Page 37 of The Final Battle

Seeing this version of the queen added just one more mark of cruelty the Lost King has had on this world. Queen Catharine seemed like a woman who loved her family and did what was best for her kingdom. The changes that happened since her mind has been altered must have come on gradually, because that woman I met in my kingdom was nothing like the woman before me now.

I bid goodnight to Phillip and the group of people he was spending time with before I left the hall. Thankfully, another palace worker showed us back to our rooms, otherwise we would have been lost and wandering for who knows how long.

As I went to enter my room, Zan grabbed my arm and pulled me back, shaking his head holding a finger to his lips. He signaled to Jade who vanished into smoke before my eyes, then used the keyhole of the door to enter the room. Moments later there was a scuffle and a crash that had Dayson and Abbott charging into the room.

“Unhand me!“ a voice I knew bellowed.

There’s no way it could possibly be who I thought it was. Shoving Zan aside, I ran into the room where I found my own father on his stomach, with Dayson holding him down while Abbott tied his hands. Jade was wiping at a split lip and dusting off wooden shards off his clothes.

“Wait,“ I cried out. “That’s my father.“

The three men froze, looking at me in horror as they released him and stepped back.

“Who the hell are you to attack me like that? Do you know who I am?“ Father barked picking himself up off the floor, his nose bleeding and what looked like a black eye forming.

“No Sir, we had no clue who you were, only that someone who shouldn’t be was in the queen’s chambers. How did you get into this room?“ Jade demanded, not at all deterred by the fact he’d clearly attacked my father.

Father spluttered, looking at me as if I was going to help him. “I told the palace steward who I was and that I wanted to surprise my daughter with my visit. Is a man not allowed to do so?“

“Father,“ I said, cutting off whatever Jade was going to say. “How did you know I was here? When we sent the letter days ago you rejected my offer, I assumed that was the end of it.“

The outrage my father seemed to have been feeling drained out of him and he took a few stumbling steps back to sit on the edge of my bed. “Your mother left me… well I suppose it would be more correct to say that she kicked me out. She didn’t even give us a moment to discuss the offer you were giving us, instead she just spat on the man, sending him on his way. That night we argued for hours, the next morning I had my bags packed and a horse waiting for me. She told me if I wanted to abandon everything I might as well abandon her too.“

Slowly, I approached the man who’d been the one person I looked up to all my life. The hero of my stories, the man who taught me everything I know, gave me the thirst for knowledge that’s saved my life more than once. Sitting before me now was a husk of that person, he’d lost weight, his hair was far more gray and where wrinkles hadn’t been, now appeared.

“Father,“ I started only to pause, unsure if I truly wanted to know the answer. “How did you find me here? The messenger told you I was in Sheca.“

“Yes, that’s the odd thing of it all. I didn’t rightly know where Sheca was, it’s not on many maps that I know of. Then, that first night when I was staying at an inn a man joined me at the table telling me he was tasked with looking after me if I changed my mind about your offer. He shared with me that you were preparing to leave for Creisal in the next few days and it would be better to just meet you there, so here I am,“ he explained, gesturing with his hands as he told the story.

Something in the pit of my stomach warned me that this whole situation was incredibly wrong. Not to mention, this man wasn’t even behaving close to my father’s normal disposition. The first thing that tipped me off was the fact he claimed to have fought with my mother. They hadn’t even done that when I could have died when the mercenaries first came to take me with them. Father was willing to let me perish to keep our standing in the eyes of those in higher positions.

“That is quite the long journey, you seemed to have made good time,“ I commented. “Did you get something to eat? There is a feast going on if you wish to join the festivities, I know how you love a good party.“

The man claiming to be my father patted me on the leg. “Now, why would I want to do that, when I came to see you? Look at you, I can’t believe how much has changed in a year.“

Letting this man touch me made my skin crawl but I had to get him to slip up somehow to confirm my suspicion. “Speaking of how much has changed, allow me to introduce you to my consorts and guardians. You remember the once Crown Prince of Norden, now my heir, Gavin. Then there is Jade, Abbott, and Dayson you’ve already interacted with. You’ll have to forgive them, no one was supposed to be permitted in my rooms and we are in a foreign kingdom. Izel, Paxton, Cole, and Zan who completes my consorts. May is my loyal shadow and of course you know Becka well.“

The man pretending to be my Father watched with unmasked disdain as I introduced each person of my chosen family. When his gaze landed on Becka though, she received a brisk nod since I’d made it clear he should know who she was. My gaze flicked over to her and I prayed she could see what I noticed. Even though Becka was a maid in our home, Father loved her like a second daughter and had always been kind to her above what her station would have called for.

“It’s lovely to see you again, Lord Charles,“ Becka greeted, with a curtsy. “I’m so sorry to hear that things with Lady Adeline have turned so sour, you two have always been so in love with each other.“

He grunted and adjusted his frock as if he was uncomfortable. “These are not matters that I wish to discuss with the maid. If I could please have the room, I would like to speak to my daughter alone.“

While Becka might have been a maid, Father never once held that against her. He would find other kind ways to tell her that she was being impertinent or butting in where she shouldn’t. Father knew that I loved Becka like a sister and that Mother tried to use her against me, so he never did.

“I’m sorry my Lord, but that isn’t going to happen,“ Cole stated, crossing his arms. “If you wish to speak to her there will need to be one of us in the room, that’s non-negotiable.“

“You dare to tell me what can and can not happen?“ Father roared.

At that outburst I stood, turning on the man. “Enough!“ With a flick of my hand a glowing blue dagger appeared in my grasp, which I held against the man’s throat. “I don’t know who the hell you think you are, but you’re not my father. Did the Lost King send you or is there a new enemy lurking in the shadows I’m unaware of?“

“Seems I over played my hand there. I only had a few hours with the fool, not nearly enough time to make this act believable,“ the person huffed as the illusion of my father melted away to reveal a woman dressed in all black leather with bright golden hair and glowing green eyes. “Richard warned me you weren’t stupid, but I thought I would have managed to get something out of you before you caught on. What gave it away?“

Chapter twenty-two

Cassarah

My guardians burst into action. Izel grabbed me and yanked me away from the woman, putting himself in front of me as a shield. Zan and Jade held her at knife point while Abbott had his sword drawn. May and Paxton searched the room, ensuring there wasn’t another person lurking in the shadows. I felt a burst of magic pulse through the room and the woman changed yet again to be one of the palace attendants that had escorted us down to the feast.