Queen in Exile

by Donna Hatch

  Kai had arisen long before dawn and efficiently organized the new soldiers under the skilled Darborian knights, who began to oversee their training. Jeniah knew he would help train them himself after he returned from the meeting with Prince Aragaëth.

  His tension palpable, Kai glanced about continuously. Captain Tarvok sat no less alert. Jeniah knew the archers waited, arrows nocked, in case of danger. She also knew with calm assurance that Prince Aragaëth would not harm her.

  Under a low fog, they rode out to the center of the field. The snow had melted, leaving thin drifts in some places, but mostly bare ground in others. A wind gusted and Jeniah pulled her cloak more tightly around her.

  Three figures awaited in the field in the ring of torches. Aragaëth bowed. “Princess Jeniah.”

  He, too, had bathed. His black hair shone smooth and glossy in the morning sunlight and his clothes were clean, but he still dressed in the leathers of warrior. He’d discarded the white cloak distinguishing him as a leader of the Hanoran king’s special forces.

  Jeniah dismounted and took Aragaëth’s offered hand. His dark eyes searched her face and she thought she saw relief there. He seemed on the verge of asking her something, but instead released her and introduced his aides next to him.

  Jeniah also indicated the men at her side. “Captain Darkwood, Sauraii master, trainer of the knights of Arden, liaison, and commander of the Darborian forces.” She resisted the urge to smile, knowing she sounded just like her father with his grand titles and ceremonies.

  Aragaëth’s eyes flicked back to Kai, clearly aware of the meaning of Kai’s title of Sauraii master. He inclined his head warily.

  Jeniah indicted Tarvok. “Captain Tarvok, general of the Ardeene army.” As soon as she held the power, she would make his title official.

  Aragaëth’s eyes moved over both men, his gaze resting a moment longer on Kai. Kai’s expression was perfectly impassive, but Jeniah recognized the glint of anger at the far edge of his control. Tarvok exuded undisguised hatred. Aragaëth’s aides looked back mildly, seemingly unperturbed by the open hostility displayed on their counterparts’ faces.

  Kai shifted, moving his hand to his hip, where his sword would normally have rested. Jeniah briefly wondered if he had truly come unarmed, or if he still carried enough weapons secreted about his person to arm a small garrison.

  “Prince Aragaëth,” she said, completing the introductions.

  Kai scowled and eyed Aragaëth as the two men stood face to face.

  Jeniah’s gaze flew back to Kai. His shirt was opened at the throat, revealing his collarbone. The braid of hair he had always worn on a thin leather strip no longer hung from his neck.

  Before she could consider further, Prince Aragaëth spoke. “May we sit?” He indicated the cushions laid out on the blanket.

  Pulling her gaze away from Kai, Jeniah sat on the nearest cushion, folding her legs underneath her. Kai and Captain Tarvok waited until she had settled herself to take their places beside and slightly behind her.

  When they were all seated, Aragaëth looked at her closely. “Thank you for agreeing to speak with me, Your Highness.”

  She inclined her head. “You treated me fairly when I was your prisoner. I’m willing to hear you now.”

  “Are you well?” He dropped his air of formality and spoke quietly, still searching her face.

  “I’m recovered.”

  He hesitated. “You were not badly hurt?”

  “No thanks to you,” snarled Tarvok.

  Without removing her focus from Aragaëth, Jeniah reached back and laid a hand on Tarvok’s arm. He stilled under her touch.

  Aragaëth nodded patiently. “We should address that first.” He took a deep breath. Behind him, the sunrise spread glorious rays over the land, tingeing the clouds with pink and scattering the shadows. “We have been facing civil war for years. The people are divided. Some are loyal to the king, but many hate and fear him and his magic. He invaded Arden because he craves blood and he needed the plunder, but mostly because he wanted to win the loyalty of the people by reminding them that he’s a great war hero as well as a dark sorcerer. Warriors are more likely to win loyalty. Instead, they saw how his evil grew. More joined the dissenters and the rift between my people widened.”

  Jeniah nodded slowly, her gaze never leaving his face. “Then why did you take me from Darbor if you oppose him?”

  “To protect you from Rheged’s loyalists.”

  “Then why didn’t you let me go when I escaped the tower?”

  “I couldn’t yet. I was counting on Rheged wanting to sacrifice you when I brought you to him. That’s why we rode so hard, so we could get back in time for the eclipse. It was the only way I could defeat him.”

  “What do you mean the only way?”

  “Rheged is immortal.”

  Jeniah felt Kai’s and Tarvok’s reactions—the subtle shifting, the increased tension. “How is that possible?”

  “He and the Lamia are only vulnerable to death during the ceremony in the few seconds between the time his dagger is bathed in moonlight and the time his victim’s first drop of blood is shed. Otherwise, it is impossible to kill either of them. I needed the king to begin the sacrifice. It was my only opportunity to strike.”

  “I wish you had told me,” she whispered, remembering her dark terror, the desperation of her escape, the agony of wrenching her hands from the shackles.

  Pain entered his eyes. “I wanted to. I really did. But I didn’t dare risk someone overhearing me. The king’s spies are everywhere.”

  Still locked in those too-recent memories, Jeniah swallowed against a painful lump. She had truly thought, despite his acts of kindness, that Aragaëth was going to allow her be tortured and killed.

  He added, “And really, would you have trusted me?”

  She hesitated. “I’m not certain.”

  “When the moment was right during the ceremony, I shot the king with an arrow. But at the last second he turned, and I only hit him in the shoulder rather than the heart. I had a second arrow nocked, but he moved out of range, and I lost my only chance.”

  “You should have found a way to tell me, given me some hope.”

  Aragaëth regarded her quietly. “I didn’t entirely trust you, either. I couldn’t imagine how anyone as pure and good as you could possibly possess magic, but I was convinced all magic was evil. I almost told you in the tower, but the Lamia seems to hear everything. Then I saw you facing the Lamia. She was so dark, and you were so light. I knew you were not only her match, but her perfect opposite.”

  Jeniah nodded slowly. “She was pure evil personified.”

  Aragaëth spoke again. “Ridding our country of the king’s magic will help all of my people. But he cannot be killed until the next ceremony.”

  Jeniah shook her head. “Your king is not a sorcerer. The only magic he possessed came directly from the Lamia. Once she died, the king was left with none. He’s as any man now.”

  Aragaëth rocked back. “He’s mortal?”

  “You pierced him with an arrow. Does he bleed?”

  He frowned. “I will find out.” He nodded to one of the men at his side, who got up and sprinted to his mount. “If he’s truly only mortal now, he can be defeated. That will give great hope to my men. My spies will know soon enough.” He grew earnest. “I can never make up for your losses in Arden, Princess, but please let me do what I can. Join with me. Let’s defeat him together.”

  “I need a moment to consult with my advisors,” Jeniah said, then stood and motioned for Kai and Captain Tarvok to follow her. Once they were out of earshot of the prince and his two men, Jeniah turned to look at Kai. He trembled in restrained fury, and she was impressed that he had remained silent. He spoke the moment she made eye contact with him.

  “He seems sincere, but he’s lying. He has to be. No one can do what they did to your family, your country, and have any honor.”

  Tarvok nodded. “I don’t think we should trust him either.
This might all be an elaborate ruse to discover our plans.”

  Jeniah studied them both carefully, then turned at looked at Aragaëth. Feeling her gaze, he looked up. When her eyes met his, she knew that the responsibility of his people weighed heavily upon him, and that he desperately wanted to free them from Rheged. He truly was a man of honor; she had known it even when she was his captive.

  Jeniah turned back to Kai and Tarvok. “I trust Aragaëth. We will form an alliance with him to defeat Rheged.”

  “You can’t be seriously considering this,” Kai said.

  Tarvok looked earnest. “Princess, we have enough aid to defeat them on our own. The Govians are here, the Darborians—”

  “We have a ragged army of untrained men,” Jeniah broke in, “plus two hundred Govians, three hundred Tiraians, and fourteen Darborian knights. We cannot possibly defeat Rheged’s warriors on our own.”

  Tarvok’s tone turned patronizing. “We won’t lay siege on them tomorrow.”

  “We can if we join with Prince Aragaëth,” Jeniah explained. “His army will double ours. He’s genuine. He needs us and we need him.”

  Kai shook his head. “I don’t like this.”

  “Every day we delay, another child dies on Rheged’s altar.” Her advisors had nothing to say to that.

  She fixed a stern look on them one at a time and called on their sense of duty. “I am the rightful queen. I need your support and your loyalty.”

  Kai closed his eyes briefly. When he opened his eyes, his gaze was steady. “You have my loyalty. I will follow your command.” He bowed his head, placed his fist first on his chest and then on his forehead in the same gesture of respect she’d seen him give both her father and the Darborian king.

  Tarvok looked grieved, but said, “I trust you in this, Your Highness. You are chayim-bonded. How can I dispute you?” He dropped to his knee. “I, Shaen Tarvok, pledge my hand, my sword, my loyalty to you, Your Highness, all my life, to my death, or until you release me.” The Ardeene oath rolled off his tongue unquestioningly.

  Touched by his devotion, Jeniah raised her hand. “Rise, General Tarvok. Let us free our people.”

  She turned to Kai, who nodded. They went back to the Hanorans, who rose to their feet, clearly apprehensive.

  She offered the prince her hand. “We are agreed. Let us be allies. Come back to camp with us, and we will formulate a new plan to defeat Rheged and free Arden.”

  Relief and joy overcame Aragaëth’s face. He took her hand. “I vow you will not regret this, Princess. I thank you for your faith in me. We must strike quickly before he comes after us.”

  They all mounted and rode back to the Ardeene camp. More than a few furtive glances were cast in the direction of the Hanorans, but all bowed to Jeniah like a running wave everywhere she went. Tarvok sent messengers to assemble the council immediately.

  Once inside the main tent, they sat at the table and took refreshment while they waited for the others to arrive. With bewildered looks directed at Prince Aragaëth, the leaders of the Govian, Darborian, Ardeene, and Tiraian armies filed in and sat down.

  Once they had all assembled and introductions were made, Jeniah stood. “Prince Aragaëth is our new ally. He will help us free Arden.”

  Stunned silence followed her announcement. Then, one by one, each deferred to the leadership of a girl of nineteen to decide the fate of a kingdom. Whether they did so because she was chayim-bonded, or a white sorceress, or merely the only heir to the throne, Jeniah did not know, but she was gratified by their acceptance. She hoped she would prove worthy of their trust.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Jeniah drew a deep breath. Except for the guards standing unobtrusively to the side, she was actually alone. The council had adjourned to eat a midday meal and stretch their legs, and Jeniah welcomed a moment of quiet. She circled the hollow, pausing to admire a few tiny, green shoots of grass venturing from their winter’s nap. The trees still looked lifeless, but soon they too would awaken. Renewed, Jeniah returned to the tent.

  Angry voices reached her as she neared.

  “It’s so very noble of you to want to help make Jeniah queen of Arden after your people murdered her whole family and destroyed the country.” Sarcasm flooded Kai’s voice. “But we don’t need your help. We don’t want your help. We already have a plan in place, and you will not be given the opportunity to discover it and betray us.”

  Jeniah stood in shock. She had expected something like this from Tarvok, not Kai. She paused inside tent’s entrance, not wishing to intrude, but fearing to leave them alone lest they come to blows.

  Aragaëth bristled and his words came out clipped. “You need my help. Without it your plan is more likely to fail, and even if you succeed, there will be much more bloodshed. Besides, Captain, this really isn’t your concern, is it?” A triumphant tone touched his voice.

  Kai clenched his fists. “I’m her sworn protector. That makes it my concern. I’ve seen how much your supposed good intentions helped her before I arrived. I don’t intend to let you hurt her again.”

  Aragaëth jumped to his feet. “I haven’t hurt her! I’m trying to help, to make restitution.”

  “Stop.” Acid poured from Kai’s voice. “I don’t know what you’re really after, but whatever it is, as long as I’m alive, you will not get it.”

  Aragaëth shook his head angrily. “I knew it was a mistake to try to reason with you. You’re so bitter you won’t even listen.”

  “I don’t trust you! You’re a liar and a murderer like the rest of your people!”

  The two men stood face to face. Jeniah had never seen Kai so angry. His narrowed eyes could have pierced Aragaëth’s heart. A lesser man would have backed down.

  “Are you challenging me?” Aragaëth asked in a dangerous, quiet voice.

  “Yes! I don’t believe for one moment that you have Jeniah’s best interests at heart. I think this is all some elaborate scheme to win her trust so that you can take her back and execute her. Or worse.” He paused and his voice quieted, growing more menacing. “Or that you are trying to trick her into marrying you so you can rule Arden as well as Hanore.”

  Jeniah burst into the tent. “Kai!”

  Aragaëth rocked back as if Kai had struck him. He pressed his mouth together and glanced at Jeniah, with eyes filled with longing.

  Jeniah stepped back, shaken by Aragaëth’s expression. Despite her highly developed empathy and her clear understanding of people’s motives since her chayim bonding, she’d never suspected he’d developed feelings for her. He was a good man, but she did not return his romantic affections.

  The prince’s voice gained strength as he locked his gaze with hers. “I’m not trying to gain power over Arden. We both need to defeat Rheged. It makes sense to help each other.”

  Kai made a sound of disgust and turned away.

  Aragaëth turned to Jeniah. “I give you my word, I have no designs on your country.”

  Somewhere in the distance, birdsong filled the silence. Jeniah moved to him. “You proved what manner of man you are by the way you treated me when I was your prisoner. I knew then that you are a man of honor even though I tried to believe otherwise. I trust you. We are allies.”

  Kai stood woodenly. She knew he wanted to believe her, but trusting a Hanoran ran against his instincts. “That night you and your men attacked Arden—”

  “If it means anything, Captain, my men and I weren’t involved in the initial attack.”

  Jeniah was tempted to ask him where he was that night, but she held her tongue.

  Aragaëth let out his breath, shaking his head. “I tried to talk him out of it before we left. I believed that we could strike up a trade agreement with Arden peacefully. I still thought that was what this was all about. I was stupid. Rheged laughed at my suggestions and said war would bring glory to our kingdom and reunite our people.” Aragaëth’s eyes darkened.

  “And you didn’t have enough support yet to oppose him,” Jeniah put in.
/>   “Not yet. He offered me power if I would lead the second line of attack. I hoped I could ultimately use that power to dethrone Rheged. It was the only way I could banish the Lamia and end those gruesome rituals. Then I saw the atrocities that Rheged and his men committed. No declaration of war. No established battlefield. Every plan he formed with me before we left was a lie. By the time my men and I arrived in Arden City a few hours later, the royal family had already been executed. Except you.” His gaze flicked to Jeniah. “I knew then that I had to take action. Not only for my country, but for all the kingdoms. And now, what he’s doing to the children . . .” Aragaëth looked as if he were about to become ill.

  Jeniah kept her gaze steady upon the prince. “I believe you.” She looked at Kai, silently pleading with him.

  Kai nodded his head once. “I trust you, Jeniah.” He turned to the prince. “I’ll trust you. For her.”

  A messenger handed a missive to the prince. After reading it quickly, he nodded and looked up. “It’s confirmed. King Rheged is injured. He was pierced by an arrow and the doctors have had to treat him. He’s barely recovered from the fever.” He smiled. “He’s mortal. We can defeat him.”

  The night before the allies planned to wage war with the Hanoran king, Aragaëth motioned to Jeniah to join him by one of the outdoor fires. He radiated nervous energy. Kai had gone to oversee the final stages of the recruits’ training. Garhren and Devan hovered nearby, taking their role as her guards seriously.

  Jeniah sat beside the Hanoran prince. “You’re excited.” He nodded, his mouth twitching in pleasure. “I can’t wait to see the look on Rheged’s face when he realizes what has happened. He taunted me all of my life that I was never going to amount to anything.” His eyes glinted. “I do look forward to this. I relish the idea of bringing Rheged down.”

  “Then this is personal,” Jeniah observed quietly.

  “In many ways,” he replied, his dark eyes intense.