by Kit Morgan
A trumpet sounded, then others.
“King Bjorn is here!” Mildred cried. “Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!” She put an arm around Mitzi. “Where is Asger?”
“I don’t know,” Mitzi said through clenched teeth. She gulped air. “I … have to … find him.”
“I dare say, you do. If this keeps up there’ll be nothing left of the two of you.” Mildred stood, grabbed Mitzi’s arms and did her best to pull her to her feet. “Come now, perhaps he’s in his chambers.”
“No … ’s not.” Mitzi grabbed the table to stay upright. “He’s not in the castle.”
“How do you know?” Mildred asked, flustered.
“I just do. I …” Mitzi closed her eyes. “… I smell forest, water … grass …”
“Forest? Oh, well, that’s a problem.” Mildred wrung her hands.
Someone knocked at the door.
“Perhaps that’s him now,” Mildred said, trying to sound cheerful.
But Mitzi knew it wasn’t. It was … “Albert.” She looked at the door as Mildred went to answer it. “How do I know that?”
She opened the door and yes, there was Albert on the other side. He took one look at Mitzi and pushed past Mildred. “Oh, wow, what happened? Are you sick again?”
“I’m not sick! I’m …” She swallowed hard. “… I don’t know what I am.” She didn’t even feel human anymore. There was no explanation for any of this. She was a stranger to herself. The thing inside of her was taking over, pushing, pounding, like it wanted … out. And it was ripping her apart in the process.
“Come, my dear, we must get you …”
“She’s not going anywhere.” Albert took Mitzi’s arm to steady her.
“I have to find Asger …” She tried to twist away, and slumped to her knees.
“Oh, dear!” Lady Mildred glanced around. “We have to get her to him.”
“The prince?” Albert looked around. “We have to get her home. This place … she’s been sick ever since she got here, hasn’t she?”
Lady Mildred looked shocked, her mouth opening and closing a few times.
He rolled his eyes and faced Mitzi. “Listen to me. Maybe something happened to you when we came through … whatever it was that brought us here. All I know is you haven’t been yourself since you got here.” He straightened. “I’m getting you home.”
“Albert, nooo …” She trailed off as another bout of pain overtook her.
“Hang on, Mitz!” Albert pulled her toward the door.
“Stop, you mustn’t!” Mildred called after them.
“You’re not helping, lady!” Albert reached the door. “We’re gonna find that Scot and his wife. I know they can help.”
More trumpets sounded, this time in a fanfare.
Mitzi looked at Mildred over her shoulder. Mildred nodded back. “Young man, this is not the time for heroics!”
He shook his head and kept going, dragging Mitzi with him. “You’re crazy, lady. If I don’t get her out of here, something bad is gonna happen, I know it.”
Mitzi, despite her pain, laughed. Something bad was already happening.
“See? She’s cracking up!” He pulled her out the door, into the hall and toward the nearest guards. “Dallan and Shona MacDonald. Do you know them?”
The two guards exchanged a look. A third stepped forward. “I have heard of them. They are friends of Her Majesty’s.”
“Do you know where they are? I need to find them!”
The guard shook his head. “I’m afraid I’ve not seen them in many years, young sir.” He looked at Mitzi. “Is she all right?”
“Does she look all right?!” Albert growled. “She’s why I have to find them!”
Mildred stumbled out the door. “He must, yes, he must.” She grabbed the guard’s arm. “Take us to Her Majesty.”
“But Her Majesty and Prince Andel are awaiting King Bjorn and Princess Velta in the Great Hall. Did you not hear the trumpets? The Presentation is about to begin.”
“What? So early?”
“The Queen has moved the time. They wanted it done as soon as King Bjorn and the princess arrived.”
Mildred facepalmed. “Oh dear, oh dear.” She turned to Mitzi. “Asger will be at the presentation. That’s where we must go.”
Mitzi wept openly now. “Mildred … it hurrrrrts.”
Mildred’s eyes misted too as she leaned toward her and said softly, “I know.” She straightened. “Now, let’s get you to the prince before it’s too late.”
Dallan felt Shona bolt upright in bed. They had returned to the woods with Lany late last night, opened a door and sent him home to find out what he could about the relationship between Dalrovia and Lacona. If there was an easier way to mend broken fences between the two countries and avoid bloodshed, they wanted to find it. Melvale would make sure he got back to them in a few days. In the meantime, they were to take time to feed, then meet with Andel and Maddie over a late breakfast and straighten out the mess they’d caused.
“Do you think Mitzi’s inner heart has woken?” she asked.
Dallan roused and smiled lopsidedly. “For a moment I thought something was wrong.” He sat up too and his smile faded. “And mayhaps there is.” He looked at her. “D’ye feel anything?”
She nodded. “I thought I imagined it. Pain, lots of it.”
“Aye.” He got out of bed. “I hope ye’ve had yer fill, Flower. I have a feeling it’ll be a long day.” He reached for his pants.
She got up as well. “They are in pain, but is she feeding?”
“I couldna say. What d’ye think she feeds on?”
“No idea. We didn’t get a lot of time to observe her before we brought her here.”
“We havena heard her sing, so she’s no the same as you.” Shona’s inner heart fed on music, while their shared heart fed on … well, what all Muiraran couples did. It didn’t matter that Dallan was human – now that he was joined with her, they had to physically join, and often, to stay alive. The more powerful the Muiraran, the more often they needed it to stay strong and do their job. Not that either one minded.
“I cannot tell who is in more pain,” she said. “It is … I do not know, muddled.”
Dallan watched her as he pulled on a shirt, then closed his eyes. Shona was dropping her contractions, a sure sign she was under stress. The Muiraran language didn’t use contractions – with the exception of Melvale who made a study of Human languages. But when she didn’t, it meant her instinctive human façade was slipping. He let his heart search.
“What do you sense?”
He opened his eyes, his face grave. “Something’s wrong. The bonding … I think it’s been damaged.”
“Oh, no! What can we do?” They heard a trumpet fanfare. “What on Earth is that?”
“An announcement.” He grabbed his boots off the floor, found the socks he’d discarded the night before and hurried to put them on.
“What kind of announcement?” she asked as she hurried to get dressed herself.
“A royal one.” Dallan seethed. “Andel must’ve moved the time to present Asger to the princess, the sneaky bampot. If the lad touches her, it’ll damage the bond with Mitzi even further.”
“Dallan, maybe she touched her friend the barista. If he is here and she saw him, it makes sense. Though I thought it was too early to worry about the bonding being damaged.”
“Aye, so did I. It’s moving faster than I thought possible.” He pulled on his boots. “Saints, the lass has only been here two days!”
“Even we did not bond this fast.”
“She must be highborn like ye. How were we to know? No one’s seen fit to educate us on all the differences in Muirarans.” He stood, reached for his jacket and put it on. “There, let’s go.”
She tossed him a comb. “Make yourself presentable or they might not let us enter the Great Hall.” She pulled her dress over her head, then pointed at the back. “Help me.”
He walked over, took one look at all the bu
ttons and glared. “Och! Why do they make frocks so difficult in this century?”
She smiled at him despite their hurry and the severity of the situation. “Just do it.”
He deftly buttoned up the back of her dress, turned her around and kissed her.
Shona melted against him. “What was that for?” she asked when he broke the kiss.
“I have a feeling ye’ll need it. We can feel their pain and they’re in trouble.” He looked into her eyes. “I wilna let them die, Flower. I canna. Andel and Maddie, someone must be whispering some foul thing in their ears that’s taken hold and made them desperate. ‘Tis no like Andel to be the way he was last night, or to do this to us this morning. Something’s amiss here, I ken it.”
She nodded. “Then let’s go see what we can do.”
A contraction – good. He brushed her hair out of her face and kissed her again, deeper, longer. When he brought her to the point she’d become dizzy from the pleasure of it, he broke the kiss and captured her with a fierce look. “Are ye ready for battle, Flower?”
She licked her lips. “Battle?”
“Aye. Sometimes to prevent a war, ye have to fight one.”
Her face softened. “Understood.”
He watched her put on her shoes, then took her hand and led her to the door. They’d have to fight for Asger and Mitzi’s lives today and for who knew how many days after. It wouldn’t be many. Judging from the pain she sensed the two of them experiencing, they didn’t have much time.
Mitzi, with Mildred and Albert’s help, made it to the Great Hall, where everyone looked hurried. Some women were even doing last-minute touches to their hair while men straightened jackets and adjusted various fripperies. She noticed some men were in military dress, the kind set aside for pomp and circumstance. This was a big deal.
But where was Asger? “I don’t see him, Mildred – do you?” she asked.
“No, child, not yet. But he might be waiting outside the hall to make his big entrance.”
“I’m sorry, but who cares about the prince?” Albert said. “We need to find Dallan and Shona so we can get Mitzi out of here.”
“Patience, young sir,” Mildred said. “You don’t know if that’ll help.”
Mitzi ignored them for the moment, her heart set on Asger. The thought of having to watch him march down the center aisle of the huge room to a woman he’d never met and present himself like some sort of prized stallion was galling. And in front of a standing-room-only audience – where did all of these people come from?
She studied their surroundings from their spot against a wall. The hall was great indeed, with several huge chandeliers, walls of white and gold and a dais at one end with five chairs, the one in the middle clearly a throne. Near the royal family’s chairs were two more, probably for their guests – something you wouldn’t see in the throne room. In fact, this room was bigger than the throne room.
She watched Maddie, Andel, Raina and Vale seat themselves in those chairs. One, the second from Maddie’s right, remained empty. Her heart lurched as she craned her neck to see, knowing that Asger would soon take it. But they were being jostled about, and it hurt every time someone touched her, as if every nerve were on fire. Even worse, when Albert did, she felt a piece of her leave, like a bit of sand falling in an hourglass. And each time it happened, the weaker she became.
She didn’t dare tell him – he was upset enough already. She leaned against Mildred, who put an arm around her. Like a mother’s touch, it gave her strength.
Trumpets blared and the doors of the Great Hall opened. It was difficult to see, but the banners being carried in were hard to miss. The ceremony had begun.
“All this just to say hi?” Albert said.
“Yes,” Mildred said. “This is His Majesty King Bjorn’s entourage. Next will come a token gift for the Queen and Prince Consort. Then King Bjorn and his daughter Princess Velta will enter.”
Despite feeling so desperate, Mitzi gawked at the procession of banners in bright red, white and yellow. Next, more than a dozen guards in the same colors with identical insignia. She’d noted Dalrovian flags hanging around the hall – a Nordic cross in green, white and blue, with a four-pointed star in the upper left that reminded her of a jewel. She was caught up in the pageantry of it all.
Then came trunks and crates of all kinds of goods: dresses and robes, tapestries, chests containing Heaven knew what, even small pieces of furniture. All of it was beautiful. Never in a million years could she have dreamed this up.
Feeling suddenly dizzy, she slumped.
“Oh, no you don’t,” Albert took her from Mildred to keep her on her feet.
Mitzi gritted her teeth as the sensation of her life being siphoned away returned. “Let me go.”
“No, you’ll fall.”
“Please, Albert, let Mildred hold me up. Just … just take my word for it.”
“But …”
“Now!”
“Shhh!” several onlookers scolded.
Mildred smiled sweetly at them as she pried Mitzi away from Albert. “Nothing to worry about. She’s a little tired, that’s all.” She put an arm around her and glared at Albert. “Let her be, dear.”
His eyes widened. “Fine, but if she falls it’ll be your fault.”
Mildred narrowed her eyes. “I’ll risk it. There, there, dear, I’ve got you.”
Mitzi looked at her new friend. “Thank you.”
Mildred smiled but said nothing. She was too busy studying the Great Hall, looking for signs of Asger. There was none. Maybe he was waiting to come in last, the icing on the cake. More people marched in, looking very official.
Then the music changed, and there was a beating of drums, presumably announcing the arrival of the foreign king and his daughter. The crowd in front of them pushed forward and everyone seated stood. Mitzi stood on tiptoe, but it was no use. She couldn’t get a full view. But Albert might. “Tell me what you see,” she implored him.
He looked at her. “You sure you’re up to this?”
“Please Albert.” She had to know what Asger was getting into.
“Fine.” He stood on tiptoe, craned his neck – and his eyes went wide as saucers .
“What is it?” She looked but couldn’t see a thing. Then she caught a flash of red hair, a crown and creamy skin. “Well?”
“Oh, um …” Albert coughed. “It’s them, all right,” he whispered, his voice cracking on the last word.
“The king and his daughter?”
Albert nodded, his eyes glued to the procession.
If she’d had the strength to jump to see, she would. Unfortunately, she could barely stand, but thoughts of Asger gave her a strength. She knew that if she could only see him, she’d feel better.
The music changed again, then stopped as King Bjorn and his daughter took their seats on the dais by the royal family, and waited. The Great Hall fell silent. The trumpeters raised their instruments once more and played another fanfare.
This was it. Mitzi was about to see the one man she’d ever had feelings for – in more ways than one – walk down an aisle to another woman. They might as well be getting married today. With a sigh she realized Albert was right. What were they doing here? The sooner they went back to their own time, the better. But to do that they had to find … “Albert!” she hissed.
“What?”
“Look, over there!” Mitzi pointed across the room, to the right of the doors. “Dallan and Shona!” But how could they get to the Scotsman and his wife in the midst of all this foofaraw? And what was keeping Asger?
Chapter Twenty-Two
There was no way for Mitzi and the others to make their way to Dallan and Shona through the throng, even if it hadn’t been in the middle of a royal ceremony. She only caught a glimpse of them when several people stepped in different directions as the king and his daughter went by. They appeared to be looking for someone.
Albert turned to her. “I’ll go talk to them. You stay here.” He headed into the
crush.
The trumpets went off again, making Mitzi jump. “Oh, no – Asger!”
Mildred held her close. “I’m so very very sorry, my dear.”
“Why … oh, I see.” Mitzi swallowed back her disappointment. It was what it was. Asger was meant for another, and with luck she and Albert would go home. That is, if she didn’t keel over first, a distinct possibility. If she felt like this, what did Asger feel? She tried once again to see past the crowd in front of her, but it was still no use. For the umpteenth time, she cursed her small stature.
The trumpet fanfare faded as the onlookers murmured. “Oh, dear me,” Mildred said. “Where’s the prince?”
The same words spread through the hall like wildfire, split by a high-pitched screech. “Father! Where is he?!”
All heads turned to the dais. From Mitzi’s vantage point, she could see the princess, now standing, from the neck up. Her heart sank – the woman was beautiful. Tall, too.
Also, very annoyed. “Father?!”
King Bjorn stood. “Calm down, schatje. I’m sure there’s a logical explanation.” He turned to Andel and Maddie. “Isn’t there, Your Majesties? I pray your son isn’t ill.”
Mitzi couldn’t see Maddie’s expression, but could well imagine it was the same as hers. “Where is he?” she asked Mildred.
“I have no idea, my dear. He should be here, but …” She shrugged.
Mitzi gasped. “What could have happened?”
“I don’t know.” Mildred looked around. “Come, let’s try to get you out of here.”
Mitzi did her best to ignore the frantic whispers growing in the hall and the argument beginning on the dais between the royals. She was still in pain, weak, but she had to get out and find Asger. She sensed something was still terribly wrong with him. They inched through the crowd that was becoming louder by the minute. Maddie commanded everyone sitting to remain in their seats, assuring them the prince would be there momentarily. But Mitzi knew in her core he was not in the castle. He felt close, yet far away.
It took them several minutes to make it to the doors, where Albert stood with the MacDonalds. Both of them looked guilty. Mitzi didn’t have time or energy to get angry at how they’d brought her here – and from their expressions, they were the ones that had. She had to get to Asger.
