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They all turned to give me incredulous looks. “Say, what now, Princess?”
I grinned savagely at Liam before nodding at the blackened sludge beneath the ruined wall. “You heard me.”
The loud thud of the doors falling fully open forced our attention back to the incoming witches, but it didn’t stop the pride and triumph pouring down each of my bonds.
“Fuck yes, baby girl, I knew you could do it!” Zeke hissed as Noah whooped loudly.
Liam scowled at the slowly advancing group. “And these assholes are ruining our celebration. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
There were around twenty witches creeping into the room, their eyes wide as they absorbed the scene around us. Basic castle staff and stable workers were mixed with kitchen servants and chamber maids, my heart twinging in pain as I remembered that Thea couldn’t be among them.
They stayed a noticeable distance away from us, some of them pulling the traumatised guards to their feet as the others eyed us warily, their hands raised in readiness.
“She’s gone,” I called out bluntly. “And if you just let us go without a fight, you’ll never have to see us again.”
There were a few hushed whispers before a tall, red-headed stable hand stepped forward, his chin jutting high with forced bravado. “Are you really trying to tell us that the Queen is dead?”
I gestured to the ash that had once been my mother. “Sorry. Ok, I’m not. Well, it’s complicated.”
“The Queen is gone?” called a young, wide-eyed maid who was nervously clutching at her white apron. “Really gone?”
“They’re trying to trick us!” shouted one of the guards, cringing back as Zeke growled at him.
I chuckled. “Why would we? And how? Do you think she’s hiding behind the throne over there?”
The sight of them peering suspiciously at the throne made my eyes roll. “Ok, we’re leaving now. Sorry about the mess.”
“Wait!” stuttered the stable hand, sounding confused. “You can’t just leave.”
I sighed. “Really? Because I would really rather not have to put you on your asses when you try and stop us.”
Noah grinned at me as the stable hand spoke again.
“But we need you.”
I looked back at him with a raised brow. “Excuse me?”
His face flushed as he rubbed the back of his neck. “The Queen is dead. Princess Briar is missing. You’re the only one left.”
Liam began to laugh, making me frown at him. “Well you are the Princess, Princess.”
“You are the one they are all talking about, aren’t you.”
My focus was pulled away from glowering at Liam as I found the new speaker immediately. An older woman was eyeing me cautiously, her salt and pepper hair tucked into a neat knot at the back of her neck.
“They are fighting in the streets as we speak,” she continued, pursing her lips disappointedly. “There is not enough food in recent months, of course, but it is not just that. The whispers of your name, your power, and your desire to help those in need, have become shouts. The Queen’s supporters are steadily becoming the minority as the people look to you.”
I shook my head and dropped my hands, realising that these people were not a threat. “I never wanted that.”
She shrugged. “That is irrelevant. You have power here, even if you did not ask for it. You are the heir to the throne and the people are looking towards you to help.”
The others around her were all nodding now, looking at me with hope in their eyes. A hope that I did not want to see. I wanted to leave this place far behind me, to go back to my pack and rebuild a secure life for all of us, not get stuck here with politics and bad memories.
“Haven’t I done enough?” I asked, my tone almost pleading.
She gave me a sad smile. “Probably.”
I released a resigned sigh, tipping my head back as the battle inside me was won by the knowledge that I couldn’t walk away from this. I wouldn’t be able to live with the guilt of knowing that I could have helped.
