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“SO,” PHILIP GOADED as he galloped up next to her, “Tell me about what happened.”
“No.” Rose gripped her horse’s bridle in her hands, glad to be riding again, even if it was as much a pain on her bottom as walking was on her feet. She prepared herself for the worst; they had already been on the road for a full day, and Philip had tried several different times to get her to explain Theo’s remarks about seeing her in her undergarments.
“Do you want me to get the details out of him?” Philip asked.
“No!” Rose glared at him. “Stop. I’m not talking about it, he’s not going to talk about it, and you need to stop worrying about it.”
“You do want to talk about it, though,” Philip said with a teasing laugh. “I can tell by the look on your face.”
“What look?”
“The one that says you have something on your mind, and you’re more than cross about it. Come on, Rose, tell me. You might feel better. After all, I’m your babysitter, remember?”
“Is that actually the word Isra used?” Rose shook the sweat out of her eyes, taking the moment to glance over their caravan.
“Well, it was the one you used.”
Mary was riding with Sophia and Ethan, jumping from one horse to another as they talked about the history of the Magdust trade. Theo was right behind them, probably lost in some prayer or some other deep kind of thoughts. The guards, led by Captain Locke, were at the rear, with Roderick’s ruddy beard served as a marker, one Rose could easily use to see the end of her traveling company. Beside her, Philip took the lead in guiding them to his home.
Rose turned back to Philip. “Did she use it too?”
“No,” he said. “But Isra did make me promise to see to your care. This would include discussing what troubles you.”
Rose rolled her eyes. Her sister, not even two years younger than her, had an insurmountable amount of charm. It was not hard for Rose to see that Philip had fallen into Isra’s close counsel. If the situation was any different, and if Philip were more ruthless, Rose knew she might have suspected Philip of using Isra to gain her trust.
Maybe he would even use my sister to secure an offer of marriage from me, Rose thought, momentarily cynical.
But she doubted that he would do that. He had been her friend, and that was all. She respected him and she admired him, but that was all. Philip was her friend.
“I’d rather talk about the Magdust trade here in the Einish forest,” Rose finally told him. “Did Derick give you any new information since he discussed it with us that night at dinner?”
“No,” Philip said. “In all fairness, he was more concerned with consoling Juliette after this morning to give me any last minute details.”
“I don’t understand her reaction to burning the tapestry,” Rose admitted.
“I know that there are some concerns over destroying artifacts that are embedded with magic. Like you said, it is more superstition than truth. But where children are concerned, including the future ruler of Einish and Crystal Lake, mothers worry about their children quite desperately.”
“But Juliette had told me before that she didn’t think the tapestry was magic, as some people have maintained.”
“I don’t see her reactions as that unusual. People are more likely to believe in bad luck than good luck.” Philip straightened in his saddle, taking them down the left side of a split trail.
Rose shrugged. “I guess so. I’m sure my mother would agree with you.”
Philip nodded and said nothing. They both knew that Rose’s mother had faced the terrifying reality of Rose’s curse.
Rose had to wonder if Philip pitied her, because his hazel eyes seemed sad when he looked back at her.
Maybe that is why he wants to know so much about what happened with Theo, Rose thought. He wanted to distract her with one set of problems while they faced another.
Before she could tell Philip not to waste his time worrying about her, Mary appeared at her side.
“We’re about to go through the Crystal Lake’s Wandering Caverns,” she said. “This is where a lot of the trade activity has been rumored to take place.”
“Stay with me,” Rose told her. “I don’t want anything happening to you. I can protect you better with Queen Lucia’s sword if something goes wrong.”
Mary nodded. “Thank you, Rose,” she said, as she climbed into the hood of Rose’s cloak. “I’m not surprised that this is the area where a lot trouble has been brewing. The pixies who lived here have retracted their protective spells.”
“Pixies live here?” Rose asked.
“Pixies are able to withstand more extreme environments,” Mary explained. “They are not as afraid of fire and volcanic activity as fairies are. They have made the caverns their home for many centuries.”
“I didn’t know you were afraid of volcanoes.”
“Not exactly. Iron and other minerals can harm us just as badly as more powerful magic or if we are injured enough by other weapons,” Mary said. “It occurs naturally in volcanoes, which is why you are more likely to find fairies in the woods or by the sea. There are some fairies that have the power to stand up to the elements, but the majority of us cannot.”
“Good to know,” Rose whispered. “In the meantime, I’ll keep you safe as we go the caverns.”
“We likely won’t have to worry,” Mary said, even though she shivered. “But it’s best not to tempt fate.”
“That’s true.”
“The path leads through the caverns,” Philip said. “We’ll need to stick together while we’re in there.”
“There are still some enchantments in place from pixies,” Mary warned. “So we need to watch out for them as much as we need to watch out for Magdust traders.”
“Pixie magic, huh?” Philip grinned. “I’d forgotten about that. But then, this is the Wandering Caverns, isn’t it?”
“What are you worried about?” Rose asked.
Mary tugged on her dress, nervous and distressed. “This place is one of the places where the pixies made the tunnels shift as you walk through them,” she said. “It might be hard to navigate. I can’t read pixie magic the way I can fairy magic.”
Ethan came up beside Rose. “Are we really going to go in there?”
“Yes, Ethan,” Philip answered. “Yes, we’ll need to go into the caves. It’s only for a little while.”
“I don’t have anything on the map for it,” Ethan said, brandishing one of the many scrolls he carried in his pack.
“The forest has a trail,” Philip replied. “The map just doesn’t show that the main path leads through a cave. We’re still going in the right direction.”
“If it’s enchanted I don’t like the idea of going in,” Ethan said. “Especially without a solid map of the place and rumors of the illegal traders.”
“We’ll just have to be careful about it,” Rose said. She halted her mare and dismounted. “We’ve had similar situations before.”
“Yeah, which is why I’m nervous about it,” Ethan told her.
Rose pretended she didn’t hear his remark. “Let’s go ahead and partner up as we go into the cave. I’ll lead.”
“But what if you don’t know which way to go?” Philip asked. “I should lead on this one, Rose.”
“You can stay behind me,” Rose told him. “And anyway, you just said that the main trail just went through the cavern. How hard could it be to follow the map while we’re in the cave?”
Mary chimed in. “If Rose leads,” she said, “I’ll be able to light the way for everyone better. And Philip can be on the lookout for the traders, since he is more familiar with the cave.”
“I’m not familiar with the cave. I’m only familiar with the path on the map,” Philip insisted, but he was largely ignored as Rose and Ethan studied the map together.
“What’s wrong?” Theo asked, coming up beside them.
“Nothing,” Rose told him. “We’re checking the map.”
“We need to get in pairs,” Ethan said. “Mary and Rose can go in front, since that will help with lighting. And Mary can sense some magic, so it might be good to have her out in front.”
Philip looked over at Theo. “We can follow them,” he said. “You take one side, I’ll take the other, and we’ll be able to anticipate any trouble for Rose or for Ethan and Sophia.”
“Why do I have to be paired up with Ethan?” Sophia asked. She had already dismounted from her horse, and she was tapping her foot impatiently.
“Just do it,” Rose said. “If Ronan were here, I would protect him.”
“Easy for you to say since he’s not,” Sophia accused, but she took her place beside Ethan without further protest.
“The guards will be able to protect the rear,” Rose said. “Swords out and ready, but be sure before you strike. The pixies who might be in here have never been a threat to Rhone.”
Rose was glad to see there were no objections as they headed in.
Once she was in the cave, Rose couldn’t help slowing her steps. She found her eyes lingering on some of the crystalline rocks; they were colored and bright, cheery enough to dispel any forethought of danger.
“This place is beautiful,” she whispered to Mary.
“The pixies are a studious lot,” Mary said. “They value beauty above nature. I wouldn’t be surprised to find several of these crystals have been curated specifically for their magic.”
“The crystals hold magic in them?” Rose asked.
“Not all of them. But some of them, I’m sure. These are likely fake, to distract any marauders from finding the real treasure.”
“Distraction,” Rose murmured thoughtfully.
“Yes,” Mary agreed.
They walked slowly through the cave. Time passed by at an unknowing pace, as they made their way deeper into the heart of the cave.
Eventually, Rose started to notice the hard ground beneath her boots. She blinked and realized she had to have been walking for at least an hour.
Philip further interrupted the spell that had fallen on them when he announced, “We’re almost halfway through the cave.”
Rose glanced back. “Everyone doing okay?”
A small round of murmurs, replying in the affirmative with their words and in the negative with their tone, answered her query. The roof of the cave began to curl back, opening up into a larger room, where light poked through the roof and fell on the shimmering crystal-lined walls. They glowed with a brilliant light. Rose faltered as she watched the twinkling colors blink at her. She called back to her crew. “We can take a break up here for a little while.”
“That’s a relief,” Mary murmured, as she settled onto Rose’s mare.
Rose giggled. “You seem rather comfy,” she said.
“It does not mean I wouldn’t like a break.”
The rest of her friends and traveling companions agreed with more cheerfulness. The thought of water, food, and sitting down stopped several of their echoed grumblings.
Rose was glancing up at the ceiling as it opened up into an even larger cavern when she heard Philip call, “Watch out, Rose!”
“What? What is it?”
He never had to answer her. Rose saw a pair of big, burly shadows detach from the side of the cave and step out in front of her. “Traders!” Rose brandished her sword.
A small band appeared behind the men, their own weapons held aloft and ready to strike.
Time to fight! Rose stepped forward.
Everything seemed to happen at once. The band of traders rushed at them, but Rose ducked and rolled, sending some of them falling fast. Theo and Philip teamed up to take down several of the men surrounding Rose, while Sophia, Ethan, and the rest of the guards alternatively protected the supplies and attacked the traders who came too close to their camp.
Rose heard her horse jitter nervously, and she hurried to calm her. Before she could tighten her grip on her bridle, the horse reared and headed off, further into the cave, while Mary screamed in fear.
“Mary!” Rose cried, watching as her fairy clung to the horse’s mane.
“Go get her, Rose,” Theo yelled, charging toward the men. He pushed Rose forward, sending her running. “We can cover for you.”
“But—”
“Just go, Rose,” Philip called out. He blocked another opponent, fighting with a new bandit who appeared behind them.
Rose sighed as her horse neighed again, the terror in the beast’s cry echoing back into the atrium. “I’ll be back as soon as I can!” Rose turned and headed after her horse.
It didn’t take her long to catch up with the wayward horse; she caught up with them to find Mary had cast a spell on the horse, rendering the horse motionless.
“Mary!” Rose called. “I’m glad you’re safe.”
“I forgot I can do magic,” Mary admitted sheepishly. “I know, I know. But I was taken off guard when she started running.”
Rose gave her a nervous laugh. “I understand. I’m just glad you’re okay. You can unfreeze her now.”
As the mare became animated once more, Rose’s hands tightened around the reins. The horse skittered around fretfully, still in mid-motion. Rose fought to keep her footing, while Mary continued to cling onto the horse tightly.
As Rose managed to stop her frightened mare, she noticed the fighting behind her had gone quiet.
Rose turned around and saw she was suddenly alone with Mary and her horse. She ran back in the direction she had come, only to find the blackened walls of the cavern wall had closed in on her.
“Rose,” Mary said. “We must have stepped into a trap.” She jumped from the mare’s back into the hood of Rose’s cloak.
“We need to step out of it then,” Rose said, circling the small, circular cave. “Stay down in case this was a trap set by the Magdust traders.”
A familiar voice spoke out of the shadows. “I wouldn’t worry about the Magdust traders. Your friends are fighting them as we speak. They’re winning, too, which is really no surprise. Not after the Eastern Warlords you battled two years ago.”
Rose gasped, hurriedly raising her sword into a fighting position as Magdalina’s bright face appeared out of the darkness.
Rose’s hands held fast to her hilt, and she was determined to fight the ruler of the fairies who had cursed her.
This is it! I can be free, if I can defeat her.
“What are you doing here, Magdalina?” Rose asked. “Have you come to punish the traders?”
“Why, no,” Magdalina said. “The fairyfolk have largely rejected me as a member of their community, even though I am their leader. It doesn’t actually bother me if they are killed. But I thought that it would be a good reason to have you come this way.”
Rose faltered only slightly. “Why did you want us to come here, if not to punish the traders?”
“Well, your friends are taking care of them for me now,” Magdalina said. “Just take a look, if you want.”
A white hand wafted gracefully out of the darkness, and pointed to the wall to Rose’s side. Rose glanced over to see the rock turn transparent. She watched as several bandits attacked her friends. She could hear their shouts and the clash of their swords against the enemy’s blades.
She could only allow it a second of her time before she turned her full attention back to Magdalina. To her credit, Magdalina had not moved, so far as Rose could see. Her eyes adjusted to the dark, and she thought she could make out the edges of Magdalina’s black robes and the high atora on her head. Her magical staff appeared in her hands as she began to walk toward Rose.
Rose saw the small gleam of her sword’s ruby. The dragon’s blood was reacting to Magdalina’s presence.
Rose took a strong step forward, her sword ready to strike. She let it swipe down hard, but the second before it touched her, Magdalina disappeared.
“Come out and fight,” Rose called. “You coward!”
“I hardly call being smart enough to avoid death being a coward.”
“You dodge battles and place curses on innocent children,” Rose scoffed. “I’d say that’s pretty cowardly. You punished me when I was just a baby. I didn’t do anything to you.”
“I know.”
Rose gritted her teeth together. “How is that not being a coward?”
“I told you before, I was punishing your father,” Magdalina said.
“Why?” Rose blurted out, as she dropped her sword ever so slightly. She hoped Magdalina would see it as exhaustion. Beside her, she could still see through the rock wall, where Philip, Theo, and the guards were leading the attack against a large band of men.
She knew she had to defeat Magdalina, and the quicker she was able to take care of her, the sooner she could join her friends.
“Even if you cursed me to punish my father, you know I have a right to fight you for what you’ve done.”
“I agree. Still, I’d rather not die,” Magdalina said. “I know you have acquired the dragon’s blood. No easy feat, and you are so young and naïve besides. You are a formidable opponent. But I don’t want to fight you.”
“Then remove the curse from me!” Rose cried, lunging out with her sword once more, searching for any target to strike. Her sword scrapped into the other side of the cave.
Magdalina appeared behind her. “I might not want to fight you, but I have something else I wish to discuss with you. I have given this a great deal of thought,” she said. “So much so that I have traveled a great distance to get here. I have decided to offer you a deal.”
Rose stopped moving, shocked. Her grip on her sword went limp, and immediately she felt Mary’s small hands grabbing onto her cloak’s collar, as if to remind her to keep her guard strong.
Rose adjusted her stance and tightened her grip. “What kind of deal?”
Magdalina’s red lips parted as she smiled. “Do you want to know what your father did to me, that I placed such a curse on you?”
“I thought we were making a deal,” Rose huffed.
“We are. I want to make the same deal with you that I made with your father.”
Rose had a hard time keeping her fighting stance strong. “What was the deal?” she finally asked, standing up straight once more. She decided that she still had plenty of time to protect herself from a possible attack. .
She kept her fingers tight against the hilt of her sword as she asked once more, “What was the deal?”
“You know enough about Rhone’s history to know that my mother was supposed to be the nation’s first queen,” Magdalina said. “When Benedict betrayed her and sealed her away, he eventually married another, a lady who was already a queen in her own land, as small as it was. Together, their rule made up the present-day borders of the kingdom.”
“So what?” Rose asked.
“So,” Magdalina said, “I could have been queen myself, once. I am Lucia’s daughter, after all.”
Rose frowned. She doubted that would have worked, considering Benedict had been the first king. He would have wanted his own offspring to rule, not Lucia’s other children.
“Since then, the fairyfolk have harbored a great deal of mistrust of the crown. Occasionally, they would try to work together. Your little friend there is proof that some within the fairy community have managed to ingratiate themselves to the monarchy.”
Rose raised her sword, protecting Mary from Magdalina’s gaze.
“I am already going to do what I can to get rid of the Magdust trade, if that was the deal,” Rose said.
The instant she heard herself say the words, she knew that was not the deal Magdalina was talking about. Magdalina had just admitted moments before that she didn’t care if the fairies were killed. They had rejected her, and only served her out of fear of her power or out of hatred for Rhone’s rulers.
“They could have had their own ruler on the throne,” Magdalina said. “So when your father came to me, I promised to give him what he wanted, in exchange for the promise that his firstborn would marry a fairy of my choice.”
“What did my father want?” Rose asked, not certain she wanted to hear.
“A child. What else?” Magdalina laughed. “He desperately wanted children. He is getting old, haven’t you noticed? He was married to Leea for many years before they had you and your half-siblings.”
“The King told me that he’d received word from a prophet of the church that I was going to be born and I would save the crown,” Rose said, feeling foolish for even saying it.
Magdalina waved her arm dismissively. “So?” she said. “If that’s true, it still does not make a difference. I don’t care if you save the crown. In fact, I hope you do.”
She took another step toward Rose. “Here is my deal: I want you to marry my son, and make him King of Rhone.”
“What?” Rose tasted the bile at the thought. “Never. That’s a terrible deal. And it’s annoying. Why are so many people so concerned about me getting married? Haven’t I proven that I’m more than some marriage prize?”
“You should consider it an honor,” Magdalina said. “Men might be seen as the great conquerors of the world, but look at all the destruction they leave in their wake. Men destroy things, men shape things. But they cannot create new life. Only a woman has the power to create life, to create a new path for an old world to walk.”
Rose felt her mouth drop open, unsure of her complete reaction. Magdalina had a point. “It still seems unfair.”
“Oh, do stop worrying so much about what is unfair with this world,” Magdalina muttered. “Life isn’t fair, Princess, and you and I are prime examples. But the fact remains, if you want me to remove the curse I placed on you, I will, but only if you agree to marry my son, Everon, and make him the next ruler of Rhone. Whole civilizations depend on their women, and you have the chance to end the decades of distrust between my family and my subjects.”
Pure rage ate at Rose’s insides.
“So there you have it. All you have to do is marry my son, and I will free you from my curse, even at the cost of my own life.”
Rose glanced down as Magdalina held up her wrist. She said before she had put a blood seal on the spell, Rose recalled.
Rose turned her attention back to her sword.
As if she knew what Rose was thinking, Magdalina laughed. “Please. You won’t kill me. All I have to do is avoid you.”
“You can’t avoid me forever!” Rose yelled back.
“I don’t have to avoid you forever,” Magdalina said. “I only have to wait until your eighteenth birthday. It’s less than a year away now, isn’t it? How much longer do I have to wait? Only about five months, right?”
Rose said nothing at her taunting; she only took another step forward, securing the hilt of her sword in both hands.
“Maybe as you get closer to the date, you’ll reconsider my offer. I’ll give you until then for you to decide. That seems fair, doesn’t it? I should give you everything up until the moment when you have to choose between marriage to my son and fateful sleep.” Magdalina’s voice was smooth with confidence and power. Her elegance made Rose feel even more helpless when it came to her fate.
“I’ll never succumb to the curse,” Rose declared. “I’ll never choose either. Never!”
“We will see,” Magdalina replied, before she disappeared in a ball of greenish flames. A flurry of stormy wind blew out from the center of her power, pushing Rose back up against her horse.
They were once more alone; Rose could hear her friends fighting in the distance once more.
“Rose,” Mary gasped. “Are you alright?”
Rose felt her body shake, as she struggled to maintain her posture. Her legs felt weak. “I’m fine,” she lied, trying to steady herself.
“I’m here for you,” Mary whispered.
“I wish it were so easy,” Rose said, her voice cracking. She put a hand to her throat, forcing herself not to cry, no matter how angry or sad she was.
Mary’s tiny caress of her hair made her feel better as she slumped against the floor. “How do we get out of here?” Rose asked. “We have to go and help the others.”
“I can try a spell,” Mary offered. “I wasn’t able to work my magic while I was so close to Magdalina. She is much more powerful than I am.”
“I was hoping so much, that I would be able to defeat her.”
“I know.” Mary wrapped her arms around Rose’s wrist. “She has always been a formidable opponent. We can learn from this.”
“I already have,” Rose assured her. “Dragon’s blood won’t be enough to kill her. I’ll need help fighting her, too.”
Mary only nodded.
A few moments passed, as Rose rested and tried to regain her focus. She eventually stood up and went back to her horse.
“Rose?” Mary whispered.
“What is it?”
“What do you think of her deal?” Mary asked. “Do you think you will accept it?”
“I might be cursed to sleep forever after I turn eighteen,” Rose said, “but it would still be better than being married to Magdalina’s son. Theo wants his own revenge against Everon, too, don’t forget.”
“You said you’d never choose to let your curse be fulfilled,” Mary pointed out.
“And I never will,” Rose said. “I’m going to defeat her, no matter what, Mary. I have to.”
Mary patted her shoulder reassuringly. “Maybe her deal is still something we can work with.”
Rose shook her head. “I’m not even going to consider it,” she said. “I don’t want you to tell anyone what she told me.”
“But, Rose, we might—”
“No.” Rose shook her head. “No, Mary. Do not tell anyone about this. Especially Theo. Do you hear me?”
“But it’s your life.”
“And it would be my life that would be ruined,” Rose argued. She sighed. “You know what my greatest fear was, Mary? The one I confronted when I battled the dragon for his blood?”
Mary was silent.
“I want a family. My own family, with my own husband and my own children,” Rose said. “Children, who know they are loved and treasured. I want to rule Rhone one day and I will never forgive myself if I cannot free myself from my curse. The idea that I will never be loved, the idea that no one will be able to marry me and start a family with me—it’s too much to bear. It’s too hard to even admit to myself!”
“But Rose....”
“The very idea that I would marry a fairy like Everon, who is little more than Magdalina’s glorified bodyguard or her main stooge, is not only sickening, it is unforgivably vile.” Rose shook her head. “I guess at least, if my curse is fulfilled, Isra will be able to inherit the throne.”
Another realization struck her, and left her feeling dazed. Isra ... my half-sister, from what Magdalina just told me.
“Mary, what did Magdalina mean when she said that Isra and Ronan were my half-siblings?” Rose asked. “They will still be able to inherit the throne, won’t they?”
Mary shook her head. “I don’t know, Rose. I don’t know.”
“Was she telling the truth?”
“I don’t know,” Mary insisted. “That’s something we will have to ask your mother when we get back to Rhone.”
“Well, let’s round up these Magdust traders,” Rose said, “and then get back on the road. If our answers are in Rhone, I want to get there as quickly as I can.”