The Deadly Alliance (The Deadly Alliance Series Book 1)

by Megan Bradish

  “Okay,” she says, suspicion clouding her eyes.

  “Are you alright? It’s early,” I say look at the two of them.

  “Of course,” Milly says. “King Julian and King Elias wish to see you in the throne room.”

  My heart begins to quicken, and I instinctively rub my forehead. “Did they say why?”

  “No. We were just told to get you as quickly as possible,” Adelina says.

  I nod, as Adelina and Milly get to work grabbing a dress out of the wardrobe and begin working on my hair. I sit in silence wondering what it could be that they could possibly need to talk to me about at this hour. Morning had just arrived. It had to be important, whatever it was.

  “Are you sure you’re alright?” Milly asks as we finish getting ready.

  “Yes, of course. Shall we go?” I ask, walking past them before they can answer. I just needed this done with. I was still too worked up about my dream, or hallucination, whatever you wanted to call it. I just wanted to be alone with my thoughts for awhile. But being alone with your thoughts can be destructive. I knew that all too well.

  As I enter the throne room, father and Elias are chatting casually, like they’d been friends for years. I wish I could have learned that trick from father over the years. It was just so easy for him to make conversation with people he didn’t know. Maybe if I were more like that, I wouldn’t be so nervous now. I had to just force myself, somehow.

  “Father. King Elias,” I greet as I walk up to them.

  “Blair, my darling. There you are,” Father says as he kisses my cheek. “Did you sleep well?”

  If you call being terrorized by the ghost in your head a good night sleep, then yes, I slept well.

  “I did,” I say.

  “I hope you settled in well after our supper,” King Elias says as he too, kisses my cheek. I should feel like a goddess with all of these kings kissing me like I’m the light of their world. But I feel antsy. I hate small talk and the anticipation of what is to come is killing me.

  “Yes, thank you. I settled in nicely. My ladies saw to that,” I glance back at Adelina and Milly and they give a small smile with a bow of their heads.

  Before Elias can say anything more, his mother and two brothers walk in. “We’re here, darling. What is it you could possibly need to tell us at this hour?” Charolette asks.

  My question exactly.

  “Mother. Good morning to you, too,” Elias says. “Well, since we’re all here, lets begin. King Julian and I have been discussing our alliance together in some length.” He looks over at father. He gives him an approving smile and nods his head. Elias continues, “With Blair being the next queen of Myrkdovia, we feel it is of utmost importance that we form a strong alliance now, so the chances of others waging war on us in the future is less.”

  Excuse me? I couldn’t have just heard that right. He couldn’t seriously be suggesting that countries would wage war on me for being a woman.

  “I’m sorry,” I say interrupting. “But are you suggesting that I won’t be capable of keeping the peace when I become queen? That I won’t be capable of a successful reign without the help of others?” My cheeks are burning hot now, and I have to force myself to breathe. Is this what the alliance is really all about? Making sure I don’t mess things up?

  “My dear, you mustn’t interrupt a king while he is speaking!” Charolette scolds. I glance over at her, unamused, and glare at father, waiting for a response.

  “Blair, no one is suggesting that you won’t be capable,” father says in shock. “No one knows better than I that you will be a great queen. But the fact of the matter is, it’s much more likely to have our enemies wage war knowing a woman is in charge.”

  I knew this to be true. So many times, countries have been invaded when there is only a queen. They see her as soft. Weak. Someone that can be easily manipulated and overthrown. Maybe someday, queens would be seen as a force to be reckoned with. But for now, men still saw themselves as superior. As Gods. And we were the weaker sex. Shows how much they know.

  I sigh. “Yes, I know this.”

  “I’m sorry if I worded it too harshly,” Elias says, sounding genuine.

  “A king doesn’t apologize to anyone. Especially those who rank lower than he,” Charolette said to her son. Well, I’m getting a good glimpse at what my mother in law will be like. A peach.

  “Mother, please. She is to be my wife. Your queen. You’ll do well to remember that,” Elias warns.

  I smile at Elias. He was defending me over his mother already, and we weren’t even married yet. I tried blocking out the girl from my dream. This man was harmless. And he seemed to care a great deal for me and my father’s country. But I couldn’t get her out of my mind.

  He walks up to me now. “Today,” he says.

  “What’s today?” I ask confused.

  “Your father and I were thinking we should marry today. If you’re okay with that, of course.”

  My heart leaps into my chest. Today? I just arrived at Cryptshiere castle yesterday. I wasn’t prepared for things to move as fast as they were. Yes, yes. I know I said I wanted it to happen right away so father could be here. But I didn’t actually mean it. I think I was delusional last night. Now that it’s a reality, I feel sick.

  I don’t want him to kill you. The mysterious girl’s words keep ringing in my ears. I don’t want him to kill me either. But what was I to do? I couldn’t just run away from this. I had no choice. This was my life. My prison.

  “Blair?” Father asks, snapping me from my thoughts.

  “Well…I…I was just wondering why today? I’ve only just arrived. I feel we should at least wait a couple weeks,” I say. I’m not ready for this. I am not ready.

  “Blair,” Father warns. Yes, yes. I know. A woman should never question her husband, or soon-to-be husband, especially one who is a king. But I would see to changing that absurd custom.

  “No, it’s alright your majesty,” Elias says. He turns to me now and clasps my hands. “I know you’ve just arrived and you’re still settling in. But the sooner we’re married, the better it will be for both of our countries. I’ve only been king for a short time, and it’ll be good not only for you, but for me to have this alliance between us,” he says in a soft voice.

  “And that way, I could be here to see you married,” father said.

  I did want father here for the ceremony. It was hard to tell when I’d see him again after he went back to Myrkdovia. The thought of that alone, made me feel sick. I knew this day would come eventually. I knew I’d have to form an alliance some day if I were to be queen. But knowing, and actually doing, are two very different things. Besides, it’s not like I actually had a choice in the matter. If the kings wanted me married today, I would be married today.

  “You’re both right,” is all I say. I’m not going to pretend to be excited about this, because I’m not. I can’t stop thinking about the girl who came to me in my dream last night. Whether she was real or not, it felt real. And she was trying to save me.

  “It’s settled then!” Father exclaimed, clapping his hands together. “The ceremony shall begin at 7 this evening. Go now, Blair. Get some rest before getting ready. It’s going to be an eventful night,” he said as he practically pushed me out the door. Adelina and Milly followed close behind me as I scurried to my room.

  Chapter 6

  “Blair, are you alright?” Adelina asks. Her and Milly look at me with worried eyes.

  “Yes, yes. I’m fine,” I lie. “What a surprise, right?” I plop down on the bed and shiver. In just a few hours, I’ll be queen of Cryptshiere. I should be so happy! I’m marrying a handsome, delightful man, and I am to rule by his side. This is my chance to show the people of not only Myrkdovia, but Cryptshiere as well, that I can be the queen they all love. But, I don’t feel happy or excited. Only a sense of impending doom.

  “It is happening pretty fast,” Milly pointed out. “Do you think there’s an ulterior motive?”

 
; She’s always the skeptical one, about everything. Though sometimes it was good to be cautious, this just wasn’t making me feel better. Because I was thinking the same thing. Why rush this? Why must we be married today?

  “I don’t know…I….”

  “Blair?” Milly asks as she rushes over to me. “Blair, what’s wrong?”

  My vision blackened and my head felt heavy. I was so tired. The same feeling I had the night before. “I…d-don’t…know.”

  I hit the floor, feeling a sense of relaxation washing over me. I try to fight it, I know this shouldn’t be happening. But the pull is too strong, again. I force my eyes to stay open for as long as I can, until the darkness pulls me under.

  “Blair,” the girl calls.

  It’s her. The same girl from before. I thought she was a dream, but she’s not. You don’t know you’re dreaming when you’re dreaming. I knew I wasn’t. I was thinking clearly, as if I were awake.

  “Blair, talk to me.”

  I open my eyes to see the girl standing over me. I sit up and rub the fog from my head. “I thought I made you up,” I say.

  “No, Blair. I’m very real.”

  “What’s your name?” I ask as I stand.

  She shuffles her feet and looks down to the floor. “Marjorie.”

  “Marjorie,” I echo back. “Who are you? Why do you come to me?”

  “I warned you not to marry him,” she says, ignoring my questions.

  I look around the room. It’s dark, dreary. Nothing in this room is mine, even though I know I unpacked all of my things. It’s bare, like it was before I moved in. Cobwebs hung from every corner of the ceiling, and the mirror is shattered. I turn, taking in all of my surroundings, and notice what appears to be blood stains all over the floor. And on the bed. I didn’t notice this before. I was too frightened by the ghost girl standing over my bed. But for some reason, none of this mattered.

  I look back to Marjorie. “How was I to refuse? I can’t refuse two kings!”

  “Run. Far away from here, and don’t look back.”

  “I can’t do that. I’m the heir to my father’s throne. I have a duty to my country.”

  Marjorie looks at me with her sad, dead-like eyes. A chill runs down my spine, when I realize she might actually be dead. I shake my head. No, that isn’t possible.

  “Have you asked yourself why he wants to marry you so soon?” She asks.

  “He and my father thought it would be best to marry right away. Besides, my father wants to be here for the ceremony,” I say. It sounds ridiculous, even to me.

  “Blair, don’t be stupid,” she scolds. “Ask your father whose idea it was to have you married today.”

  I look at her suspiciously. What game was she trying to play? Was she some girl who fell for the king and was jealous that I was the one to marry him?

  “I’m not playing a game, and I am most definitely not jealous,” she said, answering my thoughts.

  I walk up to her and get inches from her face. I could feel a cold breeze coming from her body, and I tried to ignore it. “How did you just do that?” I demand.

  Marjorie has the audacity to sigh, like she’s somehow the one who should be irritated. “Just remember what I told you, Blair. And if you must go through with this, watch your back. Closely.”

  She disappeared into the same corner as before. And I was left standing there, wondering what the hell is happening to me. I suddenly realize that Adelina and Milly were in the room with me. I quickly spin around to look at them.

  “Did you just see…?”

  But as I turned, they weren’t there. They were just here. Where could they have gone? I needed to know if they saw her too, or if I really was going mad.

  “Milly? Adelina?” I call out. My voice echoes through the room, like I’m in a tunnel. And it’s quiet…too quit.

  “Milly!” I yell. Silence.

  I begin to panic as I pace in circles. Am I trapped like this? Whatever this is? I knew this wasn’t reality. At least not the reality I knew. No. This was just a dream. It had to be. I’ll wake up soon.

  “It’s okay. You’re okay,” I say to myself. I had to be okay. I couldn’t be stuck like this forever. I stop pacing and force myself to think clearly. How did I wake up from this so soon before? I wasn’t stuck here for this long the last time.

  I rub my eyes, trying to remember every detail from the time before. Marjorie left from the same corner. That had to mean something. That’s when I remember. I go over to the corner to check the walls for any hidden doors. I quickly make my way to the same wall. I stand there, for what feels like an eternity as I stare at it. Nothing.

  I let out a frustrated growl as I slide to the floor.

  Chapter 7

  “Blair, sweetheart? Blair!” My eyes pop open as my father shakes me.

  I quickly sit up and look around the room. It’s back to normal. Everything’s in place, exactly the way I left it. No blood on the floor or bed. Milly and Adelina are kneeling beside me, along with my father and King Elias.

  “I must have passed out,” I say as I rub my forehead.

  “I’d say so. One minute you were up and talking and the next, you’re on the floor,” Milly said.

  “How are you feeling now?” Elias asks as he touches my arm. I jump and snatch it away from him. He gives me a puzzling look. And….was that a flash of anger? It was slight. So slight, you would have missed it if you weren’t really looking. Just like Marjorie said. I shake my head, feeling ridiculous.

  “I’m sorry. I’m just a little spooked, I guess.” That was an understatement. I just came back from what seemed like the dead, with a dead girl warning me that I would die at the hands of King Elias if I married him.

  “It’s okay darling,” Elias said.

  “Your majesties. Your highness.” A man I haven’t seen before walks into the room and kneels down beside me. “Your highness, my name is Tobias. I’m the castle’s physician. Would you mind telling me your symptoms?” Tobias looked like a gentle, middle aged man. His eyes a dark blue, like the sea, and his hair black, with gray speckled throughout.

  “I’m feeling fine now, really. I think I’m just tired,” I say.

  “You fainted, your highness. I’d like to examine you, if you don’t mind.”

  “No, really, I’m okay,” I say as I stand up, trying to prove to him that I really am. Maybe I wasn’t fine. I didn’t want to hear his diagnosis.

  You’re going crazy, your highness.

  “Blair...”

  “No,” I snap at Elias. Quickly regretting it, I soften. “I just want to get ready now. The ceremony is only a couple hours away.”

  Elias nods and gives me a small smile. “Yes. Only a couple hours now. So if you’re sure you’re alright…”

  I force a smile back. “I’m sure.”

  Everyone finally leaves and it’s just Adelina, Milly and I. I feel like I can finally breathe again. I didn’t know if I should tell them about what really happened to me or not. Would they even believe me? Or would they shrug it off like it was some kind of dream? I knew, without a doubt, that it was real. I can’t explain exactly how I know, but I do. But convincing anyone else that it was real, wouldn’t be an easy task. I decide to just keep it to myself. If it persists, I’ll have no choice but to tell someone. But for now, it’s my secret.

  “Blair, you’re sure you’re okay?” Adelina asks.

  I sigh. “Yes. I’m sure.”

  “Will you tell us if you start feeling funny again?” Milly is looking at me as if she’s trying to figure out what I’m hiding from them. They know me well enough to know when I’m lying to them. But she doesn’t bring it up.

  “I will,” I promise her. “I…I think I just need to go for a walk. Alone, if you don’t mind.”

  “Certainly,” she says, looking at me with suspicion.

  I run through the winding halls, my dress swaying against the concrete floors with each frantic step I take. I desperately needed to be alone, away fr
om everyone, even Milly and Adelina. I usually want them around for everything. But not this. This was something I needed to deal with in my own way. I couldn’t sit there with them and pretend like I was okay, when in fact, I was panicking. And they knew it. I couldn’t have them pressing me to tell them what happened. Because I didn’t exactly know. It didn’t make sense to me, so how could it make sense to anyone else?

  I run through the courtyard, and to the big, sprawling back lawn where the gardens are. I instinctively hide myself in the winding hedges, going back and forth, until I reach the other side. There, I find a small pond, surrounded by big, low hanging oak trees. I plop down on the grass and lean against one of the trees. I take a deep breath, trying to calm my jumping nerves.

  I think back to Marjorie, and what she said to me. Over and over she warned me that Elias wasn’t a good man. Should I believe her? Why would she say it if it weren’t true? She knew more about him than I did, that much was obvious. Did she know his first wife? Maybe they were friends and she blamed him for her death. Or maybe she held a a grudge, and this was her way of settling the score.

  And I think back to the room I was in, blood soaking the walls and floor, and covering the bed. It looked a lot like my room, but from a different time. Or it seemed like a different time. It was so dark, so bleak. And filled with misery. That had to have meant I was dreaming, right? Alternate realities didn’t exist. Or maybe I really was losing my mind and these were nothing more than hallucinations. In which case, I could never be queen. I had to hide this for as long as I possibly could. My crown and my throne would be ripped from my grasp before my reign even had a chance to begin. If this ever happens again, I can’t let it affect me the way it is now. I would be married by then, and Elias would know it was more than just fainting spells if I reacted so badly afterward.

  I sigh in frustration as a tear slips from my eye. I wipe it away with an angry hand and a heart full of uncertainty. Doubt clouded my judgment enough, without adding hallucinations. This is almost unbearable. Maybe I really should run and get a head start before anyone realizes I’m gone…