The tip of a practice sword reached Karigan's neck, and she lowered her sword, graciously accepting defeat. It was not the first time she had been defeated that morning, but she could at least take comfort in the fact that she had managed a few defeats of her own. She was getting better—even Drent had grudgingly admitted so the previous day though he had, of course, added that there was still plenty of room for improvement.
Upon hearing a commotion from some nearby trainees, Karigan looked up and saw a familiar figure approaching the practice field. She smiled, wondering why he had come to join her, for they typically did not train together. Before she could wonder long however, Zachary came close enough that she could see the expression on his face, and her smile turned into a frown at the stormy look he wore. "What's wrong?" she questioned, setting her practice sword aside so she could approach.
"They found Colin in an alley this morning in a pool of his own blood, barely alive. Master Destarion and Mender Simeon are working on him now, but neither is sure if he'll actually recover. He was clutching this in his hand." Zachary held out a small piece of parchment. Karigan took it, squinting at the words. The writing was messy and hard to read, but she eventually puzzled out what it said.
"Karigan danger."
Zachary nodded. "We don't have any more details of what happened or who might have done this though there are now a number of people investigating. Nevertheless, you can see why I'm worried."
"I've been in danger since we first announced our courtship," Karigan told him. "Just like you've been in danger since you took the throne."
"It's never been so. . . apparent before."
Karigan sighed. In truth, the note, as well as the condition Colin was in, scared Karigan more than she wanted to admit. Unfortunately, she was sure that it had scared Zachary as well, and she knew it would cause his normal protectiveness to skyrocket. "Additional Weapons?" she asked, nodding to the large entourage that followed him. She noted at least six extra black-clad figures.
"Half are for me," he explained.
"Just until we find out who did this?" she sighed.
"Until we agree that the danger has lessened enough that your normal guard is sufficient." She sighed again, and he gave her a grim smile. "I know you don't like it, but please, just humor me if nothing else. I just want you to be safe."
"Alright. I suppose this means more sparring partners."
Zachary gave her a real smile at her attempt to lighten the mood. "Thank you," he told her sincerely.
After practice, Karigan cleaned up quickly and met Zachary in his study. She found him deep in conversation with the head of the Sacor City police, Captain Grainger, and one of his militia captains, a man she had met only in passing whose name she believed to be Yealy. She was still trying to learn all the people she needed to know. It did not take her long to figure out what they were talking about. "Any news on Colin?" she questioned, drawing their attention. Zachary shook his head.
"Master Mender Destarion says he is not out of the woods yet but his chances are improving with every hour he keeps breathing."
"That is good to hear."
"We were just discussing our next steps," Zachary said. Karigan saw both Grainger and Yealy give Zachary looks of surprise, and she suppressed an eye roll with great difficulty. Though neither had directly said anything negative to her, she knew that neither approved of her. Unlike others, however, it seemed to be less because of her status as a commoner and more because of her gender. She had questioned Zachary on this, and he had given her the same advice he had for the nobility—to ignore them. He had added that they would not be the only ones to feel that way—a number of men, especially those in the military, believed in traditional gender roles and would be surprised to find that Karigan did more than embroider and bear children. "They will get used to you eventually," he told her. "Or at they'll retire and that will be that."
"Do we know anything else?"
It took a few seconds before Grainger finally responded. "He was found in a back alley outside a small shop, but the shopkeeper had no knowledge of how he came to be there. I suspect it was a simple dump, likely because they believed he was dead."
"We were out late last night with him," Karigan said. "He would have been returning to his quarters from the Rider barracks. The shortest way is across the courtyard. There are plenty of places there where someone could hide, especially in the dark. He likely did not even see whoever took him." Zachary nodded in agreement, but Grainger was frowning.
"We think he may have actually been kidnapped from his quarters. We were just discussing the possibility of searching those."
Karigan could not suppress a snort. "You can search if you like, but his quarters are in the same area of the castle as the rest of the Weapons. I doubt anyone would have been able to kidnap him from there, and most probably would not even try."
Zachary gave her a small smile. "I was just about to say the same thing."
"With all due respect, Sire, I would like to pursue every lead."
"Of course. Willis, if you could escort Captains Grainger and Yealy to Colin's rooms, that would be most appreciated." Willis stepped out of the shadows and bowed briefly before turning to lead the two older men out of the room. As soon as the door closed behind them, the bland expression slipped from Zachary's face. He looked more worried and fatigued than Karigan had seen him since they announced their courtship.
"Is something else wrong?" she questioned.
"Dav is no longer here this morning," Zachary told her. "I sent someone to find him after I heard the news about Colin, for I thought he might have more information, but they said his bed looked as if it had not been slept in."
"You think he's involved?"
"I think his behavior is highly suspicious. But his actions make no sense. What would be the purpose in telling us the tale he told us last night unless he legitimately wanted to help us prepare for the coming times? And why Colin? There was obviously some animosity between the two, but this seems a rather extreme reaction."
"The animosity was also mostly on Colin's side. Dav seemed. . . indifferent." Zachary nodded in agreement. "What about Garcia? She alluded to some of the same things Dav told us about though she obviously didn't have all the details. Maybe she can help fill in the gaps."
"Maybe. I'll send for her and-" A knock on the door interrupted their conversation, and Zachary called for the person outside to enter. A Green Foot strode quickly into the room, bowing deeply.
"Your Majesty, the delegation who went to seek the Eletians has returned," he announced, sounding slightly breathless.
"Send them in at once," Zachary said. Glancing over, Karigan saw he had already slipped back into his king's mask, the worry and fatigue once more erased from his features. She marveled at how quickly he could make the change and wondered if she would ever be so good. The boy bowed again before leaving. A few minutes later, four figures entered the room. Karigan noted that all four members of the delegation looked weary and wondered how hard they had ridden. All four bowed respectfully. As they straightened, Karigan noted that Captain Mapstone's eyes quickly traveled between her and Zachary before scanning the room. A slight frown formed on the older woman's face at discovering no other chaperones with them, but she did not say anything. Briefly, Karigan wondered how long it would take for the Captain to stop treating her like a child, but she pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind to focus on the more urgent matters. "Please, have a seat," Zachary said, gesturing to the chairs in front of his desk. "I know you have all had a long journey."
"Thank you, Sire," Laren said, taking a chair. The other three members of the delegation followed her lead. "As you have probably surmised from the amount of time we were gone, we were not immediately successful in our mission. In fact, we spent nearly a month at the border attempting to make contact with the Eletians without success. We were actually nearly ready to return to Sacor City per your instructions when we found this pinned to a tree near our campsite." She reached into her message satchel and pulled out a piece of parchment along with an arrow. The arrow was long and slender with some sort of silvery feather on the end. Karigan recognized it almost immediately as Eletian. Zachary took it from Laren, carefully running his fingers over the shaft. Karigan leaned over to see better, and as she grew closer, she sensed something shift in the air, almost like the arrow itself was pulsing with power. She reached out, and when her fingers touched it, she heard something whispering deep in her mind. Startled, she pulled her hand away, glancing at the others in the room. None of them seemed to have heard anything, but given what she had learned the previous night, perhaps that was not too surprising. She said nothing, instead filing away that piece of information for discussion with Zachary later.
"Can I see the note?" Zachary questioned after a careful study of the arrow. Laren nodded, passing the parchment to him. As Zachary unfolded it, Karigan noted that all four members of the delegation were not watching him but instead staring closely at her. It did not take her quick mind long to figure out that something in the note pertained to her, and she turned so she could read it as well.
"We have seen your delegation, Firebrand, and understand its intent. We will take your request to our King Santanara for due consideration. Given past experiences, it will not be an alliance easily forged, but the fact that our sister is beside you will undoubtedly help matters. I'm sure you are starting to realize that trying times are coming, more trying than any we have yet seen despite our long lives. However, danger is closer at hand than you might expect. Keep our sister close and guard her carefully. There are those who seek to take her from you, and we cannot protect her fully from them. I suspect that only you can do so, but even that will be difficult," Karigan read aloud. She turned to Zachary, but he had put on his impassive façade, and despite the fact that she was slowly learning to read him better, she could not tell what he was thinking.
"Thank you very much for your efforts," Zachary said simply. "You all deserve some rest. Please take a week to recover before going back on normal duty. Captain Mapstone, if you would stay, I have a couple matters I'd like to discuss with you." The other three members of the delegation all bowed and left. Once they had gone, Zachary let his mask slip slightly, and worry creased his forehead once more.
"You don't seem overly surprised by the note," Laren remarked.
"We had received similar news just this morning from another source."
"I assume it references Karigan?" Zachary nodded, tapping the note on his desk as he stared at a spot just above Captain Mapstone's ear. Karigan had come to recognize the action as one that indicated he was thinking hard about his next move. "So I assume you two have announced your courtship then?"
"At the Midwinter Festival as planned," Zachary confirmed.
When he did not add further details for a few seconds, Captain Mapstone prompted, "And?"
"As you can see, the kingdom did not fall down around me." He broke from his focused stare to give her a slightly sardonic smile. She huffed.
"I never said I was worried about anything quite so extreme. I was just worried about future political ramifications. If that letter implies what I think it does, we need this country united more than ever. We can't have the provinces squabbling with you over perceived slights."
"Coutre supports the marriage. He even officially withdrew the contract for Lady Estora though that was more for ceremony than anything." Laren's eyebrows rose.
"I feel like I have missed a great deal." Zachary exchanged a look with Karigan.
"Perhaps it would be best to inform you over the midday meal," Karigan suggested. Laren gave her a considering look before nodding, rising to her feet.
"That sounds like an excellent idea. And by the way, don't think I did not notice that you two were unchaperoned in here when we came in. You may have Coutre's acceptance, but I am sure there are still a number of nobles who do not approve of the match and are waiting for you to make a mistake. For your own sakes, I will be making sure that never happens again." Karigan groaned at the words. She was going to be worse than Mara.
Laren was right—a good deal had happened in her absence, and explaining all the details took the entire time they were eating. When they finally finished, Laren sat back thoughtfully in her chair. "I assume you want Riders in this delegation to Rhovanny?"
Zachary nodded. "Yes. But only one or two. Given past events, I would prefer to keep the delegation small to ensure they don't see anything overly aggressive in their presence."
"We have a couple Riders from the Northern regions who may appreciate the opportunity for a trip home," Laren remarked.
"Please impress on them the danger of the mission and ensure they understand that it is their choice whether or not to accept it. This is not a normal message errand."
"Given the circumstances, I believe it would also be a good idea to have a member of the nobility in the delegation as well. It would be a sign of good will and perhaps make the group seem less threatening."
"Do you have anyone in mind?"
Laren glanced at Karigan, and Karigan immediately knew who she was thinking of. "Alton." Saying his name caused a small bubble of fear to well up inside her, but Karigan quickly squashed it. Alton was still her friend. He had not been in control of himself before, and she refused to hold his actions against him.
"I think he would be a good candidate. He's very capable with a sword but also has spent enough time in court to know his way around diplomatic issues."
"But he's at the wall. It would take him at least two weeks, probably three to get to Sacor City." Zachary suddenly looked uncomfortable, and Karigan turned to him. "What?"
He sighed. "Alton is actually probably nearly in Sacor City by now," he told her. "His father wrote to me a few weeks ago. He's worried about Alton, thinks the wall is starting to. . . 'turn him' was the phrase he used. Apparently, he's been spending more and more time just staring at it and has even started yelling or attacking it. He thinks he'll do better away from it for awhile, and I tend to agree, especially since I suspect guilt plays a large role. I thought maybe if he knows I don't blame him for what happened, it could help, and that's not really the type of thing you can say in a letter."
"When were you planning on telling me this?"
Zachary licked his lips, obviously a bit nervous. "Honestly, I wasn't intending to keep it from you. I was just trying to find the right time to say something. And with everything that's happened in the last couple days, it really just slipped my mind."
"You don't think Alton-" Captain Mapstone began, but Zachary interrupted.
"No. I think whatever possessed him is gone, but even if it was not, he's still at least two or three days away from the city." Zachary glanced at Karigan and sighed upon seeing her expression. "I truly am sorry, Karigan. I wasn't quite sure how to bring it up, so I didn't."
"I'm not a delicate flower, Zachary. I can handle this sort of news. I don't need you to protect me."
"I know. But you'll have to forgive me if I forget sometimes. I just. . ." He glanced at Laren, blushing slightly when he noted her watching him with a small smirk, but he plowed on anyway. "I love you, and I worry about you." Their gazes locked and held for a few moments before Laren cleared her throat, breaking the silence that had settled over them.
"So it sounds like Alton will be a good candidate. I will speak with a couple Green Riders as well. I assume you will find a few people from the militia?"
Zachary nodded. "Given everything that's happened, I'd like to send them out sooner rather than later. Do you think you could have your Riders ready in a week?"
"Of course."
Exactly one week later, Karigan stood on the steps leading into the courtyard with Zachary beside her as they watched the small party going to see the Rhovans mount their horses. Given the importance of the delegation's mission, tradition demanded that Zachary see them off, and as the queen-to-be, Karigan had the duty of joining him. Of course, she did not mind that particular tradition—she was happy to acknowledge the risk that the seven delegation members were taking and thank them personally for their service.
The day was rather gloomy, an ominous start to such a mission. The sky was heavy enough with moisture that everything felt wet though no rain actually fell. Having ridden in such conditions before, Karigan knew that they were some of most miserable, but none of the party complained. In fact, they had said nothing since Karigan had entered the courtyard, and the silence only added to the unsettled atmosphere.
A tug on Karigan's elbow directed her attention to Zachary who nodded at the delegation. She gave a slight nod of acknowledgment before stepping onto the grass. It squelched under her feet, and the moisture gathered there immediately soaked through the impractical slippers that Dale had insisted she wear. Karigan had wanted to attend to the delegation in her Green Rider uniform, but Dale and Mara had insisted she needed to wear something less practical. They had brought Captain Mapstone to their side who finally convinced Karigan to don a pale green dress instead. Now, Karigan was regretting that she had allowed them to persuade her. The dress did nothing to chase away the chill of the morning, and she was fairly certain that she would have frostbite on her toes before she even spoke to the first member of the delegation. Still, she held her head high, refusing to succumb to her discomfort.
The first person she approached was actually the delegation member that surprised Karigan the most. When Captain Mapstone gave the name of the two Riders who would join in addition to Alton, Karigan was shocked to hear Praya's name. Captain Mapstone explained that Praya had family in the north and would be taking some time after the mission to see them, an explanation which seemed sensible enough though Karigan could not shake the nagging feeling that something else was going on. However, since she had no evidence that anything was, she did not share the feeling with anyone, even Zachary. Karigan studied Praya's face as she approached, but she saw nothing that validated her feelings of unease, so she pushed them to the side. "May Aeryc bless you on your journey," Karigan recited, placing her hand on the neck of Praya's horse. Her fellow Rider nodded stiffly, and Karigan moved on, having not expected any other acknowledgment. She blessed the next two members of the party, militia volunteers who she did not know, before looking to the fourth person in line. His face she knew quite well, and he currently looked as nervous as she felt. Forcing those nerves aside, Karigan gave him a small smile as she approached, and he tentatively returned it.
It was not the first time she had seen Alton since the incident. When he had returned to Sacor City four days before, Karigan had insisted on meeting him with Zachary. Though she could tell Zachary was reluctant, to his credit, he did not argue with her. The meeting was incredibly awkward despite the fact that both Zachary and Karigan assured the young lord they did not hold him responsible for his actions. He spent most of the meeting avoiding eye contact with the two of them, muttering apologies to the floor of Zachary's study. Therefore, Karigan considered the fact that he actually looked at her to be a positive sign. She was also relieved to see the normal warm brown of his eyes rather than whatever dark force had possessed him before. "How are you doing?" she questioned, keeping her voice low so others would not hear.
"Better. I was angry with Father at first for forcing me away, but I agree now that it was for the best. I needed to be away from the wall, and this mission will be a good chance for me to prove myself."
"You don't need to prove anything to me. Nor to Zachary."
"I know. And I'm very grateful for that, but I still need to prove to myself that I am. . . myself." Karigan nodded in understanding. Placing her hands against his horse's neck, she gave the standard blessing. He reached down when she finished, taking one of her hands in his own. He squeezed it gently. "I realized I never said it before, but congratulations. I truly am happy for you. I can tell that this is what you want, that he makes you happy."
"He does." Karigan squeezed his hand back and then stepped away. She caught Zachary's eye where he stood next to her. He gave her a small smile before moving toward Alton to give his blessing as well.
Karigan's father and all four aunts arrived two weeks after the delegation left. She was just finishing up a ride when Mara found her to inform her of their arrival. "Where are they now?"
"They cornered the Captain a few minutes ago. I believe she said something about taking them to see the king since he should have a free hour."
Karigan groaned, thanking her friend. She quickly settled Condor and then set off for Zachary's study, hoping she would be able to rescue him before her aunts had him alone too long. She entered without knocking, having grown accustomed to doing so over the past few weeks, and seven faces immediately turned in her direction. Stace gave a huff. "Since when do you enter a private room without knocking? I assure you, Sire, we taught Karigan better." Zachary gave Karigan a slightly amused look before schooling his features.
"I am afraid it is my fault. I insisted that Karigan not bother knocking, for she is welcome anytime."
"Leave off chastising the poor girl for a few minutes, Stace. Let's get a good look at you." Brini stood, approaching Karigan. She gave her niece a brief hug before stepping back and casting a critical eye over Karigan's form. Karigan resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
"I'm not pregnant," she informed her aunts. Karigan heard someone—likely Laren—choke a bit on her tea but whoever it was said nothing.
"I never suggested you were," Brini said with a touch of indignation.
"So that's not what you were trying to ascertain just now? I admit, my riding clothes are relatively loose for ease of movement, but I still think it should be obvious that I do not carry a child."
"Steady, Kari," Stevic said, ever the peacemaker. "I'm sure your aunt meant no offense."
"Something has you on edge," Tory observed. Karigan turned narrowed eyes to her other aunt, but Zachary spoke before she could say anything else, realizing she was not in the proper state of mind to be rational.
"There have been some rumors traveling around the castle," he explained. "Many are wondering about the nearness of the wedding date."
"I have to admit a certain curiosity myself," Stace remarked.
"Alas, we are bound by tradition," Zachary said with a small shrug. "The moon priests were most insistent that Aeryc decrees we be married on that particular day." That seemed to mollify Karigan's aunts though Karigan herself still stared mutinously at them. Zachary obviously noticed the expression, for he worked to smooth things over. "I thought perhaps you would like a short tour of the area where you will be staying before taking the midday meal with us," he suggested.
"That would be most appreciated," Stevic agreed.
Captain Mapstone took her leave of them outside Zachary's study. Karigan half-wished she could do the same. It was not that she did not love her aunts and father—in fact, she generally enjoyed their company. But the pregnancy rumors had simply grown worse as the wedding date grew nearer, and Karigan was finding it harder and harder to ignore them. Just that morning, one of the stableboys had made some comment about riding in her condition. Karigan had wanted to tell him off for the comment, but she had held her tongue, remembering Zachary's advice that such actions would merely add fuel to the fire. However, when his companion had added a couple other suggestive comments under his breath, Karigan could no longer contain herself and had gone on a long tirade that had most others in the stable staring at her. She had hoped for some respite from those particular rumors with her own family, but it seemed that she was destined for disappointment.
Stevic glanced behind them as they walked, frowning as he turned back to Karigan and Zachary who led the way arm-in-arm. "There seem to be a rather large number of Weapons for a simple walk through the castle," he observed.
Zachary exchanged a look with Karigan before explaining carefully, "We've had some. . . unsettling threats lately, so we have stepped up security just in case." Unfortunately, Garcia had not been able to provide more insight into Colin's attack nor the warning from the Eletians. She had confirmed parts of Dav's story, mentioning that she knew bits and pieces of it but the tale he told was much more complete than her knowledge. She had also suggested that it was unlikely that he was involved. When Zachary questioned his departure, she explained that given the animosity between Querillians and humans, she was surprised he had come at all, much less agreed to stay. While it was somewhat comforting to know he was probably not involved in Colin's attack, her words still left many questions unanswered, especially since Colin himself had still not awoken.
"What kind of threats?" Stevic questioned.
Karigan gave a brief synopsis, trying to downplay them as much as possible. However, when she finished, her father was still frowning. "And you have no idea what the danger might be?"
"Master Dovesky has unfortunately still not awaken," Zachary said. "He provides our best chance of learning who is behind these attacks, for our normal investigative avenues have not yielded success."
"Is it still wise to continue with the wedding given these threats?"
"If the Eletian's message is to be believed, I'm safer with him than without him," Karigan pointed out.
"Besides, we would not want to anger the moon priests. They are more frightening to me than other threats," Zachary said, attempting to lighten the mood. Karigan gave him a small smile for his efforts, and a couple of her aunts laughed lightly. She noted, however, that her father was still frowning.
Not long after her family's arrival came the event that Karigan had been dreading for weeks—their engagement party. Zachary had offered to just skip the event, but Karigan knew enough about court politics to realize that was not a good idea. If they wanted the nobles to accept their rather non-traditional marriage, they needed to stick to as many traditions as they could.
Apparently, tradition also demanded that someone else throw the party in Karigan's honor. Normally, it would be a close female family member, but while Karigan was sure her aunts would throw themselves into the planning with their usual enthusiasm, they were many leagues away in Corsa and likely did not know the "proper" nobility to invite. Therefore, she turned instead to the many offers she had received from various noblewomen. She thought about asking Estora to do it, for she knew Estora would not only know who needed to be invited but also try and ensure the majority of the guests fully supported the marriage. However, Karigan also did not want to rely on Estora for everything, so she instead accepted an offer from Lady Esmonda, a cousin of the L'Petries who she had met a few times growing up. She would not necessarily call Esmonda a friend, but she had at least always been kind to Karigan when they were younger and had supported the marriage openly from the beginning.
Still, despite the fact that Karigan knew Esmonda would be kind, she had no idea what to expect from the others invited to the party. Her only consolation was that since it was technically a party to celebrate Karigan and Zachary's engagement, they had a bit more say in the guest list than they had for other events. While there were still some people that "had" to be invited, they could at least invite friends as well, even if they were not members of the nobility. Therefore, it was not just Karigan who left the Rider barracks that day wearing a dress instead of her uniform but also Tegan, Dale, Mara, and Captain Mapstone. The latter surprised Karigan the most, for she was not aware the captain owned any clothing other than her uniforms. However, a glare from the formidable woman stopped any comments Karigan had before she could voice them.
Karigan's aunts accosted her as soon as she entered the banquet hall, all of them exclaiming over how beautiful she looked in her dress. Karigan decided not to remind them that they had bought the dress for her, instead simply thanking them. She caught Zachary's eye across the room where he was talking with Quinn and another man she vaguely recognized as Lord Penburn, son of the current Lady Penburn. He gave her a small smile which she returned easily. Gretta followed her gaze, tittering when she saw who Karigan was smiling at. "Oh, to be young and in love again," she remarked. Karigan blushed slightly, turning away from Zachary.
"You can go see him, you know," Brini told her with a teasing smile. "I know you want to."
"I'm fine here," Karigan said quickly. Her aunts exchanged a knowing look but fortunately made no further comment.
A few minutes later, Karigan felt a warm, calloused hand on her elbow and turned to see that Zachary had joined them. "Ladies, I hope you don't mind if I borrow my fiancée for a few minutes. We have some new arrivals that I would like for her to meet."
"Of course," Stace agreed. All four women bowed to their king as he linked his arm through Karigan's and led her to the other side of the room. She raised her eyebrows at him.
"New arrivals?"
He gave a mysterious smile. "Patience, my love. You'll see soon enough."
A couple people tried to stop them, but Zachary managed to extract them from each conversation with his usual skill. He finally stopped next to Quinn who stood with two women that Karigan did not recognize. "Karigan, I would like for you to meet my cousins, Lady Anna Hillander and Lady Hadyn Hillander," Zachary introduced. "Anna, Hadyn, this is my fiancée, Karigan G'ladheon."
"It really is wonderful to meet you." Anna's smile was warm and welcoming, and Karigan felt herself relaxing. Perhaps the party would not be so bad after all.
Karigan spent the first hour of the party mostly in the company of her friends, family, and a few of the nobles who she knew were supportive of the marriage. Because of that, the conversation stayed pleasant, and Karigan felt that perhaps she had been too negative about the party. Zachary, too, seemed more at ease than he often was in social situations, laughing more openly and dropping his normal impassive façade. Karigan knew a good deal of that openness was due to the presence of his family, for he spent much of the party with Quinn, Liam, Anna, and Haydn who had all arrived for the wedding. As she watched him with them, she vowed to do whatever she could to find time for him to visit Hillander, for she knew he had not been back in many years due to the demands of the kingdom.
Karigan excused herself from a lively conversation with Dale, Mara, and a cousin of the Penburns to use the restroom. On her way back to the banquet hall, she heard low voices conversing a short ways down the corridor. Curious, she stepped a bit closer. "That is what I heard," one woman was saying. "But I must say that her dress casts a lot of doubt on the rumors of a pregnancy. She could not possibly be more than a month or two gone."
Karigan felt anger building when she realized they were talking about her, but she tamped it down. She knew she should simply re-enter the banquet hall and ignore the women as Zachary had been encouraging, but she could not help but listen closer, curious what else they had to say about her. "Well, pregnancy or not, they are clearly sleeping together," a second voice remarked. "Did you see how he touched her?" Karigan frowned, wondering what they were referring to. Though Zachary was a fairly tactile person in private, he had been raised in a society which frowned on any show of affection in public, so he rarely touched her when near others. He would sometimes guide her with a hand on her back or her elbow or take her arm in his, but she could not see how those actions would cause offense.
"I did," the first woman remarked. "And they aren't even married yet!"
"Even married, those type of things should be reserved for the bedroom. I cannot even imagine what I would do if my husband grabbed my hips like that in public. I would probably die of embarrassment." Karigan's eyebrows rose as she realized what touch had caused their indignation. Zachary had been trying to squeeze behind her without knocking against anyone else in the large crowd gathered in the banquet hall, and he had put his hands on her hips as he did so. She suspected he had not even realized that he had done so, for he often did something similar in private. Also, the touch was very brief, lasting no more than the few seconds it took for him to slip by her. She was surprised that anyone had even noticed it—and especially surprised that they cared.
"She calls him by his given name as well," a third voice added. "No honorific at all. The lack of respect is simply appalling."
"I suppose we cannot expect much more from a merchant's daughter."
"Given the relatives I saw today, I am actually surprised she is as poised as she is."
"Too true. And I hear all four women are aunts, too. Sounds like her mother died when she was very young, so they mostly raised her."
"No mother? That certainly explains a great deal." Karigan wanted desperately to correct the women's erroneous assumptions, to point out that her aunts had done a far better job raising her than their mothers had done raising them, but she did not want to cause a scene. However, she knew she could not listen to much more of their gossiping and remain calm, so she slipped back into the banquet hall, her eyes quickly finding Zachary's familiar figure. Though he was facing away from her, he seemed to sense her approach, and he turned slightly so that he could flash her a smile. The smile quickly turned to a frown when he noted the expression on her face.
"What's wrong?" he asked when she grew closer.
"Nothing," Karigan assured him, taking a deep breath. "I just wanted to get some fresh air, so I thought I would take a short walk around the gardens."
"Are you feeling ill? You don't have to stay if you are."
"No, I'm feeling perfectly fine," Karigan assured him quickly, glancing at the couple he had been talking to. Both of them were obviously listening intently to the conversation though they tried to be discreet about it, pretending to chat with each other. She hoped they were not the type to spread rumors. The last thing she needed was someone hearing something about an illness and deciding it was another sign that she was with child. "I just think the fresh air will do me some good."
"Would you like me to join you?"
Normally, Karigan would have said yes, but having Zachary with her meant at least one chaperone and, given the size of the party, likely more. Karigan did not feel like dealing with any more chaperones. "No, I will be fine." He still looked worried, but he also realized he could not question her much more given the couple still staring at them. "Besides, I won't be alone," she reminded him, nodding to the four Weapons that flanked her. She gave him a tight smile which he returned.
"Okay. Just be careful."
"I will. I won't go far." Her Weapons followed her out of the hall and across the grounds, spreading out slightly once they were away from the crowd as they scanned the area for threats. Karigan thought they were being overly cautious, for the courtyard she walked through was behind a stone wall with a gate that was typically locked, but she had learned not to question the Weapons' ways. They lived by a code that even Zachary claimed he did not fully understand.
She entered the garden lost in thought, letting her feet carry her automatically down the familiar path. She was still worried about her ability to govern the kingdom as queen, and the continued gossip did not help matters. The pregnancy rumor was one thing—she knew it was not true, so at least she could try to ignore it. But what she had heard today simply confirmed that she still had very little understanding of the proper way to conduct herself when among the nobility. She would have assumed no one could possibly find fault with Zachary or her actions that afternoon, but it seemed she was incorrect. In fact, it seemed that no matter what she did, someone would inevitably find fault with her.
She heard a shuffling nearby and stopped, glancing around. At first, she assumed it was one of her Weapons—though they were normally silent in their movements, they were still human and did make noise from time to time. However, a quick glance told her that all four were also on alert, their eyes scanning the nearby area. Something was wrong. Quickly, Karigan reached under her skirt and removed her dagger from the hilt where she had strapped it to her thigh. It was not the ideal weapon for a fight, but it was the only one that she had been able to conceal beneath the dress and it at least was better than nothing.
A flurry of movement to her left caused her to whirl in that direction. Two of her Weapons began to approach the spot as well, but they stopped suddenly. Karigan stared at them, confused. They both had drawn their weapons and held them in the air as if preparing to attack, so she could not fathom why they had stopped. A chill traveled down her spine, and she gripped her dagger more tightly. She started to approach the spot where she had seen the movement, but it was difficult to move her feet, as if she was walking through water. It took her a moment to realize what was happening. Magic. Someone was using magic to freeze the Weapons and likely attempting to freeze her as well though she was still able to resist somehow. But despite the fact that she could resist the magic, she knew that she was still in grave danger. She needed to leave the garden as quickly as possible.
She turned again, away from the movement she had seen. She forced her legs to work though they moved much slower than she wanted. Still, she pressed forward, knowing flight was her only hope. She could not hope to stay and fight an unknown enemy who could use magic to eliminate the Weapons. Unfortunately, a figure appeared in front of her before she could move far. Karigan could not see his face, for he wore some sort of black hood that obscured his features. He moved with the ease of someone comfortable with the sword that he held aloft in front of him. Karigan raised her dagger to meet his swing, knowing even as she did that her situation was hopeless. No amount of training could prepare her to fight an opponent in a dress with only a dagger as a weapon.
She managed to deflect the first blow, but she felt the impact all the way down her arm to her shoulder, and it took a considerable amount of effort not to drop the blade she held. She bit her lip to stop herself from crying out in pain as she prepared herself for the next blow. She was not as lucky for the second blow, and she felt a searing pain in her shoulder as the blade cut through her flesh. It was not a fatal blow, but it did not take long for blood to soak the sleeve of her dress. Karigan switched the dagger to her non-dominant hand as her right arm fell uselessly to her side. Her eyes swept the area, searching for anything else she could use as a weapon as she backed away from the figure. Though she could not see his face, she got the distinct impression that he was smirking at her. She was not sure why he had not finished her off yet, but she suspected he was toying with her. A third blow came. She tried to parry with her dagger, but he easily knocked it from her hand. His sword swept downwards, cutting into her side. It was a shallow cut, but it still bled freely, further weakening her. Rustling behind her also told Karigan that he was not alone. Knowing she could not fight any longer and that running was now not an option either, Karigan did the only thing she could think to do. Closing her eyes, she called on her ability with everything she had. She knew her fading was less effective in full light and that she often still appeared as a vague shadow, but she hoped that perhaps she could confuse them enough to escape. Her last thought was of Zachary, and his beloved face filled her vision. His name fell from her lips as everything faded.
When she opened her eyes, she was surprised to find that she was no longer in the garden. In fact, she was not sure where she was, for her surroundings did not even look like they belonged in the world. As far as she could see, everything was grey and shapeless. She saw no signs of life or even a hill or other feature dotting the landscape. It was also eerily quiet. Without any other option, Karigan started to move forward, noting as she did that she no longer felt pain in her side or shoulder. Looking down, she saw that she was no longer bleeding though her dress was still torn where the sword had cut her. The dress was different as well, though, appearing nearly as grey as the landscape. It was as if something was systematically leeching the color out of everything.
Karigan was not sure how long she walked, but she stopped abruptly when a figure appeared suddenly in front of her. At first, she thought it was a man dressed in some kind of black robes, but there was something odd about him. She had the distinct impression that he was much larger than any man she had ever seen before though there was nothing around to give her a sense of scale. In addition, she was finding it difficult to look directly at him. It was as if every time she did, the dull gray light shifted, ensuring his features remained in shadow. Despite these difficulties, it did not take long for Karigan to guess who he was. "Westrion."
"You accepted that more quickly than any of your ancestors. But then I suppose you were prepped beforehand. That should at least make it easier when you are called."
"Is that why I'm here? Did you call me?"
"You should be asking yourself that question. I did not bring you here."
"Where is here anyway?"
"An in-between world. Spirits come here temporarily after they leave your earth until they move on to my world or to. . . others."
"Purgatory."
"Yes, I believe that is what you humans call it."
"Am I dead?"
"No." He sounded almost surprised by that statement. "You are in fact. . . very much alive."
"Then how am I here?"
Karigan got the distinct impression that he was shrugging though she still could not make out his features clearly. "Generally, one can only enter this world unwillingly, when the spirit leaves the body, but there are a rare few that can choose to enter of their own free will before that time. An even rarer few can leave at will as well."
"I'm one of those few?" Karigan guessed, recalling how he had earlier alluded to the fact that she had brought herself to the place.
"So it seems."
"Does that mean I can leave as well?"
"It remains to be seen."
Karigan glanced around. "If I wanted to leave, how would I do so?"
"How do you usually go about leaving a place?"
"I go back the way I came."
"Then I suggest you try that." Karigan glanced behind her doubtfully, still seeing more of the strange, monochromatic landscape. She worried briefly that she might get lost before realizing that was a ridiculous notion. She did not even know where she was currently—she could be no worse off by going somewhere else. And so she began walking. She had only walked for a few minutes when Westrion suddenly appeared in front of her again. Karigan huffed, stopping her motion.
"I thought this was supposed to help me get out of here."
"I said nothing of the sort. This world is less. . . physical than the one you are used to."
"What does that mean?"
"And here I hoped you would be smarter than the rest."
"You're talking in riddles."
"No, you just aren't listening very well." Karigan huffed again, running through the conversation in her mind. She needed to go back the way she had come, but she needed to do so in a non-physical manner. She was not even sure what that meant. It was not like she could get anywhere without moving in some way, except. . .
"Zachary."
"Now we're getting somewhere."
"I was thinking of him when I tried to fade, and I ended up here. So if I do so again. . ." She trailed off, already closing her eyes as she focused on thoughts of her fiancée.
"Until we meet again, G'ladheon. I think I misjudged initially—you will definitely be a worth avatar and one I am looking forward to working with." With those parting words, the gray world faded, and Karigan felt herself falling. She called out Zachary's name again just before she hit something soft.