He walked through the city streets with the casual confidence of a man who owned them. The moon was high, shining off Esren’s pale skin. The few people on the roads bowed respectfully to him but hurried away once he had passed. If it had been Mother, they’d try to stop her to chat. Pitiful fools. They wouldn’t know real power if it punched them in the face. Sneering, he walked on.
The path through the park was much as it had been all those years ago. Esren stepped off the trail and into the overgrowth beyond. His steps were sure, even though he hadn’t been anywhere near the small building in years. He could see through the painted greenery and the magical illusions now. The Chosen had spent a lifetime attuning himself to the magic within. He located the door with ease, and it opened at his touch.
Esren felt a rush of power emanate out from beyond the door. It’s stronger now. Perhaps it knows what I’ve done. Is it welcoming me? Enjoying the invigorating feel of the power within, he stepped inside.
The room was exactly as he’d left it. It smelled of dust and musty old ingredients. Dusty jars sat on shelves throughout the room. Esren smiled, remembering the day so many years ago that he had first found his way to this place. It was still untouched. No new footprints disturbed the dust on the floor.
Conjuring a light, Esren walked through the shelves. He brushed aside the dust to read the labels on each jar. “A potion, a poison, something to help. I can’t kill Mother directly, but there has to be a way to break her binding spell.” He paused as he read a vial labeled ‘Essence of Life.’ Something in his memory stirred. He picked it up, watching the liquid within ripple at his touch. He tucked it into a pocket of his robe, then kept walking.
A few more jars caught his eye, and each found its way into a pocket. Esren spent hours wandering the room, gathering up everything that seemed even remotely useful. His robe was heavy when he finally left the small building behind and headed back to the tower.
When he reached his chambers, the bodyguards were gone and so was the mess. Esren smiled. I’ll have to send them out after more girls. If I’m to find a way to resolve this situation, I’ll need all the power I can manage.
After setting the jars out on his desk, Esren pulled a book from his shelf and began searching for answers.
Miraphina watched Esren walk back into the tower from her window. She didn’t know what he was doing, but she felt cold. She glanced at the letter on her desk. How do I reach him before I can’t control him? The Queen turned away from the window and sat at her desk to reread the letter, hoping she might see something different written on the page.
The royal physician has never been wrong before. There’s no question – I’ll be dead in less than a year. The spell is draining the life from me more quickly than I imagined. This sickness will kill me, and Esren will be King.
Miraphina shuddered. She wondered if it was the cold or the fear. The thought of the things Esren had done chilled her to the bone. Still, he was her son. He was also the Chosen. She could not deny the will of the gods. But she knew that if he were to take the throne, the kingdom might fall.
Binding him was hard enough. I can’t risk telling anyone what I know without them demanding his death. There has to be another way. She thought back to the day she first saw the darkness in him. He’d attacked that girl in Nor . . .
Autumn. She’s the source of his obsession. Perhaps if I gave in and allowed him to see her, he would come to his senses. She’d be in danger, but her death would be a small price to pay for the safety of my kingdom.
As soon as the thought occurred, Miraphina tried to dismiss it. She’d spent all these years keeping Esren away from Autumn and from Nor. How could she justify bringing her here after all that had been sacrificed? She looked at the letter again. Dead in less than a year. I don’t think we have another option.
Sighing, the Queen set the letter down and went to bed.
Chapter 23
Music drifted through the halls of the castle from the ballroom as Autumn stared at herself in the mirror. The ball had started, but she was still in the tailor’s workshop. Her new dress was exquisite. Deep blue silk flowed over Autumn’s fair skin, accented with pearls sewn into the edges of the fabric. The dressmaker had insisted on fixing her hair as well and was now brushing out the long red strands that cascaded down to her waist. The comb was on a table nearby. Autumn was vague when telling the dressmaker where it came from.
The dress is gorgeous, but I’m still not sure. Autumn reached up to her chest and traced over the scars from the temple. They had faded somewhat over the years but were still likely to draw a few stares. She usually wore high-necked styles that hid the wounds. This gown practically showcased them. She sighed, and the tailor scolded her for dropping her head.
A few minutes later, the dressmaker fit the comb into Autumn’s hair. “There, dear! All finished. No one would ever guess you weren’t born into nobility!”
Autumn smiled and curtsied gracefully to the tailor, who smiled back. “It’s my pleasure, Autumn. After what you did out there . . .” She reached forward and pulled Autumn into a hug. “My son was on the tournament field. You saved him, too.”
Autumn was blushing slightly as she left the dressmaker’s studio and made her way to the ballroom. Other servants recognized her in the halls, but instead of their usual friendly waves, they bowed as she passed. Autumn fixed the first with a glare, thinking he was making fun of her, but when she saw the look in his eyes, she realized he was serious. Her blush deepened. She curtsied in response before going on her way.
They see me differently now. I wonder if it’s the gown or if it’s what happened yesterday. If this keeps up, I’ll have to leave town sooner than I expected. The thought of going felt like a hand gripping her heart, and she stopped to compose herself. She brushed tears away from her eyes as she looked down to smooth her gown. Remember Kam’s rule. Never overstay your welcome. And my welcome will wear out fast once Lyall is married.
A gentle clearing of a man’s throat caught her attention, and she looked up. Commander Kasrian was standing in front of her, staring at her with the look of a father who realizes his child has grown up. Autumn blushed and curtsied low, unable to meet his eyes.
Kasrian stepped forward and offered his hand. “Autumn, you look like a princess.”
After a moment’s hesitation, she gently placed her hand in his. Kasrian smiled and gave a gentle bow, then moved her hand to his arm to lead her into the ballroom.
Autumn took a deep breath. She’d served at enough royal functions to know what to expect. I’ll come in, they’ll be polite but standoffish, I’ll spend the evening avoiding Lyall, and then I can go back to my room. Should be easy enough. She held her head high as Kasrian motioned to the servants to open the doors.
She was not expecting the room to burst into applause.
Everyone in the room, nobles and servants alike, began clapping and cheering as Autumn and Kasrian entered. Her first instinct was to step back, but Kasrian put a hand over hers. He looked down at her with a smile. “You’re a hero, Autumn. You saved everyone in this room and a lot more people besides. Let them celebrate you.” Her face burned. She only smiled when she saw Elizabeth running to her, nearly tripping over her soft velvet skirt. The crowd laughed gently as the girl wrapped her arms around Autumn’s waist. Autumn returned the hug gladly.
Kasrian led Autumn to the head table, where King Aldwin and several other nobles stood to greet her. She bowed to the King, who took her hand in a firm handshake, then motioned for her to sit down. As she did, Aldwin stood to address the room.
“My friends, tonight is a night for great celebration. Not only is it my son’s twentieth birthday, but it is also a night to honor someone who has been helping to protect our kingdom from the shadows of anonymity for far too long. It is my pleasure to finally and formally introduce Autumn Hunter.” There was more applause, which quieted quickly when the King motioned for silence.
“Miss Hunter’s past
has been troubled,” the King continued. “As a child, she was taken from her childhood home and given to the Cult of the Black Covenant, which all of you know has been plaguing our kingdom for many years. Miraculously, she escaped their hold, only to spend years on the streets unable to tell anyone what had happened. Mute but brilliant, Miss Hunter did not turn to crime as might be expected of one in her circumstances. Instead, she risked her life to help those who needed it. After Commander Kasrian witnessed a singular act of bravery, he brought her to live and work in the castle. She was able to find a way to tell us what had happened to her and has been tirelessly aiding us ever since. After yesterday’s tournament, we have even more to thank her for.”
Aldwin raised his glass. “To Autumn Hunter. May you live a long and happy life, and may you always know how grateful we are to you for all you have done and all you continue to do.” The nobles in the room raised their glasses, then erupted in applause again. Autumn nodded a bashful thanks, and the King sat back down beside her.
Taking the cue, the nobles in the room stopped their applauding and returned to their socializing. People glanced in her direction, but Kasrian was quick to deflect anyone who tried to approach. Autumn smiled, realizing he was protecting her until she was ready.
“You look radiant, Autumn.” King Aldwin spoke in a fatherly tone. Autumn turned to him to nod a thank you. She raised her hands to ask him if he was well, then froze when she spotted Lyall over his shoulder.
The prince was across the room. He’d been chatting with a young noblewoman before the toast, but now his eyes were fixed on Autumn. The look on his face made her cheeks burn again. She forced herself to look away and sign her question to the King.
Aldwin smiled. “Yes, I’m quite well, thanks to you.” His expression turned serious. “I wasn’t exaggerating when I said that we all owe you a great debt, especially me.” He chuckled when Autumn looked down. “Don’t be embarrassed, my dear. You’ve done incredible things. You should be proud. Kasrian certainly is.”
Autumn, still looking away, signed her thanks. Aldwin smiled and looked up past her. “Ah, Lyall. Come to congratulate our hero?”
Autumn didn’t dare look up. She could feel the prince next to her, smell the scent of his cologne. His soft voice tore into her heart like a knife. “Miss Hunter, would you honor me with a dance?”
She forced herself to look up and meet his eyes. They were filled with love. Despite her best efforts, Autumn felt her heart melting. She put on a smile and nodded, taking the hand that he offered and following him to the floor.
There were already couples on the floor, but when they saw Lyall and Autumn approach they bowed and stepped out of the way. Autumn could feel the eyes of the entire room on her as the prince took her in his arms and led her into the dance, swaying gently to the music. She took a moment to silently thank Albrecht for making them learn to dance together. At least I know the steps. Thank you, old friend.
Lyall gazed into her eyes as they danced. “Autumn,” he started, then fell silent. It felt like they danced together for hours. When the song ended, the nobles in the room turned to applaud the musicians, who immediately began the next song. Lyall bowed to Autumn and offered her his arm. “Miss Hunter, would you accompany me to get some refreshments?”
Autumn’s blush returned. My cheeks are going to burn permanently if this keeps up. She nodded and took his arm. Lyall led her over to the refreshment table, where a young servant girl happily handed Autumn a glass of wine. Autumn returned her smile and nodded a thank you. The girl smiled and blushed, apparently unused to the attention.
Glass of wine in hand, Autumn was led to a group of nobles. Lyall introduced her, and they all greeted her graciously. Within moments, Autumn’s smile went from forced to genuine as they talked. Lyall translated her sign language for the others. She accepted an invitation to dance by another nobleman. He led her to the floor while Lyall looked on, looking stunned.
The party went on for hours. Autumn met every noble in the room, greeting each with effortless grace. She danced with a dozen noblemen before Kasrian took her hand and led her to the floor himself. He was beaming as he led her around the floor. The older women in the room whispered among themselves that he looked like a proud father. Lyall watched from the sidelines until the song was over, then stepped forward to claim her hand for the next dance.
As Lyall and Autumn danced, Kasrian walked back to the head table to sit next to Aldwin. “She seems happy,” Aldwin said with a sly smile.
Kasrian raised an eyebrow at him. “Yes, she does. What are you up to, brother? Why were you so interested to see her tonight?”
Aldwin took a sip of his wine, a thoughtful look on his face. “Do you know what Lara did after Mother forbid me to see her?”
Kasrian shook his head. “I always just assumed she left town.”
“She did,” Aldwin said. “But not before she tried to convince me to elope with her. She said she had a friend at the Grand Temple who could marry us in secret. Then Mother couldn’t stop us from being together.” He sipped his wine again. “It seemed odd to me that she’d want to rush into marriage after what had just happened. I refused. She was furious, accused me of all kinds of nonsense, and stormed off. I counted myself lucky that Mother had stepped in.”
Kasrian was about to respond when Aldwin cut him off. “That wasn’t the last I saw of her. She sent letters, tried to sneak into the castle, followed me on the streets. She even sent a message to Mother claiming she was pregnant with my child. She wasn’t, of course, and we all knew it. Besides, by that time I’d met Amelia, and I knew I was going to marry her. I don’t know what kind of threats Mother laid on her, but Lara left town in a hurry a few nights after that.”
Kasrian was stunned. “You never told me all that. I knew she was bad, but I never imagined . . .” his voice trailed off. “Why are you telling me this now?”
Aldwin smiled, still thoughtfully staring into his glass. “When you told Autumn she couldn’t stay with Lyall, she was heartbroken, but she accepted it. She didn’t run. She kept up her duties here, even though it would have been much easier not to. She never tried to contact him. In fact, she made a concerted effort to stay away.” He sipped his wine. “And when the time came for her to step up and protect our people, she did so without any hesitation or regard for her own safety.”
Kasrian nodded. “She’s an incredible person. I couldn’t be more proud of her.”
“A fitting match for a prince, I think.”
Kasrian nearly choked on his wine. “Brother, are you seriously considering this?”
“I’m more than considering, I’m consenting. Look at her, Kasrian!” Aldwin gestured to the floor, where the dance had ended and Autumn was listening intently to a young noblewoman. “The nobility love her. The citizens love her. She treats the lowliest servant the same as she treats a king. Autumn is everything any kingdom could hope for on the throne, not to mention that Lyall is hopelessly in love with her.” Aldwin set his glass down. “Don’t tell her I’ve changed my mind. I want to talk to Lyall and make sure he understands my reasoning first. But do make sure she doesn’t run off after tonight, will you?”
Kasrian was grinning from ear to ear. “I’ll make sure of it. Aldwin, you can’t imagine how happy you’ve made me.”
Aldwin clapped him on the shoulder. “Well, thank me by getting us each another glass of wine. If this doesn’t deserve a drink, I don’t know what does.”
After the ball, Lyall bid a friendly goodnight to each and every noble. He glanced over to the other side of the room, where a nobleman was flirting shamelessly with Autumn. Lyall’s blood burned with rage, but the smile on his face held. He watched as the nobleman kissed her hand and left. When she thought no one was watching, she took the opportunity to slip out through a side exit. Lyall quickly extracted himself from the grip of the old man shaking his hand and followed.
He caught up with her in the hallway. “Autumn!” he called out
to her, his heart catching in his throat when she stopped. She turned. He could see the tears forming in her eyes.
Lyall walked to her and gently took her hand. He reached up his other hand to brush a stray hair out of her face, then smiled as he saw the comb. “You look even more beautiful than usual. I didn’t think that was possible.” He looked away. “I’m sorry, I’m doing it again. I just . . . I couldn’t let you leave without saying that I love you.”
Autumn was looking down, refusing to meet his eyes. She nodded, fighting back the tears. I love you, Lyall. I love you more than anything in this world. But we can’t do this. She pulled her hand back from his and curtsied low, then turned and fled down the hall towards the servant’s quarters.
Lyall looked at her, tears springing to his eyes. A hand on his shoulder pulled him out of his thoughts. He turned to see his father smiling at him.
“Come on, son,” Aldwin said softly. “I have something I’d like to talk to you about.” Putting an arm around the prince’s shoulder, the King led him off down the hall.
Autumn reached her room and closed the door behind her before the sadness overcame her. She slid to the floor, her back to the closed door. Tears ran unchecked down her cheeks. Why can’t I just let this go? Haven’t I been through enough?
After a few moments, she wiped away her tears and stood up. At least I should get out of this dress. I don’t know what I’ll do with it after this. It’s not like I’ll have much use for a ball gown. She reached behind her, then realized with frustration that she couldn’t reach the laces. Damn. I need help with this.
A gentle knock on the door startled her. Kasrian’s voice surprised her even more. “Autumn? May I come in?”
Autumn considered for a moment, then stepped forward to open the door. Kasrian smiled. “Thank you.” He walked past her, taking in the room. “I always liked this room. I remember the night you first came to the castle. I was so worried you wouldn’t like it, but you really can fit in anywhere, can’t you?”
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