Rebel Song Page 14

  “All right then. I am to lead you to the pantry where Ms. Harren will review the order. I don’t know why she bothers herself with such menial things.”

  The guard unlocked the gate and escorted Rogan into the main palace grounds. A sense of awe swept over him as Rogan brushed past ornately carved statues and pristine hedges carved into elaborate exotic animals—a giraffe, an elephant and a jungle cat. They walked down a winding path of well-groomed rose bushes, miraculous cascading water fountains, bursting orange trees and arching palms with gardeners and maintenance workers working away with their heads down, never glancing up at him.

  The guard led him around the right side of the grand palace, standing like a massive ominous stone mountain, and to a mid-sized building to the back side of it. The large front door was open, revealing crates stacked to the ceiling.

  “Set it down there,” the guard said, pointing to a wooden table set up outside the pantry building. “Ms. Harren will be here in a moment for inspection.”

  After a few agonizing moments, a short woman in a long gray dress with a high collar walked toward him in a calm, controlled manner. She stopped in front of him, barely coming up to Rogan’s shoulder. Lips pursed and arms crossed, she stared at him inquisitively. She looked to the guard.

  “Boris, I can handle things from here. Thank you for your help,” she said.

  Boris seemed hesitant.

  “Are you sure ma’am?”

  “Do you think I arrived yesterday boy? I said I have it. And I am no ma’am, thank you very much. Now, go back to guarding your little gate.” She flicked her hand in the air to shoo him away.

  “Yes ma…Miss,” he stuttered and darted off.

  Once he was out of earshot, Ada turned her attention back to Rogan and glared.

  “What’s this about, then?”

  Rogan shrugged dumbly and pulled out the order slip.

  “Don’t know your meaning, Miss. I have an order here for Ada Harren. The notes say it’s ‘a sampling of Elwood’s finest for her Royal Highness’ Solstice Soirée.’”

  Ada smirked as if she were in on the scam.

  “Does it now?” She took the order from Rogan’s hand. Rogan’s palms were beginning to sweat as he feared she would see right through his half-cocked lies.

  “She does do the strangest things,” she muttered more to herself than him as she scanned the paper then handed it back to Rogan. She rolled her eyes. “I don’t understand the half of it.” She looked back to him as though she just realized he was there. “Well, anyway. Let me have a copy of that order slip so I can be sure to add it to our account…” her words trailed off as something caught her attention. She stared at him hard in the eyes with a look so heavy he took a step backward.

  “Wait, I know you!” She came to an epiphany, then looking at his identification badge.

  “Miss? I don’t believe so.”

  She nodded and pointed a finger at him. He feigned indifference but nearly sighed with relief. He had been counting on her to recognize him.

  “Yes. I know you from the markets. I thought I recognized the name of your vineyard. You’re the winemaker’s son. The one Elyra was dreamy-eyed over. It was a while ago, but I’ve always remembered your face. I’ve seen you there from time to time since.”

  “Elyra?”

  “The princess, son. That’s her name.”

  “I’m there frequently but I’m sure I would remember meeting the princess.” He tried to remain calm and charming but his nerves were on fire.

  “Well, she remembered you,” she said with a sly smirk. “I see why she was struck by you. That’s probably why she pulled this little prank. In the hopes she’d get a chance to see your handsome face. She’s devious like that.”

  He couldn’t contain a small laugh at the idea. It was something she might do.

  “Thank you,” was all he could manage and still keep his composure. She was walking too close to the truth and he needed to get this whole thing over with. “Well, I should be getting back. Can you please sign the delivery slip?” He extended the piece of paper and a pen. She obliged.

  “Thank you for the delivery. I trust you can find your way back down to the entry gate?” He nodded.

  Rogan dropped the crate of wine at the pantry then purposefully fumbled with the paperwork until Ada had turned her back to him. Now was his chance. He turned from the pantry casually and began walking back toward the entry gate. He looked over the sales slip as though he was just another person with daily business at the palace, but kept his eyes darting from side to side to watch for an opening. When he felt the area was clear, he ducked behind a work shed well-guarded by robust orange trees. He caught his breath and tried to decelerate his racing pulse. Then he waited. It felt like an eternity and he was beginning to think the plan was a complete bust until he finally spotted a shock of amber hair darting through the garden. Tension seized his body and he reminded himself to breathe. She was searching, anxious and wide eyed. Her hair was pulled back in a messy knot and she wore lightweight black dress that whipped and danced around her frame in the breeze. She moved closer to where he hid. When she was within arm’s length, he reached out and pulled her arm. She shrieked, but he thrust her to him, cupping her mouth from behind before the sound could travel far. He could feel her body stiffen in his arms and he took a split second to take in her scent. God, how he had missed that scent. He flipped her around, his hand still over her mouth. Her eyes—still two paralyzing gemstones glittering in the sunlight—widened. Slowly he removed his hand from her mouth, letting it linger on her flushed cheek.

  “Rogan,” she breathed. “What are you doing here?”

  “I was hoping she would tell you I was here.”

  “Yes, she did. What kind of jackass plan is this? Are you crazy?”

  He didn’t want to let her go, but he loosened his grip on her.

  “Maybe. Probably. But I had to see you. God, I think you’ve gotten more beautiful,” he said without thinking.

  “We have been through this—”

  He put a finger against her lips to quiet her.

  “I know. I’m not here about us. There are things I have to tell you.”

  “You shouldn’t have come here. It’s too dangerous.” She looked over his shoulder and to the side, searching for spies. He pulled her deeper behind the shed into better camouflage.

  “I know. But I didn’t know how to find you otherwise. It’s not as though I can just leave a message with the front desk.”

  Elyra stifled a laugh.

  “Fair enough. Well, what is it then?” Tendrils of fiery hair inched free from her knot, tickling her cheeks in the breeze. He resisted the urge to push them back.

  “It’s kind of a long story.”

  “Well I don’t have a lot of time. This place is crawling with royal guards. How did you even get in here?”

  “Don’t worry about it. I know there are eyes everywhere right now. Can you meet me tonight? Late?”

  “I…I don’t’ know if that’s a good idea Rogan. I can’t get involved with you.”

  “I know that. And I’m not asking you to. But I told you, this isn’t about us. This is about the rebellion.”

  “The what?” Fear inched into her eyes.

  “I told you—long story. So can you?”

  Elyra sighed, then relented.

  “All right, yes. Past the receiving gate, there is an old dirt road that leads to one of the side entries to the gardens that no one ever uses. It hardly looks like anything now so it’s a little hard to see. I’ll be outside at nine. Avoid coming past the main entry on your way. Don’t be late.”

  Rogan let a smile slip out. She had changed over the past months, but she was still the same headstrong girl he knew.

  “I won’t.” They stood silently for a moment, the tension of so many things unsaid swirling between them. There was so much he wanted to say, wanted to do, but he didn’t dare. Instead, he clutched her chin in his hand and placed his lips
on her forehead.

  His nerves were racing as his bike crept up the back pathway, avoiding the busy main gates, following the mental map he had in his head. As he rose over the last lip of the paved road, he spotted the side path leading to the receiving gates, then the narrow dirt path spawning from there. When he saw that no one was there, he ducked down the path. She stood by a tree, leaning casually against it. Her long cinnamon waves were hidden by a simple navy blue head scarf and her body was covered in a fitted grey wrap coat.

  He pulled his bike up to her and raised his riding glasses. As usual, his disheveled hair and broken-in boots were a stark contrast to her elegance, but he didn’t care. She examined him for a moment, then her lips spread into shrewd smile that suggested she didn’t care either.

  “Nice ride,” she cooed.

  “Thanks. So I’m here. Now what?” He kicked down the bike stand.

  “This was your idea,” she said walking toward him. “I don’t meet in secret in the dark for just anyone.” She looked him up and down seductively, even if she wasn’t trying to be. He selfishly clung to the hope that their separation had torn her to bits as well.

  “Why don’t I show you how fast this can go?” He motioned for her to get on.

  “You want me to get on that thing? With you?”

  He nodded.

  “Scared?” He raised an eyebrow.

  She sauntered up to the bike and ran her finger along the handle. He felt his insides ignite at the mere sight of her hand running along the worn metal and he tightened his muscles to keep from toppling over.

  “Hop on,” he said as coolly as he could manage. Elyra hesitated and looked from side to side, but ultimately lobbed her legs over the bike and flung her arms around his middle.

  “Hold on.” He took hold and let the bike fly.

  They tore through the countryside, dipping in and out of peaks and valleys as the darkness deepened. One by one, sparkling stars popped out of the navy blanket above to light their way. Elyra clung desperately to his body, sending jolts of electricity up his spine. Finally, he slowed the bike to a gentle pace as they approached a serene meadow split by a still pond, surrounded by thick trees. He drove around to a flat clearing with a smooth, sandy beach dipping into water shimmering with starlight reflection. Elyra dismounted the bike, her eyes wide.

  “It’s beautiful here. How do you know about this place?” She removed her scarf and coat and scanned the scenery. Her fiery tendrils were every which way.

  Rogan looked around longingly, remembering the long summer days fishing with his da while his mom lazily strummed her guitar and wrote in her journal. Ari would splash her toddler toes in the water and all would be right in the world.

  “I used to come here as a kid. My mom liked sitting out here in the summer while she wrote.”

  “What did she write?”

  Rogan shrugged and his smile faded.

  “I don’t know. Stupid things—nothing.” He raised the wall around his heart quickly.

  “Sounds like a nice memory,” Elyra smiled and touched his shoulder with searing fingertips. He shook her off.

  “C’mon.” He led her toward the water. From his pack he unloaded two grey blankets made of soft wool and laid them out on a flat patch of sandy shore.

  “I was so shocked to see you at the palace,” Elyra admitted as they sat on the blankets. “You risked a lot coming there. If anyone had seen us together…” she shook her head.

  “I know, but I needed to see you.” For more than one reason. “Will anyone notice that you’re gone?”

  “Hardly. The only one who pays much attention to my comings and goings is Ada and she thinks I’m studying tonight. Important geography exam tomorrow as part of the internship,” she said with a hint of sarcasm.

  “And should you be studying?”

  Elyra laughed.

  “Please. I can list every country backward. My tutor thinks I’m a complete imbecile.”

  “They all underestimate you, don’t they?” He couldn’t contain a smile. “It’s so good to see you. It’s been so long.”

  She smiled but her expression was sullen.

  “It has been a long time. So much has changed. You’ve changed.” She looked him in the eye intently as if she were searching for something. Then she remembered herself. “I hope you are well. And your family? How are they?”

  “You don’t even know them,” he said more coolly than he intended. Part of him was still angry with her for abandoning him.

  She pursed her lips.

  “I was just trying to be polite.”

  “Since when are you polite around me?”

  “Since I don’t know how to act around you anymore. I haven’t seen you in months and you just show up one day in the palace garden with cryptic warnings.”

  “And whose fault is that? You were the one who walked away, not me.”

  “I had no choice. We were stupid to think anything could happen between us.” Her words slapped him like a hand.

  Rogan clenched his jaw and lowered his eyes. He came here to warn her and that’s what he was going to do. Nothing more.

  “Don’t worry. I don’t have any expectations of you anymore.”

  “So you have me here. What is it that you want?” She sighed.

  You, is what he wanted to say—wanted to shout.

  “Where do I begin? So much is going on. There are some things happening out there that you need to know about.”

  “Out where?”

  “Out in the city. In the streets. In the shadows.”

  She raised an eyebrow.

  “Rogan, you’re talking in riddles.”

  “What do you know about the rebellion?”

  “I wasn’t aware there was one. I heard it’s just a bunch of angry farmers upset about taxes.”

  Rogan nodded.

  “I figured as much. I suppose it’s safe to say that there isn’t exactly a full on rebellion going on, but people are getting…restless.”

  “Restless?” She repeated the word more like a statement than a question. He nodded. “Pantone would have us all believe they’re wielding pitchforks in the streets, but I’ve yet to see that.”

  “There is a lot of unrest about the way things are in the government. I think you know that.”

  “Yes, I know a lot of people are asking for change. And we are working toward that. Believe me.”

  “I know you are. But some people are sick of waiting. They don’t believe that things ever will change as long as the same people are in power.”

  “I can understand that. But why was this so important that you bring me out here in the middle of the night? It isn’t exactly breaking news.”

  “I need you to be prepared for things to escalate. I feel like something bad is going to happen and I don’t know how to stop it.”

  “What are you talking about, Rogan? How do you know these things?”

  Rogan touched his finger to his forehead and pressed hard. How much could he really tell her? Could he trust her?

  “I know people involved.” It wasn’t a lie. It was just a half truth.

  “People? Which people?”

  “I can’t tell you that. I won’t betray the trust of my friends. But I can tell you that things are escalating and it won’t be long before the violence erupts everywhere. You need to push for reform before it’s too late.”

  “Reform?” Her eyes were helpless.

  “Yes. You have the chance to save lives here. We—the people of this country—need your voice where it counts.”

  “Rogan, I have no power. I’m a nobody. Just a council intern with a fancy title.”

  “How can you say that? You’re a princess. The next in line to run the country.”

  “In theory,” she sighed.

  “Now who’s talking in riddles?” Rogan laughed.

  “What I mean is that they—my father, Pantone, most of the council—would rather see just about anyone take the seat other than me. They just see me
as some little girl with a big head full of empty ideas.”

  “Sometimes I think this country still lives in the dark ages,” Rogan shook his head. “But lucky for all of us, you’ll change all that.”

  Elyra smirked.

  “If I ever get the chance. It’s such a strange thing. Being the Princess Royale,” she said the title dramatically.

  “Oh yeah? Do enlighten me.”

  “I’m serious. Your whole life is just waiting around for a position that you won’t get until your parent dies. Until then, you have no real purpose.”

  “I never thought of it in those terms.”

  “Once upon a time, far, far away, a prince might rise to kingship while he still stood straight. But now? These old men could live forever.”

  “That’s true. I read the emperor of Khan is nearly eighty and the prince is already riddled with arthritis.”

  “See what I mean?”

  “Maybe your da will retire at a reasonable hour then. I hear abdication is becoming more common in some parts.”

  Elyra bleated a laugh.

  “Not likely! I don’t think kings retire in Arelanda.” She paused for a few moments, taking in the tranquil surroundings.

  “It’s most likely a blessing though. It’s a life plagued with stress and façade. No one ever sees past the title and the wealth. You’re either feared for your fist or wind up a political stepping stone for those around you. Don’t be too liberal or your enemies find you weak. Be too hard and your people hate you. It’s a losing game either way.”

  “Henri doesn’t know how lucky he is to have a daughter like you,” Rogan said, admiring her. “You don’t take any of it for granted.”

  “If he had it his way, I’d have nothing to do but sit around choking on my own spare time. Sometimes I wish I could just get on the next cruise ship leaving the docks and never look back.”