by J. D. Wright
“Well, aren’t you just a ray of sunshine in the middle of a thunderstorm? I’ll bet your mother is incredibly proud of the valiant savior you’ve become,” she teased. On one hand, she wanted to feed him to the wolves. On the other hand, he was absolutely correct. She could easily become lost, again. And if she did come across the wolves, or anyone else who could harm her, having a wizard around could be beneficial.
Zander couldn’t help but frown at the mention of his mother. He did hope that she had been proud of him. But he didn’t feel very proud of himself for being unable to protect her. He had seen, firsthand, the abuse his mother had suffered at the hands of Henry. And being a wizard should have given him an advantage to dealing with the son of a bitch who hurt his mother. But every time he tried to intervene, his mother would stop him and convince him that it wouldn’t happen again. He should have known better than to believe her but to disobey his mother would have been to disrespect her. And that, he just couldn’t bring himself to do.
The girl in front of him was a stranger, but he couldn’t help but feel like she needed his help. A small voice in the back of his mind told him to help her. It was probably his mother, telling him that a gentleman would never abandon a maiden in need. Even when the maiden was annoying and argumentative…
“What are those?” Rianne asked, pointing to his hand.
Zander left his thoughts and returned to the forest. “These,” he said, lifting his hand, “are herbs. Give me your bag.”
Rianne hesitated for a moment, then huffed and removed her sack. She opened it just a bit and held it out. Zander dropped a few leaves into the sack. Rianne sniffed the inside.
“Ugh! That smells terrible!” she said, wrinkling her nose. “What is that?”
“Dungroot plant.”
“That is disgusting.”
“That is the point,” he replied, re-tying his pouch. “It covers the aroma of food in your bag and wards off animals. Most, anyway. You’ll need it if you are traveling with me. I don’t care to become food for wild beasts.”
“Traveling with you?”
“Yes. I am not headed toward Sire. Then again, neither are you…”
“Funny.”
It was true, though. She wasn’t getting any closer to Sire the way she had been going.
“I am going to Hallowood. There is a trail before we reach Hallowood, called Tungsten’s Trail. It follows the coast and will take you to Sire. We will part ways when we reach the trail.”
Rianne frowned and sighed. She couldn’t deny that traveling alone was terrifying and apparently inefficient, seeing as she had already gotten lost. Twice. And the fact that the boy had not only saved her but was willing to help her reach her destination should have been enough of a reason to agree.
Then again, she had constantly reminded herself that not everyone she met on her journey would be kind to her. She was bound to come across a scoundrel or two and being naïve was a sure way to end up dead in the forest. Deciding to trust him meant risking revealing her identity. She would have to be careful not to reveal too much.
Taking a deep breath, Rianne lifted her sack and placed it back over her neck and shoulder.
“Lead the way.”
Chapter Five
Dagan entered the courtyard in the early morning and spotted Rowan dismounting his horse.
“Enjoy your ride?” he called out.
“I did. Now that you have stopped sulking, the weather is much more pleasant,” Rowan teased.
“Going to the hall?” Dagan asked.
“Not yet. I was hoping to avoid it until breakfast, if possible.”
“Is she still holding court? It’s been four days, already. Isn’t it finished?”
“The third day is usually the last but Bree has to sift through the remaining petitions from wildfire damage.”
Even with the help from the fae and Rhea, the kingdom was still recovering from the aftermath of Sire’s attack on Junacave last fall. The land was mostly healed though trees in some areas were growing slower than usual. Then, there were restitutions that needed to be made to families of the lost soldiers. Thankfully, Junacave only lost twenty-two guards during the attack and all fifteen of the kingdom’s knights survived.
But the majority of the issues remaining were of livestock lost to the fire or smoke. It took time to verify petitions so that no lord could claim more damage than was actually received. Adding those to the usual petitions presented to the queen, and Bree’s days were filled from dawn to dusk.
Rowan thought it wise to avoid the hall, when possible. He spent his days assisting the guard and his evenings at his grandfather’s tavern, in the village.
“Planning a wedding and holding court? You do realize that this is your future? Diplomatic and mundane. Marrying the queen means your life as a free man is over.”
Rowan laughed. “It won’t be too terrible. I’ll have you to complain to. Constantly. And before you know it, your life will be mundane, as well.”
“No. That will not be my future.”
“Oh, really?” Rowan asked, lifting his eyebrows. He took Dragon’s reins and started to lead him across the courtyard. “You must not be familiar with the lore, then?”
“Lore? What lore?” Dagan asked, falling into step beside Rowan as they made their way south, along the east side of the castle, toward the stables.
“They say that whoever is chosen as the bride’s maiden for the ceremony would be the next to marry.”
“Bride’s… what?” Dagan exclaimed.
“Maiden. Have you never attended a wedding before?”
“No. Not one of royalty, at least. Most commoners marry without a mysta, even. They just renew their vows when a mysta passes through, to make it legal and binding. I’ve never even heard of a bride’s maiden. Do you mean? Sidonie?”
“Well, it is safe to assume that Bree would choose Sidonie.”
“Oh, no. The queen would have to choose her sister—err, daughter. Umm, I’m not really sure what to call the princess, anymore.”
“Just between the two of us, either is fine. Just be sure not to slip up in front of anyone else. And no, I don’t believe Bree will choose Sarita. The maiden is usually of marrying age. Now, for the flower fairy, Sarita will probably take that role.”
“Flower fairy?”
“She sprinkles flowers down the aisle like a fairy would sprinkle magic,” Rowan said. It was clear from Dagan’s expression that he was completely clueless in regards to wedding ceremonies. “Flower fairies are meant to signify fruitful unions by spreading seeds down the aisle. Well, they used to use seeds but birds would hear the seeds hitting the stone and fly inside, causing all sorts of chaos, so they changed to flowers. Hence the name—flower fairy.”
“Dahlia is the queen’s family. Perhaps, she will choose her.”
“The same Dahlia that poisoned and forced herself on the groom?” Rowan laughed. “Bree is forgiving, but she isn’t that forgiving. Honestly, have you not considered marriage to Sidonie? Even once?”
“I don’t know. Not really. I mean, I know we will have a long life together. I’m not a fool. I realize that finding her, especially this early in my life, is a blessing. I just haven’t considered that marriage was necessary. Maybe Sid won’t either. She’s a Sabra. They don’t seem like the marrying type.”
“Adelphie doesn’t, but Sid has lived in Junacave for over two years now. You may as well start planning your own ceremony, my friend.”
When Dagan didn’t answer, Rowan glanced over at him. The wizard looked ready to either flee or hurl at any moment. Rowan shook his head and chuckled to himself.
Breakfast was being served when Dagan and Rowan returned to the castle. The hall was filled, as usual, with food and laughter. Rowan approached the high table, kissing Bree’s cheek before taking a seat beside her.
“How was court this morning?” he asked.
“As good as could be expected. It’s finished, finally. I may go upstairs for a bit, afte
r breakfast. Care to join me?”
“I’m not very tired,” he replied, then changed his mind when he saw her expression. Bree didn’t mean to sleep while upstairs. “I mean, yes. We can go now if you’d like. I can eat later.”
Bree laughed. “Eat now. Since court is finally finished, I have the entire day to myself.” She stretched her legs under her gown. She had been sitting on her throne since dawn. Moving to the table was a nice change, but she was still sitting down. She was actually looking forward to the long walk up the four levels of stairs to her chambers.
Sidonie joined them, taking a seat beside Dagan and across from the queen.
“Did you send it?” Bree asked.
“Yes, I finally found the messenger. He was napping behind a wagon in the courtyard.”
“Poor man,” Bree said. “He’s been quite busy, as of late.”
“Messenger?” Dagan asked, taking a bite from one of his sausages.
“Yes, I sent a message to Adelphie, inviting her to the tournament. I can’t believe it’s already springtime. I know Adelphie will enjoy seeing the tournament. I just hope she doesn’t try to compete!” Sidonie said, smiling.
“She’s welcome to compete in some of the events,” Bree said. “Archery, maybe.”
“I’ll let her know, once I receive her reply.”
~*~
Two weeks later, a message arrived for the queen. It was from the mysta.
Reeve was deep in thought during the walk back to his suite. He had been trying to think of a way to approach Rhea with the news he received at breakfast, but he didn’t really know how to tell her. Tougher yet, was getting Rhea alone in order to do it.
The only thing that might help was that he could easily see if she was in her chambers now. Ever since the incident, Rhea insisted the doors of her chambers and the suite remain open. Even though he doubted the queen or Sidonie would interfere again, let alone lock them inside the room, Rhea didn’t have that same opinion. And he really couldn’t blame her.
Stepping into their suite, he spotted her. She was sitting near the window with a book in her hand.
“I didn’t realize you liked to read,” he said, thinking aloud.
Rhea looked up and frowned. She had gotten so caught up that she didn’t realize he had entered. “I don’t, really. I found this book in the library this morning. It said “fae” on the cover, so I thought I would take a peek. It’s no wonder humans think so ill of us,” she said, fanning the pages. “The fairies in all of these stories are mean and selfish.”
When Reeve didn’t respond, Rhea glanced back up at him. “I apologize for burdening you with my thoughts. Did you need to speak with me?”
“Yes, actually.” He couldn’t help but feel awkward. “I just received word that one of the mystas has agreed to annul our marriage. He has other ceremonies to perform on the way but should be here mid-spring, about the same time as the tournament.”
Rhea nodded, slowly, “I will begin to make preparations to leave soon after.”
“Leave? Why are you leaving?” Gabby asked, from the doorway.
“Were you eavesdropping, Gabrielle?” Reeve turned toward her. “How much did you hear?”
“Why is a mysta coming? What did you do, now?” she asked, glaring at Reeve.
“I haven’t done anything. Rhea and I have agreed that it would be for the best if we—“
“Act like cowards and run away from each other?” Gabby was close to shouting now. “Rhea, I was there during the wildfire, remember? I saw you. You were just as worried about Reeve as I was. Don’t pretend like you don’t care about him!”
“Gabby—“ Rhea started.
“And, Reeve, I’ve never seen you look at any other girl the way you look at Rhea. And don’t say it’s just because she’s a fairy. I know better than that. You were making eyes at her before your trip to Anestas.”
“That isn’t fair, Gabby,” Reeve said, running a hand over his face. He was a bit embarrassed, from his sister’s behavior and the fact that she was throwing his own feelings in his face. He tried to reason with her. “We don’t really know each other. It would be foolish to stay married.”
“Lots of people get married to people they don’t know,” Gabby countered. “Royalty do it, all of the time. Lords marry off their daughters. Hell, even our own mother was betrothed! And Rhea was going to marry Rowan when her mother made the offer. He was a stranger, too.”
“I didn’t realize you knew about that,” Reeve said, choosing to ignore her cursing.
“But I’m not my brother.” He would be lying if he didn’t admit that he had thought, more than once, that Rhea was pulling away from him because he reminded her too much of Rowan.
“You’re right, Gabby,” Rhea said. “I would have married Rowan, but that wouldn’t have been fair to him, either. I wanted to leave Anestas and he would have been a way to do that. To escape.”
“Fair to him? Have you even bothered to ask my brother if he minded being forced to marry you? No, because the two of you won’t talk to each other.”
Rhea didn’t respond. She was feeling uncomfortable having this conversation in front of Reeve. It was humiliating.
“Gabrielle, this really isn’t up for discussion.” Reeve tried to get a handle on the situation.
His sister ignored him.
“Even if you don’t want to stay married, why do you have to leave?” Gabby continued.
“I think it would be for the best,” Rhea said. “It would be easier for you and Reeve to move on if I am not around.” Rhea felt guilty for lying. She really wanted to leave because she didn’t want to be forced to see the two of them, constantly. It was more for her own sake than anyone else’s.
“After all of this time and what we’ve been through together, you just want to leave? Forever?” Gabby didn’t bother trying to hide her disdain. “And you’re just going to let her?” she said, rounding on her brother.
“I can’t force her to stay,” he replied, softly.
“You probably won’t even notice I’ve gone,” Rhea said. “At first, perhaps. But then you and Reeve can return to a normal life. Like you had before I came along.”
“I can’t believe this!” Gabby shouted. First her mother, now Rhea. What was she doing wrong? Why did people continue to leave her? Frustrated, Gabby stormed out of the room. She heard her brother calling her, but she didn’t care.
Reeve sighed. “I’ll go after her.”
“Reeve, please, explain it to her. Make her understand,” Rhea said, pleading.
“I’m not sure I can do that, Rhea. When I don’t really understand it, myself.” He turned and left the room.
~*~
Gabby wasted no time in throwing Starlight’s saddle over her back and strapping it down. Then, she led the horse out of the stables.
“Going for a ride, too?” Sarita asked, seeing Gabby coming toward her. A stable boy was tending to her horse, so she stood to the side. “I’m going to ride, too. Want to go together?”
“Not this time, Sarita,” Gabby said, grumbling.
“What’s wrong?” Sarita asked, but Gabby ignored her and mounted Starlight.
Sarita could tell something bad must have happened because Gabby had never been short with her before. When Gabby and Starlight started to leave, Sarita jumped onto the stool and threw herself onto Dragonfly’s saddle. Then taking the horse’s reins, she sped off after Gabby, leaving the stable boy shouting after her.
Starlight was fast and Sarita had a hard time keeping up. She knew Dragonfly could run faster, but she wasn’t sure she could hold on. After the second hill, Gabby turned and took a trail leading into the forest. Sarita tried to shout to get Gabby’s attention, but it was no use. She was too far away to hear her over the sound of her horse’s hooves beating the ground below.
Sarita followed her into the forest. Then, Gabby slowed down and jumped off of Starlight. She was picking up twigs and breaking them in half when Sarita finally caught up with her.
“I told you I didn’t want to ride together,” Gabby snapped. “Why didn’t you listen?”
Sarita dismounted. “I’m a princess. I don’t have to listen to you, that’s why.”
Gabby tossed her broken stick and picked up another one. “I want to be alone.”
“What happened?” Sarita asked, calmly. She could tell Gabby was upset and she was trying to avoid making it worse.
“A mysta is coming. My brother and Rhea are going to separate from each other.”
“But they’re married. How can they separate?”
“I don’t know. Reeve said the mysta was going to annul the marriage.”
“What does that mean?”
“I guess it means they won’t be married anymore because Rhea is planning to leave, afterward.”
“What are they thinking?” Sarita asked. “I hope I’m not as clueless when I become an adult.”
“They seem to think they are doing each other a favor. Reeve said he can’t force Rhea to stay and Rhea says it will be for the best for all of us.” Still fuming, Gabby broke another twig and tossed it onto the ground. “If nothing else, they are perfect for each other because they are both idiots!”
“I’m sorry, Gabby.”
“Don’t be. It isn’t your fault. And I’m sorry I yelled at you.”
“I forgive you. You can keep your head. This time,” Sarita teased, making Gabby laugh. “See, it’s already getting better. But we should get back to the castle before they realize we’re gone and didn’t bring an escort.”
Sarita was right. Gabby might be angry, but Reeve and the queen were bound to be furious when they found out that Gabby and Sarita were out in the forest alone. Gabby nodded and turned to walk back to Starlight, but stopped when she heard a loud thumping sound from behind her.
“Did you hear that?” she asked, turning back around.
She froze when she saw Sarita being restrained by a man with light blonde hair. He was wearing black wizard robes and had a hand over Sarita’s mouth and another around her chest, holding her arms down so she couldn’t fight back. Instinctively, Gabby reached for her bow and arrow but cursed to herself when she realized it was still attached to Starlight’s saddle. She started to bend down to pick up another twig or anything that she could throw.