Princess of Fire and Smoke (Forbidden Court Book 1) Page 8

  His jaw clenches and he glances at me out of the corner of his eye, “I understand. You didn’t know if you could trust me.”

  A warmth spreads over me and I can feel myself drawn towards him.

  I gingerly slide one arm around his waist. “I didn’t know if I could trust you then, but I know I can trust you now.”

  “You trust me?”

  “Of course, I do. I never would have brought you with me to Aith if I hadn’t.”

  As soon as I say the words I sense the truth in them.

  He smiles at me and I feel the butterflies fluttering in my stomach. He leans down and I close my eyes, waiting for his lips to meet mine.

  “It can’t be!” Charis cries.

  My eyes fly open and I draw my dagger expecting to see Maximus’ soldiers storming the room. Instead, I found Charis with tears streaming down her face as she stands there facing Aileen. She walks closer, studying her.

  “Hello, Charis,” Aileen says quietly, standing still under the princess’ scrutiny.

  “Aileen?” She gasps reaching out a hand to gently touch her arm, reassuring herself she was indeed seeing her. “How is this possible?” She turns furiously towards me. “You told me she died!”

  “Don't look at me. I just found out she was alive a few days ago.” I holster my dagger.

  We make ourselves comfortable in the sitting area as Aileen and I take turns telling our story. Emerson sits quietly beside me, listening intently. Once we’d explained everything, food is delivered for us. There are delicious crab cakes, salmon patties, and fried fish.

  I take a sip of the tea Charis hands me and a deliciously soothing blend of vanilla, chamomile, and honey greets my taste buds.

  “Charis, thank you for everything,” I say after we’ve finished eating. “But unfortunately, we can’t stay long. Maximus’ guards are coming for me. We barely outran them in Arklow.”

  “We could fight them, Adeline,” Charis' voice rings with a fierceness that has her ranked in the top five competitors for the trial. “You’re the Reigning Princess Elect. You deserve to have people know your side of the story.”

  “Thank you, Charis. But I won’t start a war.”

  “You didn’t start one, Maximus did!” Aileen pounds the table for emphasis.

  “Yes, he did a horrible thing. I will never forgive him, and we will make him pay for it. But we can’t do that by enacting a civil war. It would tear Chadonia apart and who knows who would side with me?” I look at each of my friends, watching the doubtful looks they cast me. “The only chance we have to fix this is if I compete in the trails.”

  “That’s insane!”

  “Addy, you can’t.”

  “Are you sure they would even let you compete after everything that happened? Wouldn’t your Uncle say no?”

  I turn to Emerson to answer his question first. “It’s not up to Maximus to decide. It’s up to the Elected. Each one of us gets a vote. If they all vote in my favor, I can still compete.”

  “This could work.” Charis looks at me thoughtfully. “You’ve got my vote, and I can get you Lachlan’s vote too.”

  She blushes as I raised an eyebrow at her.

  “Aith and Tyndrom have been working on a new trade agreement. Lachlan and I have become… friends. He’ll vote for you, I swear it.”

  “Okay, but that’s only three votes out of eight.” Aileen stands up and starts pacing. “What about the others, Adeline? Would they vote for you?

  I have been thinking about that the entire journey.

  Would they all vote for me?

  “Murra, Elphine, and Ballina are going to be the hardest ones to talk into it.”

  “Why?” Emerson looks worried at my certainty over those territories. “Do they not like you?”

  Laughter erupts across from me, and I don’t have to look to know it's Charis’.

  “Well, Murra belongs to Uncle Maximus and my cousin Nereus, so that’s most likely a hell no. Ballina belongs to Aria. She and I have had some… Quarrels over the years." I have to talk louder to be heard over Charis’ snort of laughter. “And Elphine belongs to Dante. He and I had a falling out a year ago, it's not going to be easy to talk him into helping me.”

  “Quarrels and a ‘falling out’? That’s how you would describe them?” My friend keeps talking as I glare at her. “Aria is a stuck-up witch who is jealous because Adeline and Dante were engaged to be married. Adeline then called it off and Dante was furious. It was a huge scandal; I’m surprised neither of you heard about it.”

  A dark look passes through Emerson's eyes and he opens his mouth slightly, then snaps it closed.

  “You were engaged?” Aileen stops pacing and stares at me with her mouth hanging open. “What happened?”

  “Another time, sister. We need to focus on the task at hand.”

  With the time ticking away until the General finds me, it isn’t time to dive into that story. I tell myself.

  It has absolutely nothing to do with the handsome man who is watching me intently.

  “Sure, alright. What do you think of Orion? How will he vote?” I watch Charis’ brows crinkle together as she asks the question.

  “I don’t know, it could go either way with him. I’ve always tried to be kind to him, but he’s young. I’m not sure whom he’ll believe.”

  At only fourteen years old, Orion is the youngest elect. His territory, Talmine, is on Chadonia’s eastern border. He is a sweet, shy boy, and I can’t be sure where his loyalties lie.

  “That only leaves Perth. Will Prince Elect Xander vote for you?” Emerson asks me.

  “Well, I’m not sure of that one either. Xander and I were friends when we were younger. But Perth and Centralia have been rivals for centuries. They think Perth should have the monarchy since it’s the oldest territory.”

  “That has five territories possibly voting against you, Adeline. I don’t like it.” Charis says as she stretches her feet out on the couch.

  “I don’t have much of a choice, Char. You know I have to compete.”

  “Xander will vote for you,” Aileen says quietly from her seat.

  “How do you know?”

  She raises her chin up a notch as she answers my question. “I’ve been living in Kilrea with a small clan of healers… They work closely with the people of Perth. Xander has been running his territory on the same principles his elders have: Courage, honesty, and sacrifice. He’ll vote for you because it’s the right thing to do. He’ll show you mercy, just like a true King would.”

  “Alright, that’s good enough for me. All I need to do is talk every territory into voting yes for me, and I can compete. I’ll travel North to Talmine and speak to Orion. From there, I’ll make my way to Perth, stopping by the other territories along the way.”

  Charis looks at me skeptically while Aileen is nodding her head along with me.

  “Alright, I can tell from that stubborn look on your face that you’ve made up your mind. I’ll get my best captain to ready a ship and you’ll leave at dawn.” Charis reluctantly stands up and walks towards the door.

  “You’re giving me a ship? Charis, that could put you in a lot of trouble with Maximus. He could declare war on Aith."

  “Maximus can go to hell. Besides, I have ships sailing all over the island, no one will ever know you’re aboard one.” She smiles as she walks to the door.

  "Char? One last thing." I walk up to her whisper a question in her ear.

  She beams at me and gives me an exaggerated wink. "Oh, I think I can handle that, Your Highness." Smirking, she leaves the room.

  “I missed you guys.” Aileen laughs as she lays down on the now vacant sofa. “If we’re not leaving until dawn, I’m going to rest awhile.”

  “Good idea." I nod absentmindedly.

  “Adeline, are you sure traveling back through the kingdom is the best plan? If that general catches you, your uncle will have you executed.” Emerson reminds me quietly as he gently squeezes my hand. “I know you need to compete
in the trials, but surely there’s a better way to accomplish it.”

  “This is the only way, Emerson. I can’t complete without the other Elect’s permission. This is my birthright and the last vow I made to my mother. I have to honor it.”

  He gently reaches up and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “When I couldn’t find you on the cliff, I thought those men had captured you. I’ve never been that scared in my entire life.”

  The way he looks at me like I'm the only other person in all of Chadonia, makes my heart flutter.

  His warm brown gaze captures mine. As much as I try to fight it, I can feel myself falling for him. He smiles as he leans down and gently presses his lips on mine. It is a short, sweet kiss.

  “Get some rest, Adeline. We’ll be moving again soon.” He moves to the far side of the oversized sofa, so we both have room to lay down.

  I don’t remember falling asleep, but I wake up with my parent’s death fresh in my mind.

  I know I'm not going back to sleep anytime soon, so I take to exploring Charis’ chambers. Aileen is still asleep, and Emerson had wandered off at some point. He’s probably talking to Charis.

  The sun is just starting to rise, casting gold and magenta light into the sky. The scene below is breathtakingly beautiful. The castle had been created to incorporate the water. Its walls extend past the rocks and dirt they were built on and into the water, creating a marina for the royal ships to dock at. It is certainly the perfect castle for the fierce Water Magic Princess Elect that rules here.

  A desk in the corner of the room catches my attention and I smirk as an idea comes to mind. I borrow some paper and write a quick note for the General, thanking him for letting me borrow his horse. I make sure he knows Storm has received the best treatment while he was under my care and that his generosity has helped the Royal Family very much.

  I snort with laughter as I imagine the stoic general reading my letter. I know I probably shouldn’t give it to him, but I can’t help myself. If he is going to chase me across my kingdom, I'm going to have some fun with it.

  I'm signing my rather foolish letter when I hear footsteps running down the hallway. As they approached the door, Aileen jumps up from her spot on the couch with a growl rumbling in her throat. I sprint over to stand next to her as I pull my dagger out. We are both ready to attack as the door burst open and an out of breath Charis skids to a stop.

  “The General is here.”

  Capter Twelve

  My body jumps into escape mode… I feel my magic rising up and searing out of me, looking and searching for him. The man that is trying to lead me to my death.

  “We’re holding them off at the gate for as long as we can. You need to get on that ship, Addy. Now!”

  “Emerson isn’t here. We can’t leave him.” I gasp, fighting to get my magic under control.

  “We’ll find him.” Charis issues orders to two guards who are standing behind her. “Find her Royal Highness’ Male companion and get him to the ship, immediately!” The guards scatter in one direction as Charis leads us in a different direction.

  We sprint down the halls, skidding into the walls as we turn to race to down the next hall. Finally, we arrive at the harbor and Charis leads us to one of her ships. It's smaller than a lot of the others and far less spectacular, but it's just what we need. It will get us in and out of the harbors with minimal notice.

  Charis stops on the dock and hugs Aileen and me. “I’m so sorry I can’t do more, Addy.” Silver rims her eyes as she looks at me.

  “Get me Lachlan’s vote. That’s all I need you to do.” I follow Aileen up the gangplank. Pausing, I turn around to hand her the letter I still have in my hand. “Oh, and will you give this to the General for me?”

  Her jaw drops as she reaches for the letter. “You’re kidding right?”

  “Not at all. I only wish I was here to watch him read it.” I wink at her and turn to run up the gangplank.

  Emerson arrives shortly after us, escorted by the guards. “I was checking on the horses. What’s going on?”

  “The delightful General found us… Again.” Aileen informs him.

  We stop on the bow of the ship as we watch Charis. She's standing on the dock with water swirling around her. Slowly a wave builds up behind our ship, when it crests, it pushes us far out of the harbor.

  “That’s impressive.” Emerson murmurs under his breath.

  “What did you expect? Charis is one of the best water wielders around.” I smile at my friend as she fades into the distance. I know she will buy us as much time with the General as she can.

  I watch the castle as my companions explore the ship. As it fades away, my magic locks onto the dark magic I felt in the tavern.

  I feel his magic reach out to meet mine. Goodbye General.

  I will find you, Princess.

  My heart nearly stops as I feel his reply. I clamp down on my magic, forcing it back inside me, ending our very brief, very unnerving conversation.

  How is this possible? Could I have inherited my mother’s power?

  I push the ridiculous thought away.

  Whatever it is, I need to focus on getting to Talmine now and convincing Orion to vote for me.

  ∞∞∞

  We arrive in Talmine by dusk, thanks to Charis’ captain, who happens to be an amazing wind wielder.

  The capital city of Talmine, Farso, is a coastal city too. But unlike its neighbors in Aith, Farso is painted in grays and tans.

  Orion’s castle, standing on the edge of a cliff, is a sight to see.

  Since there isn’t a place to anchor our ship at the base of the cliff, we climb into a dinghy to travel the small distance.

  Emerson insists on rowing us in, so Aileen and I settle down in the little boat across from him.

  I find myself glancing up at the cliff top and catch a brief glimpse of the castle as it towers ominously above us. This is the one territory I’ve visited the least, and never from the cliffside. I am not looking forward to the climb up there.

  My attention shifts to Emerson sitting across from me. He expertly rows the dingy through the crashing waves bringing us closer to the cliffside.

  I watch in fascination as his shoulder muscles bunch with every row. He’s rolled up his shirt sleeves and his muscles glisten as the seawater splashes us. His eyes meet mine and twinkle knowingly.

  “Are you sure you don’t need any help?” I ask innocently, trying to hide my smile.

  “I’ll handle it just fine if you’ll stop staring at me like that.” His lips curve up at one end.

  “Should I throw both of you into the water?” Aileen asks with a roll of her eyes from beside me.

  I can feel my cheeks burning as we arrived at the small dock. There is an ancient-looking path of stairs that winds up to the castle.

  I groan inwardly as we begin our climb. There must be more than a thousand stairs here.

  When we eventually make it to the top, there is a platoon of soldiers waiting for us. The dark orange insignia on the grey cloaks the soldiers are wearing mark them as Talmine’s guards.

  I step forward and raise my hands in the air. “I am here to speak to Prince Elect Orion.”

  The Talmine Guards shift to the side and a hole forms in their defensive line.

  An older soldier steps forward and bows. “The Prince Elect is waiting for you, your Royal Highness.”

  The soldiers around me bow also, but they keep their hands on their swords. They are ready to attack if they feel that I am a threat.

  I nod my thanks to the soldier as he ushers us inside the castle. He doesn’t give us much time to take in the castle as he marches us down the hall and straight into the royal dining room.

  Orion sits at the head of the table and royal guards are stationed against the walls on either side of the room. Several of them hold bows that I know they would use on me if given the order.

  Orion rises from his chair and walks towards us.

  “Your Royal Highness.” His
brown hair falls into his face as he bows deeply.

  He smiles shyly up at me and I barely resist the urge to reach out and tousle his hair. He is so sweet, and everyone instantly adores him.

  “Orion, I hope we're not interrupting.” I nod towards the buffet of food he has on the table.

  “Of course not,” His cheeks redden. “I saw you were coming, and I had the chef bring in some dinner. Are you hungry?” He asks hopefully.

  “I’m famished. Thank you, Orion.” He pulls a seat out for me at his right side, while Aileen sits across from me and Emerson sits beside me.

  “Please, help yourself.”

  I smile at the effort Orion put forward. He is the perfect host and a total sweetheart.

  I pile a delicious smelling beef dish on top of a bed of rice and add some green vegetables next to it. It smells heavenly and it takes all my effort not to shove it into my mouth all at one time.

  I take a delicate bite of the beef sauce and flavors explode on my tongue. There is only one person who could make such a simple dish taste so amazing.

  “Chef Esmeralda’s still cooking here, isn’t she?” I ask him, savoring my bite of food.

  His smile widens at my question. “Yes, and I asked her to make your favorite dish.”

  His happiness fades as he glances uncertainly at my companions. “She said she’s sorry to hear about what happened. If you need anything, she’ll help with whatever she can.”

  I set my fork on my plate. “And what about you, Orion? How do you feel about what happened?”

  Studying my face, his mouth tips down at the corners. “I’ve heard what everyone’s saying.”

  I lean forward and the room quiets around us. I hold on to every ounce of patience I have and wait…

  “I don’t believe a word of it.” He says with a decisive nod. “There is no way the Princess who threatened to drown Dante in a lake because he was teasing me would kill her parents.”

  He chuckles as Aileen snorts with laughter.

  Emerson raises an eyebrow at me, and I can practically hear his inner dialog. At least I’m not the only one you threaten.