Prince Kelton headed down the street with Sir Hamnet and Sir Droyn by his side. He wasn’t sure if he was more touched or irked at the moment, so he kept his mouth shut. They entered the Eagle Inn and ordered several bowls of stew. Prince Kelton then found a table near the hearth to sit at. Sir Hamnet and Sir Droyn sat as well.
“Is there a reason the two of you disregarded my order?” he asked softly.
“We felt someone needed to stay, in case….” Sir Hamnet stopped when Prince Kelton turned to him.
“I was not in any dan….” He shook his head and turned his attention to the fire burning not far from them.
“Were you able to get any answers?” Sir Droyn asked.
Prince Kelton remained silent.
His mind was trying to understand everything that had happened since they arrived at the cottage that morning. They had gone to see the Seer to get answers regarding the Dragonwoman’s and, potentially, Lady Iredys’ whereabouts. Only to discover that the so-called Seer was none other than Lady Iredys, but she was different now. She was blind, but could move about as if she could see; she spoke through thought instead of with words. Why did she choose not to speak normally? Or had she done it on purpose so he knew more of what had changed in her absence?
Prince Kelton rubbed his eyes. There was still more she had yet to tell him. He had just started to go through the happenings again when the serving maid brought over their stew and plates of freshly baked bread. He nodded his thanks then stirred his spoon around the chunks of meat, potatoes, and carrots. His thoughts turned back to Iredys. Deep sleep. Convulsions. He gripped his spoon tighter and closed his eyes when he felt the fear that had swept over him in that moment.
“My Lord?” Sir Hamnet asked.
He shook his head to help push the emotions away. He tucked into the soup. He ate several bites before his movements slowed again. It had taken her a while to get up once she had calmed from having the convulsions, and she had cried. Did that mean that the convulsions she’d experienced were something new? Something that came as a result of something she had yet to tell him about? Prince Kelton tore off a chunk of bread and dropped it in his stew. He watched the liquid soak into the fluffy, steamy, chunk before he lifted it with his spoon and ate it.
Thought speech. Blind eyes. Falling to sit on a chair that had not been there before. The chair Iredys had been sitting on while she drank whatever had been in the cup Ponderosa had given her. He could not recall what Ponderosa was doing at the time, but Iredys’ free hand had been empty. Her body was facing him. Not once had she turned to…. Yet, Iredys had told him that she had moved the chair. But how? Then there was the distention of her abdomen. Yet, she had mentioned that there was more still. What else did she have to tell him that she had not already revealed to him?
Sighing, Prince Kelton put his spoon down. He understood the driving pull somewhat now, but how had he been guided to her this time when he had been unable to find her when he had felt pulled to different parts of the kingdom? Did it have something to do with why she was called Seer by the people? Did she see or know things ahead of time? Even the black haired woman had silently acknowledged the title. Ponderosa, Iredys had called her. Was she more than just the town healer? How long had Iredys been with her? Who had slept with his betrothed?
Unable to focus on the food in front of him and feeling fatigued by the increasing questions, Prince Kelton stood. He set a pouch of coins on the table then left to go lie down for a while.
When he stirred again, the last of the light was fading from the sky. He could hear Sir Hamnet’s and Sir Droyn’s semi-muffled voices just outside his door.
“I don’t understand why you are being so tight-lipped about why Kelton is acting strangely,” Sir Hamnet said.
“As I’ve said, it’s his news to share,” Sir Droyn replied.
“Droyn, we’ve never kept secrets from each other. What happened before our arrival?”
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
“Nothing.”
“If it was nothing, why was he so quick to throw you out of the cottage?”
Prince Kelton sighed.
He knew Sir Hamnet would not let it go. Not until his suspicions were confirmed or denied. As for himself,.... He needed to know more about what had happened to Iredys; if she was still his beloved betrothed.
Prince Kelton rubbed his eyes then stood and straightened his clothes before pulling his cloak back on. Sir Hamnet and Sir Droyn had grown quiet, but the subtle creak of the floor told him they had not left yet. When he opened the door they both took a step back and bowed to him. He glanced at both of them before he said.
“Both of you are to stay here or take a much needed walk around the town. I do not want to discover either of you hovering outside Ponderosa’s home. Am I clear?”
“Yes, My Lord,” they replied in unison.
Prince Kelton nodded. He flipped the hood of his cloak up then left the inn.
He was nearing Ponderosa’s cottage when she opened the door to let him in.
“You were expecting my return?”
Ponderosa nodded. She stepped back and let him come in.
Iredys was seated beside the window once more, her back to the door. She wore a light cloak that cast a shadow over her face so it was hard to see in the window’s reflection. Ponderosa closed the door and Iredys stood. Both of them knelt before him.
‘We apologize for the lack of a proper greeting this morning, Prince Kelton,’ Iredys said.
“I… It’s fine. Please, rise,” he replied.
Ponderosa stood then helped Iredys back to her feet. Iredys set a hand on her belly as she sat on the cot. The chair by the window slid across the floor, but stopped in front of her.
‘Please, sit,’ Iredys said, motioning to the chair. ‘Ask your questions.’
Prince Kelton sat in front of her. He studied her face then turned away. It was hard to see the bluish white cloud that now hid her captivating forest green and gold colored eyes. He pressed his lips together, struggling to keep his swirling emotions under control. He wasn’t even sure where to start. What the most important questions were. He half hoped, half expected, Iredys to start answering the myriad of questions swirling around in his head, but she remained silent.
“How… did you come to possess magic?” he finally asked.
Iredys shifted on the cot a little before she answered. ‘It was forced on me by the man who held me captive.’
“Forced how?”
‘He burned me with runes as he pushed the stones of my necklace into my flesh. It is the combination of stone and rune that brings that magic about.’
Shock and rage filled his eyes as he turned to face Iredys. “Show me.”
Iredys calmly brought her hands up and loosened the top of the dress she was wearing. She allowed the fabric to slide off her shoulders so the neckline dropped enough to reveal the seven stones embedded into her pink and uneven flesh.
“And the runes?”
‘They surround each stone. When my flesh heals completely, they will be visible to others.’
“Do you remember what runes he used?”
‘Remember, no. I know the runes because they have been revealed to me as my… recovery has progressed.’
“Convulsing is recovering?”
Iredys refastened the dress to cover the stones and her shoulders once more. ‘The convulsions I experience are often due to a vision that has become overwhelming. This morning they came as a result of the reawakening of the seventh rune.’
“Tell me everything.”
‘There is too much to tell, My Lord,’ Iredys said gently. ‘However, I will tell you what I can. Where would you like me to start?’
“The day you disappeared,” he said quietly.
Lady Iredys nodded her head once.
‘When I rode ahead that day, I did not realize the danger lurking nearby. I was knocked from my horse. Something hard hit the back of my head and I blacked out…. It took me a while to wake fully, but… during those moments of brief consciousness, I remember my limbs feeling heavy and the sound of chains, shifting under the crackle of a fire, reaching my ears. I remember my whole mouth feeling as if it were on fire. My jaw ached as my nose detected the light tang of blood. I was bound in chains, a tight blindfold tied around my eyes, and most of my tongue had been removed.’
Prince Kelton brought a hand up to his mouth, but said nothing.
‘I was given something sweet to drink. A drink that left my body feeling as if it were not my own. The man that held me captive said some strange things and I could feel an increased desire to move, but I forced myself to remain still. My lack of response brought on a series of whippings and beatings.
‘How long they continued before the burning started, I cannot recall, but after one such beating, I felt the most unbearable pain burn and tear my flesh as he pressed a hot stone against the Peridot stone. Dagaz left its mark as the Peridot anchored itself in my blackened flesh. The pain was enough for me to lose consciousness for a time…. When I became aware of the dirt floor beneath me once more, I was no longer Human. I was a Dinakal—a wild cat-like dog not native to this area.’