Matthew opened his eyes in his bed. You may be the key to freeing her. What did Thomas mean? From the corner of his eyes, he saw a silhouette sitting at the edge of his bed. He sat up and grabbed his dagger and raised it the figure. The light shined through to his chamber windows and the face of the silhouette came into view.
“Lady Geenessa?” Matthew said in confusion. She grabbed his hand holding the dagger with both of hers. She pointed the blade below her left shoulder and forced the blade through. “What are you doing?” He shouted, trying to free his hand from hers. The blade went all the way through her. Nothing happened for several moments as he struggled to free himself and remove the dagger from her. Then, her green eyes became black. She freed his hand as he retracted the blade from her. Her body started convulsing where she sat and then stilled. Just as the woman who had tried to drown him and the men who tried to kill him, a black shadow ripped away from Geenessa’s body and shot through the window and into the night sky.
She opened her eyes wide. They had returned to green. She stood up and placed her hand over her wound and healed it. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“What was that?” Matthew said in shock.
She grasped Matthew’s face in her hands. “She is the Queen, but you have power too, my lord. It will take more than this to free Nycilla’s hold on Lucinda in this world, but you are the key.” She kissed Matthew on the cheek, then looked at him sternly. “Do not forget the power you hold.” She walked away from him and left his chambers.
Chapter 10
Lucinda woke up early the next morning. She sought some time on her own before the day’s activities began. She wanted to go to the mourning grounds of the West Kingdom. She brought a candle with her although the sun was rising and it was not dark. She knelt before the late King John’s tomb and silently prayed. He showed the kindness and affection of a father to her in the short few months she knew him. She wept for him. He was at peace resting with his forefathers with the One God, she was certain of it. Yet, she mourned for the pain she had caused him. She was selfish. She wanted so little when she was on the land, yet she wanted so much when she reached the sea. She thought it was for the best that she did not think of the people in her past, but she had done nothing but cause them pain as she built her castle upon ashes.
The sound of footsteps caught her ear. She turned quickly and raised her hands in front of her. She faced the new King John, Matthew’s brother.
He raised his hands cautiously and smiled broadly at her. “I come in peace, your Grace.”
“I am sorry, Your Highness!” She went to stand but John knelt next to her by his father’s tomb.
“He did love you like his own daughter. They were not just words.” He said in a low voice. “Our whole kingdom fell for you in such a short time. You are easy to love.”
She let the tears continue to flow. “I am sorry for the pain I caused your father and your kingdom after I disappeared.”
“Do not think of it anymore. You have returned. What you do now is what is important.” They said nothing for a while in respect for the late King. Lucinda finally broke the silence. Something was pressing on her heart and she needed to talk to John before she lost her courage. “I have something to ask of you. I have no right to and I hope you do not think I am too bold, but I must.”
“I told you if a time comes where I can see to any part of your happiness, I would. Tell me, what is it you seek?”
She breathed deeply and presented her request to him. He studied her as she spoke. He said nothing for a long while and looked deep in thought. “I do think you are bold, my lady.” He finally said to her. “It is a necessary quality for a ruler.” He kissed her forehead. “Proceed as you see fit. Then, come to me again.”
“Your Majesty, My lady.” Commander Jonathan had appeared behind them.
“But first,” John stood up from his spot and extended a hand to Lucinda. “There is a matter we need to discuss.”
Lucinda looked at the two men confused. They held grave expressions. “I am sorry my lady, but you must know.” Commander Jonathan handed her a piece of parchment. It was worn and the writing was almost faded.
My love,
By the time you receive this letter I may have already passed. It is fitting that this child takes my whole life, as she was conceived in my weakness. Yet, the few moments I have with her, I hope she will grow to know how much I loved her and every moment that I carried her inside of me.
It is not of this child that I write for, but my eldest. My sweet girl. She is the one that was promised. I have truly bore the power that will restore the kingdom, as was predicted. She must be trained, but I fear that my husband won’t allow it after I am gone. I fear for her life if her powers are not controlled. I begged him to promise to send her to your kingdom to be taught. I plead with you to ask your brother to accept her for a summer. When she comes to her fifteenth year she will be old enough to travel on her own and I pray that my husband won’t refuse my dying wish. Find someone to train her. She knows of the prophecy, but she does not understand. Find someone who will make her understand.
My tears stain this letter. I do not regret our last moment together. I named her after your sister. I hope that pleases you. Be strong for her.
Lucy
Lucinda looked up at the King and the Commander. They had remorseful eyes waiting for her to react. Lucy. Lucille. Her mother. Very few people had called her that that Lucinda could remember. It was a name from before she was wed, her mother would say. This was the plea her mother made on her behalf. My love, she had addressed the letter to, but she was not referring to her father.
“Who was this letter written to?”
They hesitated. “It was to me, my lady.” Commander Jonathan said regretfully.
“You knew my mother better than you led me to believe.”
“I never meant to deceive you, but I thought it was best to keep you safe.”
“Keep me safe?” Lucinda said. “What did she mean, ‘It is fitting that this child take my whole life as she was conceived in my weakness?’” John remained silent and Commander Jonathan let tears fall down his face. “’I do not regret our last moment together,’” Lucinda continued. “And when was that, Commander?”
“About fifteen years ago.” He said slowly. “Fourteen years to be exact, your Grace.”
Her pulse quickened. “I didn’t know you had a sister.”
“She’s passed, my lady. A long time ago. She was born with my brother. They were inflicted by the same ailment, but she did not make it past a maiden.”
‘What was her name?” Lucinda asked, knowing the answer. The Commander looked at her with such sorrow. “What was her name?” Lucinda repeated.
“Erica,” He said tearfully. “Her name was Erica.” Lucinda felt ill. Erica, her sweet baby sister was named after a late Western princess. She knew Erica was not a common name in the East, but her mother favored the name and her father accepted it. My father, Lucinda thought. Not Erica’s father. Erica’s father was standing before her.
“My mother was with you when she was married to my father.” She said in disgust and disbelief. Her father was many things, but he did not deserve this betrayal. He loved his wife. That was the one thing Lucinda was certain of about him.
“It was wrong, Lucinda,” Commander Jonathan started. “It happened once. We regretted it—“
“No!” Lucinda lifted the letter in front of him. “She said she did not regret it!” The image of her perfect, beautiful mother was shattering in her mind. “Who knows of this?” The ground around her started to tremble.
“No one else.” John said gently. “My father did, and my uncle and I do, and now you. I doubt your mother revealed it to anyone before she passed. Please, stay calm.”
“She could not reveal this to anyone! Erica would be dead if she had. She can never know about this. My father will kill her and you if he ever found out!”
Jonathan stepped toward her. “I know, my
lady. Let me explain—“ She stepped back. The ground around her was shaking harder now.
“What if she had been a boy? Your child would be my father’s heir. An illegitimate heir would take the throne, and what would you do? Take the secret to the grave?” The child is illegitimate. He has made you a harlot. A voice whispered in her ears.
John grasped his father’s tomb for support. “Lucinda you must calm down. We did not want to keep this from you! We vowed that we would reveal it if you were to return to us. We knew you deserved to know, though it would cause you great pain.”
She was losing control. The whispers continued to float into her head. The child is illegitimate. You have brought shame onto your kingdom. How will you hide it? She turned away from them and ran back toward the castle. The ground around her continued to rumble and she knew she needed to calm down. The sky darkened and heavy winds started picking up. She needed to breathe. Mother, how could you do this? Her sweet little sister. She knew Erica never quite looked like the rest of them. She had their mother’s eyes, but lighter skin and hair than Lucinda and Drissa. Lucinda thought of her sister’s sweet smile. It was Commander Jonathan’s smile. The whispers drummed louder in her head. The child is illegitimate! You have brought shame onto your kingdom. How will you hide it?
Suddenly, Matthew was in front of her. “You cannot lose control here!” He grabbed her by the waist. “Fight it, Lucinda.” He stared down at her with dark eyes. An illegitimate child, conceived out of wedlock. It will be your shame. She let the letter drop to the ground. She raised her hands to his shoulders, pressing her fingers deeply into his skin. The child is illegitimate. The voices continued. His eyes writhed with pain, but he did not cower from her. “Enough, Lucinda.” He said firmly. “Enough!” She released her hands from him. The rumbling stopped. Then the wind. The sky started to brighten again.
Blood was dripping down steadily from his arms where her fingers punctured his skin. Remorse filled her and she went to heal the wounds, but he pulled away from her. “No, you cannot hide from the outcomes of your actions. You need to face them and remember it, lest you do it again.” The truth of his words stung her. “What happened?” He said gentler to her. “What’s wrong?”
He picked up the letter from the floor and scanned it. “Was this from your mother?”
“To your uncle, her true love.” She said bitterly. “Erica is your uncle’s daughter. She is illegitimate.” An illegitimate child, born of love, is still an illegitimate child. A whisper continued to pound in her ears.
Matthew’s eyes widened. “He told me he had loved your mother before she became Queen. I never thought—“
“They seemed to have reforged their love while she was Queen. All the time she was married to my father her heart still longed for someone else.” It was a bitter thought. She started to walk away from him. “Gwendolyn has had a banquet for the first meal prepared for me. I must go.” She left Matthew before John and Jonathan caught up to where she was.
Gwendolyn invited many of the women and maidens of the kingdom to attend the banquet for the first meal. Lucinda was surprised to see the familiar faces of the girls who were now women that she met seven summers ago.
“We always knew you would return to us, Lucinda.”
“We never believed the rumors of the Green Eyed Witch. We knew it was our beautiful Lucinda who ruled the sea.”
Lucinda hoped that a day would come where she could hold a banquet in her kingdom and invite all the women of the kingdoms. Their kindness was overwhelming, but Lucinda’s thoughts were on her mother and Commander Jonathan. She had to apologize to the King and Commander for her outburst, but feelings of bitterness were surrounding her.
“Lucinda!” A voice broke into her thoughts. A fair haired young woman with an identical little daughter were walking toward her in the banquet hall.
“Jenna!” Lucinda exclaimed as she went to wrap her hands around her. “You look beautiful. I have missed you.”
Jenna gave a carefree laugh. “You are the beautiful one Lucinda and we have missed you dearly. I am a married woman now. You won’t believe it, but I married Victor from the Western Guard. Do you remember him?”
Lucinda nodded, thinking back to the days they used to watch the young men practice. She looked at the little girl hiding behind her mother.
“And who is this lovely child?”
Jenna pulled the little girl wrapped around her leg forward. “Don’t be rude, darling. This is one of mother’s dearest friends, Queen Lucinda of the Fifth Kingdom!” She looked up at Lucinda. “I wanted to name her after you, but Victor thought it might be in poor taste. Apparently, you are controversial. So we named her after his mother, Elinor.” She rolled her eyes. “I only pray my little angel does not grow up to be anything like that horrid woman. I want her to be brave and strong and beautiful like you.” She stuck her bottom lip out like a child.
Lucinda laughed and embraced Jenna. “It is still a sweet sentiment, and your husband is right. I am controversial.”
“Better controversial than boring, I always say.” Jenna chatted about being a wife and mother until Gwendolyn called Lucinda up to the front of the banquet hall.
“My dear ladies of the kingdom,” she addressed the women. “We are celebrating a monumental occasion. Our dear Princess and friend was lost in the sea and she returned to us as a Queen. Now we pray that the kingdoms’ councils will come to their senses and name her throne legitimate!” She raised a glass of wine in the air as the women followed. The same cautious expressions that Lucinda had grown familiar with throughout the kingdoms, masked most of their faces as they raised their glasses.
They speak kindly to my face, but I do not have their trust. Lucinda thought.
Gwendolyn sat her cup down not taking a sip. “You are with child?” Lucinda asked.
Gwendolyn smiled widely and placed a hand to her stomach. “Yes, after six years of suffering through being named the Barren Queen, the One God has opened my womb.” Her expression dropped, looking at Lucinda. “I am sorry. I suppose there are worst names to be called.”
Lucinda touched her hand. “I am happy for you, Gwendolyn. You will make a wonderful mother.” She fought the bitter thoughts of her own mother out of her head.
“Pray that it is a boy?” Gwendolyn whispered.
Lucinda smiled and embraced her. “We will pray that it is healthy. I am glad you found happiness with John.”
Gwendolyn pulled away from her and averted her eyes. “Yes.” She said slowly. “Lucinda, it means very much to me to have you extend your friendship. I have very little friends in this kingdom.”
“I don’t understand. You were always the most loved maiden, and now you are Queen.”
“Yes, I am Queen. Now I am surrounded by polite, practiced words, but the sincerity is questionable.” She lowered her voice. “Of all these women around us, very few truly love me. They whisper behind my back with their husbands. They call me the Barren Queen, the Unfaithful Queen, Gwendolyn the Unworthy.” She closed her eyes but she did not cry. “Even now I fear that announcing that I am with child will only heighten the rumors around me. They think that Matthew and I—“
“I understand.” Lucinda said gently to her. “I am familiar with the cruel words, and untrustworthy eyes of people. Men judge by appearances and what they think they know, but the One God judges our hearts. As long as your heart is true, you need not worry about the vicious rumors of men.”
The words only seemed to unsettle Gwendolyn. She opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly there was a commotion amongst the women. “You are not wanted here!” An elderly woman approached the head table where Lucinda and Gwendolyn sat. “You are not wanted here! You are an abomination! You will bring nothing but destruction and darkness to the kingdoms!” The woman waved a dagger in her hand.
Guards started approaching the woman on Gwendolyn’s command. “Leave here in peace woman, from order of your Queen. I do not wish to have my guards drag you out.”
<
br /> Lucinda noticed the woman’s eyes. They were gray of age with flecks of green hidden within. “Stay back!” Lucinda shouted to the guards.
The woman raised her hands on either side of her and the guards dropped to the floor like dead men. Before she could react, a painful cry left Lucinda’s mouth. The woman raised the dagger in the air as Lucinda felt her body shrinking to the floor. She felt the pain of a thousand little daggers piercing her body.
Screams bellowed the banquet hall. “You are a fool for coming back here. You think you are strong enough to fight the Ancient Queen’s spirit! No! You are just like her! You will tear down many innocent along your path.”
“Stop it! Stop it!” Gwendolyn cried defenselessly. Lucinda tried to suppress her cries in the banquet hall, praying no one else would enter. She feared what this woman would do to them if they tried to stop her. Little drops of blood started to leave Lucinda’s skin where the invisible daggers were pricking her.
“I will end your life before I see you bring down any more sorcer—“
A scream left the woman’s mouth. The dagger she was holding dropped to the floor. The woman fell to her knees near where Lucinda was. Lucinda looked up and saw Geenessa with a palm wide open standing over the old woman.
“You dare threaten my Queen.” The governess’s words were deep with fury. “Open your eyes! Nycilla is dead. The Fifth Kingdom has returned under a new Queen. Queen Lucinda! Our Queen and our Kingdom will not be taken down easily. We will defend her with our last breath.”
“Be careful with your words. No one is safe! Especially, not our kind.”
“Enough of your babbling woman! You have made a poor choice and you will pay for it.”
“Wait!” Lucinda cried as she lay crumpled on the floor, aching. She studied the woman’s eyes. They were focused on her. They had a look of pain. She was not controlled by a spirit. She was acting on her own accord and she wanted Lucinda dead. “You are a sorceress. Why are you fighting against me? Plead for mercy and perhaps we will spare your life.”
A Castle of Ashes (The Fifth Kingdom Book 2) Page 9
