He raised a hand to strike her, but I broke away from Owen and rushed forward, taking the hit. The Lord of Herington swore, pulling his hand away from my armored shoulder.
I stared hard at him as he scowled.
“If you wish to deal with me, your highness, then do so. Your wife is not at fault,” I said, meeting his gaze. I would not have Owen’s mother hurt if she was only doing what she thought was best for her son.
“You will regret making an enemy of me,” he hissed, causing a thin blade of fear to run down my spine. But I kept a passive face. He turned to his wife. “Come, it was foolish of me to think my son would ever live up to my standards.” But there was a hint of sadness in his fierce voice as the Lady of Herington bowed her head and did as he said.
Blinking back confusion, I turned to face Owen, feeling responsible for what had just happened. He stared after his parents, a lamenting look in his eyes. I walked up to him, taking his hands in mine.
“Owen, I am so sorry for doing this to you, to your parents,” I confessed, glancing up at him. “I do not know what it means to have such devoted parents who love you as much as yours do. Please, spend time with them, I beg of you, Owen.”
When he did not reply, I bit my lip, feeling crushed. For once, Owen must have realized the damage I caused him.
Quickly taking a step back, I grabbed my fallen sword and helmet from the ground and walked off the arena, with my head bowed low.
This love we had could not solve every problem and that was the heartbreaking truth.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
A BIRD OF SHADOWS
I paced about my chamber, frowning.
“There is no need to worry,” Yana said.
I stopped and turned to face her.
“How can you say that when Owen has not spoken to me in days? What else am I to do other than worry?”
“But it was you who proposed that the Archduke spend time with his parents,” Blaire said. “Give him some time; let him earn back their favor.”
Sighing, I sat down beside them. “What now, then? Do I just wait and hope for the best?”
“We could do that,” Yana said. “Or we could take a trip to the King’s Castle. It must have been rebuilt by now. Perhaps we should take some time outside these walls.” At her words, a thought came to mind, making me gasp.
“I nearly forgot!” I exclaimed, standing up. I have not thought to thank Selenah for bringing Owen back. I turned to face my maids, who looked at me with quizzical faces. “Come, we must be off.”
“What about the Archduke?” Ayah asked, standing up. “Do you want him to accompany us?”
I gave her a small smile. “No, I am sure giving Owen and his father some space will only benefit us.”
As we prepared for the trip to the King’s Castle in coats and boots because of the cold weather, I explained to the three what my intentions were. I could only hope that Selenah had not left.
Looking over my shoulder at the Solstice Palace briefly, I entered the carriage after my maids. I intended to return sometime after nightfall, hoping that spending several hours away from the Lord of Herington would be all the better for him and Owen.
During the trip, my maids spoke of their personal affairs; Yana told us of another tale of another noble’s efforts in vying for her affection and how Lione, one of the Palace Guards we had met at the stables, had gotten jealous of it all. Ayah jumped in to tell us about how her Palace Guard, Killean, had introduced her to his family and she was planning for him to meet hers.
As much as I would have enjoyed their tales, I could not stop myself from wondering what it would have cost Selenah to bring Owen back from death. How much magic did it take?
Guilt overtook me. In the month I had spent my days with Owen, it had never occurred to me that I should visit Selenah. Is she all right? She had not contacted me since Owen’s arrival. Perhaps she fell ill for using her magic to such an extent?
When the carriage had stopped, I stepped off, taking in my surroundings. Yana had only been partially right; the burned cinder blocks and the shattered glass windows to the castle had been replaced, but much of the broken towers still lay in ruin. There were only half the Guards as it should have been, and most of the nobles who once lived here were staying at the Solstice Palace.
“Duchess,” a voice called. I turned to face Connor, in his Royal Guard armor, as he approached me. He bowed slightly. “I was just about to send for you.”
I raised an eyebrow. “For what reason am I needed?”
“Selenah requires your audience. Please, come this way,” he said, indicating for me to follow after him. I nodded, trying to suppress the overwhelming fear within me.
Connor walked us through near-empty halls, past the Throne Room and royal chambers. Even though it had been a while since I had last been here, I soon realized where we were headed: The Infirmary.
I ran past Connor and heard him follow after me.
I pushed open the doors and rushed to where Selenah sat upright in one of the beds. Halting before her, I inhaled sharply. Selenah wore a simple white gown, her golden hair now a dark yellow that fell to her shoulders without grace, her skin paler than it should be, and her eyes were no longer bright. I sat beside her, taking her hands in mine. She gave me a sad smile. I only stared back. I have seen Selenah look like this before.
“You lost your magic,” I whispered. She was a replica of herself in the Shadow Reaper’s vision when I had asked to know what she would look like without her magic.
Selenah nodded, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
I sat there, speechless. What the Shadow Reaper had shown me in the mirror was right. Selenah without her magic…it had come to pass. My eyes widened. If Selenah had lost her magic, in turn, I would gain magic. But what then of the Shadow Reaper? He was standing beside me in the vision. Does that mean–?
“Mel, is something wrong?”
I blinked and shook my head. The Shadow Reaper is dead; it is his memories that haunt me.
“No, of course not,” I answered. I hesitated before going on to ask her, “How did you lose your magic?”
Selenah looked down at our joined hands before looking back up at me.
“I did it for you,” she whispered, on the verge of tears.
I squeezed her hand. “At least one of us should be living happily after all of this; I could not let the Shadow Reaper win by taking both our happiness away. I used all my magic to reawaken my blood within Owen’s body. It made his heart beat again, and that was enough to heal him completely, just once.”
I stared at her. “Your blood? Do you mean that the vial you gave him to save his life before was your own blood?”
“Yes,” she said softly. I exhaled, staring at her folded hands.
I wanted to be angry, a little jealous even, that Owen was only alive because Selenah had made it so, but I could not. Selenah had lost what made her so loved so I could love again. I embraced her, holding her tight as she gripped my shoulder, crying softly. She had given up so much, a part of herself she could never reclaim, for us.
“How can I ever thank you?” I asked, pulling back.
Selenah smiled through her tear-streaked face. “Be happy together. It is all I ask.”
For a moment, her eyes lowered to the necklace I wore, narrowing slightly. She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted.
“Melanie!”
I turned around, seeing Owen breathing hard at the doorway of the Infirmary. I looked back at Selenah. She nodded, letting go of my hand to wipe away a fallen tear.
I stood up as Owen rushed forward, putting his arms around me to kiss my forehead.
“I feared my father had sent you away when I was told you had left,” he said, stroking my hair.
I smiled at his worry for me. “No harm done. Your talks been useful?”
Owen hesitated, lowering his voice as he spoke. I leaned closer to hear.
“He insisted that he know the…specifics of our
relationship while we were at the Palace.” I raised an eyebrow.
Pulling back, I asked, “And what did you tell him?”
“I told him what we had agreed upon; we would honor the kingdom’s laws for those in the royal family by sleeping in separate quarters until a formal ceremony recognized our marriage.”
“Why would he–?”
Before I could continue, Connor announced, “His Majesty has arrived!”
We turned to see King Randin enter the chamber, sweeping the floor in his rich dark blue cape. I swallowed, dreading what he might have to say.
But instead, the King smiled at the sight of us. I was taken aback by his reaction. Was he not angered by my presence with Owen just months before?
“Splendid, just splendid,” he said, genuinely pleased. “Owen, I see you have chosen your bride. Now we have a coronation and wedding to see to!”
His words were met with silence. I felt Owen’s grip around me tighten.
“Do you truly mean what you say?” Owen asked, his eyebrows furrowed. I could see my maids at the edge of the doorway, hands over their open mouths, and Connor frowning in confusion.
“Of course, my dear nephew. When I heard of the Duchess’ and your arrival, why, I started the plans already! It shall happen at the Solstice Palace–”
“I do not understand,” I said, unable to stop myself. “Why is there now such a rush for the wedding and coronation when you were against it?”
“Dear girl, these are matters of the state and they must be resolved at once. Tenebris must have a solid future for her people. She needs a young king and queen who will secure her line of succession. And the time for that is now. With my son in Porticor, I lay this responsibility upon you two.”
I stared at the King, now seeing how his hair was all but gray wisps, the skin on his face had wrinkled beneath his eyes, and he no longer carried a sword at his hip; instead, a leather belt kept his trousers tight against his thinning body. No longer was he the spiteful king that had insulted me. It came to my attention then that King Randin was dying, a natural and slow death.
“A spring wedding,” Selenah said, making us turn to face her. She smiled. “I shall look forward to it.”
After the King further announced that the coronation would take place the very day of our wedding, Owen and I had run off before anyone else could hound us with anything more.
Our arms linked, we walked to the back courtyard of the Castle. The trees swayed around us, but time had eased our consciousnesses about what had taken place here when we were here last. We were silent a few minutes before I spoke up.
“Owen,” I said. He looked over at me. I stopped walking, forcing him to stop as well. “If you are being told become the next King, what of Prince Gareth? Will he not be able to return from Porticor to rule?”
Owen sighed. “That is correct,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “Gareth informed me previously that he did not plan to return.”
My jaw dropped. “What?”
“I would rather think it were because the Porticorians are run only by kings as we are,” Owen said. “But I believe Gareth does not wish to come back with his wife for the sake of not crossing paths with Her Ladyship.”
I shut my eyes briefly. Of course not, I thought to myself; neither will be able to stand seeing one another again in such a situation.
“But if that is the case, Owen,” I finally managed to say, “what does that make me, with you as King?”
“My Queen, of course,” he answered, squeezing my hands, “as you shall rule by my side.”
I felt a chill sweep through me. Me, a Queen? Will the people of Tenebris accept another commoner as Queen? I did not even know the slightest on the subject of ruling a kingdom! The only etiquette I knew was from Lady Yael’s minor lessons on posture and sewing.
“Queen…” I mumbled, looking up at Owen’s ever-smiling face. “I do not think that is something I am cut out for,” I whispered. Hundreds of thousands of people looking up to me…how can I ever be the model of royalty they expect me to be?
“Melanie, it will not be so difficult,” Owen said gently, breaking me from my thoughts. He let go of my hand and held me by the shoulders. “I know that as long as you set your heart to it, you can be anything you wish to be. And if you are willing to keep your heart with me, I will vow to you now that I shall remain steadfast beside you through it all.”
“Everything?”
He nodded. “Every lecture and every lesson. But not for arithmetic– dear kings, that was a nightmare.”
I felt my shoulders slump in relief and I broke into a smile. Owen beamed, seeing my change in reaction.
“What would I ever do without you, Owen?” I asked, embracing him. I felt his arms wrap around me and his lips touch my head.
“I hope it will never come to that,” Owen whispered back. “Oh!” He quickly broke away from me and ran past me, disappearing into the trees behind the castle grounds.
I shook my head at his sudden actions and followed after him. After a few moments of curious exploration, I caught sight of Owen, standing at the base of a tree with his hands behind his back.
“Owen?” I asked, cocking my head to the right as I drew near. “What is going on?”
“For you,” he said, shifting his hands into view. I raised my eyebrows at the sight of a crown of leaves in his hands.
“I…I do not know what to say,” I started, taken aback. “Did you make this?”
Owen stiffened at my asking and I noticed a maid’s skirts from behind one of the other nearby trees. I stifled my laughter and smiled as he fumbled to answer.
“Well, you could say that I did– in a way,” he mumbled, his face flushing. I smiled. He most likely had someone bring it from the Palace.
“It is beautiful, Owen, regardless.”
His face broke into a grin. “May I?” he asked, indicating I step forward. I nodded and walked over to stand before him. Owen raised the crown and carefully placed it into my hair. “I, Archduke Owen of Herington, now, unofficially name you, Melanie of Brassion, Queen of Tenebris– and of course, my wife.”
I smiled up at him, holding his gaze when I heard a shrill squeak from something in the dark trees near us.
“Did you hear that?” I asked, turning my head to the left.
Owen was silent, listening, but he shook his head. Again, I heard it, low and weak. It had definitely come from the woods. I stepped away from Owen and motioned for him to follow after me.
I quickened my pace towards the sound, my eyes scouring for what was calling out to us. And there, in a mat of dead leaves and dirt, lay a baby bird on its back. I knelt down, almost feeling the charm on my necklace flare for a moment. It was impossible to tell what kind of bird it was; the dark substance that covered its small body obscured any feather color it could have had.
Owen reached for it, but it shuddered, croaking out in fear. Owen glanced at me; his eyebrows raised. Taking a quick breath, I scooped up the half-frozen bird gently, ignoring its painful cry, and lifted it into the kerchief Owen had pulled out from his pocket.
“How do you think it got to be like this?” I asked as Owen studied the condition the bird was in. He glanced up at the branches above and back at where we had found it.
“It must have fallen,” he suggested, “from quite a high distance at that, too.” Owen paused. “Should we take it back?”
“Of course,” I answered, standing. “We cannot just let it continue to freeze to death.”
“I doubt any of our physicians can help it,” Owen said, frowning as he stood up with me. “Perhaps Lady Selenah’s magic can heal it?”
I shook my head, trying to find the right words to tell Owen the truth. Why did she not tell Owen?
“I am afraid Selenah will not be able to help our poor friend.” I leaned into Owen’s arm, gazing at the bird lying in the soiled kerchief in his hands before looking up at him. “Selenah lost her magic.”
Owen stopped walking
and turned to face me.
“How could such a thing be possible?” he asked, glancing down to look at me. “Is it because…she used her magic to heal me?” I bit my lip and looked away. I saw Owen shake his head. “I had no idea,” he whispered. “I feel so dreadful. She never–”
I squeezed his arm. “It is fine, Owen. I can assure you that Selenah does not at all hold a grudge over her loss of magic.” He sighed, and we resumed our walk back into the Castle.
Back at the Infirmary, the physicians, just as Owen had said, were not keen on treating the bird. But we were able to persuade them to. Selenah was speaking with Connor when we arrived. For a moment it looked as if the two’s hands were joined, but when Owen and I walked returned from our talk with the physician, their hands were not.
Selenah immediately asked what was going on.
“We found it, crying out for help,” I said. “All we could do was take it here.”
“How fortunate that bird is. Will you release the bird after it has recovered?”
Owen nodded. “Yes, of course.”
“But until then,” I added, “we shall keep it and raise it as our own.”
Selenah smiled. “What shall you name the bird?”
“Niro.” The name had slipped out of my tongue before I even realized it.
“A wonderful name,” Owen remarked. “Niro shall be the first addition to this family.”
“The first, eh?” Connor grinned.
Selenah shoved his arm playfully but could not suppress her own smile. I felt Owen’s arm wrap around my waist, and my heart skipped a beat.
“Yes, the first.”
****
Some days after continued planning for our wedding, news of Prince Gareth’s own nuptials arrived, formally marking Tenebris’ alliance with Porticor. His ceremony would not occur until King Randin visited, as it was traditional of Porticorians to have as many relatives of the bride and groom attend the wedding as possible. Anyone under the King’s consent was allowed to attend as well.
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