King Torald III, a man with a full, graying beard and dark brown eyes resembled one that at first glance could be the kind of man who would utter a hearty laugh and give one a great big bear hug. She almost imagined him with a cup of ale in one hand and a sword in the other valiantly charging into battle, but she had a sneaking suspicion that underneath that mask was something much darker.
Torald wore full armor, much like those of the Crimson Knights', but carried his helmet under his arm. A bright red cape flowed behind him as he walked up to them, a welcoming look on his face.
“Ah, and you must be Kaina Haventhorn, my would-be daughter-in-law,” Torald said. “I must apologize for my son's actions; I'm afraid that he's been a bit...careless with his responsibilities.”
Kaina remained silent.
“I have already informed your family that I do not blame them for cooperating with Casimir, for they had the kingdom's best interest at heart. As for you, Miss Haventhorn, I am forever in your debt for preventing my son from doing something terrible,” Torald said. “Tell me, though, what has become of my adviser, Azemar?”
Kaina didn't know why she felt unnerved, but she managed to utter, “He attempted to take a book that would have given him ultimate power, and I had no choice but to...”
“Kill him?”
Kaina nodded.
The king leaned forward. “And the book?”
Kaina felt her heart racing. “I destroyed it.”
In the next several seconds, the king did two things that sent chills throughout Kaina's entire body. The first thing he did was smile, the second thing he did was say, “How...unfortunate.”
It was in that moment that Kaina knew exactly the kind of man she was looking at. That gleeful, courageous exterior was nothing more than a mask to hide the evil within.
Torald turned back to his soldiers and said, “Arrest Prince Casimir for treason. He will be brought back to Sunhaven to face justice. As for Sir Hugo, he will be pardoned, for he only meant to serve the crown by following Casimir's instructions.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Elias said.
The king nodded and as the soldiers gathered up Casimir and brought him to the prison coach, Torald turned to the crowd once more and said, “Worry not, my subjects. Ilesia will forever prosper, and Casimir will learn the error of his ways before he is ready to take the throne.”
Before he turned to leave, Kaina caught him and Tristan making eye contact. The father and son stared at each other for several seconds, and without another word, Torald mounted his armored horse and galloped off.
“That had to have been the coldest thing I've ever witnessed,” Emir said as the soldiers left and the crowd dispersed. “He didn't even speak to Tristan.”
The crowd had dispersed and Kaina, the Azure Riders, and the two wizards were left in the courtyard.
“It doesn't matter,” Tristan replied. “I've made my peace with the fact that he will never see me as his son.”
Kaina placed a hand on his shoulder and said, “Are you sure you'll be all right? I'm here if you need me.”
“I appreciate that,” Tristan said softly, “but it looks as though you've got a chip on your own shoulder.”
Tristan gestured behind Kaina, and that was when she saw her entire family lined up and watching her several feet away. With the exception of Hugo, who had been brought inside to sleep off the damage Kaina had inflicted on him, everyone stood side by side and stared at her with utter contempt. Her parents and brothers stood to the right, Hamelin and Isa to the left, and Elias stood in the middle, each one wearing masks with a savory blend of disappointment and shame.
It was one of the proudest moments of Kaina's life.
She edged closer to them, her heart pounding in her ears, and stood before them silently, each side daring the other to speak first.
Elias lifted his head to peer down at her and said, “It has come to this.”
Kaina nodded. “So it has.”
Elias turned back to the manor, gestured to the entire structure, and said, “I want you to take a good long look, Kaina. You had everything: a home, plentiful food, luxury, everything your heart could desire, and yet you threw it all away to be with them.”
Kaina turned back to her friends...no, her family, and she turned back and said, “I didn't have anything...until I met them.”
She could hear Hamelin scoff, but she ignored him and kept her eyes trained on Elias.
Elias pointed his finger at her, his Patriarch's ring glistening under the morning light, and he said, “You are no longer a Haventhorn. Even if you wise up and realize what lost, you will never be welcome in our home again.”
Elias turned away from her and began to walk back to the manor, then one by one, each member of the Haventhorn family turned away from her without a word and walked away. Devon was the last, but he hesitated. Before long, however, he turned away as well and rejoined the others as they all made their way back to the manor. As they stepped inside and shut the door, a lone tear escaped from Kaina's eye.
“Kaina?” Tristan said as he touched her shoulder.
Kaina quickly wiped the tear away, turned to him and said, “I'm fine.”
“You sure?” Tristan asked.
Kaina nodded. “Yes, I'm sure. At least...I will be.”
“All right then,” Tristan said, “let's meet with the others outside of the town and get back to the hideout.”
As they all turned to walk away, Kaina took one last look at the Haventhorn Manor. She knew she wouldn't miss her old home, but something made her want to memorize every detail of it.
“Kaina?” Tristan called.
Kaina smiled and ran to meet them, for the home she chose would be far sweeter than the home she was given.
Coming Soon...
KAINA'S
LEGION
KAINA SAGA
book 2
Available for Kindle and Paperback
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brittany Comeaux lives in Eunice, LA with her husband and two daughters. When she isn't writing, she's either chasing her kids, reading a book, or killing dragons in Skyrim.
Facebook Page:
https://facebook.com/bcomeauxbooks/
Kaina's Dawn (Kaina Saga Book 1) Page 32