33. Chapter Thirty-Three Xander #2
The walls of the castle pass in a blur, as do the people.
Despite the late hour, it’s still busy with life as drunk nobles stumble down the hall and servants and guards greet me with varying degrees of recognition in their gazes.
Again, I wonder why the prince of another realm had come here disguised, pretending to be a guard for damn near four years.
The thought pauses my steps, my heart skipping a beat as I repeat the number in my mind.
Four years? Wasn’t that how long Siyala had been in this kingdom?
Forcing myself to continue walking, I ponder the two pieces of information as I enter the undertaker’s corridor, an astringent scent immediately burning my nostrils.
Prince Nox risked his life to be here, but for what purpose?
Unless it was no coincidence he positioned himself to be in Princess Rhea’s path.
Did he somehow know that she possessed magic prior to arriving at the Mortal Kingdom?
Siyala claims she doesn’t remember how she went from nearly dying because of the effects of the Spell after crossing the border to being well, but what if it was because of Princess Rhea?
What if her magic somehow saved Siyala? I think of that strange magic surrounding Prince Nox, how it manipulated the shadows, and another question nags at me as I knock on the undertaker’s door.
With power like that, like what Prince Nox and, potentially, what Princess Rhea have, how might a need for revenge shape their actions?
Grayson suggests that we call a resistance meeting based on the new information about the princess.
I had told him of the events that transpired between the two kings through the Mirror and the death of Immie in the dungeon but decided to leave my thoughts on the possible connection between Prince Nox’s arrival here and that of Siyala’s to myself for now.
As I wait for more people to file in from the tunnel, my skin prickles with the feeling of being watched.
Glancing over the room, I do a sweep of the entire space before the reason for the feeling becomes obvious.
Alden’s dark eyes glare at me, his glowering form large where he leans against the stone wall, one foot kicked up behind him.
I haven’t spoken with him since our last encounter in the castle, but with so much uncertainty swirling around the king and with his own decision to involve Miles in more personal matters, I decided that, perhaps, it was better to keep Alden close.
When the door to the tunnel shuts and the room is filled to capacity, I look away from Alden and lean forward to plant my hands on the table.
“We finally have an update on the princess,” I begin.
Sharp inhales sound as a few shuffle on their feet, tension spreading thickly throughout the room.
“Last night, King Dolian made contact with King Sadryn of the Mage Kingdom and brought to light that the guard we knew as Flynn is actually Nox Daxel, Crown Prince of the Mage Kingdom.”
The shock is palpable, those gathered turning to each other in utter disbelief at the revelation that we have been infiltrated by another kingdom. I hold my hand up to request that they quiet, clearing my throat.
“I know this is a strange update. I, myself, have been stuck wondering why Prince Nox felt the need to come here at all. While he didn’t necessarily work near the king, he was close enough that he could have made a move against him if that was his true goal.
” And with magic like he has, it is even more curious why he did not act.
“And what of the princess?” Remi asks from where he is seated at the end of the table, strands of dark hair hanging over his brow.
“She is there with them. I saw her through the Mirror.”
More chatter erupts, panic coloring their voices as words like “invasion” and “usurp” are tossed around.
Guilt slithers over me, serpents that represent every fear I’ve harbored over the princess since she left.
“The Mortal Kingdom is not my home,” she had told King Dolian, and I was inclined to believe she truly felt that way.
As the volume of worried voices continues to increase around me, I sift through everything I thought to be true of the princess and every small detail that Siyala has given to me during our conversations.
In every story relayed by the shifter, none of them ever painted Princess Rhea in a bad light.
None of them ever showed something different than a woman bound by her confines, trying to do the best that she could.
Seeing her in the Mirror, watching as fear drained the color from her face when King Dolian spoke to her, I didn’t see a woman who wanted vengeance.
Nor did I see one who was angry. I saw someone scared and desperate to cling to the new life she had found.
No, I was no longer worried that Princess Rhea was the threat I once perceived her to be. If anything, I was more uneasy about the prince being at her side with his disturbing magic than I was about her returning to the Mortal Kingdom.
Those serpents coil around my neck, making it more difficult to breathe as I catch Grayson’s eye.
Somehow, the man knows what I’m thinking and raises his own hand to demand quiet.
It takes a few seconds for silence to trickle in, and even when it does, something frantic still sits heavily in the air.
“While Princess Rhea does appear to be in league with the mage royals, I do not believe her to be a threat to this kingdom. Or its throne.”
“How can you be sure?” someone shouts out.
“They could be plotting to rule over us all!” another voice comes.
I dig my nails into the wood of the table, trying to calm my nerves.
“What of the shifter?” All falls silent at the deep, booming voice that asks the question, heads swinging to look back at where Alden is still leaning against the wall. He looks not at the other resistance members but right at me, expression made of pure stone.
“What of her?” I ask carefully.
“What has she told you of the princess?” Eyes flit back to me, curious and imploring.
“What S— What the shifter has shared has been minimal,” I say, catching myself before I say Siyala’s name. I feel Grayson’s stare on the side of my face because of it. “And what she has shared doesn’t dispute my theories. Princess Rhea is not the threat we need to worry about.”
A few heads nod in agreement, and my stomach settles slightly. But, apparently, Alden isn’t done.