Biting back a sharp retort, Jess dropped her gaze. Angering Mallaric would do her no good. She needed him on her side, and she regretted having spoken without thinking. If it came down to pursuing Dev’s abductors into Moritan, they could hardly do so without Mallaric’s permission.
“Perhaps it would be better to remove to Estoria? If these attackers were from Moritan, they may bear you ill will as well, my friend. We should confer,” Adar suggested, looking at Omar out of the corner of his eye.
“Thank you for the invitation, but I must return to Moritan to conduct my own inquiries,” Mallaric said.
“It would be my honor to provide you with troops to escort you safely home,” Omar said, sounding resigned.
“That won’t be necessary. The size of my retinue is quite adequate.” That was an understatement. Medhan had told Jess the servants complained bitterly about the number of guards and nobles Mallaric had brought along with him. The unanticipated increase in castle residents had caused a great deal of inconvenience.
As if Jess’s thoughts had summoned her, Medhan appeared. With her placid, slightly lined face, kind green eyes, and dark hair demurely covered by a veil, Medhan looked more like someone’s kind grandmother than she did a spymaster. Even so, no one made the mistake of underestimating the sharpness of her mind. Medhan had eyes everywhere in the Five Realms, and an uncanny ability to ferret information out from the most reticent of sources. Jess knew the other monarchs would gladly have traded their own spymasters for Medhan.
“Your Majesties, Your Highnesses,” Medhan said, bowing before the monarchs. “I believe this will be of interest to you, King Mallaric.” Medhan looked inquiringly at him, and he indicated with an impatient gesture that she should step forward. She dropped something into his hand and, the moment he saw it, his face clouded over.
“It is the signet of my house,” he said, attempting to keep his voice neutral. “Where did you find this?”
“On the floor in the chamber from which Prince Devaran was abducted. It was found near where the guards remember him falling.”
“They left it deliberately,” Tanvir suggested.
Medhan inclined her head to him, an approving look on her face. “That is what I believe. The abductors were careful enough not to leave a man alive for us to question, so it seems curious they would have been so careless as to leave this behind.”
“Do you know to whom it belongs, Mallaric?” Omar asked.
“I do not.” Mallaric bit off each word. “I give such trinkets out at tourneys. Any common thief could have taken it from one of my nobles during our stay.”
“Perhaps,” Omar said, but his placating tone obviously did not set Mallaric at ease. “Can you think of anyone who might wish you harm?”
“No, I cannot. As you well know, my Realm has enjoyed peace these twenty years past.”
“Indeed, the peace of your Realm is known to all,” Farah said in a conciliatory tone.
“If you’ll excuse me, I need to see to the preparations for my departure.” Glowering, Mallaric swept a low bow and strode from the chamber.
“Medhan?” Omar asked, once Mallaric was no longer within hearing range. She looked questioningly at him, and he nodded. “I believe Their Majesties will agree that candor between our Realms is in everyone’s best interests.”
“Agreed,” Adar said.
“I have nothing but rumors, Your Majesty. Some of the nobles like to grumble about Mallaric’s policies, and there is some minor unrest among the citizens, but I have heard nothing that’s indicative of an imminent insurrection.”
“Neither have we,” Nishana said.
“This is troubling.” Brows drawing together, Omar began pacing.
“Then someone is making their move, and this is but the beginning of what is yet to come,” Tanvir said.
Chapter 5
It was cold and damp, which was odd, considering it had been a warm spring in the famously mild Realms of Estoria and Lyrane. Dev shivered, trying to wrap his arms around himself for warmth, but his limbs still refused to obey.
“Forgive me, Your Highness. I know these accommodations are unsuitable for a prince, but it was the best I could do,” a mocking voice said. It was the voice of his female abductor, the one he’d spoken with in the chamber in Mashala Palace.
His vision wavered as he tried to concentrate on her face. When it cleared at last, he couldn’t prevent a startled gasp from escaping his lips. Though bedraggled, there was no mistaking that the face before him belonged to Ellaria Reykstend, a member of Mallaric’s court. Even though Dev knew precious little about the members of Mallaric’s court, it was impossible not to know of Ellaria. Her family had once been one of the most powerful in Moritan, but her father had been caught in a plot to overthrow the king. He was beheaded for his treason, and Mallaric the Elder had stripped the family of its titles and lands. In an act of mercy that had astonished the Realms, when the younger Mallaric took the throne, he had restored Ellaria to court. Gossip had spread like wildfire, and Dev’s own parents had been incredulous, thinking Mallaric mad for believing he could be safe with such a viper in his midst. It brought Dev no comfort to have solid proof that his parents had been justified in questioning Mallaric’s sense.
“You’re looking a bit worse for the wear, Ellaria. How you must hate that,” Dev managed to choke, his voice so raspy he almost didn’t recognize it as his own.
“Yes, princeling, make your jokes,” Ellaria said, her smile tightening. “It is your particular talent, after all.”
“If you think what happened to your father was bad, wait until you’re caught for this.”
He didn’t even see her hand coming. A sharp pain seared through his head as the force of her blow knocked it to the side and something tore into his skin. Blood trickled down his cheek.
“Tsk, tsk. You made me lose my temper,” Ellaria said, her voice as calm as if she were discussing the weather with him. Looking down at her hand, she made a face. “And you’ve bloodied my ring.”
Dazed, Dev blinked, fighting to remain conscious. Rage bubbled up in him, hot and strong. He remembered what he’d heard, how Ellaria intended to use him as bait to draw Jess out and keep her off guard. Fury made his vision blur, and every fiber of his being ached to launch itself at her, but he was utterly powerless. At first he thought the metallic taste in his mouth was his sense of bitter hatred, but he discovered that her blow had caused him to bite his cheek, and he probed the raw edges of the wound with his tongue, the pain reviving him.
“You’re mad,” Dev rasped.
“Now, now, Prince Devaran. That is most unkind,” Ellaria scolded. She reached out and turned his head none too gently, so that he was looking up at her once more. The new position also enabled him to see stone looming just above their heads. He doubted Ellaria could stand straight without hitting her head against it, and he realized they were in a cave.
“Been forced to hide in caves like an animal, have you? Things must not be going according to plan.” If he could get her talking, maybe he could glean something, anything, he could use to help get him out of this situation.
What can you possibly do to escape? You can’t even move on your own.
“On the contrary, things are going quite well.” The brightness in Ellaria’s voice told him this was the truth. “And now I’m afraid I must ask you to stop talking. Your voice…well, I find that it grates on my nerves.”
If she put him to sleep again, there was no telling where he would wake up, and it terrified him to think of Jess chasing after him, leaving behind the security of Lyrane. A burst of frustration shot through him. He couldn’t let Ellaria have the upper hand, couldn’t let Jess walk blindly into a trap.
Clues. I should try to leave clues for Jess, if I can.
Ellaria smiled at him and produced a cloth, which she brought closer to his face. “Sleep now, sweet prince,” she said, her voice mocking.
Dev tried to fight, but he still couldn’t control his body. Cl
osing his mouth, he tried holding his breath, but it was fruitless. As soon as he could take the burning in his lungs no longer, he sucked in a breath, inhaling a deep whiff of whatever liquid had been on the cloth. Immediately, his head began spinning and his tenuous hold on consciousness slipped away.
As the world went black, he saw Jess’s face again. This time she was about ten years old, and her eyes flashed in anticipation as she looked up at him, perched in a tree with his family’s palace looming in the background. Tanvir lurked nearby, but he’d already been disqualified from this particular challenge.
“Your age must have two digits, otherwise you’re too much of a baby to join us,” Jess told Tanvir, her voice lofty. “Shall I explain what two digits means?”
“I know what it means!” Tanvir squeaked, his eight-year-old voice high with indignation.
“Are you quite done bickering, children? It’s time to watch and learn,” Dev’s cocky, twelve-year-old self called out.
“Dev, this isn’t a good idea. That tree is really high, and if you jump—” Tanvir protested.
“Keep your boring lectures to yourself,” Dev interrupted, rolling his eyes. “I’m not your tutor, so you won’t score any bonus points for cleverness with me.”
“At least I don’t excel at being an idiot, like you,” Tanvir snapped back.
“Maybe you’re just ashamed of the fact that your brother is more courageous than you,” Jess challenged.
“Say what you like. You’re both stupid, and I’ll have no part in this.” Tanvir stamped his foot and ran off, heading back toward the castle.
“If you’re going to do it, best do it now, before your brother has a chance to tattle,” Jess said.
“Right you are.”
Extending his arms straight up in the air, fingers together and pointed in a pose he’d stolen from an acrobat he’d once seen, Dev launched himself from the branch he’d been standing on, feeling a rush of exhilaration as he flew through the air. Confidence surged through him as he reached for the next branch with steady fingers, not a single doubt in his mind that he would catch it. It came as a very rude surprise when only the tips of his fingers smacked into the branch, leaving his hands clawing futilely at the air.
As he plummeted toward the earth, he heard Jess’s scream of horror, and he couldn’t help but smile at the knowledge that he had managed to ruffle the supposedly unflappable princess. His body striking the ground wiped the smile right off his face, though. Fortunately for him, he landed rear first, which cushioned the impact. Still, he fell back, his head striking the ground, causing his teeth to snap together. Blood and grit filled his mouth and a wave of dizziness overcame him, green leaves streaking, smearing, and swaying over his head.
“Dev! Dev! Are you all right?” Jess cried, appearing at his side. She flung herself down on the ground and bent over him, hands probing his limbs.
Disoriented, he looked up at her and gave her a smile, some blood dribbling out of the corner of his mouth. “Are you an angel?” he asked before he lost consciousness.
There was no forgetting the aftermath of that little episode. It had caused some tension between Omar and Adar, both of whom knew they had impetuous and sometimes foolhardy children and who both, in their distress, wanted to blame the other. Dev had suffered a severe concussion for his trouble, and he spent days in bed while he recovered, his head pounding, vision swimming all the while. The boredom was almost more of a torment than the physical pain.
Eventually, his mother’s fears that he had permanently addled his brain were laid to rest, but there was no repairing the tooth on the top right side of his mouth, the edge of which had chipped off thanks to the impact of the fall. As it was right next to his front tooth, it became a permanent, prominent part of his smile. Painful and dull as his recovery had been, he still felt a sense of satisfaction at Jess’s having witnessed him perform such a fearless act. The memory of her face as she had leaned over him while he lay injured on the ground made him smile. She might think him an idiot, but at least she knew he wasn’t a coward.
Chapter 6
“Jessmyn, what are you doing?” Farah asked as she entered her daughter’s chambers. Jess had already changed out of her cumbersome gown and into breeches, a loose white shirt, and a leather jerkin.
“I’m riding out with the patrols,” Jess said shortly, sensing an argument brewing. She sat on the chest at the foot of her bed and yanked on her knee-high leather boots.
Biting her lip, the queen moved to sit next to her daughter. “My poor darling. I’m sorry about Dev, so sorry.”
The compassion in her mother’s voice almost undid her, and she ducked her head to hide the tears that glimmered in her eyes. “I will find whoever took him and I will exact justice upon them.”
“I know you long to be doing something but, please, Jess, do not be hasty. It may be best to wait until—”
Jerking her head up, Jess met her mother’s gaze with blazing eyes. “And what of you? If someone took Papa, if someone took me, could you sit idly on the throne and wait for information to make its way to you?” The words came from between her teeth, and she could feel her color rising. She didn’t want to take her fury out on her mother, but Jess could barely keep it together. Perhaps riding out on patrol was fruitless, but it was something and, at this moment, Jess wanted nothing more than to be doing something.
Farah’s expression was stern and bereaved at the same time. “I understand how you feel, my love. And you’re right, I would want to be part of the search, I will not deny it. But you must understand that I am your mother, and my concern is not only for your pain but also for your safety.”
Sighing deeply, Jess rose from the chest and moved over to a mirror, the jerky movement of her fingers giving away her unsteadiness as she tied her hair back. She pulled it so tight it made her head ache, but she welcomed the pain. It was a distraction from the heavy weight that had taken up residence in her chest.
“I understand, Mama, I do, but I cannot sit around here and wait. If we don’t stop Dev’s assailants from taking him across the border—” Her throat closed, refusing to allow the words to pass. Dev could not be lost to her forever. He simply could not be.
The queen rose as well, coming over to Jess and putting her arms around her daughter. “Then promise me you will be careful.”
Something inside of Jess collapsed, and she embraced her mother in return, her sobs overcoming her. “What if… Mama, what if—”
“You musn’t think like that,” Farah responded firmly, stroking her daughter’s hair. “You know that. If I have taught you anything, I hope I have taught you that.”
“Yes, you have,” Jess replied, taking a few deep, shaking breaths in an attempt to collect herself.
Her mother tilted her chin back and looked up at her daughter. “Make no mistake; I do not mean that you should not feel. Feeling too little is worse than feeling too much. You must never give up hope, never. No matter how hopeless the battle seems—”
“Do not be the means of your own defeat,” Jess interrupted, smiling a little despite herself. The words were ingrained in her memory.
The queen’s eyes softened, but her concern was still clear. “Who will you take with you?”
“I would have liked to take Pala, but I don’t think she’s in any condition. I have not even assessed who is still fit for action,” Jess admitted.
A severe expression crossed her mother’s face. “Emotions, Jess. Do not let emotions get in the way of reason.”
“Didn’t you just tell me feeling too little is worse than feeling too much?” Jess didn’t bother to hide her irritation.
Seizing her daughter’s arms, the queen forced Jess to look at her. “I did, but you must not let emotion override logic. If you want to bring Dev back safely, you need to be focused.”
Contrite, Jess nodded. “You’re right. I’ll do Dev no good if I’m blinded by my emotions.”
“You have a brilliant martial mind, but you have alway
s had trouble reconciling it with your emotions. I am not certain you’re ready for this test, but it lies before you nonetheless.”
Dread raced through Jess, and she fought it back with a convulsive swallow. What if she wasn’t ready for this? She had experience, had fought and won battles, but the stakes had never before been so high.
“What I mean to say, my Jess, is to have faith in yourself. Let your emotions remind you why you are fighting, but do not let them get in the way of the fight,” the queen said.
This time, Jess listened carefully to the words. Few would know as well as her mother did how to keep their wits about them when the stakes were high. “I will do my best.”
“As you have always done.” The queen embraced Jess again, hugging her fiercely, and Jess got the distinct impression that her mother was letting go of something. Moving behind her daughter, the queen’s swift, sure fingers untied the painful knot at the back of Jess’s head and wove her hair into a series of braids, tight enough to keep the hair off her face but not so tight it made her temples pound.
“Thank you, Mama.” Turning, Jess took her mother’s hands between her own and pressed them.
“May your horse be swift and your aim true,” her mother responded. “Now, I’d best go join your father and Nishana and Adar to see if we can persuade Mahlia, Beland, and Toran to go to Estoria.”
The women parted at the door. Jess had ordered her best troops to await her outside, and she ran through her mental roster as she walked, weighing and rejecting potential candidates, feeling her frustration mount at the number of unknowns she was encountering. Variables in battle were inevitable, she knew that well, but her mind usually worked with such swiftness and surety that her decisions were almost unconscious. It was not that she had never known fear in battle, but the sense of her own mortal peril was far less daunting than the bone-deep terror she felt at the thought of something bad happening to Dev.
[Fairytale 02] - Asleep (2013) Page 3