A Tale of Two Princesses (31 page)

     "Celeste, I am so sorry for the loss of your mother," Court said, looking back up.

     Celeste smiled a delicate smile. "Thank you, Court. It is a tragedy for me beyond compare, to lose both my parents and to govern this kingdom on my own. My only solace is that in six days time, you and I will be wed, and I will have the support I need to make my parents proud."

     "Of course, you will, Celeste. I will always be by your side."

     "I know you will, my king."

     Court gave her a troubled look. "Might I speak to Sienna?"

     Celeste's eyes narrowed. "Whatever for?"

     "I do not know. I, I feel I must at least ask her why she did it."

     "Have I not already laid out her motives?"

     "You have, yes, but I have lost all my men in the pursuit of saving her life, and if she is to die, I must at least speak to her beforehand."

     Celeste bowed her head. "Very well. But pray, let me speak to her first, and you may listen. I fear what lies she may spin to you, and with her so fixated on you, I do fear she may sway your heart."

     "No woman will ever sway my heart from you, Celeste. I decided the moment we kissed I would be yours for all time."

     "You are far too kind to me, Court. Come, let us speak to the girl together."

* * *

     Sienna was lying on her side, her eyes vacant as Homa petted her hair through the bars.

     "Does it hurt to be hanged?" Sienna asked.

     "Not for long, I think," Homa replied.

     "Do you think I'll see my mother in heaven?"

     "Oh, child, if ever there was a girl who deserved to pass through the gates, it is you."

     "You'll be there too?"

     "Pray, I hope so."

     "Do you think Court will ever think about me after I'm gone?"

     "Yes, I do. I think he shall never cease thinking of you."

     "Think he was mad when he found out I was under the mask?"

     "Mad, no. Surprised, certainly. It may very well have finally made sense to him. For if I may say, you were a rather unconventional princess."

     Sienna smiled. "Yeah. I'd do it just the same though."

     "Hold tight to those memories, child."

     Suddenly, from down the corridor, the other prisoners began yelling, begging, sobbing.

     "Princess! Save us!"

     "Princess! Pardon us!"

     "Princess! Forgive us!"

     "Take pity! Take pity!"

     Sienna climbed up slowly, looking through the bars as Celeste reached her cell, dressed all in black, a veil covering her face and a hood over her head, as if to shield her from this place. Sienna pressed her face to the filthy ground.

     "Your highness!"

     "My title, peasant," Celeste said, "is your majesty."

     "I'm sorry, your majesty," Sienna said, looking up slowly. "I am so honored you came to see me. Can I apologize for what I've done? Can I beg you to pass on my apology to Prince Cross? Can I beg you to let Homa and me go?"

     "Your majesty," Homa spoke up. "Please, do not sentence this girl to the gallows. I am to blame and I take my punishment willingly."

     "Homa, be silent," Celeste said. "I do not wish to hear you speak again, and if you do, I shall have you put to death this very hour."

     Homa closed her mouth and put her head down. Celeste turned her eyes to Sienna.

     "You wish to apologize to me for what you've done?"

     "I do! I am so sorry! I can only beg that you find it in your heart to forgive me!"

     "So that I might spare you the noose?"

     Sienna gulped. "Yes, your majesty. I'm so terrified. I know it was wrong to—"

     "To do what you did," Celeste interrupted. "You admit your crimes?"

     "I do. I signed a confession."

     "Help me understand why, Sienna. What possessed you to do what you did? Tell me why you betrayed the queen, why you lied to her, why you lied to Prince Cross? After all I have done for you, how could you do this to me?"

     Sienna crawled forward, holding the bars as she looked up at the queen. "I did it because, because I thought I was helping you."

     "Helping me?" Celeste said loudly, glancing to the side. "Do you think this is how I wished to be helped?"

     "I don't know," Sienna whispered. "And, to be honest, I did it because the idea of being a princess, like you, was so tempting, to step into your shoes, even for one night, who wouldn't do that?"

     Celeste smirked. "You would kill to be me, wouldn't you?"

     Sienna squinted. "I didn't mean it like that."

     "But you have already hurt so many, Sienna, my mother, me, even the prince."

     "I never meant to hurt anyone. I'm sorry."

     "Then you regret what you did? You would take it back if you could? You would never have done it?"

     "I...I..."

     "Come now; tell me you regret it at least."

     Sienna swallowed, meeting the queen's eyes. "I can't. I fell in love with Court, and the chance to be with him, even for a few moments, I'd do it all over again."

     Celeste shook her head. "Do you really think he would be with you after learning what you did?"

     "No," Sienna whispered. "I know I never had a chance with him. But, but I can't help how I feel. You're the lucky one. You're the princess. You get to have the prince. I know that. All I can do is pretend."

     Celeste smirked. "For your crimes, you will hang in six days time, on the very day of my wedding. And as you hang, do think of me and remember what you have done, and know that Prince Cross is mine for all time."

     And then Celeste stepped back and Court appeared from down the hall, his eyes falling on Sienna, blazing with an anger she had only seen aimed at the dragon.

     "Court!"

     "Sienna, how could you do this?"

     "Court, I, I didn't know you were there."

     "How could you betray the queen? I couldn't have believed you were capable of this."

     "I didn't mean to hurt the queen," Sienna said. "I know she was upset, and I wish she was still alive so I could apologize to her again, but I only did it because, because I thought it was the right thing to do."

     "You thought it was the right thing to do?" he echoed in disbelief.

     "Yes. And maybe I wanted to be a princess, just once in my life."

     "And that justifies what you did?"

     "No, it doesn't. But I started to fall in love with you, and—"

     "Do you think I could ever feel anything for you after what you've done?"

     "No. I know you can't. I know it was wrong, but I couldn't help it. Once I got to know you, I wanted it to go on and on."

     "You wanted to replace Celeste?"

     "No, of course not. I know...know I'm not a princess. I'm no one. I know that."

     "But you wanted to take the princess' place?"

     "What girl wouldn't want to be her, wouldn't want to be with you, let herself get swept away and just love you. Yes, I wanted it."

     "And you don't even regret it?" he said.

     She swallowed. "No. I'd do it all over again, just to be with you."

     "You are out of your mind," he said. "That's what's most disgusting to me, not a shred of regret."

     Sienna's heart burned and tears slipped down her cheeks. She stared at him, watching his anger boil. "I'm sorry."

     "I risked my life for you," he said quietly. "I lost ten knights protecting you, men who I have known since I was young, men who were my friends, and I did it to protect you, a lying murderer."

     Sienna pulled back, squinting. "I, I'm not a murderer."

     "What do you call it then?" he said, his voice growing loud. "Do you think you're bloodline gives you the right to kill?"

     "What? No, I don't think it does. I don't even know what you mean."

     "Prince Cross," Celeste interrupted. "I think that's enough. She knows what she did. We should leave her be."

     Court shook his head at Sienna. "I can't even look at you anymore. You deserve your fate." And then Court walked away.

     Sienna's lip was trembling. "Wait, Court. Court? Court, wait, come back! I'm sorry!"

     Celeste watched Court as he moved down the passage. And then she began laughing, quietly at first, growing louder and louder.

     "Oh, you stupid girl," Celeste said, turning her eyes to Sienna. "That worked so well."

     "What?" Sienna said.

     "You are so dumb. I love that about peasants."

     "What do you mean?" Sienna asked.

     Celeste came closer, right up to the bars, looking down at her. "You silly thing, he does not know you took my place at the masquerade ball. No one knows that. And no one ever will."

     "Huh?" Sienna said, wiping her eyes. "But, but—"

     "But what was he talking about?" Celeste said, letting out another laugh. "You imbecile, you're being put to death for the murder of the queen. You poisoned her tea a week ago. And after you met the prince, you were going to find a way back into the castle and poison me too. That is your crime. And that is what you just admitted to. How does that feel, peasant?"

     Sienna pulled away from the bars. "But, but I didn't do that."

     "Oh, really?" Celeste said. "That's funny, because you just told Prince Cross you did. You even signed a confession. You did do it, didn't you? You poisoned my dear, sweet mother. How dare you?"

     "But I didn't!"

     "Oh, stop," Celeste said, and then she squatted down, coming eye-level. "Here's something for you to think about while you hang from the rope. This kingdom is mine. I will not share it with anyone, not my father, not my mother, and not a prince from Cross. If you want him so much, stable girl, you can have him, on the other side."

     "What do you mean?" Sienna whispered.

     Celeste reached through the bars, her hand running down Sienna's golden hair, resting on her cheek. "I'll tell you a secret, but you have to promise not to tell anyone. On the night of my wedding, after Court gives me an heir, the dragon shall come again, and this time, it will come for him."

     "No," Sienna whispered.

     "Oh, yes. Vrine has worked her witchcraft well on that beast, and it will come when she calls. The whole kingdom knows how devoted the prince is to slaying the dragon, and, oh, how they'll weep when they see the new king dead. But fear not! The queen will have an heir in her belly, an heir of Cross. Cross Kingdom will remain an ally, and I will be on the throne, and you...you will be dead."

     Celeste slapped Sienna across the face, making her gasp and recoil.

     "Do give my regards to Court...in hell." Celeste laughed as she turned and walked away.

     "No. No! Wait!" Sienna cried. "Don't kill him! Please, don't!" she called, no longer able to see Celeste. "Princess, please! Just let him live! Please!"

     Sienna sobbed out, pulling against the bars in futility.

     "Oh, dear child," Homa spoke up. "I did not believe the princess could be capable of such cruelty."

     "Homa, we have to do something," Sienna said urgently. "We have to tell Court."

     "But how, child?" Homa whispered.

     Sienna broke down, holding her face. "I don't know."

* * *

     Court sat at Banyan's bar, sipping ale, his foot tapping in impatience under his stool, his glare locked on the nearby bottle, as if it were a dragon's head he were trying to intimidate.

     "Sir," Wellington spoke up from beside him, "perhaps you should rest. It has been—"

     "I don't want to rest. I feel like I must do something." He looked up. "Banyan, do you have any idea why you're niece would poison the queen?"

     Banyan rubbed the back of his neck. "Can't say, sir. Can't hardly believe it, to be honest."

     Court shook his head. The idea that Sienna was related to Celeste was one thing, not something he could share, but that didn't change Sienna's character. For her to suddenly turn from a meek stable girl to a cruel murderer... "Has she ever been violent? Ever cruel? Maybe to the horses? Maybe to the livestock? To someone else?"

     "Not right as I can say, sir," Banyan said. "Guests seemed to love her. She took care of the horses like they were her own. And truth be told, whenever we have horses, she's always happier, because she has the company there in the barn, not alone for the night. Can't ever see her hurting them."

     Court glared. "Why did you keep her in that barn, Banyan? You have a whole tavern filled with rooms."

     "Rooms for the guests. I ain't got but one room for myself. Mrs. Crockery goes home at night. Where would I put her? I tell ya, I been struggling to keep this place afloat, and when her poor mother passed on, Sienna came to my door step, fell on my shoulders. I did right by her, best I could. I'm not a rich man, sir."

     Court turned his head. "Forgive me, Banyan. I sometimes forget how commoners live."

     "No need to apologize, sir."

     "But selling her was out of line," Court said, glaring again.

     Banyan lowered his head. "Aye, you're right about that. I regret that. I wouldn't do it the same."

     Court looked away. "She was a kind girl, too kind to do something like this, to poison someone."

     "Sir," Wellington spoke up, "she admitted to it, put her name to it."

     Court stood up, walking away, passing through the tavern door. He marched to the barn, throwing the doors open and coming up to the stall on the end. Striker was there, nickering. Court began to open the stall, but then Wellington caught up.

     "Sir?"

     Court spun around. "I just can't believe it! I don't care if she told me. I don't care if she sat me down and explained it in detail. I don't care if I witnessed it with my own eyes. I can't believe it! I have to ride to the castle and ask her again!"

     "You did not know her as well as you think, sir. She was an innocent young girl, yes, but you did not know what she was capable of."