by G. Bailey
“Why the big meal tonight?” I ask her quietly, wondering if she knows anything more than I do. I was told there was a grand meal tonight and that everyone important in the castle had to be there. Hunter will be there already, deciding to go ahead and see if he could find anything else out that we don’t know.
“Boy, don’t ask questions which you know the answer. Your father would never trust me with that knowledge,” Laura huffs, making me remember how she used to tell me off as a child. Father would spend hours with me, teaching me everything I needed to know to rule, and when I finally escaped, I would get into trouble with Hunter.
“Move faster, lad. I am an old woman and walking faster than you,” she tells the guard hanging behind us and he gives her a small bow before looking worriedly at the stick in her hand. His head is probably sore from that stick if I know Laura at all. We walk down the long corridors of the castle, before I am stopped outside the room.
“The king would like to speak privately to you before dinner, my prince,” the guard says, bowing low.
“Please show my grandmother in,” I tell the guards behind me as I unhook my arm from hers and lean down to kiss her cheek.
“Careful,” she whispers, so quietly that I just pick up on the word. I pull away and watch as she goes into the royal dining rooms before turning and nodding to the guard. He leads me out of the castle, to the back where my father stands looking over the cliff. The wind is blowing his cloak around him, and the harsh noise of the windy cliffs fills my ears. The cold air pushes against me, wet with the water from the sea.
“Come closer,” he demands, and I tighten my fist before stepping closer and looking over the water below us. From here, you can see all of the Storm Sea and how angry it looks. There are tornadoes, whirlpools, and sharp rocks that huge waves crash against for as far as you can see.
“It is freezing, why are we here?” I ask finally.
“I never told you how I got my power…did I?” he asks me. I look over at him, as his dark hair blows around his face and he looks lost in thought. Or perhaps memories.
“Not once, Father,” I respond. He looks over at me, his face so like mine, and his eyes so much like Hunter’s.
“When I was five years old, the Sea God dragged me into the sea. He told me that I had a destiny, that I would be a great leader and he would be my friend,” he tells me, shocking me into complete silence.
“He was right, you are king,” I respond after I think about it. I think the Sea God was wrong, there is nothing great about my father.
“He was wrong, very wrong. He told me I would share the lands with three other men just as powerful as I am, and we could bring much needed peace to Calais,” he tells me. The Sea God was very wrong, then. Peaceful is never a word I would describe Calais as being. A dying world is more accurate.
“Didn’t my mother have three other husbands?” I ask, thinking of the stories I was told by my grandmother of the four princes of Calais.
“Yes, but they were never as powerful as me. They were kind and thought changed ones would bring some kind of peace if only we trusted them, if we stopped hunting them and pretending the royal family wasn’t full of them,” he laughs, “How ironic that the royal family who hunts changed ones is full of their breed?”
“People never knew, still don’t know, that changed ones have been on the throne for many years before you took it.”
“I never took it, I married into it,” my father says emotionlessly.
“Why did the other princes believe the changed ones could help?”
“Something about how their powers needed to balance out nature, there needs to be a balance. But it’s all a load of lies,” he spits out.
“What do you believe?” I ask him, wondering what goes on in his insane head.
“That they are too powerful, that the Sea God was creating an army of changed ones and would take over the world. If we looked after them, let them exist in our world, they would take over. We normal people, the people that should be ruling this world, would be hunted,” he says, anger burning in his eyes as he looks at me. I wonder if he knows how insane he sounds, or if he has spent so much time with my mother never responding to him, he doesn’t know.
“You still never told me how you got your power,” I change the subject, looking away from him and towards the sea.
“I made a changed one fall in love with me, and waited for her to be in love with others before taking their power. I planned and planned. It took years of pretending to love her. Of pretending to care.” He smiles at me. “You could do this with Cassandra. The Sea God blessed her as she did your mother.”
I fight to keep my expression natural, thankful that I’ve had many years of practice doing it, when all I want to do is push the evil excuse of a man in front of me into the water. “You never loved my mother,” I respond, trying to keep my tone neutral when I feel like exploding inside.
“Love is not real. My parents claimed to love me, but when the Sea God returned me home, they never looked for me. They forgot about me and had another child. When I went back to them, they said their child died ten years ago even though I was gone for only a few days,” he spits out, “I killed those liars for that when I grew older.”
“And your sibling?” I ask.
“Alive and lives on Sixa. I believe she had a daughter and she is on my Sixa council,” he tells me.
“I would like to meet her one day,” I respond.
“It could be made possible, but do you want power, son…real power? Enough to control all of Calais?” he asks me.
“Yes,” I say, when my real answer is no. That is not what I want, it’s not what I have ever wanted. The throne has never been for me. I don’t want to give up everything for it with my father looking over my shoulder until he dies. I would never have control, not with him alive and watching me.
“Then we should use the changed one. She already cares for you. It’s clear from what the girl told me,” he says, making me completely still in fear of what I need to ask.
“Girl?” I ask.
“Elizabeth, or Livvy as she asks to be called…she is an interesting girl and would do anything to be given a normal life. She told me of everything that happened on that ship,” he tells me, laughing as I try to hide my shock.
“Is she free?” I ask.
“No. I do not like people who betray those they are said to love. I killed her after she told me everything I needed to know,” he says, and I nod, keeping my expression painfully blank. I don’t even know how to tell Cassandra that not only is Livvy dead, but she betrayed us in the end.
“Time to return to the meal, but you might as well remove that paint from your forehead. I know you are her chosen. You should steal her power for yourself, be my son, and rule,” he tells me. I lean up and wipe the mark away, watching as he stares at my mark.
“How do you steal the power?” I ask him, knowing I would never do it.
“You pull it from her. It’s easy when you get used to it,” he says and turns to face the cliff. He puts his fingers in his mouth and sends out a long whistle. I step back, waiting for Fira to come; she will always fly for her king’s call. I look up as a loud dragon’s roar ripples across the sky, before she flies past us and turns back around, landing a few steps away from my father on the edge of the cliff to his right. Fira is a large fire dragon with a nasty temper. I look over her long neck, black scales that are tipped red, and the dark red eyes that watch my father. Steam puffs out of her mouth as she lowers her head into a bow for my father and he places his hand on top of her nose.
“Cassandra doesn’t like fire. She will not like tonight’s game,” he says, an evil grin appearing on his face as he looks at my tight fists. I close my eyes, waiting for a second to calm down. I hate that he hurt her, that he was alone with her, and that since then, he has tried to kill her many times. I hate that everything is a game to him. Whether life or death is the price, it doesn’t matter to him.
“W
hat is the game?” I ask, trying to find out as much information as I can.
“Fire,” he says and whispers something to Fira before she steps back and flies off, her large wings and the power of her take-off nearly knocking us over.
“Remember, when she is close to death, it will be easier to take her powers and she cannot fight you. Your mother never fought in the end, she was too lost over the death of her other husbands,” he says and walks off towards the door. He stops, looking back at me. “Killing her other chosen would make you more powerful. We would be unstoppable together, son,” he says as I walk behind him, vowing over and over in my head one sentence, a sentence that I told myself for the first time when I was twelve.
I will kill the king and free the lands one day.
15
Cassandra
“You should get changed into the dress, in case what the guard threatens is true,” Everly suggests as I look up from the floor. I yawn from my sleep, stretching my arms above my head as I stand up. Dante and Zack are talking quietly with Chaz on the other side of the cage.
“We won’t look,” Chaz stops their conversation to tell me. I pick the dress up off the floor, feeling the soft shiny material, and I know it comes with a horrible price. What’s even worse is that I have no idea what the price is. I slowly pull my clothes off, letting them fall to the ground before stepping out of them. I leave my boots on and just pull my tight trousers off over them. I finish pulling the dress on and turn around to see Chaz looking at the wall. When I look to the left, Zack and Dante are looking away, too. I almost grin when I see Dante turning his head slightly, his eyes trailing down the open back of the dress and the tight way it pulls my chest up. His eyes darken when he sees my open arms, and the lines covering most of them. It looks terrible and I have to look away.
“You look more beautiful than the sea,” Dante tells me, his words gruff and husky.
“You looked,” I chastise him, and then laugh as Zack hits him on the back of the head. Even Everly laughs as she watches us all, and Chaz comes over, sliding his hands down my arms.
“She is more beautiful than the whole of Calais,” he comments, his finger trailing over the sensitive green lines from the burns, and I know he doesn’t think they are horrible like I do.
“And Cassandra must think she is the world with all these compliments.” Everly laughs playfully, her eyes on my arms.
“They do compliment me a lot, I will give you that,” I tell her.
“It’s sweet, really,” she says, smiling at me. Her smile dies away when we hear the lock being turned and the doors to the dungeon are pushed open. I watch as two guards come down the steps and open my cage.
“Just the changed one,” the guard says when Chaz steps in front of me.
“No!” he says. At the same time, Zack and Dante grab hold of the bars and shout the same.
“Why?” Everly asks, and the guards look between each other. The one guard talks quietly to the other who nods, walking out and shutting the door. The remaining guard walks closer to me with his hands at his sides, and he doesn’t seem to want to attack us.
“Don’t make any trouble, but there is something big planned tonight. I’m friends with the princes because they pay for my sister to live, and they told me to tell you,” he pauses when I look around Chaz’s shoulder to see the guard better, “my little bird is good with a book,”.
“We can trust him, no one could know that,” I say, and Chaz relaxes enough to let me walk around to his side. He puts an arm around my waist, pulling me close to his front.
“Why are the others not allowed to come with me?” I ask the guard who looks over at Everly, and I follow his gaze to see her nod.
“It’s a private dinner, and the royals are the only ones allowed. Other than you, who is the special guest. I don’t know anything more, but I won’t leave the room. I’m allowed to be near and I will stop anything that risks your life. For the princes and for Everly,” he says, bowing slightly at us.
“I’m no royal. Don’t bow,” I say, and he laughs.
“You have the hearts of the princes and you’re the only one who can save them. I will always bow for you,” he tells me, then steps back.
“I should go,” I whisper to Chaz as I turn to face him.
“Go with him. I trust him, Cass,” Everly tells me.
“There isn’t much choice but to trust me and come with me. The other guards will only give me a few minutes with you in case anyone notices,” he says, and I nod, understanding his point.
“Thank you for this. It won’t be forgotten,” I tell him before wrapping my arms around Chaz’s waist and holding him close.
“Be strong,” he tells me, lifting my chin to look up at him, then kissing me.
“I will,” I say, moving away and going to Zack first, who is nearest. It feels like I’m saying goodbye, and I hate it.
“Little fighter, you need to fight and if you get a chance to escape, go without us,” he says when I step in front of him. I shake my head, trying to step back, when he grabs my hands. Dante comes over and reaches through the bars, placing his hand over Zack’s and mine.
“Pretty girl, you need to promise us this,” he asks me.
“I won’t leave without you. I cannot do that,” I say, telling them the truth. No matter what they tell me to do, I can’t do that.
“You can and you will live. We cannot die if you’re alive, remember that. We will escape in time, or you will die of old age and be happy somewhere,” Dante says, reaching through the bar with his hand and wiping a tear away.
“We will all die of old age, on our pirate ship, and with our children sailing our ship,” I say, feeling Chaz put his hands around my waist and kiss the side of my neck, sending shivers through me.
“I like the idea of children, of a happy forever with you,” Chaz says gently, but I keep my eyes on Zack as he speaks, knowing that he and Dante heard every word. Zack smiles, a small one, but it’s still there.
“We need to go,” the guard says, stopping this moment between us. Zack squeezes my hand.
“Please just think about it, for us,” he says, and I lean forward, kissing Zack and pulling away. I walk over to Dante as Chaz lets me go and I kiss him before pulling away. His sad look is the last thing I see as I walk out the door and let the guard take hold of my arm.
“I love you, Cass, just so you know. You will always be a sister to me, and I want you alive,” Everly says, reaching out a hand through the bars and I hold her hand in my own.
“I know, and I will keep you alive, too,” I say, wondering how I’m going to do that.
“Go and be brave,” she says, letting go and stepping away. I walk up the steps, stopping as the guard knocks on the door.
“What’s your name? I need to know,” I ask him, and he looks down at me, his bright silvery-blue eyes watching me.
“Tyrion,” he answers quietly, just as the doors are opened and we have to walk out. Another guard comes to my other side, grabbing the top of my arm. We walk down the corridor, my dress brushing across the path as we walk down the silent corridor. I try to calm my heart when we stop outside a large pair of doors. I look at the doors, the green painted roses forming a circle but you can see that it covers something up, which makes me wonder what’s under the paint and inscribed into the wood. I feel a burst from my bond, and I know straight away that Hunter, Ryland, and Jacob are in the room in front of me. It gives me a little bit of strength to hold my head higher and to face whatever horrors wait for me.
“Be ready,” Tyrion whispers as the doors open and I walk inside.
16
Cassandra
I walk slowly into the silent room, seeing the massive fireplace that takes up the entire left wall and the open balcony that takes up the other side, where I can see the night sky. But my mind only takes the room in slightly as I see Hunter and Ryland sitting opposite each other on the huge dining table in the middle of the room, watching me. The table is lined with f
ood, the smell making my stomach grumble after not having any food for so long, but I can’t look away from my pirates. More so the mark in the middle of Ryland’s forehead, which is not covered up. What is going on? Laura is sitting at the end of the table and she knocks the seat next to her with her stick.
“Sit, changed one,” she tells me, just as the doors are slammed shut behind me. I turn to see Tyrion standing by the door, Jacob and two other guards next to him. I can’t look away from Jacob as he gives me a small wink, making me want to run towards him instead of walking away like I have to. I walk across the room, trying to catch Hunter’s or Ryland’s eyes, but neither of them look at me as they whisper between each other. I want to scream at them to give me something, some hope, some love, but I know why they can’t. It just doesn’t make it any easier.
“Try not to be your stubborn self. Try to be polite,” Laura whispers when I sit down, and I meet her eyes, nodding once. “Tell me, how have you been?” Laura asks me loud enough for everyone at the table to hear.
“Fine. The living standards of the dungeons need improving, though,” I say, making her laugh loudly. The doors open once more and I look up, watching them slide across the floor and feeling the evil walking into the room before I lock eyes with him. I watch quietly as the king walks in with an older, very beautiful woman’s arm hooked in his. The woman has long black hair plaited into a bun, with a small tiara sitting on top of her head. She has on a long green dress that matches the dark green shirt her husband wears. She doesn’t look at anyone other than him as they walk in and he lets go of her arm to hold a chair out for her. She sits down in a fluid motion, and the king takes the seat at the top of the table, folding his hands and watching me. My eyes draw up to the crown he is wearing, the green of the metal and the crystal in the middle.
“My twin crowns,” is whispered in my mind, the Sea God’s voice nearly making me jump and leaving a stinging feeling behind my eyes. He never whispers to me in the day, only at night in my dreams. I lower my eyes, meeting the king’s once more, and he smiles like he knows something. Something I do not.
