by Aya Ling
When the music stopped, Simon led her over to a few well-dressed nobles, and introduced them as his friends at the University.
“So this is the Linderall princess you’ve been telling us about, old boy,” one said, elbowing Simon on the ribs.
“Pardon me, Your Highness, but is it true that you are the first woman warrior’s relative? That you are currently at the Academy undertaking combat training?” another asked.
“Yes, I am,” Ari said with a gracious smile.
“Extraordinary,” the first one said, adjusting his spectacles. “One would never suspect such a thing. Why, you look just like any other charming young lady here.”
“Aren’t those warrior maids at the Academy supposed to be dreadfully uncouth and unkempt?”
Ari felt herself bristling. Even if the other Academy girls weren’t as into fashion as she was, they definitely were not uncouth.
“Arianna isn’t like them,” Simon quickly said, giving Ari’s arm a light squeeze. “Besides, she is only there to please her great aunt. She should soon be able to return to court life and be a proper lady.”
For some reason, Ari didn’t nod and agree with him.
“Indeed. A beautiful young princess like her can hardly be expected to be wielding a sword and attending parties at the same time.”
“Why not?” the words came out of her before she knew it.
Simon and his friends looked at her in confusion. Before any of them could ask Ari to clarify her words, however, Lady Wesley again appeared.
“Simon, can you be a dear and go look for your brother?” she said pleasantly, though there was a steely note in her tone. “He still hasn’t arrived; I am at my wits’ end!”
“Madame, we can help find Malcolm,” one of the young men said, but Lady Wesley held up her hand.
“No, no, you are our guests here, I’d rather that you keep the ladies company. Are you having a good time, Your Highness?” she suddenly asked Ari, as though as an afterthought.
Ari nodded, though she felt like leaving already.
“I’ll be right back,” Simon said reluctantly. “I’m sorry, Arianna...”
“Don’t worry,” Ari said, with a little laugh. “I’ll be fine, honestly. I’d rather you seek your brother than stay here with a worried conscience.”
Simon looked relieved. After making his friends promise to take care of Ari, he went off with his mother.
His friends immediately asked Ari to dance. Ari accepted, but after two songs, she declined any further invitations. She found the University students polite and well-mannered, but her mind was constantly wandering to Linderall. Had James left already? Had Great Aunt Matilda arrived? How much damage did the dragons cause?
“I think I need a drink of water,” she said, when the second song came to an end. “No, I can get it by myself, thank you. There’s a charming young lady over there, and she ought not to be left standing alone.”
Ari went back into the hallway. She picked up a goblet of ice-cold fruit punch and drank, making sure not to finish the drink in one long gulp. As she sipped daintily, wondering when Simon would be back, and thinking that the ball wasn’t turning out as lovely as she expected, she noticed the “squabbling trio” not far from where she stood, their backs facing her. Ari caught the word “Valeria” and strained to hear what they were talking about.
“...frankly, I don’t see what Ralph sees in her. Did you know that her mother actually used a shrinking spell, when trying to find a husband for her? No doubt she used some love potion on Ralph.”
Ari felt indignation rise within her. As if Valeria would use a love potion!
“But, Lydia, I don’t think His Highness is so gullible. There are a number of magicians at court. Surely they could detect a spell if there truly was magic going on. With so many girls vying for his attention, I’m sure some people have tried it before.”
“Well, I still say it’s best to be vigilant when it comes to foreigners. Look at James. A trip to Makani, and now he’d rather be a gamekeeper or animal physician? Have you ever seen a prince who goes around with a squirrel on his shoulder? And it seems that he’s spending an awful lot of time with that Linderall princess. Mark my words, Charlotte, those foreigners are no easy lot.”
Ari’s heart jumped at the mention of her name. Clutching her goblet of fruit punch, she inched closer to the trio.
“Speaking of Linderall, did you know there has been a terrible attack?” Charlotte said. “A whole village was burned—we’re probably the first ones to know, because my servant’s cousin lives on the borders of Linderall and Tintagel. We just got her letter this morning.”
“How terrible!” the other ladies said, fanning themselves.
“Wasn’t the Linderall princess here a while ago? I heard Lord Simon had invited her, shouldn’t you be telling—”
Charlotte gasped.
For Ari had stalked over and grabbed her arm.
“Is it true?” she demanded. “A whole village was burned?”
“Who are you... let go!” Charlotte gasped, trying to pull her arm free.
Ari suddenly released her. She had made up her mind. Even if Simon was going to propose, she couldn’t wait a minute longer. If what Charlotte said was true... she remembered the inn where they stopped at the Linderall border. Were the innkeeper, Peony, and Jem, all right? Did the dragon render their house to ruins?
Setting her unfinished goblet on the table, Ari walked briskly towards the entrance. So fast she walked that she nearly ran into another young man, who was heading inside.
Ari quickly stepped aside—the man smelled strongly of alcohol. For a moment she thought that it was Simon, but then realized the man standing before her was shorter and stockier, though they definitely shared similar features.
“Malcolm?” she said, trying to figure out a way to pass. A statue happened to be placed on the left side of him, while the long table of refreshments was on the right. If she wanted to get past him, she would have to squeeze very tightly to get through, and no way was she going to do that, especially when he looked to be drunk.
He grinned widely. “You know my name,” he slurred. “Who are you? I have never seen you before...”
“None of your business,” Ari said. “Allow me to pass.”
“What, but it’s still early! At least spare me a dance,” he said, holding out his arms. “Come, give me a turn.”
That was when Ari snapped. Crouching low, she grabbed his arm and flipped him over her shoulder. She could hear the trio scream, the courtiers gasp, as Malcolm went flying in the air and crashed headfirst into a pot of lavender and ferns.
“Excuse me,” Ari said, dusting her hands. “But I have a country to save.”
Using the opportunity, when everyone was shocked into temporary silence, she hurried towards the entrance. She heard an angry burst from Lady Wesley, a frantic cry from Simon, and a string of curses from Malcolm, but she didn’t look back.
Time to go to Linderall.
“You are early,” Marcella said, putting down the sword she was polishing.
Ari had burst into the room, still in her crimson ball gown, her hair still intact, though tendrils had escaped the pearls and ribbons and curled around her neck. Her eyes were uncommonly bright and her hands were trembling.
“Maybe Simon proposed!” Georgiana said excitedly. “Is that why you came back early, Ari? So you can begin deciding when to move out of the Academy?”
“No, she looks too—what is the word? Aggressive,” Marcella said.
“Agitated, you mean,” Georgiana said, peering closely at Ari. “What’s the matter, Ari? What happened? You didn’t have a fight with a monkey again, did you?”
“I must go,” Ari said, pulling out her chest and ruffling through the numerous dresses.
“What do you mean? Where are you going? It’s near our bedtime!”
“I have to go back to Linderall. There have been dragons attacking our borders. I heard the latest news at the ball; a
n entire village was burned down.”
Georgiana’s jaw dropped.
Marcella shook her head in disbelief.
Ari continued to dig into her chest. For the first time in her life, she was frustrated that she possessed so many gowns. If she wanted to make a speedy journey back to Riviera, she didn’t want to soil her clothes. Apart from her Rivieran uniforms, she only had a couple of plain tunics and breeches that Great Aunt Matilda had forced her to bring.
“Dragons—attacking Linderall?” Marcella said slowly.
“Yes.” Ari briefly explained what she heard at the ball and what James had told her earlier. At the mention of James, who was known for his animal expertise, her two roommates were convinced.
“Can I borrow your bow?” Ari asked Georgiana. “I broke the string on my last one and didn’t have a chance to fix it. And you know the Academy ones are mostly pretty worn out.”
“Take it,” Georgiana said. “Actually—wait! Let me come with you!”
“And me,” Marcella added.
“No,” Ari immediately said. “You heard what Ulaf said—we’re not ready to face dragons yet. Do you think the instructors would approve? I can’t let you two go with me.”
“Then it’s the same for you!” Georgiana said indignantly. “If you’re not letting us go, then what about you? Even if you have improved a lot, Ulaf would certainly call you an idiot—a destined morsel for the dragon’s belly!”
“That’s what I originally thought,” Ari said. “And I’m not saying that I’m going to face the dragon. I’m sure Great Aunt Matilda is on her way. But I just have to go home, I want to help my father, I need to see my people are going to be safe. I can’t just stay here and do nothing while a dragon is on the rampage! I... I suppose it’ll be terrifying and all...” her voice broke, “...but I just can’t be still.”
Silence followed.
“This is not an adventure,” Marcella finally said, putting a restraining hand on Georgiana. “This is an emi—emer—emergency.”
For once, Marcella had finally gotten her Rivieran vocabulary right.
Georgiana grabbed her bow—it was still quite shiny and new from the Rivieran market. “Here you are, Ari. Use it well. Anything else you need?”
“A week’s worth of food?” Marcella said.
“That won’t be necessary, though it’s very kind of you,” Ari said. “I can hunt game in the forest. With Georgiana’s bow, I don’t think it will be a problem.”
At last, armed with a knapsack borrowed from Marcella, which contained two sets of clothes, her trusty hairbrush, her mother’s bracelet, and the bow and arrows, Ari was ready to leave.
Before the crack of dawn, Ari slung her bag over her shoulder, made sure Great Aunt Matilda’s blunt sword was securely strapped to her waist, and that her hair was braided neatly around her head. She checked her reflection in the mirror; it was still dark, but she managed to ensure that nothing peculiar stuck to her face.
“I’m going,” she whispered. Georgiana and Marcella were in bed by now. Both had promised her to inform Darwar that she had a hangover from attending the ball at Simon’s mansion to buy her some time. Although they weren’t sure if Ari would be allowed to leave, especially since she was still a first-year, it was always better to be safe than sorry.
Ari slipped outside. No one was awake yet, save for an owl nodding off on a tree.
Carefully, cautiously, she made her way to Howard’s hut. Being employed as the gamekeeper’s helper, Howard roomed with the other helpers, though he usually preferred to sleep on a makeshift bed near the stables, perhaps due to his abnormal height. Ari found him stretched out under a shed, apparently fast asleep.
Ari picked up a stone from the ground and threw it. It bounced near Howard’s mattress, and he immediately jerked up. A second later, his eyes opened. Ari had enough experience to know that he was one of the best bodyguards in the world. He would always stay alert, even during sleep.
Let’s go, she signaled to him. I’ve decided to go back to Linderall.
Howard stared at her for a while. Ari held up her bag and sword, showing that she was serious. He then nodded, cast a brief look around and rolled off the bed.
Right now? Howard signaled back. Have you informed the headmaster?
“We don’t have much time, I want to go home as soon as possible. I need you to saddle the horses and meet me in front of the palace entrance.”
To her surprise, the giant shook his head. Wait. You can go with His Highness.
“What do you mean? His Highness—are you referring to James?”
Yes. I heard that he was preparing to go to Linderall.
As if on cue, there was a voice behind them.
“Ari?”
James, along with several gamekeeper helpers, was standing behind her. Each of them carried a bulging sack. Even Nadine and Celestine were included; she would later learn that their archery skills would be handy when fighting dragons.
“What is the meaning of—are you planning to run away again?”
“No! I just need to go home,” Ari said. “And what are you doing, I thought you’d already left the palace?”
“I was going to, but I had to get some things ready,” James said. “I had to amass as much dragonwood as possible. We’re also planning to leave early because once it’s dawn and the city gates are opening, there will be a lot more traffic on the roads.”
“That sounds good,” Ari said, hoisting her knapsack higher on her back. “Let’s go!”
“You’re going as well?”
“Of course I am,” Ari retorted loftily. “What do I look to be doing, having a stroll around the stables? And it doesn’t matter if you don’t let me, because I am going, whether you allow me to travel with you or not.”
James looked at Howard, who crossed his thick arms and stared back, as though daring him to refuse Ari.
The prince’s eyebrow twitched. He was seldom intimidated by huge creatures, but Howard’s menacing expression caused even him to flinch.
“Saddle the horses,” he called.
Twelve: Back to Linderall
The journey back to Linderall actually took less time than getting there had, but it felt longer. Even though they traveled by horse, had less luggage, and changed horses frequently, Ari still felt they were going too slow. James, however, told her emphatically that the horses had to rest. Unless she could find a magic spell that could allow the horses to keep cantering without food or sleep, she would have to adhere to a reasonable pace.
Apart from the speed, Ari made no complaint. The small town inns they stayed at were unfortunately frugal, and once Ari even woke up with itches and scratches from bed bugs. She growled, and then reached for her blunt sword, ready to slay every one of them. She drank water directly from running streams with her bare hands and learned how to hunt with her bow and arrow. Her archery had improved to such an extent that she could hit almost every target, though she needed instructions from James to make a clean kill.
“I learned how to be more skillful with my archery when I stayed in Makani,” he said, picking up a newly caught rabbit. “The Makani princess was an excellent archer, and she taught me how to pierce the animals directly in the neck, so they don’t suffer too much.”
They were camping in the fields of Tintagel for the night. Ari had just shot her first rabbit and was now engaged in the process of skinning it. She thought she’d be afraid to witness the raw flesh, but now she found that very few things could truly scare her.
“Makani?” one of the guards heard them talking, and guffawed. “You’d have stayed longer at that place if the king hadn’t tried to give you his daughter’s hand in marriage.”
“No, it’s the tropical weather down there that I’m unused to,” James grinned. “The Makani princess wouldn’t have me, anyway. She’s another one of those upcoming princesses. Gave her father quite a headache. And Ari, stop whittling away on the fur like that. Let me show you a better way to skin the animal.”
Under James’ instructions, Ari learned how to skin the rabbit, how to light the fire, and how to roast the meat over heat. Despite her willingness to learn, she was not as adept as she hoped, and it took several efforts before she managed to successfully light a fire.
“Isn’t that dried wood in your bag?” she suddenly said, noticing a piece of dark wood jutting out from one of the saddlebags on James’ mount. “Why can’t we just use that instead of gathering twigs? It’d save us a load of time sorting out the damp and brittle ones.”
“Those aren’t ordinary firewood; they are dragonwood,” James said gravely. “When you burn them, powerful fumes are produced, so strong that they can put dragons to sleep. The alchemists at the University had been trying to develop a way to tranquilize large beasts, and after many experiments, they finally managed to grow this peculiar tree. They’ve tested a small piece on Flamewind, and it seemed to work.”
“Better to put the dragons to sleep than to engage them in bloody battle,” the guard said.
Ari understood; James had said that he would never harm an animal unless it was the last resort.
“Good. I do hope that we can be there in time to use this dragonwood. It’d be horrible if more villages were damaged and more dragons were injured.”
“Exactly,” James said grimly.
A while later, when they had eaten and drunk their fill, it was time to rest. Ari yawned; it had been a long, tiring day.
“I suppose this trip was just in time to damage your engagement to Lord Simon,” James said lightly, looking at her.
“I don’t doubt it,” Ari grimaced. “I flipped his brother over my shoulder at the ball.”
Everyone’s attention was arrested.
“You did what?”
Ari related the event rather reluctantly. “It’s the Academy influencing me. I should have been more civilized—it was his sister’s debutante ball! And here I was thinking that I was finally going to make up for my scandalous behavior at the wedding.”