Horse Charmer

by Angelia Almos

  "It seems you were correct, gentlemen," Sarahann said. "My daughter has been returned to me safely. Though I still don't understand why she didn't accompany you."

  "We split up to double our chances of preventing this marriage," Cassia said, her gaze shooting back to Erich's face.

  "Oh." Probably for the first time in her life, Sarahann was at a loss for what to say.

  "Especially considering that the treaty King Erich presented to us is a forgery," Cassia continued.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  The Karahan advisors stared at her in distress before glancing carefully around them. King Erich's expression didn't change. Cassia could have sworn his lips curved just a little.

  "Not this again," Sarahann said in a hushed voice.

  "Perhaps we should take this conversation out to the side hall." Erich took his new bride by her arm and pulled her toward the small door behind them. He nodded to his personal guards who opened the doors and stepped through themselves.

  Cassia followed and frowned at Maconahay when he insisted on proceeding through the doorway first. Luki close behind her and the Karahan advisors followed him. The hallway was wide and offered plenty of room for her to square off of Erich with Luki and Maconahay on each side of her.

  "Who told you this lie?" Erich said with a gentle smile.

  She smiled slightly. "That isn't why I'm here."

  The Karahan advisors shifted uneasily, since that was why they believed she had returned to the castle. Maconahay eyed the five Vesperan personal guardsmen warily and cleared his throat in caution.

  "Don't worry so much, Captain," Cassia said, sure of herself. She didn't reveal that she could feel their reinforcements on their way. "I want to know why you had my father murdered."

  As she spoke the words, she kept the man who had struck her father down in her line of sight. Bittore hovered just behind Erich against the wall. He jerked slightly at her words, but he was good at covering his emotions, his face showed nothing. But not nearly as accomplished as King Erich, who stared at her in complete astonishment.

  Erich's expression gentled to concern. "I wasn't involved in your father's death, Princess Cassia."

  "Cassia!" Sarahann scolded in a shocked voice. The Karahan advisors remained silent witnesses behind Cassia. "That's enough!"

  "Is it?" She held her ground. "Do you require proof?"

  Sarahann looked from Cassia to Erich with uncertainty.

  Erich hadn't released the hold he'd had on her arm since entering the hallway. "There's no proof, because I wasn't involved."

  "Oh, you didn't strike the blow." Cassia nodded toward Bittore and smiled. Though it was more a flash of teeth than a smile. Both Maconahay and Luki followed her gaze and drew their swords.

  Erich's guards mimicked the move in a blinding flash.

  "Stop that!" Sarahann jumped forward to grab her daughter's hands. "What are you doing? Lay down your swords." Maconahay and Luki both ignored her and she focused back on Cassia. "Tell them to lay their swords down."

  "No," she said, her confidence growing as she heard the sound of pounding hooves.

  The Vesperan guards glanced over their shoulders nervously as Kali slammed through a set of doors at the end of the hall. Dall, Bailintin, and Pakelika on Ward followed. Pakelika clung to the saddle, not comfortable with being taken for a ride. Kali brought her group to a stop a mere ten feet from the Vesperan guards. The men shifted their attention uneasily between the horses and Cassia's escorts.

  "I'm sorry we were too late, Mother." She didn't take her gaze off Erich's face. "I would have spared you this pain, but it can't be ignored. Do you still deny it, King Erich? Do you deny you sent that man," she pointed at Bittore, "to slay my father in one of Vespera's dark alleys?"

  "Of course I do," Erich said, a bite of temper creeping into his voice. "Your accusation is completely absurd. I had no reason to want King Robet dead."

  He lies. Kali said.

  I know, but thank you for confirming.

  "He wouldn't sign your treaty," Cassia said. "You couldn't allow that, could you? But having your own personal bodyguard commit the murder was stupid, especially since there were witnesses."

  "Witnesses?" Eb asked quietly, the first of the Karahan advisors, to speak up.

  "Yes," she said. "He saw everything."

  "Westleigh?" Eb asked.

  "No." She hesitated not wanting to reveal her secret to all and sundry.

  Bittore remained still, but his eyes burned with hatred as they focused on her. She could feel his intent, his sureness at striking her down. She kept her faith in Luki and Maconahay and their ability to protect her. Pulling her gaze away from Bittore, she looked back to Erich. She pushed her mother behind her as she narrowed her eyes.

  "King Erich of Vespera," Cassia said, knowing what this declaration would do to all of those around her. "You have committed crimes against the Kingdom of Karah and her king. You have forced forgery and lies upon us. You have committed the most serious of crimes by striking down her ruler and monarch. For those crimes, you shall--"

  "Wait!" Torr objected, revealing his hiding place behind the door. Luki shifted to meet the new threat much closer to them. Torr glanced at his father before turning to her, stopping just out of reach of Luki's sword. "Please, wait."

  "If you wish to keep your head, Prince," Cassia said. "I suggest you back away."

  "You will not threaten my son," Erich said, his temper staining his cheeks.

  "Stop!" Torr stepped between them, placing himself well within range of Maconahay's sword. He lifted his hands, palm up, to show he carried no weapon. "You condemn Vespera along with her king."

  She held her tongue and forced herself to look past the red rage coloring her vision. "The kingdom and her king are intertwined."

  "Yes," Torr acknowledged. "But if the kingdom is unaware of the atrocity her king has committed, would you sentence the kingdom with her king?"

  "He killed my father!" She spat out.

  "I'm not disputing your accusation." He took a step closer.

  "What is your duplicity in this?"

  He looked her straight in the eye. "I didn't know."

  "You knew of the forgery."

  "I suspected," Torr corrected. "But I had no proof. Only two people were in the room."

  "You saw the treaty."

  "Yes."

  "Enough," Erich roared, yanking on his son's arm to pull him back.

  Torr resisted the pull. "Yes, it was unsigned."

  Sarahann gasped in surprise.

  "Are you a fool?" Erich yelled.

  "But I didn't know of any plans to murder your father," Torr continued, completely ignoring his own. "I give you my word."

  He speaks the truth.

  Cassia gritted her teeth. "Does it matter?"

  "Yes, if you wish to condemn Vespera along with her king," he said.

  "There cannot be peace!" Cassia said, her rage increasing when Bittore sidled closer to Erich.

  "Yes, there can," Torr insisted. "The king and kingdom are not necessarily one."

  "What are you saying?" She focused on him and his earnest expression.

  "Vespera doesn't want war with Karah." He glanced briefly at his father before looking away in dismissal. "I will not go to war with Karah."

  "You're not the king."

  "But I will be."

  "Not soon enough."

  "This is nonsense." Erich stepped forward, his guardsmen shadowing him. "If you have such a witness bring him forward to make his accusation."

  Cassia smiled as she sent the summons. Her secret would not be kept. "As you wish."

  Erich's lips tightened in concern for a second before relaxing. "Well, where is he?"

  Her advisors moved up closer behind her next to Sarahann obviously wondering who this witness was.

  "On his way," Cassia said.

  This isn't wise.

  What would you suggest?

  Kali shifted to the side to make room for the horse
that was currently thundering through the great hall. How will you make them believe?

  It only matters what I believe.

  The sound of horse hooves clip clopping on the stone echoed down the hallway. Rae cantered through the doorway and slid to a stop where the Vesperan guards prevented him from going any farther.

  "There he is," Cassia said.

  Erich looked over his shoulder at the horse. "He seems to have fallen off his horse."

  "The horse is the witness," she said. "Surely you recognize my father's steed."

  Someone gasped behind her, but wasn't sure if it was her mother again or one of the advisors.

  "Your witness is a horse," Eb said in disbelief.

  "Relax, there isn't a better witness than a horse," she said. "He saw the entire thing."

  Erich raised an eyebrow at her, clearly sensing the Karahan advisors were about to shuffle Cassia to the side and start peacemaking. Judging by the whispers going on behind her, he was probably right.

  "Did you know I'm a Talent, Erich?" Cassia stepped forward. Luki shadowed her movement "Can you guess what my Talent is?"

  Erich refused to answer.

  "Why don't you ask your cavalry why their horses have become uncontrollable since I arrived?" She suggested with a brittle smile.

  Then it happened. Rae caught the scent of her father's murderer in front of him. He screamed in rage and lunged forward, lethal intent in his eyes. Bittore spun, raising his sword to defend himself.

  No! Cassia yelled to Rae. Bittore would kill Rae with one well placed blow.

  Luki stepped in front of Cassia preventing her from moving an inch forward. Maconahay shoved Torr to the side so he wasn't blocked by the prince any longer.

  Kali burst forward. Faster than any horse should be able to move. She came down on Bittore. Focused on Rae, he wasn't able to defend himself from Kali's snaking teeth as she clamped down on his sword arm and yanked.

  "Aaaeeeiii!" Bittore screamed as his arm was pulled out of its socket.

  She slammed him solidly against the wall before releasing him.

  "Rae!" Cassia didn't need to say his name aloud, but she wanted them to realize she had regained control. "Enough. He will be punished. Kali!"

  Kali stomped on Bittore's leg before backing off. Kali understood Cassia's concern that more guards would have heard the commotion and would be coming. Rae was more reluctant, but slowly her will overcame his and he stopped snorting at the fallen guard and moved off to defend the entrance.

  "You have no proof," Erich said again, his eyes darting to his fallen bodyguard.

  His other four guards had moved up next to him, more wary of the threat of the horses than Cassia's two meager human guards.

  "I do." She drew herself up to her full height. "I have all the proof I require to know you are treacherous and that Karah will enter into no treaty with Vespera."

  "What about your mother? She is my bride," Erich said with a smile.

  "The marriage will be annulled."

  "I won't consent," Erich growled.

  "I don't require your consent."

  Erich gestured to cut her off. "I will not speak of matters of state with a child. You do not make the decisions for Karah. Queen Sarahann, my wife, commands Karah."

  Cassia cocked her head. "No longer, King Erich. Queen Sarahann has committed her own act of treason."

  "What?" Sarahann said behind her.

  "She failed to listen to the advisors," Cassia said, lying through her teeth. "Why do you think I brought the advisors with me? Who crowns the new sovereign ruler over its kingdom?"

  Erich glanced over her shoulder to the Karahan advisors and she hoped they wouldn't betray her. His lips twisted and she guessed none of them had shown any signs of disagreeing.

  "You lost," she said. "As the Queen of Karah, I proclaim the Kingdom of Vespera --"

  "Cassia," Torr said, intense entreaty not only in his voice, but on his face.

  She gritted her teeth and sucked in the act of war she was about to proclaim. She had to force herself to think of Karah's needs over her own driving desire for vengeance. "You have one month, Prince Torr, one month."

  Torr quickly bowed. "Your Highness."

  Cassia didn't want to leave. She wanted to see her father's murderer dead along with King Erich, who glared at her. She could almost see the plans formulating in his head. Luki shifted and she touched his side to acknowledge the warning. They were outnumbered. They would escape, but the few Karahan guard protecting them would be put at risk by the Vesperan guard for all of Torr's intentions of peace and innocence. Torr was not the ruler of Vespera. She just hoped she was hearing what he was saying correctly. She'd give him one month to dethrone his father.

  "Pakelika," Cassia called over the crowd.

  He didn't move, but his eyes fixed on her to show he'd heard.

  "We're leaving," Cassia said. She was worried about how much to say. She could instruct Ward, but she had to make sure Pakelika understood his part. "Tell the Karahans you see to leave at once."

  Pakelika saluted and Ward spun to thunder back to the main hall and up to the fourth floor to evacuate the two Karahan guards and the Karahan handmaidens.

  "Maconahay, my brothers," Cassia said under her breath.

  Maconahay tensed, not wanting to leave her, but he backed away and ducked back into the grand hall. She just hoped he was able to get them out without resistance from the Vesperan guard.

  Erich motioned for the guard closest to him to follow Maconahay.

  "I don't think so," Cassia said. Luki shifted forward to block any oncoming attacks. "Everyone stays here until my people are out of the castle."

  "You do not command me," Erich said.

  Kali clip-clopped closer. Three of Erich's guards focused on the horse while the single one stayed by his king's side. Cassia pushed the command to go after Maconahay to Bailintin and he trotted out of the hallway. That only left three horses guarding the doorway. Not what she wanted, but Maconahay would have to move swiftly. Bailintin was large enough to carry Maconahay and her two brothers with ease to safety.

  "Father." Torr stepped back.

  Erich narrowed his eyes at his son. "This won't be forgotten."

  Eb moved uneasily behind her. "Your Highness, your mother?"

  "Take her through the banquet and gather the rest of the guards and send the Karahans home."

  Erich heard her. "My wife will remain with me."

  "No, she won't."

  She could tell he was thinking about ordering his men to prevent the advisors and her mother from leaving, but his lips suddenly curved and his mouth shut. It wasn't too hard to figure out he had realized she and Luki would be outnumbered once the others ducked back into the banquet hall.

  Kali quivered where she stood.

  Wait. Cassia commanded.

  Erich snapped a finger and two of his guards stepped around him toward Cassia. Luki pushed her back a step and raised his sword to block them.

  "That isn't necessary," Cassia whispered, her eyes rising to meet Kali's.

  Kali moved faster than a blink. She spun and kicked out. Her hooves hit the two guards on their chests, smashing them into the wall. She didn't slow as she continued her spin and launched herself forward. The remaining two guards whirled to face the coming threat. Luki jumped forward, distracting them. One of the guards raised his sword to block Luki's blow and that was all Kali needed to fly by them and spin behind Cassia.

  She swung onto Kali's back. The second guard braced himself in front of Erich while Luki battled the first one. Cassia waited for a brief break in the fight and then Kali inserted herself between them, pushing the other guard back with her snapping teeth. Luki jumped up behind Cassia.

  "This isn't over!" Erich yelled as Kali bolted down the hallway to join Rae and Dall.

  Cassia was too focused on making sure the horses were doing what they were supposed to do to pay attention to Erich. The front hall was in complete chaos as the Karahans rushed o
ut the door. The Vesperan guards were making no move to stop the Karahans from leaving, more concerned with the few horses shying away from them in the hallway. The horses had done what she'd hoped and kept everything in such chaos that no one really understood what had just happened.

  Kali slid to a stop beside Dall and Luki slipped into his saddle.

  "Princess?" Luki said, gesturing to the open door with his sword.

  "One minute." Cassia closed her eyes and focused on Bailintin.

  Maconahay's steed was out in the yard and he had her brothers. She sighed in relief and nodded to Luki to head out the main door.

  "We have to go!" Luki said as the horses trotted out the grand door.

  Cassia hesitated, not wanting to leave anyone behind. She didn't know if her handmaidens had gotten out, or her mother, or the advisors.

  "Cassia, we have to go now!"

  Kali listened to Luki and bolted out the front gate, which either had remained open or had been opened for the vast exodus of Karahans. She saw several citizens look up and their eyes go wide as they watched their princess race out on horseback.

  Cassia slowly became aware of an unnatural trembling making its way up her fingers as Kali galloped out of the front gate into the village in front of the castle.

  Kali?

  Just hold on.

  I can't. My fingers won't work.

  Kali's frustration washed over her and Kali leaned into Dall. Cassia got the distinct impression Kali was speaking with Dall as he slowed.

  "Cassia?" Luki questioned, assuming she had slowed his horse.

  The trembling was working its way up her arms. "Something's wrong."

  "What?" Luki raised his sword back up and glanced around looking for the threat.

  "With me," Cassia whispered.

  She had lost all feeling in her hands and she gripped more firmly with her legs as the horses moved off the main road to a stand of trees.

  You need to ride with Luki. You're weak.

  I don't understand.

  You used too much energy back there.

  I felt fine. I didn't feel like this when I conversed with you or at Julyan's.

  That was nothing compared to what you did back there. I can hear your heart. It's beating too slowly.