Yalera the Brave - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

“Ronin, my friend!” The King greeted with a huge grin. He was genuinely happy to see the Lord, having been good friends with him since they were babes in arms. It was he who had insisted to his father, the previous King – that Ronin marry his cousin Yalena in the hopes that Ronin would stay with her at court. He had hoped to be able to name Ronin as his official confidant, but Ronin's heart had always been in the country with his estate.

“Eric,” Ronin returned the greeting, hugging the King. He was one of the very few people with permission to do so or to call him by name.

King Eric gestured for him to get comfortable, which also signaled the twins to be seated too. “Where's Lady Yalena?” He asked curiously, having expected the whole family to attend this private meeting.

“I'm afraid that Rolanna is feeling queasy, and my Lady decided to stay with her,” Ronin explained.

“I see,” King Eric murmured, not really knowing what else to say. He shrugged and brought up a few pleasant topics that the two men enjoyed talking about. He even asked about Rune and Yuna, which had all of them talking excitedly. Finally, he decided to get to the point.

“Yalera, my dear,” he began with a warm smile. “I hope you haven't been too worried about your future husband. I am told that the anticipation can cause a young Lady to feel positively sick!”

Yalera smiled politely. “Well, I guess it's lucky that I had other things to think about.”

The King returned her polite smile for a moment, and then grinned at her for real. He turned his attention back to her father. “I must admit that I have had quite a few offers for her hand – as I am sure you well know!” This was a reference to how any offer for Yalera's hand generally had to be submitted to both men. “Thus, the decision has been a hard one. I often wished that you were here to help me think it through!”

Ronin nodded in agreement. He had known that the King would want his input, but the final decision would of course be left up to the King. A smile touched his lips as he reminded himself that they were friends with similar interests. They'd probably come to an agreement on the right groom in no time at all.

The King shook just a tiny bit with excitement. “I'm happy to inform you that I've just recently received the best offer of all! The King of our neighbors to the north has finally chosen his Heir, and he's decided to make peace with our Kingdom via marriage treaty! In just six short months, Yalera could be the future Queen of Nandia!”

There was a long silence as everyone was too stunned by this news to reply. It was Yalera who regained her voice first. “But... Nandia and Rubidium have been enemies for hundreds of years! Why would their people take me seriously as their Queen? They would have no respect for me...”

“Nonsense!” King Eric waved away her concern, and then sighed heavily as he mentally conceded that she could be right. “You'll just have to make them respect you. This is an epic opportunity, and I have no one else in this whole Kingdom with sufficient Royal blood to offer up as a bride to the new Crown Prince of Nandia. By all accounts, Prince Crispin is an intelligent man who truly desires a peaceful reign. I think this marriage will be good for both our Kingdoms.”

“But...” Yalera protested softly, feeling just a bit numb inside. “But Rolanna was the one raised to be a Queen. I know nothing about what it takes!”

“At least you'll have her to guide you,” King Eric stated with a firm smile.

Yalera sighed in defeat. “Yes uncle.”

“I have some concerns about this myself,” Ronin admitted with a frown. “How do I know they will treat her well? How do I know I will ever see her again? What if she grows unhappy and wants to come home?”

King Eric shrugged helplessly. “She will be a wife like any other, expected to give birth to heirs. The only difference is that she will be a Queen someday. Her destiny is to bring peace to both our Kingdoms. I daresay that she will be even more important to and beloved by our people than her sister Rolanna!”

Ronin sighed, accepting that the King had made up his mind on this and that nothing would sway him. “I honestly hadn't expected you to make a decision on this so quickly. I thought I might still have a year or two before a groom was agreed on, but... if Yalera's marriage can guarantee peace... May I see the proposal?”

King Eric nodded with a relieved smile as he picked a thick packet of papers off the table and handed them to Ronin. The proposed contract was generous, guaranteeing the bride endless new clothes, jewelry, and servants to attend to her every whim. She would be given an estate to retire to when she felt like she needed some time alone. There was even a stipulation granting her a generous amount of money each year should the Crown Prince die before she produced any heirs.

All in all, it was a contract fit for a future Queen. Ronin could find no fault in it. He did something that men very rarely do when discussing marriages, he handed the contract to Yalera to look over. She and her twin read it thoroughly.

“Wow...” both exhaled in awe. It was finally sinking in that she would be a future Queen, entitled to wealth and power... to a point. Most girls would probably kill for an opportunity like this, but Yalera felt like she was dreaming. Whether it was a good dream or a bad dream remained to be seen. With nothing to object to, she handed the contract back to King Eric.

He smiled triumphantly. “It's settled!”

*****

Yalera smiled faintly as she watched Rune and Yuna romp around the private area reserved for large cats. Her brother held her hand silently to offer support. He wished he had the courage to tell the King to find someone else to marry the Nandian Prince, but he knew that it would do no good.

“How are you feeling?” Rohan asked his twin.

Yalera shrugged. “I don't know... numb maybe? I always knew that I would be getting married soon, but I never thought about being a Queen. That's a whole lot more responsibility than I'm prepared for!”

“I'll go with you if you want me to,” Rohan offered gallantly.

Yalera smiled with genuine pleasure. “I know you will. Thank you... but no. I can't take you away from father. He's going to need you more than ever with me gone.”

Rohan couldn't think of anything to say to that, so he simply nodded in understanding. Yalera pulled her hand free from his. With a smile, she brushed a stray hair out of his face.

“Listen, I think I need to take a walk and think things through. Will you stay here with the girls and make sure they don't try to follow me?” She asked.

“Sure,” Rohan agreed with a tight smile. He didn't like the fact that she wanted to be alone, but at the same time, he was grateful for the opportunity to think by himself too.

Yalera gave him a tiny wave goodbye, then strode determinedly towards the garden. With the sun setting, most people were inside the palace for the night. This almost guaranteed her complete solitude.

“A Prince, hmm?” She murmured softly. “It could be nice being married to a Prince...”

Her cousin was everything a Prince should be; intelligent, compassionate, kind, regal. He treated her older sister with respect and love. Their marriage was almost a fairy tale.

“If my marriage is anything like theirs, I could certainly do worse!” Yalera muttered, suddenly feeling better about her fate. “And the King is right! I'll simply be a wife and mother like any other. With any luck, I'll have a baby to love within a year of getting married!”

She held out her arms like she was cradling a baby, and hummed a lullaby as she danced in circles.

Suddenly, somebody in another part of the garden roared in surprise and pain. “Ah! Ow...”

Yalera rushed to find the source of the groaning. It took her at least two minutes, but finally, she found a man hanging upside down from a tree. This was such an unexpected sight that she gasped in surprise.

“Who's there?” The man demanded, craning his neck to look at her. “Oh... It's you. Hi bumpkin... please promise me you won't tell your sister about this.”

“Baethan?!” Yalera asked incredulously. “What are you doing hanging from a tree like that?” The question reinforced the absurdity of the situation, making her snort softly as she tried to stifle a giggle.

“Yeah, go ahead and laugh,” Baethan grumbled. “It's not like I'm in excruciating pain or anything!” He pointed to his foot, which was caught between two branches that formed a pretty sharp vee. If not for the tree apparently capturing his foot in a claw, he would have fallen to the ground and gotten even more hurt. Maybe even died. This thought sobered Yalera up and stopped her giggling.

“Sorry...” she apologized honestly.

“Well, don't just stand there!” Baethan ordered impatiently. “Go fetch help!”

Yalera couldn't help herself; she just had to tease him. “No problem. I'll go get my sister. She can order a bunch of servants to come to your rescue.”

“No no no no no no, wait! I changed my mind, don't go get help. Just stay here and keep me company while I figure out how to get down,” Baethan suggested, staring at his foot as he pondered how to free it.

“No really,” Yalera stated. “I can go get Yem –”

“No no! That's okay. I'm in enough trouble with the King without word of this getting out,” Baethan insisted.

Yalera crossed her arms suspiciously. “I thought killing that boar was supposed to get you back in his good graces.”

“Well, it did... but just barely. I'm still in trouble for dying his favorite horse black!”

“You did what?” Yalera blurted out incredulously, a snicker bubbling in her throat.

“I couldn't help myself! I was dared to dye him black... and pink... Fine! If you must know, it was more pink than black, but still, I'm sure you understand my point. I'm in trouble enough, and not even that boar has truly appeased his Majesty. If he finds out that I was climbing the trees in his garden trying to gather the choicest blossoms for a bouquet, I just know that it'll be the straw that breaks the camel's back!” Baethan wailed dramatically.

Trying to hide an amused grin, Yalera asked the obvious question. “And who were you gathering the flowers for?”

“One of the Princess' Ladies,” Baethan confessed rather more honestly than he planned to. With a sigh, he tried to explain. “I was hoping that she would sneak them into the Princess' bedchamber so that she would see them, even if she didn't know they're from me.”

“Aww... that's actually rather sweet! In a strange way...” Yalera stated, not quite sure how she'd feel if someone did that for her. She examined the tree closely, realizing that it was actually easy to climb. Or rather it would be if she wasn't wearing voluminous skirts.

Biting her lip, she mentally debated the merits of her various options. With a sigh of defeat, she decided that it would be quicker, easier, and kinder to simply help him herself. Fumbling behind her back, she located the buttons that kept her skirt closed. Each one fought her just slightly, but eventually, she had them all open.

“What are you doing?” Baethan asked with interest when he noticed her strange behavior.

“Helping you,” Yalera stated matter of factly. She gently pushed her elaborately decorated skirt and cage-like hoop skirt to the ground, thankful that she had pantilettes and a lacy embroidered white skirt under them to preserve her modesty.

“How? By distracting me from my pain?” Baethan wondered with an amused smirk.

Yalera laughed at the subtle innuendo. “Whatever works!” She promised flirtily though she didn't mean it. Gathering her light and airy underskirt in her hands, she tucked the bottom sides into the waistband. Once finished, she squinted at the tree for a moment before climbing it as easily as if she did so every day. To tell the truth, climbing trees was a favorite pastime of the twins when they were younger.

Finding a stable perch, Yalera contemplated the best way to free Baethan's foot. “I think it might be easiest to just give you a hand up,” she pronounced a minute later. Anchoring herself firmly, she leaned over and held out her hand.

“I am not so sure this will work,” Baethan murmured in concern. He was almost certain that pulling on her hand to right himself would unbalance her and cause her to fall. He certainly didn't want to have to explain to Yemry how she had gotten hurt because of him!

“Just trust me,” Yalera insisted, shaking her hand to prompt him to take it.

“If you get hurt, promise me that you'll tell Yemry I had nothing to do with it!” Baethan muttered as he curled into a crescent moon shape and grabbed her hand. He was surprised to find that Yalera had the proper leverage to help him up with minimal effort. Working together, he was soon supported by a branch so that she could work his foot free. He hissed in pain but knew that she had to do what was necessary to help him.

“Thanks,” he groaned in sincere appreciation as he gently probed his newly freed ankle.

“It's very swollen. Is it broken?” Yalera asked in concern.

“I don't think so, just sprained... but I think I'll go to the Court Doctor just in case,” Baethan informed her. “Once I figure out how to get down without landing on my injured foot.”

Yalera shifted to a lower branch. “Here, let me help you. Place your good foot here, and I'll support you as you lower yourself to the ground.”

Between the two of them, they eventually managed to get Baethan all the way to the ground without injuring him any more than he already was. Baethan rested his head on her shoulder gratefully, breathing purposefully to cope with the pain in his ankle. His breathing was tight, but careful testing proved that he could still mostly stand on his ankle if necessary.

“Thanks bumpkin,” Baethan praised sincerely. “I didn't think you'd be able to help me like that.”

“Well don't thank me yet,” Yalera replied grimly as she guided him to a nearby bench. “I'm going to need you to help me out a bit before I can bring you to the doctor.”

“How so?” Baethan wondered curiously.

“Well, there's no way I can go back into the palace like this!” Yalera exclaimed, pointing out her state of undress as she tugged the sides of her under skirt out of her waistband. She walked over to where her skirt was laying on the ground. “I can get the hoop skirt back on by myself, but the buttons on this are murder!”

To prove her point, she pulled her hoop skirt on and fastened the tie loosely enough that she could shift the tied part to her back. Then, she pulled her voluminous soft blue and white striped skirt on over her hoop skirt, tugging on it several times to straighten and smooth it out before walking back over to Baethan.

“I'm not entirely sure that you're supposed to let me see you get dressed,” Baethan remarked with a wry grin.

“Of course I'm not!” Yalera exclaimed, tempted to roll her eyes. “But I didn't really have a choice! Just as I have no choice but to let you button me back up.” She turned her back to him, holding her skirt shut as much as possible so that he could button it up quickly.

“You know, despite my notorious reputation, I don't actually have any experience doing this,” Baethan informed her.

“What, fastening buttons?” Yalera asked curiously. How could he not? Everyone has buttons!

“Ladies dresses!” Baethan clarified with a laugh. He reached out and carefully closed about half of the dozen tiny buttons before realizing that he had messed up. “Uh,” he grumbled in frustration. “I did something wrong. Hang on while I figure this out.”

Yalera suppressed an impatient sigh as she waited for him to unbutton and rebutton her skirt. A moment passed in uncomfortable silence. Then two.

“Yalera!” Rohan called out in shock. He was utterly agog at the sight of his twin sister allowing a man to unbutton her skirt in the palace gardens! “Rune! Attack!”

“Rohan!” Yalera called out hastily. “It's not what you think!” She looked around for Rune, but to her relief, the smilodon was nowhere to be seen.

“What do you mean it's not what I think?” Rohan asked darkly.

“I'm not... doing... that...” Yalera explained in embarrassment.

“Then what are you doing?” Rohan demanded with a frown.

“He was stuck in a tree and I had to help him down. I couldn't very well do that in my skirts, could I? Baethan's just helping me with my buttons,” she explained, but a blush betrayed the fact that she knew that the explanation didn't sound very reassuring.

“On my honor, I did not lay an improper finger on her,” Baethan vowed, his right hand raised to emphasize his point.

“Here,” Rohan stated, turning his sister around so that he could finish buttoning her up. Considering that they were twins and had shared a room since they were babies, they had seen each other naked before. Rohan had even had to help her change once or twice, so he did have experience with Ladies dresses. He finished the task in mere seconds.

“Now what?” He asked, still not quite trusting that nothing strange had happened.

“Now I need to help him get to the doctor. He's hurt!” Yalera pointed out.

Rohan sighed reluctantly. “I'll do that. Father wants to talk with you.”

“What about Rune and Yuna?” Yalera asked, wondering if they were nearby.

“I brought them inside, which is how I know father wants to talk to you. It's why I came looking for you,” Rohan explained.

“Who are Rune and Yuna?” Baethan asked curiously.

“Our cats,” Yalera informed him with a sweet smile. “I've got to go, but I hope that your ankle heals quickly.”

“See you later, bumpkin,” Baethan murmured with a fond smile.

“Don't call her that!” Rohan growled angrily.

Yalera giggled softly to herself as she walked away. They bickered like brothers! She had often wondered growing up what it would have been like to have more siblings around. Younger ones. It might have been fun to teach a younger sister how to climb trees.

“I'm definitely going to have to teach my children how to climb trees; Princes and Princesses or not!” With that statement, she felt empowered to conquer the world!

*****

“Daddy?” Yalera called out questioningly. Her father didn't reply, but a soft snore alerted her to the fact that he had fallen asleep in the chair in the corner by the fire. She strode up to him and shook him awake. “Daddy!”

He came to with a loud snort. “Yalera?”

“You wanted to talk to me?” Yalera reminded him.

“Oh, yes...” He was silent for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. “You're not upset? By your impending marriage, I mean.”

She had thought about the prospect long enough by now to be mostly excited about it. “No, I'm not upset. I look forward to becoming a mother. Just a few minutes ago, I decided to teach my children how to climb trees!” Yalera laughed. “And I don't care if they are royalty, I'm going to bring them out to my estate and teach them how to do useful things too!”

Ronin chuckled, smiling at her. “I'm so relieved that you've come to terms with this. And I must admit, I can't wait to see my grandchildren. I just know they'll be adorable!”

“Yes they will!” Yalera agreed with a confident grin. She leaned over and stroked Yuna on the head. The massive cat responded by licking her hand gently.

Ronin hugged his daughter tightly for a moment, and then sent her off to bed. A maid had time to help her change out of her dress and into her nightgown before Rohan returned. He trudged into their bedroom, looking tired – far more than he should! Yalera frowned at him in concern.

“You may be happy to know that the doctor pronounced his ankle well and truly sprained, but not broken,” Rohan grumbled.

“That's good,” Yalera murmured. “Well, not good that it's sprained, but good that it's not broken.”

Rohan sighed in relief as he flopped into his bed. “I really don't like him! He talks non-stop and is exhausting to be around!”

Yalera laughed. “Well, I have no opinion about him either way. Though, he does make me laugh. You should have seen him hanging upside down from that tree. It was possibly the funniest thing I've seen in a while!”

Rohan tilted his head to the side and nodded. “Yeah, I would have enjoyed seeing that.”

The two of them got comfortable in their respective beds. “Aren't you going to change into your nightshirt?” Yalera wondered.

“Tomorrow!” Rohan assured her with a yawn. “Right now, I'm too tired to care.”

Yalera laughed as she blew out the lamp on her bedside table. “Good night.”

“'ood 'ight,” Rohan mumbled, already mostly asleep. A maid came back to check up on them a moment later, smiled and shook her head at the young man, and then blew out all the other candles in the room.

“Sweet dreams miss,” she whispered as she left the room.

“Thanks,” Yalera whispered in return as she drifted off to sleep.

*****

Yalera stretched languidly, not wanting to get up just yet. She knew without looking that her brother had already gotten out of bed. He was probably eating breakfast with their father at that very moment, if they hadn't eaten already. Lucky for her, the King held the official breakfast at a much more reasonable hour.

Sunlight poured through the window, trying its best to pry open her eyes. With a groan, she shifted to her other side. More light shone on her eyelids, prompting her to pull a pillow over her head. She was comfortable enough to go back to sleep for about one minute... and then she felt hot and stifled by her pillow!

With a loudly bellowing yawn, Yalera threw her pillow to the side and stretched again. Yuna took this as an invitation to step up onto the bed and lick her face. The big cat's tail twitched happily as she tried to bathe her mistress' entire head.

“Ugh! Yuna!” Yalera protested, trying to muscle the smilodon's paws off her bed. Yuna persisted until Yalera was wide awake and laughing as she attempted to defend herself.

“Good, you're awake!” Rohan stated as he poked his head into their room. “Rune is demanding that I take her out, so I figured that I'd wake you and we can all go.”

Yalera used a pillow to shield her face, turning to the side to see her brother. “That must be why Yuna is attacking me!”

Rohan laughed before deciding to come to her rescue. “Yuna... Look! I've got sausages!”

“Rohan! You know those aren't good for her!” Yalera protested.

“But she loves them!” Rohan stated defensively. “Besides, I've only got two, one for each of them. Surely that can't hurt.”

Yalera sighed in relief as Yuna jumped off the bed and sat obediently in front of Rohan. Rune was also at his feet, obviously excited by the sausage in his hand. He made them both do a couple of tricks before rewarding them with the tasty treat.

Yalera slipped out of her bed, used the privy chamber, and then pulled on a simple morning dress. “I don't suppose that you brought any food for me.”

Rohan laughed almost evilly. “Well, yes... but then I fed it to our cats!”

Yalera gasped as if offended, pushing on his shoulder. “You could have told me that! I wouldn't have let you!”

Yuna pushed her massive head into Yalera's abdomen, rubbing her scent all over. Yalera grinned at her, stroking her head. “Alright, so maybe I would have.”

The twins led their cats out to the area set aside for the King's lion. It was a large and completely enclosed meadow-like area full of tall grasses and hollowed out logs for the cats to play with. They also had a small pond to drink from if they wished. The idea was to encourage small prey animals to take up residence in the area so that the cats had something to hunt while staying out of sight from most of the palace residents. Not many people were comfortable around such large animals!

At first, the twins chased their cats around playfully, and then ran as fast as they could while the smilodons chased them! It was almost like they were playing the child's game of tag. They did this often back at home – especially during the winter when they were so often cooped up inside.

Eventually, Yalera had to stop. She held a hand over her stomach as it growled almost angrily. “I have to eat soon!”

Rohan smiled and waved her away, as if giving her permission to leave. “Go on, I'll stay here with them a while longer.”

Yalera gave her twin a quick kiss on the cheek before running off. She stopped abruptly and turned back to him. “Should I meet up with you after I eat?”

“Probably not,” Rohan stated with a shrug. “I plan to go to the sparring yard after this. If I'm lucky, there'll be someone worth fighting!”

“Good luck!” Yalera wished him, resuming her hasty journey to the palace breakfast room. Just outside the room, a Lady in Waiting stopped her.

“Oh my!” She gasped in disapproval. “The younger sister of the Crown Princess cannot be seen in such a state of disarray!” Tugging on Yalera's hand, she dragged her to a nearby room. “What were you doing? Running?!” The Lady asked as she dipped a handkerchief in a basin of water and washed the sweat off Yalera's face.

Yalera patiently let the Lady fix her appearance, not just washing her face, but also brushing her hair and arranging it in a pretty up do. A very light hint of color on the lips helped to balance her flushed cheeks. Finally, a very dry towel absorbed all excess moisture. The Lady appraised her with pursed lips.

“Well... I suppose you'll do,” she finally decided.

Yalera laughed. “I'm only going to eat breakfast! It's not like I need to wear the latest fashions!”

The Lady gasped in utter horror. “Well! I never! Far be it for me to bad mouth anyone, but are you stupid?!?! Of course you need to wear the latest fashions! You are the sister of the future Queen! You should never look any less than your best!”

Yalera sighed impatiently. “But!”

“No buts!” The Lady insisted. “You're that age now, you need to attract eligible husbands. Your status is enough that you could attract the very best men if you simply make an effort to look nice.”

“I do look nice!” Yalera argued, getting upset now. “And I'll have you know, I have a future husband already!”

“You do?” The Lady asked incredulously.

“Yes,” Yalera confirmed with a huff, stalking out of the room so that she could finally get some breakfast. She entered the breakfast room determined to growl at anyone who stood between her and the buffet table. The first person she noticed was Yemry standing in line at the buffet next to Baethan, obviously helping his friend walk.

“Yalera!” King Eric called out happily when he saw her. Her mother, sister, and brother-in-law were all seated near the King and watched her with knowing smiles. “There you are! You're looking beautiful this morning.”

Yalera smiled at him – wishing that she could actually growl at him for interrupting her quest – and then curtseyed respectfully. “Uncle... Good morning. I trust you slept well.”

“I did, thank you,” King Eric stated, standing to sweep his arms wide. “Ladies and Gentleman, I have wonderful news!”

Yalera groaned as she plastered a bright smile on her face. She was rather hoping to eat before being bombarded by members of the court. She decided to curtsey again so that she could avoid looking at anyone.

“My dear Yalera is officially engaged to be married! She will be the bringer of peace! Crown Prince Crispin of Nandia has chosen her to be his bride to finally seal the treaty between our two Kingdoms once and for all!” King Eric announced as loudly as possible so that everyone in the palace could hear him – or so it seemed to her.

A gasp behind her let her know that the Lady in Waiting that had just fixed her appearance was shocked by this news. Yalera cast a smirk in her direction, silently telling her: I told you so! She decided to make the best of the situation.

“Uncle!” She chided cheekily, standing up straight to look at him directly. “You announce that during breakfast?! I thought I was supposed to have a fabulous party!”

The King laughed heartily. “And so you shall, but forgive me, my dear, I was far too excited to keep the news to myself any longer.” He beckoned to her insistently. “Come! I want you to sit next to me.”

Yalera pointed to the buffet table before sighing in disappointment. “Yes uncle...”

Members of the court started to softly applaud her as she walked. Each person she passed called out: “Congratulations!” A slight glance around the room assured her that all eyes were definitely on her.

“I guess I should have come to breakfast wearing the latest fashion!” Yalera muttered under her breath. She stood next to the King hesitantly, wondering just exactly where he wanted her to sit.

Her mother pulled her onto the ornate bench she was sitting on, nearly smothering her in an exuberant hug. “I'm so proud of you!”

“This is so exciting!” Rolanna gushed from across the table. “I'm going to be your maid of honor, of course.”

“Of course,” Yalera stated, trying her best to smile happily. Her stomach ruined the effect by growling loudly.

The King laughed and waved commandingly. “Yemry, my boy! Bring your poor sister some food to eat!”

Yalera cast her gaze to her older brother, praying that he'd remember how much she loved sausages. Her gaze caught on Baethan for a moment, who was frowning at her. He looked almost worried. Puzzled, she mentally shrugged and pushed all thoughts of him aside. Soon enough, Yemry helped his friend to a seat, and then delivered a plate of food to Yalera. He kissed her on the cheek and whispered congratulations in her ear.

She smiled at him gratefully, then focused on daintily cutting up her sausages into tiny bites before eating them. She really wanted to simply shove them into her mouth whole, but – as the Lady in Waiting had so rudely reminded her – she was an important Lady now and need to act like it. Still, the temptation was nearly overwhelming!

Thankfully, she got through breakfast without making any social blunders. Even better, the Lords and Ladies got so busy talking about how good her marriage would be for the Kingdom that they all forgot to talk to her. This meant that she got to eat in relative peace. A thought occurred to her just as she was wiping her mouth clean after finishing her meal.

“Uncle?”

King Eric gave her his full attention. “Yes, my dear?”

“If I am to be the Queen of Nandia, does that mean that I will have to eat all my breakfasts in front of the Nandian Courtiers?” This odd question served to prove that she hadn't quite figured out what it meant to be... well, like her sister. Married to a Crown Prince and an example to her people.

The King laughed, genuinely amused. “That will be entirely up to you, I'm sure!”

“Oh you precious girl!” Her mother exclaimed, hugging her tight again.

Across the room, Yemry sat next to his friend. He gently nudged Baethan to gain his attention. “Something wrong? You've looked positively sour since you sat down!”

Baethan shook his head and held his tongue, which was unusual behavior for him. This made Yemry worry all the more.

“No seriously, what's wrong?” Yemry demanded in a whisper.

With a sigh, Baethan leaned closer to whisper in Yemry's ear. “I don't want to jinx it... but I've heard of Prince Crispin, and I don't think your sister will be happy married to him.”

“Why not?” Yemry wondered.

“He's..... he's not known for his kindness towards women...” Baethan finally admitted.

Yemry bit his lip in concern. “Well, he is a Nandian, and Nandian's aren't known for their kindness to anyone. I'm sure that he'll have to be good to her if he truly wants peace with our Kingdom.”

“Maybe...” Baethan murmured. “But... when have Nandians ever wanted peace?”

With a shrug, Yemry found that he had no good answer to that.

Go To Chapter 4

Yalera the Brave - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

“Yalera!” Ronin called out for his daughter. As usual, she was running late for breakfast. Also as usual, Rohan blatantly stole a fat sausage off her plate.

“I'm coming!” Yalera called out as she ran to the breakfast room. “Sorry I'm late!” She apologized breathlessly as she entered the room. A tug on her sleeve straightened her dress so that she looked perfect.

Ronin waited for her to get settled and eat a few bites before he broke the silence. “Yalera, I have something important to tell you.”

Yalera took a sip of tea to help clear out her mouth before responding. “Yes? What is it?”

Ronin inhaled a bit sadly. “Now that the planting has been finished and summer approaches, the King has summoned us to visit him in his palace. He wishes to discuss... your marriage...”

Yalera was in the middle of taking another sip of tea and nearly spit it out. After carefully swallowing her drink, she cleared her throat and tried to appear calm. “My marriage? Any idea who he has in mind?”

“No,” Ronin replied succinctly. “However, as you well know, your mother is the King's only cousin and your sister is married to the Crown Prince. That makes you as close to being a Royal Princess as he is going to get, and he almost certainly has an influential Lord in mind.”

“Or the heir to an influential Lord,” Yalera murmured, praying that she wasn't going to be married to an old man. The King's dead wife's brother – for example – was in his 50s and still single. If he wished to marry a young bride, the King would almost be obligated to give him her hand in marriage. It was a possibility she had hoped against for years.

Ronin nodded in agreement. “In any case, we have to pack up and get ready to leave here. Do you think you can be ready to go first thing tomorrow morning?”

Yalera groaned at the thought of getting up so early.

“You can sleep in the carriage,” her father promised with an amused smile.

“Are we bringing Yuna and Rune?” Yalera wondered, sipping her tea again.

Ronin stroked his short beard in thought for several long and quiet moments. Normally, they left the cats home when the went to the palace for a visit, but usually, their visits only lasted a week or two. If the King wanted to discuss possible suitors, their visit could well last several months – long enough for Yalera to turn 16 and get married.

“Hmm... I think we probably should,” he finally decided. “I'll arrange to have a steady supply of food sent to us for them. Also, the King used to own a lion, whom I suspect was their father. He should be sympathetic to their need to hunt on occasion.”

“Married...” Rohan murmured somberly. This event would utterly change his life as well. For the first time ever, he would be without half of his soul.

His father gave a tiny smile. “Don't be too worried yet. The King is notorious for being picky. He may well take years to decide on the right husband for Yalera.”

“But what if he's already decided on someone?” Rohan asked, clearly dreading the possibility.

“Then I shall be married,” Yalera stated as if this was no more important than the weather. As much as she was worried about who her husband might be, she had long ago accepted that the majority of girls got married shortly after their 16^th birthday. When she was being completely honest with herself, the prospect excited her. As a close relative of the King – provided her husband was kind and handsome – she was guaranteed to have a beautiful wedding. It may even be as beautiful as her older sister Rolanna's had been!

A sad smile crossed her lips as she braced herself for the very worst. Even if she was married to an older man, it would not be all bad since she was almost certainly guaranteed to be left with wonderful children and a lot of money when he died. The ladies at court all took turns telling her all about the benefits of marriage to an older gentleman. Most of them felt surprisingly free. Whereas the brides with husbands closer to their own age often felt their husbands were demanding and unreasonable.

I can do this, Yalera assured herself. Even so, she wasn't going to lie, she wanted someone that she could grow to love. Someone who she could eventually have as deep a bond with as she did with her twin brother. She smiled at Rohan in a way she hoped conveyed her love to him.

Rohan responded by raising one eye brow in confusion. No matter how calm she was, he felt like his world was about to come crashing down upon him. Suddenly, that vague future that they had always thought was so far away seemed a whole lot closer.

Seeing his confusion, Yalera was tempted to use their uncanny mental twin connection, but decided against it. Rohan also felt that the time for them to read each other's minds just wasn't right. He forced a smile – a fairly convincing one – to his lips.

Ronin watched the two of them try to put on a brave face for each other and felt his heart constrict painfully. If he could defy the King, he would simply keep his daughter here where she was happy. But not even the husband of the King's cousin – the father of the future queen! – could get away with defying the King. Thankfully, he did have some say in the matter, and as such, he would do everything in his power to make sure that his daughter was not married off to some old Lord more interested in a trophy than a wife!

***

One of the nice things about being somewhat closely related to the King was that they were allowed to used the King's private entrance to the palace. This meant that their arrival was hidden from curious onlookers. It could never be a complete secret – of course, there was too much gossip for that – but it would give them time to visit with their mother and settle in before anyone demanded their attention. It also meant that they could bring their pet smilodons to their family apartment without scaring anyone.

Ronin watched his children comfort and reassure their huge cats for at least a half an hour before agreeing that it was time to send word to their mother that they had arrived. Three sharp tugs on the bell-pull alerted the staff that they needed a page. Barely two minutes later, a boy of 10 or 11 knocked at their door and was asked to deliver a message to the Lady Yalena. He agreed with a cheerful smile and ran off to do his job.

The pages were the younger of the sons sent by the Lords of the Kingdom to serve the King. Once upon a time ago, their older brother Yemry had been a page just like that boy. Now, he was 23 years old and a well respected Officer in the King's service. One day soon, he would take a bride and move into their family apartment in the palace, but for now, he was housed in the barracks with the other Officers.

The door burst open unexpectedly, causing a loud bang that upset Rune and Yuna.

“I'm so happy you're here!” Lady Yalena greeted her husband and children enthusiastically, giving them all a tight hug and a kiss. She held her twins in her arms for an extra moment before releasing them. “I was with Rolanna and the Queen and her Ladies when the news of your arrival reached me, and she has requested your presence as soon as possible!”

The Lady cast a politely patient smile at the smilodons. “But you two are to stay here!”

The cats groaned as if saying: “Yeah yeah,” and then flopped onto their sides so they could take a nap.

One might think that as soon as possible meant they were supposed to drop everything and go, but in reality, it meant that they needed to hurry and change into suitably fashionable clothes. Lady Yalena kept their court wardrobe up to date even when they weren't there, so they had no worries about what to wear. Soon, the twins and their father were all ready to go.

When they arrived at the Queen's apartment, they had to wait a moment for the herald to announce them. Yalera suppressed a giggle and squeezed her brother's hand. Both thought: Imagine! Having to be introduced to our sister like this!

The herald got straight to the point, forgoing the flowery pleasantries that the Queen disliked but the King usually insisted on. “Lord Ronin and Lady Yalena and their children Rohan and Yalera.”

Rolanna looked positively radiant with happiness. She had been raised to be the bride of the Crown Prince, and now that she was, everyone treated her with the deference and respect due to the future Queen. This normally meant that she was calm and composed at all times, but she ruined this saintly image of herself by squealing as she leapt to her feet.

“Daddy!” Rolanna cried as she flung herself into her father's arms. “I'm so happy to see you!” She kissed him on each cheek, and then kissed him on each cheek again for good measure. “And you two!” She threw an arm around each of the twins. “I missed you so much!”

“Wow Ro!” Yalera exclaimed, holding her sister's hands a moment later. “You look... You're glowing!”

Rolanna squealed again. “I know! I just found out...” She took a deep breath and bounced in excitement a couple of times before settling down. “I'm with child!” The entire assembly gasped – except for the Queen and Lady Yalera, who already knew.

“A baby!” Yalera exhaled reverently, hugging her sister again. “That's wonderful!” She stated honestly, a large part of herself wondering if she would soon be a mother too.

“Congratulations,” Ronin murmured happily as he pulled his daughter into another hug.

“Wow...” Rohan blurted out in mild shock. “That means there's going to be a little Prince or Princess running around all too soon.” In his mind, children were one of those inevitable things that would happen in his distant future. He tried not to think about it as it was hard enough thinking about how on earth he was going to manage running the family estate by himself if Yalera got married.

Lady Yalena put a hand on her husband's arm to gain his attention. “Why don't you and Rohan go visit Yemry in the barracks? We'll celebrate the joyous news later as a family.”

Ronin nodded, gave his daughter an extra hug, and then tugged on Rohan in a silent command to follow. Once they left, the Ladies in waiting all started to chatter excitedly about the baby. Yalera sat quietly next to her mother and sister, smiling as she listened to all the planning and gossip. Inside, she felt completely alone and adrift without her twin by her side. She had nothing in common with any of the women here!

The hours passed slowly, then finally, the entire family was nestled inside their apartment. It was an extremely rare event for them to all be together like this, but the Prince had given both Rolanna and Yemry permission to spend some much needed time with their family. Rolanna had asked him to join her, but he was an intelligent and compassionate man who understood that they could not truly relax as a family if the Crown Prince was around.

Therefore, this evening was all about catching up and bonding. Dinner started out rather quietly since no one really knew where to start, but after each person awkwardly talked about their last couple of months, they suddenly relaxed. Of course, that may have a had a little to do with the glass of wine that was served with dinner.

“So tell me,” Lady Yalena said, smiling at her twins. “How are things going at home? I'm sure that the animals have all given birth by now and the crops have been planted.” She was smart enough to know that something wasn't quite right. When the twins had described their last couple of months, they had almost avoided talking about the most important part.

Yalera and Rohan exchanged concerned glances. Both shrugged indecisively and looked to the floor. “Yeah, everything's fine.”

The Lady was well practiced at picking up on subtle cues, so she knew her children weren't telling her something important. She looked to her husband. “Ronin?”

“It's alright,” Ronin murmured, encouraging the twins to talk. “You should tell your mother what happened. She might be able to comfort you. I certainly haven't!”

“That's not true!” The twins cried out in unison. They were holding hands again, this time so tightly that their hands turned white.

“What?” Their mother prompted in concern. “Tell me what?”

The twins looked at each other for a moment before Rohan nodded. “I'll tell it.” Yalera simply nodded in agreement. She didn't think she could trust herself to say any of it out loud without crying. She pressed her free hand to her mouth in the hopes that it would remind her to be strong.

“Well,” Rohan began with a heavy sigh. “When we were out inspecting the land... We came across a raid on one of our farms. We...”

“No!” Yemry burst out angrily. “I should have been there! How bad was it? Did we lose a lot of people? How many farms were destroyed?”

Rohan swallowed a couple of times before answering. “One farm, sort of. Yalera and I managed to fight them off and protect as many people as we could but still, 11 good people died that day.”

Yalera couldn't hold back her tears any longer. She buried her face in her twin's shoulder and sobbed. It hurt as bad today as it had the day it happened. In her mind, two little girls were screaming for her to save them, but no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't.

Rohan stroked Yalera's hair with the hand that wasn't still gripping hers. “Before we killed them all, some of the raiders had time to brutally... violate...”

Lady Yalena was clutching her heart, both she and her older daughter Rolanna were white as ghosts. Yemry swore abruptly. “I wish I could kill them all again! How dare they hurt my baby sister!”

“What?” Yalera asked in confusion. “They didn't hurt me.” She tried to wipe the tears from her eyes, but more simply replaced them. “There were two little girls! One was... six? The other couldn't have been more than eight!”

“But we killed them, Yalera,” Rohan reminded her. “We avenged them all.”

“I know that!” Yalera wailed miserably. “And part of me hopes that the men responsible for such atrocities were torn to shreds by Yuna! But the rest of me? I am horrified that I shot and killed human beings with my bow!”

Rohan nodded, bowing his head sadly. “At least you didn't feel the indescribable feeling of your sword severing a head from its body.”

Yalera took her brother's hands in hers. “How are we ever supposed to forget what we did?”

Yemry surprised them both by kneeling next to them and placing a hand on both of their shoulders. “I'll tell you what the King once told me. We had ridden out on a training mission – this was about two years ago – and we came across a large raid, just like you did. Without a second thought, we rode in to defend our people. We're trained to incapacitate our enemies as quickly as possible, which usually means knocking them unconscious or wounding them in a way that makes it difficult to keep fighting. Even so, deaths occur. I ended up killing a man, and I...”

Yemry looked away, his face flushed from embarrassment. “I threw up! I couldn't believe that I had taken a life! The King saw me and empathized. He told me that had I not taken that life, he would have either taken mine or someone else's. He reminded me that before we arrived, many people had died at the hands of the raiders. He reminded me that the raiders would have robbed our people of the food we need to survive the winter. And then he said...”

Yemry took a deep breath and looked them each in the eyes for a moment. “You're not supposed to forget or stop being horrified that you've taken a human life. If you do, that makes you a monster! The best you can hope for is the peace that eventually comes with knowing you did the right thing. You defended our land and protected people who needed you...”

They were all silent for a long moment as his words sank in and made the twins feel just a little bit better. Then Yemry cleared his throat. “I'm sorry... Just exactly how many raiders did you kill? And how many people did you have fighting alongside you?”

“Well...” Yalera answered because it gave her mind something to focus on. “There were... about 20 raiders in total, I think.”

“I think so too, but it all happened so fast,” Rohan added, his brows drawn together in concentration.

“We heard screams and didn't even think about it. We just grabbed our weapons, mounted our horses, and rode to the rescue. I shot two or three raiders before Rohan decapitated one,” Yalera recounted as best she could remember.

“All I remember for certain is when the raiders banded together and there was 13 of them and only two of us,” Rohan murmured, his voice soft with remembered fear. “I thought for sure we were going to die, and then Rune came to my rescue.”

“And... With Yuna's help, I killed several more men,” Yalera informed them. “She used her teeth and I used my bow.”

“Rune and Yuna probably killed more men than we did,” Rohan admitted, sending a grateful smile at their beloved pets – who were still sleeping since they had nothing better to do.

“Are you sure about that?” Yalera wondered. “I mean, it's a blur now, but at the time, I remember thinking that I shot at least a hundred men. I know that's silly, there weren't even that many men there! But...”

“How many arrows were in your quiver?” Rohan asked curiously.

“Uh, 12,” Yalera stated confidently. It was the number she usually carried with her.

“And how many arrows did you shoot?” Rohan wondered.”

“All of them,” Yalera answered.

“Then you probably killed twelve men while Rune, Yuna, and I killed the rest,” Rohan stated as if there could never be any doubt in his mind.

“You must be joking!” Yemry exclaimed, tempted to laugh at the joke. “Yalera kill a man with each arrow she shot?! No one's that good!”

“Yalera is,” Rohan replied firmly. He was not bragging, simply expressing something he was certain was true.

Ronin sort of tilted his head to the side as he nodded in agreement. “I believe it. I've seen Yalera hunt. If she aims her bow at something, it dies.”

“Really?” Yemry asked softly, his mind suddenly somewhere else completely.

“Yes,” Ronin confirmed, relieved that his children had finally talked about what had happened that day. They hadn't been truly themselves ever since, and he was beginning to seriously worry. Hopefully now, they could move on and come to terms with what they had done.

“Hmm... The King has organized a hunt in a couple of days,” Yemry muttered to himself.

He had been the one tasked with working with the Master of the Hunt to organize everything. This was one of several hunts that would hopefully provide the palace with enough meat to last the entire winter – if preserved properly. The Lords and Ladies who enjoyed hunting often thought of it as a simple game, a way to pass the time, but Yemry knew that it was vitally important. If his sister really was that good of a shot, then he needed her to come help him make sure they met their quota.

“Father, why don't you and the twins join us in the hunt?” Yemry suggested with a warm and inviting smile.

Rolanna – glad to have something more cheery to talk about – clasped her hands together in anticipation. “Yes! You must! It can be like a family outing.”

Lady Yalena hastily added her opinion to the topic. “Just promise you won't bring the smilodons with! While I'm sure the King would adore them, they would frighten the Ladies of the court, and then the hunt would be ruined.”

Ronin took his wife's hand in his and smiled at her. “I think that Rune and Yuna will be fine staying here that day.

Yalena smiled at her husband in relief. “Good! You know, even though it has been many years since his lion died, the King still maintains the area where he could run around and do his business. I know the King won't mind if the girls used it.” As much as she was still afraid of smilodons in general, having seen these ones as tiny babies made her slightly affectionate towards them.

Then the thought that the 10 feet long cats had helped to kill a band of raiders crossed her mind, making her shudder. She pulled her gorgeously lacy shall closer to ward off a foreboding chill, and pushed the unpleasant thought to the back of her mind. They were only protecting my children... they won't hurt us...

Ronin and Yalena smiled at each other suggestively. They may not have been a love match, but they did love each other. Each time they reunited, they had fun talking and dancing. They always had been best friends, and after more than twenty years of marriage, this fact had not changed.

All four of their children rolled their eyes and shook their heads. With a chuckle, Rolanna made an excellent suggestion. “Why don't you two go... talk... in your bedroom. Get reacquainted! We'll be fine out here.” She then smiled at her siblings. “Anyone up for a game of cards?”

“Great idea!” Yemry agreed with a grin. “I can win back the money I lost to you last month!”

“Oh you think so?!” Rolanna challenged with a laugh. “I must confess, I am quite a little shark when it comes to cards!”

“I know,” Yemry admitted with a wry grin. “But don't count me out just yet. I still have a few tricks up my sleeves.”

Yalera gave her parents each a quick kiss on the cheek before wandering over to the massive desk to search for a pack of cards. Her parents passed kisses out to everyone else before retiring to their room. By the time she found the cards, she felt lighter in spirit than she had in a while.

***

Considering that the King had summoned them all the way to the palace, he was in no hurry to actually meet with them. It was more important to him that they follow court etiquette and mingle for a few days with the other Lords and Ladies. He believed that the entire Kingdom prospered when the nobility gathered together each summer to get reacquainted and have fun.

Therefore, the day of the hunt arrived before Yalera knew anything more on the subject of her husband-to-be. Thankfully, the hunt did not start until after breakfast – which was never served before eight am since the King himself liked to sleep in. This meant that Yalera felt wide awake and refreshed as the nobility gathered in preparation for departure.

“Yemry!” A young man hissed in an urgent whisper. “You have to help me!”

Yemry was standing near his family both as an unofficial guard for his sister – the Crown Princess and her husband, the Crown Prince – but also because he wanted to keep a sharp eye on Yalera to see if she really was as good as they said she was. More than a little distracted, he turned to face the owner of the slightly panicked voice and smiled when he realized that it was his best friend.

“Baethan!” Yemry greeted joyfully. “What do you need?”

“As you know, I'm in deep trouble with the King,” Baethan stated in a low voice to keep the King from overhearing him. Yalera glanced over at him curiously, wondering what he had done to offend the King. “If I don't do something impressive soon, I'm likely to be sent home. If that happens, my father will kill me! You've got to help me! Just let me be the first to know when a big deer or elk is spotted so that I can have a chance to take it down and impress the King.”

Yemry hemmed and hawed for about half a minute just to see his friend sweat nervously and hop from foot to foot.

“Come on Yemry, please!”

“Alright Bae! I'll try to help you out, but I make no promises. I can only do so much,” Yemry informed him with feigned solemnness.

“I know, just do what you can,” Baethan replied with a grateful smile. Then he leaned in closer and whispered. “Who knows, maybe I'll even impress your sister.” He sighed as if thinking about an angel in heaven. “She's so beautiful, it's a real shame that she's married to the Prince!”

Yemry was used to just about every man wishing that his sister Rolanna was available to woo, so he simply shook his head in amusement. Slinging an arm around Baethan, he looked around to make sure that Rolanna and her husband were paying attention to something else. They were, but Yalera was still watching Yemry and his friend curiously. Yemry cast her a quick wink.

“Baethan, I know you are hopelessly in love with Rolanna, but she's a Princess and carrying the future Heir to the Throne. You need to get over her!” Yemry advised in a whisper so he didn't attract attention.

Baethan sighed so morosely that Yalera almost laughed. “I know,” he admitted with another sigh. “But I can't help it! She's so wonderful and perfect and... wonderful!”

“Smooth...” Yemry muttered dryly as he rolled his eyes.

By this point, even Rohan was shaking from the effort to not laugh. He needlessly straightened Yalera's quiver so that he could hide the huge grin on his face. Yalera patted her twin on the hand as she too had to fight to keep a straight face. An amused snort escaped her, but Rohan helped her cover the reasoning by tickling her cheek. Yalera poked him on the nose in return, and they both devolved into quiet giggles.

Baethan looked over at them and made his voice sound slightly higher, as if he was talking to a child. “Aww, don't you two country bumpkins look just lovey dovey?!” He teased them, miming a heart thumping against his chest. “Are you planning to get married anytime soon?”

“Um Bae?” Yemry said, trying to get his friend's attention.

Baethan tapped Yemry on the chest. “This young man doesn't look old enough to get married yet, but I bet that won't stop him from sweet-talking her into his bed.”

“Bae!” Yemry snapped with a frown.

Baethan sighed impatiently. “What's wrong, you know I'm only joking!” As an incorrigible practical joker, this was likely the truth. Even so, Yemry shook his head.

“Not good, Bae. That's my younger brother and sister you're being crude to,” Yemry informed him sternly.

“Really?” Baethan asked, having the grace to look apologetic even as he was interested by this news. “I didn't know that you had other siblings. I thought it was just you and Rolanna.”

Yalera – who hadn't been offended by the tacky innuendo – laughed lightly. “That's because we are usually too busy running Northinshire to come to court. Consider this a rare and special occasion.”

Rohan frowned at his sister. “Don't waste your time talking to him! You heard him, he considers us 'bumpkins...'”

“Just because he's rude doesn't mean I have to be,” Yalera said defensively.

“Hrmph!” Rohan snorted derisively. “I should feed him to Rune and Yuna!”

Yemry laughed heartily at that, thumping Baethan on the back. “I'd watch my back if I were you, and maybe consider staying away from my brother. He seems to have taken a dislike to you!”

“I'm sorry!” Baethan apologized to them all, but mostly to Yemry. “But you know how my mouth is!”

Yemry patted him on the back again just as a loud whistle signaled that it was time for everyone to mount up and ride out. “Oh! Time to go! Keep an eye on me, I'll send you a tip if I can.

Baethan nodded and then rushed off to get on his horse. Yalera watched him run away as she carefully seated herself atop her horse, curling her leg around the saddle horn to make side saddle riding a bit more comfortable. The thought that someone was nearly love sick over her older sister made her chuckle softly – a grin stretching her lips.

Rohan caught her look and mistook it for romantic interest. He narrowed his eyes and growled at her. “Don't get too interested in him. Remember? You have an arranged marriage to an influential Lord ahead of you!”

Yalera laughed loudly, not bothering to respond to his reminder. A minute later, the King led the party into the woods as Yemry and a couple others listened for signals from the Hunt Master and his men.

A couple of hours passed with the majority of the party chattering away merrily. Not many of them cared about hunting, simply along so they could spend time with the King and each other. A few went off in response to signals from the Huntsmen – Yemry and his friend Baethan left and returned a couple of times, but so far, no one had caught much. Nothing big anyway.

Yalera wasn't one for gossiping, so she kept her eyes and ears open and shot anything that was fit to grace the King's table. So far, this was a handful of fat pheasants and a pair of plump rabbits. As they neared a lake, a rafter of humongous wild turkeys ran amok, causing a loud clamor. Yalera quickly shot as many as she could before they half ran half flew into the woods.

“My dear girl!” The King exclaimed happily. “You have just fed an entire banquet!” He gestured for her to come closer. “Allow me to give you a reward!”

Yalera dismounted and delicately rushed to where the King was standing. He had gestured to his attendants that they would stop here for a picnic, so most everyone was dealing with the logistics of where to put their horse while they lunched. Hastily, everyone cleared a path for the girl who had been beckoned to the King's side.

“Yes, uh... uncle,” Yalera answered hesitantly. She was technically his cousin, but he had long ago insisted that she, Rohan, and Yemry call him uncle – as Rolanna had before she married the Prince and started calling the King “Dear Father.”

“Yalera, my dear,” the King addressed her kindly, taking her hands into his. “What would you like as your reward?”

Yalera bit her lip and looked to the ground to cover a blush, then took a deep breath and decided to be bold... to a point. She leaned closer so that she could whisper into his ear. “I'd love nothing more than to be allowed to chose my future husband... someday...”

The King roared with laughter. He smiled at her daring even as he mentally sighed in relief that she hadn't forced him to respond to that statement after his entire court had heard it. “Is that so?! Well, I certainly cannot give you that! However, I will arrange for you and your father to meet with me tonight so that we can discuss certain things. Perhaps that will put your mind at ease.”

“Yes Majesty,” Yalera murmured with a dutiful curtsey.

“In the meantime...” the King snapped his fingers a couple of times, beckoning a servant over to him. The servant rushed forward and held out a box. The King dug through the box for a moment before selecting an item. “This is a badge that I only bestow on those that have genuinely impressed me. It's a rare and great honor, but I believe that you deserve it.” He pinned a solid gold broach shaped like a crown on her dress near her shoulder, and then gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “If only more of my citizens could hunt like you.”

Yalera flapped her hand airily at him. “That's nothing! Just wait until we find a boar or a bear!”

She and the King both laughed raucously at that. The King assumed that she was joking, and Yalera knew it, which was funny to her. She looked over to her twin, who was also laughing merrily. He knew that she was serious!

As Yalera made her way back to Rohan's side, she noticed Baethan glaring at her. For the tiniest second, she felt bad, almost guilty. He had told her brother Yemry that he needed to impress the King, and yet, it was she who now bore his gift.

Most of the party joined the picnic, but a few of the more serious hunters took advantage of the fact that there were now less people to scare away prey. Yalera and Rohan silently agreed to continue hunting since their parents and sister were all occupied anyway. Besides, the way Yemry was fretting clearly indicated that the hunt was not as successful as he needed it to be.

Baethan followed Yemry, knowing that his best chance to shoot something impressive would be now. Hopefully before someone beat him to it! He muttered to himself just loud enough for Yemry to hear him muttering.

“What was that?” Yemry asked.

Baethan sighed, now that they were away from prying ears and he could talk openly. “After my last prank, I'm almost certainly going to be dismissed from the King's service. I need a miracle!”

“Good luck!” Yalera called out to him as she and her twin decided to ride away from Yemry and his friend.

“I'll need it,” Baethan muttered darkly to himself.

The twins rode in comfortable silence for about a half an hour before silently agreeing that they were probably far enough away from everyone else to hunt without any noise or smells to alert their prey. They started listening to the sounds of nature, relying on an almost sixth sense to tell them what was nearby.

Do you hear that? Yalera mouthed soundlessly, sending the question to him mentally as well. Rohan nodded, silently pointing in the direction he figured the sound came from. It was frequent rustling and occasional twig snapping. Unless a fellow hunter was trying to scare prey out of some bushes, there was a big animal close by. The twins slowly urged their horses to sneak up on it.

You wanted a boar, Rohan thought sarcastically at his sister when they saw what was making all the noise.

Yalera didn't even bother to respond as she was too busy aiming an arrow at the large beast. It was plenty big enough to feed the entire palace! Judging by the thick layer of fat on its back, this boar must be a male in his prime, which was a dangerous beast to tangle with.

Yalera waited until she had the perfect shot. She would rather let the boar get away than shoot it someplace that would only make it mad at her. Her ideal spot would of course be the heart, but boars didn't exactly make it easy to target their hearts. Instead, she whistled sharply to catch its attention. The moment it turned to look at her, she shot an arrow through each of its eyes. They lodged in the boar's brain, making him fall dead with a few violent jerks of its legs.

“Good shot!” Rohan praised her excitedly just before he blew on a horn to signal a kill.

“Thanks!” Yalera accepted the praise with a grin. A couple of blasts from a nearby horn let them know that Yemry was on his way. He then trumpeted the code that asked what kind of animal, to which Rohan blew on the horn in a rapid way that let everyone know they had a boar.

Several more horns bellowed out in the distance all around them, letting them know that a team of people were on their way to help out. A boar was a worthy kill! The King himself might come to reward the hunter that killed it.

“Oh no!” Yalera groaned as the thought occurred to her. “I've already got a badge of honor, another one will just make people hate me!” She lightly pulled on her hair. “Or worse, make people think that the King favors me because we're related!”

Rohan laughed, pointing his finger at her teasingly. “Some people would kill for your problem!”

Yemry called out to get their attention and let them know that he had arrived. “Hey!”

Rohan waved, and then gestured towards the boar. A few moments passed, and then Yemry and Baethan stopped next to them. Yemry looked honestly impressed.

“Wow...”

Yalera stuck her tongue out at her twin for a fraction of a second. “You should have seen Rohan! He shot that boar like it was meant to be! I swear the boar looked him straight in the eye and dared him to do it!”

Rohan gaped at her before gasping out: “Yalera!”

Yalera looked at him as if challenging him to contradict her.

“Good job Rohan!” Yemry congratulated him with a pat on the back.

“Yeah,” Baethan agreed somberly. “Listen, I know you don't like me, but I have a huge favor to ask of you... Will you please let me take credit for the kill?”

Rohan bristled angrily. “No I will not! I didn't –”

“Oh Rohan!” Yalera chided, preventing him from blurting out that it was actually she who had shot it. “Don't be such a spoilsport!” She gave him a significant look. In her mind, she was practically chiding him: If you aren't going to claim the kill, you may as well let him claim it.

Rohan growled at her, his eyes narrowed as he mentally responded: But he doesn't deserve the credit! They glared at each other for a couple of seconds in a silent argument, and then Rohan sighed in defeat.

“Fine... You can pretend like you killed it,” he permitted, shifting his glare to Baethan.

“Thank you!” Baethan practically shouted in his enthusiasm. “You have no idea how much this means to me! I owe you.”

“No you don't,” Rohan tried to tell him the truth, but Yalera prevented him.

“He'll hold you to that! Now, maybe it would be better if we rode away before anyone else arrives,” Yalera suggested emphatically.

Rohan sighed again, and then agreed. “Yeah, we should look for something else so we don't return empty handed.”

Baethan reached out to grab hold of Yalera's arm as she rode by him. “Thanks bumpkin, I owe you too for convincing your brother to do me this favor. I'll buy a ribbon for your hair or something the next time I see you.”

Yalera simply shrugged, shook his hand off her arm, and joined her twin as he rode away.

The moment they were out of earshot, Yemry looked up from the boar to make sure he wouldn't be overheard. Then he grinned as he teased his friend. “So... you have a crush on my other sister now?”

Baethan scoffed as he rolled his eyes. “Please! Like anyone could ever hold a candle to Rolanna!”

“Good! You just stay away from Yalera. Rohan's very protective of her, and you won't like it if he has to challenge you to a duel,” Yemry warned.

“Hey!” Baethan protested indignantly. “I'm very good at duels! Remember?”

Yemry laughed to indicate that he fully remembered standing as Baethan's second on more than one occasion. Baethan hadn't lost a duel yet! Even so...

“Don't get too cocky! If you ever have to duel my little brother, I'll probably be his second.”

“Oh...” Baethan murmured as he thought about the implications. There's no way Yemry would allow any harm to come to his brother, and so Baethan would probably lose. “Right...”

With a short blast of a horn, others announced their arrival, and the whole conversation was dropped. Even working together, it was still quite some time before the boar was ready to be moved. Near the end, Yemry burst out laughing so hard that he had to hold his sides.

Baethan was not the only one to ask: “What's so funny?”

“My brother wasn't carrying a bow, just his sword!” Yemry managed to say between roars of laughter. No one else understood the significance of this, not even Baethan, who suddenly wondered if his friend had lost his mind. But Yemry knew, this meant that Yalera was really the one to shoot the boar. He eventually calmed down, but couldn't wipe the secretive grin off his face for hours.

Go to Chapter 3