Utterly engrossed in her own thoughts, the queen’s voice finally broke through. “Amelia, are you listening?”
“What?”
“Clearly not.”
“Sorry! What were you asking?”
Kaliyah sighed. “I wish to speak with you, sister.”
“Sure.”
Kaliyah raised a hand, motioning for her advisors to depart upon whatever tasks Amelia had been too bored to follow.
The queen waited until the room had cleared, then pushed the chair beside her from the table. “Come closer, Amelia. I have a lot to talk to you about.”
Amelia stood and turned the indicated seat to more easily meet Kaliyah’s gaze. “What is going on? Did I upset the departing lords by not being present? I really didn’t mean to sleep so late. You could have woken me if—”
“It’s not that.” Kaliyah shook her head. “Though a few were saddened to leave without bidding you goodbye. Those who mentioned you also expressed they understood, as they themselves were rather exhausted from the night’s festivities.”
Tension left her shoulders. “I’m relieved to hear I didn’t upset anyone too much.”
“Not at all.”
“Okay. What are we discussing?”
Kaliyah stood, moving a few paces before turning to gaze down on her sister. “Amelia, there is something you must accept.”
Her sister’s tone caused the hairs to stand up on Amelia’s arms. She straightened against the chair, more directly meeting her sister’s eyes. “What?” she asked, concern filtering through her voice. “What’s wrong?”
“You’re aware, when a new queen is crowned, there are traditions I am required to fulfill and honor. A sacred charge passed down from queen to queen.”
“What does this have to do with me?”
“As I am now queen, this leaves a question as to your position.”
“My position?”
Kaliyah nodded.
“I don’t understand.”
“No, I suspect you don’t.”
“Well then, explain. Do you wish for me serve in a new advisory capacity, or…”
“In a way, yes.”
A relieved smile curved Amelia’s lips. “I’m happy to serve in any way you require.”
“I appreciate your loyalty,” Kaliyah answered. “Which is why this is so difficult.”
“Difficult?”
“Upon taking the throne, there are many positions which must be filled. Lord Salvar, for example, has been promoted to head of treasury for both the kingdom, and my personal household. Lady Paulette will help to govern several of the smaller provinces in the eastern kingdom.”
“What does this have to do with me?”
“One of the positions, which must be filled as part of the requirements to secure favor from the goddess, is to appoint a junior high priestess.”
Amelia blinked uncomprehendingly.
“The junior priestess trains in the temples, to eventually become the high priestess of the land. A new junior priestess is selected with the coronation of each rising queen, with the expectation that one day the two will work together in harmony. The person chosen must be from among the purest of shifter bloodlines, and hold high rank in our society. I have considered several candidates for this greatest of positions, but after much contemplation and prayer, have decided you, Amelia, shall be the one to have this honor.”
“Me?” Amelia clenched her hands together. The point of her mother’s pear-shaped ruby cut into her palm, serving as evidence she wasn’t dreaming.
Kaliyah nodded. “Who better than my own sister? And what better offering to give the goddess than a princess of Kalleen?”
Amelia stared, mouth agape, as her mind refused to process her words. “You want me to…”
“Become the next high priestess.”
“I…”
“This is not what you expected, and therefore I can understand your initial shock. However, once you take time to consider my words, I’m certain you will find this is best for the kingdom.”
“For the kingdom…You want me to…” Amelia stood from the chair as shock gave way to anger. “Priestesses are—“
“Among the most powerful and honored women in the kingdom.”
“They are taken to the temples and locked away!” Amelia found her words with instant venom. “They are prisoners. Brides of gods they’ll never see!”
“Prisoners? No, but it is essential they remain in seclusion, in order to hear and interpret the voice of the gods.”
“I don’t want to be a priestess.”
“I believe, given time—“
“No!” The word was sharp. “I won’t!”
Kaliyah sighed. “I was afraid you would be difficult about this.”
“Difficult? You want to take my life away, and lock me up in the middle of nowhere. Why? Children are customarily chosen from birth to enter the temple. They spend their lives pure and virtuous, of which I am neither. Why would you choose me for this? I don’t understand.”
“Normally, yes, those selected for priestesshood are taken younger than you. However, when selecting the future high priestess, this is the traditional method.”
“Find yourself another candidate. I will not consent to this. I love Stephen. You can’t force me to leave him, and you can’t force me to enter the temple.”
Kaliyah’s emerald eyes took on a bluer shade, pupils narrowing to reptilian form. “I am afraid, sister, you have no choice in the matter. You shall be taken to the temple by force, if necessary.”
Amelia looked incredulously at Kaliyah, unable to hide her disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”
Kaliyah’s voice grew cold as she said, “You will find I am perfectly serious. The matter has already been discussed at length with the high lords, and temple leadership. You will be escorted from the palace at sunrise, and taken to the temples to begin your training.”
“No! Please, Kaliyah, why are you doing this?” she pleaded. “I can’t go to the temple. Stephen—”
“Will be informed of my decision.”
“I don’t…” She searched her sister’s eyes, but found only the beast within. “I love him. Please, I…I love him with all my heart. Please, don’t do this.”
Her sister’s eyes remained cold. “I’m sorry,” she spoke without a hint of sincerity. “You will leave him in the morning, abandoning all possessions and thoughts of any future but the one I have seen fit to bestow.”
“I won’t,” she protested, but her heart sank as her sister called for the guardsmen stationed outside the door.
“Escort the princess to one of the castle’s inner sanctums, away from any balcony or window. Ensure she remains there.”
Her dragon stirred, but as the physically superior guards closed in, she found herself grasped securely in their power, two of the men grabbing her arms while another pressed a hand on her shoulder, pushing her toward the door.
“No!” she protested, courage failing as the words transformed to a scream. “Wait! Please!”
Kaliyah did not respond, instead watching with unnatural eyes as the men dragged Amelia from the royal chambers, unmoved by her sister’s anguish.
Chapter 7
Amelia paced the small chamber, anger inviting her beast to lurk just below the surface. “How can she do this?” she asked the empty room. “Why?”
Her heart screamed for Stephen. Surely by now he would have begun to wonder where she was. Had Kaliyah informed him of her fate? How had he responded to the queen’s decree? Had he attempted to see her? Or was he, like her, a prisoner?
She flopped onto the plain bed with a groan of frustration, smacking her hand onto the mattress, the sting of her palm a distraction against overwhelming mental anguish.
That night was the longest she had known since her mother’s death, as she endlessly reviewed and dismissed her options.
The queen’s rule was considered to be absolute, sealed the night prior when the crown had been placed
upon her brow. Had Kaliyah been planning this the entire time? She must have, as she wasted no time in making the pronouncement. Amelia could fight, but even in her dragon form, she would be outnumbered by the guards, who also were shifters.
Had she access to a window, escape might have been possible. However, as she waited, trapped in the center of the palace, surrounded by thick, stone walls, Kaliyah had effectively secured her inside. Finally, Amelia attempted to sleep, hoping to gain a few precious hours of rest so she’d be cognizant the following morning.
When she awoke, she kept her eyes closed, drawing several breaths in hopes the previous day had been a terrible nightmare, but as her eyes opened to reveal the unfamiliar surroundings of her confinement, she knew it to be real. She sat on the bed seething until the door eventually opened and three men entered.
“Forgive me, Princess,” a tall man addressed her. “The queen has ordered us to immediately transport you to the temple.”
“Where’s Stephen?” she demanded. “You cannot expect me to go without seeing him.”
The man’s dark eyes caught her gaze with what appeared to be genuine sympathy. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. I am afraid you have been forbidden from seeing anyone.”
Anger gave way to a numb fear as Amelia stared at the lord. “Gwain, isn’t it?”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Have you ever loved someone?”
Gwain nodded.
“And if this were your last time seeing her, Gwain?” Amelia’s voice was softer than she would have liked, revealing pain the anger was no longer able to mask.
“Were it up to me, Princess, I would allow you to do so. Alas, ’tis not. The queen has given orders.” He took a step toward her, compassion in his eyes. “I would ask, my lady, for you to turn and place your hands behind you.”
“My hands?”
“I have been ordered to chain you, to prevent escape. I’d prefer to do so peacefully.”
Amelia stared at him in disbelief. “You intend to drag me from the castle in chains?”
“I’ll provide a cloak, so the people will not know, if you wish.”
Amelia stared as Gwain approached. When he reached for her left arm, she jerked away. “How dare you touch me!”
“I have no choice in the matter, Your Highness. Please, don’t make this more difficult than it already is.”
When he again reached for her, Amelia stepped to the right and rushed toward the door. Grabbing the metal handle, she threw open the thick wooden panel, only to be met by additional men stationed on the other side. The guardsmen grabbed her, forcing her back into the room and yanking her arms behind her, holding her tight as Gwain slipped the thick, silver manacles around her wrists, before placing an additional chain across her upper chest.
The binding made it not only difficult to escape, but nearly impossible to shift as well. The chains would cut into expanding wings, damaging both her human and dragon forms.
Once secured, Gwain stepped in front of her and again met her gaze. “Would you like a cloak, Princess?”
“Please let me see Stephen.”
Gwain ignored her plea. “Cloak or no?”
She trembled, heart racing, harsh reality washing over her with the same strength of the chains around her wrist. She stared at the floor, the world shifting as her heart pounded, hammering in her ears.
“Princess…”
“No,” she answered on a harsh breath. “If you are going to drag me out of the palace in chains, let the entire court see what she has ordered.”
Gwain nodded. “As you wish, my lady. Will you walk from here on your own accord?”
A tremor ran up Amelia’s spine, but she managed to nod, not wanting to invite these men to put their hands on her.
She was escorted out of the room where more men waited, making it a total of eight guards charged with ensuring her safe arrival at the temple. Having traveled there once before with her mother, Amelia knew the journey to be a long road, requiring several weeks.
As she moved down the palace halls, and into the courtyard, several people stopped and stared, some walking by before turning to take a second glance, disbelieving. She searched the faces for her love, but he was nowhere to be found.
Her heart crumbled with each step that brought her closer to the castle gates. When they reached them, multiple stable hands stood, holding the reins of several horses, rations tied to the saddles.
“I’m afraid, my lady, you will not be permitted to ride by yourself. I would welcome you to ride with me, but understand if you would prefer another.” He motioned to the additional men. “Your choice, Princess Amelia.”
She swept the faces, recognizing none of her captors by more than a vague knowledge of their family origins. More pieces of her heart chipped away, and all traces of bravado vanished as tears rose. “Please,” she begged. “Let me see him. You’re taking away my life.”
Gwain’s expression softened, her pain pulling at the strings of his heart in a way her anger had failed to do. His regret rang true. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. Truly.”
“Please.” A tear spilled from her eye.
Shifting his gaze to the ground, he repeated, “I’m sorry. The queen has forbidden it.”
Amelia’s eyes squeezed tight, chains preventing her from being able to wipe away her tears.
“Will you consent to ride with me, Princess?” Gwain repeated the earlier invitation, but avoided her direct gaze.
She did not verbalize her answer, but merely nodded in defeat.
Hand gently on her elbow, he walked her over to a waiting horse and stroked along its ebony mane. “Hey, Gabriel,” he spoke to the familiar mount. “You’re going to have an extra passenger. No mischief. Be nice to her.”
The horse gave a short huff in acknowledgment before Gwain turned back to the princess. “With your permission?”
Again, the princess merely nodded, allowing Gwain to lift her onto the saddle before mounting behind her, maneuvering his arms to grasp the reigns. “Forgive the proximity, my lady,” he apologized.
Glancing behind, confirming the other men were mounted, he commanded, “Let’s go,” before pulling lightly on the reins to direct Gabriel from the courtyard and out the castle gates.
And thus the princess was removed from the only world she’d known, unable to wipe away the tears coursing down her face.
Chapter 8
The princess did not speak during the first day’s ride, remaining silent in her misery. When they stopped to make camp, the captain set up a tent for her before pulling rations from his saddlebag.
As he arranged the simple meal of bread, cheese, and dried meat, the princess asked, “Are you going to untie me, or must I suffer the further indignity of being fed from your hands?”
“I’ll unchain you to eat, my lady. But I require your word that you’ll not attempt to escape, at least until the meal is finished.”
Amelia’s eyes narrowed. “Only until the meal is done?”
“I would be a fool to expect you to offer a vow extending beyond a limited time period. I imagine you would rather surrender your dignity in allowing me to feed you, than agree to an oath you cannot keep.”
“And what makes you believe I wouldn’t lie?”
“Because I served your mother,” Gwain answered. “She never directly broke her word once given. I trust I can expect no less from her daughter.”
Amelia wanted to call him a fool, but he was correct. The word of a royal must be trusted at all costs, lest all future promises be deemed worthless. Amelia considered refusing, but as she caught scent of the cheese, her stomach grumbled.
“I won’t run for the duration of the meal,” she promised.
“That’s all I ask. Now turn around so I can unlock the chains.”
She did as he asked, remaining still as he removed the heavy chain from below her shoulders before unlocking the cuffs. Once freed, she grabbed her wrists, rubbing alternate sides where the metal had chafed her skin, leav
ing it raw. She had a deeper cut in her left wrist, from when she had initially fought being bound.
Noting the discoloration and open wound, Gwain called for bandages. Amelia considered refusing his assistance, but relented, allowing him to apply a soothing salve before wrapping the injured wrist.
“Should help it heal,” Gwain informed her. “And ease the pain.”
“Pain you caused.”
“For which I hold deep regret.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“The queen’s command,” he answered simply. “Though I wish it were not.”
“Does Stephen know? Did you stop him from coming to me?”
“I’m afraid these are questions I cannot answer. I was told only to escort you to the temple, which is the duty I am carrying out.”
“Why me? I don’t understand. There are many who desire this honor. I’m not one.”
Gwain sighed. “Again, my lady, I have no answer. It came as much of a surprise to the guard as it did to you.”
Prolonged silence followed before Amelia reached for her food, eating several pieces ravenously before forcing herself to slow, not wishing to upset her stomach by eating too fast.
A half-hour later, with the remainder of the camp set up, Amelia was escorted to her private tent, and re-chained, but in a modified way intended to allow her to sleep. Gwain left to give instructions on how shifts should be split for the night’s watch.
Alone, Amelia settled herself onto the narrow cot. She thought sleep might not come, and had planned to plot her escape, yet as soon as she relaxed, her eyes began to close.
Chapter 9
Amelia walked across the grassy field, the smell of smoke filling her nostrils. She coughed, struggling to breathe the toxic air. What had once been a lush, green forest now stood as a skeletal structure. Trees, previously covered in foliage, now husks of blackened bark. Formerly soft grass now crunched beneath her feet.
Fear gripped her as she continued forward, wanting to run from the thickening smoke, yet compelled by a force she couldn’t name. Breathing grew more difficult as she walked, the smoke stinging her eyes and throat as white ash fell, covering her clothes and tangling in the strands of her golden hair.
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