Tamporlea (Tamporlea Trilogy, Book 1)

by Tiffany Lovering

  “They’ve had seventeen years.”

  “True.”

  “Will you tell me more of your theory that you started to explain in the meeting? What did you mean when you said that Lilliana was supposed to take my place before coming to Tamporlea?”

  “If I was part of Pyrencia, and I was part of making plans with your twin sister, I would switch you two before Orion ever came to get you. That way when Orion would come, he would already have the pawn in hand and not you.”

  “Wow that makes a lot of sense actually.”

  “I can’t say for sure, but I can’t help but wonder if Orion had some idea that Lilliana was still alive. I mean you are the youngest of all the Queens.”

  “Wouldn’t Orion go to find Lilliana if he knew she was still alive?”

  “Maybe it was just a precaution that him and Queen Holly thought of a long time ago, just in case,” I said throwing the stick again.

  That sounded more plausible than actually knowing. I couldn’t imagine Orion just letting Pyrencia keep my sister. What Tyran said made a lot of sense but what would Pyrencia do with me? Kill me? Was Queen Aella that cold-hearted?

  “Queen Jasmine? Are you okay?”

  “Tyran, will you do me a favor?”

  “Anything. You know that.”

  “Will you just call me Jasmine when we’re alone? I don’t like it that you’re so formal with me.”

  “I think I could do that.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You know only the assistant gets to be so informal with the Queen. I feel special,” he said.

  Chapter 15

  Queen’s Chambers

  When we went back in, I walked with Tyran to my guest quarters but the door was locked. Tyran started laughing and I blushed relentlessly. “Jasmine, you really think the Queen is going to sleep in the guest quarters?”

  I laughed and said, “See, another detail I hadn’t really thought about.”

  “Jasmine! C’mon!” Cali yelled from the top of the incline.

  “I’ll see you later ok?” Tyran said.

  “You can come if you want.”

  “No, I can’t. Not allowed.”

  “Oh, ok,” I said disappointed. “I’ll see you later then.”

  When I reached the top of the incline, Orion and Cali were both smiling. Evidently the thought of Pyrencia attacking was not worrying them at the moment. I didn’t know how I felt about that, I was still thinking about it.

  “This door is really secure,” Orion started. “Once you lock it from the inside, there’s no getting in. Not even a bomb could open this door. This dial pad is the locking feature when you are outside. You’ll be making your own combination of numbers tomorrow when Guard Tyran has a minute.” He punched in a few numbers and opened the door for me.

  The whole place was redecorated in modern décor using a lot of green accents around the room but not over powering.

  “So, I helped Orion and the Runners with what to buy,” Cali said. “If there’s something you don’t like, just let me know.”

  “No, this is perfect,” I said as I looked around.

  “Let me show you what I’m pretty sure you will think is the best part,” Orion said leading the way to the kitchen. He opened a cupboard door and I looked inside.

  “Coffee!” I yelled as I saw about fifty orange bags of hazelnut coffee.

  “Yes, and the coffee maker is here. I don’t think I’ll ever forget how badly you wanted coffee your first morning here. And a little birdie told me that you preferred Dunkin Donuts brand so here you go.”

  “Thank you so much! This is great!”

  “This should be enough to last a day or two,” he joked. “When you are running low, just tell the Runners and they’ll get more for you.”

  “Come in here, to your bedroom,” Cali said.

  The king sized bed had a lime green and white satin comforter with matching lime green satin sheets. There was a large dresser and a walk in closet filled with different green dresses.

  “Jeans and shirts are in the drawers,” Orion said. “Miss Calalilly had to really push for that as I don’t personally think jeans are appropriate attire for a Queen.”

  “Thanks Cali,” I said happily. I didn’t mind the occasional dress, but to wear them every day seemed a bit overkill to me.

  “Oh, of course something for Casper!” Cali said pointing to a forest green dog bed fit for a king. Next to it was a bin filled with different toys for him. Casper went and sniffed at the toys then went to lie down on his new bed.

  “Looks like he approves,” I said. “Thank you, that was very thoughtful.”

  “Well, he’s royalty now too,” she joked. “Oh, we’ve got him a new collar too.” Of course that was lime green as well with little silver reflective paw prints on it.

  They took me around the whole place showing me different things. I was surprised to see that I had a computer as well as a DVD player. It really was all the comforts of home. The computer didn’t have internet access it was just for work and Orion said that the DVD player was because there was no way to get real cable way out in Tamporlea. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t exactly like living in the real world, but it was still nice to have some of the same luxuries and Cali managed to stock up on many popular movies for me. He also gave both Cali and I a small device that looked like a small pager.

  “Be sure to keep these on you at all times. Somewhere hidden. They are mini radio receivers. When there is something happening with the other kingdoms, these will start to vibrate and you have about five minutes to get someplace where it won’t be heard. It will tell you exactly what is going on.”

  “Is it more reliable than G-News?” I asked.

  “Yes, much more reliable. If you happen to be in your room when it starts vibrating, you can turn on the television and the information will be broadcast there as well. It’s a frequency for only the Queens, King and their assistants.”

  “So this is how you knew about Queen Aella then,” Cali said.

  “Exactly.”

  “How do we communicate with the other kingdoms then? What if I have something that I want to broadcast here?”

  Orion showed me a program on the computer for just that. There was a way that I could video chat with the King or Queen if I wanted which was really easy to use. I was also brought to the library, where the crown was kept in the safe which I was given the combination to when I finally removed the crown from my head. The library was stocked with law books and different novels and I even noticed the black, white and red covers of my favorite series.

  “When did you start decorating? This was a lot of work it looks like. You even know what I like to read,” I said.

  “Well, your mother actually helped with that. She told me a lot about you when we would meet. Plus Miss Calalilly is your age and since you two hit it off so well, I thought she would be perfect for helping to modernize this living space. Queen Holly had a lot of Victorian décor that even I knew wouldn’t be your style,” he said smiling. “Well, I suppose I should leave you two girls for now. Miss Calalilly, don’t forget to show our Queen what you’ve learned. Goodnight you two. I’ll see you in the morning, I can find my way out.”

  Cali and I sat on the leather couch in the library and she was ready to show me what Orion was talking about.

  “I have magic!” she said very excited. “Or at least I think I do.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah, well, I mean it’s nothing compared to what most people here can do, but it’s something! Orion told me that it was really important that the Queen is able to stay calm in stressful situations. That although some adrenaline was good, it was important that it didn’t interfere with a clear mind. So he showed me a simple spell that all assistants know.”

  “And you’re dying to try it out on me aren’t you?”

  “Well, I mean, I don’t have to but…kind of.”

  “Okay then. Go ahead.”

  “Close your eyes.”

&n
bsp; As I did as instructed, she put her hands on my forehead and chanted a few words. It took a few seconds for it to take effect, but soon I did feel very relaxed. It was as though the excitement from the ceremony as well as the stress of Pyrencia washed away to the back of my mind and I could truly relax.

  “That’s kind of amazing,” I said serenely.

  “It worked!” she said excited.

  I laughed and said, “Very well actually. I think I’m ready for bed.”

  “Actually, it is getting pretty late. I guess I will leave you until morning. Oh, there’s a Guard in front of your door since you can’t properly lock it yet.”

  “Tyran?” I asked.

  “He’s the best.”

  “Yes, he is.”

  “I suppose you won’t tell me what happened with you two? You were very upset last night.”

  “We were just saying goodbye…you know…to what could have been,” I said vaguely.

  “It is what’s best you know.”

  “I know, and I have much more important things to think about.”

  When Cali left, I dressed in some really comfortable cotton pajamas, white with little green daisies that Cali had to of picked out. I was suddenly really happy that my favorite color was green, one could get sick of the color otherwise. With the effects of Cali’s spell still in effect, I drifted off to sleep as I listened to Casper’s snores coming from next to my bed.

  Chapter 16

  Not Good Vibrations

  I woke up at four in the morning to the pager vibrating violently next to me. I heard Cali enter through the elevator doors from between our rooms. She knocked on my bedroom door, but didn’t bother waiting before coming in.

  “Should we turn on the television?”

  “Tyran is still outside my door,” I reminded her. “Let’s just stay here.”

  The voice that came over the radio was automated. It reminded me of the weather warnings I used to hear on television back home.

  “Queen Aella of Pyrencia has officially declared war on the kingdom of Tamporlea on this day, Thursday, July 28, 2011. Queen Aella has ordered that Jasmine Taylor be surrendered by noon on Friday, July 29, 2011 or the battle will begin shortly thereafter. This will be the last of any broadcasts from Pyrencia before such time.”

  “You should broadcast something back,” Cali suggested.

  “No, maybe they will think we didn’t hear the announcement. It is coming at a very odd hour, don’t you think.”

  “You think they were hoping we would miss it?”

  “I don’t know. Let’s get dressed; I’m calling a meeting right now in the platinum room.”

  “Are we going to go after them?”

  “I don’t think so. Let’s get ready.”

  I threw on some jeans and a comfortable cotton button up shirt that was mostly white with green thread used for all the stitching. When Cali came back, she was wearing a red shirt and jeans. I couldn’t help but think that we looked like a walking Christmas decoration. Something was going to have to be done about that. Why was she wearing red anyway? She was no longer a Reader. I realized Cali’s spell had to still be in effect for me to be thinking about such things at a time like this. I pushed thoughts of our attire aside as we left my room and Tyran jumped at our exit.

  “What’s going on?” Tyran asked urgently

  “Meeting in the platinum room. Gather the Heads, quickly please.”

  As Tyran went off running and Cali and I went to the platinum room. There should be a better way to call a meeting than going to knock on doors. As everyone made their way inside the platinum room, I listened to their speculations and I was already formulating a plan in my head.

  “Everyone listen!” I yelled over the chatter. Everyone stared at me, waiting for instruction. “We need to tighten the boundaries. Let’s change the enchantments to protect only the palace and the crops. Pyrencia is going to attack sometime after Friday and we need to be prepared.”

  “Queen Jasmine, we can’t do that,” Runner Simon interrupted. “Our forests are..”

  “Do not interrupt me again! Any of you!” I shouted. “I know the forest is an important part of Tamporlea, but it’s not as important as the people within the palace. As I was saying, once these boundaries are created, the Enchanters on duty will heighten the security as they did for the…”

  “That’s ridiculous! You know that the high security measures drain the Enchanters,” the Runner interrupted again.

  “That is the second time you have interrupted me. I will not deal with a third. I suggest you keep your mouth shut, unless of course you would like to be banished from further meetings.” Runner Simon shrunk down in his seat, red-faced from anger or embarrassment I wasn’t sure, nor did I care.

  “Now I believe there will only be a need to have three Enchanters on duty at once stationed here,” I continued, pointing to three spots that created a triangular formation. “That leaves seven Enchanters inside the castle. The three on duty will be relieved by three others after 24 hours. It would give them 48 hours to rest their bodies and powers before they are due to be on Guard again. Now, I’m assuming the Healers can do something if any of the Enchanters become too weak?” I looked to Healer Rebecca for confirmation.

  “Yes Your Highness, we have done so in the past.”

  “Excellent. I want Guards around the perimeter, two on the roof and one inside the castle. That should help us in case of ground or air attack. Any questions so far?”

  “Your Highness,” Tyran began, “Excuse me, but I believe you are leaving yourself weak having only one Guard inside the palace.”

  “I disagree. If everyone does their job to the best of their ability, there won’t even be a need to have a Guard inside the palace.”

  “May I make a suggestion?” Calalilly asked.

  “Of course, go on.”

  “There are ten Enchanters. Only nine are needed for an even rotation of three at a time. I think one could be used to further protect the inside of the palace?” she asked looking to Kelly for confirmation.

  “Yes,” Enchanter Kelly said, “It wouldn’t take much energy to seal doors at night and to do a few other protection charms.”

  “Excellent. Now I know we have some people with other magical abilities. I am going to go through their profiles and figure out where they can be used in this situation. There are two other things we must discuss. First, the crops are in danger of being destroyed what can we do to protect them?”

  “We could speed the growth and harvest them all in about two days. The taste will be compromised but I think that’s the least of our worries. We should be able to preserve and dry a lot of the food in a short amount of time as well,” Enchanter Kelly explained.

  “How long would the food last us?” I asked.

  “I can’t be sure, maybe a little over a month.”

  “I think that’s more than enough. I don’t expect this to last very long.”

  “I don’t know,” Tyran spoke. “This is turning into a major conflict. Maybe we should just go find and kill the Queen.”

  “That will put too many people in danger Tyran. We will do whatever it takes to end this quickly. I know they have the numbers but we have the powers. I’m hoping we’ll be organized in a way for it to be impossible to knock on our front doors let alone take over the kingdom.

  “Now the final thing is something I know that no one is going to like. I want all of the Runners out getting whatever we may need for a month. Necessities only, canning jars, bandages, flashlights things of that nature. I want them out and back in four hours. After that, no one is to leave the kingdom.” As expected, there were mutterings of those opposed to the new restriction. “You know I’m right. We all need to be prepared when it starts. We all need to be here and accounted for.”

  “Can you tell us what the specifics are of the information you’ve gathered?” Orion asked.

  “It really wasn’t much to be honest. They said that Tamporlea has until Friday for m
e to be surrendered or they will begin battle shortly thereafter. I know we’re not going to just hand me over to them, so we need to protect our kingdom to the best of our abilities. If I had to make a guess, I would say that Sunday is when they plan to strike.”

  This made the whole room angry by the sound of it.

  “Queen Jasmine, I would have to disagree with you.” Orion said. “Sunday is sacred to all three of the kingdoms.”

  “Maybe I am wrong, but I want us to be prepared for it just in case. That means we will be prepared, even on Sunday.”

  “Where do we go from here?” Tyran asked.

  “We need to tell the rest of the kingdom. First, you all go and call a meeting with the rest of your tier, let them know what’s going on and then do as I previously instructed. Make sure the Readers are still searching, I feel pretty confident that there is more hidden there. Cali, Orion and I will be in here if anyone needs us, I am going to try to think of other ways to protect us and stop this thing hopefully before it even starts.”

  When the room was empty except for us, we started discussing different possibilities, but it all went back to the same conclusion, we really had no idea what to expect from Pyrencia. Eventually we abandoned any discussion and I went to reading the profiles of the Others while Cali and Orion searched some law books.

  Periodically, someone from the kingdom would come to the platinum room and give us an update on what was going on. So far, the enchantments were set, just in case of an early attack. The Commoners were working alongside the Enchanters to quickly harvest the crops and the Guards had taken their posts. Things seemed to be working pretty smoothly, just the way I had hoped.

  Some of the Commoners brought us food and drinks around lunch time and one was even kind enough to take Casper out to the grounds for a walk. When they returned, Casper had a stick in his mouth ready to play.

  It was shortly after three when Reader Stone had burst through the door. “Queen Jasmine! You were right! They’re going to attack on Sunday!”

  “Whoa, settle down Stone,” Orion said. “What have you found?”