Chapter 19 Alaric
CHAPTER NINETEEN
ALARIC
“After all these years, you’ve found out the truth, haven’t you?” The prince folded his arms. Looked me in the eyes.
“Most of it.” I held out my hand. “I owe you an apology, Elias.” I was shocked that it was so easy to get an audience with Elias. Even more shocked at how easy it was to apologize. He raised an eyebrow.
“For what?”
“Blaming you for ambushing us.”
Elias shook my hand. “Apology accepted.”
“But we have a problem,” I said. “And we need to act. Quickly.”
“Are you going after Sereth?” Elias asked.
My crew stood behind me, ready to help. When we arrived at the palace, Elias didn’t keep us waiting, as if he was afraid this was the news I’d share. And now, his eyebrows furrowed when I nodded.
“Her ship is anchored in a bay off the east coast,” Elias said.
“It seems like she’s trying to hide and slip by unnoticed.
” He walked to the window, where the morning light began to pour in.
I knew we were running out of time, and I hoped that Elias might be able to employ horses and ships so we could get to Snow White’s ship in a matter of hours.
“I haven’t seen her since I left,” he admitted. “Just the thought of her makes me sick.”
I drummed my fingers against my side. We had to go… now. Jonah, beside me, also fidgeted nervously. We’d been disarmed before meeting with the prince, but he didn’t seem concerned at all.
“She’s good at that,” he said after a moment.
“At what?” I asked.
“Spreading lies and rumors, manipulating situations and making them seem like they’re real.
” He faced us. “I didn’t leave her. I tried to work things out.
She cast me out and it was in that moment that I knew nothing I tried would help her or appease her.
Her mind was set, and she had her way of ruling–a cruel, unmerciful way.
I wanted to help the people of Moanalei.
I wanted to do more… but she had everyone wrapped around her finger.
It was easy for her to frame it in a way that I walked out on her.
” He sighed. “I don’t care about that though.
What I care about is that our people are safe.
That her people are safe. They’ve been under her rule for too long. It’s time her sister stepped up.”
“Malia?”
“Yes. She’s the rightful heir.”
“She was arrested for the poisoned apple,” I said. “Is there a way you can save her?”
Elias pursed his lips. “I think I might be able to… or at least help.”
“How?”
“Sereth loathed her stepmother. When things got rocky, she ran to her hidden stepsister–Malia.”
He faced the window. “And Malia did make the apple. She made it for her mother though, so that she would sleep for an extended period of time. Long enough that others might think them dead, but short enough that the person who bit it would still survive. The whole plan was for Sereth’s stepmother to eat it while Sereth ran away, far from the reaches of her stepmother.
Malia even promised to help her run away. ”
That was the Malia I knew!
“But the kids,” I said.
Jonah jumped in. “We left them in the woods but she cared for them as her own. I’m forever indebted to her.”
“Then why are they so loyal to Sereth?” I asked.
“Because she lied to them.” Elias shook his head. “When they saw Malia making the apple, they really believed she was an evil witch who was going to poison and eat them. After Sereth got the apple, she told them to kill the witch. She told them to come to her when they were free.”
My insides were sick. How could Sereth do this to them? To Malia?
Elias rubbed his arms. “I’m sure you’ve seen Malia’s scars. They threw her in the furnace but she survived and fled to my kingdom. She remained hidden until I fled here too, not more than a year after my marriage to Sereth.”
Marriage to Sereth… that thought made me even more sick. I couldn’t imagine what Elias had endured.
His relationship had probably been the worst thing he had ever gone through.
And he looked like he still hadn’t healed from it. I felt sorry for him.
As if realizing our dire and timely situation, Elias motioned to his guard. “Prepare my horses and my ship. We’re going to the hidden bay.”
“Yes, your highness.” The guard excused himself.
Elias motioned to his other guards. “Return their weapons.” I gaped.
“You… trust us?”
“I can see it in your eyes,” the prince said.
“See what?”
“The love you have for these people in Sereth’s grasp.” He nodded, his expression solemn and honest as ever. “Let’s go save them.”
Sereth’s ship was still anchored in the bay, much to my relief. When I wondered aloud why she was still there, Jonah spoke. “She’s probably waiting for me to report.”
Elias looked from Jonah to me. “She’ll be in for a surprise,” he said. I nodded, but no smile formed on my lips. My eyes were riveted on the ship, searching for her, Malia.
We had our plans all ready, and, though I’d only just made amends with Jonah and Elias, I knew I could trust them. I had no choice but to, because if I didn’t, we could lose Malia and the twins.
If they’re not already dead.
No.
I couldn’t think like that. I knew she had to be there. I could even sense it…
I’m coming Malia.
I crept down the side of Elias’s ship, hiding near the hull, the sea water spraying me as the ship cruised portside to Sereth’s ship. Now I could see her, barely.
The wicked queen stood waiting for Elias, her eyes dark and menacing, her expression smug.
Sereth had always been beautiful, and it was quite embarrassing that I once had mercy on her for her beauty.
It wasn’t only that though. I had made an oath to her mother, the queen, that I would kill her, but when I took her to the woods, I knew I couldn’t do that.
She was too young, too innocent… or so I thought.
And I didn’t want her blood on my hands.
Now I do.
Someone was brought next to her and my heart pounded in my chest, only intensifying the feeling.
“Malia…” It was half a whisper, half a prayer. She was pale, wounded, terrified, but proud. Her sleeve was ripped, with dry blood smothered all over it. Perhaps she had given the twins a fight.
That’s my girl.
And then I noticed her entire upper body tangled in chains.
Sereth intended to drown Malia, sinking her into the depths of the sea. It was what they did to witches, and it made my blood boil.
Prince Elias stood at the prow, flanked by armed guards. He called out across the water, his voice steady. “Sereth, you are hereby charged with treason, attempted assassination, and unlawful imprisonment of the rightful queen.”
Sereth laughed, bitter and dismissive. “You don’t have a spine for justice, Elias. You never did.” How could she demean him so publicly?
Two figures stood to the side of Sereth and at first their expressions were hard, steely. “You lied to them,” Elias said. “You lied to all of us, and this is the end, Sereth.”
Lilo and Niko’s faces changed from that of anger and numbness to… confusion. Jonah must have appeared next to Elias, but I didn’t get a chance to see the rest because I slipped into the water and swam towards Sereth’s ship.
When I pulled up onto the bow, I could hear Lilo’s voice, cracked with anger and bitterness. “She told us the witch was going to poison us. She didn’t say it was for her.”
“They’re lying to you, darlings,” Sereth said, her voice cool. “Don’t be ridiculous. Your father abandoned you.”
“And I’m back to make things right!” Jonah’s voice called out. “I’ve looked everywhere for you, and when I finally found you, she wouldn’t let me see you.” He was crying.
“I’m so, so sorry I left you.”
I was getting closer to the deck, knowing that any wrong move could reveal where I was, and that it might put Malia in danger.
Now I could see the twins looking back and forth from their father to Sereth. Niko’s fists clenched as he said, “We hunted witches, but we were hunting the wrong one.”
And that’s when Sereth’s face fell, her pale skin seeming to turn even whiter. Lilo nodded to her brother and they turned on Sereth.
Her guards quickly stepped in to defend her, and then it was chaos. The teens were skilled fighters, but they were outnumbered. I jumped into the fray, going straight for Malia when Sereth saw me and screamed. “Get him!”
This only confirmed the truth: she wanted me dead. Elias ordered his men to board Sereth’s ship, but my crew–experienced seamen–had already swung over. With the amount of people on the deck, and the guards trying to stop me, it was chaos.
Swords clashed.
Men roared.
And Sereth screamed orders.
Then I saw what I hoped would not happen.
Desperation.
Sereth dragged Malia to the helm and held her at knifepoint. “Stop!” she exclaimed.
Everyone froze, all eyes turning to the queen’s dagger at her stepsister’s throat.
“Don’t hurt her!” I cried, rushing to the helm but Sereth only pressed the knife into Malia and she let out a cry. A trickle of blood fell down her burn-scarred neck, and I stopped. All time stood still.
“She’s no queen,” Sereth said. “She’s a coward. A blind little thing who hid when her people needed her most.”
I met Malia’s eyes, and even though her eyes never seemed to lock with mine, I knew she was looking at me. A tear fell down her cheek, and, shockingly, I felt my own eyes burning.
I can’t lose her.
We were all at the mercy of Sereth, the woman who brought woes on all of us.