Dark One Rising(108)

“Your situation is not of your doing. Fallon has his own agenda and none of that is your fault.”

“But Dain agreeing to protect me is my fault. I should’ve just stayed away.”

“Even as skilled of a survivor as you are, you wouldn’t have lasted out here alone forever. Eventually he would’ve found you, and there would’ve been no one around to stop him.”

“But I wouldn’t have to worry about anyone else.”

“Dain knows the risks and understands that there is more at stake than just a marriage. He knows that his kingdom will eventually be at risk, and, as king, he can’t turn away from that. That part has nothing to do with you.”

She was quiet. Her lip was numb now. All she could feel was a very light tingling there. She reached up to touch it just to make sure it was still there since she could no longer feel it. She touched her cheek too and winced. It was very tender to the touch. She opened and shut her mouth and shifted it back and forth to stretch it. It was starting to get stiff and sore, on top of the pain.

“Sol, I think now would be a good time to send word to the border and let them know that the princess is fine and on her way.”

“Oh yes, right.”

The magician reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of parchment. He unfolded it and held it in his hand. He looked at it, closed his eyes, and mumbled something under his breath. She leaned a bit in her saddle so she could see and was surprised when words appeared there.

He opened his eyes and spoke a series of words that sounded like gibberish to her ear. A bird appeared as if from nowhere. It landed on the pommel of his saddle. He rolled up the parchment, wiggled his fingers, and a piece of twine appeared and tied itself around the note. He tied it to the birds leg and whistled. The bird took off and flew toward the keep.

She stared at him in awe. He felt her looking at him and turned his head to face her. “How else did you think I was going to tell them we were coming, by telepathy? That would be preposterous.”

She said nothing, the elf just smiled. They continued on their way, the clip-clopping of the horses hooves on the road and the crunching of rocks and dirt clods underneath lulled her. She didn’t feel the pain in her lip even though the numbness was starting to subside, and she was feeling very weary. Her eyelids were heavy, and she wanted to sleep, and a couple of times caught herself when she felt she was slipping sideways out of the saddle.

They passed by the outer gate and were waved on without pause. She knew that the elf and the magician knew more about her situation than they were letting on. She wanted to ask more questions but was too tired to wrap her mind around anything intelligent she wanted to say, so she continued to be silent. She would have plenty of time to ask them questions after she got some sleep.

The sun was a couple of hours above the horizon, and she tried to remember when she ate last. It had been at least six hours ago when she bought a roll and some dried meat from the merchant in the square. She wasn’t as hungry as she thought she would be. Maybe it was because she’d been too scared to think about anything but getting away at all costs. In fact, even now, her stomach was so queasy, she felt she wouldn’t be able to eat anything until morning.

An hour later she could see the gates to the keep in the distance. Her stomach was now more in knots, and she dreaded what was to come. She knew Dain would be mad, but she had no idea what to expect from him, and right now she was too relieved to be back and too tired to care.

They picked up their pace, trotting up the hill toward the keep. Even though it was not dark yet, the lamps were being lit as they approached as if offering a beacon for their safe return. She felt relieved and anxious at the same time. She promised herself that no matter what happened, she would never disobey him again. She loved him too much to cause him undue distress.





CHAPTER 25


When Dain got back to the Keep that evening, he spent twenty minutes looking for Melenthia, to let her know he had returned. When he didn’t find her, he called for Emerick. While he was waiting, a squire appeared in his office and bowed, entering the room when he was motioned to do so.

“Your Majesty, this message was brought by dispatch from Tarun. It came to them from the dwarves, Sire.”

“Bring it forward.”

The squire obeyed and handed the king a piece of parchment rolled and stamped with the wax seal of the house of the Dolmath Tribe. He quickly broke the seal and rolled out the message to read it.

“Your Majesty, King Dainard Llewelyn Grayson, High Ruler of Azlyn, son of the late King Colwyn Grayson, Drydon Keep.

I bring message from the clan leaders of the dwarves Daiki Tribes in Yarden, from Clan Leader of the house of Dolmath, Dagon.