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Keeping the Promise
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Tova's Four Kingdoms Missing
ERIK Two days after we stopped at the camp I was standing on the bank, pleased. All of the warriors that had stopped with us had learned how to swim very quickly. I watched Tova in the river, swimming back and forth like an otter, teasing the warriors and getting them to chase her in the water, practicing their new skills. Laila was the fastest learner, quite possibly due to the extra attention she got from Tova. Both girls were laughing. As I watched, Tova flipped over on to her back and floated, calling to one of the warriors. He paddled up to her, splashing, and she laughed in delight. “I think we were successful, Sire,” General Brut said to me, walking up soundlessly next to me. “Our warriors can swim, thanks to our Queen. Tova is a good teacher.” I felt proud. “Yes, she is.” I looked at him sideway. “Would it surprise you to know that she’s also equally as good with battlefield strategy, despite never being in battle?” General Brut laughed. “No, it wouldn’t. She
Tova's Four Kingdoms The Heir
TOVA I ran back to my tent, thinking hard and thinking fast. I now knew that the plan from the beginning was about Erik, not me. The concubines’ jealous ploy was just a happy coincidence for them. They were able to use the chaos to further their plan and push it along faster. I was a pawn and they had been letting me blunder around, distracting Erik, before making their move. If Erik were to be killed without an heir, the throne would be in disarray. Unless someone strong came in and united everyone, the realm would fall and there would be four separate kingdoms. The current rulers were too stupid to realize they can’t manage without each other, so they would resort to war to get what they needed to survive. The smart move would be to eliminate Erik and then put someone strong and political into power. It would have to be done fast, before everyone realized what was going on, but once alliances had changed the new ruler would have access to all four kingdom’s resources and
Tova's Four Kingdoms Garth's Plan
TOVAGarth started pacing. I sat still, thinking.“I think I need to go on bedrest, per your instructions. Just for tonight. I don’t want them relocating the entire war camp here. We were scheduled to leave tomorrow morning, anyway.”Garth nodded. “I’ll get Leila in here. We can pack up and then leave in the middle of the night.” He looked at me sympathetically. “You’ll have to leave Bo. He is too easy to track.”I shook my head. “Can’t. He will track me. All the Generals would need to do is let him loose and follow him. He’ll lead them right to me.” I paused, processing what he said. “Are you coming with me?”He shrugged, looking glum. “I know you’re highly capable, Queen. I saw what you did in the river. But you can’t do this yourself. And, as much as I try to not get involved, I’m involved. So, yes. I’m coming with.”I jumped up and gave him a kiss on the cheeks. “Thank you, Garth.”“Anything for you, Queen,” he said, his tone not quite matching his voice. I
Tova's Four Kingdoms Erik's Predicament
ERIKI woke up to a splitting headache and a numb feeling in my legs. I was laying on a hard rock floor and I was freezing. I painfully moved my head and saw that there was a fire that had been built up at the entrance of a cave. I looked up. I was definitely in a cave.Someone moved at the entrance, and, to my relief, I saw Loki. I started to move and heard a jingle. I looked down and realized both of my ankles had been shackled and the peg had been driven into the stone wall of the cave. With a sinking feeling, I realized I had been betrayed.He walked over to me and squatted down, holding a cup of some vile looking liquid. “Drink this,” he said, pushing it at me. I ignored him.“Unchain me,” I croaked out. “What makes you think that you have any authority over me?” Loki asked, amusement in his voice. “In case you misread the situation, let me make it perfectly clear. You are no longer in charge. Your title means nothing here.”I held his eyes, refusing to look away, an
Tova's Four Kingdoms Tova's Choice
TOVALeila was able to slip into my tent and pack the saddlebags. She took as much food as she could find as well as a change of clothing and my large cloak with the gold hidden in the pocket. She took one of Erik’s cloaks for Garth and a second one of mine for herself, knowing that she would not be able to go to her tent to pack anything without arousing suspicions. While she was gone, I paced the floor of the tent, imagining the worst, ears alerted for any noises that sounded like trouble.Leila made it back in little time, though it felt like a long time to me. The saddlebags were hidden in the back of the tent by which we would exit. She handed me the bag of gold and I tied it to my belt inside my tunic. “Any troubles?” I asked.“No one said anything to me. They know we’re friends and it makes sense that you would ask me to pack your personal bags for you. Fortunately, I didn’t see Brut at all. He was the one I was concerned about.”I nodded, slightly troubled that Brut w
Tova's Four Kingdoms Leaving
TOVALeila and Garth looked at me earnestly. I sat down heavily. I hadn’t thought of that option.All of my memories have always been centered about the prophesy and my destiny. I barely remember my life before the prophesy was uttered and I was taken from my family. I have never had a say in my future, only used as a pawn to be moved around a board at the whim of Erik or his mother. I was groomed to be a wife and a child bearer, secondary was my supporting role as High Queen. I had been treated unkindly by many in Erik’s household and, by his own admittance, he encouraged that. He, too, was angry over his lack of control of his future but he was a man and the High King. He had ways to rebel.I could leave. I could see if I could find my parents, perhaps, and try to rebuild a relationship with them if they were still alive. I could take my bag of gold and purchase some land and a home and live on my own schedule and for myself. But if I left, I would be leaving Erik to his
Tova's Four Kingdoms First Day
TOVAWe splashed through the river for many miles. The moon was full, and I was grateful for the light but the sleipnirs were surefooted animals and did fine in the water. My traveling companions were exhausted, and we rode in silence, it being broken by the noise of the hooves clacking on the rocks where the water ran low. We left the river a few times to traverse around rapids and deeper areas but always came back. It was the only way I knew to avoid the trackers.Daybreak broke slowly and as soon as I could see, I led the way out of the river in a particularly rocky area, hoping to not leave trackable hoofprints. My goal now was to put some distance between us and the river and we needed to ride hard. I led the way into the forest at a canter. I pointed us back to the east, backtracking, but angling north. I let the lead rope to Troi slack a little bit so that she could comfortably follow Bo and he started climbing the rocky hill. I closed my eyes, thinking about the map
Tova's Four Kingdoms Leaky Barn
ERIKAt some point in my delirious state Loki forced more of the sleeping potion down my throat and I slept hard. When I awoke I was on a barn floor, chained and shacked to a stake that had been driven deep into the ground. I was laying on bales of hay and I could feel it moving underneath me. Ug. Mice.I painfully pushed myself into a sitting position, noting that my ribs felt bruised. I was guessing they threw me over a horse to get me here and that they were none too gentle. My face also felt bruised and swollen and I thought I may have a tooth loose on one side. I gingerly touched my face, my shackles and chains jingling. One of my eyes was swollen shut. They had beat my face so that I was unrecognizable in case they were happened upon but another person. I had to give them credit. That was smart.I leaned back against another haybale, supporting my back and looked around while fighting the dizziness and nausea that came with my movements. There were holes in the roof
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