I coughed violently, trying to clear the smoke from my lungs. No sooner had my eyes fully opened, warm arms wrapped around my body. I returned the embrace warmly, expecting to feel the strong frame of my hero Elias. However, the body my arms wrapped around was far more petite, and frankly, felt like a woman. I adjusted my eyes to my surroundings and quickly noticed two cloaked figures standing side by side, both armed with bows and quivers. Just as I thought things couldn’t get more confusing, Bear appeared behind one of the figures and seated himself with a proud grin.
Feeling entirely puzzled, I pulled back from the cloaked woman who held me. Her face was covered, but she was medium height, had black hair, dark eyes and...
Wait a moment.
“Queen Arabella!?” I nearly shouted, but a rush of hushes from the other two figures quickly quieted me down. “Pardon me... but is that really you?”
The dark brown eyes seemed to smile at me from under her mask. “Yes, my friend,” she whispered softly. “I’m here to help, but we need to move.”
I nodded numbly, no longer certain if I had perished inside that carriage. Before we left, the two hooded figures returned to the carriage to ensure the panicking horses were free. They then collaboratively pushed the flaming wagon off the side of the road until it tumbled down the side of a deep ledge. I watched in awe, but was then pulled away by the queen, who led me deeper into the forest. I had to stop a few times to detach my torn skirt from snagged twigs and thorns, but before long, we arrived at a clearing, Four beautiful mares grazed in the grassy opening, each fully saddled. As we came to a stop, the two hooded men returned behind us.
I looked at the queen with fascination. “You’re going to help me escape?” I knitted my brows together, not quite sure how this plan made sense. “But why? Won’t you lose favor with the court for aiding in an illegal matter?” I didn’t want my problems to damage the queen’s reputation, especially when the queen was my friend.
“Worry not, Aurelia.” The queen smiled at me, her dazzling features showing not even an ounce of concern. “The court is already in favor of my decision to aide you. It isn’t going to be public knowledge, but I can assure you, I shall receive no negative impact.”
My mouth fell open. “H-how, I mean... who or where did this come from?” I stuttered in amazement as feelings of relief overwhelmed me.
The queen simply smiled again and gestured toward one of the hooded figures. “I owed someone a favor, and the court was in full approval.”
At her cue, the man pulled down his hood, and two perfect hazel eyes stared back at me. My heart flooded over with relief and joy as I ran into Elias’s arms. He wrapped me tightly in his embrace, and I could have sworn I would never be happier.
He nuzzled his head into my neck then whispered in my ear, “You didn’t think I would let you get married without me, did you?”
chapter twenty-six
I buried my face into Elias’s chest. The relief of finally knowing he was safe overwhelmed me with elation. He gently released his firm hold on me, leaning me back so we could see each other’s eyes. I wanted to kiss him right then and there, but our onlookers reminded me that it wouldn’t be the most private moment. Instead, I placed a light peck on his cheek. His face flushed an adorable shade of red as he grinned at my affection.
“You have a lot of explaining to do.” I laughed giddily. “How did the trial go? Was there a trial? Are your parents imprisoned? What about you? Are you in any danger? Oh goodness, I’m so happy you’re alright!” I knew he couldn’t possibly answer them all at once, but I could hardly contain my curiosity. Elias let out a low laugh, then slowly petted the top of my head, smoothing down my fire-frizzed hair.
At the same time, another chuckle sounded from the second cloaked figure, and I turned with an inquisitive look. If Elias and Queen Arabella were here, then who was my third rescuer? No sooner had I asked the mental question did the man unveil his hood. My jaw dropped open again as I stared into the vibrant green eyes of the Isallan king. He laughed again at my bewildered expression.
“It’s good to see you too, Lady Lockly.” He flashed me his signature grin then moved to stand aside his wife. “I believe we can answer those questions for you.” He placed an arm around his queen, whose smile matched his. I stared at them both in complete astonishment from their presence.
“Well, I’m supposed to attend a wedding soon…” I said in my most bored voice, and Elias rolled his eyes at the tease. “But I suppose they won’t miss me too dearly. So what happened? Why in the realms are you two here?”
The three of them took turns explaining the full story to me. It all started with the queen discovering my cryptic letter, shortly followed by Elias’s appearance in the judicial court. Not surprisingly, the Oberon family had arrived only a few hours after Elias did. The entire ordeal sent them all to be personally investigated. It had taken days for the court to even sort out who all had been involved with the scandal.
“Once Elias mentioned your name, I personally oversaw the investigation.” the queen explained. “It didn’t take long to know who I could believe. Elias only spoke well of you, while the Oberons attempted to accuse you of every crime in the book. It only took a few testimonies from the servants to confirm that the Oberons were at fault. Apparently, most of the staff had been forced into secrecy under threats from Luke. Once they were individually questioned all the answers came out. Well, all except for the butler. He was loyal to his master until the end.” She shook her head in apparent disappointment.
Elias placed a protective arm over my shoulder. “He won’t be threatening anyone now.” He gave my shoulder a light squeeze, and I leaned into his comfort. “He, Jenna, and Lawrence are awaiting their individual trials now. The guard is also attempting to track down the hired mages Luke had utilized. Nobody who was involved is walking away easy. The entire court had to get involved since it involved a corrupt judge.” He let out a relieved sigh. I can’t imagine how stressful it must have been for him as he awaited the queen’s jurisdiction.
King Peter’s eyes darkened. “Luke Oberon will be fortunate to receive anything less than execution.” His grip on his wife tensed. “That man assisted in the escape of the monster who nearly killed Arabella. I’ll be certain he faces the full weight of his crimes. Similarly, I was intent on rewarding the man who brought these crimes to our attention. I tried to offer him gold or a court position, but he only had one odd request.” I caught sight of a shared glance between the two men.
I directed my confusion to Elias. “What did you ask for?”
He smirked at me, a mischievous gleam set in his eyes. “Your death.” I stared at him rather dumbfounded for a moment, until he started laughing. Then I punched him in the arm. The royals joined in the laughter at our display.
“Seriously,” I prodded. “What did you ask for?”
The queen stepped forward. “He wasn’t lying, Aurelia. He requested that we kill Aurelia Lockly.” She smiled sweetly at me, but I slowly backed away instinctively. She laughed again. “Not literally! Just legally. I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical of the plan myself, but Elias assured us you would trust him. Peter and I agreed to the plan under the arrangement that I was permitted to assist. You’re my friend, and I didn’t want you dying without me! Peter only tagged along to ensure I stayed safe, but it worked flawlessly! A few minutes ago, you were last sighted in a flaming carriage that has now plummeted off a cliff. That’s plenty of evidence to approve an official certificate of death.”
My head spun.Had we just faked my death?I turned my attention back to Elias, who was still grinning more ridiculously than Bear.
“And what does my death accomplish?” I asked plainly.
“It buys us time.” He wrapped his hand around mine. I tried to ignore the flutters in my heart to focus in on his words. “Once Aurelia Lockly is officially deceased, you will be free from your betrothal. The queen has agreed to submit an amendment of the marriage laws to the court, but it will take some time to pass with all the ongoing trials. So, until then, you and I shall remain hidden in the far corner of the kingdom. Their Majesties have already prepared jobs for us at a desolate inn. Once the new law officially passes, you can return to society without fear of the Dugals. They will have no legal claim to you, and in the meantime, they won’t attempt hunting for a dead girl.” Satisfied delight rang in his voice.
An invisible pressure lifted off my chest as his plan unfolded in my mind. He had done it. Against the odds of everyone around us we had accomplished the feat of achieving our freedom. We would be free from our families, from the laws, and even from my name.