“Don’t leave me, Arabella,” I whispered as I pulled a dagger from my boot.
I held the blade gently under her nose to check for the condensation of breath. My blood froze as nothing appeared for a few moments until an extremely slight fog frosted the metal. She was still alive, but barely.
Without wasting another moment, I pressed my left hand to her forehead and focused on her nervous system. The warmth of my magic filled my veins as I guided my magic through her nerves, trying to remove the effects of the poison. I could feel as my magic eradicated every ounce of toxin, slowly returning the blood flow to her limbs. My body heated from the power I radiated, but I ignored the heat. The only heat I cared about was the warmth returning to Arabella’s forehead. Life flooded back into her skin as the paleness faded into a more natural glow. I wanted to cheer for joy, but something still wasn’t right. Her lungs remained stil,l and her skin was turning a slight tinge of blue.
Her respiratory system was still failing.
I cupped my hand on her cheek before I kneeled beside her. My heart pounded, but I knew what I needed to do. Lightly, I pressed my forehead again hers and whispered quietly, “stay with me, Arabella.” I leaned back and gazed upon her rose-red lips.
And then, I kissed her.
chapter nineteen
Life flooded into my lungs as a sudden rush of air raised my chest. I felt my pain melt away as the restrictions that had limited my breathing broke away with ease. Alongside the warmth of my flowing blood, I felt a soft warm pressure upon my lips. The feeling was sweet and comforting. As it gently faded, my eyes fluttered open, and I saw Peter. He was so close to me; his eyes fixed on mine with a smile of elated relief spreading across his lips. My beating heart swelled with joy as my own smile formed. He was here; I wasn’t dreaming. I rose slowly from the bed, gently easing myself into a sitting position. My skirts crinkled audibly as I wiggled my toes underneath the fabric.
“Peter?” I spoke his name gently, testing my voice. It came out smooth and clear, with no discomfort. “You saved me. How did you find an antidote?” I gazed into his perfect jade eyes as they sparkled with relief. He looked at me as if I was the most precious thing in the realms, and it made me want to wrap my arms around him.
He picked up my hand and stroked the back of it gently. “Arabella,” his voice was slightly broken up from strain, “I thought you were gone…” He squeezed my hand and held my eyes with a longing gaze. “I thought that I had lost you…” I felt a flutter in my chest and wrapped him in an embrace. His broad shoulders encased mine as he eagerly accepted the hold.
“I thought I was gone, too,” I admitted as he squeezed me tightly. “But as I faded away, I kept thinking of everyone I loved and how badly I didn’t want to leave them.” I pulled away slightly so I could look into his eyes. “I kept thinking of you.” I anxiously watched as his eyes widened and smiled the biggest grin I had ever seen.
“I will always come to your rescue my princess,” he said sweetly as he raised my hand to his lips, “my Arabella.” He placed a light kiss upon my hand, and I couldn’t hold back any more.
I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him close for a gentle kiss.
The sudden sound of the large oak doors slamming open startled us apart. We tore away from each other, a little embarrassed as an entire herd of people dashed into the room. Aurelia, Earl and all seven girls from the mill flooded into the suite at full speed.
“You’re alright!” Aurelia exclaimed as she sprinted toward the bed and pulled me into a hug. The impact knocked the wind out of me for a moment, but it was nothing compared to what came next. All seven mill maids and even Earl ambushed me into a massive embrace.
“I’m so happy you’re not dead!” Hazel mumbled somewhere through the mass of bodies. “Those mean old guards out front wouldn’t let us in! Aurelia had to come talk them down.” The cluster began to slowly fall back, allowing me to take in my first full breath since the affections started.
“Glad yer still kickin’ missy.” Glenda’s lips spread into the smallest of smiles, and I thought for a moment that maybe I had died after all. “Princess or not, you’ll always have this rowdy bunch to back you.” She gave me a small wink as the other girls smiled in agreement.
“Thank you all,” I murmured through withheld tears of joy. “You have all treated me like family, and I’m so grateful to have found you.” I rubbed at my eyes before recalling the events that had created this happy reunion. “Oh, and speaking of family…” I turned to Earl and Peter.
“We are aware of the queen’s treason,” Earl said coldly. His eyes held an anger that I had never seen before in the kind man. “She has been detained both by the Isallan and Draconian guard until a proper trial can be held.”
Peter stepped forward, removing something from his interior pocket. “They might want to take a look at this as well.” He held out a piece of parchment that I assumed was the letter of confession from the assassin. “Though I’m starting to believe it’s only full of lies. The Draconian king and prince assisted in saving you. They even gave me the vital information I required on how to heal you. I don’t understand why the king would have sent an assassin just to save you.” His conflicted thoughts were broken up by the sound of another figure entering the crowded suite.
“Well, that would be because I didn’t.” King Garret’s voice echoed off the polished floors and the entire party split apart, allowing him to approach. “I am relieved to see you are looking well, Your Highness.” He gave me a respectful bow, and I lowered my head in return.
“I am well, and it sounds as though I have you to thank for it.” I smiled graciously, and the old king’s eyes twinkled. “Please forgive me for my questioning, but are you claiming that you had no correlation with this man or his plotting?” I gestured for Peter to pass the letter to the king.
He took it calmly then spent a few moments reading it over.“None at all,” the king confirmed in a stern tone. “I must say, this is deplorable that a rogue would drag the good name of Drancos through the mud. I swear to you on the kingdom of Drancos that I have never had any contact with a hired assassin or acted in any ill manner toward the kingdom of Isalla.” He held my eyes as he swore with his hand over his heart. “Let all of you here be witness to my claim and hold me accountable should my oath be proven false.” He lowered his hand and gave me a friendly smile.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood to face him. My legs wobbled at first, but Peter helped steady me from behind. “I trust your words. My mother actually confessed that the man reigned from Ashbourne.” A multitude of eyes closed in on me with rapt interest. I explained everything that the queen had confided in me on my death bed. Puzzled and shocked expressions dotted the faces of all my listeners until finally, Hazel broke the silence.
“Well, now I’m confused,” the young girl chirped loudly without an ounce of shame. “I thought Ashbourne was one of our allies or something? Why would they want to kill you?” She cocked her head to the side and crossed her arms. I let out a slight chuckle at her humorous pose before I remembered we were in the presence of a king.
“Well, I think that’s part of it. He didn’t kill me, but he clearly had the chance.” I straightened my pose as I ran my mind through our close encounters. “When he first led me away, when he nearly shot me with an arrow, and even after he disclosed my location to the queen, he had every opportunity. I should have been dead long ago, but he wanted me alive. Perhaps we should question him more to unearth his true motives.” I looked over to Peter for any further thoughts.
“There’s something you should know, princess,” He looked a little uneasy as if anticipating being scolded. “The assassin escaped just before I came to find you.” A look of shame crossed his face, and I suddenly understood why he hadn’t arrived at the mill for so long.
“It’s alright, Peter,” I placed a reassuring hand on his arm and his tension lessened. “I cannot blame you for his escape. The man was a snake and clearly had plans from the start that we were unaware of.”
“I do think he was honest about one thing though,” Peter added, drawing my attention. “His nickname and purpose for being here.”
My eyes widened in understanding. “The mirror,” I chimed in, feeling the wheels turn in my mind. “He said that his true objective was to reflect a person’s true self. Could that mean that this was all just a test?” My voice rose slightly in frustration at the idea, but I couldn’t help it. If this was all some sick game from Ashbourne, then I was going to be more than just a little upset.