by W. J. May
Before they knew it, they were ready to go.
There was just one little problem.
“I heard you were all riding together.” Cosette skipped lightly through the crowd of people making their way across the grass. A night’s sleep had done wonders in terms of restoring that sparkling smile. The wooden pony was permanently glued to her hand. “Can I come along?”
The three friends tensed at the same time. They’d been planning on using the unsupervised time together to plan out an escape. Granted, they couldn’t exactly give that as a reason.
“Actually,” Ellanden shifted guiltily, “it’s probably best if you—”
“Of course you can come,” Asher said quickly, flashing the child a smile. “We were right about to come find you.”
Before the others could protest he lifted her up and set her down in the carriage, keeping his back turned to avoid his friends’ eyes. It was hard to say exactly why he did it. After a few more hours of convincing, he’d reluctantly agreed to the plan the night before—but maybe he was still hoping it wouldn’t work, or they’d simply change their minds. Perhaps he simply realized there was no way they’d be able to speak anyway, given the level of supernatural hearing around them.
Either way, the little princess was already in the coach and things were getting underway. A moment later, the doors of the castle opened and their parents swept out to say final farewells.
“This is only for a little while,” Dylan promised, embracing his daughter fiercely before pulling back to look into her eyes. “Then I promise I’ll ride to the Ivory City and get you myself.”
She forced a smile, hoping it was enough to convince him. “I know...only for a little while.”
A troubled expression flitted across his face, but he seemed to chalk it up to disappointment at having to leave. A moment later he kissed her again, then passed her into the arms of her mother.
“I know you’ll be careful,” Katerina murmured, speaking directly into her daughter’s ear. “I know you’ll look after the others and not try anything reckless.”
Evie’s heart pounded guiltily, but she nodded at once. “I won’t. I’ll make you proud.”
Katerina leaned back, still holding the tops of her shoulders with a faint smile. “I’m already proud, Everly. You couldn’t make me prouder. But right now, I want you to be safe.”
The princess bit the inside of her lip, trying to breathe through the overwhelming guilt that was consuming her. A few feet away, her friends were having a similarly tough time.
Ellanden and Cassiel were speaking in their native language, heads bent together, and talking so quickly Evie could pick out only a few random words. Things like duty and trust. When Cassiel finally pulled back and clapped his son on the shoulder, Ellanden looked almost physically sick.
For a split second, he faltered. Then he forced a smile, kissed his mother goodbye, and said a few parting words to his father. A moment later, he was heading to the carriage.
Their eyes met as he walked past.
“...we are going to hell for this.”
Evie laughed lightly, as if he’d made a joke—keeping that smile fixed on her face.
It’s a definite possibility.
If it was possible, Asher was having an even harder time saying goodbye.
Unlike the others, who adored their parents but still lashed out with occasional acts of adolescent rebellion, Asher and his father were unnaturally close. Maybe it was because they’d literally picked one another. Theirs was a family of not just love, but choice.
“Do you have everything you need?” Aidan asked quietly.
His son nodded, keeping his eyes on the ground.
“Weapons, clothes,” Aidan pressed, “enough blood for the road?”
“Yes,” Asher answered, still unable to meet his gaze. “I have everything.”
Aidan nodded slowly, trying in vain to catch his son’s eyes. After a few failed attempts he pulled him in for an embrace instead, gripping the back of his dark hair.
“I know you don’t want to leave,” he murmured. “But please trust me—it’s for the best.”
Asher flinched like he was in physical pain, then pulled in a shaky breath.
“I know. But if you’d just—” He caught himself quickly, and bowed his head. “...I know.”
“Ash,” Ellanden called sharply from the window, sensing that his overly-moralistic friend was about to break, “time to go.”
Kailas and Serafina had already smothered little Cosette with kisses. Dylan had already twice volunteered to go with them, but fortunately he was talked out of it each time. Finally, when there was no more time to delay, the children climbed into the carriage—sticking their heads out the window and raising their hands one final time in goodbye.
“Just for a little while,” Dylan called as the wheels started rolling down the gravel path. “A little while, then I’ll come get you. I promise.”
Unable to hold the smile any longer, Evie waved quickly then ducked back into the carriage, turning her face immediately to the wall as she wiped away a forbidden tear. It happened quickly, but one person still noticed. A moment later, a tiny hand slipped into her own.
“It’s all right, Evie.” Cosette looked up at her with a bright smile. “At least we have each other.”
The others shared a look over her tiny head, feeling as though the guilt might eat them alive.
“That’s right,” Evie murmured, pulling her closer in a one-armed hug. “At least we have each other.”
FOR TWO DAYS AND TWO nights, the carriages rolled on without incident. Taviel and the High Kingdom were on separate sides of the realm, and the battalion escorting them had been ordered to move with the greatest speed. Meals were eaten on the move. Horses were changed out in five-hour increments so the coaches never had a reason to stop.
The plan was to ride on for five more days then the horses and carriages would return, while the passengers boarded a tiny ship that was to take them to the kingdom across the sea. Ravens had already been sent, and preparations were already underway for their arrival.
When Evie had asked why her mother or uncle didn’t simply shift into a dragon and fly over themselves, the Damaris twins had shared a quick glance before turning away. There was no length to which they wouldn’t go do ensure their children’s safety. And they had learned long ago that a dragon was not always the most dangerous thing roaming the skies.
So they rode. And rode. And rode.
It got to the point where the friends stopped talking with each other. The little princess was playing with her pony, while the others spent most of their time staring out the window—repeating the words of the prophecy in their heads.
Evie had thought they were doomed when Asher put Cosette in the same carriage, but it turned out not to matter so much. The girl was only six, and passed out cold not long after the sun went down each evening. She slept like the dead and gave the friends plenty of time to talk.
“Did someone bite you?”
Ellanden glanced up in surprise to see Asher staring at him curiously. It had been hours since any of them had spoken a word and it took him a second to catch up.
“Is that the beginning of a joke?”
The vampire shook his head.
“No. Your arm.”
The fae glanced down in confusion, but sure enough, on the top of his shoulder was a perfect set of teeth marks—two crescent moons, fading quickly on his skin.
“Oh, right.” He cocked his head towards Evie with a grin. “This one got a little scared climbing to your room the other night. Turned me into some kind of chew toy.”
“We weren’t climbing, we were falling,” Evie corrected stiffly. “And I wasn’t scared.”
The prince snorted sarcastically.
“This coming from the girl who’d strangled me just moments before and scratched the hell out of my legs when she snuck into my bed. And you sneezed all over me.”
Asher perked up ever so slight
ly, glancing between them. “What?”
“I did not sneak into your bed,” Evie hissed, lowering her voice so as not to be heard by the guards outside. “I was hiding there. And if you could manage to keep your clothes on, maybe you wouldn’t mind so much if a girl ever accidentally had to sneeze.”
The vampire held up a hand, trying to catch up. “Why were you hiding in his bed—”
“Couldn’t matter less,” Evie snapped, still glaring at the prince. “The whole thing was a nightmare. You’ll never find me there again.”
Ellanden laughed under his breath, turning grimly to the window. “That’s what you think...”
For a moment, the conversation came to a pause. Evie shared a quick look with Asher before dropping the teasing and turning to Ellanden with genuine curiosity.
“What do you mean by that?” she asked. “You said the same thing earlier—that your guards wouldn’t be the only ones pleased at the sight of me in your bed.”
She hadn’t thought anything of it at the time. Not a minute later they’d been jumping out an open window. But the words came back to her with a little chill.
Ellanden glanced at her quickly, then turned his eyes back to the glass.
“It’s nothing. Just a bad joke.”
Curiosity sharpened with a hint of alarm. The princess had been expecting a logical explanation. The last thing she ever thought he’d do was lie.
“Landi.” She leaned a sleeping Cosette against the wall of the carriage, then hopped over the space in between to perch at his side. “What aren’t you saying?
“Nothing, just let it go—”
“Landi.”
When the princess and the vampire said it at the same time, his shoulders wilted with a quiet sigh. For a moment, he seemed to be considering how to phrase it. Then he abandoned the window to see the others staring expectantly at his face.
“You remember the man we met at dinner?” he asked softly. “Melkins?”
Evie nodded silently, stifling a shiver at the memory of that oily smile.
“Well, he doesn’t belong to any particular kingdom, yet he’s worked for all of them since the beginning of time. I think his official title is, ‘agent of the realm’.”
“Since the beginning of time?” Asher asked curiously. “He wasn’t Fae or vampire.”
Ellanden shrugged. “Maybe he’s a lesser sorcerer. A victim of a spell gone wrong. Who knows.”
Evie waved it off dismissively, asking a far more pertinent question. “What exactly does he do?”
The prince flinched ever so slightly, like someone had pricked him. “He’s a carionelle.”
The other two gave him a blank look.
“It’s like a...” His mind raced, searching for the word in the common tongue. “It’s like a matchmaker. Someone who arranges royal unions for the benefit of the realm.”
There wasn’t a sound in the carriage. Just the constant rumbling of the wheels.
Then—
“Excuse me?!”
Asher leaned back, staring between the two of them with a peculiar expression, but the princess was in a full-on rage. Cosette stirred in her sleep, but didn’t wake.
“You cannot possibly be serious!”
Ellanden’s lips twitched in a wry smile. “I’m Fae and Kreo. You’re the Belarian daughter of the High Kingdom’s queen. Between the two of us, we represent each of the four kingdoms. It’s a natural fit.”
Natural. Except there was nothing natural about it.
“How are we even talking about this?” Evie demanded incredulously. “How is that even a real job?! I mean, maybe back in the day. But now?!”
The fae shrugged, playing with the cuff of his sleeve. “Royal marriages have been arranged since the dawn of time. It was unprecedented, what our parents did, but I’m sure if they hadn’t happened to have chosen each other—different arrangements would have been made.”
Evie slumped back against the seat, utterly dumbfounded.
From what she remembered reading, other arrangements had been made. Dylan had been set to marry Serafina. Tanya had been promised to Kailas. Her own mother and Ellanden’s father were officially betrothed in front of the court. But they ignored it and did what they wanted.
She’d always assumed they’d be allowed to do the same.
“They would never consider—”
“They received the man yesterday at court.”
Crap. Yes, they did.
“How are you just...okay with this?” she demanded, eyeing the fae’s reclined position with an accusatory glare. “You’re just sitting there, acting like nothing’s wrong!”
He laughed aloud, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.
“You think I’m okay with it? You think I want to be married to you?” He shook his head, eyes still twinkling. “No offense, Evie. But that’s not exactly what I had in mind.”
“Then why—”
“Because we’re sixteen,” he interrupted. “They’re not going to marry us off at sixteen. I’m assuming our parents agreed to receive Melkins because that’s what every generation of royalty has done since the coronation of the first kings and queens. Nothing will actually come from it.”
She hesitated, biting nervously at her lip. He cocked his head to catch her eye.
“Can you imagine your father forcing you to marry against your will?” he asked in a slightly softer tone. “Can you imagine what your mother would say? It’s not going to happen.”
He spoke with perfect confidence, but she couldn’t help but worry as they each returned to their separate corners, watching the scenery roll by. Whether he meant to be or not, Ellanden was absolutely right. Between the two of them, they represented each of the four kingdoms. If they were serious about doing what was best for the realm, they’d marry the day they turned eighteen.
It would be an unbreakable alliance. The most powerful union the realm had ever seen.
...it would also be miserable.
She loved Ellanden.
He was brilliant and beautiful. Funny and kind. An immortal prince with a warrior’s grace, and a sparkling laugh that made her smile even in the darkest of times.
But she loved him like a brother. She always had.
The thought of the two of them...? No—she couldn’t even think it. It had been strange enough back at the castle, when she’d been lying on top of him in bed. Under no circumstances could she imagine recreating such a moment. She categorically refused.
...if I can.
...if I’m allowed to refuse.
They travelled the next few hours in perfect silence—faces glued to the window, hardly daring to meet each other’s eyes. The only one who hadn’t participated in the conversation was Asher; strangely enough, he seemed just as disturbed as the rest. Every now and then his dark eyes would flicker between the prince and princess, full of silent questions he swore never to ask.
The moon was just beginning to set over the mountains when the carriage finally rolled to a stop. The friends lifted their heads routinely, waiting for the horses to be switched out, and were surprised when the door suddenly opened instead.
“Good evening, milady.” Hastings lowered his voice immediately the second he saw the little fae was asleep. “After consulting the others, we’ve decided to camp here for the night. Food is in short supply, and some of the men will hunt to replenish our stores for the rest of the journey.”
“I’ll go with them,” Ellanden said instantly, aching to get away from the coach.
Hastings shook his head apologetically.
“I’m sorry, Highness. You and the others are to remain with the caravan, along with a contingent of guards. It’s—”
“—my parents’ orders,” he finished glumly. “Yeah, I’ll bet.”
The guard flashed him another look of remorse before returning the way he’d come, helping to unload the caravan. The friends looked at each other, then Asher shrugged.
“At least we get to stretch our legs.”
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The others acknowledged this with a sigh then slowly disembarked, shaking out their stiff limbs and staring around the little clearing where they’d stopped.
They were in the middle of a forest halfway through the Arien mountain range. The air was crisp and smelled of pine, and although it was late in the evening they could see perfectly well by the light of the moon. The road they’d been travelling curved around the edge of one of the mightiest peaks. It sloped up to the rocks above them, and down to a valley below. Not exactly the best place to make camp, but the hour was late, the horses were tired, and there were few other options.
“Do you think we should wake her?” Asher asked softly, glancing back at Cosette.
The princess glanced at the hordes of men bustling back and forth before sharing a quick look with Ellanden—who shook his head. “No, let her sleep. It’s not like they’re raising tents.”
All at once, the air around them shimmered as the soldiers of Belaria shed their weathered traveling cloaks and shifted where they stood—shaking out their fur and howling at the moon.
Evie stared at them with an affectionate smile, touched that they had travelled so far with her and wishing desperately she could do the same.
Despite having practiced every day since she could remember, the princess hadn’t yet been able to shift. Not into a wolf, and not into a dragon. Not even when she’d focused to the point tunnel-vision dizziness. Not even when she’d intentionally relaxed herself by getting drunk.
According to her father, this wasn’t at all unusual. Most wolves weren’t able to make the transformation until their late teens, and she was only part-shifter to start. He worked with her patiently, never expressing the slightest bit of worry—but her mind was filled with doubt.
Maybe she couldn’t shift.
There weren’t too many half-breeds—she and her friends had set a strange precedent. The only true-blood was the vampire, and he secretly wished he wasn’t.
While Asher would never admit it, he secretly despised the rest of his kind. The guy was a pacifist, one of the gentlest souls she knew. It seemed a particularly cruel fate that he should have been made a vampire. A heartless predator. Born to kill.