Kingdom of Sea and Stone

by Mara Rutherford

  Ceren was spinning back and forth like a caged animal with Zoi cradled in his arms, unconscious or asleep, I hoped. There was a wild look in his eyes that I’d only seen when I stabbed him in New Castle.

  “Let her go,” I urged, sliding off Titania’s back slowly. “Please. She’s just an innocent child.”

  I raised my palms and took a step closer. He was wearing a black cloak, but the hood had fallen back, revealing his blond hair, tangled and matted like I’d never seen it before. His ashen skin was pulled taut over his cheekbones, and the shadows around his eyes and in the hollows of his cheeks reminded me of the skeletons in the New Castle crypt. His gray eyes darted between us, as if he thought one of us might make a sudden move.

  “This war is over,” I said softly. “Hurting your little sister isn’t going to change that.”

  He turned to me, his lips twisted in a sneer. “And what is she to you? Did she give you jewels and gowns, as I did? Did she offer you a crown? Would she have promised you a kingdom, Nor?”

  How could he still not understand that none of that mattered to me, that I had no use for gowns and jewels, or even power? As he spoke, his grip on Zoi had tightened, and she whimpered quietly. “Ceren, please.”

  “Your betrayal is the worst of all.” The hurt in his silver eyes was painfully genuine. So many years of anguish had brought him to this moment. I wished I could have known him before it was too late.

  “I never betrayed you,” I said. “You violated me in unspeakable ways. You hurt my family, you killed innocent people, and you forced a bond between us by feeding me your blood. I had every right to break that bond.”

  He was slowly sidestepping north, but we kept pace with him easily. He was trapped, and the only option left to him now was surrender. I didn’t believe he really wanted to hurt Zoi. What could that possibly accomplish?

  My eyes flicked briefly past Ceren, to Talin. He was getting closer to his brother while I distracted him. If I could just keep his guard down, Talin might be able to reach Zoi. “I am sorry that you suffered, Ceren. I truly am. But your sister is just as innocent as you were. Perhaps if you tell us what you want, we can come to some kind of an agreement.”

  Ceren laughed, and Zoi began to sob quietly. “An agreement? I think we’re past the point of negotiations, Nor. Talia can have the throne, or she can have her daughter. It’s simple.”

  “You’ll never have the throne!” Talia screamed. She dug her heels into her mare’s sides, heading straight for Ceren.

  Suddenly, with a burst of speed I hadn’t expected, he made for the cliff. I sprinted toward him, hoping to intercept him, but I could see he was going to reach it before I did, despite his weakened state. As he neared the edge, I heard a horse’s sharp whinny behind me.

  “Stop!” Talia dismounted and fell to her knees.

  Ceren froze, just feet from the cliff’s edge. Zoi was crying at the sight of her mother, struggling with so much force I worried she’d accidentally knock Ceren over the edge. Perhaps she had believed she was calling Ceren’s bluff before, but now, seeing her daughter’s terror, Talia was in tears. “I’m sorry. You can have the throne. You can have the entire bloody kingdom. Just give me my daughter.”

  Ceren set Zoi down, but his grip on her arms didn’t soften. “Do you mean it?” His eyes lit up in desperate hope.

  “Yes,” Talia cried. “You have my word.”

  We all stood breathless, waiting to see what Ceren would do. I didn’t know if I believed Talia myself. I knew her love for her daughter was real, but she could easily tell Ceren anything he wanted to hear right now. There was no way to ensure she would hold up her end of the bargain. Ceren might be armed, but the second he released Zoi, the Galethians could put an arrow straight through his heart. He took a step backward, his lips peeled in a triumphant smile, and I gasped, wondering if there was any chance I could reach Zoi before it was too late.

  Then, to my shock, Ceren released her. She ran straight into her mother’s open arms, seemingly uninjured. Mother and daughter rocked together, Talia on her knees, Zoi stretched on tiptoe, and for the first time since I’d met her, I had faith that Talia was not lost to power the way Ceren was, that she could actually help steer this kingdom into a safe harbor.

  I had stopped a few yards from Ceren when I thought he might drop Zoi over the cliff, and while everyone’s attention was on the girl, he was looking directly at me. The setting sun behind him was as bright as the gems in his crown, lighting up the sky and Ceren’s hair like flames. Even the water looked scarlet for a moment, an entire ocean of blood.

  I slowly stepped closer to Ceren, palms still out to show him I meant no harm. The smile had faded from his lips, as if he knew as well as everyone that he wasn’t capable of running a kingdom anymore. “Come away from the edge, Ceren.”

  “I can’t,” he said, his heels edging perilously close to the drop. I couldn’t tell how far it was to the ocean, but there were likely rocks in the water below. A fall from here would most certainly kill him, and while a part of me believed it was the fate he deserved—he had sent other people, including Lady Melina, to eerily similar deaths by throwing them from Mount Ayris—it was also a coward’s death, a way to escape without ever facing the consequences of his actions.

  I realized then he had known Talia wasn’t going to give him the throne. She would put him in the dungeon, probably for the rest of his life. He had crimes to answer for, and he was a danger to everyone, including himself. But perhaps just hearing her surrender was enough; maybe he had doubted Talia as much as I had, and in his own bizarre, misguided way, was testing her.

  Or maybe he’d wanted to see for himself what a mother’s love was supposed to look like.

  He opened his mouth to speak, and foolish as I was, I thought he might apologize for everything he’d done. Maybe, finally, he could acknowledge his mistakes. I didn’t imagine he cared about forgiveness, and I wasn’t even sure I was capable of granting it. I just wanted to believe that the little boy was still in there, and if he asked for help, he would finally receive it.

  But the next thing I knew, he fell backward, and with nothing but the flapping of his cloak in the wind, he was gone.

  33

  Later, when I had been reunited with my family and was safe back in Old Castle, Father would try to explain Ceren’s death was the justice he deserved.

  “Ceren took too much from the sea, Nor,” he said to me as we sat under the stars in the courtyard with Zadie and Mother. We’d been back for two days, and even though I was wearing layers of clothing and had wrapped myself in a thick throw, I still couldn’t get the chill out of my bones that had crept in the moment Ceren died. Adriel thought it might be the lingering effects of the broken bond, but I didn’t believe it was that simple. I knew well enough now that nothing ever was.

  Varenians believed that Thalos was a hungry god, one who demanded sacrifices from our people. Perhaps Father was right, and Ceren’s fate was a kind of justice. But believing his downfall would bring me some kind of resolution had been foolhardy. I was relieved to know he wasn’t immortal, at least. But I felt just as unsettled as I had when my journey began.

  There was much to be grateful for, of course. Zoi was healthy, and while the kidnapping had been frightening and confusing, I hoped she was young enough that the memory would fade over time. The wounds would still be there, of course. They were for all of us. But if we were lucky, they would heal over stronger than before, fading into scars that reminded us of everything we had survived.

  As if sensing my turmoil, Mother squeezed my hand in hers. The tension between us would always be there, I knew. But it had eased in the face of far more important things. She understood what I had gone through to help the Varenians—they all did, having lived through some of it themselves. Earlier in the day, Governor Kristos, Elidi, and the elders had formally apologized to me on behalf of Varenia, and while I app
reciated the gesture, it didn’t bring me the satisfaction it might once have. Even seeing Sami reunited with his family couldn’t erase the pain our community had caused him.

  Zadie wrapped her arm around me. I rested my head on her shoulder and looked up at the sky, at the same stars that just recently had represented infinite possibilities for the future, and wondered why I couldn’t imagine even one.

  * * *

  Two days later, Talin convened the first council of the new, hopefully unified Ilara. Roan had stayed behind with several other Galethians, while the rest of our original traveling party returned to report back on what had happened. The de facto leaders of Pirot and Meradin were there as well, along with the remnants of Ceren’s war council, including Lady Hyacinth.

  Governor Kristos and Samiel were there to represent Varenia, and Talin, in a gesture that surprised even me, had invited Adriel to represent her own people, however few remained scattered in other lands. All in all, there were more than a dozen leaders at the long table in Old Castle’s hall, including me.

  Talin had named me a special envoy, though it wasn’t a title I wanted or necessarily believed I deserved. But the rest of the council had voted on it unanimously, and I couldn’t refuse their invitation.

  Now, as the meeting began, I fidgeted nervously, my fingers drumming on my bouncing legs. Adriel cast me a pointed glance, and I did my best to sit still as Talin took his place at the head of the long table.

  He had been elected as Zoi’s regent, though not unanimously. There were several Galethians, and one or two Meradians, who believed Zoi should be represented by a leader from each territory in Ilara. But there had been surprisingly little dispute over the rightful woman king of Ilara. It seemed everyone was tired of fighting, at least for now.

  “Thank you all for coming,” Talin said, looking regal despite his lack of royal insignia. Ilara was being recreated from scratch, in some ways, and the symbols of this new land hadn’t yet been discussed. “Our first matter of business is to decide where Zoi’s castle will be built. There are some who would like to return to New Castle.” He glanced at Lady Hyacinth, who I was happy to see didn’t look quite so smug these days. “And others who would prefer we build the castle in their territory.”

  At least seven heads nodded. It seemed most of the leaders were hesitant to give anything up.

  “But I propose we build an entirely new castle, just south of Riaga,” Talin continued. “The port has always been neutral territory, and if we include Varenia as part of Ilara, it’s the most central part of the kingdom. It’s also good for trade.”

  “What about Princess Zoi?” Roan asked. “Where does she want to live?”

  To my shock, Talia hadn’t asked to be a member of the new council. I wondered if she was too afraid to let Zoi out of her sight or if she had actually realized that her aims might not be the same as the kingdom’s. She would see her daughter on the throne one day, if all went well, and I hoped that truly would be enough for her. Zadie had volunteered to be the little girl’s governess, and Zoi had taken to my sister as easily as a whale calf to water.

  “She said she wants to live near the sea,” Talin said with a laugh. “I guess it’s the Varenian blood in her.”

  “Then we will build the castle on the cliffs overlooking the ocean, north of Riaga,” a lord from Meradin said.

  “She has also asked for it to be made of pearls and jewels,” Talin added with a smile. “I told her we’d do our best.”

  A few chuckles came from the other councilmembers. Governor Kristos rose when the room had quieted. “I’d like to ask what is to become of my people, now that we are no longer exiled. I believe some of our citizens will choose to return to Varenia, but others have requested to stay on land.”

  “Of course,” Talin replied. “Any Varenian who wishes to remain in Ilara will be given a small plot of land. We will divide them evenly among the territories, to be equitable. If anyone is opposed to this, please speak up.”

  I was relieved when no one protested. My own parents had surprised me by expressing interest in splitting their time between Varenia and Ilara, preferably near the castle so they could be close to Zadie and Sami. And Governor Kristos and Elidi had decided to return to Varenia for the time being.

  When the council dispersed, I found myself next to Adriel, who wrapped an arm around my shoulder with a relaxed familiarity that I had come to appreciate.

  “How are you?” she asked as we walked toward our chambers. “You’ve been quiet this week.”

  I shrugged and forced a smile. “I’ve had a lot on my mind.”

  “You know, you’re always welcome to come and stay with me for a bit. I could use the help catching up with my patients, and I know Foxglove would be grateful for the company.”

  I smiled. “Foxglove will be grateful for your company, and I’m sure the people of Galeth will be happy to have you back. But I don’t know if it’s the right place for me. Besides, I have Zadie and Talin to consider.”

  Adriel paused outside her room and turned to face me. “You don’t owe anyone anything, Nor. And you don’t have to decide today.”

  “I know,” I said, though I was still plagued with doubts. Talin had made it abundantly clear that he wanted me by his side, but I knew Governor Kristos would need some help in Varenia, considering it had been nearly abandoned for weeks. And of course, there was Zadie to think of. She would be busy with Sami and Zoi, but I also couldn’t stand the thought of being away from her for long. Above all, I couldn’t forget about my parents. My father would not be able to farm his land alone, and it would take some time before they had an income that would allow them to travel back and forth.

  “Just think about it,” Adriel said, embracing me.

  “I will. Say goodbye before you leave.”

  “Of course.”

  I found Zadie looking through a stack of books in her chambers. She glanced up as I entered, her entire face lighting up. I’d never seen her look more beautiful or happy.

  “There you are,” she said, gesturing for me to sit. “How was the council meeting?”

  “It went well. We’re moving the castle to the coast, north of Riaga.”

  Zadie’s grin spread. “Oh, Zoi will be delighted!”

  I sighed and dropped my chin onto my fist. “Is this going to work, Zadie? Can Ilara really be ruled by all these people with completely different agendas overseen by a little girl?” She couldn’t even read, for Thalos’s sake.

  “Talin is a strong leader, Nor. He will make sure things are done fairly.”

  “I have every faith in Talin. It’s the others I worry about.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Like Roan?”

  “Roan has been remarkably well behaved,” I conceded. “He seems the most concerned about Zoi of everyone, other than Talin.”

  “And how is Talin?” she asked, coming to sit next to me. “He looked exhausted when I saw him at breakfast.”

  “He isn’t sleeping well. I suppose that’s to be expected. He’s been through a lot.”

  Zadie took my hand in hers. “So have you.”

  “I don’t understand it,” I said, swiping the tears from my cheeks. “Why should I be sad about a man who tried to kill me more than once, who tried to kill Zoi and Talin and enslaved everyone I love?”

  “Because you have a very generous heart,” she said, smoothing my hair back from my face. She pulled me against her side, and I allowed myself to cry for Ceren for the first time since his death. Not for the tyrant who had used everyone in his path for his own selfish gains and revenge, but for the little boy standing at a rain-streaked window, for the man who had stared up at me from the lakeside after I saved him from drowning, the one who wanted to see the ocean again one last time.

  That person was worthy of forgiveness.

  * * *

  “Auntie Nor!”

&n
bsp; I turned away from the ocean to see Zoi running toward me. I was in the main room of the manor we were living in until the castle was built, standing as I often did on the wide veranda overlooking the sea. It was early winter, and the air was cold and sharp against my cheeks, but I welcomed it. The biting cold was a reminder that I was still here.

  “What is it?” I asked, scooping Zoi up in my arms. She had come out of her shell over the past month, easing into a far more settled existence than she’d ever known. Between her mother, her nursemaid, Zadie, and Talin, she was rarely alone, and she seemed to thrive on the routine they’d created for her. In the afternoons, she rode her little white pony along the cliffs with Talin, and I accompanied them on Titania from time to time.

  For reasons I still didn’t understand, Landrey had been allowed to return to Galeth from her banishment. I never knew why she’d been sent away in the first place, but Roan told me that Yana had been a different person since her sister came home, and they were considering ending the use of banishment as a punishment. And in an even more surprising twist, Landrey had let Titania stay with me. It was the best gift I could have asked for.

  Adriel and Roan had returned to Galeth, though they would be visiting next month for the council meeting. It would be months, maybe years, before the castle was complete, but the large manor Talin had chosen for us as living quarters in the meantime was far more beautiful than New Castle or Old Castle. The expansive windows let in sunshine even in the winter, and it was surrounded by lush moors on three sides, the ocean on the other.

  “Look what my brother had made for me!” Zoi gestured to Talin, who had entered the room behind her.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  Talin held up the long, narrow object in his hand. It was a scepter, I realized, though too small to belong to a king, and too large for a diminutive princess.