by Kelly Blount
Staring into the woman’s cloudy grey eyes, Ryder admitted, “Because she’s my mother.”
Bressa’s legs started to give out beneath her and she had to steady herself on a nearby chair. After getting herself together, she cocked her head to the side and inspected him from head to toe. “Ryder, that can’t really be you? Can it?”
“Yes, it’s really me. But who are you? I never knew I had an aunt.”
Bressa began crying. “I’m so sorry, Ryder! It was too dangerous. We kept all family affiliations secret. We couldn’t risk Grishma finding out about us!”
“This is unbelievable,” said Ryder.
“What’s unbelievable is that you have freed your mother and you fought off Grishma!”
Defeat plagued his voice. “Key words, fought off, not killed. If we are ever to feel safe again, I must kill Grishma!”
Bressa chewed on her lower lip. “Perhaps I can be of some help. But first, please sit down and tell me everything.”
“Can Alexia join us first?” asked Ryder.
“Of course,” said Bressa. She stood up and flipped over an unseen latch and a small hidden door sprung open. “We can speak in here, it’s safer.”
Ryder followed Bressa through the little doorframe into a moderate-sized room with multiple torches hanging from the wall.
“Ryder? Is that you?” asked Alexia.
“Yeah, it is,” he said smiling. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay, just really tired and sore. What are you doing back down here so soon? Aren’t you supposed to be at the feast?”
Ryder looked at Bressa, who nodded. “Look, Alexia, we’ve got to talk. It turns out Bressa is my aunt. She knows about my mother escaping from Sumner and she wants to help us.”
Fear flickered across Alexia’s eyes. “Are you sure we can trust her?”
Ryder squeezed her hand. “Yes, I’m sure.”
For the next several hours, the three spoke in hushed voices about everything from Grishma, to Brooklyn being drugged and convinced she was the long lost Princess Sophie, to possible escape plans.
At one point, Bressa could barely contain her happiness. “I can’t believe Brianna is here in this very castle! I haven’t seen her since she was a baby!”
“Could you mix up another antidote for her?” asked Ryder. “Perhaps it would work as quickly as it did for Brooklyn.”
“Of course!” said Bressa as she began rummaging through bottles of ingredients that were stacked on several wooden shelves.
Alexia tried to sit up and winced in pain. “So, say that Brooklyn’s memory is completely fixed and we manage to get Brianna to drink the antidote next, then what? How are we going to get out of here?”
Bressa’s eyes sparkled. “I know what we can do!”
As Ryder walked backed to his room, he ran the plan through his head over and over again. The first step would be to get Brianna the antidote. Bressa said she would take care of this task. The rest would be up to Ryder, and there was no room for error.
“A simple stop at her room tonight with a cup of hot tea mixed with my antidote should do the trick,” said Bressa with a smile.
The next step, Ryder had to tell Brooklyn everything and get her to convince Brianna to stay calm. The last step would be the most difficult to achieve. Ryder had agreed to subdue Prince Algid one way or another the very next night, then find Brooklyn and Brianna, and take them to Bressa’s workshop. Once they were all there safely, Bressa would lead them under the castle through old, forgotten tunnels and out into the streets of Dratun. With the right clothing, which Bressa had promised to provide, and a few borrowed horses from her friend’s stables, they should be riding out of the gates of Dratun before the morning light.
By the time Ryder had reached his bedroom chambers, he could barely keep his eyes open.
Falling into bed, he closed his eyes and drifted off into a deep sleep.
Ryder awoke the next morning to sounds of commotion coming from the hallway outside of his door.
“Can you believe she’s a fake?” a voice hissed.
“Poor Prince Algid!” agreed another.
Ryder bolted upright and ran to the door. Throwing it open, he saw two middle-aged women on their hands and knees, scrubbing the floor.
One woman grabbed her chest. “You nearly scared me to death!”
Ignoring her comment, Ryder asked, “What did you just say?”
“I said, you nearly scared me to death,” retorted the woman.
“I apologize. Now what did you say about someone being a fake?” he demanded.
The women exchanged glances. “Well, you didn’t hear it from us, but Princess Sophie is a fake!”
Ryder’s heart beat rapidly in his chest. “What do you mean she’s a fake?”
Taking a break from scrubbing, the woman sat back on her heels, ready to gossip. “The real Princess Sophie, and her mother, Queen Yolanda of Sumner, showed up outside the gates of Dratun last night, begging for shelter.”
His head began to spin and his mouth felt dry. “So, what are they going to do with the imposter?”
The other woman grunted. “They’ve been thrown into the dungeon.”
“They?” asked Ryder.
“Yeah, the fake princess and her two little friends.”
Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!
“How does the King know who is telling the truth? Perhaps someone is impersonating Queen Yolanda. I mean, isn’t she supposed to be dead or something?” asked Ryder.
The other lady, who was still scrubbing, chuckled.
“What’s so funny?”
The old woman gave him a perplexed look. “Son, Queen Yolanda and the Queen of Dratun are cousins. I thought everyone knew that.”
Ryder, not wanting to look too suspicious, said, “Oh, of course! I guess I had forgotten. She’s been missing for so long. Did she say where they’ve been all this time?”
“I haven’t heard anything further,” said the lady. “And don’t go telling anyone you heard that from us!”
“Of course not, your secret is safe with me,” said Ryder as he turned around and went back into his bedroom.
Trying to remain calm, he ran into the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face.
This can’t be happening!
He looked up, shocked to see the reflection staring back at him. His dark hair had grown longer and his eyes were bloodshot from an extended lack of sleep.
He splashed more water on his face before balling his fists and screaming out in frustration.
Seconds later, one of the women cracked open his bedroom door and stuck her head in. “Everything okay in there?”
“Ah, yeah, sorry. I just stubbed my toe. Everything’s fine,” said Ryder.
“Just checking,” she responded before closing the door.
He sunk to the floor and buried his head in his hands. This is terrible! What the hell am I going to do?
Seconds later, something warm rubbed up against his arm.
His eyes sprung open and he found himself face to face with Boonum.
“Hey, guy,” said Ryder. He stroked the beast’s soft ears.
Boonum whined and pawed at Ryder’s chest. “Trust me, buddy, it’s that bad.”
Ryder leaned his head back against the wall. Think, damn it! Think! How are you going to get everyone out of this? He sat there until his butt felt numb. All right, time for Plan B. Maybe I can find out more if I head downstairs.
Eventually, he peeled himself off the floor and gave Boonum a fresh bowl of water. Next, he opened up one of the wardrobes and pulled out a pair of black pants and a heavy woolen sweater. Looking around the room, he located his father’s sword and sheathed it to his hip before heading out.
When he got down to the main floor of the castle, people were bustling around and their voices created a loud hum.
Ryder walked up to one of the guards. “Have you seen Prince Algid? It’s important that I speak with him immediately.”
Th
e large, heavily armored guard looked down at Ryder. “He’s in the war room with the King. Are you interested in joining the next hunting party to slay Grishma?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“He’ll be out shortly. I’ll tell him you request to speak with him,” said the guard.
“Thank you,” said Ryder. Excusing himself, he found his way down to Bressa’s workroom. “Bressa, are you there?” he asked.
She didn’t answer, but he could hear quiet voices whispering in one of the back rooms.
“Bressa?” Poking his head around the corner, he gasped at what he saw.
Caring for two patients, Bressa switched between dabbing a thick pink gel on one patient’s face and applying long silver leaves to the other patient’s arm.
Bressa spun around when she heard him gasp. “Oh Ryder! You scared me!”
“What’s going on here?” he asked.
Bressa took several steps forward, grabbed Ryder by the elbow, and led him into the other room.
“Ryder, I only have a second. We have to abort the plan. The real Princess Sophie and Queen Yolanda of Sumner showed up here last night and they are in dire need of attention. I’m afraid that Brooklyn, Brianna, and Emlyn have all been thrown in the dungeons and are awaiting punishment.”
“Quick, before I go, I need to know—did you give Brianna the antidote last night?” questioned Ryder.
A look of pain crossed her face. “I did. Which is probably just going to make things worse for her. I’m so sorry! I never should have gotten involved!”
“It’s okay, Bressa. One last thing, can you please take care of Alexia for me?”
She nodded and hugged him goodbye.
He climbed the stairs out of her workroom two at a time. When he reached the top and pushed open the door, he found even more people had gathered in the main hall and surrounding rooms.
He approached a large circle of men with their heads bowed in serious conversation.
“Hey, what’s going on?” asked Ryder.
“The King is getting ready to speak. He will rule on the fate of the fake princess and her friends,” said one man.
Another man added, “And he’ll announce the departure of the hunting party.”
A few moments later, King Zandel entered the room and held up his hand, commanding immediate silence.
“It seems that Grishma has played us once again. She’s the one behind the imposter pretending to be Princess Sophie. Therefore, the fake marriage that was recently celebrated has since been annulled. Today, I’m here to announce the punishment for these crimes.” He paused dramatically before bellowing, “Death for the imposter and her two friends!”
Some people in the crowd seemed surprised, but many nodded in agreement and murmured words of encouragement of the King’s decision.
“In addition, since the first expedition failed, we’re sending out a second, larger hunting party that will find and slay Grishma.”
The crowd cheered.
The King motioned for a small group of men standing off to the side to move to the center of room. “These are the heroic warriors that will lead the trip and finally bring peace to our world. Before their departure, I must ask, are any of you here today brave enough to join them in their quest to destroy Grishma?”
Ryder looked around. Many of the men cast their eyes downward and refused to look up.
I guess it’s now or never. “Your Majesty, I volunteer to join the men under one condition,” said Ryder.
“Ah, yes, Ryder. One of my guards told me you might be interested in joining. What is it you require?”
“I ask that you don’t kill the imposter princess, nor her friends. At least, not right away.”
People stepped away from him, as if his statement physically repelled them.
King Zandel let out a loud, boisterous laugh. “Now why would I do such a thing?”
“Clearly, Grishma has played everyone who has been involved with finding the long lost Princess Sophie. Now that she and her mother have actually showed up here on the doorsteps of Dratun, doesn’t it seem a bit too much like a coincidence?”
Stroking his beard, the King said, “Well, I suppose it might.”
“I think we better keep everyone alive until Grishma has been destroyed. Besides, these girls could have been conned just like the rest of us. What if they’re innocent?”
The King appeared to weigh the decision in his mind. “Very well, then. Since you have the most experience fighting this beast and are volunteering to go, I shall keep the imposter and her associates alive until you come back.”
Phew!
“The party shall leave tomorrow at sunrise,” said the King.
The crowd voiced their approval.
“Until then,” he said before getting up and leaving the room.
Okay, I’ve got until sunrise to break them out of the dungeon and escape!
Chapter Twenty-Seven
THE NIGHT HAD GONE FROM bad to worse. After they parted company with Ryder, Algid had become increasingly jealous.
“He sure seemed interested in talking to you again,” said Algid for the tenth time.
Brooklyn had tried changing the subject, even pretending to fall asleep, but he just wouldn’t give up.
That all changed when several royal guards burst through the door. “She’s an imposter!” one shouted as he pointed a stubby finger in Brooklyn’s face.
Algid jumped out of bed and stared suspiciously at Brooklyn.
“What is the meaning of this?” he demanded.
“Sire, the real Princess Sophie and her mother, Queen Yolanda from Sumner, just showed up a few minutes ago outside the gates of Dratun,” said another guard.
His jaw dropped and his eyes opened wide. He pointed at Brooklyn and screamed, “You liar!”
“We must take her at once!” shouted the guard.
Algid didn’t even put up a fight as the guards barged past him and grabbed Brooklyn. She screamed as they hauled her out of the room and down the vast hallways of the castle.
One of the guards threw her over his shoulder as they descended flight after flight of steep stone stairs.
Brooklyn lost all awareness and soon became disorientated. It wasn’t until she hit the cold hard floor of a small cell that she realized she had been thrown in the dungeon.
“Wait! What’s going on?” she asked.
No one responded. The guards turned and left her sitting alone in the dark. A short time later, Brooklyn heard the guards rounding the corner again. They opened the door to her cell, threw Emlyn and Brianna in roughly, and then slammed the door shut again.
Emlyn started to cry. “What’s happening?”
“Why are we down here?” asked Brianna.
Brooklyn reached out and hugged both of them. “It was terrible! The guards burst into our room and said they found the real Princess Sophie and her mother, Queen Yolanda of Sumner.”
“What?” asked Emlyn in disbelief.
“They called me an imposter and Prince Algid believed them!” said Brooklyn.
“An imposter? You’re not an imposter!” said Emlyn.
Brooklyn started to cry. “I am. I’m so sorry! I’ve been lying to both of you, but not on purpose, I swear! Remember the antidote I told you Bressa gave me? Well, it helped me remember who I really am, and I’m not Princess Sophie. My name is Brooklyn.”
Brianna and Emlyn stared at her.
Emlyn spoke up, “Are you serious?”
With tears racing down her cheeks, Brooklyn nodded.
“Wait, what did Bressa look like?” asked Brianna.
“Um, she’s a little old lady, missing several teeth and she’s got a crooked nose,” said Brooklyn. “Why?”
“Oh no,” said Brianna. “I think she paid me a visit last night.”
“What do you mean?” pressed Emlyn.
“A little old lady with missing teeth and a crooked nose brought me a cup of tea last night before I went to bed. She said you sent it to me
,” said Brianna. “Since then, I’ve been having these really strange flashbacks. They don’t make sense, it’s like they’re memories that I can’t quite place.”
“What in Necoh are we going to do?” cried Emlyn, looking at Brooklyn. “You’re not who you claim to be.” She turned to Brianna. “And you’re having weird memories. We’re doomed!”
Brooklyn tried to remain calm. “It’s okay, we’re going to be okay. Let’s just figure out how we’re going to get out of here.”
The girls searched the cell high and low for any sign of weakness.
Brianna tried pulling on the various bars that formed the cell door. Nothing budged.
Emlyn pushed and kicked on every block she could reach. Nothing moved.
Exhausted and overwhelmed, the three girls sat down and sobbed together.
Brooklyn awoke to someone poking her shoulder. “Brooklyn, Brianna, Emlyn, wake up! Come on, we gotta go!”
“What? Who’s there?” asked Brianna.
“Shhh!” said the hushed voice. “It’s me, Ryder. We’ve got to get out of here right now! Hurry!”
Brooklyn’s eyes tried to adjust to the dark cell.
“Come on,” Ryder urged. “Let’s go!” He helped each of them up and pulled them through the open cell door. Once they were out, Brooklyn hugged him. “You found us!”
Ryder smiled. “Of course I did!”
Unable to move, Brianna just stood staring at him with her mouth open.
He reached forward and took her hand. “Bri, it’s me, your brother.”
Tears welled up in her eyes. “Ryder? Is it really you?”
Ryder released Brooklyn and embraced his sister. “Yes, it’s really me!”
In between sobs, Brianna managed to get out, “I never thought I’d see you again! I mean, I forgot about you. I mean, I couldn’t remember you!”
He stroked the back of her head and tried to comfort her as best he could. “It’s okay, I’ll never let them hurt you again. I promise.”
A loud crash in the distance caused them all to tense up. Ryder put his finger to his lips and silently directed the girls to follow. They followed him through the dungeon and up a flight of stairs.
