Rescuing the Prince

by Meghann McVey

  To take my mind off the Wagoner (I still wasn’t sure if he were just teasing or actually making advances), I thought of possible names for the second horse: Chocolate, Mocha… All the names made me hungry, and none seemed to suit him.

  Reldion didn’t talk much during the ride. He seemed lost in his own head, keeping silent most of the time and sometimes singing snatches of songs to himself.

  “And the First People, ne’er to return…”

  The song of Mersania. How long it seemed since I had heard it, and yet, it was barely a season. I could see why it came to Reldion’s mind: the First People’s attempt to ally with humans had ended tragically in a snowfield.

  The plains gave way to hills studded with stone houses, a sight that made me shiver with a sense of déjà vu. But just where had I seen them before? The answer came to me at an area of three hills and their shared valley. Humble cottages and huts with steep roofs dotted the the gentlest two hills. A formidable stone house, the closest to the traditional castle fortresses I knew from books occupied the steepest. Before the snow had fallen, I had seen this vista with Tolliver! I was sure of it!

  “Reldion, are we near the village of Tarra?” I said into his heavily-jeweled ear.

  “Why, yes we are! You are more worldly than I expected.” His voice deepened, I guess to indicate a double entendre. I made a face at Reldion’s back. But silliness aside, why had Reldion brought me here?

  A cold feeling grew in the pit of my stomach as we entered the village’s empty, snowy lanes. Tolliver had told me that most people in Tarra had evacuated to Ivenbury. Every window Reldion and I passed was dark. Not that I expected the people to be out in this weather, at this time of night. But I hadn’t expected Tarra to feel so…abandoned. It made me feel sad and vulnerable. Wind whistled between the buildings, a creepy sound that made me tighten my grip around Reldion’s waist, despite my mental discussion on the snow plain about not doing anything to give him ideas.

  Tolliver’s words played again in my head. Be wary of him, Leah.

  Had Reldion brought me to Tarra for perverted reasons? But if that was his intent, he’d had plenty of opportunities, starting with meeting at the abandoned temple.

  As far as I could tell, it was sound logic. But my emotions were not convinced. Something darted between buildings, quick enough to startle me, but not so fast I couldn’t make out yellow eyes and a shaggy pelt in the light of the setting moon. One became several as we picked our way through the steep streets.

  “What are those?” I whispered at last.

  “Wolves.”

  As if on cue, howls sounded around the village.

  Now I knew how curiosity killed the cat; it scared it to death. Learning they were wolves settled it: Reldion might have questionable morals, but there was no way I was getting off the horse and finding my own way.

  “Aren’t you worried about the pack attacking?” I said, remembering a TV show I’d seen once, featuring various animals attacking hapless campers in national parks.

  “We are about to take shelter,” Reldion said. “I doubt they will give chase. There is plenty for wolves to eat in an empty village. That is why they are here.”

  We passed houses where the parts of the roof had caved in, clotheslines, some with the laundry frozen stiff where it hung, porches where wolves lounged as if they owned the house.

  “I had a pet wolf once,” Reldion mused.

  I didn’t think that was a tall tale. They did say pets and their owners resembled one another.

  We rode on for a while longer. Reldion stopped Marksman in front of a building that, though it resembled its neighbors, I now saw was more spacious and somewhat set apart from the others. The wooden shutters were closed, and no footprints disturbed the front yard’s snow covering.

  The place seemed so familiar, but I didn’t recognize it right away. While I tried to remember, Reldion swung down from Marksman to knock on the door. Predictably, no one answered. “We can still sleep here,” Reldion said. A wire appeared in his hand, and he began to pick the lock.

  Now the memories resurfaced, of Lady Ariana bringing me to her cottage and treating the cut I’d gotten when I fell chasing a dragon. I recalled thinking that her house likely had the only lock in the entire village.

  My old fears resurfaced. I had hoped we were to meet one of Reldion’s Wagoner friends, who would have information about the dragon rider. But judging from the state of Tarra, there was no one left, and I knew Lady Ariana was in Autumnstead.

  “Why did you think she would be here?” I said cautiously. “She evacuated to Autumnstead with Lord Ivenbury.”

  Reldion looked up from the keyhole. “Rumors do not reach your new room, it would seem. Have you not heard that Lady Ariana is wanted for questioning? Many think she has fled Autumnstead.”

  I couldn’t believe it. “Why would Queen Arencaster question her?” I said skeptically. “Ivenbury and Autumnstead are allies.”

  “Precisely,” Reldion said. “Lady Ariana doesn’t usually involve herself in intrigue, either.” Reldion gave the lock pick an expert twist. An unmistakable snick was audible in the soundless winter night. Reldion pushed the door open and beckoned me after him. “My eyes and ears tell me Queen Arencaster has been investigating for traitors since the early days of the war and has redoubled her efforts since the attempt on her daughter’s life. Or would that be your life?”

  “Mine,” I admitted. Reluctantly I followed him into Lady Ariana’s fragrant herbal retreat.

  “I would like to believe the queen has become hypervigilant and lost her ability to see the big picture. But even if she is right to accuse Lady Ariana, I believe in solving things between people, rather than involving heads of state and trials. That is the way of the free people. Man to man. Or man to woman. And so forth.”

  “So this is a detour, then? You came all this way to check on Lady Ariana?” It made less sense the more I thought about it.

  “No,” Reldion said. “Queen Arencaster enlisted me to help you find Gerry. That is what we are here for.”

  I lit a candle with shaking hands. “How? I don’t understand.”

  Reldion dumped a stack of dried herbs from the top of a barrel and seated himself on it. “In our time together, I learned Lady Ariana lives a double life.”

  “You mean this cottage, where she practices herb lore?”

  “Your innocence borders on ignorance,” Reldion said, so low I wasn’t sure I was meant to hear him. “No, young Leah. In the course of her life, Lady Ariana has tamed several dragons, and made them hers to ride.”

  No! He had to be lying! Lady Ariana, the dragon rider? Lady Ariana, who had tended my wound, kept my secret, had said she didn’t believe in dragons!

  “It was two decades ago that we were together,” Reldion said in his storytelling voice. “I would not have ended it, not for a new woman each year for the remainder of my life. But I had no choice…it was what she wanted.”

  How could they have been together? Reldion was so much older than she was! Even if he oozed charmed from every pore, I couldn’t see him winning the love of the glamorous, wealthy Lady Ariana.

  “Since then, I have watched my Lady from afar as I performed like a dancing bear for the amusement of the nobles. She has not aged a day. The eyes of Reldion le Valen do not lie, nor can love trick them.” His voice actually cracked. And yet…

  I shook my head. “I can’t believe it. Why would she come into my world?” I said to myself.

  “I cannot say.” Reldion leaned his chin on his hands, suddenly seeming younger and somewhat vulnerable. “All I know is she is beyond compare in beauty and charm. She knows many things…things beyond mortal ken.”

  The conversation pretty much died after that. Reldion and I remained lost in our own thoughts for a few minutes. He emerged first and said, “We will ride again tomorrow, early. It'd be best if you got some sleep.”

  “Lady Ariana didn't exactly leave a note where we can find her,” I pointed out.


  “I have a feeling I know her location,” Reldion said. It was odd to hear him speak absent his usual bravado and bluster.

  “Where?” I said, trying not to get my hopes up too high.

  “North of Autumnstead lies Edonai: a land of forests and mountains. Ariana told me that the dragons' dwelling was in a cave among them.”

  “That would be so wonderful if we could find her…and Gerry there,” I said.

  Reldion held up his finger. “Don't get too excited, now. The way is treacherous, to say the least. The mountains alone span hundreds of miles, and most of those unexplored. Upon the foothills, Edonai Forest guards the way like a vast army. Within their ranks, brigands and creatures unknown by the people in these peaceful lowlands make their home. Many of the forest's inhabitants are as dangerous as dragons themselves.”

  Reldion's dramatic account almost made me consider going back to Autumnstead. Before I could think about it too hard, the flame-haired man added, “Still, you must not give up. I would not bring you all this way for nothing. And for my honor and the Wagoners’, if there is a way through Edonai Forest, if a single dragon cave can be found in the towering northern peaks, I will find it, as sure as my name is Reldion le Valen.”

  A shiver went through me as Reldion showed me the power of one's word and name. It was yet another thing we didn't have in my world. “I believe you,” I said at last. “And I'm grateful.” It sounded so simple after Reldion's grand, sweeping statements.

  Regardless, Reldion seemed pleased.

  I spent the night restless, barely managing to doze. Reldion was kind enough to give me the pallet while he remained on the barrel and leaned against the wall. This gave him a view outside the window (“There may be more than wolves skulking in this village,” he'd warned.) and kept him from falling should he nod off. The entire time, he kept his hand on a wickedly-curved dirk shoved into the purple silk sash that served as his belt.

  While it is true that our lodging was uncomfortable — the pallet offered little cushioning from the hard floor, and the night was quite cold around me, despite our shelter — racing thoughts were the main thing keeping me awake. To begin with, no matter how I tried not to think of Ariana and Reldion sleeping on this pallet before me, well, you can guess how that went. Then there were my feelings of betrayal. Lady Ariana had seemed like such a good person. That's what it boiled down to when you took out factors like other worlds, dragons, and magic. Lady Ariana had kept my secret, but she'd had a far bigger one. I'd been mistaken about her all along.

  When I finally did sleep, I dreamed of the difficulties ahead: an endless forest maze, with a murderer behind every tree; mountains with peaks like razors; and cave entrances guarded by dragons.

  I awoke to the sound of neighs, clopping hooves, and the scuff of boots across the floor. “Whoa, Marksman!” Reldion called, but it was too late. A horse nose nudged me where I lay, and hot breath settled on my face. I sat up and stared around groggily. During the night, Reldion must have brought the horses inside to protect them from wolves and the cold.

  “I guess Marksman is telling you good morning,” Reldion said.

  “Is it time to go?” I asked.

  “Near enough,” Reldion said. “Did you get enough rest?”

  “Not really.” I didn't add that the past few nights had been almost as bad as High Summer at Portalis Park. I’d earned a good chunk of overtime working that season, but I’d practically never slept.

  “Well, take care you don't fall asleep in the saddle,” Reldion said. “If you fall off, I won't have time to go back and get you.”

  I rolled my eyes at him, deliberately and dramatically. Reldion chuckled and began saddling Marksman.

  The journey to the Edonai foothills alone took far longer than I thought it would. Nearly a week passed while we crossed snowfields and smaller woods that we passed through in a day or less, topped and descended rises that felt tall to me, but, according to Reldion, had nothing on the grade in Edonai Forest.

  When we stopped to eat, once or twice a day, Reldion hunted, and foraged for anything edible among the snow and small frozen ponds: cranberries, cattail roots and shoots, nuts, and watercress. The first few times, I wasn't much help, but then the Wagoner showed me what to look for and where. After that, he left the foraging up to me. Reldion still did all the cooking, though, not trusting me not to scorch his hard-won meat. I had to laugh as we huddled by the fire. Despite all the efforts I had undergone to avoid it while with Gerry, I was camping now, and how!

  Normally it wouldn't take this long to reach the Edonai, Reldion told me. However, we were taking the long way to avoid the conflict in Autumnstead.

  The third day, I happened upon a name for the other horse: Rolly because of his appetite. He always gobbled through his feedbag, finishing well before Marksman. He also had a knack for finding food at the water’s edge such as watercress and a tendency to stray when there were pine trees near so he could nibble on their needles.

  Reldion laughed at first when I told him about it. Eventually he mellowed out and said, “It is a good name.”

  The fifth night, I asked Reldion what Queen Arencaster had done for him and his people. I inquired partly because I had become curious what things the Wagoner valued enough to undergo this risky journey for a girl he barely knew. Also, I felt bad about not being a more extroverted conversationalist. To his credit, Reldion didn't seem to mind my quiet. He could go on for a long time when telling one of his stories. I’d bet that he talked to himself when alone on long journeys. It was probably nice for him to have a listener. Still, working in customer service had trained me to feel guilty for any and all silences when I was in the presence of others.

  “Queen Arencaster is an official civilized ally of the Wagoners,” Reldion answered. “She permits us to roam the Autumnstead Woods freely and pays us a small amount of gold for performing during castle gatherings.”

  “Oh. I see. Those things…well…” I trailed off, figuring I was probably about to put my foot in my mouth rather than add anything to the conversation. These were the actions to which I owed my thanks for his companionship for finding Ger? They didn’t seem like much.

  “They are not so great as this journey has become,” Reldion said, finishing my thoughts for me.

  “Oh,” I said, feeling as though I'd been punched in the stomach.

  “Queen Arencaster will make it worth my while for undergoing this quest.” Reldion gave me an uncomfortably piercing look.

  “How will she do that?” I asked, sensing too late I was going to regret the question.

  “You see…” Reldion paused dramatically, without ever taking his eyes from my face. The shadows from the firelight made his grin look positively wicked. My heart beat a little faster. “Queen Arencaster promised me Princess Fiona in marriage. Since she is missing, I expect the queen will want you to fulfill the match instead.”

  “Oh my God!” I said without thinking. How long had she planned to wait before telling me? When Reldion had kidnapped me for the wedding?! (I had no basis for this idea; it just seemed like the sort of thing he’d do.)

  “We were going to tell you, after we looked for Gerry,” Reldion said, as though he’d read my mind.

  “But Gerry! I, er, we’re…” What word had Tolliver used to describe us? “Intended!” Yes, that was it! There was no way I was mentioning the fact that I wasn’t sure about him anymore! “I can’t get married to someone else!”

  “A past agreement is inconsequential,” Reldion said. “Queen Arencaster can easily dissolve it.”

  I fell silent. This just couldn’t be happening! Marry Reldion le Valen? I had just gotten comfortable traveling with him!

  I was debating outing Fiona to Reldion and wondering if he’d believe me, when Reldion laughed, a rich baritone storm, that swept me up and utterly disoriented me.

  “You are too easily played, Leah.” Reldion flicked tears from his cheeks. “You didn’t really think the royal family would accept a W
agoner as their son-in-law, did you?”

  For a moment, I couldn’t speak; I was still reeling from the mental whiplash.

  “It’s all a joke?” I said in a small voice.

  “Yes of course,” Reldion said with mock gravity. “Among the free people, I am a prince and honored warrior, but it means nothing when I enter the prison the willing call ‘civilization.’”

  As often happened, the spell of Reldion’s voice made me forget my indignity, and I found myself wondering if Fiona had someone she loved.

  “Do you know Fiona? I mean, the real Fiona?” I asked.

  “Yes,” Reldion said. “She is a woman of amazing strength and courage, as you have seen when she protected you in the woods.”

  “Then you knew all along…”

  “That she and Faxon were one and the same? Yes.”

  Time had dulled the sting of Fiona’s and my fight. More and more, it had begun to feel less personal, as though it had never been that. Not intentionally.

  “I have often thought Princess Fiona had the soul of a Wagoner.” Reldion went on. “I invited her to travel with me many a time. Alas, even among our people, women are not equal to men. In some Families, such as mine, they have more rights, but… I believe that is part of the reason Fiona chose to stay near Autumnstead, aside from her deep love for her kingdom, of course.” Reldion took a swig from the silver flask that hung from his belt, then held it out to me. As I had since the first time he offered it, I refused. Not only did it seem unwise to drink with him, given his reputation, but the smell from the flask smelled like rotting fruit on a roasting summer day. So gross!

  “People call me a rake, young Leah. Some songs say I’ve used over a hundred women. But it wasn’t always that way. Ever since Ariana left me, I’ve tried to forget her, but no other woman could measure up. Princess Fiona is the only one who can hold a candle to her.”

  I marveled silently at what the flame-haired man had just told me. Who would’ve thought Reldion, potentially psychotic badass, would have a tragic, romantic side?