by M. K. Dawn
“So, Your Highness, what does your day look like today?”
I shove a huge bite in my mouth. “I’ve been told I start training. But you already know that.”
“Just trying to make pleasant conversation. Ready to be thrown to the wolves?”
“Not really, though it's probably for the best. Our encounter with Kakos scared the shit out of me. It would be nice if I was able to defend myself.”
His face becomes serious. “I don't know if anyone really learns to defend themselves from Kakos. Brady is a prime example of that. He is one of the strongest warriors we have, and Kakos nearly killed him. He’s ruthless and takes pleasure in tormenting his victims just for the hell of it. Word to the wise, if you see him or any of his people, run the other way as fast as you can and don't look back.”
The memories of that night makes my stomach turn. “Please don't remind me.” I force the feeling away and try to focus on something else. “I do want to talk to you about some things. I know we were childhood friends. And you’re the only thing that’s familiar about this place.”
“Well, whenever you’re ready, I can do my best to fill you in on everything you need to know.”
“That would be great, but there’s one thing in particular that I want to ask you about now. After I transported Brady and myself, he was dead, I’m sure of it. He wasn't breathing, I couldn’t find a pulse. I’m almost positive I healed him. How is that even possible?”
“It’s not. He’s a warrior, therefore an extremely fast healer. He may have seemed dead, but he was just badly wounded.”
His words sound as rehearsed as they did last night, almost as if he was expecting me to ask about this. I start to counter his response when everyone in the room stands, then drops to one knee. I start to follow suit when Eric shakes his head. My eyes fall on Henry and his guards. He catches my stare and smiles. Deciding that Ana's advice to "fake it till you make it" will make life easier until I figure out this betrothal thing, I force a smile, though his sheer presence sends shivers down my spine. Not a good reaction to the man who’s to be my husband.
“My love.” His voice is loud and boisterous. It’s obvious he’s used to commanding a room. “I have been looking all over for you. I was hoping you would have come to my tent and joined me for breakfast.” He contorts his face into an overdramatic frown. “But now I see you have been here the whole time, eating with...”
I honestly have no idea where he’s going with this but I will not allow this man - prince be damned - to insult these people who have saved my life. So, I finish his sentence for him. “... friends.” Then I address the room. “Please, everyone, get up and finish your breakfast before it gets cold.” I wait but no one moves. How annoying. Everyone keeps telling me I’m the princess and now no one wants to listen to me? Something deep inside me snaps. A feeling of confidence engulfs me. A voice in my head whispers; Prove to them you are their rightful queen, and they will forever be yours. “I wasn't asking,” I command. Shocked faces turn to me all at once. People take their time standing and look at each other as if unsure if they are doing the right thing. The room is silent as everyone takes their seat.
“Looks like our long-lost princess has found her voice. How exciting for the people of Kardia.” Henry’s face indicates he’s pleased, but his voice is laced with resentment.
I turn my attention back to Henry. Brady is behind him leaning against the wall, arms and feet crossed. His eyes bore into mine, a huge smile splashed across his face. I head for Henry, head held high. “If you wanted to have breakfast with me, you should have asked me yesterday.” My voice is calm but determined. I will not let this man intimidate me.
“My apologies, milady. I thought since we are betrothed, it was a given. It’s the way of our people, that royalty and commoners rarely dine together, except at a feast, of course. But I forget that you have been away since you were a child, stripped of your memories. These things do not come natural to you.” Again, his face expresses sincerity, but his voice says pompous ass. And they want me to marry this guy? What the hell is wrong with them?
I open my mouth to lay into him about calling people “commoners” when Eric chimes in. “No apologies needed, Your Highness. And please excuse Alaina for challenging your authority in front of everyone. She means well but is still exhausted from her journey and, as you mentioned, not accustomed to our ways.” I turn and face Eric, unable to hide the anger smeared across my face.
“I agree, Your Highness,” Brady says, the little traitorous bastard. “I also recommend that we postpone her training for a few days. Let her rest up and become more accustomed to our ways.”
As Brady addresses Henry, Eric whispers “trust us” in my ear. I fight back the boiling anger I feel for both and focus on Henry.
He appears to be contemplating the suggestion, weighing the facts and trying to make a sound decision. Good Gods, was it really that complicated? “I was actually thinking the same thing, Warrior.” Did I just hear a trace of discontent? “My bride,” Yep, definitely discontent there, “needs her rest. My warriors will begin training her after the next move tomorrow. Eric, I suggest you take today to get Alaina caught up in the ways of our realm. Tonight, there will be a feast in honor of Alaina’s return. All of us dining together as a united front.”
“A feast? Do you think that is wise, with so many spottings of Wright’s men?” Brady asks.
“Brady, if I wanted your opinion on the matter, I would have asked for it. If you are so worried about Alaina’s safety tonight, then I suggest you and your warriors get out there and ensure our boundaries are secure.” He faces me, transforming back into Prince Charming. “As for you, my love, lunch is served at noon, dinner at seven, and breakfast at eight sharp.”
So much for asking if I was free.
As he leaves the dining hall, he shouts, “And for the love of the Gods, Eric, please help her find something more appropriate to wear. I had her wardrobe stocked before we left.”
Despite the belittling encounter, as soon as Henry clears the door, I burst out laughing. Behind me in the mix of all the chatter which had started up again, I hear three other very distinct voices laughing right along with me.
Chapter Nineteen
Brady
Leaving the dining room, I can't help but be relieved at Alaina’s little display of authority, or more like defiance of authority. Not only is she starting to act like a princess, it was obvious she’s not buying Henry’s whole Prince Charming crap. And from the look she gave him, I’m sure she doesn't even like the guy. As happy as that makes me, I know it's not for the best. I would never wish for her marriage to be a loveless one. Of course, the selfish side of me loves that she has no romantic feelings for him.
I'm a big enough man to admit that part of me hates him because of jealousy. The other part is that he’s a spoiled little prick, which is odd because his father is one of the humblest people I know. Being an acquaintance of Henry all my life, I have always felt like there was something a little off about him, though I’ve never been able to put my finger on it. Over the years, I’ve learned to ignore it, as I did not have to deal with him often. Now that Alaina is back and set to take the crown, fulfilling the betrothal is imperative, which means he is now and will always be part of our lives. Our two kingdoms must align to defeat Lord Wright. For the most part, Wright has left Henry’s kingdom of Aletheia alone, with just a few conflicts here and there. But once the betrothal is complete, all bets are off.
I push thoughts of Henry and Alaina’s upcoming nuptials out of my head and make my way through camp to find the jeweler to see about replacing my shattered orb. The rock used to make them is rare, forged deep in the mountains of Nysa. The stone itself far from fragile. Now and again they’d get a scratch or a chunk knocked out, all which require the skills of a jeweler to fix. Any imperfection on an orb can throw it out of whack, which is very dangerous for the owner.
I step inside Pierce’s tent, fully aware I’m about t
o get my ass handed to me. He has been with the royal family for as long as I can remember. As a child, I always thought of him as old. Now, he is just short of ancient. Physically, the years have been kind to him; he doesn’t look a day over sixty. But he has the temper of a man who has seen his fair share of stupidity. As usual, he sits at his work table, tinkering on an orb. He still has the steadiest hands I have ever seen.
“What did you do to it now?” Pierce doesn’t bother looking up. To say I have used him a few times would be a drastic understatement.
“Now, Pierce, why would you think this little visit has anything to do with my orb? I have been gone a while, maybe I just wanted to stop in and check up on you.”
“On the table, now.” Guess he isn't in a playful mood today. I pull out the small bag and dump the pieces of orb out on the table. Pierce takes a quick look at the pile before returning to the orb he is working on. “You’re missing a piece.”
Shit. This is not what I wanted to hear. “How the hell can you tell that? You barely looked at it.”
That earns me a full-on glare from the old man. “You telling me you don't think I know a complete orb from an incomplete orb, boy? I started making orbs before your parents were even born. You are missing a piece, a very pretty big piece at that.”
Just fucking great. Syncing a new orb is a real pain in the ass and can take hours. Gods know I don't have time for this shit, but what choice do I have; an orb is equivalent to life here. Without it, I have lost all long distant communication, my ability to transport, quick and easy fire, but most importantly, my enhanced strength.
Orbs were created by the Gods to hone in on our natural powers and allow us to use them. Without an orb, your powers go dormant. Because of this, people who are discovered misusing their powers can be stripped by the simple act of taking away their orb. So as much as I hated the idea of wasting my day waiting for a new orb to sync, with this man, none the less, it must be done and now. “Fine, new one it is.” I put my leather cuff on the table in front of him.
Pierce wrinkles his brow. “What’s that for?”
I’m pretty good at holding my temper, but he’s attitude is making it difficult. Pierce has been working on my orb since I received it ten years ago. He knows what my leather cuff is for. “The new orb, Pierce. I need one ASAP.”
“Sorry, can't help you.” He picks up my cuff and tosses it back to me.
I catch it mid-air and latch it onto my left wrist. I clench my teeth so tight my jaw throbs. “What do you mean you can't help me?”
“I don't have any left,” he says as if this is common knowledge.
The little patience I have left dissipates and I pound my fists against his workbench. Everything goes flying. Pierce looks up at me, unimpressed, but I can see a hint of fear in his eyes. Warriors are not ones to be messed with on a good day. A pissed off warrior can bring the most ruthless person to their knees, just out of fear alone. “Listen, old man. I don't have time for your bullshit. How is it that you have no orbs?”
“They… they were stolen.” His voice trembles at the overwhelming power that is seeping out of me.
“Stolen? When? Did you report this?” My irritation turns to anger in an instant. Theft is a crime we don’t take lightly in Nysa. Stealing something as powerful and rare as an orb is punishable by death. For someone to risk their life for it, it must have been damn important.
“I’m not sure when it happened, must have been sometime in the last few days. I went to Prince Henry’s guards yesterday as soon as I discovered they were missing. All of our warriors were away.”
“Funny,” I say, “as none of them mentioned it to me.” Which they should have. This is my camp, and all incidents, no matter how insignificant, go through me. And this one sure as hell is not insignificant.
Pierce continues rambling on about what he was working on, and why he happened to look into the case that normally holds the orbs. Nothing consequential to the crime at hand, but I let him talk as I contemplate all the reasons someone had to steal orbs. An un-synced orb was basically a light pink oval shaped rock. Yes, they were rare but without a trained jeweler, they were useless. Even stealing a synced orb was a waste of time. It would only respond to the person who it was connected to. After going over any and all possible scenarios the only logical reason I could come up with is to keep someone from replacing a broken orb. And it just so happened that these were stolen right after I told the warriors mine was broken. I know they had relayed the info back to Eric. I need to find out who Eric told. Thank the Gods none of my warriors were around camp while the crime was being committed. Last thing I needed was anyone to be suspicious that one of my guys had turned on us. We already suspected there was a traitor in camp.
My head spins with this new revelation. I turn my attention back to Pierce, who is still babbling. “Anyway, I always keep a few on hand, but not many since it's so rare for one to break. So rare in fact, that out of the entire kingdom, you are the only person I have ever met that has broken theirs twice.”
“Technically, Bo broke the first one during a sparring match.” Bo and I were training not long after his nineteenth birthday. His powers had just come in, and he had very little control over them. I was just shy of sixteen, a good fighter, but no match for a full-fledged warrior. We were training with swords and his came down on my orb with so much force it split the orb in two, sending little shards everywhere, and breaking my wrist. If not for my orb, I would have lost my hand by way of a dull sword. Just the thought of it sends shivers down my spine.
“And this time?” As warriors, we have all come to Pierce more times than we can count. Combat was rough on the orbs. “Another sparring match accident?” His voice laced with sarcasm. He never did buy the story Bo and I had told him. He didn't believe his orbs could be broken by a mortal weapon. Scratched and chipped, yes, but destroyed, no. Of course, he has never seen Bo wield a weapon before either.
“I’m not sure. It must have happened when I brought Princess Alaina over through the moon portal. I found it in pieces close to where we landed.”
“An orb breaking during realm transport isn’t completely unheard of.”
Not unheard of, but still extremely rare.
“I wish I could help you, but I can't do anything until we get back to Prince Henry’s castle. His jeweler will have more orbs. Not as good as mine, of course, but still better than nothing.”
Frustrated and orb-less, I thank Pierce and head to the training center where the warriors should be, thoughts of the theft still weighing heavy on my mind. It’s vital I get this information to Ace and Xavier as soon as possible. We need to know if someone is trying to prevent me from replacing my orb and regaining my powers. Lost in thought, I don't even notice someone calling my name until she is standing right in front of me.
“Brady, didn’t you hear me calling you?” Shae and I are hardly what you would call friends. Acquaintances maybe. I know her because she is bonded to Nick but I don't think we have ever had a conversation that went past pleasantries. So, her seeking me out is out of the ordinary.
“Hey, Shae. Sorry, I was thinking about …” She frowns. She spent the morning with Alaina. Was it possible Alaina said something to her about me? I lean back, uncomfortable with the intensity of her stare. I decide it may be safer if I finish my sentence, “...warrior business?” I meant it as a statement but it came out more as a question.
Her face brightens. “No problem!”
Well, that was a one-eighty. “Everything okay?”
“Yes and no. I know it's not my place but I had this really weird conversation with the princess this morning.”
Fuck me. This was about Alaina. “And?”
“It wasn't her fault, really. Don’t be mad. After you left, I kind of found her crying on the floor.”
Double fuck.
“I asked her what you did. It's not like you’re known for your pleasant personality. I just thought you were being hard on her, you know, like you
are with the warriors or Ana. And I know it's none of my business, but it’s the girl code, so it kind of is. I was going to let her get it all out, and then tell her to ignore the grumpy old warrior, and that you just had her best interest in mind. But then ….”
“Then what?”
Her hands fidget and she bites her bottom lip. Whatever she’s about to say, it isn’t going to be good. “Then, Alaina started telling me about your attraction towards each other. An all-consuming, drug-like addiction. A connection that you both can't seem to break away from. But that wasn't what she was upset about. She was really upset that you said that you wished it was real. Like I said, please don't be mad at her for telling me. I kind of pushed her into it. I didn't know it was… I didn't know, that was the issue.”
“Shae, I’m not mad. Not at either of you.” I’m mad at myself for saying that and leaving her the way I did. “It's good for her to have people here she can talk to.”
She lets out a sigh. “Okay, good. But that's not the only thing I wanted to talk to you about.”
Good Gods, there’s more? “Okay.”
“Look, I know we are not friends, and I know I should probably just stay out of it. And normally I would. But the feelings Alaina described are too similar to be ignored. Ana and I have been talking and she’s concerned as well.”
“Similar to what?” I know what she is going to say, but I have to hear it from her.
“Similar may not be a strong enough word.”
“Then what would be?”
“Exactly. The feelings Alaina described are exactly the feelings Nick and I had when we met. But I think you already know that, or at least suspected it.”
“Yes.”
“Nick said your soulmate was killed during Wright's first attack on Kardia?”
“She was.”
“Are you sure?”