Terran smiled at her with his lopsided grin, and Eris felt herself relax a little. “Give me a chance to see if I can help you with what you need to know. I have a stack of books I haven’t even looked at yet.”
Eris studied the hopis where they reached the top of the palace wall as she nodded. Maybe she wouldn’t have to travel out of the city. Honestly, she wouldn’t even know how to begin arranging travel for a trip to the forest. Even following the Kingsroad, she’d likely get lost. She could ask Jacen, but her brother would just as likely tell her parents what she planned as help her.
A relieved look crossed Terran’s face. “I’ll look through my collection and bring you what might work.” He swallowed, stopping as he reached for her again. “Don’t worry—we’ll find something in those books. As many as Master Nels has stacked there for me to study, it would be impossible not to find anything. Promise not to do anything…rash…before I have a chance to look though?”
He seemed relieved when she nodded.
Nels appeared near one of the flowerbeds, and Terran gave her a nervous grin before hurrying away toward the nearest flowerbeds where he continued combing through the plants and pinching the soil. Eris watched him until he disappeared along the path and then turned away.
Nels studied her for a while, but Eris only looked at the wall, staring at the ledges set into the wall as she wished she could find the flower again here. Even though Terran planned to look, she didn’t expect him to find anything useful unless he found Feliran’s book. So far, books had failed her.
More than that, the thought of escaping the palace and making her way to the forest excited her. Just thinking of it gave her a thrill. Unlike Jacen, she and her sisters were confined within the palace and its walls. And Jasi. Even Jasi now got to have an adventure as she traveled south to Saffra. As nervous as she’d been before leaving, Eris saw the excitement she felt as well.
She could ask her father’s permission to travel to the forest, but he would send her with a handful of men. And while they might all be determined to protect her honor, they would likely do little more than prevent her from entering the forest to explore.
But Terran promised to look for her. She needed to give him the chance to search his books and see if he came up with anything useful. If he didn’t, she would have to travel to the forest on her own. And then she would somehow convince Terran to accompany her.
Chapter 16
“You didn’t waste any time returning.”
Eris looked up at Jacen as he made his way toward her. He wore flowing black pants and his shirt hung open. A chain symbolizing the Sacred Mother hung across his chest. Haunted blue eyes which hadn’t been the same since returning from the north flashed at her as she approached. A dark smile pulled at his lips.
“You miss me, sister?”
He paused as he approached, looking over the garden with an expression of curiosity. He wiped an arm across his face, smearing the sweat dripping from his brow. Were she to do the same, she’d have to fear her mother admonishing her. Jacen…as the crown prince, they left him alone. He never caused enough trouble for their parents to pay him much mind anyway.
Eris wondered whether he would keep the garden when he assumed the throne. Likely not. Jacen had no fondness for the flowers, though whoever he chose for his bride might disagree.
“You went with Jasi?” She knew it hurt Jacen not being allowed to go north with Tholen.
“You know I did. With the attack…” He shook his head. “Father wanted an honor guard to escort them through our lands.”
“How far did you ride?”
Jacen shrugged. “What does it tell you that I’m back barely two days later?”
“Why didn’t you see them to the edge of the realm?”
He shrugged again and coughed. “The King’s magi felt it unnecessary.”
Eris frowned at that. “The magi sent you away?”
The dark smile on his face widened as he started walking, looking nothing like the Jacen she used to know. Eris made a point of keeping up and walking alongside him. “I think he feared my intention with the beautiful Princess Shanis.”
“And what intention is that?”
Jacen winked but didn’t say anything.
“So where are you going now?” she asked. Jacen had returned late last night and now already headed toward the stables again. The short sword hanging from his belt and the bow slung over his shoulder told her he didn’t intend to return quickly.
“I’ll be leaving for the north tomorrow. I thought today I would hunt.”
“You’re going by yourself?”
Jacen stopped and looked her over. His eyes flashed with anger that slowly faded. “I think I have proven I can handle a bow. Do I need to demonstrate for you?”
They entered the stables. The air smelled of dung and hay, and she sneezed.
Jacen looked at her with amusement flashing in his eyes. “This isn’t the best place for a proper princess,” he suggested.
This time, she did punch him. “I’ve never been a proper princess.”
Jacen grabbed her arm as she hit him, squeezing more than necessary. “Careful. Too much of that behavior, and father will marry you off to the Lord of Hops. I hear since his wife died, he’s looking to take on another bride.”
“Father would never do that,” she said, jerking her hand back.
Jacen shrugged. “Jasi helps bind the south. I suspect Desia will be used for the north. That leaves you, little sister. Not much left. The Isle of Hops would keep old Arag from pestering father too much and keep the shipping lanes clear.”
Horror spread over Eris at the idea. Jacen could be right. He’d actually spent the necessary time studying politics and geography. And who else would want the third daughter?
“Don’t worry. Arag is pretty old. He might even die before you’d get married. And I’m not so sure his daughter wants the competition for his seat.”
Jacen reached the stall for his tall roan stallion. The horse flicked its tail as Jacen stepped into the stall and turned its ears toward Eris. Jacen patted its strawberry sides for a moment, murmuring something soothing under his breath meant only for the horse. Then he turned and started saddling the horse, waiving off the stable master running over to help. He cinched straps tight and patted the horse again.
“You haven’t said where you’re going.”
“Doesn’t matter, does it?” Jacen said.
She narrowed her eyes. “Why doesn’t it matter?”
Jacen clasped the reins and walked the horse from the stables. He paused at the open door, looking around at the palace spreading out before him. “Best you get back to your lessons, don’t you think?”
“Let me come with you.”
Jacen chuckled as he swung up into the saddle. “You know I can’t do that.”
“Why?”
He looked down at her. “It’s not proper.”
“Riding with my brother isn’t proper?” she asked. She tried channeling the same tone Jasi always managed when admonishing Jacen but didn’t think she succeeded.
“By yourself? Or did you think to bring your handmaidens with us?”
“When have you seen me dragging handmaidens anywhere?”
He said nothing.
“Besides, since the wedding, everything just feels…off,” she started. “I need to get away from the palace, even if it’s for the day.”
Jacen seemed to consider for a moment before nodding. “Just for short ride. But you’re not going dressed like that.”
She looked down at her dress. Strips of white met bright orange and reds, stitched together so it looked like petals on a flower. She wore it hoping to annoy Lira, but hadn’t even seen the mistress of flowers in the last day. Instead, she simply wandered the garden.
“Fine. Then you’ll wait for me.”
Jacen frowned before finally nodding.
* * *
“Why are we going north?” she asked. “If Varden is out there—”
“Varden won’t attack in our lands. And we won’t get close enough to make it matter.”
“But with what happened to you—”
Eris sat on a short grey mare, nothing like the powerful horse Jacen rode. He refused to listen when she’d argued she could ride a larger horse, trying to convince him this mare would slow them down, but he ignored her pleas.
“If you planned on asking so many questions, I would have left you back at the palace.”
“You don’t want to talk at all?”
He looked over at her with a feigned threat. “Too many questions and maybe I’ll ride you to Hops myself.”
They had ridden for nearly an hour. Jacen looked comfortable in the saddle, riding slightly ahead, careful to look back every so often to make certain Eris was still with him. The sun rose toward its zenith, burning down and making her hot in spite of her thin riding dress. In her haste to change, she’d forgotten to take off the heavy slip she’d worn under her other dress. Jacen had only laughed when she rejoined him in the stables.
“What else is to the north?” she asked after a while.
They made their way mostly west, slowly veering slightly north. The ground rolled around them, nothing but green hills scattered with the occasional copse of towering trees.
“You get the plains. Try not to go there if you don’t have to.”
“Why?”
Jacen laughed. “Grasses up over your head with sharp blades that can practically peel the flesh from you. It’s like they want to lap at your blood. Blasted grass. Can’t convince Father we should just burn the field down. Probably good soil their farmers could use, but he said Aunt Rochelle always liked it so he won’t.”
Eris shivered at the thought of burning a field of grass. Doing so reminded her too much of what she’d heard the magi talking about doing. But grasses like Jacen described weren’t any type of garden, no more than the short green grasses flowing over these hills were. And she remembered seeing similar grasses growing at the palace. Needlegrass. The gardeners working around it all wore long sleeves and gloves. Eris thought them silly until she’d come too close one time and scored the fabric of her dress. Even in gloves, she suspected the gardeners weren’t entirely safe.
“Do you ever hunt around the forest?” She thought of Terran and how he’d described the forest; the anxiety he seemed to have about her riding to the Svanth on her own.
“Which forest?”
“Well…isn’t the Svanth north of the plains?”
Jacen laughed. The sound disappeared into the gusting wind. “The Svanth is pretty far north. Not sure we’re going to make it there in just one day.” He paused and turned to look at her. “Not sure that’s the kind of ride you’d be looking for anyway. You’d have to sleep out in the open and risk the rains.”
She spurred her horse a little faster to catch him. “You think I’m so delicate I couldn’t handle it?”
“I think all my sisters are too delicate. No offense, Eris, but you spend your days wandering through the garden, looking at pretty flowers, and making arrangements. At your age, I spent my day learning the sword and battle formations and political alliances and…” He shook his head. “Just different. Not bad or good, just how the Sacred Mother made us.”
Eris couldn’t help but think his calling her delicate was some kind of insult, as much as Jacen might not have intended it to be. “I could have learned the sword,” she muttered.
Jacen just laughed.
“Besides, there’s value in what I’ve learned.”
He looked over, the smile spreading across his face again. “Oh? And I need to know the names of this flower?” he said, pointing toward a pale yellow corinth. “Or that one?” He pointed to a cluster of tulis.
Eris was surprised to see any growing here. “And knowing how to slaughter a boar is such a great skill?”
“You can eat the boar.”
Jacen made a point of letting his horse trample the tulis as he passed, ignoring Eris glaring at him as he did.
They rode in silence for a while. Eris hated that he was probably right. Knowing how to fight and hunt and work within political alliances was probably more valuable than what she’d learned. She might be able to see how the gardeners placed certain arrangements, could name more flowers than she could count, but she couldn’t feed anyone with that knowledge. She couldn’t protect her family like Jacen could.
* * *
They stopped near a copse of trees. A thin stream burbled through, and they both took a drink. Jacen pulled thick strips of jerky out of his pocket and filled a waterskin she hadn’t seen him carrying.
Eris took a bite and chewed it slowly. She sat with her back resting against the tree, the horse’s reins held loosely in her hand, and sighed. Jacen’s words troubled her. With as little as she’d focused on her studies, even Jasi had more use than her. Not just being the oldest daughter, but she’d gained the skills needed to serve as queen. One day, she would rule Saffra alongside Petra. Desia might marry into some northern lord, helping her father solidify an alliance. What would Eris do?
“What happened while you were gone?”
Jacen blinked as he took a deep breath. His eyes went flat. “Whole company was attacked. Most men were lost.” He shook his head. “A few…Tholen, me, Dens…made it away.” He closed his eyes. “Didn’t even see the attackers coming.”
“Where were you?” She wondered how close to Varden they might have been.
“No more than a day’s ride to the border. Getting ready to turn back. Had Adrick not arrived…”
He didn’t finish. Eris could tell from his expression that he didn’t want to say anything more.
“I’m sorry, Jacen.”
He nodded, his jaw tensing as he did, and his eyes turned a hard blue. “Me too.” He looked over at her, and something in his eyes softened. “After what happened, maybe Father won’t push you anywhere you don’t want to go. Jasi got to choose, didn’t she?”
Eris sniffed. “I don’t think Saffra was what Jasi had in mind.”
“Why not? How is Saffra any worse than a Varden lord?”
Eris shook her head. “We haven’t fought the north for as long as I’ve been alive.”
“Until now.” Anger heated his words, and his face flushed.
“Why do you think they suddenly attacked?” She wondered how much of it had to do with Lira. When she got back to Eliara, she vowed to convince her father to look into what she’d learned.
Jacen’s eyes narrowed. “Have you ever traveled there?” He stood over her, leaning close. “Have you seen the way they look at us? The way they view the kingdom? The hatred so many of the northerners feel for us? Do you really think marrying Jasi off to one of the northern kings would change that?”
“Marrying Desia will?”
Jacen sagged. “No. That’s why I’ve been trying to tell Father not to make those arrangements. Thankfully, Adrick helped steer Jasi toward a southern alignment.”
“And will that help? Will it keep you safe the next time?”
Jacen closed his eyes and shook his head. “I don’t know—”
He never had the chance to finish.
Something struck him on the side of the head, and he sagged forward, blood dribbling down his temple. Eris looked up, heart pounding, but didn’t see what hit him.
Then she was struck.
A blurred shape moved around the tree as blackness overcame her.
Chapter 17
Eris awoke with a pounding headache.
She lay on her side on nothing more than a hard dirt path. Someone had removed most of her outer clothing, leaving her clad only in her thin shift. Cold air blew over her. The heavy scent of earth filled her nostrils, mixed with a sharp sulfury stink. Her mouth tasted of blood, and her tongue throbbed.
Darkness surrounded her. She heard crackling flames somewhere behind her which provided just a hint of light, but nothing else.
She shivered…or tried to. Her han
ds were trapped behind her, bound together. Eris could not even move them except to flex her fingers. Anytime she tried shifting, pain shot through her shoulders. Even her legs were tied. From what she could tell, they were bound to her arms as well.
What had happened?
Her mind was foggy, and she struggled to remember. She had been sitting near the tree talking to Jacen.
Jacen. What happened to him?
Eris heard a rough voice behind her. “I think she’s awake.”
“Doesn’t matter now.”
“Might be easier with her awake.”
One of the voices grunted. “Or not. Unconscious can’t cause problems.”
The other laughed. “She’s just a princess. You think she can cause problems?”
“Only if we’re caught.” The other coughed quietly. “Go drag her over to the fire. Probably should feed her. But don’t touch her—we have to keep her alive for now.”
Eris froze, waiting for one of her captors to come over, wondering who would have abducted her before the answer came to her. Northmen. Varden.
She smelled him first. There was the heavy scent of smoke edged with a hint of char. Beneath the smoke was something else, a bitter odor, that of sulfur. It grew stronger. Eris knew of flowers that smelled the same, flowers she had always avoided because the stink would linger on her hands. She could think of nothing else like it.
Only when he loomed behind her did she hear him. His footsteps were light and soft, barely making a sound as he crouched behind her. Instead of lifting her, he grabbed her bindings and simply pulled her along the ground. Her shoulder and back dug into soft ground as she was pulled along. Dirt and mud bounced into her mouth.
“Fighting won’t do you any good,” he said.
Eris considered saying something but thought better of it. All she had to do was stay alive. Someone would notice her missing and report to her father. How long before her father’s men came looking for her?
How long had she already been gone?
With one final heave, her captor dragged her up to a hard rock and leaned her against it. She couldn’t see anything, but at least the firelight gave off enough light she might have a chance. Now she wanted to know who had captured her. And why.
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