Reflection- Thorn of the White Rose

by Rachel R. Smith

  “Indeed. And yet we don’t know the books’ significance. How are we to know if this is one of those the Ohanzee are searching for?” Casimer asked, flipping through the pages once again. “It’s a collection of old stories—the kind every child knows by the time they reach Ladon’s age.”

  Echidna tapped one finger against her cheek. “Perhaps it is not the content that is important but something about the book itself. May I have a closer look?”

  “Please do,” Casimer said as he passed it over to her. “In the meantime, Nils, I would like an update on the illness afflicting my people.”

  Echidna held the book beneath her nose and then snorted softly to expel the scent of moldering paper. There was nothing extraordinary about its smell other than its stench.

  Nils stepped closer to the dais and knelt. “Unfortunately, the sickness continues to spread and remains as virulent as ever. However, we have received word that doctors in Niamh have begun circulating an herb-based cure.”

  “Herbs?” Casimer scoffed. “Am I to believe that plants can cure an illness our modern medicines can’t?”

  Echidna looked up from her inspection of the book and laughed behind one hand. “If that were the case, one could avoid ever getting sick by eating an apple every day.”

  “I merely report what I have learned and let you judge its value,” Nils said. “If you so choose, I can have one of my men acquire the recipe for its preparation.”

  “That will not be necessary,” Casimer replied. “As you said earlier, we have limited resources and need to reserve our efforts for endeavors that will produce useful results.”

  A sneer spread across Echidna’s lips, but she remained silent. She ran her fingers down the book’s spine and into the pocket the stone came out of. Finding nothing remarkable, she opened the cover and idly traced her fingernails along the edge of the fabric lining the inner cover.

  “I think that is a wise choice, my King.” Nils shifted his weight, clearly uncomfortable kneeling despite the cushioning from the plush carpet. “Might I suggest you consider sending the prince to your country estate to better shield him from this sickness? After all, he is your only heir.”

  “Though it would pain me to be separated from him, it may be best to send him away until we find a cure—particularly since children are among the most severely affected.”

  Echidna’s finger twitched so sharply her nail snagged the edge of the lining. The aging adhesive let loose easily, and the corner of the fabric peeled away. “No, you will not send him away!”

  Casimer laid his hand over hers. “You know as well as I do that he is terribly unhappy being confined inside the castle. The sickness hasn’t spread to the regions around our country estate yet. Ladon would be free to do as he liked.”

  “Then you need to pursue the potential cure from Niamh. You can’t send your son away until you’ve exhausted all of your options!” Echidna’s nails bit into her palm, but she did not loosen her fists.

  “You’re trembling, my dear,” Casimer said, patting her hand consolingly. “If it upsets you so much, I will take some time to consider what is best for our family.” His eyes drifted away from her face and down to the book. “What is that?”

  Echidna followed his gaze to where the fabric covering had been torn away. Scripted words in black ink scrolled across the exposed area and disappeared beneath the cloth. She grabbed the corner, pulling it away until the whole page was uncovered.

  The fifth section of the prophecy is as follows:

  The attempt is ill-fated, however. Entering the presence of the Destroyer will put the Reflection in grave peril, and he will spill their blood a second time.

  The Destroyer’s reign will be brought to an end by one who bears the dragon’s mark, but the sword that pierces his heart will not be wielded in malice. In his absence, the Revenant will seize the empty throne.

  “It’s a prophecy,” Echidna said in barely more than a whisper.

  Casimer jabbed at the text with his index finger. “This must be why the Ohanzee are searching for these books.”

  Nils was hovering behind the throne, reading over their shoulders before Echidna realized he had moved. “It says this is the fifth section. It will be challenging to interpret the meaning without having all of the sections.”

  Casimer’s voice was filled with scorn. “I put no stock in superstitions like prophecies. The only way to predict the future is through the study of past events and patterns. You should know I find there is no truth to be derived from fancies and dreams, Nils.”

  Nils pressed his lips together in a tight line. “I know that fact well, my King. I was not making reference to your ability to interpret the prophecy. I was pointing out that having this in our possession hinders theirs.”

  “Fair enough. I may not believe in this nonsense, but our enemies do.”

  “Still, what harm is there in giving this prophecy a small degree of consideration?” Echidna asked. “If the Ohanzee seek the books to obtain all of its pieces, they must view it as a way to help them avenge their fallen rulers. I don’t see any other reason why they would be collecting them. Even if it is untrue, studying this section may provide some clues about our enemies’ plans.”

  “When you put it that way, it does make sense to use the text to gather more insight. Yet how are we to know who the Destroyer, the Reflection, and the Revenant are?”

  “I can only guess the identities of the Reflection and the Revenant. But how could I not know who the Destroyer is when my darling Casimer’s name means ‘Destroyer of Peace’?”

  Nils gazed down at her with a smug smile. “You are mistaken, my Queen. The King’s name means ‘Bringer of Peace.’ ”

  “No. That is the most commonly assigned meaning, but his name is associated with both.”

  “She is correct,” Casimer said. “I didn’t expect either one of you to know something so obscure.”

  “I try to know everything about you, my darling,” Echidna said, brushing his cheek with the back of her hand. “I think the first lines bring good news to you. Though we do not know what attempt is being planned, or who is planning it, you will foil it and spill their blood instead.”

  “I agree with that interpretation,” Nils said. “But the second part seems to support my suggestion to send the prince away to the country estate.”

  Casimer nodded solemnly and placed his hand over his heart. “The dragon’s mark sounds like it could refer to the tattoo identifying the Marisianne royal heirs. There is only one living person other than myself with such a mark, and that is Ladon.”

  Echidna jerked to her feet, no longer able to remain perched on the arm of the throne. “Ladon is just a child. He adores you. He would never harm you.”

  Casimer regarded her sadly. “You know that I adore him as well. Yet this prophecy is vague, as they always seem to be. It does not include a time frame. The events described here could take place tomorrow or many years from now. And it specifically says the sword will not be wielded in malice. That makes it sound even more likely to be Ladon’s doing.”

  “You said prophecies are nonsense,” Echidna protested. Crimson cheeks betrayed her emotion as she struggled to maintain her composure. “With no time frame, how long do you plan to send him away? You would be sending your own son away out of fear of what may happen.”

  “Indeed, I only gave this prophecy consideration based on your advice,” Casimer said calmly. “I can’t imagine that Ladon would ever wish to do me harm, but who is to say these lines don’t warn of a tragic accident? My decision is not based on this prophecy alone, however. I was already considering sending him to the country estate to protect him from the sickness. This additional piece of information merely solidifies my decision.”

  “So you are sending our child away?” Echidna demanded, her eyes stinging with unshed tears.

  “Yes, until a cure has been found to this mysterious illness and I can determine the value of this prophecy. You must see that it is the most
logical course of action.”

  Echidna set her jaw and stared up at her husband, wishing she had never uncovered those vile words. Nils stood behind the throne, a ghost of a smile on his lips. She spun around so she didn’t have to look at the pair any longer and put one foot in front of the other, marching toward the door before her tears could spill over.

  “Echidna, my dearest, we aren’t finished yet. Where are you going?” Casimer called out from the throne.

  A hot tear leaked out from the corner of her eye, but she resolved not to let him know how upset she was. She took a deep breath, and when she answered her voice rang through the room, steady and strong.

  “Where my son goes, so do I.”

  Chapter 10

  Nightmares of Rabbits and Wolves

  Desta

  Desta flopped down to the ground and promptly pulled off her shoes to rub her sore feet. She didn’t care that she was sitting in dirt. It didn’t matter that there was a rock poking into her aching bottom. She was sitting, and that was enough. After traversing a seemingly endless series of switchbacks up the mountainside, the group had finally reached the top of the old trade route leading to the bridge that crossed the Ameles River.

  Navigating the switchbacks had been maddening. The road was so steep and so eroded from years of neglect that it had been necessary to lead the horses instead of ride them. For every hundred feet they walked, they progressed only thirty up the mountain. It was no wonder that the road had fallen into disuse over the years and been forgotten. Desta wished she could forget it too. No sane person would ever use this road.

  Now, as she watched Jarold and Leal survey the bridge, and for the first time since she left home, she had serious misgivings about her decision to come along on this journey. Not because she missed her mother, even though she did, and not because she was growing homesick, even though she was—a little bit. No, her misgivings sprang directly from the fact that she was certain the bridge was going to crumble away beneath her feet, sending her to meet a premature end at the bottom of the ravine.

  The stone arch perched so precariously at the top of the gorge that it looked like an errant breeze could blow it right off. In reality, the bridge was supported from underneath by stacks of sturdy slabs that jutted out from the cliff at an angle, each longer than the one below. The parapets were dotted with the crumbling remains of winged statues, but they were now so worn it was impossible to tell exactly what the creatures were originally supposed to be.

  “Are you feeling alright, Desta? You look pale,” came Caeneus’ gentle voice.

  Desta pried her eyes away from the bridge and turned her attention instead to where Caeneus and Raysel were tending the horses. She waved one hand in front of her face. “I’m fine! Don’t mind me.”

  However, her protests were not enough to stop Caeneus from handing Alba’s reins to Raysel and coming over to check on her. He patted the top of her head soothingly before taking a seat on the ground beside her. “That face you’re making seems to indicate otherwise,” he said.

  Desta forced herself to smile. Caeneus always went out of his way to be kind to her, so the least she could do in return was present an upbeat attitude. “You really didn’t need to come over here. I’m just feeling nervous about crossing the bridge. Is that thing really safe enough for us to use?”

  Caeneus was quiet for a moment. He watched Jarold and Leal creep closer to the center of the bridge, using long rods to examine the stone and pausing to mark with chalk any problematic areas they found. “We won’t take any chances. If it’s impassible, then we’ll have to go back down and find another way across.”

  Desta scrunched up her nose in distaste. “I’d rather not do that either.”

  “Same here,” Caeneus agreed with a hearty laugh. “They look to be more than halfway finished now, so I think we’ll be able to cross. What I’m worried about is figuring out where we are going to make camp for the night. It took longer than we anticipated to get here. There won’t be time to make it to Kisoji before sundown. If the roads were better, we could press on to Kisoji in the dark, but it’s too risky with them in such terrible condition.”

  “It’s probably just as well,” Desta said. “I’m exhausted. I don’t want to take even one step farther than I absolutely have to tonight.”

  “Me neither,” Raysel said as he dropped down beside Caeneus with a groan. He pulled off his shoes as well and then leaned back on his elbows, sighing blissfully as he wiggled his toes. “According to Alden’s map, there’s a village about a mile away where we can stay for the night.”

  A clatter arose from nearby, and Desta’s brows furrowed in confusion. If there was sudden movement anywhere, she expected it to come from the bridge, but Jarold and Leal continued their methodical inspection uninterrupted, oblivious to the noise. Then the wagon rocked from side to side, and Cole burst out of its back door. The red-faced twin scampered down the steps, howling with laughter the whole time.

  Not a second later, Rian appeared in the doorway. He was also red-faced but not from laughter. A thin, squiggly object flew from his hand to hit Cole squarely in the back of the head. “That was not funny!”

  “It’sss jussst a little payback for you being the only one who getsss to ride inssstead of walk!” Cole hissed.

  Rian responded by whirling around and slamming the door shut. Still laughing, Cole picked up the object, which Desta could now see was a toy snake, and rejoined his brother who was kneeling beside the wagon to check the wheels and undercarriage.

  Eloc watched the entire proceedings with a conspiratorial grin on his face. “I told you it was worth stopping by that toy shop in Rhea,” he said, giving his brother a congratulatory clap on the back.

  “You really shouldn’t have done that,” Raysel scolded, but he was so tired that there was little emotion behind his words. “You might have caused him to reopen his wounds.”

  Eloc shrugged. “Rian’s tough. He can handle a little prank. Besides, the doctor said he was fine.”

  “The doctor said he’s supposed to avoid strenuous activity for a few more days,” Desta corrected. “That’s why he is riding instead of walking.”

  Raysel stood and brushed himself off. “Although I’m sure his injuries are fine, I should probably go check on him.”

  How strange, Desta thought. She had expected Caeneus to be the one to check on Rian. After his discharge from the hospital, she had seen Caeneus lingering outside his room at the inn several times. Now that she thought about it, she didn’t recall ever seeing him actually go in. They had seemed to be getting along better lately, so what had changed? Maybe Caeneus felt guilty that Rian had been injured in the process of retrieving the book from the cave.

  Desta glanced up and caught Caeneus watching as Raysel entered the wagon. The wistful look on his face disappeared as soon as he realized she was looking at him.

  “I’m sure he doesn’t blame you for his injuries,” Desta said in an attempt to be comforting.

  A look of surprise crossed Caeneus’ face, and he gave her a small smile. “I know that, but thank you for saying so. I just don’t know what to say to him right now.”

  Desta was tempted to ask him to elaborate, but Caeneus laid back into the patchy grass and closed his eyes, so she didn’t feel right pressing the issue.

  Soon after Jarold and Leal finished their inspection, Desta found herself holding Aki’s reins and standing behind Caeneus and Alba. The group had formed a single file line in order to avoid putting too much stress on any one area as they crossed. She nervously traced circles in the dirt with her toe while clutching the reins with sweaty hands. Although there were plenty of noises around her, the only sound Desta could hear was the gravel grinding beneath the wheels of the wagon as it slowly, but steadily, lead the way across the bridge. Caeneus signaled for her to follow, and they also began to cross, being careful to avoid the weak areas Jarold and Leal had marked. Seeing the bridge’s condition up close did nothing to alleviate Desta’s jitters.
Every inch of the stone was riddled with hairline cracks and pockmarked with small craters and pits. However, despite her fears, everyone made it across without incident, and the bridge rapidly faded into the distance.

  They arrived in the village as the last saffron rays of the sun were sinking into the horizon, painting the houses and shopfronts in the myriad hues and shadows of sunset. The thatched roofs and gingerbread trim on the houses gave them a cozy appearance despite their small size. In another time, this place would have looked like it came from the pages of a storybook—except something must have gone horribly wrong in this story. Desta stared in dismay at the once quaint cottages that were now marred by broken and cracked window panes, missing doors, and sunken roofs. Weed-choked window planters hung askew or lay in pieces on the ground. Several of the buildings had burned down, leaving their sooty skeletons as the sole evidence of their former existence. There was no way to tell if the fires happened before or after the village was abandoned.

  “Well, this looks like a great place to stay for the night, Raysel,” Eloc said, his voice filled with false cheer.

  Raysel shot him a sidelong look. “Until we get closer to roads that are on our current-day maps, I can only go by what is shown on this old one from Alden.”

  Caeneus stepped up beside Raysel. “I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised. If this village were inhabited, the roads would have been better maintained and the bridge would still be frequently used.”

  “That’s the kind of sound logic we needed a few hours ago,” Cole said, tempering his sarcasm with a wink. “There wouldn’t have been any better places to stop anyway.”

  “There are definitely worse places to sleep,” Leal said. He grabbed one of the glow lamps from its hook and then hopped down from the driver’s seat of the wagon. “Let’s split up and see if any of these buildings are suitable to use for shelter. At least then we won’t have to set camp in the open.”

  Three hours later, Desta gratefully wriggled into her bedroll. Though none of the houses or shops had seemed safe enough to stay in, the twins had found a ramshackle barn that was ideal for their needs. It was large enough to keep the horses and wagon inside with them. Plus, the half-missing roof provided enough circulation that they had been able to light the cook fire on the dirt floor of the building, shielding it from view in case anyone else happened to be nearby.