Fantasy of Frost (The Tainted Accords Book 1) (4 page)

Despite a previous promise not to do so, I avoid Kedrick for the second time and once I’ve recovered, I spend all of my free time training with Aquin. Working myself into exhaustion helps me to deal with the revolted looks from the court.

It’s not hard to avoid him, mother has had Kedrick in negotiations since his slip in the dining ring. I’m oddly thankful, though I realise how twisted that is. I run down the empty pathway to the village on my way to Aquin’s. The meadow had now been harvested and is empty. My robes and veil flatten against my front as I run. I imagine material billowing out behind me. In my mind, my veil becomes my hair and instead of the brush of material, I feel the heat of the firelight directly on my skin.

Occupied by this, I barely have time to react to a cracking sound to my right. Large hands grab at me. I lash out with my right leg, hearing a loud grunt in response. I twist under the tall person’s arm, take hold of their wrist and use their flailing momentum to throw them over my hip and into a Kaur tree.

I whirl around and sink into a fighting pose as I hear several heavy steps approaching. I straighten at the sight of Malir and Rhone walking into the clearing. The two men were the least friendly of the delegates, but rather than dislike them for this, I found I enjoyed it. When people were forced by custom to talk to me, they were always polite, whether they wanted to be or not. My mother hated me, but wouldn’t tolerate open disrespect of me.

Anything discreet was fine.

Both are looking with confusion at the person behind me. My brain slowly turns over, until I realise who I’ve just thrown into the tree.

I whip around to where Prince Kedrick lays at the base of the tree groaning. Malir rushes forward.

“Veni!” I say, also rushing forward. “Kedrick, you snuck up on me.”

He sits up, wincing a little with the movement. “That is the worst apology I’ve ever heard. How the hell did you throw me like that? You’re so small.” He rubs his back where he hit the tree.

I walk to inspect the tree. There is not any sign it has been hit.

“
Is the tree alright, Olina?” he says sarcastically, standing on unsteady legs. Rhone snorts and I look at him in surprise. Rhone made a sound, he can talk.

In light of previous comments Kedrick has made about Bruma women being mainly decorative, I suspect his pride has suffered the biggest injury from my throw.

“Thank you, it is okay,” I reply in the same tone, receiving a glare from him and another snort from Rhone. His use of my name has reminded me I am angry at him.

“If that is all, I will be on my way.”

“To the orphanage? I hoped you could be persuaded to take a walk with me,” he says to my back.

“Another time, Prince Kedrick, I’m quite busy today.” I keep walking, even though my stomach is sinking.

“Shit!” I hear him say. I hear some murmuring behind me, which fades as I round a bend. Footsteps sound behind me. Kedrick runs to my side, grabbing my hand. I look back and see Malir and Rhone walking off to the meadow in the opposite direction.

“Lina, wait. I need to talk to you,” he says. I wrench my hand from his grasp.

“Don’t call me that,” I hiss. “That’s what put us in this mess.”

“You got in trouble?” he asks, face paling. I roll my eyes, how has he somehow missed the tension of the last days?

“Yes, of course.” I push at his shoulder roughly and he takes a step back. “How could you call me Lina in front of the court? In front of my
mother
?” I ask.

“I’m sorry,” he says, reaching to grab me. I push his hands away.

“Sorry is not enough. I need you to understand the importance of what you have done. The only people to call me Lina are my family and one very old man who has known me since birth. The whole court thinks we are…lovers,” I say.

“What? Is that why it got so weird?” He throws his hands up. “Shit.” He can understand how this would garner a strong reaction. “You have been Lina in my mind for months now. It slipped out. Please, tell me what I can do to make this right.”

I hear footsteps approaching from ahead of us. I drag him off the path, into the trees until we are out of sight.

“Nothing can be done, except what I am already doing. We cannot be seen together,” I say.

Kedrick looks at me for a long moment. “I’ve ruined everything haven’t I? How bad will this be for you?”

“I am used to it.” I shrug. “I accept your apology,” I continue, to change the subject.

“Will you also accept my solemn promise not to do it again?” he asks. I nod. He steps forward to grab one of my hands. “I am not sure I could so easily forgive my stupidity, but I thank you. I hope I have not lost your trust.” He hints at a question, and I know he has purposely poised it this way, so I can choose not to answer him. I also know discretion is not one of his strengths, but he has proved himself in other ways.

I recollect my intent to see Aquin and a grin spreads on my face as a plan forms in my mind.

Brushing aside thoughts of what Olandon will say when he finds out, I step up to the Prince.

“There is something I’ve never told you.” I walk a little from him. “Something very important to me, but something which will also endanger another’s life if anyone else were to ever find out about it.”

A crack resounds through the forest to our left, I drop low, and feel Kedrick do the same.  I peer through the trees and wait, holding my breath. We both wait several minutes, but there is no further sound. It was probably just a fallen branch. I back away and pull close to Kedrick, whispering to him while keeping one eye on the forest in front of me just in case.

“We must leave Malir and Rhone behind, unless you trust them not to tell King Jovan.”

He nods. “Let’s go,” he says, his warm breath tickling my ear.

We keep out of sight, going around the outside of the village before ducking between buildings and slipping into the orphanage through an opening. I wave out to the matron and greet children as we go, weaving my way to the back of the building. This should keep anyone following off our track.

I crack open the back door and look out to the Kaur forest. There’s no one in sight.

I turn to the Prince. He opens his mouth, but I put a finger to his lips. He grips my hand and kisses my finger, before turning my palm over and placing another on the back of my hand. The hot shivers I’m starting to like, run down my body.

Pulling free, I duck out the door and run to the forest, Kedrick trails closely behind. After ten minutes, I stop and wait for Kedrick to catch up. I can hear him crashing closer after a minute.

“Why all the running and orphanage stuff?” He gasps. His limbs are long, but I know he’s not as graceful as he first appears, and he is unused to jumping over the vines which are yet to drop off the Kaur trees.

“The orphanage is a cover for what I really am doing,” I explain.

“And the running?” He has his hands on top of his head, drawing in huge breaths.

I laugh, not out of breath at all.

“Because I am able to get to Aquin faster.” I take off at another run, ignoring a weird growling sound from him. He stays closer this time.

I don’t stop until I break into a clearing. The clearing holds several large Kaur buildings.

My trainer was revered as the best of the Elite guards in his time. Olandon and I had heard the guards talking of him once. I think of him as my father, my advisor and a great friend. I used to pretend he and his wife were my grandparents. It was easy because they had no children of their own.

I slow to a walk so Kedrick can catch up. He is dripping with sweat when he does. I forget he is not as accustomed to this heat, and feel some small guilt at making him run all the way here. He does not talk, just looks around while he catches his breath.

“This Aquin is rich,” he gasps, as though he is disgusted by the fact, a bit hypocritical considering he is a Prince himself.

We round a corner and I spot Aquin sitting on his favourite bench in the shade. Both of his hands rest on top of his cane and his head is bowed. I stop in front of him. Kedrick looks at me with a raised eyebrow. I smile. He probably thinks Aquin is asleep

“You have brought company with you Lina,” Aquin says, astonishment colours his words. His voice would have been called deep ten revolutions ago, but time had since taken some of its resonance. “There is a first time for everything,” he says, opening his eyes and looking at me.

I see the Prince making the connection as to who this person is. A sudden grin shines on his face.

I shake my head at his mood swings.

“I’ve brought the Prince Kedrick to watch our session,” I say.

“A Bruma Prince of Glacium, none the less. You trust this boy?” Aquin keeps his eyes on me not acknowledging the Prince at all. I smile as Kedrick bristles beside me.

“Yes, I do.” I look at the prince and his eyes hold mine as he looks back.

“I see,” Aquin says, standing with a swiftness belonging to a much younger man. Kedrick jerks beside me, taking a half step backwards.

“Get changed and meet me for warm up,” Aquin says over his shoulder as he moves to the largest Kaur building.

I direct a confused Kedrick to follow him, while I head to another smaller building to change.

I take my robe off and throw it over the screen, careful not to dislodge my veil. The small set of training clothes lay over a bench in the corner, I pull these on. They’re my favourite clothes to wear, even better than the toga dress. We’ve had to adapt the top which was too tight in the wrong places and too easy to grab onto around the waist. The result is a light sleeveless top, which stops just above the top of my matching black trousers.

There’s so much more freedom in them than what my robes afford. They are much more like what the villagers wear. And every time I put them on my uncertainty and my fears fade. I become more like the person I want to be.

On my way out I grab a leather helmet which ties under my chin. It is the only way my veil will stay on during our sessions.

Entering the largest building, I see the Prince leaning on a wall, looking around with unstoppered fascination at the array of weaponry. This is where Aquin’s true genius is displayed. His mind was why he was considered such a formidable fighter.

The room is filled from floor to roof with different apparatus. All over the room there are panels, all of which open to release a form of weapon or trap. Between these are other obstacles such as swinging logs, bags of dirt, nets and jagged surfaces. A series of ropes hang from the ceiling. All of this he somehow controls from levers around the room. I used to think it was magic when I was younger, and even now I cannot begin to understand it. Aquin was very guarded about how they worked.

Aquin is dragging equipment into place for our session. Kedrick watches him. No doubt he offered to help, but was cuttingly refused by the older man. The Prince glances at me as I walk towards him then turns his head back to Aquin, only to whip his head straight back towards me. His mouth drops open and his eyes move down and back up. His gaze lingers on my chest for several moments before returning to my face as I stand in front of him.

I watch with interest as his face reddens. I haven’t seen this on him before. I tilt my head to the side and place my hands on my hips.

“Are you ready to see my secret?” I turn from him and walk to the middle of the clearing, looking back over my shoulder when he does not answer. His throat works as he swallows. 

Aquin starts me on a light series to warm my body. Any difficulty blocking out the distraction of Kedrick fades as Aquin speeds up the routine and begins to shout out complex kicks and spins. Soon I have a sheen over my body.

At the blocking post, I jump back into stable footing and stop a wooden shaft with my forearm. Aquin wheels the twisting post faster and faster until my hands are blurring and the whistle of the approaching shafts blend together, making it impossible for me to anticipate where to place my hands. I glare up at him as a shaft whacks me in the side of the head.

We move onto weapons; throwing and sparring until I am pouring sweat. I can stick a dagger hilt deep into the training dummies around the room. My downfall is that without sound, I have no accuracy. I am just as likely to hit the wall as the dummy. When I’m sparring with my brother, I fight using touch, heat, the sounds of his breathing, the shuffling of his feet and, of course, my memory of his weaknesses and strengths in combat. When we fight with swords, I listen for the whistling of the swing and I am passable with swordplay, but Aquin still insists on blunting the sword’s edge. Bow and arrow is similar to throwing a dagger, I can deliver a forceful strike with no accuracy. It is frustrating I have no other sparring partner. Since Olandon has been training with the guards he has started to beat me. He has learnt to creep silently across the training surface and he breathes soundlessly so I’m blind to his position and next attack. 

I really can’t complain at the handicap my veil presents. Without it, my reaction times would be much slower. I’ve learnt to react instantly, without thought. Aquin also thinks my other senses have grown much stronger due to one being impaired.