by Dyan Chick
I felt like I was in over my head. "I appreciate that. Anything you can teach me will be invaluable."
He smiled. "I want you to know that I fully support you. I want to see you back on the throne. As a king, it benefits my country to have you in charge over that monster who currently sits on the throne. As an uncle, I want my sister's legacy to be secured."
I smiled and took another sip of tea. I wasn't sure how to respond.
He moved his hands to his knees and leaned toward me. "This is what I have in mind. I'd like to see us draw up a treaty that establishes trade benefits for both of our countries and begins the process of forming a true alliance. Our army would be at your service, and once you establish yours, you'd be expected to return the favor if we are in need. This will only help us as we prepare for the Darkness. Combining our efforts may help us destroy it sooner."
"That sounds fair," I said.
He leaned in. "There's more. I'd like to propose that once we recover from the Darkness, we declare war on Sardinia."
I spent the afternoon alone in my rooms. Walking from one room to the next, I tried to clear my head. You have to focus. In the wake of Gaius' request to form an alliance against Sardinia, I'd felt the Darkness creeping into me. It seemed to enjoy the idea of starting a war against a country that had been, for the most part, peaceful.
I could see where Gaius was coming from. The king of Sardinia had broken the engagement between his son and myself and aligned themselves with the king of Illaira. In doing that, he'd taken sides, denying my rightful claim to the throne. Part of me wanted to see him suffer for the betrayal and I could feel the Darkness encouraging those thoughts. Pushing them aside was getting more challenging.
They didn't betray you, they betrayed Max. I had to remind myself that when Sardinia turned against us, they thought Max would take the throne. Had the king told them the truth about Max's mother? Or did they just think we didn't stand a chance at succeeding?
Light danced across the ceiling and I turned to look out the window. The sun was low in the horizon, creating a sparkling blanket over the ocean. Pressing my face against the glass, I took a few deep breaths. If I wanted to reclaim my throne, I needed the Gallic army. That was what my advisors had said. Though one of my advisors is a traitor.
I rubbed my temples. I wasn't even officially queen yet, and the pressure was wearing on me. There were so many things to consider. I stretched my legs out on the window seat and leaned against the wall. The waves were peaceful and moved like a melody. My whole body relaxed as I watched the rise and fall of the water. I wanted to bottle them and bring them back home with me. Could I even call that little tent I slept in my home? It was home for now. Home. Where I'd have to find out who had betrayed me within my own council. Home. Where Ashton won't be waiting for me.
I hugged my knees to my chest and rested my head on them. I'd been so busy trying to be strong for everybody else lately that I hadn't let myself think about how I was feeling. Planning a war against the man who killed my parents was overwhelming. So many people around me seemed to forget that it wasn't just about the throne. It wasn't just about the kingdom. For me, it was personal. The king had to pay for what he did to my family. I'm going to make him pay. A wave of anger flowed through me. I dropped my knees and jumped to standing. If declaring war on Sardinia was the cost of revenge, I was willing to pay that price.
Gaius was seated behind the massive desk in his study, bent over a pile of papers. I knocked on the open door to announce my presence. He looked up and set down the paper he'd had in his hands. "Come in." He gestured to the chair across from him.
I walked in, fists clenched, feeling determined. Sitting down on the edge of the chair, I straightened my shoulders and lifted my chin. I needed to look as confident as I felt. "What do we do with Sardinia after we defeat them?" I asked.
A wide smile spread across his face and he folded his hands in front of him. "We determine how we want to divide the territory between us and instate our own governors to oversee it in our stead."
"Fine," I nodded. "Let's draw up the paperwork,"
"Do you have a preference on division of territory?" he asked.
"Without my own council present, it will be difficult for me to make that decision. What about having two governors over the territory but an equal division of resources from both that we divide? That way both Illaria and Gallia will benefit from the entirety of Sardinia."
"Wise decision, your highness," Gaius said. "I'll have my council draw up the document this evening and we can finalize it tomorrow afternoon."
I stood. "Thank you."
"Etta?" Gaius called.
I turned around and waited.
"Tomorrow morning I'd like you to meet with the captain of my guard. He's selected a few men that he thinks would be perfect for your personal guard."
"I look forward to it." I dropped in a simple curtsey, then left the room.
What had I done? I agreed to declaring war on another country in exchange for an army. My head spun as I walked down the long hallway. I dragged my fingers over the smooth, stone wall, only partially noticing the paintings along the way.
This is the right thing to do. I told myself over and over again that it was worth it to get back my throne. Perhaps Sardinia would surrender and we could minimize the loss of life. You could be queen in two kingdoms. Joy crept into my body with the thought and for a moment, I relished the idea. Those that underestimated you would see how powerful you really are. I smiled. What would the people who didn't believe in me think after I claimed Illaria and half of Sardinia? I shook my head, this was the Darkness talking. I wasn't even sure how I was going to rule one kingdom, let alone a foreign land that I agreed to help conquer by force? What had I done?
Leaning against the wall, I took a few deep breaths. The sound of footsteps echoed around me. Somebody was coming down the hallway. I wasn't sure I was ready to talk to anyone at the moment. I worried they'd be able to tell what I had done. There was only one person I wanted to see and that was impossible. Instead of waiting to see who the footsteps belonged to, I headed in the opposite direction, toward my rooms.
The peace and quiet of my rooms didn't last long. A knock on the door sounded only moments after I closed the door behind me. I hesitated, wondering if I should ignore the knock.
Before I could make up my mind, the door swung open and Master Flanders filled the doorframe, a frown etched on his face.
He looked disappointed in me. He must have already heard about the treaty. I tried to hide the anxiety in my face and straightened my posture, then stood silently, waiting for him to criticize me.
Closing the door behind him, he walked into the room. His dark blue robes trailed behind him over the floor as he walked. Finding a seat, he nodded toward an empty chair.
I obeyed the silent command. This felt too familiar. Like my grandmother had just discovered that I ate sweets before dinner and tried to hide it from her.
His hands rested on the arms of the chair and he looked me up and down. It was as if he was trying to decide what to say.
My mouth felt dry. I licked my lips and braced myself for a lecture.
"You met with King Gaius," he said.
"I did."
"You've decided you're ready to become a queen and a conqueror?" His tone was even, making it difficult to read.
"My advisors agreed that I need the Gallic army to win against the king. I did what was necessary." My voice wavered as I spoke the words, showing my lack of confidence.
He let out a long sigh. "I will stand by your decisions. However, you need to be able to stand by them, too."
My brow furrowed in confusion.
"Once you make a choice, you have to be prepared to defend it. Don't ever let anyone see you question your decisions. You have decided to do this so you have to own it."
This wasn't the conversation I expected to be having. Scolding, perhaps, but not for what I'd done.
"Having the support of
the Gallic army will help our cause." He clasped his hands and rested them on his stomach. "However, King Gaius wants more power."
I bit down on my lip. Had I given him too much power?
"Sardinia did wrong you so I don't disagree with your actions. I will support you." He leaned toward me. "But you have to hold firm. This is your first big, public decision. All eyes will be watching to see what you do. Do not let anyone tell you the choice you made was wrong. Do not let them talk you out of it. You need to show them that you are the queen and what you say goes."
I swallowed and nodded. Declaring war on another kingdom was something I never thought I'd do, yet I understood the importance of it. What I hadn't considered was the fact that people would be looking to see how I reacted to such a decision. It was big. I would be signing a treaty as the queen of Illaria. They were counting on me winning back my throne and helping them fight Sardinia. Flutters filled my stomach. Hadn't everybody been saying that with an army, we could win? I wanted this. I wanted to defeat the king and reclaim my birthright. But it had never felt truly real until that moment.
28
Ashton
Celeste woke Ashton at first light. His nose felt frozen and he rubbed it with his fingers to bring back the feeling. They ate the remaining rabbit and some dried fruit they had brought with them before heading out.
"I hope we reach the summit today," Celeste called to Ashton as they slowly made their way up the rocky trail.
"We have to be close," Ashton said. The shrubs kept getting smaller and less frequent. He knew that there would be little to no vegetation at the top of the peak so he welcomed the sight.
As the sun reached its midpoint, Ashton could see the rocky summit. He smiled and urged his horse forward. They were so close.
His horse slowed as they reached the top, tired from the climb. He dismounted and Celeste followed. They struggled to walk against the wind. It whipped at his cloak, burned his cheeks and nose and made his eyes water. "We should walk with the horses until we find them some water on the way down," Ashton said.
Celeste nodded and pulled her hood up tighter on her face. They made their way over the rocky, barren summit of the peak and found the trail that led them down. Ashton stood next to his horse, reins in hand as he carefully led her down the steep decline. The trail was almost too narrow for him to walk next to his horse. A few times, he felt her slip and worried she'd fall off the trail, but she managed to keep her balance.
After an hour of walking, the shrubs thickened around them and they could see trees in the distance. "Keep an eye out for signs of water," Ashton called.
They were nearly to the tree line when a deafening roar filled the air. The horses reared up onto their back legs and whinnied in distress. Looking around, Ashton couldn't see anything that could have made such a noise. Then, out of nowhere, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end and a shiver ran down his spine. His eyes darted from side to side, seeking the source of the terror that was coursing through his body. He hadn't felt anything like this since they saw the dragon smoke.
The roar came again, this time accompanied by a flapping noise. A shadow crossed over the sun and he looked up to see a beast with wings that would span a village. Its body was large and muscular, ending in a tail covered in long spikes. Horns rose from the monster's head and it opened its mouth letting out a cry that sent a chill right to his bones. Ashton was staring up at a massive red dragon. His hands trembled. This had to be the dragon that had destroyed most of Canton. He should run, but he found himself frozen in place, unable to take his eyes off of the beast.
It passed over them again, sending their horses into a frenzy. Ashton tried to hold on to the reins and calm his horse, but she pulled away from him and ran for the trees, Celeste's mare following behind his own. He wanted to run after the horses but knew there wasn't much they could do if the dragon was here for them.
The dragon swooped down and Ashton noticed that there was a person on top of the dragon. Not possible. Dragon riders were a myth. He squinted at the dragon. There was a person riding it. Somebody was telling the dragon what to do. Finally starting to regain his senses, he reached behind him and unsheathed the sword on his back. He held it in front of him with both hands.
The dragon landed near the trees. Close enough that they could see its large snout and spiked neck, but far enough that they couldn't make out the details of the person on the dragon.
Celeste put her hand on his shoulder. "Somebody's on that dragon."
Ashton gripped the sword tighter. "I know."
Dressed in black from head to toe, the figure dismounted and began to walk toward them. As the rider grew closer Ashton recognized the posture and the movement of his walk. Max. How was this possible? How did Max end up on a dragon?
Ashton lowered the sword. He knew he wouldn't strike him without trying to find out what he was doing with a dragon. Max lowered the hood of his cloak and smiled at them.
Celeste gasped. "It can't be. How is this possible?"
"Well, well, well," Max said. "Imagine my surprise seeing the two of you here."
"There's no way this was a surprise," Ashton said. "How did you know we'd be here? And where did you get a dragon?"
Max stopped in front of them and pulled black gloves off of his hands, tucking them into a pocket of his cloak. "The dragon is a friend of mine. She's going to help me defeat the king. We're on the same side, you and me. With her, the king won't stand a chance."
"So you're going to betray him just like you betrayed us?" Celeste said. She took a few steps closer to him, her hands were clenched into fists. She looked like she wanted to hit him. Part of Ashton hoped she did, but he knew that would be a mistake. He stepped in front of her, putting himself between her and Max.
"I never betrayed you. I was the one who was betrayed. The plan was always for me to take the throne. I'm continuing on my plan." He turned to Ashton. "It's not too late for you to be on the winning side of this. After all those dragon stories around the campfire, you of all people, know the power of these beasts. The Ravens have no hope of beating the king, we never really did. But now, I've got the power we need to win."
Ashton glared at Max. "You know I'd never betray Etta."
"Still in love with her?" Max laughed. "I'm sure she's agreed to marry some Gallic noble by now. She's been in Gallia for a week already. Probably attending parties and meeting all of the eligible bachelors her uncle throws at her. You think she'll turn that down for you? A penniless sorcerer? It was one thing to believe she'd stay with you when she didn't know any better, but now that she's had a taste of the good life, how could she go back to living in a tent and associating with commoners?"
Ashton's breathing grew rapid and he clenched his jaw. He didn't know how to respond to Max's taunts. He would never help Max after everything he did to Etta, but he couldn't help but wonder how much truth there was to his words. "I've ended things with her but that doesn't mean I can't help the rightful ruler take back the throne."
"She'll never keep it. Even if you were to succeed, she can't hold that throne. But I can. Especially with a dragon by my side."
Ashton shook his head feeling disgusted. Max had been his mentor and his friend. He'd trusted him with his life and then he'd almost taken it from him. "How can you even ask me to join you after what you did to me?
"Still upset about that?" Max sighed. "You need to get over it. You're fine. I wouldn't have let you die."
"If you're going to kill us, you might as well get it over with," Celeste said.
"Ah yes, the sidekick," he said to Celeste. "You've been keeping busy the last few weeks. Secret late-night meetings with a certain new addition to the Raven camp. You'd think he would have waited the appropriate mourning period before moving on to a new girl."
Celeste's cheeks burned crimson and she lunged at Max.
Ashton pulled Celeste back.
Max laughed. "You should be nice to me, I'm here to help you get the stone."
"How do you know about that? Or about what goes on at Camp?" Ashton asked.
"You think I don't have people at the camp who are loyal to me? It was my camp long before it was Etta's."
"We're not going to let you have the stone," Celeste said.
"You are missing the point, here," Max said. "I don't want the stone. I want to help you get it. I want the king to lose his power. He'll be easier for me to defeat if he doesn't have his Reapers. And I don't want them. Those undead monsters can go back to where they came from for all I care. You can keep the stone, do whatever you want with it."
Ashton tightened his grip on the sword in his hand, trying to determine the hidden meaning in Max's words. What was his endgame? Why would he want to see the Reapers out of the king's hands so badly that he would be willing to help the Ravens? "I'm not going to join you so you can either kill me or you can leave."
Max smiled. "I'll bring a little firepower to the castle on my way out. It'll take care of some of the undead guards before you get there. Do what you want with the stone." He turned and took a few steps away then stopped. Looking over his shoulder he called out, "You're on the list as a guest for my wedding. Hope you can make it."
Ashton's insides burned with anger as he watched Max climb back onto the dragon. He didn't move until the huge beast was out of sight. "We have to get that stone and get back," Ashton said.
"We'll have to go the rest of the way on foot," Celeste said. "Good thing we can teleport back. She held up a red coin in her fingers. "Kept it in a pocket just in case."
Ashton set down his sword and grabbed her in a hug, picking her up and spinning her in a circle. "You clever girl. I knew there was a reason I kept you around." He set her down and slid the sword into its sheath on his back. "Let's get this over with."
The two of them hiked along the trail, arms out for balance. Going down seemed like it should be easier, but with all of the loose rocks, it was more of a challenge. They stopped after a few hours to catch their breath. Ashton pulled his boots off and shook some pebbles out of them. "I don't understand how these even got in my boots."