by D. R. Grady
If pressed, he would venture a guess that both men would wear fine wool trousers and matching wool and cacoa tunics. They could be colored any manner of the spectrum and would afford the usual ease of motion. Both men likely would wear the colors of their crest.
Lajos and Stefana were here to also finalize their Swiftland crest, in fact. The people of their nation demanded a crest. Something neither royal had been interested in doing, as there were far more important things that needed accomplished.
“You’re frowning.”
Kellen glanced at Ari, who made this observation. They alone remained in the room.
“I’ve not been to Swiftland.”
“No. It’s changed so much.” Ari readjusted her sword and a longing he’d never experienced before crashed through him.
Uncomfortable and unfamiliar and he worked harder than he should to quell the terrible sensation.
He cleared his throat. “I’d like to see it. Someday.” His hand wrapped around his sword hilt for no reason. Other than perhaps that he sought to comfort himself. Or reassure himself. Or something maybe too deep for him to fathom.
“I’m sure Lajos and Stefana would be thrilled for you to visit.” An enchanting smile lit her face. “They’ll probably also put you to work.”
“There’s an Aasguard there now?”
“Yes. Do you know Rykert the Bold?”
A grin split his face. “Of course I know Rykert. Everyone does. Is Felix still with him?”
“Of course. Those two have worked their way into the hearts of all the people and I don’t think anyone was upset we left. Since we left Rykert and his dragon.”
Felix was a yellow dragon, a very rare color, with blue eyes and the zaniest sense of humor which happened to be shared by Rykert. The two of them worked perfectly.
“Is Felix still yellow?”
“He is. Very, very sunshine yellow.”
“I don’t recall his scales being gold.”
“They’re not. They’re bright and sunny, like him.”
He chuckled. “You left Swiftland in good hands.”
“We did.” Her fond grin didn’t even bother him. You couldn’t meet Rykert and Felix and entertain bad thoughts.
“They’re happy for the ‘cushy’ job and seem to be enjoying themselves.”
Something in the way she said this made one of his eyebrows raise.
She didn’t notice at first, because she appeared to be looking anywhere but him. This gave him hope. He cleared his throat again.
Ari finally noticed his inquiring eyebrow. She flushed. “I can’t help but think of Rykert and Felicity. Have you met Maeze yet?”
“Not yet. She’s the blue dragon?” His lips pursed. “Of course. Yellow and blue go together amazingly.”
“And Felix isn’t in the least bit fazed that he’s yellow.”
“Bright yellow.” He wiped off his grin, but the sentiment remained.
“Yes. And while Maeze is young, she retains her parents’ knowledge. Who better than Felix to help her sort through that?”
“I’d enjoy a blue, yellow, or green dragon.” He enjoyed the possibilities.
“Your dragon was black, like Aern?”
“Marxin and Aern were cousins, I believe.”
“That’s right. And he was also sizable.” Ari tapped her lips for a heart stopping moment.
He tore his gaze away and nodded. A lump in his throat prevented him from speaking. He drew on all his resources, because this was ludicrous. He needed to comport himself as befitting his training.
“I’d like to see what happens when we introduce Felicity to Rykert.” Ari’s smile held many, many mysteries.
Kellen swallowed. “Right.”
“Well, I probably should go see if I have anything more presentable than this.” Ari gestured toward her clothing.
He really wished she hadn’t.
Chapter 7
The scent of too many people clustered together in one room would have been overwhelming had she not been able to tamp the miasma. Ari did so without thinking. People mingled throughout the spacious ballroom, many talking and laughing. Others had taken to the dance floor.
Raene stopped beside her. She appeared a little wild around the edges.
Ah yes, a new teaching moment. “Think about the intensity of the scents, noise, and colors. Now lower the volume.” Ari used her hand to toggle from a higher position to a lower one.
“That will reduce the cacophony and strong scents?” A thin coating of sweat glimmered on Raene’s skin.
“Yes. You have to actually think about it at first. Over time you’ll do this automatically.” Ari repeated the gesture with her hand. “Do this with me, Raene. Moderate the pandemonium.” She tugged the other woman’s hand up and had Raene move her hand in conjunction with hers.
Although shaking, Raene did so. “Okay.” But she sounded uncertain.
“Try to take the levels down more.” Ari waited.
A huge gust of air burst from Raene’s lungs. “That’s better.”
“Excellent. Now think of the scents diminishing. Lessen the smells in your mind.” Ari kept her hand clasped around Raene’s and physically moved it.
Raene’s mind enabled her to curtail the odors assaulting her nose. Another, less gusty bout of air from Raene.
“Finally, mute the colors.” This time she moved Raene’s hand horizontally, rather than vertically.
During the exercise, Raene had shut her eyes. A good practice because then she could concentrate on what she needed to do. Now her blue eyes popped open again. “Oh, that’s much better.” Raene fanned herself with the fan hanging from her wrist. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Although we probably should have realized this was happening. If nothing else, your reaction tonight would have shown us the changes taking place within your body.”
“I had no idea. Until tonight, nothing seemed different.”
Stefana burst through the crowd, also with a sheen of sweat and the same desperate air. “Raene, do this with us. The more you two practice, the easier it will become.”
Ari reiterated everything she had just taught Raene so Stefana would learn what she needed to do.
“Why is this happening?” The fervor around Stefana’s eyes didn’t dissipate.
Both of their husbands were on the dance floor with a few wallflowers at the behest of their wives. Kellen also had been pressed into service for this duty.
That had left the two queens to their own devices, and in desperate need. Ari mentally kicked herself.
But it had been a long time ago that she’d completed her training, and a good bit of these details had been lost over the years.
Stefana, in the same manner as Raene, caught on quickly to what she needed to do to decrease the stimulus all around them. “Oh, that’s much better.” Her face had been too pale, but now some color infused her cheeks.
“I still can’t believe we’re becoming Aasguard warriors.” Raene took in Ari’s person. “Although we’ll admit to being very envious of you upon first meeting.”
“Yes, and that hasn’t changed.” Stefana added to Raene’s comment with a droll expression.
Ari chuckled. “You two are silly.” She adjusted her sword. It might not be appropriate ball garb, but every warrior here, human or otherwise, had a similar weapon strapped to their hip. Including Raene.
“Where is your sword?” Stefana’s sword wasn’t as obvious as Driies, and Ari needed to know the queen had her weapon.
Stefana turned. Her sword hilt showed above the place where it had been sewn right into her ball gown. The hilt rested at her back and still allowed for easy access.
“That’s a great idea.” Raene studied the dress. “Although I’m so used to wearing Driies on my hip, I don’t know if I’d be able to grab it as quickly.”
“I’m struggling to get used to my sword at my side. So my maid and I came up with this solution. We have several gifted seamstresses and one of them mad
e a sample for me in about an hour.” Stefana smoothed her skirt. “Now that I’ve tried this method, I believe I’ll adopt it for everyday life.”
No one would see her sword unless she faced away from them. It was a terrific idea for someone new to wearing a weapon. And for a queen.
“You couldn’t get comfortable wearing your sword at your side?” Ari couldn’t fathom that. Now that Stefana mentioned this, she did remember her sister-in-law grumbling about the weapon.
Raene’s head tilted to the side. “You haven’t adjusted to wearing a sword yet?” She darted a look at Ari.
Who had known Stefana struggled with this?
“No. It kept getting caught on things.” Stefana helped herself to a beverage from a passing waiter.
Both she and Raene grimaced. “When you’re setting up a new country, this issue makes sense.” Raene hadn’t had an issue with wearing her sword. But her country had been well established before her great-grandmother was born.
Stefana and Lajos were rebuilding their country from nothing.
The song ended and this produced a mass exodus of the dance floor. Lajos and Vidar both escorted their current partners to the fringes again and soon swept up their wives. The two royal couples joined the new throng on the dance floor.
Instead of returning to the dance floor, Kellen paced across the room to her side. He also helped himself to a beverage. Stefana had drained hers and placed it on a passing tray when Lajos arrived.
Now, sipping from the water goblet, Kellen perused the dancers.
“Had enough?” The man didn’t look the worse for wear, but his toes might hurt.
“Not necessarily, but I wanted a drink. There are only so many times you can handle your feet getting trod on.” He grimaced at his boots.
A few scuffs had appeared since their arrival to the ballroom. Those marks certainly hadn’t been present when he greeted them at the beginning of the festivities.
“Your dancing partners must not be used to dancing.” She commiserated. Although he’d have likely polished the boots at the end of the evening anyway. Aasguards were a fastidious lot.
“No. Raene stressed that they wouldn’t excel at this. But she felt bad for them.” He sipped the water, his body relaxed.
She gazed into the crowd, making note of her siblings and their wives. Both couples appeared to be enjoying themselves. “Did Vidar and Lajos leave you with the inept partners?”
“I don’t believe so.” Kellen watched someone, but she couldn’t discern who.
Her heart dropped. Had he met a woman here who caught his eye?
While speaking with Ari, the hair on the back of Kellen’s neck rose. Eyes narrowed, he scanned the room.
Off to the right, at the back of the room, a woman made a small cry. Hand on the hilt of his sword, Kellen stepped forward. Ari’s sharp indrawn gasp told him she had noticed the same disturbance. She cut through the dancers and the room with all the menace of a predator intent on prey.
He admired her as he followed. A man grasped the woman’s wrist, and he appeared to be tightening his hold. Faint bruising littered the woman’s arms where her fancy sleeves didn’t cover.
Once they came abreast of the couple Ari made a gesture with her own wrist that the woman spotted, and she copied. This action broke the man’s hold and the woman turned to flee. Only the man, already in his cups, snatched her by her elaborate coiffed hair. This time, the woman didn’t cry out, but screamed.
The entire room fell silent. Ari didn’t pay attention. She flattened the man, booted foot at his neck in seconds. Her sword tip hovered a fraction from his gaping face.
“What are you doing?” Belligerence encased the man’s body, even prone on the ground.
Raene burst through the crowd and passed the shaking woman to Stefana who whisked her away. Soothing noises poured from her mouth as Stefana’s larger figure curled protectively around the woman.
Lajos fell into step with them. His drawn sword meant no one dared to stop them.
Now, Queen Raene began questioning those around them.
“Markus, what happened?” This she demanded of a man who resembled the one on the floor.
The older gentleman appeared to grow hot around the collar. His gaze darted to the drunkard who now began to spew insults. Raene stepped into his line of vision.
“Silence!” Her decree came with all the nobility of her station.
The man muttered something.
Raene bent down until he had to look her in the eyes. “Explain to me why I shouldn’t have Ari hack your worthless head from your shoulders here and now, Jakob?”
This statement finally penetrated the man’s intoxicated state.
Ari raised her eyebrow. “Perhaps he’ll understand his plight if Kellen and I were to trade places?”
Kellen stepped forward, drawing his sword, and he replaced Ari in a matter of milliseconds. Her sword remained in her hand. A fearsome warrior this man didn’t even notice.
He did notice Kellen.
While Ari stood a little over six feet tall, Kellen nudged seven feet, rather than six. His impressive height, long sword, and scowl did register on the drunken man’s inebriated brain. He gulped.
His eyes trailed to Ari, but he stupidly dismissed her. He even seemed to dismiss the queen of the land.
Raene drew herself up, but it wasn’t so impressive. What did impress Kellen was her royal air and disdain for the man.
“Markus, I’m waiting.” Her more modern language made the man wince.
But his eyes trailed to the large man standing in Raene’s personal space. The older gentleman directed his comments to the king, not to the queen.
“I suggest you address your queen with respect. She rules this nation. I protect her.” Near venom dripped from Vidar’s every word. Both Markus and Jakob flinched.
“I shall decree your fates.” Iciness encased Raene’s spiel, and those who weren’t drunk could see that she was losing patience.
An elaborately dressed woman stepped forward. “It’s no secret, your majesty, that Jakob has been in the habit of harming Mary when he drinks too much.” The woman looked as though she’d enjoy kicking the downed man.
Kellen couldn’t say he disapproved.
“Thank you, Collette.” She rounded on Markus. “And why exactly, couldn’t you explain that? It took your wife seconds.”
“Because he protects his son at all costs.” Another woman pushed forward, one who looked surprisingly like Collette. “Mother didn’t know this when she married him.”
“Patrice, I didn’t know you had come.” Raene took a moment to greet the younger woman. But she didn’t linger.
“Collette, does Markus also drink to excess?”
“Oh yes. Like father, like son. But where Markus grows melancholy, Jakob becomes violent.”
Raene’s blue eyes pierced the two men. “So Markus has never hurt you?”
A ladylike snort from Patrice. “Mother would find a way to discreetly hide his body if he ever did so.”
Kellen enjoyed the man’s paling complexion. The impressive Collette and her warrior-in-training, Patrice, appeared well able to take care of themselves. He kept his sword steady but applied a little pressure to the man’s neck who had begun to squirm.
“I would like to get up. This is ridiculous.” Jakob protested.
“You are ridiculous, Jakob.” Raene snapped her fingers. A trio of warriors appeared at her side. “Please remove Jakob and his father. They can sleep off their hangovers in prison tonight.”
Jakob opened his mouth to protest but both Kellen and Vidar growled. Low, menacing reverberations that stilled everyone in the room.
Kellen reached down and hauled Jakob to his feet by grasping his fancy neck cloth. The man choked but it didn’t take effort to bring him to his feet. This show of strength silenced the man. Ari brought Markus, who had been seated and should have stood when Raene approached, to his feet in the exact same manner.
Both men shut
up at her feat. Which wasn’t a feat, because she was Aasguard. They must have finally noticed her warrior’s garb and sword. Felicity stood right behind her. Sword also in hand, fierce expression intact.
Neither man argued after the show of Aasguard warriors in the room.
Although drunk, the two men finally reflected a modicum of caution.
He longed to show them some manners, and by the tight line of Ari, Felicity, Raene, and Vidar’s jaws, read that he wasn’t alone in this desire.
The guards weren’t gentle when they escorted the two men from the room. Raene’s face showed a musing expression, but the hardness of her jawline told its own story. Vidar led her back to the dance floor where their discussion looked earnest and serious.
Ari stood on one side of him, Felicity on the other. “Father and son have no respect for women.” Ari didn’t sound offended.
He glanced at her, before his gaze transferred to Collette and Patrice. The mother and daughter had reconvened in a corner of the room, speaking in a low but animated discourse. Those nearby made a show of not listening, but probably were.
Human nature—the ugly side of life.
If Ari and Felicity contended with this misogyny on a regular basis what did normal women have to face at the hand of ignorant men?
Chapter 8
The sun hadn’t made its appearance yet the next morning when Ari awoke. She slid from the bed in Stefana’s old bedchamber, the one to which she’d been assigned. She’d have been happy sleeping in her alcove, but that bed had been removed during the time she’d been in Swiftland.
She stretched and padded into the bathroom. Moments later, she dressed and made her way to the kitchens. Staff would have gathered there by now. They should have brewed both coffee and tea and had a breakfast bread of some sort made.
Before heading to the training yard, she needed fuel. Supper had been lavish last evening, but it had been hours ago, and her body had already burned through it. At least if her hollow insides were any indication.
Striding into the kitchen carried wonderful olfactory delights. She headed to the tea pot first and poured a cup for herself before perusing the selection of muffins the kitchen staff dined on while they prepared breakfast for the rest of the castle occupants.