by Jen L. Grey
“You mean the part where the Orlon Prince started paying attention to her and became a friend?” She stares at him, daring him to challenge her.
“Yes, that’s what I mean. She’s gained attention from not just one royal family, but she now has it from two. Do I think those men are crazy for being interested in my sister? No, I don’t. What hurts me is that Ari and I learned that if we didn’t stay under the king’s radar, then we would get physically hurt, sometimes for days, Claire.
He’s right. What did I do? How could I be so stupid?
He glances at me. “So, what I see is my sister becoming a moving target that I can’t protect. Do you know what it’s like to see your sister come home with blood on her face and running down her arms and legs? I felt powerless. So, when I got the chance to become a guard, I wasn’t happy, but I knew it would help me be able to protect her. I can only count on me to do that. Our father hasn’t shielded us from anything, so I’m the only one.
“Now, what can I do? I can’t protect her from this. What if Prince Nicholas, or umm, Nick, as Ari likes to call him, goes through with not marrying Emerson?”
The truth in his speech rings in my ears. The king would never tolerate Nick refusing to marry Emerson. I never meant to hurt my brother or make him feel this way.
Claire looks at him with sad eyes. “Why don’t you just tell her that instead of making her feel like you hate her. I’m going to leave you to talk. Ari, I’ll be in my bedroom when you’re done.” Claire turns and walks away.
Logan and I watch her until she enters the house and shuts the door.
I keep my sight on the house. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. If I could take it all back, I would. I don’t want either of us to feel this way.”
He takes a deep breath and lets it out. He turns to me. “I’m sorry, too. I just feel so helpless right now. I don’t know how to fix this. I don’t want you to be heartbroken, but I don’t want either of the princes to pay attention to you. I’m not saying you aren’t worthy, Ari. If anyone in this world is worthy, it’s you. It almost seems like the universe is gunning for our family, and I’m doing my best to dodge the bullets, but I’m running out of energy.”
I move closer to my brother and lean my head on his shoulder. “I didn’t mean to make you feel like you had to protect me. I’m sorry if I make you carry that burden.”
Logan wraps an arm around me, pulling me in tight.
I close my eyes, enjoying being in his embrace.
He places the side of his head against the top of my head. “You never made me feel like I had to carry the burden. I just wanted to. I love you, sis.”
“I love you, big brother.” I realize how dark it’s getting and pull away. “Now, you better get back before someone gets worried. I’ll be home in the morning.”
He gives me one last squeeze. “You’re right. Will you please tell Claire that I’ll see her tomorrow night? She’s going to join us for the dinner. I thought that would be best for both of us.”
I smile in return. “You mean, Claire thought it would be best?”
He grins in response. “Yes, but let’s just pretend like it was my idea.”
I laugh, which feels so nice, and head back to the house. At the door, I give him a small wave before walking in.
Grace is at the kitchen table with her daughter. “You guys okay now? I don’t think I’ve ever seen the two of you argue before.”
“That’s because we don’t fight.”
“Well, I’m glad that’s the case.” She stands up. “Siblings are too precious to always be squabbling with.”
With that, Claire jumps up and heads toward the stairs. “Night, Mom. Ari, get up here.”
“I guess I better go. Goodnight, Grace.” I walk up the stairs.
“Night.”
When I get to Claire’s room, she is already sitting on her bed. “Did you guys make up?”
I grin. “Yes, we did. Thank you for that. He informed me that you’ll be at dinner tomorrow, too. I am so thankful for that, Claire.”
She smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “Me too. Ari, did the king beat you and Logan?”
I take a deep breath not wanting to have this conversation. “Yes, but it’s been a while for me. I keep my distance as much as I can.”
“What about Logan?”
“Well, it’s been more recent for him.”
She is getting riled up.
“You know that day that you referred to earlier? The day Logan was hurt, and we became real friends?”
She gives me a guarded look but nods.
I bite my lip. “That was the king’s guards’ doing, but the king was encouraging the behavior,” I explain.
Claire takes in a sharp breath, and for the first time ever, I can’t read her expression. “He could have died. He was really injured that day.”
There is a white spot on her wall that I’m focusing on, not knowing what to say. The king is cruel, and most villagers don’t realize the extent of it. In a weird way, they are sheltered from him since he isn’t interested in visiting here.
Claire is not happy with the revelation. She’s pacing her room and pulling at her hair.
I don’t know what to say to make it better. There isn’t any way of making it better. Logan and I just learned to accept it and avoid him at all costs.
Oh, no. What if Claire doesn’t want to be friends now? What if I’ve ruined her and Logan’s relationship?
The clock reads 11:30 so I need to be heading out. Our conversation took a whole lot longer than I realized. I get up from the bed and head to the window ledge.
She follows after me, and gives me a hug. “I’m not mad or disappointed in you. I’m upset with the fact that the king gets away with it. There is no way the Savior should be in his hands.”
I give her a knowing smile. “Unless Nick really does stop the wedding, the king will have his claws all in her.”
I connect to the elements and call for the wind. A breeze begins blowing and it strengthens as it approaches us. When it reaches us, it turns into a small tornado and picks both of us up and lowers us on the ground.
Claire looks surprised and delighted. “You moved both of us at the same time.”
I wink at her. “I’ve gotten stronger and knew I could do it.”
We laugh and then head toward the woods.
As we walk, it comes to light how much Claire has changed in the past few months. She was petrified of the woods when we first started, but now, she leads the way.
When we come to the meeting place, once again, Lydia is already there waiting for us.
How does she beat us every time? I move toward her and am startled when another person steps forward.
The other lady resembles Lydia. They have similar builds and coloring, but the new lady is taller than Lydia by an inch, and her eyes are a greenish brown color.
Lydia smiles at us. “Hi, I want to introduce you to my sister, Hazel. She is here to help me train you. I think this will be our last session, and I want to make sure we get the most out of it.”
This is our last training session? Why wasn’t there more warning than this? I figured I’d know at least a couple of trainings before. While I’m pondering this new information, Claire makes herself comfortable at the tree she likes to sit under.
“Hazel, this right here is Ariah,” She points towards the tree. “And over underneath the tree is Claire.”
She claps her hands. “All right, we are going to work on several elements at the same time, but we’ll do it while you are also dealing with objects that hold no power. I want you to lift Hazel up in the air and then throw fireballs around her.”
Is she serious? “But what if I hit her?”
Lydia shrugs. “I guess you better not.”
I thought I’d had strenuous trainings before, but boy, how I was wrong. She has me use all the elements together on top of stabilizing Hazel in some form or fashion. I work so hard I’m dren
ched in sweat. This is the first time that has ever happened.
Hazel walks out into the middle of the field.
Lydia reaches into a bag and pulls out a candle. She hands the candle to Hazel and turns toward me. “I want you to elevate her and light the candle when she’s reached the tree tops. After the candle is lit, I want you to drop her down halfway and extinguish the candle with water. Once that’s done, you can place her on the ground.”
I shake my head. “You know water and I don’t get along the first time I use it.”
She arches an eyebrow. “Well, I guess you better focus really hard this time.”
I connect to the elements, calling for the wind once more. It responds and Hazel is in the air within seconds. I haven’t elevated someone so high before, but I push her up with my mind.
Soon, she’s up at the tree tops. I close my eyes and picture her. I remember she was holding the candle right in front of her. I imagine the spark and ask it to ignite the candle.
I hear a laugh. “It’s lit.”
I want to celebrate but know my battle is only half over. I drop her slowly to where I can visibly see her, probably ten feet up in the air. Instead of calling for the water like I normally do, I ask for it to come. It connects with me willingly. Maybe that’s what I’ve been doing wrong all this time.
Once again, I ask it to extinguish the flames, and it immediately happens. I grin and lower Hazel the rest of the way.
She looks at me with awe and reverence. She glances at Lydia. “I didn’t believe you, but this is amazing.”
We continue a while longer, and they smile at each other before turning to me. “I think I’ve helped you as much as I can. You need to continue to use your power on a regular basis. Keep depleting it to strengthen your body. You are still growing stronger each day. If you don’t keep allowing your body to get stronger and assimilate with your power, you will have issues again. Just know that we believe in you, and all things will work out as they should.”
What does this mean? Why must she speak in riddles?
Claire is just as confused.
I nod like I understand because, at this point, I just want to go to bed. I’m tired of trying to pull information out of people.
She pats my shoulder. “I know you don’t understand now. But soon, when you return, we’ll meet and all will be revealed. Please, have faith and be strong.” She and Hazel turn and walk away.
I watch them, and it appears as though they vanish into thin air.
Claire seems a little shaken up.
I grab her arm. “Let’s go.”
She doesn’t need any further encouragement because she is up and heading back to her house as quickly as possible.
Chapter Twenty
It’s never a good sign when you wake up because your muscles are hurting so much. I am even struggling to breathe. That’s how sore I am. Also, I dread what this day might bring. The upside is that Claire will be at the palace with me tonight, and I need all the support I can get.
Claire and I get up and make a quick breakfast. I’m getting ready to leave when she turns to me, a concerned look on her face. “What’s wrong?”
“Well, I’m not sure what to wear tonight. I had planned on wearing the dress you gave me to the wedding, so I don’t have anything to wear for dinner unless it’s the same outfit. I can try to find one reasonably priced in the village.”
We both know that she can’t afford what she needs. However, I have a closet full of dresses I try not to wear.
“Meet me at the stables at four this afternoon, and we can get ready together in my room. We can find something for you therein my closet!”.” I smile, actually excited about the possibility of getting ready with someone else other than my mother.
Claire grins, but I can tell she isn't all that comfortable borrowing clothes from me.
I give her a quick hug. “I insist. I remember a time when I was in need of clothing, and you were there for me. Let me do this for you. That’s what friends are for.”
Her expression lightens, and she nods.
I turn around to trek back to the palace. The clouds are rolling in from the storm, and there is a sense of warning all around me. I try to shake it off, justifying that it is crazy to be influenced by the sky. It has to be my mind playing tricks on me, since I’m walking back to drama. However, the sense of foreboding doesn't go away.
The memories of last night surface to my mind. What exactly did Nick mean when he said he would find a way? Those words fill me with both hope and dread. Hope, because I've wanted a future with him for as long as I can remember. Dread, because of all the things we will have to suffer through in order to achieve it. And, to be honest, there is some fear as to what will happen between Sam and I if Nick and I work things out. I don't want to lose either of them.
I better stop allowing myself to consider the disillusion that Nick will even try. He told me he would from the beginning, but he's done nothing but follow his father’s orders. I thought he was better than that. The king is cruel, but this is our love that’s at stake.
It is an awful situation, no matter what happens. Someone will get hurt at this point, regardless of the outcome.
I approach the palace and have chores that need tending to. Maybe my mind can have a break. I concentrate way too much on the tasks at hand, but it allows me to not overthink tonight.
There are some noises behind me, and I turn to find Dave.
He is looking at me with a strange expression. “I'm leaving tonight. I just want to say goodbye and that I'm sorry for everything. I pushed a relationship on you that benefited only me, and this, I will have to live with. Goodbye, Ariah.”
He turns and walks away, leaving me bewildered.
I shake my head. He did pursue me, in a way, but it was nothing to get that upset over. You know what? I don't have time to worry over it. I have more important things to think about.
I push the peculiar interaction to the back of my mind and focus on finishing stuff up. Claire should be here soon, and I need to be ready to leave. I’ve just finished the last little bit when Claire calls for me.
I wipe my hands off and head out to meet her.
She relaxes a little when she sees me. She is tapping her fingers against her leg, and her smile is forced. Despite all that, she looks stunning, as usual. Her long hair is braided into a crown on her head.
I snicker. Elizabeth would hate that if she saw it. “Hey, are you okay?” She’s always so confident, so this is a little concerning.
She sighs. “I'm fine. I didn't realize how intimidating this was all going to be. For some reason, I envisioned this as just going over to a friend’s house, but now that I'm here, it doesn’t seem that way at all.”
I understand. “Come on. Let's go back to our quarters.”
We walk through the palace.
Claire is trying to keep up, but she is also mesmerized by the palace.
We come to our door. “Here we are.”
Claire takes in her surroundings.
I’m a bit self-conscious because we have few decorations and no pictures. I’m sure she’s comparing our blank house to her homey and happy one.
“Come on, let's go look through my closet to find us something to wear.” I take her arm and head to my room.
Inside, a little excitement comes back into her eyes. She loves clothes and dressing up.
I wish I could enjoy it more, but every time I get gussied up, it isn’t fun.
We sort through my closet. Claire gasps at an emerald green dress that is hanging in the back. “You must wear this. This would look stunning on you.”
Her enthusiasm is contagious, and I can't say no, even though the dress looks like a death trap.
When I don't protest, she lays it across my bed and turns to keep looking for hers.
Claire squeals when she comes across my red gown. “Can I please wear this one?”
“Of course, you can.”
There is a loud knock at my
door.
“Ariah, are you in there?” Mother calls.
“Yes.”
She opens the door to enter and stops in her tracks when she notices I am not alone. “Mother, this is Claire.”
“Hello,” Mother smiles and is still reeling from someone being in my room.
I’ve never had a friend over, so even though she is expecting Claire, it still catches her off guard. Wait until she sees Claire with Logan.
“Claire came over to get ready for dinner with us.” I scratch my head. “It’s not as big of a deal as the wedding, but it’s still important. It’s the rehearsal dinner and a goodbye celebration, since the Orlons are leaving.”
“Yes, you are correct. I was coming in to help you get ready,” her shoulders sag, “but I guess I’m not needed.”
As usual, Claire’s personality comes shining right through. “No, please, stay and help us. As we both know, Ari is helpless, and I don’t know the right fashion to wear in the palace.”
Mother quirks her eyebrow up at her. “The palace style is similar to in the villages. Most villagers try to mimic the royals, so you just do a fancier version of what you see around the village.”
While we get ready, Mother tries to be sneaky and inquire why I stay with Claire so frequently. She is fishing to see if I will tell her something different than what Logan offered, but I play along. I explain to her that Lydia requested I train outside of the palace to help keep the king’s attention off me. Mother understands, knowing how the king is, and seems content with my answer. She tries to protect us to the best of her abilities.
Mother squeezes Claire’s arm. “I’m so glad to finally meet you. I’m also happy you are able to join us for dinner tonight. It’s lovely to have one of Ariah’s friends here. Do you plan on staying the night?”
“My parents wanted me to, so I won’t make the trip back home in the dark.” She bites her lip. “However, I don’t want to overstay my welcome.”
“You are more than welcome to stay with us. I would love to return the favor to you and your family.” She heads towards the door. “Now, let’s go grab some coffee and get to work,”