“I’ll try.” She closed her eyes and attempted to forget about the weight pressing down on her conscience.
Her simple life had suddenly become terribly complicated.
Chapter Twenty-One
Sunlight spilled into the room. Annabelle opened her eyes, wincing against the blare. Someone needed to close the drapes. Her body felt stiff. That’s what she got for a night of fitful sleep.
“Ardal?” She looked around the room. He was gone. Her heart sank. Had he left her knowing what he knew—had he decided that she would indeed betray Malachi? She shook her head. Sleep crusted her eyes. She needed a hot washcloth. She stood up and staggered to the washing room. Somehow, she managed to wet the cloth and take it to her eyes. She looked into the mirror. Her hair was plastered around her face—her eyes were swollen, and dark circles shadowed them.
“You look like hell,” she muttered at her reflection.
“So do you.”
She screamed, at the sound of Gabriel’s voice. He appeared in the mirror.
Raising an eyebrow, he gave her a sweet smile. “You look ravishing even in your dishevelment. You aren’t wearing much, you know that?” He looked away out of respect.
“How can you be here…I thought you were the captured spirit in Malachi’s magic mirror.
“I can travel between mirrors. Even though I can’t leave the castle—I do get around through the extensive mirror network found throughout the land.”
“Good to know.” She dragged in a shaky breath. A sudden inspiring thought struck her. “Can I talk to Malachi?”
“If he was awake—aye. Right now, he’s sleeping…he needs his rest after what he went through last night. We had a rather enlightening conversation with your mother.”
Her heat skipped in her chest. “You did?”
“Aye. I can see that something pretty significant is weighing on your mind as well.”
“You first. You scared the living daylights out of me…so I get to call the shots.”
“I do like a spirited woman,” Gabriel sighed. “You won’t like what I have to impart to you.”
She started chewing nervously at her lips. “I’m sure I won’t…nonetheless, you need to tell me, or else you wouldn’t have taken such a risk. So, go ahead. I can handle whatever you tell me.”
“Your mother isn’t the most maternal woman to ever grace Thaliana. Malachi wasn’t impressed. I think he thought she would be terribly concerned about your welfare. Instead, she only seems to be worried about winning the constant power struggle between Roland and herself.”
She hung her head, sighing heavily. “I’m not surprised. I’ve had a bit of a talk with Roland as well. He knows.”
“I bet he knows a lot of things.”
“No, you don’t understand. He knows that I’m here under false pretenses. He knows that I came her bent upon destroying him—he knows.”
“And you’re still alive?” Gabriel looked horror stricken. “I’m going to wake up Malachi. We’ll figure out a way to get you out of here.”
She shook her head. She felt the tears coming again. She was an emotional wreck.
“You don’t understand, Gabriel. He doesn’t care. He’s accepting me. He knows I’m here to work against him…and he says he loves me so much that he can’t be angry.” Weakness ran through her body. She had to sit.
“You don’t look so good. Have you taken your potion this morning?” Gabriel demanded.
“No,” she rasped, her voice rattled, and she started coughing.
“Then, take it.”
“You don’t understand …how do I proceed?”
Gabriel looked torn. “I think I should get Malachi.”
“No. No. It doesn’t matter what you tell him. If I leave now—Roland will be hurt. If I stay…”
“I see you’re not telling me something, Annabelle.”
“Roland wants me to convince Malachi to give him his allegiance, if he does he will let him keep his lands.”
“Allegiance to Roland?”
“Yes.” She closed her eyes she knew that Gabriel’s reaction wasn’t going to be pretty.
Silence engulfed her spreading around her until she felt as she was going to suffocate.
“Gabriel?”
“I need time to think. I’ll tell Malachi what you told me.”
“Wait …there is more. Roland says that if Malachi doesn’t side with him…he will take his lands…and I know he will try to take his life. I won’t let that happen, Gabriel. Whatever Malachi decides, you tell him my loyalty lies with him.”
“Indeed.”
“No…not indeed. You tell him that.” She leaned forward toward Gabriel. “I’m speaking the honest truth…I will not abandon Malachi…no matter how sweet talking, or supposedly devoted Roland is.”
“Just don’t do anything rash until I consult with Malachi. Try to get to a mirror around midday. Malachi will no doubt want to talk to you.”
“I will try.”
“Hang in there, Annabelle. You are a testament to your kind.”
“I hope that’s a compliment.”
“You know it is.” Mists started to swirl within the mirror. “I’ll talk to you later—Roland is coming. You might want to make yourself look a bit more presentable.”
“Thank you.” Shouldering the weight of her burden, she marched back into the bedroom.
Roland gave her a quizzically searching gaze. He settled himself in a chair by her bed. “You should get dressed, or get back beneath the covers, you will catch your death dressed so scantily.”
She nodded her head, darting back for the bed, she climbed beneath the covers.
“Why are you here?”
“I was here to ask you to come and breakfast with me. But you look tired. I’ll leave you to sleep more. We’ll be on the move in a few hours.”
“I thought…”
“We will be on the move. I’ve gotten a horse picked out for you. I hope you horseback ride?”
“Very badly,” she laughed. “I’ll manage. What about Malachi’s sisters and brother?”
“They will be accompanying us as well. I have not rescinded my promise if that’s what you feared. Shaylah and Larissa are free to marry whom they wish. I do hope I don’t regret my choice to give them my mercy.”
“You won’t. I give you my word.”
His eyes glinted. “Some of my advisors would tell me that your word is worth nothing. You are married to a man that could possibly be my downfall.”
“Downfall? How? He is only protecting his country from your invasion.”
Roland smiled. “Invasion?” he chuckled. “There are many things that you don’t know.”
“I know that you condone slavery and that you use magical mind powers to enslave your victims, and make them miserable.”
“That was Blackburn’s choice of sport. I allowed him too much of a free rein. You needn’t worry about that anymore though, I have a new outlook on life.”
“A new lease? How very splendid.”
He licked his lips. “I know you don’t chose me. I know that—I wish you felt differently, but the dye has been cast. I can only try to change your image of me by reforming my totalitarian ways.”
“And you think you can change overnight?”
“Only time will tell.”
She looked away from him, and sighed. “You say you won’t hurt me, and now you want to talk candidly about where my loyalty lies. It makes me think that you are trying to brainwash me in a less than subtle way.”
“I’m only trying to provide you with the facts. Your mother doesn’t want you. She tossed you away like a piece of garbage. I never would have done that. She told me you were dead. What sort of a woman does that? I never hurt her…I never would have hurt you.”
“You hurt her by locking her away and depriving her of her freedom.”
“Is that how the events portray me? It does work in her favour, doesn’t it? You need to open your eyes and smell the flowers, my dear
. You also need to learn that there are always two sides of one story. When I married your mother, her parents signed a magical binding document, declaring her my co-ruler and I was declared her co-ruler. As such, I am the rightful King of Thaliana. And she is the rightful Queen of my country. We are equal rulers.”
“You play with Thaliana and your country as if you were a child playing a game with your toy wizards, witches and warlocks.”
“Never a game. Do you wish to know the real reason as to why I locked your mother in the tower? I will tell you—she tried to kill me.”
“She never would have made an attempt on your life. She saved your life when you were first married.”
“I know. I find her betrayal just as mysterious as you do. But you must believe me. I never mistreated her. Many men in my place would have beaten the life out of her. Many men would have tossed her into the dungeons and denied her food and water.”
“But you are not most men.”
“That is true. I am a king—and a most powerful warlock. I do not need to take anyone’s counsel, nor do I need to defend myself to anyone and yet here I sit. I’m trying to plead my case to you, and the damnable thing is—I want you to believe in me. Love is a tricky little bastard—I can no more hurt you than I could ever hurt your mother…although over the years, my dislike of her has festered like an open wound.
When we next meet—I just might find the heart to finish her. Be happy that you are of my blood—if you weren’t—I just might come to feel the same way about you. Although, I can’t imagine you ever betraying me by attempting to kill me. You have the sweetest eyes.”
Annabelle shivered. “If you kill her—you will die. You are bound together.”
“I don’t fear death. Besides, if I can’t have you with me as my daughter—I have nothing left to live for.”
“You have the power you seek to live for.”
“I have power. If you think I am waging this war solely out of my lust for power, then it is you that are gravely mistaken.” He stood up. She craned her neck to look at his face.
“There is fresh clothing in the wardrobe. I had them conjured up for you last night. I do hope they are to your satisfaction.”
“They will be fine.”
“Over in that jewel case are jewels that belonged to my mother. They are yours now. Wear them happily.”
She looked at him sharply. “How do you expect me to ride a horse wearing a gown?”
“You will ride sidesaddle.”
“Not unless you want me breaking my neck. I have not been trained to ride sidesaddle. It is far harder to master than riding astride.”
He flexed his jaw. “In your case, I will make an exception.” He waved his hand toward the wardrobe. “You shall find a pair of leggings to wear beneath your riding outfit. I shall tell the grooms to switch your sidesaddle for the astride saddle.”
“Thank you. You know, the women of Thaliana will never conform to your old-fashioned ideals. It should not be law for a woman to only wear gowns and skirts. It should be law that they can wear whatever they want.”
“It is not seemly for a woman to wear trousers.”
“You said you wanted to change my image of you—start with that.” He turned to give her a hawkish look. She smiled sweetly at him. “I’m surprised you’ll even accept me as your heir. I am after all, just a woman.”
His nostrils flared. “Wear trousers, if you wish. Simply tell the wardrobe what you wish to wear, I have enchanted it so it will answer your every whim.”
“That was good of you.” With that, he walked out the door.
She sighed. She was walking a very thin tightrope and if she leaned slightly the wrong way, she was going to find death far sooner than death could find her.
*****
“Are you decent?” The voice came from just outside of her room.
“Aye, Ardal, you may enter.” He came into the room slowly. She still felt funny every time she looked at him disguised as a human.
He gave her a hard long look. “Your father isn’t going to be pleased.”
“You think he won’t? I thought this long tunic and the leggings actually looked quite fetching on me. Malachi will like how I look. Besides, he gave me his most royal permission to wear these trousers.”
“We may not reach Malachi in a day’s ride. We are leaving late.”
“Why not just use magic to get there?”
“There are too many magical shields that have been erected between here and Hawthorne land. Plus, the only ones that can magically transport onto Hawthorne lands at the present time are Hawthornes.”
She groaned. “Hence the reason why he hasn’t allowed Larissa, Shaylah and Connor to leave yet.”
“Exactly. He will use them to gain access to Malachi’s lands.”
“Then, the fight will be short. You said that Roland’s forces outnumber Zara’s.”
“They do. They almost triple our number.”
“Wonderful. We have no hope of winning without having blood bathed across Hawthorne land. Have you seen how my father can fight yet?”
“I saw what he did to Blackburn. It was not a pretty sight to behold.”
“And what do you think he’s capable of doing in battle to Malachi?”
“Malachi is battle seasoned wizard. He will be able to hold his own—however, he does not have the hard edge that your father possesses.”
“You are saying then, that my father is capable of more cruelty than what Malachi is capable of.”
“Yes. Perhaps, we should tread softly. He is freeing most of his slaves. The ones he isn’t freeing are not fit to be on their own in society. They would only cast their misery onto others.”
“They murder, is that what you are implying?”
“They are no longer right in the head…it is hard to say if they ever were right in the head. They are twisted inside out. They are without a soul or a heart.”
“I feel as if I’m drowning in a sea of uncertainty.”
“The evil has been destroyed. Blackburn is gone. You might be able to reason with Malachi. You, as the avatar could broker peace between Thaliana and your father.”
“And what if Zara disagrees?” Annabelle asked.
“Zara has already signed the death warrant of many of her own. She is going to execute those that she believed did not serve her well in the last battle. I would warrant that she has many of her own subjects wondering why they’ve given her their allegiance.”
“She is heartless,” Annabelle said, stunned.
“We have had our eyes opened to a great many things. You will have a hard path to walk until you make your final decision.”
“Not a hard path…a bloody impossible path.”
“You will survive. You have many that do love you. I will not leave your side. You helped Shaylah and for that I owe you a debt of gratitude.”
Annabelle looked over at the case of jewels. Walking toward it, she opened it. Immediately, a pendant of great beauty caught her attention. Ardal came up beside her.
“That is a dragon ruby. The magic contained within that is great.” He gazed at it wonderingly. To draw his infatuation it had to be a marvelously magical thing, indeed.
She picked it up. It hung on a thick braided gold chain. It looked heavy, but it felt as light as a feather. She opened the clasp, and put it around her neck.
“Malachi will not be pleased to see that you are wearing something that comes from Roland’s family.”
“Malachi will have to tolerate it. I must give Roland a sign of my supposed loyalty.”
“He will take that as a definite sign.”
“I know. That is my intent. I am glad that you are with me on this journey, Ardal.”
“Rainbow will hopefully have made it back to Malachi by the time we arrive.”
“Hopefully,” she said, sighing.
“Come with me, Princess.”
“I don’t feel like a princess. I feel like Annabelle Hawthorne. The only person I re
ally feel like is Malachi’s wife.”
“Well, like it or not, you are not just Malachi’s wife. You are his life. And, the outcome of the battle between both sides will be up to you. It can either end in a total bloodbath with a great loss of life…or you can try to make peace.”
“You make me sound as if I’m the savior of Thaliana.”
“Maybe you are.”
“Let us go now, before I lose all of my nerve. You’ll have to help me…Roland expects me to ride a horse.”
“And what’s wrong with that?”
“I don’t know how to ride.”
“You aren’t good at it, or you don’t know how?” Ardal asked. “There is a difference, you know.”
“I’ve never been on a horse in my life. I never had the need to learn how to ride. Everything that I needed was within walking distance.”
He groaned. “This isn’t going to be an easy task. I just hope you take to it like a duck to water.”
“I hope you are right.” They walked out into the hallway. “Everything seems eerily quiet.”
“The army has probably already mobilized. I wouldn’t be worried about the silence.”
She nodded her head. “You’re probably right.”
They walked through the great castle. She followed Ardal since she had no idea where she was going. He led her down to the room where she was supposed to be breakfasting with Roland. Roland looked up at her. Seated around the table, obviously miserable, were Larissa, Shaylah and Connor. They all looked up as she entered the room. Shaylah had to smother a smile when she saw Ardal.
Connor seemed transfixed by her attire. Larissa was entranced by the amulet she wore. Roland looked at her, fire lit his eyes when he noticed what she wore…but when he saw the jewel she wore around her neck his eyes softened. She had made the right choice to wear it…if she hadn’t, she didn’t know what she’d have on her hands.
“You look lovely, Annabelle. I must say, I have a new appreciation for trousers on women,” Roland said.
Annabelle smiled, her smile faded when she noticed the sober expressions that everyone else wore.
“Sit, sit, Annabelle. You’ll need to get some food in your stomach before our long day’s ride.”
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