I looked at him, with a strained expression on my face.
"It'll be alright," he whispered. "You've planned it too well."
"Even the best-laid plans can go wrong," I pointed out. But this was it, the one chance I had to prove myself as a commander. I turned my attention back to Brutus. "Are all four units in position?" I asked.
He nodded. "They're just awaiting the signal."
"Good." I took a deep breath. I hadn't wanted to risk a lot of men for this crazy endeavour, especially when we were only after a crown. And that meant that they were mostly creating a diversion rather than attacking anyone. It should keep them safe. That was my hope, anyway. "Wait until the night fires are lit in the watchtowers and then give them the signal. I'll be in position to sneak into the treasury by then."
"You're going into the palace before the diversion starts?"
Oops. Hadn't I informed Brutus of that part of my plan? "It's the best way to minimize casualties," I said. "They'll likely work out that the treasury itself is breached, but if the guard is distracted, then I'll be able to sneak out without getting caught." I suspected a lot of the guard would just let me past anyway, but that involved me being recognised, and I wasn't so sure about that being possible. I wasn't the same person any longer.
"Your Highness..." Brutus started.
I held my hand up to stop him from saying anything else. "I won't have any more arguments about this. I am going into the palace on my own. Our men will provide a diversion and won't risk their lives. If they face danger, they're to fall back, and that is final." The strength in my voice surprised me, but I was glad of it.
"Yes, Your Highness." Brutus dipped his head. "But you know that we can't win this war without losing lives."
I gritted my teeth. "I'm aware that lives will be on the line, but I will do my utmost to protect as many lives as I could. That's my duty and I'm not going to do anything to jeopardise that. I won't be the queen that betrays her people."
The pride on Rita's face was hard to read, but I chose to ignore that as well as the apprehension on Brutus'. I knew they weren't sure I had what took to be the queen the kingdom needed, but I was going to try my best. I'd rather fail while trying to work it out than stay alive because I was too much of a coward to do anything else.
Chapter 8
The halls of the palace were as quiet as I thought they'd be and the diversion hadn't even started yet. I had no idea what Katya had done, but there was no one about. Perhaps not enough of the guard had stayed loyal, though if that was the case, I had no idea where they'd gone as they certainly hadn't turned up at the encampment with the others who had decided to convert to my side.
I crept through the abandoned corridors, thankful that nothing had seemed to have changed in the palace itself. This way, I knew where I was going and could sneak about unencumbered. Yet another reason for me not to have brought other people with me. They'd just have gotten in the way.
I entered the treasury and looked around. The crown had to be here somewhere. I wished I'd paid more attention when father was showing me these things. Or perhaps it wasn't my fault at all and Katya had rearranged some things in my absence.
"Ahem."
I spun around instantly, recognising the voice as belonging to one of the people I wanted to see the least. I almost couldn't believe it when I saw her standing in front of me, a sword in her hand and her dark hair still mussed from sleep.
"Katya." Venom dripped from my tongue and I swear I saw her flinch as I said her name. Good. She deserved every moment of hatred from me.
"What are you doing here, Lucia?" she said coolly.
"I came for the crown." Honesty was always the best policy. Perhaps she could direct me in the right direction by accident. I wouldn't put it past her.
"Then take it and get out of here," she instructed.
"What? You're okay with me taking the crown?" I blinked a couple of times, trying to understand why she'd do that. It made no sense for her to let the symbol of the monarchy out of her possession.
She shrugged, as if she didn't care about my father's legacy at all. "The power doesn't come from that piece of metal and we both know it."
"That's what you think..."
"I do. Because I'm the one who is sitting in the palace with the servants and the people bowing and scraping, and I've only worn this once." She pressed the amulet around her neck and the gold circlet I'd been searching for was in her hand in an instant.
I stood there, unable to form a reply, or even think properly. Since when had Lucia had magic? There'd been no hint of it while we were growing up. It must have been the amulet. But where did she get it?
After a moment, I found my voice, albeit a shaky one. "That's what you think. When the rightful queen puts that crown on her head, the true meaning of power will become known."
"If you think that's the case, then you can prove it to me." To my surprise, she threw the crown in my direction.
Knowing I couldn't let it touch the floor, I reached out and caught it in an outstretched hand. I hated to admit it, but there was something comforting about having the circlet in my hand, even if I still had to get out of the palace with it. "And you're going to let me walk out of here like this?"
"Yes."
"Why?" I frowned, studying her intently. This didn't make any sense to me, and the fact I'd managed to successfully get what I wanted was even more confusing.
"I have my reasons."
"And you're not going to tell me what they are?" I narrowed my eyes. This wasn't the Katya I remembered. She was harder. Colder. More determined than before. I didn't like not being able to see any remnant of the friend I once knew. It tarred the memories we shared and made it all the more difficult to go up against her.
She laughed loudly. "Absolutely not."
"It was worth a try." I tried to sound nonchalant, but I didn't think it worked. She'd always been able to see right through me.
"It was." She stepped forward, but didn't bother raising her sword.
Didn't she see me as a threat? I had to admit that a small part of me was still cowed. She was imposing and regal, almost like she fit in the role of queen even if it wasn't really hers. I lifted my own blade, pointing it at her. "Stay back."
The look on her face said it all. She knew my strength was with a bow and arrow, and there was no point denying it. My sword could do very little damage to her. I should make a point to do some more sparring when I got back to camp.
"I'm not going to hurt you," she said.
"Why should I believe you? You've done nothing but hurt my family." That was the part that stung the most. For all I cared, she could have the kingdom if it would have taken away my family's pain. I suspected it was far too late for that.
"That's not true."
"I think we have an interesting definition of not harming anyone. You took my brother away from his true love." Poor Killian had been heartbroken when he realised he couldn't have the person he really wanted. I'd blamed myself for pushing Katya at him.
"You mean Lady Grace?" She seemed genuinely shocked, which was something, even if I wasn't completely certain of the reason why.
"Who else would I mean?"
"You really didn't know, did you?"
"Know what? That you were just using him?" How could she ask me this?
"Of course not. I never used Killian. He knew how I felt about him, and I knew how he felt about me. Lady Grace was your father's choice, not his."
I tried not to look on in shock, but it was impossible not to be confused by what she was saying. Killian hadn't been in love with Lady Grace? But he'd even told me he was at one point.
"He was in love with Lord Hubert. He had been for several years. When he asked me to marry him, he did it so that he could carry on his affair once we were married."
I stepped backwards, not because she was threatening me again, but because I couldn't make sense of what she was saying. "No, that's not true."
"I'm sorry, it
is. Killian barely touched me. We had an agreement in place hoping that we'd get an heir, naturally, but that didn't change where he went when he needed love. It was Lord Hubert he went to on his coronation night."
"Which was why I found you in the stables," I said, thinking back to their coronation and how I'd found her grooming one of the horses instead of celebrating.
"It was the one place I felt like I could truly be myself, she admitted, seeming oddly vulnerable in that moment.
"Are you really going to let me out of here?" I asked, desperate to escape the conversation we were having.
"The time for one of us to kill the other isn't here yet."
There wasn't as much threat in her voice as I had expected, but that didn't mean I wasn't feeling it deep inside. She disappeared moments later, as if she didn't think I was worth the time to worry about. I supposed in some ways she was right. I had what I'd come here for, and I didn't intend to harm anyone while I was here.
Now I just had to get out of here with my life. And make use of the crown I'd just stolen. That part might prove to be the trickiest part of the whole plan.
Chapter 9
I slept through most of the next day, exhausted from sneaking in and out of the palace. I hadn't intended for it to take so much of a toll on me, but I wasn't surprised. My adrenaline had been high for the entire day, and there'd been the confrontation with Katya to contend with. Which was still confusing me. Why had she done that? She could have called her guards and had me confined to the dungeons. There was no chance of me running a rebellion from there.
Yet another thing about Katya that didn't make sense.
I got out of my bed and grabbed one of my simple dresses from the trunk. I'd been avoiding anything with a corset in order to avoid a repeat of the other day. The last thing I wanted was to end up passed out on the floor and unable to move again. It had taken me a few days to recover, and we couldn't afford that.
I turned to the stand which held a medium-sized mirror, and more importantly, the box holding the crown. It wasn't a fancy thing, just some beaten metal that one of my ancestors had forged in the middle of a battle, if the legends of our people were to be believed.
I picked it up, the circlet becoming heavy in my hands. I wanted to try it on, to see how it sat on my head, but a little part of me was too scared of what would happen if I did that. Perhaps I wouldn't feel like I deserved to rule.
"Pull yourself together, Lucia," I chided myself.
Taking advantage of the privacy, I faced the mirror and took a deep breath and gently set the circlet down on my brow.
Oh.
I didn't feel like I wasn't worthy at all. Far from it. This felt right, it looked right. With the crown on my head, I finally felt like the queen I needed to be. Perhaps I should start wearing the circlet around the camp to truly remind people of who and what they were fighting for. I was going to be the queen they needed, even if I still had to learn exactly how I was going to achieve that.
"Lucia, are you in there?" Jonathan called.
"Yes, come in," I said before realising I wasn't sure if I wanted him to see me wearing the circlet or not.
The sound of canvas opening drew my attention. I turned to look at him.
His eyes widened as he took me in. "Now you look like a queen."
I scoffed. "In a day dress that's seen better days, I don't think so," I retorted.
He shook his head. "I've been around royalty my entire life. Clothing isn't what makes someone royal," he reminded me. "It's more than that. The posture, the bearing. That's what makes a queen."
"All I did was put this one." I gestured to the circlet sitting against my brow. It felt heavier than I knew it was, and I wondered if that was because of the responsibility it came with.
"Sometimes, that's all it takes." He withdrew his sword and kneeled down, pressing it into the ground in front of me. "I swear my sword and my allegiance to you, Queen Lucia." He bowed his head.
I gulped hard. I knew this was how knights and other nobles pledged their support to a king or queen, and yet it took me by surprise. There was yet more weight added to the title I'd been born to.
"You can do this, Lucia," he whispered.
"Thank you." I choked out the words, trying not to let the emotions get to me.
He rose slowly. "Perhaps we should have a fealty ceremony?" he suggested.
I stepped back. "I'm not sure I'm capable of doing that," I admitted.
"I think you are," he countered. "But it isn't something you should do if you're not ready. But then, if you're not, why did you go and get the crown?"
"I'm not sure. It just felt like the right thing to do. Don't you get that?"
"I do. Swearing my fealty to you then was just like that. I didn't come in here this morning to do that, but I felt the need in that moment."
"Do you regret it?" That was my worry about the whole idea of the ceremony.
"Of course not. You're the rightful queen of these people, and you'll make a fair and just queen. I know you'll do a great job at ruling them. And if they're not convinced of that, then you can win them around."
I barked out a laugh. "I think you overestimate how good I am at making people like me. Katya was always the one who made people like us, I was just a vain and frivolous princess." I threw my hands up in frustration.
"It doesn't matter what you were, Lucia. You're not a vain and frivolous princess now. You're a leader. And a brave one at that. You lead the people with a determination that I haven't seen from many people in my life. And if you don't think you can win people over, then how did you win me over?"
I smirked at that. "Are you trying to tell me that you didn't like me when we met?"
"You were a little abrasive."
"So were you," I pointed out. "You assumed I was a serving girl."
"I'm sorry about that. You weren't the only who was vain and frivolous at one point in their lives. I should have known that you weren't like other princesses, and that was an error on my part."
"Apology accepted. I'm sorry I didn't give you more of a chance."
The canvas rustled again, and Sapphire swooped in. But instead of landing on the edge of my cot like she'd been doing the last few weeks, she settled herself on Jonathan's shoulders.
"It seems she likes you," I said, not in the slightest bit surprised. I might have formed a bond with Sapphire, but she still liked other people.
"She should, she probably realises I'm the one that saved her from the palace," he quipped.
"As you should have. Isn't it the noble quest of all princes to save damsels trapped by an Evil Queen?" The side of my lips twisted up into a smile as I teased and flirted with him.
"Exactly, I must always fulfil my princely duty. Sapphire is a worthy prize to have won." He winked at me as he ruffled her feathers. She pushed her head into his hand, clearly showcasing the affection she felt for him.
I'd never seen my hawk be quite this affectionate with someone other than me.
I sighed loudly. "We need to go face the day. But I'll think about the idea of a fealty ceremony."
"I think it might help avoid more potential rogue dukes," he suggested.
"Don't remind me. I've sent several letters to Travers now and he still hasn't replied to me. I don't know if he's ignoring me, or if Katya is blocking his letters."
"Wouldn't she have done something about it if she had?"
I mused on that for a moment. Wouldn't she have lorded something like that over me while we were in the treasury last night? But no. She seemed more focused on destroying the memories I had of my brother. A small part of me hated her for that, but only because I could see how they were true.
"I don't know, our spies haven't been revealing anything of use recently. I'm not sure if there's something stopping them from giving us their reports, or if there's genuinely nothing going on in the palace."
"That doesn't seem to make any sense. Not with all the nobles in the palace and the ball coming up," he sa
id after a moment.
"Exactly. Something isn't right, but I suppose we'll see what happens." I lifted the circlet from my head and set it back in the box it had been in before. It was time to get on with the rest of the day and everything that needed doing. We didn't have time for me to question my position as queen.
Chapter 10
Light streamed through the trees of the forest and the birds sang, none of them seemed all that bothered by the two of us walking through the forest, even if Sapphire was sitting on my arm.
"I'm glad you could get away from queenly duties for an afternoon," Jonathan said, breaking the silence between us.
I snorted. "I'd say it was more running away than getting away."
"Even so, I'm glad you did."
"We'll have to take back some rabbits or something to make it up to them," I supplied.
"Are rabbits really all you want to try for?" he joked.
"I don't want to carry anything heavier," I supplied. "But rabbits, I can make you carry."
He chuckled.
The urge to reach out and take his hand was more intense than I wanted to admit. I pushed the thought aside, knowing it wasn't wise to let myself act on it. I didn't want to confuse matters between us.
"There's one up ahead," he whispered.
"I got it." I slipped my bow from my shoulders and notching an arrow. I lined it up with the rabbit he'd spotted.
A second later, the arrow pinned it to the ground.
"I shan't doubt you again," Jonathan quipped.
"I'm glad to hear it."
He pulled the arrow from the rabbit and cleaned it on a patch of grass, before handing it back to me and tying it to his belt. We'd need a few more for them to make any dent in feeding all the people back at camp, but at least it was something.
We continued walking, enjoying the day.
"Where are we going again?" he asked.
"There's a well up ahead. It's beautiful and abandoned. It's where I've been escaping to ever since I came to the cabin." I almost couldn't believe that I was going to share it with him, but it felt right to.
Kingdom of Crowns and Glory Page 4
