by A. J. Medina
If my apprentice kills one of them, he will no longer be able to perform magic. And since he is also still a young one, if one of our young ones kills him, they will lose their ability to perform magic. The king has no concern of that. He simply wants The Apprentice defeated.
It weighs on me that I might be causing a young one to lose their ability to perform magic forever, but I must follow Remi. I promised.
Silas was right. He told me that in the dungeon. I moved on to the next journal on the note, which was about me...
After Alora’s audition, the king sent word to have her home searched. Ser Henry was her father and the king still believes the Emerald of Kali is still out there. I asked him not to do it, and when word came back that they hadn’t found the emerald and that Alora’s family had been killed, I was furious. How could Remi have allowed that to occur?
The king had Mother and Biron killed? I threw the journal across the small room. Tears flowed from my eyes, but they weren’t tears of sadness. They were tears of anger. I looked up the stairs, imagining the secret passage that stood at the top. The passage I had just come from. It was late and the king and queen were asleep. Did I have it in me to kill the king?
My answer came quick. I didn’t.
I picked up the next journal and turned to the next entry Silas told me to read...
I am sure of it now. The queen’s elixir is a potion. She offered it to me and when she wasn’t looking I dropped my own potion in it to counter act its effects. I wasn’t affected by it, but I acted as though I was. The queen began interrogating me. Asking what I knew of the king and her maidens. I admitted to nothing, claiming that the king does not discuss such matters with me. She didn’t believe me at first, knowing how long we’ve been friends. But after some convincing, she had no choice but to believe me.
After she was convinced that I knew nothing, she ordered me to report back to her if I ever found something out. I agreed, but knew that I would never do that. I would also never drink her elixir ever again, no matter how I appeared refusing a gift from the queen.
When I tried to make the king listen to me about the queen—he would not. The king couldn’t believe he was wed to a sorceress. No amount of convincing would change his mind. She has her claws sunk deep into him. I will still stand at his side, but it will be much more difficult now. I will have to make sure that when I choose Alora to be my apprentice, that she stays far away from the queen. I can’t have Queen Rosaleen sinking her claws into her as well.
The wizard knew a lot, but kept his secrets. I wondered if he would’ve ever talked to me about the things I just read. Only with him dead was I able to learn this information. This was not what I envisioned when I volunteered to become a knight. Secrets, betrayal, control, power. I knew for sure that I couldn’t serve King Remi any longer. My loyalty was not to a king that would kill everyone to possess what he wanted or to please the queen.
I thought of Tessa and how the king had whispered into her ear on the battlefield. How I knelt by the wizard’s side, holding his hand as he lay injured, and Tessa sneaking up behind Silas. It was all clear now, just as Silas had told me in the dungeon. King Remi didn’t care about anyone but himself and the queen. Just like in dragon chess, the king and queen were the most important pieces on the board. Everyone else was expendable. Their purpose in life was to protect the king and sacrifice themselves for him.
But Neala wasn’t going to die.
I won’t let him kill her because of the queen’s jealousy. And Neala won’t be a slave anymore either. She’ll be free to do as she wants.
I would only be able to take a few journals with me. Taking them all would be next to impossible. I ran my fingers across the journals on the shelves, first at the top shelf and then down to the next, trying to decide which ones I would take. The ones on the bottom went furthest into the past while the ones on the top were the most recent.
Should I take the oldest, the newest or the ones in the middle?
I learned about the king and the wizard Agbavitor from his early journals and I learned why the king couldn’t perform magic. I also read about the Emerald of Kali and how it could multiply a wizard’s power and possibly restore magic to someone that had killed a young one. It was time to move beyond the past and closer to the present.
I decided on the newest. They would most likely have plenty of information about me and the knightlys. The wizard’s thoughts, his concerns, and his plans for the future.
One by one, I pulled them off the shelves until I couldn’t carry any more in my arms. I would ask Neala to carry some of them and I would carry the rest. I climbed the stairs back up to my workshop and shut the secret entrance, leaving the remaining journals and the wizard’s book to stay hidden.
Glancing around the workshop, I checked to see if I should take anything else. There was nothing out in the open that I needed, but maybe in his closet. I opened the door and studied the contents. Dragon’s chess, scrolls, parchment—nothing that I would need.
After shutting the closet doors, I gave one more pass around the room. I looked up to the clear glass ceiling and admired the clear night. I was thankful for no rain or snow as it would make it much easier.
That was it then. I was ready. I gripped the stack of books and quiet as a mouse, returned to my room.
When I arrived back in my room, Neala was still asleep, so I placed the journals on one end and then I sat softly on the edge of the bed where she lay. I inhaled deeply and then exhaled out of my nose. I reached out and shook Neala, soft enough not to scare her, but hard enough to try and rouse her.
Her eyes lazily opened and when she saw it was me, she sat up. “What is it?” she asked.
“We are leaving.”
I stood and went over to my closet and pulled out the clothes Neala wore on our journey in search of the dragon wizard. Tossing them on the bed, I said, “Get dressed. We must be quiet, but hurry.”
Without question, Neala tossed the sheets aside, pulled off her sleep shirt and began dressing. I did the same.
After sliding into my second skin, I gathered my things and prepared my and Neala’s satchels. We wouldn’t have much. Hopefully the journey wouldn’t take long, but we would need to find drinking water and food to eat along the way. I wanted to stop in the kitchen for food, but couldn’t risk waking anyone or anyone catching us.
“Where are we going?” Neala finally asked.
“Away from here.”
“What’s happened?”
I didn’t answer her. Instead, I tossed my boots into my satchel and Neala’s into hers. Next, was the remaining vials of magic potions. I tossed them into my satchel and drank one vial of the potion of dark to light, when Neala grabbed my wrist.
“Alora, what’s happened?”
I debated telling her what I’d heard, but knew I had to.
“The queen has asked for your head.”
Neala released my wrist and rushed into the washroom. While she was in there, I finished packing the journals, Draycko’s magic book, and I even packed the violet dress the princess had given me. I was ready. Everything that was important we would carry in our two satchels.
When Neala came out of the washroom she walked right up to me. “I can’t ask you to do this. You will be an enemy to the king.”
I took her hands in mine. “You aren’t asking me. I am telling you. I will not see you die tomorrow.”
We threw on our winter cloaks and I handed her her satchel and threw mine on my back. I extinguished the fire burning in the fireplace and said, “Let’s go.”
Neala pointed at our bare feet. “Our boots?”
“They’re in our satchels. We need to be quiet and we won’t need them for awhile.”
Neala nodded.
As I peeled my chamber door open, I wondered what would happen if we were caught. Maybe it would be the two of us facing execution in the morning. Would the king execute his first knight? Maybe if the queen made him drink her elixir he would. I wiped thos
e thoughts from my mind and focused on the task ahead of me—the falcon cages.
Me and Neala tiptoed past the princess’ chamber door, not wanting to alert her of my plan. After passing her door, I stopped and looked back at it. I wanted to go in and say goodbye to the princess. Princess Evelyn had been so kind to me. We were friends, I guessed. We ran through the garden together and talked so many times.
I almost walked back to wake the princess when Neala asked, “What are you doing?”
I thought about it. Would the princess just let me go? Would she allow me to leave the palace with Neala? I was the king’s first knight and Neala was a slave. Surely the princess would protest and call for the guards. But maybe... just maybe, the princess would understand. I couldn’t risk it. We had the advantage at the moment since no one would even think we would be doing this. It was time to go.
“Just thinking,” I finally answered. “Let’s go before we’re caught.”
The trip up to the falcon cages went smoothly. At this late hour the castle city, including the palace, was quiet as everyone slept. The three guards that roamed the palace were easily avoided, no one thinking an escape was about to occur. An escape to freedom for Neala and an escape from the manipulative and power hungry king and queen for me.
I had never been to the falcon cages, but Neala knew the way. Our bare feet silently climbed to the top of the turret, and when we arrived, Neala opened the door.
“This is it,” Neala said. “The falcon cages.”
I was first to exit, in case anyone was up there. I could see clearly as usual, the whole world cast into a dim light from the potion of dark to light.
Scanning the turret, we were alone. “Come out, Neala,” I said.
I handed Neala the potion of dark to light. “Drink this.”
“What is it?” she asked.
“So you can see in the dark.”
Neala nodded, pulled the cork, and drank it.
I peered into the cages searching for the one with the green ribbon tied to its legs. The one Silas had written about in his note. The falcon that would lead me to him.
And there he was.
I undid the latch on the cage and the falcons paced nervously back and forth on their perches.
“Everything’s fine,” I whispered, trying to comfort them.
“Here,” Neala said, handing me a glove.
“Thank you, but my second skin will protect me.”
I slid my arm into the cage and tapped my forearm against the falcon’s talons. One foot at a time, he climbed onto my arm. Slowly, I pulled him out of the cage. His head turned from side to side trying to hear and get his bearings underneath his cap.
“Come,” I said to Neala.
We walked over to the edge of the turret with the falcon perched on my arm ready to fly.
I stepped up onto the ledge. My fear of high places has never truly disappeared, but I did what I’ve done so many times before and focused on my task.
“Neala, stand close to me. We’ll need to step off the ledge,” I said.
“Alora, I’m scared.”
“Me too, but we’ll be okay. Trust me.”
Neala nodded and stepped to the edge.
A rumble stirred down below and grew closer. As the waves down below rose, I whispered, “Take me to Silas,” into the falcon’s ears and then removed its leather cap.
I dropped my arm slightly and then flung it upwards, causing the falcon to spread its wings and fly.
I then took Neala’s hand in mine. “Ready?” I asked.
Neala smiled and nodded once.
I lifted my foot and extended it towards the water with my toe making contact as if I was testing the water’s temperature before jumping in. My toe didn’t sink into the water like it should have, instead feeling somewhat solid, like the ground and grass felt in the gardens after the rains. After stepping onto the water with Neala, the water started moving down and then the wave lurched forward.
As we pulled away from the castle, I glanced over my shoulder. The castle city that sat on top of the mountain with its bridge connecting it to land, grew smaller every second.
That life was over.
I looked at Neala. Neala would never wash anyone again. She would be free to do as she chose. And then the tears came as I thought both about how I would be reunited with Silas and how I couldn’t heal the wounds the queen had inflicted on Neala’s face.
Queen Rosaleen had cursed her. Neala remembered the words. Never healing, always scarred. The queen’s power, a trueborn’s power, was apparently stronger than mine, even with the Emerald of Kali. I needed to find a way to help Neala. A way to heal her and undo what the evil queen had done out of her own jealousy.
Having lost sight of the falcon, I searched the sky.
“It’s over there,” Neala said pointing slightly to the north.
“Thank you,” I said, and then locked my eyes onto it. I didn’t want to get lost. I wanted to look into his violet eyes once again. I wanted to hold him outside of that dreary dungeon. I wanted... no needed... to be with the man I loved.
I couldn’t wait to be in Silas’ arms again, but feared what was to come next. The wizard had told me once while we played dragon chess. He said, “Unfortunately, before there can be peace, there must be war.”
The falcon flew true over the water, and the moonlight shone on the green ribbon that was still tied around its leg, making him easier to see.
I thought back to the battle against the apprentice’s army not so long ago. The way I had fought with the knightlys at my side. I wasn’t stupid, I knew death was a part of war, but I never thought the wizard and Tessa would be the ones to die that day in the field.
And now I would most likely be running from King Remi’s army, and even those that weren’t so close to me, like Aednat.
I didn’t know where we were going, I just knew that I was leaving the only home I had, not just for Silas or Neala, but to be away from this king. The king I had sworn to protect.
The king who would become my enemy. I hoped I was making the right choice. And if I wasn’t, there was no going back.
Epilogue
Lucah peered out over the castle walls at the kingdom of Ky’lima. Behind him swords clashed, ringing through the air like thunder before the rains fell. Thoughts of Alora filled his mind. Lucah felt foolish. He should’ve told her in secret how he still felt and why he had acted towards her the way he had. Why he ignored her and boasted that he was the best among the knightlys.
It was all because the king had commanded him to.
At the time it was obvious to him why the king had commanded him to stay away. The king had wanted Alora for himself.
When the clang of swords stopped, Lucah turned to observe his trainees. They weren’t young and they weren’t the knightlys, but they would do. They eagerly listened as Silas began explaining to them why they were challenging the kings of the realm. When General Ugo had explained it to Lucah, Lucah realized once and for all whose side he was on, and it wasn’t King Remi’s. King Remi had stolen away his love and his new life.
But while he was training with the knightlys — in the guard’s wing, so long ago — Alora found another love.
It didn’t make sense. If the king wanted her for himself, then why did he force her into the arms of that... that boy with the violet eyes?
Lucah had kept telling himself that he couldn’t and didn’t hate Silas, but it still pained him to watch the two of them together. To know that she was with him and no longer cared for Lucah.
Lucah clenched his teeth and the grip on his battle axe tightened. Turning away from the trainees and focusing once more on the forest out past the castle walls, he remembered the day he left the castle city and returned home. It was the day he was dismissed from the king’s army.
Sure it was all an act. An act the king had ordered him to perform. “Act like a madman. Like you are beyond control. Then I will have to dismiss you. Word will spread and The Apprentic
e will surely try to recruit you into his army.”
Those were the king’s words. Words that shook Lucah through his very core. It was enough that King Remi ordered him to stay away from Alora, and then found out about them the night that boy fell from the turret, but the king also wanted him to be sent away and wait for The Apprentice to recruit him. A spy he would be. A spy for the king in The Apprentice’s army. All of this wasn’t was Lucah signed up for. There was no pride, no great honor in it.
“Lucah!” He remembered her voice calling for him. He had turned around, sitting in the carriage ready to leave the castle city, and Alora stood outside the castle city walls. She had clearly ran to see him off since she was trying to catch her breath. It was too much for him. He couldn’t say goodbye. So instead of saying it, he turned back around in his seat and ordered the driver to leave.
Lucah turned to Silas and his new trainees again. This would be his new army. His new knightlys. These would be his new brothers and sisters. He wouldn’t be the spy the king wanted. When Silas had returned, he mentioned leaving a falcon that would lead Alora to them. What would Alora do when she saw Lucah again? That is, if she came. Would she run into his arms and forget about Silas? He could only hope and in his imagination that’s exactly what would happen.
And if she didn’t come, his only wish would be that he wouldn’t have to face Alora in battle. If he did, he knew he wouldn’t be able to hurt her. Harming her would be a fate worse than death. Perhaps he should’ve just told the king nay and accept the consequences, whatever they were.
Lucah slid a finger along the edge of his battle axe—it was blunted so as not to cause any harm. But as anyone knew, the weight of it coming down with such force still delivered a painful blow.
And Lucah’s strength had increased since he left the castle city, making it feel as if he wielded a simple wooden practice sword, instead of the heavy piece of killing steel it really was. Alora’s knightlys would be no match for him. All except Aednat. She would be his strongest foe.
Finding out that Silas was in fact his real commander was unexpected as well as infuriating. Sure Silas couldn’t be blamed, and Lucah kept telling himself he didn’t hate him, because any boy would have done the same. If it wasn’t Silas who gained Alora’s love when Lucah backed off, it would’ve been someone else.