He scoffs. “He always sends you on wild adventures, does he not? I want…No. I need to go on the next expedition. Being stuck here is driving me mad and I swear, if Mother tries to arrange another marriage for me I will disappear from this place forever.”
“Don’t be dramatic,” I say, spotting some workers carrying in decorations for tonight’s festivities.
Today marks the forty-fifth year since driving out the enemy kingdom of Haymel. Though my family has ruled for hundreds of years, there was a moment when our monarchy nearly collapsed at the hands of our greatest rival. My grandfather fell ill when my father was in his first year of life. Once Haymel learned of his sickness, their king sent soldiers to infiltrate our kingdom and claimed the land as their own. For a brief period of time, Saden fell to the hands of the enemy.
According to my grandmother, who I’m sure has fluffed the story over the years, she composed a secret group of loyalists determined to overthrow Haymel’s new king and queen at the time, and ultimately assassinate them. It took nearly ten months to drive out all Hamelians, and then another year to restore Saden back to its original state prior to the invasion. During Haymel’s short rule, several people had been sentenced to death, robbed of their land, and stripped of their titles. Today is in remembrance of what we rightfully claimed back.
Deean snaps his fingers in my face. “You still listening?”
“I hear you.”
“So, what do you say then?”
I have no issue with Deean. Sure, he can be eccentric and self-centered, but overall, he’s good fun, and I have no doubt he would bring some lightheartedness to trips that can last months at a time. But if I am honest with myself, there is a part of me that doesn’t want him stealing any attention that’s reserved for me. Being the third son to a king means I am overlooked a lot and often forgotten by everyone around me. These moments of exploration are my own and in some selfish way I want them to remain so.
“I’m not sure it’s a good idea,” I finally muster up the courage to answer. “I think you would get bored after a few days, and Mother would have my head. You think she annoys you now, wait until you disappear for chunks at a time.”
His gaze deepens, and I swear he can detect the half-truths.
“Would you allow me to go if I found you more information about that precious flower of yours?” He smiles as my body stiffens. “I know a lot of things, a lot of people, and a lot of secret places.”
As soon as he mentions the flower, I know he’s been hiding in the tunnels connecting to Father’s study. As bored, energetic children growing up in a castle, we learned the ins and outs of everything. Especially the secret passageways.
“What could you possibly know about it?”
“Unlike you and our brother, I actually mingle with the people of our kingdom.”
“You mean drink and gossip with them in taverns?”
He can’t fight off his smile. “Drunk or sober, the people tell me things. I’ve heard many stories about that flower. Some utter nonsense but others are different, and I can feel a bit of truth in their stories. I might even have a lead on where you can get a map of the isle.”
“Impossible.”
“Is it? You think over the span of thousands of years, no one has ever ventured there or charted the land. I know you’re smart enough to know better.”
I release the tension in my jaw and let a hefty breath loose. “And where is thismap?”
“You only get to know if I’m promised a spot on this expedition.” He holds out a hand for me to shake.
“And how do we know if this map is legit or not?”
He withdraws his hand and thinks it over before surrendering a shrug. “We don’t. Just like our father has no clue if this man who brought him news of the flower is telling the truth. We’re all going in blindly. But if the map turns out to be real, it would get us one step closer to finding the mystic flower.” He holds his hand back out, “Come on, brother, it’s one trip. Some brother bonding time will do us good.”
I am really going to regret this, but if what he is saying is true, then the map could make everything easier. Putting my hand in his, we shake on it. “You better get that map. If I don’t see it by the time we board for Farella Isle, I will leave you at the port and wave goodbye.”
His eyes grow childlike, filling with utter delight. “We have a deal.”
5
ARIAH
My mother finishes peeling her fifth potato while I still scrape at my first. The way the blade in her hand effortlessly glides over the skin is smooth, like she doesn’t touch it at all but manages to remove the cleanest layer. Once she has enough potatoes, she moves on to peeling the carrots, again skinning four before I even touch my first.
She doesn’t speak to me. Not even a subtle glance or a hint of a smile is pathetically tossed my way.
After seeing Luna and running into one of the council members, I wasn’t in the mood to deal with my sister, so I went to the creek for a bit. It allowed me to work on some of my sketches using Shea’s flower for inspiration. I spent a good three hours there, but I could only stall for so long.
Once I hit the outskirts of the village, I took the road of Willows Path until my parents’ cottage came into view. I noticed a familiar carriage parked outside. It took me all of two seconds to realize my sister had already heard the news and so kindly shared it with my parents before I could.
