by Rachel Angel
Oldman turned to the soldiers around him. “Listen to me, troops,” he shouted. When they had all come around him, he beamed with supreme authority. “If any you of you out here,” he said. “If any of you have misgivings about this invasion this evening, let me remind you of the hundreds of friends and family that we’ve lost to The Kingdom of Spring. Their soldiers never spared the lives of our soldiers; our brothers. Why should we spare theirs?”
Some of the soldiers gathered around him cheered.
“We are dealing with a vengeful and hate-filled kingdom here. Remember that as we cross the border. Remember that when we storm the castle. This kingdom must be destroyed, and every single person in it must never again see the light of day. There are to be no prisoners, no survivors. This kingdom is to be left void of any life at all.”
“But, sir,” one young soldier said. “I thought we had a treaty with The Kingdom of Spring. A new alliance.”
“I told you,” Oldman said calmly. “They are a vengeful and hate-filled people. The treaty broke down.” Oldman pulled a scroll from his belt. “The King has ordered that we put an end to The Kingdom of Spring.”
He unrolled the scroll, showing all the soldiers the order and the royal seal.
The soldiers fell to their knees, muttering their allegiance to their king.
Chapter 13
Oak
“Sir,” a young soldier said, coming up to Oak’s side. “It appears that Kingdom of Sea is headed towards The Kingdom of Spring.”
His brow furrowed, Oak looked at the young man. “Are you certain? They have a treaty. They are allies.”
“It seems that the treaty has been broken.” The young soldier looked quizzically at Oak. “Do we change our orders, sir?”
Oak took a moment to digest the young soldier’s words then finally nodded. “We have no choice. We must strike The Kingdom of Sea sooner than planned. We’ll battle both if necessary.”
“So, I’ll give the order?” the young man said.
Oak hesitated. He hated the thought of fighting with Kingsley and hated even more the thought of fighting The Kingdom from which Harley came from. It was an impossible situation and it seemed like there was no way out.
Forlorn, he looked up to the soldier. “I’m afraid I have no other choice. I wish I had a better solution, but we’re being forced into a corner, leaving us with no other options. We have to fight them.”
The young man nodded and left.
Oak sat back in his chair. A part of him refused to let it go. There had to be a better way. At the Academy they were all friends. They all got along. How could it come to this? How had they let it come to this?
Closing his eyes, he sat back. He had to try to communicate with Harley. If anyone could put an end to all this, chances were she was the one who could stop it.
He concentrated on his fae magic and reached her.
“Harley,” he silently called out. “Do you hear me?”
And suddenly he saw her. She was walking down a wooded path and she looked up at the sound of her name. She looked tired.
“Harley,” he said. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry that things have come to this. This isn’t what I wanted.”
She looked into the air again, and this time Oak realized that she wasn’t alone. She was walking behind a carriage.
“What’s going on?” he muttered to himself. Why would she be walking behind a carriage. She was a princess. And even if she was a warrior princess, it didn’t explain why she was walking behind a carriage… and so close to it.
And then he saw it. Her wrists were tied together and tethered to the back of the carriage.
“Holy crap,” he whispered. “What the hell is going on?”
He widened his view, focusing on the entire scene instead of just Harley. The carriage belonged to The Kingdom of Fall.
“The twins?” Oak said. “Harley, have the twins captured you?”
She shook her head ever so slightly. Through her vision, Oak saw the twins unconscious and locked in a tiny room in the Fall castle.
“They tried to save you?” Oak said. “Did they try to free you?”
Harley nodded.
The carriage stopped. Harley wondered if they’d reached the battlefield.
The Kingdom of Fall had taken Harley prisoner, Oak thought. This broke the agreement between the Dean of Fallen Fae Academy and The Kingdom of Woods.
“Hang in there, Harley,” Oak said. “Hang in there.”
Oak bolted out of his chair and exited the tent to go to his men.
“Pack up!” he ordered. “We’re turning around!”
The startled men stared up at him.
“It is The Kingdom of Fall that we are to attack.”
And we’ll free you, Harley, he thought. I’ll go in there with my bare hands if I have to, but I – will – free – you!”
Chapter 14
Prince Harris
“Apparently, The Kingdom of Fall is on their way,” Conor said.
Prince Harris looked up at him, certain he’d made a mistake. Seated behind a great wooden desk covered with various military strategies, he looked at the various maps. “You mean The Kingdom of Woods?”
“No, Harris,” Conor said. “We’re not sure what they’re up to, but it truly is The Kingdom of Fall.”
Prince Harris turned to Ethan. “Go see if you can learn anything from intelligence. Someone must have heard something about this.”
Ethan nodded and left the room. He returned only a few moments later, his face grim.
“So?” Prince Harris said.
“It’s worse than we thought, Harris,” Ethan said. “They have Princess Harley.”
Bewildered, Prince Harris shook his head. “What? Are you sure?”
Ethan nodded. “She was spotted walking behind a carriage with The Kingdom of Fall crest.”
Prince Harris chuckled nervously. “Walking behind it. Why would Harley walk behind any carriage, much less one from The Kingdom of Fall?”
Ethan hesitated.
“What is it?” Prince Harris said. “Come on. Spit it out.”
“She’s tethered to it.”
Stunned, Prince Harris threw his pen onto his desk and shoved his massive chair back. He stood and came around the desk and Ethan’s eyes suddenly widened with fear.
“Hey,” Ethan said. “Don’t kill the messenger. I had nothing to do with…”
Prince Harris stopped and drew in a deep breath. “I know. Of course, I know. I have no intention of hurting you. I’m just… Damn it. I just can’t believe it.”
“I don’t understand,” Conor said. “Why would The Kingdom of Sea…?”
“Doesn’t really matter,” Prince Harris said softly.
“Yeah,” Conor agreed. “It doesn’t matter for now why they’re doing this. All that matters is getting Princess Harley out of their custody.”
Prince Harris had his own reasons for wanting to free Harley from the grasp of The Kingdom of Fall. Though still a stranger to him, she was nonetheless his half-sister. Family honor demanded that he do all that he could to save his sibling.
Glancing at Ethan and Conor, he could easily guess why they were so eager to help Harley; they were both smitten with her. Since the day they’d set eyes on Harley they had repeatedly made clear their attraction to the young princess, each boasting their noble titles as worthy of Harley’s hand.
“How can we safely approach the caravan?” Ethan said.
Prince Harris return to his chair and settled in, his eyes going over the many maps and strategic plans. They were worthless now that his sister was in the custody of The Kingdom who was supposed to be their ally.
“Should we tell The Queen?” Conor said.
“I don’t think so,” Prince Harris said. “Not yet. There’s no point alarming her now. She would probably hop on a horse and go out there herself to save her little girl. No. She already has enough to contend with. She’s heading the army and preparing for battle. As The Gene
ral to her army, she doesn’t even have time to deal with this, even if she wanted to. We just learned that The Kingdom of Sea has broken its ties with us. We no longer have a valid treaty with them.”
Ethan and Conor exchanged shocked glances.
“What are you saying? Kingdom of Sea is no longer our ally?”
Prince Harris nodded.
“So, you see, we have to find a way to bring Harley home safe and sound.”
Ethan walked up to the large desk and tapped the top with his fingertips. “What if we could get our hands on the uniforms the soldiers of Fall wear? We could infiltrate their army and get close.”
“Sounds interesting,” Conor said. “We wouldn’t even need an army. We could do it all on our own.”
Prince Harris was silent.
“What do you say, Harris?” Ethan said. “Do we have a plan? Do you think we can do this on our own?”
“We have no choice,” Prince Harris said quietly, almost as if he were talking to himself. “We have no choice but to do this on our own. It seems The King of the Sea has betrayed us. The Kingdom of Sea has turned its back on us. My God, everyone is turning against us. Even The Kingdom of Wood is on their way. Every soldier in our kingdom has been called to arms to defend our borders. No one would be available to help us even if we called on them.”
Ethan and Conor looked upon their prince, awaiting the official order.
“My mother would lose her mind if she knew of this,” Prince Harris said, his gaze coming up to his most trusted friends. “If The Kingdom of Fall is planning to use Harley as leverage against us, we have to do everything… everything to get her home.”
“Yes, sir,” Ethan said. “I’d give my life…”
“Just give the order, sir,” Conor said. “And I will gladly lay down my life for her… for you.”
Prince Harris smiled. They never called him sir. He was happy to see that they took this seriously and were prepared to do anything and everything for him.
Chapter 15
Harley
After stumbling and falling several times, Harley found it increasingly difficult to keep up with the carriage. After only a brief pause to regroup, the caravan had resumed its course. Finally, the lieutenant had Harley ride in the cramped carriage. Though no longer having to walk, she felt even more trapped than before.
The carriage rocked back and forth, often lunging forward suddenly. Soon, her teeth rattled, and she had a pounding headache.
Looking around the small enclosure, she knew she had to find a way out. Not only was riding the carriage painful, but she knew The General of Fall hoped to use her in order to win the war with Spring… and possibly the other kingdoms as well.
She’d learned her magic well. The guys had trained her well and had praised her so many times. So why was her magic not working now? Repeatedly she’d tried to conjure up weapons to save herself.
She looked around the carriage. Something was keeping her powers away from her. Something was preventing her from using her fae magic. All that remained was her protective armor and her own human strength and human skills.
There had to be a way of regaining her magical powers. Her eyes scanned the small carriage, then she noticed the flimsy curtain covered with dust. She pulled back the curtain to find a small window. The dust on the window barely allowed for a view of the outdoors.
Harley looked down at her armored hand. It would do. She tapped the glass with the back of her hand. It cracked. She tapped it again and a few small chards fell. The hint of cedar scented air came in. She tapped it once more and several large pieces fell off, offering her some much needed fresh air and a view of her surroundings.
She was about to smash through the window when she heard Oak’s voice. Startled, she sat back inside the carriage.
“Oak?” she whispered. “Is that you?”
She heard his sexy laugh. “Have you forgotten what I told you about communicating with me… through your fae magic?”
Though she shook her head, truth was she had forgotten.
“I’m so happy to hear you, Oak,” she said softly. “Something awful is happening.”
“I know,” he said. “And I’m so sorry. You’ve been captured. I can see that, but I don’t understand. So many things are going on… unexpected.”
“I know.”
“My men are on their way,” Oak said. “Sit tight. They’ll get you out of there.”
“What about you?” she said, hoping he would come for her. “Where are you? Where are you going?”
Silence.
“Oak?”
“I wish I could go, Harley,” he said, his voice pained and filled with regret. “Are you aware that Kingdom of Sea is on the verge of attacking the Palace of Spring?”
Harley was stunned and confused.
“I’m presently leading my army to head them off. I must also tell you that the treaty between The Kingdom of Fall and The Kingdom of Woods has been broken. We are no longer allies. By capturing you, they’ve made their choice. They’ve broken our alliance.”
“Everything is so messed up,” Harley said. “I have to get out of here. I have to find a way to get my magical powers back. Oak, you are all going to wind up dead.”
“It’s a sad fact of war, but I’m going to have to fight Kingsley,” Oak went on as if he hadn’t heard her. “At least now I know that I am justified in defending your kingdom from the Sea’s onslaught.”
“Oak. No,” she said.
“Sit tight, Harley,” Oak went on. “My men will be with you soon.”
“Oak!” Tears welled up in her eyes. The thought of them battling it out sickened her. How could they go from being classmates one day to warring with each other the next? It was insane.
Harley sat staring and the inside of the carriage, her heavy breath echoing in her ears. She had to get her magical powers back. It was the only way to put an end to the insanity.
She went back to the small window and, this time, smashed it with the full force of her armored fist.
Instantly, a group of Fall soldiers were in her face, their swords pointed up at her.
She smiled sweetly and demurely. “Sorry fellas. This jolting jalopy sent me flying and I busted up your window.” She shoved her face in the opening. “Although that fresh air sure does smell sweet.” She looked at them and noticed one particularly good-looking young soldier. Smiling, she winked at him and he flustered.
“I don’t want to keep you from your duties,” she said, still smiling. “I’ll just sit tight and let you guys go on with what you were doing.”
The fresh air helped to clear her mind, but there was still so much to contend with. The Kingdom of Sea…
Why would Kingsley change tactics and attack her kingdom? It didn’t make sense. Deep in her heart, she knew that Kingsley would never do such a thing.
Would he?
“Would you, Kingsley?” she whispered. “Have you betrayed me?”
Instead of getting a response from Kingsley, it’s Zed’s voice that she heard.
“Harley!” he said, his voice now clearer.
“Zed!” she said, standing and looking around. He sounded so close, as if he were right there with her. “Zed, are you all right? Is Red with you? Have you escaped from your father’ hold?”
He chuckled. “Yes, yes and yes.”
Harley let out a loud relieved sigh.
“And we’re on our way,” Red said.
“This is all so unexpected, Harley,” Zed said. “I hope you know that we had no idea what our father’s plan was.”
“If we’d known he would do this to you, capture you, we would have never brought you home,” Red said.
“I can’t imagine the sense of betrayal you must feel,” Harley said. “To have your own father turn on you like this. It must just be awful.”
“It’s painful,” Red admitted. “What also pains us is how he tricked our mother. She trusted him. But in the end, all he ever wanted was power… power above all.”
“None of us could have ever guessed that he was so power-hungry. He wants it all, Harley. He wants the entire realm. Spring, Sea, Woods… all of it. And he used us to get it.”
“Regardless of all that,” Zed said. “We’re going to free you, Harley. I love you. We love you, and we’ll do everything to free you. I no longer feel any allegiance or affection for the man I’ve called father these past years. He is a traitor. A traitor to our kingdom and a traitor to my heart.”
“We’ll do whatever it takes,” Red added. “If we have to kill the wretch to get to you, then that is what we will do.”
She was about to answer them, but another strained and scratchy voice came through.
“Harley! Do you hear me?”
“Kingsley? Kingsley! Yes! I hear you. What is going on? Why are you attacking my kingdom?”
“Our army has been taken over by Oldman. He is falsely leading the army into Spring. He’s taken my father’s seal and has convinced the entire army that this is The King’s wish. It isn’t, Harley. Surely you know that.”
Relieved, she smiled. “Yes. Of course, I do.”
“They are within minutes of the Spring border,” Kingsley went on. “I’ve contacted your mother. She refuses to believe that I had no part in this. She thinks that I’ve betrayed her, that The Kingdom of Sea has betrayed her.” He gasped and fell silent for a long moment.
“Kingsley?” Harley said, now concerned for his safety.
She noticed then that the carriage had stopped. They were no longer moving. Her heart raced.
“Kingsley?” she whispered with urgency. “What’s going on?”
“It’s already begun,” Kingsley said in a feeble whisper. “The fighting is under way. Oh, shit! This is going to be ugly. Soldiers on both sides already litter the battlefield.”
“Have you reached the border, Kingsley?”
“I’m close. I’m closing in. I can hear them in the distance. I can hear their death cries.”