Slowly, almost gracefully, he crumpled and fell to the floor. Celine collapsed onto her knees beside him, both of her own hands now cradling her bruised neck. I sank down into a full sitting position, tremors running through me.
“Celine, are you all right?” Frederic knelt beside his sister.
“I’m sorry, what a terrible time for me to come in,” she croaked out. “Not exactly the heroic rescue I was planning.”
Frederic and I met gazes and both began to laugh. My body shook with it, the involuntary tremors subsiding, as tears leaked from my eyes. I could feel the hysterical quality to the sound, so I pulled myself back from the brink, mopping at my face.
“That sounds like our Celine.”
“And you, Evie?” Frederic crossed to me, cradling the back of my head with gentle fingers. “You’re bleeding.” When he pulled his hand away, it was smeared with red.
I shrugged. “A small cut only. It will heal well enough.”
Together we all staggered to our feet and moved away from Marcus’s body. I could still feel the sensation of plunging in the dagger, and the thought of it nearly sent me into hysterics again. I had thought I would have been better prepared after the confrontation in the desert, but this had been so much more personal.
“Where’s Cassian?” asked Celine, her voice little more than a whisper. “What happened to the guards who were supposed to be guarding us?”
“I was about to ask you that,” said Frederic grimly. “How did you end up out here?”
With a guilty glance, we told him our story.
“We couldn’t let him into that room,” I said. “Who knew how many he would have killed?”
Frederic sighed and rubbed a hand across his eyes. “He was a skilled swordsman and must have taken the guards by surprise. I suspect if you had run in the opposite direction, you would have found them all around that corner where you saw the fallen guard. Most likely he drew some of them away so that he could take them on in smaller numbers. I should have known better. I should have left more guards at the storage room where he was imprisoned. I knew it was never meant to be used as a cell and wasn’t as secure as I would have liked.”
I placed a hand on his arm, shaking my head. “You can’t blame yourself. You needed all the guards you could get to keep the attackers from scaling the walls. And you didn’t even know how many you would face.”
“Did they?” asked Celine. “Scale the wall, I mean.”
Frederic drew a deep breath. “There were more than you saw in that one warehouse, Evie, but fewer than I had feared. Their surprise at the gates remaining firmly barred against them counted much in our favor. Our arrows disabled fewer than half before the rest surrendered. But a small handful were still fighting on when I decided to check on you.” His eyes lingered on me. “And it’s a good thing I did not wait to do so.”
I shivered at the memory of how close I had come to death, and he placed a warm arm around me. “You’re safe now, Evie,” he murmured quietly. I smiled up at him.
“We should check on Cassian,” said Celine.
All sounds of fighting had ceased as we passed out into the courtyard surrounding the mansion. My eyes scanned the space, seeing few wounded and only a handful of motionless bodies. Our strong defensive position had worked, then.
And as we crossed to Cassian—who stood in the middle of the space calling orders, a naked sword still gripped in his hand—I noticed that most of the small number of bodies were missing guard uniforms. And the one at Cassian’s feet looked familiar, despite my only having seen him once and at night. He wasn’t the sort of person you forgot.
Frederic looked between the dead Shadow Man and his brother.
Cassian looked apologetic. “I would have preferred to take him alive. But he refused to surrender. He and a small band managed to scale the wall and take us by surprise after the bulk of the fighting was over and many of us had let down our guard.”
“I’m afraid the sight of me may have enraged him,” said the Earl of Serida from where he sat on a large crate. A doctor bandaged a nasty looking gash on his arm. “Perhaps I should have cowered inside after all.”
The earl had insisted on joining the fight, despite his age, since he claimed the whole mess had been started by his own family.
“It’s a good thing Prince Cassian here is so handy with his blade,” said the earl. “Or the doctor would be having a much harder time of stitching me back together right now.”
Frederic clapped his brother on his back. “He’s one of the best.”
Celine leaned toward me and whispered. “Our brother Rafe is actually the best.”
“Thank you for that, Celine,” said Cassian. “But what’s wrong with your voice?”
So then we had to relate our own story and the fate of Marcus. Guards were dispatched to remove his body, locate the missing guards and release the non-fighters from their inner room. With some relief we learned that Marcus had killed only one of the guards—the others were expected to survive their injuries, although one would likely lose his leg.
That we had taken losses was hard to bear after all of those we had already lost in the desert and in Medellan so many weeks ago, but at least this time the rebellion had been gutted and destroyed, with no hope of rising from the ashes.
Chapter 31
The doctor insisted on examining my tiny wound and Celine’s neck after all the other wounded had been seen to. By the time he had finished, it felt as if one of the longest days of my life had passed, and yet, it was only just past the time when I usually ate the morning meal.
Frederic and Cassian were both kept busy seeing to the aftermath of the battle, the incarceration of the new prisoners, and in drafting proclamations for the city to inform the citizens of the cause and outcome of the chaos which had erupted in their midst.
But as soon as the most urgent things were taken care of, Frederic called the five of us together once again in his sitting room.
“It’s about time,” said Celine, her voice still rough. “We’ve all been superhumanly patient, but I want to know where you disappeared off to before all this chaos broke loose.”
Frederic barely responded to her, his focus on me, and my heart sank a little at the uncertainty I saw reflected in his eyes. Surely I could not have misunderstood our interaction after he saved me outside the warehouse?
I dropped onto a seat and tried to wait patiently. Once we were all assembled, Frederic strode up the room and back again.
“You seemed greatly distressed by Evie’s story about her birth and years in Largo,” Celine prompted him.
He stopped and faced us, his eyes on mine. “I was distressed, greatly distressed.”
All the blood drained from my face, but he shook his head at my expression, rushing forward with his words.
“I was distressed to hear that Evie did not know even the names of her parents.” His eyes flicked to Cassian’s, the look on his brother’s face knowing. I frowned.
“I determined that I would track them down, and so I did. It took me two full days, but I managed to discover the truth of your birth, Evie.” He came and sat beside me, the concern in his eyes deepening. “I hope this doesn’t cause you pain.”
He paused. “If you do not wish to know of them, I will not force the information on you.”
My heart—which had leaped at the realization that his uncertainty and concern were for me, not about me—stuttered and slowed. Was I ready to hear the truth of my past? I drew a deep breath. I had finally taken ownership of my history, surely it was time I knew the entire story.
“I would like to know,” I said.
Frederic looked relieved. “That’s my Evie,” he said softly, pressing my hand, his smile making me feel like the bravest person in the world.
“It wasn’t easy, but I felt sure someone in Largo must know the truth. I had to search most of the city, talking to many who only come out at night, but I won’t bore you with all the details. The end of my search was
this: your parents were married a mere ten months before your birth in a secret ceremony. Their betrothal had been forbidden by your mother’s parents who were wealthy traders in Largo. Those grandparents passed away some years ago, but an old butler of theirs confided in me. Your grandmother was a Rangmeran who had fled their hard northern life for the ease of Largo. She married your grandfather, a local, but the two of them always felt that they had no place in either the local community or the northerner community that dwelt here. When their only daughter fell in love with a desert trader who had been cast from his caravan after challenging the caravan master, they ordered their daughter to turn him away. They could not bear for their daughter to live as they had done, torn between worlds.”
He squeezed my hand again. “But they defied her parents and married in secret, disappearing completely. They lived on the fringes of the jungle, only returning to the city for your birth. But the birth went wrong, and your mother did not survive. And when your father realized what had happened, he ran from the birthing room in a frenzy and was hit and killed by a passing wagon.”
I had not moved throughout his tale, barely able to take in the incredible story.
“The midwife who had assisted at the birth feared being blamed for the death of your mother if she admitted your existence to your grandparents, and she had a friend who had always longed for a baby. So she took you and left you in the public gardens when she knew your adopted mother would be passing by. Thankfully for us, guilt plagued her after her friend died, and you disappeared, and she wasn’t quite as tight-lipped after that as she had been previously. She let slip some comments to a few people, and I managed to get wind of them.”
He looked over at Cassian again. “Despite the secrecy of their marriage, official records remain.” His brother nodded approvingly, and he looked back at me. “The midwife who attended at your birth has agreed to write up a birth certificate, although she is late by eighteen years. She knew your mother, and it was part of what fueled her fear since your grandparents were well-respected in Largo. She had a girl assisting who she swore to secrecy. She is still quite a young woman, and I managed to track her down also. The details of her story matched.”
“And what of her grandparents’ estate?” asked Tillie, her words reminding me that she had been raised among traders with their focus on wealth.
“They died without living relatives, so the crown has been holding their wealth in case a claimant comes forward. The allowed five years before the crown absorbs the unclaimed estate has not yet passed. So it seems you are actually an heiress of sorts, Evie, although not perhaps an extravagant one.”
I stood and strode to the window before returning and plopping back into my seat. It was a lot to take in. I had already guessed the mixed nature of my ancestry—my face had told that story—but of the rest, I could never have imagined such a fantastical story. What bitter irony that my grandparents had feared their daughter and future grandchildren might grow up as misfits and outcasts. It was exactly what had happened, but only because they had rejected their daughter’s choice and caused her to flee.
“Being an heiress is nice indeed,” said Celine, her eyes fixed on Frederic. “And it’s very kind of you to track all that down for Evie. But what in the world made you choose such an inconvenient moment to disappear?”
Frederic actually flushed slightly, his eyes straying back to me. “I’m afraid I could not wait. Do you not remember, Celine, the conditions required for the crown prince of Lanover to formalize a betrothal?”
“No, of course not,” said Celine. “What interest is that to me?”
Tillie snorted at her cheeky response, but Frederic continued to watch me, once more taking my hand in his. “The Earl of Serida mentioned that Lanover has some ancient and convoluted traditions on the matter of succession, and he is right. For a crown prince or princess of Lanover to become betrothed, they must present the name of their intended, along with those of her parents and grandparents, to the royal council for approval.”
“A mere formality,” murmured Cassian, “but still a legal requirement.”
I gasped as the full import of his words crashed through me. But before I could speak, Frederic slid off the sofa and onto one knee. Still holding my hand, he looked up into my eyes. “Now that you know who you are, Evie, would you consider becoming my wife and future queen? I cannot think of someone more suited to one day rule Lanover than you—who know all parts of it. You have suffered over and over, and yet you have risen from your suffering as one of the strongest women I have ever met. You have shown courage in the face of danger and compassion in the face of suffering. And instead of using your hard-won knowledge, skills, and connections for your own advantage, you share them freely with others. Despite everything you have faced, you have grown into someone whose beautiful outside only matches your inside.”
Tears welled in my eyes. Never had I imagined that someone might view my bumpy history in such a way—that they might desire the whole me, seeing value in every part. Let alone a prince and future king. It did not seem as if it could be true.
And yet, when I looked into Frederic’s eyes, I knew that my days of mistrust were behind me. He had taught me how to trust, and I would trust now that he truly loved me—as I truly loved him.
“Yes, yes, I will marry you.”
He laughed, rising to his feet and sweeping me up with him. When he pressed his lips to mine, Celine protested, and he pulled back, still laughing. His eyes promised me that he would finish the kiss when we no longer had an audience. But for now, we had a great many congratulations to endure.
And, sure enough, when we were alone later—in the public garden near the marketplace, Celine, Cassian, and Tillie having conveniently wandered off—he completed it with all the will in the kingdoms. And he apologized over and over again for leaving me in doubt while he searched.
“I didn’t even think how you might interpret my absence,” he said ruefully. “Which is reprehensible of me. I just knew I could never wish to bring anyone else before the council as my betrothed. And, of course, I only knew it in the instant you told me I could never bring you. An almost madness seized me, and I forgot about my duty and about the rebellion, and I just knew that I must find the names of your parents at any cost.”
After another interlude of our previously interrupted activity, he apologized again. “I’m so sorry for my confusion, Evie. I was drawn to you from the start, and the longer we traveled together, the harder I found it to hold back. And yet, I was plagued by doubt. As I told you in the jungle, my blindness in the past had led me to doubt my own judgment. So although I knew my responsibility was to marry my true love, I tormented myself wondering how I would recognize true love when it came. I kept asking myself if I was certain. How could I be sure it was true—the one the godmothers would bless?”
He shook his head. “It seems foolish beyond belief now that I could have ever doubted my feelings for you. But my duty weighed so heavily upon me that it blinded me. You are fun and lively and talented and beautiful and brave—it seemed almost incredible that I could be permitted to love you. Surely my duty could not call for something I so desperately wanted.”
He pulled me close. “It was only when I forgot all about my duty that I stopped questioning my feelings for you. Only true love could so effectively lift the burden that always weighs upon me. And now I cannot believe how light it feels to know that I will one day rule Lanover with you by my side. But I hate that I caused you pain for so long. And I hate that despite all my promises, I could not prevent Marcus from hurting you again.”
Another enjoyable interlude was required to assure him that I harbored no ill feelings. Even the direct involvement of a godmother could not have brought about a more perfect fairy tale ending for me. The misery that had gripped me at his disappearance was nothing to the joy I felt now. And the joy I intended to continue feeling no matter what the years ahead might bring. Because I had finally learned not only how to love anoth
er, but how to accept my past and every part of myself, and it was not a lesson I intended to ever forget.
Epilogue
I paced back and forth while the queen watched me placidly.
“My dear Evie, you will exhaust yourself,” she said.
“But how can she not be nervous, Mother?” Celine asked, coming to my defense. “It is quite ridiculous that the proposed betrothed is not permitted to be present at the council meeting when her ancestors’ names are announced.”
“It’s not at all ridiculous,” said her mother, calmly. “Imagine how awkward it would be for everyone if the council members wished to make objections on the basis of her family, and the lady herself were present.”
I stopped. “Could…could that happen, Your Majesty?”
“Please, Evie.” She smiled at me. “You must call me Viktoria. And, no, of course it won’t happen, it is merely a formality as I have assured you.”
At her daughter’s strangled yelp of outrage at her mother’s contradiction, she smiled. “But that is the thing about formalities, of course. They are so very formal.”
She eyed her daughter. “So you might as well cease fretting, Celine. The boys will return soon enough.”
I expected Celine to protest, but she merely sighed and collapsed into a chair. I had noticed on our return journey that her second rebellion in as many years seemed to have sobered her the slightest bit. I couldn’t blame her. While the old nightmares were mostly gone, I sometimes woke with new ones. But I had determined to work on that. I would face my fears and hurts while I was awake so that they did not need to always leach into my dreams.
And it was easier to face them in the daylight hours now that so much of my waking life resembled a fantasy developed especially for my enjoyment. Frederic and I spent as much time together as possible, and I had already chosen a successor for my dressmaking business, moving myself into the palace at Celine’s insistence. She told me that as an heiress I wouldn’t have continued to live in my small shop, even without my unofficial betrothal, and that I might as well save myself the trouble of looking for a different abode by moving straight to the palace.
The Princess Search: A Retelling of The Ugly Duckling (The Four Kingdoms Book 5) Page 24