by SJ West
"We didn't do anything, Inara. We just slept. The door to the bedchamber was open the whole time."
"You let Dracen watch?" Inara asked like this was the best gossip she had heard in a long time. "I knew you had your kinky side, Em, but that's even a bit out there for me."
"No, Inara! We just slept. Nothing else happened."
"Why?"
I felt my head tilt of its own accord. "Why what?"
"Why haven't you rekindled things with Fallon? You've wanted to for years. What's stopping you?"
Years? I felt certain that the queen did still have feelings for Fallon. Could it be the reason I felt like touching his cheek while he slept the night before. Had I actually felt the queen's unrequited love for Fallon last night?
"We're at war, Inara," I told her. "I don't think either one of us is thinking about having a romance at the moment."
"I see the way he looks at you," Inara told me. "It's obvious he still has feelings for you. I wish you had let him say whatever it was he was going to tell Queen Sora when she called you the queen of nothing. I'm sure his words would have burned her ears clean off!"
I could remember not so long ago when Fallon felt the same way as Sora. That I wasn't worthy enough to fit into Queen Emma's shoes. I supposed the events of the past few days helped prove him wrong. I was thankful for that. I needed his support. But, what had Inara seen in the way Fallon looked at me that I hadn't noticed? He knew who I truly was. He knew I wasn't Emma Vankar. I was simply Sarah Harker, a farmer's daughter.
When we were on the Fae side of the Iron Wall together, Fallon told me then that he could distinguish between Emma and me, even though I looked exactly like his onetime lover. If what Inara said was true, did Fallon have feelings for me or for Emma? And were my feelings my own or those of the queen?
I decided not to think about it. If I did, it might give me a headache.
I had more pressing matters to attend to, like taking back my country and making Queen Nuala pay for placing the people under my care in harm's way.
I was saved from having to discuss this further with Inara when some of Queen Sora's servants brought in my wardrobe.
Inara was invaluable in helping me get ready for the formal introduction ceremony. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to wear my Mantle of Power within the king's throne room without it looking suspicious. Inara did lay out my crown, however, and that gave me a sense of comfort that I would at least be on equal footing with Queen Sora.
We chose a cream-colored silk gown with white lace appliqués studded with diamonds for me to wear. It was the most luxurious of the gowns I brought with me and sent a message that Vankara might be under siege, but we were still the wealthiest country in the world and worthwhile allies.
Inara styled my hair up into a tall bun so my gold filigree and diamond crown fit over it to make it the centerpiece of my outfit. It was a reminder to all who might be present that I was the Queen of Vankara and not some vagabond off the street who was begging for a hand out. I would bend so far but not over backwards for their aid in our cause.
A woman by the name of Arisu came to my room and introduced herself as being one of Queen Sora's ladies in waiting.
"I was asked by my queen to escort you and your friends to the king's throne room," Arisu said to me, bowing deeply at the waist in my direction to show her respect.
Arisu had black hair and brown eyes. In my opinion, she was rather average looking, but her manners were impeccable. She wore a plain kimono of dark blue silk with no embellishments, marking her as a servant within the palace of my grandfather.
"Thank you, Arisu," I said.
Fallon and Dracen appeared in the hallway right outside my doorway looking a little bit more refreshed than when we first arrived. They still wore the same clothes but each of them had shaved and combed their hair. When each man saw me, his reaction looked completely different.
Fallon's gaze travelled up and down my figure giving his expression an appreciative quality of my new attire, and Dracen kept his eyes on my face looking rather proud of me for some reason. I could understand Fallon's leer because he was a man, but Dracen was still an enigma to me. I could only assume he was proud that a shifter could assume such a powerful role in our society without trying to take advantage of it. Perhaps that was another reason why he sent Gabriel to me.
When I was a child, I learned from Gabriel how to treat people with decency and respect no matter what station they held in life. He was a far better role model than the Pews. In addition, Gabriel saved me from living a life under the cruel thumb of Mrs. Pew, and he gave me a gift I would never be able to repay, Liam and Imogen Harker as my parents.
As Inara and I stepped out of the room, Fallon held his arm out to me to act as my escort once again.
"Are you ready to meet your grandfather?" Fallon asked me.
"I'm ready to secure his troops," I said in a low voice. "That will put us one step closer to being able to return home."
"Then let's go get them," Fallon said to me with an encouraging smile.
I looped my arm through the one he held out to me.
As we followed Arisu through the palace, I wondered what Queen Emma's grandfather would be like. Would he be kind to his granddaughter like most grandparents and offer me the world? Or would he turn his back to me and offer me nothing?
I had no way of knowing. Nevertheless, whichever man he turned out to be, I would get what I wanted one way or another...
CHAPTER ELEVEN
After Arisu opened the gold embossed doors that lead to the gilded halls of the king's throne room, I was a little taken aback by the vast number of people present within the large chamber. They stood on either side of a strip of red carpet that divided the room down the middle and lead up to the dais where the king and queen sat. Sunlight filtered in above them as they sat on their golden thrones giving them the aura of beings sent straight from Heaven to rule.
"Don't worry," Fallon whispered to me, noticing my sudden reluctance to move forward. "You are the Queen of Vankara. These people are just here to pay their respects to you. It's perfectly normal under the circumstances."
I nodded slightly to let Fallon know I heard his words.
"And I am with you," Aurora said to me in way of comfort. "Together we can face anything, Sarah."
The little dragonling on my shoulder emanated a sense of superiority and confidence I didn't quite feel myself. I tried to focus on what she felt and siphon strength from it.
Fallon escorted me down the strip of red carpet, which lead from the doors to the dais. Standing to the left of Queen Sora was a black haired boy no older than eight-years-old while standing on the right side of the king was a man in his late twenties with black, glossy hair and emerald green eyes.
"Who is that?" I quietly asked Fallon as I directed my gaze to the man by the king.
"That's the king's youngest child and only son, Ren. All of his other children were girls. In Kamoran society, only a son can ascend to the throne after the king's death."
"That seems a bit old fashioned," I commented dryly.
"It's the way things are here. Women aren't generally given much power unless they have a man beside them who commands it. It's not right, but it is their culture."
As we walked up to Emma's grandfather, I noticed how pale and gaunt he looked. If the lids of his dark brown eyes weren't moving up and down, I would have thought him dead. The pallor of his skin did nothing to contrast against his long white hair and beard. He wore a blood red silk brocade outfit that simply made his paleness even more obvious. Queen Sora was dressed in a matching Kimono with an elaborate crown on her head. It was made of spun gold and decorated with rubies and diamonds. The jewels hung like teardrops and swayed with even the slightest turn of her head, catching the sunlight and making her the center of attention. The king's crown wasn't as elaborate and looked to me more like a puffy red velvet hat with a gold base encrusted with various jewels.
"Remember," Fal
lon whispered to me as we came to stand at the foot of the three stairs leading up to the dais, "don't bow."
"Greetings, Queen Emma of Vankara," Queen Sora said loudly, her voice echoing against the walls of the room. "We welcome you to Kamora and offer our humble services and hospitality to you and your men."
"Thank you for your gracious offer of sanctuary, Queen Sora. We appreciate your kindness in these trying times for us."
I saw my grandfather hold out his hand to me in a silent beckon for me to approach. Fallon let go of my arm, and I took that as my cue to walk up to the king and greet him as any granddaughter normally would.
I lifted my skirts slightly to make it easier to walk up the steps. When I reached my grandfather, he leaned forward as if waiting for me to kiss him on the cheeks. As I bent down to kiss his left cheek, I immediately noticed how cold his skin felt against my lips. I repeated the action on his right cheek only to be met with the same unnatural chill. When I stood back to my full height, it was then I noticed the red circles around the rims of his eyes.
"Something is not right with him," Aurora said to me. "But, I don't know what's wrong."
"Hello, Grandfather," I said.
The king seemed to hesitate before looking up at me, as if it took him a moment to fully register my words. He said nothing, just nodded his head in my general direction, but his vacant gaze seemed to confirm that what Aurora said was true. Something was definitely not right about the King of Kamora.
"Your grandfather had a stroke last month," Queen Sora said to me in a low voice, as if perhaps this knowledge wasn't known by many. "Unfortunately, he lost the ability to speak because of it."
"But I haven't, niece," the king's son said as he walked up to me. "Welcome to Kamora, Emma."
He leaned down to kiss me on one cheek.
"We need to speak," he whispered in my ear before kissing my other cheek. "Privately."
When he leaned back, he smiled at me, and I nodded my head to a small extent, letting him know that I heard his words and agreed.
As I looked back to my grandfather, I knew he would be of no use to me. He was no longer in control of his country or his men. Queen Sora was the one who held all the power now, and she knew she had me under her thumb. I needed her help, and I felt sure it wouldn't come cheaply or easily from her.
"Queen Emma," Sora said, "we humbly welcome you into our home and our hearts for the remainder of your stay here. I hope in the days to come we can find mutual ground which will be beneficial to both of our countries."
"I graciously accept your hospitality, Queen Sora. I hope we can come to an understanding quickly. The sooner we retake Vankara the sooner my people can stop fearing for their lives and begin to rebuild what the Fae have destroyed."
"Negotiations such as this take time, dear granddaughter," Queen Sora said, sounding as though she was talking to a child and having to patiently explain how the game was played. "We can discuss some of the details this afternoon at tea. I have arranged some entertainment for us this evening also. Now, please treat our home as if it were your own. You have free reign to go wherever you wish, but I hope you take this opportunity to rest some since I know you will be entering into negotiations with the dragons after you leave us. You will need all of your strength for that endeavor."
I heard a murmur stir within the crowd behind me at this news and had to wonder why Queen Sora would even bring up such a thing in front of so many people.
"Thank you for your kindness," I said to her. "I look forward to our tea later."
Sora smiled at me, but it was really more of a smirk. She was confident she had the upper hand in our talks, and it really wasn't something I could deny.
She knew I wanted to begin negotiations immediately, but she also knew she was in complete control. Making me wait was more of a ploy to show me where I stood with her than anything else. I understood it, but that didn't mean I had to like it.
"You said our ships arrived here yesterday," I reminded her. "Could you send word to the Admiral of my fleet that we are here and would like to speak with him?"
"Of course," Sora said. "I will send a messenger to him immediately."
"Thank you."
I turned my back to the Queen and King of Kamora and walked back to Fallon's side.
"If you don't mind," I said to them, "I would like to take your advice now and rest before our negotiations begin this afternoon. I suppose I'm more tired than I realized from the situation we find ourselves having to face because of the invasion of our country."
"By all means," Queen Sora said graciously, "take all the time you need to recover. I will send my servant to let you know when I am ready to receive you for tea."
"Thank you," I said, remembering not to bow as we all turned to face the door leading out of the room.
"How did I do?" I whispered to Fallon as we walked back down the red carpet.
"Very well," he whispered back with a certain amount of pride. "You kept your footing with her even though she tried to knock you off balance. Good job."
I felt a hint of a smile tug my lips from Fallon’s praise but knew my real job was only beginning.
When we reached my rooms, Arisu left briefly but soon returned with a dark blue silk kimono embroidered with a multitude of phoenixes in gold thread.
"The queen asked that you wear this to the tea ceremony," Arisu said to me, bowing deeply with the gown draped over both her arms in offering.
I took the dress and marveled at the workmanship used to create it.
"Thank you, Arisu," I said. "I would be honored to wear such a beautiful gown."
Arisu stood back up with a closed lip smile.
"I made it," she whispered with a small amount of pride, as if such an admission shouldn't be made.
"It's one of the most gorgeous pieces of clothing I've ever seen. You have quite a talent, Arisu. I will wear it proudly."
Arisu bowed to me again and began to walk out the door. Just before she reached the entrance to the room, she slowly turned back to me.
"You need to be careful," she whispered to me.
"Careful of what?" I whispered back, assuming Arisu wasn't sure if someone was listening to our conversation.
"The queen," Arisu answered in an even lower voice, one I had to strain to hear. "There are rumors she did something to cause the king's stroke."
"How would she do such a thing?" I asked.
Arisu shrugged her shoulders helplessly and shook her heard indicating that she didn't have an answer for me. She turned back to the entrance of the room and slid the partition of the wall that acted as a door closed.
After she left, I heard a faint knock on the door to the room. I dropped the kimono onto the platform bed and went to see who it was. To my surprise, it was Able, our young seer from the academy.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, Queen Emma, but would it be possible for me to have a word with you in private?"
I stepped out of my room knowing inviting a young man in without a proper chaperone might be interpreted in the wrong way.
"What is it, Able?"
"I've had a vision," he whispered, his eyes darting in either direction of the hallway to make sure we were alone.
"And what did you see?"
"Your death," Able replied.
"My death?" I asked, completely convinced he was over exaggerating.
Able shook his head as a confused look crossed his face.
"At least you looked dead," he clarified, not sounding as sure as before. "You were pale and at least one of your wrists had been slashed open. Blood was spilling out from the gash onto a stone floor you were lying on. At least, I think it was a floor. I couldn't actually see much of what was going on around you. All I am certain of is that it happens here in Kamora."
"Did he see me?" Aurora asked. "If you were truly dead, I would have been lying by your side dead too."
"Did you see my dragon in your vision?" I asked.
Able shook his head. "No, I didn't se
e her at all. Why? Is that significant?"
"If I die, she dies," I told him. "It's a connection we share with one another. So, if I were indeed dead in your vision, you would have more than likely seen her dead as well."
Able sighed in relief. "Then, perhaps you weren't dead after all."
"Are your vision always correct?" I asked.
"Yes, in one form or another. However, sometimes I miss the context of what they mean. I don't know how you end up like that. I just know you will."
"I see." I thought about what Able said and requested, "Don't tell the others what you have seen. We don't need to worry them for no reason."
"Are you sure?" Able asked, and I could see he wasn't certain I was making the correct decision.
"For now," I replied. "We all have enough to worry about. But, thank you for coming to me first and telling me what you saw, Able. If you see anything else as disturbing, seek me out and let me know right away."
Able bowed at the waist to me, "Yes, your majesty. You will be the first to know."
Able turned to walk back down the hallway, and I watched as he entered a room, presumably the one that he had been assigned.
"What do you think his vision means?" Aurora asked me.
"I have no idea," I told her. "No idea at all."
CHAPTER TWELVE
Not long after Able left, Fallon came to my room to escort me to the palace’s center courtyards. A private meeting had been arranged with the admiral of our naval fleet, or, at least, what was left of it.
We found Admiral Oliver Edeson standing in the middle of the immaculately manicured Kamoran garden looking completely uncomfortable and out of place in his surroundings. He was dressed in a sharp looking high collared, royal blue military coat with a long line of brass buttons down the front and a matching bicorn hat sitting jauntily on his head. He was ruggedly handsome, and held himself with a naturally regal posture that can't be learned or imitated. He looked every bit the part of a man who commanded thousands of men and expected each one of them to heed his orders.
As we approached, Admiral Edeson took his hat off and bowed deeply at the waist to me.
