The Last Queen: The Book of Kaels Vol. 1 (The Book of Kaels Series)

by Wendy Wang

  “You don’t wish to marry?” Finally he looked at her, his unblinking eyes riveting her to the spot. Her breath caught in her throat at the intensity of his stare.

  “I didn’t say that.” She scowled. “I think with everything going on in the realms there are better things to think of.”

  “Aren’t you afraid that you’ll miss your chance?” he said.

  “No, I’m not.” She squeezed his hand, remembering their stones and how they had joined without ceremony when she’d knocked them on the floor. “My mother once told me the fates have a way of making their plans known. I believe she’s right.”

  “I want you to keep it.” Cai slipped the pendant back into her hand.

  “No, you need this to protect you.”

  “It’s more important to me that you’re protected. Please? Keep it?”

  “And it’s more important to me that nothing happens to you.” She took the leather cord and held it open. His mouth pressed into a flat line but he bowed his head forward, allowing her to slip the cord over his head. The pendant lay neatly against his leather chest plate.

  “All right, then, I’ll wear it. But I do have another request.”

  “Oh no.” She shook her head and grinned. “I think you’re dangerously close to today’s limit on requests, Caius Declan.”

  “So far you’ve granted me nothing,” he protested, but his mouth curved into a wide grin.

  “Fine. What’s your request.” She tipped her head.

  “The latest class of wardens will be graduating in two days. I’d be honored if you’d accompany me.”

  She chuckled and shook her head. “That’s your request?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’d love to be your guest.”

  His voice shook as he chortled, giving away his nervousness. “Wonderful,” he said. “I’ll send for you in early afternoon if that’s all right. There’s something I’d like to show you.”

  “All right.” She shrugged and her stomach growled. She put her hand against her belly and they both burst into laughter.

  “Let’s get you home. I won’t be accused of starving you,” he teased.

  Eighteen

  “Is that what you’re going to wear?” Francie asked as Neala emerged from her closet with her best pair of black trousers and cornflower blue silk blouse.

  “What’s wrong with this?” Neala asked, feeling a little defensive.

  “It’s fine if you’re going to go tromping around the city or up in the hills but you can’t wear that to a state function. You should at least be wearing a skirt,” Francie said, amused.

  “Since when is warden graduation a state function?” Neala asked, dubious of her sister’s motives.

  “Since Mother’s going to be there. If the Queen attends, it automatically becomes a state function. You would know that if you paid attention,” Francie said, no longer amused. “You must dress the part, Neala.” Francie rose from her seat at Neala’s vanity mirror and disappeared into the closet. A few moments later, she emerged with a teal jacquard coat dress that buttoned to the waist and split, revealing matching pants. Francie held up the material against Neala’s body. “Beautiful. The perfect color for you.”

  “I don’t know about this. Seems rather formal.” Neala eyed the ensemble.

  “Trust me, you’re going to look beautiful. Which is important today,” Francie said, her voice full of knowing.

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Neala asked.

  “Nothing.” Francie shrugged one slim shoulder but Neala didn’t believe her. “You should just always look your best. That’s all.”

  “Francie,” Neala said, with a warning tone.

  “I can’t say anything. Even if I wanted to, which I don’t,” Francie teased. “You better hurry, though. I’m sure the chief will be here soon.”

  “Fine.” Neala gritted her teeth and undressed, throwing the trousers and blouse onto the bed. She pulled on the slim-fitting pants that tapered at the ankles and deftly fastened the row of tiny, opalescent buttons hidden along the line of her hip. Her eyes were drawn to her pale, pink toes. Her boots would not do. “I don’t have shoes to match this.”

  “Don’t worry, I do.” Francie practically skipped out of the room. Neala pulled the coat dress on and fastened the four gold buttons. She faced the mirror, tugging and smoothing the dress as best she could. Francie was right. It did look nice with her hair and skin. A few moments later Francie, returned with a pair of burnished gold slippers and a thin, gold thread dotted with pearls and crystals. “These will be perfect.”

  Neala took the shoes and slipped them onto her feet. They had barely any heel but they were comfortable, and that was all that mattered to her. “What are you going to do with that?”

  “I’m going to weave it into your hair. Sit down,” Francie said. Neala did as she was told and after a half-hour of styling, her sister had transformed her long, unruly locks into a work of art. A series of thin braids on either side of her head were coiled together and rolled at the nape of her neck. The gold thread was then woven through the coil. All that showed were the pearls and crystals and they appeared to be floating in the braids. Francie stood back and looked at her handiwork. Her lips bunched to one side and her eyes narrowed. “Hmmm… You need one more thing.” Francie pulled a gold circlet from the pocket of her robe.

  “No, Francie that’s too much.” Neala scowled.

  “No, it’s not. This is to be worn by a princess, which you are.” Francie unfastened a tiny hidden latch and the circlet folded open. She slipped it into Neala’s hair and placed it across her forehead before re-fastening it. Neala leaned forward to look at it more closely. Stamped into the gold on each side were symbols for the five elements. A garnet set in the center of golden flower petals, centered on her forehead, stared back at her like a third eye.

  “It’s beautiful,” Neala said. “Thank you.”

  “It’s Grammie’s so just make sure you take care of it,” Francie said giving Neala’s shoulder a squeeze.

  Neala ran her fingers over the metal. “I will. Are you going? I didn’t even ask.”

  “No.” Francie’s face deflated a little. “The chief doesn’t think it’s a good idea for Mother and me to perform duties like this together anymore.”

  “Why?”

  Francie twisted her lips and shrugged. “He thinks it’s dangerous with everything that’s going on.”

  “He’s probably right,” Neala said, strapping her dagger into place on her upper thigh. She turned it so that it was mostly hidden by her dress. “We’ll be surrounded by wardens today, but knowing what I know, it doesn’t really make me feel any safer.”

  “It’s hard to imagine that there’s any reason to be afraid,” Francie said.

  “I know,” Neala said, looking into the reflection of her sister’s eyes. “But there is.” Francie took a deep breath and nodded. “Hey, Francie—don’t tell the chief I said he was right.”

  Francie laughed. “All right.”

  ******

  Gordon waited in the grand hall for her. He stood stiff and tall in his formal uniform, and kept tugging at his collar. She’d never seen his beard cropped so neatly before and even his shaggy, strawberry blond hair had been combed. His eyebrows rose once he spotted her.

  “Don’t you look handsome,” she said as she approached him.

  “You clean up quite nicely yourself, Highness.” Gordon smiled and offered her his arm. “You ready?”

  Neala placed her hand in the crook of his elbow and nodded. “Yes. I think so.”

  “I promise, it’ll be painless. Maybe even a little boring,” he said.

  “Since when is boring painless?” she chided him.

  As with most things, Gordon took it in stride. “Indeed.”

  For a change, they took one of the royal carriages a—smart, black coach pulled by two dark copper-colored horses. It took longer than walking, but Neala sometimes enjoyed seeing the city streets this way. People stopped
and curtsied or bowed as they passed and Neala waved and smiled. It was the most royal thing she had ever done, aside from the few times she had ridden in the carriage with her mother. When they arrived at the wardens’ base, Cai waited for them at the base of the administration building’s steps. The site of him in his dress uniform took her breath away and caused her stomach to flutter. He helped her from the carriage and bowed his head.

  “Good afternoon, Your Highness,” Cai said. He offered his arm and, since it was a more formal occasion, she put her hand on his forearm and followed him up the steps. They made their way across the marble entrance hall, Neala stopping to look up at the ceiling. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed as the Boers were driven back by five united realms of Kaels.

  “Did you ever find out who painted it? Neala asked.

  “I did,” Cai said. “Did I not mention it?”

  “No, you didn’t,” Neala said, irritated.

  “I apologize. I meant to tell you. I thought I had—” Cai ducked his head. She quirked an eyebrow at him. “The painter was Sania Jin Lee.”

  “He was Nydian?” she said.

  Cai nodded. “Yes. And this was painted long before the likes of Atraxis or Peter.”

  She turned in a circle, following the action of the painting inside the rotunda. “How old is the painting?” Neala asked.

  “Since before my father was a warden,” Cai said.

  There went the possibility of talking to the painter. At least she had a name now. She said it silently to herself several times so she would not forget when it came time to look through her father’s library again. She wondered how many other painters like Sania Jin Lee had performed the technique. When she was ready, she tucked her arm into Cai’s. “What else did you want to show me?” she asked.

  His mouth curved into a smile. “The tower.”

  He led her up the stairs through the labyrinth of hallways till finally, they came to the quad between the four main buildings. They crossed the wide, green expanse to the Academy building. The sounds of cadets—young men and women—echoed through the foyer as they stepped inside. Fresh young faces filled every inch of the staircase. It was hard to tell where one ended and another began. All wore dress uniforms like Cai’s, with the crimson stripe running down the sides of their legs and gold piping around their collars. Of course, they didn’t have the insignia and ribbons or stripes that he had. The cadets laughed and joked and pushed each other as they made their way down the central staircase, headed for what Neala assumed was one of the happiest days of their lives.

  “Tench hut,” someone shouted and the scramble was on to get into a straight line, with their shoulders hoisted back, and eyes forward. Cai ignored them and led her up the steps. Their eyes followed her as she passed, making her neck flush with heat. A few of their thoughts drifted into her head. She’s too young for him. She can’t be too much older than me. Such finery. I wonder what it’s like to pull such a dress from the closet.

  The cadets held their position until finally, she and Cai reached the end of the line. He turned to face them.

  “At ease,” he said and every cadet folded their arms behind their back and placed their feet hip distance apart. The sound echoed through the chamber like a flurry of birds beating their wings.

  “I’ll be taking her Royal Highness to the watch tower,” Cai told one of the instructors. “See to it we’re not disturbed.”

  “Yes, sir,” the instructor said.

  As they walked away, Neala heard the instructor yelling at the junior wardens. “You hear that? You lot need to keep your manners about you. We have a princess in the house.” She smiled and shook her head.

  After a few more turns, they came to a rounded wall with a stairwell cut into it. Two wardens stood guard, their eyes straight, and bodies tall and stiff as she and Cai approached. Cai led her into the stairwell and they began the long climb up. At first, they started out together, side by side, but the farther they went, the narrower the stairs became. Cai put his hand on the small of her back as they separated, and he let her go in front of him.

  “Careful on these steps,” he cautioned. “They can be uneven.” The thin, leather sole of her slippers confirmed his warning, so she stuck to the center of each step and let her hand act as a support against the outer wall. Finally, they reached the top landing and he reached around her and touched the tip of his baton to the brass lock. It clicked and the heavy, wooden door pushed outward on his silent command.

  Neala stepped onto the slatted wooden floor. The wardens’ base was a citadel, anchoring one side of the city and the Palace—also a formidable, though beautiful, example of Kaelish architecture anchored the other side. From this height, she could see not only the practice field where the junior wardens practiced marching drills and practiced war games, but she could also see the palace, its white stone walls gleaming in the August sun. The wardens’ base had black marble columns and steps, and black granite stones made up its walls. The city streets wove a labyrinth between these two mammoth guardians keeping watch over the citizens.

  “What do you think?” Cai asked, his face full of bright expectation.

  “It’s a wonderful view. You can see the whole city. You could practically see inside my sister’s room.” She laughed and leaned against the railing. He sidled up next to her, letting his elbow touch hers.

  “From here we can almost see the future,” he said.

  “You have better eyes than I do, Caius Declan.” She nudged her elbow into his.

  “I’m being serious,” Cai said.

  “Of course you are. When are you not serious?” Neala couldn’t help but smile and give him a sideways glance. Cai fidgeted with his hands and his brow drew low over his eyes as if he were thinking very hard about something. Neala straightened, becoming more solemn. “Are you worried? I know we haven’t gotten very far on weapons production, but—”

  “That’s not it,” Cai said softly, but he did not look at her.

  “What is it, then?” She placed her hand over his to still them.

  “I need to know something.” Cai grabbed her hand and held onto it tightly, as if she might disappear should he let it go.

  “What is it?” She halfway wished that she had not given him his pendant back. He was closed to her.

  “You mentioned last night that you weren’t sure you would never be matched.”

  “Yes.” Her cheeks heated but her belly filled with ice. Finally, he turned his face to her. In the bright summer sun, his blue eyes sparkled like dark sapphires. For just one moment, the intense stone mask he often wore had been pulled aside, revealing his vulnerability.

  “I know you think this is frivolous. Maybe it is. But I need you to know how I feel about you, precisely because of what’s happening.”

  “Cai, I—” She stumbled over the words. He pressed three fingers against her lips to quiet her. He took a deep breath and cupped her cheek.

  “I have no right to do this. And I hope you’ll forgive me. But I love you.” He dropped his hand and dug into his pocket. When he had found what he was looking for, he knelt before her and held the ring out to her. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. There was supposed to be a ceremony. Ten young men chosen by her mother and the Council of governors were supposed to put their stones into a sacred vessel with hers and if the stone joined together they would be matched. Ordained by their own souls and the goddess above.

  “Cai—” Her voice strangled on the one syllable. Her hands reached for his arms, pulling him to his feet. “There’s something I have to show you.” He looked down on her, his eyes full of hurt and confusion. “Give me your stone,” she said brusquely, holding out her hand.

  “What?” His mouth twisted into a frown.

  “Your lifestone. Please, may I have it,” she said, trying to sound more civil. Francie constantly nagged her she would get more with honey than vinegar. Cai pocketed the ring and pulled the long, leather cord from around his neck. The silver pendant with
his lifestone held firmly in its center felt cool against the skin of her palm. She brushed her thumb across the metal, coaxing it to release stone. When it was free, she opened her locket and took her stone from its setting. She placed it in her palm next to his stone and closed her fingers over it.

  “I still think it’s frivolous at times like this to worry about some ancient ceremony that I’m not even sure makes sense in our world anymore. I think our hearts can be trusted just as much as these stones in making the right choice for our lives,” she said. “Still, it’s hard to give up the expectations that have been drilled into us since we were children.” She held out her fist, peeling back her fingers, revealing the two stones in the hollow of her hand. Her ruby and his obsidian clung together as one. Cai pinched the joined stones between his thumb and forefinger, holding them up to the sun. “Whether it was our souls or fate or the gods. I don’t know that it matters which. We’re already matched, Cai.”

  “How long have you known this?” he asked, incredulous.

  “Since the morning we went to Nydia. It happened accidentally when I was dressing.” She watched him roll the stones around in his fingers as if he might be able to part them easily, but they did not budge.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” he said, deep lines formed on his forehead. His voice sounded sharp.

  “You’re angry,” she said.

  The stones slipped into the hollow of his palm and he closed his fingers into a tight fist. “Of course I’m angry. All this time, I thought you were still in love with my brother.”

  “I told you, I was never in love with him. I was in love with the way he made me feel,” she said.

  “And me? How do I make you feel?”

  “Loved. Whole. Respected, even when we disagree,” she smiled. “You believe in me.” She covered his fist with her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze until he opened it. The joined stones sparkled and winked in the sunlight. She pulled them apart and placed them back into their pendants. Cai dug around in his pocket, pulling the ring he had started to offer her earlier. He took a step forward, closing the gap between them.