Royal Games

Chapter 47

My head snaps up to see the unwelcomed sight of Marco's shocked face. His shock is quickly replaced by disgust.

"I always knew you were easy." He sneers.

"Oh, shut up Marco." I snap, scrabbling off of Isaac and onto my feet. "I can't believe I go missing, presumed dead, and that's the first thing you say to me when you see me again."

"In my defence, I knew you were alive."

"You... What?" I don't understand.

"When you sent that letter to father, he showed it to me." Marco explains. He runs an agitated hand through his hair. "You shouldn't be here, you know. Especially not if this," He gestures toward Isaac, who tenses up beside me. "Is what you're doing here."

"We weren't..." I sigh. "I came to visit father."

"That's what she..." Marco stops himself, glancing uncertainly at Isaac.

"You can speak freely around Isaac." I say. Isaac wraps a protective arm around my waist in response. Marco doesn't miss the gesture.

"She wanted you to come here." Marco blurts out. "I don't have a clue what our dear mother is planning, but I don't think she knows that anyone suspects her. I think she poisoned father to draw you back here. It's a trap, Alyssa. It's got to be."

"Since when did you care about what happens to me, if it doesn't directly affect you." I eye him suspiciously. "For all I know, you could be working with our mother."

"I swear I'm not working with her. Things changed while you were gone, Alyssa. I changed."

"Prove you're working with us and not against us." Isaac says.

"And who are you to speak to a future king like that?" Marco's voice sounds intimidating. However, I would've expected more of a condescending tone from him. Perhaps he isn't quite the same person I knew before.

"You're not king yet." I argue. "Meaning you do not outrank me. Or any consort of mine." I throw out the word 'consort' without really thinking of the personal implications. Being my consort would mean Isaac and I are in an official relationship, something we haven't technically discussed, despite the past few days. It's not a word to throw around lightly.

"Actually, I do outrank you, little sister, since you renounced your duties to the crown."

My fists clench.

"Give me one good reason not to attack you right now." I growl.

"I've been working with father and your guard Liam to try to stop our mother." Marco's matter-of-fact tone stumps me. I stare at him, his stark words playing on repeat in my mind. I've never heard him use Liam's name before. He wouldn't. Not unless he'd grown to respect Liam.

"Has Liam said anything about this to you?" Isaac asks me. I realise he's been waiting for me to say something.

"No. But he'll be here soon enough to either confirm or deny it." I know he'll confirm it. But why he wouldn't mention this sooner, I really don't know.

"I guess we all have to wait until he arrives, then. I'm Isaac, by the way." He extends a hand to Marco.

To my surprise, Marco shakes Isaac's hand. "Marco, Alyssa's older brother."

"What were you doing in my rooms, Marco?" It's a question I should've asked sooner, but I got side-tracked.

"You were always the one who liked hoarding books. I've been coming in here to see if any of your books contain anything that might reveal our mother's plans. Mother ordered your rooms to be left untouched, so I figured there might be something in here she doesn't want anyone else to see. I've had no luck so far, though."

"Untouched." I repeat, drawing the word out. There must be a reason for it.

"Give me the story then." Marco says. "How did you two get together?"

"Our university accommodation is right next door." Isaac explains. "We met on the first day and were just friends for a while. It's only really in the past few days that we've become something more."

"So you've known Alyssa most of the time she's been away from the palace?"

"Yes." Isaac reiterates. "And she never once mentioned you in all that time."

"Probably because I was a jerk. Still am, but I'm trying not to be." Marco's admission should stun me, but I'm so lost in thought that it only half registers.

"Untouched." I repeat under my breath.

"What is it?" Isaac looks at me in confusion.

"Maybe nothing. It's... I don't know. Do you remember the stories we were told as children, Marco? About the Untouched Power?"

"Yes. But how's it relevant?"

"I have the book." I drift out of Isaac's arms, heading through the doorway into the main room of my chambers. Isaac and Marco follow closely behind. "I hid it. I can't explain why, other than some kind of instinct."

I kneel by my bookcase, bending down to touch the wooden panel on the bottom. The carved wood looks purely decorative, but I find the right flower and press the top petal inwards. The panel springs forward, and I pull out the hidden drawer. I grab the book inside, replace the panel, and deposit the book on the coffee table.

"I completely forgot about it, but it's possible that our mother didn't."

"Why would this book matter so much to your mum?" Isaac asks.

"Because it's not just a story book." Marco answers for me, a hint of disbelief in his voice. "Assuming this is the original copy."

"It is." I confirm. "It contains the incantation to call upon the Untouched Power; an ancient magic that can do things normally believed impossible."

"In the story, it was used to switch a royal bloodline." Marco says. "Like, it literally switched the blood in people's bodies. One day there was one family on the throne, and the next day it was another family. But then each new day brought a new ruling line into existence. The cycle was only broken once the original royal bloodline was back on the throne."

"Most people believe it to be a myth." I add. "But I was too afraid to speak the incantation to find out. The power is considered to be Untouched because it can't be controlled once it's been activated, and I never wanted to take the risk."

"We have to take the book with us, then." Isaac insists. "If your mum really does want to use this Untouched Power..."

"We can't carry it around the palace, though." I point out. "It would be too dangerous. It has to stay here until we head back to Earth."

Marco reaches towards the book. "Maybe we could..."

"No." I slam my hand down hard on the book. "We hide the book. That's all we do with it." I pick the book up and take it back to the bookcase. Once the hidden compartment is shut, I seal it with magic. Only my own magic can remove the seal.