The Phoenix

by Jillian Dodd

  “Now, I’m really sorry I’m late,” he says. “You look incredible.”

  “Thank you, baby,” I say, the baby hopefully sounding like it’s something I always call him even though I’ve never called a man that in my life—and probably never will again.

  He gives me a little smack on the butt before making his way to his assigned seat next to me. But, when he sits down, his eyes immediately land on Lizzie, and the intensity in which he looks at her tells her everything she already knows.

  That he’s equally as crazy about her.

  We’ve finished our main courses, and we are waiting for dessert to be served when Terrance chirps in my ear, “Huntley, quickly proceed to hallway six. The queen of Montrovia might be in danger.”

  I excuse myself from the table and leave the ballroom from a side door. I’m rushing down the hall when I hear raised voices coming from a room nearby.

  I stop and listen to the queen arguing with a man. I can’t hear what they are saying exactly, but it’s obvious that the man is threatening her. I wish I had grabbed my clutch with my phone in it. I could have eavesdropped.

  But then the man shouts, “You can, and you will. Or else!”

  A door slams, so I slip into the corridor, covertly peeking out to see General Agueda marching away.

  I meet the queen in the hallway.

  “What are you doing here?” she asks. Her nose is turned up, and her tone is brusque, but her hands are shaking, and her cheeks are flushed with anger.

  “I was invited by your son,” I reply.

  She gives my gown a once-over. “Wearing red again, I see. If you had any kind of social aptitude, you would know you shouldn’t be wearing red. It’s my color. The color of the Montrovian queen. And you shouldn’t be wearing a tiara unless you are nobility.”

  “This isn’t a tiara; it’s a coronet. And I’m wearing it because your son knighted me after I saved his life. I am the Contessa of Courtenay. But it sounds like my wardrobe choices are the least of your worries. Why did the general just threaten you?”

  “Why would I tell you?” she scoffs.

  “Maybe because I saved your son’s life on numerous occasions.”

  Tears fill her eyes, and I can tell she’s about to break.

  She grabs my hand and pulls me back into the room they were just in, which I see now is her personal study. It’s in the public part of the castle as opposed to in her residence. I glance around, seeing numerous photos of her life as royalty lining the walls.

  “He told me he’d wait until the end of the year,” she says, clearly distressed. “And, now, he’s reneging on his promise. That’s why I need Lorenzo married. He must marry before the scandal breaks. It’s imperative.”

  “What scandal?” I ask.

  She slumps onto a mohair sofa in defeat. “My affair with the general.”

  “How long has it been going on?”

  “Since early in my marriage. But I can explain,” she says, holding up a trembling hand.

  “Please do.” I sit down next to her, trying to look compassionate.

  “Giovanni and I had an arranged marriage. From the moment our engagement was announced until our extravagant wedding and honeymoon, where Lorenzo was conceived, it was a whirlwind of love with the promise of a lifetime of happiness.”

  “Sounds like a fairy tale.”

  “It was a night like this.” She sighs. “The Queen’s Ball. Of course, at that point, I was just a princess, and Giovanni’s mother, the queen, was upset with me.”

  “Because you were having an affair?”

  “No, because I was wearing something she didn’t approve of.” She sighs again, looking at me. “We were both in red gowns. She told me it was the color of the queen.”

  I can’t help but raise an eyebrow at her.

  “I know,” she says, rolling her eyes. “My mother-in-law was impossible to please. She kept my schedule booked so full with duties that I barely had time to breathe. I’ve become just as horrible as her. And I am aware of this. But I’m doing it to protect my son and his kingdom. You must understand that.”

  “So, you got in trouble for wearing a red dress. And then you slept with the general?”

  “She said something else that I wasn’t aware of. She told me that they had chosen me to wed Giovanni, not the other way around. Giovanni had already proven to be a good father, husband, and friend, but I took it personally. I was crushed, to be honest. And I did something reckless. Something I’ve continued to pay for to this day.”

  She stands up, walks across the room, removes a framed photo from the wall, and brings it back to me.

  “This was our wedding day. Giovanni with his groomsmen. Don’t they all look so handsome?”

  I just nod. I don’t want to interrupt her confession, so I pretend to study the photo. I’m about ready to hand it back to her, but my eyes stop as I recognize one of the men. I’m so shocked that I nearly gasp out loud.

  “I was back in Montrovia after graduating from the university,” she continues. It’s all rolling out of her now. “Alberto and I met at a charity event and were spending long nights together—which abruptly ended when I was chosen to court Giovanni. After my mother-in-law’s tongue-lashing, I rushed to Giovanni, only to find a woman in his arms. The story was the woman had nearly fainted, but it sent my head and my heart into a tailspin. I went to the garden and cried my eyes out. Alberto sat down next to me. I confessed my concerns to him and fell into his arms for comfort.”

  “And into his bed?” I point to the photo because I have to know. “Who is this man?”

  “That’s him. General Alberto Agueda. Our affair continued. I became pregnant with my second child—his child. But then fate stepped in. I was bucked off a horse and lost the baby as well as my ability to have more children. Giovanni was amazing. He could have ended our arranged marriage. And he probably should have. But he told me he had fallen in love with me, and he would stand by his word. Giovanni was always a man of his word. I didn’t promise anything that day. I was too distraught. Too emotional. Too guilty.

  “When I told Alberto it was over, he threatened to tell all if our affair ended. And, even though I didn’t desire him further, we have been meeting in private for over twenty years. It went from exciting and passionate to being one of my duties. Something I had to do to maintain this crown.” She points to the ornate diamond tiara on her head.

  “He looks different,” I say, my insides seething while my mind calculates revenge.

  “He has gained quite a lot of weight. Looks like a completely different man, doesn’t he? I certainly don’t desire him, but I was afraid of what would happen if the truth came out.”

  “Did he hate Giovanni for marrying you?”

  “Yes, he did. But he maintained their friendship. He was always driven, but over the last six or seven years, he has become particularly power-hungry, and his hate for my husband grew. He would drink heavily and stupidly talk of a revolution. One where he would marry me and take control of the entire Montrovian military and how it would become the world’s army.”

  “The world?” I say, my heart practically stopping. “Or Arcadia?”

  Her eyes get huge in recognition, which immediately answers my question.

  “A couple of things you should know, Your Highness,” I say, standing up and then backing away with a bow. “Your lover is part of the plot that killed your husband and both of his brothers, and he tried to kill your son. And the night before you made the announcement of his engagement to Lady Palomar, Lorenzo and I were secretly wed, so I guess that means I can wear red anytime I feel like it.”

  His mother dramatically tosses herself on the ground in tears as I leave the room.

  Once outside, I lean against the wall, my mind immediately going back.

  “Sit right here, Lee,” my mother said, handing me a book to read and making sure I was in her line of sight as she made her way across the plaza in front of the National Cathedral.

  I sa
t on the bench and pretended to read, but I watched her from underneath my bangs. She paced around the fountain a few times, seemingly taking in the history of the place, but I knew she was purposefully casing the area to make sure it was safe.

  A man with a military haircut walked briskly to the fountain, his back to me, and sat down. In his breast pocket was a square of yellow. I knew he was who she was meeting, as I overheard her earlier phone conversation with him.

  Mom didn’t immediately approach the man. She took another pass around the area, making sure the man hadn’t been followed, before she took a seat next to him.

  They had a brief conversation, my mother’s face looking grave as she spoke. I knew something was wrong.

  Mom had been acting worried. When I asked about it yesterday, she told me that she’d found what she was looking for in our treasure hunt. I asked if we were rich now. She laughed and said that she didn’t care about money. That her greatest treasure was me. And that she hoped I would grow up and live a long, happy life. I remembered she’d gotten teary-eyed when she said that, and I was pretty sure I had never seen her cry before that day. I’d wrapped my arms around her, given her a kiss, and told her I’d be happy as long as we were always together.

  Mom pulled a manila file out of her tote bag and gave it to the man. He stood up, shook her hand, and walked back the way he’d come, allowing me to clearly see his face.

  The face from the photo.

  I open my eyes and race down the hall, knowing I have to warn Lorenzo.

  The Olympic Ball is in full swing when I return, and the dance floor is quite crowded. I want to shout from the top of my lungs about the general, but I can’t.

  I spend about fifteen minutes making my way around the room when I finally spot Daniel and Lizzie tucked into a corner with Peter and Blair.

  “Have you seen Lorenzo?” I ask them.

  “Not since dessert,” Peter replies. “What’s up?”

  “Oh, nothing really. I just needed to talk to him.”

  “What about?” Lizzie asks.

  “His mother,” I reply. “She was upset when I saw her last. I thought he might want to check on her.”

  “That woman has a heart made of iron. I’m sure she’ll be fine,” Lizzie says, rolling her eyes.

  “Yeah, you’re probably right,” I say, realizing that the queen and I aren’t all that different. We’ve both been fighting for Lorenzo and Montrovia in our own ways.

  All of a sudden, chaos breaks out as numerous royal guards rush through the ballroom and down the hall toward the queen’s study.

  I take a steadying breath.

  Moments later, Juan is at my side. He tightly grips my elbow and leads me out of the ballroom and toward Lorenzo’s quarters.

  “What’s going on?” I ask.

  “The queen,” is all he says.

  He puts me in the study and then basically stands watch at the door. The moment feels very much like the night I was questioned after I saved Lorenzo for the first time. I’m expecting General Agueda to march into the room, military guards in tow, coming to arrest me for upsetting the queen.

  I know I was a little harsh with her. But then I realize that she might have called the general and told him that I knew the truth. That I knew about Arcadia.

  I take a deep breath, readying myself for a fight. I glance over at the spot where I know I can access a secret door. One that would take me to the war room, where I could wag the spotted dog’s tail and get the heck out of here.

  Ultimately, I decide to stay.

  And the longer I wait, the surer I am that he doesn’t know. For, if he did, he would have been here immediately, whisking me away before I could reveal the truth to anyone else.

  Forty long minutes later, Lorenzo appears, throwing the double doors to his study open with considerable force.

  “You should know that my mother tried to kill herself tonight. Because of something you said to her.”

  “She what? Is she okay?”

  “Thankfully, yes. I happened to find her before she could do real damage.”

  “Real damage?”

  “She slit her wrists.”

  “Like this?” I ask, flipping my arm over and horizontally sliding my finger across my wrist.

  “Yes. Why does that matter?”

  “Because, if she really wanted to kill herself, Lorenzo, she would have sliced vertically in order to hit an artery.”

  “How can you be so callous about this?” he yells in anger. “All eyes are on my country for the Olympics; everyone keeps telling me something horrible is going to happen here, but no one can tell me what; I’m supposed to pretend to care for a woman I don’t love; and, if that’s not enough stress, the woman I do love chose this moment in time to upset my mother so much that she tried to kill herself. Well, thanks, but I don’t need that kind of help. You’re dismissed.”

  “I’m dismissed?” I say with disbelief.

  “Yes.”

  “Hmm. Well, that’s too bad for you because I now know who is behind the coup. The coup that is going to start during the Olympics. Which happen to start tomorrow. But, whatever, I’ll just be on my way.” I make a move to leave.

  Lorenzo grabs my hand, pulling me toward him. “Who?” he demands.

  “General Agueda. He and your mother were having an affair. She was pushing for you to marry because he was blackmailing her. She thought, if you had a queen, she could back out of the public eye, and no one would care what he said. She was trying to protect you and the monarchy the best she knew how.”

  “The general and my father were good friends. I don’t believe you.”

  “Okay, fine. I should also tell you that I recognized the general from a photo in your mother’s office. When my mother had figured out the plot, she’d tried to meet with your father. He was out of town, so she met with someone else and gave him a packet of information. In all the people that I met here, I had never seen that man—until tonight. Your mother told me that he’d put on weight over the last six years. Probably started gaining it about the time Alessandro was killed, don’t you think? And, more than likely, he’s been waiting for his chance this whole time because, when he got drunk, he would tell your mother that he was going to become the leader of the world’s military, specifically mentioning Arcadia. I believe he and Alessandro had a deal. Alessandro takes over the country, and the general controls the military. That’s why, over the past six years, he’s been drinking more heavily and gained so much weight. Because he’s not only already committed treason; he’s also planning to do it again. This freaking week.”

  Lorenzo tightly grabs my face and kisses me hard. “I’m sorry. I should never doubt you. I was upset about my mother.”

  “I know. I’m sorry your mother felt she had to do that, but I have a feeling it was also for your benefit.”

  “She barely scraped her wrists.”

  “Yes, she felt desperate and needs help, but maybe arresting the general and taking that pressure off her forever will help her situation. I suggest you unhand me and make a call.”

  He removes his hands from my face but lets them slide across my shoulders, down my arms, and to my backside. “My hands adore being on you, but you are right.”

  Very quickly, he is on the phone to the admiral, calling him to his study, while I call both Intrepid and Gabriel.

  It’s determined that, after his incident with the queen, the general left the castle and went to the apartment that he keeps in the city. And, after confirming that his wife and two daughters are safely at their vacation villa on the eastern coast, we discuss a plan. Lorenzo wants to send in his special forces, but, fortunately, I talk him into letting Intrepid and Gabriel go alone. We don’t know who he can trust in his military right now.

  While Lorenzo takes to the war room, I ask Juan to escort me to the queen’s chambers. When we get there, I march past her personal secretary, who seems to be on guard.

  “You can’t go in there,” she says, chasing
after me.

  “I’d like to speak to the queen alone, please.”

  “I’m afraid that won’t be possible—” she starts to say, but the queen puts her hand up to stop her.

  “Leave us, please, Mara.”

  After Mara does as told, closing the door behind her, I sit on the bed next to the queen. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. The words I spoke to you were quite harsh. For that, I apologize.”

  “How did you know about Arcadia?” she asks, squinting her eyes at me. Maybe truly seeing me for the first time since I arrived in her country.

  “The press deemed me the orphan princess, and it’s true. My mother was murdered. In front of me. Ask me why.”

  “Why?” she says.

  “Because she was a CIA agent who took a couple of weeks off work when her old friend Ares Von Allister asked her to look into why Alessandro had tried to kill King Giovanni. I don’t know if he told you all this when it happened, but the king was trying to make sense of it. He searched Alessandro’s belongings and found a dollar bill for a country called Arcadia with Alessandro’s photo on it as king. Your husband was afraid, so he turned to Ares because he trusted him. Ares then turned to my mother.

  “After a few weeks of sleuthing, my mother figured out the conspiracy and who was behind it. She had been instructed to give that information to Giovanni directly, but he was out of town, so she contacted one of the two other men she was told she could trust and ended up meeting the general. She gave him a packet full of the truth. Instead of telling the king, I believe he called the man named in the plot, who then ordered the hit on my mother.”

  “Is that why you came to Montrovia?” she asks.

  “Yes. I needed to protect your son.”

  “And you fell in love with him? Or was that just an act to get close?”