Chapter Four
Charlie had a role to play here in Ilamanthe, and so did I. As Ilamanthe’s princess, the Elves were looking for me to guide them. I planned to fulfill that role to the best of my ability.
An Elvish woman led me down the hallway. A servant offered to push my chair, but I refused, preferring to move myself. These people needed to see I could be a capable leader, not a precious little thing who expected everyone to wait on her.
“My name is Elrye. I am in charge of the monarchy’s daily operations, as I have been for the past three-hundred years,”
the woman at the head of the group told me. She was tall and beautiful, with long silver hair and a staunch expression. “If you need to organize an event, summon members of the royal court for meetings, or are simply confused on what your duties may be, call for me, and I will be able to point you in the right direction. I have served many Elvish royals, and assure you, I am the best at my job.”
I didn’t doubt it. This lady was over three centuries old. I bet she saw me as nothing more than a child.
“As you’ve been told, the first item of duty is to decide your personal court. A princess needs allies and friends, and your court will be loyal to you alone,”
Elrye said.
She pushed open a door to a beautiful parlor room, one with an open balcony and flowers blooming along the walls. Elvish servants puttered around the room, taking care of the flowers and arranging the space.
Kallie was there, along with Opal. They were both dressed in lovely gowns, and were having tea by an open window. Opal gave me a nervous wave as she chewed on a pastry, while Kallie lounged against the chemise couch, indulging in the lap of luxury.
“I have summoned a few of your friends to help you with this task,”
Elrye noted. “Choosing a court is no small task, and your lady-in-waiting is the most important position.”
“I thought Kallie would be my lady-in-waiting,”
I replied.
“The Grand Duchess is a princess in her own right, and will have other duties here in Ilamanthe working for the King of the Arcanea, serving as a fae diplomat on his behalf,”
Elrye said. “It wouldn’t be proper of her station to be your lady.”
“My brother needs me to do work here, as much as I’d like to always be at your side,”
Kallie said, and she slowly sat up. “But I can help you choose a valuable court. I have experience with this kind of thing.”
“It’s your decision on how large or how small you wish your court to be,”
Elrye noted.
“I think it’s best to keep it small,”
I said. More ladies meant more people to watch, and I had more important things to do than keep an eye on potential traitors who’d stab me in the back.
“Very well. At the minimum, you will need a handmaiden to help you with daily tasks. This includes bathing, dressing, and getting ready for the day, as well as someone who can bring you food, who helps keep your quarters clean and fetches anything you may ask for. There are servants to help you with these kinds of tasks, but your handmaiden will be your own personal maid, in your service only,”
Elrye said.
It felt a little uncomfortable to have someone waiting on me so heavily, but I supposed that it was required— not to mention having a helping hand would really be beneficial now that I was a wheelchair-user. Charlie had to help me out a lot at the Institute, but he’d be busy with other obligations now, so I was glad someone else would be stepping in.
“I would like my handmaiden to be someone I personally know,”
I said. I wasn’t comfortable with strangers touching my body, and if this person was going to help me bathe, I’d at least like to be able to hold a polite conversation when I was buck-ass nude. “I request Opal, if she’s okay with it.”
“I’d be happy to be your handmaiden,”
Opal said, in a voice so quiet I barely heard her. “I don’t have a job here to do in Ilamanthe, and I think it would keep me busy.”
A happy squeal erupted from the other room. A young girl with aquamarine hair in pigtails toddled in, running circles around Elrye before she tripped over her multiple skirts. She pushed herself up, and rushed to Opal with arms out wide.
“This must be your daughter,”
I said as I smiled at the child. She gave a wide grin back.
“Yes. Your parents brought her here,”
Opal said, and she lifted Marina onto her lap. “Unfortunately, the foster family who took her in died during an attack on Atlantis. The Elves worked together with the Toaqua to find her and bring her back to Ilamanthe. I’m very grateful.”
I understood. Opal cared about me, and she wanted to help. But being close to me meant she and Marina could be in danger, because I was the princess, and therefore always a target.
But that also meant I had plenty of guards around to protect them at all times. I needed to keep them close.
“Excellent. Elves love children. We find, after living for so long, that they bring a sort of youthful energy to the room,”
Elrye replied. “You will also need a personal guard, princess. We have many to choose from.”
She clapped her hands. From another door marched a variety of guards, who turned at-attention in unison. They were all brawny, tall, and armed to the teeth.
“Our guards are trained from the moment they are able to walk. All are skilled in both fighting and magic, and each one has taken a vow to lay their life down for any member of the monarchy should it be required. These Elves will fight to the death to defend you,”
Elrye stated.
I surveyed the faces of the guards carefully. Each of them looked the same, and there was nothing distinguishable about any of them. “Those who’ve seen battle, step forward,” I said.
About half of the guards lined up before me. I tapped my fingers on the armrest of my wheelchair and asked, “Have any of you killed an angel?”
Only one guard emerged. I gestured for her to speak, and she said, “I have, princess. Only one, and he nearly killed me. But I harnessed my magic to drain his life-force energy, and used that power to end him.”
The guard was over six feet tall, and had layers of muscle. I figured she could stop a train coming toward her head-on and throw it in the other direction. She looked like somebody who could keep her mouth shut if shit went south, and even better, she was a woman. I wanted an all-female team, and if she had killed an angel, she was strong enough to defend me against nearly anything. “Perfect. I want you.”
“A fine choice. Eldin is at the top of her battalion,”
Elrye replied.
The rest of the guards left the room, and Eldin went to stand guard beside my chair.
“Finally, you must decide on a lady-in-waiting. Your lady is different than your handmaiden, as she is required to be Elvish, and is more of a companion than a servant. She will keep you entertained, and accompany you to public engagements,”
Elrye stated. “She is also responsible for arranging your schedule, and fulfilling any demand you may have of her.”
Elrye clasped her hands together. “If you had been born an Elf, and married Charlie among us, your lady-in-waiting would’ve been bonded to you after the ceremony, much like the prince is bonded to Edwyrd. But since you are an Elementai, a change is in order, and you must choose your own. For all these reasons we simply must insist that the lady you choose is of Elven blood, someone who knows our customs and can teach you about our way of life. A princess usually has several ladies, but since you wish to keep your court small, we shall keep it to one.”
I didn’t want to be bonded to anyone but Charlie and Oberi. This position sounded like a big deal, and honestly, I didn’t trust any random ass stranger with the job, although I would have to pick one.
“Choose carefully,”
Kallie warned me. “My cousins were my ladies-in-waiting, and they were very valuable to me. You lady-in-waiting isn’t just a friend. She’s a tool, one you have to use effectively to retain control of the court.”
I looked to Elrye. “Who do you suggest?”
“In my opinion, I believe you should choose Abigail,”
Elrye said.
At the name, another person entered the room. The girl was around our age, and had beautiful brown curls with big hazel eyes. I was surprised to see she used a wheelchair, like me.
When she wheeled before me, she shakily stood, and gave me a short bow. “Princess, my name is Abigail. I am an Elvish lady here at the court, and am an ambulatory wheelchair user. I retain the ability to walk and stand, although I can’t do so for long periods of time.”
I noticed her ears weren’t pointed. “You’re only half-Elf,”
I stated. “What other supernatural heritage do you claim?”
“I am an angel. I am of the Taurus family— in fact, I am the sister of Esther Taurus, who I’m sure you’ve met,”
Abigail said dryly.
Revulsion churned my insides. I wanted to puke up my breakfast. “You’re a Taurus? Why is she even here?”
I demanded of Elrye. “She should be thrown out of the city! I want her out of here at once!”
I was pissed. The Elves had brought this girl in here because they’d thought we’d bond over being wheelchair users, but she was just another manipulator, and I didn’t want that in my court.
“I understand your reaction. It’s true that I am Esther’s sister, but there’s a long history between us,”
Abigail said. “In truth, I am half-angel, half-Elf. Esther and I share the same father, but not the same mother.”
“Why do I care?”
I spat. “Leave!”
“Please, allow me to explain,”
Abigail said, and she slowly sank into her seat. “I would like you to understand my position.”
I was about to tell her to go to hell, but Kallie caught my gaze, and something in it said to let Abigail speak… even though all I wanted to do was to cut her throat. “Fine. But nothing you tell me is going to change my mind.”
“Very well. May I come join you for tea?”
I didn’t want her anywhere near me, but I felt Oberi prodding me through the bond. This could be an opportunity, she said gently. Keep in mind you’re in a royal court now, and this is how the game is played. Information is invaluable here, and if Abigail is a Taurus, she might have some.
I couldn’t let my personal feelings get in the way of gaining intel, so I said, “Sure. Whatever. State your case.”
“Thank you.”
Abigail wheeled up beside me. She poured herself some tea, then took the cup and saucer in hand before she began to speak.
“Esther and I are around the same age. Our father had an affair with my mother before Esther was born. I am older, but only by a year,”
Abigail explained. “My mother was an Elf living among the angels in secret. After the Elven genocide during the Great Supernatural War, my mother went into hiding in Celestial City. Her entire family had been slaughtered, and she believed that she was the only Elf that was still left alive. To hide her identity, she cut off the tips of her ears, and made them round in order to fit in amongst the angels. She was beautiful, and immortal, so they believed she was one of them.”
I wasn’t buying this story just yet. “Go on.”
“She met my father after he was already married to Esther’s mother,”
Abigail said. “My mother didn’t know that he was married, so she thought she was the only woman in his life. He was attempting to live a double life. As I’ve heard it, he liked the power it gave him, to have two different families.”
The Taurus brothers loved toying with people’s lives, apparently.
“The secret came out after I was born. My father couldn’t hide the affair any longer, and he was found out,”
Abigail explained. “Once the affair was revealed, my uncle— Doctor Taurus, as you know him— discovered my mother was an Elf, and considered it proof that the Elves were still alive. He tortured her, looking for information on Forevermore. But my mother didn’t know anything, because she believed herself to be the last Elf alive. She died under his questioning.”
Although I didn’t want to, I felt a small stab of pity for Abigail. No one was exempt from the Warden’s cruelty. He’d harmed everyone I knew, whether they were a stranger or my closest friend.
“I was given to Esther’s family,”
Abigail went on. “I was never told of my true heritage, and I was raised by Esther’s mother. She treated me with kindness, but was distant and cold. I thought she didn’t like me because Esther was her favorite. I did my best to earn her love, but she never showed any affection toward me. My father wasn’t particularly warm, either. I don’t think he truly loved my mother, just loved the attention she gave him. He didn’t want a child to come out of the affair, but he was stuck with me.”
Abigail sipped at her tea. “Despite feeling like an outcast in my own family, Esther and I were very close. I loved my sister, and I knew she felt the same way about me. We did everything together. There was a time in my life I would’ve died for her, had she asked.”
Abigail’s tone became flat as she said, “Then… Esther came of age and got her powers. My uncle discovered she was a demigod. Doctor Taurus told us the truth about everything, thinking I might’ve inherited some sort of spectacular magic as well from my Elven heritage. But I didn’t show any signs of talent, so he lost interest pretty quickly. Esther, though…”
Abigail gave a sigh, one that was a combination of bitterness and hurt. “She couldn’t handle the fact that our father had cheated. She wanted that reality to go away, and I was a reminder that he’d been unfaithful to her mother. Any love she had for me was lost. She used her demigod abilities to conquer me in a fight, when I was just trying to get away from her, and she ripped out all my feathers.”
“That sounds awful,”
I said honestly. I couldn’t believe Esther had done something so gruesome to someone she supposedly loved. She was worse than I’d ever dreamed.
“Angels are weak without their feathers, and they can’t survive if both of their wings are taken. It’s their connection to the divine and the source of their magic,”
Abigail explained.
“So you can’t do magic anymore?” I asked.
Abigail shook her head slowly. “I have some Elven abilities. But they’re not very strong, and I’m unable to harness angel magic at all.”
Abigail stirred her tea with a slight frown. “Esther left me for dead. I probably would’ve died, had the Demigod Guardians not found me. They’d been looking to convince Esther to join them, but after spying on her and seeing it was a lost cause, they rescued me instead, and took me to Ilamanthe.”
“When did you come here?” I asked.
“Around the same time Esther arrived at the Institute. So… nearly five months ago?”
Abigail set down her teacup. “I’ve been studying to become an Elvish lady since my arrival. My mother had been a high-born Elf, and it would have been my station, had I been raised among the Elves in Forevermore. As I understand it, Elves are born into their roles, and study to become them their entire lives. I don’t fit in anywhere else in Elvish society, and I depend on the monarchy to care for my needs, so I’ve vowed to serve them. As your primary lady-in-waiting, I’ll be here to guide you in your new role as princess. I’ve been working very hard to learn the customs here. I can teach you everything you need to know about Elvish culture, and I can keep you company. I can even spy for you amongst the court, if you so wish.”
“It’s safe here in Ilamanthe. The Elves practically worship the monarchy,”
I rebutted.
“The Elves are a loyal people, but there are always one or two in any royal court who are only looking out for themselves,”
Abigail replied. “And it goes without saying that you have married into a mob family, princess. If you want to govern properly, and keep your head, you need allies who can slip in and out of places undetected.”
“How can I trust that you’ll be loyal to me only?”
I crossed my arms. I wasn’t so sure she wouldn’t sell me out.
“My station here, as well as my reputation and my long-term stability, relies on me being a valuable member of the royal court. I have to be useful to my princess; otherwise, I can’t stay, and I have nowhere else to go. I don’t have much magic, and without magic in this supernatural world, I’ll be at risk without the protection of the court,”
Abigail replied. “I can understand if you don’t want to trust me, and I know I have to earn your respect. But you can believe me when I say that I am loyal to the Elven monarchy, and to you. Esther and my uncle think that I’m dead, but if they knew I was alive, they’d certainly kill me. If I want to stay alive, I must be of use.”
I liked that she wasn’t trying to bullshit me with noble proclamations of loyalty she didn’t mean. She was intent on staying here in Ilamanthe, and I was a means to that end.
That was fine. Her goals aligned with my own, and people who were working for themselves were easier to control than people who served you because they loved you. I could predict what a selfish person could do; I couldn’t predict what one of my friends might do if I or someone else they cared for was in danger. Abigail needed me to favor her for her own benefit, which meant I could use her as my pawn. But I wasn’t convinced it was the right move.
“I need some time to think about this privately,” I said.
“We shall give you a moment,”
Elrye replied. She and Abigail, along with all the other Elves but my guard Eldin, left the room.
I leaned in toward Kallie and Opal. “Did you buy any of that crap? That sob story she was spewing was such bullshit.”
“I think she was telling the truth,”
Opal said, and Marina slid off her lap to go play with the flower petals scattered on the floor. “She seemed very serious.”
“She’s a very good actress.”
Whatever Abigail said, I didn’t trust that she had completely lost her affection for Esther. There was a dark shadow in her eyes when she said her sister’s name that told me she wasn’t ready to let go of her yet.
Kallie tapped her chin. “I think we need to hire her.”
“You trust her?”
I asked in disbelief.
“It’s not that,”
Kallie said. “But choosing Abigail is a clever move. She was close to our enemies. If we get to know her, we can pry her for information on Esther and the Warden. Then we can use that information against them.”
A wise decision, Oberi agreed. Keeping the enemy close, and learning about them in the meantime.
“She knows Esther’s weak spots, as well as the Warden’s. If she turns out to be untrustworthy, we can get rid of her,”
Kallie said with a shrug. “But I think this is too valuable of an opportunity to throw away.”
The way Kallie said get rid of her didn’t imply firing Abigail. I supposed that was good enough for me.
I summoned everyone back into the room. Abigail appeared… almost nervous. She was excellent at keeping a flat mask, but I was good at reading people, and she definitely wanted this position. Whether it was to keep her place here in Ilamanthe, or because she wanted to spy on me for the Warden, I guessed we’d find out.
“I suppose you can stay,”
I said. “But it’s going to be a while before I’ll know for sure if this situation is going to work out.”
“Understood,”
Abigail replied. “I will do everything I can to serve you well.”
An immense rage boiled inside my chest and flooded outward. I found myself consumed by a red-hot anger that caused my skin to burn. I thought my Fire magic was going to come erupting out of my form and reduce everyone in this room to ash.
I didn’t know where it had come from, but I thought my rage was directed at Abigail, and how absolutely insane it was she thought she could serve me when she had previously been connected to Esther and the Warden.
Then I realized the fury wasn’t coming from me. Holy hell, Charlie was mad, and I could feel it.
“Is there something wrong?”
Opal asked, and she wiped at her face with a napkin. “You’ve elevated the temperature around us by at least ten degrees.”
Sweat formed on the faces of others in the room. I subdued my Fire magic and gestured for the servants to open a window. “It’s my husband,”
I explained quickly. “He’s absolutely fuming. Something bad must’ve happened.”
I was really worried. Was Charlie safe? Who could even attempt to hurt him here in Ilamanthe, where he was a prince and had total control?
“I believe he was scheduled for lunch with his father,”
Abigail replied. “The servants were gossiping about it this morning.”
That would explain why I wanted to pick this table up and hurtle it across the room. I didn’t think the reunion with Charlie’s dad would go well, but something hurtful must’ve been said. I felt Charlie’s anger rise and fall, then explode. He briefly lost his bearings as magic was siphoned out of him.
Shit, he must be fuming. Someone— probably his grandfather, as I thought he would be the only Elf powerful enough to do so— had taken his magic for a moment to calm him down. I felt him come around, and magic flooded back into his body. I attempted to reach out, but he was so pissed I didn’t think he heard me.
We should give him some time, Oberi noted. This is not a problem we can fix. Charlie and his father must resolve it on their own.
Or I could just settle it with Cameron myself, I shot back.
Unlikely. Let it be.