Flight of the Five Swans
Fate Chapter 33

Raia

The shawlswere almost finished. Raia had completedthe fourth shawl several days ago, and was now over halfway finished with thefifth and final garment for her sisters. She progressed much quicker in her work now, as she was interrupted farless often than she had been before. Ayden had cut back on his visits to the garden since the day Raia hadgiven him the butterbur root tonic for his mother—the same day in which Raiahad tried to confide in him about her sisters and their curse.

The sameday that he hadn’t believed her.

It had beena blow, to be sure. She had dared todream that sharing her tale with Ayden would have lessened her burden alittle. By telling Ayden, Raia had hopedto gain an ally who might help with the last leg of her task. But apart from her initial hurt at hisreaction, she could not really blame Ayden for his disbelief of her story. Raia understood that even what little she hadtold him couldn’t help but seem impossible to someone who hadn’t actuallyexperienced the events firsthand. Shehad experienced them herself, and yet she sometimes still found herselfdoubting the validity of her own memory, particularly in her dreams.

Then she would wake, and she wouldremember.

But soon,Raia would have proof that the story that she had told Ayden had beentrue. One more day spent knitting—two atthe most—and the nettle shawls would finally be ready; her sisters would regaintheir human forms once more. Of course,Raia knew that she—that all ofthem—would have a great deal of explaining to do following thetransformation. Yet she was not overlyworried about this. Raia had great faithin Cliodne’s diplomatic silver tongue. She was sure that her elder sister would be able to explain away thestrangeness of their entire situation. In fact, Raia wouldn’t put it past her tonegotiate for peace with Ithcar at the same time. And if thatfailed, Petra and Thaleia would simply concoct one of their foolproof escapeplans to get all six of the princesses safely home to Kyoria.

But first,Raia had to finish the last shawl.

It was lateafternoon when Raia saw Ayden walking towards her from the palace. She raised one hand in greeting. Despite the awkwardness that had lingeredbetween them over the last several days, she still felt happy at the sight ofhim coming to seek her out. There wasanother, slightly shorter figure walking behind him. Though the other’s man face was in shadow,Raia assumed that it was Jhonatan, come to bring her another invitation fromthe queen. Queen Melani’s health hadimproved as a result of switching to Raia’s butterbur root tonic, and she hadsince expressed her gratitude on several occasions with requests that Raia joinher for afternoon tea. Raia enjoyed theshort visits in spite of the time they took away from her knitting. The queen had no end of fascinating andamusing stories to tell, many of them about Ayden as a boy. Raia was becoming fonder of the older womanwith every passing day, and eagerly looked forward to their little chats.

Raia placedher knitting down on the bench beside her as the two men drew closer. She smiled warmly at Ayden, and was slightlysurprised when he did not return her silent welcome. Then the second man stepped out from behindthe Ithcarian prince, and Raia’s smile transformed into a look of utter horror.

Soran.

His hair was just as blond as ever,presenting a stark contrast to Ayden’s dark locks. And that infernal cocky smile still curledhis lips. Raia stared in stunnedincredulity at the familiar hateful figure. She could have sworn she saw a triumphant twinkle in his eye as helooked at her.

Howhad he found her?

“I’m gladthat I’ve found you, my dear.” Soran said, his voice smooth. Raia’s mouth gaped open, and she felt at acomplete loss for words. Even if she had been able to speak in that moment,she doubted her ability to articulate any words whatsoever. Ayden’s voice inserted itself into the heavysilence that followed Soran’s greeting.

“Svana,” hesaid, his voice low. “Prince Soran claims that you are, in fact, one of theprincesses of Kyoria. He says that yourname—your real name—is Raia. Is this true?”

Raia hadthe horrible feeling that at any moment, the situation would veer completelyout of her control, if it hadn’t already. Nevertheless, she could no longer lie to Ayden about her identity. She looked him straight in the eyes andnodded once. Yes. She was Raia, princess of Kyoria.

The shockand hurt that filled Ayden’s eyes proved almost too much for Raia to bear. Not for the first time since they’d met, shelonged for the voice that she could not use, so that she could explaineverything to him.

“So it’strue.” He whispered, and there was ahint of betrayal in his voice. “You liedto me. You’re Kyorian.”

Again, Raianodded, but Ayden seemed not to even see her as he continued, his voice slowlyrising.

“Youimplied that you were Deturian. You told me you were Deturian! And now you’re engaged to him?”

At that,Raia’s mouth dropped open again, and she only just barely choked back a gasp.

“We were tobe married months ago.” Soran saidsmoothly. “But my fiancée got cold feet before the big day.” He caught Raia’s gaze, awicked gleam in his own eyes. “I’m soglad you’re safe, my dear.”

Raia violently shook her head,looking at Ayden in desperation, but she had no voice with which to refuteSoran’s lies. A hurt expression coveringhis face, Ayden refused to meet Raia’s eyes. Her heart sank and she felt panic claw at the inside of her chest. After everything, after all they had been throughtogether, he believed Soran.

She supposed that Soran’s versionwas less impossible for Ayden to swallow than her tale of enchanted swans.

Words, angry and forceful, rose upinto her throat and pushed to be released, but Raia held them back. She couldnot, she would not let all of herhard work—and her sisters’ months-long sacrifice—go to waste. Not when she was so close to breaking theircurse once and for all.

Soran exuded the triumph of hisvictory. “Come, my dear.” He orderedRaia. She felt a frisson of fear. Though he attempted to make his voice soundgentle, Raia could hear a hint of steel in his words. “Gather your swans and we shall be on our waystraightaway.”

“No.”

Both Soran and Raia started at thesudden interjection from Ayden. Raia lookedat him hopefully and this time, he met her gaze for a few moments before fixinghis eyes on Soran.

“No.” He repeated, his voice stern.“You have only just arrived, Your Highness, and you have yet to presentyourself to the king, as is the Ithcarian tradition.”

For a moment, Raia was sure thatSoran was going to refuse the request out of hand, but he seemed to thinkbetter of it. After all, flouting thetraditions of the country that they were currently in was no small matter.

“Very well.” He said with a smile,though an audible tightness in his voice evidenced his displeasure at thedelay. “I shall pay my compliments tothe king your father immediately, while my beloved packs.”

Raia’s skin crawled at Soran’s useof the phrase ‘my beloved’. She shiveredin disgust. Ayden glanced at her again,and she wondered whether he had noticed her reaction. She caught his gaze and attempted to pleadwith him using only her eyes.

Please. Think of something.

Ayden shook his head. For one brief but disappointing moment, Raiathought that he was responding to her unspoken request for help. When Ayden spoke, however, she realized thathe was still addressing Soran.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness,” hesaid, not sounding very sorry at all. “But the king my father is meeting with several of his advisors today,and has asked not to be disturbed. Butyou may present yourself to him at supper shortly, and start your journeytomorrow. I will ask for rooms to beprepared for you and your men.” Ayden’stone left absolutely no room for argument, though Raia knew that Soran longedto do just that. She felt a moment’srelief.

One night. Ayden had bought her one night, and she couldhave kissed him for it. She made mentalcalculations, glancing surreptitiously at her knitting out of the corner of hereye. One night just might be enough for her to finish the final shawl needed to breakher sisters’ curse. And when her sisterswere human once more, Raia would no longer be bound by silence. She could spill all, and beg Ayden for hishelp.

Soran bowed in acquiescence toAyden’s suggestion, a slightly sour expression marring his face. When he spoke, Raia was alarmed to see thathis eyes were fixed intently on her.

“As you wish.” He said, his gazenever leaving Raia. “As long as I amgranted a private audience with my fiancée before the dinner hour.”

Longing to protest, Raia shotanother horrified glance at Ayden. Shesilently willed him to refuse on her behalf, to invent some reason—any reason—why such a meeting might beconsidered improper. But he did not, orcould not. Though his jaw tightened asindication of his displeasure at the request, Ayden made no objection. He bowed and strode quickly down the path,looking for all the world as though he could not get away fast enough.

Alone in the gardens with Soran,Raia raised her chin and looked the sorcerer straight in the eye. Though he looked somewhat surprised at hernewfound backbone, his face still radiated a cockiness that told Raia thatSoran was sure that he had her—andher sisters—cornered once more. Shegritted her teeth, thinking of the shawls stuffed in the pouch on the benchbehind her.

‘Let him think that.’ Raia toldherself. ‘Don’t let him see the knitting. He might guess.’

Soranclasped his hands behind his back and regarded her with his head cockedcuriously. His voice was condescendingwhen he spoke. “Did you think you couldescape me, little bird?” he asked her. “When whispers of you are flying allaround?”

Raia mentallycursed all of the rumors that her presence had ignited. If only the Ithcarians weren’t such gossips!

Soran’sgaze shifted to the five swans swimming in the pond behind Raia. His eyes sharpened. “I’m pleased to see that no harm has come toyour other sisters, either. I supposeyou’ve noticed long ago the effect leaving my lake has had, haven’t you?” Helooked into her eyes, and his mouth curled almost maliciously. “They aren’t really your sisters anymore now,are they?”

Raia’s jawclenched, and she glared at the man. Soran laughed, obviously amused by her newfound heat.

“Fear not,little bird.” He said. “Once they are onthe lake again, the spell will revert once more, with no side effects.” Soranpaused and pretended to consider the issue a moment. “Well, not many, at least.”

His detestable laughed spilled overthe gardens again, and it was only the sudden appearance of Jhonatan thatprevented Raia from launching herself at the sorcerer with nails bared. Jhonatan immediately seemed to notice thatsomething was off about the interaction between Raia and Soran. There was a silent question in his eyes as headdressed the two of them.

“Dinner is prepared, Your Highness,milady,” he said, bowing. “And the kingand prince await your presence.”

Raia felt Soran grip her armtightly, and she struggled a bit in his grasp. Soran’s voice was smooth as he responded. “Excellent! We shall follow you to the dining room, then.”

Fingers digging into her arm almostpainfully, Soran propelled Raia forward. She felt a bit panicked when she realized that the nettle shawls werestill in the pouch lying on the bench behind her and for a moment, sheconsidered fighting Soran’s grasp so that she could gather her supplies. But no. Raia couldn’t take the chance of Soran recognizing the significance ofthe nettle shawls if he were to see them. She would collect the knitting when Soran retired to his room. She only had one more night in the Ithcariancastle, one more night before she and her sisters became Soran’s prisonersagain. One more night to finish thetask, and to break the spell.

Yet Soran seemed determined not tolet Raia escape from his clutches again. He did not let her out of his sight, insisting on escorting his‘fiancée’ to her chamber immediately following dinner with the king and PrinceAyden. Raia was given no opportunity tobreak away and collect the supplies that she needed from the garden.

There was a knowing smile onSoran’s face as they stopped outside the door to her bedchamber.

“If you need anything at all,” hetold her, “Just knock on your door from the inside, and your guard will behappy to help you.”

Raia’s heart clenched, and thensank. She should have known that Soranwould insist on posting a guard at her door.

Soran opened the bedchamber doorwide to admit her, and Raia was forced to walk inside. Her mind raced, trying in vain to come upwith an alternate plan to reclaim her knitting before she was shut inside herroom for the night. She came up blank.

Soran paused before closing thedoor. Smiling impishly, he said, “Sleepwell, my dear.”

The door closed behind him, andRaia heard the distinctive sound of a lock behind turned. She was trapped inside her room without herneedles, without her yarn, without anything.

Collapsing into a chair, Raiaburied her face in her hands, weeping tears of disappointment and despair.

Soran had won.