Beauty's Quest

by C. S. Johnson

  “I thought you were studying to be a priest?”

  “I was raised in the church. Thad, my brother, has decided to take the vows, but I have not made the decision to do so.”

  “Will you?” Philip asked quietly.

  “I’ve thought about it.” Theo shrugged. “But there are a couple of things I must do before I think about that.”

  Philip watched as Theo’s grip tightened on his sword and nodded in understanding. “I guess it would do no good to give yourself to God if you have revenge as a master.”

  “Revenge is not my master, but rather a goal,” Theo corrected him absently. He shrugged. “But you’re right that it is too much of a life at odds with the priestly vows of holiness, worship, and consecration. I have some time, anyway; my grandfather came into the priesthood late, after my grandmother died.”

  There were a few moments of silence between them before Theo spoke again, continuing his tale. “Rose and I met Ethan and Sophia when she needed a new shield. We were two knights against the world of the Eastern Warlords, but she lost a shield in the final battle.” He shuddered. “She almost got carved up. It was the most terrifying battle of our lives for me.

  “But when it was over, she stayed and negotiated the treaty, with me by her side. Mary fixed up her wounds, and mine, too.”

  Philip could easily picture Theo, transfixed with Rose’s pain, ignorant of his own, as he watched her sign her name with her blood, bequeathing peace to the two countries from her pain.

  “Sophia’s family ran the blacksmithing business where we were. In lieu of payment, for it was a poor town, Sophia’s father offered to give Rose a new shield. She agreed, and asked, since it would take some time, if we would be to stay with the family and help out the town some more while it was getting made. They were easily charmed by her manners and granted the request.”

  “That sounds like her,” Philip agreed.

  “So does the next part. On the next night, Rose and I were talking late into the night, as we tend to do from time to time,” Theo muttered. “We heard a commotion, and headed out to see what was wrong. Rose saw Sophia’s dad strike her across the head, yelling all sorts of obscenities at her. Rose headed out to help, but I pulled her back and took care of him myself.”

  “‘Took care of him?’” Philip asked. “You mean you beat him up?”

  “Not exactly.” Theo’s fingers tightened into a fist. “He was drunk. I knocked him out from behind with one swift punch.”

  “Good for you.”

  “Rose and Mary settled Sophia down and kept watch over her for the rest of the night. I stood guard in the kitchen, listening out for any other problems.”

  “Which came, I take it?”

  “Yes. You’ve noticed Sophia’s eyes are two different colors. She told Rose and me, just once, it was because he came looking for her while she was working. He hit her hard enough where she fell over, hitting her head on one of her workbenches.”

  Philip closed his eyes and shook his head. “I’m glad you punched him.”

  “Me too.” Theo clenched his fist at the memory. “I’m glad that Tatiana’s fairies were able to heal her, too. That morning after the commotion, while he woke up sober, their father didn’t seem any more hospitable toward Ethan. He called for him before dawn, while we were still up, and made him go out to the stables. We found out later he was ‘training’ Ethan for battle, even though there was no longer a problem with the Eastern Warlords.”

  “Well, that has always been debated. It’s better to be prepared for war, but in preparing for war, people often find it.”

  Theo snorted. “You might have a point, but I just assumed his father was too drunk from the celebrations to recall he was no longer at war. From what Rose and I could figure, it had been something he’d worked with Ethan on for several years.”

  “Ethan doesn’t like combat.”

  “Probably because he has seen too much of it too early, and too closely.”

  “I can understand that.”

  “Eventually, Rose and I talked with the others in the father’s workhouse and the forage. We found out less than satisfactory things. We came to an agreement about what to do. We traded her shield in for the two kids, and paid their father off enough of our own gold to go through quite a few months of drinking.” Theo paused. “As for the others in the workhouse, many of them were already planning on leaving since the Eastern Warlords had been defeated.”

  “That was smart, to buy them off of the father. Hopefully, even if he felt cheated later, you would have been far enough away for him to find you.”

  “That was the idea. Rose saved them. She took Sophia on as a squire, and Ethan helped me and Rose to learn more of the Greek language.”

  “You already knew it though.”

  “Yes.” Theo nodded. “Yes, I did. The church has tried for a long time to teach its own, and I was an avid student.”

  “So Ethan became your map reader, and Sophia the blacksmith and Rose’s ward.”

  “They both belong to her,” Theo said quietly. “She has been their champion since they came along with us.”

  “But you helped save them.”

  Theo looked into the heart of the fire. “I might have helped save them from their father, but she is the one who has made our group into a family.”

  “All of you have made a special place for yourselves in your family.” Philip nodded, understanding, as he looked deep into the heart of the flames. “I can only hope I will have the same privilege.”

  *7*

  ҉

  THEO MADE HIS WAY TO his bed for the night and lay down, pausing only slightly to listen for the sound of Philip following suit over in the next room.

  Turning to the small window above his bed, Theo peeked outside. The moon was almost full, but the night air was clear enough he could see the stars glittering in the icy sky. A discomfort settled inside of him, as the combination of light and darkness haunted him, like a secret half-revealed.

  Theo had not enjoyed talking with Philip. Hearing Philip compliment Rose with such a loving tone made Theo’s heart sting. Even if what he said was true.

  But Theo knew that apart from competing for Rose’s affection, they could be good friends.

  The Prince of Einish was a bit of a surprise, Theo admitted to himself. An instant wave of sympathy moved him as he remembered Rose and her perpetual hatred for surprises. Ruefully, he admitted he should have considered more seriously her feelings on the matter before.

  Many princes had come to the palace in hopes of securing a marriage contract. Once they saw Rose and her loveliness, it was easy enough to derail their plans. Rose’s temper, intelligence, and absolute determination to make their visits deplorable would quickly offset their fascination with her beauty.

  But Philip knew of Rose’s fighting skills, admired her strengths, shared some of her deepest convictions, and even knew something of her loneliness. And he was a prince; maybe without a kingdom, but he had been born into royalty and bred to lead with power.

  He would be a good match for Rose, Theo acquiesced. Everyone would be pleased with the match. Rose and Philip’s friendship could probably blossom into love very easily. King Stefanos would have a secure alliance with another kingdom. Queen Leea, for her part, would rejoice at the thought of planning a wedding. The kingdoms would be happy, too, since both Rhone and Einish would benefit economically and politically.

  Everyone, even Rose, could be happy, he thought.

  Except for me.

  “Theo?”

  He jolted upright in his bed. Was it possible he’d actually summoned her, bringing her to face him in the night? “Rose?” he whispered back.

  “Are you awake?” Rose opened the door a sliver, her moonbeam eyes peeking through.

  “Yes.”

  “I can’t sleep.”

  He got up and went to her. “Have you tried lying down?” he asked, following her to the suite entrance hall.

  “No need to be s
arcastic,” Rose muttered. “You’re awake, too.”

  “I guess so.” He grinned. “Well, you have me there.” He followed her, tiptoeing through the sleeping guards and collections of various weapons and supplies.

  When they managed to sneak out into the hall, Rose let out a sigh of relief. “Whew. I was afraid we’d wake someone up.”

  “Don’t worry; I think everyone’s still catching up from being shipwrecked.”

  “They’ll need their rest,” Rose said, leading him outside through a side door. “We only have a few days until the tournament begins.”

  “Well, if you’re worried about rest, you might not want to practice your sword fighting skills against me this time.”

  Rose smirked. “Don’t think I haven’t thought about it. But I doubt it would distract me from my nerves at the moment.”

  “Why are you nervous?” Theo asked.

  “Nervous?” Rose laughed. “I’m terrified.”

  Theo let out a laugh. “Of what?”

  “Failing.”

  Theo laughed harder. She glared at him, and he wisely stopped. “Sorry,” he said. “But for someone who is unafraid of death, the idea you’re afraid of failing is laughable.”

  “I don’t need to fear death.” Rose leaned against the wall of the inn. “Not right now.”

  “I know you’ve figured Magdalina’s curse will keep you safe until your eighteenth birthday,” Theo said, “but there’s no way to know that’s correct. Not without killing you, anyway.”

  “It has to be true. How else do you explain all the times we’ve been able to cheat death and keep going on?” Rose asked.

  “Mary’s magic and healing potions, for one,” he said, counting off his fingers. “And your skills in peacemaking, sword fighting, and leading. And my skills in providing counsel.” He reached over and pulled up her sleeve, revealing the bracelet of rosary beads he’d given her. “Not to mention divine providence.”

  Rose snorted as she grabbed her hand back. “I shouldn’t have asked. Your arguing skills are as sharp as ever. You might have been a good lawyer for the courts if you had grown up with a normal life.”

  “It’s still possible. The universities throughout the continent would still take in an old man like me.”

  Rose rolled her eyes. “You’re barely twenty.”

  “Past twenty now, Rose.”

  “Close enough.”

  “Yes, close enough. But I don’t think I’d be happy as a man of law.” He smiled, tweaking a lock of her hair affectionately. “Give me an abnormal life any day.”

  When she only smiled back, he added, “Besides, I don’t think I’m as good as you when it comes to arguing, since you’ve managed to steer the conversation away from our original topic.”

  “What topic?”

  “Why you’re afraid of failing; why you’re nervous.” He leaned next to her, looking out at the city fires below and the starlight above. “Why you can’t sleep.”

  “We’re taking a bigger risk than I thought we would be, by entering the tournament.” Theo could feel her gaze on him as she continued. “It’s not a lot of our money, but it’s still a lot to sink into the entrance fees when we’re not certain of a return.”

  “We calculated it all out earlier,” Theo reminded her. “We’re close to a quarter of the way to paying for the passage fees, if the information we have on it is correct. Without the tournament, it could take weeks to earn the rest.”

  “What if I fail?” Rose asked. “What will we do then?”

  “Are you sure you’re not afraid of bulls?” Theo asked. “Running with them seems a little bit different than your usual training, not to mention all the other trials.”

  “Philip, Roderick, and I talked about it. I’ll be doing the jousting, while Roderick will take on the boar wrestling challenges. He says it won’t be too hard for him, since he has had practice in training and other tournaments. Philip says Einish has had visitors from all over, including Aragon. He’s going to help get me and Roderick prepared tomorrow, since every contestant has to participate in running with the bulls.”

  Rose paused before adding, “I’m very happy we decided to let Philip come along. I was worried he would slow us down, because he wasn’t used to being on the road like us. But it’s just been really nice, and he seems to be fitting in well with everyone.”

  Theo tried not to flinch at Rose’s babbling praise of Philip. “He does seem eager enough,” he agreed, before switching the subject. “And I’m glad you won’t have to worry about learning a new skill in the span of three days.”

  “I wouldn’t mind the challenge, and it might actually put me to sleep with all the effort required.” Rose sighed. “But you’re right. It would be too risky at this point. With my mother detained in Rhone, and my siblings in hiding, I need to get the dragon’s blood and hurry home.”

  “We’ll get there as soon as we can. There’s no shame in getting your rest and taking care of yourself in the meantime,” Theo told her gently.

  Rose put her head in her hands, much as she had earlier. “But what will we do if our plans don’t work?” she asked, this time with more urgency.

  “Jump aboard a ship and take it over, and head out to sea as pirates.”

  Rose giggled. “Theo! Come on, I’m serious.”

  “You don’t like the idea of Captain Rose? Rose the Fearsome, Pirate Mistress of the Seas?”

  Rose laughed again. “I should have known better than to think you were joking.”

  “If it makes you feel better, I don’t think it will come to that.”

  “Let’s hope not. I would hardly want to break the curse and then have a war to deal with when I am Queen.” She turned her gaze back out to the city marina. “Assuming I don’t fail at that, too.”

  Theo fell silent in response. There were just some thoughts which were too dangerous to entertain at the wrong moment.

  He finally reached out and took her wrist again, seeking out the chain of rosary beads. “I don’t think I’ve ever told you this,” he said. “Part of me was wondering if you’d notice. But I’ve collected my rosary beads since we’ve been on the road, back when you first left Rhone.”

  “I did notice, but I didn’t really care. At least, not that much.”

  “I figured,” he told her with a smirk. “But these are all mementos of all the times you made me say my prayers. This one”—he plucked up one of the bigger beads—“is from the town outside of the Gaullian camps, where we fought off those giant men and their monstrous horses.”

  “I’ve never seen such huge horses,” Rose agreed. “Fortunately, the Gaullian forces weren’t so tough to beat. Their size always convinced them it would be an easy battle, so not too many of them had the smarts for long-term fighting.”

  “That was the first time I got scared for you,” he told her. “You seemed like such a small little girl on a battlefield too big for her, and I was helpless to defend you.”

  “You’ve never been helpless when it comes to me.”

  I’ve always been helpless when it comes to you. The words went unspoken, but Theo could have sworn she heard them by the look she gave him.

  “I mean, you’ve got quite a collection here,” Rose said after a moment, drawing her attention back to the beads. “So God must have heard your prayers, right?” She laughed and slid down to the ground. “Come sit with me, and tell me more.”

  “As you wish.”

  He sat down with her and went through some of the first beads’ tales, recounting many of the absurd, funny, and sad adventures of the early years of their travels, before realizing she was no longer asking questions or laughing at his stories.

  Theo looked down at her face. At her closed eyes, her soft breathing, and her wayward hair, he felt a tender protectiveness stir inside of him. She might have fallen asleep, he thought, but she was no sleeping beauty. Her beauty, even at night as she slept, was wide awake, bringing a haunted radiance to life.

  Watching her, he
finally slid into his own deep sleep.

  *8*

  ҉

  “GET UP.”

  Theo shot up in his bed, ruffled out of sleep, with eyes still half-blurry and his heart pounding, to find Felise standing over him.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, grabbing Felise’s arm, searching to see if he was bleeding or wounded. Terrified they were under attack or being robbed, he scrambled to be free of his coverlet, nearly falling over.

  “Relax, boy. It’s opening day of the tourney,” Felise reminded him. “Now, let me go, would you? I’ve got money ridding on your group, and I have to get the others up.”

  “Huh? Oh. Sorry.” Theo let the older man’s arm go and tried to hide his shaking fingers from Felise’s scrutiny. As Felise left the room, Theo let himself fall back to the pad.

  It was nothing. This time.

  The early morning his Uncle Thom died had started the same way. Even though it had been over a decade since that morning, it had forever changed Theo.

  He clenched his fingers into a fist. His mind drew up a fuzzy, unclear face of Everon, Magdalina’s offspring, the one who had robbed him of his parents and a normal life.

  He put his hands together, clasping them in a helpless, unspoken prayer, trying to take inventory of all the steps and provisions he needed to acquire in order to have his long-sought revenge.

  We need this tournament to be able to make progress in our journey, he thought. With Rose’s calculations, they needed to place high in at least two categories to win enough money for the passage to the Romani territory.

  But he knew there were other concerns, too. There was no telling how long it would take to find the guarded dragon’s lair once they arrived in the Romani territory, and it would be another month before they arrived there by sea, at best.

  Rose has less than a year to go before the curse catches up with her, Theo calculated.

  “You okay?”

  Theo looked up to see Philip standing at his door. “Yes, I’m fine,” Theo told him. “I was just praying. I guess.”