The Queen Revealed (28 page)

Chapter Forty

“Innocent Dreams of Safety”

Natalie trailed her fingers along the wall as she got closer to the brightly-lit hallway where the apartment was, but she was in no rush to get back.

She was enjoying the warm, bubbly feeling inside that Prince Rainere gave her. She knew that no one believed her when she said that she loved the Prince, but she really did. He was everything wonderful about this new world of Evendaar. When her Daddy had left, she had lived with a big hole in her chest that had ached at night time, but Prince Rainere had filled that hole and she felt full again when she was with him. He really was her friend and when he looked at her, she could tell he was really waiting to hear what she had to say. When he carried her in his arms, he hadn’t complained or said “Ooff, you are too heavy, Natty!” or pretended to drop her like QG Leith did. He was strong enough to hold her for ages. He gave her presents, too. Well, he gave Mummy presents, but he didn’t mind when she kept them.

Natalie skipped around the corner, but froze when she saw Captain Lucky, QGs Leith and Owens and Lady Olivia standing in the hallway discussing something with serious faces. They all turned to look at her.

“Oh, Natalie, thank the Goddess!” exclaimed Lady Olivia and put her hand on her heart. “You scared the life right out of me when I couldn’t find you.”

Lady Olivia bustled down the hall to grab Natalie’s hand and pull her along.

“You really shouldn’t go wandering about the Palace like that, Princess,” smiled Captain Lucky. Natalie liked him a lot, but he was too young to be a Daddy.

“Yes, it’s not safe with Mr. Grotto lurking about,” added QG Leith with a pretend shudder.

Natalie didn’t say anything. She was too embarrassed by the fuss everyone was making. She let Lady Olivia yank her through the door.

“Now, you need to go to bed, young lady.” Lady Olivia dropped the smile she used when other people were around, other important people like Mummy and Captain Lucky, not maids or nannies of course.

“What do you think your Mother would say if she caught you out of bed? I’m sure she would think you needed a hard slap,” snapped Lady Olivia. “You are so naughty to run away like that.”

Natalie pulled her hand out of Lady Olivia’s and frowned. She hated it when people told her what her mother would do and say. She knew her Mummy better than anyone and she knew her Mummy thought she was “beautiful and terrifyingly bright”, and she knew that was really wonderful.

“What do you think Mummy would say if she knew that you lost me?” Natalie answered tartly. “I think you would get the smack then.”

Lady Olivia spun to face Natalie, her blue eyes narrowed and her mouth was pursed as if she was going to spit. Natalie watched the variety of emotions flash across the young woman’s face. Everyone thought Lady Olivia was beautiful, but Natalie just thought she was mean.

“It’s late. You need to get to bed now, little Princess,” said Lady Olivia wearing a weird smile. “After all, princesses need their rest if they wish to grow big and strong, or at all.”

Natalie trailed behind Lady Olivia as she went into the other bedroom where General Ohrig and the Guards had slept last time they were in the Grey Palace. She saw Aaron curled up in the middle of the big bed with Siobahn sleeping next to him.

Natalie sighed. She didn’t like Siobahn very much either, but Aaron was such a cry-baby now that he had nightmares and dreams all the time and he always wanted someone to hold him or pat his back until he went to sleep. Normally Mummy did it, but Natalie did it a lot too when he woke up in the night.

She crawled in next to her brother and leaned over him to give Siobahn a poke in the arm. Siobahn was lying on her back and snoring loudly, but with the poke she rolled over and quietened. Natalie wrapped her arms around Aaron’s shoulders and he instantly turned to snuggle into her.

“He’s such a baby,” thought Natalie, but thinking that made her feel lonely and cold so she hugged him even harder. Looking up she saw that Lady Olivia was still standing in the doorway, staring at her. Natalie decided she hated the lady. Why did she just stand there?

“You can go now,” she ordered Lady Olivia in her best bossy voice. But she was glad when the lady didn’t say anything else, just left and shut the door.

Natalie snuggled into her brother and kissed his hair like Mummy did. As she closed her eyes she imagined sleeping in a big bed with Prince Rainere and Aaron. That would be so warm and cozy. No way would Lady Olivia stare at her from the doorway then.

Natalie didn’t know how she knew, but she was sure that the Prince didn’t like Lady Olivia either. He hadn’t looked at her once today even though she was wearing a dress that showed her big boobs off.

Aaron kicked her gently and Natalie shifted a bit to let him move. She kissed his hair again and he settled.

All I have to do is get Mummy to marry Prince Rainere
, she thought.
When I wake up, I’m going to tell her that Prince Rainere should be my new Daddy.
She was glad that she had already told Prince Rainere of her plan, so he could talk to her Mummy about it, too.

Natalie felt for the necklace at her throat and, still smiling, drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Forty-One

“One Fine Morning”

Charlie had woken up when Blondie brought the Princess back to bed. From his partially-hidden couch, tucked away in the corner, he couldn’t see much of the Lady, which was a shame, as she was showing off plenty of rack in a low-cut dress today.

He heard the door close and shut his eyes, feeling comfortable. The reason he had chosen this room was because the Royal kiddlings were sleeping in it, and he had figured it was probably the safest room in the palace. Charlie had no trouble admitting he was terrified of getting caught alone by the Black Prince. He also had the little problem of the Prince or the Queen realizing that there had been a terrible mix-up and that he didn’t really work for either of them. But he was hoping that they were too busy with each other to bother about him.

It was cozy curled up on his couch, with a heavy blanket for warmth and a pillow under his head. Charlie heard the little Princess sigh and found the noise comforting.

He let himself fall into a dreamless slumber.

Chapter Forty-Two

“A Devil Came Creeping”

Adele opened her eyes and squinted in the morning light. She hadn’t slept, of course, but had managed to close her eyes and rest a little. She checked the limp baby in her arms, but Stella was sleeping soundly, her breathing steady and her forehead cool.

Relief swamped Adele and she lay back down on her pillow with a happy sigh. Though she had known from experience that it had just been a normal virus that Stella was suffering from, she had felt the natural terror every mother has when a child is ill. The fact that she hadn’t had her usual arsenal of child medications had given her a flutter of panic, as well. But good old-fashioned cold water and cuddles with Mummy had fixed everything.

Adele heard a noise and saw Siobahn and Lady Olivia were quietly moving about the room, laying out the wardrobe for the day for the family. Lady Olivia noticed Adele was up and tip-toed over to her. She nodded at Stella with an inquiring frown.

“She’s fine,” whispered Adele, giving Lady Olivia a smile that the lady returned with a little silent cheer.

“We are just organizing your things, Your Majesty,” Lady Olivia whispered. “We must leave before lunchtime to make it back in time for the Steeplechase today.”

“Where are the other children?” asked Adele quietly as she extricated herself from Stella’s damp little body.”

“Still sleeping, Your Majesty,” whispered Lady Olivia. “They were busy little angels last night and are all tuckered out.”

Adele climbed out of bed and stretched out the cricks and kinks in her back after having lain with Stella in her arms for hours.

“I’m going to take a shower and get dressed,” said Adele on the way to the bathroom. “Don’t bother waking the children. We’ll have breakfast late today.”

“With the Prince, Your Majesty?” asked Lady Olivia, but when Adele looked at her, the Lady wore a perfectly innocent expression. It was only a natural question after all.

“I’m not sure what our host is doing today,” she replied even as her heart thudded hard in her chest. “Perhaps you can check with Mr. Grotto for me?”

Adele made it to the bathroom just as the tears filled her eyes. She leaned against the back of the door and silently let them fall. A horrible cloud of premonition enveloped her and she covered her mouth with her hand and stifled a sob. Though they had ended last night with passionate sex in the hallway, Adele was suddenly very afraid that it might be the last time that Rainere let her close to him. She felt sick at what her decision not to marry Rainere might mean now. She couldn’t be with him, but neither could she live without him.

Adele turned on the shower and, dropping her nightgown to the floor, she stepped into the hot spray and let it fall on her face, washing away the tears. The bite on her neck stung as the water touched it.

I have screwed this up so badly
, she thought. First, she had declared her undying love to Rainere, then she had marked him with her initials—
how incredibly humiliating for him—
then she had refused to marry him, despite him asking her for the third time. How much more was her poor Prince supposed to take!

Adele turned and lathered her hair with soap.

It was so incredibly complicated and anyway she looked at it she had been right to say no. General Ohrig had just confirmed what she knew in her gut… no one would want Rainere in the Golden Palace and they would kill him before they let him sit on the Throne.

Adele rinsed her hair and picked up the little razor from its shelf and soaped her legs for shaving.

Adele hated to admit it, but she supposed that Rainere was just as prejudiced against the Court of the Golden Palace as much as they were against him. That must be why he kept warning her against the danger of trusting the Wizards. This Prophecy that underlay it all was just as dangerous and Adele cursed herself for her distraction with Rainere that she still hadn’t asked him about it.

Adele held her back under the water and let the pounding of it block her ears and thoughts. She wasn’t going to be getting out in a hurry this morning. The longer they could stay at the Grey Palace the better. Who knew when they would be back again?

Chapter Forty-Three

“And Creeping Around the Corner”

The door in the paneled wardrobe creaked open and a figure studied the room in the grey light of the new morning. A long, white hand slid around the edge of the door and pushed it wider, allowing the hollow-eyed man to get out and pad quietly across the floor to the big bed.

Prince Rainere looked down on the two tiny bodies wrapped so tightly together. He could not remember what it felt like to cry, but right now, it was as if his eyes were swimming in acid.

He leaned down over the children and gently took Natalie’s hand. “Princess,” he whispered, though his voice was more of a croak.

Natalie’s dark eyes fluttered open and, sleepily, she smiled up at the Prince. “I knew you’d come,” she said enigmatically.

Rainere almost gasped when his heart squeezed painfully. “Princess, I have a present for you.”

Rainere knelt by the bed and pulled the bracelet from his pocket.

“It matches my necklace,” grinned Natalie, already bright and awake. She sat up in bed and swung her legs over the side.

“Let me put it on you,” whispered Rainere, as he took her tiny hand in his and slid the silver chain over her wrist.

Natalie began to shimmer and change before his very eyes. Her limbs grew longer, her body taller, and her face matured into a woman’s. Within moments, the transformation was complete.

“There, now. You look just perfect,” said the Prince and ran a tender hand over the cheek of the Natalie-as-Adelena.

“Thank you! Oh, thank you, Prince Rainere,” sighed Natalie happily, as she admired her new pretty thing. “I’m just sorry I don’t have any presents for you.”

Rainere winced and paled even more. “All I need is your happiness, Princess Natalie,” he whispered, but Natalie didn’t know why he looked so sad. “Your happiness… and a… kiss.”

Natalie grinned. Kisses were easy to give.

The Prince always smelled so nice, like the wind when you played outside on a winter’s day. She leant over and pursed her lips to kiss his smooth cheek, but at the last moment, the Prince turned his head and she kissed his lips instead. They were cool and soft.

“Oh!” giggled Natalie. “I kissed your mouth. Only mummies and daddies… can… can do… that…”

Rainere caught the little girl as she fell forward into his arms. He cradled her gently and checked the pulse at her throat. Sleeping Curses were tricky things to engineer, but far less dangerous than an opiate or poison on one so young. To his relief, her pulse was strong and her breathing steady.

“And only true love’s kiss shall wake you, Princess,” he murmured, and her eyelids fluttered, as if she dreamed of pleasant things. “Your Mother will be with you soon.”

With the back of his hand, Rainere wiped off the rest of Adelena’s blood that he had painted on his lips. He looked down at the sleeping face of the Princess-Queen in his arms. The Illusion Curse wasn’t perfect, but it was the best he could do with the strands of hair he’d taken from Natalie and coated with Adelena’s blood, before wrapping them around the links of the bracelet.

He carried Natalie-as-Adelena over to the cupboard and stepped through. The door creaked quietly shut again.

*              *               *

Only when he was sure that the Prince had left did Charlie let out his breath again.

Charlie uncurled himself from his frozen position and sat up. Watching the Prince perform his evil Magic on the little Princess had turned his bowels to water. He was trembling from head to toe and could barely organize his scrambled thoughts. His instincts screamed at him to leave immediately and to run as far from the Grey Palace as he possibly could. This was not his mess to get mixed up in.

Queens and Marchant Princes, dark Magic, and kidnapping! Charlie was already in enough trouble with The Boss without letting himself be dragged into the middle of a regicide.

But if he didn’t tell the Queen what had happened to her daughter, then who would?
It’s not my problem,
his sensible side told him
.

Marchant blood ran in his veins, what if this St. Lucidis Queen thought he was working with the Prince on this, too?
As she very easily could if I don’t get the hell out of here
.

What would stop the Prince from killing him if he tried to help the Queen, anyway?
He had wanted to before, hadn’t he?

But a fierce chivalry, the likes of which Charlie had never known before, raised up its head inside of him and drowning out the other voices in his head, it suggested that he should do something very,
very
stupid.