Read Online Royal Outlaw: (Royal Outlaw, Book 1) by Kayla Hudson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kayla Hudson
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had to. The freedom that had once been hers was gone. She could no longer choose to step into another kingdom when she felt like it, nor could she go wherever she pleased, whenever she wanted.
Mariel stared long and hard at Parloipae. She memorized the familiar symbols of its mountain ranges and the extent of the vast forest where Ambras Añue was situated. Her eyes followed the full length of the river that had brought her into the world of the zreshlans which began in the mountains of the northwest and ended at the southeastern edge of the kingdom dumping into the ocean. The river was almost entirely contained in Parloipae, except for the small portion that flowed through a high dessert in Natric. It was there, Mariel knew, although she could not remember, that she had somehow ended up in the river, the river that had undoubtedly saved her life in more ways than one.
“ Greslina . River-emerald.” She spoke her zreshlan name aloud, just to feel the taste of it and to remember it.
The human who had lived with the zreshlans committed the portion of the map that depicted Parloipae to heart because this land was unknown to any other humans. No maps where she was going would show this land with more detail than a grey-shaded area titled: Zreshlan Land .
Mariel buckled her sword to her waist and was cheered slightly by its familiar weight, glad to have a memento of her zreshlan family and friends. With one last, long look at the room, she turned and stepped out onto the tree-city platform and headed toward the stairs. She descended slowly, trying to commit the texture of each plank of wood to memory.
Many zreshlans waited for Mariel at the bottom of the xanlor tree. Anoria stood beside the tacked and ready Iyela. Mariel swung into the saddle and looked back at the zreshlans who had allowed her into their home and loved and raised her like they would one of their own.
“May the seÿas be favorable,” Anoria said and the other zreshlans repeated the farewell.
The lump in Mariel’s throat kept her from replying. Without a kick or a prod the unicorn leapt into a canter. Mariel did not look back at the place that had been her home and the people who had been her family. She knew she would never see any of it again, could not see it again, would not be permitted to see it again. Although she wanted to brand the images of the place and people to her memory, she knew that looking back would do no good because she could see nothing through the curtain of tears, and she did not want anyone to see her crying.
Chapter 5
As promised, Darren waited for Mariel at the edge of Parloipae. Wearing breeches and a loose shirt with her braided hair coiled under a hat, she did not dare try to even force a smile, let alone speak, and her papa said nothing either. The gap of silence grew thicker as the weeks progressed on their journey north to Fintel.
Darren felt betrayed by his daughter. Mariel could understand why, since he had raised her to loathe the upper class, but she knew she could not tell him her real reasons for accepting the crown. She hated lying to him, pretending that this was what she really wanted. However, she was well aware of what her papa would do if he learned exactly why she was willingly being bound in shackles and tossed into a cage filled with merciless ogres.
With that thought an image of an ogre waltzing around in a noblewoman’s dress with another ogre dressed like a nobleman brought the first smile to Mariel’s lips since before Dreyfuss had discovered her. She pictured the buttons on the male ogre’s doublet popping out because of his rounded belly and he quickly let go of the female in an attempt to catch the buttons. The female fell backward and landed on her rear. Her massive dress flew up over her head, revealing her undergarments. She growled just like a real ogre . . .
Mariel’s body went rigid. Darren had heard it too, and turned his horse around on the forest trail, sword in hand.
Mariel stared long and hard at Parloipae. She memorized the familiar symbols of its mountain ranges and the extent of the vast forest where Ambras Añue was situated. Her eyes followed the full length of the river that had brought her into the world of the zreshlans which began in the mountains of the northwest and ended at the southeastern edge of the kingdom dumping into the ocean. The river was almost entirely contained in Parloipae, except for the small portion that flowed through a high dessert in Natric. It was there, Mariel knew, although she could not remember, that she had somehow ended up in the river, the river that had undoubtedly saved her life in more ways than one.
“ Greslina . River-emerald.” She spoke her zreshlan name aloud, just to feel the taste of it and to remember it.
The human who had lived with the zreshlans committed the portion of the map that depicted Parloipae to heart because this land was unknown to any other humans. No maps where she was going would show this land with more detail than a grey-shaded area titled: Zreshlan Land .
Mariel buckled her sword to her waist and was cheered slightly by its familiar weight, glad to have a memento of her zreshlan family and friends. With one last, long look at the room, she turned and stepped out onto the tree-city platform and headed toward the stairs. She descended slowly, trying to commit the texture of each plank of wood to memory.
Many zreshlans waited for Mariel at the bottom of the xanlor tree. Anoria stood beside the tacked and ready Iyela. Mariel swung into the saddle and looked back at the zreshlans who had allowed her into their home and loved and raised her like they would one of their own.
“May the seÿas be favorable,” Anoria said and the other zreshlans repeated the farewell.
The lump in Mariel’s throat kept her from replying. Without a kick or a prod the unicorn leapt into a canter. Mariel did not look back at the place that had been her home and the people who had been her family. She knew she would never see any of it again, could not see it again, would not be permitted to see it again. Although she wanted to brand the images of the place and people to her memory, she knew that looking back would do no good because she could see nothing through the curtain of tears, and she did not want anyone to see her crying.
Chapter 5
As promised, Darren waited for Mariel at the edge of Parloipae. Wearing breeches and a loose shirt with her braided hair coiled under a hat, she did not dare try to even force a smile, let alone speak, and her papa said nothing either. The gap of silence grew thicker as the weeks progressed on their journey north to Fintel.
Darren felt betrayed by his daughter. Mariel could understand why, since he had raised her to loathe the upper class, but she knew she could not tell him her real reasons for accepting the crown. She hated lying to him, pretending that this was what she really wanted. However, she was well aware of what her papa would do if he learned exactly why she was willingly being bound in shackles and tossed into a cage filled with merciless ogres.
With that thought an image of an ogre waltzing around in a noblewoman’s dress with another ogre dressed like a nobleman brought the first smile to Mariel’s lips since before Dreyfuss had discovered her. She pictured the buttons on the male ogre’s doublet popping out because of his rounded belly and he quickly let go of the female in an attempt to catch the buttons. The female fell backward and landed on her rear. Her massive dress flew up over her head, revealing her undergarments. She growled just like a real ogre . . .
Mariel’s body went rigid. Darren had heard it too, and turned his horse around on the forest trail, sword in hand.
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