Forbidden Magic: Sorceress Academy - Year One (of Four) Read online

“You both may go.” Celeste swiped her right hand in a ‘leave’ motion, her stomach churning.

  King Roland appeared pleased with how his daughter handled herself in court. He continued to let her preside over the other cases brought before them that day.

  The longer court continued, the more she wished there had been time after leaving her fencing lesson to shower and change her clothes. She didn’t enjoy presiding over court looking like a sweaty street urchin.

  In the middle of session, one of the royal guards abruptly entered the throne room, approaching Celeste and tugging on her arm. “Please come with me, Your Highness. It is a matter of urgency, for your own protection.” He looked meaningfully at King Roland, who nodded his head in approval even as his hands tightened on the arms of his throne.

  “What are you talking about? Let me go! Father?” Celeste looked at the King as the guard attempted to whisk her away.

  “Quickly, now,” the guard chided. “There’s no time to waste. I need to get you out of here this instant. Intruders have been detected.”

  Celeste rose out of the engraved oak chair and numbly followed the guard out of the throne room, glancing back at her father as he stood and followed them, bewildered by the sudden turn of events. In her sash, she carried a dagger her father had commissioned for her when she turned thirteen. She was thankful Savannah insisted she wear it each day. Whatever or whomever tried to cause her harm, the weapon would certainly come in handy.

  “Where are we going? What’s happening?” she demanded to know.

  The guard didn’t say a word, but continued to guide her down the long, dimly lit corridors of the castle with the ease of someone who had traversed them hundreds of times before. Her father followed closely behind, staying in the shadows and out of Celeste’s sight.

  The Royal Commander passed them by at a half-run. She turned her head to see where he went and saw him approach her father, eerily silhouetted by the flickering wall sconce to his left. Before she could ask what was going on, her guard pulled her behind a column.

  “If we don’t hurry, the assassins who snuck into the palace will snatch or kill you,” the guard whispered to her.

  “The what?” Celeste wondered if she’d heard him correctly.

  King Roland approached the guard who was holding Celeste’s arm. “Place Celeste in her quarters until we have eliminated the assassins.” Without question, the guard did as he was instructed, gently nudging her down the long hallway.

  “But Father, wait! Why can’t I—” Baffled, Celeste looked back at her father as the guard escorted her to her quarters.

  “Come on. Let’s go.” The guard tugged on her arm and guided her away from the King and further into the castle. Flinging open the large, wooden door that led to her quarters, the royal guard escorted Celeste inside, then promptly turned around and left. As his footsteps dwindled in the corridor, her already accelerated heartbeat ramped up even further.

  I need to help my parents and Brett. But how? I can’t help anyone if I’m stuck here in my quarters.

  Savannah opened her door and it creaked as she stepped into Celeste’s quarters from her room. “What’s going on? I thought I heard a royal guard.”

  “You did. There are intruders in the castle, and the guard forced me in here under my father’s orders.” Celeste quickly changed clothes and frantically walked around the room opening various chests, gathering weapons, and slipping them into holders on the leather belt she’d buckled around her waist.

  “Hold on, I can see the wheels turning in your head. Are you thinking of going out there, even after your father ordered you to stay here?” Savannah asked incredulously, aware of the princess’s tendencies to defy authority.

  “I can’t just sit here and do nothing!” Celeste huffed. “Now, promise me you won’t tell them where I’ve gone if the guards come back to check on me.” Celeste grabbed Savannah by both shoulders and peered directly into her eyes.

  “I promise… but you didn’t tell me where you were going, anyway.” Savannah appeared confused.

  “I’m going to warn my mother and brother.” Celeste walked swiftly to the door and cracked it open, then assessed through the slit if there were any guards lingering outside. She turned to face Savannah, her face grim and resolute. “No guards. I’m out of here.”

  As she left, she heard Savannah say under her breath, “For once, I wish you’d listen to your father.”

  Celeste stepped into the corridor and took a moment to gather her thoughts and focus on her mission.

  I’m not afraid. I’ll hunt these assassins down and kill them!

  She pulled a dagger and unsheathed a fencing sword from their placeholders on her belt and strap, grasped one in each hand, feeling more confident with weapons at the ready. But as she snuck through the corridor, panic set in.

  What am I thinking? I’m just a teenage girl.

  Her feet felt like heavy anchors as she plodded along on the slate corridor, but no matter how much trepidation threatened to stop her in her tracks, she continued.

  She stopped at a corner and peered around the edge, spotting four royal guardsmen. Her palms grew sweaty, and her legs felt like they would buckle. She questioned whether she should flee back to the safety of her quarters or move forward with her plan. After all, out here she was by herself. No one was there to assist her.

  The plan sounded good when she worked it out in her head before leaving the safety of her room, but now that she was faced with reality, she second-guessed her decision.

  Oh, well! Assassins be damned! This is my family!

  She was in stealth mode as she gingerly placed one foot in front of the other, slowly making her way further down the corridor away from the guards. She knew getting caught would bring swift discipline.

  There was no going back.

  She pushed her shoulders back and straightened her stance, determined to move forward with locating and warning her mother and brother.

  She fixed her attention on the grand staircase that loomed straight ahead. There was an enormous crystal chandelier perched high above, hanging from the beamed ceiling. Sparkling crystal teardrops wound around in circular layers, making it look as if giant icicles clung to every inch of it. Celeste glanced around another corner and saw more guards standing at the bottom of the staircase.

  Think, think! How do you plan to make it past the guards and reach the other side?

  To get near her mother and brother’s quarters, she had to sneak across the grand staircase landing to the other corridor. It wasn’t normally a perilous route, but with guards posted at every corner and the threat of assassins waiting to dash out at any turn, her pulse was fast and unsteady. She formulated the best route in her mind, deciding it would be best to slide along the wall behind the enormous tapestry that hung at the top of the staircase. That was the only way she could think of that would allow her to safely make it across without being caught.

  Here goes nothing!

  She wet her lips, smoothed the hair out of her face, and glanced around one last time, determined that it was now or never. She rubbed her sweat-slickened palms on her breeches.

  Surveying the area one last time, she noticed the guards were distracted and talking with each other. As she was about to dart across the landing, someone tapped her on the shoulder. Terrified she’d been caught, she stumbled forward a few inches before catching herself and whirling around to see who had thwarted her plan. When Celeste saw who it was, she placed a hand over her racing heart.

  “What are you doing here?” Celeste asked.

  As the girl with the green servant’s dress sporting a funny hairstyle stood in front of her, whispered laughter erupted between the two.

  Chapter Two

  Celeste exhaled a sigh of relief when she saw it was her confidante. “Savannah!” she whispered. “You scared me to death. What are you doing here? I told you to stay in my quarters.”

  “Your Highness, with all due respect, what the heck are you doing?
Why do you have your weapons drawn?” Savannah whispered back to her. “You didn’t tell me why you were confined to your quarters or why you felt the need to escape! As any obedient lady-in-waiting, I felt it was my duty to follow you,” Savannah replied with a sniff.

  “There are assassins in the castle.”

  “And you’re out here with a knife?” Savannah asked incredulously.

  “I couldn’t stay locked in my room while my family was in danger. Besides, I’ve got lots of weapons and can protect myself. See?” She pulled back her jacket to reveal the weapons she’d hastily stowed.

  Savannah gave Celeste a look that told her she wasn’t fooled for one minute. “So, you think you’re safer out here with a weapon and your lack of superior fighting skills than you would be with guards keeping you safe?”

  She has a point.

  “This is foolish.” Savannah glanced into the hall with wide eyes and then ducked back. “Why would you think you’d be safer out here than in your room?”

  “You know me; I can’t just sit idly by if my family is in danger.”

  Savannah sighed and shook her head. “Were you trained to track down assassins? Because I’m pretty sure your training isn’t that advanced. What would your father say if he knew you were out of your room?”

  Celeste didn’t like her logical tone, but she had to admit Savannah was right. What sort of skills did she really possess? What could she offer that her guards could not? Still, it irritated her to have her foolish plan called to light. “Oh, just hush!”

  “Celeste, listen to me for once. This is foolishness. What do you think you’re going to accomplish? Your father told you to stay put for a reason. Why are you going against his orders and risking your life if there really is an assassin lurking within the castle?”

  Her rational words bounced right off Celeste’s head. “You know me, Savannah. I feel honor-bound to track down this assassin before he can hurt anyone. Come on, let’s move.”

  Savannah sighed and shook her head. “Ladies aren’t supposed to act like savages, especially you.” However, she had no choice but to follow the princess as she poked her head around the corner and began to move forward.

  Thankfully, Savannah was armed with her own set of daggers. Celeste was grateful to have such a resourceful lady-in-waiting who was also her best friend. It was also fortunate that every time she finished a lesson with her specialty instructors, she’d taught Savannah afterwards.

  Celeste and Savannah slid along the wall behind the enormous tapestry drapes and slowly made their way across the landing at the top of the grand staircase. The halls were dimly lit, the only light coming from oil-burning torches. While normally she cursed the muted light, now she was thankful that it helped disguise their progress.

  They slowed their pace and stopped just short of the corner. Celeste grabbed her long braid so it wouldn’t fall over her shoulder and be seen if it flipped outward, then peered around the corner to survey the corridor.

  “No one’s there. Let’s go.” Celeste motioned for them to continue.

  She and Savannah slowly made their way from one corridor to another, covering each other’s movements as she’d been taught by her instructors in the tactical maneuvers class. The tension was unbearable, knowing that around any corner she could come face-to-face with an assassin.

  Celeste approached the throne room where she’d been in session with her father no more than an hour ago. As carefully as she could, she attempted to make her way to the other side of the room.

  “You two!” a guard shouted.

  Celeste turned toward the voice and cringed. “Crap!”

  Her first thought was to turn and run away. The sight of several guards amassing made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. But instead of retreating, Celeste slowly swiveled toward his voice.

  “Just where do you think you’re going?” asked the leader of the guards, a large, burly man with a grotesquely long black beard.

  Celeste tilted her head haughtily. “I don’t answer to you. I may go anywhere in the castle I desire.”

  Savannah backed her up as they both stepped forward with knives and daggers drawn. “I’m with her.”

  The guard shook his head in disgusted disbelief. “Come with me! And put those weapons away. You’re no match for an assassin.”

  “No!” Celeste realized that if she was going to try to save her family, she had to think fast and stand firm.

  “We don’t have time for your games, Princess,” he sneered as he reached for her. “You’re going back to your quarters.”

  Celeste batted his gauntleted hand away with her blade. She refused to be treated like a little girl and whisked off to her room to wait while others secured the castle.

  He bared his teeth and his eyes glinted dangerously. “What would the King say?”

  She gave him a ghost of a laugh. A guard was asking her what her father would say, as if there was some difference between him being a king and a father. “That I was doing my duty,” she replied stiffly.

  He gripped her elbow and clamped down, forcing her to lose her grip on her dagger as it tumbled to the floor with a clang. “You have no idea what duty is, if this is how you choose to show it.” He picked up her dagger and proceeded to escort her down the corridors and back to her quarters as she fought and kicked at him the entire time. Savannah followed meekly along without complaint. As a servant, she knew her place and station.

  “No! I won’t go. Leave me alone! Unhand me! You have no right.” Celeste twisted and turned to free herself from the guard’s grip, but she was no match for his brute strength. He may have been able to control her physically, but he couldn’t control her mind. She was already formulating another rescue plan.

  Approaching the princess’s quarters, the guard turned and said, “I don’t want to see either of you out wandering the corridors again until the castle has been secured, is that understood? There are assassins on the loose and danger lurks around every corner.” With that dire warning, the guard shoved the girls into Celeste’s room and glared. “If you sneak out again, know that I will not protect you.” He slammed the door shut and stomped away.

  No sooner was the guard out of the room, than Celeste was ready to sneak out again. “These guards are so stupid. They obviously don’t know about the secret passage that leads out of my room to the corridor by the staircase. Come on, let’s go!”

  “Why are you doing this?” asked Savannah, wringing her hands nervously. “That guard told you to stay put for your own safety.”

  Celeste rolled her eyes. “Savannah, my own father can barely control me. You think I’m going to let a bunch of stupid guards tell me what to do?”

  Savannah endeavored to appeal to her common sense. “There are over two hundred armed guards in the castle who are better trained than you to take on the assassins.”

  “Look – I’m going with or without you. Are you coming or not?” Celeste questioned, her irritation rising in her haste to be on her way.

  Savannah sighed and shook her head in disapproval. “Going.”

  Celeste pulled a scimitar down from the wall and hid it in her belt beneath her jacket. In all, she now sported three blades: a scimitar, a dirk, and a stiletto; all excellent weapons with blades designed for specific injuries and maximum impact. Satisfied with her array of weapons, Celeste walked over to the desk and shifted it to the left, revealing a large gray stone underneath. She leaned her weight on the stone and a hidden door swung open on whisper-quiet hinges.

  “I forgot that was there!” Savannah exclaimed in amazement.

  “Well, we haven’t had to sneak out in a long time.” Celeste winked at her. “Come on, let’s go.”

  The girls entered the hidden door and emerged into a small, cramped tunnel. The musty smell emanating from the cramped space almost made Celeste gag. “This place smells rancid!”

  “No kidding! Why are we doing this again?” Savannah coughed.

  The girls crept quietly along
the dark stone floor until they reached the end. Celeste slowly swung the door open and pulled back with a start, surprised to see two guards standing less than fifty feet away. She managed to pull herself outside the tunnel without being noticed. She motioned her hand for Savannah to follow her.

  Upon closer inspection, she noticed the guards were wearing their uniforms incorrectly. Any true guard of the kingdom would know the proper way to wear their sash, yet their sashes looked like they’d been hastily tied, and draped from the wrong side. Their disheveled appearance triggered her instincts that these two were assassins, not guards.

  Celeste quietly drew the dirk and stiletto from her belt as Savannah stepped out of the way so she wouldn’t get injured by accident. The guards saw her and walked quickly to where she and Savannah stood. “Draw your weapons,” Celeste mouthed to Savannah.

  Her weapons drawn, Celeste twirled them and bounced back and forth on her heels, jabbing and stabbing at the assassins. She made short, precise jabs, catching one in the side. He promptly fell to the ground with a groan.

  Take that!

  Savannah twirled around, both blades pointed directly at the other assassin. With two swipes back and forth, she tore through his midsection. Bright red blood squirted onto her, the walls, and the floor as he fell to the ground, his weapon clanging as it slid across the floor.

  Celeste managed to stab the other guard who’d fallen to the ground once again, assuring he had severe enough wounds that he wouldn’t be tempted to get back up. She’d noticed that as he fell onto the stone floor, he was half knocked unconscious when his head clunked against the hard surface.

  “Where on earth did you learn to fight like that?” Savannah asked incredulously.

  “Good old-fashioned determination. I’m a better pupil than you know, or I let on.”

  Celeste had accumulated an immense amount of knowledge from her instructors, but didn’t want anyone, much less her father, to know how good of a fighter she’d become. She hadn’t taught Savannah everything, reserving some special skills for herself. Her goal was to become an expert, and she’d prodded her instructors over the years to make her lessons progressively tougher. She was a long way from expert status and she knew it.