We Three Heroes

by Lynette Noni

  Dancer—or Moon Dancer, as her full name was—had been a gift from the king and queen for Delucia’s ninth birthday. That year had been difficult for her, with the aftermath of Maxton’s betrayal and her realisation that she would never truly be able to trust anyone. Added to that, just weeks before her birthday, she’d been abducted from the palace grounds during a state dinner and held for ransom. Her kidnappers had drugged her with a strong sedative, and even now her memory of that night was fuzzy. It was only thanks to Commander Nisha’s best Wardens that she’d been rescued within minutes, and suffered no lasting harm. But the abduction had frightened her parents enough that they’d made the decision that she would no longer attend public functions, not until she was old enough to defend herself. With her hidden from the public eye, no one would be able to identify her as she grew older—and thus, no one outside of the palace would know who ‘the princess’ was in order to kidnap her.

  Since that only meant less people for Delucia to meet and ultimately be hurt by, she hadn’t been upset by her parents’ decision. In fact, she’d been grateful for it, since she could remain within her own bubble at the palace, keeping to herself. But try as she might, there had still been an ache of loneliness within her—something that had eased slightly on that birthday when she’d been led to the stables. It was there that she’d first seen the stunning dappled-grey filly with the bright red bow tied around her arched neck—a sight that had prompted her to burst into tears.

  Together with the stablemaster, Delucia had been involved in every step of the mare’s training. Dancer was more than just a horse to Delucia—she was like family. And she was much better than most human companions, of that Delucia was certain.

  Chatting quietly to the mare as she groomed and saddled her, Delucia was soon leading Dancer out of the stall and down the aisle until they were outside where William and Jeera were already mounted and waiting. Admiral’s head was drooping low to the ground and he looked like he was about to drop off to sleep, while Onyx was prancing and jittery, with Jeera’s attention focused on keeping the gelding under control.

  In one swift move, Delucia was atop Dancer, settling into the saddle and gathering her reins.

  “Where to today, Your Highness?” Jeera asked, her hands soft and her back straight as she sought to settle her mount.

  “He looks like he needs a good gallop,” Delucia said, gesturing towards the agitated Onyx, “so I vote we head down to the beach.”

  Jeera looked excited, but William released a long-suffering—and nervous-sounding—sigh.

  Delucia took pity on him and said, “I’m afraid you’ll have to sit out most of the fun since Admiral is still recovering from spraining his fetlock last month. Nothing more than a light canter for you, or Stablemaster Corbin will have our heads.”

  William hadn’t been promoted to leader of the Shields for no reason—the man saw what others didn’t. Delucia had no doubt he knew she was letting him off easy, and the grateful smile he sent her way confirmed as much.

  It was just as the three of them began to head in the direction of the topiary gardens—a shortcut leading to the stream they would follow all the way through the forest and to the private sandy cove—when once again Delucia heard the sound of clip-clopping hooves, these ones moving at a swift trot.

  She turned around in her saddle, her spine stiffening when she saw who was approaching.

  “I know you said you already had company,” Maxton said from atop his striking black gelding, “but then I thought, the more the merrier, right?”

  Delucia couldn’t even form a sentence, stunned as she was by the realisation that he intended to join them. During their conversation at breakfast, she had made it perfectly clear that he wasn’t invited. So for him to have completely ignored her wishes… that was just so purely Maxton. The expression he now wore—that infuriating smirk—revealed as much. No explanation was necessary; Delucia knew he was there for one reason only: because he knew perfectly well that the last thing she wanted was to be anywhere near him.

  “Lord Maxton, does your mother know you’re out here?” William asked. His eyes weren’t on the boy, though. He was instead watching Delucia, observant enough to note her tension.

  “My business is my own, Warden,” Maxton said, his tone brimming with contempt. “My mother doesn’t need to know my every move—and I’ll thank you to remember your place and only speak to me if I so wish.”

  That was enough to snap Delucia from her silence, and she opened her mouth to demand he apologise to the Warden. William was one of the top ranking military leaders in the whole of Medora. His position was considerably higher than anything Maxton could ever dream to hold, and despite being appointed as Delucia’s protective detail for the day, he still deserved to be treated with the utmost respect.

  However, before she could get a single word out, Jeera got in first.

  “I heard you were back, Lord Maxton,” she said, her drawl more disdainful than anything he had ever managed. “Pity you didn’t bring some manners with you this time. But then again, some things can’t be bought with Mummy’s money.”

  Delucia’s mouth dropped open.

  Maxton was shocked enough to splutter, “How dare you—”

  “It’s a good thing we’re already down at the stables,” Jeera interrupted, not at all concerned by Maxton’s darkening features. “This way you can be taken away with the rest of the dung.”

  An inelegant snort burst from Delucia, her surprise at Jeera’s insult too great to suppress.

  Maxton looked like he was about ready to launch from his horse and topple Jeera to the ground. “You think you’re safe because of your aunt, Jeera James?” He sneered. “Think again.”

  “Empty threats,” Jeera said, removing one hand from her reins and giving a dismissive wave. “We’ve been here before, Maxy-boy. Do you really need a reminder of what we talked about five years ago?”

  Maxton paled, his reaction startling Delucia, especially when his eyes jumped to her and away again.

  “If you want, I can hunt down Kaiden and Declan, since I’m sure they’d be happy to have another chat with you,” Jeera continued, her words bland but there was a clear threat in her tone. “Especially since you being here right now means you didn’t listen to our warning.”

  Jeera gave a pointed dip of her forehead towards Delucia, holding Maxton’s eyes the whole time.

  Delucia wanted to ask what was going on, what she was missing. A strange feeling was worming its way through her—a hint of suspicion at what they might be circling around. But before she could utter a word of question, William cleared his throat.

  “All right, you two. That’s enough,” he said, quietly but firmly. “Lord Maxton, without consent from Lady Nerita, I’m afraid I can’t allow you to come with us. Princess Delucia’s safety is my priority, and if you were to join our group, we would require a second Warden to keep an eye on you.”

  “Then just go and get—”

  “And unfortunately,” William interrupted before Maxton could finish his order, “the other palace Wardens are all busy this morning.”

  That much, Delucia knew to be untrue, since she’d walked past at least three Wardens on her way down to the stables, none of whom had seemed particularly overwhelmed by their workloads. She said not a word of disagreement, however, and she would have reached over and hugged William if she hadn’t feared he would lose balance and fall right off his horse.

  “Once the three of us have returned, I can organise for another escort to take you out,” William said. “Presuming, of course, that you still wish to enjoy the trails later in the day.”

  Scowling, Maxton shot a glare at William and then at Jeera before wrenching on his reins and giving his poor gelding a harsh kick, taking off the way he’d come without another word. Not once during his exit did he look at Delucia—something that she found both a relief and a concern.

  “What was that about?” she wondered aloud, but neither William nor Jeera ha
d any answers for her.

  “My rear is already beginning to ache and we’ve barely left the stables,” William said instead. “Let’s get a move on, shall we?”

  Benching her uncertainty—for the moment—Delucia trailed after Jeera as she led the way down the path, crossed the babbling brook, and followed the growing stream along the edge of the forest. Only when the trees opened up to a cove offering a private stretch of beach protected within the palace’s wards did they come to a halt.

  William slid from Admiral’s back, groaning quietly when his feet settled on the sand. He grimaced as he rubbed his backside, muttering under his breath about how it was a good thing he didn’t intend on having any more children, since he feared that option was now lost to him.

  Delucia had to hold her breath to keep from laughing, and when she caught Jeera’s gaze, she saw the same amusement in the other girl’s bright blue eyes.

  “Are—um—are you all right, Warden William?” Delucia managed to ask around her bubbling humour.

  “Nothing copious amounts of ice won’t fix,” he replied, his strained tone still jovial despite his clear discomfort.

  Admiral butted him on the shoulder again, and William attempted a stern glare at his mount, but he couldn’t hold the expression, giving in and petting him on the nose instead.

  “The beach may be private, but warded or not, I want the two of you to stay in sight at all times,” William told them. “Agreed?”

  Both Delucia and Jeera nodded before they left him at the tree line and headed down to the shore, wading into the water and allowing their horses to stomp through the shallows.

  Alone now, Delucia finally had the chance to ask the questions that had been burning within her during their ride.

  “What happened back there with Maxton?” she asked, stopping Dancer from venturing too deep into the water. The cove offered protection from the powerful waves found at some of the other Tryllin beaches, but the calmer water of the royal bay still held a strong undercurrent that she was always careful to be wary of.

  “The little turd needed to be put in his place.”

  Delucia blinked, surprised by Jeera’s candour. Normally the other girl wasn’t so outspoken—at least not in Delucia’s presence.

  “What he said to William—you were right to chew him out like that,” Delucia said, meaning it wholeheartedly.

  Jeera snorted. “Warden William can handle himself, Princess.”

  Delucia’s brow furrowed. If Jeera’s verbal attack hadn’t been in defence of William, then…

  “What did you mean at the end, when you spoke about Maxton’s last visit?” Delucia asked. “When you both kept looking at me?”

  Jeera didn’t respond.

  Throat tightening, Delucia fidgeted with the leather of her reins and said, “You mentioned Kaiden and Declan, and something about a warning Maxton had ignored. Jeera—” Delucia swallowed. “Jeera, what was that about?”

  Again, Jeera didn’t say anything. All she did was rub a soothing hand down Onyx’s neck as the horse pawed the water with his hooves.

  “Please, Jeera,” Delucia whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of the wind and the lapping waves. “I need to know.”

  Sighing, Jeera finally looked across at her and admitted, “You weren’t the only one who overheard Maxton talking about you that day in the stables, Your Highness.”

  Delucia felt as if she’d been kicked in the stomach. Embarrassment prompted blood to pool in her cheeks, and through stiff lips she asked, “How many others?”

  “Just the three of us,” Jeera said. “Kaiden, Declan and me.”

  Her voice held no pity, and for that Delucia was grateful. But she was also mortified, having thought the situation had been contained to Maxton and the small group of older children who she now rarely, if ever, saw around the palace, most of whom were too ashamed to show their faces again. But learning that Commander Nisha’s niece and nephew, and Advisor Jaxon’s grandson, had all witnessed the single most humiliating moment of her life… Delucia wanted to curl up in a ball and hide from the world. Preferably forever.

  “Everything he said about you, Princess—you have to know none of it was true.”

  Delucia barely heard Jeera’s words, with nothing penetrating the walls she’d built around her heart. Instead, she whispered, “You said something about a warning?”

  A beat of silence met her question, until Jeera sighed again and admitted, “We may have… confronted Maxton afterwards. Making sure he knew never to speak about you like that ever again.”

  Delucia closed her eyes, unable to reconcile all that she was feeling. Part of her wondered if Jeera, Kaiden and Declan had only come to her defence because they’d felt sorry for her. But another part was touched that they’d done so, since they’d had nothing to gain from it. Only a chance meeting today had led to her ever learning about what they’d done on her behalf.

  Like Jeera, Delucia had known Kaiden and Declan for most of her life, with them having visited the palace numerous times over the years. The two boys had always been kind to her—but like everyone else, they had also been careful to treat her like a princess. Had Maxton not taken away all desire for friendships, Delucia wondered if she would have grown closer to the two boys as they all grew older. Now, however, she wondered if she would ever be able to look them in the eye again.

  “We never wanted you to know,” Jeera said quietly, reading the emotions she saw playing out over Delucia’s face. “We only wanted to make sure that if he ever returned, he knew not to mess with you again.”

  At that, Delucia managed to shake off her embarrassment enough to say, “So much for that happening.”

  Jeera made an aggravated sound, but before she could say anything, Delucia quickly assured her, “It’s not that bad this time, Jeera. I’m just aiming to get through the next seven days by avoiding him as much as possible. Then he’ll be gone.”

  “And good riddance,” Jeera said. “Hopefully it’ll be another five years before he returns again.”

  “Or longer,” Delucia said.

  “Or longer,” Jeera agreed.

  Exhaling loudly, Delucia looked out to the horizon and managed to say, “Thank you, Jeera. You and your brother and Declan—you guys didn’t have to stand up for me.”

  “We didn’t have to,” Jeera agreed. “But we wanted to.”

  This time Delucia felt no trace of embarrassment, only gratitude. She wished she could bottle her emotions, since she was certain what she was experiencing had to be similar to what friendship felt like. But she knew it wasn’t to last—not for her.

  “I’m looking forward to the day you take up your Warden uniform, Jeera James,” Delucia said softly, her eyes moving from the ocean back to the other girl. “With you as a protector, our kingdom is going to be stronger than ever—especially if you continue to stand up for those who are unable to stand up for themselves.”

  Jeera held her eyes as she said, just as softly, “I fear, Princess, that you mistake being unable with being unwilling.”

  Delucia jolted in the saddle, feeling Jeera’s words as if they had physically struck her.

  “I know you wish you were normal, or just like everyone else,” Jeera continued. “But you’re not—you’re the heir to the throne. And while your crown might make certain things more complicated than you would like, your position is not without its own benefits. The power you hold—the authority you command—never forget that, Princess. Never forget that you are a princess. Because that’s who you are, and that’s who you’ll always be.”

  Jeera let that sink in for a moment before adding, “You were never unable to stand up for yourself—you were just unwilling. Because you forgot what being a princess means.” Quietly, she finished, “Don’t forget again, Princess. Because the kingdom will be stronger with you protecting it, too. But you can only do that if you are true to yourself. To all of yourself.”

  Seconds turned to minutes as Delucia processed all that the ot
her girl had said, letting it settle deep within her. Finally, she couldn’t help asking, “Are you sure you’re only eighteen?”

  Jeera let out a surprised laugh, the heavy mood between them shattering when she replied, “You’re one to talk.”

  Smiling slightly, Delucia admitted, “Mother says I’m thirteen going on thirty. But Mistress Alma says I’m thirteen going on three. They can’t both be right.”

  Jeera snorted. “I’m with the queen on this one. You’re definitely pushing thirty, if not more. It must be all those fancy lessons they force you to take.”

  “Or maybe I’m just intellectually superior,” Delucia returned, her smile growing. “As you’ve just sought to remind me, I am a princess. Perhaps it’s just part of the package that is me.”

  Jeera didn’t try to hide her eye roll as she gathered her reins. “Intelligence, perhaps. But what about athleticism? Care for a little race to see?”

  Delucia caught the challenging look Jeera sent her and returned it with her own. Guiding Dancer out of the water and onto the firmer sand, she cast her gaze towards the far end of the cove before grinning at Jeera and saying, “Last one there has to help get William back up onto Admiral.”

  Jeera laughed. “You’re on, Princess.”

  And with that, Jeera and Onyx shot forward, with Delucia and Dancer taking off right on their heels, the horses flying over the sand and the two girls revelling in every second.

  Three

  Hours passed before Delucia and Jeera were ready to leave the beach, the time allowing William to rally some dignity, which meant that despite their race ending in a tie, neither girl had to help push him into his saddle.

  Their ride back through the forest and grounds was much more pleasant for Delucia, with her no longer being plagued by questions and suspicions. She still felt a flicker of embarrassment knowing that Jeera, Kaiden and Declan had all overheard Maxton’s slander, but she couldn’t change the past. And when it came to the future, she was determined to heed Jeera’s words. Because the other girl was right—Delucia was a princess, and she shouldn’t forget what that meant. All that it meant.