“Please, Your Highness, is there something I may fetch for you?” I asked instead. This was just too strange.
“We do not need anything,” Blaine snapped, “except answers to my brother’s questions.”
I bowed hastily. “Of course, Your Highness. I just don’t understand how I could be worth your interests. I assumed you were looking for someone when you interrupted today’s training session.”
I squared my shoulders, hardening my features against the coming truths. “When it appeared as though my wings would never appear, my parents sold me to the town elders. They left the city in shame. I am not sure where they have relocated to. My contract is for the course of my life. I am bound to the Valkyries’ training grounds until such time as I die.”
Hunter hissed through his teeth, the feathers nearest me rustling in agitation. “They just sold you? And a contract through death?”
He exchanged looks with his brothers, his eyes furious. I tried to run through my words to see what I had said wrong. Crap, had I not used enough superlatives? Cecilia was always accusing me of that.
Despite the excruciating pain I was in as my body continued to mend, I knelt before their feet. “Your Royal Highnesses, I apologize for any inconvenience or upset I have caused you. I can call the training mistress to address you. She may call the town elders if you have need.”
Suneel picked me up gently. My mouth gaped open as my eyes met his. That had been completely unexpected. “We will go to the training hall, youngling. But you need to rest to heal.”
“Your Highness honors me beyond words,” I murmured, scrambling for the correct etiquette to follow in this situation. “I am quite able to walk, though. Most of my injuries are already healing.”
Flynn reached out to push a mat of blood-soaked hair behind my ear. “We can’t keep calling you youngling, especially since you actually aren’t underage! What are you called, girl?”
“I’m Emberly, Your Highness. I will answer to any name you prefer, however.”
He smiled, the light making the red in his hair and eyes flicker. “I’m Flynn. I’m sure you’ve seen us before, but we’ve had manners drilled into us since we were younglings ourselves. The one holding you is Suneel, though he prefers just to be called Neel. The grumpy one is Blaine. Hunter’s the agitated one with the green wings. And the softy over there is Jett. Please, enough with the Your Highness crap. Just use our names.”
I don’t think my mouth could have dropped open any further. “Use your given names? But that would be a massive breach of rank!”
He snickered, “Sure, if you did it without our permission. Consider it an order, Emberly. You’ll use our given names.”
The others all nodded, except for Blaine who just continued to study me. With a glance at his brothers, Suneel – Neel, I corrected in my head – began to stride across the empty training grounds towards the soldier’s barracks. Even from this distance, I could see that Cecilia was at the window of her quarters. This would not end well. I winced imagining the beating that would ensue. With most of my wounds now healing, my body no longer wished for death.
The shadow of the barracks blocked the light that had been reflecting in intriguing patterns off the wings of the princes. “Which way to the Training Mistress’ Office, Emberly?” The voice was so gentle, so warm, that it could only have been Jett talking.
I reached across Neel’s chest, careful not to knock into either of his wings and pointed down the main hallway. “End of the hall, dark wood door. Honestly, Your—” I cut off at the glance Neel sent me, “Neel, I can walk. I’ve had worse injuries.” It was true, but apparently, the wrong thing to say as the men let out rough growls.
“We’ll be talking to the training mistress about that. What’s her name in this barrack?” Hunter queried as he glanced over Neel’s shoulder.
“Mistress Lynn,” I stated as I tried my best not to throw up or pass out. My body was starting to heal the tougher areas now – my ribs, my organs – and it hurt. It was also quickly wearing me out. Healing took energy and strength; I had neither.
Blaine rapped on the Training Mistress’s door as my vision started to gray. I tightened my control of my body. This whole situation was embarrassing enough, and the fact that I would bring embarrassment to Cecilia, Mistress Lynn, and the Elders meant I was in for lashes. The last thing I needed to do was create more of a mess for myself.
Mistress Lynn opened the door and nearly fell backward in shock. Her wings were a deep, rich brown the same color as her office door. “Your Highnesses!” She executed a graceful bow, her wings flipping out behind her at the practiced motion. “How may I serve you?”
When she glanced up from her prone position, she noticed me in Neel’s arms. Her face tightened. “Has this girl offended you? I apologize, Your Highnesses. She should never have been near royalty. We will handle her. It will never happen again.” Her words crackled with a heavy, menacing edge and her eyes would have frozen me if she had borne that power.
I couldn’t help it. Pushing myself away from Neel’s embrace, I leaned towards Mistress Lynn and emptied all of the blood that had drained into my stomach as well as my meager breakfast. I heard her swear and Flynn laugh before I passed out.
Chapter Two
I woke to a soft blanket across my back and muted whispers coming from a few feet away. Where in the world was I? I groaned and buried my head further into the bed as I remembered vomiting. As if that wasn’t humiliating enough, I had vomited from the arms of one of our princes at the feet of the training mistress. Humiliation aside, it didn’t explain where I was at currently. I obviously wasn’t in my own room. My mattress was a thin stack of old cushions that were too thin to use in the common room of the training hall, and my blanket was a series of scraps I had rescued and sewn together at night.
This bed was incredibly soft, wrapping around me and cradling me like a warm bath. The blankets were thick and warm, not at all scratchy against my skin or open in spaces that had run too ragged even for my sewing skills to mend. I slowly assessed my wounds. I had to have been asleep for several hours as most of the surface wounds were scabbed over and nearly healed. My ribs were still tender when I breathed too deeply, and there were still aches internally, but within a few hours, I would be back to normal. I breathed in, the smell of cinnamon tickling my senses. It was a very comforting scent and seemed to be coming from the sheets themselves. Maybe the soap that was used? We never had anything that fine in the barracks.
I listened harder for the voices I had heard murmuring. If one belonged to Cecilia, I would need to be wary if she knew I had awakened. She preferred me to be conscious for her fun, though she wasn’t above beating me while I was unconscious if I upset her enough. I could still hear the murmuring too far from me to ascertain exactly who was speaking or what they were discussing. I shifted slowly, fearing my movement would draw attention. That was odd; someone had dressed me. The tunic I wore fell past my knees, the soft linen caressing me. Definitely not something that belonged to me.
A warm voice spoke next to me, startling me so I reeled backward. “You’re in my room. I hope it’s alright that we dressed you.” Flynn chuckled as he moved into my vision. “I can’t believe you hurled all over the training mistress!”
I winced. Of course, he had to remind me. Though I’m sure it was funny for him, I wasn’t looking forward to the lashes I would earn this evening for it. I was finally feeling good – my body wasn’t desperate to have the flesh removed quite so quickly.
Flynn sat at the foot of the bed as he regarded me. “The others have been quite worried about you. Is it alright if I tell them you’re awake?”
Confused, I simply nodded as I pulled myself into a sitting position. Who had been concerned for me? Cecilia? Mistress Lynn? Flynn placed two fingers in his mouth and gave a loud, piercing whistle that had me clapping my hands over my ears and staring at him, my mouth hanging open in shock. Flynn doubled over, clutching his stomach as he laughed. “Oh gods
, I don’t think your eyes could get any bigger! You look like a fish, gaping at me!”
He glanced at my face and continued to laugh while I debated whether to be offended by his statement. As I studied him while he tried to gather himself, I heard pounding footsteps coming towards us.
Crap, crap, crap. Instinct took over as I pushed the covers off of me and launched towards the foot of the bed. I pulled myself up the intricately carved mahogany bedpost, ignoring the pain in my ribs as I flung my gaze around the room. Perfect. I grabbed the iron candelabra that stood at the foot of the bed and placed my body between Flynn and the incoming sounds. I wouldn’t stand a chance against them but, hopefully, I could distract them until the Valkyries came to save him.
The large stone door swung open with a crash, slamming into the wall behind it. Bodies tumbled into the room and froze at the protective stance that I had taken. I flushed, realizing that the chaos had been caused by Flynn’s brothers rather than some adversary. I risked a glance behind me to see Flynn with the same shocked expression I had worn at his whistle. Blaine stood in an attack position, his glowing citrine wings half spread, and his hands raised as he watched me. Neel’s eyebrows were raised up into his hairline, and the side of his mouth kept twitching. Hunter’s expression mirrored Flynn’s with his mouth hanging open. Jett stood at the back of his brothers, his wings still tight against his back and a small smile playing on his lips.
My face flushed red with shame, and just as quickly all the blood drained away. I gently replaced the candelabra at the foot of Flynn’s bed and hurried to kneel at the princes’ feet. “Your Highnesses, I am so sorry. I meant no harm. I would never hurt any of you.” My voice shook. Execution would be very painful. It was hard to believe I had been saved from Cecilia’s games just to end up on the executioner’s stand.
Jett’s voice soothed over me; I could feel the air pressure change as he approached slowly. “Emberly, what were you doing?”
I kept my eyes closed as I laid my forehead on the floor at his feet. “Your Highness, I can’t express how sorry I am. I heard the noise, feet running towards us. Flynn had said we were in his bedchamber. I know that I’m just a maid, but it’s still my duty to protect the princes.”
Rumbles echoed around me. Jett spoke again; I could tell he was standing right over my prone body. “So, you thought you would guard Flynn with a candelabra? Have you had training?”
“No, Your Highness,” I stuttered. “I just hoped I could be enough of a distraction until the Valkyries arrived.”
Someone hissed through their teeth. Flynn’s voice rumbled out from behind me. “As soon as she heard your footsteps she flung herself out of the bed, grabbed the nearest weapon, and instantly struck a guard position. She didn’t stop to think in the slightest.”
I tensed, hearing other steps coming towards me. The men had completed a ring around me where I genuflected at their feet. A hand touched my hair, and I flinched, expecting the hand to grip and pull. Instead, the fingers teased through the strands. Neel’s voice was warm and sweet as he said, “Oh yes, I think you’ll do very well.”
Arms scraped under my body, lifting me gently and setting me back on the bed. I risked opening my eyes. The men were in a half-circle around me, their wings half spread and forming a wall to block the rest of the room from my vision. Smiles adorned their faces, their eyes as bright as their wings.
“Your Highnesses?” I managed to strangle out through my dry mouth. I had no idea what was going on.
“Do you always forget orders so easily?” Flynn asked with a wry twist of his mouth.
“Orders?” I repeated. I felt like a dimwit, but nothing was making sense. Had they ordered me to do something for them?
“You’re to use our names, not our titles,” Jett reminded me gently, his wings moving softly, blowing a breeze across my face. I licked my dry lips as I breathed in the different scents that drifted to me with each small movement of their wings: cinnamon, fresh rain, pine, honey, and vanilla.
Without thinking, I blurted, “You guys have really good soap.” My face turned nearly as red as Flynn’s wings as he and Hunter cracked up with laughter. Neel and Jett were grinning, and Blaine’s eyebrows were raised as he cocked his head.
While his brothers continued to howl with laughter, Blaine asked, as if he couldn’t quite believe his own ears, “Did you say we have really good soap?” His voice was gruffer than his brothers’, more like leather than their silk and velvet.
I inclined my head slowly, twisting my fingers together where I sat. “You all smell really good.” I clarified. Not like I could get any redder than I already was. A curse of fair skin was the telltale shifting of its color with my moods. Blaine’s mouth twitched, and his brothers all exchanged wide grins with each other.
Blaine nodded as he said, “You didn’t answer Jett or Flynn. Had you forgotten our order, Emberly?”
“No, Yo- Blaine.” I squeaked. “I just figured I was likelier to retain my life if I used honorifics. I know I had said I’d prefer to die, but now that I’m healing, I realize I don’t fancy my life ending quite yet.”
“And why did you think you would lose your life?” His eyes held me hypnotized. They swirled between orange and yellow, so bright that they glowed.
“Um,” I shook my head and glanced down at my lap, trying to regain some control over my thoughts. “Well, I directed a weapon at you. If I directed a weapon towards the training mistress or one of the Valkyries, I would have been severely reprimanded. I imagined that, with you being royalty and my being, well, an abomination, the reprimand would have been a slow death in Executioner’s Tower.”
Hunter stepped forward, lifting my chin to look at my face. “What would your reprimand have been from the Valkyries?” His hands were gentle, but his words and eyes were hard.
I cleared my throat, fighting the urge to either pull from his hand or lean closer to him. I knew neither would be a good idea when it came to the princes. “Well, it would depend on what I did and whom I did it to.”
“Let’s stick with wielding a weapon,” Hunter clarified, his fingers still locked on my chin. “There are only three ranks in the training area – light wings, mid-wings, and dark wings. What would be the reprimand for each?”
I had no idea why he needed me to explain. He was royal! Surely they knew the laws better than a youngling my age! “Well, for each rank up it’s a missed meal and ten lashes. So, if I would have raised that candelabra against Mistress Lynn, I would have missed dinner, breakfast, and dinner the following day and taken thirty lashes.”
Hunter growled, and his fingers tightened around my chin, nearing the point of pain. Surprising me, Blaine knocked Hunter’s hand from my face.
“You’ll hurt her.” Blaine’s voice was firm as he maintained eye contact with his brother. Hunter twirled and walked farther from the bed, his wings flicking in agitation.
“Is that the only reprimand?” Flynn asked from his space between Jett and Neel.
“Of course not.” Were the princes not allowed to be part of the legal system? That seemed odd, but I didn’t know why else they’d need me to answer their questions. “Missed meals are common. Lashes are a favorite. Beatings are usually daily. It really depends on the situation. If I do something really wrong, they won’t let me heal – that’s the worst.” I grimaced and shook my head at the thought.
The princes’ faces were grim as they shared a look among themselves, their eyes and wings flicking and shifting as if they held a conversation without words. “The town elders condone these punishments?” Blaine asked, turning back to look at me.
It was my turn to raise an eyebrow. “Of course. They’re the ones who enforce your laws, after all.”
Blaine shook his head as Jett let a smile play over his lips. “Enough of this. Flynn, you never told us what you were laughing about when we came in. I could hear you from down the hall.”
Flynn smiled, though the corner of his eyes were tight. “She made this adorable
face when I whistled for you. She looked like a fish, with her eyes all bugged out and her mouth gaping open. I couldn’t help laughing at it!”
Hunter jabbed a wing tip into his brother’s stomach. “Like the look you had on your face when you saw her guard you?” Flynn ducked his head in acknowledgment of the jibe. I couldn’t help myself, and a snort escaped my lips. My hands flew to cover my mouth as all eyes turned to me.
“Think that’s funny, do you?” Flynn’s voice was hard, but his eyes twinkled, the red in them shifting madly as he swung his long, red hair out of his eyes.
I kept my hands over my mouth, unsure of what to do. He didn’t seem angry, but my laugh had been a massive breach of etiquette. He stepped towards me, his wings snapping out fully behind him. The bright ruby color was highlighted by the sun streaming in through the windows. Before I could apologize, he snapped me into his arms and pulled me high into the air. I caught my breath and instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck as he made rapid spirals and loops around the bedchamber. Dizziness overtook me, and I couldn’t help but laugh. For some reason, I was sure he wouldn’t drop me. This was actually fun! I could see the grins on the other men’s faces as we twined sharply around them. Flynn was an exceptional flier to be able to maneuver so well while carrying me with him.
With a final spin, he landed me back on the bed. My hair stuck up in spikes, still matted in places with blood. I couldn’t hold back my giggles as he let me go, the sound echoing around me. When was the last time I had truly laughed? The sound was foreign even to me, but I couldn’t seem to stop the flow of it. Flynn’s eyes sparkled as he executed a small salute towards me.
“That’ll teach you to laugh at a prince!” he growled at me. Blaine was shaking his head with his fingers pressed between his eyes, but the others looked as excited as Flynn with their eyes twinkling, their wide grins, and their outstretched wings.
“Not your brightest idea, Flynn. She’d already been greatly injured. Most of the injuries occurred from an extreme fall. I have no idea why she’s laughing. You should have scared the wits out of her. And until she’s seen a healer, we have no idea what injuries you just aggravated.” Blaine’s simple, cool statement reigned in his brother’s enjoyment and my giggles. Flynn’s shoulders slumped, and I was quick to reassure him.
The Valkyrie's Princes Page 2