by Bridie Blake
“And you sweet Dahlia, any prospects?”
“One or two,” she answered Leandra’s question shyly.
“Or ten! You have men falling over their feet to talk to you. I even caught Chae staring at you over dinner last night. I think you may have caught his fancy. Although I’m not expecting him to settle down with a wife. He always dreamed of travelling once he got his shield. I imagine he only stuck around this long because he was waiting for me to return.”
Dahlia blushed and twisted her hands in her lap. Leandra glanced at her and smiled. Perhaps Chae had changed his mind.
Leandra rose when there was a soft knock on the door. She returned with Madoc on her heels.
“Ladies.” He bowed. “I was passing by and thought I would ride with you back to the manor.” His eyes fell on the table. “Ooh cake,” he whispered as he took a seat and cut himself a piece.
Tempani raised her eyebrows, but she wasn’t all that surprised. Over the past few weeks she found that one of her friends always happened to be nearby when she was in the city. She knew they were being overly cautious. Her love of the city had them concerned she would be too close to the action if another riot broke out. She would be chained to her bed if they knew the truth about her sneaking around at night.
—
“My lady.” Nic bowed as he entered the library.
Tempani put her book aside and rose to her feet, sinking into a curtsey as she greeted him.
He wandered over to the shelves, reaching from ceiling to floor, and appeared to be absorbed in the options before him.
She needed him to leave. When he wasn’t around, she was stronger in her resistance of him. But when he was near, all she thought of was their kiss.
“If you’re here to see Chae, he’s not here,” she moved to the door.
“What are you reading?” He walked over to her and lifted it out of her hands, taking in the title with a small smile. “A collection of tales from the Pentian Isles? I’m impressed.”
“I don’t read to impress.” She snatched the book from his hands.
“Which is your favorite?” He asked, ignoring her glare. When she didn’t answer, he shrugged and took a seat. “My personal favorite is the tale of Yioshu the Ignorant and his search for eternal life. I often wonder if people called him ‘the Ignorant’ when he was alive, and they followed him blindly or did they wait until he was no longer of this world?”
Tempani cocked her head to the side, considering his question. “I would like to think I’d have said it while he was alive.”
Nic nodded. “Yes, I like to think that too. But would we have?”
She sat opposite him, interested in the conversation despite her best efforts. “I guess it would depend on the kingdom. Would we have been free to speak ill against our neighbors then?”
“Are we ever free?”
She chewed on her lip as she weighed up whether to speak her mind in front of him. “A tough question,” she eventually said.
His smile was easy as he shook his head at Lindow’s offer of tea. “That it is. And with no easy answer.”
“When you reign,” she began slowly, watching his face for his reaction, “will people be free to speak?”
“So long as they don’t call me ignorant,” he laughed. “I doubt I would take kindly to that.”
Tempani bristled, put off by his cavalier response. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a guest arriving shortly.” She stood. “Lindow will see you out.”
“I have offended you.” He followed her to the door and grabbed her hand. “Whatever I said, I apologize.”
She snatched her hand from his grasp and glared at him. “I take offence only to your attitude towards your crown. You take for granted the good you could do in this kingdom. You make jokes about laws you will instate and care not for the lives of your people.”
Nic’s smile quickly became a scowl as he stood over her. “This is not the first time you have questioned the passion I have for my people. It is becoming tiresome,” he said. “I make jokes because what can I do until I have the crown? My father is healthy and going nowhere fast.”
“You can question his decisions,” she snapped. “Tell him your thoughts.”
He rolled his eyes. “If Lord Darby being in his ear for years hasn’t done anything then I have no hope. Do you really think he sees me as an equal?”
“So instead you do nothing?” She threw her arms up in the air. “Five men are being hanged tomorrow for that riot. Did they even get a trial?”
“They are guilty,” he said. “They masterminded it.”
“And that warrants death?”
“They were rioting against us! Do you really expect me to beg father for mercy for them?”
“They are a product of an unjust kingdom.”
“I can see your opinion of me is low,” he said. “I can only hope that one day you will see things differently.”
She locked eyes with him. “Me too.”
—
A light drizzle had set in over the city as the crowd had gathered in the square to watch the hanging. The crowd hissed as the monarchs arrived, heavily surrounded by the Guard.
Tempani had been unsure if she wanted to come today, but she knew she must. Their deaths were her fault. And she would bear witness to them to make sure she remembered that.
Rando stood by her side, his watchful eyes scanning the crowd for any trouble. Tilaw was at her heel, licking her hand in support every now and then.
One man was led onto the dock, his shackled feet dragging. The crowd booed and jeered as King Wimarc stepped forward.
“This man stands guilty of murder. His crime is punishable by death.”
“Murder?” Tempani hissed.
“He confessed to killing two members of the Guard.”
She looked up at Rando. “Since when?”
“Last night,” Chae whispered as he joined them. “Nic stormed into the king’s room and demanded a trial for the accused men.”
“What about the other four men?” She asked.
“They’ve been sent to join a working party in the north. Ten year sentence.”
“Why didn’t the king just do that in the beginning? A working party is a harsh punishment. Why did he jump straight to a hanging?”
“He sees rioting as treason against the crown. That is punishable by death.”
Tempani gulped. If she was ever caught this could be her fate. That could be her standing up there. Or Keane. Or Lindow. The thought made her ill. She shook her head, trying to push the thought from her mind.
She looked up at the man and sighed. “So why change his mind now?”
“Nic. He was adamant about giving them a trial,” said Chae. “It was the first time he stood his ground and didn’t back down or try and bargain with the king. He told him it was his duty as prince to fight for his people.”
“Turn away, Tempani,” Rando urged as the noose was placed around the man’s neck.
“No, I need to see this.”
“He’s a murderer. What he did isn’t your fault,” he whispered. He gripped her face and pulled her against him, shielding her from the view.
—
“Emperor Elin has demanded the three estates at the north-eastern border. He has threatened to disperse his army if we refuse,” Duke Aubrey said as the Royal Parliament’s session began.
“Kamara does not surrender to misguided threats.” King Wimarc’s fist slammed the table with such ferocity that it shook on its legs.
“He has issued a threat of war, your Majesty. Surely we must think of the consequences before we make any hasty decisions,” Aubrey objected.
“If we give Galiena the estates we may as well hand over ownership of our kingdom. If we succumb to just one of their demands, they will continue to push until they have us under their thumb. If we are not careful, they will squash us, and Kamara will once again be under foreign control,” said Otto from his seat beside King Wimarc.
“I see no
possible way out of this. Whatever way we look at the situation, we will be forced to go to war, whether it be now or in the long run.” Lord Darby scratched his beard to hide his quivering hand.
“Well, I suggest we act now then, before they get a strong hold on any of our estates,” Aubrey said quietly as Otto nodded in agreement and placed a reassuring hand on the man’s shoulder.
“There is one solution,” Wimarc said as he looked at Nic. “I gave into your demands for a trial for those men. Now you may give thought to a union with Princess Naleeni.”
“You said you would give Tempani a chance!”
“She has rejected you, son.”
Otto shifted awkwardly in his seat.
“It’s not a solution, your Majesty,” Darby interjected quickly. “You know my thoughts on the matter. We cannot allow Nicolass to marry Princess Naleeni. Not with the situation in the city. Our people fear the influence the Galen Empire will have on us. I warn you, they will rise and fight this.”
“So either we appease our people and face backlash from Emperor Elin or we consent to the marriage and face more hardship within our kingdom. We are faced with trouble from both solutions,” Otto said.
“We cannot afford the Crown Prince to marry to settle a disagreement.”
“It’s beyond a disagreement Darby! We are talking a full-scaled war. Kamara has not fought since the days of the Grand War. We pride ourselves on maintaining peace and harmony with our neighbors,” Aubrey said.
Darby bit down on his tongue to stop himself from lashing out at the duke. He liked the queen’s brother-in-law well enough, but he was as blind as the king when it came to certain situations.
“Can we reach out to Tryphena’s brother? Surely he will offer Euphemia’s support,” said Otto.
The king pressed his lips together, lost in thought for a moment. “Send ten units of the King’s Guard to the border to show Galiena we will not run scared. Send word to King Geordie in Euphemia and King Hendry in Octivin and advise them of the situation,” he ordered Aubrey. “This will buy us some time to gather our resources and strengthen our army. All knights are to commence further combat training in the morning under your instruction, Otto. I want them to work closely with the Guard and Raiders. Our army will work together as one.” He took a breath. “Darby, I need you to start recruiting more fighters. Go to the nobles. See if their sons are willing to fight with us. Approach the merchants as well. If we are going to match Galiena, we must build our army or we will be squashed within days.”
“What about the commoners?” Darby asked.
King Wimarc shook his head, his eyes dark. “We will not arm our commoners.”
“They could be useful.”
“No!” King Wimarc’s voice boomed. “And do not mention contacting the Shiasa,” he spat. “The Kalaowins have killed far too many of our people to warrant forgiveness on our part.”
“They would add to our enforcements,” said Nic.
“And will turn on us the moment our back is turned. Be mindful that Emperor Elin may have already gone to them for an alliance, and we may be fighting inside forces as well.”
Otto held his tongue. If Wimarc actually cared to learn about the Kalaowins, he would know that they would never enter a war that they did not believe in. Nor would they join forces with anyone that wasn’t Kalaowin.
“Is this really happening?” Nic asked Otto quietly as they left the meeting.
“Elin will use any excuse to fight us. He’s wanted access to our mines for years. If we get support from Euphemia and Octivin, he will back away as he has done in the past,” he said. “These things you must understand, your Highness, if you are going to rule this kingdom.”
—
Lindow answered the knock at the door that evening and found a disheveled Prince Nicolass. He informed him that Tempani was out with Prince Theodore, and he wasn’t sure how long she would be.
“I’ll wait then.”
Lindow knew better than to refuse the man so he let him in and served him some wine. He murmured his thanks and Lindow left him to his worries.
Nic gladly took a seat and rubbed the back of his neck. His whole body felt the toll of his concerns. His fears. He did not want to be the reason his people went to war. But he also couldn’t consent to marry the princess. He still believed he could win over Tempani. He would never forgive himself if he walked away from her now.
But he also wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if his friends died because of him. The thought of marrying the princess filled him with so much dread, but if he couldn’t have the woman he wanted then it didn’t matter to him who he wed.
And if it would solve the issue with Galiena then why not? Would his people really rebel the union? Would they not be happy that a peace treaty had been signed between the two kingdoms? Just as it had with Euphemia when his parents married.
Zadi was left undisturbed in the corner of the drawing room, mending another of Tempani’s dresses. She had managed to rip the hem when she was out helping Colbert with his visits. Zadi was losing count of the number of garments Tempani had nearly ruined. If not for the slave’s skill at sewing, Tempani would have nothing left to wear.
Tempani bounced through the door an hour before dinner, smiling as she yelled farewell to Teddy. As soon as the door was closed she removed the wrap from her head and shook out her hair, letting it fall free of the pins Zadi had to force into her hair each day.
Her smile disappeared when she saw Nic sitting in the fading light, drumming his fingers on his knee.
“This is a surprise,” she said glaring at Zadi. The older girl shrugged and disappeared up the stairs.
“I needed to talk to someone.”
Tempani was shocked by the sound of his voice. He seemed so close to tears that her heart felt for him. She sat beside him as he rehashed the discussion from Parliament.
“Darby’s right,” she said when he finished. “I spend every other day in the city. I see the state of our commoners, and I hear their whispers. They are angry Nic. And a divided kingdom will not last long.”
“But if I marry her, then there will be no war.”
“Walk the streets of the city, Nic. You’re already at war!” She cried. “Your first duty is to your people. They have been neglected for too long, and they are fed up. The Parliament needs to do something about that first.”
“This is all my fault,” he moaned.
“None of this is your fault,” she said bitterly. “A marriage to the Galen princess will push your people over the edge. You’re right to resist it. The emperor will back off when he sees the foreign support we have.”
“You’re right,” he whispered. “I know you’re right, but I can’t help blaming myself for it. I try to think of a solution, but as your father said, we are in a no-win situation.”
“And your father can handle the emperor,” she said and patted his hand.
He stared down at her soft hand now resting on his. “Could there be any other reason you don’t want me to marry the princess?”
“Nic,” she sighed and took her hand off his.
“You didn’t even give us a chance.”
She lifted her head and met his eyes. “Too much has happened.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m sorry for everything.” He laughed sadly, shaking his head. “Gods, I spend more time apologizing to you than anything. You have such high standards for people that it’s impossible for anyone to live up to them.”
Tempani was taken aback. “That’s not true.”
“I’ve made mistakes, yes I know it, but so have a lot of people. And I spend so much of my time trying to work out the best way to make amends with you, but it’s all for nothing. You will be kind to me, let me think there’s hope and then you snatch it away. Well, not anymore.”
He stood up and ran his hands through his hair, pulling at the ends. “Gods! I begged my father to give you a chance. You could have been my queen. We could have changed things.”
She watched him leave, tears swimming in her eyes. Why couldn’t she just let go of her anger and pride and be happy? She did think he could make her happy. But he also aggravated her, and her joy could turn to anger in mere moments. She was terrified that if she gave in to him she may end up hating him one day. What if he became his father? What if it all ended in heartbreak? She had seen what losing Hamalia had done to Otto. She didn’t want to end up like that.
Tempani ran through a lush, green meadow that was full of flowers of every color imaginable. The sun beamed above her, its rays touching everything in the meadow. Birds flew around her, weaving under her raised arms and whipping around her head. Beautiful, white unicorns ran alongside her. She laughed and kept on running in her white cotton dress, her feet bare, the white ribbons in her hair flying behind her.
“Stop running sweetheart. Come and sit with me,” a soft voice called out in Kalaowin. She recognized the voice but from where?
She spun around searching for the woman. “Where are you?” She ran.
“Stop running sweetheart. I am at the lake.”
Tempani looked around her. There was no water in sight.
“It’s not here,” she cried and continued running. Still there was no lake, and she was starting to panic. She didn’t want the woman to leave.
“I can see you. You are almost here, sweetheart. Look harder.”
She tried, but still she couldn’t see the lake. She wondered how she was supposed to look harder for something that wasn’t there.
As if reading her mind the soft voice spoke again. “Visualize the lake in your mind. You will find me then.”
Tempani closed her eyes and visualized the lake she knew best. Suddenly she found herself back on Amarill standing before her favorite lake. A warm hand touched her shoulder, forcing her to look up.
“Mama? Is that really you?” Tempani wept and threw her arms around the waist of the woman in the flowing white gown. A garland of white roses held her long black hair in place. “I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”
“Whatever are you talking about?”
“I’m sorry. It’s my fault you’re dead.”
