“What the?” I looked up to see him retreating, slamming the door with a thud. I saw for the first time my prison and I gasped at the opulent room. Everything was gold or painted gold. The sconce’s, candelabras, the bed frame, tables, and if it wasn’t gold, it was black. The wallpaper, quilt and even the curtains. I would have thought the room to be dismal except the exorbitant amount of gold made it feel warm.
“Stars above—” I moved to the balcony that overlooked the kingdom. The doors opened, and I stepped out onto the terrace. My heart raced as I looked over the ledge. It was a straight drop, hundreds of feet off the mountain. I couldn’t breathe. I had to press my back against the doors and inch myself inside where I was safe from falling. Never had I seen the world from that height, and I wasn’t in a rush to step onto the balcony a second time. One earthquake and I was sure it would collapse and fall off the mountain.
As if reading my thoughts, the ground trembled, and I dove back into the room, far from the balcony and the walls, waiting until the tremors stopped. There was something unnatural about the quakes, but I wasn’t sure what.
I couldn’t stay here. As soon as I touched the door handle, I cried out as pain shot up my arm. They warded it against escape.
The king was keeping us imprisoned with magical wards. I paced, chewed on my lip, bounced on the balls of my feet, and contemplated all the things I was going to do to the blade that locked me in here.
Slice, dice, and use his head for target practice.
I wasn’t kept waiting long before the door opened and King Goddrick himself came in, escorted by the hawk bladesman.
“I’m surprised to see that one of my servants has a talent for magic. I thought to have already vetted them,” the king asked. The way he phrased the question really wasn’t a question, but more of a statement.
I stood and dusted off my dress to address the king. “I am a new addition to your staff,” I said, leaving off any honorifics, wondering if the king noticed the slight.
His eyes narrowed, and there was a slight tic in his jaw. He noticed.
“I welcome you to the palace as my guest.”
“Hard to believe, considering my current situation. The door is warded.”
He smirked. “So you're strong enough for the wards to affect you. That is good to know. But do you blame me? You did physically attack one of my bodyguards. You’re lucky that they did not kill you on the spot.”
“They’re monsters,” I fumed. “They killed my friends and abducted a friend of mine.” My heart ached when I thought of Kash and Marco.
“All at my orders.” The king’s eyes glittered dangerously. “So do you say the same about me since my guards were obeying my orders.”
“If the shoe fits,” I snapped. This was a dangerous game I was playing, but I no longer cared to play by the rules. Now I was setting my own.
“I’m sorry you feel that way,” he said, but I could hear the lack of empathy in his voice. “But none of that matters. What matters is that you have magic talent. And I have reason to believe you are the girl from Verdan. The one who turned tin to gold.”
I glared at the king, refusing to answer.
“I see I was correct in my assumption. That makes you extremely valuable to me.”
“What about the others you summoned to the castle? Will you let them go?”
“Yes, most are already on their way home.” He waved his hand in annoyance. “The silverstar flute helped me narrow down the candidates and I’ve selected a few to remain here to continue on the trials.”
As he spoke, I couldn’t help but feel like I was speaking with a serpent that was waiting to strike.
“What is it you want?” I asked.
He raised his hand as if it were the simplest of tasks. “I want the legendary Stiltskin hoard of gold, but everyone that has gone looking for it has never returned.”
“That treasure is cursed. Grimkeep said so.”
The king’s eyes darkened. “No, the dwarves only said it was cursed to keep from returning what was rightfully ours. That gold belonged to this kingdom long ago. Rumple took it, and I want it back.”
“Maybe it doesn’t want to be found,” I said uncomfortably. I couldn’t help but think of the thing, the void that was also deep in the mountain. I was terrified of searching for the gold. What if I encountered it again? Could I survive? “Maybe it’s safer not to disturb that which slumbers.”
The king grabbed my chin and dug his fingers painfully into my skin. “Interesting choice of words, my child. Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“No,” I gritted out between clenched teeth.
He released my chin. “I don’t believe you. But it won’t matter as long as you keep me happy, and if I can’t have the hoard, then I will be appeased by you filling my coffers with more gold than that wretched dwarf stole.”
“And what if I choose not to?” I said.
“Everyone has a price.” The king smirked.
“There’s no amount of money you can offer me to help you,” I snapped.
“Why do you assume I’m going to offer you gold? I offer you life. Your life in exchange for working for me.”
I shook my head.
“Then let’s make it simple. I’ll let your friend with the lavender hair continue to keep her pretty little head on her shoulders, if you just work for me.”
My quick inhale gave me away. “H-how?” I stuttered.
“Nothing goes on in this palace without me knowing. And if that isn’t incentive enough, I’ll add the servant girl, Gail’s life, to the mix. But . . . if you run away or try to warn your friends, then my blades will hunt all of you down.” He snapped his fingers, and the hawk drew his rapier and was at my neck before I blinked.
As the king continued with threats, I couldn’t help but stare into the eyes of the bladesman. The hawk’s head twitched, and not only that, but the blade in his hand did as well. An oddity that it would shake so much in the hands of a well-known swordsman.
“What choice do I have?” I said, knowing mother would be frustrated that I let myself get blackmailed.
The king’s lips pulled back into a cruel smile. “None, whatsoever.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
After the king left, I followed behind him, racing for the door as it closed. I grasped the gold handle, and it burned in my fingers. It was still warded.
“I will not be a prisoner.” I fumed and paced the room, searching for a way out.
The balcony was the obvious choice, but I had a fear of heights. I didn’t think I could handle climbing down. And I didn’t have my satchel with my charms or the spindle.
I cursed under my breath and spent the next few candle marks looking over the warded door for a mistake. The spell was masterful and connected to a key. As night fell, my headache returned with the frustrated grinding of my teeth. I was a sorceress. I couldn’t let a locked door get the better of me.
I sat on the bed, my knees pulled to my chest as the freezing wind came in through the open balcony doors. If I closed them, I knew I would feel imprisoned. It was that biting wind on my skin that reminded me that freedom wasn’t far off. I stared into the burning fire and noticed the little creature running around in the embers.