Finally, Izadora’s eyes softened slightly, and she nodded. “Yes. If you do exactly as I command while you reside in Elfi, I will help you break the curse on the Dagger of Dragath and release Elayna.”
As she ended her last word, I felt a magical bond pass through us.
“What you felt was a magical oath binding. I am bound by my oath to help you, but only if you manage to keep yours.”
I nodded. “Thank you.” And we were bound until one of us broke our oath.
The doors opened and the fae guards stood at attention as Tristan walked in.
“You sent for me, Majesty?” he drawled, inclining his head.
“Tristan here will make sure you don’t get up to any trouble,” Izadora said to me.
Tristan scowled.
“I expect her to remain alive while she is in Elfi.” She gave Tristan a warning look. “You know how the rest of the court hates half-breeds, and I don’t want any so-called accidents. I have a use for her, and she is under your protection until it is done.”
Tristan nodded, his eyes shooting daggers at his queen, but she chose not to notice. I was taken aback momentarily; I thought all the fae loved their queen. I guess I was wrong, and I didn’t blame him.
“She will start with the novices tomorrow,” Izadora continued. “You will oversee her training.”
Tristan’s hands were balled in fists. “I do not train novices.”
“You do now. Get Cade or Aiden to help you—I’ve heard she’s quite a handful.” The queen of the fae waved her hand to dismiss us. “Now go! I’ve had enough of her for one day. She looks like her father.”
13
The Crystal Castle
“I am not a bloody nursemaid,” Tristan muttered, storming out of the throne room.
I followed but kept my mouth shut. The fae prince didn’t look like he was in the mood for chitchat. But I still had to stay close to him, whether or not he was a bad-tempered ass. I was unnerved to find out I was not truly safe, even in this palace. My grandmother had made it quite clear I was under Tristan’s protection, but I didn’t know how far the hatred toward half-breeds went. If Aiden was any example, I suspected I was in for trouble here. I had to be on my guard at all times—I couldn’t slip up, not anymore. I had to prove to my grandmother and the High Fae that I was worthy of the name I bore.
He looked back at me, and his eyes narrowed as I ran to keep up. “Are you always this slow?”
“Are you always this grumpy?” I was fed up with his constant surliness. “You could at least try to speak civilly to me.”
He stopped and turned, his jaw clenched. “Just because the queen has ordered me to be your guard dog doesn’t mean we are friends. Izadora didn’t order me to be polite, and I will speak to you however I wish.”
Cade fell into step with us. “There you are. How did it go?” He looked genuinely concerned.
Tristan ignored him and kept walking. I glanced at Cade. “Not great.”
Cade put his hand on my shoulder. “If it helps, Queen Izadora’s not nice to anyone.”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t help, but thank you for trying.” I smiled at the big fae warrior; Cade was the only one in this place who had been nice to me.
“Cade, watch her and don’t let her out of your sight,” Tristan growled. “I’ll be back soon.”
“Where are you going?” Cade called after him.
Tristan didn’t answer. He stalked off into the night, like a wild panther on his way to his next kill.
“Is he always this bad tempered?”
“Only for the last twenty years or so.” A half smile curved his lips. “Izadora knows Tristan hates mages. Putting him in charge of your training is her way of reminding him that he has to obey her.”
“Why can’t he refuse?” I was intrigued to know more about Tristan.
He shrugged as he escorted me through the palace. “It’s not for me to say. You should ask him yourself.”
“He hardly speaks to me. I don’t think he is going to tell me his life story.”
Cade chuckled. “He’s not so bad, once you get to know him.” We climbed the stairs to a tower. “Give him time, he’ll come around.”
* * *
My room was situated in a high tower away from the rest of the castle, and could only be reached by climbing an endless line of stone steps to the top. It was sparse and round, with three arched windows that looked out over the city and the hidden valley of the fae all the way to the huge mountains that surrounded Elfi. Although the rest of the castle had windows fitted with clear crystal, my room was open to the elements, its loose muslin curtains hardly a deterrent to the howling wind that swept down from the mountains at night.
I thanked Cade, who informed me he would be on guard at the bottom of the stairs until Tristan returned.
My tower room had a small curtained alcove that housed the bath and toilet. I washed in the porcelain basin with the jug of water that lay beside it. It was too cold to have a bath anyway. I shivered and lay down on the bed, my stomach growling. I didn’t want to walk all the way down the stairs of my tower to find the kitchens, so I decided to wake up early and have breakfast instead. I covered myself with the thin blanket and tried to get some sleep.
I was not sure what to expect when it came to my training. I had seen the fae fight with a lethal grace and surety I was sure would take me a lifetime to achieve. Their magic was powerful and more complicated than the magic of the mages.
I thought back to when I first reached Avalonia and Silverthorne Castle. When Uncle Gabriel found out who I was, he was so kind to me, and immediately accepted me back into the family. Aunt Serena and Erien had been nothing but sweet and helpful, though they didn’t need to go out of their way to include me and make me feel accepted.
In this fae land, under my grandmother’s rule, I was an outsider, a half-breed, someone they looked down on. In Elfi I was not a princess, I was a warrior who had a task to do, and I would not back down.
* * *
The next morning, I awoke as soon as the sun ascended over the valley and lit up the Crystal Castle. I washed and wore the clothes laid out for me on the chair by some unknown person, then descended the seemingly endless steps from my room to the main hallway of the palace.
I fidgeted with my new clothes, a basic cotton tunic over a white shirt and green skintight pants with my sword hanging from the leather belt around my waist. I wore my old brown boots, which were still in good condition, and wandered around looking for the kitchens.
I smiled at two fae ladies who passed me in the hallway. They were wearing lose chiffon gowns, clasped on one shoulder with a gold star. Both sniffed when they saw me, stuck their noses in the air, and hurried on. I moved along quickly, lowering my head and looking at my feet as I walked.
I bumped into a wall. Well, at least I thought it was a wall, it turned out to be Tristan. I looked up through my lashes at him, cringing inwardly. I probably wasn’t supposed to walk the halls of the castle alone.
He glowered at me, his dark eyes flashing. “What part of stay in your room don’t you understand?”
I glared back at him. “No one told me I had to stay in my room.”
Cade came running up. “Oh good! You found her.”
“Didn’t you tell her to wait in her room until one of us came to get her?” Tristan snapped at Cade.
Cade shrugged, his hands in his pockets. “Not in so many words, no. How was I supposed to know she would wake up so early and start wandering around the castle? The high ladies of the Royal Court don’t rise until noonday.”
“She’s not a high lady, she’s one of my novices,” said Tristan.
“Since when do you train novices?” Cade raised an eyebrow.
“Since Izadora commanded me to train her and make sure she doesn’t get into any trouble.”
Cade looked me over. “She’s fine, so what’s the problem, Tristan? Relax. The only trouble she has right now is you.”
Tristan
rolled his shoulders and the silver swirls in his eyes died out. “Why were you down here anyway?” he asked me, trying to temper his tone. “I was coming to get you—we are to begin your training today.”
“I was hungry,” I said sheepishly. “I didn’t eat last night, so I was looking for the kitchen.”
Tristan turned his head to glare at Cade. “You didn’t feed her?”
“I’m not a dog,” I snapped. “I don’t need to be fed. Just point me to the kitchen and I will get it myself.”
Tristan scowled, but Cade chuckled and linked his arm with mine. “Come on, I’ll take you to the kitchens. I hear the cook is making pastries for tonight’s feast. And no one makes better pastries in all the seven kingdoms than Guido.”
“Fine, I will see you both on the training ground after you stuff your faces,” muttered Tristan as he stalked off.
Cade rolled his eyes as we walked to the kitchen. Small men and women with big ears and hairy feet bustled around the cavernous room that lay within the mountain. Brownies! Or house sprites, as they were called in Elfi. I had met a few of them in Pixie Bush with Kalen. He had mentioned they were very good housekeepers; I guess they were good cooks too.
Delicious aromas of freshly baked bread and warm handmade pastries wafted toward me; my mouth watered and my stomach growled loudly. The whole kitchen stopped working and turned to stare at me.
Cade chuckled. “I guess you weren’t exaggerating when you said you were hungry.”
I blushed all the way from my head to the tips of my toes. How embarrassing.
A house sprite in a white apron, his big ears popping out of something resembling a chef ’s hat, came up to us. “Lord Cade, I have your sugar cream rolls ready,” he said, holding out a plate of freshly baked pastries.
Cade took them and popped one in his mouth. “Thank you, Guido, these are my favorites.” He held the plate out to me. “Try one.”
I took one and bit into the golden-brown pastry. A thick vanilla and lavender flavored cream oozed out of the lightly sugar-dusted pastry. “These are amazing.”
Cade nodded, a big grin on his face.
The little house sprites kept coming up to me to sample all the various cakes and pies. But I knew I couldn’t eat too much, as Tristan probably had a hard training session planned. I hated passing up the rest of the sugar cream rolls and raspberry pastries, but I took one cinnamon swirl to tide me over till later.
I nibbled on it as Cade escorted me down to the training grounds. We traversed the flowering walkways and terraced gardens down the mountain, occasionally passing a satyr or a dryad tending the various plants, flowers and trees. Foxgloves and daisies dotted the area where marble statues spouted water into shimmering fountains.
The training grounds were situated near the soldier’s barracks at the foot of the castle, a whole area stretching all the way to the eastern wall of the city. The grounds were already full of young fae warriors practicing with glinting swords and staffs. At the far end a group of archers were going about their daily practice routine with targets set up on one side of the grounds.
A tall fae warrior who looked much older than Cade and Tristan, his white hair combined with fading gold, stood watching the novices sparring, his powerful arms crossed across his chest.
“Who is he?”
“That’s Erik, the leader of Izadora’s Elite Guard,” Cade answered. “He usually stops by the training ground every day at this time to watch the novices sparring. If he finds one with potential, he takes them on to train them himself. He is the eldest and most experienced of Izadora’s warriors and our old teacher.”
“How many of you are there in the Elite Guard?”
“Seven,” said Tristan, before Cade could answer.
“Only seven? I thought there would be more of you.”
Tristan glared at me.
Cade laughed. “It’s not an insult, Tristan. She doesn’t know much about the High Fae, so it’s understandable she wouldn’t know how many are left.”
Tristan rolled his powerful shoulders. “We are the last of the fire-fae warriors of Elfi,” he explained finally. “For centuries, our numbers have dwindled almost to extinction, and fae with the ability to produce silver-fire are rarely seen. Your mother was the only fire-fae to be born in the last century, and then there’s you. Only one of the Elite can teach you to master this ability. It is our only defense against the dark magic of the Drakaar and their demons.”
A group of fae boys and girls, some older than me and some younger, were sparring with staffs in the center of the field. Tristan thrust a staff into my hand. “Let’s see what you can do. I presume you have learned basic fighting skills?”
I nodded, not sure of myself. I had never fought with a staff, but Santino had taught me to fight with sticks, and I had learned a few basics with swords and daggers when I trained with Baron Tanko and Rafe at Evolon. I adjusted my grip as I stood at the edge of the field, watching the others and wondering which one I would have to spar with, when a sudden blow to the back of my knees dropped me to the ground and the staff clattered out of my hand.
I cursed under my breath and looked up, shielding my eyes with my hand.
“Get up!” growled Tristan.
I pushed myself up and picked up my staff, turning to my attacker. A young girl about my age, with hair like the noonday sun tucked behind her unmistakable pointy fae ears, stood before me.
She started circling me, lithe and nimble, the staff twirling effortlessly in her experienced hands.
Thwack! She hit my arm with the staff.
I held my staff with both hands and tried to block her next blow. Again and again she hit me—arms, back, legs. She was too fast, a blur. I could hardly see her, let alone anticipate her moves.
A blow to the stomach knocked the wind straight out of me and I doubled over. She kicked me hard and sent me sprawling backward, the staff clattering out of my hand as I fell.
“She’s useless, Tristan,” the girl said as I tried to get up. “She can’t even hold onto her staff.”
“Again,” barked Tristan, coming over and helping me adjust my grip. “Keep your legs wide, one foot slightly behind the other to brace the blows. I expect you to have improved by the end of the day.” He turned to leave.
“Where are you going?” I adjusted my stance as he had suggested. “I thought you were supposed to train me.”
“I am to oversee your training, Aurora,” said Tristan, his eyes cold. “Heal yourself and start again. I want you to spar with Skye for the rest of the day. There is a problem in the outlying villages I must go and check out. I will be back to inspect your progress.”
He turned and left. Cade gave me a pitying look and hurried after Tristan.
Skye came at me again, and I raised my staff, gripping it firmly with both my hands. My arms shuddered as I blocked her blow.
She smiled, her violet eyes flashing. “So, you do know how to fight.”
We sparred for the rest of the day. I kept healing myself and getting up, only to be beaten down again. But I didn’t give up. I pushed myself and studied how Skye moved, graceful and surefooted, never missing a step. At the end of the day, after hours of trying to defend myself against the beatings, I collapsed on the ground and lay down, my chest heaving from the exertion. I was a mass of cuts and bruises.
Skye came up to me and put out her hand. “You did well.” She smiled and her face lit up. “Sorry about the beatings, but Tristan told me not to go easy on you.”
“I didn’t expect you to.” I clasped her hand and pulled myself up, my legs a wobbly mess. I touched my face and winced. I hadn’t healed my lip, and it was still bleeding. I ran my finger over the wound and the bleeding stopped, the cut on my lip closing as if it was never there.
Skye’s eyes went wide. “Your healing power is very advanced. And it’s a good thing too. I don’t think it would be a good idea to go to the feast tonight looking like that.”
“What feast?” Cade had mentione
d a feast as well.
“There is a gathering tonight, I presume to welcome you to court,” said Skye as we walked back to the palace.
“But I have nothing to wear.” I was not in the mood for a feast or a ball or any of the other court stuff. I was done with all that frivolity. I had a job to do and I was exhausted.
Another girl with flaming red hair and a voluptuous body came running up to talk to Skye and whispered in her ear.
Skye’s eyes went wide and she turned to me. “I have to go, sorry.” She grimaced. “Apparently, my mother has arrived in Iris for the feast and is on a rampage because I wasn’t there to greet her. I’d better go and sort her out.”
She turned to the redhead. “Brianna, please help Aurora find something to wear tonight. She recently arrived and has no formal clothes.”
“Of course.” Brianna smiled, her green eyes studying me like a cat’s. “I’ll have something sent to your room right away.”
“Thank you.”
Tristan and Cade fell into step with us, emerging unexpectedly out of the shadows. Brianna’s face lit up when she saw Tristan, but he didn’t notice her.
“How did she do?” Tristan asked Skye.
“I’m right here, you can ask me yourself,” I said tartly.
Skye laughed. “Give her a few days, Tristan, it’s all too new for her. See you later at the feast, Aurora. Come on, Brianna.” She ran off with her friend toward the palace.
Tristan glared at me, and Cade grinned.
“Skye’s sweet,” I said as they walked me back to the palace.
Cade nodded. “She’s the only one in the family who is.”
“Who is her family? She said something about her mother arriving and going on a rampage.”
Cade chuckled. “So, Andromeda’s back, is she?”
Tristan nodded. “She came in today for the feast.”
“I was wondering why Aiden decided to go on patrol today.”
Tristan shrugged. “I guess it was the lesser of two evils.”
“Skye is Aiden’s younger sister,” Cade explained. “And their mother is the Grand Duchess of the Day Court. She has a terrible temper, and when she comes to town even Aiden runs for the hills. Skye is the only one she listens to.”
The Rise of the Dawnstar Page 14