Lucky Charm (Reverse Fairytales Book 2)(26)

I tried to make a joke, but no one laughed.

“But not all of your staff were seen running away on a horse with you from the Thalian royal palace,” she pointed out.

“Cynder saw that I was in danger. He did the only thing he could and rescued me. I was being shot at by a member of a group known as the Magi Death Squad. It seems that they don’t like me much because of my involvement with Magi rights.”

“It’s been said that Cynder is a Mage also. Is there any truth in that?”

I sighed. Why was it a big issue? Why did it matter? It was then I realized that it wasn’t the fact that I was having an affair that bothered people, but the fact I might be having an affair with a person of magic.

“Cynder is a Mage, yes.”

I could almost hear the collective breathing in of shock from the gathered reporters. I guess not many of them knew. I watched as they scribbled furiously in their notepads. From outside the gates, I could hear the jeers even more loudly. I wouldn’t have been surprised if most of them were the same people who demonstrated outside the palace daily. Hopefully, my outing their disgusting group on national TV would give them something to think about.

“A reliable source has been quoted as saying that you and Cynder started up an affair while he was working here in the palace, and that you only agreed to marry Prince Luca to get access to his parents’ castle when you knew Cynder was working there.”

“I’ve already stated that I didn’t know Cynder was working at the Thalian royal castle, so that is preposterous. I went with Prince Luca to spend some time with his family and to meet his brother, the Crown Prince Tomas and the lovely Princess Seraphia, who is also a Mage.”

The last part was completely irrelevant, but I felt the need to get it in there.

“May I ask you a question?” I said to the interviewer. I wished I’d gotten her name before coming on stage.

“Go ahead.”

“Who is this reliable source?”

“Excuse me?”

“The source you spoke of. Someone broke this story, and it seems he broke it to every paper and news station in the land.” I hesitated for a second, wondering if what I was about to say was wise. I decided I didn’t care anymore. “Was it a Mr. Frederick Pittser, by any chance?” Of course, I already knew it was, but I wanted her to confirm it.

She looked nervous as if she didn’t know how to respond. “Actually, it was,” she admitted.

I already knew it was. I’d seen his smarmy face and his name in most of the papers. He was making sure I knew who had tried to bring me down. Well, let him try.

“You all know Frederick Pittser as a long time member of the Silverwood Press. He even interviewed me here in the palace last week after my coronation. What you don’t know is that he assaulted me in my own palace. Then he followed Prince Luca and I to Thalia where he was once again, put in front of me to interview me and dispense his own Anti-Mage views. Now I’m not saying he had anything to do with the shooting, but it’s a coincidence that less than a week after being threatened by him, I was being shot at.”

“Did he threaten to shoot you?” asked the woman, aghast at my claim.

“No. He threatened to tell the world I was having an affair if I didn’t cave in to his demands. He wanted me to block the Magi from coming back to Silverwood. Well, as you can see, he kept to his word which means that I didn’t back down because it just isn’t true about Cynder and I. I have no intention of closing the borders with Thalia or any of the other kingdoms that border ours. They were closed last year because of my father, and in my lifetime, I’ll see that they aren’t closed again. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. The Magi, as with anyone else, will always be welcomed with open arms to Silverwood.”

“Wow, that’s quite a statement. It could be said that Frederick Pittser’s plan backfired then.”

“I won’t be blackmailed into doing the wrong thing.”

“Especially, now that the Magi are flooding back into Silverwood. You must be happy about that, at least?”

“What?” I’d not heard anything about the Magi returning.

“Yes. They have been pouring back through the borders since the story broke this morning. Haven’t you heard? It’s been on the news all day.”

I’d read all the papers to get the gist of what was being said about me, but I’d not thought to turn the TV on.

“I’ve not heard anything about it. That’s wonderful.”

“The gambling houses that were taking bets on who you’d pick to marry last year have all reopened.”

“What do you mean?”

“They think you are going to marry Cynder. They are here because they think there is finally going to be a Mage Prince.”





The Magi Return


After the interview, I’d hoped to go straight to the TV to see if what she said was true, but I was apprehended by Monty Grenfall before I even got to the palace.

“You can’t accuse an innocent man of shooting you on live TV!” he hissed.

“If you have something to say to me, I suggest you do it inside,” I said. There were still a lot of reporters around, and the last thing I wanted was them overhearing.

A couple of guards walked over when they saw how close the chief was getting to me, but I shook my head. They backed off as I led him to the sitting room where we conducted most of our interactions with the media, or had done before my life had turned into the plot of a soap opera, and we had to hold them outside to fit everyone in.