The Queen Revealed (12 page)

Chapter Eighteen

“The Belvoir Estate”

Adele swigged back her tiny glass of Fire Whiskey and quickly poured herself another. She took a deep breath and enjoyed the fact that she was finally alone. It was after midnight, but she was still too wired to sleep. It also didn’t help that every time she closed her eyes she saw an image of Rainere’s stricken expression, his hand raised in farewell, fused to the back of her eyelids.

The journey to Belvoir had been long and uncomfortable, bouncing around in the carriages as they raced to the Estate before the weather could turn again. But Prince Bertrand II, or Bertie, as Adele had come to know him at the Golden Palace, more than made up for the trip with his warm and generous welcome. He was extremely relieved to see Adele and the children arrive on his doorstep alive and in good health.

Adele hadn’t quite realized the extent of the hysteria their disappearance had caused.  When the messenger from the Golden Palace had arrived with a letter announcing the Royal party’s imminent arrival and also news of a terrible storm that would prevent their passing, it had thrown Belvoir Estate into a panic. The snowstorm had made it difficult for search parties to travel very far into the Dark Forest, and it hadn’t been safe to search in the night. Only Benjamin had been successful in entering through the gates of the Grey Palace for reasons that weren’t properly explained to Adele.

Adele looked around her new chamber and couldn’t help but compare it to the bedroom at the Grey Palace. The Belvoir Estate was less a palace than it was an enormous manor house, but it was far richer and more comfortable than the threadbare grandeur of the Marchant palace. Here the carpets were deep and thick, the silk on the walls was hand-painted and the drapes at the windows were rich velvet brocade. Large white candles burned, scenting the air with fresh pine, and vases of flowers crowded every surface on the desk and side tables. Paintings and tapestries decorated the walls, depicting pastoral hunting scenes and white-dressed figures having picnics on green hills. Dogs featured prominently in all the images and, in fact, most of the cushions and pillows on the overstuffed chairs and couches were covered with the faces of dogs at play, or dogs chasing ducks or dogs curled up with other dogs.

Adele sat on the end of her bed, sipping at her second glass of Fire Whiskey more carefully and tried very hard not to cry. She would give her right arm to be back with Rainere in his spooky old home right now, even with Grotto lurking about. She missed him so much, the pain almost felt like it was burning her from the inside out.

Bertie had thrown them a wonderful welcome dinner tonight, but she hadn’t been able to eat a thing. Every time she thought about how she had left things with Rainere, her stomach roiled and she felt dreadful. The children had been put to bed next door with Caitlin and Seraphina, and also Siobahn, the third nanny, who had arrived from the Golden Palace with the St. Lucidis party just yesterday. Adele felt they were safe enough without her sleeping by their side, and, in some ways, she welcomed the peace and quiet, but she missed them, too. Perhaps she could sneak next door and kiss them one more time as they slept?

A quiet knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. “Come in,” she called.

Lady Olivia poked her pretty head into the room. “I’m sorry to bother you, Your Majesty. I just saw the light on and wondered if you needed anything.”

Adele smiled at the young woman curtseying in the doorway, and welcomed her inside. “I’m fine. But thank you, Lady Olivia.”

Adele walked to the bay window and marveled at the warm breeze drifting in. It had been snowing at the Grey Palace and now she was sweating in the heat of a hot summer’s night at the Belvoir Estate. “I’m just having a little trouble going to sleep after all the excitement of the day.”

“So am I!” giggled Lady Olivia, busying herself with turning down the bed, removing all the decorative pillows by the armful, and dumping them in baskets under the bed. “I have never been to the Belvoir Estate as a guest before. It’s so much bigger than I thought and nothing runs on Magic, so they have so many funny contraptions everywhere. Have you
seen
the bathrooms?”

Adele shrugged. They hadn’t really caught her eye.

“Oh my! Well, let’s just say they are
not
what I had expected,” Lady Olivia giggled again and the sweetness of it made Adele relax a little. Olivia was such a cheerful presence amongst Adele’s rather dour ladies in waiting, Lisbeth and Cara, and the subservient nannies. Adele had liked the young woman instantly when she had met her just weeks ago at the Coronation Ball and was so pleased to have someone a bit more interesting and fun in her entourage. Lady Olivia also had a real talent with couture and had helped design a beautiful new collection of dresses for this weeklong Carnival, adapting the more dated and frankly awful designs Adele had been shown at the Golden Palace before her trip to Sandar. For that alone, Adele was grateful to Lady Olivia.

But Adele only listened with half an ear as Lady Olivia gossiped good-naturedly about who had turned up today from the other Royal families. Apparently the Carparells had come in very late and had made a huge fuss about their accommodations, as they had brought too many squires with them to house in the Manor. But there were no more arrivals from the Golden Palace and no High Wizard Ohren or Mrs. Dolores Ollenby, the only two people who Adele really wanted to see.

As she drained the tiny glass, Adele felt a sigh build.

“Listen to me prattling on,” said Lady Olivia, sensing Adele’s shift in mood with a quick glance. “I shall see you in the morning, Your Majesty. I believe there will be a late breakfast served at the tenth hour, and the horse show won’t begin until the afternoon.”

Adele nodded. “Tilburn filled me in, but I’m sure the children will wake me regardless.”

Olivia curtseyed again and left through the door to the hall, but before the door could even close, Adele heard another knock. She glanced at the clock on the mantle. It was almost one in the morning and her room was as busy as central station!

“Yes,” she called out warily, hoping it wasn’t Tilburn with more work for her.

The messenger, Benjamin, stepped into the room and bowed, giving her a charming smile. “Good evening, Your Majesty. I have just come on duty and wanted to let you know I will be on guard until well after Dawn. If you should need anything, anything at all, please do not hesitate to ask.”

Adele didn’t like the warmth that spread inside of her at Benjamin’s words, or the nausea that soon mixed with it. His shiny eyes and keen glance left her in no doubt as to what he was suggesting she could ask for. If she didn’t already have an incredible lover for whom she pined even now, then the attentions of a young man like Benjamin might have made her blush and stammer. As it was, Rainere had given her so much more than amazing sex. He had given her his heart and she would never betray that.

Still, it was hard to avoid feeling flattered by young Benjamin’s obvious attraction to her. At twenty-nine, and as a mother of three, Adele sometimes felt decades older than she was. But when Benjamin stepped toward her until he stood just a foot away, she started to feel very unsure about how far he was going to take his flirting. Being much shorter, she had to tilt her head to look up into his pale green eyes.

“I don’t need a thing, Benjamin,” Adele said firmly. “But thank you, anyway.”

Benjamin’s breathing hitched a little and his smile slowly morphed into a sexy pout. He leaned in, forcing Adele to lean back or risk becoming uncomfortably close. Was he really going to try to kiss her, here in her bedroom?

“Really?” He nodded expectantly, a black curl of hair flopping into his eyes.

Adele swallowed hard, stepping back and away from the gorgeous young man. She forced herself to frown. “Actually, could you please make sure I am left
alone
from now on, and that you remain on the outside of the door for the rest of your shift.”

To his credit, Benjamin immediately snapped back to professional form. “Yes, Your Majesty, of course.” He gave her a cocky grin before he bowed and retreated to the door, opening it only to see QG Owens on the other side.

“Your Majesty, excuse me. I… Benjamin! What do you think you are doing in Her Majesty’s room?” asked QG Owens, suddenly irritated, as he caught sight of Benjamin with the Queen.

“Benjamin, is standing guard with you tonight,” replied Adele, telling Owens how she felt about that with her crossed arms and cold expression. “But I really would like to go to bed now so if you could keep him on the other side of this door I would appreciate it.”

QG Owens gave Benjamin a hard look, but answered Adele politely. “I will personally deal with anyone who steps beyond the boundary of this doorway, Your Majesty.” As he pulled the door shut Adele saw him give Benjamin a quick clip over the head.

Adele almost smiled as she pulled off her robe and climbed into the bed. Her Queen’s Guard took their duties very seriously, but she could only imagine how furious Rainere would be if he saw someone actually flirting her. Adele’s smile died. Actually, that wouldn’t be funny at all.

As she lay down, Adele tried to get comfortable on the bank of fluffy white pillows and closed her eyes, but her mind would not stop racing.

Why isn’t Ohren here?
She wondered. She had expected him to be in the St. Lucidis group to see how she had fared in Sandar, or at the very least, take the precious Fire Orchid stamens out of her hands. Adele tried to remember the last time she had seen the coconut-wood box containing the stamens, but her brain was a little fuzzy. Surely they would still be where she left them, in her travelling cloak, as she hadn’t touched them since hiding them there.

Adele’s stomach dropped away when she thought of everything that had happened not even a week ago. Ohren had to know what she had done to the Mage of Sandar and the promises she had made to the Empress Sanda'hani. She had no idea where Ripenzo Shale was, or if she should have looked for him when he disappeared?

Here I am drinking champagne with the Lords and Ladies of Unisia and my actions could well have started a war we are not prepared for.
Adele quailed at the thought and sat up in bed, hugging her knees. To make matters worse she hadn’t even told Rainere what she had done in Sandar. Or talked to him about this crazy Prophecy that the High Wizard Ohren had told her about.

And now the Magic that was boiling up inside of her was getting out of control. Adele had to face the truth, she had killed a man and had hurt Rainere badly with her Magic. She was becoming dangerous and she didn’t know how to stop it.

But it wasn’t only the power of the Magic that scared her – it was her desire to use it again. Her stomach flipped at the idea of having Benjamin under her right now, his throat exposed and her hands pressed against his chest to find that gorgeous, cold power swimming in the darkness. Would he taste different to Rainere?

Adele swallowed as sour water filled her mouth. Why would she want to hurt the young man like that? And how could she even think about cheating on Rainere? She was an awful person to let anything like that cross her mind, when he was so wonderful and forgave her for everything she had done to him.

Adele groaned and threw off her covers.

She had so many other things to think about right now. She was constantly surrounded by people but she felt so alone. Her problems were unique even in this alien world and she had no one to talk to about any of them. Adele had been Queen of Unisia for just over a month and she still had no idea who to really trust in this world.

Adele remembered the life she had left behind and once let out of their box the memories of Earth washed over her. Memories of croissants, Sunday papers, shopping at supermarkets and nothing more complicated than the routine of her children had filled her days. Even her recent divorce had been like everything else in her life, and had been shoved in around the corners of her time. Raising three kids on her own hadn’t left room for anything else. She hadn’t even had time to properly grieve for all that she had lost…

And now she had an Immortal Wizard begging for her to be his bride and the fate of a nation weighing on her shoulders. Adele started to tremble as adrenaline-fuelled anxiety shook her overtired body. She hadn’t slept in days and she didn’t know why, but it had to be something to do with the Magic that was growing inside of her.

The clock on the mantel chimed gently
. Damn.
It was already three am. Adele hated this time of night. All her anxieties and worries screamed their loudest at three am. She huffed and threw herself back on the bed and pulled the covers up again, determined to calm down. Adele resolutely closed her eyes and ignored the hot tears which wet her lashes and escaped down her cheeks.

She lay like that until the sun rose three hours later.

Chapter Nineteen

“What Lurks Behind Doors?”

It was early in the morning, not long after dawn, when the Royal children came squawking into the kitchens with their three nannies in tow—two red-heads and a dark-haired beauty. Charlie, who was chatting to his cousin, Mary, and eating hot rolls, looked up at the commotion.

“Gawds, ‘elp us! What is the Royal children doin’ in ‘ere?” screeched the Head Cook, as she lurched her bulk across the busy kitchen to the little party. “What’s the meanin’ of this? If you needed summink fah the children you should’ve rung down, not come you’selves!”

The Head Cook look aghast, as Aaron accidentally stepped in front of a maid carrying a tray of hot bread. “ ’Ere, ‘e almost died then, and we would’ve wasted all that bread!” she shrieked, blue eyes bulging over her quivering cheeks.

Always confident, Charlie’s cousin, Mary, stepped forward to intercede before things got out of hand. “Calm yourself, Colleen. I’ll see to the bairns, never mind.” She soothed the hysterical Head Cook with a pat on her arm until the lady walked off still grumbling and casting the children dark looks.

Mary turned back to the nannies and children, checking her cap and smoothing her apron, a warm smile dimpled her cheeks. “Good morning, Highnesses and Nannies. What is it you’ll be wanting?”

The black-haired Beauty looked down her nose, eyeing Mary’s cook’s apron in a haughty way.

Which is a bit rich for a nanny,
thought Charlie, though he also thought she was gorgeous enough to get away with it.

“The bairns are hungry and we didn’t know your ways at Belvoir so we thought we’d come down ourselves. I know the breakfast party is at the tenth hour, but the children need to eat now.”

“What would they like?” asked Mary.

“Sugar buns!” the children squealed in unison, the baby just a beat behind.

“Yes,
please
,” agreed one of the little red-heads, the one with the nice curves, softening the dark-haired nanny’s more imperious attitude. “But some fruit and milk too if these children want to grow up big and strong.” She grinned at the children’s answering groans.

Mary waved the little party to sit at the table next to Charlie and she hurried off to collect a tray of food. Charlie stared with unabashed curiosity at the children. They were very clean and well-fed looking, he decided, the baby was positively fat. They all had something of the Queen about their faces, especially the eldest girl, Natalie, with her long, dark hair and serious expression. The baby was as blonde as any St. Lucidis princess, but Aaron, the boy, had lighter brown hair and a pointy little face. Charlie blinked in surprise when Aaron turned his hazel eyes on him and gave a wink, then another and another.

“Oi!” said Charlie, slightly perturbed. “What are you doing with that winking business? Don’t you know not to wink at a man?”

Aaron frowned. “You’re not a man, you are a teenager, aren’t you?”

Charlie bristled at the comment and his cheeks flushed when he realized that Beauty was watching them both with a grin. Charlie had to recover some dignity and not let this Royal kiddling throw him off his game with the ladies.

“What are you all doing down here anyway? Shouldn’t you be up with your Mum, the Queen?” he asked gruffly.

“I like kitchens,” replied Aaron with a shrug.

“Our mum is still in bed right now,” clarified Natalie.

“I’ll bet!” muttered Charlie and earned himself a sharp look from one of the redheads, the one with freckles on her nose.

“Her Majesty was up late with her duties at the dinner, she’s entitled to some rest,” said Freckles crisply, her pale blue eyes staring Charlie down. “Not that it’s any of your business,
boy
.”

“Alright, alright, don’t get your knickers in a bunch,” Charlie replied with a grin. “Wasn’t saying anything about Her Majesty. Just heard it was a proper party that’s all. Lots of Fire Whiskey I suppose?”

He gave Freckles a wink, which got the desired reaction, and he chuckled when she turned away in a huff.

Mary returned with another serving girl carrying trays of sugar buns, cut fruit and a large jug of icy cold milk. Charlie nabbed himself a sugar bun before Mary could stop him and earned a giggle from the children. He grinned back at them.

“What’s your name, teenager?” asked Natalie.

“Charlie. What’s yours, kid?”

“Natalie Serena Marlock St. Lucidis,” she replied grandly.

“Nice name. Bit long isn’t it?” sniffed Charlie, as he pinched a piece of fruit off the tray.

“And she forgot the princess bit,” agreed Aaron.

Natalie frowned at her brother. “’Princess’ is not my name. It’s my station in life. That’s what Mrs. Ollenby says.”

“That’s where trains go,” added Aaron, conversationally. “To stations.”

Natalie opened her mouth to retort when Beauty shoved a bun in it. Aaron fell about laughing at his sister’s wide eyes.

“It’s a bit early for that kind of talk, Princess Natalie,” said the nanny, not unkindly. “Now eat your breakfast so we can get you to your horse riding lesson.”

“Who’ll be up and about to give them a lesson?” asked Freckles. “The whole Estate is asleep.”

“Benjamin will be ready,” said Nice Curves confidently.

“How do you know?” asked Beauty as she fed small bits of fruit to the baby.

“He said he always gets up early, no matter how late it was the night before,” replied Nice Curves.

Beauty and Freckles exchanged a glance before breaking into laughter. Aaron joined in though he didn’t know why.

“Oooh, well, it’s nice to know someone understands the handsome messenger so well,” teased Beauty.

“He’s not just a messenger, you know,” blushed Nice Curves, but looked pleased despite the comment. “He is a groomsman and a house guard too. He was on duty for the Queen last night,” she added.

“Aye, aye, got a fella then, Nanny?” smirked Charlie though his heart sunk just a little. Nice Curves had a friendly look about her that a man like him could appreciate.

“Her name isn’t Nanny, its Caitlin,” corrected Natalie, pointing to each girl in turn. “And that’s Seraphina and that’s Siobahn, as in
sha-vorn
.”

“Oh, don’t tell him our names,” huffed the dark-haired Siobahn. “He’s just a cheeky kitchen boy.”

“I’m not!” said Charlie in an injured tone. “I’m a cheeky squire to a nobleman of Carparell.”

He winked at the children and was rewarded with more giggles.

“Well, we need to be on our way,” said Caitlin, scooping up the baby and swinging her onto her hip. “Everyone say good-bye to Cheeky Charlie.” But she smiled and her blue eyes twinkled.

Aye aye
, thought Charlie,
maybe Nice Curves will be for me after all?
He grinned back and jumped off the bench to bow low to Caitlin and the children.

The little party left the kitchen with as much noise as they had entered with after Aaron knocked over a tower of empty oven trays.

“So that’s the Royal children,” said Mary next to Charlie’s shoulder. “I never saw them up close yesterday. Pretty lot, aren’t they?”

“Hmmm, yeah, pretty,” answered Charlie, distracted. Aaron had worn an expression on his face so familiar to Charlie, but he couldn’t for the life of him place where it came from. He concentrated hard for a moment, but the memory slipped away just as he thought he had had it. With a sigh Charlie focused back on Mary’s prattle.

“…though I don’t know why they are so high and mighty, they’re only nannies. I could’ve been a nanny you know, but the sound of babies crying sets my teeth on edge…”

“Right then, Mary. I’ll see you later, alright?” Charlie lay a quick kiss on his cousin’s cheek. She smelled of flour and something sweet, like candied fruit. “I’ll go see if my Lord’s awake yet.”

“Right you are, Charlie,” replied Mary, mildly. She’d believe anything he said. “See you later.” She bustled off about her business.

Charlie left the kitchens and, blending in with the other servants, he quietly made his way to the Royal Wing.

Here things got a little trickier.

Charlie ducked behind a suit of armor as two guards passed him, one in the green of Belvoir house livery and a big fellow in the Queen’s Guard gold and white.

“I’m telling you, Owens. The Queen has a real thing for me,” the one in green was prattling. “If I’d just had a few more minutes with her, I’m sure I could have…”

“Shut up, you
idiot
!” replied the Queen’s Guard testily. “I’m sick of hearing about it.”

Charlie peeked round the suit of armor, as the two guards made their way down the hall and around the corner. He checked the other direction, but there was no one else around. Obviously, these two had decided to go off duty early.

That meant the door to the Queen’s bedroom was unguarded. Charlie counted the doors along the side of the hallway to make sure he had the right one to her bedroom, following Mary’s information.

Slowly, Charlie crept toward the door, ready to scarper, should anybody come by unexpectedly. He ran a hand down his stolen clothing. He was dressed head to toe in the dark blue and grey of Carparell, and looked every inch the squire he was masquerading as. Listening hard at the Queen’s door, he heard the distant sounds of water running, and decided she must be in the bathroom.

With one hand on the door handle, Charlie automatically palmed the blade he held up his sleeve with the other. He took a quick breath and ducked into the room, silently opening and then closing the door behind him. His eyes quickly adjusted to the dim light in the room, which was good, as he only had a minute or two at the most. Her Majesty was surrounded by people day and night, so this quiet in her room wouldn’t last long. He cast a quick glance at the bed, which was rumpled and empty. The clock on the mantle ticked loudly, counting his seconds.

Charlie stepped into the center of the room and pulled the little box from his pocket and pressed the catch that released the lid. The sand within sparkled greenly, glittering in the dim light. Charlie muttered the brief incantation and then held his breath as the powder in the box rose in a cloud and hovered for a moment before drifting slowly away from him to the open door of the wardrobe.

“That’s strange,” said a voice from behind him. “What’s it for?”

Charlie’s heart clutched hard in his chest and he whipped round to face the figure who had uncurled from the window seat. Not bothering to consider how he had made the mistake of missing an actual person in the room, Charlie put all his energy into fixing his problem. His eyes raked the woman in front of him. She looked young, maybe mid-twenties, with long, dark hair pulled back in a ponytail, and was dressed in a loose shirt and riding breeches. Her face was pretty, but her eyes were magnetic, a rich hazel framed by dark lashes, and they scanned him with an intensity that sent chills down his spine. He remembered the warning he had been given and looked away from her face. Queen Adelena was dangerous.

“Who are you?” she asked, her voice soft, with an unfamiliar lilt.

Charlie made a snap decision. He flicked his hair off his forehead and stepped backwards to bow, having deftly put the box back in his pocket.

“I’m Charlie, Your Majesty,” he gave a cocksure grin that he knew didn’t reach his eyes. He glanced at the green cloud of sand, but it still hovered benignly at the wardrobe. “It’s a real pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise,” replied the Queen, nodding in response to his bow. “What’s that green sand doing in here?” she asked, but Charlie thought she looked more curious than angry. Charlie hoped she wouldn’t try and touch the powder. He had no idea what would happen if she did, but it wouldn’t be good.

The blade slid back down his wrist to lay against his palm. Holding his blade helped Charlie to think. He ran through all the scenarios he had come up with if he had been caught by anyone but the Queen. The green powder should have been invisible to all, but those with the strongest Magic. He decided to risk it all and stall for time, hoping the powder would find the object he had been sent to steal and he could escape with the Queen being none the wiser. It was an ambitious and stupid plan, but that was Charlie’s usual style.

“That’s a very good question, Your Majesty, and I’m glad you asked,” Charlie dressed his face with an easy smile. “You see, we are currently conducting safety checks in the manor house at this time. Your room should have been cleared yesterday, but I only just found out that the lout who was supposed to check it didn’t. I’m so sorry to disturb you this early in the morning, but I was keen to get it clear straight away. I’ll only be a moment and then I will leave.”

The Queen raised her eyebrows. “Are you using Magic to check the room? I thought that was impossible on the grounds of Belvoir Estate.”

“Ah, yes, it is,” agreed Charlie, as he edged over to the wardrobe where the powder was hovering. If the object had been found, it should have turned silver. Charlie felt the sweat drip down his neck and his eyes flicked back to the Queen, who was staring at him with something close to suspicion on her face. His ruse was not working. Desperate now, Charlie began to rummage through the pockets of the cloak that the green powder hovered nearest.