The Conductor tapped his sword on the floor in front of him and the front row fell into silence, pulling their hoods back over their hideously bald heads and kneeling.
The second row finished at the end of the next Whisper and did the same. Row by row, the beetles ceased their Whispering and returned to their mats, until the arena was silent once more.
Their deed had been done in just the way his ancestors had instructed. Well, not exactly. His ancestors hadn’t instructed him on the finer details of how his army needed to be housed and treated. He’d improvised that part himself and was proud of what he’d come up with. The rules he’d put in place made sense. It was important that these beetles know their place in the palace and in life. And there was no doubt that it was working. Every single one of his wishes had come true. It seemed his ancestors didn’t know everything. Fortunately, he did.
And any day now, his son would be born, healthy and strong, just as he’d wished for. The future ruler of his Kingdom. A child with enough intellect and courage to be exactly the kind of leader needed for a role this important. A child just like himself. His long-awaited son.
AURELIA
THE BEFORE
The Queen never thought of herself as the Queen. She was Aurelia. A woman. A person with blood in her veins who felt all the same emotions as anyone else. Only she wasn’t allowed to be Aurelia anymore. She was the Queen. Except to her husband, who called her any name he liked. And to her beautiful daughters, who called her Mother. And there was nothing or no-one she loved more than her daughters. Rose, Eliza, and sweet little Tash. Three perfect human beings, who were kind, clever and … well, scared.
She could see the fear in their faces whenever their father was near. They sensed how disappointed he was in them, not for anything they’d done, but simply for who they were. Girls.
She was pregnant with her fourth child, already knowing it would be another girl. She could feel her new daughter’s spirit bonding with her own as she nurtured her inside her womb. Another girl to love and protect. Another girl who she’d need to prepare to run when the time came, as she knew it would.
As soon as she gave her husband the boy he wanted, her daughters’ lives would be in danger. This was why she’d begged the universe for girls, over and over, hoping that by the time a boy arrived, Rose would be old enough to take her sisters to safety. And so far, the universe had been good to her.
The universe worked in such mysterious ways. Sometimes it was easy to trust in, and other times it took all the strength in each and every cell of her body to let it sweep her along its path.
She had an angel, who talked to her and led her in whatever direction she needed to go—sometimes for her own good and sometimes for the greater good.
When she was a young girl, her angel told her she’d marry a Prince, who’d one day become the King. She’d been elated. Despite being from one of the wealthiest families in Forte Cadence, what little girl didn’t dream of marrying a Prince?
If only she’d known back then what she knew now. Although, thank goodness she hadn’t. It would’ve given her nightmares and no child deserved that. Yet did she deserve the life she’d been given? Married to an evil man who let his people starve and plotted to murder his own daughters. A man who beat her, raped her and called her a whore. He was detestable. Thankfully, he was also stupid.
She lied to him. Often. More often than she told him the truth. He thought he knew her, but he didn’t know the first thing about who she was. For a start, he believed she saw visions. And he did exactly what the visions told him to do. Which meant that really, he wasn’t the King and ruler of the Kingdom like he believed he was.
She was. And she was playing the long game.
Aurelia made her way down the dark stone staircase, holding a lantern in front of her, stepping carefully so she didn’t slip.
She shivered. The dungeons always made her feel like this. She’d hate to be trapped down here, like so many innocent people were.
One day, she’d see them all go free. But for now, they must suffer, as she was herself. When she unlocked their cells, as she hoped she would, she herself would also be free. The day was drawing closer.
She got to the bottom of the stairs and turned left, reaching into the large satchel slung over her shoulder. As she passed each cell, she flicked her wrist, sending a peach flying into the waiting hands of the prisoner. She did this every week and they came to expect her. Never did she look at them, never did she stop and speak. If she saw their suffering directly with her eyes, her soul would break along with her heart. These people didn’t deserve this. It was an even worse life than that lived by the Whisperers.
If the guards had ever noticed what she was doing, they didn’t say anything. Not to her and not to the King. Perhaps, unlike her husband, they had an ounce of compassion left to hold onto.
She reached the end of the corridor and turned right, approaching a guard at a station.
He nodded and she slipped a gold coin into his hand. His treat needed to be made with precious metal instead of fruit.
The guard led her to the cell at the very end of the next corridor. The cell she’d come here to visit. This one didn’t have bars. It was a stone box with a wooden door and not even a window to let in some air.
He unlocked the door and swung it open, stepping back to let her pass.
She slipped inside and he locked the door behind her.
Holding her lantern out in front of her, she swept her eyes across the cell until they landed on the angel sitting in the corner on a worn mattress next to a bucket of her own filth.
“Hello, Gabrielle,” Aurelia said, crouching down to sit beside the old woman.
She reached into her bag and handed the woman a flask filled with orange juice. The woman pressed it to her lips and drank with long gulps until the liquid was drained.
“Let me comb your hair,” said Aurelia, handing her a peach, then reaching back into her bag for a comb.
“Thank you, child,” Gabrielle said, cradling the peach as if it were a precious gem.
“I’m no longer a child,” Aurelia said, smiling.
“You were the last time my eyes saw you.” Gabrielle turned her cloudy eyes toward her. “And a beautiful child you were.”
Aurelia blinked back tears, remembering the day she’d come across Gabrielle at the markets, reading fortunes from a tent. Not being able to resist the temptation, Aurelia had slipped away from her older sister, Lily, and into her tent.
Gabrielle had laughed to see such a small girl in front of her, until she’d produced a silver coin and laid it on the table and Gabrielle had agreed to see what future lay ahead for her.
The old woman, who’d not been quite so old back then, had opened her eyes wide and gasped when she realized who sat before her. The future Queen of Forte Cadence.
Aurelia knew that her father moved in important circles and had hopes for Lily to marry the Prince, although this was the first time she’d been told that it wouldn’t be her sister who’d steal the Prince’s heart, but rather, Aurelia herself.
She knew now, of course, that it wasn’t her husband’s heart she’d stolen. That man was incapable of love, except if it was for himself or his imagined son. It was another body part of his altogether that’d won her his affections when he first saw her. A body part that she’d grown to despise almost as much as the man himself.
Gabrielle sucked on the skin of the peach, softening it with her toothless gums.
“I’m sorry,” Aurelia said, just as she said every week. She’d never get over the fact that she’d been the one who’d put Gabrielle in here.
After meeting her at the markets, Aurelia had returned to her often, seeking advice and guidance, quickly becoming dependent on her wisdom and vision. It was in this way that she began to think of her as her own personal angel.
As she’d grown older, Gabrielle had gently told her that her life with the future King wouldn’t be the happy one of her dreams. Aurelia had
wanted to run and hide, but Gabrielle had encouraged her to stick to her path because it was an important one. She needed to go through the bad to get to the good. Because when she got to the good, it would make the bad so much better for everyone in Forte Cadence. Everyone, except the King.
When the years passed and her future transpired exactly as Gabrielle had told her it would, Aurelia had stopped visiting her. What was the point in knowing the future if it turned out to be filled with misery? Ignorance was better than fear.
The first time her husband beat her, breaking three ribs and turning both her eyes black, she sent for Gabrielle, wanting to hear that her bad was soon to turn to good. She couldn’t bear to suffer like this much longer and needed to know it was coming to an end.
Gabrielle had held her hand and wept by her bedside. Aurelia had thought she was weeping for her, but when the guards burst in and dragged Gabrielle to the dungeons, accusing her of being a witch, Aurelia had realized she’d been weeping not just for her. Her tears had also been for herself. Gabrielle had known what her own future held, and as wise and mystical and brave as she was, she too was still a human, and knowing you were about to be confined to life in a dungeon must certainly be a frightening thought.
Gabrielle hadn’t run from her future. She’d walked toward it. And so must Aurelia. If they were going to turn bad to good, she must keep stepping forward.
“Did you tell him?” Gabrielle asked, wiping peach juice from her lips and leaving a streak of dirt across her cheek. “About the Whisperers.”
Aurelia nodded, as she reached out to comb the old woman’s hair. “I told him.”
“And did he believe you?”
“Not at first, but yes, he did. He’ll start recruiting his new army immediately.”
Gabrielle smiled. “It’s happening. It’s really happening.”
Aurelia hoped so, for many lives depended on it. Hers. Gabrielle’s. The other prisoners. The Whisperers. Her beloved daughters. And this child who kicked her from the inside, letting her know that soon everything would be all right.
“And did you tell him how it needs to be done?” Gabrielle was watching her carefully.
“I did. One thousand Whisperers in rows of ten. All with the gift, whispering for whatever the King desires.”
Gabrielle nodded.
“Are you sure, Gabrielle?” Aurelia asked. “Are you sure this is what will turn the bad to good?”
“It will.” Gabrielle grabbed her hand and held it. “We must be patient. It’s all part of the plan. Change won’t come quickly. It’ll still be years, not days or months. But it will happen. We must trust in the Angels.”
Aurelia tried not to let her disappointment show. Years! How could she survive years married to that monster? Surely, he’d kill her long before then with one of his beatings. When Gabrielle had first told her what she must do, she’d thought change was on its way a lot sooner than that.
Gabrielle coughed and vomited into the bucket beside her. This often happened. Her stomach wasn’t used to food and didn’t know what to do with it anymore. Yet it never stopped Gabrielle from eating what she brought her.
Aurelia reached out and stroked her friend’s back.
Of course, she could survive years. She had no choice. How could she complain when Gabrielle was prepared to do her part, locked away down here, suffering far worse than she ever had?
At least, as the Queen, she had a soft bed, clean clothes, as much food as she desired and a warm bath to soak in. And she had her daughters. Down here, Gabrielle had nothing.
If Gabrielle could do it, then she had no excuse. She could put up with her husband for a little longer. Or a lot longer. She could.
Couldn’t she?
AURELIA
THE AFTER
Five years could feel like a blink. It could also feel like an eternity. Sometimes it could feel like both.
Aurelia wasn’t sure if she wanted time to pass quickly or for it to stretch out. When the bad turned to good, as Gabrielle said it would, her life as she knew it would be over. She’d be safe from her husband, however, her daughters would no longer be by her side. And for this reason, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to hold on tightly to the days she had left or watch them slip through her fingertips.
Her son should’ve been born many days ago now, but her belly was still full with him, her skin stretched so thin now that spidery red lines had made a map across her middle. Her husband had been sure to tell her how ugly this was. She didn’t care. She liked being ugly to him. Not that it was enough to keep him from her bed.
It’d been a difficult pregnancy. Not physically—that’d been the same normal discomfort as her other pregnancies—but emotionally. Much like she couldn’t work out how to feel about the passing of time, she couldn’t decide how to feel about this child she nurtured in her womb.
Ever since Rose’s birth, she’d dreaded the arrival of her son. Rose had shown her the true meaning of love. Before her, Aurelia hadn’t had a clue what it felt like for someone to fill all the spaces of her heart. She’d been so alone in the palace, surrounded by servants who treated her with fear and a husband who she herself feared.
The King didn’t like her family visiting and after what he did to Gabrielle when she’d brought her into the palace, she dared not let them come near her, for fear they’d be sent to the dungeon too. She missed her sister, Lily, most of all.
She’d felt so alone before Rose. Then came Eliza and Tash and her heart expanded to make room for them too, proving that love isn’t finite. There’s always room for more. After the Whisperings started, she’d had one more daughter, Cara, who she’d been pregnant with when she’d told the King about Gabrielle’s vision for a new army, passing it off as her own.
He wanted his first Whisper to be for a son, but she’d lied to him, convincing him that her visions had been clear about this. He’d have a son, although for him to be wise and strong, he’d need to come about naturally. Being the fool her husband was, he’d believed her.
The truth was, she’d needed more time. Rose was now at an age she’d be able to take her sisters and run before their father did the unthinkable. She wanted to run with them. Maybe she would. Except she also wanted to stay to make sure her son would grow to be kind and merciful. If she left him with his father to be raised, there was no hope for him, which meant there was no hope for Forte Cadence and all the people who lived in it. Her people. She had a responsibility to them. She was their only hope.
As much as it shamed her, she’d thought about killing her husband. It would be so easy. But Gabrielle had warned her against this. It wasn’t written in the plan. And to deviate from the plan would mean bad would never turn to good. She had to hold steady.
Since Cara's birth, she’d been pregnant once more, only her body hadn’t been strong enough to hold onto this child. So, the King had Whispered for her health to be restored. And her beauty. She looked and felt like she had twenty years ago and it upset her. She didn’t want to be beautiful for him. She wanted the privilege of growing old and he’d taken that from her, just as he was preparing to take her daughters.
She leaned back on her pillow and rubbed her hand across her stomach, her son kicking her in response. She wished he’d never be born. She loved him, of course, but his arrival would herald the departure of her daughters. So, there was resentment wrapped up with her love and it felt cruel to resent a child.
Her stomach cramped and she drew in a deep breath, recognizing the feeling. Her son would be born today. She looked out her window at the rising sun. Before it set once more, life would be different. Today was the day when everything would change.
Tears sprouted from her eyes and ran down her face, dripping to her chest. Time hadn’t stood still for her. Change was upon her.
Swinging her legs out of the bed, she stood and clutched at her belly. Rose. She needed to go to Rose. It was time for her girls to run.
Aurelia placed one hand on her back and the other on her sto
mach and slowly made her way to Rose’s room, opening the door quietly.
Rose was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She was smiling in a special kind of way that only certain people smile. The realization hit Aurelia at the same time as the next cramp that swept through her middle. Her daughter was in love.
“Mother.” Rose sat up, the smile falling from her face. “What is it?”
“Who?” Aurelia sat beside her on the bed, leaning back and groaning at the growing pressure on her pelvis. “Who is he?”
“What are you talking about? Are you okay? Is the baby coming?” Rose reached out and touched her belly.
“Who put that smile on your face, my sweet daughter?” She put her hand on Rose’s and they looked at each other. Rose seemed to be deciding if she could trust her. Surely, she knew she could tell her anything!
Rose shook her head. “Nobody.”
“Do you remember the story I told you of the girl in the tower?” Aurelia asked, squeezing Rose’s hand.
Rose nodded. “Of course.”
“It’s time for you to cut off your hair and run far from here. Do you understand me? Your father will be so distracted by the birth of his son, he won’t notice immediately. It’s the perfect time.”
Rose shook her head. “I can’t.”
“You can. I need you to take your sisters and find your Aunt Lily in Aria Flats. She’ll know what to do. She’ll help you. I know she will. You can’t stay here.” She tried to sit up and more cramps washed over her. Soon the cramps would become contractions, then contractions would become a baby. Time was running out.
“I can’t go yet. I made a promise to someone.” A faraway look washed over Rose’s eyes once more. Aurelia didn’t know how it was possible, but someone had stolen her beautiful daughter’s heart. If the Prince in the story could find a girl in a tower in the middle of the forest, it made sense that someone could find her daughter here.
The Kingdoms of Evernow Box Set Page 8
