CHAPTER XV #3
“I want you to visit me at least once every two or three months!” he says, grinning in triumph.
I hold back my frown and think on his request. I can make it happen, especially now since it seems that Lord Daniel is staying behind. I could also hook up with Yara when I’m here. Hopefully she can put me to work.
“I think I can do that,” I smile at Willem.
The boy leaps forward and wraps his arms around my shoulders, “thank you, tricky Lady.”
I chuckle and stand up slowly with my hands on his shoulders, giving him a tight squeeze.
“Within the next few months, then,” I grin down at him.
“Two months,” he holds up two of his fingers and starts skipping away.
“Two to three!” I laugh at his retreating back.
Willem gives me a thumbs up over his shoulder.
I chuckle and turn around, pausing when I see the Prince’s commanding figure in the middle of the road. He watches me as I hoist back into Millie’s saddle.
“Lady Alexis,” he greets as I ride up next to him.
I give him another small bow and look at the road ahead, “Your Highness.”
“He’ll hold you to it,” Keane says quietly, flicking Ash into a walk beside Millie.
“I intend to hold myself to it,” I nod.
“Is that before or after you and your Knowledge crew head into Woodlands?” Keane asks sarcastically.
I sigh, “most likely after. Will you deny me?”
“Entry to Fumagalli?”
I swear I hear a twinge of astonishment in his voice as I nod.
“No,” he replies hard, “never.”
Keane turns to me from atop Ash, close enough that our legs are just a hands width apart. He leans in and tries to catch my gaze, the call of my name beckoning on his lips.
“Alexis…”
The pull of his voice tugs deep in my heart, proving in that one small word how much I’ve come to care for him. It begs me to talk to him, to engage how we always have, but my guilt is still tearing a hole in my stomach and all I can do is remain quiet.
“Do you fear me?” he asks quietly.
I watch him shift atop Ash after he asks the question.
“Anyone would be na?ve not to fear you, Highness,” I admit.
“Do I scare you?” he corrects, hands gripping his reins tight.
“I would be lying if I told you there were no times in which the being of you didn’t instill a level of fear within me,” I reply, “but no, you do not scare me.”
The Prince relaxes significantly at my words, his hands releasing their tight grip, “then you resent me for killing the man?”
“No,” I shake my head, “I don’t.”
Keane takes a deep breath in relief, though his confused gaze is still burning into my side. I spot our group peeking out from the woods down the road just as he continues.
“Then what is this? Why are you-”
“-With your leave, Highness.”
I kick Millie into a trot and join the group without his permission, feeling Keane’s frown on my back.
We take an early lunch deep within the Black Forest, our group stopped on the side of the main road under a large canopy of trees. The air is cool around us, the gloomy and quiet forest matching my own mood.
The four of us from Knowledge sit in a small circle and pass around Margaret’s food in silence, while Alanna and Barnes sit a ways away and the Prince and Desmond stand farther in the woods.
Keane has his arms crossed in front of him, a stance reserved for when he’s thinking deeply about something, and I notice that the gash on his hand from the Plains is already shining a bright white, the new scar a tribute to how fast the Discerni can heal.
We ride swift on the portions of the road that continue straight for some while and only switch to a trot when the curves twist around the forest. Our ride ends up being a drastic change to the slow-moving one we took leading to Fumagalli, with the full of our group finding no leisure this time as we trek through the dark woods.
Stormfall wakes up briefly after the noon apex to do some hunting, our group watching as he maneuvers stealthily through the trees.
His dark wings soar through the woods before he disappears for short periods of time, only to show up with a lizard or other small animal in his beak and swallowing it whole.
Holis and I are still on the lookout for tracks that’ll lead us to a larger animal, but so far we’ve came up short.
The flap of wings from behind prompts me to hold out my hand for Storm to land on, but the Bird of Ash flies right past me and weaves over the heads of our small group.
His talons sink on the Prince’s right shoulder in surprise, causing Keane to startle as he turns his head in question.
Stormfall chirps in response and dips his head, reaching out to Keane’s hand as he brings it up to stroke his chest.
“Traitor,” I mumble, watching as the Bird of Ash preens into the Prince. Aside from myself, Keane is the first and only person in which Stormfall has perched onto, and I’m not sure how I feel about it.
Holis turns to look at me with a small frown but continues his ride in silence.
I watch as Stormfall’s head brushes against the side of Keane’s neck in comfort, a gesture that I’ve become all too familiar with over the past few days.
Keane continues his strokes against Storm’s chest before the baby beast finally pushes off his shoulder to fly back to me, his warm body nestling under my hair again as he goes back to sleep.
We continue our ride through the forest, the air getting cooler as the day turns into early evening. I can tell we’re getting closer to Gaumond when the trees begin to thin out and the sunlight finally beams down to the forest floor.
Eventually we reach a clearing in the forest and spot the road jutting proudly towards the towering black castle ahead.
Smoke from all the rises bound up into the sky, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d truly think the city itself was on fire due to the way the sunset hits it just perfectly.
Ancients, I’m beginning to wonder if the early evening is now my favorite time of day when it comes to this capitol.
The sight of Gaumond takes my breath away, just as it did from the moment I first saw it.
It stands tall and proud in the distance, the full city ominous yet inviting in its purposeful stance.
My eyes dip to the Prince riding up front, to his own proud stance as he sits straighter in his seat and eyes his home.
He belongs here, without a doubt, so much so that I have to look away.
“Wake up, Stormfall,” I shrug my shoulder, “we’ve reached Gaumond.”
The Bird of Ash peers out from under my hair, immediately unfurrowing his body and pushing off again. His black wings extend and carry him far down the road, the sight of the smokey rises creating a perfect backdrop to his soar.
We reach the massive entry gate leading to the bottom of the city, the smell of fire and heated metal greeting us all. Stormfall flies high above our group before dipping down to land back on my shoulder, opting not to hide under my hair and instead take everything in.
We move along the first rise of blacksmiths and fire, with many of the patrons stopping their work to bow to the Princes from their shops.
The same happens when our group rides into the wood workers rise, with Keane greeting everyone with a genuine smile and nod of his head.
We say goodbye to Barnes when we reach his quiet section of homes, then climb higher until we’re passing by the training fields and barracks at the bottom of the hill.
Hundreds of men litter the fields of grass below as they perfect their training into the evening, and while their use of summoning and their skill with blades always has me intrigued, I have to look away from the small woods that is calling at their backs.
I avert my eyes from the sparkling black leaves that I know are hidden behind those barracks, my hand reaching down to pat Millie on her neck and grabbing her a bit too hard.
We finally pass through the final gate and into the lively city town surrounding the castle.
Thousands of Discerni and humans are walking about, their smiles and neighborly chatter engaging with others as they go through their everyday errands for the evening.
As always, the town is thoroughly alive.
The roads are bustling with the sounds of horses and laughter as people walk alongside eachother.
Everything and everyone is just happily loud, a beautiful and proud city filled with beautiful and proud people who live side by side.
The castle of Gaumond and its manicured lawn and thin woods surrounding it finally come into view.
We bring our horses to the stables and dismount as a number of young boys spot the Princes and start grabbing everyone’s reins.
I dip my hand into the bag at my side and open Golem’s jar, then remove all of my travel packs off of Millie as I sling them over my shoulder.
I give my girl one last pat on her rear and let the boy take her away, turning to the sound of Golem’s padded feet with a small smile.
“We’ve reached Gaumond, Golem.”
Golem nods with that small look of concern still in his eyes and steps into my side. Our small traveling group stops in front of the wide black stairs that lead into the castle, all of our eyes turned on the Prince who stands above.
“You’ll be afforded the same guest rooms as your previous stay here,” Keane stands on top stair and glances between our Knowledge group, resting his brown gaze firmly on mine, “I expect to see you all at court tonight.”
The men nod at the royal command and start walking up the stairs.
“Lady Alexis,” the Prince requests, eyes still holding mine.
“Lady Alexis!” another voice calls from inside the castle.
I break the Prince’s gaze and spot Gail waving down at me earnestly from behind the doors. She has a broad smile on her face and the look of excitement in her features, the girl looking genuinely happy to see me.
“Excuse me, Your Highness,” I tell Keane and walk around him.