by Chanda Hahn
I now understood what my mother had known all along. That the king of Candor was not a kind man. He was evil and cruel, and with a snap of his fingers, he was willing to have me killed. Me, someone who he had never met and had done him no harm. Dorian wouldn’t tell me who sent the assassin, but he didn’t need to. I already knew.
At first, I didn’t understand why Mother had sent me. Now I knew. It was to put a stop to the evil that was King Ferdinand. I had to be sure, but I thought the only way to do that would be to kill him.
Walking to the fireplace, I leaned down and found an old piece of cinder that had burned down to ash. Using it the same way I used chalk, I drew out the spell for transportation, being careful not to miss a sigil. I must be crazy, because I wasn’t even sure it would work, but I needed to try.
Using the flint box I found on the mantle, I stacked the wood and quickly lit a fire. When it was fully ablaze, I stacked a few more logs, trying to estimate how long the fire would go for, because the spell would only hold until the last cinder burned out. When it blew out, I would be pulled back into the locked room.
Looking down, I groaned at the ash now coating my dress.. As soon as my glass slippers touched the ash line, the ground began to glow, the fire turned white, and sparks that looked like fireflies flew out of the fireplace.
It was now or never. I either stepped into the fire and transported or burned to death.
“Stars, please guide me,” I muttered as I closed my eyes and jumped into the blazing fire.
Chapter Thirteen
Blinding white pain shot through every limb, and white flames wrapped around my body. I held back a silent scream as I was pulled into a fiery vortex. One second, I was standing on the edge of a fireplace in Dorian’s house, and the next I was stepping out of a pillar of black smoke into a full and busy kitchen, for the spell would only transport to another fire that was already burning.
Screaming and hysterics followed. Rolling pins rolled off the tables and trays of food were abandoned as the kitchen staff scattered, calling for the guards.
“Witch!”
“Demon!”
“Lord, have mercy on my soul!”
I could only imagine how I must look—a woman stepping from the flames in a billow of mysterious black smoke. I would be terrified as well.
One would have thought an invading army was coming by the screams of the palace staff. I had only begun to dust off my hands and dress when I saw golden eyes blinking at me from within the fire.
“Oh, hello,” I said softly to whatever creature was living within the hearth. There were any number of fae that lived within a fireplace, and not all of them were friendly. This could be a kobold or any form of fire fairy, and their job was to protect hearth and home. I could have disturbed this being.
The golden eyes blinked once, and I fumbled at what to do next. Grabbing the edges of my dress, I decided that it was best to ask for forgiveness.
“So very sorry for disturbing your slumber. But I thank you for the use of your hearth. Would you like me to stoke it again for you?” I saw that the fire had died down and that the creature was lying within the black embers.
The eyes blinked twice, and I took it for affirmation. I grabbed the poker and very carefully moved the coals around and then added another piece of wood from the fire. As I did, the fire picked up again. The golden eyes belonged to a salamander, a fire elemental that was black, and he glowed with an inner fire like a coal. He jumped out of the fire and ran up and down my body and over the floor, gold and red flames trailing behind him before he rushed back into the fire. A great gust of fire exploded from the hearth, causing me to step back and cover my eyes.
The elemental must be attracted to the magic left behind by my spells. He was burying himself right into the coals. I was about to lean down and stir the coals again for him when I heard the sound of the guards. Their heavy boots echoed on the floor, creating a more ominous sound than the lighter leather footwear of the servants.
“Oh, no!” I looked around the kitchen in a frenzied and rushed forth to an abandoned apron. Quickly, I donned the apron and glamour to become the matron who owned the garment. With only seconds to spare, I buried my hands in the thick soapy dishwater and began to hum loudly to myself.
Ten soldiers filed into the room one by one and looked around.
“Hey, you!” one called out to me.
I continued washing.
“You, ma’am, turn around.”
I did and feigned a surprised expression. “Well, my heart. Where did everyone go?”
“Did you see anything, like a witch come from there?” He pointed to the fireplace.
“Stitch?” I mumbled. “Did you say stitch?”
“Witch!” The guard spoke louder.
“Witch? Why didn’t you say so?” I cackled, having a little too much fun at their expense. “Of course, I believe in witches.”
“Have you seen something strange?”
The other guards had spread out and began poking around the kitchen and looking into the fireplace.
“Didn't I speak to you outside in the hall?” One of the guards stared at me, confusion all over his face. “And I could have sworn you had an Islayan accent?”
“Nope. That wasn’t me. Oh my, look there! In the fireplace. Do you see it?” I called loudly, and my salamander friend decided to help me out. He grew to the size of a small dog and began to dig into the logs, kicking the charred and burning wood onto the stone floor. Burning logs rolled into the table, and the guards were rushed for tongs to try and put out the fire.
I mouthed the words “Thank you” as I slowly backed up toward the door. One of the guards set his gloves on the table, and I snatched them, sliding them on my hands. I glamoured myself to look like the guard and marched out of the kitchen. A crowd had gathered at the end of the hall, everyone looking toward the kitchen with terror, while I heard the commotion of the guards.
“Where did she go?”
“I don’t know. She was just here.”
“Search the palace and alert the king! The witch is here.”
“Carry on!” I ordered, marching passed the servants. “There’s nothing to worry about. Just a pesky elemental in the fire.”
“Not again!”
“I thought we got rid of it?”
“No, I don’t believe it. I saw a girl. A woman. That was no elemental.”
I picked up my pace and ran down a hallway, tossing the gloves in a nearby planter. I felt the glamour shift and change, and now I was back to myself, except for the active glamour around my injuries.
Two servants were speaking amongst themselves as they passed, and I eavesdropped on their conversation. “I heard the ladies were dancing and celebrating till almost dawn once they found out they were selected.”
“You haven’t been here long, have you?” the second servant answered. “Don’t expect to get much sleep yourself for the next few days. Every night they will stay up till near dawn and sleep till late afternoon. Then spend hours primping before they emerge from their rooms. We call it royal candor time.”
“You surely jest.”
“I don’t. But right now, they are gathering in the women’s parlor where they’re to meet with the queen.”
I stepped from the alcove into their path too, and they both stopped and gave me a curtsy. “May we help you, miss?
“I seem to be a bit lost.”
The second servant with her hair in a bun giggled. “The palace is a bit of a maze. Were you heading to the women’s parlor?
“Yes.”
“Follow me, miss.”
The two servants, adorned in blue dresses with white collars, led me to a brightly lit sitting room. This was where most of the women would spend their days sewing, playing music, or walking in the garden. I wasn’t the first to arrive and had to hold back my surprise when I saw that Nessa, in another pale orange dress, was sitting near Queen Giselle and doing her best to impress her. I couldn’t fathom how
she had made it past the guards, but who was I to judge the prince’s taste.
A high-pitched laugh sprinkled the air, and I turned to see more girls file in the room. I took a cushioned chair near the window and picked up a book. While pretending to read, I listened in and picked up a few of the girls’ names.
Adelle already looked like royalty with perfectly coiffed, dark black hair. Her family was third or fourth cousins to the queen. Harmony, the guild merchant’s daughter, was bubbly and beautiful, her hair a gorgeous copper and her eyes blue like the summer sky. She was the one I had saved from Bellamy. Her personality sparkled and drew people in; she made people feel welcome and safe.
The closest girls near me were Ariah, Helia, Mellisande, and Sela—all from wealthy backgrounds and felt that they were a shoo-in for the crown. Tess was sitting on a padded stool on the opposite end of the room away from her sister. I could see there was tension between the two sisters. I hadn’t expected for both sisters to be chosen. I was ignored, which was how I liked it. Even at home I was the quiet one, the one who watched from the outskirts, studying my other sisters.
“Isn’t it just lovely?” a bubbly voice broke me out of my daydream.
“What is?” I asked, blinking up at Harmony, who decided to befriend me by sitting on a padded bench near me.
“Why, the book you’re reading. It happens to be one of my favorites. Who is your favorite character?”
I was caught. I opened the book straight to the middle and hadn’t even been reading or turned a page in close to a candle mark.
“Oh, uh….” I quickly looked down and picked a name from the page. “Beryl.”
Harmony frowned. “Really, the villain? The witch who curses the kingdom and poisons the princess.”
Oops. “Yes, but you have to wonder why. What drove her to such extremes?”
Harmony gave me a thoughtful look before breaking out into a grin. “That is true. Everyone always believes it is because the villain has nothing better to do than to wreck the hero’s happily ever after. But we never do hear the witch’s side of it, do we?”
“No,” I said, bluffing.
Harmony reached over to grasp my hands. “I think we are going to be the best of friends. Don’t you?”
I started to shake my head but quickly nodded. “Yes.” My smile was forced, pinched. She was too sweet, too kind, and I had been taught to never trust an offer from a stranger that was too good to be true. Harmony was too good, and standing next to her, all of my faults were brought to light.
“May I have your attention, please,” Queen Giselle spoke up. The chatter in the room died down. “We held the royal ball to bring all of the eligible ladies to the palace in the hopes of Prince Evander finding a suitable bride. But it is not just the prince you have to impress. It is also me. I can and will send ladies home that do not fit our criteria of being a future monarch.”
Smiles, all of the women were smiling supremely, and I was frowning. The book I had been holding onto slid off my lap and fell with a thud to the floor.
The queen’s clear green eyes looked right at me disapprovingly.
“Sorry.” I picked up the book and put it on the side table, but I was so busy watching her, that I missed the table and dropped the book right back on the floor.
Snickers followed, and my cheeks burned in embarrassment. I scrambled for the book and decided to avoid the table and tucked it under my thigh and beneath the folds on my skirt.
Harmony let out a chuckle and then winked at me knowingly. We spent the next few candle marks listening to the queen drone on and on about protocol, dining etiquette, and so forth that I found myself frequently staring out the window daydreaming, waiting for something interesting to happen.
A knock at the door interrupted Queen Giselle, and Prince Evander stepped in. He looked quite debonair in a soft blue suit, and I stilled. His eyes wandered all of the strange faces, as if he were searching for someone. I heard Harmony hold her breath, and I waited as he slowly made eye contact with all of the woman. When he looked at me, our eyes met for a few seconds, and then he moved on. My heart dropped in disappointment, but then I remembered he had never seen any of us without our masks. If he was searching for me, he wouldn’t even know what I looked like or my name.
“Ah, yes, Evander. It is time for you to meet the young women without the masks.”
“I’m quite looking forward to the opportunity. It is such a beautiful day, that I thought we could go for a stroll in the garden.”
Squeals of delight came from the girls and most stood up excitedly.
“As you wish, my son.” She cleared her throat, signifying the break in etiquette for some of the ladies. I was too shocked to move, and therefore hadn’t broken custom. When Queen Giselle stood, Harmony and I did too, and she gave us small approving smiles. I knew how rare and valuable those smiles were.
Harmony latched onto my arm as we left the parlor in groups of two and three. Adelle, Nessa, and Sela were flanking the prince, vying for his attention. Tess had dropped behind, trying to stay out of Nessa’s line of sight.
“Isn’t this so romantic?” Harmony murmured into my ear and sighed.
“I fail to see how one man courting dozens of women is in the least romantic.”
“But that is how it’s always done and has been for generations. Giselle was selected at King Ferdinand’s ball. Although, there is just as much tragedy as romance. You remember Vincent?”
I did but hadn’t given the dead prince much thought. After all, his death had been five years ago.
Harmony’s green eyes filled with tears. “Prince Vincent had fallen so deeply in love during his courtship, that when his fiancée was murdered the day of his wedding, he couldn’t live without her and took his own life.” She sighed and dabbed at the corner of her eyes.
I rolled my eyes. “What a waste of a prince.”
“No, it’s not. There are tales written about their undying love.” Harmony sniffed.
“What kind of example is that? If he loved her, he should have gone on living.”
“Hush!” Helia had turned around and gave me an ugly glare. “You shouldn’t talk of the royal family so.” When Helia had turned back around, I stuck my tongue out at the back of her head, which sent Harmony into a fit of giggles.
When we reached the gardens, we all took seats in groups of four or five in the gazebos while Evander called each of the women up one by one to talk to them. Helia, Harmony, and Tess sat in the same gazebo with me.
Tess was fingering the ribbon in her hair and had a worried look on her face. She was probably wondering how long the glamour would last, or what would happen when she made it through the three glamoured dresses her fairy godmother had given her. So far, my glamoured items were still in effect, their strength had not waned. I was proud of that.
Tess let out a long, sad sigh before looking at the four of us. She paused when she looked at me. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Do I know you?”
“I don’t think so.” I subconsciously rubbed my throat. It still felt raw and made my voice sound lower, rougher, older.
“I could have sworn we’ve met.” She went back to touching the ribbon.
“Do you know the girl in orange?” I asked, trying to change the subject. “You two seem familiar with each other.”
“Never met her before in my life,” Tess said snippily.
“That’s not what it sounds like to me,” Harmony jumped in. “What family are you from?”
Tess looked around worriedly and then added, “Duchovny.”
“Never heard of them,” Harmony said.
“Yeah, well, my family travels a lot,” Tess added but became distracted. We all followed her gaze, and I frowned when Evander walked toward us.
I heard four quick intakes of breaths and then their release as Prince Evander passed us and went to the next gazebo, holding his hand out to Adelle. All eyes followed them as she sashayed, her arm on his, as they walked over to the bridge.
<
br /> “What are they talking about?” Helia wondered aloud.
“The weather, favorite color, family lineage—all of those would be appropriate topics to discuss,” Harmony said.
My lips pinched, and I watched their body language. Prince Evander pointed to the paper lanterns. She nodded and laughed as Evander pretended to almost slip in and fall. My frown grew deeper as I remembered his hands on my waist.
Helia, Mellisande, and Sela were next, and every single girl he walked back over to the bridge. I didn’t like that he was sharing our spot with the others. Tess was beaming when she returned; she couldn’t stop smiling after their encounter. Harmony was teary eyed, and her nose was red from crying.
“Are you okay?” I asked worriedly.
She dabbed at her eyes with an expensive embroidered kerchief, and knew it was Prince Evander’s. “Yes,” she sniffed. “He’s so kind. He had known my older sister and gave me his condolences. She passed away a few years ago.” Harmony smoothed out the kerchief and lovingly folded it in her lap.
Harmony, perfect Harmony with her magical tears that seemed to only make her more beautiful when she cried. They were a weapon when used right, and it seemed that she knew how to use them. I, on the other hand, knew better. If I cried, my face turned as blotchy and red as a tomato. It was better if I kept all tears hidden away.
Finally, it was my turn, and it seemed he was getting short-tempered, for he didn’t come himself but had a servant lead me over. Evander was frowning and looking down at a broken reed he was smacking against his hand. It was the same one I had dropped on the bridge. He was trying to figure out who the mystery girl from last night was since he never saw my face or exchanged names. From his body language, I could tell he was frustrated.
My inner voice, the self-conscious part of my brain began to whisper that it was because he changed his mind about asking me to stay. He only wanted to find the odd girl and send her home. But because he didn’t know which girl it was, he was testing all of them. My thoughts became dark, and I stopped ten paces from the stream and the rushes.