by A. J. Medina
“Aednat?”
Aednat curtsied. “Princess.”
The princess studied Aednat’s gown. It was lovely and even gave her some curves where she didn’t have any.
“What were you doing in father’s chambers?” the princess asked.
“Princess?”
She asked much more sternly. “I asked what were you doing in father’s chambers?”
Aednat stared at her feet.
The princess was young but she wasn’t stupid. How could her father be doing this? And with Aednat? She was always so rude.
The princess opened her mouth to yell at her, but just as she was about to, her father’s chamber door opened.
“Aednat why are you still here?” he asked.
Aednat gestured towards the princess.
The king looked angry. “Evelyn what are you doing up? Didn’t your mother tell you to go to bed early?”
He looked down at her feet.
“And why are you barefoot?”
A smile crept onto Aednat’s face.
“Never mind that, Father. Why is Aednat coming out of your chambers?”
She had an idea why, but she wanted to hear him admit it.
But instead of admitting it, he grabbed the princess’ arm and pulled her into his chambers. “A word, Evelyn.” He turned to Aednat and smiled. “Good night, Aednat.”
After shutting the door, her father began to scold her. “What I do is of no concern to you.”
“But Father—”
“I will not have you questioning me. I am your father, but most of all I am king.” The word king echoed throughout the room.
The princess couldn’t understand why her father would call Aednat to his chambers though. If they were doing what she thought they were. Eww. Aednat is so rude and she looks like a boy. Every one thinks it.
Princess Evelyn stuttered trying to get her point across. “But Father, what was... why her... I mean... Aednat?”
“This conversation is over. You are my daughter, not my wife. I will not answer to you. Leave me. Go to your room. And wash your feet. I can’t believe you are walking around the palace like that. You are royalty, act like it.”
He sounded like her mother now. Act like a princess, you are royalty, blah blah blah.
The princess stomped out of his chambers and decided she needed to tell her mother what he was doing.
“Mother has a right to know about this,” she said under her breath.
She stomped the whole way to her mother’s chambers, angry at her father, mumbling to herself about being royalty and the whole thought of slaves popped back into her head.
When she arrived at her mother’s chambers she lifted her hand to the handle and was about to twist and push when she heard voices. She stopped and placed her ear to the door.
Her mother was having a conversation with someone. It was another woman, young, maybe a girl. Their voices were muffled so she couldn’t quite make out what they were saying. She pushed the door open and her mother and Davina were sitting, talking, and laughing like old friends.
“Daughter, what are you doing awake?”
Princess Evelyn looked at her mother and then at Davina.
“Mother can I talk to you?”
“Can’t it wait until morning?”
“Nay, it’s about Father.”
Her mother rolled her eyes. “What about him?”
The princess looked at Davina again. “It’s private. She shouldn’t be here for this.”
“I was just getting acquainted with Davina.”
Her mother knew the girl’s name. What was going on here?
“Davina please leave us. I need to speak to my mother.”
Davina looked at her mother and then nodded. “Aye, Princess.”
But the princess got the feeling Davina was listening to her mother and not her.
After Davina shut the door, Princess Evelyn explained what she had seen earlier—Aednat leaving her father’s chambers.
What shocked the princess was how her mother responded to the news.
“That is none of our business,” her mother said matter of factly, and then began making her elixir.
“But Mother. How can you... her and... Father... I don’t understand. You’re jealous of everyone else. Why aren’t you jealous of her?”
Her mother stirred the liquid in the mug and then handed it to the princess.
“I will not discuss matters between husband and wife with you. It is none of your concern. Now drink.”
None of her concern. That’s the same thing her father said.
The princess drank her elixir and began to calm down.
“Don’t you feel better, child?”
“I do.”
Her mother shooed her. “Then off to bed now.”
The princess obeyed her mother, but even though she was calming down, she still wanted answers.
First her mother did that horrendous thing to Neala’s face and now her father was calling her knightlys to his chambers. She would confront the girls about it in the morning.
— — —
After her visit with the king for a full day, Aednat entered her chambers and gently shut the door behind her.
The room was empty.
They must all be in the washroom getting ready for bed, she thought.
After hanging her winter cloak on its hook, she removed her damp shoes and then pulled off her gown and left it on the floor. She stood in her room all alone with nothing on and then the tears began to flow. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she leaned forward and placed her face in her hands.
How could the king do this? How could he call me to his chambers again?
After volunteering that first time, she was sure... she was so sure the king wouldn’t take an interest in her. After all, she didn’t have the curves that all the others did.
And Alora. How could Alora leave her? Leave them all? Aednat thought of Alora as her own sister. She would tease her to show affection just like they all did back home. Why Alora would leave them to this fate, she didn’t know. Alora never spoke to them about it. She never told them she was planning on leaving. Was Neala more important to her than her family? Her family of knightlys? Sure, who cares about the boy ones, but what about the girls?
How could she leave us?
Aednat lifted her head. The tears stopped flowing.
Maybe she hated the king, Aednat wondered. Maybe the king had done this to her. Maybe he had called Alora to his chambers and she hadn’t told anyone. Maybe Neala knew and that’s why they were so close. Maybe that’s why Alora took Neala with her and not Aednat.
That made the most sense to her. Even if it wasn’t true, it made the most sense.
Aednat opened the door to the washroom and climbed into the bath with the others determined to rid herself of any remnants of the king.
No one spoke as usual when one of them returned from their visit with the king. They all knew how she felt, well maybe not exactly. She was the first to be called for an entire day.
When Ryanne and Davina had finished, they left along with Branna, and left Aednat alone in the bath. This was a new custom as well.
She tried not to let it, but the anger inside of her began to rise.
How could Alora leave me here knowing what the king might do?
Aednat brought her arm down and slapped the top of the water. She climbed out of the bath, dried herself, and went out into their room. Branna had already left and had extinguished all the candles. The wood burner created a warm enough light to still see that Ryanne and Davina were sitting up in their beds quietly waiting. They all did this for each other just in case they needed to talk. But no one ever talked. Not until now.
Slipping on her sleep shirt, Aednat addressed the others. “I think we should leave.”
“And go where?” Davina asked.
Aednat stomped her way over to the chamber door and yanked it open. When she was satisfied no one was lingering on the other side of it, or down on the wi
nding staircase, she shut the door and then sat on Davina’s bed. “To find Alora.”
“Alora?” Davina asked. “I don’t think she cares about us anymore.”
“How can you say that?” Ryanne asked.
Aednat whispered. “Because she left us here.”
“Aye,” Davina said. “If she cared about us, she would’ve asked us to go with her. Not leave us behind so that the king...”
Ryanne shook her head. “Nay! How could Alora know this would happen?”
“Maybe it happened to her,” Aednat said. “And that’s why she left.”
The three of them sat in silence, pondering over what Aednat had said.
“But she took Neala with her,” Ryanne said. “Maybe she wasn’t sure if we would go with her. Maybe she thought we would stop her and turn her in to the king. Especially you, Aednat.”
“Why me?” Aednat asked.
“Are you serious?” Ryanne said. “You’re always so mean to her.”
“Mean?”
Why did everyone keep saying she was mean to Alora? Aednat had always treated her like family. She couldn’t understand why her affection was seen as being mean. Being mean would be ignoring Alora the way the others had.
Mean? Was it mean to protect her on the battlefield when they fought The Apprentice’s army? Was it mean when she didn’t want to bet Alora that day? The day when they were challenging each other to see who could throw their battle axe the farthest and hit the target. Was it mean when Alora lost and Aednat didn’t make her run around the courtyard without any clothes on? Mean? Aednat didn’t have a clue what they were talking about.
“So are we going to leave and join Alora against our king?” Ryanne asked.
“I think we should,” Aednat said.
Aednat and Ryanne stared at Davina waiting for her answer. “I don’t want to leave. And what about Thomas?”
What is she on about now, Aednat wondered. Didn’t she tell Thomas never to touch her again?
“Then ask him to join us,” Aednat suggested.
Davina nodded.
“But what if he reports us to the king?” Ryanne asked.
Aednat and Ryanne waited for Davina’s response.
“He won’t. He cares for me. He’ll come along.”
Aednat slipped off of Davina’s bed and climbed into her own. “Fine then. It’s settled. We’ll prepare to leave the castle city in a few days. I’ll need to devise a plan. Until tomorrow, good night.”
“Good night,” Davina said.
“Good night,” Ryanne said.
Aednat had a feeling it wouldn’t take much convincing, and it hadn’t. No one, especially Aednat, wanted to visit the king’s chambers again.
Chapter 7
The next morning Aednat was already awake before Princess Evelyn walked into the knightly’s chambers with Branna. The princess removed and hung up her cloak as Branna pushed aside the window coverings. Aednat, Davina and Ryanne all sat up on their own beds.
While Branna went into the washroom to fetch a bowl of water for them to wet their faces, the princess clasped her hands behind her back, walked past each bed, and then turned back around.
Today her hair was braided on the sides and came together in the back into one long braid of white. Something was obviously on her mind. Aednat hoped it didn’t have anything to do with her coming out of the king’s chambers.
The princess began to speak. Her mother’s tone, one of high royalty, came out of her mouth. “I have come into some news. News that I can’t bring myself to believe.”
She passed the foot of Aednat’s bed, staring at the floor in front of her.
“I have asked my servants, yet they do not answer. I command them as their princess, and yet they do not respond. They disobey and yet there’s nothing I can do about it. They fear Father’s wrath, for he is king.”
She stopped in front of Davina’s bed and rested her hand on the edge. “Secrets. This kingdom is shrouded in secrets.”
She removed her hand from the foot of Davina’s bed and continued on to the front of Aednat’s.
Aednat found herself studying the princess. Princess Evelyn stared at the floor and began swinging one leg front to back while one hand rested on Aednat’s bed to balance her. Her youthful appearance was in direct contrast with her royal tone.
She bent forward and held one leg back and her free arm out to her side. She appeared as if she was dancing.
When she straightened herself out and stood tall once again, her face turned sharply towards Aednat.
Aednat found herself looking down, as if she was in the queen’s presence.
“I am not my mother, Aednat. Look at me.”
Aednat did as she was told.
She addressed them all. “I have an idea what is happening in the palace, but an idea is not the same as knowing. I need to know.”
Her eyes focused back on Aednat. “Aednat, why were you leaving Father’s chambers last night?”
Aednat shook her head and answered the princess. “We shouldn’t be discussing this. The king—”
“I am the princess!” she yelled, and then stomped her foot. “Why does no one remember that! Tell me what I want to know!”
The princess turned to the other two girls. They were playing with the furs covering their legs and avoiding eye contact with anyone.
The princess would come back to Aednat later. She asked something else. “Why did my mother hate Neala? Why did she do that to her face? I know she can be jealous, but what she did seemed a bit... extreme.”
The princess scanned the three girls.
Aednat wanted to tell her what the king was doing. Aednat wasn’t sure if the king had called Neala to his chambers, but she could imagine that he did. The queen must have punished Neala for being with him.
She wanted to involve the princess. Maybe the princess could tell him to stop? To stop calling them to his chambers.
Aednat let out a sigh.
If no one was willing to tell the princess, no one in the palace that is, they weren’t only afraid of the king, but they probably knew Princess Evelyn couldn’t do anything to help anyway.
“Davina? Do you have anything to say?” the princess asked.
Davina shook her head.
“Ryanne, how about you?”
Ryanne shook her head as well.
“Aednat?”
Aednat starred at the princess.
Aednat had lost her best friend, Alora. Davina wasn’t acting like her friend anymore either. The princess was Alora’s friend and so that must make her Aednat’s friend too. “Aye, Princess.”
“Aye?”
All eyes rested on Aednat.
She could tell the other two hoped she would tell the princess everything. She began by telling the princess why she was leaving King Remi’s chambers last night and could only guess it was the same reason why the queen hated Neala so much.
When Aednat was done, the princess hugged them all and apologized.
“I am sorry this is happening in my home... in my kingdom. I had no idea. I am young and ignorant just like Mother always says. I never thought she was right.”
“Do you think Alora knew?” Aednat asked the princess. “Knew about King Remi and what he would do?”
“I doubt she would have allowed it if she did. You are her knights. She would protect you.”
“Aye,” Aednat said, turning her gaze down at her furs. “But she isn’t here any more to keep the king from doing what he wants.”
“Can you make him stop?” Ryanne asked the princess.
Princess Evelyn shook her head. “My parents have already told me it is not my concern. I am sorry, but they won’t listen to me.”
It didn’t matter anyway. Aednat and the others were planning to leave Ly’vera and find Alora. They would be safe away from the king and queen. If no one could help them, then they would have to help themselves.
— — —
Davina burst through Queen Rosaleen’s chamber
door.
“My Queen!” Davina yelled, and then stopped speaking when she noticed the chamber maiden brushing Rosaleen’s hair.
Rosaleen lifted her hand, signaling the maiden to stop brushing. The maiden handed her the brush and Rosaleen held it out. “Leave us,” she told the maiden.
The maiden lowered her head and curtsied. “Aye, My Queen.”
When she was gone, Rosaleen still held her brush in the air so Davina rushed over and took it. Beginning to brush Rosaleen’s hair, she told her the news.
“Rosaleen, they are getting ready to leave.”
“Who?” Rosaleen asked.
“The girls. They are planning to leave Ly’vera and search for Alora.”
Rosaleen checked Davina’s reflection in the mirror. “Are they really? This is perfect!” Rosaleen cheered. “I will talk with the king and make sure all goes well.”
The queen stood, forcing Davina to stop brushing her hair. She walked over to her other table, the one she used to mix her potions and retrieved her potions and elixirs book from the drawer. The spine cracked open as she lay it on the table. One quick glance at her reflection in the mirror next to that table and then she began mixing her potions.
“But Rosaleen,” Davina said. “This changes our original plan.”
“Only slightly, but the outcome will be the same. You will have your revenge and I will have mine.”
A splash of this and a hint of that and before she knew it, Rosaleen produced three vials.
Rosaleen handed her the first one.
It was white and smoky. “This one is for everyone. Put it in their food or drink.”
“What does it do?” Davina asked.
“That is none of your concern.”
Rosaleen handed her the second one. It was black as night. “This one is for The Apprentice. Mix it in his food or drink. His is poison.”
“Will it kill him?”
“Aye, he will die and you will have your revenge.”
Davina happily and greedily took the vial from the queen.
The final vial glowed a bright shade of green. “This one is solely for Alora. Make sure she drinks it in that tea of yours. It is for her and her alone.”
“May I ask what this one does?”
“I think it will be more enjoyable for you to witness it first hand. It will be much more fun that way. And once it takes hold you will see the change in her actions. Report back to me when you notice the change. I will enjoy hearing about it.”
