Lina crossed her arms and released the spell.
“You can’t. This realm is protected. Your kind has been sealed away.”
Nog’s laughter boiled the surface of the ground. Lina hovered above it to keep from falling over.
“We have had centuries to break the seal. It will not hold much longer.”
“I hold the seal,” Lina said. “I will keep you locked away.”
“You held the seal,” Nog said. “But you’re awake now. And you are alone.”
A misty shape materialized in front of Lina. She recognized the silhouette. Stocky legs. Massive chest and arms. Horned head with a skull as thick and hard as a marble column. Definitely a goblin warrior.
He was faint. Wispy like smoke. But forming a body that solid through the seal should be impossible. It would take tremendous strength. A combination of light and dark magic.
The shape reached for Lina. She jumped backwards. The tip of a claw brushed her ankle. A chill swept through her bones.
10
Lina awoke and jumped out of her chair. She tripped on the blanket covering her lap and nearly fell into the dying fire. She gasped for air by the lungful and shivered.
That shouldn’t have been possible. The goblin shouldn’t have been there. The creatures of darkness had been sealed away. They shouldn’t be able to take a solid form. Not even in the realm of shadows.
And yet Nog had.
Lina lifted the hem of her tattered dress and checked her ankle. A faint bruise colored her skin where Nog had touched her.
She shouldn’t panic. He was one goblin. She could defeat one goblin on her own. One on one. She’d won against far greater odds.
Of course, she’d had weapons then. A whole headband of enchanted gems. Now she had a single emerald.
Lina recovered her composure enough to notice her surroundings. She glanced around the room. Judging by the architecture, she was in the castle. A bedroom, not a prison. Good.
Marble columns soared to high ceilings decorated with mosaic tiles. Candlelight gleamed off the white, carved surfaces. Lina studied the pattern on the ceiling. She recognized the designs. She had stayed in the castle whenever she reported to the king.
Lina searched the wall for a keyhole and slipped her diamond into a gap. She turned her hand, and the tiles rearranged to a different pattern.
She smiled. The castle was full of magical details like this. Secrets that members of the royal family could unlock with their signet rings. If the decorative ones had survived, perhaps the secret rooms remained undiscovered.
Lina turned her diamond back, and the tile ceiling returned to its original pattern. The room didn’t have a window. She had no way to sneak out. That could be a problem.
Lina examined the furnishings. Ornately carved wooden furniture filled the room. A big chair sat by the fire, but the most impressive piece was an enormous bed with posts and a canopy. A vertical wooden box filled an entire corner of the room. Lina opened the doors and found dresses of every fabric and style imaginable. Cashmere wool, cotton, and silk. She studied the lace. Amazing. She had never seen anything so intricate. Craft had improved while she slept.
They would expect her to change into one of these gowns. Her own dress would not last much longer. She needed to secure the pea. Lina pulled the gem from its spot in the hem of her sleeve and rolled it between her fingers. Her last link to Luca. Her only weapon in the realm of shadows.
Where would it be safe?
Lina searched the room. Everything gleamed. The maids must clean often. If they found it, they might throw it away. Or steal it if they guessed its worth.
If she lost the pea, she’d have to fight Nog and whatever else wandered the realm of shadows empty handed.
Lina rubbed her eyes. There had been multiple weapon store rooms in the castle. Thousands of enchanted gems. If even a few had survived through the ages-
The door handle turned. Someone was coming in! Lina dove for the bed. She shoved the pea under the mattress and jumped on top.
A stocky woman in a plain brown dress entered. She carried a tray laden with food.
“Oh, good, you’re awake. I’m Hilda. I’ll be your ladies maid while you stay here, Princess.”
Lina nodded. So she hadn’t dreamed the part where they thought she was royalty. She was, if you got really technical with her genealogy, but she wasn’t sure that counted now. Her connection to the royal family had been distant. She might never have seen the inside of the castle if she wasn’t a shadow warrior.
Whatever the misunderstanding, she was grateful to be here now. One step closer to the Council.
“We’re charmed to have you,” Hilda said.
She handed Lina the tray. Lina tried to take princess sized bites of a muffin, but she was too hungry. She stuffed half the pastry in her mouth. Hilda raised an eyebrow.
“I understand you had a difficult journey. The queen asked me to remind you of the rules of the Princess Test since you missed the arrival ceremony. You’re not to tell us where you’re from. You’re not to tell us your name. You will be referred to as princess like all the other girls, even if that is not your actual rank. We will provide a wardrobe from our country to prevent clues in your dress. If Prince Alaric chooses you, you’ll be married to him and named Queen of Aeonia. Any questions?”
Lina swallowed the muffin. She had plenty of questions, but none of them were about the Princess Test. Aeonia had bigger problems than choosing a queen.
“When can I speak with the Council of Kings?”
Hilda chuckled.
“You’ll be too busy with the Princess Test to speak with anyone but the prince. The entire Council will attend the Grand Ball the night after tomorrow, so you will have an opportunity to speak to your delegation then. Do you need anything else?”
Lina shook her head and pushed the other half of the muffin into her mouth. However she had gotten in this mess, at least she was near the Council. If she played the part of a princess until the ball, she could talk to them much sooner than otherwise.
In the meantime, maybe she could sneak away and search the castle for enchanted gems.
Hilda watched Lina devour the muffin. Her lips pressed into a thin line.
“Very good then. I’ll draw up a bath for you. If you’ll come with me, we’ll get you cleaned up and into new clothes. The first Princess Test begins soon.”
Lina smiled.
“A bath would be very appreciated.”
11
“Your Highness must stop pacing!”
Bastien, Alaric’s personal tailor, followed him back and forth across his bedroom. Alaric stopped moving long enough for Bastien to pounce and pin a jeweled brooch to his tunic.
Alaric glimpsed his reflection in the mirror and resumed his pacing. Sapphires covered every part of the enormous brooch. It gleamed like a lighthouse as he moved.
“Nice jewelry!” Stefan said. “I bet the girls will love it.”
Alaric glared at him.
“Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”
“Nope. As assistant coordinator for the Princess Test, my job is to stay by your side.”
“Great.”
“Do something with his hair,” Stefan said. “Maybe some oil to make it curl more.”
“I am not oiling my hair.”
“An excellent idea, Prince Stefan!” Bastien said. “I will return. I have some excellent perfume as well.”
The tailor bustled out the door. Alaric crossed his arms.
“I hate you.”
“Just helping you win your true love’s heart. Who did you choose?”
“Still Santelle or Eldria.”
Stefan pulled the parchments out of Alaric’s desk.
“So that’s Princess Merinda or Princess Carina. Oh, Merinda is the one who collects butterflies.”
“Really?”
Alaric glanced at Stefan.
“Hmm. That’s creepy, right?”
“Depends on if she kills them
or not. Just think, you could wake up every morning to a room full of bugs.”
Alaric pulled the parchment from Stefan’s hands.
“Princess Lenora collects butterflies, genius. Not Merinda. Thanks goodness. My spy didn’t say if she kills them. Just that she collects them.”
“I can’t help it if all these pictures look the same. You need to hire an art teacher for your spies. These drawings are terrible.”
Alaric had to agree. The pencil sketches of each princess had little detail.
“There will be plenty of time for royal portraits later.”
“Whatever you say. I just hope you can recognize them from these drawings. Carina and Merinda look kind of similar.”
Alaric compared the portraits side by side. Blast, Stefan was right. Merinda’s expression was a little more pleasant, but the sketches could easily be the same girl. He skimmed the reports.
“Carina has blond hair. Merinda has black. That should help.”
“Maybe. This is what you get for trying to cheat,” Stefan said.
Alaric spread the rest of the parchments across his desk. Yes, they should make art lessons mandatory training for spies and ambassadors. These drawings were truly terrible.
He had thought he was being clever having his spies sketch the girls, but these pictures would be no help at all.
“You could run away,” Stefan said. “We can take our horses and meet Odette on patrol.”
“Please stop talking about her.”
Stefan studied Alaric’s face.
“We grew up with her. You were close. What happened?”
“She left.”
“What do you mean she left?”
Alaric sighed. Stefan wasn’t going to be satisfied until he heard the whole story.
“She tried to joke with me while submitting a report. I told her we should start keeping our relationship more professional since I was crown prince and would be king one day. I said I had responsibilities to fulfill, and I couldn’t let my personal feelings interfere with my duties to Aeonia.”
Stefan dropped a parchment.
“You didn’t. Alaric, you idiot! What did she say?”
“She apologized for being too casual with her commanding officer and requested a transfer. Then she saluted and walked out. I haven’t seen her since. There, now you know. Does that make you happy?”
“No, it doesn’t. When did this happen?”
“Over a year ago. Before I sent the couriers to request the Princess Test. I sent a formal invitation for her to rejoin the castle guard under a different commander, but she declined. I know I hurt her, but what else could I do? It really is over, Stefan.”
“And you’re really going to marry one of these girls?”
Stefan waved the parchments. Alaric picked up the parchment Stefan had dropped and tucked them back into his desk.
“Yes. I am. Will you help me figure out which girls are the princesses? Preferably Merinda and Carina?”
“I’ll try, but it won’t be easy. All the girls know the rules. They’ll notice if I break them. It could cause an international incident.”
Bastien burst through the door with an armful of bottles.
“I have the perfumes and oils! If Your Highness will sit here.”
Alaric groaned, but his tailor wouldn’t take no for an answer. Bastien poured half a bottle of oil over Alaric’s head and worked it through his hair. He spritzed scent over Alaric’s clothes until the prince gagged on the smell.
“Bastien,” he choked. “Bastien, please stop.”
Across the room, Stefan waved the cloud of perfume away from his face.
“I think that will do, Bastien,” he said. “We don’t want the princesses to be jealous that Alaric smells better than them.”
Bastien closed the perfume bottle with a click.
“Humph. How am I supposed to help you win a bride if you won’t listen to me? This whole family is impossible. Hilda comes home upset every night because your mother refuses to dress the part of queen.”
Alaric took a deep breath and grimaced at the taste of perfume in the air.
“I am sorry if we cause trouble for you. You and Hilda are very appreciated.”
Bastien set aside the perfume bottles. He rummaged through his cloak.
“Of course we’re appreciated. You would be lost without us. But you’ll understand better when you’re married. When your wife is upset-”
He shuddered and pulled a bulging velvet bag from his cloak. Alaric shuddered just as much as Bastien had.
“Bastien, what is that?”
“Your Highness didn’t think I would let you meet the princesses dressed so plainly?”
Alaric’s eyes widened in horror as Bastien pulled more brooches from the bag.
“Bastien-”
The reproach in his tailor’s eyes stopped him. Alaric bit his lip and allowed Bastien to pin more gems to his clothes.
By the time Stefan led him to the first Princess Test, Alaric barely recognized his reflection.
His chest glittered with a rainbow of gems. The oil made his hair hang in perfect ringlets. He smelled like a field of snowbells. Princess Lenora’s butterflies would probably flock to him.
Stefan gave him a sympathetic glance before he opened the door.
“You look nice.”
Alaric glared. Stefan’s sympathy turned to a smirk. They both knew he looked ridiculous.
“Prince Alaric of Aeonia,” the herald announced.
The trumpeter stationed at the door blasted a note. Alaric rubbed his ear and stepped through the door.
The line of girls blinked as his chest caught the light and flashed in their eyes. They all wore pale pink gowns and pearl necklaces. They watched Alaric with expectant eyes. He cleared his throat.
“Um, ladies.”
Stefan coughed and elbowed him in the back. Alaric took another step forward. He wished he had prepared a speech.
“Welcome to Aeonia, Princesses. I am honored to have you here.”
There, that was better. He bowed. The princesses curtsied in unison. It really was creepy. He scanned the line. Six were blond. Four had black hair. Many of the girls looked similar. Especially since they wore identical outfits. And expressions. They had the same sweet smiles.
Blast.
Queen Marta stepped in front of the group.
“Welcome, Princesses. You all know the procedures. You are here to be tested. To prove your charms and worth. If Alaric chooses one of you, you will be queen of Aeonia after me.”
The princesses curtsied in unison again. They looked expectantly at Alaric. He turned to Queen Marta. Please, let something happen. Let the ground swallow him whole.
The door flew open, and the trumpet blared. The princesses gasped. Hilda led a girl dressed in the same pink dress and pearl necklace into the room.
“Sorry we’re late,” she said. “It took a while to get her hairstyle right.”
The late princess stood tall and examined her surroundings. Alaric’s breath caught in recognition. She was the girl who had been at the gate last night. The girl from the archive.
She didn’t look crazy now. She looked beautiful. The pink gown made her skin glow. The hair that had given Hilda such trouble was a rich chestnut brown. Lighter than Alaric had thought it was, but then she had been soaked last night.
She caught Alaric’s eye and curtsied.
“Thank you for your assistance last night.”
Her voice was just as he remembered it. Low and musical.
“What’s the meaning of this?”
A princess stepped out of the line. She had bright red hair and a lilting accent. Fiora of Kell. Her words were shrill with indignation. She turned an accusing gaze on Alaric.
“Why does he know her? We’re not supposed to have met yet. And why does she get to come in late? I didn’t see her at the table last night. She should be disqualified.”
The other princesses muttered in agreement. Queen Marta stepped
forward.
“I am sorry you feel unfairly treated, Princess. This Princess had an unfortunate travel mishap and arrived later than intended. After the gate closed for the evening. Prince Alaric is one of the few people authorized to open the gate after sunset. He gave the order to let her in.”
“So he did meet her,” the red haired princess said. “That is a clear violation of the rules. Not to mention she’s wearing personal jewelry! No one else was given a diamond ring.”
Her voice was icy with disdain.
Fiora stepped forward and addressed the group of girls.
“I call for the disqualification of that princess. She should be ejected from the Princess Test immediately.”
12
Lina eyed the red-haired princess. The princess met her gaze with a raised eyebrow and a challenge. The gauntlet had been thrown. How would she respond?
Lina glanced at the prince. He had seemed normal when she met him at the archive. Nice, even. Now he looked like a ridiculous fashion portrait. She should have known someone so handsome would be vain. He was wearing more jewels than the princesses!
She glanced back to the group of princesses. They glared at her. Right, she was their competition. And in their eyes, she had cheated and gained an unfair advantage.
Lina sighed. She didn’t care about the Princess Test. She didn’t want to marry the vain prince.
But she couldn’t afford to be tossed out of the castle now. She had to warn the Council.
So, she’d have to be a princess.
Lina put her hand over her heart and curtsied to the floor. She wobbled and almost lost her balance in the enormous pink skirt. She stayed bent over. A gesture of humility and apology.
She hoped. If curtsy trends had changed, who knew what she was actually conveying?
“Forgive my lateness, Princesses,” she said. “My travel misfortunes have been great indeed. I did not intend to gain an advantage through them. The circumstances were beyond my control. In my haste to get ready, I forgot to remove my ring.”
She pulled the ring from her finger and tucked it into her sash. Her finger felt bare without it.
The Princess and the Pea (Fairy Tale Adventures Book 1) Page 6
