False Queen

by Nikki Jefford

  Dan breezed into the middle of the living room and stood, feet planted wide and hands on his hips.

  Tyler hurried over and held up an electric razor.

  “Oh my God, he’s really going through with it!” Candace squealed.

  As Tyler plugged in the razor’s cord, people gathered around Dan. Someone grabbed one of the couch sectionals and brought it over for him to sit down. Tyler set a large black garbage bag behind Dan.

  “I’m so recording this,” Ruby said, pulling her phone out of her back pocket.

  While everyone leaned in closer with gleeful smiles, Jessica planted her hands on her hips and glared at Dan as though he’d interrupted her in the middle of an important speech. I wasn’t too happy with his timing either. I’d been within inches of kissing Larry, and I had a feeling it would have been exceptional. Seismic. Oscar-worthy.

  The whir of the electric razor hummed through the living room in place of the music.

  Dan lifted his chin as Tyler buzzed off the first strip of hair from the top of his head.

  Several girls giggled.

  “That’s hard-core,” Kenneth said from beside me.

  I sniffed dismissively.

  “You are not impressed?” Larry asked in a low voice meant only for me.

  I kept my eyes on the razor as Tyler ran it through Dan’s brown locks. “It will grow back,” I said with a shrug.

  Larry grasped at his shoulder blade as though feeling for hair that had once hung past his shoulders. “True,” he murmured.

  Brown clumps of hair fell to the trash bag as Tyler worked the razor over Dan’s head until the thickest bits were removed. Then he went over his scalp slowly to clear the rest.

  “Get it nice and shiny,” Dan instructed.

  Once Tyler had finished, he turned off the razor and cleared up the flyaway hairs with Jessica standing over him, watching. Dan jumped up from the cushion and put his hands on his hips.

  “How do I look?” he asked.

  “Bald,” Ruby replied.

  “Excellent.” Dan clapped his hands twice. “Anna, shall we dance?”

  The rest of the cast turned to me with grinning faces. They moved back, leaving the living room open. Someone scooted the cushion away as Dan took measured steps toward me, singing the opening lyrics of our “Shall We Dance” number.

  I rolled my eyes at his approach, but my smile was splitting my cheeks apart. Dan had a big head—a big bald head now—but his passion for acting was infectious and he always made things interesting. I couldn’t say I was opposed to the attention everyone had on us either. I’d been dead to the world for half a decade. It was my time to shine.

  Dan stepped in front of me, reached his arm out and slid his hand around my waist. I wrapped one hand around his neck, and then we were moving around the room, singing together, swirling around.

  “‘Shall we dance?’ One, two, three. ‘On a bright cloud of music shall we fly?’ One, two, three.”

  The rest of the cast joined in the next chorus.

  “‘Shall we dance?’ One, two, three,” we sang in unison until we reached the end of the song. “‘Shall we dance? Shall we dance? Shall we dance?’”

  Applause broke out at the end. Dan bowed then pointed at me. I bowed and pointed at him. He took my hand and together we bowed.

  Once the clapping died down, Jessica walked in with a wooden tray of orange-and-yellow cocktails. “Shall we drink?” she asked.

  Laughter and fresh applause went up.

  Setting the tray down carefully on a coffee table that had been pushed aside, Jessica picked up two of the tall-fluted cocktails and brought them to Dan and me.

  “These are Siam Sunsets,” she announced. “For the king of Siam,” she said, handing the first to Dan, “and for Anna.”

  “It’s so pretty,” I said, taking the bright drink from her. The liquid going up the stem was darker orange with a burst of yellow on top.

  “Don’t be shy,” Jessica said to the rest of the group. “Help yourselves. There are more in the kitchen.”

  Those nearest the tray quickly emptied it.

  “Cheers to a talented group of actors. We’re going to smash it opening night,” Dan said, lifting his glass.

  “And a phenomenal crew,” I added.

  “Hear, hear,” Justin said.

  We tipped our glasses back and drank. The Siam Sunset was as yummy as Jessica’s cosmo. This one had a sweet orange flavor.

  I turned to look for Larry and see if he wanted to take a taste again only to find he’d disappeared. My heart fell slightly. He probably felt left out being the only person not part of the cast or crew.

  “Now how about some real drinks?” Tyler said, smacking his lips as he set his empty glass on an end table.

  “What? Like beer?” Jessica asked sarcastically. “Here, have mine.” She held a bottle of beer out to Tyler, who took it with a nod. “What drinking game are we playing tonight?” she asked.

  “Oh! Oh!” Ruby cried, raising her hand in the air. “Let’s do the Disney Drinking Game. Got any Disney cartoons, Jess?”

  “We’ve got Hulu, Netflix, HBO, Showtime, and so forth. I think we’re covered.”

  “You think?” Ruby said with a snort and a laugh.

  Jessica pursed her lips and gave Ruby a chilly stare. She and her brother seemed to have a moody side. Slowly turning, Jessica walked over to the large flat screen mounted to the wall and grabbed a remote.

  “Here you go, Ruby. Have at it,” Jessica said, handing Ruby the remote.

  Ruby grabbed the remote and turned on the screen. “Okay, here’s how it works. Whenever the Disney princess hates her life and wants to change it, drink. Whenever the main character’s name is mentioned, drink.” Ruby began flipping through titles. “Ah, here we are. Aladdin. One of my favorites.” She hit “play” and spun around, grinning widely. “And remember, whenever the two main characters fall in love—drink.”

  Couch sectionals were grabbed and set in front of the TV. Caroline and Kenneth cozied up on one while Jessica shared hers with Dereck and Justin.

  “Hensley, saved you a spot up front,” Dan called.

  I would have rather shared a cushion with Larry, but it didn’t look like he would be making a reappearance anytime soon.

  Taking a deep breath, I made my way to the front and sat beside Dan, who bowed his freshly shaven head beside me and said, “Want to touch it?” When I hesitated, he coaxed, “Go on, feel it.”

  I ran my hand over his head quickly and said, “Smooth.”

  He sat up tall and smirked.

  Ruby walked over to us and handed me a wine cooler. “Here,” she said.

  “What about me?” Dan asked, folding his arms over his chest.

  “Oh yes, of course, what do you want to drink, Your Highness?” Ruby said mockingly.

  “I should have you whipped for your insolence.”

  Ruby snorted and rolled her eyes. “Seriously, what do you want, Dan?”

  “Hard cider—the one in the can.”

  “Right away, my king.” Ruby returned with Dan’s canned cider and another wine cooler for herself.

  “Thanks,” I said to her.

  She winked and took a seat beside Paul, leaning her shoulder against his.

  On screen, Jasmine refused to marry a suitor and ran from the palace. A chorus of “drink” went up.

  Later on, when Jasmine took a magic carpet ride with Aladdin, Ruby suggested we all tip our bottles and glasses back for an inflight drink. But this time, Dan pitched forward and hurled onto the floor.

  I jumped aside just in time while Dan continued to retch.

  Jessica hurried to the kitchen, returning with a roll of paper towels, a bottle of disinfectant, and a trash bag, which she held out to Dan. He groaned then leaped up and sprinted to the bathroom, where we heard the echoes of him spewing inside the toilet.

  Jessica huffed and wrinkled her nose.

  “I can clean it,” Daria, a girl on the costume crew,
said. “I can handle a bit of vomit.”

  “Thanks,” Jessica said.

  “Oh my God, how much did he have to drink?” Caroline asked. Lowering her voice, she said, “Will he be able to perform this Tuesday?”

  My stomach dipped.

  Tuesday. Opening night. Two days away.

  There was still Tyler, but for all of Dan’s blustering, he was by far the better performer.

  I turned around and located Tyler, my gut clenching at the possibility of him having to step into the role. When I saw the green tint of his face and the way he clutched his stomach, it didn’t take long to realize we had bigger problems.

  “I’m gonna be sick,” he said before running for the stairs and bathroom on the top floor.

  After his pounding footsteps ebbed, we all stood around the living room in stunned silence, waiting to see who would be next.

  Chapter Twenty

  Melarue

  L

  yklor, it appeared, had been right all along. Teryani refused to let us take him to Dahlquist.

  Unsure what to do next, Folas dispatched one of our guards with a message to Aerith, returning the following afternoon with a strongly worded response that made Teryani’s whole face light up with delight when she called Folas and me into her sitting room to read it aloud.

  Ella sat on a high-backed chair with her hands folded in her lap, listening intently as Teryani smirked at the parchment.

  “It appears that sweet Aerith has taken to the role of queen quite naturally. She demands I release Lyklor to her.” Teryani’s eyes gleamed when she looked up. Languidly, her gaze drifted back to the letter. “If I do not comply, she says she will be forced to send more of her guards at a time when she can ill afford to spare them.” Once she was finished reading, Teryani refolded the parchment carefully as though it was a priceless text. “I shall write my lovely sister-in-law back at once.”

  I bit back a huff of disgust at Teryani’s obvious pleasure. She acted like this was some kind of game between queens.

  Aerith was right. We didn’t have time to waste.

  Wordlessly, Folas and I filed out of the sitting room, leaving Teryani to her amusement.

  When I opened my mouth to voice my frustrations, Folas pressed a finger to my lips and glanced pointedly at the pretty brunette maid flicking a feather duster over the gilded portraits in the hallway.

  Once I’d nodded my understanding, Folas removed his finger. We walked side by side down the hallway to the weapons room. Enclosed inside, I groaned in frustration. Folas exhaled so hard his breath ruffled the loose wisps of hair around his face.

  Aerith had written us a letter as well, instructing us not to leave Ravensburg until Teryani turned Lyklor over to us.

  How long would that take?

  Folas and I spent the remainder of the afternoon working our frustrations out on straw dummies. We used our own weapons since the only ones available in the room were wooden practice swords.

  “She probably switched them out as soon as Lyklor came to stay,” Folas had remarked when I kicked at the wooden sticks.

  “Lame,” I’d responded, rolling my eyes.

  After stabbing the dummies multiple times, I plunged my short sword into a heart marked over a tattered white shirt then high-kicked the head clear off.

  Folas drew his long sword back to look over and snort. “What do you call that?” he asked.

  “Double death by elf,” I answered.

  Folas snorted again.

  My satisfaction didn’t last long. I pulled my sword out of the dummy and grumped, “I’m so bored.”

  Folas nodded in agreement.

  “Hey, I know,” I said. “Let’s fight each other.”

  “Not a chance,” he answered without taking so much as a second to consider my suggestion.

  “Why not? Afraid of an elf?” I asked, bouncing on the balls of my feet.

  Folas snorted again. “Yeah,” he said, “a blonde elf named Aerith and what she’ll do to me if I accidentally nick her little sister.”

  I stopped bouncing and glared at Folas. “You did just witness my double death move, right?”

  Folas rolled his eyes.

  “Right?” I demanded louder.

  The brute refused to answer. Instead, he strutted out of the practice room, leaving me to cleave dummies on my own.

  It took another two days before Aerith’s response to Teryani’s letter arrived. This time, my sister attempted appealing to Teryani from one sister to another, expounding on the future of both kingdoms. One could not thrive without the other.

  “‘We have faced and overcome challenges together in the past,’” Teryani read aloud. “‘This time is no different. Sister, I beseech you to search your heart and do what you know is best for Dahlquist, the seat of your family and beloved home. In case Liri does not return, it is of the utmost importance that I begin grooming Lyklor immediately or—if concluding that he is unfit to rule—that I ready Ryo in his stead.’”

  Again, Teryani neatly folded the parchment.

  “Why this rush to find a replacement?” she asked the room in a way that suggested she did not require an answer. “Liri will return. I know my twin better than anyone, and he is nothing short of determined. And if for some reason he is unable to get back . . .” Teryani shrugged. “Aerith undoubtedly makes a better ruler than either Lyklor or Ryo. I would not leave them in charge of my stables, let alone a castle—a kingdom.” Teryani, who very rarely scowled, did so then. Her expression relaxed a second later. “Aerith must keep her crown. I will write and tell her as much.”

  This time, I couldn’t keep quiet.

  “Aerith doesn’t want to be queen. She is doing this as a favor. Not the forever kind of favor,” I added.

  Teryani’s silvery eyes flicked over to me. “Melarue, you are a brave and loyal sister to Aerith, but you understand nothing of an older sibling’s responsibilities.” My eyes narrowed to slits, but she kept going. “We don’t have the luxury of coming and going as we please.”

  And to think I once thought she was cool. Turned out Teryani was just another condescending “adult” and asshole Elmray. I folded my arms over my chest tightly.

  “You should not pout, Melarue. It does not become you,” Teryani scolded.

  I mimicked her words in my head, working myself up even more.

  Still, Folas and I waited, as instructed. Another day passed, followed by another. The only time I saw Lyklor was during meals. Since he’d been so rude in the library, I’d taken to ignoring him.

  “We should sneak him out,” I said to Folas after we’d retreated to the weapons room yet again.

  Folas’s eyes expanded, and his mouth formed a horrified cavern when it gaped open. “In Ravensburg we are under Queen Teryani’s rule,” he informed me.

  “I’m not under anyone’s rule,” I snapped back. “My sister wants Lyklor in Dahlquist. I plan to deliver. You stole Aerith from Pinemist. Can’t you figure out a way to sneak the prince out?”

  “Only the queen can portal in or out of Ravensburg.”

  “So that’s it? You hit one roadblock and throw your arms up in surrender?”

  Folas growled. “I’m not surrendering. It’s just the way it is.”

  “Lame,” I said with an eye roll as one of our Dahlquist guards ran into the room.

  Folas snapped to attention and strode toward him, demanding, “What is it?”

  “An urgent message from Queen Aerith,” he gasped. “Queen Teryani’s guards snatched it before it could be delivered to you.”

  Folas’s eyes turned to flint. “Then it seems I must have a word with Queen Teryani,” he said, his voice as cold as a winter’s blade.

  His boots pounded over the flagstones. I had to jog to keep up.

  We found Teryani in her sitting room, pacing, a piece of open parchment clutched in her pale fingers. Ever faithful, Ella sat on the edge of a brocade chair worrying her bottom lip as she watched Teryani.

  Fear galloped over m
y heart, trampling the poor organ as it went. I gasped out a breath. “What has happened?”

  Never mind that Teryani had intercepted correspondence intended for Folas and me. At this point, I just wanted to know what was happening.

  When Teryani looked up, she released a large breath, relief seeming to fill her slender form when she saw us. She lifted the letter and tipped her nose down to look it over.

  “Aerith asks you to return immediately. She said she needs you both urgently.” Teryani’s hand shook slightly as she lowered the letter. “Do you think it’s the baby? Is my little niece or nephew on the way?” Her voice seemed to plead.

  “It’s too early for the baby, unless all this undue stress has caused an early delivery.” I fired my words at Teryani.

  If the white-haired queen had caused my sister complications, I’d never forgive her.

  “We need to leave at once,” Folas said.

  “Already on my way,” I snapped as I thundered out of the room.

  We rode our horses hard to Dahlquist, the constant sound of hoofbeats and heavy breaths echoing around our group every jolt of the way. Folas and I led the group of guards. We would have thundered straight up to the castle if we weren’t blocked by a mob of angry citizens between us and the last yard leading to the castle gates. Standing on my stirrups, I looked over the heads of the shouting Fae and saw that not only was the last leg of the route impeded, but the castle gate had been lowered, allowing no one in or out.

  Several hundred Fae were camped out over the road. Their collective chatter tunneled through my eardrums.

  Folas threw his leg over the saddle and landed on the dirt road with a heavy thud. He grabbed the nearest Fae by his collar and held him an inch off the ground. “What is the meaning of this?” Folas demanded.

  The male squirmed in Folas’s hold and tried to kick out. Folas’s knuckles turned white and the male cried out. A middle-aged female from several feet away rushed over and yelled, “Unhand my son!”

  The Fae nearest us began to turn one by one, backs to the castle, aiming malevolent glares at our small riding group.

  “It’s the false queen’s sister and royal guard,” someone yelled for all to hear.