Lina had called her special. Alaric couldn’t see it.
Lina. Now there was someone special. Half of Alaric thought she was crazy. Ranting about danger. Trying to enlist the King of Gaveron to help her.
Crazy or not, she was sincere. And she had some proof. The magic ring, which Alaric had mixed feelings about. And the bruises on her arm.
His feelings about that weren’t mixed at all. He would find whoever hurt Lina and make him pay.
He tucked the ring back into his jacket. According to the rules of the Princess Test, he wasn’t expected to propose until the last test had been completed. He had promised to do it the third night. Tomorrow night.
To propose early might raise some eyebrows.
He returned to Carina’s side. She gave no indication that she had noticed his absence. The crowd was thin now. Only a few Aeonian nobles and the crowd of princesses. They stood behind him. Fiora jostled through the group until she stood next to him.
Alaric wished they would go. Maybe he would like Carina better if he spent time with her without the pressure of the Princess Test. But if the princesses left, he would be alone with her. That was against the rules.
Thank goodness no one saw him talking to Lina. The prince talking to a princess alone on a windowsill might cause enough outrage to end the Princess Test altogether.
He needed to be more careful.
The last of his admirers finally left the theater. Queen Marta joined Alaric and the princesses on the stage.
“Princesses, thank you for a lovely evening. I am sure you are all tired. The guards and I will escort you to your chambers.”
The princesses curtsied and left the theater. Alaric hesitated just a moment before following them. He wanted to speak with the guards on duty. Maybe they had seen Lina’s attacker.
He watched around the corner as each princess went into their room. Most of them came back out immediately.
“What is the meaning of this?” Fiora demanded. “What have you done with my bed?”
Queen Marta clasped her arms behind her back.
“Everyone has received the same treatment. Ask the other princesses.”
“She’s right,” said the princess who was either Brigitta or Colette.
Fiora glared at the queen. She clearly wanted to yell at her.
And she clearly couldn’t. She huffed into her room and slammed the door. The other princesses followed her lead.
Alaric met his stepmother in the hallway.
“What did you do to their beds?”
“Alaric! Don’t sneak up on me like that!”
“Sorry. Why are the princesses angry?”
“It’s nothing. Just another test.”
“Sleeping without a bed is a princess test?”
“Oh, they’ve got a bed.”
Queen Marta chuckled to herself in a way that made Alaric nervous.
“I need to speak to the guards,” he said. “That won’t get me disqualified, will it?”
Marta shook her head.
“I’ll wait for you here. No need to risk the appearance of impropriety.”
Said the woman who had obviously done something devious to anger Fiora.
Alaric crept back down the corridor and checked the Princess’s hallway.
“They’ve all gone to bed?” he asked.
The guard nodded.
“Has anyone unusual visited them? Has anything strange happened?”
“Like what, Your Highness?”
“I have reason to believe someone has threatened one of the princesses. Has physically harmed her.”
The guard’s brows pushed together.
“I haven’t seen anything, Sire. I will check with my men.”
“Excellent. Make sure none of them leave the girls’ rooms unattended. It would be a disaster if something happened to one of them.”
The guard nodded. Satisfied that he had done all he could until morning, Alaric walked Marta back to her room before going to his chambers.
Stefan lay stretched across Alaric’s bed. He propped his feet up on Alaric’s pillows and grinned.
“Ah, the master of theater returns triumphant.”
“Shut up, Stefan.”
“Come on! Can’t you admit I was right? Everyone loved the play!”
“Lina didn’t. It made her cry.”
“She wasn’t the only one. Your noble story of Evangelina Shadow-Storm’s sacrifice left hardly a dry eye in the house.”
“No, she was really upset. I found her sitting on a window ledge sobbing. Her arm is bruised. Someone hurt her.”
Stefan shrugged.
“She also tore her sleeve by running into a door. I think she’s just clumsy.”
Alaric glared at him. Stefan sat up.
“Oh, you’re serious. It’s hard to tell. You’re always serious.”
“She has bruises around her wrist. Like someone grabbed her. She wouldn’t tell me who.”
Alaric grabbed his own wrist, mimicking the gesture that might have led to Lina’s injuries.
“I haven’t seen anything,” Stefan said. “The guards have been instructed to keep the princesses in and intruders out.”
“You don’t think one of them hurt her?”
“Alaric! You honestly think one of our soldiers would assault a princess? You’ve trained many of them. Besides, there’s always multiple guards on duty. They would report anything that happened.”
Alaric slumped into his chair.
“Why won’t she tell me? That’s what I don’t understand. Who is she protecting?”
Stefan grinned.
“Stop making that face,” Alaric said.
“You like her. I knew it!”
Alaric shrugged. It was admission enough to make Stefan to jump around the room.
“I knew it! I told you so! You like Lina! So why on earth did you pick the seagull princess? She brings the interest level of a room down just by standing in it.”
“I know.”
“While Lina adds interest.”
“I know.”
“So why didn’t you choose her?”
“You know why. I need a true princess from one of the old families, and we don’t know Lina’s rank. She practically told me she wasn’t a princess tonight. I can’t choose her.”
“Isn’t that the point of being king? Being able to do whatever you want?”
Alaric rolled his eyes.
“Thank goodness you’re the second son. Aeonia would collapse in fire and ruins under your reign.”
Stefan shrugged.
“So, what are you going to do about Lina?”
“Find who’s hurting her and stop them. Beyond that, what can I do? She’s convinced we’re all in danger. But whatever she expected from the kings she talked to, she didn’t get. The King of Gaveron was furious about whatever she told him.”
“Did she tell you where she’s from?”
Alaric shook his head. Stefan smiled.
“Lucky for you, I’m here. I researched all records of countries and provinces who have ever sent princesses to the Princess Test. Some of these nations haven’t participated in a while, but maybe they decided to join again at the last minute.”
“You did research?”
“Only for you, brother. Only for you.”
He handed Alaric a parchment with a list of countries. A long list.
“If she isn’t from one of these kingdoms, she isn’t noble.”
“Stefan, this is- Thank you.”
Stefan smiled.
“I told you I’d help you find love. If this is what it takes, I’ll do it.”
Alaric skimmed the list. They were mostly small countries. Remote islands. Some weren’t countries any more. They had been annexed by larger neighbors.
But it was a start. As Stefan said, if Lina wasn’t from one of these countries, she wasn’t noble.
He patted the ring in his pocket and smiled.
30
Something pulled Lina back
to consciousness. A voice. A vague echo. She followed it reluctantly. Every part of her body ached. Even opening her eyes hurt.
Hilda stared down at her.
“Princess,” she whispered. “You must wake up.”
Lina blinked at her. She tried to speak, but all that came out was a groan. Hilda blinked back. She didn’t seem alarmed.
“She’s awake, Your Highness.”
“Oh, thank goodness!”
Lina heard a scuffling sound. Queen Marta’s head popped over the edge of the mattress. Her face was flushed.
“Perhaps the mattress towers weren’t the best idea,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting to climb one myself. But did you see Fiora’s face?”
“I wasn’t present at the moment, Your Majesty.”
“Oh. Yes. Well, it was worth it.”
Lina did her best to follow the conversation, but it didn’t make much sense. She turned her head. Pain pierced her skull as she focused her eyes on Queen Marta’s face. The queen’s brow wrinkled.
“Lina, are you alright?”
Lina groaned again. She tried to nod.
“Get the charm, Hilda.”
Hilda’s head disappeared as she climbed down her ladder. Marta stroked a piece of hair away from Lina’s face. Lina took a rasping breath.
“Goblin. Please.”
Marta nodded.
“Of course. Stay still now.”
Lina tried to sit up, but Nog’s body slam had bruised every inch of her skin. Her newly healed bones ached. On top of all that, she was tired. She felt like she hadn’t slept a wink all night.
Hilda returned with a small silver box. Queen Marta opened it and poured the contents on Lina’s forehead. A cool tingle spread over her skin. Her breathing became easier.
“You’re in danger,” she rasped. “Please, Queen Marta.”
“Don’t speak,” Queen Marta said. “This potion will ease your pain, but the actual healing takes time.”
“Please,” Lina said. “You’re not on the Council, but you have to believe me. My name is-”
“Evangelina Shadow-Storm. I know, dear. I have donkey breath.”
Lina sat up and stared at the queen. Her muscles screamed a protest, but she ignored it.
“That’s Luca’s password! How?”
Queen Marta pushed Lina back down on her pillow.
“I’ll tell you, but you must stay relaxed so the potion can heal you. Do you understand?”
Lina nodded. Sitting up had taken the last of her strength. She couldn’t move again if she wanted to. Queen Marta climbed onto the mattress tower and took her hand.
“We know who you are because we’ve been waiting for you. I’m part of a group called the Society of Evangelina. Most of Aeonia thinks we’re a philanthropic society. And of course we do help people. We know you and Luca would want that.”
Lina’s gripped Marta’s hand.
“Luca isn’t a donkey.”
Queen Marta chuckled.
“Is that what upset you so much last night? No, we know he isn’t a donkey. Luca is the one who founded the Society of Evangelina. He wanted to make sure you’d have someone to look out for you after he died.”
Tears ran down Lina’s cheek. Queen Marta patted her hand.
“Yes, I’m afraid he is gone. You slept for over a century. We weren’t sure you would ever wake up. Luca had a good life. He protected Aeonia in difficult times. He married and had children. I’m a distant relative of yours, actually.”
Lina smiled. It hurt her face, but she didn’t care. Luca had lived. He hadn’t died in the goblin wars. He hadn’t died in the invasion.
He made sure she would be protected.
“Luca rose to prominence in Aeonia after you fell asleep,” Marta said. “As half of the team that sealed away the goblins, he was regarded as the most powerful enchanter in Aeonia. He was a close adviser to King Dacian and King Thaddeus.”
Lina chuckled. She couldn’t imagine Luca talking to a king, much less advising one. Had he played pranks on them like he had on the generals who oversaw their missions?
“The invaders,” Lina said. “The royal family’s disappearance. What happened?”
Marta frowned.
“They weren’t invaders. They were troops that broke away from Aeonia’s army. Our own people. There were faults on both sides. King Thaddeus pushed the citizens of Aeonia to the breaking point. There was a drought and famine, but he refused to help those in need. Soldiers from the affected regions banded together and sent messengers to plead with the king. Negotiations might have solved the problem peacefully, but King Thaddeus refused to speak with them. He wanted to crush the delegations with magic to set an example.”
“Luca wouldn’t have liked that.”
Marta smiled.
“You know your brother well. He refused to aid Thaddeus. He disapproved of fighting our own people and was afraid to pull magical resources away from the seal. The king banished him from court and found a few enchanters who weren’t loyal to Luca. They fought the army, but by then it was too late. The people of Aeonia had rallied behind them. The enchanters weren’t strong enough to defeat the entire country.”
“The parchments said they killed everyone,” Lina said. “The whole royal family. The genealogy just ended.”
“Many people died in the war. Every nobleman who fought was killed, but Luca stayed hidden. He sheltered those nobles who didn’t want to fight. They became goat herders. No one thought to look for members of the royal family amongst all those smelly goats. He also hid you. He blotted your name in the royal genealogy. He buried the wolf statue and transformed your story into a myth.”
Lina laughed.
“He made himself into a donkey?”
“To keep you safe, yes.”
Lina closed her eyes. It was a lot to take in.
“You fought a goblin last night,” Queen Marta said. “Did you defeat him?”
“No. Nog escaped the seal and ambushed me. He got away. He might have killed me except I received help from three stars. Were those members of the Society?”
“The stars that aided you were my sons: Cael, Henry, and Benjamin. They aren’t very powerful light wielders. We haven’t had anyone to train us, and King Thaddeus burned most of the scrolls about magic before his death. But we do have some powers.”
“Does your husband know about this?”
Did Alaric know?
Queen Marta frowned.
“No, I haven’t told my husband or stepsons. The Society of Evangelina has kept you secret for over a century. It wasn’t my secret to tell.”
She fixed her eyes on Lina. Lina swallowed.
“Oh. You mean, if I wanted to tell them, you wouldn’t mind?”
“Our goal has always been to protect you. Now that you’re awake, we will follow your lead.”
Lina swallowed. It hurt her throat.
“I’m not a leader. I wasn’t even a senior member of the special forces in my century.”
“You are a trained shadow warrior. You have experience fighting goblins. You’re the best leader we have.”
Lina took a deep breath. Queen Marta was right. Like it or not, she was the best chance Aeonia had.
“I don’t think they’ll believe me,” she said. “I tried to tell the King of Gaveron. He laughed in my face and called me a child.”
“The King of Gaveron is not the brightest. Besides, we have artifacts that might help. I’ll send word for Cael to fetch some. Do you want to tell the whole council?”
Lina tried to shake her head. Too much effort.
“No. Maybe just the King of Aeonia and Alaric at first? We can see how they react. And they can give us the help we need.”
“Excellent. I think they will believe us. Noam is very fair minded and will listen to reason. And Alaric has been trying to prove the existence of Evangelina Shadow-Storm since he was a child.”
Lina nodded.
“I’ve tried to tell him a few times, but I couldn’t.
Not after the way everyone else reacted.”
Queen Marta laughed.
“I can imagine! I don’t think he’ll be hard to convince. He likes the story a lot. I think Evangelina is his ideal woman.”
She winked at Lina. Lina laughed. It hurt less. The healing potion was working.
“I’m not sure that version of Evangelina exists,” she said. “The story has been embellished over the years. And I don’t turn into a goat.”
Marta laughed.
“Another of Luca’s additions. And that’s not what Alaric likes about the story. But maybe I should stop speaking for him. We’ll find an opportunity to tell him soon enough. Will you stay in the Princess Test, Lina? It will be easier for us to work together if you’re in the castle.”
“Work together?”
“To defeat Nog, of course. He can’t be allowed to run free. Our magic is weak, but we will help you as much as we can. And I’ll have Cael get enchanted gems from the secret vault.”
“Vault?”
“Yes. Luca spent the last few years of his life gathering everything you’d need when you woke up. We have enchanted gems, potions, magic mirrors, and things we can’t identify. We’re not sure what half of it does, to be honest. Luca collected enough to fill our vault, but he didn’t organize it very well. It’s all yours.”
“That will help a lot.”
“And there are letters. Luca wrote you a letter every day. Our vault is full of them.”
Lina’s throat swelled. Letters from Luca. To know exactly what happened while she slept. How he felt about it. That was too much.
“Those can wait,” she said. “Fetch the gems first. One of each kind that you have. I’ll look through the vault once we’ve defeated Nog.”
“Yes, of course. The vault can only be opened at night, so we won’t be able to access the gems until the sun goes down. Now, do you think you’re healed enough to come to breakfast? Princess Fiora is bound to demand your disqualification if you don’t attend.”
“She’ll demand it before that if she knows you were here.”
Queen Marta grinned.
“You think I’d put Evangelina Shadow-Storm in a room without a secret passage? Fiora will never know we were here.”
31
The Princess and the Pea (Fairy Tale Adventures Book 1) Page 16
