Destiny's Queen
Page 37
Chapter 19
I was sitting on my mother's throne at the Winter Palace in Nadal. I wore a silk gown of emerald green. It matched the Emerald Crown that sat upon my head. The only one of my mother's crowns that remained. I buried the other two crowns with Bedonna. The Ruby Crown was on her head. The Battle Crown lay on her chest.
Bedonna was given a queen's funeral. I don't know if the people thought she deserved it, nor did I care. She had ruled Adah for a year and deserved to be treated accordingly. A statue of her would stand in the hallway that led to the throne room. Called the hall of queens, it contained statues of everyone that sat upon the throne. Those that ruled briefly, before being deposed by a sister, were set in alcoves off to the side. They were considered minor queens. A new alcove was already being prepared for Bedonna's statue.
The statues of those that ruled for long periods, the twelve legendary queens, like my mother, stood on pedestals in the middle of the hallway, so you couldn't help but notice them when you walked down the hall.
Even though Bedonna impaled herself upon her sword, I was the one holding it. As such, I felt responsible for her death. Taking the life of one's own sister isn't something I would wish upon anyone, for it put me in a depression I couldn't seem to get out of, not until Vomeir marched into the throne room dressed in his usual green, gray, and silver uniform.
"You've checked the dungeon beneath the palace?" I said.
Vomeir bowed. "As ordered, Your Majesty."
"And?"
"As you suspected, all of the people down there opposed Bedonna."
"You released them?"
"All but one."
"Why is that one still down there?"
"To be honest, I'm not quite sure what you want to do with her."
"Her?" I said, wondering who it might be.
"I could tell you who it is," Vomeir said, "but I'm not sure you'd believe me."
In other words, he wanted me to see for myself. Which I did.
The dungeon beneath this palace was identical to the one beneath the Western Palace. Cells lined both sides. Gray granite walls made up three sides of each cell. Iron bars made up the fourth.
Each cell was empty except for a pile of straw and a waste bucket.
All the prisoners had been released save for one. She sat in a cell at the back end of the dungeon. Her arms were wrapped around her legs. Her head rested on her knees. Her blue silk dress was tattered and dirty, so dirty that I almost couldn't tell its original color. Her blond hair had grown back to shoulder length, but was ratted. Pieces of straw stuck out of it, which she paid no attention to. She bore a wicked scar on each of her cheeks.
"Stand for the Queen of Adah," the jailer said.
She struggled to her feet, holding her left side as she did, as if it hurt when she moved, which I suspect it did.
"Hey Mouse," Salisha said when she saw me. "I heard you were around. Of course, I didn't believe it. Not until Vomeir showed up and let everyone out of their cells."
I wrapped my hands around the cold iron bars that separated us. "I saw you die. I saw Bedonna plunge her sword into your heart. I heard her order her men to dump your carcass in the Cemetery of Would Be Queens."
"She missed my heart. Thanks to you."
"I don't understand."
"When you yelled, 'no', Bedonna heard you and got distracted. Her sword missed my heart and went into my side. She failed to notice that I wasn't dead. Her men were afraid to tell her that I was still alive, so they dumped me down here with the rest of the political prisoners. Lucky for me, my cellmate was a surgeon in the Army of the East. He had a lot of experience in treating battle wounds."
"Why was he down here?"
"Same reason everybody was down here, they opposed Bedonna's war with Sorea." Salisha pushed some ratted hair out of her eyes. "Rumor is you killed Bedonna in a sword fight."
"I wounded her. When she dropped her sword, I picked it up. She impaled herself upon it, said she didn't want to be remembered as Bedonna the Blind."
"I tried to kill her you know, sent a couple of assassins after her. They failed of course."
"I know."
"I tried to convince Vomeir to kill you. I suppose he told you that."
I shook my head. "He never did."
That seemed to surprise Salisha. "Really? I wonder why?"
"Maybe he didn't want me to think less of you. Maybe it was because he loves you."
"But you knew anyway."
"Idy told me."
Salisha perked up. "Idy's alive?"
"I've acquired a couple of thrones on the other side of the desert, three to be exact. She's over there, running things while I'm away."
"I never did have the heart to send an assassin after her."
"What were you going to do with her if you became queen?"
Salisha shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Let her do whatever she wanted. How she's doing anyway?"
"She doesn't like having to make decisions that affect people's lives. She's anxious for me to return."
Salisha smiled. "That sounds like Idy." The smile faded from her face. "So, what's going to happen to me?"
"What would you do if you were in my shoes?" I said.
"Knowing that I tried to send an assassin after you, I'd probably have me executed."
"It's not easy to watch your sister die. I know because I had to do it twice. First with you, then with Bedonna."
I motioned for the jailer to unlock the door to her cell, which he did. Salisha made no move to come out. "You still haven't told me what you're going to do with me?"
"First, I'm going to clean you up. Then I'm going to feed you. I'm thinking it wouldn't hurt to have the court physican take a look at you. When you're strong enough, I'm going to put you aboard my ship. A ship which Idy designed, by the way. It will take you to the other side of the continent. Once there, you'll assume the throne of a country called Dunre, where you'll serve as my regent. The woman currently serving as my regent is old and suffers from failing health. She agreed to serve until I could find someone to replace her. You will be that someone."
Salisha touched the scar on her right cheek. "I'm not sure I'm fit to sit on a throne. Not anymore."
I stepped into the cell and offered Salisha my arm. I noticed that she smelled, which wasn't surprising since she probably hadn't bathed in a year. "On the contrary, you're perfect for the job."
"How do you figure?"
"The people on that side of the desert call this side of the world the barbarian lands. They won't be surprised to see a barbarian princess bare the scars of battle. If anything, they'll respect you for having them. I know I do."
"There are forces here in Adah that won't like the fact that you refused to kill all of your sisters."
"Which is why you must go to the other side of the desert. You'll be safe there."
"What about you?"
"I can take care of myself."
"So I am learning." Salisha placed her hand on my forearm. Together we headed out of the cell. Her touch was light and she moved slowly, gingerly. I realized then, that she had been clinging to life by a thread.
As we headed toward the door that would take us out of the dungeon, Salisha looked at me and smiled. "I'm glad you're here, Mouse."
"I'm glad you're here," I said.
And I was.
LOST IN TIME
Lila might have defeated her father and oldest sister, but that doesn't mean her troubles are over. In her next adventure, a Sorean time walker abandons Lila in the past, some thirty-three years in the past. Before she was even born. Not only is she not the queen in this time, she's not even a member of the royal family.
She finds herself stranded in Adah's capital city, on the day her grandmother died, on the day her mother began her own version of the Princess Wars. Lila has to find a way back to her own time without getting involved in her mother's fight for the throne, and without changing anybody's history. But as she quickly learns, both
are easier said than done. Look for LOST IN TIME. Book three of the Princess Wars.
BOOKS BY J.D. ROGERS
Dirty Little Mermaids
Princess Wars Series
Princess Wars
Destiny's Queen
Lost In Time
The Competition
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
J.D. grew up in a house where women were in charge of everything, which may explain his preference for strong female characters. He studied history and law in college and uses that knowledge to help build the worlds he creates. J.D. makes his home in Montana.