I sighed. “I don’t want to find just ‘someone,’ I want to find the one.”
Angie came around the table, giving me a comforting hug. “I understand, Hun. And they should be ashamed of themselves for trying to push you into something you’re not sure is right.”
A melody of ‘hey’s’ came from around the table. I chuckled, taking a sip of my tea. I was thankful that at least Angela understood where I came from. I didn’t want something that wouldn’t last. I didn’t want a week-long fling. I wanted something that was going to last. I wanted something that was real, that was pure, unadulterated love.
After the tea, I made my way home, taking a shortcut thought the Middle Grounds. After my friend’s actions about me finding a date for the Christmas party, I didn’t feel in the mood for human interaction. When I got to my house, I didn’t even bother going inside, wanting solitude.
I didn’t know that the river was behind my hut when I first built it. Between it and my home was about three or four feet of trees and low shrubbery, making it almost impossible to know it was back behind it all. But, since I found it, it had been my getaway from the Realm. If there was ever a time when I just wanted to be one with the nature around me, I would go down to the river.
Taking off my shoes and socks before rolling up my pant legs, I wadded into the middle of the river where the water was about waist high. I let the palms of my hands barely skim the surface of the water, feeling the rippling waves underneath my hands. I closed my eyes, making myself forget about everything but the sand beneath me, water around me, and breeze above me.
That night, I was making my dinner when there was a knock on the door. I didn’t usually get visitors that late, so I was cautious. Tucking a knife in the back waistband of my trousers and grabbing the lantern on the counter next to me, I hesitantly opened the door.
What I wasn’t expecting was a royal messenger, delivering an official statement to me, of all people. As soon as he handed me the folded slip of paper, he bowed gracefully and walked back to where his horse waited for him patiently by the side of the main road. Putting the knife back where it went and setting the lantern on the table top, I sell into a chair and broke the wax seal that held both sides together.
Inside was a statement of summons. I was to be at the castle of the Duke and Duchess of the Northernmost Kingdom tomorrow afternoon. While it didn’t give me the option to back out, I had a feeling that if I didn’t show up, it would be my head.
I wondered what they wanted to see me about. I hadn’t been going over the tracking amount for the season, and had kept tallies of every animal I killed and brought home. I hadn’t been in the public eye lately, and was sure that if I had broken a law, they would have taken me in right then and there. They definitely would have brought something more than a gangly messenger, who looked like he was barely of age.
With a sigh, I had gone back to preparing, and finally eating, my dinner. I wanted to understand, but I knew that I couldn’t let my patience get the best of me. Trying to keep my head off of the summoned, I ate as quickly as I could before going to bed early, praying a prayer of thanks as sleep overtook me almost immediately.
Chapter 3
Lara
I was surprised when I was summoned by my father.
I had been reading, a hobby that Vivian says is more of an addiction, in the gazebo. It stood in the very center of the mass garden that had been planted many years before behind the castle. It was home to every flower, tree, and bush that you could possibly imagine. The colors always seemed more vibrant to me in the garden than anywhere else, second in beauty only to my mothers clearing. I had been there since the breaking of dawn, the cool morning mist gently spraying the flowers and the tips of my hair which were pulled out past the edge of the covering with every breeze that passed my way.
I almost didn’t believe the guard, Henry, I believe his name was, when he told me that my father requested to speak with me. My emotions ranged from surprise, to joy, before finally settling at fear. My father never spoke to me, so for him to want to see me surely meant he was angry. I started to replay every action I had made and word I had spoken, trying to figure out what it could have been that I had done to make my father want to request my presence. When nothing came up, I began to worry even more. What if I had done something that I couldn’t remember? What if it was something horrible?
By the time that I had gotten to the library, I was shaking with worry. I was sure that my fear had a scent, and if let loose, the castles hunting dogs would be able to find me from a mile away. I tried my best to hid my concern, not wanting to give my father yet another thing to be upset about. Worry wasn’t becoming to a young lady, he would say.
“We will have a visitor tonight,” he said simply, his back to me.
“Yes, father.”
“If all goes well, you will be married within two weeks time.”
My heart stopped. “I….I’m sorry?”
“Stuttering is not becoming of a lady,” he rebuked, a harshness dominantly present in his words.
“Forgive me, father. What I meant to say was, what do you mean, married?”
“Prince Alexander is of age to take over the throne. Before he may, he needs a wife.”
“Prince Alexander, the grandson of Ella Charming?” I questioned in disbelief.
“I’m not familiar with any other Alexanders of the royal line, are you?”
I felt my cheeks grow hot, thankful that he had kept his back to me all this time. “No, father.”
“You should feel honored that he chose you. There are many other very promising choices that he could have picked. Your sister, Vivian, for example.”
I could feel tears prick the corners of my eyes as he spoke of Vivian. I knew that he favored my sister more than me, but that didn’t make the sting any less whenever he mentioned it. “I suppose you’re right.”
“Of course I’m right,” he snorted. “Now, go get ready. He’ll be here at dusk.”
I gazed out one of the long windows in the room, noting the high, afternoon sun, and the fact that it was nowhere near dusk. “Yes, father.”
As I started to walk out, he called my name. I turned around to find him staring at me, an icy look in his stone-cold eyes. “This is a very good opportunity for you, Lara. Don’t ruin it.”
I wasn’t able to speak, so I simply nodded, hoping the gesture of respect would suffice. I concluded that it did as he went back to studying the portrait above the mantle, not another word said.
I made my way up to my room, my silent footsteps carrying me swiftly up the rounded staircase. Once I found my solitude, I allowed myself to breath. The impending marriage was forgotten for a moment by my father’s cold face that had been permanently etched into my face. I had wished for so long that he would look at me, that he would want me as much as my sister. But, I never wished he would look at me like that. A look of distaste, of hatred, of contempt.
A look of regret.
I would never forget that look.
Before I could move from my place near the door, it swung open, revealing a steaming Vivian. Her eyes held hate, and her skin was visibly red. Her skirts swished at her feet as she walked, almost as if they were afraid of the wrath they would face if they touched her feet. I watched silently as she paced my room, clenching her fingers in the folds of her skirt until her knuckles turned white.
“How? How did you do it?” She finally spoke, visibly shaking as the words left her mouth.
“I’m not sure I understand what you mean.”
“Don’t play coy with me,” she seethed. “I want to know how you did it.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I stated, reiterating my previous comment.
She finally stopped pacing, turning to face me. “How did you get Prince Alexander to pick you? Do you know how long I have been pinning after him, doing everything that was within the boundaries of a lady to get his attention?”
“Well, you can have h
im.” I said simply, picking up my book from my nightstand and flipping to where I had last read. “I don’t want to get married.”
She scoffed at me as I flung myself into the large green chair in the corner of my room. “It doesn’t work like that, Lara. You can’t just decide not to get married, especially not when you have a proposal from Prince Alexander!”
“Well, I have decided. I’m sorry if it’s disappointing to you, but I’m sure that’s nothing new to you.”
“I can’t believe you!” she yelled, throwing her hands in her hair as she began her pacing again. “How can you be so…so…so daft? Do you know what you’re throwing away? Can you even begin to understand what is at stake here?”
“I do,” I glanced at her as I turned the page.
She stood still, a thin, sly smile appearing as she turned to me. She walked all the way to the chairs edge, making me crane my neck just to see her face. “What would mother think about you throwing away what could be the best, if not only, marriage proposal you can get?”
I froze, every bone in my body feeling as if it cracked when she mentioned my mother. I felt the tears gathering behind my eyes, my entire body as if it were an extra weight that I was carrying. Slowly, I stood, making her move back enough that there was some distance between us. It was a moment before I could gather myself enough that I could look at her. When I did, her expression was smug, arms crossed over her chest as if in victory.
“She would be proud of me,” I started, speaking slowly. “For turning down what is very possibly a loveless marriage.”
I didn’t wait for her to respond. I ran out of my room, not caring who was watching or what they would tell my father. I had broken many of the rules which a lady should follow. Not crying in front of another living being and not running being two examples. I ran as far as I could, as fast as I could. I didn’t want to be around people. I needed solitude. I needed peace. I needed my mother.
Following my gut, I darted into my mother’s clearing. I stopped when I got to the center, not moving. I let the tears roll down my cheeks, not even bothering to wipe them away. I didn’t focus in on any one thing. I couldn’t. I felt like I had never felt before. I just stood there, weeping, until I was falling. I welcomed the cool, wet forest floor, allowing my tears to mix with the morning dew that hadn’t dried yet.
When I woke up, the moon was in it’s place high in the sky, surrounded by its stars. I stared at it for some time, wondering what it would be like to live on the moon. You wouldn’t have any worry sorrow. It would be nice to live on the moon, I mused silently. Maybe if I wished hard enough, the Fates would allow me to go there.
I sat up, stretching my stiff back. Knowing that my father would already be furious because I hadn’t been there to greet the prince at his arrival, I took my time going to the castle. When I got there, my father was waiting for me. He took in the sight of me, dirt caked on my face and clothes and hair a mess, with the same, hate-filled stare that I had seen earlier that day. My step-mother stared at me in shock, and Vivian was as smug as always. She actually laughed at me.
“This is how to greet a prince?” She mocked, clearly enjoying the position I was in. “You look like a street monger.”
I ignored her comments, focusing on my father. “I’m sorry. I fell asleep, and…”
“Enough,” he cut me off, and I silented myself instantly. “I don’t have any care for what your reason was. You were supposed to be here to greet your guest, and you weren’t. To make matters worse, when you do finally show up, you look the farthest thing from the lady I have made you into.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t say anything at all. I had learned it was better to keep quiet than to stumble over your words.
“I’m finished with you. Apologize to Prince Alexander, then go to your room.”
I nodded, turning to the man who had been watching silently from the sidelines through the whole exchange. I made the point of not looking at him directly, keeping my head down and eyes to the side. “I’m sorry, your highness, for making you wait. Also, for showing up inappropriately dressed for the occasion. I pray for your forgiveness.”
I heard a scoff from Vivian, but ignored it. Nothing she did or said had the power to make me feel anything but the pain that I was feeling at that moment. Nothing could make it feel worse. As I stood there, waiting for the prince’s response, I wondered what it would be like not to be royal, not to have all of the pressure to be a perfect lady on you at all hours.
“All’s forgiven,” He finally said, voice cold and hard. “But, do not let it happen again.”
“Of course, your majesty.”
When I was in my room that night, clean and slightly relaxed, I fell asleep dreaming about what it would be like if my mother was still alive, and asking myself if I would be in the same place that I am now if she were.
Chapter 4
Huntsman
I hadn’t been expecting the request that the king and princess had brought to me. It wasn’t something that a father would ask. Evening a loathing sister wouldn’t stoop as low as these royals had. But, they did.
And I didn’t know what to do next.
I wondered if I should even go through with it. If I didn’t they would most likely have my head. But, if I did, and the kingdoms people found out, they could still have my head for treason. After all, it would be a royal’s word against that of a lowly huntsman. Who would they be more willing to believe without a second thought? The answer was very clear.
I sighed as I threw myself on the rickety bed that I had made many years before, listening as it groaned under the pressure of my weight. I didn’t understand why they wanted me. They could have found any number of more than willing souls to see out their wishes. Why had they asked me? I was not a very well-known huntsman in any of the kingdoms, for reasons such as this. I didn’t get the pleasure out of performing various tasks, usually involving tracking or disposing of someone, that others in my profession did. I preferred working for the villagers, those who couldn’t fend or provide for themselves and their families. The orphans, the homeless, the widows, these were the people I used my talents for. I didn’t do it for the money, I did it to help people who were helpless.
So, why did they ask me perform a heartless task? I didn’t understand. I didn’t want too. All I wanted was out of this mess that I had somehow gotten into. But, I knew that there was no way to get out of it other than to deny the king, which would land me in prison, and very likely the executioners hut in the future.
I laid awake that night, sleep evading me. It seemed to be dodging me quite a lot lately. This time though, I welcomed it. I knew that there was no other way that I would be able to sleep. The task at hand, the meeting in the dawning hours with the king and his daughter, my own guilt over agreeing to it, all of the impending decisions had made my head heavy.
I watched out my window as the sun rose above the tree tips, wondering how so much beauty could show itself on such a horrible day. Having waited as long as I could, I finally made my way out of bed, running a hand through my hair, letting it fall down my face, palm scratched by the shadowing of hair appearing on my face. I pulled on my books, and quickly walked out the door, not bothering to close it behind me.
If an animal wanted to get it, today would be the day I would let it.
As I approached the castle yards, I pushed any doubt to the back of my mind. I couldn’t risk my life. Not for my own sake, but for those I helped. I couldn’t leave them. After all, I was the only help that they received. I shut down any emotions I had as a guard let me in and led me to the library. I walked swiftly, purposefully, determinedly.
When the guard opened the door, I nodded my head in a curt acknowledgement of thanks. I didn’t turn to the room until the door was completely closed behind me, and the guard’s footsteps could no longer be heard. When I finally faced the king, he was already standing, waiting impatiently for me to acknowledge him as was custom. But, I was never one for
customs.
“I will do as you ask,” I started, walking towards him, my eyes never flinching. “But, only on one condition.”
His eyebrow lifted, surprised that I of all people would give a king terms to go by. “And what would that be?”
“I won’t kill the princess. I refuse to hurt a defenseless person, especially one that is innocent of any wrongdoing.”
“And how do you know that she is innocent, as you claim?”
“Because, you are a king of flash. You live off of the talk of the town, and you love to be at the center of it. You crave the public’s eye. You would not be one to spare your family humiliation by excecuting your own blood in private.” I sneered at him, surprising myself at my audacity. “No, you’d rather have the humiliation of executing her in public, like a common criminal. The high you would get off of the attention from that would last you a lifetime.”
His glare could have melted me to a puddle of a person, if he had the power. He sighed, giving in. “Fine, you do not have to kill the princess. But, you must make sure that no one ever sees her face again. Any word of her being alive, and your head will be the one on the stake.”
I gave a short nod. “I understand.”
“You better hurry, she will be heading for her walk any minute, I’ll have one of the guards show you to the path she takes most regularly. She must be gone by the announcement dinner tonight.”
“It will be done.”
He jerked his head towards the door I had come in through. “Go.”
The meeting had been over just as soon as it had begun. Once I was out the door, I let out a sigh of relief. I hadn’t actually thought that I would be walking out of the castle that day, much less that the king would agree to my condition. I wondered if he would go through with letting me keep the girl alive. I prayed that he would.
We stopped at the opening of a worn, narrow path in the middle of a thick wall of trees. It looked out of place, as if it actually was supposed to be hidden in the side of the castle walls, or perhaps the side of a cave. The guard looked annoyed, as if he had done this a million times. “Follow this all the way down, until you come to the clearing. Hide in the trees. She usually stays until after dusk, so you can grab her after the sun sets. She’ll be less aware then.”
Huntsman: Love Will Find a Way Page 2