“Hush! We do not want anyone else to know!” Blaire whispered loudly, glancing at the doorway, alarmed.
“Did he propose?” I asked in a low voice.
“I believe he was going to, but King Randin’s decision to abdicate must have stopped him. He must now tell her Ladyship that they can never be,” Yana said, pressing the brush to her chest dramatically.
“Oh, how dreadful,” Ayah replied. “This would make for such a great yet tragic love story!”
I stared at them. A part of me felt bad for Selenah. But deep inside me –some small fragment of me– felt happy. Happy because she would know what it felt like to sit within the depressing caverns of emotional pain for not being good enough to the people your heart sought for the most and live with it for the rest of her days to come.
The thought scared me. How can I be so cruel? Then again, life had been cruel to me because of her.
My maids escorted me out of the room and into the dining hall where the others had already been seated. Owen and Prince Gareth stood up as I entered, and I gave a small curtsy in greeting. Selenah just smiled, but I could see in her eyes that she was ashamed for using her magic on me.
Breakfast was quiet. Occasionally, I would catch Prince Gareth watching Selenah while she ate. I wondered what was going through his mind as I, too, looked over at Selenah. The two were awfully quiet. Political affairs were no secret, I assumed. Twice, I glanced at Owen, and each time made me angrier than the last. He is trying his ‘please forgive me look’ again. Looking away, I focused on the plate of food before me. I knew Owen wanted to say something; he always did. But perhaps our previous argument would make him think twice about what he said to me.
After the servants came to take away our dishes, we sat back into our chairs with drooped shoulders. But Prince Gareth was able to compose himself and he turned to face the Archduke.
“How fares the Palace since I left, cousin?”
“It has been well. The Shadow Reaper has made no attack against us for the time being,” Owen answered. Prince Gareth almost smiled.
“Father plans to have you back at the King’s Castle,” Prince Gareth said to Selenah. “He has a plan to rid of the Shadow Reaper that he wishes to consult with you about… among other matters.” He stopped. “You must come back with me once you are ready. I will take my leave now.” Selenah nodded as he stood up and walked away.
Once the Prince had gone, I felt my need to be here leave with him. I stood up, nodded a farewell, and walked out with my maids. They then excused themselves from my service to have their morning meal.
In truth, I did not care for their duties, knowing they would rather spend time with the Palace Guards we had met the other day or simply waste the hours away talking and sipping tea under my name– while I spent time in solitude.
As I passed by the kitchens on my daily aimless wandering, I saw a group of chefs speaking in hushed tones.
When I neared, they looked alarmed at the intrusion and dispersed. I could not imagine any reason for them to do something covert enough to leave at my arrival. What are they up to? Perhaps they planned something for Prince Gareth’s wedding to one of the Porticorian princesses. But why were they so secretive? I shook my head and continued, heading back to my chamber.
When I had arrived at my chamber and looked out the window, I saw Prince Gareth and Selenah heading towards the Palace gates. Their white carriage awaited them, and I rushed out from my chamber to catch up with Selenah, anxious that she had packed so quickly, and I had not even begun, nor was I told to.
“Selenah, am I not to go with you?” I asked her, grabbing a hold of her arm.
“You will be safe here,” was all she said, turning and slowly walking away from me.
I glared at her back. I could not believe her and was beyond furious at her answer. Not only had she told me to stay here, she told it to me as if it were a discussed matter. Did nothing really change between us?
“So, you are just leaving me? Is that it?” I called after her. “I am forever stuck in this old, rotting place while you are free to roam the kingdom?” I was about to go on and tell her that as Duchess, the King granted me the privilege to go where I pleased when she stopped walking and turned around to face me.
“I do not want you in danger, so you will stay here. You are living here in comfort, Mel, and will continue to do so if you listen to me just this–”
“No, you listen to me,” I hissed, interrupting her. “Do you really think I would adhere to your every word to stay imprisoned in a place that is supposed to be my home?”
“I do not want to force you to stay here,” she said in a low voice, her blue eyes looking darker than normal.
But it did not faze me. I laughed bitterly. Does she think to scare me?
“You had better, Selenah. There is no other way you will find me staying here. I am sick of you ordering me around. For once, I wish you were never my sister!”
Selenah just stood there in pure shock, her blue eyes now wide. I stared defiantly at her, not taking back my words. We stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity before Prince Gareth came to see what was keeping Selenah from the carriage.
“Not again…” he said, his hand on her arm in a comforting gesture. I knew it was disrespectful, but I scowled at him while Selenah mouthed something in response, before walking away.
Rather than going back inside, I ran to the Palace woods, a grove of trees within the estate. Slumped against one of these trees, my eyes filled with tears. I was not sure why, but whatever it was, it made me weep like never before. I pulled my legs up against my chest and rested my head on my knees, letting the tears dampen my dress. I had never felt sorry when Selenah and I had disputes. What is wrong with me now?
Tiran found me still sitting at the base of the tree when the sky had darkened. He sat down silently at my side and placed a hand on my shoulder in comfort. I smiled through the tears. He was at my side when I found myself in trouble with Selenah at the King’s Castle and I was grateful he was doing the same now. I felt guilty I had not thought to ever ask about him when I arrived at the Solstice Palace.
“What is it, Mel? What has made you so upset?”
I looked up at him through bleary eyes.
“I told Selenah I wished I was never her sister,” I sobbed. “She...I do not know what has come over me…”
“It is all right,” he said, squeezing his hand briefly. “You did not mean it. She must know that.”
Did I mean it?
We were silent for a time.
“Tell me a story,” I finally said, sniffing.
“All right.” He thought for a moment. “A kingdom far away once had a brave knight…” I smiled through my tears, remembering this story. Tiran had once told it to me when I could not go to sleep.
“…Who slew dragons and beasts with his mighty sword,” I said, continuing the story.
“See, you do not need me to tell you a story; you know it already.” Tiran smiled. He let go of my shoulder and stood up, a hand outstretched for me to take. “Let us go in, Mel. Staying out here will do no good for either of us. Perhaps a meal and some time indoors will set you at ease.” I nodded and placed my hand in his, letting him pull me to my feet.
As we walked, I felt reassured by his presence. It made me smile and turn to him.
“Tiran, you are like a father to me,” I said. And I meant every word.
“And you are the daughter I never had,” he said, grinning, and briefly put an arm around my shoulders. The sincerity in his voice made my heart warm.
“Do you have no children?” I asked, grateful he did not ask about my real father.
“Indeed, I do! Five proud sons,” he answered with a smile. “It can make life quite hectic and I am sure my wife could not agree more!” I joined him in his light laughter. “Let us race, shall we, Mel? First to the Palace gates–”
I took off before he could finish his sentence, sprinting as fast as I could through the
trees. I smiled as I lifted the folds of my dress to move faster, satisfied with my head start.
I could hear Tiran’s armor clinking as he came running behind me, gaining speed.
Before I knew it, I was lifted upwards and spun in the air. I shrieked, feeling like a child as the air shimmered with sparkles around me before I was gently put back on the ground by Tiran’s side. He had used his magic, but I felt no resentment towards it. We walked towards the Palace doors together, my cheeks flushed from exertion and my face beaming with happiness.
****
Supper was delicious. The range in the meals –from herbal soups to roasted venison– once again reminded me of the good meals prepared for me by the Shadow Reaper. It was perhaps the best night since coming here, especially because Tiran dined with me.
“His Majesty the King wanted us in Porticor,” Tiran said after I asked him why he had not joined me on my trip to the Solstice Palace. However, hearing about Porticor now made my skin prickle.
When the meal was over, Tiran recounted his adventures as a lad when he first learned he possessed magic. He cast spells as he spoke to replicate and project the events that had happened and what it had looked like. As he spoke, the sword on his belt glowed fiercely.
Owen was there by formalities, but for once I was glad. With Tiran back, it was as if all our troubles were gone.
I even responded to his comments during Tiran’s storytelling with no resentment or hidden malice.
As I readied to go to bed that night, I heard a sharp bird call. I looked out the window and saw, perched upon the nearest tree outside the Palace gate, an eagle. It looked hauntingly familiar to the one I had seen before. I closed my eyes and shook my head. Why is this bird always here?
Shutting the window, I went to bed.
CHAPTER TWELVE
ANIMAL INSTINCTS
By the next morning, I felt energized. I could have run until it was night if I could. Whatever I had done –or perhaps eaten– yesterday, certainly had affected me.
My original plan for today was to fetch Blaire since her reading skills were greater than mine, so we could continue my search for the Shadow Reaper’s true identity. But I waved it aside: today was too glorious a day to waste in a drafty library!
Just as I planned an exhilarating ride with Coal around the battlements, Lady Yael arrived at my chamber door. The old noblewoman invited herself in, looked around, and then turned to me. I was thoroughly perplexed by her coming.
I had not visited her recently, so perhaps she arrived because she felt lonely or forgotten.
“A duchess needs better living quarters!” she finally said to me. Her statement was unusual to hear. Certainly, Lady Yael had lost her wits.
“Pardon?” I said, but I did not intend to stay to hear what she had to say. I began to walk towards the door when she glared at me, catching me by surprise.
“You are not going anywhere, young lady. Her Ladyship has ordered me your new instructor. Where are your maids?”
“Instructor?” I echoed. “My maids…oh…they…” My mind went back to my last encounter with them: each giggling away with their respective Palace Guard in some secluded place. But I knew telling the truth was not going to please Lady Yael, so I made something up. “I told them they did not need to come in today,” I said with a firm nod. Lady Yael began to screech in response to what I said.
“Have mercy! How can you be Duchess when they treat you so? You are their superior! You are the one to do as you please and they to follow. That is how it is! I shall send for them later. Now, do you know how to sew?”
“Sew?” I repeated, feeling my stomach sink.
“That is what I said. No need to worry, you shall be sewing kerchiefs in no time. Sit down and I will have some thread and needles sent here.” I gawked at her as she firmly had me sit down in a padded chair.
“But…I am not a noblewoman. Surely, you know only noblewomen do such boring–er, talented arts.”
“You are the Duchess of the Solstice Palace, dear! That title alone is far better than any noblewoman.”
She then criticized my posture –slapping my back and shifting my shoulders to sit up straighter– as we waited for my maids and the materials she had asked for. When a maid came by with the supplies, Lady Yael handed me a spool of thread, a needle, and a piece of cloth. Everything in me wanted to shout. If I had known duchesses squandered away their life like this, I would have declined the Prince’s offer of becoming one! I would rather much stay a commoner.
Lady Yael took the seat beside mine and addressed me in a stern voice. “Now, listen to me carefully, Duchess, or you will be pricking your delicate little fingers sore from all the needlework.”
Within minutes, Lady Yael turned from an old, nostalgic woman to a strict mentor with zero tolerance. If I paused for the slightest moment, she would slap my hands. And if I ruined a stitch, or did them improperly, she would make me start all over again.
When my maids arrived, they hung their heads low as Lady Yael gave them an earful about their station and responsibilities. They then tended to errands that should have been done days earlier and were told the three would be punished should they again neglect the formal code a lady’s maid was bound by. After all, they were earning a small wage as well as being given free meals and residency at the Palace. We were given one last encouragement from Lady Yael: she had her Ladyship’s support in all that she made us do.
Even gone, Selenah found ways to ruin my life, and this, perhaps, was the worst she had dealt. I would rather force myself to smile and welcome pretentious aristocrats who looked their nose down upon a commoner-made-duchess and pretend to enjoy their company than do this!
Sadly, when Tiran came by, he too was given a lengthy speech on his duties and when to visit a duchess. He gave me a sympathetic look as he walked out, and I wanted to run out the door with him. But Lady Yael saw my advancing movement and stepped to close the door, scowling.
Minutes slipped into hours and I felt I was on the verge of madness. I wanted to be outside, feeling the sun on my skin, or the breeze through my hair. I did not care if I were alone or had company, but as long as I was not trapped in Lady Yael’s grasp, I would be fine. How the noblewomen could spend their lives like this, I would never know.
“Again, Duchess! Hold the needle with care. It is not a–”
“I have had just about enough of this!” I finally shouted, putting down the needle and thread. Lady Yael and my maids stared at me in shock.
“Ladies do not raise their voices, nor do they talk unnecessarily–”
Ignoring her, I threw open the door and walked out of my chamber without a second glance. My feeling of imprisonment instantly dissolved away as I continued towards the stables. I dressed into the appropriate gear and walked over to Coal’s stall.
Coal greeted me affectionately, rubbing her muzzle against my shoulder. I smiled as I unlatched the stable door to walk her out, glad that at least I was welcomed, if not by a person, than by an animal.
I noticed that someone must have changed her saddle and reins, for they were now a deep green, and not their usual black. As I lead her into the stable paddock, she lifted her head up and let out a joyous whinny. I patted her neck, grinning now, before stepping onto the stirrup and mounting her.
Coal started a full gallop out of the stable and we sped off into the yard. Before I knew it, Coal jumped over the yard fence with outstanding grace and speed. The exhilaration of it all made me feel like a bird learning the true splendors of flight. Coal’s hooves rhythmically beat against the cobblestone ground as we circled the palace grounds, trotting with pride. Onlookers furrowed their brows at the sight of us.
I then thought about going into town on my own.
It seemed like a grand idea and I turned Coal towards the main entry gates, ignoring the frowns the Palace Guards gave me at my approach.
When Coal stepped within a few paces from the gates, her reins began to glow. I dropped them and blinked. C
oal came to a halt and the reins stopped glowing. I took them back in my hands and urged Coal forward. My eyes must have been playing tricks with me after spending so much time staring at the small, unending stitches I was forced to sew. Passing through the archway, she reared up and whinnied, tossing her head into the air. I held on as tight as I could to prevent myself from falling off. Once on four feet, she raced out faster than I could have imagined.
I tried to slow her down, but the once more glowing reins controlled her.
Coal galloped faster and faster, and all I could do was hang on for dear life. Before long, she stopped mid-run, and I flew off her back, landing on the ground hard.
I gasped as I tried to breathe, my chest and back momentarily paralyzed from the fall. Thoughts formed and broke in my mind, and my head buzzed. I winced as pain shot through my neck when I turned my head to look for some passerby who could aid me.
Hearing the sound of footsteps, my mind suddenly cleared. I tried to call out to them for help, but no sound escaped my throat. The footsteps grew louder, approaching my way. The person then squatted down at my side, and the pains in my body subsided at his nearness. He pulled down his green hood and the face of the Shadow Reaper appeared. I could never mistake the chilling look in his green eyes.
Had I enough air in my lungs, I would have screamed.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
RISE AGAIN
“So good to see you again, Melanie,” he said. His green eyes danced with amusement. “I believe you had a knack for riding, too,” he said, looking up wistfully as if recalling some distant memory. He quickly gazed back down at me. “Now come, Melanie, I would like to show you something.”
With a firm, yet surprisingly soft hand, he pulled me to my feet. Now standing upright, air filled my lungs and I began to cough. I was surprised that the pain in my back and shoulders was gone, but then again, the Shadow Reaper had magic. His presence alone had caused much of it to go away. He let go of my hand and, just as I prepared myself to run off, the Shadow Reaper snapped his fingers, shaking his head.
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