Beauty In Darkness

17

We continued the tour and I discovered my absolute favorite part of the castle, the garden outside. Autumn in all its lovely colors had settled over the kingdom already, and the garden was ablaze with red leaves, thick bushes, and hearty flowers. Though Ilidan was a neighbor to Talador, its southern location made it a lot warmer, and I couldn’t wait to explore the land. I’d always hated the cold, and delighted in the knowledge that my new home wasn’t covered in snow most of the year.

Oren walked beside me down a wide path. “King Raith’s great-grandfather built this garden for his wife. Over the years it’s changed and grown, with each monarch shaping it to their own tastes.”

“It’s beautiful,” I said. But there was something missing. “I noticed there are no roses in the garden. Wouldn’t they grow well in this climate?”

“They would, but King Raith had them all removed after Lady Silena’s death three years ago. Roses were her favorite and she often spent many hours tending to them herself.” He cleared his throat. “Perhaps you could bring your namesake flowers back to the garden again someday.”

I shook my head. “And risk Raith’s wrath? I think not.”

“His majesty can be…prickly at times, it’s true. He’s always been a serious sort, and he’s gone through a lot these past few years. First the death of his father, followed by the murder of his wife, and then the loss of his mother and his sudden appointment as King. But he has a good heart underneath all those thick layers.”

My heart ached for Raith. I couldn’t imagine losing everyone I loved in the space of a few years. My sisters were everything to me, and even with this distance between us we would always be close—but Raith was completely alone.

“May I ask what happened to each of them?” I asked.

Oren bowed his head. “Raith’s father sacrificed himself at the Battle of Werth to give our soldiers time to escape.”

The Battle of Werth was the last major skirmish between our two armies, fought for control of an area on the border between Talador and Ilidan. Both sides took heavy losses and the war became a costly stalemate after that, with neither side gaining much ground in the last six years. It was also the area Raith conceded as part of his negotiations with my father to end the war between the two kingdoms.

“A hero’s death,” I said, though it saddened me knowing the man had died fighting against my father’s army. “And the Queen?”

“She’d been sick for some time, and finally succumbed to her illness two years ago. King Raith was by her side when she passed, at least.”

I remembered hearing about that, along with news of the King’s coronation. “I’m glad he could be with her at the end.”

“Yes, especially since he was still grieving his wife’s loss at the time.”

I stopped in the middle of the path and turned toward Oren. “How did Raith’s wife die? You said she was murdered?”

He hesitated, glancing away. “I should not be the one to tell you this story.”

Unease crept over me, but that only made me more determined. “Please, Oren. If I am to be his wife, I must know the truth, and Raith will barely speak to me.”

He pressed his lips together, but then nodded. “Lady Silena was traveling to another part of the kingdom to visit her parents. King Raith—though he was still only a prince then—was supposed to ride with her, but at the last minute he was delayed and told her he would catch up later. Assassins attacked the carriage that night, probably hoping to find him inside, and left her for dead. By the time Raith arrived, it was too late.”

“How awful,” I said, my chest aching for both Raith and this woman I’d never met. “Do you know who sent the assassins?”

Oren avoided my eyes. “Your father did.”

A strangled sound escaped my lips. “My father? How could he have done such a thing?” My hand went to my throat as surprise and horror filled me. “No wonder Raith can barely stand to look at me.”

“Raith despises your father, it’s true, but he’s also blamed himself these past three years for Silena’s death. He thinks if he’d been there, he could have saved her.”

“Did he love her?” I asked, though I was sure of the answer already.

“Very much.”

I nodded, my heart heavy. Marrying for love was almost unheard of for those in a royal family, and he’d been lucky to have had that chance. To then have that love stolen away was the cruelest fate I could have imagined for him. I’d always disliked my father, but now I truly hated him.

Oren bowed his head. “With so much loss in his family, the war with Talador, and…well, other problems…Raith been forced to grow up too fast and his heart has hardened to the world. Everyone here at the castle is hoping you can help him with that.”

“Me?” I blinked at Oren. “What am I to do? He will barely even look at me.”

“Give him time. He’ll come around. He must have chosen you for a reason.”

“He didn’t choose me. I volunteered.”

Oren smiled at me with a twinkle in his eye. “Yes, you did.”

He walked down the path with his hands clasped behind his back, while I could only stare after him and ponder his words. Me, help Raith? That seemed unlikely.

I’d always thought the wizard king would be a monster, after all the stories told about him in Talador. After only a day here, I could already tell that wasn’t the case, at least not entirely—and I was beginning to wonder if my father was the true monster, after all. Either way, I had a lot to learn about my new husband, even if I would never be able to help him the way Oren wanted.