Bea’s combing through my wet hair when she finally blurts out, “Master Aimlin brought me roses yesterday.”
I look at her reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks are bright pink, and she won’t meet my eyes.
“That was kind of him,” I say.
“He’s nice, isn’t he?”
“He’s very nice, Bea.” I take her wrist and twist in the chair so she has to look at me.
She gives me a nervous smile. “He’s too far above me. I shouldn’t let myself get all aflutter over him.”
Before I can argue, she cuts me off, saying, “Oh, keep it to yourself.” She softens the words with a small smile. “You know it’s the truth.”
I scowl at her.
Her smile falls. “You of all people should know what it’s like to fall for a man you can’t have.”
“He’s a physician, Bea. It’s not like he’s a prince.”
With her hands on either side of my head, she turns me so I face forward again. She continues to slide the comb through my hair. “I’m a lady’s maid who should have been a kitchen girl.”
“And I’m a princess who wishes she were a kitchen girl.”
Bea laughs under her breath. “We’re a sorry duo, aren’t we?” She grabs my hand and squeezes it.
Our conversation ebbs as she continues with my hair. Once it’s braided, she coils the whole thing up with pins. When Bea’s finished, I turn to her. “Don’t overthink it, all right?”
She takes a deep breath and then nods. “I’ll try not to.”
I bump her shoulder with mine. “He’s handsome.”
She meets my eyes and finally laughs. “I expected you to bring some old man back with you. I was overwhelmed when I saw him standing on our cottage step. It was like a white knight stepped right out of my dreams to save my family and sweep me off my feet.”
“You deserve a white knight, Bea.”
A shadow crosses her face, but she chases it away with a smile. With my hair finished, she gathers the laundry and goes about her other morning tasks. My mind takes advantage of the lull in our conversation and wanders back to Rigel.
My fingers itch to run over the missing pendant, but I keep them still. It will be a hard habit to break.
I go to the window and look out at the courtyard below, not really seeing anything. There’s only one place I feel I should be, the only place that will soothe my nerves.
“Are you almost finished?” I ask.
Bea flounces around the room, pausing only to tuck an escaped strand of honey-colored hair behind her ear. “Almost.”
“Leave it for now,” I say. “I want to go to the kitchens.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
It’s been a month since Rigel left.
The days have warmed, and summer is at its peak. I’ve always loved these two short months of sunshine. The valley meadows are blanketed with small, hardy pink blooms. They’re tiny, cheerful things that don’t mind the occasional summer snowstorm.
A rabbit hops across our path, and I pull my horse back so I may watch it bound away. It disappears into the grass, its little white tail twitching as it goes. Not far away, a herd of iktar forage for tubers.
Pippa turns her face to the sky, soaking up the sun. It’s rained the last three days, and this is the first we’ve been able to ride. If the princess had been forced to idly pass another day away, I think she would have gone mad. As it was, she almost sent me over the edge with her pacing and boundless energy.
Bea tilts her face to the sun. “It’s a lovely day.”
Bea doesn’t usually ride with us, but I decided that should change. She’s my maid. She can come wherever I ask.
Kendal smiles at Bea. “The company is fair as well.”
Bea’s cheeks pink at the attention, and she turns to face the trail in front of us.
The physician is still here, staying with Bea’s family. Marielle and Kara have completely recovered, but now he’s doing what he can for the rest of the village. And he’s fallen head over heels for Bea. She certainly has for him.
Like I’m so prone to do, I rub the empty spot on my collar. The pendant is gone, but habits die hard. So does love.
I miss Rigel.
No one knows how long it may take to find the ancient fortress. They could be gone a month; they could be gone four. They might not come back at all. Father isn’t bothering himself with details. He is, however, eager for news. His precious sculpture is out there, sitting in some cold, dank room, waiting to make him a human god.
Heaven help us all.
Waiting is the hardest part because that flicker of hope refuses to die. No matter how I smother it, knowing the chance of Rigel returning is slim, the flame continues to burn. It haunts me at night when the castle is dark and quiet. It’s then that I wait for the death bells to toll.
“You’re brooding again, Seirsha.”
I glance at Pippa. “I’m not.”
She rolls her eyes and tosses her braid behind her shoulder. “Archer, is she brooding?”
Archer glances my way. “I’m afraid so.”
I don’t argue, and eventually they leave me be. Pippa and Bea dominate the conversation, but Kendal doesn’t do too bad keeping up.
The weather is nice, but it feels wrong to be enjoying the sun’s warmth when Rigel, wherever he is, is likely freezing. I’m relieved when Archer tells us it’s time to head back.
I part from the party when we reach the stables. Pippa stays with Archer, and Bea lingers with Kendal. I walk back alone.
Not hungry, I decide to spend the rest of the evening in my chambers. If Father can pick and choose what meals he wishes to attend, I don’t see why I shouldn’t be granted the same honor. Normally Bea would return to help me dress for dinner, but I very much doubt I will see her again this evening.
I sit in front of my mirror, pull the pins from my hair, and run my fingers through the braids to separate the strands. Then I yawn and lay my head on the dressing table. Wearier than I realized, I feel myself falling asleep. Perhaps I’ll sleep better here than I do in my bed.
I let myself drift.
Something wakes me, and I scrunch my eyes. Someone’s near, murmuring my name. I blink. Dark hair, dark eyes.
“Rigel,” I whisper.
He’s here. He’s truly here, kneeling in front of me.
Rigel slides his hands around me, pulling me to him. “I’m back.”
I slip from the chair and settle on his lap. He holds me tight, and neither of us cares that we’re on the cold stone floor.
After quickly wiping away the tear that threatens to run down my cheek, I rest my head on his chest. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I lock him close. The scent of lavender and cedar clings to his tunic, a reminder of the time it spent in a chest while he was away. He strokes my hair.
“Did you find it?” I finally ask.
“We found the fortress, but we were unable to enter it.”
He found it. He truly did the impossible.
“Why?”
Rigel angles his head back and looks at me as if he’s drinking me in.
“It’s guarded by a colony of feral dragons,” he says and then kisses me, his lips soft and gentle. “I can’t tell you how I’ve missed you.”
My heart breaks—but in a beautiful way. Like it’s always been made of ice, but now it’s melting and reforming into something human. I hold him closer, wishing I could spend my entire life tucked in his arms.
“Don’t leave again.” I run my hands over his freshly shaven jaw. “Please, promise me.”
He leans into my touch. “You know I can’t make that promise.”
My hands drift to his hair, and my fingers explore the dark, short strands. “I just knew you were gone. Every night I waited for the bells.”
I close my eyes, remembering.
Rigel kisses me again, coaxing me to open my eyes. When I do, he smiles. “You have such little faith in me, Princess.”
While shaking my head, I say, “I
have all the faith in the world in you. But the world is so empty when you are away.”
I reach for my pendant again only to remember it’s gone.
Rigel’s eyes drift to my neck. His expression shadows. “You’re not wearing the pendant.”
Tears well in my eyes, and I try to pull away from him. He doesn’t let me.
“Why aren’t you wearing it?” he asks softly.
I wrap my arms around his back. I can’t look at him while I tell him what I’ve done.
“Seirsha,” he says once I’ve finished. He gently tucks his finger under my chin, drawing my face toward him. “You think I would be disappointed with you for that?”
His mouth curves into a disbelieving smile. He laughs quietly and kisses me again.
“I love you,” he says as he studies me, his eyes dark and warm. “I don’t know why I didn’t tell you before, and then I didn’t have the chance. I pledged if I returned, I would take the first opportunity.”
I close my eyes, letting the words soak in. “And I love you.”
“The bishop returned to Glendon,” he whispers into my hair.
I mumble an acknowledgment. I already knew the man left.
“If you’ll still have me, I’ll see if I can find someone closer.”
“I wish it were tonight.”
He sighs at my words. “I need to leave.”
I want to argue, ask him to stay. I want him to stay. But I know he won’t, and truly, I don’t want to be the person Father thinks me to be.
Rigel kisses me before he leaves, and I hold him tight, not ready to let him go. The bell rings, chiming the hour. It’s very late.
“I promise you this,” he says. “I will still be here in the morning.”
“I’m worried this is a dream,” I say against his tunic. “I’m worried if I let you go, when I wake, you will still be gone.”
Rigel wraps his arms tighter around me. “Just a little longer. I swear to you.”
I nod and let him go. The room feels cold in his absence, but sleep comes easier than it has in a month.
***
“He’s convinced himself he’s in love with me,” Bea whispers.
I look at her in the mirror. “Why do you sound as if that is a death sentence?”
Bea’s usual smile is gone. Her eyes meet mine, but then they drop back to her work. The corner of her mouth crinkles in thought. “I’ll have to tell him.”
The words hang between us.
“I don’t know if I can.” She blinks quickly. “How can I…”
I catch her wrist and take her hand. “He’s a physician, Bea. If anyone will understand what you’ve been through, I’m sure it’s Kendal.”
She shakes her head before she sets the brush down and turns her back to me. “I’m so ashamed.”
Quickly, I rise and go to my friend, pulling her into an embrace. Her shoulders shake as she cries, but I don’t try to stop her.
“He won’t want me, Seirsha.” Bea grabs my hands, her eyes frightened and rimmed with red. “When he finds out, he won’t want me.”
The truth is, I don’t know what Kendal will think. I do know that he’s proven himself to be a good man. He sold virtually everything he owned to help people. I can’t imagine he’ll walk away from Bea now.
“It will be all right,” I assure her. “And if he turns away from you, he doesn’t deserve you anyway.”
My friend pulls back and dries her tears with the edge of her apron. “I’m not the person you think I am, Seirsha.”
“Of course you are. You’re Bea. You’re my dearest friend, and I know everything there is to know about you.”
She gives me a cryptic look before she once again picks up my brush. “Not everything.”
***
There hasn’t been a council meeting since Rigel left, and I’m not looking forward to the one today. Still, any time spent in Rigel’s company is better than time spent apart—even if we must keep our distance from one another.
I’ve been standing here for a little over an hour. Rigel is now informing Father and the other nobles about the search.
Father is not pleased.
“I do not see a way in—not without slaying the dragons,” Rigel says.
Father drums his fingers on the table, agitated. “Perhaps we can go around them?”
Rigel shakes his head. “It’s an entire colony. It seems as if they are there to protect the fortress.”
They’re shielding the world from the abomination that has been placed there, most likely.
Father sits back and flicks his hand in the air. “It’s no use. We’ll have to rid ourselves of them.”
“Rid ourselves of them?” Duke Everett eyes Father with distrust. “Your Majesty, surely you don’t mean—”
“I do mean. We will slay them.”
Astonished, the marquis leans forward. “You’re willing to break the treaty? For something we don’t even know for sure exists?”
Every one of the men is ready to defy Father, but he glares back at them, unyielding. “It’s the only way to save Errinton. We need the power.”
Several moments pass before Rigel finally says, “It’s not the only way. For over a year now I have been telling you of the ore—”
Father slams his fist on the table. “We will not discuss this again.”
But this time, instead of staying quiet, Rigel’s eyes go cold. He continues, “As you have seen, I have successfully created an alloy that is far stronger than dragon steel—”
“We are finished with this conversation!”
But the damage is done.
Ignoring Father’s anger, Lord Fisher turns to Rigel. “What is this alloy made from?”
Several men mutter and lean forward, eager to hear as well.
“It’s a mineral found in the mountains. It has no name that I am aware of. I’ve been calling it drachite.”
The responses come quickly and all at once.
“And it’s stronger than dragon steel? Is it brittle?”
“Where are you mining?”
“Have you created the armor? Swords?”
Father stands, his face turning red. “Enough!”
All eyes turn to him, startled.
“Your Majesty,” Duke Everett says. “If Rigel speaks the truth, this is exactly what Errinton needs.”
That is the wrong thing to say.
Father is now livid, and his hand trembles against the table. “We will assemble an army to take out the colony.”
The marquis shakes his head. “Your Majesty, if you send an army, it will leave us open to an attack from any of the lower kingdoms. Relations between Glendon are strained at best.”
Father waves his hand. “I don’t care who we gather. Peasants are disposable—send them.”
Lord Fisher clears his throat. “But, Sire…the treaty.”
Father slowly sits. “The treaty is between us and the dragons in the Kingdoms of Elden. There was no agreement made beyond the borders.”
I very much doubt the dragons will agree with Father’s logic. What is he thinking? Once we break the treaty, we will be at war again.
“This is drastic, Your Majesty.” Lord Everett frowns. “You must admit Rigel’s solution has merit.”
Father’s gaze slowly finds Rigel’s. “You will lead the army to the fortress.”
Rigel crosses his arms, the first act of full out defiance I have ever seen him display toward my father. “Sire, I respectfully request you find someone else.”
Father’s face turns a strange color of purple. “When I tell—”
“Of course Rigel is the best choice,” Archer interrupts, surprising Father and the rest of us. “The people are already in awe of him—I have heard them speak of him myself. He’s found the fortress. He will surely slay the dragons, retrieve the statue, and come back victorious.” He turns to Rigel, serious. “The tales of you single-handedly saving Errinton will go down in history.”
Father chokes, furious. He knows
he’s being manipulated, but in the end, his pride wins over his desire to be rid of Rigel. “If you do not feel you are equal to the task, Lord Rigel, I will find someone who is.”
Rigel tilts his head, his face passive. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Father’s eye twitches. He turns from Rigel, too disgusted to look at him. “How many dragons are in the colony?”
“Twenty, maybe thirty,” Rigel answers. “But they are massive. I’ve never seen larger, and they’re clustered together.”
Father stares across the room, his jaw working as he mulls it over. “Four hundred men should be enough.”
“For twenty dragons?” Lord Fisher asks. “Even for large ones, that seems a bit excessive.”
Father turns to the man. “True, but the men we will send are untrained for the most part. We must expect significant casualties.”
I grow cold—not only from his words, but from the uncaring way he delivers them. Rigel no longer hides his disgust; it’s clearly written on his face.
Father rubs his chin, thinking. “Discuss it amongst yourselves. I expect an even number from the five regions. Send men who are disposable.”
“No men are disposable, Your Majesty.” Rigel’s words are sharp, and the tension in the room thickens.
Father leans forward, his icy gaze on the young lord. “On the contrary, Lord Rigel, there are disposable men. Some are more so than others.”
No one misses his meaning. Several of the nobles in the room shift in their seats. Rigel stares back at the king, undaunted.
“You are all dismissed.” Father’s eyes are still trained on Rigel. “Except you, Seirsha. You will stay for a moment.”
Doubt flashes across Rigel’s face, but he hides it quickly. He and Archer rise from their seats, though they are both hesitant to leave me alone with the king.
Father steeples his hands. “What is the name of your maid, Seirsha?”
I grit my teeth and take a calming breath. He, of course, already knows the answer. “Bea.”
“She has a brother, doesn’t she? A strapping young man, if I remember correctly.” He taps his lips as if he’s trying to recall Antone. “His wife and child were ill a few weeks ago, weren’t they?”
The physician must have spoken to him.
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