She frowned as she placed the glass upon the table. “You’re teasing.”
I grinned. I’d grown fond of Helen. She was the only person who truly listened to what I had to say, answered my outlandish questions. She’d taught me more about this world than anyone else. I took one last glance at the room. I’d miss the soft bed, the warm fire. It was the first time I’d truly had my own space. The first time I’d experienced luxury.
“My lady.” Helen followed me into the hall. “Are you sure you want to go? You’ll be surrounded by men. Brutish men. Women do not go on hunts with soldiers.”
Even as a whisper of doubt seeped through me, I told myself that I trusted Brynjar, at least. He wouldn’t let anything happen. “They won’t know I’m there until we’re well on the trail.”
The castle was oddly quiet. No servants raced up and down the halls, scurrying to do their bidding. They’d been dismissed to the west wing so they wouldn’t see me leave. It was as still as a mausoleum.
It would be so easy to stay here, to hide behind these walls, to be a useless royal. But eventually these walls would be breached. There truly was no hiding. Hell, taking me to a different realm hadn’t even worked. I would be blamed for the actions of my family. A family I didn’t remember.
“And anyway, why can’t women go on hunts?” I asked as we moved down the hall.
Helen shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s just not done. They stay home.”
I gagged, drawing her bemused gaze to me. Maybe I was being a bit dramatic, but if they expected me to sit here and darn socks, whatever it was women did, they’d realize soon enough that wasn’t going to happen. “I’m leaving, Helen. And maybe it’s time things changed here.”
She sighed, as if expecting nothing less of me than to throw everything into chaos. I couldn’t help but grin. There was something incredibly amusing about pushing her buttons
“Do be careful.”
I nodded. “I will.”
As Helen walked by my side I didn’t feel quite as alone. We made our way down the hall, and I didn’t miss the way she tugged at her curls, a sign she was nervous. Nervous that I wouldn’t return, no doubt.
“So, do you have a boyfriend, Helen? A guy you like, you know, that way?”
“No, my lady.” She blushed. “However, I am interested in Carmen who works in the kitchens.”
I jerked my gaze toward her. “Carmen?”
“Yes, my lady, a maid in the kitchens.”
“You can date women here?”
She frowned. “Why not, my lady? I don’t understand.”
I shook my head. Acadia was evolved. “Never mind. Nothing.” I grinned. “Well, is she hot?”
“Hot?” She looked confused. “What do you mean?”
“Pretty.”
Helen’s blush deepened. “I think so.”
I wasn’t stupid enough to believe she thought of me as a friend. If I died, she was without a job she enjoyed. She’d be back to dusting and sweeping. It made me feel guilty, because I fully realized I might not come back. Ever. But maybe if I did return, just maybe, we could be friends. As pathetic as it was to admit, I’d never really had a good friend. We’d moved too much.
“Helen, the other two babies who were taken to Earth Realm…who did they belong to?”
Her wary glance said everything. Another topic off limits. “No one talks about it, my lady. It was extremely sad. The world wasn’t as it is today. I was young, but even I have memories of the fear. Pain. Violence.”
On the outside Acadia seemed perfect, but like all families, Acadia had problems and secrets. “You think it was wrong to send us away?”
She hesitated, but I saw the truth in her eyes. “I can’t say. Who knows for sure? All I know is that when people are afraid, they don’t think straight.”
“Who were they?” We paused near the stairs. My time with Helen would be over soon. I felt the frantic need to learn as much as I could before I threw myself into this universe. “I want to know.”
She took in a deep, trembling breath. “They say one of the babies was the general’s daughter.”
I frowned. “General Gunvaldsson? That dictator?”
Her cheeks grew red and I realized I’d overstepped. They were loyal to each other here, and I was still an outsider. “Sometimes there are reasons for the way we act. He gave up his daughter and lost his son in the war.”
I felt a twinge of guilt.
“And if he hadn’t started taking care of my mother when my father died…”
My shame flared. Great, just freaking great. “He’s married to your mother?”
“No. She died a couple years ago. But the general obtained positions for us here.”
We started down the stairs and into the foyer. I swore anticipation, anxiety and adrenaline pumped through the very air. I could practically taste it. And it didn’t taste good.
My gaze went automatically to the large portrait of my parents. My mom’s warm, brown eyes. My father’s stoic gaze. My brother’s round, chubby face. And finally, to the baby. The baby who was supposed to be me. The baby forced into another realm. They’d saved my life, but had they truly saved me?
“My lady, are you ready?”
Bryn’s voice was as level and calm as always. I turned, smiling tentatively at him. He stood in the foyer, wearing dark brown trousers and a beige shirt under a leather vest, his hands clasped behind him. He didn’t smile back. My smile faded.
He’d made it perfectly clear he didn’t want me to tag along. The general strolled into the hall, his boots tapping against the marble floor. He looked even less thrilled to see me than Bryn. I squelched down any nervousness, and clenched my jaw so hard my teeth ached. I wouldn’t let them bully me. Hell, I’d always been pushed to the fringes of society, mocked, ignored, this was nothing new.
“All right then,” the general barked. “Brynjar, gather the troops. Get them moving so they’re well ahead before she arrives, and hopefully they won’t notice her.”
Through the windows I could see the sky had turned gray. The sun would be up soon. Dark shadows of soldiers lined the drive, some on their mounts ready to go, others standing by. The soft sound of conversation and occasional neigh of horses seeped in through the open windows. These people were still strangers to me. Their actions foreign. I felt as if I straddled two worlds. I’d never belonged in New York, yet I didn’t belong here either. But I had to trust them with my life. I had no choice.
The general paused in front of Bryn, the two keeping their voices low as they discussed their plan. It was obvious I wasn’t included. The general trusted me about as much as I trusted him. Maybe it was his arrogance, or his dismissive attitude, but I knew without a doubt he and I would never get along.
“What kind of man gives up his daughter?” I whispered to Helen. “Who can do that?”
“Perhaps he thought she would be safer on Earth.”
I laughed. “Believe me, it’s not safer.”
She shrugged. “Or maybe he thought it his duty.”
Duty to sacrifice your child for some royal family? To possibly never see that baby again? It wasn’t fair of me to judge him, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. If they’d had any idea what I’d gone through, what I’d had to endure in Earth Realm, they wouldn’t feel so quick to toss us aside.
Heck, maybe I just wanted someone to blame, and he’d do quite well. “He used his own child to protect a princess not related to him?”
She looked uneasy, probably worried we’d be overheard. “He was putting the people and the kingdom first.”
Is that how they all were here? Kingdom first? Over friends, family? Even over innocent children? They gave away kids to satisfy the fairies, for god’s sake. “And the other baby?”
She sidled closer and lowered her voice. “I’m not sure, but rumor has it that the sorcerer had a child that disappeared.”
“Okay, there are so many questions I have from that one statement. First of all, we had a wizard, wh
o could do spells?”
“Everyone did at one time, my lady. And we had one of the strongest, which is how we grew so powerful as a kingdom. They all died off but one. Your Prince Makaiden has the last remaining man of magic, however he isn’t very powerful, or so the rumor says.”
My Prince Makaiden? I didn’t have time to dwell on that loaded comment. “And our sorcerer had a baby?”
Helen clenched her hands nervously in front of her, lowering her voice. “It’s merely a rumor that he mated with a human female. They were forbidden to mate with humans as it made the line weak. They could only mate with other sorcerers.”
“Well that turned out well,” I muttered.
“And don’t worry, the child wouldn’t be able to do magic on Earth Realm.” She frowned. “At least, I don’t think.”
“Thank god. The news and social media would have a field day with that.” It only made me more determined to find the other two. I wouldn’t allow anyone to suffer for me. “Helen, if I don’t make it back…”
“My lady!”
Bryn glanced our way, curious over Helen’s sudden outburst. I gripped her upper arm, and pulled her close even though we weren’t supposed to touch. “Shush, just listen. If I don’t make it back, be sure to send a party to find the other two babies. Promise me.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “I’ll try, my lady.”
I nodded. As a maid with limited power, trying was all she could do. To hell with protocol, I pulled her close. It was the first hug I’d given in a long, long while. So long, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d embraced someone. It was over before she realized what I’d done. Blushing, she stood there taking it like a good little soldier.
Biting back my laugh, I focused on the general. “Ready?”
His cold gaze pierced me with an unrelenting hardness I felt to my bones. It seemed like a warning. I was the woman who could take away his power. Maybe he’d been the one to poison my cakes. I shivered at the thought.
“I will be staying to guard the castle,” he said. “Brynjar will be escorting you.”
Even as I realized this could be a setup, my relief was immediate. The older man made me uneasy. He was too judgmental, too astute. I wouldn’t get away with anything if he was near. At the same time, I wondered why he remained behind.
My attention went to Brynjar.
The lamp light glowed softly behind him, outlining his tall, muscled form. The strength of his very presence made me feel better. Even though he was annoyed with me at the moment, I knew he would protect me. I knew I could trust him.
“None of the men know you’re going along,” the general explained. “It was all volunteer. Whoever is responsible, will no doubt stay behind, assuming they will have a chance again while you’re here. They won’t realize you’ve left.”
I nodded. Unless he’d told them I was going. Unless this was a trap and he’d sent along the very men who wanted me dead. “Let’s go then.”
“You didn’t think to leave before saying goodbye?” Aunt Millie was suddenly at my side, her soft, warm arm wrapping around my shoulders and pulling me into her flowery scent. She’d been so upset over Sadie’s death that I’d felt guilty, and had been avoiding her.
She slid her hand down my arm, searching for my palm. “Take it,” she whispered. “Use it if you need.”
She pressed a small leather pouch into my hand. Before I could question her further, she was gone, heading back toward the kitchens, her lady’s maid following. It was all so very odd and secretive, that I didn’t dare ask Helen or Bryn about the contents. Instead, I shoved the pouch into my pocket next to Helen’s dagger before anyone noticed.
“Ready?” the general barked.
Helen gave me one last glance, bobbed a curtsey, then headed toward the back of the house. I didn’t miss the look of weary acceptance upon her face. She didn’t think I would return.
“Princess,” Brynjar called softly. “Are you ready?”
I hesitated a moment longer, my gaze lingering unwillingly on that portrait of my parents. Nothing. I felt nothing. Yet, I was supposed to lead their people. Save this kingdom. And all the while, I could feel the burn of the general’s gaze on me, as if he knew I was a fraud. Ashamed, I moved out the door and to the front stoop where Bryn waited.
The morning air was cool and damp, the smell of the ocean on the breeze. We had only a moment before morning would arrive in all of its brilliant glory. We needed to leave before the sun peeked over the horizon, so why did I hesitate?
A group of men lined the drive, filling packs, settling their horses. Prince Makaiden stood amongst them all, surrounded, guarded, his hands tied in front of him as mine had been those couple weeks ago when he’d forced me into this world.
It was his regalness, even dressed in plain dark trousers, white shirt and leather vest, that made him stand out. I, too, was nobility, but I knew I didn’t ooze charm or importance like him. I took in a deep trembling breath. I wasn’t sure which made me more nervous, being alone with so many strange men, or being alone with one prince.
“Just for the record,” Bryn stated. “I’m completely against this.”
“Noted,” I replied.
Bryn started down the steps and I forced myself to follow, scurrying to catch up with him. He was angry. I got it. But if he was going to act like this the entire trip, it would get old fast.
“How do you know the prince is telling the truth about the fairy dust?” I asked.
“An oracle stone, my lady.”
We made it to the group of men, and I didn’t have time to ask more. I made sure to keep my head down, my eyes averted, the cap hiding most of my feminine face. Fortunately, the men were too busy to notice me. A few glanced my way, but easily dismissed the short boy in servant’s clothes.
I found my downcast gaze wandering to Prince Makaiden more than once. He looked so damn at ease, even surrounded by men who wanted him dead. He was a man who knew his own power. How did he do it? How did he not care? As if sensing my attention, he glanced over his shoulder.
Recognition was immediate. Spotting me, his brows raised, his gaze filling with an amusement that made me want to slap his handsome face. Slowly, he scanned my form, from the top of my cap, down to the tips of my dingy, dark boots. A trail of unwanted heat whispered through my body. Embarrassment or something more? With a grin, he inclined his head in a mocking bow.
Feeling hot and flustered and more than annoyed, I strolled by him, heading to my mount. “You better not be lying,” I hissed just loud enough for him to hear.
I put my foot in the stirrup and hefted myself upon the black mare.
The prince pulled himself atop his own mount and edged it closer. “I would never lie to a princess.”
Why did I have the sudden feeling I’d be better off staying behind in the castle? I scoffed in disbelief and spurred my mount forward, following Bryn and dismissing the arrogant oaf of a prince.
****
Traveling up into the mountains was more difficult than I’d expected. It took all of my strength to keep my mount and not slide off the saddle, rolling down the hill to certain death. My thighs burned. My butt ached. My head throbbed. From the tips of my toes to my hair…I hurt. And we’d only been riding a day.
As the sun had risen, lighting the area, the men had started to recognize me. I’d seen a discreet glance or two. Then the nudges. Then whispering. It hadn’t taken long for news to travel up the line of soldiers.
Exhausted, I closed my eyes, letting the horse lead the way. So damn tired. The world around me faded. Although the breeze was chill, sweat coated my skin. What I wouldn’t do for my massive marble bathtub back at the castle. In less than two weeks, I’d become completely spoiled, and at the moment I was too depleted to care.
“Are you well?”
The sudden sound of Bryn’s voice startled me. I opened my eyes to find him at my side, all ease, not in the least uncomfortable. He wasn’t even sweating. Disgruntled, I forced myself to
nod. “I’m fine, thank you.”
He handed me a flask of water. “You’re doing well, my lady. Much better than any of us expected. We’ll be stopping soon. I promise.”
Better than they expected? I took a drink, the cool water rushing down my tight throat, bringing relief to my dehydrated cells. Had they expected me to whine? To demand to return to the castle? Hell, if I found out they’d taken bets on when I’d give up…
Bryn nudged his mount forward, weaving his way through the horses and back to the front of the line. They respected him. It was obvious by the way they so readily obeyed. I took another drink, savoring the feel of the cold water numbing my parched mouth. But the water would not ease my empty stomach. Why hadn’t I eaten breakfast?
Ever since the cake incident I’d lost my appetite. Like any good royal, I now had a person who tasted my food to make sure it wasn’t poisoned. Lucky me. Was I safer out here? Discretely, I glanced at the soldiers, one by one. I was enveloped by the scent of horses and men. It was overwhelming and intimidating all at once. Maybe I had left the safety of the castle because I wanted to prove myself. Maybe I believed that if I could help them find the fairy magic, they might finally accept me. The realization that I still wanted to belong, needed to belong, ate at me.
“You can’t possibly be thinking of starting something with him.”
I jerked my gaze toward the prince. Somehow, at some time, he’d edged ever closer to me. Only one soldier rode between us. The prince had been rather subdued the entire trip. I wished I could have said I’d forgotten about him. I hadn’t. He was like a splinter that you couldn’t get rid of, that festered every so often, reminding you it was still there. Although I should’ve ignored him, at the moment I would have rather dealt with a festering wound than to explore my inner emotions.
“Excuse me?”
He quirked a brow. How was it that he could look so damned refreshed? He’d been in a dungeon for days, for God’s sake, but he continued to look like he’d stepped out of a fashion magazine for the Medieval and Famous.
“A princess and a soldier? It would never be allowed. Like the rest of us, you’ll have to marry for advantageous reasons. Unless it’s just a dalliance? Something for fun? In which case, I’d say, good for you, Princess.”
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