A Quest of Heroes (Book #1 in the Sorcerer's Ring)

she
answered.
    She looked both ways, as if to make sure
no one was watching, then reached out, grabbed Thor’s hand and pulled him into
the wood.
    “Let’s go,” she whispered. “Before
someone spots us.”
    Thor was exhilarated at the feel of her
touch, as she guided him onto the forest trail. They headed quickly into the
woods, the path twisting and turning amidst the huge pines. She let go of his
hand, but he did not forget the feel of it.
    He was beginning to feel more confident
that she actually liked him, and it was obvious she did not want to be spotted,
either, probably by her mother. Clearly she took this seriously, because she
had something to risk by seeing him, too.
    Then again, Thor thought, maybe she just
didn’t want to be spotted by Alton—or by any other boys she might be with.
Maybe Alton had been right. Maybe she was ashamed to be seen with Thor.
    Thor felt all these mixed emotions swirl
within him.
    “Cat has your tongue, does it?” she
asked, finally breaking the silence.
    Thor felt torn: he didn’t want to risk
messing things up by telling her what was on his mind—but at the same time he
felt like he needed to put all his worries to rest. He needed to know where she
really stood. He could contain it no longer.
    “When I left you last time, I ran into
Alton. He confronted me.”
    Gwendolyn’s expression darkened, her
high spirits suddenly ruined—and Thor immediately felt guilty he had brought it
up. He cherished her good nature, her joy, and wished he could take it back. He
wanted to stop, but it was too late. There was no turning back now.
    “And what did he say?” she said, her
voice dropping.
    “He told me to stay away from you. He
told me you didn’t really care about me. He told me I was just amusement for
you. That you would tire of me in a day or two. He also said you and he were
set to be wed, and that your marriage was already arranged.”
    Gwendolyn let out an angry, mocking
laugh.
    “Did he then?” she snorted. “That boy is
the most arrogant, unbearable little pip,” she added, angry. “He’s been a thorn
in my side since the time I could walk. Just because our parents are cousins,
he thinks he’s part of the royal family. I’ve never met anyone so entitled who
deserved it less. Making things worse, he’s got it into his head somehow that
the two of us are destined to wed. As if I would just go along with whatever my
parents forced me to do. Never. And certainly not with him. I can’t stand the
sight of him.”
    Thor felt so relieved at her words, he
felt a million pounds lighter; he felt like singing from the treetops. It was
exactly what he had needed to hear. Now he felt sorry he had darkened their
mood, all over nothing. But he wasn’t completely satisfied yet; he noticed she
still hadn’t said anything about whether she truly liked him, Thor.
    “As far as you are concerned,”
she said, stealing a glance him, then looking away. “I barely know you. I
hardly need to be pressed to commit my feelings now. But I would say that I don’t
think I would be spending time with you if I hated you that much. Of course it
is my right to change my mind as I wish, and I can be fickle—but not when it
comes to love.”
    That was all Thor needed. He was
impressed by her seriousness, and even more impressed by her choice of word:
“love.” He felt restored.
    “And incidentally, I might also ask the
same of you,” she said, turning the tables. “In fact, I think I have a lot more
to lose than you do. After all, I am royalty, and you are commoner. I am older and
you are younger. Don’t you think I should be the one who is more guarded?
Whispers come to me in the court of your agenda, your social climbing, of your
just using me, being hungry for rank. Your wanting favor with the King. Should
I believe all this?”
    Thor was horrified.
    “No, my lady! Never. These things never
even entered my mind. I’m with you only because I cannot think of being
anywhere else. Only because I want to be. Only because when I’m not with
you, I think of nothing else.”
    A small smile played at the corner of
her mouth, and he could see her expression starting to lighten.
    “You are new here,” she said. “You are
new to King’s Court, to royal life. You need time to see how things really
work. Here, nobody means what they say. Everyone has an agenda. Everyone is
angling for power—or rank or wealth or riches or titles. No one can ever be
taken for face value. Everyone