Heiress of Shadows

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by J A Armitage




  Heiress of Shadows

  Kingdom of Fairytales Aladdin book 2

  J A Armitage

  R Castro

  Contents

  1. 24th June

  2. 25th June

  3. 26th June

  4. 27th June

  5. 28th June

  6. 29th June

  7. 30th June

  After the Happily Ever After…

  A NEW FAIRYTALE ANTHOLOGY

  Join us

  A note from the author

  The Kingdom of Fairytales Team

  About J.A. Armitage

  About R.Castro

  Copyright © 2019 by J. A. Armitage and R.Castro

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Edited By Rose Lipscomb

  Cover by Enchanted Quill Press

  Created with Vellum

  Kingdom of Fairytales

  You all know the fairytales, the stories that always have the happy ending. But what happens after all those storybook characters get what they wanted? Is it really a happily ever after?

  Kingdom of Fairytales is a new way of reading with one chapter a day and one book a week throughout the year beginning January 1st

  Lighting-fast reads you won’t be able to put down

  Read in real time as each chapter follows a day in the life of a character throughout the entire year, with each bite-sized episode representing a week in the life of our hero.

  Each character’s story wrapped up at the end of every season with a brand new character and story featured in each season.

  Fantasy has never been so epic!

  24th June

  The whole kingdom had forgotten Aladdin, or so it seemed.

  My whole world had descended into chaos, and the shifting of magic within me swirled, churning in my stomach, distracting me from everything. I clicked my fingers and watched as they lit up, sending shadows dancing around my bedroom’s walls. Asher squawked appreciatively, then flew across the room and landed on my fingers, extinguishing the flames.

  “You like that, don’t you?” I said, patting him on the head. At least, something was going well. Since Asher’s rebirth, he was now flying again, something I’d not seen him do in the days leading up to his disintegration into ash. I lifted my hand, and he took off, his brand new feathers giving him lift as he flew around my room before settling back on his perch. I’d noticed he was attracted to the heat and light of the flames I produced, so I’d been producing them more frequently. It also helped dispel some of the energy the magic produced, which meant I was less likely to spontaneously combust in front of people.

  After getting dressed, I headed downstairs. I found Jamal eating breakfast with my mother. I was about to join them when I saw my mother lean forward and hand Jamal a piece of toast, except she didn’t put it on his plate, but fed it to him. I’d seen her do that before. Both she and my father fed each other from their own plates. I’d never seen her do it with anyone else. Fire churned in me, but I took a couple of deep breaths to quell it. It wasn’t her fault. She wasn’t herself anymore. At least, Jamal looked uncomfortable with her flirting with him because that’s exactly what she was doing. His cheeks were a cherry red, and he didn’t know where to put his eyes.

  “Ah, Gaia!” he said, standing to greet me as I made my presence known. “Please, join us....please!” He hissed the last word quietly and swiped a side-eye at my mother.

  My mother didn’t speak as I sat at the table, but the way she looked at me caused me to shudder. She looked at me the way any woman would do if I was about to steal her man. But Jamal didn’t belong to my mother any more than he belonged to me. I wondered if she even knew who I was. I watched as she scooped sugar into her tea blankly. She usually took it without.

  “It’s a nice day,” I said airily, grabbing some meat. Jamal raised his eyebrows, but I only shrugged in response. What else was I supposed to say? Ask my mother if she knew who I was? Ask when her wedding to Jamal would be? The weather seemed like the safest option.

  “Hmm,” my mother murmured noncommittally.

  “I think we should go for a walk,” Jamal said, tugging at my hand and nodding at my mother. She didn’t even look up from her tea.

  I grabbed a piece of bread to put with the meat I’d already taken and made a quick sandwich before following Jamal out into the corridor.

  When he was certain we were out of earshot of both my mother and the guards, he spoke. “Your mother asked me to come to her rooms after breakfast, and I don’t think she had a discussion of the weather in mind if you know what I mean.”

  I almost spit my sandwich out as I took in his words. A nervous giggle erupted from my throat. The idea of my mother, seducing Jamal was preposterous.

  “You think it’s funny? She was running her leg up and down mine before you walked in.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m only laughing because it’s so unreal. I’m nervous and scared, and my body seems to be betraying me. Before I walked in, I almost ignited. I don’t seem to have control over anything anymore.”

  “I promise, I would never...”

  “I don’t believe for a second you would take advantage. I’m not mad at you. I’m upset and confused. My mother shouldn’t be by herself.” I made to head back to the dining room, but Jamal stopped me.

  “I don’t think you should go back in there. Get your court physician to see her if you must, but I think it would be better for both of you if you had a little time apart.”

  “She’s my mother, Jamal.” I tapped my toe on the floor, a nervous habit I seemed to have just picked up. It was better than setting myself on fire, I supposed.

  “I know she is, but I’m not sure she knows that anymore. I just don’t want you getting hurt. Why don’t we find Freya and go out and do another search for your father? Your mother is in no danger here in the palace.”

  “My father doesn’t want to be found,” I said, but then, I realized I wasn’t ready for the time when my own mother didn’t recognize me. If I could put it off just one more day... “Ok, come on, let’s go out.”

  Freya jumped at the chance to join us, although she didn’t think we had much chance of finding my father any more than I did.

  We walked through the town easily. Even with no guards by our sides, no one stopped us, nor paid us any attention. It was a marked difference from a week or so ago when people had come out of their houses to gawk at us. I wasn’t looking out for my father. I knew he would be alright wherever he was, but I wanted to see a spark of recognition in my subjects. I’d been on the front cover of the Badalah Beacon so many times that everyone should know my face, but even as I caught the eyes of many, none gave me a second glance. It was almost as if I were invisible. I was a complete nobody in my own town. It was both liberating and terrifying in equal measure. I was becoming as forgotten as my father.

  We’d not gone very far when I heard someone shouting. I turned to see a couple of older teenage girls staring at me. After feeling invisible, I should have been happy that someone recognized me, but the look in their eyes told me that they weren’t too happy to see their princess strolling through the streets.

  “There’s that spoiled-rotten brat!”

  The first one hollered from across the street.

  “She and the Sultana, and all of the aristocrats, for that matter, simply want to see us all in their servitude forever,” the other said loudly enough that I could hear them all the way across the dusty street.

  My body tightened at t
he abuse being hurled at me, and my breathing came faster.

  The girls laughed. “She’s not even of true royal blood. There’s no way she’ll ascend to Sultana.”

  A group of onlookers joined in the laughter.

  “We should afford her the same as she and her palace afford us!”

  A boy of about sixteen in the group that had been laughing picked up a stone from the street and hurled it in my direction. It hit me just above the stomach. I felt a sharp painful sensation, and I found myself paralyzed in fear.

  Soon, more stones followed as the group began to pelt me with whatever they had at hand. I’d wanted to be recognized, but not like this. This was worse than the feeling of invisibility. They knew me, but they didn’t know me. They knew I was the princess, but they had forgotten how much I’d fought for their rights for years. I was many things, but a spoiled rotten brat was not one of them.

  Jamal jumped in front of me, shielding me from the onslaught, while Freya sprang into action. Inside, I felt the fire of magic begin to kindle. I didn’t know how to control it yet. If they carried on, I was going to go up in flames. I took a few deep breaths to steady myself as Freya strode toward the congregated group.

  “Enough!” she hollered with her hands upright towards the perpetrators. “What is it that you think to achieve by stoning the Princess? Huh? Are you all asking for a death sentence? A quick execution?”

  The sound of rocks dropping to the ground alerted me that many from all directions had intended harm to my person. The nervous energy continued to burn within me.

  “Go, you cowards!” Jamal added, standing tall, still protecting me.

  I felt so small. Insignificant. Terrified of what I might do if they didn’t leave me alone. And for the first time, I truly feared the people of Badalah.

  “And who are you to tell us what to do? Another handler of the Sultana?” someone said in a menacing voice.

  “You really don’t want to know,” Jamal said with a cold, unrecognizable edge in his words.

  Freya once again stepped in. “Leave. The Princess’s private guards have already alerted the palace.”

  It was a lie, and everyone knew it. We had no guard with us.

  Someone laughed. “Look at that one trying to yank our chain.”

  Their eyes widened as my skin began to smolder. I could actually see smoke rising from the parts of me that were bare.

  Jamal grabbed my hand and began to pull me in the opposite direction. Freya ran alongside us as we sprinted back to the palace, back to safety.

  “You need to learn to control that,” Jamal said, once we were away from the people.

  “I know, but I’m so angry!” I made sure no one was looking, then let flames dance on my fingers to diffuse the anger within me. When it was slightly more manageable, I headed back to the palace with Jamal and Freya.

  Enraged with anger and defeat, I stormed the palace doors, hollering for my mother.

  “What are you doing?” whispered Jamal.

  “My mother needs to understand what’s happening. Her illness, or whatever it is, has caused her to make some really bad decisions these past few days. She needs to see the consequences of those decisions. Please leave me to speak to her.”

  Jamal looked like he didn’t want to go anywhere, but Freya took his hand and led him away. I was surprised to see that he acquiesced so easily to her.

  “What is this behavior?” My mother asked, rounding a corner with two advisors and her lady’s maid.

  “Mother. I must speak to you at once.” I said without hesitation. “In private,” I added, eyeing the advisors.

  Both men bowed to leave. She waited, then whispered something to her lady’s maid, who quickly disappeared as well.

  “Now, please explain yourself!”

  I took a deep breath, finally an opportunity to get it off my chest.

  “Something is terribly the matter. There seems to be a shroud of forgetfulness covering the kingdom, and no one else is picking up on it. Even you, Mother, you don’t even realize what you’ve forgotten. Your memory is coming and going.”

  She found an ornate backless bench near one of the floor-to-ceiling-windows that overlooked the gardens, and took it, patting the empty space next to her.

  “Gaia, my sweet girl, what are you talking about?”

  I took a seat next to her, desperately wanting to curl up in her arms the way I used to do as a child. She knew who I was again, and unlike this morning at breakfast, she seemed back to her normal self. A part of me wanted to forget this whole thing was happening.

  “I went into town this morning, and people threw stones at me.”

  “You went without guards?” she asked, bringing me into a hug. “What were you thinking?”

  “Yes, I deliberately disobeyed you. I’m sorry, Mother. Jamal and Freya were with me. Please, allow me to show you exactly what I’m talking about.”

  “I’m aware of the problems in town. It seems there is some restlessness happening just outside the walls of Kibsu also. Some of our outlying villages have taken up arms and are trying to breach the walls with farm tools and what have you. I was just speaking to my advisors about it. They tell me that the country folk are quite insane over the whole thing. Most of them don’t even know what they used to trade in the first place. I’ve had to order the gates to the city closed until all this madness is over.”

  She held her hand to her head and sighed. “It’s just one thing after another.”

  I’d thought this was confined to Kisbu, but it looked like it extended past the reach of the capital city. My heart fell with the monumental task we faced. If it wasn’t bad enough that everyone was hypnotized, they were also mad because of my mother’s poor decisions. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. The people are losing their memories.”

  My mother stared blankly at me.

  “What are their demands?” I said with a sigh.

  “They are demanding more food, it would seem. Honestly, I really don’t understand. Most of the people from outside of the walls either have their own lands to farm or work for wealthy families. That they suddenly claim to be going hungry is outrageous.”

  My mother had ceased trade to all kingdoms and increased taxes a few days ago. It was no wonder they were angry. Added to the fact that most of them probably didn’t know what they were doing or should be doing, it was a disaster of epic proportions.

  I fidgeted with my headscarf, wondering when the magic had started to grow outside of the city. Maybe I was wrong, and the magic was radiating inwards. I’d not heard anything until now about trouble outside the city, but it was possible that this had been going on in Badalah longer than I thought. I already knew it was happening in other kingdoms outside of Badalah.

  “Mother, do you believe in magic?”

  She smiled and looked away. “Perhaps I did once upon a time. But I’ve been so busy ruling a kingdom that I cannot allow myself such musings.”

  “What of Genie?”

  Her brows furrowed. “Genie?” She paused, “Like the genie of the lamp?”

  I nodded.

  She smoothed out her skirt, trying to hold back a laugh, from what I could see.

  “Oh, dear Gaia. Genies are the things of fairytales. They are not real. My goodness, young lady. Who’s been filling your head with such nonsense?”

  I pulled back from her embrace. Wishing she was back to normal didn’t make it so. I could shout at her all I liked, but she was in no fit state to make any changes to the kingdom. A few weeks ago, she was the strongest, most compassionate woman I knew. Everything I was, I owed to her, but now she was a shell of her former self. I no longer recognized her.

  “I’m sorry, Mother. If you need help with anything, let me know.” She kissed my forehead as she had done countless times before, but when she pulled back, the blank stare was back on her face. Before she asked me who I was, I stood and wandered to the only place in the palace, I felt truly safe anymore, my bedroom.

&n
bsp; Asher greeted me with a squawk as he always did when I entered.

  “At least, you remember me,” I whispered, choking back the tears. The last few moments had made me realize just how much I missed my mother. The real her, not this weird version of her that seemed to flitter in and out of comprehension. I realized with a thump in my chest that this weirdness was probably the cause of her wanting to find me a husband. A few weeks ago, they’d shown no interest in having me married off. My mother had playfully enquired if I had my eye on anyone a couple of times, but we’d both giggled over the ridiculous amount of marriage proposals I received week after week.

  It was little consolation. My mother, as I knew her, was gone. Even though I realized that all of her bizarre policy changes and her sudden interest in marrying me off were probably a result of the spell she was under, I didn’t know how to bring her back.

  A knock at the door made me jump. As safe as I thought my bedroom to be, the truth was, it didn’t have a lock on it. Not that I thought my physical safety was in jeopardy, but what with everything else going on, I wasn’t too sure how long that would last. My mental wellbeing was already shot, thanks to being forgotten by almost everyone.

  The only people that truly remembered me within the palace walls were Freya and Jamal. As Freya tended to walk in without waiting for me to answer, I expected Jamal to be on the other side of the door. When I saw Genie standing there, so many emotions hit me at once. The last time I’d seen him, he’d told me he thought about me being in his bed. I’ tried to forget it, but it was hard when I thought about him constantly.

  “Genie...I...”

  “May I come in?” he asked, glancing quickly down the corridor as though he didn’t want to be seen coming into my room. I opened the door and let him in, quickly shutting the door behind me.

 

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