"That seems dangerous."
"Very," I admitted. "But until recently, I've not been particularly concerned with my own safety."
"Hmm." He wasn't impressed. I didn't need any more words to know that.
"Do you think there's a chance we can get to the prince and get him to write the message?" I asked, though I was already counting the reasons why that was a terrible idea and not very sensible. I sighed loudly.
I thought for a moment, which I presumed was what Gideon was also doing given his silence.
"Are there letters in his rooms? I might be able to forge his handwriting."
"You can do that?" he asked.
I shrugged, then reminded myself about appearances. I was going to let the whole situation slip if I wasn't careful. "Lucia and I used to write notes and pretend to be one another. It's worth a try."
He nodded. "It's the best we've got at the moment, that's for certain. But what about the other issue?"
"Best not talk about her here," I reminded him. "But I've set some whispers going under the guise of the music."
"On the back of what the Duke did? That was smart. How many of them do you think will join their cause?"
I sighed. "That remains to be seen. I don't think the nobles are the best people to turn." It was something I'd given a lot of consideration to. In general, they seemed to like good food, good wine, and a party. If I were Lucia and trying to raise an army, those weren't the kinds of people I'd want on my side. But that was me. And the whole point of this was to make Lucia into the leader she was meant to be. That included leading people who didn't necessarily fit the brief.
"The working people are already turning, Katya," he reminded me. "Your threats of taxes and the odd execution works well enough for that." He frowned, and I waited for the question hanging on his lips. "Do you ever actually raise the taxes?"
"No. You've seen the treasury. There's no need to. I've simply been spreading the rumour that I'm going to every couple of months. It seems to have been working so far."
"It does, that was ingenious, by the way."
"Thank you."
We were interrupted by a young noblewoman approaching, reminding both of us where we were. It hadn't been smart of us to discuss the situation quite so openly.
"Your Majesty." She dipped into a curtsy. "May I make a request of you?"
"If you wish." I waved my hand as if it were unimportant.
"I wish to go against my parents’ wishes and marry Sir Victor. I was wondering if it was possible to get your permission to do so."
I thought about it for a moment, never having considered that this was the kind of thing I had power over as queen. It would sow a little discord in the noble ranks if I did that kind of thing.
"Permission is granted." I waved over one of the servants. "Please take this young lady to the clerics and inform them to write her a marriage license for herself and Dir Victor."
"Of course, Your Majesty." The servant dipped her head.
I dismissed them both with a wave of my hand and they scurried off to do my bidding. "That's the last time we talk about any of this in here," I chided Gideon.
"That's fine by me. I'll just use it as an excuse to have more night time visits with you."
I smirked. "I thought you'd like that."
Chapter 15
The merchant showed me a selection of hair combs, each one more beautiful than the last. But which one would be the right one to send to Lucia? She'd never been the fussy type, but this was my best bet for another fake attempt on her life.
I had no idea if these were even working, but it was something her father had suggested, so I was seeing it through.
"This one, I think." I pointed to a simple comb with vines carved into the spine of it. The simplicity in it would appeal to her.
"Are you sure, Your Majesty? There are several more ornate ones that you might like with some rubies or..." He glanced at Riki, nervousness written all over his face despite the fact she wasn't doing anything more than sitting like a good girl.
"That one will do," I cut him off, hating that I was doing it, but unable to regret the action. It would make this purchase more memorable, and when talk got around of an attempt on Lucia's life, then the merchant should be able to put two and two together. I'd purposefully summoned one who I knew was an incredible gossip with the sole purpose of this getting out.
"As you wish, Your Majesty."
"You can leave it here, then go to the treasury to receive your payment," I dismissed him.
He nodded. "Thank you, Your Majesty." He set the comb on the table in front of me, and then cleared up all his wares and scurrying away. It seemed that I really had managed to make the working people scared of me, which I supposed was a good thing.
I stared at the comb, knowing what I had to do next. I checked around me that no one else was watching and then pressing my amulet. I cast a spell over the comb, making it so that anyone that wore it would fall unconscious for a few hours. It wouldn't do Lucia any harm, but with the right note, I could sow the right seeds and convince people I'd meant to put something more dangerous on her.
I pulled out the note I'd written to her earlier, and wrapped it in a bundle with the comb. Her name scrawled across the top of the bundle. Pressing the amulet again, I sent the whole parcel to a well I knew she liked to visit. She'd be unable to resist the present and then that part of my plan would be in motion.
Which meant there was just one more thing left to send before everything was in motion.
I made the short walk down to the stables, with Riki following along at my heels. I found one of the messenger boys. I gestured for him to come over, and he set down the bundle he was carrying so he could.
"Your Majesty, how may I serve you?" He bowed deeply.
"I wish for you to deliver this bundle of letters to Prince Jonathan's father," I ordered, handing him the stack including one written in Jonathan's hand, and a letter of my own reassuring the king that I wouldn't rest until I'd learned the true nature of the Duke's attack. I hoped it would be enough to convince him that there was nothing going on that he needed to concern himself about. The last thing I needed to deal with. I had to hand over a prosperous kingdom, not one burning from the ravages of war.
"As you desire, Your Majesty." He bowed again and scampered away.
The moment I was alone once more, I rolled my eyes. I didn't know how it was possible for royalty to stand this their entire life. I was already fed up of it and impatient for it to end.
I sighed. No one else was about, and it was a beautiful day outside. On impulse, I walked out of the stables and into the fresh air. I stared across the hills, enjoying the view. I'd always loved looking out at the fields, but hadn't felt like I deserved to see it in a while. I let the beauty of nature sink in to me, reminding me of the beauty in the world, and the last lingering bit of goodness that was inside me.
Perhaps things weren't as bad as they seemed. In theory. Gideon might want to help me escape my fate, but there was no plan on how to make that happen. And yet, I wasn't ready to give up yet. Not like I had been before he'd forced the truth out of me.
I should have trusted him sooner. He was my oldest friend, after all. At least I had a chance to change that now.
Chapter 16
I knew I was asleep. The world had an odd haze to it which made it difficult to make out what was further ahead of me. That didn't matter. This wasn't just any dream, it was a memory, one I'd thought about a lot in the past couple of years.
Wails and shouts came throughout the castle, but I ignored them, just as I had in real life. My fingers crinkled against the note I held in my hand. A summons from the king. A dying man who couldn't be ignored.
My footsteps echoed on the stone floor of the corridor as I walked past doors. One belonged to Lucia, another to Killian. No doubt he was drowning his pain in the arms of his lover. I didn't blame him for that. When I'd made the decision to marry him, I knew what I was getting into.
I longed to have Riki by my side, but she hadn't been there on this day, so she couldn't be here now. I hated dreams that couldn't be changed. And this one worst of all. I'd dreamt about the memory for months after the king died, but I thought it had stopped haunting me long ago.
The door to the king's chambers came upon me before I was ready for it. I hesitated before knocking. Not that anything surprised me, this was playing itself out just like it had. I knew what would happen even before it did.
A nurse opened the door and ushered me inside. The stench of illness hit me the moment I stepped into the room. Until that moment, I didn't think I'd appreciated just how ill the king was. Everyone talked about what was wrong with him in whispers, no one had an explanation. No one said anything.
"He wanted to see me," I said, holding up the note.
"This way, Princess." She gestured to the other chamber and the huge canopy bed with the ailing king wrapped under the covers.
I gulped and stepped forward.
"Katya, my child," the King rasped.
"Your Majesty." I sunk into a curtsy.
"There's no need for that." He coughed a few times, even that amount of words being difficult for him. "You married my son, you're family to me."
"Are you sure this wasn't meant for him?" I asked.
"Yes, Katya. You're the one I wanted to talk to. Sit by an old man's side. I have a task for you." He indicated towards the stool by the side of his bed.
Seeing no other choice, I took a seat and waited for what he was going to say. The nurse shut the doors, leaving the two of us closed in the room alone. The smell of the king's illness became more potent, but I'd spent most of my life at this court, I knew what the best way to behave was.
"I need you to promise me that what I have to ask won't leave this room," the king said, turning so he could look at me better.
I swallowed, my eyes wide. "I promise."
"Good. Once I'm gone, Killian will take the throne. With you by his side."
I nodded. That was to be expected. Killian was his only son and eldest child, and as his wife, I would sit by him.
"But between you and me, the throne will pass to Lucia before too long."
I blanched. Did he know about Killian? He'd done everything he could to keep Lord Hubert a secret. I hadn't told a soul either, and had done everything I could to pretend to be the deeply in love wife that everyone, even Lucia, thought I was.
To this day, I wasn't sure whether or not people had believed my act. Perhaps they'd let me take over because they felt guilty for letting me be a pretend wide.
He chuckled. "You did nothing wrong, Katya. I've known for a very long time. Killian himself told me when he was fifteen and realised that he wouldn't be able to perform certain duties." He sighed. "I love that boy, but it did put me in rather a predicament. Lucia isn't the queen she needs to be."
"What does this have to do with me? I don't think I can do anything else to make a child quicker." I touched my stomach. Part of me wished Killian and I could have a child, someone who would give me the strength to carry on with the charade I had.
"I need you to make her into the queen she needs to be," he told me.
"I'm sorry, I'm not sure how I can do that. I don't have that kind of influence." Lucia was more interested in dresses and parties than in things to do with the way the kingdom was run. I loved her like the sister she'd become, but it wasn't her strong suit.
Even with the ability to think about how things passed since, I knew that my past assessment wasn't wrong.
"You will though. Once Killian passes, I need you to take control of the kingdom. You need to work out a way to make Lucia into a leader." He coughed again.
My heart ached for the man who had been like a father to me, even if he hadn't realised that himself. I'd been part of Lucia and Killian's family for as long as I could remember.
And look what I was doing to them now. It was a wonder that Gideon loved me.
"I can't do that," I whispered. "The power isn't mine. The crown isn't mine..."
"Then you must take it."
I shook my head. "I can't."
He caught hold of my hand. "Katya, you must." He paused for a moment, as if thinking about what to say to convince me. I didn't remember him taking this much time to continue, could it just be my imagination? "There's a prophecy. We need Lucia to be ready to lead, or it will cause more problems for this kingdom than we want to think about. There'll be no peace for any of us."
I swallowed, my tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth. "I promise, I'll do whatever it takes."
"Thank you, Katya."
The dream twisted around me, and I knew it was ending. Guilt mixed with relief at the thought of escaping the pain this memory caused.
The whole world faded to black.
I blinked a couple of times, realising that I was finally awake. I reached out for Riki, finding her soft fur with my hands. I couldn't stop the sobs that racked through me. I'd lost so much, and gained so little.
I longed for Gideon's arms around me, but I had no way of calling for him without drawing too much attention to ourselves. Instead, I wrapped myself up in Riki, gaining comfort from my wolf as I had for many years.
The line of an old story flashed through my mind, spoken by a hero who thought he'd lost everything.
Let the tears fall, for they will be my strength, not my weakness.
I might not be a hero, but those were the words I had to live by.
Chapter 17
"Mirror, mirror, on the wall. Show me the fairest of them all." The face disappeared in an instant, replaced with Lucia by the well I'd left the comb on.
I swallowed my nerves. I had to do this. There was no choice but to convince her I was trying to kill her. That way she'd become determined to defeat me.
"I just hope you catch on quickly enough," I whispered to the mirror.
Lucia looked towards me, though I knew that was nothing more than a coincidence.
"What have you got there?" Jonathan asked her. He looked better for spending some time in the woods, more like he'd help lead an army and less like the looks-obsessed fop who Gideon had taken the place of. I was glad of that.
"I don't know. It was waiting on the well for me." She pulled open the package, revealing the beautiful comb. She gasped and clutched a hand to her chest. "It's beautiful," she whispered.
I shook my head. While I was glad my plan was working, I was also a little horrified at how short a time it had taken to trick her. She was still far too trusting. Hopefully, the comb would cure her of that.
"It is. Where did it come from?" Jonathan asked.
Ah, he was a smart one. Perhaps he'd convince her to throw the comb away and not touch it. That would work just as well as a curse.
"I don't know." She twisted her hair up into a bun and put the comb in.
I rolled my eyes, though that wasn't fair. Her ability to trust and love was one of the reasons I'd loved having her has my friend in the first place.
Her eyes fluttered closed instantly.
I touched the amulet, even though it wasn't going to do anything from this distance. At least the original plan had worked.
"Lucia!" Jonathan pulled her into his arms, feeling for a pulse and checking that she was still alive. "What's she done to you?" he asked, murder in his eyes.
"Good," I whispered.
"He looks like he wants to kill you," Gideon said.
I jumped, not having expected him to come to my office so quickly. I turned, surprised to find Riki by his side. She didn't like it in here, so I was surprised she'd come in, even with the man who raised her by her side.
"That's a good thing," I assured him. "I just wish he'd think of taking the comb out of her hair."
"It's as simple as that?" he asked. "Doesn't seem like a great curse."
"It isn't meant to be. It's just supposed to make her angry and determined to defeat me."
"Smart."
I raised
my hand and pressed it against the mirror. As expected, nothing happened. "She's still my friend. My sister. Even if she doesn't feel the same way about me, I want what's best for her. And that means not harming her, even when I'm trying to convince her that I am." I sighed loudly. "It's a hard burden to bear."
Gideon reached out and pulled me into his arms. I went willingly, seeking comfort I wasn't convinced that I deserved.
"They'll figure it out," he promised.
"I hope so." I turned to the mirror. "That'll be all for today." The mirror stilled, the images fading. It didn't matter exactly what they did now. I had too many spies in the kingdom to really worry about that.
"What are you going to do after this?" he asked.
"I wish I knew. Jonathan seemed to have changed. He looked more like a warrior and less like the man I met."
"That's a good sign. And Lucia?" he prompted.
"I'm not sure." I pulled away before crouching down to fuss Riki. Her tongue lolled out to the side, enjoying the attention I was giving her. I scratched under her chin in a way I knew she loved.
"What does the prophecy say?" he asked.
I laughed. "You know, I have no idea. The king said that she had to become the leader she needed to be. Maybe there is no prophecy. Maybe he simply knew that his daughter wasn't ready for the mantle of queen, and he needed me to change that." I thought back over my dream of the night before. "I think he knew about Killian," I added.
"What do you mean?"
"Killian didn't like women," I admitted. "He had a lover, but it wasn't me. We did what we had to do, but nothing more than that. The chances of us actually making an heir were slim at best."
"And you think the king knew that?" Gideon asked.
I looked up from where I was fussing Riki. "I think it's the only explanation. Don't you?"
"So, the king knew that Lucia would have to take the throne one day, and this was why?"
Kingdom of Villains and Vengeance: Fairytale retellings from the villain's perspective (Kingdom of Darkness and Light Book 2) Page 7
