Chapter 20
Aliya
“The castle’s on fire!” Zadé’s shout jolted Aliya from her contemplations as to how she was going to distract Elessan and pay him back for the amazing climax.
“Hold on,” Elessan said, leaning over her as he flicked the reins.
Their horse spurred into a canter, racing up the hill until they stood next to Zadé.
Aliya squinted. The general was correct—a column of smoke rose from where the castle perched, highlighted against the setting sun in the distance. It was almost too far away for her to make out.
“What happened?” she asked, even though there was no way the two elves would know. At least it wasn’t a Whisperer. Whisperers didn’t burn everything in their path.
Neither of her companions answered.
“Why are we just sitting here?” Nudging their horse’s ribs with her heels, she leaned forward. “Come on! We have to get back!”
Elessan pulled on the reins, keeping the horse in place despite her urging.
“That may not be the best idea, Princess.” Zadé’s solemn eyes met hers. “We need ta know out what we’re walking into ‘afore we bring yeh into th’ middle ‘o it.”
Elessan nodded. “You’re the human’s queen. Our first priority has to be your safety.”
Clenching her teeth, Aliya growled. “Then I’ll shapeshift into someone else! No one will know it’s me.”
Shaking his head, Elessan studied her. “Regardless of your appearance, you can still be killed. Especially if your enemies have infiltrated the castle and decide to blow it up.”
With gaping eyes, Aliya shook her head. That wasn’t what was happening. It couldn’t be.
He shook his head. “No, we don’t go rushing in with no plan. We’ll take it slow and figure out what’s going on before we make our entrance.”
Aliya opened her mouth to argue, but shut it as her brain processed what he’d said.
It could be Brooks, or any other host of enemies who chose now to move against her.
For all she knew, it was Tsara throwing some sort of royal fit that Elessan wasn’t going to marry her.
Because of course he wouldn’t, even if he hadn’t admitted as much out loud yet.
That didn’t seem like the princess Aliya knew, but she’d only made the woman’s acquaintance about a week ago, and Aliya never would’ve figured Tsara would attempt to claim an already taken man.
Elessan nudged their horse forward. “We’ll stay off the road and approach from the east. When we get close, I’ll go ahead and reconnoiter. Try to figure out what we’re up against so we can come up with a plan.”
Aliya sighed, still fighting the urge to rush to the castle’s rescue.
As much as she hated to admit he was right, and that he had a better understanding of the political ramifications than she did, there were so many innocent and defenseless people inside.
“What if we’re too slow, and more people die because we took our time? ”
“Jus’ b’cause it happened at Brisimin doesn’t mean it’ll happen here, Princess.” Zadé said as she brought her horse alongside theirs.
“But what if it does? The last thing I need is more deaths on my conscience.”
Elessan’s arm tightened around her. “And the last thing we need is your death on ours,” he said.
“You’d put my wellbeing ahead of everyone else’s?”
“‘S what it means ta be queen,” Zadé said. “And if our enemies have taken the castle, there is a very real chance they will demolish it, and they won’t care if’n yer inside.”
“Sorry, sweetheart,” Elessan added. “I understand the urge to rush in—my mother’s still in there. But you’re outvoted.”
She turned until she could meet both their eyes.
“This is not a democracy! I’m the monarch.
The nobles may not respect or obey me, but I expect the two of you to do so.
” She grabbed the reins from Elessan’s grip.
“And while I acknowledge you have a point about my safety and knowing what’s happening before we go charging in, we need to get home now.
” Nudging the horse with her heels, they took off into the forest.
Aliya watched the shadows creep across the castle walls from the alleyway where Elessan had stashed her and Zadé before slinking off to get a closer look. She brushed her hand against her forehead, catching a few strands of errant hair and pulling them away from her face.
They’d deposited the horses several blocks away. After cantering all day, they deserved every bit of care and rest money could provide, and Aliya was far too distracted to rub them down herself.
The acrid stench of smoke graced her nostrils. Whatever was burning appeared confined to the castle itself and hadn’t spread into the city.
“Your Majesty.”
Aliya jumped at the familiar voice behind her. “Jalius!” She whirled to find the gnome a mere few paces away. “What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same,” he said, sauntering up to stand between Aliya and Zadé. “Waiting for the mountain elf to come back and tell you what’s going on?”
Aliya furrowed her brow. Why question something when he already knew the answer? “Unless you can tell us?”
“Uh, huh.” He nodded. “I can.”
She turned to him when he didn’t elaborate, her patience stretched thin enough to snap. “And?”
The gnome scratched behind one ear. “Well, you see, Your Majesty, the woman who was pretending to be you got into a fight with the king of the sun elves, what was his name…”
Aliya froze, her chest turning to ice. Did everyone know Shadow was impersonating her?
“Roland Enorathil,” Zadé supplied when Aliya didn’t respond.
“Ah, yes. Roland. Well, she said something about not letting the… oh, how did she put it? If the wrinkly old bastard,” he supplemented the title with air quotes, “so much as dreamed about her niece’s bridal bed she would, and I quote, ‘sic the entire military might of the shapeshifters and the mages on his pompous ass.’”
Zadé burst into raucous laughter.
Aliya and Jalius turned their attention to her for several heartbeats as the general fought to get her reaction under control.
Aliya’s insides withered. Shadow did what? She couldn’t hold down the kingdom for three whole days without mortally insulting the sun elf royal? Sure, the man was pretentious, self-important and far too smug for Aliya’s liking, but…
Aliya shook her head, resisting the urge to bury her face in her hands. Whatever had Roland said or done to provoke such a retort from her aunt?
“Wish I could’a been there ta see that,” Zadé sputtered.
“It would’a been th’ best entertainment o’ the century!
” She slapped her thigh then turned to Jalius.
“Please tell me th’ king got all red-faced ‘n spit all o’er himself?
” She grabbed Jalius’ tunic, pulling him close as she waited for his response.
Jalius cleared his throat, brushing off her grip and stepping back. With a stern glance at Aliya, he focused on her. “Now, Your Majesty. I don’t know who that woman was, though by the similarity of her aura to yours, I assume she’s like you?”
Aliya swallowed the acidic taste in the back of her mouth.
Valek. If her being a shapeshifter became common knowledge, she’d lose her fragile hold on the throne, and likely her life.
This was the point where her father would advise her to have Jalius put to death, along with anyone he might have let the information slip to.
As if he could read her mind, Jalius raised his hands in a conciliatory gesture, with both palms facing her.
“Relax, Majesty. Your secret’s safe with me.
Your aunt may or may not have the authority to command the shapeshifters.
” Something dangerous sparked in his eyes.
“But she does not give orders to the mages.” And she should remember that.
The unspoken words hung heavy between them.
Feeling like someone had shoved her under water, Aliya nodded. She didn’t know where Shadow fit in the social hierarchy of shapeshifter society. Heck, she’d had no idea the shifters even had any sort of military presence.
Shadow had spied on King Malkov for years. People with high enough rank in the armed forces to issue commands typically oversaw espionage rather than committing it themselves. At least, as far as Aliya imagined. What did she know about court politics and intrigue?
The answer was nothing.
“Your Majesty?”
Aliya blinked, bringing her focus back to the present. Both Jalius and Zadé were staring at her, eyes narrowed in concern.
“I’m sorry.” She rubbed her temples, wishing she had some willow bark to cut down on the pain. “What did Roland do?” She waved at the smoke rising above the castle. “Is this his doing?”
Jalius nodded. “I believe he burned the peace contract along with most of the rations his army brought with them as a show of good faith. The elves are packing up to go home.”
Aliya’s eyes widened as her blood chilled. “He’s burning the food?” Her people would need those supplies come winter. She lunged forward. “We have to stop him!”
Zadé caught her by her upper arms, pulling her to a halt before she reached the street. “Not yet, Princess. No rushin’ in without a plan, ‘member?”
Aliya took a deep breath, exhaling it as forcefully as she could. “But, the food!” She gestured to the smoke. “If we don’t save it, my people will starve!”
“Yer nobles have plenty enough coin ta buy more ‘afore the cold sets in,” Zadé said.
Aliya scoffed. That may be true, but she had little leverage to convince them to part with their precious gold.
The way she saw it, she had only two cards to play: her status as a mage, and her hand in marriage.
And she had no idea how to use her magic to get what she wanted, beyond letting someone kill her and extract it for their own purposes.
Her heart chilled as her blood froze. With every new thing that happened, it seemed like selling herself in matrimony was the only option left.
“Wait ‘til Elsan gets back,” Zadé said. “He’ll know more, and we can come up with a plan. Roland’s a prick, sure, but he can be reasoned with. Especially if’n yeh can figure out a way ta give him what he’s after.”