They didn’t seem to see me as I used to be.
I knew. I had eyes of obsidian, now, and horns that wouldn’t cease to grow.
“Don’t worry,” I said. “I’ll help you. I’m still here, underneath. It’s me, Amalia.” Though even as I said it, I was aware of the darker shades I saw the world in now. The forget-me-nots were gray among the ashes, the grass was crimson and maroon. It crossed my mind that perhaps the demon realm was not a place away from here but simply the real world, transformed, painted over with ugliness.
Elsa cleared her throat.
“Amalia, is everything all right? What is this?”
As if she couldn’t believe I’d take part in something like this. Oh, but I couldn’t either. Life throws things at you, you do stupid things, you correct mistakes, you survive. Keep hoping.
“It’s complicated—” How was I supposed to answer that in the midst of this? “I’ll tell you everything when there’s time. Are you girls hurt?”
“I’d say we’re all right, considering, but what about…” She raised her hands in exasperation, her words dying. Yes, it was quite clear I wasn’t all right. But there was much going on that should have been the priority.
“Have you heard what’s going on with the demons?” I asked. “Have you heard any news…?”
Elsa’s gaze inadvertently went to my horns, once again. Oh, these would not let me be.
“And the fae?” I insisted. We had to talk about what mattered. Were the demons still a threat?
“Well, yes, the demons are up in arms, and it’s been very surprising…Things aren’t necessarily looking good,” Elsa said so suspiciously, it twisted my stomach. She looked like she didn’t know whether I was a friend or an enemy. That was the most hurtful look I’d ever gotten in my life.
“Are they attacking the fae?” I’d heard about all that over that call through the ether. I’d heard Rachel and King John planning it. But what came of that? The two were down on the ground, now, right here. And the fae were the strongest power in all of the realms, after all… “The fae wouldn’t have any trouble fending them off? As always?”
“No, see, something’s happened. These people here,” — Elsa waved toward Rachel and the king — “They sent a traitor to break the Jewel, so they could take down the Island’s shields and the demons could swarm in. A human traitor…And the Jewel’s unwell. How do you feel about that?”
Would I rejoice for the demons? Would I join my horned ‘friends’, now? And what, really, the Jewel of Fae Island was ‘unwell’? Impossible.
“And it was Victor,” Elsa added quickly. “Victor did it. You still know who I’m talking about, don’t you?”
How could she think I wouldn’t? Did I look so different that my insides should have changed, too? I’d never forget to hate that mean, old violent monster, either, pretend-father, who’d tried to leave us to die.
I only nodded. “You can’t mean the demons would actually get to the Island? Have they?”
Elsa’s concerned stare stayed distant, worried. But this was no tragedy yet. Even if the demons could pull their ugly barges to the shores of Fae Island by the hundreds, the Island was full of fae, for heaven’s sake. And fae were still more powerful. It could be a gruesome fight, but no demon army would ever actually defeat the fae…Would they?
I had the testimony of fae strength right here, with the aiala ring making my blood perfectly resonate with all its magic. I was sure I couldn’t even imagine yet what all sorts of things I was capable of doing with these powers. Not to mention the more experienced fae.
Then I became aware I should be remembering something. What was I forgetting? Where was the blue bird?
I left Elsa with an apologetic smile and a look begging for understanding and rushed to the castle’s entrance, the breach in the magic wall we’d made. The stone bricks around it on both sides had crumbled here and there. Loose stones lay scattered all over in the blackened grass. Then it hit me. The castle was breaking.
I lifted my eyes and only now noticed the tower had begun to crumble as well, and there was an enormous crack across the building.
Something nearly bumped into me, and I took a step back, just as they took a step away too. The prince and Aurora — as herself, in her own form. The prince had been carrying Aurora. They both looked worried.
Julian had that sword in his hand, still glowing as it was before, and as he set down Aurora to stand on her own feet, I followed Julian’s focused gaze and saw King John attacking with another sword, plain and non-enchanted… He’d freed himself.
They both attacked and did their best, but only managed to lock each other in defensive moves. I sighed, inside, as Rachel sent some hedge magic to where the blades met, and before I could react and do my part, King John had swung his sword free and scratched Julian’s arm or side so badly the young man sunk down holding the wound. Rachel sent down more firebolts, and I shot out my indigo fire to counter that, finally moving again, in my shock.
For a moment, everything was a blazing torch again, blue and orange flames. The next thing I knew, Aurora barged through the flames with a sword. And charged at Rachel.
I distracted Rachel just so — the least I could do — and Aurora’s blade hit right on target. Rachel curled over the sword. I could sense her magic; she was strong, she was healing. Her magic already enveloped the sword, and as soon as Aurora pulled the sword out, Rachel’s wound was healing fast. My, this woman had put hours into learning the books.
I helped out Julian — I could send him some healing forces, too — and that was all it took for him to leap up and go for the sword now lying in the grass—King John’s sword? It must have been flung off King John’s hands.
It was so easy for me to help Julian’s steps. It was easy for me to put the sword in his hands. And he stood up and did the rest…
He pressed the sword to John’s throat.
“Stay still, King John of Tairaland. It’s time to give up and face the jury. You’ve committed your share of sins, a wolf’s share, to be frank, and it’s high time to start acting human. Succumb, say you’ll forfeit, and you’ll keep your life.”
Behind us, a crumbling sound started out as a low growl and grew hideous, enormous. We all turned. The castle was coming apart. As it melted, my magic broke from the structures as well, and I could feel it surging into me. I was gathering so much power I’d never dreamed possible. This was my own magic, though. I let it flow. Relished the forces.
A strange sensation alerted me to my temples, and I felt my head with my palms. My horns…where were they? They were gone. Foolishly, I looked for them on the ground, but they were gone.
Then I did what I should have done long ago, and I barraged King John and Rachel with arrows of magic that turned into cages around them. Try getting out of that! They were as good as bolted in place. No hedge magic could even give them a shake.
Behind me, the castle crumbled down in one final crash, croaking, growling, leaving nothing but a pile of stones and clay, trampled brushwood, ashes and a silvery pond.
Aurora and Julian were left standing so close to where the pond formed, that on the surface, I saw their reflections. Above them both fluttered an image of a bird, one of them blue, one of them darker; both sparkling, bursting with magic.
It was transformation magic turned to illusion magic.
I could understand that now.
How many alterations we’d all made and how many layers of magic piled up…
The illusion magic was evaporating away and disappearing into the air.
Aurora would make a fantastic Queen. Perhaps Julian would make a good king. They could rule their lands as neighbours, or join the lands — it was none of my business, now. But I knew Aurora would rule well. So, I could give her my gift at last.
I pulled a deep breath and squeezed a decade’s worth of halfling fae magic between my palms. It took effort, but forces compressed to a ball of light that lit up the entire yard and parts of the forest be
yond — I could sense the trees bending, the blueberries bowing, the squirrels turning to look. Then all the light disappeared into the red rose cooling down on my palms.
I tossed the rose into the ashes at Aurora’s feet.
Baffled, she looked at me, as she reached down for it. When her hands touched it, she reacted as if to a hot pan, but that quickly turned into a grin. She had to feel the magic guarding her, promising to help her, sworn to protect her, there at her disposal.
This budding red rose in the ashes, this was my gift to her, only years too late.
And I too had a new life to live. With my aiala ring, they’d welcome me on Fae Island.
The End
Queen’s Fall by Majanka Verstraete
Foreward
Long before there was a Queen of Hearts,
There was a girl, who dreamt of a better Wonderland.
Chapter 1
Celia turned her head sideways, glancing at her reflection in the mirror for the millionth time that morning.
“Are you sure about these earrings?” she asked me, as she tucked her golden hair behind her ear to inspect the jewels in more detail. “They don’t sparkle very much.”
I leaned closer toward her, so my face was next to hers. “You want you to sparkle, Celia, not those earrings.”
“Hm.” She titled her head further to the left, narrowing her eyes.
I kept a smile glued on my face the entire time, but inside, I was raging. Four hours she had been sitting in front of this mirror, trying to decide whether she looked good enough in this dress or that dress, using this color of eyeshadow or that color, all for a prince from a far-away country who was bound to marry her anyway.
Glancing at our reflections in the mirror, my cousin and I couldn’t be more different. She was the fair princess of fairytales: long, wavy blonde hair, light blue eyes, a heart-shaped face, all innocence and beauty. It was an excellent disguise for the monster she really was within. I, on the other hand, was like a dark replica of her light. Black hair reaching my waist, green eyes, a slightly round face.
“All right.” Celia clapped her hands, disrupting my thoughts. “Do I need anything else?” She turned to me, looking to me for guidance, as always.
Even though she was one year older than me, and even though she was the crown princess and I was merely a lady-in-waiting, she always looked to me for advice.
“You look perfect.” I smiled at her, even though it sickened me to my core to have to do so. Pretend to be her friend. Pretend to care about her, and most importantly, pretend not to hate her. It drained my energy at alarming levels.
“You think so?” Celia got up from her chair, spinning around. Her gown was dazzling, encrusted with jewels, a light blue color accentuating her fair skin, and a bodice so tight she could barely breathe.
“Yes,” I said reluctantly. “You go on ahead to the hallway now, I’ll go get ready.”
Celia raised an eyebrow at me, looking at me from head to toe. “You look fine. I really want you there with me,” she whined. “I don’t want to go through this alone.”
I stared at her, balling my hands into fists and trying incredibly hard to keep a straight face. Hours. Hours had she sat here, in front of the mirror, nagging about every little blemish on her face, every curl that was out of place. Now, I asked for five minutes to get changed and looked presentable, and she wouldn’t even grant me that.
I had been patient, for the first hour-or-so, and I had tried hard to be kind to her, even if she was being ridiculous in how obsessed she was with looking perfect, but now it took me all my willpower not to snap at her.
“I won’t be long, I’ll just change into something else to look presentable for our guests,” I said through gritted teeth.
Celia pouted her lips, which she always did when something didn’t go exactly as she had planned. “I don’t know what the point is, you’re not about to meet your soon-to-be fiancé.”
I bit my lip, trying to stay calm. “Celia…” I used the same tone I always did whenever she was being unreasonable –which was on average at least twice a day.
“Fine. Go on then.” Celia slumped her shoulders, looking like a discarded toy upset about being tossed to the side. She might be the future queen of Wonderland, but she was also the biggest drama queen in the whole of Wonderland.
“All right. I’ll see you in the dining hall then,” I said.
She kept on pouting and rolled her eyes at me, every bit the petulant child, but I purposely ignored her and walked out of her chambers.
The palace, for everyone who was not used to its meandering hallways and hidden staircases, was a veritable labyrinth. But for me, I already knew it like the back of my hand, the blueprint forever edged into my skull. I had lived here all my life. My mother was the sister of the King, and after my father passed away, my uncle had asked Mother and I to return to the palace and live her.
Mother hated it, but I loved the palace. The hallways were lined with glass on one side, light streaming into the corridors and reflecting off the marble tiles on the floor. Every room, from the King’s chambers high above to the dining hall below, oozed a luxury that couldn’t be found anywhere else in Wonderland. It was sumptuous, grand, and of course the ideal breeding ground for demon spawn like Celia.
As I raced back to my room, nearly tripping into one of the servants when I rounded the corner, I pictured myself grabbing the large mirror from Celia’s room and smashing her in the head with it. Even the thought alone put a smile to my face.
Don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t naturally inclined to hate people. There was no one in the entirety of Wonderland who I hated as much as I hated my cousin.
I opened up the door to my chambers, and my heart nearly jumped out of my chest when I looked straight at my mother, sitting at my dressing table, looking so grumpy I wouldn’t be surprised if a stormy cloud appeared above her head, gushing rain.
“Mother,” I said, raising my hand to my chest. “You startled me.”
“The guests will arrive in fifteen minutes, Regina,” she said. She only ever used my name when she wasn’t happy with me. “Why aren’t you dressed yet?” She gestured for me to sit down, and before I could object, she grabbed a brush to comb my hair.
“Celia kept me occupied,” I protested.
Mother rolled her eyes. “That self-absorbed cretin.” She took a brooch from my collection and skillfully pinned my hair to my skull, a lot faster than I could’ve ever done myself. “Let me guess, she spent hours and hours gushing about what to wear, barely leaving you with ten minutes to get yourself ready.”
“You’re not wrong.” Strangely enough, no matter how much I loathed Celia at times, it didn’t feel right to talk to my mother about it. Because whereas my dislike for Celia sprung from how self-absorbed and annoying she was sometimes, my mother’s dislike for her ran much deeper, and was much more dangerous.
“She already has first claim on the crown. The White Prince will join us tonight as her betrothed. She’d have to be a complete idiot to screw up that engagement.” Mother grabbed my chin rather roughly and lifted up my face. “This is your chance, Regina. Your one chance.”
I swallowed hard, while Mother applied some make-up on my face. My heart hammered in my chest.
“Mother…” I protested. “Do you think this is a good idea?”
Mother’s eyes turned dark, and her lips became a thin line. I knew I had said too much, that my protests would fall on deaf ears.
“This is our birth right, Regina,” Mother said, venom slipping in her voice. “I won’t let them take it away from us, not again.”
Mother and I almost looked like twins, that was how alike we were, same hair color, same face, everything, except of course she was older than me. Older, and crueler, poisoned by a hatred I hoped I would never understand.
“What if he doesn’t like me?” I asked her, my voice small. “What if he prefers her?”
“He won’t,” Mother reassured me. “You won
’t let him. You’re not going to lose from that dimwitted spoiled brat. Not again.”
My hands trembled while Mother helped me in my dress, a low-cut, burgundy red gown with an open back that was not as richly decorated as Celia’s, but that was still one of the prettiest gowns I had ever owned. Being the niece of his Majesty the King meant that we didn’t lack anything in the monetary department, but all of it was due to the grace of my uncle, and what he could give, he could just as easily take away.
Mother never wasted an opportunity to tell me about that, about how precarious our situation was, and about how easy it would be for the King to decide we would have to leave court.
Which was why the thought of what she had planned made me sick to the stomach, and why I didn’t understand why she wanted to go ahead with this plan in the first place.
It was like playing a game of chess, she had explained to me the last time I had questioned her about the topic. You win some, you lose some.
Except if we lost, it wouldn’t be just a game of chess. It could mean losing our fortune, our reputation, our place at court.
And, if the King was in a foul mood, it could also mean losing our heads.
Involuntarily, I glanced out of the window to my left, the one window in my room overlooking the courtyard. Every month, all the criminals condemned to death were lined up outside, on that very courtyard, where they waited for the executioner to chop off their heads with an axe, one by one. Even now, the echo of the thud of their heads hitting the cobblestones haunted my mind.
“Regina, focus.” Mother snapped her fingers at me. I blinked at her, not understanding what she meant.
“You’ll need to be on your A-game tonight,” she told me while she applied some cherry-red lipstick to my lips. “No mistakes. No staring off dreamily into the distance. This is the opportunity we have waiting for our entire lives.”
Kingdom of Villains and Vengeance Page 56
