Unleashing the Shadows (Nine Kingdoms Book 1)

by Ann Bakshis

  “Gregor gave it to his son David when he was younger,” Caster says. “David then bestowed it upon Elizabeth right before she fled. He loved Elizabeth so much that it broke him when he had to send her away. He wound up marrying a vile woman by the name of Moyra only because their marriage had been arranged. David never loved her, but he felt a duty to his kingdom and went through with the wedding despite wanting to only be with Elizabeth.”

  “Was she already expecting Honora when she left Geron?” I ask.

  He nods. “She was several months along when she fled, which is why she had to leave,” he says. “Gregor found out about Elizabeth and ordered David to kill her and the unborn child, but instead he staged their deaths. I was charged with their protection, so when I initially got them out of the kingdom I returned to the castle because it would’ve drawn suspicion if I wasn’t around for David’s wedding, which happened the following day. However, I was forced to leave once the ceremony was over because of fears both David and I had about Gregor discovering his son’s deception.”

  “Do you know if David had any more children?” I ask.

  “Yes,” he says, a lump forming in his throat. “Moyra was already pregnant at the wedding, but not as far along as Elizabeth. I still don’t know if she ever had the baby or not.”

  “We haven’t heard anything out of that kingdom in years,” Argus says. “King Job feels as long as they stay out of our business, we’ll stay out of theirs. No need to start a war over nothing.”

  “If what you’re saying is true, and I’m not doubting any of it, then Honora is an heir to the Geron throne,” I state. “Don’t you think she should be told that?”

  “No,” Caster answers quickly. “Gregor would have her assassinated in a heartbeat if he ever finds out she exists. He’s done it before with whores who were carrying his bastard children. Other than David, whom he had with his wife, he only kept one other child of his alive as security in case David failed as a leader. He had this son with one of those women, then forced his wife to raise the child alongside David.” Caster balls up his hands. “The fucker can’t keep his hands off anything with breasts. The only reason David didn’t turn out the same way is because of his mother. She made sure he had proper morals and values towards all creatures and the like.”

  “Archers to your posts!” a voice booms over the din of the conversations going around the area.

  “When are you two leaving?” Caster asks, narrowing his eyes at us.

  “After the festival,” I reply.

  “Why not now?” he pushes. “Honora isn’t here, so what’s the point of staying?”

  “Evan entered the archery contest,” Argus replies.

  “Good luck,” Caster says, chuckling as he stands. “I’ll be by the inn later to make sure you’ve kept to your word.”

  “Archers to your posts!” the voice calls out again as Caster leaves.

  I head over to the contest area and snag the last stand at the very end of the line. As I set my longbow across it, I glance down at those competing and notice they consist of various men of all ages, both young and old. A couple of them are wearing wide-brimmed hats, which will make firing harder, and the majority have handmade arrows and bows just like Ore.

  “Archers, here are the rules,” an older gentleman says as he paces between us and the targets. “In order to move on to the next round, you must hit a bullseye. If you’re eliminated, please leave the area, or go stand with the crowds observing. Before the second round begins, the targets will be moved back ten feet and the process will go on until we have a winner. You may not change stands or bows even if one of them should break. Now, arm your weapons.”

  The man trots off the course and retakes his seat with the leaders while we all nock our arrows. Another older man takes a stand along the side of the course, but far enough away in case an arrow should go astray.

  “Ready!” he calls out. “Aim! Fire!”

  Twelve arrows soar into the air, but only eight actually reach their target. Of those, seven are bullseyes, including mine. The targets are moved back ten feet, but the arrows remain embedded into the wood. Once those who failed have moved, we nock our arrows again and are ordered to fire. Four make it this time, but only three hit the bullseye, mine included ones again. As the men clear out and the targets moved another ten feet, I look at the two competitors beside me.

  One is a man perhaps a few years older than me. He’s also one of the men who was practicing before the contest began. The other is an even younger individual with a wide-brimmed hat. He has to be around thirteen or fourteen from what I can tell even at the distance he stands away from me, which is quite a bit.

  “Ready! Aim! Fire!” the man bellows.

  My arrow and that of the young man in the hat hit the mark, while the other one nicks the outside, disqualifying him. The targets are moved again, we nock our arrows, and release them when instructed. Again, we both reach our target and receive oohs from the crowd behind us.

  “Ready! Aim! Fire!”

  I hit my target, but the young man narrowly misses the bullseye. I’m sure his hat is what impeded his aim since he keeps it so low over his face.

  “This is a first,” I hear someone behind me comment as others cheer for my victory. “Caster’s son has never lost before.”

  “I’m sorry, but what did you say?” I ask politely after I turn to face the older woman and her companion. “I didn’t know Caster had a son.”

  “Oh, my yes, the poor dear,” the woman says, placing her hand over her heart. “The young boy enters this every year to win money for the family. No matter how much the others try, they’re never able to beat him. That is until you came along. Now, go get your prize money. You earned it.” She smiles as she gently nudges me toward the leaders who are waiting patiently for me.

  I look down at the end of the line of stands and the face under the hat is one I wasn’t expecting to see. Tears stain Ore’s cheeks as her deep green eyes bore into mine. She notices that I’ve caught her, and bolts into the crowd while I’m being pushed up front to receive my award. I give perfunctory thank-yous as I’m handed the pouch filled with coins, but my eyes are solely focused on locating Ore. I catch her heading into the woods at the back of the field, so I hand the money to Argus, who’s now joined me, and take off in her direction.

  “Ore, wait a minute!” I holler when I enter the tree line while she continues darting her way through to the adjoining lane.

  She doesn’t respond but quickens her pace and I’m nearly out of breath when I finally catch up to her. I grab her arm to stop her momentum, then turn her to face me.

  “I’m sorry,” I say as I pant and sweat runs down my face and neck. “I didn’t know it was you.”

  “Leave me alone,” she whimpers, trying to free herself from my grip.

  “Not until you let me explain.”

  “Explain what, Evan? That you told Caster you were leaving and yet here you are? That you know how to shoot an arrow when you acted like you’d never seen one before? That you made me look like a fool in front of the entire village? Or that you won a handsome award, which I’m sure you don’t need?”

  “I only signed up so I could see you,” I say, pleading my case.

  “But I told you, I don’t go to the festival,” she says with great hostility.

  “Honora perhaps doesn’t, but apparently Ore does,” I say, letting her go. “Is that how the villagers know you? As Caster’s son Ore? Why?”

  “For my safety, or at least that’s what I’ve been told my whole life,” she says, wiping her face clean of tears.

  “But you go to the market in a dress. Surely you run into the villagers there who’d recognize your face or your voice.”

  “I’m a mute to them and the hat covers my face enough that I’m forgettable. No one bothers to look at me anyway. Besides, there are lots of villages that use that market so I could be from anyone of them for all they know,” she says, still angry. “Now go away and leave
me alone.”

  “No, please stay,” I say, reaching for her.

  “I can’t be around people who lie to me,” she says. “Go home, Evan, and forget about me.”

  I want to continue to defend my actions, but I don’t know what else to say to her. My heart breaks as she retreats down the lane before rounding the corner and disappearing from view. I make my way back to the festival and meet up with Argus at the entrance where he’s carrying my quiver filled with arrows, bow, and prize money.

  “Let’s go,” I say solemnly, taking the items from him.

  We return to the inn, pack our belongings, pay our bill, and load up the horses.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Argus asks as he gets into his saddle.

  “No, but I don’t know what else to do.” I mount my horse, but instead of aiming for the far end of the village where the lane is to head further into the kingdom, I direct us towards the cottage, as there’s something I need to drop off before we leave.

  Argus holds the reins for my horse while I dismount to remove the longbow, quiver, and pouch of coins from my saddlebag. I cautiously step up to the door hoping no one answers, particularly Caster as I’m sure he’d kill me for hurting Ore so horribly. I place the items on the small stoop and hear crying coming from just the other side. I know immediately it’s Ore and she sounds alone. I want to knock on the door, get her to go with us, tell her over and over again that I didn’t mean any harm, but my father is right, I have a duty to fulfill. I understand the pain Ore’s father must have felt when he had to abandon Elizabeth. I feel cold and broken inside, but I have a responsibility to everyone I oversee, not just to the ones who’ve stolen my heart.

  I return to my horse, mount up, and we head away from the cottage moving west towards a village a half-day’s ride away. We should reach it by nightfall, but I don’t care if we make it at all.

  Not if Ore isn’t with me.

  Seven

  Kerron

  It’s been almost a week since I sent several men into Pelheim to look for the prince. I pace along the gravel that fills the front portion of the lane into the castle from the main road leading down to the village while Lycus sits in the library planning his next move against King Job. Pelheim is only a two-day ride from here, and Gregor’s spies alerted Lycus that Evander had left Latrest and was heading for Nysa, the closest village to the kingdom’s border with the prairielands that separate everyone. But that was days ago, and my men should’ve returned by now with news either confirming the prince’s travels, or that he’s dead. I’m about to retreat inside when the sound of rapidly approaching hooves catches my attention.

  The man who arrives is one of the ones I sent into Pelheim, but he’s returned alone, which I find troubling. He slides off his saddle and nearly collapses in front of me. I call for one of the servants to bring him water while I kneel down to check him for injuries.

  “I’m quite all right, sir,” the man says, breathing heavily. “I’ve just been riding nonstop since the day before last.”

  “Where are the others?’ I ask as the maid hands my officer some water.

  “Dead, sir,” he replies before swallowing the cool liquid.

  “How? I thought the prince only had one guard with him.”

  “He did when he left Latrest, but not any longer,” he replies, still panting from being out of breath. “He has a young woman accompanying him now. She’s the one who killed your men.”

  “How?” I ask, shocked.

  “With arrows, sir. I stayed hidden in the tree line while the others attacked since I was simply scouting the area for them. The young lady was fast and laid waste to the officers within minutes. I had to wait until nightfall to move after the dwerg-reus that’s with the prince buried all the bodies. I didn’t want mine added to the pile, so as soon as daylight broke the following morning I took off and have been traveling ever since.”

  “Did you get a look at the young woman?” I ask.

  “Not really, sir. A storm let loose over us at that exact moment impeding my sight of her. I’m sorry, sir.”

  I stand and instruct the maid to take him to the Vagter quarters, which rests in the bowels of the castle, while I deliver the news to Lycus.

  “Now they’ll be on their guard,” he grumbles, slamming his fists down on the desk. “We can’t afford to make a second attempt, so we’ll have to come up with something else.”

  “Do you have anything in particular in mind?” I ask, sitting across from him.

  “That depends on what our friend in Latrest can tell us. Send him an urgent message, then we’ll go from there.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” I say as I stand to leave, but before I can Lycus asks me a question.

  “Have you been able to locate this Elizabeth woman yet?”

  “No, I haven’t,” I reply.

  “Why not?” Lycus asks, sounding disappointed.

  “Because no one has seen the woman in quite some time, so it’s a little difficult in tracking her possible movements.”

  Lycus smiles uneasily as he moves around the desk and approaches me. “Do you want to know something interesting, Kerron?” he asks, stopping just inches away.

  “What’s that, Your Majesty?” I ask as calmly as I can, trying not to tremble.

  “That Elizabeth is the daughter of one of my grandfather’s lovers, but she’s not his child. Did you know that?”

  “No, Your Grace. I wasn’t aware of such information.”

  “I’ve also learned that the same woman had another child, a son to be exact.”

  “Did she, Your Grace?”

  “Yes. It would appear this Elizabeth we’re so desperately seeking has an older brother living right here in the village of Longemere,” Lycus says, circling me like a vulture circling its dinner. “Can you guess where exactly?”

  “No, Your Majesty,” I reply as sweat breaks out under my uniform collar and down my back.

  “He’s standing right in front of me,” Lycus says with his hands clenched behind his back as he faces me. “Are you sure you weren’t aware of your sister’s existence?”

  “Yes, Your Grace, quite sure,” I reply, trying to sound firm. “My mother was a whore, but I didn’t keep track of her indiscretions and what amounted from them. She abandoned me just after I was born, so I know very little about her.”

  “Aren’t you curious as to how I came about this information?” he asks, taking a few steps back.

  “I would assume someone from the village told you,” I reply.

  “Now why would they disclose this to me and not to you if you’re the one scouting for this woman?”

  “I don’t know, Your Majesty.”

  “You know what, Kerron?” he says as he retreats back to the desk. “I think you’re lying to me. I believe that you’ve known who this woman was all along and have been hiding it from me to protect her, but why… or should I say from whom?”

  “How can I be protecting someone I didn’t know existed until just a moment ago?”

  “Uh-huh,” he replies. “Is this revelation going to be a problem for you?”

  “Of course not, Your Majesty. I obey only my king and nothing else.”

  “Then be more thorough next time. I’d hate to lose you as you’ve been so loyal to the throne since you were a child.”

  I hadn’t expected that last comment to come out of his mouth, but I still doubt he’s aware of the full extent of my attachment to the kingdom. I turn and place my hand on the doorknob when Lycus clears his throat, signaling we’re not done.

  “Do you know what happened to your mother?” he asks, but I don’t turn to face him when I answer.

  “She died in a fire many years ago.”

  “At least we have that in our favor,” he says, chuckling.

  I have to control myself when closing the door, so not to slam it, which would send up red flags to Lycus that I’ve taken notice of him putting me on my guard. I leave for the village to send a message to the s
py in Pelheim. I have to use a non-royal courier to deliver it, so not to give away the spy’s identity. If any of the kingdoms found out that each of their castles contain one of our men, war would certainly break out. Gregor had them put into place over twenty years ago, and luckily none have been discovered. I dread the day one does come to light, but hopefully I’ll be long dead before that time, as I won’t defend my king against the ensuing attack. The people of Geron yes, but Lycus… never.

  After composing the letter and paying the courier to head out immediately, I decide to begin conducting a proper investigation into Elizabeth’s whereabouts. The only real starting point I have are the charred ruins of the hut I burned over seventeen years ago. I head to the farthest limits of the village where abandoned huts fill the space. No one has lived out here in generations, which is why it was the perfect spot for David to hide Elizabeth. I dismount when I come upon the blackened, disintegrating building where the aura of death still clings heavily to the air. I think back to that night and recall which direction I entered from, narrowing the available paths Caster could’ve taken when he fled with my sister. It leaves only one navigable lane, so I mount up and proceed down it.

  The sun has positioned itself straight above me when I reach the crumbling stone wall that marks the kingdom’s boundary, which means I’ve been traveling for two hours. Caster made it back for the wedding, which tells me he couldn’t have taken Elizabeth far that initial evening. So, where did he stop before dropping her off and returning the following morning? The moon hadn’t risen yet when I arrived at the hut, yet the stars had been shining for hours. During the fall, the moon crosses the horizon slower than at any other time of the year. I stop my horse at the wall, close my eyes, and try to recall what the world looked like the morning of the wedding.

  The sun and moon were hovering along opposite sides of the horizon that day, giving them a six-hour difference between each other. If the moon hadn’t been up when I confronted David then Caster might have been able to go as far as four or five hours away before turning around and returning to the castle. Pelheim is straight ahead from this part of the border and would be a likely place to flee to since they’d have everything needed to care for a family, but that’s a two day ride. There has to be something between the two kingdoms where he would’ve kept my sister for at least a day. As I turn around and head for the castle, I debate about how much information I’ll divulge to Lycus. I have to give him something or I could wind up in front of the executioner, who’s been getting a lot of work lately from those who’ve started to openly oppose Lycus’ rule.