The Warheart Kingdom

Chapter Three: An Explanation

It was a little after noon when I took Peter to my chambers and he sat at the table patiently, waiting until I was ready to speak, to tell him about me. Except I wasn't.

"First, I want to know how you even know about me, and how much you know. And I'm not in the mood to argue," I said, putting my fingertips to my forehead and the bridge of my nose as I paced and watched him.

"Okay. I guess that's fair. I was paid to hunt you down and bring you to the person I work for." He looked up at me and raised his hand, knowing what I was about to ask. "I do not know his name. He told me to find you and bring you to him. I had assumed that you owed him money or you stole something, but now I don't know what I think except that you didn't. After meeting you and seeing how everyone but a small few act with you, I seriously doubt that's why he wants you. I vaguely know the man, but he has a certain reputation where I passed through and no one would say much about him."

"So, why are you still here?"

"I think the man wants to kill you. He only gave me your first name and characteristics: blue eyes; long, wavy black hair; slightly taller than average; and slender," he finished and looked at me with curiosity. "He also told me where I could find you."

"Okay." I took off the belts and set them on the table, my bow next to them, and sat down in the chair across from him. "Now what else do you know? It's obvious you know more about me than just what he told you."

"I know you have magic. From what I have experienced and observed, I know it helps you be more aware. It's how you knew you were being watched on the field, how you knew to look for me on the roof. I was watching that other person watching you, too. I don't know who he is and I've tried to follow him. I think he knew I was watching both of you."

"I do have magic. It helps me sense things around me. I have visions when I sleep, though sometimes they feel more like memories. Sometimes I can sort of call on my mother. She doesn't like magic anymore, but she taught me how to communicate with her in an emergency. I know I'm capable of more, but I don't know how to use or control my magic enough." I looked at him again. "I don't even understand why I'm telling you this."

"Believe me, I want you safe. I can't let you get killed," he stated.

"I can watch over myself," I snapped, not really intending to. "Sorry."

"Oh, I believe you," he smiled. "You nearly took off my head."

"I did not. I stopped just before your neck. It served as a warning." I didn't smile back.

"True." He smiled still and there was a twinkle in his eyes. Then suddenly it was gone and he stood up. I reached towards my weapons and he held up his hands. "I had better be going now. Goodbye. I'll see you around."

"Peter, wait." I didn't know what I wanted to say, maybe ask him what else he knew about me, about my magic, maybe just to stay and keep me company. But I shook my head, "Nevermind."

He nodded. And then he left. I quickly strode over and locked my door. I stalked towards one of the windows, watching him exit the stairwell and go across the yard. Without warning, he stopped and looked directly at me, like he had known which window I was at.

It creeped me out for a while longer and the uneasy feeling from before came back, seemingly with a vengeance that threatened to make me vomit. When Peter was out of sight, I yanked the curtains closed until they let only a little light in.

I sat on my bed for a while, eating an apple. I was so tired after waking up long before dusk and with everything that had been happening that I decided to lay down once done eating. Hopefully, I could get a few hours of sleep.

I took the corset and skirt off and put on a thin blouse and trousers. The thought of sleeping naked like I normally did while someone was potentially watching my chambers disturbed me, though my nakedness had never bothered me before.

I fluffed up my pillow, put a hand underneath, and fell asleep on my side.

Once again, I had a dream of my father. It was the same scenery, but he wasn't holding the baby. He was watching me, calling my name. I couldn't hear what else he was saying but it seemed as though he was trying to wake me up.

I woke up, I think a few hours after I had fallen asleep. It was getting dark outside but a candle was lit. I didn't remember lighting one, but as I woke up more, I noticed someone was in my bedchamber and someone was pounding on my door.

How could I miss that? How long were they there?

I didn't have the ability to process those questions. I focused and my attention was on the man looking at me from a chair moved closer to my bed, but not really next to it. I sat up with my eyes wide.

There, a couple yards from me, was my father. He was dressed in a light green cloak. It was the same cloak of the other person watching me before. I remembered what he looked like from my dreams, but there was something different. He looked different.

We just stayed where we were, watching each other, before finally my door burst open. Peter rushed in and my father stood up, coming closer to me, shielding me.

"Get away from her!" He shouted at my father, throwing up his hands and positioning his fingers together strangely.

"Stay where you are! I won't let you hurt her!" My father turned to Peter, throwing his hands up in a similar manner.

"I'm her friend. Now back away, now." There was a dangerous glint in his eyes as he reached for his bow instead.

"Stop it!" I finally got up and yelled.

"What do you mean?" Peter looked at me, stopping his hand inches from his bow. "This is the man who was watching you at the archery field! Or did you forget?"

I looked at my father and nodded. "It was you. I know that now." I looked back at Peter. "He is my father." I turned angrily back to my father, who was looking at me, reading me with his eyes.

"Please. I didn't mean to harm you. I had to see if you were my daughter. But I found out. It's true. You are."

"You left. You left! How can you come to me after so many years? Why shouldn't I kill you or throw you out myself right now? You know I can." My eyes started tearing up, and Peter came closer.

"You probably couldn't actually." I took a step towards my sword, but he grabbed my arm. "I'm sorry. Please believe me. I left for important reasons. I was heartbroken when your mother took you and left. I was gone only a few months, but you were gone when I returned. I searched for you. I stopped, hopeless. I didn't know what to do. I thought you both had been killed. All this time, I tried reaching you, but your mother must have blocked you and herself from me."

"Wait. Mother hates her magic."

"She does. But apparently you don't."

"I don't, but what do you mean? How would you know?"

"You called me, didn't you?"

"No.. I don't know. I have been having dreams about you from when I was a baby."

"That last night and just a few moments ago." The way he said it was more of a statement than a question, like he knew.

"Yes," I said, looking away. It would have made sense that he had known, since in the dream he was trying to wake me. I glanced at Peter, who was being quiet, but still looked like he was ready to attack.

My father continued, "I was on my way here when I was sleeping and saw you. You were just standing watching-"

"You were on your way here already?" I interrupted with another glance at him.

"Yes." He reached towards me but decided otherwise. "I travel a lot and I heard your name in a town as I was passing through. And I saw him," he looked at Peter. "He was talking to the man who said your name. I was intrigued, so I followed him. Then I found you. I first thought that he wanted to harm you, but since he could lead me to you, I followed and watched him. I have missed you so much. And I haven't seen you since you were a baby, you look so much like your mother did at that age."

"Really? Well, she's changed quite a bit since we moved here. Which reminds me, I don't think she'd want to see you." I couldn't help but to glare at the man who abandoned my mother. I sat down on my bed and, with a glance at Peter, my father returned to the chair he had previously occupied.

"She hates me that much for leaving?"

I nodded, not really having much of an explanation. "I had tried asking about you multiple times. She swore off magic and relationships because of you. Her only goal in life was to protect me, even from you it seems. Though sometimes she told me you were likely dead."

He nodded. "It was a dangerous time for us, especially after you were born. I left to try to make it safer for you."

"Mother mentioned we left because it got too dangerous for me, though she didn't elaborate."

"I can, if you trust me enough to listen." He paused and I nodded curtly. "I am a powerful mage, undoubtedly stronger than your friend here. Before I met your mother, I was in a tough crowd, one who used my magic for their gain. Nothing too special there, but I became like an assassin for them. I made a lot of enemies. Before you were born, they approached with a job that I tried to refuse. After you were born, I tried to get out and leave them again. Now, concerning you, they had found out about you and your mother. They knew what I could do so they figured a child of two mages could be even more powerful. They planned on killing your mother and taking you to either raise you as their own or use you to make me do whatever they wanted. So I stayed away so they wouldn't find you. By the time I thought I got them off my trail, or dealt with the ones who found me, and got home, you were gone."

I sighed, tired. It made too much sense, but also no sense. "So how did I call to you?"

"That is our magic. It links us. You have visions as I do. Your magic must have called to me, sensing me getting closer. Your mother had different abilities with her magic, such as wards, as you could probably tell, since she hid you from me. It is also her magic that you inherited to be able to sense your surroundings. I know you don't know much magic, but I'm glad that you've used that part. It has kept you safe."

Peter had grabbed another chair and dragged it towards us, and was also sitting. He sighed. "So who the hell is it that's after her now?"

My father looked at him. "I do not know. Nor do I know why. I'm assuming word got around from before and this was a way to lure me out, or they heard of her accomplishments throughout the kingdoms. At which point they either want to use her or get rid of her as competition." Peter scowled at that. "Believe me, I'm not looking forward to either possibility."

"Wait. So someone knows I have magic, or at least they know I have potential, and they know who I am, so they're sending people after me? I don't like this. I don't know who to trust. For all I know you two could be working together to turn me in yourselves. I have a duty to protect these people. Even if people are after me, my mother and this kingdom need protection. If someone threatens the kingdom then they will be taken care of."

My father looked like he wanted to say more, but he kept his mouth closed. Even Peter didn't say anything as he contemplated what I said. I simply got to my feet and went to the door, opening it and standing aside, a motion for them to get out. They looked at each other, seeming to tell the other one to go first, when I cleared my throat and tapped the door. "Both of you. Out. Now."

They begrudgingly left, my father first. Like before, as soon as the door was shut and locked, unbroken from when Peter burst through it, I went to the window and watched them through the dim moonlight. I saw them speaking to one another, though I wished I knew how to access my magic to know what they were saying.

My father looked up at me instantly and I felt something rub against my thoughts. "Tell your mother I have missed her. I will do what I can to protect you both against this person hunting you." Then he looked away and his presence in my mind was gone.

I watched them disappear before I closed my curtains. There was a lot to figure out, but I never got that sense that something wasn't right. Other than their animosity towards the other, I had felt no tension or uneasiness with them. Maybe I had been too harsh on them, but if my father could enter my mind that easily, then I should probably build up my mental shields.

Sitting on my bed, I focused on my magic, something I hadn't truly done in a long time, since I used to venture to the taverns and brothels, using my magic to shield myself from possible threats. The magic answered my call quickly, tired of lying dormant. Within moments, I had put a decent shield on my door. During the process, I noticed there had been a shield before Peter had burst through it. I could only assume that it had come from my father, considering my magic didn't react to it with uneasiness. I continued to practice with some elemental control, mainly lighting candles and snuffing them back out.

It had to be close to midnight when I finally started to get tired again. With one last whiff of magic, I snuffed all the candles and rested atop my pillows. Though it took me a while to drift off, I didn't notice when my mind started playing a different scene. The vision started out showing my mother and father. I had not been born, but I could see the bump of me in my mother's womb. They were holding hands, walking through a town I didn't recognize, but there was someone approaching them. A man and two others, older, trailing behind him. They greeted my father and my mother stiffened, clearly bothered by these men. I wonder how powerful her magic was back then and what she sensed from these strangers. My father looked at my mother, without speaking a word, but she simply nodded and continued walking into a shop. Outside and alone with these men, I walked closer to hear what they were saying.

"Pretty wife, Alaric," the young leader huffed.

"Thank you, sir," my father stated flatly. "What can I do for you?"

"I want you to come to my father's estate to interrogate a prisoner."

"Please, sir, I'm trying to find more appropriate work with the little one on the way. We want to settle down and raise her."

"I have no interest in losing one of our best men. And, of course, I will reward you handsomely. Maybe you can buy a plot of land nearby and build upon it."

My father was contemplating the offer for a moment. I fought the urge to put a hand on his shoulder. "May I discuss it with my love first?"

"I don't have all day, Anessen. Now, or you become my next target."

My father nodded quickly. "How long will I be gone?"

"A week, perhaps. That depends on how quickly you get the job done."

My father nodded again. "I will go let her know." With a curt nod, my father walked away and quickly strode into the shop where my mother awaited.

I heard the man mumble something to the two and they shared a chuckle. The vision changed to the inside of the shop and my mother was pleading with him to not go.

"I have to. They will try to come after you. It'll be more money so we can finally escape. Please don't fight this. I saw their minds. They won't just let me go, but I will try to make it so by the time they realize we're gone it'll be too late. I promise after this we will leave. One week is all I ask."

My mother searched his eyes for any hint of falsehood. She believed him and merely nodded as she looked back at the fabrics in her hands. "I will work on her blanket and maybe it'll be done before you return. We will be waiting for you." Then she put a hand to his cheek. She then moved her hand to the back of his neck and pulled him down into a kiss. When she pulled away, she added, "Go, quickly, before they decide they don't want to be patient anymore."

He nodded, kissed her deeply once more, then put a small bag of money in her hand. "I love you. Both of you. Nothing will keep me away from you."

He left and my mother was left alone, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. They really did love each other. How would she react knowing he was alive and still loved her?