by RA Lewis
Then a scream shattered the silence from somewhere behind her, and sobbing filled the air. Kalina suspected it wasn’t because Prince Terric was dead, but rather the horrific nature of his death that was causing this outburst. She finally felt like she could move and she stood, straightening her dress and stepping up to her dragon’s side. Leif, bewilderment on his face, stepped up beside her. Arikara snaked her neck forward, clearly as a show of solidarity with the little group. Kalina cleared her throat and straightened her crooked crown.
“What Maska did was in defense of my life. Prince Terric attacked me with a knife, and Maska saved me. Nothing more. This trial is now over. You are all dismissed.” Then she turned on her heel and walked towards the door that led back into the castle, Maska trundling along beside her. She felt like she was about to break apart into a million different pieces and she wanted to get out of the public’s eye before she lost it. Finally, she turned to Maska and pressed her head against his warm, scaled chest.
“Thank you, my friend.” He let out a growling purr that vibrated through her.
“He didn’t taste very good. He hadn’t bathed in a long time. So I spit him out.”
Kalina let out a bark of laughter, tears of mingled relief and pent up fear rolling down her cheeks.
“I’ll come see you tonight, and we can go for a ride.” She patted his side and followed Leif into the castle. As soon as the cool darkness of the stone surrounded her, she leaned back against it, pressing her hands onto the rough surface.
Leif came to stand with her, looking out over the parade grown beyond the doorway. Kalina followed his gaze and watched as Anders, Talon, Kari, Rangvald, and Jormungand took control of the crowds and began herding them like cattle towards the exits. Lord Illeron was deep in a heated conversation with Lord Averil, who was a blotchy red color that made Kalina worry for his health. The remainder of her council was standing around, staring at the slowly congealing pool of Prince Terric’s blood, and casting eyes in Maska’s direction.
“Are you alright?” Leif finally asked, turning to survey her from head to foot before taking her face in his hands. “He didn’t manage to stab you, did he?” She shook her head, unable to speak.
Leif let out a long sigh of relief and pressed his lips to her forehead before pulling her into a tight hug.
Finally, Kalina found her voice and she croaked out, “I’ll be fine.”
Chapter 8
“Next time you’ll be wearing the armor I made you.”
“Next time it won’t be a public trial.”
Kalina stood at the edge of the large balcony off the now empty ballroom. Maska was basking in the late afternoon sun behind her, seemingly unconcerned about the events of the morning. As he had described it: “there had been a threat, and he’d ended it.” He’d given what Kalina could only equate as a dragon shrug. Leif was pacing the balcony, clenching and unclenching his fists. Kalina was still a little shaken by the ordeal, but a large part of her was relieved. The prince was dead, and he could no longer hurt her or those she loved.
“He had help. Someone gave him that knife, he didn’t just have it on him.” Leif paced towards Maska and then turned on his heel. Kalina turned away from the view of the gardens below and watched him. “That little distraction with the crowd was orchestrated, it wasn’t random.”
Kalina didn’t disagree. She tried to distract her own racing mind by watching the lean, muscular lines of him as he prowled the stone balcony. She wished they could be alone, truly alone, away from all the hubbub and chaos of the court. But she was tethered here by her responsibilities and she had to see them through.
“We’ll have Anders and Talon question the guards present, see who paid them or blackmailed them to allow the crowd through. Do you think this was another assassination attempt? Or just a lucky chance?” She rubbed the back of her neck. The stress was wearing on her body and she was suddenly looking forward to climbing into bed that night.
Leif’s eyes flicked to her as he paced.
“If I had to guess, I’d say assassination. But I can’t figure out what they thought to gain. If Terric had succeeded, there were enough dragons and Valdir there that you would have been avenged in a matter of moments. Terric was going to die either way. Someone must have convinced him it was worth it. Was it an attempt to get off a lucky shot at you? Or to start a war with Askor? Because those are the options.”
Fear clawed its way up Kalina’s throat. War with Askor. It was part of what she had been avoiding for months since she became queen. She knew her council members feared war, it was why Lord Averil had continued to pursue the idea of a political marriage for her, a way to forge an alliance like her mother and Terric had. But whenever she thought of marriage, the only face she saw at the altar was Leif’s. And she couldn’t just walk away from him for some Askorian, Ablen, or Wostradian princeling. Not that she had ever brought the prospect up with him, even the thought made her stomach clench in fear.
“I think we need to begin preparing for the possibility of war, then,” she said and turned back to the gardens behind her, trying to hide her fear. Maska shifted on the stone behind them.
“I think you are right. I will leave tonight to inspect our troops and get a report from Rangvald. You should talk to Kari. She has something she wants to show you. I’ll be back in a few days.” He came up behind her and put his hands on her arms. She shuddered slightly at his touch, his warmth seeping into her cold bones.
“I’ll miss you,” she whispered softly. He squeezed her arms briefly before stepping away.
“I’ll miss you more, my Queen.”
She turned and gave him a soft smile.
“Until later.”
He let out a piercing whistle, and within a few moments, large wing beats shattered the cool spring air. Arikara, his huge golden dragon landed on the ground a story below, her head poking up high enough to see Kalina, Leif, and Maska on the balcony above.
“Take care of him, Ari,” Kalina said. The golden dragon gave her a long-suffering look, as Leif launched himself over the edge of the balcony, landing on Arikara’s back with a soft “oof.”
“I always do, your Majesty.” The dragon winked and then shot into the sky, her wing beats concussing the air around them, forcing Kalina back a step.
She watched them as they flew south and east over the city until they disappeared into the blue of the sky. Maska let out a groan behind her. She turned and lay a hand on his large, emerald-scaled nose.
“I guess I’d better go find Kari.” Suddenly she was conscious of how much he’d grown in the last year. He now dwarfed her, and she could lay her entire body along his nose and still only reach his eyes. “Thank you, Maska, for everything you did today. I would be nothing without you.”
“That’s not true. You’d still be Kalina, Queen of Ethea and the Valdir. But you certainly wouldn’t be as interesting.” Occasionally Maska cracked jokes, and they always made Kalina feel a bit lighter.
She found Kari just inside the glass doors to the ballroom, standing watch with another palace guard.
“Leif said there was something you wanted to show me?”
“Oh, yes. It’s a little project I’ve been working on, that I hope you will appreciate.”
Kari began walking away and Kalina shrugged at the other guard and followed. Kari led them down to a side practice yard attached to a small barracks. Kalina wondered what this had originally been used for before she and her people had taken over the castle. On the practice grounds, women, both Valdir and Ethean were practicing with swords and bows. They were led by Jormungand, who was walking the yard correcting posture and stance or shouting orders.
“These are what I’ve been calling, The Queen’s Guard.” Kari swept her hands out, a huge grin on her face. She was clearly very proud of what was happening but Kalina was just a little confused.
“Are they separate from my usual guard? What is their purpose exactly?” She watched the nearest woman, realizing with a sud
den shock that it was Hilde, the blacksmith Skaldrik’s wife. Kalina had encountered the woman a few times and knew she was a fierce and capable fighter.
“They are meant to replace your regular palace guard. It is comprised of women only, so they can protect you anywhere, any time that a man might not be able to. These are women devoted just to you, not to the realm, or to a general. They are willing to lay down their lives to protect you.” Kari looked sideways at Kalina, a small smile playing on her lips. “I am their leader.”
Kalina’s eyebrows rose as she resisted the urge to tease her cousin. A small force of fighting women all her own? It was an interesting and, honestly, welcome concept. She did always feel rather strange with men standing watch outside her doors at all hours. Kari had always done her best to include at least one female on duty at all times but sometimes that wasn’t possible.
“How many are there? How many are Valdir, and how many Ethean?”
They continued to watch the women train, some of whom had noticed their queen and their commander watching them. Kari grinned.
“There are about twenty-five in total. The numbers are about split down the middle, half are Valdir and half are Ethean. The Valdir, however, are more skilled and are currently each paired with one Ethean to help them train. Jormungand and I are doing our best to get them up to snuff but since Ethean women are rarely if ever allowed to fight, it has been a rather rough transition for them. But the heart and will are there, however untrained.”
“I think this is a great idea, Kari. Thank you.”
“I’ve already worked up a schedule with your current guard and plan to start rotating them in so that they can get used to their duties. But that means for a while you will have three guards with you at all times.”
Kalina shrugged.
“What’s one extra? May I meet them?”
Kari eagerly stepped forward and called for a halt of the training. Then she proceeded to introduce Kalina to every woman, giving a few sentences about what brought each woman to the Queen’s Guard. Kalina couldn’t remember each name and story but she made sure to memorize each face and vowed to get to know them individually over the next weeks and months.
Just as Kari was finishing up the introductions, a servant came running into the courtyard, looking around rather frantically before seeing Kalina. He then walked over as calmly as he could, but she could see he was bursting with news. He was young, probably one of the young men and women Mistress Aynne was recruiting for what she called the messenger service.
“Your Majesty.” He bowed low.
“Yes, young man?” Kalina felt strange saying that as he must have been about 16 or 17, only a few months younger than she herself. But she felt years beyond him in so many ways.
“A letter just arrived from up the coast. An Askorian ship has been spotted out to sea, making its way south. It should be here by tomorrow afternoon.”
Chapter 9
The wind whipped around Kalina as she stood on the deck of her ship, watching the mouth of Ravenhelm harbor. The Askorian ship was just sliding into view on the ocean, its red sails standing out against the dark blue of the water and sky. She clutched the railing before her, nervousness thrilling through her. Leif still wasn’t back yet, although she’d sent word the moment they’d learned of the ship. And now she wasn’t sure he would be back in time to accompany her aboard the Askorian vessel. Lord Illeron stood by her side, as did Kari and Jormungand. Behind her, she was flanked by a mixture of Queen’s Guard and palace guards, along with Lord Averil who had insisted on attending, as well as Lady Renfort who stood straight-backed and resolute in the freezing wind.
Maska, along with Kari’s purple Yurok and Jormungand’s red Shania, circled overhead, swooping and diving through the air, looking for all the world like puppies playing. Kalina’s mouth twitched in a smile. She knew they were enjoying themselves, but she also knew that each of them was ready in a moment’s notice to kill. Kalina had insisted that a small supply of their precious Emberweed be kept on board, just in case they needed to have the dragons burn the Askorian ship to the waterline. But she hoped that would not be the case.
The large ship was a three-masted giant, clearly made for long voyages in comfort, judging by the number of portholes on the side and the array of passengers on the deck which could be seen as it came closer. The sails slowly furled, and Kalina could see sailors scrambling across the deck and rigging as the forward motion of the ship slowed. Kalina and her entourage watched in expectant silence as the foreign vessel dropped anchor and slid to a stop a few dozen yards off the port side of the Ethean ship.
Kalina could see a small party, not unlike her own, watching them from the deck of the ship. She wondered if the Askorian King, King Blackbourne, was aboard, or just a delegation. One ship was no threat against her entire country, but they could be a threat against her, which was why she had chosen to meet them on the water, and not in her own home.
“What do you think they want?” she said to Lord Illeron beside her. He stood with his legs apart, clearly at home on the rolling deck of a ship. He eyed the other ship suspiciously.
“My eyes and ears in the Askorian court have only brought me snippets of news regarding the King and his plans. It seems that while he may be upset that we killed a few troops and imprisoned his son, he has his own country and children to deal with. He recently remarried, this time to a much younger wife. He may be preoccupied, or he may just be playing it close to the chest.”
“How many children does he have?”
“Six sons and seven daughters, although many of the latter are married off now and only a few even reside at court. This is his third wife, and who knows how many mistresses he’s had or how many illegitimate children he has running around his castle.”
Kalina’s eyebrows rose at the number. She could barely imagine one or two children, let alone thirteen or more. She wondered if he would even care about Terric’s death since he had so many other children to replace him. She guessed she would find out soon enough.
“Look!” Kari said, pointing at the Askorian ship. A green flag was being hoisted up their center mast.
“What does that mean?” Kalina squinted at it. There was a slight commotion behind her as she turned to watch her own sailors hoisting their own green flag.
“It means that they want to speak with us and that they mean peace,” Lord Illeron said.
“Send over a boat then, and offer for them to meet us here. On our boat.” She turned on her heel and walked aft to the large cabin. Kari and her small entourage followed, leaving Lord Illeron and the sailors on deck.
The room was already cramped with Kari and Jormungand, Lord Averil and Lady Renfort. They squeezed around one side of a large oak table, trying to still look regal and intimidating while squeezed shoulder to shoulder. Kalina adjusted the crown atop her silver braids, her nerves still playing havoc as they waited. Finally, Lord Illeron and a small group of the Queen’s Guard returned, cramming into the room. He held out a letter that Kalina took.
“What does it say?” Kari asked, trying to sneak a peek over Kalina’s shoulder.
“It seems they want to meet on land, outside the city.” She looked up at Lord Illeron. “Is that wise?”
“There is a small cove just north of here with a wide beach and a steep stair to the top of the cliff. It would be a good place for a meeting. We can ask them to anchor there, which will remove them from our harbor, and guard the stairs. We could meet on the beach tomorrow at noon.”
Kalina folded the piece of paper back up carefully, using the movement to help her think. Finally, she spoke, all the eyes in the cramped room on her.
“That sounds like an excellent plan, Lord Illeron. Please send them back a message with the plan, and we will return to shore.” She stood and made her way towards the door, Kari and Jormungand scrambling to get out of her way in the tight quarters. “We will meet with them tomorrow.”
She returned to shore with her entourage in
a longboat, leaving her sailors and Lord Illeron to handle the execution of the plan. When she returned to the castle, a letter was waiting for her from Leif, saying he was delayed with the troops. There had been a problem between the training master and Rangvald, and Leif was needed to settle the dispute, but he would be back at her side as soon as possible. Her heart sank as she read it, knowing she’d be attending the morning meeting without him.
She stood before her bedroom windows that evening, watching the Askorian ship depart from the bay and turn north, anxiety, and fear of what the following day held churning in her gut.
The short boat ride to the cove the next morning left Kalina nauseated and exhausted. She hadn’t slept well that night, and besides her quick foray onto the deck of a ship the day before, she’d never stepped foot onto a boat in her life. Lord Illeron stood beside her at the rail as she clutched it, trying to calm her bucking stomach.
“I can’t imagine it is much different from flying on a dragon, your Majesty,” he said, a slight hint of amusement in his voice. Kalina shot him a sideways glare before focusing on the horizon again.
“It is different. I can read Maska’s muscles and anticipate how he’s going to move. But this,” she gestured at the ship beneath her. “It is constant and irregular at the same time, and I have nothing to focus on. I’d rather be flying.”
Lord Illeron chuckled, making Kalina scowl further, clenching her teeth against the next wave of nausea.
“Perhaps you should fly in on your dragon then, your Majesty. It would make for an impressive display of might without actually threatening anyone. And it would give us the upper hand.”
She considered this. She would absolutely rather fly than be aboard ship as it sailed up the coast. Finally, she nodded and called Kari over.