“You mean to tell me he was unaware before that night as well?” She found it hard to believe Feolan was left out of such an important detail in Thade’s life. His strange behavior throughout their trip back to Siscal made sense, however. It must have come as quite a shock to him, the same as it had to her when she’d finally figured it out.
“Outside my immediate family, Cadell was the only other person aware of my identity. It was that way for years. Admittedly, Feolan’s knowledge of the truth made things easier between him and I for business. There was a level of trust that otherwise never would have been achieved.”
“And yet you still chose not to tell me that night in Siscal?”
“I wanted to – but my head was not clear. I was so afraid of losing you forever, all I could think of was how to keep us together,” he explained, the sadness undeniable in his eyes. “I knew there was a strong chance my mother would deny the marriage; and even if she agreed to it, I could not imagine putting you in the same danger as my family has faced for years. Constantly in fear of our lives, and our children – do you have any idea the horrible things I feared might befall them? I just wanted us to be happy, and my very birthright would have made it impossible.”
“So when exactly were you going to tell me?” she asked, her tone stern. She wanted to know. She deserved to know. “Were you just going to keep it a secret and then one day when we were old and grey simply ‘oh, by the way, I happen to be the Crown Prince of Tanispa.’ What a great surprise that would be.”
“I had made up my mind before I fell asleep that I would tell you as soon as we awoke the next morning. But you were gone.”
She fell silent. How could she possibly be upset with him over something which meant so little now? His reasons were understandable. And there was no way for her to know how she would’ve reacted to the news back then. So much had changed since that night. She hated to think that she would have denied him simply because of his position, out of fear that he would turn out like his brother Enaes. Her respect for the royal family was greater now than it had been then.
There was only one detail which continued to confuse her. He was willing to give up everything that night, just to be with her. To leave the throne and all the power behind. It amazed her to think of the sacrifice. Was she really worth that much to him? “You were willing to leave all this behind for me? To give it all up in a single night – in a single decision – without any regret?”
“I would give it up even now if you asked it of me, Leyna. You need only say the word and I will walk out this door with you and never return, if it is your desire.”
“No,” she shook her head, amazed at what she was hearing him say. She could never allow him to do such a thing. After all the work they did to save their people, she couldn’t then be the reason it all fell apart. “I would never ask that of you, Thade.”
“Then my request still stands, the way it did that night,” he said suddenly. She stared at him in disbelief as he knelt down on the floor in front of her, his hand gently taking hers. He gazed up at her, his eyes glowing brightly, seeming to plead with her silently. “Will you share all of this with me, Leyna? As my wife? My Queen?”
Her hand lifted to cover her mouth in awe. This was the last thing she expected. How could she possibly respond? Everyone in the room was watching, including the Queen, the sound of the hushed whispers in the crowd amplified through the silence. “I think I might faint,” she breathed, fanning herself frantically. Damn that corset. All she needed was a single full breath in order to calm her racing heart before it burst from her chest in front of the entire city of Sivaeria.
A fearful look passed over Thade’s eyes at her reaction. He continued to gaze up at her, expectantly, waiting to hear her response, afraid of what her silence might mean. She watched him, unable to take her eyes from him. It meant everything for her to say yes. And if she did, how could the Queen possibly deny them in front of her entire kingdom?
“Yes,” she smiled, a soft laugh escaping her lips at the sight of the relief in Thade’s eyes.
In a blur of motion, Thade rose to his feet, catching her up in a fierce embrace, her feet lifted from the ground as he spun them around, pausing only to draw her to him in a tight hold, pressing his lips to hers. Everything around her disappeared, feeling nothing but his kiss, his arms wrapped around her tenderly. It wasn’t until he pulled his lips away that she thought again of her conversation with Cadell, the fear returning to her eyes in place of the happiness.
“What is it?” Thade asked in concern. “Is something wrong?”
“Your mother,” she said quietly. “What if she does not allow it?”
“Do not be ridiculous,” a soft voice chimed from behind Thade, the slender figure of Queen Vorsila taking shape at his side. “The Lord and Lady Diah were more than generous during the negotiations. How could I possibly refuse an offer like that? At this point, it mattered little if you said yes or no to the proposal. The choice was made for you.”
Relief washed over her to hear the Queen’s words. It had worked! They were able to bypass Iden’s greed. All of the pain and suffering of the years all came down to this point, and it was more than worth the joy she felt. She would endure it a hundred times over just for that moment.
Excitedly, she took Thade in her arms again, finally feeling as if things were falling into place where they belonged.
Iden’s voice cut through the crowd, breaking the applause of the courtiers. The cheers trailed off, their eyes turning to face him as he approached the Queen. “I expect we will be needing to go over the standard marriage procedures. It is an honor to share this happy moment with you and your family.”
“Ah, you,” Vorsila rolled her eyes. “I nearly forgot about you.”
Thade pulled Leyna in closer to him, his body turned slightly to keep himself between her and Iden protectively. “In case you have not heard, the lady is already spoken for. Negotiations have been completed and closed.”
“That cannot be,” Iden argued. “With all due respect, I am her guardian. She cannot be married without my consent.”
“You should have thought about that before you lied to the General when he came to you inquiring of the existence of your granddaughter and before you involved yourself in the theft of documents from my personal records. Such deeds relinquished any rights you had over this woman. Her next of kin has been contacted. Your fate, however, will be in her hands at this point. If I were you, I would pray she is a merciful queen,” Vorsila smiled. “Now step back before I have you removed from my home. If you cause any trouble this evening for my son or his betrothed, I will not be so merciful.”
Cadell appeared from behind Iden, his hands firmly grasping the man by the arms to escort him away. Content, Vorsila turned back to Leyna and Thade, her arms outstretched to Leyna with a smile.
“Thank you,” Leyna whispered, afraid of hurting the Queen if she pressed too hard against her frail form. “This means more to me than you know.”
“I owe you my family,” Vorsila nodded, stepping back to offer Leyna’s arm to Thade once again. “Now you two enjoy the party. I have wedding plans to tend to and I expect grandchildren immediately. No excuses.” She turned to Thade, her index finger pointed at him sternly.
“Yes, mother,” he chuckled. Gently he leaned in to kiss Vorsila on the cheek, his attention turning to Leyna with a warm smile. “Come, Milady,” he said, taking Leyna’s arm in his. “I am saving all of my dances for you this evening… and every other evening after that.”
Epilogue
Leyna’s hand brought her quill across the parchment piece, the ink soaking into the surface. It felt strange to her, having her own office, the desk set up for her to handle any official business. Though there were scribes on hand to take dictation for her, this particular letter she felt necessary to make more personal.
As the final word formed under the tip of the quill, she read it over, careful to check for any errors. The structure needed to
be perfect. Every word must be exact. There was no room for any mistakes. The document was far too important to risk error.
“There you are, darling,” Thade smiled as he entered the room, moving over behind the desk to give her a gentle kiss. His hand came to rest over her protruding stomach, gazing fondly into her eyes. “You should be resting. There will be plenty of time to handle business once the baby is born.”
“That is where you are wrong,” she chortled. “My attention will be quite centered on the baby for quite some time. This matter could not wait.”
Thade’s eyes glanced over the parchment in curiosity. With a nod of understanding, he scooted the ink jar closer to her, his fingers playing with the ends of her long hair. “If it is to your liking, you best sign it. I do not blame you for desiring the matter to be over and done with. I am anxious for it to be as well.”
“Have our guests arrived? If so, I do not wish to keep them waiting.”
“Yes, Feolan and Maeri are getting settled into their quarters as we speak. I thought I should bring you the news personally. They brought word with them from Siscal.”
“Good word, I hope?” she asked, turning in her chair to gaze up at Thade.
He smiled down at her, nodding emphatically. “Teagan’s trial only just came to an end over the last month. Queen Nesperiti found him guilty of treason for assisting in crimes against the people of Siscal and Tanispa. He was discharged from his station and resides now in a cell somewhere in the depths of the Siscal prison.”
Leyna exhaled in relief. Knowing the kind of man Teagan was, it was a blessing to hear that he was no longer in a position to hurt anyone. “And Reina’s child? Were they able to find her in the orphanage?”
“Yes. They brought her daughter with them. She is reunited with her mother at the moment, and we will have an opportunity to meet her at dinner this evening.”
“I am looking forward to it.” She turned back to the parchment, her eyes scanning over the words one final time. “I think this will do. There is no sense in dwelling over it any longer than I already have. We have much more to be thankful for now. It would be foolish to let the past ruin our happiness.”
“That – and you are not allowed to be stressed about anything. Doctor’s orders,” he scolded her in jest. “My mother is on my back constantly to keep you under lock and key in your bedroom until her grandchild is born.”
She laughed at his comment, finding it more humorous knowing it to be true. Vorsila had been absolutely mad since they told her of Leyna’s condition. And with good reason. Leyna felt she was justified in her concerns. She had many of her own.
Taking the quill up in her hand again, she dipped it into the ink, the graceful strokes of her name signing the bottom of the parchment. It was done. All that was left was for it to be delivered and everything would be right again. Those who had wronged her would know where they failed, and would be reminded of their mistake every waking moment for the rest of their lives.
“Let us go then,” she nodded, rising to her feet, her lips planting a soft kiss on Thade’s cheek. “I am anxious to see my sister – and I am starving. Dinner cannot come soon enough.”
Thade wrapped his arm around her waist. “I will have a snack prepared for you,” he chuckled, guiding her out of the room. There in silence, the parchment remained atop the desk, the words written upon it slowly drying, the ink soaking in to prevent it from smearing before it could be delivered.
My dear Iden,
If you are not aware by now, then you should know that I have been married to Prince Thade and the Levadis family name is now my own. This brings no benefits to the Evantine family, I am afraid; however this should be of no concern to you anymore.
As of this time, for your selfish deeds and crimes against your people, you are hereby stripped of the Evantine name and all titles which have been bestowed upon you because of it. The royal guards will see you safely to your new home outside of Sivaeria and I wish you the best of luck in returning to the life you led before you were so graciously accepted into the Evantine family.
May the gods have mercy on your soul the way I have been merciful to your body.
Sincerely,
Queen Leyna Evantine Levadis
The Myatheira Chronicles: The Vor'shai: From the Ashes (Volume 1) Page 98
