Ella’s stomach was in knots as she walked with the two important men, rethinking her plan and wondering if it was foolish. She wanted to be heard. She longed for the Lupine and their problems to be seen. But with every step she took, she wondered if they would be viewed as the victims they were in it all, or if they would always be seen as society’s menace.
The fine ruby draperies made sweat break out on the nape of her neck. The intricately woven tapestries that hung along the grand hallway told stories of a lineage she knew she had no business being near. Still, she had to try. If after today the king still couldn’t give his blessing, she would have to accept it and walk away from Henry for good.
An endless string of panic flowed through her until they stopped in front of a short line of three women who were waiting their turn to greet the king and the beloved Prince Henry. They were decked out in the latest fashions, their dresses low-cut, tight and meant to draw Henry’s eye. The women shrieked at the sight of the wolves, and one even ran away, forfeiting her spot as next in line.
The Chancellor ran his hand over his face. He looked much like Remus, only aged with a bit of gray brushing his temples. There were also a few lines of worry around his eyes from being second-in-command of a kingdom. He had a seriousness to him, juxtaposing Remus’ constantly cool demeanor. “If I haven’t told you before, dear brother, you sure do know how to make an entrance.”
“Wait until you see the surprise I have planned for your birthday. At least this way people get a good story.” When the Chancellor didn’t appear amused, Remus rolled his eyes. “It was her idea, not mine, though I fully support it. Any secret lover of mine can do as she pleases. I’m an utter slave to her whims.”
“I’m too nervous for your jokes right now,” Ella admitted, her hand brushing over her churning stomach. She took a deep breath to center herself, closing her eyes as Remus kissed her temple.
He let his lips rest there while he spoke quietly to her. “You look smashing, Miss Ella. And remember, you’re the only one Henry wants to see.”
Ella ran her hands down her flannel, making sure it wasn’t wrinkling at the edges as she stood straighter. “Better?”
He kissed her nose. “Best.”
The Chancellor adjusted the red sash he wore across his tailored black suit, stepping forward as the next girl moved into the courtroom. “Rory and Cordray are in the ballroom. After the women are dismissed, they’re free to drown their sorrows in as much of the king’s wine as they please.”
“She won’t be dismissed,” Remus assured his brother.
“You’ll be lucky if you’re both not locked up after this.”
Ella’s voice was quiet but she had to know. “Has Henry chosen anyone yet?”
“No, and not for lack of options. Some even came prepared with songs and skits and other such talents to show off for him. It’s been quite the eventful day for him. He’s been given quite a few gifts as well.”
Ella patted her pockets with wide eyes, glancing ahead at the woman who was next, noting her smug smile as she fingered a brightly-wrapped package. “I don’t have anything for him! I didn’t think this through.”
Remus wrapped his arms around her, bringing her chin up so he could gaze lovingly into her eyes. “There’s not a thing he wants more than you. Remember that.”
Ella stiffened when the door opened to usher in the only other woman in the line, leaving her to be announced next. She pressed her forehead to Remus’ chest, listening to his whispered instructions for her to breathe through the panic and center herself. “Quick now, send out your Sight. I want you to look into the ballroom and see how many concealed weapons you can find.”
“What?”
“You can offer the king’s son more than just your heart. You can give him protection like no one else. The ballroom is through the courtroom. Quick now, send out your Sight.”
Ella did as she was guided. She sent her Sight on a mission, seeking out anything that might be dangerous. The sea of beautiful dresses and sleek suits set her mind whirling, but she reined it in, knowing she didn’t have much time. Her eyes touched on a string quartet, their bows commanding the hundreds of dancers in the gold-bedecked ballroom.
The dancing was formal and filled with men picking off the women who were coming down from feeling rejected after so much buildup. She saw Rory and Cordray, grinning as they waltzed together next to Adam and Belle, who looked at each other as if there was no one else in the enormous ballroom.
Ella had never searched out a specific item before, but once she visualized a dagger, her brain skipped all over the ballroom, seeing through coat pockets and purses, dinging on twenty-seven concealed daggers in less than a minute.
“We shouldn’t be here,” Ella said as she brought herself back to the people in front of her. “I need to tell the guards about the threat.”
“What’s going on, Remus? What’s she talking about?”
“First things first.” Remus turned Ella as the double doors opened. “I don’t think you should keep your prince waiting any longer.”
The king stood as the wolves made their way into the courtroom first. “Who let the Lupine into the castle? Guards!”
The three wolves froze, and Ella could hear their internal debate on whether or not they should fight back to avoid being detained. “Wait! Your majesty, they’re with me.” Ella forgot her fear when four guards moved in toward her puppies. She stood firmly in the center of the three and held up her hands. “They came because they need your help.”
The king scowled at the Chancellor and Remus. “What’s the meaning of this?”
Remus moved to stand next to Ella. “Hear her out, your majesty.”
The king held up his hand to pause the guards, meeting Ella’s eyes with a regal glare that made her want to shrink away. “I’m listening. Do not make me regret it.”
42
Always and Only You
Ella had a speech all prepared, but the facts tumbled out from her faster than she’d planned. She was worried that her wolves would be taken before she could get the whole story out. “They’re being abducted by Davin Industrial! They were taken out of their home in the woods and injected with something against their wills that muted their Pulses for a few days. Then they had trackers placed under their skin that I’m not skilled enough to remove without hurting them. We don’t know why this happened, but we know you didn’t authorize experimentation on the Lupine.”
The king moved off the throne, and it was only then that Ella realized Henry wasn’t there. “Slow down. You’re accusing Davin Industrial of experimenting on the Lupine? Do you have proof?”
“I mean, they’re right here. You can check them for trackers.”
The king looked too much like his son when he cocked his head to the side, studying her with a narrowed eye. He wore a beige suit with his gold crown, the blond hair giving way to wisps of white around his temples. He was just as tall as Henry, making Ella feel small when he approached, holding his hands up to the guards. “How do I know you didn’t put them in there? Accusing Davin Industrial of animal experimentation is serious.”
Ella placed her hand on Connor’s head, who stood straighter at her touch. “I have their word. They told me everything. They’re scared of what’s swimming around in their veins now. They have no idea what they were injected with. They need your help before other members of the Lupine are abducted.”
He shot Remus a withering look. “Very funny. You can’t hear them speak.”
Ella straightened, her temper flaring. “Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to even get here tonight? I don’t care if you think this is all some big joke. I can hear them.”
The king entertained her sass. “Okay, how?”
“By listening! Something you should’ve been doing long before my magic showed up on the scene.” The wolves gathered around her, resting their noses on her shoes and Remus’ to show whose side they were on.
Remus chuckled, but then cover
ed his mouth with a cough. “She’s not wrong, your majesty. I’ve been tutoring her. She has amazing abilities that I’d be happy to talk to you about when your guards aren’t here.”
The king crossed his arms over his chest, sizing up the woman before him. “My guards aren’t the ones running the gossip magazines. Show me what you’re so certain of.”
Remus shook his head, and Ella raised her chin defiantly. “I won’t be the one who’s experimented on next. I’m taking a big risk, telling you all of this. I was told you were powerful, that you’re a good man who can help people who need it. Well, here they are, survivors who deserve to be heard.”
“Surely you know the Lupines aren’t citizens who are privy to my help.”
Ella lowered her chin, grief flooding her at his edict. “I know that you’ve been entrusted to look after all the living beings in Avondale. I don’t see why that wouldn’t extend to those who can’t speak for themselves. I would think they’d need a compassionate king more than anyone else.” She shook her head slowly, hoping she hadn’t read the king all wrong. “Don’t break my heart and tell me you’re the kind of ruler who only cares about people if they can vote for him.”
The king ran his hand over his face. “You have no proof.”
Ella banded her arms around her stomach and leaned in, lowering her voice in hopes it wouldn’t carry to the guards. Too many men in uniform lined the walls, waiting for the king’s signal to fight the Lupines. “Do you trust Remus?”
“Of course. He understands magic better than anyone I’ve ever known.”
Remus placed his hand on her back, lending support and giving her the green light to confess the secret she’d kept so tight to the vest.
Ella’s muscles tightened. “I can See things that others can’t, and I can Hear things no one understands. But this isn’t about me. This is about them. They want the trackers out, and they deserve to know what they were injected with. I can only give them a voice. You can actually help them. Please, your majesty. They were your subjects before they were cursed. They didn’t ask for this.” She swallowed hard. “All they’re asking is for you to see them again, instead of forgetting that your people still need you, even when they’re too broken to speak.”
The king stepped back, touching his chin while he studied the wolves. “Alright. You have my ear. Guards, you’re dismissed. See that my son is kept out of the courtroom. He doesn’t need to be involved in whatever this is.”
Ella swallowed hard at mention of Henry but said nothing about her unquenchable longing to see him. There were more important things at stake than securing herself a boyfriend.
The king waited until it was just Ella, Remus, the Chancellor and the wolves before he got down on one knee and waved Guadalupe forward. “Remus, do you take responsibility for them if they attack in my castle?”
Remus nodded, but Ella held out her hand in front of him as if to offer herself up as a shield for her tutor. “No, he doesn’t. I do. This was my idea, not his.”
Remus softened. “Only because I wasn’t brave enough to stand up for my convictions. Your majesty, I’ve been studying the Lupine for quite some time now. I’ve seen Ella’s gifts, and I trusted her judgment enough to help her get the Lupine into the palace to see you. If she says Davin Industrial is experimenting on them, it’s an allegation I’d take seriously.”
The Chancellor touched his forehead, his worry palpable. “Do you know how many people on the council have a vested interested in Davin Industrial? It’s the Baron’s company, for crying out loud.”
Remus rolled his eyes. “I’ve got no qualms being the one to point the finger. Every councilmember who’s on the board of that company is vocal about their vote to register and force the pill upon Lethals. The Lupine were their first patients. If they’ll do something like this to them, it’s only a matter of time before Lethals are next. And after them, people like Ella, who would never harm a soul, but who have mutations to their magic that might scare the public.”
The king kept his eyes on Guadalupe, who sat obediently in front of the king without twitching as King Hubert stroked her fur. “What are you getting at?”
Ella knelt down behind Guadalupe and ran her fingers through the thick fur on her back. “We’re saying they’re moving on without you. They’re experimenting on the Lupine because they were confident you’d vote their way to make the pill available to be manufactured outside the government.”
“Child, I haven’t talked to anyone about my vote. I only just cast it an hour ago. The Chancellor read us the verdict tonight that the right to manufacture the pill wouldn’t be granted to anyone but the government until we can draw up terms on the bill we can agree are fair.”
She wanted to hug Henry for helping shoot down a bill that could be dangerous in the wrong hands. The need to comfort Cordray welled up in her, but she tried to focus on the matter at-hand.
Ella met the king’s eyes with a warning. “The people who put trackers in the Lupine and experimented on them are dangerous. Either they were certain you’d vote their way, or they didn’t care if you did.”
The king’s hand stilled on Guadalupe, his gaze hardening as he considered the many implications of her statement. “You seem to have big opinions. I don’t run my country on opinions, though.”
“Good. Run them on facts. These three will submit to being tested so we can find out what they were injected with. They want your people to take their trackers out.”
The king shook his head, his jaw tight. “You realize you’re asking me to get involved in something the government has no grounds to stick its nose into? Putting trackers in the Lupine was voted down, but there’s no punishment set in place for those who do.”
“Then make one. You know this is wrong!” Ella noted the ruby signet ring on his finger and shook her head. “Look, I don’t care if the government gets involved. I’m not asking the council. I’m asking you. I know you have a veterinary degree.”
The king drew a long breath, held it in his lungs while he considered her petition, and then released it. “Alright. As a private citizen only, yes, I can help you.”
Ella’s eyes swept shut as gratitude welled up in her. How she wanted someone fair and measured as him to be her father-in-law. Relief washed through her, making her feel lighter. “Thank you. You have no idea how scared they are.”
The king held up his hand. “In exchange for my help, you’ll tell me more about how you came to hear them speak. I’m not willing to let my questions go unanswered.”
Dread filled Ella’s throat but she consented, nodding to the king. “If you can be discreet, then sure.”
The king stood after scratching under Guadalupe’s chin, noting with a small smile that she moved to stand next to him, positioning herself as his loyal pet. “Very well. Tonight is not the night for this, though. I trust you can keep them somewhere safe until… Let’s say Wednesday? Remus, I can come to your house to examine them, if you wish.”
Remus stuck his hand out to the king, beaming that their plan hadn’t ended in an arrest. “That would be splendid. Now, if you don’t mind, Ella’s going to see to tightening up your security. She can see through handbags and pockets, and found quite a few concealed weapons out in the ballroom.”
The king’s eyebrows shot up. “What?”
Remus’ hand on Ella’s shoulder stabilized them both. “Happy to help,” Ella said, her chin lowering. “And I know you’ve made your decision about me, but I’d still like to see him, if that’s alright.”
“Who?”
She started wringing her fingers, her nerves building, now that she had something she truly desired for herself at stake. “I didn’t know about the photo. I’m not trying to swindle him, I swear. We were happy together. I only wanted to be good for him.”
The king looked curiously to Remus, and then light dawned in his eyes. “Ah, you’re the girl from the photos. I’m not sure why you think I should have a say in who Remus dates. It’s none of my business.�
� He smirked down at Guadalupe, who was standing at his side as if she was his loyal guard dog.
Ella went pale and began stammering, so Remus jumped in. “If I may, Royal Watch got it wrong.”
The king waved his hand. “Remus, honestly. She’s a little young for you, but why you would ever think I would stand in your way is beyond me. Go enjoy the ball.”
Ella’s nerves got the better of her, and her Hearing went out without her telling it to. Just beyond the courtroom doors, she Heard the one voice she’d been aching for.
Henry’s tone was growing on desperate with a touch of irritability to it. “It’s midnight, yeah? Then there aren’t anymore women coming? That’s all of them?”
“Yes, your majesty.”
Ella Saw him turn away, and a desperate cry started in the balls of her feet and rose up in her throat, breaking the laws of physics as it ripped out of her. “Henry, wait!”
She ignored the others in the courtroom, Seeing his flinch at her Voice that seem to come from nowhere. She knew she couldn’t be heard through the walls when the music from the ballroom was wafting into the corridor. It was her magic, sending her Voice out to surpass human limitations.
Henry’s head whipped around. “Ella?”
“In the courtroom!”
Remus shook her back to the present. “What was that? Your eyes went completely white!”
“What? They did? Are they normal now?”
The king stepped back. “Remus, who is this woman?”
When Henry muscled his way past his guards and burst into the courtroom, he let out a cry of relief. “You came for me!”
Ella shook herself free from Remus and ran to Henry, throwing her arms around his neck. She held on tight while he lifted her toes off the floor and turned in a circle. “Of course I came. I’m sorry I’m so late. Lady Tremaine knocked me out with a crowbar and locked me in the closet.”
“She’ll be hanged for harming you. Tell me you’re real. Tell me I didn’t suffer through that parade of women who weren’t you all for nothing. Tell me you’re truly here, and that you’re truly mine.”
Beauty's Cursed Prince Page 28
