Gilded

by Renita Pizzitola

  With a deep breath, I mentally counted to three then blurted, “Liam, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

  He remained silent.

  “I never meant to hurt you. It was horrible, the way I ran out on you, and I understand if you hate me.”

  His shoulders rose then fell. “That’s the problem. I don’t hate you.”

  I wished he’d said he did. It was expected, but this, I had no idea how to respond.

  “Though, life would be easier if I did,” he said, with a hint of humor in his tone.

  So, we agreed on one thing. “But you are angry with me, right? Let me have it. Get it off your chest. It would make me feel better if you did. I deserve it.”

  Turning, he smiled. “No, you don’t.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  He propped his foot on the wooden post behind him. Unlike Alastar’s perfectly polished shoes, his were scuffed. “I’m not going to lie. It hurt to see you go. It hurt even more to hear Grant ran with you. In fact, I didn’t want to believe it. I tried to convince myself it was one hell of a coincidence you two disappeared at the same time, but today, when I saw the way you looked at him, I knew.”

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered. Anger I could live with, but this guilt threatened to bring me down.

  “Don’t apologize. So you bailed on a marriage you never asked for and ran from a life you had no say in. Who could blame you for that? Heck, if I could run from this life, I would too. To be honest, I envy how easily you left this place behind.”

  “But, Liam, I also ran from you.” The words were hard to say, but I had to put it out there. I hadn’t just run from a marriage; I’d run from him.

  Seeming far off, he looked away as he said, “Sometimes I wonder if someone different had gone to find you, someone other than Grant, would it have changed things between you and me?” He glanced at me. “But then, I realize it doesn’t matter. I can’t change the past so why dwell on it.”

  My heart ached. Who couldn’t love this guy? Well, besides me.

  Liam’s maturity in handling the situation was honorable.

  I didn’t handle jealousy quite that well and his outlook impressed me. “I’ve wondered the same thing,” I admitted.

  His face relaxed into an easy smile, and he rested his arm along the railing as he stared off. A falling crepe myrtle flower danced around like a snowflake before settling near his hand.

  “Liam, you’re an amazing person. Really you are, and I care about you. In a perfect world it would be enough.”

  He exhaled, focused on me and nodded. “I understand.”

  His understanding was all I asked for. I couldn’t help whom I fell in love with.

  Liam sighed. “We still have a problem. My father intends on us marrying, and I don’t know how to stop it.”

  “I suppose talking to him wouldn’t work?”

  He looked at me as if I’d said the grass was orange.

  A light breeze brushed my skin and my dress rustled. I hugged my waist. “Okay. Let’s think about it. Why does he want me married to you? It’s not about you being married. That’s for sure. Girls would jump at the opportunity.” And they would. He was perfect. Beautiful from the inside out.

  Still adorable as ever, Liam blushed.

  I hid the smile threatening to escape. “So, it’s not about finding you a future wife. I guess that means it’s somehow about me. Any ideas why I’m so critical to this plan? Is it just because I said no? Is he trying to prove no one can go against his wishes?”

  “Although that wouldn’t surprise me, I don’t think it’s the answer in this particular situation. He wanted you to marry me before you left, before any of this craziness happened. He was adamant then and I doubt his reasons have changed.”

  “Now that you mention it, Aislinn also seemed to think there was more to it than we were told.”

  Liam rubbed the back of his neck. “There’s always something with him. Sometimes I wish he wasn’t my father and I wasn’t a prince. I want my life to be my own.”

  I closed the gap between us and threw my arms around him.

  He stiffened for a moment then relaxed.

  I hadn’t intended to hug him, but he seemed so vulnerable and sad. He was such a wonderful guy and I wanted him to find happiness. I stepped back and tucked my arms in at my sides.

  He chuckled, though his cheeks flushed even more. “What was that for?”

  “For you. For everything. I’m sorry. You’re so wonderful and I hate to see you sad. Your life should be your own and you should be able to find your own happiness with whomever you choose.”

  “I’m used to it. But thanks.” With his hands crammed into the pockets of his khaki pants, he stared at his feet.

  Poor Liam. I hated that he blindly accepted orders from his father. “Okay, so the plan is for us to get to the bottom of this marriage. If we can figure out why he wants me, maybe we can find a way to end it.”

  “I agree. That sounds like an excellent plan. Fill Conor in and I’ll see what I can find out. Let’s head back.”

  “Liam, one more thing. Please understand I’m not trying to hurt you by ending this marriage. I’m doing it because I feel it’s the right thing for both of us.”

  His gentle smile appeared. “I know, Kylie. You’re a better person than you give yourself credit for. I understand your actions and I don’t hate you, so please stop beating yourself up over it.”

  A weight lifted from my shoulders. “Thank you, Liam.”

  “And, Kylie, I’m sorry about Grant. He didn’t deserve to be locked away.”

  Grant. Thoughts of him were always there and it took everything in my power not to break down but Liam shouldn’t have to watch me fall apart thinking about Grant, his friend and the boy I chose over him.

  I wanted to patch things between us before even addressing Grant, but now that he had, I couldn’t ignore it. “Yeah.” My voice cracked. “He doesn’t deserve it.”

  He watched me a moment longer. “Ready to go in?”

  Happy he understood, I smiled. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

  Chapter 4

  My first task was to get Conor and Lexie up to date. Now with Liam’s blessing, maybe Conor would be more willing to help me get out of this marriage or at least help me find the information I sought.

  Of course, freeing Grant was priority but how I’d do that remained a mystery, even to me. I also worried if I mentioned my plans to anyone else they may try to stop me. Rescuing him held risk, danger, even a bit of stupidity, but saving the guy I loved seemed worth it, especially since his false imprisonment was on account of me.

  Once back at my room, I discovered Lexie and Conor had left. The hall leading to my room stretched long and full of doors. Since I didn’t know where Lexie’s room was, I couldn’t relay my conversation with Liam. There wasn’t anyone around to ask either. Actually, there was no one anywhere. I was clear of guards or other spies.

  I had a vague idea where to find the kitchen based on dinner service so I ventured in that direction. As I crept down a long hall, a noise halted me. Pressed against the wall, I peeked around the corner.

  A girl in an apron whispered to a guard, who stood in front of her with his palm flattened on the wall behind her head. He smiled while running his finger down her cheek.

  Well, I’d found the kitchen but until Romeo gave up on his antics, I couldn’t get near it.

  I waited until the girlish giggles ceased. Peering back around, I found out why. They were going at it hot and heavy. Annoyed, but refusing to abort my mission, I pulled a barrette out of my hair and flung it as hard as I could against the wall adjacent to the couple. It tapped the wall and fell to the floor, the noise almost inaudible. How did that kind of crap always work in the movies?

  Frustrated, I blew my hair out of my face, wishing I still had my barrette. The engrossed couple would never hear such a soft sound. I needed a better way to make noise. A small potted tree grabbed my attention. With my concentration on the roots li
ke Summer had taught me, magic flowed into the branches and the tree shook. Not a lot, but enough. Whispers followed. Once again, Summer had been proved right, and it did make an excellent distraction.

  I checked around the corner. The two had split but one came my way. I slid into the shadows. The guard rushed by and turned in the opposite direction. I exhaled.

  With a double check, I confirmed the hall clear. I tiptoed to a doorway and discovered it led into the kitchen. But what now?

  Figuring life couldn’t get more complicated, I held my breath and slipped into the kitchen. With my back pressed against the wall, I paused to observe my surroundings. The large kitchen was deserted except for three people chatting as they worked. The distinct chopping sound sliced through their conversation. Startling them could be bad.

  I scanned the area and settled on an adjoining room. Of course, it would be the most difficult place to reach.

  Refusing to give up, I abandoned my hiding spot and ducked behind a large kitchen island. I shuffled to the other end. Now what? I had run out of options. Either I could take my chances, or go back the way I came.

  I peeked over the counter. The cooks were wrapped up in their work so I went for it. I darted across the short expanse leading to the room and came face to face with two young girls, neither of whom were Cara. I straightened and with a confident air, attempted to convince them I had a right to be here and wasn’t so obviously sneaking around.

  I met their questioning stares. “I’m looking for Cara. Is she here?”

  They exchanged glances. The younger one pointed to another doorway.

  “She’s through there, ma’am.”

  With a curt nod, I thanked them. Though the fear of getting caught made me want to run for the door, I moved at a casual pace. Shushed whispers followed me. It was only a matter of time until word of my kitchen visit spread throughout the castle.

  Stepping through the doorway, I found Cara elbow deep in dirty dishes her purple bangs hung limply over her eyes.

  “Cara?” My heart broke. Those hands should be for designing beautiful clothes not scrubbing filthy dishes.

  Her violet eyes widened. “Kylie? What–What are you doing here?”

  “I came to find you.”

  A smile spread across her face as she shook the water off her hands and rushed to me with a giant hug. “How did you get here?” she asked, taking a step back.

  “I sort of snuck in.”

  “No one saw you? Or stopped you? I can’t believe a guard didn’t catch you.”

  “That might have something to do with the fact the guard I saw was going at it with some girl in the hallway. If anyone should have been worried about getting caught, it’s those two.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me. It’s typical guard behavior. Their little rendezvous with fae girls are well known. Everyone looks the other way. Well, maybe unless that fae girl was someone’s girlfriend or wife.”

  “Sounds scandalous. Why do they hook up all the time?”

  “Let’s just say, fae girls and grants like having flings because it’s safe.”

  “Because grants can sense danger?”

  She chuckled. “Well, I guess that’s an added benefit, but no. It’s because grants can’t impregnate fae.”

  “Why?”

  “Intermingling of species or something.” She shrugged. “As far as I know, grants can only have children with other grants.”

  “Oh.” Children with Grant were nowhere even on the radar, but now knowing it impossible gave me something to think about.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you’d never heard that before.”

  “It’s fine.” Now wasn’t the time to ponder my future with Grant. Right now, I needed to assure we even had one. “So, it’s good to see you. I’ve missed you.”

  “Even though you could have gotten yourself in a lot of trouble, it’s good to see you too. There have been so many rumors flying around. I never know what to believe. Being behind the scenes now, I have to rely on what I hear.”

  “I don’t know what you’ve heard but I’m okay. I’m so sorry about this, though.” I gestured to the dirty dishes. “I never meant to get you involved. This is awful.”

  “Don’t worry. It’s not your fault. It’s that wicked king.” She’d whispered those last few daring words. Saying things like that could land her in the dungeon.

  “I know. We’re going to fix this. I’m going to make it right, and Liam is helping. We’ll get you out of here, and back where you belong.”

  “Liam is helping?” Her face brightened.

  “Yes, he’s on our side.” I didn’t bother mentioning he had only promised to help me get to the bottom of our betrothal, but figured I could talk to him about getting Cara out of here as well.

  “What about Grant?” She fiddled with her apron.

  “He’s been locked up. Charged with kidnapping.”

  “It’s true.” She looked down then lifted her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say.”

  “It’s okay. I’m going to free him.”

  Her eyes grew huge. “You– That’s– Kylie, that’s a death sentence. If you get caught, they’ll kill you both.”

  “It’s a risk I’m willing to take. Grant wouldn’t rest until he freed me, so neither will I.”

  “I don’t like this. How would you even begin to accomplish that?”

  “That’s the problem. I haven’t quite figured out the details yet. You could help by telling me how to find where they locked him up.” I clasped my hands together, hopeful she’d give me the information I needed but couldn’t ask anyone else.

  “I’m not certain where he is. If he’s in the dungeon, it’s underground and heavily guarded.”

  “I figured it would be.” My hands dropped to my sides. “I’m confident he’s in the prison, or dungeon, whatever, but I need locations. Where’s the entrance?”

  She shook her head.

  “I’m going to do this one way or another. I can’t ask anyone else these questions. I know you don’t like it and worry I’ll get into trouble but you can’t stop me. But, you might help me avoid getting caught by telling me where to go instead of letting me snoop around the entire castle.”

  She wrung her hands then raised her violet painted nails to her mouth. Looking at the ground, she bit her thumbnail.

  “You know once I set my mind to something, I’m not going to give up,” I said.

  “Fine.” She reached into her apron and pulled out a pen, looked around, finally settling on a white dishtowel. After sketching a blueprint of the castle and labeling landmarks to help me along the way, she described how to get to the prison entrance.

  I bounced with excitement.

  “Please think about what you’re doing. It’s dangerous, and stupid.”

  “It’s love.” I shrugged.

  “Just don’t get yourself locked up or killed.”

  I hugged her again. “I promise to get you out of here.”

  She nodded, but showed little optimism. “You better go before someone finds you.” She motioned for me to follow, walked to another doorway and peeked out. It led to the hall. Of course, it would be that easy. I’d acted like double-oh-seven to get here, and a door led right to her the whole time. “It’s clear.”

  As I stepped past her, I asked, “Cara, how many people guard the entrance?”

  “I’m not sure, but I would think two guards. Maybe one if it’s late enough.”

  “Are any of them fae?”

  “No. The guards are grants because of their ability to sense danger. Why?”

  “Just an idea.” I smiled.

  Cara pursed her lips

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” I waved a quick goodbye and darted down the hall. I’d pushed my luck far enough. I needed to get out of here before I got caught with the towel map in hand.

  I made it out of the hall and, near my bedroom, bumped into Liam. Though he wasn’t quite as big as Grant, he was still solid and had sev
eral inches on me. The impact jostled me back.

  “Sorry,” I said as he steadied me from our collision.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Yes, um, I wanted to talk to you.”

  “Okay. What’s up?”

  “Cara doesn’t belong in the kitchen,” I blurted.

  He looked at the towel in my hand. Thinking fast, I attempted to look as if on the verge of tears. Careful to hide the sketch, I wrung the towel as if it was on back up for my impending breakdown.

  “Is that where you were came from?”

  “Don’t be mad, but I had to see her. It’s my fault she’s there.”

  “I’m not mad and I agree. She doesn’t belong there, but my father put her there. I don’t know if I can convince him to let her out now that you’re back.”

  If Alastar thought she’d plotted with me the first time, who was to say she wouldn’t do it again? The safest place for Cara right now was in the kitchen. I didn’t want to incriminate her when I freed Grant.

  “Well, if you can, talk to him about it. She doesn’t even have to be anywhere near me, just out of kitchen duty.”

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  I thanked him and slipped into my room. Thankful Ida wasn’t there, I rushed to the large wardrobe, reached behind it, and felt around until I found the wad of bills I’d stashed before leaving the first time. I folded the towel, pushed it behind the wardrobe, and nestled it next to my money.

  * * * *

  Lexie, dressed in low rise jeans and a tank top, lay sprawled across my bed while I changed for dinner. The moment bittersweet, reminiscent of what life had been like prior to coming here. It would have been perfect had Ida not been there with her ever-annoying scowl.

  Unable to take any more, I asked her to give us some privacy. She stepped out of the room, looking annoyed yet somewhat relieved.

  “Where’s Conor?” I asked, while pulling my hair into a loose bun.

  “Dunno, some guard thing, I think. He told me he would be with Liam for a while and would find me later. Why?”

  “If I tell you something would you promise not to tell him?”

  Lexie sat up. “Of course.”

  “You can’t tell him, even if you think you should, you can’t.”