The Princess Fugitive: A Reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood (The Four Kingdoms Book 2)

by Melanie Cellier

  How is that possible? she wondered. Casting about wildly for an explanation, she turned the parchment over in her hand and there was the original message. Turning it back over again, she felt like a fool. She’d never even thought to check the back. Reading it over quickly she realised that it was instructions to the hiding place of the second key.

  So, assuming Konrad had also received two riddles, there were two possibilities as to why he had turned up at the same key as she had. Either they’d both just happened to decipher the riddle that led to the same key first, or he’d already found the other key and had decided his best strategy was to get his hands on both of them. If he had failed to find the second riddle or had been unable to decipher it, this actually made sense. Once he had secured both keys, he could take as much time as he needed to find the exit. He would hardly consider Ava a physical danger to him, even if she could find him.

  She heard the distant sound of cursing and then a string of thuds that sounded like books hitting the floor. Ava was glad she’d taken the time to hide the Plain Sight book.

  She stared back down at the riddle in her hand. Sooner or later Konrad would work out she already had the key and then he’d come looking for her. She had to work out the clues now!

  In the back of her mind, she was desperately hoping that she wouldn’t be directed back past the entrance to the corridor where Konrad was apparently emptying bookshelves as fast as he could go. As long as it directed her to take a right first, she would be fine.

  Be right, be right, be right, she found herself repeating over and over in her mind and suddenly her eyes fixed on the word wrong.

  If you’re never wrong, she thought, then you’re right!

  She reread the riddle. If never being wrong meant making a right turn, then the one that didn’t belong would be a left turn. In which case, the riddle was instructing her to turn right to start, then left and then all rights after that.

  She was desperate enough to get away from Konrad that she didn’t stop to think it through any further. The sound of flying books was still floating over the shelves so she knew she was safe to step back out of her side corridor.

  Assuming the instructions started from the hiding place of the key, she had already taken the first right. Which meant all she had to do from here was take the first left and then keep turning right until she hit a door.

  She took off running.

  Her feet were flying under her, fuelled by equal parts excitement and fear, and she hit the end of the corridor quickly. Turning left, she continued on. The thud of falling books had ceased but she couldn’t be sure if that was because Konrad had stopped or she’d just passed out of hearing range. Somehow she forced herself to move faster.

  She almost missed the next right, sliding to a halt and changing directions at the last second. As soon as she’d recovered her balance, she was off running again.

  The next wall she encountered wasn’t covered in books, instead it was the actual wall of the room. Before Ava could celebrate this encouraging sign, she heard the sound she’d been dreading, running footsteps behind her. Konrad had heard her after all, and he was coming for her.

  She turned to her right and ran along the wall of the room, desperately searching for a door. It was hard to be completely sure, but it sounded like Konrad’s steps were only one corridor away. Just as she was starting to question how much longer she could keep up the pace, she spotted a square of brown wood in the wall.

  The door! Pulling herself to a stop, her hand dug frantically around in her pocket. It felt like an impossibly long time but was, in fact, only seconds before she had pulled out the key and jammed it into the key hole in front of her.

  Holding her breath, she twisted it around and heard a satisfying click. As she pulled the door open, she glanced to her left just in time to see Konrad rounding the corner.

  He let out a wordless yell of rage when he saw her but she just smiled at him and stepped through the doorway.

  Chapter 33

  She emerged into a large empty space and was surrounded by a reverberating cheer. It took her a moment to realise the door had exited into the courtroom.

  She had won and the crowd was shouting their approval.

  She moved forward, away from the open doorway, and tried to grasp what had just happened. She had won. Rangmere was safe; she would be queen.

  Despite all their planning and all their hopes, it was hard to believe.

  She looked to her right and saw the rest of her team, standing next to the doorway. They had obviously been waiting there to see who would emerge. They were all smiling at her and Sarah was actually jumping up and down and clapping her hands.

  But best of all, Hans was with them, leaning on Aldric and smiling at her with an expression so full of pride that it made her want to run straight into his arms.

  The crowd, however, had begun to climb over the railings. They were surging forward, clearly bent on congratulating their new monarch and she realised that more personal conversations would have to wait.

  Before the people could reach her, however, Konrad appeared in the open doorway. To her surprise he was smiling, although the expression looked strange on his face. He also moved towards her and, for one confused moment, Ava thought she saw a large silver beast instead of a man, his bright claws flashing in her direction.

  Then from the corner of her eye, she saw Hans moving. He was coming at her far faster than someone with his injuries should have been capable of moving and she half turned towards him, meaning to protest.

  But before more than a syllable had crossed her lips, the flash she had seen formed into a dagger and Ava realised her brother’s true purpose. She gasped and reached down for her own knife, shock slowing her movements.

  As Konrad reached her, he raised the dagger over his head and someone in the crowd behind Ava screamed. She staggered back, sure she was about to die and then suddenly he was lying at her feet in a pool of blood. It was far bigger than the one Hans had lain in and with every second it got bigger.

  Ava blinked down at it several times, too shocked to understand what she was seeing. She shuddered and looked up to see Hans staring at her with terror and relief, his chest heaving. His hand gripped his bloodied sword and Ava realised what had happened. He smiled at her, his eyes full of love, and then he collapsed.

  She cried out and stepped towards him but Evelyn, who had been several steps behind Hans, managed to catch his head and arms before they hit the ground. She was straining to hold his greater weight and Ava was relieved to see several members of the crowd break off and rush to help her.

  Lord Iver, meanwhile, had stepped up to Konrad and knelt beside his still body. He examined him closely before standing up again.

  “He’s dead,” he said loudly. “And as the victor of the Monarchy Trials, Princess Ava is our new monarch.”

  He was interrupted by a small cheer that was soon quelled by his stern look.

  “To attack a monarch with the intent of physical harm,” he gestured towards the knife at his feet, “is treason. As such, the law states that Prince Konrad is hereby stripped of his royal title. He will not be afforded a royal burial and the kingdom will not hold a day of mourning. Which means,” he allowed a smile to slip across his face, “we are free to celebrate the coronation of our new queen which will take place the day after tomorrow.”

  There were several calls of “hear, hear!” and several laughs. Ava felt too shocked to process everything that was going on. It seemed unreal to hear herself called queen and, as much as she had always disliked him, it seemed equally strange to celebrate while her brother lay dead at her feet. She was grateful when several clerks came forward and laid a length of black material over his body.

  There were now people milling all over the floor of the courtroom. Aldric came pushing through the throng and was soon issuing orders for Hans to be carried to a quieter location. Ava turned, meaning to accompany them, but was prevented from doing so by the crowd around her.<
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  Relief seemed to be the main emotion flowing from person to person and Ava wasn’t sure whether it was primarily aimed at her victory or the dramatic end of Konrad. Clearly any sympathy the people of Rangmeros had felt for him in the wake of their father’s death had been worn away and people had begun to fear his reign. Those present at the Trials were the head of Rangmeran society and she wondered how many of them had suspected her brother’s involvement in the assassination.

  All of this observation was happening without conscious thought. Instead, her mind was focused on Hans who was being carried out of the room. Her heart was screaming at her to go after him but instead she was forced to smile and accept seemingly endless congratulations.

  When the congratulations began to turn into subtle and not so subtle requests of the new sovereign, Ava decided she had had enough. She was just wondering how best to communicate this to her new subjects when she felt a light touch on her elbow. Looking over she saw that Lord Adelmar had come up beside her. The other people standing closest to her fell back a couple of steps, giving them room.

  “You must allow me to congratulate you on making such excellent use of gossip, your majesty.” His voice was as light as his touch.

  Ava admired the adroit way in which he reminded her of her obligation to him.

  “Thank you, Lord Adelmar,” she said. “I always value good counsel.”

  “I’ve actually just been having a most interesting chat,” he said, conversationally. Ava followed his gaze to where Princess Clarisse was standing. She had positioned herself away from the crowd but had still attracted her own small gathering of curious well-wishers.

  “Perhaps you would allow me to escort you back to the castle in my carriage? I understand you walked here and I fear that if you were to take to the streets now, you might not reach the castle before midnight.”

  When she looked at him curiously, he shrugged.

  “News of your victory is already spreading through the city. You’ve made quite an impression on the local populace in the last week. I’m sure the people of Rangmeros will be as eager to convey their congratulations as this crowd is.”

  Ava couldn’t suppress a shudder at the thought.

  “Precisely,” said Lord Adelmar.

  Ava laughed.

  “Remind me never to get on your bad side, Lord Adelmar,” she said, “you’re far too canny.”

  “Thank you, Your Majesty.” He gave her a small bow, “I do my best.”

  With a look here and a gesture there, he parted an avenue through the crowd for them. Ava decided then and there to ask him to be her Chief Advisor. They would make a powerful team.

  Evelyn and Sarah were waiting at the door.

  “Aldric and Mathilde went with Hans,” said Evelyn in response to Ava’s questioning look. “But I knew he would never forgive me if I left you unprotected while he was unconscious.”

  “You are fortunate in your supporters, Your Majesty.” Lord Adelmar gestured all three women to climb into his waiting carriage.

  Once they were all settled, he signalled to his coachman and they took off for the castle. For the first minute or so they rode in silence, Ava’s thoughts revolving around Hans. She was desperately hoping that he had simply exhausted himself and not that he had suffered any serious relapse. They were so close to achieving everything they had set out to do but she couldn’t find joy in any of it when Hans’ life hung in the balance.

  A quiet throat clearing drew her attention back to Lord Adelmar.

  “I hesitate to speak in your moment of triumph, Your Majesty,” he said, although Ava noticed he didn’t sound at all hesitant, “but you said that you value counsel.”

  “I do.” Ava sighed internally. What could he possibly want that couldn’t wait?

  “Despite the impressive performance of your team in the Trials and your obvious grasp of political machinations, I fear that once the initial excitement dies down, there will still be those who oppose your reign. Rangmere, after all, is a kingdom that values strength and we are used to having kings who are fighters as well as politicians.” He paused respectfully and Ava frowned.

  What he was saying was true, of course, but she didn’t know what she could do about it right now. She had hoped that such considerations could at least wait until after the coronation.

  “What do you suggest I do, My Lord,” she asked. “I can hardly transform myself into a warrior overnight.”

  “No indeed,” he said with a quiet laugh, “please forgive me if you thought I was suggesting any changes needed to be made to your estimable person. It merely occurred to me that a kingdom can have both a queen and a king.”

  “Ah. So you recommend I marry.”

  “As soon as possible.” He gave a decisive nod. “Stop the talk before it can even get started.”

  “And who do you propose I ally myself with?” asked Ava.

  “Well, that is entirely up to you, Your Majesty,” he replied with what Ava suspected was mock humility. “I wouldn’t presume to recommend a specific person. I would merely suggest that you choose someone who is well regarded for their combat skill. A hero would be best – the sort of person who would respond quickly and decisively at any hint of treason.”

  Ava almost let her mouth fall open at his words. He couldn’t possibly be suggesting… could he? He looked back at her with a twinkle in his eyes and an answering giggle came from the other side of the carriage.

  They both turned to look at Sarah and Lord Adelmar raised his eyebrows.

  “I don’t think we’ve met.”

  “You’re the one who met Ava at the square two days ago, aren’t you?” she asked. “Lord Adelmar, I think it was.”

  He nodded agreement and relaxed a little.

  “And you are Sarah of the travelling merchants.” He was obviously unwilling to be outdone.

  “Why did you help Ava?” Evelyn narrowed her eyes at him.

  “I found myself rather reluctant to swear fealty to her brother,” he said equably.

  “It seems to me you’re pretty powerful around here,” said Evelyn, “you didn’t have a fancy to be king yourself?”

  Lord Adelmar looked a little taken aback by the direct question and Ava guessed that no one in Rangmeros would have dared to ask him such a thing. But it took him only a moment to regain his usual equanimity.

  “Not at all. I assure you, such a desire has never occurred to me. To be a good ruler requires a level of self-sacrifice that I must admit I am far too selfish to desire. My interests are best served in the background.”

  Evelyn seemed to accept this answer and directed her attention to Ava.

  “He’s right you know. About the consort thing. A hero is just the sort of person you need.” She tried to keep a straight face but was unable to restrain herself from flashing Ava just as wide a grin as Sarah was giving her. Their grins were so identical, in fact, that for one unusual moment they looked almost similar enough to be sisters.

  Before Ava could reply, the carriage pulled into the castle courtyard.

  “Let’s hope his heroism hasn’t cost this particular hero his life,” she said a little darkly before jumping out of the carriage and hurrying into the castle.

  She had been rather afraid that the servants would all be gathered in the entryway once again but it was blessedly empty. She made it half way across the wide space before the housekeeper appeared from nowhere.

  “They’ve taken him up to their guest suite,” she said without Ava needing to utter a word. She flashed her a grateful look and took off up the stairs. She wondered a little ruefully if everyone in the castle knew how she felt about Hans and hoped the absence of celebrating servants didn’t mean there was bad news waiting for her.

  She paused outside the door of the suite to catch her breath. After a moment, she admitted to herself that she was scared to go in. Giving herself a mental shake, she opened the door and entered.

  At first glance, the rooms appeared to be empty but a small movemen
t drew her attention past the open double doors and into the bedroom. To her relief it was Hans and he was not only alive but sitting up on the edge of the bed.

  She ran to him, crying in her relief.

  He slid off the bed and onto one knee.

  “My Queen.” His voice was deep with emotion.

  “No, Hans,” she said, taking his hand and pulling him to his feet. “Not from you.”

  “Why ever not?” He gently traced the outline of her face with his hand. “You’ve always been my queen, after all.”

  She leaned her face into his palm and shut her eyes. After a moment she reopened them and looked up at him.

  “Thank you for what you did back there. I was so afraid when you collapsed.”

  “Nothing like the fear I felt when I saw the knife in Konrad’s hand. It gave me such a burst of energy, I didn’t even feel my wound.”

  “What did Aldric say?” asked Ava, worried. “It can’t have been good for you!”

  “I reopened my stitches,” Hans admitted. “But I’ve now been stitched back up and fed all sorts of foul tasting concoctions that will apparently help with the blood loss. My nurses have been taking good care of me. They only left because they heard you were back and thought we might want a moment alone. And they were right.” He flashed her a wicked grin before pulling her into his arms and pressing his mouth down onto hers.

  She returned his embrace enthusiastically, being careful to avoid his injured shoulder, and felt the flood of joy and triumph that had been missing earlier.

  When they finally fell apart she smiled up at him and was surprised to see a fierceness in his eyes.

  “I don’t care,” he said, his voice rough. “I don’t care that you’re a queen now and I’m just a guard. I’m not letting you go. Not again.”

  She smiled up at him playfully. “Well, I guess in that case, it’s a good thing I’ve just been told I need a warrior hero for my husband. Apparently that’s what the kingdom wants. For myself, I want a man who’s strong and loyal and good. And, even more importantly, one who brings out the good in me. One who’ll make me into a better queen. And I think you might be the only man for the job. What do you say Hans? Will you be my king?”