Death's Queen (The Complete Series)

by Janeal Falor

  “I don’t think they’re going to attack me. They did that and lost.”

  “But they could have others attack you. The guards almost overcame you in Wolta. If things hadn’t changed in a hurry, you could have been killed, and they would have been free to find someone else to put on the throne.”

  “Who’s causing problems this time? Daros?” Inkga asks.

  I motion for Jaku to show her the note, and she pales as she reads it. I say, “You don’t have to keep serving me. It puts you in harm’s way. You should stay safe.”

  “I don’t mind.” But the quiver in her voice says she does.

  “I’m serious, Inkga. I don’t want anything to happen to you. To anyone.” I’ve got to find a way to stop them. How can I when they are such a large group? I must find out who their leader is and stop them.

  “I know, but I’ll be fine. I’m just a servant.”

  “And I’m determined to keep you safe and free,” Jaku says.

  “As am I.” The question now is: do we tell others about this, or leave it a secret? I’m inclined to keep it between us, but I don’t know if that’s the right answer. I ask the others what they think.

  “Fear spreads fear,” Inkga says. “If you tell others, it will make them worry more. We should keep it between us.”

  “I agree,” Jaku says. “Other than letting your guards know you need extra protection, I don’t think we need to share specifics.”

  “Very well.”

  “I’ll assign more guards now,” Jaku says, “unless you have something else you needed from me.”

  “That’s all.”

  “I’ll get Wilric in here right away.” He leaves the room.

  I turn to Inkga. “Could you set up a meeting with Mina for me? Also, I need to speak with Jem.” I need to talk to my Head of Foreign Relations and answer some longer standing questions plus make decisions about what to do about them. Just because the Kurah are threatening me doesn’t mean I can’t continue my job as queen.

  “Of course. As soon as I finish cleaning up.” She hurries to her chores, but I think it has more to do with not wanting to leave me alone than it does with getting things done.

  Wilric enters the room with a nod at me. It’s going to be a long time dealing with people when I’d rather be alone.

  What am I going to do about this? How can I calm the Kurah down without upsetting the rest of the nation?

  Chapter 31

  Jem takes a chair nearby in my sitting room while Wilric watches. The guards outside my window and door have increased in number, to the point where I’m not sure why he needs to be here, but for once, I don’t feel like arguing.

  “Thank you for coming,” I tell Jem.

  “Certainly. How were your countryside visits?”

  “Valuable.” If nothing else, I learned who some of my enemies are. Plus, I got a giant, lethal cat that could bite my head off any moment I’m around her. Luckily, the fila is with her handler, who is teaching people across the palace about her.

  “I’m glad to hear it. I was hoping it would go well for you.”

  “How were things here?” I ask her.

  “Like you’d expect. Things ran like normal. No problems to report, though I did have a hard time getting Timit to always cooperate.”

  Welcome to my world. “Anything serious?”

  “Nothing I couldn’t handle. He should have some reports coming for you.”

  “I saw them.” Though it’s harder to remember them when I got a note from the Kurah at the same time. “Did you?”

  She nods. “I looked them over before I sent them.”

  “Your conclusions?”

  She lifts an eyebrow. “Timit may not be entirely on your side, but he’s coming around, I believe. His reports looked good for the projects you sent us while you were gone. He’s already securing funds to help with what you requested. I think it’s a wise move, for the country and for you.”

  “Thank you.” It’s high praise coming from her.

  “Forgive me, but are you all right?”

  “Why?” Am I doing something wrong?

  “You don’t seem quite yourself.”

  “I’m fine.”

  She nods, but her eyes say she doesn’t believe me as she darts her gaze to where Wilric stands. Or maybe she just wants to look at him. He’s studiously ignoring her, but the tension between them is so thick, I can almost feel it.

  I ask, “Would you like to stay? I’m having Mina come talk about Faner.”

  “I’d like that. I heard you came home with a pet from there. Is it really a fila?” The last word holds a hint of awe.

  I’d be more awed if I wasn’t afraid it was going to bite my hand off. “It is.”

  “I’d like to see it.”

  “Send one of the servants for Venda and Puneah. You can meet them both.”

  A smile slips across her lips. “I’d love to.” She goes out of the room and comes back a moment later. “When are you expecting Mina?”

  “Anytime.”

  Her gaze flits to Wilric, her expression lighting, though it doesn’t stay long. I wonder what happened between them while I was gone. Nothing too serious, I hope. I’d hate for her to get in trouble for being too close to him and the pain it would bring to them both. Some things aren’t right.

  “Things have been a lot quieter without you around,” she says.

  “I’m sure you are loathe to see me back.”

  “On the contrary. I like things lively.”

  I can’t help it. I chuckle. “Is that what you call it? Lively?”

  “It’s a fitting description.”

  “I suppose it is. No attacks on the palace while I was gone?”

  Her gaze slides to the side. “I wouldn’t say that. Just nothing like what we’ve had to deal with when you’re here.”

  That’s to be expected. Maybe not everyone knows I left. Or maybe people aren’t always after me, but something else? “How has your training been coming along?”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I see Wilric smile.

  Jem frowns. “I’m not as good as you yet.”

  I laugh. “I’ve been training my whole life. Of course, you’re not as good as me yet. But are you getting better?”

  “I think so.” She doesn’t sound certain.

  “Excuse me for saying something, but she is improving every day.” Wilric holds his position despite joining the conversation.

  “I’m glad to hear it. I’m afraid the days ahead won’t get any easier, and knowing how to protect yourself will be vital.” It had better not come to that, but she’s already been under the line of fire while with me, and that makes her training a good choice.

  “I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve been teaching the other ladies-in-waiting some of what I learned.”

  “Mind? Not at all. We should get them out there, learning with the guards, so at the very least they can defend themselves. And those who are training to be queen after me should be trained as well. It’s a precarious position to place yourself in. They need to be protected by more than just guards.” Why didn’t I think of this sooner? “Would you be willing to oversee that?”

  “I would be happy to.”

  On impulse, I add. “Wilric can help you. You seem to get along well.”

  Her cheeks turn a becoming shade of pink. Wilric stares straight at my wall, like I didn’t say a word. Perhaps I shouldn’t have, but it came out.

  A servant announces Venda. She comes in the room, Puneah trailing at her side. The large animal comes straight for me.

  “She has taken to you,” Venda says with her strange accent.

  Just what I wanted.

  “I’ve never seen such a beautiful creature,” Jem says. “I can’t believe filas are real.”

  “Rare, but yes, very real,” Venda says.

  “Can I pet her?” Jem asks.

  “That is up to Puneah.”

  Jem licks her lips. “Does she bite?”

  “Let
her smell you.” I unwillingly pet the sleek creature. She has gotten to me somehow, though we haven’t spent much time together.

  Jem sticks out her hand, and Puneah ignores her, instead putting her head down on my lap. When Jem’s hand connects with Puneah’s head, Puneah snorts but otherwise does nothing.

  “She’s so soft,” Jem says.

  She’s a pain. If she gets any more comfortable on me, she’s going to start drooling. Or biting. One of the two, and it’s difficult to say which.

  A servant announces Mina, and Venda excuses herself, leaving Puneah behind. Great. Now I really hope the fila doesn’t bite. There’ll be no one around to control it.

  “Your Maj—” Mina’s eyes grow wide as she looks at the fila. “What is that?”

  “My new pet.” There’s a note of irony to my words. I don’t care.

  “So the rumors are true? You got a f—fila?”

  “Don’t be scared. She hasn’t bitten anyone.” Yet.

  Mina nods but doesn’t take her eyes off the creature. “You wanted to see me?”

  “Yes. On my travels, I learned more about other countries, as you can see.” I motion toward Puneah, whose head is still on my lap, her eyes now closed. “I’d like to know more about them. What do you know of Faner?”

  “Not as much as you’d like, I’m afraid.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “For one thing, I had no idea the country had filas. And if the woman I just saw is any indication of what other Faners look like, I had no clue that they were…”

  “Shimmery?” I ask.

  “Yes, that would be a good way to put it.” She sighs. “I know more about Torhun and Insti than I do Faner.”

  Hm. “Is it true what they say about Torhun? Is it really run by a beast?”

  She shifts in her chair. “I haven’t met him personally, but from my intelligence, yes, he is half-beast, half-man.”

  “What does that even mean?” Jem asks.

  “I—I don’t know for sure. I think it means he’s part of an actual beast, and not only a horrid person, though they say his temper is something fierce.”

  “Magic.” It’s all I can say. What else would cause someone to be half-beast?

  “Assuredly,” Mina says.

  “What else can you tell me about Faner from what you’ve heard?”

  “They don’t have the resources we do—the mines of precious gems, stones, iron, and the like. They do have a lot of farmland. It’s what keeps them alive. Their climate is supposed to be similar to ours.”

  Puneah purrs. I don’t want to touch the beast, but something about that sound makes me feel like a child again. “Any reason for them to spy on us?” I ask.

  She shrugs. “Difficult to say. They may want our resources, but there’s not an easy way to get them with the mountains in the way. They’d have to either find a better way through or make the mountain pass wider. As it is, only one person can get through at a time, and it’s a narrow fit.”

  It’s something I’d like to see for myself but not today. “Any questions, Jem?”

  “None.”

  “Then I would like to thank you for taking the time to come,” I tell Mina. “If you think of anything further about our neighboring countries that would be helpful to know, please let me know.”

  “Of course, Your Majesty.” She curtsies and leaves the room.

  Jem and I discuss her fighting techniques, which is so second nature to me that I’m free to use my mind on other things. What are other countries like? Is there a benefit to widening the pass and opening communications with them, or is my country safer with it being so hard to go from one place to another? I wish being royalty came with knowing what to do.

  Chapter 32

  It’s about time for the council meeting, but I’m savoring time with Nash—even if we’re only talking politics. Puneah is in the sitting room with us, sleeping at my feet while I grudgingly let her.

  When there’s a break in the conversation, I say, “I have an idea. I’m not sure how it would work, though. I realized when we were traveling around Valcora that the cities don’t trade with each other much, though each city has something to offer the others. Do you think we could increase trade? Make more tax money off it perhaps?”

  He regards me thoughtfully. “I never thought about it, but yes. It could potentially work. The cities could benefit from each other.”

  “If it gets people to trade more, we might actually be able to make more money from taxes. If this works, we might be able to lower the taxes on the Kurah and still have plenty.”

  “They would love that, and it’d be good for the country as a whole. I say you should do it. Not because they threatened you, but because it’s the right thing to do.”

  I hesitate.

  “What’s the problem?” His voice is full of concern.

  This is Nash. I promised to be honest. If only it wasn’t so hard. “After all the mistakes I’ve made, I’m worried about making another one.”

  He takes my hand, sending a wave of heat up my arm. Puneah gets up from her nap and sniffs the link between Nash and me. He chuckles. “I thought this fila looked fearsome the first time I saw her, but now I’m thinking she’s sweeter than a kitty.”

  I roll my eyes. “She’s certainly something.”

  “You don’t like her?”

  “I don’t know her.”

  “Fair enough.” He gives my hand a squeeze. “As for your concern—everyone makes mistakes. It’s a part of life.”

  “The First Queen told me something similar before, but it’s hard to change my thinking. Hard to believe my bad choices don’t affect the country.”

  “First off, this isn’t a bad choice. It will be good for the people and help them thrive. But even if it doesn’t end up doing that, don’t you think it’s worth the risk of trying?”

  Is it? I put all the conviction I can muster into my words. “It is.”

  “Then let’s do it.” He stands, tugging me gently to my feet.

  Puneah takes a twirl around my legs.

  “Thank you,” I say.

  He grins, looking more like his old self than I’ve seen in a while. “For you, anything.”

  Our hands part, and the world is colder without his touch. Together but separate, we head toward the council room, guards surrounding us as soon as we leave the room. Puneah follows at my side. I’m getting used to her presence.

  That doesn’t mean I like it.

  When we get to the council room, everyone is already present. Nash takes my right side, and I sit, the others following suit after me. I don’t wait. I jump right into my idea of opening up trade between cities, explaining it the same way I did to Nash.

  I pause to see if any of them have something to say.

  Timit is the first to speak, unsurprisingly. “It hasn’t been done in my lifetime, but I think it’s a good idea.”

  Wait, what?

  If Timit thinks it’s a good idea, maybe I’m on the wrong track.

  “I like it as well,” Kada says. “Though it does bring about questions, like—how are we going to get them to trade more? What if they don’t want to? Are the road conditions good enough to facilitate such a venture?”

  “These are all things we can easily look into,” Nash says.

  “I believe it would be good progress for our country,” Sidle says.

  “As do I,” Jaku adds.

  Soon, everyone is agreeing. It’s like I’ve entered an alternate dimension, where the council forgot how to argue.

  When everyone’s had their say, I ask, “How do we make this happen?”

  Puneah chooses that moment to put her head on the table and growl. Several squeals sound. I roll my eyes. Drama queen.

  After we discuss opening trade, I tell them about probably purchasing the mine from Coplo.

  “It would bring more income and jobs,” Timit rumbles.

  Am I winning him over to my side?

  “I agree,” Mina says
.

  Others concur.

  “Once I have the details from Coplo, I will let you know,” I say.

  We finish up business, and I end the meeting. Everyone is waiting for me to leave so they can go. I stand.

  “Before you go,” Kada says, stopping me, “I wanted to let you know there’s to be a country dance tonight to honor your return.”

  Her words make me feel lighter. Freer. That is, until I remember what happened last time I went out and danced among the people. I saw Daros. While he be there this time?

  Doesn’t matter. I’m going anyway. Guards will be there, and I have my skills. Everything will be fine. “Perfect. Thank you for setting it up.”

  She bows her head. “It was no trouble.”

  Better yet, with a country dance, I won’t have to dress fancy.

  Chapter 33

  It’s almost time to leave for the dance, but I find myself wandering the palace. There’s a place I want to visit. I pass by halls and décor that’s finer than anything I knew before I came here. I wind my way toward the back of the palace, windows facing the tombs that are almost as big as the palace themselves. I continue my journey, trying not to think of death. There’s been enough of that in my life as it is. When I arrive at the chalice room, I tell my guards to wait outside.

  “I should come with you,” Wilric says.

  “I’ll be fine.”

  He purses his lips. “At least let me check out the room.”

  “Very well.”

  It takes him several minutes, but eventually he returns, proclaiming it free from threats.

  The room is cold and dim in the drawing day with no torches lit. I’m an eerie presence in the mirrors surrounding the room. Like a ghost.

  And perhaps I am a ghost of the person I was before, transformed into some new being that even I don’t understand yet.

  There’s no sound as I slip through the room. It’s so different than the first time I came running in. Thoughts and feelings rush through me. Panic me. I shake my head.

  I am not the person I was then.