Rangers of Linwood (The Five Kingdoms Book 1)

by LeAnn Anderson

  

  Arya gave out a cry as she saw her step-daughter fall. Her only consolation was that Tesni had managed to kill even as she was killed. Linwood would now have to wait for nearly two more decades to have a ruler. The babe in her womb fluttered a little, as if sensing his sister’s death and what kind of legacy his sister had left him.

  Arya pulled Tesni’s body away from Agrona’s. She sobbed as she tried desperately to stop the flow of blood, clinging to one last shred of hope that Tesni might yet survive. She thrust a blade into the fireplace and then pressed it against the wound, searing a scar on Tesni’s body as the wound was cauterized. Still, though, the girl failed to draw breath, and Arya finally gave in, her tears falling down on Tesni’s face.

  “So, my prophecy has come true at last.”

  Arya looked up in shock at the woman who had spoken. “Who are you?”

  “I am Ruya, and I was Agrona’s prophetess. I am the one who advised her to seek out the one known as Wits.”

  “Then you’re responsible for all of the pain she’s gone through since she was eight,” Arya growled. She was shaking.

  “And she has more, yet, to endure,” Ruya said, “for I have seen her future as Queen of Linwood, and she still has many trials to undergo.”

  “No, she doesn’t,” Arya whispered. “She’s dead.”

  “If I had not prophesized about her to Agrona, and Agrona had never attacked her, she would never have been prepared to face her today,” Ruya said. “In a way, what I did was very good for her. It has made her stronger than you realize.” She handed Arya a small scroll, then, and departed.

  Arya opened the scroll and read it, finding that it was the very prophecy Ruya had spoken of. When she got to the final couplet, she gasped, and then looked down at Tesni just in time to see her eyes open. “Tesni…” She threw the scroll away, hugging her step-daughter tightly.

  Tesni let out a shriek of pain and Arya backed off with an apologetic smile. “That really hurt,” Tesni gasped.

  “Do you think that you can walk?” Arya asked.

  “My side hurts too much.” Tesni moved a little and winced. “How did you stop the bleeding?”

  Arya’s smile went from apologetic to nervous. “I had to cauterize it with your blade,” she said. “It’s going to leave a scar, I’m afraid.”

  “That’s alright, so long as I heal,” Tesni replied.

  Arya helped Tesni stand long enough for her to scoop the girl into her arms. She could see the shimmering outline of a ceremonial bow at the girl’s…no, young woman’s back, and she smiled. She carried Tesni down the stairs and out to the field, knowing by sound that the battle outside was over.

  As she exited the keep, she saw Ryder and Rowan both running as fast as they could over to her, fear in their eyes that the worst had happened. “Careful,”

  Arya said. “That side has a nasty wound to it.”

  She helped support Tesni long enough for Ryder to take and carry her, and they walked over to where everyone else was waiting. Tesni smirked at everyone who was watching her expectantly. “Well?” she asked. “What are you all staring at me for? Why hasn’t someone started preparations for a victory party?”

  Cheers erupted from those who had fought on both sides.

  

  While everyone else worked on preparations for the party, Enid was busy working on Tesni’s wound. Though Arya had cauterized it well enough, all things considered, Enid found good enough reason to reopen the wound and stitch everything up. She also placed a special salve on the wound to help the whole thing heal faster. “It will also reduce the pain and help to minimize the scarring,” she said.

  “I don’t care about the scar,” Tesni said. “It’s a battle scar, a badge of honor.”

  “Aye, child, it is, and a mark of courage at that,” Enid agreed. “However, what most people don’t realize is that a scar is not just a mark. You don’t sweat from a scar. Most people have scars so small that they don’t even notice, but this will be large enough that you’ll notice. If you’re not sweating, your body isn’t cooling itself. That’s the real reason it’s important to minimize scarring. It’s not just a beauty issue.”

  “I guess I never thought of it that way,” Tesni admitted.

  “No, and how could you? You didn’t know. But by minimizing the scarring, we’re also maximizing the surface left available for you to sweat from and minimizing the damage done to your body’s ability to cool itself. You’ll be healthier for it in the end.”

  “Thanks, Enid.”

  “You’re welcome, Tesni.” Enid glanced outside the tent. “It appears that the celebration is about to start.”

  As if on cue, Ryder came into the tent, scooped Tesni up, and carried her onto the stage. Tesni assumed it was because of the role she had played in the day’s victory. She was partially right.

  Ryder sat her on a chair and then put a blindfold on her. “It’s not often that we have so much to celebrate,” Ryder said. “Today, Agrona was defeated. Tesni, our rightful queen, can properly claim her throne. Many of you have witnessed her holding the orb, Linwood’s greatest artifact. You have seen it glow so brightly in her hands that it was almost blinding.”

  Cheers erupted. Tesni’s ears picked up the sound of steps coming up onto the stage to her left. She could sense someone standing next to her, and by the way the footsteps fell, she could tell that it was Arya. “But Tesni has achieved more than her throne,” Arya said. “Hold out your hands, Tesni.”

  Tesni held out her hands and felt a weight appear in them. She could feel carved wood beneath her fingertips, and when she stretched out her thumbs, she felt a tight string. Someone pulled off the blindfold, and Tesni saw in her hands a ceremonial bow.

  The bow was made of yew wood and highly polished. The tips, where the silver string was notched, were capped in silver with intricate scroll work. The same patterns were repeated in the wood itself, where it had been carved and inlaid with silver, gold, and green enamel in ways that the patterns interwove with each other. From the top of the bow hung a little charm, onto which was carved the royal crest of Linwood.

  Ryder leaned down, placing his mouth next to Tesni’s ears. “We’re proud of you, aneyla.”

  “Thank you, atar,” Tesni said.

  “You know what to do,” Arya said, handing her a special arrow.

  Tesni notched the arrow and, with the help of her parents, stood upright. She took careful aim at the bonfire in the center of camp, not yet lit. Arya lit the arrow, and Tesni released it. When it hit the bonfire pile, the wood flared up into bright orange flames symbolizing the beginning of Tesni’s life as a full Ranger.

  

  A week later, Tesni was able to stand on her own, which was a good thing, because it was her coronation day. In her new chambers in the palace, she was growing irritable as Fiona brushed her hair out. “Why does it have to be so fancy?” she asked. “Why can’t I just wear my normal braid?”

  “Tesni, you’re the queen,” Fiona said. “People have very high expectations of you, higher than you realize, and they expect you to look like a queen”

  “How do they even know what a queen looks like?” Tesni asked. “How many of them saw my grandmother when she was alive?”

  “Most of them, actually,” Fiona said. “I may have been young at the time, but I remember that your grandmother made many, many public appearances. She was always very regal. My mother helped to dress her and did her hair, just as I’m doing for you, now, and will continue to do so until you find someone you want to hire.”

  “I don’t see why I have to hire anyone,” Tesni said. “Why do I have to be my grandmother?”

  “Nobody expects you to be your grandmother,” Fiona said. “Everyone understands that you were not raised royal and that you will bring your own ways to the throne. There, all done,” she declared at last.

  Much of Tesni’s hair had been left down, but Fiona had taken the side lengths and woven them toge
ther into a beautiful plait. “It’s pretty,” Tesni said.

  “I’m glad you approve,” Fiona replied as she placed a beautiful necklace around Tesni’s neck.

  “I thought about wearing the set with the head dress,” Tesni said, “but then I thought better of it. I will wear that jewelry set when Rowan and I wed.”

  “A wise choice, considering there needs to be room on your head for the crown,” Fiona said.

  As soon as Fiona declared Tesni ready, she took a deep breath and walked to the doors of the throne room. She knew that there were already many people inside, and many more outside the palace walls, waiting for her to appear at the balcony. She started to hyperventilate.

  A familiar hand fell on her shoulder. “Didn’t I tell ye that ye were meant for somethin’ bigger, Wits?”

  Tesni smiled, suddenly calm again. “Aye, that ye did, Knives.” She turned around and hugged Alastar. “How are you?”

  “Feelin’ brave,” Alastar said. “I’m th’ only member of th’ Thieves Guild willin’ to come all th’ way t’ th’ palace, Wits. Th’ lads are all afraid of gettin’ caught.”

  Tesni laughed. “Well, give them my love, anyway.”

  “An’ they send theirs,” Alastar said. “Ye nervous?”

  “Aye, a bit,” Tesni admitted. “But I can do this.”

  “That ye can, Wits. That ye can. Go on, then. I didn’t get one of th’ official invitations, ‘cause I’m no noble, but I’ll be visible from th’ balcony, ye can count on that.”

  Tesni nodded and entered the doors as trumpets blared. She walked down the aisle, which seemed to her to be far too long. Eventually, though, she reached the dais. She knelt down, wincing in pain as she did so. She was still not fully healed. She was surprised to see her father next to the crown, but she kept her features schooled.

  “For hundreds of generations,” Ryder said, “it has been the greatest honor of the Rangers of Linwood to take part in the crowning of a new monarch. Today is no different. It has always been the leader who crowns the ruler, and today, I, as leader of the Rangers of Linwood, am beyond honored to place the crown on your new queen, Tesni.”

  With that, he placed the orb once more in Tesni’s hand, showing the people, all those who had not seen and had doubted, that Tesni had the right to rule. As the glow faded, he helped Tesni up to sit on the throne. Once she was sitting there, he took up the crown, intricately woven vines of gold with leaves of emerald and green enamel set in silver, and set it on her head.

  In front of Tesni, men kneeled down. Women curtsied. Tesni held up the orb and smiled.

  

  Tesni found herself forced to dance throughout the night. Unsure of some of the more formal dances, she simply begged her partners to be gentle, reminding them of the injury that she had sustained in the final battle. They were more than happy to oblige her and lead her, carefully, through the steps.

  Her favorite dance partner, though, was Rowan. The council had balked, at first, at the idea that their queen intended to wed this man, for not only was he a Ranger, but he was also not of noble birth. He was an orphan.

  To Tesni, though, he was enough, and she had been swift to remind the council that she, too, was a Ranger in her own right, having earned her bow, and that she had been raised as less than noble, herself. Besides, she was deeply in love with Rowan, and he with her. She informed them that she was going to marry him whether they approved or not, and any amongst them who chose to try to stand in her way would find themselves with an arrow up their backsides. Half in fear, half in awe, the council had chosen to let her have her way.

  And now here she was, dancing with her fiancé. He twirled her around, brought her punch and cake. They laughed together, and set a wedding date for the first day of autumn.

  For the first time in her life, Tesni knew exactly where she belonged.

  Epilogue

  Five years had passed since Tesni’s coronation. Arya had given birth to a boy, Finn, who was now four years of age. Now, Tesni was about to make Finn an uncle, and Ryder and Arya grandparents, as she labored to give birth to her and Rowan’s first child. Though she had been under pressure to produce an heir immediately, Tesni had chosen to wait, so that she and Rowan could get used to being married to each other as well as to ruling Linwood together. Now, her screams echoed throughout the palace. Arya, Enid, and Fiona were with her, as Ryder and Rowan paced back and forth outside.

  Arya darted out of the room. Ryder and Rowan looked at her expectantly. She just ignored them and fetched some more hot water. Later, Fiona, too, ignored them as she came out to fetch some more towels.

  Finally, a different cry filled the air. It was the cry of a baby. Rowan and Ryder stood, watching the door carefully. Minutes ticked by into more than half an hour. Finally, Enid, Arya, and Fiona all stepped out. “Well?” Rowan asked.

  “You have a daughter,” Enid said. “Congratulations. She’s as healthy and adorable as she can possibly be.”

  “A daughter,” Rowan repeated. “I have a daughter…”

  Rowan and Ryder darted into the room, where Tesni sat up in bed, lovingly cradling a tiny bundle. She smiled up at them, clearly exhausted. “Hi.”

  “Hi…” Rowan approached the bedside. He sat down next to Tesni and looked down at his daughter. “She’s beautiful.”

  “What’s her name?” Ryder asked.

  Tesni and Rowan smiled at each other. Then Tesni looked down at her newborn daughter. “Nia,” Tesni said. “Her name is Nia.”

  “The name means bright,” Rowan said. “Considering the fact that Tesni’s name means ‘warmth from the sun’ and her nickname was ‘Wits,’ the dual meaning of ‘bright’ seemed highly appropriate.”

  Arya came back into the room with little Finn. The four-year-old sat on the bed next to his sister and looked at Nia. “Baby,” he said.

  “Yes, Finn, baby,” Tesni said. “This is Nia. She’s your niece.”

  “Hi, Nia,” Finn said, poking the infant on the nose. Nia just squeaked and kept staring ahead. “She’s boring.”

  Tesni chuckled. “So were you when you were just a baby,” she said.

  “Nuh-uh,” Finn said. “I was never boring.”

  Tesni laughed. “Oh yes, you were, Finn. I remember it far too well. You will just have to wait a few years to play with her.”

  They stayed there and talked for a few hours. Eventually, though, Tesni was just too tired. In a week, she would present her daughter to the people. Linwood had a new princess. For now, though, she was just a newborn infant. Tesni fell asleep, and Rowan carefully took Nia from her arms. The others left, then, and Rowan set Nia in her bassinette next to Tesni’s side of the bed before going around and crawling into bed next to his wife. The sun was setting and it had been a long day. Tomorrow would be a new one.