“If it is Duke Tully, it is rumored that he can vanish and reappear anywhere so quickly that no one could react in time. What if he was to appear beside you, seize your arm, and fae transport you far away?”
“Fish tales,” she said. “Besides, what if it isn"t even him?”
“Even worse. Then we would have no idea what the man was up to or what his abilities would be.”
“I"m not going.” She motioned to the digs. “You can return to work. I have my bodyguard. I"m fine.”
“Your mother would have my head if anything untoward should happen to you.” But Malathon didn"t order the guard to return her. And she suspected he had his reasons, but she wasn"t privy to them.
Instead, both he and the guard stood beside her while the other men returned to their work, casting glances in the direction of the forest while Ritasia kept her eyes mostly on the woods.
“Could it have been a thief?” Ritasia finally asked after they"d been standing in the same spot for half an hour, maintaining the same diligent observation of the woods.
“Possibly. He might have been wondering if we were finding anything of import here.
The fact that one man has tried to steal from the dig site already and now that the queen herself wishes you to check on the excavation twice daily might give thieves ideas.”
She wanted to tell him that perhaps she shouldn"t be here, but bit her tongue. What was here that anyone, particularly her mother, would be interested in? A magical scepter? Or some other magical artifact?
Most fae had special abilities of their own so most didn"t need any magical tools. Some created magical artifacts. Some were said to have been brought to their world by creatures not fae. Although others said it was the stuff of fairytales. That no one was here before the fae.
Another hour passed before the knights returned, the red-bearded one in charge, Sir Conklin, shaking his head to Malathon. Then he spoke to Ritasia, “My lady, I thought you would have already returned to the castle.”
“I wished to remain here,” she said, sweeping her hand toward the site, “doing my duty to the queen.”
Sir Conklin didn"t even attempt to hide a knowing grin. “I dare say, my lady, you wished to know who we caught before you left the site.”
“You wound me, Sir Knight. You think I would neglect my duty?”
“I believe you wished to join us on the hunt. Are you leaving anytime soon?”
She glanced back at the woods, then shook her head.
He motioned to his men to take positions around the perimeter. “By all means, do your duty then.”
As if she truly wanted to stay here for the rest of the day. “Will he return?” she asked.
“They were on horseback and left the area before we reached them.”
“They?” That made her think again that it was Duke Tully. “Did they leave a trail?”
“No. And I needed to ensure that you were still safe.”
“How many were there? Was it Duke Tully and his men?”
“We found evidence of five horses. It might have been Duke Tully,” Sir Conklin said. “I must see to my men and their placement.” He bowed low to her and then hurried off to speak with his knights, one of whom he returned to the castle, no doubt with word to her mother about the unwelcome visitors to the site and what they had learned. And to say the princess was staying here to do her duty.
She was somewhat surprised that no one came from the castle, insisting that she return home, but it was only late afternoon. She decided to hang around longer, hoping whoever had come by to watch them, might try again.
This time maybe her men would catch them.
Chapter 4
King Tiernan enjoyed feasting with the sphinx king, King Persenus and his son, Prince Raglan, late that afternoon, who looked similarly to his father, dark brown eyes and hair, powerful, broad shoulders and tall stature, but his father"s hair was peppered with gray. Both were dressed to impress the hawk fae king, wearing blue velvet tunics trimmed in gold. But Tiernan was curious as to who the maiden in the tunic and breeches had been at the excavation site. If she was one of the sphinx fae, he wished to meet her, but he hadn"t seen any sign of her in the great hall at the feast. And he"d looked. So had his men, knowing just who he sought to locate.
Fascinated, he and his advisor and other men had watched her climbing over pillars and disappearing into trenches at the dig. He hadn"t planned to leave the area until a man in charge of the site became wary and called the guard. Which made him suspect she must be someone important. Or they were just concerned Tiernan and his men had planned to steal from the site.
Not wishing a confrontation, Tiernan and his men had found their way to the sphinx fae court, where he assumed that the ruler, King Persenus, owned the land. He felt it refreshing to see a female fae who was so enthusiastic about such an unusual job for a woman. He"d never heard of a female archeologist, but he thought the notion quite novel. Did the kingdom here have warrior women also?
He finished eating his fowl and took another swig of his wine. “We chanced upon your dig site some miles from here,” he said, cautiously, not wanting the king to believe he had any plans to lay claim to anything there.
“At Calus?” Persenus said. “The dark fae own the site. Queen Irenis, their ruler, has been most interested in the finds there. Though I have heard she has found nothing of real significance except that an ancient queen named Minova ruled there. She was thought only to be of myths and legends, but now it seems the stories hold a bit of truth after all.”
The hawk fae had their own sites that Tiernan"s people were excavating, trying to learn more of the history of the fae who lived in ancient times. He"d been intrigued with the past history. How peaceful they could be. And how warlike, too.
“I saw a young woman at the site—”
“Beg your forgiveness for saying so,” King Persenus said, “but women would never be at the site. Not unless it was Queen Irenis herself. And I"ve never heard that she"d visit there, unless her archeologists made a significant find.”
King Tiernan leaned back in his chair and studied the sincerity of the sphinx king. “A woman was at the site.”
“Well,” Persenus said, “someone tried to steal from the place a few weeks ago. I wonder if the queen has sent her daughter to watch over the site. Although I would have thought Prince Deveron or one of their male cousins would have been given the assignment. The digs are no place for a young lady.”
Prince Ragland smiled in a conceited way and raised his goblet of wine. “Sometimes the princess is just as rough and tumble as her brother and male cousins.”
“Oh?” King Tiernan asked, his interest even more piqued.
“Aye. A few weeks ago she created quite a stir. She was found trespassing against the dragon fae and tossed into their dungeon.”
Instantly annoyed with the notion, Tiernan straightened. “Really.”
“Oh, aye, and Queen Irenis was ready to go to war to be sure.”
If Tiernan had known of the incident, he would have been also.
“The two kingdoms have never gotten along. I"ve thought of offering for her myself, the princess, that is, though she"d be a lot to handle,” Prince Ragland said, puffing his chest out with pride.
The woman sounded even more intriguing than Tiernan had at first thought. King Tiernan"s advisor smiled at him, and Tiernan suspected he had not hidden his interest sufficiently from those gathered at the feast.
Seeing Tiernan"s expression, Prince Ragland quickly said, “But she"s turned down twenty-five suitors already, her brother has told me.”
Was the prince afraid she"d reject him also? That"s why he hadn"t asked to court her?
“She doesn"t wish to marry anyone at present,” Prince Ragland added, as if he needed to emphasize the point.
“The wish would be that of her mother"s,” Tiernan said coolly.
Ragland glanced at his father whose brows were arched in surprise. The prince added,
“
She is quite fond of the area. She never leaves.”
“Except to visit the dragon fae in their dungeon?” Tiernan said, the undercurrent of anger in his voice evident, as he thought to wage war on the dragon fae he didn"t even know. Placing a princess from another kingdom in a dungeon went beyond decorum.
“Prince Deveron, her brother, encourages her wildness at times. She often tries to get him out of the trouble he gets himself into, which causes her to get into just as much trouble,” the prince said, sounding annoyed.
“She is an innocent then?” King Tiernan asked, one brow raised, suspecting she was not.
“If it wasn"t for her brother, aye. And her cousins also.”
“What does she enjoy doing when she is not saving her brother and cousins from ruin?”
Ragland frowned at Tiernan. “She spends her time with the ladies of the court, singing and doing needlepoint. That sort of thing. Like any high ranked lady of a court should.”
“And when she isn"t doing that sort of thing, she"s climbing over pillars at an ancient site,” King Tiernan remarked.
Ragland"s frown deepened and his voice took on an annoyed tone. “She doesn"t like them. Her mother must have forced her to work there.”
“Really?”
“Aye. Her brother teased her into going to three other sites with him and their cousins last year. Before this, she had no interest in seeing them. He told me how easy it is to dare her.”
At that, King Tiernan couldn"t help smiling. The woman sounded perfectly willful, and he loved a challenge. Yet, when he recalled the way she was climbing around the dig, he didn"t believe she looked to have hated being there.
“We would have you stay for as long as you wish for jousting, feasts, hunting in the forests, whatever you desire,” King Persenus said.
“I must apologize,” Tiernan said, shaking his head, “but I cannot stay away from my own duties for too long.”
“Then you are here because?” the sphinx king asked.
“I"m seeking a bride.”
Prince Ragland"s face reddened. “Do you not have any fair maidens in your own lands, King Tiernan?”
Tiernan studied the man for a moment, amused, despite the angry way the prince had spoken to him, a hawk fae king, a guest of his father"s even. “Oh, aye. But it would not do to overlook those in yours. And so with great regret, I must away to meet with Queen Irenis.”
“She will say no.” Prince Ragland folded his arms, his expression a scowl.
“The queen?”
“Princess Ritasia,” Ragland clarified, sounding even more irritated.
“Ah,” King Tiernan said abruptly. “"Tis only the queen"s word that matters.”
King Persenus gave his son a scolding look. “Then we will wish for your success, King Tiernan.”
But Prince Ragland looked as though he"d like to skewer Tiernan on a long sword, when these people were supposed to be the most peaceful of fae.
“Thank you for your generosity. Could you point us in the direction of the lion fae kingdom?” Tiernan asked.
King Persenus said, “Six hours west of here, traveling by horseback. You should be in time for supper when you arrive.” He gave Tiernan a smile.
Tiernan and King Persenus rose as did all the courtiers.
Tiernan overhead Ragland say to his father in a hushed voice, “What if I wanted Ritasia for my wife?”
Persenus said, “You must make it known to her that you are interested. This is the first I have heard of it.”
Before Tiernan could take his leave, Prince Ragland stalked out of the great hall. Tiernan assumed he was on his way to inform Princess Ritasia that a foreign king wanted her hand in marriage, and maybe that Ragland wished to have it instead.
Not that Tiernan was fully decided on desiring the princess. He had not seen the woman up close enough, and he needed to know her better than that. They might not suit at all.
But he was intrigued, more so than he"d been with any other woman in weeks.
“Do you think she might be the one?” Lord Srenton asked King Tiernan as they rode their rented horses beyond the castle gates. His advisor sounded hopeful, probably tired of how choosey Tiernan could be.
But he intended to keep his wife forever and so he wanted one that he would enjoy spending time with as much as possible.
“She"s a possibility.”
“Prince Ragland seemed to be interested in the young lady.”
“One must do more than take interest,” King Tiernan said. “One must act.” And if she was the one for him, he wouldn"t hesitate to take the princess home as his bride.
Looking as unruffled as ever, Lord Brandolin, his war minister, who had separated from them to look elsewhere for a possible bride choice, headed for them from the direction of the dig site and hailed them. “I have found one who might appeal to you, King Tiernan.”
“Aye? Who is this winsome maid?” he asked, most interested in what the duke had to say. He hadn"t thought to bring him along on this trip at first, although he had a way with the ladies, so Tiernan thought he might be useful.
“She is a most intriguing girl, and the daughter of the dark fae queen.”
Tiernan sat taller in his saddle. The girl scrambling around the dig site? “What do you know of her?” he asked, frowning.
“She was making an escape from her castle, intending to fly somewhere else from the airport in Dallas, when I had just arrived, intending to join you. But intrigued, I began following her.”
Tiernan wondered if Brandolin had been fascinated in the dark fae for himself. He wouldn"t have put it past him.
“She is beautiful, soft hair nearly midnight in color, large eyes nearly as dark, and ivory skin like the petals of the lily, and she wore a fragrance of jasmine. But „tis her willfulness that I enjoyed the most. And her resourcefulness. When she found me following her, she quickly transported to catch another flight. Only this time „twas to Scotland.”
“Scotland, you say?”
“Aye. Only she did not plan to travel that far away from home. I unsettled her, and she found another plane to board without looking to see where it was headed.”
“But we saw her at an archeological dig site.”
“Really? Well, I followed her to the Denkar Castle, then ran into our minister of finance near here, scouting out the area, and he said you were dining with the king of the sphinx fae. So here I am. To give you the news.”
Princess Ritasia might very well do.
***
After a day at the digs and seeing nothing of interest, and no sign of the men who had been watching them earlier, Ritasia was about ready to leave. Well, past ready to leave. But she still had hoped they"d find something that might have made the day worthwhile.
That"s when she spied what looked to be a rusty hinge mostly buried in the dirt. Barely an outline of one tiny edge of it caught her eye. Which was why no one else had seen it yet. Besides that everyone else was working on the other side of the site.
She was headed for it when Malathon said, “The sun is setting, Princess Ritasia. Queen Irenis would not want you out this late at night and the evening meal is no doubt ready to be served.”
She eyed the rusty hinge, wanting to secure the box before she had to leave the site, but she wanted to know what was in it before she had to give it up to anyone.
Which meant?
She had to return when no one was about. Later. Tonight.
But still, she wanted to stay just a few more minutes. Try to bury it a bit so no one else might catch sight of it.
Malathon surely had to be jesting that she had to be home by a certain hour. Just a few weeks ago she"d slept at the Texas Renaissance fairgrounds all night long and no one had even learned she was missing.
Well, not until the next day when word reached her mother that she was in the dragon fae dungeon. But if it hadn"t been for that, she would never have been missed.
“I"ll be fine,” she said. “I just want to look around a little mo
re.” She didn"t want Malathon to see her checking on the hinge, in case she could make some really neat discovery all on her own. He wasn"t leaving her alone though. Well, in fact, no one was. Even the knights guarding her turned to watch her as if they might be needed to forcibly escort her home.
“Your mother would have me clamped in fae irons, Princess. Come, we will return now. I hadn"t realized how late it was getting. The meal will soon be served,” he again reminded her.
Grinding her teeth, Ritasia tried to think of a way she could stay just a little longer, but the recorder shook his head as if telling her whatever argument she wished to present wouldn"t work. He wasn"t letting her stay.
“Fine,” she said, and stalked off. Either she"d return later tonight, when everyone was busy getting ready for bed, or she"d go really early in the morning before any fae—or at least the archeologists—were awake.
But as soon as she fae transported back to the castle, she remembered her mother had insisted she ensure that every ancient artifact from a half-rotted golden sandal to a broken piece of ruby-colored glass, were stored safely in the vault. Thank the goddess they had not brought the arm bone with them. Or at least they had not brought it here to be included in the treasure vault. She might be stuck with the job, but she would do as she was told. How would it look to others if she didn"t? She didn"t wish to set a poor example.
But still. Twenty-one useless pieces of junk had been added to the other junk. The ivory comb studded with gems sparkled in the candlelight discovered last week, and she picked up the comb and examined it more closely.
A dark strand of hair was twisted around the teeth of the comb, and Ritasia stared at it before Deveron stalked into the vault and said, “Are you coming to dinner?”
She jumped, startled at her brother"s sudden appearance and his deviously cheerful voice.
She was certain he was delighted she got the job of verifying the recording of the artifacts instead of him. He was wearing his royal blue uniform, gold braid all over it, and she assumed he was so dressed because he was trying to make an impression on the dragon fae princess, Alicia.