Enchanted Beauty

by Marly Mathews

  She followed Roland’s command. Her chair was at the other head of the table. She darted her eyes nervously between Malachi’s siblings. What was her father trying to do now?

  “Shall we tell them our little secret, Daughter?”

  Her heart stalled. She gasped for air. “I can’t imagine why not.” She didn’t know what he was referring to…but as far as she was concerned, she had no secrets to keep from Malachi’s brother and his sisters.

  “I know why my daughter is really here.”

  They all looked up for their plates. “Father,” she started.

  He raised his hand for her silence. Ordinarily, she would have taken offense at his commanding attitude but right now she didn’t have the strength for a fight.

  “She came to save all of you.” He nodded his head. “It’s true. Alas, she came under the pretense that she wanted to form a relationship with me. It was a lie.”

  They all looked like they were ready to pitch a fit. She felt like pitching one as well.

  “Father, please. Don’t involve Larissa, Connor or Shaylah. I was the one that lied. I will be the one to bear the punishment.”

  “What punishment? I already told you in private that I could not even contemplate hurting you.” He rubbed his hands briskly together and reached for his steaming cup of tea. “Thaliana tea is a dream for the taste buds.” He smiled. “Now, I must get back to what I was saying. The three of you will have to assist Annabelle and me.

  You see, I wish to come to an agreement with Malachi. If he helps me to defeat Zara, I will allow you all to retain your ancestral lands.”

  Her heart raced, creating a burning sensation in her chest. She reached for her tea, hesitating when she recalled the incident from the night before.

  Roland saw her, and sighed. “You will not be poisoned on my watch, Annabelle. Drink the tea, it will wake you up. Right now, you look like you’re ready to go back to bed. I need you wide awake for the day’s journey.” She gradually brought the teacup to her lips and sipped it. It tasted fine. It had milk in it just as she liked, and was quite refreshing. An exhilarating feeling rushed through her. Had he put something else in it to make her feel so delightfully heady?

  “If you think we are going to work for you—you obviously have been mind-touched.”

  She closed her eyes, wincing at Connor’s emphatic statement of refusal.

  Larissa seemed contemplative. “You killed Blackburn—he was the one I had my heart set on destroying. But you also want us to turn on our queen. We are loyal subjects of the crown.”

  “Yes, that means you are loyal to Annabelle,” Roland deduced.

  “Annabelle is not our Queen. Zara is.” Larissa stared at Roland. There was something in her eyes that made Annabelle wonder about Larissa’s true feelings.

  “Zara has been a good queen, hasn’t she? She was mostly absent when many injustices happened right here on Thaliana soil before my army even marched past the border.”

  “He is making a point, Connor. Zara never started to openly fight with Roland for all of those years that Blackburn was terrorizing our border regions. She never once did anything to put an end to it.” Larissa seemed heartsick. Annabelle suspected that she didn’t agree with many of Queen Zara’s policies or procedures.

  Annabelle had heard tales of the raping and pillaging on the borderlands, and now she knew they hadn’t just been tales that Delbert had told in order to get the attention of the villagers. They had been truth.

  Sitting silently, she ate her breakfast without realizing she’d eaten the plate until it was clean.

  “I will not hear you talking of treason!” Connor slammed his fork down on his plate. “The borderlands wouldn’t be in such peril if King Roland didn’t allow it!”

  “Treason? I would never commit treason. I’m just saying that our queen’s judgment has been a little off in the last few years. She is volatile and unstable.”

  Annabelle drained the last drop of tea out of her cup sitting back she looked at the people around the table. Connor looked healthy again. His wounds were healed. Larissa and Shaylah also looked as if they had slept, and had their injuries attended to. They were dressed in clean clothing, and their hair had definitely been washed. Her father had been accommodating to them just as he’d said he would be.

  “Look at us. We look like one big happy, albeit extended family.” Roland actually seemed delighted with the situation they were in. Connor looked like he wanted to be anywhere but where he was, Shaylah kept darting a gaze of longing at Ardal and Larissa kept sizing Roland up.

  Annabelle seemed to be the only one that wasn’t interested in someone else at the table. All she wanted to do was be with Malachi. Seeing Connor kept reminding her of Malachi…and every time she looked at him, she was reminded of how he would view their situation. He would be telling her to fight Roland. He had been afraid that Roland would bedazzle her, and now his fears were coming to fruition before his very eyes. She looked up at the chandelier above them.

  Gabriel was probably monitoring them right at this moment. She also didn’t know how she was going to get access to a mirror during the ride. She didn’t have a handheld one, maybe Ardal would be able to conjure one or procure one for her through some other means.

  “We should at least try to resolve the war without more bloodshed,” Larissa reasoned, locking her gaze on Connor. Annabelle was surprised by the way that Larissa felt. She looked as if she would be the sister always ready and willing for a fight.

  “We can still fight to the very end. I am sitting here having my breakfast meal with a man that is a monster. I will not tolerate it any longer.” Connor tried to stand up, but Roland raised his hand, slamming him back down in his chair. Annabelle gasped. She couldn’t believe Roland had actually done what he’d done.

  “You are keeping Connor here against his will.” Annabelle looked down the table at Roland. He grinned at her.

  “He is still my prisoner, my dear. I might be treating him nicely, but do not think that I have lost sight of what and who he is. Already most of my generals question my leadership. I have had to kill two of them this morning when they challenged me.” The indifferent tone to his voice made a chill run up her spine.

  She swallowed, did he even have a conscience?

  No one made a comment to his latest remark.

  Annabelle stood up. “I think I’ll retire back to my rooms now. I want to freshen up before the ride.”

  “The dust on the road will cancel that out soon enough.” Larissa’s voice was so low that she barely heard her.

  “Yes. I’m sure the journey will be exciting. I’ve never ridden that long of a distance before.” She hurried to excuse herself. Ardal was right on her heels as she left the room.

  “You fool! Why did you leave them alone with your father? I must go where you go else I would be back there to protect them. Were you not listening to how cold-hearted your father can be? He is a ticking time bomb.”

  “He’s not going to hurt them…he’s still hoping to use them to his advantage.”

  “I don’t like the way that you are treating them. You should have fought more on their behalf. You have great sway over your father—I even believe you could keep him from killing someone if you asked him nicely enough,” Ardal muttered.

  “I have to figure out how to get a mirror so I can receive Gabriel’s incoming call.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Gabriel contacted me this morning while I was washing up.”

  Ardal stopped pulling her back by her elbow. “And you just thought to mention that now? That was one very pivotal piece of information. What are Malachi’s thoughts on Roland?”

  “I’m sure he’d like to give him a good swift kick up the ass just as he always wanted to. Although Gabriel did say that he was quite disturbed by a meeting he had with Queen Zara last night.”

  “She is at the castle already? They must have ridden long and hard to arrive so quickly.”

 
“No. She’s not at the castle. She contacted Malachi by way of the magic mirror.”

  “Ah. I see.” She looked around her at the tapestries and portraits that hung on the wall. Swords and shields hung on a far wall. The coat of arms that she saw wasn’t Roland’s. He must have left some of the belongings of the former inhabitants of the castle untouched. “Was it that bad?” Ardal looked at her searchingly.

  “I don’t think Malachi was impressed by the maternal concern that she had for me.”

  “I’m sorry to hear it.” Ardal sounded genuinely remorseful.

  “It doesn’t matter anyway. I must concern myself with my life as it is right now. I can’t keep on crying over spilt milk.”

  “Wise decision. You are beginning to find your own way, Annabelle.”

  “I’ve always had to forge my own way.”

  “I disagree. Delbert may have always been getting himself in trouble with the law, but he never abandoned you—even when he was tempted to—he fought his temptation, because you are the only family he has.”

  “We are not family. Not anymore.”

  “That’s where you and he beg to differ. He feels as if you’ve left him in the lurch. He really does love you, Annabelle. You and he have certainly had words, but they were just that, words. He never meant any of the malicious remarks he said to you over the years.”

  “You’ve been talking to Delbert, haven’t you?” She stared at him crossing her arms defensively against her chest.

  “Of course. We had plenty of time to chat last night after Mavis almost lost her life. You have to have some sort of residual feelings for him—you put your life on the line when you thought you were rescuing him from Malachi. Someone doesn’t do that for another person unless they care for them.”

  “I do care for him. I don’t want to see him be trampled by Roland if that’s what you are hinting at.”

  “I never such anything of the kind.” Ardal moved ahead of her. “Come, we must get you ready for travel.”

  “I’m already wearing my riding outfit.”

  “Indeed. I wasn’t referring to your outfit. I was however referring to the mirror you need. I think I saw a handheld mirror upstairs in your quarters. Let’s hope that Roland didn’t order your things to be packed up yet.” She followed him to a back stairwell to the second level of the castle. She was about to walk to her bedchamber when the sound of arguing voices caught her attention. She walked to the nearest window, pushed the heavy drapes aside and listened.

  “Lord Blackburn was right. The King has been addled by his feelings for his daughter.”

  “Addled or not, I’m not about to revolt against his leadership. Did you see what he did to Blackburn before he killed him?” The man sounded frightened right out of his wits. “If you dare to cross him, I wish you luck. You will live to greatly rue your decision. In fact, perhaps, I should inform the king of your rebellious plot.”

  “If you do, I will have to slit your throat before you can reach him.”

  “I don’t think Lord Rutherford’s throat will be getting slit anytime soon,” Annabelle gasped. Roland stepped out of the shadows into the sunlight filled courtyard. She looked over at Ardal.

  “This isn’t going to be a pretty sight, is it?” Annabelle asked fearfully.

  “If you do not think you can deal with what you will see, you’d best walk away now.” Ardal moved toward her, probably seeking to pull her away from the scene. He had his hand on her arm. “You should come away, now. The time has escaped from us, it’s almost midday. I think you have an appointment to keep.”

  She shrugged his hold off. “No, I want to see what Roland does.”

  “This might change your rose coloured image of him.”

  “Make no mistake, Ardal. I know what Roland is capable of, should he be properly provoked.” She licked her dry lips. “I’ve never been wearing blinders when it comes to him.”

  She inhaled a deep breath, and returned her attention to the unfolding scene in front of her.

  “Sire, forgive me!”

  Roland laughed at the man’s plea. His derisive laughter made her feel chilled straight down to the bone.

  “Clemency? You seek pity from your addled monarch? I don’t think I can give you that absolution. I truly am sorry. I didn’t want anything to mess up my plans for today. But now that I know I have a faction of my men plotting against me, I will have to sort it out. My punishment will be swift—but not painless.”

  She stepped away from the window. She couldn’t run from the ugliness of life whenever the fancy struck her. She had to stand her ground. She had to know what she was dealing with—should she ever truly cross Roland.

  Roland directed his full attention to the rebel. “Lord Rutherford. Do step out of the way. I wouldn’t want to indirectly cause you any harm.”

  “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

  Lord Rutherford stepped out of the way, going so far as to position himself behind Roland. She pushed her spectacles up on her nose. Roland raised his hand toward the man, as he cowered in reaction. Then, something seemed to affect Roland. He slowly craned his neck around—he’d sensed her. She tried to move into the shadows but stumbled in her attempt…something hit her from behind. She toppled through the open window. A scream lodged in her throat.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Roland had seen her—and he’d decided to finish her off. Annabelle heard Ardal’s frenzied shout at the same time she saw the horrified look in her father’s eyes. This wasn’t his doing then. She was falling fast. She had to use her ability—except, for some reason, she couldn’t activate it. Was she so frozen with fear that it would not respond?

  At the same moment that Roland stopped her with his magic—Ardal went and used his magic to stop her fast descent.

  “Uh, oh.” She was held suspended in the air. Ardal was trying to pull her upwards, and Roland was in turn trying to pull her downwards.

  “Someone just bloody well give in. Wait! Wait! Come to the mutual decision before one of you lets go. I don’t want to end up plastered on the cobblestones,” she shouted.

  “Release my daughter, Ardal.”

  “No…you did this—we are leaving this castle.” She looked up at Ardal. She winced when her eyes took in his present form. Great. He’d gone and turned himself back into his native form.

  “As a Thalin Elf you know that I’m telling the truth. I didn’t do this to Annabelle—I sensed her presence, but I never caused her to catapult out of the window!”

  “I believe him, Ardal. Please, if he’s not going to give in, you have to! I’m starting to feel a little nauseous.”

  “I’ll be right down there. I vowed I would protect you, I’m not about to go back on my word!”

  She nodded her head. She felt like a rag doll caught between two mighty magical forces. It was a crapshoot as to who would emerge victorious, should Ardal choose to fight Roland.

  Roland slowly lowered her to the ground, turning her so she would land on her feet. She smoothed her clothing out, and brushed the wayward wisps of hair out of her face.

  “Thank you.” She looked over at the rebel. He now stood weighed down by magical chains. She hadn’t even seen her father do that—he was good.

  “Are you all right?” Roland asked.

  “Aside from the fact that someone just tried to kill me—aye. I’m fine.” Her voice rattled. She winced at giving away her true vulnerabilities.

  He softened the stern look in his eyes for her benefit. “Lord Rutherford, take the little shit away. I will deal with him later.”

  “Yes, Sire.”

  She looked over at Roland. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  The wind ruffled her hair when Ardal popped magically in. She tensed, anticipating the confrontation between the two.

  Instead, her world was rocked by the way they reacted to each other.

  Ardal stared at him, cocking his head to the side—it was as if he was making some sort of a deliberation.

  “My
old friend.” Roland threw his arms around him, clapping him on the back. Ardal thumped his back as well.

  “My friend. It is good to see you whole again.”

  “I was never broken, Ardal.”

  “I beg to differ with you on that statement.”

  “Nevertheless, this is good to see you again. I thought you looked remarkably familiar.”

  She gaped at them. Suspicion rumbled inside of her.

  “Ardal? Explain this!” Annabelle demanded.

  “I don’t think this requires an explanation.”

  “You don’t think it does? Well, jolly good for you, but I do!”

  “Ardal and I were friends in my youth. He was my teacher—until of course, I started to wander away from the path he’d hoped for me.”

  That would explain why Ardal had insisted upon accompanying her. “You aren’t very loyal to Malachi are you?”

  For the first time since she’d met Ardal he seemed angry—with her. “You watch your tongue, Princess. Never question my loyalty to the Hawthornes. Never! No doubt Roland still knows that if he tries to harm any Hawthorne, I will stop him—or die trying.”

  “I thought Thalin Elves were immortal.”

  “Not when they are half-breeds,” Roland sighed.

  “Half-breeds?”

  “Aye. Ardal you are a half-breed are you not?”

  “I don’t particularly like that label, Roland. But in answer to the question, yes, I am half-human.”

  “You see! He’s a half-breed,” Roland insisted.

  “Your father always will be a prejudiced prick,” Roland muttered angrily.

  She kept silent. She just couldn’t fathom why Ardal had never told Malachi about his past friendship with Roland. Things were getting far too complicated for her tastes.

  “Father…what will you do with the rebel?” Annabelle asked.

  “What would you expect me to do?”

  “I would expect, based upon your past that you would execute him immediately, and that you would do the job yourself.”

  He looked at her impassively for a few seconds. “You know, I do find your bluntness rather refreshing. My advisors usually pussyfoot around me—always fearful of my rather volatile temper. You, on the other hand, have no fear in telling me what’s always on your mind.”