by Cheryl Oblon
I sat on the bed. “So, this is how a prince spends the day? Sleeping in and lounging about?”
He groaned and squinted at me. “Go away. I was on night duty.”
“Why?”
He turned away and buried his face in a pillow. “My uncle was pursuing leads on your father. He wanted me on the other end.”
“And? Any leads?”
He sighed and sat up. “You know I can’t tell you.”
“So, the rumors are true. He’s in Bachal territory. Do you know if he’s a prisoner or a guest?” I skimmed his brain, but didn’t want to delve into any dreams he might fall back into. A little mystery was fun, and I’d been taught that people’s personal dreams and fantasies weren’t to be intruded on.
“You are hopeless,” he grumbled.
“I just want to know if he’s a prisoner or a welcome traitor.”
Nemal cupped my chin. “It doesn’t matter anymore. He’s dead to you. That’s the best way to think of him. Pretend they killed him, and he’s gone. Don’t let him worry you or waste your energy.”
“So, it’s a search-and-kill mission. If they find him…” I'd known it deep down, but hearing it somehow made it more immediate.
“No, if they capture him, he’ll be brought here. The queen wants to make sure we can get whatever we can from him. What he shared with the enemy or what he found out about them,” Nemal said.
“The enemy. I thought we were trying for peace.” I held his hand to my cheek. The stress and strain seemed to evaporate when we were alone.
“Everyone hopes for peace, but the truth will come out at some point. Faldar can’t live here forever. Remmy can’t live in Bachal at all. We’ll maybe get through a visit, but we can’t ask LeFawn to have a false marriage. To move to Bachal. That won’t make anyone happy.”
I chuckled. “Except the king.”
He laughed. “Probably not him, either. He’ll want strong shifter sons. Who knows what a magical female and a shifter male would produce. I know some shifters intermarried with humans, but I’m not sure the king wants to lower his crowned prince like that.”
“Unless it’s a spy marriage like my parents’. Mother spying on the rebels, Father spying on the court.” Sometimes, my whole existence felt like a mistake. Divorce was bad enough, but it’d been a mess from the start.
“LeFawn doesn’t rank highly enough. You’d be better for spying. More powers. You’re on the queen’s small counsel.” Nemal sat back and stared at me.
“What?”
“Why didn’t your father try to take you with him?”
“He did. Well, my aunt suggested it. He sort of asked.”
“I believe he loves you. Not just trying to use you,” Nemal said.
“Maybe, in his way. But he’s more loyal to his beliefs. He’s no double agent.”
“No. He’s a true believer in bringing down this monarchy, by any means. He’s dangerous. Very dangerous for you.” Nemal hugged me.
The heat of his bare skin melted away the pain and tension of his serious words. I pulled back. “I should go.”
“Are you okay?”
“My father must be caught. He’ll be killed after he’s tortured and the queen is satisfied he knows nothing more. That is the solution to that problem. I can accept there isn’t another way. It won’t be easy, but when the time comes, I will deal with it. I’ll stand by the queen. I just wish I had a solution for Remmy and Faldar that doesn’t end in war.” Though, I wasn’t the only one contemplating the situation.
“My mother is pretty smart. She might surprise us,” Nemal said.
“She’s a mother. She wants Remmy to be happy. It’s the only reason she went along with my impulsive fix before. We couldn’t stand to break their hearts. And Faldar…”
“If he goes home, and they find out…it’s not going to be good for him.”
“The king will demand more supplies. Use the engagement as a justification. I should never have suggested it.” I wanted to do the right thing for people I cared about. But there was a whole country of people counting on the Queen’s Counsel to do the right thing.
“I think you did the exact right thing. If war is coming, better we get to it. We have a chance to prepare now. While they think we’re planning a wedding, instead, we are training harder. Turning the allegiance of those troops the Bachal left us by spreading them out among loyal troops. You’re not in charge of everything. Don’t take all the blame.” He squeezed my hand.
“I take neither all the credit nor all the blame. Why can’t my visions help me more? Help us more? I don’t want to sacrifice Faldar’s safety or Remmy’s heart. Or Lazrel lives.” I laced my fingers with his. His life…I couldn’t lose him.
“War has a way of changing all the rules. Love tends to survive a lot of damage as well. You need a little more faith in the future,” he said.
“I should be seeing the future. That’s why I’m scared. Am I blocked? Is it so bad?” I asked myself.
“Maybe it’s great. Maybe you need to focus on options instead of doom and gloom to find the answer. Open your mind. You get very locked up in the dominant problems.” Nemal climbed out of bed and kissed me.
I indulged for a few sweet moments, then pulled back. “I’m sorry I ruined your sleep. Is your uncle safe?”
“Uncle Johey is indestructible. My mother’s baby brother is a warrior at heart. He’s fine, and you need to go relax your brain. Visit some friends who make you think differently. I need to get back to bed. I’m on nights again. But first, a quick snack.” He headed for the dining area.
“I’ll let you sleep. Your uncle trusts you if he’s requesting you.” I smiled.
He grabbed a piece of fruit. “It’s family. You may not like them, but you’re on the same side.”
“Some of them. Then there those you can’t trust at all. Is my aunt still in the dungeon?”
Nodding, he stretched. “She’s going to lose her head because of her mouth. A woman rebelling. No one can understand it.”
“She thinks if her brother gets power, she’ll get power by association. The monarchy backs that theory, but rebels don’t want a bloodline on the throne. Maybe she’s the double agent?” I said as an afterthought. It was hope more than belief. I wanted some of my father’s family to be good. “I think I need a nap and lunch. Maybe I’ll see you for dinner?”
“Only if you promise to have some happy news and a smile. Everything can’t be dark.” He bit into his fruit.
“I’ll try, Prince.” I nodded as I left. He was the happy part of my world. A few visits could change my way of thinking. Broaden my options and ideas.
Heading home was an indulgence I rarely allowed myself. I had the freedom to visit the estate my cousin was managing until I was of age. Julianne was a sweet widow with a nine-year-old daughter, Ember.
I took Marel with me and a droid. Of course, Marel arranged for a Queen’s Guard member to accompany us as well. I thought a droid was good enough. Using a relocator pad, we were there in a blink. I’d sent a message that we were coming, but I had the right to drop in. In addition to the large stone manor house, the extensive property had farms and mines on the land and as well as smaller homes and barns. It was my birthright, my inheritance as ruler of the fifth family. But the queen had delayed things.
“Kimess!” Ember shouted. She ran at me full tilt and hugged me.
“You’re getting so tall!” I said.
“Sorry. We’ve been busy with lessons. Time for lunch.” Julianne hugged me and ushered us into the dining room.
A large table sat in a huge room with a view of the back garden. I missed all the nooks and crannies of my home. It wasn’t as large as the castle, but fewer people lived and worked there, so it felt bigger somehow.
“Please don’t go to any trouble,” Marel said.
“Nonsense, sit. We don’t entertain much.” Julianne guided Marel into a seat. The guard was permitted to stand at the do
orway with the droid.
“You look sad,” Ember said.
I smiled. “Do I? I’ve been very busy, and I’m tired. I needed some time at home.”
Droids brought out the food, and we filled our plates.
Julianne shook her head. “You’re probably stuck in dull meetings all the time.”
“Like school?” Ember asked.
“No, not exactly. In school, the teachers know the answers, and you just have to learn it. This is work where we don’t know exactly the right answer, so we talk about it and debate.” I knew I shouldn’t discuss my father’s escape with them, but their safety mattered. Plus, rumors that were leaked around the castle always made it to the magical families.
“I heard about your small gathering to find Princess Minnette a husband from the fifth family. Daring,” Julianne said.
“It’s not as self-serving as it sounds. I had a vision.” I dug into my lunch.
“Can we come to the wedding?” Ember asked.
“There’s no wedding, yet,” Marel said.
Ember pouted.
“No one needs to rush into marriage. It’s just a party for the guests, Ember, but it’s a huge commitment. We’ll be getting some added droids for the mines. And they want to up the farm production, so we have stores. The coming winter is supposed to be very bad,” I said.
“You saw it?” Julianne asked.
“No, that’s the forecasters. A little more in storage can’t hurt.”
We ate, and as Ember grew restless, I decided it’d be best to talk to Julianne alone.
“Ember, did you know Marel has never been here before? Maybe you’d like to give her the quick tour?” I suggested.
“All of it?” Ember jumped up from her chair.
“Well, don’t tire her out. Show her around the main house. The gardens and the pond.”
They were gone in a flash, and I noticed the guard trailed along. I still had the droid.
“Are you okay? Is it dreadful?” Julianne asked.
I lifted a shoulder briefly. “It’s so hard to explain. Some days feel normal. Some are surreal. Aunt Elani is in the dungeon again.”
Julianne poured more tea. “What? What did that woman do?”
“Helped Father. He escaped from the hard labor transport. They believe he fled the country. This is private. You can’t tell anyone. Not even Ember,” I said.
“Of course not. I can’t believe your father would turn to another country.” Julianne looked puzzled.
“I don’t understand any of it. If he’s a rebel, does he want an equal right to rule for men? Or elections? The Bachal don’t want elections. They are staunchly behind their monarch.” I mentally groped to put the pieces together.
“Having an enemy in common may make them friends,” she said.
“I hope he doesn’t know enough valuable information for the Bachal to want him.”
“You can hope. He was married to your mother for a long time. He knows enough about how our government works, including where and when things take place. That’s if the Bachal take him seriously and admit him. It’ll be dangerous. I’m so sorry,” Julianne said.
“Thanks. He’s desperate for something. Power. Validation. I don’t know what it is that’s motivating him, but he’s determined. I never imagined him on the run. Escaping the custody of the Queen’s Guard is crazy. Everyone who escapes is recaptured. They don’t let fugitives go.” I shook my head.
“He was never stupid. He’s not so old where they can count on him to be weak or slow. If anyone can outmaneuver the Queen’s Guard, it’s him. I don’t know what he’s thinking, but I wouldn’t underestimate him.”
“Your late husband was somewhat friendly with him. Did he ever say anything about what Father ultimately wanted?” I asked.
She shook her head. “If I’d known how much of a rebel my late husband really was, I’d never have…He fooled all of us because he had a good gift. He stayed away from you and your mother. Your father will be even better because he has knowledge of the castle and how the guard works. The rebels know how to hide in our culture. How to go unnoticed. They only gain attention when they want to.”
I sipped my tea. There was only one person I knew who acted rebelliously and wanted a lot of attention. That was my next stop. I grabbed a ripe piece of fruit from the bowl on the table and slid it in my pocket.
“Snack for later?” she asked.
I sighed. “More like a peace offering. Do you mind?”
Julianne laughed. “My dear, this is all yours. I’m only keeping things running and an eye on it all for you.”
“Thank you. You know, you’ll never have to go back to teaching once I take over. I’ll look after you and Ember. You don’t have to worry about earning a living.” It was the least I could do. She’d interrupted her career to manage my lands. The droids and human managers made it seem easy, but without a constant eye on the overall goals and balanced management of the estate as a whole, things could fall behind or go off track quickly. Droids did as programmed. Human managers focused on their areas because that’s all they could control. Someone had to keep a watchful eye on the whole system of such a large estate.
“Don’t worry about me. As long as Ember is well educated and has a good prospect, that’s all that matters.” She looked out the window at Ember giving the expert tour of the garden.
I smiled. That was me not so many years ago. Would it be my daughter someday? I had too many current problems to wonder about the future in that much detail.
No one stopped me as I entered the dungeon. I walked to my aunt’s cell and checked through the tiny window that she was chained. Opening the door, I saw her flinch. She relaxed when she saw it was me. Somehow, this side of my family had so much less respect for me, and I didn’t like that.
“Miss me?” she asked.
“I’m trying to understand you. Why side with a man to give power to men?” I asked.
She sneered at me. “To give power to all. Not just magical families.”
“But you liked the proximity to power.”
She said, “Everyone does, at first. Being connected gives some perks. Provides a feeling of superiority. But no matter what, I won’t move up in my station. Ever. No magical powers. No use to anyone.”
“You think men want equality or to go back to the days when they dominated?” I fished the pear from my pocket.
Her eyes widened at the sight of fresh food. “Is that a gift or a bribe?”
“I don’t need to bribe you.” I tossed it to her. “The magical families have never abused humans or anyone. We’ve made sure people had food, housing, and medical care. Taking responsibility is harder than you think. Especially, if it’s for people you may not agree with. But if you get your way, elections and voting, that will mean you’re only responsible for a short time and can blame it on the last person in office. Or leave a problem for the next person.”
She frantically ate her fruit. “No system is perfect. This one certainly isn’t. Holding me here because of my brother’s action. I never escaped custody.”
“You helped him flee. You’re not innocent.” I crossed my arms and paced the small space.
“Family is family. You don’t have any siblings, so you don’t know. But you’ve made your choice of who you consider family.” She tossed the core in my direction.
“Grateful and gracious, as always. I wonder why I chose the way I did.” I shrugged.
She cackled. “Power. Status. You’re lucky enough to be born to it. It’s a lifetime job. It’s so hard to be nice and fair to everyone…but you live in luxury. You’re powerful. You’ve never been anything else.”
“Fine. I like my place. That doesn’t mean I’d do the wrong thing to keep it. Why would you want your brother to make it across the border? Bachal women have it a million times worse than any Lazrel woman. True?” I asked.
“True. Maybe he’d help them? Help change the way it works
?”
“Do you think he’d be king?” I dipped into her mind. Had she gone crazy?
“Not right away. Maybe never. But he’s special. He produced you.” She stared at me intently. “So powerful. Pretty enough. Smart. You didn’t even go crazy when your mother was murdered. You impressed a lot of people by standing your ground and clearing your mother’s name. Some think you’re a bit cold, but most admire it. People believe in him because of you. That line is special.”
“He’s gathering followers? Using me to collect and brainwash people? That’ll never work in Bachal.” I shook my head. Maybe it was for the best that he headed there instead of staying.
“They’d never follow you. Fear you, yes. But the Bachal won’t follow a woman,” she said.
The hint was there. I checked her mind to confirm. If he produced a son with a Bachal royal, what would that mean? It was insane. My father and aunt had to be delusional. Truly mad. The Bachal would never let a half-magical being rule. They had two princes in line already.
“Think about it. You could end up on the throne here. A boy king on the throne over there. People die every day. You’re so close. I can help you. I’d love to teach some of those magical royals a lesson.” She mimicked choking someone.
“I’m not letting you out. You’re not killing anyone. You’re smarter than your brother. You know this can’t work.” I hoped she was smarter. When I read her mind, she believed it was possible. Was she trying to throw me off my father’s true goal, or was she honestly hoping to be the aunt of the queen?
Six women had to die for me to be queen. The queen, Minnette, LeFawn, and the other rulers of the families. Add in their daughters, and it was nearly ten. It’d never happen. Of course, in times of crisis when the queen was killed, the other rulers of the families chose the next queen from among them, if there was no daughter ready to take the throne. I didn’t want it. If a queen was medically unfit or the heiress too young, an acting queen would be selected.
“Marry the prince, and you’ll be that much closer.” Aunt Elani grinned at me.