Reign Queen

by L. Darby Gibbs

  “Yes, it was a gift from the king and a tradition for the queen to wear it.”

  “But you had it before the crowning ceremony, didn’t you?”

  “I suppose the king already knew his intentions.” Kambry walked to the doorway. Russal must wonder what was taking her.

  “And you must have already known yours to accept it,” Sarena said, her voice carrying a note Kambry had trouble pinning down.

  It made her pause at the threshold. “Of course.”

  “No one would question you being uncertain.” Sarena closed another drawer.

  “I’m not uncertain.”

  “Of course, you aren’t, Your Majesty. Forgive my impertinence. I was thinking of my circumstance.”

  Kambry didn’t want to pry into the personal life of her maid, but Sarena seemed to need something from her. “And is your circumstance good now?”

  Sarena smiled brightly. “We found a place of comfort in our relationship, Your Majesty. Some marriages take more time to grow strong even when the individuals chose each other.”

  Chapter Nine

  Lord Laurents greeted them with a delighted smile, rising from a much-upholstered chair in the drawing room of the suite he and his wife shared and giving them both a nod before taking Kambry’s hand in his. “Come, my dear.” He guided her onto their balcony. It looked out over a wide field of low pasture grass dotted about with creamy white cows with silver-capped horns. The sky was blue above the forest that surrounded it.

  Where must they be in the castle to have this view? She’d never noticed a field of any sort, though she supposed there must be some place for the horses to graze. But this field held a herd of cows. She leaned against the stone wall, resting her elbows on its flat, polished top.

  Laurents’ short cap of white hair lifted with the breeze and seemed to dance on his head. Her own ponytail of wavy locks joined in, brushing her cheeks. She captured the dancing hairs in her grip and held it down at her shoulder.

  “Is Russal being protective?” he asked, a grin splitting his face. “Joulette won’t let me out of her sight.”

  Kambry raised a brow. Lady Laurents hadn’t been in the drawing room, and she wasn’t on the balcony either.

  “I begged her to get me my favorite drink, and then you two arrived.” His struggles with the sword wielder in the maze seemed weeks in the past, going by his buoyant demeanor.

  “There you are,” Lady Laurents’ strident voice sounded behind them. “Here.” She handed him a tall glass of a ruby-colored liquid, condensation dripping down the sides.

  He took it and leaned in to kiss her cheek.

  Lady Laurents murmured something in his ear, and he gave her one nod.

  “We’ve left Russal alone,” he said. He squeezed Kambry’s shoulder and whispered, “Keep her busy for a while, hmm?” then practically skipped out of the room.

  Lady Laurents’ face lacked a reaction to her husband’s exuberance, though Kambry thought she saw her brow twitch. Whether in amusement or annoyance, Kambry couldn’t tell.

  “Russal is unhappy, and you don’t appear any better,” Lady Laurents said. With studied grace, she walked to a padded bench along the balcony wall and arranged her full skirts before sitting down. The bright sun shone on her white coiffure.

  Kambry watched her, feeling a lecture in her future.

  “Come sit, Kambry.”

  She sighed inwardly. “Have you recovered from the excitement of last evening, Lady Laurents? Lord Laurents looks unfazed.”

  “You and Russal are estranged. Why?”

  Kambry kept herself still. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Yes, you do.”

  “I’m sure it is not unusual for a new couple to be awkward together.”

  “You should cling to each other.”

  Head up, voice steady, Kambry emulated Lady Laurents. “Do you cling to Lord Laurents?”

  “I’m not the clinging sort.”

  “Neither am I.”

  Lady Laurents cold blue eyes gazed at her.

  “I don’t cling,” she repeated, and noted the slight whine in her voice. She needed to work more on this stiff pride Lady Laurents carried so well.

  Lady Laurents’ gaze remained fixed on Kambry, her expression flat.

  An uncomfortable moment filled the air between them.

  Lady Laurents assessing voice crowded her. “Is it possible you have determined too late that you have married the wrong man?”

  Kambry rose to her feet, looking out at the distant woods. “Don’t be ridiculous.” This was the second time today someone had implied there might be someone else for her. She might question who should be king, but she knew she liked Russal very much, loved him. She settled her shoulders.

  “If there could be another man for you, who would it be?”

  “Nobody.” She turned and faced the irritating woman. “There is nobody else. How could there be? I was completely alone in Paddlyrun. No one noticed me.”

  “So Russal was the first to take a long look.”

  “You make it sound as if I went with the first kind expression that shifted my way. I didn’t even like him when I met him. He terrified me, accusing me of treachery, conspiracy and lying.”

  “So what won you over if he was such a monster?”

  Pausing, Kambry found her words slowly. “He was intriguing, exasperating and humorous.”

  “Hmm.”

  “He needed me.” That didn’t explain her attraction any more than her previous statement. “I came to life around him.” She stamped her foot. “I don’t know how to explain it.”

  “Keep trying.”

  Kambry closed her eyes. Her heart thudded in her chest. “In Paddlyrun, I never talked to someone like I talked to Russal. I didn’t argue, but I did with him. I didn’t demand respect, but I did with him. He listened.”

  “Did he stop listening?”

  Her attempts to explain herself tumbled to a halt. “Last night, he ignored me and set me aside like I hadn’t been training to defend myself all this time. He acted like he saw me the way I was in Paddlyrun.”

  “And that made you angry.”

  “It hurt.”

  “So what did you do so that he understood?”

  “We talked it out.”

  “And?”

  “Covey was in our rooms while Russal spoke with the marshal.”

  “Does he see you the way Russal saw you, like you were worth paying attention to?”

  Kambry sat down. She didn’t know how to answer the question. Covey held her attention, and she wasn’t sure if that was because she didn’t trust him or because she did. Sometimes, she had to admit, he intrigued her. But when he was taking her away from the Grand Review, he had stated she wasn’t the type Russal would have a lasting interest in. Even then, Felip Covey had argued he was protecting her from Russal. Did that mean he thought her worth his effort? Not so long ago, she had been frightened of him. But she had been uncomfortable with Russal at the start, too. Last night, Felip Covey had been softer, kind and attentive. Her jaw clenched. He had pinned her down and forced her to listen to him.

  “I’m very confused, Lady Laurents.”

  “One often is when two men vie for one’s attention.” She patted Kambry’s hand. “He’s patient. He’ll wait.”

  “Will he?”

  Lady Laurents’ expression softened. “I think the real question here is which he are we talking about?”

  “Russal!”

  “There. I think you have answered your question.”

  Lady Laurents had asked all the questions. The woman was maddening. Perhaps that was where Russal got it. She hoped Lady Laurents was correct about her answer. She still felt confused. That it was Russal that pulled at her heart gave her some confidence. “How did you meet Lord Laurents?”

  “His mother invited me to dinner. She made him attend.”

  “What did you like about him?”

  “He noticed me.”

  Kambr
y grinned. “Was he intriguing, exasperating and humorous?”

  “Very.” Lady Laurents smoothed her skirt. “And we needed each other.”

  ~~~~~~~

  Discreet guards followed Kambry and Russal along the corridors to the guest suites on the other side of the castle. Russal took Kambry’s hand, and often raised it to his lips, softly kissing her fingers between remarks. Her heart raced, though her thoughts still tumbled.

  The plush carpet beneath their feet and the floral wallpaper kept their voices from carrying in the wide halls.

  Russal leaned close, though his words were far from personal. “I originally wanted your parents in chambers near the Laurentses, but with so many citizens of Paddlyrun and Konright also housed in the castle, I thought they would prefer to be close to more familiar people.”

  Kambry nodded, his attentive blue eyes raising a tingle up her spine. “I think they enjoyed the Laurentses’ company last night at the grace board dinner. The corridors are not so long if they choose to visit.”

  “I didn’t want them to feel displaced or viewed as less than others.”

  “Being in a castle alone would feel far above their station. I don’t think they would even note such a slight.”

  He pulled her fingers to his lips again. “What did you think of our sneaky Laurentses separating us so expertly?”

  Kambry tipped her head and considered if the couple had manipulated them. Lord Laurents had left her side shortly after Lady Laurents’ arrival on the balcony. What had she whispered to him? “You’ve spent time with them. Are they that devious?”

  Russal snorted. “That was nothing, hardly a challenge to them at all. I wasn’t paying attention, too busy feeling sorry for myself.” He laughed into her fingers. “You and Lord Laurents hadn’t taken two steps onto the balcony before she arrived.”

  “What did she say to you?”

  “‘Who took your favorite puppy, Russal?’ she said in that high nose-in-the-air voice of hers. And before I could deny, huff or tell her to mind her own business, she sat down and stared at me. You know the look. The one that makes you feel like anything you say is self-denial.”

  “She went the guilt route with me, pointing out how unhappy you were.”

  “You’ve nothing to feel guilty about,” he said pointedly. “Well, when I was properly subdued by that look, she said, ‘Good. You’re ready to hear sense.’ And then she left.”

  “Oh, they are devious.”

  “But they were also right, weren’t they?”

  “King Russal, you are as bad as Lady Laurents.”

  He laughed and pulled her into his arms. “Lord Laurents said I should play to my strengths.”

  “And what are those?” She raised her gaze and smiled at his laughing eyes.

  “Showing you how dear you are to me and... and how strong my faith is in you.” He glanced around and Kambry followed his gaze. The two guards in sight were staring up at the ceiling intently.

  A crooked smile formed on Russal’s face, and he drew her close to him and kissed her. The kiss was slow, questing, pausing for permission with each tentative deepening. She gripped his tunic and pulled him closer. How long were the guards willing to memorize the swirls in the plaster ceiling?

  He withdrew from the kiss, keeping his forehead pressed to hers. “Kambry, I love your spirit, your unwillingness to be a figurehead in this realm, how much you’ve fought to protect me, Amily and Kavin. Please give me time to show you I’m worth loving back.”

  “I do love you, Russal.”

  “But you are undecided on how much you can believe in me. I keep letting my desire to protect you get in the way. This flawed fellow could ruin our beautiful beginning, couldn’t he?”

  “No more than this flawed woman.”

  “You are perfection, Kambry.” His hands cupped her face. “Never think you are not the most perfect woman I’ve ever met. You’re beautiful, but that is not what drew me to you.” His eyes glistened. “You step forward always. Frightened, out-fought, imprisoned, you keep rolling forward, determining your next move. Nothing stops you. Don’t shake your head. You didn’t become this amazing woman just because you stepped onto the Kavin Cut. You’ve always been a woman in charge of her fate. I would be a true tyrant if I didn’t see that I was crushing you down.” He closed his eyes, and his lips quivered. “I hate to think what move you would have taken if I didn’t open my eyes, or have them forced open, and realize what I was doing. You’ll give me another chance? Please, Kambry.”

  But he had done it again when he grabbed at her reins and kept her from finding out who was spying on them. She pushed back the frustration that rose with recalling her determined race to the woods. Taking a page from Lady Laurents’ book, Kambry said, “Shut up, Russal, and kiss me.” A snort sounded at her back. “The guards will not find the ceiling interesting for much longer.”

  Russal dropped his lips to hover just above her own, his eyes gazing into her own. “Thank you.” Then he kissed her, and Kambry was certain the guards were having trouble ignoring them.

  Someone cleared his throat, twice. “Your Majesties, these public displays of affection, while good for morale in the castle, are holding up traffic. Servants and guests are milling about around the corner. In both directions, I might add.”

  Russal sighed and grinned at Kambry.

  She returned a bewildered smile, altering his grin to a self-satisfied smirk.

  He pretended to whisper, his voicing carrying well. “The marshal is telling us to move along as if we were a pair of teenagers loitering in the stables.”

  Kambry dropped her forehead to his chest, knowing her face was red with embarrassment.

  Burty grumped. “If you were just loitering, I’d have little issue with you.”

  “I’ll have you know we’re on our way to see the so Kon and do Runiya,” Russal said, laying his arm over Kambry’s shoulder and facing Burty.

  “But will you ever arrive, Your Highness?”

  “I believe they are just around the corner,” Russal said.

  “Indeed they are, waiting with the rest of your guests and staff.”

  Kambry drew out from under his arm and strode to the corner. She peered around the edge and then stepped back, flattening herself to the wall. “He’s not making up stories, Russal.”

  “I didn’t think he was. He never was that inventive, except at coming up with challenges for me to face on the training boards.” He joined Kambry and gave her a jolly smile. “Let’s go say hi to your parents. I’m feeling quite tickled with life right now.”

  Kambry swatted him and heard Burty say behind them, “None of us doubts that.”

  They rounded the corner, arm in arm. Kambry modulated her voice into a casual ease and said, “Mom, Dad, were you coming to see us?”

  Mom rolled her eyes, and Dad gave the two of them a bland look.

  The servants had scattered when they’d come around the corner, but visitors from Kavin Wood watched from where they stood lining the walls. What were they all waiting for, and what were they all doing in this one area? Kambry took Russal’s hand and pulled him toward her parents. He pretended to resist, waving comically at his subjects. “Would you stop!” She elbowed him and grabbed his hand again. “Let’s go inside, Mom and Dad, and visit awhile.”

  Mom gave Russal a raised brow which seemed to subdue his exuberance then nodded at Dad before heading to their chambers.

  Kambry and Russal followed them with curious gazes. Russal tried to swing their arms, but Kambry held hers stiffly by her side. He gave into her seriousness in action only, a grin still present on his face.

  The door closed behind them, and Dad stepped inside the parlor, a room done in creams and browns, with swatches of red and umber accenting pillows and drapes. Autumn seemed to define the room, though summer streamed in through the windows.

  Mom huffed and sat down on a brown- and cream-striped chair. “As much as it was disconcerting to see that display in the hallway, it was
an improvement over last night.”

  “There’s not a scratch on him, darling,” added Dad in mock disbelief.

  So everyone knew that Russal angered her last night. No wonder Burty said they had improved morale.

  Russal’s grin flattened out. He leaned in and whispered, “This won’t be worse than the Laurentses, will it? A woman’s parents have never taken me to task before, and you’re my wife.”

  “We only have to worry if Mom takes me into the kitchen.”

  Russal snorted, and Mom’s straight back softened.

  “What did you do to make my daughter unhappy?” One evening in Lady Laurents’ presence and Mom was channeling directness.

  Russal took a seat on a divan and pulled Kambry down beside him. “I assumed I could tell the queen she was to remain behind while I checked on the state of the kingdom and my guards. She did not take it well. I’ve apologized and am working my way back into her graces.”

  A tension Kambry hadn’t realized she was feeling dissolved. He hadn’t said a word about Covey. She wondered if he had told Lord Laurents. It didn’t matter, Lady Laurents would inform him. What would her parents think if they’d known he had a way of entering the royal chambers? Kambry looked at Russal. Had he already taken steps to keep Covey out of their residence in the future?

  Russal gave her a quick look. Curiosity flickered in his eyes, but he returned his attention to her parents. “We’re more interested in how you two are. You had an unsettling adventure in the maze.”

  “About that,” Mom said, giving Russal a stern glare. “Where were the guards?”

  Kambry stiffened. She’d forgotten about Gordy.

  Russal took her hand and rubbed it between his own. “Someone ambushed the guard assigned to you.”

  How could she tell Dad it was Gordy?

  “I hope the guard is recovered,” Dad said. He stepped behind Mom’s chair and lay his hands on her shoulders. “It was disconcerting to battle on our own, but now we understand why no one came to our aid until Gardener Konnelby showed up.”

  Mom patted his hand on her shoulder. “He swung that shovel like a madman. I’m amazed the fellow could stand the blow.”