Chapter Four:
Zed pulled the truck deep into a copse and killed the engine. They had been driving for two hours, the last forty minutes with the headlines dimmed by magical means. He unsnapped his safety belt and shifted to study his passenger. She had chattered on like a Giriki for the first half of the trip. After dimming the lights, and finishing a cup of tea, she drifted off to sleep.
He unlatched her safety belt and guided it off her chest. He gently shook her shoulder. "Your Highness," he murmured. "Wake up."
She jolted upright. Zed had to move quickly to avoid an elbow to the eye. The air around her left hand shimmered and the air in the truck thickened. Zed covered her hand with his, ignored the heat searing his palm.
"Shh, Violet. You're safe. It's Zed. Major Beckett. You're safe."
The heat dissipated. She blinked sleep-glazed eyes, wriggled in her seat. Her fingers laced with his. "Have we arrived?"
"We will have to walk the rest of the way. It is three miles. Are you up to it?"
Her nose crinkled. Her fingers twitched. She paused as if performing a self-inventory. "Yes. My knee should hold up, though I will need to rest afterwards or risk further damage."
He appreciated the lack of prevarication. It boded well for their journey. "You will tell me if it grows weaker or causes you pain."
"I have a rather high threshold for pain, Major. I will not impede our progress."
"Pain is an indication that something needs attention, Highness, and shouldn't be ignored."
"I will let you know if there is anything that needs attention."
Zed figured that was as good as he was going to get. He reluctantly shook free of Violet's grasp. He left the keys in the ignition and opened his door. Violet opened her door. She quietly stepped out of the truck and shouldered her pack. Zed grabbed the bag of food and stuffed it into the top of his pack. He waited near the hood for Violet. He quickly judged that the pack was not too heavy for her slight frame. At least, it wouldn't be for the first mile or so.
He was pleased at how quietly and carefully she walked. He remained close enough to catch her if she stumbled or showed signs of weakness. Voice low, he shared everything he'd learned from Adam regarding Queen Camellia's illness, Consort Harold's odd behavior upon his return, and Crown Princess Iris's murder. He didn't miss the way she growled at mention of Consort Harold.
"You mentioned treason, Violet. Does this have to do with your suspicions regarding your sister's assassination?"
"Oh, this is going to be such a mess, Zed. News of Cammy's health will spread. Rissy's murder while in her private garden? If we cannot keep ourselves safe, people will wonder how we can protect the rest of the country. Citizens will be nervous, unsettled. We will look weak to our enemies. Our allies will be watching us to see how we recover from these blows. Peyen and Creval will stand by us, but the rest will be circling like sharks."
So much for a lack of prevarication. He could call her on it or he could go with it. For something like this, especially so early in the journey, it was easier to allow the evasion. "That certain of Peyen and Creval?"
"Our families have a long history. Lissy is one of my oldest friends. I believe that Cammy and King Yavin were hoping for a match between Iris and Prince Nicholas. Much to Iris's dismay, of course." Violet giggled softly. "She and I used to argue over who should marry Prince Sean of Creval. Those dimples are lethal."
Zed couldn't see anything particularly attractive about a pair of dimples. He grasped Violet's elbow to guide her over a protruding root. "You said there was going to be a price to pay for Peyen's assistance with Queen Camellia."
Violet shook her arm free from his grasp. She ducked under a low branch and grabbed his hand when he caught up. "That will not be the price, dear Zed. Had Rissy lived or Cammy been in good health, perhaps, but not now. Of course, if Rissy was alive and Cammy not ill, there would be no need for outside assistance."
"What do you mean?"
She squeezed his hand. "That is a discussion that is best had when we are not in danger of being shot by Charisian drones."
The rest of the hike was made in silence. Zed altered his grip on Violet's hand so that he could monitor her pulse. He watched for indication of weakness or exhaustion. He made her stop after the second mile to drink a few sips of tea and eat half an apple. He ate the other half while she utilized a nearby tree. That she didn't utter a word of complaint only improved her standing in his eyes. That she reached for his hand before they set back off meant she stole a sliver of his heart.
He released her icy digits as they neared the cabin. There were no lights in the area, no signs of occupancy, but he knew better than to trust appearances. He halted Violet a dozen yards from the cabin. He pursed his lips and let out the call of the Night Olri, paused for a moment, and let out three additional calls.
A twig snapped sixty yards to their right. Violet plastered her back against his. He felt her widen her stance and unholster her gun. Thank the fates she wasn't using magic. He was worried enough about her knee.
He counted five answering Night Olri calls. Some of the tension drained out of his shoulders. He turned to place a hand on Violet's arm. "These are my men."
She nodded but did not return the gun to its holster. Good girl. Three tall, lean black-clad men slipped out of the shadows. The men eyed Violet just as warily as she eyed them. They nodded at Zed. He nodded back.
"Cabin's secure, Major," Lieutenant Beazley said.
"Any problems getting here?"
"No, sir. A few drones overhead near the airfield, but nothing for four miles."
"Good. Let's get out of the open." Zed stroked Violet's forearm. "C'mon, Highness. You need to get off that knee."
She holstered her gun. He kept her behind him with Corporal Blake and Master Sergeant Dolan guarding their rear and Beazley on point. He instructed Beazley and Dolan to perform a second sweep of the interior of the cabin while he settled Violet onto a spindly wooden chair.
He placed her pack on the ground next to his. He had to walk a fine line between making things as easy for her as possible and not making her look weak in front of his men. He would do what he could to preserve her pride but not at the cost of her health.
Beazley and Dolan returned from their sweep. They dropped their packs and hovered about, as if unsure of how to act with a royal in the room. Zed understood what Violet meant about the awkwardness of her position.
"Your Highness, may I present 1st Lieutenant Thomas Beazley, Master Sergeant Bill Dolan, and Corporal Craig Blake."
Each man knelt and displayed his tattoo. Zed noticed that she did not linger over them like she had during his show of fealty. She murmured greetings to each. He was stunned to see pink across the cheeks of his hardened men.
"We're all sorry about the loss of Crown Princess Iris, ma'am," Blake said, yanking off his watch cap and twisting it in his meaty hands. "She gave the speech at my graduation ceremony. She was a real lady, ma'am."
"Yes, she was," Violet responded, smile soft. "Thank you, Corporal."
"Damn shame about Queen Camellia," Dolan said. His cheeks reddened and the ends of his thick mustache twitched. "Beggin' your pardon, ma'am."
Violet stifled a laugh. "It's quite all right, Sergeant."
Zed dropped to his knees in front of Violet. He settled his hands on her right ankle. "Do you want me to dismiss my men, Highness?"
"It is all right, Major. This is no time for modesty. I trust any man under your command to be discreet."
Zed folded Violet's trouser leg up over her knee. He tried to ignore the feel of her soft, smooth skin. The slim black brace was damp with sweat. He unhooked the latches and carefully removed the brace. Her knee was swollen, discolored and hot to the touch. He gently probed the area around the damaged joint.
She jerked, slapped her hands over her mouth when his knuckles grazed the skin behind her knee. Sparkling Veadran eyes met his. "Stop! That tickles!"
He grinned up at her but refrained from repeating the action. "How is it, Highness?"
"Sore, but it will hold. I have done all I can for it. There is a balance in magic, and a healer's ability is weakest on herself."
Beazley knelt next to Zed. The quiet, dark-haired tactical specialist rummaged through his pack before handing Zed an activated chemical ice pack. "It'll help with the swelling. When was your last anti-inflammatory, ma'am?"
"Before we left." Violet winced when Zed placed the ice pack over her knee. He stroked the side of her calf in apology. The knee looked painful, and he knew they had more walking ahead.
Dolan shoved his pack forward. At his nod, Zed lifted Violet's ankle so that they could use the pack to prop up her knee. Blake dug out his canteen. He gave the canteen to Zed as Beazley presented a blister pack of anti-inflammatory pills.
"You can hand things to me. There is no law against it. I like being handed things," Violet groused. She tossed the pills into her mouth and washed them down with a slug of purified water. Gaze challenging, she held the canteen out to Blake.
Zed had seen Blake handle bombs and deadly vipers with less caution than he did the canteen. Not one inch of Blake's skin touched the crown princess. Once Zed was certain that the ice pack would stay in place, he sat back. Dolan, Blake, and Beazley dragged stools into the room and formed a semi-circle around Zed and Violet.
"What's our situation?" Zed asked.
"Airfield's gone. Three planes and a chopper lost. Four casualties," Beazley reported. He scowled when Violet whimpered. "Sorry ma'am."
"I have been with the military for six years, and I do not think I will ever be comfortable with the loss of Avedran lives. Perhaps that is a sign I am not suited to the life of a soldier," Violet said, eyes shadowed and face pale.
It took most of Zed's considerable willpower to keep from hugging her. Who knew he was such a tactile person? It didn't help that she was so receptive. "Perhaps it is a sign that you are a kind, compassionate person."
Blake shifted on his stool. He ran a hand over his scruffy chin. His dark eyes were on his knees. "I threw up twice after my first kill."
Violet flashed a small smile at Corporal Blake. "As did I."
"I nearly punched out two teammates," Beazley admitted.
"I blew up General Caine's tac vehicle when he told me to 'buck up'," was Violet's confession.
Zed bit the inside of his cheek to keep from chuckling. Not only were his men great soldiers, they were decent men. Their missions had been rough and nasty. Other men might have skewed moral compasses after being in similar situations, but his team was trying its damnedest to ease their princess's mind.
"I got drunk on rotgut whiskey and woke up in a brothel in southern Peyen," Dolan said, obviously unwilling to be left out.
Violet blinked at a frowning Dolan. "I believe I would have been a little conspicuous at a brothel, though I have heard those in Peyen are exceptionally titillating. I did drink half a bottle of cinnamon whiskey. I woke up to a lecture by General Caine and Admiral Leto."
Four heads turned towards Zed. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned away from them. "What?"
"What did you do, Major?" Beazley asked, a grin splitting his face.
"Got drunk, got in a bar fight with my teammates, and woke up in the brig."
"Did you win?" Violet asked.
"Yeah, I did." He shook his head to clear out the fog brought on by her smile of approval. "What do we look like for transportation?"
"We have a tac vehicle parked just over three miles out. We stripped out all the electronics and left them at the airfield. No identifying marks on the vehicle," Dolan said.
Zed nodded. They could work with that. Tac vehicles could travel on almost any terrain, and they were faster than heavy, armored vehicles. "Fuel?"
"Tank was full when we took it. Four cans in the back of the vehicle," Dolan said.
"We'll have to avoid main roads. I mapped out a prelim plan," Blake said. He retrieved a folded map from his pocket and gave it to Zed. "It'll mean getting close to the Tri-Border, but we don't have other options."
"Gretham will use this as an excuse to increase hostilities," Violet murmured. "Why did Charis attack? The alliance has been historically shaky, but Cammy's marriage was to cement our trade and military agreements."
Zed's three men exchanged uneasy glances. Zed jerked upright. They liked Crown Princess Violet, and something about her question bothered them. Either it had soured their trust or they didn't want to hurt her feelings.
"You don't know, ma'am?" Beazley asked, one eyebrow raised.
"I was involved with a skirmish on the border for the entirety of the morning, and I was in a medic tent healing and being healed this afternoon. I spent the evening tromping through the forest and hiding from drones. Forgive me, Lieutenant, for not keeping up with the news reports. Please explain why the Consort's home country chose to bomb an airfield in our country." Every word was delivered with chilling calm. Zed nearly checked Beazley's nose for frostbite.
Dolan shrugged a shoulder. Of Zed's team, he was the most brash, the most fearless. "Charis says we killed Crown Prince Ethan."