by Jeff Wheeler
“Here we go,” said Worthington.
Sera’s eyes snapped open just as the boat lurched down, as if plunging off a waterfall.
CHAPTER TWENTY
THE COURT OF KINGFOUNTAIN
With the plummeting fall came a shroud of blackness that completely engulfed the boat. Becka screamed, and some of the men grunted. Sera gripped the wooden edges of her seat, trying not to panic.
When the drop abruptly ended, Sera still could not see anything, but the air smelled different, and the climate was more humid. Water splashed against the hull, some of it washing over the gunwale and soaking the floor. The boat rocked for a while before steadying.
As Sera’s eyes adjusted to the sudden change, she looked up and behind them and saw a maelstrom of stars overhead. That was when she realized that it was night in Kingfountain.
The boat thumped against something solid, startling her, and a man’s voice called out from above them.
“All is well. The exchange is complete. Board the frigate, please.”
Sera turned in the direction of the voice and saw that their small boat had butted against the side of a massive sailing ship. Sailors with hooked poles fixed the prow of their boat and brought it alongside the much larger ship. Colonel Worthington rose first and clumsily made his way to the side, where some rungs had been fastened to the frigate awaiting them. He clambered up and spoke to the officer on duty above. Then the passengers climbed up to the deck one by one, Sera making her ascent in the middle of the group.
A hazy smoke emanated from the lamps on deck, so different from the Light Leerings she was used to at home. The sailors’ dark green uniforms slashed with gold ribbons across the chests looked familiar, for she’d seen them in the gazettes. Their hats were taller and more angular than the broad, arched variety favored by the Ministry of War. Sera rubbed her arms, experiencing a shocking spell of dizziness.
Worthington was speaking to a man who, from his more formal uniform, appeared to be the vessel’s captain. A few moments later, he brought him over to Sera.
“Your Highness, this is Captain Farrow,” he explained. The captain had a salt-and-pepper mustache that drooped well past his chin. He bowed respectfully to Sera.
“Welcome, Your Majesty,” he offered with a pleasant voice tinged with an accent. She could understand him, though she wasn’t sure if he was actually speaking her language or if it was a feat of this world’s magic. “We are your escort to the court of Kingfountain. The wind is fair, and we should arrive before morning. There is a stateroom prepared for you and your maid. If you will follow my adjutant?”
Sera nodded in compliance, and soon she and Becka were settled away in the stateroom. The room was simple yet elegant, just two small beds, a table nailed to the floor, and a lantern hanging from an iron chain. The blankets on the beds looked soft and sumptuous, and they bore a colorful pattern. There would be no scenery to look at on the voyage, however, for there was no moon. Becka began to address the luggage when it arrived, but Sera stopped her and took her hands. It was an intimate gesture, and one she made deliberately.
“Here we are,” she said softly. There were no Leerings at all in the room. They could speak frankly here.
“I’m frightened, Your Highness,” Becka said, her voice trembling.
“I am too,” Sera admitted. “Please call me Sera. I’m glad you are here with me. I’ll need your help now more than ever. Together, we will try and make things right.”
Becka looked confused. “What can I do?”
“You are very quiet and unobtrusive.”
Becka looked even more confused.
“That means you don’t attract attention.” Sera pulled the girl to one of the beds, and they sat down next to each other. “I need you to watch and listen for me. Not only to those who came with us, but to those from the court we are visiting. Listen to what they say when I’m not there. And then tell me what you learn. That will be of great service. We are both of us away from Lady Corinne now,” Sera added with a relieved sigh. “We must negotiate a peace treaty with Kingfountain. And we must stop Lady Corinne’s grasping for power. I learned from the prime minister that Admiral Lawton is dead.”
“Dead?” Becka gasped in horror.
“Was it an accident? Was it part of Lady Corinne’s plans? I don’t know. I think she’s going to establish herself with my father soon. I have to stop it. If she becomes his wife, and if they have any children, it will ruin my chance of ever becoming empress.”
Becka looked at her in confusion. “B-but I thought . . . ? I thought you were going to become the Queen of Kingfountain?”
Sera patted Becka’s hand. “I’m not done making my maneuvers yet. This is only the beginning. And you’re going to help me win it all back.”
They did arrive by sunrise. Sera had been too nervous and excited to sleep very much. She chose a fresh gown, one in the style preferred by Lady Corinne, both because that was all she’d been given and because she wished to appear docile. As the frigate docked at the quay, Sera watched through the porthole with astonishment. So many ships crowded the wharf, the masts looked like a forest of denuded trees. Were there thousands? The city of Kingfountain was vast but built at varying heights. She saw both the famous waterfall and the huge cathedral that sat on an island in the middle of the river right before the plunge of the falls. There were multiple bridges spanning the river behind it, each one crowded with people. The old palace still adorned the hilltop opposite that island, but rings of defensive walls and military barricades surrounded it in concentric circles. The great building itself had many towers with gleaming silver spikes.
Smoke from tens of thousands of chimneys filled the skies, but the homes were decorative and constructed with expert craftsmanship. She saw no evidence of slums or tenements. The air filled with the distant roar of pounding water.
After disembarking, they were loaded into ornate carriages manned by uniformed servants, six passengers per carriage. The horses were as white as pearls. On the other side of the river, cheers and shouts could be heard, but the noise was muted by the distance, especially since the clop of hooves on the cobblestones made for a noisy ride. Royal officers were posted to escort the carriages.
Sera was used to seeing zephyrs coming this way and that. There were none. Her world existed in the sky; everything in this land was rooted in the earth and in the sea. Her excitement at the novelty increased as the carriages took them up some winding roads leading to the palace. Becka, too, gazed out of the carriage in wonderment, her eyes focused on the colorful costumes of the royal officers. They passed several military buildings, and Sera took note of the soldiers marching with muskets.
At last they reached the upper heights, and the carriages, in single file, crossed the huge wooden drawbridge that led into the castle.
The clattering wheels of the carriages came to a stop in front of phalanxes of servants who stood at attention to greet the new arrivals. The palace had an air of antiquity, but it had certainly been refurbished many times, and the grounds were immaculately kept. Not a stray leaf littered the ground. Sera gazed up at the splendor of the place, feeling its strangeness acutely. The dresses the maids wore were so different from her own, the bodices more open and frilly. Long, luxurious hair, worn up in elaborate styles, seemed to be the fashion. The male servants wore trifold hats, their uniforms a pale gray with silver trim on the arms and legs. And instead of tall boots, they wore shoes with shiny buckles on the front. It was a warmer climate, and the clothing spoke to that.
The door of her carriage opened, and Sera was surprised to find herself staring into a face she recognized instantly despite the years that had passed since she’d last seen it. Prince Trevon extended a gloved hand to help her out.
She had not expected to see him so soon, and her heart pounded with surprise. He wasn’t disguised as a servant this time and looked every bit the part of a prince. His jacket was green and gold with a short collar and no necktie. The cuffs of the sleev
es were threaded in gold all the way up to his elbows. Over his pants, he wore a braided sash with tassels.
His initial expression was one of wariness as he helped her down from the carriage, but a welcoming smile soon replaced it. “I still recognize you,” he said, and even his voice was familiar. His hair was longer than it had been, though it was still the rich nutty-brown color she remembered. He had a common but appealing face, and there was a scar on his chin that hadn’t been there before.
“Please tell me I’ve grown a little taller since we last met,” she said with a mischievous smile.
Her pursed his lips and eyed her. “No, I can’t say that you have.”
“Is it a custom to tease your guests upon their arrival?” she asked archly.
“If I thought you would prefer flattery, I would have tried that. Welcome to Kingfountain, Miss Fitzempress.”
“I am grateful to have arrived safely. Will we conduct our business in the courtyard, or are we going to enter the palace?”
“The palace, of course,” he said brightly. But before escorting her away, he reached up for Becka’s hand and helped her down as well. The girl flushed and bowed her head.
“This is my maid, Becka.”
“Welcome, my dear,” the prince said, bowing to her.
Sera wasn’t surprised Becka couldn’t speak.
Then Prince Trevon offered his arm to Sera, who responded with her own courtly gesture by putting her hand on it. The two started walking toward the main doors, where it seemed the rest of the royal family had gathered. There were several young men standing there and two younger girls along with the prince’s parents, the King and Queen of Kingfountain.
Before they reached the group, the two girls came fluttering up and hugged the prince, who seemed a little surprised by their attention. One of the girls eyed Sera with interest.
“These are my little sisters,” he said, wrapping his free arm around the shoulders of one of the girls. “Could you not wait until we reached the steps?”
One of the girls replied to him in a language Sera had tried to study. She caught some of the words, but they’d been spoken too fast for her to understand. Both girls seemed to be vying for his attention, and the prince sighed and gave Sera a helpless look. She thought his doting on them was rather sweet, and it made her more tenderhearted. They mounted the steps together, and he introduced Sera to his siblings, all of them younger than him.
“Prince Kasdan, Prince Lucas, Prince Renowen, and Prince Gannon. And these are my sisters, Princess Lyneah and Princess Elaine.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Sera said, dropping to a curtsy. They looked at her with open curiosity. Some of the brothers clearly didn’t approve of her presence and barely concealed their scowls. There was a strong familial resemblance, and each of the siblings was within a year or two of each other in age, the youngest being at least ten.
“These are my parents,” Trevon said, gesturing to the king and queen. Sera saw the famous hollow crown on the king’s head. She’d heard it described before and recognized it at once. It was the source of authority of the kings of this land and had been handed down from ancient times. “My father, King Henricus, and my mother, Queen Christiana.”
The king had a long, narrow face with tired-looking eyes and a formidable goatee and expression. Only a slight fuzz of hair covered his head and the area beneath his crown. He wore medallions and chains around his neck and a fur-lined cape over his fancy tunic. The look he gave Sera reminded her of her father, and she felt a premonition of dread. This was a hard man, a strict man, and no ally. The queen, Christiana, was a little younger than her husband but still middle-aged. She had rich auburn hair with some gray in it and, if Sera wasn’t mistaken, an arrogant look. When her daughters returned to the platform, she gave them both a stern rebuke with her eyes.
“Welcome to the court of Kingfountain,” said the king dispassionately, “Seraphin Fitzempress.” His accent was a little stilted, but still accurate.
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Sera said, dropping low again.
“I see you brought four henchmen with you,” the king said. “Are they prepared to negotiate in good faith on behalf of the prime minister?”
“No, Your Highness,” Sera answered. “I represent my people.”
The king pursed his lips and nodded. “Good. We won’t treat with underlings. Neither my wife nor I will participate in the negotiations, my dear. They have been entrusted solely to my son and heir, Prince Trevon. I am not in favor of this armistice. But if the young man is to become a king, he must learn to use judgment and discernment. We will be bound to whatever agreement he makes with you. That is my promise, as a sovereign lord.” His lips twitched into a sneer. “Do not have the impudence to suggest that a contract is needed to affirm this.”
Sera could see the resentment in his eyes, the result of centuries of bad blood between their realms. There was no trust. Though she knew he was interested in the technologies Comoros could share, she understood that Kingfountain regarded the empire as inferior, their ways offensive. And she could also tell that he didn’t think too highly of her, for all his fine talk and “dears.”
“Thank you for making your position clear, Your Majesty,” Sera replied coolly.
“You will join us for dinner?” the queen asked in a suspicious manner.
“I have no other present engagements,” Sera replied.
“Do you not?” asked the queen, raising her brows. Was this a reference to the scandal that had resulted in her imprisonment in Pavenham Sky? Sera felt her blood growing hotter, but if she’d learned one thing these past years, it was how to control her expression.
“Mother,” said the prince in a low warning tone.
“You are, of course, welcome,” said the queen. Then Sera noticed that she was holding a garland made of white flowers. She gave it to her eldest daughter, Lyneah, who brought it to Sera and gestured for her to bow. Sera did so, and the young woman gave her a wink as she put it around her neck.
The scent from the flowers was lovely. The garland wasn’t heavy, but in that moment, it might as well have been an iron collar. She could tell they expected her to stay, a prize won for peace, which would make Kingfountain as much a prison as Pavenham Sky had been. She straightened and inclined her head to the family once more.
“Walk with me,” Prince Trevon said, extending his arm to Sera. She was only too grateful to escape his family. She put her hand on his arm again, and he escorted her away toward the gardens.
An iron gate blocked the entry, but a servant opened it ahead of them, exposing a wondrous garden as lush and beautiful as any she’d seen at Pavenham Sky. There were birds flittering, and tall trees with rich green leaves providing plentiful shade. They were different breeds than what she was used to seeing, and it piqued her curiosity to explore. This was what she’d dreamed of as a young girl who’d had to resort to climbing trees to see the world outside her palace.
“I’ll admit I was surprised that you agreed to come after all,” the prince said as they walked on the soft lawn. “That you would be so willing to give up your beliefs . . . everything you’ve ever known.”
She gazed at the beautiful hedges, admiring the bubbling fountains interspersed throughout the garden. They were beautiful, and she knew they were also sacred to his people.
“Oh, I only said that to mollify Lord Welles and the privy council,” she said. “I don’t think I could give up my beliefs.” She said it simply and sincerely and then turned and looked him in the eye. “Could you?”
CHAPTER TWENTY−ONE
OVERTURES
The effect of her words was immediate. His brows knitted in confusion and consternation, and he frowned—not out of anger but in reaction to an unpleasant surprise. Whatever Trevon had been expecting of their first outing together had been dashed.
“You look confused,” Sera said consolingly.
“Shouldn’t I be? I was given to understand that you were open to this c
hange.”
Sera began walking toward the nearest fountain. A quick perusal of the gardens confirmed that there were servants on the grounds watching them from a discreet distance. He noticed her change in direction and quickly followed.
“For the last three years,” Sera continued, “I have been a sort of political prisoner. A pariah. This is my first opportunity for freedom since you made your state visit. It is also our first real opportunity to talk. To be candid with each other. If our situations were reversed, would you abandon the one thing that has given you the strength to endure the hardships you’ve faced? Please be honest with me, Trevon. Would you do it?”
He was taken aback by her question. His expression was serious. “To be honest, no. Asking someone to abandon their conscience is too hefty a price to pay. So why are you here, then? Why did you come?”
She gave him a smile. “To negotiate a peace treaty between our worlds. We have to stop killing each other.”
He clasped his hands behind his back. “Yes, but you came here under false pretenses.”
“And you didn’t when you came to Lockhaven three years ago?”
That comment roused him. A look of anger darkened his eyes. “I did not, Miss Fitzempress.”
“We are well past such formalities, Trevon.”
“Very well. No, I came to the court to seek a wife. I found myself caught up in the political schemes of a disingenuous people.”
“You compared our system of government to a machine, as I recall. It’s an apt metaphor. I think we want the same thing. We both want to break that machine. My father, the emperor, seeks to maintain the status quo. But it’s unsustainable.”
He began to rub his mouth thoughtfully, but there was still a look of deep concern in his eyes. “This is not going the way I expected.”
“And you’re disappointed, I can tell. But I ask you again, Trevon. Reverse our positions. What would you do in my place?”