The Kingdom of Secrets and Ruin

Dalliah

“Dalliah! Dalliah!” I hear my mother’s voice echoing down the hall long before my door is opened and I’m shocked to find her so frantic compared to usual.

Her hair is undone, her crown nowhere in sight and is that a dressing gown covering her just now?

Has something happened?

Has Papa upset her again? I heard that his speech at the dinner last night had barely even mentioned their marriage, which was meant to be the whole purpose of the meal from what Marjorie, another maid of mine had told me.

And while that would hurt me, you could barely tell if it had even bothered her from how calm and collected she was this morning. What changed?

“Mama? Are you okay?” I rush to meet her, grabbing her forearms with my hands and examining her face with concern.

Usually, she wears a similar sort of face paint to mine, along with kohl on her eyes and rouge on her lips but none of that is present just now which worries me. I haven’t seen her this way in a long time.

“Dalliah he is here! The Red King is here!” My mother exclaims and it feels as though every drop of blood in my body had turned cold.

The Red King? Did she mean to say that name just now?

“Mama, are you s-” She interrupts me by pulling on the servant’s chord that leads to Ingeret and Marjorie’s room and she’s so severe with it that I can swear I practically hear the bell from here.

“Yes, I’m sure, his army is approaching our gates as we speak and your father and brothers are in crisis talks right now in the hall… we don’t have much time.”

She runs a hand down my cheek, her eyes taking every inch of my bare face in as if committing it to memory. Why on earth is she committing it to memory?

“My sweet flower, you know what he has done to the other royal families, don’t you?” Her voice comes out as barely a whisper.

I swallow hard because I know the answer, she has made sure to keep me updated on the war, even more than I imagine my siblings have been so that I could impress my father given the chance. Though I wish I could have remained ignorant at this moment.

Because he killed them. All of them.

“If the castle falls tonight then we are done for, but you Dalliah, you might live.” Her breaths are shaky as she tries to inhale enough air to be able to speak again, and I run my hands up and down her arms to try and calm her down, though I doubt it will help at a time like this.

“Pack only what you can hold and we’ll find you a dress suitable for a servant.” She orders me.

Pack what I can hold? What could I possibly own that would be worth a damn if I’m to lose my mother?

“Do it now Dalliah!” She yells, seeing that I’m still frozen in place as she rakes through my clothing chest. “If we can pass you off as a maid they’ll never suspect a thing, my love… You will be safe.” She promises in a voice that is clearly fighting to stay calm.

The tears I try my best not to shed start to sting my eyes as call out for Nameless, who should be back by now, and while I love my books, I couldn’t possibly choose those or anything else over my little friend.

He comes waddling out from under my bed, likely hiding from the noise of my mother as he’s never warmed anyone but myself. I pick him up swiftly into my arms and rather than fight me off like he might have otherwise, he remains still as if he knows the gravity of the situation we now find ourselves in.

For a second I start to worry, not knowing if servants have pets, I know nothing about life outside of my walls. Will they take him from me?

No, they couldn’t and besides, he knows how to remain hidden where needed, we both do.

“Face paint, get your face paint or they could remember the condition from your birth.” My mother practically screams at me, seeing that all I hold in my arms is my cat.

I go to fetch it and wrap it into a piece of cloth while she carries over a dress given to me by Maud for my 18th birthday. It will barely fit but she was feeling particularly frugal that year with her allowance, and it will more than pass as a servant’s garb.

My mother drags my nightgown from my shoulders, ignoring the squalling Nameless that leaps onto my dresser in protest and replaces it before I can even push the hair from my face. It feels as though my breasts are being crushed against my ribcage from how tight it is but I have bigger things to worry about just now as I slide the cloth and cat into my large front pocket.

“Come with me Mama, hide with me!” I beg her, wondering why if I can pass as a maid, she couldn’t. Our people are loyal, aren’t they? They’d never say anything, right?

I’m ashamed for not suggesting this sooner and I’m sure another one of my gowns will pass as a simple day dress. They’re nothing like her vibrant reds or sparking gold pieces but she would be able to wear the same size surely?

“I wish I could my love, but my face is too well known around this castle, while only a trusted few know of yours. The blood oath that they made will protect you, but it’s too late for me.” She hurries to get out while tying a scarf around my hair, the same way that Marjorie tends to wear hers when working.

It finally starts to hit me just how much danger my mother is in right now and I swear it feels as though my heart is being torn in two with every breath.

I can’t hide while her life is in danger!

As if reading the words on my face, she shakes her head, wiping the single tear that has escaped from her lids. “You could be the last Leverer, Dalliah. You have to do this for your family.”

For my family? What family? The only person I truly have is her and who cares about a name if my mother isn’t there?

“Do this for me Dalliah, save yourself and live.”

And before I can argue, something I’ve never dared to do with her before, Marjorie sprints into the room, looking as dishevelled as I feel and barely even bows in the presence of her Queen as a result.

“Take Dalliah and hide somewhere… we don’t know how the soldiers will treat the staff.” Her voice takes a turn as she speaks and I’ve read enough books that I shouldn’t have to know that death isn’t the only danger tonight.

“Yes, my Queen.” Marjorie nods her head and holds out a hand, something she wouldn’t have done if I were my sister Maud, but I suppose tonight that that is a good thing.

I am not a princess she is being ordered to serve, I am a girl that she is being asked to save.

“Mama I can’t leave you like this,” I shout, as she pushes me towards the breathless maid that holds the keys to my potential freedom.

Does she know that she has my life in her hands? Does she care?

“You can and you will, you are my child and you do as I say... Now go before someone sees you.” Her words are an order and I barely have time to kiss her cheek before I’m whisked into the hall and down the tower to safety.

Wherever safety might be on a night like this.