In my head Peyen and Creval and Avedra exist in the same universe. So, yes, there will be some tie to "Light from Hidden Flowers". This is the complement to "The Fall of the House of Veadra" I never intended to write. I like royals who break molds.

Chapter One

Major Zed Beckett, second in command of one of the Avedran army's most elite special forces units, was on a babysitting mission. Things had gone to hell at the palace. Her Majesty had been put into isolation following quiet yet insistent rumors of a fatal illness. Crown Princess Iris had been assassinated in her private gardens. Upon their return to the palace, the majority of Zed's unit had been conscripted into Queen Camellia's private guard. Zed's eldest brother Adam, head of the Royal Guard, had sent Zed on a quest to retrieve a prodigal.

Princess Violet was attached to an infantry unit near Avedra's easternmost border. It was a wild, forested area with few towns and a disconcerting amount of unrest. Avedra's closest eastern neighbors Rosshill and Gretham were not allies. Zed didn't know what Princess Violet did for the 3rd Infantry, and he didn't know the princess personally. He did, however, know quite a few minor nobles. If Her Royal Highness was like any of those duchesses or countesses, he imagined she was purely a showpiece and a burden to the soldiers of the 3rd Infantry.

As he approached the rickety guard shack next to the razor-wire topped gate, Zed rolled down the ancient truck's window and handed the guard his identification. "I have orders from the palace regarding Princess Violet."

The guard returned Zed's identification. He glanced at his standard, military-issued watch. "Charlie Unit got back ten minutes ago. She'll be near the medic tent."

The camp was laid out like all other Avedran infantry camps. Zed parked between a tent and a picnic table a couple hundred yards from the medic tent. He slammed the door shut and pocketed the keys. He scanned his surroundings, wondering where to start looking for the littlest princess. He didn't think she'd be conveniently lounging on a throne in a ballgown and tiara.

A tall, blonde woman was propped against a tree near the medic tent. The Avedran royals were blonde, though not usually quite so brassy. Her oval, pale face was tipped up to the sun and a lit cigarette dangled from manicured fingernails. The dark denims she wore were perfectly pressed, and her blouse looked to be silk. Her eyes were closed so he couldn't tell if they were the lavender-flecked brown that set females of the House of Veadra apart from mere mortals. Queen Camellia was willowy, though, and he'd heard that the royals liked to spend time outside to recharge their magical connection to the earth.

Zed sucked in a bracing breath and crossed the road to greet the silk-wearing, cigarette-smoking princess he had to escort back to the palace. She lifted the cigarette to glossed, plump lips and took a long drag. She was pretty, and she knew how to dress to highlight her assets. As long as she could keep the prattle to a minimum and didn't make his job difficult with unnecessary bouts of prissiness, he might actually enjoy traveling with Princess Violet. Adam had all but promised a promotion in return for completing this assignment.

"Your Highness?"

The woman's eyes fluttered open. They were a bright, brilliant blue. Not a member of the House of Veadra. Not his princess. The woman jerked her thumb toward the medic tent. Zed nodded in acknowledgement and ducked inside the small hut.

The three cots were occupied. Two older men in blood-spattered scrubs stood over the cot nearest the door. The middle cot held a large, blanket-covered figure. A pair of dirty, bandaged figures were seated on the cot at the far end of the tent. The male soldier had gauze taped to his forehead and his left arm was in a sling. The woman on his right had a bruise high on her right cheek but a grin lit up her dust-smeared face.

Her sparkling eyes were a rich brown flecked with an otherworldly deep lavender. Zed stalked towards his quarry, eyes scanning her petite form for other injuries. Her fatigues were ripped. She held herself stiff as if bracing against bruising. That could slow their progress. The country needed a hale and hearty Crown Princess.

Her smile slipped when she caught sight of him. The soldier beside her sat at attention. A lock of honey blonde hair slipped out of her braid and fell across the soldier's shoulder. Zed didn't like the lack of space between them. How familiar was Princess Violet with the soldiers in her company? Was she a uniform chaser like the minor nobility he had known?

It didn't matter. She was royalty. Zed dropped to one knee in front of the cot. He bowed his head and tilted it so that the Crest of Veadra tattooed on his nape was visible. Though he'd had little opportunity to show fealty directly to a royal, the act felt normal. Felt right. Warm, slightly calloused, fingertips traced the thick black lines of the tattoo.

"May the sun strengthen your soul, Crown Princess."

Her faint gasp twisted his gut. He'd assumed she had known, but if he was wrong it was a hell of a way to find out. He caught the glint of tears in her eyes. "Apologies, Highness."

She stroked his tattoo again. "May the earth soften the steps of your journey, the air clear your mind of troubles, and the water restore the balance of your heart." She tapped her family's crest. "Rise, Major."

Zed rose. He could still feel her touch against his skin. "We all mourn the loss of Princess Iris. I apologize for my thoughtless words. I should have ensured you were aware of the situation."

Princess Violet's lips trembled even as they lifted into a sad smile. There were tear tracks on her dusty cheeks, but her eyes were dry. "I knew something was wrong. I felt Iris's sudden silence and Cammy's grief. How did it happen?" She shook her head sharply. "No. Now, I am the one who must apologize. Please forgive my poor manners. May I have the honor of knowing your name, Major? Would you like to rest after your journey? We can meet later to discuss your reason for traveling all this way."

"Beckett, ma'am. Major Zed Beckett."

"There was an Adam Beckett on my security detail ten years ago. He was rather new. You have his chin and his eyes."

"He's my older brother, ma'am."

"He was a good man. Perhaps too sharp for my liking, but he had integrity. I believe he is still with the Royal Guard."

Zed was surprised at both her memory and her palace knowledge. She had been traveling with the military for nearly six years. Her holiday visits were typically brief and sporadic. "He is the head of the Royal Guard, ma'am. I believe he takes direct responsibility for Queen Camellia."

"Good. Cammy needs good men right now." Princess Violet pressed a hand to her temple. "I just wish she would let me in."

"Ma'am?"

"Overprotective older siblings are a trial, are they not, Major?"

The Veadrans controlled the magic that floated on the air and pulsed through the ground. It was part of what had kept them on the throne for over a thousand years. Others had minor magical abilities, but the Veadrans were masters. History said that they were blessed with a divine connection to the earth. Zed was not surprised that the Veadran sisters shared a telepathic connection.

"They can be, ma'am."

"Refreshments, Major?"

"Not necessary, ma'am."

The soldier curled a hand around Princess Violet's shoulder. "You have not eaten since breakfast, and you must drink the tea Loretta made for you, Your Highness."

"I need to stay a while longer, Lieutenant Pola. Corporal Hughes may need my services."

"You've done enough, Highness." The soldier squeezed her shoulder. Zed didn't miss the way she flinched or the pain that darkened her eyes. "Please, Highness. Rest."

"Fine, you big nag. Please ask Loretta to send a tray of sandwiches and tea to my quarters. I will check on Corporal Hughes, and then I will allow Major Beckett to escort me to my quarters."

"Thank you, Highness."

The soldier rushed off to do the princess's bidding. Princess Violet watched him with a fond, if slightly exasperated smile. She turned that smile onto Zed once the young soldier was out of the tent. "His Lieutenant's bars are still new. He was wounded six months ago and transferred to my unit. We do not see as much action as the other units. When not running his men ragged, he likes to pretend he is my personal guard. He is also sweet on my maid Loretta."

Zed understood the necessity of her unit's inactivity. She had to be a healer. It explained her presence in the medic tent and her insistence on staying with the injured corporal. It did not, however, explain the bruise on her elfin face or the blood staining the edges of the rips in her clothing.

She slipped off the cot and wavered for a moment. Zed hovered but did not touch her. One did not touch royalty without permission or long-established familiarity. Her steps were sure and showed only a hint of weakness as she approached the middle cot. She pressed her fingertips to the unconscious man's forehead. A burst of heat and magic sparked in the air around the cot.

"Your Highness!" one of the doctors admonished.

Princess Violet huffed but lifted her hand. With a markedly more unsteady gait, she moved toward the first cot. The doctors stepped aside to give her room near the patient's head. She laid her hands on his cheeks, but there was no magical explosion.

"You have removed all the shrapnel. The bleeding has stopped. I do not sense any weakness in his organs." Her perfect princess posture drooped. "I cannot do anything for the head injury."

The two doctors gently pushed her away from the cot. The older of the two doctors patted her head as if she was a treasured family pet. "You have done remarkable work, my dear. Please rest. Healing makes you weary, and I have heard preliminary reports on your actions in the field."

Princess Violet shuffled her feet and ducked her head. A faint flush spread across her cheeks. "My unit came under fire, Doctor Lowry. Was I supposed to stand back and let them be blown to hell? I am here for a reason, remember?"

"You are terrible for my ulcer, my dear."

"My father often said the same," the princess laughed. "My healing gifts are weak, they are nothing to what my mother or Iris could do, but I am relieved I could help Corporal Hughes."

"Please rest, Your Highness. I will update you on the corporal's progress."

Princess Violet turned away from the bed and eyed Zed. "Could I trouble you for an escort, Major? While it would not be the first time I have fallen flat on my face in camp, we have gone six months between incidents. I would prefer to maintain my current streak."

Zed crooked his arm. Rather than set her hand delicately on his forearm, the princess looped her arm around his and leaned against him. Her weight was slight. With her head at his shoulder, he could see the hollows under her eyes beneath the dust.

"Do you require medical attention, Your Highness?"

"Doctor Lowry bandaged up what required bandaging. Loretta's tea will help with the lingering weakness. Do not look so worried, Major. It is nothing a long nap and a hot shower cannot cure. Perhaps I should have resisted assisting Private Jennings, but it is done now. Fortunately, his injuries were relatively minor."

"You are not a healer."

Princess Violet glanced up at him. Her pace slowed, though it seemed to be more out of a desire to continue the conversation than out of increased weakness. "The females of my line have the same base gifts. It is the concentration that differs. Iris, like my mother, was a gifted healer. True healers can cure without taking on the injury. Cammy has some aptitude for healing, and she supplemented it with her knowledge of herbal remedies. I was given only rudimentary classes when it became apparent that healing was not my strongest asset. I have learned a great deal on my own due to necessity."

"I recall Adam's stories about a reckless, impulsive young princess," Zed said, following Princess Violet's lead and losing some of the stiff formality. He was cognizant of the line between royalty and commoner, but court rules did not apply on the battlefield.

Her laughter, rich like the call of the morning Floki, floated on the late afternoon breeze. "I prefer to think of myself as a curious young princess."

He stopped abruptly as he finally processed her explanation. If a true healer could cure without taking on the injury, did that mean that lesser healers absorbed some of the injury or illness? How much had she taken from her colleagues? Why was she allowed to deliberately injure herself?

"Ah," she said, nose crinkling, "I see you are as intuitive as your brother. Pity, for me."

It was a compliment, but Zed's mind was too busy sorting through what he knew of the royals and their involvement with the military to appreciate it. "You cannot be allowed to continue. Your safety and security are of paramount importance, Princess."

She shook her head sharply. "I vehemently disagree, Major. The safety and security of the citizens of Avedra are of paramount importance. A strong military, especially in these unsettled times, is key to ensuring security. I will give whatever it is in my power to give to assist Avedra's soldiers."

"Without strong leadership, the military will falter," Zed countered.

"I have faith in Generals Caine and Wyatt as well as Admiral Leto. While it is traditionally the Consort's position to advise the military, the Triumvirate has the authority to act in Avedra's best interests. As I am neither Consort nor a member of the Triumvirate, I would be superfluous."

"What of the remainder of the population? Do they not deserve the peace of mind that comes from having a healthy regent on the throne? Do they not need assurance and healing, of a sort?" Zed raked a hand through his hair. He could not fault her dedication to the military, but she needed to see the big picture. "We have a great deal to discuss, Your Highness. Avedra needs you in the capital and not in a bloody medic tent."

"I apologize, Major Beckett. You know more of the situation at the palace. We will have privacy in my quarters, and I will do what I can to assure you of my well-being." Princess Violet started towards a larger-than-regulation tent positioned between two large elms. Zed had no choice but to walk with her. He did not want to put additional stress on her injuries. One question niggled.

"If you are not a healer, Highness, why are you with the 3rd Infantry?"

She didn't call him out on questioning a royal. She merely lifted a shoulder. "I thought everyone knew, Major. I am a combat mage."