He nodded again.
He did expect us to.
“We’ll be dead before nightfall. Those woods are as haunted as Denamon.”
Magic had been banished from the realm thousands of years ago. Yet whispers of insidious black magic swarming the Blood Woods raced through all nine kingdoms. Even in our peaceful, practical land, we lived in fear of the dark presence just over the border.
The very trees were rumored to be saturated with evil magic, hiding dark secrets and shadowed monsters. The only people that braved those woods were thieves, waiting like spiders in webs for their next victim and pagans practicing outlawed religion.
Father Garius’s stern eyes dared me to show irreverence. I swallowed my retort.
“Fine. The Tellekane Forest it is.” At least I wouldn’t have to worry about my uncle’s reaction to my sudden appearance on his doorstep. The bandits and ghosts would murder me first.
By this time next week, I’d be mounted on a fiery altar as the virgin sacrifice to the pagan god of chipmunks.
He handed me the satchel he’d kept the crown in and I reluctantly slipped the heavy piece of gold finery back to the secret compartment at the bottom of the bag. I stood up, suddenly eager to pack up my belongings for the long journey ahead.
Father Garius stilled me with a gentle hand on my forearm. He slowly stood, revealing his age with the creaking of his joints and shaky breath. He stepped forward and pulled me into a warm hug.
A lump appeared in my throat once more. I couldn’t remember the last time someone had hugged me. The gesture felt unfamiliar and foreign.
My hands belatedly fluttered to rest on his back. He smelled of hay and the oil used for lighting the temple lanterns. I closed my eyes and committed this moment to memory.
I would never forget him.
He stepped back and I slung the satchel over my shoulder. I fled the room without looking back. Behind my closed door I pulled out the crown once more, knowing I wouldn’t be able to do this again until I reached my homeland.
I fingered the etched vines that decorated the base. They twined around each other, weaving around brilliant diamonds that grew in size the closer they were placed to the middle. The center ruby was half the size of my fist and sparkled when it caught the candlelight. I could see my blurry outline in its surface.
I closed my eyes once again and placed the crown upon my head. My head swayed to the left beneath the weight. Hot tears filled my eyes.
When I opened my eyes again, whatever remained of the sun had disappeared beneath a shimmering blanket of stars and milky moonlight. I took the crown from my head, rubbing at the lingering tingle on the back of my neck. I opened the satchel to replace the crown, but something caught my eye, something hidden along the bottom of the bag.
My fingers latched around the delicate silver chain and I pulled the necklace free from the bag. A silver pendant in the shape of a teardrop hung from the end, set with a diamond and a sapphire.
I rubbed my thumb over the gemstones and felt a rush of warmth move through my blood.
Another forgotten memory floated through my mind.
The autumn trees rustled, their rich red leaves floating to the ground with each gust of wind. The air smelled like winter fires and the last remnants of warm weather. The burnished sun hung low in the sky. It would be time to go inside soon. Our mothers were looking for us.
“I have something for you,” he said to me.
He was older than me and he never let me forget it. Not that I would have. I looked up to him with eyes filled with wonder. I could never understand why he wanted to spend time with me. He liked my brothers. They were always trying to coax him into games and mischief. But he stayed with me. Even when I wanted to do silly girl things, as he called them, like collect dried autumn leaves to decorate my festival headpiece.
I stared at him, marveling at how strong he looked, especially for a boy of only eleven. His blue eyes were bright even in the fading light. “What is it?”
“You must wear it,” he answered instead. “It will show the realm that you are to be mine.”
I wrinkled my nose. “I’m not yours.”
He took a step closer, holding out a necklace for me to take. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. When he acted like this, abrupt and demanding, he reminded me that one day he would be king. He might not be king of the realm or hold as much power as my father, but he would have plenty. He would have his own kingdom to rule.
“You will be,” he insisted. “Our fathers signed the papers this morning. That’s why we’re here. That’s why there’s a festival. When you’re of age, we are to be married.”
Something hot burned through me. “I think I will choose who I want to marry. That is not something my father gets to decide for me.”
“Itissomething your father gets to decide for you, Princess. We are betrothed. There is nothing you can do about it.”
