by Katy Haye
“I need your help,” I blurted.
“Really? What help can you possibly need from a mage such as myself?”
My jaw clenched. He was playing games, and I didn’t have time for that. “The love potion you gave my father has gone missing.”
He leaned forward, elbows on his desk. He was close enough now that I could see his eyebrows lift. “I? Give your father a love potion? I think you must be mistaken.”
I stiffened. “My father gave me a love potion to enchant the prince. I hid it amongst my things. It’s gone.”
He spread his hands. “That was unwise of both of you. If you came into ownership of illegal magic, you should have alerted the authorities.”
I bit down my frustration. “You gave the potion to my father to ensure I would win the contest. I didn’t have chance to use it until now. I need to you make me another.”
He gave a humourless laugh. “I am on the king’s council. I would not dabble in illegal magic – and I’m sure Lord Bal would not do such a thing, either.” He tutted. “You must be a sad disappointment to him, to make up such outrageous stories.”
“I didn’t make it up. You threatened me, just days ago, told me to enchant the prince.” I shivered. When I remembered the moment I could still feel Redmor’s hands tight on my shoulders, his breath on my face.
A single finger tapped impatiently on the desk. “I gave an illegal potion to Lord Bal with the intention of enchanting the prince and ensuring you won the bride contest? What an extraordinary tale, Lady Hanna.” He leaned forward again, glaring at me. “I hope you have evidence for such a heinous claim.”
My teeth clenched. “Please. I need the potion. I need to win.”
His expression hardened and he finally threw away his pretence of innocence. “You needed to do as you were told. You had plenty of chances. Now you must deal with the consequences of your failure.”
I swallowed, my eyes scanning the room as though I might find what I needed there. But, of course, he was too smart to have evidence of his treason on display. No potions, no phials, no bottles.
And no chance to get what the prince needed.
“Please.” My shoulders sagged. “My father has said he will kill my mother if the prince doesn’t select me.”
Redmor’s eyebrows climbed up his forehead. “What an extraordinary story. Silly child, you must know he was teasing you; I am sure he would not harm a hair on her head.”
“He meant it. He cares nothing for her.” I didn’t have to fake the tears that came to my eyes. “Please, I need your help.”
He rounded his desk. I wanted to run, but forced myself to stay where I was. “Foolish girl. You needed my help days ago. You spurned it then. Did you think my offer would always be open?” He leaned forward. “You’re too late. I have no use for you now.”
Why had I supposed it would be easy? That he would simply hand over another potion as though I were a customer in an apothecary’s shop, picking what I wanted from the shelf? I straightened my shoulders, thinking of one final way I might persuade him. I knew the prince was aware of what he had done, but Redmor could have no idea of that.
I glared straight at him. “I know what you have done. If you don’t help me now, I will denounce you to the prince.” I forced myself to hold Redmor’s hard gaze. “I will tell him all about the potion.”
Redmor moved past me, regaining his seat. “You’ll get yourself and your father in far more trouble than me.”
“You’re the one who made the potion. You’re the one abusing magic.”
He steepled his fingers. “I trust you have proof for such a claim? You will certainly need proof before the prince would dare to move against a member of his own council.”
“I know it was you,” I bit out.
His brows lifted again. “Female intuition? Or do you have proof?”
“Father said it was made by you.”
“He gave you a potion and said it was made by me? He named me specifically?”
“He said it was created by the kingdom’s most powerful mage. Who could that be but you?”
He smiled unkindly. “I am flattered, but it is entirely possible that another makes that claim. It must have been made by a rogue mage – I would never work against our royal family in any way. I am a loyal citizen and a vital member of the king’s council.”
“It will be enough to cast doubt on your loyalty,” I said, snatching for arguments that might force him to help me where bluster and pleas had failed. “The prince will never trust you again.”
He laughed. “The prince doesn’t trust me already. You will have to find a stronger lever than that, Lady Hanna. The prince has forgotten his place. He should be guided by those older and wiser.”
“By you?” I didn’t bother to hide my contempt.
“By his council.” His smile sent a shiver down my back. “His council are powerful men in their own right. The prince has lost sight of that. But no matter, we will bring him to heel.” He flicked his fingertips at me as though I were a dog to be ordered out of the room. “I don’t need you any more, Lady Hanna. And I certainly have nothing to gain from helping you. Please close the door on your way out.”
“You refuse to help me?”
“You have wasted your time in coming here. Run back to the palace and pack your bags. You won’t be there much longer.”
He turned back to his work, picking up a letter to read, his contempt of me so great he didn’t bother to see me out. My heart raced as I walked slowly to the door. My gaze darted this way and that, as though some piece of incriminating evidence would jump out at me if I just gave it long enough to make itself known.
There was, of course, nothing. The mage wasn’t stupid. If he could be trapped, it would need someone smarter than I to do it.
I thought mage Redmor had forgotten about me while I was still in the room. I jumped when he abruptly called out, “Boy!”
The same servant entered the room. “Escort this young lady out. Our business is finished.”
I followed the boy back out along the dingy corridors and out to the bright sunshine, blinking as we hit the light. My steps were slow, my shoulders slumped. I’d done what I could and it wasn’t enough. I had failed the prince, a failure that hurt far more than disappointing my father ever had.
The sudden bustle of the crowd in the square outside made me pause. And then my arm was grabbed. I blinked, turning to meet a face as surprised as I’m sure my own was.
“What in the world are you doing here?” Rannyl and I asked in unison.
28 – Greater Danger
“I ... had an errand to run.”
Rannyl glanced aside at the tower. There could be no mistaking where I’d come from. “For the mages?” Her tone was bland, but I sensed her disapproval – or did I imagine it?
“Not exactly.” I wouldn’t confide the prince’s request to her. “What were you doing?”
Her expression blanked, “An errand,” she replied airily. I noticed that she’d also acquired a plain cloak covering her fine gown. I began to laugh.
“What is funny?”
“We are! All we need now is to discover Claresse sneaking out of the palace.”
Rannyl found a smile. “I had a task to perform.”
“As was I.”
“What?”
“I really shouldn’t tell you.”
She gave me a long, steady look, then nodded abruptly. “We can’t speak here.” A hand at my waist, she propelled us both back through the bustling square to the palace. Pulling our hoods up, we instinctively ducked our heads as we passed the guards.
“I can’t tell you anything,” I hissed as the palace towered overhead, casting its shadow over us both. “I need to speak with the prince.”
Rannyl grabbed my elbow, forcing me to a stop. “Your errand was for the prince?”
“Yes.” I shuddered. “You don’t think I’d make a social call on Redmor, do you?”
Rannyl laughed and tucked her ha
nd through mine. “That is exactly what I feared. But this is wonderful. It means we are both on the same side. Come.” We ducked into the palace. Rannyl steered me up stairs and along corridors, not pausing until she stopped and rapped smartly on an ornately carved door.
It was opened by the prince himself. He blinked, then stepped back and waved us in. “Please...”
Propelled by Rannyl, I had no choice but to enter the prince’s office, a room whose walls couldn’t be seen for the shelves full of books and scrolls. A broad rikkawood desk sat in the middle of the space. The prince – as I should have expected – was clearly a man of order; its top was clear but for an inkwell and a single book, left open when the prince rose to open the door.
The prince turned so his back was to the closed door. “I assume your joint arrival means the two of you discovered that you were each tasked with a job for me?”
“We met in the city square,” Rannyl told him.
She seemed entirely relaxed. I fought the sensation of being pushed off-balance. Rannyl acted as though she knew exactly what was going on. I hadn’t the faintest idea.
“And what was the outcome?” He turned to me. “Do you have a potion?”
I shook my head, bitter disappointment curdling in my stomach. “He laughed in my face. He admitted nothing but he made it clear that my family – that I – have wasted the chance he offered. He will do nothing to help us.”
“I see.” Jaran’s tone was steady. Guilt spun through me. “I could speak to my father,” I offered. I had wronged the prince, even if only in my mind, and I was determined to repair matters. “He refused to tell me who made the potion, but if I tell him you already know about it, perhaps he will relent and tell the truth.”
“No. I will speak to him myself, but not yet. I don’t want you to put yourself in any more danger. Redmor will already be suspicious. Stay away from your father. He had ample opportunity to do the right thing and he chose not to do so.”
I swallowed at his cold tone. “The mage has some hold over him, I am sure of it.”
Jaran watched me with interest. “Do you know what?”
I shook my head.
“Then it matters not at all.” He smiled gently. “Your father is an adult. More than that, he is a lord, with power over others. Those with power must use it well. He has failed to do so.”
My mouth dried. I swallowed and spoke, “Please ... what will you do to him?”
He sighed. “In truth, I don’t know, Hanna. That will depend on what happens next. I hope what Rannyl brought will enable me to trap the mage. When that happens, your father can be loyal either to me and my father, or to Redmor. He cannot play both of us.”
I couldn’t speak, nodding to tell the prince I understood. Father stood in greater danger than he could have any idea of. He had brought it on himself, but I still felt a pang of concern for him. “I’m sorry,” I managed.
Jaran looked surprised. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”
“I should have told you of the plot immediately.”
Jaran took my hand, his warm fingers reassuring. “You were torn between loyalty to your father – and fear for your mother. Loyalty to me must have seemed a small thing by comparison. I am not surprised it took you a while to decide which was most important.” He smiled. “I am only glad you came to the right conclusion.” He squeezed my hand and let go. “Return to your room, Lady Hanna. And please, do not speak with your father. I wish to see his reaction to what happens with Redmor without him having prior warning.”
I nodded, feeling hollow inside. “As you wish, your highness.” I walked out of the room knowing that my life had changed forever in the space of a moment. I was still my father’s daughter, but I would never regard him in the same way again. The loyalty he had demanded but never truly earned had been thrown away by his actions. I would be loyal to Muirland, but not to him, never to him.
~
It was all very well for Jaran to instruct me to tell my father nothing. Father had other ideas.
“They say the prince is about to make his announcement.”
I had barely entered my room before father strode inside, slamming the door behind him. “Has he said anything to you? Who will be chosen?”
I closed my eyes, feeling battered by his demands. I looked straight at him, reminding myself I owed him nothing. “I have no better idea than you do, father.”
“If you weren’t weak, we’d be sure,” he muttered, half to himself. Because the prince would be enchanted. I gave no reply. Father had no true idea of strength and weakness. At least he did not act as though he intended to give me another beating.
“Jesca and Glynneth have discounted themselves,” he mused, beginning to pace. “It will be you, Rannyl or Claresse.” He stopped and glared at me. “I do not like those odds. Venner is a sly one.”
I didn’t point out that he was also a sly one. Bitterness lodged in my throat, tangling up any words I could have spoken. I couldn’t tell him we’d lost our chance, not without revealing what I’d told the prince, which I’d promised to keep private.
Father advanced on me. “Have you had no sign from the prince?”
“I don’t believe he would give hints, but he’s certainly given none to me.” I stepped aside, reaching past him to ring the bell for my maid. “Forgive me, father, but if an announcement is about to be made, I had better prepare. I should look my best.”
Father huffed. He chewed his lip, as though searching for something he could tell me to do that might persuade the prince to choose me. I could almost see the moment he realised that nothing more could be done. His jaw tensed. “I hope you will do me proud, daughter.”
“I hope so, too, father.”
I watched him leave. I wouldn’t be chosen. If he knew what had happened, he wouldn’t be proud of me. But his approval no longer mattered to me.
Gulla hurried in, carrying a cannister of hot water. “There’s no time to waste, Lady Hanna. The council has been summoned. Prince Jaran is ready to announce who he will take for his bride.”
Prince Jaran
Jaran stood by the games board in his room, staring sightlessly out of the window. The palace gardens unfolded before him, but what he saw was a scene in his mind that was yet to come.
The final moves had been set in motion. The candidates and their families were even now gathering in the council chamber, ready for his announcement. Jaran had lost counters in the game, some expected, others not. But so had his opponent. They were, unfortunately, still evenly matched, even at this late stage.
He picked up a counter from the board in front of him, flipping the piece between his fingers so the sides alternated, red, gold, red, back to gold. The game was nearly over, but it was by no means clear which side would win. He was risking everything, more than even Redmor might guess.
The sensation nagged of things undone. The scene ahead could go either way. He could win, he could lose, or some third way might set them in opposition without a clear victor.
He wished he knew for sure how each of the players would react when his decision was announced. He knew the council, but not as well as he would like. Some were more predictable than others, and Redmor was the worst of the lot.
He flipped the piece faster. When it came down to it, there was no choice at all. He had to follow through on the decision he’d made and hope all the ripples that spread from that decision would fade away leaving the crown stronger.
Red, gold, red, gold, red, gold. Who would win?
He slapped the counter back down onto the board, covering it with his palm. There could only be one victor. He’d done everything in his power to ensure that would be him, but there was still a chance his final move would be turned back on him and victory snatched away.
Slowly, Jaran lifted his hand to see which colour was uppermost. His lips curved and he span on his heel, snatching up his jacket and checking his appearance in the mirror. His face looked back, calm and ordinary. But today was far from ord
inary. Inside he had the sense everything was about to change. This was his first true test of rulership and he must not fail.
29 – Out of Reach
We assembled in the council chamber. I had never been there before. It was at the bottom of the palace, in the middle of the building. Small compared to the rooms above, the council and the candidates (those who remained) would be first to hear the prince’s decision. After this, a general proclamation would be made to the court.
The corridor which led into the chamber was narrow. Several guards were posted at intervals. I guessed Jaran wasn’t taking any chances someone would try to compel the result they wanted, even at this stage. Footsteps sounded behind me and I turned to see Mage Redmor. It was as if my thoughts had conjured the man, a type of magic I had no wish to possess.
“Lady Hanna,” he nodded acknowledgement as he passed, a smug expression on his face. Did he know what would happen next, or was he simply pleased to have destroyed my hopes?
“Mage Redmor.” I bowed my head, trying to hide my feelings. I had confessed all to the prince. My chance was destroyed, but if I was no longer in the running I was out of reach of men like Redmor.
He vanished into the council chamber in a swirl of robes. I straightened my shoulders and followed, hoping my feelings didn’t show.
There were no windows, the space illuminated with torches whose light faded towards the corners of the room. I shivered as I walked in, claustrophobic immediately. “It’s for security.” Rannyl joined me as we walked inside, explaining the room as though she’d read my thoughts,. “No one can spy on the council’s business from outside.”
I nodded. Most of the chamber was taken up by the council’s table. The men sat here to argue the business of the kingdom. The council members – with the exception of the prince – were already inside. Several were seated. Venner barged past my father, jolting his shoulder as he took his place. I turned my gaze to the floor so I wouldn’t accidentally meet my father’s gaze.
He was furious with me, and I returned that sentiment in full. The prince had been gracious and forbearing when I’d told him the truth, but thanks to father we had lost his trust. I didn’t know whether Jaran would declare that fact for all to hear, but even if he kept our disgrace secret, I had lost all chance to be chosen as his bride.
