Eight #2
My anxiety spiked when the carriage hit a rough country road, letting me know that we were close to our destination.
“Bellamy has been struggling with maintaining his farm for a while now,” Gray said as the coach jumped over the uneven terrain. “Even before the cold snap. Ever since his wife passed away and his children moved out.”
I felt a pang in my heart for the poor lone farmer. Depending on how big his farm was, I could see it being difficult for him to sustain it with his powers alone. And the cold weather had only made it worse.
“Have you helped him before?” I asked, finally looking back at the lord.
“I have. I travel through the area often and aid in maintaining the fields. I consider it one of my most important duties.”
“I’m sure the people appreciate it.”
“They do. And they will appreciate your help when you are able to provide it.”
His tone was optimistic, which helped to tamp down some of my anxiety.
I was still apprehensive when the carriage pulled up in front of a weathered cabin, but I reminded myself that this was a learning opportunity.
Judging by what I had heard about Gray and had already witnessed him do, I was learning from one of the best.
Killian helped me to climb out of the carriage, Gray stepped out behind me, and the three of us walked to the cabin’s front door.
A rickety old man opened it, and I was immediately overcome with emotion as I imagined how much effort it took on his part to maintain the farm all by himself.
Bellamy’s rheumy eyes widened when I stepped inside his humble home, and he bowed so low that for a second, I feared he wouldn’t be able to straighten back up.
“Your Highness, Princess Emelin. I’ve heard you were staying in Zalie, but I wasn’t expecting a visit from you, only the lord. Let me make some tea.”
“There is no need,” I interjected gently as I smiled to put him at ease. “If you’ve heard that I’m staying in the region, then you also must have heard that it’s because I’m learning my magic. I accompanied Lord Gray on this visit to simply observe.”
“Oh, okay,” the old man said. “Thank you for coming, my lord.” He switched his attention to Gray. “It’s the wheat field this time. You know I do the best I can with my magic, but it’s been difficult ever since Lisbeth passed away.” I felt another pang in my heart at his loss.
“I know, Bellamy.” Gray clasped his bony shoulder. “No need to explain. You truly do wonders on this farm with your powers, but we all need help sometimes. I’m only a short carriage ride away, so you can call on me anytime.” He assured him with a warm smile.
If I’d had any remaining concerns about my father appointing Gray as a lord, they dissipated at that moment.
I could tell that he genuinely meant every word he had just said to the farmer.
He was more worthy of the lord’s title than most of the noblemen I had met who held the same position.
He was a natural-born leader, and I had no doubt in my mind that he would go out of his way to help the people of Emeraldia even if it wasn’t his duty to do so.
“Lead the way,” Gray told Bellamy, releasing his shoulder.
When the farmer turned and started walking to the back of the house, the lord gestured for me to follow and then fell in step next to me.
“Do you need to prepare?” I asked him as we stepped outside through the back door.
Heavy rain clouds hung low above the crop fields that stretched for miles.
As I took it all in, I had to fight the urge to scoop Bellamy in my arms because keeping up with such acreage must have been very challenging.
“The field that’s dying is in the back.” The farmer pointed to it in the distance. He went to take a step to lead the way again, but Gray stopped him.
“Emelin and I will take it from here,” he said good-naturedly. “You should put Killian to work while you wait. Have him fix up a few things around the house.”
Warmth spread in my chest at his kindness as Bellamy’s face lit up with appreciation. “Thank you, my lord. Will do.” With that, he went back inside his abode, and I glimpsed through the door that Killian was already rummaging around the small space.
“Ready?” Gray asked me. I nodded, and together, we began our trek to the field in jeopardy.
“To answer your question, no, I don’t need to prepare,” the lord said as we walked, dirt squelching under our feet.
I was glad I wore boots, though the skirt of my long dress and the hem of my cloak would inevitably get soiled.
“I know it’s easy for you to access your powers, but I wasn’t sure if you would require preparation since this job is bigger than anything else I’ve seen you do before,” I explained.
“No preparation is necessary, though I may feel a little drained after the magic transfer. Thankfully, it doesn’t take long for my powers to restore.” I had heard the same was true for Lady May’s magic from my brother.
“How fortunate you are to have come from a line of such capable wielders.”
“Growing up, I didn’t consider myself that fortunate, but I suppose it was worth it in the end because now I can use my powers to help people.”
Curious about what he meant by his answer, I wanted to ask follow-up questions but didn’t get a chance to before we reached the field in question.
It wasn’t difficult to figure out which one it was.
As we were still several months away from harvest, the wheat should have looked green and grass-like, but instead, the plants were wilting.
Some were even rotting and turning black.
I halted a few feet away from them, frozen in place by the sight before me.
A golden-brown wheat bunch was the symbol of Emeraldia.
Wheat stalks were depicted on our sigil and banners, set against the emerald-green background, signifying our agricultural prosperity.
Seeing the dying wheat before my eyes made my blood run cold, as if the field symbolized what was happening to the realm.
“This is worse than I thought.” I heard Gray say.
His words slashed across my heart, making me want to weep for the fate of my kingdom.
Crying in front of the lord would surely alert him that the situation was much more grave than what the king and I had led him to believe.
I stood still, unable to move or make a sound for fear of breaking down before his discerning silver eyes.
Even though I didn’t voice my inner distress, he still picked up on it.
“Are you all right?” he asked me, his gaze searching my face.
I only shook my head instead of replying as tears rushed to the surface.
He reached for me then, gently clasping my shoulders.
“No need to grieve, Princess. The field is salvageable. Let me show you.” He let go of me and shrugged off his cloak.
“Do you mind holding this for me while I work?”
“It’s the least I can do,” I managed to say as I accepted the garment. “I’m sorry for my strong reaction.”
“No need to apologize. This is your kingdom. It makes sense that seeing it deteriorate would affect you deeply.” His voice was strained, his features taut, which let me know that it affected him deeply as well.
His gaze zeroed in on the crops behind me as he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt to his elbows.
Cold wind lashed at us, but he didn’t seem to care, focused on the task at hand.
I faced the dying plants, clutching his cloak to my chest as he walked past me.
His staggering height stood out against the stormy sky until he lowered to his knees by the edge of the wheat field.
Even though I had witnessed my mother and other royal women feed their magic into the land many times before, I wasn’t prepared for what happened next.
Their process was beautiful, almost ritualistic, as they would sway around the gardens and fields, often singing, while their magic poured into the air around them.
What Gray did was drastically different.
He bowed close to the ground, digging his fingers deep into the earth, and closed his eyes.
The expression on his face wasn’t as peaceful and reverent as what I usually saw on the women.
It was one of deep concentration. A moment later, potent magic blasted out of him, nearly knocking me off my feet.
The force field of his powers swiftly diminished and became more concentrated as he channeled it into the earth.
Row by row, the wheat plants were restored as Gray’s magic swept through the crop field like a tidal wave.
I had tears in my eyes again, but this time, they had been evoked by the raw beauty of Gray’s magic.
The outpouring of his powers slowed after a few minutes and then vanished completely once the crops were healed.
Gray’s chest heaved on a rough exhale as he opened his eyes and pulled his fingers from the ground.
He rubbed his hands together to clean off the dirt as he rose to his full height and cast his gaze over the field.
When he turned around, I noticed he hadn’t even broken a sweat.
Pleased with his work, he gave me a radiant smile. “I’m starving. What do you say we get something to eat in Arwyn?”
It took me a moment to form a reply as I stared at him, once again profoundly impressed by and extremely envious of his magical prowess.
“Only if you promise to walk me through what you just did, step by step,” I told him, anxious to get home and practice with renewed vigor.