The King's Wife

5

The city was bustling with life. Ismay saw wash maids cleaning bed sheets, the smell of baked goods tickled her nose, and the sounds merchants shouting out and of a blacksmith hammering away filled her ears. She couldn't understand how a city like this could stay so hidden. Ismay had seen no signs of civilization until the gates appeared before them. As they continued on their way to the castle Ismay wondered if Gabriel's people practiced magic.

Magic was rare in other parts of the realm. It was an aberration and relied too much on raw emotions to be safe. In the other kingdoms anyone born with the aberration was sent to the monasteries, their magic controlled and harnessed in a way that would serve their kingdom, yet harm none. The thought of magic being used freely here sent a shiver down her spine. She must not have been paying attention. All those longs hours of travel had made her remiss, Ismay told herself.

They passed another massive gate with thick stone walls and into a large courtyard. Ismay leaned to get more of a look at the castle before them. Towers sprouted from it, rising to impossible heights. Stone gargoyles dotted along the castle walls and the towers. They looked fierce against the growing shadows of the setting sun.

To call the castle breathtaking would do it an injustice in Ismay's opinion. "It's beautiful," Ismay breathed, unable to keep the awe out of her voice.

"I think so too," Gabriel replied, sounding almost wistful.

It caused Ismay to turn to look at him only to find he was watching her. Suddenly a strange sense of self-consciousness washed over her. She sat back down and smoothed her skirt. Just outside her window, a broad stone path guided them through the emerald green grass. It swayed softly in the gentle breeze. Almost a hundred feet from them stood the largest willow tree Ismay had ever seen in her life. It's branches hung low, reaching for the grass below it.

The carriage pulled to a stop before a pair of enormous, dark, wooden doors. A carving of a large bear standing on its hind legs was on each door. Gabriel climbed out of the carriage, turning to offer her his hand. Feeling nervous once more, Ismay took the offered hand and stepped out of the carriage.

Servants appeared and began to remove the luggage from the back of the carriage. Where they had come from Ismay didn't see. One of the massive doors opened, revealing two men and a woman. One of the men was older than the other and Gabriel. His light brown shoulder length and pulled back away from his face. He had a similar broad build as Gabriel. His stance seemed too relaxed to be any kind of warrior. His light brown eyes were sharp, and Ismay was willing to wager that he didn't miss much.

The second man appeared to be a similar age to Gabriel. His build wasn't as broad, but Ismay could tell he was strong. His hair was dark, styled away from his face and at chin length. His muddied hazel eyes matched the woman next to him perfectly.

Slim and curvy with brown hair blanketed her bare shoulders. The woman wore a deep red dress with a bodice laced so tightly, Ismay wondered how she could breathe. Ismay would've called the woman beautiful if it wasn't for the expression she wore. It was as if she'd just eaten something repulsive and couldn't remove the taste from her mouth.

"I can't believe you did it. You married one of them," the younger man said with a touch of bitterness as he shook his head.

One of them? Ismay did her best not to frown. She took a surprised step back when he pulled the king into a hug which the king didn't hesitate to return. Smiling Gabriel told him, "Did you doubt my word when I told you, Hugh?"

"Of course he didn't," the woman said. "We'd all simply hoped you'd come to your sense beforehand." A sneer slid on her bright red lips, bringing her closer to ugly.