Page 19

E lowen and Vale crested the hill on the road to the trolls’ castle and then stopped.

“Flowers?” Elowen said, staring wide-eyed at the view before them.

A treeless expanse about two acres wide surrounded the castle right up to the dry moat, and it was filled with carefully tended beds of flowers. Purple irises, yellow sunflowers, pink dahlias, plus lilies and roses in uncountable colors.

“I knew they could be good gardeners,” Vale said, shooing away a couple of chubby bees, “but this is ... remarkable.”

If they took such good care of their flowers, wouldn’t they take good care of a small human boy? She urged Vale forward again. Cedar was so close. Did he still dream of being rescued, or had he already given up hope? It had been weeks since he’d been snatched from the farm but it must have felt like a lifetime to him already.

Beyond the flowers, an overgrown moat circled the castle’s base. A drawbridge sagged across the expanse, with two trolls stationed on either side of the raised portcullis. They were the first trolls Elowen had seen since Cedar’s kidnapping.

Elowen glanced at Vale, and they both slowed their pace without speaking.

“Are those the ones ...?” He left the question hanging.

“No.” She might not have seen many trolls in her life, but the two ahead of them were definitely not the bald ones who had taken Cedar.

Both of the trolls sat slumped against the stones of the castle. The one on the left slept with his mouth open. The one on the right alternated between throwing breadcrumbs to pigeons on the drawbridge and throwing pebbles at them. The birds fluttered and returned repeatedly, their desire for a free meal stronger than their fear of the troll.

Elowen and Vale followed the road through the flowers, the green, growing scent at odds with the crumbling grey castle. A few bees bumbled around, but they ignored the intruders. When Elowen stopped at the edge of the drawbridge, neither troll had noticed them any more than the bees had.

If only they could sneak inside so easily.

These trolls were dressed in ill-fitting knee-length trousers with green surcoats ... and no armor. Rusty swords hung from their belts. The trolls themselves were thick and muscular, their skin a mottled grey-green like most of their kind. Large bare feet, bulbous noses, round eyes, thick ears—everything Elowen expected after seeing the trolls on her family’s farm. Their long, brown hair was a bit of a surprise. Had it been clean, she might have called it luxurious.

“They don’t look very menacing,” Vale whispered. “Just large.”

“What if they eat us?” she said. “What if Cedar isn’t in there?”

“Trolls don’t eat people, despite the rumors.” He let go of her hand and put his arm around her waist. “And if your brother isn’t here, we’ll keep looking until we find him. No matter what.”

She took a deep breath. Father and Alder were counting on her alone to rescue Cedar. When she’d first entered the woods on her search with only a gold coin and her own determination, Elowen had thought she was Cedar’s only hope. But she was no longer alone, and she was unspeakably grateful to have Vale by her side and Ash waiting in the woods.

“Thank you,” she said as she put her arm around Vale’s waist.

“I haven’t done anything, yet.”

“Yes,” she said. “You have.”

Elowen knew sneaking in wasn’t an option, so she stepped onto the bridge, with Vale close by her side, which spooked the pigeons.

The stone-throwing guard finally noticed them. He squinted, as if to make sure what he saw was real, and then bolted to his feet and kicked the other guard in the leg. The sleeping troll grunted and blinked in confusion. After another kick in the leg, he stood with an irritated sigh. They both clumsily drew their swords and held them in a stance that even Elowen could see was inexperienced.

“Who do you want?” Stone-Thrower said.

“What are you?” Sleeper said at the same time.

Vale responded. “We are travelers seeking asylum—Lord Vale and Lady Elowen. We request an audience with the ruler of this castle.”

The trolls seemed taken aback by his courtly manner. They studied the humans from head to toe, their eyes widening more each second as they observed the fine, if travel-stained, clothes, the ornate sword at Vale’s hip, and especially the golden feathers in Elowen’s hair.

Elowen could imagine how the gold must be shining in the sunlight.

The trolls put away their swords just as awkwardly as they had drawn them out.

Stone-Thrower looked over Vale’s shoulder. When he saw they were alone, he turned to the other guard and kicked his ankle. “Wait here.”

Sleeper grunted and sat back down, but his gaze stayed on the gold.

“Follow me,” Stone-Thrower said to Vale.

As they passed over the bridge, Elowen nearly gagged at the stench from the moat ... and from the trolls. After the lovely scent from the flowers, it was especially horrid.

Vale pulled her close as they passed under the portcullis and into the inner bailey. Neither of them could see past the ten-foot troll leading them, so they glanced from side to side.

The space bustled, but in a different way from Vale’s home. It was muddy, any paving stones long broken into dust or pulled up and piled in corners. A dog, four goats, and countless chickens roamed free, while piles of firewood and stacks of hay and barrels stood neatly organized along the walls. The stonework of the castle looked to be scaled to human size, while most of the barrels and wagons were troll-sized. Cracked stairs led to the main entrance of the keep.

It reminded Elowen more of a barnyard than a castle.

Stone-Thrower banged a massive fist against the front doors. “Athaga!”

His summons was answered by a troll maid in a flowery dress and mossy green hair pulled back in a tidy bun. The two exchanged whispers while ogling the humans. Once the necessary information was exchanged, Athaga beckoned Elowen and Vale to follow her into the castle.

She smelled as rancid as the guard.

Elowen moved her arm from around Vale’s waist and placed her hand on his elbow. He followed her lead, if a bit reluctantly. They had to appear as a proper lord and lady in the eyes of the trolls.

Athaga showed them to an antechamber and left them to wait. The room was decorated for human comfort with a couch facing an unlit fire and a dainty table and chairs in front of the window. The carpets smelled of dust, but fresh flowers brightened the mantle.

“We’re in.” Elowen paced in front of the fireplace. “We made it. We’re in the castle.”

Vale sat on the edge of the couch. “I’ll do the talking as much as possible.”

She nodded absently. Where was Cedar in this place?

Athaga returned almost immediately. She spoke grandly, clearly trying to impress them. “The queen will glimpse you now in the throne room.”

Vale turned away from the troll and mouthed “glimpse?” He offered Elowen his arm, and they followed the troll out of the room.

The first human Elowen saw in the hallway was trimming candlesticks. She did a double-take. It wasn’t Cedar, but she had no way of knowing if the young man was a willing servant or not. She saw several other humans, men and women, their clothes rumpled, threadbare, and often ill-fitting. They seemed healthy enough, though, and unharmed. Every single one of them stared as Elowen and Vale were escorted through the castle by the troll maid. Two grey-haired women composed themselves quickly and offered curtsies.

Elowen peeked into all the shadows and open doorways they passed, hoping to catch a glimpse of Cedar. By the time they reached the throne room, she’d had no luck.

The trolls guarding the doors wore clothes more fitted to their forms than the drawbridge guards, but they smelled just as terrible. They admitted the humans without fanfare or introduction.

Elowen gripped Vale’s arm tightly, and he placed his free hand on top of hers.

Compared to King Odolph’s throne room ... well, this room was nowhere near as grand. Or perhaps it was the size of the trolls filling the space that made it seem cramped. Two pillars stood on each side of the room about ten feet in front of high windows with broken panes of glass. Elowen assumed the pillars were made of stone similar to the walls, but they were all hidden underneath a layer of gold. Jewelry, dinnerware, decorative armor, candlesticks, fabric with golden threads—anything golden had been attached to the four pillars in no organized way, like a dragon’s hoard put on display. Fresh flowers filled any bare spots and spilled out of golden pitchers and teacups.

Elowen put a hand to her waist where her single golden coin lay hidden. She could almost hear the fairy laughing at her meager treasure. Ash had probably seen hoards like this. How had she ever hoped to ransom Cedar with one coin?

Two golden chandeliers blazed overhead, setting every golden thing in the room on fire, including the throne.

Someone had taken more time on the royal chair and had covered it in beaten gold. Upon it sat the troll queen, resplendent in gold fabric with ropes of rubies around her neck. Her feet were bare, but rings of all colors sparkled on her hands.

Where had she found rings to fit such gigantic fingers?

Elowen swallowed, longing for just one sip of Ash’s mint tea. She focused her attention on the queen, trying to school her face into some expression the troll would understand as belonging to a noblewoman. She’d never seen such yellow hair, like a sunflower, unexpectedly arranged in elegant curls on top of the queen's head. A simple golden crown with a massive ruby sat among the curls.

The queen, framed in flower garlands draped behind her on the throne, blinked at Elowen and Vale, taking in their appearances as much in return.

“Your Majestic Majesty!”

Elowen jumped and glanced over her shoulder. She hadn’t noticed Athaga follow them in.

“Queen Grumhilda!” The troll poked Elowen’s back to encourage her and Vale closer to the throne. “I may present to you, Prince Vale and Lady Elowen!”