The Announcement

My body went rigid in fear. I felt my heart rate elevate as a couple of guards came out of nowhere and ran towards us, their guns raised in the air as they ran.

I felt Cynder try to pull me away, but I couldn’t move. There was nowhere to run. The guards were in front of us, Luca was behind us. He’d done it again. He’d recognized me despite the mask. When would I learn?

The guards came closer and closer. Behind me, I could hear Luca shouting ‘Now, now, now!’ He sounded almost delirious. Maybe he was. He was finally getting what he wanted, and I knew that this time there would be no escape. They’d made the mistake of not taking Cynder’s wand from him last time. They wouldn’t make it again. Seraphia was already at Luca’s house. She wouldn’t be able to help me this time. Of course, there were always Luca’s parents. Would King Theron and Queen Sarina come to Silverwood after everything I’d told them? Would they be suspicious when Luca didn’t turn up at their castle like he said he would? My gut feeling told me that they wouldn’t. Luca would have made up an excuse. He’d be convincing too. He’d have an answer to all their questions, a plausible answer. Cynder yanked on my hand much more roughly now, but it was too late. The guards were almost upon us. I closed my eyes and gave in to the inevitable.

Seconds later, I heard the guards thundering past. I opened my eyes and swiveled my head just in time to see them grabbing the young girl I’d spotted at reception earlier. The girl with the long blonde hair.

She let out a scream as Luca stalked over to her. Upon seeing who it was, she became immediately quiet.

Cynder pulled on my hand again, and this time I let him. We walked slowly away from them, afraid that if we ran, we’d bring attention to ourselves. Once we were out of sight of the hospital, we pelted full pace, not stopping until we were back at the Royal Palace. I slammed the basement door shut and bent over breathlessly.

“You ok?” asked Cynder, patting my back. He must have been as tired as I was, but he thought of me first. He always had.

Between breaths, I began to giggle. The last few days had finally caught up with me. I’d never known tiredness like this, but knowing Elise was going to be alright made everything worthwhile.

I began to laugh again, this time more loudly. Cynder joined in. We were quite the pair.

After a depressing meal of tomato soup, cooked on the small stove, we tumbled into bed. We would have to discuss our strategy for freeing everyone and exposing Luca, but it would have to wait for another day. I was too tired to think.

The next morning I made a couple of rounds of toast for both of us and brewed a couple of cups of coffee. We had no milk, but I wanted the caffeine buzz, so I drank it black, choking on the bitter taste.

“You ok?” Cynder mumbled from under the bedclothes. “Do I smell coffee?”

“You do indeed,” I replied while turning on the TV. I wanted to see if there was any mention of Elise or even the girl that Luca had taken thinking she was me. Guilt coursed through me as I thought of her. I’d get her out, along with everyone else.

Of course, neither of those things were given any airtime. It made sense I suppose. Luca was hardly going to publicize his incompetence. Besides, for all anyone knew, Elise was already dead. Luca must have paid the hospital a great deal of money to keep her a secret.

“Why do you think Luca let Elise go to the hospital?” I mused aloud. “It would be a lot easier for him if he let her die.”

“He knew you’d show up. He probably thought you’d not bother to try the police station for fear of getting caught. That’s why there were so many guards there, and not one thought to check us.”

I nodded, taking another sip of the bitter coffee.

A news item came on that had me sitting up straight. I wouldn’t have noticed it at all, coming as it did at the end of a long section of news about the upcoming wedding, but it was about the bakery we broke into last night.

“Cynder, look,” I said, pointing at the TV.

The report only lasted a minute and told how someone had broken in and stolen a couple of the cakes from the shop window. I had to laugh when they reported that the cakes weren’t even real. They were just for show. Evidently, the reporter thought it was funny too. Cynder and I were branded a couple of idiots. Suited me. They had no leads which was just the way I liked it.

The news went back to images of all the preparations for the big day. Drusilla delighted in telling the world how fancy everything was going to be and how much better her wedding would be than mine. I’m sure it would be. Maybe her house wouldn’t blow up at the end of it.

We were still no closer to overturning Luca, and practically everyone I knew was either in jail cells or in a damp basement, but in spite of everything, I was happy. I’d only gotten to see her for a couple of minutes, but my heart filled with joy every time I thought of baby Grace’s perfect little face, her rosebud lips, her skin darker than Elise’s porcelain complexion, but lighter than Leo’s, the perfect blend of the two of them.

I was still thinking about her cute baby cheeks when the news was interrupted for a special announcement.

I sat bolt upright. It must have been something major to interrupt Drusilla talking about wedding corsages.

Frederick Pittser appeared on the screen. Behind him was the huge square in front of the cathedral where our wedding took place and where Luca and Drusilla were due to marry. It was also the place where coronations take place. At my wedding there had been thousands of people with banners, and today, judging by the report, there were still thousands of people with banners. This time though they weren’t well-wishers out to wish their queen a happy future. The people marching behind Pittser looked defiant.

“Police are trying to control the angry protesters, most of whom are illegal Magi. They stormed across the border into Silverwood and broke down the capital’s defenses. The people of the capital are warned to stay in their homes. These people are dangerous and will kill non-Magi people on sight.”

I should have been outraged, but I was delighted. I knew for a fact that not all of the people marching were Magi. I recognized some of them as people who worked in the palace. I even spotted some prominent community members in the march that looked anything but angry. Thousands of people marched peacefully through the square, their banners filled with slogans such as “Charmaine Lives,” and “We love Queen Charmaine.” It wasn’t the slogans that made me cheer. It was the color of the fabric used for the banner. It looked like most of the city had come out, and all were dressed in purple, the color of the Magi.

“They are fighting, Charm,” Cynder said, gripping my hand. “The people are fighting. I knew Luca’s time would come.” Even as we watched the live feed, more and more people joined them. It was a beautiful sight.

Pittser looked more and more afraid as the throng turned towards him, but before they got near, the police arrived. Hundreds of Luca’s guards raced towards the protesters, batons raised as if to hurt them, a song went up. The guards found that they could not quite reach the protestors. The camera panned round to see the Magi with their wands outstretched. Instead of using them to hurt the guards, they had elected to cause a barrier between them. The more the guards tried to break down the invisible barrier, the louder the protesters sang. There was no mistaking what the song was. It was Silverwood’s national anthem. Instead of singing ‘God save the King,’ instead, they sang ‘God save Queen Charm.’

Cynder and I jumped out of our seats at the same time, cheering. Cynder tossed a stone to me, and when I looked down, I saw that it was Copper’s talk stone. On it in his handwriting were the words Turn the TV on.

I grinned broadly as I replied that I was already watching it.

“We need to go out there,” I shouted. “The people want me. Now is the time.” I was finally ready to unmask myself and show everyone in Silverwood I was still alive.

And now, a special announcement from His Royal Highness, Prince Luca.

The TV flashed away from Pittser’s face to that of Luca’s. He was sitting in a room I remembered at his house. It was the study where I’d seen him have a secret conversation on his phone.

He looked somber as he addressed the camera.

“People of Silverwood, as you have seen, the center of the capital has been overrun by people of magic. It saddens me after everything I’ve done for the Magi that they would do something like this so close to my wedding day, and more importantly, my coronation. I do not blame the Magi for what they are doing. An illegal purple paper has been circulating throughout Silverwood, spreading lies. I want to assure you that the perpetrators of these crimes have been caught and are due for sentencing. I’m afraid to say that although I understand that the Magi out there today have been influenced by this purple rag, they have become dangerous. You’ve seen for yourself the trouble they are currently causing. This has brought me to a monumental decision—one that will allow me to make a law to rid Silverwood of this threat, once and for all. I’m bringing the date of my coronation forward. Because of this, I will also be moving my wedding to Drusilla Bloom forward.

“Tomorrow, I will walk down the aisle of the cathedral as an un-married prince. The day after, I’ll become Silverwood’s new king. As for those treacherous Magi out there today, I’ll be handing them the steepest punishment a king can give. In three days’ time, I’ll be holding a public execution in the same spot they are now standing. As ruler of Silverwood, I’ll finally rid us of the vermin that corrupts our safe land.”

Cynder and I looked at each other.

We’d run out of time.