“I know when you’re lying. You’re lying now, like you were in the carriage.”
I looked upward. I could be so stupid. The fae could almost always tell when someone was lying. “I get pains sometimes,” I admitted, purposely omitting the darkness from death.
“Like a headache?”
I held his hand. “I’ll be okay.”
“I was going to wait to ask, but seeing as we have a spare moment while we walk… Have you heard anything from Blaise?”
His question sent a shockwave through me. “Why would I have heard anything from Blaise?”
He shrugged. “I was wondering.”
“I haven’t.”
His eyes flashed, but he didn’t say anything more. I wondered if he thought anything was still between Blaise and me. Cedric didn’t know about the kisses Blaise and I shared. More secrets I would keep to myself… ones which plagued me with guilt. Whatever was inside of me liked them. Relished in them. Every time I lied or did something bad, it felt like a small explosion in my gut, like fireworks.
“I know you mentioned before about reuniting the Objects of Kai.”
Did he know I agreed for Blaise? I had told the mer king, Aqugar, that I would help him break the curses over the Objects of Kai because one of the curses, which Blaise and the mer king shared, made it so they were unable to love or feel as much as they wanted. If they did, it would cause them physical pain. They were condemned to a life of loneliness. After I had agreed, the mer king, I assume for extra security, threatened to sink my ships if I didn’t do it within a year. I had used that last reason to explain to Cedric why I needed to do it.
He continued. “So the mer king won’t sink your ships.”
“Right.” I let out the breath I’d been holding. “Yeah, I haven’t thought about much since returning. Everything else has been so overwhelming.”
“If you need any help, let me know.”
I arched an eyebrow. “You want to help me? I thought you wouldn’t give up the location of the Amulet. You know, the one your parents are hiding?” The Amulet was the third Object of Kai, a collection of objects that could balance the power between mortals and immortals. Two of them could kill an immortal being, like a fae or mercreature.
“I could be persuaded.” His golden gaze glinted. “How many do you have?”
“Just the sword,” I admitted. “You know Blaise has the Dagger.”
He grimaced.
“The Ring of Immortalem,” I said, “is with Kiros. His father took it from me when we were captured.”
“Where is the Sword?”
“Safe,” I replied. “Oh no.” I halted in the middle of the hallway. I could see him pacing at the end, the man I’d been worried about seeing again since coming home. “Cedric, you’re about to meet the high priest of Magaelor.”
THREE
Sallow, chalky skin surrounded his deep, invasive eyes. White encircled his irises, but the flecks of silver in them shone out from the dullness, proving his position and anointment by the ancestors as high priest of Magaelor. Most always had silver in their eyes. It was one small step below king or queen. Vahaga. Regardless of my station, I kissed his ring, a sign of respect. He bowed back, and I stood.
“Your Majesty,” he stated, his tone drier than I remembered. “We are blessed on this day the ancestors guided you home and have seen your succession over Edgar’s.” He sneered. No love lost there, I imagined.
“I am, indeed, blessed.”
He moved his disapproving stare to Cedric, who brushed down the front of his gold-buttoned tunic. “Nice clothes,” he said with sarcasm lacing his tone. “Very unique.”
He shot Vahaga a wide smile, not even acknowledging the thinly veiled insult. “You too.”
I cleared my throat. “Cedric, this is the high priest,” I said, as if it would mean anything to him.
He ran his hand through his golden hair. “It’s a pleasure.” He extended his fingers for a handshake.
My eyes widened.
“Excuse him, Vahaga, he is not accustomed to our ways yet.” I looked at Cedric apologetically. “You should bow.” I should have told him our customs beforehand. This was my fault. I made a mental note to go over with Cedric any customs he should be aware of.
Vahaga’s mouth twisted in disgust as he looked at Cedric’s hand. “Yes. The uncivilized can always be taught proper etiquette, if, I assume, he is staying?”
I scowled. “He is my guest.”
He didn’t try to hide his displeasure. “I have matters to discuss with Her Majesty.” He tapped his bony fingers against his leg. The skin around his knuckles looked as if it had lost all contact with the bone beneath.
Cedric’s eyes darted between us. “I have to eat anyway.”
Vahaga looked from me then to Cedric.
“You can go.” I smiled. “Save me some cake.”
Cedric let out a short chuckle but caught himself at the end of a venomous stare from the high priest. “I’ll find you later.” He lowered his gaze, promise in his eyes.
“I believe you were looking for cake.” Vahaga spat the last word, then pointed to his right. “The great hall is that way.”
“Right.” Cedric sucked air between his teeth, whistling as he turned. “Good luck, Winter.”
Vahaga’s stare widened. Fury spilled into his sharp features.
I cleared my throat, hoping I could divert his anger back to our meeting. “Thank you for meeting with me. I would have come to you yesterday, but I was tired from the journey.”
“I expected nothing less. You women tire easily.” Understanding shrouded his expression, but I wanted to punch him. “Still, you have your duties. I’m glad to see you have recovered. Many of the decisions have already been made, so you don’t need to concern yourself with details and can focus on your coronation. I’m sure what ladies you pick will be happy to help you with the arrangements.”
I took a deep breath, reminding myself it wasn’t appropriate to dropkick the high priest of Magaelor. “No decisions can really be made without me though, can they?” Challenge flickered in my features. My fingers flexed as I held my head high. “I would love to hear what you are considering doing.”
He pressed his lips into a hard line. “King Kiros has taken the throne in Berovia.” His distaste for the kingdom did not go amiss, venom thick in his tone. “Their people have begun revolting against him, about dragons of all things. I do believe we may be at an advantage if we move now. After all, the people will be expecting vengeance for their queen being kidnapped.”
Something in his tone set me on edge. I recalled the mess with the dragons, to which I had Morgana and Licia to thank for their escape. King Xenos had had them imprisoned and was siphoning their magic so he could attack us. The firedrake wielders who ran with the dragons in the south of Berovia would have been furious when they discovered what Xenos had done. At least it would keep Kiros busy so he wouldn’t have time to think about attacking me, if it was on his mind. I had, after all, pretended to love him so I could make my escape from his castle, then broke his heart.
“So you want to attack for my dignity?”
“Retribution,” he said slickly. “For the kingdom. You are the kingdom.”
I clenched my jaw to prevent my mouth from saying words I couldn’t retract. I didn’t want to risk offending Vahaga. I knew how things worked around here. The king or queen of Magaelor needed the high priest, as well as the other priestesses and priests, to solidify their rule. They had power over the common man, and that in itself meant they had power over me. I was to say no… but tactfully.
“I respectfully disagree. Sending in our remaining men to attack him would provoke a war and drain our already-dwindling resources.”
“Your father would have done it,” he stated, as if my words meant nothing. “It’s good timing. I do understand you are young.”
“I am queen now, so it doesn’t matter what my father would have done.” I inhaled sharply and pursed my lips.
Me and my damned mouth. I reined back my honesty, wanting to grind my teeth, but instead forced a small, ingenuine smile. “All I mean, Vahaga, is you know I appreciate your counsel, but on this occasion, having been in Berovia myself, I believe it to be bad timing. Apart from the points I have already made, we would only mean to agitate Kiros into attacking us. He already holds a personal grudge against me.”
“Yes, the almost-marriage.” He strode alongside me, standing several inches taller. His brown hair was slicked back and neat, as was appropriate of a man of his standing. His cheeks had been powdered to appear paler. “Very disappointing when the news broke. Thankfully, you escaped.” Annoyance guided his tone, as if I should have somehow evaded capture altogether. “Nevertheless, your image has been repaired with the battle you won and reclaiming your throne. You are the daughter of Amos and are the legitimate heir. The people of Magaelor have mostly rejoiced.”
“Mostly?”
“Those who oppose are being dealt with.”
My eyes widened. I stopped in the middle of the corridor as we neared the small stone courtyard. “How?”
“They are simply being asked to reconsider their stance.” He watched me carefully, searching my expression.
My stomach knotted. The darkness inside me swirled, as if to warn me there was more malice than Vahaga wanted to let on.
“I won’t have people harmed under my rule,” I said, lifting my chin. “Not when so many fought valiantly.”
“So many also fought with Edgar, against you. The ancestors will not allow them into the spirit realm.” His words were sly, smooth as polished stone.
I shook my head. “If the ancestors see it fit to punish them, then who are we to take matters into our own hands?” I spoke clearly, with full intention for this matter to be set to rest immediately. “We let any opposing my rule be, unless we have no choice. I would rather bring them around than wipe them out. They are still lunas,” I said, feeling unnerved, knowing of previous assassination attempts on prior monarchs. “Is there anything else we must discuss, or can I go?”
He turned on his heel, clasping his fingers behind his back, and looked out of the arched windows at a foggy courtyard. “All other matters can be discussed at the council meeting. For now…” He paused for a second, although I was sure it was for effect. “It seems we are a standstill regarding sending forces to aid the rebels fighting against Kiros. We will have to take it to the council.”
I knew being back would be a challenge, but he was opposing me and taking it to a vote. He and my father had always been on the same side, so his opposition shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Although I found it hard to believe Vahaga would ever consider any man a friend, I do think my father came pretty close.
“Then we shall vote,” I said boldly, daring in my stance as if I had any chance of winning. I had to find a way. Because the truth was deadly. If we attacked Berovia and the truth came out, I could die. They had never kidnapped me. I’d been captured while already in Berovia, and that tidbit of information stood between my innocence and guilt. If I had been in Magaelor at the time of his death, it would change everything. They would think me a liar and wonder if I’d killed my father. We had argued, and I had escaped. Anyone who was anyone knew he and I were at odds and he had brought Edgar to the castle. It wouldn’t take a scholar to add two and two together.
If it ever got out that I killed my father, Vahaga would be the first to send me to the executioner’s block.
***
I tossed and turned, my bed feeling more like a prison than a place of rest. I knew Cedric had wanted to stay with me, to cuddle like we’d done on those cold nights in Niferum before the battle, but I couldn’t with so many watching eyes. The lords, priests, and priestesses here, especially Vahaga, would be furious if they thought me to be in anyone’s bed chambers but my own. A part of me wanted to do it, but being queen didn’t mean I could. I felt my influence dwindle in the meeting today with Vahaga, and the voice inside me that always said I’d be okay wasn’t there. In its place, a sense of doom loomed.
Tomorrow I had my first resolution in the morning, a trial where a person of minor criminal activity would be brought before the monarchy and their fate decided. It was a silly tradition, as it was not my position to hold rulings over the sentences of criminals and other grievances between lunas, but it appeased the people, the lords, and priestesses. Once a month, people were brought in. Sometimes, my father would leave the rulings to my mother when they were still together, before André’s death.
André.
My heart ached when I thought of him and how he should have been king, yet somewhere along the way, fate had decided differently. I still had to avenge him, since I knew who was responsible. Cedric’s brother would pay for André’s life with his own. It was the expected and honorable thing to do—in Magaelor anyway. Until that day came, I had to focus on the present.
Sleep came in waves. My mind was so scattered, I could hardly piece together a coherent thought.
Once I finally got comfortable, a pain pinched through me, sitting me upright. The darkness had returned, fully awake and wanting. “No.” I squeezed my eyes shut. “Go away, go away, go away, go away…” My breath caught as pain throbbed in my stomach. “Please stop.”
After a few moments, the pain went, and I was left feeling numb. A sensation of a tight band squeezing around my head dizzied me. Grazing my fingers against my temple, I let a tear fall down my cheek. I’d attempted to search for Morgana that evening, but I was certain she was going out of her way not to be found. I couldn’t think of what I’d done wrong, and I needed her more than ever. Whatever was inside of me, it was trying to gain control. No matter how much I closed my mind, emptied it of negative thoughts like Birch had taught me to do when my anxiety had been particularly bad, it was as if it were shouting, until I could hear nothing but its vile needs and desperation.
It must have been because it wasn’t anxiety or stress that used to plague me. Whatever it was, it was evil.
FOUR
I walked the three steps to my throne. The tall stone back loomed over me, casting a shadow onto the ground. I thought for a moment about the many monarchs who had sat upon it before I took it. They were all kings, as I was the first reigning queen. Not a consort. The head of the kingdom. The pressure was unlike anything I had experienced before. I knew it was going to be a challenge, but never had I seen Magaelor so divided. Most of the people at court loved my father and missed the old ways, while a minority had been delighted at the change Edgar had brought, even if they only spoke about such things in private. Many were nervous about my rule. Misogyny was deeply embedded in Magaelor’s culture and traditions, so my position was looked upon egregiously by the lords.
My physical crown, while temporary, was beautiful. The diamonds caught the light from the arched window behind me and flashed over to the walls, which were embedded with crystals. I took my throne, and my chest felt like lead. I swallowed thickly when Cedric joined my side. He didn’t dare sit on what was my mother’s throne but stood a couple of feet away, an appropriate yet still gossip-inducing distance.
“I’ve made some friends,” he said.
My heart skipped a beat. “How?”
“Don’t get jealous.” He smirked. “I have more free time than you.”
“It’s been two days.” I rolled my eyes when I saw Vahaga staring at Cedric venomously. “If looks could kill.”
“I’m sure I’d be dead.” He smiled, unbothered.
A small crowd had swelled as the bustles of morning flourished into midday chaos. They had come to watch a tradition upheld by the monarch for the last century: the poor man’s trial. Grievances between lunas were brought and punishments were handed out, usually once a month.
Women, dressed in boxy dresses and drab fabrics of gray and pale blue, watched me from the crowd, their pointed stares on my crown. Vahaga had joined us. His disapproving gaze trailed over my dress. It was dark fae fashion with Gothic-emb
roidered stars against black velvet. The slit at my cleavage was the part bothering Vahaga the most, I was sure. I danced my fingers along the net, which billowed out at the skirt.
“Please, stand back,” Adius ordered the noble men and women who filled the carpet leading up to the thrones.
“Cedric, can you help?” I asked, eyeing a few men who didn’t move. He nodded and helped Adius, and the other guards clear them before they returned to their places. Cedric didn’t need to, but I wanted to show he had standing at court, so others wouldn’t be tempted to do anything stupid.
Vahaga’s nostrils flared, and the corner of his thin lips twitched. His aggravation at Cedric’s presence reinforced my wanting to keep him there. I had given him the title of royal advisor, which almost gave Lords Abor and Gregoir a heart attack. I wasn’t going to push them too far but enough to remind them who was in charge. Vahaga’s way with me yesterday awakened in me a reinforced motivation to change things around here.
The doors were opened, and the first subject was brought in. A common thief, a young man no older than myself, stood a few feet from the steps to my throne. There was trickery in his eyes, a carefree stance in his posture. “Morning.”
Adius forced him a step back, gripping his fingers into his arm. “Watch your tone.”
A second man, who appeared to be a baker, wore a brown apron and carried the aroma of freshly baked bread. “Majesty.” He bowed awkwardly, removing his hat as he did. “Uh, it’s good to make yer presence. We’re glad yer back from the battle and won. Knew you would, we did.” He glanced around nervously.
“Thank you. What is your name?”
“Ferguson, Majesty, but my friends call me Furg.”
The Fate of Crowns: The Complete Trilogy: A YA Epic Fantasy Boxset Page 55
