Heir of Beauty Read online

  "So I hear you want to know the full story. How I ended up leaving the castle, and the real truth about your parents,” Edwin said.

  “Yes, please," I mumbled through a mouthful of bread and fresh blackberry jam. The tart fruit melted against my tongue. Maybe Edwin wasn’t so bad.

  "Well, I guess the best place to start is the beginning. I’ve known your father since we were children. I grew up in the castle by his side and we were the best of friends. Until, of course, we weren’t. He always had a charmed life. Handsome. Wealthy. The ladies loved him. But he was often selfish and stubborn if he didn't get his way. His father was a harsh and stubborn man, who fortunately wasn’t around much, but he loved his mother with all his heart. She doted on him and spoiled him every way she could until she died when he was just a young boy. After that, his arrogance grew worse. Ezra grew up in the castle raised mainly by servants and given any of his heart's desire, which changed almost daily. With no one around to keep him in line, he had no consequences for anything he did. No responsibility or ownership of his actions."

  I cringed, the story sounding more like mine then my father’s, except I was lucky to have two wonderful parents. "But he isn't like that."

  Edwin smirked and tented his fingers on the table. "Not now. But it wasn't always so. And unfortunately, as with most things, major changes do not come easily. One day a forest fairy visited your father in disguise. Disgusted at what she saw of the future king, she placed a curse on him and the rest of the castle, so that his unreasonable obsession with beauty and perfection became his downfall. The fairy's curse insisted that until he learned to see past the material and obvious aesthetics, he would remain hideous to everyone else. He would be a —"

  “Beast." I took a sip of the hot tea, the warm flow of it down my throat soothing against the horrible image in my brain. I shook my head. The story sounded so fantastic, if I didn’t know my father was locked up outside I’d think it was a hoax.

  "Exactly. He stayed that way for a few years as he watched his kingdom fall into ruin and his own father pass away. He became a king that couldn't rule. One day an old man happened upon the castle and your ill-tempered father took him prisoner for trespassing. His daughter came searching for him and when your father wouldn't let the old man go, she offered herself as a replacement."

  I pictured Mom at the gates of the castle, her long chestnut curls blowing behind her, ready to face the beast. Always the beauty with the warrior soul. “It sounds like my mother was quite the brave girl back then."

  Edwin laughed and pounded his fist on the table. The sugar bowl and cream jumped. "You call that bravery? She wasn’t brave, she was foolish. Giving herself up with little chance of survival. Martyrdom is not a virtuous path, it just means she didn’t try hard enough to find a solution."

  I bit down on my tongue, the coppery taste of my own blood filled my mouth. How dare he speak of my mother that way? If I didn't need his help I would launch across the table right now.

  “And where do you fit into all of this?" I tried to hide the bitterness in my tone, but it shone through.

  Edwin narrowed his gaze. “As I said before, I'd been around the castle for years and at that time was still a friend to your father. As much as his arrogance and stubbornness plagued him, he was also a hell of a lot of fun. During his time as king I became more useful as I knew the ins and outs of royalty and my other skills —" he twisted his palm through the air and rolled each of his fingers in towards his hand, "— became useful to your father. Especially when it came to disputes. I had a knack for making problems disappear in the most creative ways.”

  I gulped and choked on a mouthful of tea. I coughed and leaned over the tabletop until my airway cleared. Gasping for air, I pictured the blue magic wrapping around my throat like in my nightmare. Maybe it wasn’t just a dream?

  “Are you alright?” Edwin reached across the table and gave a firm pat on my back until I stopped hacking.

  “Yes, of course. Please continue.”

  He eyed me carefully, then sat back down, his hands laced in front of him. “However, when your father kidnapped that girl I realized he'd crossed a line he would never return from. The fairy had paid him back for his obvious flaws, but this was reprehensible. One night we argued about her in the garden. He insisted that the girl would be the one to break the curse and he would keep her captive until she did. I told him it was wrong, and that I'd had enough of watching him mess with other people's lives and that I was going to free her. He became enraged and threw me across the courtyard then held me up against the wall and threatened to kill me if I even considered messing with his plan. I begged him to let me go and instead he banished me from the castle. That night was the last time I ever saw him, until now."

  I sat and stared at Edwin, letting all of the details simmer in my brain, picturing that final flight and knowing the terror he must've felt when cornered by my father in his monster form. I'd been there twice in the last week as well. However, Edwin's story didn't sound like the happy fairytale everyone in the castle made things out to be. Everyone loved my father. My mother likely most of all. Was there romance really this dark or were there pieces of the story still missing?

  "If my father hadn't spoken to you in years, how did he know where to find you? Why did he come here?"

  "I'm not sure how he found me, but he is the king after all and I doubt he'd let me get far without keeping an eye on me. Especially, knowing what I could do. I'm one of the few people who even remember what happened. When the curse broke, everyone's memory was wiped clean. Everyone except those living in the castle. I wrote everything down, which you have already read, without my permission I'd like to add, to make sure if the memory ever faded I would still know what happened."

  "That still doesn't answer why he's here now?”

  “It's the magic, dear prince. Your father was cursed by magic, so he sought out someone who could do magic to help him."

  It made sense, in a weird twisted kind of way. "But if you are truly that powerful, why didn't you just end the curse last time?”

  A bright red burn started at the tips of Edwin's ears and stained across his cheeks then into his nose. For someone considered to be wise, his pride sure got in his enlightened path. "I tried, but I wasn't able to. However, I'm a lot stronger than I used to be. I haven't figured out how to stop it yet but I'm sure I will with a bit of time. You should be careful when judging someone who could toss you off this mountain without using his hands."

  Except, he never would. A dead prince would be questioned and combined with the king in a cage it would likely end in his own execution. Either way, angering him again didn’t serve much purpose either. "The magic, where did it come from? Why are you so powerful?"

  "The magic runs through the Macario family tree. My father was a wizard, as was his father before him and his mother before that all the way back as far as anyone can remember. I've had these abilities since I learned to read the spells they came from. Now it simply courses through my blood. It's who I am."

  "And Veda? Would that make her a wizard as well?”

  "A witch. A female wizard is called a witch. But no, she's not. I typically try to avoid using it around her." Edwin took the teapot off the table and placed it back on the stove then cleared the plates into a large basin sink. "She never developed the gift. Must take after her mother more than me, but she is likely better off as having power like this tends to attract more trouble and attention than it's worth."

  I grabbed the sugar bowl and cream from the table, following Edwin's example, then swiped the crumbs off the table into my hand and brushed them into the garbage."But there's still one thing that doesn't make any sense. If the original curse was triggered because of my father's vanity, what would have triggered it this time? He's not the same person he was before. He’s kind, gracious, and altruistic. Plus, it sounds as though this time is worse. That last time he was still more man than monster, when now he barely knows who he is."

&
nbsp; "That is a good question. Unfortunately, until I find a way to lift this curse there will be no way of knowing how it came back."

  I took the rest of the dishes and placed them in the sink. Above the basin, a large window faced the edge of the cliff. Dark clouds rolled on the horizon.

  "Do you think it might have something to do with the other bad things happening around the world? That maybe somehow the same dark magic was released back into the air and is stirring up all the old curses?”

  Edwin stroked his chin and tapped his index finger against his lips. The darks of his eyes darted back and forth as if he were running through a list of options and checking them off in his mind. "Perhaps. Or perhaps we shouldn't jump to the end of the world quite yet. The answer may be simpler than we think."

  I paced around the small kitchen then rested my arm on the counter, staring out into the distance again. Maybe Edwin was right, and we'd all been trying too hard. Maybe we just needed to calm down and figure it out? Or maybe, he wasn't as powerful as he thought he was and his arrogance would waste whatever time my father had left? Either way, the urgency of the situation seemed to ramp up even in this tranquil place. Something had changed. An energy sparked and the only way to snuff it would be to finish the puzzle before the hourglass ran empty. A mystical chess game waiting for me to make the next move. If only I knew what it was.

  "So, have I answered all of your questions?”

  I snapped out of my thoughts and returned to the table. I sat face-to-face with Edwin, one question still looming heavy in my mind. "Am I really adopted?"

  His face lit up, a beaming smile crested his lips as if he'd finally made it to the main event. "Absolutely."

  I hung my head to my chest. "Are you sure? You said you'd already left the castle before the curse was broken, is it possible you don't remember as clearly as you say?”

  “Just because your father wasn't speaking to me doesn't mean I didn't still have my sources on the ground. News of a baby boy abandoned on the castle doorstep travels very fast in certain circles. Besides, what would be the point of lying to you about this? I have nothing to lose or anything to gain at this point."

  "Then where did I come from? I'm sure I must have parents somewhere, and how come I look just like my mother and father?"

  Edwin shrugged. "I can't say much for the appearance, maybe since your mother is a simple commoner you share a similar look with the other common city folk. But who you are and where you come from is a mystery I have yet to solve. No one saw anyone coming or going from the castle that night. Nothing appeared unusual about the basket you were left in. It's as if you appeared out of thin air at the exact right place and time. Besides, what's better to smooth over a rough patch in the kingdom than a lavish wedding and a male heir."

  The weight of the truth bore down on my ribs and crushed my lungs. The taste of the Jasmine tea burned in my throat as it threatened to return. I wasn't really an Aldric. My parents weren't my parents, and at least a handful of people at the castle had helped them lie to me for eighteen years. The betrayal squirmed and twisted through my stomach as if I'd swallowed the lie and let it grow into a full-sized demon now struggling to claw its way out.

  "If you don't believe me, you can ask them yourself. You live in a kingdom of secrets, dear prince. You’d be wise to learn that truth now.”

  I grabbed my forehead and rubbed my temples, a sharp pain stinging behind my eyes. "I think I should go. Thank you for everything."

  I thrust the chair back and started for the exit, the world spinning and hazy.

  Edwin’s chair screeched across the floor as he flew to his feet and grabbed tight on my right bicep. "You can't just leave."

  "And why not?" I stared Edwin down, but his expression wasn't harsh as I would've expected. The fight faded from his snarl and was replaced by a wide-eyed, gaping mouth stare. He ripped his hand from my skin and staggered back, falling into his chair without taking his eyes off of me.

  "What are you trying to pull with me, boy?"

  I shook my head, the fog of confusion getting thicker by the second. "What are you talking about?"

  "Don't mess with me. I felt it, coursing through you. Who sent you here?"

  "Veda. Veda sent me to talk to you, but what are you babbling about? Felt what?"

  He held up his hands, palms apart like holding an imaginary ball as he leaned toward me. “You can't feel it? That electricity charging through your blood. Feel it in your marrow?"

  His words jumbled in my already crowded brain. I tossed my hand into the air and headed for the door again. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but I need to go."

  “Your Highness, you can't leave here. Not yet. If you go now before I can stop the curse, the guards will come for him and I may never get the chance to help him."

  "My mother would do anything to save him. I know you said their love was built on hate and tragedy, but no matter what has happened in their past she loves him more than anything and he —“ I pointed toward the cage in the yard “— loves her more than his own life. She would let you help him any way you could. She would even let you come back to the castle if she thought it would make things easier."

  Edwin shook his hands in front of himself. "Oh no. The temples are a sacred place for the guardians of the light. I do my best work in the peace and quiet of the mountains. Besides, if we returned your father to the castle the entire kingdom would be looking at the gate night and day. It would be a disaster."

  The pulse of a memory. Running through the streets as the reporters chased Veda and me. Hunting us down like wild dogs. Trapping us in the corner. Her lips so close to my lips. The longing look in her clear eyes. The last time I saw Veda smile. "You're right. But I need to tell her that he's alive. She deserves to know what's going on."

  "Just like she told you the truth?”

  I charged towards Edwin, my patience non-existent, but he cowered his arms up covering his head. "Fine. I'll let you go, but you are only to tell your mother that he's here. She's welcome to come to visit if it makes her feel better, but I can't have anyone else charging up on my mountain. You understand?"

  I nodded. Whatever nonsense Edwin spewed before seemed to change his opinion of me in a hurry. Either that or he’d lost a grip on his sanity. Or maybe I did?

  "I'm serious. If you dare to tell anyone else I will open the cage and let your father run forever if he would even make it down this peak alive."

  "I've got it."

  I ran down the gilded steps and through the yard to the cage. My father sat in the corner, the same spot I’d left him last night. He looked up for a second and saw me standing by the bars, then hung his head again and stomped his large feet against the floor.

  "We are going to find a way to break this curse, I promise. And I'm going to tell Mom to come."

  I cringed as the word ‘mom’ came out of my mouth because if what Edwin said was true she really wasn't. I didn't even have one.

  I stuck my fingers in my mouth and whistled, and the looming shape of Alizeh quickly emerged over the early evening sun.

  A restless feeling overcame my body, a sudden urge to be off this peak, or to scream, or even just to fall to the ground and curl up in a ball, but I needed to do something and I needed it fast.

  Alizeh landed and I tossed myself on top of her back. “Alizeh, to the castle.”

  6

  1st June

  Red and yellow bubbled on the horizon as dawn threatened to boil over and flood the night. Keeping my eyes open proved harder every mile as we descended through the sky toward the castle, but the obligation to tell my mother that I found my father helped me battle on.

  Alizeh circled the city then gently landed in the front courtyard of the castle. The eerie stillness of morning clung to my skin like the early dew clung to the blades of grass beneath my feet. Two guards rushed from the main castle door, swords drawn and ready to fight.

  "We weren't expecting you, Your Majesty," the first guard said as
he stopped in his tracks after recognizing me as the intruder.

  "Not to worry. All is well. But I will need someone to take care of my friend."

  Alizeh nuzzled her head into my shoulder and made a gentle cooing noise. The mouths of the guards dropped to their feet but took their orders like the professionals they were.

  "Yes, sir. What exactly do we do, sir?”

  "Talk to the kitchen about some food, meat or fish and any other scraps they can spare. Then show her to the ponds in the garden to cool off. I don't want her going far right now as she will be needed again shortly." I leaned into Alizeh and smiled. She'd been my truest companion over the last few days. And not once had she let me down.

  The second guard sheathed his sword and circled around Alizeh, his arms outstretched and his brow furrowed. “Excuse me, sir? Do we get a leash, or…"

  I cuddled Alizeh closer to me. “Absolutely not. This magnificent animal is a guest at the castle and will be treated as such."

  They both nodded although the uncertainty of my request cut puzzled looks into their faces.

  “If you treat her well she will follow your commands without any complaint. Trust me, you’ll love her.”

  I rushed across the courtyard and through the front castle entrance as Alizeh clucked at her new handlers. The sweet smell of home flooded toward me and eased some of the tension in my shoulders, except it also left more questions that I needed to have answered. The trip to Edwin’s had left an unresolved feeling itching in the back of my brain, but my happiness would have to wait.

  "You’re back, Your Majesty." Griswold greeted me in the foyer with a beaming grin. He helped me slip off my coat and brushed my shoulders off. “We weren't sure when to expect you. I'll alert the kitchen of your arrival and have them prepare breakfast."

  "Thank you, I’m starving. But tell them to hold off for a little while, first I need to speak with the queen.”

  Griswold clasped his hands together as the beginning of a frown started across his lips. "I'm afraid your mother did not make it to her chambers last night. She has been working late into the night in her library, and has asked not to be disturbed."