The ceremony over. Amelia led the progression of gathered nobles back to the castle. She entered the council chamber. Isaac and Randolph Byrne, and a representative of Esteban Byrnes, along with those nobles on the council joined her. The rest waited in the throne room to see if a new king would be announced.
Tolliver, a craggy-faced councilor spoke. “King Robert has passed. A new king is required. There are three candidates for the throne. Isaac Byrne and Robert Byrne are here. Esteban Byrne is still at sea, but he sent word via his messenger that he requests any decision on the throne be delayed until he arrives. Isaac and Robert will be given an opportunity to speak to the council and Queen Amelia as to why they should be declared king. If Queen Amelia has a preference, the council must support her decision. If she cannot choose, the council will vote on the matter. Randolph Byrne as the oldest Byrne you have the floor first.
The council chamber was small, with a horseshoe seating arrangement. The councilors sat with Queen Amelia in the middle. The Byrnes stood on the chamber floor which was several feet below the chamber seats. Even the tallest man had to look up to the council when speaking.
Randolph Byrne stepped forward, “Councilors, Queen Amelia, I should be king. I am the oldest living male relative of Robert. By the ancient laws this should make me king. I also control the most land and men. Isaac is young and aggressive, hot-headed. Esteban is a pirate. There should be no doubt in your minds that I am the one to be chosen.” Randolph stared into the eyes of each councilor and then into Amelia’s eyes, before stepping back.
Amelia wasn’t sure if Randolph was trying to intimidate them or see into their souls, but he made the council nervous.
Isaac Byrne took his place in front the horseshoe of seated councilors and Amelia. “Randolph Byrne does have the most lands, and men. But a king is not measured only by his wealth. He is measured by his deeds. When Robert was slain and the kingdom under siege, it was not Randolph who arrived and sent the Ramsey armies scurrying home. A king also must know to honor those who served before him and seek their guidance so they may serve their kingdom well. I’ve spoken with Queen Amelia. On her request I’ve spoken to Simon Bante, Craigg John, and Robert Jill. All three will serve as my main advisors. I also wish to thank Queen Amelia for her leadership, and I want to declare before this council that my first act as king would be to honor Queen Amelia by releasing the men of her choosing to become her sworn knights. A former queen who deserves our respect and gratitude should have the coin and men that the ancient laws grant her.”
Isaac stopped his speech and stepped back.
“Queen Amelia, have you a chosen king?”
“Yes,” said Amelia. “While Randolph may be correct about Isaac Byrne’s shortcomings, I find they are not traits unworthy of a king. Our kingdom is under attack. Our king died at the hands of Prince Ramsey and his assassins. A ruler who is passionate and aggressive will be needed to thwart the enemy. Also a king must know how to surround himself with the right people who can assist him in ruling such a wonderful kingdom such as Prozia. Isaac’s choices for his advisors are honest and intelligent men who will help him as he faces the difficult times ahead. I choose Isaac Byrne for King.” Amelia could hear Randolph grumbling his disagreement with her decision, but it mattered not.
“Very well,” said Tolliver. “This council recognizes Isaac Byrne as King Robert’s successor. We shall return to the throne room, where Queen Amelia will relinquish her crown and declare Isaac king. Isaac will then perform the ceremony releasing the guards into the service of Lady Amelia who will no longer bear the title of queen.”
Amelia waited while Randolph and the councilors left the room, leaving her alone with Isaac. “Would you prefer to enter the room first, or shall I proceed?” she asked Isaac.
“I would consider it a service if you entered first and announced to the crowd your intentions. A smooth transition benefits all.”
“Indeed,” replied Amelia. Her dislike of the ambitious soon-to-be-king was not diminished, but she recognized that Isaac as a skilled politician. She’d forced him into a corner to get what she wanted, but now he was going to milk her participation in the proceedings to his benefit. A fair trade as far as she was concerned. “I shall make sure you are well received.”
Amelia left the chamber and entered the throne room. She stood beside the pair of throne chairs where she’d helped rule the kingdom under two different kings. She would not sit in the chair again. Tolliver barked at the crowd. The entire throne room was filled with those waiting to see who’d be named king. Amelia raised her voice so all could hear her, “Noble families and loyal citizens of Prozia. Today we mourned the loss of my husband, King Robert Byrne, to the cowardly attack of Prince Erik Ramsey and his assassins, who entered the kingdom under the guise of friendship to exact revenge for my denying him the right to marry my eleven-year-old daughter. Now we must look to the future. By ancient decree, I have the right to choose a new king from among the living male relatives of the late Robert. In our darkest hour, with the enemy at our gates, it was one of Robert’s cousins that came to the timely rescue of our fair kingdom. If Isaac Byrne had not shown up when he did, many more lives would have been lost to the bastards from Kosal. That action was worthy of one who would be king. Beyond that, I’ve had an opportunity to speak with Isaac, and he has ample knowledge of what it means to be a ruler and has blessed me with the option to assist him in choosing advisors that I know will continue to serve Prozia for the best interest of all of its citizens. With those two considerations in mind, I found the decision to support Isaac Byrne for king a natural choice. The ancient laws forbid me from keeping my throne, but I relinquish it knowing that Prozia has a strong leader in their new king. Isaac Byrne come forth.”
Isaac Byrne strode confidently from the council chamber into the throne room. He walked up the short set of stairs to stand in front of Amelia. He bowed and then took a knee.
Amelia removed her own crown, a small gold band with rows of diamonds, and placed it on the queen’s throne seat. She then took the king’s crown, a thicker gold band with a collection of small emeralds in the shape of a diamond surrounded by rubies, and placed it on the head of Isaac Byrne. “Rise, King Isaac, of Prozia,” said Amelia.
Isaac rose and turned to the crowd. As he began his speech, Amelia pondered her future. While Isaac had made her a fair offer for her support, he only did so when pressed by her maneuverings to make sure all ancient laws that favored her were followed. He was currently offering her praise in front of the audience because it benefited him. But what about when she left the kingdom? Thankfully she’d have knights to defend her, but even then she’d have to be careful. Isaac could easily decide that having the mother of a Dragonblood as a prisoner was prudent. If he thought that, or worse that she was a threat, he’d make every effort to make sure she never made it to Mara.
“… Lady Amelia your service to the kingdom will not be forgotten. I would now like to bestow a parting gift. Please have the guards of your choosing step forward.”
Lady Amelia looked to General Hamza, giving him the nod. The general stepped forward with twenty men.
“Take a knee,” said King Isaac to the men. “These men have served Prozia with honor and distinction. They will now carry that tradition on in the service of Lady Amelia as her personal knights, sworn to her protection.” King Isaac tapped the blade of his sword against the shoulders of each man and then stepped back. “Rise, knights of Lady Isabella.”
Isabella noted the distinction that King Isaac had made calling the men knights of Lady Isabella instead of knights of Prozia. It was a minor change of wording, but an important one. If something were to happen, and they were attacked. The king would not have to explain an attack on knights of Prozia. Instead he’d claim that Amelia was working on behalf of her daughter to undermine his authority. It was all too clear to Amelia that the sooner she left Prozia the better.
The ceremony over, Isabella gave General Hamza, or rather Sir
Hamza as she should call him, a nod and glance of her eyes, indicating he should follow her. As they left the crowded throne room and entered the hallway leading to her private quarters, Sir Hamza joined her.
“I’m sorry, Lady Amelia, I could not find thirty men that I could trust. It seems someone has been spreading rumors about the dangers of joining our forces. I took only the men that I trust. I turned down several that were perhaps too eager to join.”
Amelia was right, already Isaac was working against her behind the scenes. “You did well, Sir Hamza. I’d much rather twenty loyal men then thirty that cannot be trusted. Let the men have a small celebration this evening, but we leave at first light in the morrow. I fear the longer we stay in Prozia, the more dangerous it shall be.”
“A wise decision, Lady Amelia. One that I anticipated. I’ve already given the men orders to be prepared to leave on a moment’s notice. The men and I already spoke, we’ll hold off celebrating until we are safe.”
“Thank you, Sir Hamza.” Lady Amelia was grateful to Sir Hamza. He’d been a brilliant general and now was going to be indispensable as one of her personal guardians. When they arrived in Mara, Amelia would have the men swear allegiance to Isabella, but Hamza she’d keep for her own protection.
40
THE QUICKEST WAY TO REACH KOSAL was through the Valley of Tears. Kai rode with purpose, galloping through the lush valley. It had been generations since the great battle that gave the valley its name and the fertile valley was now a peaceful and prosperous location for many families. Farms dotted the landscape, with small herds of cattle and sheep grazing on the thick grass. In other farms crops had been planted, rows and rows of corn, large gardens with potatoes and vellot, the sweet peppers the size of watermelon. But Kai was not thinking of vegetables as he rode. His mind was spinning as fast as his horse’s legs, trying to figure out what he could or would say to Rosalie.
Kai didn’t expect her to forgive him for his having forsaken their love or if hearing her side would change how he felt. Kai did think that Jaime was probably wrong. A beautiful woman like Rosalie would’ve found a new lover by now. Perhaps Jaime just had not known who the man was. Regardless of her current situation, Kai would make his apology and give her the opportunity to explain herself. It was the least he could to try and make things right.
Kai still wasn’t sure if he cared that Rosalie had been coerced into sleeping with the prince. That she’d made that choice would have been reason enough to hate her. For so many years, he had lived with the hurt of her betrayal. Only now he’d learned the truth and opened his mind to the possibility that Rosalie was as much a victim of the situation as he was. Now Kai faced a decision about the future, but first he needed to talk to Rosalie. Kai could see the dilemma that Rosalie had faced. What value did she put on her father’s life? What value would he put on his own life if given the same choice? It was impossible not to hurt someone in such a scenario, but a wise man realized where the blame belonged. Rosalie was as much a victim as Kai or her father. Prince Erik was the one who deserved his hate and anger. He swore he would someday make the prince pay dearly for that transgression. Now was a time for healing, to take a chance to mend the wounds of time and distance.
…
From the Valley of Tears Kai rode northwest and then straight west through the low mountain pass. He was now in the lands of Kosal, the place he’d once called home. The home of the Ramsey’s was Windermere Castle on the coast. Benton, the old home of the Dragon’s Tail was only a short distance from Windermere. Rosalie had grown up on a farm outside of Windermere, but according to Jaime was now living with an aunt in the fishing village of Bayside. Kai and Rosalie had once visited Bayside and her family, so Kai knew exactly where she was. It was fortunate that Rosalie now resided in Bayside. The small coastal fishing village was south of Windermere. Kai would be able to cut across country and stay off the main road to Windermere, potentially avoiding anyone who would recognize him as a member of the Dragon’s Tail, as they were assuredly still called in Kosal.
One his third day of travel, Kai rode into the village of Bayside. His palms were sweaty as he walked his horse up the road to the small cottage where Rosalie’s aunt lived. Dismounting, Kai tied his horse to the picket fence. He was preparing himself to walk up to the front door when he spotted someone working in the small garden behind the cottage. Taking a deep breath, Kai walked around the cottage towards the garden. She was kneeling down, tearing weeds out from a row of vegetables, but there was no mistaking her profile. It was Rosalie in the garden.
It hurt Kai’s heart to look at her. He’d forgotten how beautiful she was. Her high, rosy cheeks, button nose and smooth skin were exactly the same as the last time he’d seen her before the incident. Her thick curly hair was still the color of honey. Kai wanted to announce himself, but the words stuck in his throat. He still didn’t know what to say to her. He stood still as a scarecrow, terrified to move.
Rosalie must have sensed the presence of another person, she turned her head and looked at him. She rose from the ground, dusted off her knees, and placed an errant strand of hair behind ear. She walked closer.
Kai stared into her face, tears filled his eyes, he tried to move his lips but nothing happened.
Rosalie closed the gap until she was standing right in front of Kai. Her hand came to his face, wiping a tear away. “I’ve waited so long for this moment. Tell me you’ve finally forgiven me.”
Kai found his tongue. “I don’t know. I know I owe you an apology. I’m sorry it’s taken me this long to come to you. You deserve the opportunity to explain what happened. For that I am sorry.”
“It matters not how long it took you to come, only that you came,” said Rosalie. “I should have come to you when the prince told me what he wanted. Together we could’ve figured something out. Instead, I did what I thought was needed and we both suffered for it. Every day I’ve prayed to the gods that you’d come to me. I’ve missed you so much, Kai.” Rosalie started to cry. “I was so afraid of losing you and my father, I didn’t know what to do. I thought that if I did what the prince wanted, he’d leave us alone. But he didn’t want that. I think he wanted you to find us. He likes humiliating men. I hate what I did to us, but I only did what I thought was right. I loved my father and I couldn’t let him die. But I never stopped loving you. You’ve been in my heart every moment of every day. I miss you more than anything.” Tears ran down Rosalie’s face.
All of Kai’s doubts faded. His heart pounded. It was like he was alive again for the first time since that day. He’d been such a fool to not find out the truth so long ago. “As I missed you, my love,” Kai pulled Rosalie in and held her in his arms. It felt so natural to hold her again. To hear that she still loved him and could so easily accept him back was more than he’d ever hoped. Just standing there with her filled his heart in a way that hadn’t even been possible a few short days ago. A part of him had died when he’d walked into the tent on that gods’ forsaken day, but now it was resurrected.
41
“SISERA, WHEN THE DAXRAH ARRIVED, you carried me on your back to the ground. Is that something we could do again?” asked Isabella. They were sitting on the balcony watching the Daxrah sparring in the yard. Isabella had been spending so much time working on her magic, that she’d had little time with her new friend, so today she was spending the entire day with Sisera. The topic of flying had been on Isabella’s mind ever since they had done it the first time.
“Of course it is. You seemed pretty nervous last time so I didn’t bother asking if you’d like to do it again.”
Isabella laughed. “I wasn’t nervous. I was terrified! I never imagined I’d be flying on a dragon’s back.”
“Technically you weren’t flying. All we did was drift down to the ground. I don’t think I flapped my wings more than once or twice.”
“I didn’t know. I thought it was flying … when can we do it again?”
“Whenever you like. I would suggest that you might
want a saddle made. That is how the old dragon riders did it.”
“Oh, a saddle sounds much safer. I would like that. But what kind of saddle fits a dragon?”
“I’m sure one of the Daxrah can modify a saddle. We could drift down right now. All they are doing is training. I’m sure Jaime wouldn’t mind the interruption.”
“Yes!” said Isabella as she climbed onto Sisera’s back. She remembered exactly how Sisera had taught her to sit. High on her back, above Sisera’s wings, where she could grab onto the ridged scales where Sisera’s back met her neck. Isabella grabbed the scales tightly and squeezed her legs against the sides of the dragon’s thick chest. “I’m ready.”
Sisera rose and stepped towards the edge of the balcony, she gave her powerful wings a couple of flaps, they rose even farther into the air, rising above the tower. Then slowly they descended into the courtyard. They slowly descended towards Jaime, who was in the middle of the yard teaching a couple of the younger Daxrah a lesson.
As Sisera had suggested would happen, all the training stopped as the Daxrah watched them descend. Even Jaime stopped talking and stood tall as Sisera dropped down beside him. The two young Daxrah had quickly moved back to give Sisera plenty of space.
“Isabella, Sisera, what can I do for you?” asked Jaime.
“Do you have a leather worker among your men?” asked Isabella. “I need a saddle modified.”
Jaime looked at Isabella and then at Sisera. “Yes, I suppose if you are going to ride dragons a saddle would be wise. We don’t have a dedicated leather worker, but I think I could do the task. Sisera, where would you find straps the most comfortable?”
“If the saddle sat a little further down on my back from where Isabella is sitting now, a strap above my wings and around my chest, and one below my wings would be sufficient. Also if you added a pair of straps to the sides of the saddle that would go around Isabella’s legs it would keep her hands free.”
Sisera's Gift (Dragonblood Sagas Book 2) Page 24