by Cheryl Oblon
LeFawn was in Minnette’s place on her mother’s right. Remmy stood behind her. Nemal stood next to me, but one step back. The protocol of court was intricate, but it spoke volumes.
My father grinned at me. He knew everything. I didn’t need to be able to read his mind to know that.
“You are charged with murdering a member of the Queen’s Guard, conspiring with a foreign monarch to put your daughter on their throne, and fleeing custody. You have confessed to all of these crimes?” the monarch asked.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” he said with a bow.
“For these crimes, you are sentenced to immediate execution.”
A man from the crowded throne room rushed forward and tackled my father. “Die, you traitor!”
The two men wrestled. The guards yanked them apart as they rolled around on the floor. It was vaguely comical. Loyal subjects didn’t often volunteer to execute criminals.
The guards picked up the two men, and as they were checking to see if the loyal citizen was hurt, my father bolted.
“No!” I screamed and reached out, but Nemal pulled me away. Here and now, he was no longer a guard, but my future husband and his job was my safety at formal functions.
My father had a dagger. That dagger I’d taken with me from that Bachal man. I’d lost it in the shipwreck and never thought about it again. He plunged the dagger into the queen’s arm and yanked it out. LeFawn tried to stop her mother from bleeding, covering the stab wound with her own hands.
I pulled free from Nemal and grabbed for the dagger before he hurt anyone else. It scratched my hand, but he let me have it easily.
Too easily.
“Don’t scratch your future husband with that,” he said.
Four guards piled on him.
“Execution order, my queen?” one guard asked.
“Mother? Mother, what’s wrong?” LeFawn asked.
I’d been staring at the dagger. There was blood, but also a black sticky substance. “What did you do?” I demanded.
“Get medical,” Nemal shouted.
I looked at the queen. She was a greenish-gray already. Her eyes looked dead, and she patted her daughter’s hand. I understood. The doctors filed in and laid the queen on the ground to try and save her.
“What is on this dagger?” I demanded.
“You can’t help her,” he said.
“He dipped the blade in something. Hold the man who attacked my father. It was a setup. He had the weapon,” I ordered.
“Kill us all. It won’t bring her back,” my father said.
“Mother!” LeFawn tried to get to her. My friend looked a bit gray as well.
“The queen is dead,” a doctor announced.
I kneeled immediately before LeFawn. “Long live the queen.”
The room repeated the oath.
I pulled the doctor aside. “LeFawn tried to stop the bleeding with her hands. She may have been exposed to the poison, as well. Get her to medical, please.”
“You’re cut, too.”
“I feel fine.” I handed him the dagger. “Don’t get the black on you. Maybe you can find an antidote to whatever it is.”
“It may be an allergic reaction of some sort and not a true poison.” The doctor looked into my eyes and felt my pulse.
“I’m fine. I need to handle this.” I nodded to the room and walked over to Remmy. “Go with your sister. She’s queen until we get Minnette back.”
He shook his head.
“Go!” I ordered. The shock of losing a queen would soon wear off and people would begin to panic.
Turning to the room, I pointed to my father. “Search him. Double the shackles on his arms and legs. Bring him to medical.”
“I’m fine, dear. But thank you,” he said.
“You will die for your crimes, but if you can help us save LeFawn, you live a little longer. I’m very sorry. The execution will take place once we’ve made sure our queen will live. We will bring Minnette home, of course. The crown is in no danger from a silly old man with a dagger.” I turned and headed behind the throne.
As healers moved the queen’s body from the room, I walked to medical. Nemal was one step behind me. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I should’ve seen it. He’s too damn sly to ever give up.”
“LeFawn isn’t ready to be queen,” Nemal said in shock.
“Minnette will be called back. We’ve got a bigger problem. She’s getting sick from the poison,” I said.
“It killed Mother in less than a minute.” He stopped.
I grabbed his hand. “I’m so sorry. My father did this so he might know how to get the antidote. Let’s go and see her.”
Finally, he started moving again. Time wasn’t on our side.
“How is she?” I asked.
“Weakening. She wasn’t cut, but the substance made contact with her skin. Some was absorbed. We have no idea what it is.” The head doctor rushed up to me and ran a scanner up and down.
“She’s still alive?” Nemal asked as he pushed past.
“I’m not great, but I’m here.” LeFawn laid on the bed. She looked weak and grayish.
“How long do we have?” I asked.
The doctor shrugged. “Your guess is as good as ours.”
“I wasn’t asking you.” I spied my father shackled a safe distance away from other people. Grabbing the dagger from the counter, I jabbed it in my father’s shoulder as far as I could.
“Damn it, Kimess!” he shouted.
His mind’s defenses were down, and I could get what I wanted. “It’s a Bachal poison the king gave him. His mission was to assassinate the queen.”
“Finally figured out how to keep me from blocking you,” he said.
“What’s the antidote?” I demanded.
“There isn’t one.”
“So, Kimess is going to die, too?” Nemal pushed me out of the way and twisted the dagger.
When my father quit screaming, he laughed. “Look at her. Does she look sick? At all weak? You think I’d risk killing my own daughter?”
“How is it possible?” the doctor asked.
“Kimess and I have been taking small doses of the poison ever since she was little. I wanted her strong. Little by little, the dosages increased, and we both built up a tolerance for it. She didn’t even know I was feeding it to her.” He smiled at me.
I pulled Nemal’s hands off the dagger and made sure they hadn’t made any contact with the black sludge. He was safe.
“Kimess, come here,” LeFawn said.
I rushed over. “You’ll be fine. They can synthesize antibodies from my blood. I’m immune.”
“I hope so. I don’t feel well, at all. With Mother gone, I can’t…” She froze.
“We’ll send someone to retrieve Minnette. It’ll take a week or so, but we can get her back, so you just rest.”
“No one comes back from Fairyland,” my father said.
I looked at a droid. “Find Simma and bring her here now!”
“Kimess, you…you must sit on the throne while I’m ill. Another ruler from the five houses must fill in if the monarch is ill or away from court so there is always a leader on the throne. I choose you,” she said.
“No, not me.” I shook my head. “You’re going to be fine. It’ll be a week.”
“Kimess, it’s the law, and the people just lost their queen,” Remmy said.
“Not me,” I whispered to LeFawn.
She pointed to my stomach. “That’s my niece in there, and you’re my friend. There is no one else I’d trust to hold mine or my sister’s place. And if neither of us can…” LeFawn took my hand.
“No. You’ll be fine, and Minnette will be here in a week or so.” She was making me her successor. A queen without a direct heiress could choose among the other four rulers and designate the next in line
She glared at me. “You don’t tell a queen no. If Minn doesn’t come back, it’s you.”
&nbs
p; A doctor approached me and pressed a device to my arm. Some blood transferred without pain. “The antibodies from your blood will take time to recreate. The sooner we start—”
“Start,” I ordered.
“You sound like a queen already.” She looked at Remmy. “You hear me? Kimess is queen for now, and if Minn and I don’t make it.”
Remmy bowed.
The droid arrived with an argumentative Simma. “What is going on?” she demanded.
“The queen is dead. LeFawn is gravely ill from a Bachal poison. They’re working on something, but we need time.”
“I’m not a healer.” Simma shook her head.
“A healer can’t fix this,” my father said.
Simma lifted a hand. “I can fix you.”
He grinned. “I’m already dead. Do your worst.”
“Stop wasting time. Simma, you’re the most powerful spell caster I know. Can’t you put her in a state of suspension or slow the poison down? Maybe we should freeze her? Something?” I asked.
“I can try, but there is no way to know the results. It won’t last very long. A week or two at the very most, and she’ll appear to be in a coma,” Simma said as she put a hand on Lefawn’s forehead.
“We should have some antibodies to test by then, but no promises there either,” the doctor said.
“You need to send her to Fairyland,” my father said.
“I hate to agree with an evil and crazy man, but they have more restorative powers. It’s not a natural death so they will try to save her. It’s your best option.” Simma looked me in the eye.
“That’s at least a week trip. Your spell might help her make it there,” I said.
Simma bowed and began whispering spells. I hoped it worked. My father could make up nonsense, but Simma wouldn’t agree with him unless it was true. She wouldn’t lie to me.
Chapter 26
LeFawn had assembled the queen’s small council members before Simma completed the spell. They’d witnessed everything, but we were all in shock. I felt horrible. Somehow, my father’s wish had come to pass. I was the one chosen to sit on the throne. Deep down, I understood why LeFawn picked me, I had to be the one to prove whose side I was on. I had to give the order.
I was on the throne, announced and crowned by the ruler of the second house before the day was out. There was no dissent or resistance, but this was temporary. My father wanted to believe he’d somehow succeeded, but I’d rather see one of those women on the throne than have everyone worried I was a traitor. Nemal stood at my right-hand side, supportive as always. Remmy took the spot on my left, I had no seer. I was my own seer, an odd circumstance.
My father and his accomplice stood before me, heavily shackled and guarded. I probed the mind of the accomplice and wrote down all his associates we needed to track down.
“You, Ratyel, are condemned to die for being an accessory to regicide.” I pointed to the guard.
The laser ax lopped off the traitor’s head without a bit of blood splatter.
“Galdar, you are guilty of regicide, in addition to your earlier charges, of which you are also guilty,” I said.
“You look good up there, my girl,” he said.
Again, I gestured to the guard behind my father. The guard pressed a burning piece of metal to his Achilles heel. The screaming upset most of the room, but I clearly read his mind and jotted down the names of his rebel and traitor allies. Including my aunt’s name.
I waved to the guard who removed the incentive. My father fell to his knees before me. Until now, I didn’t fully understand the power of the queen. The body of a traitor lay slumped before me. Someone would cry for that man, but he’d helped to commit murder. They could blame me. Wielding power over your own family like this was disturbing. The absolute and unquestioned power.
“Galdar, you are to be executed immediately,” I said.
Before I could nod to the guard, Nemal stepped forward and took the laser ax. He stood between me and my father, Nemal being much taller and broader in the shoulder, I couldn’t see a thing. Nemal swung the ax, and I felt the death rather than saw it.
He turned and bowed to me. “Forgive me, my queen. It was my right. She was my mother.”
I nodded to him. He’d done it for me. So, I didn’t have to see my father die.
“Traitors and betrayers will not be tolerated in Lazrel. While we await the return of the rightful queen, Minnette, I pledge to hunt down the rebels and traitors provided by these two murderers.” I handed the list to the head of the Queen’s Guard.
There was cheering and applause.
“Tomorrow, we will lay to rest our monarch. And, as life must go on, next week, my wedding will go on as planned. We will not be derailed for one minute by sabotage or enemies from outside or in. You must all keep on with everything that you do. But tomorrow is a day of mourning for our queen.” I stood and took Nemal’s offered hand.
He led me back to the private room, and I hugged him tightly.
“I had to do it.”
I said, “Thank you. Part of me wishes I’d had the strength.”
He shook his head. “You want to marry me; you have to let me protect you. And the little ones.”
I looked around and whispered in his head. “No one can know the boy isn’t yours. Not even Minnette. Not until she’s secured the country,” I said.
He kissed me. “It’s none of our faults that this happened, and he’s going to be half you. That’s all that really matters.”
“You’re too nice to me.”
He bowed. “I love you, my queen.”
I smacked his shoulder. “Don’t. It’s temporary. I can’t even think if I had to sit on that throne forever. Minnette will come back. She must. LeFawn will be healed by the fairy magic. They’ll both be fine and have daughters. Then, you’ll just be the husband of the seer and ruler of the fifth family.”
I lifted the heavier crown from my head, and Marel immediately appeared to take it. “Do you need anything?”
“Water.” I wanted wine, but I had to make some changes for my condition.
Simma was announced by the guards. She bowed to me, and I felt completely wrong.
“How’s LeFawn?” I asked.
“Under the spell. She won’t know about funeral or anything, so if you want to send her off, I’d suggest tomorrow at the latest to begin,” Simma said.
“Thank you. She’ll need trusted guards. We’ll need to make a plan,” I said.
Simma bowed. “I offer myself to Your Majesty in whatever capacity I can be of help.”
I stepped closer to her. “You don’t like court.”
“I like my country, though. It’s not perfect, but I don’t like people killing my queen. You need true friends around you, especially now.” She looked down at my stomach.
“You’re welcome to stay, and I appreciate the help. Did you see how Zoma was doing?” I asked.
“Better. They’ll release her soon, I’m sure. But your Bachal fellow was being prepped for something. Should they be doing elective things, now?” she asked.
“There’s nothing else they can do for the queen or LeFawn. They’ll try to cultivate the antibodies to create an antidote or immunity injection, but it takes time to duplicate things. Tantil is a routine procedure,” I said. How could I ask her to delay when she’d been in pain for so long over this?
“I think we should see your great aunt. A visit with her will help you center yourself,” Simma said.
Nemal nodded. “That’s a good idea!”
“What are you going to do? Not help with the rounding up of rebels. I can’t handle any more danger for anyone I love,” I said.
“Don’t worry about that. Remmy and I are going to spend a little time with LeFawn before she leaves and then finalize the plans for tomorrow. I know Marel and her mom are running it, but I want a few private minutes with Mother as well.” He kissed me.
“If you need me to come
up there, let me know. I’m not quite sure what or where I need to be, just yet.” I didn’t want him to go through it alone, but he had his brother.
“Your great aunt will help. Remember, it’s only temporary, and you’re not to stress yourself too much. Minn can handle it when she gets here. Just keep things under control during the transition. No damage to the littles.” He kissed my check.
Simma shook her head as he walked away.
“What?” I asked.
“The truth, Your Majesty?” she asked.
“Don’t start with that. You must always tell me the truth. You and Aunt Gurol.” I started walking to the lifts to her private secret chamber in the high tower. I’d told Nemal about her one night when we were still in Bachal. It felt like a million years ago. But if we were that close, he should know my secrets.
“You’re too young for this. Marriage, children, and the throne,” Simma said.
“I agree.” I couldn’t even think about what Nemal was going through. His mother and possibly his sister dead. His father already gone. I’d lost a queen and a mother figure of sorts, but she hadn’t been close in my life for that long.
“Your mother would be proud of you,” she said.
I turned and smiled at her. “Thank you.”
Chapter 27
The day of the funeral, I wore the blue dress I’d worn after my mother had died. Somber and simple. Marel was helping me with jewelry when the head of the Queen’s Guard knocked on the door of the queen’s private study.
My attendants let him in.
He bowed. “Your Majesty, the Bachal king wishes to speak to the queen.”
He pointed to the large view screen.
“He must’ve heard of her death,” Marel said.
“No doubt. He was part of the conspiracy, I’m sure.” I sighed and dismissed the helpers. No jewelry was needed for this. “Put him on screen.”
“My condolences, Queen—” He stopped midsentence, and the king’s face froze.