” Sarita asked, scrunching up her nose. Before Sidonie could answer, Sarita continued, “He’s making it rain and I wanted to ride Dragonfly today.”
It was true, Dagan’s foul mood had changed the weather above the castle. Sarita was one of the few people who knew that the sudden downpour was caused by the wizard. She had spent a lot of time with Dagan’s grandfather, Elric, who had been the Royal Mage of Junacave before his passing. So she was more experienced with magic than most young girls in the kingdom.
“You’ve ridden Dragonfly every day this week,” Bree said. “Maybe the rain will give her a chance to rest.”
Sarita wasn’t convinced and didn’t bother trying to hide it.
“Horses love to run,” she replied, “and Rowan says Dragonfly needs a lot of exercise to keep her healthy.” She turned and whispered to Sidonie, “I promised her I would bring her some treats, too.” As stealthy as Sarita was trying to be, Bree could still hear her.
“Well,” Sidonie said, “the wizard is really sad because his father left.”
“I know…” Sarita hung her head. She felt guilty for being selfish, but she also didn’t want to change her plans. “Sissy told me. But his father might come back one day, right?”
“Perhaps…” Sidonie wasn’t sure if Edmund would ever return. Once Dagan came to terms with his absence, it would be for the best that his father didn’t return. “I might be able to create a dry path to the stables, so you can feed Dragonfly. Would that work?”
“Sure.” Sarita agreed even though it was obvious from her tone that she wasn’t thrilled. She hopped down from Sidonie’s lap and ran over to the table where Gabrielle was sitting.
“I told Rowan the horse was too extravagant of a gift,” Bree said, “but he insisted. And she really loves it.”
“She does,” Sidonie agreed, looking over her shoulder at Sarita, who was gushing about how her horse was gray, the same color as Gabby’s horse, Starlight.
Rowan’s birthday gift to Sarita was mostly inspired by her love for Dragon, Rowan’s own horse. And Sarita had named her Dragonfly, because of it. It was likely his attempt to make up for the six years of her life that he had missed while acting as a spy for the crown. But even though Rowan now knew that Sarita was his daughter, she had no idea that her father was really a spy and not the late King Frederick.
Bree and Sidonie sat quietly, for a moment, watching the people going about their day in the great hall. Servants and kitchen maids were floating around, removing empty dishes and refilling goblets. The Queen Mother, Cicilly, and her sister, Celeste, were sitting at the high table in front of the throne. Sir Nicholas was beside Cicilly, which is where he preferred to be when he wasn’t busy with his duties as First Knight.
Sidonie and Bree’s table was in the center of the hall. Two tables away from Sid was the knight’s table, which was already looking sparse since mealtime was mostly over. The only two left were Rowan and his brother, Reeve, sitting across from each other with Gabby and Sarita, gossiping beside them.
“So… has he asked you to do it, yet?” Sidonie asked, nodding her head toward where Reeve was sitting behind her.
Bree frowned and started toying with her long auburn hair which was braided to the side today.
“Just this morning, actually,” she replied, then leaned in closer to keep their conversation private. “Is it wrong that I told Reeve I would send for the mysta, but didn’t? Just to give it more time?”
“I am heartbroken, too. For the both of them. They look miserable. I really hoped the situation would work itself out, but you can’t force it, Bree. No one can. If Reeve and Rhea want to absolve the marriage, who are we to interfere?”
Even though Sidonie said the words, she didn’t entirely mean them. If she could find a way to fix things, herself, she probably would. So Bree’s notion of delaying the mysta wasn’t a terrible idea.
“I’ve interfered plenty,” Bree said, smiling slightly. “Why stop now?”
“Tsk, tsk, Your Majesty,” Sidonie said, shaking her head and grinning. “So mischievous… What would Rowan say if he overheard your plan?”
“He would lecture me and I would ignore him.”
“I can appreciate your honesty,” Sidonie said, laughing. “But I don’t think delaying the inevitable is going to help in this case. Rhea won’t even talk to me about it, anymore. I mention his name and she finds a reason to change the conversation or leave the room. I don’t understand it, myself. She was practically swooning the day that the other fairies were here. You should have seen it, Bree. I thought Raven and Twila were going to faint!”
“I wish I had seen it. Rhea does talk to Gabby, though. And Gabby shares with Sarita. It’s sad that we have to get our gossip from children.”
Sidonie laughed. “And what is the tale being told, today?”
“Gabby said that Rhea cried in her sleep, last night.”
“Again? That’s the third time since the ball.”
“Yes, and she said his name again, too.”
“Oh, Bree.” Sidonie shook her head and crossed her arms. “Perhaps, you should put them out of their misery. Let them end the marriage so they can move on and make peace with it.”
“I know I should, Sid. I really do. And I will, just not yet. I want to try something, anything, just once more. If they would only talk to each other, maybe they could fix whatever suddenly went wrong. I mean, one day they had sparkles in their eyes and the next they won’t even look at each other. It’s ridiculous, really.”
“I know, but what can you do, aside from locking them inside of a room together…”
Bree didn’t reply. Sidonie shot her eyes up at the queen.
“Bree… No.”
“I’ll leave food in the room, of course. I won’t let them starve—“
“No!” Sidonie realized she was being loud and drawing attention to them, so she lowered her voice to a harsh whisper. “You can’t do that. Well, I guess you really can since you’re the queen. But you shouldn’t…” Just to make her point clearer, she wagged her finger at Bree, who paid little attention because she was staring at the large opened doorway.
Rhea was standing there. It had become her routine to wait until mealtime was over to come to the hall to eat. Bree gathered it was the fairy’s attempt to avoid seeing Reeve. And when Reeve noticed her in the doorway, he immediately stood and walked out, through the kitchens. Once he was gone, Rhea joined Gabby and Rowan.
“Sarita,” Bree said, stopping her as she passed by. “I think it would be a great idea for Gabby to spend the evening with you, tonight. In your chambers, perhaps? I could have a tray of sweets sent up if you’d like. Oh, and Sidonie would be happy to stop by and braid your hair for a bit. Yours and Gabby’s. Wouldn’t you, Sid?” Bree raised her eyebrows and glanced across the table.
Sidonie shook her head and smiled. She knew full well what the queen was planning and as much as she should probably intervene, she was more curious about whether it may work. Reeve and Rhea were already married, after all. They owed it to themselves to see if it was meant to be. When did I b
ecome such a romantic? She bit her lip and turned to Sarita.
“It would be my pleasure.”
~*~
Cicilly had just reached the top of the stairs when she spotted Rhea standing in the hallway.
“If you’re looking for Breestlin, dear, she’s still down in the hall.”
Rhea smiled, faintly. “No, actually. I was waiting for you, Queen Mother.”
“Oh? Whatever for?”
“I was wondering…” Rhea stopped and pursed her lips together, unsure if she wanted to continue. Cicilly could sense her uneasiness, and gestured the fairy into her chambers, for privacy. She led Rhea to a settee in the far corner of the room and sat down beside her.
“Go on,” Cicilly said, nodding.
“It’s only that I’ve heard a bit of gossip… And I wondered if it might be true?”
“This place is full of gossip, dear,” Cicilly waved her hand and chuckled. “Be more specific.”
Rhea looked down and focused her eyes on the brown stone floor.
“I heard that the man who haunts your dreams has returned.”
“Oh.” Cicilly could feel her face becoming flushed. “It is true. It seems King Silas has survived, after all. But you shouldn’t worry about that, Rhea. We’ve dealt with him before. We will manage, again. I hope you don’t feel unsafe in the castle?”
“Oh, no, Queen Mother!” Rhea looked up. “I didn’t mean to suggest that the castle is unsafe. Not at all. I really love it here.”
“Then, what is your concern?”
“I… I wanted to know how you stopped them. The dreams?”
Cicilly sat back a bit, considering Rhea’s question.
“I use medicine. A very specific blend of herbs that allows me to have a dreamless sleep. He cannot enter my dreams if I have none.”
“This medicine? Does it work for everyone?”
“By everyone, you mean, does it work for fairies?” Cicilly was beginning to understand.
