Boxy continued. “Never believe the lie that we can’t be leaders. It’s a myth circulated by adults who choose not to lead. Even as kids we have everything we need to make an impact on other people.”
Again the kids broke into applause, and Avery wondered if Boxy himself hoped to be king.
“Two weeks ago,” Boxy said, “we agreed we should elect our own king, responsible to guide our search for freedom. I hold in my hand the results.”
The crowd leaned forward in anticipation.
Chapter 15
Coronation
With great gusto, Boxy unfolded the parchment and held it high for everyone to see.
“You have elected Tuck to be our king!”
Avery forgot her annoyance and joined in the applause. She, too, had voted for Tuck. There was something undeniably leader-like about him.
Kate leaned close and whispered, “You’re obviously happy about this.”
Avery didn’t have time to respond before Tuck was prodded forward. He looked embarrassed as Boxy presented him with a heavy gold medallion to wear around his neck and a thick fur shawl that looked several sizes too big and seemed to weigh him down. Avery wondered if these, too, had been castle castoffs. They looked like something a prince would wear.
They look right on Tuck.
The crowd quieted and Boxy held out a book that looked like an old atlas. Tuck put his hand on it before Boxy began to speak. “Will you promise to rule us according to the laws and customs we create with justice and mercy in all your decisions?”
“I will.”
“Then I proudly declare you our junior king.”
The crowd erupted again, calling for Tuck to say something. After trying to quiet them, he turned a wooden bucket upside down and stood on it so that he was head and shoulders above everyone.
“Thank you,” he said as the kids clapped and whistled and called out their congratulations. A few yelled, “We knew it!” and pumped their fists.
“Until today,” Tuck said, “we’ve each played by our own rules. We were each brought here against our will, and we’ve each handled it in our own way. But look around. We’re all here for the same reason, but what have we done to make our situation better? How have we worked together to accomplish good? Are we any closer to freedom now than the day we arrived?”
A collective no rose from the crowd.
“Today, everything changes. Today we set aside our tribal rivalries and personal ambitions to become a family. I will do my best to lead honorably. I will carry your hope and your confidence with me. You can depend on that.”
A cheer went up.
Avery could see in that moment why everyone admired Tuck.
Tuck continued. “I need to depend on you to promise to do your best to love your neighbor as yourself. And you have my word, I will find a way for us all to be free as soon as possible.”
Avery wondered what free meant to orphans. While they may have felt this was the first place they had a large extended family, it couldn’t last forever. Either they would be turned back out to fend for themselves on the street or they would be discarded. Angelina’s words rang in her mind.
“I will kill… All. Of. Them.”
The faces in the room—dirty, tired, and sad—were those of kids who hadn’t had a mother to tell them stories or a father to build them tree houses. Even held captive in a castle, Avery knew she had been more blessed in her lifetime than anyone else in the room.
Boxy was talking again.
“Tuck, it is now your duty to select a cabinet of two you can rely on to help you do your job—an adviser and a queen. Choose wisely.”
Tuck didn’t hesitate. “For adviser, Kendrick,” he said, motioning for a wiry, bespectacled, unsmiling boy who appeared uncomfortable as he stood to join Tuck.
“He was the one who arrived the day you did,” Kate whispered.
The boy in the other box on the raft.
He was solemn and scholarly. The choice surprised Avery, but she suspected Tuck had the charisma and Kendrick had the intellect to form a strong team.
Boxy presented Kendrick with a smaller medallion to wear around his neck.
And then a sinking feeling hit Avery. She knew who would be queen. Ilsa sat a few feet away, giggling with a group of girls who were already patting her on the back and whispering in her ear.
She’d been campaigning for Tuck’s nomination for king all along—with her own appointment in mind, of course. It all made sense now.
Tuck raised a hand to quiet the buzz over Kendrick’s selection. “And for queen…”
No one moved.
“I choose Avery.”
The crowd gasped.
The clapping—what little there was—proved short-lived and felt forced.
“Who?”
“Who’s Avery?”
“The girl who almost burned down the kitchen?”
The questions weren’t even subtle. Avery could hear them from where she sat.
And she couldn’t blame them.
She was as surprised as they were. She hardly knew anyone but Kate, and she had no interest in staying in the castle any longer than she had to, let alone in being part of some secret cabinet led by kids in the castle of a king who ordered them discarded.
The kids looked around expectantly.
Kate nudged her and whispered, “You really need to stand. Tuck is waiting.”
Knowing her face had to be pulsing crimson, Avery shuffled to her feet and moved through a silent crowd to join Tuck and Kendrick. She owed Tuck that much. He was being kind to her again.
She would argue his decision later, encourage him to make Kate his queen.
Boxy handed Tuck a tiara made of perfect pink pearls—simple yet beautiful—and Avery was grateful, suddenly, that her hair was fixed.
Kate knew I would be elected, but how?
Avery knelt, and Tuck placed the tiara on her head. Avery wondered what royal had worn it. It was nothing like the crowns of sticks she had worn in the woods.
Boxy formally intoned, “Tuck, Avery, and Kendrick, wear your adornments with pride, as they indicate you accept the responsibility they represent. If you should ever choose to resign your post, you must forfeit these tokens.”
Avery wanted to remove the tiara and run for the door, but when she caught sight of Ilsa—surrounded by her black-ribboned ladies in waiting, her mouth set and her eyes fixed on Avery’s—she decided the tiara would stay right where it was for the time being.
In fact, she met Ilsa’s gaze and reached with both hands to straighten the tiara and make sure it was firmly in place.
Fiddle playing erupted from the corner and the kids began clapping and dancing—dresses twirling under the swaying chandelier—every worry seeming momentarily forgotten.
I must be the only one who doesn’t want to be here, trapped in this perfect world.
To me, a world without my family is the farthest thing from perfect.
On the other hand, a growing friendship with Tuck was nice.
“You should have been made queen,” Avery said to Kate that night in the darkness of their bunk room. “You know more about castle life than I do, and you’re good at it. You look the part.”
“I don’t want it,” Kate replied. “The life of a queen is not to be envied. Her responsibilities are outnumbered only by her enemies.”
“What are you saying?”
“Watch your back, Avery.”
Chapter 16
The Threat
The next morning, Avery was tying the laces on her dress when Ilsa appeared, and the rest of the bunk room emptied. Of course, Avery thought, as Ilsa crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.
Avery had expected this confrontation, but not necessarily so soon.
“I’m going to let you in on a little secret,” Ilsa began. “You know Tuck made you queen because you can’t do anything else, right? Everyone’s been talking about how useless you are around here, almost burning down the kitchen, gett
ing stuck in the wall, and failing everything else you’ve tried. Tuck took pity on you because he’s that kind of a boy. Always too nice.”
“Maybe you could take a lesson from him,” Avery said quietly.
Ilsa laughed. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I’m sure you’ll educate me.”
“The point is, you stole the election from me just like you tried stealing my bed your first night here. Like you’re trying to steal Tuck now.”
“I haven’t stolen anything from you.”
“Right.” Ilsa came so close that Avery backed against the cold wall. No one was close enough to rescue her if she called for help, and who would risk Ilsa’s rage anyway? Ilsa brought her face so close that Avery could smell the morning coffee on her breath. “This isn’t over. Not by a long shot. Stay away from Tuck. Understand?”
“We don’t need to be enemies. We can work together.”
“We can?” Ilsa asked in mock surprise. She clasped her heart. “You could be the beauty and I could be the brains.” She narrowed her eyes. “Oh wait. You couldn’t be either one!” Ilsa laughed. “You are so slow. I didn’t decide we were enemies. You did. And now I will destroy you with any means at my disposal. And just so you’re aware, I win whatever battles I fight.” Ilsa tightened her grip on Avery’s arm. “Understand?”
Avery nodded, afraid of what Ilsa might do to her arm if she disagreed.
Ilsa turned to leave then turned back. “I can have you sent to the Forbidden City. Remember that.”
That was the umpteenth time Avery had heard talk of this mysterious place.
As soon as Ilsa was gone, the bunk room filled again as if nothing had happened.
Everyone fears Ilsa.
Worse than the threat, worse even than the prospect of the Forbidden City—whatever that entailed—was that Avery feared Ilsa was right. Tuck had chosen her as queen solely out of pity. Or maybe he thought giving her the role would keep her out of trouble. Either way, she would wear the tiara only until the first meeting of the cabinet. Then she would tell Tuck to give it to someone else. She didn’t want Ilsa to have it, but accepting the role just to upset her didn’t make sense. She needed to avoid the Forbidden City at all costs.
After breakfast, Avery led Kate down the stone stairwell, whispering, “You aren’t the only one who is allowed to learn the secrets of this place.”
Kate looked hesitant.
“The king and Angelina are away today.”
Kate stopped walking. “So?”
“I want to see what I can discover in the hundreds of rooms on the other side from where we live,” Avery told her. “Since it’s my job to assist Tuck in leadership, no one will be suspicious if I’m gone for a while.”
Avery had prepared an excuse in case she was questioned by Tuck. She was looking for grates in each of the rooms so she could find a way to track Angelina on her own. Maybe tracking Angelina would lead her to Henry or to information that would prove valuable for their freedom.
Maybe it would lead her to so much more.
Chapter 17
The Discovery
According to the stories Avery’s mother had told, the castle sat atop an intricate system of tunnels that traveled various outlets within the village. Rumor had it that the largest of all snaked its way under the Salt Sea and ended within the walls of a tiny, beautiful chapel in the village.
“Even royalty knows that God exists among the humble,” her mother had said.
Learning where all the outlets were might prove useful in helping the kids escape.
Stop one: the Great Hall.
Kate and Avery stood in the doorway, their jaws hanging open and their eyes wide, taking in thirteen chandeliers, each the width of Avery’s bedroom at home. Each bore hundreds of candles that flickered and danced, throwing shadows on the opulent golden ceiling and casting a reverent glow on the throne in the center of the room.
It sat eerily empty this morning, adorned with the royal arms of the kingdom.
“There’ll soon be another throne beside it,” Kate said. “The boys upstairs are building Angelina’s now. I’ve seen it.”
“I wonder what the king would think if he knew it was being built by the orphans he has sentenced to death. I wonder how he would react if he knew his entire castle rested on the shoulders of kids.”
“The wedding will take place right here,” Kate said, and Avery had to admit this news excited her, in spite of everything. It was an excuse to be happy about something, even if only for a day.
The only weddings she had attended were ones where country girls wore their one church dress and threaded daisies in their hair before heading to the chapel where a few family members waited. She had watched dozens of girls marry at fifteen or sixteen and had always assumed she would be one of them.
Her father had recently made it clear that it was time she started thinking about it. He hinted at this every time he instructed her to clean house or prepare supper or watch Henry.
“You must learn to do these things for yourself,” he would say, and Avery knew what he meant. But none of the boys in their village interested her. Their chief concern was catching frogs or building forts out of river rocks.
She wanted something more—something better.
Now she wondered whether she would ever marry at all.
“Someone’s coming!” Kate said, grabbing Avery’s arm and yanking her to a spot behind a huge oak door. They stood huddled together—neither of them daring to breathe—until a staff member passed and was long gone.
Stop number two: the Hall of Mirrors—used by the queen to make sure her dresses were precisely what she wanted. It was exactly as it sounded—floor-to-ceiling mirrors.
Avery wished the hall could talk. It would have much to say about the dozens of queens through the ages who had fussed and snapped, clapped and praised.
She imagined hundreds of dressmakers had scurried in silence, conceding to demands and pleading for their lives when a stray button or crooked hem had left the queen wanting.
Avery quickly understood that for every discovery she made within the castle walls, hundreds more waited to be uncovered.
She ran ahead of Kate down the endless hall, her braid flying behind her and her slippered footsteps falling silently on the white marble. For a few minutes at least, she forgot why she was in the castle and remembered only that she was thirteen. She twirled and admired her elegant dress in the mirrors. It was the first time she had seen herself—head to toe—attired this way. She knew her mother would be pleased.
Gone was the dirty-faced, wild-haired child.
Next, they visited the chapel, with its stunning gold-gilded walls and stained-glass windows that cast a rosy hue. High-back pews were separated by a center aisle, carpeted in crimson, leading to an intricately carved pulpit of dark, rich wood.
“No one in the royal family uses this chapel,” Kate said, “so some of us who are thirteen use it when we can. You should join us.”
Avery did not respond. It was difficult to think about worshipping God when so many things were going wrong. Or maybe, she thought, this is the most important time to pray.
She would consider it.
The final room they came to was near the center of the castle, filled with every piece of furniture imaginable, buried beneath thick, dusty quilts covered with a fine layer of dust.
Kate and Avery swatted away cobwebs and began peeking beneath blankets and lifting lids off boxes. At first they were timid, but soon they jumped with joy at each discovery.
They found ornate paintings and beautiful rugs, a stunning harp and several tall mirrors. They found brass bed frames, ancient vases, and bundles of handwritten letters tied with faded ribbons. They discovered silver candlesticks they suspected were worth more than country houses. They unearthed boxes of jewelry and jeweled hairpieces that made them squeal.
“These were worn by queens!” Avery said, twirling with a set of ivory combs.
/> Avery’s mind raced. Why were they sleeping, working, and playing in rooms virtually bare when all of this existed in storage a few hundred feet from where they lived?
She would show Tuck.
Of course, that would mean she would need the courage to actually approach him. Even looking at him made her nervous lately.
“We should go,” Kate said. “We’ve seen enough for one day.”
Avery wanted to protest. Is that even possible?
The castle contained enough rooms to fill a month of exploring—maybe more.
And I still need to find the tunnels.
Avery caught sight of a painting framed in gold leaf and half hidden beneath a blanket. She saw just enough of a woman’s face—smooth and exotic—to compel her to see more. She took a few careful steps over stacks of fragile china and crates of marble then pulled the blanket far enough down to bring the face into view.
Beautiful eyes, distinct as they could be, one blue and the other brown.
Impossible. Avery tried to shove the thought aside.
One of her mother’s songs came flooding back:
She walks the endless corridors, she dances through the halls,
She sings of better days gone by, and laughs at cannonballs,
She’s known not by the crown that rests upon her golden head,
But by her eyes, for one is brown; the other’s blue instead.
“This is the queen,” Avery whispered.
“What did you say?” Kate asked, coming to stand beside her.
“This must be the king’s first wife. She must be Queen Elizabeth!”
Kate didn’t respond.
“I bet everything in this room belonged to her,” Avery continued. “After she died, the king must have moved all of her things into this room.”
“We really need to go back to our quarters,” Kate said. “Let’s go.”
The king and Angelina are keeping the first queen’s secrets. What on earth could they be? And what if we could find the answers in this room?
The Glass Castle Page 6