by Sarah Olson
Since Richard would be in Malan for the following weeks, his letters became the one thing I looked forward to the most. One explained the reason for his sudden journey. His father wanted something in the treaty between Asteria and Malan altered but the Malan ruler, King Darius, was reluctant. Even though we spoke about everything through our letters, I kept one thing to myself. I had missed my monthly cycle.
I cried myself to sleep the night I realized it. This was not something my family needed on top of everything. Trying to convince myself it was nothing, I continued life as usual but days later, my life changed again. Betsy collapsed. I stayed with her while Robert went for the physician. But of course, that was the day the sky decided to open and thick snow covered the land.
When the physician arrived, he repeated everything he had said before. Betsy needed to leave Maplewood Forest. However, with the snowstorm that had begun, it was going to be impossible for such a journey. With a lot of arguing and prodding, we finally got her to agree. It was decided that when the storm cleared, she would leave with some neighbors who were heading south as well.
It was as if misfortune had descended on my family as my nausea increased in the morning. With much effort, I kept it to myself.
The storm whistled through the forest for almost a week. The morning it dissipated, I woke to sunlight streaming in through the windows. I pulled the curtains back and stared out into the glittering white world. The icicles on the trees shimmered in the sunlight and I remembered why winter was my favorite time of year.
Despite the beautiful morning, I had awakened to a very queasy stomach. I tried to ignore it as I walked down the stairs, but it would not go away. I forced down an apple and a biscuit hoping that relieving my hunger would help.
“Good morning, Layla!” Robert said, entering through the door. “It sure is a beautiful one—even the horses think so. I let them out into the paddock.”
I smiled.
“Is something wrong? You don’t look well.”
This time, my response was leaning over and throwing up my breakfast.
I did not want to go to the physician, but Betsy made Robert take me, since they wanted to make sure I was not getting ill as well. With so much snow on the ground, the physician would not be making house calls, so we had to go to him.
“So,” the physician said, taking a seat at his desk, “your uncle tells me you threw up this morning.”
“Yes,” I said, “but it’s nothing to worry about. My stomach was just upset.”
“You’re right. It might not be anything, but they want to be sure—especially with your aunt’s sickness. I understand she will be leaving soon.”
“Yes, she’s going to the Harvest Plains with some friends.”
He lowered the glasses from his white head onto his nose. “Good, I am pretty sure though that you do not have what she has. Now, can you tell me how long your stomach has been upset?”
I could not lie. “I have been feeling fairly queasy these past few mornings.”
“How long has this been for exactly?”
“A week and a half, maybe more—this is the first time I’ve actually thrown up. But look, I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“Does the smell of foods make you feel worse when you feel this nausea?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
“Did you miss your monthly cycle?”
I stared back at him, both appalled he was jumping to such conclusions and afraid to answer.
He sighed and took off his glasses. “Layla, I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable, but I need you to answer me.”
I winced, but breathed out an almost inaudible, “Yes.”
“Have you been intimate with a man within the last month?”
The tears came quickly and suddenly. Before I could control myself, I was sobbing. It was enough of an answer for the physician.
He smiled sympathetically and left the room to speak to Robert.
“That’s impossible!” I heard Robert say angrily.
“I am sorry Mr. Fallon, but whether you want it to happen or not, she is with child.”
I could not be. It was impossible. It was one time! I could not have a child—I was not even married yet! What would Richard say?
Robert talked with the Physician awhile longer, and then came in with his face drawn and pale. “Let’s go,” he said.
We left in silence.
At home, Robert told me to go to my room and went to see Betsy. I thought I would hear her angry yelling as he told her but instead I heard sobs.
“What are we going to do?” I heard her say.
“We tell her,” Robert said. “We tell her everything.”
“But it’s not the right time, we are supposed to wait. General Hamilton told us the plan was to wait.”
“Conrad is dead, Elizabeth. We are in charge of what happens now and we cannot wait for that. This is beyond our control and she needs to know.”
I heard the door open then a knock on mine.
“Layla,” Robert’s voice said, “we need to talk.”
Reluctantly, I opened the door and followed him down the hall to Betsy. I sat in a chair and stared at the floor.
“Is it Richard’s?” Betsy asked.
“Yes,” I whispered. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to it just . . . it just—”
“Happened?”
I nodded. “But I am going to marry him, we are engaged, so it will be fine.”
“You are not going to marry him,” Robert said coldly.
“What?” I exclaimed angrily. “You can’t do that. You said I could if he proved he loved me! His parents accepted me!”
“Layla,” Betsy whispered, “his father murdered your parents.”
Chapter 14
“NO!” I YELLED. “Disease killed them! You can’t blame that on him!”
“It wasn’t disease, Layla!” Robert snapped. “That was a story we made up to protect you!”
“What are you talking about?” I gasped.
“Your parents didn’t live in Eagle’s Nest,” Betsy said. “The disease was not what killed them.”
“You’re lying!”
“They lived in the old castle of Asteria.”
“Your parents,” Robert said, softer now, “were the king and queen of Asteria until Luther had them murdered.”
It all came rushing at me at once. The mysterious castle, the paintings with the beautiful queen, and the blood on the carpet—my parents, murdered monarchs by Richard’s own father.
“You’re a princess, Layla,” Betsy whispered. “Princess Layla of Asteria. I was your mother’s lady in waiting and Robert was captain of the guard. We were close to your parents and when the castle fell under siege, we were ordered to take and protect you at all costs.”
“Which we have failed to do,” Robert said. “We should have kept you from the prince—we just weren’t sure what to do.”
“And Mitchell suggested we use it as an advantage to get you back on the throne,” Betsy added.
Get back the throne? I did not even know what to think anymore. It was all too much to comprehend.
“Robert,” Betsy said, “can you reach me my jewelry box?”
Robert picked it up from the dresser and handed it to her. She emptied the jewelry onto her lap and popped open a secret compartment. Inside was a small velvet bag. Betsy opened it and pulled out the largest sapphire I had ever seen in my life. It hung on a thick silver chain. The stone was rectangular and surrounded by glittering diamonds.
“Almost five hundred years ago, this sapphire was given to the first heir of Asteria,” Betsy said. “It is a special stone the king claimed to have found on an island in the Malanese Sea. He said he had stumbled on it while trying to find a route to the Western Ocean. Since then, the stone has been passed down from generation to generation, King Hector being the last heir to receive it. Your mother gave it to me when I fled the castle with you and I have kept it safe ever since.”
“How
is it special?” I asked in a daze.
She held it out to me and I took it from her. When the stone touched my skin, it began to glow brightly. The sapphire became a rich and beautiful blue like the evening sky, even more breathtaking than when it was ordinary. The diamonds around it were like stars shimmering in the blue light the stone cast.
“It will only glow in the hands of the true heir of Asteria. That is you my dear child. Their royal blood runs through your veins. For years, Luther searched for that necklace and the daughter that had disappeared with it, but never came close to finding either.”
The sapphire continued to glow in my hands as I listened. I was a princess. My parents were murdered when Luther took over the throne. I fell in love with his son and now carried our child. How could this work out? What was I going to do? If King Luther found out who I was he’d . . . no, would he? Not if I had Richard protecting me. I had to talk to Richard. His last letter had said he would be back in the kingdom this week. I had to tell him everything.
“Richard will know what to do,” I whispered.
“You can’t tell him!” Betsy exclaimed. “You’ll be killed!”
“No!” I said, standing up clutching the necklace. I reached into a pocket in my dress and pulled out my engagement ring. “He wants to marry me and that is what I’m going to do.” It seemed like the only rational thing I could do.
“Layla, no,” Betsy pleaded.
“We should just leave,” Robert suggested, “before it’s too late.”
“And do what?” I asked. “Run to the rebels on the Malanese border and hide for the rest of our lives?”
“How did you know about the—”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It doesn’t matter.” I put the ring on my finger and wrapped my handkerchief around the stone. “I am going to see him,” I said defiantly, placing the stone in my pocket.
“No you’re not!” Robert yelled.
“You’ll have to stop me,” I snapped. I ran from the room grabbing my winter coat hanging by the front door and shoved my feet into my riding boots.
“Layla, please!” I heard Betsy’s cry from the room.
I ignored her and ran to the barn slamming the front door behind me. I quickly saddled Dusk and rode hard and fast to the palace. The cold wind whipped my face as we thundered through the forest. My thoughts spun out of control and I clung to the reigns as if they could keep me from losing control.
How could Betsy and Robert keep such secrets from me? They watched me get closer to the prince but decided to keep everything they knew from me.
By the time we reached the palace it was mid-afternoon. We entered the snow filled courtyard exhausted where two guards greeted us.
“I’m here to see the prince,” I told one of them, hoping he was indeed back.
“Let me go see if he’s available,” the guard said.
“Beautiful horse, milady,” the other guard said as he stroked Dusk’s mane.
“Thank you,” I said.
He smiled and motioned to a servant to take Dusk to the stable. “Give her plenty of water and clean hay.”
The servant bowed and led Dusk away.
The other guard returned and asked me to follow him into the palace. Once inside, a servant took my coat and I warmed myself by the fire in the same sitting room I had met the king and queen. I shuddered when I thought of King Luther and tried to push him out of my mind.
“Layla!” Richard exclaimed from the door behind me.
We embraced and he gave me a long kiss.
“I missed you so much,” I said, holding him tightly. “Did everything go well?”
“Not the way my father planned,” he sighed.
“What’s wrong?” I asked him.
“Nothing really,” he said, smiling.
“You know you can tell me anything,” I whispered.
“I guess I can since you are going to be my wife.” He led me to a settee and we sat down. “It is important for you to know what is happening in the kingdom. Well, I’m sure you know we aren’t exactly on friendly terms with Malan, right?”
I nodded. “Why?”
“They didn’t like my father taking control of Asteria, so to spite us, they allowed King Hector’s men into Malan as refugees, including the infant princess that escaped with them, or so we think.”
I did not like where this was going.
“The issue is we don’t know for sure what happened to her, and if she is in Malan, she has been indoctrinated to want revenge for her family. King Darius refuses to tell us whether she is there or not. He said giving such information was not written in the treaty between us and therefore making it up to his own discretion.” Richard stood up and began to pace.
“What would you do if you found her?” I asked quietly.
“I don’t know.”
“Richard,” I began.
“It’s frustrating,” he continued. “And it’s not like my father’s army can just march into Malan’s refugee villages and find out.”
“How would you even know if you found her?” I asked, taking a gulp.
“I’m not sure. My father’s men were unable to retrieve the special sapphire that was supposed to glow when it touched the heir’s skin—or so the story goes.”
I laughed nervously, the necklace in my pocket suddenly feeling a lot heavier. It was now or never. Warning signals blared in my head, but I ignored them. After all, Richard loved me and would do everything in his power to protect me.
“Richard,” I said.
He kneeled in front of me taking my hands. His brown eyes looked into mine intently and I got the feeling everything was going to be all right. “What’s the matter?” he asked. “You look pale.”
“Richard,” I whispered softly. “I’m pregnant.”
The color drained from his face and his eyes widened. After a second, he regained his composure. “Don’t worry about a thing, my love,” he said, kissing my forehead. “We will work this out. Next week my father will make the announcement of our engagement and then we will marry quickly.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“But are you sure?” he asked.
“I have all the signs,” I said.
“Okay,” he said, standing again and pacing. “We’ll tell my parents first thing.”
“Richard, there’s more.”
He looked at me, a puzzled look forming on his face.
I reached into my pocket and removed the handkerchief. I slowly took out the sapphire, careful not to let it touch my skin, and fixed the clasp around my neck. As soon as the brilliant stone touched my chest it began to glow from the center, brightness spreading through it until it reflected off the diamonds.
Richard stared dumbfounded at first, and then his face began to turn red. “It’s you,” he spat. “You’re the princess my father has been searching for all this time.”
“I didn’t know!” I exclaimed, standing. “I’m sorry, but I never knew! My aunt and uncle hid it from me all this time! They told me today when they found out I was pregnant with your child!”
“Was this your plan all along?” he yelled angrily. “To seduce me so I would marry you and you could become queen then take your revenge on my family?”
“No, Richard! I swear!” I exclaimed walking towards him.
“Stay away from me!”
“Richard, please!”
He held his hand up to stop me and glared. “Is this child even mine?” he growled. “Or did you get yourself pregnant with someone else’s child to trick me into marrying you quicker so you could steal the throne.”
I staggered back, feeling as if I had just been slapped across the face. How could he accuse me of such a thing? I had never been with anyone but him. Surely, he knew that. I tried to approach him again, hot tears rolling down my cheeks.
“I love you!” I cried. “All I ever wanted was to be with you. Becoming queen means nothing to me!”
“Liar!” he yelled, backhanding me
across the face.
I fell backwards onto the floor, holding my stinging cheek in shock. “Richard,” I whimpered.
“Don’t say my name again, you whore!” he yelled, leaning down so he was right in my face. “Get out of my palace with your bastard child and don’t ever come back.”
He grabbed my hand and yanked the ring from it. When he released me, I backed up stumbling to my feet and ran from the room. I tore my coat off the rack by the door surprising the servant and shoved the door open. The snow blinded me as the sun reflected off it. I pulled the coat on and covered the still glowing sapphire.
I ran to the stable to fetch Dusk hoping no one would stop me. I swung the door open and plowed straight into the back of a guard.
“Woah!” he exclaimed as he spun around to keep me from crashing onto the floor. “Are you all right, Lady?” He steadied me just as panic began to set it.
But then I looked up at the guard and it was as if the world had come to a shuddering halt.
It was Tristan. My childhood friend. Charlotte’s brother.
His hazel eyes widened as recognition flickered across his face. He grabbed my arm and hauled me into the nearest empty stall to hide us from prying eyes.
“Layla,” he whispered harshly. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Tristan had grown. He stood about a head above me with the strong squared shoulders of a palace guard.
“Answer me!” he said again more forcefully.
The urgency of my situation came crashing down on me again.
“I have to get out of here!” I cried. “They will kill me if I don’t!”
“Who?”
He is on your side. You can tell him. “The king.”
He pushed me farther into the corner and lowered his voice further. “Do they know who you are?”
He knew I was a princess too? How many people have lied to my face? “Yes.”
“How did they find out?” he demanded. “Wait . . . I had heard the rumors of a young maiden the prince was courting. Are you . . .”
“Yes,” I almost yelled out. “And I’m pregnant with his child!” The last part had been a careless afterthought—one I wished I could take back as soon as the words rolled off my tongue.
“What—” His eyes narrowed and his fingers brushed my cheek. “Who did this?”