Queen of Hearts (The Risen King) (3 page)

“
So I'm just supposed to lay here until you guys decide what to do with me? What was the point of the banding, then?”

Silence rolled over the room, broken only by the trickling of the water in the fountain. With an irritated sigh, Kane stared at the ceiling and counted the faeries until he fell asleep.

*~*~*

THREE

*~*~*

“
I think I'll let Bors have a go at you next time,” Lancelot said as he gripped Arthur's wrist and the blond king pulled him to his feet.

Arthur laughed. “Getting tired of being beaten all the time?” He winked at Lancelot before stealing a glance at the window far overhead. He caught a brief glimpse of red hair before it disappeared from view. He sighed and stared into the black, empty square.

Lancelot snorted behind him. “You really are over the edge with that one, aren't you?” He picked up a cotton cloth that lay on the ground nearby and began wiping sweat off his face, neck, and chest.

Arthur turned back toward his friend with a weak smile. He grabbed a second cloth and proceeded to dry off his own body. “There's just something about her,” he said as he glanced over his shoulder toward the castle again. “Something... I don't know how to explain it. It was very similar to the way I felt about Guin when I first saw her. I needed her in my life. I needed her to be mine, forever.” He shook his head and laughed as he used the cloth to wipe down his blade. “I know, it's ridiculous.”

“It's not, actually.” Aloysius Callaghan ran a shirt sleeve across his brow as he walked up to them. He had wanted to test his mettle against the knights and Balan had stepped up to the challenge. The young man was currently on his back on the grass, breathing deeply and trying to regain his strength after a sound lashing by the old man. His foster brother, Balin, was nearby, laughing and gently berating Balan for being so easily beaten by a man nearly four times his age.

Arthur nodded toward the small shed and Lancelot and Alo followed him across the yard. “What do you mean?” he asked the old man.

Alo grabbed a cloth that hung inside the shed and wiped off his blade. “Your instant attraction to Aiofe. It's not ridiculous. It's magic.”

Lancelot pulled his shirt on. As his head popped through, his dark hair stuck up in sweaty, curly patches. “Magic? So it's not real?” The knight's eyes darted to his king, gauging Arthur's reaction. The other man said nothing. He just looked at Alo and waited for him to continue.

Alo sat on a crate beside the door. “On the contrary. It's quite real. At least, I think it is.”

Arthur breathed an audible sigh of relief, but he said, “I still don't understand.”

The old man finished wiping off his blade and put it back in its sheath. “The line of the hunters is...” He chewed his lip for a moment, searching for the right word. “I guess you could call us blessed. After the first couple generations, Titania realized that humans caught up in romantic entanglements make poor hunters. If hunters are dealing with love issues, they're ineffective, distracted, a danger to themselves and others. So she enchanted the line. When we fall in love, it's instant and forever.”

Lancelot squinted at Alo. “So she plays matchmaker?”

Alo laughed. “No, not exactly. At least, I don't think  it works quite that way. I've never seen two people together who I wouldn't have pegged as a match made in heaven without the magic. They always just fit. I'm not exactly sure how it works, but when two people are meant to be together, the magic seems to know. It's like they find each other. And from the moment they meet, they are one. When I met Maureen, the moment I laid eyes on her, my world changed. I knew she was the one I was going to spend my life with. I knew that without her, I wouldn't be complete. When we have a fight, we always know deep down inside that we're going to work it out somehow, no matter what happens in the in between.”

Arthur was nodding as Alo spoke. “Yes, exactly. That's how I feel, too. When I saw her face, I knew she was the one I was meant to spend this life with, that I would do anything to protect her.”

Alo pushed himself to his feet as the knights finished dressing and putting away their weapons. He walked toward the stairs that led out of the courtyard. “That does sound like magic. I would guess, seeing as you boys have been raised by the Queens, you might fall under something similar to the hunters.”

Arthur pondered that while they climbed the steps.

Lancelot paused at the door. “But it is possible that the love isn't real? That it's all magic?”

Arthur shot his friend a glare, but Alo shrugged. “I guess that's a possibility, but knowing what I do of the Queens and the way the magic works, I would say it's just pulling from true feelings, enhancing them. Not creating them.” He glanced at his wrist. A band of leather was there with a silver watch attached. “Anyway, I should go find my wife. Your man is going to show us to our new home this morning so we can get settled in.”

Alo bid them both farewell and disappeared into the castle. Arthur and Lancelot stood at the door, watching the others train in the yard below.

“
He seems to be taking the loss of his home and ending up in this place very well,” Lancelot said.

“
He does indeed. But I'm not surprised. He may have lost his home, but he still has his family. And he was part of Titania's personal army. He still is. I would not be at all surprised if he and his wife find themselves needed in this coming war. They are both trained hunters and know the ways of the faeries. They could be very useful to us.”

Lancelot nodded. “True. They could be valuable.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “What do you think about what he said? About all that love stuff, I mean?”

Arthur glanced over at his friend and shrugged. “I don't know. All I know is how I feel.” He watched Lancelot out of the corner of his eye. The man said nothing more, but the king could see the gears working in his brain. He could almost read his thoughts. They were both thinking the same thing. The last time this happened, the last time Arthur felt so strongly about a woman, that woman was Guinevere. And she had promptly betrayed him, sneaking around behind his back with his best friend, the man standing beside him right now. She had nearly destroyed them both. She had destroyed their friendship, for sure. And she had killed a piece of Arthur. She had betrayed his trust and made him doubt everything.

“
You both are looking quite pensive this morning.” Tristan leaned against the stone rail on the stairs as he ran an oil-soaked cloth over the wood of his bow.

Lancelot and Arthur looked at each other and shrugged. “We were discussing the reaches of faery magic.”

The quiet man's eyebrow twitched and the corners of his lips pulled up, as if he knew exactly what they had both been thinking about, but instead of bringing it up, he changed the subject. “I'm famished. Is it almost time for the noon meal?”

Arthur glanced at the sky. “It should be close. Let us head inside and change. I'll send a servant to notify the kitchen.”

They entered the building and climbed the long set of stairs to the main floor. A young ghostly boy no older than seven was scurrying past with a chamber pot in his hands. Arthur flagged him down.

“
Please let the cooks know we will be ready to eat shortly.”

The youngster nodded once and hurried off, disappearing behind a hidden door in the hallway.

“One of these days, we need to take the time to find all the secret passages in this place.” Lancelot was staring after the boy with an irritated look on his face. “I don't like how they just vanish.”

Tristan laughed. “I think it would take centuries to find all the hidden passages and rooms in a place like this.”

The dark-haired knight's frown just grew deeper. “Arthur's the king. He should know about things like that.”

The king shrugged. “I get the feeling that in a place like this, the only ones who know everything about this castle are the servants. Come, we need to change before we eat.”

Arthur led the way up the stairs to the second floor. As Tristan and Lancelot walked down the hallway toward their rooms, he paused on the landing and looked up toward the third floor. He used to sleep up there, before Aiofe came along. Just the night before, he relinquished his room, giving it to her until they could find more suitable arrangements. Or until...

He shut off the thought as a young maiden swept around the corner of the stairwell into view. She bowed before him, her skirts sweeping low across the stone floor. “Your majesty.”

“Good morning, Lilia,” Arthur said as he inclined his head. “I trust you are well.”

The young woman nodded fiercely. “Yes, your highness.”

Arthur hesitated a moment before asking what he really wanted to know. “And Aiofe?”

The faery woman's eyes darted up from the ground, meeting his for the briefest of moments. There was a twinkle in her golden eyes and a faint smile pulled at her lips. “She is quite well, your highness. Tired, but well.”

The king cleared his throat and straightened. “Very good. Thank you.” Heat blossomed on his cheeks and spread up his ears. “You may go now.” He nodded once and spun on his heel, walking faster than he needed to away from the girl.

Rogan was in the room when Arthur entered, preparing clothing for the day. He gave the king a very curious look. “Is there a problem, my king?”

Arthur shook his head rapidly. “No, none at all.” He began removing his sweaty clothes as Rogan prepared a bowl of warm water with some scented oils.

“
How is the young miss this morning?”

Arthur's belt slipped from his hands and clattered on the floor. He leaned over and snatched it up from the stone. “Fine. She's fine.” He kept his head down and refused to look Rogan in the eyes. Somehow, the faery knew what had transpired between him and Aiofe the previous evening. Somehow they always knew.

“Very good, m'lord.” Rogan helped Arthur clean off and then dressed him in comfortable clothing that was more fancy than anything he was used to wearing on a day to day basis. “The generals will be coming again today, your majesty. With everything that happened yesterday, the Queens felt it best to meet and discuss possible courses of action, instead of following through with the original plan. With Leanansidhe injured, we may be able to push off the main assault until we are better prepared.”

Arthur shrugged into a soft leather vest. “Maybe. I would prefer to not dally, though. We do not know what she is capable of at this point. A wounded beast is often more dangerous than a healthy one. We cannot underestimate the woman's power, or her wickedness. She is crafty and conniving, and I would not put it past her to pull some evil stunt that we are entirely unprepared for.”

“I completely agree, m'lord. But still, the generals will be here this afternoon, in about three hours. I am sure they will see the wisdom of your words. None of them are fond of sitting around and doing nothing. They will be on board with your plan of attack. I will have your armor at the ready, in case they choose to move out tomorrow.”

Arthur clapped Rogan on the shoulder. “You are a fine servant indeed, Rogan. I would not have another in your place if I had my pick of all the servants in Faery.” He gave the man a grin and eyed himself in the full length mirror on the wall. “And now it's time to eat.”

*~*~*

FOUR

*~*~*

Arthur and the knights were eating a light noon meal of bread, cheese, and wine when Aiofe walked into the dining hall, followed by her grandmother and Zela. Arthur and the knights rose from the table and bowed to the women. The king stepped around the chairs and walked over to Aiofe. He took her hand in his and bowed deeply before her.

“My lady, you look lovely today.” He kissed her fingers and grinned at her as he rose.

The young red-head colored from the neckline of her blouse all the way up to her hairline. She coughed and brushed a non-existent stray strand of hair away from her face. “Thank you,” she whispered. Zela giggled behind her.

“Are you hungry?” Arthur asked as he gestured toward the table. “We are just sitting down to our meal. You are more than welcome to join us.” He turned his smile on the faery and the older woman. “All of you.”

Aiofe mumbled something unintelligible as she took a step back away from Arthur, but Zela came to her rescue. “We would be honored, King Arthur, but unfortunately our duties call us elsewhere. Your wonderful servant, Rogan, has gone above and beyond his duties and he had one of the cottages in the village fixed up. As soon as Aloysius arrives, we're heading out to see it, to make sure it is a suitable place for Alo and Maureen to settle down.”

“I'm sure it will be just fine. We don't need a lot.” Maureen carried on the conversation, but her eyes were darting between Arthur and Aiofe and she held a small smirk on her wrinkled face.

“
If it is not, you tell me at once. I will not have you staying in any home that is unsuitable. You are my guests and you will be treated with the utmost care.” The king half bowed before Maureen and took her hand. He kissed her fingers like he had Aiofe's and smiled up at her.