As the first tones of the final bell rang through the underground world, I lunged forward and managed to wrap my fingers around my treasure pouch. I exhaled and collapsed with exhaustion when it stayed solid in my hand. Another tie. Just.
“Wow, you actually managed it,” said Celine when the whole group gathered on the far edge of the lake. “I don’t know how you two can do everything with such coordination.” She shook her head. “Like when that Randolph attacked. Makes me wish I had a twin.”
I smiled weakly. I had been too distracted tonight, another excellent reason why I needed to do better at staying away from Jon. At least Sophie and I had gotten ahead of Hazel. We had tied only with each other.
All three of the Marinese princesses looked greatly relieved, especially when I read out the scores. Sophie and I once again led the Tourney, although Hazel wasn’t far behind.
I slept late the next morning, but ate quickly once I was up. My meeting with Jon loomed in my mind and made it impossible to focus on anything else. I wished I had set a more specific time, but I hadn’t known how the event would go.
Sophie knew exactly what I was thinking when I announced I wanted to stroll through the gardens. She rolled her eyes but didn’t offer to join me. Apparently she still held on to her matchmaking intentions. I told myself I was disappointed not to have her company, but I didn’t believe it.
Part of me had hoped Jon would be waiting for me at the beginning of the gardens, but I saw no sign of him. Wandering aimlessly, I eventually found myself surrounded by trees and tall bushes which shielded my view of the palace. I had just decided to turn back around, since Jon wouldn’t be likely to find me this far out, when he appeared down one of the paths.
A small voice in the back of my head asked if he had waited for me to wander this far on purpose. Perhaps he didn’t want us to be disturbed this time. I squashed the thought.
“Lily.” He bowed over my hand, the formality making me think he might still be put out by our interactions at the ball. But he didn’t let go of my hand, keeping it clasped firmly in his.
You torment me. The memory of his words drifted through my mind, but I thrust them aside. I hadn’t come here to talk about us.
He drew me over to an ornate stone bench. “You have something to tell me?” He sounded almost hopeful, and I wondered what he thought I was going to say. I felt sure my actual news could only disappoint.
“I’ve been up all night from the curiosity, you know,” he added, the laugh in his voice belying his words.
“Yes, that event last night was ill-timed. I’m afraid it isn’t good news, though.”
His face instantly dropped into a look of concern. “I’d ask if you’ve received bad news from home, but I know no ship from the Four Kingdoms has entered our ports.”
I shook my head. “It isn’t Arcadia. It’s Marin.”
His look sharpened. “What do you mean?”
I drew a deep breath. “I’m afraid it might be trouble for your father.” And I proceeded to tell him the whole story, from my encounter with Cole to Daisy’s report of the conversation she had overheard.
Jon’s frown deepened as I talked, and he let go of my hand to run his fingers through his hair. “Baron Thurrgold, you said. Are you sure?”
I nodded apologetically. “I’m terrible with names, but I confirmed it with Sophie. And she never forgets a face.”
“Baron Thurrgold has always been a strong supporter of my father.”
“Perhaps he still is. We don’t really know what’s going on. Daisy might have completely misinterpreted the conversation. They might not be strategizing against your father at all.”
“Perhaps.” He didn’t sound convinced.
He stared into the distance, and I stayed silent, not wanting to interrupt his thoughts. A sudden sound made him whip his head to the side and leap to his feet.
“Quick,” he said, pulling me up and pushing me behind the bench and between two bushes. “Stay here and stay quiet.”
He sat back down, while I stood frozen, blinking in surprise. What in the kingdoms had just happened? Had Jon hidden me in a bush? Whatever for?
I brushed some leaves out of my hair, slowly maneuvering myself around some sharp branches, trying to ease myself into a more comfortable position without making too much noise. I couldn’t imagine why Jon had suddenly felt the need to hide me, but something had clearly startled him, and I wanted to see what it was.
Perhaps he felt my reputation was at risk from meeting him in such a secluded spot. Arcadia wasn’t so strict, especially not on the palace grounds, but perhaps Marin was more old-fashioned about such things.
I peered through the leaves—Daisy would be proud. A second later, all thought of the young girl was driven from my mind by the appearance of Corinna, walking alone up one of the paths. She approached Jon with purpose, not making any attempt to make the meeting appear coincidental.
I bristled and had to remind myself that I had no claim on Jon. Sophie, I projected, my walk just got interesting. I sent her an image of myself in the bushes and Corinna approaching down the path.
What in the kingdoms? I got the sense that I had woken her up from a half-doze. Tell me everything that happens.
Very well, just be ready to come and rescue us if needed. I don’t want to be stuck behind this bush for the next hour or something.
“Corinna,” said Jon, rising, “this is a surprise.”
“I need to speak to you.”
Get in line, Sophie’s amused chuckle accompanied her projection but, with a branch sticking into my arm, I wasn’t finding the situation so humorous.
“By all means, what can I do for you?”
Jon was using his polite voice, and Corinna seemed to know it. “It’s not what you can do for me, it’s what you can do for yourself.” She paused before meeting his eyes. “Marry me.”
“What?”
What? Sophie’s silent screech nearly sent me backwards into the garden bed.
“I’m sorry,” Jon sounded dazed. “I don’t understand. Are you suggesting we become betrothed?”
“For your own sake, yes,” said Corinna. “And for your sisters.”
“And what exactly is that supposed to mean?” Jon took a step toward her, but his stance looked menacing rather than romantic. “Is that a threat?”
Corinna sighed, sounding annoyed. “I’m doing you a favor here. I shouldn’t be talking to you at all. My father and brother will be furious, which is why I had to wait until I could find you alone, somewhere remote.” She glanced around the garden with apparent distaste.
Jon took a small step back, his angle changing enough for me to read his face. He looked concerned. “Why would your father be angry that you were talking to me?”
“The people of Marin are worried,” she said, ignoring his question. “They fear they will soon have no food on their plates or fuel in their fires. Your father has done nothing to protect them or their future. In their fear, they’ve turned to my father for leadership.”
I shook my head silently. Did she really believe that anyone had turned spontaneously to her father? Or was she just trying to whitewash the situation?
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that your father won’t be in power for much longer. My father has come up with a plan to save us all. All except for your family, of course.” She frowned. “He’s going to become a governor. Do you know what the daughter of a governor is called? Nothing. Nothing whatsoever. It’s exactly like being the daughter of a knight. Worse, maybe.”
Her gaze latched back onto Jon, and I recognized the same hunger I had seen previously. “But I don’t want to be nothing. I want to be a princess.”
Jon stepped forward and then back. “Corinna, what do you mean by your father becoming a governor?”
She ignored him again. “I’ve come up with another idea, a better one. And if you agree to it, I’m sure I can convince my father. You just need to marry me.”
/> Jon grabbed her shoulders and spoke slowly. “Corinna, what are you talking about?”
She sighed. “Any day now, my father will have enough support from the nobles and merchants of Marin to demand your father relinquish his throne. Father will then execute a deal with the Lanoverians for Marin to become a province of Lanover. Apparently Lanover is the richest of the Four Kingdoms, even that Arcadian princess told us that. They can afford to feed us all while the duchy recovers its position in these lands. We just need to give them a motivation to do so.”
My stomach roiled. I had never dreamed that my words to Corinna and Cole could come back to haunt me like this.
“My father will be the governor, of course,” she continued, “and the alliance will be sealed with a marriage between Cole and Princess Celine. Cole will return to Lanover with his new wife, as a prince, and I’ll be left to languish here as nothing more than the daughter of a governor.”
Corinna shook her head. “Lanover doesn’t have any available princes for me and, anyway, I don’t want one of them. I want you. I’ve always wanted you.” She looked up at him with such an intense expression that he let go of her and fell back.
I could see him shaking but couldn’t tell if it was from anger or shock. “Corinna, you cannot possibly think I would agree to marry you when you have just admitted your father is planning treason against my family.”
“But don’t you see?” She stepped forward, closing the gap between them again. “It’s too late for you to do anything about it. What will your father do? Throw half the merchants and nobles of Marin into the dungeons? There would be rioting in the streets. And, even if he could, how will he feed the people once the summer is over?”
“We have stores…” Jon sounded shaken. “They’ll last longer than that.”
Corinna shrugged. “But they won’t last forever. I’m giving you a way out, for both our sakes. I don’t know what will happen to you and your sisters when my father takes over.”
Jon stiffened at the mention of his sisters, and Corinna pressed the point.
“I can’t guarantee your safety. Any of you. Unfortunate things happen in coups. Even ones that are intended to be bloodless.”
Jon paled, his hands curling unconsciously into fists again.
“But,” she continued, “if you agree to marry me, to work with us, I know I can change my father’s mind. Your father would still have to abdicate, of course. And Cole would still marry Celine to seal the alliance, but we could negotiate for you to keep your rank. It’s already only an honorary title. You could rule as prince and governor with me as your wife, and your sisters would be safe.”
Jon barked an angry laugh. “Your father would never agree to such a thing.”
Corinna stepped even closer and looked up at him appealingly. “My father has only ever cared for my future, and my brother’s. I can convince him, I know I can. Obviously he will be the true ruler of Marin. But I know he would agree to do it from the position of First Advisor, rather than governor, if it means his grandchildren will be princes and princesses. And he can train our son to take over as the next Governor.”
A shudder ran through Jon at the mention of grandchildren, but Corinna’s eyes glowed even brighter. She moved closer again. “I know you could come to love me. I know it.”
Jon stepped back, and her face fell.
“You must be mad to even think such a thing. I would never turn against my father like this.” He shook his head. “Hand Marin over to foreigners? Enter a sham marriage, just so I can become a puppet ruler with my sisters as constant hostages? Never!”
Her expression hardened into unbecoming rage. “Don’t be so hasty, Prince Jonathan. Better hostages than dead.”
He straightened, anger sweeping over his face, but she spoke again before he could respond. “I’ll give you some time to think about it. You might not want to be so hasty next time we speak.”
Turning on her heel, she stormed away, leaving Jon standing alone and in shock, and me still cowering in the bushes filled with horror.
Chapter 23
Once Corinna had completely disappeared, I struggled out from amongst the greenery. Jon moved to assist me, his expression haunted.
“Is she right?” I asked. “Can your father truly do nothing against such a plot?”
Jon sank onto the bench and put his head between his hands. “If Oswald has the support she claims…” He looked up at me. “And it doesn’t look good given what you were just telling me about Baron Thurrgold. I’m sure he wouldn’t turn against my father unless he truly felt there was no other option. And if he feels that way, how many others…”
I placed my hand tentatively on his shoulder, wishing I could offer more substantial support. But I had no idea how I could help Marin.
He shook his head. “I think she’s right about the risk of rioting. My father has already told me he can’t enforce rationing without risking mass unrest.” He stood up and strode across the path, returning to the bench within a few steps. “I just don’t understand how such a widespread plot could be underway without my father getting wind of it. Some of the city must be loyal to him still. He has served Marin faithfully his entire life.”
I squeezed my lips together, not wanting to speak my thought aloud.
Jon noticed. “What is it?”
“Perhaps he already knows. But if there is really nothing he can do against Sir Oswald without destroying the duchy, perhaps he hasn’t wanted to tell you.”
“He wouldn’t keep such a thing from…” Jon looked at me with shadows in his eyes. “I made this plan possible when I told the Emissary to bring delegations from foreign kingdoms back with him. And I did it secretly. Perhaps my father no longer trusts me.”
“No!” I jumped up and took one of his hands, holding it between both of mine. “I’m sure he understands that you were only trying to help Marin.” I remembered Sophie’s earlier words about who really bore responsibility for the duchy. “He is still the duke, after all. And you’re his son. I’m sure he’s working on some alliance or plan of his own to save Marin, and he doesn’t want to worry you when there’s nothing you can do.”
“What plan? What alliance?” Jon sounded bitter, but he didn’t pull his hand from my grip. “You know Lanover much better than me. Do you think they would be party to such a coup?”
I frowned. “The Lanoverians are good people. But they are also shrewd negotiators. I do not believe they would assist in a coup. But if it had already taken place…If the nobles and merchants were all in agreement, and they came to Lanover pleading for salvation for their people?” I shook my head uneasily. “They are the richest of the Four Kingdoms and could afford to support Marin for now, in the hope of future gain. They might easily see the benefits of having a foothold in this land. It would certainly give them an advantage over the rest of the Four Kingdoms when it came to trade between our lands.”
“Then we are lost.” Jon closed his eyes and drew me in close, wrapping his arms around me. I didn’t resist the embrace since he seemed unaware of having done it, reaching out instinctively for comfort. Our individual troubles had paled beside the scope of this danger to his family and duchy.
Oh, Lily… Sophie’s voice in my head sounded small.
After a minute, Jon let go, stepping back and looking guilty. “I’m sorry. I had no right…”
I shook my head, cutting off his apology. “Surely there must be something we can do to help your father. There must be some way to save Marin without this!”
Jon eyed me, clearly hesitant. “I don’t suppose you’d consider calling on your godmother? We could certainly do with such assistance about now.”
“I’m sorry,” I said miserably. “Sophie and Celine have both tried. But nothing happens. It seems Oliver was right and we are all on our own out here.”
It was awful, I projected to Sophie as we sat together on my bed that night. He looked so tortured. I can’t bear the thought of him being forced to marry that awful Co
rinna.
Sophie pulled me into a hug and patted my back. I’m sure he won’t agree to such a thing. We sat in silence, each lost in our own sad thoughts.
I feel sorry for her, actually, Sophie projected at last. I raised my eyebrows disbelievingly, and she shrugged. I’m not saying I hope he marries her or anything. But she’s obviously in love with him.
And with his title, I grumbled.
Well, yes. Sophie frowned. But we have no way of knowing how we would feel about our rank if we hadn’t been born princesses.
You’re too nice.
She shook her head. She hated when I said that. You’re nice too, Lily.
I ignored her. What are we going to do to help them? Could Arcadia make an alliance with Marin?
Sophie bit her lip, and I could tell she had already thought about the possibility. I don’t think the baron would agree. I know Helena would be sympathetic, but Mother and Father charged them with the welfare of us and our kingdom. Not with the welfare of Marin. And with no trade coming through the duchy, Marin has nothing to offer an alliance.
I sighed. That’s the problem. Sir Oswald is gambling on the fact that Marin has nothing but itself to offer. He’s seen his opportunity to gain power, and he’s seizing it.
I don’t know what sort of trade deals we could make when they have nothing to trade. Sophie squeezed my hand, her next projection reluctant. And I can’t see Mother and Father agreeing to a marriage alliance when it would put their daughter in such an unstable position.
I could see she thought she was delivering a blow, but I had never expected to make a marriage alliance with Marin. Not with the end of the Tourney ahead. I couldn’t tell her so, though, since she still didn’t know about my determination to beat her.
The sudden toll of an alarm bell made us both jump up and rush toward the window. But our view overlooked the gardens at the back of the palace, and we could see nothing but darkness and stars.
Without needing to discuss it, we both raced across the hall to the Liltons’ suite. We knocked, and the baron called for us to enter. He and Helena already stood by one of their windows, so Sophie and I ran to the other.
Beyond the Four Kingdoms Box Set 1: Three Fairytale Retellings (Four Kingdoms and Beyond Box Sets Book 3) Page 20
