by Cheree Alsop
The horses picked up their pace and outdistanced those of us who were walking. The cries of welcome and shouts of glad tidings from the Antorans as we neared the city made me glad I was toward the end of our group. It looked as if the entire city had come out to welcome Prince Andric and the soldiers home. People lined the snow-covered road all the way to the castle wall. They didn't seem to notice the cold as they greeted their prince and his guards.
Andric and the others had dismounted, leaving only the Crowns on Drade's horses. I watched Andric shake hands with the waiting men and receive hugs from the women, tousling the hair of the children as though he knew each one. I had never seen a member of any royal family greet his or her common citizens that way. I always assumed it was out of respect the citizens had for their rulers, but when I saw the way Andric's people welcomed him home, I realized there was more than one kind of respect.
I watched the crowd's reaction to the wolves and horses in amazement. Instead of ignoring them or giving them a polite pat on the head as would be courteous for a noble's pet, both the wolves and the horses were welcomed as warmly as the soldiers. Bayn, Freis, and the other three wolves licked greetings to the Antorans and received hugs and kind words from the citizens. The horses had winter flowers braided into their manes and tails and were given handfuls of warm oats that were more than welcome after the long, cold journey.
There were other animals among the crowd. Members of the great bird family, hawks, eagles, and osprey perched on rooftops or gloved arms and gazed alertly at the arriving company. Several dogs and a black fox darted between the feet of the horses who weren’t spooked as would happen with normal animals. The smaller creatures played in familiar winding patterns around the shaggy horses' hooves.
A beautiful white deer stood next to a young girl with big blue eyes and a quick smile. Two rabbits played around a pair of twins near a street opening. A snowy owl blinked at us from the shoulder of an elderly man who was missing a hand.
When we entered the crowd, a ferret, wearing its white coat for the winter, ran up Jesson's cloak and perched on his shoulder. “My wife's,” he explained as he rubbed its furry head in greeting.
At my stare, he smiled. “Don't worry, you'll get used to it.” A lady with long, beautiful black hair separated from the crowd and threw her arms around Jesson's neck. He laughed and spun her around. The ferret ran from shoulder to shoulder. After he set her down and kissed her soundly, he turned back to me with a wide smile. “My Love, this is Crown Princess Kirit of Zalen. Princess Kirit, this is Isea.”
She gave me a graceful curtsy which I returned. “Please call my Kit. Everyone else does.”
Isea's eyebrows rose in surprise and she gave me a warm smile. “Welcome to Antor, Princess Kit,” she replied.
“Thank you,” I said. “Antor is more beautiful than I imagined.” I then bit my tongue, hoping they didn’t take it to mean I had imagined Antor to be ugly.
“It's our little piece of heaven,” Jesson said. He exchanged a glance with his wife. Sadness crossed both of their faces. Jesson shook his head and nodded toward the group that was already halfway to the castle. “Looks like we're getting left behind.”
“If you have a chance,” Isea said to me, “We would love to have you over for supper one of these nights.” She looked at her husband. “I hope I'm not being too forward.”
Jesson glanced at me, his eyebrows slightly lifted in question. I nodded and hoped I didn't look too anxious. I didn't know what would happen now that we had reached the castle. Who knew where the next few moments would find me? Andric might treat us all as prisoners and lock us in the dungeon as penance for the cruelty of our kingdoms. I swallowed the knot of uncertainty in my throat and gave her a smile. “I would be honored,” I said.
Isea smiled back and bid farewell to her husband, reminding him that he would have a warm meal waiting when he returned home that night.
“She's beautiful,” I said honestly.
Jesson nodded. “She's my life,” he replied, looking back at her. “It'll be hard to leave the city we love, but as long as we're together, it'll be alright.”
He fell silent and I didn't press him. The crowd welcomed us as warmly as it had the others, and I was glad to see that they didn't seem at all angry at the appearance of visitors from below the mountains, even visitors who seemed to be at least partially the cause of their dire situation.
We were swept toward the castle with the others; laughter and questions were exchanged by Jesson and various members of the party who had attached themselves to us. The young girl with the deer was on my right, and she caught me looking at the animal.
“Her name is Lilis,” she told me without a hint of shyness. The deer sniffed my fingers and permitted me to run my hand through the thick, soft fur at its neck.
“I'm Kit,” I told the girl.
She smiled, her blue eyes bright counterpoints to the white cloak she wore. “Sare,” she replied. “Lilis says we can trust you, that you smell like a friend.”
I looked back at the deer. The animal met my gaze, its eyes soft and trusting like the girl's. “Thank you,” I said to both of them. We walked to the waiting gates in companionable, if unusual, silence.
Guards bowed us between the gates and down a long walkway through the courtyard lined with black and green uniformed soldiers who held their fists to their hearts in salute. The warm reflection from the castle seemed to light up the entire courtyard. As we drew closer, I could see that the rocks were huge solid stones bigger than I was tall. I wondered how they had been stacked together. The mortar between the stones seemed to capture the light of the walls and glow with warmth.
The Antorans left us at the castle gate with well wishes and promises to meet together again. We passed under a black iron portcullis and through a thick door of lightly colored, thick wooden beams followed by another gate. The soldiers who were around us turned away down a side hall lined with green tapestries to what I assumed were their own quarters. We had finally caught up to the others in time to hear Danyen say in a voice too loud for just Kenyen's ears, “Geesh, do you think they went a little overboard on the security? I mean really, soldiers living in the castle?”
Jesson shook his head but didn't say anything. The four soldiers who carried the stretchers turned off at a smaller white stone hall lined with maroon tapestries. I paused to say farewell to the healer.
“Thanks for your help back there,” he told me. He glanced up the hall at Andric. No matter how casually the Prince acted about his wound, I wasn't the only one who had been concerned. The healer read my hesitation to head up the hallway after the others. “Don't worry,” he said with a reassuring smile. “Everything's going to be just fine. I look forward to seeing you again soon.”
“Hopefully under better circumstances,” I replied.
He gave me an appreciative smile. “Definitely.”
I watched him walk with the soldiers down the hallway, then steeled myself and turned to follow the others.
We crossed through another doorway and my feet were grateful for the thick, soft carpet that covered the stone floors. I fought back the urge to take off my worn boots and walk down the hall barefoot. It was like I had already forgotten such luxuries and was hard pressed to remember that I had lived on thick carpets my whole life. But that life seemed very far away.
I wondered if Father had gone back home to tell Mother what had happened, and hoped they didn't tell Rory. He didn't need to worry about me while he was sick. The first thing I wanted to do was get a message back to them to let everyone know we were alright. I hoped Andric remembered his promise to let us write home.
We were led up a set of richly carpeted stairs to the second floor, through an arched doorway, and into a grand gathering chamber. Multiple doorways led off from the room lined with the luxuries and comforts we were used to back home. My legs threatened to give out at the sight of couches embroidered in golden thread, but we were separated and each led into our individual
door to the rooms waiting beyond.
It was immediately obvious that Prince Andric had planned long and hard to prepare for our coming. The room to which I was shown was dressed in Zalen’s blue and gold. Thick dark blue goose-down blankets were piled on the bed with a multitude of pillows embroidered in gold thread. A small day couch sat below one of the wide windows which was surprisingly lined with glass, a luxury I didn’t expect. Huge shutters were drawn to each side, ready to be pulled across the windows in case of an attack. Even though we were high up, I was surprised to see the markings of arrows etched in the wood.
Though I was inside a stone castle, it wasn't dark and damp like the few others I had been to. Light from the stones and mortar seemed to permeate everything, giving a warm, bright cast to the surroundings. I walked over to an outside wall and put a hand on it; I wasn't surprised to feel that heat also soaked through, warming the room better than any fire.
A pitcher of clean, warm water and scented soap sat on a small, elegant side table with a towel of soft cotton. I was cleaning what I could of the trail grim from my face and arms when a tap sounded at the door. “Crown Princess Kirit?”
I sighed at the title. “Please come in,” I said.
A small maid dressed in green entered and curtsied. She kept her eyes on to the floor instead of meeting my gaze. “I beg your pardon, Crown Princess. I have come to lead you to the royal baths.”
Her timid voice made me frown. Was she afraid of me? “Thank you very much,” I told her as amiably as possible. “I really appreciate the chance to freshen up. It was quite the journey.”
She glanced up at me in surprise, then averted her eyes again. “Yes, Crown Princess.”
“I'd really appreciate it if you'd call me Kit,” I said in an encouraging tone.
This time she met my gaze, her brown eyes wide with surprise. “Kit?”
I nodded. “It's easier to hear than Crown Princess Kirit; that sounds so stuffy, you know?”
Uncertain as to what she should say, the maid nodded.
“What's your name?” I asked.
“Lady's Maid K-Kimber,” she said. She tucked a strand of curly brown hair back under the green laced kerchief across her head, and I realized she wasn't much younger than me.
“Pleased to meet you, Maid Kimber,” I said. I looked around for clothing to take with me to change into.
She curtsied again. “Thank you, Princess Kit.” She noticed my look and said, “Fresh apparel will be provided at the baths.”
I nodded, relieved. “Then I'm ready to follow you.”
She led the way through a tiny side door in my room that I hadn't noticed. It led discreetly past the main gathering chamber and joined with several other passageways that must come from the other rooms to meet at a stairway. I followed Kimber down the wide, sunlit stairs until I was certain we were below the first floor. The stairway ended at a wooden doorway painted dark green with golden scroll work on the sides and an outline in black and gold of what looked like Falen's description of an Antoran mountain lion.
Kimber opened the door and stood to one side to let me pass. She gave a small smile before she closed the door to leave me in privacy. I listened for her footsteps back up the stairs, but there were none. She must have orders to wait in case I needed anything.
I didn't like being waited on, and had often gotten around such things back home. Father allowed it, passing it off as one of my little quirks, but I know it bothered my tutors to no end. That was one of the reasons I took to healing. It got me out of the palace and working with real people and real life cares instead of with those concerned more about how you held your fingers while drinking tea or if you curtsied low enough to appease a visiting royal.
Mother insisted that it would help me win over a suitable suitor if I displayed proper royal etiquette, and so I did my best to please her; but when my not too dainty soup spoon habits or fumbling over the wrong form of address for a traveling official brought on too much scolding or discouragement on my tutors' part, I slipped away to the training grounds or healer houses.
I was alone in the room. Though underground, light from the walls still illuminated the area in a dim, peaceful glow. I was tempted to touch their warmth again, then I saw steam rising from a low set pool of water in the middle of the room. The promise of a warm bath made me strip down quickly and slide in. I gasped when the hot water met my chafed skin, but ducked beneath it with a grin. I could stand a little heat to get clean.
I had never been so dirty before that water felt like the best thing in the world. I splashed like a child in a puddle, and held my breath under the water for as long as I could. I then floated around for a bit until I remembered that Kimber waited outside the door. I found a container of lemongrass scented soap next to a small scrub brush. I washed quickly but thoroughly until my skin turned red from scrubbing; I wasn’t leaving any trail dirt to remind me of what we had been through.
A thick cotton towel hung near a smaller room on the opposite side of the pool. Inside, I found a convenient closet. A beautifully cut mirror hung above a shelf which held a gold gilded comb, two soft brushes, and a gown made of a beautiful deep blue fabric. I pulled on the small clothes set to the side, dried my hair the best that I could with the towel, then pulled the gown over my head.
It fell to just above the floor in soft, velvety folds, a perfect fit over my shoulders and snug down to the waist. It was simple but elegant, a dress suitable for dining with royal guests, dancing in a ballroom, or strolling in the gardens at night. I laughed at the thought of a garden as I pulled on the soft slippers that were a shade darker than the dress and felt like heaven to my sore feet. Even if they did have a garden here, it would be dormant in the winter and probably wasn't one in which they would allow hostages, or whatever we were, to wander freely.
I stared at the dress in the mirror, puzzled. It wasn't what I expected in terms of attire; the elegance of my room wasn't what I had anticipated either, for that matter. For a country in such a dire situation, they put us up well. I wondered what Andric meant by it all, and how far out of their way the Antorans had gone in order to make us comfortable during our stay.
I brushed my hair out quickly. The top layer of my hair had lightened from all the time I spent in the sun during the summers. Rory used to joke that I was becoming as fair-headed as the Faynans across the ocean to the east of Denbria. It was said that their hair shone like spun gold.
I gave an unladylike snort and quickly twisted my hair into a simple braid. The strands underneath were as dark brown as Rory's hair, which made an interesting contrast as I entwined it. Finished, I took one last look in the mirror to make sure I looked presentable, then turned and left the room.
Kimber gave a genuine smile when she saw me. “Oh, Princess Kit, you look beautiful.”
I grinned. “I'll bet you say that to all the princesses.” Her eyes widened and I smiled at her reassuringly. “I really appreciate your help.” I gestured toward my ruined clothes that I had left near the door. “I don't know what to do with those.”
“We'll take care of them, don't worry,” she said. “If you'd like to rest for a bit, dinner will begin soon.”
I followed her slowly up the stairs. Exhaustion stole through my limbs after the warm bath. The big bed with its pile of blankets sounded extremely inviting. I almost fell straight into it before Kimber pointed out the night robe laid discretely to the side.
“That way your dress won't be wrinkled for dinner,” she explained with her eyes on the floor.
“Good thinking,” I said. I slipped it on while she hung up my dress. “Thank you.”
She curtsied and excused herself from the room. I was on the bed before the door closed. It took even less time to fall asleep amid the goose down comforters.
Chapter 9
It felt like only minutes had passed before Kimber tapped me lightly on the shoulder. I was generally a pretty light sleeper, but it felt like dragging myself to the surface of a deep pool i
n order to wake up. I rose groggily to a sitting position. “Is something wrong?” I asked, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.
She shook her head quickly. “Everything is very right. It's nearly dinnertime and I thought you'd like a few minutes to get ready. Honorable Crown Prince Andric has requested to meet with all the Denbrian Crown Princes and Princesses before the dinner.” The way she said the word dinner made it sound like it should be capitalized.
The thought of appearing rumpled and wrinkled in front of the rest of the Crowns made me rise quickly. The room was dimmer than when I fell asleep, and I realized that the light from the marble stones that made up the castle had grown fainter. I dressed with Kimber's help, re-braided my hair, and splashed water on my face. She kept saying I looked wonderful, but I felt dazed after my too-brief sleep.
My vigilant maid led me down a different flight of stairs from those we had ascended, across a hallway, and through set of wide wooden doors carved on the front in a mountain landscape with a sun cresting over the horizon. A waiting room was revealed with light colored furniture and a beautiful red woven carpet. Tapestries displaying hunts in the snowy mountains covered the walls.
Andric waited in the middle of the room. He looked even more tired than I felt; by the dark circles under his eyes, I doubted he had taken even the brief rest I had been granted. He nodded at me, a slight smile on his face. He wore a black suit and a cloak of dark green. His dark brown hair was combed and loose instead of pulled back in the short warrior's tail.
Bayn and Freis sat on either side of Andric. The two wolves looked extremely out of place in the cozy room. I wondered if the wolves were why the other Crowns hung back; well, besides the fact that they pointedly hated him. Kenyen and Danyen glared at the Prince from their position near a corner. Kaerdra and Trevin talked quietly with Nyssa and Brynna near a small fire in the white marble fireplace, while Tisha and Landis waited silently hand in hand on one of the couches. They all wore clean clothing and looked fairly refreshed since the last time I saw them. Chagrined that I was the last one to arrive, I walked up to the couch behind Landis and Tisha and waited for Andric to begin.