While his mother stayed busy with her garden his father had spent long hours and sometimes even days at the Royal Armory, working on his inventions. When he had an idea, it was easy for him to lose track of time and his own physical needs until he finished it. This ability to intensely focus on a task was one of the things Deswald knew he had inherited from his father. Many felt his death, not just his wife and son for he was an asset to the king and a kind gentle soul.
"I got caught up at the castle," he replied, “sorry about that.”
She opened the front door and they stepped into the warm cozy living room.
"Princess Ruby?"
"I wanted to make sure she was in good hands." His mother chuckled, "warming up to the job I see."
He snorted, "barely, but the king respects me for it. If I do good work as a guard I may earn the king’s respect, so when I request to go on the forty-day journey, he will allow me and then I will wow him with my skills. And even though it is not customary for my kind to serve higher than a guard or servant, he will have no choice but to promote me and eventually I will be an Aldorian Knight."
His mother’s smile was tainted with worry, “that is all good Des, and I am happy that you have such ambition. Your father and I raised you to reach your greatest potential. But I just do not want you setting yourself up for heartbreak.”
Deswald sighed in exasperation, “mother how can you be worried about heartbreak. You were the one who taught me that a little faith could move mountains. You also taught me that El places in our hearts desires and passions for his purposes. Well all I have ever wanted to do, for as long as I can remember is to defend the weak, fight for my kingdom and in the name of my God. How can I do that confined to a palace babysitting princesses? I have faith that there is more for me here, and I do not care about their stupid ways. I know in my heart that it is not El’s law and I know that my day will come.”
His mother reached up and touched his cheek, “Oh my boy, I am so proud of you. I do not doubt for one minute that El has great things in store for your life. But you must be patient and remember that… sometimes El’s will does not always look the way we think it would.”
He nodded, “I hear you mother.”
He took a seat at the wooden table he had helped his father build, and watched his mother prepare his dinner. He knew that the path he had chosen and the ambitions that he had was not what she would have chosen for him. After all, she had lost her husband to the Royal Army that Deswald was so eager to be a part of. But he did not want anything else and he believed with all his heart that he would get it.
"Hmm word around here is that the king is getting soft, for letting go that corrupter," his mother said putting an end to the silence that had enveloped the kitchen.
Deswald reigned in his frown, not only was it against his oath to speak against the king but against his better judgment.
"If you ask me, letting that boy returned to his territory, without a trial is not helping his case either."
His grip tightened on the wooden cup he was holding, "the king does what the king sees fit. I trust his judgment. Besides you seem to forget mother, that boy is my friend. Him being imprisoned or worse is not what I would want for any of my friends."
She placed a plate before him, "I trust my king too, but that third daughter of his, she is trouble. People are beginning to question his unwillingness to discipline her. And as for your friend, we both know he is not. Aldorians have always had their pride, you with your very Dravian features have always struggled to fit in among them. I highly doubt that boy thinks as highly of you as you think of him."
“Frankly mother I am tired of hearing how out of place I am here. Not all Aldorians look down on people who do not look like them.”
Despite his righteous indignation at his mother, she was right. Growing up he had struggled to fit in among his brown skinned, dark haired peers, with his sandy blond hair, blue eyes, light skin and slim frame. He was always marked as an outsider, a refugee. Even when his father had attained an honourable position in the kingdom, he could still feel their distrust. It was true that the king envisioned a kingdom without walls and discrimination but many of the people were yet to catch that vision. The truth was that though he felt every bit as Aldorian as everyone else, Aldorian’s only saw a Dravian when they looked at him. Strangely enough, from what his father had told him, this level of discrimination did not exist in Dravia. His mother took her seat on the opposite side of the table and smiled empathetically at him.
“You know you and the princess are not much different. The only difference is, we know where you came from. The king has always been so tight lipped about her, but she looks nothing like the rest of them. And I mean, if she’s the outcome of the King or Queen’s indiscretion, why not just come out and say it, instead of taking people for fools…”
"Mother," he lifted his hand, "I really should not be talking about this."
"Oh yes, yes of course."
They ate dinner in one sided conversation as his mother caught him up on all the happenings in the village.
“I never knew General Harpee’s daughter was courting the Royal blacksmith’s son until the invitations were out,” she was saying, “young people these days, oh so private.”
Deswald perked up, his spoon raised, “what did you say?”
“Ezra and Persan, they are to be wed.”
Deswald nodded, as much as Deswald wanted to share his mother’s enthusiasm over two people he had not seen in ages, he was somewhat troubled. What his mother said earlier still weighed heavy on his heart, he wished people could see the Ruby he saw every day, the person she was when no one was watching. Yes, she was a mischievous attention seeker, but she had a huge heart. And so, what if she looked different to her siblings, things like that happen sometimes. They did not see the way she championed causes for the lame and the orphans or heard how she would cry her eyes out at night over her blunders. Her thirst for adventure was her only flaw, if one could consider it a flaw at all. If only she could direct her energies elsewhere, he was sure she would flourish in Aldor.
"It amazes me," his mother started, "how each time you come home you become more and more like your father. How handsome he was, and constantly brooding."
He smiled, "he often had a lot on his mind," he said.
"As do you. What is bothering you?"
He sighed, "I cannot put my finger on it, something does not feel right."
His mother sipped her tea, "that is what your father said the night before we left to come here. It seems like every time he has had that feeling he has saved our lives or someone else’s."
"Except for the one time it did not," Deswald added, he clenched his fist. He did not like to talk about his father's demise, it made him angry and his anger frightened him.
They still did not know the full story about what happened that night. All they knew was that their father left home for the Armory after being home for two days, he said something did not feel right. The next day there was a soldier at their door with news that he had been found dead at the armory in what looked like an accident with one of his inventions. But Deswald had found out otherwise, his father was murdered and they had covered it up because they could not quite explain how or who had done it. It was what made him push himself harder towards his goal. His mother lowered her gaze, the hurt of losing her husband still dwelled near the surface while Deswald wore his like angry armor.
"Your father has always done what he thought is right. Just like you do."
Deswald nodded, "you are right mother." "I should head to bed," he said, rising to his feet, "I may need to make an early start tomorrow."
"Already? Is this about the princess?"
He turned to look at her, "it always is these days."
✽ ✽ ✽
Ruby drew the curtains aside and tossed her travel bag out the window, the knocking on her door was getting louder, she must be crazy to keep her father waiting. She drew the curtains to
gether and hurried to open the door for him. His strong burly frame filled the doorway, suspicious grey eyes rested on her, then shifted to her uncovered hair.
"Sorry father, I was not decent," she pulled her robe together for emphasis.
He blinked as if snapping himself out of an unpleasant memory, "Sorry my dear if my visit is untimely, but I just wished to see my Ruby again before I present her to the kingdom as a woman as an eligible princess."
Her smile was tight, she stepped back and gestured for him to come in.
"Ruby, I know things have not been well between us for the past few days. I know you think I am upset with you, but I am only trying to protect you."
"I know," she replied quickly, her gaze lowered.
He pulled his greying beard thoughtfully, "you are quickly becoming a woman and will soon be desirous of a lifelong match. Prince Haydward seems to have an interest in you, as well as so many worthy suitors. But Ruby…”
She lifted her hands, “It is okay father. I know you want what is best for me.”
He nodded, “I do not particularly care for that Haydward chap neither,” he leaned toward her with a smirk. Ruby grimaced, avoiding his tender gaze.
“I wanted to show you this," he stretched out his hand and in his palm was a shiny gold ring with a dazzling ruby set in its prong. It glimmered in the lamp lights.
Her eyes grew wide, and she reached out to touch it, but he drew back his hand and smiled.
"I would rather you not touch it until I place it on your finger."
She laughed, "of course."
"Do you like it? It is light stone, like the ones Jasper and Pearl has. Made this one especially for you, because I know what rich taste you have."
"I love it," she beamed.
"Good, because I love you my Ruby, it's very important that you know that all I have done is because of that."
She nodded, the ball in her throat threatening to choke her, "yes father."
He smiled again, "I will see you at the ball tomorrow, shining like a precious jewel as always," he said as he walked toward the door.
She smiled in response, her resolve wavering just as she heard a muffled clatter just outside her window. It was Serin. She froze, half expecting her father to put it all together. Instead, he smiled at her once more and pulled her door behind him.
Throwing on a head scarf, she fastened it haphazardly upon her head as she hurried over and drew the curtains aside again. Serin was standing in the garden, hidden behind the shrubbery. The sight of his eager face reminded her of why she was doing this, her father loved her, and she loved him, but he could not take the place of her one true love, neither will he understand. She reached out and snatched the rope Serin tossed up to her, ran back into the room and fastened it against her sturdy bed. It was now or never.
Ruby fell back onto the dewed grass with a low thud, exhaling through her mouth as the wind got knocked out of her. It was not the most graceful descent, but she had made it outside her room without giving herself away and that was what mattered.
“Psst, psst.”
From her supine position on the ground, she turned her head in the direction of the sound. She could see Serin peering at her from the bushes, a huge grin on his handsome face. She smiled and rolled over, stumbling to her feet as she reached for her satchel, then bolted across the short distance between her and Serin. She ran right into his arms and he lifted her off the ground in an embrace. He was grinning from ear to ear.
“I am glad you came,” he whispered, before cupping her chin and planting an enthusiastic kiss on her lips.
Ruby would have swooned if there was time to, but they both knew that the longer they lingered their chances of escaping lessened.
“We should go… now” Ruby said.
“Princess? Is that you?” came Haydward’s voice from somewhere in the garden.
Ruby’s eyes widened, and she looked over at her escape route, her makeshift rope dangling from her window would surely alarm Haydward of what had happened.
“What is he doing here?” Serin hissed, the panic in his eyes reflecting her own.
Ruby slapped her forehead, “Oh no. I told him to meet me tonight in the garden. He was so insistent, I had to tell him something.”
“Okay, you distract him. I will think of something.”
“Di… what?”
He pushed her out from behind the bushes and nodded curtly as if to say, I have got it. Ruby took a deep breath, if she could trust him enough to run away with, she could trust him enough to do this.
“Haydward!” she called in her most pleasant tone, as she hurried toward him away from the evidence of her escape. The prince turned and smiled, “Ruby, I was beginning to wonder if you had changed your mind.”
“No, no,” she said shrilly, “I was looking all over for you.”
He chuckled, “I have been here all evening, that is how excited I was about seeing you.”
He frowned slightly, “you are dressed peculiarly for a tour of the castle.
Ruby looked down at her travel clothes and chuckled nervously, “Yes well I came right from training, I did not want to miss you. The garden is quite large, I did not want you get lost in it.”
“Indeed it is, and you are as a rare gem in the midst of it,” he extended a flower to her, which she took with shaky hands.
“It is beautiful,” she said, “like all the flowers in my father’s garden.”
He laughed, “you have got me. What do you give to a woman who has everything.”
From the corner of her eyes Ruby could see movement behind them and in a panic turned to face Haydward, hoping to distract him from whatever Serin was planning to do.
“I do not have everything,” she said coyly, batting her eyelashes suggestively, the way the duchess had described it.
Haydward grinned, “maybe I can…”
Ruby winced as a low thud resonated behind them and Haydward’s dark eyes glazed over, his mouth agape in shock, before he slumped backward, into Serin’s waiting arms. Ruby watched in shock as Serin proceeded to drag the prince behind a hedge, straining under the weight of his stocky frame.
“Is he…”
“Of course not, he will be fine. Come on!”
He reached for her hand, which she gave to him still in a daze over what had just happened. Surely there was no turning back now.
✽ ✽ ✽
Ryder's hooves pounded the pathway back to the castle, leaving behind a trail of dirt behind them. Deswald held onto his reigns, riding high in the saddle. They had been riding hard, non-stop since he had left home. He woke up realizing why Ruby was being so civil to him, why she was so interested in knowing his whereabouts. He was close, he could see the celebratory flag waving at the gates as he rode hard across the stone bridge. Her sister would be coming from the north, so would the other governors, dukes and duchesses of the kingdom. Ruby would not dare do this to her father, would she? He had seen the way she had looked at Serin...
"Yah!" he shouted, he hoped he wasn't too late.
CHAPTER 8
The Kingdom of Aldor was alive with hushed conspiracies regarding the cancellation of the anticipated birthday ball. It was the time of the year that all the youth of the kingdom looked with eager anticipation. It was a back to back celebration with Ruby and Topaz celebrating on different days in their own unique ways. The sights, the eats, the music, the dancing… it was everything a young person could hope for, not to mention the opportunity to dress up and stay out late.
This year they were particularly looking forward to this ball; Ruby's eighteenth birthday celebration. She had quite a reputation for her exciting taste in music and her unpredictability and was often the subject of the conversations among her peers. Yet again the princess had done something unpredictable, but that was all the people of Stone Vale knew, for the details of what had happened had not yet been released. What was sure was that the anticipated birthday coming of age celebration was cancelled, leaving Topaz yet
again in the shadow of her sister’s actions.
As Deswald arrived at the city gates he was greeted by the city guards, a post he had been grateful not to be assigned to again. It was a difficult task of watching and waiting that did not suit Deswald’s penchant for movement, he was many things, patient was not one of them. The guards nodded at him as they opened the gate for him to enter, he knew one of them, they had completed their pledge training together but had never really gotten along.
He looked down from Ryder, “what is going on?”
His old pledge-mate shook his head, “I do believe you are in for it palace guard,” he said with a smirk, looking over to share a chuckle with his colleague.
Deswald glared at him as his grip on the reins tightened, oh how a part of him wished it was Cordwall’s neck he held onto, that would wipe that smug smile from his face.
“What are you talking about?” he gritted.
“Your precious charge, the princess. Word is she has gone missing; the entire palace is in uproar. A ball with no person of honour, while her personal guard was out sipping tea and eating biscuits with his mommy.”
Deswald shot him an angry threatening glare and nudged Ryder forward, if he stayed here much longer he may very well end up in the dungeons, that is if a cell had not already been prepared for him.
Kingdom of Refuge (Gemstone Royals Book 1) Page 7