“Son,” he says stiffly. “Who have you brought us?”
“Father, this is Alison Wescot. She’s new to our area. I need to speak with you about her. Alone.” The last word is edged in steel. The two men next to the king look to their leader, who nods and they stand to leave. But as they go, they give Lucas nasty glares. In turn, I see his face harden and know he saw them. There is hatred between these men. That much is evident.
“Come,” the king says. “Have a seat and bring your friend with you.”
Lucas walks to the chair beside his father. He squeezes my hand and offers me a small smile before pulling out a chair for me. We both sit. There are no other people in the room. Only the three of us, no guards.
“What is so important that you had to kick Evan and Levi out?”
“I need you to promise me two things before I tell you. One, you cannot speak or react until I’m finished. Two, you agree to sit here and discuss everything with an open mind.”
“Lucas,” the king warns.
“Father, please. Hear me out.”
He sighs. “Fine.” He waves his hand toward Lucas, motioning him to speak.
“I found Alison by the woods. She walked through the door of the old cottage into our kingdom, but she’s not from here. She’s from a whole other place that I never knew existed until I met her today.”
The king’s eyes widen then narrow quickly. He leans forward on the table and directs his next words to me. “Where are you from?”
I shift nervously in my seat and fold my hands in my lap. “A small town in middle of Colorado. In the United States.”
“Near the Rocky Mountains?” Um, what? How does he know what and where the Rocky Mountains are?
“I’m sorry?” I ask timidly.
“You heard me.”
“Yes, sir.” Sir? Where did that come from? Was that the right way to address him? Hell if I know.
“Father, you’ve heard of the area she’s from?” Lucas asks surprisingly.
“Yes.”
“What? How? And why haven’t I been told?”
“You don’t need to know everything. Not right now at least. There are some things better kept quiet. I highly suggest you keep this information between the three of us.”
“Of course.”
“Now, what else do you have to tell me, my son? Because I know this isn’t all of it. There has to be more.” The king watches me like a hawk. He’s taking in every part of my face, waiting for me to say something. The question is what? I have nothing to offer him.
“Yes, there is. I’m going to give you a letter to read, but you must know that Ali only read it yesterday. She knew nothing before that. You must remember that.” The king nods and extends his hand for the letter. Lucas looks to me and I fumble with the bag still on my back. Have I really been sitting in this chair with this thing behind me and not realized it? Must be my nerves.
I quickly reach behind me and unzip my bag. I withdraw the pewter box and sit it on the table. An audible gasp comes from the king. I look up and see his mouth is open; he’s fixated on the box.
“Where did you get that?” he asks shakily.
“My mother. She left it for me.”
“Give me the letter and whatever else is in the box.” His words are hard and make me afraid to hand it over, but I know I must.
“There’s nothing else inside.” I’m not telling him I still have the key. Obviously this box is significant to him somehow. I wonder why, though. He’ll know I had the key once he reads it, but he won’t know I still do.
I place the letter in Lucas’ hand who gives it to the king. The king’s lips go into a thin line as he reads it. His hand tightens causing the paper to crinkle. Then he slams his fist down on the table and throws daggers at me with his eyes. “Guards!” he calls. The two men that are stationed outside of the door come rushing in. “Seize her,” he commands. “Take that bag off of her and put her in the dungeon.”
“No!” I cry. “Please. You promised. You didn’t hear us out.”
“You’re right. And I won’t hear you out. I will hear my son. Without you in the room. Take her away!”
My eyes fly to Lucas, silently pleading for him to do something. He stands, ready to fight, but his father speaks. “If you want her to live, you will sit down, Son.”
Lucas’ hands fist by his sides and know it’s with great effort that he complies. His body is rigid, but he manages to mouth, “It’s okay,” and watches me being escorted from the room.
I don’t go easy. I’m trying to free my arms, using all of my strength, even though it’s of no use. I keep trying to plant my feet on the stone floor, but I’m overpowered and now being dragged through the building.
I’m not paying any attention to where they’re taking me. I’m too busy squirming, trying to get free, not wanting to give up without a fight. I’m taken down a long, spiral set of stairs into a basement. There is a long hallway with cells on either side. A man with a set of keys is walking in front of us. I only see one other person locked up, and that is right next to the open door I’m being shoved through.
I continue to yell. I know it serves no purpose. Lucas is up there right now, pleading my case. Telling the king I’m not a bad person hopefully, and that I didn’t even know who my father was until a day ago. I hope he believes him and I don’t have to stay down here for too long.
After the guards walk away, I look around my cell. There are bars in front of me and stone walls on three sides. It smells of dampness and mildew. There is a dark green cot on one side with a grungy looking pillow atop it. There’s also a toilet and a sink that I don’t even want to think about using right now. It’s a good thing I haven’t drank anything in hours. I doubt there’s enough toilet paper in the world to cover that seat. Hovering wouldn’t even be good enough.
I stand in the center of room not wanting to touch a thing. I don’t move, but then I see something scurry in front of me and scream, while jumping into the air. Great, filth and rodents, as if the dank smell didn’t complete the ambiance on its own.
“Are you okay?” asks a concerned male voice. I’m assuming it’s the man who is being kept beside me.
“Peachy!” I shout back. What did he think I was going to say? Oh yeah, I’m fantastic. This is a dream come true!
“You don’t look like you belong down here.”
“How would you know how I look? You saw me for all of three seconds.” I’m snapping at him and don’t care. I don’t want to make idle chitchat. I want to get the hell out of here.
“I saw you long enough to know you’re not from here.” No shit.
“What tipped you off?” Yup, I’m in full on bitch mode now. Being locked in a dungeon will do that to me.
He chuckles. “Easy, beautiful one. I mean no harm.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Harm or not, I’m in no mood to talk to you about how I look.”
“Do you want to talk about how I know who you are?” My eyes go wide and my lips part. How does he know me? I just got here.
“How could you possibly know who I am?” I inquire, trying not to sound nervous, but my voice still comes out with a quiver.
“I know, because you look exactly like Prince Reid. I’m assuming he’s your brother.”
I try to speak, but end up choking on my own saliva. I’m gasping in breaths, failing at maintaining my composure. If this guy was unsure if I believed him before, he certainly knows I do now.
“Are you okay?”
“Yup. Fantastic,” I rasp. “Need a minute.”
I’m bent over at the waist trying to pull air in, while my mind runs with the fact that I have a brother. He could be wrong, right? I’m sure there are a lot of people here who have black hair and blue eyes. That’s got to be common.
Standing upright again, I say, “Okay, I’m good. Now, tell me who Prince Reid is.”
“You must have only just arrived here. Prince Reid is King Pine’s only son.” Well, now the odds are
definitely in favor of the fact that I have a brother. I am the king’s daughter. You’d think my mom would have mentioned this in her letter. How could she leave such a vital detail out? I mean, I have a brother! That’s huge!
“How do you know the king?”
“I’m the leader of his army. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Oliver Sage, and I will protect you, Princess.”
Promises
“And how do you propose to protect me when you’re locked in the cell next to mine?”
“Don’t you worry about that,” he says dismissively.
“I already have a prince upstairs trying to convince his father to free me. At least he’s on the right side of the bars.”
“That prince,” he spits, “is just as ruthless as his father. That prince will not watch over you. If anything, he will use you as leverage to get what he wants. Now he’s in possession of King Pine’s top fighter and his only daughter. Your prince is only pretending to have your best interests at heart.” He pauses for a beat. “Which one of King Azure’s sons is he?”
“Lucas,” I say softly. Could all he’s saying be true? Am I leverage in the battle between kings?
“Ah, the most vicious of the bunch. I’ve seen him slit the throat of a man before. There was no hesitation. He killed him and moved on to the next person.”
My hand flies to my mouth. I have a hard time believing that the Lucas I met could do such a thing, but I don’t really know him. He did say he is part of an elite team who protects their kingdom. I haven’t seen the ruthless side of him yet, and after hearing this, I don’t want to.
Oliver’s voice interrupts my thoughts. “What’s your name?”
My voice trembles. “Alison. Alison Wescot.”
“Alison, that is not your true last name.”
“It is as far as I’m concerned. I wasn’t raised here, nor have I ever met my father. Wescot is my name and will remain so.”
“As you wish.”
We stop talking. I honestly don’t know who to believe or who to trust at this point. My mom said to find King Pine, but after Lucas telling me that he killed his best friend, I’m not so sure I want to meet him. Now I hear that there’s blood on Lucas’ hands as well. What the hell goes on in this place? Are they always at war with one another? I need a history lesson and a biography on everyone here. I’m so far out of my element.
Time passes. I’m not sure how much. My legs begin to ache, however the thought of sitting on the cot makes my stomach turn. As I start scanning the floor to see if there is a less grungy spot, I hear voices and the sound of keys clanging.
Perking up, I walk to the bars, my hands grip the cold metal. Something flakes off on my palm. Great, I’ll probably get tetanus now.
“Princess, get back,” Oliver whispers harshly. “Stay away from the bars.” I roll my eyes. Seriously, what the hell is he going to do for me while he’s locked up? Reach through the bars and swat at people?
Three men stop in front of me. One is Lucas. “Release her,” he commands.
“If you release her, then you must release me as well,” demands Oliver.
I notice Lucas’ lip curl up on one side. “Oliver Sage, I suggest you keep your mouth shut,” he hisses.
“She’s not yours, Luke. She belongs with the Pine family.”
Lucas moves from my view to stand before him. “Listen to me closely, Sage. The princess is under my guard, not yours. She does not belong to you.”
“She belongs to me more than she does to you,” Oliver sneers.
“Release her!” Lucas bellows.
The guard with the keys quickly steps up and unlocks my door. I bolt out of it, not wanting to spend another moment in that disgusting space. Lucas is there to catch me, when I trip over a lip in the stone floor in my haste to leave. His strong arms wrap around me, and I can feel his cheek on the top of my head. I don’t want to move away. No matter what Oliver said, there is good in this man holding me. I know it.
Oliver yells from his space still behind bars, “Get your hands off of her, Azure! I’m warning you!”
Lucas turns his head, but doesn’t release me. I shift slightly in his arms to take in Oliver. He’s young, younger than I expected. Maybe around thirty, if I had to guess. He has dirty blond hair and a few days’ worth of facial hair. His eyes are a hypnotizing green. I look over the rest of him. His lips are in a thin line, his jaw is set hard, the muscles in his arm are bulging due to the grip he has on the bars. He’s attractive. Very attractive, in fact, even in his clothes that look like he’s been sleeping on the cot in the cell. Blotches of dirt are scattered over his knees and elbows.
“Do you think I’m scared of you?” he asks Oliver. “You, the grand leader of the Pine Army, rotting in a dungeon in my kingdom. Great job getting captured, by the way.”
I can see the pure hatred in Oliver’s eyes. “You know she belongs with me!”
Lucas gently releases me and places his body between Oliver and I. “Yours? How can she be yours when you’ve never met her before today? How can she be yours when she didn’t even know you existed until she was placed down here? You know nothing of her,” he seethes.
“And you know nothing either, because if you did then you’d know that she was promised to me by her father. He said his first daughter’s hand would be mine. You’d know that I’ve waited my entire life to meet her.” Oliver’s eyes turn toward me and soften. “Princess Alison, please, don’t go with him. I’m yours and will protect you with my life. I need you to stay with me for your safety.”
My mouth hangs agape. I’m promised to him? What kind of place did I step into? I’m not going to be forced to spend my life with someone I don’t even know. This revelation makes me want to get as far away from Oliver as possible. I need air. I need to get out of this dreary space.
Looking up at Lucas, I plead, “Take me out of here.”
“No!” Oliver shouts. “You mustn’t leave with him! Princess!”
I ignore his calls and walk with Lucas and the guards out of the dungeon. I can hear him yelling for me all the way up the stairs. We don’t stop when we reach the top; we keep moving until we’re outside, and I can feel the sun warm my skin. I close my eyes and tilt my head toward the sky. I’ve never been so happy to be outside before.
There’s a gentle tug on my hand, and I open my eyes to see Lucas gesturing for me to follow him. With one foot in front of the other, I move forward. He places an arm around my shoulders and whispers into my ear, “We need to talk, but not here. There are too many ears, which would love nothing more than to get a piece of gossip. Although, I’m guessing they will be gossiping about us anyway.”
Looking around, I notice all eyes are on us. People are still in the courtyard, packing up their goods for the day. I duck my head into his shoulder and try not to think about everyone watching me. The further we walk, the fewer people we see. Eventually we stop in front of an ordinary looking, wooden door attached to a small building made of the same weathered red stone as the other structures.
“This is my home,” Lucas says. He opens the door and gestures for me to go in first. I take a few hesitant steps inside and wonder if I’m doing the right thing. Should I be in here with him? Alone? Maybe I should insist he take me back to the cottage. I don’t know for sure I want to leave him behind, but too many things have happened since I stepped through that door, and not all for the better.
I turn to him, “I need to know what happened with your father. What did he say?”
He scrubs a hand over his face and shuts the door behind him. “We fought. Loudly. He insisted on keeping you down in the dungeon until he could arrange a trade with King Pine. He’s keeping something from me, but avoided me when I brought it up.”
“A trade?”
He nods. “King Pine is holding two of our men. My father wants to trade you and Sage for them. He also wants to use you to get him to sign a peace treaty.” He takes a deep breath. “We’ve been at war for so long with the Pine K
ingdom and lost so many men. My father may seem like a hard and difficult man, but he’s only looking out for the best interests of his people. Every time we attack one another, too many lives are lost. Women lose their husbands. Children lose their fathers. It’s been going on for so long that I don’t even know the root cause. For me, it’s personal. I want vengeance for the slaying of Leo. I don’t want a war, only one man. Your father.” The fury is evident in his eyes.
I can’t blame him for wanting to fight the person that killed someone who meant so much to him. My father could have had his own reasons for killing him, though. I don’t know. There are too many questions up in the air. All of which I wish I had answers to so I could make the best decisions for myself. I really wish my mother would have told me about this place when she was still alive.
Then his words really sink in. “He wants to trade me?” I start to tremble.
Lucas’ hand rests on my forearm. “I told him there has to be another way. That I won’t let him place you in the hands of that monster.” My inner voice points out that Lucas could be a monster, too. Oliver did say he’s seen him kill. I need to go with my gut above everything else. It has never lead me astray, and right now, it’s saying that Lucas is my best hope and that I can trust him.
“Alison, I promise to keep you safe. I will guard you with my life.”
I scoff. “Oliver said something similar, that he would protect me.”
His hand drops from my arm and he starts to pace the floor in front of me. “That horrible knight! You should forget you ever laid eyes on him. He’s no good.”
“Is it true that I was promised to him? That I’m his?”
He turns sharply to face me and takes two long steps, until his face is only inches from mine. “You are not his,” he bites out. “And if I have my way, you never will be.”
What does he mean, his way? My head is swimming with everything that has happened today, and I start to get dizzy. I reach out to steady myself, only there is nothing for me to grab. Lucas grips my arm and holds me up. He escorts me over to a chair at a table. I sit with my head in my hands and my eyes closed.
The Azure Kingdom (Skeleton Key) Page 4