by P D Atkerson
"You can swim, can't you?" Gana asked, laughing.
Aroron nodded, but still he didn't jump. He stood there, frozen. He couldn't leave. Not yet. Not without telling Gana his feelings towards her. He bit his lip and spun around to face her.
"Gana..." "Aroron..."
"Ladies first," Aroron said, bowing his head towards her.
Lady Gana smiled and moved closer to him. They now stood just a foot apart and Aroron's heart began to beat even harder.
"Before you go, I have something for you," Gana whispered, batting her eyes at him. A smile played on her lips. "Close your eyes."
Aroron swallowed and closed his eyes. When he did, he could feel her hot breath on his neck. For a second, he felt like he couldn't breathe. All he could smell was her, the sweet smell of cinnamon.
She slowly ran a hand against his cheek. “Oh… Aroron.”
He took in a deep breath and started to speak, "Lady Gana, I think I'm in lov..." Aroron’s words were cut short when he felt a sharp pain in his side. His eyes shot open and his hand went to the spot. He looked down at his hand. His fingers were covered in a deep red liquid.
Blood. His blood!
"What?" Aroron mumbled, growing dizzy. Blinking, he looked up at Lady Gana.
There she stood, right in front of him. Holding a knife, with his blood dripping from it.
Gana laughed softly to herself. "I warned you that you had more enemies here than just Enrick and that it wasn't safe here for you," she whispered, stepping towards Aroron. “This has nothing really to do with you, you were just going to be a steppingstone. And now? Well, I can just take Tranton and rule the kingdom of my ancestors. Goodbye, Aroron."
For a second, he saw her face, her eyes were hard and there was no love lost in them. She stepped forwards and kissed him on the forehead, then she yanked his sword from around his waist and pushed against his chest.
He stumbled back and tripped over a rock at the edge of the water.
Aroron's vision blurred and gust of wind slammed into Gana, throwing her off her feet, as Aroron fell backwards and into the water's cold embrace.
* * *
“Don’t worry, we’ll be here when you return.” She said, kissing him on the forehead. Aroron looked up at her and even at his young age, he knew she was lying. Even before she slid the necklace around his neck. Her necklace, the one his father gave her, and she'd never taken off before. “Besides, Walner will take care of you the whole time.” His mother promised.
“I love you, mother.” He cried, clinging to her.
“No matter what, you are to do what Walner tells you to. Okay? Do that and you’ll be safe.” She kissed him one last time, then let go of him. “I love you, Aroron…”
* * *
Gana had been stunned by the sudden blast of wind that threw her to the ground, but it hadn’t knocked her out and she still held tight to the Dragon Blade, as she stood up.
She was barely back on her feet, when a burning sensation tore through her hand. She yelped and dropped the sword. The second it hit the ground, the dragons on the hilt came alive! Gana stumbled back, as they hissed at her, they took flight towards the edge of the water.
She lunged after it, but it was too late. Her fingers brushed against the pommel, as it slipped away from her.
“Vreck!” She swore, as the sword hit the water and was gone. “Kingdoms be cursed!” she spat, pounding her fist against the edge of the water.
After a long sigh, Lady Gana stood up and brushed her dress off. Well, she was just going to have to find another way of taking Tranton from her sister. At least Aroron was finally dead. Spinning on her heels, she strolled back into the Palace. Confident she could talk Enrick into forgiving her for losing the sword.
After all, she’d killed Aroron and had talked her way out of much worse things than losing a stupid blade.
* * *
Another twig snapped under their weight, as they ran through the trees. Aroron clung to Walner’s back as they ran down the sloping hill. Walner tripped and nearly fell, the weight of Aroron too much for him to carry.
Out of breath, Walner stopped and bent over, dropping Aroron to the ground, as he gasped for breath. Clutching his side.
His eyes were sad as he looked down at the prince.
“I’m sorry.” He whispered, stepping away from him. “But I’m not going to get caught, I… I can’t. They will kill me. Please forgive me, Aroron. I’m sorry.”
“Walner…?” Aroron said, confused. But only for a second. Walner turned away and bolted forwards. “Walner!” he screamed, weeping as he ran as fast as he could after him. But his short legs were no match for the young man and soon, he vanished from sight.
Aroron continued to run, but soon exhaustion swept over him and he dropped to his knees. He couldn’t go any further, he just couldn’t!
Night was drawing nearer and soon it would be too late for him. He just couldn’t go any further.
His eyes blurry, he turned back in the direction of his home. When he did, he could see the dark smoke like fog seeping through the trees towards him. Turning the bright leaves into gray ash. He knew it was going to soon be upon him and there was no escaping for him.
After everything his parents had done to save him, it was all for nothing.
“Goodbye.” He whispered, looking up towards the sky one last time. Fighting back tears, he closed his eyes, laid back against the ground and let out a long breath. He knew when he opened them again, his life would be gone…
* * *
Aroron gasped for breath, clutching the edge of the bank and slowly pulled himself up onto it. Coughing up water, he closed his eyes and rested against the bank. As he lay there, he felt so… free. As if he could breathe for the first time in years. He felt his side, but there was no wound. It was as if the cold water had healed it.
Opening his eyes. He knew without a doubt that he was a Strangeheart. He remembered it all!
Everything from his short childhood in the castle. His mother and his father, King Ozony and Queen Lacey Strangeheart, the rulers of Karlay. Aroron remembered it all, down to the moment Munay took it all away from him.
It was as if it took the push of nearly dying to break through the barrier that still held him back from remembering his young years. But now that he remembered, he was no longer the same person he had been just moments before.
His memories changed him.
His joys, his sorrows and his losses, they’d all come back to him and he knew he’d never be the same again. Not now that he remembered his mother’s gentle touch, as she held him. His father’s steady hand, as he taught him to hold a sword, and the short time he’d had with them.
Then, there were the moments he would never be able to share with them. Things he could never tell them, things he’d never do with them. So much time with them, lost forever.
Aroron gripped his head and wept.
He wept for everything he’d lost. Everything King Munay had taken away from him and everything that monster had done to ruin Aroron’s life. Over, and over again. He was the rightful heir to Karlay, and Munay knew it. That was the real reason he’d never left Aroron alone. He’d known what Aroron only now knew. He was no longer going to hide in the shadows and let Munay burn his kingdom to the ground.
His chest burned with rage. It was time to act. The Loyal Warriors, Munay, Enrick, they all deserved death!
Still clutching his side, he shoved himself to his feet and wiped away his tears. His parents deserved to be mourned, but that would have to wait. It was time for him to reclaim his crown and free his kingdom from Munay, and now Enrick’s tyranny. He would make them pay! He would kill them!
Aroron reached for his sword, but it wasn’t there! Quickly he looked around, fear trying to take control of him. Then he saw it.
His sword stuck out of the ground in front of him. The dragons were alive and breathing fire around the bottom of the blade, and for the first time, Aroron realized that it wasn't normal fire,
but was white when it flamed to life. Moonlight spilled through the pommel, bathing Aroron in blue light.
Goosebumps formed on Aroron’s arms, there was something unnatural about the light.
Do they deserve death more than you? Are their lives worth less, because they’ve wandered from Me? A voiced whispered inside Aroron's heart, as he continued to stare at the light. For all have wandered. Rage is a disease, young one. Give it to me, and I will give you peace. Ask, and I will forgive you. Each word felt like a stab to his heart.
Tears of fear and shame filled Aroron’s eyes, as he dropped to his knees in front of the sword and slowly, he turned his face to the sky.
“Forgive me.” He whispered, squeezing his eyes shut. “I’ve wandered from the path You planned for me. I am no better than them.”
Young one, I still have plans for you. Trust in Me, and I will lead you to where you must go. You shall help my people, but not only the Karliens. But all the realm, and only if you trust in me, for you cannot do it on your own.
“If it is Your will, I will free your people.” Aroron whispered, a peace settling over him. “I will bring down this tyrant no matter how long it takes! And I will turn Karlay back to You. No longer will I do it out of rage, but to serve You, my King and my Creator.” When he was finished speaking, he opened his eyes. But in that moment, they weren’t blue, but white, burning with an inner light.
The Strangeheart line wasn’t that easy to put down, and Aroron would make sure Munay and Enrick understood that. They would not get away with what they had done to the young and innocent. But even they weren’t the true enemy. Thanks to the Creator, Aroron could see clearly now.
The Moones were only pawns in this game.
It was time for the Dragon King to go to war against the true Tyrant and servant of Luse. And if the Creator willed, he would bring him down.
Aroron looked south and whispered, “I’m coming for you, Dasety.”
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P. D. Atkerson is a homeschooled writer, living in Montana. She spends almost as much time in her world of Aleanare as she does the real one. When she's not chronicling the stories of the Strangeheart family and other heroes, she's making ice cream, learning French or traveling to different worlds through the portals of books.
Also, by P.D. ATKERSON
of Aleanare
The Dragon Blade (book 1)