Skirts & Swords (Female-Led Epic Fantasy Box Set for Charity) Read online

  He gives me an amused expression and shakes his head, probably from me not wanting my coat. If the warriors can stand the bitter cold without protection, then I can. His eyes lock on something straight ahead and I turn to look at what he’s staring at. Up ahead, the distinction between the Fall Court and the Winter Court is apparent. It’s amazing how things change from mild to extreme. The dividing line between the courts is clear. On one side, the green grass and the colorful leaves of the trees are present. The sky is still blue with a mixture of clouds. On the other side, there are thick snow clouds and the snow is cascading down in abundance. I can already see from here that the land is beautifully covered in white powdery snow. It sparkles and glistens like diamonds. We are almost to the dividing line when the temperature starts to change. A shiver rolls down my spine and my traitorous mind says that maybe I should rethink putting on my coat. No, I chastise myself. I can’t look weak.

  My teeth are silently chattering and my hands begin to shake from gripping the reigns so tightly. I close my eyes from the chill of the wind because it’s starting to make them water and burn. As soon as I open them, the Winter Palace comes into view. My throat tightens and I struggle to swallow. This is going to be a test for me, a test to see how strong I am. I take a deep breath and with determination, I steady my gaze at the palace. I will pass the test, and I will come out on top.

  The meeting with my family and the warriors went as well as could be expected. Safety was discussed and it was decided where our guests will be staying for the night. I’m now in my bedroom looking in anticipation at the cottage next to my cabin on the right. I was told Meliantha and her guests will be staying in that cottage for their visit. Excitement and dread both spiked in my gut when I heard they assigned her to that lodging. I want to see her, but I fear of what I’m going to see. Ryder has his log cabin beside mine on the left, and he and Calista will be staying there with little Merrick when they arrive. These three houses are the only ones on the eastern side of the palace. Everyone else will be staying in other places scattered around the Winter grounds.

  Being so close to Meliantha is going to kill me. I felt the connection we had years ago and I thought she did, too, but she denied me when I went to visit her. I had planned to tell her how I felt and to possibly see if I was the one to complete her, but the door was slammed in my face. I am hoping to get the chance to talk to her tonight to see what I did wrong. Being rejected by her devastated me. She’s probably not going to want anything to do with me now once she finds out I am to marry another.

  I look out the window and the fountain across the way is frozen. I send out my power to melt the water to get it flowing again. It would be nice to see running water around here instead of ice, and to also see some color scattered about like the flowers in the Summer Court. I’m starting to get tired of seeing nothing but white. I hear my front door opening and closing, and the sound of light steps running up the stairs.

  “Uncle Kalen!”

  My thoughts of Meliantha and a different land are thrust out of my mind when the high-pitched childlike voice of my nephew screams my name. Hearing him brings a much needed smile to my face. He bursts through my door and runs straight for my arms squealing and laughing the whole way. I laugh and scoop him up to twirl him around the room.

  “Hey, little man, how is my favorite nephew doing?” I laugh.

  I look over at the door as Ryder and Calista enter the room with smiles on their faces. They look so happy together. A spark of jealousy ignites in my gut, but I try to swallow it down. I envy their happiness; I want it for myself, also. I often dream of what my children will look like and every time they come out looking just like Meliantha with her silky, auburn red hair and amethyst eyes.

  I hug Merrick one last time before I set him down. “I saw puppy, Kalen, I saw puppy,” he shrieks excitedly.

  He must be talking about Accalia. She’s the pup of Aki and Larentia and they are part of my pack of white wolves. They consider me to be their alpha, so I make sure to spend a good deal of time with them. I remember speaking to Meliantha about them and how interested she was in learning more since one of her magical abilities is with animals. I was looking forward to having her meet my wolves.

  Ryder walks over, scoops Merrick in his arms, and grins.

  “I told you, son, that they’re wolves… not puppies.”

  Merrick shakes his head and shrieks again, “Puppies!”

  Ryder looks to me and whispers loudly, “He gets his stubbornness from his mother.”

  He bellows out a laugh and Calista walks over to smack him across the head. Calista wraps me in her arms and whispers, “Your brother has no clue what he’s talking about.” She releases me from the hug and winks at me. It feels good having my brother back here. I didn’t realize how much I would miss him after he left.

  “I’m so glad you all could make it. Have you settled in already?” I ask.

  “Elvena is here, and she’s getting our stuff unpacked. She’s going to watch little Merrick tonight while we attend the ball,” Calista answers.

  Ryder walks over with Merrick in his arms and claps me on the shoulder.

  “Congratulations on the engagement, brother,” he announces. “You know, Calista and I both thought you and Meliantha would have hit it off by now. You seemed really interested in each other at our wedding.”

  I couldn’t stop my smile from fading. A sense of longing rumbles in my gut and the hole that’s been placed in my heart from before has just grown bigger. I shrug my shoulders slowly. and I look at Calista when I speak.

  “I don’t know what happened. I felt the connection the moment I saw her and I instantly fell for her. I went to visit her not long after your wedding to pursue her, but she denied me and told me never to come back.”

  Calista’s eyes go wide and she places her hand over her chest. She’s obviously shocked.

  She shakes her head in disbelief and cries, “I wonder why she didn’t tell me. I had no clue you went to see her.” She looks away and whispers to herself, “Why wouldn’t she tell me?”

  Ryder places his hand on her shoulder and squeezes. “I don’t know why she wouldn’t tell you, love. Maybe you should ask her.”

  She nods her head and then turns to me with worried eyes. She hesitates before speaking. “There is something else you should know, Kalen,” she warns. “Meliantha isn’t the same anymore. She’s not the same tender-hearted and shy girl that you knew years ago. I don’t know what happened to her, but she isn’t like that anymore.” She looks down to fidget with her hands, and if Calista is fidgeting then that means the situation is serious and she’s truly worried. A feeling of dread settles in the pit of my stomach. It’s been five years now, and I can only imagine what all has changed.

  “By your tone, you make it sound like she’s changed in a really bad way. What do you mean exactly?” I ask, pleading.

  They both look at each other and then back to me.

  “Maybe you should see for yourself when she gets here,” Ryder insists.

  Calista grabs my hand and squeezes. “I’m going to talk to her when she gets here. I want some answers, too.”

  “Thank you,” I say, squeezing her hand in return.

  Ryder nudges Calista in the side and says, “Alright, love, we need to go and get this little one to Elvena so we can get ready for the ball.” He looks at me with serious eyes and his tone grows urgent.

  “If you’re only going through with this engagement because of Meliantha, you really need to back out of it. Please think before you jump into it, because once you say the sacred vow, you’re bound for life.”

  I don’t love Breena, but I don’t want to hurt her either.

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” I quickly reply.

  Merrick reaches over from Ryder’s arms to give me a hug goodbye.

  “Bye, Uncle Kalen,” he squeaks.

  “Bye, little man. Maybe I’ll show you the wolves later?” I ask. He squeals so loud I have to put my ha
nds over my ears to keep them from bursting. I guess the squeal means yes.

  “We’ll see you tonight, Kalen,” Calista says while taking the squealing Merrick with her out the door. Ryder waves goodbye as well and follows them. Again, I’m left alone with my thoughts until I hear the horn sounding off from the palace tower. The sounds of the horns make my chest tighten with anxiety because they signify there are people approaching. Since I’m the leader of the Winter Court Army, it is customary to meet all approaching guests. I don’t mind in this case because I know I’ll get to see Meliantha, but I’m nervous about seeing her.

  I don’t know what to expect, but I’m also glad she’s here because she’ll have no choice but to talk to me. It’ll give me some closure if I understand her hostility toward me. I leave my room and head down the stairs. It’s snowing like always, but the cold doesn’t bother me as I step outside. The Winter fae are not affected by the cold, but the Summer fae will find it more difficult to handle. I walk along the path that heads to the back palace entrance. From there I’ll walk through the palace to the front doors where our guests will be entering. As I’m walking through the main palace entryway something stops me mid-step. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and a strong uneasiness washes over my body. This is really odd. Why would I feel this way?

  I try to get an idea where it could be coming from, but I don’t find anything unusual. I look at both warriors standing guard, but nothing seems amiss other than the prickling of my scalp sending off warnings. I haven’t had these feelings in a long time, not since everything started with Calista. A revelation comes to mind, and I can’t believe the thoughts haven’t been discussed before now. This would be the perfect time for the dark sorcerer to strike. We all know he will come again, but with it being five years, I think some people have lost their fear and moved on. I need to ask Calista if she has sensed anything since she’s been here. She’s had first-hand experience with the dark sorcerer, so I’m sure she would know. What are we going to do if he’s here?

  “Kalen.”

  I am brought out of my reverie at the sound of my father’s voice calling my name. He walks toward me with my brother, Brayden, in tow.

  Brayden is about two years younger than me making him twenty-four now, and he looks exactly like my father with his short, chocolate brown hair and dark brown eyes. Brayden looks at me with a serious expression just like he always does. That is one thing that makes me completely different from him. He’s always serious, whereas I normally joke around. Unfortunately, I haven’t been my usual self for a very long time. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen Brayden smile or myself for that matter.

  When they reach me my father looks from Brayden to me and commands, “When the Summer fae get here we will greet them, and then you,” he points to Brayden, “will take King Oberon and Queen Tatiana to where they’ll be staying and I will let you,” my father then looks at me, “escort the princesses to their quarters since they will be staying in the cottage beside your cabin.”

  My heart starts beating frantically with the thoughts of having to escort Meliantha to her cottage. I have no idea how our reunion is going to be, but I put on a smile and respond, “As you wish, Father.” Brayden just nods his head in reply when my father looks at him.

  He claps us on the shoulders and says happily, “Alright, boys, let’s go meet our guests. The dwarves and the elves should arrive soon as well.” My father has always loved to have a good party. It’ll be very entertaining to see King Oberon and him carrying on and having a good time.

  We walk out the front doors of the palace to await our arriving guests. We stand at the top of the steps with my father in the middle, my brother and I flanking him. In the distance, the Summer fae are heading through the palace gates. There’s a contingent of warriors on their horses and four carriages, but they are still too far away to get a good look at them.

  “Where, may I ask, is the Queen?” I ask my father sarcastically.

  He clamps his lips together like he’s trying to hold in a laugh and shakes his head.

  “You know why she’s not here, Kalen. Her direct quote was,” he clears his throat and mimics my mother’s voice when he continues, “‘I don’t want to have to spend any extra time with that Summer wench than I have to.’” I can’t help but laugh at how well he mimics my mother. Brayden smirks and looks off into the distance at our oncoming guests. My mother and Queen Tatiana have never really gotten along, so hopefully there won’t be too much drama between them tonight.

  “That is definitely something she would say,” I say to my father.

  My thoughts are cut off quickly when the contingent of Summer fae come into full view. My fae vision is immaculate, but I can’t be seeing what I think I’m seeing. That can’t be Meliantha on the horse coming this way, can it? I close my eyes and blink them a few times because surely that’s not her. My eyes have not deceived me…it is her. Her long, beautiful, auburn hair is pulled back in a tight braid and her clothes—she’s wearing warrior gear with the leather and everything. Her upper arms are bare and I know she has to be cold. Surprisingly, she’s actually showing no signs of discomfort. She hasn’t looked at me yet and by the way her face is averted, I can see she is trying to avoid it for as long as possible. There is one thing I know for certain, I can’t seem to take my eyes off of her. I feel mesmerized like I did all those years ago. The connection I felt then feels like it’s igniting in my chest all over again. The feelings are too strong to ignore. She may be with another man, but I know she can’t be happy, just like I’m not happy with Breena.

  It feels like I’m defying all balances of nature with keeping my distance from her. I should have pursued her more and demanded to know what I did wrong all those years ago. I left like a coward and didn’t listen to my heart. I don’t plan on doing that anymore. Now all I need to figure out is what I’m going to do about Breena.

  The carriages are pulling up and I see Meliantha in the back riding along with the warriors. I bet the King and Queen didn’t like that at all. Her face is turned away, but I can see the tight grip she has on her reigns and the rigidness of her body as she sits regally atop her black faerie stallion. Even with the harsh expression on her face, she is still as beautiful as I remember her. She’s riding in between her Guardian, Ashur, and her lover, Finn. I remember seeing them both fight Merrick during the Guardian Ceremony for Calista. I look at Ashur and he nods his head at me in greeting, but Finn just gives me a blank expression and remains stoic upon his horse. It doesn’t look like we’re going to be friends. I honestly don’t give a damn if he likes me or not. If Meliantha is meant to be with me, then there is nothing he can do about it and neither could Breena for that matter. I can’t stop my eyes from travelling back over to Meliantha. She’s looking at her Guardian with a serious but pleading look. They must be having a silent conversation, and by the look on her face, she doesn’t look happy. I notice that her face has lost the sharp angles it once had and has now filled out to be soft and full. Her lips are still as pouty as before, and I remember how I had longed to kiss them when I was in her presence. Her body has also changed from gangly to well-toned and curvy. She was always beautiful, but now she’s breathtaking.

  I heard that she’s been training all these years and I see that it’s definitely changed her both mentally and physically. She seems to be more confident and obviously stronger. Her bow and arrows are strapped securely on her back, and I can see the special arrows I’ve heard so much about. It was a good idea by the dwarves to not only make the guardian daggers but to also make other special weapons to be used as protection. Looking at her proud posture and arrogant expression I can tell that she’s not the same Meliantha I knew before. She could almost belong here in the Winter Court with the ice-cold vibe I’m getting from her.

  King Oberon and Queen Tatiana step out of the carriage and my father greets them with a welcoming smile.

  “Greetings King Oberon and Queen Tatiana of the Summer Court. I ho
pe your journey went well.”

  Queen Tatiana smiles at my father then at me and Brayden. King Oberon addresses my father and clasps his forearm in the warrior greeting.

  “Yes, King Madoc, our journey went well, thank you. I look forward to enjoying the festivities with you tonight, my friend.” He gives my father a wolfish smile and they both laugh.

  “As do I,” my father laughs. Those two together can be quite a show. The parties are never boring when my father and King Oberon get together.

  My father puts a hand on Brayden’s shoulder and says to King Oberon, “My son, Prince Brayden, will show you and the queen to your quarters.” He looks over at me and continues, “And my son, Prince Kalen, will show the princesses to theirs.”

  I heard a hiss come from Meliantha, so I jerk my head to look at her. She closes her eyes for just a second and pulls her bottom lip between her teeth biting hard. I can tell she wants to object. Damn it, I wish I knew what the hell her problem is with me.

  King Oberon nods his head at my father and turns to clasp Brayden’s forearm.

  “Thank you, Prince Brayden. It’s been years since I have been here and I look forward to the tour.”

  Brayden bows his head and murmurs, “It is my pleasure, Your Highness. Feel free to venture anywhere you please. I’ll show you to your quarters now so that you can rest up before the ball tonight.”

  King Oberon motions to the carriage and out comes two beautiful ladies. I recognize the curly blonde-headed one as being Meliantha’s best friend, Elissa, and the other blonde hair beauty is Ariella, Meliantha’s younger sister. Ariella turns in circles to look at the palace and its surroundings in awe. I’ve never seen a Summer fae so fascinated in the Winter Court before. She appears to be more at home here than me. I look over to see that Brayden appears to be fascinated by her actions as well. I narrow my eyes at him and study him for a moment. It’s very odd because he never shows interest in the females— or anything for that matter— other than fighting. I sneak a glance at Ariella and she notices him staring at her. She gives him a flirty smile and the trance he was in seems to break in an instant. I need to remind myself to ask him what that was all about.