by Jen L. Grey
After some time, Emerson lays down, too, and takes a deep breath. “I don’t get to visit the gardens often, but when I do, I find the most peace here Nowhere else in the palace brings me this much relaxation.”
“I completely understand.”
After a while, she rises. “I need to get back to my room so I can prepare for dinner.”
The way I prepare for dinner is by getting hungry. How else is there? But there are certain expectations in her role. “All right, I’ll see you around.”
I stand and fold the blanket, then hand it over to her and wave goodbye. Needing to talk to Logan, I head home. When I walk in, the front room is empty, but noises are coming from Logan’s room. I knock then open his door. He looks up from the floor, where he sits surrounded by swords and various weapons.
Am I in an armory? “What in Knova are you doing?”
“Well, Dave had a few weapons he wanted to give me. Aren’t they cool?” He holds up a small dagger. “I didn’t want to leave them just laying around our place, so I thought it would be best if I found a spot for them.”
No, I don’t think it’s cool, but this is our new reality. He’s a guard and needs to be at ease with these types of things. I bend down to help him store the guns underneath his bed.
After all the weapons are appropriately stored, Logan looks over at me, not meeting my eyes. “We’ve been requested to attend dinner tonight.”
Have we ever been requested to attend dinner?
“All palace residents are required to attend. Apparently, there is some kind of announcement. Most believe it’s about the Orlons’ visit.”
I guess that makes sense. “Oh, okay. I guess I need to change into some clean clothes.”
I head to my room and have the strangest impulse. I want to put on a dress for some crazy reason. Not anything super fancy, like Elizabeth and Emerson, but a dress nonetheless. I sort through my closest and settle on one in a light coral color. The neckline is high, so the key dips underneath and will go unnoticed. I brush my hair and put on a little lip gloss. I am about to do more, but stop myself. Why am I doing this? It’s not like Nick will be able to sit with me.
Letting out a resigned sigh, I join Logan in the den.
He turns and gawks at me.
Yeah, I dressed up for once. It’s not the end of the world. I fidget, but before I can head back to change, Logan puts his hand on my arm.
“You look gorgeous, Ari.” He gives me a sad smile.
I don’t want to have this conversation, so I smack him on the arm and roll my eyes. “Let’s go.”
Knowing I have to face King Percy makes me nauseous. However, I push it down and head toward the dining hall.
We walk fast, needing to get to the dining hall before time to guarantee a spot in the back.
We find a few seats that work, but the dining hall is already almost to full. A lot of the palace residents prefer to eat in their rooms, like we do, but, tonight, we all have the same plans.
Soon after we get situated, the dining hall is full, and everyone is talking at the same time, causing the room to be loud. I’m about to go get some fresh air when the royal family makes their presence known, along with Emerson and Father.
They march in, in a way that makes it obvious they had planned their entrance to be a parade. As soon as they are seated, the meal starts, but the dining hall falls silent in anticipation. King Percy is making the most of the situation. I’m sure he feels all important, and is going to take his time.
He’s sitting straighter than usual and appears to be in a great mood.
After all the dishes are served, he stands up to address his audience. “I’m sure you all are wondering why you were asked to be present tonight. As we all know, my family ruled over all of Knova at one time, and due to some… unfortunate circumstances, we lost the power over all four kingdoms.
His family ran the country into the ground. How can he really call that unfortunate circumstances?
“Well, over the past few months, the Orlon King and I have been in talks, and have decided that we should meet in person to determine the future development of our relationship. This is a great opportunity to form an alliance with the Orlons. We can once again have easier access to beautiful jewels and fabrics, if this alliance takes place.
Yes, because that should be our main reason to establish an alliance, to have better access to jewels and fabrics. How is this a strategic strategy?
He walks towards the front, his hands out. “They will begin their journey to our home first thing in the morning. My staff is working tirelessly to ensure the palace is in tip-top condition. Not only that, but we must represent ourselves well while they are here. I want their alliance, but don’t want them to think we have suffered in their absence. They should be here within a few days’ time, and I want you all to welcome them with open arms.
So, this meeting is all about making sure we know to be on our best behavior.
“There will be a ball the second night of their visit. I expect everyone to be there and on their best behavior. Any misconduct will be handled directly by me.”
He throws his hands up at the end, then sits back down and picks up his fork, indicating we all can eat.
I’m so eager to leave this room, not wanting to deal with everyone’s reaction. For the rest of the night, excited murmurs echo against the dining hall walls, and I try not to gag. Another royal family here is not great news for me.
The king gets annoyed with all the chatter and finishes his meal. Then he stands, motioning for everyone at his table to do the same, and they all leave in a similar fashion.
Logan and I don’t say a word until we are back in our quarters.
His nose scrunches in disgust. “This is unbelievable. The Orlons are going to try to get the upper hand, just like our precious king will.”
I just listen to him. He is talking but not to me.
After a while, I tire of his ramblings. “Want to play dominos?”
He abandons his current train of thought and perks up.
I have him, so I pull all the dominos out.
He rubs his hands together, excited about his favorite game. “Game on.”
Logan is very competitive, and for the first time ever, I win tonight, which feels amazing. Not just one game, but all of them. I mentally pat myself on the back and try not to laugh at his bad sportsmanship. He knows how I’m feeling, so instead of helping, it makes him angrier. Now, he’s pissed and sulking in his room.
In my room, a crazy thought pops into my mind. If I can light candles and control the wind, I should be able to control my and Logan’s bond, at least to a degree. So, I focus on trying to identify it with my power, which I had to be doing something similar already, since I can’t feel him anymore. I search for the bond and decide to project my power toward Logan.
His feelings rush back into me. He is still obsessing over me winning and trying to figure out how I did it. He intends to demand a rematch.
Laughter bubbles out of me, and I can tell he hears me and is curious as to what’s so funny.
I have enough drama to deal with, let alone his wounded pride, so I focus on disconnecting us once again. I’m very sleepy, so I decide to take a nap, since I’ll be out late with Nick. I reach over to set my electric alarm clock, and after just a few moments, I drift off.
* * *
I wake right before my alarm goes off. I’m disoriented and wonder where I am and what day it is. I rush to turn on the lights, and everything falls back into place. I get to see Nick tonight. I open my link back up to Logan and can tell he is in a deep sleep. I’m so glad I figured this whole bond thing out.
I look in the mirror, brush my hair quickly, and reapply my lip gloss. I grab a blanket and rush out the door. I miss seeing him, and after his promises of finding a way for us to be together, I am even more eager to get there.
I reach the gardens and am disappointed because Nick isn’t there yet. I lay down the blanket and sit, waiting fo
r him.
After a while, I get a little upset. Why isn’t he here? Does he just want to waste my time? I should just leave, but the problem is I can’t seem to make myself head back home.
After a little while longer, I convince myself to leave, even though my heart is still holding out hope. I fold up my blanket and then there are noises in the garden. Crap, I stayed out too late, and now a guard is going to catch me.
I get ready to run when Nick comes out of the bushes. “I am so sorry, Ari. My father is going crazy with the Orlons’ visit. We have been holed up in a strategy meeting since dinner. I got out as quickly as I could.” He wraps his arms around me.
I’m pathetic for just forgiving him but find myself molding right to him. I am so relieved that it was his dad keeping him. “No problem. I was just worried about you and thought maybe you changed your mind about us.”
“This is for real.” He pulls back to look into my eyes. “You’re it for me. Nothing will change that.”
He kisses me on my lips, and I forget all about him being late and any other worries that were on my mind.
Chapter Fourteen
Ice cold water drenches me, causing me to wake followed by Logan’s howling laughter.
My power flares inside me, and I pin him against the wall before my actions even register.
His jaw drops, and I automatically release him.
How did I do that? I could have hurt him. But at least he isn’t laughing anymore.
“Don't worry. I've learned my lesson.” He rubs the back of his head.
“I am so sorry. Are you okay? I didn't mean to hurt you.”
He reaches out to pat a dry spot on my body. “I'm not upset at all. You have strong power, and you didn't know what was going on, so your first reaction was to protect yourself. I'm glad you were able to do it.”
“Okay, good.” I get up and give him a hug, causing him to get soaked as well.
He gasps. “You sneak.”
We both break out in a fit of laughter like we used to do when we were kids.
After we stop chucking, Logan looks out my window. “Hey, Ari, we haven’t been able to spend a lot of time together the past few weeks. We both have the day off for once, and we don’t have to worry about Mother. Why don’t we go for a horseback ride and have a picnic?”
I grin. “That sounds perfect. Let’s both get dry, and I’ll make us some lunch.”
I’m so excited about our plans. I jump up, shed my wet clothes, and put some dry ones on.
As I grab the meat, a nagging feeling hits me. It seems like this could be the last chance Logan and I get to spend time together. Great, now paranoia is plaguing me. Let’s add that to the ever-growing list.
Soon, we are on our way to get the horses. Once we break free from the palace grounds, neither one of us can wipe the grins off our faces. The sun feels wonderful, and my power purrs in response.
Logan takes off. “I’ll race you.”
I giggle. “You cheat,” I holler and coach my horse to catch up.
We race for a while, but then Logan slows his horse and ventures toward a path we haven’t been down in a long time.
When we were kids, our mother took us down to the stream so we could swim on hot summer days. It’s been years since we’ve gone, and I can’t wait to get down there. It’s beautiful. Trees outline the path, and there is a hill of rocks that meets the water.
I dismount and carefully walk down to the stream to put my feet in the water.
Logan follows right behind me.
The coldness of the water hits my skin. “How long has it been since we’ve been here?”
“Well, I would say at least ten years. It was the time you fell and slid down the rocks, all the way down to the stream. You were scratched and gashed up really bad, and we rushed you home. Father found out that Mother brought us here, and he got so angry about it. That the Royal Advisor’s family shouldn’t be out doing mundane things like playing in a common stream where others could see. He said that King Percy already gave him a hard time about us, and if it were to come out, who knew what would happen. Mother cried and cried, and Father just walked out on her. She never brought us back down here after that day.”
Why in Knova would Father care if something happened to us? He didn’t seem concerned with our beatings, and he seemed pleased enough with Logan’s guard position. However, walking out on my mother doesn’t sound strange at all.
But I remember the day. That’s the day our bond was formed. I had fallen down the rocky hill into the stream and was in immense pain. Mother was in a panic, but Logan remained calm, trying to take care of me. He rushed over to me and carried me up the hill to a dry spot under the trees. His eyes were filled with concern, and he was trying to determine how deep my gashes were. He had my blood all over him, and I remember him saying to me, “I love you so much, Ari. I wish I could feel and take your pain away.”
When those words left his mouth, the bond snapped into place and my pain became bearable. We returned home, I remember Mother telling what happened to Father. He yelled at her, and I got upset, feeling like it was my fault. Logan came in with one of his books that I had been dying to read and distracted me, asking if I would like to borrow it. Now, I understand why. He’s been taking care of me longer than I realized.
“I love you. I don’t tell you that enough. You’ve always been there for me. I don’t know what I would ever do without you, and if something were to ever happen, please know how much you mean to me.”
He looks at me with concern etched all over his face. “Ari, that almost sounds like a goodbye speech. What’s going on?”
A small smile spreads across my face. “Nothing. There are just moments like this where I appreciate that you’ve taken care of me more than I’ll ever realize.”
“You’re my sister and best friend. Of course, I’ll always take care of you, whether you want me to or not. We have something stronger than blood, and we both know that. Now, enough with this mushy stuff. Let’s eat.” He gets to his feet and heads toward the horses to gather our things for the picnic.
That’s my brother — protective at every cost but doesn’t want the recognition. I follow him back up the hill to help gather the food.
* * *
The day was wonderful, but now we are back home and have to face reality. Right before we walk in, though, I sense someone in our home. Logan senses my alarm and takes the lead to check it out.
When we walk into the den, Mother is sitting at the kitchen table.
“I thought you were going to be staying away from the palace for a while and taking a break.” I rush to give her a hug.
“Well, that all changed when the Orlons decided to come for a visit. I must be here to play my role, dear daughter,” she says with a tight smile.
“Unlike Ari, I missed you dearly,” Logan says as he reaches over and scoops her up in a big bear hug.
She laughs and kisses him on the cheek. “I have missed you both and am glad I needed to come home earlier. I got my head on straight, even though I’m still not thrilled with you being a guard, but Prince Nicholas is right. He said if I were to do anything, it would just make the situation worse. He’s so unlike his father, and I’m thankful for that. I can’t wait until King Percy gets replaced by him; even though, knowing the king, he’s working on finding a way to stay alive forever,” she rambles.
My heart warms at hearing her words. She feels guilty for how uninvolved father is in our lives, but what she doesn’t realize is that she loves us enough to make up for his disinterest.
All of a sudden, she looks up at me and cocks her head. “You look different.” She steps closer to inspect me and runs her fingers through my hair then cups my cheek, peering into my eyes. “I feel power coming off you, Ari, stronger than ever before.”
I’m freaked out by her statement. Logan has a concerned look as well. I play with my hair and take a step back, knowing exactly how to distract her.
“Oh, Mother! You
’ll never believe what happened. The other day, I went to the village and stumbled across the market. There was a vendor there that was selling a small key. I think it’s the key of your family, so I bought it. Look!” I pull the key out from under my shirt.
Mother’s eyes drop to my necklace, widening when she zeros in on the key. Her shaky fingers touch it, almost in reverence. “I can’t believe it.”
Her touching the key has my power going crazy, and I want to slap her hand away. I’m the only person who is supposed to touch it.
As if she can sense my discomfort, Mother drops the key.
“It was given to you for a reason. I am so delighted that it found its way back to our family in my lifetime.”
Relief fills me. I’m glad she doesn’t want to keep the key for herself, because I don’t know if I could have given it to her. I smile and wrap her in another hug. “I’m so glad you’re home.”
We eat dinner in our quarters and spend time playing card games. It’s the most time we have spent together as a family in a long time. The day has been perfect.
After playing games for a while, we all retire to our rooms. Even though I had fun with my family, I cannot wait to spend time with Nick again tonight. After what feels like an eternity, and after confirming I won’t be caught, I grab my usual blanket and head out the door.
When I reach our special spot, Nick is already there and pacing, which is unlike him.
“Hey.” I smile as I run up and envelope him in a big hug.
He flinches at my touch and doesn’t return the hug. My heart feels broken by his reaction, and tears sting my eyes. Then I rub my eyes and spot a dark bruise hidden by his shirt. Did the king do this? I reach out to move the fabric, so I can get a closer look.
But he steps out of my reach and looks down. “It's nothing. I just fell earlier today,” he says, looking down.
Sure, that’s what it was.
Just as I am about to press the conversation, he takes my hand.