The Carnelian Legacy (7 page)

Arrie nodded. “We’ve actually made discoveries of new technologies by traveling to some of these other worlds. When we return to our home in Crocetta, we’ll take you to visit Celino. He’s a sorcerer from Earth and may be able to help you.”

She brightened. “You mean there’s someone else from Earth who can help me get back to Jacksonville?”

“Perhaps.”

“But then, why haven’t you tried to go back to Earth?”

He didn’t answer.

“This fiancée of yours—Astrid, does she even know what happened to you?”

“I never told her about Carnelia, only that I came from another country,” he said. “I’d already mastered French when I met her, so I don’t think she suspected anything.”

She pressed him. “And...?”

“That’s all there is to tell. I still love her, but I’ve since come to realize that we are just not meant to be together.”

“But you went through a vortex twice, so maybe it could happen a third time, right?”

He smiled sadly. “That’s not likely to happen.” His face clouded over as he reached down for his flask and took a sip of water.

“I’m sorry, Arrie. I don’t know what to say.”

“The worst part is that Astrid has no idea what has become of me. After I disappeared, she must have concluded that I had no desire to marry her. There is, in fact, nothing I would rather do more.”

Although he avoided her gaze, Marisa could still see the moisture in his eyes as he fought to keep his composure.

“Time to stop for a rest,” Darian said.

Arrie climbed off Concrete, quickly tied him off, and hurried off into the trees, still visibly shaken.

Marisa watched him disappear. “Is he going to be okay?”

“He’ll be fine,” Darian answered softly.

CHAPTER 5

DARIAN

MARISA
RUBBED
HER
BEHIND
,
exhausted from being on Siena so long. She was accustomed to riding her almost every day but never for this long. Her thighs ached and so did the bruised hip she’d fallen on the day before. The wound on her temple was beginning to heal, but her head still ached. She followed Darian to a large tree and sat down at its base.

“How far is it to wherever we’re going?” she asked.

“At least another full day’s journey.” Darian pointed to the snow-capped mountains some thirty miles away. “You see those high mountains in the distance?”

“You mean those jagged peaks?”

“Yes. Abbadon is located inside that mountain range. We must find a place to camp tonight because there aren’t any more villages between here and the castle.”

She stared at him in horror. “We’re camping out?”

“Of course.”

Marisa had loved sleeping in their family’s camper at the coast. There was something so cozy about roasting s’mores around a driftwood campfire on the beach. But somehow camping in Carnelia didn’t seem quite so carefree and she was pretty sure it didn’t involve a Winnebago.

“We must be cautious, though, and ensure that we aren’t too”—he searched for the right word—”vulnerable.”

Marisa didn’t like the sound of that. She didn’t know how to shoot a gun and had no weapon to defend herself. Something told her that these two young men could hold their own, but the idea of camping outdoors with hidden dangers lurking behind every tree was a bit unnerving.

She quickly changed the subject. “So what exactly is your connection to Arrie? He seems like a nice guy, but he’s had quite a bit of drama, hasn’t he?”

“Indeed,” Darian replied. “He’s been in my service for as long as I can remember. Actually, we’re distant cousins by marriage. Our whole family was extremely sad when he disappeared to your world. We thought we’d never see him again.”

“It sounds like he didn’t really want to come back here.”

“He was quite happy with Astrid.”

“Does anyone else know about his trip to Earth?”

He shook his head. “Only a few family members know. He rarely ever talks about it, even with me. I think it’s still too painful for him.”

“So why did he tell me? I’m almost a complete stranger.”

“I don’t know.” Darian lowered himself down next to her and leaned against the tree. “Perhaps since you’ve traveled through the vortex to another world you can understand how he feels. Maybe he thinks he can trust you.”

“What about you? Can you trust me?”

He avoided her eyes. “There are still many questions that need answers. No doubt Arrie has told you about me, and why I may seem a little, uh”—he tapped his head in search for the right word—”paranoid?”

She smiled. “Yeah, I think he may have mentioned it.”

“I am a little bit, ah, how do you call it in your language? Ah yes—perfectionist. I just cannot afford to trust people I don’t know.”

“But why?”

He twirled a twig between his fingers. “Many people only get close to me because of what I can do for them. They are insincere and only using me to get what they want. For all I know, you could be one of them.”

“Me?”

“Certainly. You could be one of Savino’s spies, hired to keep an eye on me.”

“Who’s Savino?”

He sighed. “Someone who desperately wants to see me fail.”

“Okay, so you’re a control freak. I know lots of those. I have to admit that sometimes I’m a bit of a control freak.”

“Control freak?”

Marisa gave him a sidelong glance. With his stunning looks, wealth, and power, he was probably used to getting whatever he wanted. Goodness knows this young ambassador had probably never been in short supply of female admirers.

“We all have our faults you know, Darian. But you can’t hide behind your own prejudices as an excuse not to trust people. In my world, people are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Maybe you should just learn to trust a little more.”

He shook his head adamantly. “My situation is different.”

“It can’t be
that
different. So okay—let’s say you inherit some castle and a hefty chunk of land. You do all your duties, you fulfill all your obligations, and in the meantime, you learn how to lighten up and live a little bit. Once you’ve done all that and everybody’s happy, you can call your own shots, right?”

“Unfortunately, no—I cannot.”

“Well then, can’t you just—”

“Milady, believe me, I want to trust you, but things just aren’t that simple. You have no idea who you’re talking to!”

Darian stood up and stalked off into the woods. She watched him disappear before she finally jumped up and hurried after him.

“In the end, it doesn’t matter if you trust me or not,” she said. “But I will tell you this—you need to learn to trust people a bit more, or you’re never gonna be happy. My father always said that if you never take the risk, you’ll never take the triumph.”

He spun around and stabbed angrily at her with his finger. “You don’t understand anything about my life or the people who are trying to control it! If you knew the truth, you’d know why I must be suspicious of every single person I meet.”

He turned on his heel and marched away.

“No, I don’t understand! Why don’t you explain it to me?” she yelled, trying to catch up. “Learn to trust someone besides yourself for a change!”

“Trust someone? Hah!” He stomped through the woods, ducking to miss the low branches as he shook his head and muttered to himself. She hurried to keep up with his long strides.

Suddenly Darian stopped, sucked in a deep breath, and wheeled around to face her. “Do you truly want to know just how tightly I am bound? Then I shall tell you. I’m not even allowed to choose the woman I am going to marry!”

“Why not?”

“I had a, ah—did have, an arranged marriage.”

“What do you mean
had?
Did she break it off?” She snorted. “Now there’s a shocker for ya!”

“No,” he shook his head sadly, “she died.”

Marisa froze.

“Oh, Darian! I’m so sorry,” she said, touching his arm. “Really, I’m so sorry for joking about that just now. I had no idea it was something awful like that.”

“Don’t trouble yourself. It happened a long time ago,” he said, dismissing it with a wave. He resumed his brisk pace through the woods as if he was trying to put some distance between himself and his painful memories.

“But who was she?” she pressed, wishing he would slow down.

He stopped in his tracks and slowly turned toward her.

“Her name was Princess Maraya Fiore. She was the daughter of Queen Elyse Fiore and King Macario. We were betrothed by our parents and would have ruled together after she ascended the throne.”

“You were engaged to a
princess
?” Marisa gawked.

He nodded sadly.

“Wow, that’s so—tragic. How did she die?”

“Her ship hit a terrible storm in the Sea of Pyrgos, and it sank. There wasn’t a single survivor. Her mother, father, brothers—all lost. Several members of the royal family went down with the
Carnelian
as well, including Arrie’s father.”

“That must have been awful!”

“After we received the news that the ship never made it to Terracina and pieces of the wreckage had been recovered, our family was devastated. That one event pushed our country into a state of turmoil that has plagued it ever since.”

“So what happens now? Can’t you just marry someone else?”

Darian shrugged, plucking a leaf. “It’s not that simple. According to Carnelian law, I must marry a Fiore princess in order to ascend the throne. But there are no suitable matches. It would be impossible for me to choose my own bride unless the law is changed.”

“Is there anyone who can change it?”

“The man who is currently the power behind the throne is determined to steal the crown. He would never change the law so that I could marry whomever I want and ascend the throne.” He rubbed the stubble on his chin.

Marisa shook her head. “I still can’t get over the part about the arranged marriage. I could never marry some guy my parents had picked out for me.”

“Why not?”

She looked at him, astonished. “I don’t know—what if he was the ugliest guy on the planet? How can you just marry someone you don’t even know?”

“You might be surprised. Most arranged marriages work out better than when the couple is allowed to choose for themselves. Family members are extremely practical when it comes to selecting mates for their children.”

She shook her head. “Nope, sorry. I could never marry some guy I didn’t know. Don’t people here ever marry for love?”

“Some are fortunate enough.” He shrugged. “My options as far as a spouse go have always been extremely limited, however. You might say it comes with the job. Perhaps it’s my destiny never to marry.”

“So what happens if you just decide to marry a common girl?”

“That is quite out of the question,” he said, quickly dismissing the idea. “If I do not ascend the throne, then Savino will. If he were to succeed, it would mean utter disaster for our people. I must do everything in my power to stop him from taking the crown.”

“You would sacrifice your own happiness just to keep this guy off the throne?”

Darian’s eyes locked on hers. “I have been raised to put duty first. It is who I am. In the end, the privileges of being a member of the royal family always balance out with responsibilities.”

She did a double take. “Wait—what? You’re a member of the royal family?”

“Of course, my duties take top priority, and I am determined to succeed, which is precisely why we are on this diplomatic mission. Once we have been to Abbadon, I am confident things will work out.”

“I hope they do.”

He shifted uncomfortably. “We should be getting back now so we can move out.”

As they walked back up the hill toward the horses, Marisa thought about his comment of being a member of the royal family. It certainly would explain his arrogant attitude toward her.

When they reached the grove of trees, Arrie was patiently waiting on top of his horse for them to return. Darian mounted his horse and looked thoughtfully at her before his face reverted back to its stony expression.

She replayed their conversation in her head. Something about him intrigued her, and her strong fascination with the young ambassador surprised even her. Although she had only known him for a day or two, she had already seen a lifetime’s worth of sadness in those eyes.

All the boys she knew back home in Jacksonville were just that—boys. But this young man just a few years older than she seemed to already carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.