by A. J. Medina
I had pleaded to everyone to minimize losses. I didn’t want anyone to die unnecessarily and I definitely didn’t want the innocent citizens of the city to be killed.
At the gate, Ser Hector appeared and Ryanne thrust her sword through his chest.
He falls. They’ll all fall. The knightlys have been trained too well. The king was right in his decision to train young ones and that unfortunately will be his undoing.
I continued watching as the knightlys quickly cut through all the knights at the gate. They were no match and with most of the king’s knights stationed at the field on the other side of the drawbridge, the city was left with minimal defenses.
As we slowly moved towards the castle walls, a regime of King Remi’s knights tried to make their way up the bridge to the city. There were far too many for them to handle.
I called for the dirt, then the water, touched it, and formed a solid wall. No knights would be able to get in and no one from the city could get out. Whatever knights remained in the city would be our only resistance.
With the knights at the gate defeated, I reached out and used the wind to open the gate for my knightlys.
Me, Silas, Davina and Neala rode the wave up to the turret of the palace and landed safely on the edge—the same edge me and Neala had left from not so long ago.
The turret was empty and it was quiet. Too quiet. Our element of surprise had been blown, but hopefully our attack on the palace would still work.
“Follow me,” Davina shouted as she ran towards the door that led down into the palace.
“Stop,” I tried to whisper, but loud enough for her to hear.
She didn’t stop on her own. Neala grabbed her cloak and yanked her hood back.
I placed my finger on my lips. “Shhh. What are you trying to do, get us killed?”
She didn’t answer me.
I summoned my boots onto my feet while Neala put hers on. When she was ready, I crept to the door, placed my ear against it, and listened.
There was nothing but silence.
After pulling the door open, a gust of wind blew and the torches that lit the winding stairs extinguished. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach and decided to use the wind to see what was happening.
Through the twist and turns of the palace I searched, but the passageways were all empty. No guards, no nothing.
Something didn’t feel right.
I gave them their orders. “Neala, Davina, your task is to make sure the princess is safe. Don’t let anyone harm her.”
“Understood,” Neala said.
Davina let out a half hearted response. “Understood...”
“Then go.”
The two of them sped off down the steps.
“What do we do now?” I asked Silas. “The king must be ready for us?”
“I’m already ahead of you.” Silas led the way and I knew immediately where we were going.
— — —
Neala burst into Princess Evelyn’s chambers. Except for the warming fire, the room was empty. Her covers were tossed aside on the bed, evidence that she had been in it.
Perhaps the sounding of the alarm had frightened her, Neala wondered.
She went over to the bed, knelt down, and looked underneath it.
Princess Evelyn was known to hide under the bed when she was younger and Neala had hoped that’s where she was now.
Next, Neala checked the princess’ closet. It was definitely large enough for her to hide inside of. After all, Neala had been stuffed in Alora’s closet before and she fit just fine, and the princess’ closet was at least four times as large. When she wasn’t found inside, there was only one place left to check.
“Check the washroom,” Davina said.
Neala hurried to the washroom and gently tapped one knuckle to the door three times. “Princess Evelyn, are you in there?”
There was no answer.
Neala pushed in the door trying to be as quiet as she could. Aside from the bath, the table that held the towels and wash cloths, and the pails, the washroom was empty.
The washroom brought back many memories for Neala. She used to wash the princess in that very bath and when Alora arrived, she washed her in there as well when the princess wanted her company.
The princess had always treated her kind. As a servant yes, but kind non the less. Neala was tasked with keeping the princess safe, and here she was, not knowing where the princess had gone off to. She was failing as a knight. She was failing as Alora’s apprentice.
She shook her head.
“She’s not in there,” she said as she exited, but Davina was no longer in the room. Neala went out into the passageway to check if she was waiting, but Davina was gone. Instead, two knights stood at the ready at the end of the passage.
Neala drew her sword and prepared for battle.
— — —
The queen tried to comfort her husband. She couldn’t let the fact that she was afraid show through. She had to remain composed and give her husband strength. The kingdom, their daughter, and their lives depended on it.
“Alora is no match for me, Husband,” Rosaleen told Remi. “You will see what I mean if she makes the mistake of coming after us.”
“But she is coming after us,” Remi said. “Why else would she be here?”
The queen went over to the table and lifted up the ingredients sprinkling them into her husband’s mug. After dipping a spoon, she stirred the liquid.
“Here husband, drink your elixir. It will calm you.”
He took it and drank. “She is too powerful for us,” he said.
Rosaleen placed two fingers on the bottom of the mug and lifted it to his lips. “Drink.”
“Why don’t you tell him, Mother?”
“Hush, child.”
“Tell me what?” Remi asked.
Princess Evelyn moved in between them and stared up at the queen. “Tell him!”
“Tell me what, Rosaleen? What is she on about?”
“Nothing. You know children. When they are afraid they act out.”
Princess Evelyn stomped her foot. “Tell him that we are trueborns.”
Rosaleen stared at her daughter. The look was one of hatred. Hatred for spilling her secret.
“Trueborn?” King Remi asked. “How?”
Rosaleen waved her hand dismissing him, but he didn’t appreciate that. He grabbed her by the arm. “Explain yourself!” he bellowed.
— — —
The two of us entered my old workshop. I ran my hand across the desk and then along the closet where I kept the wizard chess set. Among other things, the closet blocked the secret passageway that led down to the small room that held Agbavitor’s journals along with the wizard’s book I had left behind.
“It’s time,” Silas said.
I walked over to the wall, made a circle with my finger, and the door to the secret passageway slid open. Just before we entered, Silas pulled me into his arms and kissed me.
I was afraid. Afraid because he kissed me so passionately—like he would never kiss me again. When our lips parted, he gave me that smirk I loved to see and then pulled me by the hand into the secret passageway.
We tipped toe the whole way to the end so as not to be heard.
When we arrived at the entrance to King Remi’s chambers, I could hear arguing from the other side. The two voices went back and forth and then there was a third voice—Princess Evelyn.
They were afraid of me, but that’s not what caught my and Silas’ attention. It was one word that did—trueborn. Silas jumped into action.
He touched his pointed finger to the wall and drew a circle. We summoned our swords and armor as the entrance to the king’s chambers opened and we were now face to face with our enemy.
Chapter 16
We engulfed the scene as fast as we could. The princess, King Remi and Queen Rosaleen hadn’t seen or heard us yet. The king held the queen’s arm.
“Tell me!” he yelled. “Are you truly a trueborn?”
The qu
een didn’t answer him.
“Tell him mother,” Princess Evelyn said.
Silas took one step forward when the door to the room flew open and Davina appeared.
I was happy to see her. The more the merrier and such. But she didn’t attack. She strolled over to the queen’s side and the queen appeared happy to see her.
Davina stayed at the queen’s side while me and Silas calmly entered the room. I wondered why the queen hadn’t tried to defend herself and instead allowed Davina to get close to her and her family.
The fear in Princess Evelyn’s eyes was apparent, but the king and queen didn’t appear afraid at all now. The king had his sword already drawn and he stepped in front of Queen Rosaleen and the princess.
“Stand back. You will not hurt my family,” the king said.
“I don’t want them,” Silas said, and then lifted his sword and pointed it at King Remi. “I want you.”
Silas lurched forward towards the king when Queen Rosaleen said a word. “Foriq.”
Silas stopped in his tracks. I tried to step forward, but I couldn’t move.
Why couldn’t I move?
The queen placed her hand on her husband’s shoulder and walked around him. “You see husband? I told you they were no match for me.”
The king nodded.
The queen walked up to and then circled around Silas. “You thought you would come in here and just kill us? How weak do you think we really are?”
“I never thought you were weak. Evil, yes, but not weak.”
“Evil? Is it evil to want to stay in power? To keep what we have?”
“Nay,” Silas responded. “But it’s the way you tried to keep it. And you aren’t just trying to keep what you have. You’re trying to take over the three kingdoms.”
“One must expand their reach,” King Remi added. “Otherwise the other kings would do the same and take my kingdom from me.”
“Nonsense,” Silas said.
King Remi grew angry. “Nonsense? It doesn’t matter what you believe anyway. We will prevail. The three kingdoms will be ours.”
The queen strolled over to the table and began mixing something in a mug.
“Davina kill them!” Silas shouted.
She ignored him.
“Davina!” I shouted.
“Shut it,” Davina said.
Confused on what was happening, I struggled and fought to move, but I still couldn’t.
The queen handed Remi his mug. “Drink your elixir, husband. We are safe.”
He took it and drank.
As he drank I felt something. It was a strange feeling. It felt similar to how I felt when me and Lucah were dragons. “Do you feel that?” I whispered to Silas.
“I do, but how do you feel it?”
“What are you two saying?” Davina asked.
The queen came closer to us. “Shut it, you two.”
“It’s not her,” Silas said.
The queen became annoyed when we didn’t listen. “I said shut it!”
I wasn’t sure where the feeling was coming from. It was almost as if I were feeling someone else’s emotions.
Queen Rosaleen watched as King Remi continued to sip from his mug.
“What have you done to us? Why can’t we move?” I asked the queen.
“You stupid girl. You and your friends drank whatever Davina gave you. You never once questioned what might be in your drinks. Now you know.”
“You poisoned us,” Silas accused Davina. “You were the one that poisoned Alora.”
The queen continued. “That was a mistake on her part.”
“Aye, the poison was meant for you.” Davina pointed to Silas.
“But why, Davina?” I asked. “We’re your friends.”
“Hah! You are my enemies.”
Davina reached in under the collar of her chest plate and uncorked one of the small bottles.
I had seen those before.
She drank some of what was in it and in a flash, the woman with the black hair stood before me.
“Ursala!” Silas shouted.
She walked up to him face to face. “I see you remember me, Apprentice.”
“How do you know her?’ I asked Silas.
“Agbavitor sent me to retrieve his wizard suit from her.”
“Aye,” Ursala said. “He asked me to make him one and then he asked me to make them for all of you. The young ones being groomed for the king’s army.”
I struggled to move. “So you’ve been acting as Davina this whole time?”
“I have, and it’s been miserable being by your side. I hated following your orders, but I had my own to follow.” She stepped away from us and back towards the queen. “You see, Queen Rosaleen is an old friend. We worked out a plan that suited the both of us. The poison was meant for Silas, and when he was dead, I would bring you to her so she could exact her own justice upon you.”
“But why would you want to kill me?” Silas asked.
“Why?” Ursala pointed to me. “Because she killed my husband and I wanted her to feel what it felt like to lose the one she loved.”
When Silas spoke, I wished I could look at him, but I still couldn’t move no matter how hard I tried. “The dragon scale. That was Draycko’s?”
I would’ve nodded if I could, but I had to speak. When I did, I heard the sadness in my own voice. “Aye, but I didn’t mean to do it. He stole my emerald.”
“Emerald?” King Remi interrupted.
He immediately ran over to me and patted down my neck and chest area.
“What are you doing?” the queen asked him.
“She’s his daughter. The knight that found the Emerald of Kali. Draycko had come to me and said he had found it. He wouldn’t tell me where. It makes sense now. She had it all along.”
He kept patting my body searching for my emerald. I was disgusted feeling his hands all over me.
When he didn’t find it, he slapped me and yelled. “Where is it?”
I didn’t answer.
He slapped me again
“Where?”
I stayed quiet. He was not getting my emerald.
The queen placed her hand on his shoulder. “Husband, allow me. Finish your elixir.”
He backed away and drank.
As he drank, I began to feel thoughts that weren’t mine—I could see and hear what King Remi was thinking. It was an odd experience. I wasn’t sure what to make of it.
He drank more and I could feel his presence. Feel as if I could become him.
The king’s mug crashed into the back of the queen’s head. “Ow,” she exclaimed.
“Mother!” Princess Evelyn shouted.
The queen turned, her hand rubbing where she had been hit.
The king’s sword was aimed up under his ribs and at his heart.
“Husband, what are you doing?”
The king didn’t answer her, but Silas did.
“Too much elixir, My Queen. You’ve made him weak willed.”
The king thrust the sword into his heart and dropped to his knees.
The queen let out a scream. A scream of great pain. “Remi!” she cried.
King Remi stared into her eyes before falling forward, his body slamming into the ground with a dull thud.
“Release us!” I shouted.
The queen turned her head away from her husband. Her eyes were filled with hatred and she stared at me and then turned to Silas.
“Ursala, you shall have your revenge. Kill him,” she said.
Ursala stepped in front of Silas. “Look Alora. Gaze at your love as he takes his last breaths.”
“Nay. Don’t,” I pleaded.
Ursala drew her dagger and right before my eyes, she slowly pierced Silas’ throat.
I was about to scream, but the queen waved a hand at me. “You cannot scream,” she commanded.
My mouth opened to scream, but all that came out was a breathy sound—like I had exhaled heavily.
Silas was slightly in front of m
e so I could see what was happening from behind him. He was choking on the blade. When she finally pulled it out, Silas continued choking. I knew the gurgling sound he was making would haunt my dreams forever.
As the tears flowed down my face, I watched as his body struggled to hold onto life. The queen said something and he dropped to the floor, the sound of him choking still filling the air. Ursala tossed me a sinister smile. She was pleased with what she had done.
The queen turned her attention to me. “And you, great wizard. Look at you now. Stiff as a statue. Can’t even defend yourself.”
The queen lifted her hand and slapped me. I could feel the sting in my cheek and knew it was turning red. The queen reached behind her back and drew a dagger. She came closer and I knew I had to be next.
“Now for you,” she said.
I searched my mind for something to say. Anything that would make her stop. “You can’t kill me,” I whispered. “I’m a young one. You won’t be able to perform magic anymore.”
The queen laughed. “That silly law doesn’t apply to trueborns. We are born with our power, it’s not given to us by some potion or by a wizard. Our powers cannot be taken from us.”
The queen held her blade up to my throat. I could feel the cold sharp tip pressing against my skin. I swallowed hard. My time had come. This wasn’t how I imagined my death. I thought I would die old in bed, or in battle, but not like this: frozen, afraid, and unable to do anything about it.
“Mother, please don’t,” the princess said.
The queen never took her eyes off me. “My daughter this must happen. She has betrayed us and she is too powerful to live. We must stop her here and now.”
Silas coughed blood. She must’ve missed his artery because he was suffering for way too long.
“Nay, mother. You and father are the evil ones. You are the ones that must be stopped.”
The queen gasped, and so did I, when I saw the tip of the dagger exit through the front of her throat. She dropped the dagger she held to my neck and fell to the ground, her blood pooling quickly around her.
Ursala lunged at the princess.
With the queen dying, her hold on me was released. I reached out and commanded the air to lift Ursala up. I threw her against the wall and then banged her against it again and again. I released my hold on her and allowed her to fall to the floor. She rubbed her head where it had hit the wall. I watched her and then looked down at Silas. I looked back at her and then at him. Ursala summoned her sword.