Page 8

WISDOM AND CHOICES

F rom a window in the southwest tower that held Solara’s pocket world, Kazik watched King Ryszard’s royal coach carry Helena away from him until it vanished from sight.

Clenching his fists, he slammed them on the sill.

He should have had the courage to tell her goodbye, to stand up like the man he wanted to be and wave until her carriage was out of sight.

Unfortunately, as his father often stated, he was nothing more than a foolish boy.

He’d felt all strong and protective while teaching Helena to shoot an arrow and then shielding her from the scoundrels among the trainees, but as soon as she was out of sight, his insecurities assailed him.

He’d skipped this morning’s drills, so why hadn’t he behaved like a normal person and gone down there to see her off? He just . . . couldn’t.

And now his chest ached.

It could be another full year before he saw her again. It could be never.

He’d hardly so much as glimpsed Helena after that amazing day at the archery range. Sometimes he wondered if he’d dreamed the whole thing. She allowed me to touch her. Even the memory made his blood rush through his veins.

He let out a shaky breath, thankful she hadn’t noticed how his hands trembled when he grasped her slim waist. She would likely have burst out laughing or slapped his face for imagining that a beautiful girl like her could ever love a fat little g?upiec like him.

Even with her golden hair braided and mostly hidden beneath a frilly cap thing, she was his idea of what a sprite or a dryad must look like.

Her eyes melted his soul. Czwarty and Twardo both thought she was skinny and frail, but they’d never seen her hit a target with his bow. Helena Tarnowska was his ideal.

But always in the back of his mind loomed the fact that his father planned to betroth him soon, and he couldn’t help dreading the day. The grand duke would choose a daughter-in-law for his own political advantage, never once considering his son’s preference.

“Stop this moping.”

Kazik glanced at the golden bird perched in a small tree. “Stop judging me. I’m not moping.”

Solara tilted her head. “You are.” She shook herself, making her tail plumes jingle. “If I may quote an apt proverb, ‘There are plenty —”

“Oh, please don’t!”

“—of birds in the trees.’” She fluttered to perch on the window frame, partly blocking his view. “Why set your heart on that one?”

“It’s supposed to be ‘fish in the sea,’ and it’s a useless adage either way. Besides, I know you approve of Helena. Did you ever have a mate?” The question was a deflection, but he was genuinely curious.

She instantly puffed up. “Why do you ask?”

“I just wondered. Are there many birds like you? I mean, with feathers of gold and all. Do you lay solid-gold eggs?” He’d realized years ago that contemplating how such a creature could exist was an intellectual dead end.

Solara seemed to deflate. “I had a mate long ago.”

He hadn’t expected that answer. His heart gave a twinge. “Had? What happened to him?”

“He vanished.”

That would explain the bird’s occasional bad moods. Guilt rushed through him. “I’m so sorry. Someday, when I have the resources, I’ll do my best to help find him for you.”

Solara produced a sorrowful chirp and flew to her usual perch in a flowering tree unlike any he’d ever seen in the real world. “I hardly think a human, no matter how magical, could find him. He vanished long ago, most likely back into the fay reality. Nevertheless, your sincerity is commendable.”

She abruptly tilted her head. “Someone is searching for you.”

Without stopping even to say goodbye, Kazik charged down the tower’s spiral stair and exited at the second level near the library.

After a quick dive into the room, he claimed a chair, controlled his breathing, and opened a book to appear studious only moments before steps echoed along the hall and one of his father’s lackeys stuck his head through the doorway.

“Ah, Your Royal Highness. His Grace, your father, desires your presence in his study.”

Kazik looked up, blinking slowly. “Thank you. I shall be there shortly.”

In no hurry and giving his heart rate time to normalize, he climbed the central staircase with the servant at his heels and proceeded to his father’s study, refusing even to speculate what the man might want from his son and heir.

“Enter,” the grand duke answered his knock.

He found his father gazing through a north-facing window.

When the duke beckoned him closer, Kazik joined him, taking in the view of a sparkling lake, a river, and miles of forested hills.

How far had Helena’s coach traveled by this time?

It might already have reached the border of ?yrardów.

He could picture the castle, her home, in his mind’s eye.

Only the parts he’d seen, of course, but that was enough for his imagination.

“Ah, Kazimierz. I assume your mother has mentioned our plans?” The grand duke spoke in his usual abrupt way, looming over his stumpy son. Kazik noticed his father had shaved his beard.

Shaking his head, he answered, “No, Ojciec , my mother has mentioned no plans.” His father demanded precise and formal answers.

The grand duke grunted, looking amused. “Indeed! Then hear me out before you speak. Your mother and I have arranged your betrothal to Princess Helena of ?yrardów. I assume you must be acquainted with the girl. We have set aside the bridal payment, and you may give her my mother’s betrothal ring.

Now, before you object to this choice”—he raised one hand to forestall a nonexistent protest—“allow me to explain. Her father, King Ryszard, is my advisor, as you know, and his kingdom encompasses most of the ore-rich land in our duchy.”

Gazing northwest toward that land, he continued, “?yrardów also features rich ore and many lakes and potential links to important water routes. Wise though he is in many respects, Ryszard lacks the vision and drive required to develop these resources to their full potential. A conjugal connection with ?yrardów might prove advantageous for both sides of the bargain.”

Kazik heard him speaking, but he’d comprehended scarcely one word after “your betrothal to Princess Helena.”

Eventually he snapped out of his ecstasy, striving to pay attention as his father’s voice droned on.

“Ruling this duchy is an enormous responsibility bestowed upon us from On High, and every ruler must make sacrifices for his land. Few are as blessed in marriage as I was—it so happened that your mother brought beauty and grace along with the requisite wealth, power, and status into our marriage. We may hope the young ?yrardów princess’s appearance will improve with age. ”

While his father returned to his desk, wondrous joy at his dream come true and hot resentment at the slight to his future wife vied for dominance in Kazik’s heart. Careful to omit emotion from his face and voice, he stated, “I shall marry Princess Helena of ?yrardów for the good of all concerned.”

A rare smile transformed his father’s face, and his hand gripped Kazik’s shoulder like a vise. “Here speaks my son—a young man of vision and courage! As your education and experience expand, you shall assist me in our mission to improve and grow our nation.”

While savoring his father’s rarely bestowed approval, Kazik asked a few questions. “How is it that a barony, a principality, and even a kingdom are vassals to Ostrów, a grand duchy?”

“Excellent question.” After one more squeeze, he released Kazik’s shoulder and awkwardly patted his back.

“Wealth in the form of coin does not always accompany an inheritance, and small countries are often dependent upon wealthy neighbors during wars. Our three vassals are still paying off debt, with interest, to Ostrów for our shared war against Greater Szolnok more than one hundred years ago.”

Kazik focused on the part he understood. “So, Ostrów is wealthy and ?yrardów, Starogard, and Lómza are poor because of a historical war?”

His father shrugged lightly. “’Tis the way things are. I wouldn’t describe our vassals as poor. Their lands are productive, and their citizens seem, for the most part, content.”

The situation sounded unfair, but Kazik kept that opinion to himself. “So, when will this betrothal take place?”

“At Christmas, but we must delay the wedding until you are fifteen.”

“Fifteen!” Eleven months sounded forever away.

“I know this stipulation must seem unreasonable to you—it is a long betrothal—but your mother demanded her way. She says you need time to mature before taking on the responsibility of a family, but I suspect she wishes to delay having her successor in the castle.” He chuckled.

“Women can be difficult, you know. But what with military training and education requiring most of your time, the months before your marriage will pass quickly.”

Despite the long wait, Kazik was so over-the-moon happy—within a year, Helena would be his wife!

— that he comprehended not one more word his father spoke until he was finally dismissed.

He longed to tell Solara about his betrothal, but visiting her tower twice in one day might attract notice, so he headed outside to visit Geoffroi in his pocket world.

Kazik heard the stallion’s bugling neigh as soon as he stepped into the odd fragment of reality.

The earth trembled beneath those enormous hooves.

Even watching the horse was a treat to the eyes: his gallop was as smooth as cream, his hide gleamed like a new-minted gulden, and his shimmering mane and tail flowed in his wake.

“Greetings, insignificant human!” he trumpeted, rearing high and mighty.

“Salutations, irrelevant horse!”

Geoffroi’s whinny broke into a raucous laugh, and he dropped to all fours. “Today your wit is sharp, young colt, and your face vies the full moon in both shape and brightness! What news have you?”

Kazik’s chest felt tight, but he managed to speak without his voice cracking. “I’m to be betrothed to Princess Helena.”

Geoffroi tossed his mane and bugled a bright vibrato. “Excellent! You are both quite young, yet I esteem her courageous heart and your steadfast honor. Now, tell me what burr lurks beneath your saddle, pampered pony?”

If he hadn’t recognized the affection behind the teasing, Kazik would likely have stalked away in a temper, handing Geoffroi opportunity to advise him to grow some skin.

No . . . more likely the rude beast would tell him to grow something else.

Kazik was used to the golden horse’s wisecracks, but there was something behind everything the creature said. Solara, too. Recalling the information his mother shared with him right before he’d visited Helena at Castle Valga, he frowned, struggling to form his concerns into words.

What did his father intend to do with his captives? Why did they allow the grand duke to believe he held complete control? Why did they trust Kazik with the truth?

What if the fay beings were deceiving him and his father was right to keep them captive?

As far as he knew, neither of the golden creatures had devoured or dragged anyone into another dimension as fay monsters were reputed to do, yet Kazik could never work up nerve enough to ask them who or what they really were.

“We must wait nearly a year,” he grumbled. “My mother says I must be fifteen before I marry. It sounds like forever, but meanwhile I’ll work hard at my education and military training.” He couldn’t begin to tell the stallion or anyone else how much he yearned for Helena’s admiration and affection.

“What does love look like?” Kazik blurted without thinking. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel.”

Geoffroi bobbed his head a few times, ears twitching. “Human minstrels make love sound foolish, hopeless, or tragic.”

“Why can’t someone write and sing poems or songs about happy marriages?

I want to make Helena as happy as possible when we’re married.

And maybe, once I inherit the duchy, I’ll be able to do something to help my father’s vassals, who are still paying for a war that happened before anyone they know was born.

” Once he got started, the words poured out.

“I especially want to help Helena’s father.

Maybe I could relieve ?yrardów’s debt? And I would free all magical creatures, like you and Solara. ”

Geoffroi shook his fabulous mane and pawed the earth with one huge hoof.

“You make brave declarations, as humans do, but as I once counseled my eldest foal, ‘the proof of the hay is in the eating.’ Once you inherit your father’s duchy with all its treasures and intrigue, then we shall know your true worth. ”

Kazik plopped down on a boulder—somewhat harder than he’d intended—and scrubbed both hands over his face, then up into his wild hair. A moment later, grass-scented breath and horse whiskers tickled his ear. “You do have choices, my friend. Make wise ones.”

When Kazik looked up, he was alone in the magic meadow.