The Sword and the Sylph (Elemental Series) (3 page)

“I just require one act of loyalty first,” said the lord. “Please join us in the great hall where we can discuss this further.”

“Of course, my lord, ’twould be my pleasure.”

He found himself agreeing
though he still had a tinge of doubt about all this. But he’d be a fool to turn down the offer, as this is what every man wanted. The long line of suitors in front of him proved his point. If he rejected Lord Solomon’s offer now, no one would ever want him again. The bards would tell his tale across the lands and he’d be shunned the rest of his life. He had no choice, being in front of everyone – and so he’d accepted.

So i
nstead of turning and leaving, he dismounted, handing the reins of his horse to the stable boy who stood at his side. Then he anxiously hurried across the courtyard to meet his new bride-to-be.

Portia stood invisible in the shadows, watching the happenings of the day. Some landless knight atop a horse just won the hand of the nobleman’s daughter.

Unbelievable, she thought. This was definitely a weakness of Lord Solomon
’s that she’d have to report back to her stepmother. With offerings of marriage to men who didn’t deserve it, she wondered what other foolish decisions the man would make as well.

She turned abruptly to leave, smashing st
raight into the chest of the landless knight as he hurried across the courtyard recklessly. Though she was invisible to the eye, her presence was still there, and the man let out a whoosh of breath as his body crashed into hers. She fell to the ground, angered by his carelessness.

She looked up, irritated
, only to realize the fool knight was the man she’d seen dumping ashes atop her mountain. Evil ashes, she knew they were, by the feel of their vibrations. He’d brought his trash to desecrate her pure, beautiful mountain peaks and fresh virgin air. That’s why she’d twirled the ashes into a whirlwind, intending to send them right back with the men. That is, until he’d turned around and almost discovered her presence.

Distracted
once again by the same knight, her power of invisibility diminished and she now sat sprawled atop the dirtied cobblestones of the courtyard in full view.

“Oh,
” he cried out. “I am so sorry, I did not see you, my lady.”

“You
should watch where you’re going,” she snapped.

He held out a chivalrous hand to help her to her feet, and in the process her hood from her cloak slipped from her head.

“Portia-Maer! Is that you?” The knight’s eyes lit up as well as his entire face.

She hurriedly pulled her hood back over her head
, trying desperately to remain hidden. “You have mistaken me for someone else,” she told him, looking away so he couldn’t get a better view of her face. Her heart raced in her chest. How did this man know who she was? Did he know she was a spy and sent here to bring the lord and his people to their doom? She’d been distracted, and because of it, she’d now been discovered.

“Nay, I could never mistake your beautiful face, nor y
our bilberry blue eyes or silk-spun hair. I have been searching for you for months now. I am so happy to have finally found you.”

“I don’t know you,” she said, start
led. She looked around nervously hoping no one else had noticed her within the castle walls.

“You don’t remember?” he asked. “You came to me in the forests of Manterra inside the stone circle.
Rae-Nyst called for your help in putting out the forest fire and you brought forth rain.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Then she realized he’d used the name of her good friend she’d not seen since childhood. “How do you know Rae-Nyst?” she asked suspiciously.

“She is married to my liege lord, the Duke of Manterra.”

She didn’t understand any of this, no
r did she remember any incident of helping out in a forest fire. Mayhap this man was saying this just to make her let down her guard.

“I am sorry,
but as I’ve said, I do not know you. Now if just you’ll leave me be.”

“But we have met before.
Don’t tell me you do not remember?”

“Sir Braden, Lord Solomon patiently awaits your presence in the great hall,” called out a knight.

“Aye, of course,” he answered.

When he looked up to respond, Portia used the opportunity to cloak herself in invisibility once again.

“Where are you, Portia-Maer?” asked the knight, looking around eagerly through the crowd.

She was standing right in front of him,
but he couldn’t see her. She was able to get a good look at his handsome face as he slowly moved forward. Stark, bright blue eyes drew her in to his regal features. Strong cheekbones, as well as firm but enticing lips, graced him with an unspoken tint of sexual prowess. Bushy, dark brows were furrowed in disappointment at her disappearance. And one of the most alluring things about him was his long and flowing hair that was pulled back in a queue and trailed down his back almost to his waist.

He took a step forward, then stopped and
looked back over his shoulder, staring right through her. If she didn’t know better, she’d say he could tell she was still standing there.

“Portia, do not leave me,” he whispered. “I long for your presence in my life.”

Then he turned and walked away quickly, and she felt an emptiness gnawing at her from deep inside. Instead of leaving the castle and going back to Mount Calila, she found herself following the man into the great hall.

* * *

Braden felt excitement coursing through his body at the fact he’d just found the girl of the elements that he’d not been able to stop thinking about for months now. He’d have to ask Lord Solomon about her. But right now, he needed to give his full attention to the man who had just accepted him as a possible husband for his daughter.

“Sir Braden, please join us by the hearth
,” said Lord Solomon, stepping forward to greet him. The man clasped arms with him, towering over Braden, his frame large, as well as everything about him. His voice boomed throughout the hall. “I have but one task for you to prove that you are indeed worthy of my daughter’s hand in marriage.”

“Of course, my lord.” Braden followed him to the fire where his daughter, the Lady Christabel sat patiently waiting. The lord’s captain of the guard was at her side. Several servants were attending to
them, filling their goblets with wine. A castle dog lay at the girl’s feet and she bent over slightly to lay a hand on its head.

“Sir Braden, I’d like to introduce you to my lovely
daughter, the Lady Christabel.”

He splayed his arm forward to present her. The girl sat atop a padded chair with
side-arms, a chair only used by the nobles as benches were used by everyone else. She looked up to him and threw her nose in the air and just nodded her head slightly.

“’Tis my pleasure and honor to meet you
, my fair lady.” Sir Braden dropped down to one knee in a bow, and taking her hand in his, brought it to his mouth in a quick kiss of chivalric admiration.

“’Tis not necessary,” she said coolly, pulling her hand away.
“A simple greeting would suffice.”

Braden found it odd that a woman who had supposedly helped in choos
ing him as her potential mate seemed to want naught to do with him now. And that did nothing for his confidence at all. He stood and accepted a goblet of wine from a servant, needing a drink desperately.

“And this is Sir Samuel, my captain of the guard,” said Lord Solomon, introducing the man standing behind the girl’s chair.

Braden clasped arms quickly with the man and nodded slightly. If only his meeting with the lady had been as simple and as easy as greeting the knight. Why were women so complicated, he wondered?

“I raise my goblet in honor of you, Sir Braden,
” said Lord Solomon, “as you would be joining us as a family member soon.”

Sir Samuel raised his cup to the toast
as well, but the Lady Christabel seemed reluctant. Braden did not like her act of hesitance and knew this betrothal was not going to be easy. Then, when her father cleared his throat and looked in her direction, she finally forced a smile and joined them.

“Have a seat,” said the lord, pointing to the bench. Braden settled himself at the trestle table
and surveyed the girl once more. Though as comely as she was, her dour disposition made her seem harsh and undesirable.

“So what is this task of which you speak?” asked Braden
quaffing down the wine, however it did naught to set him at ease. “I would be honored to serve you in any way possible, my lord.”

Lord Solomon leaned forward as
if he meant to speak in secret. His eyes darting around the room quickly, he motioned for Braden to lean forward as well, obviously not wanting anyone to overhear this part of the conversation.

“I think there is s
py in the castle,” he whispered. “I want you to capture this spy so I can have him punished.”

“Like the one I saw in the iron cage at the crossroads, my lord?”

“Aye. That man decided to spy on my daughter while she undressed one night. But the spy I am speaking of has done much worse. There is a traitor within my walls, I tell you.”

“Of course, my lord,” he answered. “But if I may ask – what gives you the impression there is a traitor amongst you?”

“It seems my every move has been known ahead of time by my enemy, Earl Magnus of Calila.”

“Mount Calila?
Really?” Braden asked. “I was under the impression that castle has been silent for years. Word has it that Lord Magnus turned into more or less of a hermit since the death of his wife. No one really knows much about him or his lands. And I am shocked to hear he is your enemy, The stories I’ve heard were that he was a peaceful man who wanted no trouble with anyone, but just to be left alone up there in the foggy peaks.”

“’Twas that way at one time, aye,” he relayed. “But not so much since
his wife died and he remarried. His new wife is a shrew of a woman, the Countess Otillia. She seems to have taken command since her husband has fallen ill.

Lord Solomon leaned backward, holding out his cup to have the servant refill it. Braden did the same, eagerly welcoming more wine. The man dismissed the servant, waiting until the boy left before he continued.

“In just these past few months alone, we have been attacked by them on more than one occasion while on the road. They tried to overtake us as we transported gold to the king and brought valuable spices and fine silks from the coast. And I was careful to take a different path each time and leave in secrecy, sometimes even in the middle of the night. We managed to retrieve what they’d tried to steal, but I assure you, I would put up with these marauding antics no longer.”

“Wel
l, I assure you I would be more than willing to find the spy so you can bring him to justice. As well as I pledge my loyalty to you and also the Lady Christabel, my lord.”

“Good, good,” said Lord Solomon with a nod. Then getting to his feet he paced back and forth. Speaking in a low
voice, he continued. “I am planning on attacking Castle Calila this very day. ’Tis a surprise attack up the north side of the mountain. They would never expect it, as ’tis dangerous and steep, but ’twill give us an advantage.”

“Are you sure that’s wise, my
lord? After all, they are with advantage looking down the mountain, as they would be able to see us coming from leagues away.”

“But they would be looking in the wrong direction,” he said with a slight laugh. “I have another troop approaching from the south as a mere decoy.
I never intended on going to war with Lord Magnus but their actions lately have given me no choice.”

“And where would I be my lord, on the south or the north
of the castle?”

“Neither. I want you to go
to Castle Calila anon. They don’t know you pay fealty to me yet, and would not suspect you have any bad intentions.”

“And what would I be doing, if I may ask?”

“Once inside the castle, I need you to start a distraction just before we attack. We would do it just as the sun starts to settle atop the mountain. Their gate should be open and the drawbridge down as well since ’twill still be day. That is, if they don’t discover we mean to attack them and take precaution by barring their doors. If so, I would be counting on you, Sir Braden to find a way to get us inside.”

“So I am to
be a spy then?” he asked in bewilderment, having seen the man’s dislike of spies hanging at the crossroads just this morning.

“Nay, not a spy. Not really
. Just an ally inside the enemy’s walls.”

“Of course
, my lord. I understand.” He looked over to Lady Christabel and for the first time she was smiling. Somehow, Braden had the distinct feeling she was happy he was being sent on such a dangerous journey. Perhaps she really didn’t want him for her husband after all. After all, this was more or less a suicide mission and his own death would not be missed as much as the other suitors. Once the threat from their enemy disappeared, and his presence gone as well, he was sure the search for a worthy husband would resume. He cursed himself inwardly for not just turning around and riding away in the first place, instead of being lured into a mission of which he was sure to never return.