Loving His Fire Read online

  Her father nodded brusquely, setting the letter down with some other papers on the table. “I’ve sent a courier back to King Edward telling him you will arrive shortly. Start packing. You leave tomorrow morning.”

  Elizabeth sucked in a sharp breath, stunned. “You already sent the courier?”

  “And asked the staff to prepare for your departure.” Her father raised an eyebrow. “We need this, Elizabeth. We can only be grateful that we held out against the previous offers for your hand.”

  Realization dawned. “You wanted this even before the war, didn’t you?” she accused. She looked at her mother. Her tears had dried, and there was a resigned acceptance there, as if she had considered this information before and, while against it, knew she could not stop it.

  Elizabeth pulled away her hand. “Did you know about this?” she demanded.

  Her mother tried to take hold of her hand again. “Now, Elizabeth, we’ve always looked for the best match for you…” she began.

  “Stop. Just…stop.” Elizabeth looked at her father, and she saw again the closed off expression she had seen the day they received the news of Nicholas’s death.

  “Sardarn is a valuable ally, Elizabeth. Through your marriage, you will not only secure troops for our western border, but you can prevent King Edward from deciding to invade us from the east. Their forces would overwhelm us at this point, a fact that he has no doubt noticed and begun to contemplate. You are our insurance against that.”

  Her father stood as he gathered the papers before him. He paused at the doorway and addressed his daughter, not unkindly. “You made the right decision, Elizabeth. When you are in our position, sometimes you have to make your only decision look like the one you wanted to choose from the start.”

  Her father left, and the envoy followed, bowing smoothly before exiting the room. Elizabeth put a hand on her stomach and tried to will away the flutters now there. It felt like the fire from before had flamed out and now a whirlwind of ashes swirled among her insides.

  All this time she thought she had been lucky to avoid a wedding, and all along her parents had kept her in reserve, their final desperate ploy to protect their country.

  Before, Elizabeth had felt brave to agree to the alliance with the prince. Now, she felt as used as a sacrificial pawn on a chessboard. Pulling away from her mother’s petting hands and soft assurances, Elizabeth choked out, “I must make sure everything I want is packed, if you will excuse me.”

  She left her mother alone, sitting at the table and consoling herself with musings of great royal alliances and how they’d surely be able to visit in the future. After the war, of course.

  The next morning, the rain fell heavily as Elizabeth’s entourage headed toward the eastern mountains. Her father must be desperate for Sardarn’s assistance if he was willing to send them off to King Edward during the rainy season. It would definitely slow their journey. Already the mud sucked at the horses’ hooves and the wheels of their carriage and wagons.

  Elizabeth looked around at the women in her carriage. Between her, three maids, and two attendants, the carriage was uncomfortably full. At least she was warm, sitting in the middle of her attendants, Sarah and Ashley.

  Poor Ashley had cried quietly since they left the castle that morning. The news that they would leave Arcaern hit her the hardest. Her entire family lived in the castle, and she was always spending time with her younger sisters, helping them with their embroidery and deportment lessons.

  Sarah, on the other hand, kept looking out the window to watch their progress, practically bouncing in her seat. Just then she turned back, closing the curtain.

  “Do you think we’ll see any fire giants, Lizbet?”

  Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. “Fire giants live far up in the mountains, Sarah. No one has seen them in years. Why would we?”

  “I just heard one of the guards next to the carriage say something about fire giants, the pass, and rock giants.” Sarah frowned. “Maybe they think the fire giants will follow the rock giants’ example and decide to attack us. The pass does lie in their territory.”

  Elizabeth fiddled with her pearl necklace. “The fire giants have allowed couriers and small trading caravans through the pass for decades. Our convoy is no different. We’ll pass through without giving them any trouble, and we’ll be fine.”

  Ashley stirred to her right and spoke quietly. “Those stories always scared me the most as a child.”

  Sarah leaned over Elizabeth. “Which stories, Ash?”

  “How the fire giants would come down from the mountain on demon horses and set fire to villages with their eyes. No one ever escaped, because their eyes lit up the darkness and could see you wherever you hid.”

  Across the carriage, one of the maids let out a whimper.

  Elizabeth shook herself. For a moment, she had let the fear of those stories take hold of her.

  “That’s all they are, Ashley – stories. Created by old men to scare their grandchildren.” Elizabeth leaned across the carriage and shook out the maids’ lap quilt. She held the hand of the youngest, Esme, and smiled.

  “We won’t let our imaginations run wild just because of a little rain. We’re Arcaern women, and we’ll arrive in Sardarn with our heads high.” She winked. “Plus, there’s a whole squad of guards out there to protect us.”

  Ashley shivered. “The west border has our entire army, and look at them.”

  “We’ll be fine, Ashley.”

  Her handmaid huffed and turned to the window. Elizabeth sighed inside. As a child, she had dreamed of traveling to strange and far-away places, but this was nothing like the fun and exciting adventures she had imagined.

  They reached the head of the mountain pass after two days. Inside the carriage, Elizabeth was slowly boring to death. They were all exhausted. Camping in the damp and cold made it difficult to sleep, and there was no possibility of napping in the carriage as it bounced and jerked its way across the countryside.

  The women had long ago exhausted all possible conversation, and now they just sat listless and quiet. The silence was driving Elizabeth crazy. It gave her too much time to worry. How long would it take the Sardarn troops to reach the west border of Arcaern and assist her last living brother and their army? Would they make it in time? What would the Sardarnian prince be like? Would he be better than Lord Gavell? Worse?

  It was truly hard to imagine a more annoying man than Lord Gavell. He could be sycophantic, overbearing, condescending, and snide all in the same conversation. Elizabeth didn’t understand how he had lasted at court for so long – indeed, how he now seemed to be friends with everyone. At least she wouldn’t have to put up with his insincerity anymore. It almost made the trip worthwhile, really.

  The carriage jolted through an especially deep rut and Elizabeth clung to the seat to keep from falling into the other women. Reaching up, she rapped sharply on the carriage roof. The carriage and the rest of the convoy slowly came to a halt.

  Elizabeth burst through the carriage door and spoke to the lieutenant riding alongside.

  “We need to stretch our legs.” And have some fresh air, she thought to herself.

  The lieutenant looked surprised to find the princess leaning, almost indecently, out of the carriage. His round blue eyes stretched wide, but he managed to keep his composure as he replied, “As you wish, your highness. I’ll go inform the captain.”

  The driver hopped down from the front of the carriage and helped Elizabeth and the other women step safely to the ground. This section of the pass was fairly rocky, which explained the constant bouncing and rattling. At least they would be able to avoid the worst of the mud.

  Most of the guards dismounted and stretched with the women, but Elizabeth noticed a couple of them exchange words with the captain and ride off into the forest on each side of the pass.

  The captain dismounted and walked briskly over to Elizabeth, who remained by the carriage while her servants and handmaids walked between the guards and the wagons.


  “Your highness,” the captain stated with a bow.

  “Captain.” Elizabeth inclined her head respectfully. “How much longer until we’re through the pass?”

  The captain rose with a frown creasing his forehead. “Several more hours at least, your highness. The conditions have slowed us down considerably. We probably won’t make it through before nightfall. We have to hope that the skies will clear up enough for us to take advantage of the moonlight.”

  Elizabeth looked up at the thinning clouds. “Why can’t we just set up camp wherever we are in the pass once it grows dark?”

  The captain glanced at the other women milling nearby. One of them had found a patch of wildflowers, and they were teasing each other as they gathered the blossoms. Stepping closer to Elizabeth, the captain lowered his voice.

  “I don’t want to alarm the ladies, but we should get through the pass as quickly as possible. This land belongs to the fire giants.”

  Elizabeth frowned. “The fire giants have always let us pass through the valley before. Why should today be any different?”

  The captain leaned in closer. “A few months ago, the fire giants started halting caravans. They took the traders’ goods and told them they were no longer allowed to pass through their land. They warned the traders that anyone coming through in the future would be killed for trespassing.”

  “Why haven’t I heard about this?” Elizabeth demanded. “Nicholas never mentioned any problems with the fire giants.”

  The captain shrugged. “This happened about the same time the rock giants were rising up in the west. His priorities were probably focused there.”

  Elizabeth’s entourage approached with bunches of flowers. A couple of them giggled when they spied the captain. He quickly stepped away from Elizabeth and bowed. “If you ladies are ready, we should get moving.”

  As Elizabeth climbed in the carriage, Sarah poked her in the side. “Well, isn’t the captain so attentive!”

  Elizabeth blushed and quickly defended herself. “He simply wanted to talk to me about our journey.”

  Sarah waggled her eyebrows. “Did he have to stand so close to talk to you?”

  The other women laughed.

  “He just didn’t want to hear you all complain when you found out that there will be no more stops until we reach the end of the pass,” Elizabeth said. The women groaned. Everyone dreaded the confinement of the carriage.

  “Why?” Sarah asked curiously. “Why can’t we make camp here?”

  Elizabeth shifted as the girls turned to stare at her. Sarah was her best friend precisely because she had a keen eye and mind and constantly questioned everything, but for once she wished Sarah would stay quiet.

  Thinking quickly, she started to improvise. “Well,” she said slowly, “The sooner we reach Sardarn, the sooner King Edward will send troops to aid our soldiers.” As Esme nodded, Elizabeth arched her brow and looked at each woman in turn. “I think we can handle the discomfort for one night to help the brave men who are fighting and dying as we speak.”

  Sarah looked down. The slight reprimand seemed to have done the trick. “I didn’t mean…” she started.

  “I know.” Elizabeth hugged her friend across the shoulders. “Remember that we’re fighting in our own way. Our journey will help Arcaern end this war.”

  Stryme glared down at the line of wagons making its way through his valley.

  These mountains belonged to his people, but the humans who crossed the pass had been tolerated for nearly a century. Stryme’s father had seen no need to change the unspoken truce between the fire giants and the humans, and occasional caravans would travel through the pass, exchanging goods and messages between the human kingdoms.

  Stryme couldn’t stand the humans, though. He understood their true nature, which the rock giants to the west had too sadly learned after losing their land.

  Stryme shook his head in disgust. Humans appeared harmless, but they were a heartless people who couldn’t be trusted. He wouldn’t allow them to take over his land like they had slowly stolen the rock giants’ land in the west.

  Stryme’s second moved up beside him and interrupted his thoughts. Tilting his head away from the view, Stryme considered the giant who had been his friend since childhood. Keylz brought a level head to every situation. His thoughtful approach was invaluable on trips like these, and he had often tempered Stryme’s brash plans in their youth.

  Stryme thought back to the days of his first hunt and wished yet again that Keylz had been with him on that trip. He wouldn’t have been so impulsive, and he wouldn’t have learned first-hand just how cruel humans could be. Stryme’s mouth drew into a line. Now that it was his choice, humans would never pass through fire giant territory again.

  Keylz nodded to his commander and friend. “Jacun ran across a human scout in the woods.”

  Stryme frowned. “Where is he now?”

  His second cracked a smile. “Jacun or the human?”

  Stryme looked at Keylz impatiently. Friend or not, Keylz’s attempts at humor were trying.

  Keylz coughed. “Jacun knocked him out and brought him back. We weren’t sure how you wanted to handle the situation.”

  Stryme turned to the convoy below. The giants had been too peaceful with the humans. Now their brethren to the west were fighting and dying to regain their land. Stryme would not see that happen here.

  Keylz interrupted Stryme’s thoughts.

  “Are we planning an attack?”

  Stryme turned back to his friend. His voice hard, he ground out, “We will show them the same mercy they showed me.”

  Keylz nodded and strode away briskly, shouting out orders to Stryme’s troop to mount up and prepare to leave.

  Stryme looked one last time at the arrogant humans who boldly crossed the valley below. His valley. Stryme clenched his fists, and his eyes blazed red. His previous warnings hadn’t been enough. The humans would now learn to fear a fire giant’s wrath.

  Elizabeth had switched with Sarah to sit by the window, and now she gazed out at the darkness falling outside. Fog trickled out from the forest now, and its tendrils reached out to the carriages, only to draw back as they passed through.

  Elizabeth sighed to herself. The others had nodded off, and she was left alone with her thoughts again. Her marriage would help her country, but what kind of a life was she riding toward? Her husband would likely shut her out from all discussions involving the country, just like her father had done.

  And this time there would be no sweet brother, no Nicholas, to stay up late with her poring over maps, explaining alliances and power struggles, and envisioning the future for their country.

  Suddenly, the carriage jerked to a stop, and Elizabeth went sprawling into the maids on the other side, waking them with startled cries. She pulled herself out of the tangled pile of bodies and skirts and peered out the window.

  Outside, the guards were shouting and pulling in close to her carriage. Light suddenly blazed from the back of the wagon line, accompanied by startled cries from the guards and the sounds of panicking horses.

  In the new light, Elizabeth spotted riders circling outside the protective group of her guards. It was hard to see into the shadows beyond the newly created glow, but the unknown riders appeared to be large, larger than any man.

  The giants had found them.

  One of the riders turned into the new light, and Elizabeth watched his eyes shine red. She gasped as he charged the line of guards and spitted a young lieutenant, who had just earned his spurs, on his sword.

  To the lieutenant’s side, the captain tried to strike a blow across the giant’s extended arm, but the giant’s horse, well-trained, let out a whinny and shied away from the captain, pulling his rider out of reach.

  Elizabeth watched guards exchanging blows with the giants. The captain was now battling a giant with a bone necklace and seemed to be holding his own. In a deft move, he disengaged from the giant’s sword and spurred his horse around the gi
ant, cutting across the brute’s exposed back.

  His triumph was short-lived. His move had pulled him away from the carriages and out into the middle of the fight. A giant, bearing strings of sharp teeth around his neck, rode up behind him and dealt a killing blow to his mid-section.

  The captain swayed in his saddle for a moment, and his eyes connected with Elizabeth’s. His mouth moved, like he was trying to say something, but then he fell, and Elizabeth lost sight of him in the flickering light.

  All up and down the line, Elizabeth watched guards fall before the forceful blows of the giants. It was clear that the giants were winning.

  She and her companions were doomed.

  Chapter 2

  Elizabeth pulled the curtain shut harshly, wishing she could block out the images in her mind as easily. She sat frozen for a moment, breathing shallowly.

  Sarah shook her shoulder. “What’s going on, out there, Lizbet? Are the giants attacking?” She tried to reach past Elizabeth and move the curtain to see outside, but Elizabeth couldn’t move, and her body prevented Sarah from getting close enough.

  A blood-curdling scream, accompanied by a guttural roar, rang through the air, and Sarah shrank back from the window, her eyes wide. The roar shook Elizabeth out of her stupor. She moved to the other side of the carriage and peeked out of the opposite window. The giant’s attack seemed focused to one side. If the women could get out of the carriage and make it into the woods…

  “Everyone!” She turned around to face the others. Esme was starting to hyperventilate, and all of the women displayed pale and frightened faces. Elizabeth took Esme’s hands and looked each woman in the eye. “When I open this door, I need you to run into the woods. Run into the woods and hide.”

  Sarah interrupted. “Hide from what, Elizabeth?”

  Elizabeth hesitated. If she told them exactly what she had seen, she might not be able to get them out of the carriage.

  “The guards are holding off some bandits, but we need to hide in case any of the bandits make it past them. We’ll be able to come back out when the guards secure the area.”