by R. G. Angel
A cold sweat of fear ran down my spine as I quickly glanced toward Tamlin who was still engrossed in the fight with his fae, so engrossed, in fact, that he didn’t even register the huge fae that crept behind him.
I turned toward him. “Tamlin, behind you!” I screamed at top of my lungs. I screamed so loudly that it felt like my vocal cords were going to break.
But it was too late. I saw the sword go through Tamlin, and I felt the sharp pain as if the sword had wounded me instead of him, as if I just died.
Tamlin’s eyes locked with mine as he fell, and I could see terror in them, not terror at his own fall but terror to leave me alone on the battlefield.
I could feel a presence behind me and as I turned around, I could see everything happening in slow motion as if time had stopped.
Myros was a couple of steps from me, his sword up, ready to strike, and I knew where it was going to hit… I could already feel my neck tingling where the sword would hit, and I knew it was too late, that none of the knights would have time to come save me before that final blow. But I was not afraid I was already dead—I died when I saw Tamlin fall.
“Checkmate, Princess,” he beamed, letting his sword go down.
I closed my eyes, expecting the blow, but when nothing came, I opened one eye to see Myros’ sword on the floor and his face distorted with both surprise and pain.
I opened my second eye and saw the tip of a sword pointing out of his chest, and I was not an anatomy expert, but it seemed to have gone through the heart.
Some blood started to spill from his mouth as he was making some gurgling sound, causing the fight to stop.
Myros fell on his knees and who I saw standing behind him, breathless, took my breath away. Myros' killer was none other than Gareth, his own son.
“I told you!” Gareth shouted, looking down at his dying father. “I told you not to kill her! You said you would keep her alive! I can’t accept her to die… She. Cannot. Die.” he screamed, sending a wave of energy so intense it made the ground below our feet and the trees around us shake.
He looked up, meeting my eyes, and even with everything that happened between us, I couldn’t help but feel guilty.
He looked around at the other faes remaining as they threw Gareth glances of betrayal and hate.
“Look what you forced me to do!” he shouted, concentrating on me again, his face distorted with anger, his eyes unfocused. “It’s all your fault! If you had agreed to be mine, if you had let go of the knight…” He took a step back as the huge fae took a step toward him, probably with the desire to avenge the death of his king. Gareth took a couple steps back. “You took everything from me! My heart, my family, my kingdom, my honor, my life! You’ll pay for it, Princess! I’ll be back!” he shouted again before disappearing in the trees.
The remaining faes let go of their swords, kneeling in submission. When I realized there was no danger, I rushed to Tamlin’s side, crawling on my knees when I reached his body.
I quickly rested my ear on his chest, and I could hear his faint heartbeat.
“He is still alive!” I shouted, reaching down and resting his head on my knees. “Please help me,” I begged, looking around, my vision blurry with my tears.
Aidan said something before rushing toward me, kneeling on Tamlin's other side.
“It will be okay, Fay; please don’t cry.”
I looked down as he ripped off Tamlin's shirt, inspecting the wound. I couldn’t help the sob that escaped my mouth. His wound was big and bleeding heavily. He was dying right here in my arms, and each passing second was killing me too.
“Put pressure on the wound.” Aidan put a piece of Tamlin’s shirt in my hand and I pressed it on Tamlin’s side. “We have to stop the bleeding. Fay, Fay, look at me.” I looked up and met his big brown eyes. “He is going to be okay; he is strong and the wound looks worse than it is. Frank went to the nearby village to look for a doctor; he’ll be here soon.” He gave me a sad smile. “Tamlin will fight to stay here. It’s where he belongs; it’s where you are.” He stood up. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
I looked down at Tamlin again as I continued to put pressure on his wound, trying to ignore the blood that was now coating my hand.
“Please, my knight, fight; stay with me,” I whispered, cradling his body even closer to mine. “I’m here right beside you; I know you can hear my voice. Take my strength, it’s yours.” I kissed his closed eyelids and just thinking I might not see his eyes again caused me physical pain. “I love you. You can’t leave me here alone, you just can’t. Don’t abandon me. You said it was you and me always; don’t break your promise.”
“Never,” he whispered so faintly I probably wouldn’t have heard it if I didn’t have my face against his, but hearing him gave me hope.
Someone came to kneel in front of me, and I tightened my hold on Tamlin in a stupid attempt to protect him.
“It’s the doctor, Fay,” Aidan soothed, kneeling beside me. “Let him look.”
I reluctantly let go of Tamlin, letting him rest gently on the ground.
Aidan helped me up and turned me toward him. “I’m so proud of you, Fay. You have been so brave, so strong, and you fought like a lion.” He gently dried my tears with his sleeve. I knew he was trying to keep me from looking at Tamlin, and I decided not to fight it; it was probably for the best.
“You’re bleeding.” I reached up to his cheek that had a nasty cut.
He chuckled, reaching for my hand. “That’s nothing, little one. Believe me, I’ve known much worse.” He took a deep breath, squeezing my hand.
“Yeah… I almost lost Tamlin and my head on the same occasion.” I tried to turn around to look at Tamlin and the doctor, but Aidan stopped me by putting his hands firmly on my shoulders.
“Let’s just talk for a few more minutes, okay?” He quickly looked behind me. “He is fine, I promise; it’s just… impressive.”
“He won’t die, will he?” I asked and hated myself, knowing that I sounded like a whiny little girl. I was also being selfish, knowing that we did lose some knights today… three to be exact, but Tamlin was the only one I had in mind.
“He will die eventually, but not today, not from this wound… not from this fight.” He squeezed my shoulders. “He has too much to live for; he has you.”
I looked at him quizzically. “So deep down you are a romantic, aren’t you?”
“Shush…” He brought his forefinger to his lips. “Let’s keep it our secret.”
“Thank you… Thank you so much for being here.”
“Anytime, Princess.”
“Excuse me,” the doctor interrupted.
I turned around so briskly, making him take a step back. “Is he going to be okay?” I asked with urgency.
The doctor wiped some blood from his hand and nodded. “As far as I can tell, no vital organs have been injured. He did lose a lot of blood, but he is strong and he is clearly a fighter. I stitched up his wound. He will be weak for a few days and he should be checked by a doctor every other day. He might be a bit tired and sore for a few weeks, but he will live.”
I jumped up and hugged the doctor. “Thank you! Thank you so much!”
“You are very welcome, but he was the one who did all the work. He really fought to stay alive.” The doctor pointed at the cart behind two horses. “We need to take him back to the main city. I can’t take care of him in the village; the town will be so much better for him.”
“I’m coming with you,” I said in a rush before turning to look at Aidan, feeling guilty leaving him there. After all, I had been the one who requested this fight. “I—”
“You go ahead, Fay. Take Frank with you. I’ll finish up here and take them back to their territory.” He probably saw the worry on my face as he continued. “Don’t be afraid; I’ll be safe. I’m taking those two with me.” He pointed to the two remaining knights. “And they took The Oath before fighting… it’s as binding on them as it is on us. You go now.” He smiled. “
He needs you.”
I ran to the cart and sat down by his head, taking his hand in mine.
“Thank you for staying; thank you for fighting,” I whispered, kissing his hand.
Tamlin moved slightly, opening his eyes a little bit. Seeing the jade of his eyes was like the most beautiful thing in my world.
“I made you a promise; I couldn’t break it. I love you too much to go away.”
I chuckled in between my tears, lying beside him. “If you had died, I would have had to bring you back before killing you again for abandoning me.” I brought my hand gently to his face, as if he were glass… as if I was going to hurt him. “If I had lost you, it would have been the final blow. When I saw you lifeless on the floor, I knew I wouldn’t have made it back. I wouldn’t have healed from that.”
“When the sword hit me, it meant nothing compared to the thought of you dying. That hurt so much more than a thousand swords.” He coughed and winced.
“Rest now. Please. We’ll have the rest of our lives to talk.” I kissed his lips softly. “Thanks for coming back to me.”
“It was never a choice; I love you,” he whispered, closing his eyes again. “So much.”
I sighed with content. “I love you too.”
Chapter 22
As soon as we’d reached the castle, I was taken away to the war council as Tamlin was taken care of by the medics.
All my instincts told me to go with him, but I knew he was okay, and I had to show the council, if I ever wanted them to accept our relationship, that it would not affect my duties or his.
I told them the story including Gareth's betrayal, which seemed to surprise them all or at least most of them. If I didn’t know any better, I would have said they’d expected it.
The council congratulated me and requested this version of the events to stay between us for the time being.
I would have agreed to anything right now just to be able to go back to Tamlin and stay by his side.
“May I walk you back?” General Woods asked, standing up, showing it was not really a choice.
“Of course.” I looked down at my hand and noticed that despite the scrubbings, I still had a little of Tamlin’s blood surrounding my nails.
Nausea hit me but I quickly tightened my hands behind my back.
We walked silently for a couple of minutes.
“Tamlin’s going to be okay, General Woods,” I blurted out. “He got hurt but the doctor said he’d be fine.”
General Woods nodded. “Yes, I’m aware, but thank you for telling me.”
“What’s going to happen now? Are we in charge of the faes too?”
He shook his head. “No, we won’t ever rule over Ciaradh. They need to figure out what they will do—any ruler will be better than Myros. He’s been a tyrant for over thirty years.”
“Maybe it will help people understand that Gareth—”
“Gareth nothing,” he interrupted me. “What you told us in the war room will stay in the war room. As far as people are concerned, you faced Myros and you defeated him.”
I stopped walking and swirled around to face him. “Excuse me?”
He stood straighter. “You defeated Myros, no one else. We can’t make this ultimatum the lucky strike it had been. You’ve done it to gain your legitimacy; any other outcome will not allow that.”
“But— It’s a lie.”
“Some lies are justified.”
“What if the faes tell the truth?”
He shook his head. “They won’t. They will be too happy to corroborate our version. Betrayed by their own prince?” He shook his head.
“Will he be okay?” I couldn’t help but ask. “Gareth?”
General Woods frowned. “Why should we care? Why should you care for the fae prince?”
“He saved my life,” I said. It was justification enough, or at least it ought to be.
“Don’t.” He shook his head. “He is prince of the fae; he’s been raised by a sociopath. Do not feel anything positive because I can tell you that his reasons are not pure. You have not grown up here; you don’t know that.”
“Whose fault is that?”
“If you’d stayed, you’d be dead just like your mother!” he snapped.
I looked at him, my mouth slightly ajar at the outburst I was not expecting from him.
He sighed. “Listen, tensions are running high; we’re saying things we don’t mean.” He gestured toward the door of my room. “Please go back to your room, freshen up, and rest for a while. I’ll go see my son now and will send someone for you soon.”
“Oh yes, of course!” Despite my annoyance, I could understand his wish to go see Tamlin.
I took a bath, getting rid of all the grit of the day before sitting down on the corner of my bed, looking out the window, grateful that most of us had come back, grieving for the ones who didn’t.
I was pleased that Myros was dead; it gave Heulwen a break and avenged my brother’s death, but despite General Woods’ words, I couldn't help but worry about Gareth and his ultimate gesture of betrayal for my benefit.
He’d said he loved me, and I didn’t know what to think. But now he was gone and the look he gave me as he disappeared in the trees—it had so much hate in it, it was like he wished I was dead.
A little shiver ran down my spine as I thought of the look on his face.
‘You’ll pay for it, Princess! I’ll be back,’ his voice and his words shot in my head and I was more than grateful when Aidan interrupted my introspection.
When he walked in, I rushed into his arms, and once again he was taken aback, turning to stone for a couple of seconds before wrapping his arms around me.
Maybe fairies were not big into demonstrating affection. Well, too bad because he’ll get the hugs whether he liked it or not.
“How are you doing, little one?” he asked, rubbing my back.
I pulled back, looking at him. “Confused, a little scared, highly frustrated.” I looked at his cheek and gasped in surprise.
“How?” I let my hand hover over the scar. The cut had been deep, and it was still there, red and angry, but it looked like a scar that was days old, not mere hours.
“I went to the healer.”
I looked at him with puzzlement. “Like the doctor?”
He shook his head, releasing me from the hug and walking into my room. “No, we have doctors like the one you saw on the field. They would patch you up, do surgeries, etc.” He shrugged and took the seat I gestured him to. “Healers are just prone to elemental healing, fairies with a particular gift. They are not very common, and they can only do small things. Speed healing a little, helping to prevent infections, soothing some of your pain.”
“That’s nice. I’m glad you’re okay.” I sat across from him.
“Tamlin is fine too,” he added, answering my unspoken concern. “He has two healers with him. He should be up in the next few days.”
“Can I go see him?”
He looked at me for a second before shaking his head. “No, he’s in the military quarters.”
“Why not?” I asked, my exasperation growing exponentially.
“It would not be proper. The Queen of Heulwen is not to go see a healing knight. People would talk.”
I threw my hands up in frustration. “Is it always going to be like that? I feel more like a prisoner than any kind of princess or queen.” I shook my head as angry tears started to burn at the back of my eyes. “I'm being told what to ask, what to worry about, what to do,” I growled. “Fuck, it’s like I can’t even decide what is in my own head anymore!” I blinked back my tears. “Is that how it’s going to be? Was it how my father dealt with everything? Was he a puppet too?”
“Fay, no. I—” He sighed. “General Woods is still in charge, and even if he is going about it the wrong way, he is genuinely trying to help you. But soon you will be crowned, and you will be able to choose your own circle of advisers. But even as a queen, you will have rules to follow—just like your father
and mother did,” he added quickly, probably noticing my scowl. “We're not a totalitarian state; you will have to follow council guidelines. You can’t just do whatever you like.”
“I’m not a petulant child, Aidan. I just want to be able to roam around the palace if I please.” I pointed at the window. “Visit the villages, meet the people, know how we actually live. Reading about it is one thing, but seeing it is another.”
Aidan leaned forward on his chair, resting his forearms on his legs. “You will, very soon. The news of your victory is spreading fast. We will need to arrange for your crowning very soon. Once you are on the throne, I will take you out, I promise.”
“Tell him… Tell him…” I sighed with a shake of my head.
“I’ll come see you tomorrow and give you news. In the meantime, get some rest; you deserve it. You managed to do something nobody else would have dared. I’m so proud of you, Fay. Your mother would have been so proud.”
His words choked me up with emotions. I hadn’t known how much I’d needed to hear that.
“Thank you,” I whispered, still overwhelmed by emotions.
After three days I’d given up the idea of being allowed to see Tamlin, but at least I knew that he was okay thanks to Aidan.
I was sure that, as soon as he was well enough, he would come to me anyway. So I spent my time reading about our history and organizing my coronation. I should at least be grateful to be involved in my own coronation.
I was about to get ready for bed when Aidan came to my room.
“Tamlin moved back to his private quarters today, and he’d tried to escape twice to come see you when the doctor said to take it easy at least a few more days.” He rolled his eyes. “Since you’re both insufferable, I’ve got no other choice but to take you to him.”
I tried my best to contain my smirk. I was glad that Tamlin was getting restless too. It was reassuring to know he missed me as much as I missed him.
“Put this on.” Aidan threw me a gray tunic with a hood. “Hood up, you’ll look like a servant in case we see anyone.”