“She says it’s strong, that he boasted of its potency.”
Phillip nodded. “I see. Well, we can still try. Anything will help us get through this spell and avoid the woodsman.”
Her eyes lit up with a bit of hope. A little time was all they needed. It was risky, but the alternative options of hiding out here and wasting time or not shielding her at all would be foolish.
“I must take my leave now.” Anah Carly vanished from the room.
Esther Anna caught sight of Prince Phillip and she nodded at his questioning glance, confirming that Anah Carly had left the room. The spectre was proving to be rather valuable and Esther Anna realised that she was so grateful to have obtained this necklace.
Fate seemed to be on her side for now, and she knew she needed all the help she could get.
8
Present time. Kingdom of Tibethia.
* * *
Noelle listened to the report and her eyes blazed with anger. How dare they! She’d known they’d make a move, she just hadn’t thought it would happen this soon.
One of the leading families in the kingdom had solicited the help of the others and was gunning for the throne. This soon after my father’s funeral? She fumed. He even approached her at the service to express his condolences.
She remembered the funeral, an elaborate service that was fit for a king. Many of its people, her subjects, including the leading families, came forth to send off the king. They were dressed in traditional black garments, and showed their respect and sorrow for their late king. Noelle stifled her laughter at them. While they all mourned the loss, Noelle was stuck pondering the inevitable. In a patriarchal kingdom, once a king died without leaving behind a worthy male heir, there was usually a mad dash for the throne by the leading families and this time was no exception.
The man in question, the one who was out to challenge the throne, was Sir Tobias Eaton. He was a very powerful merchant who singlehandedly controlled more than half of the kingdom’s imported merchandise. He was a proud and successful businessman who did well to avoid conflict. His family was of the oldest in the kingdom and he held a very prestigious position in the late King’s Council, one that she intended to disband as soon as possible. The princess was sure that she didn’t need those old bureaucrats telling her how to run the kingdom or trying to influence her decisions.
Noelle sighed as the man finished his report. The entire plot was devious, and while she could admire that, it was a plot made against her, and they were going to pay for that treachery. They underestimated her…and she longed to prove them wrong. She licked her lips, anticipating the meeting.
“Sir Tobias Eaton, your majesty.” The guard at the door announced his arrival.
Tobias flounced into the room. He gave off a pompous air, just as his name suggested. He looked around the great room with a thin smile on his face, as if he was already making imaginary changes to the throne room upon his success in ascending to the throne. He felt that his victory was nigh. Tobias grinned as he respectfully bowed to the princess. “Your majesty.”
“Sir Eaton.” Noelle responded, coolly. She was irked by the way he looked at her and consoled herself by thinking of ways in which she would wipe that smug look from his face.
“I’m certain you know why I am here, your highness.”
Noelle smirked. “No, Sir Eaton, I’m afraid I am unaware or your purpose here today.” The princess reined in her anger. She walked over to the throne and without a break in their locked gazes, she took her seat upon it. “You would do well to enlighten me.”
Tobias’ nostrils flared as he shifted where he stood, clearly upset at her actions. He pushed back the fit of anger that was rising within him, and composed himself. He gestured towards a guard who hurried over, and in a flourish, he retrieved a letter from his cuff. The guard fetched the parchment and quickly ran to deliver it to the princess.
Noelle grimaced at the Eaton family seal on the letter, but after a beat, she broke through the wax and read through. She should have expected these words…she was being asked to vacate the palace. The letter mentioned that she had been deemed too young and inexperienced along with her fiancé who, as they put it, was not even fit enough to rule his own Kingdom. They also mentioned that she would remain among the leading families, but she would not be the ruler of Tibethia as there were more qualified people. She noted the four signatures of the leading families along the bottom.
Tobias felt a smirk tug at his lips. He took her shock and silence for acceptance of defeat and that smirk became a proud and victorious smile. “As you will see, all the families have decided. It’s unanimous. Do not consider this losing the throne young princess, see it more like you’re handing over the reins of leadership to someone more qualified to rule. It’s for the good of your people, of the kingdom. It’s what your father would have wanted.”
The princess didn’t respond, she just read it over again, scoffing at the mention of people more qualified. She brought her eyes up to Tobias, who was still smiling at her. She’d had enough. It was too late now for him to ask for forgiveness, and too late to escape with their lives. “You dare attempt to seize the throne, only a week after my father’s death? Where’s the respect? Where is the honour?” Guilt was her play now.
“You are too young to understand, but this is how it has always been. Your father did not have a worthy heir in his lifetime, so it must go to the next in line of the leading families.”
She felt anger rise slowly at the mention of their tradition. Noelle responded, calmly, “I am to marry Prince Hardy of Solestia. He will be king, and I, his queen. I will be by his side. That was how my father intended it to be.”
He scoffed and threw up his hands in a gesture of dismissal. “Prince Hardy is but a mere boy, an obedient puppy dog more interested in following you around than ruling, even his own kingdom. Despite being of age, he hasn’t even challenged his uncle for the right to rule. With all due respect, I’d rather have a pile of trash on the throne than that weak-willed boy.”
She smiled slightly at his anger, it was just what she wanted. Noelle wasn’t troubled by his insults about Prince Hardy. It was true, he was weak-willed, even before she put the spell on him. He was no leader, which was why their marriage was only going to be that, in name only. She would be the real ruler of Tibethia, and in time, the other kingdoms as well.
“You have our orders your highness. Failure to comply, and two days hence, you will be removed by force.” He took a few steps closer, though careful as not to alert the guard. “Please, don’t let it get to that. I respected your father, our king, and I assure you I will make sure the fugitive queen pays dearly for the loss she has made us suffer. But I implore you not to sully his good name by forcing me to remove you. The families are at my back and you do not stand a chance.” His smile of confidence had returned.
Noelle glared at the arrogant Sir Tobias as he kept making mention of her father. King Pierre understood how things were done and he would not approve of the methods Tobias was looking to implement. Princess Noelle had not moved since he spoke. Her mind was still hinged on something he said. Her orders? She sat up straight, a little more comfortable in the throne. “Here’s what I think of your orders, Sir Tobias Eaton.” Noelle brought the letter up and tore it into pieces.
He gasped and gave a disapproving glower at her action, and watched as the pieces of parchment fell to the floor. “Listen to me, you presumptuous twat! This is how things have been done for generations! The families have spoken, and you dare disrespect us and our way? You have two days. Oh, I beg of you. Please, fail to leave and give me the pleasure of removing you myself. I will make sure you regret what you have just done!”
Noelle LaChance stared at the furious man in undisguised anger, now. He was insulting her, and there was no need to put up a front. “No, Sir Tobias. You listen to me. Go. Go to your leading families and tell them that I, Princess Noelle LaChance, will not be vacating these walls. If you intend to come
and remove me by force, well… by all means. You’re more than welcome to try. I assure you, that you will be too busy suffering to be able to regret your decision to step into this hall and demand your orders of me. You have my answer.”
Sir Tobias Eaton stared at her in slight shock, as he didn’t expect such an outburst from the usually mild-mannered princess.
“Guards!” Noelle summoned her men, “Please escort the good man out of the castle. Now.”
Tobias left the throne room angrily, the guard walking behind him at a safe distance.
In time, the error of their ways would be revealed. But by then, it would be too late, for them, and for their families.
Present time. Fairy Kingdom of Fandrela.
* * *
Esther Anna and Phillip made their way to the outer regions of the kingdom and each seemed slightly hesitant to be leaving, but it was only slightly. They were both propelled forward by a sense of purpose and belief in a course that far outweighed them completely. They were accompanied by another, who flew quietly behind them, an escort to the outskirts to ensure their safety.
Prince Phillip carried with him a pack that contained everything they needed. His dress was far different than what he’d been wearing before, as he exchanged the regal attire for normal traveller’s wear. His prince’s garbs would only draw attention to them once they were out of Fandrela, and that would work against them if they wanted to lay low and out of sight. His sword hung from his side, polished and cleaned with special materials during his preparations from the night before.
Esther Anna was dressed in an outfit made for her by the fairies. Something comfortable, light, and much like the prince’s uniform, made for easy blending for. As a fugitive, the last thing she wanted was to stand out in the crowd.
As they approached the outer region, she remembered first walk towards Fandrela. She had been so fascinated with the large flowers and blades of grass. Everything was extraordinary. She’d grown so accustomed to that way of life that going back to normal size would take some getting used to, at least for the first few days. It was a long trek, but they finally arrived at the edge of the kingdom, and she found that the outer regions had a familiar forest area. Due to Damien’s awareness of the other entrance, they decided to use another route. It was still terrifying to know that the tracker would pick her up as soon as they left, but choosing a different doorway would buy them some time.
Once they were stopped, Esther Anna watched as their escort flew towards her. She stretched out her hands and gave the queen one last smile before a blast of energy was released from her hands and it struck her squarely in the chest. She braced herself and shut her eyes tight as she felt the sensation of being thrust into the air at a dizzying speed. She reached out and brushed against grass and flowers as she returned to her normal size. The transition felt she like she was flying and by the time she opened her eyes, she seemed to be looking at the ground from the top of a tower. Her mind flashed back to the time the prince took her to his special place. He’d flown her to the top of a flower. Everything had looked so far away and beautiful. That was how she felt now, except the tower was her own legs.
The fairy escort flew up to her face level and bowed to her as a sign of departure, before zipping away, to return to Fandrela.
Esther Anna thought to wave, but she was already gone. She looked back towards the kingdom, already nostalgic for the realm she left behind. It was so tiny now, but she could see it. As she watched, she could make see fairies zipping in and out of various houses, engaging in their everyday activities. Their lives would continue as usual, since the world didn’t stop turning just because of this critical situation. Time was of the essence; if they wanted to preserve the lives of their people and the beauty of their kingdoms, they needed to press on.
Phillip grew to human size beside her, standing at an impressive six feet two inches, which was more than a head taller than her. She turned to him and watched in mild wonder as his wings collapsed against his back. He looked himself over and then looked up at her and smiled. All the awkwardness from the previous day over the botched moment seemed to have dissolved, and they didn’t want that to get in the way of their task before them.
“Where to?” She asked.
“Well, first things first. You know we’re not definitely going out that way.” He pointed, and she didn’t even have to look to know that it was the entrance where Damien was last seen. It was the entrance she’d used initially, which would have been a bad idea. “There are roughly six entrances to my kingdom and they all lead to different places from this end. So, we’re going out through the one least likely to have any guard close to the vicinity.” Phillip turned to the north west and they started their hike. During their walk, neither of them said a word.
He was confident in his directions towards a safe destination, so she followed him closely and quietly. He was aware of the risk that awaited them on the other side, and wanted to find the best route possible, with the least amount of chance that Damien would be there.
Esther Anna reached up and pushed aside some of the vines that were obstructing her path. Out of the blue, she was struck with fear that the people would blame her if Phillip did not return home to them. It would be her fault he was in danger in the first place, since she brought the mission to him. However, the prince was grown and capable of making decisions on his own. It was his idea to join her, but she was determined to have his back and protect him as best as she could. The queen didn’t fancy the thought of having another kingdom blame her for something she had nothing to do with and she enthusiastically prayed that their mission would be a success.
If not the people of their kingdoms, Esther Anna’s biggest critic would be herself. She would blame herself for his death, or if anything were to happen to him.
She sighed.
“Is everything okay?” Phillip asked.
“Yeah, its fine…I’m fine. I’m just worried. A lot is riding on this and many lives will be lost if we fail, I can just feel it.” She said and he nodded, stopping completely.
“Look at me. We will succeed okay? A positive attitude helps too. Plus...” He gestured towards his blade, “I know how to use this pretty well.”
Esther Anna laughed. Phillip had to use his sword to cut through the vines that were her bindings upon their first meeting. That was the only time she’d seen him use the sword, but since he proudly wore it on his hip, she didn’t doubt his skill. She looked back one last time the way they had come. She wondered if she would ever return to Fandrela. Feeling the uncertainty threatening to rise again, she turned back and hurried to catch up with Prince Phillip.
The mission was on.
Present time. Kingdom of Tibethia. Outskirts.
* * *
The surface of the lake glistened in the moonlight and was relatively calm. Crickets chirped all around, a natural soundtrack to the night air. The grass moved slightly in the wind and far off in the distance, an owl hooted. it seemed like an ordinary night.
At that moment, a glow came from the lake and a few seconds later, a figure emerged. Esther Anna broke the surface of the water and looked around carefully. Left and right she turned, as her legs beat steadily beneath the water. She was encased in a transparent bubble that provided air for her to breathe, and kept her clothes dry underwater. As soon as she emerged from the lake, it gradually dissolved, and she crouched low to avoid being seen. A few seconds later, Prince Phillip flew out. He’d reverted to his natural state to maintain the spell that protected the queen, since his magic was all but gone when in human form. He was pleased to find that the exit he chose wasn’t heavily guarded, as it was a rarely used gateway to Fandrela.
He shifted back into his human size and joined her.
“You have an underwater entrance?” She asked quietly.
“We have several, actually,” Phillip replied as he adjusted the pack around his back, “but this is one is not as popular as the rest. Each of them are in places that ar
e heavily guarded.”
She nodded, and made a quick scan of the area. “Where are we?”
“We are still in Tibethia.” The prince caught her wide-eyed expression and burst out laughing. “Hey…calm down. I don’t think there’s anyone here, and even if they were, they’ve since moved on. Don’t you recognise the lake? We’re at Edmond’s Pass.”
Edmond’s Pass was indeed one of the least travelled paths in the kingdom, since for a time, it was a haven of thieves and criminals. It earned its name from one man who had not been content with just changing routes because of the unsavoury lot. That man’s name was Edmond, and together with a small band of people, cleared out the pass of hooligans and rough figures who resided there. The intention had fallen through because by then, the placed had gained sufficient notoriety for people avoid that path altogether.
Esther Anna was relieved now that she was confident they were alone. She took a quick glance out at the area, breathed a sigh of relief and went to sit beside the lake. It felt good. The prince had proved that he knew exactly what he was doing and it impressed her, the way things were going so far. They were off to a great start. Phillip went to join her, and for a while, they watched peaceful stillness of the water stretched in front of them. The stars up above twinkled brilliantly. The queen compared the sight of this sky to the one she’d seen in the fairy kingdom. This one was familiar, a sky in a world she knew, with its single sun, single moon and plethora of stars. Even though Fandrela was fantastical, it was nice to be in her realm.
She sighed. The initial drowsiness of sleep washed over her. It was tough for her to tell the time based on the sky alone, but the black of night told her it was rather late. The steady rhythm and tone of the crickets began to gently lull her to sleep.
“I’m sorry…” Phillip uttered. “For two nights ago, I’m sorry.”
Magic and Shadows: A Collection of YA Fantasy and Paranormal Romances Page 106