Starbeam

by Adrienne Woods

  He gasped. “You are the crown prince.”

  “He can change the law. He thinks he is greater than God. I’ll force his hand in this one.”

  William nodded. “I hope you know what you are doing Albert.”

  “How is she? I need to see her.”

  “You know that’s not going to happen. She is alive, healthy even. The Green-Vapor with her is feisty.”

  “Tanya is with her. I thought all the dragons were locked in another part.”

  “She is in her human form. Quite protective of the girl.”

  I smiled. “She is.”

  He nodded.

  “She’s her dragon.”

  “What?”

  “I told you before, Chromatics are not that different from Metallics.”

  “It’s different for Chromatics though. I heard about a bond that needs to be made. The rider needs to break them.”

  “Not that hard. Robert is mine.”

  “You broke the acid spitter.”

  “Night Villain and yes, he gave me his essence.”

  William gasped. “I never thought any of this would ever be possible Albert.”

  “They are not that different from you guys, Will. You need to find a way for me to stay married to Katherine.”

  “Without the priest’s confession, Al, it’s not ordained by God. You know that.”

  “I had to compel him.”

  “Using a dragon’s gift.” He laughed.

  “I asked, she said yes. I was not using anyone.”

  He sighed. “I never thought I would live to see this day. You really are a man of your word.” He bowed. “I hope with all my heart to not disappoint you.” He sighed turned around and walked away.

  I closed my eyes as the door closed.

  I had a funny feeling that I shouldn’t have compelled that priest.

  Tanya couldn’t take it back, it would only lift years from now and then it will be too late.

  Chapter 30

  KATIE

  * * *

  Days passed before guards came and took me roughly out of the cell.

  Tanya tried to interfere but she got thrown against the wall, hard.

  “Just stop, it’s fine.” I yelled as the cell door shut.

  She shouted profanities as they took me away, warned them of her wrath if anything happened to me. “Where are you taking me?”

  “You need to clean up.” The guard said.

  He took me to the castle. It was day and the light was burning my eyes as we stepped out in the sunlight.

  An old woman greeted us at the entrance. “I have her from here,” she said.

  “The king ordered…”

  “I have it from here. She is your crown prince’s wife. You want me to take it up with him.”

  “No my lady.” He said and turned around.

  “You know Albert. Have you seen him?”

  She nodded. “Let’s get you in a bath, shall we?” She was kind to me.

  “Why all of this?” I asked.

  “The king and queen want a word with you.”

  “What?”

  “Don’t worry, they won’t do anything. He knows Albert would never forgive him if he did anything out of rage.”

  Out of rage.

  She led me to a beautiful bathroom and helped me to get disrobed. Her eyes landed on my scar.

  “You got the essence too.”

  “The essence?” I looked at my scar. “Oh that.”

  She laughed. “Oh that? You were given a great gift Katherine. Just like Albert.”

  “Wait Albert got it too.”

  She nodded.

  “He almost died.”

  “He was so to say dead.”

  Tears welled up in my eyes. “The stupid idiot. He should’ve never followed that dragon.”

  “It was all part of the plan, sweetheart. He wanted King Louis to fall hard. They are not that different from each other. Albert knows what he is doing. If this isn’t going to sort things out, you have time Katherine. Time others don’t have.” She touched my face.

  I didn’t like that. How long was I going to have to wait for Albert.

  She helped me into the bath and then she bathed me as she talked about Albert as a boy. I knew who she was. She was his nanny.

  She washed my hair and when the water was starting to turn cold, it was time to get out.

  “He loves you very much. He couldn’t stop talking about you.” I told her.

  “I could say the same about you.”

  I chuckled.

  “He was so lost after that ball, high on a cloud that I couldn’t reach.”

  “I should’ve shown myself that day to him.” I told her about the incident when he paid Drizelda’s bill in my mother’s grocer and gave her a seal to spare her of taxation.

  She laughed at the silly parts and just smiled softly at how head over heels I was for him.

  She put me in a beautiful dress, one I could only dream of wearing and then when I was finally ready to be presented to the king and queen she took me to see them with the guard in tow.

  I was brought to the throne room where they both were waiting.

  The king stared at my dress for a while as the queen squinted. My heart was thumping.

  “How could you?” The king asked.

  “So.”

  “It was mine to give to her, my lord.” The old woman answered.

  He was speaking to Delilah.

  He nodded and ground his teeth.

  He was talking about the dress.

  “You are Katherine Squires.” He asked and I nodded.

  “You are married to my son.”

  “Yes, your majesty,” I bowed my head.

  “There is an easy way out of this all, Katherine.”

  “My lord,” Delilah asked. “I beg you don’t do this.”

  “He has to learn life is hard. Being a king is hard and even he has to respect what I say.”

  Goran’s words flashed through my head.

  “Your life for all of them.”

  I looked at the king. My life.

  “My king, please, don’t do this.” Delilah begged again.

  “He is not making it easy. He has to learn.”

  “Not like this.”

  “My decision…”

  “You are doing exactly the same as your father, Louis.” She was stern.

  “Have you forgotten who he is?” The queen yelled.

  “No, I know who he is. Your father did this to you. Have you forgiven him yet for it?” She was feisty.

  The king’s nostrils flared. He was livid.

  “Don’t do this, please. He will never forgive you.”

  “I had to make a choice that day. You want to tell me I made the wrong choice.”

  She closed her eyes and shook her head.

  What choice?

  “But you are walking the same path with your son the one you walked with your father. I love you both. Don’t do this please.”

  “She will be executed at sun down.”

  I felt as if my knees were going to give in.

  A commotion was coming from the far end of the throne room and I turned around as the guard wanted to take me back.

  A fist and a knee connected hard with his face and groin and then I was in Albert’s arms. “Have you lost your mind?” Albert roared.

  “You will learn to respect me boy.”

  “I’m no longer a boy. Open your eyes. She is my choice. How can you sit there and be okay with this mother?”

  “Albert I’m not, but he is your king.”

  “Then you need to kill me too. As I won’t live without her.”

  “Albert. Someone has to pay for your actions.”

  “Then let me pay.”

  “You are the crown prince of Paegeia. You will not die for this.”

  “I swear if you do this, I will find a way to kill you.”

  “Albert!” his mother yelled.

  “I will hunt you down till the
day you are ash.” He yelled.

  “Albert stop.” I said.

  “No, you are not going to die for this. It’s ludicrous.” Tears welled up in his eyes.

  “Your father will let everyone go. Please.”

  “No, I won’t allow it. It’s time to fight Kate. Fight for us with me please.” He begged me.

  “You knew this will happen.” I cried too. “I just want peace. Please.”

  He hugged me tight and his lips brushed my head.

  “Don’t do this please,” he begged his dad again.

  “Okay, there is another way.

  “No,” Albert grunted.

  “It’s not for you to decide, Albert but for her.”

  “Don’t do this please. She is my choice, just like the Swallow Annex was yours.”

  “I didn’t end up with her now did I son.”

  “No, you didn’t because your father did exactly the same as you are doing to me now.”

  “Set her free, Albert. Marry Drizelda and your men will go free. All of them. No harm will come to her.”

  I got what she told me. If this doesn’t work out, time will. I will be with Albert eventually way, way in the future. After Drizelda’s death.

  “Don’t do this please. I told you what she did, Father.”

  “She is still a commoner.”

  “She is not a fucking commoner. I don’t love Drizelda.”

  “Albert,” I touched his chest.

  “No, this is what he wants Katherine. He wasn’t going to execute anyone. That was why I got brought in to hear what he was ordering. To beg, this, this is what he truly wanted.”

  His father sighed.

  “Don’t do this. Fight Katherine.”

  “Dammit, Albert. It’s not going to happen, but time will heal.” I touched his chest.

  I felt his scar. His nanny would tell him I have the same one. “Enough. Please. It’s going to be okay.” I hugged him tight as he shook.

  “Don’t do this Kate.”

  “You wanted me to be queen one day. It’s not always about what we want, but what we can accomplish by doing the things we don’t want to. The things that are needed.” I looked at the king and nodded.

  “Then it’s a done deal. You will be taken back to Eikenborough free from all charges and so are your men.”

  A guard took me as Al broke down and fell to his knees. “you will marry Drizelda in due time and that Night Villain is no dragon to my son.”

  I closed my eyes as I was taken to a carriage and I broke down when the door closed.

  His father was so cruel. He was stripping him of everything he owned.

  I didn’t even get the chance to say goodbye, nothing.

  The ride took a few hours and I gasped when I saw how bad Eikenborough looked.

  It was basically destroyed with only a few buildings standing.

  My mother’s grocer was one of them and the tavern another.

  The carriage left as I got out and I walked to the grocer and opened the door.

  Fallon was packing bottles of remedies on the shelf.

  “Just make sure that it’s the blue ointment.” My mother’s voice came from the back.

  “Yes, Mom.” She said.

  “Katie,” my brother yelled. He had gotten so big and came crashing into me.

  My sister turned around and gasped and my mother came out of the store room.

  I kissed Sam on his head. “You got so big slugger.”

  “You are a princess.”

  I shook my head. “I was, but just for a short while.”

  “Oh Katie, I’m so sorry.” My mother came to hug me and I broke down crying in her neck.

  “It’s going to be okay.”

  “How Mom, he is forcing him to marry Drizelda Longbottom.” Her name tasted like venom.

  “Everything will work out as it’s meant to be. You will see.” She gave me her famous answer.

  “Not this time.” I cried my eyes out against her embrace.

  “Shhh, shhh” she kept on saying. “You need something to eat and rest. You went through a lot.”

  My mother took me out of the grocer and into the tavern.

  “Where is Maggy?”

  “Still with the children.”

  “They are still hiding.”

  She nodded. “She said Albert would send word if it’s safe. You need to eat.”

  “Katie,” Rowena rushed over and grabbed me tight into a hug. “I’m so happy to see you.”

  More tears flowed. When was I going to stop feeling this sadness?

  “Shh, you knew this was going to happen. You will be okay, Katherine.” My mother stroked my back.

  Maggy’s mother gave me stew she made for the tavern’s menu today and I picked at my food as my mother sat with me.

  “We are rebuilding everything and we are staying here for a short while until we have another place. Tony has been a tremendous help. Finally showed everyone that he is a dragon. He has protected us from so many attacks. We owe him everything.”

  I just nodded as I picked at the stew.

  “Katherine eat something please.”

  “I can’t Mom.” I said and my eye caught the ring that Albert gave me.

  I closed my eyes. “He still has dad’s ring.”

  “Let him keep it.”

  I looked at my mother and more tears fell down my cheeks as my shoulders shook. “I don’t want to be queen. If I constantly have to make decisions like that…”

  “Shhh.” She got up and took me up to our room.

  She put me in bed and kissed my face a couple of times.

  I didn’t want to eat or sleep. I couldn’t. Because I knew I would dream about him.

  About the imperfect world we lived in.

  And the reality would break me.

  “Try to get some rest, Katie.” She kissed my head and left the room.

  I cried until I couldn’t cry anymore and then exhaustion took over.

  I woke up and found Tanya sitting in the chair. She was talking to Sam.

  “Katie,” he saw me awake. “You really have your own dragon?” He asked.

  I looked at Tanya. She was here, meaning the king kept his deal of the bargain.

  “How long have I been out?”

  “About a day. You humans do sleep a lot, don’t you. I heard what you did, what he wanted you to do. Haven’t you listened to a thing I told you.”

  “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

  “I gave you my essence.”

  “I didn’t ask for it.”

  “Me either. Dammit Kate, what did you think would happen? That he would actually let you stay married. He is royal, you are not.”

  “Yes, okay. Yes. I was that naive. I have lost everything Tanya, I have nothing to offer you.” I cried.

  She got up and hugged me tight. “That’s not how it works kiddo. You are stuck with me for richer and poorer, till death do us part.”

  “I’m not like that…”

  “I didn’t mean it like that. Ewe.” She joked and my brother laughed.

  “You can speak English.”

  She shrugged. “So what, sue me. You will be okay. He has the essence, you have it too. A few decades is nothing when compared to what Robert and I gave you.”

  “Everyone is free.”

  “Yes, his father is now giving into all his demands. After he forced Bob and you out of his life. Albert doesn’t even care anymore or that is the word I got from Bob.”

  “You’ve seen him.”

  She nodded.

  “Albert got what he wanted.”

  “No Kate he didn’t. He lost you. He learned the hard way that not everything can be won with war and that sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get the things that will bring peace.”

  I nodded.

  “You have time. You will be with him one day again. When the old fart is gone.”

  “He will still be married to Drizelda.”

  “He will be king then. He will make new
laws and break old ones.”

  I nodded again. How long that would take I didn’t know.

  The next few days everyone was talking about the royal wedding.

  I tried to stay busy. I introduced Tanya to Tony. He could smell a mile away that she was a Chromatic dragon and listened with eagerness at the few words he pulled out of both Tanya and me about our connection. He said the same thing. How it was blasphemous at a stage and that he didn’t think he would be alive the day when something like it happened.

  Tanya was helping out in the grocer too. It was open again as construction was taking place outside. Everyone was busy. I missed Maggy and wish that I could see her again.

  The door chimed and I froze when I saw Drizelda waltzing in.

  “I’ll take this one.” My mother said.

  “I would like some of your lavender sweetwater. Albert absolutely love that stuff.”

  “Sure, how many would you like.” My mother asked.

  “My lady. I’m going to be your queen one day show some respect commoner. You can be glad that I still shop at this disgusting place. Everything you have so that I don’t have to come back again.”

  “Of course, let me just do the accounting.”

  “Accounting. Seriously. I’m going to be queen one day. What I want, I always get.” She looked at me.“Oh hi cindersoot.”

  “Cinderwhat?” Tanya asked.

  “Tanya,” my mother said.

  “No, what is it that you wanted to say.” Drizelda pushed.

  “I’m not afraid of you whoever you are.” she laughed. “I feel sorry for Albert.”

  “He is your crown prince, whoever you are. Don’t be so informal with him.”

  “Whoever I am. Sweetheart you have no idea who you are talking to.”

  “Well you can’t be someone that important if you are working here.”

  Tanya gasped.

  “Tanya enough.” My mother said.

  “I will eat you…”

  “Enough,” I yelled and took her to the back.

  “Sorry about that,” my mother’s voice said.

  “Albert will hear about this, you have my word.” I heard her telling my mother as Tanya protested.

  “He is marrying that.”

  “Don’t remind me please.” I begged.

  “His father has no idea what he is doing to him. I give that one day after he dies. Albert will be back for you.”