by C. J. Pinard
He pursed his lips. What kind of treachery was this now?
“What does it say?” Marcus asked.
He handed him the message.
Marcus read it and his eyebrows furrowed. “Who do you think it’s from?”
“Angelique, obviously,” Edward replied, rage boiling in his stomach. “She just won’t stop with the lies.”
Griffin asked to see the message.
Marcus passed it to him and both boys read it together.
“You don’t believe her, do you?” Griffin asked, looking up.
“Of course not. They are lies. Gaylen has protected our family for generations. She’s trying to cause trouble, as usual,” Edward muttered. Was there no end to Angelique’s madness?
“If this really is from Angelique,” Marcus said, “we could use it to our advantage. If you can regain her trust, you could take away her wand and have her arrested.”
Edward nodded slowly. “Good thinking.”
“What if it’s a trap to kill you?” asked Alexander, looking alarmed. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to meet with her, Father.”
The king sighed. The boy was right. He couldn’t risk it, and the odds were that it was definitely a trap. “We should show Gaylen. He can advise us on what would be the best.”
“I’d think about that if I were you,” Marcus replied. “Just in case there’s any truth to what she’s saying.”
“You don’t believe this nonsense?” Edward asked, looking surprised.
“I don’t know, but something seems not quite right about this entire situation,” Marcus said. “I think we should send someone to meet with her, but not you. In fact, I will go.”
“Marcus, I don’t think it’s a good idea,” the king replied.
“Why not? She didn’t kill me earlier,” he said with a smirk. “I think that’s a good sign that I’ll walk away again. If she wants to relay a message to you, she wouldn’t kill the messenger, right?”
“Let’s hope,” Edward replied dryly.
Another soldier appeared, a shocked look on his face. “Sire, a dragon has been spotted, circling the towers.”
Chapter 10
Upon learning her message had been delivered, Angelique turned into “Baldour” and flew up into the moonlit sky, hoping her plan would work. She realized that Edward would never believe words alone, and needed to make sure he was witness to the wizard’s treachery. As far as she was concerned, both of them could kill each other in the end. She just couldn’t be part of Gaylen’s plot to murder innocent children, not even the king’s.
Spotting her, Edward’s soldiers appeared at the castle battlements, their bows poised and aimed in her direction. With her heart pounding in her chest, she flew to the eastern turret, where she was supposed to meet Gaylen. Seeing him, she drew closer, and with a wave of his wand, he mounted her in the air.
“What now?” she roared in the dragon’s voice.
“Just as we discussed. Kill as many of them as you can,” he said, his voice filled with glee. “And then we’ll go after the royal family.”
“You mean I will.”
“Yes. You get to do the honors. Believe me, if I could do it myself, I would.”
Angelique circled the castle and shot her fiery breath, purposely missing a group of soldiers in her path.
“What was that?” he hollered in disbelief as they circled around. “You could have done much better than that! Try it again!”
She did what he asked with the same results.
“What game is this?” he growled angrily.
“None. I’m sorry. I have something in my eye, which is why I keep missing,” she lied. “I need to land and get it out.”
He groaned. “You’re kidding? Now?”
“Yes. I think it could be a bird. I can barely see, especially in the dark,” she replied, flying away from the castle, toward the woods. As soon as they landed in a clearing, Gaylen climbed off her back and mumbled something about incompetence.
We’ll see who’s incompetent, she thought, scanning the surrounding trees for Edward. If he acted upon her message, a search party would hopefully be arriving soon.
“Hurry, before they realize what’s going on,” the wizard said, glaring at her. “There’s really no time for this.”
“I didn’t plan on this happening, either. Quit being so bossy and rude,” she replied, morphing into her real form. “If you’re unhappy with my performance, maybe you should be Baldour. Something tells me you’d enjoy setting fire to the soldiers much more than I would anyway.”
“You know I can’t. I already explained why,” he said gruffly. “It would be dishonoring the Rothhavens and my vows forbid me to do that.”
“You can’t possibly think that this conspiracy you’ve engaged me in isn’t dishonoring the king?” she asked, trying to stall.
“As long as I’m not the one doing the killing, I can plot whatever I need to. Now, hurry it up and change back, we haven’t a moment to lose.”
“What kind of plot are you talking about, Gaylen?” a voice asked in the darkness.
Angelique’s heart began to pound. It wasn’t Edward, but she did recognize the voice of the sheriff.
Eyes wide, Gaylen whipped his head around. “Who is there?”
Marcus stepped away from the trees with a knight at his side. Both of them had their swords out.
Angelique quickly took a step in their direction with her arms up in surrender. “Fear me not. I was the one who sent Edward the message. Surely, you heard what Gaylen said, didn’t you?” she asked excitedly.
“Don’t move,” the knight warned. “Stay where you are.”
Angelique froze.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Gaylen asked angrily. “What are you doing out here, Sheriff?”
“The king received a message stating that you were stabbing him in the back. Considering what we just heard, and the company you’re keeping, it appears to be true.”
Angelique frowned. “Hey, I’m the one who wrote the note. I’m the one trying to save the king’s life. Mind your words.”
“Excuse me? I hope you’re not implying that I’m committing some type of treason?” Gaylen said. “And, don’t listen to her. I was the one who sent the message… so you could capture Angelique.”
She glared at him. The wizard was clever. She gave him that. “Liar!” Angelique turned to Marcus. “It was me. Gaylen sending the message would make no sense. Surely, you see that? In fact, ask him what the note said. Go ahead. Ask him.”
“I believe I will. Wizard, what did the message say?” Marcus asked with a smirk.
Gaylen opened his mouth and closed it. “I… I don’t remember. She must have wiped my memory clean.”
Angelique laughed harshly. “You just never stop, do you?”
“Let’s go. Both of you,” Marcus said sternly. “We’ll let the king decide who’s lying and who’s not.”
Gaylen smoothed down his robe. “Fine. At least King Edward will listen to reason.”
The knight ordered both of them to turn over their wands. Neither agreed.
“You have nothing to fear from me,” Angelique promised, looking at Marcus. “If I wanted to leave, I would have already done so. If I wanted to harm someone, you’d know by now. I’ve just grown weary of Gaylen’s treachery, and wish for the king to learn the real truth about his beloved wizard.”
Gaylen grunted. “Don’t let her words fool either of you. She is a witch and we all know they can never be trusted. Obviously, I will not be giving up my wand. That would leave the entire kingdom defenseless.”
Angelique rolled her eyes.
“I cannot trust you around the king with your wand,” Marcus said, staring at her.
“You have my word that I will not harm him. Just like I didn’t harm your daughter,” she replied evenly. “Besides, you overheard our conversation and talk of a plot. It was Gaylen you heard scheming, was it not?”
“Lies,” spat Gaylen.
Marcus looked skeptically from one witch to the other and sighed. “Let’s go. Both of you.”
***
As Mariselle and the others were finishing supper, Griffin and Alexander returned, alone.
“What’s going on?” the queen asked, looking past them. “Where’s Edward?”
Griffin quickly told them about the dragon sighting.
Mariselle’s eyes widened in fear. “Dragon?”
The queen stood up, a horrified look on her face. “Did you say it’s circling our castle?”
He nodded.
All the color washed out of Princess Eva’s face. “What do we do?” she asked, terrified.
“I want to see the dragon!” Mathias cried, getting up from his chair.
“Me, too!” said Zackary, who was seated next to Mariselle.
Mariselle couldn’t believe how excited they looked. It was as if they were talking about a puppy.
“Absolutely not. You will stay where you are,” Queen Lizbeth ordered sternly.
Disappointed, both boys plopped back into their chairs and began to moan and gripe.
“We need to get you all to safety. Father suggested we leave the castle from the underground escape route,” Griffin said.
“Yes. We need to get moving,” Alexander added. “We’re supposed to meet Marcus down there in twenty minutes.”
“Leave?” the queen asked, alarmed. “Surely, staying here would be in our best interests right now?”
“In most circumstances, yes. We’re dealing with witches and dragons, however, so the safest place is anyplace other than here,” Griffin replied.
The queen sighed.
“What if the dragon catches us outside of the castle?” Eva asked, worrying her lip. “I’m not sure about this idea.”
Mariselle listened intently as they discussed all of their options, her fears rising. From what she understood, everyone’s lives were in danger, and the dragon would have no problem destroying the castle, since they had no real defense against the beast.
And what about Father? Would he be required to stay?
“Don’t worry, Mariselle,” said Zackary, noticing her fright. He reached under the table and took her hand. “Our father won’t let anything happen to you. We have the knights and I have my sword, too. I won’t let anything, or anyone, hurt you.”
She wanted to believe him, but they were talking about a huge, fire-breathing dragon. She didn’t think anything could protect them against something like that. “Thank you, Zackary,” she said, trying to smile.
He smiled back. “I told you I’d be your champion.”
“If we’re to leave, I imagine we should gather a few belongings,” the queen said, moving away from the table. “Katrina, why don’t you and Mariselle wait for us in the Great Hall?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” her mother replied.
“There isn’t much time,” Griffin said, looking frustrated. “We need to get moving now.”
“A few more minutes won’t make a difference,” the queen said, staring up at the ceiling. “I don’t hear anything coming from the towers. Are you sure there really is a dragon out there?”
“That’s what we were told,” Alexander replied.
Still looking doubtful, Queen Lizbeth turned toward the five guards, who were talking amongst themselves quietly. “Someone needs to find the king. I won’t leave until I hear it straight from him that this is the best thing to do.”
“Yes, My Queen,” they said in unison.
Mariselle watched as two of the guards left quickly to find King Edward.
“Let’s go,” Katrina said softly, grabbing her hand. “We’ll wait in the Great Hall. Like the queen suggested.”
A SHORT TIME later, as Katrina and Mariselle were being escorted down the hallway by a guard, they heard commotion behind them. Mariselle turned around and stared in shock as a group of soldiers led Angelique and Gaylen toward the Throne Room. As if sensing her, the sorceress looked her way and their eyes met. Mariselle smiled and waved. Angelique smiled back at her.
“Mariselle,” Katrina scolded, grabbing her hand. “You mustn’t do that.”
She looked up at her. “Sorry.”
“The woman is evil,” she muttered, picking up speed. “Just remember that.”
As much as everyone kept saying it, Mariselle still couldn’t help but feel that they were wrong.
Chapter 11
Angelique stood in front of King Edward’s throne, her head held high as Marcus informed him of what had happened in the woods.
“No more games. Who sent the message?” the king asked, holding it in his hand.
“I did,” she replied, staring boldly back at him. “I wanted you to know that your wizard is up to his old tricks. Hopefully you’ll believe me this time when I tell you not to trust Gaylen.”
“Don’t listen to her, Your Majesty,” Gaylen said, looking at her with disgust. “It’s obvious as to what she’s doing. Angelique is trying to separate us so she can take her revenge out on you. You know that I would protect you with my life. Your welfare is all I care about.”
“He’s lying,” Angelique said between clenched teeth. “Gaylen asked me to kill you and your family because he’s tired of serving you and can’t harm you himself. Once you’re gone, he’s planning on using the identity of your eldest son to acquire the throne.”
Gasps and muttered whispers could be heard around the room.
The mage laughed harshly. “Nobody believes you, witch. You’re just making yourself look like a fool.”
“Your Majesty,” Marcus said. “If I may have a word with you?”
Edward nodded.
Marcus approached the throne and began whispering in his ear. Angelique watched the king’s expression, but his face remained stony.
“Thank you, Marcus,” King Edward said as the sheriff stepped away. “It’s been brought to my attention that there is definitely cause for questioning, Gaylen. Apparently, Marcus heard you mention something about a ‘plot’. And, why were you having a conversation with Angelique in the middle of the woods anyway?”
The wizard gave him a wounded look. “It pains me that you would question my loyalty, Your Majesty.”
“It pains me to have to,” the king countered.
Gaylen pointed to Angelique. “You asked me to find out about the dragon,” he said angrily. “I did, and it was her. She’s continually playing mind games.”
“So, you say,” he replied and looked at Angelique. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
She raised her chin. “Honestly, I am here only as a courtesy, which you don’t deserve. As much as I despise you, your children do not deserve to die. Believe me, that is exactly what he wanted.” He cut a murderous glance at Gaylen.
“Do you have any proof at all?” Edward asked with a cool smile.
“Yes, in fact,” she pulled out something from her robe and smiled when she saw the sudden look of panic spread across the mage’s face. “I have a Truth Stone. Make him hold it while he answers your questions. He won’t be able to lie.”
Gaylen glared at her. “Don’t listen to her. There is no such thing as a Truth Stone.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Really? You’re the one who gave it to me, you snake.”
“More lies,” growled Gaylen.
“We’ll see about that.” Angelique nodded toward the sheriff. “Test the stone out on him. You’ll quickly learn who is lying and who isn’t.”
The king nodded toward Marcus.
“Don’t let him touch it. It could be poisonous,” the wizard snapped as Marcus approached Angelique.
“If I wanted to kill someone, I’d have done it by now,” she said while rolling her eyes. She looked at Marcus. “Don’t worry. No harm will come to you, unless… you have something to hide.”
“I have nothing to hide.” Marcus took the stone from her and held it in his palm.
Angelique looked at the king. “Go ahead, ask him something. Anything. He w
on’t be able to lie. In fact, Marcus, try and lie. Make something up and see what happens.”
“Will it hurt?” the sheriff asked, studying the stone.
“Only someone’s feelings if you say something cruel about them,” she replied with a smirk.
Grunting, he nodded and looked at the king. “Go ahead. Ask away.”
“Marcus, what color is my hair?” he asked.
“Remember to lie,” Angelique said.
“It’s…” Marcus’s mouth moved but nothing came out. “It’s black,” he said finally.
The king looked puzzled. “Did you try and say otherwise?”
“Yes. I truly did,” he replied, a stunned expression on his face.
“Ask him something else,” Angelique said.
“What color robe is Gaylen wearing?” the king asked.
Again, Marcus tried to lie, but was compelled to tell the truth.
“It truly works,” he said, staring at the rock in wonder.
“Interesting. Hand Gaylen the stone,” the king said, waving his finger.
“What? I refuse to touch that thing,” the wizard said with a look of disgust. “It’s some kind of trickery, I promise you.”
“And yet, you’re the one who introduced me to it,” Angelique snapped.
“Gaylen, I command you to take the stone,” the king said sternly.
The wizard’s eyes widened. “But, Your Majesty, I wouldn’t trust—”
“Now,” the king shouted, smacking his palm on the arm of the throne, clearly losing his patience.
Gaylen’s face turned red. “Forgive me, sire, but I will not fall victim to… to this black magic, which it quite clearly is. I have always been true and loyal to the Rothhavens. You know that.”
Angelique crossed her arms. “He’s afraid you’ll find out the truth. Of how much he really despises you and your family.”
“What I am afraid of is you getting away with making me look like I would ever go against my king.” He looked at Edward. “Please, I implore you… don’t trust this woman or her ‘rock’. Have I ever given you any cause to distrust me, Your Majesty?”
