Page 63 of Enchanted Shadows
We all gave her the space to continue explaining.
“My brother Damek has been named the heir to the throne of Agria. I begged my mother and stepfather to consider my youngest brother Artem for the role. They are blind to Damek’s real motives. They believe he will be a strong leader and turn a blind eye to his cruelty.”
Dammit. Just when we thought the realm was free of evil tyrants, it seemed Agria was about to toss one on a throne. Hadn’t the Corshans warned us of this? That there was the possibility of unrest brewing in Agria?
“So, Prince Keiran healed me.” Her eyes went to him. “I was first on the list to be healed because of my dual Enchantments,dual Enchantments I had barely gotten to use before nine years of being unable to do so. I’d like to say those nine years were a nice break of being looked down upon for the palm magic I also wielded, but unfortunately no one forgot.
“At the time Prince Keiran healed me, I had already heard rumors about the kind of men my half-brothers in Wylan were. And there was a huge part of me that day which wanted to ask you to take me here, get me away from Damek.”
Keir said gently, “I thought you looked vaguely familiar that day. Turns out, it was because you look like me.” He gestured between Krew and him, “Like us.”
“Why didn’t you?” Jorah asked quietly. “We would have kept you safe.”
Princess Kessara took a minute to reply, her throat bobbing under her emotions. “Because I love my little brother Artem. He is the king that Agria deserves. After the day Keir healed me, I became Damek’s personal assistant of sorts and began a rigorous training program in Agria. By the end of it, Damek was having me use my power to subdue his enemies, which he often times killed. I didn’t know he would do that the first time, but by the third, I should have known better. There was a clear pattern. I should’ve run.” She held her head high as she said, “There is blood on my hands I am not proud of.”
It was Krew who said, “There is blood on all of our hands, Kessara.”
Her hands were still shaking as she dredged through her past. “One day when I was considering all ways out of this, a package from Corsha arrived addressed to me. I had randomly been at the docks that day and they hand delivered it to me. It had two necklaces in it. At the time I was more than confused. I didn’t know why they would send me necklaces. I put one on one day only to find that it altered my appearance.”
“Nothing is random where Corsha is concerned.” Keir snorted a laugh. “I’m a little ticked Queen Relia didn’t warn us of this.”
Esta argued, “Didn’t she though? She got the necklaces to Princess Kessara. So she could get out.”
I wondered if Dex’s wife, Avril, would have warned us had they been here and not back in Dra Skor. I didn’t entirely understand Corsha’s visions and vision casting, but I knew that proximity mattered. Then again, if you could siphon magic into a weapon, it stood to reason that you could siphon a vision into something too.
“Turns out we are terrible at interrupting,” Jorah laughed. “Please continue.”
“Not offended. All of this is confusing and rather heavy.” The princess took a deep breath. “So, I stayed to help my brother, with the irrational hope that before my mother chose the heir, Artem would still have a chance. Once Damek was named heir apparent, I stayed on working for Damek, making sure he wouldn’t go after Artem. I feared it would happen. And then one day it did.”
She took a moment to close her eyes and take a deep breath. “Instead of taking Artem to Damek, where he was sure to be murdered, we used the necklaces to get out. Amos here also loathes my brother. He saw me sneak out of the castle early one morning and followed me. We all boarded a ship sailing for Brakken, and from there we hid in a ship which came to Wylan. So I need to amend my earlier statement. The three of us need your asylum. My brother Artem is also here.”
“In Wylan?” Krew asked. Rarely did things truly surprise Krew, but this was one of those rare occurrences.
She nodded. “I am truly sorry for any tension this caused. But neither of us was safe in Agria. I—” she swallowed hard. “We had nowhere else to go.”
The princess had brought a damn war right to our doorstep. She had a valid reason, yes, but still. “How long were you both going to hide without us knowing?” I asked her. “Until Agrialaunched a war on Wylan? Ruining the peace we have all worked damn hard for?”
She shook her head, eyes full of enough tears that I felt a little like an ass for asking. “Amos came to me today to tell me he received word that my brother has sent the man he had intended me to marry here. To find me and bring me home. I am being married off to a man named Calix Cyncrest. As punishment. I don’t think he’s here yet, but he is coming. Not for war, but for me. He went to Brakken first, but once he discovers I’m not there, it won’t take him long to figure out where I did go.”
That had rage flowing down my veins. The longer the princess spoke, the worse things got.
“It is unclear if Calix knows that Amos and Artem are both with me,” she finished.
“You didn’t agree to this marriage?” Jorah asked quietly.
“No. Though I do have a history with the man in question.” Her eyes went to me. “The reason I have such empathy for your sister, is because I, too, had to learn a lesson about having poor taste in men. I met Calix when I first started working for Damek, before I understood that he was just like him. I broke off things over a year ago and despite many urgings from both Damek and Calix to make amends, I always refused. I am the prized powerhouse with two Enchantments, and I am being gifted to Calix and his powerful bloodline for his loyalty to my brother. While also teaching me a lesson about who is really in control.”
There was no way around it. Calix and Damek deserved death for what they were doing in Agria. And for the hell they’d put the princess through? A slow death. Fists would likely do.
“So that about sums it up. Yes, I am Theon’s child. But a fiancé I never agreed to is on the way here to take me back. I am property of Calix. Of my brother. Of Agria.”
“You are property ofno one,” Krew said strongly.
“Like hell will we let them find either of you,” Esta said, her voice laced in determination.
My mind was racing, piecing together everything the princess had said. I had known from the beginning of training she was hiding something from me. I just didn’t understand the gravity of what.
“Do you need to see my dual Enchantments? To believe me?” she asked.
