The Crown Prophecy

Chapter 15

When Serena was finally well enough to return to the kitchens, she worked at a slower pace than usual, meaning that Permelia, James, Franc, and I were left to pick up the slack.

I didn’t blame her at all, of course, but the extra hours were starting to wear on me.

They hadn’t found the would-be poisoner and nothing out of the ordinary had happened since, but it had Maddox on edge. She frequented the kitchens, looking for any evidence she had missed. The kitchen staff had all been questioned, but the investigation seemed to hit a dead end and the captain was visibly frustrated by her lack of progress. The transition of power, she said, was a tenuous time, and if Falerin were to try anything, it would likely be now.

There were now tasters before every meal (a job that I did not envy) and the security at the gate had been doubled.

Still, I heard whispers around the castle that disappearances had picked up slightly in the outer towns of Enorias. Evander had no practice holding the wards. His mother was still unconscious, and though the healers had said that they hoped she would recover now that her magic wasn’t being overextended, I could tell it was more of a wish than a medical truth from the way the servants walked around as if they were preparing themselves for the inevitable. Queen Evalina, it seemed, was deeply beloved here, and her condition had a deep impact on the mood around the castle, which had become somber and tense.

Mellie managed to remain bright and optimistic, clinging to the possibility that her friend would recover, but there were moments where I could see her facade crack as she leaned against the counter with both hands and stared down at the worktop for minutes at a time, whatever she was working on forgotten.

The few glimpses of Evander I had caught in the halls and while serving meals were enough to make me truly worried for him. In just a matter of days, his complexion had gone from healthy and robust to greyed and drawn. Though I was careful never to meet his gaze, the glances I stole when he wasn’t looking my way were enough to see that the light was gone from his eyes.

Was anticipatory grief eating at him, or had the demands of the Crown drained him this quickly? I couldn’t imagine his massive display of magic in the trial room left much in his reserves. Taking the throne when he was already so depleted . . . the guilt settled heavily in my stomach.

Lost in thought, I nearly missed the soft knock on my door. I padded over, expecting to see Mellie on the other side. To my surprise, I instead found Colette.

It had been four days since the incident in Vanessa’s room, and we hadn’t spoken since. I didn’t have anything to say that wouldn’t be hurtful, and as angry as I was, I recognized that Colette wasn’t the one who deserved the brunt of it.

“Can I come in?” she asked, not meeting my eyes.

Stepping aside, I gestured towards the room in assent.

She paced for a few seconds, gathering up the courage to say what she needed to.

“Look, I understand that you’re really angry right now, and you have a right to be. What Vanessa did wasn’t fair and I’m furious at her for putting us in this position, but you have to understand that she was only trying to keep me safe. If people found out the reason I was really here, I’d probably be asked to leave. I know you trust the king, but there are a lot of other people in this castle that wouldn’t take kindly to a woman choosing a guard’s daughter over the monarch, or finding out that she hid it and took up castle resources to stay anyway . . .” She looked at me, her eyes pleading with me to understand.

And I did. I was still angry at the situation, but she wasn’t the one who had tried to wipe my mind.

I sighed. I missed my friend.

“So . . . how did you two meet?”

Colette crushed me in a hug.

“Thank you, Quinn,” she sniffled.

I pulled her over and we sat cross-legged on the bed as she told me the story.

“It was in the summer months. Maddox and a few other guards showed up at my house to let us know in advance that we’d be receiving a royal summons. They didn’t say what it was about, and my Papa and I were terrified. He runs a little plant nursery in the village and would never hurt anyone, so we had no idea why they would want to take me to the castle.

“Maddox must’ve picked up on our panic, because she disappeared for a few minutes and came back from the carriages with Vanessa, saying she had been summoned too. I think they meant for her to be more relatable, sort of calm me down a bit. After a few minutes of chatting, she asked if she could write me, and we started exchanging letters after that . . .'' Colette trailed off, a dreamy look in her eyes. “A few weeks later I came here, not knowing anything other than what Nessa was able to write me in code. I didn’t expect to be competing to become a broodmare.” She made a face at that.

I took the opportunity to ask what had happened in the last trial.

“Vanessa had it easy,” Colette said, rolling her eyes. “They locked her in a room with her proctor and chained her to an interrogation chair. All she had to do was convince the guard to let her out. It took her two minutes at the most.”

“And you?” I asked. Colette looked away.

“It was,” she shuddered, “not what I expected.” A few long seconds passed before she spoke again.

“There was another green-Wielder who wrapped me in vines, and I had to convince the plants to loosen and let me out. I spent so much time working on making the plants function as extensions of myself. I didn’t anticipate them using them against me. They kept getting tighter and tighter and I couldn’t raise my arms to cast.” Her voice sped up as she spoke, reliving the panic. “Eventually, I managed it, but for a while there I wasn’t sure I would. I wasn’t sure how far they’d go.” She swallowed.

“And Evander?” I asked, horrified.

“What about him?”

“What was he doing during all of this?”

She shrugged. “He wasn’t there.”

“He wasn’t there? For any of it?”

“I mean, his mother . . .” Colette said.

Of course I understood if Evander needed some time to process the news of his mother’s condition, but couldn’t they have delayed the trials for a day?

“He needed to be there.” He needed to cast with the women and figure out how his magic interacted with theirs, but he hadn’t even had the chance. I prayed to the gods it wasn’t because of what he’d said the night before; he must've known that things had changed.

“Well, he’ll be at the next one,” Colette said. “That’s actually what I came to talk to you about.” She braced herself for my reaction before continuing. “The final trial is being moved up to next week.”

My face fell as her words registered. I knew I shouldn’t feel shocked. I knew this was a good thing for him. But that knowledge didn’t stop the tears from coming, hot and angry.

Colette took my hands in hers, comforting me without forcing me to acknowledge the ugly emotions I was feeling.

Perhaps it was wishful thinking, but as my mind turned everything over again, desperate for an answer that would help us both, I kept getting stuck on the handful of moments I couldn’t explain in the last few months: my talk with Maddox, the breath I took in the tank, the way Vanessa’s eyes flashed at me but had no effect. If she were powerful enough to convince a fully-trained guard to bend to her will in less than two minutes, why hadn’t her magic worked on me?

“Colette,” I asked tentatively, “do you think it’s possible for magic to be dormant in someone? Hypothetically.”

She cocked her head and narrowed her eyes. “I have no idea. Why?”

Finally, I told her everything. When I finished, she looked at me with a strange mixture of skepticism and hope.

“That does sound like some of the accidental magic manifestations I experienced when I was young, before I had learned to Wield my powers properly, but . . .”

“Don’t sugarcoat it.”

“It’s just that all the instances were so varied,” she began. “For me, everything was always about plants, you know? Every time I presented magically it had something to do with my specific Gift. And I’ve never heard of it manifesting in anyone older than ten.”

I sighed. I’d guessed as much, but my godsdamned heart still sank as she said it.

It must’ve shown on my face because she quickly interjected, “I could be wrong!” She stood up and beckoned me to follow her. “Let’s try something.”

She demonstrated her casting stance.

“Feet wide, hands up. I like to imagine a beam of light coming down through the top of my head and out through my hands.”

I mimicked her, feeling a bit foolish, but didn’t feel anything.

“Give it a second,” she coached. “Imagine the magic filling you up before it pours out. It takes some patience at first.”

Another minute passed as I adjusted my arms awkwardly at various angles to see if it might make a difference.

“Still nothing,” I said dejectedly, letting my arms drop.

“You could keep trying,” Colette offered. “When you don’t know what your Gift is and can’t visualize what you want to happen, it’s much harder. That’s why Wielder children are taught to wait until they manifest fully.”

I shrugged it off. “I prayed to every god I could think of when I was stuck in that tank, asking them to bless me and get me out. One of them must’ve taken pity on me. That’s all it was, I’m sure.”

“And Vanessa?” Colette asked.

I didn’t have an answer for that, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up.

“I’ll keep trying,” I promised, even as I doubted it would help.

Colette was silent for a moment before steeling herself and turning towards me with determination, her mouth set into a hard line.

“There might be another way,” she said. “I need you to be honest with me, because I know this isn’t a fair thing to ask of you, but I don’t see a better option for either of us right now.” She took a deep breath. “I want you to ask the king to choose me.”

My mind went blank and I stared at her for a few long seconds, trying to process what she had asked.

“Think about it,” she urged. “I could help him rule, put my powers to use, and stay in the castle, but the relationship would be just for show. I could be with Vanessa, and you and King Evander . . .”

What would that make me? His mistress? My stomach soured at the idea. But I also couldn’t bear the thought of him in a real marriage, with a real wife and real love. It was unfair, I knew, but every facet of this situation was unfair.

“It’s not that simple, Colette,” I said, shaking my head. “Part of the reason this competition is being held is because there are certain . . . conditions they’re testing for,” I wheedled.

“What conditions?” she asked.

I took a moment to weigh my options. I didn’t want to betray Evander’s trust, but Colette had just as much a chance as anyone else here of being the match. Maybe we could outsmart this after all.

Finally, I let out a long breath and told her about the prophecy.

“Basically,” I finished, “he needs someone whose magic is compatible with his.”

“So we test it!” she urged. “We have to at least give it a try!”

It was far from a perfect solution, but it was better than any of the alternatives. Maybe removing the pressure of a loveless marriage would spark something new if he cast with Colette. Maybe magic would be enough after all.

I tried to tamp down that stubborn spark of hope.

“We should try,” I agreed.

. . .

A handful of too-short moments later, I found myself at Evander’s door again. If I didn’t talk to him now, I knew I would lose my nerve altogether. A (large) part of me hated this plan, but at least with Colette, I knew he would be safe and respected. She would care about their people and work hard to ensure the safety of the kingdom. I was leaving myself out of it. This might be his best chance.

My familiar three knocks had never sounded so deafening. A few seconds passed with no reply.

He must be out, I thought, my shoulders slumping. I would have to convince myself to do this all over again.

But just as I turned to leave, the door opened. Evander met my gaze for a moment, his expression barely changing, and wordlessly invited me in.

He looked so tired.

The sight had a small intake of breath catching in my throat.

“Evander–” I gasped. “I mean, King Evander . . .”

“Back to that now, are we?” His forlorn smile lacked the playful bite I knew he was aiming for.

“Are you all right?” I couldn’t help but ask the question, though I already knew the answer.

He let out a hopeless laugh that sounded almost hysterical.

“All right? No,” he ran a hand through his hair. “No, I’m not all right.” I was reminded of a caged animal as he paced the room frenetically.

It had only been a few days, and in many ways he was unchanged. His hair was still the deep brown of dark chocolate, his build still strong, but somehow he looked . . . hollow was the best word, I supposed.

“Days,” he said. “Days, Quinn, and I already feel like I’m fading away. My mother did this for years.” He shook his head.

“You haven’t had any training,” I said, feeling the familiar urge to protect him from himself. “And she had years of practice with someone by her side first.”

“She wasn’t even there,” he whispered. “At my coronation. She wasn’t even there. It might already be too late.” He stopped himself abruptly, stilling in place and turning to face me. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be burdening you with all this.”

“No apologizing, remember?” I said softly.

“There aren’t enough apologies in the world to express the regret I feel about how all of this has turned out. I’m so sorry.”

I didn’t even have the heart to banter with him. Seeing him like this . . . it scared me. We needed to fix this as quickly as possible.

“Evander,” I broached, “I have a plan, and before you say no I need you to listen to all of it.”

He didn’t miss a beat. “All right,” he said, all the trust in the world bringing a tiny speck of light back into those cerulean eyes.

So I sat and explained everything. Or almost everything. It felt best to keep out the part about us, but I made sure he knew the truth about Colette’s affections being engaged elsewhere. This would be a political alliance. He had to know that.

“Vanessa, huh?” he asked, amused. “Good for her. I don’t know why she didn’t come to me with any of this, but she’s always been so stubborn. Never known how to deal with her feelings.”

I relayed the plan, forcing my tone to stay neutral and unbiased. He deserved that much. When I was done, he stared me down for a moment, considering, before declaring, “I hate it.”

“I do too,” I admitted. “But do you have a better plan?”

Evander shook his head.

“I don’t know if it works that way, though, Quinn. It’s not just about the magic itself. I think there has to be a basic chemistry there.” He paused a moment before continuing with an exasperated sigh. “I have to admit, though, I have about as much of a connection with her as I do anyone else in this contest.”

“What about Vanessa?” I asked. I was sure he had already considered it.

“Gods, no,” he said. “She’s like my sister.”

“Still,” I coaxed, “if it were purely political . . . And I’m sure she could find an excuse to keep Colette and her father in the castle. Head of groundskeeping or something?”

“I’ll have to cast with all of them in a few days regardless,” he said. “We might as well try to get ahead of it.”

“Then I’ll go get them now.” I jumped out of my chair and headed toward the door before either of us could change our minds.

“Quinn.” He stopped me just before I crossed through the threshold. “I would never try to keep you hidden like a dirty secret.”

I swallowed, not trusting myself enough to turn around and face him and remain neutral. “No, Evander, I wouldn’t–”

“But,” he cut me off, “I need you to know that whatever tiny pieces of you I can earn, I will take, and I will not be sorry. I would spend my life trying to make that enough for you, but I would also understand if you needed to walk away.”

Swallowing down an emotion I didn’t dare name, I nodded and went to retrieve my friends.