by J. D. Wright
The one thing she wished she were able to find were a few good throwing knives, having left two of her best knives in the glen. But a young woman buying weapons in the center of the town would likely have seemed suspicious, so she decided to wait until she got to Sire. There, she was confident that the shop owners would be more discreet. It was Sire’s reputation, after all. She would need to make sure she didn’t lose any of her remaining three knives before then.
Knowing she wouldn’t reach another town until Sire, she decided to have one hot meal before leaving. She entered the inn and a pleasant aroma was the first thing she noticed. Whatever the innkeeper was serving, it smelled delicious. The majority of the tables were full, except for a small one in the corner. She purchased a bowl of cream of corned beef and cabbage soup and two small biscuits, then carried it over to the table. Within a few moments, the entire meal was gone. She was surprised at how quickly she could eat when she was really hungry and started to feel guilty for all of the times that she had wasted food while living in the castle.
She pulled her shiny new flask from her sack and took a drink. She was getting ready to put it back when she heard someone say Henry’s name. Slowly, she leaned back in the chair and listened closer to the men talking behind her.
“I told him to stay outside of town but he doesn’t listen,” one man said.
“No, Henry doesn’t listen to anyone other than himself. But that wizard boy will find him. They have ways, you know? Ways of tracking people. If anyone will find him, I’ll bet that wizard will,” another man replied.
“Well, the wizard won’t find him today. I tied him to my wagon and left him near the mill. He’s stuck there until I set him free.”
“That was really smart, Lyle!”
Rianne stopped listening, tucked her flask back inside her sack, and quickly slipped out of the inn. She looked around, trying to figure out where the mill would be. The Jade River flowed by Hallowood. The mill would have to be near the river. She walked to the end of the town and saw a sign that pointed to the river. Following the trail, she passed several merchants and two families traveling to Hallowood. She knew the Jade River was used by many merchants and people to travel to the northern parts of the realm. The river led from the Valerian Mountains to the Sea of Sovereign. It was a very busy route and she was surprised that the men in the inn thought it wise to leave Henry tied to a wagon near such a busy area.
And when she found the wagon, she was stunned to see that Henry was indeed tied to it. At least, she assumed it was Henry. She wasn’t actually sure what Henry looked like. This man had shaggy brown hair and a heavy stubble on his face. She watched from the trees as he was trying to use a small dull blade to cut through the thick ropes tied around his ankles. The men in the bar had tied up their own family member to prevent Zander from finding him. Immediately, she knew the men were not very bright. Tying Henry to the wagon meant that he couldn’t escape. So if Zander did find him, he was as good as dead.
She hadn’t intended to find Henry, so now she wasn’t sure what she should do. Should she warn him? Tell him to run? She didn’t care about Henry’s safety, at all, but preventing Zander from killing him and being punished for it was reason enough to help Henry get away. Then again, maybe she should kill Henry herself…
He was restrained, so he wouldn’t really be able to fight back and if she threw her knives from the edge of the clearing, he may never even see her face. She might be able to sneak away and reach Sire without being caught. No one would suspect Zander because Henry wouldn’t be killed with magic. She just had to decide if killing Henry to save Zander was justified.
Deep in thought about what to do next, she didn’t hear anyone approaching her until there was a hand over her mouth and another around her waist, dragging her backward and further into the forest. She tried to scream, but the hand was tight on her lips. She reached for the knife attached to her belt as the person spun her around and pushed her up against the trunk of a tree.
Zander was glaring at her and he didn’t seem pleased to see her.
“What are you doing here? Better yet, how did you find him before I did?” He was speaking quietly so as not to be overheard, but his voice was anything but soft.
“It doesn’t matter how I found him. All that matters is that I did.”
“This doesn’t concern you. Go to Sire or wherever you are running to. Stay out of this.”
“It isn’t too late. You can still walk away.”
“I don’t want to walk away and I don’t need your permission.”
“I am not leaving.”
“Yes, you are. I will use magic to make you leave if I have to.” He took ahold of her arm and tried to pull her away, but she leaned against the tree and didn’t budge.
“I know you think this will somehow fix the injustice that occurred in Hosselly, but you are not an executioner. Or an assassin, for that matter.” Then again, neither am I.
“Why are you trying to help him? You can’t save his soul, Rianne. He’s already killed my mother. He will burn in hell just the same.”
“I don’t care about his soul,” she said, pulling her arm away. “I care about yours.”
He took a step back from her. Rianne could see how much pain he was trying to hide. Even through his rock hard demeanor, his eyes gave him away.
“I won’t let you throw away your future for this man,” Rianne said, almost pleading at this point. “He isn’t worth it. If he did kill your mother, he can be punished, but not like this. Not by you.”
“Then, by who?”
“I haven’t figured that part out just yet.”
“If I wait for you to figure it out, he will disappear again.”
“If you would just—“
Rianne stopped when she heard people coming up the trail. One of the voices sounded familiar, from one of the two men in the inn. She began to panic. The trees were just thin enough that there was no way for them to hide. She was fairly certain that the men may have already spotted them.
“Quick, take off your robes!” she said.
“I know you like me, Rianne, but this isn’t really the time for—“
“Just do it!”
Zander shook his head and quickly unbuttoned his robes. He was only wearing trousers underneath.
“If they see your robes, they will know who you are,” Rianne whispered as the two men came closer. She took his robes and tossed them onto the ground.
“So seeing me out here in the forest with no shirt on is less conspicuous?”
Rianne took a deep breath and tossed all inhibition aside. She jumped onto Zander’s chest and he barely caught her before he tumbled to the ground with her on top of him.
“What are you doing?”
“Forgive me,” she said, then pressed her mouth down onto his.
He instantly became absorbed in the kiss, much faster than he had anticipated. The combination of her soft lips and body pressed against his made it hard to focus on anything other than her. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.
Her heart was racing and her stomach burned from the excitement of her very first kiss. When she heard footsteps beside them, Rianne had to force herself to break away and look up.
“Spying is rude,” she said to the two men watching them.
Zander laughed, not only because the men seemed embarrassed but also because Rianne had just repeated what he had said to her when they first met by the stream.
“Uh… Sorry,” one of the men said. They averted their eyes and started walking away. Rianne leaned back down and kissed Zander again. It seemed to be working. The men left and never once seemed to notice the wizard robes lying on the ground beside them.
Only, now Rianne completely forgot why she started kissing him in the first place. She was so absorbed by his lips and his smooth skin under her fingers that she wouldn’t have known her own name if someone had asked her. He must have been enjoying it, too, because he tightened his hold on her. Suddenly
, they both broke away and gasped for air.
“I think… it worked…” Zander said. “They’re gone.”
“Good… Good,” she replied, catching her breath. Her heart continued to race. When she realized she was still lying on him, she jumped up.
“Oh, no. I am sorry. I am so so sorry.”
“Sorry for interrupting my plans or sorry for kissing me?” Zander asked, laughing. He picked up his robes and dusted them off.
“Both. Wait, no. I’m not sorry for interrupting your plans.”
“But you are sorry for kissing me? I’m a little hurt.”
“I…” Rianne couldn’t find the words. On one hand, she forced herself upon him. On the other hand, he didn’t seem to mind. Still… It wasn’t proper behavior for a princess. Then again, he didn’t know she was a princess… She simply couldn’t make up her mind.
“I’m only joking,” Zander said, trying to ease the awkward tension that suddenly came over them. He wasn’t sure what to do next. Then he remembered why he was there in the first place.
Henry.
Quickly, Zander scrambled to the edge of the forest and looked at the wagon. The ropes were lying on the ground and Henry was nowhere in sight. He shook his head and sighed.
“It was for the best. You know that, right?” Rianne said, behind him.
Zander took a deep breath, “Sure. For the best.”
~*~
She could tell that Zander was still irritated with her for causing him to lose sight of Henry. And she did feel a bit guilty for it. She hoped he would abandon his idiotic plan because it was the right thing to do and not because she aided in Henry’s escape. It wasn’t her fault that the men decided to turn Henry loose while the two of them were kissing in the forest. Well… maybe it was her fault.
“How did you know?” he asked, finally deciding to break the silence. They hadn’t spoken since moving further down the river and stopping to camp for the night.
“How did I know, what?”
“Where he was. How did you find him?”
“I overheard two men discussing his location in the inn.”
“Why were you in the inn? Why didn’t you continue on to Sire?”
“Because, in case you have forgotten, I was almost out of food when you left me. I needed to buy a few things in the town. In fact, you may want to find something else to wear, yourself.”
“Why?”
“Because your robes give your identity away, especially since Henry’s family knows you’re in Hallowood.”
“Perhaps… Is that the only reason you’re here?” he asked, tossing a twig onto the fire. “You didn’t purposefully stay around, hoping to find Henry before I did?”
“I don’t like your tone, mage. It almost sounds as if you are calling me a liar.”
“Mage? Why would you call me that?” he asked, looking up to meet her eyes. “You’ve never called me that before.”
“I… uh…” Oh, no. She stood and turned away from him. If he wasn’t watching her, she might have actually slapped herself for speaking so carelessly. Most people would never call a wizard “mage” unless they were saying a formal title, such as Royal Mage or Elder Mage. Mage was a word mostly used by royals. It simply wasn’t a common term and she knew better than to use it.
“You know, Rianne… While I was searching around the town, I overheard a few things, as well,” Zander said, standing and walking around the fire.
“Is that so?” she asked, trying to hide her face which she knew was turning red.
“Yes, it is.” He stepped in front of her. “I heard a tale that I didn’t quite believe. You see, there is a rumor circulating in Hallowood that the Princess of Labara has run off. Some think she is dead in the forest somewhere.”
“That is a sad rumor.”
“Other people think that she found some schmuck to whisk her off to a far-away place.”
“That sounds a little better,” she said, slowly backing away from him until she hit a tree trunk and couldn’t go any further.
“I don’t believe either of them.”
“No?”
“No,” he said, smiling. “Do you want to know what I think?”
Rianne’s heart was racing again as he moved closer. She started to wish he would just kiss her instead of interrogate her. He rested one hand on the tree trunk and hovered over her.
“I’m not sure your opinion really matters. It is a rumor, after all.”
Zander laughed as he reached over with his other hand and pulled the small black ribbon from her hair, letting it fall down. He squinted for a moment, realizing that even though her hair had already gone back to being the beautiful brown that it was before, the bright purple streak was still there.
“I thought it was a little strange that a princess would run away from a perfectly good life in her castle,” he said, leaning closer to her.
He was making her nervous and she knew he was doing it on purpose. He was trying to make her confess. He wanted her to tell him the truth. She looked up into his eyes and tried to stay calm.
“It is strange. Very strange. Shame on that princess,” she said.
“Ha! Well, even a princess must get an itch to run sometimes. Don’t you think? To be free from the control of the king. To be able to go wherever she pleases.”
His mouth was so close to hers now that she had to remind herself to breathe. She already knew what those lips tasted like. Imagining them on hers again was easy to do. She wanted to respond. To push him away and tell him he is being ridiculous. But then again, she wanted to jump into his arms and admit everything to him. She stared into his eyes, trying to decide what to do.
“Do you know what the biggest surprise was? The one part that should have convinced me, immediately, that the rumors were true?” he asked.
She bit her lip and shook her head.
“The princess’ name,” he said. “I’ve heard that name before, but I convinced myself that it simply must be a coincidence. After all, many mothers name their daughters after royalty. My own grandmother is named after an old Valerian queen.”
She couldn’t help but cringe. With every smooth word he said, she could feel his warm breath on her skin. Her legs were shaking and her nerves were on the edge, about to boil over. She knew that if she heard him say another word, she would explode.
Softly, he whispered, “Princess Rianne.”
“YES!” she shouted, shoving him out of the way so she could finally breathe. She began to walk around the fire. He just leaned against the tree trunk and watched her.
“I had good reason to leave the castle. I wouldn’t have done it unless I absolutely had to.”
“I believe you.”
“I wasn’t careless. I learned to protect myself before I left on my own. I brought money and food and clothes that wouldn’t draw attention. My mother would be proud of my ability to care for myself.”
“Except for almost being eaten by wolves. Oh, and getting lost, how many times?”
Rianne stopped pacing and walked up to him.
“I could have gotten myself to Sire on my own. Eventually.”
“Perhaps.”
“I didn’t need your help.”
“I can see that.”
“Stop replying with sarcasm.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Rianne smiled. Even when he was annoying her, he was still so adorable. She stepped closer to him and pressed her body against his. He looked down at her as he slid his arms around her waist.
“I’ve met plenty of princesses before,” he said, “but I’ve never kissed one.”
Rianne wrapped her arms around his neck.
“I’ve met plenty of wizards before. I’ve never kissed one, either.”
“You have now,” he replied.
“So have you. And you’re about to kiss one, again.” She lifted herself onto her toes as he leaned down and their lips met in the middle.
Chapter Fifteen
Nick rushed int
o the hall. “They’re here, Your Majesty!”
Bree nearly tripped over her skirts as she jumped up from her throne, ran into the courtyard, and straight into Rowan’s arms. He kissed her so hard that he was afraid it might have hurt her. She didn’t mind.
“Did you get it?” Sidonie asked as she ran toward them. Dagan held up the amulet. “Oh, thank the heavens.” She sighed so deeply that she felt a bit dizzy.
“Whoa!” Dagan said, grabbing her arm to steady her. “Have you been eating? Keeping up your strength?”
“Things have been a bit… difficult… since you left,” Bree said as they followed her into the hall. They stopped at the closest table and Bree told them everything, from the poisoning to the annulment. Then she mentioned the visit from Dyna.
“Dyna was here?” Rowan asked. “Was it about Adelphie?”
“It was,” Finn said, taking a seat at the table. “Adelphie is missing.”
“Well...” Dagan began. “She isn’t missing any longer. We found her. She was with Edmund.”
“With Edmund?” Sidonie asked.
“Yes. He claims to have found her at the bottom of a cliff. She had been there for days, according to his story. She slept for a few more days after that before she finally woke. She’s been traveling with him since then.”
“What happened to her? What did she say?” Sidonie was confused by Dagan’s tone. Finding Adelphie was a miraculous thing but for some reason she felt like he was about to deliver horrible news.
“She didn’t say what happened to her… because she doesn’t remember.”
“She doesn’t remember? Well, perhaps she hit her head. I’ve heard that hitting your head can cause you to forget things, especially when a tragedy occurs.”
