The Archer Queen

by Blake, Nova

  I might have yearned for simpler times, but there was no going back.

  We strode across the courtyard and the music stopped playing. The crowd parted before us, leaving a clear path all the way to the stage. When I saw what was on it I almost stopped, but Thomas tugged me onwards.

  It was my men. The three of them, dressed up like dolls, tied to thrones with pretty bows – though I knew the bows were just for show, to pretend to the audience that they were there willingly. Not like they'd been kidnapped and held hostage. Three sets of eyes locked onto me; Farrow was solemn, Killian distressed, and Tol fuming so strongly that I was surprised he hadn't set the bow on fire.

  That one moment reassured me that they hadn't gone willingly. They were still my men, not hers. And I would take them back.

  Anya stepped out from behind the thrones then, resplendent in a golden gown that matched her blonde hair. On any other day I'd have thought she looked every inch the royal, but now I could see that the colors weren't quite right, that she was trying too hard. She was already wearing the last of the holy relics, the crown of Terebellum, but the jewels looked dull on her.

  I scanned the stage and located the steps, moving towards them the way a hunter moves through the forest. Long strides, but quiet, strong. In no rush. I didn't want her to think I was desperate or afraid.

  Because I wasn't. I was angry. Determined.

  I hoped she was afraid of me.

  I walked up the stairs, Thomas by my side. The horse stopped at the bottom, pacing back towards the center of the stage and staring out at the crowd like he was the most majestic being.

  He was.

  I made it to the stage and looked out briefly at those gathered here. It didn't seem like this was an open invite, only a select crowd had been gathered. I spotted Valko behind the stage; he looked tense and pressed a finger to his lips as if asking not to give his presence away. I dipped my head in an almost imperceptible response.

  "So glad you could make it," Anya said. "You're like a guest of honor, of sorts," she added, moving closer to me and dropping her voice. "Though not as honorable as you might think. I see your Mark, and you need to know I will not step aside for you."

  "I'd never expect that of you, Princess," I said sweetly. "You only ever think of what you want."

  She reeled back as though I had slapped her. It was the first time I'd ever said ill words directly to her face, but she must have known there was no love lost between us. I had always done my duty to the royal family, but I knew now that blood wasn't everything. It certainly didn't make you fit to rule.

  I stepped towards the center of the stage, moving past Anya, cutting between her and the crowd.

  "I've come tonight bearing the holy relics of Terebellum. I rode the horse from the Court of Salt, reclaimed the bow from the Court of Lakes, and was given the quiver from the Court of Leaves. I bear the Mark of the Chiron and I am here to claim the throne."

  A murmur rippled through the crowd, shocked expressions, a few outcries.

  Anya moved forward too, pushing past me so that she was closer to the front of the stage.

  "I've come here tonight, wearing the crown that is rightfully mine, bearing the Mark of the Centaur, and I am here to claim the throne," Anya stated.

  I glanced over to her and noticed that her Mark was smudged. Narrowing my eyes, I took a step closer and grabbed her arm, smearing the Mark across her skin.

  "She is false!" someone yelled.

  "No!" Anya cried out. "I'm the True Queen. I'm more royal than she will ever be! Guards, attack!"

  32

  Jaelyn

  "What are you doing?" I yelled at her, but she was already moving away from me, leaving room for her warriors to charge the stage. There were only six of them, less than an army but more than Thomas and I could handle on our own. I wasn't trained for close combat; I needed distance to make it really count.

  Memories of the blood on my hands surfaced, the way it had made me feel sick inside, having taken a human life rather than an animal one. But I'd seen much unkindness on my travels and knew that men were probably more deserving of death than animals. And I wasn't prepared to go down without a fight.

  I had to shake that memory off and be here, now.

  Thomas dashed to my side and pulled a dagger from his boot, passing it to me before he reached for another.

  "You came prepared?" I asked, gripping the hilt loosely and rolling my shoulders in an attempt to loosen up.

  "I didn't trust her to do the right thing," he said.

  The six guards surrounded us, and Anya called out, "Drop your weapons. It doesn't have to be like this, Jaelyn."

  "It does. You have my men, and my crown. Unless you want to tell your warriors to back down?" I raised an eyebrow at her, saw that her cheeks were turning a blotchy pink. Something else caught my gaze as well. V. He was moving towards the thrones, knife in hand.

  And I had a feeling I knew what he was about to do, so I did the only thing I could.

  I drew my magic to the surface, called on Chiron to bless me, and watched as my dagger came to life. The sliver of flame shot down the length of the blade, red and orange and white. I couldn't feel the heat, though I knew it was hot. No one else would be able to touch this blade.

  Anya's guards stepped back but she yelled at them and they pressed in again, expressions nervous but determined. I lashed out at the guard closest to me, his sleeve caught fire, and the flame spread up his arm. He dropped his sword and fell to the stage, rolling to try and stop the blaze.

  I kicked the sword towards the thrones and it slid across the stage, banging up against Tol's. He was the first out of his chair, pushing off the bow that Valko had cut loose. Three against five, those odds were better. Tol wasted no time disarming one of the other guards while Thomas and I took down another. They must have known I didn't want to shed much blood, certainly not to lose any lives.

  These men were only doing what their princess had ordered them. That was their job. I wasn't declared the True Queen yet.

  But soon.

  "Do something!" I heard the queen shout. I glanced up at the sound to see her perched on a high chair at the other end of the stage.

  The slice of a blade cut through my abdomen, burning like fire. I turned and gawped at Anya, my mouth moving but making no sound.

  She doesn't have the Mark. She doesn't have magic. Why does this burn so much? I thought as I dropped my dagger, unable to hold it any longer. I clenched my hands to the wound as she pulled the blade free and tossed it aside. Arms gripped her and pulled her away as I fell to the ground.

  The sky was very blue. White puffy clouds shuddered across it, or maybe that was my vision because it didn't seem to be working right. Faces appeared over mine; Thomas, Farrow, Killian, Tol.

  "What's going on?"

  "I don't know. The bleeding isn't stopping."

  "Do something!"

  I couldn't tell who said what, I wasn't sure it mattered. They were worried and I didn't want them to worry. I tried to reach up, to touch someone, but my hand didn't seem to be working right. Another shaft of pain wrenched through me and I groaned.

  "I poisoned her." Anya's words cut through my skull.

  Poison? That wasn't good, I thought vaguely.

  "We have to do something!" That frantic voice made my heart ache.

  Someone gripped my hand, and then someone else took the other.

  "I've got an idea. Back in the woods Jae used her magic to show me how I could use my Mark. If we all focus on her…"

  "Worth a shot."

  More hands pressed into me. My lips felt fat and numb and the only sound I could make was a groan.

  Thomas' face swam into view. "We're here, we're going to help you. Focus on your magic, Jae."

  I nodded, or thought I did, and closed my eyes, trying hard to connect with the fire inside me. It slipped from my reach, again and again, and then there was heat washing through me. Not from inside, from outside.

 
From my men.

  I could feel each of them, their magic unique to their personalities, tinged with different colors and vibrations. Thomas with his steady, earthen hues. Farrow, mercurial and full of the forest. Killian, his fire such a bright red it was like the freshest of blood, a contrast to his quiet countenance. And Tol, all gold and honey like his tongue and his passion.

  Their Marks must be glowing. I could feel each of them streaming energy into me, searching for my own which responded like a wildfire, burning through every cell in my body and cleansing it of the poison Anya had used. It hurt so much I couldn't breathe, couldn't scream, couldn't focus.

  And then it stopped and I was surrounded in warmth like a summer day, like the heat of a fire on a winter’s night. It was inside me, and outside too. But I couldn't feel my men anymore.

  Was I dead?

  I opened my eyes and saw the crowd before me, mouths gaping in awe. Gaping at me. Because I was floating in the air, three feet above the stage, and next to me was Chiron, the Centaur God.

  I opened my mouth, but no words escaped my lips.

  It was him. He was here, and very, very real. His human torso was thick with muscles and his arms were toned and lean as well, he had the face of a warrior, tanned from the sun, long black hair billowing out behind him. His green eyes burned bright with magic, and his beard appeared to be the same course hair that streamed from his rear in a long, majestic tail. His coat was a resplendent brown, smooth and gleaming in the light our magic cast.

  "Child," he said. "You have gathered the relics and shown that your concern for the people is greater than your concern for yourself. You did not seek this crown, but rather it has claimed you."

  "I…"

  Was speechless.

  I'd travelled our queendom to reclaim the relics. I'd set off on this mission so that I could give them to Anya and be done, and yet by the time I'd stepped back inside the Court of Stone I'd been ready to claim the throne, fueled by a fire stoked by seeing the wrongness in our realm. I'd wanted to claim this title so I could change things for the better; and I'd felt like this was the best way to do it.

  And here I was. Hovering in the air, suspended by magic, given life by magic as well – the magic of the Chiron and the Marks I'd lain on the men who loved me.

  "Yes." I breathed the word out, locking my gaze with his. Those eyes… They held the universe, were made of neon fire, and light.

  "Do you claim it?" he asked.

  "Yes!" This time the word was loud, clear as I spoke it into the world like a promise.

  There was a thunder of hooves as Chiron stomped the stage. The crowd picked up on the action, thumping their feet against the courtyard stones, the sound getting louder and louder until there was nothing but noise and joy. Then the god clapped his hands together and silence ringed out, everyone going still. He commanded attention so easily; but then, he was a god.

  "Where is the crown?" he boomed.

  There was a rush of movement behind me and an indignant squeak which I had to assume came from Anya, and then Thomas passed the crown to Chiron.

  "Thank you," he said, his voice rumbling across the stage. I was almost glad I was still floating in the air because the sound might have made my legs shake so hard I fell over. Or maybe that was the nerves, or the emotions, because there was a lot of that rushing through me right now as well.

  Chiron approached me, his head at the same height as mine despite the fact I was floating. He raised the crown and placed it gently on my head. The metal seemed to shift and creak, reforming so that it fit me perfectly. I could tell that it didn't look the same – how could it? I was not the same queen as the last. I was me. And this was my reign.

  Mine.

  I swallowed hard and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. As I did, I begin to sink until my feet touched the stage. I wobbled slightly, regaining my balance, and then I smiled.

  It was done. It had happened. I was the True Queen and no one could dispute that now. The god had said so himself.

  "Give me your right arm," Chiron said. This time his voice was quieter, as though it was just for me. His hands were gentler than I'd imagined they would be and he held my forearm lightly, closing his eyes for a moment. A flash of heat flared across my skin and when he removed his hands, I could see the constellation of our queendom emblazoned on my skin.

  I looked down at both of my forearms, the Queen's Mark and the God Mark. I was always going to have these. There was no denying now who and what I was. And that thought filled me with joy. Something released in my chest, tension that had been building for days now as all the other potential outcomes of today faded to nothingness.

  I nodded once to myself and then stepped towards the front of the stage. "I am Jaelyn, True Queen of Terebellum. With my rise to the throne, magic will return to our lands and once more we will flourish. No longer will those with less go hungry. I will bring back safety to this land and it's people and together, we will celebrate!"

  An almighty cheer went up from the crowd, and then someone brought out a barrel of wine and the drinks flowed. I turned away from the crowd and my men surrounded me, embracing me, laying kisses on my hair, my shoulder, my cheek, my arm as if they needed that reassurance that I was still here, and whole, and theirs.

  33

  Jaelyn

  The party went on well into the night, long past the time I could handle on a day like today. My body felt drained, changed, but also like a livewire was running through it, a release of energy, magic, as it came to me, and through me, to the rest of the realm.

  My queendom.

  I stood now on one of the upper parapets of the castle, looking down at the people who were still dancing, still drinking. The wind was clean and clear up here and the stars glittered brighter than normal. At least, it seemed that way to me.

  It would be a slow start in the morning, a day of nothing. At least I hoped. The former queen and princess were confined to their rooms and tomorrow we'd have to figure out what to do with them. Anya needed to be charged with attempting to murder me, but her mother hadn't really broken the law and there was no way that we could prove she knew that Anya was faking it.

  I let out a long sigh, and then jumped when someone coughed beside me. I spun to see Zodi.

  "Where were you? I expected you to be at my Ascension," I said, glaring at him. I wasn't ready to forgive him for laying the Mark on me, even though it had all worked out in the end.

  "I was busy," he said. "Besides, I knew it would all turn out in your favor. You were the only one with the Mark, the only one meant to be queen."

  "What?" I spun back to him.

  "As I said." He laughed. "You were the only one given the Mark."

  "But—"

  "No buts. I promised you that you’d be safe; I didn’t say you wouldn’t be queen. You chose this in the end, you are the right person for the job. I know these things." He tapped his nose as if there was some secret we shared. "I just wanted to let you know that you've done well. Your father would be proud of you, your mother will be too, once she knows."

  I let out a groan. "She's going to want to come back here now, isn't she? I hadn't even thought of that."

  "But you're the queen now, and she has no say over you."

  I sighed. "Mother's always have some sway." I leaned against the railing and looked back down. "And it might take me a while to remember that I'm the queen here. It's… A big change."

  "You can do it though, and do it well. Don't forget who you are and what you've seen, let your relics guide you, and your Astral."

  "Astral?" That wasn't a term I had heard before.

  "The horse. He will only listen to you, ride for you, be alive for you. And once you pass, he will return to his statue form and no one will have a claim to him."

  "Really?"

  "He is attuned to you in a way that no other being could be. Over time, as you gain strength in your new magic, in your bonds, you'll be able to communicate with him telepathically."


  "Truth?"

  "Truth."

  I blew out another breath, storing that information away to process on another day. Not this one, my brain was already having a hard enough time. I needed sleep more than anything else. Tomorrow I could think about these things.

  "What do you do between Dawnings?" I asked, but when I turned to face Zodi he was gone. Disappeared back to wherever he came from I supposed.

  Damnable man.

  "Jae?"

  I looked over my shoulder and saw Thomas approaching. He had stripped off his fancier clothing and was looking a bit more casual now. The way I liked him.

  "Hey," I said, turning and curving my body into his. I had no idea how I'd resisted the pull of this for so long, or why I thought it might ruin our friendship. I couldn't imagine being any other way with him now; he was so much a part of my life.

  And there was the whole bonded by a celestial being thing as well.

  "We wondered where you were. You disappeared on us." He pressed a kiss to my hair and squeezed me as though he was cherishing this moment of having me to himself.

  "You could have found me whenever you wanted," I said with a laugh.

  "Yeah, but we thought that if you had disappeared it was for a reason, and if something was wrong, we would know. So…"

  "So, you gave me some space," I finished. "Thank you. I needed it. This—" I waved out over the railing, indicating the party goers below. "Is a lot."

  It was him who laughed now. "If you'd asked me what I thought would happen when we set out that day, I don't think I'd have said it was this." He pulled back a little and looked down at me. "The only thing that mattered was that I was with you."

  His fingers grazed my skin, igniting a fire inside me. I stepped in and tilted my head, kissing him deeply. It was so natural now, the ebb and flow of our energy, our passions colliding. I was so tired and yet the simple touch of his hand, the taste of him, brought me to life.