Tempest (The Chronicles of Winterset Book 2)

by K. G. Reuss

  “And I don’t wish to be training a child, and yet here I stand,” he retorted.

  “What credentials do you have to stand there and tell me what I have to do?” I demanded, really not liking his attitude. “Since when do those beneath the royalty here give commands?”

  “I’ll demonstrate whatever you’d like before the sun sets if you need proof of how important my commands are.” He smirked at me, and I returned it with a scowl. His blue eyes and dusty colored hair made him appear young. But I was in Winterset, and I knew he had to be older than me—a lot older. He was handsome, and the day-old stubble on his face made him look slightly rugged. His muscular structure was clear through the heavy material of his uniform. He winked at me when he saw me staring at him, and I drew in an irritated breath. I wasn’t staring at him for the reasons he assumed, but I didn’t want to blurt out that he was familiar to me somehow.

  “You aren’t very professional,” I snapped at him. “I’m your princess. You should have a little more respect when you speak to me.”

  “I’m sorry, Princess,” he hissed, his attitude going back to the snarly one as he chewed on the words. “I’ll have a little more respect for you when you prove to me you aren’t as weak as I think you are, and you aren’t some treacherous little creature hellbent on turning our world to ash just like your little boyfriend was trying to do.”

  I drew in a sharp breath at his words, and he backed away, a cocky smile on his face.

  “I’ll be back to collect you soon. I look forward to seeing what you can do, Princess.”

  He didn’t wait for my answer. I glared after him as he strolled away, wanting to send a blast of anything after his retreating form.

  There was a familiarity about Tarek, one I couldn’t quite put my finger on. It was in his movements, his voice… even his eyes spoke to me. I felt like I should know him. The feeling was so familiar it sent a shiver down my spine.

  Chapter 9

  “Sweetheart,” my mother exclaimed, opening the door to her chambers. “I thought I heard voices out here. Come inside. I had a marvelous breakfast prepared for us.”

  My mother grasped my hand firmly, pulling me away from my dark thoughts on Tarek, and ushered me into her lavish quarters. She, too, had a walkout balcony and floor-to-ceiling windows. I glanced around quickly and took note of the enormous, comfy looking bed and the many squishy-looking seats that adorned the room. It was over the top and fit for a queen.

  “Do you not sleep with the king? I mean Father?” I asked abruptly, wondering why I was having breakfast in what may be my mother’s bedroom.

  “Oh, Analia.” She laughed, covering her mouth. “This is my quarters, my chambers. I come here to get away from your father. We have our own room down the hall. I prefer the sanctuary of this room, however, when it comes to my alone time.”

  “It’s not alone time if you’re with someone,” I pointed out, still feeling irritated over Tarek.

  “Quick wit and a sharp tongue,” she tsked at me, the smile still on her pretty face. “You are going to be handful for your husband.”

  I glared at her over the mention of a husband, and she quickly backtracked, her cheeks reddening at her slipup.

  “Come, let’s have some breakfast. We can discuss anything you’d like,” she said, gesturing for me to follow her out to the balcony.

  I obliged, begrudgingly, and sat on one of the elegant chairs at the small round table.

  Three servants seemed to appear out of nowhere with plates of food and drink for us. I let my hands fall to my lap as they served us. When they left, I stared at the spread, not knowing the proper etiquette on how to eat in the presence of a queen, even if that queen just so happened to be my mother.

  “Try the scones,” she said, gesturing to the plump, flaky pastry on my plate. “The fruit within is made from sugar apples and Igni. They taste like a sweet pudding.”

  I bit tentatively into the pastry and widened my eyes in surprise. They were absolutely delicious. The flavor exploded in my mouth, and I stared down in wonder at the sweet dessert. It was a lot like pudding. In fact, it reminded me of custard, only much sweeter and thicker, the wonderful taste of the Igni shining through.

  “Amazing, isn’t it?” she asked, her eyes bright and happy. “It’s by far one of my favorites. These were made from the fruits we have in the orchard. Did Soran show you the grounds?”

  “We saw some of the gardens,” I answered, swallowing another bite. “I didn’t know there was an entire orchard.”

  “It’s through the garden gate on the south side,” she explained, reaching for a delicate teacup in front of her. “It’s quite beautiful in the fall. The colors can be simply breathtaking.”

  I didn’t say anything as I continued to nibble on the dessert, my stomach grumbling. I hadn’t been eating like I should, and I could feel how small I’d gotten.

  “Try the honey rind tea.” She nudged my teacup to me, and my heart sped up at the familiar name.

  I tipped the cup to my lips and drank it down quickly, hoping to relive a memory I’d had of Calix giving me the tea when I’d had my headache.

  I frowned as I stared down at the empty cup, wondering why it tasted nothing like the contents of Calix’s flask. He had said it was honey rind. This wasn’t honey rind.

  “What’s wrong, dear?” Mother inquired, a worried expression on her face. “Did you not like it?”

  “No, I-I liked it. It’s rather good,” I stumbled, the frown still on my face. “It’s just… I’ve had honey rind before, and this isn’t it.”

  “Oh, Analia, I assure you this is honey rind. It’s a large berry we also have planted on the grounds. It’s my favorite tea.”

  I scowled as I continued to stare at the empty cup. Had Calix lied to me about the contents of his flask, and if so, why? And what was in it if it wasn’t honey rind? Soran’s words of how Calix might not have been the man I’d known plagued me, making me feel despair.

  “Are you sure you’re OK, Analia?”

  “Oh. Yes, yes, I’m fine,” I breathed out, forcing a smile onto my lips.

  “Good.” She beamed back and placed her teacup on the table gently. “I wanted to talk to you. That’s one of the reasons why I requested you to join me for breakfast this morning.”

  “I’ve been wanting to talk to you too,” I replied truthfully. She was my real mother, after all. We had a lot of catching up to do it seemed.

  “Where shall we begin?” she asked through a watery smile, her azure eyes gleaming.

  “I’m not sure,” I murmured. We knew nothing about one another. “How are you?”

  She chuckled and dabbed at her eyes before smiling at me again.

  “I’m well. How are you?”

  “I’ve been better,” I admitted, and she nodded sympathetically.

  “I know you have, sweetheart. Do you want to talk about it?”

  “I don’t even know what to say,” I started, letting out a deep breath. “This is a lot to take in. I’m trying to adjust but I-I miss—”

  I stopped and wiped hastily at my eyes, not caring about etiquette.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, reaching out and hugging me tightly. “I never wanted any of this for you. When we realized what you were—what it meant—we agreed to send you to Earth Realm for your own safety and that of our people. For all the courts actually, even the shadow court. Soran made all the arrangements, and Kellin, he was there to see them through. I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”

  I clung to her, to this beautiful queen, my mother, as we sobbed in each other’s arms. I missed the mother I’d known, and the ache ricocheted through my body like an angry pinball. I felt like I was betraying my mother in Earth Realm. I was betraying my entire past, my life.

  “I miss my life,” I sniffed, pulling away from her.

  She nodded and wiped at her eyes. “If I could give it all back to you, I would. Even if it meant that I would ache from the pain of losing you again. But this, this is your h
ome, your true home, Analia, and we need you. Soran told me… about the binding.”

  I stared guiltily at her, wishing she could give me back my life. But I knew it was an impossibility.

  “Is it true? Did you bind with Calixto Shadowmoore?”

  “It’s true,” I admitted softly. She touched her face, horrified. “I wish I could say that I didn’t know what it meant, but I did. I knew what I was doing. I-I didn’t think there would be another tomorrow for me. If I’d known, known he would die for me, I would’ve never jumped from that cliff. I love him.”

  “I know of what you speak.” She sighed and dropped her hands to her lap. “I, too, once loved like that.”

  “Zaros?” I asked, his name burning my lips.

  “Yes.” She looked out to the kingdom beyond the palace walls, the many buildings and roads spreading out endlessly—a sea of life, of bustle.

  “What happened?” I inquired, desperate to know anything I could.

  “We met at a ball,” she reminisced, a tiny smile touching her lips at the memory. “He was so handsome and charming. It was love at first sight. I was drawn to him in a way I cannot explain. He felt the same, or so he said. He came to me, and we danced the night away together. He kissed me under the stars in the palace gardens.”

  She looked whimsical as she recalled the details only she could see.

  “That doesn’t sound like the same Zaros,” I commented.

  “It wasn’t. It isn’t. Not anymore, anyway.”

  “What happened that you two couldn’t be together?” I pressed, recalling the details Calix had relayed to me weeks ago.

  “We planned to wed, even if it meant running away together,” she continued. “As you’re becoming accustomed to, we don’t always get a choice in Winterset about who we marry, at least not royalty. Being of a Seelie court, marrying Unseelie was unheard of. Even treacherous. My father refused to make arrangements with Zaros’s father, King Ulric. I was still very much available to whoever could provide my father, King Klevian of Asmite of the light court, with the most appealing offer.”

  “Offer,” I scoffed, already too familiar with it.

  “Money, power, expanse to the kingdom,” she explained sadly. “It always boils down to who has more, who controls the most, who can give the most. A name, a title, a legacy if you will.”

  “So, your father chose money and power over your love for someone? Over your heart?” I asked, disgust dripping from my voice.

  “He did,” she sighed. “It’s not the worst thing, though. I got your father, and he is a good man. I love him.”

  “But you didn’t love him at the time,” I pointed out. “Your true love was taken away from you. How… why did you marry m-my father over Zaros?”

  “Because I was a princess of Winterset, and I had a duty to my people, the people of Asmite. Far worse would come from me marrying Zaros than not, or at least that was what we all thought at the time.”

  “But you still haven’t said why,” I urged.

  “Aside from the politics, traditions, and money side of it, I did it because my mother was dying, and she asked me to as her final wish.”

  “I-I thought people pretty much lived forever here,” I rebutted, confused.

  “Ah, we’re like any other people of any other world, Analia. We could be called immortal because our lives are so long, but we can die from sicknesses, murder, war, suicide.”

  “How though? Gregor—” I started.

  “Is a healer, but he is not a god,” she mused. “And he is but one man and cannot heal all. Sometimes there are things that cannot be healed. Some diseases reach a point where our magic cannot touch. Some wounds are too deep. To every beginning, there is an end, even if that end is thousands of years off.”

  “Thousands of years?” I choked out.

  “Sometimes, yes.” She smiled.

  “How old are you?” I wondered, silently scolding myself for sounding rude, but she was my mother, and I figured I had a right to know.

  “I’m nearly three hundred years old,” she answered, gauging me for a reaction.

  I nearly choked on my freshly refilled tea. “Three hundred?” I sputtered out.

  “Yes, your father is roughly the same, give a few years,” she continued, grinning. “Soran will be celebrating his one hundred and thirtieth birthday in the coming days.”

  “I-I can’t believe this,” I murmured. “And I’m really only four years old here.”

  “You’d be a small child had you stayed here,” she agreed. “But you didn’t, and now you are as you stand, a beautiful eighteen-year-old woman.”

  “This is crazy,” I shook my head in disbelief. “All of this is nuts.”

  She regarded me silently, a sad smile marring her pretty face. I shook my head and stared out at the sprawling city below, wondering what the coming days would hold for me, for Winterset, and if I had the courage to handle it all.

  “Calix was the same as his father,” I said after a moment of contemplation. “You said Zaros was different than he is now. Calix was different too. The Calix I knew never wanted to hurt people, at least I don’t think he did. He loved me, and I love him.”

  “Life would be easier if things were as simple as some try to make us believe. I think there’s a darkness within all of us. Something that makes us willing to sacrifice to achieve what we desire. The choice lies within us to let it out or keep it caged,” she murmured, following my gaze.

  “Do you think Zaros could be saved?” I asked softly. “If Calix were alive, do you think he could be saved?”

  “I believe anyone can be saved if they desire it. I think Zaros has been consumed by his anger, his hatred for the world, but I think there may still be a spot of light residing in him that craves love and acceptance.”

  “Yours?” I murmured.

  She cast me a sweet, sad smile and nodded.

  “Perhaps, but I could never love him as I once did, and because of that, the hatred and betrayal in his soul will only be fueled more. It’s best sometimes to simply let go. The only way Zaros will ever be at peace is when the last breath leaves his body. His death will release what’s left of a tormented man.”

  “I don’t know if I’m strong enough to kill him.” I swallowed hard, my stomach twisted into knots at the very idea of killing someone. When I’d first awakened, I thought I could do it. Now that I was saner, I realized maybe I didn’t have it in me.

  “Sometimes it isn’t strength, but your weakness, which will drive your hand forward,” she answered delicately. “You simply need to let go of what was and what can never be, Analia. I know how much you loved Calix. I, too, once loved like that. It only ended in heartache. Granted, they are two very different situations, but love is the center of both. Let Calix rest in peace.”

  “It’s hard letting go,” I said, wiping a tear away. “I loved Calix. I still love him. I miss him. I feel like every breath is a pull on my heart, a painful, burning that won’t go away. I don’t know if I can do this. I-I don’t want to exist without him.”

  “I know, sweetheart.” She pulled me in for another embrace, and I sobbed against her, the cries racking my body. “It has to get better.”

  “And what if it doesn’t? What if it always hurts?”

  She didn’t say anything, and I knew she felt the same way for Zaros as I felt for Calix, only her pain had been scarred over, while my wounds were still fresh and bleeding.

  Chapter 10

  I left my mother’s chambers feeling slightly closer to her, like she was a lot like the woman who was my mother in Earth Realm. I mulled over her words, finding a shred of reassurance in them and clinging to it, hoping they’d help me move forward.

  “Princess, you need to watch where you’re going,” a voice said breathlessly as I rounded a corner and ran into what felt like a brick wall. I looked up and rubbed my head, which I’d hit on something, and scowled.

  “What do you want?” I snapped, peering up into the handsome, albeit annoy
ed, face of Tarek.

  “Don’t you remember? I was going to collect you after your visit with the queen.”

  “I was hoping you’d forgotten,” I mumbled, sidestepping him to go around.

  “I’d never forget. I made you a promise, after all.”

  “And what promise was that?” I dared, Tarek falling in step beside me.

  “To demonstrate how weak you are before the sun set.” He smirked at me, his blue eyes lighting up.

  “I’m not working with you,” I snapped as I stomped down the hall.

  “I realize you’re a princess, your grace, but you don’t need to behave as such,” Tarek commented slyly.

  I stopped abruptly and glared at him, the fire gnawing to get out. I’d like to charcoal him like a hot dog, and I swore I would once we got outside.

  “Yes, yes, I know. You threw yourself over a cliff in a tantrum, and your killer of a boyfriend took his own life to save yours. Get over it. It’s over. It happened. You’re the Oracle, and your kingdom needs you. Start acting like you use your brain, and not your ridiculous heart, to live by. Your antics will get us all killed, and I’m sorry, but that’s not acceptable to me. You need to move on.”

  I reached my hand out and to slap him across his smug face, but he was quick—extremely quick—and caught my hand before it even made it halfway to its mark. He shoved me hard against the wall, and the air gushed from my lungs.

  “Take your anger to the training grounds, not the hallways. If you wish to put me in my place, there are other ways to do it,” he whispered dangerously in my ear. “Your title means nothing to me when we face off. I cannot wait to have you to myself in combat.”

  “What’s going on here?” Soran’s curious voice cut in.

  Tarek backed away from me, released my hand, and gave me an even stare, daring me, challenging me, to try him again. I swallowed, trying to hide my anger.

  “Nothing, Prince Soran. I was only showing the princess how easy it is to be overcome by someone when she’s inexperienced,” Tarek stated idly, focusing his attention on my brother.