Chapter 5

Chapter

Five

T he Sea Raider King refused to sleep a moment longer after the second nightmare. He would not be tormented a moment longer.

At least not with visions of impending doom.

However, his thoughts remained very much doom and gloom. He preferred to be a man of action. He had his staff, and he knew his way around dozens of weapons. He could control the waves, yet he felt helpless. If he could, he would avoid war, but his curse hung over his head like a dark cloud that threatened everything good in his life.

As if he could outrun his thoughts, he climbed out of bed and began to pace. He was liable to wear a hole through the stone floor, but he could not stop himself.

"I wouldn't have thought that you wake before me."

He turned toward the bed as Karalyn sat up and yawned, her hand coming to cover her open mouth.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, hoping that at least one of them had.

"I did. No dreams at all, which is perhaps for the best."

He grunted.

"I thought we might seek out Elmer," she said. "I hope he is all right. I fear that since he made no mention of his being able to join the Guardians of the Air, my parents rejected him. Once I am queen, I will rectify that, although I do not know if he will accept then. He can be quite proud."

Elmer Mercer was one of Karalyn's friends that Harald had met. The fairy in question had a birth defect, a smaller wing, but Karalyn had fashioned him a silk lace half wing so that his wings were perfectly mirrored.

"He can fly as well as any fairy?" Harald asked.

"He has been practicing, and he is almost as fast as he should be."

The Sea Raider King narrowed his eyes. "Why do I feel as if I am missing details?"

Karalyn sighed. "Elmer does not like fighting under any circumstances, and to be a guardian, one has to know how to use weapons even if it has been for show because we have only known peace. Now, that is not the case, and I do not know if he had attacked to defend Fae Falls. Not that I would blame him if he had not! But he is shy to some extent, and he is good, almost too good, and he is not meant for wartime."

"I see," Harald said quietly.

"So if my parents saw reason like this, they would have discouraged him or even told him no, but I hope that by the time I am crowned queen and you my king consort, we will know peace again."

"And if we do not? If the war causes you to become queen before you are ready?"

He did not add that perhaps he had been made king before he had been ready. He had not wanted pomp and all of that, once he would have been crowned king as he had assumed that time, would come after his father had passed away, but his father lived yet, albeit as a bitter shell of a man, and his father had merely thrown him the crown.

Truth be told, by the tides, Harald still did not quite see himself as king.

"Are you hungry?" Karalyn asked, oblivious to his turmoil. "We can break our fast before we seek out Elmer."

She took his hand in hers, and as he gazed into her eyes, he realized he was wrong. She knew something was troubling him, and she was treating him with kindness to help him as much as she could until he was willing to confide in her that which was plaguing him.

He smiled despite himself. "We can see your friend now if you wish. I am not hungry."

That was the truth. The nightmares lingered in the back of his mind, leaching away his happiness and stealing his appetite.

"Come then." Karalyn started toward her balcony.

"Did you forget I can't?—"

Before he tumbled over the railing, she swept him into her arms.

"Thank the tide you are so strong," he mumbled.

She grinned. "I am more than ready to always catch you should you fall."

"And I will ensure you never drown."

She kissed him quickly, just a small peck, and they flew past fields of flowers, not anywhere near where the battle had been.

Fairies seemed to be busy somewhat, flittering about, although he could not tell what it was they were doing.

One in particular altered course and flew up to them. Eliana Backen, another one of Karalyn's friends.

"You two look quite cozy here," Eliana said, grinning broadly. "Married life treating you well?"

"I suppose," Karalyn joked, smirking at Harald.

He grunted. "I do not like to be carried when I have two capable legs."

"Oh. Well… Fine." Karalyn lowered them to the ground, and he jumped out of her arms.

"Come now," Eliana scolded the princess. "You have to consider the man's dignity!"

"I meant no offense!" Karalyn protested. "Harald knows that."

"What Harald wants, though, is for there to be a means for the sea raiders to alert those of us here in Fae Falls if something is amiss," he said, turning serious. "And once we are down in Tridor, we need a means for the fairies to alert us to any pressing matters up here."

"We can fly back and forth," Eliana started.

"Something that can be seen at a glance would be better," Harald argued.

"You do make a good point," Karalyn allowed. "Your staves allow you to control the water, but to go up the falls…"

"It's a brutal, long, and arduous undertaking, and I did not even manage the entire way up."

"You could have if I had given the chance and hadn't been impatient," Karalyn said loyally.

That might or might not have been the case, but he appreciated his wife sticking up for him.

"If you plan on being here for some time, I can go down to Tridor," Eliana suggested. "We have guards by the falls already, but a subtle attack might not be visible from such a distance."

"Would you?" Karalyn asked, clasping her friend's hand. "I wouldn't ask that of you."

"I do not mind. I know a few sea raiders from the wedding feast."

Too few. Hardly anyone from Tridor had attended. Harald felt worse and worse. His people hadn't witnessed his wedding or his coronation. He was not spending enough time down there, and the sylph, manticores, and wyverns seemed to be content to remain in Skyemoor at least for the time being.

Given that the shapeshifters of Theriana had been trying to trick other species and the elves from Ashelin were being rather suspicious, and the dark dwarves, draugar, and banshees seemed to be rising up from Darum, their kingdom beneath the other two kingdoms… and all of that was happening beneath Fae Falls and Skyemoor and across the sea from Tridor…

Harald felt as if they should not have left his kingdom so hastily.

"If you need me," Eliana was saying, "have the guards by the falls fly up to form an ‘X.' I will return at once, unless you should send someone to replace me."

"The winds be kind to you," Karalyn whispered as the two fairies embraced.

"You be kind to her too," Eliana told Harald.

He laughed. "You should be telling her that."

"True. Karalyn, be kind to your husband."

"I am!" Karalyn protested.

Eliana and Harald both laughed before the fairy flew off.

"I am nice to you," Karalyn continued as they pressed on.

"For the most part."

"Nicer than you certainly."

"Must everything be a competition to you?"

"No," she said. "I would never ask you to a race. I am not used to so much walking."

"No? The grass and flowers wouldn't help you run faster somehow?"

"I would never step on a flower!" she protested.

"You are changing the subject, I think."

"I am not!"

"Is it much farther to Elmer?" he asked.

"Now you are the one changing… Not too far."

She approached a tree fashioned into a house and knocked. "No answer. Hmm. He might have gone to the lake. Will you come with me?"

"Where else would I go?"

They had only just arrived at the lake, where many fairies were gathered about, when a fairy in golden armor hurried over.

"Princess!" he called.

"Yes?" Karalyn said warily.

Harald was just as wary. The guard appeared distressed.

"Eliana explained the signs to us before she flew down, and she already has given one."

"What is it?" Harald demanded.

The guard eyed him. "The mermaids. Something is going on with them."

Karalyn nodded and reached for Harald, but the guard moved in front of him.

"I can fly you there and be ready to assist in case it is ill news," he offered.

Harald gritted his teeth. Why couldn't he sprout wings of his own?

Dover Risley, one of Harald's oldest friends, was waiting immediately beside Eliana, who hovered on the sand of the banks of Tridor.

"The mermaids, they've attacked a longship off the east coast," Dover said. "I wanted to go out and help, but Maggie wouldn't let me."

"Whose ship?" Harald demanded.

Dover turned pale.

"Do not make your king as you again," Harald ground out.

"Bernal took out a longship, and…"

Harald froze.

Maggie Brome was another friend, strong and tough like the sea. Bernal Joulon tended to be quiet, but his council… Harald needed him if he was going to be the Sea Raider King that their people needed.

Dover tended to like to regal them with tales of their grand adventures, but Dover wasn't exaggerating with any of this. If Maggie wouldn't brave the waters to help Bernal…

"Why hadn't Maggie gone out with Bernal in the first place?" Harald asked.

"Things have been a bit… trying…" Dover said quietly.

"We were just here," Karalyn protested. "Why didn't anyone say anything?"

"We can find out why the sea raiders have apparently gone mute later," Harald snapped. "Fetch Elton and see if Maggie will come. Rosella too. If not, hurry back. We leave as soon as I get Stormbreaker ready."

Dover hurried off.

"Stormbreaker?" Karalyn repeated.

"My longship."

"Can she really break storms?"

"Our staves can help us to control the water, but our longships do what we tell them to do. For the most part. The wind, the weather, storms… there is much and more that can cause issues."

"Like mermaids," Karalyn murmured.

He grinded his teeth. Elton Erewaker would joke under just about any conditions, but not now, and Rosella would be cursing the entire time, but she would have their backs no matter what.

She would die fighting to save them even if they were all doomed to find a watery grave.

Harald should go to his ship, but he hesitated a moment. His wife looked scared but determined.

"What do you need from me?" she asked softly.

"We will try to handle this ourselves," he said, his tone firm. "I just…"

"You look frustrated. That Maggie didn't go with Bernal?"

"With the mermaids! They normally keep to themselves! Why are they righting us? The sirens did previously, but that was because…"

"Mayhap it is the timing of the attack that is the key," Karalyn murmured. "We are married. All of Tridor knows—the sea raiders, the sirens…"

"And the mermaids," he finished grimly.

"Your kingdom is mine to protect, just as mine is. We will not stand for this."

He held out his hand. "United."

She accepted it and squeezed it tightly. "Always."