Chapter 20

 

Our trips through the city began to show more of the effects of the poverty-stricken country. Families whose homes fell in disrepair due to the lack of supplies abandoned their houses to move in with other family members. Prince Andric's stewards and staff carefully rationed food so that every family received just enough to get by, which sometimes seemed meager indeed. Medicine was of short supply, and I spent a lot of my time with Jesson making what salves we could out of his remaining herb stash.

We brought soup to the sick, helped mend broken roofs, repaired fences to keep the remaining livestock in, patched clothing, and carried food to those who couldn't travel to the castle for the weekly rationing. I admired the way the Antorans worked to keep their spirits up, but could tell that the thought of leaving their beautiful but barren land broke some of them, driving them to tears when they thought no one was watching.

The weekly dinners in the banquet hall were a special treat and gave us all something to look forward to. The week when Bown Voise was deemed fit enough to get out of bed was a happy one. Mylena and I spent a lot of time together preparing for the celebration; it heartened me to see the families of those who had lost loved ones during the battle preparing for it as well.

They created beautiful banners and reminders of their loved ones' accomplishments to be displayed in the banquet hall during the festivities. Everyone helped each other, and laughter made a pleasant harmony as we hung streamers and decorated the tables.

After the ride to save Bown, smiles were everywhere. I was greeted by numerous people each day who knew my name and at least one of the amazing versions of the tale of how I saved Mrs. Voise. It was amazing to me how twisted the story became, and my favorite was one of how I had killed not one but five lions with nothing but a sharp stick.

The Princes became favorites with the children, all of whom flocked close to hear stories of our countries below the mountains. They especially liked Landis' descriptions of the animals, for they seldom saw anything but snowshoe hares, foxes, eagles, and the animals that had bonded to various Antorans. Landis' description of a water buffalo had them bursting into laughter, and they couldn't get enough of Trevin's accounts of the giant sea snakes that sailors saw out in the ocean.

The girls, myself included, made dolls with the little children out of anything we could find. It was a competition among us to see who could be the most inventive, but I think the prize ultimately went to Brynna when she made a baby out of one of Cook Syra's big wooden spoons. When the cook saw the spoon dressed in a blue painted burlap bag with beads for eyes and curly yellow yarn for hair, she merely smiled and didn't have the heart to take it from the little blue-eyed girl who treasured it.

The night of the celebration came quickly, and everyone enjoyed the escape from daily struggles and the chance to dance. The dinner, though simple, was amazing, a true tribute to Cook Syra's abilities. Andric made her join us and everyone complimented the food and her staff until she beamed with pride.

After a dessert of honeyed oatcakes, the doors opened and Mr. and Mrs. Voise came in. Mr. Voise walked slowly, but smiled at everyone. I ran over and hugged them both. Everyone laughed and cheered. Men rose to pat Bown on the back while the women hugged Mylena.

When the enthusiasm died down, Mr. Bown said that he had a present for me.

“I'd be honored if you would accept this small token for saving my wife and I,” he said, drawing something out of a small bag he carried.

My mouth fell open when I saw a beautifully worked, intricate chain on which hung a single claw that had been polished until it practically glowed. The claw was huge, close to the length of my palm. Looking closer, I saw that an image had been carved into it, the image of a fierce mountain lion.

“I don't deserve this,” I said in awe.

Bown smiled. “This claw was from the lion that would have killed Mylena if you hadn't been there,” he explained; his eyes glittered moistly. “We understand if you don't want to wear it, but it would honor us if you'd accept our gift. We weren't the only ones who worked on it.”

“It's beautiful,” I said honestly. “I would be honored to wear it.”

Bown gave me a big smile before slipping the chain around my neck. I studied it. The black claw shone and was as smooth as a stone worn from years in a stream. The carved mountain lion had been inlaid with white sand and sealed over so that it, too, was smooth. The silver clasp the chain ran through was shaped like two paws with claws unsheathed. The tip of the big claw was coated in polished silver.

“We weren't diamond craftsmen for nothing,” Mylena said with a warm smile that grew at my obvious admiration of the gift.

“Thank you,” I told them both. I searched for other words to show how much the necklace meant to me, but came up at a loss in the face of such beauty.

“No, thank you,” Mylena said. She threw her arms around me. Bown joined her, and then so did Mylena's closest friends followed by Bown’s until I was squished in the middle of a huge, happy hug.

“Alright, then. Who's up for dancing?” Andric asked.

The crowd around us cheered and yelled, and the musicians scrambled for their instruments. The tables were moved out of the way and within a few minutes, the floor was full of laughing, merry Antorans. I made my way to where the other Crowns stood by the head table.

Trevin, still munching on an oatcake, gave me a toothy grin. “That's neat,” he said with his mouth full, indicating the claw.

Landis picked it up and appraised it with a knowing eye. “Craftsmanship like that should bring them a fortune.”

“Except they have nothing left to craft unless Kit kills another lion,” Kaerdra said with a grin.

I laughed. “They'd better hide from me now!”

Behind us, a polite cough made us turn. Ayd bowed low, a small blue snow flower in his hand. When he rose, I was surprised to see him look straight at Nyssa. “For you, Princess,” he said, his face slightly pale but his voice steady. “I would be honored if you would give me the pleasure of a dance.”

I gritted my teeth, worried about Ayd's embarrassment when he was rejected; but to my astonishment, Nyssa blushed. “I would love to,” she said. She smiled at us sheepishly and accepted his hand.

All of us watched, stunned, as the overjoyed Hawkmaster escorted her to the middle of the room where they twirled and melted in with the graceful pandemonium on the dance floor. I exchanged glances with Andric who stood near enough to be part of our circle but not too close that his presence might be an imposition. He grinned at me, then schooled his face to a wall of warm politeness once more, nodding at the citizens who came over to thank him for the wonderful evening.

Landis and Tisha joined the dance next, followed by Danyen and Brynna. I was even more surprised when Kenyen asked me to dance. I stuttered about how it was rude to leave Kaerdra by herself, but Andric swiftly stepped in and asked for her hand with a polite bow. Together, the four of us walked to the dance floor.

There was something special about the feeling in the castle that night, the way Antorans and foreigners laughed and danced without regard for rank, the hour, or the desperate times to come. It was as if everyone was determined to forget everything else and give themselves up to enjoying the evening. Nyssa danced two more songs with Ayd, then accepted the hand of a young farmer so shy he could barely meet her eyes. Not to be outdone, Kaerdra and Brynna were gladly escorted back onto the floor by two dark-haired brothers.

I danced somewhat gracefully with Kenyen, and only stepped on his toes once. He was a gentleman about it and blamed it on himself even though he danced with the same grace he used when wielding his sword. I sat out the next dance by choice and was swarmed by a group of younger girls and boys who begged me to tell them about the mountain lion. Young men and women drifted over to listen, and I found myself nervous at the attention. I had to school my talking so that I didn't rush and fall over my words.

The listeners leaned in as I described the snow and the shadows. I skipped the details about the Breizans because they were still children and deserved to live in the innocence of youth as long as possible. I told about finding Bown and how brave everyone was when an unknown danger attacked us. I spoke of the relief at finding ourselves safe again, then described the shape of the mountain lion as it jumped through the air.

My heart began to pound as I relived the sight of its reaching claws and the glint in its golden eyes. I described seeing Mylena in danger and the way my body reacted before my thoughts could even comprehend what was happening. I told them the lion’s body felt like a battering ram when it crashed into me, and they laughed when I pushed away my fear of the memory by saying at least I was warm underneath its huge body.

I stopped at the point where the lion was on top of me and I could hear everyone calling but couldn't free myself, because that was all I remembered. I paused, then was surprised when a voice behind me took up the story.

“We ran over fearing the worst,” Andric said. “We couldn't even see Princess Kit for the huge beast on top of her. It shuddered, and the tip of her sword stuck out of its back from where it had gone all the way through.”

Several of the girls put hands to their mouths in horror, but they continued to listen eagerly to the story.

Andric sat down on a chair next to mine and leaned with an elbow on his knee, giving a dramatic air to the story. His voice caught the cadence of a practiced storyteller. “It took Captain Jashe, Falen, myself, and two of the other Princes to haul the lion off, and all we could see was Princess Kit covered in blood.”

Another gasp, this time not just from the girls.

Andric smiled. “Luckily, most of the blood was from the cat.” His face clouded minutely. “But she didn't respond when we waved smelling salts under her nose.”

“What did you do?” a young girl, perhaps twelve, asked breathlessly.

Andric smiled at her. His voice lowered, “The men loaded her onto my horse and I rode until Tereg couldn't run any more. We switched horses at the base of the mountain; Horsemaster Drade's steed Sorn practically ran over anyone who dared to suggest any other mount. I could have sworn Sorn grew wings the way he flew over the ground that night. Bayn and Freis led the way, and the Princes rode close behind us. The others followed along much slower with Bown, Mylena, and the others who had been wounded during the fight.”

I studied his face as he spoke. This part of the story was new to me, and he was well practiced at keeping his face expressionless of all but the emotions he wished to bring out in the story. I wondered, then, what he had really felt that night.

“When we reached the castle, Healer Jesson was already waiting for us, having been told of our distress by Hawkmaster Ayd whose birds had tracked us since the battle.” His eyes glittered darkly. “My arms were about to fall off.” I slapped him on the shoulder and everyone laughed. “But I wouldn't let anyone else carry her through the castle.” All of us grew quiet. Andric continued, his eyes distant. “When she didn't wake up, I feared that she never would even though Jesson kept telling me she was going to be fine. I didn't leave her side.”

He fell quiet, and I heard one of the girls whisper, “How romantic.”

Andric didn't seem to hear her. He stared down at his hands, his expression unreadable.

I took up the story. “When I awoke, he was asleep in a chair next to my bed. I called his name, and at first I think he thought he was dreaming.”

The girls giggled.

“It was the best dream,” Andric finished. Everyone laughed, but he only looked at me.

A new song, a beautiful, slow melody, struck up behind us. Several of the older boys, inspired by the story, turned to the girls and asked them to dance. The girls blushed and accepted, giggling to each other. The younger ones, boys mostly, were sickened by this display and dispersed to root out snacks from the kitchen.

Andric and I smiled at each other, then he asked seriously, “Would you accept my hand for this dance, Princess Kit?”

The way he said it made my heart skip a beat. I knew I shouldn’t accept. Our emotions were too near to the surface, and our hearts were caught in a situation we couldn’t win. But it was one dance, and perhaps the only dance I would ever be able to enjoy with him. I would survive a thousand heartaches for the chance to be so close to him. I nodded and he smiled.

His hand was cool when I took it, making me wonder if my own was hot. He spun me in a slow circle as we made our way onto the floor.

“That's a beautiful necklace,” he said after what seemed an eternity of silence and mixed emotions as we danced slowly across the floor.

I smiled slightly, glancing down at the claw. “It makes me feel tough.”

“You are tough,” he replied.

I looked up to see whether he was making fun of me or not.

He studied me seriously for a moment, then the smile that I loved tugged at the corners of his mouth. “You're too easy to read, you know,” he said, stepping back to bow as the dance required.

“Oh, yes?” I challenged, “And that's a bad thing?”

He nodded, clicking his tongue. “An undesirable trait for a ruler; those who look to you for guidance must never know your true thoughts or else they’ll see you as human.”

I curtsied a second behind the other female dancers. “I'd rather they know I'm not perfect, that way if a mistake occurs, I haven't destroyed their respect in one fell swoop.”

He laughed, a light, pleasant sound. He pursed his lips. “I can't say that I find much fault with your logic, except that in expecting to fail you might set yourself up for it.”

I enjoyed his banter and grinned, up to the challenge. “Not setting myself up for it; more like preparation. Because I'm human, I know I will make mistakes. I just don't want to devastate an entire country because of it.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps the Zalens will be getting an unexpected firecracker for a Crown Princess when you go home.” His smile faltered.

A knot formed in my stomach and I pushed on quickly. “So how do you avoid making mistakes?”

He spun me around slowly as the other dancers did the same. “Oh, I've made plenty of mistakes.” He winked at me. “It's just a matter of making the ones that no one will notice. I was hard put to explain the time I put a man in prison for stealing based on another man's account, only to find out that it was the other man who was the thief and had stolen a horse the first man was just trying to get back.” He grinned. “The confusing part was when it turned out they were brothers and the horse had been given to both of them by their father, and so in essence, they were each stealing something that already belonged to them. Very confusing.”

I laughed. “What did they do?”

Andric grinned. “Well, the second I let the first brother out of jail he punched the second brother, then they decided to trade the horse for a bull and a heifer of which they each kept one.” He sighed dramatically as we spun around each other, then he concluded when we met up again, “It started all over again when the heifer got pregnant from the bull.”

I laughed and tripped over my feet, but he caught me just before I fell. He held me close to his chest for a moment and stared down at me. Then he shut his eyes tightly. “It's too much,” he said quietly.

“I know,” I whispered, the pain in my heart evident in my voice. I longed to feel his arms around me like the night he held me, and missed the touch of his breath in my hair and the way his scent wrapped me warmer than any blanket.

He opened his eyes and attempted a small smile. “But I enjoy talking to you like this. If this is all that we have, at least it's something.”

I nodded past the lump in my throat.

He picked up the dance where we had left off, spinning me around him again. We danced the remainder of the song in silence, hearts aching but reveling in the closeness of the moment.