Lina stared at the castle. The Council of Kings arrived tonight. They had always had secrets. She had known many of them when she worked for the Council. Rulers had to have secrets to keep the people safe.
Maybe she was one of their secrets now.
Lina trudged through the streets, ignoring the people staring at her tattered gown. A children’s tale. Not important. Not historical.
She kept walking until she reached the docks. She could clean off in the ocean before she met with them. At least wash her face. She wasn’t sure she trusted the fabric of her dress to hold together if it got wet.
In her day, the docks had been a favorite leisure spot. The crystal blue water had tempted swimmers in every season. She and Luca had often eaten lunch on the white sandy beaches and watched ships sail to far away kingdoms.
No one would consider having a picnic at the docks now. The whole place smelled like fish. Trash floated in the water. Lina gave up on bathing and sank behind a pile of crates. She pulled the pea out from its hiding place in her sleeve hem and twirled it through her fingers. Sailors and fishermen bustled around each other carrying cargo and nets. Lina watched the hubbub and planned her next move.
A children’s tale. Perhaps it was a clever ruse to keep enemies from knowing the truth? Maybe the historical documents about her were secret. Hidden away. Something an archivist would not show a stranger. Something even an archivist couldn't access.
A secret of the kings.
The thought comforted her. Yes, that must be it. The Council of Kings would not want people to worry. Would not want their enemies to know that they had a shadow warrior sealing away a horde of dark creatures. They had hidden her. Shrouded her in myth to keep her mission safe.
Lina could only hope that information had survived the years. She was better off waiting to approach anyone until the entire Council of Kings gathered. More kings meant more chance of someone knowing her.
A young boy ran past her crates and ducked into an alley. A group of children ran through the streets after him.
“Get Thaddeus!” the leader screamed. “Down with the tyrant!”
The children ran forward with roars of approval. As soon as they passed, the boy doubled back and jumped behind the pile of crates. His eyes widened when he saw Lina. She smiled at him.
“Do you need help?” she asked. “Are you in trouble?”
He shook his head.
“It’s just a game. Who are you?”
“Lina. And you’re Thaddeus?”
“Course not. It’s the game. Tyrant Topple.”
“Oh. I see.”
Luca had loved games. He had often bribed Lina into playing them with him. She had never heard of Tyrant Topple.
Lina smiled at the boy.
“Can you tell me who is the head of the Council of Kings?”
He frowned at her.
“King of Gaveron. Everybody knows that.”
Lina nodded. It had been the King of Gaveron in her time. As the Council’s founding nation, Gaveron held an honorary position as the leader.
The children ran past in the other direction.
“I’d better go,” the boy said with a grin. “I’ve got them confused now.”
“Wait! One more thing!” Lina said.
He stuck his hands in his pockets.
“I’m sorry, miss. I don’t have any money.”
Lina’s face turned bright red.
“What? Oh no, I’m not begging. I just wondered if you could tell me the story of Evangelina Shadow-Storm.”
“Evangelina Shadow-Storm? What do you want to hear a baby story for? You think I’m a baby?”
“No, of course not. I just-”
The boy shook his head and darted away. Lina slumped back against the crates. A baby story. The boy wasn’t that old, and he thought he was too good to recount her story.
Fine. A child wouldn’t be privy to royal secrets. She would go straight to the Council. Straight to the King of Gaveron. They would gather for a royal banquet tonight. And she would be there.
Lina tucked the pea back into her sleeve hem and twisted her ring. This world seemed safe. Peaceful. No one was worried about creatures of darkness.
She had succeeded. She just needed to report to the Council. To finish her mission and let them know the goblin hordes were safely sealed away. They might have news of Luca. They might need her for future missions. The goblins were sealed, but had new dangers appeared over the years?
Lina held her ring up to her lips and whispered to it.
“Check for danger.”
The diamond flashed white. Lina’s smile froze when the light shifted to a pale pink.
6
Alaric ran through the village at top speed. He arrived at the castle sweaty and out of breath. Stefan followed him with a grin. Alaric didn’t stop when he reached the gate. He nodded to the guards and ran straight to his stepmother’s chambers.
“Marta, please tell me you did not put this oaf in charge of the Council’s entertainment.”
“Hello to you too, Alaric. Stefan.”
Queen Marta sat on a small couch in the center of her room. Her lady’s maid Hilda bustled around her, arranging the queen’s dark brown hair around her silver crown.
“Your Highness has been in the wind again,” she said. “If you stayed indoors, your hair would not be so tangled.”
Queen Marta waved her hand.
“Someone has to care for the goats, Hilda. A few tangled hairs won’t hurt anything.”
Hilda’s eyes flashed. She ran her hands through Marta’s knotted hair. Alaric saw Hilda’s point.
“Perhaps a conditioning treatment,” Hilda said.
“It’s fine, Hilda. Just shove it under the crown.”
Hilda gritted her teeth and did just that.
Alaric smiled in spite of himself. He liked his stepmother. The whole kingdom did. She had been a goat herder before she married his father, and she cared little for the frivolities of castle life. Many of the castle maids fretted about the queen’s unruly hair and plump, pleasant face. Alaric thought she looked honest.
“My dear brother has taken a dislike to my choice of entertainment for the grand ball,” Stefan said.
Alaric glared at him. How could he look so innocent after what he had done?
“What’s wrong with the entertainment?” Queen Marta said. “I thought it was a splendid idea. Evangelina Shadow-Storm is one of our most beloved stories. Surely that represents our culture to the Council sufficiently.”
“Oh, she’s beloved all right,” Stefan said.
Alaric elbowed him in the ribs.
“Marta, please. I have no problem with the subject matter, but I’m afraid the quality of the production will be lacking. It would be far better if the troupe had their own playwrights create a script.”
“Didn’t they?” Queen Marta said.
“No.”
“Well, there’s no time to change it now. They’re performing it in two days. I’m sure it will be fine, Alaric. I trust Stefan to find something entertaining for us.”
Stefan’s eyes gleamed in victory. Alaric groaned. It would certainly be entertaining. Especially for Stefan.
“I think I’ll check on the actors now,” Stefan said. “They’re fitting costumes today. If you’ll excuse me.”
He bowed and practically danced out of the room. Alaric sank onto a nearby chair. The costumes. He had designed costumes. Surely they wouldn’t actually make the costumes.
Whatever princess he pursued, he needed to win her over before the ball. Probably have the engagement contract signed. If she could back out, she would after the play.
“The Council’s arrival has us all stressed,” Queen Marta said. “And as coordinator of the Princess Test, I’ve had my hands more than full. Stefan has been very helpful. He means well.”
Alaric bowed his head.
“I don’t mean to create more work for you, Marta.”
The queen waved her hand.
“Nonsense. I’m happy to help. Although some of the traditional tests are ridiculous. I think they’re more symbolic than anything. I don’t see how they’ll be any help in choosing a bride.”
Alaric groaned.
“That isn’t what I want to hear.”
“You don’t mean to actually choose a bride at the Princess Test? It will be impossible to really get to know someone in three days.”
Alaric met his stepmother’s gaze. His dark eyes reflected the silver of her crown.
“Oh, Alaric. No one expects this of you. Not at your first Princess Test.”
That was the problem with Marta. She had lived the simple life of a goat herder too long before becoming queen. She didn’t understand the pressures of ruling.
“I am sure I can find a suitable bride. I must marry a true princess for the sake of Aeonia.”
“Not this again. Alaric, your right to rule is secure. Anyone who dares to question it now-”
He raised his hand to stop her. Queen Marta gestured for Hilda to stop arranging her hair and wrapped her callused hands around his smooth ones. He looked into her warm brown eyes.
“I will do what I have to for Aeonia.”
Marta sighed and released his hands.
“I know better than trying to talk you out of something once you’ve decided to do it. Do you have a favorite? I can’t be too obvious, but I do make the seating arrangements.”
She winked at him.
“Santelle or Eldria,” Alaric said. “I must marry a true princess. Not a duchess or someone from a province.”
“What do they look like? What are the girl’s names? We won’t know where they’re from, but I can try to guess. I can give you clues.”
Alaric clenched his fists. Their names. What were their names? He hadn’t bothered to check their names on the parchments. Stefan had read them, but he hadn’t been paying attention. He was going to marry one of these princesses, and he didn’t know their names.
“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “I don’t want to get you in trouble. I’ll find them on my own.”
“Of course you will. Is there anything specific you’d like me to test? Our schedule is busy, but I can sneak something in if you want.”
Alaric sighed. The tests were meant to show the girls’ best qualities and determine compatibility with the prince.
At least, that had been the original purpose. Over time, the matchmaking had become more cynical. More political. Marriages, when they happened, often strengthened alliances with little concern for the feelings of those involved.
The Princess Tests kept the Council of Kings together. Countries were more likely to get along with the possibility of their children marrying in the forefront of their minds.
Alaric liked it better that way. He couldn’t imagine trying to truly fall in love in just a few days. His main concern was finding a true princess. If a country didn’t have a princess of marriageable age at the time of test, they sent the daughter of a high-ranking nobleman. Politically, such a match still strengthened relationships between the lands.
For Alaric, it would do nothing. He needed a princess. He tried to smile at Marta.
“No, I trust you to choose the proper tests.”
“That’s not entirely true. You’ve got something in mind. I can see it in your eyes.”
That was the other problem with Marta. She had a knack for knowing what you were thinking. Alaric shrugged.
“I’ve always imagined proposing to my wife on Mount Evangelina.”
Queen Marta beamed.
“Alaric, what a wonderful idea! What about a picnic on the last day of the tests? We can travel to the mountain, and you can propose there.”
Alaric hesitated. Yes, that was what he had always pictured. But did he want to share it with a stranger?
He might as well. He’d be sharing everything else with her soon enough.
“A picnic would be perfect. Thank you, Marta.”
“It will help make the test more personal. And I’ve slipped in a few tests of my own. I have to make sure this girl is worthy of my son.”
She hugged Alaric and returned to her chair. Hilda secured her hair with more pins.
Alaric didn’t like the way she looked at him. He had seen that look before. Marta could be stubborn. She was scheming. Probably planning how to rig the Princess Test to keep him from rushing into a political marriage.
He needed to change the subject. Now.
“Has the jeweler sent any messages? I commissioned a new crown for Cael and- and something else. They should be ready by now.”
Queen Marta shook her head.
“I haven’t received any. Anyway, Cael and Henry won’t be joining us for the Council. There’s an emergency with the family goats.”
Alaric groaned. He had never understood his stepbrothers’ insistence on maintaining the family goat herd.
“What about Benjamin and Marcus? Their session at the Royal Academy ended last week. They should be here soon.”
“Didn’t Stefan tell you? Everyone at the Academy is ill. They’re not well enough to travel.”
“What? Are you telling me that out of the six princes of Aeonia, only Stefan and I will be there?”
“It will be fine, Alaric.”
“This is the Council of Kings, not a family dinner! Henry and Cael are princes as much as Stefan and I are. They should be at the greeting ceremony. They should be here to help!”
“They’re not trying to shirk their duties, Alaric. Sometimes goats need immediate attention. Eva can’t handle them on her own all the time. Henry and Cael will be back as soon as they can.”
“We can hire someone to take care of the blasted goats!”
Marta fixed him with a reproving glance. Her pleasant face could look very stern.
“Our family has herded goats for generations, Alaric. Longer than your family has ruled. They wouldn’t have gone if it wasn’t an emergency.”
“I should get ready for the welcome ceremony. Please excuse me.”
Alaric bowed to Marta and left before he said something he’d regret. Goats. The Council of Kings was arriving tonight, and his stepbrothers were herding goats.
He walked back to his room. He had hours until the greeting ceremony, but he had a lot to do. For one, he needed to learn the girl’s names.
7
Lina walked the entire perimeter of the city. Twice. She ducked behind trash heaps and into alleyways often to check her ring. It should shine a darker red when she was closer to the danger.
But it didn’t. In every part of the city, the ring glowed white and then flashed pink. Lina didn’t know what that meant. It should be red or white. Had her enchanted sleep damaged the ring? She didn’t sense a change in its magic.
Gathering storm clouds in the sky reflected her mood.
The sun had set by the time Lina gave up on finding the danger. Thunder rumbled overhead as she trudged back to the middle of Mias. She was exhausted. The apple the scholar had given her was the only food she’d eaten all day. But the Council of Kings needed to know about this.
A flash of lightning lit the sky, and raindrops plinked on the cobblestone streets. Lina kept a steady pace while everyone around her rushed to get home. They knew what summer storms in Aeonia could do.
So did Lina. She just didn’t care. She didn’t have the energy to walk any faster. The scattered raindrops turned to a downpour. They washed the dirt and dust from Lina’s dress and plastered her hair to her skin. She clutched her arms around her chest and kept walking. One step at a time. That was all she could do.
The castle lights twinkled in the distance. Lina’s stomach growled with the thunder. She gritted her teeth and kept going. The streets were bare now. No one else was crazy enough to be out in the storm. They had secured window shutters and settled in for the night.
Only lightning and the occasional beam of light from a broken shutter lit Lina’s way. She kept walking. Kept trudging towards the castle. Th
e council needed to know. They needed to know she was awake. They needed to know they were in danger.
The gates were closed. Of course they were. Even the castle had shuttered to protect against the storm. Lina crossed the bridge and pounded on the gate, but the wind and rain swallowed the sounds.
“Let me in!” she yelled. “I need to speak to the Council of Kings!”
No answer. Lina watched guards patrol the top of the towers, but they couldn’t hear her. When the storm quieted, she screamed as loud as she could. She waited for another lull and screamed again. Her fists pounded against the wood. She kicked the gate until her shoe ripped.
“The gate is closed. Go home, girl.”
Lina looked up. A small window in the gate slid open. A guard glared down at her. Lina straightened.
“I must speak to the Council of Kings at once.”
The guard raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t close the window. That was something.
“On what business?”
Lina swallowed.
“I’m reporting back from a secret mission.”
The guard raised his other eyebrow.
“You? Who are you?”
Lina shivered. She couldn’t tell him her name. The Council clearly wanted her to be a secret. She had only one choice.
“Tell the Council I gave this password: I am a goat.”
The guard stared at her. Lina groaned. She should never have let Luca choose her password. Then again, she probably shouldn’t have made his password “I have donkey breath.”
“We’ll reopen the gate in the morning. Go home.”
“No! You’re in danger! I must speak to the Council of Kings immediately! I am a goat!”
The guard lifted a lantern and examined her. Rain pelted his face and drenched his beard. Lina could only imagine what she looked like. She hadn’t looked good before being caught in the rain. And she smelled like fish from her afternoon on the docks. She stood on her tiptoes and screamed into the guard’s face.
“I demand to see the Council of Kings! I! Am! A! Goat!”
The guard slid the window shut and clicked the latch. Lina slumped against the gate and shielded her face from the storm with her hands. She would stay here all night if necessary. She had guarded Aeonia for years. What was one more night?
The Princess and the Pea (Fairy Tale Adventures Book 1) Page 4