Page 103 of The Promised Prince
39
Trev
Smoke swirled and faded into the orange sunrise hovering above the Axville camp. Albion soldiers circled around fires savoring the heat against the chilly morning air. Two miles away, at the enemy’s camp, Trev could see similar patches of smoke dancing upward, most likely warming Tolsten soldiers. Albion had been fighting for the last few weeks, pushing back Tolsten soldiers who crossed the border, trying to take residence in Axville.
The town was unrecognizable. Houses and factories were partially burned. Roofs were scorched. Windows were broken, leaving a spray of glass everywhere. But none of that even compared to the tragedy of the missing girls, taken by a group of Tolsten soldiers. Eight teenage girls were missing. They had been gathered together by the riverbank, friends chatting after a long day of work in the factory. The soldiers had watched them, waiting to make a move. The girls hadn’t stood a chance. And now, there were still no answers to their whereabouts. King Adler denied Tolsten’s involvement, claiming the girls could have been taken by anyone, but Trev knew better.
“It’s mighty good of you to come, Your Highness.” A skinny-to-the-bone woman squeezed Trev’s hand, pulling him out of his own thoughts. “We’ve been scared out of our wits for our young girls.”
“I’m scared too,” Trev admitted. “But we’re doing everything we can to find them.”
A tall man spoke up. He was balding, hanging on to his last pieces of hair, spreading them across his scalp like sprawled out fingers. “What’dya think Tolsten meant by it? Kidnapping our girls like that. Do they want war?”
Concerned murmurs rippled through the crowd of villagers.
“I want to promise that Tolsten can’t hurt you, but I can’t do that. Your village knows how relentless Tolsten can be. You had to live through their invasion a few weeks ago. You had to see your young girls dragged away.”
Trev’s eyes swept across the people listening intently to his voice, hanging on every last word. From the bottom of his heart, he wanted to help them, to find their daughters, to give them hope of a better future. “What I can promise is that you won’t be alone. Our soldiers will stay here and help protect you while we get things straightened out so you can have your land and your homes back. I can also promise we are doing everything in our power back at the palace to keep the peace between Tolsten and Albion so that this doesn’t end in a war.”
“What about the election? Your father is out in a couple of months,” a young man shouted from the crowd.
“Yeah! Who will protect us then?” another man stepped forward.
This was the perfect moment to make an election pitch, to say something energizing like,Rah, rah! Vote for me!That’s what his father would do, what his father wouldwantTrev to do. But that’s not what these people needed. They needed something they could hold on to and believe in. They needed confidence in their government and the Council of Essentials.
“Axville matters to me. Your families, your jobs, your lives all matter to me. As long as I have a say, your village will be protected,” Trev replied.
“You have our vote, my lord!” the crowd cheered.
“Don’t worry about that right now.” Trev didn’t want this visit to be anything about the campaign. He truly was concerned about the welfare of these people. “We have set up a tent with supplies. Please visit the officers over there for anything that you may need. If we don’t have something, let them know. I’m sure we can send for more supplies if necessary.”
He spent the afternoon among the people. Trev and his men helped rebuild parts of homes and barns that had been damaged by Tolsten soldiers. It felt good to work, to get his hands dirty, to think of others before himself. When he laid his head down later that night, his body tired from heavy labor, he was sure he would fall right to sleep, but rest wouldn’t come, not with thoughts of Renna filling his head.
The weight of his marriage and his future were like a ton of bricks on his chest. He rolled to his side, trying to ease the suffocating feeling, but nothing worked. When he had promised Seran he would let go of Renna, he’d meant it. But the inescapable ache inside his heart made Trev wonder if he had what it took.
Forgetting her should have been easier than this.
40
Renna
Renna sat with Seran’s friends in the dressmaker’s room, waiting for Seran to appear in her wedding gown. Fluffy pink couches had been brought in and positioned in a semi-circle around the long mirror. In front of the sofas, trays of food had been laid out for the women to snack on.
“Oh, this is so much fun!” Lizanne’s excitement bubbled out of her like an overdrawn bath. “I can’t wait to see Seran’s dress. I know it’s going to be exquisite.”
Jenica plopped a strawberry in her mouth but still managed to get an insult out. “Would you calm down? It’s not your wedding.”
Lizanne’s voice was timid. “I know. I’m just happy for my friend.”
Renna gave Lizanne an encouraging smile, admiring how Lizanne’s beautiful red hair stood out against her pale skin.
Sheridan leaned forward, taking some grapes. “Did you know they had the fabric for her dress brought in from the kingdom of Cristole?”
“We were all there when she told us that,” Jenica sneered.
Queen Mariele popped her head around the curtain. “Okay, ladies. Are you ready for the big reveal?”
There was genuine excitement in her mother’s voice—something that had never been present for Renna. It was strange watching her mother act like that for someone else. The curtains were pulled aside, and Seran gracefully stepped in front of them.
