Palace Secrets

by Ravyn Rayne

  My feet stumble onto the ground. He may be able to lift me from the rock, but there's no grace in my footing as he pulls me onto dry land. I tumble forward into Alexander, knocking him back onto the grass, just inches from the river.

  Landing on top of him, he's grimacing and I swiftly lift off his body, not wanting to hurt him any more than I have. "I'm sorry, Alexander." The last thing I want is him to think I'm ill equipped to handle being queen. I have poise and grace, just not when I slip off a rock in a stream.

  I offer my hand, helping Alexander stand. He dusts off the dirt and grime shaking his head. "It's fine. Happens all the time."

  I know it doesn't, but he tries not to make a big deal of it and for that I'm grateful. "Come with me." He takes my hand and pulls me into the woods.

  I glance behind me. The guards stop at the edge of the bank. They aren't following us. "Where are we going?" I ask. Being alone with Alexander makes me nervous.

  "A special place just beyond the forest that I like to go when I need some time alone." We dart around trees and under low hanging branches. Alexander is quick on his feet, heading north and then cutting to the far left. I don't know how he can tell which way to go, let alone how to get back to the castle. There's no special markings on the trees or any signs of civilization out this way. It's peaceful and beautiful, Alexander is right about that much.

  "We're almost there," he says and I refuse to slow, keeping pace with him. His hand never lets go and out of nowhere laughter fills my chest and my anxiety lifts as we reach the clearing.

  "Archery?" I'm intrigued. "Why do you have a target set up out here?" I ask. I would have suspected he trains with the knights, should he partake in any defense activities.

  "I like not feeling the courts eyes on me. I practice better and can take riskier shots. Do you know what it's like to have everyone look up to you?" Alexander asks. "It gets tiring."

  "I don't doubt that for a minute," I say. I let go of his hand and walk closer to the field. "Where's your bow and arrows?"

  "Hanging on the other side of the target. Do you want to give it a try?" he asks.

  Do I tell him my father is a skilled archer and he spent two hours almost every morning training me as a young child? They thought it important I know how to protect myself, not that they let me practice outside of court. It had been years since I touched a bow. Walking around to the target, I remove the bow and the quiver filled with arrows walking back to give me plenty of room to hit the target.

  "Ladies first," Alexander says and since I've already retrieved the equipment and am putting the arrow to the bow, I might as well show him what I'm capable of. Perhaps he'll learn not to mess with this queen unless he's looking for a skilled fight.

  "How about we make this interesting," I say.

  "What do you have in mind?"

  "If I win, you tell me about the rebel factions. If you win, I'll tell you another secret."

  Alexander's eyes narrow as he stares from me to the target. "You're on."

  My fingers release the tension on the bow and the arrow glides to the center of the target with precision.

  Alexander's eyes widen. "Beginner's luck?" he asks and takes the bow from me along with the quiver. He fingers through the arrows, finding one to his liking. He pulls the taut string and his arm back, focusing on the target, pausing a moment before letting go.

  The wind picks up speed, now when there hasn't been an ounce of wind all day. His arrow slices to the right, hitting outside of the inner ring. I won, no question. "Best two out of three?"

  "Sure, I can go all day," I say, hoping I didn't just jinx myself. I borrow the bow again, grab another arrow, and repeat my shot. I'm not as dead center as the first time, but I'm still in the middle of the target. Both of my shots out match Alexander's first play.

  He shoots a second time and curses under his breath. There's no way for him to win now. "Do you want to do the best four out of five?" I'm teasing him. I can't help it.

  "No." He shakes his head. "I'll honor my word." His brow is furrowed. He looks shocked that I won.

  A drop of rain from the sky pelts my forehead. I wipe the offending raindrop away only to feel a second swipe my skin. "We should head back." I hand Alexander the bow and quiver, letting him return them to their rightful place before he grabs my hand leading me through the thicket of leaves covering us. Rain is cascading down on the canopy but the trees offer us a small amount of protection. The sweltering heat has vanished and for once in months it feels wonderful outside.

  Alexander stops walking, his hand tugging me to stay back.

  "What is it?" I ask and as soon as the words are out of my mouth, Alexander's lips descend down onto mine, hard. His kiss is powerful and the intensity flows between us as rain slicks our skin and mattes my hair back in thick dark tendrils.

  As quick as the kiss started, it ends. Alexander pulls back, the smile shining on his face. "I've been wanting to do that since you beat me with that first arrow. Where'd you learn to shoot?"

  Together we walk back to the river bank and Alexander steps on the rocks first. I'm more careful this time, which is good because the large stones are far more slippery with the rain assaulting them.

  "My father taught me. He believed I should know how to fight and ward off any unwanted advances or threats to the crown."

  Alexander nods at Sebastian and the other guard as we walk past them both.

  "Your Majesty," Sebastian says, drawing Alexander's attention.

  "We're heading back to the castle. The rain has spoiled our picnic. You can bring our food to the dining hall for lunch," Alexander says to Sebastian. He turns and faces me as we walk together back toward the castle. "What were we talking about?"

  "You were about to divulge what you know about the rebel factions." I try and keep my voice down. The only two people that might hear us are the guards and one of them I most certainly do not trust.

  * * * * *

  "Bring our lunch to our chambers," I say to Sebastian. He gives me a quizzical look and Alexander nods.

  "Do what your queen asks." Alexander turns to face me, taking my hand as we wander through the palace up toward our room. "I have no idea what you're planning but I admit, I like spontaneity."

  Sebastian leaves the basket of food on the table and I remove the bedspread pulling it like a wave rippling across the ocean to the floor. "We shall have a picnic in here," I say. Alexander looks uncertain, like either I've lost my mind or I have the most brilliant idea in the world and he's speechless. "Come sit."

  I drag the basket of delicacies to the blanket and sit down. I'm careful with my dress, putting my legs to the side to sit lady-like for this very occasion. "We shall celebrate my victory."

  "Your victory?" Alexander repeats. He sounds confused.

  "Yes, of course." The smile never leaves my face. "I beat you in archery. That is quite the accomplishment I hear." At least I assume it is. I can't imagine a king would allow too many competitors to win. Though I know Alexander didn't let me win. I beat him fair and square, didn't I? Yes, I'm almost certain of it. There's no way he'd want to confide in me about the rebels. He'd skirted the subject as long as he could.

  He removes each item, one by one, from the basket. The last is the wine and two goblets to drink from. They're both glass, a rare item and beautiful. Alexander pours us each a cup. "A toast," he says, holding up his goblet. "To never ending happiness, health, and love."

  At first I'm not sure whether he said wealth or health but I'm confident he would be speaking about health. His father did just perish, even if he was the culprit.

  "Yes, I can drink to that," I say and clink our glasses together before taking a sip.

  The wine makes my cheeks flush and the room feels a few degrees warmer. If it weren't for the persistent downpour of rain, I'd open a window.

  Placing my wine goblet down on the ground, my hand stays around the stem, careful not to let it spill. Our bedspread is gorgeous and I would feel terrible if anyt
hing happened to it. Someone had done such exquisite handwork in sewing it.

  We finish eating, the meal mostly consisting of small talk between us. When it's over, Alexander takes my wine goblet along with his and places it on the dresser. It's a bit of a reach for me sitting down, but he's taller and has longer arms.

  "I had an amazing afternoon with you, Ella. Even if we did get rained on." He reaches out to stroke my hair. The wet locks haven't quite dried, but I can no longer wring out my hair. Alexander's fingers trail across my jaw and he leans in preparing to kiss me.

  I pull away, freezing, my heart stuttering unsure what to do. Kissing him in the forest had been amazing. I also hadn't seen it coming. Our first night together had been even better. I'm torn with how I feel, knowing he murdered his father. I can't love him, it would be wrong.

  "What is it?" Alexander asks. He must sense my discomfort. "Is it too soon?"

  My eyes are cast down on the ground, avoiding his stare. How do I answer? What could I possibly say to right this situation? We're married. He's going to expect us to be intimate again. Most likely he'll desire an heir as well.

  "Ella, are you regretting that we consummated our marriage last night? It was too soon for you, wasn't it?"

  We had only known one another for less than a day. My eyes slowly reach Alexander's. "Yes," I say. It's an easy lie and one I can live with.

  He groans under his breath. "I should have known. It's why you ran out of our room yesterday morning and avoided me after breakfast. You didn't get lost did you? You were trying to keep away from me!" Alexander runs his hands through his hair frustrated.

  "That's right. I was uncomfortable with what happened. I just need more time, some distance," I say, hoping it's enough of an explanation.

  Alexander's icy stare locks on me. "Then why did you agree to come with me today to the river? Why toy with my emotions, pretending that you want this marriage to work?"

  "I do want it to work," I say. At least I did, up until I witnessed him commit treason to the crown and murder. He's the one that killed his father, not me.

  Alexander stands up. "You don't act like it. I offered you the world and the woman you loved. What do I get in return? A wife that can't even look at me when we talk. When you figure out what you want, you know where to find me."

  "That's not true," I say. I do look at him, I even have feelings developing for him, which are making this entire situation far worse than I wish it were.

  "I'll see you at dinner," Alexander says and storms out of the room.

  I can't stop him. There's little I can do to fix the mess that's been caused. There's no undoing the damage that he's done or forgetting it happened. I can't move on and I certainly can't talk to him about it. When I look at him, I feel so many conflicting emotions: love and anger, fear and lust. It's a powerful combination and potentially deadly. Lying to him will only last so long. Then what will I do?

  Chapter Five

  Sitting atop the throne beside Alexander, I hold my breath. Prisoners are brought before us for judgment and sentencing.

  The king's deputy drags the prisoner in to the throne room. He's shackled with his hands in front of him and his legs in chains making it difficult for him to walk. "Your Majesty, the accused was caught impersonating a member of the royal guard."

  A soldier from the royal guard steps forward, the witness that turned the accused in to the king's deputy. "He killed one of my men and then infiltrated our ranks to commit treason. We believe he shared battle plans with the enemy. Our soldiers are at risk and many more may die before dawn. I've called them back to the palace but it takes time for word to spread through the kingdom."

  "Do you have anything to add?" Alexander asks the prisoner. "Any last words before I sentence you to death?"

  "You're a coward to have the executioner end my life. Take the blade and do it yourself. Blood for blood." He snarls at Alexander.

  "At sunrise tomorrow you shall be hung, drawn, and quartered. Send him to the dungeon." Alexander waves for the king's deputy to take the prisoner away.

  The bottoms of my palms sweat. Sentencing a man to death isn't something I had thought about being forced to do as queen. I'm grateful the decision fell on Alexander but I also wonder if there had been less evidence would he be so quick to judge and execute?

  "Bring in the next prisoner," Alexander says.

  I grimace. There's more than one?

  A child no more than eight is dressed in rags and his hands chained in front of him.

  "Now what did this child do? Steal a loaf of bread?" I whisper to Alexander.

  He glares at me to be quiet. "What is the accused being charged with?" Alexander asks.

  "The child killed his family," the guard that brought him in says.

  "They weren't my parents!" the boy shouts and tries to break free. The guard that brought him in grips the child's arm to keep him from escaping.

  "How old are you, child?" I ask. Examining him further I see stains of dirt on his face and dried blood on his shirt.

  "Seven." His eyes narrow and he stands taller. "My parents live up north. They couldn't afford me and my two younger sisters, so they sold me to the swordsmith. He then auctioned me to the highest bidder."

  I stand up from the throne, approaching the boy. "What's your name?" I ask.

  He grows docile, perhaps understanding I mean him no harm. "James. I want to go home."

  I circle the child, glancing him over. I've never heard of such a transaction. If my parents had sold me, I'd probably have done the same thing to the buyers, murdered them as well.

  "Isabella." Alexander's voice is grave. He gestures for me to come back to the throne.

  I saunter back, sitting down atop the chair and lean closer to Alexander. "You can't execute him. He's a child."

  Alexander sighs. His voice is low, keeping the conversation solely between us. "I know but he also murdered two people."

  "Did he have another choice?" I ask. My eyes narrow. "Some crimes are committed for the good of the country. In war people die. Soldiers don't serve sentences or find themselves executed for their sins. James was forced into a battle he didn't ask for. Be merciful and just."

  "Do we have any additional information on the family that bought James?" Alexander asks the guard.

  "No, sir. The neighbors confirm a child lived next door that didn't belong to them. They believed he was a cousin to the family, living with them after the plague killed his parents."

  Alexander stares at the child. "And you say your parents are still alive?"

  "Yes, Your Majesty," James says.

  "I will only relinquish the child to his biological parents. He shall stay in the dungeon until we can corroborate his story," Alexander says. "Send two riders north to search for his parents. One shall come and pick the child up, if they are willing to rear him properly."

  "The dungeon?" I can't believe he’d send a child to the prison cells in the basement of the castle. "You're locking him away?"

  "I'm doing what's best for everyone," Alexander says. "What's right isn't always easy."

  I stand up, not being able to take any more of this today. The sun has set and soon it will be dinner time. I've lost my appetite, the thought of dining with Alexander I find repulsive.

  "What's easy isn't always right," I say, countering his argument.

  "Where are you going?" he asks. His voice is low, so only the two of us can hear the disagreement. It's probably best.

  "To my chambers. I need a break from all this ruling."

  * * * * *

  I skip dinner with Alexander. It's not as though I'm hungry enough to eat a decent meal. I beg my maids to steal some extra bread from the kitchen for me. I may not be starving but I should eat something to tide me over until morning.

  They would do anything for me and surely bring me butter, jam, and a half dozen types of bread to enjoy.

  The sky darkens from night, though the storm lifted and passed hours ago. Going to the creek
felt like a lifetime ago.

  I eat in peace, staring out at the garden leaving the window ajar.

  Down below Hannah and Sebastian are kissing by the roses. It's sweet and if I weren't so annoyed by Sebastian, I'd be happy for her.

  I can't bear to watch another minute. I shut the window and stalk to my bed.

  There's a knock at the door.

  "Come in," I say to whoever dares enter.

  Alexander lingers in the door jam. "Are we sleeping in separate beds now?" he asks. "Avoiding me at meals? This seems like the wonderful start to our marriage."

  "You put a child in jail!" I can't let that one go.

  Alexander sighs and steps into my chambers. "It's for his own good. If he is a danger to anyone else, he should be monitored. If he's not, then he'll be released within a few days. He's put up with far worse for much longer I'm sure."

  "Doesn't make it right," I say. Sitting at the edge of the bed, I cross my arms. "What are you doing in here?"

  "You're my wife," he says. "It's fine if you're not ready to be intimate again, but I do expect you to join me at dinner. The kingdom needs to see us united, that we are a team. I expect you to join me in our bedroom as well."

  "I thought you said..."

  "Even the maids talk, Ella. Sleeping in two separate rooms is bound to cause rumors throughout the castle and probably the kingdom. We can't have that, for either of our sakes."

  I don't disagree. He does have a good point, but still I'm not comfortable with relinquishing control.

  "My room, now," he says with a snap. It's not a question, it's an order. He stares at me, as if he disapproves of what I've done. "The longer you wait, the more spankings you'll endure, Ella. Don't make me carry you."

  Spankings? I'm not a child. Why treat me as one? I open my mouth to protest, but realize it will do little good. He is the king, and though we're married, we're not seen as equals. I feel anxious, with my heart pounding and stomach tense, but I take my time, hesitant to enter his chambers. Alexander is just a few steps behind. I swear I can feel the heat of his breath against my neck. His hand lands on my rear, forcing me to jump in the hall and walk faster.