The Gargoyle Gets His Girl

by Kristen Painter

  “Pathetic,” Kyanna spat. She struggled, but the royal guards kept a firm hold of her.

  One of them asked Willa, “What should we do with her, Your Highness?”

  “Take her to the dungeon. The wooden cell that isn’t busted.” She held her hand up. “Take Zane, too.”

  Her brother cursed at her. “What have I done?”

  “You did Kyanna’s bidding. Colluded with her. Kidnapped us. The dungeon’s the best place for you until we figure this out.”

  Kyanna struck at Willa, but Nick snaked his arm out and blocked her attack. The guards took her to the floor of the grand hall a second later, pinning her there until she went still.

  Willa stood over her sister, shaking her head. “Now who’s pathetic, Kyanna? You’re sprawled on the floor of the grand hall, your silk gown’s dirty and torn and your demented dreams of ruling this great kingdom shattered. As they should be. You’re done as All Seer. And done ruining Rhoswynn. You were never the right person to take over after King Edwyrd.”

  “And you are?” Kyanna snarled as the guards hoisted her to her feet, her hands confined behind her back by wooden shackles.

  “I’m certainly more qualified than you.” Willa shook her head and inhaled a deep breath. “Take them away.”

  With sharp nods, the guards hauled Kyanna and Zane off. Kyanna went, fighting and cursing the whole way. Zane just trudged along, head down, refusing to make eye contact with anyone.

  Gerard nodded his approval. “You handled that well.”

  “Thank you.” She sighed. “It’s been a long day. All I want to do now is rest.”

  He put his hands together. “My apologies, Your Highness. I understand you must be very tired after such a display of your considerable power, but the king has asked that the coronation ceremony take place immediately.”

  “Immediately?” Her grip on Nick’s arm tightened.

  “I’m afraid so. I can give you an hour to rest at most.”

  “Two,” Nick countered. “She’s exhausted.” Anyone who couldn’t see she was pale from her efforts wasn’t looking hard enough.

  She let out a shallow exhale. “I am. Two hours sounds great. Otherwise, I may not make it through the ceremony.”

  “Very well. Two hours, not a second more, then back here.” Gerard hesitated. “May I also be so bold as to say I am very glad you won.”

  “Thank you.”

  He gave her a short bow and strode away, off to prepare for the next stage of Willa’s life.

  She slumped against Nick. “I love you for getting me that extra hour, but how are we actually going to get out of here?”

  He nodded, wishing he could have gotten her more. “Lean on me. I’ll get us back to your parents.” He lifted his head and looked around. The crowd was thick and straining the silk cords. “Guards, your queen and her family need an escort.”

  A six pack of fae royal guards looked at Willa. She gave them a weary nod. They fell in around them. He held Willa upright as he bent down, grinned at Shay and jerked his thumb toward his back. “Climb on.”

  Her parents went ahead of them. Nick kept an arm around Willa’s waist as Shay rode on his shoulders. The crowd clambered around them, reaching for Willa and congratulating her, but the guards kept them back. Nick pressed forward. He wanted to return her to her parents’ as quickly as possible.

  But with the crush of the crowd, almost twenty-five minutes passed before they were safely in her parents’ home once again.

  Willa slumped even further as soon as the door was shut behind them. “I know there’s a lot to discuss, but I’m about to collapse, so we’ll have to save that conversation for later.”

  “You need to rest.” Melinna nodded. “Do you want anything? Tea? Something to eat?”

  “No,” Willa said. “Just the longest nap I can get away with.”

  Nick leaned down so Shay could slide off his shoulders. Then the little girl ran up to Willa and grabbed her hand. “I’ll tuck you in.”

  A tired smile answered Shay. “Thank you, sweetheart.” Willa let her little sister take her off to bed.

  Nick watched them go, and the sudden realization that he was losing Willa struck him like an armor-piercing round. The impending loss resonated through him in sharp, grinding waves that refused to calm.

  In less than two hours, Willa would be crowned queen of the kingdom of Rhoswynn. Her family was here. The family she’d just been reunited with. There would be no place for him in her life. And no reason for her to come back to Nocturne Falls.

  He’d faced hell in the Rangers. Willingly. But this was a brand new kind of torture. Losing Willa wasn’t something he’d bargained on, just like he hadn’t figured on falling in love with her either, but he had.

  Hard.

  And now the picture that he’d been painting in his head of their future was blurred and muddy. What future could they have when she was fae royalty and he wasn’t even fae?

  He almost laughed. The irony of that wasn’t lost on him. But there was nothing funny about the reality of the situation.

  Could he stay here? Maybe. But he’d be giving up a great job and his house to live in a place where his people had once been held as slaves. And how much of Willa would he really get? As queen, her responsibilities would be numerous. Her time would not be her own. There wouldn’t be any quiet dinners out, no more lazy summer picnics.

  Instead, there would be pomp and circumstance and round the clock protection. Her life would be lived under a microscope of public scrutiny.

  Something his presence would only intensify. People would talk. Judge her for her relationship with him. He couldn’t do that to her. Couldn’t undermine her rule that way. It wasn’t fair to her.

  But she’d known that, hadn’t she?

  No wonder she hadn’t answered him when he’d talked about spending the future with her. She’d known it might not be possible.

  Hurt welled up in his throat. He swallowed it down, but it tasted bitter. This was his problem to deal with, not Willa’s. He’d get over it. Eventually. He understood what she’d done by challenging Kyanna for queen. Hell, he probably would have done the exact same thing. As a strategy went, it was brave and bold and admirable.

  It just didn’t leave any room for him. He glanced down. Now what did he do about the bracelet?

  Willa woke to a hand on her shoulder. She blinked and looked up into the face of the man she was crazy about. The man who’d given her the strength and courage to stand and fight when all she wanted to do was run. She smiled, her heart so full of him in that moment she could do nothing else. “You have a surprisingly soft touch for a guy your size.”

  He smiled back, a little something else in his eyes that kept the smile from fully reaching his gaze. “Hey, I’m adaptable. How are you feeling?”

  “Better.” She pushed upright and yawned as she stretched. “Definitely better. But I’m still going to sleep hard tonight.”

  She shook her head and stared past him at the soft light coming in the window. “I can’t believe I’m about to be crowned queen of Rhoswynn.”

  “How about that.”

  She looked at him again. “It’s crazy. I was a runaway. And now I’m going to be queen.” However temporary. She swung her legs off the bed and snuggled up beside him. “I’m sorry you got dragged into all this, but I’m not sorry you’re here. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

  “I’m sure you would have managed.” He put his arm around her and kissed her head. “But I’m glad I’m here with you, too.”

  He dropped his arm abruptly and stood, holding out a hand to her. “We should go. We’ve only got a few minutes to get back to the castle.”

  “Do I have time to freshen up?”

  “Absolutely.” Something in his face changed, and there was the sudden gleam of pride in his eyes. But there was also sadness there, which she didn’t understand. “You’re about to be queen. They can wait for you as long as you want them to.”

  “Ok
ay.” She smiled, even though the moment had filled her with an inexplicable melancholy. “I’ll be ready in a few minutes then.”

  “See you downstairs.” He hesitated, then kissed her cheek before leaving.

  Something was going on. She just wasn’t sure what. She shook off the feeling as much as she could and washed up, tucking a few loose strands of hair back into her braids and patting some color into her cheeks. The nap had done her a lot of good, but she still looked ragged.

  She stared at herself in the mirror and sighed. It was going to have to do. Shouldn’t matter what she looked like anyway. All she had to do was get through the coronation and then she could make her first official proclamation.

  She smiled. Her last would come right on its heels. Buoyed by that thought, she headed downstairs, ready to face this final step.

  Things were very different as they returned to the castle. A long runner of purple silk had been set up from the entrance of the great hall to about fifty feet into the surrounding courtyard. Guards met them at the door of her parents’ house and walked them to it. More guards were stationed along the runner to keep the crowds back. Apparently, the coronation was not going to be a publicly attended event.

  Or so she thought until another pair of guards bowed and pulled wide the doors of the great hall. The crowds were still there. Some of them anyway. She got the sense that these were the most important people in the kingdom and that they’d been invited to this event well ahead of time. Only the woman being crowned had changed.

  At the very least, the crowd was dressed in their finest and well subdued. Perhaps by the seriousness of the occasion. More likely Gerard had made a threatening announcement.

  She liked the man based on what she’d seen from him. He seemed like he brooked no nonsense. Willa had discussed her plan with him and knew he thought it was highly irregular. She just hoped he didn’t argue with her plan when she announced it.

  The doors to the great hall were shut again, and guards led them to the front of the dais. Gerard met her there. “I trust you slept?”

  She nodded. “I did. And I feel much better.”

  “Excellent. We’re about to begin. I’ll escort you to the chair beside the king’s throne. He’ll make his announcement, then offer you the key to the Crystal of Ardwynn-Rhos.” He hesitated. “I assume you remember enough of your schooling to know what that is?”

  She did. “The Crystal of Ardwynn-Rhos is the seat of the magic that keeps our kingdom hidden from human eyes.” Word for word, almost like she was back in class.

  He smiled. “Very good. Once you accept the key, the king will move to the side and you’ll move to stand before the throne. Do not sit on it.”

  “No.” She listened intently.

  “The king will remain at your side. I’ll hand him the crown. He’ll say a few words, you’ll bend, he’ll place the crown on your head, and that’s it, you’re queen. You may then sit on the throne as it will then be rightfully your seat. And of course, you may address the crowd.”

  She nodded.

  “Actually, you’ll be expected to address the crowd, so I do hope you’re prepared for that.”

  “I am.” Oh, she was more prepared than he could imagine.

  Trumpeters sounded. Gerard stuck out his arm. “My lady, if I may?”

  She glanced at Nick. He smiled back. She took Gerard’s arm and let him lead her onto the dais. He bowed and left her standing there alone. Her heart was pounding, and an even greater hush fell over the gathered audience. She smiled down at her family. Nick in particular. He stood out among the sea of tall, delicate fae like a mountain of strength and determination. Her nerves were threatening chaos on her insides, but looking at him gave her an amazing sense of calm.

  Love was the most curious thing.

  The trumpets sounded again, this time accompanied by the interior castle doors being thrown wide. The king made his way in, again on the wheeled chair pulled by his guards.

  She bowed along with everyone else. Once he was seated, she took her place in the smaller seat beside his throne.

  He gazed out at the crowd. “Good people of the kingdom of Rhoswynn, as you know we are gathered here today to crown our new queen. You know the circumstances of my family and the circumstances of the challenge that has brought Willa Iscovian back to us.”

  He took a breath. Then a second. “It should also come as no surprise that my health is failing.” Murmurs answered him, but Willa knew the response was for the king’s benefit. His state of health was no shock. “Because of that, I do not wish to leave the kingdom ungoverned, and therefore, today, I am abdicating the throne to Willa Iscovian.”

  He stood slowly and with effort.

  Willa got to her feet with almost the same movements. The intensity of the moment pressed on her like a weight. She turned toward him as he turned toward her.

  With one hand leaning heavily on the arm of the throne, he used the other to unclip a shining gold key from the chain around his waist. He held it out to her. “I offer you the key to the Crystal of Ardwynn-Rhos and charge you with its protection and the knowledge that its power becomes your power.”

  She nodded and took the key. It sang with promise and power and an almost stunning amount of joy. She blinked back the wash of emotions and tucked the key into the pocket of her dress. She raised her head and looked the king in the eyes. They were rheumy but kind and a little relieved. She gave a short nod. “I accept and understand.”

  He smiled and whispered, “Very good, child.”

  Then he stepped back, and she moved to stand before the throne.

  The weight of the many gazes upon her was a palpable thing. Gerard walked onto the dais carrying a silk pillow in the same purple as the runner she’d walked in on.

  On top of the pillow was a crown of platinum set with amethysts, diamonds and iolite. It must have belonged to the last queen. Gerard presented the pillow to the king with a deep bow.

  The king lifted the crown and held it close to his body before addressing the crowd. “The crown of Nualla. Last worn by Queen Wyndellia.”

  A gasp went up from the crowd. They knew that the same queen had designed the eggs used in the challenge. Full circle, Willa thought.

  The king smiled. “From one lapidus queen to another. Seems very fitting.”

  The crowd nodded, agreeing.

  He turned toward her. “Willa Iscovian, I present you with the Kingdom of Rhoswynn and the Crown of Nualla. May your reign be long and prosperous.”

  She bent to receive the crown.

  The king’s trembling hands laid it on her head gently, as if he was wary of hurting her. A sense of peace trickled through her at the platinum’s touch, and she smiled, understanding instantly that the peace was a gift from Queen Wyndellia to her successor. The metal carried the same signature the egg had.

  In that moment, Willa knew everything she had planned was going to work out fine. She straightened and faced the crowd.

  The king held out his hand to her. “It is my great honor to present to you Queen Willa.”

  The crowd erupted in such deafening applause that she was almost thrown back by it. The king looked a little unsteady on his feet. She reached out and took his arm, leaning in so he could hear her. “Please, let’s sit. I can’t take another moment on my feet.”

  He nodded. “You’re the queen, my dear. We’ll do whatever you like.” But he came around to take the smaller chair beside the throne and sat.

  She settled onto the throne. It was larger than it had looked from the floor of the great hall, and she felt a little like a child who’d been seated at the adults’ table for the first time. She snuck a glance at Nick and her family.

  They all looked happy and proud. Her mother was crying. Shay was jumping up and down, her little hands grasping Nick’s. He was smiling down at her.

  Love filled Willa, as large and vast a thing as she’d ever experienced.

  She smiled out at the crowd for a moment, then let the serious
ness of the moment bring her back to the task at hand. Her smile faded away. She took a breath and spoke to her subjects, however brief they were going to hold that status.

  “People of Rhoswynn, I thank you for your presence here today and for your faith in me. It wasn’t my lifelong dream to become your queen, but when I saw the plans the All Seer had for Rhoswynn, I had no other choice but to step forward and accept the challenge. Up until a short while ago, even that choice would have been foreign to me.”

  She looked at Nick. “But a very smart man gave me the courage and belief in myself.”

  The barest of smiles played on his mouth.

  She swept her gaze across the audience again. “Because of that courage, and this power that you have bestowed upon me, there is more that needs to be done for Rhoswynn.”

  She glanced at Gerard, checking his face for any adverse reaction, but he just gave her a slight nod. She took it for approval and went on.

  “As my first royal decree, I hereby abolish all forms of slavery in this kingdom.” Heads nodded in response. “From this day forward, the creation of slave bracelets is forbidden and a crime against the kingdom, punishable by exile. Slavery is an abomination and nothing that should ever be associated with this great kingdom again.”

  The slow clapping of a solitary person answered her. She looked around, and her gaze landed on Nick. Her parents and Shay quickly joined him, and the entire audience did the same.

  She waited for the applause to die down, then stood and stepped to the edge of the dais. She held out her hand to Shay.

  The little girl grinned and ran up onto the platform to stand with Willa. She beamed out at the crowd, not an ounce of shyness in her. That was good. Being shy was not going to help her now.

  Willa squeezed Shay’s hand, then stared out at the crowd again. “This is my little sister, Shay. She is also a lapidus and stands behind me in the line to the throne, which means someday, she’ll be queen.”

  The crowd smiled, jovial and amiable to the moment of intimacy with their new queen’s family. A gentle applause filled the room.

  Willa smiled down at her little sister. This was going to be easier than she’d thought.