by M. D. Laird
The room descended into confusion once more as the rebels tried to establish who would be the ruler now the king was dead.
Rya stormed towards Maol with the blade poised ready to strike.
“No!” screamed Kyle, grabbing her and pulling the sword free. Rya’s guards moved to grab Kyle, and he shouted again. “No. Stop. He must have a trial. This is not right.”
Rya ignored him and continued to fight against Kyle who held onto her despite the efforts of her guards. Maol buckled under the agony of a hundred broken bones. He gasped for breath as he struggled to hold back a scream as Rya tortured him. The guards let go, and Maol dropped to the floor, unable to move.
The pain stopped suddenly, and Rya ceased her struggle against Kyle. She appeared to have been hit, though Kyle had done nothing. Maol caught his breath and pulled himself to his feet as the guards took hold of him once more. He then noticed that the crowd were kneeling once again. His eyes shot towards the king, but his body was still laid on the dais and still very much dead. The crowd were now kneeling before a thorian woman. A thorian woman who had emerged as the Crown as the king died.
I might have bloody known.
Maol laughed to himself, pulling himself—guards in tow—to his knees before Queen Eleanor.
You have got to be kidding me, thought Thomas. How has this happened? I saw her body. She was dead!
The princess—the queen—still dressed in her bloodied clothes, smiled at him as everyone around her kneeled. Thomas didn’t.
Does she expect me to kneel?
He had never made her submit to him.
“Everyone, please rise,” she said. “Thank you. No person should have to kneel before another.”
The members of the throne room stood before their second new ruler of the day—third if one counted Lord Amarya and fourth ruler in total if one counted the Lord of Rexalis.
Her audience stared at her, desperate for answers.
Axandria has brought her back. It has plans for her. Something must have changed. Axandria wouldn’t have let her die if she had a role to play.
“I know you want to know how I am here and the truth is, I don’t know,” she said. “I can only assume it is Axandria’s will. Time will tell what my purpose is. I will make a formal statement soon and a formal plan for reinstating the Crown, but, for now, I wish to abolish slavery. It has no place in Axandria or the world. If Lord Amarya’s armies prefer to stay in Axandria, then they may. They may take up employment and even work the lands if they wish—as it has been pointed out—it is an urgent requirement. Otherwise, they are free to return home. Should anyone persist with trying to keep slaves, then they will be arrested and tried before the court. This includes all forms of slavery including forced marriage.”
Thomas felt the relief of the members of the throne room who had emanated fear and anger only moments ago. The acrid scents of hate and despair were replaced by more pleasant aromas.
“I shall require the assistance of the Axandrian community to make our society work. I would like to meet with the rebel leaders, the leaders of each guild including the hominem, angels and demons tomorrow morning at ten o’clock. For now, it has been a very long few days, and we all need rest. Please return to your homes.”
The queen was met with cheers and applause when she had finished speaking. She smiled warmly and turned to grin at Thomas who smirked back at her.
“Excuse me,” snapped a female voice. Thomas turned to see Lord Amarya who was being restrained by one of the brotherhood soldiers who, in turn, was being restrained by her guards. “What is to happen to my father’s assassin?”
The queen glanced anxiously towards Maol before she started slowly. “I’m afraid that I agree that Maol’s actions were justified in protecting the future of this country and its people. I am sorry that you have lost your father, Lord Amarya, but I see it only fair to pardon Maol for his actions.”
“No,” screamed Amarya. “You can’t do this. He’s a murderer.” She turned to Maol, who was being released by the guards who had detained him. “You will never see our child. I will make sure of it.”
Maol looked pained and dropped his eyes towards the floor.
“Lord Amarya,” said the queen gently. “Please think about your decision and your place within Axandria. If your father had been allowed to reign under his plans, it would have been dangerous for Axandria, its people and the slaves you had promised to free. Please do not make your unborn child suffer.” Amarya wiped the tears furiously from her eyes. “You have worked very hard to ensure that the Crown is restored to Axandria and although I did not agree with your plans to sell the slaves, I was impressed with your attempts to improve things for the people who have lost loved ones. Please consider joining our court. We could use your passion to improve the lives of the Axandrian people. Please come along tomorrow.”
Lord Amarya wiped at her tears again and nodded to the queen. She shook free from the brotherhood soldier and stormed out of the throne room ignoring a tearful Maol.
“If Lord Amarya is not the queen, does that mean I don’t have to pay out that money for the slave?” Thomas asked as Eleanor walked with him and Maol towards the vector Arakiel had retrieved from the Guild of Sonneillon.
“I’ve outlawed slavery,” Eleanor replied. “If she sells Maol, then she’ll be breaking the law.”
“Good,” said Thomas. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day, that and the fact that you will stop sulking about your horse.”
Eleanor rolled her eyes.
“What happened?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” she said. “The last thing I remember is my brother coming towards me, I felt a fire burning through my stomach and everything went black. The next thing I knew, I woke up in Ramiel’s arms, and I knew I needed to get to the throne room, though I didn’t know how or why. Ramiel was flying in the midspace, though he wasn’t forced from the midspace when I returned. We flew back in the midspace. I think I can midspace now.”
“I didn’t detect you in the midspace.”
“Perhaps you were too distracted by the excitement.”
He huffed, insulted.
“Why do you think I can midspace now?” she said.
Thomas shrugged. “It could be part of the magic you manifest as the Crown or it could be because you were stabbed with the metal of Hell and you’ve gained some of Hell’s attributes.” He turned to her and gave her a mischievous smile. “Though you seem to have kept your good looks.”
She laughed. “I thought you didn’t flatter the vanity of thorian.”
“Your looks benefit me. I like to have something nice to look at in the bedroom.”
Maol cleared his throat before she could reply. She had forgotten he was there.
Thomas shrugged. Eleanor turned her attention to Maol who was bleary eyed as he walked at their side. “Are you okay?” she asked.
He turned briefly towards her before casting his eyes forward again. “I’ve gotten what I deserve,” he replied sullenly.
Eleanor put her arm through his. “Give her a chance to calm down.”
“She will never calm down enough to forgive me for killing her father,” he said. “She doesn’t even want the child, but she will keep it from me anyway. And why shouldn’t she? Who would hand their child over to a murderer?”
“You did the right thing,” Eleanor said gently.
“I’ve killed people before,” he snapped, shaking his arm free. “Please, Your Majesty. Please stop trying to make me feel better. I deserve this. I do not deserve a child.”
They made their way to the vector and then on to the guild in silence.
Upon arriving at the guild, Maol was shown to a bedroom on the first floor. Eleanor had wanted to give him her old bedroom, but Thomas had complained about the lack of privacy and had insisted he had a regular bedroom. Maol declined to take supper with her and Thomas stating that he just wanted to sleep but advised that he would join them for s
upper the following night.
“I do hope Lord Amarya calms down,” said Eleanor as she entered the bedroom with the prince. “We cannot afford to have two emotionally unstable alchemists capable of augmenting adamantine.”
Thomas grimaced.
“Can the high princes not just take it all away?” she asked, removing the bloodied clothes and heading for the bathroom.
Thomas shrugged. “They don’t involve themselves in the affairs of Anaxagoras. Besides, Hell’s equivalent of the angel blade is on earth. They will be pleased about that and won’t remove it unless Heaven commands it. Heaven involves itself less than Hell does.”
“I hope we can track down all the blades. We have no idea how many are unaccounted for.”
“We will know how much metal is missing once we have returned the blades we have to the Samael dungeon.”
“I hope we have got them all. I’m glad the rebels handed them over, but I imagine my brother has more hidden somewhere and he will go to the gallows without saying where.”
“You plan to execute him then?”
“That’s for the court to decide.”
“And your father?”
“The same. Victor too.” Eleanor called from the bathroom as she quickly washed before pulling on her nightgown. She entered their bedroom and took a seat beside Thomas who handed her a glass of brandy. “I wanted revenge, but that would make me no better than them.”
Thomas nodded. “You probably would have stayed dead if you’d sought vengeance. You’d be in Hell now.”
She shuddered. “Thankfully I saw sense. I thought about your words as I was speaking to my father.”
“I’m glad I am useful for more than my prowess between the sheets.”
She chuckled and rested her head on his shoulder. “This day has certainly turned out differently than I anticipated.”
“Indeed,” said Thomas. “I didn’t expect to find myself widowed and then married to a queen. It’s almost as bizarre as the day I didn’t expect to find myself married to a princess.”
Eleanor laughed and took a sip of her drink. “I can hardly believe it, though I am pleased. I hope I can make a real difference to Axandria and help its people.”
“Well, if anyone can, Princess, it is you. You’re stubborn enough and rarely take no for an answer, so I’m sure you will accomplish many things now you actually have power.”
Eleanor chuckled. “Is that a compliment or an insult?”
“A little of both.”
“Of course,” she said, grinning. “But you can’t call me Princess now that I am the queen.”
The prince pouted. “Do I really have to call you Your Majesty? It is bad enough that I am now outranked by my wife.” He looked towards her sharply. “You’re not expecting me to take orders, are you?”
“No.” She laughed. “I want things to be exactly as they were but without the constant reminders that you outrank me.”
He smiled and sipped his brandy.
“And you can call me by my name.”
“Very well,” he grumbled. “Though it feels decidedly odd.”
Eleanor grinned coyly and took his clawed hand in hers. “Well, perhaps a night of passion with the Queen of Axandria will help you to adjust.”
He returned her grin. “The Consort King of Axandria is willing to test that theory.”
She smiled. “Of course,” she said. “You’re the king. Though, technically, as I died, we are no longer married.”
Thomas frowned. “Is this your way of telling me you are leaving me?”
“No, this is my way of telling you that I want us to get married. Properly this time. Without either of us being forced into it.”
Thomas’ frown deepened. “Is that really necessary? It’s just a piece of paper anyway.”
“I liked being your wife. I want you to be my husband.”
“Fine,” he grumbled. “But don’t expect me to get on my knees and beg for your hand like some thorian villager.”
She laughed. “I wouldn’t dream of it. Then you will truly be a king. You’ll have a stupidly long title. You’ll be King Thomas of Rexalis, Consort Crown of Axandria in addition to your princeship. How will you arrange your name?”
“I have no idea,” he said. “But have you considered that if Hallward ever marries Queen Genevieve, then two out of three Anaxagorean continents will have a demon king?”
“That is quite bizarre. It is an odd shift and one I am convinced would never have happened if Queen Genevieve had not been chosen as Crown of Arkazatinia.”
“Indeed,” agreed Thomas. “I am the first demon ever to marry, but I doubt your father would have given you to me if he was not inspired by the queen’s betrothal to Hallward.”
“He wouldn’t have needed to use you if Queen Genevieve were not here and would probably just have had me executed. What do you think it all means?”
Thomas shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s probably just a coincidence.”
“Do you really believe that?”
He shrugged again. “How long do we have to keep slave boy for?”
“Until he has his own home.”
“You do know this is a demon guild and not a refuge for waifs and strays?”
She smiled. “If you lend him the money to buy a home, I will sell my horse and give you back the money.”
“Keep the damn horse.” He huffed. “At least I have something nice to look at whilst slave boy is here.”
She rolled her eyes.
“I mean something else nice to look at,” he added.
Her smile widened. “Two compliments in one day.”
He smiled softly. “I think I would have missed you if you had stayed dead.”
She smiled broadly and pulled him into her arms to kiss him. She became lightheaded as her happiness overwhelmed her. “I love you, Thomas.”
He kissed her. Soft, quick, eager kisses. He could not love her, but he could want her, and he did. That made Eleanor very happy indeed.
Eleanor knocked on Maol’s door the next morning. The thorian answered the door wearing only his trousers and gave Eleanor a spectacular view of his bare chest. Eleanor blushed heavily. Thomas was right, Maol was very muscular.
“Erm…I’m sorry,” she spluttered. “Good morning, Maol. May I speak with you?”
He opened the door wider to let her into his room.
She hesitated. “It’s not appropriate for me to enter your room,” she said. “Perhaps we could meet downstairs once you are…ready.”
He nodded. “Give me ten minutes.”
Eleanor was waiting for Maol in the hallway at the bottom of the staircase as he descended a few moments later.
“Have you had breakfast?” she asked.
He nodded. “Your attendant brought me some.”
“Would you care to take a walk with me?”
He shrugged, and Eleanor led him out of the guild through the rear of the building towards an orchard.
“How are you?” she asked.
He sighed. “Your Majesty, don’t feel you have to look after me,” he said. “I’m not your problem. I will be out of your way soon; I’m going to look for a job today. I’ll work the lands if I have to—I did some farming in Rya’s slave camp.”
“I am allowed to be concerned about people,” she said. “You don’t have to leave—you can stay as long as you like.”
“I doubt your husband is happy with that.”
“Don’t worry about the prince. He likes to grumble, but he will let you stay. I meant what I said, I will help you raise the baby.”
Maol shook his head. “She is never going to let me take the baby.”
“I will talk to her,” she replied. Maol gritted his teeth. “Thomas will still lend you the money to buy a house.”
He pressed his fingers to his temples in irritation. Eleanor was relentless, and he found his temper was surging. “I need to stand on my own feet,�
�� he said as calmly as he could manage. “I need to support myself and support my child. I don’t want handouts. I need to find work.”
“It’s not a handout, it’s a loan, and well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” She smiled. “I need to recruit a personal guard now I am queen. You’re a strong, talented fighter and you’re an experienced guard, and I wondered if you’d lead them.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty, but I don’t think that is a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“A ton of reasons. Firstly, I don’t lead people very well—I have a foul temper and frequently abuse any power given to me. Secondly, my last appointment ended because I killed someone. Thirdly, I assassinated the king just yesterday—do you really think this is a good idea?”
“I believe you deserve a chance,” she said. “I know there is more to you than just a bad track record. And that king would have been terrible for Axandria.”
“I’m sure not everyone sees it that way. Rya doesn’t see it that way.”
“She’ll come around.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Your Majesty.” He growled. “People don’t just come around when you murder their loved ones. Would you have come around when your father killed your lover?” She dropped her eyes towards the floor. “I know you want to fix everything, but you can’t. I know you want to see the good in everyone, but sometimes there isn’t any. I’m just a bad tempered ass, and Rya hates me now—that will never change.”
“I can talk to her. Maybe she’ll let me adopt the baby.”
“I doubt it.”
She bit her lip. “I will talk to her anyway,” she said. Maol gritted his teeth—he wished she would just give up. “Will you take the job?”
“I told you, Your Majesty,” he said. “I’m a terrible leader.”
“So, I won’t put you in charge.”
He let out a heavy sigh. “No. Thank you. It’s a generous offer, but I don’t deserve it.” He continued before she had a chance to interrupt. “And I don’t want it. All I have done is fight and guard my whole life. I’ve enjoyed it, but I just don’t want to do it anymore.”
