The Queen Maker

by Kristen Gupton

  Instantly, Keiran felt a pang of worry, dreading that Corina had been marred emotionally by watching a vampire kill. The idea it might change the way she thought about him wasn’t welcome.

  Still, he asked, “And what was that?”

  “While I am in relatively good health, something could happen at any time and end my life. If that happens, one of the few sources of information about your mother and her family disappears. Kanan knows as well. He and I have discussed the matter in the past, but there are certainly details of it he doesn’t know.”

  Keiran studied her for a moment. There had been a waver in her voice, and she’d withdrawn her hand to start fidgeting. He easily picked up on the fear and paranoia emanating from her, but she’d pushed through it, regardless.

  “I do desperately wish to know about her, but I also know it scares you to discuss it,” he said. “I can’t imagine why Athan ordered everyone silent about it.”

  She met his gaze, her expression grave. “Athan was afraid of Ilana Aviatrov, and I think he saw the potential for you to do what she never managed.”

  “Are you meaning to tell me she wanted to kill Athan?” he asked.

  “Aye. When your father went petitioning for a second wife, Ilana actually volunteered,” she said, shaking her head. “No other woman in her right mind would have done so after the reputation Turis Lee Sipesh had earned. She purposely wanted to get close to Athan and marrying Turis Lee was the easiest way to do so.”

  The vampire looked forward, taking it all in. Dozens of questions started to crop up. “But why would he fear her?”

  Corina patted his leg again before standing up. She turned to face him after scanning the room, her paranoia increasing. “I will be meeting with Kanan as soon as he gets the chance. I would prefer to have him with me for the rest of it, and there are some arrangements he and I must work out.”

  “Arrangements?” Keiran asked, cocking his head to the side as he pushed himself up from the stairs. “I don’t understand, why not just tell me?”

  “I was fooled by Athan for a long while. It wasn’t until after I conceived his child that I came to understand who he truly was. Only then did your mother’s warnings to me sink in, and only then did she make me part of her own plans.” Corina looked up into his eyes, her voice quieter. “I had to understand how Athan could worm his way into your mind, read it, and influence your feelings. As such, Ilana wanted at least two people to be a part of her contingency plan. She divided it up between Kanan and I. She taught me how to hide what she told me from Athan, but it’s time it was passed on to you.”

  Keiran filled with worry. If Athan were within listening range, he wondered if the vampire would kill Corina. Then again, if Athan was that deeply concerned about the old woman revealing what she knew, why would he have saved her just a few days before? He gave a deep sigh of frustration but knew better than to pry further into it for the moment.

  “Very well,” he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You and Kanan do what you must, and if there are resources you need me to make available, let me know.”

  She gave him a nod and a smile, still giving up clear evidence of her fear. Needing a change of subject, she turned the conversation back to Keiran, curious to hear the details of his excursion.

  Keiran linked arms with her and started to walk around the castle, telling her the entire story. Traveling to Edinau and what they found, along with his first encounter with Danier after learning of Thana’s kidnapping. Everything was discussed, including his trip with Jerris into the Sador Empire and of Thana’s ordeal while there.

  Corina was upset visibly at multiple points, and she was disappointed Thana had not followed her original order. Though all three young people had returned, it had been far too close for her liking. Finding out about Thana’s injury had been the worst part of it all.

  “Dear God, Keiran! And now she’s just off alone in her room?” she asked, looking somewhat mortified.

  “She was very tired when we arrived, and she hasn’t had any time to herself throughout all of this,” he said. Keiran shrugged as they stopped in the middle of the courtyard. “However, the fact she was made an asashi by the emperor had a very interesting side effect.”

  “Other than costing the poor thing her hand?”

  Every time Keiran thought of that, it made him sick. He didn’t intend to diminish what she’d been through in the least, but it had given her a legal title. “Aye, that was horrible, but it also technically made her Sadori nobility. As such, Father Beezle agreed Thana and I are qualified to wed.”

  Corina, despite her age, screamed like a teenage girl amid all the people around them in the courtyard. She didn’t notice everyone’s attention turning to her, nor how they continued to watch as she nearly tackled Keiran with a hug.

  She was overjoyed at the news, knowing how much Thana meant to her foster son. Tears streaked down her cheeks as she continued to make excited noises. Though she knew Keiran was destined for a difficult future, Corina hoped his relationship with Thana would make it all worthwhile.

  ***

  “Jerris, get going.”

  The redhead awoke with a start, having slept with his head on the table in the guardhouse. He’d only been asleep for a few hours and immediately the regret over how much he’d drank the night before rolled into his head.

  “Already?”

  Kanan stood with his hands on his hips, dressed in his formal attire. He knew his son and the king had spent the better part of the night drinking, and as was often the case, he was completely unsympathetic to Jerris’ hangover.

  “Aye, we’ll need to leave in three hours,” he replied.

  Jerris squinted and frowned. “That’s three hours from now! What do I need to do between now and then besides dress?”

  “Bathe.”

  “All right, bathe and dress,” he conceded.

  Kanan pulled out the chair on the opposite side of the table and sat, placing a vellum sheet before him. “I do need to speak with you before we go.”

  The redhead quirked a brow. “I know. I need to behave and not break formation and so forth.”

  “That’s a given and not what I need to discuss,” he said.

  “Then what?”

  “I spoke with Keiran a few days ago.”

  “Congratulations,” Jerris replied.

  Kanan stood up enough to reach across the table and slap his son in the side of the head. “Be serious!”

  Jerris pouted and rubbed his head, the impact having done nothing for his hangover. “Sorry.”

  “I have decided to officially pass the title of King’s Knight onto you,” Kanan said, settling back into his seat. “I will remain as the head of the Royal Guard until I’m no longer fit, but from this moment forward, you are officially the king’s personal guard.”

  “I’m not even knighted,” Jerris said, knitting his brow.

  Kanan placed a large hand onto the document before him and pushed it over to Jerris. “Yes, you are. The certification for your promotion was officially sealed by the king himself this morning.”

  Jerris pulled the sheet closer, picking it up. A wax seal was present, imprinted by Keiran’s phoenix and horse ring. He glanced over the words quickly, seeing that his journey into the Sador Empire had been cited for his promotion. Knighting in their country wasn’t accompanied by any grand ceremony, only paperwork.

  He smiled and looked over at his father. “I wasn’t rightly expecting this.”

  Kanan leaned back in his chair as was his habit, arms crossing over his chest. “I had my time with Turis Lee, though we weren’t friends on any level. It’s your turn. You’ve proven yourself to my satisfaction and to Keiran’s.”

  Jerris continued to smile and looked over the document again. “I get a raise in wages as well, correct?”

  Kanan closed his eyes and brought his hands up to his temples. “You were already overpaid.”

  ***

  Corina rode along with Thana inside a carr
iage toward the cathedral in Tordan Lea. The older woman was wearing a light-blue gown, far more elegant than any dress she had ever owned. Keiran had given it to her as a gift for the occasion. He’d requested she be one of the three mandatory witnesses to the marriage.

  Corina had found some dried flowers to weave throughout her long, braided hair. They complemented her graying hair well, and Thana had helped her apply some makeup, having learned something about it from the asashis back in the Sador Empire.

  Thana, too, had done up her own hair with purple flowers and applied makeup. The young woman wore an ornate purple gown, the long train of which sat neatly curled near her feet. The sleeves had been designed long and flowing, easily concealing her missing hand. Her eyes were fixed out the window as she tried to keep her wits about her.

  The older woman studied Thana carefully, seeing the nervousness in her. Corina felt bad for her on some level, knowing it should have been Sorna in the carriage with her. However, when they had tried to contact Thana’s adoptive mother, the woman had refused to acknowledge any request for her to visit the castle.

  “Are you having second thoughts?” Corina asked.

  Thana closed her eyes for a second before smiling faintly. “I’m living the dream of countless other women. I have no reservations in marrying Keir at all.”

  “You’ve been quiet since returning to the castle.”

  “Aye,” she said. “My entire life has been turned upside down. My mother isn’t my mother, I’m not Tordanian as I thought, I am no longer a mere servant, Keir is the king, and this...”

  Corina watched as she lifted her right arm slightly. “I do regret the way things happened with Sorna. I wish there was something more I could have done.”

  “I give her credit. She raised me, and it wasn’t all that bad until recent times. I was so young when my father died that I don’t remember him in the least. I simply thought I looked like he must have. But…”

  “But?” Corina asked.

  Thana looked into her eyes. “If none of this had happened, I would still be a servant and not able to marry Keir. It’s bittersweet. May I ask something?”

  The older woman nodded.

  “Why did you never marry?” Thana asked. “Most of the servants eventually wed, whether it be to a guard or someone else they meet in the castle.”

  It was Corina’s turn to look out the window. She had been asked that question before, but the answer had always been just a shrug. Maybe it would help to say it for once. “I had no prospects before I was given to the castle. Once I was, no one appealed to me until Lord Vercilla decided to use me. He manipulated me into falling in love with him, promising to take me away from here. We know how that turned out.”

  “And no one since then ever appealed to you?” Thana asked, leaning forward.

  “I was quite busy raising Keiran, but I would be lying if I said I’d never fancied someone.”

  “Whom?”

  The old woman laughed to herself and blushed deeply. She looked at Thana, eyes bright with amusement. “You will simply laugh.”

  Thana couldn’t stand it. “Oh, tell me! I will keep it secret.”

  Seeing that Thana was amused and taken away from her melancholy by the conversation, Corina confessed. “I have found myself rather attracted to Kanan for many years.”

  Thana covered her mouth with her left hand and laughed to herself. “Well, at least it’s not Jerris!”

  “Dear God, no. Dear God Almighty,” she said, shaking her head and laughing as well. “That apple fell a little far from the tree. Ah, we’re here.”

  The carriage stopped before the cathedral, the door opened by a guard. Thana carefully stepped down, seeing the vast number of people lining the path to the doors of the enormous building. She felt a cold sweat break on her skin and started to shake.

  Corina came up and laced an arm through Thana’s and led her forward. The girl seemed to be suffering the same stage fright that plagued Keiran. The wedding itself would be held in private once inside, with just the priest, the couple, and their three witnesses.

  Thana set her gaze on the ground and let Corina pull her along, wanting to get inside and away from prying eyes as quickly as possible. They moved up the stairs, her legs almost giving out beneath her. Once at the top, the doors closed behind her, muting the noise of the crowd outside.

  Keiran was already inside, standing near the altar as he had for his coronation. Beside him were Jerris and Kanan. The two guards were in their dress uniforms, complete with armor accents, but Thana paid little attention to them as she walked forward.

  It was Keiran who held her attention. He was standing before her, his formal outfit black and topped with a military style coat, two rows of gold buttons up his chest. There was a purple sash across his chest, which matched her dress. His riding boots were highly polished as was his sword belt and rapier.

  The vampire’s cheeks burned red, his hair loosely tied back. He watched her approach, looking every bit as nervous as Thana was. He’d not seen her for several days before the wedding, which was tradition in their country. Now, seeing her in the ornate wedding dress and with her hair done and makeup on, Keiran almost felt light headed.

  Jerris nudged him with an elbow and whispered. “She cleaned up nicely.”

  Kanan looked around Keiran and gave his son a look of disapproval. “Behave.”

  Thana came up and moved to Keiran’s side, looking up at him with an eager smile. She reached out with her left hand, grabbing Keiran’s right. “I’m relieved to finally be here.”

  “Aye, so am I,” he said, giving her a shy grin. He wanted to tell her how beautiful she looked, but his social awkwardness got the better of him, and his cheeks darkened more.

  Corina moved over toward Kanan, looking him over with a smile. Her confession in the carriage echoed in her mind, making her giddy. “So, does this make you long for the day you can marry Jerris off?”

  He glanced at his son before looking down at Corina. “Do you honestly think he’ll find a girl gullible enough to wed him? I don’t.”

  Jerris frowned and looked over at them as they continued to wait for Father Beezle to appear.

  Corina smiled at the redhead. She knew the young man tended to get around but was far from serious when it came to relationships. It was Jerris’ way, and she didn’t see it changing anytime soon.

  Their conversations stopped when Father Beezle emerged. He walked up the aisle behind them and then moved around the altar. He carried a large book in his arms. It wasn’t a book of scripture, however. It was the official church record of royal marriages, births, and deaths. He opened the volume and carefully turned the brittle pages before coming to the entry he’d prepared for the day.

  He’d donned a white robe for the occasion, his small glasses on the end of his nose. He picked up a quill from an ink jar he’d left on the altar earlier before smiling at Keiran and Thana. “Are the two of you ready for this?”

  They looked at one another before mutually nodding.

  He turned his eyes to the page. “On this day, we shall bond Keiran Valis Lee Sipesh, King of Tordania, to Thana Elshon Leoram, Asashi of the Sador Empire, in marriage. Do both of you agree to this union before God and your witnesses?”

  Keiran looked at Thana and then the priest. “Aye, I agree.”

  Thana did the same. “I agree as well.”

  Father Beezle recorded their statements quickly on the page before lifting his gaze again. “Does Sir Kanan Aaron Steiner find their agreement to be sincere and true?”

  “Aye.”

  “And Sir Jerris Aaron Steiner?”

  The redhead sighed. “Aye.”

  “And the Good Lady Corina Dana Yosef?”

  “Aye.”

  Father Beezle wrote with each reply and then said, “I, too, Father Randall Finley Beezle, agree and do bless this union.”

  He set the quill down and waited just a few moments for the ink to dry before closing the book. “So be it, you ar
e wed.”

  Keiran let out the breath he’d been holding and turned to Thana with a smile. He was glad the ceremony was short and much simpler than the ones he’d gone through during his coronation. He closed his eyes and leaned down, pressing a kiss to Thana’s lips.

  She returned it, giving a quiet laugh afterward. Like Keiran, she was happy it was done and recorded as legal. No matter who didn’t like it, it was binding until death. “We survived.”

  Keiran nodded and started to reply, but the sound of a bird flapping and landing caught his attention. He turned around, spotting a large raven standing on the back of a pew nearby.

  The bird sat there, head turned sideways, staring right back. It took a few steps along the back of the bench, talons clicking against the wood.

  The young vampire tensed his jaw and felt the immediate ache of his fangs. He knew no one else present realized the bird was Athan, and he dreaded what the other vampire wanted.

  The sentries near the doors pulled them open, showing it was time for Keiran and his new queen to exit and be met by the people outside. The raven stared at Keiran and Thana for just a few more seconds before launching itself back into the air and gliding out of the building.

  Thana smiled to herself as the birds were viewed as positive signs. “I wonder how long the poor thing was trapped in here?”

  Keiran knew well enough it hadn’t been a wayward raven at all. Still, he saw no reason to upset Thana or anyone else by announcing the fact it had been Athan Vercilla. He forced up a smile and pushed back the anger that had washed over him.

  After making certain his fangs hadn’t descended, he said, “Let’s go outside.”

  Thana wasn’t eager to face the crowd again, but with the wedding itself official, the pressure she’d felt earlier was gone. She took his hand, and the newlywed couple and their three witnesses all filed out.

  When they emerged, Keiran lifted his free hand to offer a wave at those gathered, and a loud cheer was given by the crowd. He couldn’t help but smile in return, appreciating the genuine approval the people had for him.

  Thana stood at his side, meeker than her husband. After living all her life in obscurity, it was completely alien to have such attention. She smiled, however, proud to be with him.