The Princess Pact: A Twist on Rumpelstiltskin (The Four Kingdoms Book 3) Read online

  Marie’s father, on the other hand, was a typical Northhelmian man: undemonstrative in emotion, serious, methodical but, underlying all of that, both naturally good and unswervingly fair. Marie didn’t always feel his love but she never doubted it was there.

  Marie had always felt fortunate in her family. And not just because they were royalty.

  When William mentioned that his new friend was coming to the palace the next morning for further debriefing, Queen Louise stated firmly that she also wished to be present. William looked surprised but seemed otherwise unsuspecting that his mother and sister were both determined to put a stop to whatever wild scheme he was hatching.

  It was with this thought in mind that Marie kept herself in the vicinity of the front doors of the palace all morning. When she at last heard them open, she hurried over in time to see the butler show the southerner into one of the smaller receiving rooms. When he left to inform the king of the young man’s arrival, she swept into the room.

  The southerner had just sat down on one of the lounges, but he jumped up at her entrance and swept her the same full bow as the day before. She surveyed him closely. He looked just as exotic in the palace as he had yesterday amongst the villagers, and even more handsome. She felt a slight warmth fill her cheeks and bit down on her tongue in embarrassment.

  “I don’t think I caught your name yesterday,” she said quickly, to fill the awkward pause.

  “I’m Rafe, Your Highness,” he said with a second bow.

  “I’m Princess Marie.”

  “I know.” He gave her a friendly smile.

  She wasn’t entirely sure how to respond to his confident attitude so she simply stood there, watching him. He watched her back.

  His steady regard unsettled her in a way that hadn’t happened in a long time.

  “Well, what do you think?” she asked at last, throwing her arms out as if she was on display. If she could throw him off balance, she’d regain the upper hand.

  “I was just thinking that the rumours of the Northhelmian princess are true.”

  She raised one eyebrow. “And what do they say?”

  “They say that she doesn’t look much like a princess, but she certainly carries herself like one.”

  For a moment, Marie was offended. Or had he meant it as a compliment?

  He noticed her expression and looked a little rueful.

  “Sorry, I’m usually much smoother than that.” The easy smile was back. “I’m told I’m quite charming, normally.”

  Marie couldn’t help a small laugh. “I’m sure you are, Master Rafe, I’m sure you are.”

  “I guess I’m just thrown out of my stride by meeting a real life princess. I promise I won’t let it happen again.”

  She found herself as susceptible to his cheeky expression as she was to her brother’s easy affection. Clearly Rafe was going to join her brother as someone she couldn’t stay angry at for long.

  The thought of William threw her mind back into a more serious track. Rafe quickly caught the change in her expression, and his own mood turned grave. He opened his mouth to say something, but, before he could, the door opened.

  King Richard came in, accompanied by both his son and his wife. Rafe bowed to the group, and then the king gestured for them all to take seats.

  Rafe was the first to speak. “I’m happy to answer any questions you have, of course, but I want to offer my services as well.”

  “And how could you be of service?” asked the king, in a neutral tone.

  “I would like to volunteer to return to the rebel camp to gather information. I can tell my friends that I had a change of heart and decided to join them.”

  “And why would you want to do that?” Her father’s face remained calm, but Marie knew him well enough to know he was intrigued by the offer.

  “I’m a third son,” said Rafe, “and over a year ago, I decided to leave my home to seek my fortune.”

  Marie’s family all nodded. It was a common enough thing for third sons to do.

  “When I eventually arrived in Greenwood, the villagers welcomed me with open arms. It’s the first time, since leaving Lanover, that I felt truly at home. I want to do something to repay their kindness.”

  He paused, and such a mischievous grin filled his face that Marie found herself smiling in anticipation of his next words.

  “Plus, I left home to find an adventure, and this promises to turn into one.”

  Queen Louise gave a small laugh and shook her head. Marie knew her mother would normally deplore such foolhardy risk-taking, but she had apparently warmed to the young man as quickly as Marie had.

  But her smile dropped away when she saw the way William’s eyes were shining. He was leaning forward on his seat, his elbows resting on his knees, and she knew exactly what he was thinking.

  “No, William!” Concern made her voice sharper than she’d intended. “You can’t! It’s much too big a risk.”

  Everyone in the room turned to look at Marie. The other three looked confused, but William merely looked guilty. Her mother was the first one to catch on, and she gasped, tears filling her eyes.

  “What exactly is Marie referring to, William?” asked their father, at his usual measured pace.

  “We can’t send Rafe in alone,” said William, excitement colouring his tone. “And we can’t simply assign a mission like this to one of the guards. I’m the best person for the job, and I want to do it. The foresters don’t exactly keep portraits of the royal family hanging in their houses. No one will recognise me.”

  “Am I to understand that you wish to become a spy amongst the rebels?” asked their father, his voice for once expressing astonishment and anger.

  “Yes,” said William.

  “Absolutely out of the question!”

  The queen drew a breath of relief at her husband’s words.

  “You are the crown prince and far too important to this kingdom to risk yourself in such a manner. I don’t know what you’re thinking!”

  The king’s eyes flickered briefly to Marie as he spoke, but she was too much in agreement with him to be offended. She wasn’t really much of a ‘spare’ – William would make a much better ruler of Northhelm than she ever would.

  Plus she couldn’t bear the idea of anything happening to her brother. He had always been the brightest thing in the palace and one of the few people who brought fun into her life. Northhelm without him was unimaginable.

  Rafe looked astonished at the suggestion, and she was glad to see that he hadn’t been in on the idea. While William tried to argue with their father, Marie got up and went to sit beside their mother. The queen took her hand and squeezed it gratefully.

  The argument between the king and the prince grew more and more heated until William finally capitulated and stormed out of the room. His whole family watched him go in astonishment. William liked to bend the rules where he could, but he normally showed respect for his role and his father. The outburst was unlike him.

  Richard looked towards his wife, obviously at a loss, and she went to stand beside him.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll talk to him,” she said in a soft voice. “He’ll come around. He just wants adventure as much as this young man here.” She smiled at Rafe who smiled back a little uneasily.

  The king drew a deep breath. “I’m sure you’re right, my dear.” He reached up to pat her fingers where they rested on his shoulder. “I’ll leave it in your capable hands then.”

  The queen smiled and followed her son out of the room.

  Marie watched her go with trepidation. She was almost afraid of what William might do in this new, brash mood. Hopefully their mother would succeed in talking him down.

  Rafe cleared his throat. “I apologise, Your Majesty,” he said. “It never occurred to me that His Royal Highness might wish to accompany me. I have no desire to put anyone but myself at risk.”

  “No, no.” The king waved a dismissive hand. “I don’t blame you. The truth is that I rebelled a lit
tle myself at his age. It’s a constraining thing to be crown prince, especially in a kingdom like Northhelm.”

  Marie stared at her father. She tried to imagine him doing anything rebellious and failed completely.

  “If I’m to accept your offer,” the king continued, “then I’ll need you to draw a map to the location of the rebel camp. If we need to make a move against them, we won’t have you to lead us there. Do you think you could do it?”

  Rafe looked a little concerned but, after a moment, shrugged his shoulders. “I could certainly try.”

  The king produced parchment and pen from a small desk in one corner of the room, and Rafe sat down to draw a map. Marie forced herself to remain in her seat since she knew it would be unhelpful to lurk over his shoulder and watch every stroke of his pen.

  After several quiet minutes, the door opened again, and Queen Louise came back into the room. She shook her head in response to enquiring looks from her daughter and husband.

  “He needs some space. I’ll try to talk to him again later.” Marie was itching to go after her brother, but his mood was so unusual that she wasn’t sure how he would receive her. She decided it was better to follow in her mother’s footsteps and give him some space.

  Rafe eventually finished his drawing and handed it over to the king. “That’s the best I can do. I don’t think it would be much use to one of your soldiers, but if you take along a villager who’s familiar with the area, they should be able to follow it.”

  The king nodded his thanks, and there was a long moment of silence.

  “If you do this,” said the king, at last, “you’ll need to go soon. I can’t let this problem fester. Especially not if this rebel is building his band. The more people he lures to his cause, the more bloodshed there will be.”

  “I understand,” said Rafe. “I’ll leave this afternoon, if you like. The sooner, the better anyway, if my story of a change of heart is going to hold up.”

  “Yes, that would be best. Do you need supplies for the journey?”

  Rafe quickly shook his head. “Best not. They know we all left the village with nothing so it might look suspicious if I turn up with a full pack. I can forage for food well enough for one day.”

  “Very well,” said the king. “When should we look for you again?”

  “I’ll need a few days if I’m to be thorough in my observations,” said Rafe. “I’ll try to return here in a week, but if I can’t make it back, I’ll leave a message hidden in my host’s old home.”

  King Richard nodded approvingly. “I can see you’ve thought this through. I won’t hold you up for too much longer, but I did have a final question. Can you describe what this rebel looks like a little more specifically? Everyone seems agreed that there’s something unusual about him, and I’d like to start some enquiries.”

  “It’s true that he doesn’t look Northhelmian.” Rafe narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “But he doesn’t look Lanoverian either. In fact, he doesn’t really look like he comes from anywhere in the Four Kingdoms.”

  “Where else could he come from?” asked Marie.

  Rafe shrugged. “I have no idea. I suppose he must come from one of the kingdoms after all, I just can’t imagine which one. His accent seems unique as well.”

  “What does he actually look like, though?” asked the king again.

  “Well, you don’t notice it at first because he carries himself with so much authority, but he’s very short. His hair is a strange sort of golden brown, and he wears it long for a man. But it’s his skin that really looks distinctive. He has the strangest skin I’ve ever seen. Sort of leathery and wrinkled and a strange, bronzy colour. To be honest, it barely looked human.”

  The queen gave a violent start and dropped the pillow she was in the middle of placing on one of the lounges. Marie turned to stare at her but her mother didn’t notice. She sat down hard on the seat and stared straight ahead of her, her eyes wide and frozen.

  Rafe was still talking to the king, and neither of them responded to the queen’s strange behaviour. Marie rushed over and knelt at her mother’s feet.

  “Are you all right, Mother?”

  The queen gave another small start and looked down at Marie. She forced a smile and patted her daughter on the shoulder.

  “Yes, yes, dear, don’t mind me.” There was a slight tremble in her voice, but Marie didn’t want to press her further for fear of upsetting her even more. She resolved to ask her about it later, when they were alone.

  This strange man must be powerful indeed, she thought to herself. He hasn’t even left his forest hideaway, and already he has my whole family acting strangely.

  She looked across at Rafe and wondered how he would fare in the rebel camp. For some reason the thought of his being in danger was almost as upsetting as the unusual behaviour of her family.

  Chapter 4

  Marie didn’t have a chance to talk to her brother until later that afternoon when she ran into him in the corridor outside her suite of rooms.

  “There you are!” He smiled at her as if he had never been angry or lost his temper with their father. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

  “Really?” Marie looked at him suspiciously, mistrusting his change of mood.

  He laughed at her expression and bumped his shoulder into hers. “Don’t give me that look, Mare,” he said. “I feel bad enough for my display this morning already.”

  Marie instantly softened, but she didn’t want to let him off that easily.

  “Do you really? You were atrocious, you know. Poor Mother was practically in tears.”

  William instantly looked contrite. “I feel terrible for upsetting her. I just get so frustrated being stuck here in the palace. I wish I was free, like Rafe, to go roaming the world.”

  Marie shook her head. “Try being me! At least you get out and about with your regiment.”

  William’s guilty look deepened. “You’re right, Marie, of course. You’re the last person I should be letting it out on.” He grasped both her shoulders with his hands. “Say you’ll forgive me?”

  She caved beneath his earnest look and nodded. He smiled in relief and, slinging one arm around her shoulders, began to propel her down the corridor.

  “You’ve always been the best of good sports, sister of mine,” he said cheerfully. “I’m quite sure I don’t deserve you.”

  “No, you probably don’t.” Marie chuckled. “But you won’t get me to believe you don’t think you do. You’ve had me wrapped around your finger since you convinced me to take the blame for that pie we stole from the cook when you were five and I was three.”

  William gave a loud bark of laughter. “I’d forgotten all about that. How shameless of me.”

  “Yes,” said Marie, dryly, “shameless is a good word to describe you.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing, then, that I have a saint for a sister. Now all I need you to do is smooth things over with Mother and Father.”

  “Oh, is that all?”

  After a moment, Marie relented. “I think you’ll find they’re both a lot more sympathetic than you expect. Father even admitted to Rafe that he was rebellious himself when he was our age.”

  William jerked to a halt, pulling Marie to a stop with him.

  “Father? Rebellious!” He stared rather dreamily into the distance. “Now that’s a thought to be savoured.”

  After a moment he seemed to snap out of his abstracted musings and squeezed her shoulders. “That’s decided it, then. You’re a gem of a sister!”

  He let go of her and raced off down the corridor.

  “What in the kingdoms do you mean by…” Marie let her words die away when she realised he was already out of earshot. She sighed and shrugged her shoulders. Cheerfulness and affection were usual for William, but this mercurial change of moods was new. She hoped it wasn’t going to last too long because it felt exhausting just watching it.

  Marie had no opportunity to talk to her mother, on either her own or William�
��s behalf, because the queen stayed shut in her suite of rooms. The king was busy going from meeting to meeting, and Marie didn’t see him again until the evening meal.

  The king glanced at his wife and son’s empty seats but made no comment. Instead he steered the conversation towards the refugees and the threat from the rebels, and Marie was gratified to see that he was taking her desire to be involved seriously.

  “I like Rafe,” she said, voicing a concern that had lingered in her mind since the morning, “but I’m surprised that you were so willing to trust him with such an important mission. He’s basically a stranger, after all. And not even a Northhelmian.”

  The king gave an uncharacteristic sigh.

  “It’s not an ideal situation, that’s true. But the whole thing is as strange as I’ve ever seen, and I’m short on options. He has a natural connection with the rebels – I doubt anyone else could simply stroll into their camp – and we desperately need more information. If he doesn’t succeed, then we’ve lost nothing. He doesn’t know any sensitive information that he could give them, and if he fails, or decides to betray us, we’ll be no worse off than if he’d never gone at all.”

  It made sense but it also felt a little cold to Marie. The whole thing seemed unlike her careful, conscientious father.

  Which just demonstrated how concerned he was by the rebels. The thought made her uneasy.

  But then perhaps it wasn’t such a big deal after all. Truth be told, she was worried about Rafe. And she felt sure it was wrong to place so much importance on the well-being of one individual when the whole kingdom might be at stake. A sovereign had to make those sorts of decisions and then bear the responsibility for them. It only confirmed how unready she was to be a leader.

  William had better keep himself out of trouble.

  “And if Rafe does fail?” she asked. “What will we do then?”

  “I’m not going to pin any plans on his succeeding,” said the king, a hint of weariness in his voice. “I’ve been in meetings with the Captain of the Guard all afternoon, trying to devise various strategies. I don’t like the sound of anything we’ve come up with, though. If there’s a chance these so-called rebels really have been bewitched, I can’t go in there with the army and slaughter them all. That would be sure to turn their families against us.” He sighed again. “It’s an impossible situation. Which is why it would be so useful if Rafe does succeed. Any information would be better than the little we know now.”