A Tale of Two Princesses (33 page)

     Afterward, Sienna took the brush to her flesh, wetting the bristles with what water was left. One glare from the warden and a hand on his whip told her to obey. Halfway through her bath, she heard a voice, a distant voice, but so familiar it made her inhale a breath of air. She crawled to the bars, sticking her ear between them.

     "...one day's time, I will be the valet to the king, his personal servant and friend. If you refuse me now, I will leave, but as I do so, I promise to return tomorrow, and upon my return, it is you I shall see behind these bars! Now, step aside, you beast of a man!"

     "It is the prince's valet!" Homa said.

     "Wellington!" Sienna shouted, her heart leaping out of her chest, raising her voice even over the cheers of the other prisoners who loved to see the warden put in his place. "Wellington! Oh, Wellington! Hurry! Please, hurry! I have to tell you something! The prince is in danger! Can you hear me? Wellington!"

     Homa joined in. "Wellington! Please hurry to us! There is urgent news!"

     Wellington appeared before them, so tall but so glorious in what his presence meant. Sienna could warn him! She could save the prince! She pulled herself up, standing on her feet, numb to her burning leg.

     "Wellington, thank God! I have to warn you! Queen Celeste is—"

     "Did you write this?" he demanded, cutting her off.

     "What? What is it?"

     Wellington unrolled a scroll, showing it to her. Sienna knew what it was without even reading it.

     "My letter! Oh, my letter! I forgot all about it! You found it? How wonderful! Please, listen, Wellington. The prince is in grave danger!"

     "Is it true?" he demanded. "You masqueraded as the princess? That night, the entire night, it was you?"

     Sienna bit her lip. "Yes. I didn't mean to lie to him."

     "I asked her to do so," Homa spoke up. "She is blameless. Her only crime was obeying my order. The Princess Celeste was drunk, and I did not wish to offend the prince or the queen by admitting her state."

     "I cannot believe it," Wellington said. "It is high treason to impersonate a member of the royal family."

     "I know it is," Sienna said quickly. "But I don't care about that part right now. You have to listen. Queen Celeste intends to kill Court!"

     "What?" Wellington said, his neck pulling back.

     "It is true," Homa put in. "She told us her intent with her own lips."

     "Yes, yes," Sienna said quickly, all of her knowledge pouring out of her mouth, hoping to carry it on the lips of Wellington. "She wants to rule alone, just by herself, and she said that Vrine can control the dragon with witchcraft. She said she'd have Vrine send it to kill Court! And, and I think she's the one who killed the queen, poisoned her, and her father too!"

     "But you killed the queen. You admitted to it."

     "No, no! I didn't mean to admit to it. I thought I was being arrested for impersonating the princess!"

     "You signed a confession."

     "They made me sign it. They put me in that pillory stock and I couldn't breathe. I just signed it so they wouldn't hurt me anymore."

     Wellington looked down. "If this is true, do you realize what it means?"

     "It's all true," Homa said. "Warn the prince. Queen Celeste has lost her mind. She does indeed intend to kill him this very night, after they consummate their marriage and she is so filled with an heir, for the sake of keeping Cross an ally. She will have Vrine call the dragon. You must stop Vrine and help the prince to escape the queen."

     Wellington leaned heavily against the bars. He looked at Sienna. "The prince is in love with you, at least, the person who he thinks is you."

     "I know," Sienna whispered. "And I know I have no right to love or be loved by a prince, but it's not about that. It's about saving Court."

     "And how do you expect me to do that? He is in the castle, waiting to be married in an hour. I will not see him until he appears on the altar."

     "Then tell him on the altar," Sienna urged. "Just tell him. It's your job to save him. At the very least, stop Vrine. Don't let her summon the dragon."

     Wellington nodded. "I will save the prince. I will not let anyone harm one hair on his head. But...but you must understand, I have no authority here. I cannot save you from the gallows."

     "You don't have to," Sienna said. "You just have to save Court."

     He bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Sienna. I misjudged you."

     "Don't be sorry. Just do your duty. Save Court."

Chapter Twenty-One

Off to the Gallows

     The warden was walking quickly through the halls of the castle, the guards looking shocked by his filthy appearance. He reached the steward and begged an audience with Vrine. It was a moment later before she appeared.

     "Yes?" Vrine said, her long fingers together. "What is it?"

     "Ma'am, you told me to come to you if anyone asked to see the prisoners. Well, someone did. The prince's valet, a man named Wellington, came to speak to them."

     "And I suppose you were stupid enough to permit him?"

     "I can't say no to the prince's valet, ma'am."

     "Of course, you can't. Return to your prison. Continue on schedule. The prisoners are to be executed in one hour."

     "Yes, ma'am. It will be done."

     The warden hurried off and Vrine returned to the queen's chambers. Celeste was yelling at Betilly and Kathree about her dress.

     "The tailor has made it too small for me!"

     "Your majesty," Betilly said, "perhaps the measurements have changed."

     "Are you calling me fat?" Celeste demanded. "Insulting the queen is punishable by death!"

     "No, your majesty, never," Betilly hurriedly said. "I meant perhaps the tailor misread your measurements."

     "Idiot," Celeste said, looking at herself in the mirror again, tugging on her dress as it hugged her body. She saw Vrine in the mirror. "See to it the tailor is imprisoned, Vrine."

     "It will be done, your majesty. But there is another more pressing issue."

     Celeste sighed. "Why is there always another more pressing issue? What is it now?"

     "Betilly, Kathree, leave," Vrine said.

     The pair of them scurried out of the room, avoiding eye contact. Celeste was staring at Vrine.

     "Well, get on with it. I'm going to be married in an hour. There's no time for dramatic pauses."

     "The prince's valet, Wellington, has spoken to the stable girl. She has undoubtedly told him everything."

     Celeste exhaled in anger. "Will you please kill him?"

     "The prince may notice his valet is gone, what with him serving as the best man."

     "We just have to make it through the ceremony. Why must you bother me with all this, Vrine? Do you not see it is my wedding day? Just deal with him!"

     "Very well," Vrine said. "I do hope the queen will remember our bargain after the king is dead and her belly is bloated with his child."

     "Yes, yes, we'll put the monastery of magic under attack and you'll have your silly old spell book and you can eat their hearts or whatever it is you do to make yourself stronger. Just kill that annoying servant before he ruins everything."

     "It shall be done."

* * *

     "It's time," the warden said, grinning with his yellow teeth.

     Sienna trembled, standing up, closing her eyes. Despite the terror, she took strength that Court would live, that he would go on, that maybe he would even avenge her, that Celeste would not win.

     She was shackled and a chain was run through her wrists, with Homa behind her. Eight others were chained after her. She wondered why they had put her in the lead, but then she remembered her crime was the greatest. She limped forward, hobbling, with Homa helping her from behind.

     "Go slow, child. None of us behind you are eager for the gallows."

     Sienna frowned back at her. "I'm glad you're here with me, Homa."

     "Child, I wish neither of us were here at all."

     Climbing the stairs out of the dungeon was the hardest, her leg burning in protest, her bare feet scratching at the stone. Homa put an arm around her, helping her up. When they came through the door at the top, the bright afternoon sky burned their eyes. Sienna had to squint after being in the dark for so long. The ten prisoners were then stuffed into the back of a carriage and it began to roll away from the castle. The execution was to take place in the town square, for all to see.

     "You know," Sienna whispered, "when I was younger, my mama used to tell me stories about princes and princesses and heroic escapes. And I keep thinking, I'm gonna be okay; I'm gonna be okay; I'm gonna be okay. Somehow, someone's gonna save me, a last minute rescue, like in the fairy tales. And for a minute, I thought Wellington was gonna save me, but he can't. And Court's all the way in the castle. And Betilly and Kathree, they're probably with the queen. And all the knights are dead. And that's it. There's no one left to save me."

     "We shall have to hold out hope for your uncle."

     Sienna giggled. "Thanks, Homa. I think that cheered me up."

     "Me too, child."

* * *

     Wellington's palms were sweating as he climbed the stairs through the castle, his heart pounding. He was carrying the prince's sword, his excuse for seeing his master. The castle soldiers looked at him and his weapon with suspicion, as if they knew his plan, as if they knew he was going to tell his master that the queen was plotting his death.

     At last, he reached the throne room, finding the steward, asking him for an audience with the prince. An audience with his own prince! How preposterous.

     "I shall alert him for you," the steward said, bowing his head and disappearing.

     Wellington began pacing at the foot of the stair up to the golden thrones. The hall looked strangely foreboding so empty.

     "Not going to go well," he mumbled to himself. "Even if I speak to the prince, he is sure to take action, try to save the girl, and in doing so, reveal he knows the queen's intentions. But upon learning this, she may order her guards to kill him. We cannot fight a castle full of soldiers. No, no, we cannot. We are so outnumbered, in such dread circumstances. Poor Sienna, off to the gallows, lost regardless of a win or a loss. How greatly a misstep I have taken."

     The sound of the steward's footsteps drew him. "The prince welcomes you. Please come."

     Wellington took a deep breath and then followed the steward. He was led to the state room. The steward held the door for him. Wellington was on his guard as he passed through, nervous that somehow, he may be forestalled, but to his relief, he found his prince inside.

     "Your highness!"

     "Wellington, what are you doing here?" Court asked. "I thought I would see you at the altar."

     "Sir, I have an urgent matter to discuss with you."

     "Oh?" Court said, straitening his white coat. "Am I quite underdressed?"

     "No, sir. I spoke to the stable girl, and—"

     "Wellington, I have no desire to hear anymore about Sienna," Court interrupted. "I wish to put that whole ugly business behind me."

     "No, sir, there is a new development."

     "What new development?" Court asked.

     "Yes, what new development," a voice said.

     Wellington wheeled around, finding the queen stepping in from the adjacent room.

     "Your majesty!" Wellington said, bowing. "What are you doing here?"

     "Pardon me?" Celeste said indignantly.

     "Forgive me, your majesty," Wellington said. "I only meant it is untraditional for the bride and groom to see each other before the ceremony."

     Celeste laughed a high laugh, her eyes narrow as they stared at Wellington. "You are correct, dear Wellington. But truth be told, I was so nervous over our soon coming marriage that I called on my dear groom for a visit."

     Celeste walked over to Court, her white wedding dress flowing after her. She slipped her arm through his, holding his side.

     "My dear prince and I do not need to stand on tradition when our love is so deep, do we, Court?"

     "No, my love," Court said, stroking her cheek. "Truly, I wish only to hastily pass through the ceremony so I may call myself your husband."

     "Oh, my dear prince, I think you are dreaming already of our wedding night. How coarse you are."

     Court chuckled. "I am a knight, my precious Celeste, and so the respect and virtue of your womanhood is of paramount concern to me."

     She giggled with him, covering her mouth with her hand, as she so often did. "My precious prince, I would kiss you for your manner, but I am saving that for the moment we are pronounced husband and wife."

     "A moment I cannot wait for," he said, looking into her eyes.

     She smiled and then she turned to Wellington. "But we are forgetting dear Wellington. What can we do for you, Wellington? And whatever are you doing with that sword? Have you come to slay me?"

     She laughed as if she had made a joke, and Court chuckled as well.

     Wellington gulped. "Actually, this is his highness' sword."

     Court smiled. "Do you anticipate me needing my sword on my wedding day, Wellington? Come now, I've met the priest and he is a kind man."

     "I should hope so, your highness, but you are a knight, and it is a knight's code that their sword remains at their side."

     "I don't think he needs that," Celeste said.

     "Truly, Wellington, there is no need."

     "Please, your highness," Wellington said. "I must insist. It would do honor to the name of your father and your brother, as well as all the slain knights who have died for you."

     Court bowed his head. "I suppose that is a Cross tradition."

     "It is not an Avelot tradition," Celeste said, pinching her lips together. "I would prefer not to see a weapon on my wedding day."