Chapter 1: One Last Goodbye

Phillip made sure to clasp Geneva’s hand tightly with his own, as they walked down the cobblestoned steps. It felt surreal to be able to smile at her in front of his subjects without fear anymore. He stopped short,” Are you sure you have to go? I mean, you could stay a little while longer-” he asked.                                                                                                                                               

  “And do what, Your Majesty?” Geneva raised her brows, an amused smile playing on her lips.           

“I don’t mind anyone else calling me by my title, but for some reason when you use it, it sounds condescending – like you know better,” Phillip sighed and scratched his head. He adjusted his shirt and the hilt of his sword. “I hate to see you go, that’s all.”                                                                             

  “I’ll be gone for two weeks, or a month at most,” Geneva squeezed his hand. He drew it into a kiss. Geneva smiled as she stared into his bright blue eyes. She could look upon them for eternity.

“This trip is necessary my love. You know my mother is worried sick. Besides, I can’t wait to tell her the good news.”                                                                                                                                                     

“Surely we have guards for that…”                                                                                                        

  Geneva shook her head. “My mother does not trust the guards or the soldiers. Unfortunately, your father was not the merciful type.” Phillip grimaced and nodded. “But one more day would not make a difference? Does my wife not want to enjoy her husband’s company for a few hours more?”         

“I have enjoyed it for a year. If I stay any longer you will never let me go,” Geneva laughed, tucking her black hair behind her ears.                                                                                                                   

    “Well in that case,” Phillip looked to the left, then to the right. “I might just have to kidnap you all over again. I’m willing to embrace the inconvenience of stealing back your heart, keeping you safe, and all that.”                                                                                                                                                    

 “That wretched witch could not separate us then, and she could not separate us now if she tried”. Geneva stood on her toes and kissed him, her fingers tracing against his cheeks. He wove his fingers through her thick hair and then she finally drew back. “This will be our last goodbye, then I promise never to leave your side.”

Phillip held the soft expression that Geneva loved dearly. He was clearly unhappy, with that natural pout making its way through. It was an expression that would look ludicrous on anyone who tried to imitate it, yet he had perfected it.

His gaze remained on her as they descended the final steps towards the carriage. “You better bring her back safely, Rowan,” Phillip ordered. The soldier standing by the carriage nodded. “We shall guard her with our lives,” they knelt before their young king. Phillip helped her into the carriage and fixed the hem of her purple cloak. “Have I told you that I loved you yet ?”                                        

“You never forget,” Geneva replied. “I love you too.” They held each other’s hands for a few more moments. Geneva released her grip first. She smiled at him, but her heart was already aching. After everything that they have been through, she did not want to depart from him, however, they still had their duties as king and queen. At least this time saying goodbye was her choice. Even though the late king Hendrick could not accept their relationship and had sent a witch to trap her in her own mind with a spell, their love prevailed. Phillip still managed to track her down and set her free, despite a trial by fire.

She stared at the great man in front of her. He closed the carriage door. “Wait,” she stopped her guards as she leaned out of the window.

“I’m going to miss you.”                                                                

“And I you, but like you said, it won’t be long. Consider this a momentary parting.

Also, don’t think about me too much when you are gone, I’m going to get tired of running through your mind all day,” Phillip said. Geneva laughed and the carriage pulled away.

They would start their journey by traveling through Myrrthor, into the farmlands, where she had grown up. The last time she left she had set out to become a servant in the castle to pay off her father’s debts. Now she was returning to bring her mother home. A new home, one where they would never have to worry about going hungry again.

Geneva took one more glance at Phillip. She waved and smiled, and he waved back. At the age of just twenty-three, he had ascended the throne. She was extremely proud of all that he had accomplished in that time. He could not wait to marry her either, after years of stolen glances in the castle halls. It was funny to think that it was all thanks to a book.

She had been busy reading in the library, quiet and out of sight, however, she had still drawn the attention of a prince evading his duties at the ball. He decided that spending the evening with her, reading by candlelight, was by far the superior choice to make. She remembered how their eyes would meet every so often, until he smiled and thrust the book down, shaking his head. “I hate unhappy endings.”                                                                                                                                            

She flipped over the book. “You haven’t finished it.”                                                                             

 “Don’t want to,” the prince sulked, crossing his arms.                                                                                  

Geneva smiled as she traced the corners of the pages. “I like this one…It reminds me that there is hope for better times, even in the darkest of ages.”                                                                                  

  “Surely life isn’t that dark for you?” he said.                                                                                                    

 “I suppose it isn’t,” she sat back. “Indeed, there are others who have it worse.”                                                                                                                                                                         

“Are you unhappy working here?” he asked.    

“On the contrary, Your Highness,” Geneva said, realizing her place. “I miss my home.”

 The prince nodded, gesturing to her book. “Is that one any good?”

“No, in fact, it ends terribly,” Geneva said. “The two of them get married.” 

“Well, that doesn’t sound so bad.”                                                                                                                     

“Perhaps, but the main character’s fate is sealed to marry a man she does not love.”                         

“What happened to the man whom she did love?”                                                                                    

“He simply gave up on her…”                                                                                                             

“What kind of nonsense story is that? If I loved someone, I would never let them go…”                       

Geneva smiled at the prince, and he smiled in return.

He leaned closer, his blond hair reflecting the candlelight. “You like the idea of being fought for?”                                                                                     

“Who doesn’t?” she shut the book, bowed, and excused herself. “Your Highness.”

At that time, she would never have guessed that their chance encounter would spark such an unimaginable future.

Geneva now glanced up at the trees and the guards stationed to the sides of the carriage. Phillip had ensured that there were enough of them to keep her safe. The information about her trip was also kept strictly on a need-to-know basis, even though very few people knew of her marriage to Phillip. They wanted it to remain that way for the time being.

She noted that there was a large array of clouds forming, and about an hour had gone by before the wind started thrashing and howling vigorously. A flurry of leaves and branches struck the carriage and the men in armor. Rowan steered his horse to her window.

“We have spotted an inn a mile ahead. May I suggest that we take shelter?”                                       

Geneva nodded. “Of course, the men must be tired.”                                                                                   

“For Her Majesty’s safety as well.” Geneva blushed. She was used to Rowan calling her by her first name, but he immediately accepted her change in status, in fact, he aided Phillip in the search for her. She felt the carriage turn as it changed direction. They came to a halt, and the door opened.

“Your Majesty,” Rowan held out his hand and she took hold of it.

By then, the wind had become increasingly worse, to the point that Rowan had to lead her to the inn. He opened the door, and she stepped inside, but before Rowan could move, the door slammed shut, and a pulse of green magic shot out. The company of soldiers was flung back by the ominous force, and Rowan struck a nearby tree. The forest became eerily quiet, and hours passed before anyone woke up. When they finally awakened, the sky was a brilliant blue, but there was no sign of the inn they had stopped by, nor their Queen Geneva.