“What are you going to do?” asked Elise.
“I’m not going to marry Xavier for a start. I’ll marry whomever I want, when I want, and I’ll marry for the right reasons. I’ll speak out instead of being the timid little girl I’ve always been. I’m not some kid in her elder sister’s shadow anymore. I’m the future queen, and my parents will have to listen. I don’t know how, but I’ll fight until my last breath to get the Magi back into our kingdom.”
“You won’t be alone!” Leo stood and hugged me, quickly followed by Dean and Elise.
“No, you won’t be alone.” I turned to see Luca standing beside me. “I’ll be with you. I’ll stand beside you and fight for all time if you’ll have me.”
“Who’s guarding the door?” asked Elise.
“There is a guard there now,” replied Luca, not even looking in her direction “Charmaine, I wanted to ask you something...”
There was a shout from the other end of the cavernous room. We all turned our heads to see Mother being helped through the door by the guard. She looked almost delirious as the thick door closed behind her.
“Mother!” Elise and I ran to her. “Are you ok?”
She looked me straight in the eye, a hint of madness in her own.
“Your father is dead. You are now the queen of Silverwood.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
after
In the days that followed, I didn’t have the luxury of doing any of the things I said I would. My heart was too heavy, and so was that of the people. Leo had been right in his speculation. The Magi were not to blame. How could they be? There were barely any left, and those that were still in the country were in hiding. Reports indicated that it was actually the chief of police who had started the whole thing. He’d been so stressed about keeping the Magi out that he’d shot a small girl who was wearing a purple dress. She wasn’t even a Mage, just a normal kid, but he’d shot her anyway in a panic. The terror had spread outwards like a disease, consuming everyone in a nearby radius. People began to flee, causing more hysteria. The police were overwhelmed and began to shoot other people such as those attempting to escape the crush by scaling the palace walls. From then on, it only got worse. Ten thousand plus people had all crammed into the surrounding streets of the palace, and there just wasn’t enough room to accommodate them all. Many were trampled to death; too many were shot. It turned out a group of anti-magi had started the fires, proof, if I needed any, that I needed to stamp out the hate that my father and the local police had bred.
My father had been shot by one of his own policemen. It hurt, but in a way, I felt like justice had been done. Karma had reaped his soul. Xavier hadn’t fared any better. His body was found days later in the clean-up. He’d been trampled to death like so many others. All in all, the final tally of dead was over three hundred although there were thousands injured. Jenny managed to escape by hiding in a broom cupboard for twelve hours, but she was one of the lucky ones. Many of the palace staff were either killed or injured. Sadie also lost her life although she didn’t go down without a fight. Ever the professional, she carried on broadcasting, showing the people watching on their TV’s the mess we had made of the kingdom. She even managed to get her own death on tape, carrying on presenting as she was trampled. The last I heard, she’d been posthumously awarded the broadcaster of the year. I thought she would have liked that.
The only good thing to come out of the whole mess was the fact that a thorough search of the palace had been done and no bomb had been found. It was just another of Xavier’s lies—a way to manipulate me.
Once again, the Kingdom was in a state of official mourning, but this time I didn’t object to the black dresses Xavi laid out on my bed every morning. She never asked for me to go down to the dressing room for which I was grateful, but one day I’d have to. Someday soon, I’d have to plan my coronation to officially take the title of queen from my mother. There would be no king and no prince regent or prince consort. I was going to do it alone. Well, not quite alone, Leo, Daniel, Luca, and Dean had moved into the palace and vowed to stay there as long as I needed them, and need them I did. I don’t know how I would have gotten through those dark days without them. They took charge of everything from the cleanup to opening up the grounds to care for those injured.
About three weeks after the wedding when the dead had been buried, including my father, I found myself alone in the garden with Luca. October had arrived, and winter was closing in fast. I was wearing black trousers, and no one seemed to mind.
We walked the pathways silently holding hands. He’d not left my side in the past three weeks and had helped me keep my head above water at a time I felt like I was drowning. He’d become as good a friend as I could hope for.
He was there for me, even when I stumbled upon Grace’s diary that I’d hastily hidden when Elise entered my room. It had fallen down the side of my bed, and I’d forgotten about it. When I read it, I found out that my father had told Grace she had to marry Xavier. Grace had refused, and there had been a huge argument. The date she’d written about it was the day before she died. I had no proof, but it seemed extremely convenient that it happened that day. I ordered the police – or what was left of them to exhume her body, but before they got the chance, Pascal, the head chef came forward and admitted adding poison to her cocoa on the orders of the king. My own father had murdered his eldest daughter to get his own way. I was pretty sure Xavier had something to do with it too, but I’d never know for sure.
Throughout it all, Luca stayed with me, holding my hand all the way.
He took over on days when I couldn’t even find a way to get out of bed, and came to me every evening to keep me company. It was he that organized a criminal trial with regards to my father, and it was he that kept the whole sordid thing out of the papers. The monarchy was as unpopular as they had ever been. We didn’t need to add murderer to the list of crimes my father had committed. One day, I’d tell the people the truth and beg for their forgiveness, and I knew that Luca would be holding my hand as I did so.
We carried on with walking our path through what was left of the gardens. The flowers had all been trampled, and as it was coming up to winter, I’d not asked the gardeners to plant more. I’d never seen the gardens look so sorry. The palace had been cleared of debris, but there was months of renovation work to be done. Daniel and Dean had taken on that particular project although Dean had to do most of the work while Daniel’s leg healed.
I felt Luca stop and squeeze my hand.
“I wanted to ask you something that day when we were in the safe room, but we got cut off. I’ve not found a good time to ask again, and truth be told, I’m not sure there will ever be a right time, but I have to ask you, or I’ll hate myself.”
“Ask me.”
“When I came here, I wanted to rule a country. For the longest time, it was all I ever thought of, but then I met you. I’ve watched as you have been dealt a world of problems and heartache and I’ve watched you deal with it all like a queen. You know I love you. I’m honored to say that I know you and I’m excited by your presence. Whatever your answer is, I promise I’ll stay here and help you through the next few months while you find your feet and I’ll speak to my parents about becoming an ally with Silverwood. Even if you say no, I’ll understand, but with my deepest part of my soul, I hope you don’t. Charmaine Elizabeth Mary Annesley, will you marry me?”
There was no ring and no getting down on one knee, but I saw love and truth in his eyes. My mind flashed to Cynder, the boy who had stolen my heart all those months ago, but it had been so long since I’d last seen him. I felt the charms he’d given me, resting upon my wrist and I wondered if it was time to take them off, to shed my childish crush and finally grow up. I had a kingdom to run and who better to run it with than a man who was already a prince? With Luca by my side, one day, we’d make sure that Cynder was a free man. All of the Magi would have equal rights and live freely among the rest of us. No more would they be slaves
or second-class citizens. They would be free. This was the only way I knew how to save him.
I looked into Luca’s eyes. I liked him a great deal, and he’d proven his loyalty and love to me in so many ways. One day I’d learn to love him too. I kissed him slowly and felt myself melt into him as I always did when we kissed. One day soon, I was going to be the queen, and I needed my own king by my side.
“Yes,” I murmured, “Yes, I will.”
The End
Lucky Charm
Book two in the Reverse Fairytale series
Princess Charmaine is getting married. She should be happy right?
The kingdom is in turmoil after the death of the king, and it’s up to Princess Charmaine to set things right. With her coronation looming and an upcoming wedding to sort out, she barely has time to worry about the people of magic that so desperately need her.
Still on the run from the police and no longer wanted in the kingdom he once loved, Cynder is forced to find another way to live, but when a chance encounter puts him back in touch with the love he lost, he knows he must do everything in his power to save her.
Lucky Charm is the second book in the Charm series, a reverse fairytale based on Cinderella by USA Today bestselling author J.A.Armitage. Take everything you think you know about fairytales and turn it on its head.
Pre order Lucky Charm now
Lucky Charm
CHAPTER ONE
I felt the weight of the royal crown bearing down as the bishop placed it firmly on my head to a rapturous applause and the bright lights of the media. Six months since my father had died and I was now the official Queen of Silverwood.
The national anthem played as cameras flashed, blinding me with their brightness. My only job was to stay still and look regal as the massive congregation sang.
When the music had stopped and the cheering had died down, Luca came bounding over and gave me a kiss on the cheek. He held my hand as I stood, trying not to fall over with the weight of the bejewelled monstrosity on my head. He looked resplendent with his immaculate royal attire decked in golden trim and epaulettes. I, on the other hand looked like a royal golden meringue with the biggest dress Xavi had ever dared to dress me in. It was white with a golden lace overlay that nipped in at the waist before billowing out at the skirts. Over the top I wore a golden velvet cape edged in ermine that trailed along the floor behind me.
I walked down the aisle of the huge cathedral arm in arm with Luca who was doing his best to keep me upright. I tried not to think about the next time we’d be making this particular journey. In five months time we’d be doing the same walk only then it would be on our wedding day as husband and wife.
Despite the all time low ratings of popularity for the monarchy, a surprisingly large number of people had turned out for the coronation. The cathedral was packed with the kingdom’s elite, not to mention various celebrities and royals from other lands, and the roads outside of the cathedral were crowded with people. I gave Elise a quick smile as I passed and she smiled back. She looked more radiant than ever, probably due to her honeymoon glow. Leo had proposed to her at Christmas and with mother’s blessing, they’d had a discrete family wedding in the palace on New Year’s Day. The only people they’d invited were family and Daniel and Dean. I envied them for the intimacy of it. My wedding plans were shaping up to be a complete nightmare of epic proportions thanks to my mother and Xavi collaborating. In my mother’s mind, I needed a wedding even more spectacular than the last one to make people forget what had happened at it. As many people had died including the groom and the king, I thought having a bigger wedding cake and better dressed bridesmaids probably wasn’t going to cut it, but I kept my mouth shut and let her plan it her way.
I tried to get my wedding out of my mind and concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other without losing my crown or tripping over the long skirt I was wearing. As everything was being televised and shown to tens of thousands of people throughout the kingdom, I knew any misstep would result in more damaging press for our family.
Security was at an all time high to prevent the same disaster as the one at the palace six months ago, and as I left the cathedral, I was flanked by ten guards specially brought in from the Silverwood Army. They led me through the snow to the awaiting golden carriage, but it was Luca that helped me through the door with my large skirt.
Thousands of people screamed and cheered as we were taken through the crowd lined streets back to the palace. I waved and smiled as I was expected to do and tried not to look as uncomfortable as I felt.
“How are you feeling your majesty?” whispered Luca in my ear.
I turned away from the crowds for a second to look into his handsome face. “Exhausted,” I replied honestly. “You?”
“I’m feeling like the luckiest man in the world right now. I cannot believe I’m going to be marrying you in a few months. You look every inch the queen and if it wasn’t for the eyes of every person of Silverwood currently watching us, I’d be kissing you right now.”
I smiled. I wanted to kiss him too, but I couldn’t be seen to be kissing him in public before our wedding day. Instead, I reached out for his hand and squeezed it.
We lapsed into an easy silence. I felt comfortable in his presence and couldn’t think of anyone who I’d prefer to be with on the day of my coronation.
There is one other
The voice in my head piped up. I couldn’t think of Cynder. Not now. I ignored the little voice and instead concentrated on my new role as monarch.
“My father made it look so easy,” I said, sighing.
“Your father was a tyrant and a murderer,” Luca reminded me.
“Yes, but the people loved him. They hate me.”
“They hate all royalty because of what happened. You’ve told the people the full story. You can’t make them believe it.”
It was the truth. As soon as I found out that my father had died, I’d gone to the press to tell them the truth about the riots. I’d also gotten Cynder cleared of all charges. What I hadn’t expected was for the people not to believe me. No one wanted to hear the truth that it was the fault of my father and Xavier when it was convenient to carry on blaming the Magi.
“Why does no one believe it?” I asked Luca for the thousandth time.
“Because for a long time, people treated the Magi like dirt, fuelled by the belief that they were to blame for all of Silverwood’s problems. No one wants to be the bad guy and so it’s easier to believe a lie than to face up to what they have done.”
I knew he was right, but it was of little consolation. I’d naively thought that I could tell the truth and invite the Magi back and everyone in Silverwood would be happy. I soon found out that anti-magi feelings ran much deeper than I had expected. My father’s legacy of hate had lived on even if he hadn’t.
I turned back to the window and plastered on my fake smile again. There were so many people out there and yet nothing about it seemed real.
I looked at the crowds as the six white horses pulled the carriage through the heavily guarded gates of the palace. Even now, six months after the riot, I could still see a number of people demonstrating against the Magi. Today was not a special occasion for them. It was just another excuse to bring their plaquards and spew their vitriolic bile. They had been there all winter. Not even the harsh weather conditions we’d experienced had put them off. When the Magi themselves had demonstrated last year about their appalling treatment, the police had used brute force to move them. These guys were left alone.
When my father had died, I’d tried to hire back all the Magi staff that had lost their jobs at the hands of my father. Most of them had just disappeared and the few I did find were too scared to come back because of the anti-magi demonstrators. I’d even resorted to hiring a private investigator to track down Cynder and Agatha, but he’d not been able to find either of them. Agatha’s aunt and uncle’s house had been ransacked and no one knew or would tell where they had all gone. Cynder had
just vanished without a trace.
It was believed that the majority of Silverwood’s Magi had fled to The Kingdom of Thalia, so I could only hope that Cynder and Agatha had found safety there.
The carriage came to a halt at the palace doors and two footmen opened the door and helped me out. The palace itself looked better than ever after all the restorations that had been done on it and the only reminder of the disaster that had happened all those months back was the lingering smell of wet paint. Paint that had been used to cover up the blood stains and new plaster filling the bullet holes in the walls.
“I’m going to get changed,” I said as Luca and I entered the main hall. The dress was weighing me down and I couldn’t wait to get out of it.
“Do you need any help?” Luca replied, eyeing up the multitude of buttons.
“They are just for decoration,” I smiled. “I think I’ll be ok. Why don’t you get changed too?”
Luca nodded but I could see he was put out. Royal protocol demanded that we weren’t too intimate until our wedding night, so apart from the occasional stolen kiss, we’d not had much in the way of intimacy. I’d not asked how many women Luca had been with. I didn’t want to know. He was far more experienced than I and used to getting what he wanted. The long wait until we were married was difficult for him, but apart from kissing him when no one was looking, there wasn’t much I could do about it. He was living full time in one of the guest houses in the grounds. Of the four, his was the only one occupied now that Leo had moved into the main palace.
I watched him leave before running upstairs to my room. Xavi had laid out a simple but elegant dress for me to wear for the rest of the day. I heaved a sigh of relief as I took the heavy crown from my head and eased myself out of the hefty gown. I laid myself down on the bed in my underwear, reluctant to get changed and go out to face the next part of the day – Meetings with the press followed by a huge banquet of celebration.
Charm (A Cinderella reverse fairytale) (Reverse Fairytales Book 1) Page 24