The Fourth Realm (Realms Gate)

by Juliet Anderson

  They made a brief stop at the house so Jasper could show them an old map of Mallenvaar from before the rift, at least they now had a vague idea in which direction to head. As they crossed the gateway, Erin felt for Wilhelm; she could see the concern etched on his still handsome face. All the bellowing was just a front, he was truly worried for his daughter. They left a few guards at the gateway and took the rest with them. Eventually Mallenvaar Castle came in to sight.

  “I hate to say it, but I’m jealous,” Erin murmured.

  Wilhelm scowled at her.

  “I’m sorry, it looks like it came out of Bavaria. The castle is just beautiful.”

  “And your home is not?”

  “It is, but in a different way.” The fragility of the male ego.

  It struck Erin as a little strange that no soldiers were evidently present, and those that were stared strangely at them. She guessed this was the first time they had set sight on troops from outside the realm. All the citizens stopped as they rode through the city. They brought the horses to a halt at the main castle steps. Erin put a restraining arm on her husband.

  “Diplomacy, Wilhelm. Apart from Ulrik, no-one else has had contact with anyone from another realm before.”

  “Credit me with some intelligence, wife,” he grunted before taking the steps two at a time.

  The main hall was impressive and the people inside parted to let them through. Some guards were at least present here. At the far end sat the King, his son was not with him. Erin almost had to run to keep up with Wilhelm. She was relieved when he stopped a few feet from the King and bowed formally.

  “Please excuse this intrusion into your castle unannounced. I am King Wilhelm of Lokranor. I am here to retrieve my daughter who I believe is with Prince Ulrik.”

  The King rose to his feet and nodded. “King Sigfried. And you are most welcome. Did you say Lokranor?”

  “Yes. In the Second Realm.”

  “That Realm has not been seen since the rift.”

  “A gateway has, it seems, been opened. But only to the First Realm.”

  “Then how?”

  Erin stepped forward. “I am of the First Realm where we have an open gateway to Lokranor. The new gateway is on my family’s land, hence we were able to cross from the Second to Fourth Realm.”

  Sigfried took Erin’s hand and kissed it. “I have not seen such a striking female warrior before.” He glanced at her sword. “And a Talmar is the stuff of legends.”

  “This is my wife, Queen Erin,” Wilhelm grunted, a little irritated at the way Sigfried was appraising his wife.

  “Pity,” Sigfried murmured. “You are most welcome too.”

  “Thank you,” Erin patted his hand. “Now, would you be kind enough to tell me if our daughter is here?”

  “Katya is a Princess of Lokranor?”

  “Yes. I understand she has been seen in the Prince’s company a few times.”

  “I met her yesterday in Ulrik’s suite. Beautiful young girl. I do apologise, my son has kept her elite lineage from me.”

  Erin slapped Wilhelm’s arm as she heard the growl starting to rise in his chest.

  “Is it possible to send for her?”

  “I believe they are out riding.” Sigfried indicated for them to follow. “Whilst we await their return, let us toast this momentous occasion.”

  Erin heard the excited chatter echo around the hall. It wasn’t everyday a new Realm was found.

  “How far are we going?” Kat asked as she rode along with Ulrik.

  “Just to the neighbouring town. I think you will find it quite striking.”

  “Let’s pick up the pace, then. I need to get back to the Second Realm by nightfall.”

  “Ah yes, your sister’s banquet. You can’t miss that. How long does it take to get to Lokranor?”

  “From your gateway, not long. About fifteen minutes to the Realms Gate then the castle is about another five minutes from there. It will be weird going from one Viking realm to another, yet neither knowing the other exists.”

  “You will tell your father tomorrow?”

  “As long as he’s not shouting at me for something,” Kat grinned.

  “Fathers rarely change,” Ulrik smiled knowingly.

  Kat loved the town of Svenfeld; its houses were packed tightly together, the streets so narrow, it looked a children’s film set. And everywhere was amazingly clean. Ulrik dismounted in the main square and tied their horses up.

  “Where are we headed?” Kat was curious.

  “There is a local delicacy you must try.”

  Please don’t let it be something vile like pickled sheep’s eyes, Kat prayed. She followed him to a bakery where he purchased what looked like two buns.

  “These are spiced sweetbreads and my favourite.” Ulrik passed one to her.

  Kat bit into it and was immediately transported to sensory heaven. “Oh my,” she breathed, it was delicious. A mix between gingerbread and a cinnamon roll. “That is delicious.”

  “Yes they are,” Ulrik ginned. “And you, my dear, have sugar on your nose.”

  “I make a sorry lady,” Kat pulled a face as she wiped the sugar off.

  “You make a very enticing one. Now much as I hate to leave, we should head back if you are to get to Lokranor in time.”

  They were in a wooded area, half way between Svenfeld and Mallenvaar when Ulrik spotted trouble. A group of armed riders were up ahead. Kat saw the change in his body language right away.

  “Problem?”

  “Potentially.” Ulrik’s hand hovered over his sword. “However, there is no way around them.”

  Ulrik stopped a few feet from them as they were blocking the path. “Stand aside.”

  “Sorry, Prince Ulrik but we’re not in a mind to. We’re actually rather hoping to see the colour of your blood.” The leader of the group spoke.

  “Perhaps then you would have the manners to let the lady pass?”

  “I regret we are unable to do that either.” The man openly ogled Kat. “We could have quite a bit of sport with her. I bet she’s lively between the sheets.”

  “Something you’ll not get to find out,” Kat hissed.

  Ulrik dismounted and drew his sword. Kat followed suit.

  “I would ask that you stay back but I get the feeling you will totally ignore my request.”

  “Yes,” she responded bluntly. Besides, these guys were about to get more than they bargained for when she let loose her sun stone energy. “You’re about to see why us McLomards are rather useful.” She glanced over at the ragged group. “I thought you were supposed to be attacking us. Have you changed your mind?”

  The taunt was enough for the men to charge in one group, which was exactly what she wanted. Feeling the fire run through her veins, Kat lifted her palms and let loose several burst of fire. The force was so strong, she killed four immediately. That left three. Ulrik ran at one and dispatched him quickly, leaving one each. Kat thought she was pretty good with a sword, yet fighting for real was totally different. Not only was it difficult to manoeuvre in a long skirt in the snow, she’d never actually killed a man. At least not run one through with a sword. Now, however, was not the time to doubt herself. Her assassin was matching her blow for blow with his sword so she had no time to drop hers and use her fire. Recalling that Jasper once said her mother discovered most of her powers by instinct, she tried to channel all her energy through her body into her sword. At first she thought nothing was happening, then she saw it start to glow orange. The man could not compete against the sheer power that was now coming his way, sparks shot out every time his sword hit hers until eventually he was too weak and she ran him right through the heart. He did not bleed; her sword was white hot and cauterised the wound.

  She turned to find Ulrik staring at her in awe. “What?” she shrugged.

  “Did you forget to mention something?” He looked at her incredulously.

  “I have the power of a sun stone,” she smiled.

  Ulrik reached
out and removed a smudge of ash from her face. “Does your whole family have such talents?”

  “Just my mother. She has blue energy and a few other abilities.”

  “No wonder your father married her,” Ulrik grinned. “That is the kind of woman you want to wake up next to.”

  Kat laughed. “Hey, you’re talking about my mother.”

  “Sorry.” Ulrik led her back to their horses. “You’re not available anytime soon for marriage, are you?”

  “Mention that dreaded M word again and you might feel a spark or two.”

  Ulrik boosted her up into the saddle. As he did, he noticed the state of her sword. “This will not withstand the white heat of fire. You should get your parents to have a special one forged for you which can take that kind of temperature. I do believe there are certain compounds you can mix with steel to make it stronger.”

  “My parents do not know I have this power,” Kat admitted.

  “How come?”

  “I have only recently been blessed with this gift. I love my eldest sister and do not want to overshadow her banquet by announcing I have received powers and she has not. I will let my parents know all in good time.”

  The remainder of the journey was trouble free and they reached Mallenvaar safely. For the second time that trip, Kat noticed the change in Ulrik’s body language. He was staring hard into the distance.

  “More trouble?”

  “I don’t recognise those soldiers. They are not wearing the colours of Mallenvaar.”

  Kat followed his gaze and her heart sank. “Oh crap. I do. They are my father’s elite soldiers.”

  “From Lokranor?”

  “Yes. And that can only mean one thing. You’re about to meet my father.”

  “How did he find the gateway?”

  “Beats me.” She made a mental note to hurt whoever in her family had snitched on her.

  They stopped at the main castle steps. There was no way for Kat to avoid this meeting. A Mallenvaar guard greeted them. “Prince Ulrik. Your father has requested you attend his quarters immediately.”

  “I kind of figured that,” Ulrik responded.

  Kat was aware of the excited chatter rippling through the main hall; it must have been their first contact with the outside world in millennia. She just wished everyone was not staring at her like she was an exhibit in a zoo. She followed Ulrik to his father’s private quarters. Erik was standing outside the door.

  “Katya,” he nodded and opened the door.

  Taking a deep breath, Kat followed Ulrik inside. To her surprise, her mother was here as well. Actually it shouldn’t have shocked her, her mum had the power to protect her father from the unknown. Both her parents, Sigfried and a man she had not seen before all rose as they entered.

  Ulrik could sense her unease and rested his hand protectively on her back as he guided her across the room. He stood just in front of her and bowed formally to her father. “King Wilhelm, it is a pleasure to meet you finally. Katya has spoken a great deal about you.”

  Her father nodded. “You must be Prince Ulrik.”

  “I am.” Ulrik turned to Kat’s mother. “Queen Erin. You look just as your portrait portrays you in Muirhead.”

  Erin beamed. She liked the way Ulrik was trying to draw their attention away from Kat, protecting her as much as he could. “I recognise you too from Muirhead. I spotted you out riding with Kat.” Kind of.

  She turned to her daughter and removed a few smudges of ash from her face, before noticing some singe marks on Kat’s dress. It wasn’t hard to guess they’d run into trouble. She would say nothing in front of Wilhelm, it would just upset him further and for now he was being amazingly civil. For a while she thought he’d actually forgotten about Kat, he was in deep conversation with Sigfried. The thought of the two Realms being joined once more made everything else almost pale.

  “Regretfully, we need to get on our way,” Wilhelm spoke to Sigfried. “I would be delighted to continue our conversation in a few days’ time after I have officially announced my eldest daughter as my heir.”

  “It would be a pleasure to have you visit again, and if you can stay, a banquet in your honour.” Sigfried clasped Wilhelm’s forearm in the typical Norse greeting.

  “And we look forward to welcoming you and Prince Ulrik to Lokranor. One day soon we hope to find the gateway that connects directly between our two Realms.”

  Erin turned to Ulrik. “Prince Ulrik. Would you be good enough to escort us back to the gateway? I am sure you know its exact location and I would be rather embarrassed if we got lost.”

  “It would be an honour.” He arranged for two of his own soldiers to accompany him. After the attack on him that afternoon, it would not be prudent to ride back from the gateway alone. He knew his father was eager to speak to him, to give him a grilling about the gateway and why he had said nothing, and he was ready to stand his ground on that point. At least now he had a chance to talk to Kat before she was taken away from him. He waited until they were well clear of Mallenvaar before he and Kat moved slightly ahead of the group.

  “Now your parents know of the gateway, will I get to see you again?” He kept his voice low.

  “I am sure of it.” She threw him a nervous smile, not entirely sure of what the future would hold for them. “You will promise me that you won’t ride out alone again?”

  “Yes. I am honoured that my cousin is getting eager to dispatch me. He must be seeing me as a threat.”

  “Never underestimate the desire for power,” Kat warned him.

  The ride to the gateway seemed to be over way too quickly. Kat did not want this to be the last time she saw Ulrik, she couldn’t bear that thought. Her father could be unpredictable though and despite his relaxed manner, she knew from the look in his eyes that they were heading for strong words. Bring it on, she thought belligerently.

  Kat and Ulrik looked at each other a little awkwardly, both wanting to kiss each other goodbye. Not a good move with Wilhelm present. Erin picked up on their reluctance to part; she remembered what it was like to fall for a Viking prince.

  “Ulrik, I hope we will see you at the house soon. Might I suggest a visit in three days’ time? We should all be back from Lokranor then.” Erin gave him a dazzling smile.

  “I would be my pleasure,” Ulrik breathed a sigh of relief and let Kat pass through the gateway, followed by her father.

  “I look forward to getting to know you better,” Erin nodded and disappeared from sight.

  Kat cantered along the path back to the house, trying to get her emotions under control. She had a feeling her father would try and stop her seeing Ulrik, but he would have the mother of all battles on his hands. She sped into the stables and passed her horse over to one of the hands before stalking into the rear entrance of the house. Her father was already in the hallway; he had had a soldier take his horse. Sneaky.

  “The study now, Katya,” he barked.

  Kat glared and followed him inside. He shut the door purposefully behind her.

  “Did you not think for one moment that not telling me about the gateway was dangerous? You could have endangered all our realms.” Her father’s voice was chilling.

  “Only Ulrik and I knew about its location,” Kat shrugged.

  “How many times have you been through?”

  “Twice.”

  “I take it Ulrik has been here plenty?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you brought him to our house?”

  “The McLomard ancestral home, yes.” Kat knew calling it that would piss him off. It did.

  “He should not have been exposed to First Realm technology. He was not born to it.”

  “Neither were you,” Kat retorted.

  “You are a princess of Lokranor. You should behave as one,” he all but shouted at her.

  “I gave up that title a long time ago. I have no interest in Lokranor. Talking of which, should we not be going back for Arianna’s banquet.” Kat tried to keep her temper in check b
ut it was starting to prove difficult.

  “That has been delayed,” he bit back.

  “Why?”

  “Because I had to retrieve my missing daughter.”

  “Great, now Arianna will hate me even more. There was really no need for you to come blazing through the gateway, I was fine and would have made it to the banquet on time.”