by A L Wright
Moving to leave, she turned back to Mordred. "If ever you need anything of me, do not hesitate to come to the Palace and ask for myself or my Prince. Thank you."
As she left the shop her emotions were conflicted. She was not sure she liked hearing yet another confirmation of her not surviving past her child’s birth, but now she knew so much more. The information she was given by the seer tied into things she had learned from The Patriarch about the war and the spells surrounding the Slumber Chambers.
"Victor, please do not tell the Prince of what the seer spoke about. I would like to keep this quiet until I think about it all further."
"I will do as you ask, Princess. But I will take the knowledge of someone meaning you harm to heart and keep an extra guard at your doors." Victor looked solemnly at her after he placed her upon her horse, and she knew she could never talk him out of it.
"You are a great friend, Victor. I hope that when I am gone you will be as good of a friend and protector to my child as you are to me." Before he could respond, she spurred her horse to a trot back towards the palace and her beloved.
Chapter 11
Running his hands through his hair, Dartein forced himself to look away from the books and map in front of him. He had a very good idea of where to look for the old battleground and how to get there. Next to the map was a reed pen and a sheet of thin vellum. He intended to use these to write out the list of supplies he needed to gather for his journey. He wanted to travel as light as possible to make the best time, so the list wouldn't be very long. He just couldn't make himself write out the list.
If he wrote it, he felt he was committing himself to this journey. And if he did that then he would have to leave his Josee behind. The thought scared him, especially after Victor reported Juron's strange conversation with his beloved in the courtyard the other night.
That was the only part of their outing that Victor would tell him about. Being told by his guard and old friend that The Princess forbade him to speak of the other events of the night were unsettling to say the least. He had not pushed Josaleene to tell him anything, though. He knew she always had reasons for what she did, and would wait to hear her out. As pensive as she had become lately though he thought he may have to break down and ask her anyway.
The door to the chamber swept open and in swept the one person who made his life worth living. Josaleene hurried in and stopped to give him a curious glance.
"Dartein, that lopsided grin is a bit out of character for you lately. Should I assume that you have been drinking? Or is there another reason for it?" It was a glimpse of the playful carefree Josee that he loved so much. She strode over to where he sat and cupped his face with her hands. Placing her face directly in front of his he thought she would kiss him. Just when her lips almost touched his she winked at him.
"No, I do not smell drink on your breath." She giggled.
Dartein wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. Since he was still seated, her now bulging belly pressed against the side of his face.
"You, always you. You always make me smile whether you see it or not." He murmured into her belly. He loved the feel of her, and loved feeling the heat coming from her middle. He knew their child would be a girl. And he knew without a doubt she would be as lovely as her mother. He wondered idly if she would just as uncontrollable.
As if in response to his thought he felt a light bump against his cheek. He pulled away and looked up at Josaleene sheepishly.
"I think our daughter knows me too well and is already kicking me for irrational thoughts."
"You are silly. And she sure has been moving around a lot lately." Placing her hands to her back she walked over to the bed and sat down.
Dartein rose and followed her. Sitting next to her he began to rub at the tense areas in her back. After a few moments, she turned and looked at him with her eyes half closed.
"Dartein, if you keep that up you won't get any more work done with your maps tonight," she said breathily.
Dartein just smiled and pulled her to him for a deep kiss. Pulling away for breath he whispers, "I've finished with that map anyway." He caught her mouth again with his and gently lowered her to lie on the bed.
He ran his hands over her like he was exploring her body again for the first time. He could never get enough of her. And her growing belly only made her more irresistible to him, so alive and so warm. He lost himself in her and forgot all about the list he still needed to write.
✽ ✽ ✽
Lying next to him, cuddled into his arm she felt more relaxed than she had in weeks. Dartein was close to sleep and was rubbing his fingers across her middle in a slow rhythm. She looked over at his face, relishing every one of his fine features. He was beyond handsome. He was gorgeous. And she knew that many of the lady Nobles were very jealous of her.
The sudden thought of him finding comfort in someone else after she was gone hurt her to her very core.
Of course, she knew he loved her and only her. But then again, she almost felt guilty that she would leave him and he may never move on to find another woman to comfort him. Feeling much too conflicted about the thoughts she was having, she kissed him lightly to see if he was still awake.
By the small smile that grew on his face after her kiss, she knew he was.
"Dartein, love, you said you were finished with your map? What did you figure out from it?"
His eyes popped open wide as if he was faced with a thought that he did not want to entertain. Sighing he closed his eyes again before he spoke.
"Well, yes. I did figure out where to find what I am looking for."
"Really? And just what is it that you are looking for?" Josaleene was a bit curious since she never knew he was searching for something. She had assumed he was studying more of the history of the Ancient War.
Dartein opened his eyes and looked at her intently. "Josee, there is another Chamber."
Gasping she sat up in the bed. She didn't know what to think. They had been told that the one Chamber in the Palace was the only one that survived the war.
"How is there another chamber?" She breathed.
"Two of the chambers were still intact after the war. My Father only retrieved one of them. The one he created, the one he was turned in. Out there buried under the last battlefield is the other one."
Icy fingers of dread crawled up her spine as she asked her next question.
"Where is it at, Dartein? Where do you have to go to look for it?"
"To the Northern Reaches, beyond the Lothnau Forest and to the foot of the mountains there."
Josaleene had barely heard the last part of the sentence. She felt so cold.
"Two will travel north. That is what she said. Dartein it is all true!"
He looked frightened as he took in her now-pale features. "Do tell me what you speak of, what has you so frightened?"
"Oh, Dartein. The night that Victor and I went out to the village I visited a Seer. Please do not look at me that way, I know our child will be powerful and I wanted to know more! What I found out from her though, was more about myself than our child. Mordred, the Seer, told me that two will travel north to seek the answer to my condition. She told me that there was a war, and that there will be war again. She also told me that the only way for us to win the war is for you to survive after I am gone." Tears ran freely down her face. Hearing him confirm part of the Seer's story had her scared. She wasn't ready for everything that was told to her to unfold. It was too soon.
Dartein looked like he was in shock. "A seer? Aren't those people dangerous to deal with? Why were you at a Seer? How could Victor let you do that?"
"Did you not hear anything else I said? War, Dartein. The events that are unfolding are more important than me. I do not think you should bother seeking out useless ways to save me when war looms on our doorstep!"
"How can you say that? You are the most important thing in my life. I will fight wars for you, and I will find a way to save you. Please Josaleene, forgi
ve me my anger. I am so scared for you. I was frightened that this seer could have hurt you." Grabbing her hands with his he covered them with kisses, then sat her hands in her lap and laid his hands to either side of her face. "I will save you, my love. I will travel to the darkest corners of the earth and back to make sure you stay by my side." He kissed her lightly on the forehead.
Josaleene knew she would not survive. It had been confirmed to her too many times in too many ways. She accepted it. She now had to find a way to keep Dartein from getting himself killed trying to save her. He was going to be important in the war that was coming. Maybe some distance from her would be a good way to clear his head, and get back to thinking reasonably about the events happening around them.
"When will you be leaving to find this chamber?" She asked in resignation.
"I will be leaving as soon as I can. In a couple of months, the Northern Reaches will be covered in snow, and frozen earth will be difficult to dig into to find the Chamber."
She watched as he rose from the bed and walked over to the table where his maps and history book lay. He began to hastily write on the parchment in front of him. When he finished he opened the door and told the guard there to bring Victor to him.
Josaleene slipped into a dressing gown and walked over to stand behind Dartein. She wrapped her arms around him but said nothing.
A few short moments later Victor appeared in the doorway.
"I need you to gather up the things on this list and have them packed up and ready for me. I will be leaving tomorrow at dusk." Dartein instructed the guard.
Josaleene would not have him travel by himself. "Victor, double whatever is on that list and inform Anton that he is traveling with the Prince tomorrow." She looked pointedly at Dartein and repeated "Two will travel North."
She heard Victor's sharp intake of breath, and knew he remembered every word the Seer had uttered during the telling.
"Princess, my Prince. Everything will be ready well before it is time to leave." With one last quick glance at Josaleene, Victor turned and hurried away.
She looked up at her handsome man, the love of her lifetime. The one man who had made her life worth living, even if she had to turn into something else to have that life.
"That seer said two will travel north to look for an answer. Did she say if they find the answer they seek?" Dartein asked quietly.
In answer, she just shook her head.
But the Seer had told her, told her that they would not find the answer for her. But they would find powerful knowledge. She wondered if that at least would make the trip worth it.
Chapter 12
Upon hearing of his son's plans to depart that evening, The Patriarch had Dartein summoned to the library so he could speak with him. Maybe try to talk some sense into him. He doubted that he could talk him out of his plans, but hoped he could at least make him see some reason.
Mortul waited patiently for his son to arrive. While he waited he poured himself a drink from the table near his desk. It took a lot of the human made liquor to get him drunk, and he had only tested that once after Samana died. Now he would partake of it here and there in smaller doses. He liked the way it warmed his throat like hot blood did when taken straight from a creature’s body.
He was one of the only of his Court who had ever fed that way.
Early on after he and his partners were turned, they found that they needed a different type of sustenance to keep their energies up. And the way they killed, the many, many creatures they slaughtered, their cravings ended up being almost feral.
The craving for blood started when they found they could not tolerate cooked meat. They ended up eating the meat raw, dripping with blood. And while this sustained them and kept them in a normal level of energy, they needed to be fueled to kill.
The humans they were protecting almost became victims, until one human girl came to understand what they needed. She started to save all the blood from the meat that was to be cooked for the fighting men, and would set it out for them to have. Mortul found that the fresher the blood the better. It soon came to the point where He and his magically turned comrades would do the killing of the animals that were to be slaughtered and cooked and drank the blood fresh while the life force of the animal was still there.
The energy and strength it gave them was a force all its own.
A knock on the door brought Mortul sharply back to the present. He watched as the door opened, and his son swept through it. He could tell Dartein was in a hurry to leave by the look on his face.
"Father, I came right away. What is so urgent?"
"My son, I need to know why you must delude yourself. Why must you run off to unknown places to find things long buried? I am afraid that you are only setting yourself up for more pain."
"I will not rest until I find a way to save her. What would you have done for my mother? What ends would you have gone to, to save her life?"
"Dartein, I know all too well how much you want to save Josaleene. I just need you to be careful on this journey. I cannot bear to lose my son."
"Please Father, just look after Josee while I am gone. I think there are some here that mean her harm, but I cannot refuse the opportunity to go find that chamber. If I wait the ground will be too frozen to unearth anything." Dartein's eyes were full of worry.
"Son let me tell you a small secret that I have shared with no other Noble. Please only use this if you have no other choice as it is difficult to recover from. If you need the strength to take on that which is stronger than you, drink blood straight from the source. It will give you power beyond anything a Noble is capable of now. But it does not last more than a few hours, and it can be addictive if overdone."
Dartein looked a bit taken back, as if his father were speaking a different language that he just barely grasped.
"I do not understand. Why blood? What do you mean straight from the source?"
The Patriarch sighed internally. This information was volatile. He knew how it was to be addicted to fresh blood. The uncontrollable urges and the pain of withdrawals. He did not want his son to go through that, but he wanted to know his son would survive this journey.
"Blood taken straight from the main vein of any living creature will give to you that creature’s life source. Since you have your own Life Source, drinking of another's will add to yours temporarily and will make you strong. Very Strong. Use that information wisely, it can become addictive once done and can tear a Noble apart once the body becomes deprived of it."
Mortul eyed his son heavily.
"I wish now that I had taken the time to show you more about your magical abilities. I had not foreseen any circumstances where you would need it. Please hurry back from your journey and I can educate you more on those abilities. I have a feeling we will need them soon." He wished they would not need it, but he knew that soon the goblins would get close enough that they would have to fight. He wanted to be ready and he wanted the fight to be quick.
"I will take into consideration what you told me. I will return soon, Father. And at that time we will speak again."
Mortul's only Son left through the door, taking what was left of his heart with him.
✽ ✽ ✽
"Please be careful my Love." Josaleene put on a brave face for Dartein. She did not want him to see her scared. "Please do not get yourself hurt for what may not be the answer we seek."
He glanced at her in curiosity. "Josee, I will save you. I told you this already."
Josaleene sighed. She knew he would never accept the inevitable. There was war coming and he was running off to dig up tombs.
"Hurry back to me. The Seer said you would bring back great knowledge. I would know what knowledge you bring back with you." Before I die, she added silently.
"Then your Seer knows I will bring back a way to save you." He smiled crookedly.
They passed through the great Palace doors and out in to the courtyard. Anton was there already with the horses, packed and ready to tra
vel.
Dartein stopped to look at her.
"I will come back to you, My Love. And quickly. I promised my Father we would have some in depth conversations very soon. And I would like to include you in them, since they are about using magic."
Josee smiled. She reached up and stroked his cheek. Planting a kiss softly on his lips before stepping away, she said "Go then, and be quick. Please know Dartein, that it is not just my life in your hands... but all our lives. War is coming. I believe the Seer in this. And you are crucial to our survival. Whatever is coming, we cannot win without you. Go quick and come back to us." Her words seemed to shake Dartein, and he ran his hands through his hair nervously.
"I love you, Josee. I will be back soon." He kissed her forehead, rubbed his hand across her belly and then turned and mounted his horse. He looked at her intently before he turned, and he and Anton thundered out of the gates.
Josaleene watched until they rode out the gate and disappeared around the wall. She heaved a large sigh and turned to walk back into the palace.
She turned and ran right into Juron's chest.
His hands closed around her upper arms.
"Good evening, Princess. It seems your Prince was packed for quite a long trip. I do hope you will be well taken care of while he is away." Juron's eyes took in Josaleene's body from head to toe, leaving her feel dirty.
Before she could form a word, Victor came up behind Juron and placed a large gloved hand on his shoulder.
"Is there a problem here?" Victor grumbled.
"Ah no, not at all. The Princess looked a bit peaked and I was afraid she was about to fall. I merely wanted to make sure she felt steady before letting her walk away alone." Juron removed his hands from her arms, giving her one last sweeping look. His eyes remained on her protruding belly much too long for her liking.
Turning he slid out from under the large guard’s loose grasp on his shoulder. Juron bowed to them both. "My mistress awaits my company. Good Evening, Princess."