The Queen (11 page)

“You see?” the hooded sorceress provoked.
“You canno—”

The sound of a horn cut through the night
sky, followed by shouts and the stamping of horses’ hooves.
Reinforcements from the castle were coming.

Chaos began to ensue as the trolls barreled
down the dirt road toward the forest; the stampede causing the
ground to shake beneath Luana’s feet.

The dark sorceress hissed. “This is only the
beginning!” With a swing of her cape, she seemed to disappear into
a dark purple mist.

Luana’s heart raced. She turned and saw
dozens of men on horseback filing into the village.

“Make the area safe!” shouted Ferric’s firm
voice.

Luana’s stomach tightened with guilt when
she saw Ferric dismount his horse and walk toward her. She gave him
an apologetic look. “I’m so—”

“She’s over here, Your Grace,” Ferric
called.

The crowd of men parted and Luana saw Baylin
dismounting his horse. His face was covered in dust and sweat; the
fine lines of his face seemed more prominent than usual.

He ran straight toward her. She stretched
out her hands to hug him, but instead he grabbed her by her
shoulders. “You were given strict orders to stay in the
castle!”

His gruff tone shocked her. “I… But my
parents… they…”

His nostrils flared and he clenched his
teeth. He pulled her by the arm toward the shop where her parents
and sister stood in the door.

“Your Grace!” Hal-john said. “We’re ever so
grateful to—”

“If you will please wait outside, I need to
speak to Luana alone,” Baylin growled.

Baylin and Luana stood in silence after her
family left the dimly lit shop.

The Prince felt a mix of emotions running
through him—relief to know Luana was safe, fear she was still in
danger, anger that she had left on her own.

“Baylin, I…” Luana murmured. “I’m sorry. My
family… they…”

“How could you run off like that?” Baylin
boomed. “You were told to stay in the castle.”

“My family was in danger,” Luana explained.
“I couldn’t just—”

“Yes, you could!” Baylin scolded. “Ferric
was going to get your family to safety, but you didn’t allow him
the chance. You thought you knew better.”

“He was going to wait until morning,” Luana
said. “It would have been too late.”

“Too late or not, the whole Kingdom knows
you left the castle against the King’s order,” Baylin snapped. “I
have been working so hard to get the Kingdom to see you as more
than a bed wife. Someone they could respect, trust. Even my father
was coming around. All that is lost now.”

Luana’s eyes filled with unshed tears.
“Baylin, I’m sorry.”

He wanted to pull her into his arms and tell
her he forgave her. To kiss her and declare his love. “I know you
are. The damage has been done and there’s no undoing it.” He opened
the door. “We need to get back to the castle.”

Luana walked out the door, her head hung
low. It broke Baylin’s heart to know he had caused her sadness, but
it was a lesson they both needed.

Baylin placed a hand in the small of Luana’s
back, guiding her through the crowd of soldiers and horses.

Ferric sauntered up. “Baylin, the men say a
horde of trolls was being led by some sort of hooded man.”

“She was a woman,” Luana burst out.

Baylin and Ferric both turned to her. “A
woman?”

Luana blushed. “Yes, she spoke to me.”

“What did she say?” Ferric asked.

Baylin placed a hand on Luana’s shoulder.
“What did she want?”

“She didn’t say,” Luana murmured. “She
seemed to be in league with the trolls, or controlling them
somehow. And she said she knew my mother.”

Ferric cocked an eyebrow, wrinkles spreading
across his forehead. “Your mother?” He pointed toward Fersa, who
was standing with her arms around Lesta. “Did you ask her who she
might be?”

Luana looked up at Baylin, her eyes pleading
with him. Her parentage had been kept a secret throughout the
Kingdom to protect her.
Even Mother only learned of the gift
when Luana saved Father’s life. But how do we keep something like
this a secret?
Baylin wondered.

“I’m sure we will get to the bottom of
this,” Baylin said. “But our first move is to get everyone back to
the safety of the castle. With a troll horde on the loose, it is
too dangerous to leave anyone behind.”

“Let’s prepare to move out!” called
Ferric.

Baylin walked Luana over to her family.
“Hal-john, it is time to bring your family to the castle.”

“But our shop,” Hal-john pleaded.

“Shops can be rebuilt,” Baylin said. “As
your Prince I am telling you, you must come with us.”

Hal-john looked as though he wanted to
argue, but he didn’t say a word.

“I will take Luana on my horse,” Baylin
instructed. “Hal-john, you can ride with Fersa on the mare Luana
rode here on. Lesta can ride with Ferric.”

Lesta blushed as she looked up at Ferric on
his horse. She reached up to his outstretched hand and he pulled
her onto the horse behind him. He gave Baylin the slightest smirk
as he trotted up the road, leading the soldiers back home.

*****

After the group arrived safely back at the
castle, Baylin made sure Luana’s family was placed in a protected
bedchamber, not far from his, so Luana could visit them. He spent
the rest of the night going over defensive plans and discussing the
possibility of a new enemy—the dark sorceress.

It was early the next morning when Baylin
made his way back to his bedchamber. The sun had not risen yet, so
the room was dimly lit by the few candles flickering shadows across
the walls.

He walked through the darkness to the bed.
Luana was not there. The bed appeared to have been unslept in.
Where is she?
He walked to the cradle at the foot of the
bed. His son lay sleeping, quite oblivious to the world around
him.

He heard movement out on the balcony and
went to investigate. Outside, Luana was wrapped in a fur. Though
winter was not upon them, the nights were growing cooler.

“Luana,” Baylin asked. “Why are you not in
bed?”

“I have a lot on my mind.” She turned to
face him. Her eyes were red rimmed and swollen. Salty tears still
lay heavy on her cheeks.

“You’ve been crying?” Baylin asked, crossing
the balcony.

“Baylin, I’m so sorry I let you down,” Luana
whimpered. “I should have trusted you and Ferric. But I was so
scared for them, especially Lesta. And to think, what if I hadn’t
come and…”

“Shh,” Baylin soothed, pulling her into his
arms and stroking her hair. “It’s over now. They’re safe now. Have
you spoken to them since we left Black Hallows?”

“No,” she sighed. “What am I supposed to
say? Up until last night, I’m pretty certain Lesta was unaware of
my real origins. I mean, how could she know? This isn’t something
she would keep from me. Would she?” Luana put her face in her hands
and began to cry again, her body shaking as she took deep breaths
to try and quiet her sobs.

Baylin held her in his arms. “Of course she
didn’t know. And your parents, no matter what, love you. Perhaps
they didn’t tell you because they didn’t want you to feel you
didn’t belong.”

“But you didn’t see their faces,” Luana
argued. “The way everyone looked at me. I might as well have been
traveling with the trolls and the sorceress.”

Baylin gripped her shoulders, straightening
her so she was looking at him. “You listen to me carefully. You are
nothing like that sorceress and you’re not even like King Rydel.
You have a good heart, a beautiful heart. You care so deeply that
you would risk your life for those you love.”

Luana averted her eyes from his gaze. “But
what if—”

“I won’t hear of it, Luana,” he said. “You
risked your life for my men. Men you didn’t even know other than
that they were Grasmere soldiers. You are the very essence of
goodness.” He pulled Luana into his arms, embracing her.

Baylin knew the news of Luana’s powers was
already floating around the castle. The men were bewildered and
frightened by the exchange between Luana and the mysterious
sorceress.
Mind you, had it not been for Luana, those men would
have died. They must realize that.

Baylin pulled away from Luana enough to look
at her. “So will you go visit your family? You haven’t had a proper
visit with them in over a year.”

Luana sighed. “I suppose I could.”

“Shh,” Baylin urged, looking over Luana’s
shoulder toward Rivermouth.

The sun had not yet begun to color a soft
orange hue on the horizon, and the night’s sliver of moon had
already gone down. It was the slightest glint of light that had
caught the Prince’s eye. A speck of yellow against the dark purple
blanket of the early morning sky.
There should be no one in
Rivermouth. I’ve ordered all my men back to the castle, except for
two scouts. Surely they aren’t so daft as to make a fire.

Baylin stepped around Luana, walking closer
to the edge of the balcony. He squinted his eyes to see through the
early morning fog that was beginning to roll over the Kingdom. He
saw the tiny spark of light again. It was moving. The fluttering
dot of light seemed to give birth to another, and then another.
It can’t be torches. A torch light would not show brightly from
here.

“What is it?” Luana whispered.

Baylin strained his eyes to see through the
fog. “I’m not sure.”

The bedchamber door flew open with a loud
clang, causing both Luana and Baylin to start. “Baylin!” called
Ferric from the room. The baby began to cry, having been woken from
his slumber.

Baylin and Luana ran into the room. Luana
went to the baby, scooping him up in her arms to soothe him.

“Ferric, what is it? What has happened?”
Baylin questioned.
It is unlike him to enter my chambers
uninvited.

“Kardell ships have taken Rivermouth; they
carry the Mirstone flag,” Ferric rasped, attempting to catch his
breath. “Only one of our scouts made it out alive, and he is badly
injured.”

“So this is it,” Baylin said, his brow
furrowed deep. “For the first time in five hundred years, war will
stain the Kingdom.”

“Have all the villagers been evacuated and
moved into the catacombs?” Luana asked, rocking the baby gently in
her arms.

“Yes, your family was the last of them,”
Ferric confirmed.

Luana sighed.

“But we did not have time to complete the
harvest,” Baylin said grimly. “There will not be enough food to
make it through the winter.”

“What are your orders?” Ferric asked.

“Gather all my commanders,” Baylin ordered.
“We meet in the war room.”

Ferric nodded and ran from the room.

“Quickly, pack your things!” Baylin turned,
grabbing a large brown leather satchel, and began shoving the
baby’s blankets and clothes inside. “I will take you to stay with
my parents. There is a special chamber for the royal family. You
will be safe with them.”

“Let me go with you,” Luana exclaimed. “My
power is much stronger. I can help you.”

“Out of the question,” Baylin laughed dryly.
“You can’t have imagined I would agree to that.” He hastily
fastened the satchel as the nursemaid and Meg entered the room.

“Your Grace, apologies, we just heard,” Meg
said with a bow.

“Do not worry on that. I have only just been
informed,” Baylin said, handing the leather satchel to the
nursemaid. “Make sure everything is packed for our son and Luana.
Also pack items for yourselves. You will stay with Luana and the
baby for the duration of… of this war. Gather items for
winter.”

“Winter?” Luana and Meg said in unison,
turning to him.

“Yes, winter,” Baylin sighed, pulling a fur
blanket off the bed and rolling it up. “We must prepare for the
worst.”

Baylin’s steward arrived, carrying the
Prince’s battle tunic and chainmail. “Your Grace, your horse is
being prepared now.”

“Good,” Baylin said, taking the items from
the boy and throwing them across the settee by the hearth. “Go grab
two men to escort Luana and the baby to stay with my mother.”

While the maids hurried to gather the
remainder of clothing and blankets, Luana walked across the room to
Baylin. “I’m worried for you. I will continue to worry. You can’t
expect me to hide away in the mountain while you’re out there
risking your life.”

He brushed a stray hair from her face,
running his rough thumb along her cheek. “That’s exactly what I
expect. Your job is to protect our son.”

Luana looked as though she wanted to argue,
but her expression turned from one of defiance to defeat. “What if
you’re hurt? What if…” Her lip trembled.

“I won’t,” he lied. Baylin knew there was no
guarantee that he, or anyone in the Kingdom, would survive the
attack.

“Your Grace.” The steward returned, flanked
by two large guards in full armor.

“Yes, thank you. Please help the ladies
carry their things. Be sure to take the cradle,” Baylin ordered.
“Escort them directly to my mother. Do not stop for anything.”

“What of my family?” Luana asked, grabbing
her hooded fur cape.

“I will have them sent to stay with you and
Mother as well,” Baylin said, snatching up a little wooden horse he
had carved for his son.
What if this is the only memory my son
will ever possess of me? We still have not named him. Am I to die
without giving my son a proper name?
He fought the sorrow and
fear welling up inside him and shoved the toy horse into an
overstuffed bag.

The guards and maids finished gathering up
the items and were headed for the door.

Luana walked to Baylin, holding their son in
her arms.

The Prince leaned over and gave the little
boy a kiss on the forehead. “Goodbye, my son. Take care of your
mother.”