“I take it wizards are not held in high esteem at Briarwood Castle?”
“Head Wizard Helene was a decent soul but there are few like her.” Mary shrugged. “Best to avoid wizards if you can help it.”
Another surge of anger toward Blade made Alice grit her teeth. “Excellent advice.”
Mary draped the sitting area table with a damask linen table cloth, set it for dinner, and lit the candle.
“I’ll be back for your dishes in an hour, but if you need me before then just tell Aether.” She curtsied and hastened from the room.
Alice sat down and lifted the silver cloche covering her dinner plate. She’d been given a breaded shrimp dish, very similar to the lunch she’d enjoyed on the road. No doubt Blade had been all too happy to furnish the kitchen with information on her dietary preferences.
“Every personal detail has probably been documented in my dossier.” She glared at the vidscreen. “Aether, I’d like to watch the news.”
Almost instantly, her itinerary was replaced by a newscast. Head Wizard Helene’s image took up a large part of the screen as the broadcaster spoke about her career at the Ministry of Magic, her legacy, and her sabbatical. He said nothing about the kidnapping, the Shadow Realm, or a secret daughter. Alice wondered how the Minfo planned to unveil a new princess to the public. Since she had an appointment at the Minfo tomorrow afternoon, she would probably be told then.
Alice’s spirits began to flag. “Aether, I’d like to watch something else…like a comedy.”
The vidscreen gave her a list of possibilities but Alice wasn’t familiar with any of the programs.
“Er…let me see The Ambassador’s Egg.”
The show began in a promising fashion with a gang of hapless Colossusian criminals stealing a clutch of dragon eggs from the Shadow Realm. After they are caught, the Colossusian ambassador arrives to intervene on their behalf. When the ambassador appeared on screen, Alice shot to her feet.
“Aether, who is that actor?”
The image on the screen split to show a headshot of a performer named Nathan Quincy.
Alice made a sound of disgust. “Turn it off. I don’t want to watch anything right now.”
The vidscreen went dark and Alice dropped her face into her hands. She’d been duped into traveling to a foreign country by a lying spy and a lowly actor, only to discover her mother missing and her life was no longer her own. The only bright spot, if one was to be found, was that her father seemed kind enough. Of course, his life wasn’t his own either, if he’d been forced to annul a marriage for political purposes and he was being nudged into war by his advisors.
Although her appetite was ruined, she choked down her meal and then decided to take a walk on the castle grounds. As she left her suite, however, the sight of a guard in the hallway outside her door brought her up short.
“Good evening,” she murmured.
The man bowed. “Good evening, Princess.”
Alice made her way down the hall. When she reached a staircase, she glanced over her shoulder. The guard was keeping a respectful distance, but he was definitely following her. If she allowed herself to use magic, she could have eluded the fellow instantly. As it was, however, she would have to use the skills honed at her girls’ school whenever she and her friends snuck out after hours.
With one hand on the bannister, Alice ran down the carpeted stairs as quickly as humanly possible. When she reached the bottom, she darted off across the black and white marble tile, looking for an exit. The castle was closed to tourists at night and most of its inhabitants were occupied with dinner, so Alice was delighted to discover she could run to her heart’s content.
In the entrance hall, she sped toward the light fountain and smacked the sparkles with her hand. A splash of light fell out onto the floor but fizzled out instantly. Alice ducked into a long corridor filled mostly with souvenir shops, candy boutiques, and even a refreshment stand. It was a pity that nothing was open because she would have liked to buy a romance novel at the bookshop.
The sound of footsteps sent her through an open doorway marked The Gallery Hall, where she hid behind a pillar. Once the footsteps had passed, she browsed the exhibits centered around three dimensional, somewhat transparent holograms of current and historical figures. The one of her mother was truly lovely. She wore a stunning floor-length chiffon gown with an attached cape in ethereal blue. As Alice gazed at Helene’s face, she was quite certain her mother was the most beautiful woman ever born.
She moved over to the hologram of Queen Tara, who was wearing royal robes and a sparkling tiara. The broad-faced woman had not been especially pretty, particularly when compared to Helene, and Alice grimaced. She bent closer to the glass separating her from the almost ghost-like image, shuddering at the way the queen appeared to be staring back at her with a malevolent expression. Her father had said the woman had possessed a murderous bent. Would Tara really have ordered Alice’s death?
A familiar voice rang out from behind her. “There you are.”
Alice gasped and whirled around. As her heart pounded in her ears, Blade strolled toward her with a tight expression. “I was having a very nice dinner before you decided to ditch your guard.”
“H-How did you find me?”
“As soon as the guard lost sight of you, he notified me. There are security cameras all over the castle. Aether located you easily.”
Her chin lifted. “If Briarwood Castle is monitored that closely, why must a guard follow me around?”
Blade’s nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed. “Were you not listening earlier today? A breach of castle security led to Helene’s disappearance. If the Head Wizard can’t defend herself against the Shadow Realm, what makes you think you can?”
Alice did not know how to respond, so she brushed past him.
His hand shot out and grabbed her arm. “If you are finished scampering about, I’ll escort you to your suite.”
“I can get back on my own, thanks. Are you my keeper?”
“I am.”
“What a dreadful notion.” She pulled her arm out of his grasp. “Who do I have to speak with to get you fired? I never want to see your face again.”
Inexplicable, he laughed. “Get used to my face, Princess. You and I have a very important part to play in history together.”
Alice recoiled. “I’m thinking something very rude right now but since I’m a lady, I’ll leave it unsaid.” She strode off but didn’t even reach the gallery entrance before her feet were stuck to the floor. “How dare you use magic on me!”
“If you’re really a lady, you’ll allow me to escort you properly. If not, we can do it the hard way.” Blade touched her shoulder, and her feet became unstuck. “Now, let’s go. I’d like to get back to my dinner.”
“And your date?”
He grinned. “As a matter of fact, I do have company.”
They left the gallery and strolled along the shopping corridor. Alice was fuming but there was nothing she could do to Blade at present. Unless and until her life was in danger, she had sworn to keep her ability secret. Of course, she was not wholly without resources. She had her feminine wiles to put him at his ease, didn’t she?
“Actually, I’m sorry to have put you to so much trouble.” She smiled. “I just needed some air.”
“Well…don’t let it happen again.” His grip on her elbow relaxed. “I like you very much, Princess, and I hope we can be friends.”
I’d sooner be friends with a snake.
“It’s hard to forgive you for not telling me the truth about my mother.” She softened her words with a flutter of her lashes.
The man seemed unperturbed. “I was just doing my job.”
As they passed the light fountain, Alice tossed a handful of sparkles at Blade, smacking him full in the chest. “That’s for spying on me.”
“Oh, it’s like that, is it?” He reached down and sent a huge splash in her direction. “That’s for causing trouble and interrupting my dinner
.”
Alice dodged the wave and danced backward. “You can do better than that, can’t you?”
Blade chased her once around the fountain until she let him catch her. She squealed as he poured a handful of sparkles over her head.
“There. Now we’re even.” He brushed specks of light off his dinner jacket lapels.
Not hardly. “So we are.” She shook sparkles from her hair and took his arm. “Let’s go. I don’t want to keep you any longer.”
When they reached the hallway to her suite, she discovered two castle guards were stationed on either side of her door.
Her footsteps slowed and she dropped Blade’s arm. “I’m to have two guards now?”
“Just until you learn to behave.” He whispered in her ear, “And no amount of strategic flirting on your part will dissuade me.”
Alice strode into her room and slammed the door with as much strength as she could muster.
∞∞∞
At precisely eight o’clock in the morning, a knock came at Alice’s door. A tall, middle-aged man wearing a loud paisley suit and shoulder-length burgundy hair sailed inside with a beaming smile.
“Good morning, Princess! I’m the Minister of Information, Lionel Seer.” He beckoned toward the small crowd waiting in the hallway. “I’ll be your director. My team and I are here to get you ready for the memorial service!”
He led a procession of team members into the room and began barking orders. Two people rolled a rack of black dresses into the sitting room and several others carried stacks of hat and shoe boxes. As the team members began introducing themselves to Alice, she discovered Seer had brought a makeup artist, hairdresser, several wardrobe stylists and a personal secretary with him.
She peered at the Minister. “Did you say you’re my director? Director of what, exactly?”
“I’m directing the rollout of Princess Alessandra.” He gave her an appraising glance followed by a long sigh of pleasure. “Our headline today is Mystery Woman.” He pointed at his secretary. “Take this down: Everyone is talking about the mystery woman at Queen Tara’s memorial. Colossusians want to know her name.”
Alice’s eyes widened. “Shouldn’t the focus be on the queen and her legacy?”
The Minister merely clapped his hands together. “Come along people! Our princess must be at the church in less than an hour.”
A wardrobe stylist held up two hats. “Which one, sir?”
Seer made a tutting noise as he pointed at the hat with a heavy lace veil. “Take that shroud away! We want mystery but we need to see the girl’s pretty features. I want people talking about her style and beauty, not wondering if a Plain Jane is hiding underneath.”
The makeup artist tugged Alice to a chair and began to work on her face. Over the next half hour, she was prepared for her appearance like the lead actress in a movie. Nobody attempted to engage her in conversation, and she returned the favor.
One stylist whispered to Seer, “We’re doing the best we can, sir, but she looks sad.”
He whispered back, “Perfect! Her expression lends the proper feeling of pathos to a sober occasion. Tomorrow is when things really get rolling.”
Alice wondered to what things the Minister was referring, but she supposed she would find out that afternoon when she reported to the Minfo for her appointment. Whatever was about to unfold, clearly she was to have no say in the matter.
Chapter Six
Who is She?
Kellan and his fellow Rangers mounted up and led the royal procession from Briarwood Castle to the Church. Once the service was concluded, the Rangers preceded the motorcade to the Royal Mausoleum, where King Justin was to lay a wreath on Queen Tara’s tomb. The Minfo was documenting the entire event for broadcast, of course, but Kellan noticed their focus was not on His Majesty but the young woman at his side.
When the king disappeared into the huge Mausoleum with the wreath, the rest of his party waited for him underneath a broad canopy. Blade stood next to the young woman with a possessive hand on her arm.
As the Rangers waited for His Majesty to reappear, Dewar gestured toward the pair.
“Why is Blackmon hovering over that girl?”
Paddy gave him a sidelong glance. “Maybe he thinks she plans to escape.”
Gus whispered out of the side of his mouth. “Who is she and why isn’t anyone at the castle releasing her name?”
Kellan shook his head. “You’d think the Minfo would have revealed her identity by now.”
“Obviously, they’re trying to build up interest in the girl,” Paddy said. “The Minfo is expert at creating drama.”
When King Justin emerged from the Mausoleum, Kellan ordered his Rangers to dismount. As the monarch crossed toward the canopy, Kellan gave the command, “Display of Respect.”
The four horses knelt on one forelock until the king had passed and then they rose with proud flicks of their tails. Although King Justin stopped in front of the Minfo cameras to give an interview, the Rangers’ official duties were complete.
Kellan handed the reins of his horse to Gus. “Before we ride back to the stables, would you mind waiting for a moment? I’d like to pay my respects.”
“Make it snappy, would you?” Gus gave him a plaintive glance. “I’m starving.”
“I won’t be long.”
Kellan strode across the lawn and into the Mausoleum. The huge granite structure was unoccupied—except for the remains of Colossusians lofty enough to be enshrined there. He took off his plumed hat and walked past spectacularly carved sarcophagi, polished plaques, and elegant statuary. When he reached the sarcophagus upon which King Justin had laid the wreath, he walked past and stopped instead at the sarcophagus marked with Helene Masters’ name and date of birth. Although the date of death had not yet been inscribed, the sight of her future final resting place made something twist deep inside him. He bowed his head and silently thanked the woman for encouraging him at a time in his life when kindness was in short supply. Although he’d never cared much for religion, he also said a short prayer for her full recovery.
“And may her sarcophagus remain empty for a long, long time,” he murmured aloud.
“Do you know Helene Masters well?”
He discovered the young mystery woman had joined him. Perhaps he ought not notice the form-fitting black dress she wore made the most of her outstanding figure, but he couldn’t seem to help himself.
“Oh, hello again.” Kellan focused on the sarcophagus once more. “She was a bright light when I needed it most.”
Almost instantly, he wished he hadn’t blurted out such personal sentiments to a complete stranger. Worse, the woman’s face crumpled, and she began to sob.
“I’m so very sorry.” He fumbled for a handkerchief and pressed the linen square into her hands. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Blade appeared. “Making women cry, Stratford?” His sneering tone echoed off the marble floor and granite walls.
“Not intentionally.” Kellan shot the wizard a cool glance. “That’s more your specialty.”
Blade’s smile was tight as he made a shooing motion with his hand. “Don’t you have a pony to ride?”
Paddy, Gus, and Dewar came at a run.
“All right there, Kell?” Gus called out.
“Yeah.” Although Kellan would like nothing better than to lob another insult at Blade, he was in the company of a lady in distress. He bowed and gave her an apologetic smile. “Forgive me for adding to your pain.”
As he turned to join his friends, he heard Blade mutter, “Ever the gentleman,” as if that was some sort of criticism. He thought the young woman murmured, “You wouldn’t know anything about that,” but perhaps it was his imagination.
As Kellan and his fellow Rangers left the Mausoleum, Gus caught his eye. “Did you get her name?”
“No.” Kellan donned his hat. “But she doesn’t seem to like Blade.”
Dewar chuckled. “That’s in her favor.”
Kellan co
uldn’t have agreed more.
∞∞∞
“Why do you always have to be so ugly to that Ranger?” Alice tried to blot her tears without smearing her mascara. “He’s kind.”
Blade ignored the question. “Are you ready to go? We have a busy afternoon.”
“We?” She peered at him. “I’m to report to the Ministry of Information. What does that have to do with you?”
“You’ll see.”
His secretive attitude was past tiresome. Alice cast one last glance at her mother’s sarcophagus. “What is being done to investigate my mother’s disappearance?”
Blade shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Who does?”
“Ask His Majesty.”
She made a sound of disgust. “How inexcusably flippant! Don’t you care about my mother?”
His expression grew cloudy. “Of course I care but there’s nothing I can do.” He made a gesture of invitation. “Let me escort you back to the Pomparriage.”
“Do I have a choice?”
“Now who’s being ugly?” Blade paused. “Princess, our working relationship doesn’t have to be contentious. I find you attractive and I know you feel the same way about me.”
“If so, I don’t doubt it’s the result of your casting some wicked charm.”
“That would be beneath me…and it’s illegal besides.” A smile played on his lips. “Besides which, my charms speak for themselves.”
“Any romance between the two of us isn’t in the cards. I prefer a man I can trust.”
“Romance is optional.” He winked. “I merely want our work together to be pleasant. The Minfo is doing an excellent job focusing attention on you. Everybody wants to know your identity.”
Alice frowned. “I’m not sure I have one anymore.”
∞∞∞
As Alice and King Justin rode back to the castle in the back seat of the Pomparriage, she was glad to have a moment alone with him.
“Has the Minfo revealed to the public who I am yet, Father?” She hoped he didn’t notice the slight pause before the word, ‘father.’
“Not yet.”
Royal Promenade Page 6