Prisoner of the Crown

by Cheryl Oblon

  “You don’t have to go.” I drank my tea.

  “No, I’ll go. But you have a full day tomorrow. Life at court may sound dull at times, but with visitors like this, you’ll have to attend everything on your schedule.” Marel grabbed the tablet from my desk and handed it to me.

  I reviewed the packed schedule. “You’re right. We might not have time. I’ll look silly in the same gown for all those functions.”

  “I checked your closet. You have ten new gowns and shoes to match. I have three.” She smiled.

  “So, someone is thinking ahead.” I sent a message via the tablet that Marel needed two more gowns. At least. A little test to see if I’d be obeyed or overruled.

  Someone replied swiftly. “First thing in the morning, they’ll be delivered.”

  “What will be?” Marel asked.

  “Two more gowns for you. Don’t let people treat you badly. Ask for what is fair.” I set the tablet on the table.

  She shook her head. “I’m just your attendant.”

  “You’re the artist in residence, a member of the first family, and attendant to the Royal Seer. I’d much rather my mother were here instead, but I can’t change it. So, I’m going to be the Royal Seer she’d want me to be. Young or not. You need to look at your gifts and not how Minnette has marginalized you.” I fluffed a pillow and got comfortable.

  “She won’t change. And I can’t change overnight.” Marel looked down at herself.

  “No, but you can change your attitude and how you see yourself. You’re a kind and friendly person. Very positive and supportive to me. At least, treat yourself that well,” I said.

  “You’re very resilient. If my mother was gone so soon…” Marel bit her lip.

  I smiled. “You’d go on because you have to. It’s a shock, and I cry every night, but we can’t go back in time and change it. People will criticize me, no matter what. If I’d defied the queen and worn a mourning dress tonight, I’d be wrong. I’m sure dancing at a ball or wearing a brightly colored gown would get me in trouble, as well.”

  “We can’t win.” She sighed.

  “We win by surviving. Now, get some sleep. Looks like a long day tomorrow.” I touched the lamp next to the bed, and it dimmed.

  Marel left with the cookies and her tea. Knowing I wasn’t totally alone gave me pause. Was she a spy? She’d been pretty honest for one. When I heard her door slide shut, I slipped from bed and grabbed a sheet of paper, a pencil, and a candle with matches.

  I arranged those items on my bedside table just in case. My mind whirled even as my body demanded sleep. If something struck me in the middle of the night, I wanted to be ready to make a note before I got lost it in a dream.

  Chapter 10

  Gasping, I sat up in bed. The clock read that it was barely one in the morning, but vivid dreams or nightly visions came with the other gifts. I’d slept like the dead before, but now, I had too many disturbing distractions. Nearly a week of this hell, and I wasn’t used to it yet.

  The images blurred. Some were real, like my aunt yelling at me. My father locked in the dungeon could be a vision or a fear. I hated him and worried for him at the same time. Who could I trust? So much information had been kept from me. Adults did that, but now, I had to operate in their world.

  I lit the candle and slipped from under the covers. The long white nightgown bunched at my knees as I slid my feet into the delicate shoes that matched. I wanted to run around the property on my estate and look at the night sky. Dressing for court and behaving properly all the time frustrated me. Being calm and reasonable was a good way to run the country, but my life was in shambles. I needed something.

  Grabbing the candle, I jerked it and a splash of wax hit my leg above the knee. The pain took away the stress for a second. I inhaled deeply and peeled off the wax as it hardened. At least I still had feelings. I didn’t want to become numb. I let a bit more wax drip, and it hit the top of my foot. After a little flinch, I resisted any more accidents.

  Finally, I stood and went to the mirror. A quick smoothing of my hair and a drop of scent and I felt better. I found a wrap in the closet and cinched it around my shoulders. I left Marel a note on my bed, just in case.

  As I approached the door, I sensed a guard sleeping outside. Opening the door would wake him. I’d never used my powers to really hurt anyone, not on purpose, anyway, but this time, it might be necessary. A boy in school had tormented me when I’d developed early. My mental powers were already strong. I’d flattened him with my thoughts. Just knocked him unconscious. Mother pulled me from school for a week to drill into me how to control my powers and my temper.

  I hit the button on the door and woke the guard. He opened it, and I immediately sent a power surge from my mind to his. He swayed on his feet and looked stunned. Grown men needed more. I shocked him again with twice the force, and he slumped back into the chair he’d been sleeping in.

  Closing the door behind me, I cleared my mind and tried to sense my father. He owed me an explanation. I wanted answers directly from him, not filtered through gossip or even edited by the queen. He might lie, but he owed it to me to tell me something to my face.

  I sensed my way through the halls, reading minds and avoiding alert guards. The castle went on and on. The maze of corridors could certainly give someone enough exercise. I feared Marel had given up on her life before it really started. But since the future queen had it out for me, I really was the underdog. If I could retreat to my estate and quietly rule the fifth family away from court, I certainly would.

  As I descended to the dungeon level, I expected more guards. More activity, even at night. I passed two guards who appeared to be sleeping. When I looked closer, I noticed they’d been stunned by some weapon. Alive but deeply unconscious. Only one man appeared to have a broken nose.

  Had someone escaped? A coordinated prisoner revolt? Where were the other guards? There were digital recorders everywhere, so I used my powers to muddle their signals. I might get caught, somehow, but some risks had to be taken. My father wasn’t perfect, but he’d been there when I was little and had played with me. He’d begun breaking the family bond by leaving and not seeing me much when I turned ten, but he’d always come back. Now, I had to see him. Hear him out—once.

  The dungeon lived up to its name. I peeked in various cells to find sad men languishing. Others were chained to the wall. Most slept, but some stared blankly. I couldn’t dwell on each of them. I finally found my father chained to a chair in an open area.

  He’d been beaten. My insides twisted. Being scared and locked in a room was one thing. No one had harmed me. With enough light from the wall sconces, I blew out my candle for the walk back to my room. There was a bucket of water nearby with a ladle. I scooped up some water and held it to his lips.

  His eyes popped open, and he moaned.

  “Shh,” I hissed.

  He drank the water fast, and I went for more. The task kept me from becoming too emotional.

  “I knew you’d come,” he said.

  “Who did you bribe to send the note?” I asked.

  “Note?” He frowned. “I don’t have anything worth using for a bribe, and no one would help me.”

  It was him or my aunt. I couldn’t tell which of them had sent the note, but they’d managed to bribe someone to do it. They had friends in the castle. I couldn’t tell if he was lying, but my father was good at playing dumb when he wanted to avoid things.

  “What did you do?” I asked.

  After another drink of water, he leaned his head back on the hard chair. “I ran.”

  I folded my arms. “That’s it? That’s a confession, and you deserve to be punished for running if there isn’t more.”

  “I was afraid they’d blame your mother’s death on me. I’m sorry about her. I am, but I didn’t do it. I’d never do that to you. More water, please.” He licked his lips.

  I gave in on the water. “I want to believe you’d never hur
t Mother, but running away…toward the border. Then, Aunt Elani bursting in on a diplomatic function? You look like a crazy family of traitors. She had no respect for the queen.”

  “But not you, right? You don’t look like a traitor. You’re the Royal Seer now.” His expression was blank, but I could feel his disappointment.

  “They forced me to the castle. Questioned me. I found Mother, and they wouldn’t let me stay with her. I think they only held me to keep me from being influenced or talking to others. Now the Bachal are here, and I’m playing seer. I can’t leave until she passes judgment and the Bachal are gone. I’m not exactly a pampered guest. I can’t go home.” I pulled my wrap tighter around my shoulders.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t hurt your mother. No one in my family would do that to you. They all saw you as their ticket to influence. Someday, when you were grown, they wanted to use your status to open some doors.” He eyed the bucket of water again.

  I gave him another drink. “Use my status?”

  “That’s the way this government works. The monarchy system. They all use each other. They’re using you, now. Keeping you here against your will and calling it protection suits the queen. Your mother bought into the crown and the power. The five families are strong, but the Bachal are wild and motivated.” He shook his head.

  I ladled more water for him. He sided with the rebels; I’d always known that. But the Bachal? What did he know about them? My mother had spoken about them briefly but not in that much detail.

  “Who would want to hurt Mother?” I asked.

  “Honey, royal politics are full of enemies. You’ll find them in my family, in hers and in the four other families who want another Royal Seer in place. I’m glad they took you away to keep you safe, but you’ll never be free. Your position is high ranking. People will flatter you, fear you, lie to you and try to gain your favor—for their benefit.”

  “My mother wasn’t crazy. You know that. You believe it?” He’d been away long enough. I didn’t want to hear him give me advice or be paternal. All I wanted to know was what he believed.

  “She wasn’t crazy. Very balanced and stable. Boring, really. I know my leaving hurt her, embarrassed her. But she had you. I didn’t come around so she could move on. We never loved each other. Not the way a married couple should. We wanted a family and a position. It was the right match for certain goals.”

  “Goals?” I repeated.

  “It was different before you were born. This country struggled to keep the rules about caring for the land and keeping people fed. Technology helped, and the crown was in danger. Technology can be dangerous. Food generators were great, but what if the droids were reprogrammed to rise up? There was a clash of how much technology we’d use. I think the technology won, but the human scrutiny and override controls are extensive.”

  “What does this have to do with your marriage?” I asked.

  “My parents were both technology creators. No magical powers. You know that. I had money. But when I had a little bit of the mental gift, they pushed me forward. They wanted me to marry into the fifth family to have a connection. I liked your mother. I did.” He sighed.

  I scooped up more water. There was more to him, but I asked about the marriage.

  “We tried to make it work. One daughter, and everyone was happy. We could live apart if we wanted. No pressure, really. Then, it all went bad fast. Your great aunt was condemned, and your grandmother took the title of Royal Seer. My parents thought they’d hit the jackpot. You would one day be a Royal Seer. My family would be protected by a royal connection.” He took another sip from the ladle.

  “But you didn’t go home to them when you left. You took up with some woman,” I said.

  “My parents didn’t want me. I had the money your mother gave me in the settlement, I wasn’t broke. But they wanted the royal connection. I’d given up instead of sticking it out for the good of the family. It seemed like you’d side with your mother and her family. It was my fault for leaving.” He sipped more water.

  “Was it?” I asked.

  “I left. She was wrapped up in the crown. Always with the queen at the castle. You were there, too—at school. I admit, I cheated.”

  “So, she threw you out?” I asked.

  “No, she wanted me to stay. Keep it quiet. She didn’t want you to know, but she didn’t care. I was sick of it. Sick of living my life for my parents’ connections.”

  “Or your daughter.” I dropped the ladle in the bucket.

  “No, I wanted to keep seeing you. But your mother wasn’t happy with me. We both deserved to find the right person. I know it embarrassed her. Status never meant as much to me. At least, not royal status.”

  “Right. You just wanted to abolish the monarchy?” I asked.

  “I never said that or did anything to directly advance that cause.” It was a pat answer you’d give a guard.

  “You want elections and to let men rule?” I asked.

  “Politics has nothing to do with your mother’s death,” he said.

  He was hiding something else. There was something he didn’t want to tell me, and he could still block me.

  “What are you hiding?” I asked.

  “Nothing. I’m not perfect. If I hadn’t been married to your mother, no one would give a damn what I say or think.” He shrugged.

  I stepped closer. “That’s true, but they do care. The rebels would rally around you. But you’re holding back something about Mother.”

  “She wasn’t a saint, either. That’s all. You’re her daughter. You want her to be innocent and a victim. She wasn’t always perfect,” he said.

  “She had her flaws and made mistakes. Of course.” I folded my arms tight.

  “I’m not trying to hurt you. You’re the one asking this stuff.”

  Resentment built up. “If she did kill herself, you drove her to it.”

  “No, no. I didn’t. That’s the shame royals put on her, not me. She wasn’t the only one with someone on the side. She didn’t care about mine, because she had one herself. You don’t want to hear it, but it’s true.”

  “That’s crazy. I’d have known. Especially since you left,” I replied.

  “She could block you. Hide her thoughts. And she kept it out of the house. I’m not lying. I have no reason to. All you can do is plead my case for sympathy, if you want to, but the queen will do whatever she wants with me. And I could use a little more water, please.” He sighed.

  I gave him some more water. “Who was it?”

  He drank and when finished remained silent.

  “Tell me who he was,” I said.

  “That won’t help you.” He closed his eyes. “I need to get some sleep. They’ll be at it again with me before dawn.”

  “It’ll help me figure out what was wrong with Mother before she died. What she was feeling. Who she was seeing. If she was hiding so much from me, she might’ve told this other man the truth. We could interview him. Does the queen know?” I asked.

  “There is little the queen and her minions don’t know. I won’t be the one to tell you. Goodnight. I hope I see you again.” His eyes remained firmly closed.

  “Men,” I muttered. Did he care? He was trying to stay alive; I understood that. We might still love each other as family, but we weren’t on the same side.

  Chapter 11

  There was one person who’d tell me the nasty truth about my mother without delay. I trudged through the cold dampness of the dungeon until I sensed my aunt. Her indignant rage was hard to miss. Shockingly, she wasn’t screaming at the top of her lungs for freedom.

  I wound through the maze until I found her cell in the back. No doubt she’d been making enough noise at one point to deserve the location. I found a chair and pushed it to the door. Standing on the chair, I could see through the small window. One of her wrists was shackled to the wall with enough chain slack to let her move about the cell.

  I tapped on the door to get her
attention. Her head jerked. One eye was bruised, but she’d fight the guards on principle. The woman never knew when enough was enough.

  “Come to gloat?” she asked.

  “I came to see how my father was since it meant so much to you. I have one question for you,” I said.

  She smiled. “Let me out of here, and I’ll tell you anything you want.”

  “Please,” I replied.

  “We could do it. Set me free. Then, I’ll help you with your father. We can sneak out and relocate to your estate. Get a vehicle and a couple droids with supplies, we’d be at the border in minutes.” She nodded.

  “You think I’m going to break you out of here? Risk all of our lives and be marked a traitor?” I couldn’t believe how easy it all seemed to her. My father wasn’t recanting his loyalties, either, but he’d suggested I might be able to help him.

  “Do you want to bow and scrape to that bitch Minnette all your life? You’re smarter than she is times a million. You’re a kinder and better person than her. Let someone else be seer. We can set up at your estate and be rich.” She made less sense by the minute.

  They’d find us at my home. Yes, it was mine, but the queen could revoke the rights and take it all if I were deemed insane. It was the home of the ruler of the fifth family, and that could change.

  “You need help, but I can’t help you. I’m sure they’ll let you go if you cooperate.” What had she done? Crashed a party and made a nuisance of herself. They were probably just holding her to keep her from repeating the embarrassing behavior.

  “Such a child, still. The world is all kittens, gowns, and tiaras to you,” she scoffed.

  “Not anymore. I never wanted to play political games or to see my family in chains. I didn’t do this. Who did?” I asked.

  My aunt leaned on the cold wall. “I don’t know who hurt your mother. Maybe she did it to herself. The shame. The drama of court.”

  “Who was she sleeping with?” I asked.

  A big grin slowly spread across her face. “Not so sweet and innocent. Good. You’re growing up and learning that your parents aren’t infallible. Even your mother.”