A Castle of Ashes (The Fifth Kingdom Book 2)

by M. James, Lisa

  In a distance, in the head of the room he saw her. Lucinda sat in the single throne, addressing inquires of her people. All the four kingdoms of the Green Sea had two allotted seats in the throne room. One was for the king and one for the queen. Occasionally, a third was brought in for a visiting monarch. A single throne gave a sense of ultimate authority. He smiled slightly seeing Lucinda upon the chair. Her black hair was up, out of her face. She looked stronger than she did before. The fear she used to carry in her green eyes was replaced with confidence and her voice was full of authority. Matthew had always enjoyed the sound of her voice. It was deeper than most maidens he knew; fitting for a queen. Matthew had missed it. He had missed her.

  “Careful. The last man to look at her like that almost had his heart taken out.” A man with thin eyes, and dark hair appeared beside him. He seemed about Matthew’s age and stood a few inches shorter than he did.

  “His heart? Eyes would seem more appropriate.”

  “It was the confessions of his heart that displeased her more than his gaze.” The man looked at him curiously. “My name is Zekiel, my lord. I am commander of the second defense of the Queen’s kingdom.”

  “The second defense?”

  “This is a kingdom of many sorceresses but very few naturally born knights. It is fitting that the sorceresses are the main guard, trained under our Queen and her governess. She is our true defense.” He looked at Lucinda with yearning. “We always feel safe under her rule. We are merely here to support.”

  Matthew began to introduce himself, but Zekiel cut into his words. “I know who you are, Commander. I keep guard of the sea. I have seen what ships have passed through here the past years trying to get to our kingdom in vain. The ships of the West were the most persistent. I made it a point to inquire about the Commander of the Western guard.”

  Zekiel’s face was not unkind but he looked at Matthew warily. “Welcome, to our kingdom, Commander.” He bowed and departed just as Uncle Jonathan came up to Matthew.

  “Can you believe it, Matthew?” His uncle looked perplexed and delighted at the same moment. “Never in my life did I think I would witness this. It’s all she ever dreamt—” He stopped and closed his eyes.

  “Control yourself, Uncle.” Matthew whispered. “This is not the time to explain to the Queen your relationship with her mother.”

  “A time will come.” His uncle said to him as they left the throne room to meet Geenessa.

  “It is a beautiful kingdom, is it not?” Geenessa said with a smile. “It was built on the ashes of the last kingdom. We have adorned it with emeralds. We thought it was appropriate.”

  A castle of ashes, Matthew thought as Geenessa guided them around the kingdom. He tried to ignore the whispers and stares that were following him as they walked. He sensed a coldness in the eyes of many of the people.

  Geenessa seemed to sense the same. “We have very few visitors, my lord. The people are not accustomed to it. Those who come here usually come to stay.”

  The kingdom seemed to be structured much like the other four kingdoms. There were communities developed all around it where villagers had homes and built businesses. She introduced them to many of the people. Matthew and Jonathan saw many of their own amongst the faces. It was becoming clear where the missing villagers had disappeared to. Many greeted them warmly, but others kept their distance.

  Near the shores, he could see the knights of the kingdom’s guard training with Commander Zekiel at their head. A memory came into Matthew’s mind as he looked at the guards with their black armor. He could not remember very much of the events the night of Lucinda’s disappearance, but he remembered commanding a group of men in black armor. They cleared the path for Lucinda to escape from the mob in the courtyard of the West Kingdom.

  “Are there changing seasons here?” Uncle Jonathan asked in disbelief, as he studied the vegetation turning from green to the autumn colors of yellow and orange.

  “The kingdom did not seem to have any season at all when we first came. We suffered from sporadic temperatures and weather. It takes much power, but Lucinda has learned to control it. We experience all four seasons in rotation now, thanks to our Queen.”

  “Unbelievable.” Jonathan whispered.

  This whole kingdom is unbelievable. Matthew thought.

  Lucinda was occupied by the kingdom’s affairs, but Geenessa insisted that she wanted them to spend the night before she returned them home.

  “It is strange, Uncle...being here.” Matthew said to Jonathan before they retired. “Her kingdom is not yet legitimate. I feel that we are committing some sort of treason.”

  Uncle Jonathan nodded. “Yes, I thought the same. Though, your brother will surely pardon us.” He said with a smile. “We should make leave early tomorrow just the same. We will report back all we have seen.”

  “My lords,” Geenessa had appeared before them. “I beg your pardon, but the Queen wishes to speak with you, Prince Matthew.” His uncle raised one eyebrow at him as Matthew departed with Geenessa to a far tower connected to the castle. Geenessa opened a door that led to a long binding black staircase. “Just follow the stairs straight up, my lord.” She smiled at him and kissed him on the cheek before departing.

  When Matthew reached the top of the staircase there was a single door. He knocked gently before opening it and letting himself in. Lucinda stood by one of four windows in the room. There were no torches lighting the tower, but somehow light was shining brightly through it.

  “This is the tower that came up out of the water seven years ago.” Matthew said in awe. He approached her by the window. In the distance was his brother’s kingdom, with the sapphires shining against the white stone. Each of the four windows in the room, he realized, faced a kingdom.

  Lucinda turned to him and smiled. “Yes, the light only leaves the tower when I leave the kingdom. Geenessa told me that any time light shined through this tower in the old kingdom, it was a sign to the surrounding kingdoms that the Queen was there. I thought it was a nice sentiment.” Lucinda said to him.

  “It’s more likely that she only wanted her prince to know that she was there. So he would be reminded that one day she would return to him.” He said gently.

  She looked at him with a solemn expression. “I have been selfish these past years. It was unfair of me to leave the way I did.” She grabbed Matthew’s hand. “It was unfair of me to save you from Narka and send you back to sea without any word. I thought it was for the best.”

  Matthew fought the bitter feelings he held. She owed him nothing he reminded himself before he spoke. “You appeared at the right time.” He thought of something then. “Why did you send me to the North Kingdom after Narka? Why didn’t you just return me to the West?”

  She looked at him curiously. “I asked the sea to bring you back to the West. It doesn’t always listen to me. There must have been a reason you were brought upon the shores of the North Kingdom.”

  He thought of Prisma’s warnings. Not all those who pledge allegiance to the Queen truly mean it in their hearts. A time is coming, where you may not mean it yourself. “You should visit the North. Princess Prisma has been praying earnestly for your safe return.” The thought of prayer made Matthew remember the abundance of prayer candles lit by each window of the castle; a representation of the One God. “What god does your kingdom pray to?” He asked in confusion. “I understand that the Ancient Queen believed in the gods of the elements.”

  Her face became serious and her voice low. “I do not wish to be like the old queen. The gods of the elements did her no favors. She died by fire, her kingdom was stripped from the air, buried by the earth, and hidden by the waters.” She turned away from him. “I find no comfort in believing in things that can betray you. How do you draw strength in what can be manipulated by men? My people are free to make their own choice, but they know what their Queen believes. I find hope in trusting the unseen and the seemingly impossible. I pray to the One God only.” Matthew was touched by her
words and fought the urge to embrace her. Her life is a testament to the seemingly impossible. He thought.

  “How will I begin?” She said suddenly with grief in her eyes. “How will I approach the kings and ask them to recognize my kingdom? I have made my kingdom off of their people. It could be seen as an act of war.”

  “Every person has a choice on which kingdom to live in, Lucinda. They are not bound to one. You will need to give an account of who from each kingdom have come here, but the people are allowed to make their own choice. It will be difficult now, but you will pave the path for all your successors if you are successful.”

  She said nothing for a moment. “Nycilla paved the way for me, but lost it all. Five centuries later, I fear she wants to rule again through me. Is that not what Thomas said? She won’t be satisfied until she is the one true Queen. Sometimes I feel as if she is haunting my castle walls, waiting for a time to appear again. Though she remains silent now. Sometimes I don’t know if all my followers truly support me. There are those who believed that the kingdom would not just be resurrected, but that Nycilla would return as Queen. I believe they think I am her. It is difficult to tell who I can trust.” How will the people know the difference when the spirits struggle to tell them apart? Thomas had told him. He pitied her as he watched her struggle with her thoughts, wishing there was a way he could comfort her. “It’s believed that Nycilla never gained full control of her powers.” She said quietly. “She lost control in front of the kings. That is when they started to plot against her. My control will be tested as I continue to make myself known. I am stronger than I even know sometimes. I fear what I may do if I am opposed.”

  The dream he had of Thomas covered in bruises came to his mind. “Her story will only become yours if you let it.” Matthew said gently to her. “How will you become a true ruler if you allow the spirits of the past to haunt your life, Lucinda? Your people may call you Queen, but it will always be Nycilla’s kingdom until you rise from the shadows and show your own strength.”

  She looked up at him with sad eyes. “How can I rise over the fear I instill in people? Fear is a powerful emotion. Even you feel it when you are with me if you are honest with yourself.”

  He hesitated. He thought of the burn she had placed on his arm, unknowingly all those years ago. He thought of the islanders who cowered in fear of her in Narka, and their leader whose neck she snapped. He thought of the loyalty she invoked in her people that led them to try to kill him to protect her. Yes, he did fear. Yet, it was not her powers, nor her followers he feared. In truth, he feared his growing affection for her. For years he denied it, and blamed them as something brought on by the ancient spirit of Thomas. Yet, as she stood before him, he knew his feelings were his own. He also knew it was dangerous to pursue them. Lucinda was not the only one who feared the shadows of the past. What if they were destined to share the same fate as Thomas and Nycilla? What if his care for her could lead to her end?

  “I am sorry that I said I feared you.” She continued. “I feel more powerful when I am around you. More than I can even control. I am afraid I may have turned the sea against us. It was so unsettled. I think I angered it by hurting you.”

  “I was the one who hurt you, Lucinda.”

  “No, it was Thomas. I knew it was not you, but I hurt you anyway.” She raised her hand to the side of his head. “I keep hurting you and you keep protecting me.”

  She stared up at him with her emerald eyes. Feelings of desire mixed with guilt washed over him. He knew it was improper to be in such close quarters alone with a woman who was not his wife. Yet, he did not want to fight his affection for her. He drew her close to him and pressed his lips against hers. So much had happened within a week’s time. The lost princess had returned as Queen. The Fifth Kingdom was no longer a legend. All his years of searching were not in vain. He wondered how he would assimilate back into the West Kingdom and choose a wife as he promised, without having part of his mind always in the sea. Their separation had only made his heart grow fonder of her.

  He pulled away from her and placed his forehead against hers as she kept her eyes shut. You must protect her Matthew. Even against herself. Thomas had said. If the gods won’t protect her then you must protect her. Prisma had told him. Yet what about the assassins’ words? What if he would truly bring her downfall? What if he was the one who was a danger to her? Perhaps, protecting her meant leaving her.

  She opened her eyes for a moment and gently wrapped her arms around his neck. He lifted her slightly to meet his lips again. A part of me will always be with you, Matthew thought. I will always want to protect you. But he couldn’t stay with her. The risk was too great. He held her tightly before letting go of her. “Goodbye, Princess.” He said softly as he pulled away and let her arms drop to her side. He turned and descended the staircase before she could respond.

  Instead of returning to his sleeping quarters, Matthew exited the castle gate and went toward the Green Sea. It was calm. Somehow Lucinda was connected to the sea. It felt a strong need to protect her, just as he did. What if we both are connected to the sea? He wondered. Did it pull her into the waters to get her away from him or did it want to draw both of them in, just as it did when they ended up in Narka? Did it want him here in her kingdom with her? He stepped into the sea and knelt in the shallow waters. Rain started to pour steadily from the sky. He didn’t know what the sea wanted, but it didn’t matter. He had already decided to leave her.

  A faint cry came out of the waters. From a distance, he thought he saw a hand coming from the sea. Matthew stepped further into the water. Another cry could be heard and a head came up out of the water before disappearing again. Someone was out there. Matthew started to swim in the direction of what he had seen. It was dark and it was hard to know where he was going. The cries became louder. He tried to swim faster, not certain if he was going toward the cry or not. It was storming now and the sea was getting treacherous. He stuck his head out of the water, trying to gather air. He looked around him and could not see or hear anything any longer. He turned at the sight of movement near him and came face to face with a woman.

  She had white skin and dark, wet hair but Matthew noticed her eyes in the darkness. Green, just like Lucinda. She smiled sinisterly at him. “You are a fool to return here.” She dragged him down into the water. All of his senses escaped him. She was trying to drown him, but why? She was strong and he could not manage to free from her grasp. A sorceress, he thought.

  She lifted his head out of the water. “You do not belong here! You will bring nothing but disaster!” She pulled him back into the water. Matthew thought of the dream he had in the North Kingdom. Thomas was being tortured in the sea right before he was killed by his Father’s men.

  The dagger. A voice came to him. Use the dagger. Matthew struggled in the water and realized his dagger was still attached to him. He did not want to kill the woman, yet she was set on killing him. He grabbed what seemed to be her leg and wedged the dagger deeply into her thigh. She let go of his head and gave a loud scream. Matthew gasped for air. She wrapped her hands around his neck, but her face gave a panicked expression. Suddenly, her body started convulsing in the water. He wrapped his arms around her and dragged the woman to the shoreline with the dagger still in place in her thigh.

  “Commander!” Zekiel was by him suddenly. “What happened here?” Matthew pulled the dagger out of the woman’s leg and dropped it on the shore. The woman gave out a treacherous cry of pain. Her body stopped convulsing and a black shadow pulled away from her. It shot up into the dark sky and disappeared.

  Chapter 8

  Word was sent to Lucinda late at night that there was an incident in sea. It was shortly after Matthew left her room in the tower. Geenessa had called her to come down to the throne room. Zekiel, Matthew and a young woman from the kingdom were there when she entered. They were soaking wet and the woman was bleeding down her thigh.

  “What happened?” Lucinda went to the woman and touched her wo
und to close it.

  “Thank you, my lady,” She replied in a teary whisper. “I’m sorry.”

  “My Queen,” Zekiel started, looking with distain at the woman. “This woman drew the Prince into the water and tried to drown him. He saved himself by stabbing her with this dagger.” He threw the dagger to the floor. A pang of nostalgia floated through Lucinda. It was the dagger she had given him on their sixteenth birthday. She looked at Matthew then, but he stared at her with expressionless eyes.

  “You witnessed this, Zekiel?”

  “I took the watch for the night when I saw the Prince enter the water. The rain made it difficult to see, but I soon saw him dragging her to shore. I have no reason to doubt his story.” He pointed to the woman on the floor. “She, of course, claims she doesn’t remember anything.”

  “I don't! I swear it!” She looked at Matthew with teary eyes. “I have no reason to want to hurt you! Something came over me!”

  Matthew and Zekiel exchanged looks. “What is it?” Lucinda said.

  “When the Prince brought the woman to shore, her body was convulsing. We removed the dagger and what seemed to be a shadow pulled away from her body, and released into the sky.”

  “Nycilla.” Geenessa said quietly. “The spirits of her followers are still amongst us.” Nycilla’s followers. Lucinda’s suspicions were true.

  “What are you saying, Geenessa?”

  “Some amongst your people may be taken by spirits still loyal to the old Queen. Shadows can come in and out of the living, my lady, if they feel they have a purpose to fulfill amongst us.” She looked downcast. “Even I must admit there were moments in the past where I was not accountable for my words and actions.” She looked to Matthew. “But it has been so long. I swear the kingdom has been in peace for seven years. An attack like this is unusual.”

  “No,” Matthew said as his eyes met Lucinda’s. “It is not unusual for me at least. I am the trigger, as you said. This is the third attack on my life since you returned me from Narka. Two men dressed in black armor like your guardsmen tried to kill me in my bedchamber in the West. My brother killed one and imprisoned the other, but not before black shadows pulled away from their bodies. Just as it was with this woman. Another attacked me on the road to your father’s kingdom. I left him alive. They all claimed that they were trying to protect their Queen.”