Kingdom Cold

by Brittni Chenelle

  "Oy. We got a real man over here!" the captain called. His soldiers burst into cheers and laughter. He pulled the goblet away but took a seat nearby. The booze hit heavily in my chest and I began to feel a dull haze creep up the back of my neck. An hour passed and, as the soldiers got drunker, they forgot I was there and occasionally let slip information about the battle.

  I felt the sting of the irons on my bare wrists as I listened to their voices in the moonlit forest.

  A coarse voice I recognized as Captain Trisby floated by me. "I heard the lieutenant is transferring Besmium's king to our camp in a few days." My stomach dropped. This was bad. The king was my brother's only hope and a man my father trusted.

  "Ain’t he dead?" another soldier replied.

  "Not yet. I hear he's bleeding, though. Doubt he'll live ‘til he makes it here."

  "Why they movin' him?"

  "Because our men lost Hiems. Had to move back a few of the camps," Trisby said. A fleck of hope swirled around me. If my brother had made it back to the castle, there’s a chance he could have survived.

  "Eh. When he gets here, I'll kill him myself."

  Within a few hours, most of the soldiers were asleep. They slept where they dropped like stray dogs without a home. A small rotation of guards kept watch, but they were also drunk and no more aware than if they were sleeping too. I knew if I were to escape, night time would be best, but not tonight. Tonight I needed rest. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the tree.

  "Hey," a voice whispered to me. I froze. "Are you Prince Minseo of Vires?" I didn't recognize his voice, but his accent was unmistakably Besmian. "Yes," I whispered back. "Who are you?"

  "I'm private Leon," he said. "Your brother sent me to—"

  "My brother's alive?" I shouted. Too loud.

  A soldier rolled over and tossed an empty bottle in my direction. It landed a few feet away. He rolled back, settling to sleep.

  "Sorry," I whispered. There was no response. "Are you there?"

  "I'm here," Leon whispered. "I'm going to get you out of here. Are you able to run?"

  A wave of relief hit me. I could run. I could run all the way to Vires if he cut me loose. I was going to get my brother and go home.

  Leon tinkered with the lock on my wrist and, with each click, I felt the hope of escape. "My battalion is only five or so miles away from here. I was scouting the enemy camp when I saw you chained to this tree," he said, his fingers working quickly. "The king is dead and your brother escorted the princess to the southern castle."

  The lock clicked louder. The metal clasp released my left wrist. Adrenaline surged through me as Leon moved to work on my other wrist. "The king is only injured," I said. "I heard a soldier say he's being moved to this camp in a few days."

  Leon froze, his gaze locked on mine. "The king's alive?"

  "Yes." I shook my right hand to hint at him to hurry and unlock it.

  "I'm sorry," he said. "If I let you go now, they won't bring the king here."

  "No. No. Listen, unlock this. We'll get your army, we'll save the king."

  Leon dropped my wrist. The iron chain dug sharply into my raw wrist. "Just hold on a few more days."

  "No!" I called. I felt my voice elevating too high. "My brother needs me," I said, closing the gap between us.

  Leon backed away. "Lower your voice. Your brother is strong. He'll be fine and so will you for a few more days while I rally my troops."

  He turned to leave. "No, Leon!" I called. "Don't do this! We'll find—"

  "Well, well, well..." Captain Trisby stepped out of the darkness and into the moonlight. "Looks like we got ourselves an enemy soldier."

  Leon drew his blade. The captain lunged forward, his sword meeting Leon's with a resounding clang. It was a noise that was likely to wake a least a few more soldiers. I shook the chain around my wrist to see if Leon had loosened it. If I could escape I could help him, but the clasp remained tightly fastened. Once again, I found myself watching helplessly. Leon was on his own—just like my brother. But with one hand free I had slightly more reach.

  I grabbed the chain and hustled around the tree, giving myself an extra foot of slack. A soldier lay in undisturbed slumber a few feet away. If I lay on the ground, my legs might be long enough to reach his sword, but I'd risk waking him up. Hang on, Leon. I shuffled to the ground and as quietly as possible dug my heels into the ground by the sword, the clash of the battle behind me clawing for my attention.

  I dragged my heels on the ground behind the sword and pulled my knees in. It moved a little. I repositioned my legs and tried again until the sword came into range of my free hand. I lifted it. The weight felt unnatural in my left hand. I positioned myself as close as I could get to the battle but was too far away to help. I considered throwing my sword, but it would be a long shot with my non-dominant hand and I might hit Leon.

  I knew I wouldn't be able to cut the chain with the sword, but I had to try anyway. The blade slid along the chain with a sickening screech. I wasn't generating enough momentum. I shook my bound wrist with frustration.

  "Uhh!" Leon shouted, grasping my attention. He had fallen to one knee. If I was going to save him, it had to be now. I eyed the sword and my already damaged wrist. The sword wouldn't cut the chain—but it wasn't my only way out. I lifted my sword and braced myself for pain.

  Chapter 17

  Princess Charlotte

  I LAY MY HEAD BACK and closed my eyes as my lady's maid, Glenda, poured another pail of hot water into my bath. The heat mixed in with the cooled water from previous pails, prickling my senses. I exhaled deeply. I was drowning in chaos and had no idea how to pull myself out.

  My nose filled with the scent of lavender as Glenda added more oils to my bath. I had to admit, I'd missed being a princess. Five days in the forest felt like an eternity. I shuddered at the memory of sleeping on the cold ground, feeling hungry, and the bugs I’d felt crawling on me. Feeling lost scared, and anxious without a comfort in the world, except one.

  A surge of guilt hit my stomach as my mind drifted to Young. I'd only gone to the dungeons in this castle once as a child. According to my father, it was dangerous and, therefore, forbidden. Regardless, one day I convinced a guard to give me a few minutes to explore. I remembered it was dark, cold, and foul-smelling—so I'd left quickly and never returned. It was hard to think about Young being kept there. We'd been through a lot in a short time. He’d taken care of me that night I drank too much and protected me and Milly from the battle at Hiems. He’d taken my side when Milly was afraid of me and delivered us safely to Castle Cadere. My mind flashed back to his dark eyes illuminated across our campfire. I felt a nervous flutter at the pit of my stomach. Why was he doing all this? Regardless of his motives, somewhere along the way, he'd become my ally—my only ally. It was possible that my mother had good intentions. Maybe she even thought she was doing what was best for the kingdom—but her scheming put us in greater danger than before. She imprisoned someone I cared about, and I needed to stop her.

  "Miss?" a soft voice said. My eyes opened to Glenda sheepishly hovering above me. "Shall I heat some more water?"

  I sat up quickly. "N-no. I'm just about done," I said. I was clean, but I still felt disgusting. I didn't know how to wash away the things I’d done, the blood on my hands since the Drethen attacked, or the mess that my life had become.

  I opened my wardrobe and waded through the dresses that hung there, then stopped when I came to a silver one I remembered from last summer. I loved the way it flowed in the breeze, a trait that most of my dresses didn't have. I slipped into it with ease but noticed it was a bit snugger on my chest than it was a few months ago. Had I really changed so much?

  "That's lovely, miss," Glenda said, fastening the clasp in the back. "I've always admired that one."

  "Thank you," I said, clipping my curls back and out of my face.

  The corridors of the castle were packed with soldiers. Some were Besmian and others Algonian, but all of them seeme
d to be under my mother's thumb. Everywhere I went, they followed. They even waited outside of my chambers. I was not allowed outside the castle or near the dungeon, nor was I able to send letters—but that's exactly what I needed to do.

  When I thought about everything at once, I shut down, so I'd planned to take it one step at a time. Today I'd write a letter to the King of Vires, and tonight I'd find a way to send it.

  The day went by as a disconnected blur. I blocked out the meeting with the Besmian council and my mother's plans for the wedding. Even Emmett didn't seem to need more than an occasional nod to keep him satisfied as he droned on about his plans for "his" new kingdom.

  All day I arranged the words for the letter in my head.

  Dear King, one of your sons is believed to be dead and the other imprisoned. Please send help.

  No.

  If you don't send troops, you'll have lost two sons for nothing.

  Ugh. That was worse.

  King Lee Won of Vires,

  Besmium is under the attack of Algony and Drethen, our neighboring kingdoms. My father is believed to have fallen in the course of battle. The attacks interrupted the wedding agreement previously set forth by you and my father. We are surrounded by the Algonion army under the understanding that I'll wed Prince Emmett of Algony. I humbly ask your assistance in...

  I crumpled the practice parchment that I'd been jotting down ideas on all day and tossed it into the fire. I couldn't risk anyone finding it. I pulled out a fresh piece and quill and began again.

  Besmium is under attack by Drethen, and my father, the king, is missing. I want to honor the agreement you made with my father. To do this, I need you to send as many troops as you can spare to Besmium's southern castle. These are uncertain times, and without your help I'm not sure how much time Besmium has left, but I will fight alongside your son and your kingdom until I draw my last breath.

  Sincerely,

  Princess Charlotte of Besmium

  Satisfied, I slipped the letter into an envelope and sealed it with a few drops of wax and my family seal. Now all I needed to do was find a way to get it to Vires.

  I slipped out of my dress and into my nightgown, allowing the mental exhaustion I felt to sink in. I lay in my bed and listened to the sound of Glenda's footsteps as she hustled around the room.

  I couldn't trust the guards with the letter and I wasn't sure if any of the servants would be willing to disobey my mother, their queen. Not even Milly seemed like a realistic option. I couldn't risk anyone warning my mother because my plan would only work if I convinced both her and Emmett that I wanted this wedding to happen.

  I sighed. "Father, I need help."

  I listened for his response, half-expecting the low hum of his voice to fill the air around me, but it didn't. "Glenda?" I called, listening for her footsteps, but there was no reply. Before I could call her again, I drifted into a heavy sleep.

  A loud knock at my chamber door sent a fierce panic through my body. I sat up in the darkness, the fire by my bed a glowing pile of ash, and waited for Glenda to get the door. The knock sounded again, an alarming thud, the same pace as my heartbeat, and forced my body out of bed and across the room. I opened the door. A Besmium guard with a steely expression and rigid jaw line stood at the door.

  He bowed. "Your Highness, this thief claims you've given her this item. Say the word and she will be removed from this castle," he said before pulling a woman into the doorway.

  "Glenda," I whispered.

  Glenda sobbed heavily as her tears dripped from her chin onto the silver dress I wore earlier. Why had she taken it? Why was she wearing it? Her wet eyes pleaded with me for mercy. She slouched and winced every time the guard moved her arm.

  I cleared my throat. "I apologize for this misunderstanding. I gave this dress to Glenda and asked that she contact the dresser to make another like it. This one has gotten a bit tight," I lied.

  "Why is she wearing it?" he asked, unconvinced.

  I laughed. "How is it you've lived in a royal castle all these years and know nothing about how women's clothing is made?" I turned to Glenda. "Glenda, if the dresser has what they need, I'll need you in here immediately to start my bath." I pulled Glenda from the guard.

  "Yes, Your Majesty," she said while slipping past me into my chambers.

  I turned my attention back to the guard. "Thank you for your diligence. However, there is no problem here."

  I closed the door behind me. Glenda knelt on the floor, tears still pooling in her eyes. "Thank you, miss. I-I was getting it washed and I just wanted to see what it would feel like," she sniffed. "I swear I wasn't going to take it. You lied for me, Princess. I-I won’t forget this."

  I walked to my bed and pulled something from under my pillow. "Actually, I need something," I said.

  "Anything, miss," she said, her face brightening.

  "I need you to deliver a letter."

  Chapter 18

  Prince Young

  "IMPRISONED IN THE KINGDOM that I was meant to rule," I huffed. "What a king I turned out to be."

  My body ached as another hour in my dimly lit cell crept by. If I passed the time standing, my legs grew tired. If I sat on the damp floor for long enough, my extremities would numb. Either way, the time in my windowless cell dragged into a timeless nightmare from which I could not escape. Luckily, the dungeons in the southern castle housed a bizarre collection of characters to entertain me. From what I gathered, the more serious criminals were sent to the prison near Hiems Castle, leaving this dungeon for people who committed petty crimes like thievery, or forgetting to bow to a high-ranking member of the council.

  Despite its dark, barren appearance, the dungeon was the center of information and drama in the castle. Guards used the tunnels to share their secrets and bribed prisoners to share things they'd heard. All I had to do was wait until I heard something I could use. Most of the information was useless—a cook ran away with a guard, or the gardener hid things for people in the garden. Finally, I heard my first news about Charlotte. A servant had attempted to steal a dress from Princess Charlotte's room. It wasn't much to go on, but just hearing her name gave me hope that if anything newsworthy happened, I'd hear about it—for a price.

  I crawled toward the left wall of my cell and pressed my ear to it. "Balzar," I whispered. "Do you have anything new today about the princess?"

  I heard the shuffle of his feet as they dragged across the stone floor. "So eager," his weary voice rasped. "What have you to trade?"

  "Nothing," I sighed.

  "Then I have nothing to tell," he replied. I knew what he wanted—secrets. But the ones I knew could worsen the situation, even get me killed.

  "My brother Prince Minseo of Vires was taken at the battle of the northern castle," I said.

  Balzar chuckled. "That's old news, hardly worth the breath it took to spit it." He paused, waiting for a response I was reluctant to give. He went into a coughing fit and then wheezed, "What else you got, kid?"

  I searched my recent memory. There was one thing that had been on my mind recently. Of course, I had no proof to support this, and worse—though it could be considered treason—it was newsworthy.

  "I have something."

  Without ever seeing his face, I could feel Balzar smiling on the other side of the wall. It's too big to say aloud—I'd have to whisper. I waited until I heard his breath. "Get on with it then," he spat.

  "If I do this, I need you to tell me everything you know that relates to the princess from now on." I waited, unsure if he'd heard me. His voice floated through in a faint wisp. "If I decide your news is worthy," he said.

  "Promise me you'll give it a fair judgment."

  "You have my word," he said.

  "And that you won't tell anyone I told you."

  He laughed. "You don't become the center of castle news by selling out your informers," he said smugly.

  "Okay," I said, being careful not to raise my voice. "In the battle at the north, we were completely sur
rounded. Drethen soldiers attacked the front gate before we could escape. I spotted more inside the castle. We took an underground tunnel out of the castle only to find it guarded by more Drethens. We barely made it out alive, and journeyed straight to this castle, arriving a day ahead of schedule."

  "Though this story is interesting, it isn't news," he scoffed.

  "Wait! Wait!" I called. "I wasn't finished." I lowered my voice. I whispered so softly that I worried he didn’t hear me.

  After a moment he whispered back, "You're sure she was at the northern castle that day?" he asked, his tone lit with intrigue.

  "I spoke with her myself."

  "Interesting," he said. His voice rang with a mischievous hum.

  "Now, tell me what you know," I insisted.

  He sucked in my request through his nose and pursed his lips, considering if what I offered was suitable payment.

  I nervously picked at my fingernail, trying to force him into submission with my silence.

  He sighed. "The princess plans to have ten thousand white roses at her wedding ceremony. Also, she's asked her betrothed to go on a hunt for the feast afterward. She plans to invite all the soldiers from Algony as well."

  My mind raced. Why was she planning the wedding? What was she doing? Had I been wrong about her? "Th-this information is useless," I said, breathing out my frustration. "Guess you're not the center of information after all."

  "I have more," he said, his words pulling me back to the wall. "This little tidbit cost me more than your life is worth. The maid that was caught stealing from the princess, she called in a favor to have a letter delivered."

  My pulse quickened. "To where?"

  "Vires."

  I settled back into my cell as the hours blurred together. Charlotte sent a letter to Vires? She must be planning something.

  A loud creak and a flood of light indicated someone approaching. I backed away from the wall, lay on the floor, and listened to the distinct click of jeweled shoes on the stone floor as they grew closer. The sound stopped in front of my cell. I opened my eyes and stood to see the queen. "Your Majesty," I said, bowing.