“I’ve picked Luca.” I said it straight out before I lost the nerve.
“You are going to eliminate Luca? Wonderful. I’ve been waiting all day to stick it to that odious bore Theron. Xavier will make a great partner and leader I’m sure. You’ve made the right decision.”
“No. You misunderstand. I’ve picked Prince Luca to marry. I want to marry him. I want Xavier and Leo eliminated as soon as possible. I’m sure if you called Sadie, she’d be all too happy to set up another broadcast at short notice.”
My father frowned and didn’t speak for a few minutes. When he did, his tone was gruff.
“I thought we had an understanding. Xavier cannot be eliminated.”
I stood firm. “Yes, so you have said, but you also said that the final decision is down to me. I’ve made that decision, and it’s to marry Luca. That can’t happen without eliminating the other two men.”
“This is not acceptable.”
“It is acceptable, and it is what’s going to happen. I didn’t want to do this stupid competition in the first place, but I did because you asked me to. I chose four men out of a hundred, and I went on date after date in the public eye. I didn’t want to do any of it, but I did because it is what you expected me to do. I’ve not complained at all, but now I’ve made my choice, and my choice is Luca.”
My father nodded slowly. “Fine. I shall contact Sadie and ask her to come tomorrow. May as well get it over with. I’ll expect you in your finest gown at midday for the formal announcement. I’ll let Prince Luca know he is to be ready also. I assume you’ve already told him?”
“Of course, I have. Oh, thank you, Daddy.” I ran to hug him, but he just huffed and barged past me.
It was only when I went to bed late that night that I remembered I was supposed to meet up with Leo. I’d left it too late, but I knew he’d understand after tomorrow’s announcement.
Xavi fussed around me even more than usual the next day. She’d been told I was going to make a big announcement and had the perfect dress for me to make it in. It was an off the shoulder white number that could easily pass for a wedding dress had it been a little longer. Perhaps she had guessed what the announcement was to be.
I felt almost happy as I walked down to the stage area. There were so many people crammed into the palace grounds that I wondered how they could all breathe. They stretched as far as the eye could see, way past the gates of the palace. There were also many more cameras here today than usual. It seemed my father had invited all the networks, not just the one Sadie worked for. I was pleased to see it was still she that would be interviewing me though. I didn’t like being interviewed, but I, at least, knew her.
I waited at the edge of the stage while she did her usual warm up of the crowd.
I’d hoped Luca would be around, but maybe he would join me after the announcement. It made sense. As my nerves increased, I found myself playing with the bracelet Cynder had given me. After today, I’d have to take it off. Only the thought that I was doing this for him and the other Magi kept me going. I’d sacrifice my life with him if it meant his freedom. Once I was married, I’d have more say in the running of the kingdom and with Luca on my side along with his parents, I would work tirelessly to make the Magi free again.
Taking a deep breath, I waited for Sadie to finish her speech. She was working her way through a presentation showing pictures of the whole competition from the night of the ball to the official photos taken yesterday of the Thalian royal family.
I shed a tear when I saw Daniel among the photos and wondered what he was up to. I’d not seen him since the last elimination. I hoped he was doing well. We would soon be needing those chairs he was making for the palace, so I was confident I’d see him again sooner rather than later.
When the presentation finished, Sadie spoke directly to the crowd.
“There have been a number of highlights from the competition as you can see. We’ve watched Princess Charmaine blossom from a young girl into a woman these past few months, and now we are all gathered here for an important milestone in her young life. For tonight ladies and gentlemen, I’m extremely excited to announce that we are not eliminating one man, but two. Her Royal Highness, The Princess Charmaine has chosen the man she will marry in six weeks’ time.”
The crowd went ballistic. I had to stick my fingers in my ears for fear of going deaf as the thunderous sound of thousands of people cheering filled the air. I could just see some of the banners that they were holding up.
We love you Leo
And
Luca for Charmaine. I even saw one with Xavier’s name and a girl’s phone number on it.
“Without further ado,” continued Sadie as the noise abated slightly, “Let me bring on stage Princess Charmaine.”
I walked on stage to even more riotous applause. I could see more of the banners now. Many were supporting the three men left. A couple had Daniel’s name on them.
I smiled as I approached Sadie, and waved out to the people. It took a full five minutes before the crowd had calmed down enough for me to be able to speak.
“What a welcome!” said Sadie.
“Thank you all. I’m very happy to be here, and I’m so grateful for your support through this competition. It’s been a very difficult choice as you can imagine. All the men were wonderful, and any girl in my position would find it hard to choose. Eliminating Daniel last time was so much harder than I anticipated and the same goes for the two men I’m eliminating today. Having spent time with both of them, I can assure you, they will make fantastic husbands to two lucky ladies one day.”
“Just not you, eh?” Sadie interrupted good-naturedly.
“I can only pick one man, Sadie, as you know.”
The crowd laughed. I pulled so hard on my bracelet I could feel the tiny silver carriage digging into my skin. Cynder would be watching this. I wondered if his heart would break as much as mine had.
“A girl’s heart is a complicated thing. For one man you may be his lucky charm, but sometimes, no matter what you do, you have to make a decision that is the best for everyone. Everyone should be free for that.” I hoped that Cynder understood my cryptic message. I added the “everybody should be free” in the hopes he knew I was doing this so he could be free. I hoped he knew that I’d love him forever. “I’ve been free to make my decision; I just hope it’s one you all agree with.”
“Exactly, and if we don’t, then there’s always the two gorgeous hunks left for us, right ladies?”
There was another cheer, and the banners were thrust higher into the sky.
“Without further ado, let’s put the kingdom out of its misery and invite the new soon-to-be prince of Silverwood to the stage.”
I waited for Luca to join me. I could feel my charm bracelet cutting into my skin; I was pulling it so tightly.
There was a huge collective scream from the crowd as Xavier took to the stage. At the same time, the screen behind us showed his photo and the words “Prince Xavier.”
The pain on my wrist stopped suddenly as the bracelet broke and flew across the stage.
The screen cut to me, and all I could see was my own expression of shock.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
A secret uncovered
I raged at my father, but he fobbed me off with some story about finding Luca kissing one of the kitchen maids. I didn’t want to believe him, not after everything he’d said in the garden, but I’d seen the way Luca flirted with a kitchen maid at the ball and at the back of my mind, I knew it might be true. I hated myself for thinking it. Luca had the reputation, but he’d treated me with such respect. I thought I knew him, or, at least, I thought I was beginning to. The full-on rush of love that hits you like a train had not happened with Luca the way it had with Cynder, but I can’t deny that my heart had fluttered when we had kissed. And we had kissed. We’d kissed a lot, and somewhere between lunch with his parents and the meeting with my father, I’d fallen into a dream that maybe we would be something special one day.
<
br /> That dream was now as broken as all my others. Now I had to marry a man I didn’t even like. At least, I’d liked the other three.
Luca had been sent back to Thalia in disgrace alongside his parents. I wasn’t even given the chance to say goodbye.
I left my father’s office when he told me that his decision was final and if I didn’t agree to it, he’d make Elise marry Xavier instead. That was not something I was about to let happen.
On the way back to my room, I reflected on how it was possible for my life to deteriorate so much in such a short space of time. Just a few months ago, I was looking forward to the summer ahead and to the ball in which Grace would choose a husband. Since then, not only had I lost the love of my life with Cynder, I had also lost the chance to save his life, or at least save him from a life in hiding. The police were still looking for him. Now they were going door to door searching every house for the pair to the glass slipper that had melted next to the bomb. They wouldn’t find it, of course. It was still safely hidden in my room, but they would find him. There was no doubt in my mind. And unlike Luca with the influence of his parents, I doubted Xavier would help. He’d shown no interest in the Magi at all. In fact, he’d not really shown a lot of interest in anything. The thought of being married to him for the rest of my life filled me with bile. I ran to my room and threw myself down on the bed, but the tears wouldn’t come. I wasn’t just sad anymore. I was angry. I was absolutely livid with everything that had happened. I thumped my pillow, hoping to relieve myself of some of the frustration. It didn’t work.
If only Grace were here. She would know what to do. I wondered how she would have felt in marrying Xavier. After all, if she were still alive, she would have been in my position. She would probably do it without fuss. She’d smile and do what was best for the kingdom, putting her own wants and needs last. Not that I could figure out why Xavier was the best choice. He had no royal connections. He didn’t have the support of the people like Leo did. In fact, the only thing I could see that he brought to the table was a set of ripped abs. Nice in themselves, but hopeless in helping to run a kingdom. If only I knew why my father wanted him, then maybe I could understand, but my father had made it quite clear that he wasn’t going to tell me his reasons. No, he was going to make me marry a man I didn’t love, without knowing why.
It was so unfair. I needed Grace more than ever. I walked over to the door that separated our rooms. I’d only stepped through it on one occasion since her death, and then I’d run through it, not wanting to stay in the room for fear it might make me cry. I was already on the verge of tears, so what did it matter? I opened the door and stepped in.
It was musty. The cleaners had not been permitted in here since her death a few months previously. I opened her curtains and a window to let in some air.
Like before, the pain hit me in the stomach. Her room was exactly as she had left it. The doll she’d been given as a present on her birth was still on her bed. I picked it up and hugged it tightly. I could still smell her perfume slightly on it. Memories of her flooded back, filling me with grief as strong as it had been since the day she died.
“I need you,” I whispered, but of course, she didn’t answer. I placed the doll back on the bed and walked over to her shelving unit. Despite the extravagant gifts she’d received from well-wishers every day, the items she kept close to her were remarkably plain. A cheap teddy she’d won at a fairground the one time she’d been permitted to leave the palace, a postcard from a friend of hers, some old books that really should have been taken back to the schoolroom, and finally a photo of the three of us. Grace, Elise, and I. It was taken a couple of years ago, and yet, we all looked so young. Grace sat up straight with Elise gazing up at her, trying to copy her, and with me standing behind them, sticking my tongue out. I laughed. It represented the three of us so well; no wonder Grace kept it. I picked it up and held onto it. I’d find a frame and put it on my wall.
I picked up the teddy next, and something hard fell out, hitting me on my toe. When I looked down, I saw a small black leather-bound book. I picked it up, ready to put it back on the shelf, but then I saw it had fallen from the back of the teddy. The stitching had come away, and there was a hole just big enough to fit the book in. This book had been hidden on purpose. I opened it to the front page and realized it was a diary. Grace’s diary.
I’d not known she kept one. Putting the teddy back on the shelf, I took both the photo and the diary back into my room. I’d just sat on the bed to read it when the door at the other side of the room opened. I quickly shoved the black book under my pillow.
“That was a surprise,” said Elise, coming over and sitting next to me on the bed. She meant the announcement earlier.
“For you and me both!” I sighed.
“What do you mean?”
“I wasn’t going to pick Xavier. I was going to pick Luca.”
She opened her mouth in surprise. “I did wonder why you picked him. Whenever you talked about the four men, you rarely mentioned his name.”
“That’s because I had nothing to say about him. I still don’t. Father chose him, but I don’t know why.”
“You aren’t going to actually go ahead with it are you?” The big question.
“What choice do I have, Elise? I’m the heir to the throne now. I have to get married. If I don’t marry Xavier, what will I do? Father got rid of Luca pretty swiftly. I’ve no reason to think he won’t do the same to me if I don’t cooperate, and then it will be you who has to marry Xavier.”
“You are being paranoid. Listen to what you are saying. There’s no way that father would banish you. You are his eldest daughter.”
I wasn’t so sure anymore.
“Wouldn’t he? He’s banished the Magi; he’s banished Luca, all for his own reasons. Who’s to say he won’t do the same to me? He wants Xavier as the prince, and that’s that. Why are you here anyway?”
I knew I was being snappy, but it was ok for her. She still had Leo, and now she was free to go public with their relationship. What’s more, our father didn’t seem to mind.
“I came to tell you that Leo is in the library. He wants to see you.”
What with everything that had happened over the last twenty-four hours, I’d completely forgotten about meeting Leo. Not that I really cared anymore. I’d already lost everything I cared about, but I’d let him down once, It would be rude to let him down again. Besides, I wanted to tell him what I’d found out about my grandfather.
“I’m sorry for snapping. Can you tell him I’ll be down in five minutes? I can’t stay another second in this dress.”
I changed into my most comfortable outfit and met both Leo and Elise in the library. Leo stood and kissed me on the cheek. At the same time, he whispered in my ear.
“I have news. I can’t tell you here.”
“Let’s go out into the garden,” I said loudly in case anyone was listening.
But when we got to the front door, the weather had changed drastically. The beautiful weather of the morning had turned into a violent storm. The dark sky crashed with thunder and rain lashed down.
“That’s it then!” said Leo. “We’ll have to talk tomorrow.”
“No!” I wanted to say that the weather wasn’t so bad, but the trees were nearly being blown over with the gale that was blowing. To go outside would be madness.
“I know where we can go.”
The only place I could think of that wouldn’t be bugged was the servant’s quarters. There was no doubt in my mind that the communal areas frequented by the staff would have listening devices, but even my father wouldn’t stoop so low as to listen into the private lives of the staff in their own rooms. At first, I was going to take them to Jenny’s room in the hope she’d understand, but as we walked down the staff corridor, I had a better idea. I opened the door to the room that had once belonged to Agatha. As she hadn’t yet been replaced, I assumed it would still be empty. I was pleased to see I was right. There were no persona
l items anywhere, and the wardrobe was empty. It was the perfect place to have a secret conversation.
“Molly had a baby!” I blurted out as soon as I was sure we were not being listened to.
“I know, and in view of today’s event’s you are not going to like what I’m about to tell you.”
It sounded ominous. What could my grandfather having a child possibly have to do with the dreadful day I was having?
“I’ll start from the beginning. I met up with Zania Askham in a small town called Yorke, which is near the southern border. She was reluctant to speak to me at first as Yorke is one of the towns that the Magi are being driven from.”
“I thought she wasn’t a Mage?”
“She’s not, but the story she told me was all about the Magi. A lot of her friends are, and the police are going after Magi supporters now.” He walked around the room as he spoke and steepled his fingers together. I could see he was used to public speaking. “Eventually, I persuaded her to talk. A hefty sum for her granddaughter’s college tuition did it. She told me that she did know Molly very well a long time ago. They were both very young and did the same job, except she got paid for it, and Molly didn’t. Molly, like all the other Magi in the palace, were unpaid slaves. She said that even though they both were the queen’s maids, in reality, it was Molly that did all the work, while she was in charge. As they became friends, Zania helped out Molly when the queen wasn’t looking.”
Elise interrupted. “But surely, it would have been easier for Molly anyway? She had a wand.”
“No. Back then, just as it is today, wands were prohibited. Everything was done by hand. Despite their different backgrounds, the two girls became firm friends.
“After a few months, Molly caught the King’s eye. She didn’t tell Zania for a long time, but eventually, she let slip that she was having an affair with your grandfather, the king. Around that time, the king moved all the slaves into the staff quarters and built more in the same wing. He did it so Molly could come to his bed chambers without anyone seeing. Molly was placed right on the end by the servant’s staircase. From then on, when she wasn’t with the king or working, Molly and Zania spent all their time together. One day she told Zania that she was pregnant and the baby was the king’s.
Charm (A Cinderella reverse fairytale) (Reverse Fairytales Book 1) Page 20