A Princess Who Defied Kings
Page 14
I let him win me over, rewarding him with a reluctant smile. I turned in his arms, giving him a firm, full kiss. "Yes, well…I didn't want you to have all that fun without me. What would they have said?" I said mockingly. "The Black Knight vanquishes nearly a dozen armies with his wife nowhere to be found. Then you would have been insufferable."
"You mean I'm not already?"
I batted him on the nose. "Quiet. You were just becoming tolerable."
As we turned to walk side by side, I said the question that had been bothering me since the instant I'd returned from my mission to find Drake preparing for battle.
"Why didn't they keep fighting? They might have won, even with our siege engines."
My husband laughed. "Might have, sweet Naji. It's nice to know that there's a little naiveté left in you."
I tried to look hurt. I could do a mean pout when I wanted to.
"You're sleeping in the courtyard tonight."
His grin deepened. "I've been meaning to do some stargazing actually." It took him a few moments to turn serious. "No, Naji, I think that Queen Egwen had planned to crush us. With the ogres out of the fight, we wouldn't have had a chance. When they showed up in a big way, ready to fight for us thanks to you, it wasn't a gamble she was ready to commit to. According to my spies it was she, the Green Knight, and your father who were the three strongest advocates for peace. Of those three, I think only one had pure motivations."
I looked at him, and my heart did a celebratory flip. "Did I just hear you correctly?"
"Yes, Naji. You did. I think your father still loves you."
It was appalling how well Drake could read my emotions. I slipped my hand into his as we walked under the midday sun. The castle of the Black Kingdom loomed over us like an overprotective mother bear, and I knew one thing for sure. It was good to be home.
EPILOGUE
I lay naked but warm, the castle's chill not able to penetrate the heaping comforter or the campfire's worth of warmth coming from Drake's body. It had been nearly a month since the peace had been made, but now it was the eve before we were to attend court and officially thaw relations with the other Kingdoms. I couldn't sleep. The thought of seeing Father, not to mention former friends and allies who had abandoned me the moment I'd been disgraced…it just set my teeth on edge.
I didn't want to do this, but I also didn't want Drake to go alone. Besides, a small voice tugged at me, this would be your first long adventure together. Yes, perhaps if I just looked at it that way it wouldn't seem so overwhelming. The idea of meeting all the other Knights and their wives—and in some cases mistresses—didn't seem so much an adventure to me, though, as it did a tedious torture chamber. I was not a creature of politics. I was more at home eating in the kitchen with the castle servants, sharing questionable jokes over wine, rather than hobnobbing with royalty.
Although Father had tried to shield me from court intrigue as a girl, I remembered all the tensions. I remembered, when my mother was still alive, how she used to fidget and get easily upset with me the day before a court function. It seemed that any childhood memory I had connected with the court was also anchored to sadness. When my mother's heart failed her, maybe she had died peacefully as the court physician claimed.
But I doubted it, and secretly I resented the court politics which I blamed for devastating her nerves and inviting her to an early grave.
"Naji? What's wrong, can't you sleep?" Without even realizing it I'd crossed to the outer chamber beyond our bedroom, thrown open the drapes and looked out over the pensive night. Drake's warmth enfolded me from behind, but a chill still crept along my collar bone as if to remind me tomorrow would be here too soon.
I turned my head, kissing his hand where it rested just below my shoulder. "Not a wink," I said. "Too restless thinking about what's ahead, I guess."
His eyes softened as his hands started a gentle, stroking pattern along my shoulders and arms.
"You don't have to go, Naji. Staying here and looking after the Kingdom is more than understandable. You are the Queen after all. No one would think less of you for safeguarding our Kingdom in my absence."
I sighed. "No, Drake. Your mother can do a fine job here without us. If you think I'm made of steel, try taking a look at the diamond underneath her skin. I think even that savage troll king doesn't know what to make of her." I thought back to the celebration banquet where our motley group of allies had all sat and dined together after the non-aggression pact had been made. It had been a bizarre sight.
Drake chuckled. "I was just remembering my mother teaching Zulz to use eating utensils. Did you see the look on the troll's face when she threatened to stab him in the hand with her fork?"
"You mean when he tried to reach for that slice of ham?" I replied, giggling. "Yes. I don't think I've ever seen a creature that big scared of something so much smaller," I added.
We talked a little more by the window, and soon it became clear that he was just as restless as me.
"We're going to be useless tomorrow. You do know that?" Drake asked. I chuckled.
"Fair enough, but I can't control how I feel." I shrugged before letting out an exasperated sigh. "I think I'll take a walk. Some fresh air in the courtyard might help." I could tell that Drake was about to offer to join me, but I knew better than he did that a good sparring session unwound his nerves better than almost anything.
"Why don't you go wake Sir Stavros? I'm sure he would be up for a vigorous sparring session. It would be a great workout for you and get your mind off of things."
Drake cocked an eyebrow at me. "Are you trying to get rid of me? Because I warn you…after my sparring session I may still be restless, and you look beautiful tonight."
He deserved the tormenting he was about to get. I twirled in his grasp, giving him a tantalizing view obstructed by shadow. "Perhaps I'll be your captured princess later on. Now off with you. Shoo!"
I think Drake could tell that I needed to be alone with my own thoughts because he didn't argue. Smart men did that sort of thing. After he'd left I shrugged into my night robe and prowled the corridors overlooking the courtyard. The night was unexpectedly chilly with the whispery breeze. Something rumbled in the distance even though the charcoal sky seemed placid enough. There was this odd thrill to what I was doing, walking the castle corridors without servants to trip over, just having the whole fortress to myself.
At night the whole world seemed to vanish, and the lack of distractions sometimes brought out the thoughtful side in me. I continued down the winding marble staircase that led to the audience chamber and throne room. There was something hushed and holy about the place as I walked in. Its cavernous space seemed to hide mysteries.
"It's a beautiful night."
My body went ramrod straight. A chill, and not from the breeze coming through the open windows, stroked the length of my spine.
I said nothing. What did you say to someone who had accused you of horrible things? Lady Vaela sat on her chair in the throne room, idly turning a jar filled with fine dust over and over in her hands.
I recognized it all too well. When Drake had used the dragon on his great-sword, summoning it to save me from the Dreamgiver, his great-sword had turned to dust. The fine granules in that jar were all that remained. Ever since that day when Lady Vaela had accused me of forcing Drake to squander the Black Kingdom's most precious weapon, talk between us had been scarce. And by scarce, I meant nonexistent.
Somewhere I understood the pressures she'd been under. I mean, just thinking about it…two of her sons trying to have her eldest son and his new wife killed…that had to be a nightmare for her. What kind of internal conflict had to be raging in her heart? But that nagging voice in my head reminded me that she had thought my life wasn't worth saving. Drake using the dragon to save me was on the one hand this epic gesture of love that made my heart thump faster. Yet the not-so-girly part of me, the You have a Kingdom to look after, responsible side of me, told me that Vaela had been right.
"Yes, well, I do have that effect on some people," she said, a tired note to her voice.
I walked briskly across the throne room, making a beeline for the exit. "Well don't let me disturb you," I replied.
As I walked past her, though, Lady Vaela got up from her throne, left the jar on the cushion and came over to me, snagging my wrist in a gentle grasp.
"Don't go, Najika."
"If it's all the same to you, I'd prefer to," I said, my stomach tightening. She'd noticed the way I'd flinched when she touched me. I saw her eyes widen as if she'd been struck.
"I see," Vaela said, her eyes going down to the floor. But then her gaze surged up, trying to capture mine. "Will you stay, then, if I beg you to?"
"I think I know your feelings well enough," I said with venom before I could control it. "You'd rather see me dead and your Kingdom safe. I think that spells things out pretty clearly. Don't you?" My eyes must have blazed, because she took a half step back as if I'd slapped her. Then she found her courage. My cheek stung as she actually slapped me. Hard.
"I love you like the daughter I never had!" she cried. "What I said was wrong, and if it hadn't been for you, the ogres would never have helped us. In the long term your survival is what has made my Kingdom safer, and not a day goes by that I don't regret what I said to you," she said, tears shining in her eyes.
"I was being small-minded, Najika. I was being selfish and small-minded and stupid. That's what happens when you assume that the end justifies the means without looking at the long term picture or what's inside your heart." She slumped, looking older and frailer than I had ever seen her.
"Now stop resenting me with all of your pent-up anger, Najika. Let it out. I deserve it. I deserve the slap I just gave you tenfold." She rose up, her bearing proud. "Go ahead. Give me what I deserve. Don't hold back."
The first time I slapped her it felt good. But not good-good. It was a guilty pleasure vindictiveness type of good that snuck through me as my hand connected with her cheek. Then, as if a mob of tiny angels had overpowered that gleeful, vengeful me, I crushed her with an I haven't seen you in ages hug we'd never shared before.
"I've been really angry with you," I whispered. I cursed myself as my eyes became a waterworks. I tried to sniff back the traitorous tears, but they were ruthless and charged down my face anyway.
I tried to talk through them. "And it's been that much harder because I admire you, Vaela, your strength. How devoted you are to your son." I probably kept babbling on, but my mind mercifully didn't remember anything I said after that. I felt Lady Vaela squeeze me back with a hug just as crushing. Then, when we finally pulled apart, our tear-ruined faces exchanged rueful looks.
"Your face is a little puffy. How's mine?"
"I'm afraid it's just as bad," I replied, and we both smiled.
"Then I guess we make a good match," Lady Vaela said. I looked back at the only other woman in the world who loved Drake as much as I did, and a major rift in my heart seemed to mend. If Drake and I were about to embark on the most annoying journey of a lifetime, at least I was leaving things intact behind me. I was glad that we'd reconciled, as unlikely and as unusual as the reconciliation had come about.
"Would you take a walk with me in the courtyard? I was hoping you might give me some advice on how to handle the Knights and ladies at court," I said. "I'm not really looking forward to it." The truth was that I would rather dig knives under my nails and listen to myself scream, but sometimes it was best not to tell your mother-in-law everything.
Lady Vaela's eyes lit up like I'd just given her a room brimming with gold. "I would be delighted to." She took my hand, and as we turned to walk away I swore that I noticed the fine dust from Drake's great-sword shift in its jar, swirling into what looked almost like a miniature dragon, smoke curling from tiny nostrils as it schemed with a mind of its own. Then it was gone, sooner than the gap between one heartbeat and the next.
Weird. Sleep deprivation must have been turning my head into a puddle of mush. There were certainly enough other worries cluttering it. As Lady Vaela and I walked hand in hand into the cool privacy of the night, I still had to wonder. What would the future hold? Whatever the next adventure might be, at least I wouldn't be facing it alone.
End of Book One
Najika's story will continue in A Princess Who Tamed Demons
Coming Soon
Acclaim for the stories of J. Kirsch
"Excellent, powerful, vivid writing! [Fantasy and Science Fiction] just doesn't get any better than this!"
-K.G. McAbee, honorable mention author for Writers of the Future
"Good writing. Good characters."
-Barnes&Noble Nook Book, User Reviews
"Well-written."
-Barnes&Noble Nook Book, User Reviews
"Loved the characters."
-Barnes&Noble Nook Book, User Reviews
Acclaim for A Princess Who Defied Kings
"One part heroic fantasy, one part snarky heroine with a mouth on her, one part adventure, one part romance. Add danger, a threat of mayhem and barely-escaped death, stir together and enjoy."
-K.G. McAbee, Honorable Mention author for Writers of the Future
"Princess Naji is someone I would stand and fight beside any day of the week."
-Goodreads Review
"If you like adventure, fantasy with a little mystery…then this is your book."
-Goodreads Review
Author's Note:
Thank you for reading this story. Please take a moment to rate it and share your thoughts on Smashwords, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, Amazon or wherever you prefer! It's rewarding to learn new things from readers like you.
You are welcome to visit my website at J. Kirsch Books to take a peek at my upcoming novels and current projects. You can follow me on Twitter where I post under the nickname librarian4smash. To reach me by email send a message to: jkirschbooks AT gmail DOT com. I always respond to reader queries and questions.
Below you'll find the first four chapters of my upcoming fantasy/sci-fi book Crysalis: Vira's Tale (Release Date - August 2014).
Welcome to the world of Crysalis…
In the distant future, the last remnants of humanity huddle in fragmented societies deep below ground, struggling to stay alive while threatened with inconceivable dangers. Three strong women from three different cultures are on intersecting paths, heading towards a fateful meeting which may well be mankind's only hope for survival…
Crysalis: Vira's Tale
J. Kirsch
Chapter 1
"We've been patient enough, Robles. I don't think you're going to be able to come up with what we need."
The slender man sat with one shadow poised across the table, and another hovering at his shoulder. Robles began to tremble. His assailants might have been wearing black-and-tan body-suits, typical uniforms for any citizen of Beta Sector, but the hard, focused intent in their eyes said that these were not ordinary working men.
"Please…I can pay back all of it and interest! I just need more time. Don't take my family!"
Damian Luxe smiled grimly. It had been an uneventful night at the Twin Galaxies until now. The young man cracked his head left and right, loosening up the muscles in his neck and shoulders. He stretched his arms, feeling the metallic exoskeleton hum as the joints slid along the well-oiled combat suit that hugged his body like a second skin. Finally something with a little spice! Damian thought.
He leapt over the nightclub's railing, landing right behind Dirt Bag Number One. The angry man cursed and reached for a six-inch blade concealed at his ankle. Damian's hand curled around the offender's wrist, snapping it like a wishbone.
"AAAGGHHH!!!" Dirt Bag Number Two drew out a sawed-off energy pulse cannon and pulled the trigger. Damian swore, diving for cover as he took
Mr. Robles down hard alongside him, aware of the table blowing apart into shards and splinters.
The gun-toting killer stepped over the table's remains, poised to unload point-blank into Damian's chest when the bouncer's left leg cut the man's feet out from underneath. Damian leapt across, grappling for the weapon, but in all the struggling it flew clear. The killer's partner grasped the weapon with his remaining good hand and managed to steady it at Damian's head.
Damian had time to register disbelief. What kind of drugs was this guy taking that he could coolly block out the pain of a broken wrist? And how did that gun slip through entrance security? It shouldn't even have been possible. Possible or not, I'm about to be just as dead.
Damian's disbelief made a sharp turn, though, when a bottle of Lavaburst whiskey – so high in quality that its sacrifice really was a tragedy – broke over the assailant's head in a melee of flying fluid and glass. A young woman, not more than 19 or 20 stepped back and gaped in shock at what she'd done. The dirt bag she felled was unconscious, and blood began pooling around his head.
Damian didn't have time to thank her. He was busy pummeling the ribs and face of the other too-close-for-comfort assailant. Finally, satisfied that the man underneath him wouldn't so much as twitch, Damian stood up and turned to speak to his unlikely rescuer.
She was gone.
Three other bouncers meanwhile had just converged on the scene.
"Son of a—Luxe, you seeing stars, buddy?"
Damian Luxe shook his head free of any disorientation. "No, and no thanks to you, Jenson." Damian turned to glare at Kavrik and Gunther too. All three of his fellow bouncers wore the same B-grade exosuit that he did. Physically they were super-strong, but no amount of strength was any protection against an energy pulse that could make pulverized meat out of your internal organs.