I pointed over to my mattress with a shaking finger. “O-over there. I’ve kept them all under the mattress.” A rise of terror crept through my stomach and up into my throat.
The letters were from Miron... right?
Cushions and blankets thumped softly onto the floor as Miron dug beneath the mattress for the hidden letters. Every nerve in my body stood on high alert as I listened to the sound of scuffling papers flip through his hands.
My heart drummed in my chest as he let out a tense growl. “This is my seal, but I never wrote these,” he snarled bitterly as he flipped through the letters once more. A pit formed in my stomach as my eyes widened in horror behind my blindfold. “Wait, this one is mine.” He stepped over to me quickly and placed a familiar piece of parchment in my hand. Without looking, I already knew that it was the first letter I had received—the one that came from the king’s door with the words,Is there anyone in there?
“You didn’t send the rest?” I squeaked out timidly.How is that possible? The letters knew my name. The sender called me Estelle.
“No, in fact, I never even sent the first one.” His tone darkened and the pit in my stomach knotted vigorously. “I wrote it on a whim, but left it outside the door when I heard your servant pass through the wall. I never actually slid it into the room.” He flipped the papers one more time while murmuring quiet curses. “Whoever found it must have decided they could get away with creating more. Look here, the first letter is addressed to Crystal, while the others are addressed to Estelle. Somehow, they found out your true identity along the way. Did you send them any replies? Is that where they learned it from?”
My voice caught in my throat as the horror of the situation sank into me with a crushing weight.I had been tricked... but by who?Air rushed into my lungs as a panicked gasp tore through me. “I never told them my name, but I did reply once...” Miron took an interested step closer as all my blood froze in place. “I told them about my visions. The ones I saw from you.”
Miron took an anxious step back. “Elle, what was in those visions?” His voice was tormented with fear, but it didn’t seem as if it was for himself. He stepped forward and placed a hand on my shoulder, clutching me protectively. “What did you tell them?”
Tears clustered in my eyes, as I shook my head shamefully at the floor.This can’t be happening.His grip softened on my shoulder as the tears spilled out from under my blindfold, and he knelt down to my level and reached for my hand.
I raised my misted eyes to match where I presumed his were. “I told them you were going to try to kill me, and then... you were going to die...” His grip on my hand went limp and a wave of pain I’d been trying to ignore crashed down onto me with tormenting force. I took in another breath between soft cries. “By Conan’s hand.”
His hand went cold, and I heard him take in a stunned gasp. My heart shattered at the sound, and I wished more than anything, I could tell him it wasn’t true. Every piece of me felt utterly destroyed, and the pain that seared through me was so disorienting that I didn’t even hear the click of the king’s lock turn open.
A slow clap snapped both of our heads in the door’s direction, and Miron snatched my hand defensively before I could even comprehend what was happening.
“It was you...” Miron seethed as he rose to his feet. He tugged me up with him while keeping my body shielded behind his. “You sent the letters, didn’t you?”
A deafening silence followed before it was broken with a wicked laugh. My body went numb as I recognized the sound.I had heard it in my visions before.The sick feeling inside me multiplied as my knees trembled violently.
“Guilty as charged.” Prince Conan’s smooth voice rattled me as he took a heavy step into the room. “Now, why don’t we discuss this nice little vision of yours,Estelle?”
chapter sixteen
I stared daggers at my brother as his sick smile unveiled his pearly teeth. The rage inside me burned so fiercely that I could feel my blood sear holes in my veins. Elle stood shakily only inches behind me with one hand clutching mine and the other gripping my shoulder. Her nails dug deep into my skin, but I didn’t mind the pain. My anger numbed me to any feelings other than bloodlust.
“If you know what’s good for you, Conan, you’ll leave this instant.” My threat burned in my throat as I gritted my teeth ferociously. “She won’t tell you anything, and I won’t let you lay a hand on her.” I stepped in front of her another inch, ensuring her entire frame was shielded. I knew she was smart and brave, but she was at a severe disadvantage with her blindfold on. I couldn’t risk her getting hurt.
Conan’s smile peeled into a slimy laugh. “Oh Miron, you’re adorable,” he taunted as he unsheathed his favorite sword from his hip. I cursed under my breath. The only weapon I had was a small dagger in my boot, which wasn’t enough to compete with his sword. Conan stepped further into the room, and I noticed Elle flinch behind me at the sound. “You’re in no position to be making demands. Unlike you, I received permission to enter the tower. Father would be so displeased to hear you’ve been spending all your time with his favorite pet.”
I clenched my free hand while the other attempted to brush Elle’s in a calming motion. Every fiber of me wanted to toss Conan from the tower window, but I was backed into a corner with no weapon and a blind princess.
I swallowed back a growl as I reluctantly conceded to his authority. “What do you want? You already weaseled a vision out of her. What other business could you possibly have here?” My chest tightened as I recalled Elle’s foretelling.I was going to attack Elle and die by Conan’s hand.My willpower strengthened at the memory, and I stood taller in the face of my horrid brother.He may kill me, but I’ll never hurt Elle. I’ll keep her safe if it’s the last thing I do.
Conan strode casually through the room, observing the various sculptures and decorations that scattered the tower with a fascinated eye. “That’s a great question. You see, our little crystal ball already told me all the juicy details of your demise, and I can tell you for a fact that it doesn’t happen in here.” He picked up a sculpted key off Elle’s shelf and eyed it with a smirk before dropping it in disinterest. “Why don’t I start from the beginning? You see, it all began after I saw you slip into the servants’ stairs a week ago. It seemed like an odd thing for you to do, so I tailed you up to the library and followed you through that nifty little passage of yours. While you did the heavy lifting of discovering Father’s elusive sixth floor, I waited patiently behind his wardrobe until you had snuck back out through his closet. Then, it was my turn to do a little snooping, and I found the letter you so carelessly dropped in the hall.”
My scowl deepened as he flashed me a gloating grin. He flopped easily down into Elle’s armchair with a relaxed groan, then fiddled with his sword. He twirled it tauntingly through the air with a giddy chuckle. “You may be stealthy, but you get sloppy whenever you’re excited. I listened through the door long enough to learn that someone lived inside, and then to my delight, I heard you make your grand entrance through the servants’ door. It was so cute to hear you try to plot against me. You also made my life much easier by leaving out your notes from the archives. You know, the ones about Sybettal and the census accounts? I would have never known I was talking with the legendary Princess Estelle if I hadn’t noticed that missing page. That little tidbit of information made my letter much more believable. Isn’t that right, princess? I had to steal your signet ring, of course. It was more of a precaution than anything, but I’m glad I did it. Between using your seal, learning her name, and piecing together your budding relationship, it was hardly a chore to squeeze out such a sensational secret.”
He cast his dark eyes toward Elle and I pushed her further behind me. Her breaths had grown labored and I could sense she felt a terrible amount of guilt. I squeezed her hand reassuringly and narrowed my eyes on the devil before me. “Well, aren’t you a gentleman? There’s nothing that says chivalry like deceiving a young woman into parting with a detrimental secret.”
Conan shrugged coyly, then rose easily from the seat. “Don’t pretend that you didn’t have the same intentions when you first met her. Remember, I heard everything that first day. You were no knight in shining armor, either.” He let out a dark chuckle as he began to pace the room once more, slowly closing the distance to where I stood with Elle. “Isn’t he charming, princess? Let me guess, he wooed you with promises of setting you free, and swayed you to believe that he actually cares for you? I can understand being a little naïve, but this is simply laughable. You, of all people, should know the type of deceit he’s capable of. You saw it yourself. Before I get the pleasure of ending his measly life, he’ll threaten yours as well. Did your little trip with Father not teach you enough about the outside world? Let me tell it to you straight; no one cares about pathetic little girls... especially not a lying, deceptive prince.” He matched my gaze with a deplorable flicker of satisfaction in his eye. Elle’s face darkened.
If it wasn’t for protecting Elle, I would lunge for Conan’s throat without hesitation, sword and all. My fury blazed through me so violently that I almost felt as if I could murder him with nothing more than my fiery glare.
He’s wrong.
I may have wanted to use Elle at first, but not anymore. She was more than a tool, or a princess, or a captive. She had become my dearest friend—although, the word friend seemed far too shallow to define our relationship. She was someone who had taken a chance on the scandalous youngest prince and actually saw through to the man. Her vision may state that I’m going to hurt her, but it couldn’t be more wrong. I would never hurt someone I cared for so deeply, especially not someone I may even lo—
“You’re a fool.”
My thoughts refocused as I felt Elle slip out from behind me and step out boldly, facing Conan almost head-on. My heart lurched with the desire to pull her back where she was safe, but I paused when I noticed her clenched fists.They’re trembling, but not from fear...From rage.It took a great deal of restraint not to rush to her defense, but I had to trust that she could handle this. This was her battle, too, and I wasn’t going to prevent her from getting in a few strikes.