A New Era: Kalparainia Chronicles Book One

Chapter Ten

After the initial shock of the blade being shoved into my gut, my stomach felt as though it was on fire. Tears stung my eyes, I could see Damien's mouth moving, but I couldn't hear anything but the drumming beat of my heart. Everything else around me was a blur save for Damien's face. Was his face the last thing I wanted to see? No. I could safely say that I didn't want to die there. I didn't want to die looking at Damien. I could say that I was surprised with myself, willing to put myself in front of my brother when I knew he was in danger. I just hadn't expected to be stabbed.

Muffled voices shouted, and the next thing I knew, Damien was being flung away from me. My body had gone numb, and the world felt as though it was spinning around me, the copper taste of blood filled my mouth. Sora leaned over me in her human form, her platinum blonde sprawled like a curtain blocking out the world around us.

"You will not die here today, my Queen," Sora's voice was firm in my mind. She began to glow lightly as she brought her mouth close to mine and breathed into my mouth, her hand held my wound as she removed the dagger from my gut.

The pain was gone, the world was becoming less blurry, and the chaotic sounds of everyone shouting became more real. Sora's midnight blue eyes closed as she continued to press to my stomach. She wobbled for a moment before she collapsed, rolling off of me. I blinked several times as Byron helped me to my feet, pulling me roughly into his arms. My Royal Guards were ready to attack Damien if he made another move towards me, Jillian was running towards me with Williem close behind her. My father...well, he was still being held and gagged, so there wasn't much that he could do.

Williem picked up Sora, who was limp on the ground. Once Jamison noticed that I was alright, he let out a whistle and the men put their swords down. I turned and glared at Damien, "You were planning on killing my brother in front of my father and me?"

"I was going to kill him because my scouts told me that he planned to attack," Damien spat out angrily. "Your brother has men waiting to attack in the tree-line."

I slowly looked in the direction that Damien was pointing and sure enough, there were a good number of men barely visible in the trees. I shook my head and looked back at him, "Rather than killing him, you could have pointed out to him that you knew. Byron isn't a fool."

"If it wasn't for Sora, I would be dead," I glared at him.

"And I'm grateful for that. It was never my intention to hurt you," Damien took a step towards me. Byron went to move me behind him, but I shrugged my brother off of me and stood my ground. "Heartstone became mine, your father surrendered the castle and everything to me. If I so much as hear a whisper of your brother or father planning to take it back. My feelings for you will not stop me from what I will do to them."

"And what if the rumors are of me planning to take it back?" I held myself proudly.

Damien chuckled, "We'll have to see." He sobered quickly, "Now, take your brother, father, and your men, and go back to your castle." He gave a quick bow, "I will see you again, Alyse. Hopefully next time I don't accidently harm you."

One of his men pushed my father forward so roughly that he fell to his knees. Byron opened his mouth to speak, but I elbowed him in the stomach to shut him up. He wasn't going to cost the men their lives. If they were anything like the men fighting against Xander, I feared what would happen. As they left, Arthur ungagged my father, who started to cough immediately.

"How?" Father gasped out. "How are you even standing after a wound like that?"

"Sora's special," I stated. I turned to Hayden, "Please escort my father and brother to their carriage. I will speak to them when we stop for the night."

"As you wish, Your Grace," Hayden bowed deeply.

"Byron, you do something stupid like that again on our way back to Kyrain, Damien Rysse will be the least of your worries," I glared at my older brother. "If it wasn't for Sora, I would be dead, and it would have been all because I had acted without thinking about protecting you. If I hadn't taken the blow, you would be dead."

"Wouldn't have your little friend have done the same thing?" Byron raised an eyebrow at me.

"No, she wouldn't have," Williem answered bluntly. "She's not bound to you in any way."

"But I'm Alyse's brother," Byron frowned.

"Do you think that matters?" Williem held his arm out to me to help escort me to my carriage. "I will not argue with someone who nearly got all of us killed."

"Listen to your sister, Byron," Father said weakly. "We're in her Kingdom. We have no place to call our own now. It would be wise for us to not forget that while we stay with your sister."

"Byron will go report to my husband after he is rested up with his men," I stated coldly. "There's a war going on, and the fact that Xander is missing men is horrible."

For the first time in my life, my father looked at me with a hint of respect, "Spoken like a natural ruler."

I opened my mouth to bring up Green River and Princess Jaylen, but Williem shook his head and whispered so only I could hear, "Wait until you're calmed down some, my Queen. Speaking angry has never gotten anyone anywhere."

"Thank you, Williem," I nodded in agreement. "If you will excuse me, Father, I need to rest. This whole ordeal has left me feeling drained."

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Once dusk neared, we stopped for the evening, and I could feel myself beginning to get anxiously worried for Sora-who was still asleep. I had to check multiple times to make sure that she was still breathing. When Williem had demanded why I did such a foolish thing...I had no answer for him. I had no idea what had compelled me to jump in front of my brother. All I knew was that I sensed he was in danger from a feeling deep inside of my heart, and I acted on instinct. For the last couple of hours, Williem had been lecturing me on how I couldn't just risk my life like that. I was surprised when Jillian had joined in, pointing out that Byron wouldn't have done the same thing, and that he was more concerned of what happened if I hadn't done that.

The more that I was lectured...the more that I realized that my family didn't actually care. They were all more concerned with the fact that they had lost their Royal status save for being related to Xander through marriage.

Williem started to chuckle as he looked out across the rolling hills of Kyrain while everyone was getting a camp set up, "Is your brother married yet?"

"No," I shook my head. "If he was, I'm sure that his wife would have gone to Kyrain as well."

"Because your family has lost it's noble place, it's now your duty to find him a suitable wife," Williem smiled at me. "Allow me to send a letter out, and Lady Grove, she has three girls, all of marrying age. You can find and pick a bride for your brother. That way, the Willow Groves will have a Lord. It's the smallest landholdings in Kyrain, but it's something."

"I don't want to make my brother and some other girl miserable," I looked over at my brother.

It made me realize that my father wasn't there with him any longer. I looked around and he was leaning on the carriage nearby. His eyes looked sad but he was nodding, "We can't even ask that of you, Alyse. Not with how things have been in the past. You owe this family nothing."

"Are you talking about what Charlotte and you did to my birth mother?" I didn't even think twice before I spoke. I was going to wait for a day or two, but now it was already too late. The words already came out of my mouth.

My Father nodded as he looked at me with sadness in his eyes, "I knew that the truth would come out one day. I had a lot to think about while Damien Rysse invaded Heartstone. Like when I had invaded Green River, the people did nothing. My thoughts went to what would have happened if Charlotte, Celeste, and you were there in that castle when it was taken over. What I did in my youth...I wouldn't wish that on any of my children." He took a deep breath and looked at the darkening sky, "What I did to Jaylen Byrds and her family was inexcusable. I tortured her father in front of his wife and children, I made her family all watch as I forced myself upon her after making her my second wife...and every time after that until I was sure she was with child, I murdered Jaylen's family after telling them she was going to have my child, and then I encouraged Charlotte to rid our family of Jaylen once she gave birth."

"You're a monster," I breathed out. I couldn't stop the words from coming out of my mouth even if I tried. "How could you even think of doing something like that?"

"They had land that I wanted, it was easy to take, and the people tried to retaliate after I'd married Jaylen to keep everyone in line," Father made it sound like it was all natural what he had done.

"So, while your main wife hates the child of your second wife, you never once thought about telling me that I wasn't her child at the very least?" I fumed, causing some of the men to look over at me. "Instead, you keep this a secret from me my entire life, I spend my life thinking that I've done something terribly wrong, and the entire time I was trapped inside Heartstone Castle was all just to keep me hidden from the people!"

"Father had to do what he needed to do in time of war," Byron stated, deciding to join the conversation. "I would have done the same thing."

With one swift movement and absolutely no emotional control from me, I backhanded my brother as hard as I could. The force of the hit nearly knocked him off of his feet, and when he turned back to me, he had eight swords pointing at him. Williem wanted me to find Byron a wife? The thought of forcing some young girl to be with him was upsetting enough.

"So, in times of war, you would be okay with someone taking all of us into a tower room to watch as they forced themselves upon Celeste or me...or both?" I demanded angrily.

"I never said that," Byron growled out.

"That's exactly what you said, my boy," Father shook his head. "What I did... it's coming back at me. My family has ruled Heartstone for five generations, and my sins have ensured that there wouldn't be a sixth generation of Thanes to rule over Heartstone. Your sister is right to be angry. The laws of Kyrain are different than the laws of anywhere else in Kalparainia, and we are now your sister's guests. Be grateful for that, because if she wished it...she could have left us for the King of Dragoon to finish off."

Jamison, Hayden, Erik, Arthur, Maurice, Oliver, Nikolas, and Theodor all seethed their swords and stood around me protectively. All the while, I was feeling completely shocked by the fact that my father was agreeing with me. Williem kept at my side not missing anything that was being said here. I was sure he would remember even the things that I forgot. Jillian was pretending not to listen in while she got some food ready, and the rest of the Heartstone Royal army seemed to realize what was happening and who I was.

"Is that Princess Jaylen's girl?", "My goodness, she looks exactly like her mother!", "How could we allow them to keep her hidden all these years?", "What should we do?", "It's not like Heartstone is a kingdom any longer".... those were just the handful of whispers that I could hear out of what seemed like hundreds. While I was trying to process that my father had agreed with me, he was suddenly bowing in front of me. Byron looked on in shock, looked as though he was going to say something, and then he followed in bowing. In a wave of armored men, the men of Heartstone bowed to me as well.

"Williem?" I looked at my Stewart.

"They're acknowledging you as their Queen, Your Grace," Williem told me. He leaned in close to me so that only I could hear, "I normally wouldn't advise this, but write Damien Rysse and ask him to allow the people to cross the border to join their families."

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Despite the fact that I didn't want to ride in the same carriage as my father or my brother, they had insisted on riding with me. Hayden had searched both of them to ensure they were not carrying any weapons. Jillian had tried to excuse herself, but I insisted that she sit beside me, and Sora rested on the other side of me in her fox form-still exhausted from using up a good part of her powers to save me. The carriage could easily sit six people comfortably in it, but I still felt claustrophobic being so close to the men I had felt so much love for growing up...even if that love had never been fully returned. Williem was even kind enough to sit on their side, showing me a hidden blade in his boots incase they tried anything. Four more days and we'll be back at the castle...

"I apologize for my atrocious behavior the other day," Byron bowed his head. "What I had said in the heat of the moment was cruel. Father's right, you could have left us at the mercy of the King of Dragoon, but you didn't."

"We've got riders coming in!" Jamison called out. "They're baring the flag of Kyrain!"

"Stop the carriage!" Williem called out.

"What is it?" I frowned.

"It's either news...and not the good kind, or someone riding just an hour ahead of King Xander's army to inform you of his return," Williem stated as the carriage stopped.

The door opened, and both Jamison and Hayden held their hands out to me to help me out. It didn't help that I hadn't been sleeping much...every time I closed my eyes to sleep... I kept seeing Damien stab his dagger into my stomach. Williem had kept it, so I could have a reminder with me of what had happened. I didn't really need it, but it was something that I could look at as a warning of what could have happened if Sora wasn't there. I exited out of the carriage and looked in the direction. There were five men total riding quickly towards us.

My mind began to spin. What if something happened to Xander? What if they're here to give me bad news? Williem steadied me on my feet as he moved me forward. The army behind and in front of the carriages had stopped moving all together. With all the negative thoughts that were going through my mind, I could barely see straight. I took a shaky breath as one of the riders jumped off of their horse a few feet away and removed their helmet.

"Xander," I breathed out in relief. As my legs gave out on me, he had just reached me and swooped me up off of my feet.

"So it was true," Xander frowned, looking at Williem.

"If you're referring to the fact that the King of Dragoon had fully invaded Heartstone and demanded an audience with both Queen Alyse and Byron... then yes, it's true," Williem bowed his head.

"They've overrun Silverwood as well," Xander looked at me, as though to make sure that I was safe. "You weren't harmed were you?"

I shook my head, "Thanks to Sora, I'm fine."

"Sora?" Xander frowned. "The Kitsune slave?"

"Ah, yes," Williem chuckled lightly. "Your lovely wife saw Brenden beating the poor thing. Long story short, once freed, Sora gave the Queen a life-debt."

"If it wasn't for her...I would be dead," I wanted to be the one to day it. "Damien was going to kill Byron and I stepped in the way..."

Xander closed his eyes and shook his head. I couldn't tell what he was thinking. Was he angry that I went to the meeting with Damien? Was he angry that I freed the last slave in Kyrain? I bit my lip and he sat my feet on the ground, but kept ahold of my waist.

"You are to never do something like that again," Xander looked at me as he opened his eyes. "I do not blame you for going to meet with King Damien, but you will not risk your life like that ever again. Do you understand me?"

All I could do was nod at him when he spoke to me in his commanding tone. Williem straightened up and smiled at me, "You'd be proud of her if you knew what she's done for the men here, King Xander."

"I am proud of my wife," Xander stated without hearing Williem explain. "I got an angry letter from Celeste stating that a truth potion was used on her mother by Alyse. I also heard some other things, but we'll discuss that later."

"I wrote Damien asking him to allow the soldier's families to cross into Kyrain," I said so quickly that I wasn't entirely sure that Xander had heard me.

The smile that he gave me was so tender my heart felt like it was going to explode in my chest. He kissed my forehead lightly and his beautiful blue eyes looked into mine, "That was very kind of you, my dear, but from now on, if Damien Rysse writes to you. I want to know."

"Yes, of course," I nodded.

"Let's get you home and have the healer look at you," Xander kissed me again.