All around her she saw accusing faces, expressions of shock and condemnation. Where was Omar? Nowhere in sight. Would he condemn her too?
Horror and humiliation smothered any defense she might have made. She turned, pushed and shoved her way outside, and ran down the deck steps leading toward the side garden gate. Just as she reached the ground, she stumbled and one of her slippers fell off. But she ran onward, hopping and limping, until she reached the gate. Only when safely on the service road did she stop to pull off the other shoe before limping to her cottage. Once inside her house, she leaned her back against the door, dropped the slipper, slid down to sit on the floor, covered her face with both hands, and tried to process events of the past hour.
The Gamekeeper’s final words echoed in her mind: “I ask only that you allow nothing to destroy your joy tonight.” But how could he have anticipated such a calamity as this?
Omar and Briar carried the table outside, dumped the sack of broken plates into a garbage bin, then left the table propped outside a shed for later repair. The yard was dark, for none of the festive lighting extended to such practical places. “That was exciting,” Briar commented dryly. “Ellie’s power is impressive, but she needs further training to control it properly. Tell me, Omar, is there magic in your family?”
Omar glanced up, brushing off his hands, but Briar’s face was too shadowed to read. “Why do you ask?”
“I’ve noticed a few things,” Briar replied. “You’re able to see magical creatures that normally hide themselves from humans.”
“That started after I chased Tor to the island. I first saw brownies and hobgoblins in the dining room, and then brownies in the stable. I even met a toadstool fairy. Everyone can see cinder sprites, unicorns, and the lake serpent, can’t they?”
Briar opened the side door and motioned for Omar to enter the Castle. “Most people, at most times. Where magic is concerned, it’s dangerous to generalize. More to the point, I believe it is safe to say that a siren spoke to you while you were on the island.”
“I don’t recall it.” Omar frowned. “Do you think the siren blocked my memory of talking with her?”
“No doubt. Sirens seem to be adept at manipulating memories.” Briar again waved Omar inside.
Omar stepped through the doorway but turned back to address the other prince. “You have magic, don’t you? I can sense it, just as I sometimes sense Ellie’s.”
“Yeah, I have some. My sister and I both inherited magic from our mother.” Briar gave Omar an amused grin and held up his hands. “I need to wash before we return to the ballroom. I have an announcement to make tonight.”
On the way to the washroom, Omar remarked, “I didn’t know you had a sister.” He rolled up his sleeves, turned on the warm tap, and scrubbed stickiness and dirt from his hands. His tuxedo would need dry-cleaning after tonight, for certain.
Briar concentrated on washing his hands. “Most people don’t.”
Omar detected strange undertones in the prince’s voice. “Why not? What are you not telling me?”
Briar looked him straight in the eyes, paused, then grinned. “I was going to wait and make you find out along with everyone else, but I can’t do it. Here’s the deal: I’ve spent time with Ellie this week, trying to get to know her. I can’t help being proud of the woman she has become. Omar, if you were jealous when I danced with her tonight, don’t be. I love Ellie, but not in the same way you do.”
Omar’s brain processed this speech. “You’re telling me Ellie is your sister.”
“Never underestimate a mathematician,” Briar said. “She is. My twin. My older twin, to be exact. And now, should you return to the ballroom with me, you will soon hear the story—or as much of it as I know—of how she came to be here at Faraway Castle. As soon as I was positive that Ellie is indeed Crown Princess Marielle Yvette of Auvers, I sent for our parents. I’m not sure when they will arrive, but it will happen in the next day or two.”
The two young men faced off in the washroom off the kitchen, strange surroundings for a revelation. Omar knew he was blinking and staring like an idiot, but he couldn’t help himself. “Ellie is a princess. I should have known all along.”
Briar shrugged one shoulder. “How could you have known? Many exceptional women are not princesses, or even noblewomen in the sense the word is commonly used.” He sounded slightly annoyed. “But you are missing the crucial point of my revelation: Ellie will be queen someday. The law of primogeniture in Auvers includes firstborn daughters.”
Omar’s brow wrinkled. “That will certainly come as a surprise to her. How do you feel about becoming second in line for the throne after being the crown prince all your life?”
“Not all my life, only since Ellie disappeared. And, to be frank, I feel free!” The lift of one brow added a sardonic twist to this statement, leaving Omar confused.
“Shall we return to the ballroom?” Briar suggested. “I ask only that you allow me to break the news to Marielle. I believe her memories are starting to return. She danced with me tonight as if we were both still seven, performing our old lifts and spins.”
Omar might have remarked that she had danced just as naturally with him, but he kept that knowledge to himself, sensing Briar needed this connection with his twin sister.
The band still played as they entered, but dancers on the floor had stopped. People clustered at the garden doors, others turned to see what was happening, and the music faltered as band members dropped out one by one. Whispers became murmurs, and soon the room buzzed with talk.
Had the hobgoblins caused more trouble? Where was Ellie?
“What’s happening?” Omar asked a young lord he often teamed up with for tennis matches.
Lord Carevo, better known as Dino, answered, “Raquel and Gillian unmasked a staff member who dressed up and pretended to be a guest—the hot blonde you danced with. Did you know? The director fired her right in front of everyone.”
But Omar was no longer listening. He ran toward the garden door and struggled to break through the crowd. Ellie must have run outside, for everyone still stared in that direction. “Ellie!” he called.
At that moment, what felt like a cushion of magic dropped over the entire company, muting all sound. As Omar slowly turned, feeling as if he moved in a dream, a familiar voice called for attention. Prince Briar stood on the dais, his hands raised.
“Some” magic? Right.
Every eye in the room focused on Briar. “I wish to tell you a story.” His voice penetrated the thick silence. “Some of you know parts of this tale but not all. Eleven years ago, the royal family of Auvers traveled toward Faraway Castle, intending to experience our first family holiday. On the way, my parents, my twin sister, and I took a side trip to see the spectacular mountain views. One of the vehicles in our convoy got a flat tire, so my family stopped to picnic and enjoy the scenery while servants changed the flat. While we were eating, Marielle jumped up and chased after some bird or creature she had seen, calling for me to follow. By the time I got up and chased after her, it was too late. Not that I would have been able to save her.
“A huge griffin dropped out of the sky, grabbed Marielle from behind by her arms, and carried her away, high into the sky and beyond our sight. Our guards could not shoot at it for fear of harming Marielle, and the creature was quickly too far away for my mother’s magic to reach.”
Omar listened, as spellbound as everyone around him, while Briar spun out his astonishing tale.