The Wild Swans

by Shea, K. M.

  “She is expecting us, Arthur. There is no need to announce us,” Gabrielle said, tossing her head like a wild horse.

  The middle-aged man studied the trio under drooping brows. “Are you sure you want to do this, My Ladies?”

  “Yes,” Elise said, pulling her shoulders back. Although her heart was painfully full of fear, she would not let it hold her back. “Thank you, Arthur.”

  The portly doorman bowed. “As you wish, Princess,” he said before he opened the door and stepped aside.

  Chapter 14

  Clotilde was seated in her throne, wearing a beautiful dress that was the deep green color of a peacock’s feather. She wore Queen Ingrid’s gold crown on her head and strings of diamonds woven into the braid of her blonde hair.

  She smiled like a snake, her jaw opening disproportionately wide. “Darling Elise, I knew I would see you again,” Clotilde said as she stood.

  Elise always thought as evil being black, but as she strode towards Clotilde, Elise realized that evil was not darkness, but a gaping hole. Clotilde’s greed and desire for power infected the very air. She pulled every spot of goodness and beauty to her, devouring them and never filling.

  Clotilde was evil because of her vast emptiness and the underhanded methods she used to steal, kill, and destroy others to fulfill her desires and wishes. Black magic wasn’t black because of the color; it was vile because of the bottomless evil and the unspeakable acts it would do to get what its wielder desired.

  At the foot of the dais the thrones were perched on, Elise halted. “Of course,” she said. “Someone has to set you in your proper place,” her words faltered when she caught sight of King Henrik.

  He looked far worse than when Elise had last seen him. His hair was almost completely grey, and his skin was slack, hanging from his body like an ill-fitting cloak. All of his muscle was gone, and he looked like he lost a significant amount of height.

  Father, what has she done to you?

  “You are more stupid than I thought if you think you can defeat me,” Clotilde said, her nearly colorless eyes were dilated in spite of the light in the room. “There is nothing you can do. Your brothers and father are lost—forever.”

  “On the contrary,” a male voice said.

  Elise turned around just in time to see her seven foster brothers enter the throne room, coated with dust but looking no worse for the wear.

  Elise could feel Gabrielle go taut like a violin string when she met her husband’s eyes across the room. Her muscles jerked, as if she was barely controlling herself from throwing herself into Steffen’s arms, but she stayed at Elise’s side.

  “What?” Clotilde said, her voice screeching like breaking glass. “That’s not possible!”

  Elise tilted her head and studied Clotilde. The wicked queen didn’t know? She didn’t feel it when Elise broke the curse? Perhaps Elise was strong enough to defeat her after all.

  There was a roar. Clotilde pulled two black diamonds from a pocket sewn into her gown. She held them above her head where they glowed, dark light emitting from them.

  The diamonds were the evil artifacts Angelique had warned Elise of. She was going to do it again. Clotilde was going to turn Elise’s foster brothers into swans.

  “NO!” Elise said in a scream wrenched from her soul.

  “Gabi,” the cat said.

  “Are you sure?” the crown princess said.

  “Positive. Do it,” the cat said.

  Just as the diamonds released black bolts of lightning, Gabrielle tossed her cat in the air. The feline intercepted the lightning bolts, which bounced off the cat as if they hit a mirror, burning the marble floor where they were diverted before dissipating.

  Gabrielle caught her cat, tucking him under her chin.

  Brida unsheathed a sword. “Go, Fürstin,” the captain said as she crouched with her sword.

  Elise took a deep breath before she charged up the first few stairs.

  Clotilde narrowed her poisonous eyes. “I don’t know how you managed to break my magic, but I can promise you, you won’t free your brothers a second time,” Clotilde said, gripping a black diamond in each fist. “You can’t cower behind Princess Gabrielle’s little cat forever.”

  Elise kept climbing the stairs.

  “Do you really think you can stop me, Elise? You are nothing but a fraud. You are even less royal than I am. You’re not a princess. You’re nothing but a street rat orphan,” Clotilde said, spit flying from her mouth in her rage. “You strive to be portrait perfect, but in the end you will die, and everyone will hear of your failure,” Clotilde said when Elise reached the top of the dais. “After I am through with you, I will curse your brothers again and put them through agony before I have them killed and stuffed as mantle piece decorations. Once they expire, King Henrik will not be far behind. I will kill them all, but I will take the greatest pleasure in killing you.”

  Clotilde struck like a snake, moving to backhand Elise on the face. Elise caught her by the wrist and held it in an iron grip. “No, you will not,” Elise said, her voice strong like the ocean.

  Her fears had not left her, but Brida was right. She took strength in knowing Brida, Gabrielle, and all of her foster brothers were behind her. And Clotilde’s threats? They enraged Elise.

  Clotilde stared at the wrist Elise held, her eyes wide and her body stiff.

  “Your first mistake was cursing my brothers,” Elise said, reaching out to pluck Queen Ingrid’s crown from Clotilde’s head. “If you had just slit our throats, none of us would have survived. But your greatest mistake?” Elise leaned in and whispered to the queen. “That was attacking my family.”

  Clotilde was rattled. She shook with anger and perhaps fear. Elise coldly observed the reaction, but wasn’t satisfied. Her magic wasn’t doing much, if anything, or Clotilde’s response wouldn’t be so mild.

  What was it Angelique had said would help? Skin on skin contact—the more the better. Very well, she could manage that.

  Elise released Clotilde’s wrist and latched her hand on the queen’s face, covering Clotilde’s eyes, nose, and mouth with her spread fingers.

  Clotilde screamed but seemed unable to pull away from Elise. Her skin was hot, boiling hot under Elise’s hand. The witch clutched her black diamonds in her fists but beat at her chest and ripped out chunks of her hair as she howled. She scrabbled at Elise’s hand, scratching like a desperate cat.

  Elise held on in spite of the pain, and grabbed Clotilde’s shoulder to keep her from fleeing.

  Stone cracked, and Clotilde’s screaming intensified. She howled. Her skin burst with boils and oozing wounds before it turned dry and rough like old paper, crackling under Elise’s fingers.

  The screams died out, and Elise stepped back just before Clotilde’s body turned into ash, leaving behind jewels, a pretty gown, and two black diamonds cracked through the center.

  It was over.

  “Elise?”

  Elise snapped her gaze up from the pile of dust.

  King Henrik stood. He was still grey and hunched, but his eyes were bright and intelligent. “Elise, your hands—what has happened to you, darling?”

  Elise couldn’t help it. She burst into tears. “Father,” she cried, throwing herself at him.

  “There, there, darling. Whatever nightmare you’ve faced is over. All is well,” King Henrik said, hugging her and rocking her like she was a little girl again.

  “Gabi!”

  “Steffen, you’re well!”

  “Father!”

  “Elise, Father!”

  “Elise, you did it! You beat that—ahh, you beat her!”

  The throne room was filled with laughter and tears as everyone cheered and hugged—Nick even did a short dance.

  Elise clung to King Henrik and cradled Queen Ingrid’s crown as she sobbed in sheer relief. Finally, the nightmare was over.

  It took the better part of the afternoon to explain to King Henrik what happened. He didn’t remember much since the wedding, so
recounting the cursing of his children gave the king a great deal of pain.

  “How could I be so foolish?” King Henrik said, shaking his head when all the stories were told.

  “Don’t blame yourself, Father. That woman was a snake,” Nick said, taking a swig of cider. (Bless the servants who thought to bring refreshments when the family moved to the dining hall for storytelling.)

  Elise sat somewhat apart from her family, not due to any feeling of separation, but because it warmed her heart to see all of them at once.

  Steffen and Gabrielle were inseparable since Steffen’s return. The pair looked controlled enough, but from her vantage point Elise could see that Steffen held Gabrielle’s hand with trembling fingers.

  Nick had coaxed Brida into joining the family, saying, “You were the only one who could talk during the day. It’s only proper for you to tell your parts of the story.”

  Brida was sitting in a chair next to Nick, mostly silent, but she smiled whenever Nick flashed a grin at her.

  A steady stream of men and women ghosted up to Mikk and whispered in his ear, most likely giving him the details of all that happened in his absence.

  Gerhart, although listening to his family, was hard at work writing up invitations and sending out notices. “Do you have any idea how far behind I am in social engagements? I was in the middle of a number of talks that have probably all gone sour or been forgotten since the snake’s rule. I have to start over from the beginning,” Gerhart sighed, laying an arm across his eyes when his brothers scolded him for working.

  Rune and Falk were seated closest to Elise, so they were the ones who looked up when Elise finally spoke. “I nearly forgot in all the chaos, but where is Angelique?”

  “Recovering,” Falk said.

  “What?”

  Rune, more prone to give details, picked up the story. “When we set foot on Arcainian soil, we set off some kind of curse. Apparently Clotilde worried we might return, so she set up some defenses. One of the curses alerted her to our presence—that one was too fast for Angelique to get—but the other unleashed a basilisk on us. Nasty thing,” Rune said, shaking his head. “I’m not sure if I could take one on alone. Anyway, she sent us on ahead and said she could handle it. We didn’t make it far before we heard explosions. She caught up to us on her flashy horse, but she was pale as snow and as cold as ice.”

  “Did it hurt her?” Elise asked.

  “No,” Rune said. “It didn’t get the chance. She hit it with the most powerful spells she had.”

  “It is generally known that powerful magics cannot be used without incurring a sort of penalty or backlash. Typically it makes the caster ill or saps their strength. There are some exceptions of course,” Falk said, eyeing Elise.

  “She couldn’t keep up with us in her condition, so we left her in a village on our way here,” Rune said. “She assured us she would be fine. She just needed to recoup a little bit.”

  “I see,” Elise said.

  “It doesn’t matter. You managed perfectly well anyway,” Falk said.

  “Gabrielle said her cat was going to check on her,” Rune said, looking a little confused by the report. “She said he is an old companion of hers.”

  “Boys, scatter,” King Henrik said, seating himself in a chair next to Elise.

  Falk scowled, but Rune placed a brotherly arm around him. “Yes, Father,” Rune said before he and Falk joined the rest of their siblings.

  Elise smiled at King Henrik when they left. “I’m so happy to see you, Father.”

  “And I am overjoyed to see you,” King Henrik said, patting Elise’s hair. “It seems I have you to thank for saving not only my family, but our country.”

  Elise shook her head and ran her fingers on the edges of Queen Ingrid’s gold crown, which was on her lap. “It was more than just me. I couldn’t have done any of that without Brida, or my brothers.”

  “Foster brothers,” King Henrik said, absent-mindedly stroking his beard.

  Elise nodded and looked down at the crown in her lap. After all of this, she was still just a foster child.

  “Elise, darling, you know you are my daughter, yes?”

  “I beg your pardon?” Elise asked, raising her eyes.

  “I have not adopted you and given you my family name for…various reasons. But you are still my daughter, as you are Queen Ingrid’s daughter,” King Henrik said. “You are her legacy. She chose you. She looked all over Arcainia to find you.”

  “Why?” Elise asked. “Why me?”

  King Henrik sighed. “I knew one day I would have to explain this, but I never much wanted the day to come,” he said. “You know why the use of magic is banned here in Arcainia? Why we can use magic-made goods and materials, but every enchanter, enchantress, or fairy godmother who visits us cannot use their magic while in our lands?

  “Yes,” Elise carefully said. Even though everyone knew the reason, openly discussing it was something of a taboo. “It was because Mother was an enchantress before she married you. The Veneno Conclave worried she might abuse her powers to better Arcainia. They agreed she could marry you only if she renounced her magic.”

  “She did, as you know. But the conclave feared her friends and allies might take it upon themselves to use magic in her stead, so they banned the use of magic in Arcainia all together,” King Henrik nodded. “But what they banned was casted magic. Some people are gifted with natural magic, like you. From what your brothers tell me, this ability of yours to cancel out magic is always active. It is a part of your very being, and it is a power unique to you. You do not have the ability to be an enchantress, as Lady Angelique, but your powers are still magic.”

  “I agree,” Elise said.

  “Your Mother, Queen Ingrid, had a bit of natural magic as well as her powers as an enchantress. It was nothing big; she could occasionally sense the future. She never saw complete pictures. It was more feelings and prophecies of what could come. After Rune was born, Ingrid foresaw her death was approximately two decades away. She also foresaw that your brothers and I would be in grave danger after her death,” King Henrik said, shifting in his chair.

  “Ingrid was a stubborn woman, and she knew she could not rely on her friends to aid us with magic being banned and all, so she searched far and wide for a person who could help us. She found you. I don’t know if she knew about your powers. She didn’t tell me everything she saw about you or any of us, I think to save us from ourselves, but she did see that if you remained with our family you would see us through, and quite possibly save the Arcainian empire. She did not wish to tell you this, fearing such a prophecy would burden you, but our eldest boys were made aware of the situation. Being unable to keep their mouths shut after we took you in as a fosterling, they shared the news with their brothers.”

  Elise vaguely recalled Gerhart complaining about everyone calling her the family savior. They must have discussed the situation when she was not around.

  King Henrik cleared his throat. “She also foresaw some of your…mmmm…romantic entanglements,” he said, tugging on the collar of the black jacket he wore.

  “She foresaw that Rune and Falk would profess their love for me?” Elise guessed.

  “Yes,” King Henrik said, looking relieved. “Matters of the heart are tricky to foresee, so it was not set in stone, but she wanted to give you the freedom to choose whom you loved. That is why she forbade us from officially adopting you. As long as you remained a fosterling, you were free to love whomever you wished—whether he be an Arcainian prince or a lowly blacksmith.”

  Elise nodded, pursing her lips.

  “You are not surprised?” King Henrik said.

  “After seeing my brothers turn into swans and holding a conversation with a cat, no. I can’t say I am,” Elise said.

  King Henrik laughed and slapped his leg. “Elise, my darling daughter, you are certainly the daughter of Ingrid’s heart.”

  “There is something that is still bothering me,” Erick said, rapping a spoon
on the table surface to get his family’s attention.

  “What?” Nick asked. “Are you sad none of your little college attendees have come to check on you yet?”

  “No. Why didn’t the Veneno Conclave act against Clotilde? They chased after the Lady Enchantress Angelique fast enough. You cannot tell me they were unaware of Clotilde’s activity. The woman was entirely lacking in subtlety,” Erick said.

  “It is odd that they would allow dark magic to be used at all. It’s been decades since a powerful dark magic user like Clotilde made so much as an attempt for power,” Rune said.

  “Odd doesn’t begin to describe it,” Steffen said.

  “No, Rune has a point of which he probably isn’t aware,” Erick said.

  “Gee, thanks,” Rune said.

  “Clotilde was not a powerful dark magic user. Her black diamonds were the real power,” Erick said. “Where did she get them from?”

  “Or whom,” Mikk said.

  “Yes, she wasn’t the type to go searching for a dark power. She wouldn’t be smart enough to recognize it if she saw it. Someone must have given them to her,” Gabrielle said.

  “In other words, we can be sure Clotilde was acting with help,” Rune said.

  “Is it possible that Clotilde was part of a bigger movement? One bigger than Arcainia?” Steffen asked.

  “And the Veneno Conclave either cannot or will not counteract,” Erick said.

  “Our wealth and exporting power are not common knowledge. I cannot think we would be the prime target for a reign of darkness,” Elise said.

  But the royal family turned grave as they dwelt on the possibilities.

  “But, that is a matter for another day,” Gerhart said, springing to his feet. “We got rid of the harpy, and we’re no longer birds. I think it’s time we hold a celebration.”

  “A celebration?” Mikk said, a frown evident in his voice.

  “Gerhie is right. If now isn’t time for a feast, I don’t know when is. Lighten up, Mikk. We’ll need dancing and food,” Nick said standing up so he could bow and offer his hand to Brida in a mock dance.

  “And guests—everyone should be invited from all over Arcainia,” Gerhart declared.