Being followed around by two guards was proving to be more annoying than I had originally thought. When one of them ended up being Rhinard, a silent order given by my father to his subordinate, I nearly wanted to retire for the night right there. The way he squared himself up against Lynx was so childish that I nearly let my laugh escape. I wasn't sure how I would avoid either of them as watching me had become so much of a challenge that Lynx stepped on my heal and I nearly tripped over Rhinard's massive boot.
"Enough!" I shouted, pushing back from both of them, straightening my dress. Leaning against the wall, I pulled off my slipper and examined my heel. Sighing heavily, I looked at both of them with annoyed confusion. "What is the deal with you two? If you have a problem, take it outside. Don't involve me."
Lynx shrunk back, his body turning toward the nearest exit as Rhinard lowered his head, kneeling at my feet. Taking a step back, I shook my head and rolled my eyes.
"What are you doing? Stop that."
Rhinard kept his face pointed to the floor, his eyes centered on my toes. His shoulders and back rose and fell easily with each breath he took.
"Do I have your forgiveness, my lady?"
My eyes nearly popped out of my head. Rolling them once more, I turned back to where I was aiming for in the first place. Rhinard could remain on the floor in that ridiculous position for the rest of the day for all I cared. I knew where I would find Eryn, the only person I could talk to at this point that might understand me. Plus, I had something to ask that I knew she had been trying to avoid for weeks.
As we approached the end of the hallway, I could hear Rhinard snort over the hollow echo of our footsteps as the walls closed in, surrounding us as we hit a dead end. In front of us was an intricately carved wall. Someone had carved the dark wood with a large tree whose branches were full of leaves, all done so perfectly you could see the veins running through the leaves themselves. Various animals played in its branches and along the ground in front of it. When I tried to push on the doors, they wouldn't budge. Placing my palms on the wood, it was warm to the touch. As I focused, I pushed harder in the center of the trunk. The resting birds spread their wings as a wolf emerged from behind the trunk itself. With a series of loud clicks, the door gave just a little. After great effort under my hand, I made enough room to squeeze through. As my foot hit the stone floor of the library, I hurried away from the door and further in, forgetting that the other two existed. The musty smell of books, old chairs and dust hung heavy in the air.
The curtains had been drawn shut, sunlight tried to escape through the edges of the curtains. The rows of bookshelves were barely lit save for a path that was illuminated with oil lamps from where I stood at the far end of the room. They glowed softly as they clung to the bookshelves. All casting a green glow along the bindings. The shadows were long and guttered in the small breeze that swept through from the window above. Rhinard and Lynx were already inside and impatiently waiting for me to decide where I was going to go. I paused and listened for a moment. A hollow thud, possibly from one of the heavier volumes she enjoyed, made me turn back to the well lit row.
There you are. I thought to myself as I started down to where I would find Eryn.
The floor was well kept. Every now and then there would be a dark lump on the floor that I had to step around, but that was nothing new. My two companions were having a difficult time, at least that's how it seemed to me. Rhinard was in the middle while Lynx brought up the rear. From what I could tell in the semi-dark, Lynx would take the formers mistakes and quickly learn from them. Stepping over the piles with ease, not even knocking them to the floor.
After walking for a little way, I could finally make out the corner that Eryn liked to seclude herself in any time she was in the library.
"Wait here." I ordered the two men as I stepped into the alcove she had created for herself. "Holed up in here again, I see. Let's go for a ride."
With a heavy sigh, Eryn put her papers down and looked up at me before turning to the two men. "What do you want?"
"Grumpy." I smiled at her as I sat on a pile of plush pillows, tucking one against my chest before smoothing out my dress. "I wanted to see if you would go for a ride and a swim. It's still early. If we hurry, we can get to the clearing before it gets too dark and then we can stay out under the stars. Just like we used to." Eryn read over her papers as I spoke, barely seeming to hear me as I continued. "I used your spell thing to open the door. Why did you kick everyone else out?"
"Everyone else? There is never anyone in here, and I would prefer to keep it that way." With another irritated sigh, Eryn put her papers down and looked at the two men in front of her space once more. "It isn't magic either, just a pressure lock. You know that. What is Rhinard doing here? You know I don't trust him. Or that other one with him. Who is that?"
"He says his name is Lynx." I looked the man over. His pale green eyes were dark under his heavy brow. "If that is his real name, it seems fitting. He's a parting gift from my father, my choice from what Viktor had brought with him this time."
Eryn shuddered behind her desk, rolling her shoulders to get rid of the cringe that had settled over her. "That bastard. You know, your uncle's stories were not that far off. He dulled them down a bit for our age, but otherwise they were spot on." Eryn stood and held a large leather backed book, her eyes locked on me before plopping the heavy thing in my lap. She was serious as she continued. "I've been reading some of these over the last few months. The way he has gained land is unspeakable. They soaked the soil with the blood of those that didn't obey him, that wouldn't take the money or servitude he offered."
I took a deep breath, leaning forward and thumbing through the pages. Names and dates of birth, most paired with a date of death as well, unfolded before my eyes. General Viktor had been a man that wanted to see progress. However, the death count was more than even I could have imagined in the last several years. With no signs or reports of plague, crop failure, or livestock loss. However, the people were suddenly falling dead. The land had been prosperous. The masters were the ones to blame.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I closed the book and put my hand on the cover. "I can make this right."
Eryn scoffed as she paced the small alcove. "You can't do anything to change this, Nyx. The damage is done and the people are upset. What can you do other than get on your knees and beg the king for support to take down a general? And not just any general. This is Viktor Kayn. He is as ruthless as he is cunning. He has your father wrapped around his finger. As long as money and fear run rampant, you can't do anything."
Gnawing at the inside of my lip, I knew she was right. Just like always, I was a game piece and there was no way I could make a move on my own. I had no power, no land to call my own. Not really, anyway, should my father choose to rip them from me while he still drew breath. It was wrong to think of one's parent in such a way, but I often wondered if I would fare just as my brothers had in a fight against him. One on one, just once to see who would come out on top. I knew he wouldn't hold back. He caused the scar that first adorned Petyr's face, after all.
"I might not be effective at first, but I can still try." Rubbing my hand over the leather cover in my lap, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. "I still need your support though Eryn, I can't do this without you."
Eryn smirked, shaking her head sassily. "I know you can't, sweetie. I also can't do this without you, so it looks like we are stuck together."
As her smile widened, my confusion grew until it finally gave way to realization. I sprung up and nearly screamed my delight. "So you're coming with me, then?"
Eryn nodded. "If you haven't changed your mind?"
We both giggled, and I shook my head. My heart lifted and the lump slowly went away, though the thought of what had been written in the pages stuck with me. Names of men, women and children. Some were barely old enough to walk. It made me sick thinking of it. Eryn felt this and while she tried to keep the mood light, she knew the pain I felt and the desire I had to change things.
"On a completely fresh note," Eryn mumbled into my shoulder as she snorted. "How cute is your new bodyguard? If you get bored with your husband, you can always use him."
The way her mood could shift could make one's head spin. Eryn had always been like that. A voice to things when I couldn't speak my mind. My father had disapproved of her but couldn't dismiss her, as she was General Pyke's granddaughter. Retired or not, they would see it as an insult should Eryn be ordered to leave without a viable reason. Still, there had been many times where they had spoken in private. When I was younger, my mind always went to the most inappropriate places. Even now, as she spoke the words I wanted to say, I felt she had done things I could only imagine doing.
Then again, as I turned to the pair and after seeing Rhinard in this light, it made me wonder what he was thinking. His eyes were shadowed over, his dusty brown hair helping to add to the unease I had. I felt something stir in me that made me blush, and at that moment, he reminded me of Alex. It was incredibly brief, but the way Rhinard stood in the darkness reminded me of the last time I had seen Alex. Half asleep and unable to hear him clearly, I didn't realize what had happened until the next morning.
Shaking my head against the memory, I cleared my throat and turned back to the nest of pillows. Grounding myself back into reality.
"Did you want to go for a ride, or did you want to continue your reading?"
"Why not both?" Eryn shrugged easily. "I wouldn't mind being able to see these two in action if I can. Maybe a lynx will attack Lynx, huh?"
Weakly laughing at the joke, I made sure the pillows were off the floor before turning to her desk. Papers and books sat on the surface, scattered in an organized mess that only made sense to Eryn herself.
"Who else knows about your research?"
"No one important. At least not that I know of." Eryn looked at the books, papers and scrolls scattered on and around her desk. "Why? Do you think someone might spy on me? So what if they are? Your father knows about it, so the king must know about it as well. As long as I say nothing, I'll be fine. You, on the other hand, well, that stands to be seen."
"I thought my voice didn't make a difference?" I looked at her with my eyebrow raised.
Eryn shrugged her shoulders with a small pout. "It doesn't. Not yet, anyway."
At the stables I opened Wraith's stall door, allowing him to walk out freely. Eryn had to coax her mare out with treats. The old girl's belly was fat with overeating and her enthusiasm showed in how she would approach the treat only to go back into the stall when not presented with another right away. Snorting a laugh, I tried to muffle it in Wraith's neck.
"Shut up! It isn't like I do this sort of thing all the time."
"I can tell. Pudding has gotten fat and lazy. When was the last time you took her out for a walk?"
Eryn looked at me, puzzled. "They let her out in that coral thing out there. Doesn't that do it for them?"
As though to protest, Wraith snorted disapprovingly. His hoof stomping the ground as I nodded my head in agreement.
"He's right. It doesn't count." Grabbing one halter from the wall, I held it out to her and gestured to Pudding. "Here, put this on her and we'll get her a pleasant walk in."
"That's all your father approved to do. I hope you understand that." Rhinard spoke deeply behind us.
He had been observing us, making sure we didn't go off on our own, while Lynx was simply a shadow at this point. He didn't know his way around the estate. I also felt that he wanted to fight Rhinard. He was just looking for the best opportunity.
Rolling my eyes, I didn't even turn to look at him as I passed. Wraith swatted at him with his tail and let out a soft noise from deep in his chest. After Eryn got the halter on Pudding, she was nearly exhausted. Eryn, not Pudding. It thrilled Pudding to be outside, if only to run right to a patch of fresh grass. Even if it meant dragging Eryn behind her.
Eryn's thick red hair stuck to her forehead and out at odd angles. The frustration showed in her powder blue eyes. Pressing my lips together, I held out my hand to help her up. Taking it angrily, she huffed and stormed over to Pudding. However, when she grabbed hold of the rope, her expression softened. Shrugging at this, I tapped Wraith's shoulder, and we walked to where they stood.
"You might need to hold it right under her chin for a while. At least until she understands you didn't bring her out here to eat."
From the corner of my eye, I could see Rhinard and Lynx circling us. Making sure neither of us took off. It was laughable to me. If I truly wanted to, I could leap onto Wraith and we would be gone before anyone even knew what happened. However, with the signals slowly coming in for Nicolaus' arrival, I had a feeling we would have more than just these two on our tail. Heaving a heavy sigh, I looked at Eryn and gave her an encouraging nod before Wraith and I started our perimeter walk.
"You didn't say what your father wanted. Was it just about your husband's arrival?"
I flinched at him being called this. He wasn't my husband, not yet, and even when he was, I wouldn't see him as my equal until he could prove it.
"He barely mentioned Nicolaus. It was more of a final warning to suck it up before I end up ruining what my father has planned." I looked down at my feet, watching as my toes poked from under my skirt with each step. "I am his last piece in this weird game and it is absolutely horrifying."
"Horrifying how?" Eryn looked as clueless as anyone could be. "The arranged marriage aside, you have the chance to see new things. Experience a lifestyle that we don't have here. Not really. I am going to enjoy every minute, while also getting more information any way I can. All you have to do is keep them from wondering where I am and we'll be set!"
One long hour later, Eryn had retired to get ready for the party. Meanwhile, I had opted to trying to see if my brother was in fact here. For Mikal to see me off would be the best gift I could ask for. It had been so long and I had missed him dearly. While Petyr was fine and Aramis was tolerable, there was something about Mikal that made me feel safe. Something in the way he was informed and cultured intrigued me in a way that made me hang on his every word the last time he had visited. I was barely thirteen then, my mind still full of wonder even as my father had worked to anchor me down to reality.
Making my way to his old rooms, I felt my shoulders sink as the overwhelming pressure of Rhinard's presence once again surfaced. I had shaken him and Lynx after leaving Eryn's room through one of the old passageways. Now it seemed that he was able to find me. Clenching my jaw, I tried to ignore him and continued on. There was no way I will let him ruin this for me. If Mikal was here, as I suspected he was, and Eryn had even confirmed it earlier, I could hide in his room until the party started.
Knocking lightly on the door didn't produce a response. I knocked again, a little louder this time. Again, there was no answer from the other side.
"He isn't here, Nyx. He never was." Rhinard stated flatly, his heavy footfalls coming up behind me steadily. "Aramis is gone as well. He had to leave because of some sort of dispute along the border. I heard you earlier with Eryn. Stay out of it, Nyx. You don't know how far this goes."
Snorting laughter, I shook my head and turned to face him. I hadn't realized how close he was until I made this move. Taking a step back, my head hit the door as I looked up at the towering figure in front of me.
I put my hands up and pressed against his chest. "Shit, why are you so close?"
Rhinard didn't move backward. His weight instead pressed against my palms, making my arms shake. When I tried to dart around him, Rhinard caught me easily, keeping me pinned between his arms against the wall. He was over a foot taller than me and at least one hundred pounds heavier. A body built for combat and made to serve a man he resembled in his youth. This close, I could see his features more clearly. The scars that snaked up his arms, small nicks, covered his neck and collarbone. His face was well sculpted, with a strong jawline and a patch of stubble that oddly made my knees weak. His hazel-green eyes sat under a mess of short cropped hair, and while the rest of his body seemed to adorn them, his face was void of any scars or blemishes save for one just under his right earlobe wrapping around to his neck.
"Get off of me!" Pushing back harder, I balled up my fist and slammed it as best I could against his chest. He didn't flinch, his weight continuing to press down on me steadily.
Finally, I did the only thing that came to mind. I let my hands fall along with my body and slid out from between his legs. Scrambling across the floor on my hands and knees before standing upright once again. Panic filled my chest, and I made a run for it.
"Alex is alive."
I tripped at these words, turning to look back at Rhinard it was evident that this was just a ploy to get him some extra time. As he ran toward me, I stood my ground, ready to face him for such a childish act.
Then, rather suddenly, he stopped his advance. His eyes no longer focused on me, but behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, Petyr stood there with a rather bored expression on his face. Jumping, I took the opportunity and hid behind my brother for what would probably be the last time. Admittedly, I wanted to know how much he had heard and if what Rhinard had blurted to be true. I didn't bother with that at the moment. If Petyr knew anything, he had been tightlipped about it. However, if he knew something and withheld the information, I would never forgive him.
As I hid behind him, I was grateful for the height difference now. Where I was over a foot shorter than either of them, Petyr was only five inches shorter than Rhinard and had a similar build. However, in a fight between the two, I wasn't sure who would win. I doubted it would come to that, but there was always the possibility.
"Care to explain what's going on here?"
I shook my head. "There is nothing to explain. I thought Mikal was home. I was wrong. Rhinard was just following orders. That's it."
Petyr looked me over, no doubt rolling my words over in his mind. Assessing every syllable to determine if something had just been interrupted. I admit I was spiteful, if laying with one man in my almost seventeen years of living counted as such. Other than that, I had been a decent child and never warranted the distrustful sidelong glance I received from my brother just then.
"Very well." He looked at Rhinard. His pale eyebrow rose as he talked down to the man. "Lord Willow requests your presence. The prince has arrived, and they expect you in the great hall."
Rhinard hesitated, looking from Petyr to me and back again. He was deciding which punishment would be dealt with more harshly. Lowering his head, he decided. Without a word, he disappeared around the corner.
"I believe you also left this behind." Petyr sounded even more annoyed than before. "Try not to leave him unattended again. He's still coming off of the effects of whatever Viktor gave them. Or he found the wine. That aside, you need to get ready. The party is about to start and Nicolaus is already here and asking for you. What have you been doing?"
My blood froze, and my stomach fell like a boulder to my feet. I felt my eyes bulge out of my skull as I tried to hide the nervous twitch I had. Though the pain I felt in my pinky already told me I was failing on that front. Nicolaus was here. We were leaving in the morning. I wasn't ready.