The Aldean Chronicles: Hidden

The next morning, Kat takes me on a tour of the castle. Grey, having nothing better to do, tags along, he chimes in occasionally, adding information she might have forgotten. It takes hours to see the rooms, the place is just so big and has so much history.

"These rooms are usually locked and inaccessible to visitors but I have a key," Kat says, unlocking doors. We reach a study in the north wing with a red velvet rope barricading the books and desks from guests. Kat and Grey cross over the rope and open drawers carelessly.

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" I ask warily.

"Yeah." Grey picks an old book from the shelf. "Just don't let Simon see you, he's the head of tourism at the castle and will throw a fit if he catches us. Also, don't tell Dad or aunt Freya, they'll be pissed."

I cross over the rope and look around the room. On the desk is an old journal, the open page has an entry date. 23rd February 1623. "King Roland I of Aldean. We're studying his life in class. He invented this fire move, this thing." I move my hands but don't let fire come out of them.

Kat moves over to the window and looks outside, tall trees block the view of the castle front. We go to more rooms, ballrooms, libraries, we even visit the grounds. There's an old stable filled with majestic horses, I've had enough of horses so I decline on a riding lesson from the stable manager.

We visit the modern areas of the grounds which hold various sporting facilities and courts for tennis, badminton, lacrosse and basketball. The castle also has an Olympic size indoor swimming pool. I run my fingers through the water and hear a ding.

"My mum's here," Grey says, glancing at his phone. "We should go say hi."

"Ugh, Lilian." Kat groans. "No offense Grey." He shrugs. We go back to our residence. Lillian's standing in the main living room with the other adults.

"Greyson." She hugs her son excitedly. "How have you been?” She kisses his cheek and he sighs.

"Hi, Lilian," I say to her.

"Cassandra, how are you? Kat, good to see you." She barely looks at us. "I was just talking about how I couldn't wait to get off work."

The adults look weary and have circles under their eyes. Kat and Grey notice it as well and we all demand answers.

Uncle Max clears his throat and stands up. "I think you should sit down for this." We take the long white sofa opposite him. He casts one last glance at his wife and she nods. "I have some disturbing news, but you don't need to worry about it. The royal guards have been assigned and we are all safe."

"Dad, what are you talking about," Kat asks.

"We've been tracking Rypper movement for weeks and it seems like a horde of them are heading to Dolma." He drops the bomb. "We think they're targeting the family."

Grey nods. "Okay, Ryppers are always targeting us. It's can't be serious."

Seb takes a deep breath. "Not those Ryppers."

"What other..." Grey cuts himself off. "Oh." His face is as white as a sheet.

"Is it those...things we fought?" I can barely breathe. "That's not possible, you said it yourself. Nobody's seen them in decades."

"The incendiaries are creating them again. We're not sure why." Max says. "Again, we have it under control. Every royal guard is trained on what to do if they ever encounter one."

"How could you not have told us," Kat demands finding her voice. "You can't hide things this big."

Her mother snorts. "Oh, please Katya."

"But why though, you expect us to lead this country one day but won't tell us important things. A horde of Ryppers are coming here and you're telling us now." She reasons.

"When you show that you're responsible enough to handle sensitive information, I'll start telling you." Her mother snaps. "For now, just do what you're told." She looks stressed.

Kat springs up. "Whatever, I'll just smile for the cameras and organize your stupid parties." She storms out of the room.

"She turns 18 next month, maybe we should start trusting her with more information," Max suggests.

The Queen chuckles humorlessly. "Maybe you should focus on your job. If you were any better at it, the terrorists wouldn't have been able to make these monsters. Keep them contained in Malone, one simple task. You can't even do that."

He's clearly stung by her words, he clears his throat and refuses to shake his strong demeanor. "I'm going to check on 𝙤𝙪𝙧 daughter." He stares down at her. "She deserves one parent who doesn't say such demoralizing things."

She rolls her eyes. "Yes, please go, make me the bad guy here." He walks off.

Grey and I share a knowing look that screams, yikes. My aunt brings out her tablet from the seat cushion and stares at it. She scoffs and leaves.

"I see I didn't miss much." Lilian jokes when aunt Freya is out of the room. "That was painful to watch. Anyway, who's up for a friendly game of Badminton?"

They stand up, completely unbothered by what just happened. I sit there wondering how nobody is even attempting to intervene. I bring it up and they look at me like I'm crazy.

"Why would anybody willingly put themselves in the middle of that," Grey asks. "Did we not just watch the same thing."

"But what about them?”

"They'll get over it." Seb waves his hand. "They have this fight all the time, it will pass."

"Still, I should go check on them," I say.

"I want it on record that I warned you against this. It will not end well." Grey adds.

"I'll be fine." I stand up but don't follow them, I go up to the second floor where aunt Freya's study is. I knock on her door and hear her shuffling around.

"Come in." She says in her usual stern voice. I open the door and see her seating at her desk. "Oh it's you, why are you here?”

I look around awkwardly. "I just wanted to see if you were alright." I notice her glassy eyes. I expect her to yell at me, to tell me that I should worry about myself, that I should get out and don't dare come back.

Instead, she bows her head and sobs quietly. I rush to her side, I don't know what to do so I stroke her hair creepily. It's the same shade of red as mine. I wait for her to quiet down and have a napkin ready for when she does. She raises her head and dries her nose with it.

"Cassandra, can you answer a question for me? Am I a terrible mother?" I'm even more taken back by the question. Why is she asking me this and more importantly, is it a trap? "Well, I'm not going to wait all day for an answer." She snaps. That felt better.

"No, I don't want to think that." I start. "Kat loves you, she does, so much. You can try being less hard on her."

"Why would I do that, the world is going to be so much harder. She might as well start getting used to it, grow a backbone. She has the opportunity to be the most powerful person in the world. She needs to be ready for that."

"Maybe you can support her more often, comfort her once in a while."

She scoffs. "That's her father's job, I break, he fixes back. He's the good guy, while I'm the hateful shrew. You think I don't know what you all say behind my back."

I let out a staggered cough. "We have so much respect for you, Aunt Freya. All my friends in school love you, they think you're nice and compassionate."

"But I'm not, anyone who sees who I really am hates me." She starts crying again. "Maxon can't even look at me, he hates me."

"Uncle Max loves you. He is the most straightforward person I've ever met. If he felt differently, he would have told you." I counter. "You're strong and despite what even you believe, nice, sometimes at least. You didn't know me, yet you took me in and welcomed me to the family."

She sniffs. "That's not entirely true, I just wanted to get hold of the situation before it got out of hand. I also wanted to keep you under my control."

I frown. "I swear, you make it very hard to like you," I tell her. "But still, you've helped me every step of the way. I will never admit this again, but I'm happy you found me. I'm happy this is my life, I could never have dreamed this up. Castles, magic, all of this."

"Wait till you see our houses in other states and countries, you'll love them." She can't help but add.

"It's like what you said, this life comes with its good and its bad sides. And being a Harrington is being able to face the two and accept them."

She stares intently at me. "Cassandra, this is the first time I have ever had any respect for you."

I smile tightly. "So hard, aunt Freya."

She dries her eyes with a tissue and produces a makeup box from behind her desk. "I have video meetings to arrange. If you want to stay and help, you're welcome to. Just don't make a mistake because I will not take it lightly. If you're not up to the task, leave now."

I nod. "I'm okay." She hands me a list with names in two categories.

"This side, A. Call them and let them know their presence is being requested at a meeting here tomorrow morning. As for B, tell them that a matter has risen and will be handled as soon as possible."

"Okay," I say slowly. She coaches me further on how to answer the calls and soon, I'm set up on a sofa with the list on the coffee table. I put the earpiece in and pick up the tablet ready to call the first name.

"Good evening, am I speaking to Liege Jostin, this is Cassandra. I have a message from the Queen." I say this in my clearest, most confident voice. "She has requested your presence at Tarwick castle tomorrow at 8 am, thank you so much, see you there."

Some calls are longer than others. Some of the people try to strike up conversations, I turn them down as politely as I can. I have a lot of calls to make.

"I'm done with list A, I'm ready to start with B."

"Wait, stop." She gasps. "I have a better idea, don't call. Send a text, that is far more passive-aggressive." She begins to type something on her laptop. "Yes, yes, yes. This is coming along quite nicely. Cassandra, come here."

I stare at her laptop screen. "I don't understand, it seems normal. There's nothing insulting in here."

She shakes her head. "Oh Cassandra, you have far too much to learn."

She sends the text to me and tells me forward it to the contacts on B's list.

I spend the rest of the day helping her with more work. She decided to get a headstart on all the things she's been putting off till the end of the week. I always knew she did a lot of work but this is ridiculous, how is all this a two-day workload?

I get a text from Arin later that day, he's telling me about the lunch his parents forced him to attend at a representative's country club. I laugh and begin to type a reply. I'm happy we're friends again.

"Who are you texting?” My aunt asks suspiciously.

I drop my phone. "No one, not important." And go back to my work.

She drops the papers in her hands. "Cassandra, I do what I do and say what I say to protect this family. Erica and Matthew Hames are vicious people, they'll exploit you. Harringtons are the exploiters, not the exploited."

"Thank you, Aunt Freya, but I'm fine. Arin is just a friend."

"It's better that way. A scientist, it's like he's not even trying."

I laugh. "Before all this, I wanted to be a doctor," I told her this months ago. I doubt she remembers.

"And now?"

"I don't know. One thing I'm certain about is that if I do end up living in Illyria, it'll be here. In this castle."

She goes back to her work. "You know the extension in the south wing was built by King Frederick for his Wife, Consort Esmeralda. After his death, she moved here while her stepson ruled Aldean."

"Fascinating story."

She sighs. "Cassandra you can be anything you want to here, don't limit yourself."

I hold my breath and ask a question I know I shouldn't. "Even Queen."

She stares quietly at me for a long time. She bites her lip and pushes the hair from her face. "Finish up your work, dear." And doesn't say anything again.

***

The next day, Uncle Max takes us all out for lunch. The other adults stay back to discuss the Rypper problem. Max was supposed to stay but the tension between him and aunt Freya was suffocating.

"So Cassie, tell me more about yourself. What are your interests?” Max asks.

I decide to be honest. "Reading, anything science-related."

"Science you say, that sounds interesting. What branch are you interested in, do you see yourself being in that field for the rest of your life?" I shrug. "Maybe you will be interested in joining the military's science branch after you graduate. The health branch of the government is always looking for more workers, I'm sure you'll be brilliant. Did any of those sound interesting?"

I laugh with a faltering smile. "I don't know, I wanted to be a doctor but now I'm not so sure. I still have five years to decide though."

"You actually have less than two, you pick and drop more classes in third year," Kat explains.

"Forgot about that." I sigh. "I'll figure it out."

Grey shrugs. "Worst comes to worst, you become a philanthropist and live off the royal grant," Grey emphasizes ‘philanthropists’. "That's my backup plan."

Max doesn't find that funny. "Grey, don't joke like that about your future."

"Doesn't matter anyway, my mum's going to automatically sign all of us up for political courses. History, Geography, English, more Illyrian languages. The works, it's the Harrington way."

I frown. "Seriously?"

"She signed you up for the equestrian club, what do you think?”

"Of course she will." I sigh and take a sip of my orange juice.