“We should go and help them escape.” I looked up at him, wild-eyed. “They’re siphoning their magic to use in place of a large army.”
He clenched his jaw. “Liars. All of them. They did that to us, centuries ago. Siphoned our magic.”
I dipped my head. “I know.”
“It’s disgusting. You know what happens after any creature is weakened and their magic siphoned? They become hollow husks. Their soul slowly fades to nothing. It’s the worst kind of death. Sorcerers don’t care about any creature that uses natural magic, including dragons.”
I cleared my throat. “I know you’re angry; so am I!”
He shook his head. “Let’s focus on getting you out of this vile place first. We can work out details after.”
I nodded. “Before this ends…” I reached up to cup his cheek, feeling him beginning to fade. “I need to do something.” I brought my lips to his, feeling them caress mine gently, then with more urgency. He deepened the kiss. We held each other until the room began spinning and I could no longer feel him pressed against me.
I felt like air had been knocked out of my lungs. My eyes burned when I opened them. Still pink from the kiss, I jumped on seeing Kiros. I placed my hand over my racing heart. “You scared me.”
“I shouldn’t have come.” His cheeks burned too. It was still dark, but indigo had begun softening to a lighter blue and gray. Stars disappeared into the darkness.
“It’s so early.” I rubbed my eyes. “It’s fine. Is everything okay?” My cheeks burned with the thought of Cedric’s kiss.
Kiros chuckled. “You look like you’ve been caught with your pants down.”
My forehead wrinkled. “What?”
He smirked and sat at the end of my bed. “Never mind, it’s a saying here.”
“Oh. Right.”
“You don’t do humor much in Magaelor, hmm?”
I crossed my arms. “If you’ve come to my room early just to insult me,” I joked. “Then you can go.” I pointed at the door.
“I’ve come to tell you something actually. It’s important. I figured you’d want to know straight away. It was difficult to manage. It took a lot of work on my part. You’d be impressed if you knew how I duped Father into going for it.” He grinned. “Your friend, Morgana, the one you wanted to save. I negotiated her release. No one is none the wiser you were behind it.”
My world spun for a moment. I gripped the sheets, and my heart skipped a beat. Dizziness stole my breath. “She’s alive?” I choked back a sob.
His eyes gleamed. “She is.”
My tears fell thick and fast. Relief washed away everything else. I placed my hands over my mouth and nose. I couldn’t talk yet; my soul could barely be contained in my body.
Kiros leaned forward, his voice charged with hope. “Are you happy?”
“So happy,” I cried. “I’m so grateful, Kiros. Truly. I…” I paused. My heart softened to him, only slightly. He was ignorant, arrogant, and damn right self-absorbed, but deep down, he had a good heart, one I was close to breaking. “Kiros.” I slowed my breathing, wiping my tears on the white sheets. “No matter what happens, I want you to know I’m thankful to you for this.”
He arched an eyebrow. “No matter what happens?”
“I mean, you know, marital fights.” I laughed. “That sort of thing.”
“Right.” His eyebrows pointed down, but his smile quickly replaced his frown. “I’ve not slept. I was up all night doing this for you.” He yawned and stretched his arms. “It was worth it,” he said, finishing his stretch, and placed his hands on my bed. “To see that perfect smile of yours.”
I blushed for the first time since being here. “You should go rest. Thank you, again.”
He closed the distance between us and ran the tip of his nose against mine, closing his eyes with a deep inhale. “You never need to thank me, darling.” He pulled away, squeezed my hand, and stood. “I’ll see you later today.”
“Wait,” I called, before he could leave. Perhaps it was guilt or gratitude, but I knew in his bleary-eyed stare I couldn’t let him go. “Sleep here.” I pointed at my bed. “I’m going to bathe anyway, then get dressed and go for breakfast. Besides, your room is so far from mine.”
A smile spread over his face. “I’d love that.”
I waited for light snores to leave his mouth when I stepped into the warm water. Lilies floated on the water’s surface, and the smell of honey and vanilla filled the space. I breathed it in, my eyes rolling to the back of my head.
My stomach did a flip when I thought about Morgana, bringing me out of my relaxed state. I couldn’t stop thinking about her being alive, being free. I thanked the ancestors, in my head, over and over. I wished I could get a message to her, tell her to run before I did so she wouldn’t be punished for me. I wondered if she already knew. She was skilled at foresight. She’d use her cards. I had to believe she would find a way out knowing what was to come. I begged destiny, an unseen force, to reveal to Morgana the future so she could make the best decision.
I inhaled deeply, then exhaled, sending tingles through my body. Cedric was coming tomorrow. He was close—we were so close—to being together and going home. I had so many fears that niggled; how would I take back my throne and go against Berovia, who would surely attack me once I escaped, then Edgar and his army? He needed to die if I were to rule again. He’d been a king, and there was no going back from that. Loyalists who preferred his rule would always call him the rightful leader and never accept me. After all, kings and queens were anointed by the ancestors and creator, and Edgar had been given that power, even if temporarily. Some may see it as it was meant to be and it happened because I wasn’t fit to rule, or whatever aligned with their desires.
There was Blaise too, and the dream of him. The memory was hard to ignore, ingrained into my subconscious. It was too much to think about. I needed to focus on one day at a time. For now, it was getting through the day, then tomorrow, my wedding.
I would have had two wedding days without having been married. The irony made me chuckle softly. Staring up at the mermaid mural, then trickling my gaze to the sandstone pillars, I relaxed my shoulders, drooping my arms, and floated into the water until it reached the bottom of my lip. I closed my eyes, finding comfort in the darkness. Every knot untangled in my body.
Morgana was saved. Cedric was coming. It was all going to be okay. I felt the ancestors with me when I heard Edna open the door to the room and call for me. I shushed her, hoping she’d hear me from the bath.
She appeared in the large doorway, holding a dress bag. My wedding dress. Her smile bunched her cheeks. “I’m sorry, miss. I didn’t know His Highness was asleep in your bed.”
“We can try it on later,” I told her as I eyed the dress, the final link in the chain.
***
It was early afternoon when Kiros finally awoke. He went to his room to dress, then joined me in the dining room for desserts. They ate them with some rich drink made from grounds of dark beans before their evening food.
He sat at the round table with me. No one knew of our engagement yet, but he did little to hide his affection for me. “Tomorrow is the day. Everyone will be shocked. We will tell our people in Berovia today, then the official announcement will come after we are wed, to Magaelor. The king wishes to arrange battle plans first.”
I was simply pleased that he no longer required guards to follow me wherever I went. “Yes, and I understand. It’s not an easy undertaking.”
“Your people do not know you’re alive, no? How happy they will be.”
I pulled a small plate with a slice of chocolate cake and blueberries in front of me, then sipped on the drink. It was hot and bitter, but it smelled sweet and nutty. “Finally, a dessert that’s normal.” I beamed down at my cake. “And yes, I’m sure they will be,” I told him, not wanting to discuss anything resembling politics with the man who would one day be the rival king. Still, when I looked at him, I saw him as the person who’d
saved my friend. It overwhelmed my negative emotions—not entirely, but mostly, and that was a problem. I didn’t want to feel guilty.
“I love this one.” He pointed at a raspberry tart with a crumbling crust. It reminded me of the ones Cedric would make. He would be on his way here now, on horseback, the wind in his hair, his gold crown flashing in the sun.
“It looks good.” I pointed my fork at his and took a bite. He did the same with mine.
“The southern dancers will be dancing at our wedding dinner,” he announced after swallowing. “I asked for them specifically. I know you liked them.”
My stomach twisted. “Thank you.”
“Anything for you.” He leaned in and planted a kiss on my cheek. “I want to tell the world you’re mine now, but I can’t.” He frowned. “I despise these other women looking at you as if you are just a mistress, a fling of mine. Later today they will all know you as their future queen, and my wife.”
I rubbed the side of my neck. “I can’t wait.”
He stood and led me out to the dance floor. “For now, they’ll have to know you as this.” He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me much closer than was appropriate when dancing. He kissed my neck. People’s eyes were on us, watching as he ran his fingers down my side, then pushed me out into a twirl. My waves bounced around my shoulders as I caught a glimpse of Neoma looking at us from the far corner. Her arms were crossed over her chest. Her dress looked as if it were made from spun silk. It stopped at her knees and pulled tight over her curves. Thin, soft net, the same color, hung around the dress loosely. I wished I got a chance to get to know her as the real me, but it was not meant to be.
The music ended, and Kiros pulled back. “Let us go for a stroll. I can take you down to the waterfall. It is, after all, our final night before being man and wife.”
I followed him out but stopped when something blue and familiar flashed in the back of the room. I squinted. A faery, looking uncomfortable in light fae fashion, was staring at me with an intensity that would rival Blaise’s. He pulled at his clothes and turned away, dissolving through groups of people as he moved quickly. I swear I’d seen him before, watching me in Magaelor behind a taffy store when I’d run from the castle after killing the king.
Why was he in Berovia?
NINETEEN
The faery walked around my room separator. How he’d gotten inside my quarters, I had no idea. The blue around his eyes became more pronounced when he leaned forward. His razor-silver hair was swept back, and his lips were thin, pulled into a hard line. “This is from Blaise.”
My heart stopped for a second as the letter was pressed into my hand. I hoped Kiros hadn’t decided to follow me from the hall after I made a quick exit. The guards stationed outside my door made me nervous though. “Who are you? Why are you here? How does Blaise know I’m here?”
“The letter will explain. My task is done. You will be wed tomorrow. If not, he will die.”
He left as fast as he’d come, sweeping into my room in the dead of night. His wings emerged at the open window, and he took flight, leaving me slack-jawed and staring at the inky sky.
I cast my eyes down to the rolled parchment and eyed the seal. It was blue and marked with a L, for Lazarus. I recognized it, but still, it may have been copied. I feared it was a trap set by Xenos, but my gut told me it wasn’t.
I pulled open the parchment, and my gaze flicked over the scrawled ink. I plopped myself on my bed, making a pillow bounce onto the floor. It was a skill, being able to read Blaise’s handwriting.
Dearest Winter,
I am hoping this letter finds your eyes only. I have sent my most skilled spy to bring it to you. I am certain he will complete his task. My other spies in Berovia and at court have reported everything back to me of your arrival in Berovia and capture by King Xenos. You should know, I sent for help, for men to go and get you from the outside dungeons, but by the time they’d made it across the sea, we’d been informed that you’d been saved and taken to the castle.
I have been told of Prince Kiros’s proposal by spies very close to the king. After all this time, of threats and kisses shared, of hurts exchanged, words never said, I hope you remain open to my sincerity toward you. I have always cared for you, and in return, I hope you do for me. The mercreatures have overwhelmed our shores since your cousin has enforced new restraints on keeping them out of Magaelorean waters.
Attempts have been made to dethrone me. A vial of mer-venom found its way into my drink twice, getting past the tasters, with a delaying spell I presumed. It weakened me for a short while. I assumed it was done so they could try to kill me while I couldn’t fight back. I locked myself away, placing guards at every entrance until the threat passed.
Our kingdoms will not survive this rule. Of this I am certain. He plans to have me killed, believing it a necessary evil to reclaim the lands from a barbaric fae rule, or so he claims. I believe this to be the work of his council.
They have the sword. They are coming.
His numbers are growing by the day, with more of his people rallying to his cause. Merchants have fled after new taxes have been placed, taking refuge on Inferis. There is civil unrest too, with many not accepting him as their king. He calls your magic necromancy. I believe this to be Berovia’s words, not Edgar’s.
You cannot come back to reclaim your throne without a show of force. Never have I seen things so divided. Please, for your kingdom, for mine, and my life, marry Prince Kiros. It is necessary, to keep peace.
I know what you are giving up.
If you have any plans to escape, don’t. I know you. I know you will not have taken this wedding lying down. You make plans. You run. I understand, but for your people and mine, do the right thing.
Marry him.
Bring Berovia here and take Edgar off the throne.
For all our sakes.
Blaise Lazarus
My hands were heavy when the letter tumbled from my weakening grip. I blinked several times, my brain pushing one question into the next.
How did Blaise get his spies and people into the kingdom? Why didn’t he try to help me when I was imprisoned? Was it true, was my people’s religion being ripped from them? I’d figured it would be, but not so soon.
Blaise didn’t understand. How could he know? The details of my agreement with Berovia was whispered between very few. I had to make Kiros a king in his own right to Magaelor. I would be handing my kingdom to Berovia, which would be worse than having even Edgar on the throne.
I stood and paced the room. A chorus of crickets exploded outside my window, an owl sounded off in the distance, trees cracked, and insects buzzed. I gripped onto the stone ledge and looked down at the cracked slabs, wondering how such a scar in the stones had become. The grounds were well lit, by lamps flickering light onto the flowerbeds that lined below. Vines and ivy sprawled over the stones.
I couldn’t marry Kiros. It was out of the question, but then running would instantly set Berovia to war with Magaelor, simply because I was alive, out of their anger and spite. With the dragons, they could easily take Edgar down. It was only a matter of time.
My heart pounded; my hands were clammy. I paced again.
Blaise would die if I didn’t bring an army home to take Edgar away, but Xenos would make sure the first thing he made Kiros do would be to kill Blaise.
I rubbed my temples with my fingers and inhaled sharply. I dragged my hands down my face, pulling at the bottom of my eyes.
Going home was out of the question. I’d need an army bigger than I thought, and I didn’t even have a small one. My kingdom was under duress, my people fighting among themselves. Edgar was breaking the peace because he didn’t know how to rule. He hadn’t been taught. Blaise could tell too; I could see it in his words. Edgar was being pulled in every which direction.
Morgana was there at the very least, if she hadn’t already run. I blew out a tense breath. She’d be doing something to help the madness, at least a little. She w
as the one person I could always count on. I missed her so much, my chest ached.
I didn’t know what to do. For the first time ever, I craved my father’s advice. He was beastly and awful but brilliant at duping the other side, a master of politics. When it came to war, there was no other who was better.
Was he on the other side or in a purgatory? Did his spirit go with the ancestors despite all the bad he had done?
The thought of his soul seeing mine from beyond the grave made me shudder.
I sat on my bed with my head in my hands as I considered one plan, then another, until all ideas came up blank. I searched my mind for what to do. I was going to be queen. I had to fix this. The responsibility fell on my shoulders, as was my birthright.
Perhaps, in the end, I could have gotten the warriors on my side if I could have gotten word to them about Xenos harboring their dragons. Now that I knew of the firedrake warder’s existence, they were a potential ally I kept in the back of my mind. Finding them, on the other hand, would be a difficult task.
The sun bled reds and yellows, shining light onto the doubts of the night. Walls were revealed from beneath the shadows as my wedding day arrived.
“Good morning.” Edna poked her head around the door frame. “Congratulations and happy birthday.”
I flushed red. “I forgot.” Mostly, because it was lie.
“How old are you today? Eighteen, nineteen?”
I shook my head. “Seventeen.”
Her cheeks balled up when she smiled. “Such a fun age to be.”
I eyed the overly large, rectangular box she carried. It was wrapped in red paper and tied with a gold ribbon. She carried it to the bed and placed it in front of me. “It’s from Prince Kiros.”
I opened the box, then gasped. “I can’t believe he did this.”
“What is it?”
“My staff,” I cried, clutching it to my chest. “It’s still intact.”
“I’ve never seen one before.” She admired the bone and the ash wood, then twitched her fingers, moving away. “Isn’t it used to cast spells that influence the dead?”
The Fate of Crowns: The Complete Trilogy: A YA Epic Fantasy Boxset Page 40
