Dark One Rising (13 page)

“Being good between the sheets isn’t everything.”

She huffed. “What do men know of love anyway?”

“Not all men are insensitive ogres you know. I know enough to say that I don’t love you. And you don’t love me either.”

“You could learn to love me.”

“No dear, you’re too selfish and too demanding, and you mother me too much. Maybe the Colonel liked those traits in a woman, but I don’t.”

“He didn’t either, that’s why I sought other company.”

“And I guess the Baron got tired of it as well, so you moved on and seduced me. Jesus, Annikka, you’re like an unwanted hand-me-down.”

“There’s no need to be insulting, Your Majesty.”

“I’m just pointing out the obvious.”

She winced at that. “Touché.”

She knew he was right. She missed being an important person in society and being queen was of course the ultimate figure of importance. She wanted it, more than anything, so much she could taste it. But she had been a fool to think Dain would marry her. She knew he wouldn’t, but she chose to ignore it.

“You’re a very seductive and sensual woman, Annikka, and you do have your good points, but you’re too old to become common street trash. I realize it must have been hard to be married to a man twice your age, but I can’t feel sorry for you. You chose to go through with it. You had everything; a gorgeous home, fancy clothes, and all the money you desired. Now you’ve lost it all because it wasn’t good enough for you. You wanted more, you became too greedy. I’ve appreciated your companionship and your efforts to make me happy, but I’m afraid it’s over. I should never have taken you in in the first place. I don’t want a woman who will only love me for my power and the things I can give her, while I am replaced soon after. You should have known it wouldn’t be permanent. I’m a man after all, and what would I know about love. Everything you have obtained in this relationship you may take with you. Good luck, Annikka. I hope you do find someone that you really love.”

“You’re just going to throw me out, like dirty laundry?”

He turned back to the window again. “You’ll be fine, Annikka. There are plenty of men out there who’d love to share their bed with you, and if you get rid of the notion that money and power are everything, one of them might actually love you.”

He waited for a rebuttal, another plea from her to let her stay, but there was none. He thought he heard sniffling, then shuffling of light feet across the plush floor. He heard the clicking of the latch on the door and the sound of it closing.

He let out a breath. He felt guilty. He was a player when it came to beautiful women, but he wasn’t known to be cruel. He was never cross or insulting, generally, and it bothered him that she had been the first to push the right button. He knew she’d get over it as soon as she found another man to satisfy her burning passion and her burning greed.

He left the window and took the seat she had recently occupied, tossing down the rest of his drink. He closed his eyes and let the soothing warmth of the alcohol take effect on his head. He was feeling lethargic without the ale, but the intoxicating element in the drink made his thoughts drift away and he soon felt himself floating.

There had been a time in his life, not that long ago really, when love didn’t matter to him. He only required the warm seductive body of a wanton woman. Someone he could take pleasure in, who’d give in to his every whim. But now he felt different. Twenty-five was creeping up on him like a nightmare. He felt so old at times, so haggard. The all-nighters and parties and the drinking didn’t help matters, he knew. He was starting to realize that he better change or die an early death like his father had. He still enjoyed the love of a beautiful woman as much as any man, but for some reason, for the first time in his life, he wanted to be with someone he cared about. He wanted to be with someone who loved him for himself, for who he really was, not because he was the king. He wanted to know the feeling of actually loving someone for a lifetime, not just a month or two. Was that even possible? Was there such a thing? Was there actually a woman out there who wasn’t interested in her own gain? Was there a woman who would just love him unconditionally and never want the arms of another man? Was there a woman whom he could love enough to marry, enough to change his lifestyle forever? A woman he’d stay faithful to, or one he’d die for? The thought was frightening, but if there were such a woman, he would vow to do just that. It wasn’t a conventional idea, he knew, a king being with only his queen, but why not be different, set a new trend? It was time for him to settle down, complete the roll of dutiful king by maybe being a dutiful husband to a worthy woman. There had to be one out there somewhere. A woman who has not only exotic beauty, but one with compassion and a caring soul and a taste for romance. Did he say that? It’s got to be the alcohol talking. He never thought of romance, he just thought of what came next after he wooed her. There was always a courtship of course, a way he used his charm and good looks to get the women to succumb to his proposals. Then there were women like Annikka who seduced him just because he was the king. Even before he was king, when his father still lived and he was young and invincible, he’d gotten quite a few maidens to submit to him, never feeling any guilt or remorse for what they had lost, or how they felt to be used and then tossed out. They were only conquests, sometimes bets with friends to see how quickly the lass would give herself over to his mesmerizing wiles. God, he really was a cad. Was he getting old? Was the fire in his loins dying down to make room for dignity and pride? Perhaps it was just the melancholy feeling he had in his heart of late. It longed for something more, to prove to people, people like Annikka, that men know how to love. It was settled. As of this moment, he would be a one woman man. He would find his soul-mate, his one true love. He would find that one person who would steal his heart.

He stood from his chair again, glanced at himself in the mirror and brushed his hair back with his fingers. His eyes were slightly bloodshot from being up all night, and the bags under them were becoming more pronounced as the years wore on. He really was a ghastly mess. Alek was right, he was a pathetic excuse for a king. He threw a shirt on but left it unbuttoned and went to the window again, looking out over the countryside he had ridden through so many times. Over the years, he had become a voice for the people, putting himself in their shoes, sometimes even living as they did, against his father’s wishes. “If you become their friend, they will not respect you as their king” his father used to say. His father was a good king, but Dain thought he was misguided. How could you possibly expect to gain respect if you didn’t give it? How could people learn to respect you if you looked down on them? The people loved him, as they had loved his father before him, but he had gained more trust because of his empathy. He knew he could be an even better king if he really tried. With a throne came certain responsibilities, and although he was thrown into it suddenly, before he was ready, it really was a poor excuse for his current behavior. Where did my life go wrong, he thought, when did I get off the right path and travel too far down the wrong one? He knew his father was probably looking down on him from wherever he was and shaking his head with disappointment; his mother too. He knew deep down he wanted to change, he just had no bloody idea how to do it. Getting rid of Annikka was a good start. Maybe now he could find a proper woman to settle down with, if there were any good women left who would still have him despite his reputation. He sighed. Perhaps his reputation was ruined beyond repair. If I were a proper lady, he thought, I certainly wouldn’t have me.

He had fallen deeper into his melancholy lately and perhaps it was because he felt something dark stirring out there and didn’t want to face it. He didn’t try to understand what it was he felt, but he refused to shrug it off as nothing. Maybe it had something to do with Fallon. Being out among the commoners he tended to hear more than perhaps he should. Fallon was feared, that was obvious. He was a powerful man, owning many acres of estates and ranchland, which made him the richest duke in Aelethia. Dain suspected he wanted to bring the destruction of the surrounding kingdoms and start a war. Fallon wanted to rule over all the lands. Dain would not assume these were just rumors. No one knew for sure. Maybe it was high time he found out and prepared himself for what was to come. Right now, however, he was too tired and too inebriated to think about it.

CHAPTER 8

M
elenthia rode hard all day, following the west fork of the Stillwater Creek toward the Dark Woods. She stayed on the border of the woods, not yet wanting to travel through them. They were dark, and there had been stories of wolves attacking people. They were only on the hunt for food, for the longer than normal cold weather was making all life more difficult. But she didn’t want to take the chance that she may well just be a nice feast for a pack of wayward dogs. Besides, the thick stands of trees would make travel slower. She didn’t want to slow down until she knew she had a good lead ahead of anyone that might come after her. Fallon would be arriving at the castle soon, and it would take some time for him to discover her absence and send out guards. She probably had some time, but she would take no chances. She would travel through the forest tomorrow, when she felt her lead was considerable.

She thought of Kevaan while she was riding and how mad he’d be when he discovered her gone. She promised she’d wait, but if she had she would’ve risked Fallon arriving before she could go. It was better this way. She did not need to make Kevaan worry about anything else. He had enough to worry about. If her father was indeed being controlled by Fallon somehow, Kevaan would need to concentrate on finding out how and why. He also needed to make sure his future kingdom did not fall apart in the meantime. She could take care of herself.

Late afternoon was approaching, and she wanted to spend her first night in shelter, for there would be too many nights in the wilderness without any protection. She needed to go into Tamerlane and speak to Garreth the innkeeper. She knew he would put her up for the night. She had helped him solve many disputes with fellow property owners and spoke to her father on his behalf about bandits coming through every spring and stealing from him. Her father had dispatched wardens to roam the borders to keep the cities clear of trouble that might be passing through. Garreth cared about her, and he owed her. Although she never expected anything in return, she knew he would do it to pay her back anyway. He and his family could be trusted to hide her and keep things quiet. She had to be careful going into town though; she couldn’t be noticed, or she would be in trouble. Most of the villagers were simple people that didn’t want any trouble, and if trouble found them, information was the easiest way to make it go away. They would talk if threatened. She didn’t want anyone to have that chance, so she must go unnoticed. She knew in the daylight it would be harder, so she hunkered down inside the trees and waited for dusk. The gloom of sunset would make her stand out less, and that was the easiest way to slip by. Storekeepers and merchants would be busy closing up their wares for the night. They would be too occupied to pay her any mind. She figured she had about an hour, then she’d make her move.

As soon as the sun started to set, and the gloom of dusk started to set in, she got back on her horse and went through the woods into town from the west side. She went across the bridge over the creek and passed under the still unlocked gate that went into the town. She rode slowly, not wanting to bring unwanted attention, and rode straight through to the Calderon Tavern on the far side of town. It wasn’t the nicest part of town; the buildings here were shabby, and the thick smell of stale ale and urine filled her nostrils. The tavern was at the end of a narrow street. It was the off season for travelers, so it was quiet tonight, but she knew that if it were discovered before morning that she had run, there might be a lot more noise than Garreth could handle. She hoped she had at least until morning before Fallon was on the hunt. A good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast would make the hard ride across the border easier.

She dismounted her horse and pulled her hood tighter on her head, wrapping the reins around the post and untying her bags. She threw them over her shoulder and entered the tavern.

There weren’t many people yet, a few merchants already settling in for the night, eating a meal and having a drink before going home, but for the most part it was empty.

She spotted Garreth behind the bar drying a glass with a towel. He was a large man, a torso like a barrel, muscular arms and legs, and hands the size of meat tenderizers. He had a full head of black hair and a full beard and thick mustache. He may have been just a tavern owner but he was tough, and although he couldn’t handle all the trouble that passed his way, he could handle a lot. She also knew that despite his size, he was also a softy, who loved his wife and son and would give the shirt off his back if you really were in need.

She sidled up to the bar, trying her best to look inconspicuous, and sat down on the stool closest to him. He turned from drying his glass, tossed the towel over his shoulder and looked at her.

“What can I get you, stranger?”

She leaned in closer and whispered. “Garreth, it’s me, Melenthia. I need a room for the night, and I need it quiet.”

He eyed her closer and put his hands on his hips. “Is that so? Do you have enough coin to pay for the room, and the silence?”

She pulled the hood back just enough for him to see her face, and he jerked back, surprised. He recovered himself and leaned in closer.