As we approached the island, I found myself fidgeting in the saddle, my hands switching the reins back and forth and my heels twitching. My horse, picking up on my unease, shook its head.
"What are you so nervous about?" Shay asked, trotting her horse up to my side, leaving the Prince to guard the rear.
"Nervous? Please. I don't have anything to be nervous about," I replied, flicking loose hair back from my face. "I really need to work on my braiding skills. I understand why you like to keep your hair short."
Shay raised an eyebrow, unfazed by my attempts at a subject change. I sighed.
"Fine. I am a little worried about seeing my mom after so many months. Plus the other townspeople." I gazed over my shoulder toward where the town of Tosach used to stand. "It's my fault our town was destroyed. I wouldn't be surprised if they don't want to even look at me."
"Thea, Marduk destroying the town was an act of evil that you had no control over. You know this! When are you going to accept it?"
"That may be true, but do the townspeople believe that? The old me wouldn't have."
"The old you wouldn't be riding with the Prince, your fiance," Shay retorted. "Don't worry about what the others think. It won't matter because you're with the Prince now, and regardless of what other people may say, you know who you are - one of the Prince's chosen." With a flick of the reins, Shay trotted ahead to ride alongside Devin at the front.
I let her words sink in. I had not anticipated that seeing Mom and the others would be difficult, that breaking out of the mold they saw me in would cause me unrest until I saw the distant spires of the castle in the distance. But Shay was correct - I could do nothing about what others thought of me. My strength came from the one currently guarding my back; even though I could not see him now, I knew he would always be mine, and I his.
Slowing my horse down, I waited for the Prince and Gabriel to catch up with me.
"Do you really need to leave so soon? Can't you stay at least a day?" I asked, unable to hide the slight whine in my voice.
"There is too much that needs to be done before we can wed," Prince Solas replied. "However, Gabriel can stay with you and the others if you desire extra protection." Gabriel looked at the Prince with surprise, but held his tongue.
"I doubt we will need extra protection on the island," I replied, attempting to save Gabriel from this duty.
"If I may offer my counsel, Thea," Gabriel said, his deep voice commanding and resonant. "It would be prudent to have an extra set of objective eyes."
I blinked, not quite grasping what Gabriel meant. "Wait, you want to come with me? I figured you would want to stay with the Prince, seeing as you are his personal guard."
"That is true. However, my lord has requested I serve and protect you. If that is his command, then I will follow it."
I glanced at Prince Solas, who nodded his head slightly in encouragement. "Very well, I will accept your offer if it pleases my lord."
Gabriel laughed outright at my words. I felt my face redden. "Forgive me, Thea. I never thought I would hear you speak so humbly and well. When we first met, I thought the Prince had made a mistake, even knowing that was impossible. It is heartening to see how much you have grown."
I smiled. "To be fair, I thought you were nothing more than a lap dog to the Prince, doing everything he commanded without question. Now I wish I had followed your example."
Gabriel smiled. "Ah, but you are stronger for the trials you faced." That may be true, but I was realizing more and more that many of those trials were due to my own stubbornness and pride.
Five guards bearing the crest of the governor, a green tree heavy with fruit, greeted us at the bank of the sea, bowing low before Prince Solas. In the distance, the island glimmered in the afternoon light. Three of the guards escorted us onto a large sailboat, but the Prince did not follow.
"Will you not come with us at least to the island?" I asked, once more trying to convince the Prince.
"Do not worry, Thea, I promise we will be together on our wedding day." Noting my sadness, the Prince reached into his pocket. "Here. Let this be a reminder of all that is to come." He handed me his amulet, the side with the roaring lion facing up. I ran my thumb along the grooves, remembering the first time I held it. Then, I had been blind and had to put faith in someone I could not see. Now, I could see, but had to put faith in the invisible promises of the man in front of me.
Tears welled in my eyes as I nodded, grasping the amulet tightly in my fist. The guards raised the sails, and we took off, me keeping my eyes on the Prince even after his form faded from sight. Devin, Shay, and Gabriel left me alone for the forty minute ride, allowing me to rest in the promises my Prince had made to me.
Docking, the guards escorted us through the gates of the city. We walked quickly, as if the guards wanted to be done with their task, though their actions roused my suspicions.
The island city seemed nice enough. The streets were cobbled, and the wooden houses were brightly painted and obviously cared for. A park with a man-made pond and plenty of open green grass stood to my right. Children played in the field, and a parent was showing his daughter how to fish. It amused me that an island surrounded by water would want to make a spot for more, but I was also aware of how much it cost to keep up such an area, particularly when there were towns with food shortages. I made a mental note to ask the governor about that.
We entered another set of gates into the castle grounds, making a sharp left. Here, the houses were bigger and grander, being made from brick. With the weather being warmer, plants still grew, and gardens and flowers adorned the fronts of the houses. We came to a stop in front of a red brick house with blue flowers.
"This is where you will be staying," one of the guards said. "Please take the rest of the afternoon to unpack and relax. We will be back around dinnertime to bring you to the castle to eat with his grace." His grace? Did they mean the governor? Before I could ask, the guards were off, leaving me with a frown. I found similar expressions on my companions' faces. I had always heard stories about how poorly the governor treated others, and he certainly never sent aid when Tosach was in need, but to call the governor "his grace" made it seem like he was the ruler rather than an overseer.
My thoughts were interrupted by Mom opening the door to the house next to ours as she came running out, arms spread wide.
Dismounting, I opened my arms as she crushed me in a hug, rocking me back and forth.
"Thea! I am so glad that you are okay," she said, squeezing me until I thought I would burst. Shoot, she was strong, especially for being a head shorter than me.
"Mom. Can't. Breathe." Devin came over, allowing Mom to use her sturdy muscular hug on him. Taking a breath, I looked Mom over, noting her nicely woven clothing and combed hair. It appeared the governor was treating her well. I frowned, however, at her sallow skin, and though it was hard to tell with all of the layers she had on, it appeared she had lost weight.
"What do you have to frown about, Thea? It is most unbecoming," Mom said, interrupting my thoughts.
"Mom, how are you being treated here? Is the governor-"
"Don't worry about me. I want to hear about what has happened to you." She turned to Devin. "You as well. It's been ages since I've laid eyes on you. How strong you look! Of course, Shay and your friend are welcome, too."
"I feel in need of a nap, and it wouldn't hurt to unpack a little," Shay replied, pulling Gabriel with her. "We'll bring your things in on our way." Gratitude filled me as I realized that Shay was giving our family time to catch up.
Tying our horses to the post, we entered the red painted door into the house. A kettle was steaming over the fire, and biscuits sat in the middle of the plain wooden table. If it were not for the fact that this house was made of brick and was surrounded by the sound of waves, it would be very similar to home.
My heart panged. Home. Surely Mom knew that the house no longer stood, but had anyone told her about the land? Once the townspeople were allowed to return, they could rebuild, but we would have to purchase a new plot of land and start completely over.
"Have some biscuits, dears, and here is tea. You must be hungry after your long journey," Mom said as she served us. I glanced around the sparse house. It was very clean. Too clean. Mom was a neat and organized person, but this place had the feeling of newness, like Mom hadn't had time to really start living in the place yet.
"When did you move into this house, Mom?" I asked, looking into her brown eyes. I tried to make the question come out light and natural, but it sounded forced.
"Oh, well, just yesterday," Mom replied, wringing her hands. "But isn't it nice? It came fully furnished, and the governor provided food as well to get me started." Yesterday? The letter Prince Solas sent declaring our arrival would have come three days ago when we were starting out on our journey. In other words, the governor had just enough time to move the mother of two important people in the army to a better home.
"Where were you living before?" Devin asked, setting down his half-eaten biscuit. Good. I wasn't the only one picking up on the strange feelings.
"I was with the other people from Tosach, in a different part of the island. But, please," Mom said, dismissing our questions with a wave, "I want to hear about what you've been through. My adventures are really not that exciting. Devin, why don't you go first?"
I wasn't ready to change the subject so easily, but Devin sighed, flashing me a look, and started his tale of how life in the army had been the past three years. As he talked, I let my mind wander.
Obviously, something was wrong on this island, and Mom was trying to hide whatever it was from us. I bet the governor was at the middle of the dilemma, especially based on the rumors and stories I had heard since childhood. It was nice of the governor to give Mom a place to live like this, but I doubted that would have happened if the Prince had not forewarned him about our coming. What was he trying to hide?
"And Thea, what of you these past months? When I finally regained consciousness, you were long gone," Mom said, breaking into my thoughts.
"Wait, what? You were attacked by Marduk's men the night I was kidnapped?"
"Did you think I had slept through two men breaking into my house and taking my daughter?" Mom asked, arching a brow.
Heat rose to my cheeks, and I looked at the floor. "Everything happened so fast, and I was more concerned about myself." How selfish I was. Even when a member of the Dragon's Keep, I had stayed for selfish reasons, pretending that the letters I sent home were enough and not worrying when I received no replies.
"Dear," Mom said, placing her hand on mine, "I am not angry with you or the decisions you made. All that I feel is relief that you are safe and returned." I nodded, not sure I could trust myself to speak without falling apart. "That said, I can also tell that you have changed, that you have gone through tough times. Please tell me what happened. Maybe explain how those two gruesome scars came to cover your cheeks."
Devin put an arm around my shoulders, encouraging me to speak. Taking a deep breath, I told Mom everything that had happened since I had been kidnapped. Our tea grew cold, the biscuits untouched, as Mom listened, her attention rapt. I left out the part of finding our land infertile, not wanting to upset Mom about her home.
"But, Thea, you haven't talked about the best part!" Devin said as I finished the part of the Prince catching me as I jumped over the canyon. My face reddened, and I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. Mom looked between us, waiting expectantly.
"Prince Solas and I are engaged and will be married the first of the new year."
Mom's shriek was probably heard across the continent as she knocked her chair over in her haste to hug and congratulate me. "I am so happy for you, Thea! When the Prince first came to our door asking for your hand, I knew it would happen, though I wish you had accepted it then instead of having to go through all of those awful events."
Devin raised his eyebrows, finally putting two and two together about when the Prince first proposed. I just shrugged sheepishly.
"Well, we will have to celebrate. Tonight, of course, we are eating with the governor - that makes much more sense now! You're the Prince's future wife. No wonder he wants to eat with us or why he gave me this house, but we will have to have a feast with the rest of the people of Tosach, as is tradition. Just wait until they hear! This is the very thing we need right now to lift our spirits." Mom continued babbling on, leaving my head whirling.
"Wait, Mom," I finally broke in, grasping Mom's arm to get her attention. "You're not angry or disappointed with me for what I've done or how I've behaved?"
"Thea, what is past is past. Of course I wish as a mother that my children never have to experience troubles or experience pain, but I also realize the importance of such things."
"But I abandoned you, and even when I was living with you, I was rebellious."
"I forgive you, Thea. You are my daughter, and I love you even when you choose to be a bonehead and not listen to the wise counsel of your mother," she said, swatting my arm. I smiled, grateful. My conscience bothered me, telling me to explain what had happened to our land, but as I looked at the smiling face of Mom, I pushed the guilt back down, not wanting to ruin this happy moment.
"Oh my goodness, look at the time!" Mom exclaimed, noting the shadows lengthening against the walls. "You need to change for the dinner. Go, go, I will see you tonight with the governor." Pushing us out of the door, Mom waved as we walked next door to our accommodations.
"That went well," remarked Devin.
"Let's hope that our dinner with the governor goes as smoothly," I replied, entering into the house.
Though small, the house was spacious with a kitchen, living room, bathroom, and two bedrooms upstairs. I would be rooming with Shay on the backside of the house. As we entered, Gabriel pulled me aside. He had bathed and was wearing his sharpest outfit, looking every inch a royal guard of the Prince.
"Thea, before you prepare for the governor's dinner, a word."
"What is it, Gabriel?"
"At the dinner, I need you to promise you will listen first and not react in anger based on whatever the governor says."
Heat flooded my cheeks. "Weren't you just saying this morning about how much I have grown?"
"Indeed, but not all giants fall overnight, and with all due respect, this is one that will take constant vigilance."
The indignance I felt at Gabriel's words was proof enough of the truth in them, as much as I hated to admit it. "What do you suggest I do?"
"Listen, observe, and treat the governor with respect. I am well aware of the rumors swirling around the governor," he said, holding up a hand as I opened my mouth, "and he will receive what he is due. However, now is not the time to begin that battle. Do you trust me?"
I fingered the Prince's amulet in my pocket, feeling the curves of the lion's mane. Gabriel, being the Prince's personal guard and long-time friend, was the closest I could get to the Prince right now. I nodded, accepting Gabriel's guidance, then went to my room to prepare. It was time to turn into a respectable guest.