her room, and exile you to the southern end of the kingdom.”
Thor gulped at the thought of it.
“Really?” he asked
Reece nodded back.
“She doesn’t like you. I don’t know why, but her mind is set. Go quickly, and don’t tell a soul. And don’t worry,” he said, clasping his hand. “I won’t either.”
*
Thor walked quickly in the early morning, Krohn trotting along beside him, trying his best not to be seen. He followed Reece’s directions as best he could, repeating them in his head, as he hurried past the outskirts of the royal court, up a small hill, and along the edge of a thick forest. To his left, the ground fell off below him, leaving him walking on a narrow trail on the edge of a steep ridge, a cliff to his left, and the forest to his right. Forest Ridge. She had told him to meet her there. Was she serious? Or was she just playing with him?
Was that prissy royal, Alton, right? Was he just entertainment for her? Would she tire of him soon? He hoped, more than anything, that that was not the case. He wanted to believe her feelings for him were genuine; yet he still had a hard time conceiving how that could be the case. She barely knew him. And she was royalty. What interest could she possibly have in him? Not to mention that she was a year or two older, and he had never had an older girl take an interest in him; in fact, he had never had
Thor had never thought about girls that much. He hadn’t been raised with any sisters, and there weren’t many girls to choose from in his village. At his age, none of the other boys seemed too concerned. Most of the boys seemed to wed around their eighteenth year, in arranged marriages-really, more like business arrangements. Those of high rank, who weren’t married off by their twenty fifth year, reached their Selection Day: they were obligated to either choose a bride, or go out and find one. But that did not apply to Thor. He was of poor means, and people of his rank usually were just married off in ways that benefited the families. It was like trading cattle.
But when Thor had seen Gwendolyn for the first time, all that had changed. For the first time, he had been struck by something, a feeling so deep and strong and urgent, that it allowed him to think of nothing else. Every time he saw her, that feeling deepened. He hardly understood it, but it pained him to be away from her.
Thor doubled his pace along the ridge, looking for her everywhere, wondering exactly where she would meet him-or if she would meet him at all. The sun grew higher and the first bead of sweat formed on his forehead, he still feeling ill from the effects of the night before, queasy. As the sun grew even higher, and his search for her was proving futile, he began to wonder if she was really going to meet him at all. He also began to wonder just how much danger he was putting them in: if her mother, the Queen, really was so against this, would she truly have him deported from the kingdom? From the Legion? From everything he’s come to know and love? Then what would he do?
As he thought about it, he realized that it was still all worth it, for the chance to be with her. He was willing to risk it all for that chance. He only hoped he wasn’t being made a fool of, or rushing to any premature conclusions about how strong her feelings were for him.
“Were you just going to walk right by me?” came a voice, followed by a giggle.
Thor jumped, caught off guard, and stopped and turned. He could hardly believe it: there, standing in the shade of a huge pine tree, smiling back, was Gwendolyn. His heart lifted at that smile. He could see the love in her eyes, and all his worries and fears instantly melted away. He chided himself for how he could have been so stupid to ever second-guess her.
Khron squeaked at the sight of her.
“And what do have we here!?” she cried out in delight.
She knelt down and Khron came running to her, leaping into her arms with a whimper; she picked him up and held him, caressing him.
“He’s so cute!” she said, hugging him. She leaned back, and he licked her face. She giggled, and kissed him back.
“And what’s your name, little fellow?” she asked.
“Khron,” Thor said. Finally, this time, he was not as tongue-tied as before.
“Khron,” she echoed, looking into the cub’s eyes.
“And is it every day that you travel with a leopard friend?” she asked Thor with a laugh.
“I found him,” Thor said, feeling self-conscious beside her, as he always did. “In the wood-on the hunt. Your brother said I should keep him, because I found him. That it was destined.”
She looked at him, and her expression became serious.
“Well, he is right. Animals are very sacred things. You don’t find them. They find you.”
“I hope you don’t mind if he joins us,” Thor said.
She giggled.
“I would be sad if he didn’t,” she answered.
She looked both ways, as if to make sure no one was watching, then reached out, grabbed Thor’s hand and pulled him into the wood.
“Let’s go,” she whispered. “Before someone spots us.”
Thor was exhilarated at the feel of her touch, as she yanked him onto the forest trail. They headed quickly into the woods, the path twisting and turning amidst the huge pines. She let go of his hand, but he did not forget the feel of it.
He was beginning to feel more confident that she actually liked him, and it was obvious that she did not want to be spotted, either, probably by her mother. Clearly she took this seriously, because she had something to risk by seeing him, too.
Then again, Thor thought, maybe she just didn’t want to be spotted by Alton-or by any other boys she might be with. Maybe Alton had been right. Maybe she was ashamed to be seen with Thor.
Thor felt all these mixed emotions swirl within him, and hardly knew what to do.
“Cat has your tongue, does it?” she asked, finally breaking the silence.
Thor felt torn: he didn’t want to risk messing things up by telling her what was on his mind-but at the same time he felt like he needed to put all his worries to rest. He needed to know where she really stood. He could contain it no longer.
“When I left you last time, I ran into Alton. He confronted me.”
Gwendolyn’s expression darkened, her high spirits suddenly ruined-and Thor immediately felt guilty that he had brought it up. He cherished her good nature, her joy, and he wished he could take it back. He wanted to stop, but it was too late. There was no turning back now.
“And what did he say?” she said, her voice dropping.
“He told me to stay away from you. He told me you didn’t really care about me. He told me that I was just amusement for you. That you would tire of me in a day or two. He also said that you and he were set to be wed, and that your marriage was already arranged.”
Gwendolyn let out an angry, mocking laugh.
“Did he then?” she snorted. “That boy is the most arrogant, unbearable little pip,” she added, angry. “He’s been a thorn in my side since the time I could walk. Just because our parents are cousins, he thinks he’s part of the royal family. I’ve never met anyone so entitled who deserved it less. Making things worse, he’s got it into his head somehow that the two of us are destined to wed. As if I would just go along with whatever my parents forced me to do. Never. And certainly not with him. I can’t stand the sight of him.”
Thor felt so relieved at her words, he felt a million pounds lighter; he felt like singing from the rooftops. It was exactly what he had needed to hear. Now he felt sorry he had darkened their mood, all over nothing. But he wasn’t completely satisfied yet; he noticed she still hadn’t said anything about whether she truly liked him, Thor.
“As far as
That was all Thor needed to hear. He was impressed by her seriousness, and even more impressed by her choice of word: “love.” He felt restored.
