by Cege Smith
The next hour was a blur of faces and music. Angeline felt like her face was cracking from the wide smile she wore. She sat on a raised dais on the throne that had been designed and built for Alair Robart three hundred years before that celebrated his destruction of the vampire race. All around the base were painted mural scenes that were supposedly of the last great battle that took place on the edge of the Solera Valley. Angeline knew now that it was all lie.
That last great battle had never taken place. Instead, an uneasy peace treaty was negotiated that sent the vampires to the other side of the kingdom on the far side of the valley into a land that afterwards was known as the Forgotten Lands. Alair Robart returned home to the walls of Brebackerin and carefully kept his people on their side of the Solera Valley.
As Angeline looked over the hundreds of faces of the people gathered in front of her, she knew that it was a lie that she would be forced to keep as well. To reveal what she knew would do more harm than good. Her people felt safe and secure. No doubt that was the same conclusion reached by every king who had sat on the throne since Alair’s time. Angeline could only hope that her escape from the Master’s clutches didn’t set Alron on a more destructive path. But the Master was a problem for another day as well.
Once Angeline entered the hall and took her seat, the procession of nobles began. Each one came forward to pay their respects and to swear renewed fealty to Angeline. The procession started with Lord Rodney Norburn, a short, rotund man whom her father had secretly despised.
There had been bad blood between the Robarts and Norburns since the beginning of the kingdom. The Norburns thought they should be raised as the royal family of the land since they had always owned more property in Altera than any other family. But on the day that Alair Robart supposedly delivered safety to Altera, the Robart legacy had been secured. His secret agreement with the Clan had taken care of that for him. The Norburns had never forgotten that at one time, they had almost taken the throne.
Lord Norburn knelt before Angeline and said the words of fealty, but she saw him lick his lips as his eyes slid down to her bosom. She may have lived in a convent for the prior two years, but Angeline was no stranger to the desires of men. She felt a small roll of disgust in her stomach at Norburn’s open admiration of her figure.
“Thank you, Lord Norburn,” she said with a small nod. No matter how she felt about him, she couldn’t afford to alienate him. He owned too much land, and the people adored him because he treated his workers fairly and paid a decent wage. The man was clever. “Your family has always been close to the Robarts and your support means a great deal.”
“Your wish is my command, Majesty,” he said with another bow. “May the Gods shine on your upcoming marriage.”
Angeline nodded and then deliberately looked to the woman standing behind him. It was a clear dismissal, but hopefully not one that would offend given so many other nobles waited in line to kneel to her. Altera had six different provinces and the highest-ranking noble within each province sat on the royal advisory council. Those six high nobles then governed the land and the lower-ranking nobles within each of their provinces. Amongst the many minor nobles, most came from families who had gained their land and wealth during Alair Robart’s war and conquest of the vampire when the whole of Altera seemed up for grabs. The fact that Alair Robart had been generous in this allocation further endeared him to the other nobles at the time.
Following Norburn, Lady Margaret Gallow stepped forward. Lady Gallow had already buried a husband and hadn’t even reached the age of thirty yet. She was tall and had golden blond hair and a figure that many women in court envied. She was known for her hunting skills and was an accomplished rider.
Angeline knew that many in court had hoped when her own mother passed on that the king would have married the then sixteen-year-old Margaret Wren. The Wrens were a minor noble family on the westernmost edge of Altera. But her father chose not to marry again, and the young Lady Wren was married off to the very old and decrepit Lord Gallow. However, the Gallows were right behind the Norburns as a major noble family, and so it was a big step up for Margaret Wren even if she didn’t make it all the way to the royal family.
“Your Majesty, I am sorry for your loss,” Lady Gallow said as she curtsied before Angeline. “Of course you know that the House of Gallow supports your reign and is a loyal servant to the Robart family.”
Angeline watched as Lady Gallow’s eyes shot over her shoulder. Malin sat off to Angeline’s right just a few feet behind her, as was his position as the Chief Advisor and right hand of the queen. She realized that Lady Gallow was watching Malin’s reaction, and not Angeline’s. “Thank you, Lady Gallow,” she said with a nod.
She knew Malin had caught the attention of many noblewomen in court, but a dalliance with Lady Gallow would be unacceptable. She was sure she wasn’t the only person to have noticed the noblewoman’s interest in Malin. She made a mental note to speak to him in private.
The remaining members of the royal noble court followed behind Lady Gallow: Lord Franklin Pern, Lord Trevor Corning, and Lady Olive Slone, who was old enough to be Angeline’s grandmother. It was then that she realized that Lord Tobias Fletcher was missing. Although the most junior-ranking member of the royal advisory council, Fletcher still had an impressive network of support throughout the minor families across all of the six provinces. His absence was notable and as such would raise more than a few eyebrows.
As the five members of the major houses took their seats on a lower dais on Angeline’s right side, she turned her head slightly to the right. Malin slid forward in his chair and leaned in so that his lips were just inches from her ear.
“Lord Fletcher sent his apologies for missing the ceremonies. His missive indicated that he recently suffered an accident that injured his leg, and he is still recuperating. His healer advised no travel,” he whispered in a low voice. Angeline was impressed that Malin had already anticipated her question.
Angeline pulled away. She would have to inquire more about Lord Fletcher’s absence. Malin would know if it was truly a matter of illness, or if Lord Fletcher was sending a very intentional message. Angeline felt rusty in the ways of court intrigue, but knew that those skills were going to be brushed up on very quickly. Malin would be able to help her there, assuming their interests were truly aligned.
Now that the major houses had sworn fealty, it was on to the minor houses. Angeline quickly grew bored. Each presentation was essentially the same, although some were overly enthusiastic and rambled on for some minutes, and she could tell by their reaction to her tone and facial expressions that many were trying to size her up. She pasted the fake smile on her face and wished that it was all over. What seemed like hours later, although it had likely only been one, the final noble from the final province was seated again and it was finally Angeline’s turn to stand and address her subjects for the first time. Her hands were shaking ever so slightly, and she gripped the edges of the throne hard and took a quick, deep breath before pushing to her feet. She was a Robart, and it was time to remind everyone of that fact.
“While it has been difficult for all of us to lose such a wise and brave king as my father, I want all of you to know that during my reign you can expect the same attention and devotion to Altera that the Robart family has been cultivating for centuries. Altera is in my blood and I want nothing but peace and prosperity for her people. As the first blood-born Queen of Altera, I swear to all of you in the presence of our Gods that I would give my life to save all of you from any harm that would try to remove peace and justice from our land. It is an oath and sworn duty that the Robarts have cherished, and just as you have sworn your loyalty to me, I swear mine to all of Altera. May the Gods smile upon all of you.”
A thunderous applause ripped through the hall, and for the first time, a genuine smile grew on her face. She hoped that all of her worrying about the people not accepting a woman as their ruler would be for naught. As long as the people love you, you
will never need to fear losing your throne, her father’s voice whispered in her mind. He had told her that piece of wisdom it seemed a million times. He had been a wise king. Angeline raised her hand and waved to the upper levels as roses fell through the air and landed at her feet and all around her.
“Let us feast!” she commanded and instantly servants were there filling wine goblets and bringing platters of food. Angeline settled back into her chair, her heart racing.
“Well done, Majesty,” Malin said quietly in her ear. She hated that she even cared what he thought, but she did. She didn’t need his approval, but she did need his advice for acclimating back into court life. She had only been gone two years, but it seemed like a lifetime.
A table was brought out and placed just at the base of the dais. Malin stepped forward with his arm out. Angeline stood again and placed her hand on his arm and they slowly descended the steps. As soon as their feet touched the floor, three servants emerged and quickly pushed the dais back to make more room around the table. Two large plush chairs appeared behind them and then she and Malin took their seats.
Although Angeline didn’t feel the least bit hungry, huge platters of meats and vegetables were set in front of her, more than she and Malin would be able to eat in a week. A plate and utensils followed and then a full goblet of wine. While Malin was in close enough proximity to be able to speak to Lord Norburn and Lady Gallow, Angeline’s position in the exact center of the table meant that she would eat alone. She saw the irony in the situation. Everyone’s eyes were on her and people surrounded her, but at that moment she had never felt more alone.
As she pulled the napkin from the table to settle it into her lap, she noticed a small piece of parchment paper curled within its folds. Careful not to draw attention to it, she looked up to see if she could tell where it had come from, but with the multitude of servants moving about the massive hall, there was no way to tell who had actually been the one to set the cloth down at her side.
Her hand crept up and she drew the paper closer to her plate. It was folded up into a small square and the only reason she had seen it at all was the contrast of the cream color against the red cloth napkin. Angeline reached a finger up to stroke her ear and turned her head slightly to see what Malin was doing. He appeared to be engrossed in a discussion with Lord Norburn, and Lady Gallow had leaned so far forward that her impressive cleavage was practically falling out on the table. Lady Galloway was clearly trying to make an impression on Malin, who Angeline could see was having a hard time looking away.
Annoyed at the noblewoman’s assertiveness, but grateful for the distraction, Angeline unfolded the note with her left hand, careful to keep the paper under her palm and close to her plate. With her other hand, she took the goblet of wine and raised it to her lips, taking a small sip. The note was now open. Angeline took her fork and skewered a piece of pork that was sitting on a platter directly in front of her. She put in on her plate and then joined it with some sliced apples and roasted potatoes.
Cautiously, she brought one of the apple slices to her mouth as she leaned further over the plate than she normally would and cupped her hand around the note and read it quickly. She burned the few words written there into her memory and then covered it with her hand again, while at the same time pushing the apple into her mouth.
“Are you enjoying your feast, Majesty?” Malin had turned in his seat and was watching her carefully.
Angeline set the fork back down and lifted her goblet in his direction. “A toast, Malin. To our future.” She pasted the fake smile back on her face and tried to keep her voice steady despite her wildly beating heart.
His eyes widened in surprise, but then he smiled and raised his goblet as well. They sipped in unison before Lady Gallow said something with a pout that caused Malin to turn his head. In that instant, Angeline slid the paper off the table and into the boning just inside the neckline of her dress.
Her thoughts turned upside down as she continued to eat. The noise of the crowd fell away as she considered the implications of the words written on the parchment. She couldn’t let anyone see it, for fear that Malin would find out. She knew that would be disastrous.
Meet me in the rose garden at midnight. Alone. -C
CHAPTER FOUR
For the remainder of supper, Angeline couldn’t shake Malin. It was almost as if he knew that something in the air had changed, because moments after Angeline shoved Connor’s note into her dress, Malin drew his chair closer to hers.
“Given that most of the court is now drunk, and we are going to be married in three days, I don’t think anyone will think it inappropriate if I sit closer to my betrothed,” he said.
Knowing that Connor could be anywhere, Angeline wanted more than ever to keep Malin at a distance. Angeline saw several people waving from the third level trying to catch her eye. Fearing that they would fall over the railing in their exuberance, Angeline turned her attention to waving back at them while she considered what she was going to do.
“I appreciate all of your help since my father took ill, Malin,” she said, without turning to face him. She was afraid that her face would give something away. She needed to keep her emotions under control. “You have been very kind to me as well since I’ve returned.”
“Why wouldn’t I be kind to the woman who will be my wife?” Malin said.
Angeline couldn’t tell from his voice if he was being sincere or mocking her. She decided that the time for playing coy had reached its end. She was his queen. She was growing tired of the cat and mouse game. She threw a scorching look in his direction. “Quite honestly, Malin, looking back on my years growing up here, I can’t remember a time where you went out of your way to ever be nice to me. I had to coerce or browbeat you into playing with me or training with me in the solders’ courtyard. In fact, I’d say that you rarely even noticed me at all the last several years. So forgive me if I show surprise at your sudden attentiveness.”
Malin was always nothing but calm and controlled, so the look of shock on his face almost made her burst out in laughter at its absurdity. Then the look was gone as quickly as it had appeared.
“It pains me that Your Majesty questions my intentions. As to our prior relationship, you will allow that I am five years your senior and matters of the kingdom took precedence over being able to spend time with the princess, pleasant company as she may have been. Still, I can recall one occasion where I thought I made my affections for you clearly known,” Malin said in a low tone.
Angeline couldn’t hide the blood rushing to her cheeks. Malin had been in her first kiss. It had only happened once, and it had warmed her dreams for the past two years; at least, it had until a handsome vampire intruded into her life. Her mind raced, trying to decide on the right tack to deflect the fact that she had been affected at all by Malin’s kiss. She didn’t want Malin to think for a moment he held any sway over her or that she still harbored a crush on him.
“As I mentioned earlier in the evening, Malin, according to the court gossip, such affections are quite commonplace where you are concerned,” she retorted as she took another sip of wine and indicated to a servant to refill her glass. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the Lady Gallow was watching their dialogue with the pouty look on her face.
Malin’s eyes narrowed. He took a deep breath. “I admit that it may appear on the surface that I have acquired a somewhat...less than flattering reputation, but the vast majority of it is nothing more than smoke and circumstance with no real truth.” He moved his chair even closer and leaned to Angeline’s ear. “It was a necessary evil that I endured at your father’s request.”
His closeness was intimidating. Angeline kept her eyes straightforward. Regardless of what Malin said of the drunken state of the guests, there were several nobles who were watching their interplay as closely as Lady Gallow. “To what end?” She kept her voice as soft as possible.
“As long as it appeared that I could be influenced, then there was always a chanc
e that something may reach my ears that would be of use to the king. It was a perception and situation that he assured me he would personally rectify with you before our wedding day,” Malin said.
It was an explanation that wrapped everything up in a neat package, but Angeline didn’t trust such a tidy story. Her father was not there to be able to verify Malin’s words, so she was left with only Malin’s side of the story. She decided the best action would be to let him continue and see if his story began to come apart at the seams.
“I would think that my actions in bringing you back to your father’s bedside would have at least proven my loyalty to the Robart family enough for you to trust me, Majesty,” Malin said.
More eyes had turned in their direction. On one hand it was important that Angeline show the court the stability of her intentions toward her marriage to Malin. Too many might think that this was time to question her ability to rule if not. But on the other hand, she didn’t want anyone thinking that Malin was actually the one still running the kingdom with her only as the mouthpiece.
“We can discuss this later,” Angeline said. “For now, I think it best if you return to your position next to Lord Norburn. Lady Gallow also appears to have something of great importance to discuss with you.” Lady Gallow was in fact squirming in her seat like a child. It was obvious the wine had gone straight to her head.
There was a long pause, and then Malin scooted his chair back to its original position. Moments later, Angeline heard Lord Norburn roaring in laughter and the high-pitched twittering of Lady Gallow’s laughter. She released a breath of air that she didn’t even realize that she was holding in.
Her appetite gone, Angeline took another sip of wine and then waved for her plate to be taken away. Then she sat, and while she knew that she appeared to be quietly watching the festivities going on around her, she was actually planning her escape. She had no doubt that based on his recent behavior, Malin was going to make a nuisance of himself for the rest of the evening if she didn’t think fast. She had to find a way to leave the feast and make her way to the rose garden without being detected.