Aventurine

  Morning came quicker than I expected. Maybe it was my brush with death the day before, but I slept soundlessly throughout the night and I was grateful for that. I was also thankful that the sun had already risen, and that I was going to get to go back to my family and friends. The past wasn’t as much fun as I thought it would be, and there was nothing enticing about being a princess now that I’d tried it.

  I didn’t worry about the clothing set out for me, and got up without changing out of my clothes from the day before. Why did it matter? I was going home. Who cared if I was dressed fancy in a new outfit? I hurried down the hallway to the main room where I could hear two male voices talking. I didn’t care what Logan thought he could say to make me change my mind, but it wasn’t going to work. I was heading home after Logan’s explanation, and couldn’t wait to go. I was glad they were both up and waiting for me. I wanted to get it done and to head back. Stepping out into the sunlit room, I noticed Logan wasn’t with Kye, but someone else.

  “Princess,” Logan said, eyeing over my disheveled outfit and shaking his head at the same time. “This is Councilman Vanu, and his son General Naron.”

  Two men stood with Logan and were now bowing at me. The older man was grey-haired and slightly bent over from age. He bowed his head to me, his younger son Naron following suit. I vaguely recognized the younger of the two from the day before, as he had met us at the palace with the other men that took Logan away as soon as we got back.

  “They need me to go with them this morning,” Logan explained their presence.

  “But…” I complained. He had promised me he would explain everything in the morning, and then I could go home.

  “Lady, I’m sure you’ll have plenty of time to get to know your future husband. We only need him for a bit today. We will have him back by the afternoon celebration,” the old man, Vanu, explained.

  “Celebration?” I asked Logan. He had either left out that detail on purpose, or because we would already be back to the future. I didn’t know which, but the look on his face told me he had omitted that.

  “You’ll have plenty of time to get ready,” General Naron added, taking my surprise differently than I had intended.

  I looked down and finally realized what sort of impression I was making on these men. It looked like Naron had been smirking when he bowed to me, but now I understood why. I had seen the princesses in Nahrin. None would have dared to leave the ladies’ wing looking as disheveled as I did now. I really didn’t care. I wanted to go home, and felt just fine ruining Logan’s plan by telling him that.

  “Prince,” Kye said, as he entered the room with three women behind him. “I brought the handmaids to dress the princess, but it seems I was too late to catch her before she rose.”

  Logan nodded to the three women who immediately came to usher me away. I held to my place and didn’t move. Kye stared at me in shock from behind the three men. This wasn’t part of the deal. He saw my problem, and that I wasn’t going to agree with Logan or his bossy ways. Kye shook his head no to me as I opened my mouth to speak. No one could see Kye but me as he mouthed not now. I wanted to tell Logan off, and I didn’t care who was there to watch, but for some strange reason my gut told me to trust Kye.

  “Then I must be off,” Logan said to me, stepping forward and grabbing my arms gently to keep me from leaving with the maids. “I promise we’ll have that discussion after tonight’s meal,” he whispered to me.

  I nodded, even though I didn’t believe him. Logan leaned closer and kissed my cheek. I tolerated it, but didn’t smile back at him as he pulled away. He had to know I was fed up with everything. It was just one more promise Logan wasn’t going to keep. It seemed like that much hadn’t changed with him. He might have swapped his clothes and his title, but he was still Logan.

  Logan left with the two men as Kye ushered me and the maids back down the hallway from which I came. At the end of the hallway we turned and walked into a large, open bath. The sun was shining into the room, just like the meeting room, but it was much warmer, and the water even looked like steam was coming off of it.

  “Princess, please let these women bathe you and make you presentable,” Kye requested formally of me.

  “And when will I get the promise Logan made?” I asked back.

  Kye shrugged. “Does it matter? You want to get back, but whether you leave now or later, you will miss no time in the present. Please do as Logan asks of you. Things could be far worse.”

  What did that mean? Logan was keeping me from my family and friends. How could it be worse? I looked back to Kye, and he pleaded with his eyes for me to be agreeable. I sighed and nodded. I’d wait a little longer, but after that I was done. I needed to go home. Logan was great at making promises, but he was not so wonderful at following through with them. I could give him a little more time, but soon I’d need to go. There was only so much I could put up with.

  The three women waited with their heads bowed as Kye and I talked. It was ridiculous, but as I already saw, it wasn’t like I had much of a choice. I looked down to my arm and both the lines were full. I could travel anywhere if it wasn’t for the bracelet I had let Logan put on me. It was really my fault. I should have been more careful following Kye’s advice.

  “I’ll stay here,” Kye informed the women who still hadn’t moved.

  “You’ll what?” I asked as they stepped forward and tried to remove articles of clothing from me. I crossed my arms and kept everything in place.

  “I need to stay close to make sure you’re safe. I don’t trust anyone here. If Saska sent one person, there’s nothing to say she wouldn’t send another,” Kye explained, like his only intention was to keep me safe.

  “Then you can wait in the hallway,” I answered and pushed him toward the exit. There was no way I was undressing in front of Logan’s brother, no matter the reason.

  “But…,” Kye complained.

  “But, nothing,” I answered and gave him a harder push. “There are four of us here. I’m sure that if someone enters, or tries anything, at least one of us can scream. Unless you don’t trust them.”

  “No, they’re safe, but…,” Kye wanted to complain more.

  “How do you know that?” I asked, looking back to the women. I was surprised that he had readily trusted the three of them.

  Kye reached down and tugged gently at the cursed bracelet. I looked back to the three women. They were all wearing the same bracelet.

  “Time travelers?” I asked, surprised. Did Logan stock his house with time travelers that he caught? Was I just another showpiece for his mantel?

  “Something like that,” Kye replied.

  “Things could be worse,” I repeated what Kye had told me. I glanced at the three women. None looked happy. Yes, it did seem like it could get worse. Would Logan make me into a servant if I disobeyed him? Was there any hope for going home?

  “Now do you understand that you must do what Logan asks?” Kye added. He was still standing in the doorway to the room.

  I completely understood. Prince Logan was going to get his way by keeping me a prisoner. I wasn’t left with many options unless I could get the bracelet off.

  “Then go away for now, or I’m not getting bathed today,” I answered, giving him one more push. Kye let me shove him out of the room. There was no way that I could push him if he didn’t want to go. He may have been Logan’s younger brother, but he was built as solidly as Logan, maybe even more so.

  I walked back into the room and let the women remove the complicated dress I was wearing. As quick as I could, I slid into the warm water. I hated to wait around to go home, but as long as I was waiting, there was no reason not to enjoy the hot, relaxing bath. It would give me time to think. Kye made Logan sound like a dictator, but that wasn’t the Logan I knew. The Logan I remembered would have had a reason to keep me in the past. I had to hope that his explanation was all I needed to hear before I could go back. I would give Logan twenty-four hours, but after that he was taking me home
. It was ridiculous to wait around, but I could hold my tongue for that long. At least I hoped I could. I sure didn’t want to end up a servant in the palace.

  When they had finished bathing, massaging, and oiling me until I smelled like some exotic flower, I was starving. My stomach growled, and I knew I’d need food if I was to continuing the waiting game. I wanted to ask for something to eat, but from the language the girls spoke, they were not from around the city. I could understand the local ancient languages from the minute I entered the past, but they I could not. All I could assume was that they were from a time I hadn’t entered. They would be no help filling my empty stomach.

  Kye returned after one of the girls went to get him. It didn’t take long, and I could assume he had been sitting in the hallway the entire time I had been bathing. For not seeming to agree with his brother, he was quite loyal.

  “Just remember, I didn’t know about this,” Kye told me as he led me back to the entry room. What was he talking about now? Why were the Jones brothers confusing? I could smell the scent of food wafting down the hallway.

  What was he talking about? My stomach growled in response. Was he apologizing for the food?

  I found out quickly as we stepped into the room full of people. They might have been about to feed me, but when all eyes turned, and the room silenced at my entrance, I lost my appetite. At least forty or more faces stared back at me as I looked around the room. I didn’t move from my spot until Kye placed a hand on my back to direct me where to walk. As I made my way through the people, they bowed to me. On the other side of the room, Logan waited with the councilman Vanu from earlier. The councilman bowed also, as Logan held out his hand to me. Confused, I accepted it though I had no idea what was going on. The room was still silent and all the people were watching me.

  “Let us begin,” Vanu said.

  “Begin what?” I whispered to Logan. Logan didn’t reply.

  “Marriage is a sacred rite made before the gods,” Vanu continued.

  Marriage? I looked to Logan again, and he didn’t turn to me at all. He was completely concentrating on the old man talking, like it was the most interesting thing in the world. I pinched Logan’s hand in mine, and he still didn’t react.

  Vanu continued to talk, and I began to panic. I wasn’t going to marry anyone today, especially not the lying, promise-breaking Logan. I tried to pinch his hand again, but he didn’t even care. I was sure that even if I drew blood he wouldn’t acknowledge me trying to get his attention.

  “We’ve been blessed by the Nahrin, as they sent their princess to us,” Vanu talked on. “We can only honor them by creating a bond between our nations with the marriage between Princess Mari and Prince Arik-ninari.”

  There was no way I was going through with this. Why wasn’t Logan doing anything to stop it? His eyes were still on the man, and I was beginning to see it wasn’t an act to avoid me. He was smiling as the older man talked. Logan told me the marriage was all just for show, and to protect me, but I got the feeling it was something more to him. I sure hoped it didn’t matter, but I still felt uneasy. He had promised to return me even in just hours, and I didn’t want to marry anyone but Seth. Seth was the only person I was meant to spend my life with now. What I had with Logan years ago didn’t compare to what I had with Seth. I had to stop what was going on. I didn’t care what Logan would think, but I wasn’t playing this game. When I got married, it would be my choice, and not for anyone’s convenience.

  “Princess Mari, do you agree to honor the gods and…,” Vanu began, but I cut him off.

  “Prince Arik, did you not tell them?” I asked Logan loudly. The councilman was surprised by my outburst. So was Logan. I could see Kye in my periphery, and knew even he was surprised.

  “Please let Vanu finish,” Logan said as panic set into his eyes. I got the feeling that by surprising me, he had assumed I’d be forced to go along with his plans.

  “You didn’t then?” I asked innocently, batting my eyes.

  “Tell us what?” Vanu asked. At least someone was willing to play my game even if Logan wasn’t.

  “That we already got married,” I answered. Shock resonated around the room as whispers began.

  “We what?” Logan asked, shocked as much as everyone else in the room.

  “You know how my cousin was determined we couldn’t leave without a proper wedding,” I replied. “I know everything happened fast, and was a bit confusing.” I pretended like Logan was the one that didn’t know what was going on now instead of me, and his confused look turned quickly to anger. He realized what I was doing, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to marry him.

  “Prince Saru already performed a wedding?” Vanu asked Logan.

  I waited for Logan to call me a liar in front of everyone, but he didn’t. Instead, he looked to me to explain my way out of the situation. I was fine with that. If a little bit of lying and playing make-believe would get me out of the marriage, I could tell them a tale.

  “My cousin insisted that I could not leave without being married after what happened to my mother. He performed the marriage rites for us himself. Prince Arik must not have understood my cousin, as he can talk quite fast, and was trying to have us married before we left,” I added.

  “I must not have,” Logan replied. I couldn’t tell if he were still angry, but I didn’t care.

  “Sorry. I’d have explained it a bit more if you hadn’t whisked me away so quickly,” I answered.

  “Then this isn’t needed?” Vanu asked.

  “Not at all,” I replied just as Logan was going to talk. “My gods will be upset if you choose to marry me for a second time. It is safer to appease the gods with just one ceremony.”

  I had no clue if that was true or not, but I didn’t care. It seemed to convince them. The murmurs continued around us. Vanu nodded.

  “Then I guess we can move right to the celebration portion of tonight.” The old man reached forward and thumped Logan on the chest. “You’re officially a married man now. And it’s time for you to help make a married man out of that son of mine.”

  Logan laughed like everything was okay, but his eyes gave away that it was not. He wasn’t pleased with my outburst, but he couldn’t go against me without making me out to be a liar. It was a gamble to do that, but I was happy with it. At least I wasn’t married to Logan, and I didn’t have to turn him down in front of all his people. That might not have turned out as well. I looked up at Logan as his grip tightened on my arm, and he led me into the people now cheering around us. He wasn’t happy, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t happy, either. I want to go home, and he had promised to take me. It was just one more broken promise, and another game I didn’t ask to play. Logan Jones was never going to change, and I needed to make a plan. I would have to find my own way home.

  Chapter 4

  Heartbreaking Terms

  The night didn’t end well after my lie got me out of marrying Logan. He barely said anything more to me than he needed to as he played out his important prince role. I kind of was glad he didn’t say anything to me, as I was just as pissed at him. He had promised me that he would explain his side of everything and then take me home. I was no closer to home, and it really didn’t matter what he had to explain. I was essentially his prisoner. There was no one coming to save me. I already figured it out. I was going to need to find my own way out.

  When the event ended, I was more than happy to return to my room alone. I was sick of the past, sick of princes, and sick of people telling me what I needed to do to be a good wife. I wasn’t anyone’s wife, and didn’t plan to be for many years. They would never understand that in a time period where girls were married by the time they were fourteen, but I wasn’t raised in the past. I was from the present, and that was where I was returning. When I figured out how.

  Logan didn’t attempt to explain anything to me, or take me home. I wanted to believe he was going to tell me the truth, and keep his promise, but it was turning out to be just like any othe
r time. I only hoped that Kye really was on my side, and was going to help me get home, because I was going to need help.

  When the sun rose on the second day of my life as Logan’s prisoner, I didn’t hurry out to find him. In fact, I waited around until I heard his voice leave before I ventured out of the room. I was pleasantly surprised to find Kye waiting for me, and Logan gone. I didn’t want to deal with Logan.

  “Well, that was quite the show last night,” Kye said to me, motioning for me to take the food set out on the table.

  I sat down on the pillow nearest the table. Kye stood and watched me.

  “I really am sorry about all of that, but I guess you didn’t need my apologies. You seem to have it under control yourself,” Kye added.

  “Control?” I asked. It wasn’t under control. I was desperate. “I’m not going to marry him in this time, or the future.”

  “I like to hear that.” Kye rubbed his hand over his short hair.

  “I don’t get you,” I said. “You do what he says, but then you agree with me. Whose side are you on?”

  “Yours and only yours,” Kye replied in all seriousness. He still made no sense.

  I wanted to argue that he had a strange way of showing it, but I couldn’t. He just admitted to being on my side, and I needed to use that to my advantage.

  “So then you’ll help me get home?” I asked. He had to know the secret to the bracelet. He was the one who told me not to take anything from Logan in the first place.

  “I can’t take it off,” Kye explained, knowing exactly what I was having a problem with.

  That wasn’t helpful in the least, and that didn’t make things sound like he was on my side.

  “You need to hear Logan out,” Kye added.

  “And you’re not on his side?” I complained. It sure seemed like he was.

  “Not in the least,” Kye answered. “But you have to listen to him. If you don’t now, you will later, and you will make the wrong choice.”