Haven: Chronicles of Warshard (10 page)

Working together, they moved across the street, Haven barely upright under his weight. The only problem left were the beams on their way out. Looking around for another way, Haven found an area where the flames weren’t as high. “It’s our best bet,” she mumbled through her shirt. “Go quickly.” Ripping her cloak from her back, Haven laid it over the fire. The man staggered and limped as best as he could onto the other side with her help. Just as he moved to the other side, helping hands pulled him to safety. Haven could hear her name called from the other side, but she was beginning to grow lightheaded. Her stomach turned from the smoke and her eyes watered. She was about to make the jump when a loud crack echoed through the hollow area between the
gates.

“Haven, jump!” Blythe called from the other
side.

Haven looked up to see one of the huge gate doors creaking as the hinge finally gave way. Gasping, Haven leaped the flames and ran for her life. She did not want to end this day by being
crushed.

“Run!” someone screamed at
her.

She pushed herself like she never had before, ignoring the snap that echoed when the second hinge broke and the door came toppling down. Haven collapsed to safety in the arms of her guards, just outside the blazing door. They pulled her further from the gates, chastising her, while simultaneously checking her for injuries. Once she was deemed safe, she was settled beside the soldier she had just saved. Lareina and another medically trained guard went to work bracing the man’s
leg.

“You made it,” the man coughed, looking up at her. It took him a moment before he finally seemed to register who she was. “Lady Queen!” he inhaled audibly, before collapsing into a fit of
coughing.

Haven laughed. “You don’t need to call me that. We’ve been through a lot together,” she said. Her bones ached from the stress she had put them through, and the burning in her lungs had just started to subside. “Call me
Haven.”

“Lady Haven,” he breathed, staring at her with wide eyes. “I am
humbled.”

“What is your name?” she
asked.

“Thrane, My
Lady.”

“A lovely
name.”

“Thank you, Lady Queen,” he paused, “how have your hands healed so
quickly?”

“Have you not heard the stories?” Haven raised an
eyebrow.

“I have,” Thrane said, “but, I never knew them to be
true.”

“Now you
know.”

“They call you the queen who cannot be
killed.”

“An accurate a statement as any, Sir
Thrane.”

Several days later, Haven returned to her kingdom with hundreds of wounded. The doctors in the city made room as much as they could, but soon the ballroom and the hospitals were overflowing with Salander refugees. It was a predicament she immediately set her advisers on. Soon, there would be a secret meeting and she had to be ready. As Haven walked the halls in search of Emeril, Kadia’s words echoed through her mind. She had said she would set fire to Ithrendel, but she didn’t think it would happen quite so literally. True to her word, Kadia had set the entire city ablaze in a night. Thousands were killed. That vile woman needed to be
stopped.

Stopping outside Emeril’s chambers, she knocked. A Salander guard opened the
door.

“Lady Queen,” he bowed, letting her
through.

“Haven,” Emeril breathed a sigh of relief, coming to greet her from the inner room. “Thank the skies you are
safe.”

Once again caught off guard, Emeril greeted her with an embrace. This time Haven hugged him back, happy to be comforted after the past few days. “If an arrow to the heart can’t kill me, you really think a small blaze could?” she teased, though they both knew very well that it hadn’t been just a little
fire.

“What was I thinking?” he chuckled, but his heart wasn’t in
it.

Moving to the bed chambers in the inner room, Emeril and Haven sat at his dying father’s side. King Brae had lived a long life, which showed in the aged lines of his face. He was deep in sleep, chest rising and falling under the silk sheets. Haven suddenly wondered if he were to open his eyes, would he have the same beautiful eyes as Emeril? Or was that a gift from his mother? She could no longer
remember.

“How long has he been like this?” Haven
asked.

King Brae’s breaths came in wheezes. His skin was paler than she’d realized, a sickly gray tinge to
it.

“Since before the attack,” Emeril
sighed.

Haven took a moment before answering the young prince. Something had bothered her about that night, especially after she recounted the events in her mind. The guard she had saved, Thrane, spoke of the gates being open from the inside that night. He said the attack had come so quickly, but how had the young prince and the king escaped
unscathed?

“Emeril?”

“Yes?”

“How did you escape
Ithrendel?”

Emeril paused. The kind of long pause that almost made her suspicious. “A note arrived not long before. We fled in the nick of time, Haven. If that letter hadn’t arrived we would both be
dead.”

“You received my letter in
time?”

“Your letter?” Emeril looked at her strangely. “We received no letter from you, Haven. The note delivered was addressed to me, but held no seal or signature.” That was quite curious, she thought. A secret note in the middle of the night, helping the king and his only heir escape just in time. Could this be Kadia’s work? Though she had addressed and signed Haven’s letter, could she have done something similar for Emeril? Haven thought back to her letter. Did Queen Kadia save them for
her?

Haven
shivered.

“Are you alright?” Emeril
asked.

“Yes,” she said. “Just the thought of all those we couldn’t
save.”

Emeril’s lips flattened into a grim line. “Word has come from my remaining soldiers. The people of Salander have fled in all directions. Many seek refuge in the
mountains.”

“That is madness,” Haven
said.

“I know, but there’s nothing we can do. They flee out of fear because I could not protect
them.”

Haven placed her hand on his. “You did what you
could.”

Emeril just dropped his head and shook it, taking his hand away. Haven stared at her empty
hands.

“I will go with you to Seaburn,” he finally
said.

“You will?” Haven looked up
hopefully.

“What other option do we
have?”

CHAPTER 10

“K
ing Alton?” Haven
gasped.

The aged king sat at the head of meeting table, slumped in his seat. Grief was plain on his face, as was the defeat they all felt. It had been weeks since his disappearance and they were all shocked to find him
alive.

“Yes, it is I,” the king
sighed.

“You’re alive.” Emeril’s surprise mirrored her
own.

“Yes,” Alton
agreed.

“But
how?”

Alton sighed and straightened up. The others joined him at the table, taking their new seats. With their old meeting place now unusable, Evander offered up another in the home of a recently abandoned farmer. The aged king mentioned that they had fled into the mountains, a fact which worried Haven even
more.

Now that she had a better view of Alton’s face, Haven could see the pain in the deep lines of his face. Alton had aged ten years in only a few weeks. The death of his children and wife plagued him. She wished there was a better end to this
story.

“The night of the attack on Ryulung my family was killed,” he said, voice breaking. He clenched his fist on the table. “That evil witch killed them. My wife was pregnant.” Haven gasped, her hand flying to her lips. Tears sprung to her eyes. “I found them in our chambers. An assassin had been sent for me, but he killed them in my stead. I wouldn’t have survived if the King’s Guard hadn’t dragged me from the castle.” Alton stared at the table with sightless
eyes.

Silence descended upon the Royals. It was one thing to have family killed, but a pregnant wife on top of that, she couldn’t fathom what Alton must be feeling. Being a monarch had never seemed so awful until this
moment.

“Lord King,” Haven reached forward, hand on the table. “I am so sorry for your
loss.”

“There are no words to describe a loss such as this,” Evander
said.

Alton nodded, but didn’t look at the
group.

“We will avenge
them.”

They all turned toward the voice to find Corrin at the dining room entrance. He swept in quickly, taking a seat beside King Alton. The older man looked up to the young king, a glimmer of hope in his
eyes.

“We must fight back. We must attack Cidra and kill Queen Kadia,” he
continued.

Haven sat back, shaking her head. She understood Alton’s loss, but this need for revenge would accomplish nothing. Though Alton seemed initially interested in the proposal, a moment later he was staring at the table again. He knew as well as they did, that no amount of killing or vengeance would bring his family back. He was spent, and no longer wished to rule, let alone be in this war. Alton would not stand with Corrin any more than the rest of them
would.

“Don’t be absurd, Corrin,” Evander sighed. “We cannot attack Cidra when three kingdoms are in
shambles.”

“Two kingdoms, Evander,” Corrin snapped. “Wakefin is recovering
quickly.”

“Fine,” Evander met the young king’s eyes. “But I will not lead my soldiers to
slaughter.”

Corrin blanked, disbelieving. “How can you say such a thing? What other option is
there?”

“Seaburn,” Haven spoke up. She didn’t want the kings to escalate to blows. “We can go to
Seaburn.”

“Across the sea? Are you all
mad?”

“It’s not that far,” Emeril
said.

“We can make it easily with your ships,” Evander
added.

“Oh I see!” Corrin laughed, standing abruptly. “You wish to use
my
ships for this absurd mission of
yours?”

“You know it’s a good plan. Better than attacking a well-armed
enemy.”

“Attacking while it is unexpected would give us the
advantage!”

“We don’t even know if Kadia is in her castle,
Corrin.”

Corrin
reconsidered.

“Even so, if we could show her how it feels to lose her kingdom, surely she will back off from ours,” the young king
protested.

“Enough of this,” Haven snapped. Her eyes had fallen on Alton during the fight of the other kings. He was slumping further and further into his seat, his arms braced on the table. This king was no more ready for war than the rest of them. “Your kingdom is not what it used to be, Corrin,” she said. “Eris and Salander may never be the same. Those are
two
kingdoms in ruin for the time being. Our cities are overflowing with their refugees, and we barely have enough resources to keep them all alive, let alone take our people back to war. Many will not survive the winter if we try to attack Cidra.
We
may not
survive.”

Corrin dropped back into his seat with a thud. “Why must the beautiful young queen be the voice of reason?” Haven blushed. “You make it much more difficult to argue than
Evander.”

The sudden change in mood brought a smile to her face. That was the Corrin she heard stories about, the confident, womanizing king. Maybe he wasn’t so bloodthirsty after
all.

“Then you will listen to our proposal?” Haven
asked.

Corrin nodded and Evander quickly launched into the explanation. Haven and Emeril were already on the same page, so this was solely for Corrin’s benefit. Evander explained how they would usher their people quietly through the kingdoms, taking them to Wakefin’s port. They would board the ships and ride across the sea to the
republic.

“And you all agree to this?” Corrin asked. Haven and Emeril nodded. “And you, King Alton?” The elderly man shrugged and nodded as well. “Then I suppose I can’t go to war by
myself.”

“We only need to add one more part to our plan,” Evander
said.

All eyes fell on the proud
king.

“We need a distraction if this plan is to
work.”

Haven nodded slowly. “Yes, Kadia would surely notice if we moved thousands of our people across the kingdoms to
Wakefin.”

“Precisely,” Evander nodded. “We need a large enough distraction to give us the time we need to
move.”

“And what do you suggest?” Corrin
asked.

“Ironically, young king,” Evander chuckled. “I have to suggest
war.”

“You’re serious?” Corrin
snapped.

“Of course I am. I do not take war
lightly.”

“But isn’t the point of fleeing to avoid war?” Emeril
asked.

“Yes,” Evander met to young prince’s eyes. “But we don’t need many to distract Kadia. We will stage a retaking of Eris. Then when she is busy on that front we will also stage an attack on Cidra from Wakefin. This will provide a distraction on two fronts and give us the time we need to
flee.”

Haven nodded along as he spoke. “It would be a distraction big
enough.”

“It would, but what of the soldiers left behind?” Emeril
asked.

“Boats will be left for them of course. When their commander says it is time to retreat, they shall. They will follow behind us,” Evander
explained.

“I will stay,” Alton said
suddenly.

“What?” Evander stared at the
king.

“I will stay and lead my
army.”

“You can’t be
serious.”

“I am quite serious, Evander,” Alton stood. “I will lead my soldiers so that Kadia does not suspect a thing. We will retreat when the time comes, but I will lead the
charge.”

“Why?”

“I have nothing left to lose,” he said. “If I leave I will still have nothing. If I stay, at least I will be
useful.”

“But we will need you in Seaburn,” Haven
protested.

“You will have enough kings, you don’t need another.” Alton stepped away from the table. “We will attack in two days time. You should be ready to move at
once.”

With that, the once missing king fled the room in a hurry, leaving the others to stare after
him.

“I suppose we leave in two days then,” Emeril
said.

“I suppose we do,” Evander
agreed.

“We will be ready,” Haven nodded. “We have to
be.”

The others
agreed.

The clang of swords echoed throughout the great
courtyard.

“Not bad, Lady Queen.” Blythe
said.

“Thank you,” Haven said, pushing away Blythe’s
sword.

Haven’s final lesson on swordplay had just begun and the rest of the women in attendance fought with vigor. The word of the evacuation had spread quickly throughout the city, causing some to stand up. Others decided it was best to flee. People left for the mountains while others ransacked the food stores. Chaos had begun in her fair city. Her people worried over the lack of food, the long journey ahead, the coming war, and their possible looming demise. After the initial upheaval had ceased, Haven addressed her subjects and told them of the plan, reassuring them they would succeed and survive. This calmed the rioters, and restored peace during their final
hours.

Blythe struck back at the queen, arm extended. Haven dodged, spinning and snapping her sword out. Another clang reverberated down her sword and through her
arm.

“Brilliant!” her guard praised. Haven smiled and struck out
again.

In the months leading up to her improvement, Haven never could have guessed she would be able to fight like this. Where once the metal blade had been difficult to hold, she could now wield it as an extension of herself. The weight didn’t set her off balance and her body had grown strong and free. The familiar routines had become calming, a solace in such times. She would mourn the loss when they left her
castle.

Blythe moved quickly, swinging, spinning, and attempting to push Haven off her feet. Haven recognized the move early on and jumped back, swinging her own sword. This time Blythe barely raised her sword in time to block the
blow.

“You almost got me!” They both
laughed.

“Almost!” Haven agreed, pushing back and lunging
forward.

They continued their dance until they both tired. Blythe still overpowered her and the queen lost, but even in defeat she felt
proud.

“This brings an end to our final lesson, ladies,” Lareina called through the room. “May your sword guide you and your shield always protect
you.”

The group gave a small bow and dispersed. It was nearing dinner time on their last day in Rythern. The women thanked the guards and shook hands; leaving for their own homes where they would ready any provisions they could carry for the coming
day.

“How are preparations coming?” Haven asked as Toma joined
them.

Toma beamed at the four girls. “Very well, Lady Queen. Everything should be ready before
dawn.”

“Excellent.”

It had been some time since things went quite so well. Haven tried not to worry about what could still go wrong as she left with her friends. They took the stairs to the third floor, where Haven stopped to stare out the large windows. From this high up, gardens, courtyards, and fountains fell away from the inner walls of her castle. Beyond was the city, and, further beyond, the mountains. The sun was beginning to set, filling the sky with pink. It was a truly magnificent sight, one that Haven savored. It was the last time for a long while she would look at these familiar mountains, see the trees in the distance, the rivers beyond
those.

As the sun drew closer to the horizon, the light began to fade. Haven sighed, turning back to her guards. They were all caught in the masterpiece that was the outside world. Smiling, she cleared her throat to gather their attention. Three sets of eyes met hers. “We should be going,” she
said.

Nodding, the little group began to move away. Only a few paces later did Haven realize Lareina hadn’t joined them. Turning back, the beautiful blonde woman was caught in the soft light spilling through the window. She squinted into the growing
darkness.

“What are you doing, Lareina?” Haven
laughed.

A moment passed with no response. Haven joined her friend at the window, unease settling in her
stomach.

“What is it?” she
asked.

Lareina seemed to start and looked at her queen, then quickly back outside. “I thought I saw something on the walls.” She shook her head, dismissing it. “The shadows always move this time of
night.”

“Dusk does often trick the eye,” Toma
agreed.

Haven nodded, though she was the one to stay by the window this time. Peering through the glass, she looked for anything unusual about her castle walls. At first the dim light of dusk was all she saw. But after a long moment passed, Haven thought she glimpsed movement as
well.

“The shadows move,” Haven murmured to herself, a memory catching fire inside her
mind.

“What was that, Lady Queen?” Toma asked her from the nearby
hall.

“The shadows move,” she repeated a bit louder. Haven’s eyes grew wide. She remembered why this was a terrifying thought. “The shadows move,” she gasped, turning to her guards. “Kadia is here. Sound the
alarm!”

Understanding dawned quickly on the small group. Blythe raced to the stairs and took them two at a time until she was out of sight. Blythe shouted orders, her voice echoing from above. Malka and Lareina quickly surrounded her, ushering her down the hall. Toma followed, watching the windows as they went. Darkness moving could only mean that Kadia’s army was here. Her magic had already penetrated their walls, and only now did they notice. Only a few days had passed since Salander went up in flames and now her own city could be sent into mayhem at given moment. What were they to do when the enemy was already upon
them?