by Cara Coe
"It wasn't easy for me either, Seth."
Seth wheeled to face her. "Don't you dare compare yourself to me in this. You chose to walk away. You had the peace of mind to know I was alive. I tore myself apart every day thinking I should have damned everyone and all their orders and advice and gone after you myself. That maybe if I had been the one to get to you, I'd have fought harder, I’d have gone longer, I’d have given more to get you back safely. That my hands were as dirty as Rankor's for the part they played in your death. I cursed myself because I didn't even try to save the woman I loved. That's what I lived with on top of feeling your loss."
He began to pace again, the anger trying to work its way out through his fevered movements. "And to know after these months that you simply left. Because you decided it'd be easier for me.” He finally stopped walking and sagged against the bars. “Great Angels, Amelie, I'd have suffered happily a hundred times over just being able to see your face. What you did to me..."
Amelie couldn't stop the tears from falling down her cheeks. She wiped impatiently at them with her filthy sleeve, surely smudging her face. "I wasn't trying to do anything to you. I wanted you to be happy and I didn't think you'd ever fully allow yourself to be if I was always in the outskirts of your life. I thought you'd move on and I'd be the one carrying the burden."
"Well, you were wrong." He paused to sigh and give a small, bitter laugh. "And now you're imprisoned in your own kingdom."
Amelie shook her head. "I'm still confused. Claudia took one look at me and threw me in here."
Seth nodded as if that kind of response was expected. "Yes," he said. "Turns out she has a jealous streak." He shook his head and dragged tired hands over his face. Amelie knew this gesture well and she wished to ease his frustration. At the same time her stomach clenched. How much did Claudia know about the two of them? She had to see her, to make it right. To make her understand she wasn’t back to get in the way. She was back to help.
“Well, it won’t do to leave you in here,” Seth said taking the keys and finally unlocking the door. “As furious as I am with you, it doesn’t compare to my joy at discovering you’re still alive.” His eyes softened and he paused for a moment in his movements. Then he hastily resumed and the cell dragged open with a metallic groan. The open path spread before her. Amelie itched to cover the short distance to him. A year of absence did nothing to cool her desire.
His eyes finally rested on hers, steel blue and a deep longing contained within them. They were also cautious. Conflicted. The same emotions that stormed within her. She forced Claudia into her mind to combat the storm. She needed to dissipate this charged energy between them. Remembering that King Byron had little time left, she chose to leave this moment and continue with what needed to be done.
“I rode in with a mage,” she began. She tried to make her voice steady. “He wore black riding gear and carried a short sword. Please…do you know what my sister did with him? Is he all right?”
Seth’s expression hardened before it neutralized. His smile was empty and the look between them soured. “On that, I do not know. Upon my return to the palace, I made freeing you from the dungeon my first priority. I made no time to inquire about the rest of your party.”
“I see. Thank you. For releasing me.”
Seth sighed. It was a defeated sound that melted his features into resignation. “I will see what I can find out. I’ll have the staff ready a room in the east wing, far away from Claudia’s wrath. There’s no need for you to cross paths again until she’s cooled down and thinking more clearly.”
“Thank you,” Amelie said again. “It is most appreciated.”
“You can request anything of me anytime. I will never deny you. I cannot deny you.” He took an absent step towards her. The last words were spoken with a fervor and his expression betrayed feelings that still simmered for her. She looked down and away, steeling her face impassively. She felt his withdraw.
“If you’ll excuse me,” he said quickly before turning and striding up the stairs he came down minutes before.
Amelie stepped forward and touched the bars gingerly. So Seth had cracked open her path to freedom but she was scared to take it. To face her sister, her dying king, to feel the absence of her mother rush in where the White Forest had shielded it for so many months. She had to figure out how to exist in this kingdom where she was no longer a mystery and the amber around her neck fed her normalcy among her people.
Before she could slide out of the gate standing ajar, heavy footfalls descended down the steps, too clunky to be Seth returning. She slid the door in so it appeared closed but didn’t latch it so she could add surprise to an attack if she needed one to leave the dungeon.
In a quick moment, two burly guards appeared clutching Talon in between them. With a loud cry from the archer, they threw him into the standing cell to Amelie’s left and banged the gate shut. Wiping their hands for effect, they nodded briefly to Amelie before heading upstairs.
Amelie turned an incredulous look on her new prison mate.
He righted himself, bringing his body to a crouch in his cell. He shook fingers through his ruffled hair and he looked up at her questioning gaze. “So, Seth is quite angry that I told him you were dead,” he explained.
Amelie sighed and opened her cell. She went over to Talon’s and yanked. “Let me talk to him. I’ll get you out,” she promised.
Talon stretched out slowly and laid back on the stone floor. “No, I’m safer in here for now,” he said. “Let me rot in here for a couple days. It will be more peaceful than his yelling.”
Chapter 27
Amelie
Amelie could waste no time. She recalled Simon saying that the king was fading. She had thought to share the experience with Claudia, but it seemed that would not be possible. She donned her riding cloak feeling more comfortable in a shroud for now. She'd spent so much time in one on these grounds, it felt strange to have so many eyes on her as she moved around the castle. At any moment she felt her pardon would expire and she'd be thrown back into the dungeon.
All the more reason to hurry.
Decorum was now a requirement since she no longer moved in stealth and she paced the garden fountain off the east wing of the palace waiting for Simon. She'd sent a message with a palace page to meet her here. She would have gone to him directly but that sort of behavior did not befit a lady and even more, she had no idea where Claudia had decided to quarter him.
He didn't take long. She recognized his stride with months of exposure to his mannerisms at the cottage and she ran forward to greet him, elated that he hadn't received the same treatment as she upon arrival. She had not seen him since she dismounted her horse and ran to the King's study.
She could see her relief mirrored in his eyes and they picked up speed towards each other until he could capture her in a fierce hug.
"I didn't know where they put you," he said just as she told him, "I was worried they'd given you ill treatment."
Laughing, she kissed him on the cheek. He smiled. "On the contrary, they’ve been very considerate considering I'm a foreign mage. I've been under guard but in a comfortable room. I was allowed out to the gardens, though. As you see."
Amelie grew somber. "I do not think we can get to the king’s quarters.”
“I have spent my time here searching for him,” Simon replied. “I found him in the middle realm. We are close enough I think, here in the garden.”
“Do we have much time?"
Simon shook his head and pressed it to Amelie's forehead, taking her hands in his. "No," he said. "Close your eyes. The time must be now. Slow your breathing and free your mind."
Amelie did as she was instructed, slowing her breathing and allowing her mind to separate from her body. Simon stood before her, blurry and faded. He held out a hand to her.
“Deeper breaths, Amelie,” he encouraged. “Your soul is not supposed to be in the middle realm. You must concentrate or I won’t be able to hold onto you.”
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She followed him through the haze and struggled to see. It was like looking through murky water. Simon took her other hand. He pulled her to him. Positioning himself behind her, he pressed into her back, lining up his body with hers. She gasped at the full body touch but as he held her, the murkiness cleared and some of the blurred lines dissipated.
“He is here,” Simon whispered. “His time in the middle realm has not been easy. You can help with that.”
“What do you mean?” Amelie demanded.
But Simon just shook his head. “Listen. Help him.”
And she waited. She stilled her body and sank into Simon’s touch, settling her skin against his. It was some moments before he appeared. He was gaunt. His skin was a wrinkled bag hanging from bones. Gone was his confidence, his calculating eyes, his rough handsomeness. His eyes found hers. They wept as he puddled to the ground.
Amelie knelt before him and she felt Simon lower with her. His arm remained wrapped tightly around her middle.
“My king,” Amelie whispered.
King Byron shuddered and watched her through sunken eyes. “Amelie,” his voice rasped.
Since her power of persuasion had risen inside her, Amelie had made every effort to keep from physical contact with King Byron. She had always stood breaths away from him, tensed at his nearness, and remained poised to fight. Now, in this barren realm and cracking inside at his despair, she ran a tender hand across his forehead and down his wrinkled cheek. Her heart broke for the creature before her.
“Amelie,” he said again, leaning into the touch. “You are alive.”
“I am, my king, but you are not. You linger in this desolate place.”
“I have been waiting. To make sure you are all right.”
“Oh, your Majesty. If I had known, I would have come sooner. I am so sorry. Please. Cross in peace. Please.”
“You are all right?” he repeated.
Amelie couldn’t stop the tears from falling. “I am. Thanks to you.”
He let out a ragged breath. “I am a terrible father. If I truly loved you, I would not have hurt you as I did.”
Amelie turned her head towards Simon. “He cannot be restored?” she pleaded quietly.
Simon squeezed her gently. “He has been adrift for a year. If you don’t help him find peace, he may remain here for many years to come. He’s getting pulled further into the middle realm. It took me quite some time to find him. If he could get back, it would have happened by now.”
“Amelie.” King Byron’s voice was getting weaker.
Amelie took his hand and squeezed. “I am still here.” She struggled for the right words. “We have spent many years at odds. Yes, you made mistakes. But when I needed you to be my father, you were there. That is what matters. Do not stay here and punish yourself, your Majesty. Peace awaits you.”
“There is a golden light that warms me,” King Byron said wistfully. “It comes for me but I know if I close my eyes and let it take me, I will fail you.”
“No, father. You saved me.”
King Byron closed his eyes and smiled his thin lips at her words. “It would be nice to finally rest.”
As he spoke these words, Amelie lost the grip on his hand. He became harder to see. Amelie pressed harder into Simon, but King Byron still blurred before her.
“What’s happening?” she cried out.
“Shhhh,” Simon soothed. “Let him pass.”
Piece by piece, he did. His hands dusted away. His robes billowed in a wind that didn’t touch Amelie or Simon. His face crumbled in on itself, chunks dissolving before her eyes until all that was left was his thin smile. And when that was gone, a burst of golden light blinded them for a moment. Then they were alone. In a quiet, bright space. Much like the setting in which she first met Simon.
“This is where we met,” she said softly, looking around.
“Aye,” Simon replied. “But let’s get you back. Too much time here and your fate will mirror your king’s.”
Her vision swirled with colors. They were nauseatingly bright and explosive, popping on her senses. When the streaks of colors stilled, she found they were back in the gardens. She was sitting on the cobbled path and Simon was pressed behind her exactly as they had been in the middle realm. He eased away from her gingerly and stood.
She accepted the hand he held out and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. His other hand rested on her upper arm to steady her.
“Are you all right?” he asked softly.
Amelie’s eyes misted as she assured him. “Thank you,” she said gratefully. It was one less soul that weighed heavy on her chest. One less soul she was responsible for.
Simon drew her to him in a firm hug. “You’re welcome.”
Chapter 28
Seth
Seth paced in his quarters. His heart raced and his mind burned. Several times his pacing took him to the door just so he could turn on his heel and resume his circled walk in front of his balcony.
Alive. All this time. She was alive.
His fingers itched and he realized they had been left aching to touch her. Traitorous digits. He cursed them but he knew they would disobey his resolve. They wanted her and they were not the first of his body to break free from the logic his mind was desperately trying to employ. His heart was stubbornly fast.
His pacing halted as the scene unfolding outside his window accomplished what his mind could not. His heart lurched as the sight of a dark figure running through the courtyard below, her black hair and red cloak trailed behind her, unable to keep up. His mouth opened to call to her but he choked on the sound when her running stopped suddenly. The mage she rode in with swept up the full force of her impact into an embrace. He set her down gently and she squeezed his cheeks, laughing with what seemed like relief.
Seth lost the air from his chest. His fist tightened on the balcony railing. Amelie kissed the man quickly on the cheek. He took both of her hands in his, pressing them together and encasing them in his fists. Their foreheads came together, they closed their eyes, and even from his elevated vantage point he could see their breaths slow to match one another. So deep were they in their reunion that a dog rounding the corner and scattering a flock of crows nearby did not break their passion.
Seth turned violently from the scene before him and melted into the curtain. His hand clutched the fabric to hold his footing for he feared momentarily he might lose it.
So it appeared she'd moved on in many ways in her year of discovery. She embraced her mage half fully it seemed. Complete with an improvement of prospects. One who will provide her with magically strong offspring.
His mind ceased to burn. His heart no longer raced. Everything cooled. His countenance steadied as he straightened himself. He'd learned to live without Amelie in his life over the last year and it seemed this encounter he witnessed in the courtyard was his final lesson.
Yes. He was quite done with aching for something that was no more.
Chapter 29
Amelie
“So he is gone then?” Claudia asked coldly.
Claudia, Amelie, and Sir Duncan stood in the study. It was where Amelie had finally found her after wandering the palace halls in search of her sister to inform her of King Byron’s passing. In truth, she had been stalling this moment for as long as possible and was relieved to stumble across Sir Duncan first. A third party brought her some strength to relay this sad message to this already angry and torn woman
“Yes.”
“He was fine before you showed up.”
“Claudia, he was not fine. He was wasting away half dead.”
“And you had to help him reach full dead, is that it?”
“You didn’t see him. He was suffering.”
“You saw him?”
“Yes. Simon, the mage who brought me back, can travel to other realms. He took me to the realm where he was trapped. Miserable and in pain and wandering. He showed me how to help him find peace.”
Claudia wiped at he
r eyes as Amelie spoke. Amelie approached her slowly to comfort her, but Claudia took a forceful step back and tried to compose herself.
“Be silent for a little while longer, if you please,” she finally said, looking Amelie in the eye. “I am not yet ready to take on another battle with the cabinet and this will surely result in such a meeting.”
Amelie felt her chest squeeze. “Claudia, I-”
“My father just passed away. Keep quiet until I’ve had a moment to grieve. I’ve had nothing but loss for a year and for once I’d like a break to think of something else besides Candor.”
Amelie swallowed the words in her mouth. Sir Duncan rested a hand on Amelie’s shoulder. The action was not missed by Claudia and her mouth pursed into a thinner line.
“Sir Duncan, please send a page to retrieve the hunting party,” she ordered. “I will be in my quarters.”
Claudia turned abruptly and left the study. Amelie clenched her fists and tried to calm her mind. Sir Duncan’s hand squeezed support into her shoulder.
“I know he wasn’t your true father,” he said quietly. “But I also know the manner in which he found himself injured. And I’m sorry for your loss.”
“It’s Claudia’s loss,” Amelie whispered.
“And she will receive many condolences while you receive none and bear it alone. It needn’t be. You have mine.”
“I thank you,” Amelie said and meant it. “Please go to her. She needs you as well.”
Sir Duncan bowed slightly and followed the path Claudia took moments earlier.
Chapter 30
Amelie
Amelie kept a determined pace to her sister’s room. If the relationship were to be mended it was she who would have to initiate the healing. She was the older sister. She was the one who had left. Claudia’s actions were a result of hurt feelings and it was Amelie who caused those feelings.