by K. Lyn Hill
Tick tock, tick tock. He released an impatient sigh.
“I believe with everything so cut and dry that we are ready to take the final vote. All who think he is guilty, raise your hands.”
He closed his eyes. He didn’t even want to see if Siel’s hand was raised.
“Now, all who think he is innocent.”
The banging of the javelin is what finally made his eyes open back up with the winning verdict.
Surprise, surprise, guess which one it was.
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Aerity
“That man with the buzzed head, follow him.” Kayden was much more observant than he let on which made Aerity really suspicious. Clearly, she didn’t hide her scrutiny well.
“What?” He must have gotten sick of feeling her eyes because he turned to face her.
“Why did you help us?” She asked cautiously.
“I didn’t help you. I needed your eyes.”
“And Eli? What did you need from him?”
“You wouldn’t have done it without him. I accepted it was a package deal.”
Her nostrils flared at his obvious lie. “Why did you help us, Kayden?”
“I have my reasons.”
God he was so annoying. “Which are?” She drawled.
“They don’t concern you.”
he wasn’t going to pretend like that didn’t sting. She had thought they’d grown close over the last few weeks.
He sensed her pause and tried to placate her. “Look, I’m not trying to hurt your feelings. It’s just not important right now. I have my reasons. That’s all that needs to be said.”
She wanted to push, pull and drag it out of him but realized it wasn’t the way to go. He wouldn’t budge until he was ready and apparently that wasn’t right now.
“Ok.” She unwittingly relented.
He appeared shocked for a moment that she didn’t push but then schooled his features. He was about to speak when the noise around them suddenly stopped. A chill spread down her spine as she watched all the towns people sprint back to their homes.
“Something is wrong. We need to go.” He tugged on her arm, practically dragging her towards his home. Men with shrouded hoods stepped out of the shadows, silver glinted in the moonlight.
“What’s going on?” She asked as she eyed the new addition to the alley.
He didn’t answer. Instead he picked up his pace. The grip on her arm was tightening by the minute, giving her a very bad feeling. They raced along the water way as she grabbed hold of her skirt so she didn’t trip. The uneven cobble stone beneath her didn’t help so much either as she tried to keep up with Kayden’s large strides.
As they approached the home, heavy footsteps pounded behind them. Kayden practically yanked the door off the hinges as he shoved her inside. The door slammed shut before she had a chance to see what was happening. Her heart was racing a mile a minute. She jumped to the window where she saw him speaking to a short man who was carrying a cross bag strapped to his chest. A messenger? They were running from a messenger?
She watched the man’s panicked expression as his gaze shot around him nervously. Kayden’s face hardened, glancing towards the window she was staring out of. He turned his back so that he was blocking her view. She muttered a curse under her breath and began to pace, her feet practically leaving tread marks in their wake. After what felt like an eternity, the door slowly creaked open. Kayden looked pale, shutting the door behind him before leaning against it.
“Kayden, what’s going on? What happened?”
Worried eyes met hers. His mouth parted but it took a moment for the words to come out. But once they did, they collided into her and ripped the air from her lungs. “The king is dead.”
∞∞∞
Eli
“What do you mean, the king is dead?!” Eli could hear Aerity’s panic from the stairs as he made his way towards the commotion. Slammed doors and yelling summoned him from his room. He paused when he saw the scene in front of him. Aerity’s arms were swinging wildly in the air as Kayden looked at the wall behind her head passively.
“The king is dead?” Eli joined in, which had Aerity jerking her head to meet his gaze. He wasn’t expecting to meet such a bewildered expression. “Why do you care so much about the king being dead?”
Aerity seemed to struggle breathing as she reached out to steady herself on a nearby chair.
Kayden crossed his arms and stared at him. “She’s not upset about the king. She’s upset at who is being accused of the assassination.”
He was a bit shocked by the revelation but really, a king being assassinated wasn’t all that original. “He was murdered? By who?”
She kept staring at him she couldn’t quite suck in enough air.
Kayden stepped in. “The king’s son.”
“Siel?”
Finally, Aerity spoke. “Damien.” The floorboards creaked as she looked over at Kayden, shifting her weight between feet. “What’s the process?”
“What do you mean?”
“When a royal is accused of murder, what is the process? If he’s proven guilty, how long do we have before he is hung for treason?!” She practically shouted the last word.
Unphased Kayden shrugged. “We are delayed in getting the message. The king was killed yesterday. Word just got out today. The trial will probably be tomorrow, then a few days for the council to deliberate. I’d say a week at best. Give or take a few days.”
Without another word, Aerity sprinted upstairs. Eli raced after her, gripping the banister as he called out her name. She ignored him. As he got to the room, she was throwing things in her bag.
“What are you doing?”
She ignored him, continuing to stuff her bag full. He knew exactly what she was about to do. Run headfirst into danger for someone else. “Aerity, will you just stop and listen to me for once! A week. That’s all we would have. And that’s a big if. They might convict him sooner. It takes a week just to travel there by boat.”
“They might convict him later.” She countered. “I have to try.”
He threw his hands frustratingly into the air. “Why?! Do you not realize the coincident in this? The princess suddenly appears and the king dies. This is just the beginning. Clearly this is part of her plan. We are safe here Aerity. We finally found a place to call home in this forsaken world. Why? Why does it have to be you?”
“Because no one else will.”
“That’s not a good enough reason!”
She slung her bag over her shoulder, her face filled with resolve. “You would have an innocent man die?”
“We don’t know that he’s innocent.”
Her expression could kill. “Damien’s a jerk but we both know he isn’t capable of killing his own father. Get real.”
“Our lives are forfeit the moment we step foot there.”
“Then don’t come with me.”
He stumbled a step back as her words knocked into him like a gail force wind. “I would follow you a where. To the ends of the earth and back Aer. But this is insane.”
“Carly is in that castle, Eli. Carly!” She wasn’t giving this up no matter how much he wished she would.
“And how will saving Damien help Carly? That’s not a valid point.”
“The kingdom will go to hell if Damien dies. It was bad before, but do you really want the princess and Siel running it?”
“Ok fine. But you can’t go there halfcocked with no plan. We are fugitives. It’s not like you can go in and demand his release.”
“We have a week boat ride to think up a plan. Let’s go.”
“You won’t get very far tonight.” Eli hadn’t realized Kayden had been standing in the doorway. He wondered how much of their conversation he heard.
Eli’s anger spiked. Why was he just standing there? “Why are you not arguing against this insanity?” Eli turned his aggression towards Kayden who again didn’t seem to care.
“No boats will port out tonight and it’s not safe on the
docks right now. It’s better if you leave in the morning.” Why did he sound so relaxed about them leaving? It was like he expected them to.
“Kayden! Why aren’t you fighting this?”
Again, Kayden ignored him. “Speaking of boats. Which one do you expect to come in on?”
“I have a friend.” Aerity said while stuffing more things in her bag.
Eli listened to their conversation fuming. Why was no one listening to reason?
“Yes, the captain. Although she is in the middle of the Orange Sea and isn’t due back for three days. That would put a damper on your travel plans.”
Aerity cursed. “Then we will find another boat. It’s as simple as that.”
“Only one will get you to where you’re going on time and it will not be pretty. You won’t get along with the captain and if you kill him, you will lose your passage.”
“Why would I kill him?” Aerity asked.
“You’ll see.” A mysterious grin appeared on his lips before he turned from the room.
Panicked, Eli grabbed her shoulders and gently tried to shake some sense into her. “It’s not your job to save the world. Your only one person.”
He couldn’t deny the fact that her determination was something he loved about her. She was selfless but sometimes a little too much.
Her face turned from defeated too stubborn instantly. A sick feeling rolled in his gut even before she spoke.
“No, but I can certainly try. I will not let Damien hang. I leave tomorrow at first light, whether you’re with me or not.”
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Twenty-Two Years Ago, Ceranthium
The King
“Hello your majesty." She purred as revulsion rippled through him. The taste of her still lingered on his lips. The feel of her under him made bile rise in his throat.
Deceit, horror, betrayal.
There wasn't a strong enough word to describe the situation that now stood flauntingly in front of him. He was such a fool to think for one second that this woman could have been his wife! The woman he married was loving and gentle, differing entirely from the woman staring back at him that was harsh and unforgiving. Yet, he had held a warm body in his arm that unbeknownst to him, it was the wrong one. They looked the same, from her raven black hair to piercing blue eyes. Only difference was the lack of the mark on her hip. The one that clearly marked one as royalty in this world from birth. Her body felt the same, with her elegant graceful limbs and soft curves, whispering in the same melodic voice that he fell in love with at the beginning. However, that was where the similarities ended. When he figured out the truth, it was far too late.
There were warning signs he simply chose to ignore. She would forget random events or question things that she had once clearly known. He had simply thought his wife was ill, suffering from the effects of carrying his child. Emotions could be a fickle thing with a human life growing inside of you.
Or should he say children.
Disgust swarmed his insides at the thought of his own stupidity. This snake of a woman had taken everything from him. Anger unfurled in his veins as he clenched and unclenched his hands.
Never let them see you weak.
She had just given birth to his sons when the nurse informed him that the mark was lacking on both of his children. Each royal was marked from birth. It was a way to prove legitimacy for the future ruling heir. Damien had one from his family line on his spine just as these two should have been born.
Only they weren’t.
At first, he had thought his wife had been unfaithful. Then what the nurse told him next was much worse than that. His wife was missing her mark and the one she received when they were married, which only confirmed that this wasn’t the woman he had wed. How he hadn’t noticed before was beyond him.
Holding his head up high he growled. "Where is my wife?” At first, she played dumb but then when it was apparent that she wasn’t going to get away with anything more, a serpent’s smile spread across her blood red lips. A look that surely would have given her away a few short months ago but at the time, she was sweet as the blueberry Pie Mrs. Clarel would make in the summer. Now a storm swirled around her in a promise of destruction and ruin.
“That’s all you want to know? You’re not curious how I did it or how long I’ve been able to deceive you? Pity. Men these days only want to you for your body.” She sighed dramatically as if she were the victim here.
His patience was dangling on a very thin thread about ready to snap. “Tell me where she is, now!”
Her lips perched. “Well you certainly take the fun out of everything. Where is the build up? The intrigue? The suspense? Don’t you want to guess?”
A growl came loose from his throat, low and deadly.
She sighed. “Oh fine. Your wife is gone. That’s all you deserve to know.”
He refused to show her how much her words ripped him apart on the inside. When he thought about it though, hadn’t he lost his wife a while ago?
“You will tell me where she is or for each non-answer, I will cut off one of your limbs.” He was done trying to reason with a mad woman.
“Your wife is where no one will find her, I can assure you of that and I’ll let you know dear king, threats do not become you.” She stood up to pour a glass of wine as if she had every right to still be in his castle, partaking in his delicacies. Pretending to take his wife’s place.
“I liked you much better naked, on top of me.” She flashed him another saucy smile and he slammed his fist into the wall, leaving a dent in its wake. She didn’t even blink. He tried to cool his temper. If he killed her, he would never get the answers he sought.
She didn’t need to know that though.
"I hope you realize we are here to kill you." His tone was flat and emotionless. She simply clicked her tongue, unaffected by his words. "Now, we can't have that. That would not be in your best interest." The glee in her expression unsettled him for reasons he didn't yet understand. This woman had a confidence that was unwarranted. He didn't like it.
"You have never been one to miss an opportunity, so pray tell, what do you mean?"
She sauntered over to him, the way she had done ten months ago, boiling his blood but in a much different way than it was simmering now.
After she had stolen his wife and impersonated her.
"You may not understand the kind of technology from my world but let me explain what's going to happen. See this little thing in my hand?"
Keeping his face blank, he glanced at her hand. He gave a sharp nod, waiting for her to continue with her explanation.
"This is a cell phone. Powerful men in my world know the exact details to how to enter your world and where your castle and village are located. They have agreed to my terms that they won’t attack, unless they don’t hear from me. I have programmed an alert to be sent every three months to the king and all his advisors of my world. This device could be destroyed and it would still send through currents in the air. I know it sounds silly but trust me when I say it works. It describes the exact details of how to enter your world and where your castle and village are located. If I do not hit the dismiss button with my own password and the message goes out by only myself, he will wage war on your people and let me tell you, we have much bigger and better weapons than you do. Your whole Kingdom will be annihilated."
He wouldn't have taken much stock in her word if he hadn't already witnessed some of the other contraptions she had that he had never seen before. He had stumbled across strange devices that could speak directly into your ear, little flat boxes that could show you images. She had insisted that she had them imported from over seas and he never thought to second guess her. Followed by the fact that she looked identical to his wife without having been born into royalty, it didn’t take much to believe. As much as he wanted to call it the devils work, he knew better. She really did come from some place foreign, far more advanced than his small island.
Ignorance wasn't normally his dow
nfall...until now. And when it rained…it poured.
"If you want your sons, that’s out of the question." How was he going to look at his children without thinking of his mistake? The two she had just bore him, he could ignore and not be bothered with. But Damien was the crown prince. His son had to be trained so he didn’t make the same mistakes that he had. He had to make his son tougher and stronger so that he didn’t become weak in the presence of a woman. Like his father had. His teeth gnashed together.
Even the thought of Damien filled him with animosity. His son looked exactly like his mother and he would forever be a reminder of what transpired today and how he failed as king, husband and father.
Her tinkling laughter grated on his every nerve. "Oh please. They just came with the job description. I certainly didn’t expect to have two. I want nothing to do with them.”
The constant reminder of his error made his stomach churn, but he choked that thought down and proceeded. "Then what do you want?" He was not one to deal well with terrorists, but he couldn’t afford any more mistakes. He would hide her away and bury all that was her, where no one could find her.
She casually shrugged like they had all the time in the world. "Obviously, I don't wish to die, as you can tell by my added precautions. I also want the freedom to come and go from this world as I please and I want my own house here. That shouldn't be too difficult for the king." She dragged out the last word in a seductive drawl. His mind released a slew of curses that he thankfully refrained from uttering out loud.
"You will be nowhere near the castle or village. I will not risk you spreading this scandal around my kingdom. I will create you a house in an unsanctioned part of the woods where you will be confined to. You can come and go and be left alone but you must remain in your quarantined location.”
She tapped her scarlet nails thoughtfully against her chin which was just another evidence of her being from a different world. They had no such dyes here. "And you will provide me all the necessities I will need?" Gritting his teeth, he spit out, "Yes."
He realized she wasn't asking for much which made his suspicion take on a sickening twist in his gut, but her threat was too heavy to ignore. He had to do what she asked, or his kingdom would be destroyed. They had the help of neighboring allies but to what extent? Fighting against an unseen foe? All would know his failure. He wouldn't allow his kingdom to pay for his ghastly mistake. Nor would he allow anyone to know about it.
