Renna remembered the king’s servants packing their things—touching everything. Before Renna knew it, she’d been forced to say goodbye to her home and her way of life. It had been traumatic, to say the least. Guards had pulled her from her father’s grave. She’d sobbed and screamed that she didn’t want to go, clinging to Preetis and Nellie until the guards pulled her away from them, too. The memory was so painful, it took her breath away. Now she was leaving Wellenbreck Farm again, except this time she had something to look forward to.
Renna made her way to her room to clean up. Thankfully, Nora had left a dry dress and undergarments on her bed. She picked up the clothes and walked to the bathroom across the hall, turning on the faucet in the tub. Renna held her hand under the running water, trying to find a reasonable temperature. She was grateful to whatever leaders after Desolation who had voted to keep running water. It seemed like an obvious thing, but after Desolation, when everything was destroyed, people wanted to go back to a simpler way of life.
Running water had been deemed essential in one of the early councils, but new things were added every time the Council of Essentials met. Transporters had been added at the last council, but only for political leaders and soldiers.
Not wanting to delay the caravan’s departure, Renna quickly bathed, threw on her pink travel dress, and headed downstairs. Nellie was in the kitchen, packing up the last of the food for travel. Renna ran to her, almost knocking her over with the force of her hug.
“I wish I had more time here with you.”
“Child, we’re not going to do a big sad goodbye again. You can come visit whenever you want.” Nellie released the hug and put her hands on Renna’s cheeks. “Promise me.”
Nellie’s hands on her face made it difficult to move, but she managed a stiff nod.
“Now, go outside and say goodbye to Preetis.”
Renna hugged her tightly one more time. She hated saying goodbye to them and to Wellenbreck, but this time it was different. There were no tears and screams. She was older now, stronger. She had been through the worst and had come out the other side. Her future wasn’t exactly bright—although Trev was a bright spot—but she could handle whatever came her way.
Renna took the back door out of the kitchen, thinking she might find Preetis working in the fields, but instead, she found Seran sitting on a bench next to the back door, her legs crossed gracefully. Long black hair poured down her shoulder, smoothly pooling in her lap. She looked beautiful with the summer sun on her—illuminating her like an angel. But when did Seran not look beautiful?
“Have you seen Preetis out here?” Renna squinted out toward the nearby fields, scanning for the farmhand’s lanky form.
“Who?”
Renna had to remind herself that Seran didn’t know this place—didn’t know Preetis. “The caretaker. Tall, bald, and wears a gray farmhand uniform.”
Seran answered without even glancing her way. “I think he’s out front, loading the transporters.”
Renna moved to go, but something about Seran’s demeanor beckoned her to stay. “You okay?”
Seran’s dark eyes flicked to hers. They were full of glossy moisture and a sadness that Renna had never seen there before. Seran was always so carefully in control of her emotions, but today things were different.
“I can see why you like it here so much. There’s so much open space. It’s refreshing.” Her voice caught as she spoke.
Renna hesitated for a moment, then stepped closer.
“Is everything all right?” she asked, doubting Seran would tell her even if something was wrong. They didn’t have a bad relationship, but they weren’t close. Their conversation topics usually covered meaningless gossip, the latest fashion trends, events held at the Government Center, the king and queen, and the weather.
Seran was silent, staring out at the fields with an unmistakably sad expression. Renna pressed gently, “Are you nervous about going to Albion?”
Seran smiled lightly. “Am I nervous about going to a new kingdom, a new home, and living with a new family? Probably no more nervous than you were when you had to leave this place.”
Renna hadn’t thought about it that way, but it made her see her stepsister differently. Seran was the perfect princess, but for a brief moment, Renna just saw a girl carted away from her home in a negotiation.
Renna eased onto the edge of the bench next to Seran. “I was nervous about moving to the Government Center, but I still had my mom. And you have your friends.”
“I’m sure they’ll be a great comfort to me.” Seran sighed. Renna couldn’t tell if she meant the comment sarcastically or not.
“And you’ll have Prince Ezra.” Renna smiled with encouragement.
“Yes, I’ll have Prince Ezra.” Seran turned her head the other direction, discreetly wiping an errant tear. “My father’s advisors tell me he’s handsome, charming, and kind.”
“Then it sounds like your father made a good match for you.”
“Yes, I’m very fortunate.” There was an edge of bitterness in her voice, but Seran quickly moved on, straightening her back and smoothing her dress as she stood. “I better go see if they’re ready to go. I hope you find your friend,” she said, swishing past Renna.
Renna sat on the bench a moment longer, surprised. She couldn’t believe the honest moment she had just shared with Seran. It had only taken four years for her stepsister to open up to her. Now that they were finally getting closer, Seran was leaving.
Renna followed Seran around to the front of the house where maids and guards busily loaded the last few items into the transporters. The queen and Seran’s friends stood around the vehicles, watching the guards load the backs with luggage.
Jenica walked to Seran, calling to Renna over her shoulder. “Where did you run off to today?”
“I had a secret rendezvous in the woods with a handsome man.” As she said it, she could feel her mother’s eyes cutting into her.
Jenica laughed flippantly. “Oh, Renna! At least you have a sense of humor.”
“Yes. Thank goodness for that,” Renna said sarcastically.
Mangum bowed before the queen. “We’re ready to go, my lady.” He held the door open for them.
Renna met Preetis behind the vehicle. “I’ll see you in a few weeks on our way back through.” She hugged him, stretching to the tips of her toes to reach around his shoulders.
“You save more time for me when you come back. I’ll put you to work in those fields.”
Renna laughed. “Plan on it.”
She climbed into the transporter and watched as Wellenbreck faded from her view.
7
Trev
Trev skidded his PT to a stop in front of the Vassel Inn. Drake sat a few feet away at a metal table under the shade of the inn’s canopy. Other than him, the patio was empty. A finished plate and cup were laid out in front of him.
“You went back to see the girl, didn’t you?” Drake asked.
Trev smiled and shrugged at his friend.
“What are you thinking? You’re getting married in four weeks!” There was an edge of irritation to Drake’s tone. “I mean, I understand that you’re being forced into a marriage with a woman you don’t know, but this isn’t like you. It’s a little late to behave this way.”
“It’s never too late to go after a pretty woman.” Trev’s eyebrow raised up.
Drake closed his eyes and pressed his fingertips together in front of him as if praying for patience. “When the king expects you home tomorrow to meet the woman you’re engaged to, then yes, it is too late. Nothing can happen with this girl. Nothing.”
“Relax,” Trev said with an easy smile.
“I’m not going to relax. You are engaged.” Drake shook his head as he rubbed the stubble on his chin, clearly frustrated.
“She’s the princess of New Hope.”
Drake snapped his head up. “Who?”
“Renna.” His voice deepened.
“Who’s Renna?”
“The girl I met at the pond. She’s the princess of New Hope.”
Drake’s eyebrows shot up. “I thought the princess was named Seran.”
It hadn’t occurred to Trev that she had changed her name, but Drake was right. The princess of New Hope was named Seran. She must have changed her name so he wouldn’t know who she was.
That’s why she didn’t want to tell him her name when they first met.
It all made sense now.
It wasn’t like Trev went around calling himself Ezra.
“How did you find out?” Drake asked.
“She told me.”
“She told you?” Drake repeated. “Does she know who you are?”
“Not yet.” Trev looked forward to her reaction when she found out.
“Why haven’t you told her?”
“It didn’t come up.”
“It didn’t come up?” Drake asked with exasperation.
“Why do you keep repeating everything I say?”
“Because I can’t believe what I’m hearing.” Drake was speechless for a moment, then let out a harsh breath. “I feel like the fact that she is the princess of New Hope, and you are the prince of Albion—who she is about to marry—is an important piece of information that you should have mentioned.”
“What’s she going to do? Go find another prince to marry?”
“You never know. If she doesn’t like you, maybe she’ll call off the marriage treaty. Albion needs the alliance to work more than New Hope does.”
“Why wouldn’t she like me?” Trev feigned offense. “I’m a catch!”
“Do you like her?” Drake asked.
For years now, the best he had hoped for out of the New Hope princess was someone he could tolerate, maybe even respect. But Renna was more than that. She was unexpected, and so were his rapidly developing feelings.
Trev shrugged. “We get along.”
Drake’s jaw dropped a little. “I’ve never seen you like this.”
“Like what?”
“You know.” Drake flipped his hand over and over as he searched for the right explanation. “All crazy over a girl.”
A puff of air vibrated through Trev’s lips. “I’m not crazy over a girl.”
“Yes, you are.” Drake’s eyebrows raised in amusement. “Big time.”
“You’re an idiot.” Trev rolled his eyes, needing a way to hide his unexpected blush. “Are we leaving for Oakefor or not?”
Drake held up his hands in a gesture of defeat, then stood from the table and gathered his things. “I was just waiting for you.”
“Our tests have shown contamination in our water supply for two weeks now. And each day, the contamination levels grow worse.” Oakefor’s Mayor Agribba pulled the test tube out of the well and held it up for Trev. There was a crowd of people gathered around them in the city square. Everyone was curious to see what Prince Ezra would say about their water problem.
Trev looked at the murky water in the glass tube. “Why haven’t you petitioned for help?”
“We have. As soon as our well water tested contaminated, we wrote to King Carver asking for the proper chlorinated chemicals to flush the contamination out. A week later, when we still hadn’t heard anything, we sent a few men to the ruler’s palace to speak to the king personally. They haven’t returned yet.” The mayor pulled nervously at his thick, brown beard as he spoke.
Trev frowned. He didn’t understand why his father hadn’t done anything for the people of Oakefor. Water contamination was a big problem, although he had a feeling that his father didn’t care much about that. Still, a king who didn’t answer his people’s petitions was bad optics, and his father certainly cared about that. Why hadn’t he sent aid?
“What has your city done for water over the past two weeks?”
“We boil our drinking water. Even after boiling, though, a lot of folks have come down with fevers. Most still fear drinking the water. Luckily, the Domans brought huge containers of fresh water. They have been our saviors.”
Trev shot a concerned look to Drake standing next to him. So Maxwell and Joniss had been here before them. For the people of Oakefor’s sake, Trev was glad. The city needed that water. But this wasn’t going to help Trev’s election campaign. Joniss was clearly trying to gain momentum and votes any way he could.
“We’re concerned about our crops. Irrigation water has been affected. Contamination levels have risen to the point that we stopped flooding our fields as a precaution. We can’t afford to risk the harvest. It rained two days ago, but if this goes on much longer, we’ll lose our crops for the season.”
Trev nodded and motioned to one of his men standing behind him. “Zarek, take a man with you to the ruler’s palace immediately. Tell my father’s advisors that Prince Ezra is demanding chlorine for Oakefor’s water at once. Bring the chlorine back as quick as you can.” He turned to the crowd so all could hear him. “We’ll have this problem fixed in two to three days at most. Do you have enough drinking water to last you until then?”
Mayor Agribba nodded. “Yes. The water the Doman’s brought should last at least that long, and we still have the option of boiling if we need to.”
“What if our crops don’t recover?” a thin man shouted from the crowd. His skin was tanned and weathered, likely from hours of sun exposure.
“First, let’s see how the crops do before we make any plans. But be assured that King Carver and I are willing to provide for your city in whatever way we can. “
Trev walked through the crowd of people that circled the city well, shaking their hands and answering any other questions they had. He was stopped by an elderly woman, her gray head barely reaching the middle of his chest.
“Bless you for coming, Prince Ezra.” The old woman squeezed Trev’s hand as she spoke. Her wrinkly skin was coarse against his fingers. “We’ve had a Trevenna king since the first Council of Essentials. I think you’ll be the best king yet out of all the kings since Desolation.”
Trev stared back at the woman, humbled to see how much faith she had in him. “Thank you for saying that. I hope I can live up to your expectations.”
“I know you will. I can see it in your eyes.”
“My eyes?”
“Yes. They’re kind.”
“I hope so,” Trev said with a smile.
“Prince Ezra?” A little girl ducked through the crowd and tugged on his jacket. She wore a tattered cream dress and had scraggly blonde hair tied back at her neck. “Are you going to marry a princess?”
Trev thought about Renna, and, for once, he didn’t hate answering the question. “Yes, I am.”
“Will you bring her back to Oakefor so we can meet her? I’ve never seen a real princess before.”
He patted the girl on the top of her head. “Well, she actually looks a lot like you.”
The little girl beamed.
“We’re all really excited about your upcoming marriage, Your Highness,” another onlooker said.
“I am too.” For the first time, Trev actually meant it.
8
Trev
Trev and Drake arrived in Albana city at the ruler’s palace the next morning. Trev could see his father’s watchful eye from his balcony above the courtyard. He gestured with his hand for Trev to join him upstairs. It wasn’t going to be the typical father and son joyful reunion. King Carver had always shied away from emotional connection.
Trev entered his father’s office to find him seated at his desk, poring over a stack of papers. The room was lavish, with stained woodwork and trim covering the walls. Rich leather couches were positioned in front of a large stone fireplace with several smaller leather chairs facing the king’s mahogany desk.
“You’re late,” King Carver said, barely glancing up from his work. His dark hair and beard were peppered with silver, and his face held deep lines.
“Good to see you too, Father.” Trev casually sat on a couch next to the fireplace, rummaging through a nearby tray of food tha
t had been brought in for his father.
“You were supposed to be here last night.”
Trev picked up a piece of fruit and put it in his mouth. “We got held up.”
“A messenger sent word that the New Hope princess will arrive this afternoon.” His father looked up from his desk. “Do I have to remind you how important this alliance is?”
Trev already knew, of course, but was sure his father would tell him anyway.
“You need the princess to help get you votes in the election. Some factions believe our family has ruled this country too long.”
More like people think you have ruled too long.
“They want change. They want Joniss Doman, which we know is a terrible choice. He only wants power and control.”
And you don’t?
“It will be harder for people to vote against you once you’re married to the New Hope princess. Joniss doesn’t have New Hope.” His father smirked. “We do.”
The marriage alliance was something King Carver liked to brag about—how ten years ago he’d had the forethought to arrange a marriage alliance with New Hope and plan the ceremony just a few months before the election.
“What if people don’t vote based on New Hope? What if they vote based on who is helping them right now?”
“Bah! New Hope has the strongest military in all seven kingdoms. People will vote based on the fact that New Hope’s military, combined with ours, will keep them safe from Tolsten’s attacks.”
The Promised Prince: A YA Dystopian Romance Page 7