Read Online Queen of Hearts (The Risen King) by Samantha Warren - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Samantha Warren
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girl. “I am. And I'm just so concerned about Arthur and his knights. I really wish to know what's going on. Help me, please?” She put her hand on the girl's bare arm and let her smile grow as the tips of her fingers buzzed with magic.
The young faery's lip quivered for a moment, but then her eyes glazed over and she got a droopy grin on her face. “Okay, yes. I will help you. We can go up to the roof. That is the best place to view a battle around the castle.”
The faery led her out the door to the main landing. She pulled back a curtain to reveal a thin, winding set of stairs that led up. She turned to Guinevere with a triumphant smile.
“Excellent,” Guin praised the girl. “By the way, what's your name, child?”
“ Lilia, my lady. I am Lady Aiofe's handmaiden.”
“ Oh, really? That's very useful information. Useful indeed.” She reached up and brushed a lock of hair from Lilia's face. “Lilia, my dear, why don't you go in and have a rest. When you wake up, all of this will be but a strange dream that you can't quite remember.” She smiled and tapped the girl on the forehead.
Lilia blinked at her with confusion for a second until she turned away from Guinevere and walked in a daze toward her room. She crawled onto the bed and was asleep in no time at all.
Guinevere watched her for a moment. “Aiofe... red-headed witch.” She snarled and almost allowed herself to be distracted by thoughts of the half-faery until a shout from outside brought her back to herself. She turned and ran up the stairs.
Lilia was right. The roof was the perfect spot to view all four sides of the castle. The field around the walls was swarming with creatures great and small, all under the command of Leanansidhe. Guinevere couldn't hide her smile.
“Mother, you've done it again,” she whispered to herself as she walked along the parapet. But she realized no battle was taking place. All the knights were still inside the gates. And those expected reinforcements had not arrived. She prepared to call her mother, to warn her off, but even as she raised up knife, a black cloud appeared on the horizon. It quickly turned into a slew of dragons. She raced to the other side of the castle. The sounds of battle sang up to her from far below as she peered out over the walls. She ran back to north side once more, getting there just as the gates opened. A small twinge of fear, or maybe it was jealousy, niggled at her heartstrings as she saw Arthur plunge through the gates with Aiofe at his side, but they were soon lost in the swarm of creatures and there was nothing she could do.
Turning from the wall, she knelt down next to an empty planter and allowed some drops of blood to dribble inside. She called up her mother.
“Well?” Leanansidhe stood with her hands on her hips, looking at her daughter with expectation.
“ It has begun.”
A wicked grin broke over the woman's face. “Excellent. Get back to your room. We don't want them to be suspicious. I need you there awhile longer.”
Guinevere bowed her head. “Yes, mother.”
Leanansidhe eyed her for a moment more, but instead of saying anything, she just shook her head and disappeared.
Guin stared at the place where the powerful faery had been as she listened to the battle around her. She was safe in the castle, she had no doubt about that. But outside the walls was a war zone, literally. The battle had begun, and she was in the middle of it. And so were a dozen men she had at least pretended to care about for most of her human life. A tiny thread of guilt began to worm its way into her brain. It poked at her and tried to make her feel it.
With a snort, she brushed it away and trotted back down the stairs. With great care, she sneaked back to her room and pulled the guards back out the door. She lay them against the walls and tapped their heads again. Just as they started to rouse, she ducked back inside and shut the door behind her.
“What happened?” one of the guards
The young faery's lip quivered for a moment, but then her eyes glazed over and she got a droopy grin on her face. “Okay, yes. I will help you. We can go up to the roof. That is the best place to view a battle around the castle.”
The faery led her out the door to the main landing. She pulled back a curtain to reveal a thin, winding set of stairs that led up. She turned to Guinevere with a triumphant smile.
“Excellent,” Guin praised the girl. “By the way, what's your name, child?”
“ Lilia, my lady. I am Lady Aiofe's handmaiden.”
“ Oh, really? That's very useful information. Useful indeed.” She reached up and brushed a lock of hair from Lilia's face. “Lilia, my dear, why don't you go in and have a rest. When you wake up, all of this will be but a strange dream that you can't quite remember.” She smiled and tapped the girl on the forehead.
Lilia blinked at her with confusion for a second until she turned away from Guinevere and walked in a daze toward her room. She crawled onto the bed and was asleep in no time at all.
Guinevere watched her for a moment. “Aiofe... red-headed witch.” She snarled and almost allowed herself to be distracted by thoughts of the half-faery until a shout from outside brought her back to herself. She turned and ran up the stairs.
Lilia was right. The roof was the perfect spot to view all four sides of the castle. The field around the walls was swarming with creatures great and small, all under the command of Leanansidhe. Guinevere couldn't hide her smile.
“Mother, you've done it again,” she whispered to herself as she walked along the parapet. But she realized no battle was taking place. All the knights were still inside the gates. And those expected reinforcements had not arrived. She prepared to call her mother, to warn her off, but even as she raised up knife, a black cloud appeared on the horizon. It quickly turned into a slew of dragons. She raced to the other side of the castle. The sounds of battle sang up to her from far below as she peered out over the walls. She ran back to north side once more, getting there just as the gates opened. A small twinge of fear, or maybe it was jealousy, niggled at her heartstrings as she saw Arthur plunge through the gates with Aiofe at his side, but they were soon lost in the swarm of creatures and there was nothing she could do.
Turning from the wall, she knelt down next to an empty planter and allowed some drops of blood to dribble inside. She called up her mother.
“Well?” Leanansidhe stood with her hands on her hips, looking at her daughter with expectation.
“ It has begun.”
A wicked grin broke over the woman's face. “Excellent. Get back to your room. We don't want them to be suspicious. I need you there awhile longer.”
Guinevere bowed her head. “Yes, mother.”
Leanansidhe eyed her for a moment more, but instead of saying anything, she just shook her head and disappeared.
Guin stared at the place where the powerful faery had been as she listened to the battle around her. She was safe in the castle, she had no doubt about that. But outside the walls was a war zone, literally. The battle had begun, and she was in the middle of it. And so were a dozen men she had at least pretended to care about for most of her human life. A tiny thread of guilt began to worm its way into her brain. It poked at her and tried to make her feel it.
With a snort, she brushed it away and trotted back down the stairs. With great care, she sneaked back to her room and pulled the guards back out the door. She lay them against the walls and tapped their heads again. Just as they started to rouse, she ducked back inside and shut the door behind her.
“What happened?” one of the guards