by Dawn Brower
The Enchanted Princess
Broken Curses Book One
Dawn Brower
Contents
Author’s note
A Princess’s Secret
Knight to Remember
A Prince by Any Other Name
A Queen’s Vow
Advice Not Taken
A Curse Flies
Dreamscape
A Little Birdie Told
To Catch a Tiger
The River Dance
Lost Not Found
Blind Man’s Bluff
Clue-by-Four
On the Ropes
A Ring of Fire
Curses Come in Twos
About the Author
Books by Dawn Brower
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
The Enchanted Princess Copyright © 2017 Dawn Brower
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
Created with Vellum
Some ideas come when you least expect it and it is those moments of inspiration that live on inside of you for your entire life. This book sprung to life from a dream, but the characters were inspired by some special people in my life. Princess Elodie is just another name for Elizabeth Paige Zelno. Even the kingdom carries a stamp of you in it. I hope you love it as much as I did writing it. This book is for you.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
My son, Nathan was instrumental in helping me plot and plan this book. It is as much his as it is mine in conception. Therefore, thanks for helping me to create a world I hope will inspire many. I love you and hope you do not mind me picking your brain too much. You do come up with some fabulous ideas.
Lulu the crazy fun bird that is both annoying and fun—she is written that way for my niece, Brooklyn. Nothing can compare to her energy and I hope that comes across on the page.
A Princess’s Secret
The sun loomed on the horizon as it rose to welcome the dawn. Across the rolling green hills, a stone fortress sat in a valley surrounded by a body of water. The moat had been designed in a wide and deep circle to keep predators at bay. A wooden drawbridge was lowered across it, welcoming people to enter the bailey. Echoes of steel on steel filled the air as the royal guard sparred, honing their skills.
It was time for her to head back inside and pretend to be the girl the inhabitants believed she was. At least for a little while, and then she could do what she wanted. Picking up her basket of flowers, she walked over the drawbridge and headed to her chambers. She deposited the basket on a nearby table for her maid to use to dress her hair later, then quickly exited the same way she came to disappear for a few hours. To go outside and pretend to be someone she wasn’t, and most of all, to escape the castle and every single expectation thrown at her.
For Elodie Kendrick, Princess of Zelnon, the castle was both a prison and a refuge. From the moment she was born, it had been her home, and the one place she should have been comfortable. That turned out to be a highly erroneous conclusion to make. The castle was stifling, and the inhabitant’s expectations didn’t match what she wanted for herself. Stepping outside of the castle’s protective gates wasn’t allowed. If she took it upon herself to leave, her safety couldn’t be guaranteed. In the minds of most men, a woman wasn’t capable of protecting herself.
Mere weeks before her seventeenth birthday, the desire to rebel grew inside of her until she took steps to change the course of her life. A year later, she’d learned every skill she could charm a willing knight to teach her. She trained hard and long, and entirely in secret. Her favorite choice of weapons was two short swords she kept sheathed in a leather scabbard that hugged her back when she wore it.
Sparring was her favorite activity. Each morning, after the guard finished their daily exercise, she met one of the guard’s most lethal knights, Cale Griffin. He hadn’t wanted to aid her, but the alternative would have been worse. The stupid male believed she’d hurt herself if left to her own devices. As time went by, they’d developed an easy friendship. At times, she believed there could be more between them if their stations in life were different. The queen would never allow Elodie to marry so far beneath her.
Stupid queen.
She wasn’t even her mother, not in the true sense. Her father had married Fiona to provide a maternal figure for Elodie. Fiona Kendrick didn’t have anything remotely kind or gentle residing inside her body. The queen was an icy bitch that ruled with a steel fist. No one dared to question her. She was the first woman to gain their respect, and Elodie should be grateful for that. When it was her time to rule, perhaps they wouldn’t dismiss her out of hand, but she couldn’t find it inside of her to have any congenial feelings for her stepmother. Saying their relationship was strained was an understatement.
She slid into an empty room where she stored her gear, careful to check that she wasn’t being watched. The queen had spies everywhere, and so far she’d been lucky. As long as her stepmother didn’t know she was gaining skills, she couldn’t do anything to prevent them. Satisfied no one was following her, she moved over to a trunk sitting against a wall. She flipped it open, grabbed the items she sought, and removed her clothing to change into something more appropriate for what she had planned.
Elodie dressed in a pair of black leathers so soft they hugged her legs. Then she slipped on a matching tunic. She picked up her scabbard and checked her short swords. Then attached it to her back, and drew a dark hood over her head to hide her hair. The light brown locks streaked with gold were telling, and any who spotted her would sound the alarm. Then she’d never meet Cale in time for their morning ritual and her activities would be stopped forevermore.
Elodie squared her shoulders, quietly exited the room, and then headed out of the keep. Never seeing Cale again would be the worst. That wasn’t going to happen. He was a handsome knight with long, black hair, and eyes so dark they almost matched his hair. Every inch of his body was finely honed muscle and sinew from hours of training. Something Elodie shouldn’t even know, but in the process of learning, she’d managed to touch him more times than she could count. His body was hard all over, and one day she’d like to explore his bare chest. Through his clothes, he felt amazing, and it fueled a naive girl’s imagination.
Elodie kept alert as she headed toward their meeting spot. Cale hadn’t wanted her to go alone, but she’d made him see reason. If he waited to escort her out of the castle, people would notice and wonder who she was. Going it alone gave her more freedom, and no one paid her any mind. She glanced over her shoulder and quickened her pace. An eerie feeling of being watched filled her. It had to be her imagination…
She slipped into the forest and breathed a sigh of relief for the cover the trees gave her. Cale would probably already be at their meeting spot. The guard hadn’t been in the lists as she left. Elodie slipped past a row of trees and entered a clearing that met the edge of a small pond. Her knight stood on the edge, staring down into the abyss.
“Pondering all of life’s questions?” Elodie asked as she lowered her hood.
He spun around and met her gaze, a hand resting comfortably on the hilt of his sword. A ring dagger swung neatly from the top of his armor—a decorative piece with jewels embedded in the hilt. She’d asked him about it once, but he’d refused to tell her why he carried it. Maybe one day he’d be comfortable with sh
aring his secrets with her. Patience wasn’t always one of her strong suits, but her stubbornness could aid her to find some.
“You weren’t followed?”
He always asked her that. Every. Single. Time. As if, months later, she would have failed to arrive in secrecy. When would he begin to trust her?
“Actually, there is a herd of horses heading this way. I tried to tell them you don’t like being watched, but…” She shrugged. Joking helped ease the tension settling between her shoulder blades. There wasn’t anyone watching them—she hoped. She’d have noticed if she’d been followed. That was the first thing Cale had trained her to do. “They wouldn’t listen to me. Sorry, you’ll have to deal with an audience today. Hope you don’t mind.”
He glared at her. His eyes turned to dark blue ice, creating a need to squirm deep inside of her. She would not give into the urge. The bastard would use it against her. Showing weakness was the biggest mistake she could make. Cale didn’t suffer flaws of any kind. He didn’t seem to care that she was female and treated her, for the most part, as if she was another knight in training. At times, she found that almost—irritating. Once he agreed to teach her, their dynamic changed. Before he’d been proper and courteous in all things. She was to be queen one day and respect was given to her for that alone. Cale wouldn’t have broken that for any reason if she’d not begged him until he caved.
“Your mouth will get you in trouble one day.”
Elodie rolled her eyes. It was on the tip of her tongue to snap out something that would most definitely bring on danger of another variety. What she wanted to do with her mouth had nothing to do with words and everything to do with tasting her handsome knight. He probably wouldn’t take lightly to his student kissing him though. He didn’t even seem to like her most days.
“It’s a good thing that someday isn’t this one,” she replied. “Are you ready to teach me, oh wise one?”
“Your antics aren’t the least bit funny, princess,” he said. His voice was edged with fury and sliced through her. “If we’re caught…”
Guilt was bitter and hard to swallow. It pooled in her gut and fermented, rolling through her stomach. Her breakfast became a dead weight that wanted to expel itself from her body. She forced herself to calm down and remember her goal. Cale was doing her a favor, and he was right. If they were caught, he would be exiled and she’d probably be locked in a tower.
“I apologize,” she said. “It may not seem like it at times, but I do appreciate all you’ve taught me.”
He nodded. “Let’s begin.”
Cale’s focus was on her as if nothing else existed. He pulled his sword out and held it high. The wind blew across the pond and pushed his dark locks in his face, and still he remained motionless—waiting. Elodie circled around him and took measure of his stance. It was a dance they played at each session. She would attack from a different angle every time, and he’d parry her blows with a skill she admired.
She wanted to surprise him, but wasn’t sure how. She’d attacked from every angle possible and he’d yet to be taken unaware. What would it take to throw him off guard? This male, so sure of every possible move a person could make, he anticipated anything and everything. What must it have taken him to become the skilled warrior before her? A mere three years separated them in age, but a lifetime filled the gap in experience. Elodie was an untried youth in comparison to the old soul inhabiting Cale’s body.
Maybe it was time to use her youth to her advantage. It wasn’t that he expected her to move a certain way, but he’d taught her everything she knew. If she approached him with something he’d not seen from her before, she might have a chance of knocking him on his ass. Maybe it was time to get up close and personal with her favorite male.
Elodie met Cale’s gaze and took several steps in his direction. She didn’t look away once as she approached and didn’t reach for her swords. As soon as they were unsheathed, the battle would rage and they’d spar until one of them gave. She always gave. Today, she’d come out of this match the victor.
“Princess?” Weariness filled his gaze the closer she approached. She was almost a breath away now. “What game are you playing now?”
“No games, knight.”
That was a lie. That was exactly what she was going to do. To win, she’d have to up the stakes and do the unthinkable. Elodie closed the distance between them and placed her lips on his. A spark ignited, but she couldn’t let it overtake her. His lips had been soft where the rest of him was hard. At another time, she would have explored that and found out if there was more than a glimmer of fire. Today she had other plans.
Cale stood momentarily stunned as Elodie stepped out of his reach. She pulled both of her swords out and assumed a fighting position. Her knight shook his head lightly, unprepared for her attack. She lunged forward twirling as she approached him. Both of her blades met with the steel of his sword. They danced like that for several heartbeats. She would lunge and he’d parry, the sounds of their blades meeting echoing through the valley. He was stronger, but she was more agile. Part of her training was learning to use that to her advantage.
Elodie ran toward Cale, flipped in the air and landed on the other side of him. He turned as her elbow came up to meet his nose. Blood spurted out as the bone cracked. He wiped his face and looped his arm around her waist pulling her toward him. She spun out of his grasp and dropped to the ground. Cale stalked forward, probably thinking he had the advantage. Her lips tilted upward as she lifted one of her blades to meet his, and then twisted her legs around his ankle and knocked him to the ground. His sword fell out of his hand as he braced himself for impact. Elodie leaped to her feet and stalked over to his side. Cale rolled onto his back to meet the brush of her blade at his throat.
“Do you concede?”
A low rumble filled the air as Cale’s laughter spilled out of him. “It’s about damn time.”
Elodie was confused. Time for what? Instead of asking, she demanded, “Admit defeat.” She’d knick him if she had to, but she’d already cracked his nose. Marring any more of his skin didn’t sit well with her.
“Princess,” he said lightly. “I admitted defeat months ago when you charmed me into training you.” He rolled to his side and stood. “But aye, today you won, and with tactics I could never have taught you.”
The kiss? She’d wanted to feel his lips on hers for so long and decided to use their battle as a reason to do it. At least she could take comfort in knowing she’d fooled him in that regard. One day, she’d find out what a real kiss was, and she hoped it would be him who bestowed it upon her.
She glanced at him and slid her swords into the scabbard. “I hate to tell you this, but you do not possess all the knowledge in the land, Sir Griffin. I am capable of gaining wisdom from others.”
She often saw more than she should and most people ignored her. A princess apparently should be ignorant in some regards. If her father was still alive, or her mother, perhaps things would be different…
“I never said you weren’t,” he replied, coming to his feet. “Some things are learned the hard way though. Go back to the keep. I’ll follow at a distance.”
Elodie wanted to argue but realized it would be futile. As far as Cale was concerned, their lesson was over. No matter, tomorrow was another day, and she would find a way to best him again.
* * *
Sneaking back into the castle was not as easy as slipping out. The midday meal would be served soon, and more of the castle’s inhabitants would be bustling around. Elodie kept her head lowered and her hood securely covering her head. She scanned the courtyard and tracked everyone’s movements as she eased her way into the keep’s main building. Once inside, she used the servant’s stairs to make her way to her hidey hole. A clear path was before her as she stepped around the corner and entered the room. She breathed a sigh of relief and lowered her hood.
“Was it worth it, milady?”
Elodie spun around at the sound of a female voice echo
ing through the room. Her heart beat hard in her chest, thundering through her ears. No one was supposed to realize what she was doing each day. It appeared as if her luck had run out.
“Susanna,” Elodie said breathlessly. “You frightened me.” What was her maid doing in her secret room? No one came into this area of the keep. It was more or less a storage room.
“The queen was searching for you,” Susanna replied. “She dispatched me to bring you to her immediately. I fear it’s not something good she wants you for.”
Nothing Fiona ever did was good. That still didn’t answer how Susanna knew to find her in this particular part of the castle. And to think she’d thought her actions careful… “How long ago did she summon me?”
“It was mere moments ago. Luckily, I’ve been keeping track of your activities,” she said with a hint of disapproval in her voice. “Otherwise, her highness might have caught wind of your unseemly behavior.”
Elodie had no regrets. The months of training Cale had unwillingly given her gave her a skill set she’d be able to utilize once she was queen. Her eighteenth birthday was a week away, and afterward, she would be the rightful ruler of Zelnon. That had to be irritating her stepmother to no end. Soon she’d take up the role as advisor, and the people would look to Elodie for guidance.
“My desire to be a strong leader is the reason for my actions,” she paused and looked directly into Susanna’s eyes. “And I don’t need to explain myself to you. I am the Princess of Zelnon, and it is my right to do what I believe is best.”
How dare Susanna look at her with censure in her eyes. Elodie pulled off the gloves protecting her fair skin and tossed them into a trunk. The short swords and scabbard came off next—emptiness filling her at their loss. She stripped off her tunic and leathers, folded them, and placed them next to her weapons.