Lily accepted my judgment call without comment. So, our best theory is that the curse was only against the royal family. It could even have been the curse itself that killed the old king. I received an image of her shaking her head. We were all so sure the entire kingdom had been cursed. It never occurred to anyone it might not be a curse, at all.
How could it have? I projected. Who would possibly guess that the people had merely been shifted sideways into another realm, and the wasteland put in place to protect them from outsiders who might try to come in and take their land?
But it has still affected them negatively, projected Lily. Surely there is some means to rescue them and bring them back.
There must be, I agreed. The godmothers have been involved, and they always leave a way out from such things. But no one would talk to me about it.
Wait! Lily gasped. You’re telling me that the capital isn’t empty like it appears, but full of invisible people? And that I can learn to hear them?
Maybe. I spoke slowly, trying to think it through. I’m not completely sure. The godmother who intervened for Dominic changed something to allow him to interact with his servants. It’s possible I was only able to hear them because of whatever she did.
You mean, like she made some sort of extra bridge between the two realms, or something?
I shrugged. Maybe?
And you think when she did that, she also cursed him to look like a beast and took away his voice. Oh, and trapped him in the castle grounds. So, there are possibly two different curses—or, at least, pseudo-curses—to find a solution for.
I shrugged again. Yet another guess. There are just too many guesses. Not least of which is why the snow melted at the castle and the wilderness disappeared. In fact, for that one I don’t even have a guess.
Lily was silent for a moment. I do.
Really? What?
She hesitated again. I don’t want to say, I might be wrong.
I snorted. When have you ever worried about being embarrassed in front of me?
She sent another image of her shaking head. It’s not that. I just don’t want to give you a false idea. It might lead you down the wrong track.
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t be bothered arguing with her. Not when we had more important things to discuss. But none of that matters until we can get you and Jon free from Cole. We need to come up with a plan.
We talked about it for two days straight. Lily wanted to incite the invisible people of the capital to fight against Cole and his men. Only, there were several problems with her plan, as I kept reminding her.
One was that despite trying over and over again, Lily couldn’t hear anything. If there were invisible people anywhere around her, they were either silent, or too separated from us to be heard. And she and Jon couldn’t try speaking aloud to them, because there was a guard in the room where they were being imprisoned at all times.
Another problem was that the invisible people of Palinar were completely separated from us physically. I explained my experiments with my maids to Lily. If I’m right, the whole point of the reverse curse was to ensure no one in the normal world could hurt them. But the same seems to apply in reverse as well. The servants couldn’t actually touch me. I suppose it’s possible that they could still wield a weapon of some sort, but it’s also possible that any attempt would simply slide away, like happened in our experiments. And that’s all assuming you could actually communicate with them. Let’s just say it’s not a solution I want to be relying on.
Eventually I succeeded in moving her attention to other strategies, and we came up with several tentative plans. It was difficult to decide anything for certain, however, when we didn’t know what Cole would do when I arrived in the capital.
The one thing we did know was that he could not act immediately. Dominic’s window to claim the throne would remain open for at least a day after I arrived in the capital, and Cole would not act before that. He didn’t know that Dominic had dissolved our betrothal, and he still feared the ancient laws enough not to risk breaking it himself. Which meant I couldn’t marry anyone else while Dominic remained the heir to Palinar.
However, he would surely be poised ready for the ceremony as soon as the window closed. He wouldn’t want to waste any time making me Palinaran, as well as royal. Which meant I needed to find a way to rescue us all before Dominic ceased to be the heir.
I asked if a squad of guards from Marin might show up at some point, but her reply wasn’t very hopeful.
If the duke does decide to send out a search party, they would surely head to Dominic’s castle. Everyone knew I was trying to go after you, and they have no reason to think we would have diverted to the capital.
Perhaps they would bring trackers with them, I suggested hopefully.
Cole went to fairly extreme lengths to hide our tracks on the way here, unfortunately. I don’t think we should be holding out hope for rescue from Marin.
Eventually we had come up with every variation of plan we could think of, and there was nothing left to do but wait.
Chapter 27
It took the full two days the coachmen had predicted to reach the capital. Eventually the city appeared on the horizon, and not long afterwards we acquired two silent outriders. I could only assume they were Cole’s men, sent to ensure I entered alone and proceeded straight to him. Their presence destroyed several of the tentative plans we had made.
The capital was the largest I had ever seen, dwarfed only by the city-state of Marin. Even the buildings were built on a grander scale, with elegant arches and fountains every few streets. I could see why people in Marin talked about the magnificence of Palinar before the curse.
But now it felt eerie, the streets unnaturally deserted. To make the sensation worse, I kept thinking I saw flashes of movement down alleys and behind windows. But whenever I focused on it, I could see nothing. It reminded me of my first few days in the castle and the terrifying whispers that had followed me around. But for all I strained, making myself as receptive as possible, the only conversation I could hear came from the two coachmen.
Still, I couldn’t deny the prickling at the back of my neck. And the memory of the terror, loneliness, and insecurity that had accompanied my first encounters with the whispers came flooding back. But I realized I had grown stronger in the last few months. The threat I faced now was even greater, but I successfully resisted the helplessness and the fear. I was here with a purpose, and I didn’t have time for doubt to slow me down.
It helped that if ever it became too much, Lily was there, her comforting presence a mere thought away. Surprisingly I found myself glad of the time apart—it had allowed me to find my individual strength. But I also rejoiced at being reunited now; we had always been stronger together. And we would need all our combined strength to defeat this threat, just as it had taken our combined strength to defeat the Tourney.
When we entered the city, our outriders pulled in front of us, and I leaned my head out the window to instruct the coachmen to follow them. I didn’t want to cause trouble yet. Thankfully, it soon became apparent they were heading for the palace. I breathed a sigh of relief. Lily had told me they were being held in one of the rooms there.
When we pulled through the great castle gates and into the courtyard, I alighted from the carriage and spoke quickly to the coachmen, keeping my voice low, unsure how much time I had. “Tell me, can you see people here, in the capital?”
Certainly, Your Highness. Although none here in the palace grounds. I suspect no one lives here now. We will have to find a stable for the horses elsewhere.
If they could see and hear the locals, and I could hear them, could they act as a go-between for us? I briefly considered the plan, but I could hear someone beginning to unbolt the palace doors, and too many obstacles stood in the way of the plan. Perhaps if I could speak to them as I did to Lily…but I had only ever been able to speak aloud to the servants because they were not truly communicating in their minds. From their perspectiv
e, they both spoke and heard like normal. I had long ago concluded it was the reason I couldn’t feel their emotions or connect privately with any one individual, like I did with Lily.
Another thought occurred to me, and my words tumbled out in a rush. “Never mind a stable. You must return immediately to the castle. Let everyone know that if they hear word of a new king, or if your curse lifts, you all need to get out of there. At least for a while. It might not be safe.”
A new king? But, Princess Sophie, His Highness is still back at the castle.
The palace doors opened, revealing Cole, flanked by several armed men.
“Just go!” I snapped in such a sharp voice that they obeyed. As the carriage started to move, I thought for a moment that I could see a vague outline of the two men, but then I blinked and it had disappeared.
I fixed my eyes on Cole, listening to the carriage turning in the courtyard without breaking my gaze. I didn’t want to draw his attention to it, hopeful that his men would let the magical driverless carriage leave unobstructed. From what he had said in the castle, he seemed unnerved by all the objects that moved on their own, so I didn’t think he’d want to interfere with one that was attempting to remove itself from his vicinity.
I allowed myself a tiny sigh of relief as I heard the wheels clatter away over the cobblestones.
Is he there? asked Lily, and for an unthinking moment I thought she meant Dominic. A sharp pang shot through me at his absence.
Ugh. I could run him through myself. Her anger made it clear she meant Cole.
Be quiet for a minute. I need to focus.
“Ah, my bride.” Cole spread his arms wide. “How lovely to see you. And all alone as instructed. I think we’re getting off to an excellent start.”
I glared at him, but he merely laughed back. “Please,” he stepped back and gestured toward the entrance hall, “come inside.”
I stuck my chin in the air and mounted the stairs, sweeping disdainfully past him. Halfway inside, I realized my bags were in the disappearing coach, and I had to work to maintain a neutral expression. I supposed it didn’t really matter. In a few days, I would either be queen, or free to leave here and fetch them. And the most important item I still had, tucked into my dress—the rose, which had somehow survived the journey in full bloom.
Cole led me to the throne room. Sprawling himself across the largest throne, he smiled at me. “I admit I had my doubts. I thought I might have to send out a squad to skewer that prince of yours. But it seems you have successfully shaken him free.”
I stood as straight as my short height allowed. “I don’t know what you mean.”
He laughed. “I am not an idiot. I would have thought that much was apparent.” He gestured at the throne behind him. “I have studied all the emotions, or I could not simulate them so well.” He laughed again. “Not that it took much expertise to see that monster’s jealousy.” He regarded me dispassionately. “You are beautiful enough, I suppose. Although Dominic was always a proud one—the only heir to the great kingdom of Palinar.” He sneered. “But he has been brought low now. Perhaps after his years of exile as a beast, it was inevitable that he would fall in love with the first girl to cross his path.”
I stared at him. Jealous? In love? Dominic had been protective of me, certainly, but he had been the one to pull away from our kiss. Cole must be wrong. Why would Dominic dissolve our betrothal if he loved me?
Because if he truly loved you, he would free you, whispered a small voice in the back of my mind that for once didn’t come from my sister. And if he truly loved you, he wouldn’t take advantage of the situation to kiss you.
Terror washed over me, making it hard to breathe. If Dominic loved me, then he was in terrible danger. Because when he realized Cole had escaped, and when his coachmen returned with my message, he would easily put the two together. Nothing would stop him coming after me. And then he would die.
“I’m glad to see you looking sufficiently horrified,” said Cole. “I was a little afraid at that castle that you might actually have feelings for him back.”
But I wasn’t listening. I was grappling with a second terrible realization, made far too late. I loved Dominic back. He was more than an intelligent companion, whose company I enjoyed. He stimulated my mind and awakened my emotions in a way I had never experienced before.
When I had first arrived at his castle, I had seen only his inconsiderate pride. But in the months since then, the care he showed to Spitfire had extended first to me, and then to his servants. I had seen his passion, previously warped by his anger, transform into something else—a protective instinct that complemented the good governance he had previously dispensed with so little feeling. No one was better equipped to rule Palinar.
And I could imagine no one else so consuming my heart. I loved him and would do so even if he remained bound by the curse, trapped in his beastly shape forever. The thought of his inevitable death cut through me with a pain so deep I could barely breathe. My fear of finding myself married to Cole paled beside it.
“Now,” Cole continued. “Did you manage to find out when the old king died?” He eyed me sharply and added a warning. “If you lie to me, I’ll know, and your sister will be the one to feel my wrath.”
“It’s been three years, three months, three weeks and two days,” I blurted out, my mind still distracted by my amazing and despair-filled revelation. I immediately wanted to shake myself. Since Cole and I couldn’t be safely married until Dominic was no longer the heir, I could have lied and given Lily and me a couple more days at least.
A smile spread over his face. “Excellent news, indeed! And that lines up exactly with when the curse fell over Palinar, so I’m even inclined to believe you. I can’t imagine you want to be bringing down curses on your head any more than I do. Which means we don’t have long to wait.”
I eyed him coldly. “I would like to be shown to my room.”
“Your room?” He raised both eyebrows.
“I assume you do not intend for us to stand around here for hours and hours. And I am to be queen, am I not? I assume the queen has a suite of chambers somewhere in this palace.”
I waited to see if he would explode with anger, but he laughed at me instead. “Regal and demanding. I like it.” He jumped to his feet and stepped down to stand beside me. Leaning forward he whispered in my ear. “It looks good on you.”
I suppressed a shiver with difficulty, forcing my voice to remain steady. “My chambers?”
He waved over two of the men and directed them to take me to the queen’s chambers. He eyed me. “They will remain outside your door…an honor guard as any queen should have.”
I glared at him but said nothing. It would have been too much to hope that he would leave me unguarded. And even with their presence, the first step in one of our more outrageous plans had just succeeded.
The two men led me silently through the palace, and I couldn’t help looking around curiously. It was magnificent, yes, but also a little cold. I found myself adding some warmer touches in my mind, as I had once found myself doing for the prince’s castle.
I shook my head at my foolishness. If I ended up queen of this castle, I would have other things to think about than redecorating. I would have to expend all my energy to keep the people safe from Cole’s selfish whims. But still, I examined the rooms as closely as I could, walking as slowly as the guards would allow.
Eventually they stopped, and one of them opened a door, gesturing for me to go inside with a grunt. I hurried through and pulled it shut behind me. For a moment I leaned against it, catching my breath, and then I looked around.
I had entered a sitting room, although I could see a bed through an open door on the left wall. These rooms had none of the cold feel of the rest of the palace. In fact, the hints of gold leaf and the elegant white marble were largely obscured by the soft fall of warm rose material. The chairs all had cushions scattered across them, and a basket overflowed with embroidery.
I
walked over to a well-worn table of soft wood, and ran my hand along the book that lay there, lying askew, as if dropped in haste. Everything here appeared exactly as it must have when Queen Ruby left the room for the last time, just with a thick added layer of dust. Had she known her coming fate? Nothing I could see suggested it.
I sat in a chair and tried to breathe in some of the calm of this room. No large portrait dominated the wall here, but the queen’s presence seemed to linger all the same. She had so clearly made the space her own.
Sophie? Where are you? Are you still with Cole?
I told him I wanted to be shown to the queen’s chambers. I wasn’t sure he would let me out of his sight, but he seemed to find the request amusing.
Ugh. He would. She seemed to be enjoying having some small outlet for her disgust of Cole.
I memorized the route here, though. I relayed it to her. Do you know specifically where you are?
We do, thankfully. Cole never made any attempt to blindfold us. He went on and on about how complacent we all were, but he seemed pretty sure of himself, too.
Do you know how he got out of the prison in Marin? Does he have a godmother object?
Lily sighed. He wouldn’t tell us. But it’s the only thing I can think of. There was no sign of how he did it—the cell was just empty.
I stood. It’s time we were getting out of here.
Past time! She chuckled. You should see the look Jon is giving me. He’s going crazy wanting to know what we’re saying. I’ve whispered as much to him as I dare, but I don’t want the guard to realize something is going on.
It’s just the one guard, right? I asked, nerves hitting me. Is Jon sure he can deal with him? The plan we had decided on if we ended up in this situation required Jon to be able to take the guard out on his own.
Yes, there’s only ever one. We would have overpowered him before now, except that there wasn’t any point. He’s only here to make sure we can’t plot anything. There are three more outside the door at all times. And the locked door itself, of course. Naturally he doesn’t have a key on him.
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