Inspired by my amazing reviewers, I worked extra to get this one out today!
CHAPTER 9
Jeb and Azkadellia entered the Great Hall and saw DG and Wyatt walking in from across the room, carrying a very large mirror.
Jeb trotted over. "DG, I can take that –"
"Why do people think I am incapable of performing basic tasks?" She exploded. "I had to fight off two other staff members convinced I couldn't carry this!"
Jeb backed up, hands in front of him. "No offense intended."
Wyatt shrugged. "Okay kid, where are we putting this?"
"Up in the middle of the dais."
After they'd set it in place, DG skipped over to her sister.
"I can't believe I didn't think of this earlier. It's been staring me in the face the whole time!"
Az had been wearing her 'patient' face. "Great. What's the plan?"
The youngest princess took her hand and led her around behind the dais towards the small preparation room behind.
"It's simple, really. We just need you, a big mirror, everyone from outside, and…" She opened the prep room door to reveal Raw standing there, head down, eyes looking up. "Him."
Jeb didn't get it, but Azkadellia seemed to.
"You want him to project my memories using the mirror."
"Not all of them, of course, just the ones we need to show them what really happened."
Az thought for a moment, then looked over at the viewer.
"Raw will not look at other memories." He stated. "Only those Azkadellia offers."
She nodded. "I trust you, Mr. Raw." Taking a deep breath, she turned to DG. "I'll do it."
Less than a half hour later, nearly 90 people were seated in the Great Hall. Those protesters that had been armed had their weapons confiscated and were brought in handcuffed. The palace stable worker that had aided the assassins by getting them over the wall was brought in, as well. Several other members of the palace staff had wandered in and stood along the sides.
DG and Raw stepped out to the front, leaving Jeb with a trembling Azkadellia in the prep room.
"I don't know if I can do this." She confided, shifting her weight between her water-logged shoes.
"You were considering the Eastern Tower. I like this solution better."
"It might be harder, though."
DG began to address the crowd.
"You have all been brought here at my request. I understand that you feel wronged. You feel justice has not been served. I ask only for your quiet patience and a few minutes to convince you otherwise." She paused a moment. Taking the silence as an agreement, she turned to Raw. "This is the viewer Raw. As most of you know, viewers are incapable of tampering with or manufacturing memories; they can only read what is there. They can also detect when memories have been magically concealed or altered. Mr. Raw has offered, of his own free will, to read some of Azkadellia's memories and project them for everyone to see. Hopefully seeing what happened firsthand will settle some of the rumors that have been spreading."
"She may have royal leadership potential after all." Jeb commented quietly.
Az laughed nervously. "Mother won't believe it."
DG turned and nodded at them. He held out his arm and Azkadellia took it, holding on tightly.
He had worried about boos or jeers as they entered, but the room was eerily silent. Two chairs were set up on the dais. Raw stood in front of the one beside the mirror.
"I'll only be a few steps away." He whispered as he let her hand go and stepped away.
Her wet hair and dress gave the older princess a bedraggled look, but she seemed to muster all the grace she possessed as she nodded once to Raw, then sat carefully. The viewer sat as well and extended a furry hand. She took a deep breath, and Jeb didn't miss the shaking in her hand as she placed it in Raw's.
Their eyes slid closed and Raw brought his other hand up to touch the mirror. The reflective surface immediately illuminated with a jumble of scenes from her childhood: lessons with her tutor, skipping stones on a lake, and settling on a day in the woods with a young DG following a voice that Azkadellia couldn't hear. When the girls came upon a cave, Jeb's eyes widened as he realized what he was about to witness.
Poor young Az was protesting, but DG continued inside. He couldn't believe the unfairness of it all as he watched the cave wall blow out, the disgusting old witch, Az begging DG to hold on. Her awful screams as the witch took her made him feel sick.
Raw skipped ahead and young Azkadellia was walking through a series of hallways, having an argument inside her head. The voices were distinctly different. The witch's low rasps contrasted with Az's sweet voice.
"Only one can take the throne." The witch insisted. "Shouldn't it be you?"
"That doesn't mean we have to hurt DG."
"But they'll choose her instead of you. You've seen how they look at you lately. They've turned against you. All of them."
"I won't hurt DG."
"But she abandoned you. Ran away when you needed her most."
"I know, but I still don't want to kill her."
The witch turned nasty. "I've waited hundreds of years, and neither you or that annoying brat of a sister are going to stop me!"
She had reached a door and opened it. DG was sleeping on a bed in the middle of the room. She approached her. The witch spoke, using Az's voice, and repeated the old adage before starting her life-sucking thing.
Raw quickly moved ahead to the night of the eclipse. Grown DG stood in front of Azkadellia, pleading with her to take her hand, promising to not let go.
"She means it." Az's voice said in wonder.
"No she doesn't." Growled the witch. "She'll just run away again. I'm the only one that's stood by you."
"No, she really means it."
"Don't you dare. Put that hand down!"
As she took DG's hand, their magic light glowed, and a struggle began inside Azkadellia. The witch was screaming in pain and fighting to stay in the body.
"No! This is my crowning achievement! You can't -"
"Get out!" Az cried. With a final push, she stepped out of the machine's beam next to DG. She turned to see the old hag furious, but held tight to her sister's hand.
Finally, the witch exploded in a mess of black goo.
"She melted." DG observed.
The memory disappeared as Raw broke his connection. Jeb was trying to process what he'd seen. He'd definitely been through a lot of shit, but she'd lived out a horrific, annuals-long nightmare and still came out a sweet, caring person.
Az opened her eyes and looked over the crowd. No one moved. After a moment of silence, she stood and ran for the door. Jeb was on her heels in an instant.
She burst out into the hall. The door shut behind him and he called after her. She turned and threw herself into his arms, shaking.
"Jeb, what did I do?" Her words were slightly muffled into his shirt. "What if that wasn't enough? What if they still don't believe it?"
He pushed her shoulders back so she could look at him and ran his fingers through her damp hair, pulling it away from her face.
"You are so brave."
"I don't feel brave."
Shaking his head in disbelief, he said, "You just publicly relived some of your worst memories. That's brave."
--
She closed her eyes and opened her mouth to disagree but was stopped by the unfamiliar sensation of his lips on hers. Her eyes flew open in surprise, but she quickly settled into the warm feeling that was spreading through her. Jeb was everything good and right and noble. Always grounded. And damn, he was a good kisser.
Afraid she might start crying again, she buried her face in his shoulder and enjoyed the feeling of safety she'd come to associate with him.
"Someone's coming." He whispered in her ear after a moment. She nodded and stepped back as DG opened the door.
"Az, you should come back in here." Her blue eyes were wide with shock. "You'll never believe this."
Azkadellia glanced at Jeb, who gave a single nod, before reluctantly following her sister back into the Hall. Most of the crowd had dispersed, but a few vegetable-throwers and all fourteen remaining men in black lingered. They had shed their cloaks and stood in front of the dais without handcuffs. She was a bit afraid, but the captain of the guard wouldn't free these people unless he was certain they were no threat. DG led her before the small crowd.
One of the fourteen stepped forward and bowed. "Your Highness." He straightened, but kept his head down. "My name is Burns. And I humbly beg your forgiveness. I was misguided. If you will accept me, I would like to pledge my allegiance to the crown and join the Royal Guard."
Another stepped forward. "As would I."
"And I."
"And I."
All twenty people stood here, asking her forgiveness. If there was something she had been expecting, it wasn't this.
DG leaned over. "Raw did a lie-detection on them all. They're honest."
When she was able to speak, Azkadellia responded. "I will gladly forgive you, if you first forgive me."
"For what, Princess?" Burns inquired.
She took a deep breath. This is what she needed from her people most of all. "I gave up. I stopped fighting her. I never should have stopped fighting. I let you down. Can you forgive me?" Her eyes were wet, but she refuse to let them spill.
Burns gave a half-smile. "Of course, Princess."
"Yes, Princess." Was echoed by the others.
Az felt so freed, she thought she might fly.
"Then I most happily welcome you into the service of my mother, the queen."
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