She smirked. Alaric stared at her.
“Nothing about this is funny, Lina! They’re gone, but we’re still here. Aeonia is finally at peace. We’re prospering! I want that to continue. I think I’d be a good king!”
She laid her left hand on his arm.
“I’m sure you will be. That’s why you want to marry Carina? To secure your position?”
He nodded.
“I tried to find another way. The Council doesn’t accept me as royal. The only way to earn their respect is to marry a true princess.”
Lina pulled her hand away and stared into the night sky.
“I understand.”
“Really?”
She nodded.
“Sometimes you have to make sacrifices to protect what you love.”
She stared at the stars with an intensity Alaric didn’t understand. She was still a mystery. At least she didn’t seem angry at him anymore.
“My father gave me the idea,” he said. “Not directly. He was against the Princess Test at first. Aeonia was split after my family took the throne. He ended the civil war by marrying my mother. He united Aeonia.”
“Was she an enchantress?”
Alaric nearly fell off the windowsill. He grabbed the ledge to restore his balance.
“What?”
“Some of the other princesses said you’d had a queen that was magic. Was it your mother?”
“No.”
“And not Marta?”
Alaric tried to swallow. His throat had gone dry. Memories of Cassandra had that effect on him.
“Father had another wife. They married shortly after my mother died. She was dark. Evil. She tried to kill him. To destroy the country.”
“Oh. With magic?”
Alaric nodded. Just thinking about Cassandra’s magic made his skin crawl.
“I used to climb the mountain to hide from her. I searched for Evangelina’s Temple as often as I could. I thought if I found Evangelina Shadow-Storm, she’d help me defeat my stepmother.”
Lina smiled.
“Did you find her?”
“No. But I found Marta. She grazed her goats there sometimes. When I told her what was happening, she gathered the Society of Evangelina to help me. To overthrow Cassandra. That’s how she met my father.”
“That’s a nice story.”
Alaric’s eyes widened.
“Nice? The kingdom was almost destroyed by an evil sorceress! What’s nice about it?”
“You defeated her. The citizens of Aeonia gathered around you and helped you when you needed it. The other kingdoms may not see you as a prince, but the people of Aeonia do. Those ladies at the archive-”
She chuckled. Alaric grimaced.
“That was a dirty trick, and you know it!”
“Yes, it was. Do you know what they were doing there?”
“Looking for royal gossip?”
“Checking their lineages just in case they missed the fact that they were a princess. They wanted to enter the Princess Test and have a chance to marry you.”
Alaric’s face turned bright red.
“They what?”
“You have quite a following. They think you’re handsome. And very helpful with trade agreements. And a good military commander. In their eyes, you are a prince.”
“They said that?”
Lina nodded. She shivered. The night had grown cold. Alaric slipped off his cloak and handed it to her. She grabbed it with her left hand and tried to wrap it around her shoulders.
She couldn’t do it one handed. Lina raised her right arm and winced.
Her arm. She had been hiding it all day. Alaric leaned forward to get a better look and nearly fell off the windowsill again.
Ugly bruises circled Lina’s wrist. It looked like someone had grabbed her arm and squeezed and squeezed. Someone with enormous hands. The swollen bruises were so dark purple they were almost black.
“You’re hurt!”
Lina glanced at her arm. Panic flashed through her eyes. She pulled the damp glove back on, wincing as she did it.
“Who did that to you?”
Alaric felt sick. He had worried about Lina hurting someone, but she was the one being mistreated.
“When did that happen?”
Lina shook her head.
“Lina, you can trust me.”
She buried her injured arm in the folds of her skirt and turned to him. The pain in her eyes went far deeper than bruises on her arm. She looked like her very soul had shattered.
“Tell me about the play,” she said.
“What?”
“The play. How much artistic license did you take? Is that how the story really goes?”
“Lina, don’t try to change the subject.”
“Just tell me!”
Alaric stared into her green eyes.
“Yes, that’s how the story goes. I added the dancing goblins and the song, but that’s all. It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
He laughed. Lina’s face stayed bleak.
“So you think Luca is a donkey? You think Evangelina is a goat shape shifter?”
Alaric nodded. He didn’t understand. Was she trying to distract him by changing the subject? Or had his writing been the problem all along? He knew the play hadn’t been great, but had it been bad enough to cause this much heartache?
Lina leaned against the window and took a shuddering breath.
“Someone hurt you,” he tried again. “I won’t allow it. Tell me who it is, and I’ll stop them.”
Lina fixed her sad eyes on him.
“You can’t.”
Alaric’s heart twisted at the pain in her voice.
“Yes, I can. Lina, I don’t care if it’s the King of Gaveron! I’ll see whoever is responsible for this put in prison.”
Lina laughed. A little half chuckle that twisted the corner of her mouth into a smile.
“It isn’t the King of Gaveron.”
The corner of her mouth stayed twisted up for a moment as she studied his face.
“Thank you, Alaric.”
“Don’t thank me yet. Thank me after I catch the wretched fiend who hurt you.”
She reached a shaking hand up and stroked a strand of hair out of his face.
“You’ve been kind,” she said. “Mostly.”
“Lina-”
She shook her head.
“Alaric, I’ve failed. The Council won’t listen to me. There’s nothing more I can do here.”
“What were you trying to tell them? Lina, please let me help you.”
Alaric couldn’t explain it, but he needed this. Needed her beside him. Needed to know she was safe. That she was protected from whoever had grabbed her arm.
“I’ll protect you. Whatever you’re running from, I’ll protect you.”
The corner of her mouth twisted up a little further.
“I know you’d try. But my story is difficult.”
“Tell me.”
“Maybe someday.”
“Tell me tonight.”
She leaned closer to him. Alaric reached over and pulled the cloak further around her shoulders. He left his arm there. Lina looked into his eyes.
“I’m sorry. I can’t. But I can tell you that you’re in danger.”
She nodded to her arm.
“This won’t be the end of it. You’re under attack.”
“You know this because of the magic ring?”
“And because of the bruises.”
“Lina, just tell me who’s threatening you! I’ll have the guards take care of it. I’ll take care of it myself, if it needs to remain a secret.”
“The threat isn’t that straightforward.”
She glanced at her ring again. Alaric swallowed.
“Magic?”
She nodded.
“Be careful, Alaric. I’m doing what I can, but I’m only one person. And I’m wasting a lot of time with the Princess Tests.”
“We defeated dark magic before. We can do i
t again.”
“Maybe. I need to get to bed.”
She slipped out from under his arm and tried to raise the window. She couldn’t manage it with only one good hand. Alaric helped her lift it, and she climbed back into the castle.
She favored her right arm in a way that made Alaric suspect her injuries went further than the bruises. When she jumped off the window, her right leg buckled. Alaric scrambled to help her, but she stood upright by the time he reached her.
“You should go back to the theater,” she said. “Show those kings that Aeonia has a strong prince. And an artistic one.”
She smiled a little.
“You were crying during the play,” he said. “Was it really that bad?”
“No. It reminded me of something else. But you know goblins don’t dance, right?”
Alaric shrugged.
“They’re a fairy tale creature. I’m not sure there are rules about them.”
Lina slipped his cloak from her shoulders and handed it to him. Whatever defenses she had lowered on the windowsill were back in place. Alaric couldn’t read her face, but he suspected he had angered her again.
“Lina, whatever I keep doing to offend you-”
“It’s nothing. Go, be a prince. Win your princess. And be good to Carina. She’s more special than you know.”
Alaric’s heart twisted in his chest as she walked away. He wanted to follow her. Wanted to tell her- what exactly?
He swallowed. He couldn’t. Lina was right. Aeonia needed a strategic prince right now, not a lovesick one.
28
Lina stumbled down the hallway towards her room. She was weaker than she had let Alaric see. Her strength was spent. The day had been physically and emotionally exhausting.
She nodded to the guard in the hall and slammed the door to her room shut. She leaned against the doorknob for support.
Should she have told him? She pictured Alaric’s face. He had been nicer than she expected. Kinder.
And willing to do whatever it took to protect Aeonia.
Lina told herself her heart only beat fast because she was tired. It fluttered annoyingly every time she thought of Alaric’s smile.
She turned to go to bed.
Only, she didn’t have a bed anymore. Lina’s jaw dropped.
A tower of mattresses sat in the canopy bed’s place. Lina counted them. Twenty-one mattresses in a pile. One for each princess.
She opened her door and waved to the guard.
“What happened to my bed?”
“I’m not supposed to talk about it.”
“Are there supposed to be twenty-one mattresses in my room?”
“Yes.”
“And I’m supposed to sleep on them?”
“Yes.”
“Do all the princesses have this many mattresses?”
“Yes.”
Lina slipped back into her bed and closed the door. There was no way she could climb the tower with her injured arm. She would sleep in the chair.
The chair was gone. They had removed every piece of furniture except the wardrobe of dresses and the towering bed.
Lina walked around the tower. She pushed it. The mattresses seemed sturdy enough. There was a ladder on the other side.
What kind of princess test was this?
Lina’s heart leaped in her chest. The pea! Had they removed the pea?
She forced her hand between the bottom two mattresses. If they were the same ones, then it should still be there.
Yes, there it was. Lina wrapped her hand around the gem and pulled it out. She breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness!
Lina circled the tower of mattresses again. There wasn’t an alternative. She would either have to sleep on the floor or the ridiculously tall bed.
She tied the pea into her sash and climbed. Her right shoulder ached, but she kept going. Shadows pulled at her. Not now! If she went into a trance while climbing the ladder, she would fall.
Lina gathered the last of her strength and pulled herself onto the top of the mattress tower. She crawled to the center and collapsed. She had no energy left. She realized she was still in her gown. They would probably send a maid to help her change.
Too bad. She wasn’t about to climb back down to change clothes.
Lina rested her head on the pillow. Her eyes were dry. She had no more tears to cry. Not even for Luca. Her heart was utterly and completely broken.
Half of her wished she had told Alaric the truth. She could have at least tried. Maybe the bruise would be proof where the ring wasn’t.
The other half knew she had done the right thing. To claim to be Evangelina Shadow-Storm after watching that ridiculous play? He would think she was delusional. He might ask her to turn into a goat as proof.
Lina closed her eyes. She tried to fight the trance sweeping over her body. She didn’t want to shadow travel. Didn’t want to deal with the memories.
The trance took her anyway. Lina materialized in the realm of shadows. Her black gown and cape swirled around her.
She pulled up her skirt and looked at her legs. No, they weren’t goat legs. Still very human. And rather shapely if she said so herself.
Something near her moved. Lina dropped her skirt and smoothed the fabric.
“Hello?”
Her voice echoed in the darkness. Lina shivered. That wasn’t right. There shouldn’t be anything for the sound to echo against. She reached with her senses, searching for the source.
Everything felt as it should be. The three stars on the horizon twinkled. Lina walked forward. She would check on the seal. Just a quick glance to put her mind at ease. Then maybe she could sleep.
She jumped and flew through the air until she neared the seal. Her left arm tingled. She looked down. Her ring flashed with red light. Lina stopped. Why was the gem doing that? She hadn’t asked it to check for danger. Something must be very wrong.
She smelled it before she saw it. Goblin. A dark shape hurtled towards her. Lina reached for the pea emerald in her headband, but she was too slow. A solid mass slammed against her body. It crushed Lina to the ground. The flexible earth absorbed most of the impact. Lina used the flexibility to push back. The thing on top of her laughed. A clawed hand wrapped around her injured shoulder.
“Nog,” Lina gasped. “You’re- How?”
Nog didn’t answer. He squeezed her shoulder. Lina screamed, but no sound came out. The goblin’s weight had crushed the air from her lungs. It took her a moment to remember she was in the shadow realm. She didn’t have to breathe.
Lina ignored the pain shooting up her arm and gathered her shadow magic around her.
“Lightning!” she shouted.
Black sparks exploded between her and Nog. They pushed the goblin into the air. Lina slid across the ground. She grabbed the pea with her left hand and held it in her palm.
“Sword,” she said.
The pea glowed with green light and stretched into a massive sword. Lina grinned at the goblin.
“You’ve broken the seal. You know what that means, right?”
“I will devour the light you protect.”
“No. It means there’s nothing to keep me from killing you.”
Lina jumped at the goblin. Her injuries from the body slam slowed her movements, but she was still faster than the hulking brute. She slashed with her sword. Nog roared. Lina grinned with a grim satisfaction. One more stroke should do it. If she could weaken him, she could push him back into the seal.
Red light flew from Nog’s hand. It crashed into her face. Lina gasped in pain. The green sword’s light flickered and went out. She floated in the air, vaguely aware of the goblin below her. Through the fog, Lina saw him extend his claws. This was it. Nog reached for her throat.
Lina couldn’t move. The blow had paralyzed her. She watched the claw come towards her.
A flash of light hit Nog in the eye. He pulled his claw back and batted at the light as if it were an annoying insect. Another light joined the first and buzzed
around his head.
Lina smiled. The stars were stronger than she’d given them credit for if they were able to annoy a goblin.
The third star caught Lina by the hair and dragged her away from Nog. When they were a safe distance away, it perched on her nose. Lina went cross-eyed staring at the tiny ball of light.
“Thanks,” Lina said. “Who are you?”
The star twinkled but didn’t respond. It was very faint. Speech in the realm of shadows was probably too advanced for it.
“You’re a light wielder, right? Do you know any healing magic?” Lina asked.
The star hovered over her shoulder. A cool sensation spread over Lina’s skin, but it didn’t reach any deeper than that. The star dimmed.
“That’s alright. Thanks for trying. You’d better go help your friends. Nog is nasty.”
The star circled over her head.
“Yes, I’ll be alright. I can make it from here.”
The star bounced up and down and disappeared. Lina clutched her ribs. At least one of them was cracked from Nog’s ambush. She held her diamond ring to her lips.
“Heal.”
White light washed over her. The cracked ribs mended back together. They would be bruised, but at least she could breathe now. That would matter when she woke up. The piercing pain in her shoulder lessened a little.
Lina closed her eyes and focused on breathing. In and out. Slowly, she faded from the realm of shadows.
29
Alaric gritted his teeth at crowd in front of him. His admirers. They loved the play. Blast Stefan, everyone loved it. Nobles from every country congratulated him on a smashing success and wanted to know when his next work would be performed.
Alaric did his best to smile and nod. Carina stood by his side doing nothing. It was impressive how unimpressive she was. She seemed to fold in on herself, completely blending in to her surroundings. The rest of the princesses stood around her.
More than once, Alaric reached for the ring in his pocket. The play had been a triumph. She had said she would accept him. He should make the engagement official. He ducked backstage and pulled the ring out of his jacket. The green stone glinted. Even cut as a sphere, it had more sparkle than Princess Carina.
The Princess and the Pea (Fairy Tale Adventures Book 1) Page 15
