The Emperor tilted his head, surprised at her confidence. What had happened to her out in the desert? She was like a different person. She’d left the Capital as a shy girl, yet somehow a girl filled with confidence had returned in her place.
“The truth is that I released myself.” Rani’s words sent a ripple through the crowd. “I released myself rather than have my rights violated by a kingdom that’s been violating its people for generations. The Colonel is right. We live in fear. And those days are over. For I join with the Colonel in saying that it is enough.”
“Enough! Enough! Enough!” the people chanted, the joy in their faces, lighting a fire in the Emperor’s core. His beautiful daughter had these people on her side.
“I went to the desert as many of our people have done before, some by choice, although many by force. I was close to death when the man standing beside me came to my rescue. His name’s Aarow and he’s the Colonel’s son.”
His son? The Emperor hadn’t picked up on the resemblance, although it did explain the confident way Aarow carried himself.
“One day, Aarow will be your leader,” said Rani. “He’s a good man, just like his father. These people who stand beside you now aren’t from another kingdom. These are people of The Sands of Naar, who live a peaceful life in the desert.”
A murmur traveled across the crowd and the Emperor drew in a breath, trying to process what Rani had just said. These people had come from the desert? It was hard to fathom that they were able to survive. He’d always been certain the Capital was the only place to house human life in the kingdom. To think that this whole time there’d been another settlement.
“These people follow their leader,” continued Rani. “Not from fear, but from deep respect. Many of our people who were released have joined them and stand with you now. I myself have joined them. And I ask you, all of you, to join us now. The sun has risen on a new Shining. Let this be the Shining of peace, dignity, and respect. Let this be the Shining of freedom. Who stands with me?”
The Emperor’s eyes stung with tears, as he looked up at the incredible woman who’d blossomed from the young girl he’d helped raise. The young girl who he’d been unable to protect but had just proven she knew how to protect herself.
Rani and Aarow held their hands out the window and pressed their palms together, lacing their fingers together.
The Emperor watched as the most incredible sight formed in front of him. Members of the crowd grasped hands with the person beside them and held them in the air, the chain of flesh they formed, a symbol of the breaking of the chains that’d bound them in place for so long.
He stepped back into the crowd and the two people behind him released their hands to welcome him in, taking one of his hands each and hoisting them into the air.
“Enough!” someone called over the rumble of the crowd and soon they were chanting once more. “Enough! Enough!”
The people had had enough. Rani may never become the Empress of The Sands of Naar, but she was most definitely the Empress of all their hearts.
He looked to her window and she smiled at him, enjoying the sight of him hand in hand with his people, not as their leader, but as one of them.
The Emperor opened his mouth and shouted to his daughter as his chest burst with pride. “Enough!”
RANI
THE AFTER
“We did it,” said Rani, still holding Aarow’s hand out the window.
“We did,” said Aarow.
“Then why does it feel a little like we lost?” she asked, unable to shake the sadness that’d gripped her since Taavi slipped from her fingertips.
“Because one death was one too many.” He seemed to understand her grief in an instant. Was that because he was feeling it too?
“Where did you take him?” she asked, dropping his hand and stepping away from the window.
“To a room near the bottom of the stairs,” he said. “He’s out of harm’s way.”
She nodded. All the mayhem was outside the palace, not within. “Thank you.”
“Does it upset you that you won’t be Empress now?” he asked, brushing her hair back from her face in such a natural movement she barely registered she’d been touched.
“Bother me?” She sighed. “I never wanted to be Empress. Not if my opinions don’t count. What’s the point? At least you know when you’re the Colonel one day, you’ll be able to shape the Colony—the whole kingdom, now—in the best way you see fit.”
“Rani, maybe…” Aarow hesitated in a way that was unusual for someone normally so sure about themselves.
He looked away from her and she touched him gently on the arm. “What is it?”
Before he could answer her, the noise coming from the Round lifted and they returned to the window to see what the commotion was about.
The Colonel was directing his people to bring the Board members inside the palace and as they were led away, the revelers in the Round were hollering suggestions about what they thought should be done with them. None of the suggestions were kind.
“Kill them!”
“Release them!”
“Throw them to the coyotes!”
“Strip them of their clothes!”
Rani felt her stomach drop. This wasn’t the kingdom of peace they’d been trying to create. Had they given the people back their dignity only to have them crying for it to be taken from someone else?
As the last of the Board members were led away, the Colonel turned to address the crowd once more, holding up his hand and waiting for quiet.
“Today is a day of celebration. But it’s also a day of judgment. These Board members will be given a fair trial. If they cooperate, they’ll be shown mercy. If not, they’ll be dealt with. We mustn’t replace cruelty with more cruelty. Please be kind to each other. A new future awaits.”
Rani let out a long breath, pleased the Colonel was thinking along the same lines. She’d been right to align herself with him.
The crowd murmured their agreement as the Colonel turned to follow the Board inside, motioning for the Emperor to come with him.
“Your father’s quite the speaker,” Rani said to Aarow.
“You’re not so bad yourself.” He closed one eye quickly and grinned.
“What was that?” she asked. “That thing you just did with your eye?”
“You mean, nobody’s ever winked at you?” He closed his eye again and she laughed at the absurdity of it, as she tried to do it back. What a strange thing to do.
“What does it mean?” she asked, giving up as she decided that both her eyes liked to close at the same time.
“It means someone’s joking or having fun. It can also mean someone likes you.” He winked again, more slowly, with a different kind of smile on his face. One that tugged at the edges of her stomach in all the best ways.
“Do you like me?” she asked, feeling her teeth slide over each other and trying to stop herself. She wasn’t frightened of Aarow. Well, not frightened that he’d hurt her. He did make her nervous though, and nerves and fear were closely related.
“I like you a lot,” he said, reaching for her, and letting his hands fall before he made contact.
“You’re scared to touch me,” she said, looking at his hands.
“You’re scared of my touch,” he replied, his pupils expanding over the dark brown of his irises.
“I held your hand during the Shining.” She blinked up at him.
“I don’t want to rush you.” He bit down on his bottom lip, another gesture she was unfamiliar with, yet one that evoked an entirely different set of emotions in her than his wink had done.
They stood, looking at each other in silence, as if their minds could explain how they were feeling without the need for words.
“I am scared of your touch,” she said. “But I’m more scared of what will happen if you don’t touch me.”
He leaned toward her, taking in her every reaction to his movements. She held steady, not wanting to do anything that
might cause him to pull away. Sharma had told her that people in generations gone by had pressed their lips together in a kiss, and she’d witnessed such kisses in the Colony. Was she about to experience this strange and complex action herself for the first time?
His lips came closer to hers. So close. Still, he didn’t touch her.
She blinked. Waited. Drew in a breath and wondered what it would feel like to kiss the man who’d saved her life. The man she’d come to admire in so many different ways.
His face hovered before hers as if frozen in time and he hesitated, not pulling away, but not coming any closer.
It was then that she stepped onto her toes and lifted her face, pressing her lips to his. She had to be the one to close the gap between them. It was the only way to let him know his touch was welcome. That she wanted him as much as he seemed to want her.
He kissed her so gently it felt like she was being swept into a cloud. His lips were soft, and she could feel the prickle of the dark bristles sprouting from his face. The contrast was intoxicating. It was no wonder people in the Colony had seemed so obsessed with kissing.
She attempted to kiss him back, unsure exactly what to do, following his lead as she let what felt natural take over, and soon she felt her lips parting as her heart pumped hard and her breath caught in her throat. The cramp in her stomach tightened and she pulled back, worried she was having some kind of problem with her health. Was this a normal response?
“I’m sorry,” Aarow said, stepping away and putting his fingers to his lips. “Was that too much?”
She nodded, taking comfort from the soulful depths of his eyes. “Too much. And not enough.”
“Oh, Rani,” he said, breathing a sigh. “What have you done to me?”
“To you?” Her eyes widened as she clutched her chest. “That kiss almost killed me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Will you do it again?” she asked.
His laugh was as loud as his kiss had been gentle. “Let’s not rush this. We have a lot to do right now. We need to find my father. We have a Board meeting to attend.”
“Oh. Of course, we do.” Rani pushed down the disappointment at having to wait to experience another one of Aarow’s kisses and turned her attention to what she was about to face.
The Chairman.
Only this time she was going to be the one to decide his fate. The Colonel had promised her that. He may have used the word ‘mercy’ in his speech to the people, but Rani had another word in mind.
Justice.
AAROW
THE AFTER
Aarow followed Rani through the palace, trying to sort out the racing of his mind before they found his father.
The Colony had successfully overthrown the Capital and set the people free from its vicious laws, and all he could think about was how Rani’s lips had felt underneath his own. Did that make him a terrible future leader? Or just an excellent future husband? Because if he got his way, that was exactly what he’d be to Rani one day. He’d almost said as much, just before the commotion outside the window had distracted them. He’d wanted to tell her that although she’d never be Empress of The Sands of Naar, that perhaps one day she’d still rule the kingdom. For when he took on the Colonel’s role, he didn’t intend to do it alone. He wanted a strong woman by his side who could balance out all the sides of him that he knew left him lacking.
He’d become certain Rani was that woman and together they could rule the kingdom, far better than either of them could do alone. Perhaps they could still call her Empress. After all, the Colonel was a made-up title. What did it matter what names they gave themselves?
It was for the best he’d kept these thoughts to himself for now. Because one of the sides of Rani that was a contrast to himself was that although she was wise, she lacked confidence. She didn’t really know who she was, let alone who he was and whether she could trust him. He didn’t want to scare her away, having seen what happened the last time someone tried to force themselves upon her.
If they were meant to be together, then she had to come to him, just like she had with that incredible kiss. It’d taken all his self-control not to deepen that kiss. But just like his father had to go slowly with his mother when he’d found her in the desert, he too had to move slowly with Rani. If he moved too fast, he’d send her running in the opposite direction. Although, at least with Rani she hadn’t been violated in the same way as his mother. Hopefully, her wounds were easier to heal.
“We’re almost at the Boardroom,” said Rani, coming to a stop. “I’m certain that’s where my father will have taken them.”
“Are you ready for this?” Aarow asked. “You don’t have to come inside. I’ll make sure the Chairman gets his dues.”
“Aarow, you’ve been my savior and my protector, and I appreciate that. But now I need to step up and do this for myself. I’m not as weak as people think I am.”
His heart almost beat to a stop. “Rani! People don’t think you’re weak. I’ve never thought that. Even when I found you underneath that tree, I knew you were strong. You’ve proven that ever since.”
“Thank you.” She lifted her lips into a smile, yet her eyes remained distant. Clearly, she was focused on the Chairman now and what she needed to do. He liked that. Part of being a good leader was being able to compartmentalize your feelings when needed.
They descended a set of curved stairs and reached a set of double doors, made from solid wood.
Rani drew in a deep breath and opened them.
Ten men and one woman were seated at a large round table with members of the Colony standing behind them, ready to remind them who was really in charge here.
Aarow’s father was pacing the room as he spoke, stopping mid-sentence when he noticed their arrival. He nodded at Aarow with just the hint of a smile on his lips. There’d be time for celebrating their victory later. Right now, it was time for business.
“Excellent timing,” he said. “I was just asking the members of this Board for their honest opinion on the laws they’ve been enforcing here.”
Aarow nodded, watching as Rani went to her father’s side.
“My daughter,” he heard her father say.
Those two had so much to talk about. But Aarow’s father had kept his promise and no harm had come to Rani’s father, who did seem to be genuinely pleased the revolution had succeeded. Rani had been right to put her faith in him.
Rani reached for the Emperor’s hand and held it in her own in the most loving and awkward handshake Aarow had ever witnessed. It was strange seeing them together like this. The similarities between them were striking. Although, there was something around Rani’s eyes that wasn’t quite like her father, yet familiar nonetheless. Aarow’s jaw fell open when he realized whose face made up the missing parts to Rani’s features.
Before he had a chance to process this, his father spoke again, in a tone that was not to be ignored.
“This here is the Jobs Master,” said the Colonel, looking from Aarow to a rotund man, quivering in his seat. “I’m told he assigns all the jobs in the kingdom, whether people wish to do them or not. He’s also released many who haven’t been happy with their assignments, despite their willingness to contribute elsewhere.”
Aarow nodded, remembering the story Azrael had told him back at the Colony about the assignment she was given that she chose never to take up.
“I’m sorry!” the man said, putting his head in his hands.
“Please look at us while you speak,” boomed Aarow’s father, having heard the same story from Azrael and finding sympathy hard to come by right now.
“I’ve done wrong! The laws are wrong! I’ll do anything you say. Anything! Just please don’t release me. It’s dark in the desert. I’m afraid of the dark.”
Aarow saw his father stifle a smile.
“May I make a suggestion?” asked Aarow, coming forward to stand beside his father.
“Of course.” His father pulled his face into a serious expressio
n, aware that someone’s fate was in his hands.
“Perhaps we can ask this master of jobs to assign himself a new job, now that his role’s no longer required? One he feels is appropriate for someone who’s done wrong, as he’s said so himself.”
“Excellent. Yes.” The Colonel clapped his hands. “Please assign yourself a job. What will it be?”
The Jobs Master lifted his head, glancing around the room as if to confirm he really was going to be allowed to live.
“I’d make an excellent weaver,” he said.
“Try again,” said Aarow, aware this was the job Azrael had requested for herself and been refused.
“Hunter?” he suggested, raising his eyebrows in hope.
“Not a chance we’re putting a weapon in your hands,” Aarow said.
“Guard?”
Aarow sighed, not seeing the need to give this a response.
“Supply worker?”
“I was thinking something a little more…hands on,” said Aarow, waiting for him to come to the realization he wasn’t going to get off this lightly.
“The Growing Center? I do love children.”
“Perhaps we should release this one?” Aarow said to his father, enjoying the man’s resulting yelp. “He doesn’t seem to know his place.”
“Where’s your book of jobs?” said Rani, stepping forward.
The man held out a shaking finger, pointing to a cupboard next to the window. “Kept in there.”
“Well, hurry up then. Get it,” she said.
The man leaped from his chair and went to the cupboard for his book, opening it up on the table and slinking back to his chair.
“You recently assigned a job to a girl named Azrael,” said Rani. “Find it and tell us why you assigned it to her.”
Aarow glanced at his father to see if he was fine with letting Rani take over like this. He’d stepped back and was nodding each time Rani spoke, clearly happy with the direction this had taken.
“Yes, I’d like to know the answer to that, too,” the Colonel said.
The Kingdoms of Evernow Box Set Page 59
