Kingdom Untold

by Brittni Chenelle

  “What’s the rush?”

  “Galahad’s tax collection is likely more of a scouting mission. I’m sure Camelot is months away from marching on us. And…” He took a deep breath and his gaze dropped to the floor. “And Minseo is now next in line to rule Vires.”

  He lifted his gaze to me, and I could see in the glisten of his curved eyes that this was a fresh wound.

  I nodded, hopping to my feet. “Let’s get ready and go. I’d like to say a quick goodbye to Morgana before we head out.”

  As it turned out, Young did not think we had enough time to say goodbye, and I couldn’t help but notice a sudden change in his temperament. I’d seen grief and its effects before and knew that it was my turn to be there for him, as he’d once been for me.

  The promise of a full-grown cow was enough to convince Garix to fly us both. But finding a comfortable way for both of us to saddle onto Garix’s back was a major problem. The talons on his back had grown, even in the short time I’d been in Vires. After several attempts, and with some cloth and rope, we managed to get off the ground, but it was clearly a temporary solution.

  Young and I were surprised when a few uncomfortable hours later we began seeing signs of Faresa below. We’d underestimated how quickly we could travel on the back of a dragon. A few scattered homes soon gave way to crowded streets and a castle with seven pointed towers.

  We circled the city center several times before coming to the conclusion that we would not be able to land near the castle. We found a small patch of open land a few blocks away, but after we landed, a large crowd formed around us, causing Garix to twitch nervously.

  I brushed my hand along his head and willed a soothing periwinkle toward him.

  Young stretched his back before turning to me with his plan. “You stay here with Garix, I’ll go to the castle to find Minseo and see if we can get an audience with the king.”

  I nodded but felt regretful as soon as he disappeared into the crowd. It was difficult to find comfort with so many eyes on Garix and me. I heard the whisper of a familiar term, Dragon Princess. I wanted to call out to them, to tell them that, although I had a dragon, I was no princess. As I looked around, the complexion of the crowd was less varied than Besmium or Camelot. It was generally a deep brown with red undertones that reminded me a little of Gabriel. The thought of Gabriel comforted me and I leaned against Garix, who purred softly.

  I couldn’t have been waiting for more than twenty minutes, but the sun was starting to set and both Garix and I were getting restless.

  Suddenly, I saw a face push through the crowd that raised my pulse. Minseo. He stepped through, leaping over the stone wall that the others dared not cross.

  “Hello, beautiful,” he said.

  “Minseo,” I breathed, and a wave of sadness hit me as I recalled the sad turn of events from the previous night. Though the bells brought Young and me the news of Sumin’s death, it looked like I would have to deliver it to Minseo.

  He leaned in, taking me by the hand. “What’s wrong?”

  I knew it was better just to say it. “Young and I are here to bring you back to Vires. It’s Sumin, he…”

  Minseo’s energy drained. He exhaled, his gaze on me but his mind elsewhere.

  I took his hand and pulled it to my chest. “I’m sorry, Minseo.”

  He forced a half-smile for my benefit then pulled his hand away. “Where’s Young?”

  “He went to find you and get a meeting with King Ruban.”

  He nodded, then his gaze moved to Garix. “Let’s find a place for Garix to rest for the night, then go look for Young. The king won’t see anyone until morning. We’ll have to stay at the inn and meet with him tomorrow.”

  It was dark before we’d found a suitable place for Garix, a farm similar to his home in Vires only with a more eager farmer. After I was sure he was settled, Minseo and I returned to the center of the city. I was worried we’d have trouble finding Young in the dark, but Minseo was confident he’d find his way to a tavern just beyond the castle walls. Minseo strode through town with his usual confidence, but he was uncharacteristically quiet, so I knew the news about Sumin was weighing on him.

  I knew I shouldn’t bring it up, but I needed to know. “Are you okay?” I asked.

  He stopped in his tracks and turned to me, his face shone with silver moonlight. He slipped his hand to the back of my neck and pulled me in for a kiss. My knees buckled and I leaned into the warmth of the kiss. My body surged with heat, but Minseo pulled away too soon, the corners of his mouth slightly turned up.

  “Now,” he breathed, “I’m okay.”

  Kiss me again. Kiss me again. But he turned away. I caught his wrist and pulled him back. I wrapped my arms around him and brought his lips to mine, this time deepening the kiss. In a rush, I fisted his hair. I was out of breath when we finally pulled apart. I ran my fingers along his jawline. My heartbeat raced against his. That was how it was supposed to feel. It was the kiss I’d been craving since I was taken prisoner in Bullhorn.

  “Wow,” I mouthed.

  He ran a hand through his black hair. “Yeah, I know,” he said with a smile.

  He let me go and the coolness of the night rushed my body. “We’re almost there,” he said as he began to walk again. He slipped the hand closest to me into his pocket. Of course, we couldn’t hold hands. Young was somewhere around here and I hadn’t had the chance to tell him that the previous night had been a mistake.

  A pang of guilt hit my stomach as the memory of my night with Young rushed forward. I had to tell Minseo.

  Before the words made it to my lips, Minseo spoke, “This is it.”

  If I had been paying any attention at all, I would have seen it coming from down the road. There was a large crowd of people congregated outside the brightly lit tavern. Music, light, and laughter poured out of every window. We pushed through the crowd, making our way into the massive tavern.

  At the center of the room, a lively man with a bright smile stood on a table. “Minseo!” he called. And many of the drunken tavern goers turned to appraise us. “Look who I found,” he said, and he pulled Young onto the table beside him. Relief pushed through me as we made our way through the tavern to Young.

  “Is this the Dragon Princess?” the man asked, taking my hand and kissing it.

  I winced.

  The man asked, “And where is your dragon? I’ve been told he’s somewhere around here.”

  “Yes, we found a farm for him to rest tonight,” I said.

  “I’m Finn,” he said. “Young has promised me a round of drinks with you lot,” he said, and his eyes twinkled mischievously as his gaze drifted between Young, Minseo, and me.

  A couple of hours and several rounds later, I felt the sway of ale hitting my system. With every round, Young touched me more, putting his arm around me and kissing the side of my head. Minseo had done well to hide any distaste for it, but in the last few minutes, it had begun to show.

  We’d been playing a game that Finn suggested where we take turns asking each other if we believed something was possible. It was fun at first, as Finn had a story proving just about everything to be true. We’d learned there was a man in Algony who could lift three full-grown men over his head, and a woman in Nilith who could hypnotize men by singing a special song.

  Finn leaned back in his chair, shaking his empty cup in the air. He waved it at Young. “I believe it’s your turn,” he said. Young stood, pulled my hand to his lips and kissed it before he headed to the bar.

  I ran my finger over the rim of my cup to avoid Minseo’s reaction.

  Finn said, “Your turn, Minseo.”

  “Charlotte,” Minseo said suddenly, “do you think it’s possible to be in love with more than one person at once?”

  I held his gaze, feeling my pulse race and my stomach tighten, filled with a mixture of ale and adrenaline. I owed two men a conversation, two men who’d just lost their brother. The guilt of stringing them along had caught up to me. But now wasn’t
the time or place to talk about it. I wanted more than anything to comfort Minseo. I wanted him to know I’d chosen him. I hoped that with a simple response, he’d understand. So, I said, simply, “No.”

  Without breaking eye contact, he took a large gulp of the last of his ale and a deep breath that relaxed his shoulders.

  Without acknowledging the weight of the exchange, Finn turned to Minseo, continuing the game. “Do you believe it’s possible to wield magic?”

  “Absolutely. I’ve seen it.”

  Wait. He wasn’t going to tell him about Morgana, was he? I scrambled to kick Minseo under the table.

  “Merlin, Camelot’s battle mage, once blocked my carriage by growing a tree before my very eyes.”

  The bard’s eyes glittered. “Oh, a wonderful story to add to my collection.”

  Young walked over to the table with the ales in hand, taking a seat beside me.

  Finn patted him on the back. “It’s your turn, my boy.”

  Young turned to Minseo and draped his arm over my shoulder. “Do you think a king should put his kingdom above everything?”

  Minseo pressed his lips together as he thought carefully. Then he said, “Depends on the king.”

  Finn slammed his hand down on the table. “Boring! Let’s play a new game.”

  We nodded in agreement, three of us unsurprised that in lieu of the last few days, the game had taken a dark turn.

  37

  Minseo

  Three separate rooms at the inn, of course. Young’s room was next to mine and Charlotte’s just across the hall. The ale had made me drowsy, and I had to admit I didn’t like seeing Young with his hands all over her at the tavern. The sudden change in his interactions with her told me something had happened between them, which caused me to doubt everything. Even with Charlotte answering my question, the way she did, I wasn’t a hundred percent sure she meant she only loved me. After the kiss we shared, I was certain her heart was mine, but imagining her with Young was a dagger to any possibility of sleeping. I needed to hear it from her. I needed to know the truth. I knew the moment we were given our rooms that I would sneak across the hall. I just wanted to make sure Young was asleep first.

  I heard the creek of Young’s door and jutted to a seated position on the bed. I heard three steps then a light knock. I raced to my door on my tiptoes, to make as little noise as possible, and pressed my hand over my mouth to quiet my breath. I heard Charlotte open her door.

  “Young,” she said.

  My heart raced.

  He said, “Uhm, I was thinking that maybe we could…”

  Don’t say it.

  “Finish what we started last night.”

  My stomach clenched and I tore myself away from the door. I sunk into my bed and pressed my face into my pillow. It was as if someone punched me in the gut. I heard a door close, but I didn’t know whose. A moment later, another door opened and closed, and my busy mind riddled that Young had gone back to his room. Whether he was alone, I didn’t know. I didn’t want to know. I lifted my head to slip my pillow out and instead placed it on top of my head. God almighty. I swear if I hear a single sound, I’m going to burn this entire inn to the ground.

  I began counting the seconds as they passed, thinking it might calm me down, but it was infinitely worse, so I pulled myself out of bed and walked out into the hallway with the intention of going for a walk. As soon as my door closed behind me, I stood silently in the hallway, listening for the slightest sound. Minutes passed in silence and I suddenly regretted not listening longer at my door.

  I eyed Charlotte’s door, picking at my fingernails. My body moved toward it without my consent until I gently tapped on it.

  A moment later, the door swung open as if she’d been waiting behind it, and Charlotte stood before me in a sheer nightgown that made me grind my teeth. “Oh, Minseo,” she said. “What are you doing here?”

  Embarrassment flushed through me and I suddenly felt silly for being there, and very unwelcome. “I uh... had a question.”

  “Well, I’m really tired,” she said. “Can it wait until tomorrow?”

  I swallowed a lump of shock and disappointment that tasted like spoiled stew. “Oh, yes. I’m sorry. Goodnight.” I turned, ready to hide in my room for the next hundred years when she grabbed me by the wrist. When I looked back at her, she held a finger to her lips, her gaze moving between me and Young’s door.

  Oh. She’d thought this through more than I had. She pulled me into her room and closed the door behind us. Forgetting the trauma that had brought me there in the first place, I followed her like the undead, mindless and hungry.

  “Minseo,” she whispered. “I have to tell you something.”

  My mind snapped back into focus. This was it. If she brought me in here to tell me she was with Young now, why was she practically naked? Women were cruel. It was unbearable, and my next words slipped out. “I don’t want to know,” I said, but what I meant was, Please, don’t hurt me.

  “Last night,” she started.

  I turned away and paced.

  “Something happened between me and Young.”

  I buried my face in my hands. “I don’t care, Charlotte.”

  She shook her head, her loose curls bouncing. “Please, just let me say this. I feel horrible—”

  I walked towards her and took her face in my hands. “I don’t care. I just want to know if you’re leaving me or not.” I felt my eyes prick. “I just want to know if this is over.”

  “No,” she said.

  I exhaled.

  “But I need to tell you what happened.”

  “Don’t,” I spat, taking a seat on her bed.

  “Then let me just say this.” She took a seat beside me. “I’m sorry it took so long for me to get here. I thought I owed it to Young to give us a chance, after everything. I felt curious more than anything after so many years of wishing for him. I thought if I slept with him—”

  I took a sharp breath in. “I understand.”

  I felt her lean closer. “We didn’t.”

  I looked up at her, sadness hanging on each of her features.

  She continued, “But I would’ve. The bells last night kind of…” She sighed. “But then this morning, I felt horrible because I knew that it would have been a mistake. Mostly because, before I let anything happen, I already knew I was in love with you. I already knew my heart couldn’t be changed. It’s not fair to him that you and I happened, but it did and we can’t go back. Mostly because now I know the truth.”

  My mind raced, my palms suddenly sweaty. A tear slid down her cheek and she said, “That love is different every time.”

  I leaned in and kissed her gently, resting my forehead against hers. I exhaled, warmth filling me. “I love you, Charlotte.”

  She whispered, “Good,” then stood suddenly. “Now out.” She gestured to the door.

  “What? No! You’re wearing that!” I said, scanning her blurred silhouette through her nightgown.

  “I haven’t had the chance to talk to Young about us yet. I’d like us to... pause things until then.”

  I shook my head, heading for the door. “So you just wore that to make me go easy on you.”

  She smirked. I ran my hand through my hair and a small, mmm sound escaped her lips. I tilted my head to the side. What was that? Was this a thing? I strode towards her, pushing my hand through my hair a second time.

  Her face and neck went red, her eyes glassy, and her lips parting to invite my kiss. I leaned in, her lips parting more. I stopped just before our lips touched and whispered, “Interesting.” I turned and headed for the door, calling back over my shoulder, “I was just checking something. Goodnight.”

  38

  Lancelot

  It wasn’t like I thought Merlin would say yes, but even with this whole proposal bit as part of Arthur’s plan to kill her, I found myself perplexingly disappointed. I mean, Merlin used to look at me with admiration. She wanted me despite me making no effort to impress her
. Gwen was so different, always asking me to prove my love for her with gifts, vows, or demonstrations.

  I lay back in bed and stared at the ceiling. At least Merlin didn’t attack me. That had to mean something, right? She could’ve killed me on the spot. She could kill anyone on the spot, including Arthur, and that was why he made this plan. But I couldn’t stop thinking about Merlin trying to win Arthur’s trust back. She’d trained those men. She stayed at the castle, despite knowing her life was at risk. It was more than not having somewhere else to go; she wanted to serve Arthur. She was loyal to him, and that meant Arthur was tossing aside one of his best assets for nothing. And, if for no other reason, Merlin and I were friends once.

  Sure, she’d left my knighthood quest before its completion, after I told her I was going to stay with Gwen, but she kept my secret. Maybe I’d been looking at it wrong all along. Maybe she wasn’t getting revenge on me by leaving; maybe she was protecting herself.

  It seemed like she’d gotten over any feelings she had for me, but it didn’t matter. I had to see if I could save her. Arthur was making a mistake.

  I sat up and headed for my door with the intention of finding Arthur.

  I swung open my door to find Merlin with a fist raised. I’d caught her just before she decided to knock. She pushed past me and strewn herself across my bed like it was her bedroom.

  “Ugh,” she huffed. “Can you really help me win Arthur back over?”

  Stunned, I closed the door behind me. “Are you serious? Are you saying you’ll marry me?”

  She sat up, “No.” She shook her head, setting her green braids into a wave at her lower back. “I’m just trying to open up the conversation.” She grinned playfully. “How about you convince Arthur to trust me and I don’t marry you?”

  “And what’s in it for me?” I asked with a smile. I hadn’t realized how much I missed our banter or how easily we fell back into it. She was right in front of me, as she’d always been, but I still missed her.