by Lisa Dawn
“We’ll cover you!” said Frederick.
The only thing left for me to do now was stop the wedding, whether Braydon wanted me to or not.
Chapter 23
I ran as fast as my feet could carry me. The fate of an entire kingdom depended on me. As I twisted and turned through the labyrinth, I realized how grateful I was that Greta’s simple dress allowed me to maneuver myself in ways that my corset and petticoats never could. I reached the closest staircase I could find to the audience chamber and pushed open the secret door leading back into the castle.
I had bought myself a little time by using the passageway, but I could hear the guards racing toward me from down the hall. If I didn’t act fast, I’d never reach the wedding in time. I noticed a decorative suit of armor on display against the wall next to me. Pressing my back against the wall for leverage, I lifted both my feet onto the statue’s back and pushed with all my might until it came crashing down in the guards’ path. My leg tore through my gray skirt as the armor toppled over, but I pressed onward.
Just when I thought I had a clear path to the audience chamber, the ornate door slid open. Aunt Denise’s attendant pushed her directly in front of my path. She crossed her arms. Her eyes were clouded. The guards were catching up fast. It was now or never.
“Aunt Denise, you must let me pass!”
“So you were the one who disturbed the guards,” Denise said calmly.
“Please! The guards are under his spell. They won’t show either of us mercy!”
“Today is a very important day for the future of Dorraine. Interruptions will not be tolerated.”
“Those are Mercer’s words, not yours. Everything you have ever done has been for the good of Klingland.”
I could see her eyes flicker as my words rang true, but it wasn’t enough. She stared me down with red fire burning in her eyes.
“You will hold your tongue before your regent.”
“I already made that mistake when I agreed to the alliance,” I said. “I will not make it again.”
“I will have you sent back to the dungeon where you belong!”
The guards were closing in on us. They raised their swords with intent to strike. Time was running out. I needed to make my next words count.
“You lost everything in that war. You stood in my mother’s shadow trying to protect us. You gave up magic. You gave up me. All the while, you thought you were weak, but you were wrong. You are the strongest person I know!”
Pablo raised his sword over us. We were out of time. All I could think about was that I needed to protect my aunt for the sake of Klingland’s future. I leapt over her chair. He would not harm her as long as she still had Henry and me.
“Stop! I command you,” said Denise.
To my shock, the guards obeyed her. I studied her face. Her eyes had returned to their greenish hue. Henry was right. All I needed to do was show people that I believed in them. Denise saw herself as a helpless and weak, but I knew how hard she worked to protect our people.
“How?” I asked. “They were under Mercer’s control.”
“No, dear. They were under mine. Mercer’s power has spread too thin for him to use on the guards. I’m so sorry. For everything.”
“I forgive you,” I said tearfully.
I knelt down and wrapped my arms around her. She hugged me gently.
“The time has come for you to mend this wounded land. Go.”
She nodded at her attendant who opened the door for me. I stood up and raced inside. The room was filled with the guests I saw on the bridge when I arrived at the castle. At the end of the aisle, Braydon held Krystal’s hands and recited his vows before a priest looking completely disillusioned. Krystal, on the other hand, was beaming brightly as all of her dreams were about to come true. Her frilly pink ruffles seemed to have gotten even more elaborate than when I saw her in the dressing room. Lily stood beside her looking unusually serious.
“Repeat after me,” said the priest. “I, Braydon, take thee Krystal.”
“Stop!” I shouted.
Braydon looked at me in horror. Why was he so concerned about me breaking up the wedding? Krystal rolled her eyes as if she had been expecting this.
“Charlotte?” Braydon asked.
“Er, no, Krystal,” said the priest.
“Why must you insist on making this day about you?” said Krystal.
I ignored her as I made my way down the aisle addressing my people.
“Good people of Klingland, Krystal is working with King Mercer to steal the runes from the mines. If this alliance happens, Klingland will be no more. We must not let our mother land be ravaged by greed!”
No reaction. I thought I had spoken with enough conviction, but something had blocked my words from reaching them, just like when I tried to speak to Lily in the dressing room. I knew from my experiences in the village how much our people valued their magic. They should have been outraged.
“Don’t any of you want to return magic back to the people?”
The residents of Klingland looked at me like a pack of wolves ready to feast on their prey. Could this have been what Braydon was so concerned about?
“What a shame,” said Mercer. It looks like no one cares about your little rebellion. I wonder why that could be. You see, we had a little chat with our guests before the ceremony in case someone tried to crash the party. It appears that hour is now at hand.”
“Do it! Now!” shouted Krystal.
Mercer revealed the mind control rune glowing brightly on his belt. One by one, each guest’s eyes shifted to an unnatural red. He must have used an inordinate amount of power to manipulate so many innocent people. The color was draining from his face as his hands shook violently. I backed away as the people I had sacrificed so much to protect chased me down the aisle without mercy.
Chapter 24
“Call them off!” Braydon shouted as he drew his sword.
I ducked behind the podium that the priest was using to conduct the wedding ceremony. The sea of Mercer’s puppets surrounded me while he and Krystal stood to the side to watch my demise. With nowhere left to run, I climbed atop the podium and did my best to maintain my balance. Braydon pointed his sword at his father. I couldn’t imagine what he must have been going through at that moment. Mercer smirked and held up the mind control rune. Braydon’s expression went blank.
“Drop your sword,” said Mercer.
Braydon’s eyes glowed red as he obeyed his father’s command. I felt the podium jostle back and forth beneath me as I held on for dear life. There was no time for a rousing speech to break the spell on him like I had used on Frederick and Denise. All I could do was hope that Braydon had the willpower to fight it on his own.
“Braydon! Don’t listen to him!” I shouted.
“Didn’t I always tell you you’re dead if you don’t strike first?” Mercer asked. “You’ve failed me, son.”
I could see Braydon struggling to regain control as he squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head.
“You can’t keep this up much longer,” Braydon struggled to say in a moment of lucidity.
Right after he got the words out, Mercer took back his control over him. Though he tried to hide it, I could see that Mercer was barely able to hold his own as the rune’s glow began to flicker. He must have used too much power between Braydon, Denise, and all the wedding guests. With all the chaos of wedding ceremony, he probably had trouble focusing his energy on the rune the way Edgar had taught me.
“Now you will finally be an obedient son,” Mercer yelled. “Knock her down!”
Braydon’s eyes glowed red as he rammed himself into the podium. I fell face-first into the sea of Mercer’s puppets. They tore at my dress, pulled at my hair, and kicked me in the stomach. In spite of the pain, all I could feel was sympathy for Braydon. His father had done the one thing Braydon thought he never would. It looked seeing my struggle broke through the mind control spell. He squeezed his eyes shut when he saw me being attacked
by the guests. When he opened them again, he reverted back to his true self. Without a moment’s hesitation, Braydon grabbed my arms and pulled me from their grasp.
“I thought I told you not to do anything stupid!” he shouted at me.
“I won’t abandon my people again!” I shouted back.
I attempted to climb onto one of the pews, but a mass of pink ruffles pushed me back toward the attackers. Krystal huffed at me as her enormous train spread around the crowd. She still had the one thing that could save everyone. I needed to take back my stolen jewel before it was too late. As I tumbled back into the sea of puppets, I reached out and grabbed the rune from her neck. The thin gold chain snapped clean off from the momentum of my fall.
“What do you think you’re doing?” asked Krystal.
Braydon fended off my attackers with his sword. I felt the magic of the rune flow through my veins as I spoke. Instead of the usual fatigue, it was strong and powerful.
“I came here to deliver the truth,” I said. “Klingland is a land of powerful magic and the hard-working people who wield it.”
Krystal tried to reach for the rune again, but her heavy dress held her down. As it glowed brightly in my hand, the wedding guests who stood closest to me snapped out of their trance and looked around in confusion. Braydon sheathed his sword.
“Your mother made a very difficult decision to keep everyone safe. I came back to protect them, knowing all the risks involved. What have you done for Klingland?”
“Do you know how hard I worked in the hope that I could see this day?” shouted Krystal as the magic flowed into her.
“Do you even know what hard work is? I didn’t until I was sent away. It’s the blood, sweat, tears, and exhaustion of making an honest living. It’s the sense of accomplishment that comes from making someone else’s day a little brighter. Our people do that every day, but we’re too blind to see it because we’re too busy living a life of luxury.”
I felt the magic pour through every fiber of my being. The next thing I knew, a warm yellow light lifted me into the air, and I floated over the procession. All eyes were on me.
“They all deserve a chance to use magic to ease their burden and to bring joy to themselves and their loved ones.”
Henry and Frederick burst in through the door, swords drawn. When they saw me floating above them, they looked at each other, trying to figure out if I still needed their help. The rune’s magic filled me with confidence and strength. Mercer’s hold lifted from the rest of the wedding guests.
“Father, do something!” shouted Krystal. It seemed she had grown fonder of Mercer while I was away than I realized.
The audience chamber was bathed in the yellow glow of the truth rune. The warm light sucked out every last bit of power in the mind control rune on Mercer’s belt along with his own vitality. The red stone dimmed and disintegrated until it became a gray smoking husk that rolled onto the floor. Mercer collapsed. Between my family and the wedding guests, he had put too much of his strength into the rune, and now he could never recover it. Braydon ran to his father’s side and knelt down beside him.
“Forgive me, Father,” sobbed Braydon. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t strike you. I still had hope that your faith in mankind might be restored.”
“It appears…” Mercer breathed weakly, “I wasn’t strong enough after all.”
The last of his strength abandoned him as his eyes became lifeless. Braydon knelt his head and sobbed. I knew Mercer needed to be stopped, but I wished it didn’t mean sacrificing Braydon’s only family. I floated slowly back to the ground. Henry wheeled Denise to Braydon. She placed a hand on his shoulder.
“The magic of the rune corrupted him beyond repair. I’m sorry,” said Denise.
After a moment of silence, one of the wedding guests turned to me.
“All hail Princess Charlotte, the future queen of Klingland!”
“No, I’m the princess!” shouted Krystal. “Mother!”
Krystal tried to run up to Denise but tripped on her long train.
“Krystal, you have betrayed your own people,” said Denise. “There is no redemption from that.”
“But you said I could marry Braydon and be queen!”
“Perhaps a little time in the dungeon will help you see things more clearly. Frederick?” asked Denise.
Frederick bowed and carried away a kicking and screaming Krystal as her long train trailed behind her.
“You can’t do this! Put me down this instant!” shouted Krystal as Frederick took her away.
Denise gestured for Henry to bring me the crown. He removed it from the display. Lily ran over and nearly toppled me over with one of her famous hugs.
“You did it! You were amazing!”
“It appears the people have spoken, Charlotte,” said Denise, “you took a big risk in the name of protecting your people. Klingland would be blessed to have you as their queen."
Everyone cheered my name. It was as if the past few weeks had never happened. I was back at the coronation I’d been dreaming about for years. Yet, it could not erase my experiences. I had already mourned the loss of my crown and considered other possibilities for myself that I never imagined before. After everything I’d been through, my desires had changed. I shook my head at Henry.
“My future was decided for me before I was born,” I said. “Then I found out what it was like to live never knowing what’s going to happen next. I don’t think I want to give up that sense of excitement just yet.”
Lily clasped her hands.
“You’re going to become an epic adventurer like in the stories!” she said.
“That’s all well and good, but what will happen to Klingland?” asked Henry.
I placed my hand on his shoulder.
“You were right. I was so blinded my own ambitions that I didn’t see how capable the people around me were. With the proper training, I think you will make a fine king.”
“Only if you will be my advisor,” he said. “How can I possibly figure out how to write all those complicated treaties to legalize magic again without you?”
The role of advisor seemed fitting to me. I had more experience training for the crown than Braydon did, and it would still allow me to travel and see more of my kingdom. Perhaps I could even lead some of the excavations.
“I accept.”
Denise nodded.
“The crown princess has spoken! Klingland has a new king!” she said.
The crowd cheered. Henry approached Lily.
“I do have one more request.”
He got down on one knee. Lily’s smile grew large enough to fill the whole castle. She squealed and placed her hands over her heart.
“I don’t know how I can do this without Lily as my queen. Lily, will you marry me?”
Lily pulled him back up.
“Of course I will, silly!”
She grabbed Henry and kissed him. Then Braydon approached me and got down on one knee as well.
“Why don’t we make it a double wedding? Dorraine is going to need a new queen now, and I think you’re just the right person for the job.”
When my aunt had first told me about the alliance, I had no desire to be anywhere near Braydon, but my feelings had changed. He had proven his respect toward me again and again. Plus, he defended me from the Sederian knights and the possessed wedding guests. He loved me just as much as I loved him. Yet, becoming queen of Dorraine would keep me away from Klingland. I wouldn’t be able to help Henry or lead the excavations. It was the wrong time. I took a deep breath.
“I’d love to,” I said, “Someday. But right now, my family needs me here. Somebody needs to show Henry the ropes. We still have a lot of work left.”
Braydon stood up and pulled me close.
“I understand,” he whispered in my ear. “I’m willing to wait for you as long as it takes.”
Greta found her way over as the guests started to clear out.
“So you were the princess the whole time?” s
he asked me.
“Not technically. I had my title revoked when I was working at the inn.”
“But that’s still amazing! You grew up in a castle! It must have been wonderful!”
“There were good days and bad days, just like anywhere else.”
“I can’t imagine having a bad day here.”
“I hope you never do,” I said.
I truly meant it. I didn’t want anyone else to suffer through the same hardships that I did. I was fortunate enough to be granted a second chance, and I had no intention of wasting it. I would not make the same mistake twice. From now on, I vowed to be completely honest with everyone and to always honor the laws of my kingdom until Henry, Lily, and I could change them for the better. I made sure to remind them every day how grateful I was to have them in my life. They reminded me in turn that my life still had meaning and that my one mistake did not define my value as a person.
Epilogue
Over the course of the following year, everything changed. I started living at the castle again, but this time, I was free to come and go as I pleased. Elsie was reinstated as my handmaiden, and Greta enthusiastically became Lily’s. She was much nicer to her than Krystal. As the future queen of Klingland, Lily moved into my old chambers, I became Henry’s tutor. Aunt Denise and I worked together to help him prepare for his role as king. He didn’t pick up on royal protocol as quickly as I did, but he got better with time.
Lily feigned disinterest in our royal lessons until I found a way to trick her into it. I knew how much she hated being left out. Whenever Henry and Lily were in the same room, I would go out of my way to discreetly discuss the day’s lessons with Henry. Every time I did so, Lily would never fail to ask us to include her in the conversation. In that way, I managed to stealthily teach her all the same diplomacy and foreign protocol lessons that I taught Henry. Denise did her best to help out as well. Now that I was no longer the future queen, she treated me more like a member of the family while placing a little more pressure on Henry to take his responsibilities more seriously.