Blinding Beauty, page 11
The newly born hill was so wide around that it nearly touched the lowest level of the stands. And at the top, the princess now sat, clutching her three golden apples to her chest.
“Is that... glass?” Isa whispered. Ever didn’t answer. For the first time since she’d met her husband, he seemed just as confused as she was.
Rafael slapped Ever on the back and the gleam returned to his eye.
“You see, Everard. The Maker blesses others with wonders and signs, too.” He walked to the edge of the box once more and called out, hushing the fearful whispering of the spectators. “This hill is our sign that whomever can make it up to the top of the hill thrice will be our answer from the Maker, a sure promise to bless their union.”
As he finished speaking, a flurry of sparkling light fluttered down upon the stands. The crowd exclaimed in delight as it floated down like little jewels in the sky. Isa felt Ever put up a shield around the two of them as the glitter came to rest on every surface, even the inside of their covered platform.
“You missed some,” she told him wryly, brushing a few pieces out of his hair, only to realize she’d gotten some in her own eyes. From the way he was blinking, it appeared that Ever had done the same. Isa held her hand up when her eyes were clear, and examined it in awe. The sparkles looked like glass as well, but lacked the sharpness that Isa would have assumed them to have.
Instead of brushing the sparkling dust off like everyone else, the king was holding his arms out as he raised his face towards the sun. A smile spread upon his lips as he seemed to be whispering the words, thank you, thank you to the sky.
Once the excitement over the glitter dust had settled, the contest was begun. The contestants were lined up outside of the arena, far enough away that their horses could gather speed for their attempts to ride up the hill towards the princess.
First up was a duke. He wore six feathers atop his helm, and when Isa asked Ever about their meaning, he scoffed.
“That’s Duke Tareq. He’s young, and after winning a few rounds of jousting in his own kingdom, has become convinced he’s the Maker’s gift to the world. He reeks of ale though, and would hardly give the princess a second look. He’s usually too busy with the women from the back of the alehouse.”
The duke’s ride was dramatic, his feathers adding to the flare of his pose. For all the show he put into his speed, however, his horse only made it up the hill a few paces before sliding back down. It served him right though for all that pomp and show.
As the contestants continued to try their hands at winning the princess, it soon became evident that the first duke’s fate would be the norm. One after another, they raced forward like dogs to prey, only to fall back down after a few steps. At least, Isa thought, Launce wouldn’t be alone in his struggles here. He was a fair horseman. This time he might blend in with the other competitors in skill.
The sun was close to setting by the time Launce’s turn arrived. Isa wondered if his placement was because he had come in last in everything else, or if he was simply too nice to shove his way to the top. Or because he was a commoner. Whatever the reason, Isa was glad it was nearly over. Her backside smarted from sitting for so long, and her stomach rumbled. She’d been too nervous to eat much when the midday meal had been brought out on platters.
The copper clad rider sat astride his horse with nearly a pose of confidence. Beside her, Ever leaned forward in his chair as the signal was given, and just like the others, Launce raced towards the hill. The crowd had long ago also grown weary of watching riders. As the mysterious copper knight approached the princess, however, a hush fell upon the people.
As soon as the gigantic horse set a hoof on the hill, a slight ringing hit Isa’s ears. The feeling of foreign power hit her once again.
To everyone’s surprise, far beyond the initial steps of the other competitors, Launce went. Isa felt her mouth fall open as he ascended. Only when he was two thirds of the way up did the copper rider pause. Somehow, the princess had just enough time to snatch an apple from her lap and toss down it to him. Launce caught the golden apple and began his descent.
Instead of stopping at the bottom and returning to claim his first victory, however, the copper knight continued to race away from the hill, past the stables, and into the forest at top speed. Knowing Launce’s aversion to crowds and attention, Isa might have considered his strange behavior understandable if it weren’t for the one thing that was bothering her more by the second.
“Ever?”
“Yes?”
“Did you feel that?”
“Yes,” he turned to look her in the eye. “Why?”
“Because that’s the same power I felt this morning when I touched the window.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Ever stood. His jaw flexed and his right hand twitched. “Are you sure? It is exactly the same?”
“Absolutely.” She paused, glancing around as the people surrounding them gossiped and tried to surmise who the mystery rider might be. “What do you think it means?”
“I don’t know, but I shall certainly find out.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Like My Father
After the contest, Isa and Ever returned to their chambers to prepare for that night’s banquet. Isa was strangely quiet as they readied, hardly even talking to Cerise. That was never a good sign.
To make matters worse, once they arrived, still without speaking a word to one another, Rafael’s banquet lasted much longer than Ever had hoped. The king was clearly enjoying the talk brought on by the glass hill, and was basking in the attention, answering the same questions over and over again with vague, cryptic cackles that made Ever want to strike the man unconscious.
Isa was looking lovely, but miserable. Of course, that didn’t stop him from noticing her. The dress she wore draped around her tall, slim frame like red wine spilling down a steep, tightly curved staircase, and the gossamer sleeves displayed her bare, lean muscled shoulders enticingly. On much more than one occasion throughout the party he caught highborn men staring unabashedly like unpolished village boys. One glare from him though was enough to send most of them scattering.
Isa seemed to notice little of it though. She’d spent the whole evening at his side staring vacantly out at the other guests as they laughed and gossiped and drank. She plastered a smile on her face every time Ever introduced her to someone new, but none of it was real. Even her dancing was wooden.
“Isa,” he finally leaned over to whisper. “Are you feeling well?”
“I’m fine,” she answered too quickly. When he cocked his head, giving her a wry, knowing smile, she caved. “I’m concerned about Launce.”
“Would you like to return to our room?”
Before she could reply, he could see the eager answer in her eyes, so he quietly excused them and escorted her back to their chambers, where he called her lady-in-waiting to attend to her before he returned. Given her distant mood all evening, she surprised him, however, with a request just as he was ready to leave.
“Can’t you stay?” The misery in her plea was pitiful. Chagrin washing through him, he leaned down and stroked her hair once before shaking his head. As he stared into her eyes, simply retiring for the evening and spending it quietly with Isa suddenly sounded enticing, and he had to fight his own longing to do as she asked.
“I need to see what else I can learn about whatever strange power it is that’s using your brother.” He tried to soften his words so she wouldn’t think he actually wanted to leave her.
“I thought we could do that together.” Isa frowned. “That was actually what I had been hoping...” She let her words trail off though as she studied him, long and hard, and he wondered uneasily what conclusions her study drew her to. “Well, if you must,” she finally finished, and with that, she slipped into the bed. His hopes at being forgiven were neatly dashed when she curled into a ball on the far side of the bed. He did his best to noiselessly step out, but not before her near silent sniffles reached his ears.
Hot shame started along his back and arms and worked its way up his neck and face as he walked back towards the raucous party. For all of his power and riches, he couldn’t grant this one simple request. Or you won’t grant it, some part of his mind nagged at him.
Ever could count on one hand the number of times Isa had requested something of him since they’d gotten married. And her last request had been granted grudgingly at that, he thought with guilt, recalling how nervous she’d seemed as she’d suggested bringing Launce along. A far cry from the way he’d vowed to himself that he would keep her happy the day they were wed. To make matters worse, he got absolutely nothing accomplished, as Launce had returned to the stables before they had time to talk, and Rafael was too drunk to talk at all. The whole night was a waste.
If Ever hoped for anything different that night after he’d finally gone to bed, he did a fantastic job of dashing those hopes the next morning.
“Where are you going this early?” Isa stretched and yawned. It was hard not to see the dark circles beneath her eyes, despite the early hour at which he’d dropped her off the night before.
“I have some business to attend to.” He paused, wondering whether if he told her any more, she would let him go without too many more questions. He decided it was worth a try. “I’m meeting with an ally who might have some insight into Launce’s position.”
“You mean you’re going to meet with her, aren’t you?” The way Isa’s eyes narrowed for a moment, raking him up and down as though she could see through to his soul, was slightly frightening. She surprised him, however, by then hopping off the bed and moving to dress herself without even ringing for her lady-in-waiting. “I’m coming with you then,” she announced as she began to pin up her runaway locks.
Despite his rush, Ever had to appreciate that Isa’s status as queen hadn’t ever gone to her head. Like him, she preferred escaping her servants and dressing herself as often as she could. Unfortunately, today was a day he couldn’t afford the delay. Or the distraction.
“I want to hear what she thinks about this whole spectacle,” Isa continued as she went over to the corner of the room and opened her wardrobe, staring at its contents, tipping her head to the side as she did. At first she chose a yellow dress, then a more practical brown one, perfect for riding. Ever inwardly berated himself for what he had to do next, particularly amid the stream of sweet and happy chatter she was somehow conjuring.
“I’m sorry, Isa.” He took the dress from her hands gently and hung it back up in the wardrobe. Her expression changed from amiable contentment immediately to suspicion. “I need you to stay here where it’s safe.”
“You’re just going to leave me here?” Out of the corner of his eye, Ever noticed her knuckles whitening as she held on to the mahogany wardrobe door. “No. No, I thought about it last night, and I decided that I need to help you with this. The Fortress didn’t make me queen to sit idly in my room all day. Besides,” the blue flames that had risen up in her eyes for just a moment, lessened as she said in a more pleading voice, “I’ll be with you. You can keep me safe.”
“We’ll be outside palace grounds, away from nosy ears. It would be more dangerous for you out there, even with me. I need you to stay here.” And with that, he turned and began to walk towards the door.
“And who says I have to listen to you?” Isa shouted.
When Ever turned back to look at her in surprise, tears were streaming down her face, making the dark circles beneath her eyes stand out even more. For a moment, he was stunned. It didn’t take long for anger and frustration to well up within him though as he stomped back over to where she stood with her fists clenched and trembling at her sides.
“What if I choose not to be treated like a commoner?” She held her chin high, and her eyes held his, defiant and provoking.
“I think you will listen to me because you know I am trying to protect you,” he growled, glaring down at her willful expression. “And if it behooves me, I shall tie you to a chair if I must to keep you safe.”
Shock slowly registered in her features, and she fell a step back. “You really don’t think I can help you then?” Her voice shook so hard that it cracked, and so did his anger. Ever took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
“Kartek has been gifted from birth. I need her—”
“More than you need me. I understand.”
“Now, Isa, that’s not fair, and you know it!”
“You’ve made your point, Everard. Get on with it then and leave me alone.” Isa slammed the wardrobe door so loudly it made the windows rattle. The red streaks in her hair stood out more prominently than usual as she threw herself down on the bed and crossed her arms.
Ever took in a deep breath before making his mind up about what to say. A million words of apology and regret coursed through his mind, the greatest of them being the truth. He hadn’t expected such a reaction from Isa, not even in the slightest, and from the glower she was giving the ceiling, it was evident he had wounded her deeply. But the truth would hurt even more, he reasoned, and there would be no respite from it until he had things figured out.
“I’ll make sure you get your meals,” he said softly as he paused on the threshold. But he received no answer. She just lay there in her blue nightdress, her glare never once wavering from the ceiling. Sighing, he turned to go before stopping and adding one caution more. “Just don’t touch the window panes.”
***
“Someone is toying with my family.” Ever glowered straight ahead as they walked. The red of the leaves waved to him, signaling like a ship in distress. There was no time though to bask in the unusually warm autumn sun or to enjoy the colors of nature that surrounded Rafael’s palace. Ever could feel Kartek sending him a wary glance every few paces, but he ignored her concern. If Isa had been present, she would have teased him and called it his beastly brooding. A stab of guilt slashed at him, dangerously close to breaking his concentration. Isa would not be teasing him for a while if the words they’d just exchanged were any indication.
“Speaking of your family, where is your wife?” Kartek’s low voice was smooth like oil, and the familiar cadence of it usually comforted him when she spoke. This time, however, it only worsened the guilt.
“In our chambers.”
Kartek stopped walking and fixed him with a look of knowing disapproval.
“And did you leave her there by her choice?”
“I left her there for her protection,” Ever huffed, exasperated with his friend, avoiding her gaze by staring over her head at the distant waves that crashed on the white beach.
“Everard—” she began in a chiding tone.
“You would have done the same for Unsu!”
“No, I would not have locked him in his room and left him there like a little boy. He is a man, and it would hardly be respectful of my husband for me to treat him as anything but a man.” She raised her eyebrows as though inviting him to challenge her.
“You don’t understand.” Ever, still staring at the beach, suddenly felt very small. It was a moment before he could bring himself to say the next words, and they came out almost as a whisper. “Her powers are floundering.” He paused, not wanting to utter any more. Saying them aloud suddenly made the truth seem more real. But aside from Garin, if anyone could help him, if would be Kartek. “The fire in her eyes burns a little less every day.” He turned to her, hating the way his voice caught in his throat and made it warble. “You know what happens when our fires go out.”
Kartek stared back at him for a long time. She no longer looked reproachful, just thoughtful.
“I cannot fully empathize with you, as Unsu has never held a power.” Her lips curved up into the smallest of smiles. “With the exception of his love. My husband has the heart of a thousand men. Still,” she took a deep breath and resumed a grave expression, “have you spoken to her of your concerns?”
“Of course not!”
“And why is that?”
“She doubts herself enough already!” Ever ran his hand down his face, fatigue suddenly seeming to overwhelm him. He hadn’t slept well in over a week. “She questions everything she does, from her posture to the way she speaks to the way she chews. I’ve tried helping her, teaching her to use weapons, something to build her confidence, but her strength just continues to stall.” He let out a gusty breath. “On top of all that, the Fortress gossip is ripe with talk. I try to intercede when I can, but you know women’s tongues...” He stopped himself when he remembered with whom he was speaking. To his surprise and relief, Kartek let out one of her deep, saucy laughs.
“I know a little of that.” She continued to chuckle after she was done laughing. “It took me seven months after my marriage to conceive our son. The women of our palace just knew I was barren.” She patted her belly and raised her chin high. “Five children later, and the old toads have not gossiped in a long time! So yes, I know how terrible court gossips can be. Surely you at least warned her when you were on your honeymoon.”
Ever shifted uncomfortably again. Time with his old friend was rare and precious, but like an older sister, from what he gathered of closely knit families, she knew just how to make him squirm like a punished puppy.
“In truth,” he gathered up his courage for the look she was sure to give him, “We never had one.” When he finally dared to peek at her, the look Kartek was sending him wasn’t quite as reproachful as he’d anticipated. It was worse.
“You did what?”
“We were going to go!” he hurried to assure her, but it didn’t dull her cutting glare of disappointment.
“Let me guess. A war broke out. A famine struck the land. Some poor city was flooded. Everard, after seventeen years of marriage to a king, I can guarantee you this: something will always come. But you still cannot put everything above your queen!”
