Chapter 21
Elara
We were gathered in the throne room, a fire brimming with warmth in the hearth. I hid a yawn behind my palm, hoping that I would soon be able to take a nap, especially after the lunch we’d just had. It was an effort to pay attention to the conversation around me.
Across the room, Cai was in conversation with Thatcher. We hadn’t told anyone about the engagement yet. Cai needed to make an announcement to his council while being certain all the correct protocol was followed before the news became public.
Upon meeting my eyes, Cai pressed his lips into a line to keep from smiling. He almost succeeded, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.
He looked happier than he had in days. He looked almost relieved. I should be relieved. I’d got exactly what I came for... and yet.
“You know, I’ve never been to Everness before, but I have thought about travelling there.” Gwen pulled me back to the conversation. I’d seen plenty of her around the palace, but apart from our card game the other day, there had been little opportunity for us to spend time in each other’s company.
“The beaches aren’t nearly as beautiful as here in Norrandale,” I admitted. “It’s mostly just rocks and cliffs. But the forest certainly has some quality attributes.”
“Why would anyone want to be in a forest?” one of Gwen’s friends cut in, before she remembered she was addressing a queen. “Especially when one can bide in a palace like this, Your Majesty.”
“Rumour has it that Everness’s forests are filled with magic.” A few eyes widened and I held back a smirk. “But those are just rumours. The towns, however, are lovely to visit during the festive seasons.”
“Perhaps I’ll be able to make the trip one day,” Gwen said, and her tone reminded me of how small her world must have been. She’d grown up in and around court, never left her kingdom and likely didn’t often frolic in magical forests. The last one was probably for the best. I certainly didn’t spend my adolescence scavenging in the forest for food for the mere pleasure of it.
The doors to the throne room burst open, making me jump. A group of men stormed inside, armed and clearly not invited. Someone let out a scream.
Their armour differed from anything I’d seen before. They were certainly not from Norrandale or Everness. Argon perhaps? My eyes flew to Cai as he reached for the nearest sword, from one of the courtiers. Behind me, a voice shouted to protect the King, as the men attacked whoever was nearest to the door. How had they managed to get inside the palace?
I looked towards the fire poker next to the hearth. It wasn’t much of a weapon, but it could do enough damage if used correctly. I grabbed it — it was better than nothing.
Gwen and her friends huddled together while the palace guards tried to move everyone to safety.
“Follow me, Your Majesty.” One of Jack’s guards ushered me towards the back corridor that led out of the throne room.
Everything was happening too fast. More screams came from the room behind us. I felt the heat rising in my neck. I was angered at my slow response thus far. My mind raced, trying to focus on what was happening. Who were they? Why were they here? Then I realised I was going the wrong way. Where was Cai? I needed to go back to find Cai. I couldn’t lose him. Not again.
More anger followed. Anger that I’d been so quick to run away. I’d run into the middle of a rebel uprising to save him. Had I become so frightened of my own shadow that I would now abandon him in his own palace?
“We need to go back. What about the King?” I stopped dead, causing the poor guard to almost bump into me. My voice was filled with panic.
“The King will be safe,” he assured me, in the middle of the dark hallway. I looked to his face, and I was sure I could see fear. With a roar, one of the attackers stormed down the corridor. He brought his right hand up, his sword’s sharp edge gleaming wickedly.
“Watch out!” I stepped back, giving him the space he needed to defend himself, but the guard was too slow, and I watched in horror as he was run through.
Without breaking stride, the attacker retracted his bloody sword, shouldering the helpless guard aside. The guard plunged to the stone floor, and in a second the soldier was past him. Our eyes met. Was he Argonian? He had to be. I’d never seen anyone who hailed from there before, but something in my gut warned me he was Argonian through and through.
He reached for my arms, and I tripped back over the hem of my long dress. We fell, him on top of me, and I gasped as the air was knocked out of my lungs.
“Elara!” I heard my name being called in the far distance. It was Cai’s voice. He was looking for me. I wanted to scream. Nothing came out.
Overcome with fear that screamed at me to survive, I grasped around desperately, reaching for anything I could use. My fingers found the dead palace guard’s helmet. The Argonian shifted, trying to get to his knees. His weight was still in his arms when the guard’s helmet found the side of his head and he crumpled onto his side, dazed. It gave me the time I needed to scramble out from under him.
There was a clang beneath me as I accidentally stepped on the poker. The Argonian was recovering fast. I threw the now useless helmet at him and missed. His eyes gleamed with hatred. In a moment, he was on his heels. I grabbed for the poker and began swinging the sharp end towards him.
He lunged, his face filled with rage. The poker completed its swing and the sharp metal point sank deep into his stomach. His sword dropped to the floor. He grabbed at the poker wildly, trying to pull it out. I looked at his bloodstained hands as they encircled the poker. I couldn’t stop the fear inside me. Couldn’t stop myself as I pushed that poker deeper and deeper. The life slowly drained out of him. I pushed deeper still, until the metal point reappeared on the other side of his torso. He dropped to his knees. My heart was beating in my throat while I held back a cry. Blood blossomed, staining everything a deep red.
I didn’t want to stand there any longer, didn’t want to wait and see what would happen.
“Elara!” My name was called again, and the panic in Cai’s voice pushed me to run towards the sound. I didn’t turn around. Didn’t look back as a large red pool flowed across the floor. I practically ran into Cai at the end of the corridor.
My eyes immediately scanned for signs of fatal wounds. He pulled me in to him. “You’re okay.”
Cai attempted to reassure me, and I wondered how he could be so calm and collected when I was beyond frantic.
“What happened? Is everyone safe?”
“Everything is under control.” He sighed. “For now.”
* * *
I woke up to my body covered in cold sweat, the sheets stuck to my skin. I practically fell out of bed as I scrambled to get free, to feel like I could breathe again.
The only image stuck in my mind was that of the Argonian soldier and the poker as I drove it through him again... and again... and again. The red stain blooming, growing, flowing.
I shuddered.
Wiping the hair away from my face, I stumbled over to the nearest window and shoved it open. The night air felt cold against my skin.
The vivid pictures stuck in my mind, made me feel sick.
I had to force myself to think of something else.
Anything else.
And so, without trying, in my mind’s eye, I saw Cai. He told me that the war between Norrandale and Argon still haunted his dreams at times. I could only imagine how much more difficult that must have made everything. After what happened in the throne room, it was confirmed that the armed men were from Argon. No one knew how they’d managed to find their way into the palace, but all of them were killed or arrested. What were King Aries’ intentions in sending a group of his soldiers into Mistwood Palace? If he’d hoped to assassinate Cai, wouldn’t he have done something more subtle? I’d heard that Alastor had sustained some injuries during the fight, but Anesta reassured me it was nothing too serious. The entire rest of the day, the atmosphere was tense and dreary. Every person in the palace appeared to be walking on eggshells.
I didn’t want to wake Cai. But I also knew better than to think I was going to fall asleep again.
There were two guards stationed outside my door. Usually, they would be further down the hall, but after what had happened today, it would seem that security in the palace had increased.
“Everything all right, Your Majesty?” one of them asked.
I tightened my robe over my nightshift. “Yes, thank you. All is well.”
I proceeded to tiptoe down the hallway until I realised, after a few steps, that they were following me. Of course, they were only obeying orders, but I wouldn’t have them see me sneaking into Cai’s room in the middle of the night. No one needed to be gossiping about that sort of thing. And I was not naive enough to believe the servants and guards didn’t gossip. Kings and queens hardly truly had secrets.
I gave them a determined look over my shoulder, which they seemed to understand. Sneaking silently through the hallways, I was thankful that Cai’s chambers were close to my rooms. The last thing I needed was to run into more people. Even if it was the middle of the night, someone always seemed to be awake at court.
I nodded shyly at Cai’s guards, who thankfully recognised me, though pretended they didn’t see anything as I rounded the last corner.
I was surprised to see Cai’s door slightly open, allowing the light from inside the room to stream out.
As I got closer, I realised there were voices coming from inside the room. One of them was distinctly Cai’s.
“Too many people have already been hurt. Today was too close.”
“Luckily most of the court members are uninjured, although I heard a few guards didn’t make it.” The other voice was Thatcher’s.
“It seems like King Aries doesn’t know where to draw the line. If he’s willing to do all this, then who knows what else he’s up to? And as long as his attempts keep failing, how long before he marches on Norrandale?”
“It’s growing more unsafe at court by the day. How did they even get in?”
“I don’t know. We have to consider the possibility that there’s a traitor in the palace who knew security had decreased in number because of the group Jack sent to look for the assassin who poisoned me.”
I heard something being poured, which I assumed was wine.
“Whatever the council decides, that decision will have to be made soon,” Cai said, after a moment of silence.
“What about Elara?” Thatcher asked, and my ears pricked up at the sound of my name. I leaned as close to the door as possible without making my presence known.
“Everness has agreed to an alliance, but they might feel less obliged to accept a royal wedding if it immediately thrusts them into a full war with Argon.”
“I’m sure Elara will stand by you.”
I tried not to smile at Thatcher’s faith in me.
“Elara is a new queen who has yet to establish a strong rule. Everness needs a royal alliance as much as Norrandale, but they could refuse to send their men into war with us.”
“She is still queen, and she still has the final say.” Thatcher tried to reassure him, but I understood where Cai’s hesitancy came from. It was one thing to make the alliance with the possibility of aiding in war. But the chances were increasing, and I doubted just as much as Cai that the people of Everness would be eager to give up a few thousand men after everything the kingdom had recently been through.
“It’s so bizarre to me, though. You get back from your journey in Everness, where you were supposed to meet your future bride, and instead the kingdom had rebelled, and you were on the rebels’ side. Not only that, but one of the rebels then became the new queen,” Thatcher said, almost in disbelief.
“You make it sound to be what it’s not.”
“Which is?”
“I didn’t side with the rebels because I wanted to end the Evernean monarchy for Norrandale’s sake,” Cai replied.
“Right, you sided with them because you liked the girl.”
Heat rose in my face.
“And need I remind you that you cannot breathe a word of this to anyone?”
Had Cai really told Thatcher everything about my past?
“I know, I know. I won’t tell a soul. But how lucky for you that one of the first things she does as queen is ask for your hand in marriage.”
“But as we have already established, it’s more complicated than that.”
“Cai, if you don’t marry the damn girl, then I will.”
“Thatcher, come on, be realistic for once in your life. Even if I marry Elara, which I plan to do, it won’t change the fact that she grew up a commoner.”
It took a moment for me to register what I’d heard.
A commoner. He’d called me a commoner.
Thatcher said something but I didn’t want to listen any further. Was that really what Cai thought of me? Was all the hesitancy about the engagement just excuses he made up? Cai had said that my past didn’t matter. That he didn’t care about my family or that I was once the masked bandit. Was I naive to believe him?
Maybe he was right. I had no proper education or upbringing. I didn’t really know what I was doing as Queen. But if Cai truly believed I wasn’t good enough for him, then why did he ask me to marry him?
I hurried back to my rooms and found my guards, waiting in angst and appearing relieved at my quick return. I couldn’t think. I was overwhelmed by a wave of emotions I did not want to acknowledge.
“Wake Lady Anesta,” I instructed one of them. “Tell her to come to my chambers immediately.” He nodded before running off without further question.
“This just arrived for you, Your Majesty.” The other guard handed me a letter. A message in the middle of the night usually wasn’t a good sign.
I closed the doors to my room silently, instead of slamming them like I wanted to, and took a deep breath. With slightly trembling hands, I opened the letter. It was from Lance. The council and aristocracy had grown restless in my absence and inability to secure an alliance. They were considering alternative options, which only meant they would begin looking for ways to get rid of me.
It was the last thing I wanted but perhaps the very thing I needed to hear. I had to remain focused now. So, as calmly as possible, I began to dress myself in riding attire.
I was halfway through tying my braid when Anesta burst into the room. “What happened? What’s wrong?” She seemed half surprised that no one was lying dead on the floor, as if she expected the worst.
“Start packing my things and tell Rhen to ready the horses.”