Reynold pressed his palms against the adobe battlement and stared at the shimmering air on the horizon. Even with the sky painted red and darkness encroaching from the east the heat still made it difficult to breathe. Sweat soaked his shirt and breeches. It would be pointless to change since within moments his new clothes would be soaked again. Either that, or he’d be forced to don the itchy robes the locals wore.
Curse his mother and her ridiculous need to reach out to foreigners. A trade alliance with Kardesh would be beneficial. A marriage with the southern kingdom would be best. Find a bride.
Find a bride indeed.
And Meeshmaltok couldn’t even help him with that, at least not with any magical aid. What was the point of having a magician if the man wouldn’t cast spells? But his advisor had made it clear that magic was forbidden in Kardesh, punishable by death.
The tread of soft-soled shoes on the stone walkway drew his attention. At the edge of the stairs stood a woman, a nymph, clad in layers of gossamer green and gold cloth. The color accentuated a piercing green gaze that stared at him with wide-eyed surprise.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize anyone was up here.” She brushed a black lock of hair from her sun-kissed face, doing nothing to straighten her charmingly disheveled hairstyle.
Reynold smiled–he couldn’t help himself. “I don’t mind sharing the view.”
She glided closer, her robes floating around her revealing hints of a full, caressable figure. He squeezed the adobe crenellation, resisting the urge to draw her to him.
“I’m Reynold, Prince of Meriduin, Heir to the House of Vitreah.”
Her mouth puckered into a slight ‘oh’.
He wanted to kiss those wide, red lips, taste their promise. After all, what was the use of being a prince if he couldn’t have what he desired?
“Nabirye.” A hot breeze washed over them, feathering her fly-away locks into a dark halo. “Daughter of King Serapis of Kardesh.”
“You’re Serapis’s daughter?” That haggard old man had produced her? As much as he really hated this county, he couldn’t deny that it had served him well. First Meeshmaltok and now Serapis’s daughter. Maybe his search for a bride would prove fruitful and enjoyable after all.
Find a wife . . . indeed.
#
“Do you think they’ve forgotten about us?” Kaelyn dropped from the narrow window near the ceiling of their cell and hugged herself against the cold. The rest of the group, Gerid, Jillyn, and Aric, huddled together against the far wall.
Gerid shifted and wrapped an arm around Jillyn. “I doubt it.”
“But it’s been days since they threw us in here,” said Kaelyn. Surely the clansmen had discovered by now that the accusations of espionage weren’t true.
“They’re still feeding us, aren’t they?” asked Aric.
Kaelyn couldn’t decide if the small loaf of bread between the four of them constituted being fed.
“I think they’re trying to figure out what to do.” Jillyn’s voice was quiet and Kaelyn had to strain to hear it. She shuffled over to the others and sat, moving in close to Gerid for warmth.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“They need to be careful with us. Espionage is punishable by death in Meriduin, I suspect it’s something similar here. But if they kill us they could jeopardize the peace treaty.”
“So they’re just going to keep us here?” Kaelyn shivered. She didn’t know how much more of the cold she could take.
“Until they figure out what to do with us without incurring Meriduin’s wrath.”
A thump from the kitchen above made Jillyn jump. The cook’s shrill voice came through the heavy door at the top of the stairs and down the hall in the dungeon.
Kaelyn glanced at the narrow window in their cell. A long rectangle, it sat level with the ground.
The wind shifted directions and blew fat snowflakes into the prison. It was so cold, even wrapped in Gerid’s arms, she couldn’t get warm.
“I wish,” said Aric between chattering teeth. “They had left us our cloaks.”
“They’re probably hoping we’ll get sick and die,” said Jillyn.
Gerid snorted. “That would solve their problems.”
“They still would have killed us,” said Kaelyn.
“Yes, but then they can return our bodies with merely signs of illness.” Jillyn tugged Kaelyn closer. “It would be difficult to say we died of some illness if we were, say, missing our heads.”
Kaelyn swallowed against the lump in her throat. So this was what it came to. And she still didn’t know who she was. If only she hadn’t run away, she never would have found herself in this situation. Of course, she never would have met Aric, Jillyn, and Gerid. There’d been no mention of her outburst the day of the fighting lesson, no questions about her lying or demands for the truth. She was certain they knew she’d lied and just as certain that they wanted answers. If they asked, she had no idea what she’d tell them. What could she say? The truth? She didn’t know what that was.
She closed her eyes and listened to Gerid’s heartbeat. For the last couple of days they had all huddled together like a litter of kittens, waiting for a clansman to say that the accusations were wrong. But only the closed-mouth cook had lumbered down the stairs and shoved a loaf of bread at them through the bars, ignoring any of Jillyn’s pleas.
Kaelyn sighed and shifted. The rhythm of Gerid’s heart lulled her into a doze. Surely something would happen soon.
“Is she asleep?” asked Jillyn.
“I think so,” said Gerid. “Her breathing has changed.”
“What are we going to do?” she asked.
Kaelyn felt Gerid shrug.
“I don’t know,” said Aric.
“She’s hardly eating,” said Gerid.
“And you’re not?” asked Jillyn.
“I’m eating. I’m just letting you have a larger portion.”
“I don’t need special attention,” said Aric.
“We need you in the best of health,” said Jillyn. “Gerid and I have been talking, and our only way out is a trial by combat.”
“If only we can get someone to talk to us,” said Gerid. He sounded so frustrated but Kaelyn didn’t want to say anything and have them know she was awake. People spoke their real thoughts about her when they thought she wasn’t listening and as much as it had caused her grief last time, she was compelled to listen now.
“What is this trial by combat? And why didn’t you tell me sooner?” asked Aric.
“We didn’t want to tell Kaelyn and get her hopes up,” said Gerid.
Kaelyn struggled not to react and focused on long, even breaths.
“And you were always asleep before her,” said Jillyn. “My father’s game keeper used to tell stories about his clan. I remember him telling a tale about this trial by combat. He said anyone could call on the name of the clansmen’s Goddess and have this trial. Whoever wins is in the right”
“And you think I can win?” Aric didn’t sound certain about that at all.
Gerid shifted. “You’re better than me, and the girls aren’t an option.”
“You’re the soldier with the training,” said Jillyn.
Aric sighed. “No pressure.”
“First, we just have to find someone who’ll listen to us,” said Jillyn.
“Which,” said Gerid, “could take some time.”
“That’s why you didn’t want to say anything to Kaelyn. It might take days.”
“Or even weeks,” said Jillyn.
They fell silent. Jillyn shifted into her usual sleeping position but her breathing indicated she was still awake.
Kaelyn couldn’t tell if this got her hopes up or not. It certainly put a lot of pressure on Aric, and they would need to give him extra rations so he could keep himself strong enough to fight.
The wind howled outside and a flurry of snow swirled through the window, showering them with cold, wet droplets.
