A Princess Who Defied Kings Read online

  Chapter 4

  They practically danced as they walked, and even when standing or sitting still, they always seemed on the verge of motion. We sat in the center of their encampment, wondering what exactly they intended to do with us.

  I tried to recall the jumble of what had happened beginning from when they'd snared us in their net. I remembered many arms untangling me, lifting me up, carrying me and then tipping me onto my feet. An old woman tried to communicate, but her words were elegant gibberish to me. She handed me something to drink. Though it smelled foul, it tasted surprisingly good. Watery with a hint of sweetness.

  We were surrounded by a bustle of activity as they went about preparations, and for what I didn't know, but the real question niggling at me came down to this…Who were they?

  The people who'd captured Bronwyn and me were unlike any I'd ever seen. Their legs seemed to have joints in odd places, and they could run faster than I could ever hope to run. They dressed funny too, in flowing wraps that reminded me of someone coiled up in five sets of bed sheets. How it all stayed together and didn't fall around their ankles was a mystifying puzzle. Or at least would have been if I didn't have more worrisome things on my mind.

  I had trouble looking at their faces. Those creepy masks still made my blood run cold. But their actions seemed to speak louder than their creepiness.

  Two of the strange people approached us and indicated that we were to follow. Normally I didn't blindly follow creatures wearing hideous masks who'd just snared me in some kind of trap. But the neatly folded clothing in each one's hands seemed to indicate that they intended to let us actually wear something, and that thought sent tingles of joy up and down my spine.

  I motioned at Bronwyn with a sort of 'These people may not be completely crazy, so let's see what they want,' waggle of the eyebrows, and she nodded readily enough.

  Most of the encampment sat at the bottom of a hill, so we had to walk around as we followed our two guides. I started to hear the trickle of water, and then it sounded more like a flood. We rounded the bump of the hill and I gasped at the rocky ridge that sort of thrust out of the earth like a dirty fingernail. Beyond it were hills that stepped up and up toward snow-sparkly mountains, but the nearby waterfall had my attention. I longed for those cascading veils of precious liquid to caress my mud-caked, grimy skin.

  "May we?" I said, indicating the waterfall and the placid pool that was nature's version of a bath tub.

  The strange people—and for some reason I thought they were female—gently set down our clothes, and I realized that a third one had been following us. He kept us at a distance, but quietly set down two lengths of drying cloth and tossed us what looked like soap. The stuff smelled foul, but I smiled and said, "We will go wash up. Thank you." Could they even understand a word I was saying?

  The water was cold, but not as cold as it might've been. It was well past dawn and the day promised to be a scorcher. The coolness of the water was already a comforting contrast on my skin. Bronwyn laughed as I splashed her, but my eyes were serious. I kept splashing her with water for a while longer, and smiled when she splashed back. If we were being closely watched, I didn't want our hosts thinking that we were up to something. I was all business now as we splashed and soaped ourselves back to smelling like honest-to-goodness human beings.

  "Do you have a place you want to get to?" I asked her.

  She seemed confused by the bluntness of what I'd asked. "I don't know what you mean, Prin—Naji…" She sighed, her eyes clouding over. "I can't go back to my family. I have nowhere to call home. If these things treat us decently, I might be willing to stay with them."

  She looked at me, her eyes searching my face for something they couldn't find. "I see you're not in the same boat though," Bronwyn said.

  "Look, whoever these creatures are, I doubt they speak our language. I don't trust them. I don't trust anyone." Except for you. Those words almost slipped from my lips. It was so weird. Two weeks ago we'd never even met. And yet the insane odyssey of the past seven or eight days had sealed a bond between us. She wasn't just a fellow prisoner anymore. She was the sister I'd never had.

  "You present somewhat of a problem for me though," I went on. I decided she needed to know that I was willing to go with her on this, that I wouldn't abandon her. I gave her a fierce hug, the kind you give someone you haven't seen in a year or two.

  "Naji, what are you going to do?"

  "For one thing, I'm not leaving you. We're in this together. Got it?" I gave her a cross look, but it melted like sunbathed butter when she returned my hug with a squeeze every bit as tight.

  "Okay. So what's our plan? We need a plan, right? How do we go about trying to communicate?"

  I was just about to respond to that when a tingling sensation of recognition surged through my torso. I had that feeling of suddenly being intently watched, and when I turned he took my breath away.

  "No. It can't be." I saw the dark horns protruding from his helm, and the wide backing of the helm flared outward, making his face seem twice as menacing. He didn't wear metal armor like I'd seen the other Knights wear on special occasions or when Father had taken me on his travels.

  The Black Knight wore a tight-fitting piece of body armor, and it wasn't made of any material I recognized. It seemed more flexible than leather, but also sturdier too, if that made any sense. Cleary I was no armorer, but the weapons and armor part of my studies with Father's boring tutors had been one of the few lessons I had actually paid attention to.

  He beckoned us with his hand, and my heart beat out a frantic rhythm in my chest even as the water temperature seemed to plunge. Bronwyn took my hand. "We stick together, Naji." She gave me a brave look and nudged us both forward. I was supposed to be the one doing that, not her, but I gratefully took the courage that seemed to flow from her intertwining fingers through mine.

  "I think it's safe to say that those mountains in the distance are the border to the Black Knight's Kingdom," I said dryly as we waded through the pool towards shore.

  "At least we have a better geographical feel for where we are," Bronwyn replied. She was trying for optimism, but we both knew that she was trying way too hard. I gave her trembling hand a 'SSHH, it'll be okay' squeeze even though it probably wouldn't.

  We finally stopped before the Black Knight, our waists and legs still in the water. The two-handed sword strapped to his back loomed like a snake ready to strike us. A coiled dragon with ruby-set eyes perched on the pommel of the great-sword, its fangs bared. It sent a shiver down my torso, between my breasts, all the way to my core.

  The Black Knight regarded us steadily, and it seemed as if even the waterfall and the birdsong in the trees were hushing themselves, waiting for him to speak.

  "So. Is this my bride-to-be?" He gave me a rough glance, his eyes giving my figure a soft caress. "It doesn't seem fair, Lady Najika. Here you are naked and I am fully clothed. If we are to wed, at least you should have a measure of me and decide if I'm worthy of your hand. Don't you think?"

  Having said those words, the Black Knight appalled me by removing his armor and then his clothes. He laid the sheathed great-sword lovingly on the ground and waded into the water, dipping his head under and coming up with a glistening mantle of charcoal-black hair above blue eyes which crinkled with warmth. I was stunned.

  "Forgive me. Your beauty distracted me and I seem to have forgotten my manners. My full name is Drakonius Vezinor, but I think we can both agree that's too much of a mouthful. My friends call me Drake."

  He extended a hand politely to me. Fortunately the water level covered him up to the waist. Of course that didn't hide the rugged, mountain-like handsomeness of his face, the amusement in his eyes, or the patterns of muscles clearly visible across his chest. I tried to swallow.

  "Pleasure to meet you," I said, giving his hand a quick shake before drawing my hand back. As he shook Bronwyn's hand and said a few kind things to her, my body tensed. My mind screamed at me to shift into higher al
ertness.

  This is the man who is known as a monster throughout Arkor. The man who lines his borders with a string of impaled skeletons stretching for miles. Whatever he appears to be on the outside, don't you dare trust it, Naji.

  But my instincts said something very different than the paranoia raging in my head. My muscles relaxed being around this man. I felt safe standing almost next to him despite the circumstances, despite everything I'd heard. There was no malice in those eyes. Desire, yes, but even that was harnessed and controlled. He turned away, and I saw the giant dragon tattoo which covered the whole of his back. The dragon had four outstretched talons, as if it were preparing to descend on something and rake out the eyes of its prey.

  "Do you like it?" he asked.

  "It's certainly unique." Bronwyn and I exchanged an uncertain look.

  "It's the artifact of power that keeps my Kingdom whole. I bet you didn't expect to hear that," he said with a laugh, turning back to face me.

  He must've seen the confusion in my eyes. "Everyone knows the stories of course. I'm assuming you know the legend of how Arkor supposedly began?"

  I gave him a thin glare. "I never liked history lessons as a child, and I certainly don't like them any better now," I huffed. "Yes, Black Knight, I know the history of Arkor. Thousands and thousands of years ago…blah, blah, blah, the land was filled with a bunch of antisocial tribes who killed each other and even ate human flesh. People treated each other like animals before the coming of King Artur and his Magician. Artur and his Magician cowed the tribe-lords and made them bow before him. He created his Knights of the Round Table, giving to each reformed leader certain artifacts of power to maintain his own Kingdom and preserve it for his descendants. Within a few decades Artur and his Magician vanished, never to be seen again. We all know the story. My own father, the White Knight, traces his lineage all the way back to that time."

  The Black Knight clapped. "Bravo. You're very succinct. And feisty. I like that."

  He waded towards me, his hand reaching out to snake mine into his grasp. I began to pull away, but the look in his eyes stopped me.

  "The tattoo on my back has magical properties. It allows me to see through the eyes of people whom I trust. I have spies everywhere, Princess. I have to, because my enemies are many. One of my spies was in the household of the Red Knight on your wedding night, and through her I know what really happened."

  My body stiffened and my hand clenched inside his. I tried to focus on the enfolding warmth of his fingers as the fear and shame threatened to erupt through my chest.

  "I know as well as you do that what happened that night was not your fault. You didn't know that the man you were to marry was a monster. Your instincts suspected it, though, didn't they?" His softened gaze seemed to plead for my honesty, and my troubled eyes managed to meet his without flinching.

  "How can you know this?" I said.

  "I just told you how," he replied simply.

  "Yes, and I need time to absorb it, thank you very much!" My cheeks went hot, and I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry at the strangeness of the situation. My emotions were running hot and cold.

  I shuddered, and he put his other hand on top of our enfolded ones. Other than that he stood still, not trying to touch me.

  "I understand, Princess. You have been through quite a lot in a very short amount of time. After you finish bathing I will give you and Bronwyn a few hours to rest, but then we must talk and a decision must be made, and the decision can't be made by me. It must be yours."

  He let go of my hand and turned to swim to the other side of the pool to give us our privacy.

  "Wait." I gave him a sharp look. "Tell me why? Why did you tell me that just now?"

  "Because I want you to feel safe. I know that you are not a murderess. You are safe here with my allies and with me. For now, although I understand you can't fully trust me, I hope that's enough." He turned and dove under the water, his feet kicking as his body made an appealing figure slicing through the pool towards the opposite side.

  He seemed to be content washing and soaping himself apart, giving us our privacy. Bronwyn and I finished our bathing in silence, gathered up the clothes we were given and tried them on. The tunic and trousers fit me perfectly and were a beautiful black with gold thread. A phoenix's wings spread from one armpit to the other across the front. The moment I put it on I felt strangely calm. And safe. The anxiety and hurt inside me seemed to drain away to some forgotten place.

  The same two people with the big-nosed masks who'd led us to the bathing pool now showed us back to camp, leaving us at a tent which they indicated was ours using a series of gestures and guttural sounds.

  I stepped inside with a sigh of relief when I saw a decent place to lay down for a nap. I'd been chased and nearly killed by guards and bandits. I had every right to be exhausted, and my body was getting insistent about this foreign concept called 'sleep.'

  "Naji, are you okay?"

  "I'm not sure what okay would even mean at this point," I replied with a shudder. I looked around at the tent to see what other objects we'd been given.

  "What decision was he talking about?"

  I gave Bronwyn an annoyed look. "How should I know? If I had to guess, I'd say that it has something to do with me marrying him."

  "You're not considering it, are you Naji? I know he's not the Black Knight you expected to find," Bronwyn said, and for some reason I wanted to smack her.

  My gaze drifted over to the various items laid out on the sleeping pallet. I frowned, shocked at what I saw. A sword's tip winked at me, the sun's light catching it through the tent's opening. The scabbard next to it was embroidered with purple amethysts down one side and glacier-blue sapphires up the other. There was also a bow of sturdy wood with a quiver of iron-tipped arrows perched in the corner. Assorted daggers and a belt of throwing knives were strung out like the Black Knight's strange version of jewelry.

  I moved the weapons aside and laid down on the pallet, closing my eyes and trying to find some sort of inner peace. I hadn't had a good night's sleep in several weeks, and the fatigue settled into my brain, numbing me and preparing me for unconsciousness.

  "We're clothed and armed. Naji, should we try to find a way to escape?" I opened one eye and looked at her. Bronwyn meant well. I knew she did. But right now she was just making things worse.

  "Bronwyn, I'm exhausted. If the Black Knight didn't have plans to make sure we couldn't escape, I don't think he would've given us all these weapons. What I need right now is time to think and to rest. Besides, weren’t you the one who was entertaining the idea of staying with these people?"

  Bronwyn gave me a pitying look. "That was before I knew they were in league with the Black Knight! I wouldn't wish to see you forced to marry that monster."

  I appreciated her kindness and concern, but right now my head was spinning and I needed rest before I could make my next move, whatever that move turned out to be.

  "He did not sound like a monster, Bronwyn. Besides, I've already married and killed one monster. What's one more?" I replied with morbid humor, turning over and closing my eyes, begging for sleep. It claimed me even sooner than I'd expected, and I heard Bronwyn lay down beside me.

  Chapter 5

  I awoke refreshed, my body singing with new energy. It was like this nap had not only refreshed me, but rebirthed me.

  Careful there, Princess. Remember you're at the mercy of the Black Knight, was what my paranoid voice so generously reminded me.

  Bronwyn was still fast asleep, but I heard footsteps approaching the tent. I took my sword and stepped to the side of the tent flap, waiting. Something about the sound of the footsteps made me think that it would be the Black Knight himself, and I wasn't disappointed.

  As he stepped through I slid the blade up, pressing the point against his throat as he put up both hands.

  "You can release us or die. Those are your choices," I whispered.

  "Is this how they say 'hello' in the Wh
ite Kingdom?"

  Like any princess raised in Arkor, I'd been trained to fight with sword and bow, plus a half dozen other weapons besides. The Knights raised both their daughters and sons to be practical champions to protect their Kingdoms, and I'd been no exception.

  "You'll find I'm quite good with a blade, Black Knight. I wouldn't recommend arguing. You'll come along as our bound hostage and once we're at a safe distance I'll let you go free," I said, my muscles tense. One move and I'd skewer his throat like a cucumber.

  "Call me Drake. It's my name, Princess."

  "Lovely," I replied, my voice dripping sarcasm. "Call me Naji. You might as well know the name of the girl who's about to run you through."

  He realized that despite the sarcasm I was deadly serious. His eyes found mine and worked their annoying, beseeching magic. Suddenly I felt like an ungrateful guest rather than a desperate captive who needed her freedom.

  By now Bronwyn was awake. To her credit she'd picked up her own sword and stood ready to back me up if the Black Knight made any sudden moves.

  "I appreciate your fear and distrust, Naji. Truly I do. But I'm not here to hurt you, and actually quite the opposite. You have a decision to make, and depending on what you decide the trolls will either fight for you or not. Please, put down the weapon so that we can talk."

  Wait. Did he just say 'trolls'?

  "Trolls?" I lowered my weapon, completely baffled. Bronwyn did the same, and we both gaped at him.

  The Black Knight beckoned us out of the tent, and as we followed he swept his arm around the encampment where tall, disjointed shapes bustled this way and that wearing their funny-looking wraps of clothing and big-nosed, huge-eyed masks.

  "You didn't think these people were actually human, did you?" Drake said, looking at me with a touch of mirth.

  "I…didn't know what to think," I finished lamely. Damn him, but he actually smiled at me.