He changed back into his real form and pulled out something from his robes. It was a small stone.
“What’s that?” she asked, staring warily.
Gaylen handed it to her. “It’s a truth stone. The person holding it cannot tell a lie.”
She studied the rock, turning it over in her hand. It was black, smooth, and cool to the touch. It looked pretty unimpressive, as far as she was concerned.
“Try lying to me. Go ahead,” he said with a smirk. “Tell me how handsome I am and how you’d love to have me in your bed.”
Angelique grunted. “You already know the truth to that.”
Gaylen sighed. “Maybe, but try telling me otherwise. Go ahead,” he urged, nodding toward the stone.
“Fine.” She took a deep breath. “Gaylen, I…” Angelique’s tongue stopped moving.
The wizard smiled and his eyes began to dance.
She tried again, but just couldn’t seem to get the words out. “I think you are…”
“Try relaxing,” he urged, looking more and more amused by the minute.
“I think you are a repulsive, nasty pig. You make my skin crawl. I would rather die than then allow you to ever touch me,” she said, unable to stop herself.
“So, you’re saying that we won’t be consummating our marriage?” Gaylen asked dryly.
“Not in your wildest dreams,” Angelique replied, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted by admitting the truth out loud. The rock seemed to actually compel a person to say what was really on one’s mind whether they wanted to or not.
His beady eyes regarded her coldly. “Fine. What of Edward? How do you really feel about your king?”
“I will always want him,” she said truthfully. “But, he broke my heart. I will never forget that.”
He stepped closer to her. “Nor, should you.”
Angelique handed him the stone back. “You deceived me the most, however,” she said, backing away from him. “What makes you think I would ever agree to help you in this crusade? You ruined my life.”
“What if I told you that at one point, I actually saved it?” he said, flipping the stone over and over in his hand.
Her eyes narrowed. “How is that?”
“Edward sent me here to kill you. Just like he did twenty years before, when you were in the Forest of Ezernon.”
Her breath caught in her throat. “What?”
“After you were banished, Edward sent me to look for you. He wanted you dead. Luckily for you, Hecate found you first.”
“I don’t believe you. If that were the case, why didn’t he order my execution instead of simply banishing me?” she asked, the blood rushing to her head. He was holding the stone firmly in his hand now. The words couldn’t have been lies.
“Because Edward wants to look like a fair and just king. You think you know him, but… the truth is you don’t. You never did.”
She stared at him, her eyes filling with tears. “Why would he want me dead?” It was hard to believe that Edward, the man who’d once held her in his arms, would order an execution on her.
“Because of Lizbeth. The plans were already in the works for their wedding, which wasn’t based out of love but necessity. As is most royal marriages.”
“Yes, I’ve heard it all before,” Angelique spat. “He could only marry someone of his stature.”
“That and he also needed the backing of Lizbeth’s family’s troops. You obviously don’t recall the conflict between the Rothhavens and King Beauport during that time?”
The last she’d heard was that King Beauport still ruled Del Mar, which was across the sea. Many had referred to him as the ‘King of Chaos’ because of his reckless madness. It was her understanding that he ruled with an iron fist and had tried to take over Syracuse more than once.
“Yes, I’d heard of it,” she replied. The problem was, she hadn’t given the conflict much thought. Wars were common, especially back then.
“Edward was worried that if Lizbeth found out about you, she’d become upset and tell her father, who wouldn’t have been pleased. He needed their alliance and couldn’t take any chances. You had to disappear.”
“Why not just send me away from the castle to begin with? It seems a little extreme to banish me and wish me dead,” she replied, getting angrier by the minute
“He didn’t want to take any chances. Now that you’ve returned to Syracuse, he is even more determined to have you killed.”
She gave him a doubtful look.
“The stone never lies,” Gaylen said, showing her that he was still holding it.
Angelique felt like crying, but she refused do it in front of him.
“I know that you are bitter, but you should channel your feelings into something more productive. Be angry. Be furious. You certainly have every right.”
That was one thing she definitely agreed upon.
“So, what do you say?” he asked. “Join me? Together we can make sure that the Rotthaven’s reign ends. They certainly don’t deserve to rule Syracuse.”
“Why do you even wish to be king?” she asked.
“My dear.” he replied with a cold smile. “Make no mistake, I already am the ruler. I have Edward wrapped around my finger, whether he knows it or not.”
“Then why do you need to sit on the throne?”
“Because I’m tired of being in the shadows.”
So, it was really about his vanity.
He went on. “I’ve won wars for their family. I’ve cast away monsters and dragons and every possible horror that you can imagine. I have never gotten the respect and honor that I deserve. As king -”
“As king? If you’re ruling as Griffin, how can you accomplish that?”
“Because Griffin will build a shrine, honoring Gaylen, who will have fallen along with the rest of his family.”
“So, you’re faking your death?” she said dryly.
“Yes.”
The lengths he was willing to go astounded Angelique. “And how will you die?”
He smirked. “Baldour.”
Legend had it that Baldour was a black dragon whom Gaylen had destroyed over a century ago. It was said that the terrifying beast had been the largest and most intelligent of it’s kind.
“Didn’t he die? And by your hand?”
“Yes, of course. But, I will tell the king that Segomo has brought him back, to destroy me and the king’s family.”
Angelique shuddered. Even after everything Gaylen had admitted, she wouldn’t forgive or trust him. Not ever. He was as insane as he was evil and should never be allowed to sit on the throne. Plus, if what he said was true about Edward, he didn’t really deserve it either. Nor did his sons or any of their descendants. Something needed to change and she vowed to be part of it. Just not in the way Gaylen wanted.
“So, what do you say?” he asked, trying to read her expression.
Angelique couldn’t take part in killing the Rothhavens, but she vowed to end their family’s reign over Syracuse and somehow get rid of Gaylen too in the process.
“Very well. I’ll help you. Just tell me what you need me to do,” she said, thankful that the despicable wizard couldn’t read what was really on her mind.
10
MARISELLE’S PARENTS WERE both upset about what had happened in the barn.
“Why would Angeliqu even show up here, Marcus?” Karina asked tearfully when the three were back inside of the cottage.
Pacing back and forth, he shrugged. “I don’t know.” He paused and looked at Karina. “I think we need to move you and Mariselle to the castle temporarily, though. If King Edward will allow it.”
“But, isn’t it even more dangerous at the castle?” Karina asked, her eyes wide.
“No, on the contrary. I certainly can’t leave you alone here. The soldiers will protect you if you’re at the castle. As will Gaylen.”
“But… Angelique would never hurt me, Father,” said Mariselle, who was seated at the table. “And, she’s not as mean as everyone makes her out to be.”
Marcus grunted. “She certainly has you hoodwinked,” he said, looking displeased. “Which is why I need to make sure that Angelique can’t get anywhere near you again. For all we know, she could have been planning on using you for some kind of sacrifice.”
“Marcus,” gasped Karina, putting her hand to her chest. “Don’t scare the child like that.”