The Alora and the Knightlys Trilogy: Books 1-3

by A. J. Medina

  When the maiden opened the door to the queen’s chambers, she released my hand and walked in. Following her, I admired the room.

  It was humungous. Much larger than anyone’s chambers I had been in before. The windows were dressed with red and gold coverings. The wooden floor was covered mostly in rugs which the maiden carefully avoided stepping on. Clearly, slaves weren’t allowed to step on the queen’s fine rugs, so I made sure to avoid stepping on them as well.

  On the far side of the room was the queen’s bed. Much larger than mine, it could fit at least all of the girl knightlys as well as the boys. I couldn’t help but wonder why a queen would need such a large bed and why she needed so much space just to sleep?

  On the other end of the room was a comfortable sitting area. The large chairs and chaise were covered in red, velvety soft material and encircled a short table in the middle that held a teapot and cups.

  “Hurry in!” the chamber maiden said as she held another door open.

  I rushed past her into the queen’s washroom and stopped, not sure what I was supposed to do.

  The queen was standing in her bath with one arm out to her side while another maiden ran a washcloth up and down its length.

  While I waited to be addressed, I studied and admired the queen. She was fit and healthy — her body was similar to the princess’ — except the queen had the shape of a fully developed woman, while the princess had yet to develop all of her curves.

  Her skin was flawless, not a scar or wound to be found, and it was all a single shade, no calluses or dark spots anywhere.

  The queen watched as her maiden washed her skin, almost as if she was ready to give her instructions on how to do it correctly. Her beauty was talked about in the castle city, but here — in her washroom — I really saw what everyone talked about. There was no dress, no head coverings, no skin colorings on her face. This was how she really looked and she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. As much as it hurt to admit it, she was even more beautiful than my mother.

  And her hair. It was just like Princess Evelyn’s—white as the clouds in the sky.

  The queen was a rare site indeed and there I was, disguised as Neala in front of her.

  The water of the bath was currently a tint of crimson from the color that was washed out of her hair.

  “I would like my hair to be blue for the morrow. Or perhaps dark as night,” she told another maiden standing off to the side by the table.

  The maiden that was sent to retrieve me finally shut the door behind us with a thud, causing the queen to take her attention off the one washing her.

  “Ahh, Neala,” the queen said.

  How did the servants address the queen? How had I heard them address her? I searched my memory until I found it.

  “You sent for me, My Queen?”

  “Aye. What news do you have for me this evening?”

  News, what news was she talking about? “News, My Queen?” I asked.

  “About Alora. What has she been up to today?”

  Neala was reporting on... she was reporting what I was up to? That meant Neala was spying on me. And she would surely report what I did tonight—putting her in the closet and making her wait for me.

  I answered her, concerned that I didn’t sound enough like Neala. “Not much really. She spent most of her time gazing out her window. She appeared to be lost in her thoughts, My Queen.”

  The queen nodded at the maiden who was washing her, dropped her arm, and turned her back to her before addressing me again. “Did she share any of her thoughts with you?” Queen Rosaleen asked staring straight into my eyes.

  I lowered my gaze quickly. “Nay, My Queen. She was silent. She waits for me now, she hasn’t washed yet and is waiting for me to prepare her bath.

  “So she is coming around then?”

  I almost looked up, but caught myself. “My Queen?”

  “You’ve reported before that Alora refuses your assistance on most days in her bath. That she chooses to wash most of her body herself.”

  The queen stopped speaking. It must’ve been a question. “Aye, My Queen. I believe she is coming around. Now that she is a wizard and first knight to the king, she desires that I wash her.”

  The queen let out a huff. “She may be getting used to being treated like royalty. I’m not sure how I feel about that.”

  I wasn’t sure what to say. It seemed the queen liked the fact that I didn’t want my chamber maiden to wash me, but now she seemed concerned that I did. Here I thought I was helping, but I might have made things worse.

  From behind me the door burst open and the king walked in and passed me.

  I bowed my head and curtsied, “My King.”

  The king turned when he noticed who had just greeted him. He stood in front of me, raised his hand, and stroked my cheek. He then lifted my chin so that we were looking into each other’s eyes.

  I knew that look, it was the look Silas and Lucah both gave me when they were about to kiss me.

  My eyes darted towards the queen. She was watching closely with hate and fury burning in her eyes.

  The queen cleared her throat and caused the king to look in her direction.

  “That will be all for tonight, Neala,” the queen said. “Please return to Alora. You must see that she is washed properly this evening. From what I’ve heard, her and the princess were at it again in the garden.”

  “Aye, My Queen,” I said, and then said goodbye to the king who still hadn’t released my chin. “My King.”

  I waited for him to release my chin, but he looked into my eyes again with that look.

  “Maiden,” the queen commanded. “The king must keep his strength up. Please pour him his elixir.”

  “Aye, My Queen,” the maiden that was standing by the table said.

  The queen climbed out of her bath and down its steps to the maiden that was pouring his elixir. Queen Rosaleen took the mug from her and walked over to us.

  “Here, husband. Drink.”

  The king didn’t take his eyes off me, but he took the mug and drank. His eyes twinkled, at least I could’ve sworn they did, and then he blinked out of his daze and turned to the queen.

  “My love, I have missed you this day,” he said.

  He released my chin and seemed to forget I was even there. He kissed and hugged the queen and the queen squinted her eyes at me, lifted her hand and shooed me away.

  I left the queen’s washroom and as I closed the door, I heard the queen ask King Remi, “Are you still calling Neala to your chambers at night?”

  “Nay. I only want you, my love,” the king answered.

  The door clicked shut and I couldn’t move. It felt like half an eternity before my feet would listen to me again.

  Chapter 6

  As I walked back to my chambers, I pieced together what had occurred in the queen’s washroom. Neala was reporting my actions to the queen.

  How much had Neala told her about me?

  My pace quickened as my temper rose. How could Neala betray me like that? She’s supposed to keep my secrets. Isn’t that some sort of chamber maiden code? They mustn’t share what they hear.

  My pace slowed down again when I started thinking about Neala and the king. The way he stared into my eyes. The yearning and the desire he had for Neala was clear.

  And after I left, the queen asked if he stilled called Neala to his chambers at night. Was Neala telling him about me as well? Was she spilling all of my secrets to them both?

  I shut the door to my chambers, stopped, and stared at the closet where Neala was hiding and waiting for me to return.

  I tried not to be mad at Neala. Once again she was doing what she was commanded to. She was a slave, how could I be mad at her?

  That was it. I decided to try my hardest not to be mad. I undressed and placed all of my ‘Neala’ clothes on the bed. I would give them to her so that she could have another dress to wear.

  I reached under my pillow, uncorked the vial and drank it.
Checking my reflection in the mirror, I was back to my old self. It was a weird feeling acting as someone else and then being back to normal. I couldn’t really explain it. It’s just weird.

  I picked up my sleep shirt and slipped it on over my head. After sliding my arms through the sleeves, I patted it down and smoothed it out along my body. I slowly reached out to the closet door and when my hand gripped the handle, I paused.

  I had to come up with a plan to keep Neala from telling the queen about this. But how could I keep Neala from telling the queen my secrets? And the king, what about him? Everyone obeyed the orders of the king, otherwise you didn’t live much longer after making the decision to disobey him.

  I took a breath. I was ready. I reached out and opened the door and was shocked at what I saw.

  Neala covered her eyes, adjusting to the change in light, and then waited for my command.

  She was crying. The tears ran down her cheeks and she wasn’t wearing any clothes. I turned to my bed and studied the dress that lay on it. With my hand still holding the closet door open, I knelt down and checked under my bed. My second pair of boots were gone. Standing up and turning back to Neala I asked, “Neala when I left—”

  “Aye, my clothes vanished.”

  I now understood. I hadn’t created a new pair of boots out of thin air and I hadn’t created an exact copy of Neala’s clothes. I had taken them from one location and placed them on my body.

  “I’m sorry, Alora. Forgive me for whatever—”

  I raised my open palm at Neala and she instantly stopped talking.

  Reaching to help Neala out of the closet I said, “Neala, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to... to leave you here like this.”

  Neala’s tears stopped flowing. She sniffed and then said, “I thought you were angry with me. Threw me in there as punishment and then took my clothes to make it worse.”

  It wasn’t a punishment, but I wondered if I would’ve still done it had I known she would be left in the closet without any clothes on? Either way, my plan had worked. “Neala, please prepare the bath. After thinking about it, I would like you to wash me tonight.”

  “But you already washed?”

  “Aye...”

  I knew she needed to report back to the queen that she actually washed me, so I made something up. “I don’t think I did a very good job and we need to keep up appearances.”

  Neala blinked as if she couldn’t believe what I was asking of her. “Aye, Alora. I’ll prepare it right away.”

  When the bath was ready, Neala peaked out of the washroom. “Alora, the bath is ready for you.”

  I was gazing out the window thinking again. It occurred to me that I used to find the wizard doing the same. He must’ve been thinking a lot about what to do.

  I went into the washroom, pulled off my sleep shirt and tossed it on the floor. After climbing the stairs, I slipped into the bath. Neala was already in it with her washcloth at the ready.

  The smile on Neala’s face as she washed me made me wonder why she was so happy. Could it be because I was letting her wash me and that made her feel useful? Or was it something else?

  When she finished with my body, I sat down in the bath and extended my foot towards Neala’s outstretched hand. Neala scrubbed my soles and in between my toes before asking for my other foot. After Neala was done, she commented on my hair.

  “You undid your braid.”

  “I had to.”

  “Why?”

  “I can’t tell you.”

  Neala tilted her head to the side the way a dog would. “Why not?”

  I leaned my head back on the edge of the bath and watched her. Neala was kneeling in the bath wringing out her washcloth. When I lifted my head again, to answer her, Neala tossed the washcloth into a pail. I tried not to be mad, but it was hard. “Because I don’t want you to tell the king and queen.”

  Neala’s eyes opened wide.

  The two of us stared at each other, neither of us knowing what to say. Finally Neala broke eye contact and looked down at her hands.

  I climbed out of the bath. Neala climbed out, snatched up a towel, and dried me off.

  I stormed out of the washroom once I was dry and opened my closet. I slid the dresses the princess had given me out of the way and searched for a clean sleep shirt. When I found it I took a mental image of the shirt and then imagined it on. In a flash of blue light, I was wearing one just like it. Now I was sure of it. It wasn’t just like it, I was wearing the exact same one. The one hanging in the closet had vanished.

  Neala came out of the washroom with her towel wrapped around her body. She looked like she wanted to tell me something but was afraid to.

  “Go ahead,” I said.

  “So you know? I was right then? You did put me in the closet as punishment.”

  “That’s not why I did it.”

  “If you didn’t put me in the closet as punishment, then why did you?”

  I thought about it again and then said, “I can’t tell you why.”

  “You don’t trust me?”

  I did and didn’t trust her all at once. “Because you’ll tell,” I told her.

  “Please let me explain,” Neala pleaded.

  I wanted an explanation. I didn’t want to feel this way towards Neala. Neala was supposed to be my friend. “Fine... explain.”

  “I am supposed to report back to the queen about you, but I only tell the queen unimportant things. I don’t tell her any of your secrets. Because I don’t tell her your secrets, the queen thinks you’re boring and doesn’t understand what the king ever saw in you.”

  “Saw in me?” I asked.

  “Aye.” Neala fidgeted and seemed like she didn’t want to keep speaking.

  Neala was risking her own safety by telling me what she had. If the king or queen knew what she had told me, or that Neala wasn’t telling them my secrets, they would surely punish her.

  I felt like I could trust her and so I told her everything. I told her how I had slipped past the guard disguised as her. How I and Silas had kissed in his cell. And how I had been summoned to the queen’s washroom to report on myself. Neala apologized and begged my forgiveness. She swore she would never divulge my secrets. Never. She would take them to the grave.

  I felt better as I climbed into bed. I wanted to know even more about Neala so I asked Neala to spend the night with me in my room and keep me company.

  “I can’t Alora. I must return to the royal maiden’s chambers in case the queen, or even the king, sends for me.”

  “But I thought he stopped?”

  “He did, but he might still send for me and if I’m not there, I don’t know what he’ll do.” Neala paused when she realized what I had said. “You know?”

  “Aye. How can he do such a thing?”

  “He is king.”

  “Unacceptable.” I pointed to my closet. Put on a sleep shirt and stay here tonight. If the king has anything to say about it in the morning, explain to him that I, his first knight, commanded that you stay with me. Don’t let on that I know about the two of you.”

  “Aye, Alora.”

  Neala donned a sleep shirt and climbed under the covers. With a flick of my wrist, I blew out the candles in the room.

  We lay in the quiet darkness until I broke the silence. “Neala, how old are you?”

  “Eighteen seasons.”

  “Your maiden’s chamber, where you sleep, is it nice?”

  Neala didn't answer.

  “Is it that bad?”

  “Nay, Alora. It’s just not as nice as your chambers. We live in the palace. It’s one large room with beds similar to how you and the other ladies lived, except there are more of us.”

  “How many?”

  “At least twenty. And the king will sometimes send for us.”

  “He sends for others?”

  “Aye.”

  “But he stopped?”

  She didn’t answer.

  “Is he at least gentle?”

  “I do
n’t wish to speak of it.”

  I reached out, took her hand and held it.

  “Did he send for you often?” I asked.

  “Not since you became the wizard’s apprentice, but I fear when you leave on your quest, that he will send for me again.”

  That wasn’t going to happen. But if I was gone I wouldn’t be able to prevent it from happening. Not like I could actually stop the king, but maybe I could keep her busy somehow and keep her in my chambers, like tonight. I doubted the king would send for her here.

  And then I decided. I wasn’t going to leave her behind.

  “You’re coming with us. I need a fifth and you could maybe cook for us. Make the necessary arrangements. Get clothing fit for our travels: boots, pants, and whatever else you need. I will not leave you here alone.”

  “Thank you. And Alora...”

  “Aye?”

  “Remember how I said the queen didn’t understand what the king saw in you?”

  “Aye.”

  Neala paused.

  “Neala, what is it?”

  “It may be improper for me to say.”

  “Tell me.” I squeezed her hand tightly. With an agitated voice, I said it again. “Tell me.”

  “He would ask me my opinion of your... your body, and if I thought he should send for you.”

  “Nay.... He didn’t?”

  “Aye, he did.”

  I released her hand and rolled over. “But he never sent for me.”

  “Because of the queen.”

  I rolled to face her again. “What did the queen do?”

  “He told me that she advised him that it wasn’t a good idea.”

  “Wait. The queen knew?”

  “Aye. But she said it wasn’t a good idea to call his knights into his chambers—that way.”

  “Thank you Neala for telling me. From now on I want you tell me everything. If there’s anything you think I should know, please tell me.”

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. The king.... He’s horrible! How could he...? And I almost would have....

  Rolling over and facing my window, I felt a slew of emotions come over me. First came horror, then came sadness, and then came anger.