Osbourne tries to console the crowd. They holler his name, reaching their hands toward him, but the brutality of the queen’s soldiers is no match for the weak and hungry members of the community.
“Shh! Please do as they say,” Osbourne says.
“Silence them!” the Bloodred Queen shouts.
Pain etches Osbourne’s face as the soldiers bare their sharp claws and force the rioters back. Fights break out, and several villagers charge the platform to reach Osbourne, but the unarmed villagers stand no chance against the Bloodred Queen’s army. Many lie bludgeoned on the dirt, unresponsive.
As the violence escalates, shouts thunder through the crowd and fists rise in the air. In unison they scream, “Long live King Osbourne!”
Osbourne tries to subdue the people, but the rise of fury drowns out his pleas.
“This is not good,” Ginger says, taking in the disorderly crowd.
“The alternative is no better,” I say. “Either they fight or continue to be ruled by the Bloodred Queen.”
Their chants grow louder in unison. “Long live the king!”
“Silence!” the Bloodred Queen shouts again.
A girl, not much older than I am, saunters onto the upper balcony dressed in layers of ivory lace and taffeta. A gold circlet rests on her forehead with yards of tulle and ribbon flowing behind. She holds out a gloved hand. Jack takes it and leads her to the railing of the balcony. As he scans the crowd, a look of fury crosses his face—like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It seems like he’s struggling to get himself under control. Finally his features slide into place, and the only sign of anger is in the set of his jaw.
A hush rumbles through the arena, and even the wind seems to go still.
“Jack,” the Bloodred Queen hisses. “You ought to be standing with your brother.”
“Not today, Your Majesty,” the girl says sweetly.
Jack ignores them both, keeping his eyes on the crowd.
“People of Lohr,” she says. “I am Katt, princess of England. Jack and I come before you with troubling news. Osbourne White, your king, has betrayed you all.”
The crowd’s shouts dissolve into confusion. Even I wonder if I’ve heard right. Standing before them are King Osbourne and his son: one bound as a prisoner, the other wearing the royal crown. It doesn’t make any sense. Jack drops his gaze, seeming unwilling to refute or confirm her claim.
“For five years you were led to believe he was dead, his body entombed within the royal crypt. But those were cowardly lies. Lies that even we in England believed,” Katt says.
“Instead, under the tyranny of the Bloodred Queen, he ran, his cowardly tail tucked behind him. That man turned his back on you, citizens of Lohr. Abandonment hidden in the face of fear. Desertion of his very people, and—his only son. It is only right that he abdicates the throne and pays for his crime.”
“Why isn’t Jack stopping this?” I ask, my heart crashing against my ribs.
Ginger shakes her head. “I don’t know, but this isn’t the Jack I remember from several years ago. He’d never turn on his father.”
“That’s not true!” Hook shouts. “You were there when he was declared dead. He didn’t abandon you, me, or these people. The Bloodred Queen poisoned him. Tell them the truth! These people deserve to know what happened to their king.”
Katt’s brows rise. “Poisoned? Then how do you explain his reappearance?” She waves a dismissive hand. “Perhaps he’s immortal? No, maybe he’s a saint or, better yet, an angel.”
“He’s the devil!” the Bloodred Queen hisses. “And so is that boy you stand next to. Jack is a traitor to the crown and all those he’s vowed his loyalty to. I don’t know what your intentions are with him, but I promise you, you will be his next victim.”
Anguish grows on Jack’s expression. He glances at his father and back at Katt.
“Son, don’t listen to her!” Osbourne shouts. “You are not what she says. You’re a good boy with a heart of gold. You’ve always been driven by your empathetic spirit. You’re kind, sometimes to a fault, but you’ve never been a traitor.”
Jack grips the edge of the balcony, seeming to struggle with his thoughts.
Osbourne continues. “And I would never leave you. Not of my own volition. I love you, Jack. More than anything in the world. You are my greatest success in all I’ve done in my time as king and as a human being.”
Shaking his head, Jack’s cheeks flush.
“Son, I don’t know what that girl has told you, but none of this true,” Osbourne pleads.
Jack’s next move startles me.
Slamming his hand on the railing of the parapet, he growls. “Five years, Father! You’ve been gone five years and look what has happened. The Bloodred Queen has nearly brought the world to its knees. Millions have died at her hands and you weren’t here.” His voice cracks. “You weren’t here. Not for them.” He waves a hand over the crowd. “And not for me.”
Osbourne’s face pales as he shakes his head. “You know I would’ve been here if I could. I’d never abandon you or my kingdom. Nothing for anything in the world.”
Jack takes in a visible breath before he stands tall. “For the crimes you’ve committed against the country, I relieve you of your power over Germany and take it as my own.”
Cries erupt from the crowd of villagers as they surge toward the machine-powered line of defense.
“How dare you!” the Bloodred Queen shouts. “I am the queen. Seize them!”
Her words are lost in the commotion. Between the protests from both the villagers and the prisoners, and the guards’ shouts to stand down, I can no longer hear anything she says.
The guards warn the villagers to keep their silence, but their anguish cannot be quieted. Reverberating through the open space, the clang of iron manacles rings through the air.
“Your life shall be spared, but you will live in exile,” Jack says.
Katt sidles up next to Jack. “The others who stand before you are prisoners of Lohr, charged with crimes against both England and Germany. For the destruction they directly or indirectly contributed to my country, they are hereby sentenced to death by fire,” she says.
“What?” Jack says, turning her way. “That was not the agreement.”
Katt grins and whispers something into his ear. Jack’s face pales as his gaze falls on the Everland kids.
“Son, I demand you let these people go,” Osbourne shouts in an authoritative voice. “You may have issue with me and the queen, but these prisoners and the villagers have done nothing. Set them free immediately!”
“You know nothing of them or your son!” Katt says. “Gwen and the rest of the Lost Kids left him for dead in Everland. Hook tried to kill him with a poison apple, the same one you ingested. The dissension between Jack and the prisoners still stands.”
“Jack, my boy, this is not the right thing to do,” Osbourne pleads.
Jack’s eyes glitter in the torchlight, wet with unshed tears. “Father, it is the only thing I can do to save the world,” he says, the hurt in his voice more than obvious. “I’m so sorry.”
He straightens his coat. “For crimes against the crown, I sentence you to be stripped of your title and exiled from Germany, never to return.”
Patience, I remind myself. Smile. Bat my eyelashes and jut out my pouty lip. Be the sweet, kind princess that they desire. Make them believe that he’s in control. That he’s in charge. He’s the one who is sentencing their beloved king to exile. Like a black widow, lure them into a well-spun web. Spin my snare of illusions so grand they can hardly see the truth so close to their own faces. Entice. Tempt.
Dismay bubbles through the crowd. Haploraffen soldiers continue to subdue those who revolt, leaving dozens wounded.
The Bloodred Queen watches in disbelief, but her commands cannot rise above the discourse.
“Enough!” Jack shouts, but his voice is lost in the commotion. He turns to me, disgust etched into the curves of his face. He points to the h
alo on my head. “Katt, this has to stop! The Lost Kids were never a part of our agreement. I’ve done exactly what you’ve asked. How much more cruelty do you intend to impart on them? None of them deserves this. Not my father, not the Lost Kids, and certainly not the people of Lohr.”
I smile as sweetly as I can. “You’ve just sentenced the highest ruling person to exile. I guess that makes you king now. Quelling the chaos is your responsibility, isn’t it?”
Pressing his lips together, he reaches for my halo crown, but I command the monkeys to restrain him.
“What do you have to gain from any of this?” he says, struggling against their grip.
I lean close. “We’ve been over this, Jack. No one likes the Bloodred Queen. She’s as good as dead. When she’s distracted enough by all that’s going on, I’ll have the Haploraffen stand down and let the villagers take care of her. Then there’s your dear old daddy, who obviously is the rightful ruler. We can’t have him standing in my way. The Lost Kids are just a nuisance, and if they don’t die now, they’ll always be biting at my heels. Is your father’s life not worth it?”
I brush his cheek with my hand. “And then there’s you. Take a look at what you’ve caused. You’ve given the people their king back and ripped him out of their hands just as quickly. They’ll never respect you, not really. But if you take on a bride—and not just any bride but the only surviving princess from the country where this whole war started—they’ll see our homelands as unified. As a means to end what the Bloodred Queen began. Trust me, I’ll be the best queen they’ve ever encountered. Soon their loyalty will lie with me. Eventually, the world will see me as the bringer of peace, and world power will be mine.”
More screams draw Jack’s attention.
“Those soldiers are going to kill someone,” he growls. “Stop them!”
With a wave of my hand, a Haploraffen guard drags in a young man dressed in clerical robes. His eyes are wide with fright, but it only fuels my cause.
“If you want this all to stop, claim the crown. Announce yourself as king and marry me right here in front of all of them,” I say. “That was our deal. Now carry it out or everyone dies.”
It takes several seconds before the rage drains from his expression and defeat takes its place. Without another word to me, he returns his attention to the soldiers and citizens. Again, he attempts to calm the crowd, but to no avail.
“People of Lohr, hear me out,” he shouts.
Alyssa stares up at me, her fury visible even in the dim light. She frowns but says nothing. She doesn’t have to. Memories of my old childhood friend flood my thoughts. Both our families of royal blood. My mother the Queen of England, her mother a princess and younger sister. Long gone are the summer days of hide-and-seek in the hallways of Buckingham Palace. Of tea parties in the royal garden. Of pretend play, imagining being the Queen of England herself, decreeing Mondays to be the weekly plum tart day. Giggling at jelly-stained lips to mimic my mother’s perfectly painted face.
I’m not sure if the shine in Alyssa’s eyes is a reflection of the tears in my own or just the lighting, but her gaze remains fixed on me. Unblinking.
While she may not rule over Lohr, or even Germany, she will rule one day. It’s in her blood. It’s in her soul to care for people. She may not govern a country, province, or even a city, but she will be a leader again. Alyssa would never allow for a one-world government and therefore will always be the enemy.
It’s either her or me.
Surprised at the realization, I struggle for the breath caught in my chest.
My crown hums, casting a gold glow in my vision. The Haploraffen shovel one last mound of hay beneath the wooden platforms, nearly done with the preparations for the prisoners’ execution. Soldiers collect the burning torches. The wails of the community grow, begging Jack to show mercy. For me to stop this atrocity, but their pleas are left unheard.
Jack’s breath comes shallow and quick as he struggles in the grip of the Haploraffen soldier. Watching the Haploraffen battle the villagers, his voice breaks. “Please, Katt, I’ll do anything, but you have to stop this.”
He’s soft. He cares for these people, for his father—too much. There’ll never be room for both of us on the throne. Where he is filled with mercy and compassion, he lacks authority and an iron fist. They’ll never respect him. He might not recognize it, but I do. While the idea of a united king and queen is the happy conclusion of every fable, this is no fairy tale.
The Bloodred Queen attempts to bring control, but the chaos is far louder than her orders. I almost feel sorry for the crowd. It’ll be hard for them to see their beloved king die not once but twice, and this time so cruelly.
At the end of this night, I shall be queen.
Jack watches helplessly as the Haploraffen continue to show force against the villagers’ protests. Metal against flesh, they stand no chance.
Jack scowls at me, his fury skewering me. I tilt my head and smile, a silent nudge to comply. The Haploraffen behind him dig their claws into his back. He wriggles in the soldiers’ grip. “You should be the one bound to those stakes,” he growls.
“I wouldn’t be so bold if I were you,” I say. “Threats won’t win favor for you or your father.”
“Oh, trust me, Katt, your day is coming,” Jack says harshly.
“You think so?” I ask.
“You’ve gone too far,” Jack says through clenched teeth. “If you kill those people down there, you’ll never earn their respect.”
“We’ll see about that,” I say. “Are you ready to say your vows?”
“I’ll never marry you,” Jack says.
“I can still kill your father, Jack,” I reply.
“You’re as much of a witch as the Bloodred Queen,” he spits at me.
I laugh loudly. “We should do something about her as well, shouldn’t we?”
Turning to Kommandt, I make my next command. “Order the Bloodred Queen’s guards to take up their posts around the prisoners. No one is to rescue them.”
Kommandt scowls. “That will leave the Bloodred Queen vulnerable,” it says.
“Yes, and unless you hear otherwise, that is what you’re commanded to do,” I say.
“Down there, no one could hear anything,” Jack says.
“Precisely,” I say.
The leader of the Haploraffen turns to one of its soldiers.
Returning my gaze to the Bloodred Queen, I watch as the soldiers leave her to join those protecting the prisoners, leaving her defenseless in the open.
Machine-driven guards and people battle all around us. Ginger and I dodge the onslaught of metal against flesh. The villagers use anything they can get their hands on as weapons. I hardly catch a glimpse of Katt and Jack up on the balcony, surrounded by the Haploraffen. At the front of the castle, the Bloodred Queen is wide-eyed and alone. Even if I could wield my weapon without drawing attention, I don’t know that I’d have an open shot to take out Katt … or Jack, for that matter. At this point I don’t know whose side he’s on.
An explosion from the balcony startles me and everyone else around me. Smoke billows from the cannons of a Haploraffen guard that stands near Katt.
“Lohr, your anger is justified,” Katt shouts. “Your fury is justified. As the princess of England, I feel your frustration. Like your land, the Bloodred Queen has destroyed my country, my home. Because of her deeds, my sister, the Queen of England, is dead. She is the reason I suffer,” Katt says, holding up a scaly hand. “She’s the reason you suffer. I’ve come to Lohr seeking both shelter and the cure, the very cure that many of you need.”
A hush grows over the crowd as their eyes fall on the queen.
“You will pay harshly for your crimes,” the Bloodred Queen hisses.
Ginger shuffles next to me. Reaching inside her dark cloak, she draws her weapon. It’s then I see movement just over her shoulder. About fifty meters away, Doc struggles to pull a gun from his waist.
“Ginger,” I say softly, poin
ting to the lone boy standing away from the crowd behind her. “I know him. He’s from my village.”
“Looks like we’re more than an army of two,” she says, watching him draw closer to the Bloodred Queen. “Or maybe not. Head over and help the poor guy before he shoots himself in the foot.”
“Where are you going?” I ask.
“Katt’s in control right now and I’m going to end that. Do what you can to get close the Bloodred Queen. When the opportunity strikes, you both shoot at her until she goes down. When the shooting starts, it’s going to get confusing quick.”
I nod. “Good luck,” I say.
“You too. We’re going to all need it,” Ginger says.
Slowly making my way toward Doc, I keep my eyes fixed on Katt and Jack. She’s obviously been shouting back at the Bloodred Queen, and her words spur the crowd to turn their anger toward the queen. They are hesitant, though, their concern for the gravity of King Osbourne’s situation is priority.
“Doc,” I whisper when I’m close enough.
He startles, but relief washes over his expression. “Gail, how did you get here?”
“Long story,” I say. “One that will have to wait until we kill the Bloodred Queen.”
“She can’t be killed. Not with weapons,” Doc says. “Her scales are like armor.”
Defeat sinks my heart. “Well, what do you suggest, then?” I ask.
Katt’s voice rings out over the courtyard, so sweet that it’s almost sickening. “It is clear that your adoration for Osbourne is significant. You remind me of my own people back before the Bloodred Queen called my home her own. Back before it was Everland.”
“Come with me,” Doc says, leading me by the elbow to a clearing in the crowd. He tucks his gun under his arm, reaches for his rucksack, and opens it. Carefully, he pulls out a dark container. “This liquid will dissolve her scales, making her as vulnerable as you or me. We just need to figure out how to do that, but we can’t touch it or breathe it in.”