The King looked at Edison and nodded slowly. “Yes, she’s been loyal and discrete over the years. She saved my son’s life when he was an infant, did you know that?”
“That was a long time ago.” Edison hadn’t come here for the King to be reminded of how well his mother had served the kingdom. This was supposed to be about his future, not hers.
“What you propose is indeed of interest,” the King said.
Edison’s chest deflated as he anticipated the ‘however’ that was certainly to come next.
“However… I need to know that I can trust you. I can’t possibly make such drastic changes to the kingdom without being absolutely certain I can believe what you have to say.” He scratched his chin as he thought. “I think I’ll send you on a quest.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Edison ignored the fluttering in his stomach. Surely, he’d be able to pass whatever quest the King had in mind. “I’ll do anything to prove my loyalty to you.”
“I want you to go to Wintergreen.” The King sat up in his throne, his eyes shining. “Take as many Guardians with you as you feel you need. They have an apothecary where an Alchemist produces elixirs of oils that bring about miracles.”
Edison wondered what miracle the King was after and waited for him to explain. Procuring some oils shouldn’t be too difficult a task, especially with several Guardians in tow.
“I want you to seize one of their elixirs for me.” The King thumped his fist on the arm of his throne. “Every bottle of it they have.”
“Seize?” That sounded a little more forceful than necessary, but Edison was undeterred.
“Yes, seize. I don’t want you to give them one pebble in exchange. You’re to take the oils by force. Just like the Guardians, it’s time our enemies know who’s in control here. We don’t ask for anything. We take it. Do you understand?”
Edison nodded, pleased the quest didn’t sound overly difficult. “I’ll seize the oils, Your Highness. May I ask which oil it is that you require?”
“It’s a delicate matter, I’m afraid.” The King lowered his voice, despite there being nobody else present. “Nobody else knows, so if word gets out, I’ll know the source. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I won’t say a word to anybody.” Edison bowed to show his sincerity.
“I’d like a supply of fertility oils, as a wedding gift to my new daughter. I’m keen for her to hurry up and provide me with an heir. As you’re no doubt aware, Guardians aren’t known to produce more than two or three children per female. We need to enhance the Princess’s fertility so she can deliver me at least a dozen strong heirs.”
“Forgive me, Your Highness, but I’d be more than happy to make the new Princess a tonic to enhance her fertility.”
“I’m curious about these miracle oils.” The King waved his hand as if Edison were no more than an annoying fly. “And you said yourself that our tonics are doing more harm than good. Fetch me the elixir I desire and let Wintergreen know who’s in charge here. If you succeed, I’ll consider your request.”
Edison caught his smile before it reached his lips, not wanting the King to see how excited he was by this prospect. Just as the King had been unable to imagine his army turning against him, he was similarly blind to the idea of Edison’s loyalty wavering. Because if Edison was made the Master of the Guardians that meant the world’s strongest army would be under his control. He’d be able to overthrow the King with ease, leaving him as the greatest ruler the land had ever seen. He may not have royal blood, but he’d make a far better King than Tate, who was as weak as he was stupid.
Edison bit his tongue to stop himself from asking the King what would happen if he failed in his quest, and the taste of iron flooded his mouth. Failure wasn’t an option. He didn’t need to ask about the consequences to know they wouldn’t be good. Death was a common reward for failure in this kingdom.
At least he was wise enough to have a backup plan. And Pip was doing so well at helping him with that.
“I’ll make the preparations,” said Edison. “Thank you, Your Highness.”
He pulled back his shoulders and strode from the room. Things hadn’t gone quite as well as they could have. He’d have preferred to be handed his new title without having to earn it. Or at least been given a promise of it upon his success. But things could certainly have been worse.
His hand went to his throat, searching for the hemp cord he’d worn since he’d been a boy, before remembering he no longer wore it. So, he ran his fingers through his hair instead.
All he had to do was acquire an elixir using whatever force he felt was necessary. He could do that. And when he did, he was going to be able to do so much more. So very, very much more.
TATE
THE NOW
Tate was back in the cornfield, running between rabbit traps, his eyes darting around for any sign of a farmer.
It felt good to be out here, even if the good he was doing was only small, it made a big difference to the energy in his soul.
It was a stressful time watching River grieve for her sister. The pain her emotions were triggering in Tate’s own heart was a little confusing. Because it told him in the short time that he’d known River, he’d already grown to care about her. He wondered if it was because she was his wife, or if it was because of who she was as a person? Perhaps it was a little of both.
A trap in the distance stole his attention and he dashed toward it, his eyes fixed on the dark shape thrashing about inside the metal jaws. Please, let him not be too late to help this poor creature.
He skidded to his knees and felt his hair slip from the tie that’d been holding it. He brushed it out of his eyes as he bent to the rabbit, relieved to see the trap had caught it by its tail. This was rare, but fortunate. A rabbit could survive without this ball of fluff on its rear.
“Hey, little friend,” he said, taking hold of the rabbit’s torso and wincing as it bit him.
He adjusted his hold, away from the rabbit’s mouth and got to work on the trap, easing it open until the rabbit came free. Taking some balm from his pocket, he wiped it across the rabbit’s severed tail and let go.
The rabbit raced away, gone in seconds.
“No problem! Happy to help!” Tate laughed as he got to work on resetting the trap and disabling the spring mechanism.
Hearing a movement behind him, he spun around. A farmer was bound to catch him one day. He’d been certain he’d been alone.
But it wasn’t a farmer.
“River.” His eyes scanned his wife’s pretty blue dress. “You startled me.”
“I followed you.” She folded her arms and tilted her head as he got back to work on his trap.
“I figured out that much already,” he said. It was a little surprising she’d succeeded in following him like that, although she was trained for battle, he reminded himself. Just because she no longer dressed like a Guardian didn’t mean she was no longer as skilled as one. “But why?”
“I wanted to know where you went each morning.” She tilted her head as she watched him work.
“You could’ve just asked.” He finished with the trap and stood, wiping his hands on his already filthy trousers.
“Would you have told me?” she asked, holding his gaze.
“No.”
She smiled. “Then you know why I followed you.”
“Where did you think I was going?” He motioned with his head for her to follow him. It was time to get back to the palace anyway. Pip would be waiting for her breakfast.
“To meet a lover,” she said, plainly.
“Well, perhaps I was.” He smiled at her, liking that she cared enough about this as a possibility to find out. “I do love rabbits.”
“I can see that. But, why Tate? Why do you do it?” She looped her hand in the crook of his arm and his heart skipped a beat.
“I can’t lie in my bed knowing there are creatures out there suffering. Well, ones that I can help, anyway.” This was the simple truth o
f it. He didn’t know if she’d understand, but she was his wife. He needed to learn how to trust her.
“But Tate, there are rabbits all over the kingdom. There are hundreds of farms with many thousands of rabbits caught in traps right now. Why would you bother to save just that one you let go? What difference did it make?”
“Well, it made a difference to that one, didn’t it?” He winked at her to show he knew how crazy it sounded.
She sighed. “Oh, Tate. How can I argue with that?”
“Who says you have to argue? You know, I’ve never told anybody about what I do out here.”
“Not even Pip?” she asked, looking up at Pip’s window in the palace.
“I told her once, but she didn’t believe me. Does that count?” He followed River’s gaze to Pip’s window, frowning when he thought he saw an unfamiliar shadow in the window.
“Did you see that?” he asked. “Is there someone in there with her?”
“I don’t think so.” River squinted, trying to get a better look.
“The light plays tricks sometimes,” he said, trying to convince himself just as much as River. He’d ask Pip about it later when he took up her breakfast.
“I’d like to meet Pip,” said River. “Will you take me to her?”
“She’s not great with meeting people.” He pulled his eyes from the palace and back to the path ahead.
“Are you worried about what she’ll think of me?” River let her hand fall from Tate’s arm and kicked at the ground as she walked.
“No! Of course not.” He wondered what he was worried about and realized it was the opposite of what River had suggested. “I’m… I’m a little worried about what you’ll think of her.”
“You’re embarrassed of her? Tate, what’s wrong with her? Why doesn’t she leave her bedchamber?”
He stopped walking and reached for River’s arm, pulling her to a stop. A conversation like this needed his full attention. He’d trusted River with his secret about the rabbits—not that he’d really been given a choice in that—but could he trust her enough to let her into Pip’s life?
“I’m not embarrassed of her,” he said, wanting to be clear. “I love Pip. It’s just that she’s not well. You’ll notice that the moment you meet her, but it’s not her physical appearance that makes her unwell, it’s her mind. She has a problem with food. It started when our mother died and I have no idea how to fix her.”
“Is that why you save the rabbits?” River’s eyes filled with what could only be described as love.
“I don’t understand,” he said.
“You save the rabbits because you can’t save Pip. It makes you feel like you’re doing something.”
He took a step back like he’d been punched, the shock of her words completely throwing him for the simple reason that she was right. He’d been blind to what had been so obvious to her.
“I’m sorry,” she said, misunderstanding his reaction.
“No, River. You’re right. You’re completely right. And I think you should meet Pip. Today. Right now. Come with me while I take up her breakfast.” It didn’t matter if Pip was apprehensive about meeting River. She’d be good for her. Perhaps she’d be able to fix her in the way Tate hadn’t been able. And if there was one thing he’d learned about River already, it was that she wouldn’t judge Pip. For the state of her body, or the state of her mind.
For all his father’s faults as a man and as a King, Tate thought that maybe for once he’d done something right. He’d chosen Tate the best wife he could ever have dreamed of.
PIP
THE NOW
Pip pressed her eye against her spy hole as she waited for Tate. Her stomach growled to remind her that he was late. At least she’d had time for her body to absorb Edison’s tonic without interference.
She smiled at the love Edison had been showing her, going to all that trouble to make her a special tonic, then bringing it to her to make her brave and strong. The days were passing so much faster now that she had his visit to look forward to. He really did seem to care about her. She wished she’d never doubted him. To think she’d spent all these years blaming him for something he clearly had nothing to do with. Coincidences happened sometimes. But if he was innocent, did that also put her in the clear? She wasn’t sure she was ready to absolve herself just yet.
She sighed and stood back from the door. Why was it so much easier to forgive someone else than it was to forgive yourself?
Going to her bed, she picked up Prin, cradling her as she thought about her mother’s death. The details were getting hazy now, in the same way the story of Princess Snow and the poison apple was starting to fade. Only this was worse, as she didn’t often give herself permission to think about it to remind herself of exactly how it’d happened. But now that she’d been having her daily tonics, perhaps it was safe to think about it with a clearer head.
Her mother had been beautiful and kind. But she’d also been sad for no reason anybody could explain. She’d slept a lot, more than any normal person, having had the herbalist make up a tonic of skullcap to assist her. Sometimes she’d sleep for what seemed like days on end and Pip would sit on the end of her bed waiting for her to open her eyes and play with her.
She remembered the day Edison had approached her in the garden. She’d been only six years old at the time but even then, she’d felt aware of Edison’s presence in a way that didn’t seem normal. He’d always had that effect on her. Like they were connected in some strange way. She still couldn’t explain it. That feeling remained with her today.
Edison, who was only eight years old himself at the time, had slipped a small jar of tonic into her hand and told her if she switched it over with her mother’s regular tonic she’d wake up and be healed.
Delighted with this prospect, Pip had thanked Edison and crept into her mother’s darkened room ever so quietly and swapped her afternoon tonic with Edison’s preparation.
And he’d been right. Her mother had consumed the tonic and been more alive than Pip remembered ever seeing her.
The following days were the happiest of Pip’s life. She’d meet Edison every morning in the garden for the special tonic, go to her mother’s room and make the swap, then spend the afternoon with her while Tate and Edison ran through the garden pretending they were Guardians in battle.
But then just as quickly as her mother’s health had returned, it vanished. She began sleeping even more than before, her skin turned a strange yellow color, and a fever broke out that refused to go away. So Pip stopped giving her Edison’s tonic, just in case that was the problem. And then… well, then she died.
And Pip blamed Edison, despite him insisting that without his tonic she’d have died far earlier and Pip should be thanking him for giving her a chance to spend some quality time with her before she died.
Not knowing what to believe at the time, Pip had confessed to Tate and he said even though Edison probably had nothing to do with it, they could never be sure. He made her promise never to speak to him again.
But now she’d broken her promise and let Edison back into her life. She knew it was wrong, but had to admit that was part of the reason it felt so good. She was doing something dangerous and the excitement of that burned in her core.
A tap at her door made her jump. Tate was here, almost as if he’d heard her thinking about him. She shouldn’t have been surprised, given she was expecting him.
But when the door opened, she was most definitely surprised to see he wasn’t alone. There was a tall, blonde woman standing beside him. His mysterious wife, who she still wasn’t sure she was ready to meet.
“Pip, this is River,” said Tate, not waiting to be invited in before heading for her table to place down her breakfast tray.
River curtsied and Pip tried to push down the blush she felt creep into her cheeks. It’d been a long time since anyone had curtsied to her. Even Elise didn’t bother anymore when she came to tend to her room.
“Hello, River,” she said,
glad she’d fixed her appearance as much as possible when she’d woken, even if that had been for Edison’s benefit, not River’s. “Nice to meet you. Please, come in.”
River went and stood beside Tate, and Pip was surprised to see an ease between them, almost like they’d known each other for years. It unsettled her. She was used to being the most important person in Tate’s life. She’d never thought for a moment when he got married that she’d be displaced, especially given their father had been the one to choose his bride. Even more reason that she need not tell Tate everything that was going on in her life. Edison never made her feel like she was second best. Well, not anymore he didn’t.
“I like your doll,” said River.
Pip’s flush deepened to realize she was still clutching Prin in her hand. She threw her onto the bed as if she weren’t her most prized possession and crossed her arms, wondering what River thought about her so far. If she was shocked or disgusted by her, she was doing a good job of hiding it so far.
“You must be hungry,” said River, trying another topic to break the silence. She was persistent, Pip would give her that. Not surprising for a Guardian. “Don’t mind us. Please, eat.”
“She never eats in front of anyone,” said Tate. “No matter how often I ask her to.”
“She is right here,” said Pip, trying not to pout. “And she will eat later, thank you.”
“Don’t be like that,” said Tate, putting his hand on River’s back, despite his words finally being directed at her. “What’s up with you lately?”
“What do you mean?” She blinked at him, certain she hadn’t been behaving any differently, even though her whole life had changed the moment she’d allowed Edison to step through her door.
“You’re different somehow.” He left his wife’s side to go to her, and suddenly the attention she’d craved from him didn’t seem like such a good thing after all. “You look different. Your hair is…clean. You’re wearing new clothes.”
The Kingdoms of Evernow Box Set Page 74
