by Bridie Blake
“Papa will know where we are,” she murmured as he rested his head against hers.
“Will you tell him I was brave?”
She opened her mouth to respond but no sound came out. Her eyes widened as she heard the sound of scratching at the entrance to the cave. She felt Teddy move and quickly put her finger to her lips urging him to stay quiet.
Amarill was outside the protective charms that kept strange creatures out of the city. She had seen a herd of half horse, half human creatures that her mama had told her were called centaurs. And she knew their lake was home to a water sprite. Chae swore he’d seen it, but she never had.
She looked around her for something she could use to hit whatever it was that lurked outside. There were a few twigs, but they would snap in an instant. Teddy’s bottom lip trembled as he watched the entrance. Her fingers grazed over a rock as her hands fumbled in the darkness. She gripped it in her hand and got to her feet, her legs shaking now as the fear set in.
Teddy screamed as the creature blocked the small stream of light that they had coming in through the entrance. Tempani inched forwards, squinting her eyes in the darkness, and she too almost screamed in fright. Staring back at her was a griffin. She had seen one in the air once but never this close.
She turned back to Teddy and held out her hand. His eyes were wide with fear. Living within the protective charms of the city, he had never seen such a creature. A griffin had the body of a lion, but its head and wings were that of an eagle. Tempani loved looking at paintings of griffins. They seemed so grand to her.
“You have to bow,” she whispered as she bobbed her head in acknowledgement. “It’s a griffin.”
Teddy frowned as he struggled to his feet and then bowed quickly. “Why?”
“Papa always said to bow if I saw a griffin. He said it’s like seeing the king.”
The griffin eyed them, its head cocked to the side as they stood before it. Suddenly it jerked its head and moved deeper into the cave with them.
“Teddy!” Nicolass’ voice was close. “I found them.” He called out as he came upon the cave. “Stand down beast!” He roared when he saw the griffin.
“Tempani?” Otto’s voice made her smile, and she felt Teddy relax beside her at the sound of it.
“Papa!” She tried to move toward him, but the griffin blocked her path.
“Stand down!” Nicolass shouted again. “Kill it,” he snapped when it didn’t move.
“No!” Teddy cried as he squeezed Tempani’s hand. “It didn’t hurt us.”
“Bow before it,” Otto instructed the older boy. “You must show respect to a griffin.”
“I’m a prince,” Nicolass said arrogantly. “I don’t bow to animals.”
“You show respect to a creature whose home we have disturbed,” Otto said slowly. Tempani heard the annoyance in his voice.
“Griffin’s have magic in them,” Nicolass said. “We should capture it and take it back to the palace.”
Tempani stepped forward and cautiously rested her hand on the griffin’s back. It looked down at her briefly and then turned its gaze back onto Nicolass. She coaxed Teddy forward and pushed him towards her father.
“Leave it alone,” she snapped at Nicolass. “He didn’t hurt us.” She looked up at the griffin. “Sorry for stealing your home.” She bowed to it once more and then ran to her father, throwing herself into the protective circle of his arms.
Later that night Teddy crept into her room and crawled into bed beside her. “Thank you for not telling them I was scared,” he whispered.
“You were brave.” She rested her forehead against his. “You’re always brave.”
—
She was brought back to the present by the sound of leaves rustling around her. A pair of starlings perched on the branch above her. She watched them, taken in by their chirping until she heard a faint splashing in the water. Wading over to her were two ducks, brown in color with their beaks a glossy black. She smiled at their ease as they glided closer, and her fingers itched to touch them. She kicked off her shoes and gathered the bottom of her dress in one hand. She waded into the freezing water, biting her tongue so she wouldn’t yelp as the iciness bit into her skin. She was pleased to find that the ducks did not scurry from her. She reached out her hand and grazed her fingers along the back of the smallest duck. She giggled as the other one waded towards her.
“Fascinating creatures are they not? One would expect them to disappear when a being larger than them entered their domain.”
Tempani jumped at the sound of the deep voice, causing the ducks to scurry away from her in alarm. An odd looking man stood beside the tree watching her with a smile. Warily, she dragged herself from the pond and stood before him, ready to scream for help if need be.
He was short for a man, only just passing Tempani’s height, and chubby. He had a wild, shaggy blonde beard and blonde hair that had white strands starting to come through. His blue eyes glistened, though they were hard to see under his thick brows. He was dressed in a long, dark blue robe that distinguished him as a teacher at the palace.
“Has anybody told you how much you look like your mother?” He asked, picking up the book she had discarded on the ground. He dusted it off and handed it back to her. “But you like to read, just like your father.”
She eyed him curiously until he grinned and then she remembered. Lord Darby of Coastir. He used to sneak her treats at palace dinners and tell her tales of other lands when he came to visit at Amarill.
“The famous Lord Darby,” she said. “It has been a long time.”
“Famous? I like that,” he chuckled. “That memorable am I?”
“My mother always spoke so fondly of you, my lord.”
“We shared a mutual struggle,” he said. “Both new to the world of nobility and struggling to find our feet in that viper’s nest we call the palace.”
“Something I now have to look forward to.”
“If you are anything like your parents, you will handle yourself well.”
“I wish I had my mother’s charm,” she said. “My mouth gets me into too much trouble.”
“You should be proud that your years at the convent didn’t rid you of that. Who are we if we don’t speak what’s on our mind?”
“The mindless nobles we are forced to socialize with.”
Darby laughed. “We are going to get along just fine,” he said and offered his arm as he limped along. “If you find yourself bored tonight, please seek me out. I do like a fine intellectual conversation, and they are sometimes lacking from these formal dinners. Now hurry along. I too have to make myself look presentable this evening.”
Tempani laughed and bid goodbye to the man in the long robe. The more she looked at him, the more he began to resemble the trolls she had read of in her tales.
She returned to her room, preparing to take a hot bath, and she was startled to find her tub was already filled with warm water and scented leaves.
“Lady Tempani?” A soft voice spoke from the corner.
She turned to find a woman a few years older than she was. The young woman had copper skin and hair as black as coal, tied neatly in a braid down her back. She was a few inches shorter than Tempani and her black pinafore over a white shirt made her look stocky. Her sandaled feet drew Tempani’s eyes to the tattoo on her left foot. All slaves were marked with the crown seal. It was rumored that it was poisoned, and if they dared escape their master, the poison would seep into their blood, killing them within moments.
This wasn’t the first slave she’d encountered. She had seen many in her childhood at the palace and in the city, but this was the first time one had been in her home - working for her. And it made her sick to her stomach. She drew her gaze away from the tattoo.
“I am Zadi, my lady. Sir Otto has assigned me to you.” She bowed her head.
Tempani shook her head, frowning at her father’s insensitivity. “Oh, I’m sorry but I do not require your services.”
�
��You wish for a different slave?”
“No, I don’t want any slaves to wait on me. Is there not a ladies maid I can have?”
“No, my lady. Sir Otto was very insistent that I be put under your charge,” she said, bowing her head again. “He has made sure I’ve had all the right training.”
“Does it not bother you that I am of your blood and you have to wait on me?”
“No, my lady. You cannot help that you are of nobility any more than I can help being a slave. It is the path our blessed Goddess has laid before us.”
“It’s wrong,” she snapped and stomped out of her room in search of her father.
She found him in his study pouring over a book. He was an imposing man. He reached six feet and two inches, but where other men were thin and lanky, Otto was solid with strong arms. He kept his dark hair cropped short and favored no facial hair. His brown eyes had once been warm and welcoming; now they were weapons of authority. The scar that ran down his cheek was a mark of his battle as a knight with a border knight of Horatia. In spite of his scar, he was a handsome man. She longed to rush over and be wrapped in his embrace, which she used to find comforting, but their relationship no longer allowed for that, and it made her sad.
He didn’t bother glancing up from the page he was on when she barged in.
“We cannot be late this evening, Tempani.”
Five years of silence, and they were his first words to her. She clenched her fists at her side, and when she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. “Why do you have slaves in your employ here?”
“Things have changed since you went away,” he said tersely.
“Since you sent me away,” she snapped.
“Here we are closer to the palace, and I do not have the authority to do as I wish.”
“And what of mama’s wishes?”
Otto’s voice was tense as he stood. “You know nothing of her wishes.”
Tears pricked at Tempani’s eyes, but she refused to cry in front of her father. She would not give him the satisfaction.
He sighed and sat on the corner of his desk, folding his hands in his lap. “You have no idea the scrutiny you are under Tempani. Every pair of eyes at court will be on you. They are waiting for you to slip up so they can say that we have no place among them. Chae has proven himself. Now you must. We have no choice but to follow the ways of the Kamaris, no matter how much we disapprove. Do you understand me?”
She glared at her father. He was no longer the man she had known and loved as a child. Had losing Hamalia stripped him of his ability to love?
His voice was soft as he spoke again. “Think of what will happen to Amarill if we are forced out. Think of your friends in the village. You may think me a monster, but I do what I must for Amarill.”
Tempani left without saying another word and returned to her room, where Zadi was waiting patiently for her. She swallowed hard and bit her quivering lip. She peered into Zadi’s dark eyes and saw a fire burning deep within.
“Please take my dress and see if you can get the mud out. And I’m afraid that I tore a hole in the sleeve. My father will be most dissatisfied if I ruin all of my dresses.”
Zadi’s face lit up and filled with pride. “Yes, my lady,” she said before hurrying off.
“Zadi?” She poked her head back into Tempani’s room. “I won’t have you lowering your heard when you speak to me. You have interesting eyes. I want to see them.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“My name is Tempani, and I prefer being addressed as such. Where is the point in letting my name go to waste?”
“It is not proper, my lady. Slaves do not address their owners so personally.”
“I don’t want you to think of me as your owner. Over time I hope you will think of me as your friend. Maybe then you will use my name.”
“Maybe, my lady,” she said, bowing her head and scurrying away.
—
Tempani stood at the top of the grand marble staircase that she would have to walk down at any moment into the Royal Dining Hall to be presented to court. Her stomach fluttered with nerves, and she wished she could have entered the Hall through a side door rather than this. She did not care to have so many eyes on her, especially when they’d be thinking that she was not welcome. She wiped her sweaty palms on her dress as the herald announced her.
She descended the staircase, praying to the Goddess Allarah that she did not trip on the hem of her dress. An audible gasp swept over the Hall as the court got their first glimpse of the young woman. Tempani was striking in her deep purple gown, her black hair set in flowing tendrils cascading down her back and held off her face by a band of amethysts settled around her head. Such extravagant clothing was foreign to her after years spent in her white shift.
Otto walked forward and offered his arm to her. Tempani thought for a second that he had smiled at her, but whatever it was, a smile or grimace, had faded too quickly to be sure.
He walked them to the High Table where the monarchs were seated regally in all their splendor. The king and queen looked picturesque side by side. He in a long black silk robe with wide sleeves and she in a white silk dress and her golden blonde hair falling to her waist.
“Your Majesties, may I present to the court my daughter Lady Tempani of Amarill.” Otto bowed and extended forward the arm Tempani was clutching.
“Lady Tempani of Amarill, it is an honor to have you back in our company,” the queen spoke, her voice gentle yet strong enough to carry through the room.
Tempani stepped forward and sank into a deep curtsey, the fabric of her dress rustling as she did. As she rose to take her father’s arm again, Teddy caught her eye and gave her a quick smile before she was escorted to her table. She was pleased to see Chae rise and extend his arm for her. Seated alongside him were Sirs Xanthir and Madoc and a pretty girl with pale blond locks, Lady Dahlia of Raine.
“Lady Tempani,” Madoc said curtly.
“Madoc has filled us all in on the fun you had on your trip,” Chae laughed as he slapped Madoc on the back. “I warned him you were a handful.”
Tempani scowled at her brother. “The trip wasn’t exactly a breeze for me either.”
“Don’t worry,” Dahlia whispered to her when the men were distracted by the arrival of their food. “He’s a lot kinder than he comes across. He just takes a while to warm up to people. I guess you could say he’s shy.”
Tempani smiled at her. It was true he did seem more relaxed now that he was among friends. “Perhaps I will not judge him too harshly then. Travelling is hardly easy.”
She looked down at her plate and inhaled slowly, taking in all the delicious smells. She took a bite of the venison and chewed it slowly, savoring the richness of it. She had missed these flavors.
“You should count yourself lucky he was even available to go,” Chae said, returning to their conversation. “He seems to be busier than the rest of us.”
“That’s what you get when you finish top of the class,” said Xanthir. “He will be so decorated and famous soon that we will be able to say we knew him when.”
Madoc blushed slightly and waved their jokes aside. “I am sure my only claim to fame will be as Nic’s friend.”
“Well, whatever the reason, I am sure you will milk it for all it’s worth,” Xanthir said and rose from the table. “Do excuse me, I see I am being summoned to my mother’s side.”
Tempani watched him sidle up to the High Table and greet Duchess Sylena, her blonde curls falling across her face as she whispered in her son’s ear.
“Another high ranking friend, Chae,” Tempani said as she turned back to the table. “I’m impressed.”
“I guess I forget my friends have titles. To me they are the same boys I was a page with. Titles didn’t matter when you were studying and training every waking moment. If you’ll excuse us.” Chae and Madoc rose and wandered over to a member of the Raiders, the personal guard to the young princes and princesses.
“How you could
forget the title of prince is beyond me. I still get a flutter of nerves every time Prince Nicolass talks to me.” Dahlia giggled. “Though he has that effect on every lady at court.”
Tempani frowned as she held back an unsavory comment about the prince. She did not think it wise to speak openly of her dislike for Prince Nicolass. Her father’s warning still fresh in her mind.
“So tell me Dahlia, is my brother your escort this evening?”
Dahlia blushed. “We’re only friends though. He offered his arm to me this evening because he thought you and I might get along.”
Tempani smiled and Dahlia began to fill her in on all of the court gossip. Apparently the biggest news was that Queen Tryphena had been overhead telling her sister, Sylena, that she wants her eldest son to choose his own bride and not have his marriage arranged for him by his father.
“If it’s true I hope he chooses love and not just a lady who comes from a large estate.”
“Do you wish to marry the prince?”
“Me? Oh no, not at all,” Dahlia blurted out and then looked horrified. “Um, not that he isn’t handsome because he is, I just – well he is not my, oh gosh I sound quite mean.” Her porcelain cheeks had gone red as her blue eyes darted about, frantically searching for an explanation.
“It’s quite all right. I do not wish to marry him either. There is nothing wrong with that, so there’s no need to look so worried.” Tempani placed a hand on Dahlia’s.
“There must be something wrong with us. I have never heard of a lady not wanting to be queen one day!”
The two of them laughed and Tempani made a mental note to thank Chae for escorting Dahlia this evening. She really did like her.
“Excuse me, my lady, Sir Otto of Amarill requests an audience with his daughter. If you will please come with me,” a footman interrupted. Tempani obeyed and excused herself from Dahlia, who waved away her new friend’s apology.
Otto stood by the marble fountain on the outside terrace chatting to Lord Darby. The sight of the odd looking pair brought a smile to her face. One that she quickly dispersed of when she reached her father’s elbow.
“Papa.” She curtsied to her father and then to Darby. “My lord.”
