“The rebellion has been dismantled then?” I pushed forward.
He turned to look at me, and a slightly dazed expression took over his face. I waited impatiently for it to pass.
“Your…Your Highness.” His expression told me he recognised who I was, and his stumbling words suggested he hadn’t expected such a direct question from the Sleeping Princess. He looked at William, who hovered protectively at my shoulder, and his eyes widened.
How long would it take for word to spread throughout Lanover that the curse had been broken?
“Well?” I asked again.
“Yes, Your Highness. His Majesty uncovered the entire plot. His own quartermaster, too! Incredible! Ercole confessed to the whole thing, and the king sent his fastest messengers after you. We feared his warning had come too late!”
He didn’t ask the questions I could see burning in his face, and I knew he would be left without answers. None of us wanted to stay for explanations. As soon as the prisoners had been unloaded, we would be off. My father could decide how much of the story he wished to share with his governors.
The Viktoria sailed from Largo with much more cheerful passengers than the ones who had arrived. A tangible weight had lifted from us all.
Two nights later I slipped out on deck and took a deep breath of the fresh, salty air. I leant against the rail and gazed out at the moon. Everyone was still processing the many revelations, and I couldn’t seem to escape their endless questions. They kept remembering this or that event that had occurred in the last three years and wanting to know what I had really been thinking.
Soft footsteps approached and strong arms slipped around my waist.
“Have I told you that you look enchanting in the moonlight? And that you’ll make the most beautiful queen in the history of the kingdoms?”
I pretended to consider. “I remember beautiful and exquisite and painful, but I’m not sure I remember enchanting.”
His body shook with his chuckle. “Allow me to rectify that.” He spun me around to face him. “You look enchanting, Princess.” He dropped a soft kiss on my mouth. “And I promise to tell you so every day for the rest of our lives.” He chuckled again. “Even if you best me with those knives of yours next time we duel.”
I smiled up at him. “Oh, especially then. I look particularly enchanting when I duel.”
“Do you now?” His arms tightened around me. “I look forward to seeing it.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but his lips closed over mine, and I forgot the words, along with any others.
Our ship raced through the waves, and my heart raced with it, swelling with happiness. I was free from the curse. And I had found someone who could love the inside of me as well as he loved the outside. How could I want for anything more? For the first time in my life, I felt truly content.
Epilogue
Frederic watched the ceremony from his place at the front of the room. Celeste looked stunning in her wedding gown, of course. Given her Christening gift, she quite possibly looked more beautiful than any bride had ever done before. The dress had certainly cost enough, despite being commissioned from some unknown seamstress in the city.
But beauty didn’t move him. He had spent a lifetime with the foibles and wild emotions of his sisters, so he knew well enough that beauty meant little. His sister’s intelligence and cunning meant more to him than her looks. And that was a problem that did concern him.
Now that the whole truth had been revealed about her curse and her activities for the last several years, he knew how much her loss meant to the kingdom. His father would have to find a replacement spymaster sooner rather than later.
Not that he could complain about his sister taking her place as the future queen of Northhelm. Her marriage provided an even more solid alliance than Rafe’s had done.
He cast a regretful glance towards Prince Maximilian from Arcadia. He had hoped Celeste would succeed in winning the Arcadian heir when she had visited the kingdom two years ago. That alliance would have been even more welcome, but the young prince had chosen a commoner in the end.
He examined Princess Alyssa, sitting beside Max. She was pretty enough, he supposed. The young woman leaned into her husband, her eyes misty at the romantic proceedings. Frederic noticed her hand had slipped down to cup her stomach protectively. Their own wedding had been almost exactly two years before, so he supposed that such a development was inevitable. Max’s arm hugged his young wife to his side.
He had questioned the other prince’s decision at the time, choosing a commoner over a princess and the alliance she would have offered. But Arcadia had prospered in the years since. His mother had been right. The High King and his godmothers still rewarded true love.
Frederic’s eyes moved to King Hans and Queen Ava, sitting on the other side of the aisle to the Arcadian contingent. They both sat upright, but he noticed their hands were clasped, almost hidden by the folds of her gown. He caught Hans throwing her a quick glance, wonder and love in his eyes. That had been another marriage between a royal and a commoner. And another kingdom that had been turned completely around. Although almost anyone would have made a better monarch than Ava’s now deceased father, King Josef. He had nearly managed to take all four kingdoms down with him, too.
He glanced at the eldest of his sisters, Clarisse. She stood at the front with the rest of their sisters, supporting Celeste as one of her attendants. He still felt guilty for not speaking against it when her marriage alliance with Prince Konrad of Rangmere had been arranged. The family had only found out years later, after she had been widowed, how badly Konrad had treated her. But Frederic had never liked the other prince on the few occasions they had met. He should never have stood by while his sister was sent off alone to Rangmere.
He had let his uncle influence him, and he regretted that doubly now. Uncle Horace’s betrayal had cut deep, and he was determined to do whatever it took to right any wrongs his uncle had done to the kingdom.
Clarisse, at least, seemed much happier now, although she still looked sad watching her sister’s radiant face as she spoke her vows. Or maybe that was just because of the contrast presented by Cordelia, standing next to her. The second youngest of his sisters looked almost as radiant as Celeste. He supposed she was remembering her own ceremony, only two weeks before. She certainly kept glancing at her new husband, standing across the platform next to William. Apparently he was the prince’s oldest friend.
In fact, the ceremony seemed to be attended by a remarkable number of happy young couples. He was almost certain one of his sisters had told him that the two couples sitting behind Ava and Hans were merchant friends of the queen’s who had married Rangmeran nobles. Although the couple on the end looked almost more like guards than nobles. He recognised it in their bearing and the clothes that looked like they wouldn’t get in the way if the wedding turned into a brawl.
He couldn’t see any sign of such a thing happening, though. In fact, he couldn’t remember a time when all four kingdoms were so prosperous or so in harmony. He had always imagined that, as heir, he would marry to advance the welfare of his kingdom. And he had thought that meant a marriage of alliance.
But no marriageable princesses remained. The Arcadian twins were only thirteen, even younger than Celine. Although the three of them seemed to be getting along well. A little too well, if anyone asked him. They still had another week of the month-long festivities that had included both weddings and Midsummer Day. And he’d be astonished if they made it to the end without the three of them getting up to some sort of mischief. He barely saw his sister without seeing the three heads bent together, some sort of plotting underway.
No, the Arcadians weren’t an option.
He looked around the huge hall again. Could he ask for any more compelling evidence? The welfare of his kingdom apparently demanded true love. It was a bit of a hazy requirement but, somehow, he couldn’t bring himself to fault it.
His eyes caught on Celine, who had glanced in t
he twin’s direction, and all thoughts of love were driven from his mind. As host to so many gathered royals, the responsibility fell to Lanover to ensure the smooth-running of the event. Which meant, as heir, it fell to him to find out what sort of pandemonium his youngest sibling was planning. It was going to be a long week.
Note from the Author
You can read about Celine and the twins finding their own adventures in the Beyond the Four Kingdoms series, starting with A Dance of Silver and Shadow: A Retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses.
Thank you for taking the time to read my book. If you enjoyed it, please spread the word! You could start by leaving a review on Amazon (or Goodreads or Facebook or any other social media site). Your review would be very much appreciated and would make a big difference!
To be kept informed of my new releases, and for free extra content, including an exclusive bonus chapter of my first novel The Princess Companion (Book One of The Four Kingdoms series), please sign up to my mailing list at www.melaniecellier.com. At my website, you’ll also find an array of free extra content.
Family Tree
Acknowledgments
It has felt like a long - but fun! - journey to reach book 4. The last of the princesses to be tested in The Princess Companion finally has her own story. Lanover has been a delightful kingdom to explore, with beautiful locations and a multitude of royals.
With the added complexity of the story, I have particularly relied on the excellent assistance of my team of beta readers and my awesome editors. Many thanks to my regular team: Katie, Rachel, Greg, Ber, Priya and Debs. You guys never let me down.
Massive extra thanks also need to go to my new editor, Mary. Working with you has been a fantastic experience, and your insights have made this a much better book.
The perfect cover is thanks once again to Karri who has managed to bring all the characters from this series to life in such an amazing way.
Writing can be an overwhelming process physically and mentally - so a big thanks to Marc for keeping me (and our household) afloat while I dived into this book. And to the rest of my family for somehow remaining interested in the endless details of my writing and publishing journey. I couldn’t possibly do this without my support network.
And, finally, thanks to God for somehow keeping me going and for allowing me a glimpse of the truest of loves.
About the Author
Melanie Cellier grew up on a staple diet of books, books and more books. And although she got older she never stopped loving children’s and young adult novels.
She always wanted to write one herself but it took three careers and three different continents before she actually managed it.
She now feels incredibly fortunate to spend her time writing from her home in Canberra, Australia where they don’t have a beach but they do have kangaroos hopping down the streets. Her staple diet hasn’t changed much, although she’s added choc mint Rooibos tea and Chicken Crimpies to the list.
Her young adult Four Kingdoms series is made up of linked stand-alone stories that retell classic fairy tales.
The Princess Game: A Reimagining of Sleeping Beauty (The Four Kingdoms Book 4) Page 25
