Chapter 3

Chapter

Three

H arald took Karalyn's hand in his.

"Now that you told Rosella to spread the news…" Karalyn squeezed his hand. "What do you want us to do?"

"I thought we could tell my father personally."

"Of course," she said. "Lead the way."

The King of the Sea Raiders hesitated a moment. His father had given up his crown without a formal ceremony, so would he still be at the castle?

"Harald?" his wife called softly.

He gave her a broad smile. "Your beauty overwhelmed me for a moment," he said smoothly.

"You lie."

"You doubt your own beauty?" he asked pointedly.

"You were not distracted by my beauty."

"Why would you think otherwise? Your hair is as golden as the sun. All that is missing is a flower behind one ear as you oft have. Perhaps…" He looked about on the sand and secured a long sea shell that tapered to a point. "There," he said once he affixed it behind her left ear.

"You flatter me, but there is no need," she said firmly.

"So you say. We have both wounded the other in the past, and perhaps I still feel as if I must make amends."

"That is preposterous, and so are you," she retorted. "You do not need to lie to me or cover up or whatever it is that you are doing." Her eyes widened before she narrowed them, her brow furrowed. "You are the one stalling now!"

"I would never. I was distracted?—"

She tweaked his nose. "Very well. You were distracted."

"Indeed." He winked at her.

"Distracted by thinking up how to stall."

He sighed. "Infuriating to the end."

"Did you think that my personality would magically change because you claim to love me?"

"I do not claim to love you!"

She lifted one shoulder, which did not conceal her smirk as she winked at him.

She was stalling now for his sake.

Infuriating yet adorable.

Hand in hand with her hovering slightly above the sand, they made their way to the castle. Harald breathed a bit easier when the grand structure came into view. He had no fear that it had suffered any damage in his absence, but it was still a relief to see his home.

Was it still his home? Once they were certain the war was over and that her curse and his were no longer a threat, would they live in Tridor? Or in Fae Falls? What about their future children? Now that he had grown fond of her, he assumed children would occur sooner rather than later, but where would they live?

Why hadn't his parents thought about that when they first sought for the two to become engaged?

Harald guided Karalyn around the castle to the back. His father sat in a chair, looking out at the sun, his head down. As they approached, his father did not stir. Was he sleeping?

Karalyn glanced at Harald as they came to a stop before his father.

Harald cleared his throat. "Father?"

His father sighed but did not lift his head.

"I am here with my wife," Harald said.

"What do I care?" his father grumbled.

A fit of rage washed over Harald, but he shoved the emotion far down within him. "Karalyn and I sought to tell you that Kingdom of the Skies' attack on Fae Falls failed. The war might be over just like that. We will have to see that the elves and shapeshifters and those who live underground remain on their land, but perhaps our combined might will be enough for them to stay their hands."

His father grunted. "I gave you my crown. You have the castle. You are married now. What more do you want from me?"

Harald flared his nostrils. The stink of alcohol on his father's breath was not enough to cover the reek of his body. When had his father last washed himself?

Karalyn placed a hand on Harald's shoulder and tilted her head toward the castle. He nodded to her, and off she went.

Now alone with his father, Harald knelt down so that his father had no choice but to see him. "You do not have to feel any?—"

"You do not need to tell me what to feel or do or say," his father said, his tone surprisingly devoid of emotion. "Leave me. At least your wife has the sense to recognize that I wish to be alone."

Harald hung his head "Father?—"

"Go."

"Father, you wanted me to?—"

"What I want now is solitude," his father snapped. "Are the sea raiders doomed? Seeing as their king has no ears that work and clearly no brain inside his skull if he cannot understand and accept what he is being clearly told repeatedly."

Gritting his teeth, Harald stood, his spine so stiff and straight that his back ached. For a long moment, he stared down at his father, the cruel shell of a man that he was now, before he hardened his heart and walked away.

His father had made his choice. He would rather throw away the rest of his life and wallow in his grief than live and help his son through a possible war that might not be over despite his hopes.

And that was not to mention the curse he might be under.

Who placed the curse upon Karalyn? The same to curse him as well or another? How or why? To what end?

The lack of answers was unnerving, but not so much as the fact that he remained ignorant of his own curse.

He found Karalyn waiting for him at the back door of the castle. Her feet touched the sand, her toes curling in it.

"So gritty," she murmured, eyeing him.

"Do you like the feel of it?"

"I do not know." She gave an embarrassed laugh before growing serious. "Harald…"

"I do not wish to speak of my father," he said firmly.

"You might not wish to speak of him, but we should," she said, her tone sharp. "I am sorry that he wants nothing to do with me?—"

"With us," he corrected. "He wants nothing to do with me either. For so long, he wished for us to be together, and when I told him we agreed to be wed, was he overjoyed? No, only furious that I had not told my mother before she died because it would have brought her much happiness."

"Is there anything we can do to help him?"

"I doubt it," he said.

She clung to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and laying her head upon his shoulder. "I am sorry."

"You should not be apologizing for the actions of another," he said.

"If my going and talking to him will help?—"

"It won't. Do not bother."

Harald didn't want to look upon his wife's face, but she cupped his cheek and turned him toward her. In her eyes, he saw so much compassion and love that he struggled for a moment to breathe.

That look…

That had to be the kind of love that would ruin a person if that love failed.

But surely Karalyn was stronger than his father? Was he stronger?

He had to be, as did she.

The two of them were both fighters. Whatever mountain they had to climb, they would reach the summit.

Well, perhaps that was a poor metaphor, given that Karalyn had wings and was strong enough to carry him while flying. He must believe in them.

And he did.

Which frightened him just the same.

They opted to spend the night in the castle there on Tridor, but neither he nor Karalyn could sleep. The sun had barely begun to rise when they broke their fast. Little was said, but they were in agreement that, for now at least, they should return to Fae Falls.

And so they left behind Westerly Preston and the sea raiders even though a part of Harald hated to do so. His own people did not accept his wife, but beneath the anger this brought on was fear.

What if his people did not think he was ready to be their king? What if they preferred his father? After all, for nearly his father's entire reign, the sea raiders had known peace.

It proved much more difficult for Harald to use his magic to go up the falls. He only managed to venture up a short distance—a pathetically short distance—before Karalyn swept him into her arms and carried him up. The moment they reached Fae Falls, he jumped out of her arms.

Her smile was small. He did not like any sign of weakness, and perhaps she understood that.

"We should go to the castle," Karalyn said.

"I thought perhaps a slight detour first."

"Oh?" She canted her head to the side. "Where do you have in mind?

He took Karalyn's hand and headed to the east. The king did not stop until they reached a small pond surrounded by lush greenery.

From one of the caves formed into the shrubbery, rustling sounded, just as it had occurred the first time Harald had sought out the seers.

Karalyn glanced at Harald. He nodded to her.

Three seers, two female, one male, eyes wholly white. It was a bit unnerving to look at them.

"Princess Karalyn, King Harald, we are most pleased to see you," the tallest one in the center said.

A slow smile spread across Harald's face. If that is the case, then perhaps they would be willing to share some of what they had seen.

Before he could ask a single question, the male uttered, "Many others are not quite so pleased about your union or what it means for Evermore."

"We already knew that," Harald joked.

"What can you tell us about the war?" Karalyn asked. "Anything you are willing to share will help us greatly."

The seers fell silent.

Harald suppressed a groan. The seers were not being cooperative already.

Regardless, Harald pressed, "I would very much like to know the nature of my curse," he prompted.

But neither his asking nor Karalyn prompted the seers to speak on this matter. Indeed, they said no more, soon slinking back into their caves and leaving Harald to reflect on what they had so.

Many were not happy that he and Karalyn had wed. As for what their union meant for Evermore, were they hinting that the war was not over after all?

If some of the sea raiders did not accept Karalyn and the fairies as allies, was there any good that could come from their wedding?