True Love

Part I : On the Run

Happily ever after? Not yet . . .

James held on tighter as the wagon jolted and the jarring forced a moan from the unconscious Leonard. Up front, he could hear Pavel swearing at the draft horses in his native tongue. Or at least James assumed it was swearing. The tone was right for that.

Once the ride evened out again, Pavel looked behind him to check on his passengers.

"I am so sorry, Your Highness. I am not familiar with this road and with the clouds hiding most of what little light the moon is giving . ."

James interrupted before the young driver could go any further.

"No 'Your Highness' or 'Prince'. Just James and Leonard until we have gotten him out of these accursed hostile lands."

Pavel was silent for a minute, then spoke softly.

"It is not the land that is hostile to you and Pr . . . Leonard. You will find that Leonard is well-loved by most of the people for the same reasons that he is disliked by most of the nobility."

Running his fingers through Leonard's dark hair to soothe him, James frowned.

"Why in Heaven's name would the nobility dislike Leonard?"

Keeping his eyes on what little of the trail was visible, Pavel shrugged his shoulders.

"If they viewed him as an individual, they might not dislike him, but most nobles have a tendency to not look at individuals, but at their politics. Leonard has done a great deal about getting education and health care extended beyond the palace walls - which is viewed as wasteful at best and dangerous at worst."

Frowning, James considered that, then shook his head.

"I do not view education as wasteful myself, but I could see where others might view it so. However as far as health goes? How could that be wasteful or dangerous?"

"You do not look at it from their point of view - for which I am grateful as that validates much of how Leonard seems to feel towards you. The nobility here view an educated commoner as someone who might question their orders instead of following them blindly - and a strong, healthy commoner as one that might decide that they could do better for themselves out from underneath the yokes the nobles have placed on them. I have never been to your kingdom, but I have heard that your Lady Queen treats your people with a more even hand."

"She does. It is her belief that the stronger the individuals residing in the land are, the stronger the kingdom becomes."

"She is wise, your mother, and thinks beyond today."

Another jolt of a wagon wheel elicited another moan from the injured man and the weakness of it sent James' anxiety level skyward.

"I don't know how much more of this that Leonard can take."

"We are almost there and, if she does not turn us away for fear of the King, she will be able to help him."

A chill ran through James at the thought that this long and painful trip might have been for naught. He kept his voice steady as he formed the question he dreaded the answer to.

"Do you believe she will turn us away?"

There was a pause before Pavel answered.

"I do not believe so. She is Leonard's godmother, but she has not been seen in the capital since he was an infant."

James thought that over, then looked at Pavel again.

"Wait - that would mean that you have never laid eyes on the lady yourself? Then how do you know where to find her?"

"I know through my grandmother. Even a woman with healing powers can use a hand when her own time comes to give birth and my grandmother was the midwife at her son's birth. There - up ahead. That light we see should be from her home."

Immediately after Pavel said those words, the horses stopped and reared. James looked forward to see what was wrong and his mouth literally dropped open. There, in the middle of the road directly in front of them, stood a man. No - not a man. Even in the moonlight, he could see the slanted brows and distinctive ears that he had heard about in the fairy tales his nanny had told to him as a child. The mythical sons of Vulcan were apparently more than a myth.

"You must turn your wagon around. You may not enter here."

The man's voice was strong and matter of fact. He spoke very precisely as if the language of the land was not his native tongue. James was speechless at the wonder of the being in front of them, but Pavel was not.

"Please, sir - we must enter to see the Lady Amanda. Her godson is in this wagon and gravely injured."

The voice became, if anything, stiffer.

"My Lady Mother has but one godchild and I doubt he would be traveling in a farmer's wagon. But I will see for myself. You and the other man will leave the wagon. Do not try anything - you are being watched."

Having to leave Leonard alone didn't sit well with James, but having to turn away without getting Leonard the medical aid he so obviously needed was not an option. Reluctantly, James laid Leonard's head down, cushioning it with his hastily removed cloak. Once they were away from the wagon, the man came forward. His eyebrow rose when he both recognized the Crown Prince of the kingdom as well as noted the bruising that covered nearly all visible flesh.

Neither James nor Pavel expected what happened next. Moving as if Leonard weighed no more than a child, the man lifted him up and cradled Leonard in his arms as he began walking further into the clearing. He didn't look back as he spoke.

"You may bring yourselves and your wagon in. Once I have given Leonard to my Lady Mother, I will come back to show you where to stable your horses. Am I correct that you will remain until Leonard can travel again?"

James answered that without hesitation as he and Pavel climbed back aboard the wagon.

"I am not leaving without him."

He couldn't have said what conveyed it, but James felt that the man had been pleased by that response. But as he disappeared into the gloom ahead of them, the words floated back as precisely and unemotionally as ever.

"In that case, we shall have to see to finding a place for the pair of you to sleep as well."