Kingdom of the Sea, page 9
“But—”
“What time would your uncle be least likely to be in his study?”
Luciana shrugged. “I don’t know. Dinner. But we have to be at the table with him. His meeting times vary depending on the day, so it’s not safe to plan around those. Besides the middle of the night there really isn’t any guarantee—”
“So ‘tomorrow night’ is what I’m hearing you say.”
“What?”
“Tomorrow night. You and I will meet here after the rest of the castillo has gone to bed. Then you will show me the tunnels, and I will help you search your uncle’s study for evidence of your missing cousin.”
“Are you crazy?” Luciana hissed.
Daniel flashed her a lopsided smile. “Maybe a little bit.”
9
Day 23 of Summer
Luciana had barely been able to sleep. She’d spent the entire night tossing and turning, thinking about her plan with Daniel. When Alora had thrown her shades open the next morning, sending rays of sunshine onto Luciana’s eyelids, she was just as tired as she had been when she’d gone to bed.
Luciana had to pull herself together and act like nothing had changed. Despite the past few days, she still had to act as though she and Daniel were friendly if she was going to get out of the marriage. She could never let on the depth of their plans. The one person she wanted to talk to was Camila, who certainly couldn’t know about the plan. It left Luciana feeling twisted inside, like she could explode from her secrets at any moment.
As Luciana sat across from Daniel and ate her breakfast, she tried not to act suspicious. He avoided looking at her, and Luciana was grateful for it. Every once in a while he would make a harmless remark about the weather or some such, and Luciana would answer politely. He seemed to have taken to the plan quite well, and he was playing his part excellently.
Luciana also treaded lightly with her uncle. She didn’t want him sensing anything off about her mannerisms. He sat at the head of the table, brooding and watchful.
“Uncle,” Luciana said.
“What is it?” he grumbled.
“I was wondering if I might join you for your meetings today?”
“Luciana, we’ve been over this.” Nicolas frowned. “I don’t need the help of you or anyone else. Why don’t you mind your own business?”
Luciana sighed. She was disappointed, as usual, but the only way to ensure he didn’t notice anything wrong was to bother him about his meetings. She made the mistake of looking at Camila, whose expression of pity made Luciana’s stomach churn. She couldn’t stand it when people looked at her like she was a kicked puppy.
One by one, the other occupants left the table until only Daniel and Luciana remained. A few servants milled about, clearing plates and waiting to tend to any requests, so when she and Daniel spoke, they did so quietly.
“How did you sleep last night, Your Highness?” Daniel asked.
“Not well, I’m afraid.” Luciana replied truthfully.
“That’s alright,” Daniel said, winking at her. “I am sure tonight you will sleep well indeed.”
Luciana blushed. She hoped Esmeralda was out of earshot, otherwise the whole castillo would be abuzz with gossip that she and the Principe were flirting. Luciana had to remind herself that he was only hinting at their plans for raiding the study tonight. But then again, he’d been speaking so softly the servants probably couldn’t even hear. Could Daniel’s teasing mean something more?
With that, Daniel stood and left the table. Luciana didn’t know what to make of him. How had he gone from her enemy to her friend so quickly? And what game was he playing at with his flirting? He couldn’t be actually interested in her. That would be ridiculous. Still, if anyone had heard him, that would have been a problem. Daniel was playing with fire, but Luciana was still happy she had him as her partner in crime.
Luciana finished her breakfast then went to go about her morning duties. She stopped by Camila’s study to read the briefing papers, but this time she waited until she was sure Camila and Esmeralda were elsewhere before she entered. After she’d finished in the study, she walked down the hallway past the throne room. The door was ajar and Luciana heard a voice from inside.
She found herself stepping toward the door out of curiosity. When Luciana glanced inside the large room, she saw her uncle sitting rigidly on his golden throne. He was glaring at a small woman who wore a modest gray frock.
“I have been sent on behalf of my village,” the woman said. “We beg for your assistance.”
“With?” Nicolas said tersely.
“I have been a shopkeeper for many years,” the woman explained. “I’ve lived through my fair share of trials, but I’ve never seen anything like this. Your people are starving and dying. There is not enough food to go around. Your lack of action has left many of us, me included, feeling as if you don’t care about us.”
Nicolas snorted. “If you’re all so concerned about your crops, why are the fields that remain fertile getting burned down by the rebels?”
“While I think it is wasteful, Your Majesty, I believe they are trying to get your attention. The wealthy are the only ones able to afford the food that is grown on those farms. There isn’t enough for everyone. They believe if you go hungry, you might understand how they feel.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Nicolas said, waving his hand at the woman dismissively. “Your lives are just fine. You’re ungrateful is all.”
“Please, Your Majesty. Your people are starving. We work hard, but there is only so much we can do for ourselves when almost all of our income is taken for taxes. I beg of you, please take care of us,” the woman said, going down on one knee and bowing before Nicolas.
“Who are you to speak so brazenly to your Rey?” Nicolas said, standing. He motioned to his guards. “Take this woman away. Throw her in the prison where she belongs.”
“No, please! I only—”
“I take care of you. If you can’t accept the help I give, then you can reflect on your choices from behind bars.”
The woman held her head high as guards flanked her on either side. She said, “If you’re so rattled by a woman with a simple request, I look forward to hearing about what happens when the rebels finally reach you.”
The guards began to pull the woman towards the door. Luciana gasped, unwilling to believe what she’d just seen. Askaña was in trouble and her uncle refused to help. Nicolas turned his head to face the door, and Luciana ducked out of the doorframe just in time to avoid being seen. She practically ran down the hallway, putting as much distance between herself and the throne room as possible.
When she reached her bedroom, Luciana closed the door behind her, breathing heavily. If Nicolas refused her help and wouldn’t listen to the requests of his own subjects, Luciana would have to go over his head. She would have to find more evidence of Nicolas’s daughter and use it against him somehow. The future of Askaña depended on it.
Luciana awoke with a start. It was still dark outside. Good. She had decided to retire early after dinner to avoid her uncle and given her poor night of sleep the day before, she had deserved a nap. She’d closed her eyes just as the sun was setting, and now it was pitch-black outside of her window. Was she already late?
In a panic, Luciana threw back her blanket and slipped on her quietest shoes. She ran her hands through her hair to smooth the knots that had formed while she slept. Luciana quietly slipped out of her room, still in her night dress. If anyone caught her out of her room this late at night, she wanted to be able to give insomnia as an excuse.
Luciana practically ran down the stairs. It was several flights down from her tower bedroom to the tunnel system, the entrances to which were only on the lower levels of the castillo. She could have used the servants' stairs, but she would have stuck out if anyone saw her using them. Luciana didn’t want to linger in a common area any longer than necessary, and so she moved quickly.
As Luciana neared the tunnels, she saw a shadow. It approached her slowly, but her stomach flipped in a panic. Luciana ducked into an adjoining corridor, flattening herself against the wall to avoid being seen. Her heart beat in her chest as the shadow neared. She mentally rehearsed what she would say if she was discovered.
Good evening. I’m having the hardest time falling asleep tonight. Yes, I’ll let you know if I need anything.
As the shadow moved past her hiding place, Luciana peeked out to see a servant carrying a tray with a pitcher of orange juice, heading down the hallway toward the stairs. Someone must have ordered the drink, but who? Luciana would need to be more careful.
Once she was certain that the servant was gone, Luciana snuck back to the entrance of the tunnels. She glanced around again, making sure she wasn’t being followed. The coast appeared to be clear, so Luciana gently opened the secret door. She wove through the cavernous hallways until she reached her music room.
She’d spent hours of her childhood wandering around the tunnels, lost, and it had taken years to master their twists and turns. Luciana hadn’t dared make any kind of map or key to them. She had been surprised to see Daniel in the music room every night, without him getting turned around or lost.
Luciana swung the door open. The only light inside was a single candle, which sat on a table next to the chair where Daniel was asleep. She shut the door, expecting to wake him with the noise. But instead, he let out a small snore. Luciana scoffed.
She moved to wake him, but as she reached out for his shoulder to shake him, she paused. He really did look quite comfortable. He’d been there for a little while, judging by the small pool of wax gathering around his candle. The flame illuminated the warm brown of his hair, making his curls appear almost like a rich chocolate, and gave his skin an ethereal golden glow.
If things were different, Luciana supposed that he would have been the type of man who would have caught her eye. If Daniel had been born Askanese, Luciana might have been tempted to court him. Now that she knew he had a good heart as well as good looks, she would have been a fool not to. Yet here she was, plotting to get out of their marriage. The irony wasn’t lost on her.
Luciana sighed. She couldn’t help but hate herself a bit. There was a familiar sharp and melancholy pang in her chest as she looked at him. With a start, Luciana realized she knew the feeling. It was longing. Usually, she felt it when she thought about becoming Reina, but this was different. She’d never felt it toward something—someone—so within reach. Daniel was right there, sitting in front of her. If she wanted to, she could reverse the deal and insist upon marrying him.
What was she thinking? Luciana shook her head. She needed to wake up. There was no use mourning what could never be. She forced herself to prod Daniel, and as soon as his eyelids fluttered open, she yanked her hand back, embarrassed that he might have seen her so close to him. It was strange to touch him, and she didn’t want to know if she’d like it or not.
“Huh?” he mumbled, yawning.
“I’m here,” said Luciana. “Let’s go.”
“You’re late,” Daniel said with a dramatic stretch of his arms.
Luciana decided not to dignify his statement with a response, so she stood there in silence as Daniel slowly woke and pulled himself out of the chair. He grabbed the candle from the table and said, “Let’s go.”
Luciana nodded, and they slowly crept into the tunnels. Sneaking around like this was risky. If someone found them in her uncle’s study, they could be treated as criminals. Luciana had been warned before not to sneak in, as the consequences for being caught would be severe. The last time she’d been inside, she’d been just a child, and Nicolas had ordered the servants not to serve her meals for three days. Now that she was grown, she would probably be tried for treason. But desperate times called for desperate measures, and to become Reina she would have to risk it.
Luciana led Daniel through the maze-like tunnels. She knew where the study’s door was, despite never having used it. The corridor was tight and dark, and Daniel had to follow behind her since the space wasn’t wide enough for them to walk side by side. They rounded corners, walked up levels, then back down again a few turns later.
Finally, they reached a small door. Luciana crouched down and pushed it open only a few inches. She glanced inside but didn’t see anyone or hear anything coming from the study. It was also remarkably dark inside. Unless Nicolas was asleep at his desk, there was likely no one inside. It was a fairly large room, with a bookcase along one wall and a desk on another. There were plenty of drawers and spaces to hide things in. Luciana doubted they would be able to find too much tonight. Perhaps she would have to come back on her own another time.
Seeing that the coast was clear Luciana crawled into the room, brushing dust off of herself as she stood. Daniel wasn’t far behind.
“Where should we start?” he whispered.
“I’m not sure. Maybe the desk?”
Daniel nodded, and together they went through each drawer of the desk, careful not to move more than they needed to. In the first drawer there was only a quill and some paper. Luciana flipped through every page, hoping she would find something, anything. But alas, they were all blank.
The next drawer contained the exact same royal posts that were delivered to Camila daily. Once again, Luciana searched through them, looking for any clues about Nicolas’s daughter. The news had become genuinely disturbing as of late. The rebellion continued to move toward the castillo, slaughtering more high-ranking officials along their path, burning down their homes and spilling their blood. Luciana could hardly bear to read the briefings anymore, because they got her thinking about her own safety. She set the news aside. There was nothing helpful to her current mission hidden in those papers.
One drawer after another, it was more of the same. Tax records, royal decrees, reports, and statistics. No mention of a daughter anywhere. The desk was useless. Luciana didn’t know why she was surprised. The letter hadn’t been in a file cabinet. Perhaps there were more clues in her uncle's books.
“Let’s move over here,” said Luciana, moving to the bookcase, though she didn’t really know where to start. Look at every page of every book, like she had before? She picked up a few books and tried just that, but none of them seemed to have any pages glued together, like the one in which she’d found the first letter.
Next, she tried pulling books off of the shelf, hoping for some kind of latch for a hidden door. She did about two shelves of this before Daniel finally picked up a book. He opened it, only to discover that the pages had been hollowed out in the middle, hiding a secret box inside.
He smiled. “I think I found it.”
A rush of excitement coursed through Luciana’s veins. This might be the answer she had been looking for. Carefully, Luciana lifted the lid of the box. Inside was another folded letter and a silver ring. Luciana pulled it out to get a closer look.
“Look at the jewel on this ring,” she said. “It’s Esmarish blue.”
Esmar was the kingdom that bordered Askaña to the west. They were known throughout the realm for their vast supplies of silver. Almost all of the jewelry in Esmar was silver, and if it wasn’t, it was usually a fine sky-blue stone.
“Do you think it’s hers?” Daniel asked.
“Why else would we have something Esmarish hidden away like this?”
“I’m not sure. A gift maybe?”
Luciana shook her head. “Then it would be with the rest of the royal jewels. Maybe this ring is connected to Nicolas’s daughter. Perhaps it was the way that she proved her legitimacy.”
“She must be Esmarish then. Or at least her mother is. Read the letter next!”
Luciana pulled out the folded paper that had been with the ring, and uncrumpled it. She whispered its contents aloud to Daniel.
“Day 30 of Spring, Year 730
Father,
I’d thank you for your assistance if it wasn’t so long overdue. I will remain out of your way for now, but rest assured, should you cross me or my mother again, I will find a way to bring you and everything you love to the ground.”
“Did she sign her name?” Daniel asked.
Luciana squinted at the parchment, but again she couldn’t make out any specific letters in the squiggled signature. She sighed. “Not really.”
“That’s okay,” Daniel said. “We found some excellent clues. She’s Esmarish, she’s probably alive, and she got paid off. She’s not after your throne.”
“For now,” Luciana gulped. But what about after Nicolas died? What would stop this woman from making a claim on the throne?
“It’s interesting that Nicolas didn’t cover his tracks better than this,” Daniel mused. “Destroy the evidence, you know?”
“As much as he’d deny it, he probably can’t bear to do it,” Luciana replied, shrugging.
Luciana carefully replaced the letter and the ring, then handed the box to Daniel. She put the fake book back on the shelf empty, making sure nothing looked out of place. Luciana could only hope that her uncle didn’t check the book often.
The sound of keys jingling outside the door snapped Daniel and Luciana to attention. They looked at each other as if to say, Move. Without saying a word, they both dove for the door to the tunnels. Daniel went in first, snuffing his candle, and Luciana followed closely behind, just pulling her skirts in and nearly closing the secret door before the real study door opened. Luciana left a small crack rather than pull the trap door closed, just enough to see what was happening. Her uncle burst into the room, followed by her mother. Luciana narrowed her eyes. What were the two of them doing awake at this hour?
Natalia closed the door lightly behind her.
“What do you want, Nicolas?” Natalia crossed her arms.
“I’ve received some disturbing news,” said Nicolas, his brow furrowing.
“News that couldn’t wait until the morning?”
“I’m afraid not. I received a letter tonight.”
“Riveting,” Natalia yawned. Luciana almost never saw her mother in such a state. Usually, Natalia was the perfect picture of grace and poise, even around her own family. Luciana supposed that the lateness of the night and being in the presence of her brother had made her more relaxed.
