Surely Aizel knew better than to attempt harmony magic while in such a state?
Sol rushed forward. “Erich’s in the meeting?” he asked.
Aizel spun around, her green eyes snapping fire. “I will not let them take him again.” She blinked. Sol saw the terror in her eyes, masked by her fury.
“And I will not let them take you again,” Sol said. “Erich is a prince in this kingdom, he is surrounded by supporters.”
The cowering guard nodded emphatically, appearing quite grateful for Sol’s interception.
But Aizel spun back toward the door. “Then let me in. I am part of this family now and you cannot deny my order.”
Sol reached forward to firmly squeeze Aizel’s shoulder. He wanted to reassure her, but was also unsure if she was about to physically throw herself at the guard.
“They will kill you on sight. You are the threat to them, not Erich.” Looking over her shoulder to the guard, Sol asked, “Is there a place we can watch the proceedings without being seen?”
Chapter 11
As Meena entered the palace, Celesta squeezed her hand, refusing to budge. The girl might have been young, but she was far too good at reading people and lips to allow herself to be coddled.
Meena turned and crouched until her face was level with Celesta’s furrowed brow. “Everything is going to be well.” She squeezed her friend’s small hand reassuringly and though she did not know if her words would be true, she knew she would do everything in her power to make them true.
The silence in the castle was deafening. Heavy footfalls and closing doors sounded all around her, but the joyful chatter of servants and nobles was suspiciously absent.
Celesta huddled close to Meena as they wound upstairs and through the halls of the family wing. Meena hated when her family coddled her—she was the youngest and the only girl—and she felt bad that she had not explained the situation to Celesta. The poor girl was probably imagining a situation far worse than the truth. Meena pinched her lips closed in helplessness. This time the real situation was probably the worst possible thing that could happen.
Instead of going to the bedrooms, Meena brought Celesta straight to the family salon. It was the safest place in the castle. Not only was it high in the center keep, but it was the place where she always went to seek her comfort. Queen Cara spent many hours here, working over correspondence and managing the kingdom and household from the worn wooden desk against the wall. At the moment, her mother’s desk was empty. The queen would be in the great hall, supporting her kingdom, not hiding away.
At the sound of their entrance, a matronly woman entered the salon from the other side of the room. Her forehead was creased with worry and she bustled across the room toward them.
“Mistress Marie,” Meena said, keeping her tone forcibly light. “Could you see to it that Celesta gets a nice warm tea?”
The fear drained from Marie’s face as she smiled warmly at the young girl. “Of course, my lady.” She stepped forward and held out an inviting hand. “It would be my pleasure. And I might be able to squeeze in a treat from cook too.”
Celesta reached out with her free hand, placing it in Mistress Marie’s. Her other hand remained tightly in Meena’s. She bit her lip, looking back at Meena with concern and unwilling to be relinquished without knowing what was going on.
Meena squeezed back. “I don’t know what’s happening,” she said truthfully, emphasizing her words with a shake of her head and a shrug of her shoulders. “But I will find out, and I will bring Aizel back to you.”
Celesta nodded in understanding and released Meena’s hand. Meena gently touched the young girl’s wild curls and smiled softly, but this time for real. “I’ll make sure everything will be well.”
Marie pursed her lips. “And what can I get for you, my princess?” Her question was innocent, but her voice held a note of displeasure.
Meena shook her head. “Nothing. Just keep her safe and distracted.”
Marie had worked at the palace since before Meena was born. She narrowed her eyes at the princess. “You mean ‘we’. We will keep her safe and distracted.”
Meena shook her head, backing toward the door.
Marie raised her chin and her voice. “I’ve been told to keep you safely here.”
“Not if you never saw me.” Meena threw the words over her shoulder as she dashed out of the room. The large hall was on the opposite side of the palace and Meena did not care that her shoes slapped against the stone floor as she ran. Her heart was racing, pounding in her throat. Without Celesta at her side, she did not have to hide the terror that seemed to be squeezing her from the inside out. She didn’t care that she shouldn’t be flying so fast inside. If she went any slower, she would explode. Besides, it was an unusual event, and she didn’t have to worry about silly rules. But she relished the moment to break this one. This was one thing she could control, and it helped to ease her mind.
Sol glancedaround the small room adjacent to the great hall. Just like the tree he’d been in quite recently, it was a place where one could easily hide and view an area while no one would know they were watching. Specifically designed holes on the back of a wooden carving allowed the room’s occupants a clear view of everything that went on in the hall below.
“You are so gracious to welcome us, King Frederich.” The councilor’s loud voice carried directly into the small room occupied by Sol and Aizel.
Standing in the center of the great hall, the councilor stood facing a raised dais, upon which sat the king, his wife, and their four sons.
A single empty chair at the end of the line indicated where the princess would have been seated.
