The King's Secret

by Maryam Durrani

  There it was. The castle, standing tall.

  I let out a sigh of relief.

  Then, I looked down.

  Below the castle

  lay

  a massacre.

  TWENTY FOUR

  I could feel my veins turn to ice as I looked down at the bodies piled on each other across the battlefield. I saw many of Astodia’s men dressed in scarlet, as well as black and green from Trella and Dystalphi. Trella’s black and silver flag whipped in the wind, the two-headed dragon baring its claws.

  “There’s too much red.”

  Too many of us.

  I rubbed my face in response to Ashes, Xavier’s face flashing in front of my eyes.

  I prayed to whoever was listening.

  Please.

  Let Xavier be alive.

  My heart seemed like it would burst out of my chest, stress levels high, my palms clammy.

  Stay focused.

  I glanced down at Omen as he looked up at me with his amber eyes.

  “Look,” Lance pointed. I turned, following his finger, to see a vast campsite for their army five miles from the castle. Tents were strewn across the land, the campground twice as big as Crea and Astodia’s.

  I could see Crea’s reinforcement tents set south of Dys-talphi and Trella’s, one mile from the castle. Crea’s royal blue

  flag stood tall, the graceful swan bowing its head humbly.

  “It’s a ceasefire,” I said, noticing the white flags that had been set up on each side. Some wagons were rolling in, picking up the bodies.

  I tore my eyes away from the decimation.

  “Let’s keep moving.”

  Lack of sleep had taken a toll on everyone.

  We had neglected the natural routine of our bodies, stealing away it’s time for rest, not allowing it to reset for the next day.

  Ashes’s lips were chapped, shadows forming under her eyes. She had replaced Lance’s spot at the front, giving him a chance to rest.

  Omen pranced through the snow beside us, the only one still upbeat and on his toes.

  The wagons rolled on the path towards the castle which was visible now. It looked unharmed, but that gave me no relief. I would not feel anything until I was inside the castle walls.

  I glanced at the emerald green and gold flags of Dystalphi, the siren staring right into my eyes with her own menacing ones.

  As we approached the castle, rows of soldiers stood protecting the gates.

  “State your name and business.”

  “Adalia,” I said, dismounting the horse and holding up my arms as a sign of peace. Ashes did the same. “This is Phoenix. We were on a trip to Dystalphi to speak with the king, but he fooled us all. We must speak with the queen at once.”

  “Who else is with you?” he questioned, eyeing Omen warily.

  “The Knights. You may check the wagons.”

  While the soldiers checked the wagons, the Knights climbed out. We took out all of our weapons, laying them onto

  the snow. The soldiers checked us for any hidden weapons and finally cleared us. They recognized the Knights, which allowed the process to move faster.

  I grabbed the reins, ushering the horse past the gates and into the small town. My pace quickened, and I urged the horse to walk faster, my body feeling jittery.

  The town was silent as if everyone was in hiding. I was sure they were doing what they could to help the wounded.

  Slowly, the doors of the castle came into view, along with many soldiers being treated at the medical tents.

  I walked past a man groaning on a stretcher, his whole sleeve drenched in blood. A tourniquet was wrapped around his upper arm.

  There were many more casualties, the sounds of groaning and cries of pain filling the courtyard.

  The Knights separated, eager to make use of themselves.

  “I’m going to see if I can be of any help,” Ashes said, turning to me. “Please, talk to the queen. Find me afterward, alright?”

  I nodded. She gave my arm a squeeze, then turned and led her horse and wagon away.

  I handed the reins to Lance.

  “You do the same,” I told him. “I’m going to find the queen.”

  “You’ll be alright alone?”

  “Don’t worry about me. There are too many injured for you to waste a second thinking about anything else. There aren’t enough physicians for the wounded, and I know you have experience.” When the rebel base had still existed, Lance used to be Esmeralda’s apprentice, who had been a healer—and his and Lorelle’s grandmother.

  Without arguing, he took the horse from me, leading it

  away. I looked at Omen, who yawned, revealing his long canines.

  “I bet you didn’t think you’d ever meet a queen, did you?”

  The panthera purred under my touch, a strange sound coming from a creature as menacing as he looked.

  Suddenly, a stretcher slammed into my shoulder, nearly knocking me off balance. I tipped to the side, and Omen let out a deep growl.

  “It’s alright,” I said, calming him. I looked over my shoulder. “Come on.”

  Snapping my fingers, I signaled the panthera to follow me, when suddenly I stopped dead in my tracks.

  My heart stopped beating altogether.

  Head pounding, nausea rising up my throat, I saw a flash of dark hair peeking out from under a cover on the stretcher. A pale hand hung off the side, dragging in the snow.

  I began to run.

  I crashed into one of the medics who was carrying the stretcher, nearly causing him to drop it. He shouted words of protest, but I could care less. I pulled the covers off the face of the person on the stretcher, fearing the worst.

  It wasn’t him.

  I nearly vomited with relief.

  As they carried the body away, I let myself sink to the ground for a few minutes to recoup.

  Get up, get up! There’s no time to waste.

  My body felt numb.

  I slowly pushed myself up.

  Lorelle will know where he is, but to talk to her you have to get inside first.

  I began to walk again, a thick lump in my throat. Dragging

  my feet, it seemed as if all the exhaustion from the past few

  months had suddenly come crashing down on my shoulders all at once.

  I wondered where Lance and Ashes got all their energy from, running back and forth between tents, already making themselves useful.

  Ashes was skipping steps up to the doors of the castle, the cream marble slick with blood. My eyes followed her as she stopped to hand over bandages to Lance, who was speaking to someone else.

  Someone else.

  Someone . . .

  There he was.

  I saw him before he saw me.

  His back was turned, and he seemed to be asking Lance many questions. Although I couldn’t see his face, I recognized his build immediately. He turned his face ever so slightly, enough for me to confirm that it was him from the scruff of his beard, the curls of his hair, and his beautiful, unique eyes.

  Xavier was alive.

  My heart soared, and it wouldn’t come down.

  I was smiling, and I couldn’t stop.

  I felt a force pulling me towards him, growing stronger and stronger by the second.

  Where’s Adalia? his lips formed, eyes worried. He searched over Lance’s head who turned, looking for me.

  She was just behind me, Lance assured him.

  Xavier turned completely, stopping right where he started and frowned. I couldn’t breathe, but it was a good feeling. I wanted to cry from joy as I watched him from afar, relief washing over me.

  He noticed me halfway to him, his eyes widening, a smile

  spreading across his face. Like Ashes, I had suddenly found

  my source of energy, skipping steps as I raced towards him. He held his arms open and I leaped into them, wrapping my legs around his waist.

  “I thought you were dead.”

  “That’s a pleasant thing to
say when you’ve just seen me after months,” he said into my shoulder, his voice muffled.

  I couldn’t speak through the sudden euphoria that had exploded in me.

  “I would put you down, but I don’t want to let go,” he said, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, breathing in his cinnamon, rosy scent, as if he’d been walking through a garden and possibly a bakery all day.

  “Then don’t.”

  TWENTY FIVE

  I scrubbed myself until my skin felt raw, the scabs from my wounds peeling away. My fingers were beginning to turn prune-like from staying in the water for so long.

  A knock came at the door.

  “Yes?”

  “Isabel keeps stopping by to see you,” Xavier called in. “How long are you planning on staying in there?”

  “Give me a few minutes.”

  I stepped out of the cold water only to feel colder, drying myself off and changing into a fresh set of clothes. I brushed out my tangled hair, and finally pushed open the door.

  Xavier was waiting for me.

  “Were you standing there the whole time?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

  His smile comforted me.

  “Maybe.”

  There was a scar running from the end of his eyebrow to his cheekbone. Xavier had brushed back his hair today, something he rarely did.

  I hugged him, resting my head on his chest for what seemed like forever, listening to his heartbeat.

  A knock came at the door.

  “Do we have to open it?” I mumbled.

  He laughed—a pleasant sound.

  “It’s probably Isabel.”

  I reluctantly pulled away, making my way towards the door. Upon opening it, I found myself face to face with not Isabel, but Jax.

  He was beaming, his icy blue eyes radiating warmth. He had a busted lip and stitches on his forehead, but that didn’t seem to dull his elation.

  “This is a very inappropriate time to celebrate,” he said, holding out his arms, “but Adalia, it is great to have you back.” Jax pulled me in a headlock as I swatted at his arms.

  Behind him, a voice called, “So, she’s finally out of the bath?”

  Isabel appeared beside her brother, the same delighted grin plastered on her face. As she came into view, I realized she was on crutches.

  Suddenly, the smile on my face was gone.

  “What happened?”

  “War, apparently,” Isabel raised her eyebrows, gesturing to her bandaged leg. “I took a blow to the thigh.” She pushed Jax in, shutting the door behind her, and made her way over to a sofa. “It’s healing quickly, though. I’ll be back on my own feet in no time.” Her attention focused on me. “Your plan to create a truce with the king failed, I presume?”

  The mood in the room suddenly darkened.

  Her words stung. “I shouldn’t have gone. I wasted too much time.”

  “Damn right.” She set her wooden crutches against the arm of the sofa, leaning back. “There’s a ceasefire.”

  “I know.”

  “You haven’t spoken to the queen yet?” she asked.

  “No.”

  “Well, we’re losing. They’re kicking our asses.” She ran a

  hand through her blond hair, thinking. Isabel looked at me quizzically. “Did you find anything out there?”

  Isabel’s blue eyes followed me as I took a seat across from her.

  “We found Cyprian,” I replied, rubbing the inside of my wrist which had suddenly begun to buzz again.

  “The pirate prince?” Jax questioned as he stood behind his sister, leaning down to rest his elbows on the back of the sofa. “He survived?”

  I nodded in affirmation.

  “And Augustus?” Xavier asked, sitting beside me.

  “According to Cyprian, he never made it.”

  “Go on, tell the story—and start from the beginning,” Isabel said, leaning forward, curiosity written all over face.

  They watched me inquisitively, waiting for me to begin. I found myself wishing that Ashes and Lance were here to explain for me.

  As if on cue, another knock came at the door.

  “It looks like we’re going to have a party in the middle of a war,” Isabel said, leaning back in annoyance. Her brother gave her head a little flick.

  “Come in,” the four of us called.

  The door opened, revealing Lance and Ashes.

  Perfect.

  Lance has cleaned up nicely, the scruff gone from his face. He had also cut his hair, shaved short on both sides on his head and parted over.

  “What are you doing here?” Xavier asked, his mood turning sour. I shot him a look, feeling pleased at the same time.

  “The queen sent me,” he said, fingering the hilt of the sword

  at his hip. Lance strode towards us, Ashes following.

  “And you?” Isabel queried, cocking her head.

  To answer her question, Ashes looked over her shoulder, calling, “Omen!”

  Oh, no.

  Seconds later, the panthera bounded in. With a grunt, Omen landed on me, and I groaned under his weight.

  “What’s that?” Jax said as Lance stood beside him.

  And so, Lance begun the story of our journey, starting from the moment left the castle. Hearing Ashes join in and recount the details caused the buzzing in my wrist worsen, moving up my forearm.

  Xavier slowly reached down, picking up my wrist. He gently massaged it as if saying, it’s alright.

  But it wasn’t alright. Too many had died, and I had wasted months on a failed expedition when I could’ve been here, helping with preparations for the war. I had brought no reinforcements, no treaty, and no information on the drakon who could, at any time, choose to swoop in and burn every single one of us into the ground.

  Queen Lorelle and Princess Zinovia looked different wearing pants and tunics, carrying swords at their sides.

  They had their hair up in similar styles, braided up and around their heads like makeshift crowns. Both of them were not wearing their real crowns, only small headpieces that were luxurious all the same.

  They stood by a large rectangular plotting table, Taj and Lance on the right, Xavier on the left, Ashes and I on one end and the princess and queen on the other.

  Lorelle had asked me nothing of my trip. Of course, she knew that we had failed to convince King Adrean and Tarquin to assist us in finding and killing the drakon—that much was obvious. She had assumed we were either dead or had been

  held captive in Dystalphi.

  She did ask me if I had any new information.

  The thought of Knassos came to mind, but I decided to stay quiet about it. I made sure to leave Omen in Xavier’s room so that no questions would arise.

  Lorelle picked up a stick, using the flat rubber end to move two white flags towards two opposing sides of the campgrounds.

  “We’re at a ceasefire because of the large number of casualties,” Zinovia explained, holding her arms behind her back. “As we speak, the bodies are being cleared off the battlefield.”

  “We have been using this time to think of new ways to fight, since attacking head-on has only caused both sides to lose equal amounts of soldiers.”

  I waited for her to explain what their new plan was. After a few moments of staring at their faces in silence, I realized there was no new plan.

  “I would ask about news on the drakon, but I suppose you would’ve told me by now if you did have any updates.”

  I rolled my shoulders, inhaling.

  “That is correct.”

  I exhaled.

  Xavier picked up a stick as well. He pushed one of Crea’s units towards the hill Lance, Ashes, and I had seen the castle from, parking the piece behind it. Then, he did the same with one of Astodia’s units.

  “Why don’t we attack from behind, the way Adalia did when taking back Valnorn from—” Xavier paused, “—Crea?”

  Princess Zinovia cleared her throat.

  “They’re watching our every move. The
y’ll see us coming,” Lorelle shook her head. “It won’t work.”

  I looked at the map, crossing my arms over my chest.

  “Why don’t we switch up the positions of the army?” Ashes suggested, moving around the units. “Let’s move our infantry to the front and form a shield-wall formation and archers behind them. Then,” she said, pushing a horse through the units, “cavalry. We’ll keep the longbowmen along with artillery on the castle walls for a stronger defense, but we should also keep the artillery behind everyone else on the field.”

  “Of course, we can try that,” Zinovia nodded, “but we’d be relying purely on faith that it would work. We need to do something they won’t expect.”

  All heads turned to me.

  I found myself looking straight at Lance, and as I did, my mind shifted elsewhere. I closed my eyes.

  I wasn’t in the room anymore, but sitting in one of the rebel bases. Lance sat across the table, joking with Charlotte as Darren and Aland fought over whose aim was better in ax throwing. I smiled at the memory, finding the argument ridiculous, because neither of them could probably lift an ax in the first place.

  Demetria’s lips moved as she echoed my thoughts, causing the table to burst into laughter.

  Lorelle stood up, excusing herself from the table. This wasn’t Queen Lorelle, but the rebel spy that had poisoned Prince Xavier.

  She led me to a room with stairs leading into the ground, motioning for me to follow her.

  Where is this place? I asked her, hesitant.

  This is where we hold our meetings, and also where we hide if there are visitors, she replied. We walked down the steps. As we reached the bottom, she said, This room connects to tunnels. Many of them have been filled in, but old mines from hundreds of years ago still exist. It’s how we can move in and

  out of the castle.

  My eyes snapped open.

  The room was waiting patiently for me, pin-drop silent.

  “Tunnels,” I said, turning to Lance and Lorelle. “The tunnels from the rebel bases. We can use those to attack without them realizing.”

  “But most of them have been filled in,” she frowned. “I made sure to close the remaining ones—I know how dangerous they are to the castle.”