‹ Prequel: Hope in the Rain
Autumnal Equinox
Anger
I don’t know how long I stayed on the floor with Pendragon’s body. All I knew was that a piece of me had died and it was shriveled. I picked his limp body up gently and walked slowly down the main stairs. Injured men were being led to different areas of the castle. People stopped to stare at me as I stepped outside.
I climbed over the wall Logan had showed me that led to the Moonglow Flower Glade. I started to cry again, remembering how much Pendragon loved the glade. It was there that I decided to bury him. I wanted him to be in a place that was as beautiful and wondrous as the dragon himself.
When I finally got there, I set him down and began to dig with my hands. My fingers were scraping on the hard earth as I gripped the clumped dirt. I didn’t get far when someone joined me. It was Logan and he was carrying two spades. He handed one to me and we dug together. My grief was beyond tears now.
It was hard to believe that, just 24 hours ago, I was kissing Logan as Pendragon flew through the air.
I placed his body into the hole and we covered it back up. I smoothed the dirt out and collapsed on top of the grave. Logan lay beside me and held me close. We both fell asleep.
--
The next few days I spent in the room I now shared with Logan. He brought me my food and stayed with me when he could. He had to oversee Rorick’s execution, though, and was gone for most of the third day.
“Autumn?” my mother whispered. I didn’t say anything and she entered the room. She got into the bed beside me and cupped my cheek. “I’m so sorry, baby.”
I broke into a fresh wave of tears, sobbing loudly into her chest. Another person got into bed and my father kissed the back of my head.
The only one not mourning was Queen Harriet. Every day I could hear her downstairs laughing and joking with the servants. It sickened me. Did she not realize that, not only was Pendragon gone, but most of her guards were gone, too? She was behaving as if nothing had happened. My temper finally broke through on my first day out of my bedroom.
I was walking down to the dining hall when I heard her voice. I followed it to a study where she was speaking to her lady-in-waiting.
“Are you sure you want to go through with this, milady?” the woman asked.
“Of course I do,” she snapped. “You think I want to give my kingdom over to that sniveling tramp? Can you believe this? All this fuss over a stupid dragon. No, she’s better off dead just like my useless husband.”
I tried to keep my temper under control but I kicked the door open. The queen looked shocked as I jumped for her. We toppled over the desk, our yells mingling together. Her lady-in-waiting stood by us, not sure what to do. Logan came running in.
“What are you two doing?” he demanded, pulling me off.
“Let me go! She’s trying to have me killed!”
“Don’t talk nonsense,” he said, looking to his mother. “What is she talking about?”
“I have no idea,” the queen lied, spitting hair out of her face. “But I suggest you get her under control or it’s to the dungeons for her.”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” I snarled. “The dungeons and then the torture room.”
“Come on, Autumn,” Logan said gently. “Let’s get you some hot tea.”
--
Had a month really gone by? It was hard to believe. Rorick’s execution had been swift. He was beheaded and his head burned. Logan wouldn’t let me go. He said I didn’t need to see such a sight. For the first time in a while, I didn’t argue. I was feeling sick anyway.
“When is the next full moon?” I asked at dinner one night.
“Tomorrow night,” the queen answered.
She was acting as if nothing had happened and I decided to behave the same way.
“Why?” my father asked.
“No particular reason,” I said but put my hand on Logan’s knee.
I had gotten used to the missing weight on my shoulder but it still ripped through my soul when I would go to give him a bit of food only to see nothing. Logan had been very supportive of my feelings and my grief.
“Are you wanting to go to the glade tomorrow night?” Logan asked when we were in our bedroom.
I nodded, changing into my nightgown and getting in bed. He pulled me to him and I rested my head on his chest.
“I want to visit him and see the flowers bloom again,” I murmured and I felt him nod. “Hey, Logan?”
“Yes?” he asked, his voice heavy with sleep.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
I climbed over the wall Logan had showed me that led to the Moonglow Flower Glade. I started to cry again, remembering how much Pendragon loved the glade. It was there that I decided to bury him. I wanted him to be in a place that was as beautiful and wondrous as the dragon himself.
When I finally got there, I set him down and began to dig with my hands. My fingers were scraping on the hard earth as I gripped the clumped dirt. I didn’t get far when someone joined me. It was Logan and he was carrying two spades. He handed one to me and we dug together. My grief was beyond tears now.
It was hard to believe that, just 24 hours ago, I was kissing Logan as Pendragon flew through the air.
I placed his body into the hole and we covered it back up. I smoothed the dirt out and collapsed on top of the grave. Logan lay beside me and held me close. We both fell asleep.
--
The next few days I spent in the room I now shared with Logan. He brought me my food and stayed with me when he could. He had to oversee Rorick’s execution, though, and was gone for most of the third day.
“Autumn?” my mother whispered. I didn’t say anything and she entered the room. She got into the bed beside me and cupped my cheek. “I’m so sorry, baby.”
I broke into a fresh wave of tears, sobbing loudly into her chest. Another person got into bed and my father kissed the back of my head.
The only one not mourning was Queen Harriet. Every day I could hear her downstairs laughing and joking with the servants. It sickened me. Did she not realize that, not only was Pendragon gone, but most of her guards were gone, too? She was behaving as if nothing had happened. My temper finally broke through on my first day out of my bedroom.
I was walking down to the dining hall when I heard her voice. I followed it to a study where she was speaking to her lady-in-waiting.
“Are you sure you want to go through with this, milady?” the woman asked.
“Of course I do,” she snapped. “You think I want to give my kingdom over to that sniveling tramp? Can you believe this? All this fuss over a stupid dragon. No, she’s better off dead just like my useless husband.”
I tried to keep my temper under control but I kicked the door open. The queen looked shocked as I jumped for her. We toppled over the desk, our yells mingling together. Her lady-in-waiting stood by us, not sure what to do. Logan came running in.
“What are you two doing?” he demanded, pulling me off.
“Let me go! She’s trying to have me killed!”
“Don’t talk nonsense,” he said, looking to his mother. “What is she talking about?”
“I have no idea,” the queen lied, spitting hair out of her face. “But I suggest you get her under control or it’s to the dungeons for her.”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” I snarled. “The dungeons and then the torture room.”
“Come on, Autumn,” Logan said gently. “Let’s get you some hot tea.”
--
Had a month really gone by? It was hard to believe. Rorick’s execution had been swift. He was beheaded and his head burned. Logan wouldn’t let me go. He said I didn’t need to see such a sight. For the first time in a while, I didn’t argue. I was feeling sick anyway.
“When is the next full moon?” I asked at dinner one night.
“Tomorrow night,” the queen answered.
She was acting as if nothing had happened and I decided to behave the same way.
“Why?” my father asked.
“No particular reason,” I said but put my hand on Logan’s knee.
I had gotten used to the missing weight on my shoulder but it still ripped through my soul when I would go to give him a bit of food only to see nothing. Logan had been very supportive of my feelings and my grief.
“Are you wanting to go to the glade tomorrow night?” Logan asked when we were in our bedroom.
I nodded, changing into my nightgown and getting in bed. He pulled me to him and I rested my head on his chest.
“I want to visit him and see the flowers bloom again,” I murmured and I felt him nod. “Hey, Logan?”
“Yes?” he asked, his voice heavy with sleep.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”