Chapter 4
Kathryn struggled to gather her thoughts after that first awkward meeting with her fiance. As she followed the guard to her room while Dena trailed behind, the princess reflected that Lorrin was about as arrogant, rude, and unfeeling as she’d imagined. But at least it was her dealing with him instead of her young sister.
When Kathryn reached her room, the first thing she saw was the two black-hooded figures standing outside. Fear squeezed her chest, and her hand clenched at her side. “What are the Vipers doing here?” she asked her escort.
The guard looked confused. “They are here to protect you, my lady. In Navinor, all members of the royal family are assigned two of them for safety. And…here, we do not call them Vipers. We call them Protectors.”
Kathryn accepted the correction with a slight inclination of her head. It made sense that the Navinorians would prefer to erase their royal guardsmen’s tainted history whenever possible. The “Protectors” threw open the silver-crusted double doors that led to her room.
Kathryn was of course used to a high standard of living as a princess, but she had never seen anything like this. There were marble pillars in a bedroom that was nearly as large as the ballroom back home. Silver leafing covered half the walls, and every piece of furniture was either polished dark wood or white marble.
But Kathryn barely glanced at all of this. Rather, she noticed the jewels, many of which were opals, that encrusted a nearby dressing table. She knew exactly where those jewels came from. In particular, there was a gorgeous fire opal, almost as big as her hand, glowing orange in the light of the kerosene lamps that dotted the chamber. Kathryn could not take her eyes off of it. The feeling in the pit of her stomach, which was just starting to ease, came back with a vengeance. Was that…no, it couldn’t be. They wouldn’t be so bold.
She said, “Who decorated this room?” Her voice sounded like it was coming from far away, but she could hear that it was stiff and sharp.
The guard said awkwardly, “Prince Lorrin oversaw it himself, my lady.”
“I see. Thank you. You may leave.” Kathryn tried unsuccessfully to keep her voice from shaking.
The guard nodded and hurried out.
Dena exclaimed, “This room is amazing, your highness! I have never seen anything so beautiful!”
“Yes.” Kathryn sat in the chair at the dressing table and stared into the fire opal, struggling to regain control. The air in the room seemed terribly oppressive; she could hardly breathe.
Kathryn said, “Lady Dena, Tell Ren I need him.”
Ren examined his new quarters with interest. He had been placed with other guards, despite his title as a general, but he didn’t feel there was any reason to complain. In fact, he preferred the plain lodgings. Rows of standard bunks with neat mattresses and blankets stretched from wall to wall, with limited space to maneuver between them. Clearly, the men didn’t spend much time here, and he didn’t expect to either. He’d be busy training, so the cramped space wouldn’t bother him.
The company of the other guards was harder to stomach. They all glared at him with expressions of such hate he could feel them even when he focused on sharpening his sword for the tenth time as he lounged back on his new bunk. “So, this is where Navinor’s finest hang out, huh?” he commented loudly to no one in particular, drawing the attention of the guards.
One of the guards said, “General Patrick. Permission to speak to you, sir.”
Surprised by the politeness of his words, if not his tone, Ren replied, “Of course. What can I do for you?”
The guard looked momentarily confused by his pleasant manner, but he quickly recovered. “We were wondering, General. Did you fight in the war?”
“No. Did you?”
“We all did,” another guard put in. “If you didn’t fight in the war, how are you a general?”
“It’s an honorary title for certain members of the royal guard where I’m from.” Ren glanced around. “By the way, is there any place where I can train? I haven’t had much opportunity recently.”
“There are training grounds near here,” a young captain said gravely. “But I don’t think you should go there, respectfully, General.”
“Why not?”
“Because not everyone there will be happy to see you, and you could find yourself in…difficulties. Respectfully.”
Respectfully, huh?
Ren refrained from rolling his eyes and replied dryly, “I’m not worried about that. So, can you show me the training grounds?”
Grudgingly, the captain complied.
An imposing polished stone wall surrounded the area, but the grounds themselves were simple and familiar, covered in dirt and straw. There were some hay bales and dummies set up for target practice, and the rope-fenced arena was the same size as the one back home. Its familiarity comforted him.
Just as the little group reached the edge of the training grounds, the captain exclaimed, “Prince Gregory?”
The eldest prince stood next to one of the hay bales with four of the protectors by his side. Ren had been so busy looking at his new training area that he hadn’t even noticed.
The young warrior stiffened at the sight of the prince. This was an enemy to be reckoned with. He could tell by the man’s eyes and the way he moved as he walked towards him.
Ren put a hand on his sword without realizing it. The Protectors drew their daggers, the sharp ‘hiss’ grating on Ren’s ears.
“Don’t!” Gregory snapped.
The Protectors withdrew.
“You must be General Ren,” Gregory remarked.
“Yes. You’re the crown prince, Prince Gregory.” Ren almost forgot to bow. He remembered at the last second and inclined his head awkwardly. “Your highness.”
“Yes. How fortunate that we should meet each other here. I have been hoping for an opportunity to see Iridalys’ Champion in action. I would appreciate it, General, if you could be so kind as to spar with the captain here.”
Ren glanced at the captain. He said, “Uh…I would be happy to, if you want me to. But won’t that cause an international incident?” He chose his words carefully, trying to maintain his thin facade of nobility, even though he wanted nothing more than to bash a few heads.
Gregory laughed aloud. Ren instinctively tensed. “Of course not. You’re our guests. And the captain won’t hurt you.”
Ren decided both nobility and civility weren’t the most important things in the world. “I wasn’t worried about that.” He smiled, walked over to the training weapon rack, and picked out a staff. “I’d hate to mess up his face is all.”
Gregory cocked his head while the captain started in annoyed surprise. The crown prince said softly, “Well, this should be interesting.”
The soldiers and Protectors alike gathered around to watch Ren spar with their top captain, their eyes filled with as much malice as curiosity.
Ren never minded an audience. He twirled the staff in his left hand to get a feel for the balance, and the captain asked, “Are you planning to fight left handed?”
“I use both,” Ren said casually. “You’re a lefty though, right?”
The captain raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t even picked up a weapon yet. But he only said shortly, “Yes.”
“Then for this fight, we’ll say I am too.” Ren took his place at one side of the grounds. His stance was fairly casual, but his eyes darted back and forth among the watching crowd, sizing them up, looking for potential threats or weaknesses. One face in particular stood out to him. A man with dark, solemn eyes, long black hair, and a massive scar on one cheek watched the fighters. Something about him was familiar, but Ren couldn’t place what it was.
As the captain took his position with a training sword he said, “You don’t seem to be paying attention, General.”
“Oh, I am,” Ren assured him. “How do we do this, prince? Do you say ‘ready, set, go,’ or something like that?”
“Hm? No. Here, we just say ‘fight.’”
“Simple,” Ren said approvingly. “Just the way I like it!” He grinned in a most unprofessional manner as he crouched slightly and waited.
Gregory smiled. “Now that you are both in position…FIGHT!”
The captain sprang forward, putting all of his body weight behind a violent strike aimed at the young general’s head. The watchers had no doubt seen this same move end dozens of foes on the battlefield in one hit.
Ren angled his staff expertly so that the practice sword glanced off, throwing the captain off balance. The man couldn’t stop himself from staggering forward when he met no resistance, and as he passed Ren, the young general hit him in the back of the head with his elbow.
The watchers stirred in confusion as the captain collapsed to the ground. “My mistake. Didn’t think one of your fighters would be that light-headed. Next,” Ren said cheerfully. He felt remarkably happy about the chance to knock a few Navinorian heads together without any consequences. He’d exercised enough restraint for a lifetime, and the smell of sweat mixed with dirt and hay always set his blood pumping.
Gregory raised an eyebrow. “You mean you want to continue?” he asked.
Ren shrugged. “I’m always ready for a fight.” He glanced over at the man with the scar on his cheek and raised his staff in challenge. “What about you?”
The man raised an eyebrow and glanced at Gregory. The prince shook his head, almost imperceptibly. “General Xian doesn’t do casual sparring matches. I have a better idea,” the prince announced. “You can spar against some of my other men. I think it will be a useful experience for them.”
Interesting. Must be something more to that General, then.
Before Ren could reply, Dena reached the training grounds, her face pale from exertion and her hair awry. Panting, she called, “General Ren! The princess requests your presence.”
Several guards chuckled or made mocking comments under their breath. Ren barely heard it. He simply dropped the staff and instantly followed after Dena.
________________________________________
Gregory stood watching Ren leave, and his eyebrows creased in a frown. The warrior was even more remarkable than he’d been told.
He walked over to the scarred general who had watched the fight. “What do you think?” the prince asked.
“Impossible to judge his strength accurately from one engagement,” Xian responded. The scar on his face had slightly deformed his mouth, so the words came out somewhat slurred. “I would have liked to make a more in-depth investigation myself.”
“I agree. Not only that, but he held himself back.” Gregory nodded at the captain, who was already rising, rubbing the back of his head, but otherwise all right. “He may be somewhat more intelligent than we’d heard. But I don’t want you to fight him just yet.”
“Yes, my lord. What about the others?”
“Arrange sparring matches when you can. Continue to observe. After all, it’s to our advantage if we know what sort of an individual we’ve invited in,” Gregory said with a grim smile.
Ren rushed to Kathryn’s chambers, wondering why Dena’s message had sounded so urgent. When he reached the doors, he glared at the “Protectors,” who looked back impassively. Then he knocked.
“Enter,” Kathryn called.
Dena went in with him, but Kathryn, her back to the door, said, “You may leave, Dena.”
“Oh…yes, your highness,” she stammered.
As soon as she went out, Ren took a quick step forward. “Are you all right, Kat?” Was she ill? Or frightened?This wasn’t like her.
“I can’t stand this.”
What?
Kathryn, still without turning around, pointed at the vanity.
Ren walked over to it and saw the opal. His eyes widened and his fists clenched. “Those animals,” he said between gritted teeth, uncontrollable rage boiling up within him.
“Ren.”
“I can’t believe they did something like this! It must be Lorrin.”
“Ren!”
Ren stopped as Kathryn whirled on him. The sight of tears trickling down her face stunned him. His anger vanished. He pulled her into his arms and held her as she cried silently.
The opal glittered away in its setting, and it was only their eyes that saw the significance in its glowing surface. It was something they would have preferred to never remember; a day that quickly became the worst in their lives.
Four years ago…
The first war with Navinor was in its second year already. Ren was 16 and already showed incredible prowess as a fighter. Illian was away fighting while Lenore was being educated as a junior Warden. Kathryn’s father was away directing strategies, and her mother, a Warden known for her intelligence and skill with fire opal magic, managed the castle on her own.
On this particular day, Ren and Kathryn were in the library, where she was trying to help him improve his reading as he lounged back lazily on the couch. Ren complained, “I don’t see why I have to slog through these.”
Kathryn tapped him on the forehead with the book. “A blade isn’t your only weapon. You could get good at strategy too; only you are far too lazy.”
“But this is boring,” Ren complained. “Besides, I’ve got enough to deal with keeping you out of trouble.”
“Don’t you want to be cleverer than other people?” Kathryn countered.
He considered the question. “Nope,” he said. “I’ll leave that to you, Princess.”
Before Kathryn could respond, they heard shouts and a terrible commotion. A guard burst inside. Ren jumped up, drawing his sword. “What’s happening?” he demanded sharply.
The guard cried, “Vipers, General! Get the princess-” A shimmering blue blade appeared, sticking out of his chest. He slumped to the floor.
Ren shouted, “Get behind me, princess!” The words had hardly left his mouth when all of the windows in the rooms shattered and half a dozen Vipers began clambering inside, armed with Azura daggers. The assassins’ eyes glinted with murderous rage.
Kathryn threw the heavy book in her hand at one of them, temporarily checking his advance. Ren ducked under a dagger, kicked one of his opponents with a powerful blow that sent him flying, and stabbed a second man through the chest.
He had to draw his own dagger to block a third attacker that struck at him with an Azura blade before he had time to pull his sword free. The Azura was so hard that it nicked Ren’s blade, and he staggered under the strength of the blow. “Ren, get us out of here!” Kathryn shouted. She held one of the kerosene lamps in her hand.
She threw it. The lamp shattered against one of the assassins and his wails resounded while smoke began to fill the air. Ren grabbed her and shielded her while hacking desperately at another Viper. He managed to push his way out into the hall, only to be blocked by three more Vipers.
But something behind them caught his eye. Another man with a mask and hood simply stood watching, holding in his hand a familiar fire opal. It was the gem that had once adorned the queen’s scepter.
Ren’s heart thudded in his chest. The presence of the opal here could mean only one thing: The queen was dead.
Memories crowded into his brain. He could hear her kind voice saying, “Consider us your new family, my child,” and feel the warm hand against his cheek.
Ren let out a roar of rage. He slashed the throat of one of the Vipers, sidestepped the flashing blade of a poisoned dagger, and thrust the hilt of his sword into the stomach of another. His left hand drove the dagger home in the third man’s chest, and then he pushed forward to engage with the man behind them who held the opal. Instinct told him that this man was their leader.
However, this assassin was much more skilful than the others. He easily blocked Ren’s sword strikes with one hand while putting the opal away in his robe. Then he hit back.
The overhead strike was stronger than any Ren had experienced in his life. It crashed down on his sword with the force of a boulder, and his knees nearly collapsed under him before he regained his balance.
Behind him, Kathryn snatched off her jeweled bracelet and flung it at the assailant with all her strength. It hit him in the face, drawing blood over his right eye. He winced, but continued to raise his sword for a final killing strike.
Ren threw up his sword again to parry. But at the last second, the masked man changed the direction of his sword, slashing sideways towards Ren’s ribs.
The boy barely managed to block it, and it numbed his arm all the way up to the elbow. Rather than disengaging, the assassin bore down harder, forcing him to his knees.
Ren’s breath came in short, harsh gasps. His sword hand felt numb, and he could scarcely keep his weapon up against the continuous downward pressure that grew stronger by the moment.
But he had to protect Kathryn.
In his peripheral vision, he saw another hooded figure approaching her. With his free hand, he threw his dagger at the figure and caught him in the throat, killing him instantly.
“Mistake,” rumbled the leader.
Ren saw the poisoned dagger flash towards his arm, but his sword was still trapped and with his own dagger gone, he couldn’t block it. He closed his eyes, waiting for the blow.
Then General Valen was there, interposing himself between the young bodyguard and the assassin. His sword flashed blindingly fast as he thrust it towards the Viper’s chest. The man blocked it and shoved Valen a step back.
Seeing one of the kingdom’s best warriors pushed back awakened a primal fear in the boy such as he had never experienced. “General!” Ren panted.
“Take the princess and go, boy! Get out of here!” Valen shouted as he struggled with the man.
Ren bit his lip. “I’ll come back for you!” he yelled over his shoulder as he grabbed Kathryn’s hand and dragged her down the hall. Everywhere, guards, Wardens, and Vipers lay in pools of blood. The walls were singed with fire from the Warden’s vain attempts to stop the invaders. Kathryn’s eyes widened as she saw one of her maids also lying dead.
The young people burst into the throne room, which should have been the best-protected room in the palace. But Ren stopped short and put his hand over Kathryn’s eyes. “Don’t look,” he said.
Kathryn didn’t listen, of course. She ducked away from his hand and then stood still, staring at the decapitated body of her mother.
Later, they heard that the Viper Massacre had killed 17 guards, 4 servants, and the queen. The man with the fire opal got away, wounding Valen severely in the process. That was the result of a coordinated attack by 30 trained assassins who would later call themselves the “Protectors.”
Present day…
Gradually, Kathryn pulled herself back to the present, suppressing the memories as well as she could. She pushed away from Ren with trembling hands, ashamed of her outburst. He gave her a handkerchief. She dried her eyes and blew her nose.
He started to say, “Kat…”
“I’m all right.” She patted his shoulder and managed a wan smile. “You can leave now.”
“Like blazes you are!” he burst out. “Kat, if you want to leave, we can go now. We don’t have to do this!”
“I am fine,” she said firmly.
Ren bit his lip. He bowed and left her there.
Kathryn sat at her vanity and looked at herself in the mirror.
Why did I do that?
She had known for four years that these were the people who took her mother away. It no longer mattered. She studied her reflection for a moment and tried to smile. She hoped the redness would fade quickly. She couldn’t have anyone seeing it during the welcoming party that night.
No more tears. The past is the past.
She clenched her fist and lowered her head. This is what Mama would have wanted, anyway. Her mother had adored Lenore. Perhaps it was natural that she loved a happy, smiling, curly-haired child more than the austere, grave little woman who always spoke in a way that was unsettlingly beyond her years.
Only Lenore matters now.
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