Beauty In Darkness

2

Then again, my father cared little for reason or empathy these days, so it was hard to know what he would do. I’d been told he was a good man before my mother passed away, but I’d never seen that side of him. And with each year, he only became colder. Would he do what was best for our kingdom, or would his pride make him continue this never-ending war?

“I’ll take you to him.” If I brought Raith to the castle there might be less of a panic from his sudden, unexpected arrival. Or so I hoped.

He idly waved my offer away. “No need. I’d prefer to make an entrance.”

“If that’s so, why teleport out here in the middle of nowhere and not closer to the castle?”

“Despite your father’s hatred of magic, the castle’s wards still stand and they prevent me from teleporting anywhere near it. I could break through them of course, but why spend the energy?” He gave a casual shrug, dripping with haughty confidence. “Good evening, Princess Rose.”

His gaze dropped to my gown, which had begun to freeze against my legs, and heat spread through me as his eyes lingered there. An instant later the fabric was dry and warm, as if it had been sitting under the sun for an hour. I was so startled I could only stare back at him, wondering how he’d done it. I’d heard tales that the best wizards could perform magic without casting runes, that they formed the intricate lines and symbols in their minds and that was enough, but I’d never encountered such a thing before. Until now.

He gave me a quick nod and then set off, his boots crunching through the snow and his black cloak flowing behind him. He brought to mind an image of a raven in flight, and I couldn’t help but stare after him as he disappeared from sight between the dense trees.

I quickly grabbed my mother’s spellbook and wrapped my heavy cloak around me, shivering against the chill. The sun had vanished below the horizon, and with it the last traces of warmth in the air. Even so, it was only autumn. Talador would soon get much colder, and unlike Raith, I couldn’t teleport away.

I hurried after the wizard king in the direction he’d gone, but didn’t see any trace of him in the frost-covered, empty forest. Cursing myself for not riding a horse out here, or at least bringing a torch, I trudged through the snow in the increasing darkness, my skirts snagging on branches that seemed intent on slowing me down. Part of the wizard king’s magic, or simply a sign I’d lost track of time and been out here longer than I should? I wasn’t sure.

As I climbed the hill, the gleaming white castle rose before me between the pine trees. With majestic pointed towers and shining spires that reached high into the sky, Winton Castle appeared as if it had been formed from ice, and it overlooked the snow-covered forest and the capital of Ralston like a sentinel.

I quickened my pace and found the castle already in a state of upheaval by the time I entered its large gates. Guards stood on high alert, servants rushed past me in a panic, and every voice seemed to mention the wizard king’s arrival. From snippets of overheard conversation I learned he’d arrived surrounded by darkness with lightning crackling in his palms, and had demanded to see my father immediately. He’d been escorted to the throne room by a contingent of wary soldiers, and rumors were flying about what was happening now behind those closed doors.

I moved quickly through the castle’s pale halls decorated with thick tapestries and blazing torches to fight back the constant chill. My older sister Lily found me in the corridor leading to our bedrooms, her ever-present guard Keane walking stiffly a pace behind her. They made a striking pair, both tall, serious, and attractive, except she had the same long, dark hair as I did, while his was a dark gold that contrasted nicely with his blue and white armor.

“Rose!” Lily said, as she approached me. “Where have you been? King Raith of Ilidan has arrived with no advance notice whatsoever. Can you believe it?”

“I know,” I said, as I continued toward my room. “We met.”

“You did?” She glanced at me sharply and missed a step on the lush carpet, nearly stumbling. Somehow I’d managed to surprise my always stoic sister. “When? How?”

I pushed open my bedroom door and we slipped inside, while Keane crossed his arms and waited in the hall. A fire already burned in the hearth, bringing some warmth to the otherwise cold stone room filled with my bed, wardrobe, dresser, and a small desk. The heavy fabrics were all embroidered with pink and white roses, as befit my name.

“In the clearing where I practice,” I said, once I was sure we were alone.

Lily’s blue eyes dipped to where I’d tucked our mother’s spellbook inside my cloak, and a frown crossed her lips. “What happened?”

I set the book on the dresser and removed my cloak, which was coated in a thin sheen of ice. “He appeared in front of me, we shared a few words, and I foolishly attacked him with magic. He said he wanted to speak with Father, and then he left for the castle. That was all.”

Her eyes widened. “He saw you use magic?”

“Yes, but I doubt he will tell Father. It would be rather hypocritical of him, after all.”

She sat on the edge of my bed and watched me with a worried gaze. “Still, I don’t like that he knows, and I wish you wouldn’t keep this up. If Father finds out…”

“He won’t. Even if he did, I won’t ever stop. It’s my only connection to her.” My fingers lightly ran over the embossed cover of the old leather spellbook, the one thing I owned of our mother’s. Lily likely had the gift too since it ran in families, but she’d never tried to learn magic. Unlike me, Lily always followed the rules. She was the perfect daughter and royal heir in every way, much to our father’s delight. And me? I was the daughter he wanted to forget, whose eyes he could never meet, whom he wished had never been born.

“What was King Raith like?” Lily asked. “Was he as horrible as they say? Were you scared at all?”