Blinding Beauty (5 page)

“
Sometimes I would ride along on
the family’s old mare. I couldn’t keep up when she galloped, but at
least we had a way to go places together. We were out one summer...
I think I was about eight, so she would have been twelve. It was
late afternoon, and we were riding through an orange grove, one of
those just north of the city. Isa decided to go for one more sprint
when we reached the road. Doux kicked up a trail of dust, and the
last I saw of them was when they rounded the corner.

“
It took me a few minutes to catch
up. The road wraps around the mountain so that it’s impossible to
see around the bend until one makes the turn.”

Ever knew exactly the spot Launce
spoke of, and by the looks on the faces around him, so did everyone
else. It wasn’t a good place for any young girl to be riding
alone.

“
Isa had come to a complete stop,
and she was facing two large men on the ground. One held a bow, the
arrow already nocked and pointed right at Isa. The other held a
sword. He stood a bit closer to Isa, close enough to reach her with
the sword. They both had light, thick hair, and when they spoke,
had accents from the north.

“‘
Two horses!’ the one with the
sword called back with a smile. ‘I told you the gods have smiled
upon us!’ The one with the bow didn’t answer, just frowned more
deeply and stretched his bow a bit tighter. ‘Boy, I will tell you
what I told the girl. Give us the horse, and you’re free to go.’”
Launce shook his head, his eyes full of wonder as he stared into
the fire. “I trembled so that I nearly fell off my horse. But Isa
just held their gaze, didn’t even blink. Instead, she told me not
to move. The two men stared at her in shock, and the one with the
bow finally spoke. He said, ‘You will get off those horses, or I
will get you off myself.’

“‘
No, you won’t,’ Isa answered
him. She was as calm as a breeze. The one with the sword chuckled.
‘And why the blazes not?’

“‘
Because the Fortress is just a
short ways up this mountain,’ she said, ‘and the king is there at
this moment. If you kill me, the king will know, and he will hunt
you down like the dogs you are. And believe me when I say his
treatment of you will be anything but merciful.’”

Ever couldn’t help but look down
at his wife. She was a bit taller than most women, and since he had
been training her, she’d certainly grown stronger than she had been
before. But even now, in the light of the fire, she looked anything
but fierce, with her shoulders slumped forward and her head against
his arm. He suddenly burned with anger as he imagined anyone
threatening to kill her. Launce’s voice pulled him back into the
story, however, before he had time to linger.

“
The one with the sword stared at
her as if she were mad. ‘And how would a girl know such a thing?’
he asked. ‘I know,’ she replied lifting her skirts just enough to
show her ankle, ‘because the power that flows from the king is the
same power that crippled me.’”

Ever looked up to see Launce
looking directly at him, and he knew why. Though all had been
forgiven between Ever and his wife, shame still filled him with a
sickly warmth. All along, the story had been for him. Isa’s brother
might be terrible with a sword, but he knew exactly how to use his
words like a dagger in Ever’s ribs, slowly carving his way to the
heart.

“
The thief with the sword seemed a
bit taken aback, but the one with the bow immediately turned and
pointed it at me,” Launce continued, not bothering to break eye
contact with Ever as he spoke. “‘How about this,’ he asked her.
‘You get off your horses, or I’ll kill the boy.’ Without another
word, Isa pulled herself off the horse. She landed on her bad
ankle, as she didn’t have a step to help her like we did at
home.”

Ever closed his eyes as he
imagined Isa, the crippled child, trying to get off the horse by
herself. The remorse that filled him was nearly painful.

“
We walked home that night, Isa
leaning on my arm. Father had to borrow a neighbor’s horse to come
looking for us. He didn’t find us until it was almost sunrise.”
Launce shrugged. “That’s the story. Isa nearly came to blows with
two horse thieves, and she couldn’t even walk.”

Ever tried not to look as
miserable as he felt. Launce was indeed skilled with words. He had
pierced his king’s heart in one of the only places it hadn’t yet
healed.

“
How old are you, boy?” Norbert
asked, rubbing his silver whiskers.

“
Twenty,” Launce
replied.

“
I think I remember those two.”
Norbert looked at Ever thoughtfully. Ever struggled to pull himself
together so he could somewhat intelligently answer whatever his
guard was about to ask. “We had gotten several complaints from the
people in Soudain in just two days. Weren’t you leading the
contingent to find them?”

“
It was the first contingent my
father allowed me to lead on my own.” Ever’s voice felt tight as he
answered, like a rope strained too far. The two horse thieves had
been foreigners, unfamiliar with the Fortress monarchs’ unusual
abilities. He had simply had them chained and returned to the
Fortress for his father to deal with. It was nothing too exciting,
but now he found himself wishing he’d made them much more miserable
first.

Everyone sat in an uncomfortable
silence after Launce finished, not sure what they should do. It had
certainly been a story that exemplified Isa’s bravery, but it left
a bitter taste, and whether he wanted them to or not, everyone knew
why. Ever had been the one to injure Isa, and if it hadn’t been for
Ever, Isa never would have been threatened by such evil. It always
came back to him, no matter what he did. Sometimes, it felt as
though Ever would never be allowed peace with his wife. There was
always the past of his actions to haunt them.

As they settled into their tents
for the night, Ever looked at Isa as she began to slip into deeper
breathing. The moon was covered by the clouds that had rolled in,
but the fire was still burning, and he could just barely see the
contour of her face. Her expression was finally peaceful as she
slept, and Ever found himself wishing greatly to keep it just as
peaceful when she awoke. One thing he knew for sure, however, was
that no matter the past, it was now his duty to keep her
safe.

No matter what the
cost.

CHAPTER FIVE

Commoner

“
Could you
hold still?” Cerise sighed as she readjusted Isa’s sash for the
third time. Instead of tugging on her sash, Isa decided to fiddle
nervously with her jeweled necklace as she stared into the rose
colored mirror that hung on the wall of her new
chambers.

“
Are you sure about this?” She
touched the piles of curls that Cerise had heaped on top of her
head. They felt unusually heavy in their precarious
perch.

“
Gigi gave me strict
instructions.” Cerise’s own honey colored curls bobbed as she
finished braiding the sash into Isa’s bodice. “She even made me
practice on some of the other servants until I had it just right.
Now,” Cerise finally took Isa by the shoulders and looked her in
the eyes, “what is the matter?”

Isa placed one of her hands on
Cerise’s and squeezed, glad to have her childhood friend with
her.

Choosing Cerise as her head
lady-in-waiting had caused no small uproar in the Fortress court.
Unwittingly, Isa had offended the noble candidates who should have
been her first choices when she’d requested Cerise as her
lady-in-waiting, rather than choosing a traditional high born
lady-in-waiting. Ever, of course, hadn’t given it a second thought
when he’d said yes. As usual, he didn’t care a wit about which of
his odious cousins were offended, particularly if it made Isa
happy.

“
Have you seen those women?
They’re beautiful! All of them!”

“
And?” Cerise pressed.

“
They’ve been raised for moments
like this! While they spent time learning which utensil to touch
first, I was selling grain in my father’s store.” Isa shook her
head, her massive pile of curls exaggerating her motions. “I don’t
want to shame my husband,” she said quietly. Before Cerise could
respond, the door was unlocked, and Ever stepped
through.

The silver wolf stitched
masterfully into his clothing glittered from his chest as he
turned. His thick, midnight blue robe, cut to distinguish his broad
shoulders and muscled arms, was drawn together by a thin silver
belt that encircled his waist. A black cloak flowed behind him,
accentuating the grace with which he moved. In his short,
wheat-colored hair, he wore a thin silver circlet with flecks of
gold.

It was moments like this, when he
looked more imposing than ever, that Isa still sometimes found it
difficult to believe he was the same man she’d fallen in love with
while he was under the curse. Hoping to do at least some justice to
their joined titles, she stood a little straighter as Cerise pulled
her gown out so it draped properly. The silver shimmered every time
the gown moved, and while it was excessively pretty, Isa had asked
Gigi before they left if it wasn’t too gaudy.

“
I don’t think you understand what
a high rank you hold, my dear.” Gigi had shaken her head as she’d
looked at Isa. “It is no longer just about your husband. The law
says that you are just as much a ruler of the Fortress as he is.
The first night will be essential to showing all of the northern
kingdoms that you, too, are a force to be reckoned with, that
you’re worthy of respect. No gown or ornament will be too much for
that first banquet.”

But as Isa stared into the mirror,
the queen that everyone expected and the queen that now hid beneath
the shimmering silver dress suddenly felt like two very different
people.

“
We need to be going,” Ever
announced as he rubbed his sword with his cloak. “They will be
announcing us soon.” Another wave of nausea hit Isa as he turned
and looked her up and down with an appraising look, the same look
he gave his soldiers during inspections. Then, with a cursory nod,
he offered his arm. Just before she took it, Cerise cried
out.

“
Wait, Your Highness!” Running to
the back of the room, Cerise thrust her arm to the bottom of a bag
and pulled out a small red velvet pouch. She loosened the
drawstrings and pulled out a delicate silver laurel wreath. Leaves
were woven in and out of one another with such grace that Isa
gasped as Cerise brought it closer. Just as she was placing it on
Isa’s head, Isa caught a glimpse of sapphires the size of rose
seeds sprinkled all over it.

“
There.” Cerise beamed at Ever.
“She’s ready.”

“
That she is.” Ever
nodded.

“
I’m confused,” Isa whispered as
they left their chambers. “Shouldn’t we be showing deference to the
hosting king and queen? I feel a bit... conspicuous.”

“
If we were at home, we would be
in our ceremonial attire,” Ever said, inclining his head at a
bowing stranger. Isa envied the ease and comfort with which he
accepted the attention that made her want to cringe. “We are,
however, to be the guests of honor here. Seven years ago, my father
and I helped King Rafael quell a rebellion that threatened to tear
the kingdom in half.”

“
So many wars...” Isa couldn’t
help wondering aloud.

“
There would have been many more
had the Fortress not given us the ability to intervene,” Ever said
in a low voice as they walked. “Tumen is not the only kingdom that
tends to test boundaries. It’s important that the other monarchs
see we are watching. Evil persists when unchecked.”

As they rounded the corner and
turned down another low hanging hallway, she prayed that Launce
would be ready by the time they reached his chambers. Ever had
commissioned the Fortress tailor to create new, appropriate clothes
for her brother before they’d gone, and Isa wasn’t sure if Launce
would know how all of the fancy pieces would fit together. And from
the look on Ever’s face, he wasn’t in any mood to wait for a boy
who couldn’t dress himself. So when Launce came to the door
disgruntled, but all in one piece, Isa sent up a prayer of
thanks.

“
You look very handsome,” she
whispered back to him as the three of them made their way towards
the ballroom.

“
I feel like a fop,” he said,
daring a glance at Ever. Ever’s mouth tightened just a bit, but he
said nothing in response. To Isa’s relief and horror, they arrived
at the end of the hall just then. The hall ended in a balcony,
which looked out over a great ballroom, and on it stood a lanky
herald dressed in what Isa guessed to be the Cobriens’ colors, fire
orange and red. He stood with a large pole, which he pounded upon
the floor twice before declaring in a loud voice,

“
Welcoming His Royal Highnesses,
King Rafael and Queen Monica’s guests of honor, the venerable King
Everard Perrin Auguste Fortier of Destin, Queen Isabelle Fortier,
and Her Highness’s brother, Launce Marchand.” Isa felt her face
warm at the shortness of her name, and her heart went out to Launce
when she saw a few people snicker at the common surname.
Thankfully, after the assembly bowed and curtsied and the pole had
been pounded twice more, they were able to make their way down the
front staircase and into the crowd. Ever led them directly towards
the thrones on the right side of the large room.