by R. C. Reigh
“Good.” He gave a sly smile as his long fingers fell into a steeple. “For now it’s best that we play nice and get in their good graces. We’ll give them a false sense of security. They’ll be more likely to unwittingly divulge their family secrets that way.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier for me to just use magic on them?” I sighed, almost bored with the idea of wasting time establishing tedious friendships. “A few waves of my hand and I’ll have them singing their secrets to me like a songbird.”
“Unfortunately, no. The Bastion professors are too well trained. They will be looking for signs and would know something that powerful was being performed. They may have even put protections up against such use. You wouldn’t get through maybe one or two students before you would be discovered.” He chuckled at my pout. “No, my darling, I’m afraid this will be more of a journey than a jaunt.”
“Fine,” I huffed. “Not to fear, father. I will have them eating out of the palm of my hand within the week.”
“I know you will.” He grinned proudly. “Don’t forget to send your love to the stars. Goodnight, my darling.”
"Goodnight father." I blew him a kiss before he disappeared.
I leaned back on the chaise and grinned.
Let the mayhem begin. . .
Amelia
The smell of old parchment and paper filled the air when Cora pushed open the door to the library, holding it for me. I inhaled the welcoming scent as I stepped into the massive Bastion archive beside her. After a seemingly endless week of classes and disappointment, the library had become my haven.
While I had been here several times already, I couldn’t help but glance around the space to take it all in. The largest part of the library was a large rotund in the center. Its walls were covered in bookcases and various staircases led upward to the open levels of the several stories above us. While the Avonlee library paled in comparison, I couldn’t help but long to be back home again.
Adam had still been avoiding me and mid-week he sent a correspondence informing me he needed time and space. In other words, there would only be an us in an official royal duty capacity for the foreseeable future. His wording had suggested time to allow things to calm down before we reassess our situation, but no matter how well structured the wording had been it felt more like a goodbye than a reprieve.
"I’m headed to ancient magics and then over to see the scroll master." Cora’s voice startled me from my thoughts.
I turned to her and smiled.
"I'll find us a table in the rotund, then." I nodded.
She gave me a suspicious glance before the corners of her lips crooked up and she turned away. Her boots clicked across the marble as she made her way to the opposite side of the library. With a sigh, I weaved through the stacks toward the apothecary section of the library.
Despite all of the disappointment, the highlight of my week had been the pleasant tea with Lady Celeste of the Fae. It had been a welcome distraction, although Cora had been disappointed to learn they didn’t know about the ancient magic that she was now searching the stacks for information about.
We had returned the Fae's kindness with a dinner later in the week at the Avonleean towers, and it had been well received. During our socials, I quickly realized that my practical magic was less than sufficient compared to my peers, but even more importantly I discovered an interest and fascination in the Fae’s conversations pertaining to healing magic.
I eyed the collection of books in front of me, then glanced around the area for a rolling ladder to reach the higher ones if I should wish to get one down.
It had crossed my mind that I could ask for more instruction from Cora in my new pursuit to strengthen my abilities. She was a talented magician, but I hated the idea of taking up too much more of her time. She had already added on magical sparring this week, with Kessara, of all people. I guess it made sense since the witch was so powerful. Cora was dedicated toward her preparations to enter the tournaments and show that Avonlee had a formidable contender.
I let my fingers run along the spines of several large bound volumes, scanning the titles for an introductory edition. I pulled a thick purple one out and stepped aside to a sitting area nearby. I began thumbing through the pages to see if it stirred me.
Laughter from a group of other students at a table nearby caught my attention. I watched them together with a pang of jealousy. I had begun to feel rather lonely with Cora gone to her training and Adam avoiding me like I was plagued.
The mere thought of his name sent my mind wandering back to our last stolen kisses in the Avoleean tower. I missed him. I fumbled with the charms on the silver bracelet Adam had given me for my birthday last year.
Maybe I could find a way to run away with him. We could leave Avonlee and the seven kingdoms altogether and disappear into the unknown. It would pain me to leave my kingdom and my family behind, but I was not a good fit for wolves and they were not a good fit for me.
From what I understood, the wolves had a very different way of ruling than I had been brought up to believe, which was yet another reason the prince and I were not compatible. By my calculations, that list was far too long to ever be overcome. I didn’t understand why our parents couldn’t see that. Did the people of Carpathia really want a king and queen that hated one another making the decisions?
Being their queen would be equivalent to sacrificing the sanctity of my soul, of who I was at my core.
I had never heard much said of the current queen of Carpathia. She seemed to be more of a passive face rather than a ruler. The idea that I would be queen only to be seen and not heard was irksome. I wasn’t the type to be locked up in a tower or to be paraded out for the purpose of filling a place at a table or whelping children. Sometimes I wondered if Dane’s mother had been the same way. I knew that she had died when he was young and his father later remarried, but I knew little else. In fact, I had very little knowledge of the interworking of Carpathia and, with every fiber of my being, I wanted to keep it that way.
Cora
I scoured the cross shelving for any scrolls that might contain information that could educate me on how to learn Kelnar and use it, but came up empty handed.
Undeterred, I made my way toward the Master of the Scrolls who manned the restricted area. She looked up from her rotulas at me as I approached her. I smiled and allowed my eyes to wander over her shoulder at the archive. It contained the most regulated transcriptions in the Bastion. Some so consequential and dangerous that they had been chained to the wall to prevent their removal from the library altogether. Many had even been transcribed from ancient tablets or were replicas of the originals which were still kept in the kingdoms from which they came.
"May I help you?" Two light brown eyes looked up at me from under thinly framed glasses.
"Yes, please. I am looking for texts on the ancient magic of Kelnar, specifically training and application," I asked her hopefully.
She merely glanced over to her index book for a moment before looking up at me.
"I'm afraid the library doesn't contain any resources on that subject, other than an off-hand reference to it in texts or the mention of its use in historical battles. We have no reference on training or how to use it." She dipped her quill into the inkwell and regarded me with a hint of pity.
I blinked several times in surprise.
"The Bastion library doesn’t have copies of the Fae Scrolls?" How could this be possible? The library was said to have copies of every text from all of the seven kingdoms.
She shook her graying head slowly before her quilled hand swept across the scroll again.
"No, nor does the library in Laramidia. They were stolen from the Fae temples in Heinez ages ago, long before the kingdoms united. They were never recovered. The magic itself has only been passed down generation to generation. It is now considered lost to time," she clarified.
My heart nearly sank into my boots.
"Oh, ok. Thank you," I replied, not bothering
to hide the disappointment in my tone.
She simply nodded and continued her scribing. I guess I was going to have to keep looking.
I rounded the shelves into the rotund, expecting to see Amelia seated at the tables, but instead I spotted her in the histories section, high up on a rolling ladder helping another student in locating some books.
Despite my disappointed mood, I couldn't help but smile. The scene was so typically Amelia. She had always been a helper. The regal stuff was newer and, despite her upbringing as the daughter of a king, it had been a struggle for her. She had always been good with the people. She was kind, considerate, and compassionate.
As children, we had all been required to work the fields like everyone else, commoners and nobles alike. We toiled in the back-breaking work sowing of seeds, we knew the feel of sun-kissed skin and the exhaustion of tedious physical labor. As we got older and our people’s numbers grew, we were excused from the fields and began our formal royal training. Even so, Amelia still brought water and food to the workers in the fields almost daily.
I watched her descend the ladder and pass the book to another student with a bright smile upon her face. Amelia had always been a people person and it concerned me that she’d been hiding out in the library all week. I knew her reasoning behind it. She was less likely to run into him that way. He spent most of his time in the arenas sparring, but it still worried me that she might be retreating within herself. It left me feeling guilty for not having been around as much now that the term had started. Between classes, combat conditioning, and sparring, I had little time left for anything else.
I thought back to my sparring session with Kessara. It had been fantastic. We went blow for blow, had smack-talked, and took turns showing off our capabilities. It seemed that we had just begun to scratch the surface. We were both keeping things close to the vest. She had no interest in swords, knives, or bows. Nor did she need them. There was something strange about the way her magic felt. Not bad, but special, entirely unique. Even with all the people that I had practiced with, I had never felt anything like it. I wondered if she might be my link to Kelnar.
Making my way toward a table, I pulled my satchel over my head and placed it onto a chair. The tournament register on the table caught my eye and I picked it up. A tinge of jealousy rose up in my chest. I hadn’t entered because I had difficulty finding a hand-to-hand combat sparring partner. Boys seemed to think having a girl training partner made them look weak or, maybe, it was that they didn't want to be seen getting their butts handed to them by a girl.
Regardless of their issues, it was smarter to take my time to assess the other students first before enrolling in a tournament. Mostly Tertius and Quartrus year students were to participate in this particular event, anyway. As the underdog, I needed any advantage I could get.
My eyes roamed over the registry flyer and a quirk of a smile graced my lips. Prince Dane was going to compete. Maybe, if he got his butt handed to him, it would boost Amelia out of her funk. At least, it couldn’t hurt. . . right?
Amelia
As I stepped out into the nearly empty hall, an overwhelming sense of dread overtook me. I stopped, frozen in place. I had stayed behind after class to ask the teacher a question, hoping it would allow me to keep this exact situation from occurring. As much as Adam had been avoiding me, I had equally been avoiding Dane. Still, there the prince stood in the middle of the empty hallway, sans his emissaries, watching me.
I clutched my healing novels close against my chest like some kind of pathetic excuse for a shield. Not that they would be much help. Although, they were pretty heavy. Maybe I could smack him with one if need be. Ridiculous as it was, the idea still made me feel a bit better.
No. Like it or not, I would have to face him. With a deep breath to steady myself, I straightened my shoulders, head held high, as I began down the hallway. Unfortunately, as I moved to bypass him, his thick muscled arm slid in front of me to keep me from passing.
"Good afternoon, princess,” his voice hummed with a deep, growly reverberation. Once he had my attention, he held his arm out in front of him, gesturing for me to move forward down the hallway. I took a few hesitant steps forward and cringed when he fell into an easy stride beside me.
"It was until I ran into you," I replied. I wasn't keeping up pretenses anymore.
He ignored me.
"Do you plan to attend the tournament Friday evening?" He flashed me one of his sultry looks. That kind of look was probably the stuff girls’ dreams were made of back in his homeland, but I was having none of it.
"No.” My reply was clear as I turned my attention to one of the many floor to ceiling paintings that lined the main corridors. Each kingdom had several scenes depicting their heritage throughout the Bastion.
"Why the tone?" The sound of his peppery voice forced my attention back to him again. How did he do that? His brow was tugged together and his stare was accusing.
"Because I can't stand you," I chimed sweetly as one of the Fae students from Heinez passed us nervously, avoiding eye contact. The prince watched him go before turning his attention back to me with a smile.
"I had hoped we might be friends." He assessed me with a come-hither look on his face, another attempt to woo me with his attractive swagger.
Oh no, that wasn't going to work on me.
"I don't want to be anything to you other than your ex." I narrowed my eyes.
He finally let his facade fall, and he seemed disappointed. As a prince, he probably wasn't used to being told no. Good. I was finally getting through that thick skull of his.
"I can't do that Amelia," he said, sighing and rubbing his neck.
"And why not?" I pinched my lips together.
"I just can't." He furrowed his dark brow as I stopped to face him.
"Why do you want to be married to someone who hates you?" I huffed.
His eyes softened as they roamed over my face. His mouth parted slightly, and his tongue peeked out to wet his lips before he replied.
"I don't want to be married to someone who hates me." For a brief moment, his hard demeanor slipped away, and his expression seemed to convey sincerity. "I don't want you to hate me. I'm trying to be friendly, here."
"Then why not change your mind and let me go?" I searched his face for answers, but his callous stare had returned.
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
"This is about him, isn't it? He's not worth tossing away the allegiance," he rumbled.
"No, this is about me and renegotiation. I believe my father would be open to it." I couldn't contain the frustration rising up in my voice.
His jaw ticked, and he stared at me with agitation forming on his features.
"I'm certain mine would not." He stalked toward me, and I took a few steps away until my back bumped the wall. "This is bigger than the two of us, Amelia. Once you realize that, things will be a hell of a lot easier for everyone."
His body loomed over me with an expression that was both self-satisfied and smug. He was toying with me, taunting me, simply because he could. I clenched my fists around my books.
"Maybe a challenge is in order, then." I squared my shoulders and held my head high. I would not be intimidated by the likes of Dane.
"Oh-hoo," he chuckled and flashed me his debonair smile. "You think your paramour could take me, do you? I'm willing to if he is, but you should probably check with him before you go offering him up for the slaughter."
Arrogant jerk.
I doubt Dane had near as much talent as he boasted, but he was most likely right. While Adam had some skill, he wasn't trained nearly well enough to take on a warrior wolf. Cora would be more evenly matched to deal with a brute like Dane, but I wouldn't order her to fight this battle for me.
"Never mind. I'll find another way to end this by myself." His eyes trained on my lips as I spoke the words.
"What is that supposed to mean?" His smirk quickly faded as he leaned down. His face was closer to me now and an
intensity buzzed between us.
"Let me make myself clear. I will never marry you, not now, not after graduation, not ever. I would rather disappear into the wasteland if I have to." In order to accentuate my point, I forced the heat of my glare directly toward his beautiful honey-colored eyes.
"You wouldn't make it a day out there." He shook his head like I was being childish.
"I won't marry you. I will never allow it to happen," I reiterated.
"We don't have a choice," he growled, dragging his fingers through his hair. He turned and stepped away, then moved back again. There was a wild look in his eyes, revealing the barely controlled chaos within him. He moved in, overshadowing me, caging me in.
I flinched when he slammed his hand on the wall above my shoulder.
"I won't hesitate to end the treaty. Don't test me, Amelia." His pupils were dilated. He was so close I could almost feel the rush of his heartbeat in the air between us.
I wasn't about to let him intimidate me. I rose up on my tiptoes into his space and his crisp, woodsy scent enveloped me. I pointed my finger into his solid chest as heat roiled through my veins.
"I despise you," I seethed.
"You're so damn stubborn." His mouth was inches from mine, his warm breath fanning my face, the tempest in his eyes locked into my own.
"And you're such an--"
Those honey eyes flashed before his lips crashed onto mine. The kiss was demanding, all tongue and teeth. The enticing scent of arctic woods intoxicated me, coaxing me into a hazy daze.
His rough hands slid up to the nape of my neck and coiled into my hair, tugging my head back, granting his lips full access to my own. For a moment I forgot all reality and I melted into him.
I braced myself against his arm since my legs had gone weak and, thank goodness he was kissing me, or I'd be on the floor. Wait, did I want him to be kissing me? Heat swept through me like a wild animal trying to claw its way up from some hidden place. I forced it back down, but not before something substantial stirred inside my chest. An emotion that was foreign to me, compelling my already thrumming heart to beat faster.