by Renee Carr
Luckily, Joshua was there to hang onto her.
“It’s okay,” he assured her. “It’s okay. It’s just like our wedding.”
“With a million more people watching, and an entire kingdom of responsibility in front of us,” Leah said and Joshua patted her arm.
“Remember,” he said. “As nervous as you are, I’m twice as nervous.”
“Not the best reassurance,” she said, but let him squeeze her hand.
When the doors opened to the large throne room, the entire kingdom rose. Leah held her head high, focusing on the throne, as she was supposed to. A queen was supposed to be serene and above any gossip or any gaze. However, she was glad Joshua was at her side, to squeeze her hand and remind her that no matter what they encountered, they were in this together.
“Sirs and ladies, I here present unto you, Queen Leah and King Joshua, your undoubted queen and king of Knorpp and the universe wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service. Are you willing to do the same?”
For Leah, it was all a blur. Somehow, all the rehearsal came together in the end, and she managed to muster the courage to speak with strength and clarity. She couldn’t believe when the archbishop spoke the final lines.
“Creator save King Joshua and Queen Leah!” the crowd chanted, and she turned toward her husband. This was it; they were crowned. They turned toward Ivy and Nathan and dipped low. The former king and queen dipped back to them, and then indicated they should pay attention to the crowd instead of them. Leah squeezed Joshua’s hands once more, facing the crowd.
“Ready for a new adventure?” Joshua asked and she smiled.
“Anything,” she said. “With you.”
Chapter 24
“You aren’t going so soon, are you?” Leah said the next morning when she came next door to Ivy’s chambers. She knew that things would be slightly awkward with Leah as the new queen and Ivy as the old one, but she didn’t expect to find her suitcase packed and Nathan and Ivy looking around the room, as if they weren’t sure what else to pack.
“Well,” Ivy said with a smile. “You’re the queen now. And we have other business to attend to. Like giving this baby a proper home.”
“You have a proper home,” Leah said. “And it’s here; you are always welcome here.”
“I know,” Ivy said. “And we’ll come home whenever we want. But... this is your territory now, Leah. And you and Joshua need to make it your own. The things we’ve put in place, the life that we left, it’s ours.”
“When John died,” Nathan said, “there were many things of his that I inherited and many things I cherished; but many I had to change, just to keep my sanity.”
Ivy gave her husband a small smile, and then stuffed yet another shirt into her suitcase.
“It’s a good thing that there isn’t a weight limit on the ships to Earth,” Ivy said and both of them looked at her, confused. Ivy shrugged with a smile.
“Never mind, it’s an Earth thing,” Ivy said and shut the suitcase. “Ready to go?”
“But...” Leah looked between the two of them. “I don’t know what to do.”
Her lip trembled and Nathan realized this was the moment he was waiting for.
“Where is my brother?” he asked.
“Joshua?” Leah asked. “He’s still asleep.”
“What are you going to do?” Ivy asked Nathan, when Leah went to get him.
“I’m going to take them to John,” Nathan said. “And Sarah.”
“Oh boy,” Ivy said. “Are you sure about that? Can you handle that?”
Nathan smiled and touched his wife’s hand.
“I’m alright,” he said. “And I’m alright because of you. You saved me, and that’s why I can see them.”
“Do you want me to come?” she asked.
“Of course,” he said. “You knew Lady Sarah.”
Joshua emerged, bleary-eyed from the coronation the night before.
“Nathan?” Joshua asked. “Is everything alright?”
“Everything is fine,” Nathan said. “Get your coat.”
Dragon bodies were cremated, and so there were no graves they could go to. However, some of the ashes were put inside statues that were kept in the royal crypt. All the rulers before them were there and it always felt like a sacred place, where Ivy felt like she had to whisper.
The royal crypt was in one of the outer buildings of the palace and it was bitter cold in the early morning. Leah drew her coat close, and they followed Nathan and Ivy in silence as they walked across the cold morning ground.
“Are you sure he’s okay?” Joshua leaned down low and asked Leah as they walked. “Did he say something strange? Did he...”
“I think that your brother just wants to say goodbye to you,” Leah said. “And wish you the best on your journey. He just has a funny way of showing it.”
“I'll say,” Joshua said as they finally entered the crypt.
They made their way to the newest statues, which were of John and Sarah, in dragon form. Inside, some of their ashes were encased in the stone, and so it was the place people came to grieve.
“Before he... passed away,” Nathan said, touching John’s statue, “he told me that he knew I felt ill-equipped and he knew that I wasn’t taught everything that he was. But,” he turned to Joshua, “he told me, before the end, that I was his brother, and I was made of the same blood, the same flesh. And when the time came, he knew I would be ready for whatever challenges I faced, and I would handle them in the way I thought best for the kingdom. And he was right,” his eyes sparkled. “I rose to the challenges I could handle, and when the time came, I did what was best for the kingdom. And I know you will do the same.”
“You will come back, won’t you?” Joshua asked fearfully.
“Of course we will,” Nathan said. “But you two need to get settled first and get your bearings.”
“Also,” Ivy glanced at her watch, “I have a show in 10 days, and I’m supposed to be at rehearsal in 12 hours.”
Leah smiled at her sister-in-law.
“Of course you do,” she said. “I expected nothing less from you. And Nathan, are you going to take up a singing career too?”
“Of course,” Nathan said with a grin. “At least, until Ivy has her baby.”
Joshua took another look at John’s statue, placing a hand on it. Leah moved over to gaze up at Sarah’s statue.
“Did you know her?” she asked Ivy and Ivy smiled.
“I did, just at the end. Nathan actually brought her to Earth to vet me, the first time that he met me.”
“Really?” Leah asked.
“Yeah, I was doing a concert and he brought her to watch. He knew then that he was my fated mate, but I didn’t realize it. He wanted to be sure, because I was so out of the norm.”
“What was she like?” Leah asked and Ivy shrugged.
“Feisty,” she said. “From what I understand, she and John disagreed on just about everything, and yet somehow, they made an amazing life together, and managed to show a united front. I didn’t know John... but I feel like I knew him, from what Sarah said.”
“I rarely come down here,” Leah said, spinning around and looking at all the statues. “It makes the gravity of the situation sink in more than the coronation, I think.”
“Don’t think of it as pressure,” Ivy said. “Just... it’s your place now.”
“Yep,” Leah said with a smile.
They stayed down in the crypt for a while, until Joshua seemed ready to go. They took Nathan and Ivy to the hangar, and gave them one more hug before walking them onto the ship.
“Do you think,” Nathan said, as their ship took off, “that we’ll come back and the entire planet will be on fire?”
“I mean, it could be exciting,” Ivy said, watching him. “Are you alright, after all of that?”
“I’m fine,” he assured her. “Are you excited for your concert?”
“I am,” she said. “I’m also excited for you t
o be a stay-at-home dad.”
“That’s not going to be the case,” he said. “I’ll find something to do on Earth, and we’ll make a new life.”
“Mmm,” she said. “You want to be my manager?”
“I’m used to managing the entire kingdom,” he said with a shrug. “So I don’t see how it would be much different.”
“Just you wait,” Ivy said with a devilish grin. “Just you wait.”
Chapter 25
It was a life that was very different from what they were used to, but a life that they settled into quite easily. Leah actually liked doing throne duty, which no queen before her had ever liked. She often took that duty, while Joshua took a lot of the meetings that kept him off the throne and away from the public eye. They said that she was a good queen, and she felt confident in it. Her confidence didn’t even waiver when Christine, the new captain of the guards, came into the throne room and bowed low to her, looking shaky.
“What is it?” Leah asked.
“It’s the crypt, my lady,” Christine said. The two women had a good relationship, and Leah knew when Christine was shaken.
“The crypt?” Leah asked. “What’s wrong with the crypt?”
“You know that we have cameras and patrols in there, against grave robbers and intruders,” Christine said. “The last week, they’ve detected movement. We keep investigating, but there is nothing. However... the movement continues, shadows and such. It’s gotten to the point where it’s almost constant, and we thought that we should tell you.”
“Oh my,” Leah said. “And you’ve found nothing of interest?”
“Nothing,” Christine said. “But some of the statues are moving.”
“On their own?” she asked, alarmed. “Or someone is moving them?”
“Well, I would hope that someone is moving them,” Christine said. “Shouldn’t we be able to pick it up on the cameras, though, if something like that is happening?”
“You should,” Leah concurred. “What do you need?”
“I request the budget for a 24-hour patrol,” she said. “Obviously, there’s something weird... and we want to catch the culprit who may be responsible.”
“You’re sure there’s not an animal infestation?” Leah’s mind went back to the deputy captain that she was, and started exploring all possibilities.
“No,” Christine said. “I wish that I could explain it away like that... but I can’t.”
“Yes, I understand,” Leah said. “Of course, whatever you need. I’m going to tell Joshua, of course. He should know.”
“Of course,” Christine said. “I just... I wasn’t sure what to do. There’s nothing in the notes about... anything like this. The crypt is usually secure.”
“It is,” Leah agreed. “I’m sure that everything will be fine, though.”
“It will,” Christine nodded and headed out. Leah continued to deal with other business, but Christine’s report lingered in the back of her mind.
She told Joshua that night in bed, and his brow furrowed.
“Like the statues are being damaged?” he asked.
“No, I don’t think so,” Leah said. “Christine just said they were being moved. I imagine not large distances, or she would have mentioned it.”
“We should go down there,” Joshua said. “Tomorrow morning. I used to visit often after my father died. I’ll have a good idea of anything minor they may have missed.”
“Sure,” Leah said. She was more curious than worried, but the next day, when they went down to the crypt, she saw that there was more movement than Christine had mentioned. Sarah’s and John’s statues were much closer together, and closer to the door. Some of the older statues were further back, and there was enough space for two full-grown dragons to transform in between them.
“That is weird,” Joshua said, looking around. “What worries me is that anything that is moving around here could damage them.”
“Christine said she was going to put a 24-hour patrol around,” Leah said. “I’m sure it’s just some mischief makers.”
“Well, if we catch them, we can bring them to justice,” Joshua said and then shuddered as he got closer to John’s statue. Leah watched him with concern.
“Okay?” she asked and he nodded.
“Yeah, I just felt... I don’t know, it’s probably because I am close to John, I just think that... I’m remembering the way his magic felt.”
“You can feel his magic?” she asked. “That isn’t normal.”
“It’s fine,” Joshua said. “Tell Christine to put her patrol up and keep us informed.”
“Sure,” Leah said, more worried about her husband than anything else. She didn’t like the way he was eyeing John’s statue, as if his brother would walk out at any moment. “Anyways, Ivy and Nathan are visiting tomorrow, don’t forget, so we’ll have extra security all around.”
“Right,” he said and kissed Leah on the head. “Was it weird? Listening to Christine make a report and not jumping on it?”
“Yeah,” she said with a smile. “You feel that too, eh?”
“Pros and cons, my love,” he remarked as they headed out of the crypt. Leah was right, there was a lot to do before his brother and Ivy came home with their new baby. As far as he was aware, Nathan was doing well since his departure to Earth. Ivy hadn’t given birth yet, but they were traveling knowing that she may give birth on Knorpp. They had pulled out all the stops and were going to have a grand banquet for their arrival.
Joshua couldn’t help but notice that all the guards were running to and fro during the gala preparations. They were trying to stay focused on their tasks, but it was clear that something was distracting them. He managed to not ask about it until Nathan arrived, and the two brothers were standing in the hangar. But when a guard walked in and whispered frantically in Christine’s ear, he couldn’t keep it under wraps any longer.
“What is happening?” he asked at last. Ivy was talking to Leah, but everyone turned when they heard Joshua’s voice. He was clearly concerned, and Nathan turned to the guards as well, waiting for an answer.
“The crypt,” Christine. “I think you both need to go to the crypt.”
“Why?” Nathan asked. “Is there...”
“This has been happening for quite a while,” Joshua said to Nathan. “A little bit of mischief in the crypt, and we can’t find the culprit. If you want, you can go t—”
“No,” Nathan said. “We’ll come with you. If it’s the crypt, I feel like it’s all of our responsibility. And I would like to see the statues again.”
“If you’re sure,” Leah said, and held out her arms for her pregnant sister-in-law. She tried to keep up a smile and idle chatter, but watching Christine, she could see that there was something very odd going on.
“Where you all going?” Cory asked, coming around the corner. Since he became the crown prince, he had been around the palace a lot more, and he was often accompanied by one of the witches who had saved his life. Today, it was a young one called Bliss, who Leah knew only from a distance.
Ever since the witches had rescued Cory, it seemed as if a new relationship had forged between them and the dragons. Whether they were loyal to the dragons in order to keep Cory safe or loyal to Cory because they respected dragon rule didn’t matter to Leah. History would say that the witches and dragons allied at last, even if it was brief, and the Dragon Queen was proud of her place in the new friendship.
“Crypt,” Joshua said and Cory followed along without being invited, with Bliss at his heels.
Leah didn’t know what she expected when she walked into the crypt. However, she gasped at what she saw.
The two statues of the most recently deceased rulers were at the front of the crypt, practically out the door. The rest of the statues were in the back, and the space in between them was huge.
“Wha...” Nathan uttered, in shock. “Why did you...”
“I didn’t do anything,” Joshua said. “This is the mischief that’s been happe
ning. Some invisible practical jokester.”
“No,” Bliss, the witch, suddenly spoke up. She was standing at John’s statue, and her hands were flying, controlling magic in the air. “There is magic here. Life magic.”
“Life magic?” Nathan asked, his voice weak.
“Life magic,” Bliss confirmed. “And it’s from within the statues.”
“It’s impossible,” Leah said. “They have been dead for...”
Nathan, however, was pale as a ghost. “Can you pull it out?”
“She probably can,” Cory said. “But the question is, do we want to?”
There was silence in the air.
“Nathan,” Joshua said, but Nathan shook his head.
“This is your kingdom, Joshua,” he said. “You have to make the decision.”
Joshua could barely speak. He turned to Leah and took her hand.
“There is a possibility that it won’t work,” Bliss said. “And there is a possibility that the life magic I pull from this will not be... right.”
“I know,” Joshua said. “But... if we bring them back... if we can bring them back... why? Why is this happening?”
“Anything could have happened, on the other side,” Bliss said. “Magical plates could have shifted, someone could have performed a resurrection spell, which really isn’t a good thing, someone could have... I don’t know. This does happen, obviously from time to time, but it’s a once in a million circumstance.”
“If it is John who walks out of there,” Leah said, “and Sarah... then, we give up our throne?”
“I suppose that would be up to us,” Joshua said. “Leah, we don’t have to decide right now, we don’t...”
“No,” she squeezed his hand. “This isn’t for me to decide, or for you. Don’t you remember what John told Nathan? That we would serve the kingdom as best we could, and rise to the challenges that were given to us. This is one of them... and we must meet this challenge. Even if it means giving up the throne for them.” Her words were strong.