by Zoey Ellis
The king’s frown deepened, while the queen’s shoulders dropped. “So he ate nothing at all?” the queen asked.
“No.”
Her father began to pace across the room, in deep thought. “If he uses magic, it would explain a lot. He could have used it in a variety of ways over the years to escape us or pretend to be in multiple places at once. He’s been careful never to make it seem like he’s using it so we wouldn’t suspect.”
“Most people wouldn’t suspect that at all,” the queen remarked. “Or that magic even still existed.”
“Does it?” Ana asked, surprised.
“Supposedly, according to some scholars,” her mother answered.
The king turned to Ana. “Does he use magic himself? Or does he have people use it on his behalf?”
“I don’t know,” Ana said. “It didn’t seem like he could do himself, but I don’t know.”
The king nodded slowly, deep in his thoughts.
“I will say, he wasn’t happy about the fact the food was poisoned,” Ana added. “He felt that it dishonored the promise.”
Father brushed away her words with a swipe of his hand. “The man is a hypocrite. He likes to criticize others about things he cannot and will not do himself. I’m sure many of the towns and villages he robbed would have preferred him to be honorable and not harm their women and children after robbing them.”
Ana nodded glumly. After a pause, she asked. “How many villages and towns were there in total?”
The king blinked at her enterprising question. “What?”
“How many villages and cities have been affected by him robbing them?”
“Why do you want to know that?”
Ana shrugged. “I thought maybe it might be a good idea to visit them to make sure they are thriving or at least back on their feet by now. I don’t recall those places ever being on my route when I go out and visit the people.”
“Because there is no need to do any of that, Ana,” the queen said. “Much has already been done for most of them, and the newer ones are in very bad condition—not suitable for a princess to visit.”
Ana shook her head, annoyed. “How am I supposed to lead if I never visit the places where people are suffering?” She looked at both of her parents, another thought forming in her mouth that she knew would change things between them if she let it out.
“You can accompany us the next time we go,” her mother said, nodding in agreement. “Is there anything else you can think of about last night?”
Ana thought back. She wasn’t willing to tell anybody about the Alpha and Omega book he’d given her. There was something about it that struck her as strange, and she wanted to follow her intuition about it before she told her parents.
“Did he take your dress again?” the queen asked.
Ana nodded. She hadn’t even bothered to ask him why he kept taking them, he was obviously selling them to the highest bidder, no doubt claiming they were hers. People were more likely to believe him now that he was coming in and out of the palace. “He did say something strange last night,” she said finally. “He suggested it would be more than three nights.”
“I’m sure he fucking did,” the king growled. “Bastard! That is all he is getting.”
“We have arranged for his death at dawn tomorrow,” the queen said stiffly, as if that solved everything.
Ana lowered her gaze, twisting her fingers together in her lap. “Is there any way we can simply imprison him?”
Her mother smiled at her sadly. “No, Ana. I know he seems more real to you now than before all of this happened, but he is still a criminal, and he must pay for his crimes. If we were to imprison him, it is likely his men will attempt to rescue him.”
“Multiple times,” the king added. “Causing danger for all of us.”
“He has already committed enough crimes to be executed ten times over. This is a kindness to his future victims.”
Ana nodded glumly. It would be difficult to try to save a man with crimes like that, but it was strange to her how he always questioned the validity of the things she accused him of—as if she’d gotten it wrong. She’d hoped that meant he didn’t do some of things they accused him of, and there wouldn’t be enough time to find the truth if he died tomorrow.
The only decision that remained was if she was going to warn him.
After Mother and Father left, Ana visited the library, taking Maddoc’s Alpha and Omega book with her.
Once her guards had cleared the library, she began an intensive search for any books that were similarly nondescript. As well as lacking a bookmaker insignia, The Lox Empire didn’t have any cover cloth or author name or even a published date, so she had no idea how or when the book came into existence. But if there were more stories about Alpha and Omega couples, potentially in the library, those might have more details.
There were, of course, many stories written about Alphas and Omega’s separately, as well as many factual retellings and reports. But there were none that Ana had seen about a couple. Until now.
Ana paused when she came across a book that didn’t match its cover cloth. The cover read; Two Thousand Tales from the Oakenshire, but the book itself was too thin to fit the title. She flicked through it, and the story inside seemed to be a factual retelling of an Alpha and Omega couple who once ruled Allandis.
Stunned, Ana carried the book to her favorite chair and began reading. It was A thrilling tale about a couple who ruled Allandis like her parents did. Of course, she’d heard about them; she was descended from some of them, but to read their stories as though she was right there with them was extremely exciting. And what adventures they had! Their love and passion shone through the pages, and it even included diary entries of the couples’ thoughts about each other, including their intimate times.
Ana glanced at her guards to make sure they wouldn’t notice her reddening, but she was too engrossed in the story to stop. Maddoc had one thing right: stories with sex were much more intriguing.
After closing the book, she headed to one of the walls that depicted her family tree, searched for their names, and grinned when she found them. They had been a handsome couple. As she surveyed the other ruling couples, most of whom had been Alpha/Omega couples, Ana realized that it was probable there were other retellings of the other ruling couples of Allandis, who would most likely come from her line.
She began to search the library with renewed efforts, trying to find the books that had unusual covers or where the covers and titles didn’t match the contents, but it was difficult considering the library was so big. Ana first headed to the boring sections of the library where she never really browsed; they were sections Milly never recommended for her studies, and within an hour, she’d found five more and each story was a retelling, and just as interesting and passionate as the first.
A heavy disappointment weighed down on Ana’s chest. Why were these stories hidden? What was the purpose of lying about what was in a book, creating a different cover to what was in the contents? Why were these stories of her family history never included her lessons? Why did her mother lie and say there wasn’t much text about Alphas and Omegas being together? So many questions flooded her mind, and it all seemed to support what Maddoc had told her. But how had he known the stories were here?
The sixth book she found made her almost feel ill. It was very similar to the one that Maddoc gave her; it wasn’t clear if it was a story or a factual retelling; however, the Omega’s name in the book was Atara, like her mother.
Apprehensive about what she was going to find, Ana settled into her chair and read it.
In the book, the Omega princess came from a different kingdom. She was destined to marry an Alpha from her kingdom, but there was no arranged marriage or pairing, like in Allandis. Alphas had to fight to impress the Omega; demonstrating skill, strength, and wisdom to prove that he was the most appropriate male for her. The Omega, Atara, had been the youngest princess of the ruling family, and a series of battles had been arranged
for an entire week to determine who she was going to marry. Even though those battles took place, Atara found herself in love with the son of an Alpha from a different kingdom who’d visited that week in hopes of making an alliance with her father.
Ana’s heart began to pound but she kept reading. Atara and the visiting Alpha’s second son fell in love within moments of meeting, but there were only two days left of the tournaments. The king wouldn’t break tradition for her to marry whom she wanted, even though a marriage across kingdoms was the best way to secure an alliance. So, the night before the final tournament, Atara vanished, never to be seen again. It was speculated she traveled to Allandis where she joined one of the royal houses and bribed the pairing scholars to “arrange” for her to marry the second son of the ruling king.
Ana closed the book, her heart in her throat. This couldn’t be about her mother—Mother simply could not have come from an entirely different kingdom. But hadn’t someone sent men to kill the king? Was it an assassination attempt from another kingdom that had allowed Maddoc to save the king that day? Who had the men been? And why would they be trying to kill her father?
Suspicion, annoyance, and curiosity cascaded into Ana’s mind as she realized how much she truly didn’t know and how much she hadn’t been told. The worst part was that she never questioned it, just simply took whatever she’d been told at face value. She could almost hear Maddoc’s voice in her ear calling her ignorant. She looked at the text in her hand, dread making her mouth bitter. If this was truly her mother, then she had been lied to about a lot of things, but what was the point? What were her parents, or particularly her mother, trying to hide? She looked down at the books in her lap. What was the connection between them? They were all about ruling Alpha and Omega couples, but their stories were all slightly different. Apart from the one about her mother, they all went through the arranged marriage process to find their fated mate. What was there to hide? Gritting her teeth in annoyance at her inability to piece the puzzle, Ana returned the books back where she found them, taking note of where they were so she could find them again.
She might have been ignorant and blind to a lot of things going on, but her mother wasn’t. And she would have to ask her.
“Ana.” The queen smiled widely at her and patted the seat next to her. She was preparing to visit a nearby village for a minor event and sat in front of a mirror in her bed chamber while handmaids added little gold hearts to the golden headpiece that rested on her blonde hair. “I was going to come and see you again today. I heard that you were back in the library.”
Ana didn’t return her smile. “I was,” she said. “I was reading an interesting story about an Alpha and Omega couple.”
The smile remained on her mother’s face, but the look in her eyes changed. She raised a hand, and her handmaids ceased their task and left swiftly. “Interesting. Where did you find that?” she asked casually.
“In the library. There are many in there it seems.”
The queen’s smile faded. “Then how did you find them?”
“Does it matter?” Ana asked. “I just want to know why they are hidden, and if they are true?”
“I doubt any of them are true,” Mother responded. “They are most likely stories for entertainment.”
Ana held her gaze, but she was unable to tell if her mother was lying. She always looked calm and mild-mannered, even when she wasn’t. That was something Ana had always admired about her, which was also the reason she was able to fool her.
“There is a story in there about a woman called Atara from another kingdom,” she began. “A kingdom that had no system of arranged marriages.”
Her mother turned paler than normal. “In the library?”
“Yes,” Ana said nodding. “And it details how she met an Alpha from Allandis, and then traveled here and inserted herself into a royal house so that she could marry him.”
The queen rose from her seat and paced across the floor, her composure gone.
“Is it you?” Ana asked, evenly.
“No,” her mother breathed, distracted by her thoughts, her hand on her forehead as she came to a stop by the bed.
Ana looked at her closely, and it was clear she was disturbed. She was pale and slightly sweaty, and the hand on her forehead shook.
“I need you to find me that book and bring it to me,” her mother said after a moment.
“No,” Ana said simply. She rose from her seat. “When you stop lying to me, I’ll give it to you.”
“Ana.” The anguish in her mother’s voice tore at her resolve, but she was too angry she’d been lied to, even now. “Please understand,” her mother said. “There is more going on here—”
“You said that before!” Ana shouted in annoyance. “There is always more going on than me just getting the answers I want. I’m not a child anymore, Mother!”
“All right,” her mother said, sighing heavily. She wiped the perspiration from her forehead with the back of her hand, and then sat back down next Ana. “It’s not my story,” she began. “But it is my great, great grandmother’s story. She came from another kingdom after having met her fated mate who was from here. As far as I know, she did not bribe her way into being paired with him; she joined one of the houses, and then submitted herself to the pairing process to see if it would work, and it did. It paired her with the Alpha she had fallen for. It was proof that the arranged marriage process works. I don’t know if she bribed her way to be with him, but that’s not the way I heard it.”
“Which house did she join?”
“Redcrest,” her mother said. “We have had a long-standing history of allegiance with Redcrest.”
“Why would they accept a random Omega from a far-away kingdom?”
“Why wouldn’t they?” her mother shrugged. “She was an Omega princess who could give them access to the crown.”
Ana nodded. Everything was always about the crown. “Why did you lie to me about stories about Alphas and Omegas. Is it because of this? Do you think people wouldn’t understand about your grandmother being from another kingdom?”
“No, it’s not because of this, although this could potentially ruin us as well. My grandmother would have been heavily influenced to specifically seek out Redcrest to join, probably by her Alpha. It was done secretly without any of the other houses having the option to persuade her to join them, which gave Redcrest a significant advantage. That kind of discrepancy, if discovered, could throw our whole claim to the crown into question. The other houses would not take too kindly to that kind of deception.” She paused. “Is this something that Maddoc told you about? Is this his plan?”
Ana shook her head. “No, he didn’t tell me about your grandmother’s story. He didn’t tell me why he was doing this, Mother. He keeps implying that I must find things out for myself. I don’t think this story has anything to do with him, but it is making me aware that I have been lied to, and I want to know why.”
“I’m sorry about lying, but it was for a good reason.” Her mother’s brows came together slowly, as her whole face changed to one of sorrow. “And I cannot tell you, Ana.”
Ana blinked, staring at her in disbelief. “What? Why not?”
“It’s for your own good,” Amara explained. “To help you have a happy and long life.”
“How can I be happy if I know I’m being deceived?” Ana said sharply.
“You were never supposed to question any of this,” her mother said, tears glistening in her eyes. “But even though you are, it is better you know you are being deceived into action than knowing the truth.”
A nervousness crept into Ana. How could anything be that bad? She huffed out a breath, shaking her head in disbelief that she’d been refused the truth, keeping her in the dark. “I will never trust anything you say,” she said through gritted teeth.
Her mother’s eyes lowered. “I know. But I’m doing this because I love you. And I will never stop loving you.”
Ana didn’t know what to make of that,
did that mean her mother would never stop lying to her as well? How often has she lied? “Does Father know? Does he lie to me too?”
Her mother nodded, and the betrayal in her chest settled deep.
An enormous bang cracked into Ana’s ears, echoing in her chest, and a jolt through the ground shifted her on her chair. She screamed, and her mother grabbed onto her tight. “Are you all right?” she asked.
Ana nodded, though she trembled with fear and her ears pounded so loudly she could barely hear anything. “What’s happening?”
The queen rushed to the window, and her hand flew to her mouth. “Something’s happened.” When she turned to Ana, the shock and horror on her face made Ana’s heart stop. “Something’s happened inside the grounds.”
“What?”
“I can’t tell from here.” Her mother rushed out of the room and Ana followed her, heading toward the nearest window that overlooked the most extensive and populated area near the royal grounds. Next to the stables, enormous waves of dark grey smoke puffed into the air, surrounding the houses situated there. People were running from them, and some lay on the floor barely moving.
A sickening feeling rolled in her stomach. This had to be Maddoc punishing Father.
“Get her to safety,” the queen ordered the king’s guard who surrounded them, and before Ana could protest, her guards were rushing her along the corridors. They took her to a secure place in the palace where only her guards knew, separate from the other royals and with an escape out of the palace if needed. Although Ana was annoyed and frustrated to once again be in the dark, this had always been procedure. Luckily she didn’t have to wait long before her guards signaled that she could return to her room.
“What happened?” she asked the handmaid who came to check on her.
“There was some kind of blast at the noble houses at the edge of the grounds, Your Majesty,” she explained. She looked as though she had been crying. “Some of them lost their lives and others are severely injured.”
Ana couldn’t breathe. People had died? This wasn’t right. For people to die because of the king’s actions was unacceptable. She wracked her brain trying to think of who lived in those houses, and her whole body went cold with fear. “Where’s Milly?” she asked the handmaid, almost franticly. “Millicent. Where is she?”