Heir of Beauty

by Scarlett Kol

  I smacked him on the shoulder blade and he lurched forward from the force. "Trust me, she will want to see me. And I promise if she gets me in any trouble I'll be sure to tell her that you did everything you could to stop me."

  "Very good, sir. Is there anything else I can do for you? Do you have a plan for your feathered friend outside?”

  "The guards will take care of Alizeh, but if you could put together a few of my mother's favorite snacks and put them in a bag that would be wonderful."

  "Planning a picnic to cheer her up? That would be lovely. She’s been extra dreary with your father still missing and you disappearing for so long.”

  "Not exactly. But I do hope it will make her feel better."

  I ran for the stairs and stopped short where the rug met the tile. "One more thing, Griswold, has anyone come to the castle looking for me?”

  Griswold shook his head. ”No, sir. Should I be expecting someone?”

  My shoulders dropped as a sharp pain of disappointment stabbed into my gut. "Apparently not."

  Lantern light flickered from under the library door and painted pictures with spark and shadow across the stone floor. I wrapped my knuckles against the wood. No one answered.

  Instead of waiting, I turned the knob and slowly pushed the door inward so as not to frighten my mother if she were lost in thought. The last time I'd accidentally done that, she knocked over the lantern and nearly burned down an entire half of the castle.

  But this time she sat upright in her ornate armchair, rather than hunched over her desk. Her head had fallen back against the chair, and an open book still sat clutched at her waist. I watched her chest rise and fall as the slow, steady breaths of sleep escaped from her open mouth. Dark blue tired skin ringed her closed eyes.

  I shimmied the book from her grasp and her hands flopped limp into her lap. I glanced at the pages. A spellbook written in an ancient text. Symbols and primitive line drawings edged the margins of the pages and I shivered at what some of these writings might mean. What evil they might intend to conjure. I’d had enough of magic for a while.

  I pulled a quilt from the large trunk near the shelves of picture books I used to scan through as a kid, and laid it gently over her chair tucking the edges around her shoulders. She looked small curled up in the blanket. Fragile in a way she never let show in daylight. Wouldn’t show if she knew these moments even existed.

  "Sweet dreams." I kissed her forehead and lowered the lantern light. Shadows darkened across her face and I tiptoed toward the door.

  A soft murmur stopped me at the threshold.

  "Fallon, honey, is that you skulking away in the dark?”

  My hand hovered over the door handle. “Yeah, it's me. You were sleeping so soundly, I didn't want to wake you."

  "Well, hopefully not too soundly. I've heard I snore when I'm exhausted."

  She shifted in the chair, positioning herself more upright as the quilt fell loose into her lap. She grabbed the hem and twisted her fingers through the multi-colored squares of cotton. "Did you just get back? What time is it anyway?”

  I walked back across the room to her side. "It's not long after dawn, and yes, I got home about fifteen minutes ago then came straight to see you." I took her hand and enveloped it with my own, her fingers cold as ice against my skin. "And by the way, Griswold wanted me to tell you that disturbing you in here was completely against his instructions."

  She chuckled, a glimpse of her old light shining for a brief second. "Of course, he did. I'll be sure to commend him for his obedience, as always."

  "But I couldn't wait. I have news."

  She turned her body toward me, every part of her tuned into my announcement.

  "I found Dad. He's still in his beast form, but he's okay."

  "Oh my gosh, Fallon. You have no idea how much relief that brings me." She dove forward wrapping her arms around my neck and squeezing tight. I struggled to breathe against her grip but rested my head in the crook of her arm, the familiar rarity of it giving me a sense of calm that I so desperately needed.

  "So is he here?" She tried to let go and jumped to her feet, but I held her steady in her chair.

  "No. I found him on one of the highest mountain peaks. He'd gone to visit one of the wise men of the temples and he's still up there with him."

  "Oh," her excitement dialed back several notches. "But he is safe, right?”

  "Yes. He’s locked in a cage —"

  She jerked forward again. “A cage? He's not an animal, he's…"

  "I know. But as long as he is still not responding to his human side he is a threat to himself and everyone else. At least in the cage, we will know where to find him when we find a way to break the curse. Have you had any luck with that?" I nodded toward the open book on the desk.

  She rubbed her hands over her face and stood, stretching her arms above her head with a tiny squeal. "No. I've been searching, and I've enlisted help from some of the oldest witches in Enchantia, but no one seems to know anything yet."

  "I'm sorry. I'm sure we'll find something soon, but in the meantime did you want to see him?”

  "Of course, absolutely." She rushed toward the door. "Let me tell Captain Amir, and he will arrange for a full unit to accompany me. We can bring him back here, and even if we need to put him in the dungeon for a little while, I can stay with him until it's all over."

  I waved my hands in front of me. "Wait. You can't tell the captain. I promised that I would only tell you where Dad is. If I go back on that, I'm worried that they may let him go again."

  "That sounds absurd. Why wouldn't I be able to take my guard with me?”

  "The temples are a sacred place. Plus, if Dad gets overly excited we might lose him again. At least on the mountain, he is safe, and there won't be anyone trying at the castle to catch a glimpse while we deal with this nightmare."

  She shook her head, her hands on her hips, but slowly it seemed the logic started to make sense. Edwin’s words coming out of my mouth tasted strange, especially since he’d used them to calm me and now I’d turned around and used them on my mother for the same reason.

  "Fine. I'll do whatever I need to get your father home. But he needs to be here with his family, in his home."

  Family? Is that really what we were?

  She opened the door and the dim light from down the hall filtered into the room.

  "Can I talk to you about something first, before you go?”

  She paused with her hand on the doorknob, a deep ‘v’ forming between her eyes as her eyes narrowed. "Of course, you can always ask me anything."

  "As I've been researching the curse and my duties as king I've come across some information that doesn't seem to make any sense."

  She closed the door and leaned against the wall, the seriousness of my voice likely setting her off. I sat on the edge of the desk and rubbed my sweaty palms together, staring at them as they generated heat between my hands.

  "I've heard that it's possible, I might be adopted."

  She crossed her arms and let out a huge breath deflating into the wall as her head tipped toward the ceiling. “Oh, Fallon. Your father and I honestly hoped you'd never find out, or at least that we’d to be the ones to tell you. I’m so sorry.“

  "So it's true?" I jumped up from the desk and she rushed over placing her hands on the sides of my face.

  "Please don't be angry. We never wanted to hurt you so we decided to keep it a secret until you were old enough to understand. Then as the years went by we realized that you were always ours and we never wanted you to doubt that."

  I took her hands and pulled them away, as my own began to shake and heat rippled through my blood. If they never wanted to hurt me, keeping secrets was not the way to do it. "Then tell me now. Where did I come from?”

  “I don’t know.” She clutched her arm over her stomach and rested the other hand on her forehead as she paced between the bookshelves. "It was the night your father proposed. It was late at night and there was a knock a
t the door. Griswold answered, but there was no one else there, just you lying in a basket wrapped in a thin blanket. The guards never saw anyone. Whoever it was managed to slip past the gate and disappeared into the night. We searched for whoever left you with us, but no one turned up. Not one clue as to where you came from. Your father and I so wanted to have children, but he always worried that his curse might one day affect his own children so we decided to raise you as our own. Only you. We’d never even dreamed of having another child.“

  "You adopted me because I was convenient?"

  She paused, her brain spinning in her eyes. Maybe trying to find the right words. Or maybe hiding more of the truth. “Of course not. We both loved you from the second we saw your little face. During the time spent looking for your parents, we grew into a family, even before we knew it was even a possibility. There was no question that you belonged with us."

  "How many people know?" I knocked my fist against the desk and a cup of pencils fell to the floor with a crash.

  She winced and watched them roll along the floor, but didn’t dare lose her connection with me to gather them up.

  "A few of our trusted people in the castle, most of them have already long passed on.

  From what I know, the only ones left to know the truth are Griswold, your father and I, and the Council."

  "The Council knows? No wonder they hate me." I grabbed fistfuls of hair and tugged, spinning in a slow circle on the floor, the thoughts in my head spinning even faster.

  “They don’t hate you, Fallon, they just need to do what is best for the crown without being emotional. None of them were even around when the adoption happened, but we needed to tell them and provide the documents that you had been appropriately claimed and legitimized as heir to the Aldric line to avoid any possible issues.”

  The room fell silent, her pacing on the left and me reeling on the right, neither of us knowing what to say next. Eventually, her strides came closer and she pulled me into a hug, squeezing as tight as her petite arms could. I hugged her back, still the only mother I'd ever known and even if we weren't blood she'd always treated me as though I was. Like she'd lay down and die for me if the choice ever came. And in that moment, her tight embrace mixed with the familiar rose scent of her perfume and I knew that I would do the same.

  "I love you, Fallon. I always have and I always will, no matter what happens. And your father, even with everything going on, I know he loves you more than anything."

  "I know."

  "How long have you known?"

  "I heard the rumors a while ago, but until you told me I didn't believe that they were true."

  "Never hold anything like this in again, please. We may have kept this is secret, but had you asked we would have always told you the truth. I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but I hope you can forgive me? Forgive us.”

  I pulled her tighter, no words required.

  "And thank you for finding your father, but I can't go see him just yet."

  "Why not?” I let her go and she dropped her arms to her sides. "He needs you."

  She patted my cheek. "And you need me too. It's not fair for me to leave you. Not like this. Not right now."

  "I'll be okay. When you get back we can talk about this more, but I know he's lost without you."

  She clamped my chin in her hand and forced me to look at her. To see the warmth in her wide eyes. To witness the love. “You have a bigger heart than you realize. For that, and so many other reasons I will always be proud to call you my son."

  I hugged her again, as new tears escaped my eyes and landed in her hair.

  "I won't be gone long. And when all of this is over, all three of us can clear the air."

  "Sounds good. Now pack light and meet me in the castle courtyard. It's time for the queen to go get her king.”

  Just beyond the iron castle gates the golden bridge to Mosa gleamed in the midday sun. I wandered through the courtyard, appreciating the beautiful scarlet petals on the rose bushes that lined the miles of metal fence and kept the rest of the world outside. Three bushes from the gate I found the most perfect rose and plucked it, grazing my knuckles against the thick pointy thorns.

  "Are you stealing my flowers, dear prince?"

  I held the rose out to my mother and gave a sweeping bow. "No. Someone taught me to always bring a gift when you stay at a guest’s home. Maybe it will remind Dad of the castle and his life here."

  Her cheeks blushed the color of the flower’s petals as she took it from my hand and tucked it in the bag around her shoulder. She raised the hood of her dark purple cloak over her head and scanned the courtyard.

  "How exactly am I going to get to the temple?”

  I whistled and almost immediately Alizeh appeared in the sky before landing in the courtyard. A gust of wind from her arrival rustled the leaves of the trees and plants around us.

  My mother stared in awe but took a few steps back.

  I took her hand and pulled her next to Alizeh’s wing.

  "There's no reason to be scared. She's the most gentle creature you'll ever meet," I said as I stroked her long feathers. “Aren’t you, Alizeh? Just a big baby bird.”

  My mother held out her hand, hesitant at first, but eventually taking the risk to pet her. Her fingers slipped gently across the feathers and her lips curled into a smile.

  "She'll do all the work. But if you need to change course, say her name and then give your directions. Just make sure you are loud enough for her to hear you.”

  “She’s so soft,” my mother said as she continued to stroke her wing. “Do you think she’ll listen to me?”

  “Of course. Just be firm. I know you know how to do that.”

  Mom shot me a harsh glare. “Thanks a lot.”

  I laughed, then wandered back to the fountain in the middle of the yard and scooped up the bag of fish I’d stolen from the kitchen. The bag reeked and I lurched forward, holding my breath, but still much fresher than what Alizeh had been used to. Silvery-green scales chafed my hand as I pulled one out.

  “Alizeh.”

  She turned and clucked as I tossed the fish through the air, and she caught it with one gulp.

  I held the bag out to my mother. “Here, you try. She’ll love you forever for it.”

  My mother turned up her nose at the smell, but scrunched back the sleeve of her cloak and reached in. She glanced at me again, uncertainty in her eyes, but didn’t waver and threw the fish toward Alizeh with perfect aim. The bird caught the snack and cooed as she devoured the treat, then nudged her beak toward my mother, gently pushing her backward. My mother brushed the soft feathers between her big eyes.

  “See. I told you she’d love you.”

  “Speaking of love, have you figured out if you’re in love with that girl yet?”

  I stared at our feet on the cobblestones, answering with my silence.

  "And did you resolve your problems?”

  "No. I haven't seen her since we last spoke. But I will. Next time I see her I'll make things right."

  She clutched my arm near my shoulder and drew small circles with her thumb. “I don't doubt you will."

  “Maybe you’ll meet her soon. The wise man at the temple is her father.”

  “Ah.” She smiled, a warm knowing smile. “Maybe the rose wasn’t really for your father.”

  “Alright, Mom, time to go.”

  I helped her climb onto Alizeh’s back, her confidence growing slowly as she shifted and moved into position.

  "I'll be back soon. Running the kingdom will be difficult for one person. Remember to ask the Council if you need anything."

  "Everything will be fine. I've got this."

  I stepped back to give them more space and yelled, "Alizeh, take her to the temple."

  Alizeh spread her wings and within seconds they were soaring above the tops of the castle towers. I waved as they flew by, even though I doubted my mother would dare look down to see it.

  The courtyard fell silent, just the
babbling of the small garden fountains and the spring song of the birds in the trees. I took a deep breath, letting the fresh air in and felt it circulate through my veins. As I exhaled, some of the weight on my chest lifted, disappearing in the open breeze. I took my time heading back into the castle, but Griswold still met me at the door, as expected. He looked different to me now, knowing that he knew my secret for all these years and never once told me. Part of me was grateful for keeping things quiet, but another part still felt partly betrayed.

  "My mother had to leave for a little while. If anyone needs anything, they can run it through me."

  "Very good, sir." Griswold crossed his arms behind his back and nodded. "Is there anything I can do for you?”

  "Not right now.” I yawned, the entire morning suddenly feeling like it had taken weeks. “I think I’m going to get some rest.”

  I stumbled to my room, stripped off my jacket and collapsed onto my bed. My body sunk into the thick mattress as the soft sheets brushed against my skin. Shadows danced along the far wall as the afternoon sun peeked in and out of the clouds through my window. Each shape cast triggered a different thought in my brain. My father’s cage. The abandoned baby in the basket. The crown. My mother. Then just as my eyes closed and the light disappeared, a warm rush flowed through me. Emerald eyes sparkled in my mind. A sarcastic smile on the reddest lips. Curves my hands ached to touch and follow wherever they might lead. One face above the rest.

  Veda.

  7

  2nd June

  Bang. Bang. Bang.

  I rolled over and groaned.

  "Who is it?" I called toward the closed door, not bothering to even sit up. Yesterday's clothes still clung to my body, now wrinkled after what appeared to be a full night's sleep by the way the red dawn shone a line of fire on my wall.

  The door swung open without a response. Griswold hurried in and held the doorknob for the parade of servants to enter behind him.