Wake up. Yes, she was trying to wake up. That was her goal.
“Lina, can you hear me?”
The voice sounded familiar. She didn’t know it as well as Luca’s, but she had the vague impression she had met this person before.
Her sides ached. The magic had nearly mended her ribs. Just a few minutes more. She focused on breathing as the voices continued.
“Lina, please! Alaric needs you!”
Marta. That was the name that went with the voice. Who was she talking about?
“I don’t think she can hear me, Hilda. What do we do?”
“You are certain they will make Alaric choose a bride?”
“If Bastien was correct, then yes.”
A pause.
“We could set the throne room on fire.”
“Hilda!”
“It would force the Council’s retreat. It would buy us time.”
“Could we do it without anyone seeing us?” Queen Marta asked. “We won’t be able to get into the throne room without raising suspicion.”
“I know a few servants who are crafty enough,” another voice said.
A man’s voice.
“Go fetch them,” Queen Marta said. “Thank you, Bastien.”
Hilda laughed.
“What is so funny?”
“You are, Your Highness. You pretend you don’t care about these things, but you’re the most meddlesome person in this castle.”
“My son’s happiness is on the line. Not to mention Lina’s. I’ll burn the whole castle down if I have to. Go fetch some torches, Hilda.”
“Yes, My Lady.”
Lina stirred. Torches. Fire. They were threatening the castle. Aeonia needed her protection.
She gathered all her strength and opened her eyes.
Light flooded her vision. She blinked. Even that motion hurt, but she was awake! The day’s events flooded back to her. The fight with Nog. Kissing Alaric. A strange dream that the castle was on fire. She turned her head.
“Where’s Alaric?”
Queen Marta and Hilda’s jaws dropped.
“You’re awake!” Queen Marta said. “How do you feel?”
“Not great. Are the princesses safe?”
“Yes. Drink this. We won’t have to set the castle on fire after all!”
Apparently that part hadn’t been a dream. Lina drank the vial of potion Queen Marta gave her.
“Why would you set the castle on fire?”
“The King of Gaveron is trying to take over Aeonia. He claims he has the right because Alaric didn’t choose a bride in the Princess Test. Because he isn’t noble. Alaric has gone to declare a winner to prevent the takeover.”
And she wasn’t there. Lina grimaced.
“Alaric’s already made his choice. He’ll choose Carina.”
“He wants you, Lina.”
Marta’s serious expression caught her off guard. Lina winced.
“He doesn’t. I kissed him on the mountain. He clearly wished I hadn’t. I think it would be better if I left. He’ll be happy with Carina once he gets to know her.”
“Evangelina Shadow-Storm, you are going to the throne room to stop him even if I have to carry you.”
Lina blinked. Hilda stepped forward.
“I’ll help you carry her, Your Majesty. It will be much easier than starting a fire.”
Lina turned to Hilda.
“Please, he doesn’t want me. It would just be embarrassing.”
“He only left your side to keep the King of Gaveron from taking over. He even brought in a mattress so he could sleep here and keep watch over you tonight.”
She gestured to a mattress on the floor. Lina blinked. Maybe Alaric did feel something for her. Even if he didn’t, she owed it to Aeonia to make sure the King of Gaveron did not succeed in his plot.
“I’ll go,” she said. “You might need to carry me after all, though. I’m not sure I can walk.”
Hilda tucked her arms under Lina’s shoulders. Marta grabbed her ankles. The women jogged through the corridor as fast as they could. There was no time to waste. They made a strange sight going down the hallway. Servants and nobility scuttled out of their way.
They stopped outside the throne room door.
“Put me down,” Lina said. “I’ll look stronger if I walk in. I need them to take me seriously.”
“You won’t look strong if you faint,” Marta said.
“Please.”
Marta lowered Lina’s ankles to the ground. Hilda released her shoulders. Lina swayed but managed to stay upright. Marta nodded to the guards. They swung the doors open.
“Announce her with a trumpet blast,” Marta said. “And Lina, I wouldn’t mention the goblin if I were you. Or my true identity. The Council won’t believe anything without proof.”
The trumpeters raised their instruments to their lips and blew a long blast. Lina walked slowly into the throne room.
49
Alaric stepped towards Fiora. Carina didn’t deserve to be trapped. If someone had to be miserable, it should be him. He was the one trying to prove his right to rule.
Fiora blinked in surprise. Then she smiled at him. Her fierce face softened. She reached for Alaric’s hand.
The doors flew open. The trumpets blared.
Alaric winced. He hated those trumpets. Who was possibly coming in that needed to be announced by trumpets?
His heart skipped a beat. It was Lina. She walked slowly. Proudly. Her head held high.
Alaric turned away from Fiora. He rushed to Lina’s side and helped her to the center of the room. She leaned against him with most of her weight.
“Will you marry me?” she whispered.
Alaric stumbled.
“What?”
“I have a plan. Are you willing to marry me if necessary? To save Aeonia?”
Yes! A thousand times yes! Alaric wanted to tell her he loved her. Wanted to tell her he would fight a hundred goblins to protect her.
But the sound wouldn’t come out. He opened and shut his mouth a few times. What was it about Lina that turned him into a babbling idiot?
He closed his mouth and nodded.
Lina squeezed his hand and stepped away from him. She faced the Council of Kings and looked straight at the King of Gaveron.
The king’s face contorted into a sneer.
“I’m sorry, Princess. You’ve been disqualified from the Princess Test. Your little mountain adventure counts as spending time alone with the prince. What you did up there to gain those bruises, I can’t imagine. But it doesn’t matter. You broke the rules.”
Lina nodded.
“I know the rules of the Princess Test. I did not come here to discuss them.”
“She’s my choice,” Alaric said. “I chose her before that. See? I’ve already given her my ring.”
He held Lina’s hand up. The diamond and emerald rings on her finger glistened in the light. Fiora stepped back into the line of princesses and crossed her arms. The King of Kell glared at everyone around the room but said nothing.
“That doesn’t matter,” the King of Gaveron said. “She is still disqualified. This Princess Test has been a disaster from the start. My fellow kings, if Prince Alaric is incapable of choosing a bride, how will he rule a nation? Should we allow a goat herder and the descendants of murderers a place among us? I say we should not. I move for Gaveron to assume rule of Aeonia.”
“I will not allow you to claim our land for yourself!” Alaric said.
The King of Gaveron smiled at him as if the outburst proved his point.
“I am not speaking for myself. There is someone with a far greater claim to this throne than you. He came to me for help, and I agreed to beseech the Council of Kings on his behalf. If Gaveron is given rule of Aeonia, I will see that he is given the throne at the proper time.”
“The results of a Princess Test have never been used to prove the competence of a ruler,” Lina said. “You are trying to turn the situation to your favor. But you are c
orrect about one thing, King of Gaveron. There is someone in this room with a far greater claim to the Aeonian throne than Prince Alaric.”
Alaric flinched. The King of Gaveron looked confused.
“I told you, I’m not speaking of myself. The one with a claim to the throne is not in this room. I have kept him secret to ensure his safety. He is-”
“Whatever impostor you’ve found doesn’t matter, King of Gaveron. My name is Evangelina Shadow-Storm. I am a member of the royal family of Aeonia, born long before any of you. I slept for over a hundred years to save this land from a horde of dark creatures. I am the rightful heir to the throne of Aeonia, and I choose Prince Alaric as my consort to rule by my side. We will take care of the rule of Aeonia. Your interference is not necessary.”
Lina swayed slightly. Alaric slipped his arm around her. They would stand together.
50
Lina leaned against Alaric’s shoulder. She didn’t have much strength left. That speech had exhausted most of it. Whatever she did, she needed to do it quickly.
The King of Gaveron’s stunned silence turned into laughter. Most of the kings joined him.
“The girl is insane,” he said. “She has fallen and injured her head. She thinks she is a fairy tale. The prince’s play has made her delusional.”
“Alaric, what is this?” King Noam said. “I know you’ve always believed in Evangelina Shadow-Storm, but she isn’t real. There is no proof. This princess is obviously injured. She should be in bed.”
Lina raised her hand. Her diamond flashed in the light.
“I have proof.”
“A magic ring does not prove your identity,” the King of Gaveron said. “It is a child’s trick. An expensive trick, but a plaything nonetheless.”
Lina grinned at him.
“The ring is not the proof. At least, not all of it. The royal family of Aeonia built secrets into this castle. They were carefully guarded. I doubt knowledge of them survived the war. Am I wrong, King of Aeonia?”
King Noam studied Lina. He shook his head.
“There are a few passages between rooms that could be called secret, but I know of nothing else. This castle has been renovated multiple times since the war. Any secrets it held would surely have been discovered.”
“Why are we still speaking to her?” the King of Kell said. “She should be locked away. She is delusional. The prince must choose a bride!”
Alaric tensed. Lina patted his shoulder and winked at him.
“These are not secrets that carpenters could find. Only a member of the royal family with a magical signet ring may unlock them.”
“It’s a trick,” the King of Gaveron said. “She’s looked up some obscure architectural fact in the archives and will use it to deceive us all.”
King Noam ignored the comments and kept his attention focused on Lina.
“My son trusts this young woman. Alaric, you believe her story?”
Alaric nodded.
“I do, father. I trust Evangelina Shadow-Storm with my life.”
King Noam bowed to Lina.
“Then show us your proof, my dear. It is the Council’s tradition to accept testimony if three pieces of evidence support it. You must show us three things that prove your identity. For all of our sakes, I hope your secrets are truly spectacular.”
Lina grinned.
“Don’t worry. They are.”
She walked towards the King of Gaveron. He sat on the throne at the end of the room. Alaric walked with her. He was supporting most of her weight now. She would fall if he let go.
Lina stopped a few feet away from the throne.
“In addition to being a member of the royal family, I was a trusted agent of the Council of Kings in my time. An elite shadow warrior in charge of their protection. The King of Gaveron was the ceremonial head of the Council then as well.”
The King of Gaveron bristled.
“My position is more than ceremonial. I am responsible for the wellbeing of all the countries in Myora. I take this responsibility seriously.”
“Yes, you showed how seriously you take that responsibility when you aided Aeonia during their civil war.”
“I did not interfere in the war.”
“Exactly. King Noam ended the war with his marriage. Aeonia did not need your help then. We don’t need it now. But that hasn’t stopped you from sitting in the king’s throne as if you had fulfilled your duties to perfection.”
The King of Gaveron jumped to his feet.
“This is an outrage! I will not be insulted by a deranged girl.”
Lina winked at him.
“Thank you for standing, Your Highness. If you would step to the side.”
The King of Gaveron sputtered.
“Just do it,” the King of Santelle said. “Let her present her evidence so we may put this matter to rest.”
“I see you have made your allegiances clear, King of Santelle.”
The King of Santelle shrugged.
“Santelle does not fear Gaveron. We don’t fear anyone outside our borders.”
The King of Gaveron glared at the King of Santelle, but he stepped to the side. Lina collapsed into the throne.
“Stand over there, Alaric. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Lina, what are you going to do?”
She waved her hand. Alaric took a few steps to the side.
Lina swept her gaze across the room, meeting the eyes of every king.
“Magic used to be an essential part of life in Aeonia. That was not a lifestyle without risks. More than once the king was attacked. He built protection into his throne.”
She slipped her diamond into a small hole in the side of the arm rest and turned her hand. The latch clicked. A haze of pearly magic engulfed the throne.
Everyone gasped.
“It’s a trap!” the King of Gaveron said. “She’s tricking you! She’s a witch!”
Lina pulled her ring from the throne. The shield around her disappeared.
“I present this secret of the Kings of Aeonia as my first piece of evidence: a protection spell unlocked with my signet ring. Does the Council accept this?”
Most of the kings nodded.
“You’re fools,” the King of Gaveron said. “So she knows one trick. That hardly counts as knowledge of castle secrets.”
Lina bristled.
“I have more.”
“Let her present the rest of her evidence,” the King of Montaigne said. “She must present two more items.”
He smiled at Lina. She smiled back. He was much younger than the other kings. About her own age. He could not have been ruling long. She curtsied to him.
“This throne room has other secrets if you still doubt me. The king who built this castle loved the night sky. He challenged his architects and enchanters to build a room that let him conduct official business under the stars.”
She walked behind the throne and turned the latch with her ring. Sounds of grating stone filled the room. The domed ceiling opened to reveal a starry sky. The storm had faded completely.
Everyone stared at the sky above them. Lina stepped out from behind the throne and stumbled. Alaric caught her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and held her upright.
“Another secret of Aeonia for the Council,” Lina said. “Do you accept this proof?”
Most of the kings were too busy staring at the sky to respond.
“May I see your ring?” King Noam said.
Lina pulled off the diamond ring and handed it to him.
“It is engraved with the royal seal of Aeonia,” she said. “Don’t try to deny it.”
King Noam examined the ring.
“It is indeed,” he said. “The evidence seems to support your claim.”
“She can show you her temple,” Alaric said. “The place where she slept for a century. The seal that holds the goblins even now.”
Lina smiled at him. King Noam handed the ring to the King of Santelle.
“Examine this
if you like. I am satisfied with her first two pieces of evidence. The secrets of the castle and this signet ring.”
The King of Santelle turned the ring over in his hand.
“It seems authentic. It looks dwarf made. The King of Gaveron could confirm that better than I.”
Everyone looked to the King of Gaveron. He glowered at them.
“The dwarfs of Gaveron no longer forge jewelry for humans.”
“But they did a century ago,” Alaric said. “They were the jewelers of choice for noble families of every country.”
Other kings gathered around the King of Santelle to study the ring.
“It looks dwarf made to me,” the King of Montaigne said. “You can compare it to mine if you like. This has been in our family for generations.”
He held out his hand. The kings examined the two rings and nodded in agreement.
The King of Santelle handed the ring back to Lina. She slipped it on her finger.
“So you believe her?” Alaric said. “You will honor our engagement and Lina’s claim to the throne?”
“Not so fast,” the King of Kell said. “You must present another piece of evidence. A claim must be supported by three pieces.”
“Surely the cave counts,” Alaric said. “The temple where she slept.”
The King of Gaveron sneered.
“Anyone could find a cave or a ring and claim to be the original owner. The third piece must be something more substantial. Perhaps this alleged shadow warrior could perform shadow magic for us?”
Lina’s heart sank. She was exhausted. The King of Gaveron’s sneer said that he knew it.
“Yes,” the King of Kell scoffed. “Perhaps she could turn into a goat.”
Lina stood tall. She stepped away from Alaric’s embrace. Her anger boiled over. She had almost died to save their lives, and they wanted her to turn into a goat to prove her identity?
“I do not turn into a goat!”
Her anger flared into a burst of shadow magic. Dark lightning sparked around the room. It crawled along the marble. Her shadow cloak appeared behind her. The pea ring transformed into a spear.
Her magic faded before her anger did. She sank into Alaric’s arms.
“A demonstration of a shadow warrior’s abilities,” Alaric said. “I present this to the kings as the third piece of evidence.”
The Princess and the Pea (Fairy Tale Adventures Book 1) Page 24