Tied to the Crown

by Neha Yazmin

  “Hmm,” was all Quin said. It didn’t sound like agreement. “Anyway, Aanug made a bargain with the Maker to see Ooshma one last time—when her mortal mate died. Her partner had been granted a longer life than most mortals have these days, but it wasn’t long enough for an immortal godling. Ooshma didn’t want to live on without him, despite her many children and grandchildren.

  “Some believe Aanug tried to convince her to stay alive but failed, others believe that he helped her kill herself. He’s almost seen as the villain in all this.”

  “I don’t think he’s the villain,” Aaryana said quietly. “He and Eena were both to blame for their squabbles. But his temper got him a much harsher punishment.”

  “That’s what Wyett always thought,” Quin told her, eyeing her intensely.

  “We both have tempers,” Aaryana said with a laugh. “I suppose that’s why we sympathise with Aanug.”

  “Indeed,” chuckled Quin. “So, back to the story. Before the Maker called him back to the skies, Aanug apparently fell in love with one of Ooshma’s grandchildren and left her with child.”

  Aaryana’s eyes widened.

  “That child was the First Queen. She was more powerful than Ooshma’s gifted children and grandchildren—her father was a godling, as was her grandmother. The people wanted her to rule over them, protect them.

  “But her power had always been too much for her to keep in check. People feared it would destroy her and the Island. It was deemed too dangerous for the gifted descendants of Ooshma to breed with the gifted descendants of Eena and Aanug.

  “Some people fled to the neighbouring lands to escape the disaster that seemed to be looming over them. That’s how the other Islands became inhabited.”

  Aaryana could imagine people sailing further and further away from Roshdan, for safety, to explore and colonise, putting their scary pasts behind them and starting anew. Forgetting their origins or refusing to remember them. No wonder Aaryana had never heard of the godlings three.

  “The First Queen’s power was too precious to not pass on to future generations, though,” Quin said with the tiniest shake of her head. “They thought that if she married someone that wasn’t gifted, her children wouldn’t suffer with the surplus of power that was slowly killing her.

  “They were right. Her children weren’t as powerful as her, but they were stronger than everyone else alive. They ruled the land after the First Queen died, and so did their descendants.

  “Until centuries later, they were overthrown by a conqueror from a neighbouring Island, their powers diluted enough that they couldn’t hold on to their Throne. By then, Ooshma’s gifts had diluted out of her descendants, too. The entire Royal Family was killed, the First Queen’s line dying with them.

  “It’s thought that one or two members of the Royal Family may have fled the Island, but if they did, if the First Queen’s descendants still live, they’re not making themselves known.”

  Aaryana sucked in a breath. What a story. Then:

  “Nidiya—”

  “By the time Nidiya came to Roshdan,” Quin cut her off, “nobody had any gifts anymore. Her offspring didn’t have to worry about their children becoming like the First Queen.”

  “How did the First Queen die?” Aaryana asked, having a good idea of what the answer might be.

  “She held on for as long as she could,” Quin replied. “But in the end, her power killed her.”

  Chapter 7

  Wyett was on his way to lunch when a page ran up to him and handed him a note. The Prince had been exercising in the training room all morning and his hair was still wet from the quick bath he took afterwards. A drop of water from his hair splattered onto the parchment as he read the message. The seabird had left the docks, the Chief Riding Officer had confirmed. Now, it was just a matter of weeks before everyone learned the truth about the Adgari exile.

  Wyett had asked a select few members of the crew to do a little investigating while they were in Adgar. Speak to the locals, find out everything about the banished Princess. He had a feeling that the truth they brought back could get the Adgari out of the Palace—and out of his life forever.

  Once he sat down at the lunch table, Wyett noticed that his sister was sitting next to the Adgari. They seemed to be conversing with ease and enjoyment. For a moment, he just stared at the girls, trying to read their lips, wondering what they could possibly be talking about. But the Adgari’s hair did a lot in concealing the shapes that her mouth made, the possible words that left her lips. She should tuck those curls away when talking to Royalty; it’s rude.

  Feeling his gaze, she looked at him and smiled coyly—something she’d taken to doing since his father had instructed them to pretend to be secret lovers—and anger snapped through him. How dare she try to befriend his sister? Did she think that when he told her to stay away from Seth it meant he’d given her his blessing to get close to Quin? He began to grind his teeth.

  He barely made it through lunch without chewing the heads off the people seated beside him, before he stalked up to the Adgari. She was still deep in conversation with his sister, but had clearly been aware that he was approaching her.

  “Good afternoon, Your Highness,” she said to him with another shy smile, easing to her feet and curtsying.

  A little red bloomed on the apples of her cheeks. He didn’t know how she managed to do that. It was one thing to make a show of flirting with someone, to laugh and smile for the watching Courtiers, but to make yourself blush at will… She really is a piece of work!

  “What’s wrong with you?” Quin said to him in greeting. “The grilled beef too rare for you?” His sister smirked.

  The Adgari looked as though she was impressed. Not with his sister for speaking to the future King of Roshdan in that way, but because she, too, didn’t like undercooked meat. Realising that he probably had a stormy expression on his face, he did his best to shift it into a friendlier one. After all, he was supposed to be in love with this girl. As this was their first encounter since they’d danced together at the ball, he ought not to look so furious when asking her to join him for a walk.

  “Too cold,” he said to his sister.

  “Well, you can’t expect your meat to stay piping hot if you’re going to be late for lunch,” Quin chided. “The fire angel gifted our land with eternal fire, not eternally hot food.” Quin and her companion giggled.

  Wyett scowled at them both. The Adgari looked down at her feet, her curls hiding her face. He could see her biting her lower lip to keep from laughing more.

  “How well you jest, little sister.” Wyett shook his head at her.

  “Why, thank you, big brother.” She grinned at him as she took a sip of water. “Now, what is it you’re disturbing my dessert time for?”

  “I came not for you, dear Quinton.”

  His sister glared at his use of her full name.

  Smirking, he turned to the Adgari and offered her his arm. “Care for a walk?” he asked her with his best attempt at a smile.

  Everyone watching probably thought he was in pain. What could he do? Smiling was the last thing this girl made him want to do.

  She gave him a half smile before threading her arm around his. “That would be lovely, Your Highness.” She faced Quin and asked, “Princess, would you like to join us?”

  “And end her dessert time prematurely?” Wyett scoffed. “Of course, not. But not to be rude, feel free to come look for us when you’ve consumed as much sugar as your stomach can take. Just don’t complain to me when your teeth begin to rot.”

  He ignored Quin’s scowl and led the Adgari out of the dining hall. She was smiling and nodding to herself as they headed towards the gardens.

  “What?” he snapped at her. “You think I was too mean to her?”

  The girl laughed. “No, no. That just reminded me of my friend Myraa and her love for sweet treats. I always warned her that they’d ruin her teeth, but she never listened.”

  She shook her head indulgently.
Then, suddenly, her face fell and she looked incredibly sad. The girl pulled in a long breath through her mouth and let it out slowly.

  “What?” asked Wyett, brows creased.

  She shook her head. “I’m just wondering what she’s eating now, that’s all.” She swallowed.

  “Why?”

  The Adgari was silent for a few seconds. Should he order her to tell him what was troubling her? No. He didn’t really care. Only a little curious...

  “During my trial,” she finally said, “Myraa insisted I was innocent.”

  Wyett snapped to attention. He wasn’t expecting her to mention her trial. What a welcome surprise.

  “And when I received the sentence of banishment, she wanted to come with me. For that, she was sent to the dungeons.”

  She closed her eyes for a brief moment.

  “I wanted to break her out. But I was warned that if I attempted it, they’d kill her. I don’t know if she’s still there.” She inhaled deeply again. “I asked Ty to get her out, but who knows if he managed it.”

  Then, she suddenly whipped her head around to look at him, eyes wide and pleading. Wyett wondered if she was about to ask him if she could send a letter aboard the seabird, enquiring after this friend of hers. But it couldn’t be that. Surely, she knew that he’d refuse her request; surely, she knew that the ship had set sail already.

  However, what she said was, “I’m not telling you this because I want to send a message to her with the seabird, Your Highness. I know the ship must already have left the docks. It’s just that your conversation with Princess Quin reminded me of my friend’s love of desserts.”

  They entered the gardens a minute later. His guards fell back a little as they always did when he walked with this particular companion. When he was certain that they were out of earshot, Wyett opened his mouth to speak, but the girl beat him to it.

  “This is about Princess Quin,” she said softly. Of course, she’d figured out what he wanted to scold her about. “She invited me to have breakfast with her this morning, Your Highness. She wanted to ask me if the two of us are having an affair.”

  Wyett stopped walking abruptly. The girl halted, too. “She did what?”

  “And she wanted to know why we sneak into the eastern tower every night. Apparently, everyone thinks we’re in love.”

  He began walking at the word ‘love’, wanting to get away from it. The girl followed.

  “What did you tell her?” His voice was rough.

  He hated the idea of his little sister being told, and believing, a lie about him. He hadn’t admitted the truth about this situation to Seth, but he hadn’t fed him the lie, either. His brother just assumed that he cared for the Adgari and Wyett hadn’t corrected him. It was different with Quin. She was so young and innocent. She didn’t deserve to be made a fool of.

  “I told her that we weren’t having an affair,” the girl told him. “And that we go into the tower to talk.”

  “And she believed you?” His eyes were wide.

  “She is very clever, Your Highness. She could see that I wasn’t lying nor was I telling her the whole truth.”

  “Didn’t she question you further?”

  “Of course, she did. But I didn’t tell her anything, and she could see that I wouldn’t.”

  “Is she going to tell anyone what you said?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know, Your Highness.”

  “You didn’t ask her to keep it a secret?”

  The girl shook her head. “I didn’t want to make it look like it was that important.”

  “That’s all you discussed?”

  The girl shook her head. “She explained the Harmony Dance to me,” she told him. “And about the godlings three. They weren’t siblings, as Jeena led me to believe, as many people believe. They weren’t related at all, according to Princess Quin and the texts she’s read…

  “Then, I told her about Adgar and The Contest… and before we knew it, it was lunch time. So, we walked together to the dining hall and sat down next to each other. But if you want me to stay away from her, too, I will. It’s probably for the best. She’s the same age as my sister Malin, and talking to her about Adgar… I found myself missing my sister, and I promised myself that I wouldn’t do that.”

  “You don’t miss your family?”

  “I don’t let myself. I don’t let myself think about them if I can. It’s not easy, but I try my best.”

  Was this proof that she was as heartless as he’d always thought? Or did this mean that she knew how to love, after all?

  “You don’t have to stay away from Quin,” he said in a quiet voice. “If she asks you to spend time with her, you may do so.”

  This time, the girl stopped walking. “Really?”

  Wyett halted, too. “Yes.”

  He wasn’t giving her permission to befriend Quin out of sympathy or out of the goodness of his heart. No. He was doing it because of something she’d said a few moments ago: She and Quin had talked about Adgar. If they continued to see each other, the Adgari might end up revealing more about herself to his sister, maybe even about how she’d cheated in The Contest… And it would be easy to get all that information out of Quin. His sister did love sweet treats quite a lot.

  “Why? Why is it permissible for me to spend time with your sister but not your brother?” She didn’t sound rude or offended, or anything other than mildly curious. It infuriated him nonetheless.

  “Because I said so, that’s why,” he barked.

  She blinked and started walking again, Wyett following reluctantly.

  “Then, I will stay away from both of them,” she said in a soft voice.

  Wyett’s jaws locked. The girl had probably determined that he had an ulterior motive for letting her get close to Quin.

  “I’ll stay away from Lady Erisa, too. I know her mother wanted the two of us to become friends, but they hardly come to Court these days, so you don’t need to worry about me with them.”

  “I couldn’t care less about who Erisa spends her time with,” he snapped. “As long as you keep away from Seth.”

  “Like I said, I’ll stay away from both of your siblings, Your Highness.” Again, she was nothing but polite.

  “Good.”

  “Just out of curiosity,” she said, lifting her chin. “Are you really afraid that I will hurt Seth or is there another reason why you don’t want me around your brother? I really won’t hurt him, I swear on my life. I would sooner kill for him than lay a finger on him.”

  “I don’t want you around any of us,” he spat. “I can’t change Father’s mind about you, but if it was up to me, I would never have let you inside the castle gates.”

  “Am I really so deplorable, Your Highness?” Now, she sounded defeated. “Do you hate me because of the way I am, who I am, what you think I represent, or have I done something to upset you?”

  “You haven’t done anything,” he told her with a sneer, his tone cutting. “You could never do anything to me. You could never touch me.”

  “So, it’s the first part? You just hate me for who I am?”

  She stopped moving, untangled her arm from his, and blocked his path. She looked confused.

  “You know,” the Prince said, thoughtful, “I don’t think I hate you. I could never feel anything for someone like you. I can’t see how anyone could.”

  To his surprise, her eyes started glistening with tears. “I think you’re right,” she said, dropping her eyes to the grass beneath their feet. “It’s probably why I could never be sure if Rudro loved me.”

  Wyett’s eyes narrowed; she didn’t see it, of course.

  “It’s because he didn’t. If he did love me, I would have been able to see it. I’d have known.” She looked up at him, a question in her tear-filled eyes.

  He twisted on the spot and walked away. He didn’t care what everyone made of this, he just couldn’t stand the sight of her any longer.

  Due to the reduced number of hours he needed to put in
at the Royal Academy now—though, he was only just mastering his anger over his relegation—Rudro had more time than ever to go looking for the elusive boy from the docks. But he doubted it would make much difference. The child, and the woman that had supposedly sent him, just didn’t want to be found.

  “Ghosts,” he said under his breath as he lay his head down on his pillow.

  Then he pushed the pillow away. It was too hot for pillows. And for mattresses. And sheets. And beds.

  He spread his arms and legs out, not wanting his body parts to touch. That’s how hot it was tonight. The weather was getting more and more scorching as they approached the end of summer, which didn’t make sense at all, but at least the heat dried out the mud and mulch that the awful rainy days left in their wake.

  “They’re both ghosts.” Queen Kanona was dead, so perhaps Aaryana had seen her mother’s ghost in the crowd? “But ghosts don’t exist.”

  And if they did, why hadn’t her mother’s spirit appeared to her in happier times—

  She had come to Aaryana once before! Rudro had almost forgotten. Well, he’d been convinced that Aaryana’s vision of her mother in the water had been a drug-induced hallucination. And he’d been so focused on where he could find the boy, that he hadn’t thought about the warning itself. The same warning from Aaryana’s hallucination.

  Adgar will drown, or it will burn.

  Why was Kanona the bearer of this prophecy? What was special about her? The late Queen had been a model citizen—so was her family—and he’d never heard any rumours about the Nidiya family being… seers of any sort. In fact, as wealthy and as close to the Royal Family as they were, the Nidiyas were a quiet group of people. Never seeking power, never influencing the rulers of Adgar, and forever in the good graces of the Royal Family.

  It was odd, if you thought about it, that it had taken the Nidiyas so long to marry into the Royal bloodline. Kanona had been the first to do so. “It’s because King Vijkant was always in love with her,” many explained. “She was the most beautiful girl at Court—who wouldn’t fall in love with her?”

  Rudro bolted upright, recalling that there had been one piece of gossip about Aaryana’s mother that had raised eyebrows. The rumour had been buried with her coffin, but he could still remember the gist of it. The Old King hadn’t been the only one that was in love with Kanona. Lord Rubin, who may or may not have been her cousin—the two families were extremely close—had ended up in the dungeons for loving her.