Crown of Sunlight

by Payton Taylor

  Jo’s familiar, flowing script stretched messily across the sheet as if she’d been in a hurry. She used the code word, Legolas, and wrote in English, so Sunny knew it had to be Jo. She wrote that she was alright and unhurt.

  Unfamiliar writing scrawled across the back in Valadan, the common language of Vianna and Ettria, telling her to leave any replies in the mailbox.

  She read her sister’s note over and over again, memorizing every word. Tears continued to fall from her eyes, but as long as she had that letter, they were grateful tears.

  Chapter 28

  Leo

  Writhia, 5219

  Ettria

  As Leo prepared himself for the big event that was showing off the king’s new “heir,” he decided on his favorite purple, silk shirt and smiled at his reflection as he finished buttoning it. He was fully prepared for the drama he knew would ensue when the court met Princess Josephine.

  He hadn’t talked to the princess since he’d told her that he’d been in contact with her sister. He would never forget the look of pure hope on her face. It almost made him feel bad for making them wait on his answer.

  Airoldi had asked Leo several times for use of his Gift and aid from his spiders for the upcoming rescue mission.

  “Cassavant, please,” Westin had gritted out. “I will give you whatever wages you require. I need a foolproof plan. Madow’s wind. . .Noelani and I can’t just storm into the castle with no help.”

  “So, you care about her? The princess?”

  He had hesitated before replying, “The king needs to be brought down.”

  “Why is she so important? What aren’t you telling me?”

  A clenched jaw was his answer.

  Leo sighed. It had not been the time to irk the general. “I’ll get back to you.”

  Airoldi had stared him down for a moment, looking as if he had more to say before walking away. Leo would never admit that the guy had seriously creeped him out at times.

  I guess everyone can’t have my charm and stunning personality.

  Though he hadn’t spoken to Princess Josephine, he had checked in on her often, though invisibly. Thankfully, he’d never walked in on her doing anything too embarrassing, and he’d of course given her privacy to change and bathe and cry and all the other things prisoners liked to do.

  He put on the last of his rings and left his suite to make his way to the throne room for the presentation. Usually, these types of meetings took place in the council chambers, but since this event was going to be airing throughout the kingdom, it was being held in the throne room. They had to keep up appearances for the crowds.

  Leo didn’t have far to walk and arrived a few minutes early, just as the camera crew finished setting up. The throne room was exceptionally large, the ceiling more than two floors above him. Marble archways carved with damask designs ringed the first floor while white marble pillars encircled the second. The ceiling was painted with a mural of the night sky, and the floors were white marble with black tiles forming crescent moons. At the back of the room, the king's throne was lined in sterling silver with black, velvet cushions. A smaller version sat beside his and, on either side, plain black chairs sat in a line for the council members to sit on.

  The council members began to arrive, Cerise among them, and she took her seat to the king's right. Airoldi, as the king’s general, also had a seat on the council and took his place next to Cerise.

  Leo sat on the opposite side, next to the smaller throne.

  Once everyone was situated, the head cameraman gestured that they were about to begin and a countdown started on the screen behind him. The moment the timer hit zero, a woman in the corner began strumming a harp and singing at the top of her lungs. The king really did love his dramatic flair.

  The cameras turned toward the main doors, which opened to admit the king. He walked in wearing a fashionable black suit, chin held high, a crown of black onyx upon his head.

  Everyone on the council stood as the king walked to his throne, and they only sat down after he nodded his approval. Azmodeous remained standing and looked directly into the camera as he began his address:

  “One hundred years ago, I was planning an address much like this one, in which I would announce the impending arrival of my heir. My Match, whom I loved very much, gave me the joyous news that she was pregnant with our child. However, one dark night my beloved, still with child, was kidnapped and taken by a wicked Traveler to another world." The crowd let out an echoing gasp.

  "I feared the worst, that both my child and future queen were dead. But still, I searched, and I finally found a Traveler who was able to trace my bloodline and bring my daughter back to me.

  Though my daughter is alive and well, I was pained to discover that she and her mother were separated when she was only an infant. Though my heart is still grieving, I haven't given up hope. I plan to find my Match just as I have found my daughter." The king looked down as if the memory of his Match gave him great pain.

  Such a good actor.

  Leo wondered why he'd even bother with such a lie. Eleyna was dead, he was sure of it.

  Unless. . .she wasn't? Could she actually still be alive and the king knew about it? Leo's curiosity was piqued, and he made a mental note to have one of his spiders look into it.

  The king finally continued after his moment of silence.

  "However, I shall not dwell on that for the time being." He cleared his throat and gave his usual icy smile, and gestured to the door. "It brings me great joy to introduce to you my heir and your future queen, Princess Josephine Moreau!”

  Leo noticed Jo hadn’t eaten much since she’d been there. She was thinner, with hollow cheeks and dark circles under her eyes hidden beneath layers of makeup. He was willing to bet she hadn’t been consulted about being given the king’s last name.

  Dressed in a long-sleeved, black lace gown, her expression was emotionless as she made her way to the throne beside the king.

  She paused beside him, and Azmodeous lurched toward her. “My daughter! Home at last!” he exclaimed while placing his arms awkwardly around her in a stiff hug.

  Jo was a statue, pale and unmoving, as he removed his arms. She gave the camera a tight, closed-lipped smile, before sitting on her throne, her hands clasped in her lap.

  The king said something else about the dawning of a new dynasty, but Leo was focused on not bursting into laughter over the drama of it all. The woman was still singing quietly in the corner.

  Once the address was over, the camera crew left, and the king invited everyone to dinner in the dining room.

  *****

  Once in the dining room, decorated with as much opulence and severity as the rest of the castle, everyone took their seats: King Azmodeous on one end and Jo on the other. Once again, Leo sat beside Jo, the seat most likely to offer him entertainment.

  He could tell by the tightening around her eyes and mouth that she was delighted to see him.

  The servants began to bring in the food, and everyone began to talk amongst themselves.

  Councilman Edgar Renier turned his pinched face toward the princess and immediately started drilling her with questions.

  “So, Princess, what was the name of this other world you came from?”

  Her eyes darted around the room, landing briefly on Leo. She was nervous.

  “It was called Earth,” she told him flatly, unwilling to say more. Leo could tell she was hoping that would be all and Renier would leave her alone, but he knew that wasn’t going to happen. “How were you raised? You had no status and no Gift, correct?”

  Jo began fidgeting with her napkin. “No, I lived in an apartment most of my life, and no one on Earth has Gifts.”

  “Hmm,” he hummed before asking. “And how is your training coming along?”

  “I’m learning quickly,” she said shortly. By the expression on her face, even she could hear the lie in her voice.

  A look of distaste crossed Renier’s face. “I see,” he sniffed,
before turning away from her, dismissing her entirely.

  Jo, however, didn’t seem to mind and let out a breath of relief. That is, until she overheard the conversation he was having with the woman next to him.

  “What is the King doing?” Renier whispered loudly to his wife, “Bringing in a stranger with no royal upbringing? And no mastery of her Gift? For all we know, she isn’t even his real daughter.”

  “I agree,” said his wife with a snicker. “She knows none of Ettria’s affairs. Why would Azmodeous bring in an uneducated heathen?”

  Leo looked at Jo and noticed her face was red with embarrassment and anger.

  “Now, now ladies and gentlemen. The princess may look weak, and skinny, and have a penchant for under-accessorizing,” he looked back at Jo, who was glaring at him murderously. He grinned before continuing. “But she is your future queen. And don’t forget her Gift—she could be in your minds right now, and you wouldn’t even know it.”

  Renier scoffed before realizing the entire table had gone quiet.

  Leo looked down at the other end of the table.

  They had gained the King’s attention.

  Chapter 29

  Jo

  Writhia, 5219

  Ettria

  So, what are you going to do, Josephine?

  The king’s voice spoke in her head.

  Jo wanted the ground to swallow her whole.

  Everyone at the table was quiet, eyes on her, holding their breath.

  What do you mean? she replied.

  The man insulted you , the king crooned. Are you going to do something about it? Or are you going to let them see you as weak?

  Punish him? Fear flooded through her as Jo met the king’s pale gaze. He wanted her to punish this man? For an insult?

  Yes, punish him . Azmodeous’ eyes narrowed. Do what you will, but make sure he learns his lesson.

  Jo knew what he meant by “punish.” I’m not going to hurt someone just for being an asshole. Either you punish him, or I do , he said.

  Choose.

  Their gazes locked. The king's eyes were bright with fury, but Jo refused to back down.

  Finally, the king leaned back in his seat with a resigned sigh. Fine, but remember I gave you a choice.

  Suddenly, she felt a slight pressure in her head before she was forced back into the deepest parts of her mind. The place she never wanted anyone to see.

  My, my what a lot of insecurities we have here, the king said with a dark chuckle.

  Jo tried breaking free, but his control held fast. She could still see what was happening, but she had no control over her body.

  Her view changed as she felt her head turn until she was looking at Renier. She felt her lips pull into a cold smile.

  Then her lips began to move, and she was suddenly speaking. “You question my power,

  Renier? Why don’t I show you how powerful I am.”

  Then she felt her Gift surging toward him, but with much more force than she had thought herself capable of.

  Renier’s face went white. The king was murmuring in her mind, giving her Gift instructions on what to do.

  She saw his hand tremble as it slowly lifted from the table, and reached for his knife. As he slowly raised the knife, she heard him begging,

  “No, please, I’m sorry.”

  His begging didn’t stop as he placed his other hand on the table, fingers spread.

  “Too late,” she said softly.

  His scream echoed throughout the room as the knife came down.

  Jo expected a thud as the knife cut cleanly through his fingers. Instead, she was forced to watch for several horrific minutes as he used the knife to saw through bone and tendon. The king did not allow her to look away. He forced her to watch as tears streamed down Renier’s red face as he gritted his teeth at the pain. In his eyes was a look of pure hatred that seared Jo to her very core.

  There was a quiet, wet thunk as the knife finally broke through the final layers of his skin, and Jo would never forget the sight of his two severed fingers laying there against the pristine white of the table cloth.

  She felt her Gift let go of him, as the king released her mind. Jo watched in muted shock as Renier grabbed his napkin and wrapped it around his hand. He picked up his severed fingers and glared at her as if to say “this isn’t over,” before rushing from the room.

  Servants immediately came forward to clean up the blood. Once the mess was cleaned, the rest of the council went back to eating as if nothing had happened.

  Jo lifted her eyes to meet the King’s, rage and disgust coursing through her veins. She felt violated. Used. To have someone else shove her aside and take control of her, body and mind, was one of the vilest things she had ever experienced. Now that she knew how it was done, she shivered at how easy it was to take control of someone.

  She looked down at the food on her plate as her body began to shake and the people around her continued to chatter aimlessly.

  Easy. It had been so easy for her Gift to take over another person and force him to go against every natural instinct he had and cut off his own fingers.

  He hadn’t even flinched.

  And for this king to be able to control two people at once so effortlessly? It had barely taken half a thought for the man who now had complete control over her to slip into her mind and make her do as he pleased.

  Jo’s breaths started coming faster and sharp, shooting pains ripped through her chest. She felt like she couldn’t breathe and she knew she was having a panic attack.

  As she looked at her plate, a drop of crimson splattered against the white tablecloth. She touched the skin beneath her nose, and her fingers came away red with blood. She quickly reached for her napkin and began dabbing the blood away, hoping no one had noticed.

  When she looked up to see if anyone was paying attention to her, she saw Westin and Leo both staring at her. She noted the slightest glimpse of sympathy, and then it was business as usual. The king couldn't catch on to their concern.

  She quickly looked back down. She didn’t want any of these people to look at her.

  Yet the feeling of being watched continued.

  Jo discreetly brought her head back up. If Westin and Leo could pretend everything was fine. She could too, for now.

  Everyone was still eating and chatting like they were having the time of their lives.

  Except for Cerise, who was smirking at her.

  Now, now, don’t be so upset, Cerise’s voice purred inside her mind. Your King let you off easy tonight, but disobey him again, and I’ll make sure you’re the one getting punished.

  Then a flurry of images raced through Jo’s mind. Images of her being tortured in numerous ways, as Cerise’s laughter reverberated throughout the walls of her mind.

  Jo tried her best to ignore her and act as if she hadn’t heard, but some of the fear must have shown through on her face because Cerise responded.

  Smart girl , she gave another cold laugh.

  You should be afraid.

  *****

  At last, the King announced the end of the dinner. Jo jumped up and headed for the door, not even waiting for her guards.

  As she walked by, Westin stopped her. "I am to walk you to your room."

  Jo gave a curt nod and followed him. Once they arrived to her room, he handed her a note. "I thought this would make you feel better after a night like tonight," he whispered and hurried from the room.

  The letters she and Sunny had been writing back and forth had been what kept her going. The notes were short and to the point, stating that they were safe and a brief description of what had happened that day.

  The letter blurred more and more as she read, and then when she saw the end: "Hang tight, Jo, I'm coming as soon as I can. Love you!" It was as if a dam burst inside of her.

  She ripped the paper into tiny pieces and lit it on fire. She had to hide the evidence.

  As she watched it burn in the trash, she sank down the wall and pulled her knees t
o her chest and let go. Once the tears started, they didn’t stop.

  They didn’t stop when the King came knocking at her door. They didn’t stop when Leo poked his head through the wall. They didn’t stop until she had nothing left inside of her.

  When they finally did stop, she got up and stumbled into bed, falling into a dreamless sleep.

  Chapter 30

  Westin

  Writhia, 5219

  Ettria

  As Westin walked back downstairs after dropping Jo off at her room, he couldn’t help but wince as he thought about that night’s dinner. What the king had done to Jo, forcing her to hurt someone—even a callous half-wit like Renier—was a reminder of everything Westin was fighting against. He needed to do more than help Noelani rescue her sister. Jo’s safety wouldn’t stop the king’s reign of terror over Ettria. Azmodeous needed to be taken down, but Westin wasn’t sure how he was going to do that.

  As he passed the emptying dining room, he heard footsteps behind him. He could tell by the subtle hitch in the steps that it was Azmodeous.

  Westin wasn’t sure how he’d originally gotten hurt, but the king walked with a very subtle limp. Westin thought he was one of the few people to notice.

  He stopped and turned to face the king. Westin put his fist over his heart and bowed his head. “Your Majesty.”

  “Has there been any news from Vianna?

  What has that old witch been saying about Josephine’s leaving?” The king had asked him and Leo to keep tabs on Vianna’s status. He needed Westin’s help in assessing whether or not he thought Queen Asteria would try to get Jo back.

  “She’s been quiet, sir. If she’s planning an attack, Cassavant hasn’t heard any news of it, and you know how unlikely that is. For now, she seems to be plotting, though I’m not sure what the plan will be.” Westin double-checked his shield. He knew what the king would ask next.

  “And the other one, her real granddaughter?

  What are her movements?”

  “So far she seems to be kept under lock and key, guarded all hours of the day. If she’s slipped through her guards, we haven’t heard. But it’s very unlikely she’ll be able to, untrained as she is.”