This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2021 by R. S. Williams
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review. For more information, address: [email protected].
First paperback edition August 2021
Book Cover design by Christian Bentulan
Chapter Header design by Noun Project
Map by Amber Morant
ISBN 978-1-9196017-0-0 (paperback)
www.authorrhiannewilliams.com
For
Jason & Richard
Thanks for putting up with your annoying little sister.
Contents
Prologue
1. Secret Meeting
2. Messenger from the King
3. Crossing the Border
4. Guarded Escort
5. Castle Tour
6. Midnight Meeting
7. Distractions
8. The Visiting Prince
9. Chasing Tails
10. Hidden Secrets
11. Too Close For Comfort
12. Agents of Cyran
13. The Royal Lineage
14. Bad Memories
15. Revelations and Truths
16. Dancing with Fire
17. Double Agents
18. Confronting the Girl
19. Passageways
20. Afternoon Tea
21. Not Princely Behaviour
22. The Aftermath
23. When A Princess Demands
24. A King’s Admission
25. The Hangman’s Noose
26. Loosing your Footing
27. Wrongly Accused
28. A silent Princess
29. Into The Depths
30. Rescue Party
31. Royal Duties
32. A Royal Engagement
Epilogue
From The Author
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by R. S. Williams
Prologue
Eleven Years Ago
“Emily, please! We must help him.” Merrick called as he followed her into the small back room of her dusty building. He looked back at the young boy sitting patiently on the bench. Head in his hands.
It was a hot day in Rheanydd. The sun’s beams were harsh today, and the heat had beads of sweat on Merrick’s forehead dripping down the sides of his face. Even this early.
“Merrick,” she hissed at him. “Are you certain you want this? To take away who he is?” She furrowed her brow. Her bright, ice-blue eyes had a dark ring to them, which made Emily’s glare even more piercing. “Is this really the best option?” She looked over her shoulder and sighed.
Merrick put a hand on her upper arm. “I wouldn’t ask this of you if I didn’t think it was necessary.” He moved to stand next to her, their shoulders inches apart, both looking at the nine-year-old boy sitting in her front room. “Elijah wakes in the middle of the night, in cold sweats, screaming out for his parents. He knows about the men in red who came to the castle. I don’t know what to do, but anything I do to comfort him doesn’t work.”
“Your girls always preferred a woman’s touch too, right?”
“There never was a replacement for Ysabel.” He nodded. “I guess there is no replacement for Rhohesia either.” His voice threatened to break. Merrick cleared his throat to stop himself. “He is my nephew. The only family I have left, so I have to try. There must be something we can do to help him.”
Emily sighed. A strand of her black hair fell from the band she had it tied back with. “I can’t take away part of who he is, Merrick. He is the rightful heir to the throne.”
“His life is in danger because of that. He needs to forget about his lineage, forget about who his parents are, not the loss. Elijah will be better for it. If he knows, he could tell someone, and that person might alert…”
Emily shook her head. “Merrick, calm down. The elves dealt with him.”
“That doesn’t mean they can hold him forever. We allowed him to come inside the walls, gave him access to everything he needed and then…”
“You should trust them; they know how to deal with him. He’s not a threat anymore, and Elijah is safe.” She placed a hand on his arm. “Merrick, he is safe. You are both safe here.”
“Ah!” Elijah called out in the hall, and Merrick rushed forward to grab him.
“Eli, are you alright?”
“I’m fine uncle, just another nightmare. Fire, death…” Merrick cut off his words and pulled him into a hug.
“Shh, Eli. You are safe now. Nothing is going to happen to you here.” He looked back at Emily. “Miss Parquin here has a tonic that will let you sleep without dreams.” She handed him a small vial with a silver liquid inside. Merrick helped Elijah drink it.
“You should bring him back here. He can nap on one of the beds, while you and I finish our discussion.”
Merrick picked Elijah up and carried him to the back room, following Emily. They walked back to where they had been standing watching him and headed to the far side, which had three beds lined up against it. He placed Elijah down on one of them and covered him with a blanket.
“Goodnight, Elijah.” He stood and left the boy to sleep. Sitting down, he looked up at Emily, who was pouting her red lips.
“Don’t look at me like that, Merrick. He’s only nine, I’m not sure what my magic could do to an adolescent mind like that. I could try to hide the memories inside his mind. But I warn you, if they try to resurface, it will cause him pain.” She paced in front of him, her long white gown flowing behind her. “Then there is the matter of the mark on the back of his shoulder. It’s faint now, but as he gets older and comes into his powers, it will be more noticeable. You can’t hide the mark of the dragon for long.”
“But we can distort it, burn it, make it harder for people to see. The dragon lords are all but gone, Eltoris saw to that.”
Emily gasped. “Are you listening to yourself, Merrick?”
He shook his head. “I know it sounds drastic, but what other choice do I have. Sure, I could tell him a superstition about the mark, ask him to keep it covered, but like you said, he is a child. He wouldn’t understand.” He wiped a hand over his forehead. “I can’t tell him that a madman might kill him if they see it.”
Emily sat down next to him. “No, you’re right, you cannot tell him that.”
“This is the only way. His memories need to be locked up, so he stops having nightmares, and his birthmark distorted so no-one can recognise it. I can tell him to keep it covered as people will make fun of him for it.” Merrick sighed and looked down. He hated the thoughts of lying to his nephew, but he knew it would be the only way to keep him safe. To keep him hidden from the agents who were after him.
A shiver ran down his back. He shook them off and placed a hand on Emily’s leg. “Thank you, Emily. I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t here.”
She smiled. “You’re welcome, anytime, Merrick. I promise I will help where I can, and your secret is safe with me.” Her eyes flickered to the door. “You aren’t the only one in Dewfalls hiding from something, or someone. Many people are. It’s how this whole place got started. Few people come out here because of the heat.” Her hand closed over his and she squeezed it. “I had better get to work. You’re welcome to stay, or you can come back in a few hours.” Emily stood and headed back
to Elijah’s side.
Merrick watched for a while and she moved her hands around and magic poured out from them. The air became energised, and his entire body could feel it. A sound outside the door made him stand up. Someone was walking towards them, maybe five, six paces away. Being half Elven, his senses were heightened. Instinctively, his hand moved to the dagger strapped to his back, but whoever was on the other side stopped and knocked on the door three times, paused and then knocked another two.
Emily came out and wiped her hands on her dress. “It’s okay, it’ll be Myah with my supplies. She drops them off every morning.”
“Morning?”
“Yes, Merrick. It’s just after dawn. Now please get out of the way and take your hand off your weapon.” Emily rolled her eyes and moved to open the door as he stood back. “Myah, good morning. Thank you for these.”
“Hi Miss Parquin.” Myah looked around her and saw Merrick. “Sorry, I didn’t realise you were… Here’s a little extra, I found some Rigmor, so I’ve added that in.”
“Thank you, Myah. I’d invite you in, but I am with a patient. See you tomorrow?”
Myah nodded, her blonde hair swishing in the movement. A smile crept across her face, and then she turned and skipped off to her next delivery.
Emily closed the door and locked it. “I’m nearly done. One more memory to seal away and then we need to deal with the birthmark. I can use magic to distort it, or give you an ointment to glamour it…” Her eyes looked to Elijah. “Or we could go the permanent route and burn it.”
Merrick winced at the thought. But that would be the best way. Then no-one would ever know who he really is. I better change his name. “We should change his last name too.”
“Why not give him yours? It’s not too far-fetched, tell him his parents died, and you took him on, although he’s your nephew you didn’t want him going to any other family, so you changed his surname.”
He nodded. “Yes. And burn the mark, with magic, so we can undo it.” Nausea filled his stomach. It was necessary, but it still felt heavy in his gut.
“As you wish.”
1
Secret Meeting
Wind blew through Elijah’s short blonde hair as he urged his horse forward. He steered Keela around the corner, her hooves thudding into the ground. Tree branches obstructed his view of Josefyr who had ridden ahead, winning their race to the lake. He stood out because of his short fluffy hair, goatee and moustache. As Eli approached, he slowed Keela down to walking pace and stopped her next to the water’s edge.
Sweat balled on his forehead from the heat of the midday sun. “That was a good race, but you won’t beat me back to the village.”
Josefyr raised his bushy eyebrows. “You’re a splendid rider, Elijah. In the short time you’ve been training for the race, you’ve improved greatly.” His friend and tutor smiled at him.
“Do you really think I have a chance at winning?” he asked. Josefyr’s face cracked into a laugh as he nodded his head.
“Actually, yes. You have become a very talented rider.”
Elijah’s chest swelled, causing a smile to tease on the corner of his mouth. He had been waiting for the day he could take part in the annual Hollom race for three years, and now, in five days’ time, he would get the chance.
“Do you think Merrick will be angry when he finds out I plan to enter?”
“I think you should tell him. His reaction may surprise you.” Josefyr looked out at the water in front of them. “He will support you, the race is important, and it’s good that you have something of your own.”
Eli nodded, making a mental decision to speak to Merrick later. He turned to Rheanydd’s island in the distance. It was a beautiful place to look at, but every child is told of the dangerous monsters that lurk in the shadows of the trees.
Eli shivered. “Have you ever been over to the island, Josefyr?”
“No. I’ve never wanted to know if the story about the Elves is true. Leave them and their pets in peace and they’ll leave us in peace. The elves have many superstitions, it’s best to leave them to their own devices.”
Elijah remembered what Merrick had told him about the elves and their marks. How they sometimes attributed them to the gods. Good and bad. His hand went to touch his shoulder, but he stopped himself.
Josefyr twitched his ears and turned to face Eli. “Come on, I better get you back before Merrick finds you’re not tending the horses.”
“I can’t keep them cooped up in the paddock all day. Plus, I’m eighteen now, Merrick can’t keep me at home. I want to explore the world.”
“While all that is true, young friend, the horses still need to have their hay and food. You are still under his charge until you are twenty.” Josefyr waved his hand in a circular motion. “Let’s go.”
They both kicked their horses and made their way back to Dewfalls Village. Rheanydd was hot this time of year, and by the time they reached the sandstone gateway Elijah’s shirt clung to his back.
Slowing the horse’s pace down, Elijah continued forward until he reached his home. After dismounting, he quickly tied up the reins of both horses before turning to Josefyr. “Thanks for today. You’ve really boosted my confidence in the race. I just hope I can make you and Merrick proud.”
“You’re going to do fine, and you don’t always have to make him proud, you know.”
Elijah nodded. “Yeah, I know, but I want to do something nice for him. He didn’t have to take me in after my parents died. The winnings from the race could really do a lot for the forge.”
“You are his nephew, it’s what anyone would have done,” Josefyr said, his thoughts causing him to smile. “You’ve grown into a fine young man these last nine years.” Elijah raised an eyebrow at his riding teacher, but Josefyr continued before Elijah could make a comment. “Alright. Will I see you tomorrow at the same time?”
“Maybe, I’ll come to you,” Eli replied. Once Josefyr disappeared around the corner, Elijah undid the straps for the horse’s saddles.
Their home was situated close to the stone gateway behind two other buildings which housed the guards. It was small, with two rooms upstairs to sleep, and one large one downstairs. They also had a stable paddock and a space for the forge. The paddock also backed onto a small pond that sat between them and five other houses. Merrick had extended their boundaries to include some of it, along with a canopy for shelter from the sun. Keela and Merrick’s horse, Wes, loved it.
The house itself got enough shade due from the stone wall surrounding their village, and the cooler temperature was a welcome relief for Elijah. He’d briefly considered hopping in the pond with Keela to cool off.
Once the horses were fed, watered and locked in the paddock, Elijah went inside to check if his uncle had come back. The house was still empty. I bet he is at the tavern already.
He headed into the town, where the market was still full of people, even though the merchants were putting away their wares for the end of the day. Squeezing through the crowd, Elijah headed straight to the tavern, but Merrick wasn’t there. The one time I wanted to talk to him about something important.
He leant back against the bar in defeat and sighed. The place was empty save for a few stragglers at the back in hooded capes.
“Why do you need to find him so badly?” The barmaid asked. She was cleaning an ale glass with the bottom of her cream apron. “Are you in trouble again?”
Elijah scowled at her. “No, Karleen, I am not in trouble again. Why do you always think the worst of me?”
Karleen laughed and put the glass down. “Elijah, you’ve worked here long enough that we know you better than you think we do.” She raised her eyebrow and smiled. “Do you really think he doesn’t know about your race training?” Pushing the tray of drinks forward, she nodded towards the fat table. “Take these over for me?”
Rolling his eyes at his friend, Elijah grabbed the tray of four drinks and took them over to the hooded figures at the back of the tavern. Thei
r whispers stopped as he approached. Better get this over with quickly. Eli quickly unloaded the tray, accepted payment and went back to Karleen.
“God dammit, where are you, woman?” Almir called from out the back. Karleen sighed and a strand of her dark hair fell from her loosely tied bun. “I told you we needed to get more ale from the stores before people arrived…” He stopped speaking as he walked into the tavern, realising that they weren’t the only ones inside.
“Almir,” Elijah said, greeting the tavern owner with a nod of his head.
“Elijah, my boy, how are you?” The tavern owner smiled as he swooped forward and grabbed him by the shoulders. “You’re growing up so fast.”
Almir’s black hair was cut short, matching his beard. He was a tall man; Elijah only just came up to his shoulders, and he had taken care of himself. Although his loose grey shirt wouldn’t show it, he had strength hidden underneath. Useful for throwing out rowdy customers.
“I was actually looking for Merrick, you haven’t seen him around anywhere?” he asked, taking a step back out of the embrace.
Almir shook his head. “No, sorry, we’ve only just opened our doors. It’s not like him to wander off though, maybe try Miss Parquin’s place?”
Elijah nodded, said his thanks and turned to leave. Why would he be at the healers?
Leaving the tavern, Eli didn’t get far when he saw Merrick standing in an alley with his back against the wall with his arms crossed. Curious, Eli moved closer and hid behind a corner. Leaning to one side, he tried to see what Merrick was doing without giving away the fact that he was there.
Kingdom of Lies (The Kane Saga Book 1) Page 1
