The Fate of Crowns: The Complete Trilogy: A YA Epic Fantasy Boxset

by Rebecca L. Garcia

  Cedric averted his gaze from the window to me. He squeezed my knee, then grinned. “I’m looking forward to getting to know your people. It’s all very… intriguing.”

  “It is.” His enthusiasm was contagious. “You’ll adore the castle. The walls are embedded with millions of tiny crystals. It’s quite something. Also, you’ll love your quarters. I’ll arrange for you to have one of the best guest rooms.”

  He smirked. “I assume our days of sharing a bed are over?”

  I blushed. “You know I can’t, not as queen.” I looked at Adius. “We only cuddled.”

  Adius put his hands up, with a “none of my business” look.

  Cedric laughed. “I’m only playing with you.” He poked my side, and Adius looked up at the ceiling of the carriage.

  “Adius,” I said quickly, wanting to change the subject. “I have a matter I wish to discuss. It’s about Morgana.”

  He arched an eyebrow. “What about her?”

  “She has barely spoken a word to me since the battle. She refused to join me in the carriage. Has she said anything to you? Should I be concerned?”

  He shook his head. “She hasn’t uttered a word to a soul. I’ve been concerned myself.”

  My stomach knotted. “I’ll get her alone when we are settled and find out what’s wrong.” I was curious as to whether she was feeling what I was, but that had to be impossible. Something had attached itself to me because I’d died, and she hadn’t. I had spent time hovering in the nightmare between the living and dead. Whatever had been there, it didn’t want to let go of my soul.

  I shook my head, fizzling out the dark thoughts, and focused on the present: the importance of my first day as queen.

  “Adius, I assume Ada will come to greet me at the front. Vahaga and the lords should be in the audience too.”

  “Yes.” He nodded. “Vahaga will be waiting eagerly for an audience with you after you’ve gotten settled.”

  I’d have to be alone with him. I had little fond memories of the man. I couldn’t help but frown. The high priest was anything but warm. Still, he had a direct line of magic with the ancestors and was the highest-ranking person at court besides me. “I’ll arrange to meet him, but I want you to do something for me first.”

  “Yes?”

  “Make sure Cedric gets inside safely.”

  Cedric’s gaze flicked to mine. “I don’t need a guard to hold my hand.” His lips curved into a grin. “I promise, I’ll behave.”

  “I highly doubt that.” I smirked, but a nervous energy prickled through me. “It’s not you I’m worried about.” I pressed the tip of my finger against the slight dip in my chin. “Lunas are not accustomed to seeing fae, aside from our court ambassadors, but I’m pretty sure most of them have never seen a light fae, except for at the battle.” I moved my hands down to place them on my lap, exhaling slowly as I did. “I’m worried how they may react… initially.”

  “Oh, I’m sure once they get to know me, they’ll change their minds.”

  “Your optimism is undeserved,” I said with a small smile. “They’re not the most open-minded bunch.”

  “Now I know where you got it from,” he teased. “You’ve changed. So can they.”

  “We can only hope.”

  He nodded. “Well, until then, I’ll blend in the best I can. I don’t want to be the cause of any problems on your first days as queen.”

  I choked on a laugh. “I’m not asking you to blend in, Cedric, as if that were possible. You’re the epitome of sunshine, with pointed ears, wings, golden hair, and amber eyes. You can’t believe for a moment you’ll simply blend into our dreary background,” I said incredulously. “I promise, all eyes will be on you.” I paused. “After they’ve looked at their queen, of course.”

  “Of course,” he replied.

  “Your security is the only thing I’m concerned with,” I explained. “Which is why Adius will ensure you get inside safely.”

  Adius’s lips fell into a hard line. “Indeed, it will be obvious he is a light fae. But my job is to ensure you are safely escorted inside. However, I assure you, Cedric will be taken care of. I have many fine men who will protect him. We won’t have anyone attack him on my watch.” The ferocity in his voice calmed me. Determination and will glistened in his eyes.

  We’d slowed into a trot as the drawbridge was lowered. I looked up at the looming, gray castle, with walls so high they appeared to reach into the thick, gray cloud cover. My heart skipped a beat when we reached the courtyard.

  Stone pillars surrounded us as we rode into the large gardens. A weathered fountain, encased with glistening frozen drops, housed frosted water and shards of ice. Pulling back the curtain, I held my breath. The door was opened, and a hand of the footman extended. I took it and stepped down until my feet hit gravel. My heart pounded as I took in the audience gathered to meet me. In the eyes of the crowd was worry, for their soldier husbands or sons returning home. The lords of the kingdom had come, their watchful gazes on me. I felt as if I were moving in slow motion, unable to take it all in. They didn’t know yet what I’d done. Not only had their men fought, but the woman too, who had agreed. It was not only sons who fell but daughters too. The hairs on my arms pricked erect as the cold breeze hit my bare skin. My next breath caught in my throat.

  Cedric stepped out after me. “The castle is huge. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this. It beats the castle even my parents live in.”

  I shot him a half smile, but my nerves numbed me. I moved my stare to the windows above, where people were watching.

  “You’re pale, sweetheart.” His tone had softened.

  “I can hardly breathe,” I admitted quietly.

  “You’ll be fine.” Cedric said, stepping out in front of me. He kissed my forehead, then cupped my cheeks, his fingers icy cold against my skin. He lifted his chin, then looked around us. “Most will be glad their true queen is home.”

  “Stop,” I whispered, feeling guilty as I did. I moved my gaze over his shoulder, and Adius shot me a look, warning in his stare. I nodded at him, then looked back at Cedric. “Not here.” I pulled my hand away from his, and my heart sank. “Later.”

  “I get it,” he said, his expression unreadable.

  Shouting diverted my attention to the main doors. I whipped my head around as Adius jumped out of the carriage and headed toward the doors. It took a moment for me to realize what was happening. A young woman, barely eighteen, a daughter of a nobleman I knew, screamed. One of the soldiers had whispered something to her. His helmet rested in his hands, and he wore a solemn expression. The anguish lacing her features told me her husband wasn’t coming home.

  Adius barked at a guard standing near us. “Take the young lady to the prayer room.” He pointed at the grieving widow. The bodies of the nobles who’d been brought back were carried to the main entrance. “Take them to the preparation rooms,” Adius demanded. “You four.” He pointed at four armored men. “Stay with Her Majesty. Accompany her to her chambers.”

  Peering around us, he scanned the area. Some of Edgar’s men, or worse, Berovia’s, could still be lingering, awaiting revenge. Not only that, but the cries and screams of those whose loved ones wouldn’t be returning, would soon be heard. I knew that feeling all too well and wanted to comfort them, but I knew they’d be angry first. And sometimes when people were hurting, they did things they’d later regret. Their loved ones had died for my throne, and I shouldn’t be there, not while the wounds of war were so fresh.

  Cedric grimaced as more cries sounded. He grabbed my wrist, his voice rushed. “You don’t want to be here when this breaks down. We need to get inside.”

  I nodded, and a lump formed in my throat as I stepped forward. The head housekeeper, Ada, hurried down the three stone steps, her sharp eyes landing on me. Her gray hair was pulled into a tight knot at the back of her head, and her thick eyebrows were pointed downward. “With me.” She rushed to grab my arm. “Majesty,” she said hastily.
/>   Everything set into motion before I could catch my breath. Servants bowed, and lords and ladies craned their necks to get a last look at me as I swept into the castle. I attempted to grasp Cedric’s hand for comfort but was pulled away from him, as if he were a poison.

  TWO

  The night slipped into early morning, and I let out a sigh of relief. The people’s anger had sizzled. The initial shock was always the worst, bringing out a rage nothing could quench. It was how I felt with my brother, André, when I learned of his death. I had felt like I was going to die, grappling for comfort and bargaining with the ancestors for it not to be true even with the evidence thrust before me. My mother still had the broken pieces of his staff. I don’t think a soul had come close to me for the day after. My shouting and screaming could be heard through the hallways, or so I was told sometime later by Morgana.

  Magaelor had gone through too much. The soldiers had returned, but many without their comrades. I blinked back tears as I looked out the window, my breath fogging the glass. A couple danced under the last of the stars as they faded into an indigo sky. He wore scars on his face from the battle. His armor had been removed, but the red marks from it could still be seen. I relished watching families and couples reunite, a small light among the darkness of the grieving that had taken ahold of the court.

  I’d bathed and was forced into a boxy gray gown. The corset was pulled so tight, I could barely breathe. Tomorrow, I’d wear one of the dresses I’d acquired from Lepidus, the dark fae court. They were still being unpacked.

  I gazed out as the sun rose, the gardens and gates illuminated from their shadows, and smiled. A new dawn for Magaelor. It had come at terrible losses, but together, I knew we could make it through. Once payment was made to those who’d fought—I noted in my mind to ask the lords to extend extra payments to the widows and children of our war heroes—we could rebuild. I wondered about holding a memorial to honor our fallen. It would be better if we held one sooner rather than later. They must be remembered, and I would ensure the soldiers’ names would forever be engraved into stone.

  A knock on the door made me jump, even though I was expecting it. Ada walked in, then curtseyed. Her faded-blue eyes crinkled at the corners. “Good morning, Your Majesty.”

  The head housekeeper looked the same as the last time I’d seen her. Even her dress was the same; one in a rotation, I imagined. She’d looked after us as children, and while strict, she at times had brought a sense of comfort to me and my brother. Today, however, her presence only set to aggravate me. I inhaled sharply.

  “Ada. Perhaps you can explain why I am being given excuse after excuse by my maids as to Cedric’s whereabouts?”

  “Firstly, let me express how pleased we are to have you back at court and as our queen. Edgar was a traitor.” She bent down and fussed with the frills on the skirt of my gown, then brought her fingers up to straighten the temporary crown on my head. “You were meant to rule this kingdom after your father and brother, as is the line of succession. For him not to immediately step down upon learning of you being alive was deplorable.”

  “Thanks.” At least she was on my side. I wondered how many were. “So, about Cedric.”

  “Of course, none of it would have happened if the king of Berovia hadn’t kidnapped you. You, the heir to the throne. That kingdom,” she spat, “may they burn in the fires they wield.”

  I exhaled slowly, then ran my fingers down my face, pulling the skin under my eyes downward. “Berovia aside,” I said, moving away from the lie I had spread about my time in Berovia. “Where is Cedric? He is my guest.”

  Ada was thirty years my senior but acted as if she were much older. Her stiff upper lip and unamused expression bore a striking resemblance to my mother, who was still stuck on Inferis, where she would hopefully stay for the remainder of her miserable life. “He is a light fae.” She lowered her voice to a whisper, leaning in as if to exchange gossip. “A Berovian.”

  “He is?” I asked, feigning shock. “Well, thank you for letting me know. They’re not all the same, you know.”

  She clicked her tongue, then remarked about how dirty my dresser was and how the maids would be fired for it.

  “Ada,” I snapped. “Cedric. Where is he?”

  She shook her head, continuing as if she hadn’t heard me. “We will go to war with Berovia for what they did. Lunas will not stand idly while heretics disrespect our kingdom. They will pay for what they did to you.”

  Those were dangerous words. Did others feel the same? Would they want to fight, even with our numbers so low?

  Ada had always loved to lecture me when I was a little girl, but I was a woman now. A queen. Her queen. “The man who kidnapped me is dead,” I said deadpan. “King Xenos has fallen.”

  The corner of her lip twitched. “His son is still alive.”

  I swallowed thickly. “Ada. I wish to see Cedric. No, I demand to see him,” I said, not wanting to hear the prejudice I knew that danced on her thin lips. “I won’t ask again.”

  “It would look…” She tangled her fingers together, gazing up at my silver chandelier with diamonds. “Most improper. Bringing him here alone was enough to raise eyebrows and, worse, rumors. But to be seen with him? To be alone with him? You have a public image to maintain.”

  “He is my friend,” I lied. “Not a lover.”

  “It does not matter.” Her lips pinched with disgust. “He is a faery. Any relationship is inappropriate.”

  “He fought alongside us at the battle. Besides, was it not my father who had betrothed me to the dark fae prince?”

  She dipped her head. “King Amos is, sadly, no longer with us, so he cannot give his input in this case. Besides, that wedding never took place, and Blaise was not a Berovian. The lords and I believe it to be in poor taste to−”

  I clapped my hands together. Rage coursed through my veins. The darkness in the pit of my stomach relished it. “Must I remind you of our vastly different positions?” My tone hardened. “Stop ignoring my request. You will bring me Cedric. That is a command.” I put my index finger in the air, preventing her next words. “If you want to keep your position at court and not end up being a wash maid, you will not ignore me again.”

  Silence hung between us for a few seconds before she let out a long exhale. “Right away.” She curtseyed, deeply, never looking me in the eye nor removing the disapproval from her expression. “I will see the faery is brought here immediately.”

  I rolled my eyes when the doors closed behind her. In poor taste? What was in poor taste was my father trying to marry me to a fae prince only to gain access to their kingdom to seize it. That’s in poor taste. I paced in a circle, muttering aloud occasionally. Eventually, the doors opened.

  “Cedric!” I gasped, throwing my arms around his waist. “I’m so sorry. I was tired and slept, then when I woke up, I asked to see you. The maid said she wasn’t allowed to. Can you believe it?” I clenched my jaw.

  He licked his lips. “Yes, your guards seem to have a deep loathing for my kind, as they put it, not so politely.”

  My mood stormed. “They said this to you? I’ll have them dismissed. How dare they? You are my guest.”

  He shook his head, sitting me on my bed, then joined my side. “You cannot undo what I imagine is generations of hate and prejudice in one day. You’ll be dismissing your entire court if you do.”

  “I won’t have it.” My eyes welled with tears. “I expected different. The battle, I thought it may have changed minds, with word reaching back here that the fae fought beside us.”

  “Many have changed their minds, but they are the minority, it seems. Still, it’s a start. In time, things will be different. Your people are desperate to see their queen. I’ve seen them as I walked the corridors to my room. They’re excited. Once you make them fall in love with you…” He brushed the hair from my eyes, his smile easing my rage. “Which should be easy, going by my experience…” He tapped the end of my nose. “They will see what you can do and
will learn to listen. You can persuade them. Guide them.”

  I scratched the back of my neck. “If only it were that easy. I told you once before, I’ve never been good at getting people to like me.”

  “And yet an entire army joined you, three princes wanted your hand, and your friend saved your life. You don’t make a good point.”

  I smirked, letting out a slight chuckle. “Every time.”

  “What?”

  I moved myself over until I was leg-to-leg with him. I walked my fingers up his chest. “You make everything feel… easy. You know, I have a few minutes before I must go and meet my high priest.”

  His hand ran up my back and into my black curls. “Then I shall make them count.”

  A knock at the door jolted us both. “Your Majesty, you have an audience with Vahaga.”

  I let out a weighted sigh, gazing at Cedric. “We will have to postpone our kiss.”

  “Not if I have anything to do with it.” He pulled me closer, wrapping his arm sturdily around my waist. His lips crashed against mine, with little care for the man at the door staring at us, slack-jawed. When he pulled away, he simply mumbled, “Later.”

  I nodded, feeling lightheaded, then stood. We shouldn’t have been so brazen; I knew it was reckless. I would have to have Adius give the guard extra coin for his silence.

  “You should come with me,” I said. “We will get some cake after my meeting.”

  He looked unsure.

  “It will be okay. I did not have you return with me so you could hide away in the shadows. Just don’t kiss me. I think we would give the lords and priestesses a heart attack. We’ll show friendship. They can’t do anything about that.”

  “They’re going to ask you about Kiros, you know.”

  I exhaled shakily. “I know.”

  Pain cracked through my forehead unexpectedly. I clamped my eyes shut and felt Cedric holding me up. After a few moments, the pain was gone.

  “What happened?”

  I wanted to tell him it was the darkness, that a wickedness had coiled itself around me, but like every tale that had been told, darkness could only survive in the hearts of the wicked. If he knew, he’d know what only Blaise did; I was broken. Badly. “Nothing.” My heart quickened as the lie all to easily lay on my tongue.