The Queen

by Suzanna Lynn

  Luana lifted her hands, preparing to strike the final blow. As she threw her hands back, she heard the sorceress let out a blood-curdling scream. A long blade covered in blood emerge from Syndra’s torso. As the sword retracted, she grabbed her stomach, blood flowing down her front. She fell to her knees.

  Luana’s eyes widened in shock. Lord Cadman stood behind her holding the bloody sword. “If anyone is going to rule Grasmere, it will be me.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Baylin watched from the ground as his uncle cleaned the sword blade on the sorceress’s dress.

  Pain seized in his chest where the arrow tore through flesh and bone. He gasped as a sharp stab shot through him.

  “Baylin?” Ferric asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Just hold on. We’ll get you to Master Keon.”

  “Why bother?” Cadman laughed. “It would make my job a lot easier if he would go ahead and die.”

  “You bastard.” Ferric drew his sword and ran for Cadman. “This is all your fault!”

  The sound of their swords crashing filled the air.

  “No,” gurgled Baylin from the ground nearby.

  Luana ran to him, falling to her knees next to him. “Baylin, oh Baylin! Just hold on, we can help you. The battle is over, it’s done.”

  “No,” Baylin repeated. “Ferric, no.”

  Luana cried out to Ferric. “You must stop! He wants you to stop.”

  Ferric warily lowered his sword, keeping his eyes on Lord Cadman. Cadman returned in kind.

  “Why would you have me stop?” Ferric asked. “What could possess him to spare this snake?”

  “Please. Come.” Baylin lifted a hand, motioning for Ferric and Cadman to come toward him. His breath grew shallow and he coughed.

  Ferric put his sword out in front of Cadman. “I don’t think so. Leave the sword here.”

  “Do you think me a fool?” Lord Cadman spat.

  Ferric clenched his teeth. “You scared of a dying man?”

  Cadman hissed, dropping his sword to the ground and walking toward the Prince.

  “Baylin, we must get you inside to Master Keon,” Luana protested.

  He shook his head, pushing Luana back with his hand. He looked to Ferric. “Take her. I want to speak to my uncle.”

  Luana fought against Ferric’s grip. “We have to get you inside, now.” Rydel and Faylen came over and helped Ferric hold Luana to the side, out of the way.

  “Uncle,” Baylin rasped.

  Cadman looked at Baylin, then to Luana, Ferric and the rest before turning back to Baylin. “What is this?”

  “I need to make peace with you.” Baylin coughed. “We must make peace before I die.”

  “No!” Luana pulled against Ferric. When she could not pull free of him, she turned and cried into his chest.

  “Peace?” Cadman looked at Baylin warily. “Fine. Be at peace.” He dismissed the sentiment, waving his hand in the air as though swatting a fly.

  “No, we must do it properly,” Baylin groaned, his words catching in his throat. He mumbled something incoherent.

  “What?” Cadman said. “Speak up, I can’t make out a word you’re saying.”

  Baylin coughed hard, grimacing in pain. He motioned for Cadman to kneel down closer. “Please, there must be peace between us.”

  Lord Cadman huffed and rolled his eyes. He knelt beside the Prince, leaning in so he could hear him. “I’m here. What do you need to be at peace?”

  “Just this.” Baylin slid a dagger into the left side of Cadman’s chest, just under the arm where the armor did not meet. Blood poured from the wound as he withdrew the blade. “Now I can be at peace.”

  Cadman fell the ground, trying to hold the wound closed with one hand while attempting to crawl across the ground to his sword. Luana shook free from Ferric’s grip and ran over, picking up the sword.

  Faylen and Rydel rushed to Baylin’s side, quickly setting to work on his wound.

  Baylin struggled to sit up, but the pain was too much. He watched as Cadman stopped and looked up at Luana.

  “You can’t hurt us anymore,” she said. She lifted the blade high above her head.

  Darkness swam in Baylin’s vision. He felt a warmth in his chest as the two elves began chanting in a language foreign to him. He heard the sound of a sword coming down, then there was nothing.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Baylin’s eyes were still closed when he heard the sound of shuffling footsteps over the stone floor. There were soft taps of metal on metal and a gentle humming in the air. He struggled to open his eyes. When his eyes finally adjusted to the light in the room, he found himself in a familiar setting.

  He was lying in Master Keon’s medical chamber under a thick layer of furs.

  The old physician hunched over a large mortar and pestle, grinding something that sounded like small seeds or nuts.

  Baylin turned his head, searching the room for Luana. Where is she? Fear gripped him. His thoughts went back to the battlefield. What if she was hurt? What if she was killed? He struggled to sit up in bed. A sharp pain surged in his chest and he coughed against the pressure.

  “Your Grace!” Master Keon squeaked, hobbling across the room. “You must lie back; it is not good for the wound.”

  “Luana,” Baylin rasped, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed in an attempt to get up. “Where…” He began to cough again.

  “Please, Your Grace, you must lie back,” the old physician urged, gently pushing Baylin down on the bed. “Luana is fine, just fine. She has gone to rest. She’s hardly left your side these past three days.”

  “Three days?” Baylin asked. “I’ve been here that long?”

  “Yes,” Keon replied. “You had us all very worried. Had it not been for the elves and your Luana’s gift of healing, you might not be drawing breath now.”

  Luana. She’s safe. A weight lifted at the thought of her being alive and unharmed. “Our son? My parents? Ferric? What of them?”

  “The King and Queen are fine, as is your son. Ferric emerged with a few bruises but otherwise unharmed,” Master Keon explained as he lifted the bandage on Baylin’s chest, examining a gruesome wound.

  “And my men?” Baylin was almost scared to ask. He knew countless had fallen in the battle. How many were struck down? How many fathers, brothers and sons did I send to the afterlife?

  Master Keon sighed. “I’m afraid there was a great number of men who fell, Your Grace. The wounded are down in the medical ward your Luana set up before the war.”

  “How many?” Baylin cringed as the physician smeared a sticky green mixture on his wound. “How many men did we lose?”

  “You needn’t concern yourself with such things, Your Grace,” Master Keon said, covering the poultice with a clean bandage. “Your main concern should be recovering so you can resume command of your men. Seeing you well will lift their spirits.”

  “How many?” Baylin repeated.

  Keon sighed, looking thoughtfully into Baylin’s eyes. “Many thousands, Your Grace.”

  The words caused Baylin’s chest to seize. Not from the wound, but from the heartache of knowing he had led thousands of men to their deaths. He fought back tears that stung in his eyes.

  “It could not have been helped,” the old man said, pulling a fur blanket over the Prince. “They were ambushed. And then the trolls…” Keon shuddered. “If it hadn’t been for the elves, I do not know what would have become of us.”

  They sat in silence for several moments before the quiet was interrupted by the sound of the door opening.

  “Baylin!” Ferric exclaimed, crossing the room to the bed. “You’re awake! Gods be good, you were starting to give me a real fright. We feared the worst when you would not wake.”

  “Yes, His Grace appears to have come through the worst of it,” Master Keon said, picking up the remaining clean bandages and taking them to a table across the room. “I believe the Prince will be good as new with some more rest.”

  Ferric
sat down in a chair next to the bed. “The men will be overjoyed.”

  “The men who survived, you mean,” Baylin said mournfully. “So many lives lost.”

  “It wasn’t your fault,” Ferric soothed. “Had the King listened to you, it could have been evaded.”

  Baylin’s eyes shot up to Ferric. He is right. If Father had heeded my warning this could have been avoided. “What happened after I fell? Did Luana… Did she kill—”

  “Yes, she finished him. Cadman’s gone,” Ferric said. “So is Isla… or… whatever you want to call her. Apparently she had fooled everyone. Even King Gideon and Queen Fia were blind to it. Isla was killed and Syndra took her place in order to infiltrate Mirstone and coerce them into attacking Grasmere. Cadman, of course, made the perfect pawn. His greed made it easy for her to manipulate him.”

  “What of the other Kingdoms?” Baylin asked.

  “We have the enemy generals in cells. Birds have been sent to Mirstone and Kardell for ransom,” Ferric explained. “Their remaining soldiers who survived and had not already fled were stripped of their armor and weapons and shipped home. We allowed them to take their dead with them.”

  “And our dead?” Baylin asked with a sigh.

  “Pyres have been built and the bodies are being prepared,” Ferric said somberly. “The whole Kingdom is in mourning. Pyres are to be lit at nightfall.”

  “I want to be there.” Baylin cringed as he moved to get comfortable in the bed.

  “You’re still recovering,” Ferric said. “No one expects you to—”

  “I’m going,” Baylin demanded. “They were my men. They died under my command, whether my father decreed it or not, I was their Prince. If I have to be carried out in a wheelbarrow to see these men put to rest, I will do so.”

  Ferric bowed his head. “Very well.”

  “I need to ask you a question,” Baylin said, recalling the battle. “Why did you take Luana?”

  Ferric dropped his gaze, staring at his hands. “I knew you wouldn’t like it, but I was certain you were right. I knew King Rydel was our only hope.”

  “You’re right. When I heard you had taken Luana, I was angry and hurt. I couldn’t understand why you would betray me. She could have been hurt, you both could have been killed.” Baylin found it difficult to be cross with his friend. “But if you hadn’t gone to the elves, I would most likely be dead. The Kingdom would have fallen.”

  Ferric looked up at Baylin warily.

  “You did well, my friend,” the Prince praised. “But please don’t do it again.”

  Ferric smiled. “Understood.”

  The door flung open.

  “Baylin!” Luana called, running to his side. “You’re awake, finally. I was so worried.”

  The Prince braced himself as Luana wrapped her arms around him. He winced slightly, feeling a stinging pain in his chest.

  “Oh! I’m sorry,” Luana said, releasing her grip. “I’m so happy to see you awake.”

  “He’s too stubborn to kill,” Ferric said, standing and offering the chair to Luana.

  Luana sat down. “That may be, but he still gave us a scare. You looked to be on death’s door.”

  Baylin reached out and squeezed Luana’s hand. “As you can see, I’m on the mend, so do not worry yourself.” He turned his attention to Ferric. “Please make arrangements for me to attend the funeral ceremony this evening—whatever it takes.”

  Ferric bowed. “Yes, Your Grace.”

  Luana opened her mouth to protest, but Baylin cut her off. “There is no argument here. I will see my men off to the afterlife.”

  She nodded. “As you wish.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  It took a special sling designed by Ferric to carry Baylin from Master Keon’s medical chamber down to the castle grounds. Several men carried him to a hill overlooking a field at the base of the mountain that displayed several thousand funeral pyres.

  King Ashmur and Queen Valasca stood near the castle overlooking the scene. Baylin was placed in a chair that had been brought out for him so he could be near his parents. Luana followed, standing by his side.

  The sun was falling fast behind the horizon. As the cool evening breeze swirled through the air, Baylin felt the weight of the loss. He had never seen so many funeral pyres in one place in his entire life. Each of the pyres was crafted from strong logs and stood several feet tall. Each of the deceased had been cleaned and was wrapped in a soft white linen cloth. Each body had a garland around the head made of lavender, ivy and poppy flowers to help their souls pass on. The servants must have been working night and day to assemble this many pyres. So many lives lost.

  Families stood near the pyres of their loved ones, crying and laying flowers and fruit amongst the logs.

  Baylin reached out and took Luana’s hand. She squeezed it gently, looking at him.

  “So many,” Baylin murmured.

  Luana knelt down, keeping her emerald green eyes firm on Baylin. “This is not your fault. None of this is your fault. Your uncle did this. That evil elven witch did this. You and your men did what you had to. You were protecting the Kingdom.”

  “She’s right, son,” Valasca said. “These men died because they were betrayed by Cadman. They were proud to stand by your side.”

  Ashmur shifted uncomfortably but remained silent as he looked over the pyres.

  A horn sounded through the cool night air. Men with torches began lining up, preparing to begin the ceremony.

  Baylin took in a sharp breath and attempted to push himself to stand. As he came to his feet, he wavered, weak. Both Ferric and Luana reached out, grabbing his arms to steady him.

  “Sit,” Luana coaxed.

  “No,” Baylin said firmly. “They deserve my respect and attention. I want to stand.” Ferric and Luana released the Prince so he could stand on his own.

  The sky had grown dark. The torches below caused shadows to dance in the darkness. Another horn sounded through the air. Below, the men with torches made their way through the thousands of pyres, pressing the fire to the wood logs until they took to flame. The sky erupted with light as each one was set ablaze.

  Even from their distance, Baylin could hear the wailing of mourners as the fire consumed the dead, sending them off to the afterlife.

  The guilt weighed heavy on Baylin as he struggled to remain standing. There deaths will not have been in vain. He thought the words over and over again to himself. Kardell and Mirstone will answer for their treachery.

  After a short while, the Prince was forced to sit, having lost the strength to remain standing.

  King Ashmur broke the silence with a sigh. “They died in battle. What could be a more glorious death?”

  Anger boiled in Baylin. “I doubt that is little consolation to their loved ones. I’m sure they would have rather been given the chance to grow old and die in their warm beds.”

  “Baylin!” Queen Valasca yelped. “Why do you speak to your father in such a way?”

  “Their blood is on his hands!” Baylin boomed. “If you had only respected my opinion above those of Cadman’s, or even above your generals, this all could have been avoided. Those men died because you were too blind to see Cadman for what he truly was. They died because you were unwilling to accept that my alliance with the elves was the better plan.”

  Ashmur looked down at his son, assessing him with stern eyes. “So this is your opinion of your King… of your father?”

  “Of my King, yes,” Baylin said sternly, brow furrowed. “I would like to think my father would have more respect for his son.”

  “Indeed,” the King said.

  “Baylin, you are unwell,” Valasca said. “Please, Ferric, get him inside. He does not know what he’s saying.”

  “I believe the boy knows exactly what he’s saying, my dear,” Ashmur said. “Ferric, would you be so kind as to escort the Queen and Baylin’s bed wi… Luana inside? I would speak to my son alone.”

  Luana squeezed Baylin’s hand before taki
ng Ferric’s arm to be led inside with the Queen.

  “I suppose there is no sense in arguing with you,” Ashmur admitted. “You’re right. I was blinded by my love for my brother. A man that would have seen me… my whole family, dead. But even now, knowing the lengths he went to in order to betray us, my heart still aches at the loss of him. He was my brother, a boy I raised to be a man. Sadly, I let my love for him cloud my judgement. I allowed him to make me overlook the love I have for you, my son.”

  To hear his father say the words was foreign to the Prince. In my entire life, I don’t think he’s ever admitted he was wrong. He sighed deeply. “It was not right of me to place blame on you. Especially in front of the others.”

  “No, you were right to confront me. Sometimes being the King means making hard decisions, like calling out those who have made the wrong choice.”

  “But I am not the King,” Baylin murmured.

  “No… No, you’re not,” Ashmur said, turning his attention back to the burning funeral pyres. “But this war has shown me that you should be.”

  Baylin felt as though his heart had stopped beating in his chest. “Father?”

  The King turned and looked at him. “It was not Ashmur who led the defense of Mirstone against the trolls. It wasn’t he who readied the Kingdom for war. And it was not he who led the Kingdom to victory against unspeakable odds.”

  “What are you saying?” Baylin asked, rising to his feet.

  “It’s time I stepped down and enjoyed my time with your mother,” Ashmur said. “It is time we crowned the new King of Grasmere.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Luana sat in her bedchamber while Meg shaped her hair, placing small flowers amongst the curled strands. She gazed at herself in the looking glass, hardly recognizing the woman sitting before her. She thought of all she had been through.

  It had been nearly four months since the battle against Mirstone and Kardell. Winter was almost over, and the Realm had undergone so many changes.