The Ring Keeper, page 17
Allia smiled. “He did. But now that I’m grown, I feel sure the version he told left out many of the details.”
Callonen laughed. “Some parts of it are very grim.”
“I’m sure your father didn’t tell you everything back then.”
He shook his head. “He did not. But over the years, my brother and I have learned most of it.”
“Do you… get along with your brother?” Allia asked, looking into Callonen’s dark brown eyes. “I have three brothers, and I know they aren’t always easy to live with.”
Callonen rolled his eyes. “At least yours don’t look exactly like you. When they do something wrong, they can’t claim that you actually did it.”
“Does that happen often?”
“When we were children, it did,” Callonen said. “Haldreth and I can be… competitive. Even more so, lately. We’re grown men, but I don’t think he’s happy that I will inherit the Warding. He’s never liked it anyway. He feels it’s a form of captivity.”
“And what do you think?”
His brown eyes were very serious. “The Warding is like nothing else I know of. My father knows what’s going on in his realm like no other ruler does. That’s why we have such complete peace here. If anyone does anything really wrong, he knows about it. It is very difficult to have that kind of power and still judge fairly and kindly. I hope my father lives to be ninety, because I don’t want the responsibility.”
They’d finished their lunch, and Allia remained lost in conversation with him until she gazed up at the afternoon sun, realizing that she’d been away from her duties for hours. What would Mara say? “I need to get back.”
Ending the time with him was difficult. She’d enjoyed it more than she wanted to admit. Reluctantly, she stood and stacked the trays and dirty dishes. Callonen helped her and then carried them to the door of the garden.
“I hope to see you again soon,” he said.
“Me too.” She took the trays from him and hurried back toward the kitchen. How had the time with him gone by so fast?
It had taken weeks for Allia to learn her way around the palace. When they had free time, Tess showed her around. After they’d explored the interior, they moved to the grounds.
“This is where the guard practices.” Tess pointed to a large dirt field. “Sometimes people come and watch.” In the shade of the wall, chairs and benches lined the edge, and a grassy hill climbed up toward the palace wall. “Anyone is welcome to observe.”
“Do you go often?” Allia asked.
“Only once in a while,” Tess said. “Some of the girls go all the time, if they have a certain soldier who they want to notice them.”
“I see,” Allia said, tapping her chin as she considered. “Remind me the name of the one you wanted to meet?”
“Harrow,” Tess said, her cheeks slightly pink, and for a moment, her gaze seemed far away. Then she looked back at Allia. “If you tell anyone about what I said—”
“Oh, I haven’t told very many people,” Allia teased.
Tess smacked her arm.
Allia laughed. “I wouldn’t tell,” she said seriously. “Think—if you told all my secrets and I told yours, who would be in the most trouble?”
Tess laughed.
“So, do you want to go watch? Tomorrow we get off early.”
“Maybe,” Tess said, twisting a lock of red hair as she considered. “But I’m not coming here too often. If he notices, he’ll think I’m desperate.”
The next afternoon, they both changed out of their work clothes as fast as they could and went down to the practice field. A crowd had already assembled, made up of palace staff, off-duty guardsmen, and members of the emperor’s court. Some stood, others occupied chairs, and many sat on the grassy hill. Allia knew only a few of them, but everyone seemed friendly.
Halfway up the grassy hill, she and Tess found a place to sit where they could see the field. A noisy, dusty battle appeared to be raging. As Allia looked closer, she realized the combatants fought with wooden weapons. The soldiers seemed to use some kind of system. When knocked down or struck in a certain way, they trudged off the field, apparently defeated.
After a while, fewer than a score of the men remained. Someone sounded a horn, and they all stopped. The watchers cheered and clapped their hands, and some of the remaining fighters waved back.
“That’s Captain Talon,” Tess whispered to Allia, pointing out a tall, powerfully built man in the center.
“Is Harrow out there?” Allia asked.
“I think so,” Tess said, peering out at the field. “It’s so hard to tell when they’re all wearing helmets.”
The remaining men walked to a rack standing at the edge of the field and put away their wooden weapons, trading them for real metal blades. Allia sucked in her breath. “Won’t they hurt each other?” she asked.
“Are you worried about them?” Tess asked with a grin.
“A little,” Allia admitted.
“They know what they’re doing,” Tess said.
“Watch.” The men divided into pairs and then sparred.
“They do this often,” Tess said. “The captain always wins.”
Allia watched them. Some pairs were uneven, and the sparring between them quickly finished, as with Talon and his opponent. But others seemed evenly matched, and they fought for quite a while.
At last, only two men remained. They moved back and forth, gracefully attacking and retreating, striking and parrying. Neither could gain any advantage, but neither appeared willing to give up. Finally, Captain Talon stepped between them. One of them drew back and lowered his sword, while the other tried unsuccessfully to push past Talon.
“Get out of my way!” the man demanded angrily. “We’re not finished!”
“You are,” Talon said, “You’ve had enough.”
“I said, get out of my way.” His voice was cold and angry, and Allia shivered, even though he didn’t direct the malice at her. She couldn’t sense it from this distance, but she could hear it plainly.
“Enough,” Talon repeated, not backing down.
The other man still refused to listen. Instead, he raised his sword against Talon. Grinning, Talon drew his own blade so fast that Allia barely saw him move—but the blade was there to block his opponent’s and steel rang on steel. The crowd hushed, and Allia held her breath. After only a few strokes, Talon knocked the man to the ground. A strained silence fell.
The man jumped back to his feet and yanked off his helmet, revealing Haldreth. She didn’t wonder for even a moment if it was Callonen. She’d never seen him wear the expression of outrage now on his brother’s face.
“How dare you refuse my orders?” Haldreth demanded.
“This training is under my command,” Talon said coolly. “And you’ve had enough for today.”
Haldreth stared at Talon furiously, but he said nothing, instead turning on his heel and stalking off.
“We’re finished for the day,” Talon announced. “Dismissed.” The soldiers picked up their gear and headed back toward the palace.
Only one remained on the field with Talon, the man who fought opposite Haldreth before Talon had separated them. Now, he took off his helmet as well. It was Callonen. The crowd had begun talking again—a low murmur at first, which rapidly became a confusion of many voices.
Allia watched from a distance. She knew she shouldn’t run forward and speak to Callonen now. She hadn’t realized he would be here today. When Tess had said that the soldiers practiced here, she should have realized he would be among them. Her memory went back to the day she’d arrived here and found him in the hall. I can’t believe I let him hit me so hard… Had he been sparring with his brother on that day too?
“Well, Your Highness,” Talon said loudly, clapping his hand on Callonen’s shoulder. “I think that’s enough sparring for one day. We have just enough time to make it to that meeting with His Majesty.” This statement stemmed the flow of questions from the crowd.
“Yes, please excuse us,” Callonen said to the crowd as he swiftly followed in Talon’s wake.
Allia watched them go, then felt Tess’s hand seize hers.
“That’s Harrow!” Tess pointed to a man standing at the end of the field. He faced half away, but wasn’t looking at them.
With his dark hair and blue eyes, he made a striking figure in his armor. Allia could certainly see why her friend was interested in him.
She glanced at Tess, who sat momentarily frozen.
“Go talk to him,” Allia urged in a whisper.
Tess got up and took a step forward. But at that moment, one of the soldiers faintly called, “Harrow?”
And Harrow vanished into the crowd.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Year of Warding 21, White City, Sarine
Callonen
CALLONEN PUT HIS HELMET under his arm and followed his brother up the stairs with Talon at his side.
“You know where he’s going,” Talon said, nodding toward Haldreth. Talon paused at the top of the stairs. “Maybe you two should see the emperor alone.”
“Father won’t take his side,” Callonen assured him. “You might as well come with me to explain what happened.”
They trailed behind Haldreth as he marched to the emperor’s study and opened the door without knocking. He stormed into the luxurious room and up to the large desk. “I need someone sent to the dungeon!”
“Who?” Caldoreth asked. He glanced up from a stack of papers, first at Haldreth, then past him to Callonen, standing in the doorway.
“Talon, former Captain of the Guard. He refused to obey my orders and tried to humiliate me in front of everyone.”
“I see,” Caldoreth said. “Before I have my captain dragged to the dungeon, may I ask what you ordered him to do?”
“He interfered with our training match. The rules are that no one can interfere. It was a fair fight, and I was winning before he stopped me! I ordered him to get out of the way.”
“And who was this man you were so determined to defeat?”
“Callonen!”
“Wasn’t this only a training match?” Caldoreth glared at his son.
“It’s not about the match,” Haldreth protested. “How can we trust the loyalty of our guard if they won’t obey us?”
“I ordered Captain Talon to lead the trainings and to keep everyone safe as they practice. We’ve had very few injuries under his watch, but the last two have involved you. Can you explain that to me?”
“You’ve always taught us to do our best, to fight hard—”
Caldoreth broke in, “But never to forget that this is only training, and you are fighting with friends or your brother. You cannot lose control of your temper. I ordered Talon to stop any match that he feels is dangerous.” Caldoreth looked at the door. “Come in, Captain,” he called.
Callonen moved out of the doorway to let Talon through.
“My emperor,” Talon bowed.
“From what my son has told me, I gather you stopped the fight to preserve the safety of the participants?”
Talon glanced at Haldreth, who glared back at him. “That’s correct, my lord.”
“And no one was hurt?”
“No one,” Talon replied.
“And you don’t even care that he tried to make me look like an idiot in front of everyone?” Haldreth protested.
“I trust Talon’s loyalty.” Caldoreth met his son’s angry gaze steadily.
Haldreth lowered his eyes first. “You trust him too much!” He stalked out of the room.
Emperor Caldoreth rubbed his temples.
“I’m sorry, Emperor,” Talon said. “After the last incident, I have made sure the two of them are not matched to spar. I apologize for missing that today. It won’t happen again.”
“Thank you, Talon,” the emperor said.
Callonen had no idea his father had given those orders. He didn’t know what to say about his brother’s behavior. Haldreth was competitive. That had always been the case. But lately Callonen had felt a new seriousness to Haldreth’s commitment to best him.
Allia
THE NEXT DAY, a guard handed Allia a note. She found a quiet corner and broke the seal.
I want to see you again. Please meet me after dinner in the garden by the north tower. –C
Could it really be from him? After dinner, she rushed back to her room and changed out of her gray dress into a gown of soft green. It was nothing fancy, but it was her favorite.
She found her way to the garden. He had been sitting on a bench, but he rose and smiled when he saw her. His face lit up, and Allia couldn’t help but smile back. She didn’t want to show her feelings too much, though. Every time she saw him, her heart leapt, and she was beginning to care for him far more than she should. He reached out and took her hands in his.
“I’m glad to see you,” he said softly, and his smile seemed shy. “It’s been two days.”
She could sense that he meant what he said. He felt happy to be with her again.
“I saw you yesterday,” she said.
“Were you there to watch us practice?”
She nodded.
“Then you must have seen Haldreth lose his temper.”
“I saw it,” Allia said. “Does he act like that often? Why would it bother him so much to stop a practice fight?”
“I wish it didn’t. I’d like things to be different,” Callonen said. “My brother…” He took a deep breath. “My brother hates to lose. In particular, he doesn’t like to lose to me. And he really hates to lose to Talon.”
“But doesn’t everyone lose to Talon?” Allia asked. “That’s what Tess said. If it happens all the time, shouldn’t he be expecting it?”
“Haldreth has hated Talon for years. I’ve tried to help them make peace since the captain is my best friend, but I haven’t had much luck. Haldreth resents the power my father has given Talon and his extraordinary abilities.”
“And why would he act that way toward you?” Allia wondered aloud. Haldreth had been determined to win at any cost, and they had only been practicing.
“Sometimes his temper gets the better of him. He doesn’t mean it. And he’s competitive,” Callonen said, as if that explained everything.
She had brothers herself. Many times, they had gotten into trouble because they were always trying to come out ahead of each other. Sometimes they fought, but they always seemed to work it out in the end. None of that explained Haldreth’s actions though. Allia knew what she had seen, and she worried about Callonen’s safety.
“Do you practice with the guard very often?” she asked, wanting to change the subject.
“Yes,” Callonen said. “All the time. And every couple of months, my brother and I take turns riding with them when they patrol outside the Warding.”
“Is that dangerous?” she asked.
Callonen laughed. “I don’t think so. At least, not very much. And I have Talon with me. When he’s around, I feel very safe.”
Weeks passed, and Allia saw Callonen nearly every day. Notes appeared, asking her to meet him in obscure corners of the palace. As far as she knew, Tess remained the only person aware of their secret meetings. She hoped Mara didn’t know. Allia didn’t want to leave the palace now.
The moments spent with him were so much more vivid than the rest of her time. He occupied her thoughts constantly. The more she talked to him, the better she knew him and the tighter his hold on her heart became.
He treated everyone so kindly, thanking them for their efforts even when no one expected him to. Callonen never behaved as if he thought he was above anyone else, and Allia sensed that he genuinely cared about his people. He would make a wonderful leader for Sarine. Maybe there would be ways she could help him…
Allia wrenched her mind firmly from that thought. It was only a dream. There was no future where she stayed at his side to love and support him in his work. But a future without him seemed bleak and lifeless. Instead, she dreamed he lived down in the city, as a tradesman or a soldier, someone she could share her life with.
Callonen
CALLONEN SAT IN THE FORMAL DINING ROOM pushing his salad idly around his plate as his father reminded him, yet again, that he wouldn’t be around forever and Callonen must have an heir to pass on the Warding. The topic had become a favorite for mealtime discussion.
Private lunches for the royal family used to be an enjoyable event. But lately, they’d become a little strained. Callonen did not enjoy his father constantly pressuring him to get married.
“You’re twenty-eight years old,” Emperor Caldoreth exclaimed. “You could have been married ten years by now. Callonen, are you listening to me?”
Callonen looked up. “Sorry, Father. I am. And I understand. You’re right that it’s time to give my full attention to looking for a bride.” He could picture it vividly… Someone with blond hair that fell in soft waves, her eyes a mixture of gray and green, the color of the hills in the spring rain. Someone smart and beautiful, who didn’t only like him for his title or wealth, but who really saw him.
That first day he had met Allia in the hall, she hadn’t known who he was. And she’d treated him as if he were… anyone. It had been so refreshing. She had known he was hurting and helped him. Allia. He needed to see her again.
“…and she’s coming in a few days.”
Callonen focused his attention back on his father. “Sorry, who?”
“Princess Elena of Paraman. The rumors say she is stunning. The king has already received a score of marriage offers, but his alliance with Sarine is important, and she’s coming here to visit before they decide. This is it, Callonen. This is your chance.”
“The king is hoping one of us will marry her?” Callonen asked.
Caldoreth still seemed annoyed. “Of course. You need to make this work. She’s your last chance at a princess. Although, if this doesn’t work out, a daughter of any of the nobles would be acceptable.”
“What if she can’t decide between us?” Haldreth asked. “So much charm. She’ll be dazzled.”
