Cursed by the Phantom Prince (Once Upon A Curse)

Chapter 19

19

RHAN

T he double doors leading into the throne room were massive, made from oak and still held a slight woodsy scent to them. Gold inlays decorated the surface in intricate patterns. Rose bushes littered the bottom as thorny vines zig zagged they’re way down from the top. In the middle was the Dawn Court crest, a sword pointing downward with a crown of roses and thorns positioned around the pommel. It resembled the door leading to my mother’s private rooms, but this was on a whole other scale.

As we approached the doors swung inward, allowing us passage into the room beyond. Stepping into the throne room was like being transported to a point when time was a passing thought. The stone floor and walls were ageless and worn from centuries of use. I could feel that the walls were drenched in magic while the souls of past monarchs guarded the throne.

I studied the history of this court in a desperate need to understand the land and its people if I were to rule them one day. This room was one of the oldest places in the realm. History had been made here, the room had seen monarchs come and go. It was rumored that it had also been a meeting place for the gods, a place for conversation and knowledge. The walls held secrets while the floor seemed to breathe on its own.

Queen Róisín stood in front of the massive wooden throne made from the same wood as the doors. Roses had been carved into its surface while real flowers had been placed in every imperfection The crown the queen wore on her head was the exact match to the crown depicted on the door. Her cool green eyes watched as I made my way further into the room, not daring to react when the doors banged shut behind me, making me want to shiver. I remained straight backed and regal all the way to the steps leading to up to the throne platform.

I paused at the bottom step, gathered my skirts and with deliberate movements I curtsied. My eyes remained focused on the queen’s as I held my bent position and would hold it for however long I needed to.

Seconds ticked by, leading to minutes and still the queen held my gaze as I remained poised in my position. My muscles began to protest as my forehead began to sweat, while the hands squeezed the material of my skirts as I commanded my body to remain still.

“Rise my daughter,” the queen finally said, gesturing for me to climb the stairs and join her. She met me halfway, her hand extended. I took it without hesitation, her grip steady and sure and she walked with me up the rest of the stairs. “Magnificent,” she praised, making me want to sigh in relief.

The queen released me and swept to the throne, turning to sit delicately on the seat. At her direction I took up my position on the right side, adjusting my dress so it pooled around my feet. Lady’s nails clicked on the stone floor as she positioned herself behind me and to my right. Rea and Lir soon joined her, giving me a moment to compose myself and to take in the situation.

I was still in the dark as to why the queen had called this meeting. I was also happy to note that Fionn, my mother's consort, was nowhere to be seen. His absence meant that I didn’t have to guard my words too closely, which was a relief.

Rea took a step toward me; I angled my head so I could hear what she was going to tell me. “I overheard one of the guards saying that the army has been mobilized. That’s why Fionn isn’t here.”

My eyes widened and I gulped. This was serious. Whatever was happening the queen had taken every precaution. I bit my tongue, fighting the urge to ask my mother what was happening, but she was staring straight ahead at the throne room door I’d just come through.

A knock sounded right before the great doors swung open revealing my uncle, the Sun Court King, and my cousin Fiskh. Behind them were several members of the Flare guard, followed by Larek. All three were dressed elegantly in the colors representing their courts. Green and yellow with touches of orange for the Sun Court and white and silver for the Court of Stars.

I watched them enter the room, a frown on my face when neither of them looked at me or acknowledged that I was there. They bowed respectfully to the queen before moving to the side, leaving the middle of the room clear.

I opened my mouth to ask my mother the burning question but she spoke before I could. “History will be made today,” she whispered, holding out her hand. My palm met hers as I held her hand; the touch was steady and strong which actually helped relieve some of my earlier tension. “Whatever happens, remember that you are the future queen of this court. No one can take that away from you. Not even me.”

Another knock echoed through the room, preventing me from replying. Everyone’s focus centered on the doors, waiting for them to open and reveal the reason we were all gathered here like this. The queen’s grip on my hand didn’t loosen and I found it comforting.

Nothing happened for several minutes, as everyone waited with bated breath as the seconds ticked by. This was a regular tactic among the Fae. This meeting was a request and by agreeing to it the requesting party were reliant on the queen’s whim. It was considered rude to be impatient when this was a favor granted with etiquette in mind.

Finally, the queen waved her other hand and the door began to open. I sucked in air as the people on the opposite side were revealed. They were dressed in all black just like Lir. The leader was the oldest Fae that I had ever seen. His hair was long and ghostly white. The skin on his face sagged and was wrinkly like he had never smiled. His eyes were dark but I couldn’t make out the color because of the distance between us.

As the Fae stepped into the room, the temperature dropped, making me fight a violent shiver that threatened to overwhelm me. Foreboding made me want to take a step back but the queen’s hand in mine and my own stubbornness prevented me from moving.

The entourage approached the stairs as the temperature dropped further to icy. Who were these people?

The group stopped at the bottom step, everyone bowed while the wizened old Fae inclined his head slightly.

“Greetings to the Court of Dawn,” the lead Fae said, his voice surprisingly clear for one appearing to be older than the realm itself. “I am Helio, King of the Moon Court. I’m here to discuss an important matter with your Majesty regarding the proposal my son sent for your daughter’s hand in marriage.”

Murmurs and whispers sounded from every corner of the room. The court hadn’t been told about the proposal and from the looks on my uncle and cousin’s faces, they hadn’t known either. My spine remained rigid as all eyes turned to stare at me, obviously looking for some sort of reaction. I was determined to disappoint them to stave off gossip.

“I received your proposal a little more than a day ago. I haven’t had the chance to draft a response before news of your visit reached my ears. Do you not trust your ambassador to negotiate on your behalf or was something left out?” The queen asked, slightly annoyed.

“On the contrary Your Grace, I do trust my ambassador,” the king turned to where Larek stood and nodded his head at the Court of Stars Prince. “I’m here for another reason.”

Everyone froze as his words registered, I narrowed my eyes at the old Fae, wondering if this warning was just a cleverly disguised threat.

“What reason is that? Not only have you showed up on my doorstep under the guise of a simple meeting, while an army of Moon Court soldiers waits at the shore. What do you plan to accomplish with this show of force? Attacking my court will not end well for you.”

“My soldiers are standing by for my safety and that is all,” Helio assured her quickly. “I’m not here to cause any sort of upheaval or distress. I came here because I found something concerning and in good faith thought it best to come myself so there would be no confusion.”

“I’m listening,” the queen snapped, her light green eyes narrowing on the Moon Court King with mild contempt.

“There is someone in this court who isn’t what he appears to be.”

“That is a generalization. You’ll need to be more specific if you hope to win any sort of favor from me.”

“Apologies, Your Grace. You see, I was alerted sometime yesterday that my son is missing.”

“Missing?” The Queen asked for clarity while my mind was spinning out of control. How could a court prince go missing? “Do you think it was foul play? Because I can assure you, my court had nothing to do with it.”

“I thought that at first until I did a little more investigating and found where my son had run off too.”

“Get to the point,” the queen growled and I didn’t blame her one bit for getting irritated. The Moon King seemed to be taking his time in answering fully.

“I found my son’s most trusted guard on leave in my court. However, I was surprised to find that the same guard had been sent with the Court of Stars delegation to act as protection for the Court of Dawn Princess. Curious how this soldier could be in two places at once.”

I frowned, trying to think if I’d seen any other Black Guard from the Moon court accompanying Larek and Lir. What I knew is that it was only the two aforementioned Fae of rank. Did the prince somehow sneak out of his court with his delegation? If he had, what would be the purpose? To spy on the queen and me was the obvious answer, but he was the prince who could surely give that duty to someone else. The thought of him coming himself was absurd but plausible.

“Call your soldier and we shall put an end to this mystery.”

“The guard’s name is Lir,” the Moon Court King announced, and all eyes turned to the lone Black Guard in the room standing behind me on my right.

“Please step forward, Lir,” the Queen commanded, never taking her eyes from the enemy King, trusting that Lir would obey.

I was rooted to the spot, unable to look at Lir as he took several steps forward so the queen could see him. There was no way he had anything to do with it. This all seemed like a complete misunderstanding. The king was old so maybe he had gone senile in his old age and wasn’t thinking clearly. There was no other option for it.

“Is this the guard you speak of?” the queen asked the King, gesturing to Lir. At his nod the queen then turned her focus to the Black Guard. “Are you the guard Lir, from the Moon Court sent by the Prince to guard the Princess until an agreement has been reached about the potential marriage?”

The room went deathly quiet. Everyone in attendance held their breath and waited for Lir to answer the queen.