Royal Promenade

by Suzanne G. Rogers

  Alice sat straight up. “Ranger Stratford?”

  “No, even better. His Majesty has come to eat breakfast with you.”

  “Oh? I mustn’t keep him waiting.”

  Alice threw off the covers and hurried into the closet to throw on some clothes. Who better than her father to tell her why he and Kellan had disappeared last night? When she joined King Justin in the sitting room a few minutes later, he gave her a tired smile.

  “Good morning, Alessandra. I hope you slept well?”

  Dark smudges had appeared underneath her father’s eyes and he appeared drawn.

  “Better than you did, I think.” She slid into a chair. “Is something wrong?”

  “Not at all.” He gestured toward the table. “I had the chef prepare pancakes along with the usual breakfast food. I confess, I love pancakes.”

  She draped her napkin across her lap. “So do I.”

  As they began eating, Alice stole a glance at the king. “To what do I owe the honor of your presence this morning, Father?”

  “I have a little news for you, although I hope it doesn’t prove too big of a disappointment.” He stirred a teaspoon of sugar into his tea. “Last night when Ranger Stratford and I were discussing his investigation, he complained of an ache in his shoulder. I called in a physician and the fellow determined that Ranger Stratford had exacerbated an old injury. He’s dropped out of the Promenade and is traveling to a specialist in the east.”

  The pancakes turned to sawdust in Alice’s mouth, and she reached for a glass of water with trembling hands. She did not trust herself to speak until she’d set the glass down.

  “We both know that story isn’t true.”

  “That is the story the Minfo will make public today.”

  “Where is Kellan? He wouldn’t have left Briarwood Castle without speaking to me.”

  The king glanced at the flowers. “He sent his regards.”

  As Alice stared at the red blooms, her vision became blurred with tears.

  “What has you upset?” Her father gave her a puzzled glance. “Ranger Stratford’s participation in the Promenade is a figment of Seer’s imagination and yet you behave as though he was a suitor.”

  Alice shook her head, unable to respond.

  The king sighed. “I have the utmost respect for Stratford, but if he has trifled with your affections, he will pay a price.”

  “Kellan is far too honorable to trifle with my affections, Father.” Alice gripped the arms of her chair. “Let us be blunt with one another. You sent him away because you thought his chances in the Promenade were better than Blade’s, didn’t you?”

  “Are they? As a matter of fact, I haven’t been following the sports events as closely as I might have.” King Justin’s eyebrows drew together. “I will say only that Ranger Stratford’s whereabouts have nothing whatsoever to do with you.”

  Alice felt like a caged animal. “Let me withdraw from the Promenade.”

  He frowned. “I can’t do that, Alessandra. Gentlemen have already entered the Promenade in good faith.”

  Alice averted her gaze.

  “I’m shocked to see you are taking this news so hard.” He took a long sip of tea. “I know you’re not wearing a disrupter, Alessandra, so I must have your word you won’t attempt to run away again. There is more danger afoot than you realize.”

  “I promised Kellan I would not run away.” Her voice sounded like gravel. “I will keep my word to him.”

  “Let me make you a promise in return. Ranger Stratford told me about his theory regarding your mother’s disappearance Once he returns to Briarwood City, I will allow him to test it out, whether or not Pompano approves.”

  “Thank you.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Did Kellan really send these flowers?”

  “Not exactly.” King Justin frowned. “I told him I would convey his apologies for leaving. At the time, I don’t believe I understood how inadequate roses would be.” He tucked his napkin by his plate and stood. “I suggest you stay busy. It will help.” After he deposited a kiss on her forehead, he left

  Alice let tears slide down her face unchecked. She should have accepted her fate from the beginning and never, ever allowed herself to hope. Although her father didn’t realize it, her soul had just been torn asunder and nothing could help her now.

  ∞∞∞

  In a cold, windowless room, a pair of Shadow Realm soldiers lashed Kellan to a chair. Despite a myriad of stinging scrapes, throbbing bruises, and bleeding cuts, he didn’t think he’d broken any bones. The trolls had been none too gentle as they captured him but considering their strength, he was lucky to be alive. He’d been knocked unconscious on the way back to the village, but Kellan had no way to know how long he’d been out.

  “What’s your name?” The first man nudged Kellan’s leg with the toe of his boot. “Are you a spy?”

  “Are you a spy?” The second soldier made a sound of disgust. “Get out, Winton. Leave the interrogation to a professional.”

  “Whatever you say, Ronan.” He crossed toward the door. “I’ll be back after you’ve finished tenderizing the meat.”

  Ronan chuckled. “Be sure to bring a spoon to scoop up the pieces.”

  “You savage.” Winton left the room and closed the door behind him.

  Ronan fixed Kellan with a level stare. “What’s your name?”

  “The name is Blade Blackmon and I’m a horse thief by trade.”

  “Who do you work for?”

  “I’m an entrepreneur.” Kellan attempted a grin. “Just passing through.”

  “Why did you run from the trolls?”

  “I wanted to live.” Kellan attempted to loosen his restraints.

  Ronan smacked him across the face. “Stop that or I’ll beat you senseless.”

  Kellan narrowed his eyes. “You don’t want to touch me again, dog.”

  “Don’t I?” Ronan’s eyebrows rose. “We'll see about that”

  The soldier drew back his fist but before he could make contact, Kellan sent him flying with a small, powerful bolt of lightning. Ronan slammed into the wall and slid down to a sitting position, dazed. While the soldier twitched, Kellan used magic to break free of his restraints, stood up and stared down into the man’s stunned face.

  “Now, I want you to tell me about the plan to invade Colossus.”

  The soldier cursed and spat.

  “Don’t be rude.” As Kellan sent another sharp shock into the man’s body, the fellow screamed in pain. “Tell me what I want to know, or I’ll burn you from the inside out.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Trolls

  Alice knew the news about Kellan’s supposed shoulder injury and withdrawal from the Promenade would be all over the vidscreen that morning, so she did not bother to turn the device on. Her stylists were subdued when they arrived to get her ready for her official appearance at Briarwood City Children’s Hospital.

  Alice glanced at them. “Minister Seer took the news of Ranger Stratford’s departure badly, I see.”

  Her makeup artist frowned. “The minister doesn’t like to be thwarted.”

  “No, I imagine not.” Alice climbed into the makeup chair. “Neither do I.”

  The woman exchanged an uneasy glance with the wardrobe mistress. “Minister Seer will think up some other conflict to feature. He always does.”

  “Yes.” Alice sighed. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

  As her bodyguards drove her to the children’s hospital a short while later, she tried to muster some enthusiasm for her visit. Ordinarily, she would have been excited to tour the facility and meet the young patients. At the moment, however, her heart was so heavy she felt like bursting into tears. Without Kellan, she wasn’t certain she could take pleasure from anything ever again.

  When Alice alit from the Pomparriage, Minfo cameras were in place to document her every move. She ignored them and turned her attention to the small crowd of children waiting to greet her. Some were clad in pajamas and
robes and others were sitting in wheelchairs. As she gazed at their faces, her gloom lifted a trifle. One of the nurses led the children in a song of welcome that improved her spirits even more. As Alice accepted their hand drawn cards and letters, she was struck by how fortunate she was to serve as their princess. Although the children were grateful for her attention, she was even more grateful for their precious laughter.

  The staff showed Alice to the cafeteria, where she posed for photographs and answered questions about her new life as a princess.

  A little girl in the front row raised her hand. “Are you sad Kellan can’t continue in the Promenade?”

  Alice’s smile slipped. “I was very sorry to hear about his injury but I’m sure he and I shall remain good friends. I just hope he heals quickly.”

  A girl sitting cross-legged on the floor raised her hand. “Who did you love best, Blade or Kellan?”

  “I…well, I hadn’t decided yet.” She swallowed the lump in her throat as she glanced at her young audience. “Who were all of you rooting for?”

  A cacophony of noise ensued as they shouted out their favorite. After a while, the nurses tried to quiet the noise, but their efforts were fruitless. To change the subject, Alice turned the ceiling into a nighttime sky complete with shooting stars, northern lights, constellations, and a full moon. As the children watched the magical display with awestruck expressions, the nurses visibly relaxed.

  Alice’s gaze flickered toward the vidscreen, which was airing footage of the obstacle course. She discovered her interest in watching the competition had disappeared entirely. Furthermore, she wanted to skip to the end of the Promenade, to hasten its inevitable conclusion. The only bright spot was Kellan’s theory about the laboratory Node portal. If he could bring Alice’s mother back, at least she could cry on her shoulder. Given Helene’s own heartache, she would understand her daughter’s despair.

  ∞∞∞

  The information Kellan extracted from Ronan confirmed what he’d seen for himself. Once he was satisfied the man could tell him nothing more, Kellan put him under a lengthy sleep spell and made him unrecognizable by magically bruising and swelling his face into gruesome proportions. After Kellan donned Ronan’s uniform, he refreshed the nondescript spell on his own features before slipping from the room.

  Winton’s voice rang out from down the hall. “Hey, Ronan, did you leave him alive?”

  Kellan laughed. “Barely.” He kept moving in the opposite direction.

  “Thanks for creating a mess I have to clean up!”

  Kellan acknowledged Winton’s shout with a wave of his hand. He passed interrogation rooms, empty jail cells, and locker rooms, searching for a way out. As he turned a corner, he bumped into an officer.

  Kellan snapped to attention and saluted. “Sorry, sir.”

  The officer peered at the name patch on Kellan’s borrowed uniform. “What happened to your face, soldier?”

  “When I was interrogating a prisoner, he fought back.”

  “You should know better than that.” He paused. “What did you learn?”

  “He said he was a Colossusian grifter running from the law.”

  “And you believed him?”

  “Yes, sir.” Kellan grinned. “Once we got started, he had no secrets from me.”

  The man laughed. “Hit the showers. You look like troll dung.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Left with little choice, Kellan did an about-face and returned the way he’d come. After he ducked into a locker room, a mirror revealed the extent of his injuries. With swollen purple bruises on his cheekbones, a split lip, and cuts on his face and scalp, he could pass for almost anyone. The dried blood, however, would have to go.

  He shed his purloined uniform and stepped into the shower, wincing as the hot spray hit his tender skin. Crimson-tinged water swirled on the tiles under his feet as he mulled over how best to escape. Clad in Ronan’s uniform, he would hopefully be able to move around the village undisturbed. Once he retrieved his wizard tracker and Gate box from their hiding place, he would return to Colossus through the mountain pass.

  After his shower, Kellan donned his clothes, slipped from the locker room, and resumed his search for the way out. When he heard the low hum of voices, he followed the sound until he arrived at a common room. Soldiers were playing cards, smoking, or catching naps on wooden benches along the walls. One fellow sitting next to the fireplace was playing some sort of flute instrument that made mournful music.

  Kellan detoured toward a table laden with food and grabbed what appeared to be a meat pasty. As he bit into the savory pie, he headed toward the glimmer of daylight visible beyond a partition wall.

  “Hey, Ronan, what happened to you?”

  Kellan glanced toward the speaker. “Rough interrogation. The prisoner was a wizard and broke free of his restraints.”

  Heads turned toward him, and he saw expressions of respect on their faces.

  “How’d you best a wizard?”

  “He wasn’t very powerful, and I got under his guard.” Kellan moved toward the exit.

  “Where ya going?”

  Kellan cocked his thumb toward the door. “Prisoner dropped a weapon in the forest, he said. I want to have a look for it.”

  The soldier gave him a dubious glance. “Are you nuts? Curfew is in a half hour and you don’t want to be caught outside by trolls after dark.”

  Kellan was shocked to discover he’d spent most of the day unconscious. It was little wonder he was so hungry.

  “Yeah, I hear you.” He took another bite of pasty. “I’ll be back before curfew.”

  “Go on, then.” The soldier frowned. “You’ve always been a little crazy.”

  The flautist broke off his mournful song. “Ronan’s got a death wish more like it. The Fry Boys are on their way.”

  Fry Boys? The term wasn’t one with which Kellan was familiar.

  Another soldier whistled through his teeth. “I hate those guys.”

  “Er…Me too.” Kellan gave the musician a puzzled glance. “Who told you the Fry Boys were coming?”

  “The Gate Keepers.” He chuckled. “They know everything.”

  Kellan pressed forward, mulling over what he had just heard. Gate Keepers probably referred to the soldiers who had Node gateway duty, but he could not guess what Fry Boys might mean. Whatever they were, he had no wish to encounter them.

  When he emerged from the barracks, he discovered it was hidden behind the facade of a bank in the middle of the village. Puzzled, he walked past shops and other businesses but none of the establishments had customers inside or merchandise on display. The entire village was merely a front for a military garrison, apparently—like something the Minfo would have devised.

  At the end of the street, he finally caught a glimpse of the Node gateway and got his bearings. Now that he knew where he was, he retraced his steps and left the village behind. After he retrieved his wizard tracker and gate box, he set off for the pass at a fast pace.

  The sun was setting in earnest when Kellan heard a swooshing sound overhead. He glanced up in time to see the flash of what appeared to be a dragon’s tail. As he stared into the sky, several more mounted dragons flew by, creating a downdraft with their powerful wings. Fry Boys…otherwise known as Dragon Guardsmen. Although Kellan continued to ascend the forested hill, he wondered what a squad of the flying soldiers was doing near the garrison.

  Once he cleared the forest and began climbing up a craggy granite face, however, a jet of flame near the top of the pass drew his notice. He pulled himself up onto a ledge, only to discover the squad had landed up ahead, undoubtedly guarding the pass against any further encroachment from strangers like him.

  Blast.

  If he tried to slip past the Dragon Guardsmen, the attempt would likely end in his incineration. If he tried to return to Colossus by way of the official border crossing, he would be arrested as a spy. If he tried to climb over another section of mountain range, his progress would be slow an
d uncertain. Without food, water, or the warmth of his duster, he might as well choose death by dragon and get it over with.

  Only one other possibility remained.

  A smile crept onto Kellan’s lips as he contemplated a plan of escape and possibly prevent the Shadow Realm invasion in one fell swoop. He might not live through the attempt but at least he would go out in a blaze of glory.

  ∞∞∞

  At the Minfo’s fashion show, Alice sat with Sally. Mrs. Diamond dad designed the clothes and accessories, of course, and several Promenade girls walked the runway as models. Alice recognized one particularly stunning girl from her music video at Talent Night.

  Sally whispered, “That’s Miss Winnie Vaughn. She has the highest DQ next to yours.” Her tone was flat.

  Alice gave her friend a sharp glance. “She’s not the girl who was rude to you the other day is she?”

  “Oh…” Sally bit her lip. “Erm…I don’t like to speak ill of anyone.”

  As Miss Vaughn reached the end of the runway, she struck a pose before making a showy turn.

  “She wants to work at the Minfo as an actress or newscaster.” Sally shrugged. “I suppose that’s obvious.”

  “Yes.” Alice cocked her head. “The Vaughans are sponsoring the ball at the museum tonight.”

  “Mmm hmm.”

  Winnie Vaughn walked back up the runway and disappeared behind a curtain. The girl was lovely, to be sure, but it appeared her beauty was all on the outside. Whatever she might have said about Alice was somewhat understandable but her cruelty toward Sally could not be overlooked so easily.

  After the fashion show, the models came out of the dressing area to mingle with the guests. As Sally chatted with Miss Pratt about her trained dogs, Alice drifted over to Miss Vaughn.

  Alice smiled. “You show that gown to its best advantage, I think.”

  The girl dipped into a low curtsy. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

  Alice pressed on. “Miss Yardley and I were debating which one of us ought to buy it.”

  “I believe it would look far better on you, Princess.” The young woman giggled. “I don’t think Mrs. Diamond makes fashions for whales.”