Like the Dawn (Lark #3) (17 page)

Chapter Twenty-Three

              “
O
ne-two-hop, one-two-hop,” Grey murmurs under his breath. I think I just about have the hang of this dance. It really does need four people to make sense. Once Grey returned with Adele and Klaus I caught on fairly quickly but he still feels the need to count it out for me. Which is probably just as well since my mind keeps wandering anyway. The counting keeps me semi-focused.
              Sometimes I feel so lost in my own head that it's like I'm not seeing the world through my own eyes, but rather I'm on the outside looking in—watching myself go through the actions but not really connecting to anything.
              “I do love dancing,” Klaus exclaims as we finish the dance for the fourth time. “Thank you for asking for my assistance.”
              “Thank you for—uh—assisting,” I say lamely, but he smiles so I guess it's okay that I lack his eloquence.
              “You are getting much better,” Adele says.
              “I guess my years of cheerleading paid off after all.”
              “Yes, you are doing so much better,” Grey says with an encouraging smile.
              “Thanks. So do you think we can call it a day now?” I ask him hopefully. I don't mind the dancing part but dang it my feet are starting to hurt. I don't know how Adele can still look so completely at ease and comfortable. I'm over here breaking a sweat and desperately wanting to soak my feet. Seriously, I've said it before but I'll say it again: heels are the devil.
              I think we should do it one more time if Adele and Klaus have no objections.”
              “None from me,” Adele says.
              “Me neither,” Klaus replies with a wink directed at Grey.
              “Fine.” I sigh exasperatedly.
              I'm ready to call it a day but apparently I'm overruled. Grey starts the music again and then we begin the one-two-hop-spin but during the partner change, my foot catches on the hem of Adele's dress. I try righting myself but end up twisting my ankle as I collapse into Klaus's arms.
              “Princess! Are you okay?” Klaus gently tries to help me stand, but my ankle gives out under the pressure.
              “What happened?” Grey asks rushing over to help Klaus guide me to the ground.
              “It's nothing,” I wince as I lift my dress up ever so slightly revealing an already swelling, purple ankle.
              “I'll get some ice!” Klaus says, leaping up.               Adele places her hand gently on his arm and says, “Wait. That won't be necessary.” She smiles reassuringly at him. “Remember? She's a Healer.”
              Klaus's face blanches. “Wha—I mean—she can—”
              Adele nods, “Watch.”
              Grey has his arm around my shoulders as he kneels beside me. I know that he knows there's nothing he can do, but I think it makes him feel better at least trying to offer me some comfort so I don't tell him to get out of my bubble space.
              Klaus is watching me eagerly and under his curious eyes I get a little nervous but the throbbing in my ankle is demanding my attention so I focus my energy on it.
              Within seconds the familiar warmth builds inside me, flowing in my veins down my leg and concentrating in a burst of energy.
              Then just like that, I'm a little tired but my ankle isn't sore.
              “Are you okay?” Grey murmurs, his voice laced with concern. I offer him a reassuring smile and nod. He offers me a hand, pulling me up to my feet. I put a little pressure on my left foot, testing it out but it feels as good as new so I balance my weight normally. 
              Klaus has his head cocked to the side, disappointment plain on his face.
              I cock an eyebrow at him and he shakes his head, smiling apologetically.
              “Sorry, I just thought it would be—I don't know, a bigger deal than that. I mean, I hardly noticed anything different.”
              “Sorry to disappoint you,” I say with a smirk.
              “I know, I don't know, I just thought you'd light up or something,” he says guiltily.
              “Nope, sorry. I save that parlor trick for battles with the Dark Elves.”
              “Mia, I think you should get some rest,” Grey says.
              “I feel fine, really.”
              “I am sure you do, but I would feel better if you took it easy for the rest of the day. I know how healing tires you out.”
              “This was nothing,” I assure him. I'm trying not to get irritated with him. I know he's just concerned but honestly, he should know better than to doubt me by now.
              “I insist.”
              “I have a few things I need to take care of anyway,” Adele interjects. “Besides, I think you have the hang of it now, don't you agree Klaus?”
              “Oh yes, before the tripping incident you were smashing.”
              “Yeah, yeah. Fine. I'll go rest.” I roll my eyes. “See you guys later.”
              Grey falls in step beside me. I'm not sure if he's walking me back to my room out of habit or because he's still that concerned about me. I'm guessing the latter so I decide not to mention that it's already been established that I don't need a guard detail as long as we are in Álfheimr. There's no reason to be smart aleck when he's just trying to be nice.
              Besides, even though I'd never admit it to him, between training this morning and hurting myself dancing this afternoon—not to mention the incident with Jacoby—I could use a nap.              
              I'm starved but I don't want to go all the way down to the kitchen so when we get back to my room I immediately head over to the end table beside my bed and pull out the last remaining chocolate-dipped chocolate chip granola bar.               “Where did you get that?” Grey asks.
              “Oh, yeah. Um, when I got back from Manhattan I found them on my bed.” I shrug it off like it's no big deal.
              His eyes harden and I realize what it is that I've said wrong.
              “What did you just say?”
              “Nothing. It's not a big deal.”
              “Mia,” he says sternly. “When did you go?”
              I notice that he doesn't ask where—he already knows.
              “I guess a while ago,” I admit sheepishly.
              He exhales in a deep gush as he paces the room. He finally halts his steps as understanding lights up his face.
              “Starbucks,” he says calmly. “It was then, wasn't it? When Hannah saw you?”
              “Yes.”
              “How could you do that? Why would you be so reckless and risk not only your own safety but the safety of other people? What about the safety of your family? I know that you have to at least still care about them. What were you doing there that was worth such an unnecessary risk?”
              “I was looking for Jacoby if you must know!” I snap. “And I didn't even go near my parents house thank you very much!”
              “Why were you looking for Jacoby?”
              The hurt in his eyes overshadows the anger that was previously there.
              “I needed to talk to him.”
              “So you risked your life to do so?”
              “I don't know if you remember or not, but I'm sorta immortal now.” I hold up my wrist with the tell-tale symbol.
              “Nothing is guaranteed. How are we—how am I—supposed to keep you safe if you insist on being so stupid?”
              “Stupid?” I repeat with an angry glare. “Did you seriously just call me stupid?”
              “You know what I mean. You do stupid things when you let your emotions take over.” Grey sighs deeply before continuing. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that.”
              “You know what I don't understand? Is how someone who claims to love me and want to be in a relationship with me, voted against me in the council meeting.”
              “And I explained why I did so.”
              “You think you know everything but you don't. You're wrong about this.”
              “It doesn't matter. The council voted.”
              “It does matter and do you honestly think I'd just continue on like nothing happened? You should know me better than that by now.”
              “What are you talking about, Mia?”
              “I'm talking about the fact that you are one of the only elves still in this castle 
not
learning how to fight.”
              “You better explain exactly what you are talking about,” he fumes.
              “I'm talking about the fact that Jacoby has been teaching us in secret for over a week now. Not everyone agrees with you or the council. The elves
want
to fight back. You are denying them the chance to defend themselves.”
              “You cannot be serious.”
              “Why not?”
              “Mia, how could you do something like this?” he rubs his brow. “You know I have to report this to  Alberico, right?”
              “You would do that to me?”
              “You've left me no choice.”
              “Fine!” I shout. “Do it. I want him to know. Tell everyone! I want them all to know. This is happening. If we are going to stand a chance at defeating the Dökkálfar, we have to change the way we do things.”
              He just stands in front of me, wide-eyed in shock, but I'm getting little satisfaction from it. In fact, a part of me feels guilty for yelling at him like I just did.
              “I just want to protect you. That's all I've ever desired.”
              “Don't you get it Grey? I don't need to be protected! I can take care of myself. What I want is someone who views me as an equal. And you never have. To you I'm always going to be this helpless person and that's not who I am anymore.”
              Grey can't hide the pain in his eyes as he gives a stiff nod. “I appreciate your candor. I should go. I have a report to give.”
              “Grey, wait!” I reach out to stop him.
              “I have to tell him, Mia.”
              “No, I know. I'm not trying to stop you—it's just that—”
              “It was always him wasn't it?” he asks softly.
              I don't say anything.
              “I really do love you, you know?”
              “I love you too.”
              “But it's not the same, is it?”             
              “Can you just let me explain—” I can't even finish the sentence before tears stream uncontrollably down my cheeks.
              “There's no need. I understand. Truly, I do.”
              As he walks away, my heart breaks a little knowing that I just broke his.
             

Chapter Twenty-Four

            
 
G
reyson has been avoiding me since our argument. Not that I'm at all surprised by his avoidance—I completely deserve it. I hope that one day we are able to be friends again but I fear that might be in the somewhat distant future. I never meant to break his heart. It kills me that I made him sad, but I can't help the way that I feel.
              And besides, Grey had his chance a long time ago but he repeatedly made me feel like I was unworthy. I know now that was never his intention—that really he was just trying to protect me—but that doesn't change the way that he made me feel.
              My stomach is churning as I make my way to the War Room.  Alberico has called the council together and I can only assume the reason for the meeting is to discuss Grey’s report.  I kind of suspect that he already had an idea of what was going on, but now that he has been given an official report he must go through the formality of notifying the rest of the council. 
              Regardless of what they might say to me today, I can't help but feel proud of the progress our training group is making. It seems like the right time to come clean about it all. Maybe once the opposing council members actually see our newly acquired combat skills they will realize it’s not such an impossible feat after all.
              That’s probably just wishful thinking though.
              The castle is noticeably busier this morning. It's never exactly quiet, but there is a definite excited buzz thrumming through the halls. I can only assume the excitement has everything to do with the upcoming ball. I wish I could muster up half of their enthusiasm.
              I see Hugo walking toward me in the crowd of elves. As good-looking as the Light Elves are, Hugo still stands out. Regardless of how ridiculously good looking the guy is, my natural instinct is to turn and run away. But that's hardly fair considering everything he's done for me so I force myself to smile.
              “Good morning, Princess,” he greets me with a formal bow.
              “I told you to call me Mia,” I remind him.
              “Yes, but I prefer to call you Princess. It seems much more fitting.”
              For some reason I take that as a blow against my name, like there's something wrong with the name ‘Mia’ but I think that Hugo is probably one of those guys that just speaks before he thinks about what he's saying so I should try not to hold that against him. Even though it's really annoying.
              “Where are you off to this morning?” he asks.
              “I have a council meeting—Greyson sold us out.”
              “Greyson? How did he find out,” he whispers, nervously glancing around the corridor.
              “I kinda sorta accidentally told him,” I tell him guiltily.
              “Oh,” he says.
              “Yeah...so my father has called a council meeting. I'm not really sure what's going to happen,” I admit.
              “I am sure everything will be okay,” Hugo assures me. “After all, you are the princess.”
              “Yeah, I hope so,” I mumble. “Hey, have you heard from your parents yet?”
              “Not yet,” he says, and I can't help but feel disappointed. He must have noticed because he's quick to add, “But I'm going to transport home for a couple of hours right now actually.”
              “You are?”
              “Yes, I think it would be best if I were to plead your case in person and since they refuse to return to Álfheimr right now—”
              “I feel just awful for how everything turned out,” I interrupt.
              “Cheer up, I feel quite certain everything will work out exactly how it's supposed to in the end—even if the ending isn't exactly what you had pictured.”
              “Thanks, Hugo.”
              “May I call on you later?”
              “Sure, I mean, assuming I'm not immediately locked in the dungeon anyway,” I say, only half-joking as I realize that could very well be a possibility.
              “You are absurd. But it's charming,” he says with a smile. “I like it.”
              I wave good-bye awkwardly, not really sure what else to say and continue my trek toward the War Room.
              When I walk in everyone is already there waiting for me—even Jacoby, and even more surprisingly, King Magnus and Klaus. Why am I always the last to be informed of these things?
              “Take a seat, Mia.” Alberico gestures gravely to the chair across from him at the opposite end of the table. I normally sit beside him so this change makes me uneasy.
              It feels like I have lead in my shoes—which is impossible because quite honestly they are very unsubstantial, but my feet feel heavy all the same.
              I take my seat and hold my chin high. I'm not ashamed. Obviously, I didn't exactly want to go behind the council's back but they really left me no choice. And since a few of the members were actually in on Fight Club, as Jacoby dubbed it, it made me feel even more justified that we were doing the right thing. But now, sitting here in front of everyone, I can't help but feel like I'm being put on trial.             
              “So, what are you going to do? Punish me or something? Because feel free to cancel the ball if you think that will teach me a lesson.”
              From the corner of my eye, I see Jacoby stifle a chuckle. He knows that I would love nothing more than to call off the stupid ball.
             
“Anything to get out of wearing heels,”
he says in my mind. I glare at him, but he's exactly right.
              “Absolutely not. The formal alliance papers are to be signed at the ball. We cannot cancel it now,” Henrik asserts decisively.
              “The what?” I gasp.
              Alberico sighs. “Well, that wasn't exactly how I intended for you to find out. But yes, King Magnus and Lord Klaus have agreed to the alliance.”
              “Really?” I still can't believe it.
              “I told you I'd come through for you,” Klaus says with a grin. “Once I explained to King Magnus the effort you were putting into not only protecting your people, but also encouraging them to learn how to protect themselves, he was easily persuaded to join your fight.”
              “A princess who doesn't mind getting her hands dirty,” King Magnus muses. “Now that isn't something you see every day.”
              “This means we can go forward then,” I declare excitedly. I'm relieved that we can finally do something instead of just sitting around talking about doing something. 
              “Yes, but as Henrik blurted out, the alliance will not be made official until your ball on Saturday. Afterward, we will decide the next course of action.”
              “Why can't we go forward now?” I demand to know.
              “So eager for war, my dear?” Alberico scolds.
              “No, but—” I start to say but I can't seem to find the right words to justify my desire for immediate action.
              “Princess, it's only two days.  That gives you  two more days of training. Surely the extra time could only be advantageous, don’t you think?” King Magnus asks.
              It's true, we are getting better but we aren't ready for battle quite yet. A few more days to hone our skills would definitely be beneficial.
              “Okay,” I agree. Then, because I can't help myself, I ask, “So I'm really not in trouble?”
              “We are not here to discuss a punishment, for you are not in trouble, my dear.” Alberico stands as he speaks up.
              “Well, I'm not going to lie, that's a relief.”
              “Though you did go against the rule of the council, you did not force anyone to join this group and it appears that even a few council members themselves were willing participants which leads me to believe that the original decision needs to be reconsidered. As the leader of said group, we would like you to once again present your thoughts to the council,” Alberico instructs.
              “Okay.” I want to point out that I'm not exactly the leader here; after all, Jacoby is the one who took the initiative to form the group and is coaching the training sessions, but I don't. After all, it
was
my idea, and if there is residual hostility I don’t want it aimed at Jacoby.  I will take all the blame.
              “I don't really know what to say,” I start. “I mean, I think I've been pretty clear that I believe learning to use the same types of weapons that the Dark Elves will be using against us is crucial and will give us an edge since we have the added benefit of the elements on our side. I honestly don't know why some of you are being so difficult.”
              My eyes dart over to where Grey is sitting stoically silent. “The ones who have shown a willingness to fight will have an enormous advantage and a better chance of survival should it come down to hand-to-hand battle. End of story. There's no way around it. But I won't force any of you to pick up a sword. All I can do is hope that you realize it's our best chance.”
              “But you are the Chosen One—don't you think that means that you are the one who is supposed to defeat Dugan?” Odin asks.
              I can tell Alberico is about to say something but I put my hand up to stop him.
              “Of course I do.” I ignore the uneasiness radiating from Alberico and even Grey. But what he said is true, it is up to me to defeat Dugan and they are in total denial if they think otherwise.
              “My goal is to not involve any of you—it would be unreasonable to expect anything from you since I'm the one who freed the Dark Elves in the first place.  But the thing is, I can't guarantee that you won’t become involved beyond my control, so the best I can do is make sure you are prepared to defend yourself to the best of your abilities.”
              “Your Majesty, I'd like to withdraw my previous vote and change it in favor of Princess Mia's plan.” Blaise says, standing up.
              “I would as well,” Henrik agrees.
              “And me,” Odin says.
              “I guess she has a point,” Brigit grumbles reluctantly.
              “I still don't like it,” another voice says with an exhausted sigh.  “However, I believe my reasoning has not been completely impartial.  It has been ingrained in me to always protect her by removing her from dangerous situations—learning to fight goes against my instinct,” Grey speaks for the first time. “I fear I have, once again, let my bias influence my actions.” 
              He pauses thoughtfully for a moment and then continues, “I see no other alternative. I think that the Princess is right. We shouldn't hide behind the elements. If we stand a chance at ending this war once and for all, it's time we accept that certain changes need to be made. The first step in achieving these changes has been accomplished with the alliance between our kingdom and Gautelfr’s. I never believed that would be possible, so I suppose a sword-wielding princess is within the realm of possibility as well.”
              Alberico smiles proudly. “I agree.”
              I'm so stunned by the sudden turn of events that I’m oblivious when the official vote is called.              This time, it's unanimous.