by Ivy Logan
The one she instinctively tried to avoid was Aiden. She felt helpless in front of him, as though he could read her mind, but it would seem rude to avoid him, so she gradually overcame her shyness and doubts. He was confident but not cocky, sweet but not cloying, protective but not possessive. Talia tried to ignore him but she couldn’t help but like him. What is the secret that terrifies you? he seemed to ask her without saying a word. He often looked at her as though he wanted to protect her. At other times, he looked as though she was his knight in shining armour. Without saying a single word, he managed to convey his feelings.
Seeing how good Aiden was with Jesse warmed the cockles of Talia’s heart, and seeing how bad he was with Aherin made her laugh like nothing else could. Every time she saw Aiden trying to mount Aherin unsuccessfully, she would burst into peals of laughter, much to his dismay. Then repentance for her casual behaviour would force her to feel sorry for Aiden and the way Aherin completely ignored him. As she tried her best to help build bridges between the man and his reluctant mount, she realized that maybe he had figured the secret to this girl’s heart was through his stubborn, wilful, one of a kind horse.
When the talk became less about the horse and more about her, Talia understood Aiden’s true feelings, and she was scared. Not of him but of the way she felt. Now she knew he felt the same way too, the temptation to stay was overpowering, but it wouldn’t be fair to Aiden or his family. This was just a dream. She could not forget who was coming for her. Today, tomorrow, or even in ten years. King Damien would come, then what of her friends and this island? Wouldn’t she be putting them in danger? She should leave soon if she cared about them. Life with a prince would be far from anonymous. She would put him in danger by choosing to be a part of his life.
“I will spell trouble for you and Syrolt as my enemy is King Damien, the king of Aberevon. He is not quite sane and he has been hunting me for a long time. He will find me one day, Aiden, and then his wrath will rain down on all of us. That is the reason I keep moving. I have already overstayed my welcome here. I should leave on the next ship if I really love you,” she told him.
Aiden stared at her in amazement. “Did you hear what just you said?” he asked in disbelief.
“I said I need to leave.”
“No. That is not what I heard. You said you love me. Do you think I can let you go after knowing how you feel? I have been madly in love with you since the day I first saw you. To know that you feel the same way…I have no words,” said Aiden.
“Yes, Prince Aiden, I did say I love you. But what is love? What can it do? My family was full of love, but today my mother and brother are dead. What did love do? It made my mother weak. It broke my father’s heart. For the sake of love, he refused to escape with me. He may be dead or imprisoned for all I know. I lost everything in the blink of an eye all in the name of love. And now you want me to willingly put your whole family and country in the eye of a coming storm so that I can have countless more deaths laid at my feet. Is that what you want? Did you not hear anything else I said? I spoke of Damien, my nemesis, a powerful king. He is not like you. He uses any means necessary to get what he wants. Why do you need one more enemy? Don’t you have enough of your own?”
“I don’t know what to say, Talia,” he said, his eyes full of sorrow. “How do I convince you that none of this matters except the way we feel about each other?”
“I have worked very hard for the past couple of years to save myself from Damien’s goons. I have been preparing for the day I will face him again. If you come into my life, you with your beautiful heart, your kind eyes and your wonderful family, you will make me weak, and I can’t allow that to happen. I will leave on the first ship out tomorrow,” she said defiantly.
“I can’t make you change your mind. If you must go, I won’t stop you, but can you give me a chance? Wait six months. I will keep my distance. I will give you your space. When you are ready, I will be waiting. I also make a commitment to you, Talia. This is the word of an honourable man. Your enemy is mine, and if you wish, I will stand before you and fight him. But when the time comes, if you think that no one should face him but you, I will not be your weakness. I will not stop you. I will be your strength and stand with you, or even behind you,” said Aiden passionately.
Talia couldn’t run away after a confession of love and devotion like that.
****
Jesse’s parents returned to Calhem but the young prince stayed in Syrolt. Life on the mainland was quite different from island life. He loved the fishing, the boat rides, the beautiful view, and most of all, the visits he and Aherin made to Talia. Aiden never accompanied them. By sending Jesse and Aherin, his message to Talia was clear. The bond between them remained, but the next move was hers. Jesse never mentioned his uncle, and Talia couldn’t muster the courage to ask about him. Aiden couldn’t make it any clearer. He had said his part. The next move had to come from her.
Six months drew to a close. With a heavy heart, Talia realized she had always known the right thing to do was to leave. She was broken. She had sworn revenge. Aiden didn’t need such complications in his life. She was a witness to what marrying a sorceress could do to your life.
She hadn’t seen anyone in weeks. Jesse and Aherin had stopped visiting for what she assumed was in anticipation of her impending departure. Goodbyes were tough but she was Michael and Caitlin’s daughter; she hadn’t been raised a coward. Squaring her shoulders, she set off towards the palace. But something was wrong. As she headed towards the royal headquarters, she realized that the usually bustling island wore a deserted look. There were pockets of soldiers and guards posted everywhere. The palace gates were tightly shut. The soldiers eyed this strangely dressed girl at the gates with suspicion.
Talia was usually so cut off from people that she hadn’t realized something was afoot. Syrolt’s usual serenity had been replaced with an air of mourning and anticipation as though everyone on the island was holding their breath in unison, waiting, but for what? Talia experienced a deep sense of foreboding. Something told her that it was nothing good. She ran back home to her landlady. The kindly old woman stared at her for a long while.
“I was wondering if you knew?” she said.
“Knew what?” Talia asked. “Please tell me quickly. You are scaring me.”
“Calhem was attacked by a neighbouring lord. Prince Aiden has gone to the rescue with half the troops of Syrolt. This was ten days ago. After he joined in, things became more favourable for Calhem, but…” said the landlady.
“But what?” asked Talia, trying to nudge her ahead. Her dread had built up to such an extent that she felt almost faint.
“Prince Aiden has been reported missing for the past four days. Today is the fifth day. As each day passes, hope for his survival diminishes further. Our lady, his sister, Princess Andrea, is almost mad with grief. She spends all her time praying. Prince Jesse has refused to leave his room.”
As the kind old lady spoke, understanding shining in her eyes, Talia’s sense of detachment increased. It couldn’t be. They had to be talking about someone else. Her happy, laughing prince would never go to war, and if he did, surely no one would hurt him? She was fooling herself. The reality wouldn’t change just because she wanted it to. Hadn’t she experienced enough of the wickedness human beings were capable of?
Talia rushed to the harbour to watch every ship that came in. Days passed. She would remain at her post from the early hours of the morning until dark, and then return the next day to resume her vigil.
Almost a month had passed since her deadline to leave. It meant nothing to Talia anymore. All she was waiting for was news of Aiden’s return. She hardly ate, barely slept, and then one day she found herself unable to make her daily pilgrimage to the harbour. She was drastically ill. Exhaustion and delirium kept her confined to bed, her body bathed in sweat and her mind overcome with dark dreams. She kept calling out to Aiden in her sleep.
It was a week before her eyes opened late one n
ight. There was a storm raging outside the window, but for the first time, she felt a sense of calmness and contentment. All was right with her world. Where did this feeling stem from?
The trees swayed riotously, but it was not the majesty of the storm that drew her attention but the sight of the silent figure by the window watching nature’s frenzied dance and highlighted by the flashes of lightning that cut through the darkness. Aiden was back. Relief flooded through Talia.
“You landlady let me in,” Aiden said. “She seemed to think you wouldn’t mind. I had to see you. But if you would like me to, I will leave.”
“Don’t,” said Talia. “I have something to say to you.”
“Then speak up, please. Let me hear it. I am afraid I can’t take the not knowing anymore,” said Aiden.
“I don’t want your protection, nor do I need you to save me,” Talia said to Aiden. He stiffened hearing her words. So this is how a rejection sounds. But then her tone turned softer, more loving. “I only need your love.” Almost stumbling on her unsteady feet, Talia fell into his arms. She had made up her mind. “I am not going anywhere. I am yours from this day onwards.” The stunned expression on Aiden’s face made her ask if he had changed his mind.
“Changed my mind?” Aiden exclaimed, turning towards her and embracing her. “I’ve thought of nothing else but you for the past seven months. Do you know how often I almost reached your doorstep? When Calhem was attacked, the distraction was almost a relief.”
It was not easy for Talia to let go of habits of the past. She was so used to a solitary life, but Aiden was extremely understanding. He reminded her so much of her father. As one day blurred into the next, the darkness of the days gone by began to fade, but the memories and scars were never forgotten. Over time, she locked them up in a little corner of her mind, and before she knew it, Talia found herself richer than she had been for a long time. It was not the title of princess she counted; it was the family she had gained. She welcomed the sunshine and exultation of her new life with a light heart even though she knew Damien would one day return. In the meantime, she wouldn’t keep her life on hold.
CHAPTER XX
Being a mother made you strong, but it also made you weak. You were willing to do anything to protect your children, including abandon the man you loved and destroying yourself. There was nothing you wouldn’t do to protect your children, and in the end, that became your downfall.
Father did tell me that I would only understand his extreme motivation to keep me safe at all costs the day I became a parent. So true…
Talia
THE PAST CATCHES UP - TALIA
Talia watched six-year-old Katie playing in the damp soil of the garden without a care in the world. All children deserve this carefree time to grow up happy and secure. Her own childhood had initially been happy too, largely because of Joshua. He was and always would be an integral part of her life. Her memories of him were bittersweet, bringing both joy and sorrow, but she would never let go. He never got the chance at life that he deserved. Talia, on the other hand, had been blessed. Was it fair? Why couldn’t she have been the one to be taken? It was now ten years since she had left Aberevon. As each new year dawned, she expected King Damien and his hunters to appear in her life, but nothing of that sort had happened. Was he dead? Had he forgotten about her?
Eight wonderful years with Aiden, and now there was Katie too. Keep Damien away a little while longer, she pleaded with the gods. Katie is so small. Only when Katie was born could she actually empathize with the worry and fears that must have dominated her mother’s thoughts. Talia no longer blamed Caitlin for running away. There were so many days when she wanted to pick up Katie, take Aiden’s hand, and disappear to some corner of the Earth where no one could find them. But her mother’s experience had taught her a lesson. There was no point in running. It was better to stand her ground and be prepared.
Meanwhile, she wanted her little girl to have a perfect life. Caitlin had made the same wish for Talia, but destiny proved it had alternative plans. Now Talia could feel the cruel knock of fate on her own door as a grating, masculine voice abruptly broke through her musing.
“What unusual hair,” a man’s voice said.
Talia felt fear coursing through her. Katie’s lovely blue locks, a replica of Talia’s own hair, were uncovered today, the one visible proof of their heritage. She turned slowly to find a smallish but well built ordinary looking man standing before her. He was apologetic for his intrusion, or at least pretended to be.
“My lady, I am a visitor to your splendid island. Lost in its natural beauty, I seem to have mistakenly wandered here,” he said, staring blatantly at Katie.
Talia knew a barefaced lie when she heard one. His smile was repugnant to her. Long since had she learned to read a person by their eyes. His were vigilant, watching her with a burning and frightening intensity. They made her uncomfortable and nervous. But why should she be afraid? He was the intruder. Hoping that her anxiety was not visible, she requested him to leave.
“Yes, indeed. I have found what I was looking for.” Smiling insolently, he cast another telling glance at Katie’s hair. That one look was enough. It confirmed Talia’s suspicions. This man had not wandered upon them by mistake. Damien must have been searching for her all these years, and now he had found her.
Talia knew that her past would catch up. She had been waiting for it. She believed she was always ready. Here was a stranger crumbling all her illusions with just a few words and glances. Was Aberevon the place he was returning to? Was Damien his king?
The man was baiting her to ask the question. She ought not to fall into the trap, but she had to know. She had to find out if he was Damien’s spy.
“Where are you from? What is your name?” she asked.
The man laughed. “I think the time for games is over, sorceress,” he said. “My name is Garcia. That won’t mean anything to you, but this will. I am the man who found your mother for King Damien.” He grinned at her, making her stomach turn. “Now I’ve found you, there is only the small matter of making you come with me.”
“This is now my home,” Talia said. “You can’t make me go anywhere with you.”
“Oh, I have my ways. I can be very creative,” he told her. “First, let me ask you a question. Are you your mother’s daughter?”
“What kind of question is that?” asked Talia, confused by the turn in the conversation.
“Your mother was willing to do anything to save your brother. What will you do to save your daughter?” he sneered at Talia.
Talia tried to maintain an air of indifference, and she largely succeeded except for failing to mask the shiver that ran down her spine. It did not go unnoticed and Garcia’s gloating smile only widened. “How about this?” asked Talia trying to control her panic. “We leave her behind and I return with you alone.” He was right; the time for pretensions and patience was well past. Talia needed to get her vengeance, but first, she had to protect Katie. If she went with him, she could get her vengeance at the same time, maybe keep war from coming to Syrolt. To keep Syrolt, its people and her family safe, she was willing to do anything.
“I need that little girl too,” he said, decimating all her plans in one go.
“That little girl is my daughter and she is not going anywhere,” declared Talia firmly. With the threat to Katie clear, Talia’s thinly held composure slowly unravelled. She could try to fight him but she remembered her father’s advice: there is a thin line between being brave and being reckless. She decided to err on the side of caution. Giving up all pretences of calmness, she began frantically calling for the guards.
Garcia remained unperturbed. He took a quick step forward while keeping an eye on Talia and trying to pre-empt her next move. She was ready for him. He would try to grab Katie; she was sure of it. Garcia knew that if he got his hands on the child, the sorceress would follow him to the ends of the Earth. He bent down towards Katie, but Talia stepped in between the two of them and push
ed Katie behind her. Her move disoriented him slightly, enough for her to take advantage of his momentary distraction. She gave him a shove, putting all her weight behind it. Garcia was a heavy man, so wasn’t knocked off his feet, but he did flounder and lose his balance.
“Run to the palace, Katie,” Talia yelled to the sobbing child. The little girl hesitated, reluctant to leave her mother alone at the mercy of the terrifying looking man. Garcia took advantage of her hesitation by trying to grab her again, but she was more alert this time and neatly stepped out of the way. A wave of adrenaline coursed through her veins as she stepped forward, kicking his leg hard and then pushing him again. This time, the spy careened backwards into a thorn filled rose bush. As he fell, he grabbed at Katie’s hair, making the child howl in pain. He gave a grunt of satisfaction as he looked at the blue strands of hair in his hand.
“How dare you hurt my daughter!” screamed Talia, and using her feet as a weapon, she began kicking Garcia. The thorns in the bush pricked and ruptured his skin every time he tried to roll over or rise, making his escape from the angry Talia very difficult. He tried to grab her ankle and pull her down but she kept moving. Katie stopped crying and stood staring at her mother dancing around. She had seen Talia riding Aherin and at swordplay, also with a bow and arrow, but never like this looking like an angry, avenging goddess.
Garcia had bulk on his side. Talia knew she could have tried to fight him if she was alone, but she couldn’t risk Katie getting hurt. Seeing Garcia quite badly entangled in the mass of the thorns, Talia grabbed Katie and started running towards the palace. She knew he could easily catch her if he chose to give chase. She was banking on the fact that a degree of self–preservation would encourage him to beat a hasty retreat.
