Missing Royal (13 page)

“I think I’m ready to hear more.” Lancilotto finally looks at me.

“I have to find the scattered royals, to piece things back together in order to have the power needed to defeat the one who destroyed in the first place. Lancilotto, you’re one of those missing royals. Without you, I can’t do this. I know you weren’t planning on this—I know you weren’t expecting it. But neither was I. All of this was forced on me, and I decided to accept it. I need you to do the same.”

“I would like to know more but I am willing to help.” He squares his shoulders, ready for whatever comes his way.

“Thank you.”

A soft knock on the door pulls me from my light slumber. I had tossed and turned for hours, unable to fall asleep as I wondered about all that I knew at this point. I am quick to my feet, pulling a robe around my shoulders as I answer the door.

“Your Highness, I am sorry to bother you before the sun has risen, but there is someone important that you must meet with her. She may have crucial information for defeating Mendina.” Nastasia fidgets with her hands as she awaits my response.

“Sure. Just let me change.” I look down at my attire, running a hand through my tangled hair. I can’t remember the last time I actually brushed it.

“Of course. But we must hurry. I will meet you outside.” She nods before backing away. I close the door and change my nightgown out for a pair of breeches and a tunic. I pull my boots on, noting how they no longer cling to my leg—rather, only barely fitting anymore.

I hadn’t even noticed all the weight I’d lost in just a week of being here. I finish lacing my boots before tiptoeing from the room to meet Nastasia outside. As I walk, I
yank through the knots in my hair with my fingers until it’s smooth enough to braid down my back.

As I step outside, I am greeted by the first hint of sunlight as it rises over the mountain peak. The sign of another day, another chance to make right all the wrongs Mendina has done to this world. I try to enjoy the beauty for what it is rather than comparing it to the evil witch.

“Follow me.” Nastasia motions with her hand toward the little path between rows of homes. I follow after her. We pass a few people on the street but they only glance our way before returning to their business.

I’m nervous, being out and about alone with someone I only met yesterday evening. Then again, I’ve only known Javiar for about a week, and with that in mind, I let it go. Valentino trusts her. I have no reason not to.

Nastasia stops just outside one of the cottages and turns to me. “Shanice, you must understand that everything you learn today is very important. Do not disregard what Danica tells you, for what she knows could save us all.” Her last sentence sends chills down my spine. I don’t know how to reply, so instead, I nod. She smiles before stepping through the doorway of the cottage in front of us.

I follow her, shutting the door behind me. The inside of the cottage looks much like Nastasia’s. No décor. Plain walls, a single table with four mismatched chairs beside it. And despite the warm air, there’s a fire going. Sitting beside it in a worn and frayed chair is the woman we’ve come to meet.

“Your Highness, it is an honor to meet you.” She stands, folding my hands into hers. Her eyes are kind, a warm brown. Her cheeks are sunken in and she looks frail. “I do so wish we could have met under better circumstances.” She returns to her seat by the fire and waves her hand to the other chairs, silently offering me and Nastasia seats.

I pull a chair from the table and sit across from Danica. “Thank you. I also wish for that but alas, this is where we are. I will do whatever it takes to stop Mendina and bring peace back into this world,” I reply, unsure of what I’m doing. I feel so out of my comfort zone.

“Then it is a good thing you’ve come here. Without the information I can give you, you may not have a way to defeat her. I am Danica Elizalde, former queen of Gowell. And the princess witch you’ve sworn to save us from is my sister.”

I had a response ready, but now I am stunned silent. I hadn’t even thought to consider that Mendina might have siblings—I just knew I had to destroy her. How could I have lost myself so much that I was willing to destroy someone else just because I was told I had to?

“Please tell me everything you know. Tell me how to stop her,” I ask, I plead.

“I am not going to leave you with more questions this day. You deserve the truth. You deserve answers. And here they are.” She takes a deep breath.

I can’t help but feel sorrow, looking into her eyes. She wipes away the tears and begins.

“You must believe me—this world was once a happy place. The happiest of all worlds. And I never imagined such a land could grow so dark in the wake of destruction and mourning. But my sister has shown me how cruel jealousy can truly be.

“It was on my eighteenth birthday that she showed how dark her heart had grown. We were dressing for the ball. We each got a beautiful new gown—hers was rich green, and mine was dark violet. We were both stunning, and neither one of us was left alone the entire evening. All night, we danced with many men, laughing and enjoying the moment. As much fun as I was having, I was biding my time, waiting for one man in particular. He knew it, I knew it—we just had to wait for the perfect moment. My heart leaped inside me just seeing him.

“Finally the hour came when he asked me to walk with him. We strolled through the gardens, and there, under a full moon, he got down on one knee and begged me to marry him. How could I say no? I was in love with him, and my parents knew it. They loved him too, finding he was the perfect suitor. We didn’t leave each other’s arms the rest of the evening.” Danica takes a breath before continuing.

“Now, something you must understand about my precious Kajetan—he wasn’t born of royalty. Once my parents passed, their kingdom would become ours. The following morning, my dear sister found out. She found us strolling in the corridors, holding on to one another. She was shocked, and disappointed. She didn’t say a word—she just ran. I realized too late what was wrong. She was in love with Kajetan as well, and she lost everything she ever hoped for in a single moment—the love of her life and the kingdom she planned on having.

“I followed her, leaving Kajetan alone. She went straight to the garden. When I found her, she turned to me, tears streaming down her face. All she could say to me was, ‘How could you?’ I didn’t understand how she could hate me so much when I had never known she was in love with him.

“The days following, my parents prepared for a wedding, though it wouldn’t happen right away. It took us all a week to realize Mendina wasn’t there. We realized too late that she had disappeared, and no one knew where to begin looking for her. That was our biggest mistake. It was another year until the wedding, and at that point, most considered my sister to be dead. The wedding came and went, and it was the happiest day of my life. A year and a half later, I had a beautiful baby boy, and one year after his birth, I had a daughter.

“The joy didn’t last. Seven years after Mendina’s disappearance, she reappeared, storming through the castle gates, filled with longing for revenge. She demanded to see her family, and no one dared stop her. In one swift move, using dark magic, she killed our mother and father. With a turn of her heel, she disappeared, along with my husband and two beautiful children.

“I searched endlessly for her and my family. I never found them. I couldn’t take the pain of trying to rule a kingdom alone, nor could I face starting over with someone new. I told my advisor to ring the bells in the town alerting them that they all needed to leave. I sent the people away and cast a spell over the land, hiding the kingdom from the world. To this day, only two people know what happened to my kingdom—you are the third. You are also only one of two living people left who know I am a queen.”

I know without a doubt Danica is telling me the truth. I try my hardest to picture and understand what she has gone through. “How old are they now? What are their names?”

“Who?” she asks.

“Your children. “ I look at her, wondering if her kids—who are no longer kids—look anything like her.

“I try not to dwell on thoughts of them. I can’t bear the pain. My daughter was so beautiful, and my son so handsome. Her name is Krea. And his name is Javiar.” Tears run down Danica’s face again.

My heart stops beating as I process the last word she spoke. Javiar. Javiar. Her son’s name is Javiar. I … I am speechless. Javiar isn’t Mendina’s son at all – he’s Danica’s. What if he knew? It is an overload of information but she doesn’t stop there. “I do not know how to stop her, or how to defeat her. But I do something that can help you. A secret very few are aware of, Shanice. You must protect this information with your life.” Her voice shakes, heavy with burden.

“I promise,” I whisper.

“There is a connection between Gowell and Wentsden. There is a pool hidden in each castle, and they are identical to each other. If one can learn to use them, they can speak with whoever can be found looking into the other pool.” A pool in Valentino’s castle – makes me wonder if he knows.

“Your Majesty, who would I be speaking to?”

She waves her hand. “Do not address me so. My kingdom is long gone and I do not want it back. I simply wish to see my family again. When I gave up the kingdom, when I lost all hope, Mendina took hold of the castle. Despite all her hatred and evil, there is one being who has always stood by her. A dragon. And it is she, Speranza, with whom you will need to speak.” I nod, taking note of everything she says.

“Shanice,” she says, “you’re in luck. Not many are offered the protection of dragons. And once the king of dragons extends that gift to you, every dragon must follow.”

I have so many things to remember, so much information to track. I’m feeling lost already.

“We’d better leave before we are missed. But thank you for telling her the truth.” Nastasia smiles weakly. I stand up to follow her but Danica stops me.

“Shanice, there is still so much for you to learn, so much you need to know. I know that I cannot help in many ways but I hope you will survive this. I believe you can stop this evil before the whole world suffers more. Go, with my hopes for your success.” She pulls me into her arms. I can’t help but feel the pain of this woman, bottled up for so many years and still no way of letting it go. I want to tell Danica about Javiar but Nastasia is rushing me out the door. I will find the rest of her family if it’s the last thing I do.

“What did the Oracle tell you?” Valentino kicks a rock from his path. When he asked me to take a walk with him, I hadn’t known what to expect. I should’ve known it would just be to discuss our next move.

““Follow my guidance and all will be saved. But heed my words or the world will be slaved. The princess you seek is not one to be found. She fights to end you so she may be crowned. Follow the winged and enter the cave, be not haughty or you, dear princess, will be slayed. Two tiny creatures will ask for your hand, offer but one or you’ll fall into sand. Darkness shall engulf you in a moment of need, patience will guide you or the darkness you’ll feed. Choose the one you love most and don’t let him go, for love alone is something she does not know.” I repeat the Oracle’s words once more.

“I know the beginning speaks of Mendina. She wishes me dead so she can take over the throne that should be mine. As for the winged creatures, sand, darkness, and love, I don’t know what it means.” I wish I could’ve left out the part about love but it could alter so many things if I do not repeat this word for word.

“You’re to go to the forest of the winged. It’s less than a day’s walk east of here.” He points. “And one of the more dangerous places one could go.”

“Why?”

“Its name comes from the fact that all the creatures that live in that forest are winged—fairies, pixies, brownies, and mymees, all of which are dangerous in their own way. Now of all those, the mymees are by far the scariest of creatures. In order to reach their queen’s lair, the cave of
corollarium,
you must travel through a swamp filled with sandpits. Mymees are very protective creatures. They are the worst mix of fairies and pixies. They will kill you if you look at them wrong. But should you befriend one, you befriend them all.