A Kingdom of Shadow

by Clara Johnson

  The nursemaid dismissed herself to give me time with my dying friend. I sat on the stool beside his bed then lifted the blankets to examine his leg. Although it was dressed in a fresh bandage, the black veins traveled past his thighs and up to his belly button and the skin was as white and pasty as a corpse’s. I shuddered, dropping the blankets. The wound probably looked even worse under the dressing. It was as if his flesh was . . . eating itself.

  I mindlessly touched my shoulder, remembering my old injury. I hadn’t had this reaction, so perhaps King Fendrel’s hope wasn’t misplaced. If I was the only person he’d found who’d survive the bit of the inferniwulf then there was a chance that I would survive drinking the blood of the Darkness.

  I touched Jonas’s flushed cheeks. Despite his paler tone, he felt as though he was running a fever. I tried not to imagine what the bite was doing to his body. It was hard to see the once cheerful young man I have come to care for like this. His life was hanging by a thread. He didn’t deserve this.

  “Why did you do it, Jonas?” I whispered, knowing I wouldn’t get an answer. “I wasn’t worth this. I’m not worth your suffering.”

  My eyes watered. I thought of when we kissed. At the time, nothing mattered but him and I. No Darkness, no inferniwulves, no death. It was just me and him. His strong arms held me like he never planned to let me go. His lips were soft and welcoming. It was nothing like a kiss I’ve had before. When Jonas kissed me, it was with his entire heart. I trusted him and he trusted me. There were no boundaries to keep us apart. It all seemed like an eternity before. Lost to a darkness that consumed it as its meal.

  “You should’ve let me die,” I muttered.

  If he hadn’t tried to save me then he wouldn’t be in this position. I should’ve been faster—stronger. I couldn’t stand the weakness that consumed my body and I wanted to tear it out of me and beat it until it was no more. Punishing it as much as myself for letting this happen. If I could go back, I’d never have gone to Mightrun. Jonas wouldn’t be here, barely holding onto his life. And I wouldn’t have failed him in that moment. He got hurt because of me.

  But then, I had to consider what would’ve happened if we didn’t go. If neither Jonas nor I were there, how many others would’ve died? Seven men died in that battle with more to follow them. It would have been a bloodbath. I doubt anyone would’ve come out of that alive. Jonas’s leadership saved those men. They needed him. Just as I need him now.

  “I’ll make this right Jonas. I will find a way to stop this. I promise.” I kissed his hand and his forehead. “I love you,” I whispered into his ear.

  I left his bedside to the door were his nursemaid was on the other side. I told her that I would return as soon as I could and to inform Mia if his condition changed. She understood and returned to her duties. I looked back to him once—only once. I memorized his face. Every curve, every scar—even the dirt on his nose. I would remember all of it. If I am to die on this journey, I would do it having his face in my mind. I would remember his laugh, his smile, the way his lips felt on mine. I would grab onto it and never let go.

  I left the infirmary and headed towards the stables. The stablemen were brushing down the horses, preparing them for a bath I assumed. I saw Henry eating his food. When I caught his eye, he stepped to the edge of his gate then hung his head over, neighing at me. I brushed the coarse fur on his nose. He hooked his head over my shoulder as if to hug me. Could he know that I was upset, know that I was leaving? Perhaps, in his own way, he was saying goodbye as well.

  “I’ll come back as soon as I can. I promise,” I whispered.

  He nudged his nose towards my head. “Do you miss your master?” He blinked as if telling me his answer, his eyes filled with sadness.

  “I miss him too.” He hooked his head over my shoulder again.

  I wondered how much could he read from my own. Could he see the pain that filled my heart? Was he wondering where Jonas was? I reassured him that Jonas would return to him as quickly as he could, but he needed time to recover from his wounds. An empty promise. A promise many would find meaningless to an animal, but I knew it mattered. He needed comfort as much as I did. I wanted nothing more than to stay with him, curled up next to him as we wait in hopes that Jonas would recover. The tears fell down my cheeks as I quickly wiped them away when I heard someone approaching.

  “His Majesty’s, King Fendrel’s carriage awaits, my lady.” The stable boy informed me.

  Carriage? Mia must’ve spoken to King Fendrel. I dreaded the thought of how that conversation went.

  “Thank you. Please take care of Henry for me while his master recovers. I’m not sure of when I’ll return.”

  The boy smiled and saluted me. “I will, my lady. You have my word!”

  King Fendrel waited for me outside the carriage, giving me a warm smile. I touched my side, feeling thankful that Mia had said something to him. I wasn’t sure if I could ride a horse with my stitches so fresh.

  As I walked towards him, King Fendrel said something to the driver I couldn’t hear. I took a deep breath as my heart sank into my stomach. I looked over my shoulder, seeing Jared’s palace behind me. This may be the last time I ever see it.

  “Are you ready, my dear?” King Fendrel asked.

  Slowly, I turned to him, repressing the pain in my chest. “Yes, I am ready.”

  I was ready. Ready for whatever awaits me, whether it be life or death, I will face it.

  For Jonas.

  CHAPTER 27

  The ride to Fendrel’s palace was much longer than I had thought would be. After two full days of riding, we still had more land to cross to the northeast, toward the mountains.

  The evening would be soon approaching. While I enjoyed the warmness of the sun, a cool breeze would be welcomed. King Fendrel and I were silent most of the way. Until he had the uncontrollable urge to hound me with questions. He asked the basics: was I sure I wanted to do this, how did I feel, what had I told the others, did Jared know where I was going?

  I answered him uninterested. There was no going back now. I’d made up my mind and I would stick to the plan, so what was the point of questioning it now? Right now, my only concern was getting there and trying to stay awake through this journey. It could have been my illness or simply lack of proper sleep, but I felt exhausted. I was not in the mood for an interrogation.

  I decided to change the subject. “Your Majesty, what’s the plan once we get to your palace? You were a bit loose with the details.”

  “Call me Fen,” he said.

  “What?” I asked, bewildered.

  “I think after all of this, we can call ourselves more than acquaintances. I’d like you to call me Fen or Fendrel if you prefer. I don’t let just anyone call me that, you know.” He smirked, the it was followed by a wink.

  The kings of this world seemed much different than the ones I heard of back home. They were . . . more human and friendly with no obvious desire to be called the fancy titles. Or maybe I had some strange effect on them that made them so personal with me. It wasn’t a bad thing per se, but I found it perplexing.

  I repeated my question, using his name. The smile on his face made it clear that I had pleased him. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

  “When we get there, I want my doctor to look at your wound and prepare you for the journey. You’ll rest tonight and we’ll travel in the morning. Two of my personal guard will accompany us for additional protection. You see, Gnotah Peak is known for its dangers such as wolves and bears and we need to be extra careful, considering my value and your injury, of course.”

  His value. Obviously, the loss of a king would be terrible for any country, but did he need to blatantly remind me of it? And my injury. If he truly had been concerned, we wouldn’t be making this journey so quickly, but it was the only way.

  “Okay, and once we get there?”

  “The first path will take us about three miles up the mountain, but we will be required t
o alter course to reach the cave, in which lies the vial you must drink. Its purposely hidden behind two large rock formations so no one could find it unless they were right next to it.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “And how do you know of this cave if it’s so well hidden?”

  “I got lucky one day,” he said, shrugging.

  I knew it was more than that, but I didn’t press him. For a king resting his hopes on someone he barely knew, he’d made it clear that he didn’t quite trust me yet. The feeling was mutual, considering the same was for me. I wasn’t even sure if I truly trusted him, but our goals were the same: to stop the Darkness. Right now, we needed each other. Trust would have to come later for us.

  “Whatever you say, Your Majesty.” He flinched. The sense of pride I’d felt knocking him off his pedestal was fulfilling. I had the feeling this would be a long journey.

  I rested my head on my hand, looking out the window. The once vibrant green grass slowly turned to a frost covered land. Fendrel told me that the climate in his kingdom was almost always cold, but during this time of year, it was milder. The lands of the kings were as different as the kings themselves it seems. I shuddered to think what else was different.

  Fendrel pulled out a blanket from a compartment under his seat and wrapped it around me and I stared at him.

  “You looked cold, my dear,” he said softy.

  The look in his eyes told me he was genuinely concerned for my well-being. I pulled the blanket around me tightly. I hadn’t realized I was shivering.

  “Won’t you be cold?”

  He shook his head. “I’m used to our weather. This is pretty warm to me compared to Jared’s lands.”

  “Thank you,” I said, in almost a whisper.

  He nodded and returned to his seat, opening a notebook and writing something in it. Not bothering to ask, I returning to the window, my eyes were heavy and it was hard for me to focus on the view and I let my eyelids fall closed.

  ~ * ~

  When I woke up, Fendrel was shaking my shoulder gently, telling me we’d arrived. I rubbed my eyes, adjusting to the light. It was nighttime, and the moonlight shone brightly into the carriage. When I sat up, I let the blanket fall then immediately pulled it back to me. It was much colder here than in Elra.

  “Here,” Fendrel said. He took off his heavy coat and traded it for the blanket. “This will keep you warmer than the blanket.”

  The oversized coat made me feel like a child wearing their father’s. “Let me guess, you still aren’t cold?”

  He laughed. “It will take a lot more than this to make me cold, my dear. You’re unwell and need it more than I do. Wear it until we at least get inside and you get into your room. I’ve already made sure the fire would be ready for you when we arrived.”

  I nodded. “Okay. Thank you.” This time, he’d given me a questionable look as if he didn’t expect me to still be so surprised by his kindness.

  He led me out of the carriage. Outside, several guards were standing at attention, all dressed in metal armor with their shields painted in blue and white. Only one didn’t wear a helmet, and he said something to Fendrel I didn’t hear. A young girl and boy stood before us, their red hair and bright green eyes were apparent even in this dim light. Twins. They looked like they were only twelve years old. Why were there children here?

  A woman soon follower. Her hair was the same red shade, but her eyes were gray.

  “I apologize, Your Majesty. My children wanted to meet your guest—”

  “She’s so pretty!” the girl said.

  “Would you play with us, lady?” the boy said.

  I didn’t have time to speak before Fendrel told them he had no time for them right now. He ordered the woman to take me to my room, send for the doctor and provide me with a meal. I wanted to object, but Fendrel looked furious. Something had set him off and I don’t think it was the children.

  The woman gestured for me to follow her and the children trotted along beside me. I glanced back at Fendrel, who was gritting his teeth at the guard who spoke to him earlier.

  The coat Fendrel had given me was warm enough where I let my hands fall to my sides rather than holding them against my body. The children each took one of their own and grasped my hands, their grins spreading across their faces. I returned the smile. It wasn’t a welcome I’d expected, but it was appreciated. Were there other children in the palace? I had a feeling they were the only ones. Were they not used to visitors?

  Their mother led me into the palace. The walls were painted white with blue adornments. It was wide-open room with some beautiful wooden stairs on each side leading to other rooms. The center of the floor was decorated with a symbol of a flying bird in in the night sky with what looked like a mountain behind it. I’d seen the same symbol at Jared’s palace, except that his displayed a lion instead of a bird. A crystal chandelier dangled above us. Stepping back, I saw it was in the shape of a snowflake.

  “Isn’t it pretty, lady?” the girl asked me.

  “It is. Very pretty, in fact,” I said.

  The woman hurried us along the staircase to the left, the children never letting go of my hands. The hallways were a little narrower than the one’s in Jared’s palace. Portraits hung on the walls, and one popped out to me. It was a family painting with a woman in midnight-blue gown sitting in a large black chair holding a baby in her arms and a man beside her. They both wore crowns decorated with blue jewels. A royal portrait, then. Fendrel’s parents? The man held similar eyes to Fendrel’s, but the woman had the same raven-black hair he had. She was beautiful. I wondered if she was still alive, but a feeling in my gut told me she wasn’t, considering how old this portrait had to be.

  Several turns took us to a hallway with a larger door at the end of the hall. The woman opened a door only feet from it. She told the children to help her, but with what I didn’t know. When I walked in, I found myself in a bedroom twice the size of my room in Jared’s palace. How big was this place? I wouldn’t have time to explore, though, however much I might have liked to. I was only here for one night.

  “Lady, do you like flowers? I picked these earlier from Ma’s plants,” the boy said handing me the flowers—white roses with sharp thorns.

  Their mother glared at the boy and he hung his head.

  I put my hand on his head, messing up his hair playfully.

  “Thank you. They’re beautiful.” I offered him a smile.

  He returned it.

  The woman told them to come to her and they rushed over to her side. She said something to them and they waved at me before leaving the room.

  The woman cleared her throat.

  “Forgive me, my lady, my children don’t meet many visitors here. I will send for the doctor and bring you some dinner. I have some tea over there for you. You’ve had a long journey and I’m sure you’re famished,” she said before, leaving me alone in my room.

  At least it was warm in here. I took off Fendrel’s coat then put it on the edge of the bed.

  The bed was the same size as my previous room at Jared’s palace. The wardrobe had two large doors along with two drawers’ underneath. The vanity was massive with two arms. The carpet was black with white trim. I sat on the bed and took off my boots. I waited patiently for the doctor.

  He came in about ten minutes later with a small black bag. An older man, he seemed healthy for his age despite the black cane in his hand.

  “Good evening. My name is Dr. Abraham Langdon.”

  “Hello, Doctor. My name is Ellyn Cromwell.” He offered me a smile and limped his way towards a nearby chair and pulled it next to the bed.

  “Could you lift your shirt so I can see the stitches?”

  I pulled it up, revealing the wound. His hands were warm, thankfully.

  “Whoever did this, knew what he was doing. This looks very good. I’ll be able to remove these stitches in about a day, as long as you’re careful. I think you will be okay to ride, though
I insist you take it slow, and get off the horse immediately is you feel any pain whatsoever.” He dipped a cloth into something. “This will help with the minor swelling.”

  I winced when he applied it. The ointment was cold as if it sat in ice for the past few hours.

  “It was a woman. A servant in King Jared’s palace,” I told him.

  His eyebrows raised. “Well then, you must pay her my compliments. I will inform His Majesty of my findings. Please take this.” He handed me a small bottle. “It will help you rest tonight.”

  “Thank you, Doctor. I will need it.” He raised an eyebrow, but didn’t question me. He deemed it time for me to rest and left the room.

  The woman came back with a tray of food then set it down on the small table in front of the couch and two chairs. She took a deep breath and wiped tears from her face.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  She shook her head.

  “I’m fine, my lady.”

  I gestured for her to sit down and she obliged without question. I poured her a cup of tea, offering her the cup with cream and sugar then poured a cup for myself. I stirred it slowly.

  “Was it because of your children?” I asked hesitantly.

  She shook her head again. “No, my lady. It was one of the guards. Nasty man. He decided to take his anger out on me after His Majesty gave him a piece of his mind.”

  My mouth twitched picturing the man. I may need to have a word with him before I return to Elra. He reminded me too much of Leo. He was too perfect and I learned the truth too late. “Sounds like someone who likes to pick on women. I can handle him for you. Men like that don’t intimidate me.”

  She waved her hands. “Oh, no, my lady. I’m used to it. He just made a comment about my . . . the father of my children.”

  I sat back in the chair, sipping the tea. “Want to talk about it? Forgive me, but you look like you’re either going to be sick or explode. I don’t want you leaving here looking like that and get more criticism for looking so upset.”