“No!” I screamed so hard I thought my lungs would burst as I threw myself between Killian and the rebel’s blade. My chest heaved with panicked breaths, and I clenched my eyes shut, bracing for the sting of death, but the whooshing sword fell silent. Sir Baggio let out an audible gasp that was echoed by the crowd behind him. I opened my eyes and let out a relieved cry as I felt the miraculous sensation of Killian’s breath tickling the back of my neck. The two men that held Killian in place stared at me with lost expressions, but I remained in front of him, shielding him with my petite frame and a deathly stare. “Drop your weapon immediately!”
The entire room went silent as Sir Baggio’s shocked expression molded into indignation. “My dear princess, what do you think you’re doing?” he asked in a regal tone. His voice held all the confidence of a strong leader, but the expression he directed at me was full of loathing. “The man you’re protecting is nothing more than Ashbourne scum. He is only a nuisance to this country and deserves to be punished for his crimes against our people. I’m sure he has contorted your mind in the time he held you prisoner, but we are here to help you see the truth and move forward.” He gestured amongst the audience, earning a few agreeable murmurs.
I straightened my posture, holding my chin high. “He didn’t hold me prisoner. This man saved my life when a banished woman, the ex-queen, Minerva, attempted to marry me off for her own gain.” More shocked whispers ensued at the name of the Isallan criminal. I relieved slightly that they recognized her. If I could convince the rebels that Killian was on our side, then maybe I could save him; although, that was easier said than done when I was up against twenty years of resentment. “Without his help, our kingdom would have fallen into the clutches of a monster. Prince Killian wasn’t the one who held me captive, the queen was. Without his help, our kingdom would be aligned with King Darius and our people made into slaves for his war. If you truly wish to make me your queen, then I demand you release the prince at once. His actions have proven to be favorable to our kingdom, and he deserves nothing less than our gratitude, not our blades!”
All eyes switched between me and the Baggios. Todd snuck me a narrowed glare, and I met him with a sneer of my own. If they wanted me to be a royal, then they were going to treat me like one. I may not know how to be a princess, but I know how to be a thief, and any good thief knows how to make use of the tools at their disposal. Right now, I was armed with a dagger and a perceived crown, and one shined brighter than the other amongst this group.
The crowd watched with rapt attention as Sir Baggio pulled his son aside to exchange a word in private. My heart raced nervously as I watched the exchange, my previous confidence waning under all the curious eyes. I risked a glance behind me at Killian, and instantly felt strengthened by his comforting gray eyes. He gave me a silent nod of encouragement, and I resumed my tall posture as the men broke free from their huddle. Todd’s new mischievous grin flaked at my confidence, but I made sure to keep my expression cool and level.
“It would seem that we made an error in judgment,” Sir Baggio announced, his words slow and regretful. I felt an overwhelming rush of relief pass through me, but Todd’s misplaced smile prevented me from allowing a full celebration. “It would seem our guest has not committed the crimes we suspected. However, while this young prince may not have endangered our princess, his lineage still poses a threat to our kingdom.” He glared at Killian from the corner of his eye, and I watched the prince narrow his eyes back without hesitation. “So, in respect to our future queen, my son and I have agreed to make a bargain.” The men approached where I still stood shielded over Killian, my dagger still at the ready.
“What bargain?” I questioned, raising a suspicious brow.
“The prince can go free,” Todd replied without pause, while simultaneously giving Killian a sour look. “But in exchange, the wait is over. You must marry me in the morning and claim the throne. Our people have waited long enough to be free of Ashbourne’s oppression. If we grant your request, then it is only fair that you grant ours.”
I stiffened. Deep down I knew this was coming. It should have come as no surprise that Todd would find a way to expedite the wedding, but a bigger part of me had been hopeful that there was still a chance I could escape alongside Killian.
“If you refuse...” Sir Baggio added, “then the prince will be executed. We cannot risk him returning to Ashbourne for reinforcements before the union is sealed, and it’s far too dangerous to keep him here as a prisoner. The only way we will agree to release him is if we are confident that the monarchy will be restored before the prince can pose any further threat. That is our bargain.”
My heart sank. This was it then... If I didn’t want Killian to die, then I would have to marry Todd. And even if I didn’t agree to the deal, there was no promise that they wouldn’t rush the wedding anyway. This was my only chance at getting Killian out of here. I looked back at the angered prince, who was now fighting against his restraints once more. His mouth was still bound, but I knew what he wanted to say.He wouldn’t want me to marry Todd, but I couldn’t just let him die.I gave him a weak smile and watched with a pained heart as his eyes grew wide. He fought desperately against his restraints, nearly shoving the rebels who held him in place aside. I turned away from him, unable to witness the reflection of pain that my own heart was bearing.
I’m sorry, Killian.
I faced Todd with a dead gaze. “Fine, but he goes free first.” I held out my hand in offering, tears quietly building up under my lashes.
The Baggios exchanged a victorious smile, and Todd placed his hand in mine. “Deal.” He shook my hand firmly, and the crowd exploded into applause as the rest of my heart shattered into dust.
“You’re free to go,” the rebel said gruffly as he cut the ties from my wrists. Pain seared through my shoulder as proper blood flow resumed throughout the injury. “The narrow passage is the one that leads outside. Don’t come back unless you want to meet Sir Baggio’s sword again.”
Anger poured through me at the name. Now that my hands were free, I was through being the blasted damsel in distress. There was no chance I was going to simply walk away and leave Nixie behind to marry that rebel buffoon. I snatched the man by the collar and held him inches from my face. “I’m not leaving until you take me to Nixie,” I growled viciously.
A small squeak of fear emitted from the man, and a few curious eyes turned in our direction. “I can’t do that,” he whimpered. “Only Sir Todd is permitted to see the princess until the ceremony.”
He tried to pull away from my grasp, but I tightened my grip, deepening the threat. The few onlookers had begun to gather, narrowing their eyes with defensive stances. I kept a ruthless scowl on my face, challenging the rebels to risk my fury. “Well, there’s been a change in plans,” I projected to the crowd. “The princess is getting one more visitor. If my request is not granted, then I’ll uproot your entire compound before nightfall. I have a team of trained soldiers awaiting my command in Synatto. They have been positioned there for nearly a month now, and are already aware of my location. If you don’t believe me, ask your little friend Guppy. He met a few of my men a few weeks back.”
My breath halted as I waited for my bluff to take root. As if by instinct, the crowd parted, revealing a small boy I recognized as the street urchin who led me here so many weeks ago. His frightful eyes grew wide with panic as he recognized me and the weight of my words. I let out an internal sigh of relief. The terrified presence of the child seemed to be enough to convince the crowd that I was at least partially honest. Soft concerned murmurs filtered through the group and a woman crouched to the boy’s level and exchanged a few hushed words. The crowd watched anxiously as the woman returned to her feet and bit her lip, giving the group a quiet nod of confirmation.
Not wasting the opportunity, I slowly released the man from my clutches and brushed off his shoulder. “Now then, shall we?” I gestured for him to lead the way and he nervously looked across the sea of faces for instruction.
One of the older men sighed. “We’ll take ya, but ya only get two minutes and then yer gone. Understand?” The crowd seemed pleased with this arrangement, each giving soft verbal agreement.
“Deal,” I said stiffly. “Let’s go.”
The group led me down a twisting collection of tunnels, keeping me at a safe distance while simultaneously never taking an eye off me. It seemed apparent that we weren’t taking a direct route, but I supposed it only made sense if they didn’t want to risk me finding Nixie a second time. Multiple times I noticed we had passed the same entrance twice or had even made a full circle. When we finally stopped, I found myself facing a makeshift wooden door and a very confused rebel standing guard at the entrance.
“He requests a brief audience with the princess,” one of the men in my cluster announced.
The guard arched his brow. “Did the Baggios approve of this visit?”
The rebels flicked a few nervous glances between each other, and the woman from earlier stepped forward to meet the guard’s eyes. “They didn’t, but Guppy might get in trouble again if we don’t allow him a brief visit.” Her eyes flew to the guilty expression on the young boy who had tailed us through the cavern. “Two minutes is all we ask, then he’ll be out of our hair for good.”
The guard uttered a weary sigh before he stepped aside. “Don’t make me regret this,” he growled at me with a darkened stare.
“I’ll keep quiet if you do.” I grinned with a sly wink as I moved aside the wooden door.
When I stepped inside, my eyes instantly fell on the beautiful shrunken form of the red-headed woman. She was huddled on the corner of a thin mattress, her face directed away from the door. I slid the wooden panel shut behind me and slowly approached the broken girl with a sympathetic strain in my heart.
“Nixie?” I called her name softly, careful not to echo any of my words in the cramped space.