“How did you know that’s what I was talking about?” She giggled.
“Lucky guess.”
“Aarow,” she said, standing on the tips of her toes, seeming to want to tell him something.
He bent forward so she could press her mouth to his ear.
“I love you, too.”
RANI
THE EVERNOW
Rani had walked so far she was surprised there was any more of the world left to walk. And to think Sharma had told her that The Sands of Naar was the smallest of the five kingdoms. The others must be enormous.
Sharma had taken the news of Rani’s journey well, reassuring her that she was perfectly capable of finding her missing children alone. Rani’s father would help her. After all, they were his children too. Hopefully when Rani returned, she’d have more members of her family to meet.
It seemed that half the kingdom had come out to wave their small party farewell, wishing them safe travels. And Rani did feel safe with three strong men walking beside her, ready to protect her from whatever trouble came their way.
Attending a wedding wasn’t something Rani had ever expected to do in her life. But nor had she expected to fly down a sand dune while seated on an animal hide. Especially pressed up against a man who made her heart skip so many beats she was surprised she hadn’t fainted in his arms by now. That’d been the most thrilling experience. She’d never felt so alive as in those moments. Nothing else in the world mattered. She could see why Aarow and his friends enjoyed it so much. She was very keen to do it again on the return journey.
But there were no sand dunes now. Not long after crossing the river, the sand had gradually become firmer, until they found themselves walking across hard ground. Toran and Jinn now worked together to pull their supplies behind them, rather than taking turns. The extra effort was compensated for by the ease with which they now planted their steps. It was so much easier to move forward when your feet didn’t disappear into the sand.
Aarow had a large pack of additional supplies strapped to his back and all three men insisted that Rani walk unencumbered. They’d said they were stronger than her and used to walking, anticipating she’d find the journey difficult enough. She’d protested but was soon glad they hadn’t let her. They seemed to travel with far more ease than she was, carrying her clothes on her back alone. If she had to carry supplies, she’d only slow them down.
Aarow held the map and had said they were getting closer. They weren’t headed to the palace, but to something called an apothecary. Apparently, it had a garden filled with thousands of different plants and the people of Wintergreen extracted oils to make elixirs that cured people of all kinds of ailments. It was all a little hard to imagine.
The Prince of Wintergreen was marrying a commoner, who lived in the apothecary with her brother, a man known as the Alchemist. Thankfully the bride didn’t have any such strange sounding title and was simply called Jasmine. She and the Prince had fallen in love a long time ago when a plague had been spreading across the kingdom, taking the lives of the male inhabitants. Somehow the women had been immune.
Rani didn’t quite understand how the Prince and Jasmine had managed to cure the plague, but apparently they had, and the kingdom now thrived, living in peace alongside its neighbor, Forte Cadence.
She liked the idea of being friendly with the neighboring kingdoms. There was so much more to be gained by that than fighting them for land they didn’t need.
As she continued walking, too exhausted to air any of these concerns with Aarow, she mulled over the possibility of her future, ruling the kingdom with Aarow. Would it be as his counterpart or as his wife? Was that what this trip was really all about? Did the Colonel and her father have plans for her to marry Aarow one day and properly unite the two cities of the kingdom?
It made a lot of sense when spelled out like that. But did it make sense in her heart?
She looked across at Aarow, walking faithfully beside her. He felt her eyes upon him and looked back at her.
“Are you okay?” His brow crinkled as he scanned her face.
“I’m fine,” she said, still pondering the idea of marrying this man one day and unable to deny that she liked the idea. The idea of being bonded to this strong handsome man who’d saved her life pulled her stomach into delicious knots. Although, she really did need to see an actual wedding first before she made up her mind about such things.
The terrain around them became greener with every step they took and soon they found themselves walking under a canopy of trees with soft grass beneath their feet. It was hard to get used to and Rani was grateful the terrain had transformed gradually, giving her a chance to get used to it little by little. It was so different to anything she’d seen before.
Stopping for a rest, they lay on the grass and Rani looked up, seeing the blue of the sky breaking through the leaves above. She’d once thought the Orbs of Time were the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen, but she knew now that wasn’t true. As spectacular and mysterious as they were, they were no competition for the simple beauty of nature.
It was strange to think that right now, the sand would be continuing to fall through the orbs. For the first time, she thought she properly understood the concept of Evernow. Time never held still, which was why it was important to live every moment. Like right now, lying on the ground next to the man she loved with nothing and nobody trying to hurt her.
“Look,” said Aarow pointing at a small bird, sitting on a branch. It wasn’t a large eagle circling the desert looking for prey, but an innocent creature looking at them with pure curiosity and no motive whatsoever.
“It’s so pretty,” said Rani.
“There are more if you look,” said Jinn, pointing to other trees. “There and there and…oh, look at that one. It’s blue!”
“I wonder what other creatures are out here,” said Rani, glancing around. There may not be coyotes, but surely other dangers existed.
“You’re safe,” said Aarow, sensing her fear as he passed her his waterskin for her to take a drink. “We won’t let anything hurt you.”
“How much further?” Rani asked. “I’m in no state to meet a future queen. Going by you three, I must look a sight.”
Her three companions chuckled, although she was only half joking. They looked tired and filthy. Although, somehow Aarow was managing to look more rugged and less disheveled. A rough beard had started to sprout from his usually clean-shaven face and she decided it suited him.
“You look lovely,” said Aarow, a comment that sent Jinn into fits of laughter.
“My friend, you have it bad,” Jinn said. Then looking at Rani, he pulled his face into the most serious one he could muster. “Although, I admit you do look a whole lot better than my two friends here.”
“I’m sure we’ll all have a chance to freshen up before meeting the royal family,” said Toran. “For their own sake as much as ours.”
Aarow wrapped an arm around Rani’s shoulder and she snuggled into him, drawing strength from the contact.
“You really do look lovely,” he whispered in her ear, too quiet for Jinn to hear.
She smiled, knowing he meant it. In his eyes, she must certainly look lovely, which was surely a sign he loved her, just like he’d said on the sand dune. And if true love wasn’t the basis for a future marriage, then she didn’t know what was.
AAROW
THE EVERNOW
Aarow felt like an imposter. Although, Rani was standing beside him and there was nothing about her that said she wasn’t meant to be at this wedding. She had a regal presence about her and when he stood by her side, he felt like he belonged. It reminded him of the story about the princess who slept on the pea, not because Rani was like her, but because she wasn’t. There was no need to set any tests to be certain she was a princess. It was in the way she held herself, whether she realized it or not.
She wore a dress made of lush red fabric, covering almost every part of her, except her hands and face. Unlik
e some of the other women here, who showed parts of their bodies that Aarow had been certain were meant to be kept hidden. Never mind. There was nothing about this kingdom that was like it was back home. What the women here chose to wear was the least of his concerns.
Rani may be the most modestly dressed guest at this wedding, however, she was the only one who held Aarow’s eye. He’d told her twice already that she looked beautiful, and she’d smiled politely, not seeming to quite know what to do with his compliments. Perhaps she’d grow used to them in time, as she had with his kisses.
There were hundreds of people in attendance, all standing around a timber structure he’d been told was called a gazebo. It was covered in trails of delicate flowers and was the center point of this paradisiacal garden. Bunches of blooms had been picked and placed in vases around the gazebo and colored glass jars filled with fragrant oils had been strung from the timber beams, swinging in the gentle breeze.
Aarow had never imagined the world contained such a place like this. It couldn’t be more different to The Sands of Naar, with trees, flowers, wildlife and a climate that didn’t feel like it was trying to roast you alive or tear you to shreds with the relentless wind. In this kingdom, you could sit beneath the sun’s rays and enjoy the feeling of the gentle warming of your skin.
They’d been received with great excitement at the apothecary by a group of women who’d been working in the garden. They were taken to the main house where baths laced with soothing oils were drawn and soft beds had been made, the quilts covered in petals and dried bunches of lavender strung from the bedposts to help them sleep.
Rani got her wish and had been able to freshen up before meeting their hostess, Jasmine, the future queen of Wintergreen. Not that Aarow felt Rani had needed to worry. Jasmine and her brother hadn’t seemed to be the sort of people who cared in the least about appearances and despite Rani refusing to believe him, he’d honestly thought she looked lovely every moment of their long journey here.
Jasmine had been extremely hospitable, ensuring their every need had been met. She seemed excited at their arrival, explaining that the Queen and Prince of Forte Cadence had arrived at the palace with their young daughter and were being looked after by Jasmine’s future husband, Prince Ari. She spoke fondly of them and Aarow looked forward to making their acquaintance and sitting down to speak at length with them after the wedding. Apparently, Queen Rose had whispered for their safe arrival and Aarow was keen to learn more about what exactly this meant.
Sadly, the other kingdoms had failed to respond to their invitations, not ready to acknowledge that people could achieve so much more when they worked together, than they could alone.
The Board had proven how badly this kind of thinking could also go wrong and Aarow was aware they needed to proceed with caution. He’d heard Rani talking to Jasmine about this and Jasmine was keen for them to share their experiences with Queen Rose. Apparently, she’d only just set up some kind of board of her own to help rule her kingdom. There was no doubt there were many lessons they could learn from each other to ensure mistakes of the past weren’t made again.
Aarow watched the groom waiting in the gazebo for the arrival of his bride. He hadn’t yet been introduced to Prince Ari. A tall, handsome man who stood with a straight back and a look of confidence in his dark eyes. He was flanked by a younger man who looked like a younger version of himself.
“I didn’t know the prince had a son,” Aarow whispered to Rani.
His whisper hadn’t been quiet enough and a woman behind him tapped him on the shoulder and told him that the young man was the prince’s nephew.
“Uncanny resemblance,” said Aarow.
“Indeed.” The woman nodded politely.
Aarow’s attention was stolen by the grand entrance of the King and Queen of Wintergreen, dressed in their royal finery as they walked down a carpet of petals that’d been laid out on the grass to make an aisle. The King was a handsome man, tall like his son, yet his face was lined with years of worry. The Queen seemed a nervous sort, clinging to her husband’s arm like she wouldn’t be able to stand without his support. Aarow knew they’d once had a daughter and had been told the Queen had never gotten over losing her. This rumor appeared to be true. Then he saw her look up at her son and grandson in the gazebo and her face filled with renewed joy.
They were followed down the aisle by Queen Rose and Prince Jeremiah, with their young daughter asleep in her father’s arms. Rose had her hand placed gently on Jeremiah’s back, although it didn’t seem like she was using him to hold her up. This couple exuded strength and a feeling of being evenly matched as rulers of Forte Cadence. They were certainly good role models for how Aarow would like to rule his own kingdom with Rani by his side.
Now that everyone was in place, an orchestra to the side of the gazebo began to play a melodic tune and several of the congregation sang quietly. The song was about having luck, which seemed appropriate on such a day.
The people turned their heads to see Jasmine walking through the garden toward the gazebo on the arm of her brother. He was quite a bit younger than her, yet held her arm nobly, taking his job of giving her away very seriously. Jasmine had already explained to them that their parents had died from the plague but hadn’t seemed to want to go into any further details. It was clearly a sore subject and Aarow hadn’t pushed her any further. If anyone could understand what it was like to lose a parent, it was him.
Aarow looked at Rani, who was taking in the scene with wide eyes and he hoped she was wondering if one day this wedding would be them. He still hadn’t raised the subject with her, not wanting to scare her away, however, he suspected he was being overly cautious. Rani hadn’t seemed to be scared by anything that’d happened between them so far. Perhaps that was because he was carefully judging the pace between them, rather than her being ready to embrace all that came her way.
Jasmine came closer and Aarow was unable to help himself from smiling at how beautiful she looked. She wore a dress, delicate purple in color, and had flowers in her dark waves of hair, forming a floral crown. More flowers had been looped into chains and she wore them as her jewels around her neck and wrists. She also held a bunch of wildflowers, many of which Aarow recognized from this very garden. She looked like some kind of fairy princess, her beauty magnified by the kindness Aarow had learned was in her heart.
Prince Ari was understandably transfixed by his bride, and Aarow put a gentle hand on the small of Rani’s back, unable to help wishing they could trade places with Jasmine and her prince right now.
Although, everything about this wedding said Wintergreen. When he and Rani got married, it would be in the desert. Perhaps they could get married on the top of a dune and take off on an animal hide immediately afterward. He smiled to himself, certain that Rani would have other ideas about that.
Jasmine reached the gazebo and turned to her brother who kissed her on the cheek and let go of her hand, the special bond between them clear to all.
The Prince’s nephew shook his hand, then went down the stairs. He patted Jasmine’s brother on the back, took Jasmine’s arm and escorted her up the stairs to her groom, also kissing her on the cheek before leaving them alone. It was a series of small gestures, all of which would have been punishable by death in the Capital before the revolution, yet it was impossible to imagine this ceremony without them.
Prince Ari took Jasmine’s hands in his and she smiled up at him. It was like the hundreds of people who surrounded the gazebo were no longer there. It was just the two of them, joining themselves in marriage but also taking on the far greater responsibility of ruling the kingdom in the future.
“What do you think?” Aarow whispered to Rani, desperate to know what her wide eyes were making of all of this.
“It’s amazing. Are all weddings like this?”
“They don’t have all this,” he said, waving his hands around at the flowers and the people in fancy clothes. “But most of them have that.” He pointed to the two
people in the gazebo, very much in love.
“It’s pure love,” said Rani, catching his gaze.
He bent forward and kissed her gently on her cheek. “It is.”
And as Jasmine and Prince Ari spoke their vows, promising to be together always, Aarow and Rani watched on, making vows of their own in their hearts.
Aarow didn’t know the answer to any of their problems. Or the best way to rule a kingdom. All he knew was that love was a far more powerful force than hate. Which meant that love would ultimately rule them all.
AFTER THE EVERNOW
The woman walked across the hot sand, remembering the time long ago when she’d stumbled and fallen, begging her departed ancestors to ready the heavens for her arrival.
But she’d been rescued, reborn into a new life in the Colony. It was a second chance at life although, in many ways, it’d felt like her first.
A gust of wind sent sharp grains of red sand flying toward her and she wrapped her face with her veil.
Her hands were drawn to her belly as if by a magnetic force and she remembered the baby that’d been taken from her. A daughter who was returned to her so many years later, just as beautiful as she’d been when she’d been torn from her outstretched hands.
This daughter of hers had grown without a single touch from another human, until she rebelled and ran into the desert, unaware she was following the same footsteps of her mother.
The woman startled as someone came up behind her. But when he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, she knew it was her husband. She knew the smell of him. She knew the feel of him. How appropriate that he was here with her now, just as he’d been when she’d thought all had been lost.
It’d been many moons since she’d last seen him and she’d been waiting, just as she’d waited for her daughter.
The Kingdoms of Evernow Box Set Page 66
