by Scarlett Kol
She raked her fingers through her hair and fussed with her sapphire gown as if she had no idea what to do with her hands or how to keep herself still. I placed my hands on her shoulders. "What do you need from me? I’m not sure what to do?”
She sighed. "I don't really know right now. I just needed to tell someone. To let it out.”
I held my arms open and she fell into my chest, her tears soaked my shirt as she trembled. She let the sadness take her for a minute as I held her up while the strength in her body waned. My ribs closed tight around my lungs and my eyes welled, but I didn’t cry. Mom kept this family in line. I’d never seen her break. Not once.
After a few moments, she jerked her head up and wiped her face with the back of her hand. Her posture slid back into place, the time for letting go passing as she fell back into her role as queen.
“Thank you,” she whispered then let out a short huff as the red drained from her cheeks. “But we need to keep this quiet so the citizens of Aboria don’t find out. When the curse was lifted the collective memory of the beast vanished except for those in the castle. It would cause mass panic and we can't have that without the king in place. I can only do so much without royal blood. In the end, I'll always be the commoner who ascended so we need total discretion until we can figure this out."
"Of course." Besides, it wasn't like I wanted anyone finding out about this either.
Smash. Crash. Thump.
A deep menacing roar echoed through the castle.. I shivered. Mom placed her a dainty hand over mine on her left shoulder and forced a reassuring smile.
"I better go. Sounds like he might need me." She patted my grip and turned to go but I gripped tighter on the satin of her gown.
The reality of our situation hit me. My father was not only a beast, but he was here in the castle...with us. The way my mother described him made him sound dangerous. The photo of the way he used to be was enough to convince me that this was no small problem.
"You can't. What if… What if he hurt you? Maybe we should send a guard?”
“My sweet boy. This isn’t their problem to bear, and until we have better answers, it isn’t yours either. Please promise me that you won’t try to see him. Not like this. It wouldn’t be good for you or him. I've been through this before and I can handle it. Please, promise me.”
She was asking me to let her go into the beast’s lair... literally. She gave me a pointed stare and I knew that nothing I could say would convince her not to go.
“I promise.”
She pulled me into another hug and I squeezed her tight until she gasped for breath.
"Mom, be careful."
She slipped out of my arms and hurried to the door. "I will. Let's hope we figure this out quickly. I’ll be fine."
She slammed the door behind her leaving me alone in the cavernous tomb of books. I glanced at their spines, each one meticulously cared for and in their place. Each title in a beautiful embossed script, like sideways smiles leering at me.
"What are you looking at?" I huffed at them.
I stormed out of the library and down the hall toward my room. A beast. An actual beast. This was seriously going to mess up my street cred.
Griswold appeared ahead of me as if he'd been instructed to wait in that exact spot.
"Is there anything I can get for you, master."
I slumped against the wall my head banging against the stone, the pain oddly providing comfort.
"No. Unless you happen to have a magic wand."
"No wands, sir." He responded stone-faced. "But I'm sure it will all work itself out. I don't particularly look forward to returning to stone if I can help it."
"Stone?”
Why was everyone in the castle in on this secret but me? My father was a beast, his servant was apparently petrified. What else were they keeping from me?
The old man placed a wavering hand over his lips. "Clearly I've said too much."
"What is going on Griswold? You obviously know about my father. why has no one told me any of this? I’m the King and Queen’s only child. Don’t I deserve the courtesy of the truth?"
"The king and queen have loved you since the moment they laid eyes upon you. I don't think it's a matter of trust, but a matter of protection. You'd be well-served to remember how much they care for you as the coming days may be difficult for everyone."
I scrubbed my hands over my face wishing to erase the last two hours of my life. With any luck this will all be an effect of the alcohol I’d consumed in the tavern in the town and I’d wake up with a throbbing hangover and this would all be a dream...a bad one.
"You are dismissed, Griswold."
He bowed his head, “Yes, sir.” Then he scampered off down the hallway before I culd question him further.
I reached for the doorknob. Another ear-splitting growl echoed through the corridor. I cringed as I ran through my mother’s story again. The one of nightmares. The one she tossed on me, then asked me to stand by and do nothing.
Forget this. I couldn’t sit and listen to this all night, not knowing what to do. I let go of the doorknob and raced out of the castle into the night.
Empty seats filled the tavern. Most of the regulars already gone home, and those that remained sat lost in silence entertaining their ghosts. Without the royal tab, the party must’ve shut down, or maybe just moved elsewhere with closing time looming soon.
I stood in the doorway half considering roaming the streets until I found Kalmin and Harding, but the heaviness growing in my limbs won out.
I pulled up to the bar on my regular stool and motioned to Mr. Takka.
"Graced by his highness twice in one day, to what do I owe this honor?"
"To a rough night and a cloudy head."
He nodded, the lines around his eyes crinkling in a knowing way. "Well let's see what we can do about that then."
I ran my fingernail through the wood grain of the bar top as Mr. Takka poured a drink and set it down in front of me. "On the house, Your Majesty."
"Thank you. You’re a good man."
He retreated to the far side of the bar stacking glasses and wiping down counters, either avoiding the potential of me telling him my problems or maybe knowing better and simply leaving me to my thoughts.
I wrapped my hand around the glass, the cool condensation doing nothing to ease the burn in my flesh.
My father, a beast? Why had no one bothered to tell me? And what did it all mean? My father ruled with a strong fist but with a kindness the people adored. I sometimes wished I’d turned out more like him, but being king always seemed like a lot of hard work.
"Excuse me, Your Highness." A voice, familiar but lacking a certain disdainful vigor, interrupted my wallowing.
I glanced over my shoulder, my body disinterested in fully turning around. The mountain girl in her sloppy, grey tunic.
I sighed, my shoulders collapsing into my chest, with zero energy to deal with her drama right now. "If you have any more concerns might I suggest sending a letter to the castle, or attending a session of court. I'm not sure how much more I can help you without a formal complaint."
Her face scrunched up like one does when they've bitten a sour grape but haven’t thought to spit it out yet.
"Actually, Your Highness," she gave the slightest nod of her head and bend of her knee. "I wanted to apologize."
I swirled the ale around in my glass stamping a wet circle across the bar top. "Everyone is entitled to their opinion."
"True. But I didn't have the right to air it out like that. You are the Crown Prince of Aboria after all. My mouth tends to run away on me sometimes and if I forget to catch it, it gets me into trouble."
No surprise there. I let go of the glass and rubbed my damp palm across my thigh, then spun on the stool to face her. If she had the decency to apologize, I could at least meet her eyes. Not many would have the courage to admit they’d wronged royalty, but yet, not many people had the fire to stand up to a royal in such a public way either.
A slight shadow of a girl like her would normally fade into the background, but something about the way she stood, her hip jut sharp to the left and the weight of a thousand lifetimes balanced on her proud shoulders sparked an odd challenge in my gut, both terrifying and strangely invigorating.
"Well, again, I'm very sorry.” She fidgeted with her hands before narrowing her stare and pointing to the table in the corner. "I better get back. Please forgive me for my lack of decorum.”
"I appreciate the apology miss…"
"Veda, Your Highness. Veda Macario.”
I extended my hand, but she shook her head.
“I've interrupted enough of your evening. I'll leave you alone."
My right leg twitched as a restless electric buzz pulsed through my limbs. Alone. The word fell from her lips and detonated like a bomb at my feet--each syllable hollow, empty, and terrifying.
"No rush. Why don't you take a seat and tell me a little more about yourself Miss Macario?"
A bewildered frown etched across her face and she cast her eyes to the floor as a tinge of pink blossomed along her cheeks. She had so much to say, but when she wasn't the one leading the charge her instincts seemed to fail her. The glimpse of vulnerability actually seemed somewhat charming.
She slipped onto the barstool at my left, her elbows on the wooden top and her fingers gently pulling at her frizzy strands of hair tucked behind her ear.
"What would you like to know? I'm sure my quiet life is dreadfully boring compared to living in the castle.”
"Maybe. But the castle is all I've ever known.” Even if everything I’ve ever known might be hiding a massive secret. A mystery I didn’t have the brainpower, or maybe just the courage to face right now. “Indulge me."
“I’m amazed. For someone who hasn’t been outside of Aboria, you sure know a lot about the world.”
I scratched the back of my head and gazed over at Veda bathed in the light of her enigmatic glory. She’d done as I asked, spilling her stories with flare and taking me away from this tiny tavern and my own head. But she’d also made one thing very clear--she was smart. Really smart. Her perception and insight rivaled at least half of the top advisors on my father’s council, but even her know-it-all attitude didn’t feel like an assault. Her straightforwardness came from an altruistic place, instead of one of pride or arrogance, like most who deemed themselves worthy to argue with the crown. Annoying as hell, but also strangely refreshing.
“And for someone who’s seen it all, you seem to know very little.”
She laughed and leaned forward smacking her hand on my thigh. I glanced at her dainty fingers and her cheeks blanched as she ripped it away, sliding her palm down her thigh as if to erase the action.
I shrugged and gave a reassuring chuckle until a crooked smile crested her lips. “Someone needed to keep my father entertained.”
And apparently, keep his secret.
"Closing time. Sir. Ma'am.” Mr. Takka appeared in front of us and nodded toward the clock on the wall. His kind stare flitted between the two of us. "But if you need me to stay open I can?”
I glanced at my nearly empty glass, the gravity of going home and dealing with my abomination of a father sitting heavy between my shoulders just in the fleshy spot beneath my neck and pushing me down to the stool.
"I've probably had enough for tonight." I turned to Veda, a slight kernel of anticipation growing in my stomach. "Unless you'd like to stay?"
She leaned back and stretched her arms, a soft squeal coming from her throat. "I should probably get home too."
She slipped her hand into her pocket and slid a wrinkled twenty baht across the bar.
I slammed my hand on top of the bill. “You don’t have to pay. It’s on me.”
“I’d rather not.” She wriggled the paper from beneath my fingers and leaned over the bar to deposit it on the lower counter, out of reach. “I prefer to pay my own way.”
She gave me one last lazy smile, loose and carefree, a sudden pang surging through my chest.
She rested her hand on my arm, her fingertips cold through the thin cotton of my sleeve. "And about what I said before, about being king. I never said you didn’t have the potential to be a great king, I just don’t think you’re there yet.”
She cast another smile my way, then retreated to the corner, piling her books into a perfect stack.
I gulped the last mouthful from my glass and closed my eyes concentrating on the frothy ale as it slid down my throat. Veda’s word cascaded through my head, every one of her stories replaying in a calming loop. How she lived by herself up on the mountain. The dreams she had about one day leaving Aboria. Her hopes for a better future. As I recounted each of her words, a peculiar feeling washed over me. I didn’t want her to leave.
"Hey, Veda." I spun around on my stool, the ale and the lateness of the evening kept my head on the carousel even after my feet stopped moving. The single table in the corner sat empty, only the click of the front door in its frame answered for her.
2
21st May
You have the potential to be a great king...just not yet. Veda’s words echoed on a loop in my mind, twisting and writhing through my brain like the matted high thread count sheets wrapped around my body as I tossed and turned. Who did she think she was anyway? No one in the kingdom would have the tenacity or sheer gall to speak to me that way. Is that why I couldn’t stop thinking about the strange slip of a girl who lurked in the corner of my favorite tavern? Or maybe it was the lack of malice? When she’d ripped into me earlier, I could see the rage seething beneath her skin, but when she whispered those words in the dim light of early morning they lacked venom. Her wide emerald eyes twinkled with hope. Honesty. She actually believed in me. Why? Who the heck knows?
I unraveled myself from my bed and hung my feet over the side, digging my toes into the softness of the brocade rug covering the cold stone floor. But what if she was wrong and I’d never be great? Groaning, I rubbed my hands over my face trying to scrub out the memory of last night. Of Veda. Of everything.
Grrrrr!
A loud growl accompanied the smash of breaking glass off towards the west wing. I jumped to my feet and grabbed a robe from the armchair by my bed and rushed into the hall. Staff scurried through the corridors, heads down, or grim expressions held tight in fear from the ones who dared to make eye contact.
“That’s it. Thank you all, but we will not be needing your services today. Please head back to the servant’s quarters.” Griswold clapped his hands as his voice boomed over the pending chaos. “Thank you. Move along.”
I tugged at his jacket. “What’s happening? Is it…?”
Griswold nodded, his lips in a tight grave line.
“But I thought my mother said she was taking care of things. That it would all be okay?”
All the light left in his expression drained. His advanced age showed even older than usual. “Things are worse than she expected. She’s gone to fetch a doctor.”
“She left him alone? Why couldn’t they send someone else?”
“This situation requires the utmost discretion, Your Highness. Besides, she has been by his side all night, she needs the break. Now I recommend going back to your chambers, at least for the time being.”
I stomped down, the smack of my bare foot on the stone surging through my leg. “I want to see him. My father. Take me to him, Griswold.”
“I can’t.” He placed a shaking hand on my shoulders and gently pushed me back down the hall.
I whirled around and planted my feet, the robe billowing around me like a cape. “I am the Crown Prince of Aboria and I demand to see my father.”
“And I am on strict orders from Her Majesty the Queen of Aboria that no one is to see the king--not even you.” Griswold crossed his arms and widened his stance to cover more of the hallway as if I couldn’t outmaneuver an old man if I wanted to. “You can take it up with her when she returns, otherwise, please return to your chambers at once.”
; Shifting my weight from foot to foot, I pondered the value of challenging Griswold. He'd served this castle far longer than anyone else and I doubted a temper tantrum would persuade him to let me get my way. His loyalty to my family seemed superhuman, but it didn't mean that it didn't disrupt my plans on occasion. Unfortunately, today was one of these occasions.
"Fine." I tossed my hands in the air and retreated, Griswold's ever-watchful eye weighed down on the back of my head as I stormed down the hall to my room. I slammed the door and leaned against the wooden panels, banging my head so that it echoed like the knock of an unwanted guest.
Griswold might have my mother's wishes at heart, but it didn't mean I actually had to listen.
I dressed quickly in casual grey pants and a loose white shirt, hoping to pass as one of the servants from a distance and peeked back out into the hallway. An eerie stillness radiated through the stone corridor, not a footstep or even a whisper, just a strange nothingness. Instead of risking another confrontation, I slipped down the hall heading east and into my mother's library. The rich heavy scent of parchment and ink wafted out as I opened the door and carefully shut it again without a sound. Like always, I scanned the grand bookcases from the floor to the ceiling as if the books could see me. As if they stood guard and recorded all the things that had come and gone in this room and whispered about it to each other when no one was looking. Hopefully, they wouldn't tell on me this time.
Closing my eyes, I searched my memory for the combination. The sing-song of one of the greatest weapons royalty had--an escape plan.
Three Aborian maidens fair,