Chapter 17

A MYSTERY REVEALED

Linden was up early the next morning. A lovely dawn found her dressed in a youth's britches and tunic, her prized Weapon Master's Sash being her only concession to vanity. She was watching from the woods when Vandar left the Castle. He saddled Zad and called the wolves to him with a few sharp yips. He left out of the Castle yard headed inland and Linden picked up her own weapons and followed at a run.

She was exhilarated at the thought of taking positive action. All through the years, she'd play-acted at her enthusiasm for dolls and other girl things. Oh, all of that was all right, but there were few things she preferred over being on the trail, moving silently through the wilderness.

Vandar, Zad, and the wolves moved like shadows through the thick forest, but a small, swift figure remained unseen by the man. The wolves knew she was there, of course, but they had seen her trailing them many times before; it would have been against their nature and impossible for them to ever interfere between their respected pack leader and his chosen mate.

The trail Vandar was following led to the crest of a small wooded hill, Linden was there before him. She hid her swords and bow in nearby brush and then she nimbly climbed a tall tree that leaned over the path. She concealed her small frame behind the bole of the tree and as he rode beneath the branches, she swung out on one of them and dropped!

She alit behind him on Zad. Zad gave a startled jump as Vandar whirled to unseat her! She held to him like a leech as they both slipped from the tall mounts back. They hit and rolled down the hill as Linden clung to him. She was whooping and laughing hysterically now!

When they stopped rolling, at the bottom of the hill, she was on top! She helped him to roll over and then plopped proudly back down onto his chest. She grabbed his arms and held them over his head, as he allowed her to pin him.

"Oh, it's you, Linden!" Vandar shouted in shock as he recognized her.

Linden stopped laughing at once! "And just who else were you expecting, Sir?" She asked indignantly. Linden's alert mind told her that even after being surprised, he had to have recognized her insane laughter as being feminine, because he had stopped struggling. The truth hit her like a slap in the face. "Oh, you thought it was Lorelei!"

Stinging tears came to her eyes and she rose to flee. Before she had taken two steps Vandar rolled over, he lunged to grab her ankle and jerked. She fell to the ground and he was on top of her in an instant, he easily rolled her over and straddled her slim form.

She looked up through her tears into his pale blue loving eyes. "You are the only reason I lived; I held on to life for you!" Vandar told her sincerely. "Yes, she did things to me, or she tried to, but I fought her and escaped because of my love and need for you, my Darling!"

Vandar released her slim wrists and she reached to hold him. Her fingers slowly entwined in his long blond hair and she pulled him down to kiss her. "I love you so!" She told him between their kisses. Vandar thoroughly and lovingly kissed Linden as she participated very willingly.

When they broke for air, Vandar laughed playfully and told his love. "I thought it was Lorelei only because I had never seen Her Supreme Serene Royal Highness, Princess Linden the Ever Lovely, Radiant Flower of Calvar and my future Queen, leap out of a tree onto anyone!"

"There are many things you haven't seen me do, Dearest." Linden confided as he rose to his feet and gave her a hand up. "But you have seen this Sash before!" She fingered the sash around her tiny waist.

"A Master's Sash!" he exclaimed.

"One of Father's gold embroidered Weapon Master's Sashes to be precise. You saw Father himself award it to me!" Linden proudly told him, as she held her hand over her face and dropped her voice in pitch. "Do you remember Klaron's little apprentice, the Avenger of Calvar?"

She pulled up her tunic to brazenly show him the pink scar on her slim waist where she'd been accidentally wounded while winning her Sash the summer before. She was rewarded by Vandar's face reddening, but he didn't look away. "I've been training secretly with Klaron for years. I decided last night, with all the talk about guards and my security, that it was time for you to know the truth!"

"The Avenger; Stars!" Vandar laughed in astonishment. "Father is still talking about his, er, your graceful moves. My future Bride and Queen, one of the finest skilled Weapon Masters in Zuldar! Yes, I would say that this should drastically simplify your security. I never knew you were interested in anything of the sort. When we played as Children, I had to beg you to play that we were at war."

"I'm sorry, my Darling." Linden told him. "Part of my reluctance to confide in you was because of my experiences in the Wizard Wars. I was afraid if Father knew his precious tiny Darling was playing with sharp swords, he would forbid it! I'd sworn to myself, I would never be caught helpless like my birth Mother. Of course, those long moments I sat in a tree waiting for Sir Klaron to kill a Troll while another tore my tree apart to get to me may have had something to do with creating my paranoia."

"I think it's wonderful, Sweetheart." Vandar laughed. "Father and Mother will be so shocked!" They'd been walking toward Zad who was calmly grazing beside the trail. Vandar helpfully dusted grass and leaves from Linden's clothing and they both enjoyed the casual contact immensely. Linden gathered her weapons from their hiding place.

"I've been hunting for years." She told him. "Now I can brag that I killed my first stag before you." They stopped to embrace and and kiss again, then she noticed that he had gone silent. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so boastful, Dearest."

"It's not that, Darling, I was standing here envisioning an avid hunter's dream, being Married to the most beautiful woman in two Monarchys, who's also the best hunting partner! Are you ready to tell Father and Mother about being the Avenger now?" He asked.

Linden put a foot in the stirrups and Vandar gave her a boost onto Zad's broad back and then mounted behind her. "It should be fun!" She smiled and admitted. "Once they know I'm as qualified with weapons as you, perhaps they'll worry less about me. I left a note in my room so they wouldn't worry if they found me gone, but perhaps we'd better be getting back."

Vandar called in the wolves and she reined Zad back toward the Castle while Vandar enjoyed the luxury of riding behind her and resting his hands on her slim hips. As they rode in, some of the troops stopped what they were doing and watched to see the curious sight of their little Princess in men's clothing, wearing the King's gold embroidered Sash.

The entire family was out in the Castle yard; they were preparing to start a search for her at Camden's insistence when they rode in. "Look, Father!" Vandar laughed. "I've found our young Friend, the Avenger of Calvar. He jumped out of a tree onto me!"

"Oh ho!" The King shouted. "The Sash and the clothing look like the Avenger, but the face looks more like my own Darling Little Princess!" Wildar reached up and plucked Linden from the saddle and held her in his arms as if she were still a tiny Child. "How did you do it?" The King looked from her to Sir Klaron. "I'd guess I needn't ask who trained you!"