Freed

by Samantha Britt

  My stomach twisted, thinking about Brion and his fervent desire to keep me safe. Of course, Finn didn’t know about our bond. His words weren’t meant to strike the match of affection in my soul. But I shoved the romantic feeling aside and focused on our delicate discussion.

  “And do you know why it was paramount I leave Draekon?”

  He frowned. “My father attacked the ambassador. We all suspected your family came from Avelin. Min told me that Brion feared our father would treat you the same as the elven dignitaries.”

  “And you?” I questioned. “Do you believe your father could have done such a thing? Do you think he would hurt me, just because I share the same complexion and hair color as his enemies?”

  Guilt flashed across his expression, and I already knew the answer.

  Finn pressed his lips together, then said, “What does this have to do with anything?”

  “Your father is not a merciful draekon, Finn. My life was in danger because of physical features and an ancestry I cannot control. I never wronged His Majesty in anyway, but still he would have robbed me of life. Does that not make you question him, even in the slightest?”

  Finn pushed off the chair and rounded the table. He began to pace the length of the room. I stood and followed him, refusing to let him talk himself out of the truth.

  “Your father rules his realm with fear and violence. He doesn’t hesitate to order his men to murder. He rationalizes his decisions in his mind, chanting how the crimes secure his throne when in reality it only secures hatred and distrust.”

  Finn stopped pacing. His shoulders slumped, and a strand of hair fell across his forehead when he dipped his head.

  Knowing he heard the honesty of my words, I didn’t dare stop. “Your father didn’t send you here for negotiations, Finn. I know that. I do not judge you for what you must’ve agreed to do. But please, for the love of all the gods and the innocent people whose lives will be in danger should we have another war, please do not do what you were sent to do. I am begging you.”

  Finn looked up. His expression was a mix of awe, confusion, and sorrow. “How?”

  I barely dared to breathe. “How, what?”

  “How did you know?”

  My pulse spiked with adrenaline. Holy gods. I was right!

  I swallowed. “It was the only thing that made sense. Why else would your father send you, his favorite son, all the way to Avelin? King Aquin could just as easily capture you as listen to you.”

  “Perhaps it was because my father knew Aquin wouldn’t take a renewed peace negotiation seriously unless it came from someone of my rank.”

  Or perhaps King Roderick had hoped his rival would actually hold his son hostage…

  It would give the draekon king all the cause he needed to start another war.

  “That’s true, but then he might as well have sent Cienna. A female would seem less threatening.”

  Finn laughed softly. “Fair point, Amelissa. You’ve always been a clever one.”

  I offered him a small smile.

  He returned the smile for a moment. Then, it fell. He groaned and rubbed the back of his neck. “I suppose if you were so quick to figure out the reason I’m here, I’m certain King Aquin must be aware.”

  “I don’t know,” I confessed. “All I know is, you don’t have to do what your father wants.”

  “He will be furious if I don’t complete my mission.”

  I chewed my lip. “Then stay here for a bit. Your father sent you here under the guise of negotiating. How about you take it seriously? You are a prince. You have the authority to negotiate with the elves.”

  “My father won’t agree to any resolution we reach.”

  “You can cross that bridge when you get there. For now, King Roderick sent his beloved son to negotiate peace with your people’s greatest enemy. Nobles and commoners on Draekon will be eager for news of your progress. You can send information to Court.” The idea popped into my head as I was speaking. I let it roll off my tongue. “They love to gossip. The news of your work will travel like draekon fire. Your father won’t be able to condemn your actions because he was the one who entrusted you with the negotiations in the first place. At least, that is what everyone else believes. Only you and he know the truth.”

  I rambled, so caught up in the new plan, that I didn’t notice the way Finn was staring at me. Wonder lit his features, and it felt like one hundred pounds of lead dropped onto my stomach.

  “You’re brilliant,” he breathed.

  My mouth dried out, but not in the good way. “I-I just want to prevent any more needless bloodshed.”

  “Your compassion has always been extraordinary.” Finn stepped closer. I took two steps back.

  “That’s not true.” Anyone with a conscience would want to prevent an assassination and resulting war. Why was Finn regarding me like I was some kind of anomaly?

  Finn, either unaware or uncaring that I backed away as he approached, continued to walk towards me. My sandal caught the end of the flowing skirt, sending me stumbling. I caught my balance on the back of a chair, holding onto it to stay upright.

  “And you’re humble,” Finn shook his head. “It’s amazing. You don’t even know how marvelous you really are.” There was only three feet between us, and he was closing fast.

  I held up a hand. “Wait. Finn. There is something I need to tell you. I consider you a friend, and I don’t want to lie to you. You’re bound to find out the longer you stay here, anyway.”

  Finn grabbed my outstretched hand and pressed it against his chest, drawing me into his personal space. The warm scent of soap filled my nostrils.

  “What is it?” His voice was throaty and deep. If I were any other women, I would be a helpless puddle of desire. Finn was handsome in the way only draekon could be: masculine and strong while also having perfect, angular features. Countless females, both human and draekon, would love to be in this position with the gorgeous prince. But I wasn’t one of them. I was his brother’s soulmate, and I needed to keep Finn at a distance.

  I made a decision in the moment that I was confident would ensure Finn forgot all about the affection blazing in his eyes.

  Finn’s head began to dip, his gaze focused on my lips. Before he could press his sensitive skin to mine, I blurted out, “I am part-elven. The missing elven princess is my mother!”

  22

  Finn blinked, slowly coming out of his haze of desire. When the lust cleared from his expression, I sighed in relief. My hand fell as Finn released it and took two hasty steps back.

  “What did you just say?” He stared at me as if I’d just grown horns out of my head. I choked back a laugh. I’d yet to fully shift into my draekon form, but I pictured myself doing so at that moment and giving the poor prince a heart attack.

  “I am the daughter of Princess Lassandra of Avelin,” I said with more calm than I felt, wondering if I’d made a mistake revealing my identity at that moment. Sure, Finn was bound to learn the truth as he continued to stay in Avelin, but perhaps I’d made a mistake with my timing.

  I continued, “I didn’t know who she was until Erwin retrieved me from Brion’s ship. He told me the truth once we were no longer in Draekon territory.” That was a partial lie, but one that was needed. I couldn’t have Finn thinking I’d lived in his father’s castle harboring such a secret. I didn’t want him to view me as the enemy.

  Finn stared at me with an incredulous expression, scanning me from head to toe, looking for the evidence that what I said was true. His eyes rested on my curved ears, and he frowned.

  “You are half-elven?”

  “Yes.”

  “Your mother is Avelin’s missing princess.”

  “Yes.”

  “Am I to assume the princess left Avelin on her own accord? She wasn’t abducted like most of the world believes?”

  I swallowed. “Yes.”

  Finn gaped at me as if I’d grown two heads. “Gods, Amelissa. You cannot be serious. All this time, the miss
ing princess lived on Draekon lands, and my father had no knowledge of it?”

  “Yes.” I cringed, wishing I could come up with more than one-word answers. I watched and waited, expecting an outburst at any moment.

  But an outburst never came. Finn stared off in the distance, his mind racing with thoughts and questions. “Your mother left Avelin and settled her family in Caldiri—the most obscure region on the continent. With only one draekon lord monitoring the region, she had a better chance of hiding.” Finn shook his head. “But my father said he’d scoured our lands for the princess. Everyone knows he wanted vengeance for the second curse, placed on us as punishment for the princess’s alleged abduction.”

  Finn’s attention returned to me. “I’d started to doubt my father had nothing to do with the princess’s disappearance, but you have just confirmed that, for once in my life, my father didn’t deceive me.” His less-than-admiring remark took me by surprise. I’d never heard Finn speak ill of his father.

  “Does King Aquin know?”

  I leaned against the table, allowing myself to relax now that I felt sure Finn wasn’t going to spin out of control. “His Majesty learned I am Lassandra’s daughter. He doesn’t know she settled in Caldiri. He thinks I’m from Mar.”

  His brow furrowed. “Why?”

  I bit my lip. “I was forced to reveal my identity to King Aquin in order to come here and try and stop you from fulfilling your father’s plan. I don’t know the elven king well, and I don’t want to reveal too much about my family or friends until I know I can trust him.”

  In truth, I never planned to tell King Aquin about Lin and Lorie. Not if I could help it.

  Finn nodded. “I see. I’m assuming that means King Aquin is unaware of our acquaintance.”

  “He knows I worked in the castle, and that I healed Cienna.” I shrugged. “My healing gifts are elven in nature, apparently.”

  “Of course,” Finn exhaled, pulling back a chair and falling into it. “Of course, they are. I should’ve seen that.”

  “Don’t feel bad.” I followed his example and sat in a chair. I turned my body so we continued to face one another. “Why would you ever think a census recruit was really an elf whose parents abandoned her in Caldiri?” Prince Finn’s mention of how Caldiri’s isolation made it easier to keep us hidden caused some of my resentment to fade away, but not all of it. My parents still left me and my siblings with no knowledge of who, or what, we were. If I hadn’t been recruited and met Erwin, I wasn’t sure I ever would have found out.

  Maybe that was their intention all along…

  “Lassandra’s daughter,” he muttered. A hint of disbelief laced in his tone, but when he met my gaze, he said, “I will act surprised when King Aquin introduces you to me. I will let on I knew you as a recruit in Draek, but I will take care not to share any personal history you want to keep to yourself.”

  The air rushed out of my lungs. I smiled wide. “Thank you, Finn. You don’t know how much I appreciate it.”

  Finn shifted and leaned forward. An intense look entered his gaze as he reached out and grabbed my hand.

  Oh no.

  “Amelissa,” he licked his lips. “While I understand your reservation to tell me the truth, I want you to know, I would never do anything to jeopardize your safety or break your confidence. I am your loyal friend.” His expression screamed that friendship wasn’t all he intended to offer.

  Gods help me. Would I really need to inform him of my bond with his brother to deter Finn’s attentions? I’d thought our single kiss would be a one-time incident, especially after he learned I’m actually a descendant from the elven royal family.

  I was saved when a single knock hit the door just before it swung open. Erwin stepped into the room. The prince released my hand.

  Erwin’s eyes landed on me. I offered him a small, reassuring smile, but he didn’t relax. “Your five minutes are up. Amelissa and I must return to the royal residences before our absence is noticed.”

  I got to my feet. Finn did the same.

  “Thank you for being so understanding,” I told him. “And thank you for agreeing to keep my secrets.”

  Finn tilted his head down. “There is no need to thank me. As I said, we are friends.”

  I forced a smile, doing my best to hide my unease. Erwin offered his arm, and I latched onto it like a life raft. All earlier awkwardness about Kyrie Spirits had been forgotten for the moment.

  I murmured goodbye to Finn and Min, retrieved my chamberstick, and then we left.

  It wasn’t until we were out of the south wing, walking through the public corridors, that Erwin asked, “How did it go?”

  “As well as I could have hoped,” I sighed. “I think he will refrain from carrying out his father’s orders. All of Draekon must know he’s been sent to rekindle peace negotiations. The plan is for Finn to actually follow through on that front. The hope is King Roderick won’t be able to denounce any treaty reached since he was the one to appoint his son to the task in the first place. It will make him look indecisive and untrusting of his son.”

  Erwin scoffed quietly, but the sound echoed against the walls. “We shall see.”

  Silence descended.

  I took a deep breath and confessed, “I told him about my mother.”

  Instead of surprise, Erwin calmly replied, “Yes. I heard through the door.”

  Of course he did. Why did I even bother telling him what happened? No doubt, he’d heard it all.

  “Finn will acknowledge we’ve met before if the king asks him about me,” I said. “But he promised to stick to our story. He will say I’m from Mar, and he won’t mention my siblings.”

  “How good of him,” Erwin remarked in a semi-sarcastic voice.

  I eyed him curiously. “Do you have something to say.”

  Erwin peered at me from the corner of his eye before returning his attention to the dark halls ahead. “I do not trust Prince Finn. He often acts without thinking, and he isn’t one to easily admit his mistakes.” He guided us to the right. The same guards were positioned at the entrance to the east wing. Our return had passed by much faster than our departure. The guards didn’t bat an eye at our arrival. The one on the left pulled open the door, soundly shutting it once we glided through.

  I released Erwin’s arm and faced him. “You think Finn will betray me?”

  “I do not know.” His gaze softened, and his next words weren’t an order, simply a request, “Be careful, though, Lissa. Don’t trust anyone with your confidence except yourself.”

  I crossed my arms. “Does that include you?”

  Erwin’s lips twitched. “Especially me. For all you know, I am using our connection as Kyrie Spirits to garner a higher position with His Majesty. Perhaps he will make me a duke and gift me more lands to make me more worthy of a spiritual connection with his granddaughter.”

  He was teasing me. I knew that. But his words made my stomach tighten with unease. I didn’t like hearing about the connection. I hated it, actually.

  Mercifully, Erwin dropped his smile. His expression grew serious. “You can never know a person’s motive for everything, Lissa. Tread carefully in the palace. This Court isn’t so different from the draekon court.”

  23

  “Ah, there she is. My beautiful granddaughter. Amelissa, come greet His Highness, Prince Finn of Draekon.” King Aquin beamed at me as I entered the breakfast parlor. I’d stopped short upon seeing Finn and Min standing with the king. We were in the east wing, and I hadn’t expected to see anyone except Erwin, Lerick, and the king so early in the morning.

  A quick glance revealed my newly-discovered cousin was nowhere to be seen. Erwin stood beside the king, looking refreshed despite our late-night excursion. I’d woken up exhausted, and barely managed to tie my hair back into my familiar healer’s knot before throwing on the first dress I saw and stumbling out of my room.

  Seeing the well-dressed males, I wished I would have taken extra time to ensure I didn’t look like a r
agged mess. I hadn’t even glanced in a mirror.

  King Aquin continued to hold out a hand, gesturing for me to approach. His smile never faltered, giving no sign he was taken aback by my less-than pristine appearance.

  I crossed the room. Two servants stepped around me, carrying empty trays from the food they’d just delivered. I reached the king, careful to give him my attention and not Prince Finn.

  “Good morning, my dear.” The king took me in his arms and kissed each of my cheeks in greeting. “I trust you slept well?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.” I stepped to stand at his side, facing Finn.

  “Amelissa, I believe you already know Prince Finn from your time in Draek. His Highness was just telling me of how marvelous your healing abilities are, praising you for curing his beloved sister.”

  I flushed, but not from pleasure, and dipped into a curtsy. The prince had agreed to honor my wish for secrecy, but I hadn’t exactly had enough time to fill him in on every piece of information I didn’t want the king to know. It would be better if the prince avoided speaking about me as much as possible.

  The king waited for my response. I managed a clipped, “His Highness is too kind.”

  “I only speak the truth, Healer Amelissa,” Finn replied with a grin and a perfectly executed bow. “Or, perhaps I should dress you as princess, now?”

  “That won’t be necessary.” I looked at Erwin to come save me, but he’d moved across the room with a cup of hot tea in his hands. His amused eyes locked with mine before he turned to look out the window, pretending to admire the palace gardens.

  Traitor.

  “No, Prince Finn is right,” King Aquin interjected. “Using a royal designation is customary when speaking with foreign dignitaries. You and His Highness are of equal rank, Amelissa. Addressing one another with your titles shows there is great respect between you.”

  I wasn’t sure how to respond. Did I need to remind the king that he had no idea who my biological father was? He didn’t even know if his daughter was married when she gave birth to me. I wasn’t even sure my parents were ever officially wed. King Aquin couldn’t give me a royal title without knowing anything about me. That wouldn’t be proper. Would it?