The Twilight Star

by Laura E. Collins

  “Sir William said Sir Deverell’s hand is missing,” I stated.

  “Yes. Josh delivered it to Rosalind this morning. I was going to come and talk to you today. We are having a group meeting to discuss the final details on Sunday.”

  “He was a good man, and a close friend to Prince Eythan. He didn’t deserve to be ambushed like that,” I remarked.

  “Hannah, Mathew, and now Sean are all dead. They didn’t deserve it either,” she reasoned gently.

  “The royals expect me to help them in a war with an evil witch queen.”

  “Is that why they are training you?”

  “Yeah, but I can’t talk about it.” I took a deep breath and sighed.

  “Are you in love with the prince?” Sarah asked softly.

  A few moments passed before I could answer. “I . . . think so. I have no idea why. It’s crazy, . . . I know. None of it makes any sense. I don’t know what to do Sarah!” I tried hard to control my emotions but the tears slipped down my flushed face.

  She wrapped me in a hug and then easing back said, “Listen to me, Evie. We have all been under lots of stress. You are not cut out to fight in a war . . . none of us are. The royals will do anything to keep their crowns and their power. They won’t care at the end of the day who dies so long as they prevail. They will use you. They will chew you up and spit you out, Evie. The prince is a half-vampire. He is cunning. He will play your emotions to win your loyalty so that you will help them. You can’t trust him! Once the evil witch is dead, they will abandon you. We all need to leave when Rosalind opens the portal. Tell me you’ll come to the meeting, okay?”

  Abandon. Just like my mother had abandoned me. Sarah was right. Her judgment wasn’t clouded with desire like mine and I believed her. She calmed me down during her pep talk. Wiping my tears away, I nodded my reply. I came for her opinion and I received it. She made a lot of sense. We needed to go home. Together we stood and walked back towards the farm. She gave me another hug as I turned back to follow the road to the clinic.

  ∞

  Over the next day, I kept a low profile, reading some of the books on fighting techniques and military strategy that Princess Emeley had loaned me a while back. Even though I now had no plans to go through with their war, I read them to keep my mind occupied.

  A few days later, in the warm sunshine, I trudged through the tall grass to the river near the northern-most part of the East Village. Miraculously, I had slipped my guards at the market. I don’t know how much time I had remaining before they located me so I had to make this quick.

  Sarah, Josh, Paul, and Kennedy were all there, next to a waterfall. The sound of the water was so loud, I could not hear what they were saying, but that was the whole point.

  “Hey,” I said as I joined them. Sarah gave me a hug, which I returned.

  “Were you followed?” Paul asked, referring to my bodyguards.

  “I lost them in the marketplace.”

  “Let’s get to it,” Kennedy declared “We gave the hand to Rosalind. She is going to perform the spell for us on the night of the twilight star as we previously agreed. Is everybody in?”

  Everyone, including myself, said yes.

  “Evie, because you are being watched by the royals, we cannot tell you any of the details,” Josh announced.

  “But, . . .” I protested.

  “It is for all of our safety, Evie,” Sarah reasoned.

  “I will collect you when it is time,” Paul reassured. “Just make sure you are ready to go.”

  “Okay,” I said hesitantly.

  “Evie, please make sure Samantha is ready too!” Sarah pleaded, handing me a note. I nodded, unsure if I would be able to convince her sister to come home.

  “Now go, before someone sees you with us,” Kennedy ordered.

  I nodded and turned back the way I had come. I was almost to the marketplace when my bodyguards located me. They gave me a look but said nothing as they trailed behind me again. I think they were just relieved that they found me in one piece and would not have to face Sir William or the royals if something had happened to me.

  The next day I quietly attended to my patients and ran a few mundane chores; all with my discreet set of personal guards shadowing me. I passed Sarah and Kennedy in the street. We made eye contact and nodded, but that was it. We could not talk; she had risked enough as it was passing me a note detailing what was to unfold. After I had memorized it, I promptly burned it. Pangs of guilt filled me knowing she trusted me to deliver her sister, but I had no intention of forcing Sam to come with us, especially since she was living a fairytale romance.

  ∞

  Late in the afternoon, I looked up in surprise as the door swung open. We seldom received walk-ins this close to closing time but it was not a villager that approached me; it was one of the princess’s uniformed messengers.

  “For you, Miss,” the messenger stated plainly, handing me the sealed note before stepping back so that I could open and read it. He stayed put so I figured either he needed a response from me or I was to go back with him.

  Samantha entered through the back door from the house and pulled the shutters to indicate we were officially closed. She removed her apron as she came to stand next to me while I read the message. Her eyes were wide with wonder. We had plans to meet the others for supper at the East Wing Cookhouse. I finished reading the note and nodded to the messenger, turning to remove my apron.

  “What did the note say?” Sam asked in a slight worried tone.

  “Princess Emeley wishes me to return the books I borrowed from her.”

  “Right now?”

  “Yes, and she wants me to deliver them in person.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m not sure. She told me they meant a lot to her when she loaned them to me. Maybe she doesn’t trust them in someone else’s hands,” I said, shrugging. I walked through the back door into the house and up the stairs to my room. I took a few seconds to smooth out my dress and run a comb through my hair before tying it back again. At least I looked somewhat presentable. I picked up the books and slid them into my messenger bag and snatched my cloak off of the hook on the door. I bounded back down the stairs to the clinic where Sam and the messenger still waited for me.

  “Go on without me,” I said as I donned my cloak. “I can’t imagine this will take very long. I’ll join you as soon as I can.”

  “Be careful, Evie,” Sam commented.

  She seemed concerned for me. Ever since we learned of the other’s plans to open the portal, we had done our best to keep a low profile and avoid the company of anyone from the castle as well as a certain prince who can tell truth from lies just by listening to your voice. I glanced at her one more time before I followed the messenger out the door as he led the way to the castle with my bodyguards in tow. The light had just begun to fade from the sky, creating a red-orange horizon. I wondered if I would meet my friends in time to eat before complete darkness fell.

  We walked in silence to the castle and through one of the entrances. I pondered why the princess decided that she needed her beloved books back tonight. I had kept my distance from all of the royals and the court since that terrible night

  Prince Eythan killed Sean. My head became a mess just thinking about it, however the one thing that confused me was why the prince took the time to care for me afterwards.

  The castle seemed relatively quiet this evening. We passed through several common corridors well known to me, then we took a turn deeper inside an older part of the castle, leaving the hustle and bustle behind us. The messenger led me towards a large elaborate impenetrable looking door with armed guards standing by. He handed one of them a note, also sealed and signed by Princess Emeley. The guard read the note and stepped aside, allowing us admittance to whatever was beyond.

  We continued to follow the messenger up a few flights of stairs and around several other passageways. I hoped he would stick around to show me the way out because I was officially lost. My eyes wandered
to my surroundings. Few servants worked here and there but I mostly gaped at the beautiful carpets, tapestries, and furniture of the great hall we were in as well as the detailed paintings hanging on the walls. Several were portraits of the royal family. Though I could not place all of them, I was certain that some were of the king, the prince, and the princess.

  “Where are we?” I asked my silent guide.

  “These are the royal apartments,” he said as if I should know it.

  So this is where the princess lives, I thought to myself. It made sense. It was in a secure, well protected part of the castle. The aroma of delicious food wafted past me as I continued to follow my guide. Someone’s dinner smells good, I thought to myself as we approached a closed door. I hoped my stomach wouldn’t rumble during my meeting, the princess might consider that to be rude.

  The messenger led me up to the gracefully carved wooden door and knocked gently. I heard a soft acknowledgement from the other side and when he opened the door I followed him inside. My guards respectfully remained outside. As my guide stepped aside, I stopped dead in my tracks as I was presented not to Princess Emeley, but to Prince Eythan, who stood up from behind a desk as I entered, looking a little surprised himself. An opened note, similar to the one I still held in my hand was clutched in one of his.

  My mouth fell open slightly as I recovered from my shock and remembered to curtsy as a sign of respect to the prince. The messenger also bowed respectfully before announcing me by name. The prince nodded and the messenger bowed again before leaving, shutting me in with him.

  I stammered slightly as I spoke, not really certain as to what I should say. “Good evening, Your Highness . . . I . . . received a message from the princess. She asked me to return the books I borrowed from her several weeks ago.” I managed a casual smile as I lifted the note slightly so that he would notice it. I did not want him thinking I made this all up just so that I could see him.

  “Of course,” he said softly as he sauntered halfway through the room towards me, stopping in front of the fireplace. “You may set them on the table there and I will see that she gets them,” he gestured to a small desk next to the wall on the left of the fireplace. He nonchalantly tossed his note into the fire.

  I nodded and walked over to the table, gently pulling the books out of my bag. I noticed he turned away from me, slightly towards the fire as I set the books down. I turned back to him and curtsied again. I should go now, I thought to myself. Don’t say anything else and go! You’ll be home in less than a week. Soon, all of this will be just a distant memory; I heard my rational mind say. I kept my eyes downcast respectfully and started to pivot back towards the door, hoping the messenger was still there to show me out.

  “Miss Evelyn?” the prince said softly.

  I stopped and turned back to him politely. “Yes?”

  “Have you dined yet this evening?”

  “No, my lord . . . I was just about to meet my friends,” I said, managing a small smile. It was the truth after all.

  “I see,” he said turning towards me and drawing nearer. “I was supposed to dine with my sister this evening, however it seems she has been called away to attend to an urgent matter. Would you care to join me instead?”

  Dinner with Prince Eythan? Alone! I didn’t know what to say. I did not think it was wise to spend any time with him knowing what I knew was going to happen in less than a week. What if I let something slip? I looked down at my outfit. I was still wearing my work clothes; hardly appropriate to have dinner with the prince in. It was my only legitimate excuse. He must have seen me examining myself because he spoke again.

  “Your attire is fine.” He was now standing next to me and offered me his arm politely. “Shall we?”

  I looked up at him in surprise and nodded, gingerly taking his arm. To refuse him would be rude. He led me towards another elaborate door and through it into an adjacent room set up as a small candlelit dining room. The four servants that were present immediately launched into action. My eyes instinctually went to the simple, yet elegantly set table laden with mouthwatering food. I caught sight of a lively fireplace on the opposite wall. The furnishings were a deep chestnut brown and on a higher level than what I had seen even in the restricted common areas. My eyes swept the walls, noting several pleasant and impressive paintings, including one of a light haired young woman with blue eyes whose face bore a slight resemblance to Prince Eythan’s. I nearly jumped when I felt the prince’s arms quickly sweep around me to gently slip my cloak off of my shoulders. I watched as he handed it to the servant who was waiting. Next he reached for my messenger bag, so I pulled it over my head and handed it to a servant who disappeared through another door with my belongings. Afterwards, I was presented with a small bowl of warm water to rinse my hands in. I dipped my fingers into the clean water and dried them on the pristine towel offered to me as I observed the prince doing the same.

  The third servant pulled out a chair for the prince at the head of the rectangular table and one for me on the side next to him. I meandered over to my place and waited for the prince to be seated before I sat down after him. I had just enough time to glance at him before the servants began to serve us the first course. Having four people stare at us eating made me feel awkward. I was not used to all of this formality, it made me uneasy, but at least I had some practice with table manners from the one night earlier in the season when Prince Eythan brought me down from the mountain to his small meeting afterwards. The events from the night that the prince killed Sean had complicated my feelings for him. I held to my resolve that I wanted nothing to do with him despite my early attraction to him, however something deep inside me wondered if he had feelings for me.

  After the bread was served and the butter placed between us I was relieved that the prince said to his servants, “I believe we can manage. Thank you for your assistance.”

  “You are welcome, Your Highness, please call if you need anything,” the head servant replied. The four of them quickly exited from the door we came in.

  Relief momentarily swept through me now that it was just the two of us. I wanted to be sure to carefully consider anything that I said to prevent spilling anything about the portal plans in a few days. My friends were right not to tell me. I was too much of a risk for an information leak.

  “It has been some time since I have seen you. Have you been well?” the prince inquired.

  “Yes, Your Highness. We have been busy at the clinic,” I said cordially before taking a bite out of my buttered bread. It was so delicious I could have sighed.

  “We have been searching for a replacement for Dr. Thorpe, however, we have not found a suitable candidate yet. I hope you have not been overworked.” He sipped his red wine casually.

  “Samantha and I have not had any trouble keeping up, my lord. Dr. Thorpe left behind a very detailed record book of his remedies. We have not had much difficulty replicating them,” I said thoughtfully. I finished my bread and took a sip of the wine. It was the same potent stuff I drank the previous time I ate at the castle. I had a hard time putting it down. We set our bread dishes aside and I allowed the prince to serve me. I thought it strange for a royal to wait on me, a servant. The meal was simple; some kind of herb roasted chicken and vegetables. I couldn’t wait to dig in. After both our plates were filled, he refilled our wine goblets. We continued the small talk for a while and I remained a little on edge, despite having been drinking the wine.

  My thoughts continued to wander. Why did the prince invite me to dinner? What game are we playing tonight? I noticed that he seemed to observe me while I ate. I took another bite and chewed slowly. What is he thinking? I swallowed and then an idea came to me. I set my fork down and folded my hands in my lap as the realization of what could be happening hit me. The prince continued to eat. This is all too convenient. The notes, the surprise meeting, the dinner, and no servants around . . . what if . . . what if they have poisoned me! What if the prince and the princess have tired of me, or figured
out what is going to happen in a few days? What if they conspired together and this is their quiet and discreet way of killing me? I started to perspire as my nerves got the better of me. My appetite vanished.

  “Is something wrong? Is the food not to your liking?” the prince asked in a concerned tone as he set his fork down and studied me.

  “No, everything is delicious,” I said as reassuringly as I could manage. True, the food did taste good. My thoughts were busy trying to concentrate and monitor my body to see if I felt anything weird happening. I concluded that I was only a little buzzed from the wine, but everything else felt okay. I remained quiet.

  It seemed like an eternity passed before the prince spoke softly again. “Have I lost your trust in me so completely that you do not feel safe dining at my table?” How smart he was! He had figured out what I was thinking. He did not seem angry, . . . only disappointed.

  I did not know what to say, so I decided to be truthful of what I felt. “I’m sorry, my lord. After all that has happened since I arrived here and after what . . . happened . . . to Sean . . . I can’t help it if I wonder whether or not you wish me dead too.”

  “Evelyn,” he said my name informally and reached over with one hand and placed it on mine in my lap. Our eyes met and I felt that old connection stirring within me. “Please believe me, that is not what I wish. There is nothing amiss about your food or the wine tonight. I actually did have plans to dine with Emeley, and I suspect that she sent you to me instead. After I realized that, I simply wanted to take the opportunity to be alone with you this evening. I have not seen you in a few weeks.”

  “What happened to your previous two wives?” I blurted out.

  He paused for a moment, looking into my eyes. I wondered if he would actually tell me. Taking a deep breath, he began to speak. “My first wife was a princess from Westercliff. It was a political arrangement, but she was pleasant enough. However, a year into the marriage she requested to return home for a month to visit her family. She was not used to being around vampires and I think she was homesick. After she returned, I caught the scent of her former lover on her. I had her confined to her chambers while I deliberated over what to do about it. During that time she became fearful and drank a whole vial of felonwort juice, taking her own life.”