Chapter Fifteen #3
“I understand.” Isabelle didn’t press the matter further. “When do you plan to tell her?”
“I will make the announcement tomorrow.”
Silence followed for several moments after her father finished speaking. It seemed the conversation was over. Rianne backed away from the door and turned down the hallway. Her father said she should be grateful. Grateful of what? Of being a convenient pawn?
She kept walking, deep in thought, without paying any attention to where she was going.
Somehow, she found herself in the courtyard.
Without realizing it, she walked into the path of a knife flying straight at her head.
Before she could react, the knife froze in the air.
Her eyes crossed as she looked down at the tip of the blade, just a finger’s width away her nose.
Eon, the Royal Mage of Labara stepped out from behind a carriage on the other side of the courtyard. He didn’t speak but lifted an arm and flicked his wrist. The knife dropped to the ground. Tristan ran up, put his hands on her shoulders, and gave her a shake.
“What were you thinking? You could have been killed!” Tristan exclaimed.
Rianne was in shock and didn’t reply.
“Ease up on her,” Xavier said, walking up. He bent down to retrieve the knife. “It was an accident.”
“An accident that could have taken off her head!”
“I’m fine, Tristan. Thank you for asking,” Rianne said, finding her voice again. She backed away from her brother but he continued to chastise her. When he finished, he looked over at Eon and thanked him for stopping the knife. The wizard simply nodded and left.
Rianne moved away from the target and watched as her brothers took turns throwing the knives.
There was a whoosh sound as the knives zoomed through the air and a ping when the blade went into the wood.
Each time she heard the ping, she felt as if the knives were stabbing her heart instead of the target.
Chipping it off, piece by piece. She had to do something, but what could she do?
“Teach me,” she blurted out.
Xavier laughed and threw another knife.
“I’m serious,” she insisted. “Teach me how to throw knives. Actually, more than that. Teach me how to fight, to defend myself.”
“Why would you ever need to know how to defend yourself? You’re a princess. You have guards for that,” Tristan said.
“I might not always have a guard.”
“Why would you ever be without a guard?” he asked, eyeing Rianne, suspiciously.
“I will be moving to a new kingdom, Tristan. I don’t know what kind of protection I will have.”
Tristan clearly didn’t believe her reasoning, which was apparent by his expression.
“If she wants to learn, I say we teach her,” Xavier interjected. Spending time focusing on teaching Rianne would be a good distraction for him. And for her. Tristan reluctantly agreed.
Her training got off to a rocky start. She learned how to hold the knife quickly, but she had trouble grasping the throwing motion.
“You aren’t throwing hard enough. You need to put some force behind it,” Tristan said, as her latest attempt fell short of the target.
Xavier took over and showed her how to lean forward when she threw the knife, using her body to propel it further. Her next attempt was better, but it bounced off the wood.
“Just imagine the target as something else. Something you want to hit. It might help you to focus,” Xavier said.
“Something I want to hit? Or someone?” Rianne mumbled to herself.
She turned to the target and envisioned King Carneath’s face.
She could only remember meeting him once when she was younger and he had probably changed quite a bit since then, but it didn’t matter.
It was Carneath who’d come to King Nolan with the proposal, and it was his fault this was happening to her.
She straightened her back and inhaled. Then she lifted her arm, leaned forward, and hurled the knife at the target. She didn’t release her breath until the knife made a ping noise as it stuck into the wood.
“Finally, something we can work with!” Tristan said, smiling.
~*~
“Married!”
The queen’s response echoed in the great hall and could be heard as far away as the gatehouse. Rowan entered the hall with Gabrielle, who Reeve sent him to find once they returned to the castle. Rhea and Reeve were kneeling next to the throne.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Reeve replied. He was still trying to wrap his mind around what had happened, himself, so he could understand her reaction.
“How did this happen?” Bree asked, dropping down onto her throne.
“We were distracted and accidentally wandered too far into the valley. I had no way of escaping, so Princess Rhea was able to convince her mother that I was you,” he said, pointing at Rowan. “Or at least that I was the same person who rescued her. It’s fortunate that we look so much alike.”
“But how did you come to be married?”
“Queen Viola threatened to punish me, or rather Rowan, for refusing to marry her daughter. So I lied and said that I changed my mind, or his mind. It’s all a bit confusing. The queen required that we marry right then. She performed the ceremony herself.”
“The ceremony?”
“Yes,” Reeve replied, holding his hand up to show the permanent ring around his finger.
“Why were you out in the realm with Rhea in the first place?” Rowan asked. He looked at Bree with his brow raised. “Tell me you didn’t do something foolish, Breestlin.”
“What would qualify as foolish?”
“Bree…”
“It was my fault,” Rhea blurted out. “If anyone should be punished, it is me.”
“Punished?” Bree asked, softly. “Why in the realm would I punish you?”
“I just thought…”
“This certainly isn’t your fault, Rhea. You couldn’t have predicted it, and it sounds as if you couldn’t have avoided it either. Nevertheless, has the marriage been consummated?”
Rowan reached his hands over to cover Gabrielle’s ears, but she swatted them away, grinning. She found the entire situation to be much too entertaining to miss any part of it. And she knew exactly what the queen meant by the question.
“No, Your Majesty,” Reeve said, glancing over at Rhea. She was staring down at the floor with a mortified look on her face. It was the same face she had worn for the entire journey back to Junacave also.
“Then, perhaps, there is hope for an annulment,” Bree said, nodding. “I can send for a mysta. He will be able to determine whether the marriage is valid, according to the scriptum.”
“Mysta? What is a mysta?” Rhea asked, looking up.
“Oh, I apologize, Rhea. I forget that you may not be familiar with those customs. A mysta performs marriage ceremonies. Well, the non-magic ceremonies at least.” Bree frowned.
“But I honestly don’t know whether he could assist in this situation seeing that your marriage was performed by a fairy.
However, we can certainly try. I don’t know how long it will take for him to arrive, but I will send for one. ”
Bree stood and left the hall, followed by Rowan.
“I can’t believe you’re married!” Gabrielle said, walking up to her brother. “Can I see the ring?”
Reeve held his hand out so Gabby could get a closer look. She licked her finger and tried to rub the ring off. She rubbed so hard that it hurt so he jerked his hand back. Then he noticed that Rhea hadn’t moved a muscle since the queen left the room.
“You should return to the tutors, Gabby. I will see you this evening, at supper,” he said.
“Do I have to? It’s incredibly boring.” She huffed and rolled her eyes. “I would rather come train with you.”
“We’ve discussed this, Gabby.”
“I know, but—” She stopped arguing when she saw his stern expression. “Fine…” She turned and stalked out of the hall, leaving her brother alone with Rhea.
“Princess Rhea, I’m truly sorry about what happened,” he said.
“Don’t call me that,” she said, snapping at him. “I’m not a princess. Not anymore.”
She didn’t know who or what she was. She wasn’t a princess now that she was banished. And even though she was married, she wasn’t really his wife. She was, however, confused and about to cry. She quickly stood and fled the room.
Reeve stared after her, wondering if there was anything he could have done to make things better or what he should do now. He was in way over his head here. Dammit.