Battle of Illaria: Book Three of the Illaria Series

by Dyan Chick

  Celeste nodded. "Went looking for work when I was old enough."

  The boy's eyes were wide, he was glued on every word. "That's what I'm going to do. I hear the stories from travelers. I'm going to have some adventures when I'm older."

  Ashton couldn't help but smile at the boy. "I'm sure you will. What's your name?"

  "Edward, sir," the young man smiled.

  Thanks to Celeste's quick thinking, the inn keeper, a woman named Jocelyn, didn't question their late season visit. Celeste had given the name of a town much like this one, that was located on the other side of the mountain. The quickest way to reach it would be to go over the pass. If anybody was going to risk a late season crossing, two kids who grew up on the mountain were likely to make it across unscathed.

  "No children yet?" Jocelyn asked as she showed them to their room.

  Ashton's eyes widened and he swallowed back the shock that had risen up inside him. The innkeeper thinks they're married.

  Celeste didn't hesitate. "No, we've only been married since midsummer."

  "Soon, then." She smiled at them and turned a key in a locked door. "Here's your room." Jocelyn stepped back and swept her hand toward the open door. "I'll leave you be. Blessings of the gods on you both."

  Ashton nodded to her, unsure of what the correct response was to such words. The woman seemed kind and unlikely to harm them in the night. Nevertheless, he slid the single chair in the room under the doorknob to lock them in.

  The room had two narrow beds, a small table, and a chair that was now propped under the doorknob. Without words, Ashton readied himself for bed. Celeste sat on her bed, watching him.

  "What are you looking at?" he asked.

  "Just waiting for you to start talking."

  He dropped onto the other bed, facing Celeste and let out a long sigh. He ran his hands through his hair and thought about how he should proceed.

  "That bad?" Celeste asked. Her dark eyebrows were pulled together in concern.

  Just start at the beginning. "Turns out Master Flanders has a brother," Ashton said.

  Celeste's face twisted in surprise. "Really?"

  "He was the guy running that book shop. He told me about the dragon, and said he'd get a message back to him for us."

  Celeste hit her forehead with her palm. "I completely forgot we needed to send a message."

  "Well, it's taken care of."

  She leaned forward on the bed, hands gripping the edges. "What else?"

  Ashton looked away from her for a moment and blew out a breath. He reached behind his neck to unclasp the chain and slid the ring into his palm. He tossed it to Celeste.

  She pushed herself off the bed to catch it, sandwiching it between her palms. She opened them and picked up the ring to look at it more closely. Her mouth dropped open and she looked from the ring to Ashton then back again. "Is this what I think it is?"

  He looked down at his hands, unable to make eye contact with her. "Yes."

  "I - I don't understand." Celeste stood and walked to Ashton's bed. She sat down next to him.

  "I wasn't going to do it any time soon. I mean, there's just too much going on right now, but eventually, when things got better..." The words were difficult to say. His mind replayed the last moments with Etta over and over. He straightened, thinking back to the vow he'd made to himself at the bookshop. "I'm going to get her back, Celeste."

  Celeste placed a hand on his shoulder. "If you were going to propose to her, why did you break up with her?"

  "I thought I had to. Sir Henry told me that it was the only way Gallia would make an alliance and he reminded me of the stupid things Etta has done because of me." Guilt swept through him. Sir Henry did have a point, but he wasn't sure it mattered. If Etta wasn't willing to marry a prince for her throne, he was willing to do whatever it took to be with her.

  "So you've been carrying around the ring this whole time?" she asked.

  He turned and looked at the ring, sitting in Celeste's open palm. He picked it up and slid it over the top of his finger, spinning it with his thumb. "I gave it to Master Flanders before we left. When I got to the bookshop, Master Flanders' brother had it waiting for me with a note for him to give it to me. No other explanation."

  A smile spread across Celeste's face. "You're an idiot, Ashton."

  He dropped his hands to the edge of the bed and turned to look at her. "Thanks for the support."

  She sighed. "If Master Flanders sent this to you, he's telling you not to give up on her. Which probably means, she hasn't given up on you."

  Hearing the words from Celeste made it seem like a real possibility. He closed his fist around the ring, feeling a glimmer of hope. "That's what I was hoping it meant."

  "Now you just have to hope she'll forgive you by the time we get back," Celeste said.

  He pressed his lips together. "I said some pretty terrible things."

  "Then we better get that stone and get back quick so she has less time to think about what you said." Celeste picked up the chain that was sitting on the bed next to Ashton and dropped it in his other hand. "Keep it close to you. If things get bad, you focus on that ring and the fact that you need to get home to give it to her."

  Ashton couldn't hold back the smile. What Celeste said made sense. How could he have thought that Etta would ever agree to a marriage alliance after everything she'd fought against with Max? She had traveled to the Oracle, to the underworld, even, to save him when his essence had been sent from his body. His stomach knotted, he felt so stupid for giving her up so easily. Would she understand when he returned? He was determined to earn back her trust. Forgive me, Etta.

  25

  Etta

  The dining room held the largest table I had ever seen in my life. There were twenty-two chairs on each side of the long dark, wooden table and a chair at each end. Only one end of the table was set with plates and silverware and several people were already seated. The maid that had collected me from my room pulled out a chair for me. I sat down and Mari sat next to me. I was seated to the right of my uncle, who occupied the head of the table.

  Across from me was an older woman with a pinched looking face. She had straw colored hair piled high on her head and wore a red dress with wide, belled sleeves. It was an unusual design that I had never seen before. Though, I hadn't spent much time around royalty. Perhaps this was what people who lived in castles wore. She had small watery brown eyes that watched my every move. I fidgeted in my chair and shifted my gaze away. Next to the pinched faced woman was a younger girl who looked like a smaller version of Mari. I was guessing she was Lilian.

  "Etta," Gaius said, "I'd like you to meet my wife, Yvette and my daughters, Mari and Lilian" He spoked in Illaria again, making it easier for me.

  "We already met, father," Mari said.

  He set down the goblet he was drinking from. "You did?"

  "Yes, I went to her rooms to meet her. She's quite wonderful." Mari beamed.

  The way she spoke was as if she forgot I was sitting right next to her. I wasn't sure how to react so I just kept my hands clasped in my lap and smiled.

  Servants entered the room and set bowls of steaming, green soup in front of each of us. The people around the table picked up spoons and started to eat. Silence hung heavy in the room. I felt very out of place and longed for something that felt normal.

  "Where is Master Flanders?" I asked.

  Gaius slurped a spoonful of soup and swallowed. "He requested a meeting with my head sorcerer. I imagine they are still discussing whatever sorcerers talk about." He waved his hand in the air as if sorcerers didn't have anything of import to discuss.

  "Head sorcerer?" I asked.

  He set down the spoon. "I have much to teach you about ruling a kingdom." He smiled and seemed genuine in his words. "Every king, or in your case, queen, should have sorcerers under their employ. You choose the best one to be your head sorcerer. That person will be your connection to the sorcerers in your kingdom and will serve as an advisor to
you."

  He paused, and stroked his chin. "Though, I've never heard of a sorcerer ruler with the exception of the current king of Illaira. Most rulers don't formally train as sorcerers. You're apprenticeship is unusual."

  "Yes," I said. I folded and unfolded the napkin in front of me. I couldn't tell if he was disappointed by my training in sorcery. Then I remembered what Mari had said about her father. He didn't have the ability to learn magic. Maybe that was why there had been no other sorcerer rulers. It might not have been a choice.

  I looked down at the table and reached for what I hoped was the correct spoon for the soup. I took a bite, surprised to find it sweet rather than savory. My eyes darted around the table as I ate, catching the stares of the women seated around me. They were all watching me. My stomach knotted as I tried to remember all of the etiquette I had learned.

  We didn't have much reason for decorum at camp. I refused to let anybody serve me. I wasn't officially queen yet and the people who were fighting alongside me deserved to be treated with respect and dignity. I supposed I'd have to knight them all or something so they could maintain the status I'd afforded them.

  My head started to ache as I thought of all of the elements of being a ruler that I hadn't stopped to consider. Decorating castles, maids, head sorcerer, personal guard. Who had time to organize all of these things and keep track of them all?

  "Have you considered who you would appoint for your head sorcerer?" Gaius asked.

  "What about that Ashton you told me about?" Mari said.

  I coughed on the soup in my spoon, spitting it back into the bowl. Yvette crinkled her nose at me. Finding the napkin, I wiped my mouth. "Excuse me."

  "Ashton?" Gaius asked. "Not the same Ashton who was Max's apprentice?"

  I pushed the soup bowl away from me. "Yes, the same Ashton."

  "Have you considered the fact that he might be the traitor you are looking for?" Gaius asked.

  My chest felt like somebody much heavier than me was sitting on top of it. I hadn't considered Ashton as a traitor. Ever. I'd put my faith in him completely. He couldn't be a traitor. He was my closest friend, but still, I had only met him a few months ago when this whole thing started. My blood ran cold. Wasn't it Max who made Ashton teach me magic? And Max sent me with Ashton to the trials. Was it possible I was being blinded by my own emotions?

  Before I could say anything, a servant removed the soup bowl from in front of me and a plate of cheese and fruit was placed before me. I stared at the plate, trying to think of how to respond to the confusion in my own head.

  "I don't think Ashton could be a traitor after everything you told me about him," Mari said.

  I turned to look at her. She popped a grape in her mouth. "If you ask me, he sounded pretty devoted to you."

  He was. The anger in his words during our last conversation still haunted me.

  "Has he passed his trials?" Gaius asked, ignoring my lack of response.

  "Yes," I said. "He helped us to defend the trial site during the attack. He's a brilliant sorcerer."

  "I would imagine so," Gaius said. "Having Max as a mentor would go a long way for any sorcerer. I remember watching Max at his trials. Never saw such a young sorcerer put on such a show."

  "I was told that Ashton's performance was nearly identical to Max's." After I said the words, I regretted saying them.

  Gaius pressed his lips together and sat in silence for a moment. "Might not be the best choice as head sorcerer," he said. He glanced at his daughter. "Mari thinks with her heart first, which is an admirable trait, but it means that she always sees the best of all people. I'm sure she would even be able to find good things about the king of Illaria."

  Mari scoffed. "That is not true. I could never see anything good about that monster. But I do tend to see the good in people." She lifted her chin and looked from her father to me. "And I'm an impeccable judge of character. I've never been wrong."

  Gaius pointed his fork at her. "That's true." He took a bite of cheese. "She'll make an excellent queen one day. Who would have guessed that we'd have two queens ruling at the same time?"

  Mari smiled. "Father had the laws of succession changed after I was born so that our family line can continue, even if I'm unmarried."

  "Though you will be married," Gaius said. "It just means that you are in charge, not the prince of Ocea."

  "Yes," Mari said, "he'll have to support what I decide, not the other way around."

  "You're marrying the prince or Ocea?" Ocea was a small island country that was rich in minerals and exotic fruits.

  "Yes, we've been betrothed since I was born." She covered her mouth with her hand. "I'm so sorry, Etta. It must be so hard for you to not have that alliance established. I heard about what happened with the prince of Sardinia. We cut off all shipments to Sardinia when they joined sides with the king."

  I lifted an eyebrow. That was news to me. Everybody always told me that Gallia remained neutral. If they were no longer trading with Sardinia, they were practically shouting their support of me.

  "We couldn't support that level of betrayal against somebody who is half Gallic," Gaius said.

  Mari set her hand on top of mine. "That's what family does. We look out for each other."

  "Thank you." So this is what it feels like to have family. People who look out for you just because you share a history. What would it have been like to grow up with that feeling? I could have been protected and loved. Grown up knowing who I was and learning to control my magic. "Why didn't my parents hide me here?"

  "I asked myself that same question every day since I got the news that you were still alive," Gaius said. "From what I can tell, your parents left you with your governess thinking they'd be able to pick you back up in a few months. When they passed, she likely thought it too risky to move you across the border." He frowned. "If we had known you survived, we would have sent men to find you and bring you here."

  How different could my life have been? Would I still be willing to fight for my country if I had grown up in the comfort of a castle like this one?

  "Why didn't Gallia do anything to stop the duke after he killed my parents?" I asked.

  "Without a successor, it would have been difficult to remove the new king. If my sister had asked for aid before the Battle of the Dead, the whole thing might never have happened." He shook his head. "I'm not sure anyone saw it coming."

  "What about the White Ravens? Did you know about them?" I asked.

  "We did, and we were in communication with them at first. The original goal of the Ravens was to find you, if you were still alive. Once Max joined, they changed their goal to putting him on the throne. I knew Max's story and I didn't want him ruining your family name, so I withdrew support."

  I wasn't sure if that made me feel better or worse. It was nice knowing that they wanted to support me, and help me reclaim my throne, but was Max really so bad when compared to King Osbert? I wondered what would have happened if they had rallied behind Max. What if they had gone forward supporting him? Max would probably be on the throne right now. Would I still be living in a cottage with my grandmother? I wouldn't know how to use magic, I wouldn't know the truth about my family, and I would never have met all the amazing people I've gotten to know along the way. People like Ashton. Would my life be any easier? Or would I have grown up without ever shaking that empty feeling I'd had every time I looked at the pendant my grandmother had given me. I resisted the urge to grab hold of it, trying to maintain my composure.

  "That's enough politics," Yvette said. She had a thick accent that I couldn't place that made her voice sound deeper and more masculine than most women. Something about her came across as hostile. I hoped today's meal was the only time I'd have to be around her.

  Gaius gave her an indulgent smile. "You're right, my dear." He looked at me. "We'll talk more later."

  "Lily, you've been quiet," he said. "Why don't you tell Etta about your sorcery training? Etta aligns with water."

  Lily's
eyes grew wide. "I've never met anyone who aligns with water before. It's very rare. Much more exciting than boring air."

  "One of my closest friends aligns with air. It's a very useful alignment." I thought of Celeste traveling through the mountains with Ashton. I felt guilty for focusing so much of my thoughts on Ashton when she was out facing the same dangers as him. "She's from Gallia, too."

  "Really?" Lily's eyes lit up. "Is she helping you fight?"

  "Yes," I nodded. "She's helping with some very important work for me."

  "Maybe you'll have a woman as your head sorcerer," Mari said.

  "Don't be ridiculous," Yevette said. "It's bad enough that she's going to be ruling a kingdom without a man at her side. We can't have women in charge of important sorcery matters, too."

  Manners forgotten, I glared at her. Some of the best sorcerers I knew were women. In Illaria, it was rare to see women sorcerers, but I thought that they were highly valued members of the sorcery community in Gallia. That was what Celeste had made me believe. How could she say such a thing when she had two daughters?

  "Yevette, that's enough," Gaius said. "Etta, please forgive her. She grew up in a very different place than we did."

  Yevette stood and threw her napkin on the table. "I'm feeling quite unwell, please excuse me, my lord." She exited the room without looking back.

  "She's not my mother," Mari said.

  Gaius sighed. "She's my second wife. She seemed so agreeable when we first met. Our customs came as more of a shock to her than she expected, I suppose."

  "Where is she from?" I asked.

  "She's from Vlausburg."

  Vlausburg was at the edge of the known world. It was said to be so cold that the people who lived there could only go outdoors during the short summer season. I'd never met anybody from there. What kind of alliance had he needed with them?

  "I know very little about Vlausburg," I said. "I'm afraid my studies have been rather limited."

  Servants came again to remove the plates. I set my hand on my plate to prevent the girl in the brown dress from removing it. I hadn't stopped to eat anything. Fresh fruit was a rarity this time of year in Illaria and I planned to eat it. A plate of meat with gravy and potatoes was set next to my fruit plate. I took a bite of the fruit, worried they'd take it if I didn't eat it soon.