Before she could close the carriage door, I asked my burning question, a gauge to measure how upset she was with me. “Do you want me to visit you soon?” I asked hesitantly.
She didn’t even look at me. “No, thank you.” And with that, she slammed the carriage door rather forcefully and stomped up the path to her cottage. My heart wrenched. Our friendship was clearly over.
Ali stared after her, looking rather disgruntled. “Orders or not…” He hoisted the door open even after the carriage started up again, but I seized his arm, tugging him to a stop.
“Leave her be. She doesn’t need a guard right now.” Or a best friend, apparently. “What she needs is a good cry with her mother.”
He grumbled but obediently settled on the seat with a sigh, his surrender. “If His Highness learns I strayed from my post…”
“Eileen won’t tell him and neither will I. I’m not too keen to displease him any further.” For at this point in my story, being thrown in the dungeon seemed far too likely a scenario should I fail in my newest quest.
“His Highness would never throw you in the dungeon,” Ali said.
“He will if I don’t come up with a counterspell.” I gnawed at my fingernail. “Ali, what am I going to do?”
“You’re a resourceful heroine. I’m sure you’ll come up with something.”
The carriage stopped in front of the bakery, the setting for the next dark chapter in my story: confessing to my family I’d spelled a crown prince into thinking himself in love with me. Ali disembarked first and extended his hand, but I made no move to take it, frozen in fear. What if my family hated me for what I’d done?
“Come now, Rosie, you’re a brave heroine. It’s time to face the dragons.”
Ali’s lips quirked into one of his half smiles that did wonders for my nerves. I shakily placed my hand in his. Warmth seeped over me as his hand enfolded mine, sending a wave of calm over me. Even after I’d descended, I made no move to pull away.
“Don’t worry, Rosie; your family will stand by you…as will I. Together we’ll come up with a solution.”
His hazel gaze seeped into mine as he gave my hand an assuring squeeze before releasing it. I ached to ask him to keep holding my hand—for I needed his steady strength I’d come to rely on—but his comfort had given me the fortitude I needed.
With a steadying breath, I entered the bakery, where I hoped my family would not only stand by me, but together we’d come up with a solution to the plight I’d created for myself and everyone else, even though at the moment that seemed an impossible feat.
Chapter 20
Father frantically searched Enchanted Sweets and Delights as I hovered, gnawing my fingernail. “There has to be a reversal spell in here somewhere,” he said.
“What if there isn’t?” Despair squeezed my chest at the thought. If only life were like a story, so that when it wasn’t going as expected, one could choose to stop reading rather than being forced to endure each miserable chapter of what was certainly going to become an unhappily ever after.
Mother wrapped her arm around me. “Don’t panic, dear, we’ll figure something out.”
“We’ll fix the problem, even if there isn’t a reversal spell,” Ferris said from his place rummaging the cupboard for mixing bowls. “The solution seems obvious: all we need to do is whip up a poisoned tart, give it to the prince, and—”
“Ferris!” Mother gaped at him, horrified.
He lowered his eyes sheepishly. “I was only joking, Mother.”
“Never joke about something like that again.” She turned back to me. “Now don’t worry, dear. Every spell has a counterspell—it’s one of the foundational rules of magic—although admittedly they’re trickier to make and not always successful.”
I groaned. “What if ours doesn’t work?” Hopelessness once again threatened to swallow me whole. “I’ll be thrown in the dungeon for sure.”
“Quite likely,” Ferris chimed in. “Then I’ll finally be an only child.”
“Don’t tease her like that, Ferris; Rosie is upset enough as it is.”
Father continued frantically combing the recipe book, muttering to himself, before he grinned in triumph. “There, I knew there’d be a counterspell. There always is.”
I nearly tripped over my skirts in my eagerness to see it for myself. My breath hooked as I hovered over his shoulder and read the glorious words, “Love Reversal Spell.” I released a relieved sigh. “I’m saved.”
“Assuming it works,” Ferris added unhelpfully. I glared at him.
“It’ll work. I’m an expert at creating spelled treats, as seen in the success of the first one.” Some of the despair pressing against me slowly eased. We’d found a reversal spell. Life wasn’t over. Now all that was left was to make it. “Let’s bake it immediately.”
Father looked up from scanning the ingredients. “Hmm, it appears we’re missing two of the ingredients, princess.”
The elation I’d been feeling came crashing down. “We are?” Why did obstacles have to repeatedly appear in one’s story?
“Yes. We’re out of crushed dragon scales, which can easily be purchased at the apothecary at the other end of Arador. However, the enchanted water will be more difficult to track down.”
I nibbled my fingernail in thought before an idea occurred to me. I brightened once more. “There’s enchanted water in the Forest. Eileen took me to a waterfall that changed colors. All I’d have to do would be to…oh.” I didn’t want to go to the Forest without Eileen, certain I’d get lost if I ventured there on my own, but Eileen currently wasn’t speaking to me.
Mother rested an assuring hand on my arm that did little to quell the panic once again rising in my chest. “I’m sure she’ll be willing to help you. Best friends can’t stay away from each other for long. In the meantime, you can fetch the dragon scales. Are you willing to go right now?”
Before I could answer, a knock sounded on the door, despite the bakery being closed. My droopy heart immediately flared to life. There was only one person I knew who knocked on the bakery door…. “Ali!”
I scrambled from the kitchen to hoist the front door open, where Ali stood. I beamed up at him, taking in his tall, broad form. Even though it had only been a few hours since he’d left me at home, feeling compelled to return to his post standing outside Eileen’s cottage, it felt as if it had been far longer.
I managed to tear my gaze from his face to notice he held a bouquet of blooming roses. I gaped at the flowers, my heartbeat escalating. “Are those for me?”
“Yes,” he said.
My heart swelled further, on the brink of flight at the utterly romantic gesture. I peeked up at him with a girlish smile. “From you?”
His cheeks darkened. “I’m afraid not. I found them on the doorstep.”
My soaring heart immediately crashed in disappointment. I’d never considered the idea of Ali giving me flowers, but now that I did, it was one I rather liked, and it was crushing that he hadn’t satisfied this new secret longing.
“Who are they from?”
Ali shifted from foot to foot, looking almost guilty, as if aware he’d disappointed me. “A certain lovesick prince.”
I groaned, my mood darkening further. “I see.” I snatched the elaborate bouquet and returned glowering to the kitchen.
Mother’s eyes widened when she noticed the roses. “What a lovely bouquet. Who’s it from?” Her gaze immediately darted towards Ali.
“A spelled Prince Liam. Who else?” I set the offensive bouquet down unceremoniously and glared at it, never mind it truly was lovely—an arrangement of roses in all colors, a flower whose expense should have immediately alerted me they hadn’t been from Ali. The fact that I’d allowed myself to get my hopes up only darkened my mood further. I sighed. It seemed my life was full of nothing but one disappointment after another.
Ferris surveyed the bouquet from all angles before grinning mischievously. “There’s a note. This ought to be good.” Before I c
ould stop him, he snagged the piece of gilded parchment and unfolded it.
“Don’t you dare read that.” I made to grab it but he held it out of reach.
“Don’t you want to hear sweet nothings from your besotted prince, Rosalina?” He cleared his throat and with an exaggerated theatrical flare he began to read:
My Dearest Rosie Petal,
“Rosie petal?” He sniggered before continuing.
It feels as if universes are separating us rather than mere hours and miles. I’d sacrifice all my wealth and title just for a glimpse of your smile, for you are my finest jewel. I miss you fiercely.
Your Adoring Liam
Silence followed Ferris’s reading, during which I determinedly avoided Ali’s eyes. Ferris examined the note before raising his gaze to mine, for once no ounce of teasing filling his expression. “This is serious, isn’t it? You really did spell the Crown Prince of Draceria.”
“Finally you understand the extent of my dire circumstances.” My anxiety was rising again, suffocating. I released a strangled sob and buried myself in my hands.
Mother rubbed my back. “Don’t despair, dear; everything will be alright. We have a reversal spell; now we just need the two remaining ingredients. Why don’t you go purchase the dragon scales now? It’d be good for you to get out of the house. Guard Alastar, would you please accompany her?”
My gaze snapped up in time to notice Mother’s mischievous smirk. For some reason, my heart started beating wildly at the thought of Ali and me alone together. “Oh, I doubt he’d want to,” I said. “He has a duty to guard Eileen.”
“Despite my attempts to ignore her wishes for the sake of her safety, she’s unfortunately quite forcefully forbidden me from approaching her or her cottage for the remainder of the day; she wants time alone with her mother.” Ali released a heavy sigh. “The moment His Highness learns I strayed from my post…” He shook his head.
“I told you, he won’t learn of it,” I said, hoping my words were true. I’d hate to see anything happen to Ali as a result of the mess I’d made for everyone.
“Considering I’m currently off duty, I’ll happily accompany you to purchase an ingredient,” he said. “Besides, I’m eager for a grand tour of Arador from one who knows all the fantastic stories about this charming village.”
I managed a small smile. “I do know of several wonderful tales, but I’m almost afraid to share them, considering it’s my love for stories that entangled me in my current plight.”
“You only find yourself in trouble when you attempt to manipulate your own,” he said. “But not to worry; I’m becoming an expert at reining your imagination in before it gets too out of control.”
“Not when you play along.”
His lips twitched, and for a moment we simply stared at one another before Ali held out his hand. I rested mine in his, marveling at how perfectly it fit. He enfolded mine before bowing to my family. “I’ll watch over her.”
“I’m sure you will.” Mother’s eyes twinkled mischievously as she looked back and forth between us before exchanging a strange smile with Father, as if the two were speculating and were rather pleased at whatever conclusions they’d come up with. Did everyone suspect my relationship with Ali was deeper than it actually was?
Ferris, however, surveyed Ali with a rather fierce and protective look, once again no trace of his usual teasing on his expression. “I don’t think it’s wise to let Rosie accompany that guard alone,” he said. “We don’t know anything about him.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Ferris,” Mother said. “He’s Eileen’s personal guard. Obviously, he’s a man that can be trusted.” She gently pushed me towards the door. “Have a marvelous time, you two.”
“I still think they should have a chaperone,” Ferris said coldly, sizing Ali up as if he was going to challenge him to a duel.
“They’ll be fine,” Mother said with a wink towards me that made my cheeks warm.
The moment we stepped outside into the warm sunshine, a wave of calm washed over me. It was such a beautiful day. The breeze was soft, pleasant, and caressing, tangling my hair. I was finally home again and away from the palace and Prince Liam. I breathed out a contented sigh.
“Are you ready to be the leader on today’s adventure?” Ali asked.
“I’m not sure that’s wise,” I said. “Whenever I take control of a tale, things end up quite the mess.”
“We are in a mess,” he said, and my brow furrowed at his use of the word we. “But no matter the obstacles in any story, the heroine and her hero always overcome them. Now, we’re visiting the apothecary for an ingredient in a reversal spell?”
I nodded and pointed down the crowded street. “The apothecary is in that direction.”
“Lead the way.” He looped my arm through his, and I led him into the bustle of the market. Hustling villagers crowded the street, already full of an array of stalls selling all sorts of wares—fresh produce, haunches of meat, spices, homemade goods and trinkets—and filling the air with the clinking of coins and the murmurs of bartering.
I was keenly aware of Ali’s presence beside me and felt a thrill at being escorted through my home village by my royal guard. I felt the strangest inclination to drop his arm in order to hold his hand. I curled my own into a fist to resist this impulse and distracted myself by sharing my memories of Arador. It was difficult at first, as if I were stirring my imagination from slumber. I wasn’t even sure I wanted it to return, but once it’d awoken and stretched a bit, it began to dance through my mind and breathe life into my words.
We paused in the middle of a story about a secret princess who had taken refuge in a shed from an ogre who’d been chasing her—which was really an elaborate recounting of when Ferris had accidentally locked me in a farmer’s shed, where I’d been trapped for three hours—when we paused beside the floral stand, bursting with an array of cheerful blossoms in a rainbow of colors. As I was admiring each of the arrangements, Ali briefly disappeared, returning with a flower he’d purchased.
“For you.” He held out a single iris, its lovely purple and white petals aglow in the sunshine. I stared at it in awe as I lightly traced its petals. Ali gave me a flower. My heart swelled in happiness. This gesture was so much sweeter than Prince Liam’s elaborate bouquet.
“It’s lovely, Ali.”
“I’m happy it pleases you.” He tucked it behind my ear, his fingers grazing my cheek as he pulled away.
“Why an iris?” I asked breathlessly.
A blush dotted his cheeks. “Irises are considered a royal flower. With your love for fairy tales, I thought you’d like that.”
I sighed and let my fingers—which had been caressing the petals of the flower in my hair—drop. “I used to. Now I’m not so sure.”
We began walking again, weaving through the people and the stalls. I looked around the familiar cobblestone paths and quaint grey stone buildings as if seeing them for the first time. Whereas I’d always considered Arador a boring place to have grown up, now each shop we passed triggered a happy memory, as did the familiar scents drifting through the street—the floral perfume of the floral stand we were leaving behind, the aroma of bread drifting from our own bakery, the spices being sold from the stands, the meat from the butchers, and my favorite roasted chestnuts, which Ali purchased for us to share as we continued our trek to the apothecary.
I had a lovely time pointing out various places and people to Ali, telling him story after story about various memories I’d developed over the years. His expression softened with each tale. “It sounds like you’ve had a lovely life in Arador.”
I came up short, blinking rapidly. “I guess I have.” I glanced around Arador once more, as if seeing it for the first time. “It’s been a wonderful place to grow up.” To think I used to hate this simple village, when now it seemed so charming and freeing after the confining elegance of the palace. I recognized each villager and reveled in their smiles and friendly nods in greeting, as well as their c
heerful laughter. I envied their contentment, something I’d never been able to find here before. Could I ever come to share in it? Perhaps I was already beginning to.
Excitement bubbled in my chest when I spotted my favorite building. “The library. Oh Ali, I have to show you it.”
He obediently escorted me there, where we explored the tiny building, lined with books. We spent a cozy hour visiting all my favorite stories, our quest to the apothecary forgotten as we traced our fingers along the spines, pulling out books to immerse ourselves in the scent and feel of their leather and musty pages. I was delighted to discover Ali and I had read some of the same books. Each commonality we discovered strengthened the connection I already felt with him, one I ached to explore further with each passing moment.
“Can I ask you a question?” I queried as we finally realized the lateness of the afternoon and stepped back outside to resume our walk to the apothecary. “Is royal life usually how it’s been during my visits with Eileen?” I asked this hesitantly, not wanting his confirmation to shatter what was left of my dreams.
“It’s not a storybook, if that’s what you’re asking,” he said. “I’ve watched Prince Aiden shoulder many responsibilities and duties over the years, but there are wonderful things about it as well.” He glanced down at me with sweet understanding. “You’ve been disappointed in the reality, haven’t you?”
“I admit I have. I want to imagine there’s something marvelous to be found outside the pages of a book. Is that silly?”
“Not at all,” he said, so kindly. “But I do think you have a tendency to spend so much time trying to find what you expect to see that you fail to notice what’s really in front of you.”
I nibbled my nail, considering. “Perhaps you’re right. I’ve always hated the village I grew up in because it wasn’t a palace, but today I feel as if I’m seeing it with new eyes.”
“The memories you shared with me were always a part of you, even if you didn’t recognize it.”
The Kingdom Chronicles Box Set 1 Page 49
