Looking down at my own dress, I wished there were an array of colors on my skirt as well but knew Mother would call it foolishness. My dress was fine the way it was. A decoration would not hide the heavily worn and thinning fabric—only magic could.
The city was at the base of the mountains, the palace farther up the trail surrounded by woods and a mountain range. The farther from the lively city we traveled, the heavier my heart became. The path was dark and gloomy as we traveled up the mountain until I could behold the palace.
Palace was a misnomer, as it was more like a stronghold. Tall walls surrounded it, but beyond the walls were woods filled with mists, and I wondered what creatures lived within. I shivered, pulling my cloak closer to my chin as we waited at the gates for the guards to let us pass. They weren’t going to until Mother used her compulsion on them to open the gates and we entered. I turned in the carriage and watched the iron gates close behind me, wondering if it was to keep people out or in. Thankfully, once we were inside the courtyard, the morning sun began to rise and the mists dissipated, showing the beautiful landscaping and gardens.
Our arrival at the palace came with much grief. When we stepped out of the carriage, we were quickly swept inside and out of sight. Pity, for I had wanted to spend more time looking around. When it was made known that we were here to speak with King Gerald, we were first laughed at, but then my mother held up a letter sealed in wax with the king’s signet and the laughing stopped.
We were ushered into the sitting room off the library and made to wait for close to a full mark. Feeling restless, I made my way around the room, trailing my fingers across the pianoforte and then looking out of the high windows into the garden beyond. Through adjoining double doors, I wandered into the library, my heart racing at the beautiful leather-bound books. Knowing it may well be another mark or two before the king came, I settled into a chair with a book to read, but traveling through the night had exhausted me and I fell asleep.
An angry voice awoke me from my slumber, and the book slid from my lap onto the carpeted floor. Picking up the volume, I placed it on a side table and tiptoed close to the double doors, peeking through their slight opening and listening to the conversation coming from the sitting room.
“How dare you show your face here, Lorelai?” I assumed it to be King Gerald. The king had copper hair that fared toward red into his beard. His cheeks were flushed with anger, and he only had a little paunch in his stomach. He was still attractive, for his age. “After what you did to us?”
“You needed my help—begged for it, you might recall—and I gave it to you.”
“What do you want, witch?”
“Witch? Do you so easily forget that, once upon a time, you begged for my hand in marriage?” She laughed heartily. King Gerald’s jaw twitched. “I’ve heard the rumors about Florin and have come to help you.”
“I will not accept help from you. Your price is too steep, and I cannot afford to pay it again.”
“Fine, then I am here to collect on our first deal. Imagine my surprise when I received news of Prince Alexander’s upcoming nuptials. That is not what was promised to me, King Gerald. You promised me your firstborn, and I find you go behind my back and arrange a marriage.”
“It’s been years and nothing. You never came. I thought you had changed your mind, forgotten our deal or didn’t care anymore.”
“I never forget a promise. I just had no use for him yet. But now I do.”
“N-No, not Xander,” King Gerald cried out, and I heard the agony in his voice.
I gasped, covering my mouth and pressing my ear closer to the door. Never had I suspected my mother to be so conniving that she dealt in children. What deal had they made? What curse were they referring to?
“Yes, Alexander. You will stop this wedding this moment, and you will honor our deal.” I leaned forward just enough to see her hold out a scroll and unroll it. “Or does a deal in blood not mean the same thing as it used to?”
King Gerald sighed and sat down in a plush chair. “What would you have me do? I have no other male heirs to the throne, and Ameline is too young to ascend. If you take my son, you leave our kingdom in a predicament that could very well lead to war. You know we’re not on good terms with Florin. If they see we’re vulnerable, we will be attacked. Which is why the alliance with the Nueva family is essential for our country. We gain their armies.”
“Silly fool,” she snapped. “Why do you think I’m here? I have not come to demand your son’s life. I’m here to bring him his wife.”
“W-What?” the king stuttered, and I gripped the wall to keep from falling over.
“You will keep your son, he will ascend as king when you pass, and he will not marry this Yasmin girl but my daughter. She will be all you need to protect your precious kingdom.”
“I would never agree to this. I would rather he die than marry someone raised by you. You’re the epitome of evil.” King Gerald slammed his hand on the table, his face flushed a deep red, before grasping the chair for stability.
“If that is your wish, so be it.” Her voice was somber. “But be careful who you call evil.”
“I could have you cut down right here,” he threatened. “My guards will kill you, dispose of your body to be eaten by dogs, and no one will ever know.”
“Yes, you could, but that would not put an end to your problems.” She held up three fingers and smiled callously at the red-faced king. “I’ll give you three days to say goodbye, and then he will be gone.” She snapped, then made a poof motion with her hands.
“No, no, wait.” King Gerald’s face crumpled. “You win. He will marry your daughter.”
“Excellent.” Mother smiled, and I shivered. I’d learned early on that her smile did not necessarily mean good things.
“When shall we arrange the wedding? Next spring?” he asked, pulling over a spare piece of parchment and inkwell, preparing to write down the new date.
Mother walked over to a table set with a vase of dark red roses. “Why waste a perfectly good celebration? After all, the guests are already here.” She turned and raised a dark eyebrow. “Why not tonight?”
The king sat down roughly on the cushioned chair, the legs scratching against the floor. I heard his low groan, followed by my mother’s twinkling laughter and I cringed.
Less than six marks later, I was married.
I sighed and wandered the library’s shelves, looking for a romance book I could sneak back to my room, when I heard the door open in the front room. Thinking it to be Gaven, I peeked out to find Xander had entered, King Gerald on his heels.
“What are we to do?” King Gerald hissed angrily at him and closed the door to the hall, cutting off my escape.
“I did not murder that man, Father,” Xander growled out.
“Then who did? What other explanation do we have?”
“There’s something out there, hunting beyond the wards, taunting me to find it. I can smell its stench.”
“It’s because of the daughter, isn’t it? She probably did this, and now Florin is here. What do we do?” King Gerald groaned.
“Keep them occupied,” Xander said. “Distract them from finding out the truth.”