The Hunt for the Three Roses

by Jason Hubbard

  Sean swallowed back the lump in his throat. “Y-yes, Your Majesty.”

  “Count Guyver, it is up to you to see his banishment carried out. If you are caught bringing him back to Asturia, there will be consequences.”

  The count inclined his head, and he and Sean were promptly dismissed. Palace guards escorted the guests outside to the count’s carriage, where Sean stretched his limbs upon sitting. It had been a long day for him, having to go through one interview after another. He had talked to the city guard after bringing in Rainer the morning after All Hallows Eve, then he was brought to the palace to speak with its own defense commanders and lay out what happened to Captain Sutton and his men. That was the easy part; the hard part was having to endure the gaze of Minister Lombardi and several of his magic directors, who demanded to know how he made Rainer an invalid. Sean merely said he wasn’t entirely sure, that it just “came to him.” The minister reminded him that he was not authorized to learn or practice such a hazardous spell, so he would have to undergo an evaluation that included multiple interviews and psyche tests.

  And just now, the King banished him—the perfect end to a torturous day. At least he saw it coming the moment he recruited Captain Sutton to his cause.

  “Banishment,” Count Guyver gravely said as the carriage got in motion. “It could have been much worse. At least you have somewhere to go to.”

  “Yes, my lord. I should be better accustomed to the manor’s ward, anyway.”

  The count drank some water from a flask and sighed. “I was young, too, hotheaded and reckless I understand why you went after Callie and the princess like that, but I’ll have to hold it against you. You defied my orders and the King’s, so if you prove to be too proud and willful, I’ll have to release you from my service. I know this was an extreme circumstance, but be careful about what you do from now on. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, my lord. I won’t let you down again.”

  “See that you do. I think we shall have a feast tomorrow night in your honor. Nothing big, but you may ask for whatever you want. Then you are to leave the next morning.”

  Sean nodded and said no more for the rest of the trip, feeling sorry that he had lost much of the count’s trust in him.

  They returned home at dusk. The count announced to the household that Sean would soon be leaving the city on the King’s order, never to return. Callie said, “That’s terrible! He should have given Sean a medal, not punish him.”

  “It’s okay,” Sean said. “I disobeyed him, so now I must pay the price. His Majesty must display a show of strength, or else anyone else may disobey him.”

  “But Sean, you rescued the princess! Doesn’t she have anything to say about this?”

  He raised a corner of his mouth, believing a spoiled girl like Princess Alyssa would hardly be grateful for anything. “I don’t know, but I’m grateful to still see daylight instead of a dungeon cell. In times like these, you should count your blessings.”

  He excused himself, wanting to retire for the day so he could get an early start tomorrow. Upon getting into his shift and collapsing on his bed, the undine soothed him with pleasant images of cloudy skies, swaying leaves, and playing animals. He was grateful, for memories of Rainer’s savageness were still fresh and raw, making him too paranoid to sleep without help.

  After a cold bath, he was invited to breakfast with Callie and some of her fellow guards. He was afraid it would be an uncomfortable affair, something well intended but not a good idea. He knew all of the guards by name since that was part of his job, but he wasn’t close to any of them and he had dishonored House Guyver by defying the King. But the guards only cared that he had rescued Callie, so they warmly welcomed him and made him feel like an honored guest.

  They asked him to share his story about the grand rescue, which he had already told at least three times yesterday. But this time he was telling it to an audience of admirers, not scrutinizers, and so telling it was much more fun. He started with the day he turned the undine into a familiar, skipped over his reception of holy magic, and embellished a few parts such as the undine’s part in capturing Rainer and turning him into an invalid. At one point, Callie winked at him, knowing he was making up some things within reasonable limits.

  He spent the rest of the morning and afternoon preparing for his departure. He packed some bags with clothing, personal belongings, and studybooks Master Brown recommended, then went to the market with his tutor for anything else he might need on the road. Sean said it would be good to see the manor again, though he didn’t look forward to rejoining Master Harris, whose cranky attitude made every lesson a chore to get through.

  Soon after he returned to his room, Callie came to talk with him. “So what do you think?” she asked, patting her new haircut. Every strand along the sides of her head were now of uniform length, her bangs were shorter, and a black mop sat on the very top. “The headmistress did this for me.”

  “I think it suits you,” Sean replied. “You always were a tomboy; now you just look like a boy.”

  Her jaw comically dropped like a leaden weight, and she started a shoving match that ended with laughter.

  “But seriously,” Sean continued, “I like it. The headmistress did a good job. Do you prefer it this way?”

  “I don’t know. It might grow on me. I won’t have to worry about anyone pulling on it for a while, so maybe I’ll prefer it that way. Hey, can I ask you about that spell you did? What was it?”

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t say. It’s just something that came to me.”

  “Is that how holy magic works? It just comes to you?” She smiled at his look of surprise. “You’re not the only one who can do magic studies. So where did you get it?”

  He still refused to say, only that he was sworn to secrecy and that he had used it all up. “It was a one-trick pony, one that I don’t regret since it allowed me to talk to you like this.”

  She ruffled his hair. “Okay, keep your secrets. But remember, I’ve had plenty of my own, and some came to haunt me like nothing else. Here’s hoping you avoid the same fate.”

  When dinner was ready that evening, Sean invited Callie to join him. On the dinner table was roast suckling pig, as Sean had requested, and a wide variety of side dishes and desserts. Lady Amber wanted a nice, quiet meal, but her husband insisted that the two former Consarians share their story of All Hallows Eve. They did so, making sure to get their stories straight while adding some gusto to the otherwise solemn tale. At the end, the count congratulated them on a job well done, rescuing the princess and taking down a killer in the way they did. Sean sensed that the count appreciated the seriousness of the situation, seeing how Rainer had been a man not to be trusted, and that Princess Alyssa would have been forever lost had Sean and Captain Sutton not went after her.

  Once dinner was finished, the leftovers went to the rest of the staff, including those on guard duty. Callie decided to turn in early, so Sean accompanied her to her room. “I am so full,” she said, patting her belly. “I’m going to regret this tomorrow, but I couldn’t let all that food go to waste.”

  “You should think of your boyish figure,” Sean said, which earned him a playful shove.

  Once they reached her door, Callie said, “I’m going to really miss you, Sean. I know it’s only temporary, but I’ll be thinking of you all winter. Make sure to say goodbye to me even if you have to pull me out of bed.”

  “I will. I’ll miss you, too—especially when I have to tell that story a thousand more times.”

  After a short silence, Callie said, “Hey, you want to know a secret? Tomorrow is my birthday.”

  “It is? Well, why didn’t you tell me? I would have gotten you something.”

  “You gave me plenty already. But if you’d like, you can do me a favor.”

  “Yes, what is it?”

  “Just … stand still and close your eyes.” He
did so, and she lightly placed her hands on his shoulders and planted her lips on his right cheek, as softly as a butterfly. When she pulled away, she gave a small sweet smile that reflected a swelling heart. “You’re my knight in shining armor who came to my rescue,” she said unabashedly.

  Despite his rising embarrassment, he found it within himself to look into her eyes and smile back. “You saved me many more times; I was only returning the favor.”

  She shook her head, her expression turning serious. “Every time I did, it was because I felt responsible for you, but you didn’t have to be responsible for me. For that, I owe you a debt I can never repay.”

  After a moment’s thought, he replied, “You can repay me by being a good retainer to Count Guyver. Do your duties and don’t take your position for granted … and never lose sight of yourself. Do these things, and you can call the debt repaid.”

  He expected resistance, but she instead smiled and nodded. “I can do that.”

  “Also, I suppose … another kiss wouldn’t be uncalled for. Just don’t tell Sir Barnes.”

  Her eyes widened, then she clapped her hands together and burst into giggles. Once she gathered herself, she shook her head and said, “No, he won’t need to know.” She grasped his shoulders again and kissed his other cheek … and that’s when the undine trilled in agitation and summoned enough water to splash on Callie’s head.

  The two young people stepped from each other in shock, water dripping from Callie’s soaked hair and face. “No, why did you do that!?” Sean then said to the undine in a harsh whisper. “You shouldn’t have done that! I’m sorry, Callie, she doesn’t understand humans very well. She doesn’t know about customs or feelings, no matter how I explain them to her …”

  “It’s okay,” Callie said with a strained smile. “It’s only water.”

  “I’m sorry, Callie. I’ll definitely see you tomorrow before I go. Goodnight.”

  Callie waved him goodbye and went in her room to pat herself dry with her bed comforter. His undine could certainly be a handful, and maybe what he said was true, but she smiled to herself and muttered, “I think she understands us better than you think, Sean.”

  Thirty-one

  On Tuesday, the sixth of November, the city fell victim to a windstorm. Freezing gusts tore off leaves that stubbornly clung to life, windows rattled like the warnings of deadly vipers, and trash flew across the streets. Puddles turned to ice, stray animals retreated to small enclosures to shiver in, and the overcast sky promised snow in the coming weeks.

  It was a day made for one to spend indoors, but Callie had promised to meet Sir Barnes for lunch. She saw him yesterday, for he had rushed to see her after he and Count Lars returned to the city. He was happy at first over hearing that the killer was finally caught, but he grew upset when he learned of the circumstances. “Why did you not send me a letter?” he demanded. “I would have come to help you!”

  She told him she had written a letter and left it with the city guard to give to him later. If she sent it, the letter would reach him too late, anyway. He wanted to talk further, but she had guard duty coming up, so she promised to eat with him the next day.

  This place he’s taking me to had better be damned good enough to risk freezing my eyelashes off, she thought. She put on a forest green kirtle along with her leather jacket and a linen shawl that snugly fit her head. Putting on the bracelet Sean had bought her would be a nice touch, but the metal would probably freeze enough to burn her skin. It was too bad; the memory of him leaving still made her sad, and seeing the bracelet brought up happier times.

  She greeted Sir Barnes in the entrance hall, allowing him a kiss on the cheek before they departed on a buggy. “You must tell me everything, my dear,” he said. “Starting with your hair. Why ever did you do that?”

  “I didn’t, it was Rainer. He thought I had something hidden in my tail, so he cut it off.”

  He analyzed her bangs peeking through her shawl. “We’ll have to do something about this. We can’t have you going about with hair like that.”

  “What’s wrong with my hair?” she asked innocently.

  “It’s not the current style, my dear. Perhaps I’ll surprise you with something else to wear.”

  She scoffed. “Tim, I didn’t choose to cut it off, and I don’t care what’s all ‘current’ or not.”

  He patted her arm. “Dear, you don’t want to embarrass me, now do you? If you keep going out looking like this, you’ll be a laughingstock and I shall be devastated. Don’t you see?”

  “But—” She stopped herself, unable to think of anything else to say. She could call him a snob, but he was probably already aware of that and wouldn’t consider it an insult. And besides, dating him meant plunging into a society that was full of snobs. She had known that and thought she had accepted it. She surmised that since she was a lord’s retainer, she may as well try to worm herself into high society and learn more about it. She had to see what the gentry were like and to what lengths they reached to fit in, and if she could embrace their lifestyles and make a place for herself, she could rise above her station and be someone of worth. It was the dream of a lot of boys and girls from her old clan days, and although she was reluctant, she might actually see that dream realized.

  And if it meant fixing her hair so as not to embarrass Sir Barnes, well … she’d play along for now.

  “Okay, I’ll see what this bright idea of yours is.”

  “Wonderful. I’ll get something that shall suit you just fine. You might look better than you have before.”

  Callie rolled her eyes and shivered from the sudden breeze, wondering what in the world she had gotten herself into. One thing was for sure: Her sixteen-year-old self would be appalled with herself right now.

  He had the usual dream where he was being chased. A shadowy figure was catching up to him in an impossibly long dark alleyway, brandishing a dagger above his head. Sean looked back and tripped on a crack, sending him crashing to the ground. His chin had split open and it was hard to concentrate, but he sensed the figure jumping into the air and landing over him, sinking his dagger into his back, the hilt meeting soft skin.

  He jolted and lifted his heavy eyelids, finding himself in his old bed within Guyver Mansion. He rubbed his face and let out a groan, but he froze when he noticed something.

  Rainer was kneeling beside him on the bed, giving his old maniacal grin that meant he had murder on his mind.

  Sean yelped and backed away, his heart leaping against his ribs. He soon sighed in relief when he realized his mistake. It was simply the undine in her human form, her figure slightly transparent in the faint moonlight. She tended to look at him while he was asleep, like a cat. He told her to quit that, but she kept doing it anyway.

  He sat up and tousled his hair. The undine sent him images from his nightmare, trilling questionably.

  “Bad dreams are normal after what I went through,” he said. “I have no control of them while asleep.”

  The undine trilled understandably then sent pleasant images of sunny meadows, lazy rivers, and gentle forest creatures.

  He chuckled. “That’s okay, you don’t need to do that. I just need some sleep—and without you staring at me.”

  The undine tilted her head in confusion, wondering why she wasn’t allowed to look at him so. She stepped off the bed, lit aflame the lantern on the bedside table, and returned to the mattress frame. She then sent him images of ruby red lips and pink bodies writhing around each other, and she trilled with seductive invitation with beckoning arm motions.

  Sean had to admit, he was easily tempted. Desire rose within him like hot spring water, but he was accustomed at fighting it. “No, undine, no. Go back to where you came from.”

  She eased back a little, appearing a little frightened at the compulsion of his command. But she straightened and went back to seducing him, her trill more compulsive this
time.

  He took a deep breath and pointed at her. “I said no.”

  The undine trilled in sorrow, and she slunk back while growing smaller, her human form transmuting into a simple sphere.

  As Sean watched her retreat, he suddenly held out a hand. “No, wait …”

  The undine regained her human form and cautiously looked up.

  “Um, you won’t hurt me … will you?”

  She shook her head, and the two of them looked uncertainly at each other. The undine then resumed her seductive trill and slowly closed the distance between them.

  An inner voice screamed that this was wrong, that he shouldn’t give in to temptation. But Sean had been through so much hardship and heartbreak, he needed something to relieve his growing stress before it became unbearable. And the undine may not be a real woman, but she was a beautiful creature whom he felt a deep connection with. Her feline eyes were full of love, her hair fell from her scalp like a gentle stream, and her breasts were like overripe fruit ready for picking.

  He swallowed when her fingers caressed his cheek, and he lowered the rest of his inhibitions when her lips found his. She didn’t quite feel human, for her lips were as smooth as glass, but they were as pliable as skin, and the feel of her bosom through his shift drove him crazy. He let out a soft moan and wrapped his arms around her, accepting her for what she was as she accepted him.

  He might come to regret this in morning’s light, and the undine might prove to be quite demanding in the days to come. But with her wanting lips on his, and his remaining fingers stroking her sensuous backside, this was clearly a night made for passion, and it would not end until he had his fill.