Page 7 of The Princess of Nothing
King Amos of Magaelor Dead, Marking the End of His Ruthless Reign.
My heart sank. The shock of what I’d done washed over me. I was responsible for it, even if it didn’t feel like murder. I didn’t stab him or cut his throat. I didn’t run him through with a sword, like he had done to Jasper. Nor had I slaughtered him like he had the elves. But I had pulled the ring from his finger, knowing what would happen. It was premeditated, yet I had been holding myself in a higher esteem than other killers.
For a second, it didn’t matter how many bad things Father had done; they weren’t worth killing him for. I felt a part of my soul darken. No matter how many times I told myself I’d done the right thing, that he’d deserved it and I saved Magaelor from a war with Niferum, I couldn’t get rid of the sinking feeling deep inside, like an itch I could never scratch.
“Everything okay?” Hawk asked, peering over my shoulder. “Ah.”
I scrunched the newspaper in my hands. “Yes. Thank you for bringing me so far, but there’s something I must do. Alone.”
He looked uneasy. “We will be at the Red Thorn Tavern. Peter knows the owner from a shadow market. We can hide out there.” Hawk’s face was red. “When will we be expecting you?”
“I don’t know,” I answered. “A day, possibly two. Depends if I can find the person I seek.”
His eyes flitted to my drawstring bag.
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not going to run from you. Trust me, I need you to get back home.”
“I know.” He nodded. “It’s not that. I’d rather you were not left alone. Your safety has become essential. It’s not only the payment that matters now. You are...” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Our queen.”
“I’ll be careful,” I promised, feeling a little annoyed he would think I couldn’t handle myself. I was the one who’d saved us from the mercreatures.“I have been here before. I will be okay. It’s only for a day.”
“I cannot force you to stay with us.” He let out a weighted sigh. “Return soon, and be wary of thieves,” he said reluctantly and turned to follow his right-hand man, Peter, and two other crewmen back down a winding dirt road.
Once they were gone, I straightened the thin pages of the newspaper and devoured the words. The word Monster was scrawled across the paragraphs, entwining with words about his supposed murder and the anarchy that followed. In the short time I’d sailed, everything that could have gone wrong, had. The hairs on my arms stood erect as the words entered my head.
Edgar had made a deal with King Xenos.
I turned the pages, desperate for more information, but nothing else was said. They were keeping the details under wraps.
That traitor! After what Berovia had done to my brother, his own cousin. Xenos was king when the attack on Magaelor had been ordered. I puffed out my cheeks and clenched my fists. I stormed through the town center, clutching the pages in my grasp. If his rule wasn’t incentive enough to return and reclaim my throne, this new deal was. Berovia wouldn’t just agree to peace. Not after everything. What had Edgar promised them?
I glanced down at the inked words one last time before throwing the paper into a garbage wagon on the corner of the road. White-bricked houses lined the seaside town, leading away from the swampy marshes farther south. The air was so thick, I could hardly catch my breath. I stopped in front of another display rack. My name was on one of the newspapers, along with a drawing of my face.
Magaelor Princess Believed Dead After Fleeing Niferum. Is This the End of Amos Mortis’s Direct Bloodline?
A second newspaper read:
A New Era for Magaelor
I let out a long exhale before stepping back. It was an inconvenience. I couldn’t hover around public places for long, especially ones where my face was openly attached to my title. The sketch of me was small and only on one newspaper, so I was safe enough, but still, I didn’t like it. I was surprised they were printing about us at all, but then I supposed our deaths were the best thing that could happen to King Xenos.
Whatever happened now, I needed to find Cedric. He could help me, then I would go into the Forest of Tranquillium to see the village myself. I needed to look at it and to see if Birch was... still alive.
Spotting a week-old newspaper lying next to the stand, I read the headline:
Elves Ambushed in the Dead of Night by Lunas, Nymphs Stolen, Our Resources Attacked.
It was only one nymph, not that it mattered. The article reiterated what I already knew to be true; Berovia wasn’t going to just forgive us and not retaliate, even if Amos was dead. No, Edgar had offered something valuable. He had to have. Luckily, he couldn’t legally sign anything until he was crowned king, which wouldn’t happen until after the mourning period. I still had time to go back and undo his treachery.
I hurried down brick roads to smaller, cobbled streets until I reached the entrance to the shadow market. The wrought iron gate reached high, twisting into spikes at the top. I fumbled in my bag, then pulled out the heavy iron key. I forced it into the large, scratched padlock and turned it. As I did, the illusion of a quiet street melted away into a scene of vibrance and magic.
The first stall shone, immediately capturing my attention. It was a beautiful array of intricate, small collectibles, like goblets of silver and tungsten and glass ornaments with faery dust trapped inside, making them shimmer and glow, contrasting the black cloth that hung over the table. Rings glistened from a black padded stand—a metal dragon wrapped around an emerald and a phoenix alight over an orange stone. I wanted it all.
I pulled my attention to the next table. Packs of tarot cards, like the ones Morgana had used, were stacked neatly in the center. My heart panged. The voice in the back of my mind questioned if it would be too late to save her.I swallowed hard, attempting to remove the lump in my throat, to no avail. I pushed on, ignoring the dark thoughts threatening to consume me and anxieties I could not answer.
I reminded myself why I was here. I had to find Cedric.
Curiosity burned in my mind. I looked from left to right, taking in the relics and magical items for sale. Sunlight danced off various diamonds and rare gems, silver trinkets, and gold covers on ancient books. The footpath was crowded. I darted in and out of small groups of solises and, occasionally, a light fae or elf.I could always tell them apart with the light fae’s nature-inspired clothing and glistening wings, some tucked at their backs, others had them spread open for all to see.
