The Evil Queen (The Forest of Good and Evil)

by Gena Showalter

  Snow White. Not the Evil Queen.

  Also, in the Enchantian tale, the Seven Protectors had names. Sparkles, Wingly, Hickey, Verity, Petal, Crusty and Viper.

  Sparkles—Vikander. Wingly—Saxon. Hickey—Annica.

  Could Truly be Verity? Did she do double duty in the tale?

  What I wouldn’t give for concrete answers!

  After setting the metronome into motion—click, click, click—I strode into the private bathroom. Just as elaborate as the bedroom, with a gold toilet, clawfoot tub and sink.

  At one end of the tub, a small vase hovered midair. Nothing anchored it in place. Not the wall, not a hidden wire. When I brushed my hand over it, hot water poured out, filling the tub.

  I laughed, amazed. Magic plumbing. Being queen was fun!

  Queen of Sevón

  Day 2

  I woke with the rise of the sun, enveloped by Roth’s delectable scent, surprisingly refreshed and ready to conquer the new day.

  As I stretched, I realized a stalk of ivy had grown over the far wall. A soft blue glow enveloped the leaves.

  “Spying on me, Allura?” I asked. Why would she bother?

  I sighed. I had spying of my own to do. Had anyone planned my assassination?

  I rolled to my side and freed my sliver of enchanted glass from confinement. “Show me the servants and guards currently in the palace.”

  Rooms appeared, one after the other. Sadness permeated the air, but no one actively plotted my murder. Maybe these people would grow to like and trust me one day. If given the chance, I could be a good queen. No, a great one.

  I checked on Hartly—doing well. Roth—still blocked by Ophelia.

  Farrah—living in a small cabin in the Enchantian Forest.

  “We cannot leave Truly with that...that monster,” she told the others. She sat at a table, her eyes swollen and red. “We must save her.”

  I had to admire her courage.

  “You’re wrong. Everly will never harm Truly.” Vikander—aka Sparkles—sat at the table, as well. He leaned back and crossed his arms. “We must stick to the plan and find Roth and Saxon.”

  Envy twisted Farrah’s features.

  Snow White is jealous of the Evil Queen? What a delightful twist.

  “Your confidence is misplaced,” she said. “I can’t... We need... I need Truly.” A sob broke free. Then another and another, until she was snot-crying into fistfuls of her hair.

  Annica—aka Hickey—sat at her right and reached over to pat her hand, offering comfort, but Farrah was beyond consoling.

  “My mother’s things are in the palace,” she said between sniffles. “Everly will destroy everything, just to spite me.”

  Wrong. I knew the pain of losing a mother and, no matter how much I disliked the girl, I would never add to hers.

  “That’s enough, Princess.” Vikander’s harsh tone lacked mercy. “I provide shelter, food and protection for you. In return, I ask only that you cease crying, clean up the cabin, wash my clothes and cook my meals. In other words, you will make my life easier, not more difficult.”

  Ooh la la. How very Seven Dwarfs of him.

  “Show me Nicolas,” I said.

  The scene morphed. My stepdad camped out in the forest. He perched before a firepit, sharpening a sword alongside Tyler, preparing to “question another troll.” The one chained to the ground a few feet away, I assumed.

  “Show me Violet,” I said, tensing.

  Morph. The queen had sealed herself inside a greenhouse, alone, to pull weeds and prune a large tree that was surrounded by thorns as long as my legs. The branches were jet-black, heavy with bright red apples.

  The Tree of New Beginnings?

  “Ridding the world of evil is good,” she muttered. “I am good.”

  She saw herself as a hero? A humorless laugh escaped me. May I never be so deceived.

  I’d had enough. I ended the vision with an angry swipe of my hand.

  Only seconds later, a knock sounded at my door.

  I pulled myself into an upright position as Roycefus entered. A gaggle of maids spilled in from behind him, everyone loaded down with armfuls of fabric.

  “You’re awake. Excellent,” he said with a nod of approval. “I will wait in the hall. Join me when you finish, and I will escort you to a meet and greet with your generals. Afterward, you will speak with Cook about your meal preferences. Anything special you’d like for lunch? Oh! I have rescheduled all other meetings. They take place tomorrow.”

  So much to do! I groaned. “Breakfast first. For lunch, I’d like a vegetable pot pie.” The last meal I’d shared with Mom. “Today I’d like to go over the laws of the land.”

  “What you want, you shall have.” He clapped his hands and exited the room.

  The signal to help me, I supposed. The maids leaped into action, tugging me out of bed, brushing my hair and trying to brush my teeth. That I did myself. Despite my protests, they stripped me, sponged me off and dressed me.

  Another maid strolled into the room, a bowl of oatmeal—porridge—in hand.

  I took a tentative taste. Mmm. Not bad. I thought I detected ginger, saffron and cardamom. “Thank you, Roycefus,” I called, knowing he was responsible.

  He struck me as a straight shooter, who rolled with the flow. But I wouldn’t—couldn’t—trust him. I had to keep my guard up, and expect an ambush at every turn.

  “So, what do you guys normally eat here?” I asked the maids.

  Someone said: “Mostly trenchers, King Challen’s preference. On special occasions, he requested a meat pie.”

  Another added: “There’s a flour mill behind the castle. Breads are Cook’s specialty.”

  Mom had mentioned trenchers. Bread bowls filled with meat, an array of vegetables and even fruit.

  When I finished my meal, the maids turned their efforts to the cleaning of my room.

  I stepped into the hall and said, “You mentioned other meetings.”

  “Yes.” He led me through the palace. “While Sevón’s leadership has changed, the need for trade agreements has not. You must be introduced to dignitaries from other kingdoms. Do you have any experience with negotiations?”

  “I do.” Thanks to my summer classes. “I’ll make you proud.”

  He heaved a relieved breath. “You also mentioned learning our laws.”

  “My mother told me about the Enchantian version of divorce. Namely, the beheading of a wife who doesn’t conceive during the first year of marriage.”

  “A barbaric law,” he said.

  “I want it changed. How do I go about it?” Did I need to present any amendments to any groups?

  “You tell me what you want the law to be, and I have papers printed to distribute to your citizens.”

  “Excellent. From now on, a husband may be beheaded if he fails to please his wife.”

  Roycefus’s eyes widened.

  I smiled sweetly and continued our conversation. “Will the generals balk at my leadership?” I asked.

  Took a moment for him to dig his way past his shock. “The generals are not happy you killed their king. But because you syphoned his battle magic, they will forever obey.”

  Gah! Everyone believed I’d syphoned Challen’s magic—the one thing I hadn’t done!

  “Tell me about the prisoners in the tower,” I said, switching gears. “Are they sorcerian?”

  “They are not. They are mortals who owed King Challen money, or insulted him in some way. Violent offenders and those with special abilities are kept in the dungeon below.”

  I pressed my tongue to the roof of my mouth. “Let the ones in the tower go with my compliments. Everyone but Princess Truly.” Would Roth protest upon his return?

  I kind of...hoped so. I missed arguing with him.

  “Yes, Your Majesty.” Roycefus used
a magic pen to make a note in his stone tablet.

  Being queen came with perks and responsibilities, but I was up for the challenge. So why did my nausea return and redouble as we entered the throne room?

  * * *

  To my surprise, the meet and greet passed without a hitch. In fact, as servants filled everyone’s goblets with sweet wine, the vibe was almost jovial.

  Afterward, Roycefus oversaw the release of the prisoners, and I met with Cook. She was quite old, with frizzy silver hair, stooped shoulders, and pale gray skin. Corpse walking. I thanked her for the porridge and did my best to put her at ease, but she refused to look at me.

  She only perked up when I requested two slices of the vegetable potpie. One for me, one for Truly.

  I carried both to the room in the tower. I sat at the edge of the bed and held out a plate and an extra fork, but she humphed and turned away.

  “I won’t break bread with the destroyer of Sevón,” she said.

  Whatever. “Your loss.” I’d put her in my old cell, and had it filled with every luxury but freedom. “As a nickname, Destroyer of Sevón gets my gold star of approval. How about DOS for short?” I tasted the pie... Sweeter than I preferred, but not bad.

  “How easily you mock me,” she snapped. “My twin would not treat me this way.”

  “But I’m not your twin, remember?”

  “You believe you are, despite disowning me.”

  “Which is why I’m protecting you.”

  She snorted. “Imprisoning me is protecting me?”

  “Yes! What do you think will happen if—when—Farrah learns of our connection?”

  Paling, she said, “Going with Farrah or staying with you should be my choice. Mine.”

  My stomach gurgled, seeming to wring out bile. A sharp pain seared my side.

  “Are you all right?” Truly asked, mildly concerned.

  Though heat rushed from my face, sweat beaded on my brow. Black dots consumed my line of sight. I labored to my feet. Dizzy. Another gurgle, another pain. I whimpered.

  The urge to vomit overpowered me, and I dove for Truly’s bucket-toilet. Goodbye, potpie.

  The potpie! The unexpected sweetness. Had Cook...poisoned me?

  I stumbled to the door, saying, “If you want to go, fine. Go. I won’t stop you.”

  Truly followed me into the hall, and I thought—hoped—she would accompany me to Roth’s chamber, that she would care for me until I recovered. But she ran away as if her feet were on fire, choosing Farrah. Again.

  The loss shredded me. When would I learn?

  Crap! I wasn’t going to make it. Halfway to my destination, I stopped, hunched over and vomited.

  “Sorry,” I muttered to the maid standing nearby.

  Roycefus came up behind me and told the girl, “Clean the mess.”

  “Yes, sir,” she responded.

  Throat raw, I said, “I think Cook poisoned me. I want her locked in Truly’s cell until I’m well enough to speak with her.”

  “Of course,” he said. “In the meantime, I will search the kingdom for healers.”

  “What happened to the old ones?”

  “It is my displeasure to inform you they have abandoned us.”

  Not us. Me. I blinked away my tears as I locked myself in Roth’s room. This is for the best. I couldn’t defend myself. I couldn’t risk another betrayal.

  I had to get better on my own.

  Queen of Sevón

  Day 6

  I wasn’t getting better on my own.

  After I’d run out of potpie to barf, I’d puked up stomach lining, a lung and a few thousand pints of blood. When my latest round of heaving had subsided, I’d crawled into bed and burrowed under the covers.

  I’d been there ever since.

  A foul taste coated my tongue, my throat dry as the desert. I needed water, but I didn’t have the energy to fetch any. Fever ravaged my mind and body.

  Noel had attempted to mind-speak with me a few times, but I’d faded in and out of consciousness and couldn’t recall what she’d said.

  At some point, I remembered Tyler’s lifeline and fitted my hand over his faded print. Maybe he would come, maybe he wouldn’t.

  Allura’s ivy continued to grow over the walls.

  Now, I rolled to my side and caught sight of Phobia. The little darling had followed me all the way to the palace.

  —Friend hurt?—

  Yes, Phobia. Friend hurt.

  I thought I saw Tyler, standing beside my bed, his arm banded around a guy I’d never met. A hallucination?

  “Syphon from the healer, Everly. Now.”

  No, not a hallucination. With a mewl of pain, I stretched out my fingers. Link. In an instant, streams of heat and power flowed through me, calming my stomach and soothing my throat. The fever cooled, intelligent thought flickering to life.

  Tyler had actually come, had actually helped me. But how had he gotten in?

  I severed the mystical connection to the healer and blinked. The unfamiliar male had collapsed in the sorcerer’s arms.

  “You will strengthen now,” Tyler said, hefting the healer over his shoulder. “Color has returned to your cheeks.”

  “Did I kill him?” Please say no, please say no.

  “He lives, though that is more than he deserves, considering he left you in such deplorable condition. As for Cook...she does not live. Nicolas drained her.”

  Nicolas was here, too? Where? Did I care that he’d killed the woman who’d tried to kill me?

  I kind of...didn’t.

  Liking your title of Evil Queen a little too much, eh?

  Tyler regarded me curiously. “You need to punish your people for their crimes or they’ll strike again.”

  I pushed a tangle of hair from my damp brow. “What, no lessons about choosing good over evil, forgiveness over hate?”

  “Do you want to live?” he asked, one brow arched.

  “More than anything!”

  “Then no. No lessons.” He turned away, only to pause. “Be leery, Everly.”

  “Be leery of what? Who?”

  “Everyone.”

  Was he trying to tell me something? Maybe. His gaze darted away from mine as if he couldn’t bring himself to face me. Then he resumed his journey to the door, saying, “We haven’t found your sister, but we have found your prince. Ophelia locked him and the avian inside a dimension of their own. I left a key in your bathroom. You may use it to scry him.”

  “Scry?”

  “Your magic. When you have visions, you scry.”

  Still so much to learn. “Thank you.”

  He glanced over his shoulder, grinning a scary grin. “Don’t thank me. One day, I’ll demand repayment.”

  Queen of Sevón

  Day 7

  I soaked in the tub, steam rising from the water. Again and again, my gaze returned to Tyler’s gift. A full-length mirror, propped against the counter; the frame had a keyhole up top, dead center, and a hook on the side, where a golden key dangled.

  What would happen if I inserted the key in the hole? Would I scry and see Roth? Or would I create some sort of doorway our enemies could use to enter the palace and attack? I’d only just regained my strength. Could I risk a battle with unknown foes?

  I wanted to trust Tyler—Ty. And I should trust him, right? He was a sorcerer, considered evil by most, and I barely knew him...yet he’d helped me more than anyone else. I just... I couldn’t figure out why he and Nicolas wanted me to contact a prince who would behead them both at the first opportunity.

  I was missing a piece of this puzzle. But what?

  After drying and styling my hair, I dressed in an azure gown that molded to curves. In deference to Aubrey, I refused to wear the royal jewels...though I was more tempted every day. Why deny myself life’s simple pleasure
s?

  A stalk of ivy reached out to pet my arm. The foliage now covered the bathroom walls as thickly as the bedroom. Would the entire palace soon become a secret garden?

  “Why won’t you reveal yourself to me, Allura?” I waited. No response. “Why do you watch me?” Was I a novelty? An exotic animal at the zoo?

  Knock, knock. I walked into the bedroom as Roycefus entered.

  He wore a purple robe, as usual, and carried a stack of parchment rather than a stone tablet. “You’ll be pleased to know I have hired a new cook and rescheduled your meetings for today. If you miss another one, you risk offending other kingdoms.”

  Ugh. “Very well. I’ll attend.” I hesitated to join him. “Hey, Roy. You know Farrah is part of a fairy tale, right? She is Snow White, and she has seven protectors.”

  “And you think I am one of those protectors, determined to end you before you can harm her?”

  “Are you?” Petal, Crusty and Viper were up for grabs.

  He wagged the pen at me. “While I abhor violence, I understand the need for war. I will not betray you, Everly. On the other hand, I will not harm the princess, either.”

  My admiration for him skyrocketed. “I apologize if I offended you. That wasn’t my intension. You are a good man, Roy. One of the best.” I closed the distance, even more at ease with him. “Please, lead the way.”

  He patted my hand, letting me know all was forgiven, then headed for the throne room. “Are you wearing your listening ears today? Because I have information you need.”

  “Hit me.”

  He shrank back, with his hand pressed over his heart. “You heard me say I abhor violence, yes? I will not hit you, even if you demand it.”

  I fought a smile. “I meant, tell me what you want me to know.”

  “Oh. All right. Yes.” Some of his tension drained. “Fleur wants gold and precious gems from us, things they use to build grander homes and more dangerous weapons. In return, they offer honey and herbs only they can harvest. Azul wants our lumber and our gold. We were on the verge of war, until their emperor died in his sleep. The new ruler made peace with your late husband while your stepson was away.”