Twin Curse(16)

*****

When he was completely sure she was asleep, and after he gently probed  her mind several times with magic, Lyall slipped out of the bunk and  went upstairs. He hoped she stayed asleep while he was gone. Mentally,  he prepared his story for if she woke, annoyed at himself for doing so,  and angry at his father for the need.

He walked up the main street of the city, which was almost deserted at  this hour, and up to the palace. The guards let him in with a respectful  salute.

Maybe his father would be asleep, and he could leave again with a clean  conscience. But no such luck. The king emerged from his study just as  Lyall walked down the hallway.

"Lyall, you're home. Where's the girl?"

"Nice to see you too, Father," Lyall said sarcastically. "She's on board  my yacht. I thought I should talk to you before you meet her."         

     



 

"What? Is there a problem?"

"Not exactly a problem, but things didn't go exactly as I had planned," Lyall admitted.

His father sighed and opened the door to his study again. "You'd better tell me the whole story."

Lyall followed reluctantly.

Inside, his father poured himself a scotch and sat in one of the large  high backed arm chairs. He waved Lyall to the chair opposite but didn't  offer him a drink. "So, what's the problem?" he asked.

Lyall sat in the offered chair. "She knows she's a mage."

"So she wasn't the innocent you thought her?" His father raised an eyebrow.

"No. I mean, I told her."

"You what?" His father almost chocked on his scotch.

"I thought it was better than losing her altogether," Lyall said,  trying, and failing, not to feel smug about his father's coughs.

"Start at the beginning, and tell me the whole story."

Lyall recounted the whole tale, from the men from Brianna's home town  and his illusion, to her agreeing to come with him. He left out all the  more intimate details of course, but he somehow suspected his father  could guess them anyway.

King Balen leant back in his chair and regarded Lyall thoughtfully, finishing off his scotch before saying anything more.

"So you believe her story?" he said finally.

"I do," Lyall asserted, no doubt in his mind.

"Then I suggest you bring her here in the morning so we can meet her."

"Yes, sir," Lyall agreed.

Accepting his father's dismissal, he headed back to the boat. Brianna,  thankfully, hadn't stirred. Lyall stared down at her for a few moments.

What was she going to think when she found out who he really was?

*****

Brianna stirred the next morning to the same feeling of contentment that  had characterised every morning so far on this adventure with Lyall.  But as she became more awake, she remembered that this morning was  different. Lyall's arms around her, his face snuggled into her shoulder,  those were the same. But the rocking of the boat was more gentle. They  were docked, and today she would see the mages' island. And Lyall's  family.

What would they think of her? What would she think of this place? Was Lyall right about her having magic? So many uncertainties.

Any tendency she might have had to dwell on this was cut short by a  sharp rapping on the hatch that made her jump. Lyall jumped also, and as  he was lying on the outside edge of the bunk, this caused him to fall  out of the bed. He swore, rubbing his elbow, and pulled himself to his  feet. "Coming," he shouted towards the hatch, then more quietly to  Brianna, "Looks like our return has been noticed. Don't worry, the hatch  is bolted."

Brianna grinned. "What are the chances, if we wait long enough, that they'll go away?"

Lyall sighed heavily. "Slim to none." He began pulling on a shirt,  somewhat crumpled after having spent the better part of three days lying  on the floor.

Brianna stared at him for a moment, but his moody expression didn't help  her confidence any. Nor did her lack of clothes, so she went into the  tiny bathroom to change into her one clean and unrumpled set of clothes,  and check that her hair and face were presentable. Her stomach growled.  Pity there hadn't been time for some breakfast before the ordeal in  front of her.

Finally satisfied, if not pleased, with her appearance, she re-joined  Lyall. He seemed to have regained his composure and even managed to  smile at her. "Uh, Brianna, there's something I have to tell you." He  rubbed his cheek and wouldn't meet her eyes.

There was a rapping at the hatch again. A voice called out, "Prince Balen, is everything all right?"

Brianna stared at Lyall and then started to laugh. "I think they have the wrong boat."

But Lyall wasn't laughing. He was, in fact, blushing. And wincing. If  both could be possible at the same time. "Yes, I'm fine. Give me a  minute," he yelled back angrily. Brianna stared at him in disbelief, and  he said quietly, "That was what I wanted to tell you."

"You're a prince?" Brianna said faintly. Her worries about meeting his parents just became ten times worse.

"I'm afraid so," Lyall said apologetically.

Brianna's legs felt weak, and she sank down onto the edge of the bunk. "Why didn't you say something?" she asked helplessly.

"I.. uh... It never quite seemed like the right time," he said lamely.

Brianna opened her mouth to say that the moment he invited her might  have been a good time, then shut it again. It wasn't as if she wasn't  keeping her own secrets, probably worse than his. "Bloody hell, if you'd  given me warning, I might at least have brought a dress that was  appropriate for meeting royalty," she managed.         

     



 

Lyall gave her a relieved smile. "I'll take you shopping and buy you ten," he promised.

He looked back towards the hatch, and Brianna sighed. "We'd better go up before they start knocking again," she said.

Lyall nodded, and held out his hand. Brianna stared at him for a few  moments, then took it, and together they walked towards the stairs.  "After you," Lyall said gallantly.

"Not likely," Brianna said. "You're the prince, you go first. I'm not  going up there for everyone to stare at me and wonder who I am. I'd much  prefer to hide in your shadow, thank you very much."

Lyall stared at her, so she poked her tongue out at him, and he laughed. But he did go up the stairs first.

Her relief was short lived. When she followed him up, taking his offered  hand for the final steps, she found herself staring at what could only  be a full battalion of guards, all wearing turquoise and gold livery,  all staring at her. She was glad Lyall kept hold of her hand. "This  way," he whispered in her ear and led her towards the lavish turquoise  and gold coach.

Someone opened the door, and Lyall helped her up the stairs, and then  sat beside her as the coach started to move with a jerk. And they were  mercifully alone. "Is it too late to go home?" Brianna asked, only half  joking.

Lyall seemed to have recovered. "I'm afraid so," he said apologetically.  "At least, until after you've met my family. They're all rather keen to  get to know you."

Butterflies fluttered up a storm in her stomach. What Lyall had told  them about her? She knew nothing about them. "How many of them are  there?" she asked cautiously.

"Just my mother and father," Lyall assured her. He hesitated, then said  quietly, "My mother has been an invalid since an accident when I was a  baby. She never had any more children."

"I'm sorry," Brianna said quietly. She couldn't even begin to imagine  her life without Mianna, so his lack of siblings seemed incredibly  lonely to her.

Lyall inclined his head at her comment. "My father, well, I suppose  you'll see when you meet him. He's the king, and as such, I guess he has  a position to uphold." He shrugged.

It was a lot to take in. She had expected this to be strange, perhaps  had even realised she would be a little out of her depth, but this was  so much more than she had ever imagined.

Lyall looked down at her and smiled, and laid a hand on her arm. "I'm  glad you're here, Brianna," he said, and her fears retreated a little.  They were only people, after all. And she had wanted an adventure.

Or so she tried to remind herself when the coach pulled through the large entrance gates and into the courtyard of the castle.

The building was unlike any other Brianna had ever seen. Towers  stretched up, appearing to touch the sky itself. Their perfectly even,  pale grey stonework was topped with brilliant aqua roofs and aqua and  gold flags flapped everywhere. It was a sight to behold. Brianna even  managed a genuine smile for its magnificence.

Someone opened the door of the coach, and the butterflies returned.  Thankfully, Lyall stepped down first, then held out his hand to her,  keeping it tucked in his as they walked up to the front door. Again,  someone opened it for them, and they stepped through.

Inside was much cooler and a little darker too. By the time Brianna's  eyes adjusted, Lyall had almost swept her through the entrance room with  its paintings and statues, and she had only a vague impression of  opulence. The hallway they entered was similar, lined with paintings and  the occasional side table with a potted fern or a vase of flowers.