9. Trial Two
Astride a dappled stallion, I waited patiently for Colette to join our procession.
The doors of the summer palace opened and she took a step into a beam of sunlight, with a flustered Maude at her side.
Colette’s hair gleamed like spun gold, a slight flush on her cheeks the same shade as the roses in the garden, and I strained in my saddle to be closer.
I was much too far away to hear their exchange but Maude gripped her hands and whispered something to which Colette nodded fervently, a tired smile plastered on her face.
I cleared my throat as she took her seat in the carriage with the others.
“Now that we’re all here, I shall explain.
Our second trial is that of courage. We will travel to Dragon Mountain and your task shall be to make it down into the mine and out with a single emerald—without becoming lost, or too frightened. ”
Zuri leaned over and whispered something to Colette, who grimaced.
“Is there a problem?” I arched a brow, and the two of them shook their heads.
But Gisela, ever the viper, laughed. “Colette is afraid of small spaces, my lord.” She shared a sneer with Elizabeth and the two clucked like hens.
“You will do fine, Princess.”
Colette nodded, but didn’t appear to believe me. The journey passed exceedingly quickly. There was nothing but a wall of green forest as we traveled away from the coast and west to the base of the mountain.
I found myself looking over my shoulder more times than I could count, but almost as soon as we had left the grounds, Colette had fallen asleep. Zuri had seemed at ease as Colette’s head had fallen upon her shoulder and even began conversing quietly with Gisela and Elizabeth.
Storm clouds gathered in the distance and the rumble of thunder had my mount flicking his ears.
“Queen Theodora was right,” one of the guards surmised aloud.
A breath had my shoulders rising and falling. “She usually is.”
The trees thinned as we came closer to the rocky outcropping near the base of the mountain. The roots of it stretched across most of the kingdom, with mines marked by a great wooden tower. Its beams pierced the blue sky and the scent of cedar and juniper trees mingled with that of ancient stone.
“Here we are,” I announced, turning my horse to face the carriage.
The princesses began descending the carriage step and Zuri gently roused Colette, who stretched her arms above her head and yawned.
The small troop of guards we had traveled with dismounted, each removing a lantern from their packs.
“You’ll be allowed a lantern for light, and an hour to enter the mine, descend to the first level, retrieve a single emerald, and then exit the mine shaft.”
Colette turned an astounding shade of white as she eyed the shadowed entrance of the mine.
“Gisela—as the winner of the last trial, you will go first.”
She flicked her dark hair over her shoulder and grabbed a fistful of her fuchsia gown. A guard eyed her with a smirk and she ripped the lantern out of his hand without so much as a thank you. What had the magic been thinking, selecting someone like her? Her attention fell onto me, and she frowned.
“Well? Are you going to start the time?”
I dug my pocket watch from my trousers and gave her a stiff nod. Then she set off without a backwards glance. The guards began conversing between themselves as did the other princesses but I found myself tugged towards Colette’s side.
“Did you have a restful nap?”
She turned away from Zuri and Elizabeth with a bright smile.
“I did.” When her attention turned towards the mine shaft, though, her smile fell away and her disposition soured.
“I do think it matters worth mentioning—that no true harm may befall you during this trial. Although I’m sure being lost for any length of time would be traumatic.”
She grimaced and I wanted to comfort her.
“I don’t think you should make such promises,” she whispered.
“Why is that?”
Her eyes widened as she wrung her hands. “I don’t think you have control over the mountain or the earth, my lord. Cave-ins are a law unto their own.”
I chuckled and she gaped at me in disbelief.
“The mine will not cave in.”
“You can’t promise such things—you don’t know.”
Her fear was palpable and I couldn’t help but brush a comforting hand down her arm.
“If the mountain tries to take you … I will vanquish it myself.”
Colette’s bottom lip quivered before she trapped it with her teeth. “It’s not a dragon, my lord.” Her voice was soft, a hint of humor returning.
“It would fall all the same.”
Hours passed. Gisela had successfully completed the trial, followed by Elizabeth, and then Zuri.
I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a flicker of anxiety when she hesitantly took a step into the shadow of the mine’s entrance. The storm encroached, and the scent of rain filled the air as the first drops began to fall.
“My lord,” Gisela called, scowling up at the darkening clouds. “Must we all wait for Colette to finish?”
I halted my pacing, and gave a cursory sweep of the other princesses. They all mirrored Gisela’s disenchantment.
“Very well,” I nodded. “Escort them back to the palace—I’ll bring Princess Colette back after she finishes.”
The guards followed orders and before long only the sound of clopping hooves could be heard. Rain began to fall as the minutes ticked on, but my feet were rooted to the spot, afraid that if I was too far from the entrance I might miss a call for help.
My feet resumed their steady steps back and forth in front of the mine shaft and I clicked open my pocket watch for the dozenth time.
We were steadily approaching an hour—she was about to fail the second trial.
I watched as the second hand swept past the hour mark.
My clothes and hair sodden in the rain much like the first day we both arrived at the summer palace.
A heavy breath slipped through my lips and I thought I heard something just below the sound of the steady rain.
It sounded … like a melody. Thunder rumbled and I took a step closer to the entrance.
A tiny prick of light appeared and the song grew louder.
It was singing, but not just any singing, it was a mining song.
Her voice swelled as did the light and I was struck mute by her beauty in the glowing lamp light.
Colette had returned at last, not just with an emerald but escorted by a small horde of goblins. My mind went blank as my heart swelled. She was perfect—utterly incomparable. She smiled at me and time slowed, raindrops halting in midair as lightning crawled across the sky.
“I believe I might have failed another trial,” Colette said, peering out at the rain before glancing to her companions.
“Time-wise, yes. But you should consider this a personal victory.”
The goblins stared up at Colette, their eyes twinkling as their song stopped.
A robust male to the right of her handed her a sizable emerald and muttered something so low in Goblish I could not make it out.
Colette took the emerald with a grateful smile and then did the most astonishing thing—she curtsied to him in thanks.
All of the goblins bowed in return before striking up another merry tune and returning to the depths of the mine. The rain continued its steady downpour as Colette peered up at me beneath lowered lashes.
“The others?”
“They have returned to the palace. I am your escort home.”
She took a deliberate step towards me as I reached for her. “It’s just a little rain.”
“I love the rain,” she said, tilting her face up to the sky with her eyes closed.
“As do I.”
I needed to tell her right this instance. But every time I opened my mouth to confess who I was and the depth of my affection for her, the magic had my jaw slamming shut.