Prisoner of the Crown

by Cheryl Oblon

  “I don’t want your pity. If you can keep this infant ruler out of trouble, it’d be a help. Call the guards, call Nemal since he seems to like you so much, Marel. Keep her from embarrassing us.” Minnette scoffed.

  “Do I at least get points for staying away from your man and brothers tonight?” I asked.

  Minnette took a step back. “Your humor has returned. You were a sad creature there for a day or so. Glad to see you’ve recovered so quickly.”

  That was low. My mother taught me the duty of her job. She’d missed plenty of things because of her work. I never stopped thinking of her or wearing her necklace, but if I wallowed in grief, I’d be failing her in another way. “I don’t have much choice but to get on with life. I would like a funeral and to see my mother properly honored, if possible. I’m not even allowed to wear mourning clothes.”

  “Bachal first. Find Remmy a wife. I don’t need your help, but Mother wants marriages and strong family lines.” Minnette turned and left.

  “So, who does she hate more?” I asked Marel once the door shut behind the princess.

  “You win for current dislike. I probably have the longest grudge prize, though.” Marel reached for the row of buttons on the back of my dress.

  “You must tell me the story. I’m so sick of talking about myself and my family problems,” I said.

  “Maybe another night. You need rest, and I think we both need a bit more food after eating like birds at dinner to look graceful. What do you have a taste for?” Marel asked.

  “I’m not really hungry. Maybe some herbal tea,” I said.

  She slid my dress down. “Cookies with the tea, and I’ll tell you about Minn’s soon-to-be hubby.”

  “Deal.” I stepped out of the dress. While she hung it up, I ordered tea and cookies from the food generator. With any luck, Minnette’s marriage would be the big story, and I’d stop being of such interest.

  Chapter 9

  “He’s gorgeous, of course. Minn must always show off her status as obviously as possible. Fine form and a respectable family that isn’t poor.” Marel popped another cookie in her mouth.

  I ate the shortbread cookies on my plate then sipped my tea. Leaning on a pile of pillows in my bed, I certainly preferred this room. Marel sat on the edge of the bed, supervising the large plate of cookies she’d ordered from the generator. Dipping into her mind, I found that her new responsibilities were stressing her out more than she showed.

  “Well, I can’t fault her for that. There is nothing wrong with a good-looking man.” I smiled. Nemal popped in my head first, but Remmy was handsome, too, and the elder prince of the shifter nation had a rugged and powerful quality. Something in me wanted to see him shift to dragon form.

  “No, of course not. But Minn’s man is quiet and brooding. Not royal. They met at some speech Minn gave when she was touring the country. He asked some tough questions about giving the non-royals a voice.” Marel sipped her tea and selected another cookie.

  “Minn doesn’t usually like to be questioned or confronted. Then again, this marriage might just be to pacify the public. His daughters will be queen. A non-royal in the mix.” I twisted my hair in my fingers and popped a clip in it to keep it out of the way.

  “Naturally, the queen has investigated him. There are questions,” Marel said.

  “Questions? I didn’t get close enough to him to read him, at all. Too many new people. Plus, Minnette glaring at me like she’ll set me on fire if I get too close.” I sat back and tapped my nails on the plate.

  “You’ll get the chance. He’s always around. Rumor is he’s the son of a shifter. A female who fled here. There are plenty of Bachal women who do that. He was born here, they have all that proof. But no one knows what sort of shifter he is or who he sides with. Is he a spy?” Marel grabbed another cookie. “You should have one. You look pale.”

  I ate another cookie. “He’s not a shifter. Rebel, maybe. I always look pale. My mother was very old-fashioned royal. Not a lot of time out in the sun, even with the protective dome to keep us safe. I had extra classes with my grandmother before and after school until the day she died.” I shook my head. “I did feel he was hiding something. I think the queen is testing Minnette. Seeing how she chooses a mate. How she relates to the Bachal and her people. If the queen doesn’t like him, she can always throw him in the dungeon or worse. Maybe it’s just a men-wanting-equality, rebel thing. That would be controversial—for Minnette to marry a man who wants change.”

  Marel nodded. “Where are his loyalties? The Bachal would certainly try to exploit it if he were a rebel.”

  “And the queen is allowing this relationship?” I asked.

  “Minn is Minn. If she’s going to rule one day, she must make mistakes and learn from them. Pay attention to her weaknesses and overcome them. She’s always been aware of her position but not the consequences of it. The queen wants Minn to arrange her own marriage in the hopes it’ll be a happy one. So many royal marriages are arranged and many end in open affairs and separations. Your parents were arranged, and it didn’t end well. The queen won’t admit a mistake like that, but my mother said there will be far fewer arranged marriages,” Marel said.

  “Arranged is such a harsh word. My parents said they could’ve refused.” I hadn’t been shy about asking questions when they started fighting.

  “They could have, but it was a lot different back then. Who would marry them after they rejected a match approved by the queen? Very touchy situations. There are always rumors, but I think the queen is letting Minn go too far with this man.” Marel shrugged.

  “You wouldn’t mind if Minnette falls on her face and is humiliated.” I smiled.

  “You wouldn’t mind it, either. But I don’t want our country embarrassed or the Bachal given more power or leverage.” Marel’s tone became very serious.

  “So, what are the rumors about me?” I asked.

  She shoved another cookie in her mouth and shook her head. Covering her mouth, she said, “Nothing.”

  “Come on. They’ve isolated me so much. I didn’t hurt my mother, and while they went through the motions, I’ve never been really treated like a suspect. My cousin is over eighteen and could watch over me. A day or two to search things and talk to people, I understand. Why keep me here if they aren’t keeping me from something?” I’d tried to read Marel’s mind before, but the brain wasn’t a filing system one could search like a computer.

  “You did nothing wrong. And no one really thinks you’re crazy. Minn might want to label you that way. Maybe your mother, too, but I don’t think Minn is that self-destructive.”

  I sipped my tea for some sensation of comfort. “She doesn’t want me for a Royal Seer. I don’t adore her blindly.”

  “Few people do who know her.” Marel blushed. “Sorry, that was personal. But she doesn’t think she needs you. She enjoys all the perks of being a princess with only some of the unpleasantness. Formal functions and speeches. The pressure of ruling doesn’t seem to sink into her brain.”

  “You’re very perceptive. What happened between you and her?” I asked.

  “It really doesn’t matter. That story won’t help you, now, trust me. I prefer not being seen at court as much. Free to indulge in my art and gossip.” Marel took my empty cup and hers to the generator for more tea.

  “Thank you. You’re not my servant, not really. I won’t treat you that way.” I’d need help with some of the dresses, certainly. Marel would help with more elaborate hairstyles and fetching me things since she knew the castle well. But my mother had been careful not to raise me with a princess attitude.

  “Please, I could use the extra steps. Minn said if I walked around the castle grounds all day, someday, I might be slim enough to attend her.” Marel returned with two steaming cups.

  “When did she say that?” I set my mug on the bedside table.

  “Yesterday. She enjoys her little digs. Immature for a woman thinking about marriage.” Mar
el sat.

  “She’s too young to marry, if you ask me. Remmy, too. I know Minnette needs heirs, but it’s like she’s trying to lock it all up so early. To prove something. And the queen isn’t objecting. Maybe it’s something to do with the Bachal?” If the queen wanted me here so badly, and it wasn’t about my mother’s judgment, maybe it was the guests. Losing my mother hurt, but until I knew whether she was ruled sane or not, my life hung in the balance. If I let my emotions take hold of me, I’d only hurt my situation.

  The timing of these issues couldn’t be worse, so how could it be coincidence?

  “What sort of rebel do you think he is? Men’s rights or down with the monarchy?” Marel asked.

  I snapped back to the conversation at hand. “I don’t know. If I get close enough, I should be able to sense it. Like sensing what sort of shifter a Bachal citizen is. But I can’t believe the queen is letting this go so far with a rebel. She knows he’s bad news, I’m sure of it.”

  Marel shrugged. “He is handsome. But so are the princes. What sort of shifters are they?”

  Shifters were rare in our country, so the curiosity was natural. “The Bachal’s eldest prince is a dragon shifter.”

  “Impressive. I’d love to see a shifting display.” Marel grinned.

  “I doubt we’ll get the chance. They don’t like to shift in front of others. I’d like to see a dragon or a unicorn, but we have bigger issues.” I broke up the cookie still sitting on my plate. “Please tell me what people are saying about me.”

  Marel chewed her lower lip. “It’s nothing bad, really. They think your father or someone close to him may have had a hand in your mother’s death. Either making her so depressed with private messages or slipping her something to end her life. No one knows anything. It’s just gossip.”

  “What good would that do for him? Even if he was with a new woman, killing my mother won’t gain that new woman anything.” I set the plate on the table and brushed my hands together to get rid of the crumbs. I wasn’t hungry, at all. I was anxious and angry.

  “If you’re still underage, they could’ve pushed for you to stay with them. But the queen needs a seer, so obviously that’s a long shot, and legally, you inherit, not your father. There are also rumors someone put a spell on your mother. She’d been so reclusive. There were whispers…” Marel stopped herself with another cookie.

  “What?” I insisted.

  She chewed thoughtfully and took a sip of tea. “My mother told me that your mother had an old and very close friend who was a very powerful spell caster.”

  “Was? Is she dead?” I asked.

  “No, not dead. But no one has seen her years. She moved to the country and has a small place. Some called her an old hermit witch. She hated the court life, even though she’d been very powerful here when we were little. I remember her vaguely.” Marel frowned. “I asked my mother about her because I think she and your mother were always together.”

  “What was her name?” My mother had a lot of friends when I was younger. I might recognize some of the faces but couldn’t recall any names. My parents’ fights seemed to drive her friends all away, or at least kept them from visiting the estate. Mother turned to residing at court a lot when she and Father fought, but I had school, and she was firm about education before I mentored under her. There had always been plenty of time to do things until now. Our time was gone.

  “Simma. She would be about your mother’s age. Probably friends from school. Have you had any odd visitors?” Marel asked.

  “No visitors but Julianne and Ember. My aunt today.”

  “The guards should’ve stopped her,” Marel said.

  How sweet and trusting this woman was. “They let her through on purpose. It was a test to see how I’d react. I’ll be under constant scrutiny. No doubt the queen will ask you about me.”

  “I can’t imagine what you’re going through. Cut off from your family and home.” Marel sighed.

  I smiled. “I can’t imagine being kept in the shadows and back corridors of the palace because of Minnette’s ego. You’re far too nice about it all.”

  Marel shrugged. “It’s my own fault. People tried to help. I just like to eat and paint. My talents aren’t athletic.”

  “You’re lying. You’ve tried to be active.” I hated to use my gifts on her, but she needed to know lying to me was useless.

  “I tried. But I’m not good at it. I trip and fall. I was teased and the butt of jokes if I walked laps around the castle. Boys would ask if I was lost or stuck. Where was I going? Trying to run or anything more intense and I’d make a real fool of myself. The gym and the pool are filled with trim people, and when I did get brave enough, I was stared and snickered at.” Her lip quivered, but she took a deep breath.

  I felt her push down her shame and the past snubs and cruelty. She was eating her pain and all the feelings she never dealt with. Part of me wanted to say something, but the depth of her hurting told me it wasn’t the right moment. We’d only known each other a short time. I didn’t care what she looked like, but she wasn’t happy, either.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry and bring up that much of your unpleasant past. I wanted to give you credit for trying. I’ve had my share of cruel remarks about my parents’ divorce. No one from the fifth family should get divorced.” I rolled my eyes.

  “Yes, the mental gifts scare everyone. Old superstitions and fears. For all the rebuilding that went into the country, your powers still freak out so many people. Like if you got depressed, it’s not just about you. No, you might randomly kill someone or take it out on others. Mental health has come so far.” Marel shook her head.

  “But we don’t fully understand the gifts of magic. Since they can’t override or control the gifts in the fifth family, they have to be worried. Much like the shifters, why are they the way they are? How much of the animal controls them? Spell casters can control the other families’ gifts. They can bind you from throwing fire or ice, but they can’t stop my telepathy or telekinesis. Nothing can. People fear what they can’t control.”

  “You’re very stable. My mother wouldn’t let me be here if the queen wasn’t sure I was safe.” Marel smiled.

  “I’m glad someone is looking out for you. And if you want to walk the grounds or go to the gym, I’ll go with you. Pretend it’s for me and you’re just dragged along. If anyone says anything, I’m not shy. Minnette throws around her status, but I can nudge people into better behavior with mine. Royal Seer is a pretty good title. Fairly high.”

  “Good? You’re one of the most powerful women in the country, if the queen listens to you. It’s still in the trial phase. Some people are betting you’ll be killed within a week.” Marel froze after the words were out of her mouth.

  I laughed. Marel was becoming more comfortable and confident around me if she’d let that slip out. “Really? They think the queen will take the easy way and call my mother insane. Kill off her line, and then Minnette will influence her mother to pick the next Royal Seer from my relatives.”

  “Sorry, but you wanted the gossip. I should’ve kept my mouth shut. It’s a minority. Really. Some think you’ll be set aside for someone else just in case but not really killed. Others think it’s just the divorce, and you’ll be fine. It’s been years since that great aunt of yours was eliminated.” Marel waved it off.

  I nodded. It was how my grandmother became the Royal Seer. She’d had a daughter and a granddaughter. I was a baby at the time, so the line was clear and secure.

  My great aunt had never trusted the Bachal and wanted no part of a treaty with them. She refused to help the queen. Her line was eliminated. Every family had their shame, and she was ours. She’d have visions of the wars and history that triggered horrible panic attacks. I’d heard the stories from my grandmother.

  “I won’t be terminated. I might not like a future with Minnette, but I’m not crazy. I’m not under a spell or my father’s influence. I just need to prove myse
lf. That would take a bit of time and testing.” Simple survival as a goal made things clearer. I had family to protect and an estate to run, but for now, I had to stay alive and form alliances to protect my interests and neck. Minnette wanted me out.

  “You’ll be fine.” Marel nodded.

  “Who is on my side?” I asked.

  “Remmy, LeFawn. Nemal certainly seems to be, but Minn relies on him, as well. Not as big of a rift there. The queen must believe in you if you’re free to attend diplomatic functions. The big problem is you’re so young. They’ve never had a Royal Seer so young and unmarried. To advise the monarch with so little life experience…That is the problem most of the court sees. So, you have to act mature, which you are, and keep a low profile, for now. Don’t demand to be at the queen’s side. Do your work from the sidelines and speak to her in private. Especially until the thing with your mother and father is all resolved.” Marel took a long drink of her tea.

  My mug still sat there. “I haven’t been formally installed as the Royal Seer.”

  “No, I’m sure they retrieved the tiara from your mother’s things. You have her pendant, and everyone knows who you are. You are the ruler of the fifth family. That is automatic. Stay alive, it’s the best thing you can do. If the worst thing that happens is you’re not formally installed as seer until you’re eighteen or whatever—it’s not a big deal. No one else is as powerful as you in your family. They won’t unseat you.” Marel waved off that idea.

  I wasn’t as sure. “If Minnette finds someone she’d rather work with, it might happen.”

  “Long live the queen. Minn might do something foolish if she rose to power too young. Getting away from court wouldn’t be so bad. You said you wanted to go home,” Marel said.

  “True.” I’d rather be home, but my ego stung. My parents’ shame now compounded with my mother’s questionable end. The emotions pounded in me, and I needed an outlet. “We should go to the gym tomorrow. I need a swim or a run.”

  “Sure.” Marel’s face fell. “If it’ll help you.”