“Look,” I said.
“We have the Prince of Tate threatening the Kingdom. He wants to force me to bond with him, or else he is going to declare war against the Kingdom. I have no interest in bonding with the man. If you help me, I can help you.”
“And how could you possibly help me?” he asked.
“I can take you to a different world. You can start new, and no one will know you there.”
“I won’t be trapped in this thing?” he asked again, still not quite believing me.
“No, you will be as free as a bird,” I answered honestly.
He thought about my offer for a long time. I thought he would say no after the pause became so long that it was awkward. He finally nodded his head in agreement, and I got ready to absorb everything I heard.
☼
An hour later, I was still trying to make sense of everything that Eduard had shared with me. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t confused. I had put Eduard back in the hiding place. I left him with plenty of food and items to keep him occupied as a sign of good faith. I couldn’t release him yet, but I felt that he had provided me with more help than I expected.
I crossed the hall from my room and knocked on Trin’s door. When she opened, she didn’t look too surprised to see me.
“No bodyguard?” she asked as she opened the door wider to let me in.
“No, thankfully. You and I are going to need some privacy. Let’s go take a walk,” I told her.
I no longer trusted the castle walls with the news I was about to share with Trin. These walls had secrets of their own, according to Eduard.
She slipped into some shoes and picked up the edge of her dress with her hands. I had changed into an ankle-length dress before coming to her room. I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t trip myself in a floor-length dress outdoors.
She opened the door for me, and I walked out of the room. She followed right behind me, closing the door. I led us down the rest of her hallway and made a left. I was still learning the complicated layout of the castle, but I had a few escape plans memorized.
We walked down a back stairwell that wasn’t used much. The candles that were supposed to be lighting the place had burnt out a long time ago. I created a small orb of light to make the steps ahead of us visible. I walked down first with Trin on my heels. Once at the bottom, I took another turn to the left and found myself in one of the main halls. I exited the castle through the big front entrance.
Many people bowed when they saw me. I simply nodded back at them and kept on my way. I had two knights follow me, but I asked them to remain at their guard stations. They bowed at me and then turned around to go back to their stations.
It wouldn’t be long before Axel found out I had left the castle, and he would come looking for me. He was becoming as bad as a parent trying to protect their child. But I am not his child, I am his girlfriend. I am perfectly capable of defending myself. I only stayed inside to help him keep his sanity. He had so much to do with retraining all of the knights and rooting out all the traitors.
We heard rumors that some knights refused to work under Axel’s commands. Axel had to then find those knights and release them from their service before they could become traitors and pose a threat to our safety. Axel had a lot keeping him busy lately.
I didn’t want to think about all those men training for war. It meant that some of those guys might not be alive in a year, because I might have to send them to Tate. Some of the magic workers that were in hiding wanted to become knights and help protect the Kingdom. So I lifted all bans on magic.
Wisdom and Axel will have to work together on how to integrate those magic workers into the ranks. It was one more task that Axel was taking on. They were to going to try to maximize the potential of those with exceptional magical abilities. I believed that using magic would be much better than hiding from it.
Trin continued to follow right behind me as we walked through the busy village. The village sat to the south of the castle, directly outside the drawbridge. I didn’t know this village was here until the first time I left the castle.
The first time I entered the palace, Axel and I scaled the wall behind the mote. Everything happened so fast I didn’t have time to take in the sights. We’d had a job to do.
Now I looked around and saw merchants trading animals and crops. The place was flourishing, with several trading bans removed. People were talking, carriages and work carts were being pulled by horses and mules. The village was bustling with activity. I could even see children running around the streets playing games.
I walked through the street, nodding at the people who bowed or curtsied at me. Eventually, I made it to the small trail I discovered on one of my few voyages out. At the end of the short path, I found the small boat I had bought and brought here. It sat next to the banks of a small but deep creek.
“Get in,” I said.
Trin helped me push the boat into the water, and then she hiked up the skirts to her dress. She sat down, and then I did the same. I paddled a little downstream and then dropped the small anchor I had on board.
I looked around to make sure no one was following us. You could never be too sure.
“I don’t suppose you went to all this trouble just to sit out in the sun on the water, did you?” she asked me.
I shook my head. “No, I found out a bunch of information, but I need you to trust me. Please don’t ask me how I got the information either because I can’t share that.”
“You’re scaring me, but okay. Why are we out here?” she asked, puzzled.
“The castle has several secret passageways. King Eduard had a problem with people finding these tunnels and spying. I didn’t know this until today when a reliable source shared this with me. No one can hear what I am about to tell you, not even a good spy looking for traitors,” I confided.
“Where are they? The passageways, I mean,” she asked me.
We looked around to make sure no one had snuck up near us on one of the banks; this was the most secluded place I could think of, but that didn’t mean much.
“I’m not sure where the entrances are, but I think I have a general idea. I will be searching for them on my own later. For now, I only know of two passageways. One runs behind my bedroom wall, and the other runs behind the study,” I told her.
“If Axel or I didn’t know about these passages, doesn’t that mean they are probably forgotten or not used?” she asked me.
“I’m not sure, but I can’t take that chance,” I told her.
“What else is there? What is it, Violet?” Trin asked.
I knew I could trust her. She was the most loyal and friendliest person I had ever met. She was kind and trusting of others but knew where she stood.
I looked around me one last time and then bent my head closer to her.
“I found out a bunch of information we could use in an attack against Tate, even Corone, if they tried to aid Tate,” I whispered.
“So then that’s it? We’re going to another war?” she asked.
“Trin, I simply don’t know what else to do. I can’t marry the Prince and merge our Kingdoms. He would be a terrible king. He clearly has ulterior motives that I have yet to discover. I fear I would no longer have much say on what happens here if we were to bond. Not to mention my pride, I rejected this man in my world twice. I can’t beg him to not go to war, and bond to him as a consolation prize. The best thing for the Kingdom right now is to have someone who cares about its people fully in control.”
“I entirely agree,” she said.
I could see it in her eyes that she wasn’t lying to make me feel better.
“Tell me what you know,” I told her, sensing she had something to share.
“The citizens aren’t graced with much knowledge of what the other Kingdoms look like or where they are. Tate is to our east. They are separated from us by a two hundred mile wide desert and mountain range, and Corone. If we tried to get to them through the desert, we would be too w
eak to attack. However, Tate is surrounded by water on three sides. They are vulnerable to an army that comes using the sea.”
I could see that Trin already understood we were talking war plans on a grand scale, with large Navy ships.
“That is risky,” I countered, a lot of people and resources would be at play.
Then she followed, “How do we get that many boats and an army that size?”
“We start preparations now. We need to cut off all ties with everyone except for Urbem Glacies, if they ever want to be allies. No one can know we are preparing for war. I won’t bond with Kennan, but we will hold out for a long time before giving him that answer,” I told her.
“I can see why you deserve the title of the intelligent Queen,” she complimented me.
I blushed a little.
“Thank you, but we have another problem on top of that all. Not only do we have a rat hiding in our walls trying to uncover our secrets, but I need to get my hands on some more emeralds. Axel will drive me crazy if we can’t secure even one more.”
“Could it wait until after we attack and hopefully defeat Tate and Corone?” she asked.
“No, I don’t think so. The Prince of Tate might not be able to attack me here, but nothing stops him in my world. I need you guys there with me to help.”
“You want me to come with you to your land?” she asked again.
“Yes, try not to look too scared. It’s not that bad,” I told her.
“I would follow you anywhere, but I don’t see how we could get our hands on them here. Do you think Prince Kennan may have some in his home in Arlington?” she asked.
“Why didn’t I think of that?” I said out loud.
Trin’s face slowly grew into a grin.
“Just sneak into his house to steal some stones,” she said, elaborating on her previous thought.
“I think that is exactly what I am going to do. But we both know who can’t find out,” I warned her.
She nodded her head in understanding and agreement. We shook on it. I pulled up the anchor and paddled the boat back to the creek’s banks. We exited the boat and started our walk back to the castle.
We had so much to plan and so many secrets to hide.
CHAPTER THREE
Axel
Something isn’t right; I can sense it. Violet is holding something back from me, and I don’t like it. Things have been different since she became Queen. It’s only been a few days since she was crowned, but things have changed.
I took on the task of leading all the Knights in the Kingdom. It is time-consuming work. I have to deal with an expert magic worker who is always needing something from me.
I repeat, it is an aggravating never-ending task.
I have knights who don’t want to take orders from me, but not all are forthcoming with their opinions. I am slowly weeding through the ranks to determine who would be loyal to Violet, and who should be excused from service.
Charles wasn’t the only knight who resented me. Those harsh feelings had spread further than I realized. Our ranks are growing smaller, and I feel it is all my fault. If only I had Violet’s seer ability, I would have known this was all coming. I would have laid low and tried not to make enemies.
I haven’t had much time to spend with Violet this past couple of days, and it was starting to wear me down. She and Trin were making plans for the Kingdom, and I only saw Violet at meetings or at night when we would sleep next to each other.
I thought that I was prepared for all of this. But I had been fooling myself.
I love Violet, and I know that with my whole heart. I also know that I miss her, even though she is only a few rooms down the hall.
I need to keep strong for us all. Violet puts on a brave face for everyone, but there is more than meets the eye when it comes to my Queen. She finds it difficult to show weakness.
Now there is this man, Prince Kennan, who wants what I have, my girl and my Kingdom. He has intruded into her life here, has backed her into a corner, and now she is fighting with her back up against the wall, trying to figure out the best way out of this unfortunate situation. I admire that in her, the best knights continue the fight, even when outnumbered and backed into a corner.
But this isn’t forever. Eventually, we will get our feet under us, and we will defeat Kennan and his family. Then we can have the fairy tale ending that Violet told me once that she dreams about. We just need to keep going for now.
Wisdom walked into the large study that most of the essential staff members congregate in. It is a quiet place to get some work done. He approached me at my desk and stood there waiting until I acknowledged him.
“Your Queen has left the castle,” he told me.
I had him place a protection spell of sorts, to let me know when Violet had left the protection of the castle. She promised me she wouldn’t do this anymore. I knew it was a difficult promise for her to keep, as she had already left the castle several times in the past few days.
“Did anyone else leave with her?” I asked, sitting up in my chair a little.
“Yes, Trin,” he answered.
I tried not to worry too much, but that was my job. How was I supposed to protect Violet if she wouldn’t let me? Being the boyfriend and protector of a strong-willed Queen was hard work.
How will I survive this?
Why would the two of them sneak away? They have all the privacy they could need, right here. They could order everyone in the castle to leave them alone, and they would have to comply.
Those two are up to something, and I need to find out what it is.
“Can you inform me when they reenter the castle?” I asked Wisdom.
“Of course, because I have nothing better to do than track my Great-Grand Daughter,” he mumbled, and turned around and walked to his desk.
It was almost an hour later when Wisdom called across the room and gave me a small nod. They were back, and I was about to go confront them.
Trin
I was walking down the hall to the study and found Axel waiting there, with his back leaning against the wall. He looked like he was intent on something, and I almost hated to bother him, but we didn’t have a lot of time.
“Excuse me, Sir Axel, may I talk to you for a moment?” I asked him.
“Can it wait? I really need to go talk to the Queen,” he answered me.
He wasn’t rude, but he wasn’t friendly either. I had mixed feelings about Axel. He was overbearing and sometimes harsh. However, I knew he loved the Queen and only wanted to protect her, so I let most of his behavior slide.
Shortly after meeting for the first time, we both grilled each other on our intentions. Violet was not in the room, and it was a good thing. It would have stressed her out to see us go at it as we did. The exchange had been much needed. Violet’s reign is so new that everything threatens it. She doesn’t need a guy who is along for the royal ride. I learned that it is not his intention. He is genuinely in love with the girl.
He learned that while I have not known Violet nearly as long, I am her blood. I am the granddaughter of Violet’s Aunt Beetie. To me, she is just Grandma Beetie. I came to work in this castle under disguise to make sure Eduard never located my family. If he did, I would be able to give them a warning.
Violet is my family, and I truly want to protect her and the rest of them, but I haven’t yet told her. Knowing her, she’d try to give me the crown, and that is not what I want. So I swore him to secrecy, and he agreed as long as I would tell her eventually.
“This is actually about her. We made some plans and decisions and need you to help us with preparations,” I fed him the lie.
“Why isn’t she here then?” he asked me.
It was almost a challenge. Poor guy, he knew something was up; he just wanted to be included. I could see it; he was pleading to know everything. My loyalties to the Queen ran deeper than the ones I had to him. I would only tell him what I promised I would, nothing more even though I wanted to.
�
��She has other pressing matters that she needed to address,” I said.
I tried to put some confidence in my voice to assert my point.
“If we must,” he answered me.
We walked towards my office, where I would have to write down everything I needed to share with him while carrying on a fake conversation verbally. If a mole was hiding in these walls, I needed to be cautious.
I would warn Axel of this too; everyone needed to know what was at stake. What if the mole worked for Tate or Corone? That would be disastrous.
We walked into my office, and I sat down at my desk. Axel sat down on the other side. I pulled out a few sheets of paper and pulled my pen out of the inkwell.
“How are you doing?” I asked him while I wrote down the words ‘we may have listeners in the walls.’
“Fine,” he answered right before I held up the paper for him to see.
His eyes widened as he read the paper.
“May I borrow a sheet of paper from you? As well as your pen?” he asked me.
I handed over what he asked of me.
‘How do you know?’ he wrote, as he verbally informed me that some of his Knights were struggling in their training.
‘The Queen was informed by a third party. Some passageways run in walls behind her room, as well as the study. She is trying to locate the passageways as we speak,’ I wrote.
I handed him the paper as I said, “That’s too bad. We need some good knights in our ranks. Eduard trained you knights all wrong.”
“I agree,” he said as he read the paper. He motioned for my pen.
‘Who informed her?’ he wrote and handed it back to me.
‘I am not sure and was told not to ask. I need you to start recruiting more knights and training them for battle. The Queen has decided we are preparing to attack Tate, and it’s ally Corone,’ I wrote. I handed the paper to him.
‘Details?’ He wrote.
“I will have a report of some new plans to you within the hour,” I said and stood up.
If someone was listening, it would sound like I was going to write a report on what I expected from his troops. In reality, I was writing out the report on why and how we were going to war. I would have a detailed list of everything I needed from him, and he wasn’t going to like it one bit.
Emerald Mountains (The Dream Traveler Series Book 2) Page 2