The Lion's Crown (The Emberlyn Chronicles Book 1), page 17
Penny swallowed. “I… I wish to ask a question.”
“Yes?”
“How long do you feel a promise should last?”
“It depends on the promise. If someone tells you a secret, for example, it must be kept for a lifetime.”
“And a… a vow?”
“Like the vow I gave to my king? Also for a lifetime.”
“No, I mean a vow… to another person. A marriage vow, for instance.”
William cleared his throat. “Did you promise to marry George?” he asked softly.
“No. He asked, but I never answered him. But I would have… if we’d stayed in the village.”
He looked down at her hand, which was still covering the page. “You would have said ‘yes’?”
“I think so.”
“Then I cannot answer your question. Only your own heart knows how long it will be his.”
“I think it knows.”
William put his hand on top of hers. “What does it say?”
“It says that soon we might never be ourselves again. We might be enfeebled like Owen was.” She frowned. Should she tell him that she and Owen might not have to undergo the enfeeblement? No. Not yet.
“I think,” she continued, “that it’s saying that I might find some happiness until then… if it would not be a betrayal to George.”
William raised his arm and put it around her shoulders, drawing her closer. “My heart would also like to know some happiness before that happens. But the decision must be yours to make.”
“Not mine alone. You have your lady Ivy. At the king’s court.”
William smiled. “She is far away, and it is likely I will never see her again.”
“But you told me you loved her.”
“Perhaps I did for a time, but love can wax and wane like the moon. I loved the idea of her, but I no longer believe I knew her well enough to truly love her. I know you better than I ever did her.”
“Do you like me better?”
William’s hand slid down her arm and to her waist. “There is no contest.”
Penny swallowed the lump in her throat. “Then… I think I’ve made my decision.”
William put his lips against her cheek and gently kissed her. “What have you decided?” he whispered, moving his lips to her ear.
“I’ve decided on happiness.”
William brought his other arm around and pulled her fully toward him, sending his book toppling to the floor. He kissed her on the lips and ran his hands down her hips and thighs as she pressed into him.
Still kissing, they stood, and William brought his hands up to her breasts, caressing them through the fabric of the dress. As thin as the garment was, Penny felt like he was touching her bare flesh. She could feel the strength and warmth of his hands. Her knees went weak at the touch, and she stumbled around to the side of the bed and fell back onto it. William fell with her, landing on top of her as he continued to kiss her lips and neck, and his hands roamed over her body.
Desire overwhelmed her, and her mind went blank. Before she could think another thought, they were out of their clothes, and William was kissing his way down her body. She had one rational notion in the midst of it: the curtains were still open, and she wondered who might be watching from the tower. That thought was gone a moment later as William’s lips found what they were searching for, and a pleasure unlike any she had ever known coursed through her. It grew until she almost couldn’t bear it, and she let out a scream that she felt certain had awoken the entire palace.
Below, William was laughing, and she managed a laugh of her own. “Not to worry,” he mumbled. “These walls are thick. You can scream all you like.”
As he lowered his head once again, she knew she would.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Attack
They were awake before dawn. Despite their exertions, Penny felt more rested than she had since the night by the magical fountain. They made love again, and afterward they lay together as Penny told William about her conversation with the queen.
“It’s wonderful news,” he said. “I pray you do have an affinity and won’t have to end up enfeebled.”
“You’re not angry that she won’t allow you and Sir Stephen to undergo the test as well?”
“No. I feel certain I have no magical affinity.”
“I don’t think one can know short of undergoing the test. Not unless one displays abilities like Owen’s.”
“Still… what did she say? One out of a million of our people? No. It is not likely.”
Penny buried her face in the crook of his neck. “I hope I don’t have it. I don’t want to remember you if we can’t be together.”
William sighed. “No matter what the enfeeblement does to my mind, I could never forget you, Penny. I’ll remember you in my heart.”
Penny pushed back the urge to cry as William began caressing her. She was wondering if they might make love again—she wanted to—when a knock came on the door.
William sat upright and looked helplessly around the room. There was a changing screen in the corner, but Penny would not reach it in time if the door was opened. They had not been given keys so had no way of locking their doors. William threw the covers over Penny’s head as the door swung inward.
“Sir William?” Through the bedding, Penny recognized Faric’s voice. “You and Miss Penny must dress and come with me.”
Penny tensed up and squeezed her eyes shut. She didn’t know how, but he knew she was there. She briefly wondered if Anneli had used her remote sight on them.
William cleared his throat. “Why? What’s happening?”
“The Dourosh. They’re marching on the city.”
Penny pushed back the covers and looked at Faric. “What? How?”
“Dress quickly. I will explain once you are all gathered.” She noticed that he had a bundle under his arm, and he stepped into the room just far enough to set it onto one of the armchairs. “I have brought you more appropriate attire,” he said to her. “I will wait outside.”
As soon as the door was closed, William sprang from the bed and began putting on his clothes. Penny walked over to the armchair and found a pair of trousers, a loose-fitting shirt, a black hooded cloak and rugged boots. “These are traveling clothes,” she said as she put on the shirt and began buttoning it up.
William finished dressing and put on his sword belt. “If the city is under attack, we may have to flee.”
He waited for her to finish dressing then pulled her into an embrace and kissed her. “Whatever happens, I will not leave your side.”
He took her hand and led her to the door. When he opened it, Penny saw that Owen and Sir Stephen were waiting in the hallway with Faric. She dared not look at either of them as Faric began leading them down the stairs.
They ended up in the chamber off the side of the throne room. Queen Anneli was there, and two of the sentinel crystals were glowing. She waved them over to the map table. “The Dourosh are marching up the pass,” she said without waiting for the question to be asked. She rolled up the map showing the whole forest and revealed another. This one was a detail of the city and the valley in which it sat. Penny could see that a wall encircled the city on three sides, broken only by the river. On the last side, near the pass through which they’d traveled, Lanion was protected by the jagged cliffs of the mountains.
Anneli pointed at the map, at the gate leading to the road that had been cut through the mountains. “I don’t know how they got so close without us knowing. They surprised the guards at the watchtower and quickly overwhelmed them.”
“Have you determined a number?” Faric asked.
“At least two thousand. I used my remote sight on Captain Karak before he….” She shook her head.
“Dourok was able to hide a force of that size?” Faric asked. “How? Where did he get the power?”
“I don’t know. He should not have been able to do it. I have sent most of my royal guard to the gate at the end of the pass, to reinforce the city guard. If they can keep the Dourosh there, the enemy will not be able to bring their numbers to bear. Then our better training might make the difference. I have ordered all civilians to evacuate to the other side of the river. If the Dourosh do get into the city, they will be stalled at the bridges.”
Faric frowned. “They won’t attempt to cross the bridges. They’ll march straight for the palace. If they kill you, nothing else will matter.”
Anneli stood upright and shook her head. “They will not get past the palace walls. If I have to use every last spell Lanioc left for us, I will make sure of that.”
Faric stepped forward and briefly embraced his sister. “I will join the royal guard at the wall.”
“No. You will lead our guests to safety. You will take them to Henroth.”
“I am a better fighter than all but a few of your guard. I will be needed here.”
Anneli took in a breath. “There are five lives more important than any others in the city. I must remain to fight for my people, but these four cannot be captured under any circumstance. Lead them to safety, Faric. Please. You know what will happen if Dourok finds them.”
Faric closed his eyes but nodded. “Very well. Don’t take any risks you don’t have to. Follow us if it looks like the palace might fall.”
There were no more pleasantries exchanged between the two siblings, but as Owen turned to follow Faric, Anneli grabbed his shoulder. “If you are in trouble, call to the formless creatures. Most cannot help, but there are some who can. There is but a small chance they will hear you and decide to come to your aid, but it’s better than no chance at all.”
Owen nodded and received a kiss from the queen before she turned back to her crystals. Another one had lit up. “The Dourosh are just nearing the end of pass now,” she said as they walked out.
Faric looked to his sister one last time, but she did not meet his gaze. He shook his head and led the four visitors into the wing of the palace where Anneli’s rooms were. Instead of leading them up the steps, he took them past the staircase and down two more corridors. He stopped at a small, nondescript door at the end of a narrow hall and opened it. A dark stairway led down, and as he entered, he took a torch from a wall sconce, put his hand over the end and let out a breath. The end of the torch erupted into flames. The fire licked at the tips of his fingers, and he jerked them away and stuck them into his mouth. The others didn’t have time to marvel at this feat. Faric was already moving again, and they followed him down the stone steps.
“Close the door,” he called back.
Sir Stephen, who was in the rear, pulled it shut and let out a shout of surprise as a metal crossbar swung down from the wall and dropped into the brackets on the door. If Anneli did have to follow them, Penny guessed she would be able to use her powers to lift the crossbar from the outside.
The stairs continued down farther than Penny imagined was possible. Based on the direction they were going, she knew they had to have gone under the river. There were no turns, branches or any doors leading off the narrow descending passageway. She began having difficulty breathing and realized that it wasn’t only because of the exertion. The air was getting staler with every step she took. It was also considerably warmer than it had been up above.
She felt a moment of relief when they reached the bottom of the stairs, but the air was still difficult to breathe. But the smoke from the torch was not filling the narrow passageway; it was escaping somehow, and that meant fresh air had a way in. She guessed that the southern part of Lanion lay above them and wondered if the people in the houses up there knew about this tunnel far below their floors.
Now that they had stopped descending, the passage began to turn and wind. It branched several times, and by the way they were twisting around, she knew that she would never find her way out if she lost her guide. In Faric’s torchlight, she saw that one opening they passed led into a square room. It was filled with barrels and large ceramic pots, their tops sealed with wax. She imagined there were many such rooms down here, emergency stores in case of a prolonged siege.
“I trust you know the way, Faric?” Sir Stephen asked from the back of the line.
Faric only grunted in reply.
In the winding darkness, Penny lost all sense of time. Had they been walking for one hour or two? Three or four? She had no idea. Her feet and legs ached, and a sheen of sweat covered her body. She had long ago taken off the cloak, and it hung oppressively over her arm, getting hotter and heavier with every step. Just as she was about to ask Faric if they could stop and rest, another turn revealed a door. It was also locked by a crossbar, and Faric lifted the bar and pulled the door open. Penny’s heart sank. On the other side was another stairway. But this one wasn’t straight. It wound its way up in a tight spiral.
Faric looked back at them, and the hard lines on his face softened. “We’ll rest here a moment before going up.” He pointed at a crystal hanging from a cord nailed into the roof of the tunnel. “It’s paired with one at the other end of the passageway. We’ll have plenty of warning if any Dourosh get into the palace.”
“Where are you leading us?” asked Sir William.
“There is a small mountain valley directly above us. There is no other way in save one: a narrow canyon path no wider than the shoulders of a single man. It can be easily defended.”
“Why must we flee at all?” asked Stephen. “The Dourosh cannot cross the ward around the forest, yes? Why was such a ward not placed around the city?”
“In times past, this was not the capital. That city stood on the shores of the great lake at the center of the wood. Lanioc did ward it against the Dourosh, but two hundred years after Lanioc’s death, Dourok found a way to overcome that ward. It is believed that in doing so he used power within himself that could not be recovered. Our people, even though they had to flee the city, believed he had forever weakened himself. What has happened today has proven that we were wrong.”
“You mean how he concealed an entire army from your view until it was too late?” William asked.
Faric nodded. “He used such a tactic during one of the battles with Lanioc, but he has not done so since. We believed that was because he no longer could. I cannot tell you how distressing it is that he seems to have regained his old powers. If he can break the ward around the forest….” Faric glanced up at the sentinel crystal as though to reassure himself. “Anneli is the strongest leader in generations. It is well that she is queen during this.”
He gestured toward the stairs with the torch. “It’s time to move. Once we reach the top, I will be able to judge how the battle is progressing.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Henroth Valley
The mountain valley was smaller than Penny had imagined it would be. She could walk from one end of it to the other in five minutes, and the width was half as wide as the length. On all sides, sheer mountain cliffs protected the valley. The tallest peak, which towered over them to the south, was the Henroth Mountain. The near side rose up almost impossibly straight, and Penny had a feeling that magic and not nature had carved this place.
As Faric had said, there was only one other way in. At the southern end of the valley was a pathway, and it was guarded by a stone wall with a narrow door in it. A ladder led to a little room above the door. An arrow slit looked out on the pass, and from there, a single guard with a bow could easily keep an army of any size at bay, as they would be forced to approach single file. As a final measure, a lever inside the room would angle a large stone block off the roof and drop it directly in front of the door, shielding it from being battered in.
A stone house sat in the middle of the valley, and the stairs came up at a simple trapdoor next to it. Inside, Faric had shown them a row of sentinel crystals. One was already glowing when they reached the house, and Faric told them it was paired with a crystal near the wall at the end of the mountain pass leading into Lanion. The others were paired with crystals at the palace, the city’s western and southern gates and several other locations throughout the city. A final crystal, set apart from the others, was paired with one hidden at the entrance to the narrow canyon leading into Henroth Valley. If it began to glow, they would know to get someone to the wall and prepare for attack.
Over the next several hours, they watched as two more crystals began glowing. The Dourosh had made it into the city. The crystal paired with the one inside the palace, however, remained dark.
After several days, Faric began to grow impatient. “They aren’t in the palace,” he said, “but the crystals indicate they are still in the city. I wish I could see what’s happening.”
“Can’t you use the remote sight?” William asked.
Faric frowned. “I know Anneli made it look simple, but that spell is tremendously draining, as is any magic that must be used across long distances. She has trained for many years in order to be able to do it without collapsing. I am not so adept, and I have spent my time honing more direct magical abilities. Still, if the sentinel crystals indicate that the palace has been breached, I will do it so that we can know the best course of action.”
“Anneli must be holding them back,” Penny said looking at the crystals. “She said she’d use every spell she had to keep the Dourosh from getting into the palace.”
Faric’s frowned deepened. “Yes, she did say that, didn’t she?” He stepped away from them, drew his long knife and studied the blade.
“She may be holding them off,” William said, “but it doesn’t seem she’s able to drive them from the city.”
Faric put his blade away and looked back at them. “There is no change in the crystals—no ebb and flow to the battle. That means the city guard and the royal guard must either be dead or were forced to retreat back to the palace.”
“How long can they last there?” asked Stephen. “What supplies does the palace have?”
“It can withstand a siege almost indefinitely, but the people outside the palace walls will be in danger. The order was to burn the bridges over the river if the Dourosh got in, so hopefully most of them made it to safety before that happened. Attacking across the river would force the Dourosh to split their forces, and they won’t do that until the greater threat is eliminated. I only pray that some help comes before that happens.”
