Fallen Flame

by J. M. Miller

  He dropped his hands to his sides and his lips turned down. “I think it has more to do with our visiting guests. All of Garlin had to have felt it. There hasn’t been a quake for several years, about the time my father died. That doesn’t help, as I’m sure it scared her even more. Then to worry about Queen Meirin and Princess Anja’s visit and their safety …”

  “It is a good deal more than she usually has to deal with, but I’m sure she is handling everything as it should be.”

  “Not everything. She could have shown you mercy.” He paused, waiting for my eyes to meet his, but I couldn’t bring myself to look anywhere but out the window again. “For saving me.” His lighter, teasing tone was meant to soothe my hurt, as it had for years of whispered torments and disgusted looks from others. But this time the pain was different. The crack the queen had created might have spread too deep for any words to repair.

  I offered a tiny nod.

  A knock sounded from behind us, and we both turned.

  Haidee stood in the doorway, polished black and green accented leather covering her chest, bags hanging in hands. “Sorry to interrupt, Highness.”

  My stomach twisted. She was taking over as the prince’s lead.

  “No, Haidee, it’s fine,” Caulden said, glancing at me before crossing the room. “I expect you need to get settled. Have the guests arrived?”

  “They arrived at port. The queen requests us to be in the courtyard in a half hour to greet them.”

  “Good. Vala, that will give you time to relocate your things?”

  “Yes, Highness,” I said, fighting back the emotions again.

  “I’ll be in my room until then, Haidee.”

  She nodded as he swept past her through the door without looking back, taking all the air with him.

  After a breathless moment, I slung an arm through the strap of my first bag.

  “Vala, I’m sorry.”

  “You have nothing to be sorry for,” I replied instantly, not wanting to hear apologies, not wanting to hear anything. She’d been with us last night, but she’d followed procedure, notifying me and then obeying my orders. Captain Baun had made the best decision appointing her as my replacement. No one else was good enough for the position. Though, everything would still take time for me to digest. I just wished I had that time alone.

  “You know you can stay at Mother’s instead of the Guard house. Food and firewood are already stocked.” She extended a hand with a single key.

  “Thanks,” I said, feeling the weight of it as it dropped into my gloved palm. “I should move my stuff before the greeting.”

  “Do you need help?”

  “I’ll manage,” I said, slinging another bag over an arm and picking up the last. I didn’t have much, but what I had wouldn’t look the same in another place. This room had been home for half my life.

  “Wait,” she murmured, keeping her voice low as she pushed the door until it was nearly closed. “Do you think he’ll return? The one who fled?”

  “Yes. Why he fled, I’m not sure. He could have had an injury I didn’t see. But he obviously had a mission and a target. I have no doubt he’ll return.”

  “I want you to know that I respect you, Vala. Just because you’re no longer lead doesn’t mean I won’t listen to anything you offer. Our priority is the prince.”

  “Do you think I’d risk his life because of pride or despondency?” I asked curtly, bothered by the insinuation.

  “No, I don’t believe that at all. Despite us not being as close as you and Caulden, I’ve always been honest with you. And I feel you’ve grown into your post well and with merit.”

  With the circumstances, it was hard to ignore the pity driving the admission. The words felt honest enough, though. “Thank you, Haidee. I feel the same for you. I’ll meet you in the courtyard as soon as possible.” I drew my mask and hood then moved through the sitting room, stopping at the main doors to take a final glance at Caulden’s closed door. Then after a heavy inhale, I moved out into the hallway, unable to shake the heavy feeling of finality.

  SIX

  Guards lined Chateau Bylor’s courtyard with polished boots, leathers, and swords that were unsheathed, hilts in hands and tips resting on the ground at their feet. Some had been pulled from their port posts or called to continue their midnight details for the greeting. I wasn’t sure that was the smartest choice on the captain’s part, knowing the threats we had encountered the previous night. Though, I supposed it didn’t matter much since we were on high alert. All Guards would be working longer hours for the duration of the royal stay. Hopefully, their senses would remain sharp with the added work on less sleep.

  After having barely enough time to run my bags to Saireen’s house, I’d arrived to the courtyard as Caulden exited the chateau. The long front strands of his hair had been plaited away from his face and tacked. His sword was sheathed at his side, more than half of it visible under his cloak as it billowed behind him. I waited for him to descend to his position at the base of the main entrance steps, catching his eye for a brief second, then walked to my place between Haidee and Leint, who were several paces off his side.

  Bouquets of extra flowers were nearly as plentiful as the Guards, positioned anywhere in the courtyard that potentially lacked a pleasant scent or color. White thin petals sat near the stone archways of the intricately carved oak doors. Golden curved petals flanked the courtyard entrance columns. Blue layered petals overflowed a pot held by a handmaiden as she exited the chateau alongside Queen Havilah—the blue flowers a welcoming gift, to honor Islain’s royal colors no doubt.

  The queen stopped dead center at the base of the stone steps, and Caulden turned to address her. She wore one of her best gowns of Garlin green with long, flowing sleeves and silver lacing embellishments that matched the jewels on her wrists and fingers. As he spoke to her, she looked straight ahead, pointing to handmaidens and grounds servants to move things around in the courtyard. I’d always thought her demeanor was cold but fair. She’d allowed me into her Guard because of my affliction, but also despite it. She herself was one with skin a little different than others, mostly displaying a deep umber hue as rich as Garlin’s soil but with visible patches on her arms and face that were as white as fog, like a purposely unfinished painting. It was almost a shame the quality had not been passed on to Caulden. It certainly made her more beautiful in my eyes. And I often wondered if that added to her hospitality of me, having a small commonality of uniqueness between our vast differences.

  Her black hair had been knotted in sections and twisted up and back, the mass heightening her stature and creating a framed perch for her wiry crown set with several green jewels. She gazed around the yard, light brown eyes falling upon me for a moment and hardening to a glare before darting to Captain Baun, who had just finished checking all the Guard positions and was taking his place in front of Haidee.

  “After a few of our men struggled getting back to the lake due to quake damage, the bodies there were checked.” Captain Baun turned slightly to address Haidee, Leint and me. “Their armor and blades weren’t forged here. No one recognizes the craftsmanship of either. The only possible lead is the archer’s arrows. The fletching feathers are from a pheasant—a game bird native to Islain.”

  “Eastern Islain,” Leint spoke up. “There are a couple of families in those territories that would have eligible lords wanting to wed the princess.” When Haidee and I simply stared, he added, “I was raised in the west, near Ruere Canyon and The Borderlands, but we had studies about and interaction with the other regions.”

  “Would you be able to tell which family by looking at the bird feather?” Haidee asked him.

  “Not likely,” he replied.

  “Shame not many of us have studied bird breeds. Garlin only has the gulls at the port, the farm chickens, and the occasional carrier pigeon,” Haidee commented.

  “And apparently ravens,” I supplied, recalling the one I’d seen at dawn. Their faces turned to look at me. “O
ne landed in the prison chamber’s window during my lashings this morning.” Captain Baun straightened, glancing at the queen and prince, and Leint and Haidee’s lips turned down, both sorrowful but with noticeably different depths. “I saw a drawing of one in a lesson as a child,” I noted.

  “They’re black, right?” Haidee asked.

  “Yes,” the captain answered. “It could have followed an inbound ship or traveled on one. Did it have any tags?”

  “Not that I noticed.”

  “Keep an eye out for more. I believe they can be trained messengers like the carrier pigeons Islain uses to communicate with us for trade information and ship arrivals. So intercepting one would be an asset. Meanwhile, I’ll spread the word that any free time should be used searching all available books for more information—”

  “Captain,” Queen Havilah’s stern voice called over his. “Is there something we need to be concerned with?”

  “Not pressing, Majesty,” he replied with a bow of his bald head. “We were discussing precautions and procedures.”

  The queen raised an eyebrow and her focus went back to Caulden, who had a solemn stare fixed on me. Noticing, the queen cleared her throat to call his attention.

  Before the captain could elaborate further, the Guards at the walls snapped their feet together and Queen Havilah’s covered carriage moved through the iron gates and stone archway of the bailey, entering the courtyard. After word of their arrival, she had ordered three carriages to port earlier in the morning to welcome and escort Islain’s royal family to the chateau. All bodies stood tall, watching the horses trot along the path toward the main entrance. The other two coaches followed closely, carrying guards, servants, and baggage.

  My eyes scoured the yard while all others watched the arrival. I hadn’t forgotten The Shadow and how important it would be to find him before he made the next attempt on Caulden’s life. Images from Sacred Lake spun through my mind as I attempted to extract more details about him. His height matched Caulden’s, but his build was less bulky and his movements more lithe. From his shadowed silhouette, I knew his hair was short and his jaw wide and strong. His dark eyes had been frenzied until they’d connected with mine. In that pause between us, there was shock and maybe fear in his stare. He had said, “Not possible.” What had he meant? Was he as surprised as me to see someone with the same skin? But as I thought more about his movements and actions, especially in the water, it was even more confusing. He could have slit the prince’s throat right in front of me. Why waste the time to pull him through the cavern?

  A nudge from Haidee snapped my focus back. Guards in cloaks of blue positioned themselves around the front carriage while the women exited. Queen Meirin was as tall as the male guard at her side. She wore a long-sleeved, blue gown with brown and gold trim that tied at her chest and cinched closer at her waist. Her mass of golden hair had been fastened much like Queen Havilah’s, appearing to create a cushion in front for the weighty golden crown to rest atop her head. Princess Anja exited right behind her mother. She was short in comparison, her round, wide-set eyes on the same level as my own as they scanned the greeting party and locked on Caulden. A pink hue tinged her sandy-colored cheeks, and a smirk played upon her thin lips as she slid her hands over the long belted sash at the waist of her iridescent gown. Her ash brown hair was loose, waves of it falling well past her back.

  The royals offered one another head bows and shallow curtsies while everyone else bowed slightly lower to honor them all. Queen Meirin extended a hand to Queen Havilah with a smile.

  Queen Havilah took her hand gently. “Welcome to Garlin and Chateau Bylor. Please, let us get acquainted in the dining hall.”

  “Thank you. That’s very kind,” she replied, letting her guide them to the chateau.

  Caulden flashed a timid smile at Anja before stepping to his mother’s side. Several Islain guards followed their queen and princess closely.

  “That went well,” Haidee said in a whisper as we started after Captain Baun, his body shielding our view of the others.

  “More than well,” I noted, feeling a stab in my chest, thinking of the look Anja had laid upon Caulden.

  We entered the dining hall as the queens settled into their chairs. With only two added guests, there was no cause to replace the queen’s eight-place table with the extended one used for larger occasions. Though, it was still nearly as amusing to see them seated so far apart at the heads. Caulden waited for Anja to sit beside her mother and then took his a seat on the opposite side next to his mother to view the princess more clearly.

  Guards spaced themselves along the walls, and chateau handmaidens carried trays of food and carafes of wine from the kitchens.

  “You are welcome to the kitchen at any time during your stay. That is also extended to your escorts. I’m sure your trip was lengthy,” Queen Havilah said as a handmaiden poured wine into the goblets around the table.

  “I admit there are many other ways I’d prefer to spend my days than on a ship, but I could not pass up a visit to your island. We’ve heard so many things from our trade and port men over the last several years. Mostly about this wine, of course,” Queen Meirin said with a soft laugh before taking a drink. “By the looks of your glassware, I’d say our ongoing trade has done us both well.”

  “Yes, it has. Islain’s fine white sand has supplied us the means to make more glassware and windows for buildings and greenhouses. The sand on our coasts is far too tolerant of heat, so yours has helped tremendously. I do hope our wine has served as good of a purpose.”

  “My people have never been happier.” Another laugh.

  I let my gaze wander. Their accompanying guards looked normal enough—good heights, solid builds. I could see the definition of their arm muscles beneath their sleeves from across the room. None were hooded. None were women. None looked to have my skin.

  “Speaking of, I think this trip might yield more than the original intent,” Queen Meirin continued, making Caulden and Anja both shift in their seats. She ignored them and went on surveying the plates of food in front of her, reaching over the grapes to pick up a piece of orange melon. “Twenty years ago, when our husbands—may they forever rest with honor—opened communication between our kingdoms again, deciding to end the long silence between our lands … Why not forgive and move on? After all, it had been nearly a thousand years since your people had chosen to flee from the three united human kingdoms, sailing here instead of standing with us to fight the war against the cruel magic lands of Craw and Vaenen.” She paused following the insult at Garlin’s ancestors, slipping the melon into her mouth and lifting her eyebrows while chewing. “But when my husband visited those years ago, you did not have the plentiful variety you show here today. Your soil produced the same sun-starved vegetation as ours. And now, your grapes make the best wine, your gardens obviously flourishing. What led to that change? I can see that our sky is much the same, hours of sunlight blotted by the cursed fog. So what can it be? Is there some secret you’re willing to share?”

  I glanced at Caulden, the back of his head visible over the chair. He had stiffened at her words and his fingers clamped down on the side of the chair’s arm in restraint. I didn’t know much about the kingdoms’ histories, only the common stories Saireen had told me. But I knew the queen was truthful in her insult, and Islain still harbored a very deep hatred of Garlin’s ancestors for leaving when the human kingdoms had been attacked by Vaenen, the lands of the fae at their northwest, our far north. After they had fled, it was unclear to our people what had stopped the fae king, Izaris, who had controlled Vaenen and all those who lived in Craw—the other magic dwelling land that lay between Islain and Vaenen—as well. We’d heard rumors through the years, spread from ships after the kings had reconnected and began trading a mere twenty years before. Some claimed Izaris had grown too powerful in his quest to extend his reign to the human kingdoms, the unbridled magic becoming too much to bear and crushing him from the inside. Others believed those closest
to him—the goddesses Alesrah and Herja—claimed his life. While the rest said King Ataran Tamir of Islain had discovered a way to end Izaris and all magic, then united the surviving humans by seizing control of the other two fallen kingdoms, Astone and Urelya.

  Queen Havilah’s lips turned up slightly as she lifted her goblet, the dark red wine swirling inside. Her eyes squinted some—a contemplative look I’d grown accustomed to seeing through the years, often when I’d catch her peering at me. “It’s the island,” she replied to Queen Meirin in a lazy tone. “That’s really all I can say. It has evolved over the years, changed as much as our people have. I suppose it has become more stable and tolerant. It has learned to hold onto the warmth despite the cursed fog that has settled over all our lands following the war.” Her response was light but the message unmistakable—she wouldn’t tolerate insults in her own home.

  Captain Baun adjusted his stance, a subtle confirmation.

  I looked at Caulden again then toward Queen Meirin, waiting for her to respond, only to lock eyes with Princess Anja instead, her stare as sharp as the blade at my side. Not bothered having been caught, her face tilted the tiniest bit as if she were attempting to see under my mask and hood. I was accustomed to stares, but not those given by curious royalty with no fear or care of reprisal.

  “We drink to change then,” Queen Meirin replied with a laugh, raising her goblet. Everyone’s focus was back to the high queen, including Anja, raising goblets together. “For it may bring us closer than we’ve ever been very soon.”

  SEVEN

  With calmer discussions of trade and Garlin’s notable sights and resources, the remainder of the greeting had been cordial. Islain’s queen and princess expressed their fatigue from travel and regretfully requested to be shown to their rooms at the southern end of the chateau. They accepted an invite to dinner and settled in without complaint. While other Guards received orders from Captain Baun to go into town to do research or to take the time to rest and eat, Haidee and I stayed on detail.