by Andrea Boyd
Her brows were slightly creased. It seemed as if she was trying to make the puzzle of my family come together. “So, were you not close to any of them before now?”
“It goes without saying that I do have a special relationship with Terence. I would never want to leave him out. I know he will not understand why I have left, and that bothers me.”
“I can see why that would upset you. Hopefully he will handle it better than you think. What about your mother? Are you not close to her?”
“I know she loves me, but it is complicated. She has done her best to shield me, but she will never go against Father.” I reached across and took her hand, running my thumb across the ring I had given her. It was hard to sort out my mixed emotions concerning my mother.
“When she gave me this ring last year, she hinted that I should marry someone outside of Gilvary. I guess her wish came true.” I remembered being hurt that she would not want me to stay near her, and at the same time, I knew this was her way of caring for me. At least that is what I told myself then.
I placed Brianna’s hand back on the horn of her saddle. “And she has never questioned Father’s actions, especially when she knows she will not like the answer. For instance, I am sure you noticed she never asked how I got the cuts and bruises on my face even after you pointed them out.”
“Yes, I had noticed that. I do not remember much about my own mother. I have made a study of Queen Finelle with your family over the years. I guess I had built up an image of her in my mind. Now I find out that she is nothing like I thought. I am sorry to say I am disappointed.”
Her eyes grew large, and she placed her hand over her chest. “Garrett, please forgive me. She is your mother, and I know you love her very much. I had no right to say anything against her.”
“Do not give it another thought. I do love her, but I have never been deluded into thinking she is perfect.” Her words had stung a little. I guess I had built Mother’s image up in my own mind as well.
“When we stop again, remind me to get some more of that ointment from Gwen. I also noticed you are limping a little.” I was glad she had changed the subject. I had set out to get to know Brianna, but we had somehow turned to talking about my own life. The last thing I wanted from my wife was her pity.
“It is only more bruising, nothing serious. Gwen gave me something for pain before we started out this morning.”
She looked disappointed. “Garrett, I am sorry. I should have remembered your condition and taken care of it myself. I guess I am used to being the one cared for instead of the other way around.”
“Brianna, no one would expect that from you. I appreciate your concern, but I am used to taking care of myself.”
She shook her head. “Not anymore. You are my family now, and I am yours. I want to be a good wife. To me that means I should be the one to look after your needs, not Gwen or anyone else. If I forget again, please remind me.”
I could not say anything, or I would lose it. I grabbed her hand and pulled her closer. I leaned over and gave her a kiss on the lips. It was sweet but awkward considering we were on horseback. I did not care that we were surrounded by people. They would just have to get used to me kissing my wife.
Brianna
I wanted Garrett to feel free to share his childhood hurts with me, but right then I had not known what to do with that information. I had already come to terms with the fact that his father was a monster, but in my mind, his mother was almost as bad. Finelle had done nothing to really protect her son as far as I could tell. Garrett seemed to have high regards for his mother, but I could hear the pain in his voice and see it in his expression when he spoke of her. Whatever his feelings, I needed to respect them. I would have to be careful not to reveal any more of my thoughts concerning his family when they did not match his own.
Since we had gotten such a late start, we did not stop until past the usual time for dinner. Gwen and I made our way to a small copse of trees to relieve ourselves. Sometimes it was awkward being the only two females on this stretch of our journey. We were still in Gilvary so the trees were smaller and more spread out making it necessary for us to take turns holding up a cape for the other to go behind. I received a very unpleasant surprise when it was my turn.
“Gwen, my monthly due has come early. Can you believe my luck?”
“Well, it is rather lucky if you think about it. It will be over by the time we get home. Head toward the river, and I will get what you need.” Gwen would see the brighter side of every disaster. All I could think of was the misery of being on horseback during this time.
Gwen went back to the campsite to collect the supplies and a change of clothing. I cleaned up in the cold creek after she returned. She had also brought some herbs to ease my symptoms. She assured me that no one would be the wiser, but I had a hard time making eye contact once we were back with the men. If anyone noticed mine or Gwen’s actions, they did not say anything.
After we had eaten and rested, we were headed again in the direction of Aisling. At the rate we were going, we would be at least to the border by this time tomorrow. I searched my mind for a topic for Garrett and me to discuss as we rode side by side. I wanted to avoid anything concerning his family.
“Where do you go when you leave the castle?”
“What do you mean?”
I tried to come up with a way to ask without mentioning Coman, but it was pointless. “Your father said that he would go days without seeing you. I just wondered where you went, but you do not have to answer unless you want to.”
“Oh, that. I did not have to leave the castle for Father to go days without seeing me. But I did often go exploring on my own, and I occasionally went out on rounds with some of the warriors. Of course, Father knew nothing about that.”
“Did you ever enter into battle when you were out with the warriors?”
I could see his jaw tightening. Maybe I was asking too many questions or maybe just the wrong ones. “We can talk about something else.”
“No, Eamon has already asked similar questions. Do you not remember his concern with my lack of experience and my lack of protection? I am sure you are both worried that I will be a liability should we come up against any opponents along the way to Aisling.”
He had not mentioned the conversation from the night before, but he was obviously still bothered by it. “Actually, I was just trying to get to know you better. That is all. I know Eamon is capable of handling the military questions, so I was not trying to check behind him. And as I have said before, lack of experience is nothing to be ashamed of.”
He smiled at me, but it seemed to be forced. “As you know, Gilvary has not been harassed as often as Aisling lately, but some bandits did attack the group I was in once. That is as much of a battle as I can boast of.”
“What happened?”
“I was instructed to stay behind everyone else. I wanted to help, but I knew that if the other men lived through the battle, and if the son of the king were to be injured in the slightest, their lives would have been forfeited anyway. As unprepared as I feel about fighting, I promise I will not stand in the background again. I will not be caught hiding behind a rock while my queen fights alongside the men as you claim to have done in the past."
I could hear the bitterness in his voice, and I did not know what else to say. I had unknowingly picked a sore subject for him to talk about. I would leave the next topic of conversation up to him. We rode in silence for a while.
Garrett pointed at something up ahead. “Look, you can just make out Dragon’s Keep.”
Dragon’s Keep was a tall butte that stood just inside the border of Aisling. It was still a little more than half a day’s ride away, but we could just barely make out the top of it across the flat land. Legend had it that some of the last dragons to inhabit the earth resided at the very top, giving the butte its name. It was also why dragons represented my kingdom. Ancient ruins of the long-ago Castle of Marta rested at the bottom of Dragon’s Keep.
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br /> “Has anyone ever actually seen a dragon in this area before?” I was relieved that he had introduced a new subject.
“There have always been rumors. I certainly have never seen one, and no one with credibility has ever said as much, to me at least.”
“That would be a fantastic sight, would it not?”
Somehow the thought of coming face to face with a real dragon did not sound all that appealing to me. “It depends on how close of a view you got.”
He laughed. “I suppose you are right. You probably would not want to get up close and personal with a dragon if any of the legends are true. I did visit the bottom of the butte once several years back, but I did not find any evidence to support their existence. I had a little adventure exploring the ruins at the bottom, though. I know, I was trespassing at the time, but it seems safe to tell it now.”
“Did you find anything of interest?”
“I do not know if you would find it interesting, but the dungeon beneath the castle is still intact. Did you know that?”
“No, I did not. All that I know about Marta is what we learned while studying history in school. The castle was destroyed in the Great War. The country was renamed and divided among the three Kearnley brothers. Those ruins are all that remain of the ancient kingdom. The teacher never mentioned a dungeon, but I have read about the horrible things that went on in them. I do not believe I would want to go back to those times.”
I looked over at him, but he was still staring up at the butte. “Did you not think that was a bit dangerous? I mean think of all the unstable piles of rubble that would have been right above your head. What if the whole thing had caved in on you?”
“Now you sound like Mother did when she found out. Honestly, I do not think boys that age ever think of such dangers. I thought Father would kill me for sure. That did scare me at the time.”
“How did your parents find out?”
“I slipped on some of that rubble and broke my arm. I had to ride all the way back to the castle in unbelievable pain. My arm was so swollen that I was afraid it would never be the same again. You would never guess it now.”
He flexed his arm out in front of me. I grabbed his forearm and then slid my hand down to rest it in his. We spent the rest of the day sharing childhood experiences. Soon it was time to stop for the night’s rest in order to start again at daybreak. This time I remembered to care for my husband. I consulted with Gwen before brewing a tonic that would not only help with his pain but would give him a better night’s sleep as well.
Just after breakfast the next day, Eamon pointed out a cloud of dust stirring at a great distance behind us. He explained how it was evidence that a large crowd must be coming at great speed to be kicking up that much dust. This announcement put everyone in our group on alert for a possible attack.
Garrett pulled the strange spectacles down from his hat to rest over his eyes. I had noticed them before and wondered if they held a purpose or were just for an adornment. Apparently, they had some usefulness to them. “I can indeed make out a large group on horseback, but they are still not close enough to see the details of their clothing to make out whether they are warriors or not.”
Eamon looked at him with interest. “Clothing is not always an indication. The attacks of late have been from men dressed as commoners, not warriors, but they did appear to belong to Gilvary. May I have a look?”
Garrett passed the spectacles to Eamon. “How could you tell they were from Gilvary?”
“The commoners of Gilvary tend to wear darker, earthier shades.”
“As you said, clothing is no indication. They may have donned similar clothing to have the appearance of belonging to Gilvary.”
“Do you doubt then that your father is behind the attacks, King Garrett?” The tension was still thick between the two men. I did not want to have to intervene again.
“No, I do not. I am just stating as you did that clothing alone is not proof enough.”
Eamon handed the spectacles to me. Looking through the device brought everything closer than they actually were. “Where did you get these? I have never seen anything like it before.”
“One of the local glass makers had a booth set up in the Sessions market in front of the castle. I tried to show them to Father, but they held no interest for him.” I could not imagine the freedom of a royal being able to browse through any crowded market unguarded as I suspected Garrett had.
“Maybe the vendor would be willing to sell a good many of these to the kingdom of Aisling.”
“We can try to find that information later, Your Highness, but for now, I think we should move on as quickly as possible.”
My advisor was right. I handed the spectacles back to Garrett. We headed out at a much faster pace after Eamon gave instructions to the warriors around us.
As the day went on, we watched the cloud of dust getting closer and coming at a fast rate. Repeated looks through Garrett’s spectacles revealed that they did indeed have the appearance of being common folk from Gilvary and not warriors. There were few reasons why a group from Gilvary would be approaching Aisling at such a fast pace, but this still did not prove that they meant us any harm.
The group of men came into plain view just as we crossed the border into Aisling. We kept going until we came even with Dragon’s Keep and the castle ruins beneath. There were a few more trees here that would provide some small defense if needed. It was obvious now that we were outnumbered by at least three to one.
Eamon spread us all out, placing two warriors each with me and Gwen. There were three warriors plus Eamon with Garrett. The rest were stationed out from us forming a curve away from the approaching group. The servants had taken the pack horses and moved off toward the river. We watched with arrows notched as they came closer.
I could see Eamon consulting with Garrett at about thirty paces back from me. I could not hear what they were saying, but I could guess. Garrett had protested the arrangements again as we were settling into position. He had wanted me to have the better part of the warriors’ protection, or at the very least, he wanted the two of us together. But like Eamon, I thought it would make more sense for Coman to go after Garrett.
The rapidly advancing group of men was nearly upon us. One of them raised their bow and shot an arrow while they were still out of range. No warrior or even a seasoned hunter would have made that mistake. Regardless, it positively made known their ill intentions toward us. We all raised our own bows in unison as a response.
Arrows were being shot from some of my men that were closer to those approaching, but I held steady until I was sure my arrow would ring true. I would probably only get a couple of shots in before we clashed. I would then have to rely on my sword.
The first man I hit fell from his horse with an arrow through his unarmored chest. I already had another arrow drawn before he even hit the ground and took out a second man. All of my focus was on the task before me. Everything else, including my fear, had faded away.
My fear soon returned, however, when one of their arrows skimmed across Torin’s back, but it was all for my horse. I dismounted and smacked him on the rump, sending him on his way. I had unhooked my overskirt while we had waited, and it was still draped across his back as he cantered off in the direction of the river. Hiding behind a tree, I dropped the bow and unsheathed my sword. I had lost my chance to get another shot in by taking the time to release Torin, but when it came to fighting with a sword, I was better on the ground anyway.
“What are you doing?” I looked around at Garrett’s shout, but Eamon was speaking to him. Garrett dropped down on the ground and reluctantly sent Eoghan away as well. I could guess that he had not been trained to fight from a horse’s back. He had his sword and shield ready in no time.
One of the attackers was now close enough to put me into the fight. I came from behind the tree and stabbed my sword in an upward motion into the chest of the approaching man. He went down instantly. A cloud of dust drifted up along with
the metallic scent of blood mingled with sweat. I covered my mouth and nose with the back of one arm as I used the other to retrieve my sword.
“There she is!”
I looked up into the dark eyes of the one shouting. I immediately knew to whom he was referring. Three more of those near the shouter turned their faces toward me. The panic that I had kept at bay shot instantly up to the surface again. I took deep even breaths to calm myself as they came closer. I wondered briefly what had happened to the two warriors that had been with me earlier, but my gaze never left the men as they approached.
One of the men aimed his bow and arrow right at me, letting it loose. I jerked my oval shield up by instinct. The arrow penetrated it, scraping across my knuckles. Just as he notched another arrow, someone shot one through him, and his dead body slid from his saddle. His horse bumped against one of my other attackers, unseating him but leaving his foot caught in the stirrup. The horse ran off, dragging its rider in the opposite direction leaving me with two assailants now. For some reason both of them had dismounted and were slowly approaching, one with a sword and one with a knife. I headed toward the bigger threat, the one with the sword.
As we fought, I could tell I was much better trained, but as usual, he was stronger. The one with the knife did not try to come any closer, but I attempted to keep him in view as I fought. This made the sword fight more dangerous for me. Suddenly he threw his knife, and my shield caught it alongside the arrow still stuck there. The knife thrower looked momentarily stunned, but he stayed at our side. What would he do now that he was weaponless?
The sword fight resumed and seemed to go on forever, but surely it was mere minutes. I was tired, and my right arm quivered, but I would not give up. I could only pray that God would see me through. My opponent swung his sword around from the left with enough force to knock my shield from my hand and cut through the thin armor that covered my upper arm. I could feel myself going down and used the momentum to jab my sword up and through his stomach. We seemed to fall in slow motion with him landing on top of me, knocking the air from my lungs.