Seize the Crown

by Gemma Perfect

  “My King, I would if I could. I promise.”

  She keeps her face contrite, focussing on his eyes, full of unshed tears, a tremble to his full lips.

  He slams his hand on the table and she flinches, and then turns away from him when she hears high-pitched screaming from the corridor.

  Wolf is marching ahead of Cook, who is being man-handled by two of Millard’s men. She is crying and struggling to get their hands off her. “Please, please, please.” Her voice is pitiful as she pleads with her new King, who has a nasty smile playing on his lips.

  Ginata roots her feet to the floor but comments, as sarcastically as she dares: “That’s a lot of force for one old lady.”

  “True, too true, my wise woman.” Millard’s voice is dripping with sarcasm; he has no need to hide his true feelings, really; as King, he can say and do as he pleases. “But this old woman is a deceitful bint who has been helping my sister.”

  “What?” Ginata’s voice is full of shock, but then she realises their mistake; they disguised Ceryn as a handmaiden and she took food up for ‘Addyson’ and so Millard knows that Cook was in on the escape plan. Nothing would get out of her kitchen without her having full knowledge.

  And it was Will who took Ceryn and Weaver to the kitchen. And as she looks at Cook, Ginata can see that it won’t take too much for the poor old woman to spill her secrets; she looks ready to faint or have a heart attack. Ginata’s eyes fill with tears but she cannot show sympathy for her no matter how much she feels it.

  The two guards roughly let go of Cook; pushing her towards Millard. He scoffs at her tears. “Cook. I cannot understand why you, who have known me since I was a babe in arms, would do this to me.”

  “Please. I have done nothing. Nothing.”

  “You liar.” He steps towards her and raises his arm to hit her.

  “My King.” Ginata cannot hold her tongue but bows her head to show respect to this crazy man. “She is old. You don’t have to hit her to get her to speak. She will speak.”

  Ginata knows there is no way to save Will now. Cook will speak his name to save her own skin. No one would expect anything more from her. She isn’t one of them; she isn’t part of the group of individuals who have decided to help Everleigh. But she has helped and Ginata wishes she could help her, save her this indignity, despite not knowing her at all.

  Millard nods, but steps closer to Cook. “I won’t hurt you. But I am so disappointed in you. Who took Addyson from the tower?”

  Ginata closes her eyes, the swooping in her stomach making bile rise in her throat.

  Of course, Cook knows that it’s Lanorie who was rescued today and not Addyson. If she says so, it will not only drop Will into trouble; it will drop Ginata in it too. She has visited the tower and spoken to Lanorie and not Addyson, and told the King lies.

  Ginata holds her breath.

  “My King.” Cook’s voice is strong and clear sounding. She doesn’t sound like her life is in peril and Ginata finds herself impressed with her mettle, even while worrying what will be said and done here. “I have always loved and looked after you. A little maid came to the kitchen and she was a new face. I asked her where she came from and she said she was a new maid appointed by the King. Appointed by you. I had no reason to question her further. I asked if she was busy attending to you or if she could go up to the tower. She seemed pleased at my suggestion, but I didn’t feel suspicious at the timing of her coming to my kitchen. I had no reason to. I sent her up to see Addyson with a tray of food and the next thing I know, your guards and Wolf here were dragging me away from my cooking. I honestly serve only you. And your mother and father before you.” Cook drops to her knees and Millard pulls her to her feet, a contrite look on his face now.

  “Ah Cook, I am heart sorry. What have I done to you? I am so full of upset and suspicions I see snakes everywhere I look.”

  Ginata wants to breathe a sigh of relief but knows better. This man who has changed his tune so suddenly could very well change it back again. She watches with interest, beyond impressed with, and grateful to, Cook for keeping her head and keeping her mouth closed.

  Cook pats Millard on the head, a loving gesture despite what has just happened to her, and Ginata allows herself a smile. This woman is far shrewder than any of them would have thought.

  “Forgive me?”

  Cook nods her assent and Millard turns to Ginata. “Please take Cook back to the kitchen. I’ll see you at supper and we will make a plan. I need to get both of my sisters back and I need help. Wise woman.”

  Ginata recognises her dismissal and feels a little bit aggrieved; she could offer help and advice here, help to cheer him up, but no, she is dismissed. She takes Cook’s arm. She makes sure not to rush away or run – which is what her instincts are telling her to do – and takes them both to safety.

  For now.

  Ceryn

  I AM FEELING A FEELING that I have never felt before. I don’t like dwelling on feelings or talking about them, but it’s niggling at me.

  I’m sitting in Della’s cottage in front of the fire, chewing on a twig – Weaver hates it when I do it, reckons I look like a bloody beaver or a squirrel or something, but I like it. It gives me something to do. And without my mask on it helps cover my face a bit. The paste has been washed off and my mark is there for anyone to see it. Not that there are many of us, only six. Ginata’s gone back to the castle. And I have to admit I like her more and more. I like all of them more and more and I think that’s what this feeling is.

  Friendship. Contentment. Peace. Self-acceptance.

  Yesterday when I found out that Archer had died I thought I would never smile again; that me and Weaver would ride home and grieve for him, talk about him, laugh about him, and maybe carry on with what we’ve always done, but then drift apart, because being together would remind us of him.

  But we didn’t ride home. We stayed here. We helped. And now I find myself wanting to stay longer.

  Everleigh’s just told us the story of when she made the river rise and Finn’s told us about when she made it rain and then threw a rock off course.

  “Show us something,” I say, spitting a bit of chewed up twig into my hand. Della’s trying not to look disgusted and smiles as she points at the fire. I throw it in, though it’s too damp to burn straight away. I chew some more, watching this Kingmaker, this princess who will be Queen. Will I bow to her?

  I think I will.

  Yesterday I wanted to hurt her; to kill her.

  Today I want to fight for her.

  Funny how things change. I spit more wood into my hand and throw it on the fire. “Come on.”

  Everleigh smiles at my words but shakes her head. “I’m not very good. I’m just learning.”

  “Well learn some more,” I say.

  I cannot believe I am speaking up, having my say, with all these people and my mask off and no one is scared or disgusted or ill with it.

  She nods slightly and looks around the room. Her gaze rests on the fire and I see her lips move. I can’t hear her whisper and my eyes flip between her and the fire and then I see it.

  The flames are growing higher, and then they are burning blue, and then they are spitting and Weaver shouts out, shuffling back out of the way. She calls the fire down and it obeys her.

  I look around the room and we are all suitably impressed. “Do more! Do more!” I am like a child at a street show. Well, I think I am – I never went to any of them. If I had they might have tried to recruit me, freak that I am.

  I shake my head at my silent words to myself. I am not a freak here today. I am amongst friends. New friends and old. I reach for Weaver’s hand.

  The girl we rescued is a bit dim, a bit wishy washy but I can see that Everleigh likes her. I cannot see why Will is in love with her, but then what do I know about love?

  Everleigh has stood up and we are all watching her.

  “I’ll throw you this twig,” I say, remembering what Finn said about her moving the stone
with her mind.

  She nods, and I fling it at her, hard. I don’t want to make it too easy for her.

  She watches it intently and then flicks her head to one side ever so slightly, then as the twig goes off course she turns her head the other way and my jaw drops. It really does, because the twig flips in mid-air and then with another shake of her head it is flying back towards me and I have to duck my head, so it doesn’t poke me in the eye.

  Everyone laughs and I join in. Normally something like that would have narked me right off and I would have hit her or something, but she is smiling at me so sweetly that I cannot be cross.

  “Alright. Enough showing off,” I say but my tone is light, and no one looks twice at me. Everleigh laughs and comes over to me, giving me a tight squeeze.

  Later, when Weaver goes out for fresh air I follow him and slip my arms around his waist. I love hugging him, not that I’d tell him that, though.

  He hugs me back. “What do you think about staying for a bit?” He asks what I was going to ask and I love him for asking it instead of me. Saving me from feeling weak or foolish.

  “Could do,” I say and I hug him harder. He laughs and I punch him.

  Some things never change.

  21

  GINATA FINDS HERSELF next to Wolf, waiting to go into supper. Millard is taking his time, a queue of people shaking his hand and bowing low to him and asking for favours as they make their way along, which he just loves.

  “Hope you’re proud of yourself.” She whispers the words so no one can hear her.

  He looks down at her, a frown on his grisly face. “What?”

  “The way you treated Cook.”

  “I just do as I’m told, me.”

  “Would you ever say no to him?”

  He shakes his head then, his expression hard.

  “What about his brother. Didn’t you work for him first?”

  “Only because Millard told me to.”

  Ginata shakes her head and frowns at him. “You make me sick.”

  Wolf looks down at his feet but doesn’t answer. What could he say? He works for the King and will do as he’s told, whatever he’s told, however awful it is. If Millard had told him to kill Cook there and then, he would have. He’s already killed Molly.

  “You work for him too.” Defending himself.

  Ginata shrugs.

  “And if he tells you to do something you better.”

  “I would, of course I would.” She lies easily.

  “People always do as they’re told. By whoever has the power. Or by whoever they love.”

  Ginata looks at him sharply, surprised by something so profound coming out of his mouth.

  Eventually they take their seats; Wolf one side of his King, Ginata the other. There is no one else to join them.

  Even though he is smiling so that his people can see how affable and easy going he is, Millard is still furious about his sister being taken from the tower.

  “Who. Is. Helping. Her?” His words are stark and angry and Ginata is wishing herself back in her cottage.

  Neither she nor Wolf volunteer an answer.

  “Please help me. I am King and yet one of my subjects is betraying me. Maybe more than one. Someone is being traitorous to me. It’s just not fair.”

  Ginata hides her smile by taking a bite of bread. He swings from mood to mood like a spider on the thread of his own web. First, he is furious, then he is hurt; baffled by how unkind life is being to him, then he is murderous again, in the space of minutes. Who could please this man? This King?

  “My King,” Wolf says, wiping the sweat off his brow. “I have searched the castle and the grounds and beyond. I cannot find her anywhere.”

  “So tomorrow you will start sweeping the villages. She must be somewhere. And now Addyson is with her. And whoever is helping them must die.”

  Ginata swallows thickly. The tension is too much for her. If she is found out, she will die. The knowledge of that is making her insides loosen, her hands sweat.

  “Take this,” Millard says, passing her a drink. “You look thirsty.”

  “I am.” Ginata downs the drink in one go, glad to have something to do.

  “What about,” Wolf says, brow crumpled, thinking making his head hurt. “Instead of looking for her in all the villages, we draw her out?”

  Ginata rolls her eyes; now Wolf decides to become a tactical genius. It’s a really good idea, but Ginata doesn’t want Everleigh lured out of hiding.

  “With Addyson gone, there’s nothing to tempt her out of hiding with,” Ginata says, a sorrowful look on her face. “It would have been a good idea, if we still had her.”

  Millard is nodding his head. “Wolf. You are brilliant. Lure her out of hiding. She’s somewhere in the Realm, we just need to get her in to the open.”

  “But how?” Ginata’s tries to convey the hopelessness of the situation in her tone, but Millard is beaming, and she is struck again by how handsome he is, when he’s not killing people.

  “We don’t have Addyson anymore, but we do have someone she cares about.”

  A sick feeling bubbles in Ginata’s stomach, mixing with the stress she is already feeling. She knows what’s coming and she knows it will work and she knows it’s the worst thing that could happen. Damn Wolf. And damn Millard.

  Millard grins at Wolf. “Bring me the fool.”

  Lanorie

  I AM FREE. I AM FREE. I am free.

  And I have decided to never be brave again.

  I will keep my head down. I will do as I’m told and I will serve my Queen.

  I have changed from Addyson’s dress into one of Della’s. I am clean and my hair is brushed. I don’t feel like rats and spiders are running over my skin anymore.

  But I don’t feel completely happy. I don’t like this marked girl – Ceryn – who rescued me. Not one bit. Her friend is handsome and very kind but she is nasty looking and mean.

  She might have saved me from the tower and death but she isn’t very friendly.

  And everyone is acting like they don’t care about that thing on her face, but they do. They must. It’s scary. She looks like she’s been burned or something. It’s so red and angry looking. She washed all the paste off and it’s so bright. So horrible looking. I reckon it’s catching, so I make sure not to touch anything she’s touched or sit anywhere near her.

  Everleigh keeps smiling at me and patting me, like she can’t believe I’m alive. I know what she means. I thought I was dead for sure.

  But her and Addyson are so happy to see me and so grateful that I helped them, I feel all warm inside.

  Once Della has fed us all and Everleigh has done some magic tricks – which I saw her do ages before anyone else – we all decide it’s time for bed.

  Ceryn is going to sleep in Ginata’s cottage with Addyson and Everleigh and me, but Della, Finn and Weaver are going to sleep next door.

  I don’t want to sleep anywhere near Ceryn but I won’t leave Everleigh either. I know her better than any of these, maybe even better than Addyson. I spend the most time with her. But I can’t even pretend to be nice to Ceryn.

  I keep looking at her and she catches me, and I look away because I can’t even smile at her. I don’t know who she thinks she is.

  Everleigh is talking with her and laughing so I interrupt, making sure not to stand too close to Ceryn, or the nasty stain on her face.

  “I’m going to go for a walk,” I say, hoping Everleigh will stop me, make a fuss of me.

  “Really? It’s getting dark.”

  “I’ve been locked up for days. I need fresh air.”

  “I think you should stay here,” Ceryn says, trying to look concerned about me, though I’m sure she’s not. “It might not be safe out.”

  “No one’s looking for me. Only her and Addyson.”

  “True...” Everleigh smiles at me.

  “Still.” Ceryn folds her arms, staring at me.

  “I think I’ll be fine. I’ll just take a walk for fiv
e minutes. Enjoy not being locked up, you know.”

  “Let me come with you.” This marked girl is a nag.

  I’d love Everleigh to come with me instead and leave Ceryn, but I reckon she’d just follow along to annoy me, so I shake my head. “I won’t be long.”

  Everleigh says, “Just be careful, stay close to the cottage.”

  As I walk out of the door they are laughing about something and I decide I’ll be longer than five minutes. Make them worry about me.

  They seem to have forgotten that I’ve been locked up and all alone for days.

  It is nice to be outside. I wish I could go to the castle and see Cook but I’m not that stupid. I’m sure no one is looking for me or even remembers me what with Everleigh missing but I won’t go to the madman’s castle.

  The river will be nice though. It will take me ages to get there and back and then they’ll all be worrying about me.

  Good.

  I sit by the river and think maybe I am being a bit silly. Everleigh is so happy I’m free I shouldn’t try to spoil it. And that marked girl will leave soon and then we can go back to being like we were before.

  I head back along the path and see one of the King’s men riding along. I keep my head down; sure he won’t look at me. I don’t look like I work at the castle in Della’s clothes.

  “You!”

  I turn away and walk faster but he gallops to my side, jumps off his horse. “I know you.”

  “No,” I say wishing I was still at the cottage, even with that horrible woman there.

  “You’re the Kingmaker’s maid. The King is looking for you.”

  “No.” I say it again, hoping he’ll listen, but he doesn’t.

  He lifts me off my feet and even as I struggle he throws me over the horse so I’m facing the floor with my backside in the air. He sits behind me and once he’s holding the reins I can’t move much at all, and tears are stinging my eyes but I manage to kick off one of my shoes.