Accidental Duelist

by Jamie Davis

  Cari nodded. "Yes, I can keep your secret."

  "Excellent, I knew you could."

  He left her while he rushed off into the forest, calling out for assistance.

  Cari stared up at the sky. Another cloud drifted into view. This one looked like a coiled snake. At least it did to her. The clouds were mocking her.

  Familiar voices distracted Cari from her brooding.

  Stefan ran into the small clearing.

  "Cari, you're alright. Oh, by the gods, you're wounded."

  He called out. "I found her. Help. Over here!"

  Two game keepers rushed into the clearing. One of them fumbled at his belt pouch and pulled out a small flask. He knelt down next to her, surprisingly gentle hands lifting her head up so she could drink.

  "Here, lass, sip it slowly but make sure you drink it all down. It will help you."

  Cari drank as the man lifted the flask to her lips. The warm liquid went down easy. It had a syrupy consistency and was a little sweet, with a hint of peppermint.

  Warmth filled her body, running like a wave from her head to her toes as she swallowed the last of the potion.

  * * *

  Major healing potion - 24 health points restored

  Health: 33/90

  * * *

  "That's better, isn't it?" The game keeper asked.

  "Yes. Thank you."

  "Good, now rest. We're preparing a litter for you now." He looked up at Stefan. "It is safe to move her now, Lieutenant. That potion'll keep her alive until we can get her back to the manor. The Duke has a healing mage there who can deal with these more serious wounds."

  Stefan nodded and lifted Cari up to a sitting position. She winced, feeling her ribs grinding in her side as he did. It was easier to breathe sitting up though.

  The game keeper started bandaging her various wounds. He pressed a folded cloth dressing on the cut over her eye, partially obscuring her vision as he wrapped a bandage around her head to hold it in place. She didn't need to see anything right now and her eyelids drooped as if pulled down by tiny lead weights.

  The urge to rest washed over her as the warmth of the potion’s magic continued to knit her wounds back together. Cari closed her good eye and let sleep take her away from the pain and worry of everything she’d discovered.

  Chapter 36

  Cari stretched her arms up over her head, waking from a very long, strange dream. She remembered men and women bending over her, muttering words she couldn't understand. They all left and came back many times to check on her over several days until she couldn't remember what day it was.

  She tried to place where she was when she opened her eyes. The canopied bed in which she lay had embroidered drapes hanging down from the bedposts at all four corners where they could be pulled across for warmth and privacy.

  "Oh, you're up," a woman's voice said. "What a nice surprise."

  Cari turned to see a woman in her fifties sitting and working on embroidering a small piece of cloth with a needle and thread.

  "You gave us quite the challenge, young lady. The Duke brought special healers up from one of the Temples in Tandon for you. The local mage healed you but she couldn't get you to awaken."

  "I'm in the manor," Cari remarked aloud. “I’m at the Duke's estates."

  "Where else would you be? Now sit up and I'll go and fetch you something to eat. The Temple priests and priestesses all said you'd be famished when you woke up."

  As if on cue, Cari's belly rumbled and she had a sudden awareness of the ache from her empty stomach.

  The woman bustled out the door of the bed chamber. As she passed through it, she nodded to someone in the next room.

  "She's awake now, gentlemen. Don't tax her though. She's still weak."

  She heard murmurs of thanks. Stefan and Rodrigo both appeared in the entrance to her room together. For a few seconds, they each jostled comically to enter through the doorway first. Eventually, the two of them managed to squeeze through at the same time.

  Cari stifled a laugh.

  Rodrigo beat the lieutenant to her bedside by a hair, reaching out to lay a hand on Cari's shoulder as he arrived.

  "You should change your name to Cat, Cari. It looks like you have nine lives. You had Liam and the rest of us very worried."

  "Liam and the rest of you?" Cari asked. Her face broke into a grin. "I didn't see the three of them waiting outside my room when I awakened."

  Stefan jumped in before Rodrigo could answer.

  "I have not left the outer chamber aside from my official duties, since I escorted you back from the valley of the hunt."

  "I, along with the others have been seeing to the Prince's safety," Rodrigo said, fixing Stefan with a stare before turning back to Cari. "You understand that, don’t you? After all, you’re part of our original group of companions to rescue the Prince."

  "Guys, seriously? Look I appreciate you both looking in on me, but I'm feeling much better now and am looking forward to getting up out of bed."

  They both looked at her, clearly not getting the hint.

  Cari pointed to the door.

  "Do you mind? I'd like to get dressed."

  The two of them once again stumbled over each other trying to get through the door at the same time while taking their leave.

  Cari stifled another laugh at their expense. She wasn't used to this kind of attention. The boys at home and school either didn’t pay attention to her at all or weren’t worth her time and consideration. She tended to intimidate most men she ran into and those that weren't put off by her attitude were just plain creepy.

  This was different. Both Rodrigo and Stefan had their positive qualities.

  Rodrigo had been one of her first companions in Fantasma and he'd been the one to fetch the three dragoons to come to her rescue.

  Stefan had been a pain in the neck in the beginning, but as she got to know him, she discovered he was a pretty decent guy who was loyal and conscientious.

  Luckily, she didn't have to choose between them. Not now, and not in the near future either. She had some other, harder decisions to make. Picking a boyfriend wasn't one of them. Waking up brought with it all the memories of the last battle in the forest and the brief confrontation she had with Prince Timron.

  Cari didn't know if she should tell someone about Timron's treachery, or even who she could tell. If what he said was true, he only colluded to protect himself and never participated in the "accidents" that killed the rest of his family.

  On the other hand, he knowingly let someone else kill everyone else in line for the throne. He didn’t care if they were a man, woman, or child. All that mattered was he was all that remained. It sickened her to think about it. What she wanted to do was get far away from any of this and let it all work itself out without her. She didn’t owe anyone anything.

  Cari needed to talk to someone about it all. When she had problems like this at home, she usually went to her dad. That wasn’t an option right now. Not only was he not here, but she was still angry with him for lying to her about Fantasma all her life.

  The only other person she could think of was Chance, the elf Dragoon. He, like Timron, knew who she was and she could be honest with him in a way she couldn't be with the others.

  Cari searched the wardrobe in the corner until she found her gear. She pulled on her clothes. They’d been cleaned and carefully folded. She also noted the places where someone had carefully mended the cuts and tears in the fabric left over from her injuries.

  Slipping into her knee-high boots last of all, she picked up her sword baldric and slid it over her head placing the leather belt across her chest so her sword rested in its comfortable spot on her right hip. Her fingers toyed with the frayed and stained red ribbon she'd received when she first arrived, signifying her alliance with the Empress. So much had happened since that first day she woke up in the inn back at the capital.

  Cari considered removing the tattered ribbon but changed her mind. It felt like the right thing to do
to stand up for the Empress.

  When she walked out into the outer room of her suite, Rodrigo and Stefan stood leaning against opposite walls and seemed to be in the middle of some sort of nonchalant staring contest and standoff.

  "Guys, seriously, the two of you need to back down on the jealousy thing. I'm not on the lookout for any relationships or encumbrances right now. Back off. Can't we all just be friends?"

  Both pairs of shoulders sagged a little and a split second later, both faces shifted from crestfallen to a sort of thinly-veiled, forced smile.

  Cari sighed. She could tell even friend-zoning these two wasn't going to put them off their game. Alright, fine, she'd deal with them later. For now, she had to talk with Chance.

  "Either of you know where Chance is?"

  Rodrigo jumped in right away.

  "I can take you to him. I know where he is."

  "I don't need an escort," Cari replied holding up a hand. "I'm sure I can locate him if you tell me where he is."

  Rodrigo deflated a little before speaking. Cari caught a slight grin on Stefan's face as the other spoke.

  "You can probably find him in the Duke's library. He's been in there reading since he got here."

  "Thank you. Why don't you two run along? If you want, we can work out and spar a little later to make sure I haven't lost my edge. I’m all stiff and sore from being in bed so long."

  "An excellent idea," Stefan said. "I'll be in the courtyard when you're ready to begin."

  "Me, too," Rodrigo echoed.

  Stopping herself from a major eye-roll, Cari walked between them and out the open door into the hallway. It occurred to her as she stepped onto the long carpet running the length of the upstairs hall that she had not been inside the Manor before. She'd only made it as far as the courtyard.

  "Left," a gruff voice said from beside her.

  Thad sat on a bench outside her room. He leaned back against the wall with his eyes closed. He opened them long enough to wink at her and nodded to her left.

  "I heard. The library is to your left, down the stairs and across the central hall. Look for floor to ceiling books. Can't miss it."

  "Thank you, Thad."

  He nodded and closed his eyes again. She caught the corners of the orc’s mouth curling in a slight smile around his upward jutting tusks.

  Cari turned and followed the instructions. She spotted the library as soon as she reached the bottom of the stairs. The door was open and she could see the walls inside covered with full bookshelves.

  Crossing to the room, she entered.

  Chance looked up from where he sat by the fireplace and smiled when he saw her standing there. He closed the book he'd been reading and stood, nodding a slight bow in her direction.

  "You're awake. The healing priest from the city wasn't certain how long it would take you to heal enough to awaken. He put the time frame at a week. I guessed it would be sooner. How do you feel?"

  "Honestly, a little wobbly, but I think it's as much a function of being in bed a long time as anything else. How long was it anyway?"

  “It’s been five days since we brought you back. The healers just left this morning to return to Tandon. Their leader, a priestess from the Sun Temple, said they’d done all they could and she was confident you’d awaken soon.”

  Cari nodded and crossed to the chair opposite Chance's and sat down on the comfortable upholstered cushion. The elf returned to his chair as she sat.

  "You did well, Princess. Your father would be proud."

  "I told you before, don't call me that. I'm just Cari."

  Chance chuckled.

  "You'll never be 'just Cari' again. Word of your exploits saving the Prince has started to spread, partly because he commissioned several bards brought out from Tandon to write an epic ballad of the rescue."

  "He what?"

  "Yes, by now, the tale is being told in all the taverns in Tandon. Once the word reaches the sailors in the harbor, it'll spread far and wide. People love tales of your father. Imagine their reaction when they hear of someone with your name heroically rescuing the Prince from an assassin. It won’t be long before they decide you really are the Lost Princess, come back to save the Empire once more."

  "That bastard. He promised he'd not tell people he knew who I was."

  "Oh, he didn't as far as I know. The bards made that leap all on their own. I don't know if they believe the stories they're telling or not, but the people who hear it will at the very least wonder if the tale is true."

  "Oh, this is horrible." Cari sat back and stared at the ceiling.

  "Why? The people need a hero, someone to believe in. Now, more than ever they need that. The Empress is ill. It isn't common knowledge yet, but rumors have spread. They know she isn't going to live forever. It is a time of great uncertainty, Cari. During times like these, people reach out for stability from anything they can. They look for the things they can all believe in. Having the Lost Princess come back in a time of the Empire's need provides something for the common folk to hang on to."

  "But I don't want that. I never asked for it."

  Chance laughed and shook his head.

  "Neither did your father. Yet he stepped into the role when the opportunity was offered to him and rose to the occasion."

  "Then my father can come back and save the day, not me. I just want to explore this world and see everything it has to offer."

  "You don't want to return home?" Chance asked, leaning forward in his chair to catch her eye. She’d looked away, uncomfortable with the question. She was torn.

  "Why, do you know how to send me back?"

  "Not me, but I suspect the Empress knows or can find someone who does. That requires you to return to the capital and present yourself to her. She has very fond memories of you toddling about the palace when you were younger. She'll welcome you with open arms. If anyone can find the magic necessary to send you back home, it is her."

  Cari considered her options for a long minute while Chance waited in silence.

  "That sounds very nice, I’m sure the Empress would help me return, if I wanted to go. As far as I'm concerned, though, I just got here. I think I'll wait a while longer before trying to find my way back."

  "You know, once your father and mother find out you're missing, they'll surely come for you. They might already be here."

  That caught her attention. They would come after her, wouldn't they? Where were they though? It had been nearly two months since she’d come to Fantasma.

  "If they were coming for me, they'd have been here by now."

  "I don’t know why they haven’t yet showed up, nevertheless, I believe they will come. You know it, too. You can't use Fantasma as a way to run away from home, Cari. The things from which you run can’t be escaped so easily. They are carried within you, no matter where you go. Until you face that, you'll run forever and never get away."

  "Nice speech," Cari said. "You should get a t-shirt made."

  Chance smiled.

  "You have the same odd turn of phrase your father had. He used to say the oddest things like that in passing."

  Cari started to snap a retort back at him. She was nothing like her father. They were interrupted by the serving woman she’d met in her bedroom entering the library.

  "There you are, missy. I have your breakfast here. I had the devil of a time finding you. Luckily, the orc gentleman upstairs in the hallway was happy to tell me where you'd gone."

  Cari didn't miss the chastising tone in the woman's voice. She thought Cari should have remained in bed.

  The woman set the tray of food down on the small table next to her chair.

  "Make sure you eat your fill. You need your strength back if you insist on gallivanting about the manor after all you've been through. I'll come back and collect the tray later."

  Cari’s stomach growled as the smell of the food on the tray wafted up to her. The eggs, ham, and the small wedge of cheese looked delicious. She leaned forward and dug in with gusto.<
br />
  The break in the conversation while she ate served to remind her what sent her seeking Chance in the first place. She had to tell someone about the Prince’s deception and betrayal of his family.

  "Chance, I know something. It’s something I learned during the Prince's rescue. It's disturbing and I need advice on what I should do."

  "I have an idea where you're going. Go ahead."

  Cari struggled for a few seconds trying to find the right words.

  "It's about Timron. He - uh, well, he's not—"

  "… Not the innocent victim he pretends to be?"

  "Yes. How did you know? I mean, do you know about his part in what happened to the rest of the family?

  Chance nodded.

  "We've long suspected he had some part in all the accidents that befell his relatives. We had no proof, but all the signs were there. He was easily the most vulnerable of the royals and he never requested extra protection even after the accidental deaths started. You've seen how he was in the city. If an assassin had wanted him dead, there were numerous opportunities to finish him. Yet despite all that, he lived on where others with greater protections died. The Dragoons are not idiots, Cari. We could read between the lines. What we lacked was the evidence of his treachery."

  "So, if I tell you what I learned, that could provide that evidence."

  "No, now it’s too late. He is the sole heir. Unless another heir is miraculously found, Timron’s protected by the position of Crown Prince. Even if we were to make a charge stick and he were executed for his complicity in the deaths of his family, who would that leave to assume the throne when his grandmother died?"

  "The Duke of Charon," Cari said.

  "Exactly."

  "But isn't the Duke pulling the strings controlling Timron anyway? Won't it be the same?"

  "Ah, but who sent the assassin here to kill the Prince? It’s obvious he’s been double-crossed somehow. He’ll not be so cozy with the Duke of Charon and his plans anymore, I think."

  "But that means Timron will be Emperor. That's got to scare you. He's a pig. He'll ruin everything his grandmother has built during her reign."