Albright scowls at the rest, her nostrils flaring.
I flit my attention between the remaining three. Lady Muriel sighs and raises her right hand. “Aye.”
At the word, I retch and fall forward. Since I haven’t eaten since yesterday, nothing comes up. “I didn’t do anything . . . I didn’t do anything!” I cry out as tears gush from my eyes.
A screech cuts through my whimpering pleas. Princess Thea thunders to her feet and faces the Council.
“I call on my right, as the unmarked Royal heir, to pardon Arabella of the House of Garin, and assign her to my care until this matter can be fully sorted.”
Chapter Seven
THE COUNCIL ERUPTS at Princess Thea’s words. Not entirely sure of what just happened, I examine each member for clues. Does this mean I don’t have to die?
I twist toward Tristan, but his eyes are locked on Thea. Did he know she would do this?
“This is not possible,” Albright hisses. “Without a ruling Queen, the Council’s decision is final.”
Thea squares her shoulders and turns to Albright. “According to passages in the Code of Lore Honor, the unmarked heir is allowed two votes on the Council until a new Queen is crowned.” She looks to Fairden and Rose. “So, unless Lord Fairden and Lady Rose object to my proposal, you are outnumbered, Lady Albright. There is no reason to rush this issue, and the Council should have additional time to make a proper decision.”
“She is correct,” Fairden says to Albright. “In special circumstances, such as this, the anticipated heir is granted the special privilege of two Council votes. Of course, this right has never been used before . . .”
“And I will be exercising this right.” Thea studies the two members who have yet to vote. “Now, do you Lord Fairden or you Lady Rose have any objections?”
“No, your Royal Highness,” Fairden says. “I agree with your proposal to allow us more time to garner evidence.”
Lady Rose smiles, and her plump cheeks turn a soft shade of pink, suiting her name. “I wholeheartedly agree. More time would be most helpful.”
Albright sneers and grips the arms of her chair. Lord Terrowin leans closer and whispers something into her ear. A purple glow emits from both of Albright’s hands, then dissipates.
I swallow the lump forming in my throat and slump back into my seat. Mama’s worried face flashes before my mind, and I quickly push myself up straight again. “Please, may I see my family, then?”
Albright whips her attention to me, her eyes wild with simmering anger. “Quiet!” she shouts.
I freeze.
“Lady Albright,” Thea scolds. “May I remind you that I am still the Princess of Lore. I have made my choice, and you must abide by it.”
Albright’s eyes narrow into slits, and she leans back into her seat. “Yes, your Royal Highness.”
Thea holds the Lady’s cold stare until Albright breaks away. Princess Thea considers me. “Your family should still be inside the castle. You will be allowed to speak with them.”
The corners of my eyes sting with tears. “Thank you.”
Ravenoak steps forward from the Guard, his brows furrowed. “The Accused is still not free.”
“Arabella will be under my care,” the Princess says.
“It would still be best if she is not allowed any visitors beyond today,” Ravenoak says. “I would advise that she never leave the castle grounds. A temporary pardon is not an acquittal.”
Thea nods to her father. “This is wise advice. While I desire to bestow kindness, we do not want to risk the alteration of vital information or the possibility of escape.”
Ravenoak bows his head and returns to his place.
“Please escort Arabella from the House of Garin to the Wisteria suite, and, when she settles, allow her family to visit her for one hour.”
I gaze tearfully at Thea, overcome with gratitude. At least this is something. At least someone is helping me.
A steady hand rests on my arm and I flinch. Tristan’s lips stretch into a slight smile. “Let’s go,” he says.
My mind spins as we exit the hall and wander down one corridor after another. I don’t even recall the way he takes me.
My mouth falls open and I gape when I finally behold the chamber prepared for me. The room boasts a grand set of windows covered in thick, white drapes that run nearly floor to ceiling. A massive, carved wooden bed with a fluffy, white comforter and far too many pillows takes up a large space in the room. To the bed’s side is a seating area with a couch and two tufted chairs in a soft floral print. A large wardrobe stands on the opposite wall, and a door next to it looks as if the opening leads to a bathroom nearly as big as the bedroom itself. As kids, Neil and I shared a tiny room, no bigger than one of the corners of this elaborate space. He would love this so much. But I’m beyond uncomfortable with this kind of excess.
I turn to Tristan. “This is where I’m staying?”
“It’s one of the nicest guest quarters in the castle.” He reaches for my hands and removes the shackles.
“Thank you.” I rub at my wrists as I walk farther into the room.
“There should be clothes of various sizes inside the wardrobe. The Queen always kept garments stocked for guests.”
I pick at the folds of my rumpled dress. “Maybe this one could just be washed.”
Tristan chuckles. “Even if the garment could be, I’m not sure your dress would do.”
A pit forms in my stomach.
Tristan furrows his brows in an expression that I realize mirrors my own. “This is difficult, I know.”
I lower my head as he strides by.
“But your family will be here soon, and you might want to clean up.” Tristan pauses on the threshold. “I’ll be waiting outside your door, should you have need of me.”
When the lock clicks shut, I crumble to the floor in sobs. I cry until I think my eyes might fall out and my chest will cave in. I’m not sure how much more my heart can take this day. Or the next.
A soft touch on my shoulder startles me. With a gasp, I open my eyes. How long was I on the floor? I expected to see Tristan before me, but it’s not him.
“Oh, Mama . . . Mama.” I scramble to my knees and throw my arms around her shoulders. Fresh tears pour down my cheeks and into her hair. “I don’t know what happened.”
“I know, sweetheart.” She grasps me even tighter. “I have you . . . I have you.”
I’m not sure how long we stay this way. The time could be minutes—or hours. Eventually, I pull away from her and notice Asher standing off to the side, still wearing my favorite green tunic.
I push myself to my feet and throw myself into his embrace.
“I’m so sorry,” I cry. “I don’t know what happened.”
He clutches me tighter. “You didn’t do anything. There’s nothing to be sorry for.” He pulls back from me to peer intently into my waiting gaze. “I’m getting you out of here.”
Fear seizes my chest. “Please don’t do anything stupid. I need to know you and Mama are safe.”
“I won’t let them hurt you,” he says.
I step back so I can look at both him and Mama. “Princess Thea is helping me. She gave me a temporary pardon so the truth can come out. She’s been so kind.”
“It didn’t seem to me that the Council wanted to know the truth,” Mama whispers.
“Please,” I say. “I need to trust Princess Thea and Tristan—”
“Who’s Tristan?” Asher asks.
I point to the door. “My Guard. He and the Princess believe I didn’t steal the Queen’s Essence and are willing to help me give the Transfer back.”
“Can you do that without dying?” Asher asks.
My heart twitches. I hadn’t thought of that. “I think so?”
Mama shifts nervously on her feet, stress crinkling her forehead.
“Something is very wrong here,” Asher says.
“Of course something is wrong,” I say. “But this isn’t a problem you ca
n fix, Asher. Not this time.”
The corners of his lips turn down and he averts his eyes. “Everything was going so well. How could this happen?”
I wrap my arms around his waist. “It will all be okay.” I say this, but I’m not even sure I believe the words myself. “We just have to wait.”
“I don’t want to wait. Everything was planned. Tonight was going to be perfect.” Asher pinches the bridge of his nose.
“What was going to be perfect?”
Asher’s lips press into a thin line, and then he lets out a sigh. Gently, he removes my hands and pulls a small, soft cloth bag from his pants pocket. “That.”
I pull open the drawstring and tip the contents into my hand. My breath catches, and I blink back tears. Behind me, Mama gasps.
In the center of my palm rests a silver ring with an emerald solitaire. Asher and I have been talking about getting married for over a year now. We wanted to wait until after the Transfer Ceremony. How did he afford this?
My heart pounds so loudly, I’m sure it echoes off the room’s walls. I curl my fingers over the ring and search Asher’s face. This boy is my partner—the person who I want to share everything with. “Yes,” I whisper to him.
His face brightens, and his beautiful smile fills the room. Taking my hand, he slips the ring onto my finger. After he gazes at the ring for a second, he wraps me in his arms and holds me close with every bit of his being. The bag drops to the ground.
If magic is truly real, I want it to take us far away from this place.
Mama can’t control herself and piles on, hugging me from behind. Love encircles us with a warmth that I never want to release.
Pounding footsteps rattle the floor beneath my feet. I turn just as Ravenoak storms in with two more Guards, destroying any joy I might have momentarily felt. Asher and Mama pull back from the embrace. Asher maneuvers himself in front of me, holding my wrist to secure my protected position behind his solid frame.
“Visiting time is now over,” Ravenoak declares. “Please go with these men, and they will escort you out.”
“They just got here.” I step out from behind Asher. “I need more time. Please.”
Ravenoak’s eyes narrow to slits at Asher before turning to me. “At this time, you have no rights as an unauthorized Vessel of the Queen’s Essence.”
Mama holds onto me, squeezing tight before pulling back. “I love you, and will see you again.”
Her head drops and tears brim from her eyes as she’s escorted out of the room.
Asher’s arms are folded across his chest.
“Asher,” I say, “I’ll figure out a way to see you soon. I promise. I won’t let these people separate us.”
Asher opens his mouth to speak.
“Let’s move, young man.” Ravenoak gestures toward the door.
I give him a brave smile. “It’s okay.”
Asher takes a deep breath, then heads out, his gaze fixed on mine until Ravenoak and the other Guard cut in front of him and shut the door.
My lip quivers and my breath staggers with each intake of air. I plop down on the end of the bed as tears stream down my cheeks once more. But, through my blurry vision, I admire the beautiful ring Asher gave me.
Eventually, I let my body become absorbed by the pillow-like blanketing. My eyelids grow heavy.
***
I’m jostled awake by a steady knocking. Turning to the covered windows, I see there’s no light that enters the room. I don’t feel like I’ve slept very long, even though it’s night.
“Ma’am?” a female says from the hallway.
Taking a few steps toward the door, I call out, “Yes, who is it?”
“I’m here to bring you supper. May I enter?”
Fiddling with my hair, I pull myself together. Not that it’s going to help much. “Yes, come in.”
The door creaks and slowly swings open. The girl walks in carefully, a soft smile warming her face. A face I recognize . . .
Esme!
A sleek gray and purple dress hugs her petite body, and the short cut of her cap sleeves allows the dark circular symbol on her right upper arm to be visible. She stops just inside the room.
“What are you doing here?” I’d nearly forgotten she was given an Elder’s Essence today too.
“I’m assigned to be your Executive Lore Maiden.” She links her hands in front of her.
I furrow my brow. “What? Why?”
She shrugs. “It’s simply the order I received.”
“I don’t need an Executive Lore Maiden.” Then I glance down at my still filthy clothes and embarrassment spreads across my cheeks.
“Something tells me you might.” She takes a step closer to me. “And it’s not as if I really have a choice. But if I’m going to assist someone, I’m glad it’s not some stuffy old lady.”
I sit back down on the end of the bed. “Maybe, between us, you can just be my friend.”
“That sounds good, and I do have some supper for you. A friend can bring another friend food right?”
I smile. “Sure. Thanks.”
She wheels in a cart of vibrant, rich food. A platter of fruit catches my attention. The Royal garden is known for its pristine fruits and vegetables. Set in a spiral rotation, the strawberries, grapes, oranges, blueberries, and what I think are mango slices glisten under the lighting in the room. I swallow, not wanting to drool all over the cart.
Next to the fruit platter is a steaming basket of warm, fresh sliced breads, all varied in colors and textures. Their buttery smell makes my eyes close in pleasure.
I don’t even care what’s under the other two silver lids on the cart. I dig in to the soft bread and inhale piece after piece, chasing it down with the sweetest blueberries I’ve ever tasted.
Esme stands to the side and watches me gorge.
I quickly swallow down a mango slice and clear my throat. “Sorry, I haven’t eaten in a while.”
She grins. “I get it, trust me. This is all new to me, too. It’s the same thing with not needing tokens anymore. We’re just provided for here.”
Grabbing the smooth cloth on the cart, I wipe my mouth, pretty sure my face is covered in food. I grab a crystal glass filled with a bubbly liquid and guzzle the deliciousness. The sweet nectar fizzes as the liquid flows down my throat. I swallow, then lean in closer to her. “Do you know what they really are? Tokens, I mean. How do they work?”
Esme shakes her head and chuckles. “Heck no. I might be an Executive Maiden, but all that magic stuff is beyond my required knowledge base. But I think you will discover that answer soon enough, given your position.”
“Well, hopefully I won’t be around here long enough for that,” I say, returning the smile.
Esme looks around the room, as if someone might be watching, then turns back to me. She places plates piled with food on a table near the bed, then rolls her cart toward the door. “You might want those dishes later, but I need to go. Lady Jacquelyn oversees me and will be wondering why I haven’t brought her daily reports already.”
“Please come back when you can,” I say. I barely know Esme, but she’s like me, and it feels like no one else in this place is.
She tips her head down. “I’m sure I’ll be back in the morning.” She leaves a napkin full of candy on my nightstand as she goes.
A sinking feeling returns to my gut as quiet fills the room once more. I glance at my ring. It doesn’t take long before my desire to return to Asher consumes my thoughts. I want to be with him right now, feel his hands on my body, his lips caressing mine, beginning a new chapter with him as his wife.
Just as fast as Asher entered my mind, he vanishes in a bright light and a new memory spills out before me. I’m lying down and something rests in my hands. A flush travels up my chest and warms my neck—an intense feeling of love. In my arms rests a newborn baby wrapped in the most delicate, laced blanket.
Princess Thea. And I’ve—no, the Queen—just gave birth.
“Arabella . .
.”
I clutch my arm. A mild burning sensation throbs over my skin, as if the tattoo is digging itself in deeper. I blink to regain focus and the sensation fades. My gaze snags onto two figures just inside my room: Tristan and Lord Fairden.
“Sorry Dear,” Fairden says. His deep green eyes gleam intensely and command stern attention, but the way he smiles at me this moment almost puts me at ease. There’s kindness in his voice. The way he speaks reminds me of my Papa. “We knocked, but you didn’t answer. Young Tristan here was worried and let us in. Forgive the intrusion.”
“Uh, no, I’m sorry.” I slip off the bed. “I was lost in thought.”
“Please leave us, young man,” Fairden says, shifting to Tristan.
“Yes, My Lord.”
Once Tristan exits, Fairden takes a step toward me and my heart races. He seems nice, but I have no idea if anyone on the Council is trustworthy.
“I wanted to inform you that your training begins tomorrow morning.”
“Training?” I echo.
“Yes. I will begin your education in the discipline of magic. The process might give us clues into why this marking . . . happened. The Queen’s power resides in the Essence that you’ve received. It’s time for you to awaken that power to fully understand your place in the Queendom.”
Chapter Eight
BAM! BAM! BAM!
I shoot straight up in my bed. My heart drops as I study my surroundings, the ornate room. It wasn’t a nightmare. I’m still in the castle. Away from Mama. Away from Asher.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
The banging sounds once again.
“Your Maiden has arrived,” Leif’s muffled voice calls from the hall.
“Um . . .” I consider my white cotton nightgown and rake a hand through my tangled hair, still slightly damp after bathing last night. “Send her in.”
The door cracks open, and Esme’s kind face appears in the opening. Leif, with a scowl, pushes the door open farther and Esme ambles inside with an armload of dresses. Leif pushes in a food cart.
“I’m not a waiter,” he mutters, though he wheels the cart into the middle of the room.
Esme places the dresses at the end of my bed and turns to Leif. “Thank you for your help, anyway.”
Crown of Lore (Betrayal of Magic Book 1) Page 6