by Nina Walker
Three parties in one week was not my idea of a good time. But here I found myself again, playing the role of dutiful price. This time we were about to attend an intimate gathering to celebrate our engagement. I’d only met Celia earlier that week, even though she seemed to believe we had history together. Most likely we’d crossed paths a time or two, and while she’d held onto the memories, nothing remarkable had stuck around for me.
Couldn’t everyone see that I wasn’t interested, let alone in love, with this woman? Couldn’t she see it? Sure, I was putting on a show for my father’s sake, but even I wasn’t that good of an actor.
“Come on,” Celia said, snaking her arm around me. “You need to meet my parents.”
“Goody.” I smiled through gritted teeth.
We stood, and she led me to the door. Someone knocked politely on the other side. I pulled it open to two middle-aged people with hungry stars in their eyes. They looked just like Celia, both with red hair, pale faces, and green eyes. She was sent in right away to greet me while they were given a quick security briefing. Now that they were the parents of the future queen, they would be in the public spotlight. I’m sure they didn’t mind. My father had already seen to it that Celia and her family were vetted, top to bottom. He’d chosen my fiancée, and I’d stupidly agreed in exchange for the execution of Thomas.
I am such an idiot.
I thought back to the events, still shocked that I’d been so impulsive. True, the fact that Thomas had been allowed to live had been keeping me up at night. But when Jessa broke up with me, something inside snapped. His execution become my sole focus, anything to avoid facing how bad Jessa had hurt me. A desperate part of me thought if I could just get justice for my mother, I’d feel better again. But I didn’t feel better. Anger simmered just below the surface, threatening to eat me alive. I was out of control and would do almost anything to get it back.
“Ah, they’re here.” My father strode into the room. “I’ll admit, I’m grateful you trusted me enough to give your daughter to my son. She’s a wonderful girl. No doubt they will be very happy together.”
They all blushed at the same time. Who are we kidding? We all knew every single one of those girls at that party had been dying to get my ring on her finger and a crown on her head. When Richard had proposed the idea of an engagement to me, he said he had a few girls in mind. I stupidly told him it didn’t matter who he chose. In my mind, there was no way I was actually getting married to a stranger. Agreeing to an engagement wasn’t agreeing to a marriage.
“I can hardly believe it myself.” Celia winked. “I must have made a lasting impression.” Little did she know that wasn’t the case. “Lucas, I’d like you to formally meet my parents, Mark and Sabine.”
I shook their hands. “Pleasure to meet you,” I said.
“You’ll be good to her?” her father asked. I could barely meet the man’s eyes as I lied through my teeth.
“Yes, sir.”
He continued, “Right, well, this all seems rather fast to me but as long as my princess is happy, then that’s okay by me.”
Princess… Yeah, I heard that. No doubt her father was just as thrilled as her mother despite his attempt to fulfill the role of the overprotective daddy.
“Let’s eat, shall we?” I asked, focusing on the hearty smells wafting in.
We headed to my family’s private dining room; extra guards lined the walls, their expressions stoic and searching. They were on edge lately. I couldn’t say I blamed them. First their queen died, then a public attack, and then an execution. Not to mention my sham of an engagement.
I assumed dinner was delicious by the constant compliments of our guests. Mentions of “so tender” and “exquisite” filtered around me. But I could hardly do more than move my food from one spot on my plate to another. I wasn’t the type to lose my appetite. With my morning workouts, and my age, I was always sneaking off to the kitchens for more food. But today my stomach was in knots. How am I going to get out of this?
Once again, Richard was getting everything he wanted and I was stuck doing his bidding. If it came down to it, I’d refuse to marry her. I wondered what he would do to me then…
“Well that was the most incredible apple fritter I have ever had.” Celia smiled, her overly made-up face beaming. “Thank you so much for dinner, Your Royal Highness.”
“You’re welcome,” my father replied, wiping his face with his napkin in satisfaction. “Why don’t us old folks retire to the sitting room and let the couple have some time alone.” He winked at Sabine and Mark. “No doubt you remember what it was like to be newly engaged.”
“Oh, do I ever.” Mark laughed.
My body went rigid. They got up to leave, and I stayed like an anchor in my chair.
“Lucas.” My father looked back at me. “Don’t keep your fiancée locked away in this stuffy dining room. Let the servants clean up. Show her your bedroom where you can have more privacy to talk and to…get to know each other better.”
I expected her mother at least to protest but she only nodded in agreement.
Wonderful. How am I ever going to get Jessa back now?
I bit my lip and stood. “Shall we?” As we walked to my room, I didn’t even bother to look if Celia was following. Of course she was.
“Not many get to come back here,” I mumbled.
“Oh, that’s surprising.” She followed me into my room and closed the door behind her. She was dressed in a short black dress and high heels. Her red hair was intricately braided down her back. She looked at me with expectant green eyes.
“Surprising?” I asked. “What do you mean by that?”
She smiled coyly. “You read the news. So do I.” She was the picture of innocence. Delicate, yet brimming with confidence.
But I saw through the façade. She was dangerous.
I frowned and gripped my hands into fists behind my back. “The gossip columns love to paint me as a playboy. My father allows that to an extent because he thinks it makes me more desirable.”
“So it’s not true?” She smiled coyly.
I shrugged. “I won’t lie and pretend there isn’t a shred of truth to the stories. But overall? No, it’s not true.”
“Interesting.”
“Besides, a lot has changed for me recently.”
She nodded. “Your room is lovely,” she said, walking around and running her finger over every surface. “Of course, I wouldn’t expect anything less. You are the prince after all.”
“And you’re my fiancée,” I said it as a challenge.
She squared her shoulders and smiled. “Yes. I am.”
“Most women would be offended by the way that happened. I never even asked you.” It was true. Once I agreed, Richard jumped into action and asked, or rather told, her parents to come to the palace immediately for the press conference. We’d only met again backstage. Some advisor hastily pushed a giant ring onto her finger and that had been that. My mother’s ring.
I glanced at the rock, still planted on her finger, and a pang of regret shot through me.
“I don’t mind unconventional,” she mused. “We’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other after we’re married. Anyway, sometimes fast is more practical. And more exciting.” She laced her tone with a level of innuendo as she approached me. Probably thought she was going to seduce me or something.
“I’m not going to sleep with you,” I said.
She only smiled and raised a perfect eyebrow. “Of course not.”
I shifted away from her, standing against the wall to put distance between us. She didn’t seem to find it alarming in the slightest. The scenarios ran through my head. Should I try to push her away? Get her to break up with me? Was that even possible? Should I play along? Should I pretend?
But I can’t cheat on Jessa. Even though we were no longer together, I wasn’t stupid. Anything with Celia still felt like cheating, and I didn’t want to hurt Jessa anymore.
“What’s your endgame?
” I asked, deciding to go straight for the kill. I needed the truth. I needed to know what Celia wanted most so I could use it as leverage. As bait.
She didn’t falter. “I’ve been groomed my whole life to have an advantageous marriage. And, Lucas, you are the top prize. Not only are you the prince, you also happen to be rather attractive and intelligent. I couldn’t do better. My endgame is simple. You.”
“Well, at least you’re honest.”
“And you couldn’t do much better either.”
I eyed her confidence, skeptical. “You’re rather sure of yourself.”
“My father has a lot of influence in this kingdom,” she replied simply. “And I will be a good wife.”
“What if I don’t want that?”
She sighed dramatically and placed a hand on her hip. “I’m not stupid, and I’m not romantic. I will let you do what you want if it comes to that.” She paused, her expression grim. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”
I wasn’t sure what to say. It wasn’t like I needed her to spell it out for me.
“Don’t be so obtuse. You can tell me you’re not a playboy all you want, but like I said, we’ve met before. I remember how you behaved as a boy. And honestly, Lucas? I’m okay with you as long as you stay discreet, stay safe, and most importantly,” she paused, careful to get her point across, “nobody gets near my crown.”
I pushed off the wall and stalked toward her. “Your crown?” I laughed. “Has anyone ever told you not to count your chickens before they hatch?”
She only batted her eyes. “I know what I want. Our marriage will benefit both our families. Don’t fight the inevitable, Lucas. You won’t win.”
“Is that a threat?”
She inched closer and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. I didn’t kiss her back.
“Absolutely.”
“We had the response we were looking for,” one of the advisers said. “The people are rallying around the idea of war. Men are volunteering to join the army in droves, and of course, the alchemists are prepared for anything.”
It was the next morning, and I sat with my father around the same conference table I’d been at far too frequently lately. I squinted and pinched my nose, resigned to the fact that this war was really going to happen.
“I want to move up our timetable. With the national broadcast yesterday, it’s probable something was leaked and West America will be expecting us.”
“Then why did you do it in the first place?” I asked. “Of course Thomas needed to die. But why broadcast it for everyone to see? Why do it in front of the alchemists and the kingdom like that?”
He turned on me, his eyes sharp. “Because we suspect there are spies and we won’t have it.” I held my breath, anxiety rooting me to my chair.
The men in the room nodded. “Not to mention, there is unrest,” he continued. “The attack was performed by one of our own citizens. And Thomas lived in this very palace. I had to send a message.”
“I think your message was received,” I said, deadpan. My thoughts immediately went to Jessa. She needed to disassociate with the Resistance. I could only pray they didn’t have her name written on some list somewhere. If Richard suspected an alchemist of foul play, it would only be a matter of time before he smoked them out.
“What’s the prognosis if we launch our first attack tonight?” My father leaned in toward his highest-ranking general. The broad-chested man perked up at the attention, his military ornamentation gleaming. We hadn’t been engaged in war in decades. Did this guy even know what he was doing?
“We’re ready. We will need some of your best alchemists. Your fighters. And a few healers. But we have thousands of trained men ready to go and more who are preparing.”
“We’re going to send a message to West America. Going to suck them dry so they have no choice but to surrender.”
“And why are we going to war again?” I interjected.
My father paused, his face sharpening. “Son, we’ve already gone over this. They killed your mother.” Lies. “In all likelihood, they had something to do with the attack during her funeral.” Maybe. “It’s clear they want to start a war with us, so it’s a war they will get. Besides, it wouldn’t hurt to have more land. More resources. And to bless more people with our monarchy.”
I gritted my teeth and nodded. There must be people in the room who didn’t know the truth about my mother’s death. War must be his priority because of his insatiable need for more land and resources. Lust for power. I tried not to think of the bloodshed that would happen because of my own father, but the reality of what was sure to happen haunted me.
He’d used his alchemists not only to destroy areas of our border, creating the shadow lands, but to essentially torture people. He’d used magic on them in so many unimaginable ways, most often ending in death. Maybe all those tests with magic had been his way of developing weapons. Maybe he’d been preparing for this war much longer than I realized.
“It’s settled then. Round up your soldiers, and Faulk will deploy our officers. Together, we’ll make a move on West America far worse than they can even imagine.” A spark of excitement lit his eyes as the room burst into a flurry of action. The time for talking about war was over. It was time for action.
Richard had found a scapegoat in my mother’s death and subsequent attack. He now had a reason to enact something he had long awaited. How many lives would pay the price? I left the room. I couldn’t stand it anymore. This was not the way to lead the kingdom. This was wrong. But I wasn’t king. And I was party to everything that was about to happen.
And there is nothing I can do about it.
I woke with a start. Sweat poured down my back as I caught my breath. I’d been so tired lately, but even sleep haunted me, turning dreams into nightmares. Images of my mother flashed through my mind, the blood pooling around her body, the smell of death, her eyes unblinking, the feeling of helplessness.
I jumped from the bed, changed into workout clothes, and headed to the gym. There was a perfectly adequate gym on this side of the palace, but I found my way into the alchemist wing instead. I needed to make sure Jessa was okay. I wouldn’t talk to her. I didn’t deserve that. But I could at least see how she was holding up. I knew she spent most of her mornings sparring.
A few people sent odd looks my direction as I walked into the gym, but most seemed unbothered. I worked my way over to the area with weight equipment and began to lift dumbbells. My eyes scanned the room for Jessa, finding her sparring with another girl I didn’t recognized. She laughed at something the girl said, her face lighting up.
I finished my set and moved over to the leg-press machine. I added more weight than normal and got to work. I focused on my shoelaces as I thought about Jessa. She needed to get out of the Resistance. At least while Richard was on his witch-hunt. The fact that I still didn’t know who her handler was ate away at me. Who else knew about Jessa’s involvement?
I got up from the machine and walked over to the water station. I swallowed a cup in one gulp and threw it into the trash. I didn’t have to sit back and let the Resistance have Jessa. I’m an alchemist, I reminded myself. I glanced around the room, watching the mix of color guardians and officers for a moment. What would they do if they knew about me? It was my biggest secret. I’d revealed it once only because I’d had to. That day in the helicopter, I had saved my life, Jessa’s life, and Sasha’s. Sasha said she was going to tell the Resistance about my secret, but I suspected she never had. So far, no one had confronted me. I wished I could talk to Sasha and find out for sure. But she was hiding in the mountains north somewhere, and I had no idea how to talk to her.
My eyes traveled to Jessa again, and I saw her training with a man this time—some guy I didn’t know. He came at her, pummeling her to the ground. Every instinct in me fired. I began to move toward them, but I stopped myself. She had jumped up and taken control of the fight.
She doesn’t need you.
I ran a few miles on a trea
dmill, watching her. She never looked my way. She either hadn’t noticed me, or she was deliberately ignoring me. I pressed the incline and speed buttons to max level for as long as I could possibly go. Exertion was the only thing that could distract me from the frustration that had been stealing every thought. When she caught my gaze and looked away just as quickly, I’d had enough.
I jumped off the machine and stormed out of the gym. I didn’t have to deal with this silent treatment. If she wasn’t going to see reason and distance herself from the Resistance, then I would find a way to do it for her.
I’d been working on my white alchemy for years. And I was good. I didn’t have proper training in all the colors, but I knew I could be initiated if I had the chance. But white? That was my specialty. As a royal, I would never be part of the guardians. It would upset the balance. None of that stopped me from using magic when I had to. Maybe I had to.
I quickly showered and dressed myself in black, moving into action.
It was the same for all alchemists. Natural elements like plants and stones were easier to manipulate than synthetic elements. The best alchemists could still use the color from things like cloth, which was why everyone wore black. It was best to avoid any mistakes. And I wouldn’t make a mistake again.
I would do anything to protect her.
Our royal quarters were private, and I was alone as I walked into the dining room. I pulled the white rose from the large bouquet on the table, breaking its head from the stem. Nobody would miss it. It had been a while since I’d done this, and the thrill of excitement pulsed through my veins as I squeezed the soft petals. I calmed at the velvet feel between my fingers.
I watched as my body faded away, growing foggy at first, and then…nothing. I was invisible. I needed to be quick before I got too drowsy, as I knew from experience just how tiring this type of magic was on me. I took off running, careful to land softly with each step. I followed the corridors back toward the GC headquarters.
I’d noticed an extra level of anxiety at the gym earlier. I’d been too lost in my own cloud of depression to realize why. They must all be in a complete frenzy over the recent war announcement. Many of them would be leaving tonight. Faulk had been tasked to organize it and had immediately begun preparations. I had a strong suspicion Jessa would be connecting with her Resistance contact over the news. At this point, I hoped her initiation would be delayed. The thought of her being sent off to war wasn’t something I could handle. But she wasn’t ready, and Richard wouldn’t risk losing her. She should be finished at the gym by now. I decided to follow her. If I was lucky, I could figure out whom it was I needed to blackmail.
