Chapter 41
Aliya
Far too many hours later, Aliya stumbled into the Council Chamber, grateful she was the first to arrive.
She was more than a little sore and wasn’t certain she was walking normally.
She didn’t care what her guards or Elessan thought, but the last thing she needed was Roland finding out and thus causing her to lose the final bit of respect she’d earned in his eyes.
According to Zadé, the camp was packed up and almost ready to go. All that remained was her blood oath to Roland never to reveal his secret.
The doors slammed open as Aliya settled into her chair at the head of the table.
Elessan and Zadé sat next to her as Roland marched in with a full retinue of guards.
Aliya tensed, the muscles between her shoulder blades bunching as the nobles from her council—the same ones who had betrayed her and partnered with Brooks—followed.
Shoving to her feet, she pinned Roland with a glare. “What is the meaning of this?”
The sun elf king threw her a crooked grin and stepped aside, revealing her father, Walter Larimar, with a cruel smile pasted on his pallid face.
The baron unfurled a piece of parchment Aliya hadn’t noticed. “I have here a legal decree, signed and witnessed by myself and the remaining members of my daughter’s council.”
“A decree for what?” Elessan asked, his voice dropping dangerously low.
Her father studied the room, his eyes narrowing at the threat.
“Between her refusal to choose an appropriate husband to carry on her line, as is the duty of every royal, and allowing our enemy to capture her castle without putting up a fight, she has demonstrated a dangerous inability to fulfill her duties to the realm.”
Aliya’s stomach plunged to the ground. No, he couldn’t do this.
Not now, when she had freed Brooks’ hostages and managed to convince the sun elves to leave.
Though, judging from the smug expression on Roland’s face, apparently her father had offered the elf something he wanted even more than the secrecy of his lineage.
The baron’s eyes sparkled. “The council has decreed they have no confidence in the queen. She is legally incompetent to hold the throne, and I have been selected to assume the title of Regent, which I will retain until such time as a new monarch can be ratified.”
Roland turned, the twitch of his lips hinting at the sneer he was trying to rein in. “Shall we tell them what you proposed, human?”
Sending a smirk in Elessan’s direction, Aliya’s father sidled over to the sun elf king. “You indicated your interest in claiming my daughter’s hand. Is that still the case?”
One corner of Roland’s mouth pulled up. “Of course.”
Aliya’s gut twisted at the betrayal as she glanced at her left palm—scar free since Roland had released her from her earlier marriage contract. She, who’d had no say in her future for so long, deserved to have input in whom she would marry. It was her life, after all. “No. I refuse!”
Baron Larimar held up his decree. “It’s done. His Majesty, King Enorathil will need a regent to manage this territory for him when he returns home, with you as his new wife. I already hold the title. All I asked was that I be allowed to keep it, to rule in his stead.”
Aliya clenched her hands so tight her knuckles popped. The treacherous, backstabbing, yellow-bellied polecat! “You would trade my freedom and steal my crown?”
At this point, she shouldn’t be surprised. Taking a deep breath and holding it for a count of four before exhaling, she met Elessan’s gaze. Surely, they could come up with a way to outmaneuver the elven king and her father. Zadé would be up for the challenge.
Roland held out his hand in human fashion. Eyes gleaming, Aliya’s father shook it with a little too much enthusiasm.
“Guards!” Regent Larimar said. “Escort my daughter to her rooms, where she will remain subject to house arrest. Throw the mountain elf and the general into the dungeon.”
“What? No!” Aliya stood so quickly her chair fell behind her.
Elessan was by her side, his sword between her and the soldiers. “Stay back!”
Aliya fisted her hands in her skirts as her eyes flicked to Roland, her father and the others. This couldn’t be happening, not now, when they were starting to get things under control.
The sentries stepped forward as she did a quick count. Twelve against three. Snatching her dagger off the table, she brandished it at the closest elf. He raised his eyebrow and glanced from her tiny blade to his full-sized longsword.
Right. Bringing a knife to a swordfight would accomplish nothing but her death.
Elessan nudged her back.
Aliya peeked over her shoulder. There was a servant’s exit in the far wall, but she wasn’t sure where it led. Exploring and learning the layout of the castle hadn’t been her highest priority this last week.
“Go, Princess!” Zadé was balanced on the balls of her feet, her clenched fists held up in a classic boxing pose. “We’ll cover yeh!”
“No!” She couldn’t leave them here to be captured.
“I’ll be right behind you!” Elessan tossed a quick glance at her. “I promise.”
Something in his eyes had her believing him. With one final glimpse at the room, Aliya spun on her heels and fled for the door.
Aliya had no idea where she was going as she sprinted down the narrow tunnel.
When she reached a stairway, she bounded down.
If they were running, they’d need food, and what better location to secure rations than the kitchens?
She could use a cloak and a pair of trousers, too, but her rooms would be the first place her father would search for her, no doubt.
Traveling in full-blown court regalia would be tedious, but it couldn’t be avoided. At least, for now.
Footsteps echoed down the hall behind her.
Ducking around a corner, Aliya pressed herself against the wall, her dagger held tight to her chest.
She lunged as her pursuer sprinted past.
A warm hand caught her wrist inches before she would’ve plunged the blade through his sternum.
“El!” Her knees went weak. She’d almost stabbed him!
Interlacing his fingers with hers, he tugged her forward. “What are you waiting for? Come on!” He raised an eyebrow at her. “And what did I tell you about aiming for the strongest part of people’s armor?”
Chewing on the inside of her cheek, Aliya’s face flushed. “Aim for the throat, instead.”
He grunted his affirmation.
“Do ya know where we’re goin’, Princess?” Zadé sprinted past them, a broad grin pasted across her face.
“No,” Aliya said as she let Elessan pull her further down the tunnel. “I figured a quick stop off at the kitchen for supplies, but after that, I don’t know.”
“We’re abandoning the castle, then?” Zadé’s eyes widened.
Aliya flicked her attention between the two elves. “Unless you have a better idea? If we barricaded ourselves in a room like Brooks, it would only be a matter of time before they got us out, either through starvation or brute force.”
“But if we abandon the palace,” Elessan said, “that’ll make it harder to kick Roland out and reclaim your throne.”
“But it’ll keep you two out of jail.”
Zadé snorted. “I’d like to see ‘em try ta toss us in the brig.”
Aliya bit her lips as they burst into the kitchen. “Twelve to one aren’t great odds.” Running to the pantry, she grabbed a cheesecloth and spread it on the counter.
Elessan tossed a few fresh-baked loaves and some dried jerky on the material before bundling it up. “This’ll do.” He eyed her. “You can’t run in that. We need to get you something more practical.”
Aliya shook her head. “All my clothes are up in my suite. Which will be the first place they search.”
Zadé pointed to the dumbwaiter. “That goes up ta yer room, right?”
Aliya furrowed her brow. “Yes, I suppose so.”
“Great!” The other woman shoved her toward the contraption. “Get in! We’ll send yeh up ‘n lead the guards on a merry chase while yeh change.” Zadé flashed her a conspiratorial wink. “They’ll never realize yeh aren’t with us.”
Aliya glanced at Elessan, who was watching the hallway they’d entered from. “El?”
His eyes flicked to hers. “Whatever we do, we need to do it quick. I can hear them coming.”
“Meetcha in the stables!” Zadé practically forced Aliya into the dumbwaiter before throwing the lever that would set it into motion.
Aliya jerked her feet inside the box, along with the acres of fabric that comprised her skirts, as the contraption shot skyward.
When the cabinet opened a few minutes later, Aliya peeked into her study.
All was quiet. Zadé had been right, after all.
Tumbling from the restrictive contraption, she landed on the floor with an undignified oof.
She was already untying the laces on her bodice as she fled into her room. Dropping the heavy overskirt and corset, she ran to the wardrobe and pulled out a pair of leggings and a long tunic.
Pulling on a set of well-worn boots and grabbing a cloak, she spun on her heel and sprinted back out.
As she passed her desk, a piece of paper fluttered to the ground. Jerking to a stop, she bent and picked it up, recognizing Thane Hedul’s angular hand.
Breaking the wax seal, she opened the letter.
Your Majesty,
I have come to learn the Whisperers were not eliminated as agreed, but rather handed off to a human. This is in direct violation of our treaty, as we will not allow this technology to fall into another race’s possession.
We will muster our army and march on Lions Grove. You have one week to produce the weapons and when we arrive, we expect to supervise their destruction.
If the Whisperers are not all present and accounted for, and ready to be destroyed, the dwarf clans will consider this breach to be an act of war.