The Princess Game: A Reimagining of Sleeping Beauty (The Four Kingdoms Book 4)

by Melanie Cellier

  But I always turned away. With no idea where it had come from, would my father believe the testimony of a mysterious report? Or would he take the accusations to his long-standing quartermaster, Ercole, with a demand for an explanation? All my efforts could be undone.

  And worse. If he challenged the rebel alone, who knew what the outcome would be? I felt confident the rebels awaited their leader’s presence. While she remained trapped on her island, we had time. But if their guilt was exposed? And Ercole found himself alone with the king at the time? He might be tempted to move the timeline forward.

  Fear had flashed through me at the idea. That night my agents had received new orders. Protecting the palace supplies and any new shipments now took second priority to protecting my family. Thankfully, neither my parents nor my siblings seemed to have noticed the series of servants who now trailed them around the palace and the city. My agents had strict instructions. My family were never to be left alone with anyone known to be a rebel.

  So far my people had reported no activity, but the fear did not diminish. I couldn’t risk leaving my notes for my father to find.

  Eventually I made contact with one of my agents amongst the palace messengers.

  “I need you to leave tonight. Take one of the horses from the stables and ride as fast as you can. Find the duchess and give her this.”

  I handed over a water-proofed leather pouch containing a copy of all my notes and a plea for the duchess to hurry. “Make sure you put it in no hands but hers. Tell her people you’ve come with a message from the king. They’ll let you through.”

  I handed over a much smaller pouch that jingled as it changed hands. “Change horses as often as you need to and spare yourself no comfort on the journey if it might help you to travel faster.”

  The girl turned to leave without a single question, but I stopped her with my hand on her arm. “I know this sudden desertion will cost you your position, and that’s before taking the horse. But I swear that I will protect you from the consequences.”

  She nodded once and left.

  I watched her all the way down the corridor until she disappeared from sight. It was the only honour I could give her.

  Chapter 13

  I knew that even riding at full pace, the messenger would take days to reach the duchess, and the duchess would take even longer to return. But I still had to restrain myself from looking for their arrival each day.

  The activity of the palace had turned towards the newlyweds’ planned sailing trip. Father had granted them the use of the royal yacht, a vessel as big as any of the navy frigates, so Rafe had decided on a lengthy voyage. Together he and Marie oversaw the preparation of supplies and planned a route.

  William was to accompany them, and I already felt the occasional pang of loneliness at the thought of his departure. Celine still avoided me, and William provided my one source of entertainment during the day. He enjoyed laughing, and I enjoyed making him laugh. Even if I had to disguise my witticisms as foolish and naïve comments.

  My fear that he would be turned away by my stupidity had yet to be realised. His attentions had certainly decreased slightly, but I found a sort of satisfaction in that since I attributed the change to his growing relationship with Aurora.

  Given his presence during my debriefing of the captured agent, William now knew more about the shape of the rebellion than anyone, except for me. He had become my confidant in the absence of the duchess. He had even offered to take our information to the king, but I had forbidden it.

  He would be even more suspect than one of my regular agents. Where had he gotten the information on this supposed rebellion? A spy network? A Northhelmian one?

  Lanover would need all of its resources to fight the danger within, stirring up trouble between the kingdoms was the last thing I wanted.

  William had pleaded with me twice now to reveal my identity. Each time I had simply turned and walked away, cutting short our rendezvous for the evening. After the second time, he stopped asking.

  And, despite our late hours, he never seemed tired or showed any inclination for his bed. I suspected he would have stayed with me all night if I would let him.

  “Oh. It’s you.” Celine’s voice interrupted my memories.

  She had come around a corner, wandering through the gardens apparently aimlessly. I cast around in my mind for a curse-approved topic that might interest her enough to stay and talk to me and came up blank.

  “Isn’t this flower lovely?” I held up a large pink blossom that I had been absentmindedly twirling between my fingers. I already had a frangipani in my hair, taken from my breakfast tray, but I hadn’t been able to resist plucking the large, fragrant flower anyway.

  She glanced at it and then away without commenting.

  I tried again. “I went into the city yesterday to visit that new seamstress you discovered.”

  “She’s not my seamstress, since Mother won’t even let me wear the dress she made.” She narrowed her eyes. “And thanks for inviting me, by the way. I would have liked a ride yesterday.”

  I looked back down at the flower, hoping she wouldn’t see the guilt in my eyes. Rafe, Marie, William and I had all gone, but I hadn’t invited Celine. I hadn’t wanted to endure her sullens the whole way.

  She slumped down beside me on the bench. Her demeanour suggested she was only sitting because moving on would have required too much energy.

  “I know none of you want me around. I’m not stupid.”

  “Oh Celine…” I reached out to grasp her hand, but she pulled it out of my reach.

  “I don’t know why I’m even telling you. You wouldn’t understand.” She kicked her legs out and looked at me sideways. “If Cordelia were here, she’d tell me off for saying that. She’d say it wasn’t your fault.” She was silent for another moment before bursting out, “But that’s the problem! Cordelia isn’t here.” She shook her head. “Sometimes I wish I was cursed too, so I didn’t have to notice how boring it is around here.”

  She sounded so sad but also so young and foolish. What did she know of loneliness or of curses?

  I placed my hand over her balled up fist and looked her in the eye. “This will pass Celine. It’s not as bad as it seems right now. Adventures will come your way. You won’t be so young forever.”

  The curse limited me to the trite words, but I hoped something in my expression would give her a hint that I truly did know what I was talking about.

  It didn’t work.

  “Ugh, who are you? Uncle Horace?”

  I pulled my hand back, disappointed I’d so obviously failed.

  Celine gave a reluctant laugh, reaching over to pull a leaf off a nearby bush. “Sorry. That was a bit too far. No one should ever be compared to Uncle Horace.” She gave an exaggerated shudder, and I giggled.

  “He is a little…” I wrinkled my nose.

  Celine held up her hand. “Say no more. I don’t think I could cope with a Lettie description of Uncle Horace right now.”

  I giggled again. She had used my nickname, so maybe I had made some sort of impression after all.

  She looked down at the leaf in her hand, carefully smoothing it out. “Do things seem a bit strange around here lately to you?”

  I sat up straighter, eyeing her warily. What had she noticed? I needed to tread carefully.

  “Strange?”

  She looked up briefly and then back down at the leaf, scrunching it up in her hand. “Never mind. I don’t know why I asked you anyway. Things could get a lot stranger before you would notice anything.”

  I widened my eyes. “What do you mean?”

  “Exactly.” She jumped to her feet. “It’s probably nothing anyway. Just this sailing trip.”

  I didn’t need to hear the tone in her voice when she said the last two words to know how jealous she felt. Even I felt it this time. I tried not to let myself imagine standing next to William at the railing of a ship, feeling the breeze in my hair and watching the endless blue-green of the wa
ves.

  I should know better. I wasn’t fourteen, and I was needed here. The duchess would arrive at some point and then who knew what would happen.

  “I’ve decided to accompany you, Rafe dear.”

  My mother’s words produced a choking fit in my brother who had unfortunately just taken a mouthful of soup.

  “A….accompany us, Mother?”

  “On the royal yacht. It has been far too long since I’ve been sailing.”

  Rafe looked helplessly at Marie and then back at our mother. “You want to accompany Marie and I on our wedding tour of the islands?”

  “Certainly.” She sipped another spoonful of soup. “Along with Prince William, of course. It seems only right that our family be represented on the voyage as well. I wouldn’t want us to seem lax in any way.”

  “N…no, of course not.”

  For once, Celine actually attempted to restrain her emotion. But I could see her whole body shaking from the silent fits of laughter. Rafe narrowed his eyes at her, and years of silent sibling communication made it easy for me to interpret the look. Just wait until it’s your turn, and Mother does something equally outrageous.

  “How lovely,” said Marie, and I gave her an admiring smile. She had been well-trained.

  “Viktoria? What is this?” Horace sounded far from impressed. “Aren’t you a little old to be gallivanting around with the young ones?”

  “Certainly not.” My mother seemed entirely undisturbed at the slight on her age. “It is high time one of us inspected the outermost regions of the kingdom, and Leonardo can’t be spared at the moment. A perfectly unexceptional extension to the purpose of the trip.”

  The smallest of looks passed between my parents. Interesting. Something else was going on here. I wished for the hundredth time this week that I was free to have an open conversation with my parents.

  My mother continued to sing the praises of ocean voyages and to list all the parts of the kingdom she was “just longing to see”.

  Most of the family ignored her, and Uncle Horace maintained a steady stream of mutterings about the foolishness of jaunting around the kingdom at my parents’ age. I couldn’t resist rolling my eyes. Thankfully no one noticed, so the curse left me alone.

  You would think my mother was in her dotage from the way my uncle carried on.

  “I can see my duty is clear,” he announced, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. “If Viktoria is going, and Leonardo cannot, then I must go to.”

  “You, Horace?” My mother’s obvious surprise didn’t prevent her taking another mouthful of soup.

  “Certainly me. Who else is to ensure you are treated with the respect you deserve? Not these heedless things.” He glared at us all indiscriminately.

  Celine snickered. “This is the first time I’ve been glad I’m not going.” Her whispered words were clearly audible to the whole table.

  She pretended not to notice the look Uncle Horace directed her way.

  Rafe looked around at the rest of us. “Anyone else? Frederic, Cassian? Feel like coming along?”

  Both of our brothers looked suitably revolted at the idea. I had to admit that the idyllic image of me standing in a boat had dimmed somewhat. Even a glittering green island, surrounded by a long stretch of pale golden sand, lost something of its appeal when viewed in the company of my mother, my uncle and two newlyweds.

  I glanced sympathetically towards William. That unpalatable role would fall to him. He appeared to have fully grasped the situation, pushing the rest of his soup away.

  “What about you, Princess?” he asked. “Feel like joining us for a sail?” Unlike Rafe, his eyes gleamed with sincerity.

  Even given the recent additions to the passenger list, a large part of me wished I could say yes. I shook my head. “Oh no, I get sea sick, remember.”

  He glanced towards Celine. “I thought your sister said you didn’t?”

  “Oh.” I looked between the two of them. “I must have forgotten. Perhaps it’s carriage sick that I’m thinking of.”

  Celine groaned. “You don’t get carriage sick either, Celeste.”

  “Oh.” I adopted an expression of serious concentration. “I know what it is. The ocean scares me.” I smiled around at them all, as if proud of my excellent memory.

  “Scares you?” Rafe frowned at me. “Why?”

  “Well, it’s so big. And wet. And did I mention big?”

  “You did mention that, yes,” said William, clearly trying to keep a straight face. “You will be sorely missed.”

  “Not by us,” muttered Rafe.

  Chapter 14

  Two days later, I waved goodbye as the whole party and a ridiculous mound of luggage moved away from the palace towards the harbour. William had spent the whole morning in the garden with me, and had assured me that he would think of me every day.

  “I am quite sure that we will encounter nothing as beautiful as what we are leaving behind.” He lightly touched the frangipani tucked in my hair. “I hope you’ll miss me.”

  “Of course. I shall miss you all.”

  He looked like he wanted to say more and, as he walked away, he paused and looked back. “I won’t be idle while I’m gone, Princess. I shall search for a way to break your curse.”

  “How kind.” I smiled gently at him, careful to show no great enthusiasm. “Thank you.”

  He pressed his lips together and then hurried to join the rest of the travelling party.

  Celine was noticeably absent from the farewell, but I could hardly blame her. I hoped her disappointment at being left behind wouldn’t destroy the small amount of ground I had gained with her recently.

  I waved a final farewell and returned to the palace. I wandered, my mind dwelling on the departing group, and on the duchess, who should be hurrying towards the capital by now. For all my skills, I had never learned to wait well. And lately it felt like I did nothing else.

  Without conscious thought, my feet directed me to Celine’s chambers. Misery loves company, I suppose. The rooms were empty.

  I rocked back and forth, trying to think where she might be. William and I had strolled through most of the gardens and seen no sign of her. I headed towards the library.

  Thirty minutes later I began to feel alarmed. The palace might be large, but I knew it well.

  I saw Rosie and called to her.

  “Yes, Your Highness?”

  “Have you seen Princess Celine anywhere, Rosie?”

  “Why, yes, Your Highness. She retired to her chambers before the travelling party left. She said she had a headache and didn’t want to be disturbed all day.” She hesitated, her brow furrowed, and then added, “She looked that sad, poor thing, it’s no wonder she has the headache.”

  Panic gripped me. “Are you sure, Rosie?” I kept my voice light.

  “Certainly, Your Highness. She asked me to let His Majesty know not to expect her at the evening meal.” She sighed. “Hopefully she’ll be feeling a little more cheerful tomorrow.”

  “Oh, of course. I will check on her there then.”

  I hurried towards Celine’s rooms, my mind whirring. I flung open the door and checked everywhere, including her wardrobe. The large space looked disordered in a way I had never seen before. Usually Celine took pride in it.

  A closer examination revealed several missing items of clothing, along with a large leather bag.

  Oh no. I groaned and sank onto a conveniently placed chair. Apparently Celine had decided to find her own adventure. And it couldn’t have happened at a worse time. With the rebel numbers growing, and their activity increasing, Celine had put herself in danger by setting off alone.

  If the wrong person recognised her…

  I blamed myself, at least partially. I should have made more of an effort to connect with her. Perhaps then she wouldn’t have done something so foolish.

  The scene in the gardener’s hut rushed into my mind, only this time the figure on the floor wore my sister’s face. I shivered. I had to do
something. And immediately.

  I didn’t have time to transform into Aurora. And the sun still held its place high in the sky, anyway. Whatever I did would have to be done as Celeste.

  My feet began to move before my mind had finished making the decision. They lead me to the stables. “My horse,” I called to a passing groom. He gave me a funny look but obeyed, probably not wanting to challenge a princess.

  I shifted from foot to foot as I watched him work. I felt sure I could have done it faster, but Princess Celeste didn’t saddle her own horse. Not since the curse anyway.

  “There you are, Your…”

  I snatched the reins from his hands and led the horse over to a mounting block. He watched me in surprise, as I settled in the saddle and moved away.

  I ignored him, holding myself to a walk with extreme difficulty. As soon as I had safely traversed the steepest part of the road from the palace, I urged the horse to a faster gait.

  Celine could have headed in any direction, but I trusted she had retained some sense. Surely she knew better than to go off adventuring alone. Hopefully she had headed for the royal yacht.

  The tension coiled inside me increased as I wound my way through the city. I longed to push the mare into a gallop, but the other people filling the streets made such a move far too dangerous.

  Part of me wanted to accost the people I passed, asking if any of them had seen Celine. But I couldn’t afford the time. If Celine wasn’t at the yacht, I would stop at every shop and home on the way back looking for word of her.

  I clamped down on my imagination firmly, since it only seemed able to supply me with increasingly fatalistic scenarios. Celine would be fine. She had indulged in a fit of youthful rebellion, as had many a young person before her. She would be fine, as all of them had been fine.

  Except for the ones who hadn’t been. No. I urged my horse slightly faster and focussed on the harbour ahead.

  I swung down when I reached the entrance to the docks and entered on foot, leading my mount by the reins. I didn’t want to miss noticing something important. The royal yacht had a dedicated docking bay at the far end. I walked towards it, surprised at how quiet the whole dock seemed. It normally teemed with activity.