by K. Lyn Hill
Swinging his other hand behind his back, the coin magically re-appeared. Malachi’s eyes lit up as he went to grab for it. She shook her head and chuckled. Then she felt a point at her back. She froze. “On guard!” As soon as she heard the voice, she visibly relaxed. She peeked over her shoulder at one of Malachi’s friends. Mishielle stood about as high as her chest as he held a wooden toy sword to her back.
Putting her hands up, she begged for mercy. “Please don’t hurt me!”
“It’s not for me to decide. I must take you to the master.” He croaked in his high-pitched little boy voice.
“Yes kind sir, take me to your master.”
He poked at her back to get her to move closer to where Eli was stationed and as soon as she met his eyes, she saw that they were twinkling.
“I found her trying to steal your booty.” Mishielle said as she tried again not to burst out in laughter. She pinched her lips together as she looked at the master.
“Well if we were good pirates at all, we would have her walk the plank!” Eli hollered and little boy cheers rang out in the air. “What have you say, men?” He shouted. Another chorus of celebration rang out.
“No! Please have mercy on me!” She pleaded.
“I’m sorry. It’s just the way it has to go.” Eli nodded his head to the corner and this time a snicker slipped out. Their ‘plank’ was a little piece of wood and on the bottom of it sat a giant puddle. Ooooo she was shaking in her boots.
She put on a horrified expression on her face. “No! You monsters! Anything but that! I’ll do anything!”
Eli paused and lifted an eyebrow. “Anything?”
This time she couldn’t help it. She burst out laughing, shaking her head. Of course Eli would use a little kids game to his advantage.
Mishielle didn’t appreciate that she was laughing. His little fist bunched on his waist and he cocked his hips. “This is no laughing matter!”
“Of course it’s not. I was just so scared that the only thing I could do was to laugh. I apologize.” She said trying to keep a straight face.
“Now, where were we?” Eli said, the twinkling in his eyes a full-blown flare.
“She was willing to do anything except walk the plank.” Malachi so helpfully added.
“Ah yes…” Eli said cryptically. “I say she give us her food rations for a week. We can slowly starve her, so she feels the full brunt of her punishment.”
“You know what the only thing wrong with that idea is?” She asked even though there were many things wrong with that statement.
“What is that?”
She dug her heels into the ground and smiled, bouncing on her toes. “You’re not anticipating that I escape.” And then she sprinted out of Mishielle’s reach and dodged around them.
“Get her!” Eli yelled and then she heard the pittering of little feet behind her, followed by heavy man footsteps.
She jumped and shifted, hoping not to run anyone over. That would not go over well with the captain but then she felt strong hands wrap around her and she squirmed.
“I got her!” Eli yelled. “You shouldn’t have run, now your punishment will be even worse.” He whispered in her ear and she smiled, still playfully wiggling to get free.
“Let me go!”
“Now what do we do to her men?” Eli shouted.
“I have an idea.” A new voice joined the fray and Aerity squinted open her eyes to see Natalia standing there with a devious smile. That didn’t look good. A few seconds later, Nala appeared with a pie in her hands and Aerity froze. This did not look good at all. She fought and wrestled to get out of Eli’s grip, but he held tight. Her eyes widened as Natalia grabbed the pie out of her hands and headed toward her like a sly predator. And that was the last thing she saw before the pie was shoved in her face.
∞∞∞
Eli
“I can’t believe you held me down as she covered me in whipped cream!” Aerity laughed as she wiped the pie from her face. He fought the image that instantly popped into his head with that sentence. Of her…covered in whipped cream…and nothing else.
He shook his head to clear it. “And blueberries. Can’t forget about that little detail.” Some bugs had gotten into the dessert for that night and so Natalia had been on her way to dispose of it when she ran into their little acting party, figuring that this was a much better way to get rid of the garbage. After seeing it smeared all over Aerity, he had to admit that he whole heartedly agreed.
The blueberries in it, had smashed and stained her skin, created a blue tint to her complexion but he still couldn’t find himself looking away. Covered in pie, she was even more beautiful than normal. She would look beautiful no matter what. But now she was just tempting his mouth that wanted desperately to help get her cleaned up. Her smile sparkled despite being ganged up on and her eyes glittered like emeralds.
“Just you wait. I know where your sleeping tonight.” She teased as she wiped at the crust smeared in her hair.
“All’s fair in love and war.” He smirked at her and then threw her another towel.
She laughed again and shook her head, shoving the towel back at him. A hand full of the pie was smeared all over her hand and before he could even register the move, she lunged. Her hand hit his face with a splat as the pie slid down his cheek and onto his shirt.
When he looked at her with his mouth slid open, she swiped at the cream on her cheek and licked it, offering him a wink. “Very true.”
He stared down at his now coated shirt and wiped at his face with his hand. “You know that was to being thrown out for having bugs in it, right?”
She shrugged. “Extra protein.”
“Cockroaches have protein in them?” He asked and wanted to laugh at how severely her body froze.
“Cockroaches?”
He strained to not give himself away. They were just gnats, but she didn’t need to know that. “Yeah. They got into the pie.”
Her face turned from the faint shade of green before shifting to pale. “Please tell me your kidding.”
His plan was to keep playing it off for as long as he could but then he couldn’t hold back his laughter any longer.
Her face became blotched with an unappealing shade of red as she punched him in the arm. “I hate you.” She grumbled.
“Nope. You love me. Admit it.”
She rolled her eyes and shook her head as he went to retrieve another shirt. Turning his back to her, he stripped his pie covered shirt, tossing it on the ground.
“You’re such a dude.” He heard Aerity say and he smirked.
“Good observation.” He felt something hit him in the head and turned around to see that Aerity had thrown her towel at him. But now her eyes were dropped to his abdomen, her head cocked to the side.
“Turn around.”
“What?”
“Turn around.” She repeated.
He narrowed his eyes at her but did as she requested. A second later he felt warm hands on his lower back. He closed his eyes as a shiver went down his spine.
“Why have I never noticed this birth mark before?” She asked softly.
“I don’t have my shirt off around you often enough, I guess.” He tossed over his shoulder and she scoffed.
“We used to bathe together. You would have thought I would have seen it before.”
Now it was his turn to shrug. “It’s just a birth mark.”
“Something about it looks familiar. Like I’ve seen it somewhere.”
Eli snorted. “Yeah, on my back.”
She slapped his arm playfully. “You know what I mean.”
He sucked in a breath as her fingers left his skin and she took a step away from him. He felt as if he could finally breathe again.
After yanking on a shirt, he turned to face her and the sad expression on her face punched him in the gut. “What’s wrong?”
She offered him a shaky smile but it tugged at his chest in the worst way. “Just playing with Malachi today reminded me
of Serenity.”
He took a step towards her but she shook her head. “I’m fine. It’s fine. Just made me think of her.”
Before he could even say another word, she smiled wider and bounced in step, all sadness vanished and yet he knew it lurked beneath the surface where no one could see. She would suffer silently with her pain, just like she always did.
“You can talk to me about it you know. I was there. I get it.”
Her smile widened even more, and he knew it was forced. He was there for her death, but it was Siel who had formed a bond with the little girl and Aerity had lost Siel too. She put on a tough face, but Eli could see her broken heart trying to shatter through her skin. The tough exterior that she never let anyone past.
“Seriously. I’m good. I’m just going to shower and get all this stuff off me.” She said cheerfully and as she went into the bathroom, only moments later, Eli pretended that he didn’t hear the soft sobs coming through the door because he had a feeling that was what she wanted him to do. Just like what he had been doing all along with his feelings.
Ignore them and pretend.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Carly
Things with the princess still nagged at her. First with the mention to the woman in the woods again but then to the princess referring to her as servant. Her words gouged and scraped down her spine, but Carly knew that had been her desired intention, so she attempted to shake it off.
It didn’t work.
After she had brought the princess fresh food and cleaned up the mess that the brat had tossed all over the floor like some spoiled child, Carly ran into the servant’s quarters, slamming the soiled food down on the table with a loud bang. Frustration didn’t even begin to describe the emotions she was feeling. She just felt so helpless.
Other maids stopped what they were doing, whispering about her behind her back but it wasn’t a surprise. Ever since Damien had called her into his office, they had all been talking about her. Some discreetly and some loud and clear enough to be heard by all.
She took a deep breath and stared at her reflection in the metal tray. Drab eyes peered back, her hair hung flat down the sides of her face, drawing her chin to a sharp peek. Her hands clenched around the tray edges and she jerked her gaze away. She possessed no control over her life or over Aerity’s safety and still she craved for more. But it was clear that she needed to embrace her way of life. A servant was all she was ever going to be. Someone to be overlooked and walked all over.
“What’s the matter with you child?” Mrs. Clarel said behind her, making her jump. The older woman was much closer than Carly had realized. “The princess requested new food.”
Mrs. Clarel gruffed. “Something is not quite right with that girl, now is it?” No, no it was not. “What happened to her being your friend? Don’t think I didn’t know about her late-night visits to your room.”
Carly turned to face the woman’s pointed expression and almost cringed. They had tried to be quiet and discreet, but gossip was avid amongst the servant’s corridor. Carly wondered if she should tell Mrs. Clarel the truth. Although her shrewd expression alluded to more incite than she allowed herself to show.
“Yeah it’s almost as if she’s a different person.” She watched to see if there was any kind of change in the woman’s expression. Carly could have sworn her parlor paled. But then the look disappeared. In its place, a scowl formed.
“Just proves that we don’t mesh well with those people.”
Those people…Royalty. People that aren’t like us…Servants.
Just like the princess’s words…But then Carly thought of her other words. She turned to face the head of staff, noticing the sharp wrinkles by her eyes. She bit her lip wondering if Mrs. Clarel knew anything about the woman in the woods that kept being mentioned. There was no other way to find out but to just ask.
“Mrs. Clarel. You know the story about the woman in the woods?” She asked quietly, aware that there were still many ears upon them.
Mrs. Clarel’s eyes shot up and widened. “Why would you ask such a thing?” She asked, nervously glancing around. Carly couldn’t remember ever seeing her look nervous.
“Don’t speak of what you do not know, child. If a story was made into a nightmare, it’s best to be kept in the dark. Don’t drag it out into the light. You won’t like what you see.”
“So there is some truth to it?” Carly pushed. No one seemed to have any answers and it was eating her alive. This woman was the key to everything and yet everyone was so tightlipped about her.
Mrs. Clarel took another glance around and pulled on her arm, dragging her into the corner away from prying eyes and hearing ears. “Tell me why you’re asking.” She demanded.
Carly licked her lips. “What would you do if I told you that I believed it. That I believed there are two different worlds where each world has a twin that look alike but are completely different? What would you do if I told you that I’m confident that the Aerity I was friends with and the princess that is here now are completely different people from two different worlds? And I think the woman in the woods is the key to it all.”
Mrs. Clarel hissed, her jaw tightening. She closed her eyes for a long minute before opening them. As soon as she did, Carly knew that the older woman knew something. “Stop digging Carly. I’m telling you that it is dangerous to ask questions.”
The words were on the tip of her tongue. It was now or never. “Aerity was locked in the dungeon when the princess took her place in the castle again. We are beyond asking questions and being dangerous.”
The woman’s hand was still wrapped around her forearm and it tightened almost painfully. “You have seen them both?”
“Yes. I helped her escape.”
Mrs. Clarel cursed and then raised her hand to her forehead muttering. “This is not good. Not good at all.”
“Why? Tell me what you know.” She didn’t seem surprised in the least and Carly wanted to know why.
Mrs. Clarel stared off at the corner behind her head, pulling in deep breathes, clearly debating with herself. “You should have stayed out of this.”
“Well it’s too late. I’m in it now. I think the princess is working with her and she knows I helped Aerity escape. She told me the woman in the woods will be coming soon.” Panicked eyes met hers and she added, “I need to know.”
Eventually Mrs. Clarel let out a grunt and blew out air, rubbing a hand down her exhausted face. “It happened many years ago. Before you were even born, and it is all told by hearsay so I can’t confirm the truth in any of it.”
“Confirm the truth of what?”
“How the story of the woman in the woods began.”
“Tell me.”
Mrs. Clarel looked around, checking to make sure no one else had stepped into their conversation. “There were rumors of the queen before she passed away. I had been working in the kitchen at the time and so I didn’t have much interaction with people outside of the staff. All I heard was talk. The queen had never sent any food back until randomly nothing was ever good enough. There were constant complaints. People noticed a change in her almost instantly, but the king was blinded by love.”
“The queen had gone for a simple horseback ride through the forest with some guards. She returned and they did not. Her hand maidens said it was like overnight her personality went from kind to crazed. After that she shut out Damien who was just a tot at the time and froze out anyone who came near. She turned rude and malicious.” She took a deep breath. “The queen got pregnant. People began to say that it was simply pregnancy hormones creating her riotous moods. Then the baby came and later it was announced that the queen had died giving birth to Siel.”
Carly chewed on her lower lip. “So then how did the story start about the woman in the woods?”
“Rumors said that in her final days, the queen became possessed. It was the only explanation simple minds could come up with for why she had changed so drastically in such a short period of tim
e. Peopled claimed that when she died, the spirit went out and she was confined and trapped to live out her life in the wild. That the forest she had changed in, wanted her back. It’s said that the spirit of the old Queen haunts the forest. Some swore that she would come back and destroy us all while others laughed and played it off as one big joke, thinking it was a figment of everyone’s imagination.”
Carly’s mind spun. “What about the part about the wild beasts?”
“That part of the story wasn’t created until about three years ago. People rumored seeing wild animals the likes of which we had never seen wandering the edge of the forest. It was said that the dead queen began to gather a secret army and that she would rise to be seated on her throne again.”
Carly didn’t believe in spirits or ghosts, especially not after seeing two people wearing Eli’s and Aerity’s faces. No, she thought there was a much more logical explanation for the rumors. “Do you think this woman could actually be from another world and have found her way into ours, pretending to be the queen?” But then why would the king allow her to stay after she tricked him? Perhaps she threatened him with something? But what?
As she connected everything in her head, an internal light flashed and flickered alerting her to fact she was overlooking. “Could she be holding something over his head?”
If she was getting the timeline correct, this was all claimed to have happened right before Siel was born. “Do you know who her child was? Could it be Siel?” Carly breathed and Mrs. Clarel covered her mouth.
“No more of this wild talk!” She said frantically glancing around again. “You are taking this too far. What you speak of is treason!” She hissed.
“But wouldn’t it make sense? If the woman pretended to be queen and got pregnant, she could have been blackmailing the king somehow. There has to be someone who knows something. What about the staff that helped the queen give birth? Are they still working in the castle?” She was determined to get the answers she craved. Aerity was off somewhere in hiding and this woman could have been the one to bring her here. Which meant that she had a way to return Aerity back to her home. And if what the princess said was true and this woman was coming for her, Carly needed to have all the information she could get.
