by Chanda Hahn
I smiled at the young centaur who was squealing with glee as my dress became flowers, blooming in front of them.
With the salamander pretending to light me on fire between each bit, I changed my dress with every new spin. A dress of diamonds, gold, tree bark, and stars. “And now for the next bit, say goodbye to Miss Cinder De Ella as she travels to a faraway land.”
I blew a fake kiss out to the crowd and waved at the young children. Looking down at the fire, I checked to make sure the traveling spell was still written in dark charcoal. It was orchestrated beautifully, except for one spot that was altered. The location wasn’t correct. I hesitated on stepping into the blazing fire and turned to look over at my father.
He gave me a wink and pushed me from behind. I fell forward into the fiery blaze.
A trick that I had now performed dozens of times now terrified me. I had done the spell to have me appear out of the bonfire outside my parents’ wagon, but it was altered.
The fire still burned as I traveled, but I became numb to the pain. A plume of smoke and ash billowed around me as I stepped into a familiar room. The room Dorian kept me imprisoned in beneath the palace.
“No!” I cried at seeing the familiar locked and warded door. Rushing to the door, I pulled on the handle and felt the tingle of magic. It was still warded. How? I didn’t understand. I must have made a mistake on the spell. I chewed on my bottom lip and kneeled on the floor to look under the door.
The hall was empty and dark. I wondered if the house elves even lived below ground anymore after the king and queen of Candor were gone. I sighed in frustration and headed over to the bed. I took the quilt and wrapped it around my skimpy outfit and waited for the fire spell to wear off. It had to. It was only a couple of small logs, so maybe a few candle marks. I could wait it out, or my father would pour water on it and bring me back.
The room brought back sad memories, and I struggled to cope with the feelings.
I had made a new life for myself with my parents at the magical menagerie. The troupe fully accepted me as one of their own, and it felt like I had grown up there my whole life.
My mother, Amaryllis, explained what happened when I was a child. How there were two prophecies. Each prophecy set forth actions by all parties that would alter the fate of the country and put a bounty on my head. She also explained that I had released her from the spell, but in doing so, it sent her to the exact same spot where the curse was placed upon her—which happened to be in the field in the middle of Bravado’s show. To hear Bravado tell the story, he thought he was having a heart attack when his beautiful wife appeared on stage next to him. Of course, they were so overjoyed, they didn’t rush back to tell me. How could I be mad? They hadn’t seen each other in twenty-one years.
Now, for Mother Eville, did I fault her for not telling me the whole truth? No. For she was right. If I knew what was to happen, I would have fought it tooth and nail.
Footsteps echoed on the stone, and I heard the key in the lock before the door swung open and Dorian stepped through.
“Dorian, you’re alive? I can’t belie—” He interrupted my joyful tirade.
His dark hair was cut short, revealing his scarred ears. A gold circlet was on his brow, and his face was cold and unreadable. He didn’t smile, and I felt his burning anger toward me. “You, Eden Eville, have been accused of high treason for murdering the prince of Candor.”
“What?” I gasped and stood up, dropping the blanket from around my shoulders. My puffy entertainer skirt did little to hide my legs, and my knees trembled. “Surely, you don’t mean that. I mean, based on the circumstances.”
“You murdered my brother, Prince Evander,” he hissed out between clenched teeth. He stormed over and grabbed my upper arms and shook me.
“I didn’t have a choice. He was evil. He murdered Sisa. He tried to murder me. He wasn’t going to stop until you were dead.”
“And I told you, repeatedly, that I would handle it,” Dorian growled. “I told you to not come to the palace. To not go to the ball. Did I not? If you hadn’t, I would—”
“Be dead,” I cried out, tears welling up in my eyes. “I couldn’t let that happen.”
“And yet, it was because of you that I almost died. You bespelled me.” He dropped my arm in disgust, like he couldn’t even stand to touch my skin.
I buried my face in my trembling hands. My performance makeup was probably running down my cheeks. “I didn’t want you to get hurt,” I muttered through my fingers. “I was trying to protect you.”
“And yet you failed and left me for dead.”
“You disappeared.” I dropped my hands to my side. “I didn’t know what to do.”
“You left,” he snapped. His blue eyes stared into mine, and I knew there would be no forgiveness. “You ran away.”
“I thought you were dead. There was no reason to stay.” My voice dropped to barely a whisper.
“So, the burden of the crown was too much for you?” he said sarcastically. “You told me you wanted to be queen. You’re a coward.”
“I lied.” I sniffed and turned to give him my back. “I was trying to hurt you, so that you would leave the palace and not come to the wedding. I had it all planned out. I was going to fake your death by using glamour and then rescue my sister.”
“You could have told me,” he accused.
“I couldn’t. Your stepmother placed a spell on my lips. I was unable to tell anyone of the plot, or they would kill Meri.”
“I told you I would take care of it,” he growled.
“And I’m terrible at obeying. I don’t trust a lot of people. And you wonder why? You put me in a prison.” I looked around the room. “Twice.”
“I was trying to protect you,” Dorian repeated my own words, and I could almost laugh at the ridiculousness of our conversation. We were both stubborn, and it seemed we were debating each other in circles.
I was shivering, freezing in the costume, and the fire was almost out. I could see the flickering flames of the spell start to appear around my gold-colored slippers, and I knew I would only be with him for a few more minutes.
My heart began to thud loudly in my chest, and every part of me wanted to throw myself into his arms and kiss him wildly. But he had not declared his feelings toward me and had yet to say I was forgiven. I knew I had but a moment to declare how I felt.
“I’m sorry,” I said, looking up into those unbelievable blue eyes. “I know you can’t ever love anyone like you did Sisa.”
Dorian blinked in surprise.
“Eden Eville, for the part you played in treason against the crown—” His voice was cold as his hand reached for his jeweled dagger. I clutched my trembling hands together and looked down. One silent tear fell to the floor. “—I order that you spend the rest of your life—”
I couldn’t hear the rest of his words as my dress erupted in flames. I glanced up, seeing his eyes wide in surprise. He reached out toward me. His mouth moved, but no words came forth as I was pulled back to the camp.
I appeared in a poof of sparkly smoke back on stage, thanks to my mother’s glamour, and that helped hide the black ash and made it more show worthy. Bravado had a bucket and doused the flames to bring me back with a flair.
The crowd erupted into screams of delight and wild applause. I blinked, lost in confusion before I remembered I was still in a show.
My father leaned over to me and he said, “Eh? How was your trip?”
I turned to him with fear-filled eyes and murmured, “Not good. I’m wanted for treason.”
Bravado’s face paled, and he signaled to the giant at the back of the tent. They cut the show short, and everyone began to quickly pack up.
Despite it being a magical menagerie full of animals, there were enough magic users within the troupe that they could completely pack up and move locations in a few candle marks.
My father sauntered over to me, stroking his mustache. “Are you sure that you are wanted for treason? Maybe you mish
eard?”
“No, Papa.” I waved my hands, and the rope began to wind up and float up to the wagon. My confidence and my magic had grown. I turned to him, my hands going to my hips. “Did you change the spell? Did you alter it to send me back there to him. You knew?”
His face turned red, and he held up his hands. “Aye, you got me, little one. But a bird found me this morning with a message from the prince. I had a request to grant him a few minutes of your time.” He shrugged. “I figured what could it hurt.”
“Bird, what bird?”
He waved over at my mother who was tending a small sparrow in the cage by their wagon.
“Isn’t it the sweetest?” Amaryllis cooed at the brown bird inside and gave it some seed. “Who’d have thought the prince would switch to using sparrows?”
Even as she said it, a second messenger sparrow landed next to my mother, and she very carefully untied the messenger tube and read the note.
“It’s an order of compliance. We are to remain here until the crown prince and his army arrive.”
“Throw it away. Put it back. Pretend you never read it,” I said.
“No, Eden, you need to reply,” she said.
I grabbed a quill and, on the back of the parchment, wrote out my reply.
* * *
I am sorry that I had to leave on such short notice. But I have to decline your invitation to spend the rest of my life as your prisoner.
Cinder De Ella
Formerly known as Eden Eville
* * *
I tucked the note back into the sparrows tube and marveled at how small it was. It must have a lighter-than-air charm for the bird to be able to carry the message such a distance. I held my breath and watched the bird fly away.
My heart ached, knowing I would never again hear Dorian call me sparrow, for now I was on the run.
The wagons were packed up, and I loaded up my few belongings and grabbed my cast iron cauldron with hot coals and placed it on the floorboard next to my flatbed wagon. My fire elemental, the same one from the palace, snuggled up in the coals. I had heard my father explain the problem to the troupe. How, despite my attempts to help the crown and free the house elves from a tyrannical leader, I was now wanted for treason. We would have to cut our tour short and head to the next country a few months early. There were a few groans at the schedule, because we would be skipping a few cities. But for the most part, everyone wanted to protect their troupe leader’s daughter.
I looked over my wagon, calculating my supplies, and then down at my sleeping fire salamander. It was dumb, but I didn’t want to endanger anyone else, especially my parents who had just been reunited.
I climbed down from the bench seat and ran to my parents and gave them hugs.
“I’m sorry, Mama, Papa. But I’m not going with you,” I whispered.
“What?” my mother exclaimed. “How can that be? We just got you back. Bravado, do something.”
“Oh, let her go,” the ogress cackled as she pulled her wagon up next to mine. She needed eight oxen to pull her hefty frame and supplies. “It’s her destiny. I foresaw it. You can’t stop her now.”
I looked over at ogress, and she just shrugged and leaned over to whisper, “Who knows? I could have seen it. But I wasn’t really looking.”
I laughed and gave her a hug. She tossed a ring in the air, and I caught it. It was my silver ring. “It belongs with you.”
“Thank you!” I slid the ring on my finger and watched as the troupe pulled away. When the last colored wagon disappeared over the hill, I pulled out a map and tried to figure out where to go.
I had already been to Florin and Baist; maybe I should head farther north to Rya? No, wait, the elves live farther north. I would go south. Turning my wagon around, I headed in the opposite direction, hoping that it would put Prince Dorian off my trail, especially if he went looking for my parents first.
I smiled at my plan. Yes, it was a great and well-thought-out plan.
It was a horrible plan. I swore as my canvas tent sprung a leak for the second time that evening. My salamander was running for cover and dodging all the water leaks for fear of being doused. I took a needle and thread and stood out in the rain, trying to sew up each of the holes. Holes, that I swore, kept appearing out of nowhere. Yesterday, my food rations had disappeared and one of my horses had run off.
“I think I’m cursed,” I muttered as I tied the knot and then went back into my tent. I didn’t want to use magic because magic could be tracked and I wasn’t into Sion yet. I was still in Candor. So that meant I was surviving by not altering my surroundings or the weather. Or maybe it was my own turbulent emotions that were causing my personal rain storm. Because ever since I left my parents and went on the run, I had been miserable.
I had just adjusted my cot when I heard the rip and looked up as water poured in through the ceiling again.
“Oh, come on!” I growled but paused when I saw the shadow on the other side of the canvas. Someone was outside, and they were the ones splitting the seams of my tent. My salamander saw my hesitation; he growled and grew bigger to the size of a dog. “No.” I waved him back to the fire. “It’s not safe for you out there.”
I pulled my hood back over my hair as I stepped out into the rain a third time. I pretended to sew up my tent, but instead I was scanning the tree line, looking for a shadow. No longer scared of being found, I used magic to seal the tent and walked around to the front and ducked back through the door.
I froze as a tall, lithe form was kneeling in front of my fire warming himself. The salamander was rolling in the coals like a dog in excitement at seeing him. I, on the other hand, was not as pleased.
“Hello, Dorian,” I said.
Still kneeling, he turned. “Hello, sparrow.” His hands were clasped on one knee, and he looked around my tent and nodded. “Being on the run doesn’t suit you.”
“Not if you keep ripping holes in my tent,” I snapped, and then I took a deep breath. “It was you. You’ve been tormenting me for days, haven’t you?”
Dorian moved over to the cot and sat on it, testing that it would hold his weight. “Of course. I wanted to see how you would fare out on your own. I do have to say you’ve been quite amusing.”
“How did you find me?”
“I’m an elf. Tracking is in my blood,” he said, crossing his arms.
“Half elf,” I corrected, but kept my distance. I was surprised he had not immediately arrested me and dragged me back to prison. Instead, he had been tormenting me. “What do you want?” I asked wearily. I was cold, tired, hungry, mentally exhausted, and not in the mood to play his games.
Dorian stood up and moved right in front of me. I could smell the wool of his wet cloak. I closed my eyes and imagined his arms wrapped around me, imagined his heart beating as fast as mine. But I blinked away those dreams and waited for him to say the words that would break my heart.
“I’ve come for you,” he said, his voice husky with emotion.
His hand brushed my arm. When I stiffened in fear, he stepped back, giving me space. I blinked back tears.
Dorian lifted my chin, and his eyes were filled with confusion. “Why do you run from me, sparrow?”
“Because a bird is not supposed to live in a cage,” I whispered.
He frowned. “I hardly think being married to me is the same as a prison sentence. Though I wouldn’t know. I would say the palace does sometimes feel like a gilded cage.”
“What?” I blinked in surprise. “I think I missed something. I thought my punishment for treason was to spend the rest of my life in prison.”
Dorian’s face lit up in surprise. “You didn’t hear it all, did you? I wondered if you did, because the spell took you back too soon. No wonder you ran away.”
“I’m confused.”
Dorian grabbed me and pulled me into a hug, and I felt myself melting. “No, my dear sparrow. I order you to spend the rest of your life… as my wife.”
Oh, that was a relie
f that I was no longer going to be killed or imprisoned. But yet it was still a punishment.
“No.” I pulled away. “I can’t.”
His eyes darkened. “Are you in love with someone else?”
I shook my head.
“Then I fail to see the problem.”
“I don’t want to be trapped in a loveless marriage, or one that only one person loves the other. It would be one-sided.”
“Do you love me?”
“Yes,” I breathed out. “More than anything.”
Dorian cupped my face, his lips moving toward mine. “Then it won’t be one-sided. For I love you as well, Eden.”
“But what about Sisa?” I asked. “You gave up the throne for her.”
“How can I so easily forget when you keep throwing it in my face.” Dorian chuckled, his warm breath moving across my skin as he began to leave butterfly kisses up my neck.
I was left breathless and couldn’t think. “Forget what?”
“I gave up the throne to protect myself and to keep anyone else I happen to fall in love with safe from Evander’s jealousy.” He nibbled my ear. “Sisa may have been my first love.” He kissed my jaw and then my cheek. His breathing became ragged. “But you, Eden, are my last.” His lips sought mine, and I began to drown.
My hands reached up to wrap around his neck, and he lifted me into the air as we drank each other in—seeking, tasting, and remembering as we discovered each other and our love.
He broke the kiss, his forehead touching mine. “I have spent the last few weeks coming back from the dead and explaining why I stepped down in the first place.”
“Bet that threw a lot of people off.” I chuckled.
He nodded, his lips brushing mine when he did, but he wasn’t releasing me from his hold. “I want to be a good ruler someday. I want the fae and humans to be equal.”