A Crown of Lilies

by Melissa Ragland

  It was a hollow and uncomfortable evening. I was glad to, at long last, see her firmly on the throne, but the ceremony of it felt empty compared to the forest rite. All around me at the lavish feast that followed, eyes stared surreptitiously and I feared once again that my unchallenged presence was doing more harm than good. More than once, I heard the word ‘traitor’ whispered in my vicinity.

  Beside me, Will chafed in his fine doublet and hose. Quintin was more irritated by the absence of his weapons, eyes constantly scanning the crowd for threats. Once, I squeezed his hand discreetly in reassurance and found his palm sweaty and cold. He flashed me a forced smile, and I let him be. The bitter look on his face still haunted me. I swallowed my fear and focused on representing my House with dignity and grace among the few who dared speak to me. Most of those were allies from our first days in Laezon, though a few others were bold enough to be seen with the Kingslayer of Lazerin. We retired as early as was acceptably polite.

  Behind the securely locked door of our shared room, Quintin was distant and removed as he unbuttoned his black doublet. Selice had chosen it thoughtfully as a nod to his Tuvrian heritage, but it merely served as a reminder that he would never again be accepted among his own people. The feast itself, swarming with the well-masked maneuverings of the nobility, had served as a reminder to us both – we do not belong here.

  I had, once. It seemed so very long ago, though only a few years had passed. With the aid of my mother’s training, I’d navigated this nest of vipers with deftness and enthusiasm, and loved every moment of it. It was a game to me, then, the thrill of a hunt of a whole different kind. Now, it was a vapid mire threatening to suck me down into its depths. I was tired, so tired. I just wanted to go home.

  Still, the path lay ahead, and I was resolved to see it to its end. My mind churned as I unlaced my stays, watching him from across the room, his back to me. So much lay unspoken between us. I knew he worried about the audience. That was not what tugged at me so. He was conflicted about me, and that was so much harder to bear. At the end of it all, I was still the Lady of Lazerin, the sole heir to my House. Unwed and childless, the future of my bloodline still lay in my hands, just as it always had. No amount of training, no number of faces, no armor or bow or blade could change that.

  The first round of public audiences was called two days later. The throne room filled from wall to wall with every noble in Litheria, as well as a cluster of well-to-do common folk near the back. Reyus stood beside our queen, along with representatives from the Crown Treasury and Royal Archives. Will, Quintin, and I stood among the throng near the front and watched as nearly every lesser House in attendance was called to the fore one by one.

  Those who had contributed to the rebellion were reimbursed, among them, Leon’s father and brothers. The latter were lauded in generous terms for their courage and capability on the field during the battle to retake my home province. I was glad to see Lord Montre receive accolades and compensation for sheltering the displaced people of Laezon, seeing them through a difficult winter.

  Those few who had worked with Persica to waylay us were publicly denounced and the more egregious offenders stripped of their titles and lands. Many who had merely converted to avoid the Divine Order’s persecution were pardoned. Those who wished to retain their newfound faith were allowed to do so, though strict laws were set into place to prohibit them from proselytizing or affecting their beliefs on others. Any who dared press their faith on the common people under their jurisdiction would be severely punished.

  House Ardontus made for an elegant sight, Miko and Cheza approaching the Queen with chins held high, the twins trailing close behind. They had been some of our first allies, and Selice had not forgotten. In addition to her gratitude, the renowned line of artists was commissioned by the Crown to restore the Temple of Adulil to its former glory.

  I grinned as General Brenna and her two captains were called to the fore, and was not the only one to note that they were honored before the other lesser Houses of Tuvre. Her colorfully-adorned braids rustled as she bowed low in her armor, accepting her queen’s praise and gratitude.

  Hours had passed and my mind had begun to wander when I heard the herald call Tommy’s name. The crowd parted for him as he pressed his way slowly to the front, bowing low before the dais and looking smart in a fine brown doublet and breeches, new boots polished to a shine.

  “For your invaluable service to the Crown,” she announced loudly over the din. “You are hereby bestowed with the title of Steward of Kingston, to be carried on in perpetuity by the legitimate heirs of your bloodline.”

  The scribe scribbled furiously. The treasury clerk pressed a small chest into his hands and instructed him to register the sigil of his choice at his earliest convenience.

  “I haven’t got any children, Majesty,” he mumbled, overwhelmed.

  The corner of her mouth twitched, and one golden brow lifted a fraction. “I suggest you get to it, then.”

  Low laughter rippled through those of us close enough to hear the exchange. My heart swelled as he bowed once more and retreated, flashing me a wolfish grin as he passed.

  The rest of the day was more of the same, slowly and arduously working through the bulk of the lesser houses. Selice was tireless in her duty, treating each interaction with as much patience and grace as the first. At the end of the afternoon, she called a close to it and her herald announced that we would reconvene the following morning. Feet and back aching from hours of standing on the hard marble, we retired to our suite. Sitting in the small salon, the three of us chatted over a private dinner, rehashing the events of the day, when a knock sounded at the door.

  Exchanging a glance, Quintin settled one hand on his belt knife as Will rose to admit our unexpected guest. Reyus strode into the room, straight-backed and sharp-eyed.

  “I expect you know what tomorrow will bring,” he began directly, fixing me with his pale green gaze.

  “I do,” I confirmed with tight reserve.

  His hands folded behind him in a soldierly gesture. “Then why are you still here? You know the Queen has little desire to see you hang.”

  “Nor do I, my lord, but she herself asked me to stay.”

  He shifted impatiently. “Consider this her official request for you to leave.”

  I held his gaze. “No.”

  Shaking his head, he exhaled a sharp, humorless laugh. All attempts at decorum vanished. “You would make her do it? Are you really so cruel?”

  I leaned forward in my seat, anger creeping into the edges of my voice. “If I run, everyone will know she let me go, and will whisper that she condoned her father’s death. If I stay, and she pardons me, they will whisper the same. It will weaken her, Reyus. She cannot afford to support me publicly.” I jabbed one finger at him. “You cannot let that happen.”

  “You would hang, just to save her from some whispers?” he balked incredulously.

  “I’d rather not,” I retorted dryly, leaning back in my chair. “But whispers lead to discontent, and discontent leads to uprising. Too many have died to put her back on that throne just to have her lose it again for the sake of my skin.”

  His eyes flashed angrily. “For the sake of your pride, you mean,” he snapped. “There is nothing left for you here. I will see you well-funded. You could start a new life in Elas or the Kledes.”

  I stiffened and my tone turned cold. “I will not abandon my father’s House.”

  “Damn it, girl, he wouldn’t want you to die for it!”

  “Lazerins do not run.”

  I watched a muscle in his jaw twitch as he clenched his teeth and turned his entreating gaze on my two companions. Each of them gave him a small shake of their head. Exasperated, he turned to leave us, muttering under his breath. I heard my father’s name and something about stubbornness before he slammed the door behind him.

  Amenon’s death would be attributed irrefutably to me alone, and Selice’s rule would endure. My House would fall, but my queen wou
ld be safe. You might wonder why I stayed at all if the end of my line was a foregone conclusion. Pride is the defining trait of my blood, or so I have been told. Whatever the sentence, I would face it unflinching before all of Alesia. When they spoke of House Lazerin, they would not speak of cowardice. Treason and guile and murder, perhaps, but I had finished what my parents and I had set out to do so many years ago. We had driven the Persicans from our lands and secured the rightful heir of Adulil on the throne. If my life was the price required, I would see it through to the end. I could not run.

  The next morning, Quintin was gone when I woke, dawn’s first lights just beginning to peek through the windows. Dressed in my sparring gear, I made my way to the gardens where I found him already well into his drills. Since he obviously wanted some time alone, I went instead to visit my parents’ resting place. Kneeling before them, I prayed for the strength to face the day with honor. Met with only silence, I rose and pressed a palm to the tree’s rough bark.

  “Courage,” I whispered.

  When I returned to Quintin, he was waiting for me. Blue eyes, carefully guarded, watched as I warmed up and we worked through a few deflection drills before sparring outright. I could feel his distraction. Each blow, each parry echoed with memory of long years together; from the first time I’d met him, scowling at me across my father’s table, to the feel of his skin against mine mere hours ago. As we battered at each other’s defenses, every touch, every smile, every angry exchange swam in my mind. My focus flagging, he disarmed me with a few quick snaps of his twin blades. Startled from my reverie, I retreated a step. The battle in his eyes broke my heart. He staked his swords in the dirt and closed on me, wrapping me in a fierce embrace. I clung to him, burying my face against his chest, breathing deep his scent.

  We stood there a long while. Words weren’t enough.

  I wore my simple cotton gown, washed and pressed by the castle’s diligent staff. Deep green, the color of my house, it suited me better than any fine silk or satin. I’d considered donning my breeches and breastplate, but no weapons were permitted in the throne room apart from the royal guard, and it felt a bit foolish without them. Besides, to flaunt the sigil Selice had given me smacked of manipulation, and I could not bear to make what lay before us any harder on her. My hair, I brushed and left loose, small sable waves pooling on my shoulders. Quintin watched from where he sat on the bed as I checked my appearance in the tall mirror. A discreet knock on the door announced that it was time.

  The crowd in the throne room was much the same, though in my state of unease, I caught myself scanning for friendly faces as we took our place near the front. Breathing deep, I dug for calm as my queen took her place on the dais once more, the Great Houses the clear focus of the day.

  First to be called was House Oristei, Reyus joining his wife and sons as they knelt before their regent. For his unwavering loyalty and invaluable counsel, she appointed him Royal Advisor in the hopes that the title may reclaim its former dignity in his hands.

  House Caerus followed, with Lord Ignatus being officially reinstated as the Royal Physician. Selice showered him and his people with gratitude for their tireless efforts in the aftermath of the battle. Shortly thereafter, Lord Nicholas stood tall and proud before her in a fine black doublet, a small grin on his face as she commended him and his men for their loyalty and prowess on the field. Surely, we could not have reclaimed the city without his skillful leadership.

  My heart sank when the herald called for House Chamberlain. I longed to reach for Quintin’s hand, but I needed every ounce of steel in my spine to hold steady, and nothing crumbled my defenses like his touch. Augustus’ sister and her four children made their way to the front. I’d never met them, but the set of her shoulders told me she grieved deeply for her brother. Selice’s voice rang solemnly through the chamber as she celebrated both Aubrey’s and his father’s selfless dedication to the cause. To those who now stewarded House Chamberlain, she could only express her condolences and hopes for a brighter future. I saw Lady Chamberlain’s eyes glisten as she and her children retreated into the crowd.

  “House Van Dryn,” the herald’s voice echoed into the vast space. The crowds parted and a cloud of deep blue silk emerged to approach the dais. Adrian and Vanessa led their party, with Yuri and Tasha close behind. Natalia and Alec trailed after, along with several others I vaguely recognized. As one, they bowed low, black hair sweeping forward in silken curtains.

  Selice’s golden eyes glinted hard as stone, her cool tone cutting through the chamber. “Lady Vanessa Daekrix no Van Dryn, you stand accused of betraying the Queen’s agents into the hands of the enemy. How do you plead?”

  The abruptness and directness of her words caught everyone off-guard, even me. I watched Vanessa pale in her silken gown and felt a hint of bitter satisfaction. Wide eyes flicked to her husband, and then back to her monarch. I watched her gather herself, hands clasping before the generous swell of her belly.

  “I was only trying to protect my family, Your Grace. My children.”

  “And do you think Lord Oristei or Lord Tuvre love their children any less?” she challenged sharply, glorious and terrible in her fury. “Do you think Lord Augustus cared less for his son than you do yours?”

  I watched Vanessa wilt and falter.

  “The punishment for such disloyalty is death,” she continued, cool composure sending a chill down my spine.

  “Please, Majesty,” Adrian protested, throat tight. “As her husband, it is my responsibility. She was only following my instruction.” It was a clumsy lie, but he was trying to save her. “Whatever sentence you deem just, I should be the one to pay it.”

  Her chin raised a fraction as she took a breath and considered them both. “It is not my hide you endeavored to sell to our enemy.”

  She glanced at me, and I feared she might lay it at my feet before the entire Court. Doing so would be as damning to her as a royal pardon. I shook my head slightly, begging her in silence. Golden eyes flicked away, back toward Adrian and his wife.

  “Fortunately for you, the ones whose lives you so carelessly disregarded do not wish for any further bloodshed on their behalf. Know that, were it not for their compassion, you would hang for your duplicity.”

  Vanessa clutched her belly, knees trembling. Adrian bowed low, slipping one hand around her waist to support her as he straightened.

  “Thank you, Your Majesty,” he breathed.

  “That does not constitute a pardon, Lord Van Dryn,” she snapped. Holding his wife upright, he froze and waited, tempest eyes guarded. “The southern fleet will no longer patrol the White Sea under the command of your House. Governance of the merchant fleet will fall to the Royal Admiral and whomsoever he deems fit to oversee it. As for the Queen’s Navy, your House may no longer assume its preferential appointment to its top offices. Henceforth, the rank of Royal Admiral, as well as any other commanding post, will be earned through competence rather than birthright.”

  I watched Alec’s face fall and felt a bit sorry for him. Yuri fumed in silence. Losing control of the southern fleet would cut a significant portion of their income. All recovered goods would now go to the Crown’s treasuries, rather than their own. I was glad Tommy had carved out an honest living for himself, as the loss of the Van Dryn’s illicit salvage would likely have ruined him.

  “Consider this a lenient punishment for your offenses.” She fixed them with one final furious gaze. “Had your betrayal succeeded, none of us would be standing in this room today.”

  With a final sweeping bow, they retreated in their deep blue silks. I swallowed the rising tide of my fear. There was only one name left to call.

  “House Lazerin,” the herald’s voice rang out. Murmurs swept the crowd, an undertone of anger and suspicion clearly present. I glanced at Will as he fidgeted with worry, but my brave young man forced a reassuring smile for me. It hurt to look at Quintin. His eyes bored into mine in barely-contained misery.

  Forgive me, I begged in silence.


  The corner of his mouth quirked in a tender smile.

  Always.

  The sound of my footsteps echoed through the marble hall. My cotton gown rustled as I curtsied low before her.

  “Lady Elivya fen Lazerin, you and your House stand accused by my father King Amenon of high treason. How do you plead?” Her cool voice sent shivers down my spine. I rose and braced myself to deliver the words that would end my House, and quite possibly my life.

  “Guilty, Your Majesty.”

  Her golden eyes flickered with sorrow behind her careful mask. “Confess your crimes.”

  I swallowed to clear my dry throat, folding my hands before me and forcing myself to meet her gaze. “I openly defied my King’s decree banning the Old Ways from this city. I plotted against him and forged his seal. I sent false missives in his name.” I hesitated, eyelids flickering as the shame of it threatened to steal my voice from me. “And I conspired to depose and assassinate him.” The room erupted at that last, most never having heard it confirmed. Now, the entire realm knew. I heard several angry cries of ‘traitor’ and ‘kingslayer’ cast into the din, and knew deep down that mere imprisonment was a fleeting hope, all but extinguished in the face of the Court’s collective fury.

  It took the herald several shouts to silence the crowd once more. “And what, may I ask, drove you to such grievous acts of sedition?” she pressed coldly.

  I chewed my cheek, looking away, trying to remember. It all felt like so very long ago. “They needed someone,” I replied, my voice a trembling murmur. “Someone to fight for them.” I doubt many heard me, but it didn’t matter what I said. I was guilty. Selice watched me, a long silence stretching between us. I met her glorious eyes once more, shaking my head. “He was lost in the dark. I thought it was the right thing to do.”

  Murmurs began to ripple through the throng once more, but the herald silenced them.

  My queen, my friend, nodded sadly and raised her voice to the assembled masses. “The law is clear. The punishment for treason is death.”