by C. J. Pinard
“Calm down, child. I’m fine. It’s normal,” she replied, heading to the wooden wardrobe and searching through their belongings.
Staring at the blood again, Mariselle made a face. “It’s your… monthly?”
“Yes, although I just had it,” Katrina mumbled. “Strange that it’s come back so soon.”
There was a loud pounding on the chamber door, startling them both.
“Katrina, it’s me,” Marcus said loudly.
“One moment!” Her mother ran over to the bed, jumped in, and grabbed the blanket to cove herself. “Okay, come in!” Katrina said, wrapping it around her waist.
Marcus stepped into the bedchamber. “Something has happened,” he said with a harried look on his face. He looked at Mariselle. “Your mother and I need to talk privately. Please wait in the hallway.”
Mariselle protested. But Mama needs—”
“It will just be for a brief second,” he said sternly. “Now, go.”
Sighing, Mariselle walked out of the room and waited. A short time later, her father called her back inside. Both parents had very troubled looks on their faces.
“We should tell her,” Marcus said, looking at Katrina.
“What if you’re wrong?” she replied, her eyes searching his. She touched his hand. “There’s no need to worry her if it’s not true.”
“True or not, she should know. Besides, if we don’t talk to her about it, she’ll hear it from someone else.”
Katrina sighed. “Fine. Tell her.”
Marcus turned to Mariselle. He explained how Angelique had snuck her wand into her prison cell and then used it to place a horrible curse.
“What kind?” she asked, her eyes wide.
He looked at Katrina again. She nodded. “A spell that… won’t allow the royal family to have an heir.”
“I don’t understand,” Mariselle replied.
“Neither do we, exactly,” Marcus mumbled. “Considering what your mother just told me, and what the queen experienced, I think it has to do with the women in the kingdom more than anything.”
“What happened to the queen?” Mariselle asked.
“She experienced the same thing I did,” her mother said, a terrified look on her face. She put her hand her to lower belly and said calmly, “There was pain… and blood, apparently. I don’t know what it means, but it can’t be good.”
“And you think Angelique caused it?” Mariselle’s eyebrows knitted together. “Why would she do that?”
“She wants to make sure the Rothhavens can’t sire any more children,” her father mumbled. “That would mean she’d have to make women barren, or the king and princes… sterile. I guess it could go either way. However, from what just happened to your mother and the queen, I think we have our answer. Let’s just hope I’m wrong.”
“But why?” Mariselle asked, confused.
“Because she’s an evil woman. Or, rather, she was,” he said.
“What do you mean, was?” Mariselle asked, staring at her parents in horror.
Marcus hesitated slightly before replying. He cleared his throat, shot a look at his wife, and then looked at his waiting daughter. “She… the evil witch… her head after using the wand. When they checked on her, there was a lot of blood, and she didn’t appear to be breathing.”
“So, she’s dead?” Mariselle asked, trying to be brave and not cry.
He nodded. “That’s what I heard.”
Mariselle gasped, and began chewing her lip. Poor Angelique.
Katrina looked worried. “Let’s just hope there really isn’t a curse on the kingdom. If she’s dead, who’ll be able to reverse it?”
“Probably… no one,” he replied grimly.
Part Two
ANGELIQUE’S SPELL LEFT the entire country in turmoil. Women everywhere stopped menstruating and ovulating, all of them seemingly barren. Meanwhile, Gaylen tried everything in his power to try and break the curse without any success. As for Angelique, her body disappeared soon after they pronounced her dead. Some thought Hecate might have come for her. Others believed she was still alive, but nobody knew for sure.
Months, and then years, passed by, and when there were still no pregnancies, the villagers blamed the royal family for the curse and eventually a civil war broke out. Unfortunately, Gaylen didn’t come to the Rothhavens’ aid this time. In fact, the wizard vanished completely.
Afraid of losing complete control of their kingdom, and unable to reach Gaylen, the Rothhavens called upon the help of King Roland, an ally and ruler of Baristara, another country located across the Red Sea, near Darylsyle. He agreed, but on the condition that Griffin wed his eldest daughter, Georgina, a woman much older and known for being a sharp-tongued shrew. Edward reluctantly took him up on the offer, and with the help of Roland’s armies, the conflict became suppressed… but not forgotten.
Eventually, Roland’s armies were able to retreat back to their own country and things seemed to quiet down for the next few years, even though there was still an infertility problem. And then, nine years after Angelique’s death, a new pandemic hit the land, this one in the form of a deadly plague. Thousands were stricken with the fatal disease, including King Edward and Queen Lizbeth, who died within hours of each other, while their children watched helplessly.
Devastated and shocked, Griffin took over the throne with Georgina by his side. Unfortunately, there was little time to mourn, especially after hearing rumors of a possible uprising by rebels and insurgents. Knowing something needed to be done to retain control of their kingdom, Griffin made a steadfast decision by ordering the construction of four palaces, each on opposite sides of the country.
The Havens.
For the first time in history, there would be more than one ruler in Syracuse, although King Griffin would still be the monarch.
Griffin called a meeting with his three brothers in the turret at the top of the castle. With a colorful map spread out in front of them on a heavy wood table, the handsome, strapping princes looked down at it as the eldest brother began to explain.
“Alexander, you’ll manage North Haven. Zackary will monitor West Haven. And… Mathias, you’ll be in charge of South Haven,” he told them, pointing to areas on the map.
“What of this castle?” Alexander asked, gesturing around to where they stood.
“It’s cursed. I want it torn down,” Griffin said with a pained look, shocking them all.
The brothers stared at him in horror.
“Why would you want to do that?” Zackary asked. “We grew up here. It’s always been our home. It’s our legacy!”
Griffin leaned forward. “There won’t be a legacy if things continue as they are. Now… hear me out. What if we destroy the castle and it puts an end to the curse?”
“And what if it doesn’t?” Zackary shot back. “I think it’s a ludicrous idea to think that tearing down the castle will have any effect on it.”
“I thought Gaylen once mentioned that it might be possible to stop a curse by destroying the witch who hexed it,” Alexander said, scratching the stubble on his chin. “From what we know, she’s dead already, but her spirit could be walking the halls of the castle, keeping the curse alive.”
“Are you sure she’s dead? Her body disappeared, remember?” Zackary replied.
“If she were alive, I think we’d know by now,” Griffin said.
“I agree. I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but there’s been talk of strange occurrences happening in the dungeons below,” Mathias said, his voice grave. “Cells opening and closing on their own. Strange noises at night of women… crying.”
“I’m telling you, it’s Angelique’s ghost, trapped here,” Alexander said.
“I hate to admit it, but you might be right,” Griffin replied. “If she’s trapped here, we could kill two birds with one stone. I certainly don’t want to be living in a castle where that evil woman still dwells, ghost or not. I say we seriously give this a thought.”
The four dis
cussed the notion for several minutes and then finally agreed that tearing down the castle was worth the shot.
“What of Eva?” Mathias asked. “Where will she live?”
“For now, with me. But, Eva needs to be wed,” Griffin said firmly.
“Nobody will have her. She’s barren like everyone else,” Alexander replied, feeling horrible for Eva. Their sister could not provide an heir so the proposals had stopped early on. As beautiful as she was, nobody of nobility wanted her.
“If we can fix that, we’ll find her a husband,” Griffin said. “Hopefully destroying the castle will do the trick.”
“And if it doesn’t?” Zackary asked.
Griffin tapped his fingers, deep in thought. After a few seconds, they could all see the light bulb going off in his head. “I know, we’ll find Hecate.”
They all looked at him as if he was crazy.
“The Goddess of Witchcraft? You want to go looking for her?” Zackary asked with a dubious expression.
He nodded. “Why not? Gaylen mentioned that Hecate gave Angelique the wand. If she’s a true goddess, she should be able to reverse the bloody curse.”
Matthias’s expression turned thoughtful. “It sounds plausible to me. Let’s hope you’re right.”
“We just need to find her,” Griffin said.
“And if she refuses?” Alexander asked.
“I guess we’ll have to deal with it then. Let’s take one step at a time. First, we finish the construction of the palaces, destroy this one, and then find each of you a queen.”
“I can find my own, thank you very much,” Mathias said with a scowl. “And, why the rush? I rather like where things are right now.”
“Yeah,” Alexander said. “I have two women who warm my bed and I plan to take them both with me to North Haven.”
“You can keep your wenches, but we all need to try and sire heirs. One of us has to succeed in this or we’re screwed,” Griffin replied, his eyes moving to each of his brothers.
“Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves,” Mathias said. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around ruling a kingdom, let alone finding someone to share my bed for the rest of my life.”
“Me, too,” Zackary replied.
“We’ll be ruling as a family. It’s important that each of you remember that. Any new decisions need to be heard by all. Of course, if there are disagreements… I will have the final say.”
The others agreed.
“So, it’s settled,” Griffin said, raising his wine goblet. “Here’s to the future of Syracuse and Family Rothhaven. To the four of us. May we rule as one!”
Smiling, the others raised their cups and yelled, “Cheers.”
22
One Year Later
“WAKE UP, SLEEPYHEAD. Just because it’s your birthday, doesn’t mean you can waste the day away in bed.”
Mariselle, who’d been awake, but not feeling like herself, opened her heavy eyelids. “Sorry, Father,” she said hoarsely.
“Are you okay?” Marcus asked, looking concerned.
“A little under the weather, but nothing too serious,” she said, yawning. The truth was, she felt rundown and her stomach ached. She’d had a restless night’s sleep and longed to stay in bed, but her father needed her.
“Okay then.” He listed off the chores he expected out of her, which included collecting eggs and cleaning the barn. “I’m going to meet with King Griffin. I should be back before nightfall.”
“Okay.”
“Happy Birthday, lass,” he said, pulling a small, velvet bag out of his pocket. He handed it to her. “I was going to wait, but since I’m probably going to be late, I thought you should have your present now.”
She uncinched the bag and pulled out the familiar cross necklace her mother used to wear. She’d forgotten all about it and seeing it again, brought back so many emotions. “Thank you, Father,” she said, her eyes filling with tears. Mariselle couldn’t have asked for a better gift.
“You’re welcome. I wish she was here to see this day,” he said, smiling sadly.
“Me, too.”
Katrina had been stricken with the plague, as had so many others in the kingdom. Her mother’s death had been a major blow and now it was just the two of them trying to make the best of things. Considering it was her eighteenth birthday, however, Mariselle would be expected to wed soon and had already received two proposals, One was from the town baker, who she had no interest in, especially because he was twice her age and made her skin crawl. The other from a soldier in King Griffin’s army named Blakely. Although he was young, handsome, and could provide well for her, he was moody and known for getting into a lot of fights. He’d come to visit a few times, and admittedly she was attracted to him, but Mariselle wanted a man who could control himself and not give in to his temper.
“Well, I’m off,” he said, hobbling away with his cane. Unfortunately, Marcus had taken a fall from his horse a few years back. It had left him with a permanent limp and hip pain that came and went. It was hard seeing her father, who she used to think of as the strongest man in the kingdom, looking so crippled. King Griffin had allowed him to continue as the sheriff, although she knew that soon he wouldn’t be able to handle the position at all. Pride kept her father from stepping down, which worried Mariselle. She didn’t want to see him get hurt and knew if something didn’t change quickly, it was bound to happen.
“Okay. Be careful, Father.”
“I’ll be fine.”
Once she was alone, Mariselle pushed the covers away and slid out of bed. It was then that she saw the blood on her nightgown. Gasping in horror, she put her hand between her legs and found where it was coming from.
“Papa!” she screamed, lowering her nightgown and staring at her fingers in shock.
HEARING THE TERROR in his daughter’s voice, Marcus limped as quickly as possible to her bedroom.
“What is it?” he asked and then froze when he noticed the blood on her nightgown.
“Am I dying?” she asked in a shaky voice.
“No,” he said firmly, unwilling to let his mind go there. He didn’t know what was happening to Mariselle, but refused to lose her. He’d lost too much as it was. “I’m sure there a logical explanation. We’ll send for Abigail. The midwife.”
“SHE APPEARS TO be having her monthly,” Abigail said, after examining Mariselle in private.
Marcus was stunned. From what he’d heard, all female cycles had stopped since Angelique last waved her wand, cursing the entire nation. Nor could any of them bear children. As for the women across the sea, upon visiting, their menses ceased the moment they stepped onto Syracuse soil. Even queen Georgina, Griffin’s surly wife, hadn’t been able to produce an heir for the king.
“But, how can it be?” he asked, wondering what was happening. Of all the mAlexanders in the land, why was Mariselle cycling?
“Maybe the curse has been lifted?” she replied, looking hopeful. The curse had all but put her out of business.
That had to be it. “Let’s hope that’s the case.” He frowned. “Are you sure it’s nothing else?”
She shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know. She doesn’t have a fever and looks healthy enough. If it really is her menses, it will go away in a few days and return next month around the same time. Then you’ll know for sure.”
“Okay.” He leaned on his cane. “Erm… Abigail… could you keep this just between us? I don’t know what’s happening here, but if she is having her cycle, and nobody else is, that might bring us all kinds of trouble. You know what I mean?”
“True, it very well could,” she said, a thoughtful look on her face. “Don’t worry, Marcus. I won’t tell a soul. I delivered young Mariselle and only want the best for her. You can absolutely trust me.”
“I figured I could.”
She leaned closer to him. “A free word of advice, however?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“You must know that if it’s her menses, and she’s the onl
y fertile woman in the land,” Abigail whispered, “she would be invaluable. Especially to King Griffin.”
Marcus’s eyes widened.
Abigail patted him on the arm. “Whatever the case may be, keep a close eye on her, Marcus.”
“I will.”
AFTER A FEW days, the bleeding lessened and eventually stopped. Mariselle told her father the good news.
“If it happens again, let me know,” he replied. “And whatever you do, don’t go telling anyone else about this.”
“I wouldn’t,” she replied, horrified of the idea. It was embarrassing enough admitting such things to her father.
Sure enough, the following month, Mariselle started bleeding again. When she told Marcus, this time, instead of looking worried, he appeared jovial about the news.
“Mariselle, do you know what this means?” he said, grabbing her hands, his eyes glittering.
“That I might be able to conceive?” she replied, not stupid. She’d overheard the conversation he’d had with the midwife the month before.
“Yes. It also means that your future is set, my dear.” He hugged her and then stepped back. “Now, put on something pretty. We’re going to visit King Griffin.”
Her heart did a little flip-flop. The last time she’d seen the king was at his wedding. Although neither had spoken to each other, she’d caught him watching her more than once.
“Wait a second, why are we going to see the king?” Mariselle asked her father.
He smiled. “To tell him the news about your monthly, of course.”
Her eyes widened in horror. “What? No. You can’t.”
“He needs to know. Now, do what I say and change.”
23
GRIFFIN WAS IN the stables, getting ready to leave for North Haven, when he was told that Marcus and Mariselle Langer had arrived and needed to speak with him urgently. Surprised, he told the steward to send word that he’d meet them in the courtyard.
