by Amber Jaeger
“You sit like a pig,” Sula snapped, her fingers clawed around the arm of her chair. Each one held a large, jeweled ring. Around her neck was a rope of sapphires, likely worth a year’s amount of food for the entire kingdom.
“Well, I have not had much practice at acting like a princess the last few years,” Katiyana replied.
“No? For the last several weeks you have been playing house with the Fire King,” Sula said coyly.
Remembering the nameless girl’s words, Katiyana sat up sharply. “I know what you want. But I want something in return. I want you to promise you will not harm Lian, or anyone else. And I want you to give the riches back to the kingdom. The people need it, they are starving and without homes.”
Sula’s cackle made every hair on her body stand up and she had to force her hands down away from her ears. “And why would I do any of that? You are here now. I only have to scream and the guards will be here with their swords in your gut before you could even move from that settee. Which you are ruining with your grimy clothes,” she added with a sniff.
“That is not what you want,” Katiyana replied, her voice low but smooth. “You want to be the one who does it, who kills me. You want to poison me, yes? You want to be the one to end me, to punish my dead father.”
She watched her stepmother’s eyes narrow and the corner of her mouth come up slightly. “You know me so well, step daughter. But I was content to just have you killed until I discovered you had escaped me so long ago. So yes, I want to be the one to end your life.”
From the small table next to her she picked up a dark, perfect shining apple. “But as much as I would love to have my revenge as I have planned it, I will see you dead either way.”
Panic made her heart race. This was not how it could end! What had the nameless girl said? Surely she was missing something? She thought back frantically and tried to buy herself some time.
“I, I know you hate my father. I know you feel like he bought you, but is that really why you hate him? He was kind to you, he gave you everything you wanted. Surely you could not have had all this back in your homeland?” she asked, gesturing to all the expensive trinkets.
Sula’s eyes narrowed even further and with her sleek, black bob she resembled an exotic, poisonous snake. “No. I would have had more. I would have had my freedom. I would have been queen in the land I loved, next to a man who was perfect in every way. I would never have had to leave my home and come to this ugly dirt pit. They banned me, did you know that? The king used our land’s precious magic to prevent me from ever returning. And why? Because I cried to stay and threatened to return, no matter what. So they made it so I could not. Even if I ran from your disgusting father, I could have never gone home. It should have been mine, all of it. But instead the man I intended for my husband gave consent for me to be sold to your pig father.”
Her words broke something free in Katiyana’s mind and she struggled to recognize it.
Sula was not done with her rant. “Your father took everything from me and thought he could replace it with baubles and fields of ugly little trees. I hate it here, I hate everything about it and I will destroy it until there is not even smoldering ashes left.”
“I have something to tell you!” Katiyana gasped, suddenly realizing what the small shining thing she needed to give the queen was. “Something you desperately want.”
It was knowledge the queen wanted and Katiyana would give it to her if it kept her people safe.
“I will tell you and you will promise to leave this land. Swear it and I will tell you,” she demanded.
“What could you possibly know that I do not?” Sula smirked, but her brow trembled and Katiyana knew she was very, very curious.
“I heard it only weeks ago. I am only one of a few that know. Even Lian does not know, you will not learn of it by spying on the kingdoms.”
Sula tapped her chin. “Tell me your information and I will judge if it is worth so much.”
“No,” Katiyana said firmly. “I tell you what I know only if you promise to leave this kingdom and spare Lian any more of your menace. Then I will eat your apple. Otherwise, I will force you to call the guards. I will have once again disobeyed you and stolen your perfect revenge. I will die and my secret will never be known to you.”
Sula’s lips turned up in a cruel smile. “Fine. Agreed.”
Katiyana knew better than to trust her step mother but in her heart she also knew the nameless girl was never wrong. “Your king is gone, he has deserted the lands. He abandoned your people and they are without a ruler.”
“You lie,” Sula hissed, swiftly rising from her chair, her face contorted in rage. “How would you even know such a thing?”
“Traders from the north, the mountain men,” Katiyana said quickly, rearing up against the back of the settee. “I swear it is true.”
In one fluid movement, Sula reached her hand out and turned to fling a burning white ball at a large, ornate mirror on the other side of the room.
Katiyana ducked but the mirror did not shatter, instead absorbing the glowing orb. The glass wavered and brightened and smoky images became clear. It showed a desolate, snowy wasteland. The view veered sickeningly and zoomed through a village towards a small, icy palace and through it until all that could be seen in the frame was a regal throne, empty, save a diamond crown.
Sula clapped her hands together and tittered with glee. “You spoke true,” she said, turning back to Katiyana. “And you shall have your deal. I will leave this filthy hole at once to claim my rightful place as queen of my homelands. And so excited am I, I fear I will not be able to take the time to deal with your childish king.”
Katiyana thought the queen’s promise would ease the terrible pressure in her chest but it only worsened.
“Eat,” Sula said, holding out the apple. “We made a deal.”
Katiyana stood and walked on wooden legs to her step mother.
Sula’s eyes gleamed as she approached, the apple held out like a peace offering.
Believing she had done everything she could to save Lian and her people, Katiyana took the apple and raised it to her mouth.
Sula eagerly extended her neck to take in her step daughters last moments.
Katiyana held the apple for a long moment before taking a bite. The waxy skin of the apple was thick and tasteless and then her tongue was assaulted with the mealy bitterness of the fruit as her teeth sunk in.
Just as she bit off the vile chunk, the door burst open and Lian crashed through. She gasped at his sudden appearance, sucking the bit of fruit down into her throat.
“Katiyana, no!” he cried, running for her.
Sula clapped her hands in delight and shoved her sneering face into Katiyana’s. “You trusting, foolish girl.” She leaned in closer and whispered, “I have never kept a promise, ever. Your young stud will be the first to die and then I will go after your funny little friends in the forest.”
Even though the edges of her vision were growing dark and blurry, Katiyana fought to reach the evil queen. In the firelight, something glinted at the edge of her sleeve.
Something bright she had to give Sula.
With the last of her waning strength, she dropped the apple and twisted her wrist. The knife slid up smoothly and into her hand. Without hesitation she rammed it under her step mother’s chin and deep into her neck. The force of the blow nearly knocked her weakened body over and the bit of apple came bursting from her throat, hitting Sula in the face.
The evil queen’s eyes widened in blank shock and she gurgled, causing a hot gush of blood to run down the knife hilt and over girl’s hand.
“Like gutting a pig,” Katiyana whispered to her, just as blackness finally took over.
Lian watched in horror as both women crashed to the floor. He dove next to Katiyana and pulled her up into his arms, furiously kissing her slack mouth. She did not stir and he pulled away with tears in his eyes.
“Katiyana, please, no,” he moaned. “Please wake u
p. You should not have done this! You gave your life for a wretched man like me? Please wake up!” Her lips were a faint blue and he desperately covered them with his over and over but she did not move. Lian pulled her closer and sobbed into her hair. “Please just wake up,” he begged. “I will do anything.”
Just as hope died, she stirred in his arms. He reared back, searching her face for any sign of life. After a long, agonizing moment, her eyes fluttered open and she squinted against the light.
“Lian?” she asked, her voice hoarse.
“Yes, it is me,” he answered, his own voice shaking.
She rolled her eyes to take in her fallen step mother. Sula was still alive despite the blood pouring out around the knife.
“I would have let you live,” Katiyana told her softly. “But not for the price of my loved ones or the people of my kingdom.”
Sula stared up at the girl, never blinking. After a long moment the life went out of her eyes.
Despite the strength of the poison, Katiyana’s strength returned quickly and she rolled out of Lian’s arms to slide the knife out of her step mother’s throat. With shaky hands, she wiped the blood from her body and weapon in the folds of the fallen queen’s crinkly pink gown.
“Remind me to never anger you again,” Lian joked weakly as he helped her to her feet.
She speared him with her glare. “That was not anger, that was vengeance.”
Properly chastised, Lian shut his mouth. She stared at for a moment while her mind cleared. “How are you even here?” she finally asked.
His face broke into a grin, showing the dimple that only came out when he was truly happy. “I could not sleep. Imagine my surprise when I happened to glance out my window to see you tearing down the mountain, on a horse, of all things. I followed you as fast as I could but only caught up just as you were climbing the over the balcony.” He grimaced. “Thankfully I spent hours going over the layout of the palace the spies sketched or I might have been too late.”
“Thank you,” she murmured, slipping her hand into his.
The room began to brighten with the rising sun as Katiyana stood over her step mother’s body. Memories of her father and her hopes for a happy family with Sula filled her mind until she gently pushed them away.
Finally they left the room and quietly shut the door behind them. Lian offered his arm but she pushed it away. The wide hallways were still and quiet. She walked down the plush rugs on the gleaming mahogany floor in a daze. The paintings and furniture of her childhood were still in place.
The main stair case was just as magnificent as she remembered and she walked down slowly, running her hand along the gleaming banister. She did not notice the little trails of blood she left behind.
Katiyana paused in the main entryway just inside the elegant front doors. She could almost see the bouncing little princess with perfect chestnut waves and her rotund, apple-cheeked father waiting for their new mother and wife.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and stepped out in the early sunlight to take in her kingdom. Lian stepped out beside her as she took in the first view of her broken kingdom.
One grey haired man stopped in the courtyard to look up at them. Katiyana froze, unsure of what would happen next. The man began limping up the stairs, tears in his eyes as he came to stand in front of Katiyana. “You returned to us,” he choked out.
After a long moment she recognized his face. “Harmen?” He nodded and she flung her arms around him. Lian stood back as they had their reunion. Finally Katiyana pulled back. “Tell me, what has happened here?”
He smiled, revealing several missing teeth. “First, you tell me how you came to stand in Queen Sula’s courtyard, covered in blood and flanked by the Fire King.”
Katiyana swallowed hard before answering. “Sula is dead, by my hand. I am the rightful heir to the Forest Throne, I am the queen now, and I will make every wrong right again.”
Harmed sobbed and dropped to his knees before her, pressing her hand against his cheek. “Come, my queen, and meet your people.”
Lian helped him to his feet and Harmen led them out into the village. Thin, curious faces peered from behind threadbare curtains and empty doorways. Harmen called them out, “Come, meet our new queen.”
“Where is Queen Sula?” one woman shouted from the shadows of her house.
Katiyana looked to Harmen and Lian before raising her voice to answer. “She is dead. My name is Katiyana Nix. I am daughter to the late King Kenan and rightful ruler of the Forest Throne. I have returned to restore our kingdom.”
The villagers edged out of their homes, curiosity and hope plain on their faces. The villagers began to whisper amongst themselves and Harmen turned to address them.
“She speaks the truth. She is the lost princess returned to us. Look upon her face and you will know it is true.”
The people inched forward, squinting in the bright light. Slowly, one by one, they each knelt down. “Queen Katiyana,” they murmured.
Heart slamming in her chest, she said to them, “Rise, please. Your time of darkness is at an end. Your hunger and suffering are over. Today you will come into the castle and feast. If you have no home, you will take a room here. Together we will overcome the devastation Sula caused.”
Some of the women were crying but none of them moved forward. She did not blame them for their disbelief. She turned to Harmen and said loudly, “Go to the kitchens and tell the staff to prepare a feast for the entire village.”
He nodded and bowed, a huge smile on his face.
Lian remained at the edge of the crowd as villagers slowly approached their new queen. She greeted each one and clasped their hands. Both men and women cried as they realized their suffering was truly at an end.
Despite her exhaustion and weakness, she let them lead her into their homes to survey the crumbling walls and collapsed roofs. She followed thin farmers into their brown and wilting fields and told them of the help that was on its way.
Children came to tug on her hand and she knelt down to listen to every word they had to say.
Lian followed from a distance, his heart swelling with pride and love. The only pain he felt was knowing he could never deserve a woman such as her.
When Harmen came out to the courtyard and shouted that the meal was ready, it was a testament to the villager’s hunger that they turned from their new queen and ran for the food.
Only one woman lagged behind. “My queen…what should we so with Qu- with Sula’s body?”
“Would you like it burned?” Lian asked darkly.
“No,” Katiyana said quickly, giving him a sharp look. “All she ever wanted was to stay in her home. So that is where will send her, back to the Northern Territories. And we must send out riders to the rest of the kingdom to let them know what has happened.”
The woman nodded and bowed before hurrying to the castle for her meal.
Katiyana sighed and looked out over her apple orchard. The ground was dry and the trees barren, without a single fruit hanging from a limb.
She turned to Lian and he hated to see such sadness in her eyes. “You will have all the help that was pledged to you,” he promised. “Soon everything will be as it once was.”
Katiyana nodded and turned to go in to oversee the feast.
Lian stopped her with a gentle hand on her elbow. “Katiyana,” he murmured when she looked up at him. “Your strength is more than that of the gods. Every day you amaze me with your kindness and your heart. I love you,” he said, encircling her in his arms. “Be my queen.”
Katiyana smiled and raised her hands to capture his face. She pulled him down to sear his mouth with a deep kiss. When he had to pull away to catch his breath, she spoke again. “I love you too. But I must be their queen before I can be your queen.”
Lian dropped his head and his shoulders slumped. “I am not telling you no,” she murmured into his ear. “I am telling you to ask when the apple trees bear fruit again.”
He looked up wi
th a smile and pulled her in closer. “As you wish,” he said, pressing his lips to hers.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amber lives in beautiful West Michigan with her family and demonic cats.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ajaegerbooks
Email: [email protected]
OTHER BOOKS BY AMBER JAEGER
Falling
Winters Dream
Seasons End*
The Cold King
The Fire King
*Coming Soon