He didn’t give me time to argue back; he stormed off towards the others who were all watching.
I felt ashamed, but angry at the same time. I needed to get away and find out what was going on, no matter what Luca said.
At the top of the stairs, the guard let me out. I instructed him not to let any of the others follow me. The last thing I needed was Luca pulling me back down the stairs again.
The entrance hall was empty, leaving me unsure of what to do. It hadn’t occurred to me before, but a meeting with the head of the guards was something I should have done a long time ago.
I heard someone barking orders and followed the sound until I found Turner, our current head of the household guards, in the main hall.
“Turner, can you tell me what the siren is going off for?”
“You need to be downstairs Your Majesty. It’s not safe up here for you.”
“You would always speak with my father during an emergency,” I pointed out. “I’m asking you to do the same for me.”
Turner sighed as though I was some stupid little girl, which irritated me further.
“The Magi have turned up outside wanting to be let into the grounds.”
“And?” I waited for him to elaborate. Judging by the rather surprised look on his face, he wasn’t going to. “People are coming onto the grounds to see the show. There are barriers set up. The same ones as yesterday. I don’t understand what the problem is. Has something happened?”
“Your Majesty. We can’t just let them in with the normal people.”
“They are normal people. Do you mean to tell me, that the guards are not letting them in and that the sirens have been set off because of this?”
If I sounded angry, it’s because I was. I was livid. With everything I’d been trying to change, I couldn’t believe that this was happening with my own staff in my own palace.
Ignoring Turner’s protestations, I turned on my heel and headed for the main doors. The walk down the long driveway scared me. I could hear the crowd shouting which only got louder as I got to the front gates.
Behind them, I could see thousands of people. Some were wearing the purple color of the Magi, many were not. All looked angry.
My plan had been to just open the gates, but there were too many people pushing forward with anger in their voices for it to be safe. Instead, I headed to the stage area. The news crews were still setting up in their own section, but Marybelle was on stage, having her make-up retouched by a make-up artist. She seemed quite surprised to see me on stage so early.
“Your Majesty. We don’t go on for half an hour.”
“Where is the sound guy?”
She pointed to a thickset man who was fiddling with a tangle of wires.
I thanked her and walked over to him. He bowed deeply and dropped all the wires on the floor when he saw who it was who had come to speak to him.
“Do you have a microphone I could use that will make my voice loud enough for the people on the other side of the gates to hear me?” I enquired.
“I could run you a microphone to the speakers, yes.” He bowed again appearing nervous.
“Please, could you do that for me, right away?” I asked, trying to sound as pleasant as possible.
He nodded his head and ran to the other side of the stage, where he began sifting through another pile of wires. A minute later, he was back with a microphone.
“Just turn it on and talk,” he said showing me the button on the side.
“Thank you. Do you think you could ask someone to project me onto the screens too, please?”
The screens were set up so that the people in the crowd, as well as people watching on their TV’s back home, could see, but they were currently turned off.
I didn’t wait for his answer.
“Hello, fellow people of Silverwood,” I began. My voice boomed out across the grounds. Almost immediately a thousand eyes turned towards me. “The gates will be open shortly for the interview. I’m grateful to you all for coming out to see me today and to support both Cynder and Luca. I appreciate that tension is high, but the aim of this is so that we can all live together in peace. I’m going to instruct the guards to open the gates now, and I would appreciate it if you could all make your way to the stage area calmly.” I pointed to the barriered section below me, just behind the area for the media. “There is enough space for everyone and those at the back can see us all on the big screens.” I turned to the huge screen behind me that turned on as if by magic as I spoke.
“Please leave your differences behind as you come through the gates and let’s have a wonderful afternoon together.”
I nodded my head to the guards at the gates. They pulled back the lock, and the gates opened. I held my breath to see if my words had gotten through to them. At first, there seemed to be a massive rush, but as the area within the barriers filled up, I noticed that people were being kind to each other. Pushing was at a minimum, and there was plenty of purple mixed in with the other colors being worn. I’d done it. There was no fighting, no riot, just a large group of people out to see their royal family. I gave a huge smile as hope flooded my chest. It was a small step to the unification of the kingdom, but it was a start.
I felt a little better as I made my way back up the driveway. The crowds behind me were still noisy, but it was cheering as opposed to the aggravated tones they were using earlier. Not only were the Magi and non-Magi standing together peacefully, they were doing it because of me. I couldn’t help but give myself a little grin as I entered the palace. Unfortunately, I came face to face with two extremely angry men.
“What do you think you were doing?” Luca hissed. “You could have been killed. Turner told me that you disobeyed him.”
“Disobeyed him? I’m the queen, and I’m the one who gives orders to Turner, not the other way around.”
“When it’s a question of your safety, Turner is in charge. Do you hear me?”
I’d never seen Luca so angry before. I wanted to argue with him, but we were due to head down to the stage at any minute.
“I’ll talk to you later about it!” I replied, using the same tone he had with me. Luca glared at me and stormed past me to the front door. I’d wanted to walk down the driveway with my hand in his, but so much for that idea.
“Are you ready to go?” I asked Cynder, who was standing just behind Luca. I was concerned that he would be nervous. Unlike Luca and I, he was not accustomed to standing up and speaking in front of such a huge group of people. I hated that I still felt nervous for him after what Leo had told me, but it was a habit I couldn’t seem to shake.
“The guard wouldn’t let me out until the sirens were shut off,” he said. His voice wasn’t as angry as Luca’s had been, but I could sense the frustration in it.
“I was fine,” I protested.
“I wasn’t able to protect you. Do you know how that makes me feel?”
He walked past me and followed Luca down the driveway. Now I had both men angry with me, not to mention Turner who was standing silently by the wall but glaring at me sullenly all the while.
Tears pricked the corners of my eyes, but I refused to let anyone see. I dabbed at them carefully so as not to mess up the make-up and headed down the driveway to the stage by myself.
The Interview
Both men were standing at the side of the stage when I got down there. Neither was speaking to me, and yet, they kept a healthy distance from each other too. Luca’s jealousy infuriated me. I knew it was going to happen. How could it not, but he was the one that started all this. He’d invited Cynder to stay here. I was also angry with Cynder, but couldn’t show it in front of everyone. With the current high level of emotions between us, it was certainly going to make an interesting interview.
Marybelle was already on stage warming up the crowd. The screen showed highlights of the competition last year and the interview when I said that I was going to marry Luca, no matter what.
I watched Cynder’s reaction to
it, but he remained stoic. Not a trace of nerves showed on his face as he watched Marybelle and my “story so far” as it was being called. A quick glance out into the crowd told me that, so far, everyone was behaving. I’d already ordered extra security for the event, but so far, it wasn’t needed. That, at least, gave me peace of mind. This show was probably the most important of all those that had come before. Everything else was to get the people involved in the royal life and to increase our popularity, but this was to mend old wounds and bring a new peace within the kingdom.
Marybelle had the crowd worked up well. There were equal amounts of cheers and boos at the mention of both men, but, at least, they were in good spirits. I was reminded of a time when I was a child that I was taken to a pantomime, and we were encouraged to cheer for the good guy and boo for the bad. Only in this case, there was no good or bad guy, just two men thrust into an awkward situation which they were both enduring for the sake of their land and people.
Marybelle continued until she’d whipped up the crowd into a complete frenzy and then she announced my name. I pulled myself up straight and walked right past Luca and Cynder onto the stage.
The cheers rang out immediately, although I noticed the people booing were louder than normal. I suppressed a sigh and smiled and waved as I was supposed to do. I read some of the banners as I made my way over to Marybelle. “Cynder is our king!” and “No royal Magi!” At least both sides of the argument were covered. I’d instructed the guards to throw out anyone causing problems, but I’d forgotten to be specific on banners. Technically, the people holding them were not doing anything wrong, but it wouldn’t look good to all the people watching at home. Still, it was too late now.
“Good morning, Your Majesty,” Marybelle smiled as I walked out onto the stage.
“Good morning, Marybelle, and to everyone out there who made the effort to come and see us today. It’s quite a turnout.”
“Yes, it is,” she agreed. “Estimates have it at ten times the turnout for Prince Luca’s interview. I think Cynder is going to be a popular choice.”
I didn’t glance to the side of the stage. I could already imagine Luca’s expression.
“That’s a little unfair, Marybelle,” I began, trying to sound diplomatic. “The prince’s interview was at very short notice and not really advertised. This time, everyone knows. It makes sense that more people would turn up.”
“Some would say that it’s because the Magi are trying to take over. It’s been said that it’s a conspiracy to get a Mage into the royal family.”
A fresh round of boos went up, probably from both sides.
“There is no conspiracy, Marybelle,” I laughed lightly to cover how annoyed I was with this particular line of questioning. “I’ve already chosen who I’m going to marry. However, I want to keep things fair. As it has been noted on many occasions, no Magi were invited to my ball last summer. Both Luca and I agreed that to build a stronger future for Silverwood, we would open it up just this one time. Both Luca and Cynder are very fine men, and it would be an honor to be a wife to either of them.”
“But it sounds like Cynder doesn’t have a chance if you’ve already picked. Wouldn’t you say that this contest is already over before it’s even begun?”
I took a deep breath. There was no way to get out of this line of questioning without either upsetting the people or one of the men. Cynder knew we could never be together, and he also knew that it had nothing to do with him being a Mage. If I chose Cynder at this stage, I’d look like an adulteress and lose the tiny bit of respect I’d won. I couldn’t really win no matter what I said. Not that it mattered anyway. Cynder already had a wife!
“How about we take a seat and let the boys speak for themselves?” I said in an attempt to wiggle my way out of it.
I sat in one of the four oversized chairs that had been set out for us. Each had our name taped to the cushion. Luca and Cynder had been placed on each end with Marybelle and me in the middle. I wondered for a second if it was done that way on purpose to put me closer to Cynder. I ignored the sign, and, instead, I sat on the seat designated for Luca. Now the two boys would have to sit next to each other, and I couldn’t be called out for favoritism.
Marybelle took it in her stride. She turned back to the crowd and invited Luca onto the stage.
Luca gave Marybelle a quick peck on the cheek and sat in the seat next to me. So much for trying to manipulate things! Marybelle took the seat next to him leaving the one on the end for Cynder.
“So, Your Highness,” Marybelle began, speaking to Luca first. “How do you feel now that Cynder is here?”
“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. The queen and I have a very tight relationship. I have to admit to being a little taken aback when I first saw him. He’s a good-looking fellow, but I’m confident that I’m the one who holds the queen’s heart.”
“Well, there you have it, folks. Prince Luca is a man you don’t want to go up against. Well, we’ve waited long enough. It’s now time to introduce the man of the moment. Please put your hands together for Cynder.”
The crowd went wild. Half were screaming and clapping, while the other half jeered. Cynder walked onto the stage and waved to the crowd. He held his own well, but I could see his nerves just under the surface. This had to be difficult for him. He sat in the last remaining seat and grinned shyly. Behind my back, I crossed my fingers. This had to go well. I knew both men would play their parts well. Maybe Cynder’s shyness would work in all our favors, but it didn’t stop me feeling nervous about the whole thing.
“So, Cynder. Tell us about yourself.”
‘Yeah,’ I thought. ‘Tell us about yourself, such as how you met your wife!’ A mixture of nerves for him and anger at him surged through me. Before today, I’d not known it was possible to feel two completely different emotions about one person.
“There’s not much to tell,” began Cynder. “I worked in the palace here for a long time.”
“And what did you do?” Marybelle interrupted.
“I was the kitchen hand. I washed the dishes.”
“That’s not all,” I interjected. “He served us our food on big occasions. He’s also an excellent cook and is in training to be a chef at Prince Luca’s palace in Thalia.”
Urgh. I hated myself. I was sticking up for him now and why? Despite my anger at him, I didn’t want him looking like a fool on stage.
Luca gave me a strange look and Marybelle commented.
“It sounds like you have a big fan here, Cynder.”
I’d gone too far again. In trying to speak up for the men, I was inadvertently showing favoritism. Something I really shouldn’t be seen to do.
“I hope so. I’m a big fan of hers.” He looked me right in the eyes as he spoke, and I had to look away to stop my heart from fluttering wildly in case, by some weird miracle, the people could see how he made me feel. Luca grabbed my hand—another act of ownership. I wanted to yank my hand away, but a hundred thousand people would see, so I had to smile and pretend I didn’t care.
“How did you and the queen first meet?” asked Marybelle, not picking up on the tensions between the three of us.
“She was preparing for the ball last year and had been working so hard that she missed dinner. She came down to the kitchen to get some food, only to find me dancing around the kitchen doing the dishes. I made her something to eat.”
“Ok, so she missed dinner one night, and she was hungry. We all get that, but why did she keep coming down? Word has it that this is when you began an illicit affair.”
My insides squirmed, but I couldn’t butt in now. The raucous crowd quietened considerably, both sides eager to hear what he had to say. I held my breath as he spoke.
“Yes, I can’t deny it! We began a torrid love affair.”
I could hear the crowd’s collective intake of breath. My heart hammered in my chest as I took in what he was saying, and I almost didn’t notice Luca’s hand gripping mine so tightly it was cutt
ing off circulation.
Even Marybelle seemed lost for words.
“Really?” she squeaked.
“No, of course not. She came down for my cooking. She’s already told everyone what happened.”
I breathed out in relief, and Luca finally let go of my hand that had turned purple.
Marybelle’s expression changed from one of pure excitement to one of acceptance. She’d just lost the scoop of the century. Served her right.
“Surely, she could have eaten dinner with the rest of her family after that first time?” continued Marybelle, trying to eke some juicy morsel of gossip out of him.
“She said she liked my cooking. The head chef that worked in the palace at the time made a lot of very rich foods and the queen, or Princess Charmaine as she was then known, wanted something a bit different. With me, she could pick what she wanted rather than what was on the official menu.”
“She came down for the food? Every night?”
“Every night until the ball.”
“What else did you two do when you were down in the kitchen alone?”
“We danced.”
Marybelle perked up considerably at these words. “You danced?”
My heart fell at how this would sound. I’d not coached Cynder on what to say, so I couldn’t blame him, but I was hoping our dancing wouldn’t come up at all. To feed me meals was one thing, but for a kitchen servant to be dancing with the future queen was something else entirely. It proved a closeness I didn’t want to admit to publicly.
“Can you show us what you danced like?”
“I don’t think so. We’ve both been out of practice for a while now.”
“Come on. The people want to see, don’t you?”
A loud cheer went up. At least, they were all on the same side about something.
I was just about to jump in and say no when the whole crowd began to chant in unison.
“Dance dance dance.”
My heart dropped as I realized it was not something I was going to be able to avoid. They were chanting as one, their voices in unison. It was the first time I’d ever heard Magi and non-Magi come together over anything before.
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