A Sea of Shields

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Reece sprinted along the trail in the woods, scratched by branches and not caring, his heart pounding as he made for the Lake of Sorrows. After his visit with his mother, Reece had realized the wrong of his ways, and had raced through King’s Court searching for Selese, determined to tell her that he loved her, and that he could not wait to marry her.

Reece had decided that his love for Stara had been momentary craziness. Whether his feelings had been real or not, he realized he needed to strike Stara from his mind. He had to be with Selese, regardless of how he might also feel for Stara. It was the right thing, the honorable thing, to do. And he also loved Selese, very, very much. He realized he might not have quite the same level of passion for her, but he also loved Selese in a different way, and while in some ways, his love for her might not be as strong, in other ways, it might just be stronger.

When Reece had arrived at the House of the Sick looking for Selese, he had instead encountered Illepra, who had told him the terrible news: one of Tirus’s sons had paid her a visit, had shown her a scroll, and ever since that moment, Selese had not been the same person. She had been devastated. She had withdrawn into herself, and would not tell Illepra what it was about. All that Illepra knew was that she had fled toward the Lake of Sorrows. Illepra was baffled.

Illepra handed Reece one of the torn-up fragments of the scrolls, and his blood curdled and his skin grew cold as he recognized his own handwriting. He realized, with shock, that it was an old scroll, from his childhood, professing his love to Stara.

But Selese wouldn’t have known that, he realized. She would assume it was fresh.

Reece realized—it all came washing over him in one horrible moment—that Tirus had set in motion an elaborate treachery; he had sent one of his sons to convince Selese that Reece loved Stara. To tear Reece and Selese apart, to assure Reece ended up with Stara. No doubt, to serve his own purposes. Tirus wanted power—and Reece’s union with Stara would assure that for him.

Reece had flushed with rage and humiliation when he’d realized it all, realized that Selese now thought that he loved Stara and was going to call off their wedding. The thought of how it must have pained her, especially to hear it from a stranger, tore him apart.

When Illepra mentioned the Lake of Sorrows, Reece immediately thought the worst. He had turned and sprinted for it, and had not stopped sprinting since.

Please, God, he thought as he ran. Let her be alive. Just give me one chance, one chance to tell her that I love her, that I will marry her, that Tirus’s scroll was treachery, that it was all a mistake.

Reece ran until his lungs burst, and finally, as the second sun began to dip below the horizon, he burst from the woods, to the shores of the Lake of Sorrows. Reece had hoped and prayed to see Selese standing there.

But as Reece arrived, his heart dropped to see the shore was empty. He looked down at the sand, and his heart fell to see torn-up fragments of the scroll. He realized that Selese had been here. That she’d held the scroll. Had torn it up. None of this could be good.

Reece looked out at the water, panicking, hoping for any sign of her. Yet still, he saw none. He scanned the treeline, desperate for any indication of her, any sign for where she might have gone. Yet still, there was none.

As the sun dipped lower and twilight spread across the sky, Reece squinted into the darkness, and he spotted an outline of something at the shore of the lake, a figure lying on the sand.

Reece sprinted, his heart pounding, praying it was Selese, and that she was okay.

“Selese!” he called out.

But she did not move.

Reece reached the body and dropped to his knees in the sand beside it, gasping for breath. He turned the body over, praying she was okay.

Please, God. Let this be Selese. Let her be okay. I will give you anything. Anything.

As Reece turned her over, he felt his entire world go numb.

There was Selese. Eyes wide open. Her skin too pale. Her skin, ice to the touch.

Reece leaned back and shrieked to the heavens.

“SELESE!”

Reece broke into sobs as he reached down and hugged her, lifting up her body, holding her tight in his arms as he rocked her back and forth. He wanted with all he had for his warmth to seep into her, to bring her cold, lifeless body back to life. He would give anything. He had been stupid. So stupid. And now this poor girl, who had loved him so much, had paid the price.

“Selese,” he moaned, again and again. “I’m so sorry.”

Reece held her, tighter and tighter, wondering how fate could be so cruel. Why? Why had it all had to happen like this? Why couldn’t he have arrived here just a few minutes sooner? Why couldn’t he have a chance to explain?

It was too late for all of that now. As he held her dead body, he collapsed on the sand with her, his entire body wracked with sobs, knowing that he would never, ever, be the same.