by Sarah Olson
“Good,” I answered. “I really needed a time like this to get away and relax.”
“This place is amazing!” she said, looking around the room
“Wait until you see where I take my baths,” I laughed. “What are you doing here?”
“The council sent James here on some business,” Charlotte said.
The council. I remembered my first time in front of them sometime after I had accepted my role as a princess. I was shaking like a leaf in a windstorm. The council was composed of the leaders of each rebel village. They would meet in the center of all the villages and discuss important matters such as laws for the rebels. Even though they were not callous, their stares were judgmental. However, I had gotten the people of my village to accept me, and that was good enough for them.
“And,” Charlotte continued, “you should be giving birth soon!”
“So you came to watch me in my pain,” I said. “Wonderful!”
Charlotte shook her head and smiled. “It is almost time, right?”
“Yes,” Betsy answered. “She could go into labor at any moment.”
“Miss Livingston,” Nadia said. “A room right down the hall has been prepared for you. Would you like to go to it now and wash up after your long
journey?”
“And get out of men’s clothing,” Betsy added, rolling her eyes.
“Oh, Mrs. Fallon, could you have possibly imagined riding all the way here in a dress?” Charlotte asked dramatically. “Don’t worry, I’ll go and change,” she laughed again, and followed Nadia into the hall.
“I know you are expected to train, but just know I’m starting on ideas for outfits to make sure you won’t have to wear that!” Betsy said, shaking her head.
“But she has a point about riding in a dress,” I commented.
“You never complained before.”
I shrugged.
“Well, when I’m finished putting my ideas to the needle, you will love what I make,” Betsy said. “You have yet to see the fabrics King Darius has given me. They are the strangest yet most brilliant I have ever seen or worked with.”
“If they are anything like the silver curtains around this bed, I’m sure I will be.”
Three days crept by and I still had not gone into labor. I was grateful for Charlotte’s company since her presence kept me at ease. I never saw James.
One night as I was standing up from the chaise lounge on the balcony, water splashed on to my feet. “Charlotte!” I exclaimed. “Watch what you’re doing!”
“What?” she asked confused.
“You just spilled your . . .” I trailed off.
“Did your water just break?” Charlotte asked, jumping to her feet.
“What’s the matter?” Betsy exclaimed, running out from the room. She took one look at us and within seconds, she was barking orders. “Nadia! Get the midwives! Charlotte! Get her—”
That was when the first contraction hit. I had cramps once but nothing could have prepared me for the pain that seized my body. It was time to have my baby.
I would be lying if I said the labor was fast and easy. It took an entire day. The room was in a fury. All around me, I heard comforting and encouraging words, as the midwives kept track on how fast the contractions were coming. I can barely remember anything because it was all like a blur full of pain. The only moment that cleared my vision and mind was the sound of a crying baby entering the world.
I may have thought what I had with Richard was love, but it was nothing compared to the moment I held my daughter, Aria.
Chapter 26
T HROUGHOUT OUR LIVES, we encounter moments that make others dull. It could be the first time you went to a ball, your first kiss, the very first time you made love, or even the moment when I was finally allowed to soak myself in the cave spring after giving birth. But all of those memories were trumped by the first time I held my Aria. They were in no comparison because this was a miracle of life I had brought into this world. When I saw her brown eyes and wisps of blonde hair, I knew I would do everything in my power to make this world a better place for her. That is why I agreed to live in the castle until spring.
King Darius convinced me it was a safe place for Aria to grow up and by staying, I could observe the ways he ruled his kingdom. It was a perfect deal, because up until now, I had no idea how to be a queen if we were to succeed in overthrowing Luther. And who could turn down the opportunity to live in a castle?
I spent the first seven months of Aria’s life there. She became my world. Charlotte, Mitchell, Davorin, and James showed up around once a month to check up on me and talk to the king. Raphael rarely made his presence known so there were times I would not see him for weeks. But then again, he always seemed to be the type that would rather spend his time alone.
Without having any work or chores, I was able to spend most of my time with Aria. The happiness she filled me with every day helped me get through the news I received at the end of that year—Prince Richard was getting married.
“I hope I have not upset you,” King Darius said, after showing me the invitation he received for the wedding.
“No,” I said, still reeling from the shock. “It’s just that—I guess it always crossed my mind he might, it’s just now it’s certain.”
“Will you be going?” James asked.
“I am the king of Malan, James,” King Darius said. “To decline the invitation would show my complete unhappiness with King Luther. I have to keep making
him think I am only allowing you to live on my land, not helping you.”
“Then you must go,” I said.
“I will,” he said. “The date is set for early spring which means you would be heading back to the villages around that time. I think you should stay here until I return from the wedding. And I would appreciate it if you stayed here in that time, James. I trust my men to look after the princess, but I think it will be better if you were here as well.”
“Of course, your Majesty,” James said with a bow.
“Who is he marrying?” I asked softly.
“Lady Rebecca Seymour,” the king answered. “From my understanding, she is the daughter of one of the nobles that runs the Harvest Plains.”
Of course she was.
“It only complicates things,” James said, shaking his head.
“How?” I asked.
“With a nobleman’s daughter marrying into the Royal Family, it means he and his men will back the king in everything.”
“Don’t they already? After all, they were behind the conspiracy to overthrow my parents.”
“In a way yes,” the king said. “But when you are in charge of something as important as the Harvest Plains and already carry out the king’s orders, you feel like you are losing your power. King Luther has been dictating the noblemen’s every move but giving them whatever they want for their loyalty.”
“Cheap labor,” I said.
“Precisely,” King Darius said.
“Not to mention the control he has over the Great Lake,” James said. “Before Hector was crowned king, the nobles had the freedom to do whatever they wanted to the peasants and farmers living on their land. There were no laws protecting them. Since the nobles had to pay taxes to the crown, they imposed their own on those living on and working their land in addition to their rent. With the low wages the farmers were making, they could barely afford to feed their families and pay the taxes to the nobles and the crown. So when your father took over, he passed laws prohibiting nobles from taxing the farmers and forcing them to raise their wages.
“The nobles were not happy and Luther was able to rally them together to begin his assault on the crown claiming King Hector had told him to dam up the rivers from the Great Lake to destroy the farmland.”
“Which only angered them more even though the claim was false,” King Darius said.
“So they killed my parents because they didn’t like being told what to do and Luther lied to them,” I said.
/> It made sense now because my father had a hand in trying to protect the peasants and workers. A hand that was now gone allowing the people to be made into slaves.
“In conclusion, this marriage doesn’t help us,” I said.
“You’re catching on, Princess,” James said with a smirk.
I returned to my room that night somewhat distraught. No matter how hard I tried not to think about it, the vision of Richard marrying this Rebecca stabbed my heart. Whether I liked it or not, Richard and I would always be connected through Aria.
“I think she is hungry!” Betsy exclaimed as I entered the room.
I took my baby girl into my arms. Wet tears rolled down her cheeks and she continued to cry until she realized I was going to nurse her. “There, there,” I cooed as she snuggled up against my breast.
“You know,” Betsy said. “I thought this room was going to be a freezing ice box when winter came—but these huge fireplaces keep the walls warm.”
“I guess we should spend all our winters here from now on,” I joked.
“Not a bad idea,” Betsy said, smiling.
I stared down into Aria’s face watching her brown eyes sparkle in the firelight. She had her father’s eyes. “Richard is getting married,” I said.
“I heard,” Betsy said, shaking her head. “Are you alright?”
“It’s a little disappointing,” I admitted. “After all, he is Aria’s father . . .” I briefly trailed off, “but I will manage.”
“That’s my girl.”
“Why don’t you go ahead and get some sleep,” I said. “It’s getting late.”
“As long as you’ll be all right?”
I looked down again onto the one thing I loved most and said, “You don’t need to worry about me. I have everything I could ever want.”
Chapter 27
AS THE WEEKS rushed by, Aria grew bigger and bigger, and I was exhausted. I was constantly either attending to her or with King Darius as he taught me more and more about how to run a kingdom.
I learned a lot from him. He taught me how to deal with day-to-day situations like quarrels between noblemen, and how to handle the larger ones such as bandits attacking a village. I was able to observe the wisdom and calmness he used to approach every issue. He never let anyone see any doubt or uncertainty in his face.
The long winter finally ended and the first flowers of spring began to bloom. It was time for the long awaited wedding. The day King Darius left, James arrived with Charlotte and Davorin to watch over me.
“I’m sure it will be a very dull wedding,” Charlotte said reassuringly as we entered the castle after King Darius’s departure.
“I didn’t say anything,” I said.
“Oh, please, your face says it all.” She took Aria from my arms and held her.
“Look Charlotte, I am over him, okay?”
“You’ll never be over him,” James said from behind us.
“I’m pretty sure I wasn’t talking to you,” I snapped defensively.
James ignored the jab and continued, “He’s the father of your daughter.”
“You want to know something, James?” I snarled. “I get more privacy in my conversations when the king’s guards are watching me.”
Charlotte snickered and I glared at her.
“Milady?” Nadia said, coming out from one of the doorways looking flawless as always. “Lunch has been served.”
“Thank you,” I replied, taking Charlotte by the arm and quickly leading her away from James.
“You really should be nicer to him,” Charlotte said, as we sat down for lunch on the balcony.
“Why?” I asked, popping a grape into my mouth.
“Because he’s important to the rebellion. He’s trying hard to keep the leaders of each town to cooperate with each other and when the princess doesn’t act like she trusts him, it puts him in a bad position,” she answered.
“I trust him,” I said, picking up another grape. “I just don’t like him. He hasn’t exactly been welcoming or nice.”
“Fine, don’t like him,” Charlotte said. “Just pretend you do, please?”
“Oh no,” I said, sitting up. “Do you fancy him?”
“What?” Charlotte exclaimed.
“Do you?” I asked again, eyes widening.
“No!”
“Liar!” I said, laughing. “I can see right through you, Charlotte! I knew you were hiding something from me!”
“Don’t be absurd!”
I fell back into my chair laughing hysterically because I had suddenly realized that Charlotte had been avoiding all of Mitchell’s advances because she really liked James. I picked up my glass of wine and took a sip when I could calm myself.
“I don’t,” she said again, face red. “I used to, but I don’t anymore.”
I eyed her carefully.
“Layla, I’m serious. I used to, but . . . but it’s not like every girl in the village hasn’t—well except for you of course.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me?” I asked. “It’s not like I would have said anything. I would have even tried to be nicer.”
Charlotte looked down into her lap. “Because I knew it would never go anywhere.”
“I don’t see why not,” I said. “You’re beautiful, smart, and can shoot just about anything with an arrow. What’s not to like?”
Charlotte smiled. “He just never saw me that way or anyone. Leading the people has been his only priority since his father died.”
“How long has it been?”
“A little more than two years, James took control of everything when he was twenty-one years old. A terribly young age to take so much responsibility on.”
“Try being seventeen and learn how to run a kingdom,” I said jokingly.
“I know,” Charlotte said, “but technically you haven’t taken on full responsibility yet.”
“True,” I said.
“You know, according to Mitchell, James was engaged once.”
“Seriously?” I asked. I was still getting over the possibility someone like Charlotte could like him.
“Yeah, you’ve met her,” she said. “But don’t tell anyone I told you.”
“I won’t,” I replied. “Who?”
“Prince Richard’s cousin, Emily,” Charlotte whispered.
I nearly dropped my glass as I pictured the perfect blonde. “What?”
“I know,” Charlotte said, shaking her head.
“How is that even possible?”
“Well, you know how every man has to go into the army when he turns sixteen?”
I nodded.
“Apparently, he was on guard duty or something and they met,” she said.
“Wait, you mean James lived in Asteria for a while? I thought he was always part of the rebellion with his father.”
“He was a spy—you know, the way Tristan is now. Anyway, she even requested him as her personal guard.”
“I know I don’t like James much but Emily? She’s so—fake.”
Charlotte shrugged. “Apparently the king found out James was a spy and ordered his execution. Thankfully, news reached James before the soldiers did and he went to find Emily. They had been secretly engaged for months and she told him she would run away with him but when he went to meet her one night, it ended up being a trap. He escaped, of course, but I bet you it was their relationship that compromised his identity.”
“And you’re telling me James spilled his heart to Mitchell. That’s hard to believe.”
“I don’t know,” Charlotte said with a shrug. “It could’ve been Davorin that told him, but that’s the story.”
“She’s engaged now, you know—possibly even married. You think he knows?”
Charlotte shrugged.
“Well,” I said, “if that story is true, we now know his type—rude, narcissistic blondes who hate anyone who isn’t like them. I guess I can help turn you into one if you want James so bad.”
“I don’t!” Charlotte laughed.
/>
“I’m kidding,” I said. “But seriously, I’ll be completely supportive if you end up with him.”
“Layla, how many times do I have to tell you I don’t see him that way anymore?”
“I don’t believe you,” I said.
“I’m serious.”
I eyed her carefully. “What are you keeping from me now?”
“I’m allowing Mitchell to court me.”
My jaw dropped. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I don’t know—I didn’t know how.”
“Well I’m glad you finally did. Mitchell is wonderful and I wish you two the best.”
“Thank you,” Charlotte replied. “And now that you’ve had Aria, we can start looking for someone for you.”
I laughed. “As much as I’d love to meet a wonderful man and fall for him, I have other priorities now. I need to focus on Aria and becoming the princess I need to be.”
“It is good to hear that, Layla,” Charlotte said, placing her hand on my knee. “You’re going to make a wonderful queen.”
I smiled and hoped she was right.
“Now,” she said. “How about we go riding after lunch? It’s about time you see this city up close.”
“I think we can do that,” I said with a smile.
When we finished our meal and put Aria down for a nap, we headed down to find James. I knew he would like to know if I left the castle.
We found Davorin instead.
“Where are you two off to?” he asked suspiciously.
“Looking for James,” Charlotte answered. “Have you seen him?”
“Not for a few hours,” he replied. “Why do you need him?”
“No reason that concerns you,” Charlotte snapped rudely.
For someone who told me I needed to be kinder to James, she sure did not feel the same way towards Davorin.
A sly smirk found its way to Davorin’s lips. “Is that so?”
Charlotte glared back.
“We wanted to tell him we’re going for a ride in the city,” I said. “I need to get out of the castle for a bit.”
