One True King

by Soman Chainani

  Sophie delivered a cold stare. “The land of wishful thinking.”

  “Is that in Ooty?” the Sultan asked. He noticed his guards hovering behind. “Leave us,” he commanded sharply.

  The guards dispersed. “So tell me, Shefali,” the Sultan asked, shepherding her ahead. “What do you think of my palace?”

  Behind him, Sophie could see Reena guiding Agatha, Tedros, and the others out of their hiding spot towards the waiting camels. Reena mouthed at Sophie, pointing at her father’s sash: “Get the compass!”

  Sophie sucked in a breath. It was up to her now. Luckily, she’d had experience in dealing with despicable men.

  “What do I think of your palace?” Sophie said, turning to the Sultan. “I find it unnecessarily large and overbearing, as if meant to hide a leader’s shortcomings.”

  The Sultan blinked at her, his face reddening . . . He burst into laughter. “My, my, a joker too! No wonder my daughter enjoys your company!”

  “Wasn’t joking at all, actually,” said Sophie.

  The Sultan rambled on. “I shall write to the Queen of Ooty about your charms. Your family should be rewarded! Perhaps we can make arrangements to have you here in the palace, instead of slaving away for the princess. I can show you the world . . . But first, I’ll have to pry you from my daughter’s grubby little hands. Ha! Reena! Reena!” He turned to search for his daughter, about to spot her helping Agatha onto a camel—

  Sophie seized the Sultan’s cheeks and swung his face back towards hers. “Have you been poisoned, sir?”

  “Poisoned?” said the Sultan, startled.

  She pried open his eyelids with her fingers. “Toxins in your iris . . . spots of blood . . . Have you had anything suspicious to eat or drink?”

  “Only my usual lamb omelet . . .” He turned ashen. “But it tasted different today. Too salty—”

  “Let me look,” Sophie said, poking at his eyes and nostrils with one hand, her other palm moving near his sash. “I see . . . cloudy pupils . . . mottled skin . . . foul breath . . .” She backed away from him. “Not poison, I’m afraid. Something far worse.”

  The Sultan gaped at her, scared.

  Sophie leered back. “Old age.”

  “Come, Shefali,” Reena said, clasping Sophie’s arm intently. “We’ll return to the dungeons and give my brother another crack.”

  “Yes, mistress,” said Sophie.

  “Wish me luck, Daddy!” Reena piped, towing Sophie from the frowning Sultan.

  “Did you get it?” Reena whispered in Sophie’s ear.

  “Is your father a dog?” Sophie snapped back.

  SOPHIE WOULDN’T HAVE suffered fools for anyone but Agatha.

  Agatha, who was out in the desert without her, Arthur’s death warrant on her head.

  They needed to find Aladdin’s Cave and use the magic lamp to help Tedros get past the second test without killing Aggie. Sophie had no idea how that was possible, but she’d worry about that once they made it to the Cave of Wishes. She could feel the Sultan’s compass rattling in her pocket as she and Reena hustled up a staircase to the top floor. Reena pushed through a door and pink-and-purple light washed over them, the sunset expanding in all directions along with a dizzying rush of fragrance.

  On the roof of the palace, a thin brown boy played a sitar as he paced between rows of lavish magic carpets, which were twitching and peeking at each other like toddlers put down for a nap, while sticks of incense burned soothing chamomile from brass holders.

  The boy spotted Reena and beamed brightly—

  “Where is he?” Reena gasped, scanning around.

  Then Sophie heard a familiar giggle. At the other end of the rooftop, Merlin was being tickled by a magic carpet, the young wizard trying to wrestle it down.

  Reena slouched with relief. “Thank you, Jeevan,” she said to the boy.

  “The Sultan was planning on trading him to Hamelin for gold,” Jeevan said. “Still a child shortage there after the Pied Piper stole all theirs. Convinced the guards there’d been a mistake; that this very pasty boy was actually my cousin. Luckily they’re too dense to ask questions.” His smile at Reena hadn’t dimmed. “I kept my end of the bargain, then . . . When’s our date?”

  Reena must have given something away in her expression because now Jeevan noticed Sophie’s presence.

  “Don’t tell me,” he said, smile flattening. “Just got them settled for the night.”

  All the carpets heard this and instantly began clamoring for Reena’s attention, waving their tassels at her, jingling with different-pitched bells.

  “We’ll need Nightwind,” Reena said, pointing at a midnight-colored carpet in the corner, dusted with silver patterns. “It’s an emergency.”

  “Sorry, Princess. Can’t let you on a carpet without a guard,” Jeevan declared, turning stern and official. “Sultan’s orders.”

  “What Daddy doesn’t know won’t hurt you,” Reena replied. “Especially when you and I go on our date tomorrow.” She winked at him.

  Moments later, Jeevan was helping the girls and Merlin onto Nightwind, the front tassels cuffed around Reena’s wrists, the back tassels around Sophie’s ankles, securing her and Merlin in place. The carpet began to rise into the hot, heavy evening, giving Sophie a view of Shazabah City and the traffic of magic carpets clogging air lanes between buildings.

  “Keep it slow, Reena,” said Jeevan. “If you get pulled down for speeding, your dad will take it out of my hide.”

  “Very slow,” Reena promised, pulling her hood over her head.

  She smiled back at Sophie. “Ready?”

  Nightwind rocketed off the roof so hard that it ripped the maid robes right off Sophie, who lost a scream somewhere in her chest. “Choo-choo!” Merlin whooped.

  Her fingers went numb around the five-year-old, Sophie just starting to catch her breath, before Nightwind plunged into the mid-city jam, weaving and ducking around the other flyers, who were patiently obeying traffic laws. On behalf of their riders, angry carpets jangled their tassels and bells, which wasn’t very threatening, like a soothing chorus of protest, before Sophie realized they weren’t protesting, but summoning: a fleet of black carpets with bright red tassels that exploded after them, clearly intending to bring Nightwind down.

  “Mambas,” Reena murmured.

  She showed little fear, however, as if she’d thwarted many a Mamba before, her hands seizing the end of the carpet, navigating it between the tightest swerves and tiniest nooks, crashing through windows and upending two sisters playing with their pet peacock, a stately woman reciting poetry to her book club, and a couple kissing over chicken tagine, all the while Reena losing black Mambas one by one. But there was a last Mamba left, gaining on them, its tassel extending with tentacle-like length, about to snare around Merlin’s neck . . . Reena launched upwards, doing a full 360-degree loop, which sent Sophie’s white dress puffing up like a poisonous fish in terrified response, before Nightwind dropped like a rock, straight into the Mamba, head-driving it, down, down, down and hooking the carpet on a pointy minaret. A few minutes later, they were out of Shazabah City and floating over twilit dunes, with even Nightwind sagging in relief. (“No more choo-choo,” Merlin begged, promptly falling asleep.)

  “You act like a basic Evergirl . . . you suck up to Beatrix . . . you’re like a warrior princess moonlighting as an idiot,” Sophie panted, her heart in her throat. “Why? You’re clever and fierce. That shouldn’t be a secret. You could be anything you want. You could be Sultan—”

  “And I choose not to be,” said Reena. “If there’s one thing I learned from my mother, it’s that palace life isn’t satisfying. Not to someone who wants to live for real. The spotlight of the throne shrivels you up. Turns you into something you’re not. Like Dad. He may seem weak-minded and overindulgent, but once he was a fiery warrior himself. That’s why I let Beatrix have the limelight. I don’t want a fairy tale. Ironic, of course, since I’m risking my life to help your friends win theirs.”
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br />   “Well, given the way Jeevan looked at you, I’d say you can have your fairy tale anytime you wish,” Sophie quipped.

  Reena grinned at her, and Sophie suddenly realized that for all the storms of her own love stories, tormenting the Woods with their consequences, there were others, perfectly small and blissful, unfolding with hardly a ripple at all.

  Over the desert they flew, skirting a long route around any other flyers in sight, staying as invisible as they could. Night settled in, the moon carved like a scythe. Soon the color of the dunes shifted from a rusted red to a sparkling silver, crowded with small tent villages. Sophie could see teenagers kicking a ball around. Sounds of music emanated from the tents, shadows dancing, drinking, laughing. Farther ahead, Sophie spotted a family of camels on a vacant stretch of sand, feeding from buckets of dried-out grass that someone had laid out for them.

  Sophie tensed. “Those camels. They were the ones with Agatha . . . Where is she—”

  Reena steered Nightwind down. “I’d say she’s right where she’s supposed to be.”

  Over the empty sand, a vision appeared: a tiki hut, strung with a thousand lights and baubles and trinkets of every color, like a chaotic Christmas tree. Outside, crickets gathered, playing a sultry desert beat. A firefly-lit sign beamed out front:

  Reena landed Nightwind and after jostling Merlin awake, Sophie wobbily dismounted, still dizzy from the ride, her shoes sinking into sand as she hustled the little wizard towards the pub, anxious to find Agatha. She was desperate to have her best friend at her side again and no doubt Aggie was feeling the same. Sophie pushed through the door, scanning the brightly lit pub for her—

  Only it seemed Agatha already had friends at her side.

  And not just friends . . . knights. A whole bunch of them, at least ten, dressed like Beatrix and Kiko had been, in shimmering armor.

  For a moment, Sophie wondered if she was seeing straight, given the carpet ride. But then she realized: she knew these knights too. And now they were cheering for her as Reena stood on the bar and held up the compass, pointing at Sophie as the main reason they’d procured it.

  Sophie spotted Agatha rushing towards her and Merlin—

  “Thank goodness you’re both safe!” Agatha said, grabbing Sophie into a hug.

  “Mama!” Merlin yipped, his arms around Agatha’s leg.

  But now Dot was hugging Sophie too, looking a tad younger in her adult body, and so were Nicola and Hester and Anadil and Beatrix and Kiko, all her girlfriends in one place, wearing matching suits of armor. Over their shoulders, she spotted Hort alone in the corner, expecting him to pile in, but he was sipping a fizzy drink, lost in his thoughts. Near him, Reena inspected the Sultan’s compass, while Tedros was locked in conversation with Guinevere, Maid Marian, Princess Uma, and a stout matron who Sophie didn’t recognize, all but Uma in the same pearly chainmail as the other girls.

  “Drinkie!” Merlin badgered Agatha, grasping for the aging potion in her pocket and squeezing it on his tongue.

  “Am I dreaming, or are our friends all here?” Sophie asked Agatha. “Dressed as knights?”

  “Hello, Sophie,” said a familiar voice.

  Sophie turned to find the Queen of Jaunt Jolie, dressed in knight’s armor too.

  “Jacinda?” Sophie sputtered. “I—I—I don’t understand—”

  “My new Knights of Eleven,” said the queen. “Born out of the courage of girls like you and Agatha, who confronted Evil when I was too scared to. Girls like my daughter, who had the bravery to join your fight. If I had her courage before today, maybe she’d still be alive.”

  “Betty,” Sophie said softly, thinking of the girl who had battled so valiantly for her and her friends. “She didn’t have to fight for us. But she did. Until the very end. Didn’t like me much, of course. But that’s probably a testament to her character.”

  The queen hugged Sophie tight. “I suspect you and Betty were more alike than she would have wanted. Perhaps the two of you would have joined our Knights of Eleven, except for the fact you occupy a place more important.” She nodded at Agatha. “You’re this girl’s knight.”

  “And what am I? Court jester?” Tedros teased, pulling Agatha to his chest. He looked relaxed for once, almost happy, Sophie thought, as if being around his friends made him feel protected, even if this was his quest alone. So much of the prince’s life had been spent on his own: no mother, no father, not even Merlin. Tedros had come to school searching for love. Love that could save him. The same kind of love that Sophie had come to this world to find. No wonder they’d both been so insufferable. No wonder they’d never gotten along. They were like two seals trapped underwater, fighting for the same breath of air.

  He caught Sophie watching him. “Well, I can’t get too jealous,” the prince said. “You and Agatha have to stick together while I’m inside the cave.”

  Sophie raised her brows. This was news to Agatha too.

  “You’re going inside . . . alone?” said Agatha.

  “Me too,” Merlin insisted, already looking older than a minute ago. “Merlin go with Tee Tee.”

  “No, Merlin. No one’s going with Tee Tee. It’s my test,” Tedros reminded. “But I do have a job for you. You’ll be six years old soon. Think you can handle it?”

  “A big job?” Merlin said, hopefully.

  Tedros rubbed his head, then looked at the girls. “The cave is close. Reena checked the compass. She said it’s less than a mile from here.”

  “But how will you get inside the cave?” Sophie asked. “You heard Kaveen’s story. Genie won’t let anyone in unless—”

  “Leave that to Tedros,” said Uma, arriving with Guinevere, who both exchanged looks with the prince.

  “The knights have a plan to beat the Snake,” Tedros explained to Agatha. “Have my doubts about it, but I’ll do anything if it doesn’t involve killing you.”

  “What’s the plan?” said Agatha.

  “Like Uma said . . . leave that to me,” Tedros replied.

  Sophie could see Agatha stiffen.

  “Though each of us will have a part to play,” added Maid Marian cryptically, joining the group, accompanied by the stout matron Sophie had spotted earlier, the last of the knights. This woman reached out a hand to Sophie.

  “Dean Brunhilde,” she introduced herself. “Rhian and Japeth were my students at the Foxwood School for Boys.”

  “Aric’s too, then,” Agatha realized, new to the Dean too.

  “I’m afraid so,” Dean Brunhilde sighed.

  Sophie shuddered even hearing the beast’s name. “Well, what are we waiting for? We’re all together now. Can’t loaf around drinking cider and ordering food. Let’s find the genie—”

  “Not yet,” said Tedros.

  Sophie and Agatha looked at each other.

  “But what if the Snake comes?” Agatha pressed Tedros.

  Sophie piled on: “Didn’t you hear what Reena said before? Sultan already told the Snake we’re here! Japeth’s on a ship to Shazabah! And when the Sultan finds out we’ve escaped, he’ll see his compass is missing. He’ll know we’ve gone to the caves—”

  “Japeth will track us there!” Agatha finished.

  Tedros grinned. “Exactly.”

  The two girls stared at him, confused—

  “Did someone say ‘food’?” a voice trilled.

  From the kitchen, a big-bellied woman flounced out in a sequined headscarf and tunic, her face spotted with flour, her arms piled with sumptuous spreads: red lentil soup, cucumber salad, hummus with mushrooms, spinach and feta pies, crispy yellow rice, stuffed grape leaves, garlic shrimp, milky pistachio delights, and towers of cookies and cakes.

  “Mother!” Reena said, hugging her. “I told you not to go overboard. Last thing we need before a battle is bloated bellies.”

  “For once I wish you were more like your father. Eating is exactly what knights should do before battle,” her mother ribbed, before barking at a scrawny man, struggling to get more platters throug
h the kitchen doors. “Yousuf! Hurry and bring the kebabs before they all get dry! Then what will we do? Use them as stones?”

  Sophie, meanwhile, had forgotten all about arguing with Tedros and was stuffing her face with cucumber salad, savoring the tarty lemon dressing, unable to remember the last time she ate a well-seasoned meal. In the corner, the prince was talking to Merlin, the young wizard surprisingly quiet and attentive, perhaps because of the chocolate cake Tedros seemed to be withholding from him. Nearby, Dot was complaining to Hester over spinach pies: “Maid Marian is the only link I have to Daddy, but she avoids me every time I try to talk to her. Been that way since we met!” (Hester responded: “Ani and I avoid you, but you always corner us. Try that.”) Even Agatha was lost in a mound of honeycake, before she caught Sophie’s eye. The two girls smiled and moved for each other, before Nicola cut in, pulling Agatha aside. Sophie stopped short—

  “So Reena tells me you met my husband,” Reena’s mother said, appearing next to Sophie. “And from the face you just made, I see nothing about him has changed.”

  “Wait, you were the queen?” Sophie said, understanding. She looked around the smoky, cramped pub. “And now you’re . . .”

  “Happier than I’ve ever been,” said Reena’s mother, unoffended. “I’ve taught my daughter to ask herself the same question I did. What matters? Look in your heart every day and ask: What really matters in life? Doesn’t matter who you are. It’s the same answers for everyone. Love. Purpose. Food. That’s it. That’s all we need.”

  Reena’s mother was studying Yousuf, dropping kebabs as he tried to serve them to the witches. Yousuf caught her watching and the two exchanged adoring smiles. Suddenly Sophie understood. At the palace, Reena’s mother could have everything she ever wanted. But only in leaving it could she find the things she needed.

  Sophie repeated these to herself.

  Love. Purpose. Food.

  “I don’t know if I have any of those,” she confessed. She thought of Agatha and Tedros, committed to the cause of Good. She thought of Reena, sacrificing the spotlight to find quiet love with a boy. She even thought of Hort, who wore love and purpose on his sleeve. Tears sprung to Sophie’s eyes before she could stop them. “Well, I have food, I suppose,” she said weakly. “If you consider what I eat food.”