Haven: Chronicles of Warshard (2 page)

CHAPTER 2

“
T
oma really knows how to dance when he’s had a few glasses of wine,” Lareina
laughed.

When the four women entered Haven’s chambers at the end of the night, the mood was high amongst her ladies, and low with the new Queen. The festivities had been grand, amusing, intriguing and most certainly fit for a coronation. But Haven’s mind was elsewhere. Through all the luxury, there was something missing. She hadn’t realized what until she returned to her bedroom that evening, kicked off her heels and lay in
bed.

The young queen stared at the ceiling, her mind conjuring images of her deceased family. Part of her blamed them for leaving her with this burden. She couldn’t fathom taking care of an entire kingdom herself. Haven was never meant to be Queen, but the moment her mother fell in a pool of blood in the main courtyard, she knew it was her only
option.

“Queen Haven, are you
alright?”

Looking up at her friends, Haven wasn’t sure how long she’d been staring at the
ceiling.

“I’m fine, just tired.” She smiled faintly and sat
up.

“We’ll take our leave then,” Lareina said. Haven didn’t need to look at them to feel their worried gazes or hear their concerned
whispers.

Once the doors closed softly, Haven stripped off her dress and jewels before diving into the safety of her sheets. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw
blood.

Haven sighed and turned over. This time, when she closed her eyes, she saw brown curls and dazzling blue eyes tainted red. It had only been two weeks ago that the news had come of her family’s demise – and it had come on the bloody lips of her
mother.

That day Haven sat in the beautiful summer sunshine with Lareina, braiding her hair and laughing about something she couldn’t quite recall. It was one of her many days of leisure in the great castle. She loved watching the people of Rythern go about their days. There was such intricacy in how everything came together so
seamlessly.

Her bliss was soon shattered by a shout from the castle steps. Before Haven knew what had happened, Lareina jumped in front of her, sword drawn in a protective stance. What had everyone frozen in the courtyard wasn’t something she expected to
see.

Up the great castle steps limped her mother, Queen Denica Fyre. Blood soaked her riding clothes. Her left leg twisted at an awkward angle and a large cut ran diagonally across her
face.

“Mother?” Haven whispered. Her voice cut through the surrounding silence like shattered glass. She pushed Lareina aside and ran. Before Haven could reach her mother, Denica collapsed. Blood quickly pooled around her still body. Shouts echoed through the courtyard, but Haven hardly heard them. She fell to her knees beside Denica, soaking her skirts in red. Two daggers protruded from her mother’s back. Two pieces of obsidian had sealed two fates. “Mom?” She whispered, tears filling her
eyes.

Her mother’s face shifted slightly, tears trailing down her
cheeks.

“My love. My Haven,” she murmured. Haven bent to hear her, gingerly touching her shoulder and brushing her hair from her
face.

“Mom, what happened? Where is father? Why are you-” her voice
broke.

Denica’s lips curved slightly in a ghost of a smile. Her fingers twitched beside her face. She was trying to move and frowned when she couldn’t. This realization only made Haven’s tears come
faster.

“They killed everyone,” she whispered. “Your father, your brothers... all those soldiers. They’re all gone.” Suddenly her eyes widened at the recollection. Fear stole her gentle gaze. Haven tried to soothe her, but Denica only shook her head and continued. “You’ll be Queen now, my love. But you have to run. Haven, promise me you’ll run.” A cough wracked her mother’s body. Denica shook and crimson dripped from between her lips. “You have to run,” she repeated. “Promise
me.”

Haven slowly nodded. She couldn’t find the words any more than she could escape the blaze of blue fire in her mother’s
eyes.

“Run,” her mother repeated. Haven watched the light slowly fade from her eyes. “You have to run,” she whispered. “Promise me you’ll
run.”

“I promise,” Haven nodded and held her mother for the last
time.

Starting from the memory, Haven sat up in bed. She pushed back the tears that threatened, telling herself queens don’t cry and she had to be strong. She had to be strong for her – for her
mother.

Settling back into bed, Haven found sleep. She couldn’t help but wonder when being Queen would no longer be a death sentence, and if she’d ever see her family again. In her dreams she found hope. In the morning she prayed that hope would
remain.

“My Lady
Queen.”

Haven groaned, refusing to open her eyes. Surely it could not be morning already, her head still swam with
sleep.

“My Lady Queen, please rouse yourself at
once.”

Sighing, she opened her eyes to find Toma at her bedside. “Toma? What is
it?”

“There is to be a meeting, My Queen,” he said, bowing slightly before retreating to the door of her bed chamber. “We are expected at
once.”

“You know that you may call me Haven when we are alone, Toma,” she sighed, slipping from her sheets, the silk fabric calling for her return. She had told Toma time and time again and still he spoke as if a
stranger.

“Yes My—Haven,” he cleared his
throat.

Haven paused mid-stride to her dressing room. “Did you say there is to be a meeting?” she asked, peering out her window into the darkness of night. Hardly a single lamp lit the city below. “At this hour?” It was still many hours to
sunrise.

“It is a secret meeting, My
Lady.”

She turned to face him. “What sort of secret
meeting?”

“A meeting of Royals. We must make haste. We have a bit of a journey ahead of us,” he said. Taking a closer look, Haven recognized the nervous crease of his brow and anxious twitch of his eyes. She had never heard of secret royal meetings in the middle of night, but she supposed Royals had to meet
somehow.

Dressing quickly, Haven wore a simple navy blue dress and a dark grey cloak. She joined her adviser at the doorway to her chambers. “Toma, how are we to slip past my guards? Or the dozens of emissaries from the six kingdoms? If I am seen, surely they will wonder where the new Queen slips off to in the middle of the
night.”

A small smile flashed across Toma’s normally stoic face. “Secret tunnels for a secret meeting, My Queen.” Haven didn’t miss the glint of mischief in his
eyes.

“Secret tunnels?” She was honestly
surprised.

Toma nodded. “We must hurry, My Queen. I’m sure the others have long since arrived.” Haven agreed, and Toma stepped forward. “You may need this.” He handed her a long black
sheath.

“A
sword?”

“Just in
case.”

Haven met his gaze. She’d never been good with a sword and had abandoned her lessons long ago. He knew she could barely wield one, and yet here he was handing her a dangerous weapon. However, as she was unsure of their destination, she nodded in agreement. “Just in
case.”

Making haste, the two slipped quietly through the castle. Hidden passages behind paintings, statues, and thin walls made their escape almost effortless. Haven did her best to remember the route, repeating the directions over and over in her head as they went. She hoped for a future when she needn’t use the secret tunnels ever
again.

They emerged on the outskirts of her capital city, just beyond its stone walls. Not far from there, two horses awaited them amongst the trees. Haven recognized her beautiful stallion
immediately.

“Wren!” she gasped. Her beautiful white-snouted brown-haired stallion raised his head at their approach. He pawed the ground and bowed his head, causing Toma’s gentle black mare to stir. Haven closed the space between them and wrapped her arms around his thick neck. “I missed you,” she whispered into his mane. Wren snorted quietly in response. It had been awhile since she’d seen her beautiful horse. He wasn’t needed as much as when she was always trotting off to cause mischief with her brothers and sister. The memories caused a small ache in her heart. She so clearly remembered racing through the city streets side by side with her brothers. The sound of hooves pounding against cobblestone still made her grin from ear to ear. Shivering from the memory, Haven cleared the lump in her throat with a cough. Toma was right, they needed to move quickly. She mounted her
steed.

Moments later they were off, riding through a forest of tall spruce trees smelling of sap, and into the windswept grasslands. In the distance were hills, and beyond those, the snow-topped mountains of Calisa, the beautiful valley kingdom to the West. Toma pushed them onward, steering towards the distant peaks. Calisa was the kingdom closest to hers, with its capital built into the mountains itself. Haven had never seen it, but it was said to shine in the morning light, its smooth stone reflecting the sunrise, turning the city to fire. She couldn’t imagine a sight more beautiful than that, and hoped one day to see it for
herself.

The journey sent them racing through the hills, skirting villages, tree groves and rivers. Wren lent her his strength as they went, for her worry only grew. Now that she was wide awake, her mind was sharp in the cold night air. She had to wonder why a secret meeting of Royals had been called. There was always strife in the kingdoms and while the war had taken a pause after the death of her loved ones, she knew that peace couldn’t last
long.

It seemed sudden when the mountains appeared before them. Barely visible through the distant haze of Rythern, they loomed like sentinels up close. The horses slowed their pace when they began climbing the narrow mountain path, sending rocks careening loudly over the ledge to the drop below. Toma led the way, his mare Reyn moving with ease over the rough terrain. When they reached a small plateau, Haven recognized the soft sounds of horses
grazing.

“Halt.”

Toma brought them to a stop and Haven squinted in the dim light, trying to see who spoke in the
darkness.

“At ease, Nikolai,” Toma said, swinging down from his horse and handing his reins to a man-shaped
shadow.

“Apologies, Toma. Everyone is already
inside.”

“Thank you,” he said, turning to help his Queen dismount her own horse before handing her reins off as
well.

“Have we arrived?” She felt silly asking, but she hadn’t imagined their meeting would take place on a
cliff.

“We
have.”

Toma guided her to the side of the mountain where Nikolai appeared again. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the shadows, revealing a large man with shaggy hair. The stars moved with him, dancing off his sleek metal armor. The more he moved, the more she saw, including the crest at his breast. Nikolai was a Calisan
soldier.

“This way, Lady Queen, Toma.” The large man motioned them to the mountainside, then disappeared into a dark
hollow.

“What is this place?” Haven wondered aloud, following Toma into the tunnel. She let her fingers run along the wall to her right, its edges rough, but not jagged. This had to be a natural formation of sorts, or she’d have cut herself
already.

“The Calisan meeting place. It’s a rare occasion that we meet elsewhere,” Toma replied, moments before they turned a corner and Haven’s eyes adjusted to a soft
glow.

Haven followed in silence, the warm torchlight growing brighter as they went. Whispers echoed off the walls, hollow to her ears. There had to be at least half a dozen men up ahead. Haven was suddenly nervous, unsure of what lay in store. She did not have the strategic mind of her brothers or fighting prowess of her father. If she got herself into trouble, she was most definitely not ready. Before she had much time to contemplate a plan of action, they emerged in a large cavern with torches lining the walls. A long table was positioned at the center of the room. Several men stood around it, and almost a dozen guards lined the cavern walls. Crests of four of the six kingdoms were represented by the guards’
uniforms.

Silence fell and all gazes shifted to Haven and her companion. She was suddenly acutely aware of her new status as Queen. Though she’d been a princess since birth, she felt small under the gazes of these Kings. Most had much more experience than she, and had led their kingdoms through war, famine, and crises. She only hoped that one day she could measure up to
them.

“Lady Queen,” they greeted, almost entirely in unison. Each gave a slight bow before the most familiar of the group stepped
forward.

“Emeril.”

Haven smiled, barely holding back her sigh of relief. Though he wasn’t a king yet, she had to assume he came on behalf of his sick father, the King of Salander. Their kingdom was just south of Rythern making it the most familiar of the six. They had been childhood friends and she still had fond memories of the handsome prince. He was the only heir to the throne of Salander, and she couldn’t help her slight surprise at seeing him here. He was supposed to be staying in her castle
tonight.

“Lady Haven,” he smiled back at her, kissing her hand. His blue-green eyes held the same smile as his lips when he stood. “Or should I say Queen
Haven?”

“You should,” Toma chastised, though she could hear the lightness in his voice. Like Haven, Toma had a soft spot for the dying King’s
son.