She blinked then stared at him. What he had meant by that? Surely, he was just being polite. They weren't friends, regardless of the way they'd talked on the wedding night.
They couldn't be friends, after all. She was the Queen, well, the King's Widow anyway, whatever that meant now, and he was her nephew by marriage.
What awaited her when they finally got to the Sapphire Palace? Grand Princess Veronica had already made her feelings known, and they weren't welcoming ones. Would everyone feel the same way? Was she to be an outsider in her new home while she tried to make sure the prisoners were released?
So many questions flooded her brain until she thought she would scream. To calm her anxiety, she turned back to the window.
The fish were still playing out in the ocean, and she asked, "Have you seen this before?"
Gideon sat up and glanced at the window. "Seen what? The ocean?"
"I meant the fish out there. They must be huge. What are they? Dolphins?"
He moved closer to the door to get a better look at what she referred to. "Oh, no. Those aren't dolphins. The tails are too colorful. Dolphins' tails are pretty much just gray."
Ursula tilted her head and gestured toward the water. "Then what are those? I've never seen anything like that before."
"Your palace...I mean, the Aldlake one, is too far inland to ever see this. Actually, the Sapphire Palace is too far inland, as well, but my family has a cottage on the coast. I pretty much grew up watching the Anamii dance under the water."
"The Anamii?"
"Water Folk. They live out there."
She faced him. "Mermaids? You must think I'm a child fresh out of the school room. Mermaids are the stuff of bedtime stories."
He chuckled. "Mermaids, yes, but these are the Anamii. I suppose they share some characteristics with mermaids, but trust me, they are quite different. For one thing, they are just as comfortable on land as under the water. They just prefer the water."
She watched him, waiting for him to admit to the joke. However, his face was expressionless, and she sensed total openness from him.
"You're teasing me, right?" she asked.
"Not at all." He rapped on the roof of the carriage, signaling the driver to stop. "Come with me. I'll show you."
As he reached for his cane, one of the carriage's attendants came to the door. "What is it, Your Highness? Is there a problem?"
"No, Edwin," Prince Gideon said. "Her majesty just wanted to see the Anamii up close."
"Do you think that's a good idea, Your Highness? You know the official stance of the Sapphire Court to the Anamii."
Gideon sighed. "Yes, but Queen Ursula has never even seen the Water Folk, and while they are not officially part of Heyton, I believe it is a disservice to our new Queen to keep her ignorant of our nearest neighbor."
Edwin was a servant, and therefore, he had no real authority to keep Gideon and Ursula in the carriage and moving if they chose otherwise.
"What do I tell the other drivers?" Edwin asked, referring to the carriages that held the entourage, the servants and the luggage.
Gideon shrugged. "Tell them the truth."
By this time, he and Ursula had gotten out of their carriage and were walking to the side of the road.
The land was lower, closer to the water here, and she was tempted to walk out onto the rocks to feel the spray on her skin.
"What are you doing?" Rebecca's voice called from the window of the servant's carriage. "Don't go out there. You could fall and hurt yourself."
"Yes, mother," Ursula muttered under her breath, but she took a few steps closer, moving to stand on a large flat rock.
"She has a point," Gideon said. He remained in the grass, leaning on his cane.
"I want to see these Anamii for myself. You say they aren't Heyton citizens?"
Now Prince Gideon took a deep breath but didn't respond immediately. Ursula looked at him over her shoulder.
"Well?"
"There is some disagreement on that point," he said. "My grandparents tried to force them to swear fealty and be considered Heyton citizens, but the Anamii have inhabited these waters for centuries. They feel we're the interlopers, stealing land near the water that belongs to them."
Ursula studied the water. The iridescent tails were easier to see now she was this close. They jutted out of the water and sunk back down again as though their owners were undulating close to the surface, but she never saw the rest of the bodies.
What would it be like to swim like that, never having to break through the surface just to breathe? Surely the political issues and pressures she felt every day of her life would mean nothing down there in the quiet.
Fine gowns, titles and rituals must be as unknown to those beings as their lives were to her. How would a ruler even begin to start negotiations with them about the sovereignty of the land?
Had Killian tried to form an alliance with the Anamii the way he had with the Kingdom of Valborough? Clearly not in the same way, but had he approached them, tried to come to a set of compromises? Or did he think of them as inferior, lesser beings, like animals to submit to his rule because they had no other choice?
Now he was gone, what was her responsibility to them, or would they consider her as much an interloper as everyone else?
How she longed to learn more about them and their way of life. What was that freedom like?
"Your Majesty," her driver called. "We should get back on the road. We will be expected at the Chaisson Manor house by nightfall."
"Of course," Ursula said, turning back to the road. Before she reached her carriage, she looked at the sea again, still fascinated by those lovely, foreign creatures that shouldn't exist outside of dreams and stories.
With a sigh, she moved to turn away, but just then she saw a head peek out of the water. Too far away to tell much more than that it was a person's head and the hair was blonde, almost white, Ursula was overcome with a wave of emotion.
Sadness and curiosity.
Fear and wonder.
Hope.
Then the face was gone, slipping back under the surface of the water like a feather dropping from the sky, slowly but inexorably.
"Did you see that?" she asked Gideon as he held out his hand for her.
"See what?"
"That face. One of them, one of the Anamii, looked out of the water at me."
He sighed. "That would be nice, but they don't acknowledge us. I don't even think they are truly aware of land-dwellers. If they are, they choose to ignore our existence. We are like the birds to them. They might see us, but they never pay any attention."
"I saw one." She didn't dare tell him what she felt. They never discussed their Sensitivities, even though she knew he was also a Water Sensitive.
He studied her face as though looking for a sign she was joking or something. "If that's true, then you are blessed by the Elements because all my life the Anamii have fascinated me, but I've never seen one."
"Your Majesty, we should be getting back on the road," the driver called from his seat above the horses.
"He's right," Gideon said. "Shall we continue?"
Ursula nodded. "Of course." As she climbed into the carriage, she took a last look over her shoulder. Maybe she had imagined it all because now even the tails were gone.
Chapter 17
When the caravan reached the Chaisson Manor house, the sun had long since set, and servants had set lanterns along the drive to the main building. Two men waited at the front door of the house when Ursula's carriage stopped.
"Your Majesty," one of the men said, stepping up to help her out of the carriage. "You honor us with your visit."
"Thank you," she said. The only way he could know her identity was the royal seal on the doors of the carriage and crests on the servants' uniforms. She felt like she was pretending to be the Queen of Heyton, but she comforted herself with the thought that in all likelihood this man wouldn't have recognized King Killian if he'd been here.
Prin
ce Gideon stood next to her. "Your Majesty, may I present Vidame Civoalos, master of the Chaisson Manor, and his steward Chamberlain Rodn."
"Your Majesty." The two men bowed.
"I'm grateful for your hospitality, Vidame," Ursula said. "It has been a long journey."
"I'll be happy to show you to your quarters," Chamberlain Rodn said. He motioned to half a dozen male servants who hovered nearby. They began unloading the bags and trunks from the carriages.
Members of the Valborough delegation, diplomats and courtiers, mingled around as the Vidame's servants worked quickly and quietly to get all the sleeping arrangements settled.
Rebecca came to Ursula's side. "The news of the King's passing has not reached here," she whispered. "They wouldn't be so welcoming to you if it had."
"Perhaps you don't give these people enough credit," Ursula said as they followed Chamberlain into the house. "Perhaps they would be as welcoming to any visitors."
Her Lady tsked in response.
The house was elegant, if modest in comparison to a palace. George Evan's family home was larger than this, but Ursula was so tired from the trip, she was only interested in a bed and possibly a bath.
"Oh," she said as she noticed all of her luggage had been taken into the room assigned to her. "I'm sorry. I don't need all these bags for a short stay." She glanced around, intending to send some of the bags back, but Chamberlain cleared his throat.
"Begging her Majesty's pardon, but the instructions we received from the Grand Princess Veronica...I mean, the Queen Mother was that you and Prince Gideon's party was to remain here until after King Josiah's coronation. The Vidame assumed that, given that you are in mourning, you would prefer the solitude of our estate to the activity of the palace at this time."
"When did these instructions arrive?" Ursula asked, stunned Veronica hadn't wasted any time assuming the new, higher title.
"Just this morning, Your Majesty." Chamberlain bowed.
She sighed. "Please tell Prince Gideon I need to see him and the Vidame. Also, instruct the servants to take all but these three bags back to the carriage. See the horses are cared for. I plan to be back on the road as soon as possible in the morning."
"But Your Majesty, the Queen Mother-" Chamberlain began, but she raised her hand to stop him.
"I am the King's Widow, and until such time as Prince Josiah is crowned, I believe I still have my husband's authority."
"Of course. I'll see your wishes are carried out." Chamberlain bowed again and hurried out of the room.
Gideon stumped through the hallways from the room he'd been given to the Queen's chambers. When Chamberlain had told him what Ursula had said, part of him wanted to congratulate her for standing up to his aunt, but a bigger part wished they could just go along with what Veronica had planned.
There would be no end to the anger and grief Ursula was going to experience if she continued to fight his aunt. Veronica might not be King nor would she ever be able to rule directly, but she had had a lifetime to develop her own army of followers and sycophants. Ursula was going to find it hard to know who to trust, let alone establish her own authority once they got to the Sapphire Palace.
Of course, he had encouraged her to continue on and stand up for herself as Killian's widow. He probably should stand by her, regardless, even though his life would be so much easier if he just went back to the University and ignored any connection he had to the royal family. Teaching had to be easier than being a Prince.
The thought of spending the rest of his life far away from the palace where no one knew about his relation to the royal family sounded like paradise, but he couldn't abandon Ursula. Not now, after she'd stood up to his aunt, showing she was stronger than he'd given her credit for. He wanted to see how this situation would turn out.
When he arrived at the Queen's chambers, he was surprised but pleased to see she was introducing herself to the maids and footmen from the palace Veronica had sent to care for the King's Widow. At least the Grand Princess respected appearances; she couldn't risk gossip circulating that Ursula was being disrespected by the Sapphire Court.
"I realize," Ursula was saying, "we all find ourselves in an unusual and potentially uncomfortable situation. None of us expected this, so I will not blame any of you if you chose to leave my service. In fact, I can't guarantee I will be in any position to have my own household staff, but anyone who chooses to remain in my service will be well treated and anyone who chooses to leave will not be condemned in any way."
Several of the younger maids looked at one another, shifting their weight from one foot to the other, but no one stepped out of the line.
Terrance, the head footmen and clear leader of this group, searched the faces of the entire staff, smiled in clear satisfaction, then turned to the Queen.
"Your Majesty, you have the loyalty and support of the Queen's Household Staff."
"Thank you, Terrance," Ursula said. "Please speak to the head of the Vidame's household staff to coordinate our morning meal. I'd like to be on the road at first light."
"Of course, Your Majesty." Terrance bowed and ushered the staff out of her quarters.
Gideon came in just as Ursula dropped into a chair with a sigh.
"Very Queen-like," he said, and she shook her head.
"I don't know what I'm doing." She motioned for him to sit. He took a chair set at an angle to her own. "I'm just trying to take things one step at a time."
"That's all any of us can do. What is your next step?"
She met his eyes. "At the moment, I plan to sit here for a bit and try to stop my racing heart."
He took a deep breath and let it out before he spoke next. "I think I should warn you Veronica is not going to be happy when you arrive at the palace."
Ursula shook her head. "I think I could have guessed that from my interaction with her previously. Her instructions to the Vidame and Chamberlain confirm it."
"Of course," he said, "but you have no idea about her influence in the palace. More of the courtiers looked to her for how they should act and who they should shun than to Uncle Killian."
Ursula nodded. "I have dealt with women like her at the Valborough palace."
Gideon shook his head. "I don't think you know women like Aunt Veronica."
The royal caravan pulled up to the private entrance of the Sapphire Palace. The immense white stone building sat on a cliff overlooking a winding green valley and a lush forest.
Ursula hadn't been able to get a good look at her new home as they'd traveled the complex, serpentine path through the trees, so when they emerged, she was dazzled by the sparkle of the stones in the brilliant sunlight. The palace was almost too bright to look at directly, as though each rock had once been part of a star and retained its own inner light.
"Why is it called the Sapphire Palace?" she wondered out loud as she studied it in disbelief. How would she ever consider such a place her home?
Gideon took a deep breath. "Tradition mostly. The first King of Heyton, Sylvane, had chosen this site for his palace and began digging a foundation with his own hands. It is said he found a rich vein of sapphire after less than half an hour. Those stones were placed in the walls of the foundation to bless his family line."
She turned from the window to look at him. "Is that true?"
He shrugged. "No one has dared break into the foundation to find out. Why risk losing the blessing the sapphires give us?"
"I have never heard of sapphires being especially holy," she said and regarded the palace.
"That doesn't mean they aren't."
As the carriage began rolling up the long stone drive that led to a semi-circle in front of the Palace, Ursula saw Gideon scowl.
"What's wrong?" she asked, looking out toward the group of servants lined up along the edge of the stone path. From this distance, she couldn't see anything that would cause him concern.
"Aunt Veronica is not there, nor is Josiah." He tightened his lips. "Even if he has been recognized as Uncle
Killian's heir, there is no excuse for them not to greet the King's Widow themselves."
"Perhaps they are just delayed." She hoped she could avoid the kind of courtly battle she'd seen time and time again her whole life. Wars of words that sounded pleasant to those not involved but dripped with scorn and suggestions of more serious actions down the road. Those proved to be exhausting, and Ursula didn't want to have to deal with hatred while trying to find her place in her new kingdom.
Gideon raised an eyebrow. "I don't believe Aunt Veronica has ever been late for anything in her entire life."
"Well, I don't have a specific place in the household, so I suppose it's understandable she and Josiah might have more important things to handle."
He shook his head. "No. Nothing is more important than your arrival. The widow of a King is not no one. Josiah might have named himself King but it's not official until you say it is."
"What?" Now she stared at him. "That can't be right."
Gideon sighed and turned to look at the lush green lawns surrounding the palace.
"Women can't rule," he said after a moment. "My grandmother, Queen Verity, was an exception, and one unlikely to be repeated, but Queens have a role in the succession."
Ursula nodded. "Yes. They provide the sons."
"And they confirm the parentage of those sons."
She shook her head. "I don't understand."
"A man can never be sure a child is his. That's just a fact of biology, but a woman knows who her child belongs to. Over the centuries, it has become important to the coronation ritual for the Queen Mother, or King's Widow, to stand before the Elements and affirm who the crown rightfully belongs to."
He lifted one shoulder and gave her a lopsided grin. "There are a dozen or so interesting stories about coronations being disrupted because the King's Widow affirmed something different than what the King himself had set forth."
"But I can't affirm anything about Josiah or anyone else's claim to the throne."
"Maybe not, but you have a right to be there. Veronica knows you wouldn't be aware of this custom, and I'm sure she hoped you would just go back to Valborough. Barring that, she wanted to keep you away from the palace until a coronation could take place. If you were not here, nothing would stand in the way of getting her son on the throne."
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