by Leah Putz
“No, not right away. You’re right. But my father married a commoner.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Yes, and look at what that led to. Your rule was questioned due to your lineage.”
“Well that wasn’t exactly standard circumstance. I’ve given it a lot of thought, and once I’m king I want to adjust the laws. I don’t see the point in forcing a royal to marry another royal, the law is outdated and my father should have changed it before he married my mother. Once we marry, you’ll live with me. In the meantime, you can stay with Jion and Hope. They’ve got an extra room.”
“Don’t you think it will cause ill favor if you are crowned and immediately start repealing ancient laws?” He sighed and dropped his food onto the table, clearly getting irritated with my questioning. “Look, Vik, I’m sorry, but I don’t think you’ve properly thought this through. There’s so many if’s and but’s, and-”
“I don’t care about the ifs and the buts. I love you, Lis. Isn’t that enough? Isn’t loving me enough? The love is there, we can work around everything else together. Plus, you promised you’d think about it after we arrive in Loch and visit your family. We aren’t there yet, so you can’t say no yet.”
“I’m not saying that I’m saying no yet,” I sighed, exasperated by his stubborn way of refusing to look at anything from a different perspective than his own. I reached for his hand, rubbing my thumb over his knuckles reassuringly. “I’m not saying no, yet. I just want you to understand that there’s a lot for me to think about. It isn’t as simple as you make it sound. But you’re right. I’m not making a decision until after I see my family, and am able to talk it over with them.”
“Good,” he said, turning his attention back to the meal in front of him.
I stood. “I’m going to go pack my things and get ready since we’re arriving soon. I’ll see you in a bit.” After one quick parting kiss, I made my way back to my room to prepare to leave the ship.
I had only just finished when a knock sounded at my door. Swinging the door open, I found myself face to face with Viktor. “We’re here,” he said, smiling softly though it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
Nervous energy rolled off him, and I stood on my tip toes to press my lips to his, trying to reassure him. “Let’s go see my family.”
Oddly enough, the walk through Loch to my home felt like one of the longest parts of the journey. Viktor was the only person to accompany me; Jion had hung back to direct the majority of the fleet in the towards Capital City, and to stay with the few that were choosing to remain in Loch with us and make sure they didn’t get into too much trouble.
We were so close to home I could almost taste it, and the last stretch seemed to drag on and on. When we could finally make out the smoke coming from the chimney of my home, I couldn’t stop myself from sprinting the rest of the way, unable to contain my excitement any longer. Viktor hung back, moving forward at his own pace to allow me some time to greet my family before his arrival.
As soon as I burst through the door I smelled my mother’s cooking and felt that all was right in the world again. But that feeling only lasted for a moment. Despite the walls I now maintained without much thought, I could sense a deep melancholy blanketing our house.
“Mother!” I called, heading towards the kitchen. “Grandmother! Father!”
“Lisalya?” my mother’s voice came from the kitchen moments before she stepped out, a shocked look on her face. As soon as her eyes fell on me a grin spread across her face, and she immediately rushed forward, enveloping me in her arms. “Oh, my sweet daughter, you’re home!” she exclaimed, clutching me tightly.
“I’m home.” I tried to hold back the tears welling up in my eyes. “We won. We defeated the King of Bushand. Or rather, Vik did.”
“Vik?” she said with a wrinkle in her brow, unfamiliar with the nickname I had grown accustomed to hearing and using.
“Prince Viktor,” I explained.
“Ahh, you must be close friends with the prince now to use such informalities when speaking of him. I don’t think it’s proper.”
“Well, you see, we…” I broke off at the sight of my father coming in from the atrium. “Papa!” I cried, running into his embrace at once.
“Oh, I missed you both so much, and Grandmother. Where is she?” I asked. Papa just smiled down at me wistfully, and just as I was about to ask what was wrong a knock sounded at the door, signalling Vik’s arrival.
“Honey, will you tell her? I’ll go get the door.” My mother left to go get the door and I moved to follow her, but my father stopped me.
“There’s something I have to tell you, Lis.”
“One moment, Pa. The Prince has arrived,” I said as mother rounded the corner, Viktor following close behind. Rushing forward, I pulled Viktor into my arms. “Now,” I said, turning back to my parents. “Where is Grandmother?”
The looks on their faces coupled with the sadness that seemed to be seeping from the very walls made me feel like I was going to throw up. “What is it?” I asked. “What’s wrong?”
I felt myself pale as my father began to speak. Viktor wrapped a comforting arm around me. “Grandmother passed a month ago. She went peacefully in her sleep.”
My knees buckled, and if it weren’t for Viktor’s arm around me, I would have fallen to the floor. There had been too much loss, too many ups and downs, and I couldn’t process any of it anymore. I wanted to weep, I wanted to scream, but nothing was happening. I could only stand, frozen in shock as I felt a single tear drip my cheek.
“Lis? Are you okay?” Viktor asked frantically, panic in his voice as he wiped hair from my face, brushing a tear away with a soft swipe of his thumb. His face was blurry before me, and I was unable to focus, or find my voice. All I could manage was a shake of my head. No, I thought desperately, I’m not okay.
Viktor immediately went into prince mode, straightening and addressing my parents. “Lisalya is not well. Can you show us to her room?” My parents stood gaping at him, shocked at our apparent familiarity. Shortly after Viktor spoke my mother snapped out of her daze and directed us to my bedroom.
After helping me into bed, Viktor spoke once more. “I’d like to stay with her, if that’s alright.”
My mother’s eyes shot to me, silently asking permission. I nodded. “Yes, you’re welcome to stay here as long as you would like, my liege,” she replied, doing an awkward curtsy before leaving and shutting the door behind her.
“I’m so sorry, my love,” he whispered, sitting beside me. Reaching out from under the covers, I grabbed his hand, and finally the tears came in full force. He crawled into bed beside me and folded me into his arms, allowing me to sob into his chest without judgement. I’m not sure how long we laid there, I cried until I had nothing left within me. In times like these, I relied on my grandmother’s guidance and soothing nature. Being without her left a void in my life, and in my heart, and I didn’t know where to turn.
“Vik,” I croaked, my throat hoarse. “I’m going to stay here, with my parents tonight. I’ll explain everything to them tomorrow, but I think it’s best that I do it alone. They may not give me their honest advice if the prince-” He opened his mouth to object, and I knew he was going to say. ‘I’m just Vik.’ So I stopped him. “I know you’re just you, but my parents don’t yet. They still see you as the Prince of Doctsland, someone to be respected and esteemed.”
“I understand,” he said, pressing his lips to mine. “I’ll give you time, and space. I’ll head back to the inn and stay with Jion. When you’re ready, come find me.”
“I will,” I said, kissing him once more. “I love you.” I whispered the words forcefully against his lips.
He nodded, getting out of bed and heading out the door.
Shortly after Viktor left my mother came into my room. She climbed into bed with me, holding me in her arms.
“You love him, don’t you?” she asked. Sniffling, I nodded. “I’m sorry you had to come home to this. She knew her time wa
s coming, and she went peacefully and happily in her bed.”
“I know,” I replied. “But that hardly makes it easier.”
“I know, dear. Just try to go to sleep, we’ll catch up in the morning.” Emotionally exhausted, I slipped into unconsciousness immediately.
***
Light streaming through my window woke me up the next morning. For a moment, everything seemed okay, but then the knowledge that had been dropped on me the previous day hit me and a pit formed in my stomach. Mother had already risen, and I could hear her banging around in the kitchen, most likely preparing breakfast. Rubbing my eyes, I yawned and peeled the covers away from my body. I felt a pang in my chest, missing Viktor, and realized it was the first time since we had left Loch all those months ago that I’d spent more than a few hours away from him.
“Are you awake, Lis?” My father’s voice sounded from the other side of my door.
“Yes, come in,” I called back.
“How are you?” he asked as he pushed open the door and came inside.
I laughed humorlessly. “I’ve been better.”
“Aye I can imagine. You and Ma were dearly close,” he said, sitting down on the bed beside me. I merely nodded, not able to find the right words to express the sense of loss I felt. “And I get the sense that you’re at somewhat of a crossroads and were looking for her guidance.”
I looked up sharply. “How did you know?”
He chuckled. “Please, I’ve known you for twenty-three years. I can read you like a book. So, will you tell us what’s happened? We can sit down with your mother and have breakfast.”
“Yes, please,” I said, getting up out of bed despite the strong desire to stay in it for the rest of my life.
By the time we reached the atrium mother had laid out a large spread of food and was patiently awaiting our arrival. “Why so much food?” I asked. “It’s just the three of us.”
“To celebrate your homecoming. We’ve been waiting, and worried sick. It’s been so long, Lis, we feared the worst.”
“I know. It has been a long time. It was so hard being away for so long. So much has changed since I left…” I decided to start from the beginning, explaining everything that had happened since I departed all those months ago. Getting through the torture at Carthoc’s hands was difficult, especially when seeing the look of horror on my parents’ faces. Also difficult was telling them of Siofra’s death. She and I had become close friends, and revisiting her death was not easy. Lastly, I told them how I had fallen in love with the prince, and how he had confessed his love for me as well. They listened without interrupting, though I know some of it was as hard for them to hear as it was for me to tell. I finished with Viktor’s request. “He asked me to go to Capital City with him. I wanted to talk it over with grandmother. I know how many people need our family here in Loch, I don’t want to abandon them. Now that she’s gone and I don’t have her guidance, I don’t know what to do. If I leave, our people will have no one to turn to. They’ll have lost both of us.”
“‘Our people’ does not just mean Loch,” my mother said. “But all of Doctsland. It is not only in Loch that there are people that need help.”
“I know. But our family has been here for generations. And you’re both here.”
“Lisalya, you love the prince, do you not?”
My father’s question confused me, and I furrowed my brow as I replied. “Of course, I just told you.”
“So why would you stay here, without him?”
“I-” I was stunned beyond words. “I don’t-”
“You’re scared, and it’s understandable. You’ve always lived in Loch. And yes, our family has been in Loch for generations. But each generation a family should grow and improve. If you stay here in Loch, you’ll just be living the same life your grandmother lived. Think of how many people you could help in the City. Much more than you could help staying here in Loch.”
“But the people here need me.”
“There are people everywhere that need you. And Loch is not easy to get to. People are much more likely to travel to the city for assistance when they need it than Loch.” The similarities between his words and Jion’s were not lost on me, and I chewed my lip in thought, looking to my mother to see if she seemed to feel the same way.
She reached out and grabbed my hand. “We will miss you. But we will come visit. You need to go to Capital City. The power of the Manyeo family line is strong in you. Stronger than it has been for a long time. Stronger than Loch. You have the ability and the opportunity to help so many more people. And to be with the man you love. You must go.”
I took a deep shuddering breath, their words flying through my mind, and I knew that they were right. I stood immediately. “I need to tell Viktor. I’ll be back.”
“Please bring him back with you. I want to get to know the man who has stolen our daughter’s heart,” my mother said.
“I will,” I said, smiling as I closed the door behind me.
Racing as fast as I could, I made it back to the center of Loch in record time. I burst through the door of the inn right away, and found Viktor and Jion’s faces, clearly startled by my abrupt entrance. “I need to speak to you,” I said, locking eyes with the Prince.
He nodded as he stood. “Of course. My room is this way.”
I followed him to his room. “What are you doing here?” he asked. “I thought you needed time with your family.”
“I do, and I intend to go back to spend more time with them, but I needed to talk to you right away,” I explained. When he closed the door behind him he shifted nervously, and I felt bad for keeping him in suspense for even one night.
“I will come with you,” I said, not wanting to keep him in the dark for a second longer. “I’ll go to Capital City.”
A grin spread over his face as he pulled me into his arms. “You have no idea how happy you’ve just made me, Lisalya,” he mumbled into my hair. “And thank you for coming back to tell me. I was dying a little.”
Laughing, I leaned up to give him a kiss. “I know, I’m sorry. I needed to speak with my family about it, but they were very encouraging, and made it clear that they think this is what I must do. If I stayed here, I’d be living my grandmother’s life. I need to forge my own path. One I hope to share with you.”
“Forever,” he said with a dazzling smile. I had no idea what the future may hold; what life in the city may be like, what a relationship with a king would hold, or how to be a queen one day, but although the unknown is typically a frightening thing, I wasn’t scared.
THE END
www.darkstroke.com
darkstroke is
an imprint of
Crooked Cat Books
Chapter One
Lisalya
Chapter Two
Viktor
Chapter Three
Viktor
Chapter Four
Lisalya
Chapter Five
Lisalya
Chapter Six
Viktor
Chapter Seven
Lisalya
Chapter Eight
Viktor
Chapter Nine
Viktor
Chapter Ten
Lisalya
Chapter Eleven
Lisalya
Chapter Twelve
Viktor
Chapter Thirteen
Lisalya
Chapter Fourteen
Viktor
Chapter Fifteen
Lisalya
Chapter Sixteen
Lisalya
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