Arion tried not to laugh. He’d never even held a sword in all his life. He was more likely to injure himself trying to battle with it, but if it calmed Zallon’s nerves for him to carry it, he would.
Taking the sword from him, Arion secure the scabbard around his waist surprised by how comfortable it felt to wear.
“I’m going to be fine, Zallon. I’ll be back late tonight.”
“Oh, Garron,” Zallon said as if he was noticing him for the first time. “Good, good I’m glad you’ll be traveling with him today.”
“Um, no sir. The King sent me to see you about a location spell. The princess is missing again.”
Zallon sighed. “Of course, she is. Give me just a moment.”
He left the room and Garron stood there awkwardly so Arion stayed to talk to his friend while he waited.
“You should go. You have a lot to do today. I wish I could come with you again, but I have other duties to tend to.”
It amazed Arion how sincere Garron sounded. He felt like he had a real friend for the first time in his life.
Zallon returned and clapped his hands together. “Looks like our stray princess is headed for the Falls of Healing Water. I imagine you’ll find plenty of unicorn there, Arion, so I might suggest you start there and convince a certain pampered princess to find her way back home and make amends with her father. Garron, tell the King that his daughter is in good hands.” He gave Arion a wink and turned on his heels to walk back to his laboratory.
“What was that about?” Garron asked.
Arion shrugged. “I have no idea. He’s acting rather strange though, isn’t he?”
“Very, but from what I’ve seen, that’s normal. I should go. Good luck today.”
Arion wasn’t happy about the change in his plans for the day, but he couldn’t stomach just leaving her out there all alone. Garron was right. If someone was cruel enough to murder a unicorn, what else were they capable of?
With that thought in mind he took off running towards the Forest of Prosperity. When he reached it his pace slowed to a jog as he easily weaved along the path he knew would lead him to the falls.
Gavalon was filled with beauty: the rolling green hills of the valley, the cliffs above that helped protect the castle, a river, a lake, the forest he now ran through that led up to the mountains, and many waterfalls that dotted the landscape. Still, in Arion’s mind there was nothing more beautiful than the Falls of Healing Water where unicorn roamed more prevalent than any other part of the kingdom.
As he neared the waterfall, an uncomfortable feeling coated the air. His hand instinctively went to the sword at his side as he slowed his approach. His eyes darted around in every direction unable to place what was wrong but fighting a feeling of dread.
He stopped and listened, but only heard sobbing. Valaria! Without any thought or care for himself he followed the sound of her cries as he ran forward stumbling to halt when he entered the clearing and saw no visible threat to the princess.
She looked small and fragile sitting on a rock in front of the falls, crying.
She startled at the commotion he caused and slowly turned until her sad blue eyes locked with his. Arion sighed with the realization there was nothing he wouldn’t do for his princess. She was stubborn and opinionated and often irritated him, so just when had that happened.
Having allowed himself to consider a life other than that of a High Keeper had made him feel vulnerable, normal even. Though even he knew that a lowly orphan with no title would never even be considered as fit for a princess. That didn’t stop the hope that had started to bloom in his heart that somehow it could happen.
“Are you okay?” he asked in a rough voice.
“I’m fine. Did my father send you to find me?” she huffed, turning her back on him and breaking the spell her eyes seemed to have locked onto him.
“No, actually. I’m seeking out more unicorns to help today and Zallon asked if I could check on you while I was out,” he said honestly.
“Well, look around. There aren’t any here.”
“What?” Arion asked, suddenly realizing just what had been bothering him the closer he had gotten to the falls.
“All the unicorns are gone from this place.”
“But why? They love it here. I usually find more of their kind here than anywhere else in all of Gavalon, all of Amaria even.”
“I know. It’s one of my favorite spots too,” she said as if they had just shared something special.
“I expected to find dozens of them here seeking comfort by the falls,” Arion said aloud, though talking more to himself. “Where have they gone?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe that’s why we saw so many in the valley. Do you think they came out seeking our help?”
“Maybe,” Arion said pondering all the reasons he could think of that they would leave their comfort zone. He had to remind himself that they were wild animals and acting on natural instinct, not human reasoning.
“Can I come with you to search for the unicorns today?” Valaria surprised him by asking.
“No. It would be best if you went back to the castle. Your father is worried about you.”
“I do not wish to see him at the moment,” she said stubbornly. “Besides, Zallon will be keeping an eye on me through his locator spell. He always does. As long as he sees I’m with you, he’ll report I’m safe back to my father.”
“How would he even know I’m with you?”
“With everything going on, do you really believe he isn’t watching you, making certain you’re okay and where you’re supposed to be? Arion you’re like a son to him. Of course, he’s tracking you, just as he is me. As long as we’re together he’ll assume we’re fine.”
Arion had never considered that Zallon would use his magic to keeps tabs on him while he was away. He wasn’t sure how he felt about such an invasion.
“I’ll be out all day. The King won’t be happy about it,” he said without actually denying her request.
“I don’t want to talk to my father right now. I’m very angry with him.”
“What happened? Do you want to talk about it?” Arion asked surprising them both when he took a seat next to her on the large stone.
She sighed and laid her head against his shoulder. Arion felt like her only true friend in all of Amaria and she wasn’t even sure he liked her most of the time. Being a princess was a lonely life, so she grabbed tight to even the slightest show of kindness he gave her even knowing how pathetic that made her.
“He is pressuring me to marry,” she confessed. “The Duke of Chellgar has made him an offer. Father likes the idea of me betrothed to a Gavalonian, though at the feast he is throwing in my honor next month, he is inviting the upper elite throughout all six kingdoms of Amaria, still he favors those from Gavalon.”
“But you do not?” Arion asked.
Valaria snorted. “The Duke is twenty years older than I am. He’ll want children immediately to secure his line for the throne. I’m not ready for all that. Plus he disgusts me. We’ve only met once several years ago, but all I remember is that his breath smelled worse than a pig pen.”
They both laughed. “So you’re really going to marry the smelly breath Duke?”