No sooner than I had spoken, Nixie’s head popped up from her hunch and she turned her dazzling green eyes to me. An unrestrained smile broke out across my face as I watched her blink at me in disbelief. A moment later, she scrambled off the mattress and pulled me into a tight embrace. I wrapped my arms around her tiny frame, petting my hand against her beautiful ruby curls. I didn’t want this moment to ever end, but I knew our time was short.
“Nixie, listen to me,” I whispered urgently in her ear. “We only have a short moment before they throw me out, so we need to make this quick. I’m going to look for your mother. I need any information you can give me on how to find her.”
Nixie pulled back from the embrace with a serious expression. “She lives just north of Synatto, in a collection of houses to the west of the Ashbourne military delivery route. If you ask around for Rieta Greene, someone will be able to point you in the right direction,” she explained. “Why are you looking for her now? It’s not as if they’ll let her attend my wedding.” She rolled her eyes and I stifled a snicker.
“I’m going to try to gain information on your status, just like I promised,” I explained in a hushed tone. “I have until tomorrow morning to prove that you’re not the girl Todd Baggio wants to marry. If I can disprove you’re the princess before then, you’ll be free.”
Her expression saddened. “Killian, that’s hardly enough time for you to even find my mother... How are you going to learn anything useful in such a short amount of time?”
Her broken expression sent a new wash of pain through me, and my determination intensified. “I don’t know, but I’m not going to sit back and do nothing,” I stated fiercely. “Your hands may be tied, but I have one last chance. I’ll find out the truth and hopefully, I’ll be able to free you from this burden once and for all. Because of you, I got the chance to recognize that I didn’t need the crown I was striving toward. The least I can do is try to free you from the weight of a crown you never wanted.”
Her eyes grew wistful, then softened again. “And if you can’t...? What if you find out that I really am who they believe me to be?”
Her big green eyes melted my every defense. My eyes drifted shut as I placed a tender kiss on her forehead. Her skin grew hot under the touch of my lips, and I placed a soft hand upon her blushing cheek. “Then you will make the most incredible queen, and I’ll do everything in my power to protect your rule.”
She blinked at me with her long dark lashes, and I found myself compelled to lean down and meet her lips. Her emerald eyes fluttered shut as I pulled her closer, but a jarring knock sent a curse flying from my lips instead. We jumped apart at the noise just as the door flew open with the guard standing stiffly in the shallow opening.
“Times up, you need to leave,” he commanded impatiently.
I turned to exit but was stopped by a gentle tug at my sleeve. “Wait a second.” Nixie halted me, then let go of my sleeve to retrieve her dagger from beneath the mattress. “Take this. It will help you convince my mother to speak with you.” She passed the blade into my hand and then gave me a gentle smile. “Good luck.”
chapter twenty-one
Everything is black again, except for the glittering crown in the center of the voided space.
I approach it less timidly than the first time. My fingers latch around the polished gold, and I throw it to the ground as hard as I can. A loud clang echoes throughout the vast darkness, but the crown remains whole. I try stomping the glistening metal into dust, but my foot bounces off the metal with ease. It’s entirely indestructible, yet I want to see it shatter.
With a frustrated growl, I pick up the ornament again and hold it up to my face. “I don’t want you... I just want to be with Killian! Why are you keeping me from him?” I scream at the crown, as if venting my frustrations to the inanimate object would make it sympathetic toward my wishes. “Please, just leave me alone... I don’t know how to be a princess. All I know how to do is steal, but now I’m being robbed of a life with the people I love.” Images of my sweet-faced mother warm the cold darkness, and then the beautiful gray eyes of the Ashbourne prince float through my mind.
I love them both... But I can’t be with either... All because of you.
My nails dig into the golden ornament, unsuccessfully trying to claw away at the shine. I lower my head in defeat, sitting heavily on the ground with the offending object now resting in my lap. I rub my fingers against the gold finish, and I notice a slight reflection gleaming back at me. I lift the crown to my eyes, expecting to see the emerald green of my gaze, but the eyes that look back at me are not my own—they’re dark, like the eyes of any other Sybettian, and her hair is...
A loud knock on the door jolted me out of my sleep. The sleepy haze of my bizarre dream still blurred my mind as I stretched my limbs to life. I hadn’t slept a wink the last night I spent at Minerva’s cottage, so my body was not pleased with the early hour. Before I could even rub the sleep from my eyes, Todd strode into the room wearing a tailored suit jacket with mismatched patches dotting each elbow. His hair was greased back and combed smooth, and his boots appeared to have received a fresh polish.
He eyed me down arrogantly as I let loose an unladylike yawn in his presence. “Good morning, Nixie,” he clipped. “The ceremony will begin in an hour. I have arranged for you to be escorted to the women’s sleeping chamber so the other ladies can help you prepare. They should have everything you need.” He gave me an expecting glare, as if he was awaiting a display of gratitude for his generous arrangements.
I rolled my eyes. “Did you really have to wake me up just to remind me that I only have an hour left of freedom? The kingdom wouldn’t have suffered if you let the future queen get a little beauty rest, you know,” I grumbled impatiently as I rubbed a headache from my temples.
“You can rest all you'd like once I’m king,” Todd snorted. “As long as you say a proper ‘I do,’ I’ll be certain that you live with every comfort that a queen could require. You needn’t worry about the trivial details involved in the revival of our kingdom; Father and I will handle those matters, so all you need to contribute is your lineage.” He turned to leave, flinging his tailcoat as he spun. “I’ll see you in an hour, my bride.”
An uncomfortable shiver rolled down my spine at the mention of the word bride. Every part of me wanted to tear my groom limb from limb, but there was little I could do to accomplish such a crime now, but I could still imagine... A heavy sigh parted my lips as my thoughts wandered back to Killian. I knew it was a long shot for him to discover any further information on my heritage in such a meager amount of time, but I wish he hadn’t given me the hope that he could do it.
It wasn’t that I didn’t have faith in him, but more, I didn’t have faith in the truth. Each day it became more apparent that I was the only girl in the kingdom who met the description of the missing princess. As much as I fought against the idea that I was born into a title, it was hard to avoid the possibility. Now I was about to be given a king and a crown all in the same day. Pain pricked at my heart as I recalled the faint feeling of Killian’s lips touching my forehead. It had been such an uplifting surprise to see his face in my lonely cave. I wanted nothing more than to follow him out that door and leave the life of princesses and forced betrothals behind, but if I’d tried to leave, he would have been killed... Even a life married to Todd Baggio was a life worth living if Killian was still alive and well.
If only I could get to him now...
My thoughts began whirling as a pair of chattering women entered my room. They both wore matching green dresses with their dark hair pinned up in tight curls along their scalps. The two ladies briefly explained that they had been sent to escort me to the women’s chambers, and I politely agreed to follow them. Excitement bubbled up from the women as they discussed how the style of my dress would complement my hair. However, their chatter fell on deaf ears as my senses tuned into everything else. Every corner we passed, I found myself taking a double glance, searching for anything that could aide me in an escape.I had gotten out before, maybe I can do it again?
When we passed through the main gathering room, my senses instantly became overloaded by the excessive noise and bustling. Decorations for the wedding had materialized overnight, filling the space with elegant candles and flowers. Carts of supplies were being wheeled in and out of the main entrance, supplying the various workers with more decorations and other materials. As I took in the surrounding chaos, my eyes fell onto the wagon, and a small smile curled my lips.
Perfect.
The women who were guiding me had subconsciously moved a half-step in front of me since they were currently immersed in a conversation about potential bridal hairstyles. When I was certain their attention was fully skewed, I backed off another step and easily slipped between a pair of gentlemen carrying large loads of candles. The shadows of the cave paired with the disorganized swirling of bodies made it child’s play to disappear. I didn’t have Bindi’s cloak to cover my wild hair, so I made certain to keep my head low and concealed amongst the shadows of the taller men. With quick feet, I skittered smoothly across the damp cave floor, keeping my eyes trained on one of the unloaded carts. As soon as I reached the cart, I pressed myself flat onto the cave floor and rolled underneath it.
The cart was much smaller than a military wagon, so I had to scrunch my torso in order to fully conceal myself, but the framework was essentially the same. My arms and legs easily latched onto the cart’s undercarriage, hoisting my body off the damp ground. My muscles ached from the familiar movement and protested their lack of practice. The moment I was tucked safely between the halted wheels, a cry rang out from one of my escorts.
“She was right behind us, I swear!” the woman shouted amongst the crowds.