Chapter 2
Cai
“You’re not yourself this morning.” Thatcher swung his fist towards my left cheek.
I ducked and barely managed to avoid getting hit.
“You’re distracted,” my oldest friend and confidant said, with a hint of amusement on his face.
“Am not.” I aimed a punch at him, which he blocked before ramming a fist into my stomach. I gasped, stepping back as the air escaped my lungs. Thatcher huffed out a laugh at my rather incompetent defence.
“Yes, you are. You’re thinking about her , aren’t you?” He wiggled his eyebrows, holding up both fists to ready himself for another hit.
There was no proper explanation for why we were throwing punches at each other in a sand ring before ten o’clock in the morning. We had been having breakfast when the topic arose of our training days as two ignorant youths. I had an early start preparing for my role as soldier and king, while Thatcher was only too eager for an excuse to knock me on my behind.
He swore on his honour that he had bested me the majority of the time. I swore he was a liar. Next thing we knew, we were fighting in the dirt, just like the old days. The familiarity of the act held a sense of comfort, which is probably why I didn’t want to call it quits just yet, even though I had plenty of responsibilities to attend to today.
I shook off the blow to my torso and put up my fists again. “I’m afraid I don’t know who you’re talking about,” I responded.
“Your lady across the mountains, your forbidden love, the Queen of Everness. What would you like me to call her?” he drawled out, somewhat dramatically, and I looked Thatcher in the eye.
“I’m not thinking about Lara,” I said. The mere sound of her name made something in my chest ache.
Thatcher shook his head of curly blond locks and smirked at me. “You should see the way your eyes light up when you say her name.”
He was enjoying this way too much.
I kicked behind his knee and tackled him to the ground of the fighting ring, which was just outside the gardens. Though the weather was acceptable, there were few guards on this side of the palace. Usually, they trained during the earlier hours of the morning and then again in the late afternoon. This meant Thatcher and I had the training yard to ourselves, which I had no complaints about. The last thing my men needed to see was their king fighting in the dirt with one of his lords, for no other reason than childish ego.
“Fine, don’t talk about her. I know what you’re thinking in any case.” He shoved me off, hard enough that it caused me to stumble, allowing him to land a kick to my side.
I staggered and pushed myself back into a standing position, just out of his reach. A drop of sweat ran down the side of my brow. I took off my shirt and tossed it outside the ring, needing the distraction to catch my breath. Thatcher used this time to get back up.
“Then you know I’m thinking that I’m about to kick your arse.”
He let out another laugh, and then groaned as I punched his nose. It wasn’t long before a little blood started to drip. Had it not been for his arrogant expression and the multiple bruises that were likely to cover my body, I might have felt bad. Instead, I was somewhat sleep-deprived, distracted by all my duties and obligations, and trying my best not to think about Elara. Something Thatcher clearly wasn’t interested in helping me with.
I didn’t want to let him know how much it irked me. Didn’t want to let anyone know that I couldn’t seem to shake the feeling of being overwhelmed and that this fight in the ring was the only steam I’d let off for days.
“You can say what you like—” he pinched his nose with a grimace — “but I’ve known you since before we could talk. Don’t for a second fool yourself into believing that I don’t know what you’re thinking.”
He sprang at me, taking me by surprise. Thatcher and I shared roughly the same build and height, which is why most of the time there wasn’t a definite winner when it came to our sparring. Thatcher feigned left and then dashed right with a lunge. He knocked me to the ground and pinned my neck with his arm. Not hard enough to restrict my breathing, but with enough force to keep me down.
“Just admit that I’m a better fighter than you,” he urged. A small line of blood trailed down to his upper lip. I hoped I hadn’t fractured anything seriously.
“I might. But it’s only because I’m the more mature one out of the two of us,” I forced out, tired and slightly sore.
He beamed and sat back in satisfaction, releasing his grip on me. “You know you give up quite easily for someone of your stature.”
Thatcher wiped the blood from his face, and I sat up, trying to catch my breath.
“Perhaps I just didn’t feel like breaking too many of your bones today.”
“Yes, of course, that’s what it was.”
I reached over to the side of the ring and grabbed my shirt to wipe the sweat and sand from my face. Thatcher picked up a small flask from where his things lay next to the ring and took a sip. I couldn’t be sure if it contained water. I was rather parched myself.
“Have you heard anything from Queen Elara at all?” he dared to ask, and I gave him a sideways glance.
“No,” I replied curtly, hoping we were done with the topic.
“Have you written to her?”
I sighed. “No.”
“Why not?”
I stood up and walked over to him. “It’s complicated.”
“You mean like the fact that the two of you are engaged?” His tone was teasing but I wasn’t exactly in a joking mood anymore.
“We’re not engaged. The marital agreement I signed, back when I was supposed to marry Princess Eloisa, was false, in case you forgot. And no one even knows where Princess Eloisa is. She seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth.” When I found out Elara had been crowned, I’d thought that news of her sister would soon follow. But rumour had it that Princess Eloisa hadn’t been seen in months and that no one was certain of her whereabouts.
“So, what, you’re simply going to pretend she doesn’t exist now?”
I shrugged. “It’s a little difficult to do that. She is the queen of our neighbouring kingdom, after all. I can’t ignore her politically.”
He handed over the flask and I took a sip. Definitely not water, but maybe I needed it.
“I’m really struggling to see your point here,” Thatcher admitted.
I smirked. “I thought you knew everything I was thinking?”
“Clearly I was wrong, because you’re an idiot and I don’t think like idiots.”
“Hey.” I handed him back the flask. “Careful now, I could still break one of your bones.” I gestured with my head towards the centre of the ring. The idea was growing all the more tempting if he didn’t shut up soon. There was a pain to Elara’s silence, and it was something I’d rather not think about. Not when there were so many other important things that required my attention.
“Well, the two of you will have to talk to each other eventually. Especially if she’s the only woman who has ever loved you.” His eyes glinted with mirth.
I shook my head. “She doesn’t love me.” Saying it out loud was less pleasant than I’d like to admit. Maybe because, deep down, I genuinely believed it to be true. Elara made no promises to me other than to try. And try, I suppose, she did. Neither of us knew just how much things were going to change after the rebellion.
“What do you mean, she doesn’t love you? She went back to fight after you told her to run, didn’t she?”
“Yes, she went back to fight for her freedom and her family. Not to save me. I made a deal with her that if she didn’t want to be with me when the rebellion was over, I would let her go.”
“And how do you know she doesn’t want to be with you?” Thatcher tilted his head slightly.
Because she told me to leave.
“Rumour has it, she’s marrying an Evernean lord,” I informed him.
“Rumours are exactly that, rumours. When did you start believing them?”
“It would make sense, wouldn’t it? She would strengthen her claim to the throne, which is probably what she needs now more than anything. I can’t see why she wouldn’t do it.” I stepped out of the fighting ring and Thatcher followed.
“Maybe, but would Elara do it? Would the girl you met in the woods do it?”
“The one thing you could count on Lara being is unpredictable. She’s reckless but not stupid. Going from the life she lived to being the Queen of Everness could have drastically changed her too. Who knows what she’ll do.”
“I think you should write to her.” We walked over the green lawns, shirts over our shoulders, sweat dripping off our backs. I’d hoped the sparring would ease some of the tension in my gut, but it looked like I’d be carrying those bruises in vain. At least I got to spend some time with Thatcher. Though this wasn’t exactly panning out to my advantage either, considering he couldn’t drop the one topic I’d rather not discuss.
“And say what?” I asked him. “‘I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth about your family but please don’t marry another guy even though it would benefit you and your kingdom’?” My tone was more sarcastic than I would have liked.
“Maybe something a little less dramatic?” Thatcher suggested.
“There’s nothing I could say without sounding like an utter fool.”
“You really do like her, don’t you?”
“Just wait, it won’t be long before you’re in love and miserable.” I tried to turn the attention on him and his bachelor lifestyle.
“Aha,” he said, walking backwards to face me, pointing with his finger in the air. “So, you do admit that you’re in love with her.”
“You have a death wish today, don’t you?” I followed him through the immaculate gardens. The leaves were turning colour and I would miss the greenery of summer.
“Just calling it like I see it. Though I seriously doubt you’ll see me in love with anybody any time soon.”
“Still heartbroken over Lady Celia?” I asked with earnest curiosity, but I already had some thoughts as to what the answer would be.
“Celia wasn’t like any woman I’d ever met before.” He fell into step beside me again. I was thankful to find the garden empty of courtiers, not being in the mood for small talk or to be bombarded with questions. As prince of Norrandale, I used to take for granted all the time I had to myself. Now there was hardly a moment when I was alone.
I refrained from rolling my eyes at Thatcher. “You shared a cup of tea with this woman and a single midday stroll.”
“Oh, but, Cai, she was the only one for me,” he said dramatically, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“The only reason you won’t be in love with anyone soon is because you have romantic relations with every woman in Norrandale, Thatcher.”
“Well, at least then I’m still better off than you, all grumpy and alone.”
I shoved him and he swayed slightly. We’d almost reached the doors to the palace when Gwen, Thatch’s younger sister, came into view. Gwen, surprisingly, didn’t share many of his features. While he, two years her senior, looked like their father, she was the spitting image of their mother. She drew a bowstring, an arrow aimed at a target in the distance.
The intense concentration was visible in Gwen’s expression. A light breeze tugged at a lock of hair, blowing it across her face. Despite the obvious irritation, her focus didn’t waver for a moment.
“Watch this,” Thatcher whispered, picking up a small pebble and pulling back his arm. Yes, I definitely was the mature one, when it came to the two of us. But I knew just as well that there was no point in trying to stop him. One of the very few areas of common ground between Thatcher and his sister was how much they loved to pester each other. He threw it at Gwen and the pebble hit her thigh just as she released the bowstring. The impact of the stone made her jump in surprise and sent the arrow flying in the wrong direction.
Her head swivelled towards us, and I was quick to point a finger in Thatcher’s direction, who was bent over with laughter.
“You scoundrel!” Her cheeks reddened.
She might have possessed a sweet and innocent face, but Thatcher and I had attempted too many pranks on her when we were children and I’d suffered enough pain and embarrassing experiences in return to avoid angering her since we’d become young adults. She was certainly the clever one in the family. If Gwen wasn’t a lady, she might have even been a valuable royal advisor. But her family had other plans.
“I was this close to improving my tally.” She barged over and we instinctively took half a step back.
“You shouldn’t take life so seriously, sis. You’ll make yourself insane, although it appears you’re already halfway there.” He turned to throw his arm around her shoulders, but she ducked away and pushed him off.
I quickly stepped between the two of them. “Remember what your mother said,” I reprimanded. “No fighting before noon.” Which seemed like a silly thing to say, but considering how often they got on each other’s nerves, not that surprising. “Shall we call for some dessert when we get back inside?” This seemed to ease Gwen’s fury enough that she momentarily calmed down.
“So, you lost against Cai again, huh?” she asked, referring to his bleeding nose, and I’m sure I spotted a hint of pleasure on her face.
“Actually, Cai gave up after a few minutes. These are the battle wounds of my victory.”
“Humph.” She joined us in our walk back inside, the bow still clutched in her hand.
“And what is it that you have supposedly won?”
“Well, epic bragging rights, of course.”
“Yes, having bested His Majesty in hand-to-hand combat really is a victory to brag about.” She pushed open the doors to one of the palace’s many parlours. We stepped inside the comfortably sized room, decorated with patterned wallpaper and velvet pillows. A few paintings of the palace and surrounding grounds accompanied the chairs and settee.
“You should have seen me, Gwennie.” Thatcher started recounting the fight blow by blow, but I could tell Gwen was no longer paying him any attention. She put the bow down and called for a servant. I realised the only reason we still shared her presence was because she’d been promised some dessert. “And then Cai, having realised he could not beat me, finally ceased,” Thatcher went on.
“It was good exercise at the very least, and it managed to distract him from Lady Celia.” I lightly punched Thatcher on the shoulder. “It was a tough blow for him to see her walking with Lord Leopold the other day.”
“I doubt his heart is capable of receiving blows,” Gwen retorted, before turning her expression serious. “Cai, I know it’s none of my business, but there is a female acquaintance of mine I think you should be introduced to.”
“I’m afraid you’re too late, Gwen. You know Cai’s heart is already set on someone else.” Thatcher fell back into one of the chairs and stretched his legs out comfortably. “I, on the other hand, would never say no to another ‘female acquaintance’.”
Gwen frowned. “I thought Queen Elara was getting married to an Evernean lord?”
I immediately gave Thatcher an “ I told you so ” look.
“Lady Meredette is very intelligent and quite pretty as well,” Gwen continued. “I just thought she might be a good fit for you. But what would I know?” Her eyes smiled, all the anger and irritation from before having receded, and I shook my head.
“I’m not meeting any suitors for now, thank you.”
“Tell Lady Meredette that he’ll see her next week,” Thatcher said, and I groaned inwardly.
“Thatcher, I would appreciate it if you didn’t meddle whe—”
“I’m not meddling,” he said. “I’m doing you a favour. Once Elara hears you’re courting women, she’ll come crawling back quicker than I crawl to water after a previous night in the tavern.”
“How can she not?” Gwen agreed with him. “She’ll have no choice but to make him an offer of marriage.” She patted my shoulder.
“Could the two of you let this go?” I shook her off without trying to appear rude.
“Oh, he’s touchy about it, isn’t he?” Gwen looked at her brother and he nodded. One wouldn’t think they were fighting only a few minutes earlier. Sometimes I believed it was better when they were. At least then I didn’t have this kind of unwanted attention.
My discomfort and irritation regarding the subject growing, I said, “My apologies, but I have duties I must attend to urgently.”
“Typical, always leaves when the conversation gets interesting.” Gwen crossed her arms and shook her head in disapproval. But a servant entered with a tray of sweet treats and she perked up, the topic of my suitors forgotten. I was surprised she didn’t clap her hands as she inspected the selection on the tray before her, deciding which pastry or cake she would like first. There were chocolate truffles, shortcake, caramel tarts and small vanilla cakes to choose from. Even Thatcher appeared to be considering one or two of them. It was an opportunity to take my leave.
I hurried off to my chambers hoping that there was a chance I was already late for some meeting and that Jack was looking for me. Deep down, I knew it did me some good to get into the ring with Thatcher, even if the conversation was less than desirable. He could drive me crazy at times, but he was also my best friend, and I knew he only wanted what was best for me.
My entire world had been shaken when I returned from Everness. Just as my mother finally began to recover from her illness, it was my father who passed away in his sleep. And overnight, I’d become king of Norrandale. Even though I’d always known this day would come, I’d never felt more unprepared for anything in my life. Every morning, I would wake up and wish my father were still alive to guide me and tell me what to do. I was too swamped in my duties to truly grieve him. Most days, it felt like I’d barely had the time to breathe, and worst of all, I just couldn’t stop thinking about Elara either. I knew too much of my mental capacity had been taken up by the girl who was a kingdom away. The only bandit I’d ever liked. The only thief I’d ever trusted. Most of the time I tried to push Elara from my mind. Most of the time I was unsuccessful. It drove me positively mad.
I entered my rooms and walked over to the basin to splash my face with some cold water. It felt cool and refreshing against my skin. A servant laid out some clean clothes, while I tried to wash away the dirt from my back, arms and neck. I got dressed in a hurry, not yet certain what awaited me for the day but knowing it was going to have its challenges.
One would think a kingdom so rooted in its traditions, with clear societal roles, would run more smoothly. Instead, every single day, a new problem presented itself. Farmers with feuds about land, distant kingdoms wanting to consider trade agreements, court scandals among the gentry. I found it difficult to comprehend how my father ruled for so many years when I was only about a month in and completely overwhelmed.
The shirt that the servant had laid out for me was neat and oddly decorated with the occasional ruffle. I positively hated the way it clung to my neck and arms. Not to mention I hadn’t yet properly cooled down from my spar with Thatcher, or the conversation that followed. I tossed the shirt to the side and riffled through the large wardrobe in the corner of my room. I pulled out one of my older, looser white shirts and threw it on, already relieved at the comfort.
A knock sounded on the door.
“Come in.” I pulled down my cuffs while staring at my reflection in the mirror.
Jack entered with Conner trailing behind him like a puppy. He seemed to follow Jack just about everywhere these days. Thankfully, the captain of my guard was the sort of man with the right patience for the job, and I was certain that within a few years Conner was going to be a very good soldier. Although I did have to give it to Conner for sticking it out so long. The kid had been through a lot. Especially in Everness. Still, he didn’t waver at the hint of danger.
“I’ve been looking for you, Your Majesty.”
They both did a quick bow. Jack stood up straight, a few inches taller than Conner, who pushed out his shoulders, trying to appear bigger.
“I know.” I dipped my hands in the bowl of cold water again and ran my fingers through my hair. There was no saving it, really. I had yet to cut it since I’d returned from Everness. However, my hair was the very least of my worries at this point.
“You’re late, Your Majesty.” He stood to the side and held open the door for me.
“I know.” I sighed and turned towards them. I had no idea what I was late for, but I knew there was someone or something that required my attention. Every matter always labelled as urgent and important, though I hardly thought plans for dances and royal hunts were national crises.
“You’ve got a bruise on your cheek, Your Majesty,” Conner commented, before he could stop himself, and Jack immediately gave him a look to suggest he should shut up if he knew what was good for him.
“I know.”