"Thank you, miss. It has been exceptionally hard, traumatic even, but I understand that being royalty comes with certain sacrifices, even if my own happiness and well-being are some of them."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I've often wondered how many times the people in this room have been helped by your family without any concern for what it may cost you. King Ezra was a strong leader and there is hope for him to leave a good legacy behind."
The rest of the horde lay silent, but it didn’t matter. Even through the flood of people, all I could see was her and her kind face cheering me on. Standing behind me, even though she too had her doubts about my family and their rule. But instead of joining the burgeoning rebellion, she gave me a chance. The one I needed if I was going to make things right.
"As I started to tell you all, there are plans in place to address all of your concerns.”
Those who remained standing finally took their seats as order fell back over the theatre.
"Security has been increased in the castle, the woods, and all of the surrounding areas of the city and nearby countryside to ensure there are no more casualties from the beast. Funds have been diverted from the castle’s operating expenses to cover the restoration of the marketplace. We want to ensure that it is up and running as soon as possible, but we are taking suggestions for improvements in a special session of court later this week so we can remain the prosperous pride of the kingdom.”
A few cheers and positive comments rippled through the crowd. Not the overwhelming response I'd hoped for, but definitely better than the alternative.
"And for those who fear that the castle is still harboring threats to your safety, we are opening our doors to everyone for guided tours whenever you feel the need. We want to show you that although we know we have made a mistake, that it will be our last and all decisions are made to make this kingdom the strongest in all the land."
Feeble applause echoed through the theatre. Veda locked eyes with me through the sea of faces and smiled, my lips curling upwards in response.
“I might not be my father, but I intend to make you all proud to be Aborians. Together we will rebuild and be stronger than ever.” I nodded and released my grip on the podium. An ache rippled through my fingers from the strain of holding on so tight, but I welcomed the release. “Thank you.”
The guard to my left nodded his head toward the curtain and I quickly rushed offstage before things could swing out of my favor. A rumble of voices flowed behind me, but without the sharp contempt of my last speech. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start. A new beginning.
As the noise of the crowd fell away, I loosened the two coat buttons near my neck and breathed deeply as the oxygen sparked life in my veins. I'd done it. I'd given my speech and without anything being thrown. No fruit juice, or worse, staining my dress clothes. No mob of angry citizens waiting by the door. Maybe I did stand a chance at this after all. Except, of course, I hadn't done it all on my own.
I signaled to one of the guards and he came at my command. "The girl from the theatre, the one who stuck up for me during the question period, I need you to rush out front and find her. Tell her, no ask her, to wait for me near the entrance after everyone else has cleared out."
"Of course, sir." He nodded and quickly disappeared, weaving through the remaining guards and out the side door into the sun.
A lone steady clap echoed beside me.
Lord Marchand appeared with a smile beaming across his face. "Well done, Your Majesty. We all had faith that you would rise to your new station. I'm glad we were not wrong."
I grabbed the back of my neck and gazed down at the scuffed and peeling boards of the backstage area. "I'm glad things worked out well. But I'm still afraid that I may not be ready for such a large undertaking. Maybe we should employ more forces to search for my father. I'm sure the people would be pleased to know he wasn't running loose.”
Lord Marchand narrowed his stare and grasped tighter onto the top of his walking stick, twisting it against the floor. "Perhaps. Or perhaps you should get better at taking a compliment and stop being so modest. Being king is your birthright, and by refusing you are risking everything your parents have built."
"I'll try harder." The last of the voices died in the main theatre. I glanced at the side door, but Lord Marchand stood still.
"Now if you could please excuse me, I have another meeting to attend to."
"Of course. However, before you go I would like to remind you about how important appearances are in your position.” He pointed his index finger at me as his pleased grin dropped to a grim line. “I’m not sure how you bewitched that girl to come to your defense, or if you even know her at all, but she doesn't seem like the kind of girl befitting a future king. A little too plain. A little too…vocal.”
I smiled back, my teeth grit tight enough to shatter. "Thank you. I'll have to remember that.”
I rushed around to the front of the theatre. A few remaining guards still stood by the doors, but no Veda. My shoulders dropped along with my spirit.
"That should be all gentlemen." I waved my hand. "Thank you for your service and feel free to take the rest of the afternoon off.”
The guards nodded and then marched in perfect time into the city. As the last guard passed, he jerked his head backward. "Maybe try the fountain, sir."
I rushed across the open square toward the large fountain. Cool droplets splashed my skin as I approached, a nice relief in the early afternoon heat. On the far side, Veda sat on the edge, just below the goddess of the fountain and her ever full jug of water, twiddling her fingers along the surface of the pool. I stood back and watched the serene look on her face as she splashed in the cool blue. I ached to feel that kind of peace. The last week bore down on my shoulders, sometimes like the universe was holding my head under that fountain water and I couldn't fight my way out. Eventually, the dark shadow of me lurking in the corner disrupted the air around her. Her nose scrunched up as she scanned the empty square, her eyes finally falling on my face. The sour look dissolved into a warm smile and she stood, flicking the last few drops of water from her fingertips.
"I thought we were meeting by the entrance?"
She shrugged. "You took so long that I got bored. Besides, it's such a beautiful day I figured I'd cool off a bit."
She flicked her hand toward me, and I flinched, except no water hit me and she laughed.
“Sorry for making you wait, but I needed to make sure that everyone had already left."
"Oh, I get it. Meeting me in secret?” She arched her eyebrow, playful, but the words stung in my chest like darts.
“No. Of course not." I snapped. Lord Marchand’s warning burned bright in my head. Veda may not have the poise or upbringing as the noble girls, but what she lacked in grace she gave back in fire.
"Easy, prince. Plus it probably took you forever to change out of all that royal garb."
"Yeah. I couldn't wait to get it off. It's so hot and constricting."
"You mean you didn't want to keep the crown?" She ruffled her hand through my hair, the skin of her fingertips still cool from the fountain. I closed my eyes for a second, reveling in her touch and using it to try to push down my toxic thoughts.
"The crown is what I hate the most.” I shoved my hands in my pockets and jumped up on the edge of the fountain walking around, one foot directly in front of the other and my arms outstretched for balance. "Are you hungry? Because I'm absolutely starving."
"I could be."
I jumped down from the fountain stomping my feet in front of her and she giggled, a playful smirk breaking across my own face. "Great. I know a place that makes the best hand pies in the kingdom."
She slid her arm to the crook of my elbow. "Then let's go. I can't miss out on the best hand pies in all of the kingdom, now can I?”
We turned the corner, leaving the theatre grounds and back into the narrow streets of Mosa. People in their colorful dresses and perfect jackets scurried down the narrow sidewalks. Lin
es of candy-colored window shutters stood open to let the fresh air in. The beauty of a typical day in the city under the warm heat of the afternoon sun, but something seemed off, broken, as it lacked the same buzz and magic it used to. The incident in the marketplace had fractured the spirit of the city and even though they tried to continue on, as usual, the dark cloud of my father's sins hung over them.
"Thank you for your help in there. You really have a way with words, don't you?”
She flexed her arm against mine. “Well, I am a writer. Or at least trying to be. But I'm sure you would've handled it without me. I just moved things along a little faster."
"Maybe." I struggled with her faith in me as I doubt I would have the same if our situations were reversed. "I didn't know you'd even be there. When I hadn't heard from you, I just assumed you were still at the temple or had just gone home."
"Well, I stayed there for a while, but it's not like it was that bad. My father has quite the temper, but once he calms down he typically realizes his ways."
"So he didn't punish you for bringing me up there?"
"Unless you mean beating me in eight straight games of checkers as punishment, then no. However, he did make me clean up after the chickens."
She laughed and the muscles in my back and shoulders relaxed.
"But, I did have a long talk with him about your situation. He wouldn't tell me anything, said it really wasn't my business, but he has agreed to speak with you again if you want to?"
I peeled out of her clutch and stepped in front of her with my hands on her shoulders. I gazed into her deep green eyes as they sparkled in the sunshine, like the lush mystery of the forest at the top of the hill. “Of course, I do. I can have someone from the capital bring him here right away."
"Hold up.” She slipped her arms between mine and pushed outward, breaking my hold on her then slipping her arm back in mine. “He will only talk to you on the contingent that you go back up to the temple. He has things to attend to there and since this is your issue, he feels you need to make sacrifices for the information."
"I guess that's fair, but I have no idea how I'll get back there. I don’t know my way up the sides of the mountain, at least not that high. Maybe Griswold or someone else might have an idea of how to get there.“
"Just borrow Alizeh. If you call her, I'm sure she would come. If she doesn't have time, she won't. You'll just have to wait, maybe, that's all.” She nodded her head as she spoke, subliminally coaxing me to agree. "Besides, since you are a king now I guess everything belongs to you anyway."
"I could never do that. I'm not like that, you should know."
I pulled my arm back, but she squeezed it tighter.
"Wow. Does that crown suck out all of your sense of humor? Not that you are a sparkling wit, to begin with, but it was just a joke."
"Sorry. It's been a rough few days." I tugged her over to the right side of the street and the door of a small two-room shop with a dark blue awning to match its navy shutters. A rough hand-painted sign sat in the window, Madame Madeleine's Perfect Pies, it read with an oddly-shaped pie drawn in the corner.
The sweet, buttery smell of the shop wafted outside and I let my nose guide us to the entrance.
I held open the door, letting Veda pass. "You'll love this place."
She glanced up at me, her eyes twinkling with wonder. "I guess we'll see."
I followed behind and joined the long line that weaved between the tiny tables scattered through the front room of the shop. Madame Madeleine and her staff rushed behind the counter, back and forth, taking orders and serving food as quickly as they could. Sweat dripped from their foreheads and with the unbearable heat suffocating the room most of the customers too.
I pointed at the menu, no more than a list of flavors scrawled on a piece of butcher paper tacked on the wall with a nail. "I'm sure the savory ones are excellent, but I can never come here without buying something sweet."
"Why does that not surprise me? I'm pretty sure you know how to indulge yourself."
"Maybe." I glared down at her with a mocking smirk, trying to hold back my laughter. "Or maybe I just know what I like."
She raised her left eyebrow and met my gaze. "Really? I'd love to hear more about that sometime."
We bumped along the line, the smells thickening in my nose and my mouth watering like a starving sheepdog until we finally reached the front. Madame Madeleine herself met us at the counter, straightening the already dirty apron covering her blue dress. A rainbow of shades from splattered fruit painted the front, but she didn't seem to care.
"It's been a while, Your Majesty.”
"Too long, Madame. But I can't stop dreaming about your cherry lemon pie.”
She blushed, the red showing through her cheeks even over the intense heat, and she hooted a deep belly laugh. She flicked her hand toward me and rolled her eyes. "Quit your flattery, my prince. You know you eat for free already anyway."
"Not today, Madame." I slipped my hand in my pocket and pulled out a Baht, leaving it on the counter. “How can I expect you to keep making your wonderful pies if your own cupboards go bare. This should cover mine and whatever the lady would like. I don't need any change."
She scanned my face, critical as if expecting some sort of joke, then took the bill, her eyes widening when she realized it would cover more than double our order.
“Why yes, I think it will. Now, where is your lucky lady?” She scanned over our faces, then pushed up on her toes looking towards the back of the shop.
I tugged Veda closer to the counter, however, there wasn't much room left. "Right here."
Madame gave an unsettling chuckle. ”My opulent stars, it must be busier than I thought. My apologies, miss. What can I get for you?"
"I'll have the same. Apparently, they are the best."
Madame nodded and disappeared into the kitchen, returning with two piping hot pies, steam billowing off the perfect golden crust.
We maneuvered around the rest of the line and snagged a small table near the window. I tried to be polite pulling out Veda's chair, even as the rumble in my stomach wanted to sit and devour my lunch. I raced into my seat and took a huge bite. The juicy cherry cut with the tart lemon slid down my throat in the most joyful way. I groaned and took another big bite, the sauce smudging on the side of my mouth. I ran my hand over the mess and licked it off my knuckles not willing to risk losing one taste.
"You weren't kidding about knowing what you like, were you?” Veda laughed, as she watched me gorge myself on fruit and pastry. She picked up her own pie and finally took a dainty bite from the corner. Her eyes rolled toward the ceiling and she collapsed against the back of the chair. “Okay, maybe you are right on this one. It's really good.”
"Told you.” I cast her a quick grin before returning to demolish the rest of my pie.
We ate in silence, except for the few tight-lipped mmmm sounds that were unavoidable with food this good. Once I finished and convinced myself not to get back in line for another serving, I leaned back in my chair and watched Veda enjoy hers. The blissful glaze that fell over her expression as the world slipped away leaving just her and the pie made me chuckle as I'm sure everyone else saw me in the same way. Except her enjoyment wasn't the only thing in the room. I glanced around at the other tables. Prying eyes watched our every move, scrutinizing me and evaluating her. I guess my speech did not go over as well as I had hoped, or maybe with my new position people were more interested in me than ever before. I tried to shrug off the uncomfortable feeling but as more people entered the shop, more stares fell on us. Tables close by leaned in toward each other, whispering under closed hands held over their mouths. The gossip had already begun, except I had no idea what it was about.
"I'll have to remember this place,” Veda said snapping me out of my paranoid daze. She reached across the table and grabbed my hand. "Or maybe I'll have to convince you to bring me here again." The whispers around us grew louder, like hushed screams calling my attention.
I slipped my fingers into hers and stood, coaxing her from the table. "Maybe we should get going."
She followed behind me until we reach the door. I propped it open with my forearm and swept my arm to signal her to lead the way.
A bright flash. Black dots blurred my vision and I shook my head.
"Excuse me, Your Majesty, how are you feeling after your speech today?” A voice blared at me before I could cross the threshold into the street.
More voices.
“Prince Fallon, now that you’re king, what does that mean for your father?"
“Prince Fallon, who are you with?"
The questions came rapid-fire like fists in a street fight and pummeled us back through the door. Reporters, enough for every small town paper and city gazette for the next six kingdoms, hovered in the doorway refusing to let us leave without a quote. Each query fast and sharp, relentless, launching one after the other. Personal, political, mental, and none that I was prepared to answer. Veda stood her ground, bracing her stance although her eyes danced wild like a trapped animal with a hurt paw.
"Prince Fallon, is this your girlfriend?"
"Where is she from?"
"Does she really seem like the best choice for our next queen?"
I yanked Veda's arm pulling her to my chest and slamming the door shut behind her. The loud thud as it closed in the frame commanded the attention of everyone in the room. Madame Madeleine waved her arm, beckoning us. "Out the back, darlings. It'll buy you a few minutes peace."
I tugged Veda’s hand and rushed into the kitchen, nearly falling as my shoes hit the greasy floor, but I slid across to the rear door and burst into the alley. The voices around the front of the building echoed through the narrow passageway, but no one thought to chase us back here. At least not yet.
"This way." I jerked my head up the hill, toward the forest and ran down the alleyway, trying to keep our heads in the shadows. We rushed a few blocks and came out on the main street, but the nagging, questioning voices appeared behind us. Predators who’d caught the smell of fear and blood. Flashbulbs from cameras lit up the sky. I dashed into the next alley, Veda quick behind, her foot clipping my back heel as we ran, but I had no time to stop. We meandered through the streets rushing uphill, the added strain from the incline clear in Veda’s labored breath on in my neck.
Fallon: Son of Beauty and the Beast (Kingdom of Fairytales Boxset Book 6) Page 11