by Naomi Lane
Jenna did not think this the best of ideas, but did not want to refuse his offer of kindness. She accepted, and he gave her a hand as she mounted up behind him. He glanced over his shoulder at her. “Hold on tight.” He smiled at her before turning back around.
Jenna gripped the Prince’s waist, and they were off at a fast clip. They made it most of the way through the woods in silence before Jenna heard noises up ahead. Apparently they had caught up with the Crown Prince, who was struggling with the horses. Jenna was glad to see Kedar was still obeying her instruction to follow Dominic, but his own mount was being stubborn and refused to budge.
“Whoa there,” said Prince Eamon as he brought his own horse to a halt. “Bit of trouble, Brother?”
Dominic rolled his eyes and turned to face Eamon. When he caught sight of Jenna his eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets, and his mouth dropped open, speechless.
“Oh, I forget my manners. Allow me to introduce you to one of the Queen’s Ladies. This is Miss Jenna Mallory, who recently saved our dear brother’s life.”
“Your Highness.” Jenna pursed her lips and nodded to Dominic, who continued to stare in shock and whose face began to grow red.
“She got herself into a bit of trouble this morning,” continued Eamon. “Her horse wandered off after she fell from a tree, but we are in luck because you seem to have found him.”
Dominic stared at Kedar and then back at her. “You have permission to ride this horse?”
“Yes, Highness. The King gave me leave to ride him after I saved Prince Sebastian. It’s on account of my horse magic.” Jenna dismounted and began to approach the Crown Prince. “I can sense their thoughts and communicate with them.” She walked over to Kedar and stroked his neck. “I would appreciate your leave to return with him to the castle.”
“But where is his saddle? Did you lose that, too?” Dominic’s anger still simmered.
“I chose not to use a saddle today, Highness.” Jenna replied, her voice quavering.
“A Queen’s Lady riding bareback through the hunting grounds?”
“It is not something that I do often.”
“I imagine not.”
Prince Eamon cleared his throat. “Brother, she is expected back at the palace soon.” And stop being such an idiot. You tortured the girl enough.
Jenna was surprised to hear Prince Eamon’s thoughts. She still needed work on her mental shields.
Prince Dominic silently handed Kedar’s reins to Jenna. She took them and quickly mounted up. “My thanks to both of you. Your Highness.” She attempted to remain civil to the Crown Prince. “Your Highness.” She gave Eamon a small smile and turned her horse toward the palace to ride back as quickly as possible.
She didn’t bother with the dress, just led Kedar into the West Wing stables. Barrett met her there with a concerned look on his face that quickly turned to surprise when he saw her appearance. “Miss Mallory, what happened to your face? And that is not the attire that I recall from earlier this morning.”
“I fell out of a tree. Please, Master Barrett, excuse me; the Queen is waiting. I am wearing this because I went riding astride today.”
“Astride today?”
“I know of the impropriety.”
He grabbed her arm and spoke softly. “Listen, personally I don’t blame you. Kedar is not exactly a Ladies’ horse, but a tree?”
Jenna just sighed. She was beginning to get emotional again.
“Look,” said Barrett, “just please put the dress on again before you return to the East Wing. We can discuss this later.”
Jenna nodded. She laced up her gown inside an empty storeroom as quickly as possible and ran over to the East Wing where Mrs. Hawes found her. “You are late, and the Queen is not happy.”
“I realize that.”
“What happened to your face?”
“Fell out of a tree.”
“A tree?” Mrs. Hawes contorted her face into a grimace. “Well, it’ll be extra music lessons at least and possibly cleaning duty.”
“I understand. May I please change so I can join the Ladies now?”
Mrs. Hawes nodded. Jenna quickly changed into a more appropriate gown and went to the music room. She was a good twenty minutes late, and as she entered, the room went silent.
“Miss Mallory, I—” The Queen was taken aback when she saw Jenna’s black eye. “Good gracious what happened?”
“I went riding and lost track of time, Your Majesty. My face was hurt when I fell from a tree. I sincerely apologize.”
“A tree. What were you doing in said tree?” The Queen actually sounded slightly angry.
“Just went climbing for fun.”
“And you landed on your face?” The Queen’s eyes narrowed.
The lie was easier to tell with practice, but Jenna knew the Queen to be perceptive. “A branch hit me as I fell.”
Just then a horn sounded. One of the Ladies looked out of the window. “I think it’s a riding party from the northern border. The Princes have returned!”
The Queen instantly turned around to go look outside along with all of the other Ladies. “They’re early!” she said. “Come everyone. We’ll go outside to greet them. This calls for some celebration.” As all of the Ladies began to quickly file out of the room already beginning to gossip, the Queen looked back toward Jenna one more time. “We will still discuss this later, Miss Mallory.”
Jenna curtsied. “Of course, Majesty.” She silently followed the rest of the girls and went to watch as the riding party arrived. They appeared to be headed to the Central Tower, and the Ladies staked out a position on the eastern side of the main entrance. Although not a military expert, Jenna could still appreciate the fanfare of their arrival. She noticed the Princes riding near the front among many other riders that appeared to be knights. Trailing just behind them was a much younger rider, Jenna’s brother’s age. He appeared Tenarran with his bright red hair; his arm was in a sling.
Jenna also recognized one other face among the crowd: Sir Gerard. He technically served Vermillion province, but spent most of his time on the coast of the Southern Sea in the city of Navia, sister city of Salara. Aurelia waved to him, and he rode over on his horse to speak with her.
“My goodness, Lady Aurelia, looking all grown up at court now.”
“Sir Gerard.” Aurelia fluttered her eyelids and gave him a curtsy. “A pleasure to see you well. How was your journey?”
“Oh, well enough. We were all anxious to make it home before the first major storm.”
“And how did you fare in the north? Was the fighting fierce?”
“Brief forays mostly. Our main assignment was to assist any Tenarran nobility who wished to flee to Sevalia.”
“Is that young man trailing behind Prince Eamon one of them?”
“Yes, that is Lord Martis, our King’s nephew, though sadly his mother, the King’s sister, perished before making it back to Sevalian soil.”
The Ladies gasped in shock at this news.
“She was killed?” asked Aurelia.
“An accident. Killed in a fire when a beam fell on her. She died almost instantly.”
“How tragic.”
“Yes.”
“But it is not all bad news surely?”
“Of course not. Both Prince Eamon and Prince Dominic have earned their spurs as has Sir Raymond.”
“Don’t you mean Lord Raymond of Tal-kenn, there next to Prince Dominic?” said Aurelia. Jenna looked over at the Crown Prince. There was another young rider next to him with auburn hair that she assumed they must refer to. His eyes were downcast, and he was obviously not enjoying the festivities as much as the others in the crowd, though Prince Dominic himself did not seem that happy either.
“He is Lord Tal-kenn’s son,” Sir Gerard continued, “but he was lately disinherited.”
“What!” said Aurelia. “Under what circumstances?”
“I am afraid, my dear Lady Aurelia, that I can say no more about that, though you w
ill probably find out soon enough.” Aurelia looked quite disheartened not to hear the full story, but she couldn’t pester Sir Gerard because he had just caught Jenna’s eye. “Miss Mallory, is that you sporting a black eye?”
Jenna gulped.
Miss Mallory? Lord Harcourt was attempting to speak to Jenna through a mind-link. Torn between addressing both men, she just stood there dumbly.
Aurelia answered Sir Gerard for her. “You must forgive Jenna today, Sir Gerard. She fell out of a tree this morning.”
Sir Gerard began to laugh, loudly.
Miss Mallory, do you care to respond? Your shields are full of holes. It should not be this easy to mind-link.
I know, My Lord—
“Well at least both of your arms are intact this time, Miss Mallory.”
“Yes, Sir Gerard,” Jenna replied, quietly. When she had broken her arm as a young child, she had fallen from a tree she was climbing on Sir Gerard’s property.
Is there something wrong? I am hearing another conversation.
Jenna’s head was beginning to throb with the strain of focusing on two conversations at once.
My shields seem to have been weak since the injury.
Injury?
She cursed herself as the image of Dominic slapping her came into her head.
Miss Mallory! What happened?
“What do you think this time? Your arm healed in a week. What about the eye?”
“Don’t tell anyone!”
“Tell anyone what?” Sir Gerard seemed confused.
Jenna rubbed her forehead. “Excuse me, Sir Gerard. It should heal by tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” He kept chuckling.
You don’t want me to tell anyone that the Crown Prince slapped you across the face?
It’s embarrassing. Um, the pain is getting worse.
You should probably lie down. Harcourt’s mental voice grew concerned.
“Sometimes I wonder, Miss Mallory, if you are incredibly lucky or just cursed. Have you been at court long?”
Jenna liked Sir Gerard, but she sincerely wished at that moment he would leave her alone.
You may even have a concussion.
“A what?”
Just then the gong sounded in the central courtyard. It set Jenna’s teeth on edge, and she winced with the pain in her head as it grew unbearable. All she remembered was closing her eyes before her consciousness flew above the castle.
Chapter 13
Jenna floated just above her body, which still lay on the ground. She did not feel overly concerned about returning to it, and just watched half-caring as Sir Gerard dismounted from his horse to go check on her. Jenna also caught sight of Lord Harcourt coming toward her at a fast pace. As the two men spoke and Sir Gerard picked up her lifeless form, she began to wonder if she should follow it or not. She felt it best to try to follow along, figuring Harcourt would shortly find a way to get her back inside herself anyway, but as she attempted to move one direction, she found herself moving in another. The more she tried to move back toward the palace, the farther she seemed to get, until she was well away from the palace grounds and picking up speed. Her worry increased exponentially when she noticed the direction she was headed: east toward the mountains.
Once she discovered the futility of struggling against the mental tide, she quickly gathered momentum and arrived back at the strange castle cut into the mountainside. This time, she flew straight through its walls and into a large room, where the same mage sat waiting for her in a tall armchair. He looked directly at her and smiled. “I’ve been trying to find you.”
Jenna noticed something odd about his voice. He was speaking Sevalian, but something seemed off.
“I admit I did not think to look for you at the Sevalian Palace, at least at first. Do you belong to Harcourt Tower?”
No. Jenna had no voice with which to speak, but he could still hear her.
“Then what are you doing at court?”
I am a Queen’s Lady.
He laughed at that though it did little to reduce the menace in his dark eyes. “Tell me your name.”
Jenna began to resist his questioning, as she realized she probably had said too much. This man could be a threat.
“Tell me your name, girl.” His voice grew more urgent.
Jenna felt a stab of pain again. Lord Harcourt! She pleaded for his help.
Jenna, he replied, you know how to return. I will help, but you need to focus.
She remembered her training and attempted to connect with the link to her center that she used to return to her body. The pain increased. It’s never hurt like this.
“Tell me now!” Jenna struggled to keep fighting the mage.
It is partly the injury and partly mental strain. Here…
The pain decreased slightly, and she found her center. As she snapped back into her body, she heard the Dark Mage cry out, but shortly thereafter, she opened her eyes and found herself lying on the couch in the Queen’s study. Lord Harcourt held her hand, and Sir Gerard stood by looking grave.
“I’m going to be sick.” Unfortunately her head still throbbed. Luckily, Sir Gerard found a waste bin for her to throw up into, allowing her to avoid ruining the floor. “Cursed,” said Jenna, as she lay back down. “Definitely cursed.”
Gerard smiled. “Now, now, I’m sure you’ll be fine,” he said. “She will be fine, won’t she?” He looked over at the high mage.
“You have a slight concussion, Miss Mallory.”
“That’s a kind of head injury?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“But I felt fine before.”
“It was partially my fault. I should not have tried the link. Most likely, if you get some rest and allow your healing magic to start working again, you’ll be fine in the morning.”
“But what about the Dark Mage? Will he find me again?”
“The person I heard through the link?” asked Lord Harcourt. Both men seemed confused.
“Yes. The mage in the mountains. He said he had been looking for me.”
“You went all the way to the Zidarian Mountains?”
Jenna nodded. “I felt compelled to go, as if he had brought me there.”
“Who is she referring to?” Sir Gerard was still confused.
“Miss Mallory has discovered what I believe to be an unregistered mage living in the Zidarian Mountains.”
“Does the King know about this?”
“Yes. Though without any other confirmation, nothing has yet been done.”
“This should be investigated.”
“I agree, but for now she needs to rest.”
“Yes, of course.” Sir Gerard smiled again. “It’ll be fine, Miss Mallory. You have plenty of support at court, and I’m sure you will be climbing trees again in no time. My Lord.” He nodded to the high mage as he left the room.
“How do you know Sir Gerard?”
“Family friend.”
“I see. Well, drink this.”
Jenna took some kind of tonic from her teacher. It tasted foul.
“It’s to help the pain. I’ll increase the wards on the room so you won’t be disturbed.” Jenna nodded and pulled a blanket over herself and closed her eyes. Although the image of the Dark Mage’s face still burned in her memory, she eventually drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
When she awoke, the pain was only a dull ache. Someone had left hot tea out for her, and she began to sip it slowly. She was most of the way through her first cup, when there was a knock at the door. “Enter,” she said.
The door swung open, and there stood the Queen with Lord Harcourt. They entered the room and sat down near her, while the Queen lifted a hand to Jenna’s forehead.
“Is the pain any better?” she asked.
“Yes, thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Good. Your face already shows improvement.” She paused and her expression turned stern. “I wish to discuss your activities this morning.”
Jenna glanced at the high mage and
made a silent prayer that he had not said anything about the Crown Prince.
“I have spoken to Master Barrett and Master Durand as well as my son Eamon, who said he found you in the woods after your fall. They have told me that you went riding astride this morning, bareback, before your climb up the tree.”
Jenna let out a small sigh of relief that there was no mention of the slapping incident. “Yes, Majesty, I had intended to tell you if it hadn’t been for the arrival.”
“I don’t doubt that, but I am… concerned. Durand tells me you have had riding instruction astride in Salara and that your parents allowed this. Because of this I will not admonish you for sheer stupidity, but it is still not acceptable behavior for one of my Ladies to appear in men’s clothing and ride astride. And it is certainly not acceptable to be climbing trees. You must therefore promise me never to do this again.”
Jenna felt somewhat ashamed and sad not to be able to ride Kedar astride again, but she nodded. “If that is your wish, Your Majesty, I won’t do it again.”
“Good. Since you have already sustained an injury and missed the majority of the arrival festivities, I will not give you cleaning duty as punishment. However, you have missed a singing performance, which will be rescheduled, and I want you to have private protocol instruction once a week for the next month. Perhaps this will make you think twice the next time you feel the urge to throw away any sense of decorum.”
Jenna accepted her punishment. She would not particularly like the protocol sessions, but at least she would avoid scrubbing floors.
“Very well then,” said the Queen, as she stood. “Lord Harcourt would like to talk with you some more about your… encounter in the Zidarian Range. I, however, must be getting back to my family.”
Jenna curtsied as the Queen left. Once the door had closed, she faced her teacher. “Thank you, My Lord,” she said, “for respecting my wishes about my injury.”
“I’d still like to know what happened. Are you aware of the punishment for laying a violent hand on a Queen’s Lady?”
“No.”
“Minimum of twenty lashes, and a noble may be stripped of his title.”
“He didn’t know I was a Queen’s Lady. He saw me in my brother’s clothing with one of the Crown horses and assumed I was a stable boy.” Jenna wondered if this were somehow Providence getting back at her for impersonating Tobin. “Maybe I deserved it.”