Page 17 of Her Royal Blood

The man who had abducted me was shielding me from view with his body. He put his fingers to his lips to keep me quiet and I immediately recognized him. Jarvis was the one who grabbed me out of the bar. He wasn’t in uniform, but I’d recognize his face anywhere. I tucked my hood down over my eyes and kept my head down as two armed guards marched past the opposite end of the alley, neither of them took notice of us.

“What are you doing here, Queen Aria?” Jarvis asked in a frantic whisper. “Where is your husband and why isn’t he with you?”

“Sadly, I had to miss the wedding. I glamoured a stand-in to take my place. There has been no legal marriage between Polonius and I. I used magic, much like I did when I pretended to be Dimtri, the Prince of the Oxclaw Kingdom in Solbrook.” I flashed him a smile.

“You have always been a fine soldier.” The look of pride on his face was heartwarming. “Cheyenne told me what happened when Prince Dimitri of the Oxclaw Pack came to train with us. He told me it was you pretending to be the Oxclaw prince through magic when he started acting as Beta to his father in Lex’s absence. I wish I’d been able to work with you as you were without the disguise but now that you’re a queen I need to get you to safety. You’re a good fighter, but if the woman who just married Polonius is ever discovered to be a counterfeit he’ll come looking for you and there are hundreds if not thousands of Crypt Claw here to apprehend you.” The worry on Jarvis’ face filled me with dread.

“So what is the state of things here?” I asked, fearing his answer.

“King Helix and I are going undercover to rally troops. We made it seem as if the king and his family went into hiding, but we discovered early on that Polonius was building up his forces around our kingdom. Dating back to when he was plotting with Fallon, he’s been planning this. We don’t have the troops for that kind of direct combat, so we are rallying forces underground and preparing for a surprise attack. We want Polonius to think that Navarrah City is on their knees, but we're not. Helix and the family are well and getting ready to retaliate. What are you doing here?” The look of concern on his face was endearing.

“Bindi, my Royal Commander, has given me the name of a man who might be able to get me onto Vitoria Island to rescue Lex. Do you know commander Derringer Motley? I need to find him as soon as possible.” I hoped Jarvis would be able to put me in touch with Derringer and found it very fortuitous that Jarvis found me.

“We have a ship out there ready to bring Lex back, but it can’t get close with all of the warriors and battleships surrounding the place. We keep getting attacked and there is no way we’ll beable to get our men on shore. We’d have to have an armada of ships and soldiers we can’t spare at the moment. Our priority is getting our citizens into safe, well guarded spaces,” Jarvis said, looking tired and older than his years.

Polonius’ greed and need for power was destroying so many innocent people’s lives. His lust for ultimate control had destroyed families, friendships, and kingdoms. I had to see him defeated. For all that he’d done to the ones that I loved, I would stop at nothing, until I watched Polonius fall.

“Maybe I can stow away on a cargo ship?” I asked him. “Or a fishing boat?”

“All things we’ve considered, but with your magic we may be able to work something. We don’t have any ships leaving tonight or tomorrow so I’m going to get you to safety so you can get a good meal and some rest. You aren’t going to be any help to Lex, half dead. Sorry, Your Majesty, but you look like shit.” He took my arm and guided me through the dark alley to a set of stairs that went under the city.

“Do I look that bad?” I asked him as we carefully made our way through the dark dank underground corridor.

“You look like every soldier who has been on the front line. So,” he breathed as he continued to hold me up. “Mind your step, there’s a lot of dirt and trash down here, Your Majesty and I don’t want you getting injured. The Crypt Claw aren’t using these tunnels, they’re too afraid our warriors are lying in wait, and we are.” His eyes took on a devious gleam.

We walked for an hour through the underground passageways until we made an abrupt left turn and started climbing up a steep stone staircase. As we made our ascent the air became fresher and easier to breathe. When we reached the ground above our heads, we were at a dilapidated estate.

“Is this where you’re keeping the royal family?” I didn’t mean to sound incredulous, but it was a ruined dwelling with very littlecomfort to offer Queen Delia or Janaya who were used to living in luxury.

“No,” is all he said as we entered the estate.

We walked through a gutted room with crumbling walls to the very back of the house where there was a destroyed kitchen. Jarvis came upon a heavy metal door that he knocked on three times, waited a beat, and knocked two times more. Large bolts pulled back and a soldier swung the door open. From our vantage point I could see a long hallway lit with candles sitting in wall sconces embedded in the stones.

“I have Queen Aria of Onyx Rah. She’s not a safety concern. There’s a counterfeit in her place and Polonius is not aware.” Jarvis told the guard briefly. “She needs sanctuary.”

“Granted.” The guard stepped back and let us enter.

“Can you disguise yourself or just other people?” Jarvis asked as we made our way through the hallway where there were soldiers sporadically guarding the entrance.

“I can disguise myself and with a spell I can cloak other people, but I’ve used all of my energy getting here. I can access very little of my magic at the moment.” I told him, feeling the weight of my fatigue after running through the forest for two days with a handful of dried meat and a bladder of water to eat and drink.

“Good, you’ll get some rest and hopefully you’ll be able to disguise yourself. I don’t want you to have to divulge that Polonius has been betrayed, the information could get back to him. It’s best that you not be seen as Aria.” He was giving wise advice and I agreed.

“Thank you. I will definitely heed your advice.”

We continued to walk for a few more miles until we reached another heavy metal door with two guards stationed in front of it. This time Jarvis was not questioned and the guard opened thedoor. When I stepped inside the room and Jarvis finally let go of my hand, having helped me navigate in the dim light.

I found an open space with polished wooden floors and hundreds of candles lighting a room that felt warm and inviting. There were soft couches for lounging and a long table had been set up for serving and eating meals. A few people meandered about but only regarded us with a passing glance.

“Only the royal family is here and a few servants, the rest of the women and children of Navarrah city are in a stronghold like this one on the other side of the kingdom that has secured housing for two thousand people. Certainly not enough for the entire kingdom, but at least the women and children are safe,” he said with a note of pride and accomplishment.

I forgot how archaic the Navarah City’s social construct was. I was striving to create a more equal social environment in Onyx Rah. I would have provided safe spaces for families including men and if women wanted to fight to protect their kingdom I would allow it, however Nevarrah City still held different places and responsibilities for both men and women.

“Thank you for bringing me here, Jarvis. I am truly grateful.” I smiled at him.

“I’m sorry I can’t stay. I’ve got to get back out there. We need intel and recruits.

“Go ahead and go, I’ll be fine. Thank you again,” I said, widening my grin.

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