Zwaantie felt the blood drain from her face. “I wasn’t aware that was public knowledge.” Who else knew? Was the Ticker blaring with news of her betrayal? She didn’t look at the Ticker very often because she didn’t like it, so she wouldn’t know if it was saying nasty things about her or not.
“It’s not. Leo told me. Now go ahead and plan your wedding the way you like, and stop trying to pretend you care. I have work to do.”
Lyra waved a hand at her and picked up a paper from her desk and perused it.
Zwaantie sat up straighter. This woman didn’t scare her. She needed to show Lyra she meant business. Besides, Zwaantie was certain Leo only shared his side of the story.
“No,” she said.
“No?” Lyra sneered at her.
“I know what you’re thinking, but Leo showed up in my kingdom begging for my hand out of the blue. Phoenix and I had already fallen in love, and there was zero hope for our romance. I was trapped in my own home. I had no options, so when Leo presented one, I took it. I’ll not apologize for that.”
Zwaantie was sick of telling everyone how sorry she was. Sick of being treated like an evil shrew. She knew this woman could obliterate her, but at this moment, she didn’t care. Her words were right on the edge of her tongue. Ready to spill everything. This moment, she was in control, not under the influence of any potion.
Lyra didn’t say a word as Zwaantie took another breath. “If I was presented the same choice today, I would take it. Phoenix betrayed me, and I was left with an excruciating decision. Stay and marry a man I don’t love but save Stella, or go home and have my freedom but know I’ve condemned my friends to death.”
Lyra’s face did not give any indication she cared or was softening.
“I may have chosen to marry Leo under false pretenses, but then so did he. He didn’t come to Sol and ask for my hand because he loved me. He did it to save his kingdom. I’m doing this to save Stella. This requires me to love him, so I’m doing my best to learn about him and come to love him. Tell me. What’s wrong with that?”
Zwaantie waited for the blow. The sharp words she knew Lyra would throw at her because Lyra was looking for a fight. A knot had loosened in Zwaantie’s chest. It felt amazing to get out the words she should’ve said to Leo but didn’t. Instead, she told his murderous mother. Maybe she should’ve thought this through.
Lyra glared at her. “You think it will be easy? Poor Zwaantie has to learn how to love my son. Not just, ‘I do,’ sweetheart. The prophecy was very clear. You need to join the kingdoms. Stella and Sol must become one, and it will take more than a wedding. You’re too busy nursing your broken heart.”
Zwaantie sat back, stunned. Sure, the Old Mother spoke of love, but beyond that, Zwaantie hadn’t given much thought on how to truly join the kingdoms. She hadn’t even realized it was necessary.
“I figured we would work that out after we were married. Focus on the wedding first.” And love. She had to do that as well. The day-to-day operations of her kingdom wasn’t something she thought of often. Obviously, Leo’s mother had given it a great deal of thought. Had Leo?
Lyra gave a tiny smile, got up, and pulled a small bottle and two goblets off a shelf. She poured wine into both glasses and handed one over. Zwaantie took it but didn’t say anything. She was still waiting for Lyra to scold her. She didn’t drink. Perhaps Lyra planned to poison her.
“We’re going to have to work together, so for now, I’m going to pretend to like you. But know this, if you hurt my son again, I will kill you.”
Ari’s face flashed across Zwaantie’s mind. “Of course. From here on out, my heart belongs to Leo.” Even as she said the words, she knew it was a lie, but she kept a smile plastered on her face and her mouth shut. She could pretend as well.
Lyra took a sip of wine. “Leo’s been overlooked most of his life. He’s nearly the same age as his four elder siblings. Having Candace take a kingdom was hard for him.”
“Why, how was that different than the others?”
“Candace is also my daughter. I gave him a job so he would feel appreciated, but I don’t want him to have the life of a spymaster. It’s hard and lonely work. The eventual outcome is head mage.” She paused, took a sip of her wine, and raised her eyebrows at Zwaantie. “But now he’ll be king in Sol. He won’t have any real power because you’re the heir. Don’t shove him to the side. Give him responsibility and a job. Make him feel important. He needs that.”
Zwaantie thought for a moment. This woman had given her a lot of good information. Perhaps she could trust Lyra as well. No one knew Zwaantie couldn’t return home, but to fulfill the prophecy, she had to. She couldn’t put the kingdoms together if no one from Stella could step foot on Solite soil because the Voice was feeling murderous.
Maybe Lyra could help her find a way to return to Sol without being killed by the Voice. Sol was her kingdom, and she wasn’t about to give it up.
“The longer I’m in Stella, the less I like the influence of the Voice. I guess I should’ve seen it, but those necklaces Leo brought were made by you or someone close to you. It takes powerful magic to turn off the Voice.”
“I don’t see how this is relevant. The Voice doesn’t exist in Stella.”
So Sage hadn’t told Lyra about the Voice following Zwaantie and the others. She and Sage would need to talk about this. Perhaps Sage was the most trustworthy of the whole lot. Zwaantie grinned at the first impression she had of Sage. No one would believe she was a spy. She played the part of a carefree partying teen well.
“It’s very relevant. How do you create them?”
Lyra snorted. “You’re asking me for secrets? You aren’t as smart as I thought.”
Zwaantie leaned forward. “No, I don’t think you understand. If all Solites were given a necklace, then the Voice would no longer have any influence. We would have free will. Our entire lives would change. It’s possible magic would even work.”
She hadn’t realized what she was going to say until the words were out of her mouth. Magic in Sol. It would be incredible.
“Why would you want to do this?” Lyra narrowed her eyes.
“You have free will. We don’t. I don’t know who or what the Voice is, but he’s the biggest threat to my future reign, and so I no longer have any respect for him. What good is a queen if someone else is truly calling the shots?”
“I don’t understand what any of this has to do with Leo.”
Ah, ever the meddling mother looking out for her son. “I haven’t a clue how to manage a kingdom that isn’t under the Voice’s influence. I’ll need someone to do it with me. It will be an enormous job. Leo will be good at it, and that would fulfill the prophecy of joining the kingdoms”
Lyra smiled at Zwaantie. “We should also have free trade. Throw the borders wide open. Put up several more rods. Allow people to cross at will.”
Zwaantie gulped. This was moving too fast. She needed time to process. Lyra was basically proposing pushing Stella into Sol. Zwaantie needed the Voice to disappear, but she didn’t want to do away with their entire culture and kingdom. She didn’t know what else to say, so she smiled and nodded. This was a long ways away. She had time to make these decisions, but at least she’d be on speaking terms with Leo’s mother.
Chapter 15
The Spy
Zwaantie had a ton on her mind as she made her way to Sage’s room. She felt like she was being manipulated by everyone in Stella, including Sage, but she knew from experience she could never stay mad at Sage for long.
Zwaantie pushed the door open. A giggling Sage jerked her head up and immediately shut down whatever she was looking at on her disc.
“How did the visit go with Lyra?” Sage asked with an innocent smile. She wasn’t going to get away with this. Even if Zwaantie knew she could trust her more than she could Lyra and Leo, Sage still lied to her. A lot.
Zwaantie tentatively sat on the couch near Sage. “You’re not my guard, are you?”
“What do yo
u mean?”
“You were assigned to spy on me.”
Sage pursed her lips. “Sort of. My main purpose was to make sure you stayed safe, but if I were to find out anything, um, pertinent, I was to pass the information on to Leo and Lyra.”
“Did you tell Leo about Phoenix when I first told you?”
“No,” Sage said, staring straight into Zwaantie’s eyes. She had to be telling the truth.
“Why not? That’s part of your job, isn’t it?” Zwaantie’s stomach rolled. She’d fallen into such a treacherous den. Could she trust anyone?
Sage let out a long breath. “My job is complicated. I don’t trust Lyra and so by extension, Leo sometimes. I’m a hoarder of information. I reveal what I want when I’m ready. I probably know more secrets about those in the kingdom than anyone else. Lyra knows this. She would never force me to tell her anything I didn’t want to.”
Zwaantie sat back stunned. She’d been wrong. Lyra wasn’t the most dangerous person in the kingdom. Sage was.
“You said you don’t trust her, so how do you know she’ll never force you to do anything?”
“Because she trusts me. I’ve proved myself time and time again. She’s willing to allow me to withhold information as long as I get the job done.”
“Until you don’t.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“The first time you mess up, it’s over. She’ll no longer trust you. Seems like a precarious position for you to be in.”
Sage shrugged. “Maybe, but it works for now.”
“You’re known for partying hard with potions. How do you never accidentally reveal something you shouldn’t?”
“Oh, I give out a lot of potions, but I don’t actually drink that many. Enough that people think I do, but I don’t take potions that would put me in an awkward position.”
“How do you prevent someone from giving you one you weren’t expecting?”
“I can tell what a potion is from touching the bottle. I’ve spent a lot of time with Xandria. She taught me how to identify potions.”
Zwaantie had completely underestimated Sage.
A knock sounded on the door, and Sage jumped up. “That’s the wedding planner.”
Zwaantie nodded, still unsettled by the things she learned from Sage and Lyra. She had to reassess all of her knowledge about the people of Stella.
The wedding planner was a short woman with spikey green hair and hardly any clothes. Very Stellan. Zwaantie’s mother and father would be attending the wedding. What would they think of such a woman? Truly blending Stella and Sol would not be an easy feat. If Lyra interpreted the prophecy correctly, then it would take them months or even years to truly join the two kingdoms. Marriage and love might not be enough to save little Raaf.
The woman sat down and stared at Zwaantie with bright purple eyes. “Tell me, dear, what do you want?”
“I want a wedding that has the best of both Solite and Stellan cultures.” She had to start somewhere.
The woman’s eyes lit up.
“Oh yes, that will be the talk of the century. Tell me about Solite weddings.”
Chapter 16
The Dinner
That evening, Zwaantie zipped up her dress, a pretty black and pink strapless with a flared skirt. She couldn’t believe she’d started thinking about how it would look in pictures. Maybe she really was becoming Stellan. Maybe that wasn’t a bad thing.
Leo’s face appeared on her wall.
“Hey,” she said with a smile. For once, she was glad to see him. Ari hadn’t been around, and Zwaantie wanted to make a real go of things with Leo. Her life and kingdom depended on it.
“If I’d been a few seconds earlier, I’d have had quite a view.” He wiggled his eyebrows. She laughed. She really should learn how to turn the screen off so she wouldn’t accidentally get popped in on. Sage told her there was a way, but she didn’t know how. There had been too many other things occupying her time.
“Yeah, you wish.” She settled down on the couch and stared up at him. She needed to love this man. Try as she might, she couldn’t muster up feelings for him. She wanted to. He was handsome, friendly, funny. He lacked nothing, and yet, her heart burned for Ari. She let out a breath.
Astrid had gone to Xandria for a potion to allow her to live with the king’s infidelity, so maybe Xandria could help Zwaantie rid herself of her feelings for Ari.
“What are you up to?” she asked.
“Missing you. Mom said you came to visit her.”
Of course his mother told him. “I did. She’s not as scary as everyone makes her out to be.”
He snorted. “Well, you are the only one who thinks that. I’m terrified of her most of the time.”
“She’s your mother!” Zwaantie said with a laugh.
“Exactly. I’m glad you like her. It will make our lives easier.” Like was a stretch, but if Leo wanted to believe that, she’d let him.
“Yes it will. I got my wedding dress.”
“Really. Wow. This still feels a bit surreal, you know.” He ran a hand through his hair and glanced away from her. She’d been nervous about everything, but she didn’t realize he was as well. He was getting a shoddy deal with her.
“Planning is fun. Do we really have to rule in Sol when it’s over?”
“That’s up to you. It’s your kingdom.” He furrowed his brow.
“I talked to your mom about how to make it easier.”
“She mentioned that.”
Geesh. Did this woman tell Leo everything? Perhaps Zwaantie should take a page out of Sage’s book and not talk about anything real with anyone.
The door flew open, and Sage bounded in, wearing the same dress as Zwaantie, except hers had blue instead of pink. Of course. Pictures. Maybe this was how they dealt with the enormous pressures of royalty. Pictures and matching dresses allowed one to forget about the real pressures of life.
“Late! We’re late for dinner,” Sage said.
Zwaantie peered at Leo. “I gotta go. Can’t be late for dinner.”
He gave her a sad smile. “I know. We’ll talk later. Love you.” He usually signed off after he said the words, but this time he waited.
Zwaantie steeled herself. She couldn’t say the words yet, even though she should. “You too.”
Close enough. He gave her a tight smile and clicked off. Zwaantie closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. How long would it be before she did something that made him happy instead of sad or stressed.
Sage grabbed her hand. “Late, seriously. Let’s go.” In the hallway, Sage wiggled her eyebrows. “‘You too.’ You’re really going out on a limb there.”
“I’m trying. Give me a break.” She needed to get Sage off her love life. Thinking of the Voice and her death was easier. “Any word on my assassination attempts?”
“Not really anything new. All roads lead to the Voice. He must not like you much.”
Zwaantie’s heart sank. As long as there was a Voice, she could never go home. How was she supposed to run a kingdom where the Voice wanted her dead? She could use the necklaces, but they’d have to be dispersed before she ever arrived, and she couldn’t guarantee each and every person would wear them. Keeping track of fifty people was one thing. Thousands would be impossible.
Everyone was already at dinner, including Luna. It’d been a while since Zwaantie had seen her. She still didn’t have on a necklace, and Zwaantie had left hers in the room. Though Zwaantie wasn’t sure why she bothered. Luna hadn’t shown any inclination she wanted to kill Zwaantie, and she had the most opportunity.
The photographers were already making the rounds. She and Sage must’ve missed the group pictures, and she wondered what the Ticker would make of that. Probably something dramatic. She could smooth it over by saying she got stuck on a long conversation with Leo, because the public seemed fascinated with their relationship. Personally, she’d never cared much what others did unless she was close to them.
The two empty sea
ts were several chairs away from one another. One was next to the king and the other next to Ari. Zwaantie assumed she’d be sitting next to the king, and so she strode right past Ari without even glancing at him. She couldn’t afford to.
He grabbed her hand, and she froze, her heart racing.
“You’re sitting here,” he said, pointing at the placard.
Sage squeezed past Zwaantie. “It’s okay. We’ll switch.”
“I do believe Father wants you next to him,” Ari said, nodding his head toward the king.
“I can sit here.” Zwaantie slid into the seat before Sage could argue. Her brain told her to sit by the king. Her heart said otherwise. Besides, she needed to learn how to be around Ari. If she couldn’t be in the same room with her brother-in-law, it would raise a lot of red flags. Her fingers itched to touch his, and her face flushed as she thought of his kiss.
“You’re late,” Ari said with that devastating grin of his. Those lips called to her. This was impossible
“I know. I was talking to Leo.” She hoped it would throw him off for a few moments.
Ari took a sip of his wine. “And how is Leo?”
“Fine. Lonely. He’s looking forward to us being together again.”
“I can imagine. I’ve had more action with you than he has.”
“Ari,” Zwaantie hissed. “Shut it.” Now her face was really red. She’d die if anyone heard them. Ari would ruin her and any hope she had of appeasing the public.
A photographer appeared in front of them then. “Picture?”
Ari slid closer to Zwaantie and put his arm around her shoulder. She smiled because it was expected, but she was incredibly aware of his soft musky cologne and how his skin felt on her shoulder. The way his fingers stroked her arm, light enough to send shivers down her back but discreet enough so no one else noticed.
The photographer moved away, and Zwaantie shrugged off his arm. She had to find a way to be friends with him, but if he kept reminding her of their indiscretions, that would never happen. He was going to be King of Stella and she Queen of Sol. If they couldn’t be civil with one another, they’d never make any progress in joining the kingdoms.
Stella and Sol Box Set Page 42