Toil and trouble, p.6
Toil and Trouble, page 6
“You believe a witch could be to blame?”
“I’d truly prefer to discuss this in my chambers where there are fewer listening ears,” Hazel replied, glancing around.
Allie blinked at the lovely woman standing before her. “You’re a witch?”
Hazel smiled, her green eyes twinkling. “Of course. You didn’t really think witches were just about warts and broomsticks, did you?”
Blushing, Allie asked, “How did you know I said that?”
“Witches have exceptional hearing and I happened to be in the hall walking past your suite when you made your comment,” Hazel shrugged. “Don’t worry. I am not offended, princess. However, I would request that the two of you join me before breakfast. I will give you what information I have. Hopefully it will be of some help to you.” She turned away, her green gown swirling about her as she walked out of the room.
Soon Grandma was at Allie’s side again. “Well, dear, you certainly took your royal role seriously this evening.”
Allie looked down with a sheepish smile. “I guess I should have kept my temper in check.”
“No,” Grandma countered, “I think the Fey Council needed to see that. They needed to be reminded that you aren’t just some random elf. You are the very future of our world. Come, there is much to do before you leave.”
Allie nodded and turned to where Dez had been standing, but didn’t see him. “How does he do that?”
“Do what dear?”
“Always disappear before I can talk to him.”
Grandma laughed as she led Allie from the room. “My dear, Dez is used to staying in the shadows to keep you safe. While you are now aware of him, for the majority of his career, you haven’t been. It’s probably somewhat of a habit for him to move out of sight before he’s noticed. And it is still his job to protect you. He’s probably checking perimeters or whatever it is guardians do.”
“I guess,” Allie replied. But she couldn’t help feeling disappointed. She’d hoped to talk with Dez about their upcoming assignment and find out how she could best help him. Now that she was going to be part of the investigation, she felt a desperate need to prove herself not only to him, but to the Council.
Chapter 12
Allie struggled to fall asleep, despite the splendor of the room she was in. After filling her parents in on the meeting and what was decided, Allie worked with Grandma to sort through her few things to determine what would be most important to take with her. Then everyone had left her on her own so she could rest. Allie snorted. It would have been hard enough to rest just with an attempted kidnapping. Now she’d suddenly found out about a whole other world that one day she was going to be responsible for. A world someone for some unknown reason, didn’t want her to know about. The weight of her task weighed on her mind, refusing to allow rest to enter. She walked to the open window and looked out into the inky black sky. Stars sparkled and danced overhead while the moon glowed in a crescent of silver. Night blooms filled the air with their perfume, putting Allie in mind of summer more than fall. Somewhere an owl hooted and the faint sound of singing played in her ears. Movement nearby caught her attention and Allie strained to see what it was in the darkness. A figure lurked near the trees and Allie’s heart began racing. What if it was another bounty hunter? She shrank away from the window, trying to decide what she should do. Grabbing the brass lantern by her bed, Allie pushed it out the window to illuminate the yard. “Who’s out there?” she called.
“Just what do you think you’re doing?” a voice hissed.
“Dez?”
“Who else would it be?” he asked, coming closer to the open window. The lantern light gave a golden glow to his face, highlighting the bronze streaks in his dark hair.
Allie put the lantern down on a nearby table. “How should I know? I thought maybe you were a bounty hunter or something.”
Dez snorted. “And if I had been were you planning on throwing your lantern at me? Wouldn’t have done you much good.”
She scowled at him. “I don’t know, but what were you doing skulking in the shadows?”
“First of all, I don’t skulk, and second, I was doing my job.”
“Skulking in the shadows?” Allie retorted.
“Keeping you safe,” Dez replied.
Allie was quiet for a moment. “Isn’t that what you do during the day?”
Dez shrugged.
“Don’t you ever sleep?” she asked, her tone softening. “Surely even fairy guardians get tired.” The fear of being kidnapped past, Allie looked at Dez. His earthy brown clothes were perfect for keeping hidden and brought out the brown hues in his eyes. He looked enchanting under the starry sky, the glow of moonlight highlighting his features. The moonlit scene from Romeo and Juliet came to mind and Allie quickly pushed the thought away. The last thing she needed was to be distracted by romantic thoughts.
“My first duty is your safety. Sleep is overrated,” he said.
Allie shook her head with a laugh. “You’re not going to be much help tomorrow if you don’t get plenty of rest. You said yourself I would be safe in Summer Wood. Go get some sleep. We’ll both be better off if you do.”
“Would you believe me if I said I tried and couldn’t?” Dez asked.
Knowing she was only awake because sleep eluded her, Allie nodded. “Yes, I’m having the same problem.”
Dez looked at her for a moment. “Can I join you?”
“Sure, though I’m not sure how I’d get you in here.”
“Now you’re underestimating me,” Dez said with a teasing grin. He climbed up onto the windowsill and sat on it. Silence fell between them as they looked over the garden. “It’s a lot to process for you, isn’t it?” he asked, turning to her.
“Yes, but it’s not just that,” she admitted, taking a seat next to him on the windowsill. “I feel like my whole world has been pulled out from under me. Everything I thought I knew doesn’t seem to add up with what my reality is. I know my parents thought they were doing what was best for me by hiding all of this, but I can’t help thinking they made a terrible mistake.”
“Maybe they did,” Dez said candidly. “But they were doing it out of love. It may be hard to see now, but perhaps there will be good to come from not knowing ahead of time.”
“I guess,” Allie replied. “So, you’ve always lived in the Fey realm, always known about it. What can you tell me?”
He chuckled. “I could tell you stories to make your worst nightmares seem tame.” She stared at him in shock and he grinned. “I could also tell you stories to make your wildest dreams seem possible. The Fey realm is magical and that has both good and bad qualities. I suppose it’s not unlike the mortal world. There seems to be a mix of good and bad there too.”
“That’s for sure,” she agreed. “I guess there isn’t a magical place where everything is always wonderful, is there?”
“Just Summer Wood,” Dez said, looking around the peaceful garden. “Here things always seem to turn out right.”
Allie thought about what he’d said. “Dez, do you think that might be part of why whoever was behind today wanted me kidnapped before I found this place?”
He thought quietly. “It could be. But why? What do they gain?”
“You said the Fey realm can make your worst nightmares seem tame. If someone wanted me to fear my role as future Queen of the Fey, and they kidnapped me to someplace dark and terrifying…” Allie’s voice trailed off as the implication of what she’d said hit her. “Why would I ever be willing to take my place here?”
Dez ran a hand through his hair. “A good point. If you were terrified of what you thought was the Fey realm, you might be willing to take steps to ensure you never have to accept your role. That’s a very interesting thought. It could mean there is someone who wants to usurp your authority.”
“But why wait so long? I mean, I’m not the queen now. And Queen Maivelynn appears to be in excellent health, so I can’t imagine I’ll be taking that role any time soon. In some way wouldn’t it make more sense to go after her and then just let me be. After all, I didn’t know about any of this until today. If they removed the queen, they could simply take her place and I would never be the wiser.”
Shaking his head, Dez said, “No, that wouldn’t work. For one thing, the Summer Wood is too heavily guarded. A direct attack on the queen would take more power than any one Fey has. For another, if something happened to Queen Maivelynn you would be summoned immediately. Whether you’d known about us or not, you would have found out. But, if they had captured you and you relinquished your claim to the throne, that would throw off the balance of the Realm. Being Queen of the Fey is something you are born to do. If you were so badly traumatized that you gave that up, it could have a butterfly effect of sorts which might put the queen in danger, allowing for an easier overthrow.”
Allie shivered. “That’s just scary.”
“It is scary,” Dez admitted. “But, there’s nothing to say your theory is correct. We will have to consider it as a possibility though.”
“That’s not very comforting.”
Dez put his arm around her shoulders. “That’s why I’m here. To keep you safe and let you know you won’t have to face any danger alone.”
She gazed up at him and smiled. “Thanks, Dez. That makes me feel much better, truly.”
He took her hand and kissed it. “Well, princess, it’s time you got some sleep. Don’t fear for tomorrow.” Without warning, he disappeared into the darkened garden.
A glow of contentment settled over her as Allie slipped down from the windowsill and walked to her bed. With Dez’s promise in her heart, Allie soon fell asleep.
Chapter 13
Allie jolted awake in a cold sweat. Her heart raced as she tried to settle her breathing. The fleeting images of her nightmare disappeared, leaving her disoriented and confused. Golden rays of sunshine poured through the open window, chasing away the darkness her dreams had brought in. Songbirds twittered in the trees and the heady fragrance of flowers filled the room. Allie took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “It was just a dream,” she murmured. “Just a dream.” She got out of bed and shivered slightly as a cool autumn breeze played with the gauzy curtains of her room. An old-fashioned basin with water and a washcloth sat waiting on the dresser. Allie splashed water on her face, banishing the last remnants of her fears, before changing into fresh clothes for the day. Someone knocked on her door. “Come in.”
Grandma appeared with Dez at her side. “Good morning, Allie dear. I hope you slept well.”
“Well enough,” Allie hedged, unwilling to talk about the nightmares which had plagued her, in part because she couldn’t remember enough to talk about them anyway. She looked at Dez who looked perfectly rested. “You look like you slept well.”
“I always sleep well in the Summer Wood,” he replied. “I just came to see if you were ready to meet with Lady Hazel. She asked for us to be there before breakfast.”
Allie grimaced. “I’d forgotten. But yes, I’m ready.” She followed Dez out of her family’s suite, noting with some amusement the way her father glowered at Dez.
Once they were out of earshot, he asked, “Did you sleep at all last night? You look exhausted.”
Glaring at him, she said, “I was hoping it wasn’t that obvious.”
“’Fraid so, Allie. Are you okay?”
She sighed. “I had a nightmare last night. And before you ask me about it, I don’t remember much of anything. I just remember being terrified of something, I don’t really know. It’s probably just stress from everything going on, right?”
Dez shrugged. “Sure.” He turned left down a hallway and knocked on the last door.
Hazel opened the door. “Good morning, Princess Allie, Dezydery. Please come in.” She stepped aside so they could walk in. Allie noted strings of drying herbs tied in the windowsill of the room while a fluffy white dog trotted over to greet them. “That’s Mystic. She’s quite friendly.”
“A dog? I’ve always thought witches had cats.”
“Usually black ones right?” Hazel winked as Allie stammered. “I’m allergic to cats, so I needed a familiar who wouldn’t aggravate my allergies.”
“Familiar?” Allie asked.
“Sometimes called a spirit guide,” Hazel said. “To be brief, a familiar helps me in my magic and generally keeps me company. Mystic is the perfect companion. She’s sweet and loyal and more helpful than some might realize. Anyway, I’m afraid most of what I have to tell you isn’t going to be pleasant,” she said, waving at a few chairs which instantly arranged themselves around a small table where a pot of tea and four teacups waited. Hazel poured tea for each of her guests before pouring some into a cup and setting it on the floor for Mystic to lap at. She then poured a cup for herself, took a sip, and continued, “I have observed recently in the Hollow that there seems to be quite a bit of discontent.”
“Do you know what it stems from?” Dez asked.
“Yes and no,” Hazel replied slowly. “I know some is due to the dispositions of those complaining. There are always those who will see the negative before the positive. But I’ve noticed many people speaking of,” she dropped her voice to nearly a whisper, “her.”
Allie blinked. “I’m sorry, who?”
Hazel looked at her and sighed. “I should have remembered you wouldn’t know. Nyx,” she whispered.
Dez sucked in a breath. “You’re certain?”
“Positive,” Hazel said. “I think most of them are just latching onto the most recent gossip without thought of the potential consequences. However, I believe there might be some who are truly upset by how her reign, erm, ended.”
“Can you explain a bit for me please?” Allie asked, trying to be more gracious than she felt. She was tired of not understanding what was going on.
Hazel sipped her tea and said, “It’s been many, many years, princess. I’m sure there are many parts of the Fey realm that do not remember Nyx’s rule over us. But, I will explain as best I can. As you know by now, being Queen of the Fey is something you are born to do regardless of who or what your parents are.”
“And there have been many different types of queen,” Allie remembered.
“Yes. Nyx was the first witch to be queen. However, you won’t see her statue in the hall. She was a cruel woman and caused untold problems for the Fey realm.”
Dez leaned over to Allie. “The biggest and most well-known being the Salem Witch Trials.”
“I always thought that was just people being panicky and superstitious.”
Shaking her head, Hazel said, “Oh no, it was not nearly so simple as that. See, Nyx didn’t only create problems for our world. She used her incredible power of influence to create problems in the mortal sphere. Most who opposed her found themselves accused of witchcraft by the mortals.”
“So, those people really were witches?”
“Some,” Hazel replied. “There were also fairies and elves, and a mermaid if I remember correctly. Unfortunately, many were just mortals who refused to accept the demands she was placing. The Fey Council was nearly powerless to stop her.”
Allie frowned. “Why? I mean, there would be more of them than her.”
“Yes, but she was very gifted with persuasion charms. It was difficult to get enough Fey Council members to oppose her before she had them silenced. It wasn’t until they learned she was trying to find a spell for immortality that they united against her. But by then her power had grown so immense, it wasn’t certain the Fey Council could defeat her. It was actually a mortal woman working with a fairy which finally brought about Nyx’s demise. I won’t go into the unpleasant details, but once she was gone, her influence died as well. The Fey Council determined that all memory of Nyx, other than that which must be kept to prevent repeating the same mistakes, be erased. Her statue was destroyed and the next queen was given stricter charge concerning the Fey realm. Unfortunately, since then witches have been looked upon with distrust, despite the next witch queen being a kind and benevolent woman.”
“That’s not fair,” Allie cried.
Hazel eyed her for a moment. “What is fair? Fair is something you should expect from sporting events, not life. And there are many among my people who would agree with you. That is why I wanted to warn you of what I’ve heard. There have been whispers of someone trying to find Nyx’s spell book. If they found that, they might be able to find her notes on immortality.”
“But true immortality is impossible,” Dez said. “Isn’t it?”
“Who am I to know?” Hazel asked. “It is a forbidden subject of study and so I have never looked into it. However, I can see the appeal; especially to someone who thought that would bring them the respect they feel was lost after Nyx.”
“That was hundreds of years ago,” Allie said slowly. “Why would it matter now?”
Hazel took a deep breath. “It was rumored that Nyx had a child. There is no confirmation, of course, but the rumor still exists. This would not be the first time revenge was extracted long after the initial offense was committed. And it would not be the first time the descendants of a past queen would feel entitled to the role.”
“Thank you for the information, Lady Hazel,” Dez said, rising from his seat. “This will certainly give us something to consider as we begin our investigation.”
“One last thing,” Hazel added as they walked to the door. “There is someone you should speak to as soon as possible. She lives in the mortal world, but might have more access to gossip than I do. My position on the Council means few are willing to speak to me directly about what is being said. However, I always find the best information when I speak to her. I would suggest you meet with her to find out what other rumors might be circulating.”
“Who is she?” Dez asked.
“Cynthia Lampwick.”
Chapter 14
It was mid-morning before Dez and Allie were able to begin their journey. Queen Maivelynn had requested a private meeting with them to discuss her concerns and to give last-minute counsel before they started. Allie’s parents wanted to say their goodbyes before heading back home. Several members of the Fey Council also had bits of advice they wanted to share. When Dez led Allie out of the castle she asked, “So, what’s our first stop?”
