In Chains by C. Noble (top young adult novels .txt) 📕

he knew where he was and what he was born to do, Will found the essay much easier to write than he thought. Darcey could ace this essay too, if only he told her. But no, her life was more important than her grades. So instead of divulging to her that she was in fact a member of the Martinaque royal family and next in line to the throne, Will merely suggested she try placing herself in a princess’s shoes while he went to see his father for what he called ‘pointers’.
Down the hall, fifth door on the left, Will reminded himself. His father was still in there, reading a book. It was a short interview, mostly containing Will’s pleads to tell Darcey what she really was, and his father telling him that if he wanted her to die, that he could go right on ahead, but could not say otherwise.
Will left the office grumbling. He walked slowly back up to his room, where Darcey had fallen asleep. He smiled and picked her up gently and carried her to her room next to his, placing her snugly inside the covers and shutting off her lights. His hand brushed hers as he straightened to leave, and froze for a single instant when Darcey seemed to wake slightly and make a grabbing motion with that hand, reaching faintly toward Will. He grabbed her hand and placed it gently back on the blankets, wishing her a good night. When he finished, he too went to sleep, dreaming of his family, his nation, and of his princess.
The next morning unfolded a new scene in Will’s bedroom. Shortly after nine, Dante came bursting in and shouting, toned down only by the supposition that Darcey was still asleep and might be awoken. It proved to be a rather long argument, ending with Dante telling Will that whether he liked it or not, Darcey was his princess, and he was sure he was the most qualified to date her, most certainly more qualified than the younger son. Will was furious, at both Dante’s way of treating Darcey like a way to get rich fast, and the accusation that Darcey would never even consider Will. These both stung, and he needed to talk them out. He couldn’t go to his parents, would he be able to trust himself to talk to Darcey without spilling the entire tail?
Deciding to give it a go, Will got dressed and knocked on Darcey’s door. It opened to reveal a very studious looking girl who remotely resembled that princess Will had dreamt about. He began the long tale, realizing halfway through that there was no way to tell the rest without revealing Darcey’s unknown secret, or without deeply embarrassing himself in front of her. But he decided that it would be for the best to press on, as backing out so far into the story seemed impossible. He pressed on with what Dante had said, about him dating Darcey because he was the older son, and that she’d never even consider the younger son. Will decidedly left out the part about her being a princess.
Darcey received this better than Will had anticipated. She seemed angry at Dante too, which always made Will’s heart feel light. Darcey began stomping around her room, demanding to know just who Dante thought he was to say who she could and could not date. But when it came to the part about Will being the second son, Darcey stopped rampaging and sat down quietly next to him on her bed. She leaned against his strong chest yet again, but his arms refused to comfort her. A little alarmed, she moved her hand to lay gently on top of Will’s. He was so furious at Dante that his skin was actually hot to the touch, and made Darcey withdraw her hand with a gasp.
Will realized where she was and what she was doing, and made a gallant effort at a smile before encircling her with one strong, sinewy golden arm. Her shoulders fluttered a bit under his arm’s weight, but remained steadfast when he moved his other arm to complete the circle. Darcey turned to look up into Will’s face, which was intently looking back down into hers. She gave a slight smile and said that she preferred the second son, just this once. Will threw back his head and laughed, drawing her closer in the process.
Darcey stood, and forced Will to do the same, as she had grasped his hands and made escape impossible. She stared at him for a moment, before turning her head and pressing deep into his cotton shirt. She could feel his chin on the top of her head, and tried to move as little as possible. Will’s arms loosened and then dropped entirely. He grabbed her hands and twined his fingers with hers. They stood like that for some time, Will with the great success of proving Dante wrong, and Darcey, finally realizing that Dante was nowhere near as good as Will.
It was on this quiet scene that Mary Ann walked in, presumably chatting to herself. She stopped short, however, when she saw this. Shock spread across her features as her wide mouth formed a crooked circle. She dropped her books and papers, and just stood there, watching them. Darcey had turned and was facing Mary Ann now, keeping Will behind her, almost protectively. It was some time before Mary Ann could speak, but when she could, demanded a full explanation, which was promptly given by Darcey, with occasional assistance by Will.
“Well then, I guess that’s that. But you two have to promise me two things: first that you will refrain from most obnoxious behavior as defined by me in my presence, and second, that if something happens, we’ll always be friends.” Mary Ann stared hard at her friends, who looked at each other and smiled before turning back to her with a simultaneous and resounding yes.
The rest of the weekend did not seem quite real, somehow. Darcey had been persistently avoiding Dante, who grew angrier and angrier each time he saw Will and Darcey together. Will had been avoiding his father’s eye, which would undoubtedly disapprove of the course his youngest child chose to take.
Will was far from indifference. He was deeply hurt by his father’s inattentiveness, but felt fully justified in his choice. Darcey had been the object of his wildest imaginings for several years, and now they were true. But Will could see a problem arising. His father seemed to be expecting a summons back to Dijoubwe any day now, which meant that Will and Darcey would need to break it off. Unwilling to do this, Will confronted his father.
“Listen, I know that it wouldn’t look that good, the militia advisor’s younger son dating the princess, but I don’t care about the public. I care about Darcey, and I’m going to stay with her.” His father could not have anything say, and so left it at that.
Exuberant that his father acknowledged Will’s decision, he was quite determined to make that night the best of Darcey’s life. He planned a twilight hike through the surrounding woods to where a hidden lake resided. Only he knew of this, nobody else ventured that far into the forest. There was a beautiful surprise awaiting there, and so all Will had to do was convince Darcey to come with him, an easy task as Darcey rarely left Will’s side of her own accord.
They jumped over fallen logs and climbed overrun roots for almost two hours before coming across the silver lake. Its shimmering perfection reflected in Darcey’s emerald green eyes and bounced off her golden skin. She held her breath, and grabbed Will’s hand, pointing to the middle of the lake. There, in the center, more perfect than Will could ever have hoped for, was a pair of swans and their three babies. While the chicks swam off to play, the great white feathered birds stayed in the middle, grooming each other.
When they were finished, they gave a gentle cry and arched their necks to produce a heart. Darcey looked up at Will, and he looked back down at her, her green eyes reflecting so sharply in his stunning blue ones. With a smile, he bent forward and kissed her forehead. Darcey smiled and giggled a bit, but otherwise was silent. The swans stayed in their heart formation for quite a while before Will rose to take Darcey back. Sighing happily, Darcey followed Will back through the forest, making it safely back home shortly after midnight. Both slept happy, both were dreaming about the other, and of those swans, and the mountainside lodge.
The next morning, Darcey was awoken by the smell of fresh eggs and bacon being fried. She hastily got ready for school and gulped down her meal so she could walk to school with Will, who was waiting by the front door. They set off, hand in hand, for Mary Ann’s house, laughing all the way. On the walk to school, their hands remained linked but the laughter ceased, as Mary Ann started talking about her brilliant research essay. The morning passed by well, with only a few commentators on the new romance. The afternoon would prove differently.
Upon entering Mr. Munro’s class, Will and Darcey were sent to opposite ends of the room and were not allowed to talk or look at each other. Munro collected their essays with a satisfied look on his face as he glanced over each, before assigning the day’s work. He sent notes to Darcey, Will, and Mary Ann to meet him in his office ten minutes after the final bell rang.
When this event occurred, the three friends raced to Mr. Munro’s empty office and waited for him to arrive. Darcey and Will told Mary Ann about the swans, and about how awful Dante was to both of them. Mary Ann was shocked, and not at all offended by the fact that they would like to be together as long as time permitted it. Unfortunately, Dante himself strode confidently into Munro’s office, followed by Mr. Munro himself.
“Now, Dante and Will, I assume you know what this is about, your father being the only one here. Yes, very well then. I shall start this by saying that my name is in fact Hulio Montoyez, and I have been placed here in Canada to watch over you three grow up. Miss Price, shall we start with you?
“You see, my dear, that your parents are not your real parents. That is to say, they are not your genetic parents. Your real parents reside in the royal court of Dijoubwe as advisors to the King in matters such of economy. You are, in fact, Countess Mary Ann Maria Terisa Palma. Both Master Fosters, or Dosciers, as they should be called, are the sons of the Doscier family of Martinaque, advisors to the King in matters of military and war.
“This leaves you, Miss Carter. Again, your current family is not your real family. Your birth parents also reside in the royal court of Dijoubwe, though in a different light. You are, in fact, sole heir to the throne of Dijoubwe, Princess Darcey Thessilia Love Martinaque. I know that this may come as a rather large surprise, and I would not have told you at all had I not received word from His Majesty – your father, Princess – that your return home would be expected soon. I hope that you understand how this was possible…” Half of the audience agreed, the other half stared on in confusion. “Ah…well, then, I suppose that I should further explain, if you do not understand fully.
“My Princess, Mistress Palma, you should know how all this came to be. Fifteen years ago, when you were only babies, a vicious general from Obweji, our closest neighbor