Mercy's Prince (20 page)

Valerian
waited for Merry’s permission to help her mount. He put his hands around her
slender waist and lifted her up to the saddle. She grabbed Kieran’s leather
tunic. He glanced over his shoulder.

“Just
hold me around the waist, Merry, and sit firmly in the saddle. I will nae let
you fall.”

Valerian
stepped back and grabbed the gray’s reins. “I’ll keep an eye on her, Kieran,
and let you know if we need to stop.”

Without
a backward glance, they rode down the bluff, across the bridge, and into the
forest.

            *         

They
traveled along the overgrown path until it intersected a wider road. Valerian
kept checking on Merry to make sure she wasn’t about to slide off the horse. Although
she rode awkwardly, she drank in her surroundings. She’d probably never been
outside her village before, so everything would be new. Kieran kept a running
commentary on the weather, the trees, birds, and animals. When the squire said “tree
dragon” Valerian followed Kieran’s finger until he spotted the little creature
scampering down the trunk of a large elm. Merry’s eyes widened when she saw it
and a slight smile came to her lips. Valerian was glad she wasn’t a fearful
sort.

They
passed a few folk on the road, but since Valerian wore plain leathers, they
merely nodded a greeting. Valerian much preferred traveling without the
trappings of royalty. He could observe the people as they would normally
behave, not just their deference to the prince of Levathia.

As
the shadows lengthened it was apparent Merry was exhausted. Even though they
hadn’t ridden far, he remembered his first outings on horseback and how much
energy he’d used just staying upright in the saddle. He couldn’t imagine how
difficult it would be to ride sideways while wearing a dress and holding onto a
total stranger, albeit a cheerful and obliging one.

“Kieran,
we must find a site to camp for the night. We won’t reach Lord Reed’s castle
until tomorrow evening at the earliest.”

“My
thoughts exactly, Sire.” Kieran swung his leg around, about to slide off the
horse.

Merry’s
eyes widen, and Valerian held up a hand to stop Kieran.

“Wait! 
Let me help her off first.” Valerian reached up and lifted Merry by the waist. She
let go of Kieran and braced herself on Valerian’s shoulders. He set her down in
one smooth motion, but she grabbed for his arms as her legs buckled.

“Steady,”
he said quietly. “Until you become used to riding, it will over-tire your
muscles. I well remember.” He let Merry lean on him until she found her legs
again.

Kieran
was already gathering dead wood for a fire. He shook out sleeping furs and
arranged them at equal points around the fire site. While Merry went behind the
trees, Valerian and Kieran opened their saddle bags to take inventory.

“We
have just two or three days’ more food, my lord.”

“I’m
sure Lord Reed will be glad to re-provision us. If not, we have our bows.”

“And
I have my fishing line and hooks.” Kieran appeared thoughtful. “I wonder if
fish in the south are as tasty as northern fish?”

“I’d
be willing to sample whatever you catch.” Valerian smiled. “And you must show
me how to clean and cook it.”

“With
pleasure, Sire.” Kieran saluted.

Merry
returned to the clearing, pale and worn.

“Are
ye hungry, lass?” Kieran held out a piece of dried meat.

She
took it and sniffed, frowning.

Is
this meat?

“Yes.
Is something wrong?”

Merry
gave the meat back to Kieran without breaking eye contact with Valerian.

I
have never eaten it.

“Never?
Why not?”

We
take an oath at the age of twelve that we will never take the life of any
living creature.

An
image of Gabriel speaking calmly to the king came to Valerian.

“I
knew that, but I didn’t realize it meant you couldn’t eat meat.”

“She
canna eat meat?”

“Apparently
that’s part of the Brethren’s Oath of Peace.”

Kieran
turned to Merry, chagrined.

“Ach,
lass, I had no idea and dinna mean to offend you.”

She
gave him a tired smile.

“Can
you eat bread? We have a wee bit left, but ’tis probably stale.”

Merry
nodded again. Kieran rummaged through his pack and pulled out a piece of flat
bread.

“Here
you go, Merry.”

The
three of them sat on the furs and shared the meal. Kieran passed around a flask
of water and chattered amiably between bites. Valerian watched Kieran, amused. He
was obviously smitten with the girl, but she was too tired to give him more
than polite attention. Valerian felt compelled to rescue Merry from his squire’s
eager interest.

“If
we sleep now,” he reminded Kieran, “we can get an early start.”

“But
Sire,” Kieran said with pleading in his voice. “There’s still daylight.”

Valerian
forced a smile. “Not for long.”

“Please,
Sire, can we not just go a wee bit longer? I haven’t had the chance to teach
you the sword dance.”

Valerian
wanted to be stern with him, but he merely sighed.

“Very
well.” The last thing he wished to do was fall on his face in order to make
Kieran look good in front of Merry, but he did owe Kieran his life. It was the
least he could do for him.

Kieran
cleared an area near the fire of twigs and leaves. Then he pulled his sword
from its scabbard and laid it flat on the ground.

“May
I have your sword, Sire?”

Reluctantly
Valerian handed Alden’s sword to Kieran, hilt first. The squire placed it on
top of his own, crossed as the spears had been.

“Now,
I’ll stand here.” Kieran took his place in the outside edge of one quarter. “And
if you’ll stand across from me, we can begin.”

Valerian
slowly moved to the spot. He glanced at Merry. She watched with the same
interest she’d given the tree dragon.

“The
biggest problem is we hae no music. I’ll have to sing it.”

“Is
it a particular song? Or will any song do?”

“Ach,
no, my lord. ’Tis one song only. That’s what makes it the sword dance.”

“I
see.” But Valerian predicted this exercise would not turn out as well as Kieran’s
training session when they had learned to use their swords.

The
foot moves were not as difficult as Valerian imagined, but the timing was
challenging without actual musicians to keep the beat. He found himself
laughing in spite of himself. Kieran, of course, enjoyed showing off. Valerian
could not be angry with him.

At
last it grew too dark to see clearly by firelight, so Valerian and Kieran each
wiped off their blades and returned the swords to their scabbards. Merry was
visibly wilted with exhaustion, but Kieran seemed ready to talk all night.
Valerian pulled him aside.

“You
must rein in your enthusiasm. Can you not see that Merry needs to sleep? After
all she has witnessed, I feel sure she has not slept well, if at all, for more
than one night.”

Kieran
looked stricken.

“I’m
sorry, Sire. I did get carried away and lost me head.” He glanced at Merry but
didn’t speak again as he laid down on the furs.

Valerian
knelt beside Merry and spoke quietly.

“It
has grown too dark for me to
See
your thoughts. If you need anything
during the night, wake me. I am, unfortunately, not a sound sleeper.” She
nodded and lay down on the furs Kieran had given her. When she curled on her
side and tucked her hands under her cheek, Valerian covered her with another
fur. As soon as she closed her eyes he bedded down close by.

Valerian
lay awake, listening to the sounds of the night until he could tell by their
regular breathing that Merry and Kieran had fallen asleep. He willed himself to
follow them, but for some reason he couldn’t stop thinking about the sisters he’d
lost at a young age. Ravanna was six when she died of a fever, and he was
barely three. Because his mother was expecting the younger sister at the time,
it was said the babe had died of the mother’s grief. Certainly she did not live
more than a day after her birth. The queen had shut herself away ever since.

Why
was he remembering this? Was it the sudden and unexpected contact with a female
mind that had awakened such memories? He’d never had a close relationship with
any woman or girl in his life. His two aunts were almost as distant as his
mother, and he had no female cousins. The only women he knew were courtiers and
servants at the Keep, but he’d never had any real contact with them other than
polite greetings. That unspoken but very real wall of separation, what he could
only term a
splendid isolation
, had kept him apart as a prince. Was that
why he’d always longed to be a monk? Since he’d never really learned how to
deal with people, he’d envisioned a monk’s life as ideal.

He
sighed. Perhaps he could have become one had his brother lived and begat an
heir. Now he desperately needed to learn how to relate to every kind of person,
both great and small, so when the time came he could rule wisely.

Thank
the Most High Kieran had come into his life. For the first time, he had a true
friend, someone he could utterly trust. Perhaps the girl Merry was a gift also,
so he might learn to understand the feminine mind before he had to marry. He
already felt protective of her, as if she was a sister, and he’d known her less
than a day. Should she turn out to be Gabriel’s daughter, he knew he would feel
even more of an obligation to provide for her welfare in every possible way.

How
odd he should feel such a connection to Gabriel and the Brethren, since he’d
only spoken with Gabriel twice. He regretted there had been no time to sit down
with the man and know him better.

At
last Valerian’s thoughts settled and he drifted into sleep.

***

When
he and his men arrived at Lord Reed’s castle, Caelis sent Drew and the boy with
the others to the barracks. He didn’t want to have to answer any nosy questions
from his uncle or his cousin.

A
page announced him, and he waited, pacing, in his uncle’s sitting room. Lord
Percival Reed was overly fond of embroidered chairs and fine tapestries. No
great military mind occupied his uncle’s head. At last Reed entered, smiling.

“You
are welcome, nephew. What brings you south?”

Caelis
received his uncle’s embrace. He wrinkled his nose at the perfume the older man
wore.

“I’ve
been on patrol, uncle, and thought I’d pay you a brief visit before I return to
the Keep.”

“Patrol,
you say?” Reed sat on a divan and urged Caelis to sit in the chair beside him. “Are
the Horde on the prowl again?”

Caelis
shook his head and sat on the plush cushion.

“No,
but we need to stay alert for their return. I’ve been working with the Keep’s
armorer on a bow design that will be more effective in piercing the Horde’s
scales. I hope to give the king a demonstration soon.”

“Ever
bringing credit to our family, I see.” Reed grinned. “Your good father, may he
rest in peace, would be proud.”

I
doubt that
.
But Caelis did not say the words aloud.

He
was spared further speculation on his dead father by the entrance of Reed’s
daughter. Hanalah swept into the room wearing a low cut red gown. Her yellow
hair was arranged in a jeweled net, and her full lips were painted a deep red.

“Hello,
cousin Hanalah.” He admired her shapely figure.

She
made a graceful curtsy and sat on the divan beside her father.

“So
good to see you again, cousin. Or I should say, Sir Caelis.”

Caelis
was always taken aback by the contrast between Hanalah’s beauty and the grating
shrillness of her voice. She smiled and took her father’s arm. Reed kissed her
forehead.

“I
have news of special interest to you,” Caelis said, including them both. “Prince
Valerian is in the south and expected to visit here.”

Hanalah’s
face brightened, making her even more radiant.

“Valerian
is coming here? Did he ask about me?”

Caelis
laughed. His cousin always did make herself the center of every situation.

“I
did not actually see him. King Orland sent him to visit all the border
garrisons, and Sir Walter at the Southern Garrison just informed me that the
prince was on his way here.”

“How
did you reach us before the prince, then?” said Lord Reed.

“He
had others to visit, notably Eldred and probably Sir Rudyard MacNeil.”

Hanalah
pouted. Any other woman would have looked ridiculous, but the pout only
enhanced his cousin’s charm.

“And
why would he not come here first? Are we not of more importance than some
doddering old Seer and a crippled knight?”