by K. G. Reuss
“Thank you,” I sniffled, pulling away after a good cry.
“That’s the last thing you need to say, Ana. I’m here for you. No matter what.”
“I-I’m just so broken, Kellin. What if I can’t do this? What if—”
“No. Stop. You’re overthinking it. Just breathe. I’m not going to push you on this. I know you need time.”
“Isn’t this hard for you? I mean, after everything you’ve said about how you feel? Wouldn’t you much rather fight for someone who’s not so damaged? Someone who comes without baggage?” I waved my hands helplessly.
“Ana. Ana. I am fighting for what I want. I’ve been fighting for so long, and I’ll continue to do it, even if it means forever. Because you’re worth it. You’re worth forever, Ana. You are my forever.”
“Have you always been this person?” I asked, staring into his handsome face.
A tiny smile broke out on his lips, and he squeezed my hand gently.
“And what person is that?”
“Ju-just so wonderful, I guess.”
“You think I’m wonderful?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“You know I do,” I scoffed. “You’re amazing. I-I just wished things had been different before all of this.”
He smiled sadly at me and nodded.
I was just about to say more to him, to tell him I’d meant what I said about trying, when a loud knock sounded on my door.
“Niall. Come on! The horses are saddled. Let’s hunt.”
Kellin let out a sigh, his lips curved into a smile. He rose to his feet, and I followed, not really wanting him to leave, but knowing my poor drunken brother would be devastated if he didn’t get to go stab something with his sword.
“Thank you for tonight, Ana,” Kellin said, turning to me and giving me his beautiful smile. “It meant so much to me.”
“Me too,” I answered honestly, not knowing the standard protocol for this sort of thing.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” he asked, taking my hand in his.
“Yes.”
“Then tomorrow cannot come soon enough, my beautiful princess.” He leaned down and placed a tender kiss on my cheek. When he finally opened the door and disappeared with my brother down the hall, the tingle from his lips was still on my cheek.
I touched it gently, wondering how my heart would get through all of this.
Chapter 27
“If you hold your sword like this,” Rowan instructed as he came to my side and took my sword from me, his hand higher on the hilt than mine had been, “you’ll find it’s easier to handle.” He handed it back to me.
I mimicked his movements, giving a heavy swing.
“These things are just too heavy,” I sighed.
“Well, they’re pretty much the basic weapon here in Winterset,” Rowan replied, picking up his own sword. “If you aren’t a swordsman, then you’re an archer or you’re running heavier stuff like the trebuchet. Or, I guess, a wielder, if we can get enough of them.”
“A wielder?”
“Yeah, like you.” He shrugged. “Well, not like you, but people who can wield the elements.”
“Like Tarek?”
“Yeah, I guess so. Although, Tarek is damn good in a sword fight. He prefers to use an actual weapon rather than the elements.” Rowan glanced over to Tarek, who was overseeing a group of men practicing with their weapons.
I followed his gaze and observed as Tarek calmly helped his soldiers. He was never like that when he worked with me. Most of the time during our sessions, he snapped at me like an angry dog.
Tarek must have sensed us watching him because he turned and stared back at us, his face as impassive as ever. He was still familiar in an unfamiliar way, kind of like knowing something but not knowing how I knew it. He turned and said something to the soldier he was assisting before heading in our direction.
“Oh, great,” I grumbled, dreading the inevitable. “I shouldn’t have made eye contact.”
“He’s probably going to want to see what you’ve learned so far today,” Rowan commented as Tarek approached us. “Good luck.”
“Thanks,” I grumbled.
“What is it that you need?” Tarek asked idly, his gaze leveling on me.
“I don’t need a thing,” I lied, wanting to ask him what he was talking about in the garden when he said the dead never leave.
“You must need something from me if you have time to stand and gawk. Has Rowan not been teaching defensive moves to your liking?”
“What? No. Rowan is great.” I wiped my forehead, hoping he’d go away. Instead, he pulled out his sword and faced me.
“What if I need something from you?” he asked, beginning to circle me.
I grasped my sword the way Rowan had taught me and swallowed thickly.
“What could you possibly need from me?” I inquired nervously, my eyes following his predatory movements as he continued move around me in slow, deliberate circles.
“I can think of a few things,” he answered darkly, making my heart jump. Without warning, he lunged at me with his sword.
Not wasting a moment, I faked to the right, seeing his blade pass inches away from my torso. Deftly retaliating, I managed to clang my sword forcefully against his, a burst of sparks exploding from the colliding blades.
“Nice,” he growled, pushing me back.
I threw a gust of wind at him which caused him to slide back a few feet, but he only smirked wider at me, clearly enjoying himself. He rushed me again and again, relentlessly, until I was gasping for breath. My ability to resist him had definitely improved, and although I wasn’t unable to defeat him, I was still able to hold my own.
Before I had a chance to enjoy my improvements, he hooked his leg under mine and pulled, sending us both crashing to the ground. My body thudded heavily on the cold dirt. He landed on me, crushing my chest. He stared down at me, his blue eyes searching my own, his lips holding a hint of a smile. The look was so familiar I drew in a sharp breath.
“You’re getting better, Princess,” he murmured, gazing down at me without bothering to shift his weight off. “A lot better, but you’re still not great. I do believe you need a new weapon.”
“And what weapon would that be?” I wheezed out.
His eyes swept my face quickly, his lips parting like he was going to say more.
“Ana?” Kellin’s deep voice interrupted us before I could get an answer from Tarek.
I hated to say it, but Kellin sure had a way of interrupting us. Any weapon would be better than the sword. Tarek climbed to his feet and held out his hand for me to take. I reached out and let him pull me up, making sure to dust off my dirty, blue cotton dress. I even ran my fingers nervously through my hair as Kellin took a step toward us with Soran in tow.
“Are you well?” Kellin asked, shooting a look at Tarek who didn’t seem at all bothered by his presence.
“Yes.” I nodded, combing my hair again.
Kellin reached out and thumbed my lower lip gently before turning his steely gaze on Tarek.
“While I understand it’s your duty to train the princess, may I remind you of the boundaries it entails? You should not, under any circumstance, knock her to the ground and cause her harm. And you most definitely should not find yourself on top of her at any point.”
I’d never heard Kellin speak that way, his voice emanating enough authority to send chills down my spine.
“And how, Prince Niall, do you expect her to learn to fight if I’m gentle with her?” Tarek asked, his eyes narrowing at Kellin.
“Through example,” he growled, reaching out and wrapping a protective arm around my waist.
“Kellin, honestly it’s fine,” I cut in, glancing between the two.
“How about we ask my sister how she feels about it?” Soran suggested with a glance at me. “Analia, are you comfortable with Tarek’s way of instructing?”
“Um, I guess so. I mean, it hurts sometimes, but I think it’s important so I can learn from it.�
�� I shrugged helplessly. “I don’t think I’d learn as well if we were easy with one another. My enemies won’t be gentle with me.”
Kellin winced at my words and dropped his hand from my waist.
“I’ll be assisting with her training while I’m here,” he stated, drawing his sword from its sheath and looking to Soran, who shrugged.
“I don’t think that would be a bad idea. It’ll give her an idea of different fighting styles,” Soran agreed thoughtfully. “Tarek?”
“I’m merely a peon here,” he grunted. “However, I’ll follow whatever decision you make. I don’t think it’s a terrible idea to switch up styles. We should probably work on her wielding skills while we’re at it.”
“Well, that bit will be left to you all since I don’t possess those abilities,” Rowan broke in, glancing at Soran who shrugged indifferently. “And I really don’t want to be the one you practice that stuff on.”
“So, it’s settled,” I said brightly, hoping to quell the tension. “We’ll switch things around. Tomorrow.” I turned my back to walk away, hoping we were done, but Kellin’s outstretched arm stopped me short.
He let out a low chuckle. “No, my dear, we are not done. Not even close. Pick up your sword,” he breathed, leaning down to speak in my ear.
A ripple of goosebumps traveled from my head to my toes. I winced, not wanting to face him. I’d seen Kellin in action in Earth Realm. He was terrifying.
I resolved my courage and picked up my sword to face him nervously. Tarek, Soran, and Rowan backed away to witness my embarrassment from a safe distance. I grimaced as Kellin gave me an encouraging smile. It was the best I could muster.
“You don’t want me to take it easy on you, then?” Kellin stepped forward and tapped his sword against mine, quickly running the blade’s edge along my own.
“N-no,” I answered, hoping my voice sounded strong, but I knew I sounded like a terrified child.
“My brave girl,” he murmured, reaching forward and touching my cheek gently before backing away.
I bit back my fear, my heart thumping painfully in my chest. This would not end well.
His movements were a blur. He moved so fast my eyes could barely track him. I parried his first attack with a grunt, but he used his redirected momentum to swing his sword in a swift arc toward me. I lifted my weapon over my head just in time, knowing I was trapped on the defensive. His blade whipped through the air around me like lightning. The sunlight glinted off it from every direction, virtually blinding me. He was much faster than even Tarek, who was quick. I’d seen Kellin fight before. Being on the receiving end was the least amount of fun I’d had since coming to Winterset.
I darted to the left as he came at me, thinking I’d escaped until his sword caught my leg and tripped me up, causing me to stumble forward and fall roughly onto my stomach. I hit the ground with a painful grunt and rolled back over to find Kellin looming over me, his sword pointed at heart. He cocked his head and winked at me.
“Gotcha.” He smirked down at me, while I scowled up at him. “Don’t be upset. That’s what we’re doing this for. It’s important to know there are many uses for a sword, aside from just cutting and stabbing people with it. You can use it to trip up your enemy, as I did to you.”
“Doesn’t seem fair,” I grumbled, taking the hand he offered and pulling me to my feet.
“War isn’t fair, Ana.” He frowned at me. “Don’t think for one moment that anyone on a battlefield will offer fairness to you. That’s one of the reasons I don’t want to see you out there. If we can avoid it, we will. I will. I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe.”
“I know you will,” I murmured, looking up at him with an aching heart.
He was such a beautiful man, and any girl would be lucky to have him. I was that girl, and yet I wasn’t ready to give in. It made me feel terrible. He reached out and touched my cheek, cupping the side of my face. My eyes closed at his touch, concentrating on his warmth. One step. Just one at a time.
“Come on. Once more,” he said softly as I opened my eyes. “When we’re finished, I’ll make it up to you. Promise.”
“What makes you think you’ll win this time?” I challenged, letting out a shaky breath, knowing damn well he already had his victory in the bag.
“That’s the spirit.” His lips quirked up into a smile as he backed away from me, readying his sword again.
Chapter 28
Kellin made good on his promise of making it up to me. After successfully knocking me to the ground three times and then giving me the opportunity to come back at him, he finally sheathed his sword and tugged me to my feet, declaring our practice over.
“There are still three hours of daylight left,” Tarek grumbled at Kellin. “We don’t end until nightfall.”
“Not today. She’s had enough,” Kellin replied. “Besides, I’ll be taking her to work on her wielding now, if you must know.”
I glanced between the two of them. There was clearly some dislike between the pair, and I wondered why.
“Tarek, perhaps we should go work with the newer group for a few hours. Give Ana a break from the swords and sweat. She’s probably exhausted,” Rowan cut in, trying to divert the two from arguing further.
Tarek gave a curt nod and stopped when he got next to me. “Don’t let a silly engagement you don’t want prevent you from doing what’s necessary,” he said softly so only I could hear him. “Time is drawing nearer for a serious retaliatory attack from Zaros. Don’t get starry-eyed now, Princess.”
He marched away before I could answer, leaving me to feel bad about leaving practice early. He was right, though. I expected an attack any time. I wasn’t too certain on how everything worked in Winterset as far as warring went, but I’d bet my house back home that the little attacks on the smaller villages were nothing more than a nice distraction from the bigger picture. My strange visions made me believe that. Well, that and common sense.
On the other hand, Kellin had said he was taking me to work on my wielding. That would probably drain me even more than sword play did.
“I’m going to go work with the soldiers,” Soran said, glancing at me.
“You’re not coming with us?” I asked, surprised.
“No, I don’t believe I will.” He shot Kellin a look. Clearly, they must have had a discussion about this earlier. “I think it would be best if you spent some time with your fiancé without your big brother hanging around.”
My face heated as Kellin put his arm around me again. My brother smiled reassuringly at me. I stared as he walked toward the men on the field without a backward glance at us.
“Will we be working here?” I asked, clearing my throat nervously.
“No,” Kellin answered, taking my hand and leading me off the field.
Aside from the gardens, bits of the castle, and the training grounds, I’d never been anywhere else, so I was surprised when we walked in silence to the stables. Kellin went to a stall and emerged with the most magnificent white horse I’d ever seen.
“Wow. It’s beautiful.” I exclaimed, eyeing the majestic creature.
“Her name is Starfall.” He smiled, patting the horse. The horse returned his affections with a nuzzle. Kellin laughed softly. “She’s one of the best horses in the entire realm. I’m biased of course.”
“I believe that she is,” I replied, still in awe of the creature.
She sniffed my ear, making me giggle.
“She likes you,” he mused, giving her another pat. “I thought we could go for a ride.
Maybe I could show you some of your kingdom.”
“Really?” I squealed, excited at the idea of going beyond the castle walls.
“I’ll take that as a yes, you’re interested,” Kellin laughed.
I nodded eagerly, overjoyed at the opportunity. He quickly saddled Starfall and pulled me onto her back in front of him. He wrapped his arms around me, holding the reins. I was grateful for the security of his hold. I’d never been on
a horse in my life and didn’t know what to expect.
“Be calm,” Kellin murmured to me. “You’re safe with me, Ana.”
I relaxed against him, and he nudged Starfall forward. She walked easily out of the barn, toward the castle exit. Men already stood with the gates open, clearly expecting us to be leaving. Kellin nodded at them as we passed through the gates. I breathed a sigh of relief. I half expected them to stop us because I wasn’t allowed outside the gates or something.
Starfall broke into a trot and carried us down a dirt road away from the vast metropolis of Dar’ish. I grinned as I took in the brilliant colors of all the trees and foliage in Winterset. The place was fascinating. Some of its trees had leaves in varying shades of green, blue, purple, pink, red, and orange. They were scattered throughout the kingdom. Some bore large, luscious looking fruits. Others had ornate flowers with massive petals.
“It’s so beautiful,” I breathed out, watching the scenery pass by.
“Much of the southern kingdoms are like this. It’s a lot like Earth Realm in most spots throughout Winterset, though. Many of the colorful plants are native to the eastern and southern kingdoms. The northern kingdoms tend to be white with snow, like Earth Realm, while the western kingdoms are more desert areas.”
“And the courts?”
“Southern and Eastern kingdoms are where one can find the spring, summer, and light courts. Dar’ish is the capitol of the summer court. Asmite of the light court. Bornia for spring. Xanathar is where one would find autumn. Lor’lak, shadow. Peloria is where the winter court is.”
“And Ascaria?”
“Hidden.”
“But what court is it?”
“None, really. Perhaps a mixture of all the courts. They tend to do their own thing and remain hidden. Who knows if they even exist still. They’re changelings, or that’s what the legends say. It’s funny because we joke about them being the Court of Void, but it seems like a serious matter given our circumstances.”