Horse Charmer

by Angelia Almos

  She started to ask if she should go see them, but stopped herself at the set look on her mother's face. Sarahann slammed the door behind her. Ula and Yaffa burst out of the dressing room with expectant expressions on their faces. She turned away from them trying to compose herself. The tears threatened to erupt again.

  CHAPTER TWO

  It had been two long days since the Royalty had arrived with the message shattering Cassia's world. She stared out the window of the boys' nursery over the castle walls to the small but prosperous village. It barely resembled its old self. All of the buildings remained the same, but tents and caravan wagons had turned the village into a town. The walks were flooded with people as they went about their business or clustered together to learn the latest news. The mourning flags flapped in the breeze. The village was a constant reminder of what had just happened.

  Cassia had spent the last two days in the main hall with hardly any time for herself. She'd greeted more village elders and visiting dignitaries than she'd seen before in her entire sixteen years. All had come to express their condolences and reassurances.

  She hated it. She hated their smiles, their tears, and most of all she hated them telling her how sorry they were. If she could have hidden away in the barn the entire time, she would have. But Sarahann wouldn't allow it. Cassia would be the sovereign ruler of Karah as soon as an official coronation could be arranged, but her duties wouldn't wait until then.

  "This is dumb." Faolan tossed his book across the nursery.

  "Prince Faolan," Mistress Witen scolded. The boys' governess exuded the same elegance Sarahann came by naturally. The type of elegance Cassia had yet to master. Witen's silver hair was braided in a crown on top of her head in the latest style and complemented the simple dress she wore. "Throwing an object is not kingly."

  Faolan's brown eyes began to tear and Cassia stepped forward to comfort him.

  Witen shook her head at Cassia and kneeled down in front of Faolan. "It's imperative you grieve, Prince Faolan. No one will find fault, least of all your father, but you must grieve appropriately. Throwing things, yelling at your subjects, those are not proper ways to grieve."

  Gordain snorted and leapt up from his chair in disgust. "We don't need to be lectured on our behavior, Mistress Witen."

  "Gordain," Cassia reprimanded him, surprised at how much he had sounded like their mother.

  Gordain turned to glare at Cassia. While she'd been stuck in the Hall, the boys had been stuck in the Nursery. Tempers threatened to explode any moment.

  A movement outside the window caught Cassia's attention. She spun to see if it was what she'd been waiting for. Sarahann had sent her up here to check on her brothers, but she'd known the real reason she'd been sent away. The young page hadn't been very discreet in whispering to Sarahann and there was only one thing that would have caused her mother to disperse the Hall for a rest when so many still waited for an audience. Her father's body had arrived.

  She leaned against the cool pane and stared down at the road. The wagon rolled through the village. Her father's guards led the way on their horses at a quick trot. As the wagon pulled into the courtyard, she could make out the shape of his body covered by several blankets.

  She swallowed a cry and focused on her breathing. In, out, in, out. Her mother walked through the courtyard to the wagon. She was met by the Captain of the Guard. Cassia shuddered and shook her head.

  "No," she whispered.

  "Princess?" Witen asked, coming over to her.

  Cassia shrugged off her hand. Witen hesitated before trying to embrace her. Cassia shoved her away and bolted from the room.

  "Princess Cassia!" Witen called out. "Gordain, go after her!"

  Cassia picked up her skirts and raced down the hallway. Her brother was fast, but she was faster. By the time she'd wound her way through the maze of hallways and made it to the kitchen's service stairway she'd lost him. She'd only gone down one flight of stairs before tears blinded her and she couldn't see where she was stepping. She tripped and nearly tumbled headfirst down the next flight. An arm wrapped around her waist, yanking her back to the landing.

  She pushed her hair out of her face and wiped at her eyes, but the tears continued to flow.

  "Princess Cassia." Luki turned her to face him. "Let me escort you to your room."

  She hiccupped a soft sob, shaking her head. "No, thank you." She took another deep breath. "Did you see?"

  "See what, Your Highness?" He stepped respectfully back and clasped his hands behind him.

  "The wagon," Cassia said, smoothing at her skirt. She frowned at him. "What are you doing here?"

  "I'm staying here."

  She brushed at her eyes again and glanced around. She was on the landing above the kitchen in the servants' quarters.

  "Oh." She flushed and took a deep breath. She didn't want to think about it, but the image of the wagon flashed in her mind and the tears began flowing again. She couldn't believe he was gone.

  "I was on my way down to the stables, Your Highness." He offered his arm. "Would you like to accompany me?"

  She took it with relief. "Thank you."

  Luki flashed a quick grin before leading her down the stairs and out the servants' entrance to the yard. She glanced fearfully around, but the yard was packed full of wagons and carriages from those who had come to visit. She couldn't see her father's wagon. Luki led her to the stable.

  "I owe you an apology." Cassia thought of how kind he was being in the face of her rudeness.

  "For what?" He glanced down at her in surprise.

  "When I asked what you were doing here, I didn't mean the question as it sounded. You usually leave the day after you deliver a herd. I was surprised you hadn't left yet."

  He shrugged. "With all the wagons and carriages coming in, your stable master asked me to stay on and help with the extra horses. Too many horses and not enough space."

  "I hadn't thought about that."

  "You've been busy," he said as they reached the first makeshift corral. He leaned against the pole holding the rope. "You haven't been out here much."

  "I've tried." Cassia gave a small smile and touched the closest horse to her. "Sarahann's kept me busy."

  ****

  The funeral for King Robet of Karah was as grand as everyone expected for a beloved ruler. His people flocked around Castle Karah, crowding the tiny village and spreading out into the farm fields on the rolling hills. They sang as one and the melancholy song filtered up and over the walls into the courtyard where the funeral took place.

  Cassia stared at the dark gray cloud of smoke drifting up and dissipating into the winds over the castle walls. She couldn't bring herself to lower her gaze to the large mountain of logs and sticks that blazed intensely. She'd made the mistake of looking at the pile as they lit it and she'd been able to make out the shape of her father clothed in his ceremonial robes. There was no pretending or hoping everyone was wrong anymore. He was gone.

  She stood in the front of a large group gathered about twenty feet in front of the flames. Her brothers clustered around her. Tears streaked her cheeks, but with a will she hadn't known she possessed she controlled her sobs as long as she didn't look down at the fire. Tully and Faolan cried next to her and clung to the heavy black fabric of her skirt. She smoothed their hair back from their foreheads and glanced at Gordain. He wasn't crying, silently or loudly, but she could tell he was barely able to keep his control. He also stared up at the billowing cloud. It struck her how much he looked like their father in that moment. He might have gotten their mother's coloring of dark hair and eyes, but the set of his chin and the way he clasped his hands behind his back was completely like Robet.

  She watched him for a moment before peeking at her mother who stood apart from her children, before directing her gaze back up at the cloud. The Karahan advisors, ambassadors from other villages and kingdoms, and the managing castle staff, stood behind them. Cassia could hear slight rumblings from them and grew irritated t
hat they couldn't remain quiet out of respect.

  "How many have gathered?" Sarahann whispered.

  She looked at her in confusion, but realized her mother wasn't talking to her.

  "Nearly a thousand, Your Highness," Karahan Advisor Eb said just as softly. A large man, in height and girth, he always looked impeccably groomed and Robet had valued his careful advice.

  "We shall include the villagers in our funeral feast." Sarahann turned to the castle chef.

  "Your Highness," Head Cook Sulwin's nasally voice responded. "There isn't enough food."

  Sarahann was silent for a moment. "You shall make sure they receive the same meal you'll be serving us."

  Rapid footsteps retreated and Head Cook Sulwin scurried back toward the castle. Cassia looked from him to her mother, wondering at her insistence. Sarahann's regal mask didn't falter as she stared directly at the pile of burning logs. Cassia closed her eyes not wanting to follow her mother's gaze and pulled Faolan and Tully closer. They didn't resist her hug, but relaxed into her skirt.

  The slight rumblings behind her became more distinctive as several village elders argued among each other.

  "We should be striking back," Village Elder Zane said in an angry voice.

  "We don't know who's behind this," Village Elder Shara placated him.

  "Vespera is responsible," Village Elder Zane insisted.

  "What of Julyan?" Village Elder Twan asked. "It was his Talent who was supposed to protect our King."

  "He was killed in Vespera," Village Elder Zane said, "that's all the proof we require."

  "You can't get past a Talent unless the Talent lets you," Village Elder Twan said.

  Cassia turned to stare at the group of three men, their conversation penetrating the fog of her grief. She'd been so focused on what she'd lost, she hadn't really considered the who and the why. Sarahann nodded to Eb in disapproval. He silenced the small group of men with a few harsh words.

  Cassia frowned as she let their comments roll about her head. Who had killed her father and why? A king was always a target. That was why he never left the castle without his bodyguard and his contingent of royal guards. Where was Talent Westleigh? Why hadn't he returned with Robet's body? No one had mentioned him or where he had been when her father was killed.

  ****

  Cassia tried to ask her mother about what the village elders had said several times after the funeral was over, but Sarahann told her to let it alone. Duty called and for a while her questions were silenced. She had to receive countless people and accept their condolences during the funeral feast.

  Now, she had plenty of time to think about their comments as she stared up at the ceiling above her bed. The tears rolled down her cheeks. She rarely had a moment to be alone, truly alone, without handmaidens, guards, and all the other people always there. In the few spare minutes she'd had during the past week she'd headed down to the barn. With the horses she could just be, and the grief didn't threaten to overwhelm her when she was with them.

  But she'd been caught today and sent to her room until her next set of courtly duties. Cassia sighed and wiped her cheeks. She didn't want to be with people, but she also didn't want to be alone. She sat up and pulled the cord hanging by her bed. Ula and Yaffa stepped from the dressing room.

  "The Vesperan party is due shortly," Cassia said. "Please select something appropriate for me to wear."

  Yaffa ducked back into the dressing room while Ula unbuttoned and untied the bows on the dark gown Cassia wore. Stripped of the dress, she sat down at the vanity in her petticoat.

  Ula touched up her hair and clucked in disapproval. "You have barn dust in your hair again."

  Cassia smiled slightly at the reprimand. She rested her chin on her hand and watched Ula comb the dust out of her hair. She couldn't see the dust Ula was tsking her about. Now if she'd had dark locks like her mother she could understand the concern, but since her hair was too dark to be blond, but too light to be considered brown, it was the perfect color to mask the horse dirt. She scrunched her nose at her reflection and let her mind wander.

  Her sleep was filled with vivid dreams of racing horses high in the mountains and an uneasy feeling or presence, she woke up tired instead of rested every morning. She wasn't ready to face a Vesperan. Sarahann had lectured her, yet again, on her manners and duties and how imperative it was to not say anything reckless to the Vesperans, especially King Erich. Cassia had been shocked to learn he was a part of the party.

  Yaffa backed out of the dressing room carrying an elegant black gown with a high neck and layers of silk in the skirt. It had to be one of the heaviest dresses Cassia owned, but was probably the most appropriate for what she was about to do.

  "This one?" Yaffa huffed a little under the weight of the fabric.

  Cassia nodded in answer and Ula tugged her hair to reprimand her for moving. Ula began the slow art of wrapping coils up and around Cassia's head. Yaffa arranged the dress on the bed, preparing it to put on Cassia. She snuck a quick glance at her mistress.

  "King Erich is coming?" Yaffa asked.

  "Yes," Cassia answered.

  "They're bringing news," Yaffa hesitated, "on King Robet?"

  "We can always hope," Cassia said curtly.

  She didn't speak of her father with her handmaidens. She didn't speak of him to anyone but the horses. Ula frowned at Yaffa and gestured her back to the dress. In quick order, Ula had finished tidying Cassia hair into an artfully arranged upsweep that looked like it would tumble down in a gentle breeze. The dress wasn't nearly as easy to get on. The two handmaidens carefully lowered it over her head and then set to work tying the dozens of ribbons that would fasten it around her body. The twenty pound dress weighed heavily and matched her mood perfectly. She straightened her shoulders at Ula's tsk and grabbed the bed post as they pulled in the ties on the waist. Cassia took a tentative breath to make sure they hadn't tied them too tight.

  A royal guard escorted her downstairs to the welcoming hall and she sucked in her irritation. Like she'd get lost in her own palace. The real reason for the guard was to make sure she didn't make a detour to the barn or not show up at all.

  Sarahann looked up as Cassia descended the final flight of stairs. She eyed her critically and Cassia self consciously touched her hair. She wasn't sure about the new style Ula was experimenting with. After a moment, her mother nodded once in approval and beckoned Cassia to come and stand next to her.

  "They'll be pulling into the yard," Sarahann said.

  Sarahann pushed Cassia so she was slightly in front, the proper place for the head of the royal family. Cassia tensed her shoulders. She didn't want to be the first person to greet them. She couldn't take her cues from her mother if she couldn't see her. One of the senior chambermaids, Bianca, stood at the window and nodded to Sarahann before stepping to the side of the room.

  "Shoulders back," Sarahann whispered.

  Cassia straightened her shoulders and her stomach clinched as the sound of a large carriage and several riders coming to a stop just outside the door echoed in. It seemed an eternity before the two royal guards standing at attention at the doors swung them open. The Vesperan party entered in a rustle of finery. She counted six people and panicked. She had no idea who was who. Four chambermaids ducked out the open door to gather any luggage. She focused on the tall handsome man who stepped forward and bowed to her. Sarahann poked her in the back. Cassia curtsied.

  "Welcome King Erich of Vespera," Cassia said, praying she was correct.

  "Thank you, Princess Cassia of Karah." Erich took her hand and kissed it lightly. As his head bowed, she noted the small amount of grey hair sprinkled within the bright blond. He turned to Sarahann. "Queen Sarahann." Erich repeated the hand kissing welcome.

  "King Erich." Sarahann inclined her head.

  Erich smiled and turned back to Cassia. "I wish we were meeting under more pleasant circumstances, Princess." He beckoned to the youngest member of the Vesperan party. "May I introduce my son, Pri
nce Torr."

  Cassia glanced at Sarahann, who tightened her lips. Cassia pasted on a smile to hide her shock. Why hadn't her mother warned her? She curtsied to Torr. He bowed regally. She barely noted he was breathtakingly gorgeous with piercing blue eyes before turning back to Erich.

  "My advisors." Erich gestured to two of the four remaining Vesperans as he said their names. "Advisor Tasha and Advisor Petr."

  They bowed and Cassia curtsied in return. They almost looked like twins with their identical blue robes. She waited a moment to see if he would introduce the other two, but when he didn't she assumed they were a part of his domestic staff or personal guard and therefore wouldn't be introduced.

  "I hope your journey was smooth." Cassia recited what her mother had told her to say. "I'm sure you're all tired after such a long trip and would like to be shown to your quarters."

  "It has indeed been a long journey," Erich said with a slight smile. "I'd appreciate a brief moment to collect myself."

  Cassia signaled to Bianca. "Show them to their quarters."

  Bianca stepped forward and bowed to the Vesperan party in respect. The other chambermaids returned with their luggage.

  Erich kissed her hand again and then Sarahann's before following Bianca. Torr held back slightly, his gaze on Cassia. With a smirk, he saluted and followed his father. The family resemblance between father and son was strong. The rest of the Vesperan party trailed behind them. Of the two who hadn't been introduced, Cassia found herself watching the one with the heavy sword leave the room. She hadn't been able to see it until he'd turned to follow his king. The sword signaled he was one of Erich's personal guards. She stood silently waiting for the knot to loosen from her stomach, it didn't.

  "Well done," Sarahann said when the Vesperans were out of earshot. "We'll meet with them shortly in the main dining hall."

  "Did you know he was coming?" She turned to her mother.

  "Yes, word was sent ahead this morning."

  "Why didn't you inform me?"