Brother

When Rowan arrived at the home of the witch sisters, he was shocked to see that what had been a beautiful cottage was now ashes and burnt wood. He dismounted Lightning in the shade of a tree and asked Kenny, his companion, to stay right there. Stubborn and curious, Kenny got off the mare and followed him toward the ruins of the house.

"What do you think happened here?" she asked.

"Egon's men," Rowan said with no further explanation.

"Do you think these sisters had something to do with the prophecy about Reyna?"

"Possibly," he sighed. "Come on. We better get going. Hopefully, we'll reach Stefan's village before it gets dark."

The two returned to their horse. Rowan was helping Kenny vault Lightning's back when he was greeted with a swift blow to the back of his legs. He cried out in pain as he came down on his hands and knees. Lightning neighed loudly to frighten Rowan's attacker, gaining just enough time for him to get back to his feet and draw his sword.

He froze when he recognized the person.

"Mary?"

Half of her face was severely burnt, but Rowan would never forget the one who'd given him a love potion so he would sleep with her.

"Rowan, are you okay?" cried Kenny, snapping him back to reality.

"I'm okay," he told her without breaking his gaze with Mary. The maiden was holding a wooden board above her head. She looked like she'd lost her mind. "Put that thing down, Mary," he cautioned while extending a hand toward her. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Mary recoiled like a scared animal. Something told him her sisters were both dead and somehow she'd survived. He wasn't sure if she recognized him.

Suddenly, she asked, "Where is she?"

"Who?"

"The princess." Mary's eyes darted around, her breathing quickened. "Your lover. She did this. She did this to us!"

"Reyna...burnt down your house?" Rowan arched both eyebrows in disbelief.

Mary shook her head. She was calmer than before, even though she was still scared. "Her brother did," she said. "His men came. If it weren't for her, my sisters would still be alive!"

Rowan regarded Mary for a moment before he slowly lowered his sword. To his surprise, she did the same with the wooden board. She let it fall to the ground and jerked back when he tried to reach for her arm. He quickly held up both hands to let her know he meant no harm.

"I'm sorry about your sisters," he said. "But Reyna didn't want this to happen. She's–"

"You're defending her because you love her!" Mary shouted. "My sisters called her the saviour but what has she done for us? She's not a saviour! People die left and right for her and she's now safe in the North castle with her tyrant brother!"

"Mary–"

"I just...I just want to be normal! I didn't get to choose! I wanted you for myself, but I had to give you to her. Now I've lost my sisters to her as well. I want her dea–"

An arrow whooshed right past them and stuck into the trunk of the tree next to Lightning. The animal reared up on her hind legs, tossing Kenny right off her back, and before Rowan could react, Kenny screamed, "Rowan, behind you!"

He jumped just in time to dodge the blade of a sword. The bushes rustled, and Mary disappeared into the wood, leaving them to deal with the attacker. A man dressed in a black cloak.

He advanced toward Rowan and raised his blade above his head. Rowan rolled to the side. The sword thrust into the dirt. He leapt back to his feet and swung his sword, but Black Cloak was fast enough to block the blade. The villain kept attacking and Rowan kept deflecting the blows. Rowan might be quicker, but his weapon was no match for his opponent's. He recognized the symbol on the blade. It belonged to the Isolde court. This man served Egon Callisto. He must be here to make sure none of the sisters had survived.

Rowan could not strike back with his stubby sword, not even once, so he tried to buy himself time, hoping he would exhaust his opponent before himself. Just as his hands were getting numb, he heard galloping and whipped his head to find Lightning charging forward. The mare kicked Black Cloak with full force, sending his massive body sliding across the dirt and slamming into a tree, his sword in the opposite direction.

Rowan fetched the heavy weapon as fast as he could and pointed it at the defeated opponent. Groaning, Black Cloak pushed himself up to sit against the trunk of the tree. His hood fell off, revealing an ugly scarred face. It looked like he'd been attacked by a jungle cat.

Rowan took a moment to recall what had happened to Reyna at the market. How she'd been beaten by a man in a black cloak. She'd scratched his face before he could squeeze the life out of her.

"You..." Rowan hissed, the tip of his sword pointing at the man's heart. "You tried to kill her."

"Prince Egon's command," said Black Cloak, giving a half-smile. "I was just going to bring her back alive."

"Wait, I know you!" Kenny limped toward them and stood behind Rowan, peering around his arm. "I know him, Crow. I've seen him a few times when my mother used to work in Theros court. He used to be a courtier. He betrayed the Queen!"

Rowan's chest burnt with rage as realization hit him. "You killed the king, didn't you? Everyone wanted to believe the Callistos did it. They did not suspect the murderer to be an insider."

Black Cloak didn't even try to deny it. "Calanthe is not my queen," he spat out blood while smiling as if he was at the other end of the sword. "I've served the court of Theros my whole life and I was nothing but a poor soldier. Now I'm loyal to King Egon. He would make me his commander when the war is over. He should rule both the South and the North. Not some little girl."

Rowan gripped the hilt of his sword so tight he couldn't feel his fingers anymore.

"Look at you, street rat," Black Cloak continued with a sneer. "A whore spreads her legs and you stick out your tongue and become her dog. I wouldn't aim too high if I were you."

"Rowan, leave him." Kenny tugged at Rowan's arm when she recognized the darkness in his eyes. "Let's go. Before it gets dark."

He let her take his hand, but instead of following her steps, he thrust the sword into Black Cloak's chest. Kenny cried out and begged him to stop when he twisted the blade and yanked it out. Red blood poured from the wound. The man died fast. His eyes were open, staring back at his murderer.

Rowan dropped the sword with a clang and wrapped both arms around Kenny, holding her tight against his chest as she wept uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," he said, closing his eyes and kissing her forehead.

She was still crying as she buried her face into his chest. "You had to," she choked out the words. "He was a bad man...You did the right thing."

Rowan wanted to believe that, but he knew he hadn't done it in the name of justice. He'd been triggered by the disgusting words Black Cloak had said about Reyna. After all, Rowan was only human.

.

.

.

The snow was falling outside in the court of Isolde, each flake dancing in the fading light of day. When Reyna was little, she used to stand on this field outside the castle and picture herself in a wintry ballroom as colourless confetti fell weightlessly downward from heaven. Now, as the entire royal court had gathered here, it really did look like a ballroom. And she was about to dance to the death.

She'd ripped off the tail of her skirt, leaving her legs exposed from the knees down. Her breath was pale against the numbing air. The frost kissed her face as she blinked thoughtfully, enthralled by the soft, dusty illusions of light that sat heavily on her eyelashes. For a moment, the world faded away, and there was just her, the snow, the trees, and the sky.

Then, the clang of armour snapped her back to reality. A guard presented her with the maid named Aleina. The poor girl was shaking. Reyna wasn't sure if she was scared or simply cold.

She stopped in front of Reyna and curtsied. "You asked for me, Your Majesty?"

Reyna met Egon's eyes as he bandaged the wound on his calf with a torn piece of his sleeve. He smirked at her, and she looked away. She took Aleina's hand, leaned in and whispered to the maid, "Clean the body of Lady Josephine. Make sure no one moves her."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"I've ordered the guards to take the white-haired lady from the dungeon to see Jo." Aleina nodded though she seemed utterly perplexed. "You will tell the witch that...she may have her pure soul to travel to another world...in exchange for Jo's life."

"My lady!" Aleina exclaimed and immediately lowered her voice to a whisper, "What are you talking about?! Jo...is dead!"

Reyna placed a finger on her own lips to silence the girl. "You are not allowed to question. Just do as I say."

Aleina hesitantly nodded again, her gaze fell to her feet.

"And no one will be in the room with Jo and the witch," Reyna went on. "No one will know what happens in that room. Do you understand?" Seeing how frightened and shocked the maid was, Reyna took Aleina's warm hand with her cold fingers and squeezed it tight. "I might not come back, and you're the only one I can trust. Can you take care of this for me, Aleina?"

Aleina nodded, seemingly more determined although her voice wavered as she spoke, "You'll c-come back, Your Majesty...I-I believe in you."

Reyna thanked the girl and promised that she would try her best. Watching Aleina disappear into the crowd, Reyna gripped her heart to stop it from beating so hard and fast. She had no idea if Maggie was capable of bringing Jo's back, but she knew Maggie had a reason to tell her about the other word and how to get there. Reyna believed this was it. This was how she must save Jo.

She wasn't a mother. Who knew if she would ever be if the circumstances had been different? But Jo had been with child. Jo had sacrificed the life of her baby and her own for Reyna to almost get killed if it hadn't been for Lance's interference. Jo would still be alive if Reyna hadn't one-sidedly involved Jo in her stupid escape plan.

She would never be at peace bringing up a child with the memory of what had happened to Jo today. And she didn't want to have her child grow up in court and live the same life she had lived, full of risks and uncertainty. She'd thought that, with her father's permission, she could find Rowan once she'd become Queen and bring him here so they could live happily ever after in richness. But Egon was right. Her father could forgive her for breaking traditions, but her people would not. She'd be a queen. She'd live and die for her kingdom, and that was her only purpose. If she was not allowed to end up with the man she loved, be his wife, have his children then she wanted none of it.

With that in mind, she must survive today.

When she was little, every time there had been a duel, she would be so certain that she'd lose because Egon was bigger, stronger, and faster. Now Egon was wounded and it had been years since the last time he'd picked up a sword to fight. He had never left the comfort of the castle grounds, while she had travelled all the way to the South and escaped Death countless times. Many people had tried to kill her and failed, so she would not die in a duel where there were rules and spectators who were also the judges.

She remembered the euphoria of watching duels between her father and uncle; it'd been nerve-racking watching from the front row, but it'd been nothing compared to how she was feeling now. She squeezed her free hand into a fist so no one could see her shaking.

The Chancellor went over the rules which she had learned by heart, then prayed for the Gods to bless them both. As his sad eyes lingered on Reyna before he walked back to the crowd, she realized she might be the only one here who believed she would win.

She hated how knowing that troubled her a little.

Still, she steadied her breathing, her numb fingers closed around the sword-hilt, her boots pressing firmly into the snow.

Egon stood a few feet away, holding his sword, mirroring her fighting stance. "It's not too late to back out, little sister."

"No," said Reyna. "If you want my blood, take it."

"Very well," he replied, drew his sword and lunged. When he moved, the blade caught the light with a wavering spark. Reyna backed up, her eyes on the weapon. They had been here too many times before and she'd been defeated too many times before. Her brother attacked with confidence but also negligence. She was wiser now. For all the fall she'd taken, the way he moved was imprinted on her consciousness.

She ducked his strike and advanced, her sword almost cutting his arm but he moved fast enough to dodge it. The crowd fell silent, watching. His face hardened. He advanced, faster than before. His blade broke her guard and scoured her shoulder. Her sleeve tore, blood running down her arm. He struck mercilessly and she parried the blow and shoved him back. From the horrified look on his face, she knew it wasn't her skills that had shocked him, it was also the fact that she was ruthless. She wasn't afraid to hurt him. And this was not a threat.

All about her, the crowd stood mute. The hot smell of her own blood drove home to her. She thought about Jo's body turning cold on the floor of the throne room, and fury filled her to the brim. She drove suddenly beneath his guard and dragged her knife across his ribs. Blood poured from the open wound. The crowd broke into gasps.

He howled and leapt back, face twisted with pain. Blood was dripping down her fingers, staining the pure white ground every time she moved. She didn't know how bad her wound was, but the pain caused her teeth to rattle as she gripped the hilt of the sword, using all the strength she had left to strike continuously. Her brother could only dodge and parry. He was helpless and horrified.

He fell to the ground with a loud thump and cries burst among the crowd. Someone screamed. Someone wept. She saw her reflection in her brother's eyes as he soundlessly begged for mercy. She forced her sword down, broke his guard; her blade cut through the blood-stained bandage around his leg. His painful wail rattled the trees.

The snow kept falling lazily all around them. Her vision went hazy for a second. From behind her, Lance shouted, "Kill him!"

Her blade was lifted, then frozen midair.

She could not.

She remembered the dream, how she'd murdered her brother, but she was the one bleeding out.

"Do it, whore! Kill me! Are you scared now, little girl?" Egon taunted, veins popping on his neck. Reyna didn't answer, so he turned to the people. "This is the heir my father chose. A coward. Look at her. Would you want this, a frightened little girl, to become your ruler?"

There was only silence.

The Lord Chancellor was the first person to bend the knee.

Then the guards.

The maids.

Even those from Attwell.

Each and everyone got on their knee and bowed their head to the new queen of the North.

Reyna's tear-filled eyes searched for Lance, who was one of the last to kneel. He held her gaze, and she wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but she saw a smile, as though to say, 'Well done.'

Egon was bewildered. He started screaming at his men, calling them insulting names, ordering them to take her, but no one paid attention to him. Reyna thrust her sword into the snow and gazed down upon her brother, taking a deep breath.

"For the innocent lives you've taken," she declared. "For the ones you've hurt. For the murder of Josephine. I banish you from Isolde."

"You are not allowed, you stupid bitch!"

"If you manage to stay alive until dawn, you'll be taken into the woods, and you shall never return again. If you disobey my order, you'll be sentenced to death."

Just as Reyna spun her heels, Egon shouted after her, "I killed two kings, Reyna. I will come back and kill you, too."

The crowd cried out as Reyna stopped, and turned slowly. Her fingers hardened around the sword-hilt despite the blood pouring from her open wound.

Egon was bleeding to death. The pain had turned him hysterical as he laughed like a madman. "I killed our father, Reyn. I plotted our uncle's murder, too. There is nothing I couldn't do. You cast me out, I will return. I will live. Because I am the face of Go–"

Her blade slashed across his throat and blood splashed on her dress. She stood quietly above his dead body, watching the light in his eyes go out. Someone was calling her name. Blackness oozed in from the corners of her vision. She was on the edge of consciousness when two strong arms caught her before she fell.

"Reyna! Reyna!" Lance called her name, his face was blurred. In his cold grip, she remembered riding on Thunder's back through a snowstorm. The crackling of the fire. The sound of the running river. A road in a forest full of stars. A pair of green eyes and a familiar voice whispering sweet words in her ears.

She could have sworn the prince cursed under his breath before she could feel his arm beneath her knees, beneath her shoulders as he lifted her from the ground.

.

.

.

Reyna woke up screaming.

In her dream, Egon had had his fingers around her throat. It was the pain of the wound that brought her back to reality. She blinked frantically, feeling a warm hand placed over her forehead, calming her nerves, before the room and the face above her came into view.

She was staring into Jo's bright blue eyes.

Before Jo could speak, Reyna jolted upward and wrapped both arms around Jo's neck, laughing and crying hysterically. Jo was crying, too. They held each other for the longest time until it was too painful for Reyna to remain sitting. Jo helped her lie back down and brushed her hair out of her forehead.

Jo looked so well. Her cheeks were pink, her hair shiny and more golden than Reyna remembered. She seemed more alive than she had always been.

"You're so stupid, Reyn. So stupid," she sniffled, stroking Reyna's cheek.

Reyna's gaze dropped to Jo's flat stomach, eyes widened before glancing back to Jo's face. "Did it...did it hurt?"

Jo pursed her lips. "I guessed it couldn't have hurt more than being stabbed. Still, there are scars to make sure the emotional pain is permanent."

Reyna frowned as she placed her hand on Jo's belly, trying to feel a beat that was no longer there.

"A life for a life, the white-haired lady said," Jo sighed. "It's gone forever. I won't be able to have one again."

Reyna felt tears sting her eyes again. "I'm so sorry, Jo. This...this is all my fault."

"No, Reyna! Stop that!" Jo leaned down and cupped her face. "You saved my life! I would have jumped in front of the blade for you, you know that!"

"The baby was innocent!"

"It's better this way, Reyn. If the baby was born, it would forever be condemned for having a tyrant as a father. Children don't deserve to pay the price for their parents' wrongdoings."

Reyna bit her lip. She nodded once before changing the subject. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Two days."

"And the Prince–"

Jo didn't even let her finish. "Aleina told me he was the one who carried you back from the field! He could be a wonderful suitor considering now that he's the next in line for his father's throne."

Reyna laughed. She was glad that Jo had found her sense of humour, but she was not amused by the joke. If it had been a joke.

"He murdered his brother," she said coolly.

Jo didn't seem to agree. "His brother was no better than Egon. The Prince did you a favour."

"But why?"

"You're going to have to ask him. He'll be in court to have an audience with you when you have recovered," Jo said brightly. "I think he wishes to marry you to strengthen the alliance between Isolde and Atwell."

Reyna didn't reply, but she supposed Jo could see right through her. Jo sighed as she fidgeted with her skirt. "He's a charming young lad," her voice lowered, "but maybe your heart is in another place?"

Reyna shut her eyes and exhaled sharply. "I should have asked Maggie to take my heart, too. I would have given her for free."

This made Jo giggle. "I adore your heart, Reyna. It saved the kingdom from a tyrant." Then, she put her fingers under Reyna's chin, making Reyna open her eyes again. "If you want to talk about him, I'm all ears."

"I cannot ask that of you," Reyna mumbled.

There was a flicker of sadness in Jo's eyes, yet she managed to conceal it with a twitch of her lips. "I love you, Reyna," she said. "I always have and I always will. I know you don't love me the same way, but you do love me. Otherwise, you wouldn't have sacrificed so much for me. Maggie told me what it took to bring me back. I could never repay you. All I ask is for you to let me be your friend again. I'd be happy to serve you as your lady-in-waiting."

Reyna pressed her lips into a smile. "I didn't bring you back to cast you out, Jo. If the two of us are going to be husbandless and childless. Let's be that together."

Jo gave her a look that said 'I don't believe you', but all she said was, "I'd be honoured."

"Do you know where Maggie is?" Reyna asked. "I have to thank her when I can get out of this room."

"She's gone," Jo told her regretfully. "She said something about another world."

.

.

.

It took a week for Reyna to recover.

Lance and his retinue were meant to leave tomorrow. He had requested an audience with her the day before his departure, and she had gladly accepted. However, instead of meeting in the throne room, she'd demanded to see him in the garden where they could be alone.

She had ordered the servants to grow some winter flowers in the garden. Her mother had always wanted that. As she was admiring the primroses, she heard heavy footsteps coming up from behind, and so she spoke before the person could, "Your walk is so loud, you'd scare off the prey during a hunt."

Lance laughed lowly as he stopped beside her, hands behind his back. He was dressed in all black, his silky hair was dark as midnight. In her white garden, he stood out the most.

"I'm not hunting and you're not my prey," he said.

She arched an eyebrow at him. "Are you finally going to give me answers?"

"Yes." He inclined his head. "And also...an apology. I should not have caused so much chaos."

She lifted her shoulders. "We both slit our brothers' throats. I'm not fit to judge you, am I?"

His dimples made an appearance at her response.

She expected him to wait for her to prompt, but then he commenced, "I was supposed to marry your aunt. Queen Calanthe of Theros."

Reyna assessed his face to make sure he wasn't joking. His eyebrows were drawn together; he could not look more sincere.

"My father had offered the marriage to save her after her family had been executed. But she chose your uncle's proposal because she'd rather be married to a king than a bastard."

This information amused her more than it should. She couldn't help but smirk. "So you hate her because she turned you down and hurt your pride?"

"Some would find your mockery offensive, my lady." He grinned.

"Do you?"

"I find it attractive."

She waved off his compliment. "Don't expect me to swoon and sigh for that."

"I wouldn't dare," he said, still grinning. "To answer your question 'Why did you kill your brother?': My half brother was an idiot and since my father's reign was over, he was going to be the new king."

Reyna blinked. "The king of Attwell is dead?"

Lance nodded. "The news hasn't been announced to the people of Attwell yet, but it would be when my half brother returns with his new bride, which was supposed to be you."

"So you planned on killing Kavan and then Egon in the hope of stealing his bride and ruling two kingdoms at once."

Lance lifted a brow as though to say 'well done, you've figured it out.'

"I raised an army," he told her. "People of Attwell are more open-minded than those of Isolde. They serve whoever they think is more competent, and most of them have chosen me as their leader. No one would speak of what had happened here. When we get back to the West, we'll tell the people that Kavan has been murdered in Egon's order."

"So you lied your way to the throne?"

"Are you judging me?"

"No. Just wondering." She arched her lips. "Well then, congratulations on your soon-to-happen coronation."

Lance took a moment to contemplate her face. She almost thought he'd lost grip on reality. Then, he said, "Not everyone would be happy that their new king is a bastard. Same as how many of your people would react to having a female ruler."

She narrowed her eyes. "What are you suggesting, my lord?"

"Call me Lance," he said with a hand over his heart.

She nodded. "Well, Lance?"

"A marriage to unite our kingdoms."

"No," she answered without pause. "I did not kill my own brother to hand my reign to you. A foreigner. And no offence, a bastard."

Lance didn't look offended at the slightest. "We are both the black sheep of our family, Reyna," he said quietly.

"You may call me Your Majesty." Her anger didn't stir him. If anything, he seemed even calmer than before. She lifted her chin. "I suppose you wonder how I'd convinced the witch to save Jo's life."

"There have been different versions of the story," he said, his forehead puckered. "No one dares to ask you, however."

"Well, I'm going to tell you now, Lance. In return for Jo's life, I gave up the ability to produce an heir. So you will gain nothing from this marriage."

"I'm not proposing to you for a baby, Reyna!" She glowered at him, and he cleared his throat into his fist, his face reddening. "Sorry...Your Majesty. But that was not the reason I'm proposing–"

"You're not proposing to me at all. Good day, my lord."

She turned and he caught her elbow. She shot him a glare, and he released her in an instant.

"Think about it," he said. "You gave up the chance to have an heir, and I suppose you're not going to marry, either. Because you cannot bend the rules of your kingdom for your own benefits and marry a peasant."

This time, her gaze silenced him. And she regretted it. He'd heard the rumours about her 'romantic excursion'. Now she'd confirmed it was true. She'd shown her weakness and he was going to use it against her.

Lance stepped forward until he was close enough for her to see herself in his grey eyes. "If you have a king by your side–"

"I don't need a king."

"Yes, you do. It's politics," he said. "Look, we can have an agreement. The marriage will be based solely on the political stability of our kingdoms. We're neighbours so the North and the West can become one. I will rule my country and you will rule yours, separately, but together. I will even stay here in your court if it means that I get a chance to gain your trust. I don't want an heir. I just want to do the best I can for my people and be the ruler they need. Calanthe can use the murder of Egon to turn the other kingdoms against Isolde, and I cannot side with her. Your people would let you rule in peace if you have a king by your side, and my people would let me rule in peace if I marry an actual royal queen."

She took some time to ponder over his words before asking, "Why can't you side with Calanthe?"

He gave an open-mouthed smile. "Well, first of all, she rejected my proposal and insulted me."

"So you're a bitter little boy?"

Her teasing made him chuckle.

"What is the second reason?" she asked, genuinely curious.

His eyes found hers. "Am I allowed to say I fancy you?"

Reyna went stiff. She worked her jaw, trying to find an answer, but the Prince didn't wait for her to succeed.

"We won't have to fall in love," he said, smirking. "Unless you want to."

"I don't. Thank you," she huffed and looked away. "But I will consider this agreement."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." He took her fingers, his lips warm against the cool skin of her hand. He glanced up from beneath his long lashes "I would gain your trust. You have my word."

She could not withdraw her hand fast enough. "I would love to see you try."