The Wild Swans (28 page)

Elise and Brida’s travels across Arcainia
had a ripple effect. Although they avoided towns and villages, people lined the dirt roads Brida chose to travel on. They were not loud. No one cheered or shouted or waved flags. It wasn’t like the frequent parades Elise and her foster-brothers were put on display for.

Instead everyone
was solemn. They were silent as Brida and Elise rode past, but the occasional child would throw the last flowers of fall on the road. They typically bowed, murmuring encouragement under their breath.

“Luck be with you
, Princess.”

“Our strength is yours
, Fürstin.”

“We stand with you!”

“Princess.”

“—Bless the princess.”

Brida seemed unbothered by the attention, but Elise beheld it with fear. Although the people were quiet, the unmistakable shine of hope lit their eyes. They looked to Elise to save them. What terrified Elise was that for the first time in her life she wasn’t sure if she
could
save them. No amount of hard work or discipline would win this battle. Elise could do nothing to assure her victory. She would either beat Clotilde, or she wouldn’t.

“What if I can’t do this
, Brida?” Elise asked, her voice tight as she and the captain rode side-by-side past a family of farmers.

“You must trust you are strong enough. You must accept
that you, more so than any of your siblings, are fit to be the savior of Arcainia. Doubting will only ruin your confidence. Believe, Fürstin,” Brida said.

Sooner than she wished
, Elise and Brida were at gates of Castle Brandis.

“Steady
, Fürstin,” Brida said before they rode into the city.

“Pst
, Princess!” a dirty, sharp-faced girl in an alleyway said. “Princess Gabrielle sent me. This way,” she said when she had Elise and Brida’s attention. She scampered up the alley, taking them off the main road.

Elise dismounted Falk’s horse so she could lead it through the trash
-heaped alley, barely able to keep an eye on the little girl who jumped from place to place like a flea.

The girl led them on a long
, winding route, and just when Elise feared they were being led into a trap, they popped out of alleyway and through a back gate used by soldiers, taking them straight into the servants’ portion of the castle. Two stable boys, who were waiting at the gates, took the horses from Elise and Brida before the girl led the way to a servant entrance into Brandis.

The girl left them in an empty corridor and went skipp
ing back outside.

“Well done Elise
, Captain Meier. You have made it to Brandis safely.”

Brida unsheathed her sword and Elise spun around
, looking for the speaker. “Gabrielle?” she said.

“Of course.”

Elise peered down the hallway. “Where are you?”

“Oh
, I apologize. I forgot. Puss, if you would please?”

Gabrielle’s black and white cat leaped out of thin air
, and Princess Gabrielle shimmered into existence. The princess wore plain clothes—a skirt that was barely knee length, men’s breeches, and black boots Elise was shocked to see—but the trial had not dimmed her beauty. Gabrielle still glittered with a natural splendor most women would envy. “I’m so proud of you,” Gabrielle said, embracing Elise.

“What? How did you—?”

“Angelique has been in contact with me. She told me how you broke the curse, but we have to hurry. Your brothers are not an hour behind you,” Gabrielle said.

“
What
? How did they catch up so quickly? We should have half a day on them,” Elise said.

“It is not surpris
ing. Half the country witnessed the route we were going,” Brida said.

“I suspect Clotilde is also expect
ing you,” Gabrielle said.

A chill invaded Elise like icy hands grasp
ing at her throat. “How?”

“She is in the throne room. No one
has spoken a word of your travels, I can promise you that,” Gabrielle said, glancing over her shoulder as if the witch queen could hear her whispered words. “She has grown stronger in your absence and likely felt you enter Arcainia through her dark powers.”

Elise leaned against a wall
, letting the cold stone support her as her sister-in-law and guard continued the conversation.

“Even if the Q
ueen is aware of Fürstin Elise’s presence, an ambush is not out of the realm of possibilities,” Brida said.

“We could jump her in a hallway. She
has a usual orbit she makes through Brandis—it is unusual for her to remain in the throne room for such a lengthy amount of time,” Gabrielle said, unrolling a map of Castle Brandis and holding it against a wall. “We have a short while until tea time. She eats here, in the Sun Solar with King Henrik,” Gabrielle said, tracing a path on the map with her finger.

“The best place for an assault would be
here. A smaller space is ideal. Fürstin Elise must be in close quarters with Clotilde,” Brida said, pointing to a narrow hallway.

“We
have at least half an hour before she leaves the throne room to pick our spot and fortify it. Wouldn’t you agree, Puss?” Gabrielle asked when her black and white cat leaped to her shoulder.

“At least
,” the cat said. (So that part hadn’t been a dream. Elise had been hoping it was.) “Perhaps closer to an hour.”

“Excellent. We must warn the servants
, but we must also mask the point of attack or Clotilde will expect it,” Brida said.

“Yes. She isn’t very bright
, but even Clotilde—Elise?” Gabrielle asked.

Elise left the wall and started walk
ing down the hallway. “No,” Elise said.

“No
, what?” Gabrielle asked, taking a few quick steps to catch up with her.

“There will be no ambush
; there will be no waiting,” Elise said. “I will face her now. There is no point in delaying it. I will either match her power or I will not,” Elise said, making for the throne room.

“
But Elise—” Gabrielle started.

“Are you sure
that is wise, Fürstin?” Brida asked.

Elise stopped walk
ing and spun on her heels to face Brida, puffed up like an angry cat. “If I wait much longer, my brothers will arrive. I will die before I let that witch touch them again,” Elise hissed before she marched off, her black skirts swirling around her like angry storm clouds.

“Bravo
,” the cat said.

“Then I will go with you
,” Gabrielle said.

“
What
?” the cat hissed.

“It would be shameful to ask Elise to stand alone. I don’t
have any magic, but I will do my best to support you,” Gabrielle said.

“I will not accompany you
,” the cat said. “The princess stands a chance with her magic; your presence would be like presenting Clotilde with a fattened calf with a bow tied round its neck.”

“I don’t care
,” Gabrielle said.

“I too will stand with you
, Fürstin,” Brida said.

“No
,” Elise said as she started up a staircase. “The, the c-cat is right,” Elise said. She never imagined a moment when she would agree with a cat. “It will be too dangerous for both you. I should face Clotilde alone.”

“Not a chance
,” Gabrielle said.

“Out of the question
,” Brida said.

“I don’t want you two to sacrifice yourselves for my sake
,” Elise said when they left the staircase and entered the main part of the castle.

“
But it’s perfectly acceptable for you to sacrifice yourself for the sake of the country?” Gabrielle asked.

“
Fürstin, do you know why I stayed with you in the trees when you were angered with your brothers?” Brida asked, placing a hand on Elise’s shoulders and forcing her stop her ruthless march.

“I assumed it
was out of duty or pity,” Elise said.

“Partial
ly, yes. As a guard of Arcainia, it was my duty to see to your wellbeing. But more than that, it was because it is not good to fight a battle alone.”

“What do you mean?”

“You assume Prince Rune battles monsters on his own, yes?” Brida asked.

“Of course. I
have seen him single-handedly kill vile creatures,” Elise said.

“There
,” Brida said, jabbing a finger in the air. “Prince Rune kills the monsters alone, yes, but he never battles alone.”

“
I fail to see a difference between the two,” Elise said.

“Prince Rune might be the on
ly man pitted against whatever ill creature has done Arcainia harm, but he is never there alone. Usually there is a squad of soldiers already fortified in the area who provide support for the prince. If there are no soldiers, then farmers, villagers, and everyday citizens will take up arms to support him. True, they never do any fighting, but they are always there to support Prince Rune.”

Elise considered Brida’s words and thought back on the times Rune
took Elise monster-hunting with him. The captain was right. Rune never went alone into a fight. There was always a medical personal on alert and usually several other armed, burly men who made a wall behind Rune. Sometimes people were employed as distractions to make the kill easier.

“
When you knitted, you fought a battle just as brutal as the monsters Prince Rune faces. It was not good for you to be alone, which was why I made it a point to stay with you until Prince Falk recovered his wits enough to follow you,” Brida said.

Her proclamation made Gabrielle’s eyebrows raise
, but the beautiful princess said nothing.

“You are enter
ing another terrible battle. It is not good for you to enter into it alone, Fürstin,” Brida said.

Elise mulled over Brida’s words
, glancing at Gabrielle when the older girl took her hand and squeezed it. “Alright. But at the first sign of trouble you have to flee,” Elise said.

“Never
,” Gabrielle said, embracing Elise before pulling her along. “Let’s go battle a witch.”

“This is ludicrous
,” the cat said from Gabrielle’s shoulder.

“Yes
,” Gabrielle said.

“You
have lost the complete use of your mental faculties,” the cat said.

“Perhaps
,” Gabrielle said as they turned up the hallway that ended at the throne room door.

“Your plan is absolute
ly mad,” the cat said.

“It is
, but you wouldn’t miss out on it for the world,” Gabrielle said, pausing to scratch her pet under the chin.

The cat growled
but did not speak further as the three mismatched warriors descended on the door attendant.

“Crown Princess Gabrielle
, F-Fürstin Elise,” he gasped.

“She is expect
ing us, Arthur. There is no need to announce us,” Gabrielle said, tossing her head like a wild horse.

The middle
-aged man studied the trio under drooping brows. “Are you sure you want to do this, My Ladies?”

“Yes
,” Elise said, pulling her shoulders back. Although her heart was painfully full of fear, she would not let it hold her back. “Thank you, Arthur.”

The port
ly doorman bowed. “As you wish, Princess,” he said before he opened the door and stepped aside.

Chapter 14

Clotilde
was seated in her throne, wearing a beautiful dress that was the deep green color of a peacock’s feather. She wore Queen Ingrid’s gold crown on her head and strings of diamonds woven into the braid of her blonde hair.

She smiled like a snake
, her jaw opening disproportionately wide. “Darling Elise, I knew I would see you again,” Clotilde said as she stood.

Elise always thought as evil be
ing black, but as she strode towards Clotilde, Elise realized that evil was not darkness, but a gaping hole. Clotilde’s greed and desire for power infected the very air. She pulled every spot of goodness and beauty to her, devouring them and never filling.

Clotilde
was evil because of her vast emptiness and the underhanded methods she used to steal, kill, and destroy others to fulfill her desires and wishes. Black magic wasn’t black because of the color; it was vile because of the bottomless evil and the unspeakable acts it would do to get what its wielder desired.

At the foot of the
dais the thrones were perched on, Elise halted. “Of course,” she said. “Someone has to set you in your proper place,” her words faltered when she caught sight of King Henrik.

He looked far worse than when Elise
had last seen him. His hair was almost completely grey, and his skin was slack, hanging from his body like an ill-fitting cloak. All of his muscle was gone, and he looked like he lost a significant amount of height.

Father
, what has she done to you?

“You are more stupid than I thought if you think you can defeat me
,” Clotilde said, her nearly colorless eyes were dilated in spite of the light in the room. “There is nothing you can do. Your brothers and father are lost—
forever
.”

“On the contrary
,” a male voice said.

Elise turned around just in time to see
her seven foster brothers enter the throne room, coated with dust but looking no worse for the wear.

Elise could feel Gabrielle go taut like a violin str
ing when she met her husband’s eyes across the room. Her muscles jerked, as if she was barely controlling herself from throwing herself into Steffen’s arms, but she stayed at Elise’s side.

“
What
?” Clotilde said, her voice screeching like breaking glass. “That’s not possible!”

Elise tilted her head and studied Clotilde. The wicked queen
didn’t know? She didn’t feel it when Elise broke the curse? Perhaps Elise was strong enough to defeat her after all.

There
was a roar. Clotilde pulled two black diamonds from a pocket sewn into her gown. She held them above her head where they glowed, dark light emitting from them.

The diamonds
were the evil artifacts Angelique had warned Elise of. She was going to do it again. Clotilde was going to turn Elise’s foster brothers into swans.

“NO!” Elise said in a scream wrenched from her soul.

“Gabi,” the cat said.

“Are you sure?” the crown princess said.

“Positive. Do it,” the cat said.

Just as the diamonds released black bolts of lightn
ing, Gabrielle tossed her cat in the air. The feline intercepted the lightning bolts, which bounced off the cat as if they hit a mirror, burning the marble floor where they were diverted before dissipating.

Gabrielle caught her cat
, tucking him under her chin.

Brida unsheathed a sword. “Go
, Fürstin,” the captain said as she crouched with her sword.

Elise took a deep breath
before she charged up the first few stairs.

Clotilde narrowed her poisonous eyes. “I don’t know how you managed
to break my magic, but I can promise you, you won’t free your brothers a second time,” Clotilde said, gripping a black diamond in each fist. “You can’t cower behind Princess Gabrielle’s little cat forever.”

Elise kept climb
ing the stairs.

“Do you real
ly think you can stop me, Elise? You are nothing but a fraud. You are even less royal than
I
am. You’re not a princess. You’re nothing but a street rat orphan,” Clotilde said, spit flying from her mouth in her rage. “You strive to be portrait perfect, but in the end you will die, and
everyone
will hear of your failure,” Clotilde said when Elise reached the top of the dais. “After I am through with you, I will curse your brothers again and put them through agony before I have them killed and stuffed as mantle piece decorations. Once they expire, King Henrik will not be far behind. I will kill them all, but I will take the greatest pleasure in killing you.”

Clo
tilde struck like a snake, moving to backhand Elise on the face. Elise caught her by the wrist and held it in an iron grip. “No, you will not,” Elise said, her voice strong like the ocean.

Her fears
had not left her, but Brida was right. She took strength in knowing Brida, Gabrielle, and all of her foster brothers were behind her. And Clotilde’s threats? They
enraged
Elise.

Clotilde stared at the wrist Elise held
, her eyes wide and her body stiff.

“Your first mistake
was cursing my brothers,” Elise said, reaching out to pluck Queen Ingrid’s crown from Clotilde’s head. “If you had just slit our throats, none of us would have survived. But your greatest mistake?” Elise leaned in and whispered to the queen. “That was attacking
my
family.”

Clotilde was rattled. She shook with anger and perhaps fear. Elise coldly observed the reaction, but wasn’t satisfied. Her magic wasn’t doing much, i
f anything, or Clotilde’s response wouldn’t be so mild.

What was it Angelique had said would h
elp? Skin on skin contact—the more the better. Very well, she could manage that.

Elise released Clotilde’s wrist and latched her hand on the queen’s face
, covering Clotilde’s eyes, nose, and mouth with her spread fingers.

Clotilde screamed
but seemed unable to pull away from Elise. Her skin was hot, boiling hot under Elise’s hand. The witch clutched her black diamonds in her fists but beat at her chest and ripped out chunks of her hair as she howled. She scrabbled at Elise’s hand, scratching like a desperate cat.

Elise held on in spite of the pain,
and grabbed Clotilde’s shoulder to keep her from fleeing.

Stone cracked
, and Clotilde’s screaming intensified. She howled. Her skin burst with boils and oozing wounds before it turned dry and rough like old paper, crackling under Elise’s fingers.

The screams died out
, and Elise stepped back just before Clotilde’s body turned into ash, leaving behind jewels, a pretty gown, and two black diamonds cracked through the center.

It
was over.

“Elise?”

Elise snapped her gaze up from the pile of dust.

K
ing Henrik stood. He was still grey and hunched, but his eyes were bright and intelligent. “Elise, your hands—what has happened to you, darling?”

Elise couldn’t help it.
She burst into tears. “Father,” she cried, throwing herself at him.

“There
, there, darling. Whatever nightmare you’ve faced is over. All is well,” King Henrik said, hugging her and rocking her like she was a little girl again.

“Gabi!”

“Steffen, you’re well!”

“Father!”

“Elise, Father!”

“Elise
, you did it! You beat that—ahh, you beat her!”

The throne room
was filled with laughter and tears as everyone cheered and hugged—Nick even did a short dance.

Elise clung to K
ing Henrik and cradled Queen Ingrid’s crown as she sobbed in sheer relief. Finally, the nightmare was over.

It took the better part of the afternoon to explain to K
ing Henrik what happened. He didn’t remember much since the wedding, so recounting the cursing of his children gave the king a great deal of pain.

“How could I
be so foolish?” King Henrik said, shaking his head when all the stories were told.

“Don’t blame yourself
, Father. That woman was a snake,” Nick said, taking a swig of cider. (Bless the servants who thought to bring refreshments when the family moved to the dining hall for storytelling.)

Elise sat somewhat apart from her fami
ly, not due to any feeling of separation, but because it warmed her heart to see all of them at once.

Steffen and Gabrielle
were inseparable since Steffen’s return. The pair looked controlled enough, but from her vantage point Elise could see that Steffen held Gabrielle’s hand with trembling fingers.

Nick
had coaxed Brida into joining the family, saying, “You were the only one who could talk during the day. It’s only proper for you to tell your parts of the story.”

Brida
was sitting in a chair next to Nick, mostly silent, but she smiled whenever Nick flashed a grin at her.

A steady stream of men and women ghosted up to Mikk and whispered in his ear
, most likely giving him the details of all that happened in his absence.

Gerhart
, although listening to his family, was hard at work writing up invitations and sending out notices. “Do you have any idea how far behind I am in social engagements? I was in the middle of a number of talks that have probably all gone sour or been forgotten since the snake’s rule. I have to start over from the beginning,” Gerhart sighed, laying an arm across his eyes when his brothers scolded him for working.

Rune and Falk
were seated closest to Elise, so they were the ones who looked up when Elise finally spoke. “I nearly forgot in all the chaos, but where is Angelique?”

“Recover
ing,” Falk said.

“What?”

Rune, more prone to give details, picked up the story. “When we set foot on Arcainian soil, we set off some kind of curse. Apparently Clotilde worried we might return, so she set up some defenses. One of the curses alerted her to our presence—that one was too fast for Angelique to get—but the other unleashed a basilisk on us. Nasty thing,” Rune said, shaking his head. “I’m not sure if I could take one on alone. Anyway, she sent us on ahead and said she could handle it. We didn’t make it far before we heard explosions. She caught up to us on her flashy horse, but she was pale as snow and as cold as ice.”

“Did it hurt her?” Elise asked.

“No,” Rune said. “It didn’t get the chance. She hit it with the most powerful spells she had.”

“It is general
ly known that powerful magics cannot be used without incurring a sort of penalty or backlash. Typically it makes the caster ill or saps their strength. There are some exceptions of course,” Falk said, eyeing Elise.

“She couldn’t keep up with us in her condition
, so we left her in a village on our way here,” Rune said. “She assured us she would be fine. She just needed to recoup a little bit.”

“I see
,” Elise said.

“It doesn’t matter
. You managed perfectly well anyway,” Falk said.

“Gabrielle said her cat
was going to check on her,” Rune said, looking a little confused by the report. “She said he is an old companion of hers.”

“Boys
, scatter,” King Henrik said, seating himself in a chair next to Elise.

Falk scowled
, but Rune placed a brotherly arm around him. “Yes, Father,” Rune said before he and Falk joined the rest of their siblings.

Elise smiled at K
ing Henrik when they left. “I’m so happy to see you, Father.”

“And I am overjoyed to see you
,” King Henrik said, patting Elise’s hair. “It seems I have you to thank for saving not only my family, but our country.”

Elise shook her head and
ran her fingers on the edges of Queen Ingrid’s gold crown, which was on her lap. “It was more than just me. I couldn’t have done any of that without Brida, or my brothers.”