Archer saw the door crack open. He saw Adalia’s dark hair hanging over her dress. He wanted to laugh but stopped he didn’t want anything to draw attention to Adalia. But it seemed someone else had spotted her.
“Don’t be a sneak, come in. You are already half way in anyway,” Gabrielle said his head lowered his eyes still on the plans.Lionell and Doran looked up, but the others already knew who it was so they didn’t move.“We need to guard this place,” Gabrielle drew everyone’s attention back to the map as her drew around the thick forest dividing both kingdoms. “They will not be able to attack both sides.”“I will take charge of that,” Conan said.“I’ll help,” Adalia who was already at her father’s side and hovering over the map said. She pulled her hair back into a knot when it kept on falling in front of her, blocking her eye view to the map.“No!” Gabrielle said firmly.“But fath-,” she started then stopped. “Your highness, I am prepared and I am a better warrior than any of your men and as good as each man in here.”“I know that, that is why you will take command of the palace guards,” Gabrielle continued. “Randi will take the second platoon just outside the castle. Conan and I will be at the forefront.”“Archer and Doran will lead and I will take the second platoon,” Lionell looked up at Adalia an amused smile on his face. “Unlike you Gabrielle, my daughter isn’t that eager to strap on an armor.”“How I wish my daughter was the same,” Gabrielle chuckled and pulled Adalia’s hair out of the knot.As they laughed, a royal guard walked in a worried look engraved on his face. He whispered something into Doran’s ear that had him reaching for his sword. Doran hushed something back to him and he rushed out of the room.“Your highnesses the palace is under attack,” he began and shot a look at Lionell as an army of soldiers with armor walked in and began dressing them. “Both queens and the children have been taken down to the banker.”Just then the South Kingdom guard rushed in and dressed both Randi and Gabrielle.“I want two of you with my wife and children,” Gabrielle ordered.“She has taken two guards with her and a sword,” the guard said. He looked over at Adalia an extra armor in his hand. “Your highness shall we dress the princess?”Gabrielle looked over at his daughter and saw the eagerness in her eyes but he also saw caution. He looked over at Randi and made his decision. “Yes,” he turned to Adalia. “You stick with your brother, but do not distract anyone. If it gets bloody you come back here and protect the palace.”***“Your highness, I don’t mean to challenge your decision but, are you sure the Princess should be out there?” Archer asked. “I’m not quite sure I want my future queen exposing herself to so much danger.”“I am not your wife yet,” Adalia walked in when the query was weighing heavy in the air.Archer’s jaw dropped. Adalia looked mighty and beautiful in her suit of armor. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail and her hand was firmly around the hilt of her sword. She was a vision. And this time when their eyes locked he felt a tinge of pride, adoration and want towards her. Now she was a woman he would be proud to call his Queen.“I have something for you,” he mumbled.Archer’s helper walked in with the sword he had formed for her wrapped in a black velvet cloth. “I had this made for you.”“What?” Adalia pulled away the cloth. Her jaw dropped as her fingers smoothed over the crystals on the black hilt. It was magnificent. “I love it.”Liora burst into the room a stern look on her face. “You are letting her fight,” it was an accusation more than it was a question.A guard rushed in with armor, Liora tore off her skirt and lifted her arms as they eased the armor on.“What do you think you are doing?” Gabrielle rushed to her side a distraught look on his face.“You are putting my children at risk, so I will come with them,” she said sternly.Gabrielle immediately came up with a new plan. “Adalia you stay at the palace doors with your mother just in case some of them manage to sneak past us.”Adalia agreed she didn’t want to be the reason her parents fought. She saw the look of relief in Archer’s face and she was confused.Liora and Adalia waited at the palace doors. Adalia could hear the grunts, moans and bellows of the men fighting beyond the palace gates, and she wished she could be there with them. But when she saw the charcoal black blades of her mother’s wings spring out she knew there was trouble. She watched as Liora snarled and crouched in position ready to attack. She heard the clang of blades and she knew she had to get ready.Free of her corset her wings materialize themselves. They were just as bold and glorious as her mother’s. She couldn’t sense any danger coming from her side so she knew they were all coming from her mother’s side. She saw one of the rebels as they tried to climb over the palace walls and she reacted.Moving the air around her moved as her wings flapped as hard as they could as she flew to the palace walls. She stood her feet astride on the great wall as she fought the men clambering up the beating of her wings keeping her steady on her feet.***“That was good. You were good,” Archer had caught a glimpse of her on the palace walls, as she fought off the intruders with a prowess he had never seen any of his men possess. His senses came alive, when he thought of how her black hair blended with her black wings and the strong contrast to the silver armor and blade. He wished he was her sword, just the hilt; the gentle firmness in which she wielded her blade was arousing. He wondered how his white wings would blend in with hers, and if they had children what colors theirs would be, grey? But he wanted everything about them to be exactly like her. She was more of a warrior than a princess.Adalia could feel his gaze on her and it made her itch all over. “I learned from the best,” she said as made her rounds around the wounded men. “They must have known we were coming here, why else would they attack.”“They wanted to get rid of all of us at the same time,” he never thought about that. Now the wheels in his mind were turning. They had been targeted and no doubt there was a leak within the palace, no one else knew of the visit but the royal family, the royal guards and the advisers.“The reinforcements are here,” Adalia heard Conan tell her father.“Who brought them?”“Xander.”“Xander,” Adalia’s tone rose when she said his name. Just then she saw, what she thought was, a hint of jealous in Archer eyes. Xander was Adalia’s childhood friend. They played together and trained together. He was the first warrior that she had ever beaten and the first
Archer was waiting how this would play out and where Adalia’s boldness would lead them. But the look in her eyes told him that she expected him to back her up but what exactly was he supposed to say. He had never before challenged his father’s authority. Lionell was King and Archer did everything that was asked for him. But Adalia had now presented him with the opportunity to speak his mind and he decided not to waste it.“We talked about it,” he began the tone in his voice not supporting the rebellion. He cleared his throat and started over. “Adalia and I have talked about this. We accept the marriage but we felt that it would be better if we took the oaths once we got to know each other better.”“Yes,” she jumped in. “We don’t want to regurgitate everyone else’s vows. This is too important not to enter into it seriously. We want to make our vows our own and the best way of doing that would be getting to kn
“What’s so funny?” Xander had been listening to the back and forth banter Archer and Adalia had been having. He especially like the part when Adalia was angry but when they started laughing he knew he had to do something.Xander’s father had once been the pride and glory of the South Kingdom. He had fought alongside Gabrielle’s father for many years. His father had a wife and a couple of mistresses and he was a product of the mistresses. He wasn’t acknowledged by his father’s family but his prowess and industrious nature had made him his father’s favorite. The first time he was brought to the palace was when Gabrielle’s father had fallen ill and was slowly dying. He met a little girl in the garden, dressed in amour with a sword that belonged to the king in her hand, she was crying. Xander picked up a stick and began a sword game with the little girl and ever since they were best of friends.When his father died Adalia w
“Novia, what is this?” Archer went to his little sister’s side, and for the first time that night feeling a sense of animosity for a man other than Xander. Novia was his little sister. It wasn’t as if he thought she would never marry. But that didn’t mean that she wasn’t his little jewel. He had vowed to protect her, ever since he had seen her tiny button nose and Rose bud lips, for the first time.“I want to marry him Archer,” she chirped.He gently took her arm and dragged her to the side. He lifted his head and saw Gabrielle and his father in a corner whispering to each other. A chill ran through his veins, the two premiers were actually considering it.“You are only seventeen Novia,” he stroked her rosy cheeks and tucked a stray strand of platinum blonde hair behind her ear. “You are still a baby.”“I am not,” she blew air into her cheeks and pouted her lip confirming her brot
Adalia crept out of the room assigned to her and her sisters. She was looking for Xander and had no doubt she would find him on one of the balconies. He loved to train in the cold night air. It kept him aware, he usually said. Just as she had expected the guards were roaming around the castle doing their rounds. They seemed to have doubled in number after the attack. She didn’t think that anyone of them would stop her, but in the event that they did, she needed a cover story.“It’s hot and I needed to cool down,” she mumbled to herself, holding her gown tight to her waist so that it wouldn’t make that annoying swishing sound. “I can’t sleep and it’s a beautiful night. It’s the perfect time to go star gazing?” She wasn’t too sure about her options but she decided that if she had to she would pull rank. With a condescending arrogant tone she said. “Because I said so,”***“What do you sa
Dear World,I’ve lost her.Actually I haven’t. She wasn’t mine in the first place.When I saw her creep out of her room, I thought it was a good opportunity for us to talk again. Our last conversation was short but filled with laughter.But no, I found her with Xander. They looked happy. She sounded happy.When I heard him make his vows to her, I wished I was in his place. And when she said yes to his marriage proposal, my heart sank. For the first time in my life, I the future king of the North wanted to be a knight. I wanted to be Xander, touching her skin and feeling her lips on mine. I envy him and because of that part of me despises him.I don’t know what I feel for Adalia and I don’t understand it.I just don’t.Archer***Adalia got up at the crack of dawn. Quickly she got dressed and hurried to the balcony she was on the previous night. She was expecting Xander to be there, training a
Xander wondered what Archer’s game was. To be kind to Adalia and get her to fall for him, or to act like her martyr by taking the blame. He had to find out. He spent the rest of the day at Gabrielle’s side. He went into tactical meetings in which Adalia and Archer were also present. He paid attention to the looks she shot him and the cold glances he gave her. To Xander, Archer seemed to have given up the cause but he hadn’t old Gabrielle or his father what had taken place that morning.Once the meeting was over, Archer decided that this was his chance. He wanted to say what he had to say in front of Xander and Adalia, just to show them that he was keeping his word. Once both queens walked in, he called to their attention. “Your highnesses, Princess Adalia and I have something to share with you and I am afraid it isn’t good news.”“What is it?” Ilana instinctively stood beside her son.“I cannot marry Adalia,”
“Why are you still here?” Archer was getting frustrated. Ever since Adalia’s family left, she had been tailing him everywhere he went, filling his ears with unnecessary jibber jabber. “Why did you stay? I know it’s not for the crock pot excuse you served your father.”“I thought it would be a good idea,” she shrugged her shoulders and walked away from him. “Besides I don’t think it’s fair to let your family plan my brother’s vows alone.”“They are my sister’s vows too,” his eyes followed her as she paced around him. Her hands held together behind her back and her shoulders elevated to her ears. She looked like an innocent little girl, and her sweet demeanor could trick you into believing that she wasn’t the same girl that was slaying intruders one by one, while balancing on the castle walls.He laughed. Her long red and black dress swept the floor. Her jet black hair