Chapter 58
There was little I could do from the tent. Norok had instructed I’d be guarded day and night. Talia tried to keep me company as best as she could. I could tell by her body language that she no longer trusted me. Or at least, didn’t want to be around me.
“You’ve grown up since I’ve been gone.”
I spoke gently as I sat on the edge of my bed, watching her closely as she placed a card down on her game of solitaire. Her beautiful copper hair seemed dull, her skin not as bright or with that glow always upon it.
She’d indeed grown up a lot it seemed in the past few months I’d been away. Or however long it was. Time didn’t seem to move very much while I was in the valley. It didn’t really cross my mind once Nicholas and I were married.
“You’ve been gone for a while.”
“Not so long that you grew up.”
“I had to. You left and most of your duties fell onto me,” she snarled, getting testy as anger hinted at the edge of her words.
She must have hated me, hated me for leaving, but if only she understood.
“When Norok was injured, I found that seer who could help him, and she did. But I feared he’d never wake. When Father made me next in line to the throne and then proclaimed I’d marry,” I paused, not wishing to speak his name, “Dorian. I wanted an out, to escape the marriage I never asked for.”
“Uncle Dorian would have only been your husband in name, he was there to protect you in case someone tried to take the throne from you.”
I laughed. Laughed at her innocence, at how much of the story she didn’t know. I still wasn’t sure if I should tell her the truth. Standing from the bed, I headed towards the slightly opened curtains and poked my head out.
The campsite was lined with soldiers with the Crystal Fae crest. All of them were either working, training their skills, chatting with each other, or helping others. No matter what was to happen next, I knew deep down most of these Fae would never see their families again.
“Tal, there is so much I wish to tell you, but I cannot.” I turned back to look at her, she’d stopped playing cards for a second to watch me then went back to her game. “How did Father die?”
“He was poisoned.”
My eyes narrowed at her words, confused. It would be very difficult to poison a king who had all his meals and drinks taste tested right in front of him before each and every meal. Taking the seat opposite her, I watched her closely.
“How was he poisoned?”
“Uncle Dorian said, someone put something in his bath tonic. I don’t know more than that, I just know, our father was burnt alive in the bath waters.”
Her tears spilled from her eyes without warning, but she didn’t wipe them away, making sure to show me her pain. She blamed me for Father’s death, and I couldn’t argue with her. Perhaps it was Nicholas? He wanted Father to answer for the death of his auntie Delphine. But then, if he wanted to hurt Father, he would have done so many years before he managed to get me. Poison from afar did not seem like Nicolas’s ideal revenge.
“Who found him?” I asked, sitting in the seat opposite her.
“Mother. She’d gone to say her goodnight prayers with him. When he did not answer the door, she found all the guards had left, she burst inside and found him in the bloody bath waters.”
None of this made sense. No one had the power to dismiss the guards around the royal chamber other than Mother and Father. Dorian had no authority to do such a thing, nor did Norok. It would have been Mother or Father who dismissed them, unless they were paid to leave.
Talia stared at me as she watched the wheels in my brain turn, her eyes darting towards me and then to the entrance of the tent. She knew something, or she suspected something. I knew my sister. She was the one who always had her ear to the ground. She heard every whisper, every gossip within that castle walls. She knew something.
“What is it, Talia? Do you know something?”
She shook her head quickly as she placed the entire deck of cards down on the table and stepped back from it. Her neck became flushed as she fumbled with the lace of her dress sleeve, something she always did when she was nervous.
As she backed away, towards the entrance, I stepped out from the table and quickly gripped her by the wrist. Pulling her close enough to my face as possible, so as to whisper and hope no one outside heard me.
“If you don’t believe it was an accident, nod for me.”
She swallowed a lump in her throat and lowered her eyes from my gaze for a second before she nodded slowly. She didn’t hate me. She just wasn’t sure if she could trust me fully. There was no telling what Dorian had told her.
“Talia, whatever you do, do not trust Dorian. And when you can, you run from this place. I will find you when I get out. If our father was murdered, it was not by Nicholas or any of the Obsidian Fae, you must believe me.”
She nodded again and placed her other hand over mine, tightly squeezing it. It wasn’t something I expected. At that moment all I wanted to do was hold my baby sister in my arms, protect her and keep her from harm.
“Why did you really leave, Ella?”
“I offered myself in exchange for Norok to be healed. I didn’t want to leave, but I didn’t want to marry Dorian either. Going with Nicholas—the Shadow King was my best option and honestly, I don’t regret the choices I made. Norok is alive.”
“But now we are at war.”
“Talia, I will do everything I can to keep you safe. That is a promise.”
Pulling her into a tight embrace then, I kissed her forehead and squeezed her even tighter. I wanted nothing more than to keep her close to me but, as a throat cleared behind us, I let her go to see Dorian standing there with a smug look upon his face.
His presence sent shivers down my spine and my blood set to boil. I hated him down to my very core. Now that I had all my memories intact, I knew the extent of what he did to me, not just fragments.
I knew what he did, where his hands had been, and my skin itched like crazy as I watched his eyes take in the view of me. My dress was still stained with my blood, and mud and sand coated the bottom of it. I wasn’t given the option for clean clothes, even when Talia asked Norok for them. In his fit of anger he’d told me I deserved to rot in this dirt.
“I can barely see you under all the muck.”
He stepped forward trying to close the gap between us and I took a step away. Talia stepped out of the way, lowering her head as she bowed and quickly escaped the tent. Leaving me alone with him, but this time, I knew how to fight, or at least had some idea even if my training was a complete failure.
“I will fetch Talia’s ladies to come and sort you out, then when you are presentable you will join me for dinner.”
“I’d rather starve than eat with you.”
I spat at him, and it hit the ground in front of him. I wasn’t sure if it was a growl that escaped his lips or if he shouted, but his hand was at my throat in seconds as he pressed himself against my body. My eyes never left his as I held my ground, despite the pain across my neck. Bruising must have showed up after Kathlyn’s attack.
“Now this attitude won’t do. If I have to beat you into submission I will do it.”
“And my husband will murder you where you stand,” I replied, a snarl hitting the edge of my words.
Nicholas would kill him for laying a hand on me and I’d happily let him, even helping him if I could. He tightened his grip, choking the air out of me. I tried not to strain, not to show him how much pain he was inflicting. He would not win.
“Uncle.”
Norok’s voice came as he stepped through the door. Dorian quickly let go of me, pushing me away from him.
“You are needed, the general wishes to speak with you.”
Dorian simply nodded, but before he turned away as I tried to catch my breath, he took a hold of my hand and placed a rough kiss on my knuckles. I pulled back quickly and rubbed my hand against my dirty dress in disgust.
He seemed to enjoy my reaction, waving a hand goodbye as he left the tent. Norok watched me closely as I turned away, trying not to let the tears burst from my eyes. My chest heaved as I so desperately wanted to be sick.“Are you alright Ornella?” Norok asked.
“As if you care, dear brother,” I managed to blurt out as I wrapped my arms around myself.
‘Don’t break. You will not let them break you.’
Holding tightly, I repeated the words again and again in my mind, ignoring Norok when he sighed and left my tent. It was only then when I was alone did I fall to my knees and allow myself to cry.
Crying all the pain and torment that surrounded my soul. Tomorrow, I will wake and become the Shadow Queen. I needed to get out of here and if that meant fighting my way out. So be it. I would do it.
Darkness had fallen by the time Talia and her ladies arrived to clean me up. I was grateful for the bath, even if it wasn’t extremely warm and even when the corset dress I’d been instructed to wear pinched on my hips, I was glad to be rid of that filthy dress.
I had not, however, missed corsets or layers upon layers of gowns. One thing I did enjoy about the valley was their fashion wear. It helped having a sister-in-law who could control the weather and happily enjoyed the sunshine.
Walking surrounded by guards along with Talia towards Dorian’s tent, my heartbeat rose with every step. I didn’t want to ever be alone with him. Sending a small prayer out once again to the Goddess, I begged her for help, to somehow send word to Nicholas that I hadn’t run away. I would do everything I could to get back to him.
“Ah, our honoured guest has finally arrived and appears to look like her old self.” Dorian’s voice made me want to throw up as he waved his glass about, ordering a servant boy to fill it up again.
‘Disgusting snake.’
I tried not to allow my face to show my emotions as he took another look at me, his wandering eyes trailing down my body. I longed for a knife or a dagger to shove right through his eye.
“My apologies for keeping you.”
It was all I could muster up to say as I was guided to sit next to Norok at the head of the table. He seemed on edge as he glanced at Talia once she took her seat opposite. Something in the way they looked at each other seemed as if they knew something I did not. Which was no surprise. A lot of secrets surrounded this table already.
Once the food trays were uncovered, everyone took what they wanted. I settled on some bread, cheese, and fresh meat. Although I couldn’t really stomach the food, I knew if I were to make my escape I’d have to have something.
“So, tell us dear niece, what is the Shadow King like? Is he as horrible and monstrous as they say?” Dorian’s arrogant face looked at me as he took another sip of his drink.
“No more monstrous than the people sitting at this table.”
Nora sat next to Dorian wearing some of the finest clothes and jewellery I’d ever seen her wear. Along with the general of Norok’s army and other such lords, all of which kept their watchful eyes on me.
Dorian bellowed out a disgusting laugh to which Talia seemed to flinch at. A thought ran through my mind, begging, hoping he hadn’t laid a finger on her too. If he did, I would castrate him here in front of everyone.
I watched him closely as he stopped laughing and whispered something in Nora’s ear. She laughed under her breath, brushing a hand down his forearm and my stomach turned.
They were lovers. But for how long?
I took my eyes off them as soon as Nora looked up directly at me. Quickly, I shifted in my chair to stare at Talia who just picked at her food, glancing back and forth towards Norok.
Something had changed.
She seemed fine in the tent while I was washed and dressed. Relaxed even. Now while we sat here as they tried to enjoy some normality, she seemed on edge.
“Now with Father gone, Norok, when will your coronation take place?”
I knew it would be a hard subject to discuss but I wanted to get everyone’s reactions around the room. I didn’t suspect Norok of murdering our father but Dorian…I knew in my bones he’d have done something like that. He’d always chased power. It’s why he came after me and offered himself up as my husband.
I tried not to be sick over that thought.
“It will be once we have won this war, and you are back home,” Dorian replied.
“I’m sorry, Dorian, are you the king? No? So please do not answer for him.” My voice was filled with venomous intent.
He narrowed his eyes at me and huffed a response when I noticed Norok gave him a look. One I’d seen our father wear when Mother was being ‘too much’.
“Our uncle is right though, once this battle is over and you are safely taken home I will have the coronation arranged,” Norok replied.
“My home is across that border.” I spoke over the lip of my glass of wine, eyeing them all.
I didn’t belong here anymore. I didn’t feel as if I belonged anywhere in fact. But I wouldn’t dare live in a world where my uncle could get me whenever I turned a corner. And although Nicholas had hurt me many, many times—I knew I was safe with him.
“Your home is with us, Ornella.” Talia spoke up in a gentle and low tone.
“Talia, I will always and forever be your sister. I understand it must have been awful to find out I’d gone, but my home is in the valley. With my husband.”
“ENOUGH!”
Norok slammed his palms against the wooden table in a fit of anger, before settling back down. Talia, appeared shaken by the sudden outburst, put her knife and fork down, not even wanting to move. None of the other lords, including Nora, seemed at all bothered.
“Now, now, my king, no need for such outbursts,” Dorian berated him, a cunning smile placed firmly across his lips.
“We won’t have to worry about any of this in a couple of days. The Shadow King will come, as we suspect, to claim back his so-called wife and we will have him right where we want him.”
I suspected they had no real idea of the power Nicholas possessed. Not even Nora knew the full extent of it. I hoped she didn’t know and had not already told them everything.
Judging by how close they appeared, there was no doubt in my mind she was the spy within Nicholas”s court. Perhaps even the spy who killed his parents and then blamed it on my family. But what did she have to gain from all of this? Dorian wouldn’t be able to give her titles or land. She would just become another one of his ladies, who he would tire of eventually, like he’d done to his previous lovers.
“Your sister has no idea of the hardship your mother has gone through since she took off with her ‘king’, leaving us all to care for you until you were well again,” Dorian said.
“Took off?” My mouth betrayed me as it spoke before my mind could catch up.
“Why, yes, you did take off the day of our wedding. Did he promise you sweet nothings to save you from me? Or perhaps you’d already arranged it all, you had of course, already met many times deep within the forest.”
My eyes widened as I realised Dorian knew more than I thought. Heart racing, my ears begun to ring, I felt the overwhelming urge to run. I wanted to get away and escape at that very moment, but I was frozen.
“Isn’t that why you would always run off during the day? To meet him? To conspire with him? You had someone hurt your brother, to get him out of the way. And when it was time, you ran off with your ‘king’. So, one day when you wanted to take the throne for yourself, and from your brother, you’d bring his armies back with you and murder your entire family?”
I was lost for words. Confusion and the look of horror plagued my face. Was this the lie he’d told Norok? Mother? Even Talia? That I’d planned this entire thing. Nicholas, yes, he’d planned to steal me away, to hurt my family, but the rest, I never dreamed of returning to take anyone’s throne, let alone my brother’s. And if that was Nicholas’s real plan all along, well I would have done everything in my power to stop him. No wonder my brother and sister had been so distant, even angry towards me.
“Oh? No sharp remark or witty reply, niece?”
Dorian laughed again, as did Nora. Looking away from them both, I wondered how much longer I would need to endure this. Barely touching the food on my plate, I longed to leave. Even if it meant heading back to that awful tent, I would rather be there than here.
“Dorian, that’s enough,” Norok commanded, “Ornella, tomorrow morning I will require you to go over a few things with myself and General Lewis.”
I nodded in agreement without argument. My energy was spent. I wished to be lying in bed next to Nicholas once again, just as I used to long to be with him every day when we grew up. That invisible line that seemed to connect us both was fading. Appearing to slip away from my grasp and no matter how much I tried to catch it, it inched further away each time.
“Finish your food everyone, we will then retire until morning.” Again, Norok ordered and seemingly everyone obeyed without objections.
I was glad once the meal was over and Talia, along with my guards, took me back to my tent. Although the walk was silent as a mist of light rain fell, she hugged me tightly, slipping a small piece of parchment into my hand before leaving.
All that was written on it was,
‘Norok and I have a plan. Trust me.’
I hoped it was a good plan.