Cynder laughed mirthlessly. “There is nothing for me in Silverwood now. Everything I wanted has gone.”
“I’m sorry. I never expected things to work out this way.”
“I came to say goodbye. I’m happy for you. I’m glad that you are happy. You’ll make a wonderful queen.”
He kissed my cheek and unlocked the door. Without another word, he was gone. The weight of Cynder’s words was etched into my brain, and the feel of his lips would stay burned on my own for a long time to come.
The Ball
I couldn’t sleep after Cynder left. I just lay on the bed, going over everything over and over again in my mind. I’d made a conscious decision to spend my life with Luca, and in my head, I’d done it for all the right reasons, so why did I feel so lost and wretched? In the end, I decided to get up and speak to Seraphia. If I was going to make Silverwood a stronger, more tolerant kingdom, I was going to need some help.
I knocked on her bedroom door. Tomas answered. A tall reedy man, he clearly took after his mother just as Luca had, although, unlike his brother, his hair was thinning slightly in places and he didn’t quite have the same sex appeal. He seemed surprised to see me there. He was already in his royal attire for the ball and looked thoroughly harassed. I suppressed the urge to straighten his tie that looked like it had been put on in a rush and was now hanging at least twenty degrees to the left of where it should have been.
“I’m here to see Seraphia if she’s available.”
“Thank goodness you are here. She can’t decide what to wear, and she keeps asking me as if I know what color shoes match a scarlet dress like I’m supposed to know.”
I almost laughed at his expression. He looked hopelessly lost.
“I’ll help her. Why don’t you go and see if Luca wants some company?”
“Brilliant idea.”
He strode past me, seemingly relieved not to have to talk about clothes anymore. I wandered into the royal chambers to find Seraphia looking exasperated on the bed, surrounded by dresses and shoes and jewelry.
“Charmaine! I’m so glad you are here. Does this go with this?” She held up a pair of red velvet shoes and a red dress.
“I’m no expert on fashion. I usually have someone else to dress me,” I replied. “But the shoes are a different shade of red.”
“You are right. I didn’t want to wear the red in the first place, but Tomas said he liked it. I don’t know why I get myself into such a fluster over these events.”
She could have worn a paper bag and still looked stunningly beautiful. With her long dark hair and pretty face, it didn’t really matter what she wore. I picked up a pretty pale pink dress and held it up.
“This is nice. It would go with those shoes,” I said, pointing to a pair on the floor.
“Great idea. That was my first choice too.” She took the dress from me and pulled her robe off, quickly throwing the pink gown over her perfect body. She looked adorable and sexy at the same time. They were not two words I’d usually put together in the same sentence, but she somehow managed it. I wondered for a second how easy life would be if I was as effortlessly beautiful as she was.
“How are you feeling now? Did you have a nice nap?” she asked, looking at me through her reflection in the mirror.
“I couldn’t sleep,” I replied honestly, although I didn’t tell her the reason why. My stomach was wound up so tight that physical pain was shooting through my body.
“Don’t let the media people get to you. There are always going to be haters. When I first started dating Tomas, there was an uproar. It was in all the papers and magazines how I was going to try and take over the kingdom. As if. I can hardly pick the right dress to wear for a ball.”
“I didn’t realize there was anti-Magi prejudice here as well.”
“There isn’t so much anymore, but there used to be. It was never as bad as it is in Silverwood. There were never laws here to prevent the Magi doing the same things as anyone else, but a lot of people didn’t like it.”
“You said Luca didn’t like it,” I said, remembering what she’d told me last night. It was hard to imagine Luca not caring about the Magi. He was as passionate as I was about their rights.
“Did I say that?” She asked, blushing. “I guess I had a little too much to drink. When I first started dating Tomas, he really hated me because of what I was. I think he was jealous of Tomas too, the fact that Tomas was going to get the throne because he was the elder son.”
I remembered Luca telling me he envied his brother’s chance to rule a kingdom. Seraphia turned round to speak to me rather than my reflection.
“I think he was mad that a Mage would help rule Thalia one day,” she continued. “I remember the arguments he had with Tomas, with Theron and Sarina. It took him a few years to come round to the idea, but then early last year things began to change. I don’t know what prompted it, but he came to me to apologize. He asked what he could do to help with Magi rights. Since then, he’s really turned over a new leaf. It’s been great watching how interested he’s been in the Magi, even more so since being with you. You are having a great effect on him. Other people haven’t been so nice, but I guess that’s true for any princess. It’s a lot better now than it was a few years ago.”
She turned back to her mirror and started to apply her makeup.
“How did you get over that?”
“Theron and Sarina welcomed me with open arms and have always been on my side. They let me have free rein talking about my life as a Mage to the media. With their backing, I set up support groups, mixers and promoted Magi rights whenever I could. I was lucky that the people ignored the press and came to love me. The press had to follow suit if they wanted to sell their papers. There are still some that don’t like the Magi, but you can’t change everyone’s mind.”
I watched as she applied powder to her cheeks making them glimmer. I don’t know how she did it. I was lost without Xavi and her helpers. She looked every inch the princess she was. I resisted the urge to glance at my own reflection in the mirror behind her. I didn’t want to look at a traitor, and that’s exactly how I felt about myself.
“I want Silverwood to be like that,” I replied, sitting down on the bed between her dresses, “but I’m fighting against years of prejudice. Most of the Magi won’t come out of hiding and those that have, still hate me for the years they were persecuted under my father’s rule. I can’t win whatever I do. Neither side likes me very much at the moment. My mother seems to think that if I wear the prettiest dresses and have my hair perfect, then people will forget about the years of hate and about what my father did.”
“You’ve got it hard, but not impossible. You need people to stand behind you and back you up. Strength in numbers I always say.”
“Well, I have Luca, of course. He’s with me a hundred percent. I also have Leo and my friends Daniel and Dean. That’s about it. No one else wants to come forward and help.”
I didn’t mention Cynder. She would have only asked me questions to which I had no answer.
“I’m here too. I’ll happily come to Silverwood to give talks if you want me to.”
I wanted her to come so badly, but I was afraid for her safety. There were too many people that hated the Magi in Silverwood.
“It’s not really safe at the moment,” I said, sadly. I hated the fact that she couldn’t even come to my coronation. “I hope to make things better by the time of the wedding because I’d hate for you to miss it.”
“I’ll do what I can from here,” she said. “I can speak to the media. I know Silverwood broadcasts Thalian channels. Maybe it will help?”
“Thanks, Seraphia. It can’t hurt. I just don’t think it’s going to be enough. There are demonstrations in the streets, and the police are turning a blind eye to them. Last year, when it was the Magi demonstrating, the police were using tear gas. I thought that now I am queen, the police would listen to me, but the head of police is still fiercely loyal to my father. It constant
ly feels like we are on the brink of civil war. The anti-Magi hate the Magi, the Magi hate the anti-Magi and both sides hate me.”
Seraphia moved away from the mirror and gave me a hug. “I’m sure that’s not true. You are ruling a kingdom that is recovering from a brutal regime, and while it was great for the anti-Magi who got all the best jobs and university places, it sucked for people like me. You need to keep working on the Magi. Keep promoting Silverwood as a place with a future for them.”
Cynder’s words came back to me. There is no future for me there.
Seraphia carried on. “Those against the magi will be harder, but I know you can do it.”
“I’m scared. There aren’t enough Magi in the kingdom to step forward. I’ve created jobs and opened up the universities to them. I’ve made it a law that everyone should be treated equally, but the reality is, the law isn’t so easy to enforce, especially when the police force doesn’t want to enforce it.”
“It sounds like you need a new police force. Have you considered advertising the police to the Magi?”
“I’ve mentioned it to the chief, but having him actually do it is another matter. I guess I have a lot of work to do.”
“You need to get ready for the ball before you do anything to save your kingdom. It starts soon.”
“Do you think you’ll be able to help me with my make-up?” I asked. “When I do it, it looks like a four-year-old has been scribbling on my face.”
Seraphia laughed. “Sure thing.”
She followed me back to my room. I’d already picked a gown to wear. Thanks to Xavi and her notes, I also knew which shoes and which items of jewelry to go with it. The dress was a pale blue color which nipped in tightly at the waist and ruffled out. It was not my style at all, but I really couldn’t be bothered to figure out something else. I only had enough dress clothes for certain events so if I didn’t wear it now, I’d have to wear it for some other occasion, and if there is one thing I’ve learned about fashion and royalty, it’s that you can’t wear the same dress in public twice. This was the only ball I was aware of being planned for me. After today, I could wear something much more casual. I couldn’t wait.
Once I was dressed, and Seraphia had made a much better job of my makeup than I could ever hope to achieve, we both made our way down to the large palace ballroom. It was magnificently decorated with swathes of the royal purple velvet hung around the edge of the ceiling and giant flower arrangements in the same color to match. Here, purple signified royalty. In Silverwood, it was solely worn by the Magi.
Unlike the way we did things at home, there was no formal announcement of royalty entering the room. People were already dancing, and no one batted an eye as we walked in. It calmed my nerves somewhat. I’d not been looking forward to it, but now that I could hide amongst the crowd, I felt better about it. A waiter appeared at our side and offered us a glass of champagne. My heart did an involuntary leap for a second as I caught the waiter’s uniform, but it wasn’t Cynder. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to see him or not. If he kept away for the rest of my trip, it would give my heart time to heal.
But then you might never see him again.
I shushed the voice in my head and looked around for Luca instead.
“I really must go and find Tomas,” Seraphia said. “He tends to hide at the back of the room for these things, and I love to dance.”
Seraphia glided into the crowd. I was wrong about people not noticing us. I saw some very appreciative stares as she cut through the crowd. It had nothing to do with her royal title and everything to do with how stunning she looked. A young man I’d never met before walked up to me and held out his hand.
“May I have this dance?”
He looked so earnest and a little flushed as if it had taken a great deal of courage to ask me. I wanted to say yes to him, the dancing looked like such fun, but it wouldn’t look good if the new queen danced with someone who wasn’t her prince.
“I’m sorry. I’ve only just picked up my champagne,” I said, holding up the glass.” He looked dejected as he moved back into the crowd.
“You should have danced with him.” A voice to my left made me jump. It was Luca.
“And how would that have looked? I didn’t want to insult you.”
“Last year, you were dating three other men, and I survived. I think I’m past being jealous of other men by now.”
I wondered if he’d feel the same way if he knew about Cynder.
“Besides,” he continued. “It’s customary here to dance with as many people as possible. Dancing with other people is not an insult. If you look, you’ll see that people swap partners all the time. It’s how the dances work.”
I watched, and he was right. Every so often, the people would swap partners and dance with someone else. I saw Theron dancing with a buxom lady who looked half his age. I couldn’t tell who was happier about the situation, him or her. I gazed around to see if Sarina was bothered that her husband was currently nose deep in another woman’s cleavage, and found her dancing with a very distinguished grey-haired gentleman.
“There is very little infidelity here in Theron. I think it’s because people here have trust in each other.”
My cheeks colored and I went back to feeling terrible. I’d not cheated on Luca in any way but in the heart. Except for the kiss I’d shared with Cynder in my room earlier. The kiss I could still feel branded on my lips. I could argue with myself that Cynder had instigated it, and it had only lasted a couple of seconds, but I knew I’d wanted it.
“I’ll dance with all the men then,” I quipped, trying to hide my shame.
“Oh no, you don’t. I’ve got you now.”
I hastily placed my glass down as he whisked me out onto the dance floor and spun me around in the same way the other couples were doing. I didn’t know the dance at all, my dance teacher Stephan hadn’t taught it to me, but it was pretty easy to follow. Spin, spin, bow, hold hands, spin again, etc. etc. After a few minutes, I was spun around very fast and caught by the man next to me. When I looked back, I saw Luca dancing with an older lady. He turned and winked before spinning out of view. The man I’d ended up with was not the best dancer, and for a change, I was the better partner of the two. Neither of us was brilliant, but we managed a few spins without either of us stepping on the other’s toes.
I danced for hours, enjoying it more than I thought I would. My feet were killing me, but the endless champagne breaks helped. Every so often, I’d end up dancing with Luca. We’d chat for a few minutes before I’d end up in another man’s arms. It felt so strange, especially when I ended up paired with Theron for a while, but it was enough to take my mind off everything that was bothering me. I’d been dancing almost solidly for two hours, only stopping now and again to get a glass of champagne, and I was getting exhausted. I could smell the delicious aromas coming from the banquet hall next door. I couldn’t help but think it would have been better to feed us all first as I was beginning to feel light-headed with the exertion and the alcohol on my empty stomach. I’d barely eaten all day, and I was starving.
I looked around to see if I could see Luca. I wanted to ask him what time dinner would be served. As he was so tall, he was pretty easy to spot above the others. He was dancing with a stunning blonde woman who was wearing a skin-tight black dress, which was wholly inappropriate for the event. My first thought was that Xavi would pitch a fit if she saw what she was wearing. As I watched, she laid her head on Luca’s shoulder. I’d seen him dancing with many women this evening, and it hadn’t bothered me, but there was something about the way they danced together. They looked a little too comfortable in each other’s arms. There was a familiarity between them as if they’d danced together like this before. I hated that I felt a pang of jealousy, especially after what I’d done that day, but I didn’t like the way they looked together. I was just about to walk over to them when the music changed and the partners did too.
Someone took me in his arms, and I barely noticed. I was too
busy watching the fact that Luca and the blonde hadn’t changed partners as they were supposed to.
I was pulled close to my new partner and his hand fit into the curve of my spine. I closed my eyes. I already knew who it was. I could feel it. The way he moved, the smell of his cologne. I didn’t need to see him to know it was Cynder. Dancing with him had always been a kind of magic that no one else could perform, not even the most powerful Magi. It was sensuous and breathtaking. I knew if I opened my eyes, the spell would break. I couldn’t be dancing with Cynder. He was one of the servants. I felt his breath on my ear, sending goosebumps down my arm. It was like we’d never stopped dancing. He whispered something, and the spell was broken.
“What?” I asked in alarm, unsure if I’d heard him right.
“You are in danger. This place isn’t safe for you anymore. We have to go now!”
The escape
“We have to go now.”
I looked into his eyes. I could see the fear in them, making me feel nervous. He’d been in such awful situations before, but I’d never seen him look so scared.
“I’m not going anywhere with you.” I whispered, “I thought I made it clear earlier. I’m with Luca now.”
“This isn’t about that. It’s about your safety,” he urged.
“What is it? I need to warn everyone.” Thoughts of the bomb at my own palace flittered through my head and I could feel the panic starting to rise.
“No time,” urged Cynder. I noticed that in the few moments we were dancing before he spoke to me, he’d been leading me quickly and quietly towards the exit. To me it had been a wonderful dance, for him, it was a way to get me away without being noticed. He pulled me through a door and into a corridor. There was another door open, and by the cold breeze coming through it, I guessed we were heading outside. A small woman in a chef’s outfit handed me a warm woolen shawl as I was pulled through the door. I stumbled as we ran down some stone steps. One of my shoes fell off as we ran. The cold stone against the heel of my foot jolted me back to reality. I turned. If I was in danger, so was everybody else. I couldn’t leave them.
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