by Emma Hamm
Instead, the Dread lifted his metal dipped hands. He opened and closed them, shards of solid metal cracking and raining down onto the stone floor. They sounded like raindrops hitting the palace windows.
Danielle licked her lips. “Point taken.”
“Blacksmith will measure your arm length, we’ll see how much you can comfortably lift, and then I’ll bring you safe and sound right back to your meadow.”
“Then we aren’t training today?” Her stomach sank with disappointment.
“This is the beginning of training, little princess. You don’t learn to fly before you learn to walk.”
She had never learned to fly, but somehow, she thought maybe this beast could teach her.
Chapter 11
Danielle pressed her palm against her lips. The guards tromped by her, silent in words but loud in the creaking of their armor.
Her father hadn’t found her for the better part of the day. But she’d heard him screaming this morning when she had awoken from her nap in the servant’s closet.
“Find Princess Danielle!” His thundering voice had ricocheted through the halls. “How does one lose the crowned princess of Hollow Hill?”
Quite easily, so it seemed. She stayed out of sight from anyone who would sound the alarm. Besides, she only had to last one night before she returned to the Hollows.
Excitement churned in her belly and made it almost impossible to sleep. The Dread were marvelous creatures. And they had told her to return to the Hollows today. Her training would begin, or at least, so the Dread had claimed.
He didn’t have a name like the others. Such an oddity fascinated her more than it should have. Blacksmith claimed they had chosen names for themselves, but that made little sense. Did they not have names when they were children? She’d seen the babies in the caves.
She had so many questions about these people and had found so much solace in their darkness. No father could follow her there. No one cared that she was a princess, instead, they treated her like a person.
Danielle didn’t remember the last time someone treated her like a normal woman.
She slipped out of the closet and tip-toed down the hall. She’d scoped out the same route she left by last night, and the guards were already monitoring the back gate. Perhaps they knew she was sneaking out through the servant quarters.
No matter. There were other ways for her to get out of the castle, although they were a little more difficult.
The servants had much to do this time of day. Breakfast was to be prepared for her family. Not to mention airing out all the laundry, cleaning the rooms, and ensuring the hounds were walked long before they could beg at the tables.
Which meant the gardens in the back would be empty. Particularly the rose gardens wouldn’t see a single soul until well after lunch. And Danielle knew there was a door just beyond the rose gardens, where the gardeners came and went as they pleased.
She stepped outside into the air and inhaled its spring scent. Green things budding, birds taking flight, flowers blooming… Winter had finally disappeared.
The rose garden had always been her mother’s favorite this time of year. The roses weren’t blooming yet, but their buds were bursting into life.
There were hundreds of roses at the palace. Rows upon rows with varying colors because her mother had always liked a little madness. Perhaps too much.
Danielle strode through the rows, tightening the neck of her cloak to prevent her breeches from showing. If anyone looked out the window, they would see a servant. Not the princess.
She trailed a finger over a rose which had yet to open. The bloom would be blood red when it finally opened its petals to greet the sun.
The gardener’s door was still ajar from the last person who had stepped behind the castle and began the long walk toward town. Cobblestones were laid into the ground, guiding all the peasants back toward their homes. But that wasn’t the direction their princess would travel.
Danielle turned her gaze toward the darkness of the forest beyond the castle. When she was little, she used to have nightmares about the trees and the wood. She thought there were animals hidden in the shadows which wanted to rend her flesh from bone. Milo used to tell her stories about wolves that hunted little girls in the night. They would sneak through her window, he used to claim. She would be found in her bed covered in blood, sheets torn, with a horrified scream frozen on her face.
She knew the truth now. There was nothing to be afraid of in those woods, for the monsters could speak.
She tugged her cloak higher, ensuring the hood was in place one last time. Then she would head back to the monsters. Her mind ran wild with theories of why the Dread was helping her, and none of them seemed to be any closer to the truth.
He didn’t know who he was, or at least, he didn’t have a name. He remembered that he didn’t like the humans. She’d have to pry that truth out of him one way or another. How was she supposed to convince him to like her if he wouldn’t tell her why he didn’t like humans in the first place?
Of course, her sister would have said Danielle shouldn’t want a beast to like her, anyway. He was dangerous, just like the rest of them.
And maybe her sister was right. Perhaps they were only indulging her so they could toy with her later. They might only want to see what they could get her to do before they gnawed on her bones.
But there was still a chance they were genuine in their feelings. They were making her a sword. The Dread was teaching her how to fight because he wanted a challenge, so he said. Yet, Danielle had seen something in his eyes that suggested he wasn’t only doing it for war. He seemed to think she was amusing. Perhaps that would be enough for him to let her live. Or at least fight by her side.
She could still hear her father screaming in her head.
“Danielle, get back here.”
“Danielle, why can’t you be the little girl I always wanted you to be?”
“Danielle, you are the crowned princess of Hollow Hill. You are not allowed to be anyone but a princess.”
She refused to remain under her father’s spell any longer. She might be a princess, but she would still enjoy the woods if she wanted to. Danielle would still ride horses and learn how to fight.
A princess was supposed to do whatever they wanted to do! Why couldn’t she?
Perhaps that was why she didn’t fear the Dread. She knew what it was like to be afraid and it didn’t matter that their skin was frightening. It didn’t matter that they had claws and wings and beastly appearances. They were still less frightening than her father.
They didn’t give her nightmares like the king.
Somehow, in all her thoughts, she found herself in the meadow long before she assumed she would. This place was more than just a field in the middle of nowhere. Now it was a sanctuary, just as it had been to her mother.
Danielle set her coat down on the stone which hid the tunnels to the Hollows. She would come back for it later, and no one would find it in the wilderness. No soldiers came here. They might if they were looking for her, but clearly her father thought she was still in the castle. He watched the exits, but not the entrances.
Sighing, she patted the warm wool. “I’ll come back for you.”
The tunnel opened in a dark maw. She got down on her hands and knees and reached into her pocket. The mushroom in her hand emitted a small, dim glow. Her sister had found the plant a long time ago in the forest. It was a small mushroom, not much of anything to look at. But when it was in darkness, it shone.
Diana had brought it to chase away Danielle’s nightmares. A small clod of dirt still clung onto the mushroom’s roots, which was enough to keep it alive when watered.
“See?” she muttered as she wiggled her way into the tunnel. “I need not see in the darkness. I just need to be smarter than the Dread.”
The dim glow of the mushroom barely lit her way, but it was enough for her to not feel so terrified.
Her Dread had made it very clear he would not come get her. He
said it was a threat to his own safety and his people’s safety to keep coming above ground and if she wanted to be trained, then she would need to come to him.
“Fine,” she grunted as she pulled her body through the muck and the mud. “If you want to test me, then test away oh terrifying Dread. I’m not afraid of you. I will keep coming here again and again if that’s what you require.”
Danielle was not a frightened little girl. She’d show the Dread what she was made of. She already had the heart of a warrior. All she needed were the skills.
Which, she could admit, were a rather important part of being a warrior.
She lifted the mushroom higher and realized the tunnel wasn’t a singular tunnel at all. Instead, there were many spiraling networks moving off in different directions. Perhaps they were roads. She hoped she was going the right way, and she was certain the Dread had gone... down.
Taking a deep breath, she continued forward and refused to let her mind wander. She would not get lost in the tunnels. She wouldn’t rot in a corner where the Dread would find her mummified body someday.
“Stop it, Danielle,” she whispered. The sound of her own voice was soothing, at least. She couldn’t hear the groans of the earth or the strange sound of sod falling on her back.
This wasn’t a tomb.
She would not be buried alive.
All she had to do was keep breathing. Keep telling herself she knew the way because she’d been here before.
The glow of the mushroom made everything seem different. Danielle might have been able to make her way by feeling, if she had only known there weren’t decisions. Forks in the road which could lead her somewhere else.
She caught her breath. Dirt showered from a tunnel to her right and she prayed it wasn’t a cave in. She couldn’t survive being stuck with no one to hear her scream.
Mushroom in hand, she turned and illuminated the tunnel beside her. She would prove to herself there were no cave ins, and that she wasn’t in danger.
The blue light of the mushroom caught on the ragged edges of a Dread’s face. It cast shadows on the demonic expression, and the light reflected in the creature’s eyes. Its horns curved away from its head and its clawed hands sank into the mud as it reached out for her. She was struck by the impression of a demon clawing its way out of hell to drag her into the depths.
Danielle let out a startled whimper, then her voice caught in her throat. No cave ins, she thought to herself. You are a friend of the Dread.
This one stared at her with a curious expression, but it didn’t move. It didn’t attack her. Instead, all the creature did was stare back at her with those haunting eyes.
She licked her lips and asked, “I’m trying to get to the Hollows. Am I going in the right direction?”
The creature tilted its head to the side. It shifted a little, making room for her to slide past it.
“The way you came?” she asked.
Slowly, the beast nodded.
She gulped. At least it understood her language, as many of them seemed to. But she didn’t want to move through the tunnel where she would have to touch that creature.
Perhaps this was another test. Perhaps her Dread had sent this one to make her uncomfortable. To frighten her away.
Well, she wouldn’t let the Dread win. He would train her, even if he thought he could scare her away by sending monsters in the night to startle her. She wasn’t weak.
“Thank you,” she whispered, then continued past the Dread in the tunnels.
She slithered by it, ducking her head and trying not to wince at the sound of leather scraping against stone. Its skin was rough and calloused.
Danielle felt the creature’s claws brush through her hair. In warning? She didn’t know.
She refused to look back at the monster. They were just trying to scare her.
The rasping sound of wings scraping through the tunnel began again. She wondered if the creature had been waiting for her. She hadn’t heard that sound while she was moving through the tunnels before.
Or perhaps, like spiders, they knew when something was crawling through their web.
Either way, she couldn’t let it linger in her mind for too long. Her heart already raced. Her palms were already slick with sweat and her stomach threatened to release her stolen breakfast of bread and cheese.
She had survived the first fright. She had passed the first test.
That had to count for something.
Danielle shoved through the tunnels until she saw a light. She had a bone to pick with the Dread who claimed he wished to train her.
Jaw set, she dropped and landed crouched on the stone ledge. If he wanted a fight, she was ready to give him one.
Chapter 12
The Emperor of the Dread stared out into the darkness of his kingdom, ignoring the ridiculous quarreling of his most trusted advisors.
Both Soldier and Blacksmith bickered by the forge. Their words were minced, short and clipping as they tried to convince him just how foolish he was for bringing a human woman into the Hollows.
“Emperor, please. You must know she’s not worth making the other Dread afraid. She’s human. Their species doesn’t understand the harm they bring,” Blacksmith said. He picked up the sword he’d made for the princess and waved it in the air. “Have you seen this?”
“I have seen the sword. It’s one of your finest yet.”
“And it will be in the hands of a human.” Blacksmith let it drop to the ground with a clatter. “I should melt it and save us all from the destruction.”
“She’s a princess, not a warrior,” he replied. He couldn’t imagine her doing anything other than waving the sword around like a child. She wouldn’t have the first clue what to do with something sharp.
He remembered her in the meadow. She had danced like a lady at a ball, not like a warrior woman at all. All she had been missing was the flutter of delicate skirts.
A smile quirked his lips. Had he ever been so innocent? He couldn’t remember. His memory was as if he’d been birthed into this world tall and broad.
Except that wasn’t true. He had remembered golden locks and silken strands.
Why had he remembered that? The Emperor had never been a man of sentiment. He cared little for anyone who threatened him, and he wouldn’t fall prey to a woman’s charms.
Soldier leaned down and picked up the sword. “Emperor, I believe you should look deeper into this woman’s intentions. Why is she here?”
“She wishes to fight.”
“We all want to fight. We’re women. It’s bred into us from birth, the need to claw, bite, and scratch. But that is not a reason to seek monsters in the night and make deals she cannot uphold.” She tilted her horned head, scraping the edges of the blade against the tips and sharpening them. “Why is she here?”
“That is a question I intend on asking her,” he replied, although he realized he should ask the question of himself.
The plan had been so simple. Win her over, prove to her she had little to fear from him or his people. Then, when the timing was right, use her against the King of Hollow Hill.
The Emperor had expected her to be a dangerous little beastie of a woman. Just like her father. He’d expected her to walk into the Hollows with her nose in the air as if they all reeked of poverty.
And yet, she hadn’t.
He’d seen her expression when she saw his people. Her eyes had been full of wonder, and her voice had been reverent as she watched them fly. He hadn’t even looked at his own people like that in centuries.
Soldier stepped in front of him. Snot dripped from where her nose should have been, the narrow slits unable to keep in the fluids from leaking out of her nasal cavities. “I hope you know what you’re doing.” She held out the sword for him to take.
“I do,” he replied. “I would not risk our people if I didn’t believe this was worthwhile. She will be a great tool to use against the King who ruined us all.”
“But will she ruin you?” Soldie
r asked, then backed away from him. She dipped into a low bow. “My Emperor, I stand by you and every decision you make for our people. But please, be careful.”
He would be as careful as he could be. The Emperor lifted the blade in front of his eyes and stared into his own yellow gaze. He felt as though he were forgetting something. Something important. He’d never thought of his history or where his people had come from. He’d only thought of his own desire to be left alone.
This woman made him think of things he shouldn’t.
A reflection in the sword’s side caught his attention long before the door to the blacksmith cave opened. One of the younger Dread stuck their head through the opening. “Emperor? The princess is here to see you.”
“She found her way through the tunnels then?” He was suitably impressed. He hadn’t given her any direction on how to return and had expected her to get lost. “How did she do?”
“She happened upon one of the Dread who were stationed to ensure she made it.” The young Dread scratched the back of his neck. “She... uh, she asked for directions. He didn’t think it wise to ignore her.”
“So she was comfortable asking our people where to go.” The Emperor nodded. That was what he expected from the little thing. Fearless. Foolish, perhaps, but still capable.
He turned back to his advisors and handed the princess’s sword back to Blacksmith. “Keep watch over this. I don’t intend on giving it to her yet.”
“Emperor?” The question hung in the air between him and the other Dread.
“I will give it to her, Blacksmith. Just not yet. I want to see what she will do with impatience.”
The Emperor turned on his heel and left the cave. His stomach was tight, his heart beating rapidly, even his skin seemed to be more sensitive than it had been before. And he didn’t know why.
Because he would see her?
Surely not. He hadn’t been excited to see someone in ages. She was nothing more than a princess, and yet, every time she was in the Hollows, she did something he hadn’t expected. Perhaps he was excited to see what she would do this time.