by Vella Wolf
“You wandered off into the woods without guards?!” Wickham exclaimed.
Kero frowned again. “Sabyr is trained as a ranger. Who better to investigate the woods? If they were bandits, we could have handled it just fine.”
“But it wasn’t bandits, was it?” Wickam prodded.
Kero drew his lips in a thin line, he mouthed to make words, but nothing came. I clenched my fist.
“It was the Solair,” I announced.
Shock and fear flashed onto every face in the room.
“They had attacked a caravan of fleeing Terra Sule. Butchering some, capturing others.”
“How do you know it was them?” Dion questioned.
“We tracked down two individuals who appeared to have escaped. They were bait. Four Solair ambushed us. We fought; I managed to injure one enough that they retreated.”
Elren reached out and grabbed Kero and I, pulling us to his chest, squeezing us tight. Ever the older brother. “They could have killed you! What were you thinking?”
“Elren, there is more,” I wheezed. As he released us, I braced myself. “Their leader told us they have taken Tiersal. They claim the Terra Sule as their own.”
A suffocating silence enveloped the room. Sorrow filled Elren’s eyes. Dion stood wide-eyed and stunned. Wickam grasped his chest. He looked older than he ever had.
Kero began to stammer, “They said the tide would come for us. They are so strong and fast, brother. I barely kept up. Sabyr and I have been training in melee since we were children, and they almost wiped the floor with us!”
Dion, in a rare brotherly moment, placed a hand on Kero’s shoulder to comfort him. “Arndell never made us for war.”
Elren rubbed his face and hung his head. “That explains the lack of contact. We should have sent aid to the Terra Sule sooner. They might have had a chance,” Elren said.
“We’ve lost so many people to the withering. We barely had anyone to send,” Dion said sharply.
“Not to mention the land is getting colder. It’s getting harder to grow our crops.” Wickam sighed.
“Arndell really has abandoned us,” I muttered.
Dion turned to glare at me. “You don’t know that.”
“He has been silent for over a hundred years, why do you continue to delude yourself?” I hissed back.
Not just Arndell, all the gods had gone silent. The Great Silence had come to our world; Ahmanrah and the earth had changed with it. The people, the land, and its magic had begun to wither. More and more mute children, devoid of power, were born every year. Even the Life Wardens, protectors given to the land, had vanished. How could anyone still believe we were being taken care of?
Dion snarled at me. “You’d never understand. You don’t have his gift. You are only half his child.”
Elren glowered at Dion.
“Now is not the time for that. We need a plan, and we need allies,” Wickam snapped.
We both looked to the floor, ashamed. Scolded like we were children again.
“Who do we even ask?” Kero questioned.
“I’ll partition the humans of Straega and the Lunell,” Wickam answered.
“Straega and the moon elves are across the ocean! Straega barely provided aid to Tiersal,” I spat.
“They cannot ignore that the Solair are now a greater threat. They will only continue their dominion. The danger will come for them.”
“Negotiations could take months. Even if they agree and send their ships, it could be too late.”
Wickam rubbed the sweat from his brow. “Do you have a better suggestion Sabyr?”
“Yes. Request an alliance with the Illyd from the north and the east.”
“You’d consort with demons?!” Wickam snorted.
Kero scowled at him. “Surely, we’ve progressed enough to not call them that.”
Wickam frowned and turned to Elren. “Allying with the Illyd is too dangerous. They are creatures of chaos and darkness. The scars from the damage they wrought to our land still remain!”
“That was over a thousand years ago, and they weren’t fighting us. The Illyd have long since made amends for their crimes,” I said with a frown.
The Illyd of the north and east were often entwined in conflict. Their chaotic god, Circae, was rumoured to encourage it. Unfortunately, our country was partly sandwiched between the two provinces. It was inevitable that we’d get caught in the crossfire. Our people had once cursed them as demons, beings of chaos. While I had never met an Illyd, countless tomes spoke of their various powers and strengths. Not to mention the pride and ego that drove their conflicts.
“The Illyd have been reclusive since the Great Silence. Why would they help us?” Wickam questioned.
“The Solair will come for the Illyd after us. The sun elves possess elements opposite to the Illyd. They are a real threat,” I rebutted.
Wickam’s brows furrowed. “There are things you are not considering. They know we are desperate. They won’t just ally with us. They will ask a price.”
I glared. “Our country and freedom are worth any price.”
Silence filled the room once more as everyone mulled over our options.
Elren rubbed his scruffy chin and announced his decision. “Sabyr is right. If we all agree, Wickam will send a word to Straega, the Lunell, and the Illyd. We will exhaust every option.”
Kero gave a half-smile. “Of course I agree with Sabbie.”
Dion frowned and rolled his shoulders. “I’d rather side with chaos than see us fall.”
We turned to Wickam expectantly.
He sighed in defeat. “I will do as you ask, Elren but mark my word, they will ask a terrible price.”
With that, Wickam turned and left. He looked crushed, and I felt a twinge of guilt. I understood where he was coming from, but death came for us. It would be better to live long enough to regret our choices than rot with our pride.
A large hand ruffled my hair, interrupting my thoughts. “I think it’s time you and Kero get some rest,” Elren smiled warmly.
I frowned at him.
“You’re no use to anyone tired.”
I groaned. As usual, he was right.
“Tomorrow, I will start assisting with the training and recruitment of our troops,” I said.
Elren rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes, tomorrow. But for now, please go and rest.” Elren embraced me once more, and Dion nodded in my direction. Dion wasn’t one for contact.
Kero and I left the study, walking back down the hallway. Various castle staff hustled by as we approached the crossroads leading to separate rest wings. We waited until the halls had cleared before saying goodbye. I reached out and hugged Kero, and he squeezed me tight in return.
“It will be alright. We’ll find a way,” I whispered into his ear.
He smiled sheepishly as we parted. I wished that there was more I could say to comfort him. Kero and I had spent the most time together. It was no secret that he was my favourite, my best friend. Together we chose a similar path, to become the swords and shields for our family. Because Kero was the third son, and I was a half-blood, we knew we would never have a claim to the crown, and that was exactly how we liked it. We had the freedom to choose our own paths, unlike dear Elren and Dion.
Waving goodbye, we turned to our separate wings and headed towards our rooms. As I walked past the halls, I spied my sisters sitting in the garden. I stopped and turned to the window, peering out. Thick, lush green grass covered most of the ground, and a white stone path led to and from the castle. Roses, my mother’s roses, filled every garden bed. Pinks, reds, yellows, mauves. She had collected every colour possible, and Celia, the youngest sister, had followed her passion.
Kariss, the oldest of the three, sat on a bench beneath one of the trees, in a dress of sapphire. With a needle and thread, she stitched vibrant colours into a piece of cloth as the breeze gently rustled her curly chocolate mane. Emile, her twin, in a blouse and tights, sat on the highest branch in the tree above her. Her
chestnut locks cut short to sit above her shoulders. While twins they were, they couldn’t be more different.
Finally, I spotted our youngest sister, Celia, sitting in a mossy patch of grass. Hair, the colour of wheat, was braided and tied elaborately, trailing down the back of her pastel pink dress. Celia’s fingers danced across the lawn, sprouting tiny violet flowers across the surface. Like Dion and our mother, she had been blessed with gifts, the ability to conjure and command flowers and plants. In another life, she may have been a powerful druid. But in this one, she was just our sweet, gentle, delicate Celia.
I smiled as I continued to watch them. I was a lucky woman. Where other illegitimate children were cast out or killed, I found myself between three older brothers and three younger sisters. My mother was forgiven, and I had even been allowed to call her husband, father. The late king had been a kind and loving man. While outsiders had not been as amiable, I always had a safe home here. Upon reaching adulthood, I was even given a seat at the royal table, acting as an advisor like my brothers. While I’ll never be a legitimate heir, I know I will always have a place here with my siblings.
I turned and took my leave, heading to my room once more. Pushing open my oak door, I entered the room. It was quite a large room. Most of the bedrooms in our castle were. A large queen bed with blue covers sat between two huge windows. I made my way over to each window and drew open the curtains letting in the light. It wasn’t long till sunset now.
Picking up a brush from my bedside table, I walked to my dresser and sat in front of the mirror. My fingertips ran across my up-tied hair, pulling pine needles and leaves from the tangles. I pulled out the tie and let my long hair fall. Dark red hair cascaded over my chest, and I stared at myself in the mirror.
Like my siblings and many people in this land, my skin was light and pale. Our home was a cold and snowy place. We were lucky to see the sun during winter. But unlike my siblings, my hair was not a shade of brown or black. My eyes were not the colour of the sea or the pines. They were gold. Much like the Solair I had fought today. People suspected my father could have been a Solairan emissary, but my mother never gave up my sire. Reds and golds didn’t just belong to the Solair. My father could be anything.
I stared at the cut on my neck. Sarmai could have killed me so easily, but instead, she chose to toy with me. Arrogance could very well be a weakness to exploit. Peeling off my soiled leathers, I entered my bathing chambers. After scrubbing the mud and blood from my skin, I dressed in a light shirt and laid on my bed. I scrunched the cold sheets in my hands and stretched out, enjoying the space and comfort. As I began to drift off, my mind raced over the events of the day, until eventually, Wickam’s words echoed in my head. A terrible price. What could we even offer the Illyd? What would they ask of us?
Chapter 3
Two weeks passed. Kero and I had spent most of our time training and recruiting. The family had yet to announce the news about Tiersal, trying to avoid panic. However, rumors had begun spreading like wildfire, and the increased attention to our military forces was fuel to that flame.
I looked over at the grey stone courtyard of our barracks. Dressed in the blue and silver colours of our house, men and women of all ages trained with weapons of all kinds. While they were all showing improvement, recruitment was bleak. Only 100 odd new soldiers to train. I shouldn’t be surprised, people were scared, and our population dwindled. The withering had wrought the most damage. A disease, plague, or curse, no one knew. It was unnatural, resistant to magic, and preyed on the weak. More were going hungry with the climate destroying our crop yield, and the withering had come to claim many of them. Imports from the south and west had helped, but now…
“Sabyr!” a voice called my name.
I turned to see Kero running towards me at full speed.
“Sabbie! A messenger has returned. Elren wants to see us now,” he huffed.
A reply that fast? Nodding my head, we began to make our way to the study.
On arrival, the guards pushed open the heavy doors. Elren, Dion, and Wickam were already inside. I looked at my brothers’ faces, trying to find signs of possible good news. Grim expressions greeted me.
“Who replied? What did they say?” I asked.
“The Illyd of the north,” Elren replied with a grimace.
Had they accepted my proposal already? I couldn’t believe it.
“Well, that’s good then, isn’t it? If they replied that fast, it couldn’t be a rejection, surely?” I grinned.
Elren’s eyes darkened, “I think you should look for yourself.”
Elren presented a piece of parchment covered in refined writing that looped and ran beautifully. It was almost art. My eyes brushed over the page taking in every detail until they ran over the word marriage. The blood in my veins went cold. I continued to read until my eyes reached an elaborate signature, Raest Nightsong, king of Naedis. My hands began to shake and the paper crinkled in my hand.
“He wants an alliance to be bound by marriage?! Marriage to one of our sisters?” I exclaimed
“I told you they would ask for much. Surely marriage isn’t a surprise,” Wickam snapped.
“I’m not an idiot. Political marriage is a common move, but I didn’t think an Illyd would want one of us. They are all about power, and introducing our blood would dilute that.”
I ran over the text once more. This king wished to court each of my sisters before choosing a bride. One of my sisters married to a stranger in a peculiar and dangerous land. Kariss would endure, but Emile would go insane. Celia. Celia was so kind and beautiful, she was the best of us. He would pick her. Celia was a child of nature. My heart ached at the thought of her trapped in a land of darkness, so far from her roses.
“We can’t agree to this!” I continued.
Elren, Dion, and Wickam gave a tentative look. Oh Arndell, they were considering it.
“You can’t be seriously considering this?!” I spat.
Elren sighed. “He is offering a complete alliance with us. Men would be sent to reinforce our borders and outlying towns. Provisions shared. A member of our family would have a permanent seat at his table.”
“Many of his soldiers possess healing magic that could aid our villagers even in peace times,” Dion added.
I blinked. “But you’d be sending one of our sisters far, far away! How would they cope in a place like that? It’s a weald of ice, little sunlight. Harsh people. Celia is too young!” I continued to ramble.
“Celia is eighteen. She is at the age most girls are wedded to a lord. Kariss and Emile are twenty! More than old enough,” Wickam babbled.
“Kero?” I turned to him, begging for support.
He bowed his head, avoiding eye contact. “You said that our country was worth any price. Mother and father refused to adhere to traditions and spared them, but anyone else would have married the girls off by now. This alliance could save us. I think we have to do this.”
I tried to hide the betrayal on my face, but as pain flashed in his sapphire eyes, I knew I had failed.
“I don’t know if I can agree to this, but I suppose you have enough votes to go ahead anyway,” I glowered. I felt so bitter. I understood where they were coming from but feeding my sisters to wolves… I had to find a way to save them.
“Allow me to act as primary escort to each sister for every meeting. If I discover any possible danger and cruelty from this king, you will decline his offer!” I said firmly.
“Of course, I couldn’t force cruelty upon them,” Elren responded.
Dion looked to Elren and then me. “Then I'd say we have our path.”
“I’ll send a reply right away,” Wickam said.
One by one, everyone filed out of the room until only Elren, and I remained. I moved towards the door, ready to storm out, but Elren stopped me.
“Sabyr. I know this seems unfair, but this could be very fortuitous. If this works out, all of Seranel could be safe. Raest could even be a wonderful husband to one of our g
irls. I have you to thank for this opportunity.”
I felt sick with guilt at the thought.
“Don’t thank me just yet.” I turned and stormed out.
Chapter 4
Kariss and Celia took the news reasonably well. Emile did not. Regardless, for two weeks, the trio went through fittings, etiquette classes, and other preparations. To my horror, Kariss had even begun entertaining the idea of being married to an Illyd king.
The day of Raest’s arrival came quickly. I watched the procession from my window. Coaches of varied sizes and colour, led by strange beasts, rolled into the castle ground. The crowd was thick with guards and escorts. Near the back, I spotted a large coach painted in black, purple, and silver. Sharp spikes sat atop the roof and sprang out from each wheel. It was a menacing vehicle pulled by two night-scaled ikander, large lizard-like creatures. Dark silk curtains obscured the passenger, but I had no doubt that it was Raest’s coach.
“My Lady Sabyr! We need your assistance,” a maid called from outside my room.
I hurried to the door and opened it to a flushed older woman.
“Vilya, what is it?” I asked.
“It’s Emile! She refuses to get dressed! No one can move her.”
I crinkled up my face and sighed. “Please go and inform Elren. I’ll meet you there.”
Fetching a silver embroidered blue vest from my closet, I pulled it over my white shirt. Silver and blue were the colours of the Feros house. Along with dark tights and boots, this was the fanciest thing I had worn in a while. I finished braiding my hair, secured my sword, and left for Emile’s room.
Emile was two doors down. Kariss and Celia were hovering at her door, already dressed in their finery. Kariss wore a sweeping blue velvet gown, violets were woven into her hair. I frowned when I realised how much cleavage was showing. On the other hand, Celia was wearing a much more conservative gown, made with soft pink chiffon. A band of plum blossoms sat on her crown. She looked like something out of a fairy tale.