Lote turned a hard touch to her eyes as she looked at my latest dress.
“I see you received more dresses. It is lovely. A gift from King Tommit?” I nodded, my heart beating rapidly. Whenever she was near, I wondered if she had the ability to exchange my heart for hummingbird’s wings. Lote shook me whenever she looked or even spoke a single syllable to me. Why did she have this effect on me? I know she didn’t have the same effect on anyone else. So why me?
“The King is quite taken with you. You should be honored.” She scanned my eyes, wondering if I was. I was thankful she couldn’t really see my true feelings for the monster king. “Aurora, you have a great responsibility to the people of Paradan. They will respond to your example. So many will be…spared unnecessary, shall I say, 'unpleasantness,' if you behave yourself.”
She reminded me of Drayben. Her eyes raised, and I could tell she was measuring if her threat had landed.
It had landed right in the center of my heart.
“Of course, Lote.”
She smiled. Lote started walking around the room. Touching the fine fabrics of the draperies, comforter, and then running her fingers over the pillows. Then her hand rested on one of the legs of my canopy. She looked like an evil fairy queen, the way the light hit her wings as it shimmered through the gossamer, then struck the golden legs. It lit the back of her, giving her a dark halo effect.
My door opened. It was Evver.
She was sweating. Something I had only seen her do once before. She must have been running. Her face turned ashen white when she saw Lote at the top of my bed. Evver’s gaze quickly searched out for me. I had made my way over to the corner of the window seat. She relaxed an infinitesimal amount when she saw I was still in one piece. I was unsure why, but whenever Lote’s name had been mentioned in the past few days, Evver was different. She was no longer the cheerleader to which I had grown accustomed to. Part of me liked the new Evver. I hoped this part of her had started to pick up on the unease I felt. Another part of me worried.
Evver rushed to my side.
Putting herself between Lote and myself, her eyes were blazing. It scared me. In the little time I had known Evver I had seen her in many moods, but now she was—frightening. She looked like a lioness ready to charge. Lote couldn’t help but notice her strong reaction also. It made her smile with a smugness I had never seen from her. She quickly covered.
“Evver, how are you, dear? I was just checking in with Aurora. It seems as if everything is in order here. I will let you two get back to the things you need to do in order to prepare for the dinner tonight. I expect you to be ready when Drayben arrives. It would be extremely improper if you were to make him wait…at all.”
Her hand ran down the leg of my bed and then over the pillow. She patted the pillow and then ran her hand over the comforter as she walked around the bed. She blatantly ignored Evver; even as she stood rigid and strong in front of me. I wondered if she even cared. She glided out of the room as if she had just dropped by to say hi.
Evver didn’t relax until my door had closed completely and there was silence on the other end.
Then she turned to me. Her eyes were still wild.
“Don’t trust her!” came out of her mouth like razor sharp knives.
*
The rest of the afternoon was spent preparing me for my dinner with Tommit, that night.
I had long been past referring to him as King unless in his, Drayben, or Lote’s company. I was in another new dress. It was the color of raw corn; pale yellow silk. It was beautiful. It was embroidered with flowers covering the entire dress. It must have taken someone hours upon hours of tedious hand work to finish it. As with most of my gowns, my shoulders were exposed to the world. I had become accustomed to this. I was wearing a diamond necklace that clung to my neck. It was made of a chain of single diamonds, encircling my neck. Then, at my throat, it cascaded down like a waterfall. My hair was left completely down for the first time, in finger curls.
A large diamond headpiece was secured on the right side of my head.
I was surprised at how, even without make-up, they were able to make my cheeks glow and my eyes shine. To finish it off, they used a rose’s petals to color my lips. I was stunned when I looked in the mirror that Evver provided for me.
My breath had caught in my throat.
Never in my life had I ever thought I was capable of looking like this. I hated how it was being wasted on my fiendish fiancé. A thought danced in my mind. How would my eyes shine if I was going to see Cassius instead of Tommit?
Just the thought of the boy I loved had my eyes sparking and my cheeks flushed.
My heart rate increased and my temperature rose several degrees. I knew the answer to my query. It wouldn’t matter. Evver insisted on taking me down to the dining hall today. She refused to leave my sight. I decided to not fight her. Evver’s tiny feet led the way toward the dimly lit dining hall.
As I entered the large, dark room, a gloomy cloud came over me.
Any joy I would have felt was ripped from me at the sight of Tommit’s smarmy smile. I was used to the leering and the lust-filled eyes. Evver walked me toward the end of the table then stepped aside, so I could take my place in front of the vile king. He stood up and reached out for my hand.
“You look lovely, Aurora.” His compliment had my skin crawling.
“Thank you, your majesty.”
“Have a seat please. You may leave.” He waved his hand at Evver, dismissing her with just a small gesture. “Please sit here, Aurora. I’m sure the staff has prepared a lovely meal for us. We will be able to talk about our plans for the next week.” I sat as I had been told and worried about what he was planning for me this week.
“Now, I have been informed that you are unable to ride a horse. Is this accurate?”
“A horse?” I asked in surprise. “No. I have never ridden before.”
“After we have our ceremony it is tradition for the king and queen to ride through the kingdom on horseback. It is a way for the people to be able to catch a glimpse of their new queen. As you can see that this could be problematic, with your inability to ride. I want you to look like a queen as you ride; not as a fool.” He turned to address someone behind me. “Kirge, bring him in.”
My stomach dropped. What new terror did he have walking toward me? My breath caught in my throat. I could hear the footsteps behind me. I couldn’t bring myself to look. The footsteps were merely feet behind me. I could hear someone move as they stopped.
I was guessing they were bowing to his royal obnoxiousness.
“I have a challenging job for you. My bride to be is unable to ride a horse. I would like you to make her a professional in the next few days. By the end of the week, I want to see it. I have instructed Kirge to give you any allowances that you will need to make it happen. Can you do this?” There was a quiet pause.
“Of course, your highness.”
Tears stung my eyes.
I knew that voice. I would always know that voice. Cassius. More than anything, my head wanted to whip around in his direction, but I couldn’t. I held on to the arms of the chair so tightly, I was certain I left nail marks underneath. How was this happening? Tommit was asking me to spend time with Cassius?
“Aurora, my beauty, I would like you to meet my stable boy, Cassius.” I realized now was the acceptable time to turn around and take in his radiant face. Turning, I was again struck by the strength of his features, and the kindness in his eyes. He was an award-winning actor, not betraying for a second how we already knew one another. Cassius bowed deeply to me.
“My lady.”
My heart rushed. I nodded, trying to act disinterested. It was going to be impossible looking at him, so I turned back to the despicable Tommit. He was caught up in leering at me so there was no chance of him realizing the flush in my face was due to Cassius and not because of him. He raised an eyebrow at me, trying to look at me seductively but it came across as inept. A raging rhino
ceros would have been sexier to me. I managed a wan smile.
“Very good.” He turned to Cassius. I was jealous that he got to look at Cassius, while I was stuck looking at his monstrous face. “Aurora will begin riding lessons in the morning. I expect you to treat her with gentle care. Not a hair on her beautiful head will be harmed, understand?” His voice was threatening and my blood cooled several degrees.
A familiar lump formed in my throat.
“I promise, sire, she will be safe with me.” His words warmed me from the pit of my stomach. I turned my gaze to the food on my plate, feigning disinterest. “My lady, I will see you in the morning. Your majesty.” Cassius bowed and turned to leave the room. Tommit’s attention returned to me and only me. We finished our dinner. All the while, I tried to keep him talking, but he was more interested with fondling my arm and neck. Every time he would try to make dinner conversation out of either, I would stuff my face with the rich food.
I had made myself sick by the time dinner was over. I was lucky enough when Drayben showed up with something urgent to discuss with Tommit.
“My apologies, my dear, I will look forward to hearing all about your day tomorrow. I will see you at dinner tomorrow evening.” He leaned over and kissed my right cheek. Tommit lingered a little too long for my comfort, as his breath was heated and smelled of fish. How I despised him. I dreamed of a day when the Dragons had a bar-b-que, featuring my fiancé as the main course.
“Good night.”
I was led back toward my room by a guard with which I was unfamiliar. He was smaller than the others, and he walked with a slight limp. Normally, fear rushed through me whenever I roamed the halls with any of the castle guards. Today, this was different. I felt soothed and safe, walking through the now familiar corridors of my new home. We walked in silence for most of the walk back to my room. I was deep in my thoughts and had missed his slight detour. My mind was still playing over what had just transpired in the dining hall. Part of me was concerned.
How was I going to spend time with Cassius over and over and not let my resolve falter?
Just one look in his eyes had left me rethinking my decision not to fight against my engagement. The guard opened the door at the end of the hall. It took me a moment to understand that we were in a different hallway then I was expecting. He opened the door and held it open, inviting me in. I looked into his eyes. They were a warm chocolate brown and reminded me of my grandfather's. I took the step inside.
It was like stepping into Heaven.
The room was covered from floor to ceiling with books. Most of them were arranged in alphabetic order in bookcases. It was a beautiful sight. I had always been a reader. Even from the first time I was able to open up a book I was transported to a new world with each turn of the page. I turned to look at the guard. He smiled at me and opened his arms, encouraging me to explore the room. For a few moments, I forgot where I was.
I turned to the guard. “Thank you. Why?”
“Someone thought that you might need a little distraction.”
“Who?”
“A friend.”
“May I ask your name?”
“Of course, dear child. I am Tartan.”
“Tartan? I am so thankful for your kindness.” I stepped toward him, looking at his eyes. His smile was crooked and crinkly around the corners. His brown eyes sparkled like a Christmas elf that just got away with pulling off the biggest Christmas surprise. It made me giggle. “Tartan, I don’t understand. Who’s the friend? And why would you do this? I know...” I stopped myself short from saying how Drayben would be upset if he thought I was having any fun at all.
He chuckled deeply.
“Just because I am a castle guard doesn’t mean that I am not blind to the outside world, Miss. I am going to do what I can, when I can, to make your life a little easier here. Now, how do you think that,” his voice grew conspiring, “his majesty found out that you were unable to ride a horse? It wasn’t a little bird who told him.”
I wanted to cry. Tears burned my eyes. Without thinking, I reached out and hugged him.
“Thank you.”
He patted my back to comfort me. We stepped back and looked at each other.
“Now, you just need to promise to stay strong. It is not over. You may feel alone in your fight but trust me…there are many out there who are doing all they can to make sure you get your real happy ever after.” I couldn’t help it. The tears started flowing at the words of hope escaping his lips.
“There, there. Better hurry and look around. We need to get back before they realize we took a little detour. Now, hurry.” I nodded and quickly took in the books. I settled on two. If I needed to hide them, I could. They were small, and I didn’t want to get my new friend in trouble. He slipped them in the folds of his uniform and then led me back to my cell…I mean, my room. Evver was there waiting for me. She was pacing the large room. Sighing in relief, she rushed to me. Tartan and she looked at each other, looking one another over to see if they were friend or foe. I laughed.
“Evver, I want you to meet my new friend, Tartan.” Her eyebrows rose as she studied my face. Then her eyes started to shine.
“It’s always nice to meet a friend!” She reached her hand out, offering it to him. He gladly took it. Cupping both of her hands in his and patted them gently.
“Likewise, Miss Evver. Now I better be off. I will be nearby if you need anything. Please keep a strong heart. Aurora, you have friends who care a great deal about you. Remember, you are not alone in this.” He reached into the folds of his uniform and retrieved my books. Then he gently placed them in my hands.
“Thank you, Tartan.” He bowed toward both of us and then made his way out the door. Taking one last glance at us before shutting the door, he smiled.
Chapter 17
Drayben followed behind Tommit.
They were headed into Tommit’s cave. It was a room in the far corner of his suite. There were no windows in the room, and the walls had large rugs hung around the room to muffle the sounds that came out of it. They waited until they were clear from the others and then shut the door. Tommit had candles burning in lanterns constantly and they both sat down on two overstuffed chairs.
“Now, what is so important that you would interfere with my time with Aurora?” Tommit asked, leaning forward hands entwined.
“We found the second Para.”
Tommit’s eyes grew with glee. They were getting closer. It wouldn’t be long before they found the wishing well. Sitting back in his chair, he was pleased with all of the work Drayben had been putting in on their little joint venture. He was someone who was beneficial to keep around. Drayben was ready to do all of the dirty work for him. He didn’t need to get his own hands dirty and he was able to reap all of the rewards.
“Marvelous. Has there been any progress on the location of the well?”
“Cronan thinks they are getting closer. They have nearly covered the entire kingdom. Ironically, they only have the troll forest left to search.” Drayben leaned forward waiting for Tommit’s reaction to the news.
“Send whatever help they need. I want that well found! Take some of the prisoners, if you think it will go faster. It must be found before my wedding. Drayben, I want to seal my power and secure the throne before...I marry Aurora.”
“You would still marry her if we found the well?” Drayben asked, surprised.
“Surprising enough, I have grown fond of her. I find myself enjoying my time with her. Who knows, it might be nice to have someone to share my time with, off of the throne.” Tommit raised his eyebrows and he and Drayben chuckled darkly.
“Yes, she did clean up very rather nicely now, didn’t she.”
“I look forward to having all of this behind us so that I can have a little fun. I grow weary of those who would try to unseat me. Do they still not understand who I am? For a moment I would relish the idea of telling them just how their beloved Windom died—such a stupid, stupid man.” Tommit spat.
“You will never see me make the same mistakes as he did. To think, that he thought I was his friend.”
Tommit darkened. “As if I would ever befriend such a pitiful, pitiful fool! But I should thank him….if he had been more proactive, smarter, or even careful, than I would not be in my throne today, now, would I?”
“My king, you would never be so foolish. He didn’t deserve to be king. The kingdom is in much more capable hands with you on the throne. Windom squandered his time with the crown. He never saw the bigger picture, like you do. Soon, we will be strong enough to overtake Fara and destroy King Calas.” The thought brought a sneer to his face.
“I know. Then, with the combined forces of Paradan and Fara, vengeance will finally be mine. Rartan will never see it coming. Drayben, I can almost taste the sweetness of my impending victory. I’m not going to rest until I have Solin’s blood drenched in my hands.” Tommit’s body was trembling with pent up fury. “No one treats me like that and lives. I am still surprised they haven’t figured out who Windom’s successor is. I live to see the day when they realize the king who brought down their kingdom is none other than the man Solin stopped from marrying his daughter. Solin destroyed her, and now I am going to destroy him.”
*
I took Evver’s hand and led her to the empty window seat. Her emerald eyes searched mine for answers. I smiled at her, trying to reassure her.
“Who was that?” Her curious eyes probed mine.
“A friend…I think.” It was still hard to tell who was friend and who was foe.
“Please be careful, Aurora. There are many around us that pretend to be on our side, when in fact, it is far from the truth. But trust me…they are more snake then swallow.”
I had never heard it put that way. Something clicked inside my mind.
“Like Lote?” She looked surprised I had noticed. I laughed gently, offending her in the process. “I’m sorry, Evver, but when are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
“What do you mean?” she asked her eyes wide and innocent.
“Are you kidding me? Every time Lote comes ten feet near me, you act like she’s the devil.” She raised her eyebrows at me.
“The devil?”
Ugh! Sometimes coming from another world was so inconvenient.