* * *
Weeks passed and still Hazel heard no word of Dianna leaving her chambers. Even so, she was too busy taking surprising delight in the planning of her upcoming nuptials. To her disappointment, it would not take place for some time, as long engagements were Kierelian tradition. All the same, the people were pleased to know the match was imminent. And, in the meantime, she and Armond spent plenty of time together going over the alliance agreement with Bashtii. This took much longer than expected, however, for he questioned everything.
“Armond!” she cried one day, finally at the end of her rope. “You have no idea how hard we worked to make this amenable for both kingdoms. I love Kierelia. Do not you think I would work tirelessly to make certain we made a good deal?”
“Yet, every other sentence, I find you speaking of the wonders of Bashtii.”
“So, now I must be a traitor,” she scoffed. “Is that it?” She rose from the table and went to the window, pulling the curtain aside to gaze out into the evening sky. The sun was setting in its most glorious array, but she had to admit it was nothing to a sunset over the Bashtiian Sea. It was true: She’d felt a peculiar pull to that other kingdom since she’d left. In fact, she missed it… almost desperately. She sensed it had something to do with that ordeal within the Cave of Nielsas.
“Hazel, I’m sorry,” Armond said softly. “I’ve trusted you with so much. There is no reason not to trust you with this. I’ve just signed.”
She twirled to face him. “You have?” She glanced at the document in disbelief. But of a sudden, disconcerting guilt flooded her. “Armond, I think there is something I must tell you.”
He took a seat and invited her to sit beside him. “What is it?”
“It’s about Bashtii.”
He rolled his eyes but offered a half-smile. “Go on.”
“Something… happened there that, well, I think it may be why I keep speaking about Bashtii. You see… King Fredrick requested my aid with a problem in the Cave of Nielsas.”
“That is the cave created by their first king—the cavern with the infamous rubies?”
She nodded. “You’ve heard their kings must bond with those rubies to form a kinship with the God of the land concerning the kingdom?”
He nodded. “My uncle informed me of something like that.”
She swallowed. “Well… it seems that I accidentally formed that bond with Bashtii… instead of Fredrick.”
He sat back. “Hazel, how?”
“I… touched them and met with the Entity in his eternal throne room.”
A series of emotions crossed Armond’s face before, “This could actually be quite useful. We can employ it in negotiations. I mean… you could make anything happen to them, couldn’t you?”
“Armond, I have no intention of using it in that way. I gave Fredrick my word.”
His eyes darted back and forth between hers as he considered. “And a promise made to him means so much?”
“It was a promise made to a friend, Armond. So, yes, it does. And do not you see that the very fact I hold such power over them but do not use it will only strengthen the relationship between our nations?”
He stood then and ran his hands through his hair. “I do, Hazel, I do. But… the Deep South is on their way. It will not be long now. We could use this bond just long enough to get hold of his troops so that we will actually be prepared when they arrive.”
She well understood where he was coming from, but it changed nothing. “I am so sorry, but… I gave my word and I will not break it.” She went to him then and took his hands into hers. “The Entity is with us now. We must trust him for the salvation of Kierelia. We are as equipped as can be.”
He gripped her hands tightly for a moment, almost as if he would compel her to do as he bid, then released them. “Very well, love. I will trust you in this as well.”
27
Hazel sang in her corner of the woods while Dorian lazed on the ground behind her. She had perfect control within his presence now. And it was so easy in the forest. The way the animals drew near, the sound of the warm breeze through the trees… It was utterly serene. She gazed up at those trees, so familiar to her from her youth. It was a miracle that so little of it had been destroyed by the dragons. It stood strong and would continue to grow and grow…?
“Dorian!” she gasped.
He leaped to his feet. “I saw it! I saw it!”
“They grew… Another foot at least!” She turned to face him. “I made trees grow.”
He leaped up and spun her about. “If you can do that… I mean, what else could you do? You don’t just have to throw things. You can nurture them.”
“Dorian… what if I could heal people? That’s something I read the voice of old could do.”
“Well, try something else!”
“All right.” Peering about in search of something to do, she was, for the first time, thrilled about her capabilities. Dare she admit she was proud of what was within her? After all, she was… powerful. She bit her lip a moment. “I have an idea.”
“Go for it.”
She looked to the clouds above and burst into vibrant song. Rain poured from the sky, saturating all in the clearing.
“Hazel, did you just…?”
She giggled. Never would Kierelia possess fear of droughts again!
“Hazel?”
She and Dorian spun about.
“Armond,” Hazel squealed. Singing swiftly to make the rain cease, she ran to him. “How did you find us here?”
“Just lucky, I guess,” he said, casting a quick glance at Dorian before returning to her with coldness in his eyes.
Hazel hesitated. Was he jealous she’d brought Dorian? “Oh… he comes with me sometimes. You know, old times’ sake.”
“Hazel…” he said slowly, “You just made it rain… with your voice.”
She took his hands into hers. “I’ve been meaning to tell you of my training—tried to several times, in fact. I just had to have a better grasp on it before I felt comfortable…” She took a long breath, shaking her head. “There’s no excuse. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
He gazed back at her. Did she imagine the chill?
“I really am sorry for not telling you,” she said quietly. “You deserved to know.”
“Hazel… we need to talk.” Casting another glance back to Dorian, he added, “Come back to the castle with me.”
With her head hung low, she followed after him in silence. She knew she should have told him, but surely… surely this was a little much. His face was red, his eyes fiery. He was seething.
Walking up beside him, she asked, “Armond, have I hurt you so much?”
“Let’s just get back to Castlehaven.”
Her stomach flipped over. His tone was so quick, so taciturn. And why shouldn’t it be? She had broken trust with the man she meant to wed. Her mind raced for a solution to this problem until at last they were safe in his study.
“Oh, Armond, please forgive me,” she cried. “I never meant to hurt you. It’s just the way you talked about the gift as if it were a disease in need of—”
He shook his head. “That’s not what upsets me. Not now, anyway. It may have before, but now…”
“What is it?” she said quickly. “Have I done something else?”
His jaw flexed as he clenched his teeth, staring her down. “You tell me.”
She shook her head, blinking, her mind searching. She’d never seen him like this. “What is the matter?”
“While you were away in Bashtii, Priest Wilhelm and I saw fit to send a spy into the Deep South.” He sat back, as if surveying his effect.
Hazel relaxed as her brows rose in pride. “Well, that was a wise idea. Have you learned something important then?”
“The scout immersed himself into their society until he gained the faith of their king. Now, perhaps you’ve some idea to what I refer.”
Tears stung her eyes as she felt his coldness again, but she could not
begin to fathom what any of this could have to do with her. “Did… did you discover when they plan to attack? They aren’t on their way now?” Was he angry she had refused to use her Bashtiian bond?
With sorrow, he took her hand and sat her down beside him. “Hazel… please. Just talk.”
She searched his eyes, her heart thudding in her ears. “I wish I knew what… what you wanted me to say.”
He stood again and turned his back to her. “I want you to admit you’ve no need to wed me to become queen of this kingdom—that you’ve nurtured it all this time only to hand it over to your parents and their leader, King Rakutan of the Deep South.”
She leaped to her feet. “Armond, what on the planet Kaern are you talking about?”
“My spy informed me of your parents’ agreement with the southern king—that they’ve been making plans together since their banishment.” He looked her square in the eyes. “I know their reward for aiding him is seeing their daughter crowned his queen. You plan to wed Rakutan.”
She fell back a step, her eyes searching his back. Could it be true? Had her parents truly betrayed their country so wholly? And did they really think she’d just marry some malevolent man she’d never met? And how could Armond believe she’d known anything about it?
“I knew nothing of what you speak of until this moment,” she said hoarsely. “I only learned they were still alive when the prophet told me, not so long ago. And I’ve scarcely spared a thought for them since.”
He spun to face her. “And just when did you speak to the prophet?”
“The day the castle was destroyed, just before he abandoned us.”
“Hazel, what do you expect me to think? They're already planning to give you this position, second only to the king. Surely, they approached you at some point.”
“I swear to you, Armond. No such meeting has taken place. I am loyal to Kierelia and her crown.”
“Yet, you've undermined me from the beginning…” he said thoughtfully. She could see everything was falling into place in his mind. “From the beginning, you took over—even limiting what I could and could not say or do. Now, all of Kierelia wishes you were its leader. You've got them wrapped around your finger. So long as they can have you as their queen, they will accept King Rakutan as ruler. My uncle would say that looked like you’d prepared them for the reaping.”
With a gasp, she cried, “Your uncle, despite what my parents had done and despite what Lady Nora told him, always believed me.”
“Then why did he retain you here to keep an eye on?” he said with frustration. “It was clear he had some reason to fear you.”
Pain like she’d never known coursed through her to hear him, of all people, describe her as a person to be feared. “I think… he was angry with my parents, angry further that they'd left me here as a burden to him. Perhaps he did feel they’d left me as a plant. So, when he looked at me, he saw only betrayal. But I swear, there came a day when he claimed he was proud of who I'd become. He even asked me to speak to the Entity for him.”
Smiling bitterly, he shook his head. “My uncle never praised people like that, not even me.”
She blinked back at him, fighting the tears that threatened. “Armond... you know me.”
“Do I?” He shook his head. “I honestly don’t know anymore…”
She watched him struggle. He always struggled when it came to matters in which the gift of wisdom would have come of use. He doubted himself too much. Now, he doubted he had read her rightly. He was growing confident in the most audacious of notions. She knew he had fully embraced these new beliefs when he looked up at her with deep pain in his eyes.
Brushing tears from them, he said, “Though I cannot say just why, I still love you… I cannot see you imprisoned.”
She froze, the heat of her cheeks drying the tears. She knew what he would say next.
“I must banish you from this kingdom,” he choked out. “Go where you will—to your parents if you wish. I will not stop you.” Suddenly, he turned to rifle through a drawer in his desk. He plopped a stack of letters onto its surface. “Better yet, go to your dear Fredrick. He has not ceased writing to you since you returned.”
Her mouth fell open. It was a large pile. Most of them were opened. She had wondered why Fredrick had not kept his promise to write. Now, she knew he’d more than followed through.
“You must leave my kingdom and never return,” he continued, “…on punishment of death.”
She pressed her lips together, restraining the fury that built like a tidal wave. Memories of how compassionate he’d been to her before the dragon attacks, before she'd told him of her feelings for him, flashed through her mind. This man was so different from him. Where she had grown in fortitude through that difficult year, he had become fretful, anxious and bitter. His easy compassion had given way to… this person.
“Armond,” she whispered. “Please do not do this. Don't send me away from you. Don’t send me away like my parents were.” It would be shame beyond imagining.
His jaw flexed. He considered. Then he turned away. “Just go to them... please.”
She covered her mouth to stifle a sob. She forced herself to turn away from the man she’d been about to marry, from the man she’d aided through their harshest ordeals, the one she’d been so proud to see crowned. Once, he’d thanked her for all she’d done. Now, he thought it all duplicity. How could he? She had worked so hard. She’d taken on so much in his name to make him look the part, to provide him time to grow into it. Meanwhile, he was the one who’d been educated for the role while she’d merely grown up a glorified errand girl.
Seeing the figurine she’d given him on her return from Bashtii, she grasped it and smashed it against the wall. Without looking back, she slammed the door and raced to her bedchamber.
As swiftly as her body would move, she used shaking hands to shove clothing into a traveling bag. Then, she raced to her tower and threw in as many books as would fit into the remaining space. With a sob, she offered the room a final glance.
“Please, hide yourself again,” she whispered. “I won’t be back.”
Racing down the stairs, she blinked and the door vanished behind her as requested. Then, she deliberated. There was just one more place she wished to see before her departure. She did not think Armond would know or care if she stole a few more moments and she just… needed it.
The Mirror still possessed no keeper. No one used the room anymore. Perhaps no one would again. It was terribly sad, really, to have such access to the God of all things and never to seek him.
She opened the door and stepped inside. For a moment, her heart warmed as she recalled her first-ever encounter with H.S.—the memory that had been afforded her in his throne room. But with that warmth came fresh pain. She rejected that pain, pressing it down, down, down.
Finally, she looked up. “H.S., my friend. Oh, how I need you now.”
A light breeze washed over her.
“What do I do?” she asked. “Where do I go? Can I really abandon Kierelia?”
The breeze grew stronger and with it she smelled the salty air of the Bashtiian sea. Oh, how she yearned to be there. The longing sent a shiver through her as goosebumps coursed over her arms.
“Very well,” she whispered. She then scrawled the name of that kingdom onto her hand and held it before her face as she vacated the room.
Leaping upon the first horse she could find, she rode it bareback to the Kierelian dock, letting the wind dry her tearstained face.
“Is there a ship departing for Bashtii soon?” she inquired of a dock worker.
“Aye. If you can catch that one just there, you’ll be there by evening.”
She raced faster than she had in her life as she watched the ship pulling away. Pressing past onlookers and farewell-ers, she leaped from the dock and just caught the side, letting the ship workers do the rest in getting her aboard.
Righting herself, she faced the Kierelian shore, her eyes gazing beyond t
o the grassy hills and the golden setting of the sun. She ought to have fared Dorian well, but she couldn’t have endured another moment on that soil. She would write to him and he would understand. As it was, she would see what Fredrick could do for her.
Turning her back on her homeland, she made her way across the ship and rested her hands upon the rail. She could almost imagine she saw the Bashtiian shoreline from there, though it was not possible. She took a deep breath and heard it quiver. Falling back upon the bench behind her, she drew the hood of her cloak over her face, letting the wall of the ship cradle her as she mourned all she’d just lost.
28
"Hazel!” Fredrick called merrily as he raced down the entry steps to greet her. “I heard you’d been spotted on our docks, but I wouldn’t believe it.” He hesitated. “Are you all right? Is Kierelia under attack?”
She shook her head. “I’ve been banished.”
“Banished?” He halted where he stood, releasing a swift breath. “By Armond?”
She drew before him with a nod.
“But I thought…” He rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably. “Well, we’d heard you were engaged…?
She shrugged. “Clearly, we’re not now. Fredrick, may I remain here this evening?”
Eyeing the large satchel in her hand, he took it from her. “You may stay forever if you like.”
Though she’d not really thought he would turn her away, she sighed with relief. “Thank you. It means… a lot.”
She followed him as he led her through corridors. Numerous servants attempted to take the satchel from him, but he batted them away. Now and then, he looked back at her, sometimes sadly, others questioning. At last, they came to the rooms she’d enjoyed on her previous visit. With a peculiar feeling of homecoming, she fell into the nearest chair. “Thank you for this room. It feels…”
“Like home?”
She quirked her head. “Familiar.”
He set her bag down and turned to search her. “Hazel, how are you in one piece?”
She shook her head. “I’m probably not, but… I can’t tell you how grateful I am that I could come here. I don’t know where else I’d have gone. I would have gone to the southern tribes, but… that’s Kierelian territory now.”
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