CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Selene
Selene spent a long, torturous night in the woods with Phaelenx. The two lay on her cloak and stared up at the milky stars, trying to figure out what course of action to take. Selene felt an incredible amount of guilt – if it wasn’t for her, Phaelenx would be well on his way to another country by now. And although she wouldn’t have admitted it, not even to Phaelenx, she was filled with gratitude and love that he was staying with her. Phaelenx was a wanted man – it was dangerous for him to remain in Zheka.
And yet, she knew he wouldn’t leave.
Not without her, and not without answers.
Phaelenx decided to stay in the woods. When dawn came, Selene left her cloak with him.
“Keep this, you need to stay warm,” she said softly, draping the velvet-and-fur confection around his shoulders. “I’ll be back in just a little while – I’m going to the kitchens, and I’ll bring you food and water.”
Phaelenx nodded. He hadn’t said much about his recent time in prison, but Selene could tell the week had taken its toll on his body. Already, his muscles looked weaker and he was pale and wan about the face. He smiled gratefully and kissed her before she darted out of the woods.
Thankfully, the royal compound was quiet when Selene arrived – the buzz of the morning had yet to begin. Servants were bustling and chattering in the kitchen, but Selene guessed that most of her family was still in bed. She was just putting some leftover roasted lamb and carrots in a leather bag when Arsinoe stormed into the kitchen.
“Selene!” Arsinoe said sternly. “What are you doing? It’s morning, we have not yet broken our fast.”
Panic rose in Selene but she forced a smile. “I am sorry,” she said. “I was feeling hungry. I did not eat much last night, at supper.”
Arsinoe narrowed her eyes. “You should join us, daughter,” she said. “After all, have you not forgotten our guest?”
Selene suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. “Of course not,” she said haughtily, tossing her dark hair over one shoulder. Just as she was about to lay into her mother, she bit her lip. As impetuous as Selene was, she knew that now was no time for such behavior. She had to be cautious…especially if she was to get away with hiding Phaelenx in the woods for days and days.
“Well?” Arsinoe crossed her arms over her chest. “Will you be joining us?” She leaned closer and sniffed, looking offended. “By the gods, Selene, you stink like an animal! Have you spent the night in a barn?”
Selene bit the inside of her mouth so she wouldn’t smile and give herself away. “No,” she said, not wanting to reveal how dangerously close Arsinoe’s joke had been to the truth. “I told you, I am hungry, that is all.”
“Well, please, join us for breakfast, daughter, and do eat some proper morning food.” Arsinoe sniffed again. “Cold lamb is no breakfast for a woman of your breeding.”
Selene forced a smile. “Yes, mother,” she said. “I’ll be right there.”
“No, you won’t,” Arsinoe snapped. “Please go and wash! Freidan would be horrified at the sight of you.”
Selene nodded. “Yes, mother,” she said again, making her voice meek and obedient. “I will return shortly.” Reluctantly, she set the lamb and carrots back down in the larder and climbed the stairs to her chamber where she quickly washed in the bowl at her dresser and put her hair back in a simple bun. She looked awful – there were dark circles under her puffy eyes, and the scent of the woods and Phaelenx was upon her – but there wasn’t enough time to properly bathe. After changing into a bright saffron gown that hugged her slim figure, Selene made her way downstairs and into the family dining room.
She was dismayed to see Taryn and Baelan seated at the table, with Freidan on the opposite side with an empty chair next to him. When he saw her, he didn’t smile but rather narrowed his eyes.
“Good morning,” Selene said, faking a smile as she sat down. This time, Freidan made no gesture to help her.
Baelan, at least, smiled at his sister. “Good morning,” he said. “You almost never join us for our morning meal, Selene.”
“I was hungry this morning,” Selene lied. She bit her lip as the cook wordlessly spooned a ladleful of warm sausage and beans onto her plate.
Baelan nodded. “Are you feeling better?”
Selene nodded. “Yes,” she said. “I am feeling quite well.”
Baelan chuckled. He turned to Freidan. “See,” he said. “There you have it, my sister is feeling much more like herself.”
Freidan frowned. “She smells of dirt,” he said. “Selene, I’m surprised you wouldn’t consider the importance of bathing before joining others for a meal.”
Selene frowned. “That isn’t any of your concern,” she said sharply, spearing a piece of sausage with her fork and biting down angrily.
Baelan chuckled. “See, sister? Not every man is as charmed with you as you think!”
Taryn and Freidan chuckled together. After a few moments, Baelan joined in and Selene glared, her nostrils flaring angrily.
“Tell me, brother,” Selene hissed through clenched teeth. “What do you know of Glasule?”
She’d intended the remark to be a cutting insult, but to her surprise, Baelan laughed.
“Why, you are forgetting our cousin, Huen,” Baelan said. “If you want to know of Glasule, why not ask him? He married a native Glasulian girl, remember? The orphan!”
“Your cousin married an orphan?” Taryn raised an eyebrow and smirked. “How embarrassing.”
Selene glared at her. For a moment, the words didn’t sink in. Then, suddenly, she remembered – Huen’s bride, Aine, was from a Glasulian family who had abandoned her in infancy.
She leaped up from the table, banging her thighs on the rough wood and cursing loudly.
“Lady Selene!” Freidan said, narrowing his eyes. “What is the matter this time?”
“I’m still not feeling well,” Selene lied. She pushed her way out of the room, stalking down the hall of the royal compound before Baelan or Freidan could give chase. As she ran from her family’s quarters to the main rooms, she began to sweat nervously. Why didn’t I think of that, she thought angrily, cursing her own stupidity. This girl – Aine! – is exactly the secret weapon we need, if we’re to understand the Glasulian ways!
She ran and ran until she was at the door of Huen Covendane, another royal cousin. Selene breathlessly knocked on the door, pounding with her fist until it slipped open. Huen stood there, shirtless and disheveled, his cropped fair hair standing up all over his head.
“Hello,” Selene said, dipping into a brief curtsey. “May I speak with your wife?”
Huen narrowed his eyes. “Selene? Is everything all right?”
“Not really,” Selene said, pushing past Huen and walking into their dwelling.
Upon marriage, Huen and Aine had been given a small royal apartment by the queen. It was rather tiny by Zhekan standards, only ten rooms, and it didn’t take Selene long to find Aine. The young woman was sitting by the window in the kitchen, staring dreamily outside.
“Hello,” Selene said awkwardly. “I am Selene – I’m a cousin of your husband’s,” she added.
Aine smiled. “I remember you,” she said. She stood up, the masses of her fair, curly hair falling over one shoulder. She was shorter than Selene but seemed infinitely more comfortable in her own skin.
Perhaps it is a quality native to the Glasulian people, Selene thought, furrowing her brow.
“May I help you?” Aine asked, looking slightly less comfortable. “Is something the matter?”
Selene sighed and nodded. “Yes,” she said stiffly. She glanced around. “Is there…is there someplace safe, where we may talk?”
Aine looked more perplexed than ever, but she nodded and led Selene into a small chamber filled with sewing and silks.
“My sewing room,” Aine explained. “I’ve never been fond of it, but I find I’m rather gifted.”
Selene nodded, glancing around and feeling distracted. She knew she should be careful – after all, they could be overhead at any time.
“Perhaps we should speak outdoors,” Selene said. “Can you meet me at the edge of the woods, in exactly one hour?”
Aine narrowed her brow but nodded slowly. “Aye.”
Grateful, Selene pulled her into a surprise embrace. “Thank you,” she whispered hotly in Aine’s ear. “This means very much to me.”
Selene walked back to her family’s apartments, where she snuck into the kitchen and put together a small feast of leftover meat and cheese for Phaelenx. After packing everything into a bag and grabbing a few flasks of water and mead, Selene ran to her room where she fetched two more cloaks. Packing everything into a bundle, she left the royal compound and ran to the edge of the woods.
Phaelenx was asleep when Selene dropped to her knees beside him. She dipped her head to his and kissed his forehead until Phaelenx stirred and opened his eyes.
“I think I may have found someone who can help,” Selene whispered excitedly. “She’s going to meet us here!”
Phaelenx opened his eyes wide with alarm. “Selene, is she safe? Can we trust her?”
Selene bit her lip. “I hope so,” she said softly. “Because otherwise, I have no idea what to do.”
The two waited in silence for Aine’s arrival. Phaelenx tore into the bread and meat, gnawing at the lamb until he looked satisfied and healthier than he had in days. They shared a flask of mead, nervously passing it back and forth until a rustle in the bushes made Selene’s eyes dart up in alarm.
She was surprised to see not just Aine, but Huen – as well as Aerdan, the future High Commander, and his wife, Angelica. Aerdan was another royal cousin, born and bred in Zheka, the son of Queen Zornaya. But Angelica was from a foreign land, a land that none of the others had ever heard of.
“Hello,” Selene said nervously. “I hope you have not come to arrest me.”
Aine shook her head.
“My wife was quite worried at what you said,” Huen said, narrowing his eyes. “Tell me, Selene – does this have anything to do with your brother and his recent marriage?”
Selene bit her lip. “Yes,” she said. “Well, yes and no. His marriage, not so much.”
“But his bride?”
Selene nodded. “Yes,” she said stiffly. “I believe the lady Taryn to be….”
“Well?” Huen raised his brow. “What do you believe, cousin?”
Selene swallowed. “An imposter,” she said softly. “I believe she is hiding something dangerous, and I believe she is controlling my brother.”
Huen burst out laughing and Selene narrowed her eyes, glaring at him. “I do not see what is so funny,” she said stiffly. “Please, enlighten me.”
Huen was gasping for air, clutching at his stomach as he doubled over. “Nothing,” he managed to sputter. “It is just—“
“That is exactly what he has been saying for the past few weeks,” Aine interrupted, glancing at her husband. “I have told him, we must give her a chance.”
Selene shook her head quickly. “No,” she said softly. “I…I do not think that would help anything.” She swallowed, then began telling the small group everything – from the lady Taryn’s suspicious behavior to the night she’d made the ships glow, to the sudden urge for war.
Aerdan stared at her, dumbfounded. He blinked. “I…I cannot believe this,” he said. He frowned deeply. Angelica put a hand on his shoulder and rubbed in a comforting way, but Aerdan continued to look stormy and upset.
“What?” Selene asked. “What is it?”
“I…I cannot explain it,” Aerdan said quietly. “But you’re right. When Mother told me we were to attack Nasenia, it seemed nothing but good. But that cannot be the purpose of these ships – we will have far too small a fleet to defeat any other country except a tiny one, one that isn’t important to us at all. Nasenia has no resources – there is no reason, other than pure greed.”
Selene’s heart began to thump in her chest and she blinked. Somehow, hearing her cousin Aerdan confirm her worst fears just made them all the more real in her chest. She reached for Phaelenx’s hand and squeezed it nervously.
“Aine,” Selene said nervously. “Please, help us.”
Aine shrugged and looked helpless. “I want to help you, very much,” she said quickly. “But…I was raised here, in Zheka – I know little of Glasule, other than the native language.”
Selene buried her face in her hands. She was too scared to even cry. “You can’t…I don’t know, sense anything? That they’re planning to attack?”
Aine shook her head. “No,” she said. “I am sorry. I desperately wish I could help you, Selene.”
“I am going to talk to my mother about this at once,” Aerdan said angrily. He got to his feet. “She needs to know that something strange is going on.”
“Do you think she will believe you?” Selene asked quietly. “What if she dismisses your concerns, just as my parents have done?”
“I am the future High Commander,” Aerdan said sharply. “If she does not listen to me, she is no queen.”
Aerdan snorted arrogantly as he turned on his heel and broke into a run. Selene and the others watched in silence as he disappeared from sight.
“Now what are we going to do,” Angelica whispered softly. She, too, looked dismayed.
“I do not know,” Selene said. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply.
“We can’t let that witch ruin us,” Huen said angrily. He looked at Selene and shook his head. “I have been saying that ever since the lady came to join our family. I know Baelan, better than anyone else in this land. And he would never fall so quickly for some foreign witch!”
Aine looked almost hurt. “You say that,” she said. “But you fell in love with me, did you not? And I am not native,” she added.
Huen shook his head. “Of course, love,” he said, reaching out and stroking Aine’s mass of curly hair. “But we were different. We trusted each other, we knew each other.”
Selene fell silent. She and Phaelenx exchanged a worried glance. Throughout all the chaos, they had still not yet discussed the status of their relationship. Selene had come to realize that she loved Phaelenx…when she’d thought he was going to leave her alone, she’d been heartbroken. But now she realized that all talk of relationships was going to have to wait until things were restored to normal. Now was no time for normal conversations.
Now was time for action.
If only they knew what to do!
“Look,” Angelica said, scrambling to her feet. She shielded her eyes from the sun and pointed to the horizon. “Men, and they’re coming from the castle!”
Selene felt a cold rush of dread fill her body. “They’re coming for us,” she said softly. “Quickly, everyone! Hide! Into the woods!”
“No,” Angelica said. She narrowed her eyes. “It doesn’t look that way, Selene. Look.”
Selene’s heart was thumping with fear as she stood at the edge of the wood and looked out. Sure enough, a long line of men stretched from the castle to the large sloping hill by the harbor. Men, marching two by two, were clad in unfamiliar uniforms. Selene bit her lip.
“They’re going to the ships,” Selene murmured. “They’re getting ready to leave!”
Angelica’s face turned white with panic. “Aerdan has still not yet returned,” she said slowly. “We must find him!”
Selene grabbed her sleeve. “No!” She hissed. “You mustn’t be seen, Angelica! They could find us!”
Angelica ripped her arm free. “He is my husband,” she said, her eyes blazing. “I must warn him!”
Before Selene could stop her, Angelica pulled loose and began running up the hill towards the castle. Some of the men spotted her – they stopped in their tracks and Selene could see their eyes following Angelica’s lanky frame as she ran awkwardly in her velvet gown.
That’s when the men gazed to the woods. Selene locked eyes with one of the soldiers. He was a familiar face, someone she had seen before.
“Brutus,” Phaelenx said softly. “Look, Selene. It is all the warriors – the men who built those ships. They are going to sail.”
Selene reached for Phaelenx’s hand and clutched it tightly. She was filled with fear and dread. Brutus glanced past her and she cringed at the look in his eyes – she could tell he saw Phaelenx hiding in the woods.
Brutus broke rank with the men and jogged towards them. His mouth was set in a grim line.
“Phaelenx,” Brutus said, panting. He was clad in heavy golden armor that had to weigh at least seventy pounds. “I have been looking for you!”
“Aye,” Phaelenx said. Selene bit her lip at the tone of his voice – he sounded tired and defeated.
“You must come with us,” Brutus said. “We are to set sail for Nasenia and attack immediately.”
“No!” Selene yelled. “You cannot go!”
Brutus stared at her in alarm. “Lady, surely you wish for this man to bring glory to you, and to all Zhekans? He must come and fight – it is what the queen has demanded!”
Selene stood proud and tall, staring Brutus right in the eyes. He was a large man – almost as large as Phaelenx – yet she felt no fear of him.
Phaelenx brushed past Selene.
“No,” Selene yelled again. She reached for Phaelenx’s hand and grabbed it, stopping him in his tracks. When he turned, she looked at him with pleading eyes. “You cannot leave!” Selene said fiercely. “You will die!”
A small smile crept across Phaelenx’s face. “Lady, I appreciate your worry,” he said. He leaned in close and winked. “But do not be afraid, Selene. I have a plan.” He took Selene’s fingers to his mouth and kissed them.
Selene closed her eyes. Aine put a comforting hand on her shoulder and squeezed.
“I, too, will go,” Huen said bravely. He looked at Aine with love in his eyes. “It is my duty.”
Selene and Aine stood together, clasping their hands tightly as they watched Phaelenx and Huen disappear into the long line of soldiers.
“What are we to do,” Aine murmured. “Now that they have gone?”
“I do not know,” Selene said bitterly. “We must think of something.”
Aine looked at her, and Selene saw clear fear in the girl’s face.
“We must be strong,” Selene said. She forced a smile, feeling sick. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Baelan marching by with the other soldiers. “I am sure Phaelenx has a plan – he would not have left if he wasn’t prepared to fight.”
Aine nodded wordlessly.
At least, that is what I hope, Selene thought as she watched the last of the men make their way into the harbor. I cannot let my trust in Phaelenx waiver.
But as the ships began to pull out of the harbor with their sails whipping in the wind, Selene felt more nervous than ever before.