The Kingdom of Secrets and Ruin

Dalliah

My back aches from being pressed into such close quarters, my eyes sting from crying most of the night and the only part of me that remains warm is my chest, on which Nameless still sleeps.

He never left my side and his loyalty threatens to bring back the sobs that I finally managed to stop in the early hours of this morning.

Marjorie knew of a place close to the servant’s hall where the wooden flooring had loose boards and enough room for the two of us to climb below. The darkness had made it hard for my eyes to adjust and only now that I’m once again awake do I realise that we are both littered with dirt and goodness knows what else.

I might have lived my life as a prisoner, but never have I been forced to sleep in such conditions. I’m used to my feather-down bed, my duvet and cushions but despite this, I can’t feel anything other than gratitude for where we find ourselves. She saved me and somehow we both survived the night unscathed.

My first instinct when coming down here was to kid myself and believe that my father would come out on top. But then the screams started and the feet running above us never ceased, meaning that all hopes of ignorance were lost.

“I-I think we can get out now, my lady.” Marjorie’s voice croaks and I wonder if she were crying too, for fear of what they might do even if you weren’t born under the Leverer name.

“It’s Dalliah, you saved my life and I’m no longer a…” I pause, not sure if I could even consider myself a princess despite the blood in my veins. “I’m no longer who I was.”

I see her smile now that light has started to shine through the cracks in the wood above us, and she’s a pretty girl with long blonde hair and clear-blue eyes. I can imagine that she has plenty of men wishing to be her sweetheart around the castle and it almost makes me jealous of the normal life she must lead. Or will have led before now.

“Well… Dalliah, do we risk it?” She swallows hard.

“I think we have to, if only to know what we’re up against.” I bite my lip after speaking, trying to hold back the fear bubbling its way to the surface and back up into my chest.

Nodding once, Marjorie reaches upwards and unlodges the wood serving as the barrier between our world and his… the Red Kings.

Both of us wince as the light hits our eyes in full force and I trail behind after her, squeezing through the gap while feeling Nameless escape from my dress as he darts ahead of me and off to wherever he spends his days.

I wish he hadn’t, he’d keep me strong in the next few moments and I accept Marjorie’s hand with a forced smile as she offers to pull me to my feet.

As I suspected we’re both filthy, but the fact that we’re alive after what we heard last night, well, I’d class that as a success. I try not to look around too much and notice what must be blood staining the floors and weapons thrown all over. With us being so close to the servant’s hall, I hadn’t expected so much violence but there’s nothing we can do about it now. Nothing but pray that whatever this was, it’s over now.

Marjorie is in the process of trying to dust off her dress when we hear footsteps in the room next to us and we both inhale sharply at the same time.

A man, unlike any soldier I’ve ever seen, walks out swiftly, stares us both up and down and purses his lips before speaking. “All Apheyan’s are to report to the banquet hall.” He barks at us.

I jump slightly, never having been addressed this way before, but Marjorie grabs my hand and with shaky legs, we follow this soldier to meet our fate.

I’ve never been in the banquet hall before, my father never invited me and it saddens me to think that this will be my first glimpse of it, to see it ruled by a monster like the Red King.

We hear the gathering before we see it, people are standing together whispering, speculating and right away we spy Ingaret in the corner looking as polished as ever which causes a burst of relief to well up in my chest.

Her eyes widen as both Marjorie and I approach her in the corner, and before I can even explain my mother’s plan and beg her to keep quiet, she throws her arms around me in an embrace I’ve never experienced so passionately before.

“Oh, you’re safe!” Ingaret breaths out against me and I let myself sag against her slightly, thankful for another familiar face in a sea of strangers who would relish in handing a Leverer over to their new king.

After thinking about it all night, I realise how foolish I was to think that my mother could hide, as now that it’s done who wouldn’t want to gain favour so early in the game?

“It was Marjorie, she found the perfect place to hide!” I gush, throwing a thankful look in her direction. “I can’t thank you enough.”

Marjorie blushes slightly at the compliment before Ingaret pats my cheek and allows me a moment to survey the room around us.

My eyes bulge when realising how high the ceilings go with what appear to be roses carved into the wooden beams supporting the structure. It’s more extravagant than I could have pictured, especially with how the windows are decorated with so much stained glass that I find it hard to see what lies outside.

Not that I’d wish to see the destruction they’ll have left behind.

I open my mouth to ask after my family and if my worries have come to life, but I receive a hasty shake of the head from Ingaret.

“Stay quiet now, the less you speak the better, the new king is about to make his first speech.” She says his title with disdain and if it wasn’t for the fear of his approach, I’d have thrown my arms around her all over again to know that I’m not the only one with my reasons to hate him.

Quiet washes over the hall like the waves I’ve read about in my books and I notice for the first time that there are guards of soldiers similar to the one who brought us here, lined against each and every wall.

Before my panicked mind can even wonder at what is about to happen, steps of movement start to echo around the room and climbing to the top of the makeshift stage, built with the table and chairs that my family once dined at, is the Red King.

I know that from the golden armour that he wears with clear pride, the bows of respect the soldiers in question each nod in his direction, and the hair. I always thought his name came from the blood he had shed of the innocent people he killed, but perhaps his dark auburn hair may have influenced things as well.

He’s tall, much more so than I expected and I doubt the stage would even be needed in the end, should he decide to simply stand and shout his orders out to us. Beneath the armour lies an astonishing amount of muscle and I can’t help but swallow in response, terrified of what he might be capable of with such a body and power at his disposal.

He barely looks human.

It seems that my enemy is greater than I feared and no wonder my father and brothers worried so much to find him at the gates. I can only hope that this Red King is as merciful as he is large, though I won’t be holding my breath any time soon if the stories are anything to be believed.

A throat is cleared and everyone stands a little straighter in anticipation of what’s to come, wondering if this day will be our last, or if we’ll just be wishing that that were the case.

“The Leverer Family is dead. I am your King now.” He declares, letting his voice radiate around the room for a second.

My stomach clenches at his words as if he’d just lodged the sword at his side right in my stomach. The walls feel as though they are collapsing around me and Ingaret has to subtly hold me up to stop my legs from falling beneath me.

I had my suspicions, my fears but there’s no more room for doubt. No room for hope.

This monster has just stood here to tell us that my family, my name and my life are over… and I’m just supposed to stand here like everyone else. It’ll take all that I have, little that is left.

“Your lives are safe, but treason to my rule will be punishable by death. We are all one kingdom now that the continent sits under one throne, my throne. Be grateful you have lived to see this day of peace and prepare to embrace your new world.”

His voice is optimistic, almost as if he is excited for what he just declared, but the threat behind his words is clear.

Accept him and we can live life as it were, but oppose him and we die. It’s as simple as that.