Chapter 9
The Evernean Forest
Lara
“I was so worried about you,” Cordelia said the next morning as she did my hair. “I thought they might have killed you or something.”
“Well, I actually managed to escape that brute quite quickly,” I said, with a hint of arrogance.
“So how did you end up running into Prince Cai?”
“Well, I fell off the horse while fighting the bandit and I saw a campfire in the distance so I followed it until I found Cai and his men.”
“What are the odds?” She shook her head in disbelief. “You could have gotten attacked by a wild animal or something.”
Not a wild animal , I thought. Just a prince. Same difference.
“Thanks for your concern, Cordelia, but I’m quite capable of handling myself.” She pinned away a loose strand of hair and I turned to face her. “Really, you needn’t be worried about me.”
“Oh, I know that,” she replied. “The problem is how you’ve been behaving yourself around the prince.” Cordelia narrowed her eyes at me and I felt my cheeks grow warm.
“I may or may not have acted in a way that some would consider inappropriate for a princess,” I admitted. “But how was I supposed to know? It could have been anybody.”
“Well, let’s find out the damage first. What exactly did you do?”
I grimaced. “I may have attacked him several times, including holding weapons with sharp edges to his throat.”
Cordelia dropped her hands from my hair. “You did what?”
I covered my face with my hands. “How am I ever going to convince the Norrandish heir that I’m the second child of King Magnus?”
“You’re not exactly off to a good start, I’ll admit.” She handed me a cup of something sweet. “But nothing a few tricks can’t fix.”
“What do you mean?” I took a sip, eyeing her.
“Well, you’re a bandit, aren’t you? You should be used to tricking people. However, I do believe this will be quite different from what you’ve done before.”
I took another sip of the warm liquid. “I’m listening.”
“Rhen could teach you more about Everness. You would need basic knowledge of the kingdom and what’s going on in the royal family. Basic history about Eloisa too.”
“And you?” I dared to ask, still not sure that this was actually going to help.
“I’m going to make sure you start acting like a proper princess from now. And then I’m going to help you convince the future king of Norrandale that you are the best thing he’s ever had the privilege of laying his eyes on.”
“You seem very confident?” I had somehow managed to make an already difficult task an almost impossible one. Pulling this off would be nothing short of a miracle.
“Of course I am. I’m a lady-in-waiting,” she replied with a smile.
“Are you really, though? Eloisa’s lady-in-waiting, I mean?”
“I’m afraid not.” She handed me a small mirror. My hair was elegantly perfect, as always. “One of Eloisa’s ladies-in-waiting is with child. I was being trained for the position when my brother informed me that I will have a new duty... this duty.”
I put the mirror down. “You said Lance has his way of getting what he wants?” I didn’t say more, prompting her to speak.
“Well, I’m guessing you’re not here entirely of your free will?” She looked at me and I pressed my lips together. So Lance wasn’t just blackmailing me?
“Is that what you would have wanted, though? To be Eloisa’s lady-in-waiting?”
She started putting my things back into the trunk. “There are worse fates for a lady. It’s an offer I would be stupid to refuse.”
“But?” I encouraged.
“But if you’re asking what I really want, I suppose the first answer that comes to mind is a happy marriage.”
“Really?” I asked in surprise.
“My parents were very happy. I want a union like theirs. And a house of my own that I can manage, and children eventually. It’s a simple dream, but you asked for an honest answer.”
“And this future husband of yours, in your mind, is he a duke, a viscount...”
“A soldier.”
I gave her a smile. “Well, when this is over... I hope you find your soldier.”
“All right,” Rhen said later, as we were seated inside a tent. “Here are the maps of Everness and Norrandale.” He spread them out on a small table between us.
I placed my palms flat on the table, inspecting the pieces of paper. I had a fair knowledge of most of the landscape of Everness. It wasn’t a very large kingdom. Neither was Norrandale, but I had never seen its full layout before. I tried to pay close attention to the borderlines and landmarks of both kingdoms.
“It is important that you know the history between our nations as well as the history of Everness itself.”
“I know the history of Everness,” I responded. It was discovered centuries ago by explorers in search of treasure. Surrounded by large masses of water, Everness and Norrandale were mostly separated from the rest of the world. One of the explorers, known as Evrin, claimed the land and built the kingdom of Everness up from the ground. It was common knowledge even among the peasants. He became the first king, and as in every other kingdom, the lineages changed over the centuries up to King Magnus.
“Yes, but do you know of the conflicts between Everness and Norrandale?” He already knew my answer.
“No,” I mumbled, looking down at the maps again.
“See these mountain ranges?” Rhen pointed to the north of Norrandale. “They used to be part of Everness a few centuries ago.”
“What happened?”
“There was a reason Evrin and the explorers had searched for this land for so long. There were stories about deposits of a valuable type of gemstone hidden somewhere in the mountain ranges. They were so rare that a handful of them could be worth more than a ship full of gold. But no one knows exactly what they look like. The tales had changed too much over time.”
“Did they ever find it?”
Rhen shrugged. “No one is certain. Evrin and his friend came into conflict over the land and for many years wars were fought, even by the generations after them. Eventually the land fell into the hands of Norrandale and became part of their kingdom — it has been like that ever since. That’s not to say anything is there, though.”
“Norrandale hasn’t shown any evidence of having the gemstone?”
“No, if it is there then nobody knows of it — it has merely become a legend.”
I frowned at him from across the table. “And how do you know all this?”
“I like to read.”
I looked at the mountain ranges again. They were vast and stretched between the two countries, surrounded by thick forest on both sides of the border.
“Okay, but if the land now belongs to Norrandale and nobody believes the precious stone to be there, why are we fighting?”
“Two generations ago, Everness was in deep poverty.”
“Like we are now?”
“Worse. The king loved spending money and soon his aristocrats turned against him. He knew that he would need to expand onto new land in order to farm more food, and give land to the nobles so he could stay in their good graces. At the time, it was thought that the kingdom of Argon across the sea was weak, and so King Leontius sent armies across the water. But the kingdom of Argon is nothing like we thought.
“They hail from an ancient tribe of warriors, always prepared for battle. The king had been misinformed and so his ships sank before most men even reached the beaches of Argon. King Leontius had almost no money left and, in fear of being taken by Argon, he became desperate. He sent a company into the mountains of Norrandale in the hope they would find the precious stones, enabling him to fund his wars. But the company disappeared and King Leontius reportedly only received a piece of white cloth smeared in blood.”
“But they didn’t attack Everness in return?”
“Attacking them would prove the stones exist. I think Norrandale was just trying to send a warning. It was ruled by the queen alone, as the king had died some time before, when their child was very young.”
“So what happened in the war with Argon?” My eyes travelled over the map to the kingdom across the sea.
“King Leontius lost the war and eventually his council had him removed from the throne.”
“So that’s when Magnus became king?”
“Yes. Magnus was young, and the dire situation of the kingdom and the famine didn’t help.”
I thought about the palace with all its luxuries and held back a scoff. “He seems to have done pretty well for himself to me.”
“Being king is not as easy as you think. You have less power than you imagine.”
The very idea was absurd. “Of course you’d be on their side. They’re paying for your loyalty.”
Rhen looked at me with an unreadable expression.
“So.” I reverted back to the previous subject. “Mine and Cai’s marriage... I mean Cai and Eloisa’s marriage,” I corrected myself, “is to end the feud of their forefathers and join the two nations once and for all.”
“It would seem so,” Rhen replied. “It would seem so.”
* * *
We packed up camp and I spotted Damon leaning against a tree trunk, twiddling a hunting knife between his fingers. As always, his eyes were glued to me. This time, however, instead of just looking away, I gave him a smile and a little wave to accompany it before walking off. Conner was holding Cai’s horse as well as mine, ready for us to mount.
Now knowing he was a prince, I couldn’t help but notice how close he was with his guards and servant. It hardly seemed appropriate for their relationship to be so intimate, given his stature and theirs. I didn’t even know the names of any of Lance’s guards, except Rhen and Damon. As far as my knowledge went, it wasn’t done. But perhaps things were different in Norrandale.
Our party got on the move and I glanced over at the prince riding his horse a few feet away from me. He didn’t seem to notice my stare.
What was Lance after so desperately? He spoke of a family heirloom, but nothing drew my attention enough for me to be convinced that there was an heirloom. I would have to observe Cai more closely. The only problem was getting that close to him in the first place, though I hoped Cordelia had a few ideas in mind. Her confidence in my ability to fool the prince was somehow reassuring.
Only the sound of hoofbeats could be heard, with an occasional sigh, or clearing of a throat, from one of the guards. It was quiet... perhaps even too quiet. We were back in a part of the woods that I recognised. The birds weren’t singing the way they should have been. Even the light breeze seemed to have gone to sleep as if listening, waiting for whoever was watching us.
Unfortunately, I had a very good idea of who it was.
I couldn’t exactly just halt our whole party and let them know we were about to be ambushed. And even worse, I couldn’t tell them the reason I knew this, because it was the work of my uncle and his band of thieves. And they had no idea that they were about to attack me. Had no idea what had happened to me since I left a few days ago on my “mission” to steal the necklace. Last damn time I ever do contract thieving! I could be dead for all they knew. If they recognised me, this whole plan could fall apart. Even if they didn’t... well, no one could be certain how this would turn out.
A slight shadow fell over mine, and without looking up, I knew one of them was in a tree branch above me. I didn’t have much time to come up with an easy way out of this situation. I risked a glance back to the body in the tree and to my surprise — and slight relief — it was Ray. He was looking down at one of the guards riding below him. Ray was my oldest friend. And if he could see through my glamour of powder and jewels, perhaps this might not be too bad.
“When I say ‘get down’, you duck.”
I turned my head in surprise at Cai whispering to me.
“What?” I said without thinking. Cai and Jack shared a look. Maybe I hadn’t given them enough credit before. Perhaps they were better soldiers than I had thought.
Cai carefully reached for the dagger sheathed at his side. “We are about to be attacked. You need to stay down so you don’t get injured in the middle of the fight.”
I rolled my eyes before leaning over and grabbing his dagger and swinging around in the saddle. The knife went flying straight into the branch that Ray was sitting on.
One of the guards yelled “Ambush!” and in a moment we were surrounded by bandits... my bandits. I scanned all the faces, but apart from Ray, most were unfamiliar, and I realised that, in a short time, more men must have joined Uncle. I didn’t know whether that was good or bad.
I quickly undid the clasp of my necklace and let it drop into my bodice.
I didn’t mind them stealing Eloisa’s dresses or whoever’s they were, but the necklace was mine.
Suddenly I was being pulled off my horse and tossed into the dirt. I grunted, trying to sit up, when someone held a knife to my neck. I watched Cai fight off two of the men, but he turned, looking for me. Our eyes met and he stared for a moment too long, eyes wide with what I could only describe as some sort of terror.
It cost him, as the two men managed to grab him from behind and toss his sword. It slid to the ground, that jewel still attached to the hilt.
“Don’t hurt her.”
My expression turned to shock when I heard Cai, a royal prince, begging a bunch of bandits with such desperation in his voice.
“Please.” He breathed out the last part.
Upon Cai’s words, Ray’s eyes settled on me, and recognition instantly set in. I let out a breath and gave a look we’d been sharing since we were children — it’s all part of the plan . It was impossible to tell what he was thinking, but I would probably be more confused in this situation, had I been in his shoes.
“Look, boys.” His voice was laced with arrogance as he gestured to my guards’ royal uniforms. We were severely outnumbered. “I think we just got a bunch of nobles.” I heard the men laughing. This simple comment indicated enough of their anger and hate for the monarchy... any monarchy, maybe. This was treason beyond any question — if caught, they would most certainly be killed, and yet they were laughing fearlessly.
Ray approached Cai, both men holding their heads high.
“Now, what is it you were begging for again?” Ray was playing with a knife between his fingers. It was small, but the edge was unimaginably sharp. It was one of his familiar tactics to scare or intimidate people. I gulped. Ray may have been my friend, but he had always been very unpredictable, and he was filled with anger. Not that I couldn’t say the same about myself in certain aspects.
“Take anything you want,” Cai breathed out. “But let the lady go.” Ray turned to me and he didn’t have to hide his smile. He was clearly enjoying this. Was this the characteristic of Norrandish men, or princes in general, to sacrifice so much so quickly in order to save the life of a woman? It was unfamiliar to me.
“Well then.” He approached me slowly. “Forgive my manners.” Ray bowed mockingly. The men laughed again, but the knife didn’t move away from my throat. He stepped up to me so closely that I could see my own reflection in his pupils.
“Whatever is going on, you’re in way over your head,” he whispered under his breath. I couldn’t reply, but we both knew that perhaps he was right... I was pretending to be a princess, for crying out loud! I may have been wearing a dress and expensive accessories, but underneath all that I was still a bandit. However, it was too late to turn back now.
They took our horses and our carriage and anything else they could find lying around, leaving us all with only the clothes we had on us, and a few weapons. But at least we were unharmed. Not that I was too worried about myself.
“Now what?” Jack asked, looking at Cai.
“Now—” without permission, Cai grabbed my waist and pulled me into a standing position with such ease I had to hold on to his shoulders for a moment to avoid falling over — “... we walk.”
Yes , we walk always seems like a hell of a good idea when you’re in breeches and boots. But my layers of skirts and tightly fastened shoes certainly weren’t forest-walk-friendly. Eventually I stopped walking and Cai looked at me with concern.
“Are you all right?”
“I think both my attire and prison-torture devices were made by the same guy.” I pulled my hair away from my neck, which was covered in a thin layer of sweat.
“Do you want me to carry you?”
Oh, how very princely of him.
“No thank you.” Like I would let him carry me. I did, however, place my hand on his shoulder to lean over and start untying my laces.
“Your Highness,” Cordelia protested, and the look in her eye was enough to tell me that taking off my shoes in front of His Norrandish Highness was a no-go. Good thing I didn’t actually give a damn about what she said.
“Oh it’s not like he hasn’t seen my ankles before.” I pulled off my other shoe, and out of the corner of my eye, I caught Cai trying to hide a smile.
“Much better,” I said, once my toes were touching the forest floor. And then I walked onwards as if I hadn’t just partly undressed in front of the Prince of Norrandale.
“That was quite a manoeuvre, back there,” Cai said a few minutes into our walk.
“What?”
“The dagger.” He cleared his throat, as if not entirely sure how to speak to me, not after what had happened. Was he embarrassed that he begged? Did he perhaps regret it? Or was he concerned that the woman he thought was going to be his future wife had good knife-throwing skills?
“It was a lucky throw.” I attempted to shrug it off and looked everywhere but towards his eyes in search of a new subject to converse about. Or maybe not to converse at all. Though this was on the list of Cordelia’s suggestions in what I had to do to woo the prince. In fact, polite conversation came very highly recommended.
“It was a risky throw. You could have injured someone, had you missed.”
“Why does it sound like you’re about to lecture me on the safety of knife-throwing?” We’d fallen behind the rest of the group.
“I’m not.” He cleared his throat again and I sensed his discomfort. “I’m just curious as to why you seem to be attracted towards knives in general and quite comfortable handling them?”
I’d heard once that in order to tell a successful lie, one must stay as close to the truth as possible. But how was I supposed to do that when I was a bandit pretending to be a princess? Ray’s face flickered in my mind.
“When I was young, I had a friend who took an interest in knives. Sometimes when he’d come to visit, he would teach me to throw at a target. It was a pastime to keep boredom at bay.” Not entirely a lie. Ray and I had spent many afternoons throwing knives at tree trunks. Of course, I was the one who taught him, though Ray was much better with a bow.
“Just a friend then?” Cai had a curious expression on his face, as if he were attempting to hide his true emotions.
“Yes,” I responded, without hesitation. “Just a friend.” But the question got me thinking. Was there a possibility of Cai having someone back home that he would rather marry, instead of Eloisa? For all of the horrors experienced by those of us who lived a life of poverty, at least we mostly got to marry for love.
We walked past a tree with a piece of paper pinned to the trunk. It was a drawing of a hooded figure with the words Masked Bandit dead or alive. Reward 500 gold pieces . Just 500? I wanted to snort. It was almost an insult.
“I’ve heard stories of the Masked Bandit being quite a nuisance in the northern part of the kingdom.” Cai motioned towards the drawing.
“I think most of the stories are exaggerated because people are bored,” I replied as coolly as possible. “I mean, I’ve never met anyone who’s actually seen the Masked Bandit.”
Cai didn’t seem entirely convinced.
“I’m surprised your brother or father aren’t doing more to get rid of the bandits. They’ve become a serious problem.”
Problem? Was that all we were to them?
Not people who had run out of other options to keep their families alive. Not men and women who had no other choices left in the world, who needed help. No, we were a problem.
“Well, with my father’s illness, things have been more difficult to manage.”
“You’re right. My apologies. I never even asked you how your father was doing.” It was a different topic at least, though not exactly a better one.
“Every day brings its challenges.” I tried to be vague. “But we won’t lose hope.”
“No, we won’t.” He gave me only half a smile, but it was filled with sincerity, nonetheless.