Chapter 6 #2
I didn't bother trying to argue my way out. The king always got what he wanted. Instead I faked a smile, hoping it would mask my irritation. “Okay. Just let me put my boots on.”
Still trying to fully wake up, I stumbled across the carpet to where I left my boots, then tied them loosely around my ankles. On my way out the door I stopped to turn my lamp off, but before I could flick the switch, the light dimmed to nothing.
My eyes widened, then rolled to meet the woman in my doorway, who flashed me the topaz on her palm.
“Jesper?” I asked in confirmation of who gifted her, though her ability to manipulate light was a dead giveaway.
She nodded.
I had never really been exposed to magic, except for witnessing a few poor wielding attempts at Jewel-Light. “Woah,” was all I managed to say.
The soldier smirked. “My name is Jocelyn, I'm one of the king's head soldiers as I'm sure you've pieced together.” She chuckled softly.
I raised the corner of my lips ever so slightly in another attempt to show a smile, but I didn't have it in me to make it convincing.
Jocelyn sighed, and I could sense the sympathy in the air. “I know you don't want to be here, and I know that your whole life just got upturned.”
I shifted my head to the side, removing our eye contact.
“I just want to let you know that I understand how you feel. I know everyone seems so happy to be here, but some of us aren't.”
My eyebrow raised. “You didn't want this, either?” Her peppy attitude could have convinced me otherwise.
“Not exactly. But I adjusted, and so will you. It gets better,” she promised.
The vow eased me a bit, but I wasn't in the mood to have a heart to heart—especially not with the person who was about to deliver me to the man making my life a living hell.
I brushed by her, giving her the cold shoulder as I walked out the door.
Jocelyn talked our entire walk to the castle, barely even stopping to breathe. The conversation was one-sided. I didn't have a single word to contribute.
We slipped in through one of the side entrances, strolling down a long stretch of hallway and stopping in front of an oak door.
She spun to face me and placed her hands on my shoulders. “This is where I leave you. So nice to meet you! I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.” She grinned before turning back the way we came.
I released a chest full of air that had been caught in my lungs ever since she knocked on my door. She was friendly, but exhausting.
I stared at the door before me. Was I supposed to knock? Just go in? I could just turn and run.
“She's quite the chatterbox, isn't she?”
My body jumped into a turn at the unexpected voice.
The soldier from yesterday came down the hall from the opposite way I had. He met me at the door before leaning back against it, raising one knee so that his foot could rest against the wood. He seemed way too informal about the king's property to be one of his head soldiers.
“Yeah, she is,” I replied.
“She grows on you.”
His eyes latched onto me, and my cheeks flushed as I tried to keep my gaze from roaming down his body. The way his black shirt clung to his abdomen made the task difficult. Not to mention how his leather pants hugged his thighs—
He suddenly dropped his foot from the door, turning to push it open and holding it for me. “After you.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled, forcing myself to enter the study.
“How am I doing?” the soldier asked in a whisper, following behind me.
I paused in the doorway, tilting my head in confusion. “Huh?”
He smirked, his blue eyes lit up with amusement. “I'm trying to be more charismatic.”
My heart dropped into the pit of my stomach.
He heard me say that?
My face went blank, and air shot from his nostrils as he tried to fight his laugh.
“How—” I stammered, trying to gather my response. Before I could, I was interrupted by King Hawthorne who appeared in front of me, taking my hand. His grip was harsh, and he did not let go as he led me to a luxurious armchair positioned in front of his desk.
The soldier followed us into the room. He slammed the door behind him, granting himself an eye roll from the king.
“Sebastian, have you never been taught how to properly close a door?” the king sneered as he took his seat behind the desk.
The soldier—whose name was apparently Sebastian—shrugged his shoulders and half-heartedly tried to withhold his grin. His muscular figure relaxed against the back of the door, the size of him preventing anyone from coming in if they tried.
King Hawthorne sighed and shook his head before addressing me. “Are you in a better position to continue our conversation from yesterday, Miss Willawood?”
I considered apologizing for my rudeness in the throne room, but I wasn't sorry in the slightest. “Yes, Your Highness,” was all I said.
“Very well.” He scooted his chair closer to the desk and clasped his hands on top of the wood. His eyes scanned over a map that lay splayed on the surface. “As I'm sure you understand from our discussion yesterday, you are a rarity.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” I repeated.
“To reiterate, in case the information was lost during your fit of irrationality, you have been gifted three constellastones by the Goddess of the Mind, Blythe.”
I nodded in affirmation. No matter how many times I heard the words, it didn't lessen the blow of them.
“Do you understand the magnitude of your gift, or shall I repeat the information?”
“No need, Your Highness. I understand.” My eyes followed his finger to the Kingdom of Draemor on the map.
“The King of Draemor, Cyprian Beaumont, has been making claims of another war ever since we defeated them all those years ago. He promises that he will claim the territory they lost, along with taking over Caelestis.” He pointed to the land in discussion.
“Recently, King Beaumont has strengthened these threats. We do not know when he plans to strike—it could be days or it could be years.” He raised his eyes to me.
“As I told you, despite your powers being unknown, you are no doubt the most powerful soul in the kingdom.”
My heart began to beat rapidly and an unpleasant feeling filled my empty stomach. I knew where this was headed.
The king's gaze narrowed on me. He let out a deep sigh and leaned back in his chair.
“Maeve, you are a gift to our kingdom, and we must not let your name make its way to Draemor. You have something that no Draemornian could ever have, and I fear what they may do if they discover that you have the power of Blythe. I have not made the citizens of Caelestis aware of your gift, but when I do, it will be extremely clear that any traitors to the throne will be executed.”
I gulped. He said the word executed as if it was something he did more than occasionally.
The king watched my reaction, allowing me a moment to process, but not enough time to allow me to get a word in before he spoke once more.
“In regards to your safety, you will be watched over at all times by one of the finest soldiers in our kingdom. Once you complete your two years of academy training and are sworn in as a soldier, we can reevaluate your need for protection.”
Now that statement—out of all the bullshit information I had received so far—was the sentence that made my blood boil. I may have been new to this world of magic and battle, but I sure as hell didn't need someone protecting me at all hours of the day.
“Absolutely not!” I shouted, shooting out of my seat.
Here I go again, raising my voice at authoritative figures.
“It's bad enough that you're holding me here against my will, but now I need to be supervised at all times? No. I am not okay with that.”
Sebastian, who hadn't made a noise since we entered the room, kicked off of the door behind me and moved to stand by the desk. “Unfortunately, it is not up for discussion.” He glanced at the king while making air quotes with his fingers. “I already tried.”
Mouth agape and shamelessly stunned, I returned my attention to the king as he spoke again.
“Sebastian is correct, it is not up for discussion. We need to take every precaution available to us in the event that Draemor does hear word of your power. I cannot risk you being seized right out of our hands. We must take the proper measures to ensure your safety.”
“So you're saying that if he were to find out about me, he would do what? Kidnap me?” I scoffed, putting my hands on my hips. That was ridiculous.
King Hawthorne nodded. “That is exactly what I am saying.”
This man was insane. And I was livid.
“So what if he does?” I asked, regretting the words as soon as I heard the answer.
Sebastian shuffled uncomfortably and dropped his gaze to his boots.
The king cleared his throat, then lowered his voice.
“If that occurs, then what happens to you is completely out of my control. There is no saying what he may do to you. It is possible he may let you live freely in his kingdom, or he may go so far as to try and steal your magic.” His eyes thinned.
“That, my dear, is something you never wish to endure.”
I knew what he was talking about. I had heard the story. I just never realized it was true.
Delani had once told me a fable about a set of twins.
A sister and a brother. On their twenty-first birthday, the sister found that she was gifted by Emrys, but her brother was not.
Out of rage and jealousy, the brother cut his twin's ruby from her flesh and implanted it into his own with the aid of a healer and enchanter.
The act of cruelty left her weak and powerless, but her brother was able to wield her magic as his own.
It was the one loophole to not being gifted, but it was a horrifically gruesome act.
For obvious reasons, it was punishable by death.
The story had many more graphic details, and I squirmed trying not to think too hard about them. “Why would Beaumont want me, anyways?”