Prince Kelton leaned against the wall, looking out the window of his bedroom, which looked over the courtyard. He twisted the Garnet ring on his left ring finger, contemplating the incomplete Diamond band underneath it. It had been four months since his return from Palion City and, despite Dilligens’ assurances that he was no longer connected to the woman he had taken to his bed, something about that night still niggled at his mind. His mother’s insistence to keep him in the castle wasn’t helping either. He was getting stir crazy and Princess Analisa’s next visit was fast approaching.
Leave it to his mother to try and rush the political marriage she wanted, before Lady Iredys had come to Greywolf Kingdom, now that he’d had a serious brush with magic. Each time his mother pushed him to set a date for their union, Prince Kelton would dig his heels in and refuse. It was these moments that left him wishing he was still wed to the Dragonwoman, just so he wouldn’t have to hear his mother speak another word about the stuck up Princess Analisa.
He looked down at the ring he was twisting and pulled it off enough to expose the Diamond band. He traced it all the way around before setting his finger over the small gap in the band. The snow had already begun to fall on the kingdom and it wouldn’t be long for a lot of the roads to be untravelable. If was going to search for her, hope he found her, and get answers to all the questions that troubled him, he needed to leave sooner rather than later… and leave quick enough to not be stopped by his mother’s soldiers.
Making his decision, Prince Kelton pushed the Garnet ring back into place then started to pack his things. He was almost finished when Gailan came in with lunch.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
“We are not going anywhere,” Prince Kelton replied. “You are to stay here and help Dilligens.”
“No. Kelton, please! It’s been nine months. I don’t want to be left behind anymore. I know your patrols aren’t always the safest, but I can help. I can….”
“No, Gailan. I would not lose you, too!”
Gailan’s lips trembled. “My… my apologies, My Lord,” Gailan stammered as he bowed.
Prince Kelton sighed. “I apologize for yelling, Gailan. I have never made it clear as to why I started to leave you behind.”
Prince Kelton finished preparing his bags.
“...Can I ask why?” Gailan ventured quietly.
“Because it is you they are after,” Prince Kelton replied, looking at his subdued manservant. “I don’t know what they would want you for, but you are the only person in the castle who can keep me sane. I refuse to have that taken from me also.”
Gailan’s expression turned thoughtful. “I couldn’t tell you why they would want me either, My Lord. I’m just a servant.”
Prince Kelton set a hand on Gailan’s shoulder. “You’re more than a servant to me. Just as you were more than my servant to Lady Iredys while she was here.”
He nodded. “I take it you are going out to look for her?” Gailan asked, with a bit of hope in his voice.
“Among other things,” Prince Kelton replied.
Gailan nodded. “Is there anything else I can get you?”
“Please inform my knights to prepare for a long patrol and get my horse ready as discreetly as possible. I refuse to let my mother keep me here a day longer.”
“As you command.”
Gailan left the room and Prince Kelton broke the roll in half. He stuffed the meat inside before he snuck his way down to the stables. He could see several of his mother’s soldiers milling about the courtyard as his knights made a spectacle of getting ready for their patrol. Sir Droyn and Sir Hamnet were having the most fun with it, while Sir Thomas, Sir Hett, and Sir Juleak would respond only after the other two had ribbed them a couple times. The rest of his knights, Sirs Fran, Gruph, and Houton, just rolled their eyes and mounted their horses.
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Prince Kelton was quick to tie his saddle bags in place while Gailan bid the knights farewell and turned as if to return to his side inside the castle. He then brought his horse out of his stall and climbed up. His knights finished mounting and started out of the courtyard. They were almost through the gates, when Prince Kelton kicked his horse into a gallop and shot out of stables to join them. Several guards shouted behind him to no avail. He was through the gates and at the head of his knights before they could close the gates to prevent his leaving.
“About time we got out,” Sir Hamnet called as they left Greywolf City and headed for Kit Ridge.
“No arguments there, Sir Hamnet,” Prince Kelton replied.
Prince Kelton and his knights reached Kit Ridge shortly after full dark. They paid for rooms at the Wandering Fox Inn then listened to the local chatter as they ate a late dinner. Marcus’ cow had gotten out of his field again. A few people had gone missing. Missy was pregnant yet again, and Frank and Diana were threatening to separate. As he listened, Prince Kelton found himself playing with his food as much as he ate it. His thoughts continued to spin as they had been oscillating between Iredys and the Dragonwoman he wedded all day. He knew he needed to try and find the Dragonwoman first, but….
Boisterous laughter from Sir Fran and Sir Houton reached his ears, causing him to look up. The two of them were flushed with drunkenness, and Sir Gruph wasn’t too far behind them. Prince Kelton shook his head. Leave it to those three to try and slow him down. He had been watching them lean more toward pleasing the Queen than doing as he requested—as they had when he had first knighted them.
“Will we be off to an early start, Prince Kelton?” Sir Hamnet asked quietly, as Prince Kelton turned his attention to his half eaten meal.
“The more ground we can cover before the snow traps us somewhere the better, I think,” he replied with a nod. “Anyone too hungover to saddle his own horse in the morning will return to the castle, no exceptions.”
“Think we should tell the others then?” Sir Droyn asked.
Prince Kelton shook his head.
He shouldn’t have to instruct his knights in every little detail. If they couldn’t remain sober enough to accompany him to find answers, while making a circuit of the kingdom, they weren’t worth the time he had spent to train them. He ate one more bite of his food then headed upstairs to his room. Sirs Hamnet and Droyn soon followed. He had been taught to never have favorites among his knights, but the two of them always had his back, which made it hard not to favor them above the rest.
Prince Kelton sat on the bed in his room and removed his boots. He loosened the belt that held his sword and propped it up beside the bed. Then he looked out the window to the stars that blinked in the dark sky. Tears filled his eyes as he thought about Iredys, wondering if she would feel betrayed that he’d married a Dragonwoman, despite their vow of fidelity being broken now. Prince Kelton drew in a halting deep breath then let it out. He lay on the bed, his back to the door, then he closed his eyes and hoped the heavens would bless him with the locations of the two women he needed to find.
Unfortunately, his dreams were far from peaceful. He found Lady Iredys in a run down cottage; her belly largely distended with a second pregnancy. A little girl, with Iredys’ eyes and long brown hair, clung to Iredys’ coarse skirt. The image of her impassive face, accompanied by the sound of her neutral greeting, looped again and again in his mind, but the worst part of this meeting was the lack of recognition in Iredys’ eyes. He fought to change it—fought to find her unmarried, without child, anything! He wanted her… he needed her!
Only when this image of Iredys finally turned to take her daughter inside did Kelton wake. He sat up with a gasp. His breath came in hard and fast. His grief threatened to overwhelm him. His mother’s nagging voice to get over her and agree to marry Princess Analisa gnawed at his mind. He pressed the palms of his hands against his eyes. He scrubbed away the fatigue he felt before getting up. It was still dark out, but he didn’t care. He didn’t dare go back to sleep. He needed to find Iredys. He needed to find the Dragonwoman, if she was still alive.
Prince Kelton walked over to where the pitcher of water and washing bowl sat. He poured the water in the bowl next to it then splashed his face with the cold water. He raked his wet fingers through his hair before he leaned against the dresser. Since he had been intent to head to Abundare to find his Dragonfolk wife, he knew he needed to continue heading South. However, he couldn’t help but wonder if it would be better to head East, since it had been months and that was where the Dragonfolk lived.
Shaking his head, Prince Kelton grabbed his sword and buckled it around his waist. He jammed his feet into his boots then left the room. As he descended the stairs, he was surprised to see Sirs Hamnet and Droyn waiting outside with their horses. His own horse had been saddled, with his travel packs attached, and stood ready to leave.
“I didn’t expect anyone else to be up,” he said as he stepped outside.
“A little hard to sleep for long when we could hear Your Highness crying in despair next door,” Sir Droyn replied softly.
Prince Kelton frowned, but nodded. He accepted the reins from Sir Droyn and mounted his steed. “Let’s go. There is nothing more for us here.”
Sir Hamnet nodded then jumped up into his saddle. Sir Droyn hoisted himself up as well before the two of them followed Prince Kelton out of town at a gallop, leaving the rest of the knights behind.