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  Unjust

  Tamporlea Trilogy #2

  ByTiffany Lovering

  Copyright  2011 by Tiffany Lovering

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission from the author.

  This book is for my Grandma Auriol who I swear is part superhero.

  You’ve come to my rescue more than once and words can’t begin to describe how much I love you!

  Contents:1. Maer Poa Tal

  2. Lilliana’s Story

  3. The Fire

  4. Peace

  5. Selvin

  6. The Ultimate Betrayal

  7. Funeral Arrangements

  8. My First Seer

  9. Orion’s Secret

  10. Tyran’s Request

  11. A Golden Clementine

  12. Angel

  13. Love

  14. Balloons & Apples

  15. Andrea Miller

  16. A New Plan

  17. The Final Attack

  Chapter 1

  Maer Poa Tal

  Leaving my kingdom, Tamporlea, in the middle of a war was not something that I wanted to do. I had little time to make decisions and going to find my sister at my mother’s house would be too complicated to explain to anyone in the palace. I had no other option but to go myself. I was very grateful that Tyran decided to go with me because I really had no way of protecting myself if I ran into any trouble. Being the Head of the Guards in Tamporlea, and having the ability to set fire to anything he wanted, I knew that I was in safe hands.

  I had faith in my assistant, Cali, and I knew that she would be able to conceal my absence from the rest of the kingdom. I was only planning to be away for two days at the most and more than half of Tamporlea were on their own quest to find Queen Aella and kill her. Cali would not have to field too many questions from those who were left behind.

  I was still questioning myself because I had been wrong before. I had been so sure of all the security we had set up when we knew that Pyrencia was going to attack, and I had been terribly wrong about that. If it wasn’t for Tyran, I don’t know what would have happened to everyone in the kingdom. His fire was what saved Tamporlea and I shuddered to think what could have happened to us if he hadn't been there.

  As Tyran and I made our way further through the forest, and I could no longer see Tamporlea, neither of us said much to each other. I was feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders and I couldn’t stop thinking of all the wrong I had done. No matter which way you looked at things, people were dead because of my decisions. Although I had Orion and Cali backing my defense plan, what was done was ultimately my choice.

  “I know what you’re thinking about Jasmine, and you need to stop second guessing yourself,” Tyran said.

  “You make that sound so easy. I am responsible for our kingdom, and so many people have been killed. Orion…” I couldn’t go on, I was starting to get emotional and now was not the time for that. I had to be strong and when this war was finally over, I would truly allow myself to grieve.

  I thought back to when Orion had first told me about Tamporlea. I imagined this beautiful place with no worries, and everyone working together for the good of the kingdom. When I arrived, it didn’t take me long to see that things were much different from what he had described. The things Cali told me about the kingdom were hard to believe, but the longer I stayed, the more I saw they were true. Still, I felt a sense of responsibility and belonging, and I sincerely thought I could make some changes for the better whilst I was Queen. I wanted to make it like the place that Orion had described but I had to stop this war before I could accomplish anything.

  Orion had told me before he died that the only way to end this, was to kill Lilliana. I didn’t agree with him at first, but as I thought more about it, I knew it was true. Lilliana was technically the rightful Queen to Tamporlea. Although the people of Tamporlea chose me as their Queen, Lilliana’s descendants would pose a massive threat to the kingdom, especially if they were as influenced by Pyrencia as Lilliana was. There would be no real end to this conflict unless she was dead before she had children.

  I had lived my whole life thinking Lilliana had died shortly after birth; I had no idea how I was going to have her killed with a clear conscience. I tried to think of ways for her to stay in Tamporlea as a prisoner. We could keep her alive and not have to worry about her trying to take over the kingdom.

  “Tyran? What happens to the people who commit crimes in Tamporlea?”

  “I know we’ve told you about the people who have gone against the Queen; they are banished. Their memories of Tamporlea are erased, and they are sent to live in the real world. They are usually found by the police wandering around. Surely you’ve heard stories of someone with amnesia, not sure what they were doing when they were found? At least one was from Tamporlea, maybe more.”

  “What if it’s a minor crime?”

  “There’s no such thing as a minor crime. Any crime going against the Queen’s orders is a serious crime. There are rarely second chances.”

  “Like your mother?” I asked.

  “Yes. She should have been banished. I don’t really know why Queen Holly decided to allow her to stay in Tamporlea.”

  “Tamporlea doesn’t have a jail or anything?”

  “No need for one. Even if there’s a situation that is being ruled on, the parties involved are sort of on house arrest. The Enchanters set a spell so they can’t leave their home.”

  I thought about that for a while as we continued through the thick brush to a small clearing. There appeared to be a fire pit that hadn’t been used for a while. Tyran said that we should stop here and set up camp for the night. The sun was quickly setting as he put together the small tent and I made us some tomato and cheese sandwiches. When we had finally finished eating, Tyran said he would build us a fire.

  “What would you have done if I hadn’t come with you?” he asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, you didn’t even bring matches for a fire, or a tent to sleep in. What were you thinking?”

  “I was thinking that I had to get on my way and that’s about all I was thinking. How did you even know that I was going to leave Tamporlea? It looks like you’ve been packed and ready for days,” I said, as I threw a stick into the fire.

  “I didn’t know what you were going to do, but I have had this planned since we went to the Sacred Space and saw your mother in the mirror. I really think Lilliana is there.”

  “So you were going to go on your own and take her?”

  “Yes. Honestly, I don’t think it’s such a great idea that you came with me. I think you should be back in Tamporlea. You never know what is going to happen.”

  “I know,” I said feeling even guiltier. “I just thought it would be too confusing to explain to anyone. It would be easier if I just went myself. Besides, I think that Lilliana will go a little easier if I am there.”

  “Why would that make a difference?”

  “I’m her twin. She has to be curious about me, right?”

  “Jasmine, I hope you don’t have some glorified family reunion plan in your head. You have to remember that Lilliana was raised her entire life in Pyrencia. There’s a good chance that she was told lies about you.”

  “She said she didn’t even know about me until that day she came to Tamporlea,” I reminded him.

  “You believe her?”

  “I think I do.”

  Suddenl
y, I felt the vibrations from the pager in my jeans pocket. I took it out and patiently waited for the automated voice.

  “What is that thing?” Tyran asked.

  “This is how the kingdoms pass information to each other. It’s operated by the computer in the Queen’s quarters.” I probably shouldn’t have told him that, but I trusted Tyran.

  “King Zane of Jarnay has officially declared that the kingdom of Jarnay has not survived. It shames me to report that the people of Jarnay are currently preparing to leave the kingdom to seek life elsewhere. As of Midnight on August 5th 2011 kingdom of Jarnay will cease to exist and King Zane will be absolved of any kingdom responsibilities and Gypsy affiliations.”

  “Oh, my God,” I said to Tyran. “What are all the people there going to do?”

  “Doesn’t sound like there are too many people left, Jasmine. They had less than two hundred people living there to begin with.”

  The pager began vibrating again. “Great, now what?” We waited before the automated voice began again.

  “Queen Jasmine of Tamporlea will officially take possession of all land and structures of the land formerly known as Jarnay, beginning one second after midnight on August 5th 2011. It is further recommended that those left in the land of Jarnay come, without resistance, to the kingdom of Tamporlea if they wish to become a part of our kingdom.”

  “What the hell is she doing?” Tyran asked.

  “She is being me, and she is doing exactly what I would do.”

  “She’s compromising our security. Don’t you think Queen Aella could throw a mole in with the crowd? And how did she come back with claiming the territory so fast?”

  “Tyran, Cali has read every single book within our kingdom and knows every law by heart. While Queen Aella is probably trying to look up what has to be done to claim the land, Cali jumped in and grabbed it. And as for the Queen throwing in a mole, we have Selvin so we’ll be okay.”

  “Selvin? The Other?”

  “Yes, the man who can tell true intentions of people. I learned about him when I had all those meeting before I was crowned.”

  He thought about that for a minute and said, “You know, as much as I really hate to admit it, I think Cali does make a good assistant for you.”

  “That’s why I chose her,” I said confidently.

  “You don’t at all wish that you chose me?”

  “Tyran, you’re not being my assistant hasn’t stopped you from protecting me.”

  “I know but ...” he stopped himself from saying what was on his mind.

  “What is it?”

  “You know, there used to be rumors of Queen Holly and Orion being more than just friends,” he said quietly.

  “Cali told me that too, but I couldn’t do that. That would be deceiving my entire kingdom. It would be wrong.”

  “Jasmine, even though you’re only seventeen, you sure are wise beyond your years. However, you can’t be so naïve as to think that you won’t be keeping information from the people in the kingdom”

  “I know I will be, but I don’t plan on using that to my advantage Tyran. I’m not a selfish person and I’m not going to take people’s trust for granted.”

  “You know, it usually takes over a year for the Queen to really take control, but you’ve jumped right in and done it honorably.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “I didn’t have much of a choice though did I? I didn’t have Queen Holly to guide me at all and Orion isn’t even here now. I would have loved to have had time to acclimate myself, but it just didn’t work out that way.”

  “Have you thought about what you want to change?”

  “Of course, I’ve been thinking about that since my second day in Tamporlea. It became quite clear that Orion didn’t give me the full truth about the kingdom.”

  “Can I give you a bit of advice?”

  “Yeah, as long as you know that I might not take your advice,” I said.

  He ignored my comment and said, “Jasmine, the people of Tamporlea don’t know any other way of living. Try not to bring on too many changes too soon.”

  “I know. I’ve thought about that too. I think I will start off pretty small but significant.”

  “Like what?”

  “Well, the nightly dinners. I think it might be a bit of overkill, and I think it’s taking away precious time with family.”

  “We’re all family in Tamporlea,” Tyran said simply.

  “Yes, but wouldn’t you have liked more time with your mother while growing up?”

  “I actually got more time than most with my mother. She works in the daycare while the other parents are out working the fields.”

  “Well, you were lucky then. There are others who aren’t so lucky and only really get to spend real quality time with their families on Sunday. Either way, I’m not just going to change things and not care what the people have to say. For the most part, I plan on leaving it up to a vote when it concerns the kingdom as a whole.”

  “The Commoners aren’t going to like that at all.”

  “Why wouldn’t they?”

  “They’re going to feel like what they want doesn’t matter.”

  “Why?”

  “You aren’t thinking of having them vote are you?”

  “Of course I am! It’s their kingdom too! They make up half the population there and it’s about time their concerns are looked at seriously.”

  “Jasmine! They know nothing of magic and they don’t know what’s best for the kingdom in that aspect. They could ruin everything.”

  “Well I suppose I should get right in line with them then! I don’t know magic either, or have you forgotten?”

  “Oh…so you still haven’t…”

  “No, I don’t have any magic. Obviously, I’m not going to and you know what? I’m okay with that. Orion was okay with that and so were all of the Heads when they voted me Queen!” I hoped saying it out loud would make it true, but if I was being honest with myself, I wasn’t okay with being the reason that any future Queen wouldn’t have magic.

  Tyran must have known how angry I was because he stopped talking about it. Tyran went off to gather enough wood to last us the night. I stubbornly sat where I was, not even offering to help look for wood.

  I don’t know what made me think of it, but I remembered that I had the book that Orion told me about in my bag. He said it was for Tyran and I thought about giving it to him. However, I wondered if I should look through it first. There might be something of importance to the kingdom in there. So I pulled out the book from my bag with every intention of reading it. Inside was an inscription to Tyran, which read:

  Tyran, don’t ever doubt how much you were cared for, I did the best I could for you and I hope you aren’t left disappointed.

  I flipped through quickly, not reading anything particular, and realized that the book was Orion’s personal journal. Obviously, this really wasn’t meant for my eyes, even as the Queen, so I closed the book and put it back in my bag. Whatever was in the journal, I didn’t want it interfering with our mission to take Lilliana. I decided it would be best if I waited until after we made it safely back to the palace before I gave it to him. I wondered why Orion would choose to give Tyran his journal. One thing I knew about Orion was that before he was chosen as Queen Holly’s assistant, he was the Head Guard for Tamporlea. I thought that maybe the book contained some trade secrets for Guards that I wouldn’t need to know.

  When Tyran returned, he added more wood to the fire and made us some coffee that tasted good despite the fact that we had to drink it black. There was a tangible awkwardness between us as we sat in front of the fire, which made me think that maybe this trip would have been easier if I had gone alone.

  “Jasmine,” Tyran finally said after what felt like hours of silence. “I know you’re mad, but we really need to talk about tomorrow.”

  “Okay.”

  “What’s the plan? Do you even have a plan?”

  “No, I don’t have a plan. Not really an
yway.”

  “Were you seriously thinking that you would just show up and Lilliana would just come with you willingly?”

  “I don’t know!”

  He mumbled something I couldn’t hear then said, “Alright, well let’s think of something then.”

  Apparently, Tyran had his own plan formulated while we were still in Tamporlea. He had rope with which to tie Lilliana up and a detailed plan to get her out of my mother’s house. We would have to make sure that we were there before my mother left for work. That way we could see her leave and know for sure that it was only Lilliana in the house.

  I was nervous about being in my house again, and wondered how I would feel seeing Lilliana sleeping in my bed, wearing my clothes and being me. Even worse, I thought about my mother who would come home to an empty house. I was sure she would panic, maybe even call 911 if I was not there when she came back.

  Tyran must have seen the terror on my face because he asked what I was thinking.

  “What about my mom?” I choked out.

  “Well, now that we know that it was a mixture of Lilliana’s presence and your mother’s denial that kept the spell from fully taking over, I am sure that it will be how it is meant to be. Your mother will think that you have moved out and she will be left with only memories.”

  “I think you are underestimating the bond we shared,” I said defiantly. I knew that there was no way that my mother would just accept the fact that I left her.

  “That’s not it at all,” Tyran said trying to comfort me. “I just know how powerful Orion’s powers were. Plus, isn’t that the scenario we want? We don’t want her to panic when she gets home from work and Lilliana isn’t there.” Tyran was right; I should hope that the spell would take its full effect when she came home. Still, part of me hoped we would defy the odds and prove that our relationship was special somehow.

  “Don’t be disappointed if you can’t prove that,” Tyran said.

  “What? How did you know what I was thinking? That’s like the third time you’ve responded to my thoughts. ”