by LJ Rivers
And Jen.
It had been four full days since they left to go scouting, and seeing her atop the griffin’s back made my heart thump with relief.
“There she is,” Charlie squealed, her voice echoing my happiness of having our third angel back. “Jen!”
My favourite wolf Shifter seemed more than happy to hold onto the leather straps that kept her on the griffin’s back, but managed a broad smile as they flew past us. Charlie was already sprinting towards the stairs, but I wanted to stay on the battlement a while longer. Brendan had gone to pay Elwood the blacksmith another visit. I was glad to have replaced my only blacksmith reference in my head with one that hadn’t killed my dad and partaken in the killing of my mum. Elwood and his apprentice, Feeney, had made Brendan his own sword. None of them thought a mere training sword was anything to be excited about and had laughed their arses off when they handed it to him, both kneeling and bowing deeper than if he’d been Prince Charming.
Then again, he kinda was—to me.
Kit, whom I now wished I had named something more appropriate to his size and general badass look, balanced on the parapet, skipping over the embrasures. I wondered how many of the queen’s archers had stood here, firing their arrows at my father’s soldiers. According to Morgana, the battle had mostly taken place outside the outer city wall, but breaches had occurred. As I followed Kit towards the stairs, the clank of hammers on steel rolled through the tower, as Elwood and the other smiths followed the orders from the queen’s Master of Arms. He had told them to double their production after I had informed the queen of my father’s return to Gwyn Fanon.
If there was ever a time for Charlie to “have a bad feeling”, this was it.
“What’s wrong?” Brendan asked as I stepped out of the tower and into the lantern-lit square. He wore his training sword in a sheath by his left hip. “I would have thought you’d be smiling, now that Jen is back.”
“Sorry, I was thinking about what my father might be up to.”
“Right, that usually brings a glum expression to your face.” He took my arm, and we went to the griffins.
I shook the dark thoughts away, and a smile spread across my face and more or less my whole body when Jen swung her leg over her griffin’s back. Commander Taryn held the reins and even offered her a hand. She gracefully took it and stepped down like it was the most natural thing in the world. Seconds later, Charlie hung around her neck like a child thanking her mother for a precious Christmas gift. Jen hugged her back, smiling at Brendan and me over Charlie’s shoulder.
“Welcome back, brave adventurer.” I extended my arms to join them.
“Thanks, Red. Don’t tell anyone,” Jen whispered as I embraced my angels, “but I think I may have peed my pants ever so little.”
“Jeannine Lune,” Charlie said in a mock-shocked voice. “I have never—”
“Was it that scary to fly a griffin?” I asked.
Jen leaned her head back and arched her perfectly tweezed eyebrows. “Hello! Scary? It was the most amazing ride ever! You have to try it, guys. It’s great knitted foot garments times ten. And Amalli is the best griffin north of whatever is the southernmost point in this world.” She released her slightly too firm grip on the two of us and turned to the giant animal, leaving us with jaws dropped as she gave it a squeezing hug. “Isn’t that right, girl? Yes, it is! You are the best griffin in the whole wide world!”
“On a scale of one to wtf,” Charlie said.
I shook my head, equally bamboozled. “I know, right?”
Brendan regarded the other two griffins. “Only three of you return. Where’s the rest? And Erica and Jack?”
“Don’t worry, they’re fine. Commander Taryn left two of his scouts in Mynyddlen Hollow, and I sent Jack and Erica back to Talani, to a small village called Canilian Brook. They will want for nothing at Zuwa’s Inn.”
Brendan gawked. “You’re becoming a regular Avalonian, Jen. I’m impressed.”
“We have news, too.” Jen motioned at the Crimson-clad eagle Shifter.
Commander Taryn handed the reins to a young boy, along with a coin. “Have them fed and rested until the next star-time.”
“As you wish, Lord Commander.”
The Crimson commander inclined his head my way. “Your Highness. Would you happen to know if the queen has been informed of our arrival?”
Brendan stepped forward. “I was in the smithy when I saw the griffins approach. Feeney, one of the—”
“I know Feeney,” Taryn said curtly.
“Right, of course. He ran to inform the queen.”
“Very well. Thank you, Don Hekal.”
“Brendan,” I said. “His name is Brendan, and I would prefer you use it.”
Taryn nodded. “Of course, Your Highness. I beg your forgiveness. I’m aware of his name and am happy to use it.” With a surprisingly warm and genuine smile, he winked at Brendan. “Rumour has it you have requested a sword, Brendan of Callaghan?”
Hang on! Brendan of Callaghan? That’s what Charlie had said, but I thought that had been in jest. Was it a thing now?
Brendan drew the sword from its sheath and spun it like a drill baton in his hand before presenting it to the Crimson soldier. I had seen him make that same move before, back in the fencing hall at White Willow campus, but that was with a blunt competition foil. This sword might be a training sword for the queen’s soldiers, but it was still half a foot longer and at least three times wider than his lightweight version back home. And it looked sharp enough to cut the whiskers off a cat. Lengthwise.
“Impressive, Son of Callaghan. The move, that is, not this toothpick.” Taryn took the sword by the hilt and held it up to inspect it. “I guess you could kill a hare with it if you were allowed five strikes. And the hare was tied to a pole.”
Brendan shrugged. “If you provide the hare, I might invite you to dine on it with me.”
“Agreed!” Taryn slapped Brendan’s shoulder and broke into a roaring laugh, and I had to step back and gaze at the scene. It was so out of character, even as little time as I’d had to get to know the commander.
“Uhm, do you two know each other?” I said when the laughter, which Brendan had joined in with, died.
“We do now,” Taryn said. “I have heard about Brendan of Callaghan, and how he has befriended Elwood of Pelles. Any friend of Elwood is a friend of mine, Your Highness.” His smile vanished. “The bear lifted a griffin off me during the battle of Avalen Plains. It had been struck by a crossbow bolt, and I got caught under it as it crashed to the ground. Without Elwood, I could never have told you this story, Princess. He carried me for five pancemiles, all the while with arrows in his back and leg. Even as his last breaths threatened to escape him, he held me over his shoulders while pounding on the outer gate. I know not the name of the Fae that healed me, but I will forever look for her to pay her my gratitude. Elwood’s last words before he collapsed were to convince her to heal me with her power."
I tilted my head. “But how—”
“She stopped when my back was no longer broken and gave Elwood the rest of her energy. When she fainted, completely drained of her beautiful healing, both Elwood and I were dragged to safety.”
“And no one knew who she was? Or even if she survived?”
“I’m afraid not, Your Highness. But as soon as I have killed the usurper for My Queen, I’ll resume my quest and find the Fae, to give her half my wealth.”
The usurper.
The queen’s fanfare sounded, and Taryn quickly returned the sword to Brendan and spun around to face Morgana, as did the rest of us.
“She could use a few pointers on how to make an entrance,” Jen said under her breath. “I mean, the fanfare is a nice touch, but still.”
I knew what she meant, and I also knew she didn’t actually mean it. Besides, to me, Morgana’s lack of desire for the pompous was refreshing and totally in tune with her ways. As she strolled through the double gates, accompanied by four Crimson guards, and Nefa
ri by her side, she still looked as regal as they came. Her power and authority radiated from her like the sun’s rays these people so desperately missed—people who fell to their knees when their queen glided across the square, her feet an inch over the cobbled floor.
Nefari sniffed the air and caught a whiff of something. That something scurried out from behind me and met his feline friend. Kit might have grown to twice his usual size, but he was still dwarfed by the mighty Faeguard. Or rather, the other Faeguard.
“It brings joy to my heart to see you again, Commander Taryn. And you too, Spearman Dar.”
“My Queen,” they both said simultaneously.
“Please stand, soldiers.”
The Crimson soldiers who had fallen to their knees, rose. Charlie gave me a quick look, mouthing “oops”. Although we had kneeled when Morgana came to see us by the smithy a few days earlier, neither Charlie nor Brendan, nor I, for that matter, had the instinct to drop to our knees for the queen.
Yet.
“I see you have brought Jeannine of Tala, as well,” Morgana said. “My heart is no less pleased to see you are well, brave wolf.”
With all the grace of the monarch in front of her, Jen curtsied. “I’m honoured, Your Majesty.”
“Commander Taryn, what news have you for me?”
Taryn looked around. “My Queen, I would prefer to convey our findings for your ears only.”
“I would expect no less of my Commander,” Morgana said. “However, your mission involves the princess, her blood, and her friends, and I give you permission to speak in front of them.”
“As the queen commands.” He cleared his throat. “The false king has—”
“Let’s make it easier on all of us and refer to Auberon as the actual king of Mynydd Dewin. I know I stripped him of the title, but it was more an act of anger than it was actually within my power. After all, I am not the ruler of Mynydd Dewin. While Auberon might have slain his father, Dewinian law states that no matter the cause of death of a king, the firstborn son shall inherit the throne.”
Taryn looked like he had bitten into a slice of lemon. “Very well. King Auberon arrived on a small boat in Mynyddlen Port eight star-times ago and left for Merlin’s Castle.”
“That’s only a two-moon march,” Morgana said between gritted teeth. “And it answers the question raised by Princess Ruby at her trial.” She paused, closing her eyes and breathing heavily. “It means the Son of Merlin has reclaimed his throne.” She exhaled. “And it means he has already begun assembling his army.”
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty,” I whispered. “It’s all my fault.”
The queen lay a hand on my shoulder and lowered her voice. “You may be carrying Merlin’s blood in your veins, Princess, but I have seen the full-blooded Fae in you. And as a Fae, it’s your primary instinct to help those who need it. That is what you did when you opened the portal. And that is what I will hold you to. Take pride in your care for the weak, Princess Ruby of Morgana.” She turned to Taryn, but moved her arm down to my waist, pulling me close. “What of Ruby’s grandparents?”
“The Sorcerer King was joined by a Satyr and two wolves. The Fae are kept in Castle Wadlow, half a pancemile east and north of Mynyddlen Hollow. Lord Wadlow has a guard of two hundred heads.” Taryn squared his shoulders. “I’m regretful to say this, My Queen, but the king announced his return in the market square. The villagers cheered.”
“Anything else would have shocked me, Commander. Bellion the Satyr has ruled Mynydd Dewin with an iron fist ever since I banished Auberon. The Dewinians will gather around their returned king.” A look of concern, or possibly regret, flashed across her face. “As much as it pains me, I cannot risk attacking Lord Wadlow. We are short on—”
“You can’t be serious.” I twisted out of her grasp. “Those are my grandparents. Your blood! Lili is dying!”
Morgana gave me a scolding glare. “And it will haunt me until I meet the Light that I have to say no, Princess Ruby. King Auberon is mobilising his forces as we speak, and we—I—have to prepare to defend my people against him once more.”
“Your Majesty!” I pleaded. “Please! Don’t abandon—”
“Enough!” she barked. “Commander Taryn. Gather my War Council. Have them at the large table before the next half awr has passed.”
“As the queen commands,” Taryn said. He gave a quick bow and marched off.
“Princess Ruby?”
I tried to reply, but the words stuck in my throat, and tears welled in my eyes.
“My commitment to the people of Avalon stands above everything else. Someday you might understand. I will speak with you after I have met with my council. Please be available at the ninth awr.”
I ground my teeth so hard my jaws ached. “As. The. Queen. Commands.”
Morgana nodded at Charlie. “I know this is not the time, but with the news of Auberon’s return, I guess it will never be a good time for it. My erudites want to continue meeting you, as they find your teachings about the Earth valuable. They also tell me you are a keen learner of our history. I have high regard for anyone they deem worthy of such praise, Carolina of Earth.”
“Don’t get me wrong,” Charlie began. “I’m glad, Your Majesty, but it drowns in the knowledge of Ruby’s grandparents.”
I reached out to stop her, but she waved my hand away.
“Is there nothing you can do?” she begged.
Morgana swallowed. “No.” She clicked her tongue, and Nefari came running out from under a cart of fish. Kit was on her tail.
“Ninth awr, Princess.”
I didn’t reply.
“Nefari. Home!” Morgana unfolded her wings and took off.
The large feline reacted faster than Commander Taryn and was out of the gates before the queen had reached twenty feet above our heads.
I dropped to my knees. The vastness of my predicament slammed into me like a sledgehammer. The only reason I had opened the portal in the first place was to save my dying grandmother. Now, she was doomed to die anyway, rotting in a dungeon in Mynydd Dewin. And so was my grandfather. To top it all, I had handed my father his kingdom on a silver platter.
I had failed everyone, including thousands of Avalonians.
My tears hadn’t dried when the guard outside my windows announced the ninth awr. Brendan had insisted on staying in my room, and I had gladly accepted. Whatever Morgana had to say after she met with her war council, he could hear, I decided. During the time after we left the square—after Brendan and Jen had more or less carried the sobbing Princess Ruby out of view of the citizens I had sentenced to another war—Brendan had tried to console me. And failed. All I could think of was my grandparents, and how I had made them believe I could save them by bringing them here. How Lili would wither before Llewellyn’s eyes, knowing nothing of how Morgana first had said she would heal Lili, only to reject my pleas to save them from captivity.
There was a heavy knock on the door.
“Here we go,” I muttered.
The door opened, and Morgana entered. She had ditched her dress and was clad in surprisingly non-regal clothes. In fact, her attire reminded me of my own, with high boots over trousers, and a black tunic underneath a bodice, so tight it looked like something I could have chosen for a workout back at the White Willow gym. Apart from the lace, that was.
“Your Majesty,” I said in a clipped voice.
Brendan had dropped to one knee.
“Get up, Brendan,” Morgana whispered. “I wish to speak with the princess privately.”
“He stays,” I said.
She narrowed her eyes for a brief moment. “Very well.”
I noticed there was no guard following her, and now that I thought of it, she had opened the door herself.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Striding across the room, Morgana held a finger to her lips and peered out the window. She closed the heavy curtains, blocking the dim glow of the lanterns outside. The queen proceeded to sit on a chai
r by the dark fireplace.
“Would you care to give us some more light, Princess?”
I felt like a teenager about to get scolded for staying out late, and demonstrably threw a fireball at the hearth. The pile of wood immediately caught, and the two small lamps in my room were no longer the only sources of light.
“Sit, please,” Morgana said, still keeping her voice down.
Brendan took my hand, and we joined her.
The queen leaned forward. “I am going to get our blood. Tonight.”
My heart bounced in my chest. “I don’t understand.”
“I will fly to Castle Wadlow and free your grandparents. And I want you to join me.”
If my jaw hadn’t been hinged to my head, it would have dropped to the floor. “Y—you what? I mean, you can’t! It’s too dangerous for you alone. For us.”
“I think the opposite, in fact. Had I sent Taryn and three hundred soldiers, I would have lost three hundred and one. Not to mention most likely started a war. With your Sorcery and our combined Fae abilities, we stand a much bigger chance at success. Besides, it’s my blood, and I will not rest until Lili Helene of Morgana is safely under my protection along with her husband.”
“And why could you not say this earlier?”
“My Crimsons would have never allowed me to go on such a dangerous mission by myself, queen or no queen.”
“They would have a point, though.”
She squared her shoulders. “Do you want us to save them or not?”
“I most definitely do.”
“Let me come, too,” Brendan said.
“Absolutely not!” blurted the two Morganas in unison.
Brendan chuckled, raising his hands in defence. “Easy now, ladies. And pardon me, Your Majesty, but I actually demand you let me come.”
“My dear Brendan.” A warm smile touched her lips. “Without magic, you will not survive if we have to fight Wadlow’s guards.”
“I have magic,” he said. “Just not the kind you know of.”
Morgana slanted her head. “I’m listening.”
“No, you’re not,” I said. “He has no magic, and I won’t allow it.”