Life should have been better here at the palace with my family. Instead, I longed for the days of the kingdom of Baist. At least there I had my magic and glamour to let me move about the palace freely. I had come to enjoy my masquerade as Rose and walking amongst the servants while outsmarting the guards. Here, there were no guards, only Magda and Peder, who took turns following me everywhere, seeing to my needs.
After I had spoken to my sister, I immediately headed for the palace doors to leave. I would head out on my own, hitching rides if I had to, but I would not—could not stay here. But once my foot crossed the threshold, my bands began to burn around my skin.
“No!” I cried, stepping back into the entryway and running my fingers along the doorframe. Sure enough, someone had recently added wards across the entrance to keep me from leaving. I traced the divots where someone had enough knowledge to chisel out the symbols into the floor and frame. With the bands on, it kept me from reading the caster’s signature, and I couldn’t see the glowing power showing they were active. I could try scratching them out, but there would still be a residue, and I could die trying to leave.
Picking up my skirt, I raced to the nearest window and found the same marks etched in the stone on each and every one. A deep dark pit opened up around me, and I felt my world start to slowly close in.
This was worse than the kingdom of Baist. They were prepared for me.
That night I sat at the table alone, eating in silence, with only the clink of my manacles interrupting my dark thoughts. My righteous outburst had not gone unnoticed, and it seemed I was to be punished with solitude. Of course, there were servants, but instead of cowering in fear, they simply ignored me.
As much as my family avoided me, I found myself avoiding them as well. Baist was safe for now. Earlsgaarde had handed over the signed treaty to Tipper, and that should have been the end, but sadly it wasn’t so. I had come down the stairs and heard Earlsgaarde and my father discussing in quiet tones in the dining room. Keeping out of sight, I watched through the crack in the door as they pored over a map.
“Your daughter saved the young princess child from my adder.”
“Pity, but their queen should have immediately succumbed to the wolfsbane poison. Why didn’t she? Why did she survive?”
“I do not know. I even tried to speed the process along by slowly bleeding her out, but her will is strong and I was constantly under watch.” The body was Earlsgaarde, but the way he was speaking was wrong.
Then I made the connection. It was Allemar. Or Earlsgaarde was Allemar. The healer had never left the kingdom of Baist. He was trying to slowly take out the royal family. My stomach dropped as they continued with their scheming.
“I wish you would have gotten a drop of the queen’s blood. Then I could have settled the rumors once and for all,” King Basil sighed. “My daughter, how is she faring?”
Earlsgaarde became frustrated. “She should have been raised here under my tutelage. She would have been an even greater weapon against Baist than her brother,” he whispered. “Though I do fear she won’t go along with our plans to take the throne by force. It seems she’s grown close to the prince and their family.”
“If she can’t follow orders, then I have no use for her,” King Basil grumbled. “She would be better off dead. In fact, after we take the kingdom of Baist, I want you to see to her demise. Make it look accidental.”
“As you wish, Your Majesty,” Earlsgaarde said softly. He rolled up the map and turned toward the door. I backed up but wasn’t fast enough before the door opened, and I looked into the whiskered face of Earlsgaarde.
“So we meet again, Allemar,” I sneered.
Earlsgaarde grinned evilly. “The truth has come out. Although, I’m surprised you didn’t notice sooner.” He reached under his tunic and pulled a wax string that was threaded around a small finger bone. A bone that probably had at one time belonged to the real emissary of Florin. With a tug he snapped the necklace off and tossed it to the side.
Allemar’s body shifted, the white-mustached emissary disappearing. I expected to see the healer with his exotic skin and sharp features, but instead he became a tall man with slicked-back gray hair and a peppered goatee. His fingers were long and boney, his dark eyes hidden under hooded lids and his teeth curled up into a cruel grin.
“You were the one who tried to kill the royal family!”
“If it wasn’t for you. I would have succeeded.”
The door to the drawing room swung open and King Basil stood there, not surprised in the least by the sorcerer standing in front of him. “What is going on, Allemar?”
“We have a snoop.” Allemar flung me down on the floor in front of the king.
“You’re a liar,” I accused my father. “You were never going to leave the kingdom of Baist alone.”
“Really, Rosalie. I’m very disappointed in you,” the king sighed. “I had such high hopes that you would see we’re your family. That you would understand your place here.”
“My place,” I sneered as I pulled myself up to a standing position, “is to stand in opposition right between you and Baist. If you want to get to them, you will have to go through me.”
The man who stood before me transformed, his round face turned dark and ugly, his eyebrows narrowed. “No one stands between me and what I want.”
“I know. Because you wanted a son and were willing to throw me away.”
“It was the best decision I have ever made!” King Basil bellowed.
My voice had gone cold. “I agree. The day I was taken from you was the greatest day of my life. I will gladly sacrifice it if it means keeping you from getting your greedy hands on Baist.”
King Basil swung his thick, meaty hand, connecting with my face and knocking me to the ground.
I reached for my power, but the bands burned into my wrists through the bandages, the pain agonizing as I tried to break through the enchantments binding me.
“Do you like them?” Allemar asked capriciously as he leaned over me. “I made them just for you. Let’s see who’s more powerful now.”
He reached for my skull, and white-hot pokers blinded me as my eyes rolled back. Gasping, unable to take a full, deep breath, I could feel unconsciousness coming back.
“Take her from my sight,” the king said. “Make sure she never crosses my path again.”
“With pleasure.” Allemar grinned.