Seize the Day

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Summers in Aria are known for their warm, gentle weather and fierce windstorms. It wasn’t just the delightful smell of saltwater that the eastern winds brought; the warm temperature mixing with the cold, harsh winds of the north often created turmoil in our skies.

I cringed as the wind howled about the Lower Quarter and clawed at my legs like a ravenous animal. A thick cloud of grey hung over the sky, threatening the land below it with small droplets of rain. I maneuvered quickly up the gradual slope of the main road, avoiding eager peddlers and shabbily dressed beggars. Traveling up the road to the castle had become the norm for me, and the overpowering scent of herbs and dirt of the streets had left a permanent mark on my mind.

I tightened the royal cloak over my shoulders as another gust of wind blew through the city. I was going to return the garment to Clarice during our lesson today, but I was starting to regret the decision as the fierce tempest roared through the streets. Squeals of complaint arose from the shopping women; the skirts of their dresses revealed much more than the women were willing. I smirked. That was one reason I didn’t wear dresses.

I entered the marketplace, shoving past the nightmarish feeling that the mass of humans would devour me. I skirted a fruit stand and stopped at the sight of a familiar orange fruit. Persimmons. I blinked. Were they in season? Usually, they were sold in fall, not in summer. The memories that rushed back constricted my heart and I forced myself to keep moving.

In the kingdom square, there were just as many people, although there was an odd, nervous air about the crowd. The lack of jesters was palpable, but that didn’t surprise me. The jester had been executed this morning, as was evidenced by the guillotine that lay in the center of the square. I shivered, although I knew it wasn’t from the wind.

I followed the path that bordered the tavern and nearly tripped into a cloaked figure. “I’m sor—” I abruptly stopped when I saw who it was. “Titus?” I gaped at the prince, who was grinning sheepishly beneath the cowl of his hood.

“Actually, I was just coming to find you,” he said, “I—”

“Why?” I growled, lowering my voice. “I don’t see any guards with you. That’s dangerous!”

At that moment, movement from the corner of my eye captured my attention. Past the rambunctious behavior of the gamblers in the tavern, a figure dressed in a black cloak was hovering near one of the tables. Normally, that wouldn’t have been odd, but the entire demeanor of this figure sent chills down my spine. I couldn’t explain it, but something about him was…

Evil.

I started. Why had that irrational thought entered my mind? I gripped my mother’s pendant comfortingly, only to find it warm beneath my cloak. I shook my head. I was being foolish with these thoughts. I was being paranoid. And this stupid piece of jewelry was attracting too much body heat.

The figure abruptly whirled and exited the tavern. As close as he was, I was able to hear the clinking of jewelry before he disappeared from view.

“Lannie?”

I turned back to Titus. “Uh, sorry. I…”

“I’ve been trying to talk to you,” he said in irritation. “The reason I came is because Clarice told me that she was going to cancel her lesson today. So I was going to notify you. And…” I noticed his amber gaze flicker to the tavern, where men laughed and jostled each other as they gambled.

I gasped. “You were gambling!”

The look on his face said it all. “It was only a couple hundred gold coins!”