The Chosen (42 page)

After five potential suitors seeking her affections came and went, Kathryn found a chair and sank down into it. She was smart enough not to grab a seat on a couch—she wasn’t in the mood to fight off a knight with less than chivalrous intentions.

Amy came by between dances and chatted for a few minutes before being claimed for another dance.

As she watched her friend dance, Kathryn wished she could be anywhere but here. Give her a crisp morning with a thief or murderer to track down through the woods, anything but a ball. Amy, Natalie, and the others came from families that were used to this sort of thing. Even at school, Kathryn hadn’t participated in many of the classes dedicated to teaching court etiquette, she’d only been required to attend the most basic courses before being whisked into classes dedicated to developing her hardly used gift. She had never gone to an imitation ball.

Glancing around Kathryn attempted to locate the rest of the dragons. Amy was dancing with Derek again. Kathryn smiled at the thought of the crown prince being smitten with a woman he could never have. Jenna was dancing with Matt and apparently knee-deep in serious conversation by the looks of their faces. She fought the urge to slap them upside the heads and remind them that they were supposed to look like they were enjoying themselves. Natalie was dancing and flirting with Lord Tanner, who appeared to be immune to her charms.

Lindsey, Rachel, and Elizabeth stood in a circle with other noble ladies, giggling and fluttering their fans.             

Leia was dancing with Tyler, who was actually turning out to be a respectable dancer. Luke and Cassandra were talking off to the side near the musicians. Daniel was dancing with a pretty red-head who was flirting outrageously. Kathryn grimaced in disgust at the lady’s antics. Didn’t she realize how unbecoming and humiliating her actions were? Fortunately Daniel was level headed enough to brush off her advances.  David was—where was David? Glancing around, Kathryn failed to spot their family leader.

Oh well. As she watched the rest of her family she took careful note of their appearances and compared them to others dancing or mulling around them.

  She wanted to grimace slightly when she realized that none of them were common looking. Every girl had several characteristics that would have admirers flocking around them. The boys were well muscled and well-tanned, a look that was in style as of late. They stood out in this crowd, noticed by all who glanced in their direction. If they ever needed to put together a clandestine mission within the noble ranks, they were going to run into some serious problems. She would have to think of ways to hide the Dragons in plain sight.

So where did she fit in? She had been told by every love-struck Lord or Sir she had danced with that she was beautiful. She certainly didn’t feel beautiful, but then again, beauty was in the eye of the beholder. Perhaps that was her curse. Beauty made one stand out, no matter how much money they had. So, no matter how much she tried to hide, they would always seek her out.

She would have to learn to hide better.

David watched Kathryn from the shadows of the balcony where he had taken refuge. Like his second-in-command, he had grown tired of playing the necessary game of subterfuge and chase found at court. He had lasted longer than she had, but he had been born into this, she hadn’t. As it was he had only managed to dance with Kathryn, his sisters, Amy, and finally his mother, who returned to the ball after a short absence, before retreating…something his mother would probably lecture him on tomorrow. He wasn’t worried. He’d probably heard the lecture ten times by now. Besides, he found watching so much more enjoyable…and entertaining.

Even now, he watched Kathryn glance around the room taking careful note to locate each of the Dragons. He saw her smile as she located Amy and Derek and was impressed at the transformation of her features. After locating the rest of the Dragons, he watched her glance around the room several times,
no doubt looking for me
, he thought with a smirk. She wouldn’t find him.

He watched her turn away several potential partners as she continued to watch the rest of the Dragons.

Kathryn is a mother hen
! The realization hit him with such a force it took his breath away and made him want to laugh at the same time.

Despite all of Kathryn’s cold manners and uninviting gazes, she still looked after the rest of the Dragons like a mother watched out for her children.

I don’t believe you’re as cold and unfeeling as you make yourself out to be, Kathryn
, he told her silently.
And I’m going to prove it— to the Dragons, to the kingdom, but most importantly—to yourself.

He watched as Derek whisked her out onto the floor for another dance and briefly considered returning to the floor when another one of her partner’s hands began a slow uninvited travel during the dance. However Kathryn leaned towards his ear and spoke a few words and afterwards her partner’s hands stayed put as etiquette dictated, in her hand and on her waist.

He left the balcony for the last dance and managed to claim Kathryn before any other lords, or either of his brothers.

After the last dance, he escorted her back to her room. Neither of them spoke, Kathryn too exhausted from playing the part of the gentle noblewoman, and David unwilling to upset her again like he had earlier.

That night the nightmares and flashbacks became worse than Kathryn had experienced in years. Usually she could wake up and shake off the effects within a few minutes. However, while she was still sitting at the window waiting for the restlessness to cease not even the reddening of the sky from Niea and how it transformed the night into a beautiful landscape comforted her.

She knew that she could forget about getting any sleep. She would have to take careful steps to ensure that none of the other Dragons noticed her edginess and lethargy. The last thing she needed was for Amy or David to start badgering her about her sleeping habits.

She desperately wanted to ride Lerina for several radians, but it was far too early for anyone to even be close to waking and going down to the stables now would raise too many questions. Sighing, she pulled out a scroll she had secreted from the royal library earlier and settled in to read for a few radians.

Destiny’s sharp peck at the window drew her attention from the book and as Kathryn looked up she saw that the sun was now visible above the Airë
Mountains. Quickly she donned a riding habit and slipped through the still sleeping castle. It was only a few radians after daybreak, far too early for any of the party-goers to be even close to stirring. Kathryn hoped that it also meant a secluded ride without any prying eyes.

“Good morning Milady,” the stable master greeted her as she stepped into the stables.

“Good morning.” Kathryn forced what she hoped was a pleasant smile onto her face and nodded to him.

The toughened horse master looked up at the sky and grinned. “I do believe it’s going to be a beautiful day.”

Kathryn followed his eyes and nodded in agreement. “I believe you’re right,’ she continued on, assuring the horse master that she didn’t need help saddling her horse.

Lerina snorted a greeting and Kathryn fed her a sugar cube from the stash she kept in her saddlebags—which she kept in her room to keep her greedy horse from nosing through.

Minutes later she was flying across the grassy plains behind the palace—the wind whipping her hair out behind her.
Perhaps I should have tied it back,
she mused as she raced away from the palace. But no, she didn’t need a headache this early in the morning, and it was a rare noble, man or woman, who rose early after a ball. No one would be around to see her conduct herself in a manner befitting a peasant.

As she rode, Kathryn felt some the tension and fear drain from her body. With every step Lerina took, she felt a small weight lift from her shoulders. The farther they went, the more relief Kathryn felt. After a radian Kathryn felt more like her old self.

“Come on girl,” she urged her mount. “Let’s see if we can catch the wind!”

Lerina took off like an arrow shot from a longbow; it was as if she had been waiting for such a command and now rejoiced at the opportunity to race the wind.

Destiny called from high above. Riding a rapidly rising thermal she was but a black speck against the blue cloudless sky. Before them the plain stretched for kilometers before rising sharply to form the Airë
Mountains.

According to legends the land beyond the Airë Mountains was the homeland of both the Elves and the remaining Wanderers. It was said that a mystical forest lay beyond the mountains and that both races could perform magic that would make the Guardians look like children with an adult’s sword.

Kathryn reigned in Lerina until they stood motionless before the towering mountains.

It is odd that both the Elves and the Wanderer’s histories begin beyond the mountains,
she ruminated as she shifted in the saddle.
The Elves, with their places of healing, desire for knowledge, and dedication to a mysterious being should not come from the same land that houses the heathen Wanderers who sacrifice their own children and worship the sun and fire.

According to the ancient scrolls the name Airë originally meant something in an ancient Elvish language, but its meaning had been lost over the countless generations and the ink on the scrolls had faded so badly, the significance was impossible to make out. Interestingly enough, Airë was also the last month of the year, all the other months names had meanings, just not Airë. Kathryn had often wondered if the name wasn’t Elvish, but an ancient dialect used by the Wanderers. The Airë Mountains contained the highest peaks in the kingdom and such an altitude could have been considered by the Wanderers to bring them closer to their object of worship, perhaps Airë meant something along the lines of worship.

Not that there was anybody who could confirm or deny any theory that arose. Those who traveled across the mountains never returned. Rumors spread like wildfire throughout the kingdom claiming anything from the supposition that no one ever crossed the mountains alive to the idea that the wild tribes on the other side killed them as soon as they arrived, or that some dark and evil magic sought out and enslaved those who would dare to cross the mountain barrier.

Kathryn believed that it was a combination of the intense cold and thin air at such high altitudes and the hungry mountain predators that kept the questers from ever returning.

Returning
. S
omething she should probably consider since it was likely the castle guests had started to awaken from their slumber. Glancing back at the towering peaks, Kathryn reluctantly turned Lerina back towards the palace—a mere speck on the horizon.

They made it back in just over a radian and as Kathryn rubbed Lerina down she heard male voices enter the stable. It didn’t take her long to discover the speakers’ identities.

Luke, Tyler, and David walked down the long rows between the stalls. Luke was muttering something about not getting enough sleep, Tyler was complaining about his sore feet, but David wasn’t saying anything.

Kathryn retrieved a strand of leather and quickly tied her hair back before stepping out of Lerina’s stall. The boys, three stalls ahead, stopped.

“Good morning, Lady Kathryn,” Luke called, his voice sounding like he was still half-asleep. Or still suffering from the effects of the wine from last night, he’d sure drunk enough of it. Later she would have to discuss his drinking habits with him. He wasn’t helpful to
anyone
in an inebriated state. She sincerely hoped that it had been an act, she didn’t want to live with another drunkard.

She frowned at him. “I hope you aren’t planning on competing in that state, Sir Lucian.”

Luke turned to Tyler. “What is she trying to tell me?”

“She’s trying to tell you that you’re acting like you’re a drunk who hasn’t had a good night’s sleep in days and that if you try to compete you’ll be skewered by your opponent before you can find your balance on your steed,” his friend informed him matter-of-factly.

Luke grimaced. “What a lovely image to consider so early in the morning.”

David laughed. “It’s almost time for brunch. I hardly think it is that early.”

Luke frowned again. “All I said was good morning! I hardly think that deserves a lecture. If you guys make this a habit, I’m not going to speak to anyone before noon.”

Looking up, David winked at Kathryn. “Make sure you do this every morning,” he told her in mock seriousness. “He can’t form a coherent sentence before noon so it would save us all the trouble of having to translate his garbled words.”

As Luke protested, Kathryn rolled her eyes skyward and quickly moved past them. Men! Couldn’t they ever be serious? Well, perhaps Tyler could, he seemed to be the only sensible one in the family. Maybe David too, she added grudgingly.

When she returned to her room, she found a breakfast tray had been delivered with a delicious assortment of fruits and cheeses. As she ate she considered what competitions she wanted to watch.

Thanks to David asking her to be his sponsor, she would have to attend the joust. Javelin throwing held no appeal to her, neither did hand-to-hand combat. Something about half naked men wallowing and grunting in the mud and dirt while slapping each other silly held no appeal for her. Although some of the other noble ladies were convinced that such was the high point of the competition.
 
Archery she would definitely attend as well as the sword fighting.
Of course if I had my way, I’d be competing instead of sitting in the heat wearing a ridiculous dress.

Now that she had finished breakfast she moved to her closet to pick out a dress. Brushing past the ball gowns, with the dreaded blue gown hanging in front, she picked out a deep green day dress. The light material would keep her cool throughout the tournaments and the color was one she favored.

By the time she finished bathing and dressing it was still early so she decided to visit the palace’s massive library.

There were a few brave souls who had risen early and taken refuge in the numerous rooms that made up the library, Kathryn wandered through the rooms until she found an empty nook. The room she found herself in housed books of fantasy and fiction.

Kathryn chose a book called
The Dragon’s Call
off the shelf and settled herself in a window seat as she opened the book.

Immediately she was pulled into the story of a kingdom that was undergoing an insurgency—one of the king’s own sons had killed his father and declared himself king. His two brothers he kept locked away in the dungeons and mines. His eldest brother, the true heir, was deceived by the usurper’s charms and believed everything he was told and remained partially free. The younger brother was not deceived and the false king sent him and his beloved to work the mines. After a month, the dictator called the young prince’s beloved away from the mines and to his side for she was a very desirable woman and he wanted her. However the young woman resisted him—until the dictator offered her a way to save the one person she loved. If she married him, and became his wife in every way, he would free his brother from the mines.

“Lady Kathryn?”

The quiet question startled Kathryn out of the fantasy world and back into reality. She looked up to find Natalie and David looking down at her.

“Are you okay?” Natalie asked, settling herself onto the other half of the window seat.

Kathryn looked at her, confused. “Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“It’s just that Sir Darian and I were able to get within three meters of you, talking the whole while and yet we startled you,” Natalie explained slowly.

That
was a disturbing piece of information. In a place as quiet as the library, she should have been able to hear them
enter.
Kathryn grimaced, nodding toward the book she had placed on the side table. “It’s a very intriguing book.” And one she wouldn’t risk picking up again. She couldn’t risk being caught off guard again.

David picked up the book and raised an eyebrow at her. “
The Tales of the Great Wizards of Old.
Normally I give books the benefit of the doubt, but our history instructor read parts of this to my class. He cured everyone’s insomnia in about five minutes.”

Kathryn quickly reached out for the book. “That isn’t the title at all,” she exclaimed, looking down to correct him, only to stare at the words
, The Tales of the Great Wizards of Old
. “I don’t understand,” she whispered slowly. “This wasn’t the book I grabbed off the shelf,” she opened the book to look inside. “And this certainly wasn’t the story I was reading.”

“It’s okay if you like the book, Lady Kathryn,” David told her. “It’s just that I personally thought it was boring.”

Kathryn shook her head. “No, it’s not that at all. This was not the book I was reading.” She watched Natalie and David exchange a look and knew that they didn’t believe her.

“Oh, never mind.” She pushed herself up off the window seat and headed back towards her room.

“Hey!” Natalie and David hurried after her, “Where are you going?” Natalie demanded.

“Back to my room, I need to get ready for the tournaments,” Kathryn replied, her voice stiff.

“You look ready to me,” Natalie commented eyeing her appearance. “Maybe do a little something with your hair and you’re ready to go.” After a moment she added in a low tone, “And I can’t believe that you didn’t tell me that you are the Dowager Princess’s ward!”

Kathryn risked a glance at David who was watching her intently. “I didn’t think it was important.”

“Not important?” Natalie’s voice rose a little. “You’re practically royalty and you don’t think it’s worth mentioning?”

“I’m not royalty,” Kathryn ground out. “I’m the ward of the Dowager Princess, whom I rarely see, so what’s the point of mentioning it?”

“What’s the point?” Natalie echoed incredulously. “Kathryn, you’re in the perfect position to get to know the princes! Perhaps even be courted by one!”

“I’ve met both of them and I’m not interested,” she retorted sharply.

“Come on, Kathryn, you have to be a little curious about what’s underneath their royal exterior. What about the youngest prince?”

“I could care less,” Kathryn replied firmly. “I’ve seen enough and I’m certain that the last prince is going to be just like his brothers—someone I don’t wish to associate with.”

Natalie threw her hands into the air. “I give up. The youngest prince’s identity hasn’t even been revealed yet and Kathryn has already decided to hate him just because he’s royalty.”