Page 37

HEALING AND HAPPINESS

“ Y our Majesty, we have a proposal for you, sir.”

Helena and Kazik, who was back in ?yrardów for a quick visit, invaded King Ryszard’s private office.

“One proposal wasn’t enough?”

“Not that kind of proposal, Ojciec !” Helena rolled her eyes, smiling.

His Majesty chuckled. “Speak it, my son.”

Still nervous, Kazik made the plunge. “As you know, my father and grandfather were untrustworthy heads of state who abused their authority, draining the coffers for their own use, and using magic to coerce both their allies and their enemies. Since their fall, the Magic Council has placed their lands to the north under my authority, and my mother intends to bequeath the grand duchy of Ostrów, Mnisztwo Castle, and the military training facilities to me. I am making strides toward cancelling the old war debts and ending the vassalage entirely. My hope— No, my intent is for our two countries and the two other former vassal states to support, defend, and mutually strengthen each other under a free yet binding alliance.”

King Ryszard frowned in thought, nodding. “If you can organize the meeting and bring in a few World Council Mages as neutral arbiters, I am willing to host the event in late summer. Is there anything else?”

“Oh, yes!” Helena said. “We wish to marry here, just a small wedding in the chapel, and soon. The banns have been read, and I can wear Mama’s wedding gown.

I’ve already tried it on, and my seamstress is adjusting it to fit me.

Please, Papa? Kazik and I want to begin our life together before anything else happens to drag us apart! ” Her blue eyes begged him.

Kazik blushed scarlet.

“Ah, so you’re springing this on both of us at once,” her father observed.

“Well, not entirely. We’ve discussed it.

” Helena clasped her hands as if in supplication.

“Kazik, if you ride Geoffroi, you could visit and invite everyone necessary and be back in two or three days. Just leave Iga here with me. We could be married a month from today. That gives people time to prepare and travel.”

Kazik considered her suggestion and found himself nodding. “I’ll do it, if Geoffroi’s willing. And I bet Solara will deliver invitations if you ask. Since you freed those two, they’re happy to do anything for you.”

“I’m sure my staff will be eager to please their princess,” the king said, “and Euzebia will certainly want to be part of the planning. There are guest rooms enough to spare in this icebox of a castle, and the servants will enjoy sprucing it up for a celebration.”

Everyone was extremely busy during the next few weeks.

Helena and her father traveled through their kingdom, spreading news of the upcoming wedding while also speaking with their people, meeting in towns, and sharing ideas for improving the land and commerce.

Investments in improving natural waterways, mining, and farming techniques were frequent topics of conversation.

Kazik and Geoffroi first visited the principality of Starogard.

Knowing the place nearly as well as he knew his own home, he took a back road and dismounted Geoffroi while out of sight from Plock Castle, preferring not to create a stir by publicly returning on the stolen-and-now-free golden horse.

He knew Czwarty and Twardo well enough to guess where he would find them: at one of their old haunts, a cave in a rocky hillside.

After a joyful reunion featuring so many backslaps that Kazik thought his shoulder might be out of joint, he explained (with many interruptions) all that had been happening during and since the five years of magical isolation.

Most of Starogard’s people had been unaffected by the curse, so few had noticed when it ended.

But when Kazik explained that the archduke and grand duke had been deposed and the Principality of Starogard and the other indebted lands were no longer vassal states, the brothers rejoiced.

Before he left, Kazik shared what he knew of Helena’s conversation with Lady Kornelia in Chelm Castle’s gaolhouse.

By the time he finished, Czwarty had nearly paced a trench in the hillside, muttering to himself in fury.

“My father and Jadwiga told me Kornelia planned to marry you and that my only remaining choice was Princess Helena. But I always knew, deep down, that you and Helena would marry—you’re just right for each other, like Kornelia and me. ”

He turned to his brother. “Saddle a horse for me? I’ve got to tell Mama where I’m going.”

“Before you go,” Kazik said, “I’ve got to tell you both that I’m marrying Princess Helena in three weeks at Castle Valga. You’re all invited.”

The brothers’ jaws dropped in unison. Slowly they looked at each other, then back at Kazik, who added, “And I’ll ride along with you to Chelm Castle. My job is to spread the word that the curse and the vassalage have ended.”

Twardo turned to Czwarty. “Go on and tell Mama. I’m coming too.” He then asked Kazik, “Do you have a horse?”

“Yes, he’s waiting back there.” He waved casually.

Once they reached the stables, Kazik helped saddle two horses while Twardo confided: “I’ve got to get away from the chaos here.

When somebody stole the golden horse and set him free, I thought our parents might start a revolution .

. . against each other! Anyway, maybe I can get Malgosia to look twice at me now that I’ve got a beard.

” He stroked the patchy stubble with pride.

How those two had turned out to be such decent fellows was a mystery to Kazik . . . and he was grateful to have good friends.

They mounted up, and Kazik led the way to his horse, who pawed the ground and made a threatening squeal, saying, “Oh, it’s you two. Still planning to sell me for a fortune?”

“I didn’t know he could talk,” Czwarty blurted, going pale behind his thick beard.

“Whoa, did you steal him?” Twardo asked. “Nobody here could ride that monster. He did whatever he wanted, and everyone just sort of followed his lead.”

“No human can steal me,” Geoffroi remarked in disgust. “I remained at your castle only because I was under a curse until Princess Helena declared me free.”

There was taut silence before the golden horse added, “I do not hold either of you personally responsible for my enslavement.”

“Oh-good!” Twardo blurted, exhaling hard. “For a moment there, I thought we were gonna die.”

Geoffroi turned to look him in the eyes. “Not this time.”

Kazik hid his smile by casually leaping to Geoffroi’s back, which brought more exclamations of wonder from the brothers, and they all made their way back to the highway. Before long, the friends resumed their usual bantering chatter.

“If you marry Kornelia,” Twardo said, “and Malgosia marries me, maybe we could combine our two countries into one and call it, oh, something like Malnelia or Korgosia.”

“Sounds like diseases,” Czwarty pointed out.

Kazik tried not to laugh out loud. These two old friends were solid. And once they were back on the main road and making good time, Kazik broached a new subject, “About the idea of combining countries . . .”

C astle Valga nearly overflowed with friends and family as Princess Helena and Prince Kazimierz made their vows of love and faithfulness before the chaplain in the castle’s formal gardens at sunrise. Prince Czwarty and Kornelia, soon to be married themselves, served as their witnesses.

Bogumil, Papa Hrabik, Ludwik the tutor, and the rest of Kazik’s gang of former vassal-state children celebrated with them—even the scary little brothers from Plock Castle had matured into tolerable big boys—and much music and dancing followed the simple service.

But in early afternoon, Kazik and Helena sneaked out during the festivities to find the golden horse and bird waiting, along with Iga, who refused to be left behind.

“Aren’t you going to tell me where we’re going?” Helena asked as Kazik lifted her to Geoffroi’s blanket-padded back. Riding in a gown felt so restrictive now—she was forever spoiled.

“I promised not to tell,” he admitted. “To be honest, I don’t know exactly. My mother gave Geoffroi directions. Something about an inn she owns?”

Magic had to be involved, Helena knew. Their journey was impossibly quick and delightful.

Still, the sky was emblazoned with stars by the time they entered a village at the border with Trinec and reached a crossroads.

“Wait! Where are we?” Helena asked abruptly as Kazik lifted her from Geoffroi’s back and looked with satisfaction at a pleasant-looking inn.

“I honestly don’t know,” he admitted. “We could be just about anywhere, but this is nice.”

Geoffroi and Solara looked smug. Iga merely nudged Kazik’s arm.

But Helena kept shaking her head. “This place . . . It seems so familiar . . . Oh!” She grasped her head with both hands. “I remember! Papa Hrabik and I stayed here on our journey into Wroc?aw from Bolislaus Castle! But how could we possibly have traveled this far in one afternoon?”

“Uh, magic?” Kazik offered with a whimsical smile.

“Yes!” Helena pointed at a deserted-looking building on the opposite corner. “That inn was brightly lit and filled with guests partying at all hours. I wonder what happened to it.”

“I imagine you’ll soon find out,” Geoffroi assured her. “By the way, Madame Euzebia thinks of everything. You needn’t worry about providing for Iga and me. I’ll keep a close eye on her. Enjoy your honeymoon!”

“And I shall comfortably roost in the stable eaves,” Solara said. “Congratulations again, and goodnight!” She spread her wings and left them behind in a shower of magical music.

“Iga seems to be adjusting to Geoffroi, but I suspect she thinks of him as a father figure,” Kazik said with a chuckle as Geoffroi opened the stable door for Iga like a gentleman.

“Or a grandfather.” Helena chuckled. “Please don’t tell him I said that!”

Delicious smells greeted them as they entered the inn, and the doorposts and stair rails were wreathed in flowers and ribbons.

Spiced cider, a fruit basket, and a plate of sweet biscuits awaited them on a table, and a folded card proved to be a note from Madame Euzebia.

“Dear ones, please rest and enjoy your visit at the Crossroads Inn for as long as you choose to stay. Love and blessings!”

A small fire crackled on the hearth before a settee, soft music drifted from nowhere, and delicious aromas wafted from the dining area.

“I do love your mother. She thinks of everything. An entire inn to ourselves! It’s perfect.”

Kazik smiled. “I love you, Helena. I always have, and I always will.”

She walked directly into her husband’s arms, sighed in utter delight, and stood on tiptoe to kiss him. “You’d better.”