Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Since the progression arrived late into the day, there was no formal dinner. The royal family ate with the Duke and Mikhail in the Dukes private family chambers. Avalyn hadn’t much time to really explore her room since arriving. She had settle the Duke down with tea in his sitting room then needed to clean up for dinner. Though Avalyn believed that the Duke’s tea turned into brandy by his shift in attitude by dinner. Avalyn could tell Mikhail’s no-nonsense attitude came from his father. While quite a bit more humorous the Mikhail, he didn’t believe in social platitudes. He spoke of things as they were, rather than how hey ought to appear. Avalyn enjoyed his conversation immensely. Mikhail though seemed to be growing more tense as the evening wore on, or rather, as his father became increasingly drunk.

“As of which I still don’t understand why you play these silly games with the nobles anyhow. They don’t really need an excuse to participate in a tournament.” Avalyn noticed the shift in atmosphere. Mikhail seemed to being trying to send a nonverbal message to his father while her own stiffened.

“You think my marriage is an excuse?” Avalyn wasn’t sure how she felt about his remark. It stung a bit like an insult.

“The others who are trying to win your hand will feel a fool! To think if they work and win many competitions they’ll have a real chance at winning the princess as his bride when she was already given away? Of course. Though, I can say, for those who refused to take a no from the King, to be so publicly embarrassed…” He chuckled into his glass and took another swig, “That I can see being quite fun.”

“Father, I think you’ve had enough to drink.” Mikhail gently tried to confiscate his fathers glass but received a swat instead.

“Bugger off, boy. I decide when I’ve had enough.”

“Who is it I’ve been given away to?” Avalyn’s heart pounded furiously. This man was a recluse these last few years. He was ill informed. But by the change in demeanor of the others in attendance…

“Don’t mind him my love, he’s hurting and confused.” Her father leaned over and whispered to her, rubbing his thumb in soothing circles over the back of her hand. She sighed and returned her father’s smile.

The duke barked, Mikhail had finally managed wrestle away his fathers glass, “Confused? Are our children no longer to be united?”

Avalyn watched her father’s face turn to stone. There room was dead silent except for the crackling of the fireplace. She willed him not to look at the Duke and confirm what he said, but he did. His eyes glinting dangerously. She looked to Elise who hid her face in her hand, as if she had known this would happen. Avalyn looked to the Duke, who no longer was angry but guilty.

“I-I-I forgot we weren’t supposed to say anything, Avery.” He said gruffly.

Her throat closed on her air, her father had lied to her? Kept a secret? Her eyes finally moved to Mikhail beside her. He was breathing hard, staring intently at everything except for her.

“You knew.”

He flinched. His eyes closed as if she had screamed rather than whispered. He finally met her eyes. “Yes, I knew.”

She studied him as she tried to decide what to do with that information. He was sullen, his eyes seemed to glow with remorse. And he seemed almost small. Her heart hurt. She had believed them to be friends but it seemed she had been wrong. Not wanting to say anything rash or make a scene, she threw her chair back and got up to leave, Mikhail tried to follow, “Ava, please-”

Avalyn ripped her hand out of his, a thousand accusations and hurtful words crossed her mind but she couldn’t let them cross her lips, “Good evening, Lord Knight Commander.” She spun on her heel and marched out. She would throw her fit when she got back to the privacy of her room, but she couldn’t stop the burning in her eyes as she made her way.

Mikhail felt as if he had been slapped in the face. They had gotten close, she had started turning to him for help. Exposed her feelings in front of him. He witnessed those walls come back up before his very eyes. Had called him by his title. He wanted to be angry at his King but he had a choice, as he was coming clean, he could have told her then. He had a number of chances, and he never did.

“I’ll speak with her, son.” The King stood, reaching out to him. Mikhail bowed quickly and followed Avalyn out of the room. He was standing outside her door, he could hear her sniffling inside. He knocked and it went silent on the other side.

“Ava, will you talk to me?” After a moment he added a quiet, “please?”

That perfected porcelain mask was in place when the door opened, “yes?”

Mikhail’s eyes flickered either side of her door towards her guards, “May I come in?”

“Now you ask?” He felt himself get a bit sheepish, her brow raised and she stepped out of the way.

He walked in and she shut the door behind him, “what do you want?”

He looked around the room. It was whit, as the rest of the castle was. But the room was gilded in gold and draped in dark blue velvet, “to talk?”

“You have something to share now? Now that it’s been revealed you’re a liar?”

“I never lied to you and I only just found out myself.” Mikhail shored himself up after he spilled that. He had never put himself in such a defensive position before. He really didn’t much care for it.

“You lied by omission, Mikhail! You spilled all of your secrets to me the other night, did you know then?”

“Yes I did but-“

“But nothing, you have made it all very-“ another knock at her door. She scowled angrily at it. Figuring who was behind it.

She ripped the door open, her father looking too at ease, or rather he wasn’t going to put up with her tantrum, “Excellent timing.” He walked in before she could truly give him the space to do so. He took a seat on one of her couches.

“I wouldn’t get too comfortable, you aren’t welcome here and you won’t be staying long.” She snapped at her father. Before he could open his mouth she started speaking to Mikhail again.

“At the very least, I thought that you and I were finally,” She stopped to collect herself as she felt her eyes sting with tears, “at the very least friends. But with what you have revealed and by what you withheld you have made it very clear to me. Your orders from him will always be more important than your relationship with me.”

Mikhail attempted to stop he course of thought, but she carried on, “He will not be your sovereign for long. I am your soon to be Queen, supposedly to be your life’s companion and it was me you lied to. Is this how it is going to continue to play when I have ascended? You take orders from the King Father behind my back? Am I to remain the puppet you both played me as?”

“You are taking this too far!” Her father snapped, finally standing, trying to loom over her, “The only reason it was kept secret was because your mother wanted it so-“

“Horse shit! You sold me like cattle to Rossiya making sure they get their royal tie Avalon. You think me stupid. You have a son, making it a lot easier to appease the deal and have your true heir for the throne since I’ll dead after birthing his heir before ever getting to take my place on the throne!”

Avery stepped back as if he had been slapped. The table ornament Mikhail had been nervously playing with shattered in his hand, without a word he ran out of the room. Her father had gone dead white.

“How could-“ he choked on his words, tears had filled his eyes. They wouldn’t make her sympathetic. Both of their mother’s had died because of child birth. One just took a little longer than the other. She was built just like her mother, the likelihood of her dying during child birth was extremely high. She couldn’t control herself anymore. Tears streamed freely down her face.

“Get out! Get out! GET OUT!” She raged. She collapsed where she was and sobbed. She hadn’t truly dared put to thought her fears about getting married. What it implied. None of it was fair.

She wasn’t certain how much time had passed when she managed to calm herself enough to catch her breath. With a glance about the room, she collected herself up off the floor and made her way to her trunk at the foot of the bed. She found a spare handkerchief and cleared her nose. She knew she had to look a mess.

When her face was washed, she grabbed the leather satchel Mikhail had given her and walked out to read in the garden. She found a bench away from the castle to see the sky better. Dusk had recently set and the evening sky ranged from the darkest blue to soft pink. Only the brightest stars shined. She rubbed the soft worn leather in-between her fingers. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes as thoughts of Mikhail overwhelmed her mind. Confused about how she had felt about him. All she wanted was some time, and she spoke rashly, albeit true when he came to her. Her thoughts were interrupted as howling picked up in the woods. Quickly followed by more haunting voices. Avalyn was surprised by how wide spread they all were.

Avalyn had been reading for nearly an hour when she heard someone arguing with the guards. She sat up on the bench and put out her small ball of light to see better. Mikhail shoved one of the guards arms off of him as he stumbled away from them. He was drunk. She wasn’t sure what to make of that realization. He walked through the garden, often glaring at the sky. He was making his way to the far side, away from her. He cast a disdainful look about then walked into the forest.

She couldn’t control the drop of her jaw. The drunken idiot walked unarmed into the forest in the dead of night.

Avalyn dropped her book on the bench and ran after him. Stopping out at the forest edge she called out to him. There was no reply. How far could he have possibly gone?

“Mikhail!”

Again there was no reply. She looked into the black forest with trepidation and made casted a glance at the castle. The guards couldn’t hear her from here. Mikhail might be a good warrior, but he was drunk. She bit her lip and cupped her hands together to create an orb of blue fire. She lifted it and let it hand in the air behind her and stepped into the creepy, dark forest. She walked for a minute before she called to Mikhail again. There was a slight path. Used enough that it led somewhere. She sighed and continued. She wasn’t sure how long she followed when she finally heard rustling.

“Mikhail?” She whipped around. Her orb reflected the white eyes of a wolf. As the yelped in surprise, the the eyes flinched and backed away. With her hand to her chest, she took steadying breaths and giggled. “You scared me little guy.” Mentally she reached out to touch the creatures mind but it was wrong. The wolf took a brave step forward, his nose coming into the light, the white reflected eyes changed to yellow as he stepped closer. Then his head came up. And up, and up. Avalyn felt her blood turn to ice as she watched the wolf rise on his back legs and stand to his full height, nearly two feet over her head.

She hadn’t been hearing wolves sing. They’d been werewolves. She tried desperately to think of what she knew about werewolves but nothing was coming to mind. The creatures lips pulled back, showing big teeth and he snarled. Deepening to an earth shaking growl. He lunged. She screamed and fell backwards. Roots rammed in her back, jarring her bruised back, but the creature wrapped his clawed hands around her ankles and pulled. She clawed at the dirt, trying to get away. She kicked at his hands and he snapped at her face. He yanked her closer, his claws racking her coat. He yelped as she landed a kick to his nose. His hold on her released as he pawed his nose in pain. With him distracted, she made an attempt to run. Avalyn turned fully onto her hands and knees. Making a mad scramble for it. But the werewolf recovered quickly. An earsplitting roar deafened her.

Something hit the werewolf so hard the concussion flattened her. She turned to see but her light had gone out. Dirt was kicked up, and rocks hit her face. As the fighting got nearer, she curled up, wrapping her arms around her head. The fight moved over her and away. Half of her was telling her to take her chance and run for it, but the overwhelming part was frozen with fear.

The beating of her heart thumped loudly in her ear. Her breath seemed loud. It was then she realized that the fight was over and everything was silent. She relinquished her own head and pushed herself up from the fetal position. It seemed the beasts were gone. Avalyn let out a shakey breath. She still hadn’t found Mikhail, though it seemed incredibly unwise to call out for him. She brought her hands together to try and make her lantern but her hands were shaking so hard. After fisting them a few times she managed to steady her hands enough to make a real attempt. It was slow. The flame flickered before wrapping itself into a globe. It almost went out when she looked up and saw another wolf lying on the ground watching her.