Unlocked

by Casey L. Bond

  “This feels better. It’s comforting. I haven’t had that since I left the island, and I don’t know why, but I need space. You know how I like towers...” she tried to tease.

  It was so hard to say no to her, so I decided not to. I would give her what she wanted, what she needed. “I will send some of my men to inspect it tomorrow,” I conceded. “If the structure is fit, we’ll need to have it renovated. At the very least, the roof needs to be replaced. The interior may need work, as well. There are probably animals inside.”

  She smiled. “But once that’s all done?”

  My ribs felt tight as I answered, “I suppose if you still want to move here after it’s safe and all the necessary repairs are made, you can.”

  She let out a squeal and started toward me. I opened my arms for her embrace, but she stopped herself and turned toward the tower once more.

  My heart cracked a little in that moment.

  Maybe it wasn’t the castle that didn’t feel right to her anymore. Maybe it was me.

  Chapter twenty-three

  RAYA

  The next morning, Trevor had my things moved from the room beside his to a room on a higher floor, in a turret that felt like a tower. Here, I could sit in the sill and watch the gulls and albatrosses swoop through the morning air and pretend one of them was Tross. The sky was purple-blue, and all the clouds from the night before were gone.

  Someone knocked at the door.

  “Come in,” I called out.

  Trevor pushed the door open. “It’s me. Is it okay if I come inside?”

  “Of course,” I responded cheerily, straightening my back. “Thank you for this.”

  He tried to smile, raking his fingers over his stubbled jaw. “You’re welcome.”

  The bed in this room was enormous, carved from white ash and covered with white bedding. The sconces on the wall held white candles, and someone had placed an enormous vase of fresh flowers on the table in the corner. Their lush fragrances mixed as they wafted through the room.

  I expected him to ask how I was settling in, or how I liked the height from here. But he didn’t ask that at all.

  Instead, he stepped toward me and stared out the window. “This was my mother’s room.”

  I gasped, covering my mouth. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Why? I’m the one who wanted you to have it. This wasn’t her bedroom; it was an art room of sorts. Mother liked to paint. That’s her painting above the fireplace.”

  “It’s exquisite.” The painting showed a large wave, building to a crest just before the crash of energy toward the shore. She’d masterfully captured that beautiful violence in shades of blue, teal, green, brown, and white.

  “I thought it needed an artist’s touch again.” He motioned to a small desk in the corner. “There’s parchment and charcoal inside.”

  “Thank you,” I exclaimed, touched by his thoughtfulness.

  “Do you like it?”

  “I love it,” I breathed, unable to tear my eyes away from his hazel ones.

  “Then will you do me one favor?”

  I gritted my teeth. I wasn’t backing down from moving out of the castle.

  Seeing the fire in my eyes, he grinned. “I know you want to move to the tower, and I’m not trying to stop you. I just want to ask if you’ll stay in the castle until after the Ball.”

  “Will it be ready by then?”

  “Yes, if not before. I’ve hired men to repair the roof, floors, stairs, door, add a proper lock...”

  “Basically, everything but rebuild the brick?”

  He smiled, bracing his forearm against the window’s frame. “Basically.”

  “Thank you, Trevor.”

  “You’re welcome, Ray,” he grinned, his hands in his pockets.

  “I miss Tross,” I admitted out of the blue.

  “I’ve been looking for him.” His eyes burned holes into me. “I know you miss him. I miss him, too.”

  “Do you think he’ll ever come back? Do you think he’ll ever find us again?”

  “I think he will.”

  “What if he’s back at the island wondering where we are?” I asked, wrapping my hands tighter around my middle.

  “He isn’t. He flew with the boat, remember? He’s smart, and he knows where to find us. If anything, Gill’s probably adopted him.”

  “I hope so.”

  “Cap took the men on a short trip to gather a few things from Aelawyn. They’ll be back in a couple of days.”

  Aelawyn. I wondered what they were sent to retrieve, and whether the party attending the Ball would arrive with them.

  We watched the gulls in silence and listened to the crashing of waves against the shore. We were close to the ocean, but couldn’t see it through the trees. I wondered if winter allowed the view.

  “So…you’ll stay here until after the Ball?”

  I didn’t have much of a choice. The tower was undergoing major repairs, and he wasn’t asking for much in return.

  “I will.”

  He pushed off the wall. “I should go. My father is probably looking for me.”

  “I don’t want him to find you in here.”

  “The door’s open, Ray,” he observed dryly.

  “I don’t care!” I whisper-shrieked under my breath. “He already hates me.”

  “He doesn’t hate you, Ray. How could he?”

  King Yurak may not hate me, but he wasn’t exactly thrilled with my presence, either. I saw the irritation in his eyes at Aric and Marian’s wedding. When I passed him in the hallway, he barely spared a glance my way. He saw me as someone in the way of his son’s future; someone he had to take in because I’d taken his son in during his time of need. Someone to finance, no doubt.

  “Some of the messengers have returned,” Trevor offered.

  I was glad for the change of subject. “From which kingdoms?”

  “Waverly and Tierney.”

  “Tierney?” My brows shot up. “You invited King Stefan?”

  “Not exactly...” he hedged. “I invited his eldest son, Carden.”

  “Is he better than his brother?” I’d always heard both the Tierney princes were spoiled.

  “I think he has the potential to be, though I’m not sure what to expect of William. If our sources are to be believed, William’s ascension to the throne could mean trouble.”

  “War?”

  He nodded. “Some wars are so brief, it only takes a battle to decide them.”

  Like it was with Aelawyn.

  “But others…others take years to come to an end, and when they’re finally over, it’s the people who suffer the most. Soldiers fall and others have to be trained to take their place. Resources are stretched so thin, starvation is an issue. If our money is tied up in battle, we won’t be able to keep our people fed. I don’t want it to come to that.”

  “You’ve seen it before.”

  “Not a war like that, but I’ve seen battles. I’ve fought in them. It’s why I’m expected to train with the guard. And, now that I’ve mentioned that, I realize I’m late for my training.” He groaned. “Can I see you later?”

  “Can I watch you?” I blurted.

  His head ticked back, shocked. “Watch us train?”

  “Yes.”

  He shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t see why not.”

  I hopped down from the sill, straightened my breeches and tunic, quickly laced my boots, and followed him from the castle to the training grounds.

  The space wasn’t elaborate; just a large square of grass, where the men parried and struck one another, swords clashing and teeth bared playfully. As a whole, they looked formidable. None of them, not a single man among them, wore a shirt.

  I opened my mouth to ask a question, but completely forgot what I planned to ask when Trevor tugged his tunic and undershirt off in one deft motion. I’d seen him shirtless more times than I could count while we were on the island, but over time, he’d lost weight, growing lean and losing some of the muscle tone he
had when he first washed up on the beach.

  He had trained often since we arrived at the castle. He told me when he was going, but I didn’t follow him around like a puppy, so I hadn’t seen this training take place. But the results were evident... and impressive…like every bumpy ridge along his stomach, all the peaks and valleys, like he was chiseled from marble.

  “You have a little drool... just there,” he teased, but when his finger swiped my lip and I sucked in a tense breath, I could swear his breathing hitched as well.

  He recovered with a smirk and walked over to a man at the side of the field who had several blades laid out on the ground. After a few minutes of conversation, he handed one to Trevor, who tested the weight of it and smiled, clapping the man on the shoulder. “This’ll do nicely. And one for me?” The man held out a sword that looked exactly like the first.

  Trevor walked back to me with a determined gleam in his eyes. I knew that look. It was the same one he gave the first time I scared him, one that promised he would get revenge and enjoy doing it. With a sly smile, he held one of the swords out to me.

  “This is light enough for you.”

  I huffed, giving him an incredulous laugh. “I’m not training. I came to watch you.”

  He shrugged a shoulder. “It’ll be fun. Besides, it’ll distract you.”

  “Maybe I like the view.” I made a point to look out at the men in the field playfully trying to best one another. The sun glistened off their tanned skin and sweat dripped from their hair.

  Trevor thrusted the handle of the sword into my palm, raking his teeth over his bottom lip. I couldn’t help but watch. He leaned in close and whispered, “Maybe I don’t like you looking.”

  I shrugged and lifted my chin defiantly. “There’s no reason why I shouldn’t. And besides, there’s not much you can do about it.”

  He gave a dark laugh, his brows raising in challenge. “Is that so?”

  I straightened my back, trying to make myself as tall as he was. “I’m free to look all I want.”

  He bent close to my face and murmured, “Which one do you fancy, Princess? I’ll let you know if he’s available.”

  I tried to hide my swallow as I scanned the sparring brutes. None of them could compare to Trevor, but I couldn’t let him know that. I pointed to a large fellow in the back. “Him.”

  Trevor’s gaze followed my finger. Then they narrowed. “He is not your type.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest brazenly. “And what type is that?”

  He shook his head with a smile. “Never mind. Let me show you a few moves.”

  He had been training with a sword since infancy. There was no way I could physically best him, but maybe there was another way. I found the large man I’d randomly inquired about. “I’ll tell you what – if you beat that enormous soldier in a match, fair and square, then I’ll take up this sword and fight you.”

  He ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek. “Very well. You should use this time to stretch and warm your muscles up a little. I’ll be right back.”

  Trevor didn’t bother skirting along the edges of the field. He didn’t shy away from the blades slicing the air around him. Like the crown Prince he was, he walked right through the middle. Maybe he was brave. Maybe he was foolish. No, it was neither of those things. He was showing off. I shook my head as he approached the giant of a man. The soldier’s partner stepped away and Trevor took his place.

  The behemoth circled his prince with a wild grin splitting his face. What did I do? They obviously had history between them, and by the looks of it, the history wasn’t pleasant.

  The man’s former partner jogged around the field and came to stand beside me. “Aric?” I gaped.

  He wiped the sweat from his brow. His hair was completely soaked, as was the rest of him. Bruises blossomed along his torso and arms. “With all due respect, Princess, are you insane? Ulrich will take advantage of the fact that you just offered Trevor up to him on a silver platter.”

  Ulrich winked at me and flashed a grin, just before he let out a roar and swung his sword down at Trevor. Trevor was able to block the blow, thankfully, but Aric was right, Ulrich was far too happy about this match. Blow after blow he rained down, throwing his weight behind each slice. Time and time again, Trevor’s sword rose to meet his.

  The men sparring in the field around them stopped to watch their prince. Ulrich sneered something at Trevor, which Trevor answered with a growl. Then it was Trevor who went on the offensive. He didn’t have the height or weight Ulrich did, but he made up for those shortcomings with speed and agility. Ulrich was getting tired. More than once, he stumbled over a step. When Trevor thrust his sword toward his belly, Ulrich was almost too sluggish to move out of the way.

  Aric looked worried, and I couldn’t help but regret taunting Trevor. I bit my thumbnail anxiously as they thrusted blow after blow on one another. “Is it always this intense? Training, I mean?” I asked.

  Aric scrubbed his fingers down his jaw and throat. “No, even between these two, where there is certainly no love lost, it’s never been like this before. I wonder what Ulrich said to make Trevor so angry.”

  Trevor finally got the upper hand and Ulrich, in the end, dropped his sword and backed away with his hands up. The men cheered for their prince while Ulrich fell to his knees, clutching his stomach. “Is he okay?”

  Aric shook his head. “I’m not sure.”

  Trevor bent down and said something to Ulrich that none of us could hear, and stalked across the square in our direction.

  Aric took one look at Trevor, quickly told me goodbye, and jogged away, fading into the crowd of men. When I lost sight of him, I turned back and found Trevor standing in front of me, covered in sweat and blood. I wasn’t sure if any of it was his, but I’d never seen Trevor look so angry. He walked past me. “Come on, Ray,” he requested curtly.

  I walked behind him, trying to keep up with his long strides, still clutching the sword he picked out for me. When we were far enough away, I realized he was still shirtless. “You left your tunic back there.”

  He wheeled around on me. “I don’t care about the damn tunic,” he growled.

  My eyes widened. Okay, then. He turned back around and continued until we reached the castle. As we jogged up the staircase, he finally spoke again, and this time was calmer. “I’m going to wash off.” Without a backwards glance, he headed toward his room.

  Chapter twenty-four

  RAYA

  I took the sword to my new room and laid it on the bed. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, filling the land with its warmth, and I didn’t feel like sitting inside and doing nothing just because Trevor was grumpy. I changed into my old dress, took some of the parchment and a piece of charcoal, and headed toward the ocean.

  At the port, moored to one of the docks was a familiar sight. The ship that came to our rescue was tied securely to one of the pylons.

  “Raya?” a voice called out incredulously.

  Gill’s shaggy brown hair bounced up and down as he jogged toward me. “Hey, I didn’t expect to see you here,” he greeted, wrapping me in a friendly hug.

  “It’s so good to see you! How have you been?” I asked.

  “I’m good,” he answered, and then looked me over and scrubbed his head. “You look beautiful, Princess.”

  I glanced down at my dress, wishing I could afford to have another made just like it. I had fine gowns hanging in my wardrobe, but felt strange wearing them. “I have better dresses than this, but none more comfortable,” I grinned.

  Gill’s cheeks flushed, and he glanced away from me as he praised, “It doesn’t matter what you wear, you’d still be the prettiest girl in Galder.”

  It was my turn to blush as I thanked him for the compliment. Suddenly remembering my feathered friend, I asked, “Have you seen Tross lately?”

  “Of course. He’s been with us since we brought you ashore.” We searched the sky. “Don’t worry, Princess,” he reassured, “he�
��ll be back soon enough, and I’ll make sure you see him before we leave again.”

  “Are you busy right now?”

  His face lit up. “Not presently, Princess. Is there something you need?”

  “I want to show you something. Would you take a walk with me?”

  “Of course! Just let me tell Cap I’ll be back soon. We will be back soon, right?”

  “Yeah, this won’t take long.”

  It only took a minute for Gill to board the boat and talk to Cap. Business finished, he rejoined me on the dock. “I’ve got an hour before I need to be back aboard.”

  “Plenty of time,” I acknowledged. “It’s this way.”

  We took the small trail that led from the beach into the woods, and up onto the cliffs above the ocean. Gill chuckled. “I should’ve known you’d find one of the old towers.”

  “You know about it?”

  “You can see it from the ship, depending on which way we enter port. I’ve never been up here, though. Never seen it up close.”

  The sounds of saws and the falling of hammers on nails met us halfway up the path. I broke into a run, Gill laughing behind me. “They must be fixing it up,” he yelled.

  “They are. For me. I’m moving my things in just after the Ball King Yurak is throwing for Trevor.”

  Gill caught hold of my elbow. “Why aren’t you staying in the castle?” His brows were knit in confusion.

  “I am for now, but I’m used to living alone, and I think this is for the best.” He looked troubled by my answer, but didn’t press me for more details.

  At the tower, there were four men hard at work. One held a piece of wood while another cut it. A pile of sawdust grew taller each time the blade went back and forth through the wood. Another man stood at the bottom of the tower holding a rope. It wasn’t until I followed the cord upward that I saw what he was holding. A small boy was replacing the wooden shingles on the roof. My heart skipped a beat. He was tiny. What he fell?

  Seeing my distress, Gill caught the attention of the men on the ground, and the saw ground to a stop. The man holding the rope tipped his head toward us inquiringly.