Rook and Shadow (Salarian Chronicles Book 1)

by A. G. Marshall

  “May I join you?”

  Shadow sat on the bench beside me. We stared at the ocean together.

  I felt self-conscious, then self-conscious for feeling self-conscious. Without the spell, I didn't know if others found me beautiful. It was strange, vulnerable.

  “I have missed you,” I said.

  Shadow nodded.

  “I tried to see you, but Lady Alma said you needed rest.”

  “She was worried about our soul link draining me again. She wanted to give it time to fade.”

  “I hope our souls will always be linked.”

  He took my hand. I leaned against him.

  “How do you like living in the palace?”

  He laughed.

  “Your mother hasn’t been happy about having commoners as guests, but it has given an air of excitement to the court. She’s already planning an opera about our story, so she’s been asking me lots of questions.”

  “Someone else will have to play me. I’m not sure I could sing at all now.”

  He put his arm around my shoulder. We sat in silence for a bit.

  “Is it too bright for you out here?” I said. “The sun-”

  “Lady Alma made this hood for me to block the light. The fabric is enchanted.”

  “Oh, good.”

  Another silence.

  “I have to be a princess now, Shadow.”

  “Salaria needs a good ruler. And you will be.”

  “I hope so.”

  I gathered my courage and faced him.

  “Shadow, I'll be queen someday. And I can’t think of anyone who would be a better King than you.”

  He blinked.

  “I know this is sudden, but I mean it. I know you don’t want to be King. I know you hate nobles. But I want you with me, Shadow. I can’t leave, and I want you to stay with me.”

  Tears streamed down my face.

  Shadow kissed my forehead. Then my nose.

  Then my lips.

  “As long as we don’t have court poets,” he said.

  Someone cleared their throat. Lady Alma stood in front of us, arms crossed.

  “So this is the King’s idea of a peaceful walk with his daughter?”

  Then she winked at us.

  “It appears the soul link will not cause further damage. Someone has requested an audience with you, Rook. You may come as well, Shadow.”

  “I thought I was too ill to do anything,” I said as we followed Lady Alma to the dining room.

  “Oh, this isn’t much. Just light brunch and a guest.”

  Shadow pushed back his hood when we entered the palace. A few courtiers stared as we walked.

  “They’re waiting for you in the breakfast room,” Lady Alma said.

  We met Estrella in the hall.

  “Do you know what’s going on?” she asked. “Lady Alma sent me here, and I don’t have time for this. I’m studying.”

  “Studying for what?”

  She shrugged and pushed the doors open.

  A bedraggled figure stood at the table, hunched over a vase of flowers.

  “So there really are roses,” he muttered. “I hope there be other food. Not sure how them will taste.”

  “Captain!” Estrella ran across the room and embraced him.

  “Strella! You’ve never been living in the palace again? You look well.”

  “You look terrible. What happened? They told me the Dragon destroyed your ship!”

  She glared at us.

  “Please, have a seat,” I said.

  Servants brought food on silver trays. After clearing two plates, Captain spoke.

  “Aye, me ship is no more. The Dragon shot three cannonballs through her and set her on fire.”

  Captain wrung his hands.

  “The force of the blast threw me overboard. It threw me, see? I didn’t jump. Didn’t abandon ship.”

  “Of course,” Shadow said.

  He surveyed the array of silverware, overwhelmed. I pointed to the correct fork.

  “Just when I was sure I’d sink, a board drifts by. Lots of driftwood from the canon blast. But this board, it had a lump of tar on it. Enough for me to stick together some wood and make a raft. Nothing better than tar. So I floats back, until I sees that coward’s red ship in the harbor. I sneaks aboard, no one there. But funny thing, I found a cage. Not for a parrot. Wrong shape. So I know there’s something aboard. And then I found this.”

  He pulled a cage out from under the table.

  “Seda!”

  Estrella opened the cage and hugged the kitten.

  “He was hiding in the hold, chasing mice.”

  “Thank you, Captain,” I said.

  He examined me.

  “Lady Alma tells me you’re the Princess. You looked a might different when I seen you before. But then, they always said the paintings were no good. And through a telescope, well, who can say?”

  “The fairy blessing was broken,” I said. “And the Dragon is gone.”

  “Well, goodbye to one and good riddance to the other.”

  “What will you do now, Captain?” Estrella asked.

  “Hard to say. A Captain without his ship ain’t worth much.”

  “You’re welcome to stay here,” I said.

  What would Mother think of a pirate living in the castle? I smirked at the thought.

  “Well that would be-”

  “Don’t stay here,” Estrella said. “Come with me. I’m leaving tomorrow.”

  We all stared at her.

  “I’m sailing the Stella Rossa and personally escorting the fairy salt shipment to Castana. Pirates won’t dare attack us if you’re on board, Captain.”

  She winked at him.

  “Well, I suppose you could use some protecting, Strella. I’m not sure about taking to the water so soon though.”

  “Please, Captain, you couldn’t stay away. Saltwater runs in our veins.”

  “I knew it!”

  William and Roslynn ran into the room. Roslynn’s blue eyes sparkled with excitement. Her dark brown hair was pulled back with a red ribbon.

  “I always said she was a pirate,” he said. “Now that she’s got a ship, she’s gathering her crew to set sail!”

  “Oh, shut up.”

  He and Roslynn joined us at the table.

  I watched the white kitten in Estrella’s arms. A lump formed in my throat.

  “You should take Seda,” I said. “He likes the ship. And he was your pet first.”

  Estrella smiled.

  “Thank you, Rook.”

  The door swung open. Sir Quill and Sir Inkling entered.

  “Princess Salara!” Sir Quill said. “At last you are recovered! The palace has been devastated without you. We had nothing to write about.”

  Sir Inkling leaned over and examined my face.

  “The change is not so great,” he said. “She can still serve as inspiration once Lady Alma has restored her.”

  He reached to touch my hair. I slapped his hand away.

  “Don’t touch me.”

  Sir Quill shook his head sympathetically.

  “I understand you may feel self-conscious about your new appearance, Princess. But you are our nation’s greatest treasure. Our art must resume as soon as possible.”

  “Get out.”

  Sir Quill took a step towards me. Shadow stood. Both poets froze.

  “Who do you think you are?” Sir Inkling said. “We are the official poets of the Royal Court.”

  “This is the Shadow,” I said.

  The poets turned to each other.

  “His skin is not so luminescent,” Sir Quill said, “But we could possibly compare it to pearls.”

  “The way his hair swoops over his face,” Sir Inkling said, “There must be a metaphor there somewhere.”

  They surrounded him, pulling out their quills and parchment. Shadow stared at them in horror. I grinned.

  “Get out,” I said. “I’ll deal with you later. Especially you, Sir Inkling. Sir Quill,
if you remain Minister of Poetry, I insist you choose a new apprentice.”

  “A poem about Salaria’s greatest villain,” Sir Quill muttered, almost in a trance.

  “In the same room as Princess Salara,” Sir Inkling whispered.

  “I must begin the opera immediately.”

  “Please escort the poets from the room,” I told the guards.

  “You are interrupting art!” Sir Quill protested as the guards pulled him out of the room.

  I smiled at Shadow as he sat back down.

  “So,” I said, “The poets have a new muse.”

  He grimaced.

  “Can we banish them from the palace?”

  Chapter 32

  When we finished eating, Captain insisted on seeing the ship. We followed Estrella to the docks.

  “Not to dampen your spirits, Strella,” Captain said, “But your sail is a bit scorched. Won’t make it far, that ship.”

  “Stand back, Captain.”

  Captain stood on the edge of the dock. We gathered around him. A small crowd of sailors, curious about the bedraggled vessel, joined us. I waved at Joe, and he smiled back.

  Estrella stepped onto the deck and waved her hands. A soft red glow, like fire, surrounded her. The black patches on the mast faded. The sail and ropes reformed. When the glow disappeared, the Stella Rossa looked as good as new.

  “I don’t suppose you’d work that charm on my boat?” Joe said. “My sails could use patching.”

  He jumped aboard and leaned on the newly repaired mast.

  “Certainly not,” Estrella said. “Unless you have another crystal to power it.”

  We joined them on the ship.

  “Will ye sail with us, lad?” Captain asked. “We’ll be needing a crew.”

  “We won’t,” Estrella said. “I’ve got a crew.”

  Joe raised an eyebrow.

  “I can’t come anyway. In case you’ve forgotten, I’ve got my own ship now.”

  “That harbor tub?” Captain said. “That ain’t a ship. It’ll sink in the first stiff wind on the open seas.”

  “I’m not sailing the open seas. I’ve given up piracy. Going to be a fisherman.”

  Estrella crossed her arms.

  “You? A fisherman?”

  Joe nodded.

  “I’ve even hired a lad to help me. Time to earn an honest living.”

  “What are you really up to, Joe?”

  “Well, since you’re determined to sail off, I suppose you’ll never know.”

  He ran and jumped off the side of the ship towards the harbor. I gasped and ran to the side. There was no splash. When I reached the edge, I saw him standing on the deck of his small boat. Thomas held the wheel.

  “You’ve hired Thomas?” I asked.

  Thomas looked up just as Shadow put his arm around me.

  “Shadow, are you cheating on Rook? If you’ve hurt her, so help me-”

  “I am Rook!” I yelled.

  The boat sailed away, and the wind muffled his response. But he waved, and I waved back.

  “Princess!”

  I turned and frowned. Lady Alma stalked towards me, her four chins jiggling.

  “I said you could take a walk with your father and have brunch. What are you doing in the harbor?”

  I protested as she dragged me back to my room, but I fell asleep almost immediately.

  The next morning, Lady Alma woke me.

  “Your father wants you to make an appearance today,” she said. “Typical man, to give so little notice.”

  “But I- Is that necessary? No one will want to see me now.”

  “Nonsense. Be at the studio in one hour. I’m having breakfast sent to your room.”

  She snapped me into a dressing gown.

  Shadow brought the breakfast on a tray.

  “No roses?” I joked. “We have a reputation to uphold.”

  He smiled.

  “I’m supposed to be serving you breakfast in bed, but do you feel up for a climb?”

  “Always.”

  We walked through the secret passage. When we reached the end, I used a charm to lift the tray up to the tower and only dropped one apple.

  “This one’s yours,” Shadow said as he picked it up.

  I leaned my head on his shoulder as we looked over Salaria. A crowd of people had already gathered in the courtyard. Even more had lined up at the tiers below, waiting for the guards to let them up to the castle.

  We sat again the wall and used my crate as a table. Shadow opened it when we were done eating and pulled the books out.

  “Your private library?”

  “I’ll be able to work magic now that the loop is broken. We could come up here to practice. There are plenty of fairy salt charms around. No soul looping required.”

  He grinned.

  “I can take the stairs from the garden and meet you here.”

  “Princess Salara!”

  The voice echoed through the secret tunnel.

  “I suppose I should go now.”

  He nodded.

  “You don’t want to keep that crowd waiting.”

  Even more people stood in the courtyard now. I couldn’t help feeling nervous.

  We took the secret passage to Lady Alma’s studio.

  “Absolutely not,” Lady Alma said when Shadow entered. “You have to wait to see the Princess just like everyone else.”

  She shooed him out the door.

  “Hello, Rook.”

  Elsie curtsied. She wore a simpler version of Lady Alma’s purple gown and an amethyst headband. It helped her short hair look less bare.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Elsie is my new apprentice.”

  “But she-”

  “Loves fashion and is dedicated to Salaria and you,” Lady Alma said. “You’re the one who asked me to find her a room. Anything else?”

  I shook my head.

  They had rearranged the studio. Only Elsie assisted Lady Alma. The mirrors had been turned into windows with views from the sea to the Weeping Mountains.

  “Something simple,” Alma said. Elsie nodded and pulled out fabrics.

  Lady Alma selected a light pink silk and draped it around me. With a snap of her fingers, it became a flowing gown that rippled like the Ghone at sunrise.

  Elsie brushed out my hair.

  “Would I pass the rook test now?”

  “Who wants to have hair like a bird?”

  She left my hair loose. Lady Alma added a few white flowers and dusted my face with some sort of powder. She stepped back, thought for a moment, and added a thin gold chain and bracelet to my ensemble.

  With a knock, Edsel bowed and entered the room. He handed a pair of silver shoes to Lady Alma. She examined them and nodded her approval.

  “Princess,” he said. His face turned pink.

  I glanced at Lady Alma.

  “Someone has to make the shoes,” she said, shrugging.

  I snapped the shoes onto my feet before Lady Alma could. She jumped when they disappeared out of her hands.

  “Beautiful,” Elsie said.

  “I doubt that.”

  “When have I ever let you down?” Lady Alma said.

  I could think of a few outfits that had not brought out my best. The salt-shaker opera costume, for one. Lady Alma snapped her fingers, and a single mirror descended from the ceiling. I stared at myself.

  I was beautiful, in a way. The pink silk did not make my skin look like a pearl or star, but I had a healthy glow. My hair flowed past my shoulders in soft waves. My eyes were kind like my father’s. When I smiled, the bright enthusiasm of my mother caught up in her latest art project beamed back at me.

  The combination was all my own. It would be easy to capture in a painting, but impossible to duplicate with a spell.

  We walked to the courtyard together. Lady Alma at my side. Elsie and Edsel behind me.

  “Go on,” Lady Alma whispered.

  I stepped through the doorway. I heard the cheers be
fore I saw the crowd.

  Shadow, William, Roslynn, and my parents waited for me on the balcony. Sir Bristle stood in a corner, sketching the scene. Lacquer assisted him, his frizzy red hair blowing in the breeze. Hundreds of people waited below, clapping and shouting. Gerta and her orphans stood at the front of the crowd. They all waved. Thomas tossed a red rose towards me. I snapped my fingers and created a gust of wind to blow the bloom up to the balcony. His jaw dropped.

  People in the back climbed the walls of the courtyard to see over the crowd. I spotted Plume the poet climbing sideways along the wall, clinging to the stones until he reached a spot with a foothold. He pulled a feather from his inkwell hat and wrote.

  Beyond the crowd, the harbor, and the Ghone, a fleet of Navy ships led by the Stella Rossa sailed out to sea. I imagined Estrella and Seda standing in the rigging, the wind tangling their hair. I waved, sure that Captain was watching me through his telescope.

  Shadow took my hand and pulled me to the front of the balcony. Everyone cheered louder. I turned to him.

  “You’re smirking, Shadow.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You have a weird look on your face. What are you thinking about?”

  “You’re beautiful.”

  “And?”

  He hesitated. I leaned closer.

  “Well, now that your hair is long again, I couldn’t help thinking it really does look like the Ghone.”

  I elbowed him and waved at the crowd. Their cheers drowned out our laughter.

  Author’s Note

  Thanks for reading! I loved writing this story, and I hope you enjoyed reading it!

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  Thanks again for reading Rook and Shadow! You’re awesome!

  About the Author

  G. Marshall loves fairy tales and has been writing stories since she could hold a pencil. She works as a professional pianist and teacher and enjoys crocheting and composing music.