Made From Death (The Darkest Queens Series Book 1), page 15
“All clear."
The wheels began turning again. The carriage rolled through the gates. Ace sat back and kept her posture straight, keeping an eye focused out the window on the warlocks. None of them moved toward the carriage. The pair let out a sigh of relief. Moving to stop at the steps of the castle, the driver hobbled out of his seat to open the door for the two.
"Enjoy the party, Mr. and Mrs. Thorne.” The servant averted his gaze.
Ace stood up but Shelby exited first, offering his hand. Ace supposed they looked enough like the couple in passing that was now snoozed away in storage. Some more luck from Bedesh. Shelby slowed behind Ace on the path that rounded the side of the castle.
They followed everyone else who was dropped off at the stairs but didn’t ascend. A new path had been made. Stone infused with gold that shone in the daylight, led them away from the gates. Ace didn't say a word as Shelby tightened the back of the dress, quickly tying it into a sloppy bow.
He moved swiftly enough before he stepped back to her side and offered his elbow. Now that they were out of the carriage Ace finally got a good look at the dress. It was definitely something she would have never picked out for herself with several different colors of ribbon sewn in strips on the bodice. It opened up to a green skirt that fit her mostly well and the neckline was incredibly high, covering the scar on her neck.
Rounding the castle, the event opened up to them. They’d tried to get a good look from a distance but had kept their space until they’d made it past the large courtyard to where guards weren't standing quite so close to the tree line.
A carnival. Booths filled with games, overflowing with prizes to win. People were already cheering and carrying their trophies. Ring toss and darts tossed at balloons. Something Ace had always dreamed of as a child but had never gotten to go to.
Performers dressed in costumes danced and tried to make people laugh. The smell of spun sugar was heavy in the air. The biggest and best part of the entire thing though…was the big wheel that stretched up toward the sky. So high, in fact, that Ace knew that it had an amazing view! She was immediately thankful the ride wasn’t moving yet. It likely gave the riders a good look at the castle and the surrounding forest where they’d just traveled through.
Ace wanted nothing more than to be on that big wheel. She hadn't noticed that her jaw dropped and she was staring up at it until Shelby tipped toward her and said, "Are you drooling over a piece of metal?"
She snapped her mouth shut. "I've never been on one. Doesn’t it look fun? Wait, do you even know how to have fun?" she teased.
"It’s cute that you think we’re allowed to have fun. Also, I've never been on one either." The stone walkway under them ended giving way to grass and field.
"Looks like we have some time to kill." She rocked on her heels as they slowed to take it all in.
Shelby hunched his shoulders trying to appear smaller while they took to the shade—one of the many small tents that had been erected with tables for guests to eat and cool off in. He pulled at the sleeves trying to force them to suddenly be long enough for his arms.
“I look ridiculous."
The edges of Ace’s lips tipped upward because he was right. He did look ridiculous but hopefully, it was at least passing enough. She gave his arm a soft pat and then looked out into the crowd. Would they recognize her without the orange eyes? Better yet, would they recognize Shelby?
People parted, giving way to an answer to Ace’s questions. A warlock was heading their direction with his eyes pinned on both of them.
Well, that didn’t take long.
Queen Sienna
Just as Ophelia had said the event was ten times greater than what they had originally planned for it to be. And all of it got done overnight. The warlocks received very little sleep as they’d been put to work either trying to make sense of what had happened to her guard or creating this lavish carnival.
Turned out that her guard had ended up dead. His body had washed up along the river in another town where a warlock tracked him. What a shame, Queen Sienna thought. Now that cowardly little man was taking over. How had he been appointed number two in the whole guard? The thought was fleeting.
Sienna had nearly doubled the guard and even though the warlocks were quite exhausted she had several of them walking around with orders to look into any manner of magic or spells that might raise their suspicions. She knew not all the warlocks were nearly as loyal as her guard. Still, she hoped that they would listen, more so she hoped that they were afraid because if she found out that they had played any part in any plan against her, she would strike them down herself.
Queen Sienna took a long breath and stepped out of the castle into the gardens that led out to the courtyard. She'd been outfitted with a yellow summer gown today, no hoops in it to create any such illusions, and delicate lace sleeves that hung from her shoulders. It was relatively breezy for a long dress. She was thankful for that on a day as warm as this.
"They're waiting to run the big wheel until you get the first ride," Ophelia reminded the queen.
“Have my suitors found their way outside yet?" Today she’d have to narrow her choices down to two or three as the council had suggested. That meant a couple of these suitors’ stay at the castle had come to an end.
"Yes, all except Mr. McHaynes. Actually, here he comes now,” Ophelia said seconds before light footsteps quickly approached behind them.
"Seems I'm a little late this morning,” Jack said, with a cough to clear his throat. "Or maybe I'm just incredibly…lucky. What is this I hear of the queen needing a ride on the big wheel? Would you like a partner?"
Those sky blue eyes of his took time roaming over the queen. She grinned as he looked at her with the sort of adoration she wanted. Jack looked playful in his cream-colored trousers with a white linen top that remained slightly unbuttoned showing off a patch of blonde chest hair.
"You're just the man I'm looking for." She purred so cheerfully that even Ophelia lost her composure for a second and gave the queen a look of shock.
Jack practically glowed at the comment and quickly offered the queen his elbow.
Together they walked through the crowd. The queen nodded occasionally, holding her staff off the ground. There were more men than she could count vying for attention. They murmured well wishes as she passed hoping to snag her attention one way or another. Of course, there were other less important guests…married couples, some with dogs on leashes and others with giggling children.
Queen Sienna was surprised to see the suitors that had stayed at the castle all grouped together as if they’d become close friends. They were at some sort of contraption where they swung a large hammer on a platform that launched a metal piece into the air up to a waiting bell. Leo had his sleeves rolled up, his skin glistening with sweat as he swung the hammer down. The bell trilled loudly as the metal made contact. The queen let go of Jack's arm so she could clap for him.
Leo turned suddenly at the noise, stumbling into his bow. “You are too kind, my Queen."
The group of suitors walked forward, all except Hollis who leaned against the edge of the booth and said nothing. He sure did know how to act mysterious.
"Are you enjoying yourselves?” she asked them, to which they responded with a chorus of agreement. "Good. I'm hoping to get time with each and every one of you today. So don't worry yourselves too much.” She made sure Hollis could see her and she ran her hand over Leo's exposed bicep. Stepping back into Jack's arm again, Sienna pointed up toward the big wheel. "I'm ready to kick this day off and forget about yesterday!"
Queen Sienna hated this odd sort of persona she had to put on to find herself a husband. It was like falling back into her old self in some sort of way. She pretended to be cheerful and happy but everyone knew she was dangerous now. A killer. A threat.
Below the big wheel, three wooden steps led up to a platform used to climb into one of the seats that moved around the wheel. A gentleman stood there attending the ride and when the queen and Jack were situated in their seats, he lowered the bar over their laps wishing them a wonderful ride. The contraption made a grinding noise as it started to move and the couple was lifted skyward.
Sienna clung to the bar and tried to look straight ahead without glancing down. Her feet rested on a ledge under them but she still couldn't help but think how high up they were going to be. Jack noticed the way she gripped the bar with white knuckles.
"Nervous, my Queen?” he asked.
She laughed, the noise too high-pitched. "I might not be too fond of heights.”
"Oh I see." Jack looked down and then around them. "We are quite high," he whispered, "Would this be a good chance for me to get to hold your hand?"
Sienna laughed but this time it was more genuine. "I suppose this would be a fine time to hold my hand. She made no move to peel her grip from the bar, still allowing Jack to rest his hand on top of hers.
"And would it also be a fine time for me to tell you a little bit about myself? Perhaps that might distract you?"
Sienna ground her teeth, hating how much heights bothered her. "I'm not sure what I would need distracting from. Seeing as I'm perfectly fine.” Nothing she said sounded at all believable.
"You're right, my Queen there's nothing to distract you from, I was just looking for an excuse for you to get to know me."
The wheel came to a stop at the very top as they allowed more passengers to get on. The queen swore as she felt the blood drain from her face. Jack rubbed his thumb against the side of her palm. It was almost soothing enough for her to open her eyes, but she couldn't.
Sienna hadn’t even realized she’d closed her eyes.
“My father is a baker. One of the most successful bakers here in Maipeg."
“Oh?" the queen asked, wondering if he had been the one she’d invited to the castle to bake for her events.
"Yes, he even has businesses in some of the surrounding villages and cities. I grew up an only child so I got to work in those bakeries quite often."
"Always wondered what it would be like to be an only child. I've only ever shared things with my sisters." The rest was left unsaid. She shared beds and clothes and food and now even a country.
"I've always wondered what it would be like to have siblings. Being an only child is sometimes very lonely. When my parents were too busy to entertain me, I was by myself."
"I bet you got quite good at—” The ride began to move again and the queen inhaled sharply before she continued. "I bet you got good at entertaining yourself."
Which might be a good thing for her because she had no interest in taking care of or entertaining her husband.
“I did. That I did." He nodded next to her. "Shall I get the rest of the silly nonsense get-to-know-each-other stuff out of the way as well?"
"Yes, that would be lovely," Sienna said, her eyes still closed.
"My favorite color is olive green, specifically, no other shade. I prefer cats to dogs. My favorite thing to bake is layered cakes. I like to read but just for fun, never anything informative." He squeezed her hand a little tighter. "My favorite food is broccoli. Dad and I—”
"Your favorite food is broccoli?!" That was enough for the queen to snap her head up and look directly at him.
"There are those beautiful eyes." Jack smiled back and it wasn't anything short of charming. How had she not noticed his potential before? A piece of blond hair hung in his face and the queen stared at it wanting to brush it back to where it should go. She decided she kind of liked it there so she left it.
"So, that was a joke then? You just wanted my attention?"
"Oh no! That was entirely true. I love broccoli, especially with lemon."
Sienna’s shoulders bounced with a chuckle.
The big wheel had been all the way around now as they let passengers on and it was on its way back up. It would probably take a couple more rounds before the queen was finally let off.
"I've never heard of anyone actually enjoying broccoli."
"Well, when you eat a lot of sugar it could be quite refreshing to have a vegetable every now and again. I find that vegetables make you feel a lot better than those sugar crashes."
The queen finally peeled her hand off the bar. She opened her palm up toward him and really took his hand in hers. His hands were…different. While she had plenty of men in bed since she'd become queen there hadn't really been a time that they had taken a moment to do something so plainly intimate. She never really held hands with any of those men. So her mind automatically raced back to her only comparison. Hollis and his calloused hands.
He never really held her hand much as a child unless he was dragging her from one place to another but there had still been moments where his rough palms had scratched against her arm or her face. Jack's hands were very different. They were soft, warm, and she didn't think that he'd ever had a day of hard work. At least not in a physical sense. She was sure he slaved away in the kitchen plenty of days with his father.
Jack took advantage of his chance to hold her hand and ended up clasping hers with both of his. "So, why don't you tell me about yourself?" he said, keeping her attention on him instead of the world around them so far below.
"Well, my favorite color is red, but I've always pretended that it was pink because red is my sister’s color and I wasn't allowed to like it too. I have no preference between dogs or cats. Honestly, I'd rather not have any pets. I find I don't have much time to read any longer so the only thing that I really get to read are legal documents which make me hate reading even more. My favorite food is my mother’s homemade pancakes. And…I think your eyes are beautiful too."
"Well, thank you." He pulled her knuckles to his mouth brushing a quick kiss against them. "And what are you looking for in your potential king?"
She tried to appear as if she was thinking. In reality, she knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted a quiet husband, who would do exactly what she said and would act as the puppet she needed to keep her control of the country. It was the only way to keep Pasia safe. "I think an honest man, who doesn't take everything so seriously, someone who doesn't mind that I might be working at all hours of the day, and someone who can be independent without losing interest," she answered. She was just thinking of different ways that she could describe what she thought Jack would be like.
"I think that I check a few of those boxes off." Jack scooted closer to her. "May I?" he asked, suggesting that he would put his arm behind her.
"How forward of you, Mr. McHaynes."
"Well, I'm not one to let what I want slip out of my grasp." He smiled another one of those charming grins that made his eyes sparkle. He settled his arm across the back of the seat, curling around her, his hand resting on her shoulder and his thumb drawing small circles against her bare skin. The tingling sensation formed there and immediately ran down to her core.
There wasn't anything particularly special about Jack that made her feel this way but seeing as she had these events going on and there were murmurings of Fae at the borders along with the attack yesterday, and there wasn't much time for her to invite anyone else into her bed.
Throughout the rest of the ride, Jack told her stories of his time in his father's bakery. They were sweet tales of a far simpler life. Finally, they came to a stop. The gentleman running the ride walked over and pulled at the bar. Jack was the first to step out of the seat when he turned and offered the queen his hand. She was already reaching up to take it once someone else thrust their hand into her palm and dipped under Jack's arm. Hollis’s face appeared. Quickly he sat himself next to her as he pulled the bar into their laps.
"What are you doing?" the queen snapped looking to Jack, who she was having a perfectly fine time with until Hollis appeared and trapped her on this terrible contraption.
"Let's take this for another spin!" he shouted
Jack stepped out of the way, shaking his head while the attendant moved to pull the lever that sent them going up again.
"What! No!" the queen tried to protest but Hollis quickly slung his arm over her and turned her toward the front with an evil laugh.
"Are you still scared of heights?" he cackled.
Queen Sienna could feel her rage shaking through her limbs. She tried to shift herself out from under his arm, facing the view of her city.
Hollis chuckled again when she didn't respond. "Are you giving me the silent treatment?” His face dipped a little closer, almost scandalously close. A finger ran from her temple to her chin turning her face toward him. Sienna glared daggers back. "This is so childish," Hollis whispered.
"And trapping me on this ride wasn't?" She gritted through her teeth. "Why are you here, Hollis?"
He smiled at her response and lounged back in the seat with both his arms resting behind them. "I want to know what happened. I want to know what happened from the time we went to that party until you took the crown. I want to know everything that happened with your sisters."
Her mouth went dry and every time she swallowed it only felt like she was pushing cotton into a ball in the middle of her throat. Eventually, it would choke her. "Is that why you're here? Is that why you've come to these events?"
"Of course, I would like to be king as well," he said, bringing his hand forward and tapping her once on the nose.
She snatched his hand from the air, gripping it until he was squirming in his seat. "Do not play with me. I’m not a lovesick child." It was easy to forget her surroundings and the way they sat so high above everything else around when she was focused on wanting to punch holes right through his face. "If it is higher status you seek, I don't think I can give that to you."
She refused to give it to him. He didn't deserve it.
Hollis used his free hand to slowly peel her fingers off of his. When his hand was free he opened and closed his fist trying to regain proper blood flow. When he looked back up there was something remotely sad in his gaze. Sienna knew that Hollis was a good actor. He'd been great at lying; clearly today was no exception.
