Horse Charmer

by Angelia Almos

  Cassia restrained herself from following her mother. She looked at Ula, Yaffa, and Maconahay, mortification moved through her at them witnessing her reprimand. She turned from all of them and paced to the window. The night was black, no moon.

  "If you need anything, Your Highness," Maconahay said.

  Cassia refused to answer him and after a moment the door shut.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Cassia tossed and turned in her bed. She drifted in and out of disturbing dreams, never quite waking up, but yet knowing she was dreaming. She rolled as she sank into another dream.

  A large meadow greeted her. She raced through the thick green grass toward a dense grove with her heart in her throat. She wanted to scream, but couldn't get a sound out as she stumbled into the trees. Cassia desperately glanced around, but there was nothing in the grove but leaves and branches. Taking a shaky breath she pivoted on her heel, not sure what she was looking for, but certain it was awful. Just as she breathed a sigh of relief someone stepped into the grove behind her.

  Cassia spun around.

  "Father!" She threw herself into his arms. At the solid feel of him she began to cry.

  "Sh, sh," Robet whispered, rubbing her back. "It's all right, little one."

  She buried deeper into his arms at the old endearment.

  "No need to cry," he said. "All will be well."

  "I thought you were dead." Blinking back her tears, she gazed into his beloved face.

  Robet smiled slowly. "Sit down, little one." He pulled her down onto the floor of the grove with him. "I know this will be hard for you, but I am dead."

  "No, you're not. You're right here."

  "I'm here in your dream. You're dreaming."

  "No!" She shook her head in denial.

  He smoothed her hair back from her forehead. "Yes. I don't have much time."

  "What do you mean?"

  "It's hard to explain. I needed to come and make sure you were safe."

  "Why wouldn't I be? Who killed you?"

  "I don't know, little one."

  "I don't understand. Why did you leave the palace?" The questions she'd been asking herself over and over tumbled out. "How could no one have seen you?"

  "Oh, they saw me, they just didn't realize it. This wasn't the first time Westleigh and I traveled in disguise. I was meeting one of Julyan's men. He had some information for me."

  "He killed you?"

  "No," he paused, "at least I don't believe so."

  "How can you not know?"

  "I never saw them. I was ambushed," Robet said in frustration. "I didn't see who they were, but there had to be more than one person involved."

  "Where was Westleigh? Why didn't he protect you?"

  "I left him behind with the horses. They didn't like the narrow alleys. Idiotic of me really, but I needed a break. Erich and I weren't making any progress on the ridiculous treaty."

  "But you signed the treaty," Cassia said, interrupting him.

  He stopped looking inward and focused on her. "No. Erich and I didn't make any headway in the treaty. Two days of arguing was all that was accomplished."

  "He has a signed treaty with your signature."

  He shook his head. "I never signed any treaty with Vespera. You must be careful."

  "Of whom?" A chill crept through her. "What of your argument with Julyan? Why would you meet with his man when you were fighting?"

  "I saw no danger. Julyan and I were having the same argument we'd been having for thirteen years. We always argued about your future."

  She didn't understand why they would argue over her. Then she recalled the feeling she'd met Julyan before. "Why?"

  He glanced over his shoulder and shook his head. "I've run out of time."

  Her eyes widened as he stood up and stepped out of the grove. She leapt after him, but all she saw outside the grove was thick green grass. "Father!"

  "Cassia," a voice said as her body shook. Cassia opened her eyes to see Yaffa standing over her. "Are you all right, Princess? You were crying out in your sleep."

  She sat up. "Yes, I'm fine." But she wasn't. The dream clung to her and her heart beat heavily. "What time is it?"

  "It's almost dawn." Yaffa stepped back from the bed.

  Cassia nodded. Yaffa curtsied and walked quietly to where she and Ula were bedded down in the small dressing room. Cassia flopped back into her bed and stared up at the ceiling. A gray light from the window signaled it was indeed dawn. Her body ached from the lack of sleep. She was almost used to the pain by now. It seemed forever since she'd been able to sleep through the night.

  She rolled over and tried to pull the dream back. Panic filled her as she realized it was starting to fade from her memory. She jumped up and padded over to the writing desk across from the bed, writing down everything Robet had said to her in the dream. She relaxed noting the last of the dream, confident she hadn't forgotten anything. At least, she didn't think she had.

  Slowly reading over what she'd written, Cassia tapped the quill on the blotter. What was she supposed to do with this? She pushed the tears back. They wouldn't help her. He'd come to her for a reason. She just had to figure out why. As she went over what he'd said she realized she didn't really have anything new on his death. Their conversation hadn't followed a logical course.

  He was worried. Worried enough to cross the threshold and communicate with her. But he hadn't said what he was concerned about. She tapped at where he'd said he hadn't signed a treaty. Cassia had seen the treaty herself. His signature and seal were on the bottom right alongside King Erich's, but if he hadn't signed the treaty that meant it was a forgery. Advisor Eb had hinted at the possibility when they'd first gotten the treaty, but he hadn't voiced it. What about the treaty had tipped Eb off and made him think Robet wouldn't have signed it?

  If he hadn't signed the treaty than this marriage to Prince Torr wasn't what he'd wanted at all. She didn't have to marry Torr. She shouldn't marry Torr. She had to speak to her mother.

  ****

  Cassia waited impatiently for her mother. Maconahay wouldn't allow her out of her room, but had finally relented enough to send a guard to her mother's chamber to inquire if she could go there. He nodded and she rushed across the hall. She shut the door soundly in Maconahay's face.

  Sarahann looked at her expectantly. "What's so urgent?"

  "Father never signed a treaty with King Erich," she said. "It's a forgery."

  Sarahann put her tea cup down and focused on her daughter. "Who told you this?"

  She hesitated. She had no idea how her mother would take the appearance of her father's ghost. "Father."

  Sarahann rose swiftly. "You're saying you saw your father?" She clasped her hands together. "Cassia, your father is no longer with us."

  Cassia waved a hand. "I didn't say I saw him alive."

  "A ghost?" Sarahann asked in disbelief. "You're telling me your father's ghost appeared in your chamber?"

  "Not exactly. He came to me in a dream," she said, almost flinching at how it sounded. She wished she had more proof to share with her mother, but she didn't. She rushed through what her father had said. "He told me what happened to him. He never saw who killed him. He was meeting one of Julyan's men. He was ambushed. Then he told me he and Erich had been arguing, and hadn't come to any compromises. He didn't sign the treaty."

  Sarahann rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "Gods, give me patience." She looked back at her daughter. "You had a dream, Cassia. That's all it was. Your father is gone. You must accept his death. I know you don't want to marry Torr, but it's what's best for your kingdom. Even your father recognized that a treaty with Vespera was essential."

  Cassia shook her head.

  "He signed the treaty," her mother insisted. "That was his signature. His seal. We both saw it. The treaty might not be what he hoped for, but your father wanted peace with Vespera and he was willing to make concessions."

  "Like my future."

  "I know you're upset your father agreed to the
betrothal without speaking with you first. It's difficult to be angry with someone who's gone. It's much easier to project your anger on other people."

  Cassia sucked in her breath. She had seen her father. It wasn't her imagination or a dream with no meaning. She knew it with all of her heart. Just as she knew her mother, looking at her sadly, would never listen to her. Her mother had never really listened to her. Why would she start now?

  "The seamstress will be arriving soon," Sarahann said. "You should prepare for her."

  Cassia bit back what she wanted to say and nodded. Maconahay waited for her on the other side of the door. She refused to look at him. She still hadn't forgiven him for his defection to her mother's side.

  "Captain," she said shortly.

  "Good morning." Maconahay hesitated a moment. "Yaffa went to fetch the seamstress."

  She nodded and stepped into her room. She didn't have to wait long for Yaffa to return with Madame Celeste and Lola. Breakfast followed shortly after and found her on the stand again playing at being a pin cushion. The seamstress hummed softly as she stood back and looked at the alterations she had finished during the night.

  "Good," Celeste said. "We're almost done, just a couple more things to do."

  The seamstress walked around her, pinning here and there. Lola trailed behind handing a pin each time Celeste held out a hand. Cassia waited impatiently. She had to know what her mother was going to do. Would she do anything? She jumped as a pin pricked her. Celeste apologized profusely, but didn't slow down in her pinning.

  Lola and Celeste gently tugged the dress off of Cassia. Ula hurried forward with a wrap and Cassia sat at the dressing table for Ula to brush and twist her hair up for the day. She hadn't had time to do it earlier because Cassia had been in such a rush to see her mother.

  Cassia needed to think. What was she to do with what she knew? Her eyes strayed to the drawer where she had put all of her notes by her bedside. She had hidden them away before Ula and Yaffa had come to attend her. There they stayed for now. Who could she show them to? Captain Kenrick? If her mother didn't believe her why would he? She didn't know him well enough to believe he wouldn't brush her off. She thought about Captain Maconahay. Before last night she would have believed he would listen, but he had shown his loyalty was to her mother.

  Tears started to rise and she screwed her eyes shut as the burden weighed down. She couldn't do this alone. Advisor Eb. She had to tell Advisor Eb what she'd learned. He'd been against her marriage to Torr and had been suspicious of the treaty. If only he'd come. But her mother had left him behind to watch over Gordain during their absence. If she could get word to him? She shook her head and Ula tugged her hair and frowned. There was no way she would be able to get a message to him before the wedding tomorrow morning.

  "Your Highness." Celeste beckoned her back to the stand.

  Ula scowled at Celeste. "Her Highness will be ready in a moment."

  Cassia sat still as Ula quickly finished the upsweep she had fashioned. Her handmaiden completed it with several pins and a small tiara peeked out from her hair. Cassia raised an eyebrow at the elegant and elaborate style. She wasn't going to a ball, but at the moment she had other things on her mind besides arguing with Ula.

  She grimaced as she climbed back on the stand. Celeste and Lola swept the gown back over her head as Yaffa pulled the dressing robe off. It took a moment for Celeste to adjust the dress just right and then the four women stood back to gaze at her.

  Yaffa clasped her hands together. "It's wonderful, Madame Celeste."

  Celeste inclined her head in answer. "I'll go inform the queen your dress is finished."

  "Thank you," Cassia said in response. "If you could get me out of it now?"

  Ula and Yaffa started unbuttoning and untying her out of the dress. Cassia tried to think of a way to stop the wedding. She couldn't say "no" during the ceremony. The repercussions of that -- well, she couldn't even imagine what would happen. By the way Sarahann had reacted this morning she was fairly certain she wouldn't be able to convince her mother to call off the wedding.

  The only solution would be for her not to be there. As the thought occurred to her, she shivered. She couldn't lock herself in her room and hide under her bed. She'd have to leave. Run away.

  A knock interrupted her thoughts.

  "A minute," Ula called out, tugging the last of the dress away and wrapping Cassia in her dressing robe. Yaffa walked over to the door and opened it. Maconahay stood on the other side with a Vesperan guard. He nodded at Yaffa and looked past her to Cassia.

  "Your Highness," the Vesperan guard said. "Prince Torr would like you to join him for lunch in the Garden Room."

  Cassia pulled herself out of her churning thoughts to focus on the Vesperan guard. She wondered if Torr knew the treaty hadn't been signed. Maybe this would be the opportunity to find out what he knew about the entire situation.

  "I'd be delighted to," Cassia said.

  ****

  Dressed in a light pink gown that matched the fancy hair Ula had done earlier, Cassia followed the Vesperan guard into the breathtaking Garden Room. The large atrium overflowed with exotic plants. She gazed around in wonder at the different blooms. She'd never seen so many bright colors in one place. Sunlight filtered through the large windows and roof.

  "Her Highness Princess Cassia," the Vesperan guard announced as they drew near an intimate table in the center of the room.

  Prince Torr rose as the Vesperan guard stepped back against the wall next to where Maconahay stood by the door.

  "Your Highness." Torr bowed gracefully.

  Cassia curtsied in response and stepped up to the table. "Prince Torr."

  "May I introduce you to my brother Prince Lindley and my sister Princess Margarette," Torr said.

  Prince Lindley appeared to be about ten years old and Princess Margarette about twelve. They rose and bowed to Cassia. She curtsied back and did her best to summon a smile.

  "Prince Lindley, Princess Margarette," Cassia said. She hesitated slightly at the chair Torr pulled out for her, but regained her composure and took the seat. "My brothers will be delighted to learn there are other youngsters around."

  "I didn't think," Torr said with a flush. "I shall have them summoned immediately."

  Their presence could severely handicap her planned questioning, but then again she hadn't counted on having to make conversation with the other prince and princess, and her brothers could entertain them.

  "Captain Maconahay can fetch them," Cassia said with a smile. She glanced over her shoulder and beckoned to Maconahay. Surprise crossed his face as he stepped up. "Would you go upstairs and bring my brothers down to join us?"

  Maconahay slanted an untrusting look at Torr. "That would require me to leave you."

  Cassia waved a hand at him. "I'll be perfectly safe for the few moments you are gone, Captain."

  She added a firmer tone to her last word. Daring him to disobey her order. He snapped to attention, bowed, and strode from the room. Cassia pasted a smile on her lips and looked at Torr's younger siblings.

  They were both of fair complexion and beautiful like their brother. Sitting before the three of them, she felt very plain despite the fancy dress and hair. Now she understood why Ula had dressed her so. She must have seen the triple beauties.

  "Was it a long journey, Princess Cassia?" Margarette asked.

  "Yes, it was the longest I have ever been on," Cassia said. "I wouldn't recommend being cooped up in a carriage for days."

  Margarette shot a look at her brothers. "It's such a bother being a girl. If you were a boy you could have ridden by horseback."

  "Margarette," Torr's voice held a hint of reprimand.

  "A much more enjoyable journey," Cassia said, giving a real smile. "But then if I was a boy I wouldn't be marrying your brother, would I?"

  Margarette laughed into her napkin. They all quieted as the servers brought in several platters of fruit, bread and cheese.

  "We should wa
it for your brothers," Margarette said.

  The pounding of feet announced their presence as her brothers tumbled into the room. Torr nodded to one of the servers who fetched two more chairs and another one brought two more place settings. Cassia scooted closer to Torr until they were sitting next to each other at the round table as her brothers reached for their food.

  "Tully, Faolan!" Cassia said. They paused. She cleared her throat. They both bowed and then sat down. She glanced behind them and was surprised to see only Maconahay. Witen had not accompanied them. "May I introduce my brothers, Prince Faolan and Prince Tully. You remember Prince Torr. His brother, Prince Lindley and his sister, Princess Margarette."

  "Prince Faolan and Prince Tully." Torr gestured for them to eat their fill.

  The boys quickly covered their plates. Cassia picked at a few items. Her appetite still hadn't returned. She ate just to fuel herself at this point, as she couldn't taste anything. Once the meal had started, Faolan and Lindley began to converse as boys do. Not that Margarette didn't add her input here and there, and Tully agreed with everything Faolan said. This would be the best time to see what Torr knew.

  "Are you ready?" Cassia asked, trying to think of a way to bring up the treaty without being too obvious.

  Torr paused, his fork halfway to his mouth. "As ready as one can be."

  He sounded as unenthusiastic as she felt, but then again he had a lady friend already.

  "A fortnight ago the treaty wasn't even complete." She took a sip of wine. "And now the treaty is signed, my father is murdered, and we are to be wed."

  Torr stared at her blankly. She had spoken quietly so the siblings hadn't heard her sarcastic remark. Torr set his fork down and focused on her. Cassia raised an eyebrow in challenge.

  "What are you implying, Princess?" Torr asked just as quietly.

  "It's all happened so quickly," she said over her glass. "The treaty."

  "What of the treaty?"

  She shrugged. "It's amazing it was signed when it was. You didn't know they were no closer to an agreement when they last met?"

  His eyes narrowed at each of her carefully chosen words. "Obviously, an agreement was made or the treaty wouldn't be in place."