The Heir Read online

  Luana was in disbelief, she searched the Queen’s face for the answers to the questions that flowed through her mind. “Why? If you encouraged our friendship, why did you allow us to be torn apart?”

  Baylin’s mother looked down at her hands. “Because, as I said, I am a woman who loves a King of Grasmere. Once Lord Cadman had gotten involved, I knew my good husband would not resist him. Though I have tried over the years to keep you in Baylin’s thoughts.”

  Luana looked up at the Queen. “I… I don’t understand.”

  “I have had certain confidants check in on you from time to time for me. Making sure you were cared for,” the Queen informed. “Even back then, I knew Baylin would be a man when the anniversary of the Battle of Embers took place. When he found you as a child, I held the hope he could know the joy of love through the building of a relationship, instead of the arranging of one.”

  “So you… you encouraged his affections?” Luana asked, taken aback.

  Valasca took the young bed wife’s hand in her own. “Baylin came to me the morning after the Harvest Celebration. I knew then he still cared for you after all this time. Love and happiness; that is all I have ever wanted for my son.” She placed her hand on Luana’s round belly. “As a mother, you will understand that all too well.”

  “But I don’t understand why you could not have convinced the King to allow Baylin and me to stay friends when we were children. I have seen you stand up to Lord Cadman; the King even allowed it.” Luana knew she was pushing. She was speaking in an unguarded tone, which was not done in the castle. I must know.

  “That’s the thing about family and bloodlines,” Valasca said in a sad tone. “The Keld men are loyal to their family, to the bitter end.”

  Luana gazed at the empty hearth sadly. Which means Baylin will do as his father instructs. He will marry Princess Isla.

  The Queen reached out and stroked Luana’s long silver-blonde hair. “It is not an easy thing, to love the future King of Grasmere. But I can tell you this, my dear. He loves you.”

  “Yet tradition dictates that he is not mine to love,” Luana said as tears began to form in her eyes. She fought to keep them from flowing. “He will marry the Princess, and she may cast me out as she pleases.”

  Luana realized she spoke out of turn. She felt so comfortable in the presence of Baylin’s mother that she had forgotten herself. “Your Grace, apologies, I should never…”

  “It is all right, my dear.” Valasca patted Luana on the cheek. “I understand, truly I do. As women we must always make sacrifices for the men we love.”

  Luana nodded softly, a tear running down the side of her cheek. “And I must do my duty.”

  The Queen cupped Luana’s chin and gave her a warm, loving smile. “Baylin loves you, dearest, do not give up hope. I believe he will fight for you, even against his father and uncle.”

  That little bit of hope grew in Luana’s heart. Is she saying Baylin may not marry Isla?

  “Your Grace, why have been so kind to me?” Luana asked. “It is in your nature, of course, but I’m merely a bed wife. I am a commoner, not a princess, and not your future daughter.”

  She gave Luana a loving smile. “I know the trials of those chosen to be a bed wife.”

  “Apologies, Your Grace, but how?” Luana was confused. How could she possibly know anything about being a bed wife?

  “Many years ago,” the Queen began, “my great-grandmother was Queen during an anniversary of the Battle of Embers. She had to endure what she felt was the humiliation of her husband taking a bed wife. If you can imagine, it was made worse because the King, my great-grandfather, admitted to loving his bed wife dearly.”

  Luana could not contain a small gasp that escaped her lips. Her eyes grew wide in disbelief.

  Valasca continued, “It so happened that the bed wife, once with child, grew very ill and almost lost the baby. My great-grandmother could not help but feel pity for the woman. So she stayed by her side and nursed her back to health.”

  “Did she have the baby?” Luana asked.

  “Yes,” the Queen replied. “A boy, a son for the King and an heir for Keld line.”

  “And? Did your great-grandmother cast her out of the Kingdom?” Luana asked nervously.

  “No.” Valasca smiled at her. “No, she did not.”

  Luana’s eyes grew large in astonishment. “But you said she felt humiliated by the woman.”

  “She did, at first,” Baylin’s mother replied. “When my great-grandmother nursed the bed wife back to health, they developed a mutual respect for one another. They became friends.”

  Luana looked down at her hands in her lap. “I could never be friends with Princess Isla, Your Grace.”

  “I would not ask you to, dearest.” Valasca softly laughed. “We are not all so blind to her true nature.”

  Luana looked back up at her and smiled. It helped her to know that she was not alone in seeing the Princess for what she was. Taking her attention back to the story, she asked, “So what happened to them both?”

  “Well, a few months after the bed wife had her son, my great-grandmother became with child,” the Queen explained. “When it was time to have the baby, she requested the bed wife be by her side. This, of course, as you can imagine, was unheard of. But she, like yourself, was strong willed and cared little of the rules and laws that attempted to bind her. The delivery was difficult. My great-grandmother had been in labor for a day and a night. Handmaids came and went, physicians too, but the bed wife stayed by her side.”

  The Queen stared down at Luana’s stomach for a few moments.

  “Your Grace?” Luana murmured. “Are you okay?”

  The Queen lightly nodded her head, gathering her composure. “Oh, yes, my dear.”

  “May I ask what happened, Your Grace?” Luana replied.

  “Yes,” Valasca said. “After two days and two nights, she finally delivered a baby girl. The child was healthy, but the labor had taken its toll on my great-grandmother. She began fading fast. She requested that my great-grandfather be brought to her. When he arrived, with her final breaths, she made him promise to do right by the bed wife and marry her. She asked the bed wife to care for their child as her own.”

  Tears welled in Luana’s eyes at the thought. As one escaped and fell down her cheek, Baylin’s mother reached up and wiped it away. “Do not cry, dearest. I am sure one day you will no longer be only his bed wife. He loves you. To him, you are already his Queen.”

  “What of the bed wife and the two children, Your Grace?” Luana asked, trying to hold back more tears that threatened to fall. “How does something like that effect the line of succession?”

  “Well, as you can guess, the baby girl born to my great-grandmother was my grandmother. The baby boy was treated as though he were a trueborn heir, so he was a distant uncle.” The Queen sighed. “It’s funny how these histories are so often forgotten.”

  Luana had to agree with the Queen’s statement. If only the King could see that now, I would no longer be a prisoner and Isla would have no claim to Baylin.

  “I fear I have tarried too long. You need your rest. I will go, my dear.” The Queen rose and began to leave the room.

  Luana, remembering the letter, called out to the Queen. “Your Grace!”

  Queen Valasca turned. “Yes, my dear.”

  “Is there any way you can ensure my Prince receives this?” Luana presented her with the sealed letter. “I fear it will not be delivered if it is known to be from me.”

  The Queen gave an amused smile. “Do not worry. I will make sure it arrives in my son’s hands.”

  After Baylin’s mother left, Luana could not help but think on the words the Queen had placed in her heart. He will fight for me; for us.

  Chapter Ten

  The battle to retake Mirstone continued. The armies of Mirstone and Grasmere had joined forces and succeeded in pushing the troll forces back up into the mountains, but Baylin knew that would not last.

 
The first rays of morning’s light had begun to creep over the horizon as the young Prince of Grasmere waited in his tent for the company of Lord Cadman and his generals to discuss battle plans.

  Baylin paced the ground. The trolls are biding their time. The creatures were nocturnal— darkness and shadows their friends. The trolls had taken their army by surprise during the last new moon and almost succeeded in overthrowing his men. Another new moon will be upon us in a month. He was certain they would strike again.

  The morning air blew in as Lord Cadman opened the flap of the tent and entered, causing the candlelight to flicker against the walls of the tent.

  “Cadman.” The Prince gritted his teeth at the sight of him. His uncle was a vile creature who could not be trusted. Baylin did not want to be in the field with him, but he knew it was required.

  “My dear nephew,” Cadman replied, sitting down at the council table. “How are you faring? It must be such a heavy burden to bear—battling a war, planning a wedding, having a child. How on earth do you cope?” His voice thick with sarcasm. “I was certain we could have had this resolved and had you back home by now. That is, had you taken my advice.”

  “These are my men, Cadman.” Baylin slammed his fist down on the table in front of his uncle. “I would not have you lead them if you were the last royal born left in all five Kingdoms.”

  “My Prince, of course I am only thinking of you.” Cadman wore a sly grin. “It is no secret your bed wife has begun to have a difficult time during her pregnancy. It is not unheard of that a woman should perish when giving birth to a son especially.”

  “Mind your tongue,” Baylin growled through gritted teeth.

  “Well, I merely thought you would want to spend her last months by her side instead of in the field,” Cadman spat.

  “Silence!” Baylin shouted, grabbing his uncle by the cuff of his tunic and pulling him out of the seat. “I forbid you to speak of Luana.”

  From behind him, the Prince felt the breeze as the tent flap opened. He turned his head and saw his generals, including his best friend, Ferric, standing in the opening. Baylin released his grip on Cadman and said darkly, “You’ve been warned.”

  Baylin motioned for the men to be seated. “Come. Let us get on with this.”

  “Your Grace,” Ferric said as he sat at Baylin’s right hand. “Any news of the King?”

  Baylin looked at his friend sadly. “At last word, there has been no change. My father continues to recover, though it is still at a slow pace. Master Keon works night and day to speed the recovery.”

  Baylin’s heart ached at the thought. The King could very well die, as could I. The young Prince knew if anything were to happen to Luana and the baby, the Kingdom would go to Cadman. I can’t let that happen.

  “We need to dispense of the troll hordes once and for all. It’s our only hope for peace so we can finally free Mirstone and then we can return to Grasmere,” Baylin instructed.

  “Wait them out,” said Cadman. “They have nowhere to go but down, and we have them surrounded. They will starve or be cut down should they try to leave the mountain pass.”

  Many of the old generals muttered agreements with Cadman’s statement, which infuriated Baylin. These short-sighted old men would rather sit around and do nothing.

  “No,” called out Ferric. “The new moon comes again in a month. We will be covered in utter darkness and the trolls will be able to see what we cannot.”

  Baylin’s heart swelled at his friend’s words. At least there is one man I can trust.

  “Ferric is right,” Baylin said. “We must make our move before the next new moon. Each night we will lose more and more light. Once we are blanketed in darkness we will be blind and will have lost any advantage we may have had.”

  “What do you suggest, Prince Baylin?” asked one of the old men.

  Baylin was nervous. His plan was rash, and it could cost lives if it did not work in his favor. “Fire.”

  “Fire?” another old general repeated.

  “We burn them out,” Baylin explained. “We set the forest of the mountain ablaze and force them to take the mountain pass down.”

  “Are you mad?” Lord Cadman spat.

  “You dare speak to your Prince in such a way?” Ferric spoke in an enraged tone.

  “Enough!” Baylin boomed. “This will work if we do it properly.”

  “And how exactly do we execute this ludicrous plan without wiping out the Kingdom of Mirstone in the process?” Cadman growled.

  “We set the men to digging firebreak trenches.” Baylin pulled out a map of the land and laid it on the table. “Separate the camp and villages from the forest.” He pointed to the areas as he spoke. “As the fire spreads up the mountainside, it will burn until it reaches the snowcaps.”

  “So then what, my Prince?” a furry, grey-haired general grumbled. “We wait for them to burn?”

  “Yes,” Baylin said with confidence. “And those that don’t will have nowhere to go but down. They cannot possibly survive the frigid temperatures farther up the mountain. The fire will take them or we will cut them down, should they try to flee. We have them right where we need them in order to destroy them for good.”

  There was some mumbled discussion among the group of old men. Baylin looked to Ferric, who gave him a reassuring nod.

  The Prince finally interrupted the discussions. “My Lords, this will work. I am your leader, your future King. If you cannot trust my judgment on the battlefield, how can you say you trust me to one day rule our great Kingdom?”

  “How indeed?” Lord Cadman mumbled under his breath.

  Baylin glared at his uncle then turned his attention to the rest of the men. “What say you? Do you want to be written into history as the men who sat back and idly waited for the troll filth to leave? Or are you going to be the men who took up arms and obliterated the troll hordes from these lands once and for all?”

  The generals, excluding Cadman, boomed in agreement at Baylin’s words.

  “My Prince,” Ferric said, standing up. “Allow me to instruct the men to start on the trenches at once.”

  “Yes, thank you, my friend.” Baylin gave Ferric a strong pat on the shoulder to send him on his way.

  As the men filtered out of the tent, only Cadman remained behind. “You really think burning them out is going to…”

  “Your Grace,” said a young man as he entered the tent in a hurry. “Apologies, I have a letter from her Grace, Queen Valasca.”

  “Give me that.” Cadman walked over to the boy, attempting to grab the parchment from his extended hand.

  “I’m sorry, my Lord Cadman,” the boy said, pulling his hand back. “I have been instructed that it is to be placed in Prince Baylin’s hand, and his alone.”

  Cadman glared at the boy and looked at Baylin. “I have a right to any news from the Kingdom.”

  Baylin walked over to the boy and took the letter. “Thank you, son. Go get yourself some food and return later for my reply.”

  The boy scampered off as Baylin turned to face his uncle. “This is my Kingdom, and you will learn your place.”

  Cadman’s face turned red as his anger grew, however Baylin knew his uncle was too much of a coward to challenge him.

  “My Prince.” Cadman gave a deep, exaggerated bow, then left the tent, kicking a wood trunk as he went.

  Baylin gripped the letter and strode out of the tent into the camp. Everything around him reeked of war and was a constant reminder of how far away from home he was.

  He was not sure what the letter would tell him, but he feared to read it. Is Father worse or even dead? Is Luana unwell? Is Grasmere also under siege? The thoughts spun in his head. He mounted his horse and galloped out of the camp. His days had been filled with violence and the never-ending stench of death. I intend to receive whatever news the letter holds in peace and silence.

  As he rode, he spotted an uprooted tree that had been taken over by honeysuckle blossoms. The fragrance filled the air a
nd it reminded him of Luana. Dismounting his horse he turned it loose, allowing it to graze on the succulent green grass that seemed to be absent in the dusty camp. He walked over and sat down on the soft grass, leaning his back against the trunk of the tree. He slid his thumb under the paper lip, breaking the blue wax seal that had been placed to ensure no one else had read what was inside.

  Baylin opened the letter to find word from his mother, along with another sealed letter within.

  His mother’s letter read:

  Baylin,

  Your father continues to battle for his life against his ailment. He is strong, but I do not think he will be able to defeat this enemy. My son, you must prepare yourself, this will take his life, though when, I do not know.

  I have been to see Luana. The child grows daily, and she has begun to struggle. He will most certainly be strong like his father. She worries for you, as do I.

  Enclosed you will find a letter from her. I do not know what she has said, but I can tell you this, she loves you, my son. Do not give up hope.

  Mother

  He could almost hear his mother’s voice as he read the letter in his hands. She had always been the one to encourage him to follow his heart. And he knew she was telling him to do so now.

  He broke the wax seal on the letter from Luana and read it as he fought the hot tears that wanted to fall. He longed to have her in his arms again. He wanted to kiss her and tell her there was nothing to forgive. He wanted to see his son being brought into the world. He wanted to have Luana as his one and only wife. However, it all seemed so far away from him. He was here on the battlefield, and he did not know if he would succeed. His biggest fear was that he would leave his son fatherless and that he would never again be able to tell Luana he loved her.

  The Prince knew, however, that freedom came at a price, and he refused to have his son come into a world filled with war and uncertainty. I cannot think on these things now. I must finish this. He mounted his horse and galloped back to camp.