Chapter Four

Chapter Four

 

 

M

alinna crept carefully along the quiet corridor and stopped suddenly.  The rustling was long gone, she hadn’t heard it in about five minutes, but now she heard stifled sobs.  Malinna didn’t want to disturb the figure, so she slowly backed up.  When she turned around, there was a man cloaked in black standing there.  She started to scream, but the man grabbed her arm, pulled her close to him and covered her mouth. 

He dragged her back to her bed room, and pulled back the hood of his cloak.  His eyes were silver-blue and his lips were slightly chapped.  She looked at him, trying to figure out if he was a friend, or a foe. 

Then he spoke softly, “I apologize profusely for startling you, Your Majesty.  I thought your father would have told you that I was coming.”

“Who are you?  Why are you sneaking around the castle?  Why did you grab me?” Malinna demanded, suspicious. 

“I am Jake, Royal Advisor to Prince Daemon of Pacifica.  That isn’t my only title, but it’s the one that you need to know.  Her Highness Queen Lira wanted me to come and escort you to her castle for your help and magic lessons.  She wanted me to tell you that we have to leave tonight.  There is a problem that must be taken care of and she wishes you to be present,” he said with his head bowed. 

“So if I am to believe you, which at the moment I do not, then why did Lira send her son’s royal advisor to fetch me?”  Malinna queried. 

“I was the only person she trusted with the task, and I am the only sorcerer in the castle,” he stated. 

“Can you prove that you are who you say you are?”

Jake pulled a scroll out of the inner pocket of his cloak and handed it to Malinna with little flourish.  Malinna looked at it suspiciously before she took it and read:

 

Malinna,

I am sorry for the abruptness of this, but you need to come tonight if you plan to come at all.  If this is an inconvenience, I sincerely apologize to you.  I will have the rest of your luggage delivered immediately so you only need to bring one trunk with you.  Carmenta anxiously waits for you to arrive. 

Sincerely,                      

Lira                      

 

Malinna read it twice and said to Jake, “This is stamped for twenty minutes ago.  How did you get here so fast?  Lira’s castle is at least three days ride from here.”

“I used apparition, Princess.  I am also an alumna to Carmenta.  I have almost completed my studies,” he replied. 

“Okay, I believe.  I’ll wake Chrisha and pack my trunk.  We will be ready to leave in about half an hour,” Malinna promised. 

“Princess?” Jake said, hesitantly.

“Please call me Malinna,” she requested. 

“Malinna, I have enough power to transport three people and a wardrobe, if you would prefer that,” Jake offered. 

“Oh, that would be so much easier.  I could put everything I need in the drawers.  Would you please go find my father and tell him that I would like to speak with him immediately?  He should be in his rooms by now,” Malinna said. 

“As you wish,” Jake replied. 

Jake left and shut the door quietly behind him.  Once the door was shut, Malinna went out to the balcony to wake Chrisha.  Before she could, she noticed that the fairy had returned.  Malinna knelt in front of the ledge where the fairy was sitting. 

“Do you have something to tell me?” Malinna whispered. 

The fairy nodded. 

“What is it?” Malinna asked quietly. 

The fairy pointed to her throat and shrugged. 

“Oh, I totally forgot!  Message please,” Malinna commanded softly. 

“Queen Lira said for me to tell you that if you were to use the wardrobe she gave you, that you should be able to pack most, if not all, of your belongings.  It is bewitched to hold everything that the owner wants it to.  She also said that she will write a message to Duke Friedrich to tell him that your visit will be delayed,” the fairy chirped, “And also, I am now yours.  Queen Lira has gifted me to you and she will put my house in your new room, until then, I will ride in the wardrobe.”

“That’s great,” Malinna admitted, “What is your name?  I can’t call you fairy, that would be rude.”

“My name is Sonya, Your Majesty,” the fairy said. 

“Call me Malinna.  Titles are for fancy occasions and for putting other’s egos in check,” Malinna replied. 

Sonya bowed her head and flew up to ride on Malinna’s shoulder.  Malinna turned and gently shook Chrisha awake.  She told Chrisha everything that had happened while she had been asleep.  Chrisha got up and folded the quilt as she walked inside with Malinna.  She set the quilt on the bed and turned. 

“Malinna, what would you like me to do first?” Chrisha asked. 

“I want you to put as many of my dresses as you can into the tiger-striped wardrobe.  I’ve get the accessory table.  If you need any help, just let me know, okay?” Malinna said. 

“Okay,” Chrisha replied. 

Both of the girls went into the closet and turned to their separate tasks.  Malinna grabbed both of her jewelry boxes, took them to the wardrobe, and put them in the top drawer of the four.  Walking back to the table, grabbed her small box of perfumes and a couple of scarves, and then placed them in the drawer with the jewelry boxes.  Then she turned to help Chrisha. 

Chrisha had all of the new dresses packed and had moved on to gather evening gowns.  Malinna started with the day dresses and together the two of them finished putting all the clothes in the wardrobe.  Selecting a few pairs of shoes, Chrisha and Malinna decided that the rest could wait.  Malinna set Sonya down on the riding clothes that lined the shelf.  Together she and Chrisha put the trunk of quilts in the bottom of the wardrobe, leaving room for the one last thing that Malinna planned to get.  With everything packed that she was taking with her right now, she closed and locked the wardrobe. 

Malinna and Chrisha put her remaining belongings in the other wardrobes and locked them.  The king and Jake entered shortly after they had finished. 

“Malinna, what is this about?” Cole asked worriedly. 

Malinna handed him Lira’s letter and said, “Chrisha, would you please go fetch my two cloaks and then hurry and pack your things.”

“Which two, Princess,” Chrisha queried. 

“My black one and the sorceress one.”

“Isn’t the sorceress’s one the one that is black but shimmers purple and silver?” Chrisha asked.  

“Yes, it is,” Malinna replied. 

Chrisha went to the closet again, and Malinna said, “Father, I am leaving in a few moments.  You can send the rest of my belongings to Pacifica in the morning.”

Chrisha slipped quietly back into the room with the cloaks draped across her arm.  She grabbed Jake by the arm.  They left the room to pack Chrisha’s belongings and give Malinna and Cole time to say their good-byes. 

“I will have the rest packed up in the morning.  Your guards will go with your clothing and meet you there.   I will miss you my child,” Cole said. 

“I will write you every chance I get.  Good-bye, Father,” Malinna said, tears forming in her eyes. 

“Good-bye, my sweet,” Cole said, embracing his daughter. 

Malinna broke away from him before she started crying.  She straightened her shoulders and walked out of the room, leaving her childhood behind.  She nearly bumped into Chrisha and Jake.  They had brought two footmen with them. 

“Chrisha, have the footmen take the wardrobe to the throne room.  I will meet you there.  I need to get a few more things,” Malinna said. 

Chrisha curtsied, Jake bowed his head and Malinna turned and walked toward the only place she had ever been truly comfortable.  The library.  She walked down the dark halls with nothing but pure familiarity guiding her.  When she reached the library, she slipped silently through the doors.  Knowing exactly what she was after; Malinna reached into her desk and brought out different kinds of inks, paper, sand, and quills.  She put them all on the top corner of her desk and turned to the cabinet behind the desk.  She pulled a medium sized rolling suitcase.  She laid the suitcase down beside her desk and put the writing supplies in the small cushioned compartment of the case.  Then she turned to the shelves and said, “Magic, Spells, Sorcery.”  Immediately the books on those topics settled down on her desk.  Malinna carefully lifted the twelve books into the suitcase. 

Malinna took two scraps of paper out and addressed one to Brianna; 

 

I know your secret.

 

On the other one she wrote to her father.  She sprinkled it with sand, then folded it gently and slipped it up her sleeve.  Turning once more to the shelves, she whispered, “Blank Book......Journals.”  Malinna chose several of the journals to take with her and sent the rest back to the shelves.  She locked the suitcase.  Slipping the key on a plain silver chain around her neck, she grabbed the handle to the suitcase.  She picked up the Blank Book and silently crept out of the room. 

Malinna reached the throne room just as Jake, Chrisha and the footmen got there with the wardrobe.  She directed them to the center of the room.  When they had the wardrobe in place, Malinna unlocked it and placed the suitcase inside.  Sonya moved over to the side of the shelf, and Malinna put the Blank Book next to her.  Then she relocked the wardrobe and put the key on her necklace next to the smaller one.  Chrisha handed Malinna the sorceress cloak.  Malinna secured the cloak to her shoulders, and pulled the note from her sleeve.

She handed it to one of the footmen, and said, “Give this to my father the minute he wakes in the morning.” 

“Yes, Princess, of course,” he answered. 

“Thank you,” Malinna acknowledged, turning to Jake and Chrisha, “I’m ready.  Chrisha put on my other cloak.  What we are about to do will be spoken to no one, understood?”

“Yes, milady,” answered Chrisha and the footmen. 

Jake nodded.  He held out his hands to both of the girls, “Take my hands and each other’s with the wardrobe in the middle.  I travel through fire, so it may get a little warm, but it won’t burn you.  Are you ready?”

“We are.”

Jake whispered something that Malinna couldn’t quite catch.  The summer breeze shifted the air in the room, fire sprung up in a ring around the trio and then the air snapped. 

The footmen were the only ones remaining.  Hurriedly they cleaned away what little evidence there was to what had happened here tonight.  Then they went to bed.