His head full of the promise of the future, he fell asleep clutching the ring, his hand over his heart.
* * *
Fynna kept her eyes fixed on the blotch staining the gown.
Jessalyne took her friend by the shoulders and turned her, forcing her to look up. “Listen to me. When I was with the king today, he was lost in remembrances of the past. Sir Laythan told me to expect that at times, but today is the first I saw of it. He was mumbling and staring out the windows and making little sense. I started reading to him and when I paused, he was staring at me.
“I thought he was himself again, then he called me by someone else’s name. I went to his bedside to hear him better and he said the name again, as clear as a summer day.”
Jessalyne hesitated, looking into Fynna’s weepy eyes. “Fynna, he called me Shaylana. Shaylana.”
Fynna shook her head slowly. “I don’t understand.”
“He called me Shaylana and asked me if I had finally brought our child to him.”
Still, the pixie looked confused.
“Of all the stories you’ve made me tell you about Ertemis, does that name not mean anything to you?”
The fog in Fynna’s blue eyes cleared. Her mouth dropped open. “Do you mean...” She covered her mouth with her hand. “He is...His mother was... is it true? Can it be?”
“Sir Laythan confirmed it. I told him everything about Ertemis and me. Well, not everything, but the important bits.”
“Your dark elf is heir to the throne of Shaldar.” Fynna whispered the words as if saying them too loud might make them untrue.
Jessalyne nodded and whispered back, “Fynna, we must keep this between us and Sir Laythan. Sryka and the prince must not find this out.”
“A secret of the utmost importance. Keeping it will be my first duty to his highness, King Ertemis.”
King Ertemis Elta-naya. Except the Elta-naya no longer fit, Jessalyne thought. The firstborn son of Shaldar’s king could hardly be called the son of none.
“Fynna, I must take this dress down to the scullery and throw it into the fire. I cannot bear the stench any longer. You must also keep secret what Sryka is about with your wings. I can only imagine how terrible it is for you to know she’s doing this, but I promise it won’t be for much longer.”
“The knowledge that Prince Erebus’s day is coming will help, rest assured.”
Jessalyne bundled the dress so that the stain was in the middle. “Is there anyway to get Sryka out of her chambers?”
“Why?”
“I want to try my hand at scrying for Ertemis. I must find him and I don’t know how else to do it. I need her crystal.”
Fynna smiled. “You leave that to me. Now get that foul dress out of here and ask cook for some chocolate biscuits while you’re down there.”
Jessalyne laughed. “I’ll see what I can do.”
* * *
Sryka was in no mood for the prince’s behavior. After searching inside the castle for him, she had finally found him in the front courtyard, playing childish games. “Your highness, we must go see the king. Immediately.”
“I’m busy, old woman.” Prince Erebus kept his eyes on Salena as she took her turn at Fox and Geese.
She moved closer and whispered in his ear. “You no longer wish to be king, then?”
His eyes sparked with interest. “Why didn’t you call me sooner?” He spun on his heel and Sryka hobbled after him, leaving Salena pouting in the sun.
Sir Laythan greeted them warily. Never had both Prince Erebus and Sryka come to see the king at once. “His highness is not well today. Perhaps tomorrow would be a better time.”
Erebus pushed Laythan out of the way. “How dare you tell me what I can and cannot do? Out of my way.”
Sneering at Laythan as she passed, Sryka had the prince secure the bedroom door to keep the old man out until they needed him. How odd. Fresh air wafted in through open windows and the king stared out at the blue sky.
“He looks well enough to me,” Erebus grumbled.
She moved toward the bed. “Your highness?”
The king twisted, revealing a faraway look in his eyes. Even better. She smirked. “Let Laythan in to witness. The king will give the blessing.”
Prince Erebus stepped away from the door and Laythan burst in. “You should not be in here. The king needs his rest.”
“Be quiet, old man. You knew this day would come.” The prince stroked the hilt of his sword in a poorly veiled threat.
Sryka focused her attention on the king. “Your highness, we are here to receive your blessing on the child Jessalyne. Your son wishes to wed her and take his rightful place on the throne.”
“My son?” The king’s words were feeble.
“Aye, your son wishes you to bless Jessalyne as his bride so that he may marry her.”
“Jessalyne?”
Sryka ground down her exasperation. Just a little while longer and she’d be free. “The pale-haired girl who has been visiting with you?”
“Beautiful hair.” A faint smile crossed his face.
“Aye, lovely hair. Do you give her your blessing to wed your son?”
“Hair like moonlight...” The king seemed to be searching his memory. “My son is here?”
“Aye, Sire, your son is here.”
His face lit in a way Sryka had not seen in a long time. “I give my blessing.”
* * *
Jessalyne returned with a bundle of the requested biscuits tied in linen.
“Oh good.” Fynna smiled. “I brewed a pot of tea. I knew you’d come back with them. Cook loves you. Did she say anything about that dress?”
Jessalyne handed the biscuits to Fynna. “She sent me down to the laundry, to pitch it in one of the furnaces so it wouldn’t stink up the scullery. I promised her a recipe for pepperberry preserves.”
“Do you have to go to the great hall for dinner?” Crumbs spilled out of Fynna’s mouth.
“Regrettably, yes. I am running out of ways to distract Prince Erebus. I swear, if he does not stop petting me like a kitten, I may show him my claws.”
Fynna spit more crumbs out as she laughed. “I would like to see that!”
“Mark my words, as soon as I become his mage, I will waste no time making sure he understands his hands are not welcome anywhere near me.”
“When you become the new mage...” Fynna hesitated, twisting her toes in the carpet.
“Yes?”
“I would like to be your apprentice. If you think I could do it, that is.”
“Of course you could do it, but wouldn’t you rather return home?”
“For everything Sryka puts me through, I like castle life. At least I like it since you’ve gotten here.”
Jessalyne was touched by Fynna’s words. “When I am mage, you will always have a place here. But you will come and go as you please. None of this asking permission rubbish.”
Fynna stuffed another biscuit in her mouth.
“You keep eating those biscuits like that and you’ll be too fat to fly.” Jessalyne opened the wardrobe to select a gown for dinner. “How awful is this one?” Jessalyne pulled out a spinach green sateen gown with mustard ribbons lacing up the sleeves and banding the waist.
“Must I answer?”
“You just did. Do you think the prince’s clothier is blind?”
Fynna laughed and set the biscuits down long enough to lace Jessalyne into the gown. She smoothed her hair into a simple braid. “All right, I best go. I’ll see you after dinner. Maybe we’ll play some Fryst when I get back, if you feel like it.”
“I’ll walk with you. I think cook is making liver dumplings.”
Jessalyne raised an eyebrow. “And you’re going to eat those after eating chocolate biscuits? Not only do I not know where you store all that food, I don’t know how you keep it down.”
At the bottom of the stairs, Fynna veered the back hall toward the scullery and Jessalyne reluctantly took her seat at the prince’s table.
<
br /> Prince Erebus entered with his usual pomposity. He wore a purple velvet cloak, trimmed in peacock feathers and gold braid. A bit much, even for him.
Somewhat distracted by the extravagant cloak, she at last noticed two familiar faces in the procession with Prince Erebus. Sryka and Sir Laythan were walking behind the prince. Sir Laythan’s mouth was crumpled in an unhappy frown, but Sryka was oddly buoyant even as she leaned on her staff.Jessalyne tried to catch Sir Laythan’s eye as the party made its way onto the dais but he didn’t look in her direction.
At the trumpeters’ final flourish, Prince Erebus raised his hands to silence the crowd. “Citizens of Shaldar, visiting nobles and distinguished guests! As always, your love and affection for me is overwhelming.”
Jessalyne thought she might retch. Laythan but he still would not look at her. Sryka’s eyes were fixed on the prince as he continued his address.
“As you all know, I have been searching for a bride. A woman who must not only serve me as wife and companion but who must also serve you, the people of Shaldar, as your queen. A woman who will bear the heirs to Shaldar’s throne. A woman who most importantly must receive the blessing of King Maelthorn.”
Finally. The king had blessed Salena and the prince would leave her alone at last. Great relief swept through her knowing this would be the last dinner spent fending off the prince’s advances. Salena preened in the audience, staring at the prince with a haughty expectance.
Jessalyne felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see the prince. He still spoke to the crowd. “It is my great honor to introduce you to the woman who will be my mage.” He gazed at Jessalyne, his smile wide enough to show his molars. “And in one week’s time, my queen. I give you Jessalyne Brandborne of Fairleigh Grove!”
Chapter Seventeen
The visceral howl erupting from Salena barely registered in Jessalyne’s mind. The room spun as she gasped for breath. His queen. All sound faded. Lights dimmed. She clutched for the table, for anything that would keep her upright. Her knees failed. She grabbed a handful of fabric as she slipped from her chair.
In her grasp, the prince’s sumptuous cloak tore loose from its jeweled fastenings at his shoulders and fell over her. Strangely detached, she stared at the ceiling. The prince stood above her, his hands on his hips.
He addressed the crowd. “Seems once again I am too much man for one woman.”
The crowd erupted with cheers and hoorahs and the prince motioned for his stewards. “Take this girl to her chambers,” he snapped. “I am about to make her queen and this is how she reacts? Foolish chit.”
Sryka hobbled up beside Erebus. “Well done, your highness.”
“Sit.” He ordered. “I will not have an empty chair at my table.”
* * *
The loud rapping startled Fynna. She opened the door to find Jessalyne draped across the arms of one of the prince’s stewards.
“What happened?”
The man barged in and dumped Jessalyne onto the closest bed.
“She passed out, what does it look like?” He stomped out without bothering to shut the door.
Fynna secured the door, then went to Jessalyne’s side and lifted her head to slip a pillow beneath it. She felt Jessalyne’s forehead. Not hot. Not cold either. What was wrong with her? “Jessalyne, can you hear me?” Fynna took Jessalyne’s hands between her own. “Your hands are like ice! What happened?”
A quiet moan answered Fynna’s pleading. Jessalyne took a deep breath as she struggled to sit up. “I didn’t pass out but I wish I had.”
“I don’t think you should be up yet.” Fynna gently pushed her back.
Jessalyne moaned again, covering her face with her hands. “Oh Fynna, it’s just so awful. I cannot marry him. I will not marry him, I refuse.”
“Marry who? What’s awful? What happened?”
Jessalyne grasped Fynna’s small hands and stared into her eyes. “The prince somehow got the king to bless me as his bride. In one week we’re to be wed and he will be king.”
“Oh no.” Fynna shook her head. “I wondered what the noise in the great hall was. This cannot be. We must find Ertemis now.”
Sitting up, Jessalyne sighed. “I need Sryka’s crystal.”
Smiling, Fynna reached into the pouch dangling from her waist sash. “When I was in the scullery, I heard the servers commenting on how odd it was to see Sryka at dinner. I made a little visit her chambers.” She pulled out a long black cord with a single onyx crystal swinging from the end.
“You got it!” Jessalyne hugged Fynna. “Thank you so much.”
“How do we make this thing work?”
“I need a bowl of water sprinkled with ashes.”
Fynna jumped off the bed and grabbed the washbasin. “Will this work?”
“It will have to.” Jessalyne cleared the game table and fetched the water jug while Fynna set the bowl on the table and scooped some ashes from the fireplace.
Jessalyne filled the bowl then nodded for Fynna. She sprinkled a small handful of ashes over the water’s surface. “Enough?”
“It looks right, from what I remember.”
Fynna clapped the dust from her hands. “Now what?”
“Now I scry.” Jessalyne dangled the crystal over the water and uttered the words Sryka taught her. “With powers of fire and water bound, what is lost shall now be found.”
They waited. Nothing happened.
“Maybe I added too much ash.” Fynna stared into the sooty water.
“Maybe I said it wrong.” Jessalyne cleared her throat and tried it again.
“I think it moved that time.” Fynna said.
“That was a breeze from the window.” Jessalyne shook her head. “I have a feeling we could try this all night with the same results. It isn’t going to work. It probably only responds to Sryka.” She handed the crystal back to Fynna.
Fynna hid her disappointment. Jessalyne had enough troubles. “It was worth a try. I’ll put it back in the morning, she’ll never know it was gone.”
Jessalyne sunk onto her bed. “What am I going to do? I cannot marry Erebus. He repulses me. To think of him touching me...” She shuddered.
Fynna patted her hand. “Wait until dinner is over, then go speak with Sir Laythan about the poison tonic. The prince will probably spend the evening with that tramp Salena. The guest quarters are far from the king’s, and after the prince’s announcement this evening, he’ll have to go to her, because she won’t be coming to him.”
“I should try to cleanse the poison out of the king’s system. He’s a good man, Fynna. He doesn’t deserve to suffer,” Jessalyne said.
“The good in this kingdom rarely get what they deserve.” Fynna tucked her knees up and wrapped her arms around her legs.
“It doesn’t make sense, though. Why would Sryka poison the king? When Erebus becomes king, I will become the mage in power. She stands to lose everything.”
Fynna shook her head. “Trust me, Sryka does nothing that doesn’t serve her own goals. How she’ll benefit from Erebus on the throne, I don’t know but it cannot be good.”
Jessalyne squeezed Fynna’s hand. “Oh, Ertemis. Where are you when I need you most?” She whispered his name over and over while clinging to the pendant around her neck .
* * *
Jessalyne’s voice ripped through Ertemis’s mind. He sprung from the pallet, instinctively reaching for his sword before realizing what had happened. He opened his mind to her. Desperate unhappiness overwhelmed his senses and he pulled back, astounded by how much she filled him. It was time. He tucked the ring beneath his breastplate before waking Brynden. “Get up. I must leave. I need you in the stables watching Dragon.”
In truth, Dragon didn’t need watching. Anyone foolish enough to try stealing that animal would be soundly dissuaded by a well-placed hoof or sharp bite. But it couldn’t hurt to make the boy feel useful.
“I’m up. I’m up.” Brynden did little to hide his disappointment when he saw Ertemis buckli
ng the sword onto his belt. “I guess you’re taking that with you?”
Ertemis shot him a glance.
“Well, what if someone tries to steal Dragon? I have no weapon!”
“You have Dragon. That’s enough, trust me.”
He grumped, but threw his cloak around his shoulders as Ertemis did the same. Ertemis flipped him a silver. “Take your dinner to the stables. Whatever you don’t spend, you may keep.”
“Thank you!” Brynden’s eyes rounded, the matter of weaponry forgotten.
“If anyone asks, I’ve off drinking. If I’m not back by firstlight, tend Dragon, then come back to the room. Stay here in case I need you.”
“Aye. Good luck to ya.”
“Men like us make our own luck, Brynden.”
The boy smiled. “I’ll remember that, master elf.”
As soon as Brynden left, Ertemis went to the window overlooking the alley and opened it, taking in the night. Thick clouds allowed only brief glimpses of the waning moon, darkening the night almost completely.
Celebratory sounds drifted in with the night air. Focusing, he heard snippets about the prince’s engagement. Unconcerned with such petty matters, he shifted his thoughts to finding Jessalyne. He slipped out the window and with elven agility dropped silently to the ground below, his cloak billowing out around him. Both directions down the alley were clear. He tugged his hood up and wrapped the night around him. With each step, he disappeared a little more into the shadows until he walked onto the street, completely veiled in the night’s embrace.
* * *
Fynna returned from her spying mission. “The hall’s clear. Just a few drunken revelers passed out by the fires.”
Jessalyne didn’t want to leave the room but she needed to tell Sir Laythan about the tonic and find out how she had suddenly become Prince Erebus’ betrothed. “All right, I’m going. Don’t wait up, I have no idea how long I’ll be gone.”
Fynna nodded and whispered, “Be careful.”
Jessalyne tip-toed into the great hall. Fynna’s assessment was accurate, but she still kept to the back wall as she crossed to the other side. The castle was so quiet. Perhaps everyone had drunk themselves to sleep.
Heart of Fire Page 23