The Princess Game: A Reimagining of Sleeping Beauty (The Four Kingdoms Book 4)

by Melanie Cellier

  “We need more information. If you’re still willing to help, start nosing around. You can get away with asking questions no local could ask. Use that. Find out if any of the nobles are harbouring dissatisfaction with their monarchs. But, most of all, get me any information you can find on the princess.”

  My anger and hatred towards my aunt, which I normally tried to keep buried deep, now roiled so close to the surface that I lived in daily fear of it bursting through my Celeste persona. I walked through the palace under a dark cloud and pushed myself harder than ever each night. The frangipanis that continued to appear on my pillow and beside my plate no longer brought a smile to my face. They merely served to remind me of the life I should have had. The life Aunt Melisande had taken from me.

  In the past, Rafe would have noticed my abstraction. But his life had changed, and now his new wife absorbed the majority of his focus. And understandably so, when they had been married so recently.

  Celine should have seen a difference as well, but she barely spoke to me anymore. My fears for her had proven far from true. Instead of reacting outrageously, ever since the ball Celine had become quiet and withdrawn.

  If I hadn’t been so consumed by the rebellion my aunt had somehow managed to conjure up from the other side of the kingdom, I would have been extremely concerned. And even with my distraction, every now and then a twinge of guilt hit me as I looked at my sister across the dining table. But I always brushed it aside. I was only one person, and I could not be responsible for everything. Parenting Celine was my mother and father’s responsibility, not mine.

  I didn’t have time to teach William code, so we met in person every second night. Each time he tried to engage me in conversation, but I wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries. I received his report and then slipped away, off to do my own investigations.

  Unfortunately, he hadn’t been able to discover anything particularly useful.

  “There’s something more to the story. I’m sure of it,” he said, at one point, frustrated by his own failure. “But I think the king and queen might be the only ones with answers. And I can’t ask them directly.” He looked at me apologetically. “I hope you understand. There’s just no way to subtly ask a person about that time years ago when their sister tried to murder their baby.”

  I wanted to rail at him, but I restrained myself. Especially since he was right. And I couldn’t ask them either, Celeste didn’t feel curious about such things. There had to be a way though, if only I could think of it…

  The idea came to me while we all strolled through the garden, one afternoon. I was telling Marie about all the flowers that were new to her, and William was attempting to decide which bloom I should wear in my hair. Marie and I pointedly ignored him, but he continued his one-sided conversation, plucking and then discarding every variety we examined in favour of the next one.

  He declared himself determined to find the one that best brought out my eyes. I would have lost all patience with him if I hadn’t known of his secret service to Aurora. I, better than anyone, knew that those of us who lived half our lives in the shadows put on acts all the time. I would make myself a hypocrite if I faulted him for it now.

  Celine trailed behind us, running her hand along the bushes, but offering no comment unless directly called upon. The sight of her boredom reminded me of the now distant day in her chambers when she had read to me from the history book. What was it she had said?

  “What do you think happened to Aunt Melisande? I’ve always wondered. I mean, she can’t actually have disappeared.”

  Despite her current state of unusual withdrawal, Celine was the one member of the family who could be counted on to ask an awkward question. I just needed to stir her curiosity.

  I led the group towards a far corner of the garden, a section I hadn’t visited for more than four years. Steeling myself, I pointed to a bush covered in fragrant blossoms. “And that is the Melisande flower. Apparently it was first grown the year that my aunt was born, so the gardeners named it in honour of her.”

  William, who had been reaching out to pluck one of the flowers, let his hand drop back to his side.

  “Really?” Celine pushed forward to examine it more closely. “I never knew that. In fact, I don’t recognise the flower at all.”

  I scrunched up my face as if thinking hard. “Don’t you? Perhaps Mother and Father requested the gardeners not to include it in their arrangements.” I smiled around at everyone as if proud of myself for thinking of this possibility.

  “That would make sense, given…” Marie met Rafe’s eyes and trailed off. I pretended not to notice her words or the unhappy look they shared.

  I turned to Celine. “Did you ever find out what happened?”

  Her fingers had been stroking the petals of one of the flowers, but she jerked her hand away at my words. “What happened to what?”

  “Not what, silly.” I giggled. “Who. To Aunt Melisande, of course. You asked me what had happened to her, only I didn’t know the answer.” I sighed. “I generally don’t.”

  “Cheer up, Princess,” said William, stepping closer to me with a comforting smile. “No one expects you to have all the answers.”

  “No one expects you to have any answers,” Celine muttered under her breath.

  Rafe glared at her and put a protective arm around my shoulders. “I think we should keep moving. There’s no reason to be upsetting Lettie.”

  “Oh, I’m not upset.” I smiled around at them brightly. I had seen William’s spark of interest when I had initiated the topic, and I knew I was treading dangerously.

  “Of course she’s not.” Celine led the way, stomping down the path ahead of us. I followed close enough behind to hear her quiet words. “But we should all be worried about upsetting her, anyway. Not about me, though. No one should worry about upsetting me. I’m of no account whatsoever.”

  I knew I should feel bad, but I felt elated instead. A riled and careless Celine was exactly what I needed.

  My careful manoeuvring paid off that night at the evening meal. When the servants had finished serving the sweets, Celine turned to face our father, casting a defiant look at Rafe as she did so.

  “Father, what happened to Aunt Melisande? She can’t really have disappeared, can she?”

  Instant silence fell. Except for the clatter of Uncle Horace’s fork hitting his plate. He glared at Celine. The few times I had ever heard the topic of his older sister mentioned in his presence, he had responded with a similar look.

  Celine glared straight back at him. She had never had much patience for what she deemed his ‘fusty old ways’.

  Melisande must had been the Celine in their family. My aunt certainly couldn’t be accused of lacking in dramatics, a quality Uncle Horace seemed to hate. A sign of an undisciplined mind. It didn’t help that his sister had betrayed her family in the worst possible way either.

  My parents responded more calmly, but then they always did. My mother’s placidity and my father’s reserve protected them from such emotional outbursts. I had always wondered what they truly felt in their hearts towards my aunt. She had tried to kill their daughter. Surely they hated her as I did.

  Frederic frowned at Celine and then glanced uneasily towards me. I had orchestrated the conversation, but I still had to put all my efforts into maintaining my unconcerned expression. My emotions churned, fighting to break free.

  Cassian didn’t look at either of us but trained his attention on our father. I got the sense he wanted to know the answer himself.

  My father cleared his throat and shared a look with my mother. I forced myself to breathe normally. What secrets did they share about my aunt?

  “My sister did not disappear, no.” My father’s voice was heavy. “She attempted to kill a member of the royal family, we could not let her walk away.”

  Frederic nodded once. “The penalty for such an attempt is death. We have not needed to inflict such a punishment for over a hundred years, but that does not change the l
aw.”

  My father cleared his throat and looked at my mother again.

  “It was a complex situation.” Our mother looked around at us all. Was the sadness in her eyes for me?

  “What do you mean, complex?” Frederic’s faint tinge of outrage satisfied me. He believed strongly in the rule of law and sometimes seemed oblivious to shades of grey. But in this case I agreed with him whole-heartedly – I couldn’t see anything complex about it.

  Cassian narrowed his eyes, looking between Frederic and our mother. His mind was more devious than Frederic’s, even though he generally kept it to himself. The two of them balanced each other well, and I had no doubt that Cassian would one day be Frederic’s Chief Advisor. I had never been close to either of them, but I expected Frederic’s future rule would be a successful one. After all, respect for the law was an excellent quality in the heir.

  Mother sighed. “Your aunt is a member of the royal family herself, remember.”

  “Is? I take it she wasn’t executed, then?” asked Cassian.

  “No, she wasn’t. Against my recommendations at the time, mind you.” Apparently Uncle Horace was as unforgiving towards her as I was. That made one of the family at least.

  “Come, Horace. She’s our sister.” Father frowned at his younger brother. “And you know the circumstances.”

  Uncle Horace looked like he was about to protest, but after a moment he thought better of it and returned to his food. His dark expression remained, however.

  I hoped my eyes didn’t betray the same gleam I could see in William’s. What circumstances? I had never been able to find out why my father had failed to invite his own sister to my Christening. Had she already begun to show signs of losing her mind? Was that why he had wanted to keep her away?

  Was madness what mitigated her attack on me? Certainly not even the most doting brother could consider her reaction anything but crazed.

  I willed Celine or one of my brothers to ask for an explanation of his comment. But my mother spoke before anyone had the chance. “Your aunt was banished to a remote island. As far as anyone knows, she is living there still.”

  “As far as anyone knows? Doesn’t anyone ever check on her?” Frederic sounded incredulous.

  “The island is protected by a magical barrier.” Father worded it as if the hedge was part of the prison rather than a mysterious later addition. Was he the one who had ordered it to be breached. If so, why now after so many years? Or had the orders come from a rebel hiding within the palace hierarchy?

  “So that’s how you stop her from escaping the island?” Celine seemed far too fascinated by the whole thing.

  “The island itself does that.” Uncle Horace still looked displeased with the conversation. “The whole thing is surrounded by dangerous reefs and submerged rocks. There is only one safe harbour and only three local captains know how to navigate the passage to it. Their loyalty is absolute. The knowledge has been passed down for generations, since the island has always been used for political banishment.”

  “Are there other prisoners there now?” asked Celine with wide eyes. “Do they have to battle each other?”

  “Battle each other?” My mother’s graceful eyebrows rose. “Really, Celine, of course they do not. The island has never accommodated more than one prisoner at a time. It stood empty for many years before…” Her eyes flicked to me.

  “Oh.” Celine looked disappointed. “Will you ever bring her back? Will she be pardoned?”

  I froze as I battled to keep my emotions hidden. Bring her back? The thought had literally never occurred to me. Surely Father would not consider such a thing.

  He looked almost as taken aback as I felt. “I do not know. Perhaps…perhaps if…” His eyes wandered to me, still and silent in my chair. He shook his head. “No I do not think she will ever return.”

  I could barely breathe. It was easy enough to read the missing parts of his sentences. Perhaps if my curse were ever broken, he would think of pardoning his sister. But he had no hope of such an event occurring.

  I wasn’t sure which thought enraged me more. That my own father thought I was trapped forever, or that he would even consider pardoning the monster who trapped me in the first place.

  I noticed William’s eyes on my face and forced myself to breathe. It would be interesting to hear how he reported this conversation to Aurora. I would have to ensure I seemed sufficiently interested when he did so, too.

  “I think that is quite enough of this conversation,” said my mother. “Let us turn our minds to a more cheerful topic. Rafe, I understand you are wanting to take dear Marie and William on a tour of the islands?”

  I let the sound of her words fade away as I attempted to regain my calm. I would break this curse. And after I did, I would devote my not inconsiderable abilities to ensuring my aunt never received a pardon for her crimes.

  Part II

  Wind and Waves

  Chapter 11

  “This is new. Should I be worried?” William strolled over to join me at the weapons’ rack. His quiet words seemed to reverberate through the dark practice hall. I glanced over and saw with relief that he had closed the door behind him.

  I went back to strapping the knife to my arm.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to go for something bigger?”

  I was almost certain he was joking. “This one is just fine.” I kept my head down, focussed on my task. “Along with the two in my boots and the two at my back.”

  William shook his head. “Did I ever mention that I like a well-armed girl?”

  I finally looked up to meet his eyes. “No, I don’t believe you did.”

  “My favourite kind, I assure you.”

  I pointed to the weapons’ rack. “Arm up.”

  He straightened. “The plot thickens.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Tonight is different. I’d rather not do it on my own, but I will if I have to.”

  “Absolutely not. Whatever it is, I’m in.” He chose a sword and sheath and began to buckle them around his waist. “Why me, though? Is this a recognition of my superior fighting skills?”

  “You can do something for me that none of my other agents can – provide legitimacy.”

  “So I’m officially one of your agents now? Do I get special privileges? What about a secret handshake at least?”

  I ignored him. “You’ve already done it once, the night we met. If anyone discovers us, you need to invoke your royal authority and remind them that you’re not to be questioned.”

  He raised one eyebrow. “I’m not to be questioned? I think I missed that memo. I think you missed that memo.”

  I bit my tongue to hold back a giggle. Aurora didn’t giggle, that was Celeste. What if William recognised the sound? “Not to be arrested on the spot, at least.”

  “That I can probably manage. I’m glad you’re seeing my true depth and worth at last.”

  I turned back to the task at hand. He seemed determined not to take the situation seriously, and I had no idea what had evoked such a playful mood in him. But it was clearly dangerous, as evidenced by my near giggle. A sound I shouldn’t have been at all tempted to make given the seriousness of our mission and the lurking tension that fuelled it.

  When I looked back up, he was watching me. And the laugh had dropped out of his eyes.

  “Thank you for trusting me, Aurora. I was starting to feel pretty useless. And I don’t want you to see me as useless.”

  His eyes locked onto mine, and I put a self-conscious hand up to my scarf. I kept thinking he was going to recognise me when he looked at me like that. As if I had all of his attention. As if I were the most captivating thing he’d ever seen.

  Then I remembered that he looked at me like that during the day too. I scowled. He had no business giving Aurora that look when he was busy pursuing a beautiful princess. It was most likely just another tool in his princely arsenal. It probably meant nothing.

  Of course, the princess he pursued was me. But he didn’t know
that. I squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep breath. I needed to refocus. A man’s life might depend on it. And not any man–one of my own.

  I watched as William tucked a small throwing dagger into each boot and then gestured for him to follow me. I spoke quietly as we walked.

  “Two of my agents amongst the guard have been recruited into the mercenary shadow army. The rebels have been hiding in plain sight amongst our own guard, ready to move on command. Apparently no one has noticed how much the royal guard has grown in size over the last year.” I shook my head before continuing.

  “Their recruitment was a major breakthrough. I finally have a good idea of the size of the army and how they’re being supplied, recruited and paid. But last night one of them failed to report in. I can’t ask the other one what happened because they don’t know about each other. It’s safer that way for both of them.”

  “So you think he might have been discovered?” William’s grim tone suggested he knew exactly how bad that would be.

  “It’s possible. For now, all I know is that he hasn’t reported in for two nights now.”

  “Could he have betrayed you?”

  I shook my head. “He’s one of my oldest and most loyal agents. He would never betray me.” My voice gave the slightest wobble. “And that loyalty goes both ways. If he’s in trouble, I need to get him out. He trusts me, and I won’t let him down.”

  William reached over to squeeze my hand, quickly letting go again afterwards. “We’ll find him, Aurora. And, if we have to, we’ll fight our way out.”

  I nodded once. “That’s why we’re armed. I’m hoping you can talk us out of any trouble we get into. But, if not…”

  I was still uneasy about my decision to involve the prince. The whole situation had the potential to become extremely messy. But concern for my agent had overridden my concerns. If they had discovered his double dealing, then he needed my help now. And I needed back up.