Heirs of War, Crown of Flames

by Mara Valderran

  Jonathon shook his head. “It's in the way you look at each other. I remember when I first met Anne,” he said and held out a hand for his wife to join him.

  Anne did, kissing the top of his balding head. She was a pleasantly plump woman with round pink cheeks that seemed to color even more as she looked at her husband with fond memories. “He was quite the charmer. My sisters thought he wasn't genuine, but I could see it. It was in the little things. The small ways he'd touch me. The way he'd make a plate for me before he'd make one for himself. And the way he'd look at me.” She turned to Alec. “The way you look at her. It's easy to see that you are very much in love. It warms the heart in these dark times.”

  Ariana only nodded. She couldn't speak of the dark times Anne referred to since she wasn't actually part of this world or any other connected to it, and Alec was almost as clueless as she was after being locked in Kellen's dungeon for so long. She glanced at him, noticing a sad look that had just come across his face when Anne and Jonathon snuggled closer to one another. “What's wrong?” she whispered with genuine concern.

  “Nothing,” he answered, though Ariana wasn't convinced. “I'm tired. We should get some sleep.”

  “Okay,” she reluctantly agreed.

  She started to lie down, but he stopped her. He surprised her by pulling her close for a sweet and quick goodnight kiss. His lips barely brushed against hers and it took her a moment to register that he had kissed her.

  “What was that for?” she asked and rubbed her lips together.

  “Have to keep up appearances,” he whispered. He pulled her into his arms, guiding her head to his chest and stroking her hair affectionately. “Good night, Ariana.”

  She could hear his heart racing in her ear as she rested her head on his chest. She tucked the thought away for another day, exhaustion from their long trek overtaking her.

  The sounds of nearby conversations woke her before she was ready to get up. She tried to ignore them, but the light from the sun and the lack of Alec's warmth next to her ruined any chances of that. Reluctantly, she sat up and rubbed her bleary eyes.

  “Good morning, princess,” Jonathon greeted teasingly.

  Ariana stared back at him, panicked. Before she could speak—though the terror of her secret being discovered left her without words—Alec swooped down on her, planting a light kiss on her forehead and handing her a plate of food.

  “Don't mind Ariana,” he said and plopped down next to her. “She's just not used to such a greeting when she wakes up in her usual state.”

  “My usual state?” Ariana asked, cutting her gaze to him.

  He used his finger to gesture to her hair, which was a bit of a tangled mess at the moment. “You know, your usual morning state. Which is anything but princess like.”

  Grateful for the save, she let the insult slide, but pouted when Jonathon snickered.

  “You might have gotten yourself into a bit of trouble there, Alec.” Jonathon lifted his brows in Ariana's direction. “Better let her know that she is the most beautiful thing you've ever seen now or there will be trouble later. Learn from my experience.”

  “Oh, no worries there. My Ariana knows just how beautiful she is,” Alec said with a wink. “Isn't that right?”

  She sneered at the jibe. “Doesn't mean I don't like to hear it every now and then, darling.” She mussed up his hair, and he ducked away from her. “There, now we match.” Happy that he looked equally disheveled, she turned back to her food.

  “Thank you, again,” Alec said to Jonathon as Anne brought him a plate, “for sharing your camp with us. And for such a delicious meal.”

  At Alec's reproachful look, Ariana chimed in. “Yes, we really do appreciate it. I don't know what we would have done if we hadn't come across you when we did.”

  Anne pressed her mouth into a firm, disapproving line. “I'm sorry, dear. I just can't believe that your father left you two to pass the mountains alone. He should have traveled with you.”

  “No matter,” Jonathon said, “we will accompany them home.”

  “We were supposed to meet him,” Ariana said quickly over her last mouthful of eggs. She put on her best embarrassed face, which was easily aided by the scarlet in her cheeks at being questioned. “We tried to take a shortcut, but we got lost.”

  Anne shook her head. “Through the mountains?” She sighed as Ariana flushed further. “Still, I agree with Jonathon. We will accompany you home.”

  “We appreciate the offer,” Alec chimed in, grabbing Ariana's hand. He gently squeezed it, signaling her to let him take the lead. “I'm afraid it's quite a long journey. We live in a small village near the tairseach.”

  “Near the tairseach,” Jonathon exclaimed. “I'm afraid you are going in the completely wrong direction, my friends. Instead of heading over the mountain pass, you should have kept to the river and then headed west once you came across the waterfall.”

  Ariana blinked at the vague directions, which Alec seemed to be equally confused by, and then shook off the unusual navigations of a world without GPS. “My father usually takes care of that. It's like you said—it's a good thing we came across you.”

  Jonathon threw another log in the fire and rubbed his large hands together. “Well, we'll still at least escort you to the end of the mountain pass. It's safer to stick together.”

  “We're happy to have the company,” Ariana beamed and tried to shoot Alec a look that said 'I told you so' but he was lost in his own troubled thoughts. She forced a smile, knowing he'd share his concerns with her when he got the chance.

  ***

  Terrena held up her arms, allowing the seamstress to take her measurements. She stood there patiently with various fabrics draped across her shoulders in the hopes of finding the perfect combination with her skin. The design called for a basic cream color with green accents but the designer struggled to find a shade that didn't already blend in with Terrena's already cream-colored skin.

  The seamstress was a pleasant woman with dark skin and crazy brown hair held in a tousled mess at the top of her head. She'd already been there for hours, making comparisons and then holding up varying levels of light in front of her.

  “Still blends too much,” Rhaya commented on the latest hue against her sister's skin. “If you want to give the impression that she's naked it will work,” she said with a shrug as the tailor scowled. She took a bite of the apple in her hand nonchalantly, clearly apathetic to the tailor's evil eye.

  “We might have to go with an almost tan color,” the seamstress said. Her face lit up as an idea seemed to strike her. “We should use gold! That would be perfect. It would match the flecks in your eyes.” She clapped her hands together dreamily. “Oh, I'm sure your betrothed would just love that. Now to see if I brought it with me . . . ”

  The tailor’s comment stirred her memory, and Terrena could only nod, trying hard to fight off the sadness that memory brought her.

  “It matches your eyes,” he said from his perch against the doorframe and referring to the honey flecks of her green eyes.

  “It's beautiful,” she said, overcome with emotion. “Thank you, Garrett.”

  When Terrena looked up, Rhaya had stopped chewing her apple and watched her with a puzzled and sympathetic expression. Terrena blushed, realizing that her sister must have read her emotions.

  “There's still time to call it all off,” Rhaya said, proving that she could not only read her sister's emotions but also her mind.

  Terrena stepped down from the stool, taking inventory of her room and finding it all to be very overwhelming. Since the girls were limited in where they could go, the seamstress had come to Terrena's room with a large chest full of supplies that had been searched thoroughly. Various fabrics and trims designs were strewn across her floor. She carefully stepped over them and approached the seamstress.

  “I'm quite tired. Perhaps we can try the gold tomorrow?”

  The seamstress tapped her finger against her mouth in thought. “Yes, perhaps
that would be best. I can come back with a better variety of gold than what I have on me now.”

  Terrena forced an enthusiastic smile and then guided the woman to the door. “I'll have a servant clean all this up and bring it to you.”

  Rhaya slouched against the wall once the seamstress had left. “Finally! I thought she'd never leave. I've been trying to find a way to talk to you in private all day.”

  “Why? What's wrong?”

  “The Duillaine are holding Isauria captive.”

  Terrena's brow furrowed as she stared at her sister. “I'm sorry, did you just say the Duillaine are holding our cousin captive?”

  Rhaya nodded solemnly. “I tried to go see her yesterday and there were two guards posted at her door.”

  Terrena relaxed. This must be the reason Bianca thought Rhaya wanted to spy on Isauria. “Oh, I see. No, they aren't holding her captive. They are merely restricting her visitors in an effort to keep any information about Ariana from landing in the wrong hands.”

  Rhaya stepped forward. “You knew about this?”

  Terrena picked up the cloth samples around her room. “I was there when Sylvanna made the decision. Don't worry about it, Rhaya. It's for Isauria's protection, and also for Ariana's. I'm sure the Duillaine would allow you a visit if you discuss it with them.”

  “I already did, and our mother seemed to think that there was no possible reason I should be allowed to see Isauria. Can you honestly tell me that you don’t think there’s anything odd about that?”

  Terrena didn’t know what to say. On the one hand, she didn’t like the way Sylvanna had treated them like they were children and interfering with matters concerning Ariana. Ariana’s safety was a concern for all of them, and the Duillaine Ainnir had responsibilities as well. But shouldn’t she trust that the Duillaine knew what was best? Anything less and she would sound exactly like the rebels she had been running from her whole life. “No. I know you want to be involved, and that you are worried for Ariana and Isauria. We all are. But the hard truth is that we are not yet ready to have any real power here. The Duillaine will guide us when the time is right. Until then, we should trust them.”

  “Easy to say when you aren’t the one locked up. Yet.” Rhaya headed for the door, not giving Terrena time to respond. “I’ll let you get back to picking out your wedding dress.”

  Terrena winced at the jab as her sister left. Her eyebrows knit together, wondering if Rhaya had a point about the Duillaine locking Isauria away. She didn’t want to believe it, but thought that maybe it might not be a good idea to tell them everything either. Like her intentions to have Bianca teach her how to enter someone’s mind. No, that she would keep to herself for now. At least until she had mastered it, she told herself.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “Remember,” Bianca coached. “Eyes closed, skin contact, breathing steady. Relaxed but focused. Find the thread that leads you deeper into his mind.”

  Terrena's green eyes popped open in frustration as she sat up. “This isn't working.”

  The man whose mind she attempted to enter sat up as well, scratching his blond head apologetically. “I'm sorry. It's probably my fault,” he said, his Western accent thick and serving as the only clue as to who he was.

  Bianca shook her head. “It isn't your fault.”

  “Yes, but if I can't even remember who I am then maybe there's nothing for her to see,” he pressed and flopped back against the pillows.

  Bianca crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a severe look. “You only woke up last night,” she fussed. “You can't expect to recover all you've lost in one day. It will take time. The harder you are on yourself—”

  “—the harder it will be, yes,” he finished with an eye roll.

  “No, it's me,” Terrena said quietly. “You were able to go into his mind easily, Bianca. Why can't I?”

  “I'm not sure,” Bianca said. She seated herself in the chair beside the bed and rested her cheek against her hand, losing herself in thought.

  “Tell me what you're thinking,” Terrena asked in an almost longing voice.

  Bianca pressed her full lips together for a moment before responding. Her experience with Isauria had broadened her horizons quite a bit, which was the only reason this particular idea occurred to her. “I'm wondering if I can serve as a link between you, to guide you through it.”

  “That's a brilliant idea,” Terrena exclaimed.

  Bianca rose and gestured for Terrena to follow her to the other side of the room, then lowered her voice. “I attempted the same with Banair Sylvanna and Ainnir Isauria but it didn't work. I am hoping that since you are more…” she trailed off, trying to find the right words.

  “Open minded,” Terrena offered, her eyebrows raised knowingly.

  Bianca bowed her head in agreement. “You are also a great deal more powerful than Banair Sylvanna. I am hoping that means it will work better with you.”

  “Let's do it then,” Terrena said excitedly. She went back to bed and lay beside the young man once more.

  Bianca walked to the other side and reclined on the remaining sliver of bed left. She tried to settle in, but the feeling of being in bed with someone other than Isauria was odd.

  The young man folded his hands behind his head with a contented sigh. “You know, it's almost worth the memory loss to be able to say that I've been in bed with two women at the same time.”

  Both girls slapped him in the stomach simultaneously, and he let out an 'oof' before lowering his hands for each girl to take. With their hands linked, they closed their eyes and began. Bianca guided Terrena as best she could. She entered into her mind and pushed her gently where she needed to go. They both saw the bruise on his brain and then she pushed them even deeper until they found the sparks of thought and followed them. He was thinking of a young servant that had been by to see him. She had dark red hair and bright brown eyes that sparkled when she laughed, and Bianca recognized her immediately. She had been very kind to him, unlike some of the others that treated him with fear or mistrust.

  Zelene had been the first thing that he had seen when his vivid blue eyes had opened the day before. She had been cleaning his face gently with a washcloth and the cold trickle of water down his neck had tickled. When he awoke to see her sitting beside him with the cloth in hand, she smiled at him.

  “What's so funny?” he had asked her sleepily.

  “You were, uh, giggling in your sleep,” she said.

  “You must be mistaken,” he returned though he couldn't help but grin. “I'm fairly certain I don't giggle.” It was then that he had taken notice of the setting he had awoken in and a frown of confusion replaced his amusement. “Where am I?”

  “You're in the leigheas in Anscombe,” she replied somberly. “You were pretty badly hurt.”

  “Anscombe?” he repeated incredulously.

  “Don't worry, you're in the best care. The paion here is supposed to be one of the best in all the worlds. What's your name?”

  It wasn't a difficult question, and yet it was one that had left him stumped. “I . . . I don't . . . ” his eyes held panic as they locked onto hers, pleading with her to help him remember. He made to sit up but she placed a soft hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him back against his pillows.

  “Shh . . . it's okay. It's going to be okay, I promise,” she reassured him. “I'm going to go get the paion now.” She stood and his hand clamped around her arm. She gently patted it and pried his fingers off of her, squeezing his hand before she lowered it to rest on his stomach. “I'll be right back, I promise.”

  She had kept her promise, returning with the paion. Bianca found it funny to watch herself in action as she began to ask him a series of questions and inspect his eyes, which kept drifting back to Zelene. Bianca was happy that Zelene took such an interest in the young man since she knew her other galenas and servants were terrified of him. To survive the fights could only mean that he was more vicious than those he had been pitted against. They t
reated him like he was a sleeping giant and they held the stick that threatened to rouse the monster within at any moment.

  Bianca guided them out of his mind and lifted her head to make sure Terrena had followed. The Duillaine Ainnir's eyes opened and her triumph brightened her cheeks. Bianca matched it with one of pride and relief.

  “Did it work?” the young man asked.

  Terrena smirked and turned to face him. “You seem quite taken with that redheaded servant girl.”

  His face reddened immediately. “No I'm not! She's just . . . she's nice to me, that's all. Unlike most of your other staff, I might add,” he directed at Bianca.

  Bianca lifted her brows in amusement, thinking he acted more like a prince than a brute. “I'm glad you like her. I've decided to assign your care to her.”

  He didn't look as happy about this as she had expected. “Is that because she's nice to me or because she's the only one willing to be alone with me?”

  Thankfully, Bianca didn't have to answer that question as the door opened and Ellowyn entered. She bowed in front of them.

  “Forgive the intrusion, paion, but Banair Meridel sent me for Ainnir Terrena.”

  The young man sat up slowly. “Did you just call her Ainnir Terrena?”

  Ellowyn nodded slowly and then turned back to Terrena. “The seamstress has returned with more color choices. She is waiting for you in your room.”

  Terrena patted the young man's leg. “Until next time.” She waved off his gawking and stood. “Oh, don't worry. We're all friends here. Bianca, thank you for your guidance. I look forward to our next lesson.”

  “As do I, Ainnir Terrena.” Bianca lowered her head and watched them leave, surprised once more by one of the Duillaine Ainnir.

  ***

  “I promise you, I saw Ellowyn come down here,” Cedwen insisted, scanning the people bustling about the washrooms with Zelene. They were both dressed to fit in, Cedwen like a servant and Zelene sporting her usual Tainted garb.

  “Well, she obviously isn't now,” Zelene said, her raspy voice full of exasperation. “I haven't seen her in over a week, Cedwen. Something's wrong.”