Elemental Prince by Megan Fall
Chapter 9
Kell
Kell kept his eyes locked on Emmalyn’s. He could not look away. They were both fascinating and unsettling. He knew the gasp had caused her to jump to the wrong conclusion, but he needed a few minutes to control himself before setting her straight. Kell had never met anyone with those same silver flecks. No one in his bloodline shared this trait, and to his knowledge, no one else in Terrasen had either. They were not only rare, but unique. Kell had no idea what to make of this revelation. His marriage choices rested with either Emmalyn or Seraphine, and the discovery of Emmalyn’s eyes couldn’t easily be discounted. Not wishing to continue Emmalyn’s state of distress, Kell placed his finger on her nose and ran it down the tip again. She drew in a deep breath, holding it. It was obvious she was waiting to see what he would reveal.
“My eyes are black and most people find them strange” Kell explained. “But it is the silver flecks that provoke a stir. I can honestly say I have never met, nor even heard of anyone else with eyes like mine. Your eyes are blue, but the silver flecks are startling. It is impossible not to notice them. I am drawn to them and find them truly beautiful. I have never met someone with eyes as remarkable.”
He regarded Emmalyn for a minute, watching the tears slowly fall down her cheek. Kell realized the pain and ridicule she must have endured in the other world. He had an intense desire to soothe Emmalyn and could not deny his concern for her feelings.
“I wish I could meet those who treated you with scorn,” Kell softly continued. “For I would tear them down for causing you such anguish, and make them the wrath of my displeasure.”
Kell stayed perfectly still and waited for Emmalyn’s reaction. More tears fell as her gaze scrutinized the big man. It looked as if she was assuring herself that his words were true. With aching slowness, Emmalyn leaned forward and placed her soft lips against his. It lasted only a second before she pulled away, but the memory was etched on his heart for eternity. Kell smiled and Emmalyn smiled tentatively back. Reaching for her hand, Kell withdrew the contacts and tossed them in the fire.
“Never again will you hide your eyes,” Kell ordered. He turned back to Beatrice as Emmalyn’s eyes started to droop. The tea was taking affect. “Please do what is necessary. I do not wish to see her suffer any longer.”
Beatrice nodded and Kell helped his wee warrior lay back down. He leaned in close and in a reassuring tone stated “she is a well-respected healer. You will sleep, and when you wake up, she will be finished. I will remain here the entire time and I promise that no harm will come to you while you rest.”
“Thank you,” Emmalyn whispered in response before her eyes closed. Kell was almost saddened when they did, for now the silver flecks were hidden once again.
As promised, Kell remained by Emmalyn’s side while Beatrice tended the injury. After washing it, stitching it and applying a paste, Beatrice wrapped it and placed it in a sling.
“She will sleep for many hours,” Beatrice cautioned cleaning her hands. “She will be in pain when she wakes and must drink more tea. Only place a small portion of the herb in it or she will fall asleep once again. You will need to check the injury and replace the wrap each day. When it scabs over, have someone summoned to remove the stitches. If it becomes inflamed, or she develops a fever, call for a healer at once.”
“I appreciate your help. Once you finish with Mathias you will be compensated and one of my men will escort you home,” Kell promised.
“Thank you,” Beatrice gratefully responded. Kell watched as she gathered up her supplies and moved across the clearing. He nodded to Torin and the man immediately followed behind.
Kell remained by Emmalyn’s side for a few more minutes, then pushed himself up and moved away. He caught Torin’s eye and saw the small nod of assurance that Emmalyn would be watched as she slept. Satisfied, Kell motioned to Behr and Oryn and stepped into the trees heading back to the creek. Kell was pleased to hear both men close behind. As he cleared the trees and the water came into view, Kell swung to face them.
“We can only remain here for one night. We will need to break camp and head back tomorrow,” Kell advised.
“And where are we headed?” Behr questioned. “Do we take the princess to Fairrest to meet her parents, or are you taking her home with you?”
“She is unaware her parents live,” Kell explained as he rubbed the back of his neck. “And returning her while her life is at risk may be unwise. Anyone who knows she exists will lay in wait for her expected return to Fairrest.”
“I am sure the King and Queen will strengthen the guards and ensure their daughter is well protected,” Oryn acknowledged with a frown.
“I agree,” Kell nodded. “However, I know my warriors and trust them explicitly. I do not know the guards of Fairrest, and as they do not equal mine in skill or number, I think it best to return to Knightshire.”
“So, you have chosen to take the princess as your bride?” Behr smirked in obvious happiness. It was clear the man had taken a liking to the girl.
“That I have not decided yet,” Kell admitted. “I would rather wed her than Seraphine, however, the council and other royals are pressing my hand. I had no intention of taking a bride yet.”
“Understood,” Behr conceded. “But with the uprising in the kingdoms, a marriage would bring your powers to the fullest and stop things from escalating.”
“It would,” Kell had to admit. “But I have only known Emmalyn for several hours, and despite her many admirable qualities, I need a more compelling reason to tie myself to her for the foreseeable future.”
Both men nodded in agreement and said no more on the subject, so Kell decided it was time to discuss more crucial matters.
“Did you discover anything when you searched the surrounding area?” Kell inquired.
“I did not,” Behr reluctantly admitted. “If anyone was on this side, they are long gone. We are no closer to discovering the royal that opened the portal than when we arrived.”
“I believe the King or Queen of Kilharbor, or Seraphine are the ones responsible,” Oryn gruffly stated. “They have the most to gain from killing the princess. A marriage to Seraphine would put their house in a higher place of power.” He hesitated for a minute, then continued. “I would suggest the council, but only royals can open the portal.”
“True, but the council could be pressuring the Kilharbor’s into doing their bidding,” Behr added with a slight sneer.
“I do not believe the Kilharbor’s would allow themselves to be swayed by the council,” Oryn replied with a shake of his head. “However, Warrick led the assassination party and he is a part of the Kilharbor guard. I suspect their kingdom is responsible for the attempted assassination.”
“I agree,” Kell stated. “I further concur that the council could be colluding with Kilharbor, but I doubt the King and Queen would ever allow the council to dictate their movements.”
“So, what do you propose?” Behr questioned.
“I need a few men to patrol the perimeter of our camp throughout the night. I also want scouts to ride ahead of us and keep an eye out for trouble. I will ride with the princess and guard her myself,” Kell decided.
“And will you require a wagon?” Oryn inquired. “Mathias will be unable to ride a horse on his own.”
“No,” Kell immediately refused. “A wagon will jar Emmalyn too much and cause her needless pain. Beatrice placed her arm in a sling, so if she rides with me on Zephyr, I can hold her close and keep her contained. Mathias can head to the village with the healer and remain there until he is fit to travel. I will leave one of my men with him, but I do not think he will be in any danger. No one is aware that he cared for the princess, so his death would accomplish nothing.”
“Do you want a man sent to Fairrest with word of your intentions?” Oryn asked.
“Absolutely not! The fewer people that are aware of our destination the better. We will travel the back roads and stay in some of the smaller villages to allow Emmalyn to experience some comforts every few days,” Kell decided. He didn’t want her sleeping on the ground and eating camp food the entire way. He was taken aback at how much he cared about Emmalyn’s comfort. Kell was a hardened warrior, often accused of having no feelings, and the wee warrior was messing up his image. He grimaced and forced such thoughts aside.
“Behr, head back and organize the patrolling rotations. Oryn, get the men to scrounge up something for dinner,” he demanded. They both eyed Kell for a minute after the abrupt dismissal, but nodded and stepped away to do his bidding.
With the men out of sight, Kell crouched down and planted both hands on the ground. Closing his eyes, he focused on the earth and waited for a response. As an Elemental, Kell had powers others did not always understand, so he found at times it was best to draw upon them when he was alone. He waited a minute and sensed that seven riders had approached the portal. Five had stepped through and the remaining two had ridden away. Kell could not see who they were, but his suspicions were confirmed. A royal had opened the portal and then disappeared before being discovered, perhaps accompanied by a guard.
Standing once more, Kell lifted his hands and felt the air whip quickly around him. He lifted slightly, drawing in the strength. The air removed his sour mood and replaced it with a calmer feeling. Kell remained that way for several minutes until he felt refreshed enough to return to camp. The sudden desire to return to Emmalyn intensified, and this time he did not give it a second thought. He dropped his arms, turned and strode back toward camp. Kell wanted to make sure she was resting comfortably.