Kaina's Dawn (Kaina Saga Book 1)

by Brittany Comeaux

  The crowd ignored Kaina's protests and erupted in cheers. Her blood boiled as Prince Casimir ignored her completely and smiled to the crowd for this accomplishment. When he faced Kaina and offered his hand to her, she did the most foolish and petty thing she had ever done.

  Instead of taking Prince Casimir's hand and accepting this union, Kaina outright slapped his hand away.

  At that moment, the music stopped and everyone in the room fell silent in horror. Casimir stared at Kaina, and she was certain that what she had just done was something no one had ever had the audacity to do to him.

  Kaina met his eyes head on and shouted, “How. Dare. YOU.”

  Kaina marched forward and stuck her finger out to the prince and continued, “You come here expecting me to marry you after I've only just met you?”

  Kaina turned to Elias, who still had the same stone cold expression and shouted, “And you. How dare you arrange a marriage behind my back!”

  Elias scowled, edged closer to Kaina, and said, “If you refuse this union, you will bring shame to our house and to the kingdom of Ilesia!”

  The horror in her family's eyes was in no way going to deter Kaina. It was high time she stood her ground and forged her own path.

  Kaina met the gaze of Prince Casimir, and in that moment all humility and compassion faded from his eyes, leaving an emptiness that she was almost certain would steal her soul should she look into them for too long. With one last look of pure defiance, Kaina said loud enough for the entire ballroom to hear, “Prince Casimir, I will never marry you.”

  Chapter 4

  The door to Kaina's bed chamber flew open, and Roland dragged his daughter into her room by her arm and shoved her towards her bed. Once Elias and Hamelin marched into the room right on Roland's heels, the latter of the three went to the door and slammed it shut. Before she could even get the feeling back into her arm, Roland's hand flew across her cheek. She yelped like a scared pup as the sound of his strike echoed throughout the room, but she quickly regained her composure. A few seconds after she realized what had happened, that was when the blinding pain set in.

  “HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?” Roland bellowed. “Do you have any idea what this will do to our family? The Haventhorn family will be forever shamed!”

  Kaina turned back to respond when he landed yet another slap across the same cheek. This time, the force was so great that Kaina stumbled back and fell onto her bed. She fought back the urge to cry, and turned to face her father.

  “I will not be a pawn,” she gasped in. “I decide what I do with my life, no one else.”

  Roland was about to strike her again when Elias caught his arm.

  “Roland, enough,” the old man said. “Casimir is a reasonable man. Perhaps we can convince him that Kaina simply had an adverse reaction to the sudden news--”

  “Why, so she can just defy us again?” Hamelin barked. “It's high time she's taught her place.”

  “Don't talk about me as if I weren't here,” Kaina spat.

  Hamelin put his finger out and retorted, “You're lucky that's all we're doing. If you were my daughter, you wouldn't leave this room until you crawl out on your knees and beg the prince's forgiveness.”

  The echo of clinking steel from down the corridor soon announced Hugo's presence. Seconds later, the door burst open and a her fuming cousin burst into the room.

  “YOU,” he screamed at Kaina, but before he could even utter another word, Elias intervened.

  “Enough,” he said. “We all agree that this is a serious problem, but if we handle it delicately, we might have a chance to mend it. Hugo, you are well acquainted with the Prince, so I believe you should speak to him and tell him that your cousin is ill.”

  Hugo, still a shade of red that his crimson cape would have envied, turned around and stormed out of the room without another word.

  Elias turned back to Roland and said, “As Kaina's father, I will leave the decision of what to do with her to you.”

  Roland nodded, faced Kaina again, and said, “Your uncle is right about one thing: I have tolerated your behavior for too long. You are to stay in your room until you are ready to apologize to Prince Casimir.”

  “Why should I apologize?” Kaina said as she shot up out of her chair. “I'm not the one who arranged a marriage behind his back.”

  Roland tried to speak again, but his flushing face made it impossible. He began to pace the floor, and that was when his eyes fell on the stack of books on Kaina's table. Her heart sank as he marched over to the books and picked up the first one. He held it out for her to see it and said, “This is why you think you can do as you please without consequence. These books have filled your head with dangerous ideas, and it's high time we get rid of them.”

  To Kaina's horror, Roland had marched over to the hearth and tossed the book into the fire.

  “NO!” Kaina screamed.

  She charged forward in an attempt to save her treasure trove, but Hamelin grabbed her arms and held her back as Roland took each book one by one and threw them into the raging inferno. When he was done with the ones on her table, he turned to her shelf and repeated the same process until all that was left was a pile of burning ash in the hearth.

  Kaina fell to the ground when she realized that her precious tomes were beyond saving, and that was when Hamelin released his grip on her. She stared into the blaze, unable to believe what she had just witnessed. A numbness washed over her as the pages curled and the leather popped. The fire ate them away until there was nothing left by the bare shape of hat used to be books.

  Once the fire was satisfied, Roland turned back to Kaina and said, “You will learn to act like a proper lady and you will marry Prince Casimir.”

  Roland, Hamelin, and Elias marched out of the room and slammed the door behind them, and not long after Kaina heard the unmistakable sound of a key turning in a keyhole. The click that followed made her heart sink.

  As soon as Kaina was recovered, she darted over to the door to open it, but not surprisingly, it was locked. She pounded on the door and screamed, “You can't keep me in here! Let me out!”

  It was all in vain, however, for her cries went either unheard or ignored.

  Kaina slid down against the door. She wanted to keep banging and kicking on the door until she had no energy left, but she knew deep down that this wouldn't do any good.

  Kaina heard a popping sound in her fireplace and turned to look at the hearth. All that knowledge, the last shred of freedom she had left, reduced to ash. Her world shattered, Kaina rested her head in her knees and began to weep.

  In the guest suite that had been prepared just for him, Prince Casimir sat in an arm chair and stared into the fireplace. Although Kaina's rejection was the single most humiliating thing that had ever happened to him, he couldn't help but still be taken by her.

  “My Lord,” said a voice from behind him.

  Casimir turned to see Azemar entering the room without knocking, as he often did.

  “What is it?” Casimir asked.

  “Forgive my intrusion,” Azemar said, “but Lord Hugo wishes to speak with you.”

  Casimir debated on whether or not to send him away, but it would be rude to refuse his host, so he said, “Very well, send him in.”

  Hugo entered the room, still dressed in his armor, and approached the prince and knelt before him.

  “Prince Casimir, if I may speak,” he said, “I must ask for your forgiveness for my cousin's behavior at the ball. She was nervous, you see, and we hadn't yet told her of the engagement--”

  “Save your breath, Sir Hugo,” Casimir stated flatly, still staring into the fire. “If I had known that Lady Kaina hadn't yet been told of the engagement, I would have been more cordial. Her reaction this evening is no fault of her own.”

  He looked at Hugo and saw his demeanor relax, then he added, “You may rise, Sir Hugo.”

  Hugo obeyed his lord and stood at attendance. “I am grateful for your humility, Your Majesty. My cousin is res
ting for now, and I'm sure that once she has had time to get her thoughts straight, she will understand that you mean well and will make a fine husband for her.”

  “Indeed,” Casimir said. “Her will is strong, isn't it?”

  Hugo's color drained, and he quickly said, “A minor problem that will be corrected before you wed.”

  “On the contrary,” Casimir replied. “A woman with a strong will and a sharp mind can be the most powerful thing in this world. Kaina may be exactly what this kingdom needs.”

  Hugo didn't reply, so Casimir stood up and turned to him. “Inform Lady Kaina that she may take all the time she needs, and that I will be more than happy to spend time courting her if that suits her.”

  Hugo nodded, knelt down again, and said, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

  “I appreciate your family's hospitality,” Casimir replied. “You may rise, Sir Hugo.”

  Hugo obeyed again and without another word, he spun around and left the room before Casimir could change his mind.

  Casimir turned back to the fire, but before he sat down he heard Azemar say, “Are you certain that is wise, my Prince?”

  Casimir didn't look at the old man, but he turned his head in acknowledgment and replied, “Why wouldn't it be?”

  Azemar stepped forward. “With all due respect, Your Majesty, that young lady made clearly has no respect for tradition or responsibility. Do you really want her as your queen?”

  Casimir turned back to the fire, in which he saw the burning look in Kaina's eyes that drove him wild. He lowered himself back into the chair without breaking his hypnotic gaze on the flames and said, “I've never wanted anything more.”

  There was a silence, and for a moment Casimir thought that Azemar simply vanished into thin air, but the old man said, “As you wish, Sire.”

  Azemar waited for the final guests to leave the Haventhorn Manor and made his way to the kitchens. As he had overheard the servants speaking earlier, the manor had another exit in the kitchen, where the cooks would go out to fetch herbs from the garden and throw out scraps to the dogs. When they first arrived in Eboncrest, he had observed a gated archway to the garden in the back of the property, and it was there he would slip into town undetected.

  Azemar made his way into the kitchen, but not before pausing and waiting to ensure that there were no servants inside. He made his way through the kitchen and out the back door. The garden was empty, and he glanced outside of the gate and waited for the town guard to pass the alley between the garden and a tall hedge full of roses. Once it was clear, he slipped out of the gate and hid in the shadows until he made it out of the alley to the back of the property.

  A small wooded area that the family had neglected to dig up would be his cover, and even from where he stood he could see the vast woods and plains leading up to the mountain wall far north. He wasn't there to enjoy the scenery, of course, and stood under a nearby tree with a dagger plunged into it, as was agreed would be the meeting point.

  After a short period of time, he heard approaching footsteps and turned around to see a man in his mid to late thirties approaching. He wore a black and gray robe with billowing sleeves that reached his mid thighs and was tied at the waist with a cloth belt. He wore a hood over his face with a drape around his shoulders and the only weapon he carried was a dagger at his belt.

  “You're late, Nilas,” Azemar said.

  The man known as Nilas stepped out of the shadows and removed his hood. A patch of red hair sat atop his head, while everything below the corners of his forehead was shaved. His skin was olive and covered in patches of dirt, and he had yellow teeth and black markings tattooed under his eyes, which were a strange combination of gray and flecks of brown.

  Nilas edged closer to Azemar and said, “The security in town was tighter than we thought. It took me a while to get here.”

  “I told you that would be so,” Azemar replied. “The prince's safety is not to be taken lightly.”

  Nilas shrugged. “Well I'm here now, and the rest of the men await your orders. We will begin as soon as you are ready.”

  Azemar looked around, then said, “Wait until the guards have let up on security for the night, which shouldn't be long now. Keep to the shadows until you find it, but I would prefer that you remain discreet even after.”

  “Of course, Boss,” Nilas said, “I'll give the signal to begin as soon as we are certain we won't be detected.”

  “Good,” Azemar said, “and remember...” Azemar stepped closer to the man and uttered, “When you find the book, make certain that no one is left alive to witness it.”

  After what felt like hours, Kaina pulled herself to her feet, went over to her wardrobe, and threw it open. She pulled out the dress she'd worn earlier that day, along with another one that wouldn't be too bulky. She grabbed her satchel out of the bottom of the wardrobe, folded her extra dress, and placed it neatly inside. She also packed a few other essentials, including her new journal, quill, and ink.

  Before shutting her wardrobe, Kaina dressed herself in her casual dress and removed her hair from its clip. Using a damp washcloth from the nearby wash basin, she wiped her face clean. Kaina took one last look in the mirror, seeing herself as she truly was for the first time, and said to herself, “There's no turning back now. There's only forward from here.”

  Kaina studied her reflection, attempting to ignore her wet, puffy eyes, and she soon noticed that she had forgotten to remove the necklace her father had given her earlier. It wasn't until that moment that Kaina realized why he had given it to her.

  The necklace was her engagement present.

  Kaina shut her eyes and balled a fist around the pendant, intent on ripping it off and tossing it across the room, but she stopped. She had almost no money left after her shopping, and she couldn't hope to make it on her own without it. Certainly any buyer would pay handsomely for such a piece, at least enough to give her a fresh start.

  Kaina made her decision and released her grip on the necklace.

  After taking one last look at the fire, Kaina noticed something else. She had watched as her father took books from her table and her book case and dump each one into the fire, but not her nightstand. She reached for the top drawer and to her relief, the blue book was still there, completely unscathed. She thanked her lucky stars that he never thought to check there and slipped the book into her bag.

  Kaina glanced out of her window and saw that the guests were mostly gone and the guards began to lessen their defenses. She went to the window next to her reading chair and cracked it open. She could see the thick rose vines leading from her window to the ground. She reached a hand out and pulled on the vine to test its weight, then gasped and retracted her finger after making contact with a hidden thorn. She sucked on her finger and was greeted with the fresh taste of blood, but she ignored the sting and devised a new plan.

  Kaina had a pair of thick leather gloves she used to study the plants in the garden without hurting her fingers. She found them in her desk and slipped her hands into each one. Once they were protected, Kaina wrapped a hooded cloak around her shoulders and drew the hood up, but not before wrapping the satchel around her neck and shoulders so that the strapped lay across her chest.

  Now certain that she was prepared, Kaina went over to the window and climbed onto the window pane. She didn't realize how nervous heights made her until she did so, but she held her breath and grabbed a rose vine. She found a foot hold in the lattice that held the vines, moved her other foot down, and bit by bit she made her way out of the window.

  Kaina froze momentarily when she felt the jerk of the lattice threatening to fall from her weight, but after several deep breaths and realizing that her weight would be supported after all, she continued moving down at a slow and steady pace. After what felt like an eternity, her foot made contact with the grass and she allowed herself to breathe.

  Kaina paused for a moment to get her bearings, then she turned to head towards the back of the manor. There was a woo
ded area back there, and from there Kaina would only have to navigate downhill and pass a few buildings before she was free from Eboncrest and the Haventhorn family forever.

  Just as Kaina made her way to the edge of the garden alley, she checked over her shoulder to make sure the guard hadn't passed back yet, but she soon collided with someone. She stumbled backwards, collected her bearings, and looked forward.

  Azemar the Wise stood before Kaina looking just as surprised to see her as she was to see him.

  “Lady Kaina?” Azemar said. “What in the--”

  Kaina's heart throbbed when she saw in the old man's eyes that he realized exactly what he was doing. Kaina was prepared to run as fast as she could, but to her surprise, the old man simply smiled and said, “I didn't see you so long as you didn't see me.”

  Kaina heaved a sigh of relief, nodded, and continued on the path.

  Azemar turned to go back to the garden gate when he froze. It was a relief that it was only the Haventhorn girl who saw him where he shouldn't have been, but there was always the chance she could wise up and let it get out what she saw. It was a paranoid and preposterous notion, but if he had any chance of pulling off his plan without any problems, he would need to take every potential obstacle seriously.

  Azemar crept back to where he had met Nilas and saw Kaina moving further ahead in the distance. If she made it out of Eboncrest, there was little chance he would find her again.

  Just then, Azemar heard a noise and spotted a figure nearby, but he knew this to be one of his scouts. He kept his eye trained on Kaina while sidestepping his way to the scout.

  When he approached, the scout said, “Isn't that the Haventhorn girl?”

  “Yes,” replied Azemar, “and it would appear she's running away from home.”

  “She might be a problem,” the scout said.

  “I bumped into her on her way out. If she lets out that I was seen in town on the night of an attack, it might cast suspicion on me, or even the royal family. Tell the others that she is not to leave Eboncrest. Don't harm her, but see to it that she is put back into her home,” Azemar said.