“That was quick,” he said. “It’s been but hours since I married off my daughter to their prince. And now you think they already conspire to overthrow us?”
“I do, my liege,” Brom responded sincerely. “I see no other reason. All indications are it is a peaceful meeting. Not a military one.”
MacGil slowly shook his head.
“But it does not make sense. They could not let the Empire in. Why would they? Even if for some reason they managed to help lower the Shield on our side and open a breach, then what would happen? The Empire would overwhelm them as well. They would not be safe, either. Surely, they know this.”
“Maybe they are going to strike a deal,” Brom retorted. “Maybe they will let the Empire in, in return for their attacking us only, so that the McClouds can control the Ring.”
MacGil shook his head.
“The McClouds are too smart for that. They are crafty. They know that the Empire cannot be trusted.”
His general shrugged.
“Maybe they want control of the Ring so badly, they are willing to take that chance. Especially now that they have your daughter as their queen.”
MacGil thought about this. His head was pounding. He did not want to deal with this now. Not so early in the morning.
“So then what do you propose?” he asked, short with him, tired of all the speculation.
“We could preempt this, sire, and attack the McClouds. The time is now.”
MacGil could hardly believe it.
“Right after I gave my daughter to them in a wedding? I don’t think so.”
“If we don’t,” Brom countered, “we allow them to dig our grave. Surely they will attack us. If not now, then later. And if they join with the empire, we would be finished.”
“They cannot cross the Highlands so easily. We control all the choke points. It would be a slaughter. Even with the empire in tow.”
“The empire have millions of men to spare,” Kolk responded. “They can afford to be slaughtered.”
“Even with the shield down,” MacGil said, “it would not be so easy to just march millions of soldiers across the Canyon—or across the Highlands, or to approach by ship. We would spot such mobilization far in advance. We would have warning.”
MacGil thought.
“No, we will not attack. But for now, we can take a prudent step: double our patrols at the Highlands. Strengthen our fortifications. And double our spies. That will be all.”
“Yes, my liege,” Brom said, turning, with his lieutenants and hurrying from the room.
MacGil turned back to the window, his head pounding. He sensed war on the horizon, coming at him with the inevitability of a winter storm. He sensed, further, that there was nothing he could do about it. He looked all around him, at his castle, at the stone, at the pristine royal court spread out beneath him, and he could not help but wonder how long all of this would last.
What he would give now for another drink.
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
Thor felt a foot nudging him in his ribs, and he slowly peeled opened his eyes. He lay face down, on a mound of straw, and for a moment had no idea where he was. His head felt like it weighed a million pounds, his throat was drier than it had ever been, and his eyes and head were killing him. He felt as if he’d fallen off a horse.
He was nudged again, and he sat up, the room spinning violently. He leaned over and threw up, gagging again and again.
A chorus of laughter erupted all around him, and he looked up to see Reece, O’Connor, Elden and the twins hovering close by, looking down.
“Finally, sleeping beauty wakes!” Reece called out, smiling.
“We didn’t think you’d ever rise,” O’Connor said.
“Are you okay?” Elden asked.
Thor sat up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, trying to process it all. As he did, Krohn, lying a few feet away, whimpered and ran over to him, jumping into his arms and burying his head in his shirt. Thor was relieved to see him, and happy to have him at his side. He tried to remember.
“Where am I?” Thor asked. “What happened last night?”
The three of them laughed.
“I’m afraid you had one drink too many, my friend. Someone can’t hold his ale. Don’t you remember? The alehouse?”
Thor closed his eyes, rubbing his temples, and tried to bring it all back. It came in flashes. He remembered the hunt…entering the alehouse…the drinks. He remembered being led upstairs…the brothel. After that, it was all black.
His heart quickened, as he thought of Gwendolyn. Had he done anything stupid with that girl? Had he ruined his chances with Gwen?
“What happened?” he pressed Reece, serious, as he clasped his wrist. “Please, tell me. Tell me I didn’t do anything with that woman.”
The others laughed, but Reece stared back at his friend earnestly, realizing how upset he was.
“Don’t worry, friend,” he answered. “You did nothing at all. Except for throw up and collapse on her floor!”
The others laughed again.
“So much for your first time,” Elden said.
But Thor felt deeply relieved. He had not alienated Gwen.
“Last time I buy you a woman!” said Colven.
“Perfectly good waste of money,” said Caven. “She wouldn’t even return it!”
The boys laughed again. Thor was humiliated, but so relieved he had not ruined anything.
He took Reece’s arm and pulled him aside.
“Your sister,” he whispered, urgently. “She doesn’t know about any of this, does she?”
Reece broke into a slow smile, as he put an arm around his shoulder.
“Your secret is safe with me, even though you didn’t do anything. She doesn’t know. And I can see how deeply you care for her, and I appreciate that,” he said, his face morphing into a serious expression. “I can see now that you really do care for her. If you had gone whoring, that would not be the kind of brother-in-law I would want. In fact, I have been asked to deliver you this message.”
Reece shoved a small scroll into Thor’s palm, and Thor looked down, confused. He saw the royal stamp on it, the pink paper, and he knew. His heart quickened.
“From my sister,” Reece added.
“Whoa!” came a chorus of voices.
“Someone’s got a love letter!” O’Connor said.
“Read it to us!” Elden yelled.
The others chimed in with laughter.
But Thor, wanting privacy, hurried off to the side of the barracks, away from the others. His head was splitting, and the room still spun—but he didn’t care anymore. He unrolled the delicate parchment and read the note with trembling hands.
“Meet me at Forest Ridge at midday. Don’t be late. And don’t call attention to yourself.”
Thor stuffed the note into his pocket.
“What does it say, lover boy?” Calven called out.
Thor hurried over to Reece, knowing he could trust him.
“The Legion has no exercises today, right?” Thor asked.
Reece shook his head. “Of course not. It’s a holiday.”
“Where is Forest Ridge?” Thor asked.
Reece smiled. “Ah, Gwen’s favorite place,” he said. “Take the eastern road out of the court and stay right. Climb the hill, and it begins after the second knoll.”
Thor looked at Reece.
“Please, I don’t want anyone to know.”
Reece smiled.
“I’m sure she does not either. If my mother found out, she would kill you both. She would lock my sister in her room, and exile you to the southern end of the kingdom.”
Thor gulped at the thought of it.
“Really?” he asked
Reece nodded back.
“She doesn’t like you. I don’t know why, but her mind is set. Go quickly, and don’t tell a soul. And don’t worry,” he said, clasping his hand. “I won’t either.”
*
Thor walked quickly in t
he early morning, Krohn trotting along beside him, trying his best not to be seen. He followed Reece’s directions as best he could, repeating them in his head, as he hurried past the outskirts of the royal court, up a small hill, and along the edge of a thick forest. To his left, the ground fell off below him, leaving him walking on a narrow trail on the edge of a steep ridge, a cliff to his left, and the forest to his right. Forest Ridge. She had told him to meet her there. Was she serious? Or was she just playing with him?
Was that prissy royal, Alton, right? Was he just entertainment for her? Would she tire of him soon? He hoped, more than anything, that that was not the case. He wanted to believe her feelings for him were genuine; yet he still had a hard time conceiving how that could be the case. She barely knew him. And she was royalty. What interest could she possibly have in him? Not to mention that she was a year or two older, and he had never had an older girl take an interest in him; in fact, he had never had any girl take an interest in him. Not that there were many girls to choose from in his small village.
Thor had never thought about girls that much. He hadn’t been raised with any sisters, and there weren’t many girls to choose from in his village. At his age, none of the other boys seemed too concerned. Most of the boys seemed to wed around their eighteenth year, in arranged marriages—really, more like business arrangements. Those of high rank, who weren’t married off by their twenty fifth year, reached their Selection Day: they were obligated to either choose a bride, or go out and find one. But that did not apply to Thor. He was of poor means, and people of his rank usually were just married off in ways that benefited the families. It was like trading cattle.
But when Thor had seen Gwendolyn for the first time, all that had changed. For the first time, he had been struck by something, a feeling so deep and strong and urgent, that it allowed him to think of nothing else. Every time he saw her, that feeling deepened. He hardly understood it, but it pained him to be away from her.
Thor doubled his pace along the ridge, looking for her everywhere, wondering exactly where she would meet him—or if she would meet him at all. The sun grew higher and the first bead of sweat formed on his forehead, he still feeling ill from the effects of the night before, queasy. As the sun grew even higher, and his search for her was proving futile, he began to wonder if she was really going to meet him at all. He also began to wonder just how much danger he was putting them in: if her mother, the Queen, really was so against this, would she truly have him deported from the kingdom? From the Legion? From everything he’s come to know and love? Then what would he do?
As he thought about it, he realized that it was still all worth it, for the chance to be with her. He was willing to risk it all for that chance. He only hoped he wasn’t being made a fool of, or rushing to any premature conclusions about how strong her feelings were for him.
“Were you just going to walk right by me?” came a voice, followed by a giggle.
Thor jumped, caught off guard, and stopped and turned. He could hardly believe it: there, standing in the shade of a huge pine tree, smiling back, was Gwendolyn. His heart lifted at that smile. He could see the love in her eyes, and all his worries and fears instantly melted away. He chided himself for how he could have been so stupid to ever second-guess her.
Khron squeaked at the sight of her.
“And what do have we here!?” she cried out in delight.
She knelt down and Khron came running to her, leaping into her arms with a whimper; she picked him up and held him, caressing him.
“He’s so cute!” she said, hugging him. She leaned back, and he licked her face. She giggled, and kissed him back.
“And what’s your name, little fellow?” she asked.
“Khron,” Thor said. Finally, this time, he was not as tongue-tied as before.
“Khron,” she echoed, looking into the cub’s eyes.
“And is it every day that you travel with a leopard friend?” she asked Thor with a laugh.
“I found him,” Thor said, feeling self-conscious beside her, as he always did. “In the wood—on the hunt. Your brother said I should keep him, because I found him. That it was destined.”
She looked at him, and her expression became serious.
“Well, he is right. Animals are very sacred things. You don’t find them. They find you.”
“I hope you don’t mind if he joins us,” Thor said.
She giggled.
“I would be sad if he didn’t,” she answered.
She looked both ways, as if to make sure no one was watching, then reached out, grabbed Thor’s hand and pulled him into the wood.
“Let’s go,” she whispered. “Before someone spots us.”
Thor was exhilarated at the feel of her touch, as she yanked him onto the forest trail. They headed quickly into the woods, the path twisting and turning amidst the huge pines. She let go of his hand, but he did not forget the feel of it.
He was beginning to feel more confident that she actually liked him, and it was obvious that she did not want to be spotted, either, probably by her mother. Clearly she took this seriously, because she had something to risk by seeing him, too.
Then again, Thor thought, maybe she just didn’t want to be spotted by Alton—or by any other boys she might be with. Maybe Alton had been right. Maybe she was ashamed to be seen with Thor.
Thor felt all these mixed emotions swirl within him, and hardly knew what to do.
“Cat has your tongue, does it?” she asked, finally breaking the silence.
Thor felt torn: he didn’t want to risk messing things up by telling her what was on his mind—but at the same time he felt like he needed to put all his worries to rest. He needed to know where she really stood. He could contain it no longer.
“When I left you last time, I ran into Alton. He confronted me.”
Gwendolyn’s expression darkened, her high spirits suddenly ruined—and Thor immediately felt guilty that he had brought it up. He cherished her good nature, her joy, and he wished he could take it back. He wanted to stop, but it was too late. There was no turning back now.
“And what did he say?” she said, her voice dropping.
“He told me to stay away from you. He told me you didn’t really care about me. He told me that I was just amusement for you. That you would tire of me in a day or two. He also said that you and he were set to be wed, and that your marriage was already arranged.”
Gwendolyn let out an angry, mocking laugh.
“Did he then?” she snorted. “That boy is the most arrogant, unbearable little pip,” she added, angry. “He’s been a thorn in my side since the time I could walk. Just because our parents are cousins, he thinks he’s part of the royal family. I’ve never met anyone so entitled who deserved it less. Making things worse, he’s got it into his head somehow that the two of us are destined to wed. As if I would just go along with whatever my parents forced me to do. Never. And certainly not with him. I can’t stand the sight of him.”
Thor felt so relieved at her words, he felt a million pounds lighter; he felt like singing from the rooftops. It was exactly what he had needed to hear. Now he felt sorry he had darkened their mood, all over nothing. But he wasn’t completely satisfied yet; he noticed she still hadn’t said anything about whether she truly liked him, Thor.
“As far as you are concerned,” she said, stealing a glance him, then looking away. “I barely know you. I hardly need to be pressed to commit my feelings now. But I would say that I don’t think I would be spending time with you if I hated you that much. Of course it is my right to change my mind as I wish, and I can be fickle—but not when it comes to love.”
That was all Thor needed to hear. He was impressed by her seriousness, and even more impressed by her choice of word: “love.” He felt restored.
“And incidentally, I might also ask the same of you,” she said, turning the tables. “In fact, I think I have a lot more to lose than you do. After all, I am royalty, and you are commoner. I am older and
you are younger. Don’t you think I should be the one who is more guarded? Whispers come to me in the court of your agenda, your social climbing, of your just using me, being hungry for rank. Your wanting favor with the King. Should I believe all this?”
Thor was horrified.
“No, my lady. Never. These things never even entered my mind. I’m with you only because I cannot think of being anywhere else. Only because I want to be. Only because when I’m not with you, I think of nothing else.”
A small smile played at the corner of her mouth, and he could see her expression starting to lighten.
“You are new here,” she said. “You are new to King’s Court, to royal life. You need time to see how things really work. Here, nobody means what they say. Everyone has an agenda. Everyone is angling for power—or rank or wealth or riches or titles. No one can ever be taken for face value. Everyone has their own spies, and factions, and agendas. When Alton told you that my marriage has already been arranged, for instance, what he was really doing was trying to find out how close you and I are. He is threatened. And he might be reporting to someone. For him, marriage doesn’t mean love. It means a union. Purely for financial gain, for rank. For property. In our royal court, nothing is what it seems.”
Suddenly, Khron sprinted past them, down the forest trail, and into a clearing.
Gwen looked at Thor and giggled; she reached out, grabbed his hand, and ran with him.
“Come on!” she yelled, excited.
The two of them ran down the trail, and burst into the huge clearing, laughing. Thor was taken aback by the site: it was the most beautiful place he had ever seen, a forest meadow, filled with wildflowers of every possible color, up to their knees. Birds and butterflies of every color and size danced and flew in the air, and the meadow was alive with the sound of chirping. The sun shone down brilliantly, and it felt like a secret place, hidden here in the midst of this tall dark wood.
“Have you ever played Hangman’s Blind?” she asked with a laugh.