Page 7 of Quest for her Knights (The Lost Souls of Dyconia #5)

Chapter six

Ranger

T hrowing my bag onto the top of the carriage, I make sure to tie it down tightly alongside the rest of the luggage. There was far less than I expected for a princess, but after what the queen and kings told me yesterday, I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised.

I’ve known Princess Elora since she was five years old, when I first joined the guard at only twenty.

Even then, I could see she was cold-hearted.

It sounds like a terrible thing to say about a small child, but it was clear she was cruel and mean, traits she never grew out of.

She was the black sheep of the family. Where her parents and brothers were just and benevolent, she was manipulative and arrogant.

I haven’t been able to wrap my mind around the fact that she’s gone for good, replaced by her look-alike from another realm. The change in Princess Freya, when the same thing happened to her, was obvious, but that didn’t make it any easier to grasp.

I find myself eager to see the new Elora, desperate to get a complete picture of her in my mind. Since I’d be spending the next few months with her, I was praying she was nothing like her predecessor.

The queen and kings didn’t tell me much, other than the fact that she was from another realm and was being sent on this mate tour they had scheduled.

I was strongly informed that I needed to help remind her how to act like a princess if she stepped out of line, and that I needed to make sure my brother and his friends kept their hands to themselves.

It was a strange request, because as far as I knew, Arrow, Blaze, and Draven had never acted out of line or shown any interest in the old Princess Elora.

Was this one really so different?

“Do you need any help?” A soft, feminine voice calls from below. I look down from where I’m perched on the side of the carriage, finishing with the last rope, and see the new Elora.

Instantly, I see the difference. Not only is her hair longer, but there’s a softness and innocence that radiates from her, something I’d never seen the tiniest hint of before.

That’s not all that’s different. I feel the strangest sensation in my chest as I stare down at her.

Like a small tug, urging me to move closer.

It’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever felt, and I don’t like it .

I test the rope to make sure it’s tight, then quickly jump down. I stand tall in front of her, staring down at her small frame. She’s tiny, almost a foot shorter than I am, and her bright hazel eyes watch me with interest.

“Thanks for the offer, Princess, but I’m all done now.”

“I’m Elora,” she says, offering me her hand.

I stare at it for a moment in surprise. Royalty never shakes hands, especially a princess. I realize she’s going to have a lot to learn, not having grown up as royalty.

“Ranger. I’m leading your tour.”

“Oh, you’re coming with us?” she asks, her eyes filling with excitement.

She wants me to go with her? She doesn’t even know me.

I nod slowly as I consider how to handle her.

“You just arrived here, what… two days ago?” I ask, watching as she nods.

“Has anyone given you any etiquette lessons yet?”

“Ah, yes, Gerald gave me a quick rundown yesterday.”

“Did it include greetings?”

“No. Should it have?”

“Hmm. Yes, I think so.”

She frowns, looking at the ground for a moment in thought before peeking up at me from under her long eyelashes. “I wasn’t supposed to shake your hand, was I?”

I can’t help but give her a half-smile. “No. Princesses don’t shake hands, especially not with men. If the person you’re greeting has a status lower than yours, which is everyone but your immediate family, you should offer a small head nod in greeting.”

“Thanks,” she grumbles. “This is all kind of new to me. I’m assuming they told you that, right?”

“Yes, I’ve been informed you’re from the same realm as Princess Freya, and that when we travel, nobody outside the five of us is to know that.”

“Elora! There you are! I’ve been searching for you for the past twenty minutes!” Blaze yells as he jogs down the castle steps toward us.

“That’s Princess Elora to you, Blaze,” I remind him.

He looks at me in surprise, then his expression shifts to guilt. “Yes, of course, Princess Elora.”

“Uhh, if it’s all the same to you, you can drop the ‘princess,’” Elora mutters.

“No, I think it’s best we stay in the habit of using your appropriate title, so there are no slip-ups in front of any nobleman,” I tell them both.

“Ranger, we’re going to be traveling together for a while. You can’t call me Princess Elora forever,” she says with an eye roll.

“We’ll see, Princess.”

Before she can respond, I hear Arrow’s voice as he and Draven exit the castle and join us.

“Good morning, Ranger,” my brother says, greeting me with a big smile .

“Morning, brother.” Tilting my head at Draven, I offer him a good morning as well.

“Wait—you two are brothers? I do see the resemblance…” Elora says, her eyes darting back and forth between us.

“Yep,” Arrow says with a grin as he comes over and swings an arm around my shoulders. I’m only an inch taller than him, so it’s not hard for him to do. “This is my big brother, Ranger.”

Her eyes continue to bounce between us, and before she can ask whatever I can see forming on the tip of her tongue, I decide to get our little party moving. “Now everyone’s here, shall we get going?”

“Oh, is… is nobody coming to say goodbye?”

“Like who?” Arrow asks, moving to double-check the ropes securing our luggage.

“I just thought maybe the queen and kings, or my… brothers and Freya, would see us off.” Her fingers twist in front of her nervously as she glances at the door.

“Sorry, Princess. They all had meetings this morning,” Blaze tells her.

“Oh. Okay. That makes sense,” she says with a nod. I watch as she tries to compose herself, rolling her shoulders back and lifting her chin to look around at us, the carriage, and the horses.

“Let’s have two drive the cart and two ride the other horses. Any volunteers?”

“I’ll go on horseback,” Draven says without pause, moving quickly to one of the saddled horses .

“I don’t mind,” Blaze shrugs, glancing between Arrow and me.

“Me either,” Arrow agrees.

I love my brother, I really do. And I know he wishes to spend more time with me, but the guilt always feels more pressing when I’m around him. It’s not his fault I feel that way, he’s just a reminder of it.

I can see he’s trying to hide his hopeful expression from me, and I know I’d be a real dick not to sit with him right now.

“Blaze, you’re on horseback. Arrow, you’re with me on the carriage. Princess, let’s get you settled inside,” I say, opening the carriage door and offering her my hand to help her step in.

She awkwardly pulls the skirt of her long dress up as she climbs inside. I close the door, and the step automatically tucks up underneath the carriage.

I stick my head in through the window in the door as she plops down on the seat, rather ungracefully. “If you need anything, just yell. Arrow and I will be right up front.”

I pull back as Draven and Blaze approach on their horses. “Blaze, take the lead, we’re heading toward Drysdale first. Draven, you’ve got the rear.” Everyone nods, and Arrow and I take our seats. I grab the reins and set the horses into motion.

We’re only on the road about five minutes before Arrow quietly prods me for conversation.

“So, what do you think of her?”

“The Princess? ”

“Yeah. What do you think?”

“She’s definitely an upgrade from the other one, at least from the short interaction I had with her. She’ll make a fine wife to any deserving lord. I’m sure she’ll be engaged in no time.”

“Yeah, probably,” he says glumly. I glance at his face and notice a small frown there.

“You don’t agree?” I ask with a frown.

“It’s not that…”

“Then what is it?”

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t want to talk about it. Why don’t you tell me what’s new with you? It’s been a while since you’ve given me any updates.”

“You know me, same old, same old.”

“You still training the new recruits?”

“Yeah. Got a real green group this time, too. Some of them have never even held a blade, but they seem really committed. I admire their tenacity. What about you? What have you been up to?”

“Oh, not much. There was all the fun when Princess Freya went missing and we had to search for her. After that, the princes were busy getting ready for their wedding.”

“But what about you, not the princes,” I ask, genuinely wanting to know what’s going on in my brother’s life.

“It’s just like you, I suppose. Nothing really changes. I did make myself a new bow, though.” He pulls the bow from his back to show me. “See? I used a stronger string and managed to find some yew this time.”

“Yew?” I ask in surprise. “That’s a good find.”

“I know! It cost me a pretty penny to trade for it, but when I saw it at the market, I knew it’d make the perfect bow.”

“You did a good job.”

“Thanks,” he says, smiling at me before placing the bow on his back. I can feel the pride radiating off of him, and I’m glad he knows how I feel. I just wish he understood how truly proud of him I really am.

He’s twice the man I am.