The Secret Throne

  ‘No,’ Felix said sternly, his paws closing round both their wrists. ‘This boy prince is not yet your father. You may not meet him. Not here. Not now.’

  Taggie slowly nodded her head. ‘OK.’

  ‘Felix, please,’ Jemima said in her worst whiney voice. ‘Please, please?’

  ‘I’m sorry, but we must go to the Queen now,’ the squirrel said, and his tail drooped in sympathy. ‘You cannot meet the boy prince, one wrong word could change time, throwing every Realm into chaos and ruin.’

  Taggie took one last look at the laughing boy who would one day become her father as he tackled one of his friends. ‘Love you, Daddy,’ she whispered, and she turned to leave.

  ‘Are you doing that, Princess Taggie?’ Felix asked. He was tilting his head back, looking up at the sky suspiciously.

  ‘Doing what?’ Taggie asked.

  ‘Bringing the moonclouds back.’

  ‘No.’

  The three of them stood still, puzzled as the light started to fade around them. Yet, above the hedge, the rooftops and turrets and domes of the palace continued to bask in bright sunlight.

  Jemima rubbed her arms, suddenly chilly. ‘What’s happening?’

  Felix raised his head, his small dark nose sniffing the air. ‘There is magic swelling here.’

  Taggie’s gaze was drawn to the grand old trees in the garden, where the boys were playing. The canopy of verdant leaves and brawny boughs blocked the sunlight underneath, creating a veil of darkness that seemed to occupy the very air itself. As she watched, the edge of the shadows began to creep outward, rippling across the grass like a black puddle, spreading out to join those emerging from around the other trees. More shadows were also oozing out from the base of the hedge.

  ‘What’s doing this?’ she asked.

  ‘A mage must be shadecasting,’ Felix said. ‘And a powerful mage at that.’ He drew his sword; the blade was shimmering with a pale green light.

  The five boys playing football had fallen silent. They stood still, uncertain what to do as they watched the shadows grow closer and closer. In another minute the entire garden would be in shade. They began to huddle together in the last splash of sunlight.

  ‘What shall we do?’ Jemima asked.

  ‘We have to warn Dad,’ Taggie said abruptly.

  ‘You can’t!’ Felix insisted.

  ‘But—’ Taggie broke off as she saw an unpleasantly familiar shape slip between the tree trunks. Four little legs scuttling along, red armour almost black in the dwindling light. Visor open to show a fat pig-like snout.

  ‘Rannalal!’ Taggie yelled out in warning.

  Felix spun round, his sword ready, tail quivering tall. ‘Quovak Acran!’ he said in a loud clear voice. Somewhere in the distance a bell started to ring. ‘The palace alarm,’ he explained. ‘Help will be here in a moment. Princesses, you stay here, I’ll protect the boy prince until the palace guard arrive. I belong here, even though not now.’

  Taggie clenched her fists in frustration, but nodded agreement.

  Felix went through the archway, and hurried towards the boys, his tail still and horizontal as he ran. ‘Prince Dino,’ he called out. ‘I am an agent of the palace guard, you and your friends are in danger. Follow me, quickly, please.’

  Taggie watched her young dad give a startled gasp as Felix bounded over the grass. Then something silver came spinning out of the tree shadows.

  ‘Look out!’ she cried.

  A spinning net tangled round Felix, who fell with an angry cry. Heedless of the danger, Taggie sped over to the stricken squirrel.

  Felix was struggling furiously under the slim strands of the net, which was now contracting. ‘I can’t move to cut it,’ he growled. The net had pinned his sword by his side. Taggie gripped one of the strands and tried to break it, the strand was so thin it should have been easy, but it was too strong. She pushed her hand through the net, and tried to pull Felix’s sword free.

  ‘Look out!’ Jemima called. ‘I can see more.’

  Taggie snatched a quick glance, but there were no Rannalal in sight. She just managed to get her fingers round the sword hilt, and pulled. It came free, slicing through several strands as it moved. Felix shoved a paw through the gap.

  ‘A Rannalal,’ Prince Dino gasped.

  Taggie twisted round in time to see another Rannalal knight burst through the shadows engulfing the hedge, running swiftly towards the group of boys on its four stout legs. One hand held a wicked axe, the other swung a silver net above its head.

  ‘No!’ Taggie yelled. She raced across the lawn towards the Rannalal knight. Her thoughts were perfectly calm as she remembered Mr Koimosi’s martial arts instructions. Balance on the left foot, bend, coil, focus, and kick. Her right boot caught the Rannalal knight on the side of his stumpy neck, sending him flying. The net flapped about chaotically and Taggie dodged it gracefully, allowing it to wrap itself around the groaning Rannalal as he tumbled to the ground, his armour clanging louder than the bell.

  Jemima kicked the sword out of his hand.

  ‘Wow!’ Prince Dino said. He was staring at the downed Rannalal in amazement. ‘How did you do that? It was totally fantastic.’

  Now his paws and sword were free, Felix cut off the rest of the net. Two more Rannalal emerged from the hedge’s cloying shadows. Felix leaped towards them. His glowing sword sliced straight through a heavy wooden baton with a loud rasping sound. Then his free paw made a throwing motion, and a tiny, shining red disc went shimmering through the air like a sizzling star. It struck a Rannalal knight on his chest, smashing him high into the air. He wailed frantically, all four legs waggling wildly as he tumbled over the hedge.

  The shadows were growing stronger, sucking light from the air as they constricted round Taggie and the boys. She felt something like frost settling on her skin, stealing the warmth from her flesh. More insubstantial shapes were flitting through the shadows behind the trees. Tiny violet sparks skittered about. She knew they were the glowing eyes of the Rannalal, and soon more nets would come whirling out of the darkness. Too many for her and Felix to fight off alone.

  Instinctively Taggie knew this ambush wasn’t something you could run from or fight with swords and kicks. She was in the First Realm now. Her true home. This was magic she was up against. It had to be matched and beaten.

  Then she glimpsed a single ghostly shape growing out of the darkness that was wrapping itself inexorably around her. Except that it wasn’t a shape, she realized, but a memory that wasn’t hers. An eye sketched by slender blue lines; and she’d seen that eye before.

  She held up her arm with Dad’s charm bracelet. Sure enough, the exact same symbol was on one of the bands, glowing a sharp blue.

  When she looked at other symbols on the bracelet, she saw that several had also begun to glow with colours of their own. Instinctively she reached out with her other hand, and started to turn the bands. It was like a circular version of a Rubik’s cube. Somewhere in her head was a memory of how the symbols ought to be aligned to banish the shadows.

  She thrust out her right hand, pointing without hesitation where she now knew the shadecaster to be, skulking behind a walnut tree next to the hedge. ‘Derat al-tooman,’ she called, the enchantment for clear sight. A thin light shone through the symbols as she felt strange forces flow inside her.

  The shadows summoned by the shadecaster popped like a soap bubble as the sunlight which had been subtly lured away from the garden snapped back. A furious groan rumbled through the air. Five Rannalal stumbled to a halt as the newly blazing sunlight exposed them, blinking eyes peering out through their narrow visor slits; uncertain what to do now their advantage was lost. Then two of them ran forward, screaming ferociously as they came.

  Taggie flinched. The Rannalal knights might be small, but they were armed, and trained. And heading straight at her.

  She knew at once which of the charm bracelet’s symbols should be aligned: rock paired with wind. And there they were, glowing on bands that
spun to place them together. In her mind she heard someone chanting, a deep commanding voice. ‘Israth hyburon,’ she repeated. Her whole arm shone a vivid orange. She punched forward.

  The air in front of her rippled.

  An invisible force hit the Rannalal knights, sending both of them flying backwards, spinning end over end before they thudded down hard into the ground. One groaned in pain and tried to lift himself before collapsing back down. The other never moved.

  ‘Huh!’ Taggie exclaimed. She stared at her arm, which was now perfectly ordinary again. No orange glow anywhere.

  The remaining Rannalal knights looked at Felix, who was approaching them, glowing sword held ready. Then they looked at Taggie, seeing the content expression spreading across her face as she began to close her hand into a fist again, and started to back away.

  ‘Enough.’ A soft voice tinkled round the garden.

  Taggie felt an overwhelming sense of peace embrace her and sighed in relief. It was all she could do not to give a huge yawn, so relaxing was the sweet enchantment. Indeed, she watched the Rannalal knights fall slowly to the ground as sleep claimed them. The texture of the sunlight changed, growing warm and rosy.

  The Queen of Dreams walked through the gate in the hedge, dressed in a flowing blue and white dress, a simple tiara of flowers in her hair. Taggie caught sight of Jemima staring at her worshipfully, as if she couldn’t quite believe what she was seeing.

  ‘Mother,’ the young prince shouted, and ran to the Queen of Dreams. Her arms folded him safely to her.

  ‘There, there, Dino, it is over now,’ the Queen soothed her son.

  Palace guards hurried into the garden behind their Queen. Taggie was taken aback by the sight of them. They were big men with four arms each, emerging from broad double-shoulders, which allowed them to carry two shields and two weapons at the same time. Their white and silver armour shone in the sun, making them look imposing and noble at the same time; and each helmet had an ice-blue open-shell crest at the front.

  Taggie watched impassively as four armed guards (Holvans, Felix told her) surrounded each of the sleeping Rannalal knights and disarmed them. Five more of them closed in on the dazed mage who had woven the shadecast. Taggie was curious to see him. He was a young man, wearing short brown robes and gold chains. His face, with its wild eyes and eyebrows scrunched together, had a permanently furtive expression. As the palace guards led him away he gave Taggie a sullen, fearful look.

  The Queen came over to where Felix, Taggie and Jemima were standing in a nervous little huddle. ‘Now who do we have here?’ she enquired keenly.

  ‘Majesty,’ Felix stammered, bowing low. ‘I am Felix, a special agent of the royal palace guard.’

  ‘And one of the Weldowen family, I believe,’ the Queen of Dreams said with a smile. ‘But, strangely, I do not know you.’

  ‘Not yet, Majesty,’ Felix said. ‘Sadly there is dark wizardry afoot today. I came here to seek your urgent advice on the matter. But I would politely request that Prince Dino is taken to the safety of the palace. There are things today that he should not see or hear.’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘But Mother!’ Dino protested.

  ‘I know,’ the Queen of Dreams said, clapping her hands. ‘But it is for the best, I feel.’ Several courtiers appeared in the gateway behind her. ‘Go now. All you boys. Such an adventure you have had.’

  Taggie watched her young dad stiffen stubbornly. Gosh, just like Jemima, she thought. Then he turned to face her, which she wasn’t expecting, and his face had an awed look. ‘You saved me,’ he said to her. ‘Thank you. I owe you my life.’

  ‘Come along.’ The Queen beckoned a courtier.

  ‘I’ve never seen anyone do that,’ the young prince exclaimed. ‘It was incredible. You kicked the Rannalal as if you were in a dance. And your magic is so strong.’

  Felix came to stand in front of Taggie, blocking her from view. ‘Say nothing,’ he cautioned quietly.

  ‘Who are you?’ the young prince asked desperately. The courtiers started to bustle him away. ‘Please?’

  Taggie tried to peer round Felix’s tail.

  ‘Please, lady, you saved me. At least tell me your name.’

  ‘You’ll know one day,’ Taggie burst out. Felix looked at her sharply.

  ‘But—’ And the boy prince was gone, pushed through the gate and away towards the palace.

  The Queen of Dreams embraced the sisters. ‘I understand who you are, which makes this so hard for both you and me,’ she said gently. ‘And I can bring no comfort to either of you, for you are but visitors to this place and time. But know this: I am proud to have met you this day, beloved granddaughters.’

  WHAT DO WE DO NOW?

  The Queen of Dreams led the sisters and Felix up the steep rickety wooden steps into the tree house. ‘I loved playing here when I was your age,’ she told them. ‘My friends would be with me, and the skymaids would visit often, and the centaurs, and – oh, so many people.’ She sighed. ‘So many delightful games. So much fun. Happy times. And we had food, too, such feasts. Dino doesn’t use it much – he’s always so busy playing football with his friends.’ She signalled one of the courtiers down in the garden. ‘Bring something to eat – these dear girls look famished.’

  Inside the tree house was a wooden table very similar to the one in Orchard Cottage’s kitchen. Windows in the roof were partially covered with the sweet-smelling vine flowers, allowing broad splinters of light to shine down through the gaps. A big cupboard stood against the back wall.

  ‘Majesty,’ Felix began when they were sitting at the table. ‘I apologize again for bringing the princesses here to you but—’

  ‘A Great Gateway thought otherwise,’ the Queen said with a knowing smile.

  ‘Yes, Majesty,’ Felix admitted.

  ‘Which one?’

  ‘Arasath.’

  ‘Of course. Arasath always claims it does what is best for the First Realm.’

  Felix twitched his nose uncertainly. ‘I don’t see how it could be for the best, my Queen. We are from the future. We should not be here. I came to ask you what we should do.’

  ‘What did Arasath say?’

  ‘I believe it wanted Princess Taggie to see her true birthright, the First Realm, before it . . .’ He fell silent as the Queen raised her hand.

  ‘You know you cannot speak to me of what is to come. Fate and destiny cannot be altered; what will be, is; all the Realms will suffer if these most basic laws are broken. And I – I do not wish to know what fate has in store for me. That would be the cruellest knowledge.’

  ‘I understand, my Queen.’

  ‘But it is most strange that Arasath would allow those Rannalal and their mage to follow you. There is a Dark Lord behind this, you say?’

  ‘Yes, my Queen.’

  ‘Who knows what wizardries they possess. In the meantime we will care for the Rannalal with utmost compassion, and trust that in time they may come to abandon their wicked ways.’ The Queen gave the sisters a mournful look. ‘You poor things. You look like you’ve been through such an ordeal.’

  ‘We have,’ Jemima said. ‘It was awful, I never knew Dad was a prince, or that we would—’

  ‘No,’ the Queen said firmly. ‘I’m sorry, but I cannot know of your quest. Already, what I’ve seen is greatly perturbing to me. Princesses of the First Realm pursued by Darkness through a Great Gateway from the Outer Realm. Difficult times clearly lie ahead.’

  ‘But Grandma, I don’t know what we have to do,’ Taggie said. ‘We thought you could help us.’ She’d been expecting the Queen to tell them how to find their father, how to defeat the Karrak Lords and restore the First Realm to what it should be. A few of those tough-looking four-armed Holvan palace guards to escort them on the journey might be nice too. Instead she got nothing but good wishes! It wasn’t fair – not after everything they’d seen and done already.

  The Queen of Dreams took her hand and those irresistible blue eyes looked into
hers. ‘All I can do is show you the road home. I think you know what you have to do when you get there, Taggie, dear. What you fear is how your task must be accomplished now you have seen the true nature of the Realms. That I fully understand and sympathize with. But I could never help you with that, now could I?’

  Taggie dropped her head. ‘No,’ she mumbled. ‘But I don’t know how to do what I have to. I don’t know anything. Please, Grandma, you have to help us.’

  ‘You are a Princess of the First Realm; do not underestimate yourself,’ the Queen said. ‘I just saw you counter-charm the shadecast of a fully trained adult mage. That is no mean feat for someone your age.’

  ‘I don’t know how I did that,’ Taggie protested. She stared crossly at the charm bracelet. ‘This bracelet guided me.’

  ‘Not entirely,’ the Queen said. ‘The bracelet, or rather the charmsward you wear, was shaped by Usrith, our family’s father, a mage of the First Times. It was he who forged the shell throne which tamed this Realm and made it the sweetest of all the lands to live in.’

  Taggie looked at the charm bracelet again. ‘But I still don’t get how I used it. Can you teach me to do it properly?’

  ‘I don’t have to. That is the beauty of the charmsward – it only ever binds with someone from our bloodline, someone with a good heart, and someone with magical ability. It chose you, Taggie, for you are all of those things. And you must never worry about how to use it, for it carries with it memories from past wearers. These will mingle with your own thoughts, so you have only to ponder the type of enchantment you need and you’ll remember how to cast it.’

  ‘Oh that’s so cool,’ Taggie gave the bracelet a more appreciative look.

  A courtier came in carrying trays of food and a large bowl of nuts for Felix. Jemima let out an appreciative sigh and started munching through the sandwiches, only taking time off to gulp down the cool elderflower drink.