Chapter 4
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"Kill her," Lehan said causally to the guard that waited by the door.
Isilla heard the sound of metal against leather and spun quickly, dropping her board which bounced silently on the floor, her silence taking a few moments to dissipate, as the guard pulled his sword. She stumbled away from the man as he advanced on her. She tripped on the edge of her skirt as the guard swung
Her body met with someone's arms as the sword came down on her. Shadows wrapped around the blade pulling it back along with the guard pinning both to the far wall and door. She looked up into the green eyes of the stranger from the garden. His eyebrows were pulled together.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice low.
She nodded. He pulled her into a standing position and released her. "You are as always too quick with your judgment, brother."
Her eyes were locked on her brother's body. A dark spot formed around where the sword had pierced him. The weapon itself began to crack and finally crumble leaving behind just a hole. The voices of the two princes played in the background but she couldn't focus on the conversation.
"How so? They lied. Liars are put to death by order of the King," Lehan said waving a hand to release the guard.
"Not every law our mad father writes should be followed. However, your judgment is flawed, dear brother," Lehan's brother said, looking at his coat attempting to brush of the chalk. It clung to the fabric leaving gray ghosts of itself on his clothes. He sighed giving up.
Lehan smiled showing sharp teeth on one side of his mouth. "And how do you figure that, little brother?" he asked letting the words drip like acid between them.
The man from the garden flinched but did not react, "If you had ever read the letters you were sent to get to know you future wife, you would know what she was. It is a harmless state of being. A mutant magic users who can make sure you sleep peacefully. Hardly worth breaking a treaty over," he sighed, "It doesn't matter, you've already killed the Prince."
He read my letters? She thought curiously, focusing on him. Is that why he met me in the garden?
"I was never going to marry that mute thing anyway, I was only curious." he said dismissing the matter.
Argia's head popped up then, a grimace on his usually smiling face, "You have attempted to murder a member of the Royal family. This betrayal will not be taken lightly,"
He grunted, standing to the surprise of everyone in the room. He moved stiffly, his body jerking and stumbling in place. "Of course, you Dark Kingdom bastards couldn't be trusted," he turned to his sister, "I am sorry about this, I suppose they'll kill you now. Goodbye, Chalky."
Her brother opened his mouth and a finch poked its head out of the gaping jaw. It hopped out landing on her brother's nose. It began singing followed by another bird that settled on his shoulders and joined the song. A third made its appearance and then a flock burst from his mouth, filling the room with bird song and the pounding of feathers.
Ducking and covering her head, Isilla stared at the floor as the flock swirled around the room. Lehan cursed loudly as the song filled the air, deafening. All around her skirts, an inky black smoke formed. She peeked at the stranger who was looking away from her, his arms behind his back, the shadows dripped from him and the birds did not touch him.
Tired of their game, the flock circled once more and crashed out the window, shattering the glass and returning to the lands that bore them. Unsure of what her next move should be, Isilla stayed on the floor.
Lehan looked at her for a moment and then waved his hand at the guard, "Take her out and dispose of her."
Isilla scrambled across the floor for her board and pulling a piece of chalk from her pouch she scrawled a message across it. Pulling on her savior's sleeve, he turned his attention to her. His eyes scanned the board as he batted dust off his sleeve.
He leaned his head slightly to the side and frowned. Please, she wrote, help me.
His eyes were gentle, locked on hers for a moment before he closed them. When they opened, all the softness was gone, replaced with a darkness. Turning to his brother he bowed slightly and with an emotionless voice said, "There is still time to salvage your foolishness. I will marry her."
"And what good would that do, Arren? There is no treaty," Lehan asked, shaking his head.
Arren shook his head, "Prince Argia was right. The war between our kingdoms has gone on long enough. If we treat her well enough there might be."
Lehan's lips twisted into a cruel smile, "If you wish to keep this thing then fine. It is decided then, Princess Isilla will be married to Prince Arren. By order of the King, I do pronounce this marriage to be binding."
Isilla gripped at her board, shaken by how quickly things had changed before looking back at the man who had saved her. Thank you, she wrote.
He grabbed her arm and leaned close to her ear. His breath tickled her cheek as he spoke, low and close. "Never forget that I offered you a chance to leave this place. That will not happen again."
Arren released her and then plucked it from her fingers, "Do not thank me. You are my wife now. And you are never to use any board such as this again," he shoved the board into the Chancellor's hands, "Dispose of this and any of that damnable chalk she has. Take her to her rooms and have her cleaned up. Make sure she eats and rests. I will be with her this evening."
Without further comment he turned, stalking out of the room, the deep shadows following him as he left. She looked around, her eyes blinking in the sudden brightness, and back at her the Prince who should have been her husband.
He spun his finger in the air, "You're wondering about the light. Yes, well you've heard of my brother no doubt. The Lord of All Shadows I believe your people call him."
Her face dropped. She had heard of him. Everyone had. A fairytale in her kingdowm. A vicious creature who used the power of nightmare to do unspeakable acts. He was a terrible legend. Isilla stood motionless her thoughts moving too quickly for her to catch. She felt naked without her board and her fingers grabbed at themselves looking for anything to hold on to.
"Remove my brother's wife from my study before I change my mind about things," Lehan sneered.
The Chancellor bowed, "Yes your highness. Come along my Lady. The Prince has ordered that you be made ready and evening comes quickly in these lands."
She nodded numbly following the man out of the room feeling the crush of uncertainty all around her.
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"Kill her," Lehan said causally to the guard that waited by the door.
Isilla heard the sound of metal against leather and spun quickly, dropping her board which bounced silently on the floor, her silence taking a few moments to dissipate, as the guard pulled his sword. She stumbled away from the man as he advanced on her. She tripped on the edge of her skirt as the guard swung
Her body met with someone's arms as the sword came down on her. Shadows wrapped around the blade pulling it back along with the guard pinning both to the far wall and door. She looked up into the green eyes of the stranger from the garden. His eyebrows were pulled together.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice low.
She nodded. He pulled her into a standing position and released her. "You are as always too quick with your judgment, brother."
Her eyes were locked on her brother's body. A dark spot formed around where the sword had pierced him. The weapon itself began to crack and finally crumble leaving behind just a hole. The voices of the two princes played in the background but she couldn't focus on the conversation.
"How so? They lied. Liars are put to death by order of the King," Lehan said waving a hand to release the guard.
"Not every law our mad father writes should be followed. However, your judgment is flawed, dear brother," Lehan's brother said, looking at his coat attempting to brush of the chalk. It clung to the fabric leaving gray ghosts of itself on his clothes. He sighed giving up.
Lehan smiled showing sharp teeth on one side of his mouth. "And how do you figure that, little brother?" he asked letting the words drip like acid between them.
The man from the garden flinched but did not react, "If you had ever read the letters you were sent to get to know you future wife, you would know what she was. It is a harmless state of being. A mutant magic users who can make sure you sleep peacefully. Hardly worth breaking a treaty over," he sighed, "It doesn't matter, you've already killed the Prince."
He read my letters? She thought curiously, focusing on him. Is that why he met me in the garden?
"I was never going to marry that mute thing anyway, I was only curious." he said dismissing the matter.
Argia's head popped up then, a grimace on his usually smiling face, "You have attempted to murder a member of the Royal family. This betrayal will not be taken lightly,"
He grunted, standing to the surprise of everyone in the room. He moved stiffly, his body jerking and stumbling in place. "Of course, you Dark Kingdom bastards couldn't be trusted," he turned to his sister, "I am sorry about this, I suppose they'll kill you now. Goodbye, Chalky."
Her brother opened his mouth and a finch poked its head out of the gaping jaw. It hopped out landing on her brother's nose. It began singing followed by another bird that settled on his shoulders and joined the song. A third made its appearance and then a flock burst from his mouth, filling the room with bird song and the pounding of feathers.
Ducking and covering her head, Isilla stared at the floor as the flock swirled around the room. Lehan cursed loudly as the song filled the air, deafening. All around her skirts, an inky black smoke formed. She peeked at the stranger who was looking away from her, his arms behind his back, the shadows dripped from him and the birds did not touch him.
Tired of their game, the flock circled once more and crashed out the window, shattering the glass and returning to the lands that bore them. Unsure of what her next move should be, Isilla stayed on the floor.
Lehan looked at her for a moment and then waved his hand at the guard, "Take her out and dispose of her."
Isilla scrambled across the floor for her board and pulling a piece of chalk from her pouch she scrawled a message across it. Pulling on her savior's sleeve, he turned his attention to her. His eyes scanned the board as he batted dust off his sleeve.
He leaned his head slightly to the side and frowned. Please, she wrote, help me.
His eyes were gentle, locked on hers for a moment before he closed them. When they opened, all the softness was gone, replaced with a darkness. Turning to his brother he bowed slightly and with an emotionless voice said, "There is still time to salvage your foolishness. I will marry her."
"And what good would that do, Arren? There is no treaty," Lehan asked, shaking his head.
Arren shook his head, "Prince Argia was right. The war between our kingdoms has gone on long enough. If we treat her well enough there might be."
Lehan's lips twisted into a cruel smile, "If you wish to keep this thing then fine. It is decided then, Princess Isilla will be married to Prince Arren. By order of the King, I do pronounce this marriage to be binding."
Isilla gripped at her board, shaken by how quickly things had changed before looking back at the man who had saved her. Thank you, she wrote.
He grabbed her arm and leaned close to her ear. His breath tickled her cheek as he spoke, low and close. "Never forget that I offered you a chance to leave this place. That will not happen again."
Arren released her and then plucked it from her fingers, "Do not thank me. You are my wife now. And you are never to use any board such as this again," he shoved the board into the Chancellor's hands, "Dispose of this and any of that damnable chalk she has. Take her to her rooms and have her cleaned up. Make sure she eats and rests. I will be with her this evening."
Without further comment he turned, stalking out of the room, the deep shadows following him as he left. She looked around, her eyes blinking in the sudden brightness, and back at her the Prince who should have been her husband.
He spun his finger in the air, "You're wondering about the light. Yes, well you've heard of my brother no doubt. The Lord of All Shadows I believe your people call him."
Her face dropped. She had heard of him. Everyone had. A fairytale in her kingdowm. A vicious creature who used the power of nightmare to do unspeakable acts. He was a terrible legend. Isilla stood motionless her thoughts moving too quickly for her to catch. She felt naked without her board and her fingers grabbed at themselves looking for anything to hold on to.
"Remove my brother's wife from my study before I change my mind about things," Lehan sneered.
The Chancellor bowed, "Yes your highness. Come along my Lady. The Prince has ordered that you be made ready and evening comes quickly in these lands."
She nodded numbly following the man out of the room feeling the crush of uncertainty all around her.
"Kill her," Lehan said causally to the guard that waited by the door.Isilla heard the sound of metal against leather and spun quickly, dropping her board which bounced silently on the floor, her silence taking a few moments to dissipate, as the guard pulled his sword. She stumbled away from the man as he advanced on her. She tripped on the edge of her skirt as the guard swungHer body met with someone's arms as the sword came down on her. Shadows wrapped around the blade pulling it back along with the guard pinning both to the far wall and door. She looked up into the green eyes of the stranger from the garden. His eyebrows were pulled together."Are you alright?" he asked, his voice low.She nodded. He pulled her into a standing position and released her. "You are as always too quick with your judgment, brother."Her eyes were locked on her brother's body. A dark spot formed around where the sword had pierced him. The weapon itself began to crack and finally crumble leaving behind just a hole. The voices of the two princes played in the background but she couldn't focus on the conversation."How so? They lied. Liars are put to death by order of the King," Lehan said waving a hand to release the guard."Not every law our mad father writes should be followed. However, your judgment is flawed, dear brother," Lehan's brother said, looking at his coat attempting to brush of the chalk. It clung to the fabric leaving gray ghosts of itself on his clothes. He sighed giving up.Lehan smiled showing sharp teeth on one side of his mouth. "And how do you figure that, little brother?" he asked letting the words drip like acid between them.The man from the garden flinched but did not react, "If you had ever read the letters you were sent to get to know you future wife, you would know what she was. It is a harmless state of being. A mutant magic users who can make sure you sleep peacefully. Hardly worth breaking a treaty over," he sighed, "It doesn't matter, you've already killed the Prince."He read my letters? She thought curiously, focusing on him. Is that why he met me in the garden?"I was never going to marry that mute thing anyway, I was only curious." he said dismissing the matter.Argia's head popped up then, a grimace on his usually smiling face, "You have attempted to murder a member of the Royal family. This betrayal will not be taken lightly,"He grunted, standing to the surprise of everyone in the room. He moved stiffly, his body jerking and stumbling in place. "Of course, you Dark Kingdom bastards couldn't be trusted," he turned to his sister, "I am sorry about this, I suppose they'll kill you now. Goodbye, Chalky."Her brother opened his mouth and a finch poked its head out of the gaping jaw. It hopped out landing on her brother's nose. It began singing followed by another bird that settled on his shoulders and joined the song. A third made its appearance and then a flock burst from his mouth, filling the room with bird song and the pounding of feathers.Ducking and covering her head, Isilla stared at the floor as the flock swirled around the room. Lehan cursed loudly as the song filled the air, deafening. All around her skirts, an inky black smoke formed. She peeked at the stranger who was looking away from her, his arms behind his back, the shadows dripped from him and the birds did not touch him.Tired of their game, the flock circled once more and crashed out the window, shattering the glass and returning to the lands that bore them. Unsure of what her next move should be, Isilla stayed on the floor.Lehan looked at her for a moment and then waved his hand at the guard, "Take her out and dispose of her."Isilla scrambled across the floor for her board and pulling a piece of chalk from her pouch she scrawled a message across it. Pulling on her savior's sleeve, he turned his attention to her. His eyes scanned the board as he batted dust off his sleeve.He leaned his head slightly to the side and frowned. Please, she wrote, help me.His eyes were gentle, locked on hers for a moment before he closed them. When they opened, all the softness was gone, replaced with a darkness. Turning to his brother he bowed slightly and with an emotionless voice said, "There is still time to salvage your foolishness. I will marry her.""And what good would that do, Arren? There is no treaty," Lehan asked, shaking his head.Arren shook his head, "Prince Argia was right. The war between our kingdoms has gone on long enough. If we treat her well enough there might be."Lehan's lips twisted into a cruel smile, "If you wish to keep this thing then fine. It is decided then, Princess Isilla will be married to Prince Arren. By order of the King, I do pronounce this marriage to be binding."Isilla gripped at her board, shaken by how quickly things had changed before looking back at the man who had saved her. Thank you, she wrote.He grabbed her arm and leaned close to her ear. His breath tickled her cheek as he spoke, low and close. "Never forget that I offered you a chance to leave this place. That will not happen again."Arren released her and then plucked it from her fingers, "Do not thank me. You are my wife now. And you are never to use any board such as this again," he shoved the board into the Chancellor's hands, "Dispose of this and any of that damnable chalk she has. Take her to her rooms and have her cleaned up. Make sure she eats and rests. I will be with her this evening."Without further comment he turned, stalking out of the room, the deep shadows following him as he left. She looked around, her eyes blinking in the sudden brightness, and back at her the Prince who should have been her husband.He spun his finger in the air, "You're wondering about the light. Yes, well you've heard of my brother no doubt. The Lord of All Shadows I believe your people call him."Her face dropped. She had heard of him. Everyone had. A fairytale in her kingdowm. A vicious creature who used the power of nightmare to do unspeakable acts. He was a terrible legend. Isilla stood motionless her thoughts moving too quickly for her to catch. She felt naked without her board and her fingers grabbed at themselves looking for anything to hold on to."Remove my brother's wife from my study before I change my mind about things," Lehan sneered.The Chancellor bowed, "Yes your highness. Come along my Lady. The Prince has ordered that you be made ready and evening comes quickly in these lands."She nodded numbly following the man out of the room feeling the crush of uncertainty all around her.
