Legacy (16 page)

“What is going on over here?” A man's voice hailed us, and Koranis, followed by Zayle, emerged from among the trees, the two having come down the path. Koranis's eyes widened as he passed Tadark and took in the entire scene.

“My goodness, Princess Alera,” he exclaimed. “What has happened to your gown?”

He looked at the others gathered around me, then a frown creased his brow as he noted the condition of his older son's clothing.

“I fell in,” I said, motioning toward the river with my hand. “Nar—Kyenn rescued me.” I glanced at Narian to see his reac
tion to the name I used for him, but his face was inscrutable. “I am quite grateful to him.”

“You should return to the house without delay,” Koranis decreed, rather needlessly, given my sodden appearance. “We are certain to have something into which you can change.” He gazed at Narian, then finished in his overbearing manner, “Kyenn and I will accompany you. He could benefit from a change of clothing as well.”

“Thank you for your ministrations, but please don't let this ruin the afternoon for everyone else,” I politely but firmly stated. “I am unharmed, and there is no need for you to escort me to the house, as the Baroness will be there to assist me. I would much prefer that you take some respite from your day rather than trouble yourself.”

“Oh, please, Papa!” Semari implored. “Won't you stay for a little while? You and Zayle have only just come.”

Koranis paused, and I recalled what Semari had said about her father having been told to keep an eye on Narian. Most likely concerned that letting his son walk through the woods with the Crown Princess of Hytanica would be unwise, Koranis turned to Halias, seeking his opinion. At the Elite Guard's permissive nod, he smiled indulgently at his daughter.

“I suppose I could stay for a short while,” the Baron pronounced. “Kyenn, you will return to the house with Princess Alera and her bodyguard.”

I could tell from Narian's expression that he detested his father's dictatorial air, just as I could tell from Tadark's wide brown eyes that the prospect of being my only defense against Narian was making him feel ill. It was obvious from my bodyguard's reaction that talk of the recent confrontation between Steldor and Narian had circulated among the palace force.

“You're not truly frightened of a teenager, are you?” I heard Halias mutter to Tadark.

“No,” the younger guard said, puffing out his chest like a small, offended owl.

Halias saw through him and added, his words barely audible, “My God, Tadark, he's not even armed! How did you get into the Elite Guard anyway, with such a core of cowardice?”

I was once again amazed at Tadark's ability to provoke even the most tolerant of people. It was practically impossible to anger the good-natured deputy captain, and here Tadark had done it as effortlessly as a bird taking wing.

“Come, Tadark,” I interposed, before their exchange could become more heated. “I would like to return with some measure of haste.”

My bodyguard's cheeks colored as he stepped forward to lead the way. I followed behind, wondering where Narian had gone, for he had departed the moment Koranis had told him to do so, although I was sure he hadn't acted out of obedience. Perhaps he did not like the company gathered in the clearing, or perhaps accompanying me didn't appeal to him in the least. But as Tadark and I came to the end of the narrow trail that connected to the main path, I saw Narian resting his back against a tree, waiting for us. Tadark shot the young man a distrustful glare when he came to walk beside me, then dropped behind us in order to better monitor Narian's conduct, his left hand gripping the hilt of his sword.

We made our way through the trees without speaking. I was eager to say something to Narian—I had never been so intrigued by a person in my life—but he seemed content to maintain the silence between us, the only sounds the incessant sloshing of my gown and squishing of my shoes.

I grabbed fistfuls of my skirt in an attempt to make my
movement less hindered as Narian lithely moved ahead of me, but to no avail. My dress clung to my skin and my undergarments, causing me to stumble over and over. I moaned, longing to break free of the woods. I knew from the sunlight that filtered through the trees that the forest was becoming less dense as we advanced, and could only hope I didn't fall before we came to the trail's end.

“Do you always dress like that?” Narian had halted a dozen or so paces in front of me to check on my progress.

I stared at him as if a stream of profanities had come from his mouth rather than the simple question he had actually posed, astounded that he had spoken.

“I'm generally tidier,” I said, eyes shifting to my disheveled clothing as I pushed my damp, limp hair away from my face.

“I mean, do you always wear those impractical skirts?” he clarified, scrutinizing me as I labored to move toward him without tripping over the heavy tent that hung around my legs.

“Impractical?” I frowned at him, unsure whether he had meant to insult me.

“Well, yes. You no doubt would have drowned from the weight of your gown had I not been there to prevent it.”

Stopping a few feet in front of him, I snipped, “I'm afraid I didn't consider the risk of falling into a river and nearly drowning when I chose my wardrobe.”

“Well, what did you consider?”

“I don't know!” I said, bridling at the criticism in his tone. I uttered the first thing that came to mind. “The weather!”

“The weather?” he repeated.

“What would
you
have had me take into account?”

“Self-defense. Cokyrian women only wear dresses at formal
functions, and even then they bear weapons. You have no ability to carry a weapon at all.”

“That's what
he's
for,” I countered, waving in Tadark's general direction.

“He is your only protection?”

“Yes, on an outing such as this,” I confirmed, perplexed by his interest, but certain I was about to put an end to this debate. “At larger affairs, multiple guards watch over me.”

“Tell me,” he murmured, taking a step closer. “How would your guard protect you now?”

Narian's nearness was disturbing, and I began to worry that Tadark was daydreaming.

“From what would I need protection?” I asked slowly, unable to look away from his keen blue eyes, which were boring into my suspicious brown ones.

A flash of light, a glint of metal in the sun, told me before he readied it to strike that he held a dagger in his right hand. In stunned disbelief, I saw the blade come toward me. Terror flitted through my brain as I grasped that I might again be in mortal peril. Then Narian stooped and slashed off the front of my skirt below the knee so that my leggings were exposed indecently to the air.

I stood frozen, too horrified to move. Tadark was at my side in an instant, his sword drawn as if he were protecting me, although I knew he would have arrived too late had Narian intended to do me harm.

“Step away from the Princess,” Tadark commanded.

Narian stared unflinchingly down the length of the cold metal, then relented and moved backward so that I was beyond his reach. Flipping the dagger so that he held the blade, he extended the weapon to my bodyguard.

“I assume you're going to demand that I relinquish my weapon,” Narian explained.

Tadark said nothing, but snatched the knife from Narian's proffered hand.

“It is of no great loss to me,” the young man continued, as Tadark tucked the dagger away in his belt. “A Cokyrian is never without a weapon.”

I wasted no time puzzling over this last statement, for my anger was rising.

“Look what you've done!” I railed, frustration emanating from the very pores of my skin. “My dress is ruined!”

Narian surveyed me, unaffected by my outburst.

“You'll find walking to be much easier now. And I must say, Princess, that there wasn't much hope for your gown anyway.”

I opened my mouth, expecting a suitable comeback to emerge, but none came. Before I could gather my wits, he started once more down the path, and I followed, shaking my head in awe of his nerve. But, I grudgingly had to admit to myself, I didn't stumble once.

“MY LADY, LORD STELDOR AWAITS YOU IN THE garden.”

“Thank you,” I said to the Palace Guard who had been sent to the library to find me. I had been lounging, scanning a book or two, and simply letting my thoughts wander. As the guard hurried away, I groaned inwardly, though my feelings were no doubt written upon my face. Steldor was not the person I wanted to see.

In fact, there was just one person on my mind. I could not escape the image of Narian's knife drawing near my flesh, or erase the knowledge of how easily he could have harmed me before Tadark had arrived to stand between us. Narian was correct regarding my protection—in a scenario such as the one I had faced two days previously, the only person who could have defended me was me, and I barely possessed the ability to flee with some semblance of coordination.

I thought back to how he had rescued me from the river. I could have drowned—my own bodyguards had been too far away to help me. But Narian had been there, somehow having
bypassed Tadark and (more impressively) Halias. How could he have gotten close enough to reach me without anyone noticing? How long had he been there, and would he have revealed himself to us if my clumsiness had not made it necessary? These questions haunted me, despite my efforts to divert my attention elsewhere.

Tadark had ignored my introverted attitude of late, too humiliated by his own blunder in underestimating Narian to bring up the incident. I too kept silent about it, preferring to ponder on my own the mystery that the young man presented.

I stood and made my way to the garden to meet with the man of my nightmares. I had not seen Steldor since the evening of the event held in honor of Narian's family, and still had no inclination to do so. Narian was almost the converse of Steldor, and having spent time recently with the former, I suspected that I would have a harder time than usual abiding the latter.

I ambled through the corridor, in no rush to get to my destination, and walked down the family staircase, Tadark beside me this time rather than behind. My last visit with Narian had increased my bodyguard's vigilance, inside as well as outside the palace. He would not accompany me within the garden, however, as Steldor was viewed by my father and Cannan as fully qualified to protect me.

Upon entering the grounds, I saw Steldor a short way down the path from me. Given his attire—a black leather military jerkin—he must have come from the military base. In his left hand he held a bouquet of flowers that I recognized as having come from the garden in which we stood, obviously an impromptu addition to whatever he had planned for me.

“You're especially radiant today, Princess Alera,” he said,
bowing and kissing my hand in his customary way, apparently hoping that the cheap flattery he used on other girls would have a softening effect upon me. He extended the hand in which he held the bouquet. “These flowers pale in comparison.”

I wanted to roll my eyes, but I suppressed the urge and halfheartedly accepted his gift.

“What do you want, Steldor?” I inquired, his outrageous behavior of a week ago uppermost in my mind.

“Perhaps we should walk.” He made a sweeping motion with his hand toward the garden pathway.

“I'd rather not.”

A shadow of displeasure fell upon his features at my refusal, and I knew his thoughts had tracked my own. “You're not making this easy for me.”

“And why should I make things easy?”

“Really, Alera,” he scoffed, voice thick with condescension. “You can't honestly believe my actions at the palace celebration were unjustified. I admit I may have overreacted
somewhat,
but you can hardly claim my anger was unprovoked.”

“And what exactly did I do to provoke you?” I asked, my jaw set, not willing to let him get away with blaming that fiasco on me.

“You must get past these childish games!” he admonished, running a hand through his dark hair. “You know very well we are courting. Could you have possibly thought that I would react in any other way? You being seen with another man will not change the fact that we are to marry. It's time you accepted that and began acting in an appropriate manner.”

I was momentarily at a loss, for this was the first time marriage had come up in conversation between us. Both of us knew the expectations held by our parents and the kingdom,
so we had never felt the need to discuss the matter specifically. It was assumed, by Steldor at least, that we would in the future be wed. I had a different opinion.

“That wasn't quite the proposal I envisioned,” I said, giving him a withering look.

He sighed. “Do you want me to get down on one knee, Alera? Is that it? If that will cause you to see things as they are, then I will gladly do it.”

“That will hardly be necessary, as you would only dirty your knee to hear an answer you would not welcome.” With no thought to the consequences, I forged ahead. “I believe
you
need to get past the childish assumption that everything will fall neatly into place for you, because the truth is, the expectations of my father, of my mother and sister, of the
kingdom,
cannot force me to marry you. In order for you to marry me, my Lord Steldor, I would have to say ‘I do,' and quite frankly, I don't!”

I brandished the bouquet he had given me in his face. “My only regret is that my flowers had to die in vain!”

I hurled the bouquet at his chest, then turned and stalked down the path, a triumphant smile pulling at the corners of my mouth.

As I reentered the palace, the same guard who had informed me of Steldor's desire to meet with me was talking with Tadark.

“Your Highness,” he said, giving a slight bow. “The Captain of the Guard requests to see you and your bodyguard in his office. He said it was of some importance.”

I nodded to the guard, dismissing him, and my victorious feeling was eradicated by dread. Cannan had never before sent for me, and I could think of no reason for him to want to speak with me now. Did this have something to do with
the courtship between his son and me? Should I add Cannan's name to the growing list of people I had disappointed? The list that included London, my father, my mother and Steldor?

Tadark and I walked through the King's Drawing Room to gain entry into the Throne Room, continuing across its floor to the Captain of the Guard's office, which was located near the antechamber. As we entered Cannan's domain, I saw Halias standing in the back of the room, though Miranna was nowhere to be seen.

The furnishings in Cannan's office were dark and imposing, much like the man himself. Weapons of every kind hung on the walls or were confined in glass-fronted cabinets. A map of Hytanica hung on one wall, next to a map of the entire Recorah River Valley that identified neighboring kingdoms as well as our own. The Kingdoms of Gourhan and Emotana lay to the south, across the Recorah River. West of us, Lake Resare, fed by a tributary of the mighty river, marked our boundary with the Kingdom of Sarterad. I shuddered involuntarily as I noted the identification of the Empire of Cokyri in the high desert area of the Niñeyre Mountains to the north and east of our borders.

Cannan, as commander of Hytanica's military, had to be the busiest man in Hytanica, for the heads of each of the military's five divisions reported to him: the major in charge of the Reconnaissance Unit; Kade as sergeant at arms in command of the Palace Guard; the master-at-arms who headed the City Guard; the colonel who was the headmaster at the Military Academy; and the various battalion commanders who led the armed forces. In addition, the King's Elite Guard, charged most specifically with defense of the King and the royal family, was under Cannan's direct control. London, Halias, Destari and the others who held the rank of deputy captain were the
highest-ranking officers in the military next to the Captain of the Guard.

Cannan sat behind his austere, heavy oak desk, studying several sheets of parchment. Behind and to his left, the door to the armory stood ajar, revealing an even wider variety of weaponry. A second door that led into the guardroom by the Grand Staircase was closed. Cannan raised his head as I entered, but did not rise.

“Please be seated, Princess Alera,” he said, motioning to the plain wooden chairs across from him on the other side of the desk.

As I complied, Tadark moved to stand on my right, Halias taking up a similar position on my left, neither sitting while in their captain's office, although there were several chairs available.

Cannan did not waste time with small talk.

“Tadark has reported on the events that occurred during your visit to Baron Koranis's country estate two days ago. He has informed me that you had a conversation with Narian. What was the nature of your interaction with him?”

I was startled by his interest, but nonetheless answered his question, albeit hesitantly.

“We discussed what he called the impracticality of my clothing.”

“Tell me more.”

“He said that I should be able to protect myself, that he thought Tadark's protection was—” I glanced uncertainly at my bodyguard “—insufficient.” Tadark bristled but remained mute. “He told me Cokyrian women wear dresses only on formal occasions and that they always bear weapons.”

Cannan mulled over my words for a moment, then changed the topic slightly.

“Tell me about the dagger. Did you see where he had it concealed?”

“No,” I said with remorse, for I could provide very little useful information. “It was just there in his hand.”

Cannan did not seem disappointed by my answer. “Can you think of anything else that would be important for me to know?” His words gave me hope that this inquisition was soon to end.

I concentrated for a moment, and then recalled something I had not fully appreciated at the time, but which now gave me pause.

“He did say something rather odd to Tadark as he offered him his knife,” I said, recognizing halfway through my sentence that I was likely contradicting whatever story Tadark had woven to explain how he had managed to disarm Narian. “He said, ‘Cokyrians are never without weapons.'”

Cannan nodded and directed a question to Halias.

“And do you have any explanation for how this boy managed to get to the Princess without alerting you to his presence?”

Halias's light blue eyes flicked in irritation in Tadark's direction, as he apparently had not known before this moment that the younger guard had informed their captain of this aspect of the incident.

“I have no explanation, sir,” Halias said, coming to attention. “But I can assure you we were vigilant in our protection of the princesses. I know of only one other person who could have accomplished this, and he ought to be standing in Tadark's place.”

The silence that followed was deafening. Tadark gave an offended huff, and Cannan shot him a silencing glare before turning back to Halias, his countenance stony.

I was dazed by the boldness of the bodyguard's statement.
Halias, unlike London, had never been one to challenge authority. He did his job in protecting my sister, but was generally content to trust his captain and the King to make important decisions. Now, as he looked staunchly at Cannan, I realized that Destari and I were not the only ones who still trusted London, regardless of how damaging the evidence against him might be.

Cannan had not broken eye contact with his deputy captain, and I slowly became conscious of the fact that Halias's assertion could be viewed as insubordination. But just as I began to fret, the captain again scrutinized me, letting his Elite Guard's defiance pass unaddressed.

“You had an exchange with Lord Narian on the balcony at the palace celebration last month,” he said, and I felt as though I were once more under interrogation. “What did you discuss at that time?”

I shifted, unsure what information he was hoping to obtain from me. I thought back to the evening when I had stood beside Narian on the balcony, all the while feeling that none of this was Cannan's business, but too in awe of him to say so. Just as I concluded it would be best to tell him what I could, I remembered that I had confessed to Narian my disapproval of, and extreme dislike for, Steldor.

“Well…” I said, trying to phrase the information in such a way that I would not be forced to share my opinion of Steldor with his father, “we talked about the importance of duty.”

A frown creased Cannan's forehead, as though he were contemplating what would have prompted us to confer on such a topic.

“I see. Go on.”

“He told me that he despised having his life laid out for him.” I looked downward, examining my shoes, knowing,
though no one else did, that my complaints about my obligations as Crown Princess had inspired this declaration from him.

If Cannan was aware of my discomfort, he ignored it.

“Interesting. Did he say anything else?”

“Yes…that at some point, I would have to choose between carrying out my duties and living my life.” I winced at Cannan's penetrating look and quickly finished. “After that he offered to escort me back inside.” I did not elaborate, knowing everyone in the room was aware of what had happened after that.

A long silence followed as Cannan sank into thought, unperturbed by what I might be feeling. In truth, I found myself humbled and humiliated. Did the captain view my encounters with Narian as inappropriate? Perhaps he shared Steldor's opinion of my conduct, that I should be approaching my responsibilities more seriously and not be wasting my time speaking to sixteen-year-old boys. I fidgeted with the folds of my skirt, desperate for this line of questioning to end, until Cannan spoke once more.

“I want you to return to Baron Koranis's estate to visit Narian and his family several times during the next month. You will report to me on anything Narian tells you about Cokyri and his upbringing there.”

His candid request, or rather his outright order, tightened my stomach.