Enveloping Shadows

by Lauren D. M. Smith

  Aricia held her eyes. “I will not replace you. You are everything I want for someone in the position. You are skilled, intelligent, don’t feel the need to bow and scrape to me, and as an added benefit, you’re female so I need not worry about any rumours about our closeness. And I do like you on a personal level which is why I worry you will one day wake up with nothing, having spent your whole life focused on me.”

  “It won’t be forever,” she replied, rubbing the back of her neck. “But I’ve only had the position for two years, and you know there are people who still question it. And you’re single. Once you’re settled, everyone else should settle down as well.”

  The princess studied her for a few more seconds then she nodded. She made a disapproving noise as she started walking again. “Please do not remind me. Mother has taken to mentioning possible matches whenever we are together as a family. It’s gotten wearying far faster than I thought it would. I do understand the need, but I intend to choose my partner carefully. I will not have my rule usurped.”

  Terrwyn snorted. “It wouldn’t get that far. I won’t allow anyone to hurt or usurp you. My loyalty and sword are yours, and always will be. You took a chance on me when no one else would.”

  Aricia smiled. “This is why I like you. You don’t really want anything of me. The things you do want are only to keep me safe, and while I don’t always agree, I do appreciate the care you take. And it was less of a gamble than everyone else seems to believe. I remember how you dedicated yourself to your training, had seen you fight in matches, and knew that the Frostpeaks don’t tolerate stupidity. If your brother was not heir and already married, I would consider him as a possible suitor.”

  “Cadell’s all right, I guess, but you could definitely do better,” she replied, wrinkling her nose. She couldn’t imagine anyone but her sister-in-law, Dianthe, thinking her brother was any kind of catch. And even then, she was pretty sure sometimes Dianthe thought Cadell’s obsession with trade was odd. Though with how strong it ran in her family, her sister-in-law would have to get used to it.

  The princess chuckled. “With that in mind, I believe it’s past time we return to my rooms. I must prepare for dinner. Father has said we will be welcoming some new diplomats tonight. We may even find your oh-so-mysterious partner.”

  Terrwyn looked to the sky for help but said nothing, not when Aricia was giving her that mischievous sidelong looks of hers. With any luck these new diplomats would provide enough of a distraction the princess would forget about last night’s stranger.

  Though, she had to admit, he was hard to forget. As she walked Aricia back, she couldn’t help but wonder who the man was and why he’d disappeared so quickly. Also how. It would be a useful skill to learn, for her as well as her men, if it was something you could learn.

  She waved goodbye to Aricia when they reached her rooms, leaving the princess to get ready and trusting the men on duty at the doors in case of any issues. Not that there ever was, but Terrwyn believed in being cautious, especially with Aricia’s safety. It was her duty.

  Returning to her own rooms, down the hall from the princess’s, Terrwyn kicked the thick wooden door shut behind her. Her small sitting room full of antique but worn furniture was tidy, the room dim, with only two lanterns lit. She moved quickly through, not really needing the light to know where to step.

  Her bedroom was far brighter, the small window open, letting the orange sunlight in. She closed the thin curtains, obscuring her rather boring view of the kitchen gardens, and turned towards her wardrobe. Like the rest of her furniture, given to her as part of her position, it was worn but sturdy. She pulled out a set of her formal uniform. A silvery grey with piping in the forest green of the regular palace-guard uniform, it was surprising comfortable for the severity of it, so Terrwyn didn’t even glance at her usual armour. Especially since Aricia had made her feelings clear about her wearing it to dinner. More than once.

  She changed quickly, tightening her sword belt around her waist and double checking the placement of the few knives she wore. Once she was ready, Terrwyn headed to Aricia’s rooms. She nodded at the two men on duty, Istvan and Savill, who saluted, then knocked on the door.

  It opened almost immediately, one of the maids ushering her in. Terrwyn could hear Aricia’s voice coming from the other room and sighed. She had taken only a few steps when the princess’s voice went quiet. She poked her head in. Bethia was handing Aricia a deep-pink dress while a pale purple gown lay crumpled on the floor. Knowing both women’s preferences told her all she needed.

  Terrwyn leaned against the stone walls between two tapestries, one depicting the legendary sealing of the monster Slel, watching Bethia first lace Aricia into the dress then begin work on the princess’s hair. There wasn’t much that needed to be done since she’d had her hair pinned up in the morning, but some tendrils always escaped. Adding a few small jewelled pins to surround a larger one at the back of her hair helped transform Aricia’s look into something appropriate for greeting diplomats.

  Reflexively Terrwyn checked her own tight braid, finding it, as always, wrapped around her head. Keeping her hair long was the only vanity she allowed herself. Also her mother would kill her if she cut it, and even as an adult, her mother still scared her.

  It wasn’t much longer before Aricia was ready and Terrwyn could fall into step behind her as they exited her rooms. Istvan and Savill stayed where they were, saluting them as they passed. Aricia gave them both a smile as they went by, but said nothing. Not that Terrwyn expected her to. In public, she was the princess first and foremost.

  Down the hall they went, past the palace guards stationed at the royal quarters, and into the area that housed most of the nobles who lived at court. Only a few people lingered, mostly young men, all of them bowing deeply to Aricia. Terrwyn eyed them, not liking the barely hidden expression of hunger some wore. For all the gold in the kingdom, she wouldn’t change places with the princess.

  Aricia nodded her acceptance of their attention, but otherwise ignored them. Terrwyn kept close and wore the stonily blank expression she favoured while on duty. It discouraged people from trying to get information out of her and helped counter the impression her youth gave people. At least, she hoped it did.

  They descended the wide stone stairs covered in a thick green carpet, then turned down the nearest hall to head towards the great dining hall. Lit by enormous crystal chandeliers that each held almost a hundred candles, the sight of the room never ceased to impress Terrwyn. On a raised dais was the elegantly carved mahogany table where Aricia would sit, her parents and sister already standing there, talking to the evening’s guests.

  Below the dais in neat rows were the other tables, each place at them carefully assigned based on degree of nobility, age and distinction. How the seneschal avoided offending people, Terrwyn had no idea, but she was glad he did. Her own table, if she were eating at court that night, was the one farthest from the royal end of the dais.

  She turned her attention back to looking over everyone they passed, most bowing and murmuring, “Your Highness.” Aricia swept them with a smile, making each feel like she met their eyes individually, a skill Terrwyn had seen the princess practice. She might tease her for being serious about her job, but Aricia was just as dedicated to her own position.

  Climbing the dais, Terrwyn fell an extra step behind as they approached the royal family. King Stavros smiled at his daughter, waving her over. “Ah, Aricia. On time as always,” he said, nodding at Terrwyn. “Thank you, Sir Terrwyn. You always take such care.”

  She bowed deeply. “It is my honour and duty, Your Majesty.”

  He smiled, turning his scrutiny to Aricia. Terrwyn stepped back then, moving to her position behind Aricia’s seat and against the wall. From there she had a good view of the whole room and all the entrances and exits, including the windows. The king and queen’s personal guards were in similar pos
itions.

  With Aricia’s arrival, the dining hall quickly filled, everyone heading to their assigned seats with the usual chatter and laughter. The high windows showed the sun was gone or mostly so, the sky a deepening blue so the chandeliers’ light seemed to glow all the brighter. They cast shadows throughout the hall and reflected off the various gems and precious metals adorning the nobles below, making everyone seem to glitter.

  It was a pretty sight, one Terrwyn ignored. She scanned the room again but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Another peaceful dinner after another peaceful day. Just the way it should be.

  She watched the royal family take their seats, the signal for everyone else to do the same. Aricia moved gracefully to her place, carefully arranging her skirts as she sat, her head held high. Something shifted beneath the table, making Terrwyn stiffen and turn her head so she could get a better look. But there was nothing there, only the stone floor, Aricia’s feet, and the deep shadow cast by the table.

  Terrwyn frowned and dropped a hand to her sword hilt. Something wasn’t right. She looked around again but couldn’t pinpoint the problem. The other guards didn’t look worked up, though two were watching her with significant looks.

  She waited an extra minute then shook her head and resumed her position. Maybe she’d had more to drink last night than she’d thought. Maybe that was what had her on edge, a hangover she was only now—

  Movement snapped her attention back to Aricia, only this time it wasn’t slight. Like a small wave, darkness came out from under the table and rose up, resolving itself into a black-haired man dressed in dark leathers. Terrwyn only managed a single step forward before he grabbed Aricia and yanked the princess towards him.

  Terrwyn watched as the world seemed to slow, her hands scrabbling for her sword as each step forward seemed to take a minute. She could do nothing as the stranger clapped a cloth over Aricia’s face as the princess began to struggle. Terrwyn was only a few steps shy of them when the darkness rose up and covered both.

  Terrwyn skittered to a stop in the spot that Aricia had just been, sword in one hand, eyes wide and staring.

  Chapter Four: Gone

  Time snapped back to its usual flow as screams erupted from several points around the hall. Terrwyn stood, frozen and staring at the spot Aricia had disappeared from. She’d been there. Right there, and she couldn’t do anything. Couldn’t stop someone from taking her right out of the dining hall—

  That thought broke her out of her shock. Terrwyn jerked her head up, whirling to look at the guards behind her. “Spread the word quickly and seal off the palace! They might not have gotten out yet. Don’t let anyone or anything leave until we search the whole place!”

  Two of the palace guards stiffened and saluted her. “Sir!” They ran off in opposite directions.

  Terrwyn knelt down to examine the area under the table. She ran her hands over the stone but found nothing there but empty shadows. Terrwyn hissed, trying to figure out how the man had hid, what strange magic he’d used. She’d never seen anything like it.

  Straightening, she turned at the sound of approaching footsteps. Paler than she’d ever seen him, King Stavros held himself up with the back of one chair, his grip on it white-knuckled. Terrwyn bowed deeply. “We’ll find her,” she promised in answer to the silent question.

  He nodded and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them his face was composed. He released the chair and turned to face the dining hall, holding his hands up for silence. It took a few moments, but everyone eventually focused on him. “If you will all remain calm and return to your rooms, we will do everything we can to take care of this situation. I would ask all knights remain so that you can assist with the search. Thank you.”

  People glanced at one another, some still visibly upset. But when Duchess Celandine of Longmeadow stood, nodding at the king, then made her way unhurried towards the doors, many others stood as well. In pairs and small groups, the dining hall emptied, leaving only those who were sworn knights.

  Terrwyn focused instead on Shemir hurrying towards her. He wasn’t on duty tonight, so he’d seen everything. His eyes were wide and his mouth open when he reached her. She cut off whatever it was he was going to say. “Get the others, all of them. I don’t care what they’re doing or where they are. If they’re on the palace grounds, I want them here. Leave Istvan and Savill where they are, but get everyone else. I want us to begin the search as soon as we can.”

  He swallowed but nodded. “Right away, sir.” He saluted her then raced off.

  She turned to look at Queen Mannara and Princess Zelina. She bowed low, a hand over her heart. “It might be best for you both to retire for now. I would suggest tripling your guards.”

  The queen inclined her head stiffly, hands clenched into fists around her dress. Zelina’s face was more open, her lower lip trembling and her eyes bright, but not a tear fell. “You will find her, won’t you? You will find Aricia?”

  “I will, Your Highness. No matter what it takes.”

  Zelina dropped her gaze to her lap but nodded once. Stavros came up behind her, attention on his wife and daughter. “I believe it would be best to listen to Sir Terrwyn at the moment. I will send you with the guards here and have more added as soon as possible. Please, stay in our rooms where you’ll be safe.”

  Mannara stood slowly. The princess hurried to stand as well, offering her mother an arm. The six guards that had come with them to dinner circled around the pair as they left the dining room. Terrwyn did her best to shake the thoughts about how fragile they both looked, how defenceless. If she did her job properly, they wouldn’t be in danger.

  The king cleared his throat quietly. “Sir Terrwyn,” he said, voice low enough she was the only one who could hear. “What is the likelihood that—that Aricia is...”

  Terrwyn met his eyes steadily, hoping none of her own doubts bled through, focusing on what gave her hope. “The intruder went to a lot of trouble to get in here and take her alive. If he wanted her dead, he could have killed her right there. I don’t know what his plan is, but I believe Aricia is alive and will stay that way. She—” Terrwyn stopped for a moment, breath catching. She swallowed hard and forged on. “She’s smart and I’ve been working with her on self-defence. She’ll do what she needs to do to survive.”

  He bowed his head. “Thank you.”

  The stamping of a quick march announced the arrival of her people. She bowed to the king. “If you’ll excuse me, Your Majesty?”

  He waved his hand as two of his advisors, his own chief bodyguard, Sir Caddoc, and Magician Eldwin hurried up to him, each appearing to have new lines on their faces. Terrwyn could only imagine what she looked like. She eyed the group of her people, noting they had only about half there so far. She supposed more stragglers would come in as they heard, and that a few must be in the city. She left the coordination of the rest of the guards to Sir Caddoc and focused on Aricia’s bodyguards.

  She did her best to keep her emotions off her face and stood tall in front of them. “Princess Aricia has been taken. The palace is being sealed off to prevent the kidnapper from escaping with her. We need to search the whole palace from top to bottom to find them both. This won’t be an ordinary search,” she told them, holding each of their gazes for a moment. “The intruder uses some kind of magic that allows him to hide himself and Aricia in what appeared to be darkness. That means you will physically need to touch every area you’re searching to make certain there’s no one invisible there. You also must keep an eye out for any strange movement where there shouldn’t be. Is that understood?”

  The men all nodded, though more than a few looked uneasy. She didn’t blame them. Magic was rare, especially in their country, and hunting for someone with unknown powers... But this was their job, their duty. Aricia’s safety was paramount.

  “Separate yourselves into pairs. I want yo
u all on alert. Half of you will start at the top of the palace, the other in the basements. Stay with your partner and check every nook and cranny and don’t overlook anything. This is the most important job any of you have ever had, and I want you to treat it as such. Any questions?”

  Her people glanced at each other before most of them shook their heads. She waited an extra few heartbeats to be sure, then nodded sharply. “Good. Get started then.”

  They saluted her, then broke up into pairs. As much as Terrwyn wanted to go with them, to personally check every corner of the palace, she needed to stay where she was in case anything else came up, and to help the king. Already more of his personal guard had arrived and had him surrounded in a semicircle, but even though Terrwyn would like to think he’d be safe like that, she couldn’t be sure.

  With her people hurrying out to begin their search, Terrwyn allowed herself a moment of weakness and bit her lip. She hoped Aricia was safe. She believed the princess was alive, but couldn’t be sure her kidnapper wanted to keep her that way for long. Every minute, every second they couldn’t find Aricia could be the difference between them finding her alive and...not.

  Terrwyn took a deep breath and pushed her doubts, fear, and everything else she was feeling away. She needed to focus. They’d sealed the palace almost immediately, so the possibility was high that Aricia and the intruder were still there. All they needed to do was find them. With luck, her people would discover them prior to the kidnapper having a chance to do whatever it was he wanted to do with Aricia. And if he hurt her in any way...

  Well, Terrwyn’s oaths didn’t extend to lowlife bastards who would dare harm an unarmed woman and doubly so for the person she’d sworn her loyalty to.

  * * *

  Her eyes burning faintly while the corners felt gummy, Terrwyn stood below the dais in the dining hall with the other knights. Outside, the sun was rising, the bright light a contrast to the mood in the room. She looked up at King Stavros, noting he’d seemed to have aged a decade during the course of the night.