Page 7

Chapter

Seven

F lora’s mind spun, the agonizing wrench to her shoulder warring for attention with the feel of strong, powerful arms closing around her. It seemed to her that the prince held on for just a moment longer than necessary. He steadied her swiftly on her feet, but for the next breath, his arms were still around her, as unyielding as iron bands as they held her pressed loosely to his chest.

She didn’t resist his hold. In fact, in her weakness, she could have stayed there for hours. It was a sensation she’d never known before. No man had ever held her close and safe, not even her father. Especially not her father.

Then he released her, so suddenly she wondered if she’d imagined that the moment was prolonged. He had just one hand on her good shoulder now, as he held her at arm’s length to try to see the wound. Her eyes caught the large splash of red on his tunic, and she winced.

“I’ve stained your shirt.”

“Never mind that,” he said incredulously. “I’m more concerned about the fact that you’re bleeding everywhere! ”

He flagged the medic with an impatient air, moving back to allow the other man access to Flora.

“What happened, Flora?” the prince pressed, as Flora submitted to the man’s examination. “Was there a second arrow?”

She shook her head. “No, the same arrow.”

“The same arrow?” Prince Cassius repeated. “What do you mean? Surely it didn’t nick you on the way past and then hit me as well?”

“Something like that.” Flora tried to communicate with her eyes, but he wasn’t getting it.

She gave up quickly, closing her eyes against the pain as the medic began to clean the wound. If the prince wanted to keep their situation quiet, he’d have to figure it out by himself.

“It certainly looks like an arrow wound,” the medic guard said, poking at it one last time before he started to bind it.

“Is she in danger?” the prince asked.

“I don’t think so, Your Highness,” the guard said. “It’s actually a very similar wound to yours, although considerably worse.”

“Twice as bad, perhaps?” Flora muttered wryly.

She snuck a look at the prince as she spoke and saw his eyes widen with realization. The expression that followed was harder to read. Whatever he was feeling, though, it wasn’t a pleasant emotion. She saw his eyes travel over her shoulder, and turned to see the focus of that stony gaze. It was Lord Armand, in discussion with a pair of guards further down the road.

“I think that should stop the bleeding.” The medic guard drew Flora’s attention back to his task as he finished binding her wound. “She should be able to travel.”

“Of course I can travel,” Flora said quickly, carefully flexing the newly treated shoulder. “We should get over the border as promptly as we can.”

Prince Cassius looked unconvinced, but his guards were quick to push the group forward again. They would all be easier once they were back in their own kingdom, no doubt. Even Flora would be happy to leave Torrens.

She once again rode behind the prince, clenching her jaw against the jostling of the horse’s gait on her shoulder. She was glad to be mounted, though, as it allowed her to eavesdrop when the head guard pulled his horse alongside the prince’s to make another report.

“We’ve been unable to find any trace of the third man’s flight, Your Highness. The bodies of the other two men have been thoroughly checked, and they carried nothing that would identify them. They had Torrenese coins, however.”

Flora could hear the prince’s frown in his voice. “That doesn’t tell us anything beyond the fact that they were currently traversing Torrens, which of course we already knew.”

“It was a significant sum, Your Highness,” the guard said. “Consistent with mercenaries.”

“You think someone hired mercenaries to kill me on my journey home?” Prince Cassius asked incredulously. “And they sent only three?”

“I don’t know what I think, Your Highness,” the guard said. “Other than that it was a very poorly planned attack, however you look at it.”

He glanced backward, not looking pleased to see that Flora was listening in.

“I’ve been notified that the arrow grazed the new guard before hitting you, Your Highness. Perhaps you were not the target. Given the last attack was directed at Princess Miriam, and you were intending to be traveling this route with Her Highness, it’s possible they thought they were taking aim at her.”

Prince Cassius shook his head. “I hardly think someone would confuse Flora for a royal princess, man.”

Flora made a wry grimace. It was a good thing she was thick-skinned.

“If someone had never seen Princess Miriam before, Your Highness—” the guard started.

“I’m not talking about her face,” said Prince Cassius impatiently. “I’m talking about her attire. She’s dressed like a guard. Did you see the impractical—dare I say startling—gown the princess was wearing when we met her delegation? She’d be in a carriage, not riding beside me dressed in breeches.”

Flora’s heart lifted a little. Fool that she was, it felt good to know he’d been speaking of her clothes rather than her when he’d been so dismissive of her being mistaken for anyone important. She dimly recognized the danger of her reaction. But it was hard to keep her thoughts in line when the memory of the prince’s arms around her kept trying to intrude.

“Perhaps you’re right, Your Highness,” the guard said. “We may learn more when we reach Crandell. Several of my men have stayed behind. Two will make their way by other means to Toledda to report the attack to the Torrenese king, and the others will use their horses to transport the bodies of the attackers to our own capital for further investigation.”

“Very good,” said Prince Cassius, his voice carrying that haughty edge that made him sound bored.

The guard recognized the dismissal, peeling off at once. Prince Cassius turned slightly and locked eyes with Flora. He seemed surprised how close she rode, and he hesitated for a moment, as if intending to speak to her. But with the next breath he’d turned forward again, urging his horse onward.

The group pushed on at a rapid pace until they crossed the border. Thanks to their scouts, the guards at the border were ready to receive them, and Flora felt the tension of the whole convoy ease once they’d cleared the checkpoint. Well, perhaps with the exception of Lord Armand. She saw the prince exchanging what looked like terse words with him at the border post, and she had a feeling her injury was the topic of their conversation. She didn’t approach close enough to hear for sure, but Lord Armand looked very subdued as they continued east toward the capital, Crandell, their numbers swelled by some extra men from the border post.

Whatever Lord Armand felt, the prince’s mood certainly seemed to have improved with their arrival in Carrack. Not long after they got back on the road, he pulled up a little so as to ride alongside Flora.

“How’s your shoulder?” he asked.

“It’s manageable,” she told him.

He gave her a skeptical look, and she smiled.

“I’d say it hurts about twice as much as yours does.”

The groan the prince let out was so low she almost missed it. He didn’t speak for a moment, then he abruptly changed the subject.

“Have you been to Carrack before? Since you’ve apparently had adventures in Dernan, I wondered if I need fear any guards recognizing you as a troublemaker in Crandell.”

Flora gave a faint chuckle, the best she could muster through the pain of her jolted shoulder .

“No need to fear, Your Highness. This is my first time in your kingdom.”

He nodded. “I imagine things will be tense given recent events, but I hope to find time to show you some of the beauties for which Carrack is famous.”

She raised her eyebrows at him. “Like the pantherines? I’d love to see those.”

He laughed at her mention of the winged snow leopards whose wings supposedly emitted movement that was already formed into specific enchantments. Not that the pantherines themselves could harness them.

“I’m afraid not,” he said. “They’re only to be found in the mountain range on the northern coast, a long way from Crandell. But it’s probably for the best. You wouldn’t be likely to see them so much as to never know what hit you when you become their lunch. They swoop from above, you know.”

“Shame,” said Flora prosaically. “Well, perhaps I could settle for a visit to a cobaltite mine.”

“A cobaltite mine?” Cassius repeated, taken aback.

“I thought Carrack had the largest cobaltite mines in the region.”

“We do,” he confirmed. “Almost all of the thus-far discovered cobaltite on the Peninsula is found within our borders. I’m just surprised you’ve heard of the ore. It’s not something that usually draws visitors. To be honest, it’s not useful for very much.”

Flora shrugged. “I studied more than just magic at school. I learned the main exports and imports of each kingdom in the region. And I always thought cobaltite was interesting, with how it retains its strength under such high temperatures.”

“Yes, it’s an unusual type of ore,” Cassius said, his tone polite rather than genuinely interested. “At any rate, I hope our unfortunate circumstances don’t prevent you from enjoying your time in Carrack. We’re very proud of our kingdom, and although I’m not impartial, I think we have reason.”

“Of course we do.”

The interjection made Flora jump, and she thought the prince started as well. Neither of them had realized how close Lord Armand had pulled up.

“Carrack is the greatest kingdom on the Peninsula. The fact is indisputable.”

Flora raised an eyebrow. Indisputable?

“Some might dispute it,” said Prince Cassius, as if in acknowledgment of her thoughts. “I’m sure you have appropriate pride in Siqual. But I confess, I agree with Lord Armand.”

Flora studied him thoughtfully, seeing that he was to be taken at face value. She was by no means blinded by loyalty to Siqual, and she tried to consider the matter dispassionately as they continued their ride eastward.

Carrack did have reason for satisfaction. It sat at the northern gate of the Peninsula, connecting their otherwise isolated region to the continent. Carrack was not as vulnerable to the prejudice that made the rest of the continent look down on the Peninsula, but it still boasted the primary benefit of the region—namely its own stretch of accessible coastline in the kingdom’s south. The terrain further north meant that most of the kingdoms of the continent were blocked from any navigable coastline by impassable mountain ranges and rocky seas.

However, she wasn’t inclined to think that Carrack’s position was enough of an advantage to justify the level of pride the prince and nobleman were expressing. The benefit of being connected to the continent had to be balanced against the limited coastline. Torrens and Siqual both had exponentially more navigable coastline. Dernan…well, Dernan’s small stretch of coast was hampered by high cliffs, it was true. But as the little duchy-turned-kingdom placed no value on the high opinion of the other kingdoms, it was in a class of its own.

Not to mention those cliffs were riddled with deposits of chameleon steel, which was more valuable than accessible shoreline. Or at least, it would be, if the situation were different.

“I don’t know if anything is indisputable,” she said at last. “But as I said, this is my first time in Carrack. I’ll have to reserve judgment.”

Lord Armand looked unimpressed by her lack of enthusiasm, but it didn’t seem to bother Prince Cassius. In fact, there was a light in his eyes that almost looked like excitement.

“I’ll take it as my personal challenge to convince you, then.”

Flora bit her lip, not trusting herself to reply. Why did her treacherous heart lurch when he looked at her like that? How much of a fool could she be? This was the prince betrothed to Mim.

Not betrothed yet , pointed out a most unhelpful voice in her mind. Due to dramatic events, the formalization of the betrothal has been delayed.

She ignored this irrelevant observation. Prince Cassius was Miriam’s intended, and Flora had better hope the betrothal was formalized soon. Because with it, the alliance would be sealed, and that was the only way the tether would lift. Well, that or the death of one of its subjects, she supposed, but that was hardly a desirable way out of the mess.

At least if she died, Prince Cassius would probably be free and unencumbered, she thought glumly. If he died…well, she wasn’t sure how the magic of the tether would achieve its goal. She could hardly die twice as much as he did. Maybe twice as painfully?

“Is your shoulder hurting you?”

“What was that, Your Highness?” Flora looked up, embarrassed to realize she’d been so lost in her thoughts, she hadn’t even noticed the prince watching her.

“Your shoulder. You were shifting it like it was hurting particularly.”

“It’s fine,” she said quickly.

The evasive—and not entirely honest—answer was standard guard conduct. She wasn’t sure why it felt uncomfortable to be false with the prince, but it did.

“I’ll be glad to get off this horse,” she blurted out. “As I’m sure you will also. The ride does jolt the wound, doesn’t it?”

“It does,” he acknowledged, his brows lowered unhappily. “I wish you weren’t forced to suffer for no fault of your own.”

She smiled at that. “Whereas you were shot by an enemy archer through your own fault?”

He shrugged his unharmed shoulder. “It’s not a matter of fault, I suppose, but it’s a danger that comes with royal position.”

“Oh, I know,” she assured him. “I’m a royal bodyguard, remember?”

She caught a frown from Lord Armand, and subsided. His unspoken rebuke was accurate—she was being too informal with the prince. She was happy to let the conversation drop, anyway. There was plenty else to focus on as the group moved east into Carrack. The capital, Crandell, was several hours’ ride from the border, and Flora felt her curiosity grow as they rode through rich and prosperous farmland. She knew from her geography lessons that the northern part of Carrack was colder and not as arable, but the area surrounding the capital was temperate. Greener than Siqual, and with much gentler terrain than Dernan.

The road they were traveling on was wide and well-kept, and they moved over it quickly thanks to the prince’s guards clearing the way before their delegation. Some time after crossing the border, Flora noted a row of low hills ahead, and before long, the road beneath her horse’s hooves was climbing steadily. When they reached the top of the hill, she drew in a breath.

The city of Crandell sat in the valley below them, and their vantage point provided an excellent view of the capital. Having lived in the Siqualian capital of Sindon and the Torrenese capital of Toledda during her time at school, she’d thought she knew what to expect. But neither of those cities compared to Crandell. In size alone, the Carrackian capital dwarfed them. But it was more than just the size of it.

“What do you think?” Prince Cassius’s voice, a trifle smug, broke into her contemplation. She hadn’t even realized that she’d pulled up her mount, and he’d done so beside her.

“I think it’s enormous. And more beautiful than any city of stone and bustle has any right to be,” she said frankly.

“It is beautiful,” the prince agreed, his eyes straying to the city. “And it’s the largest city on the Peninsula.”

“By a lot,” she agreed. Her eyes roved over it. “What are those patches of green? They must be large if we can see them from here.”

“Those are the public parks,” said the prince. “They’re one of Crandell’s best features, in my opinion.”

“Public parks right in the heart of the city?” Flora was impressed. “Are they open for anyone to use?”

“Of course. I’ll take you to one. They’re beautiful, peaceful places.”

Warmth seeped over Flora at the promise, and she tried to hide it with humor.

“Well, you certainly won’t be going to any without me, will you?” She mimed yanking on a rope.

The prince laughed, the sound only slightly pained. “That would be true even without the tether. To tell the truth, I rarely have time for activities like visiting parks. But to give you the full experience of Crandell, I will make time.”

“Something to look forward to,” Flora said, smiling hesitantly. He was being far nicer to her than their situation warranted.

Her words made him sigh, and his gaze shifted to the gray and red castle that rose from the buildings near the city’s center.

“There may not be a great deal to look forward to,” he said abruptly. “I should warn you that things will become very tense as soon as we enter the city. An attempt was made on my life, and although my injury is negligible, it’s still a matter that will be taken very gravely.”

“As it should be,” Flora agreed.

The prince gave a thoughtful shake of the head. “I still don’t understand it. I can hardly imagine a less thought-through attack. Three men in the trees, no back up, hoping to manage a fatal strike through my squadron of guards? The fact that they actually managed to hit me is as surprising as it is alarming.”

“It wasn’t the most sophisticated attack, that’s certain,” Flora agreed, biting her lip. “The haphazard nature of it worries me. I’m no investigator, but even I can see the striking similarity between that attack and the one that targeted the princess.”

“Yes.”

Prince Cassius frowned, his eyes flicking to where she was still worrying her lip. She released it quickly, reminding herself she was supposed to be a capable bodyguard, and shouldn’t be unnerved by threats to her charge’s safety.

“Your Highness.” The head guard had ridden back down the line to check on his charge. “Is all well? Is your injury worsening?”

“No, I’m fine,” Prince Cassius said. “We merely stopped to admire the view of the city.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” The head guard’s tone was as respectful as ever, but it didn’t hide his impatience with such frivolities. “I suggest we keep moving, however.”

“I am ready to do so,” the prince said.

The group began to move again, and Flora fell behind Prince Cassius as they made their way down the far side of the hill. Soon, they could see the city only from the level of the plain on which it sat. Its enormous stone walls were still impressive, but not as striking as the panorama had been.

Flora didn’t see how it happened, but somehow she found herself a few riders back from the prince, beside Lord Armand.

“A word of warning, child.”

She stiffened at the greeting .

“King Aelius will not take kindly to any liberties taken with his son,” the nobleman told her. “You would do well to keep some distance.”

Distance? She stared blankly at him, unable to find words.

“I am aware that you are in an uncomfortable position.”

How magnanimous of him.

“But twenty feet is not inconsiderable. It allows active monitoring of the prince, but it does not justify such presumptions as sharing a chamber at an inn. It is beneath the prince’s dignity to be exposed to the gossip of the guards.”

Flora drew a long and shaky breath, fighting with every ounce of her willpower to hold back the hot retorts that were desperate to break free. She was a member of the guard, she reminded herself. She was not supposed to argue back, even if the nobleman’s words were outrageously unjust.

“I am also shocked that you need to be reminded to address Prince Cassius as Your Highness at all times,” Lord Armand went on.

Flora’s brows drew together. He had her there. She’d never intended to dispense with the use of the prince’s title. Had she really done so? It had become alarmingly easy to converse naturally with him.

“Yes, sir,” said Flora woodenly, eager to bring the conversation to a close.

With a nod, Lord Armand urged his horse forward, leaving Flora to her reflections. The nobleman might be insufferable, but he was right. She was in an awkward situation—made doubly awkward by the prince’s desire to conceal their tether—and she couldn’t afford to put a foot wrong. Any inconvenience to the prince that arose from their connection would be blamed on her, however little she could control it. The nobleman’s reaction to her and the prince sharing a room—a situation entirely of his own making—was an excellent example.

For the short remainder of the ride, Flora kept her mount further back in the group. They were expected at the city gates, and the group entered with much fanfare. As they were escorted through the city, Flora soaked in the new sights and sounds. Stone dwellings surrounded them, neatly kept and cheerful, with colorful flowers in every window box. The cobblestones were even and swept, and some of the thatched roofs had been painted bright colors. They passed through a number of lovely squares, with fountains tinkling merrily in their centers, and she caught a glimpse of green as they passed one of the public parks.

As for the castle, it eclipsed its counterparts in other kingdoms just like the city in which it sat. It was made of the same gray stone as most of Crandell’s buildings, but it didn’t blend in. It rose majestically above the city, its turrets piercing the sky. What really impressed her, though, was the bursts of color. Trees rose up around the base of the castle, and flower boxes could be seen in many of the windows. Those splashes of green, white, and purple offset the intensity of the pennants, all of which were crimson. And they were everywhere. Pennants adorned the turrets and hung down from the battlements. Flags flapped from poles along the tops of the walls, and alongside many of the windows. They were all the same crimson, some with a white flower embroidered in the middle.

So this was Prince Cassius’s home. It was quite something to behold.

She was starting to understand why Prince Cassius had such pride in his kingdom. From what she’d seen thus far, the capital at least was superior to those of the other kingdoms on the Peninsula.

Of course, the outside of a castle wasn’t the most important part. Her true impression of Carrack’s rulers would come from what she witnessed inside its walls. Life in a royal castle was not for the faint of heart. There was nowhere as vicious as a court inclined to be unfriendly.

She swallowed nervously. She knew nothing of King Aelius’s court. And she was about to be thrust into its heart whether she wished it or not.