The Kingdom Thief (Sitnalta Series Book 2) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapters

  One, The Thief

  Two, The Princess

  Three, The Ball

  Four, The Thief and the Voyage

  Five, Landing

  Six, Awakening

  Seven, News

  Eight, Dreams

  Nine, Letters

  Ten, Waiting

  Eleven, The Unexpected Guest

  Twelve, Jailbreak

  Thirteen, Najort

  Fourteen, Reunions

  Fifteen, Plotting

  Sixteen, Catching Up

  Seventeen, The Captain

  Eighteen, Panic

  Nineteen, Chase

  Twenty, In Wait

  Twenty-One, The Forest

  Twenty-Two, The Prince

  Twenty-Three, Edicts

  Twenty-Four, The Execution

  Twenty-Five, Karlc

  Twenty-Six, The Coin

  Twenty-Seven, Confrontation

  Twenty-Eight, Family Reunions

  Twenty-Nine, Kingdom Returned

  Thirty, Monarchy Restored

  Epilogue

  Pandamoon Books

  Author

  The Kingdom Thief

  The Sitnalta Series, Book Two

  By Alisse Lee Goldenberg

  © 2015 by Alisse Lee Goldenberg

  All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Pandamoon Publishing. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, or recording—without the prior written permission of Pandamoon Publishing. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

  www.pandamoonpublishing.com

  Jacket design and illustrations © Pandamoon Publishing.

  Cover Art Direction by Matthew Kramer, Pandamoon Publishing

  Cover Illustration by Fletcher Kinnear, Pandamoon Publishing

  Editing by Nicole Tone, Pandamoon Publishing

  Pandamoon Publishing and the portrayal of a panda and a moon are registered trademarks of Pandamoon Publishing.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

  Dedication

  To my children for putting up with my typing away, and for helping me name some of the characters. For my brother Brian, without whom there would be no Sitnalta. For my friends: thank you all for your support.

  The Kingdom Thief

  Prologue

  The King’s castle in the heart of Colonodona was a large and imposing structure. It had been built to withstand both battle and siege. Grey stone towers and battlements rose high above fortified walls and iron gates. To all who saw it, it looked like a place of stern power, not a home for a family or children.

  King Supmylo had built it to tell all that he was not a man to be trifled with, and all who knew him, and knew of his reputation, had taken that message to heart. All, that is, except for his daughter: the Princess Sitnalta.

  Yet now, King Supmylo no longer presided over his home. The new occupants, King Gerald and his loving wife Queen Aud, had given the castle and its grounds to the new duke, Ipsinki. He set to work making it the true home they knew it could be for them and their ward, Supmylo’s daughter. He knew that they would one day wish to return there, and after some time away, they did. King Gerald realized that the Princess’s people would want her around them, and her homecoming had been glorious. She arrived to see colourful flags flying from the towers. Fountains greeted her and her guests as they walked through the many gates. Flowering trellises climbed up the castle’s walls. Everywhere one looked, there was colour and life.

  As outward appearances changed, some things stayed staunchly the same. Below the main keep of the castle lay a long winding staircase to the dungeons. It was always a harsh and unforgiving place carved out of the limestone foundations the castle was built upon. The dungeons were made up of rows of cold damp cells, whose iron bars were coated in a layer of rust. No windows let in even the slightest hint of sunlight. Past the cells, halfway hidden behind a small outcropping of rock, lay a small wooden door. Through this door was another stone staircase leading further down into the darkness. Down these stairs lie the castle’s hidden vaults, containing more treasures and secrets than anyone could possibly imagine. It is in the smallest of these vaults that this story truly begins...

  Chapter One

  The Thief

  Being arrested had been the easy part. All he had had to do was allow himself to be caught poaching in the king’s forest. Now he was right where he wanted to be, locked away in the castle’s dungeons awaiting trial.

  Wilhelm’s green eyes glinted in the torchlight as he worked the lock pick from the hidden pocket in his tunic. He chuckled to himself as he manipulated the fabric. King Gerald was so soft compared to Supmylo. Colonodona’s last king would never have allowed him to keep his own clothes in the cell. He would have been stripped of all his belongings and then hung the next day. After all, it had been a capital offence to steal even an apple from the king, let alone a deer.

  Once the pick was free, he set to work on the lock on his door, careful to remain hidden from the guard. Sweat dripped from his long black hair as he concentrated on his task, made harder by the layers of rust and grime obscuring his view of the keyhole. A couple of times he had to stop and let the armed guard pass by, careful to put forth an air of guilt and dejection as he rested against the door to his cell. In time, he heard the click of the lock, and soon he was making his way to his real destination: the castle’s vaults.

  As he walked through the dungeons, he saw the other prisoners glaring at him through the bars, cursing his freedom; some quietly pleaded to be released as well. One set of eyes watched him with guarded interest as he passed. Wilhelm was well aware of all of this, and he chuckled to himself, promising to return and show his true colours to these men.

  Whistling merrily as he skipped down the stairs, his eyes adjusted to the light of his pilfered torch. He tried to remain focused on his true task. He passed quickly by the largest vaults, trying to ignore the treasures he knew they must contain. He had heard tales of rubies the size of a man’s fist, diamonds as large as boulders, and mountains of gold, heavy enough to sink ships. In time, he wagered it would all be his, but now, he must achieve his goal.

  He lost count of the number of doors he passed before he reached the end of the corridor. There was a small wooden door, nondescript in appearance, but he knew that behind it was what he was searching for. The stories surrounding the mysterious object had captured his mind in a vice, leaving him almost mad with desire. The door was locked with three locks, each requiring a special key to open it. His inside man in the castle had made impressions of these keys, and Wilhelm had had copies made up in town. The man didn’t know what these keys were for, only that he had been paid handsomely for his help. He had assured his helper that these keys being copied would hurt no one. And up until this point, this was true. The thief had no interest in murder. His goal was much loftier. Now came the moment of truth. The locksmith he had hired was certainly good at his trade. Each key turned swiftly in the lock and each lock opened smoothly. The door was open to him.

  The thief took a deep breath in anticipation of his crime and walked into the room. There, sitting upon a small pedestal lay a perfectly innocent looking golden coin. The thief approached it reverently and picked it up in his dirty hand. It felt cool to the
touch, and felt like any number of coins he had held through the years, but he knew better. He gazed upon the twinkling stars that decorated the side facing him in his hand, and allowed himself a moment to reflect on their beauty. He turned the coin over and examined the other side as well. He couldn’t read or understand the markings on it, but to him this didn’t matter in the slightest. The coin was his now, and he would never let it out of his sight. Soon, all would see him and his greatness. The world would be his to command. Everyone who had ever jeered at him, disrespected him, or insulted him would be kissing his boots. All would recognize their true lord and master.

  Wilhelm smiled to himself and held the coin to his chest, a true happiness blooming in his heart. Soon he would have it all.

  “I wish to be home,” he said to himself, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone, leaving no trace but the empty pedestal that anyone had been there at all.

  Chapter Two

  The Princess

  Sitnalta walked through the garden collecting a bouquet of flowers. She had promised Aud that she would be careful and mind her dress, but soon this promise was forgotten. The day was far too glorious for caution and care. As she reached across a flowerbed to collect the perfect primrose, she slipped and dragged the hem of her gown through the mud. Sitnalta laughed and added the flower to her ever growing collection. She reached up and pushed her shoulder-length peacock blue hair out of her face, pulling more tangled strands out of the elegant chignon the Queen had done for her earlier that morning. She looked up as she heard Aud calling to her, and ran back to where the Queen was waiting.

  “I brought these for you,” Sitnalta said, a wide grin stretching across her face.

  Aud shook her head in resignation. “I don’t know what I am to do with you,” she said as she accepted the bouquet. “You continue to disregard everything I teach you about behaving like a proper princess. Anyway, thank you for the flowers. They are lovely. However, it is time to come in for dinner, and now you have to change your gown. It would not do to have you looking as if you rolled around in the mud.”

  “When is Navor coming to visit?” Sitnalta asked as she walked beside Aud on her way into the castle. “He said he would be back soon. It’s been months since his last visit.”

  Aud smiled as she thought of Sitnalta’s blossoming friendship with the island prince. “They are expected to be arriving for a ball in two weeks. King Gerald wanted to speak with you about this over dinner. He has an...interesting idea and wanted to know your feelings about it.”

  Sitnalta scrunched up her nose in thought and frowned. “If he thinks that I will agree to any form of an arranged marriage, he knows how I feel about that, even if I do like Navor very much. I am not some prized horse to be sold off to the highest bidder. I thought Gerald respected me more than that.”

  Aud sighed. “My dear girl, he does know and understand your feelings on such things. I assure you that he was not thinking of marrying you off to anyone. Please just let him speak. And for once, do not interrupt him until he is finished. Can you promise me that you can do this?”

  “My darling Aud,” Sitnalta said. “When have I ever been anything but polite to either Gerald or yourself?”

  “Do you want an honest response to that question?”

  Laughing, the two women entered Sitnalta’s bedchamber to prepare her for dinner. In the two years since Aud had married Gerald and become Queen, much had changed for the former governess. She was no longer a peasant; she had the love and respect of the entire kingdom, yet her relationship with the princess remained by and large the same. She still cared for the young woman as if she were her own daughter, and taught her all she knew about how to be a lady, how to treat others with respect and care. She loved the princess with all her heart and saw in her the strong remarkable woman she knew she would be one day.

  Aud reflected on the changes around her as she tamed Sitnalta’s unruly hair into delicate braids on either side of her face to keep it from falling into her eyes. The Princess was trying to grow it out again after impulsively chopping it off, and the process was proving to be slow. As much as she knew she could have any number of the castle’s chambermaids do Sitnalta’s hair for her — and as the Queen, she really should — she cherished this time of the day. As much as she tried to act like the Queen she knew she should be, it was so hard for her to stop acting as Aud the Governess. She had played that role for too many years. She started to think of being queen like being the governess of the kingdom. She remembered telling this to Gerald one day, and him laughing about it and saying that she was probably right.

  As she combed her way through Sitnalta’s hair, she watched the Princess’s face in the mirror. She knew she would not have that much time left to do it. Feeling the Princess’s silken strands slip through her fingers calmed Aud and made her feel useful and needed. She loved this time that she had with the princess, and it saddened her to watch her grow and change, and know that soon she would be growing away from her.

  * * *

  Dinner with the king was always a far more casual affair now that King Gerald was in charge. Aud placed the bouquet that Sitnalta had given her in a place of honour at the centre of the table. She and the princess sat at either side of the king and immediately began to eat their soup. In between bites, Sitnalta was animatedly telling Gerald all about her day, how she had gone for a ride, helped the cook bake bread in the kitchen, helped groom the new foal in the stable, and picked the flowers that now sat in the vase on the table. Through it all, King Gerald gave her his complete attention, hanging on her every word. Aud smiled watching it all. This was her family, and she loved being a part of it all.

  “So, Aud tells me that you have something to discuss with me?” Sitnalta asked.

  “Yes, I do,” Gerald answered her. “As you know, the Islanders are coming here in a couple of weeks and we shall have a grand ball for them in celebration of our partnership in trade, and of our peace.”

  “I know. And Navor is coming with them, right?”

  “Of course he is,” Gerald said with a smile. “You like him, correct?”

  “Of course I do! He's my best friend,” Sitnalta answered. “He is the best one I’ve had. Well, other than...”

  Aud watched as a sad look crossed over Sitnalta’s face. It seemed as if the only time she ever lost the happy glow she had was whenever she started to think about Najort. The troll had been her true friend and had helped her when she had fled the tyrannical ways of her father, King Supmylo. The princess had watched helplessly as her father had killed him for trying to save her.

  Gerald cleared his throat. “Well, I am glad you like the prince. It is because of this that I wanted to know if you might consider going home with them on a little trip.”

  “You want me to go to the islands with them?” Sitnalta asked, her violet eyes wide in shock. “For how long?”

  “I was thinking for maybe a month or so,” Gerald said with a smile. “What do you think? You would have to travel by boat. Does this sound like a good idea to you?”

  “I would love that!” Sitnalta exclaimed. “I haven’t been anywhere but here and the forest! I would love to see the ocean, walk on a beach, see fish and seabirds, and maybe mermaids, and...and...oh! It just all sounds so amazing!”

  “I take it that you agree?” Aud asked with a wry smile.

  “Yes! A million times, yes!” Sitnalta said. Her face lit up with excitement. “I have to pack!”

  “There is plenty of time for that,” Aud told her. “Now you must finish your dinner.”

  “How can I possibly eat when I am going to see the ocean?” Sitnalta asked her. “There is far too much to plan.”

  “But it will be a lot harder to plan on an empty stomach. It would be best if you eat now, plan later.”

  “Oh all right, Aud,” Sitnalta grumbled. “I will do as you say.” She smiled at the king. “I am going to see the ocean!”

  “You sure are,” he told
her with a wink.

  Chapter Three

  The Ball

  Sitnalta could barely contain her excitement. In just a few hours, the ball would begin and she would see Navor again. There was just something about him that put her completely at ease. She had only felt that way around one other person: the troll Najort.

  As Aud supervised the handmaidens weaving her hair, Sitnalta could not keep from squirming in her seat. Normally, the princess detested dressing in court finery. She found the styles confining and always felt as if she were wearing some costume that never made her feel quite herself. However, tonight she wanted to look her utmost best, so she let Aud decide exactly what she was to wear, and allowed the servants to do her hair as they were told.

  She had never met a person quite like Navor. He was someone who seemed to understand her in ways no one else did. Together, they could be silly, serious, happy, thoughtful, playful, and studious. He never judged her like other people did. Around him, she was never unladylike, or not enough of a princess. She was always just Sitnalta. This was exactly what she wanted and needed. She never felt as if she were trying to put on a show, or worried about what her manners would make him think. Now he was finally coming back to visit, and if she had to put on airs and a ridiculous gown so she could spend time with him at the ball, then that was exactly what she would do.

  Sitnalta stood and saw Aud smile as she watched her spin around in front of the mirror. The princess had to hand it to the handmaidens—they had done well. Her peacock blue hair was artfully braided into a tight coronet around her head, with pearls and small purple flowers woven into the strands. She wore a purple silk dress that matched the violet of her eyes with a subtle flower motif highlighted in silver embroidery across the bodice. The full skirt was hemmed in silver lace. She looked at Aud and smiled. The Queen looked every bit as regal in a navy gown with a gold brocade trim that matched her crown.