Autumn Rebel

by Juliana Haygert

  He had been handsome when younger. Now, he was perfection.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” the goddess said.

  Heat covered my cheeks, and I turned to face her. How could I have forgotten she was here? And, by the fallen leaves, I hoped she didn’t know what I was thinking!

  “What do you mean?”

  “You want to go to the coast with him.”

  That was absolutely true. “I could convince Lugh, but I’m not sure I can convince Red.” He always had a more volatile personality. He could be fair and loyal and fun, but when something didn’t go his way, he grew angry and overreacted. Only the gods knew if he had changed. “He might throw me in the dungeon for bringing it up.”

  “He will throw a fit, but you’ll convince him.” She paused, her dark eyes fixed on mine. Her brows curled down. “Go. You have to. He’ll need you.”

  Mahaeru didn't have to tell me twice. Once again, I sent Jora to fetch my armor and sword, while Sage secured a position with the soldiers marching to the coast, and I checked on the queen, Maize, and Willow.

  As soon as she heard the news, Queen Aurelia collapsed. After that, it was a toss between shock, denial, and forgetfulness. Maize and Willow didn’t leave her side while I prepared a quiet ceremony in the courtyard with Jora and two other palace workers.

  Though my heart was breaking, I fell into battle mode. When we fled the fortress, General Barric had left a captain and ninety percent of our soldiers there to hold the sea elves back, in case they decided to pursue us or advance. They had already taken Mor Caer; we couldn’t let them take anymore.

  They had taken our crown prince.

  My betrothed.

  I had always loved Lugh, but not as a lover. He had been a childhood friend, then he had become a partner. We respected and loved each other as friends and companions. Deep down, I hoped that once we were married, we would eventually fall in love, though I wasn’t sure that would be enough to snap the mating bond into place.

  Now, I would never find out.

  I pushed away these tormenting thoughts and feelings and focused on what had to be done at this moment. Red was right. We could argue about who would take the crown later.

  Now, we had sea elves to kill.

  After making sure my armor was secured, and I had everything I needed for yet another excursion to the coast, I went to the palace’s front gate, where I knew Red was waiting for the soldiers. General Barric, Captain Runt, Lennox, and Sage were talking to him, while more and more soldiers arrived from the barracks and from the city. Lugh had put out a call for any trained fae who could fight the sea elves. Only a few had trickled in, but once news of his death had gotten out, the fae hadn't stopped arriving. They came from all corners of the kingdom to defend our land and honor their fallen ruler.

  I was proud of them.

  It was time to make Lugh proud.

  I braced myself as I walked down the palace’s front stairs. Red turned, his eyes finding mine. I sucked in a sharp breath and fought the urge to place a hand over my weak heart.

  The sunlight hit him just right, giving his hair that dark red shine, and his hazel eyes seemed almost golden from here. His armor was brown and burgundy, like the other soldiers’, but his had more details and embroidery, even more than the general’s—Red was supposed to be Lugh’s commander, even if he hadn't been home in years. It matched Lugh’s armor; I knew that. Red pressed his lips tight, and his jaw popped. I knew what was coming. I was ready for it.

  He met me halfway. “What the rust do you think you’re doing?”

  I halted before him and lifted my chin. “You know what I’m doing.”

  “Sage said you would want to come, but I thought he was joking.” Red shook his head. “I don’t care if you know how to fight, if you can defend yourself. You’re not coming.”

  I took a step closer, invading his personal space, and looked deeply into his eyes. Red stiffened. “I said this to Lugh a week ago, and I’m going to say to you. You’re not my owner. You don’t order me around. You can tell me not to come; it doesn’t matter. I’m coming anyway, even if I have to go by myself.”

  Red narrowed his eyes and a vein ticked in his temple. “Do I have to lock you in a bedroom?”

  I leaned even closer. His eyes rounded. “I would like to see you try,” I whispered.

  Taking advantage of his shock, I walked around him and went to meet the rest of the fae. They all greeted me as we mounted. Red didn’t talk to me as we guided our horses out of the gates and out of the capital. In fact, he avoided me most of the trip to the coast.

  That hurt more than I would like to admit.

  7

  Red

  “Are you going to keep avoiding her?”

  I groaned. If we weren’t on horseback, I would have leapt at Lennox and punched his nose for stoking the fire raging inside me.

  “Just … shut up,” I said, trying to focus on the road. I glanced ahead at the orange glow the setting sun cast over the road. It was our second day riding to the coast. We pushed the horses as fast as we could for as long as we could, and gave them frequent breaks.

  Lennox and I pulled up the front, keeping everyone’s pace up. And all the while, Blair rode at the back of the party, with Sage beside her. At night, when we stopped, she camped several yards away from us. That had bothered me. Instead of sleeping, I tossed and turned on my mat, thinking sea elves or wild animals would attack her, and I would be too late to save her.

  Just like I had been too late to save Lugh.

  My heart squeezed, and Mahaeru’s words haunted me.

  She would have died trying to save you.

  Losing Lugh was already too much for me. If I had lost Blair too … I couldn’t think of that.

  “You know you’ll have to face her at some point, right?” Lennox asked. Another jab at my gut. Only he could talk to me like that. Lennox was my oldest friend, my only confidant, my right arm. He knew everything about me, even the feelings I tried to hide from myself.

  Especially my feelings for Blair.

  “I already faced her,” I said, my voice tight. “A handful of times since we arrived.”

  “No, no.” Lennox shook his wild red mane. “At some point, you’ll have to sit down and talk to her.”

  “Why? There’s nothing to talk about.” I frowned. There were many things to talk about, and the main one right now was what would happen to her after we sent the sea elves away. She had been betrothed to my brother for so long, she had been preparing to be queen for years, and now my brother was dead. “Can we change subjects?”

  “But it’s so much fun to tease you about your first love.” Lennox flashed me a wide smile. I wanted to hit him more and more by the second. “Well, your only love, right?”

  “Drop it,” I snarled through gritted teeth.

  “Only when I can see it doesn’t bother you anymore.”

  “Rust you.” I yanked at my horse’s reins and turned him around.

  Every couple of hours, I rode around the party, making sure all the soldiers were well and all the horses were keeping up nicely. It wasn’t a big party, as most soldiers were already at the camp Lugh had set up before the battle at Mor Caer. But it was still a sizable group that could make all the difference in the battle ahead.

  I also checked on Blair, even though I didn’t get too close.

  This time, though, I wanted to prove Lennox wrong. I wanted to show him—me—that she didn’t have the same effect on me as she had when we were younger.

  When we thought we were in love.

  So, after making sure everyone was all right, I brought my horse to the end of the group, and instead of rounding the back as I had done every other time I had come this way, I kept into step with her.

  Blair saw me coming and stiffened instantly, and Sage fell back several lengths, giving us privacy.

  I guided my horse to stay in line with hers, and for a couple of minutes, we rode side by side in tense silence.

&nbs
p; “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  That took me by surprise. I glanced at her, and she took my breath away. Her long red hair was tied in a loose braid behind her back, the profile of her face as she stared forward showed me her thin nose and the pucker of her red lips. Her golden skin was smooth, and her pointed ears were smaller and more delicate than most.

  She looked fierce in her dark brown armor, and yet her expression, her beauty gave her an air of gracefulness that wrenched at my heart.

  I looked away before I surrendered my soul to her.

  “For Lugh,” she said, her tone still low. “He was your older brother, your friend. I remember when we were little that you looked up to him for everything.” She inhaled deeply. “And now he’s gone, and I couldn’t save him.”

  At that, I looked at her again. “It wasn’t your fault.” That was my burden to carry.

  She sniffed and turned her amber eyes to me. They gleamed with unshed tears. “I know, but I was right there. I feel like I could have done more.”

  “You heard Mahaeru. There was nothing we could have done.”

  I knew she had understood what the goddess had said about losing someone else in that battle if I had been there. Blair had always been brilliant and smart. She didn’t need us to spell it out for her.

  “Still, this is something I’ll carry with me forever.”

  I nodded; even though Mahaeru told me I couldn’t have saved Lugh, I would forever think I could have done something different to change his fate. “Me too,” I whispered.

  Blair wiped the tears away. “So, what are your plans?”

  I hesitated. Once upon a time, Blair had been closer to me than Lennox ever was. She had been my best friend, my supporter, and my lover. It had been brief, but it had been intense, and it had meant everything to me.

  “I don’t have any plans yet,” I confessed. “I’m waiting to get there, assess the situation, gather with the generals and captains, and then I’ll make a plan.”

  She nodded. “It makes sense.”

  “Hopefully, it’ll all be over fast,” I muttered, more like a prayer than anything else.

  We rode in silence for a few minutes, until she jerked her chin toward me. “I see you still have the dagger.”

  I put a hand over the dagger fastened to my belt. The beautiful blade was hidden in a scabbard, but the hilt gave it away. “I do,” I said, feeling like I was a teenager again.

  “I thought you would have gotten rid of it.” A sharp edge entered her words.

  “It’s a great weapon,” I blurted. “It would be a shame to throw it away.”

  Truth be told, I had tried getting rid of the dagger after I left, but I couldn’t. Blair had given it to me for my birthday a handful of weeks before our world changed forever. It was my most precious possession. I carried it with me wherever I went. That and … I patted my chest, right where a hidden pocket lined the inside of my vest. Her letter was neatly folded there—the only letter she sent me after I left. In the first few months, I read it every day. Now, I didn’t anymore as I knew the words by heart. I liked to have it close to me. But she didn’t need to know about it.

  In the distance, a horse galloped down the length of the group, coming straight at us. I stiffened, but recognized Afal, the soldier I had sent ahead to tell the soldiers at the camp that we were coming, and ask for a report of the situation.

  My first instinct was to ride away from Blair, but for some reason, I wanted to stay by her side.

  Afal slowed his horse as he approached us. “Prince Redlen,” he said, turning his horse to fall into step by our side. “Lady Blair.” He bowed his head to her.

  “Tell me,” I urged, growing tense.

  “The sea elves have fully arrived, my prince,” Afal said. “Their ships are offshore, and their tents are spread out on the beach for miles in both directions. But they have not attacked our soldiers since the battle at the fortress.”

  “Good,” I muttered. Well, not good that our enemies were taking over our coast, but good that there had been no more deaths. “Thank you.”

  Afal dipped his chin, then joined the other soldiers.

  “Are you okay?” Blair asked once we were alone again.

  No. I wasn’t okay. I had not been okay since I heard the sea elves were back. Then, Lugh had died. Blair could have died too, and now the goddess insisted I was supposed to be crown prince.

  No, I wasn’t okay. I wouldn’t be for a long time.

  But I didn’t tell her that. “I’ll be fine,” I lied.

  I kicked my horse's flanks and went back to the front of the party, where I hastened our pace so we could get to the coast as soon as possible.

  8

  Blair

  As soon as Red left my side, he sped up the group's pace, and our stop for the night was short, shorter than it should have been. He wanted to arrive at the coast soon, and I couldn’t blame him. Even though the sea elves seemed under control right now, as per the report he had heard from his soldier, I understood his need to be there and do something.

  We arrived at camp and a horde of soldiers greeted us. Whispers that the rebel prince was here to avenge his brother and save us all spread through the camp. If Red heard the whispers, he pretended he didn’t.

  Red went directly to the biggest tent in the camp’s center. His sleeping tent was right behind it, and mine was right beside his. I ducked under the flap of my tent and stepped in. Sage stayed at the entrance, and I dropped my satchel on the mattress nestled atop red and orange rugs covering the ground. There was a small table with a bowl and a jar on the side. I washed myself, wishing I had time to visit the small pond behind the camp, but I knew Red was at full steam, and if I didn’t edge myself into his plans now, I would be left out entirely.

  That wasn’t me.

  Red gathered the generals, captains, and spies in the main tent. He hadn't invited me, but I didn’t care. He wouldn’t yell at me in front of so many fae.

  Regardless, I walked into the main tent as if I belonged there.

  As I expected, Red sat behind the long mahogany table, looking at the maps spread out over the table. Lennox was right beside him. General Barric, Captain Runt, Captain Omri, and four other soldiers stood across the table from him, listening to their prince and scouring the maps.

  Red’s eyes met mine. His lips thinned and his jaw popped. I knew that face. He was mad at me, but as I expected, he didn’t say anything. I approached the table and glanced at the map. There were dark blue stones spread over the beach—the sea elves. They had taken a much larger part of the beach than I first thought.

  A good way from them was a line of red stones: our soldiers, the ones making sure the sea elves stayed back. And even farther from the line was a bunch of orange stones: this camp.

  Afal walked into the tent a few minutes after me.

  Red straightened. “Anything different?”

  Afal nodded. “The sea elves moved some of their tents closer to our barrier, my prince. And they seem to be gearing up.”

  “They are ready to attack,” Lennox said.

  “I think so,” Afal agreed.

  Red crossed his arms. “Then we should be ready too. General Barric, tell—“

  “Wait.” I couldn’t help myself. The word flew out of my mouth. Red glared at me as I approached the table and took a good look at the map. I pointed to a few marks on the maps. “Aren’t these villages?”

  General Barric nodded. “Yes, my lady.”

  “They are too close,” I said. I looked at Red. “If the sea elves advance, there’s a chance the villages will be destroyed. The sea elves will target them to hurt us. We should evacuate them first.”

  “She has a point,” Lennox muttered.

  “I can’t divide the soldiers between evacuating the villages and facing our enemy,” Red said, his hazel eyes hard on mine. “To kill them, I’ll need every soldier we have.”

  I squared my shoulders. “I’ll do it.” Red narrowed his eyes at me.
“Sage will go with me.”

  “That’s not enough,” Red bristled, his voice tight.

  “Then give me a handful of soldiers to help,” I suggested. “I know you need them all, but our fae need us too. If I can evacuate them while you get ready for the upcoming battle, then that’s one less thing for you to worry about.”

  “She’s right,” Lennox said.

  “I agree, my prince,” General Barric spoke up. “If Lady Blair helps the fae, then we can focus on the fight, and if the fight spills to the villages, we’ll have a clear conscience that our fae will survive.”

  Red stared at me, his eyes still narrowed, his jaw still tight. He was clearly displeased, and for a moment, I didn’t know if it was because of my presence here, because he couldn’t stand the sight of me, or because I had spoken out of turn. But he had to understand. I wasn’t interfering to offend or undermine him. I was doing this for the fae of the Autumn Court. I felt a little lost in my role now that I wasn’t queen-to-be anymore, but it didn’t matter. I genuinely cared about the Autumn fae, always had, and just because I wouldn’t be queen anymore, it didn’t mean I stopped caring. Even if I turned out to be one more fae in the kingdom, I would do anything I could to help them. That was my calling.

  Red nodded. “Take five soldiers and go.”

  9

  Red

  I said I would give Blair about five soldiers, but my conscience didn’t let me. Instead, I chose fifteen fae I knew by reputation as the most fearless and competent fighters we had.

  If General Barric noticed, he didn’t say anything.

  While Blair went to check something in her tent, I gathered the soldiers and made sure her horse was rested, well fed, and watered. I waited for her with the soldiers at the edge of camp, where a path led to the closest village.