Promising Hope (46 page)

“Excuse us, Lady Grace,” Robert said.

Grace followed Robert and Kaiden back to the meeting
room where William and the others were. Kaiden bowed and paid her
proper respects. “Yesterday, Jeshro asked me to come to the castle
to see if I could heal the king. I traveled all day and night from
Belisha, and I am so sorry to learn that I’m too late. I wish to
offer my services in any way I can.”

William stood. “Jeshro asked you to come?”

“Yes, I come on his behalf,” she said, bowing her
head again. “He heard that the king was sick, and I was the nearest
Thieran.”

William gave her a curt nod. “We could use your
services, actually. Can you look at his body and tell us what
killed him?”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

William looked back at the queen, Kilar, Emile, and
the king’s scribe. “Let’s break for an hour. Mother, Kilar, if you
wish to accompany us, please do. Emile, you remember what we talked
about.” He glanced at Grace and half-smiled. “We don’t need you
here, though, Lady Grace.”

“Your Highness, Sashe and I are both interested in
the manner of your father’s death,” Grace said. “Plus Kaiden is an
old friend.” She’d helped her escape William, actually. How things
had changed. “I’d like to accompany you all and I’m sure Sashe
would, too.”

“I understand,” William said, “and I assure you
Kaiden and I will personally tell you what we find.” He touched
Grace’s jaw lightly. “In the meantime, you can go.”

“But Your Highness—”

His face hardened. “Go.”

She curtsied and took her leave, avoiding Kaiden’s
eyes as she went. Did Kaiden remember how tender she and Dar had
been at her cottage? Did she judge her now for seeming to be with
William, seeming to be agreeable and perhaps even on his side?

Before she went to Sashe’s, she grabbed Dar’s letter
again and reread it again and again, nearly memorizing his
words.

Grace,

This letter will be enchanted for your eyes only for
at least a year. By that time, I promise you won’t have anyone to
fear.

I hope you know that I would have come back for you
had it been safe. When I realized you were still in the castle, I
wanted nothing more than to return to you and bring you with me.
But I know that when I’m there, you’re in more danger than when I’m
here. Isn’t that how it always is between us? I try to protect you,
but I end up getting you into more danger.

Yet I wouldn’t change this, what we have, for
anything. Though I’d change our circumstances if I had the
power—change who was in power at the castle, take care of the
prince once and for all, eliminate threats to my family—I’d never
change you and I. I’d never change the fact that I think of you
when I fall asleep at night and when I wake up in the morning. I’d
never change my devotion and love for you. I’d never change the way
you feel for me or the way you look at me. At times in the past,
I’d wished you’d left me behind and let me die in Mumbar Jungle,
but now I know that to ask that of you would be too much. And I
know I would have gone to the same lengths to save you—and I will
if I have to.

I’ll fight to keep you safe until the day I die. And
when you get out of the castle—and I promise we will get you
out—I’m never going to let you go again.

Hold on until then. I love you.

Yours,

Dar

She folded it up and tucked it into her dress, close
to her heart.

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Nine

A few hours later ,Grace took a deep, shaky breath
before knocking on the door. She smoothed down her dress as she
waited. A moment later, the door opened and an elderly maidservant
curtsied. “May I help you, Lady Grace?” she asked.

“Yes, I would like to speak with Queen Kate.”

The maidservant glanced over his shoulder into the
queen’s chambers. “Just a moment, my lady.”

She disappeared into the room leaving Grace in the
corridor. She could do this. She had to be firm and strong and she
could not back down. She went over her rehearsed words once
again.

The maidservant returned and escorted Grace into the
first room, a comfortable sitting room with ivy green carpet and
walls painted soft yellow. Plants were gathered in the window seat,
giving the room a fragrance of earth.

The Queen walked in and inclined her head, her lips
pursed in a thin line. “Lady Grace, I can’t imagine what brings you
here.”

Grace tightened her hands in front of her. “I need to
speak with you about the future of the kingdom.”

“Really?” The queen crossed her arms. “Indulge
me.”

“You’ve asked what I’m doing here, what my true
alliances are. I know you want me out of the castle and I’m being
honest when I say I don’t want to spend another day here.”

“If you try to malign my son again—”

“No, Your Majesty,” Grace said quickly. She wasn’t
going to make that mistake again. “William confuses me, and you
know him much better than I. Every time I think I understand him,
he does something to surprise me.” She paused. “To be honest, I
need to know if he is interested in marriage… if he wants me to be
queen.”

Queen Kate’s upper lip turned. “Why don’t you ask him
yourself?”

“Our relationship is… fragile. Tricky. I feel like
I’m constantly walking on hot coals around him. I did not come to
the castle of my own free will, and if it were up to me, I would be
with the Avialies.”

Queen Kate sat down, surveying Grace under heavy
lids. She wordlessly motioned for Grace to sit.

Grace did so. She was tempted to fidget with her
hands, but she forced them still. She had to appear confident. “Is
it safe to speak freely to you? Will William hear our
conversation?”

The queen scoffed. “He wouldn’t dare put Cosa
protections around my room.”

Grace studied her. The queen could be lying, leading
her straight into a trap. She steeled herself; what other choice
did she have? The queen was the one person who wanted her out of
the castle as much as Grace wanted out. “I cannot marry Prince
William. I cannot become queen. I am the Protector of the Avialies
and I will stop at nothing to make sure they have full rights, full
protection to use their magic. I understand at this point, William
doesn’t ally himself with Tisha, but with Kilar, searching for
ancient texts and the promise of power. But anyone who hurts an
Avialie, whether royal or noble or peasant, will have to answer to
me and to Sierra.”

Queen Kate laughed, then a cruel smile came onto her
face. “What a speech! I can’t believe the arrogance I’ve seen in
the Avialies and in those who profess to be on their side. I have
never been against them, but my, they are full of themselves.” Her
smiled faded. “Not to mention self-centered and trouble. My husband
is dead because of this pointless war—”

“I want your husband’s killer to suffer just as much
as you do—”

“You think this is about revenge?” Queen Kate stood
up.

Grace also got to her feet, refusing to be towered
over. “No, this is about the kingdom, isn’t it? Haltar?”

“You’re exactly right.” Her admitting it sounded
painful. “And I will do anything to protect this nation. I may not
have grown up here, and I may not be a native Haltarian, but I take
my duties seriously. Any Avialie who threatens this country will
have to answer to me, and I will go through you if I have to.”

“I can assure you, Your Majesty, the Avialies don’t
want to do anything against Haltar. They want to come home and they
want to be assured safety and security. The Protectors have hunted
them for a decade now, and they’re tired of fighting, just as tired
as you are.”

Queen Kate paced in front of her window. She stopped
and smelled one of the flowers. “I wanted to consider you an ally,
Lady Grace, back before that stupid love potion, before Gregorio’s
assassination, before my husband’s mindless murder. I’m afraid you
lost your chance.”

Grace clenched her hands into fists. “I have been
trying to end all of this madness. The only reason I’m still here
is because I fear William’s retaliation if I left. He’s a month
from the throne, and I don’t know what will happen if I leave.” She
swallowed. She wouldn’t be too surprised if the queen slapped her
again for ‘maligning’ her son. “You have no idea how humbling it is
to come here and ask for your help, Your Majesty. I know your
opinion of me, and I know I ask for much. Too much, you might say.
But I need your assistance. I can promise you that if you become an
ally to the Avialies, I will be an ally of Haltar’s. But as long as
Haltar is against the Avialies, I will be against Haltar.”

“That’s where our chief difference lies, then,” she
said quietly. “You choose a band of magicians who have caused war
and destruction, and I choose my country.”

“They have not caused war and destruction. Bigotry
and prejudice have forced it upon them, and they’ve had to react to
keep their family alive!” She walked over to the window where the
queen stood. “Listen to me, please, your Majesty.”

“What exactly are you asking of me?” she snapped. Her
blue eyes considered her carefully.

“I want to be free of the castle. I want you to
support the Avialies and their safety and security. I know you
can’t control your son, but maybe you can help him let me go.”

She arched her eyebrows. “And in return? What do I
receive?”

“I told you, your Majesty, I will be an ally of
Haltar’s. I could be… a liaison of sorts. I will do all I can to
make sure that the Avialies’ struggles and civil wars are no longer
problems of the royals and nobles. I can’t do that without you,
though. Tisha may be in prison, but there is still Kilar.” She bit
the inside of her lip, waiting for her response.

The queen turned and looked out the window. She had a
beautiful view of the eastern courtyard and the water fountain.
Rebekah and Sashe were walking around the fountain, Ronu a few feet
behind them.

“I still feel that this deal is imbalanced,” the
queen finally said, “but I can see you are a fighter, like myself.
If I don’t help you, you will wreak chaos and havoc in your quest
to be free to protect these shape shifters.”

“That was never my intention,” she said quietly, “but
I know things have been tumultuous here in the castle since I got
here.”

“You’re right when I say I can’t control my son, but
I can try to direct him away from you,” Queen Kate said. “He’s had
his eye on you for such a long time, though. Who do you believe
could replace his affections?”

Grace looked out the window, and her gaze fell on
Lady Rebekah, who now sat on the edge of the fountain, her brown
hair falling down, the tips nearly touching the dancing water.

* * *

After Grace left the queen’s chambers, she let out an
enormous breath of relief. She stopped in the corridor by her own
room and closed her eyes. One more ally. One step closer to
freedom.

A voice near her ear made her jump. She nearly let
out a shriek as she opened her eyes and spun around to face
Kilar.

He chuckled. “Excuse me. I didn’t mean to startle
you.”

She put a hand over her frantically beating heart.
“It’s all right. I was just thinking of something else.”

“Let me guess what it was. Perhaps the fact that Evan
has six days to return with the ancient texts?”

She stared at him, her mouth dropping in shock.

He smiled. “You didn’t think I’d forget? I’m a man
with a desire, and if you’ve learned anything, it’s when I want
something, I’m not going to stop until I get it. Do you understand,
Lady Grace? Nothing will stop me, not Ronu or your newfound powers
or the prince himself, should he be foolish enough to get in my
way. I will have the ancient texts one way or another.”

She glared at him. “That’s fascinating. Perhaps you’d
like to tell me what use they have for someone like you?”

“Someone like me?” he repeated, taking a step closer
to her.

“Someone nonmagic,” she said, spitting the word
out.

“Ah. Yes. Well, once I have them, I’ll be able to
show you myself.” He smirked. “I sent Evan a letter today to remind
him. Of course, I’m not one hundred percent where he is. If he had
any sense, he’d be on his way with the texts right now, but I
assume he’s prowling around looking for a way into the castle, and
he hasn’t even considered my threat.”

She tipped her chin. “I’m not so sure. Before he
left, he told me to kill you.”

Kilar’s laugh echoed in the empty corridor. “Oh, my.
Well, as long as I don’t hurt any Avialies in front of you, you
can’t touch me, can you? Such a useless power, to protect others
and not yourself.” He shook his head, a look of pity on his face.
“Perhaps I can share some power with you, if you behave.”

She narrowed her eyes. “What power?”

He shrugged. “Good day, my lady.”

He swept off, his shoulder brushing against hers. She
shuddered and stalked off to her room. Marisa greeted her, asking
how her meeting with the queen went.

“It went fine, but I need to talk to William
now.”

“Are you sure?”

“I have to do this, Marisa. Wish me luck.”

Marisa pulled her into a hug. Her body shook with a
sob, and she stepped back with an embarrassed look. “Be careful,
Lady Grace.”

Grace smiled at her. “Thank you, Marisa.”

* * *

Grace knocked on the door which led to William’s
chambers. Her stomach twisted itself into knots and again.

His manservant opened the door and motioned for her
to come in. She stepped inside, and her steps slowed when she saw
her father sitting in one of the armchairs.

William stood by the window. He inclined his head.
“Grace. We were just talking about you.”