The Last Witch (Incenaga Trilogy) (20 page)

“Good, good. Trust is important.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

“I believe I know who you are talking about.
Dark hair? Light eyes? Broad shoulders?”

“Yes, that is him
.”

The King
stroked his cheek. “I believe I have found a compromise that will satisfy both our needs.”

“I’m listening.”

“It is my understanding that the gamekeeper you speak of is quite skilled in the art of combat. It is beyond me why he has chosen to be a gamekeeper. Nevertheless, you have deemed him trustworthy and I find you to be an intelligent woman capable of fair judgment. If you will promise me that you will remain near...”

“Erick?” Emmeline offered after a long silence.

The King chuckled, “Ah, yes. Erick. If you will promise me that you will remain near Erick at all times, than I will allow you to continue sneaking out from behind the bookshelf. But only if Erick agrees to meet you on the other side of the door.”

“I have to keep sneaking
out? But I have your permission. Mahlon can’t interfere.”

“No, he can’t
, but I find it much too fun to be in on a secret. This old man no longer gets to enjoy the thrill of adventure. I merely ask that you regale me with your tales of excitement as you explore my beautiful countryside. With Erick, of course.”

“Of course.” Emmeline
grinned. It could not have worked out better.

The King yawned.
“I have had so much excitement already, my dear. I’m afraid I am spent.”

“
Of course. Please excuse me.”

“Yes, enjoy your
self in the library.” He grinned once more than relaxed as he fell into a peaceful sleep. His quiet snore began rattling before Emmeline had a chance to leave the room.

The workers in the library paid Emmeline no attention as they pounded away at their endless tasks. She rushed to the fallen bookshelf and slipped behind it, her breath quickening as she was swallowed in darkness. No longer inhibited by the unknown, she reached the end of the corridor much faster than expected. The hidden door slid open with a loud grind and Emmeline bolted into the open, ducking into the trees. Careful to stay concealed, she skirted the road until she arrived at the stables.

Erick greeted her with a crooked grin and
a twinkle in his eyes. “I was hoping you would come today.”

“It’s the first chance
I’ve had. The weather has been horrendous!”

Erick nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, it’s been difficult to get much done.”

“Well, I’m here now. W
hat adventure do you have planned for me today?”

“
The Pravoli Festival is tonight. Would you like to go? With me?”

Emmeline’s smile fell.
“I can’t go.”

“Are you sure? I think you will enjoy it.”

“I’m sure I would but Mahlon may see me and he has given me strict orders to stay inside the palace.”

“Yes, I see
you are following those orders very well. Good for you.”

“I do my best,” Emmeline said matching his playful smile.
His carefree attitude was contagious.

“What if I were to make you a feathered mask
?” he said. “It would be beautiful, fit for a princess.”

Emmeline cring
ed at the irony. Fit for a princess? He didn’t realize how close he came to the mark. “I’ll look silly,” she said.

“Impossible.
A lot of people wear masks.”

Still unconvinced, Emmeline shrugged.

“Tell you what; I’ll wear a mask as well. It’ll be big and gaudy so that no one will notice your mask. What do you say?”

“Big and gaudy?”
She bit her lip to keep from laughing. Erick wearing a feathered mask would be a priceless sight.

“Yes, we’ll blend right in w
ith the rest of the townspeople. It’ll be fun, I promise. No one will recognize you.”

Emmeline shifted. She had to admit,
the idea had her bubbling with excitement. It would be wonderful to see what Adelia had made such a fuss about. But the bubbles turned to flutters of nervousness as she remembered the task awaiting her after the festival. Would she have enough time to go and still make it to Albin’s Pub before midnight? She looked up into Erick’s hopeful face.

“
Okay, I’ll go,” she said. “But, I need to be back well before midnight.”

Erick grinned.
“Will your carriage turn back into a pumpkin?”

“A pumpkin?”

“Perhaps your horse will turn into a mouse?”

Emmeline giggled with understanding. “Yes, that is it.”

“Great. That shouldn’t be a problem. I can deal with mice.”

Emmeline sighed
. She loved Erick’s ability to wipe away her fears and discomfort. It was a talent he seemed to have.

“Shall we go for a ride then?
” he asked. “I’ll need to get back soon so I can make our obnoxiously large masks.”

“Wait
! That isn’t what you said.”

Erick’s laughter boomed through the air. “I
meant
my
obnoxiously large mask and
your
perfectly reasonable mask. Not that anyone will know it’s you.”

Emmeline giggled. “Quite right. And yes, let’s go for a ride.”

After a quick adventure they made their way to the big shade tree, its branches reaching out like wide arms welcoming them to rest.

Emmeline dismounted
and led her horse to a nearby patch of grass. “Come, Filia,” she urged the horse.

“What did you
call her?” Erick asked.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I know the Princess is supposed to name her. I have been calling her
Filia in my mind and I guess it just came out.”

“There is nothing to apologize about
. Filia is a beautiful name. I promise not to tell the Princess if you don’t.” He winked at her.

“I’ll try,” she laughed, her heart skipping a beat.

The sun was high in the sky, casting deep shadows underneath the shade tree. They leaned their backs on the trunk and watched the clouds drift by. The silence didn’t bother her like it did with Prince Weldon. She was content just to be near Erick whether they talked or not. 

She sat back and shut her eyes, enjoying the sounds and smells swirling around her.
Birds called to one another, gathering their flocks before the migration. The aroma of rolling wheat and wet grass tickled her nose. A breeze swirled around her, relaxing her mind and body as it swept across her skin and through her hair.

The horses whinnied
and she looked up to a sun that had moved far across the sky. She realized her head rested on Erick’s shoulder and her cheeks flushed. She must have fallen asleep. Sitting up, she peeked at Erick.

“I’m sorry.
You could have awakened me,” she said.

“You
seemed tired and I didn’t mind letting you rest.”

Erick
’s eyes filled with a tenderness she couldn’t argue with. But even so, she was embarrassed that she had fallen asleep and disappointed that she had wasted time with him.

“I sup
pose you need to get back now?” she asked.

“Yes, those feathers I have laying around
are begging to be shaped into masks.”

Emmeline nodded.
“I should get back too.”

“
Of course. Sunset will be in a few hours, at which time I’ll be waiting by the door leading to your escape corridor. There will be a lot of people out tonight, so I’d rather you didn’t come to the stables without your mask.”

“
How do you know which door I use?” Emmeline asked.

“I’ll follow you there now so you can show me.”

She recalled her promise to the King and smiled. He would be pleased to learn that it was Erick’s idea to meet her at the hidden door.

They rode their
horses through the trees to the back of the palace. Emmeline showed him the concealed door and waved goodbye as she entered. But the moment she entered the dark corridor she knew the wait until sundown would be too long to bear. She needed something to occupy her time. Waiting a few minutes, she snuck back out and dashed into the trees, taking a roundabout route to the Mahlon’s fire site.

H
er breath quickened as she neared the clearing. She could almost feel the heat of the fire she would build, the power it would give her. She imagined herself uprooting trees, moving boulders, and sending cut wood flying through the air like birds. Only three hours remained before she had to meet Erick and she planned on using every moment to her advantage.

H
er anticipation turned to disappointment once she reached the fire site. The stack of wood was soaked, the kindling scattered. She dug through the wood and picked out a few pieces that might be dry enough, but they did nothing more than smoke. Defeated, Emmeline headed back to the palace.

She
grabbed a book on her way out of the library, hoping it would occupy her mind while she endured the last few hours before sunset. With her nose pointed toward the open book and her mind far from it, she reached her room faster than she thought possible.

A voice cleared and Emmeline jumped back
, startled. Mahlon lounged in a chair near her bed, his arm draped across the back and one leg crossed over the other. It irritated her that he let himself into her room and made himself so comfortable.

“What do
you want, Mahlon,” she said, surprising even herself with the lack of fear in her voice.

Mahlon stood
and bowed at the waist. “No need to be impolite, Emmeline. I came to confirm your whereabouts on this festive night. I wanted to ensure you are safe and sound.”

“I’m here, thank you.
You have made yourself clear.”

“Very well, then I shall leave you now. Good evening,
My Lady.” He bowed again, but his eyes never left hers. He straightened, grasped the hilt of his sword hanging at his side and gave her a hard stare before exiting the room.

Emmeline
dropped into the nearest chair, her brow moist. She knew what Mahlon’s menacing stare implied. If she left, he would make sure she regretted it.

The sun lowered beneath the horizon sending streaking hues of pink, orange, and purple across the sky. Lingering wisps of clouds floated by, soaking up the last of the rays. Emmeline snapped the book shut. It hadn’t distracted her in the least.

She glanced
in the mirror and twisted a few stray pieces of hair back into place. She brushed the plum fabric of her skirt and walked out the door. Only one guard stood at attention. Emmeline didn’t say anything to him as she shut the door behind her and made her way to the library. The guards had become accustomed to her coming and going from various parts of the palace. As far as they knew, she hadn’t tried to escape again.

The
corridors were empty, only a few servants staying behind to maintain the palace. The library was also empty of all workers but one, an older man painting a mural on the ceiling. He didn’t look like the type to enjoy the excitement of a festival.

By the time she passed through the hidden corridor and
the door leading to the outside the sun had set and the colors in the sky had turned to black. Twinkling stars replaced the clouds and a bright moon illuminated the trees.

“Erick?” she
whispered.

“Shh
. Get back.”

S
he crouched behind a bush just as two soldiers strolled around the corner toward them. Emmeline held her breath as they passed, her eyes searching the direction she thought she had heard Erick. The soldiers kept walking and Emmeline relaxed as Erick stepped out from behind another bush.

“That was
close,” she said as she straightened.

Erick
stood still, his eyes wide.

“What?”
Emmeline asked, even as she realized her error. The moon was out, which meant her eyes were silver. She ducked her head. “Erick, I—”

“Your eyes.”

Emmeline bit her lip and looked away. She couldn’t believe she had completely forgotten. She had been so caught up in his invitation that she hadn’t even considered the obvious problems being out at night would cause. She glanced up, afraid he realized who she was, afraid of his reaction.

“
How are they reflecting the moon like that?”

“I don’t know.”

“They are beautiful. My cousin’s eyes changed from blue to gray depending on the weather, but I’ve never seen anyone whose eyes changed with the moon.”

“Yeah.”

“Are you ready to go?”

“
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.”

“
Are you worried Mahlon will recognize you behind your mask?”

Emmeline nodded.
“I’m sorry. I completely forgot how they looked at night. He’ll spot me at once. I should just go back inside.” Although, she wasn’t sure how she was going to get past the servants without them noticing her. How could she have been so stupid?

“
I don’t think it’ll be a problem. We could make a few adjustments to your mask so the eye openings are covered a little.”

“I won’t be able to see anything.”

“We’ll make it work. You don’t want to miss the festival, do you?”

Emmeline shook her head,
but she was still unsure.

“
Great. We’ll have to share a horse. I could only find one that would be unrecognizable. I assumed you wouldn’t want to show up on one of the King’s horses, or the Princess’s new horse for that matter.”

“You figured correctly. Where is
it?”

“
Just through those trees,” he said pointing behind him. Taking her hand, he led her into the forest. The moon’s light became faint as the trees grew closer together.

“It’s
so dark, are you sure you know where you are going?” Emmeline asked.

“Of course
, it’s just a little further.”

He led
her deeper into the trees and then stopped. A horse nickered nearby. As Emmeline’s eyes adjusted to the low light, the dark outline of a structure solidified against the trees. With a few windows and a narrow front door, it wasn’t very large, but appeared sturdy.

“Stay here, I’ll be right back,” Erick said.

He sprinted into the structure and came out carrying a bundle in his arms. Pulling out two feathered masks, he held them out for Emmeline to see. One was made from white feathers and silk ribbon, the other from red feathers that stuck out in every direction. The white one was simple and as elegant as a dove’s open wing. The red one, however, had several pieces of metal woven into the feathers in a haphazard way.

Emmeline held up the red mask and laughed out loud. “This one must be yours,” she said.

Erick feigned shock. “No, it is yours. Mine is the white dainty one, of course.”

Both of them laughed
and Erick placed the white mask over Emmeline’s face, tying the silk ribbon behind her curls. Bending the shafts near the eye openings, he positioned the feathers over her eyes.

“Will that be enough?” she asked. Her vision
remained relatively unaffected.

“I’ll look again once we get out of the trees, but
I think it will work.”

“Okay, let’s give it a try.” Despite the consequences she might
face with Mahlon, she felt strangely at ease knowing Erick would be near her.

Erick put his own mask on and ran back into the structure to return the bag. It occurred to Emmeline that the structure
was where he lived. Suddenly, it didn’t look so sturdy, or so warm. He came back out, shutting the door behind him.

“Erick,” she
said, “is this where you live?”

“It is for now.”

“Are you planning on leaving?”

“I plan on going back home soon.”

“Oh.” Emmeline’s heart sunk. “When are you leaving?”

“Soon.”

Her heart sunk further. “Where are you going?”

“It’s getting late, we’ll have plenty of time to talk about this later, but the
Pravoli Festival won’t wait.”

He mounted the horse and paused before reaching to pull her up.
“Will it bother you to share a horse?” he asked. “I apologize for not thinking to ask earlier.”

“It won’t bother me at all,” she
said.

He grasped
her forearm and pulled her up to sit behind him. With a nudge they took off on a canter through the trees.

Emmeline
attempted to hold on to back of the saddle, but as their pace quickened, she had to wrap her arms around Erick’s torso to keep from falling. He took a deep breath and she started to let go, afraid she had made him uncomfortable, but he clasped her hands in his and held them to his chest. Emmeline smiled and buried her cheek into his back.

They rode toward
the music echoing off the lake – mandolins, drums, fiddles and even some pipes. Several bonfires dotted the shoreline with couples snuggling on large logs, enjoying the warmth and atmosphere. Children skipped about, twirling ribbons in the air and singing their own improvised words with the music.

Erick helped Emmeline from the horse and adjusted her mask. “You’re safe,” he whispered
, taking her hand in his. “I can’t see a thing.”

Emmelin
e breathed a sigh of relief, not only because she wouldn’t be recognized, but because her hand felt so good in his. It was a bold move on his part, for a gamekeeper to touch her in such a way, but she didn’t mind. Until the Crown Prince bothered to return to Dolmerti and claim her for himself, she found no reason to pull away.

Wagons of all shapes and
sizes lined up along the road with enthusiastic merchants beckoning the festival goers to see their various goods on display. There were candies and chocolates, caramel fruit and sweet popcorn. Seasoned beef and dripping pork hung off sticks and sizzled over fires.

Laughter filled the air as actors and magicians
entertained the surrounding crowds. There were jugglers and contortionists, fortune tellers and magicians, puppet shows and small plays. Several makeshift shops had been set up for artists to display their works, most of which depicted the beauty of birds. There were sculptures of single birds resting on branches and paintings of flocks flying through the sky. Hundreds of feathered masks dotted every shop and graced most faces.

They
passed a jewelry display where a necklace caught Emmeline’s eye. Hung from a simple chain was a pendant of silver bent into the outline of a dove with its wings spread in preparation for flight. A small red stone dangled above its head with its own delicate loop of silver attaching it to the pendant.

Emmeline
picked it up and turned it around to examine it. The bird seemed so carefree, so unrestricted. A flat piece of silver dangled from the clasp. Emmeline inspected it closer and saw an inscription etched in an unfamiliar language.

“What does the inscription say?” Emmeline asked the jewelry maker.

He glanced at it. “Pinnisvos Liberabit.”

“
What does it mean?”

“
Your wings will set you free. It means we alone have the ability to soar as high as we want.”

“
It’s beautiful.”

“I can give you an honest price, if the lady would like to take it home.”

Emmeline set the necklace down. She didn’t have any money.

“No, thank you,” she said. S
he would just have to remember the inscription in her heart.

Erick gestured to the tiltyard capping the top of a wide hill. “Would you care to watch a jousting match?”

Emmeline nodded. She had, of course, never witnessed a jousting match. Whoops and hollers emanated from the boisterous crowd. They climbed the hill and squeezed into the restless crowd, sitting in a sliver of empty space on the far end of the tiered benches. Torches blazed around the perimeter, casting shadows and streaks of blazing light across the field. Even from a distance the heat radiated from the flames toward her. She closed her eyes and soaked in its warmth, careful not to let too much in.

From high above, Prince Weldon sat presiding over the tournament. He was surrou
nded by nobility and courtiers who all seemed eager for a moment of his attention. Emmeline touched her feathered mask, grateful he couldn’t recognize her.

Anticipation spread like wildfire as everyone waited for the tournament to begin. The pressing crowd shifted like quick sand until every willing spectator could see. Pinched between Erick and a rather exuberant older boy, Emmeline became overwhelmed. Never in her life had she seen so many people crammed into such a small place, let alone be among them! But her curiosity and excitement overshadowed any discomfort. The energy in the air thrilled her.

A herald dressed in green strutted to the center of the field. His green mask had feathers so long that they etched a line in the dirt as he walked. With loud proclamations and eloquent rhymes, he announced who would compete in the joust, but the roar of the eager crowd drowned out most of his speech.

Emmeline cheered along as two knights entered the field; one in red, the other in black, and both in gleaming suits of silver. Following each knight was a sturdy charger horse, draped in
ornamental fabric featuring its rider’s colors. Squires stood in readiness to render help to their respective knights and horses.

The knights bowed to
Prince Weldon and then mounted their horses. They set their solid oak lances in a half ring attached to the saddle and waited for the signal to charge.

A hush settled over the crowd.

Emmeline whispered to Erick, “How is a winner determined?”

“The rules are simple. A clean hit to the shield, shattering the lance or throwing his opponent from his horse will score points. If either knight strikes the other rider or his horse, he is disqualified. There are three sets to each match.”

The flag fell. The horses rose on their hind legs and barreled along the low wall separating the two opponents. As the horses grew closer the knights tilted their lances, their chins jerking up just before impact. A thunderous crack filled the air as the Black Knight’s lance struck the Red Knight’s shield and wood splintered in every direction.

The crowd released their breaths and cheered for the Black Knight.

Both knights were unhurt and still in their saddles so without hesitation they turned their horses around and charged forward with fresh lances. They clashed in the center of the arena but the Red Knight had kept his lance low and struck the thigh of the Black Knight. The crowd booed and jeered against the dishonorable hit.

“Will he be disqualified?” Emmeline asked.

“He should be,” Erick responded, “but it looks like the judges are in disagreement. They have just indicated that Prince Weldon will have the final say. He’ll allow the Red Knight to continue.”

Just as Erick guessed, the Red Knight was given another opportunity to finish the joust. The challengers rode to the opposite ends of the field and prepared for the charge. Just as before, a flag fell and the horses rushed forward. The knights clashed in the center, wood splintered into the air, and the Black Knight remained the only rider still on his horse.