Chartile: Prophecy (31 page)

“
They are hiding in the
forest. We saw the soldiers and did not think it wise to attempt
entry without finding you first. I came alone. We need to move
quickly. I told them to head back to the mountain if I did not
return by nightfall.” The sun was already high in the sky, and
judging by the shadows, was just approaching midday.

“
How did you get in here?”
Valin asked, his brow still furrowed.

Dimitri smiled. “A young boy named Brodrick
Garrison. He is very loyal to you, if a little naïve. He was lucky
I was not a spy for Taraniz.”

Valin seemed to relax at the mention of
Brock and nodded. “Yes, Brock is a good boy.” He righted his chair,
and sat down heavily, pulling a flask from inside a desk drawer. He
threw back a mouthful and asked, “So, how do we get the rest of you
here?”

Chapter Nineteen

Lord Valin of
Cannondole

The sky had begun to turn a many colored
array of grays and pinks. Jack leaned against the tree trunk behind
him, sprawled out on a large limb looking up at the sky. Jayson
gave Leo a gentle kick from below as he had begun to snore, and
Piper dozed beside him.

There had been a joyous ruckus from the town
some time ago that had not yet ceased. But that was not Jack’s
concern. Dimitri had left them in the early hours of the morning.
He told them to leave if he had not returned by nightfall, and
night was fast approaching. Dimitri should have known his friends
would never leave him, and they had discussed several strategies
for stealing into the town if he did not return by dark. As the
darkness slowly fell, Jack’s nerves were more on edge than they had
been in a long time. If there were ever a time they could be
caught, this was it.

A thick clump of bushes some thirty yards
away moved. It was too much to be any kind of rabbit or fox. Jack
snapped his fingers three times, and Jayson looked up at him. Jack
pointed, and began climbing down toward Piper and Leo as Jayson
stood to guard.

Jack shook the two awake, pressing his
finger to his lips. They nodded and scrambled up the tree. Jayson
saw his friends climb to safety and quickly joined them as the
rustling came closer.

They had only just settled into the boughs
of the tree when a figure broke from the brush. He carried no torch
and wore a thin, tattered traveling cloak. He stopped and surveyed
the clearing, studying the ground and underbrush surrounding the
area. His hood fell away from his face, and they breathed a sigh of
relief.

“
Dimitri!” Piper called,
and she nearly fell out of the tree in her haste to climb down. She
leapt into his arms, and Dimitri stumbled back. “We were beginning
to worry,” she said and kissed him. Dimitri was not wearing his
usual clothes. He looked washed, and his hair brushed.

“
I found Valin and Valar
by midday, but returning to you was not as simple,” he explained.
“We were lucky, however. Earlier today, one of the soldiers
received word his wife had given birth. Valin ordered a
celebration. The bakery presented a large cake an hour ago, and
Valin distributed the wine from his personal stores.”

“
I hope it’s not twins,”
Jayson mumbled, but no one laughed.

“
The distraction should be
enough to get you in without being noticed, though we must hurry.
The Sisters are waiting for us.”

“
Sisters?” Jack
asked.

“
There is a secret passage
that runs from the chantry to Valin’s manor. The Sisters are loyal
to him and Valar, and whatever cause they have to usurp Taraniz.
Come.” Dimitri took off into the growing dusk, and Piper followed
close behind.

Jack, Leo and Jayson exchanged worried
looks, then took off after them, praying to whatever deities that
may or may not rule over Chartile that their way would be
uneventful.

They reached the edge of the forest and
crawled on their bellies across the open fields to the rear of the
chantry. Sister Theodora met them and led them to the passage. The
boys were beginning to grow more uneasy when the wall with the
stone lamb swung open before them and there was a real bed before
them.

Valar stood near the sitting room area and
ushered them in, beaming.

“
It is so good to see you
all safe again,” he said and embraced Piper, though she struggled
against his grip.

“
Where is Valin?” Piper
asked warily.

“
He attended the
celebrations so as not to appear untrustworthy,” replied
Valar.

Piper nodded and looked behind her as the
door to the secret passage clicked closed.

“
Come. We have made
sleeping arrangements for you all. You can wash up, and we have
fresh clothes for you as well.” Valar led them out of the sitting
area and down a long hallway. There was a room with one bed and
three soft looking mattresses on the floor that smelled of charcoal
and frankincense. Leo suspected they had come from the Sisters in
the chantry. He felt guilty realizing the poor women had likely
given up their beds for the comfort of the prophesized reincarnated
kings. His stomach lurched slightly.

“
The gentleman will sleep
here. Piper, Valin has insisted on giving you his quarters. Not to
worry,” Valar added seeing the apprehension on both Piper and
Dimitri’s faces. “He will be staying with me in my quarters. Now, I
know this has been a long journey for you all. Please rest for
tonight, and we will discuss plans in the morning.” Valar bustled
off down the hall and disappeared down a flight of
stairs.

The party stood silently facing each other
until Jayson spoke. “Look, I’m not going to say no to something
that isn’t the ground.”

“
And warm water sounds
amazing,” added Jack. The three boys entered the small bedroom and
headed straight for the wash room.

Dimitri turned to Piper and kissed her on
the cheek. “I will look after them,” he said. “Get some rest.”

“
You’re alright with
this?” she asked. They had not spent a single night apart in
weeks.

“
We should be respectful
of our host. I trust Valin. And Valar. Besides,” he pulled her
closer to him, wrapping his arms around her waist. “As much as you
detest it, you will need to get used to being pampered sooner or
later.”

He kissed her again and turned for the door
way. Piper caught his wrist and pulled him back to her, kissing him
hard. They broke apart, and Piper eyed him fiercely, a mischievous
grin spreading across her face. She turned back to Valin’s quarters
and shut the door quietly behind her.

Piper leaned against the study room door and
exhaled. Even the grandeur of the towering bookcases throughout the
room could not ease her mind. She was yet another step closer to
confronting Taraniz, to meeting her sister for the first time. She
had a thousand questions for her. The pained realization that she
would undoubtedly succumb to killing Taraniz or imprisoning her
before she could get any answers made her stomach churn.

She walked across the room to the bed
chamber, her soft leather boots making little noise on the wooden
floors. As an extra precaution, she moved a nightstand in front of
the door and a small cabinet dresser in front of the entrance to
the secret passage in the fire place.

She undressed and scrubbed herself in the
warm water provided for her in the washroom basin. She found a
linen chemise hanging on the back of the door, and hoped it had
been intended for her. The bed was warm and comfortable. It cradled
her back and relaxed her better even than the luxurious Dwarvik
beds. She reached over out of habit to grasp Dimitri’s hand. She
closed her hand on cold air, sighed, and drifted into uneasy
sleep.



There was a loud thump at the bedroom door.
Piper bolted out of bed and grabbed the sword she had laid
unsheathed beside her. She nearly tripped on the bedcovers as she
crept towards the door, cursing the creaky wooden floors and
wishing for the stone of the Dwarvik mountains.

The door handle jiggled violently against
the top of the night stand, nearly jostling the top drawer out of
the stand entirely. There was quiet conversation on the other side
of the door. A woman’s voice spoke softly to a man who replied in
return. Piper took the opportunity to quietly lift the nightstand
out of the way and moved it to the far side of the door.

With a loud crash, the door was shouldered
open, and a man in sweeping robes stumbled into the room. He fell
to the floor, and Piper snatched him up, resting the tip of her
sword in the tender crevice above his kidney. The woman behind him
screamed. Piper turned to face the woman who stood holding a tray
of tea and biscuits.

“
Piper, it’s me!” Valar
said through the strangling of Piper’s arm. She dropped the sword
and released Valar quickly. The woman with the tray stood in the
doorway, trembling so much the pottery clanked. Valar dropped to
his knees and rubbed the back of his neck.

“
Forgive the confusion,
Krista,” Valar said to the woman in the doorway. “Please leave the
tray in the study, thank you.” The woman nodded, curtsied, and
hurriedly set the tray in the other room. She picked up her skirts,
and bustled from the room as quickly as she could.

Valar sighed and rose from the floor. Piper
sheepishly sheathed the sword and laid it on the bed.

“
Did you think we did not
place additional securities with you and the boys here?” Valar
asked, a bit angrily.

“
I am sorry,” said Piper,
fidgeting with her fingernails.

Valar sighed again and placed his hand on
her shoulder. He forced a smile and replied, “A queen is never
sorry.” He showed her to the door of the washroom, where her
traveling clothes had been washed and hung on the back of the door.
He left her, still rubbing the back of his neck.

Piper dressed quickly, the smell of freshly
baked bread taunting her out to the study. When she entered, Valar
stood waiting. A young man perhaps a few years older than Dimitri,
sat regally behind the desk. The sight of him made her stop in her
tracks. She tried hard not to stare at him, or blush too fiercely
as she took the seat across from him and beside Valar.

He was gorgeous. There was no other word for
it. She could see the similarities from Valar. The light brown
hair, the shape of his nose, even the curve of his jaw beneath the
scruff of a beard. His eyes were what held her the most. They were
the most piercing and icy blue she had ever seen, framed by full,
dark lashes.

He rose when he saw her, and bowed, reaching
out a hand.

“
My Lady,” he said in a
voice very unlike his father’s, and kissed her hand.

She blushed scarlet, and silently cursed
herself for tying her hair back. Instead, she smiled nervously, and
inclined her head in respectful acknowledgement.

“
Lord Valin,” she said,
her voice shaking far more than she intended. “Thank you for
opening your home to us. I do wish to apologize for the
misunderstanding this morning.”

“
You have not lived the
life of the Royal that you were meant to be,” he said gently. “It
is understandable. I am only glad Krista did not drop the tray!
Please, eat.” He motioned toward the tray.

Piper’s stomach was attempting some form of
acrobatics. She was no longer hungry, but she knew neither Valin
nor Valar would eat before she did. She reached for a piece of the
steaming bread and took a small bite.

“
Where are the others?”
she asked.

“
They are taking their
meal in their room,” said Valar. “I wished to speak with you
privately.”

Piper’s stomach gave another lurch as she
swallowed the bread. Private conversations with Valar had yet to
yield any good omens, and Piper was far from optimistic.

“
Well, I have learned
there is little point in attempting to be drawn out and diplomatic
with you, Piper,” Valar began. “You are well aware that as Queen
you will be expected to choose a Royal advisor even before your
crowning ceremony.”

Piper nodded.

“
And, as I am sure you are
also aware, since I was Royal Advisor to your father, I am no
longer permitted to retain that title. A new advisor must be chosen
with each new ruling King or Queen.”

“
Are you suggesting
Valin?” Piper asked, and nodded toward the man sitting across from
her. Though she dared not look at him. She was too afraid she’s
blush again.

“
In a manner of speaking,”
said Valin. “As the only child to the Lord of Cannondole, I had no
choice but to become the new Lord of the town when my father became
Advisor. I was too young at the time, and my mother helped a great
deal before she passed. I have only taken on the role in a full
capacity in the last several years. I take pride that I have run
the town with great success, but it is not what I ever truthfully
wanted.”

“
There is also the matter
of marriage,” said Valar bluntly.

Piper sat straighter in her chair, her hands
trembling more and more with each passing moment.

“
I know you and Dimitri
are…” Valar trailed off, searching for the words, “Well, you know
it is just not possible. He is not Elven, and half Human. Chartile
needs order and reassurance, not revolution.”

“
So you wish me to marry
Valin to appease the people?” asked Piper. She looked between Valin
and Valar and could feel the anger begin to rise inside her. “What
about what I want? Aren’t I already giving up all of who I am for
the sake of everyone else? Am I not permitted this one
happiness?”