The Key (2 page)

Rema: Seventeen Years Later

The
sun shone bright overhead. Rema leaned forward in the saddle and nudged Snow’s ribs, encouraging him to move faster. The horse practically flew over the deserted dirt path, the surrounding forest zooming past her. One wrong move and she’d collide with a tree.

“Come on!” Rema yelled.
Snow responded with a burst of energy. Rema chanced a look back over her shoulder—Bren was a good thirty feet behind.

Snow
bolted over the fallen greenwood tree serving as their finish line, and Rema laughed. Slowing Snow to a trot, Rema watched as Bren and his horse thundered past her, kicking up dust.

Bren pulled the reins of his horse and
trotted back toward her.

“I can’t believe you won, again. And bareback,” Bren said, shaking his head. “It
’s because you’re smaller than me. Snow can run faster with a lighter rider.”

Bren wasn’t much taller than Rema, but he weighed considerably more. He was
built just like his father—stocky and strong.

“Yes,” Rema mused, “that must be it. I’m sure it has nothing to do with my well-trained horse and my excellent riding abilities.”

“You are something else,” Bren chuckled. “Come on,
you need to get home before your aunt and uncle realize what we’re doing.”

Rema knew
he was right. Not only was she bareback, but her dress was pulled together between her legs, allowing her to ride like a man. If Uncle Kar ever found out about Rema and Bren’s races, he’d restrict Rema’s riding—the one and only true freedom she had.

She reached
back, making sure her blonde hair was still secure in a knot at the base of her neck. Finding it intact, Rema relaced her hands through Snow’s mane.

“Race you!”
she laughed, kicking her heels into Snow’s ribs.

It sounded like Bren mumbled, “You’ve got to be kidding,” but
Rema couldn’t be sure; she was already flying through the forest again.

Rema and Bren ha
d been friends for as long as she could remember. Their races started when she was ten years old, when Bren had insisted that girls couldn’t ride as well as boys. Of course, Rema couldn’t let him believe this misguided notion, so she challenged him to a race. Rema won by the length of three horses. The two friends had been racing ever since.

Uncle Kar and Aunt Maya’s land
was about a mile from the forest. The dirt road leading into town passed in front of their modest wooden home and the barn and horse pasture were both situated behind it.

As soon as t
hey entered the pasture, Rema slid off Snow and untied her dress. She reached back and unknotted her hair, letting it fall down around her shoulders. Bren also dismounted.

“Next time we switch horses,”
he said, running his hand through his thick, dark hair.

Rema laughed.
“It won’t matter. I’ll still win. At some point, you’re just going to have to realize I’m the better rider. Always have been, always will be.” She smiled sweetly.

Bren shook his head and
grinned. “Don’t look now, but your Aunt Maya is coming.”

Aunt Maya
was wearing one of her nicer dresses, and her gray hair was neatly pulled into a bun. As Aunt Maya neared, her gaze narrowed on Rema. “Why are you out of breath?”

Not wanting to answer, Rema changed the subject.
“Is someone here?” she asked, wondering why her aunt was dressed so nicely.

Maya looked from Rema to Bren,
and then back again. “No,” she said. “But we need to talk. Alone.”

Rema
was about to say something when she felt Bren tense next to her. His hands fidgeted with his horse reins.

“Well, uh, I better
get going,” Bren stammered, not looking in Rema’s direction. He turned and led his horse away, his walk stiff.

Rema’s skin prickled. Something was wrong.
Maybe her aunt and uncle had discovered she’d been racing with Bren. Rema had planned to rub down Snow and feed him a treat, but it would have to wait. She released Snow into the pasture, and followed her aunt around the barn and inside the house.

They entered the sitting room, the fire already
roaring in the hearth. Four pewter cups sat on the low table. Someone had been there. 

“Have a seat
.” Aunt Maya pointed to a chair. Her hands rested on her hips, and she paced back and forth in front of the hearth.

Rema knew this was serious, that she was in colossal trouble. There was nothing she could say or do to ease the situation. She’d just have to take her punishment.

Uncle Kar entered the room, a warm smile on his face. He kissed Rema on her head, and then took a seat next to her. He seemed to be in a good mood. Better than usual. Maybe he wasn’t aware of her racing.

Aunt Maya stood still, her eyes locked on Uncle Kar’s. “We need to talk to you, Rema.”

“Yes,” Uncle Kar said. “We have good news.”

Rema hadn’t expected the conversation to begin like this.

“Bren’s parents paid us a visit,” Uncle Kar said.

Bren never kept secrets from his parents. He must have told them about their races.
“I can explain,” she began, ready to concede.

“No need,” Uncle Kar continued. “You and Bren have been friends for a long time. It makes sense. And we approve.”

Rema had no idea what he was talking about. “Excuse me?”

Aunt Maya cleared her throat. “We didn’t sign the marriage contract yet.
There’s still a few details to work out.”

“But we expect to have everything in order in the next day or two,” Uncle Kar said.

“What?” Rema shouted, jumping off the chair.

“
Didn’t Bren talk to you about this yet?” Aunt Maya asked, crossing her arms.

“No! He never said anything to me.” This was
almost worse than getting in trouble for racing. Bren, her best friend, wanted to marry her? “Do I have a say in this?” Rema asked.

“What do you mean? You and Bren are friends.
We thought you’d be happy,” Uncle Kar said, his brow creasing in confusion.

“Happy? To marry a friend! I don’t want to. I won’t do it.”
She had no intention of tying herself permanently to any man.

“Rema,” Maya said, exasperated. “You are seventeen years old. Bren is eighteen. It’s time
, and the match makes sense. We don’t really have any other options.”

Rema wanted to scream.
“So you won’t even consider my wishes regarding the matter?”

“I’m sorry, dear.
We thought you’d be pleased with the match.” Uncle Kar stood, reaching for her.

Rema was most definitely not pleased. She was anything but pleased. Clutching her hands into fists, Rema forced back tears
and moved away from her uncle. The walls felt like they were spinning, and it became difficult to breathe. Run. She needed to run.

“After you’ve had some time to think about it, I’m sure you’ll see things clearly,” Aunt Maya said.

“Yes, I understand,” Rema mumbled. She was going to have to marry Bren, regardless of what she wanted. “I’m going out for some fresh air.”

Rema forced herself to walk calmly out the door, but as soon as her
boots stepped onto the dirt, she took off, sprinting toward the forest.

Darmik

A heavy fog coated the land as Commander Darmik and his squad neared the governor of Jarko’s fortress. Their presence was noticed, and the front gate to the castle opened as they arrived. Servants exited, preparing to greet their prince.

Darmik scanned the surrounding land. Nothing looked amiss. Pulling his horse to a halt,
he dismounted.

Prince
Lennek strolled out the front entrance. The governor, Lord Filmar, was nowhere in sight. “Darmik.” Lennek’s lips curled into a smile, but his eyes narrowed at the squad of twenty men. “What are you doing here?” He stretched his arms open and embraced his brother.

“Good to see you, Lennek. It’s been a long time.”

Lennek released him. “Checking up on me?” He chuckled.

Darmik
didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled off his riding gloves. His visit had one purpose—to discover what his brother was up to. Lennek didn’t leave their father’s castle often, let alone King’s City.

Lennek’s personal steward,
Arnek, stepped forward. “Your Highness, will you be joining us for dinner?”

“
Yes,” Darmik answered. Arnek’s nose twitched, then he bowed and dismissed the servants.

Darmik went to his corporal and whispered instructions for the soldiers to setup camp just outside of the town, hidden in the forest. He’d find them when he was ready to leave.

The brothers were finally alone.

“Care to tell me what’s going on?” Darmik asked.

“No,” Lennek whispered, leaning in close. “It’s none of your business, little brother.” Then he spun and entered the castle, without looking back to see if Darmik followed.

The castle was similar to the other governors’
homes, yet it lacked some of the opulence. Of course, Jarko was the smallest region, the least important in the kingdom in terms of land and politics. For Lennek to come here, of all places, there had to be a good reason.

Greenwood Island
was divided into seven regions, each overseen by a governor, appointed by the king, based on loyalty. The king reigned over it all. The kingdom was restructured this way shortly after the takeover seventeen years ago.

“How long do you plan
on staying here?” Darmik asked, jogging to catch up to his brother.

Lennek shrugged his shoulders. “Until I’m bored.”

“
I didn’t realize you and Lord Filmar were close,” Darmik said. “Where is he anyway?” Lord Filmar was an older gentleman known for being levelheaded and set in his ways—quite the opposite of Lennek.

Lennek rolled his eyes and led Darmik into
a quaint sitting room. There were three settees and a low table in the center. Books lined one wall, and portraits of the governor and his family filled another.

“I don’t know
, nor do I care,” Lennek smirked. “We’re not friends by any means. I simply wanted a vacation, and this is the furthest place from Father’s castle.”

“
Ah,” Darmik said. Then King Barjon and Lennek had had a falling out. Darmik’s worry and panic had been for nothing.

Lennek spun and faced Darmik
, cocking his head. “Did Father send you?” he questioned.

“No. I was passing nearby when word came that you were here. I thought
I’d stop in and see you. That’s all,” Darmik said, trying to placate his brother. He wasn’t about to admit that the only reason he was here was to discover what his brother was really up to.

Lennek laughed. “You have got to be kidding.
You, on a break? I don’t believe it.” He flopped down on the settee. “Everything you do has a purpose,” he snapped. “You’re here because you don’t trust me.”

“Of course I don’t,” Darmik murmured.

“You may not trust me, but you must obey me. And I want you gone tomorrow.” Lennek waved his hand in the air. “This is supposed to be a vacation, and there’s no way I can have any fun with you around.” His eyes darkened, and he unleashed the full force of his gaze on Darmik. “You ruin everything you touch,” he spat.

Moving to the window,
Darmik gripped the wooden frame, keeping his temper in check. There were probably servants lurking in the corridors. The window overlooked the governor’s pasture to the north of the property. Several horses roamed the land. Taking a deep breath, Darmik said, “I’m going hunting. Want to come?”

Lennek snorted
. “Most definitely not.”

Good
, Darmik thought. He didn’t really want to spend any time with his brother, and he needed to relax before his temper flared, and he pummeled Lennek to the floor.

Laughter filled the hallway
, and several young ladies walked by. They were bedecked head to toe in the latest court fashion, but Darmik didn’t recognize any of them. They had to be the local nobles. Darmik raised his eyebrows. “Friends of yours?” he asked.

Standing, Lennek straightened his tunic and smiled. “Every girl’s a friend of mine. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some entertainment planned. And you’re not invited.” He strolled out of the room
with a smirk plastered on his face.

Darmik had been so sure Lennek was up to something
, but this was nothing more than a pity party, filled with drinking and girls. And all because Father had yelled at him. Typical. Darmik had no desire to sit in the castle all day, listening to Lennek’s indiscretions. He would leave tomorrow. There was nothing to discover here. Lennek wasn’t up to some devious political maneuvering. No, he was too wrapped up in his own personal satisfaction. Darmik needed to stop being so paranoid.

After changing into his
hunting gear, Darmik headed west on foot into the woods. It was so rare he was ever alone that he wanted to take advantage of the opportunity. He traveled several miles until he was in safe hunting territory.

The trees were dense, barely a few feet apart. Several boulders were scattered near the bottom of a small rise, moss covering them. Darmik found a small space between two and crouched down, waiting. The forest animals were still.
Darmik nocked an arrow and raised his bow, steadying it.

A twig snapped and something
raced through the forest, dodging trees. Darmik was about to release the arrow when he realized it wasn’t an animal that bolted through the trees like lightning. Instead, blonde hair flew, and a gray dress flashed like a beacon against the moss-covered trunks and green leaves.

T
hen she was gone. Darmik scanned the surrounding area, looking for who, or what, pursued her. All was quiet.

Driven by a surge of intrigue,
Darmik took off after her, keeping his bow in hand. She ran fast, but he was easily able to follow her blatant trail of broken twigs until it suddenly ended.

Skidding to a halt, Darmik’s right foot slid
to the edge of the cliff, sending a shower of leaves raining over the side. He backed away and looked down. A dark river flowed twenty-five feet below. There was no sign of the girl. He put the arrow in his quiver and secured the bow to his back.

Searching along the edge,
Darmik found a steep, dirt trail leading down the hill. The soil was rich and soft, forcing him to focus on his footing. Several times Darmik slid, but caught himself. When he finally reached the bottom, he found the girl lying on the bank next to the water, soaking wet. He ran over and knelt down beside her to see if she was hurt. Her dress looked homemade, indicating she was from the lower class.

The girl
’s eyes flew open. They were brilliant like the sea. Her hair was the color of hay, only silky instead of stiff and rough. Darmik wanted to touch it, just to be sure. The girl’s wet, gray dress clung to her body, her bosom heaving up and down from running. Darmik had seen blue eyes and blonde hair before, but that was in Emperion. He couldn’t help but stare.

“Who
are you?” she demanded. Her eyes darted to the bow and arrows on his back.

How could she not know who he was?
Then Darmik remembered he was wearing plain, brown clothing that covered his arms and neck, instead of his blue tunic that exposed his royal markings.

“Are you
well?” he countered.

Her face lit up as she smiled, clearly unharmed.
“Of course I am. Why do you ask?” She raised her eyebrows, waiting for his response.

“It’s just that
—I saw you go off the edge. Did you fall?” Darmik asked. She was drenched, but there was no way a girl would voluntarily jump, especially from so high up. And she couldn’t have climbed down that fast.

“
Fall?” She laughed, the sound harsh. “No, I dove.” She gave Darmik a confident look that implied it should’ve been obvious. Her voice was clear, speech articulate, surprising him.

Darmik stared at her. Had she been trying to kill herself?

“For fun,” she clarified. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to be left alone.”

Since the king forbade travel between the seven regions in the kingdom, all citizens were required to be tattooed at birth with their region’s emblem. Darmik
glanced down at her arms. On her left wrist, she bore the black tattoo of Jarko—a curved stalk of wheat with a sword down the center. On her right wrist, she wore her brown, leather identification band, but Darmik couldn’t read it from this angle.

“Let me see your band,” he demanded
.

The girl bit her
bottom lip, hesitating. She had no choice in the matter. When a man, no matter who that man was, asked to see a female’s band, she had to adhere to his command.

She lifted her right arm, holding it suspended in
the air. Darmik took hold of her hand with care. As he read the information, his thumb gently traced the edge of the leather bracelet.

“Tabitha, seventeen years old, niece of Kar and Maya, not yet married or engaged.”

Tabitha jerked her hand free.

Un
certain what to say, Darmik focused on the top of the cliff. The jump was difficult.
Why
, he wondered,
would anyone attempt it
? Several trees lined the riverbank, and it appeared there was only a five-foot section of the cliff from which to jump safely. The water flowed smoothly, indicating no rocks hidden below the surface. Still, it was too dangerous to attempt. Darmik looked back to the girl. Little drops of water ran down her face.

“Is there something I can do for yo
u?” she asked, no longer amused.

Darmik tore his eyes away from her and scanned the surrounding area.
“No, I was out hunting when I saw you disappear over the cliff.” He wasn’t used to explaining himself. “Can I escort you somewhere?” He was reluctant to leave her alone in a forest full of wild animals. At least, that’s what he told himself. He didn’t want to acknowledge it was something else—that she was unlike anyone he had ever met before.

T
abitha rose abruptly. Her dress was plastered around her legs, her hair muddy from lying on the riverbank. Darmik stood and offered her his hand for support. Instead, she crossed her arms. The girl was taller than he realized, coming up to his chin.

“I can take care of myself.
” Her face, although beautiful, was pinched with worry, and her eyes were glassy and red. He’d been so overwhelmed with how blue her eyes were that he’d failed to notice she’d been crying. “I don’t need a man.” The girl’s hands balled into fists.

“
Prince Darmik!” A shout rang from above. Before he had left, Darmik told Lennek’s guard to leave him alone. The only way they would be in the forest was if they were accompanying Lennek. And there was no way Lennek could see this girl.

Star
ing at him fiercely, she asked, “Prince? That makes the king your father.” Darmik nodded. “Are you the commander of the King’s Army?” It sounded more like an accusation than a question, and she didn’t kneel as protocol demanded. Her eyes focused on his neck, probably trying to see his royal tattoos—but they were covered by the tunic.

Darmik
felt like a hunter come upon a new animal that he didn’t know what to do with. Friend or foe? Would the animal attack or run away?

“Yes, and my older brother, Prince Lennek, draws near,” Darmik warned. “I strongly suggest you leave—now.”