CHAPTER 12
Despite Raena’s natural charm, it took a few days before she was able to convince enough of her guard friends to accompany us into the forest. Thankfully, none of them ran straight to the King after hearing of our plans. There’s nothing like the weight of a heavy coin purse and the fluttering eyelashes of a pretty noble to keep someone’s lips sealed.
While she was busy, I spent most of my time flitting between the forbidden library and my bedchamber, trying to learn as much about the faeries as possible while also staying far away from Lukas. A few times, his servants accosted me while walking through the halls to let me know that the prince was desperate to see me. Every time, I made some sorry excuse.
I had, of course, been very poorly that week. Far too ill to speak to His Royal Highness. And we wouldn’t want him to catch anything… Some sneezes and a few fake coughs every time I passed his manservant seemed to be enough to keep the prince and his servants at bay.
When it was finally time to leave, Raena led me through the palace grounds and towards the stables. She’d organised for two of her trusted guards to meet us there at midnight. Nerves fluttered in my stomach like little butterflies as we approached the thick stone outbuilding. We were wearing thin black cloaks, both to conceal our identities and to hide our more ‘practical’ travelling dresses. While a low-cut silk gown wouldn’t be my personal idea of practical, Raena insisted they were the best option for our little venture through the woods. That, and the fact she’d made it very clear she wouldn’t let us be seen dead in breeches.
Inside the stables, two guards dipped their heads in respect as we passed through the open doorway. One, broad-shouldered with cropped black hair, busied himself fastening a saddle to a horse in a stall, while the other, a taller man with golden hair, stood much closer, leaning against a wooden pillar and sharpening a broadsword.
“Your Highness,” the one who was holding a sword greeted me. He then turned to my companion, a flicker of something I wasn’t expecting flashing briefly across his sharp features. “Lady Raena.”
“Thank you for meeting us,” she replied, lifting her hood and letting it drop to her shoulders. “And thank you for agreeing to help. Naria has been so desperate to add those pesky mushrooms to her medicine collection, but unfortunately there’s only one place in the woods you can find them.”
I raised an eyebrow.
So she hadn’t told them what we were really doing… It made sense. Our plan was arguably treason. And if any of the guards did let the information trickle back to the King, while I’m sure we would still be punished for our reckless behaviour, if he believed we were only picking mushrooms, it wouldn’t be anything too severe. Hopefully. As I pondered the dozen different ways we might be executed, I felt Raena reach for my hand, giving it a reassuring tug.
Oh Ancients, I hope we can trust these guards.
The golden-haired guard then sheathed his sword and stepped forward, the dim light of the stables casting shadows across his tanned face. He was young, maybe a few years older than Raena and me, and wearing a simple dark tunic that left his toned forearms exposed.
“We’ve prepared the horses,” he said in a low voice. “I know Lady Raena can ride, but what about you, Your Highness?”
My stomach dropped as Raena chuckled. “Don’t be silly, of course she can ride! What kind of princess doesn’t ride horses?” She glanced at me, the smile slowly slipping from her face when she noticed my expression. “Naria… Tell me you can ride a horse.”
“I – uhh.”
There was really no need for any horses in my village. Even if I’d had enough coin for one, everywhere I needed to go was close enough to walk to, and even the Drothmore markets were only a half-hour stroll away. Still, by the way Raena was gawking at me, anyone would’ve believed I’d just stabbed the King.
I shook my head, embarrassment burning on my cheeks.
“It’s alright,” the other guard, who’d been fastening the buckles on a horse’s saddle, called over to us. He stepped out of the wooden stable stall, and I noticed his short dark hair was thick and curled, just like Raena’s. “We can go slowly, and I can lead your horse. All you have to do is try not to fall off.” He flashed me a playful grin.
“I’m sure you’ll learn quickly,” Raena said quietly, patting my back.
We’d been travelling through the dense forest for what felt like the entire night, but judging by the moon’s position in the murky sky, it must’ve been no more than an hour. The horse beneath me continued trudging along, and with each step it took, I had to tense my thighs and grip the saddle tightly to not fall off. Up ahead, Raena made it look so easy. Her body bobbed along smoothly with the horse’s rhythm. And despite her earlier reluctance, even she didn’t seem too afraid of the endless woods surrounding us. Meanwhile, I tried not to stare for too long into the darkness between the trees, in fear that something blue and gnarled might be staring back.
“Not much further now,” Raena called back to me. She held the parchment in her delicate hands and occasionally shouted out directions to the guards riding beside us. They’d been mostly silent for the journey, speaking only near the beginning to give us their names.
Erik, the golden-haired, tan-skinned guard, rode alongside Raena. A few times she’d tried, pointlessly, to strike up conversation with him, but he would only ever give gruff, one-word answers or remind her that the wolves were always listening. The other guard, with darker hair and warm brown skin, was named Theo. He seemed much more cheerful than Erik as he kept hold of the reins of my horse, leading it to follow his own deep brown mount. Still, he constantly scanned the treeline, watching for wolves or maybe something else. I didn’t want to ask what.
Raena’s horse whinnied and snorted as she brought it to a halt near a huge forest clearing. In the centre, illuminated by the moonlight, was an unnaturally large willow tree. The tree towered over the rest of the forest, and yet its branches hung low, almost touching the ground. Surrounding the willow was a wide halo of tall grass that swayed gently in the nighttime breeze. Had I not known our true reason for being here, the oddly tranquil scene might’ve relaxed me.
“This must be it,” announced Raena as she swung her legs off her horse.
“I don’t see any mushrooms,” Erik grumbled.
“They’re probably hidden in the tall grass.” Raena moved towards my horse and extended a hand to help me down. “Or under that big willow.” She gave me a knowing look.
Ungracefully, I leaned against the horse as I slipped down its side, almost crashing into Raena.
“Want us to help you find them?” Theo offered, trying his best to steady my horse as I dismounted.
I quickly shook my head. “No need. Raena and I will be fine.”
“Will we?” Raena’s voice quivered.
“Just trust me,” I whispered to her, although I wasn’t quite certain that I trusted myself. Turning back to the guards, I instructed with rapidly fading confidence, “Please just wait with the horses. We might be gone a few hours, but we’ll be sure to return long before dawn.”
“A few hours?” Erik said, his lips thinning. “These must be some special mushrooms…”
“Very special,” I lied. “There’s a very specific way we have to locate them, and then to pick them is very—”
“Oh, be quiet,” Raena groaned, dragging me away by my arm. “We’ll return as soon as we can,” she called over her shoulder as Theo waved us off with a confused chuckle.
“What were you thinking?” she hissed at me when we were more than a few metres away. “It’s so obvious you’re lying.”
“You’re the one who brought up mushrooms,” I reminded her. Together, we began wading through the long grass, heading towards the grand willow.
“What else should I have said? I couldn’t exactly wander up to the King’s guards and ask them to join us on our jaunt to the faery kingdom. If they didn’t just assume I was mad, they’d go straight to the King, and then we’d both end up in shackles.”
“I thought you trusted them?”
She sighed. “I do, but they’ve still pledged loyalty to the King. It’s one thing for a guard to sneak you out to a tavern, but to a place like this?”
“You sneak out to taverns?” I teased. “With guards?”
“I never said that.” Her cheeks glowed a rosy red.
“I can’t believe you.” I brought a hand to my face to stifle a laugh. “Gentle Lady Raena sneaking out to taverns with the palace guards. It’s scandalous… You must bring me along next time.”
We both erupted into giggles, though our laughter promptly faded the moment we realised we’d reached the willow tree.
“What now?” Raena asked, drawing her cloak closer to her chest.
“From what I’ve read, there should be an opening somewhere in the tree trunk.” I reached forward to part some of the willow leaves, then peered towards the centre. “This way.”
She followed closely behind as I pushed through the leaves. It was so dark under the willow canopy, but I kept forcing my way through, treading carefully to avoid the uneven ground. Eventually, my hand hit something hard and bark-like, and I felt a strange sensation pulse through me. This must be it. I continued padding my hand against the tree trunk, trying to feel for a door or some kind of opening.
“Have you found the way in?” Raena whispered.
“Not yet,” I called back.
But then I felt it.
Beneath my hand, the bark seemed to shift and change until eventually it parted, the hole growing wider and wider. A faint violet light seeped out of the hole, until I could see my hands again and clearly make out the features on Raena’s concerned face.
“Blessed Oceans…” she breathed as the hole morphed into a small archway. Just beyond the arch, a long hallway stretched out in front of us. Violet orbs lined its packed dirt walls as the corridor seemed to slope directly into the ground, and at the end of the hall, a small spiral staircase descended into the unknown.
“I think I found the entrance,” I said, my heart thrumming in my chest. Now the doorway was wide open, I could feel something strange mixed in with the air that was pouring out. It smelled like sugar and fresh spring blossoms, while the feeling of it against my skin sent a warmth rushing down my spine.
Magic, perhaps?I didn’t know. Whatever it was, it made my fingers tingle.
“After you,” Raena offered quietly, gesturing towards the hallway. Her hands were shaking, but when I went to comfort her, I realised mine were too.
“Let’s do it at the same time,” I suggested, intertwining my trembling fingers with hers. She gulped, her gaze fixed on the passageway before us. The violet light spilling from it made her brown eyes shimmer like gemstones.
“For Corlixir,” I breathed, as we stepped together under the willow archway and into the kingdom of the fae.