The King's Treasure

by Carol M. Vaughn

  Sigurd frowned at him. “Why does it matter? You've said more than once that who you marry is less important than what she brings to the kingdom.” Rael did not answer. Sigurd swallowed, wondering if he had crossed a line.

  “It matters,” Rael whispered. “I need her to love me. And I need her to trust me.”

  Sigurd stepped up next to Rael, staring at the same far wall. “She is not your mother, Rael. She will not abandon you.” Rael said nothing more. After standing for a time in silence, Sigurd returned to bed.

  26-Fire, Spirit, Air

  The winter storms became worse as spring grew nearer. Winter was determined to maintain its icy grip while Spring resolutely warmed the slowly lengthening days. Winter fought the change in weather fiercely, clinging to the mountains. The snow became heavy and wet, the air moist, and the winds violent. Servants bundled heavily in furs before heading outdoors. The guards set aside their plate armor in favor of chain mail and heavy leather, all covered over with fur. It was not uncommon to see a person enter from outside with nothing but their eyes showing, outer clothing blanketed with snow.

  For once, Arianwyn was grateful to be a noble. She was no longer required to exit the marginally warmer Keep unless she wanted to. This morning, however, was not one of the mornings where she was to be allowed the comfort of her sitting room, wrapped in a blanket.

  Arianwyn waded through the hip deep snow toward the stables, water soaking her skirts. Master Eachann insisted that she have some experience riding in deep snow. Arianwyn grumbled privately to herself about this. She had yet to read of a queen required to wade through the snow for any reason. And Master Aldous had her reading quite a few histories that included the queens.

  As her thoughts turned to previous queens, she felt her nervousness return to the surface. She still was not positive that she should be queen. And reading how some failed and were assassinated or overthrown made her ill. It was too easy to see her in the slippers of those queens. Rael assured her she would be fine, the few times she had seen him. His fierce scowl at the mere mention of her fears made her wonder if he secretly thought otherwise.

  She frowned, her nervousness disappearing. The dragons had mated some time ago. According to the book, there should be some measure of emotional attachment between Rael and her beginning to grow. But they hardly saw each other. How were they to ‘grow fond’ of one another if the only time she spoke with him was at a formal dinner or a council of war? They had shared the one kiss. Would the next one be on their wedding day? She sighed again, looking for something ordinary to draw her attention away from Rael.

  There was only snow. Arianwyn stopped abruptly, studying the white landscape. Sigurd and Wymond came to a halt as well, shivers running through both of them. “Lady Arianwyn, is everything all right?”

  “Yes, I just realized that I want to try something.” Sigurd sighed audibly. Arianwyn glanced at him, frowning. Both men, of necessity, were slightly underdressed for the weather. As her personal guard, they could not afford to have their movements inhibited. Arianwyn had argued that numb fingers inhibited just as much as clothes, but they would hear nothing on the subject. “Fire. Circle of heat,” she murmured, focusing on her Fire Voice.

  Her vision shimmered, dark blue around the snow and near blazing white where the bodies of her guards were. A clear, shimmering circle surrounded her, heat radiating from the circle. She sighed in relief as feeling rushed back into her toes. She grinned when she noticed an unexpected side effect; the snow melted around her, making her path easier to navigate. Arianwyn turned her attention to Sigurd and Wymond, extending the heat to include both of them. They jumped, glanced at each other, back at her, and shifted nervously.

  Arianwyn shrugged at their reaction and continued to the stables, the circle of warmth following them. They reached the main doors. “Stop,” she murmured. After the warmth of the circle, the cold felt colder. “Why don't you two meet me in the paddock?” Sigurd and Wymond scowled down at her. She rolled her eyes. “I'll only be a moment,” she grumbled.

  “Lady Arianwyn, the only person I would trust you with is the king. And he isn't in the stables.”

  “Why don't you open the windows so you can see me and then go into the paddock?” she asked. “Please? I won't be long.” Sigurd and Wymond shared a scowl. “We're spending more time arguing about this than you actually doing it,” she pointed out.

  “Fine!” Sigurd snapped. He stalked into the stable and opened all of the shutters. Sigurd and Wymond then moved around to the paddock.

  The warmth of the stables enfolded her and she breathed a sigh of relief, lowering the heavy scarf from the lower half of her face. Arianwyn smiled. It was nice to be alone, however brief. That was something she missed from being a servant. “Master Eachann?” she called. She walked deeper into the gloom, breath misting white in front of her face. She stopped in front of the stable containing Star. “Hello, Star.” Arianwyn smiled at the chestnut horse. Star nickered softly and perked her ears forward as Arianwyn approached.

  Arianwyn fished into her pocket, pulling out a withered apple she had taken from the kitchen. She held it out to Star, smiling as the horse eagerly buried her nose into Arianwyn’s hand. While Star was eating, Arianwyn entered the stall and saddled the mare. She led the horse toward the outer doors, frowning. “Master Eachann?” she called a bit louder. Star pulled back slightly, shying away from something in the gloom. Behind her, she heard Sigurd give a shout.

  The doors and windows slammed shut, encasing the stables in blackness. Star whinnied nervously, jerking back harder away from Arianwyn’s hands. Arianwyn backed quickly away from the nervous horse. She released the rope and backed up until she hit the wall. She shrank down against the wall, trying to still her breath. She could see nothing. She could hear nothing except what sounded like fighting outside.

  Arianwyn lowered herself further, careful not to bump anything. “Lady Arianwyn,” she heard. “How good of you to join us here so willingly.” Arianwyn turned her face toward the voice. She did not recognize it as any of the servants.

  “Spirit,” she whispered, “show me life.” She willed the spirit to cling to the living beings surrounding her. She waited, watching the direction of the person. A large, white blur appeared, not far in front of her. The sound of shifting hooves told her it was Star. :Parvati, I need help!: There were several other forms moving stealthily toward her, one from the door near the Keep, one from the door leading into the paddock, and two from the direction of the windows. Arianwyn lifted her skirts, moving her feet lightly toward Star.

  :What is happening?: She felt Parvati’s instant concern. Arianwyn relayed what she was hearing to Parvati, continuing to move as quickly and quietly as she could.

  “You may as well come quietly. We won’t hurt you…much.” Arianwyn reached Star and placed her hand on the horse’s side, whispering “calm” with her Spirit voice. Keeping a light touch on the horse, she ducked underneath to the other side. The white forms continued closing in on her position. Arianwyn silently cursed not paying closer attention to her surroundings.

  Thinking rapidly, she found Star’s reigns and turned the horse around. “Let’s grab her and go,” a new voice commented from the two forms.

  “Silence!” hissed the first voice. Arianwyn swung up into the saddle, doing her best not to make noise. The saddle still creaked under her, causing the first voice to chuckle. “How amusing. What are you going to do, ride away?”

  “Air,” she whispered, ignoring the man. A dull ache formed in the middle of her forehead from using two Voices at once. She ignored it, focusing on escape.

  She dug her heels into Star’s side. Star lurched forward, whinnying in protest and lurching into a run. The first form cursed and threw himself to the side as Star charged his position. “Open!” she cried in the general direction of the doors. The doors and part of the wall blew outward into the courtyard. Arianwyn clung to Star’s neck, watching ahead of her. Star galloped toward the opening. Pa
in blossomed in Arianwyn’s back. She sat upright, arching and crying out.

  Desperately, she clung to Star, willing the horse to continue forward. Star lurched through the deep snow, nearly throwing Arianwyn from the saddle. Snow fell gently from the sky, touching her face like small kisses. The cold blew slight relief against her aching head. Her back burned.

  A dark form blurred white in the middle descended in the midst of the snow, causing Star to panic. Arianwyn hung on to the bucking mare. The increasing pain in her back and head made her hands shake and she was thrown from the saddle. She tried twisting in the air, instinctively seeking to protect her injured back. She hit the snow, breath whooshing out of her. Whatever had hit her in the back twisted painfully.

  A roaring filled Arianwyn’s ears. She blinked her eyes, struggling to remain conscious. Charon dropped the rest of the way from the sky, roaring furiously towards the stables. He landed over Arianwyn, head snaking low towards the ground. Taking a deep breath, Charon blasted a fireball toward the stables. The intense heat melted a pathway in the snow, before exploding against the stable, wood flying in all directions.

  Vaguely, Arianwyn heard alarmed shouts. Horses squealed and panicked. Charon continued roaring. Arianwyn’s vision blurred. Her head lolled toward the Keep where people were racing across the snow toward Charon. She blinked, trying to clear her vision. It appeared that ghosts were rushing her. “Stop,” she muttered. The white shapes blurred into blackness.

  Rael

  Charon would let no one near her. He hovered over her body, snarling and spitting fire at whoever was fool enough to come near him and the girl. Rael was not far behind. He ignored the dragon's fury, stepping under the head and crouching next to Arianwyn.

  His insides twisted. Her face was gray, her eyes closed. Red stained the ground under her. He pulled her close to him, cradling her with one arm. His hand moved to the broken arrow jutting out of her. His hand shook and he clenched his fist, leaving the arrow in place. He picked her up and returned to the Keep. Once again, he cursed her size. If she were more robust, he would not worry so much about her.

  “Get me Hammurabi!” he snapped to Tess. She nodded and ran down the hall herself. “James, find out where Sigurd and Wymond are.” James turned away from the group, running back into the courtyard. :Charon, stay with Parvati. Let me know if her condition changes.: He felt the dragon leave the ground.

  Rynert threw the doors open to Arianwyn's suite. Rael hesitated, gripping the woman tighter. He wanted her in the King's Chamber, where she would be closer to him. He grit his teeth together and took her into the room. The gossip about her and Bernie was bad enough without adding himself to the mix.

  Hammurabi entered on his heels. He arched an eyebrow. “If you need me to explain that she was attacked...” Rael let the threat hang unspoken in the air, glaring at the man.

  “Clearly, Your Majesty. Hold her up while I remove the arrow.” Rael held Arianwyn still. He did not watch the arrow come out, but a low groan from Arianwyn let him know it had happened. He tensed even more. “Lay her on her stomach.”

  Rael lay her down and stepped out of Hammurabi's way. Hammurabi cut the back of her dress away, revealing the wound. “Is she going to live?”

  “Most likely. The arrow didn't hit anything vital.” Hammurabi cleaned the wound, a frown creasing his brow.

  “Then why are you scowling?” Rael asked, a scowl on his own face.

  “Because she should have responded with more than a groan when I removed the arrow.” Hammurabi finished cleaning the wound and pulled out a jar with a fine, white powder in it. He sprinkled the powder over the wound. Immediately, the powder fizzed and changed to a yellow-green color. Hammurabi nodded. “Poison.”

  Rael hissed. “What can be done?”

  “It depends on the poison. Unfortunately, I won't know for certain unless she wakes up.”

  :Charon?:he asked.

  :Parvati has been trying to awaken her,: Charon replied.

  :Why isn't she awake?:

  :She cannot reach her.:

  Rael clenched his fist. “Parvati cannot reach her,” he told Hammurabi. Hammurabi nodded. He put together a foul smelling poultice and applied it to her back. “Will that hurt her?” Hammurabi shook his head. “Well, what are you doing?”

  Hammurabi turned to him, his normally calm features showing his exasperation. The door opened, interrupting him. “Here they are,” James said.

  Rael spun. “What happened?” he spat at the two bodyguards.

  “It was an ambush,” Sigurd said. His face was still bloodied, one arm hanging at an awkward angle. Wymond was in no better shape, one eye swelling shut, his lip split. “Eachann summoned her to practice riding this morning. She sent us around back to wait in the paddock. We were set upon, then.”

  “I told you to keep her safe!” Rael spat. “Does she look safe to you?” Sigurd held his tongue. Rael paced the room, casting frequent glances at Arianwyn's still form. “You will both be demoted, assuming she wakes up.”

  Sigurd stiffened. “Rael—“

  “Do not think that this is some accident that will be brushed off, Sigurd! If she does not live...” Rael trailed off. He stopped pacing to glare at the girl's still form, hands clenching and unclenching at his side. “Hammurabi?”

  “I will stay with her,” he sighed. “I need to monitor her closely anyway.”

  Rael nodded, leaving the room. “Rynert, you and James stay outside the door until I return. Barit, gather the rest of my guards. Cycle three every half hour.” He left the room for the Arena.

  27-Poisons

  Voices sounded in her ears. She thought someone was yelling. Someone else was speaking soothingly. She felt a hand smooth her hair back. Another hand held one of hers carefully. She was not sure if she could move just yet. :Parvati?:

  :I am here.:

  :What’s happening? Why didn’t you come?:

  Arianwyn felt a low, angry, frustrated growl. :I am unable to fly easily at this time. I sent Charon. How are you feeling?:

  :I can’t open my eyes.: Arianwyn became aware that the voices had stilled. Whoever had been stroking her hair stopped. She felt someone gently shake her and heard someone speak her name. :I want to go back to sleep. Will you tell them to stop?:

  :No. I told Charon you were conscious enough to contact me and he informed his human. You need to finish waking up. The healer wishes to discuss how you are feeling.:

  :Tired…: Arianwyn groaned. Parvati snarled. A lance of white hot pain slid into the middle of her skull. The flash of blinding pain made Arianwyn gasp, eyes flying open. :Parvati! That hurt!:

  :You’re awake,: Parvati smirked.

  Arianwyn blinked in the bright light. Hammurabi was there by the bed. Rael lay her back and let go of her shoulders. Alyssa was sitting beside her bed, eyes red and puffy. She was still holding Arianwyn’s hand. Against the wall were Sigurd and Wymond. Both were bruised and cut. Sigurd’s arm was in a sling. “Wha…” She started coughing, searching for water. Alyssa quickly held a glass to her lips, supporting her shoulders so she could drink.

  “How does your mouth feel?” Hammurabi asked, leaning down and smelling her breath.

  Arianwyn blinked again. “Dry,” she said hoarsely. “What happened?”

  “How long did it take for you to pass out?”

  “I don’t know…shortly after Charon arrived.” She looked at Hammurabi, confused. He was holding her wrist now. “What is going on?”

  “Describe, as best you can, what you felt when your back was injured.”

  Arianwyn groaned, head pounding. “I was…it was…” she paused, trying to gather her thoughts. “Something hit me in the back. It felt like fire and spread quickly. My vision became blurry shortly after I fell.”

  Hammurabi nodded slightly. “By your leave, Your Majesty, I need my other bag.” Rael nodded, his eyes flicking to Alyssa. “Lady Alyssa, if you will accompany me? I may need assistance carrying some of my supplies.” The young girl j
umped to her feet and hurried after Hammurabi.

  Arianwyn closed her eyes, leaning back into the pillows. “Is someone going to tell me what’s happening?”

  “You were attacked,” Rael said shortly.

  “Yes, I gathered that much,” Arianwyn growled. She winced, opening her eyes. “Forgive me, Your Majesty.”

  Rael waved her apology away, sitting on the stool Alyssa had vacated. “Did you see your attackers?” he asked in a low voice.

  Arianwyn shook her head and immediately wished she had not. “It was too dark.”

  “What were you doing at the stables? Why did you send Sigurd and Wymond away?”

  “I needed some time alone, to just think without someone looking over my shoulder. I thought a short bit in the stable, when Master Eachann wanted me to practice riding in deep snow...” she trailed off at the look on his face. “I received a message this morning telling me that.”

  Rael shook his head. “Not this morning,” he growled. “You’ve been unconscious for nearly two days now.”

  She stared at him, stunned. “How? I’m certain I’ve been injured worse before.”

  Rael’s lips thinned and he glanced around the room. He leaned in closer, lowering his voice. “Hammurabi expects poison.”

  Arianwyn lay awkwardly on the bed, looking around. Now that she was fully conscious, she was aware of how her back was aching, how her head was pounding, and of her sore backside. “What happened to Sigurd and Wymond?”

  Rael glanced at them briefly, turning away in disgust. “They were surprised in the paddock.”

  Arianwyn touched his arm. “It’s not their fault. It was an ambush.”

  He shook his head. “It is their duty to be prepared for anything. They have become complacent and will be demoted.”

  Arianwyn tried sitting up. “No! It wasn’t their fault; I am the one who sent them away.”

  Rael carefully pushed her back against the bed. He only needed the one hand to do so. With the other, he readjusted her blankets. Arianwyn blushed, realizing she was naked. She clutched the blankets close again, still scowling at Rael. “Now that you are awake, There will be a hearing for their actions. They will have a chance to defend themselves.”