"That's my greatest desire in life."
"I can't even tell if you're being serious."
"I am and I'm not," he admitted. "It sums up my position at my father's court, and what he expected me to be. But that doesn't mean that it's ever what I wanted. I suppose at one point, I wanted to be a hero who saved a princess from a tower. At others, I've wanted a place in life that was my own and not one forced upon me. Now, I want to support a woman I've come to care deeply for, and have her know that I will help her in any and every way I possibly can."
"If you're not careful, you'll make me swoon," I whispered.
"Perhaps that's my plan." He winked.
A small giggle escaped from me. Spending time with him like this was like a breath of fresh air.
"If I swoon, you'll have to catch me."
"Then it's probably a good job none of those nobles you just wanted to impress can see us here," he pointed out.
I sighed loudly. "I'm going to have to work twice as hard as any king ever would have."
"Probably," he admitted begrudgingly. "I'm sorry that there's nothing we can do about that."
I shrugged. "It isn't your fault. Nor is it mine. It is simply the way our world works. Perhaps it will be easier once I've proven myself capable of taking my throne back." Even as I said it, I knew that wasn't true. I'd always be fighting for the people to take me seriously. It wasn't fair, but it was the way things were.
He was saved from answering by us arriving at the clearing with the well. It was as beautiful as ever, looking completely untouched by other people.
Except that wasn't true. I couldn't make out what it was, but there was something sat on the edge of the well. Sapphire circled it, making me a little wary about what it could contain. She wouldn't do that if it was completely harmless, would she?
I dropped Jonathan's hand and rushed forward. What could it be? How did someone know to leave things for me here? The only person I'd ever showed this place to was Jonathan.
The item appeared to be something wrapped in a simple cloth, my name scribbled on a label across the top. Despite my instincts telling me it probably wasn't a good idea, I picked it up. I hoisted myself up so I was sitting on the edge of the well.
I turned the package over in my hands, wondering what was inside. It seemed strange that a package had been left on the side of the well for me, but the common people were always doing such strange things that I'd just come to accept it to a certain extent.
"What have you got there?" Jonathan asked, coming up and sitting next to me. The confusion on his face confirmed what I already knew, this wasn't a gift from him. I hadn't thought it would be anyway, he hadn't known we were coming here until after the fealty ceremony. In fact, I hadn't even realised we were coming here. Which suggested that whoever left this for me had done so on the off chance I'd turn up.
I smiled at him, unable to help myself. "I don't know. It was waiting on the well for me."
Unable to stop myself, I pulled off the packaging, the soft wrapping falling away quickly to reveal a simple comb with vines carved into the spine of it. I sucked in a breath. It was beautiful. Sometimes, the simple things were the best.
"It's beautiful," I whispered.
"It is. Where did it come from?" Jonathan asked.
"I don't know." People had left me presents before though, and this one seemed innocent enough. I twisted my hair into a bun, knowing that this was a gift I wanted to wear instantly.
My eyes fluttered closed, rolling back into my head and the world went black.
"Lucia!" I was dimly aware of Jonathan shouting and pulling me into his arms. His fingers pressed against my neck, searching for my pulse. He sighed when he found one. "Lucia?" he checked again.
I tried to open my eyes, but they were too heavy. When that failed, I attempted to speak and assure him that I was alright. Though perhaps that was a bit premature, I couldn't speak or open my eyes. And when I tried to move my body, nothing happened. I had to conclude that I wasn't alright after all.
Sapphire's cawing was hard to ignore, she was close to us, potentially even right next to my head, but without being able to see, I had no way of knowing that for sure.
His fingers searched through my hair, no doubt looking for the comb I'd just put in. It seemed unlikely that it had caused such a response, but then I had been almost suffocated by a corset, so it wasn't completely outside the realms of possibility.
Jonathan sighed audibly when his fingers found the delicate comb. He removed it gently, which surprised me. If our positions had been reversed, I'd have been ripping it out.
Feeling returned throughout my body, the smells and sounds of the clearing seeping back in. My eyes stung from whatever had happened, but I forced them open. The bright sunlight was almost too much for me to cope with, but Jonathan's face was there moments later, blocking it out and allowing me some respite.
Did I really faint because of a hair comb? That was somewhat embarrassing.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, worry clouding every word.
"Heavy," I answered honestly. "What happened?"
"You put the comb in and collapsed. Just like..."
"The corset." I'd already come to that conclusion myself. Which meant that this had to be from the one person who'd send me an assassination attempt. No wonder I hadn't been able to recognise the handwriting, Katya was a master at faking it.
I rubbed my eyes and tried to sit up. I must have fallen off the well when I'd fainted, as now I was on the ground. Probably a good thing. It was much safer here.
"We should take that back to the main camp," I said, indicating towards the comb. "I don't know what it was laced with, but we should find out in case it’s used against us again."
Jonathan nodded, and picked it up using the cloth it had been wrapped in before shoving it in his pocket and away from where it could hurt someone.
"If I accidentally prick my finger on it, you'll save me, right?" he joked, though there was a hint of concern in his voice.
I nodded. "Though removing it from contact seemed to work," I pointed out.
"That's something at least. But what do we do about it?"
I thought for a moment, trying to work out the best way to go forward with this. "We don't tell anyone," I said after a moment. "It'll only make them angry at Katya and we want them to be focusing on the loyalty they feel towards me at the moment instead."
He nodded. "I don't like it, but I definitely see your point."
I knew he would. He was too intelligent to have missed the implications of appearing weak in front of the nobles we'd just convinced to support my cause.
"I don't like it either," I admitted. "Katya shouldn't be allowed to get away with this. But for now, she has to believe she's winning. That's when she'll start making mistakes." I had to remember that I knew her. She had a tendency to get sloppy when she thought she was the best at something.
"I hope you're right," Jonathan said. "But for now, I'm glad you're alright." He leaned in and kissed me lightly.
I let go of the tension I'd been holding since I realised what had happened. Katya might have tried to kill me, but she'd failed. And she'd fail the next time too. I'd make sure of it.
Chapter Fourteen
"You're doing it wrong," I called out as I approached the archery range. I hadn't intended to stop here, but while doing my rounds I'd noticed Jonathan there and had been unable to help myself. Sapphire swayed on my shoulder. She seemed to have had enough of flying for the day and had decided she wanted nothing more than a rest. I didn't begrudge her it, I enjoyed her company too much.
He chuckled once he realised it was me. "I never was very good at archery. But I've seen you shoot and feel like I should learn."
"You don't have to," I pointed out. "Everyone has their skills."
"I've seen how you react when you're using a sword and make a wrong move," he retorted.
I frowned. He had a good point there. "But if I didn't have to use one, th
en I wouldn't. It's only because the army expects me to have a sword that I try to use one."
"Then I shall be the same with a bow," he responded. "It's your weapon of choice, I feel like I should be better at it." He notched an arrow, as if trying to drive his point home. He failed, the way he was holding it would mean that it didn't hit where he wanted it to.
"Here, let me show you." I held my hands out for the bow he was using. "Sapphire, post," I commanded.
The hawk leapt from my shoulder and soared towards the post that had been set up specifically for her since her arrival at the camp. I appreciated that. No doubt it was Jonathan who'd thought to have it put in.
He handed me the bow and arrow he'd been using. It wasn't my own, which meant it would take a moment for me to get accustomed to it, but I didn't want to leave him to go get my weapon from my tent. Perhaps I should get into the habit of carrying it around with me, though I'd found that most soldiers responded better to seeing a sword at my waist as opposed to a bow over my back.
I pulled the string a couple of times, getting used to the way it felt. Satisfied, I took the arrow Jonathan offered.
"This is how you hold it." I showed him. "Then you pull it back like this." I went through the motions, bringing the flight of the arrow back to my cheek. I lined it up with the target and let it fly.
A reassuring twang announced that it had hit the target exactly where I wanted it to. Satisfaction welled through me. I didn't want to show off, but it did seem that way.
"Impressive." A smirk lifted the corners of his lips, as if he was planning something. "But I'm not sure if I can hold it that way. Will you show me?"
I chuckled, catching on to what he wanted. I handed the bow and arrow back to him and let him get it into position. I stood behind him and moved his arms into the right position. My hand closed around his and I moved his fingers so he was holding it in the right way.
"You have to do it like this or you'll end up hurting yourself." My words came out as a whisper, which wasn't what I'd intended.
"I don't want that," he responded, his own voice coming out husky.
"Alright, let it fly," I instructed, stepping back so I was out of the way and didn't get hurt.
He nodded and let the arrow go. It sailed through the air, hitting the target, though not as close to the centre as my own had been.
"That's already better than my last shot," he observed.
"I'm not surprised."
Sapphire cawed from her seat watching, and I knew what she wanted.
"Watch this," I said to Jonathan, before pulling a rodent carcass from the small leather pouch I'd been wearing. Not the most princess-like thing to walk around with, but I had a hawk to keep happy. I took some string from one of the posts and wove it loosely around the foot of the dead creature, tying the other end to one of the arrows.
"What are you doing?" Jonathan asked, amusement in his voice.
"Hand me the bow, and you'll see," I promised. I whistled for Sapphire, and she spread her wings.
Taking the bow from Jonathan, I notched the arrow and pointed it up into the air. Luckily, I was already aware of where the other parts of the camp were, and this wouldn't end with guts raining down on anyone.
I let the arrow fly. Sapphire was in the air a moment later, soaring to where she knew the arrow would go. As it sailed past, she snatched the dead rodent from it and glided back down to her perch with it clasped in her claws. Within moments, she was tearing it apart, chomping away happily.
"Impressive, if a little disgusting. How long did it take the two of you to learn how to do that?" he asked.
I was dimly aware of the arrow falling down a few feet away. At least that would mean I didn't have to go searching the forest for it. That had happened more times than I wanted to admit, but I wasn't able to just leave them lying around for anyone to find. If the wrong person did, our entire camp would be compromised.
"Longer than I truly want to admit," I said, trying not to laugh. "It's the kind of thing a princess with too much time on her hands learns." I'd never have even thought about a trick like that if I'd been here the entire time, there just wasn't enough time in the day.
"You don't need to feel guilty about your past," he assured me.
I frowned. Had he guessed the direction of my thoughts just from what I'd said? He must have been particularly astute. I didn't bother questioning why he thought what he did. It was the way I felt, there was no point denying it.
"I know. I can't change any of it. I just wish that it had been a little different. If I could have been more prepared for this..."
"Then this wouldn't be happening," he pointed out. He checked around for other people, before satisfying himself that no one else was around. He pulled me into his arms and rocked me from side to side, almost as if we were dancing. "You can't change the past, Lucia. We just have to keep moving towards the future."
I sighed loudly. "Why are you making sense? I hate it when you do that."
He chuckled. "Perhaps because I've also had to come to terms with what my past means. I'm not the heir to a throne, I wasn't taught the things I needed to know about life, which means I have to learn them now."
"I wasn't born the heir either," I whispered.
"Exactly. And I bet all of the attention and energy was placed on your brother."
"Of course. Father offered me the same education and experiences, but I refused. It seems foolish now."
"And also completely understandable. But I think you're being too harsh on yourself. You're here, you're commanding the rebellion and people are following you. Add into that your proficiency with a bow, and I don't think you're as badly off as you think you are. You should trust in yourself."
"Hmm." I liked the way his words sounded, but something about them was hard to accept. Perhaps I simply wanted them to be true.
"I know it's hard to believe in yourself. But until you do, I'll do the believing for you."
I smiled up at him, amazed that I'd found someone like him in the midst of all this. He was everything I didn't know I'd needed.
He wasn't aware of it yet, but I didn't plan on ever letting him get away.
Chapter Fifteen
"Make sure the food is sent directly to the infirmary," I instructed one of our messengers. Sapphire swayed from side to side on my shoulder.
The man nodded and then disappeared with the bag bursting with fresh bread. We didn't have many injured, but there were enough people that they needed caring for.
I turned away and started thinking of my next task. Making sure things got to the places they needed to go was simply one of the many things that made up the daily grind of the camp, and I made it my mission to see to as many of them as I could. At least that way, I knew what was happening with who.
"Apples," an old woman's voice called. "Free apples."
I perked up. I loved apples, and it had been a long while since I'd had one. We had plenty of food in the camp thanks to the generosity of some local farmers, but it tended to be reasonably simple things. We had lots of bread and some meat, even some root vegetables, but fruit was a luxury we didn't have as much of. And I missed it. Once I was queen, I was half tempted to order a banquet entirely made up of fruit. It would be extravagant, but I deserved it after everything I'd been through.
Perhaps the woman would be kind enough to spare one for me. A small part of me felt bad for the thought. Surely I should give that kind of treat to my people before myself. But it had been a rough couple of days with Jonathan away on a scouting trip with some of the others.
Unsurprisingly, a lot of the people living in the camp had gathered around and were now taking apples from the woman. I hoped there wasn't anything wrong with them. I pushed the thought that this might be Katya's doing away. So far she'd only targeted me and not the people around me. I had to hope she stuck to whatever the code of ethics she'd been using was, she would keep to them and not harm the people around me. They didn't deserve that.
I
made my way over to them, pushing through the throngs of people. I frowned when I saw the woman. I didn't recognise her, but that wasn't all that surprising. I didn't know everyone who was part of the rebellion, or even that lived in the camp. But something felt wrong about her. As if she was hiding behind a mask. I couldn't put my finger on what it was that felt wrong, though, which was as much of a problem as anything else.
"Who are you?" I demanded. Sapphire took the opportunity to fly away, circling above as if she was trying to keep an eye on everything. If anything was going to convince me that something was wrong here, then that was it.
The woman paused for a moment, the apple in her hand disappearing into someone else's. "Just an old woman who heard about the good work you're doing here and brought some apples for everyone. I have one for you, too." She turned towards the bag and picked up an apple.
She held it out to me, the glossy red skin calling my name. It looked beautiful, like it would be crisp, sharp and sweet all at the same time. I only just held back from licking my lips. It had been so long since I'd had one. Would it really be that bad to take it?
"Thank you." I took it from her, ignoring the small voice in my head that was telling me this was a bad idea. I deserved a treat.
"You're welcome. I should be getting back to my orchard. There are more apples there that I can bring back for everyone." She lifted the sacks from her donkey and placed them on the floor at her feet. They were still groaning with apples, and I knew the people in camp would appreciate the treat even if they did come from an odd place. "I'll leave these ones here."
"Thank you for your generosity," I said. "I can see we owe you a great debt for it." There was no way I was taking so much from her for my people and not giving her anything in return. That was an easy way to sow hatred within the kingdom.
"You owe me nothing at all," the woman assured me.
I narrowed my eyes, trying to work out what the game plan was.
"Can I at least know your name?" Perhaps that could shed some light on who she was and why she was sharing her harvest with us.
Fractured Core (Untold Tales Book 6) Page 6