Her body shook as the tears flowed. She felt weak and her head throbbed. Dizziness began to take her. But she couldn’t stop crying and she started to lose her balance.
Arms enveloped her with a familiar embrace and secured her tightly. She finally felt safe. After years of hoping and waiting, her brother had come home and Elyse’s prayers were answered.
* * *
For nearly an hour they ignored the kingdom’s turmoil and focused on each other instead. Considering the short amount of time and the years spent apart, Jonrell was surprised to see how well they reconnected. But when the conversation shifted back to the current state of Cadonia, the laughter and tears they shared ceased. They could not ignore their duties forever.
“I want you to know why I’m here before you send for your advisors,” said Jonrell.
Elyse shrugged. “To take the throne, right? I admit, I wasn’t sure what kind of man you’d become after hearing you were commanding a mercenary outfit. And don’t think you’ve gotten away with not explaining that to me,” she said. “But now that I have talked to you, I realize more than ever you’re more suited for this role than I am. I mean, you were always so loved by the people when we were younger. I’ve never had that kind of support from even the nobles, let alone the commoners.” She looked up. “Besides, you already know the things I should know.”
Jonrell shook his head. “I don’t want the throne. I never have.”
“Neither have I.” she said, exasperated.
“Maybe not. But once things settle, you’ll be a far better ruler than I ever would be. I left when things got tough, but you’ve stuck it out. Even now you’ve sacrificed yourself for the kingdom’s well being when you could’ve taken the easy way out. It takes someone like that to rule Cadonia.”
Elyse threw her hands up. “But I’m not prepared. I’ve been running myself ragged just trying to read all the books you wanted me to read when I was a girl and never did, all while trying to keep up with the affairs of everyone and make decisions I have no business making. Tomalt has already taken one city. What’s to stop him from taking another? Or to stop others from following his lead? That happened while I sat on the throne. And with war all around us, I’m the person least qualified to wear the crown. I feel like I’m hanging at the end of a rope that could snap at any moment.”
Jonrell spoke in an even tone. “You’re much smarter than you give yourself credit for. I’m here now to help you get through it. You can do this. You just lack the confidence.”
Elyse turned away. “You know, I can step down as queen and reinstate you as heir. That’s what everyone expects me to do. Besides, I read that Aurnon the Fourth’s mother, Queen Anne, did just that when he tried to avoid the crown. So, I know there’s precedent. Then you won’t have any choice but to take the throne.”
Jonrell raised an eyebrow. “Well, I can see you’ve gotten something out of those books after all.”
“I’m serious.”
“I am too,” he said in a low tone. “The last thing Cadonia needs is instability in its ruler. There was enough of that with our father. You may hear whisperings from the people that I should be king but that is only because I haven’t done anything yet for them to gripe about. I am not anyone’s king, Elyse, and I don’t ever plan to be.”
“You really mean this, don’t you? Isn’t there a way I can change your mind?” she asked in a pleading tone.
“I’m sorry. No.”
She looked defeated. “I don’t want this.”
“I know,” he said with a heavy sigh. “And after how I’ve let you down before, I can only imagine what you’re thinking about right now.” He paused. “But you have to trust me. Can you do that?”
Silence hung in the air. Finally, Elyse let out a deep breath. “alright.” Her green eyes met his and she continued. “I trust you,” she said.
Jonrell heard the words but her eyes betrayed a lingering doubt.
And can I blame her?
* * *
She closed the door to her room and in several quick strides dove onto the bed, landing face first into her pillow. It was late, past midnight, and Lobella wasn’t there. Elyse had given her the night off once she knew her brother would be coming. But now she selfishly wished she hadn’t, if only to talk to someone and clear her thoughts.
The night had not gone as she expected it to. Her brother swearing off the crown and pressing her to keep it was the last thing she thought would happen. She was so sure he would reclaim the throne upon his return.
But now, he expects me to rule and even thinks I’ll be better at it than him. She shook her head. That can’t be right. He only said that last part to ease my mind and convince me it was the right thing to do.
She rolled unto her back and began to disrobe, throwing her clothes on the floor. She was too tired to bother with anything more. He said to trust him. And I told him I would. But did I really mean it? Even though we bonded tonight, I don’t know him as I once did.
She took off the simple jewelry she wore, placing it on the nightstand next to the bed. And really, I only knew him as a little girl knows her brother.
She slipped her feet into the bed and pulled the covers up to her chest. How can I trust someone who left me alone?
She thought of Adein, Vicalli, and that snake Illyan bickering in the council, each attempting to sway her opinion for their own personal gain. She thought of the condescending stares from Vulira and Phasin she received each day, making her feel incompetent in her role. Then she thought of Bronn belittling and embarrassing her, and Tomalt attacking his own people for the sake of power. She worried about what Conroy planned in secret and the kingdom’s lack of strength to stand up against them.
Elyse had voiced those concerns to her brother, but he only hinted at some of what he intended when they met with Gauge and General Grayer. He felt it was better to discuss such matters in greater detail on the morrow and rode back to his camp to ready his men for their entrance into Lyrosene. “Trust me. And tomorrow be the queen I know you can be.”
She rolled over, dimmed the oil lamp near her bedside and closed her eyes. I don’t really have a choice but to trust him. I need him. Cadonia needs him. And he kept his promise to me.
She smiled in the dark.
* * *
Jonrell made his way toward a small hill with the bitter wind tugging at his cloak and watering his eyes. Though a couple of hours remained before dawn, the clear and starry night provided plenty of light. He strode over the wet ground with a long and deliberate gait. He came to a stop at the hill’s crest and pulled his cloak tight around his body. Winter is on its way.
He cocked his head at the sound of footsteps. “You’re losing your touch. I actually heard you coming this time.”
“I had no reason to conceal my movements,” said Kaz.
Jonrell grunted. “I thought you were Krytien for a second.”
“Sleeping.”
“Hmm. So, are you on watch?”
“I couldn’t sleep so I took an extra watch,” said Kaz.
Jonrell nodded. “Even after the long ride, my mind is restless too.”
“Did your meeting not go well?”
“In some ways it went better than I expected. In others, worse.”
“I don’t understand.”
Jonrell chuckled. “Neither do I.” He paused, shaking his head. “Krytien and Cassus are the only ones I really talked to about my past. Few in the Hell Patrol talk about their pasts. It never felt right to complain about my life of privilege.” He paused again. “That’s not really what I wanted to say. What I mean is that leaving my sister behind was the one mistake in my life I’ve regretted most. I could have come back at any moment for her sake, to make things right, but I chose not to for whatever reason. And now I have this chance to make it up to her. I’m just worried that we’ve spent so much time apart that she won’t allow me the opportunity.”
“So, she hasn’t forgiven you?”
Jonrell sh
rugged. “I think she has but I can tell she is hesitant in trusting me.”
“It makes sense,” said Kaz.
“Thanks.”
“I only speak the truth. She could have had you killed, right?”
“Well, yeah. I guess so,” said Jonrell dumbfounded.
“Then I think things went better than you realize. You’re still alive.”
Jonrell turned to face Kaz, expecting some sort of grin or smile but the warrior’s serious face hinted at neither.
At least Krytien isn’t so blunt. “Well, when you put it that way, I can see your point.”
“Good.” He faced Jonrell and clasped the commander on the shoulder. “Then I will return to my rounds.”
“Sure. I’ll speak to you in the morning.”
Kaz nodded and disappeared into the night.
Jonrell shook his head thinking about how far Kaz had come. He actually sought me out to comfort me. Just a couple of months ago, I was worried he would kill me. He shrugged. If only things in the wider world were so easy. With such turmoil in the land, a lot of hard decisions will need to be made tomorrow. I hope that Elyse remembers what I asked of her.
* * *
Kroke leaned against the wall in the dark alley. He had a knife out and flipped it end over end, catching the blade on one pass, the hilt on the other. He wasn’t watching the knife, though he knew where it would be.
I always know. His head swiveled back and forth between the alley mouth where he kept a lookout, and behind him where Glacar roughed up someone Jonrell had wanted them to deal with.
Along with a few others, they had been spying, intimidating, and gathering information all day.
Kroke caught his blade and sheathed it as Glacar came strolling out of the shadows wearing a sneer. “Where is he?”
“Where is who?”
“Where is who? The guy we chased here half an hour ago. The guy you’ve been working over while I’ve been keeping watch.”
“Oh, I let him go,” said Glacar, brushing by Kroke as he walked toward the alley’s opening.
Kroke followed him into the light. “You did what?”
“You heard me. I let him go. He was the wrong guy.”
“But the boss said …”
Glacar wheeled. “I know what Jonrell said. I was there. He had the wrong guy.”
“He wasn’t wrong about the other ones.”
“Well, he was wrong about this one. Even though you and every other member of the crew seem to worship the ground he walks on, Jonrell is known to make mistakes.”
“Not often.”
“Too much as of late.”
“You still all worked up about the new members?”
“And you ain’t?”
Kroke shrugged. “The old Byzernian is harmless, Crusher acts like every other Ghal I’ve known…
“…and the black devil?” said Glacar cutting in.
Kroke worked his mouth. “I’ve got my doubts like others do but I trust that Jonrell knows what he’s doing.”
“And that’s where you and I differ, Kroke,” said Glacar, walking off.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Figure it out for yourself. I’m done talking.”
Kroke knew he probably should have pressed the big oaf further but he never was one for words. So he set to thinking about what Glacar had meant while tapping the hilt of one of his daggers.
* * *
Kaz sat atop a swaying beast as the Hell Patrol passed through the cobbled streets of Lyrosene. He rode near the back with the supply wagons. Despite his sparse memories, he felt confident in assuming that before joining the band of mercenaries he had rarely ridden on horseback. On Slum Isle, he just started to get over the soreness when they set sail and now the process had begun once again. He dared not show his discomfort to the other soldiers. He worried the weakness might separate him even further from them.
Crusher rode in the rear as well. Unable to find a horse big or strong enough to carry his heavy frame, he rode in the back of an open wagon. He leaned over the side when he spoke. “For such small men, they build a city large enough to house even my people.” He chuckled, gesturing around them. “Though their efforts pale in comparison to the colossal structures my race built centuries ago, I will at least acknowledge their effort was admirable. What do you say?”
Kaz looked around at the buildings on either side of the main avenue. Rooftops several stories high jutted into the sky. Tall spires sat at their points, seeking to pierce the clouds above. The blackened shingles contrasted against the white, polished stone walls. For a city so large and heavily populated, the warrior was impressed by its cleanliness. “Its size is greater than Floroson. I have little else to compare it to.”
Crusher nodded. “That it is,” he said in an understanding tone.
The Ghal often spoke to Kaz about the people in Cadonia as if they were nothing like the two men. And in some ways, Kaz knew this was true, he with his dark skin and Crusher with his size. Any differences in appearance never seemed to bother the Ghal and maybe it was because he knew there were others out there like him. He knew his past. But for Kaz it was not so easy. Such talk reminded him that not only was he not with his own kind, but that he had no clue where to even locate others like him.
The looks of curiosity, disdain, or even revulsion he found in the eyes of each passerby only fed on Crusher’s comments. Even among the soldiers he had attached himself to, few spoke to him unless out of necessity.
So, why do I stay with them? He seemed to be asking himself that question more often than not. I have clothes and weapons. I could steal food and money along my way. But he knew how impractical that would be. Where would he go? Even if his skin matched these people he would surely stick out. Crusher had suggested that they could skip out on the group and return to Slum Isle to sell their services for gold, women, and fame. “A life all our own,” he said. But it would still not bring me back to the life I once had. I would be no closer to learning who I am or how to return to my people.
Crusher continued to ramble on and on about the city and its architecture. Kaz nodded occasionally, though he rarely listened to the giant when he started to carry on in such a manner. The Ghal was capable of going on for hours about even the most mundane of topics. Kaz looked over at Hag, who must have recognized his nods as she gave him a wink before turning away. Kaz suppressed a grin.
Up front, his commander discouraged shouts of “King Jonrell” by working the crowd to support the Queen and her cause. Many were confused by his remarks, while others simply ignored his requests. The few who changed their shouts were drowned out by the others. Despite the daunting task, Jonrell had told Kaz earlier that he was confident he would sway the people’s opinion in support of his sister. Kaz admired the fact that Jonrell had the opportunity to seize such power in an instant and yet turned it away unselfishly to secure another’s rule.
Crusher. Hag. Jonrell. Maybe even a couple others. They numbered few but that would have to be enough. For now, he had reason to stay.
* * *
At the queen’s command, Jonrell and his men rose from their knees. He would have hoped for a louder reaction from the crowd, but their disappointment in his gesture wouldn’t allow it. Bending a knee in front of the entire city for all to see had been his idea the night before. He not only wanted to dismiss any thoughts that he was after the throne, but he also hoped to show his confidence in his sister in an effort to strengthen her support.
Elyse had hidden her nervousness well during her speech. Following his advice, she was brief and direct. The commoners needed to hear words of encouragement after the news of the fall of Namaris. Her message was clear. Tomalt would be stopped and a plan was already in place to do so.
That wasn’t completely accurate. Jonrell had a few things rolling around in his head on how to handle the situation but he wouldn’t be able to work out the details just yet, not until he had a better understanding of what he had to work wit
h. Even then, he would probably have to make some things up as he went along.
I’ve been away too long to understand the clandestine maneuverings within the kingdom.
After rising from his knee, the queen kissed him on the cheek, a gesture for the crowd mostly, though Jonrell was happy to recognize the sincerity behind it. “You did well,” he whispered.
“But now the hard part,” she said in a worried manner.
“You’ll do fine. I’ll be there. Just remember what we talked about.”
She nodded.
“Good. Then let’s go, My Queen,” he said smiling.
Elyse forced a smile as well, waving to the crowd before striding back into the castle. Before joining her, Jonrell met the eyes of several of his men, nodding to each one. They answered back in a similar manner. Satisfied, the commander followed.
* * *
Heated conversation filled the council chamber. Advisors seated behind the black dais that encircled the space shouted at each other. Those who had not found their places yet argued in the room’s center. Jonrell walked in unnoticed and strode across the floor to take a spot below Elyse’s seat. To Elyse’s right, Gauge strained with effort to calm the fury of voices.
One Above, they would have never thought to act in such a way when my father was alive. Have they forgotten him already? The old fool might have been insane but he demanded respect.
He shook his head in disgust and then met the queen’s gaze with a comforting wink he was sure no one else noticed. His sister looked troubled, helpless in her seat, not the regal image he wanted her to portray. She acknowledged the gesture by straightening her posture. Jonrell gave her a slight nod of approval before turning back around to face the room, drawing his sword in one fluid motion.
Heads turned in his direction at the sound. Conversations ended in midsentence as the hiss of steel resonated throughout the chamber and echoed off the walls. “It is a sad day in this kingdom when a drawn sword is what it takes for lesser men and women to remember the company they are in,” he said, pointing with his sword at those still standing. “None of you would have dared to act in such a way in front of my father. Your Queen, has tried to rule differently than him and chooses not to use fear to gain respect as he did.” He paused. “I, on the other hand, lack my sister’s patience. I have no qualms in handing out any necessary punishment.”
Rise and Fall (Book 1) Page 36