Chapter 1 - Ewan
Prince Ewan stood on the parapet, watching from high above as a covered carriage approached the gates of the sprawling citadel below. The horses were struggling on the muddy road. It inclined softly toward the main gate, and they could clearly feel the strain. The driver was sending his whip into the air above their heads to urge them on. Surely, the horses did not need it; surely, they longed for a warm stable as much as the driver longed for a warm tavern.
For the past week, the prince had hesitated to make a decision; should he do the honorable thing? Should he take his place by his father’s side to greet the carriage’s occupant or deny her a view of his person. She had caused him some harm the last time he’d seen her.
Lady Shannon occupied the carriage.
“You stare as though a beast is being brought into our halls,” King Ellard said, joining him at his side. “You disapprove.”
“No, father,” Ewan said. “I know why she’s here. Why you agreed to take her off King Malcolm’s hands? It’s better this way. For everyone.”
“Aye.” His father nodded. “I believe it is.”
“I do not wish to speak with her,” Ewan stated.
The king shrugged. “That is up to you.”
Ewan had only told his father the barest necessities about his stay with King Malcolm. About their confrontation with those that, for decades, had plotted against the crowned heads. The lady proved to be one of them. She was a traitor, conspiring with those still on the loose and refusing to give them up. She was a disgrace. And she was a liar.
She had given him smiles and long looks. She had threaded her arm with his and made him believe their friendship was growing. Those black locks of hers, those dark, dark eyes, they were an outward manifesto of her blackened hearts.
He would not speak with her.
But he would show himself to her. If he didn’t, his vow of silence would have little effect. So, he walked in the wake of his father to the steps leading down from the parapet and took them all the way to the inner courtyard of the castle.
The castle’s thick wooden walls were intricately carved and painted with scenery from the kingdom. The rich ochre, greens, blues, yellows, and whites reminded everyone that they were living not only within their own realm, but that they were also part of four kingdoms that had always worked together for the betterment of all.
Lately, the colors had begun to grate.
They were a reminder of the betrayal that had been committed by one who Ewan had believed most loyal to his father’s crown, to his father, and to himself.
Leon.
Ewan fisted his hands at the thought of the dragon who had perished a year prior. The anger was still like a blast of heat through his veins, his inner dragon rumbling its disappointment at not having gotten to confront him properly. Ewan’s friend, Prince Malcolm, had drowned Leon in the waters of the kingdom of Fawha’s deepest lake. He had deserved to die, but it should not have been done before the judgment of his own kinsmen.
The sound of wheels on cobblestones brought Ewan back to the moment. He stood waiting on the steps of his father’s castle for the arrival of the carriage. It drove through the open gates and moved in a half-circle before coming to a stop at the bottom step, where Ewan and King Ellard stood waiting.
This is custom, Ewan reminded himself.She is to be treated as our guest even though she will be under lock and key at all times.
Andshe was to be greeted and treated as a guest of the castle because his father knew her father well. They had fought together in the great war and though they hadn’t seen much of each other since then, it was evident that King Ellard owed the lady’s father a great debt. Or so Ewan assumed, since he couldn’t think of another reason why his father would so willingly allow someone like her into their home.
Yes, they spoke of how it would be better for them all. Ewan’s first and last trial had yet to be announced, so keeping one’s friends close—but one’s enemies closer—seemed like a sensible choice to make. Ewan still thought that keeping one’s enemies as far away as possible, at the end of the day, would always prove the better option.
The footman folded down the step that would facilitate the lady’s descent from the carriage and opened the door.
There was only the darkness of the inside of the carriage to behold, and Ewan tensed with anticipation. Would this past year have aged her? Would it have made her look haggard and worn from the strain of being constantly interrogated? From having no freedom to shift at will?
But then a small hand extending into a slender wrist, braced itself against the doorframe, and she leaned forward. Her face came into the light, revealing herself to be as lovely as she ever had been. She was perhaps a little paler; the blackness of her hair and the depth of her dark brown eyes only seemed to create an even more lasting impact thanks to the translucence of her skin. She was still wearing plain grey, stepping out of the carriage with her eyes downturned. He realized she wouldn’t look at him and felt regret at having come at all.
She curtseyed low, her eyes on the ground at their feet.
“Sire,” she greeted the king. “I thank you for your kindness. I promise I shall make a quiet houseguest.”
To Ewan’s great displeasure, his father laughed, warmth in the sound. “My dear,” the king said, stepping forward to grasp at her shoulders. “You mustn’t keep your gaze lowered, but you must look at your king and know that you are welcome here. For as long as you’re with me, you will be cared for. You have my word on that.”
Ewan stared at the exchange, but when the lady’s gaze suddenly drifted to his and their eyes connected for a brief moment, he immediately looked away. His hearts were thudding themselves into some sort of race in his chest, his palms growing sweaty. She had made him believe that she cared for him and now she was here. His first and last trial; the very last possibility for whoever she worked with to succeed in their scheming. Was he meant to accept his father embracing her as though she was all beauty and no beast?
He kept his glare down, turned and walked into the castle without a backward glance.
