Royal Affliction (The Anti-Princess Saga) (13 page)

My father broke that quiet.  “Kafkus, Quino, Violet, Quartessa, come.”  He’d only left out Clifton because he was still standing next to him.

He addressed my men and Violet, and they bowed in return.  “You have willingly given yourselves to my daughter, to aid her in her time of need.  Is this correct?”

They all spoke as one.  “Yes, my King.”

“Then it is time to go.”

“Wait.”  Violet bent down and picked up a silver dollar from the sand.  She placed it in her palm and whispered to it.  It began to glow, shining a vivid purple which almost matched her hair.  She bowed low, offering it to her King.

He took it from her, holding it with wonderment.  “What does it do, my child?”  The words came from my father’s mouth, but they also seemed to come from Violet herself.

“When you hold it, your words will come through me, as will my words come through it.”  She smiled.  “You know, just in case we shall need to speak.”

I gaped at her.  “I didn’t know that you could do that.”

“It is a newer talent that I have recently just perfected,” she answered in her proudest voice.

“Thank you, Violet.  I would like to be kept informed of your efforts.”

His words came through Violet as if she were a human speaker.  Sound seemed to vibrate through her very pores.

“I will make sure to keep you updated, my King.”  Her words came from the glowing silver dollar rather than her mouth.  Her lips never moved.

He tucked the object into his robes.  “I am impressed, young Violet.  I have never seen anyone possess such power, especially for one so young.  I cannot wait to see how your powers mature.  I have always expected great things from you.”

“Thank you, my King,” she replied with a low bow and a rosy face.

He raised his hands above his head slowly and I instantly felt his magic flood the air.  When his palms touched a colossal bolt of lightning flew through the sky, landing in the ocean.  From a distance, I could see a large green glowing whirlpool beginning to form, and work its way inland.

My father pulled me into a bone-crushing hug.  “Take care of yourself, my Princess.  Return to us whole”

I turned to see my mother.  She was standing in the archway in front of the castle, and she stayed where she was.  I knew why.  If she hugged me, she would not be able to let go again.  She gave me a slight nod, and I returned the gesture.

I turned back to face the ocean and started walking towards it.  I swam to the glowing water, finally reaching the edge of the portal.  I turned around to make sure everyone was still with me.  They were.  We spread out in a circle and entered the whirlpool as one, and together, we were sucked down in its depths.

Chapter Six

When I broke the surface I looked around to see we were back in Monterey, in the same spot we’d departed from.  In the daylight, I could see the towel still lying in the sand where Clifton and I’d been before we were so rudely interrupted.

I heard Clifton speak from behind me.  “I asked your father to send us here so that you could get your car home.”

“So, this is where the humans live?  It does not look like I thought it would.  The colors seem all bland and muted.  It is not very inviting,” I heard Violet say, and I agreed with her.  This place was far from Kortis.

When I had first come here, it had seemed different.  This place had been a new and exciting chapter in my life.  It felt like I wasn’t seeing it through the same eyes that I had the last time.

When we reached the shore, Clifton shoved the towel in the bag and strapped it on.  Violet pulled out two rings and handed them to Kafkus and Quino.  “These will help you to blend in here.”

They both put them over their heads and I watched both their skins lighten.  Kafkus’ hair turned dark brown, almost black.  Quino’s already whitish hair just lost its blue hue, looking bleach-blond instead.  Violet didn’t seem to know that human skin varied in color as they were both the same pasty-white shade that my skin was when I was wearing my ring which reminded me to put it back on.

I felt the familiar tingling sensation when I slipped my own concealment ring on and watched my skin change to the pasty-white shade that I had grown to accept.  I sighed as I stared down at my new hue (old hue?).  It looked so dull to me now.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my ankle and I cried out.  It shot up my body, down my arm, and into the hand that wore my ring.  Another pain, opposite from the first one, began to form around where the ring touched my skin.  It pushed against the first one, causing it to recede into my chest.  The two pains mixed together into one intensely agonizing torment and I fell to the ground clutching my chest.

“What’s going on?  What’s wrong with her?” I heard Clifton say, sounding a bit hysterical.

I felt him approach me, even though I was blinded by pain.  The last thing I remembered was his touch upon my hand before I blacked out.

********************

“Will she be ok?’

“Yes.”

“Can you help her?”

“I am trying.”

“Can I do anything?”

“No.”

“Why won’t you tell me what’s wrong with her?”

“The longer she wears the ring of Eccus, the more susceptible she is to sickness when magic is used on her.  It will pass, though the length of the bout is unknown.”

“She took the portal to Kortis just fine.”

“Yes, but more time has passed since then, I am sure it was the use of the spell in her ring so soon after using the portal that has made her this sick.”

“Stop questioning Violet if you want her to help Quartessa.”

“But—”

I heard voices all around me as I rose to semiconscious.  The pain was dulled, but it wasn’t gone.  I was laying on something soft.  My head lay in someone’s lap.  I wasn’t strong enough to move or open my eyes, but by the smell I knew that it was Violet, she always smelled like lilacs and summer breeze.  I noticed that we were moving before I drifted off again.

********************

“Could you show me how to make one?” I asked, eyeing the doll with excitement.

“Of course,” Violet answered.  “But we will need to get some more fabric and dry out some seaweed.  The low branches on our tree would make a great spot for that, and we have plenty of time before the celebration.”

It was a warm day.  The tangerine sky seemed brighter than the sun as if each were competing to outshine the other.  We passed a girl picking flowers on our way to the beach and she curtsied and giggled before running off.

Why does everyone do that?” I asked.

“Do what?  Show respect to a member of the royal family?”

“Yes.  My father may be the King, but who am I to deserve such respect?”

She contemplated for a moment.  “A spoiled child of royal descent who likes to think she is not better than everyone?”

I nudged her with my shoulder.  “I am not better than anyone.  I am just like any other girl, the only difference between me and another is my bloodline.  I would gladly switch places with you if it meant I would never be bowed at again.”

“I do not bow to you.”  I gave her a look and she added “often.”

When we reached the beach we found a plethora of seaweed had washed up on shore which made collecting it a very easy task.  The walk up the steep, sandy path to our tree with our waterlogged bundles was not as easy a feat.  When we had finished hanging the seaweed we each took a swing hung from the larger branches far above our heads.

“When you get older, what do you want of your life?” I asked Violet.

“Well…honestly, I would love to join the ranks of my mother and be a witch catering exclusively to your father.  I just hope I can be as good as her someday.”

“You will be.”

“But I’d also like to find a nice man to marry and I want lots of children.  Does that not just sound lovely?”  She dazed off for a moment, probably living out her fantasy in her head.  “What about you, Quartessa?  What do you wish of your future?”

“I am ten whole years old today, I should have some say in what my life will be like, but my father still treats me like a child and reminds me almost daily what my future holds.  I do not get the choices you have.  I am sure I will marry a member of the guard by my father’s choosing who has earned the right to be semi-royalty and keep my lips sealed on my thoughts and feelings.  That is no life for me.”

“Perhaps you could be one to change things?”

“Do you remember that place my mother told us about?  The one with the strange creatures?”

Violet nodded.

“If I could choose my future, I would choose to be a human.”

********************

I awoke a several hours later alone and feeling more rested.  Though my body was still very sore, I could move easier than before.  I eased myself off the bed into a standing position.  The sky outside was dark. 
How much time had I slept away?

I took a few steps.  My muscles protested, but I ignored them.  Step by step I made my way into the bathroom to stare at my reflection in the mirror.  I splashed some cold water on my face and it made me feel a little better.  I felt a presence behind me, and turned to find Kafkus standing in the doorway.

“How are you feeling, Princess?”

“Exactly how I look.”

“I figured as much.”

My stomach churned and I dove for the toilet.  Coolness spread across my neck from the wet towel he placed on it as I heaved.  When I had nothing left in my stomach, Kafkus changed the tank top I’d accidently soiled and cleaned my face with the towel.  He picked me up and carried me back to the bed, setting me down with a light hand.

“Rest, my beautiful Princess.”

“I don’t think I can sleep anymore.”

He lay down beside me, facing me, and brushed the hair out of my face with his gentle touch.  “You need to rest.  You will feel better tomorrow.  Just please sleep for now.”

I stared at him.  “Why are you doing this, Kafkus?”

“Doing what?”

“Why are you being so nice to me when I have been nothing but rude to you?”  I felt a little guilty about snapping at him like I did.

He stared into my eyes and placed a warm hand on my cheek.  “Because you are my Princess, and you are in need comfort.”  He started to get up but I reached an arm out to stop him.  “Did you need something else, Quartessa?”

“Will you stay with me, just until I fall asleep?”  This was a side of Kafkus that I had never seen before.  He was being so sweet, so caring.  I really needed that right now.  I did need to be cared for, and it was oddly comforting to have this man doing it.  When you feel like crap anyone trying to be comforting is welcome.

“Of course.”

I rolled over and closed my eyes.  Kafkus curled up behind me and placed his arm around my waist.

“Kafkus?”

“Yes, Princess?”

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For taking care of me.”

He tightened his grip on my waist.  “I am happy to do it, Quartessa.”

I felt a gentle kiss on my back.

********************

“You two are improving every day,” I commented, catching sight of my brother and Kafkus dueling with wooden swords in a clearing on my way to the castle.

“Thank you,” said Gader.

“I will be joining the royal guard just as soon as I am old enough,” stated Kafkus.

“Why would you want to do that?”

He shrugged.  “I have something for you, Princess.  Wait here.”

He left before I could say anything and returned with a small package wrapped in pink paisley fabric and tied together with twine.

“Happy birthday, Quartessa.”

A big smile crept across my lips as I took the box from him.  “You could have waited until the celebration.”

“Yes, I could have.  Open it.”

Gader wacked Kafkus in the back with his sword and ran off before he could get what was coming to him, laughing all the way.

“Go on.”

I tugged the string.  The knot came undone easily and the fabric separated and fell to the sides, revealing the object inside.  A wooden ornate box was sitting in my hands.  Intricate carvings weaved together around the lid, encasing a dolphin in the center.

“I made it myself.”

I opened the box to reveal various compartments for jewelry and a lovely tune started playing.  A single golden ring rested in one hole.  My name was handsomely engraved along its inner part.  I tried it on but it gaped on my finger and spun easily.

“I figured you would grow into it.  A ring your size would not last long and I wanted to give you something that would last the years of your life.”

“Thank you, Kafkus.”  I gave him a bow because he had done something to actually earn one and he returned the gesture which I dismissed.