“I’ve never had friends.”
“Oh, Addyson, now you’ve got me and Della. I know Della loves you, too.”
“Della’s like my mother.”
“She is, and with Finn gone, it’s good for her to have someone to look after. She needs you as much as you need her.”
Della holds out her hand for Addyson. “Come on, let’s get you dressed and make sure you look beautiful. It’s going to be a great day.”
Ceryn chews on some grass while she waits for Addyson to come back out, and for Everleigh to be dressed in her coronation gown.
Addyson comes out first, in a beautiful green silk dress, her hair in plaits down her back, so fair compared with how dark Everleigh’s hair is.
“You look beautiful.”
“Thank you. You look...clean.” She’s beaming that she’s found something nice to say to Ceryn and Ceryn bellows with laughter, hugging her close, but making sure she doesn’t wrinkle her lovely dress.
Della comes to the door and coughs. “Queen Everleigh.”
Everleigh glides into the room; that’s the only way to describe it, she glides.
Her hair is down, and her eyes are dancing, she has the most wonderful smile on her face and she does look like a beautiful Queen. Ceryn bows low to her, and Addyson claps her hands.
“Queen. You look perfect.”
“Thank you, you look...”
“Clean?” Ceryn asks and laughs again.
Everleigh looks so different now that Millard is dead. Happy, carefree, young again. She’s only seventeen and yet she’s had the worries of the whole Realm on her shoulder. And she always will now.
There’s a knock at the door. It’s the teacher, to take them down to the coronation. “Oh, you look wonderful. Very regal.”
“Thank you. I’m ready. I think.”
There’s another knock and this time it’s Will and Archer.
Will looks very handsome indeed and Ceryn cannot look at him. She busies herself with attaching her mask.
Archer looks handsome too, and only has eyes for his Queen, as it should be.
They follow Everleigh out of the room, a small procession, all of them happy, all of them excited, the pain of their losses there but just out of reach, tucked away, just for today.
Everleigh
AND SO, I AM ALMOST Queen. Of the Realm and all who reside within it. What a scary thought.
We are heading outside, and I sneak a look into the great hall, and Cook has outdone herself. I can’t help but think back to my feast, the Kingmaker’s feast, less than two weeks ago.
How has so much happened and so much changed in such a short time?
This is far more splendid, though, and I have far more reason to smile, though I’m finding it hard. I’m not due to be sacrificed any time soon, but I have lost my father, Halfreda, Lanorie, Weaver and Ginata.
And my two brothers.
I am sad, despite all they did wrong. They were my brothers and I loved them a lot longer than I hated them, they did many more good things than bad, but the bad was so bad I’ll never forget it. At least they are both dead now and I don’t have to worry about forgiving them.
And Ginata, I am heartbroken that my judgment was so off course with her. She insisted that she hadn’t betrayed me, but I believed my brother instead of her. How could I do that? I knew, more than anyone, what he’d turned into, how manipulative, how evil. But I took his word. What an awful way for her to die, after all the help she gave me. Believing that we all hated her. I cannot think of her. I will – she deserves that, but right now, with these people here and the teacher waiting to crown me, I cannot lose it.
Millard would have loved that.
I make my way to the dais and this crowd is unlike anything I have ever seen, and I feel a little bit like an outsider, just an observer. I know some of the visitors to the castle don’t think a girl can rule, especially not a little girl like me. They think the Realm will be unsteady with me at the helm, and that I have no idea what it will be like to rule day in and day out.
They are all right.
Of course, I have no idea. Of course, I’m petrified. Of course, I want to get it right, and with the whole Realm waiting for me to slip up, I’m determined to be a good Queen. A better Queen than a King.
I feel sick as I make my way through the crowd, smiling and waving, hoping I am ready for this, right for this. I have nothing but my instincts and my little band of helpers. Della will help to look after Addyson, moving into the castle and keeping her safe and happy.
Ceryn and Archer will protect me and the Realm, run the army and – hopefully – I will have a peaceful reign.
Will and the teacher will be my wise advisors; Will has never had the head of a fool, no matter how much he likes to mess around, and I’ll always trust his advice and the teacher, well without him I wouldn’t have Archer and I wouldn’t have anyone to crown me. I owe him so much.
“Queen.” Archer bows to me. “Are you ready?”
I nod. “Just a little overwhelmed. I think I thought that ruling would be like a play or a story. A young Queen, running the Realm and being in charge. It’s a little bit scarier now I’m here. What do I do all day? What do I say? Where do I go? I didn’t spend any time with my father learning any of this stuff. There was no need. Macsen and Millard knew everything about the Realm. All of the behind the scenes stuff. I’m clueless.”
“You can make new rules. It will be just fine, I promise you.” He reaches for my hand and I let him take it. I feel a tingle as his skin touches mine.
I smile. Whatever happens from here on in I won’t be alone.
I watch Addyson take her place on the dais, Della watching her, a loving look on her face. She’s like the mother she never had. Ceryn is sitting with Will, and they are laughing together.
I walk forwards, ready to be crowned. My eyes take in the crowd, my friends, all of the people I love, who love me, and I am filled with strength and purpose. I am ready to do this, ready for my reign and all it might bring me.
I will have everything I want.
Including Archer.
30
THE SETUP IS EXACTLY as it was for Macsen’s coronation, and strangely, as it would have been for Everleigh’s sacrifice as well. The crowd is bigger today, so many visitors from across the Realm, wanting to see if it’s true, if a Kingmaker will become Queen.
Her army bring up the rear, row after row after row of them, hands on swords, ready, just in case.
The dais is raised so everyone can see the royal party as they wait for Everleigh to be named Queen.
Her crown is ready, sitting on a red velvet cushion.
The crowd go mad when she stands facing them, waving her hand, and smiling at them; her subjects. They are cheering and stamping, crying out for their Queen and Kingmaker. Everleigh smiles. Will she always be known as the Kingmaker?
She takes her place next to the teacher, looking out at the people who will serve her, the people she will rule over, and she feels a fizz of excitement in her stomach.
She is going to be Queen.
Addyson sits behind her, much as she did at Macsen’s coronation, that turned into Millard’s coronation and a bloodbath. She was in a daze then, but now she looks like a different child. Della sits next to her on one side and Archer sits on the other. Will sits next to Archer, but Ceryn chooses to stand, hand on her sword.
The teacher stands opposite Everleigh, ready to make her a Queen.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the Realm, esteemed visitors, we are here today to witness the coronation of Everleigh.”
The crowd go wild; all of them cheering, women weeping and children clapping.
“She will be Queen of the Realm, her dominions and all of her possessions. She will rule with a true soul and an honest heart, a fair countenance and a just disposition.”
The teacher says the words that form the binding ceremony of the coronation loudly and clearly, and the crowd are hanging on his every word.
He holds up the crown. “This crown symbolises the power and the magic that runs through your veins and no man may usurp the rightful Queen.”
He places the crown on Everleigh’s head and chants in a strange tongue.
Then he takes her hand and raises it up with his own. “Long live the Queen!”
The cry is taken up by the crowd and the cheering is deafening.
One by one every man, woman and child lower themselves into a bow or a curtsey for their new Queen.
Everleigh cannot stop grinning, this is what she’s waited for, been dreaming about since Halfreda told her she might live, since she made the river rise.
She is Queen.
There is a flurry of activity as the musicians start to play and the crowd start to dance and Archer stands up to take Everleigh’s hand.
A garbled shout of fury has them both spinning around to see Wolf, bloody and bleeding, clutching his stomach, a balled-up wad of material pressed into his wound, tied around with bandages. His gait is unsteady, but the dagger he holds is surprisingly stable.
Archer pushes Everleigh behind him and reaches for his weapon. Ceryn is right beside him, her hand on her sword, confusion in her eyes. “How did he survive?”
Before Archer can answer her, or before they can take another step, Addyson leaps out of her seat, picks up her chair and slams Wolf across the back of the head. He drops to the floor, and Ceryn and Archer, both laughing at her bravery, set their swords on him.
“Addyson!” Everleigh shakes her head. “What were you thinking?”
“That he locked me up before and I wasn’t going to let him do it again. And I didn’t want him to spoil your special day.”
“Well, thank you, little sister.”
Everleigh takes her sister’s hand and together they face the crowd.
The Queen of the Realm, her adored sister, the cursed princess, and her knight, Archer.
THE END
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