The Darathi Vorsi Prince (Song of the Swords Book 0) (12 page)

“
Faelara, reach inside and tell me what you feel
,”
Rhoane whispered.

“
Are you mad? The king will behead us both for impropriety
.
”

H
e’
d known Faelara less than two moonturns, not long enough to be sure he could trust her, but the situation did
n’
t allow for caution. He lifted his hands from the quee
n’
s inert body and brought them together at his chest. Kaleig
h’
s image formed in his mind, and he recited the words sh
e’
d spoken to him hundreds of times. The cadence had to be perfect. The words spoken in the right order. There could be no hesitation.

The others in the room slowed to an unrecognizable pace. Faelara looked up at him with wonder in her eyes
.“
Are you doing this
?
”

“
Please, do not ever tell anyone what you witness here today
.
”

“
You have my word
.”
She touched a sunbeam that traveled from the window, her look one of pure awe. With a flick of her finger, she sent it spiraling in the opposite direction
.“
How is this possible
?
”

“
An Eleri gift. Someday I will explain it, but right now, we must save two lives
.”
A glint of indecision crossed her eyes
.“
What is it, Faelara
?
”

“
Can they hear us
?
”

He shook his head
.“
We are nothing but an irritating buzz. If there is something I should know, you must tell me
.
”

“
I
t’
s jus
t…
does
n’
t it seem strange the queen went into labor not more than a few minutes after we arrived? By the looks of her, she is
n’
t due for a few weeks, possibly a moonturn
.
”

“
Do you think Myrddin had anything to do with it
?”
The man was a mystery to Rhoane, a fact he was determined to change.

“
Only if it served his purpose. H
e’
s a scoundrel to be sure, but utterly devoted to Lliandra. I suppose now h
e’
ll want me to stay here and care for the queen
.”
She cocked her head to the side. A silly grin tilted her lips
.“
That sly fox. He managed to get me away from Talaith and excused me from the distasteful business of finding Lliandr
a’
s lover. I owe him a debt of thanks
.
”

Whereas Rhoane had lashed out at the man, Faelara gave him gratitude. Once more, he was humbled by her kindness. It also made him soften toward the mage. Perhaps his manipulations did serve a purpose. Still, he did
n’
t like being deceived.

“
Now, to deliver this child
.”
Faelara snapped her fingers, and a bowl of steaming water appeared. She scrubbed her hands and forearms before drying them on a towel. When sh
e’
d finished, she waved the basin away and settled herself between the quee
n’
s legs.

“
Perhaps I am not the only one with secrets
,”
Rhoane said, impressed with her ease in wielding ShantiMari.

Faelar
a’
s grin turned to determination as she maneuvered her hand into the birthing canal. Rhoane kept his eyes diverted from the quee
n’
s modesty, focusing instead on the protruding belly. His power swirled within the womb, healing what he sensed had been harmed with the quee
n’
s fit. The bab
y’
s heartbeat faltered for a moment, and Rhoane urged Faelara to hurry.

The queen groaned, and the sound echoed off his folding of time.

“
I can feel the bab
y’
s head
,”
Faelara said
.“
H
e’
s turned, which is very good for us. Can you get him to drop down
?
”

Rhoane shifted his power to both the baby and Prateeni
.“
I need you to push, Your Majesty
.”
He was
n’
t at all sure she could hear him, but when he felt her contract and push against his power, relief crashed over him. They had a chance of delivering not just the baby from danger, but the mother as well.

“
Tha
t’
s good, Rhoane. Have her push again, but not yet. I need to shift his shoulders. H
e’
s too broad for her
.”
Faelara jerked and shoved against the queen, grunting her dissatisfaction with each thrust
.“
Okay, now
.
”

Rhoane repeated his request, and Prateeni responded. From the corner of his eye, Rhoane saw the faintest shadow approaching. He turned toward it, but sunlight poured through the window and blotted out the stain.

“
H
e’
s almost through, Rhoane. Undo whatever it was you did. We ca
n’
t deliver the child without them seeing us
.
”

Rhoane released his hold over time and swayed with the rush of power sucked from him. The king stood beside him, holding Prateen
i’
s hand and begging her to fight. At the sight of Faelara and the bab
y’
s head, tears glistened in his eyes.

“
One more push, Prateeni. You can do it
,”
Faelara urged, as if sh
e’
d been asking the queen to assist with the birth the whole time.

With a deafening cry, the queen bore down. A moment later, her son slipped onto the bed. Rhoan
e’
s ShantiMari engulfed the lad, sustaining his weakened heart, forcing air into his lungs. He gave a lusty wail, and the room breathed as if for the first time all day.

Once the child had been cleaned and swaddled, mother and son were moved to another room until her bedchamber could be cleaned. Rhoane, Faelara, and the king stayed with mother and son well into the night, until their eyelids drooped and sleep won out.

Just before he drifted off, Rhoane cast his power over the room to add one final ward against the blackness he sensed at the edge of his consciousness. His ShantiMari blanketed them, and he snuggled beneath it in the knowledge they would be safe. A shock of white filled his vision for a moment, then disappeared.

A woma
n’
s voice lingered in his dreams
.
Be gone, demon.

Chapter 10

SUNLIGHT warmed his skin, and Rhoane awoke on the sofa feeling as though h
e’
d been trampled by a vorlock. He cricked his neck from one side to the other and stretched his back at the same time. The room was empty except for the queen, who rested atop the massive bed. The newborn prince suckled at her breast. Prateeni watched him with the steady patience of a levon tracking its prey.

Rhoane glanced away, embarrassed.

“
Come here, Prince Rhoane
,”
the quee
n’
s hoarse whisper commanded.

He did as told, still trying to avert his eyes from the intimacy of her chil
d’
s feeding.

“
Does this make you uncomfortable? A mother giving nourishment to her young
?
”

“
It is not proper for me to see you in a state of undress, Your Majesty
.
”

“
Are all Eleri as uptight as you
?
”

Rhoane flashed her a warning look.

“
Ah. They are. I apologize. Here, I am covered now. Your delicate Eleri senses will not be offended
.
”

“
I meant no offense. I merely thought you would like some privacy
.
”

“
I know what you thought. Sit. I want to discuss something with you
.
”

Rhoane sat upon the bed, at a discreet enough distance should anyone enter they would not think him being inappropriate, yet close enough the queen would not reprimand him.

“
I want to thank you for saving our lives last night
.”
She placed a hand over her abdomen
.“
I can feel you, in here
.”
At Rhoan
e’
s widened eyes, she explained
.“
Your ShantiMar
i—
it is powerful in healing. I heard you and your lady. Begging me to remain calm, telling me when to breathe, when to push
.
”

“
Faelara and I were worried about you
.
”

“
Not Lady Faelara. The other one. A woman of immeasurable beauty with raven locks that swept past her arse. She looks like you, even
.
”

Rhoan
e’
s heart sputtered in this throat, choking off air.

“
Did I say something to upset you? Why are you looking at me as if I were a shadow walker
?
”

“
Did this woman have a name
?
”

“
None that she shared with me. Why? Who is she? I only recall the three of you arriving yesterday
.
”

Rhoane took a long breath and glanced to the ceiling, willing his eyes to dry
.“
I believe the woman you saw was my mother, Aislinn. She moved beyond the veils the day I left the Narthvier
.”
He returned his gaze to the queen.

Prateeni leaned against the headboard, her face a placard of emotions
.“
I am truly sorry for your loss, Your Highness
.
”

The princ
e’
s little hands clutched at air while he nursed, making mewing sounds much like a kitte
n’
s. Rhoane smoothed his full head of curls, shocked at how soft he was. Rhoane had helped in several births but had never held a child in his arms. Not even his younger siblings. They were always given to nursemaids after birth.

His eyes met Prateen
i’
s
.“
You feed your own child. Do you not have a wet nurse
?
”

“
I nearly died bringing him into this world. Do you think
I’
m going to let someone else raise him? He is my son, and I shall be a part of every accomplishment and trial he has until h
e’
s old enough to reign on his own
.”
A blush of pride swept over her cheeks
.“
My mother did the same for me. I
t’
s only right I am there for my children
.
”

“
Is it tradition for Summerlands women to be this involved
?
”

“
I do
n’
t know about tradition, but i
t’
s what makes sense. Would
n’
t you agree? Why go through the trouble to have them if you are
n’
t going to raise them
?”
She shifted her position, and the baby let out a cry of displeasure
.“
Shh, little one. There is more
.”
She settled him against her other breast and smiled when he curled his tiny fingers over her own
.“
I should like to walk in the garden when he is fed. The sun always lifts my spirits
.
”

“
You need to rest. Your body suffered trauma last night, and it will do no one good for you to collapse from exhaustion
.
”

“
You healed me, remember
?
”

“
I healed your womb. Even that needs time to recover
.
”

“
I am healthy. Check for yourself if you do
n’
t believe me
.”
She took his hand as if to place it over her heart. Rhoane pulled away, but she chided
,“
I
t’
s only a breast, Rhoane. It wo
n’
t bite. Now do
n’
t be ridiculous, feel my pulse. Tell me
I’
m not strong enough
.
”

She placed his hand firmly on her chest. He was certain the pounding he felt was his own heartbeat and not hers. Even with the women Amdi had thrown his way, Rhoane had never touched them. His healing was always done at a distance, nothing upon the body proper.

“
My dear prince, are you going to declare me fit, or are you not
?
”

Rhoane kept his hand steady and focused on the quee
n’
s heart. It fluttered with a consistency he admired. Strong, healthy, powerful. She was indeed fit. He shifted his attention to the rest of her body, examining the bones and muscles
.“
May I
?”
He placed his hands upon her shoulders.

“
Look at you. One touch of my breast, and you ca
n’
t resist
.”

Rhoane immediately snatched his hands away.

“
Oh, for the love of gods, touch me. I get no more thrill from this than you
.”
She closed her eyes, a saucy smile on her lips.

Rhoane hesitated, unsure whether she jested or not. The desire to clinically observe her recovery was too great. He pressed his fingertips to her forehead and sent a thread of his power through her mind, avoiding her thoughts. His hands continued down her cheeks to her throat, where he paused while she swallowed. Satisfied, he slid past her clavicle to her shoulders and over her arms. Touch greatly magnified his ability to sense abnormalities within the body. Her blood pumped steadily through her veins, making a tiny rushing sound in his mind.

When he came to her midsection, he hesitated once more, but she clucked her tongue at him, and he resumed his examination. Her womb suffered still, but his ShantiMari continued to knit together where trauma had occurred. She would fully recover in time, but needed to be careful.

“
You are gentle, like your mother
,”
Prateeni murmured
.“
I can sense her in your power
.”

Rhoane glanced at the queen, who watched him with steady interest.

“
She gave you a wonderful gift, Prince Rhoane. Strength and kindness, yes, but she gave something of much greater value. Her death gave you freedom
.
”

“
How do you figure
?
”

“
I know of the oracles and prophecies surrounding the Eirielle. The one your own Verdaine call
s
Darennsa
i
. You are destined for her, but you are not tied to those prophecies in the way you believe. You still have power over your own future
.”
She leaned forward and touched his shoulder. A shock of her Mari sliced through him, startling him in its intensity
.“
You wear your anger like a badge, daring anyone to get too close. There is no reason for this rage
.
”

He wanted to argue, but she was right. H
e’
d been nursing his ire since he was a lad. Believing h
e’
d been forced into the oath and the loss of choice. H
e’
d welcomed the battles in Ulla. They were his punishment. His eternal suffering for what h
e’
d done to his mother.

A door opened, and the kin
g’
s voice bellowed into the room
,“
What in Juliet
a’
s name is going on in here
?
”

Rhoane stared, dumbstruck, at the monarch. H
e’
d forgotten his hands were still on the quee
n’
s calves. Myrddin followed close behind, that damned mischievousness dancing in his eyes.

“
The prince was having his way with me
,”
Prateeni said matter-of-factly. The king fumed, his face turning eight shades of red in the space of a heartbeat
.“
Darling, please. Rhoane was making sure
I’
m fit to leave this bed, nothing more
.
”

Rhoane removed his hands from the queen
.“
You may walk in the garden, but not for long. You are still healing
.
”

Myrddin approached the bed and reached for the little prince
.“
May I
?”
He cuddled the boy against his bearded chin, cooing like an over-proud grandfather
.“
He is strong as can be. You did a fine job, Your Majesty
.
”

Faelara joined them and waited patiently for her turn to hold the baby. After everyone finished with their kisses and cuddles, the queen retired to her dressing room to change before her stroll in the garden. Faelara led Rhoane to his suite of rooms, where a lavish meal had been laid out for him. He grazed on the delicious food, musing on what the queen had said to him.

His mothe
r’
s death had freed him.

From what? The constraints of Eleri life? Certainly not his obligation to his goddess. He shredded a piece of bread without thought. Prateeni had said sh
e’
d read oracles and prophecies about the Eirielle, and the empress had mentioned her as well. He needed to know everything they did about the girl. It might help with his search for her father.

A cluster of young women, all dressed in the skimpy skirts and tops of the Summerlands, giggled as they passed the doors leading to the inner courtyard of the palace. Someone had left the double glass doors open, which gave the women a glimpse into Rhoan
e’
s rooms. Although unlikely, his Darennsai might someday come from the very child he had helped bring into the world.