up the wall.” He turned, his cloak billowing out behind him as he raced up the steps and into the palace.
The guards pulled me after Liam. I felt insignificant as I looked up through the glass ceilings in the main hall, to the spiral towers throughout the palace. There was so much glass it gave the impression of walking through a greenhouse.
Liam turned and gave me a once over, inspecting my clothing as if I were one of his soldiers. He must have seen something that displeased him because he rushed over to me and flung my hood up, hiding my hair as he whispered a warning to me. “I wish you had never come back.”
“I came here to help.”
He looked away, and I clasped my hands under my cloak.
We passed through colorful glass doors and into the throne room, where I was unprepared for the introductions we were about to make.
A man with dark inset eyes and a brown beard spotted with gray sat with a stony glare upon his throne, the smaller feminine seat next to him was empty. The king of Rya sat, his legs crossed, his fingers steepled together, and he didn’t move an inch when Commander Liam came and kneeled on the floor, bowing. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I kneeled as well, keeping my eyes on the floor, my hood sinking even farther over my face. A curtsey may have been enough if I was a lady of the court, but knowing that I wasn’t of noble blood, it was my safest option.
“You wake me in the middle of the night. Have you come to bring more disappointing news?” King Pharell drawled out lazily. He sighed and leaned deeper into the cushion of his throne. “I’m not even sure why I still tolerate you as commander of my guard.”
“I’ve done nothing but serve your kingdom. I’ve fought for years to protect your borders, and will continue to do so with my life,” Liam answered nobly.
“But not when the threat comes from within my kingdom. What have you done against this blight, except lose men to it? I suffer under the burden of both your annoying presence and your failures.”
My body trembled in anger, and I could hold my tongue no longer.
I stood, and yelled, “That’s not true.”
King Pharell’s legs uncrossed, and he leaned forward on his gold throne expectantly. “And who, pray tell, are you?”
Liam gave a slight shake of his head, but I ignored him. If I could save him, I would. “I am Aurora Eville, daughter of Lady Eville.”
The king was not impressed. He sneered at the mention of my mother’s name. “Lorelai, the very one who brought down this curse upon my kingdom out of jealousy?”
“Jealousy?” I stammered and felt my heart thud against my rib cage. “She did no such thing. She saved this kingdom from the person who tried to destroy you,” I yelled.
“More like ruined,” King Pharell said. The king stood and stepped down off the throne, stopping on the golden wheel etched in the marble floor in the center of the room.
“Lady Eville is the one who kept the blight away from your doorstep. The fact that it wreaks revenge is no one’s fault but your own. If you want to stop the blight, then you need not look further than yourself and your own sins.”
“How dare you speak to me so bluntly. I should have you punished.”
Frustrated I pulled back my hood, revealing my white-blonde hair.
The king’s nostrils flared, and I saw the hint of wild fear in his eyes before he looked down at the once again kneeling commander. “The resemblance is uncanny. Do you think she could be . . .?” the king trailed off as he became lost in thought.
I could tell from his expression that Liam was angry, frustrated with my outburst, and even more so at the king’s reaction to me. But I didn’t understand why my hair would be an issue. I focused on the king and felt nothing, heard nothing, and realized that Liam was shielding me, hiding his and the king’s thoughts from my magic.
“Interesting. This changes things greatly. Have her prepared for tonight,” he said to Liam. “If the curse wants an heir, I will give it an heir.” His voice was quiet, barely a whisper, as he spoke his last thought. The king ran his fingers across his mouth in thought and then looked over to an alcove.
I followed the king’s glance and only