by J. M. Miller
“Yes, but there was something off about the encounter,” I added, deciding to release a little bit of the information to gauge their reactions, make them question his motives as I had. “He didn’t seem to want to inflict that strike. It was almost as if he regretted it.”
They were all silent at that, eyebrows rising as if they were concerned with my sanity. Perhaps they had reason. Leaving out the details about him … Was I a traitor for not disclosing it all?
“How could you even know that if you couldn’t see him clearly?” Leint questioned, but the captain interrupted impatiently.
“Maybe he has respect for your skill. Maybe his only goal is what he was ordered to do and nothing more. Who can even know? There’s no reason to analyze this. We just need to find him.” Captain Baun crossed his arms, closing himself off to any more absurdity.
“That’s not all,” I said, looking directly at the prince now, needing him to hear me, to understand over the others. “I thought about it last night as well. If he were really here to kill you, why didn’t he do it immediately at the lake? He had the time. I didn’t reach you fast enough.”
Caulden’s face paled and his lips went slack. Everyone else went silent again.
“Think about it,” I urged. “Why would he take you under the water? With one swipe of a blade, he could have sliced your neck open, draining your life into the lake.”
“That’s enough!” Captain Baun snapped loudly. “Are you wanting another visit to the prison chamber? I’m not sure what’s—”
“No, Captain,” Caulden interrupted. “There’s no need for threats. It’s something I need to hear. I want to be aware of everything. That includes the information hardest to swallow.”
“It doesn’t mean he isn’t planning to take the prince’s life,” Leint said, keeping on track. “He made a choice. He could have planned to drown him after pulling him away from us, or tortured him. Perhaps that was why he neglected his dagger right off. He obviously knew about the lake’s other cavern and the exit onto the cliffs.” His blue eyes glared at mine, their intensity growing, challenging my thoughts and reasons.
“It’s true,” I said, understanding his logic. “But I doubt there was reason to bother. What would one gain by torturing or interrogating the prince? He hadn’t even met the princess yet. He holds no inside information regarding her kingdom. And if he were an assassin sent by another court, he would have been as forthright as the others. He would have done it immediately.”
“Any thoughts to why he didn’t then?” Caulden asked. “Why go through the effort of dragging me away with no reason?”
I shook my head, not able to admit that Xavyn had said he had come for information and his actions at the lake had been to get Caulden away from the assassins. But I still had no idea who had sent him—if he was acting under orders at all—or what information he was after. And the bigger question was why he thought I needed to be watchful of Queen Meirin. “Maybe he’s seeking something else.”
“I don’t want to hear any more of this.” Captain Baun huffed in frustration. “We need facts. So far we have no description and no idea how to capture or end him before he threatens the prince or the royal guests again. I need to confer with the queen about our next course of action regarding this Shadow. In the meantime, more Guards will arrive from town to ensure the chateau is heavily manned. For now, I’ll have others take the prince’s detail, so you all are dismissed. I’ll send for you later after I’ve spoken to the queen and her council.”
“Yes, Captain,” Haidee and Leint replied.
“I have a meeting with my mother as well, Captain. You being there will likely be beneficial. There are things she needs to hear regarding her recent judgments of Vala.”
I swallowed hard, everyone’s words ringing in my ears. The prince was defending me, but after my lies, after withholding information about Xavyn, I wasn’t sure he should.
ELEVEN
“You lied to the prince,” Haidee’s voice whispered from behind me.
I sighed, knowing that my peaceful day had ended as I rounded the pathway to the longest bowered arbor in the chateau garden, where I’d been instructed to post and await the prince’s arrival. I had successfully avoided everyone from the time I’d left the prince’s rooms well into the afternoon, first roaming the grounds then eating and napping at Saireen’s before reporting back to the chateau.
Hearing Haidee’s words confirmed the evening was bound to be longer than even the captain could anticipate with everyone restricted to the chateau.
“You were injured last night, so I didn’t want to push you for all the details. But I had no idea you’d lie about it this morning,” she said, tugging on my arm to slow me.
I let her move to my side and stopped, touching one of the vines with a fingertip and watching it curl and wilt in reaction to my skin. I dropped my hand and looked at Haidee, really looked at her. She held so many resemblances to Saireen. A pointed arrow nose set evenly on her diamond face. Plentiful lips so used to telling truths. Wide, warm eyes, like grassy hills flecked with golden flowers, drawing me in, inviting me to feel their comfort. It made me wonder if I could confide in her the way I had in our mother.
“What are you hiding, Vala? You told me last night that you’d had a better view of him.” She sighed when I didn’t respond right away. “If you are in trouble—”
“No,” I admitted in a low voice, resolving to trust her. It was probably the reason I’d let the small confession slip on Trader’s Row to begin with. After glancing around, I turned to face the back of the gardens. “I have to ask you something.”
She tipped her chin and narrowed those warm eyes in response.
“Do you remember when Saireen found me? I know we haven’t really talked about it …”
She shook her head lightly, her stringy plaits rippling over her shoulders at the movement. “I know we never talked … Yes, I remember when she found you. I hadn’t moved to the chateau to apprentice as a handmaiden yet.”
“Were you there when she brought me home?”
“What is making you ask these questions now, Vala?”
“Just, please … I need to know. Were you there?”
She sighed then looked quickly around the gardens to ensure no one had arrived yet. “Yes, I was home, but I was asleep. I woke when I heard you crying.”
“Did she ever tell you where she had been? Where she had found me?”
“She said you’d been abandoned on the road, that someone had dumped you. She never told me more, no matter what I asked after.” Her eyes drifted to her hands, the scars she had because of me. I was certain, after realizing that I was different, she had likely asked many questions. And I wondered if that was the reason she had been sent to the chateau soon after.
I bit my lips together, knowing I’d have to search Saireen’s house for anything else that might better explain my existence. Had Saireen herself known more, or was it as simple as being found on the road? After having talked to Xavyn, everything had become questionable.
“Vala, talk to me. Why are you asking these things? Did something happen last night?”
“Yes,” I replied, lowering my tone again. “I did see The Shadow, Haidee. I had seen him at the lake too, but I just couldn’t believe my eyes. He looks like me, with my skin.”
Her eyes widened and she shook her head. “No.”
“Yes. I spoke to him last night. During our encounter.” And so I told her what had happened as briefly as I could, explaining how he’d doubted me and quickly changed course, thinking me naive or dumb for not knowing what lay past Garlin’s sea.
“But what he’s suggesting is …”
“More,” I offered, not wanting to say the word out loud. Magic. Was I something more?
A shudder accompanied her deep breath. “What are you to do with that information? How do you even know he’s telling the truth?”
“I don’t, but I can’t very well ignore the fact that he has my skin. He know
s something, and I can’t ignore that. I can’t pretend that I haven’t seen him or spoken with him.”
“So what now? Should we keep lying to the prince? Keep—”
“You won’t be lying to anyone. Just please don’t mention knowing until I can figure out what to do.”
Her eyes closed with a nod. “And in the meantime?”
I looked toward the back of the chateau. The sentinels posted around the gardens all snapped to attention, signaling an imminent arrival. “I’ll search Saireen’s house when I’m relieved for sleep. And while we are on duty, we listen. If what Xavyn said is true, we might just overhear something from Queen Meirin or Princess Anja. The princess could be seeking more than the usual information from a potential consort.” I was glad the prince had remained mostly silent the previous night.
“They’ve arrived,” Haidee noted and began walking under the arbor again as several people exited the chateau. “The captain didn’t seek me out after his meeting, so I’m not sure what the prince may have said to the queen. I don’t think he’ll be able to persuade her into letting you partake in the Trials. If they take place, that is.”
A distant ache panged somewhere inside, the longing to stay with Caulden twisting with something different, something new. A raw need to know more about myself, to see more than this island, to learn more about everything. I steeled myself as I followed Haidee, resolved to keep an ear on what was being said, but also taking care so as to not let Xavyn’s words eat away at who I was and what my duty demanded of me. I was a Guard. My life was still for the prince.
“I’m sure I’ll hear about it soon enough,” I replied in a whisper at her back, then closed my mouth to the activity of conversing for possibly the last time in the day.
Prince Caulden wore his casual attire from the morning, a lengthy green tunic with pants and boots. The princess also dressed more casually than the previous day, no doubt saving her niceties for the eyes of more people. Various shades of purple material flowed around her in delicate layers, the little breeze in the garden caressing the dress as she walked.
Haidee fell in step behind the prince, dismissing the Guards the captain had charged with his detail while we were gone. I followed her lead, listening and waiting for any command.
“These gardens hold some of our foods, spices, and medicines. A good amount of our goods also come from the farmers. Their soil has become far richer over the years. A majority of the peak runoff flows in their direction.” The prince continued his tour after an acknowledging nod toward Haidee and myself. The princess smiled brightly, turning toward us. I felt her eyes on me again, but I kept mine pinned to Haidee’s back, ignoring her stare.
“Would you like to see the queen’s conservatory since we’re out here? The length runs beside the east towers along the garden there,” Caulden said, pointing toward the stone building with the paneled glass windows and a row of spires.
I flinched at the idea. The queen was never thrilled to have guests, let alone the chateau staff visiting her conservatory, even for cleaning and tending to her plants and flowers. When Caulden was younger, he used to try and hide from me there, knowing the queen disapproved. Of the few times I’d been severely scolded during my youth in the chateau, the conservatory was the place it happened.
“I’d love to,” the princess replied.
Fantastic. I gnashed my teeth. It didn’t matter that it had been years since those accidental childish incidents during games of chase. I already had one foot over the fine line of Her Majesty’s good graces. The last thing I needed was something else to happen. It would kill the sliver of a chance I had at participating in the Trials to leave Garlin with the prince, should he go. I worked my hands, opening and closing my fists to expend whatever nervous energy had taken hold. I was being paranoid. That was all. I needed to focus on my duty.
The prince and princess strolled toward the building, her hand cupped under his arm in a familiar, comfortable way. Caulden pointed this way and that, explaining each section of the garden to the princess. She kept a weak smile in place that failed to fully hide her disinterest. Luckily, the prince hadn’t noticed, having gone into a studious trance, reciting the many things that had been lectured to him through the years. Or it was possible that he had noticed and chose to continue anyway. He wasn’t exactly thrilled about being stuck inside the chateau this evening due to the mysterious Shadow threat and could very well have written off her somber demeanor for the same. I was certain the queen and the captain hadn’t fully disclosed all their concerns to the visiting guests, but Anja had seen enough the previous night to know that leaving the chateau was probably unwise. And then again, maybe her disinterest didn’t have to do with that at all. Garlin was a great deal smaller and undoubtedly quite boring compared to her extensive kingdom. Her lack of enthusiasm for Caulden’s narration could simply have been her reaction to the entire island. After all, we didn’t have dragon bones.
When they arrived to the oak and metal doors, the queen’s usual Guards—Bransley and Lato, who she used more like sentinels—pulled them open and bowed their heads in greeting. Voices met us before stepping foot inside.
“Darling,” Queen Meirin cooed, opening her arms from halfway down the conservatory’s sizable main aisle. Her golden hair gleamed under the tiny rays of clear light passing through the window glass. She’d left a majority of it down, a mix of loose strings and plaits falling to her back. She also wore a more relaxed dress—hers with a crimson hue—its bodice section forgoing the restriction of a corset.
At her side, Queen Havilah stepped out from behind one of the stone pillars with raised eyebrows and a pinched smile. The fabric of her dress was a dark cedar, complementing the umber toned patches of her skin. “Isn’t this a pleasant surprise?”
The surprise part was true, but I could tell by her posture and the clipped tone of her voice that she most definitely didn’t find it pleasant. If the prince had any thoughts of relaxing alone with Anja inside, those plans were gone.
“Mother. Queen Meirin,” the prince said, bowing his head slightly. “It’s wonderful that you’re here. We were walking the gardens, and I knew I had to bring the princess here for a proper tour.” The words were meant to ease his mother.
“Of course,” she replied, relaxing her tense lips. “I thought the exact same. Queen Meirin was just asking if you had met up again to spend more time.”
“Yes, I am glad that you both aren’t too shaken after what occurred last night,” Queen Meirin stated, bending a little to prod the group of small, white flowered tips of the anise plant at her side.
“It wasn’t exactly horrible, mother,” Princess Anja replied, eyeing the prince warily. “Prince Caulden acted very fast. And his riding skills are utterly superb,” she boasted, slipping her hand farther down his arm so she could grasp his hand.
I couldn’t help but to watch. The way she touched him was … purposeful, calculated. Or maybe it was simply her way of drawing him in, expressing her willingness for progression. When I shifted my eyes to resume their leveled and fixed position on the opposite wall, I got caught by a narrowed set of light brown eyes. Queen Havilah regarded me for a silent second until I hastily looked away.
“All the thanks has to go to my Guards. But last night’s issue may not have been as bad as we originally thought,” Prince Caulden noted, and I guessed this was a subtle way to address whatever he and his mother had spoken about during their meeting.
“Any issue such as that should be handled as a serious threat,” Queen Havilah said, confirming my suspicions. The prince had shared my thoughts and questions about The Shadow with the queen. “It’s bad enough that we have to worry about assassins of those who wish to end your life, in turn ending a potential union of Garlin and Islain, but we can’t simply disregard rogue warriors because their intentions may be questionable. Nothing should be taken lightly, no idea laid aside because of its improbability or determined level of risk, especially what we think has no ill intentions
at all. I’m certain that Queen Meirin deals with things the same way.”
Queen Meirin’s gaze had indeed slid to Queen Havilah’s while she was talking, tilting her head. With a soft nod, she said, “We most certainly do. Nothing should be ruled out so easily.”
I could tell following their words, behind the courteous smiles they’d exchanged, something else lingered.
“Your conservatory is lovely,” Princess Anja said, clearing the uneasy silence that had settled as densely as Garlin’s evening fog. “There are so many wonderful plants and flowers.”
“Thank you, dear,” Queen Havilah replied.
“Will you show me your favorite?” the princess asked her while stroking Caulden’s hand. “I’m always looking for inspiration for our gardens back home.”
I kept my eyes low, not wanting to meet the queen’s again. The reluctance in her pause was telling and almost uncomfortable until she recovered and said, “I have some things to tend to, but I’d love to show you first. This way.”
Haidee and I followed their procession down the pathway until it ended at the well alcove, the walls framed by pillars decorated with intricately carved flowers. At its side sat the queen’s sitting bench and a simple clay pot atop a pedestal. And though it was basic in its decoration, like most the others that held dull plants or flowers with hues of white or yellow, that pot held the most vibrant flower in the conservatory. The queen’s favorite.
“Oh, my!” Princess Anja said, drawing up the loose layers of her dress so she could step quickly to the pedestal. “I can see why it’s your favorite. I’ve never seen anything so pretty.”
“It’s a mourning flower,” Prince Caulden said, sparing his mother of having to give the information. “Do you not have them in Islain?”
“Not that I’m aware of. I’ve never even heard of it.” She reached a finger toward one of the flowers hanging like flames from the edge of the pot, suspended by the tangle of vined stems, one of which had noticeably been cut. Haidee chanced a peek back at me, her thought of the flower from Prince’s Night same as mine.