The expected chittering followed the start of my announcement. I'd expected that. Brutus had advised against me being so lenient with the people, but for me, it was the only way I was going to do this. I wouldn't punish anyone for keeping their family alive.
"However," I continued, once the noise had settled down. "I also will require you not to do anything that impedes the rebellion. You will aid us when you can and support my claim to the throne and no one else's. You will not decide to act on my behalf without a letter of approval for your actions. I'm certain you've heard of the actions of the late Duke Travers. He is dead because he did something despite my requests for him not to be."
I looked around, meeting the gaze of several nobles in the front row. Some of them were nodding, others were contemplating what I'd said. Good. I didn't want anyone to just agree to this. They had to truly support my cause or their attestation of loyalty would be pointless.
Without saying another word, I sat down in my throne and waited for the nobles to start doing what they were supposed to. A small part of me felt guilty for not giving them any more instructions, but Brutus had promised they'd know what to do.
To my surprise, it was Jonathan that moved first. He walked solemnly from behind my throne and kneeled down in front of me, his sword bared just like it had been when we were alone.
My heart pounded in my chest. To swear his loyalty, he'd have to reveal who he was. And no one would mistake what that would mean. He was a foreign prince. He owed me nothing unless he wanted to give it. I hadn't even thought about this as a possibility, but it would certainly send a powerful message.
"I, Prince Jonathan, swear my everlasting and undying loyalty to Queen Lucia. Long live the Queen."
"I accept your loyalty. Rise, Prince Jonathan and join my court," I said the words I'd prepared, not expecting them to stick in my throat as much as they did. I could have lied to myself and put it down to it being because it was Jonathan swearing allegiance to me, but I doubted that was the case. This whole thing felt too contrived for my tastes, but I still knew I needed to go through with it.
Nobles rose from their seats and came forward, forming a line in front of me. I'd expected more of a kickback from what I was asking, but none of them seemed to be wary of going through with the ceremony.
No matter how many of them swore their allegiance to me, or how many times I accepted it, the words didn't seem to come any easier. The weight of my crown increased with each subject that I accepted into my court. This was it. I was finally becoming a queen.
A new understanding of the weight my father had carried every day of his life spread through me. How had I not realised the burden he carried? I should have been helping him. And helping Killian when it had become his turn. I even found myself commiserating with poor Katya, who had no one to help her with the weight of the crown.
I chased those thoughts away. I couldn't sympathise with my enemy. That would make it impossible to defeat her when the time came. I had to keep my emotions about the woman who had been like a sister to me, and the throne separate. If I didn't, then I would risk losing it all, something I wasn't ready to do yet.
Until now, I'd never wanted the throne. But the more the weight of it increased, and the more subjects that swore allegiance, the more I realised I did want it. This was my birth right, and I was going to make sure I was the best queen I ever could be.
Chapter 13
I almost sighed with relief, glad to be away from the castle and the people and able to download from what had happened. I might have decided that I wanted to be queen, but that didn't mean I was ready to be surrounded every day.
"Thank you, for what you did there," I said to Jonathan.
"I meant every word. I didn't swear my fealty to you for show. I intend to stand by your side for as long as you'll have me there."
I swung around to face him, stopping him in his tracks. Sapphire took advantage of the moment and swooped down to sit on my shoulder.
"We're in the middle of the path," he pointed out, a smile on his face.
"Only to the well, no one else will be here," I shot down his fake protest and stepped towards him.
His arms snaked out, wrapping around my waist and pulling me close. Even without words, his expression said that he wouldn't do anything else without my permission. So I went up on my toes and pressed a kiss to his lips, scaring my hawk away in the process. I didn't worry about her too much, she'd be close by and would come back.
We melted into one another, enjoying the comfort being close offered. This wasn't what I expected when he'd arrived at the camp, but it was a development I would happily accept.
I pulled back, taking his hand with mine.
"I take it that's you saying you'd like to keep me around," Jonathan murmured.
"You've become decent company," I quipped.
He chuckled deeply, but began to swing our hands back and forth as we continued walking down the path. Once we were at the well, we could take a few moments to enjoy nothing more than one another's company.
"That's my greatest desire in life."
"I can't even tell if you're being serious."
"I am and I'm not," he admitted. "It sums up my position at my father's court, and what he expected me to be. But that doesn't mean that it's ever what I wanted. I suppose at one point, I wanted to be a hero who saved a princess from a tower. At others, I've wanted a place in life that was my own and not one forced upon me. Now, I want to support a woman I've come to care deeply for, and have her know that I will help her in any and every way I possibly can."
"If you're not careful, you'll make me swoon," I whispered.
"Perhaps that's my plan." He winked.
A small giggle escaped from me. Spending time with him like this was like a breath of fresh air.
"If I swoon, you'll have to catch me."
"Then it's probably a good job none of those nobles you just wanted to impress can see us here," he pointed out.
I sighed loudly. "I'm going to have to work twice as hard as any king ever would have."
"Probably," he admitted begrudgingly. "I'm sorry that there's nothing we can do about that."
I shrugged. "It isn't your fault. Nor is it mine. It is simply the way our world works. Perhaps it will be easier once I've proven myself capable of taking my throne back." Even as I said it, I knew that wasn't true. I'd always be fighting for the people to take me seriously. It wasn't fair, but it was the way things were.
He was saved from answering by us arriving at the clearing with the well. It was as beautiful as ever, looking completely untouched by other people.
Except that wasn't true. I couldn't make out what it was, but there was something sat on the edge of the well. Sapphire circled it, making me a little wary about what it could contain. She wouldn't do that if it was completely harmless, would she?
I dropped Jonathan's hand and rushed forward. What could it be? How did someone know to leave things for me here? The only person I'd ever showed this place to was Jonathan.
The item appeared to be something wrapped in a simple cloth, my name scribbled on a label across the top. Despite my instincts telling me it probably wasn't a good idea, I picked it up. I hoisted myself up so I was sitting on the edge of the well.
I turned the package over in my hands, wondering what was inside. It seemed strange that a package had been left on the side of the well for me, but the common people were always doing such strange things that I'd just come to accept it to a certain extent.
"What have you got there?" Jonathan asked, coming up and sitting next to me. The confusion on his face confirmed what I already knew, this wasn't a gift from him. I hadn't thought it would be anyway, he hadn't known we were coming here until after the fealty ceremony. In fact, I hadn't even realised we were coming here. Which suggested that whoever left this for me had done so on the off chance I'd turn up.
I smiled at him, unable to help myself. "I don't know. It was waiting on the well for me."
/>
Unable to stop myself, I pulled off the packaging, the soft wrapping falling away quickly to reveal a simple comb with vines carved into the spine of it. I sucked in a breath. It was beautiful. Sometimes, the simple things were the best.
"It's beautiful," I whispered.
"It is. Where did it come from?" Jonathan asked.
"I don't know." People had left me presents before though, and this one seemed innocent enough. I twisted my hair into a bun, knowing that this was a gift I wanted to wear instantly.
My eyes fluttered closed, rolling back into my head and the world went black.
"Lucia!" I was dimly aware of Jonathan shouting and pulling me into his arms. His fingers pressed against my neck, searching for my pulse. He sighed when he found one. "Lucia?" he checked again.
I tried to open my eyes, but they were too heavy. When that failed, I attempted to speak and assure him that I was alright. Though perhaps that was a bit premature, I couldn't speak or open my eyes. And when I tried to move my body, nothing happened. I had to conclude that I wasn't alright after all.
Sapphire's cawing was hard to ignore, she was close to us, potentially even right next to my head, but without being able to see, I had no way of knowing that for sure.
His fingers searched through my hair, no doubt looking for the comb I'd just put in. It seemed unlikely that it had caused such a response, but then I had been almost suffocated by a corset, so it wasn't completely outside the realms of possibility.
Jonathan sighed audibly when his fingers found the delicate comb. He removed it gently, which surprised me. If our positions had been reversed, I'd have been ripping it open.
Feeling returned throughout my body, the smells and sounds of the clearing seeping back in. My eyes stung from whatever had happened, but I forced them open. The bright sunlight was almost too much for me to cope with, but Jonathan's face was there moments later, blocking it out and allowing me some respite.
Did I really faint because of a hair comb? That was somewhat embarrassing.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, worry clouding every word.
"Heavy," I answered honestly. "What happened?"
"You put the comb in and collapsed. Just like..."
"The corset." I'd already come to that conclusion myself. Which meant that this had to be from the one person who'd send me an assassination attempt. No wonder I hadn't been able to recognise the handwriting, Katya was a master at faking it.
I rubbed my eyes and tried to sit up. I must have fallen off the well when I'd fainted, as now I was on the ground. Probably a good thing. It was much safer here.
"We should take that back to the main camp," I said, indicating towards the comb. "I don't know what it was laced with, but we should find out in case it’s used against us again."
Jonathan nodded, and picked it up using the cloth it had been wrapped in before shoving it in his pocket and away from where it could hurt someone.
"If I accidentally prick my finger on it, you'll save me, right?" he joked, though there was a hint of concern in his voice.
I nodded. "Though removing it from contact seemed to work," I pointed out.
"That's something at least. But what do we do about it?"
I thought for a moment, trying to work out the best way to go forward with this. "We don't tell anyone," I said after a moment. "It'll only make them angry and Katya and we want them to be focusing on the loyalty they feel towards me at the moment instead."
He nodded. "I don't like it, but I definitely see your point."
I knew he would. He was too intelligent to have missed the implications of appearing weak in front of the nobles we'd just convinced to support my cause.
"I don't like it either," I admitted. "Katya shouldn't be allowed to get away with this. But for now, she has to believe she's winning. That's when she'll start making mistakes." I had to remember that I knew her. She had a tendency to get sloppy when she thought she was the best at something.
"I hope you're right," Jonathan said. "But for now, I'm glad you're alright." He leaned in and kissed me lightly.
I let go of the tension I'd been holding since I realised what had happened. Katya might have tried to kill me, but she'd failed. And she'd fail the next time too. I'd make sure of it.
Chapter 14
"You're doing it wrong," I called out as I approached the archery range. I hadn't intended to stop here, but while doing my rounds I'd noticed Jonathan there and had been unable to help myself. Sapphire swayed on my shoulder. She seemed to have had enough of flying for the day and had decided she wanted nothing more than a rest. I didn't begrudge her it, I enjoyed her company too much.
He chuckled once he realised it was me. "I never was very good at archery. But I've seen you shoot and feel like I should learn."
"You don't have to," I pointed out. "Everyone has their skills."
"I've seen how you react when you're using a sword and make a wrong move," he retorted.
I frowned. He had a good point there. "But if I didn't have to use one, then I wouldn't. It's only because the army expects me to have a sword that I try to use one."
"Then I shall be the same with a bow," he responded. "It's your weapon of choice, I feel like I should be better at it." He notched an arrow, as if trying to drive his point home. He failed, the way he was holding it would mean that it didn't hit where he wanted it to.
"Here, let me show you." I held my hands out for the bow he was using. "Sapphire, post," I commanded.
The hawk leapt from my shoulder and soared towards the post that had been set up specifically for her since her arrival at the camp. I appreciated that. No doubt it was Jonathan who'd thought to have it put in.
He handed me the bow and arrow he'd been using. It wasn't my own, which meant it would take a moment for me to get accustomed to it, but I didn't want to leave him to go get my weapon from my tent. Perhaps I should get into the habit of carrying it around with me, though I'd found that most soldiers responded better to seeing a sword at my waist as opposed to a bow over my back.
I pulled the string a couple of times, getting used to the way it felt. Satisfied, I took the arrow Jonathan offered.
"This is how you hold it." I showed him. "Then you pull it back like this." I went through the motions, bringing the flight of the arrow back to my cheek. I lined it up with the target and let it fly.
A reassuring twang announced that it had hit the target exactly where I wanted it to. Satisfaction welled through me. I didn't want to show off, but it did seem that way.
"Impressive." A smirk lifted the corners of his lips, as if he was planning something. "But I'm not sure if I can hold it that way. Will you show me?"
I chuckled, catching on to what he wanted. I handed the bow and arrow back to him and let him get it into position. I stood behind him and moved his arms into the right position. My hand closed around his and I moved his fingers so he was holding it in the right way.
"You have to do it like this or you'll end up hurting yourself." My words came out as a whisper, which wasn't what I'd intended.
"I don't want that," he responded, his own voice coming out husky.
"Alright, let it fly," I instructed, stepping back so I was out of the way and didn't get hurt.
He nodded and let the arrow go. It sailed through the air, hitting the target, though not as close to the centre as my own had been.
"That's already better than my last shot," he observed.
"I'm not surprised."
Sapphire cawed from her seat watching, and I knew what she wanted.
"Watch this," I said to Jonathan, before pulling a rodent carcass from the small leather pouch I'd been wearing. Not the most princess-like thing to walk around with, but I had a hawk to keep happy. I took some string from one of the posts and wove it loosely around the foot of the dead creature, tying the other end to one of my arrows.
"What are you doing?" Jonathan asked, amusement in his voice.
"Hand me the bow, and you'll
see," I promised. I whistled for Sapphire, and she spread her wings.
Taking the bow from Jonathan, I notched the arrow and pointed it up into the air. Luckily, I was already aware of where the other parts of the camp were, and this wouldn't end with guts raining down on anyone.
I let the arrow fly. Sapphire was in the air a moment later, soaring to where she knew the arrow would go. As it sailed past, she snatched the dead rodent from it and glided back down to her perch with it clasped in her claws. Within moments, she was tearing it apart, chomping away happily.
"Impressive, if a little disgusting. How long did it take the two of you to learn how to do that?" he asked.
I was dimly aware of the arrow falling down a few feet away. At least that would mean I didn't have to go searching the forest for it. That had happened more times than I wanted to admit, but I wasn't able to just leave them lying around for anyone to find. If the wrong person did, our entire camp would be compromised.
"Longer than I truly want to admit," I said, trying not to laugh. "It's the kind of thing a princess with too much time on her hands learns." I'd never have even thought about a trick like that if I'd been here the entire time, there just wasn't enough time in the day.
"You don't need to feel guilty about your past," he assured me.
I frowned. Had he guessed the direction of my thoughts just from what I'd said? He must have been particularly astute. I didn't bother questioning why he thought what he did. It was the way I felt, there was no point denying it.
"I know. I can't change any of it. I just wish that it had been a little different. If I could have been more prepared for this..."
"Then this wouldn't be happening," he pointed out. He checked around for other people, before satisfying himself that no one else was around. He pulled me into his arms and rocked me from side to side, almost as if we were dancing. "You can't change the past, Lucia. We just have to keep moving towards the future."
Kingdom of Crowns and Glory Page 6
