by A J Manney
She was getting the impression that Raven didn’t know anything more than she did. They were both at Reid’s mercy, but he had hidden them and protected them from the soldiers, soldiers that were surely hunting for Zalia. She suppressed a shudder and pulled her arms around her stomach as if to protect herself. It was a few minutes longer, then Reid was back. His expression was grim.
“That was close,” he said quietly. “But we’re good to go now.”
Zalia blew out her frustration. She had had enough. “Look,” she whispered earnestly. “I need some answers. Who was that tall soldier? Why did he save me and send you to help me? What’s going to happen in Cascadia? Why...”
Reid whirled around, glared at her, and whispered back, “You are not a princess out here. Out here, you are a nothing. So, don’t act like the spoiled brat that you are because it’s not going to get you anything.” With that, he whirled away and started walking again. Zalia stared at his retreating back with anger.
What is his problem! What did I do to him to have him treat me this way! Zalia huffed out a breath and turned to Raven, ready to give her a piece of her mind; but Raven simply held up a hand. That stopped Zalia and surprised her.
“Look,” Raven said, not unkindly. “He’s not going to tell us anything. Let’s just keep moving.”
Zalia looked closer at Raven. “Why are you just following him? Don’t you want answers?”
Raven looked at Zalia and simply said, “I am a servant. I don’t get to decide what I want to do.” With that, she turned and began to walk in the direction Reid had gone. Zalia groaned in frustration.
“Fine,” she groaned and began walking once again.
After another few hours of walking, Zalia’s stomach was growling in protest so loudly she was sure neighboring kingdoms could hear it.
Reid turned back to look at her. “Not used to skipping any meals, are you, Princess?”
Zalia scowled at him in return. After a few more noises from her stomach, he finally decided to take a break. They found a place to sit in the high grasses, and Reid went off in search of food.
Raven and Zalia collapsed ungracefully to the ground and lay down.
“I’m so tired and sore,” Zalia told Raven.
Raven looked back at her with a small smile on her face. “You’re not used to being pushed like this, Princess.”
“I don’t think I’m going to make it,” Zalia muttered.
Raven looked over at her from where she lay next to her. “You’ll be okay, Princess.”
“Just call me Zalia,” Zalia said. Raven looked at her like she had grown two heads.
“But, Your Highness,” Raven stuttered.
Zalia interrupted her, “Like Reid said, I’m not a princess out here. Out here, you’re not a servant, and I’m not a princess. We’re just two girls, friends.”
A slow smile crossed Raven’s face. “Friends,” she said quietly. “I like that.”
Zalia rolled back onto her back. “Me too.” Their quiet rest was interrupted when Reid walked back to where they were laying. Too tired to sit up, Zalia watched as he began to start a fire with the kindling he had gathered. Her eyes grew heavy, so she closed them to rest for a little bit. A firm hand shaking her woke her from her drowsy slumber.
“Eat,” was all Reid said. Zalia’s senses started coming back to her and she smelled meat. Her stomach growled hungrily.
“That smells heavenly,” she said. At this point, she didn’t even care what it was. She was so hungry. Raven gave her a piece of meat and Zalia tore into it. “This is amazing, Reid. Thank you.”
Reid seemed surprised by her gratitude. “It’s just a rabbit,” he said quietly.
“Well, I’m pretty sure it’s the best rabbit I’ve ever had,” Zalia said in between bites. Raven heartedly agreed. They finished their food in silence. All too soon, it was time to get moving again.
The hours blurred by, one day turned into another and another. Zalia began to lose track of days. Each day brought more pain and exhaustion. She was getting slower and slower, making them take more and more stops. By the end of the fifth or sixth day, Zalia no longer felt like eating. She was so tired, she felt like her body was shutting down. After multiple stops all day, and not making much distance, they finally stopped for the evening. Reid went to find wild game to eat for supper. Not able to make it through her exhaustion, Zalia passed out in oblivion. When she awoke hours later, Reid and Raven were sitting around the dying fire talking.
Raven spoke quietly. “Each day she gets worse. She’s hardly even eating anymore.”
Reid snapped, “Well that’s what you get when you’ve lived your entire life waited on by everybody else. She’s just not used to the exercise.”
Raven sighed, “I don’t think that’s it. I think there’s something wrong with her.”
Reid was quiet for a few minutes. “Well, there’s nothing we can do about it but get to Cascadia,” he said softly.
Zalia lay silently, thinking. She didn’t know much about Cascadia, Kingdom of Waters. Of course, she didn’t know much about any of the other kingdoms either. She only knew little bits and pieces from what Kael would tell her. She’d only learned the history of her own kingdom growing up and basic geography of the other four kingdoms in their realm. If she remembered correctly, Cascadia was about a three-day ride from Arrosa. So, walking would probably be five days or longer, but with her slowing them down, maybe even longer. Zalia silently hoped they were getting close. She closed her eyes to rest her weary body.
Two more days passed agonizingly slow. Zalia went through the motions without thinking. Finally, on the seventh day, Reid stopped them.
“We are getting close. Soon we will start running into scouts or guards. When we do, let me do the talking,” he said sternly. Both girls nodded, and they started walking again. It wasn’t until several hours later that they were suddenly surrounded by soldiers. These soldiers were all wearing blue and the crest of Cascadia, two broken semi-circles overlapping each other. They all were fierce and tall and massively built. They looked like giants. Zalia and Raven instinctively took a step closer to each other.
Reid put down his sword and held his hands up in a sign of peace. “We need to meet with your king. I can’t tell you our business, but we mean you no harm. We must speak with your king right away.” The lead warrior stepped closer to Reid and looked at him closely.
He must have approved of what he saw because a second later he nodded, and said, “Follow me.” He turned to one of the other soldiers and said something quietly to him. The other warrior nodded and began running in the direction the soldiers had come from. Raven turned her head to look at Zalia. Zalia grabbed her hand and together they started following the soldiers. After what seemed like an eternity, a castle began to take shape. As they got closer, Zalia could see that it was beautiful, but she was too tired on her feet to be able to appreciate it. A few minutes later, they saw the warrior who had run off come walking toward them. By his side was another warrior. This one was massive, even more massive than the soldiers surrounding them. He was wearing a blue cloak and dressed like royalty. Zalia watched him approach. He was obviously somebody important. When he got closer, Zalia couldn’t get over the size of him. He had the broadest shoulders she had ever seen. He was huge! When he got closer, Reid bowed down on one knee. Zalia and Raven quickly followed suit.
“I am Prince Beckam, first-born prince of Cascadia, Kingdom of Waters. What can I do for you?” the broad warrior said.
“Your Highness,” Reid began as he stood, “we need to see the king. We are here seeking sanctuary. We mean you no harm, but we must speak with the King privately.” Raven hooked an arm through Zalia’s and helped her to her feet. The huge warrior looked closely at Reid then at Raven and Zalia, pausing in surprise when he saw Zalia. Zalia wasn’t sure what that meant, but a moment later he nodded.
“Follow me,” the Prince spoke and turned to start walking towards the castle. Reid began to follow when
he spoke again. “Leave your sword with the guard, young warrior,” he spoke over his shoulder to Reid. Reid didn’t look like he wanted to. “You will get it back in time,” Prince Beckam said, now further away. Reluctantly, Reid handed his sword to the warrior standing next to him.
“Be careful with it,” Reid grumbled to the man. The entourage started forward.
Zalia didn’t know if it was the excitement of finally arriving at their location after a grueling week or if it was the stress on her body and everything she’d been through, but she started feeling herself get weak as she walked. She grabbed Raven’s hand as she slipped and everything around her faded as she fell to the ground.
Chapter 4
Muffled voices sounded around her as Zalia tried to open her tired eyes. No matter how hard she tried to open them, she kept failing. She started moving around, trying to figure out what was going on.
“Easy,” a soothing female voice said. “Drink this.” A moment later a cup was held to her lips and somebody propped her head up with an arm behind her head. Zalia obediently opened her lips. A weird drink entered her mouth. While not entirely unpleasant, it wasn’t the best thing Zalia had ever had to drink. She obediently drank until the cup was pulled away from her mouth. The person lay her back down gently. After a few moments, Zalia was able to open her eyes and look around. Five sets of eyes looked down on her. She quickly sat up, then regretted it when her stomach rolled. “It’s okay, just take your time,” the lady standing next to her kindly said.
Next to the lady stood Prince Beckam, whom they had met outside. Next to him stood Raven and Reid. Finally, her eyes met the last person standing there. He was a very distinguished-looking man with gray hair, looking perfectly regal in his blue robe. Zalia figured she had just laid eyes on the King.
The King looked down at her quietly with kindness and something else reflected in his eyes. Zalia wasn’t sure what it was.
“How are you feeling, dear?” the kind lady standing next to her asked.
Zalia thought about it for a moment. “I actually feel better,” Zalia said, kind of surprised. “My body doesn’t ache as much, and I don’t feel as exhausted.”
“That’s good,” the lady responded. “I gave you my healer’s tea. I brew it myself. My name is Henrietta.” She smiled down at her.
“Oh, my name is Princess Zalia of Arrosa, Kingdom of…” Looking around quickly, she quickly amended, “My name is Zalia.” She was so used to giving her full name. She looked around again and met the eyes of the older king. He was staring at her so intently it was beginning to get awkward. “So,” she began, and died out, not knowing where to even start with the king.
The King shook his head. He looked around the room at everybody standing around. “Would everybody please excuse us? I need to speak to the Princess alone.” At the King’s command, everybody started moving out. “Prince Beckham, please stay with us. We have much to speak of.” At the King’s words, the Prince turned back from leaving and nodded. Everybody left the room, and everything got awkwardly quiet.
Zalia’s pulse started quickening. She didn’t know what was going on. She looked back and forth from the Prince to the King. She could see the resemblance between them. While they were both tall and had similar blue eyes, the Prince had bulk to his height and an intensity in his eyes. He was much more intimidating than the king.
“I confess, I don’t know where to begin or what to say, and that is a first for me,” the King began. “First of all, let me introduce myself. I am King Avery,” he said kindly. He stared down at Zalia. Zalia didn’t know what to say, so she kept her mouth shut. She did try to sit up though. She felt as if what the King was going to say would be important, and she didn’t want to hear it lying down. The King leaned down to gently pull her up against the pillows into a more supported position. Then he sat down wearily into the chair next to her bed and let out an exhausted sigh. Zalia looked away from him and stole a quick glance at the Prince. He stood rigidly near her bed watching the King. At her gaze, he looked down at her with a quick glance and then turned his attention back to the King.
The King looked at Zalia intently. “You have your mother’s eyes,” he said sadly. Zalia felt a wave of grief slide through her and her eyes began to water.
“You knew my mother?” she questioned in surprise. He looked at her with so much sorrow.
Then quietly he stated the words that rocked Zalia’s world. “She was my daughter.”
Zalia gasped quietly, her eyes shooting to his. She took in the grief in his eyes and knew he wasn’t lying. “I-I don’t understand… she never mentioned… how could…” her voice trailed off. She couldn’t feel anything but shock. How did she not know she had other family, a grandfather, and he was the king of another kingdom! She glanced quickly at Prince Beckam and saw her shock mirrored on his face. He hadn’t known either. Her head was starting to pound in confusion when she felt the King take one of her hands in both of his.
“Your mother, Evelyn,” he began, “was our second child. She was a beautiful girl with chocolate eyes and dark hair. She was impetuous, always getting into trouble as a little girl.” He paused for a moment, with a smile on his face. Zalia thought of her mom. The description didn’t really match the picture of her mother.
“Evelyn was always into more trouble than Leidoch, her older brother,” he continued with a smile, glancing at Prince Beckam. Looking back at Zalia, he continued. “She grew into a beautiful woman, one we were so proud of. A woman fit to be queen. With Leidoch as her older brother, she would never be queen in our kingdom, so we looked for an outside match for her. She met your father when we were invited to his father’s kingdom for a ball. It was love at first sight for those two.” She could hear the affection in his voice. “They danced all evening. I watched them together and knew he would be the one. They had a fast courtship and were married within the year.” He looked down at Zalia. “Your father took over the kingdom as king. Then your brother was born. We would come visit your family, and sometimes your mother would bring your brother to us for a visit.”
“Then, one day,” he looked down at Zalia sadly, “the visits stopped. They ceased all contact with us. When we showed up for a visit, we were turned away by the guards. We sent letters and heard no response.” He paused for a moment, lost in thought. “That was almost eighteen years ago.”
Zalia felt sucker-punched. “They stopped communication after I was born?” she asked him, confused. He looked down at her sadly. “We never knew Evelyn had another child. I didn’t know you existed until today. If I hadn’t seen you for myself and saw your amazing resemblance, I would never have believed it.”
“I don’t understand. Why didn’t they tell me about you? Why was I a secret? What did I do?” Zalia asked in despair. The King, well her grandfather, took her hand.
“I don’t know. Something must have happened when you were born, or around the time you were born, something that…” he trailed off. “I just don’t know,” he said quietly.
The Prince took a step forward and cleared his throat in the silence. Her grandfather looked up at him and smiled. “Beckam, meet your cousin Zalia.” Her grandfather smiled down at her. “Beckam is the son of Leidoch, your mother’s brother, and your uncle. Leidoch was the first-born prince, slated to take over the kingdom one day, but he and his wife died several years ago,” he said sadly.
Then his eyes brightened as he looked at Beckam. “So Beckam stepped into his rightful place as first-born prince, heir to the throne. You two are cousins.” Zalia looked carefully at Beckam. He was looking down at her with calculating eyes, but he held out his hand to take hers.
“Nice to meet you, cousin,” he said in a deep voice.
Zalia could hardly take it all in. She had extended family. She thought she had lost her only family, but now she had a grandfather and a cousin. Her grandfather looked at Beckam. “Keep our relationship to her quiet for now. I would like to see if we can find out why she was kept a secret. If th
ere was a reason or is something else was going on.” Beckam nodded.
The King took a deep breath. “We will need to place security around the clock on Zalia,” he told Beckam.
“I will arrange it,” Beckam said.
He looked back down at Zalia with a smile on his face. “Now, my dear, let’s get you a room, clean clothes, and some food. You must be hungry and tired. Rest tonight. Tomorrow…” he looked at her sadly. He continued quietly, “Tomorrow, I will need you to tell me what happened to your family, but tonight you must rest. Beckam will lead you to your room. We will meet for supper in my quarters. Please bring your two friends. Beckam, please be sure to arrange that.” Beckam nodded once. Her grandfather squeezed her hand. “I will see you in a few hours, Zalia.” She smiled up at him. He left the room, and Zalia sat staring after him.
Then she swung her eyes towards Beckam’s. “Let’s get you to your room,” he said kindly.
Zalia followed Beckam through a labyrinth of rooms and halls, not sure if she would ever find her way back again. Beckam didn’t say anything, just walked along beside her. He was intimidating, and Zalia couldn’t think of anything to say to him. Finally, he stopped in front of a door and stepped back. “Here is your room. I will be back at dinner time to escort you to the King’s quarters,” he said and started to walk away.
“Thank you,” Zalia called out after him. He turned back towards her, a small smile on his face.
“You’re welcome,” he said. With that, he turned on his heel and walked away.
Zalia took hold of the door handle, turned it, and walked into the room. She looked around in awe. It was magnificent. The windows were draped in colorful silks, the bedcovers were a beautiful indigo silk. Intricate tapestries covered the walls, and two ornate chandeliers hung low in the room lighting up both ends of the room. It was a beautiful room, fit for a princess. Zalia wondered for a moment if her mother had grown up in a room like this. She was turning around in a circle when she heard a soft tap at her door. Upon opening it, she was surprised but happy to see Raven.