Prisoner of the Crown

by Cheryl Oblon

  “I’m not so sure about that. She didn’t seem thrilled even when I congratulated her. She’s afraid.” I folded my arms and tried to analyze the situation from all angles. “The Bachal don’t want to give anything up.”

  “That’s probably it. The stress of negotiations overshadowing her engagement. The ball tomorrow, so fast. It’s all a stunt for the guests,” said Marel.

  “It might be useful. Since the ball is for Minnette, I can blend in and get the Bachal royals alone in chat. Dig a little deeper.”

  Marel grinned. “Then you’ll be there at the ball looking your best. Tempting the shifter prince and Nemal.”

  “Please. Minnette won’t care who is paying attention to me, if anyone. You’re the one who is going to be stunning tomorrow night.”

  I had great plans to put Minnette in her place. Teach her a little lesson about how to treat people. If she was old enough to get married, she was old enough to be gracious even to people she didn’t like.

  “No, not me.” Marel stopped in her tracks.

  “Oh, yes, because that will make Minnette far more angry and upset. I can dance with Remmy and Nemal and the shifter princes, but it’d never amount to anything. Nemal and I are going to make sure your dance card is so full of handsome young royals that Minnette will have a fit!” I grabbed her hand and dragged Marel toward the room. “You’re getting so much more confident with things. Then Minnette is mentioned, and you want to hide.”

  “Showing up a princess is not very ladylike. Or good for your future as her Royal Seer,” Marel said softly.

  Once we were safely in the room, I turned on Marel and pulled the pins from her tight bun. “Listen to me. Minnette is scared. She’s under pressure. I know it. I felt it. But she takes it out on others by ripping them down and being nasty. She’s put you down your whole life. That’s bad queen or princess behavior. If I have to work with that woman for the rest of my life or hers, she needs to respect me. To see I’m not going to bow to any whim of hers. I’ll stand up for my friends.”

  “She’ll be the queen,” Marel reminded me.

  I pushed her into the seat of my vanity. “And I can read her mind. She can’t read mine. I think that makes her angrier still. She has to learn to respect me and my powers. We have to be on the same side or it’ll be hell. I won’t live like that. Once she’s queen, I can’t go at her like this anymore.”

  “Very true,” Marel said.

  I worked on her hair with the curling rods. “Those new dresses were delivered for you?”

  “Yes. Far too nice,” Marel said.

  “No, perfect for the engagement party and the wedding. You’re doing a lot of work, accept the benefits. Just save them for that, now. We can get a couple other day dresses.” I could be a force for good or bad in this castle. I wouldn’t be walked over, but I could do good deeds while standing up for myself.

  “It could backfire,” Marel said softly.

  “My whole life is a gamble right now. Am I crazy? Am I the ruler of the fifth family? Is my father a traitor? Am I of any use to the queen? It doesn’t matter what people think, only the queen, in the end. Still, I’m not going to blend into the background and hide while she decides.” I realized I had no jewelry.

  “Do you have jewelry?” I asked Marel as I grabbed the tablet and sent LeFawn a note that I’d need to borrow some modest jewels for the ball tomorrow.

  “Yes, my mother has some I can borrow. What do you need?” Marel asked.

  “I’ll borrow some from LeFawn. You get whatever looks best on you from your mother’s collection and goes with the dress. Let’s look at the dresses. You have to sparkle.” I sent another message to Nemal to find eligible good-looking men who appreciated Marel and would make a fuss.

  I added that I needed to see him tonight. He replied to meet him in the hall before the dungeons, since I knew the way, at midnight.

  “Yellow or green?” Marel asked.

  “Yellow for the engagement. Lovely with your dark hair.” I nodded. “I’m going to see my father tonight with Nemal. Just to smooth everything over, and I want to talk to Nemal about the negotiations today.” I wouldn’t play that trance game again.

  “Be careful.” She admired the dress and shoes. “Mother has just the pearls to go with this.”

  “Very nice. Make sure you get them today. Tomorrow might be a mad rush of preparations.” I set the pad down and scorched my little finger. “Damn!”

  “The curling rods.” Marel rushed to turn them off.

  “My stupid fault.” I blew on my finger as Marel ordered cold water from the food generator.

  “I’m sure you’re used to much more room to spread out and prepare. We’ll get you back there.” Marel nodded.

  “And you will up your station greatly. You deserve it.” I stuck my fingers in the cold water, whimpering at the contrast.

  “Could I do your portrait? Just a sketch, for now,” she said.

  “Me? I’m not one of them. Minnette’s wedding portrait will be next on your list,” I said.

  “Probably true, but as so young of a Royal Seer, and ruler, I think capturing you now is for the future. Young people can rule and step up. I can draw whenever we have time. Not tomorrow or anything.” She opened my wardrobe and stared at the dresses. “You should get something new for the wedding. Nothing is fancy enough.”

  “The red will do for the engagement party.” I smiled.

  “Red?” she asked.

  “When you have to send a message, you can’t be subtle.” I tested my finger by pulling it out of the water, and the air made it throb. Back in the water, and I inhaled with pain.

  “I’m calling a healer,” Marel said firmly.

  “No, it’ll be fine,” I protested.

  “We have a lot to do, and that will only slow us down.” She tapped her request into the tablet and it chirped with acknowledgement.

  “You’re right,” I admitted. Marel had found her backbone, and I hoped it stuck.

  Marel shrugged. “Oh, the dinner for tonight is canceled. But the ball is still on for tomorrow night. I guess they want to cool off after the negotiations got tense.”

  That night, I slipped away easier. Without a constant guard, no one seemed to care that I was out of bed. Nemal waited for me, and he was nervous.

  “I’m sorry to keep you from sleep. Did you arrange things for Marel?” I asked.

  He nodded. “She’s not the most popular, but she’ll dance as much as she wants. Don’t worry.”

  “Thanks.” I kissed his cheek. “You’re very sweet to your cousin. I’ll make sure she looks her best. I want Minnette to be annoyed.”

  “And you say men are competitive and power hungry.” He frowned.

  “That’s proven by history. I’m not power hungry; I just want her to stop treating me like something stuck to the bottom of her shoe. She treats Marel worse, not that I’ve gotten the whole story there.” I cinched my wrap around my shoulders.

  “It’s childish, and Minn holds a grudge. So, don’t get yourself in too much trouble. At some point, Minn will have a lot more power.” Nemal looked down the hall.

  I followed his gaze. Nothing. He wasn’t happy about his sister’s engagement or her, one day, being the queen.

  “I’m not sure about her fiancé. I’ll try to get a better feel for him tomorrow. She wouldn’t let me near him at the welcome reception. Always walking off. But, in the negotiations today, the Bachal aren’t negotiating. They want things. They offer nothing. Are we as well armed as your mother says?” I asked.

  He kicked the red carpet on the floor. “We’re armed and well trained. But she won’t go to war. She doesn’t want it. Minn doesn’t either. Men may go too far with war, but women are too reluctant.”

  “No one is perfect. Be careful, you sound like a rebel. I just needed to talk this over with someone before I meet with the queen. I should go to bed. Can we check on my father quickly? I want to make sure he�
��s getting enough water.” I headed for the dungeon.

  He grabbed my arm. “No, not you. Not tonight. I’ll go and make sure he gets more water and extra bread. Okay?”

  “Are you mad at me?” I asked.

  “No. I’m glad you’re looking out for my mother and Marel. I just don’t like these negotiations, either. The lunch today shows the posturing. We should be making friends, and we’re defending our way of things.” He loosened his grip on my arm, but didn’t let me go.

  I sighed. “I didn’t mean to spark things. I thought we had good terms with them, and it was just updating the treaty. I wanted to learn about them since it’ll be part of my future. They’re so defensive; they must be vulnerable. They are in need, and they’ll take it if they can’t get it.”

  “You’re right. Minn showing off her engagement and all the balls doesn’t help. The luxurious show in the past made it clear we honored our guests. Now, it looks like we have excess. It’s nice for diplomacy but not when it helps the enemy justify taking supplies.” Nemal stepped closer.

  “There must be a compromise. The dinner tonight was canceled, and I was supposed to sit with Faldar. I’m guessing I’ll be seated near him at the ball tomorrow, instead. I’ll see what I can get from him. And see if Remmy has gotten more out of him.” I lacked a better plan.

  “You be careful. Don’t get too close,” Nemal said.

  I studied his strong jaw, dark hair, and light eyes. Nemal made me feel safe but also so many other things. Other men weren’t the problem. “Faldar isn’t a danger. The twins are very anxious. Do you trust the man Minnette is marrying?”

  Nemal looked away. “Go to bed. I’ll check on your father. Don’t worry about it.”

  “Thank you. Watch out for Savan. He’s testing everything. He wants to learn as much about us as possible, in case of a war.”

  “I know. I don’t need your impressive powers to tell me that. They’re keeping their ship here for a reason. They are prepared for it to end either way. Mother isn’t dumb, either,” he reminded me.

  “I didn’t mean to imply you or your mother aren’t five steps ahead of me. I’m just reporting what I have. Sorry. It’s my first time at all of this. I probably sound stupid.” I turned.

  “You’re trying. That won’t go unnoticed. Talk to the queen tomorrow. Get some sleep, and don’t flirt too much with the prince.” He gently took my arm and turned me back to face him.

  “I have to do what I can for our country and crown.” I smiled and tried to read Nemal’s mind, but it was a swirl of military worries, sibling issues, and concern for me. He was a good man, and I tried to push back the belief he’d make a better monarch than Minnette. Of course, LeFawn would make a better queen. Remmy would. Or I would.

  It made sense the rebels were unsettled with Minnette next in line. But I felt for Remmy and Nemal. To be so close to the throne and so far because of gender. It wasn’t fair, but in ancient history, it had been the reverse. Men took precedence.

  My situation lacked fairness as well. Maybe that’s why I felt so comfortable confiding in him? Trusting him? If I went to LeFawn for everything, people would scold her for giving her friend special treatment. No one would say that to Nemal.

  Walking down the hall, I turned and watched him heading away. He looked good in uniform; it accentuated his broad shoulders. The idea of him injured or killed in battle made my heart sink. The negotiations were part of my job, but everything about my work was personal. Nemal’s closeness made it worse. I wanted him safe for me to enjoy. I didn’t want war; I didn’t want to lose any of our soldiers. There had to be some compromise that would work.

  Chapter 15

  The relaxed guard situation meant I could visit my cousins, and they could visit me without special arrangement. The entire castle manically prepared for the ball, but I had other things on my mind. Julianne and I helped Marel with her hair as Ember spun in her new purple gown.

  “What do you know about Simma?” I set out my gown but wasn’t ready to change just yet. It wasn’t even lunchtime.

  Marel looked at me in the mirror. “I only put out discreet feelers yesterday. It’s too soon to press, but there is a lead that says she is living on the outskirts of the country. I’m trying to get coordinates.”

  “Sorry, I meant Julianne. She’s known my mother longer. Probably a lot more detail and history. Stuff I don’t know. Fifteen years more. I thought Mother and I were close but…Julianne, please.” I sat on the bed behind where she finished Marel’s curls.

  Marel stood. “Thank you so much. I’ve never looked this good, Julianne. Ember, why don’t you and I take a walk to visit my mother? She probably has a few little pieces of jewelry that’ll look just perfect with your new dress.”

  “May I, Mother?” Ember bounced with excitement.

  Julianne smiled. “You can go, but nothing too fancy or valuable.”

  “Don’t worry. Something sparkly for her hair and a little locket sound good?” Marel took Ember’s hand and they left the room.

  “Your new friend is very good. Helpful with a lot of common sense. One doesn’t always find that among the first family.” Julianne sat and worked on her own hair.

  “Do you need an attendant? I can ask,” I said.

  “No, I prefer not. Are you sure you can trust her?”

  I sighed. “Marel could’ve gotten me in trouble a few times already and hasn’t. She’s saved me. Minnette hates her as much as she hates me, so we have a common enemy. She might be collecting information, but I don’t sense any malice from her. Nemal chose her, and I trust him.”

  “That’s good. Now, this Simma business?” Julianne frowned.

  “What? I just want to know who she is to my mother. Where she is, now.” If it wasn’t a big deal, why was Julianne reluctant? I felt her resistance. Her normally open and chatty nature was gone.

  “I don’t know where she is now. I’ve heard the name. She and your mother were good friends. Very close since school. Simma was of the second family, I believe. Not in line to be a ruler but a powerful spell caster. When your great aunt…When your grandmother became Royal Seer, I think Simma’s family wanted Simma to stop hanging around with your mother.” Julianne kept calmly arranging her hair.

  I asked, “So, nothing recent or no big drama?”

  “Not that I know of. Simma didn’t like your father much, but I don’t think she ever got married. So could’ve been jealousy or losing a friend or just no time. What brought all this up?” Julianne asked.

  “Just something random my aunt said. Probably dredging up old stuff to try and deflect suspicion. She wanted me to break her and Dad out of the dungeon. Then we’d all be killed.” I probed Julianne’s mind. She believed what she said, but was holding something back.

  “Did my mother have other men interested in her before she married?” I asked.

  Julianne shrugged. “She was always beautiful and kind. Men were interested, but it was the old times. Royal family marriages were indirectly arranged. Always pre-approved. If you rebelled, like me, you paid for it.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said. Julianne’s husband had been a low-level healer. Marrying someone with another power was believed to dilute the magical power you had rather than strengthen your family. The match wasn’t approved by either family. Her rebellion was a big part of my childhood. Mother protected her, but when Julianne’s husband joined the military, caving to pressure from all sides, he was put in a very dangerous post. He’d never even met his daughter.

  She smiled. “I don’t regret it. Ember is the best thing that ever happened to me. Your mother brought me back in good graces with the family. I owe her a great deal. Everyone rebels in their own way, Kimess. Don’t be afraid.”

  “I’ve already visited Father in the dungeon. Plus, I’ve irritated the crowned princess that I’ll one day have to serve. I think that’s enough for now.” My rebellions never seemed small. Pissing off the queen wasn’t worth it.
<
br />   “No one is pushing you to consider a marriage, are they?” she asked.

  I shook my head. “Minnette warned me off her brothers, but that’s about it. Going after them would be a huge rebellion.”

  “But your powers are so strong, I doubt it’d affect your children. Marriages like that happen, but it’s the approval that’s needed. I defied approval. If the queen likes you, it might be seen as a consolidation of strength.” Julianne smiled.

  “I’m in no rush to marry.”

  “Better do it while the queen lives, or Minnette will be the one approving,” Julianne said.

  “True, but the queen isn’t old, and I’m not even twenty. Marrying young and getting your heirs out of the way makes sense for Minnette, but with technology and modern medicine, it’s not necessary.” I hated that the royal women caved to pressure. Minnette was too young to get married, not that anyone had asked me. She looked more adult than she was. Tall and beautiful with long dark hair—plenty of men wanted her.

  “When love hits, you won’t be so relaxed. Don’t wait. Don’t let someone else snap him up. Divorce isn’t big with the five families.”

  I shrugged. “As I’ve seen. Dad is still in the dungeon. No word on his charges.”

  “He might know what they are. No doubt it’s being kept from us, in case you sympathize with him. Don’t worry about your father; he has friends out there. He can take care of himself. Your aunt is just the most vocal and least subtle of his family.” Julianne didn’t seem concerned.

  My father had telepathic skills. He was from a non-royal family but many of them had some mental powers. He wasn’t reaching out to me at all. That was the odd part.

  “It’s hard not to worry. The queen hasn’t made any pronouncements.” I wanted answers. Decisions about my future were all in the monarch’s hands.

  “Welcome to the adult world. Good things go too fast, and bad things feel like they’ll never end.”

  A knock on the door made me check the time. Lunch? It was too early. I answered the door and found LeFawn standing there.

  “Come in. I thought you’d be busy today.” I sat in the living area, and LeFawn sat next to me on the sofa.