A Time of Turmoil

by N M Zoltack

  Not that their father served a huge base, but he made more than enough to pay for their roof, and they never went to bed hungry. That was far more than most could say.

  Then again, did Edmund have any place to judge his brother? After all, Edmund had been training for nearly a decade now. He had lived at the castle for those ten years. Although he had visited his family’s house several times throughout his training, Edmund had not always had time to visit with his brother. Dudley often would be out and about doing who knew what. He would often try to get out of work. Their father was rather frustrated by both of his sons. Their father had inherited the shoemaking business from his father and his father and his. While Father was proud of Edmund for becoming a knight, unless Dudley stepped it up, who knew what might become of the business once Father passed away?

  The truth of the matter was that Edmund had not grown up with his brother. He did not know Dudley as well as he should have in order to judge him. Perhaps Dudley wished to follow in his own footsteps instead of making shoes for others for the rest of his days. How could Edmund believe that to be wrong when he had done the very same thing by becoming a knight?

  A week after being knighted, Edmund could not help but feel a bit homesick. He missed the castle, but he could hardly return there. It was not truly his home. As a knight, he must live wherever he was sent, and he now lived in Atlan. His position was to guard the perimeter of the city. Others were to guard the marketplace. At least there, Edmund would have had more time and interaction with the people. Instead, Edmund spent his hours with the other knights serving as guards.

  On this day, though, Edmund was allowed to have some time for himself. As he could not go to the castle, he opted to seek out his family. His parents were hard at work making shoes, and Edmund only spent an hour with them as he did not wish to intrude on their business.

  His mother was the one to put him in the direction northwest. Apparently, Dudley tended to spend a lot of his time at a particular flower shop that way.

  Without delay, Edmund set off to locate this shop. To his surprise, the shop appeared abandoned. The sound of faint laughter came to Edmund’s ears, and he approached the rear of the ship. A small clustering of trees drew his attention, and as he walked toward the small forest, the giddiness of the giggling grew louder. A deeper rumble was recognizable, and Edmund knew he had found his brother.

  Bursting beyond the line of trees, Edmund stopped short to see his brother pull away from kissing a lovely woman. A few flowers fell from her brown locks as she turned to face Edmund with steely blue eyes and leaned her head against his brother’s chest.

  “Dudley,” Edmund said slowly.

  “Edmund!” Dudley cried, sounding far happier than Edmund would have suspected ever possible. “I would love for you to meet Tatum.”

  “Tatum,” Edmund repeated.

  Tatum covered her mouth and giggled. “The brother knight.”

  Dudley nodded, and Edmund repeated the motion dully.

  “It is so good to finally meet the man who will soon be my brother through marriage,” she gushed.

  The knight’s shock could not be more profound. His brother had found love? He was to marry? How on earth could he provide for his wife? And if they were to have children… He did not even know if his brother liked children. It was not until this very moment that Edmund realized just how far apart he and his brother had become. When they had been five and four, they had been inseparable. Once Edmund heard the grand tales of knights from bards, he could not be dissuade from his course. He had worked hard and for many years to even gain the attention of a duke and then to secure a favor? Edmund knew he was destined for greatness.

  As for Dudley, well, he had seemed destined to be poor and alone once their parents passed away. Certainly, Edmund had always intended to care for his family. While shoemakers were not the poorest of peasants, they did not live even like the lowest of nobles. Edmund had wished to help elevated their statue and that of the Hills in general.

  That his brother had found love and from such a beautiful lady… Edmund could barely look at Tatum. It seemed wrong to.

  Belatedly, he realized his brother and his betrothed were waiting for Edmund to speak. He cleared his throat as he struggled to recall what had last been said.

  “Oh, I am afraid you have me at the disadvantage, Lady Tatum. My brother neglected to tell me about you, yet it seems you know a fair amount about me.”

  Tatum covered her mouth and fluttered her eyelashes as she gazed up adoringly at Dudley. She clung to his arm. “Oh, no, dear me. You must spend time with many noblewomen, but I am no lady. Please, just call me Tatum.”

  “Very well.” Edmund nodded to her, the movement formal and crisp, nearly a bow.

  She tilted her head as if waiting.

  “Very well, Tatum,” he said dutifully.

  The woman laughed. “You both are so charming. I cannot fathom why you both are not already wed.”

  Perhaps because my brother is poorer than dirt.

  Edmund winced. He shouldn’t think so poorly of his brother. For all he knew, Dudley had a plan for the wedding and for his marriage to be one of lifelong happiness for them both.

  “I do hope my brother finds himself a proper lady,” Dudley said. “He deserves the very best.”

  Edmund felt even lower. His brother spoke earnestly. He was not just saying empty words.

  “Tell me how you two met,” Edmund said to change the subject.

  He hadn’t thought much about ladies or marriage himself, too focused on becoming a knight. Now that he was a guard, he wished for a new, better position. One day, perhaps, he would think about finding a good woman and settling down, but not just yet.

  Tatum patted Dudley’s chest. “Do you want to tell him, or should I?”

  “Go ahead, love.” Dudley beamed at her.

  Edmund felt as if he had stepped into a surreal, alternative world. He had never seen Dudley this happy before, or anyone at all for that matter.

  “Dudley came into my shop, looking for an elixir,” Tatum said.

  “Mother fell ill,” Dudley explained. “Nothing too serious, or else Father or I would have sent word. We didn’t want you to worry.”

  “Wait.” Edmund held up his hand, confused. “You don’t work at the flower shop?” he asked Tatum.

  The woman laughed. “Oh, dear me, no. My shop is next to the flower shop.”

  “She’s an alchemist,” Dudley explained.

  Edmund stilled. Alchemy was a dangerous art. It wasn’t so much science as it was a destructive force. Yes, it had its place to some extent, but only men could and should attempt to even try to formulate the elixirs and potions.

  “So, Dudley came to my shop. He couldn’t afford the elixir he needed, but I couldn’t bear the thought of him returning to his mother emptyhanded. When I learned that he was a shoemaker, I asked for slippers, and, well, I’ve never taken them off since.” Tatum lifted the hem of her navy blue skirt just enough to reveal dark slippers that already looked well worn.

  Edmund averted his gaze, feeling as if he were intruding even though the couple were talking to him. He felt out of place and out of sorts.

  “I should be returning to the shop,” Dudley said regretfully.

  “As should I.” Tatum lifted onto her toes and kissed his cheek.

  “Walk with me, brother?” Dudley asked Edmund.

  “A moment if you would,” Edmund asked stiffly.

  Dudley embraced Tatum, whispered in her ear, nodded to his brother, and headed off with a lightness in his step.

  Tatum eyed Edmund. She stood perfectly straight and still, rigid and hard, her gaze steely. The stark contrast from her easy-going and lively nature to this wary apprehension and even annoyance was clear to see.

  “What intentions do you have toward my brother?” Edmund asked the moment he was certain Dudley was too far removed to overhear.

  “Why, I mean to marry him. We told you such.” Tatum scowled and cro
ssed her arms, tapping her fingers on her sleeves. “You do not approve.”

  “I do not know you,” Edmund said stiffly.

  “And instead of wishing to rectify that, you would prefer to make assumptions based upon my chosen profession.” She eyed him coldly.

  “It’s not that,” Edmund sputtered.

  She arched her eyebrows. “Isn’t that so?”

  “What about my brother…” Edmund fumbled for the right words.

  Tatum softened slightly. “I do love him, if that is what has you so worried, and he loves me. He is a good man with a gentle heart. Unlike so many other males who learn of my profession and then are scared away like cowards, Dudley listens to me.”

  Ah. Essentially, she loved her brother because he paid her attention. If another male had come along first and listened to her, she would have fallen for him instead. She was fickle.

  But Edmund merely nodded. “I see. Please do not misunderstand. I just want my brother to be happy.”

  “He is, couldn’t you see it?” Tatum asked eagerly.

  “I do,” Edmund admitted. “I should go and catch up to him.”

  “Of course. It was so very nice to meet you, Edmund. Apologies. Sir Edmund.”

  “Edmund,” he said automatically.

  Tatum’s smile was enchanting enough, but Edmund couldn’t return it. He nodded and rushed off. By the time he caught up with Dudley, his brother was already at the store, handing out orders to customers. Dudley was actually working.

  Instead of bothering his brother more, Edmund wandered off to the marketplace before returning to his room in the barracks with the other guards. The next chance he had to talk to his brother, he must ensure that Tatum was not there. Although he and his brother had not been the closest over the years, Edmund wanted the very best for Dudley. If that was indeed Tatum the alchemist, so be it, but female alchemist had a long and sordid history, and Edmund would not allow his brother to fall under the spell of one.

  18

  Rase Ainsley

  A week. Seven long days. No one had seen or heard from Maxene. Rase knew this because just yesterday, he had ventured into the nearest tavern, the Worthless Jackals, to ask about her. Leanne had made herself sick with worry over her friend to the point that Leanne literally couldn’t walk. She would become too dizzy and fall over. It was all up to Rase.

  So, despite knowing how furious this would make his parents, Rase had sneaked out of the house. The light of the stars illuminated his path. The moon was only a sliver in the black depths of the night sky, its light obscured by clouds.

  But Rase could see well enough. It wasn’t often that he took any of the cobbled paths, and after a few steps, he shifted off to the side to walk in the grass. That felt more natural to him. He knew that the king and princesses and prince and everyone fancy like that would never prefer to walk in the grass, but they also wouldn’t be walking and especially not barefoot. Rase liked the way the grass tickled against his soles, and it helped to distract him from the worries that kept threatening to overwhelm him.

  Because what if Maxene hadn’t been seen by anyone?

  And that had turned out to be exactly the case. The few people Rase had worked up the nerve to talk to all told him the same, and the last one, a plump woman who had to be three times the size of Leanne, had shouted to everyone gathered there to see if anyone else had.

  They hadn’t.

  It was morning now, and Rase hadn’t told Leanne. After all, there were a few other taverns Maxene frequented. He would check them and maybe even any others he could find.

  That night, Rase walked for two hours before he reached the tavern, the Jolly Snapdragon. Although most of the world was nothing but darkness, the tavern sparkled as if hundreds of candles were lit. A couple staggered out of the door, and Rase ducked inside. Smoke from both torches and cigars invaded his lungs, and Rase ducked down. The smoke was visible, like fog, and Rase inched around the back wall, desperate to find a spot where he could breathe easier.

  “This doesn’t look like the place for you,” a man said.

  Rase’s gaze darted around until he located the speaker. The man had beady eyes that sank into his monstrous face. Even while sitting, hunched over his tankard, he appeared like a giant.

  Rase gulped and moved on. The sound of raucous chuckling followed, but Rase didn’t dare turn around, not wanting to meet that man gaze, or any other’s for that matter.

  It wasn’t until he reached the corner that Rase hung his head and realized his mistake. The whole point of coming here was to ask if anyone had seen Maxene. He could’ve seen if that man knew her or where she might be.

  Instead, Rase continued until he had made a full circle around the room, which wasn’t easy because people constantly stood and were walking around, bumping into him, clamoring for more ale.

  One man threw a tankard at a man, and some of the ale splattered onto Rase. He wiped a hand down his face, desperate to see so he could get away. The two men were screaming at each other, fists were flying, chairs falling down. Rase nearly was flattened against the wall as the tankard-thrower was shoved backward.

  Rase scampered by. Maybe he should just get out of here.

  Just then, he spied a girl, maybe his age, maybe older. She tilted her head and blinked several times. Her eyes were as big as dinner plates. He had never seen anyone with such big eyes before, and it didn’t look natural.

  Suddenly, the girl sprang forward. A bald man had just placed down his tankard. The girl snatched it and disappeared.

  Confused, Rase gaped at where she had vanished. The bald man didn’t seem upset that she had taken his tankard, or perhaps he hadn’t even noticed.

  Without warning, the girl returned and placed the tankard back where the man had. He grabbed it, slurped some down, used the back of his other hand to wipe his mouth, and slammed the tankard down so violently some ale splashed over the side.

  The girl blinked at Rase again before melting into the crowd again.

  More than a little curious, Rase tried to find her. He would much rather talk to her or someone else close to his age than one of the drunks here. It seemed as if the establishment only housed drunks.

  Beside Rase and the girl, of course.

  Only Rase did not find the girl. Instead, he located someone else.

  His pa.

  19

  Servant Ulric Cooper

  The time for the wedding had come. Sabine had come to Atlan only a fortnight ago, and already, she was marrying the king. Ulric didn’t know much about her at all save that she was a Grantham and from Etian. That was it. Most of the people who attended the wedding didn’t know much about her either, but they seemed to be embracing her. After all, she was beautiful. After the engagement, she went out and met the people of Atlan. She bought several of them items that they desperately needed from the marketplace. She even sought out farmers and bought food from them to bring to the castle to be made for the wedding feast.

  Which was where Ulric entered the picture. He was serving at the wedding feast. This was the closest he would ever get to rubbing elbows with the elite of Tenoch. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been assigned to the royal table, so he could only look at Princess Rosalynne from afar. That day, her gown was a deep red color, a garnet shade. The jewels around her neck matched perfectly. Her lips had even been painted the same hue. She was smiling and laughing, and he wished he could have heard whatever had made her laugh.

  “She is beautiful, isn’t she?” he asked.

  Hamon Dannel sighed. “She is. The loveliest queen there ever is or will be.”

  Ulric didn’t bother to correct the man. Ulric had eyes for one royal and one royal alone. The princess would forever be the one beauty he adored.

  Another servant spoke up. “She is too good for the king if you ask me. She should be with someone closer to her age.”

  “Like you?” Hamon snorted.

  Yet another servant cut in. “Like me. She and I will have the blondest ba
bies of all.”

  Ulric rolled his eyes and went to work serving the many guests. Although the new queen was all smiles, the king maintained his perpetual frown. Was he not happy about his choice? Could he ever be happy? Ulric had seen the king on and off for years, and Ulric couldn’t recall a time in which the king looked happy. Maybe some people were always miserable. So long as the kingdom was at peace, Ulric didn’t think it mattered if the king was happy or not.

  As quickly as he could, Ulric served the endless stream of guests. When he realized who he next had to bring the meal to, he hesitated. Thankfully, either that terrible guard didn’t recognize Ulric, or else the guard didn’t care. Ulric served Tiberius Davis and moved on as quickly as he could. Thankfully, the guard seemed carefree and happy.

  Well, if Tiberius wasn’t going to be an issue, then perhaps Ulric could follow through on his plan after all. A month after the wedding, there was to be a tournament, and Ulric hoped to take part in it. Most likely, he would make a fool of himself in front of all the court, including the lovely Princess Rosalynne. Still, he would do his best. After all, that was the very most he could give.

  20

  Queen Sabine Grantham

  The new queen. Sabine could hardly believe it. Then again, all she had to do was run her hands over her fine silk gown, the lace overlay, the impressive beadwork, or even the jewels around her neck or hanging from her ears.

  She had done it. She had married the king.

  When her mother had first mentioned to Sabine that she should try to see if the king would be interested in her, Sabine had laughed. Her mother was just as beautiful as she was. If she wished, her mother could have been the one to ensnare the king. Instead, her mother had nearly forced Sabine onto him. Honestly, Sabine hadn’t needed that much convincing. Being queen was not a dream come true, but only because Sabine had never dared to dream it ever. She had never thought it possible.