“Ah yes, the Sorcerers Wood.”
“You knocked a week or more off your time, at least. Fallon’s men were not able to come through that way; they have to come across country. They’re about two weeks behind, give or take. I believe you’re safe for the time being. I would ask though that you not leave the gates of the keep, Your Highness, unless you are accompanied, just in case.”
She nodded at him and took a bite of her breakfast.
CHAPTER 16
Melenthia wandered around the castle for awhile before finding herself on the portico on the lower level, at the east side of the keep. The porch looked out onto the gardens, but a stone pathway lead to the left, down to the fighting arena on the far side of the bailey. She heard noises coming from there so she took the path and eventually found herself at a spectator area where she could see the men-at-arms practicing.
She leaned on the railing of the bleacher section and watched the two men who were moving back and forth, swords clanging together, dust kicking up creating clouds in the cool afternoon breeze.
She watched with rapt attention at the mastery of the opponents, the way their bodies moved and the way they swung their weapon with each parry or riposte. She heard someone approach from her right and turned to see a young squire coming toward her. He bowed when he reached her side, and she smiled at him.
“Good afternoon, Your Highness. Are you enjoying the sport?”
“They’re quite good.”
“Yes, His Majesty is one of the best swordsman in the kingdom. One of the best archers as well.”
Her eyes went wide with surprise when she realized that she was watching the king practice. She took a moment to watch their movements closer, to determine which one was the handsome rogue that had agreed to watch over her. After a few more minutes she had it figured out by his body size and strength and by his movements. He was definitely handsome, but the way he held his weapon and wielded it, and the way his body moved back and forth across the fighting arena was what made her ears warm.
She watched the competition to the end, when eventually the opponents conceded to each other and bowed. The king removed his helm and brushed back a lock of dampened blond hair out of his face. He must’ve sensed her standing there because he looked in her direction, smiled and waved. She waved back, her ears warmer now from embarrassment at being noticed, gawking like a school girl.
He re-sheathed his sword and wiped his face with a linen handed to him by a squire, then headed in her direction. When he reached her, he smiled again and bowed slightly. “Did you enjoy the view?” he asked in jest.
Her ears got warm again, this time more intensely; she hoped that it wasn’t noticeable. She kept the conversation on the swordplay. “You’re quite the sportsman from what I hear, Your Majesty, and from the display I’ve seen, I would agree.”
“Thank you, Your Highness. Although I don’t know how well I’d fare against you. The rumor from my man Alek is that you’re just as adept at swordplay. That’s something I would relish to see.”
“Thank you. I’ve worked hard to become so.”
“Is there nothing your brother didn’t teach you?”
“He prides himself on being thorough at everything he does. Apparently he didn’t do a good enough job at teaching me how to be demure and ladylike. That’s a skill that I’ve been told many a time that I lack.”
“Really? I hadn’t noticed.”
She smiled at his kindness, but before she could answer, he changed the subject. “It would bring me great pleasure if you’d do me the honor of dining with me this evening. I would be pleased if you’d grace me with your presence and allow me to get to know you better. We’ll more than likely be together awhile you and I, and I want you to feel at home while we are.”
“As you wish, Your Majesty. I would be delighted.”
“Dain, remember?”
“Dain.”
“That’s better. There are a few things I must attend to. I’ll see you in the king’s dining room at seven.”
She didn’t know if it was a good idea to get to know him more intimately at all but did not want to jump to any conclusions about him yet. She decided he deserved to be given a chance since her brother seemed to trust him, and Alek assured her she would be fine under his roof. It would be impolite to refuse considering what he was risking by hiding her, so she would have dinner with him and see where that led. She would determine whether it was a bad idea later.
***
A few weeks later, Dain and Alek were sitting across from one another in the conference room, looking at a map. There were papers scattered all over the table. They had been at it for hours, and Dain was tired. He rubbed his eyes for a moment, sighed, then continued. “From the information I have gathered, it seems that Fallon has taken over the two southern most towns in Isamar, Barksdale and Xandra,” he said pointing at the two cities on the map. “He keeps sentries posted at the gates of the larger city, Barksdale, and has the gate guard collect tolls as travelers come through. He must be using the money to keep his army funded. Why he would want to have control over cities in Isamar I cannot guess. The Isamarians are nomads and don’t mingle with outsiders. Out of all four provinces, they still don’t have an alliance with anyone. They generally like to rule themselves and have been part of the old Free Cities pact for the last two hundred years.”