Crown of Crowns

by Clara Loveman

  “You’re not going to guess?” She waved the letter teasingly. “Come on, Kaelyn. You’re going to freak out when you find out.”

  My mind was racing. We had gotten a lot of attention recently from potential donors. A manufacturer from Surrvul called Veeln-Co, the company that built and distributed visins, had approached us about partnering for an ad campaign meant to raise awareness about workplace harassment and workplace safety. I wondered if the letter was from them.

  “Is it Veeln-Co?” I asked. I was on the edge of my seat.

  “Even better.” Tissa was grinning fiendishly. I marveled at how adorable she was. She and Nnati were old friends from Nurlie. Nnati was only a few years older than Tissa, who was closer in age to me. Being in such a metropolitan city, the capital of Geniverd, I liked all the different faces, light and dark eyes, and complexions.

  “Tell me!” I said. “Please, Tissa, tell me.”

  “See for yourself.”

  She handed me the letter, and I screamed when I saw whose name was on it. “No way!” I leaped out of my chair, doing a celebratory dance even though my head throbbed. “Is it real? Did you read it?”

  “I was waiting for you,” Tissa said, enjoying my excitement. “For you and Nnati. I think we should all be here to see what Lordin has sent to us in the letter.”

  That was when Nnati walked into the room. “Did someone say Lordin sent us a letter?” He looked nearly as excited as me. He readjusted his glasses with a huge smile on his face, glancing between Tissa and me. “Well, are we going to open it?”

  “Yeah we are!”

  I didn’t even use the letter opener. I clawed the thing open with my nails and pulled it out, then read it aloud.

  “‘Dear Kaelyn, I am writing to you on behalf of myself and my partner, Prince Zawne, regarding your foundation, GMAF. We have been following your work closely—how you have been building new schools, quietly campaigning in the capital for social change among the lower classes, beseeching the clan heirs for their support in using Decens-Lenitas for the betterment of the people, assisting in natural disasters, and organizing wildlife protective services. And honestly, we are amazed at what you have accomplished. We are beyond impressed. I must say, Kaelyn, as the First Daughter of Gaard, you have gone above and beyond your station to help the people of this great continent, and indeed the world. Prince Zawne and I would like to invite you to Sud Cottage for dinner. We have a proposal for you. We hope to see you tonight at six p.m. sharp. Yours truly, Lordin.’”

  The three of us were speechless. I placed the letter gently on the table and looked at my friends. “What do you think?” I asked.

  Nnati nearly screamed, “You need to buy a new dress and get your Gaard butt over to Sud Cottage tonight! That’s what I think!”

  “Me too,” Tissa said. “This is such an incredible opportunity. Lordin—I mean, Lordin! We have watched her on our visins since she was a little girl working with the rural farmers of Gaard because she wanted to help others. This is the girl the whole world watched blossom into a beautiful young woman with a kind heart. Lordin, who was courted by the most eligible bachelor in Geniverd, and then tamed him. This is the person we are talking about, Kaelyn. We’re talking about the Lordin. It’s sure to be one heck of a proposal.”

  My legs bounced restlessly under the table. I was excited, nervous, intrigued, scared—all the emotions at once. “What kind of proposal do you think it is?”

  Nnati considered my question as he rubbed his chin, clean-shaven and professional in a bow tie, as always. “Lordin said she has been following GMAF’s work, and we all know the kind of humane causes she supports and projects she runs. It must be a merger or a funding campaign. Maybe she wants to help us reach more people. Our views are basically the same as hers. We both want to help make a better world.”

  Then Tissa’s face lit up, and she leaned over the table. “Do you think Prince Jaken will be there too?”

  I laughed, seeing the heat in Tissa’s face at the mention of Prince Zawne’s older brother. “I’m not sure, Tiss. Maybe.”

  Tissa settled into her seat, and a dreamy look dulled her face. Tissa was a girl born under the most common of situations in the most common of places, and maybe that was why she had a deep reverence for the princes of Geniverd. When her eyelids fluttered and she sighed at the thought of Prince Jaken, I knew it wouldn’t have mattered which prince we were talking about. Sometimes I thought she was attracted to the royalty more than the people themselves.

  “I know Jaken is married,” Tissa said. “Even so, I’d love to go on a date with him. Just one date, nothing serious, no physical contact. He’s just so handsome. I just want him to treat me like a princess for one day. Just one.”

  Nnati raised his hand. His smile was devious. “I’d also like a date with Prince Jaken,” he said, “but can mine have touching?”

  We all laughed. “Nnati,” I said, “you’re such a dog!” But I didn’t mean it. Nnati was great, playful, classy. Hiring him and Tissa had been the best thing to happen to me since moving to the capital and starting GMAF. I loved them both like family. Well, I saw them more often than my own family. I didn’t know what I would have done without Nnati and Tissa. I didn’t feel like royalty when I was with them. They made me feel like just another person, like another normal citizen of Gaard. It was, in a way, a vacation from my pampered life back in NordHaven.

  “But in all seriousness,” Nnati said, deepening his voice and raising an eyebrow, “I like the idea of working with Lordin, and at the same time, I don’t. It will be great if she agrees to work with us on our terms, but I don’t want to get too tangled up in the upper-class workings of Decens-Lenitas. My pardons, Kaelyn, I know it’s your foundation and your rules. It’s just the whole paradox of the more ‘esteemed’ points of the moral code upsets me. I don’t want to start helping the upper-class people. You built this foundation for the commoners, for the wildlife, and to keep your mama’s memory alive.”

  “I understand,” I said, “but I don’t think it will be a problem. I, like everyone else in Geniverd, have been following Lordin’s work for years. Even though she is now marrying Prince Zawne, her dedication to the homeless, the needy, the lost children, it hasn’t changed. Her programs are still running. Perhaps she wants to join forces.”

  I stopped, a sudden look of bewilderment in my eyes. “Could …?” I licked my lips nervously. “Could it be that Lordin wants to pass the torch? She may become queen next year.” I blinked at Tissa, totally shocked by my revelation. “This could be huge!”

  Tissa and Nnati beamed at me.

  “You better get ready,” Nnati said. “Take the day off, Kaelyn. Pick out your dress. It better be a cute one. You have a date with Lordin and Zawne tonight.”

  I was sweating in the courtyard of Sud Cottage that night, not only because of its grandeur—though it was only a quarter of the size of NordHaven—but because of my nervousness at meeting Lordin. I, like so many others, had revered her for so long. Now I was moments away from finally meeting her.

  The door swung open, and Prince Zawne stood in the threshold. We had met before as younger people. Not much about him had changed. He still had a handsome smile, a full head of hair, smooth bronze skin, and a certain warmth about him. Zawne was just like the man I constantly saw on my visin, the man in love with Lordin.

  “Welcome,” he said. “Lordin is waiting in the parlor for us. She is a touch tired. I guess she didn’t sleep well last night. But come in. Our home is your home.”

  “Thank you, Zawne,” I said as I followed him into the foyer. He was polite, and I liked that about him.

  As we moved through the hall, he made small talk to make me feel more comfortable. Maybe he had noticed how nervous I was. “Sud Cottage is not so grand as VondRust Palace, where I grew up,” he said, “but it is cozy. Lordin and I love living here. Because there aren’t a zillion rooms, we feel more connected, closer to each other at all times.”

  “That’s nice,�
� I said, recalling the tour of VondRust that his brother, Jaken, had kindly given me just before I’d moved into the lavish apartment in its grounds, provided for me by the king and the queen. It was their principal residence and administrative headquarters with at least ten music rooms, fifty grand ballrooms, twenty-six kitchens, and hundreds of offices and meeting rooms for councillors and other important people. “It’s such an honor to be invited here. Congratulations on your engagement!”

  “Thanks. We’re thrilled,” Zawne said. “How about you? Are you seeing anyone?”

  “Nope. I’ve got too much on my plate right now with the company.”

  Zawne talked about being with Lordin as though it was all he cared about in life. I found myself a touch jealous that I didn’t have that same love. And like so many times over the past year, I found myself thinking about Roki. I wondered where he was. I wondered if he had found somebody new.

  Inside the parlor, Lordin lay on a large, plush sofa with her eyes half-shut. I was surprised when she perked up at my entrance, shone her bright white teeth at me, and said, “Welcome, Kaelyn. I am so glad you could come.”

  “Me too,” I told her. Then I bit my lip hesitantly and said, “You’re even more stunning in person,” feeling an instant wash of embarrassment after I said it. But it was true. With her strong jaw, pointed chin and big blue eyes, Lordin was as cute as a button. No wonder Zawne was crazy about her!

  “I appreciate you saying so,” she said. “Please, Kaelyn, take a seat.”

  Lordin gestured to a chair across from her sofa, and I sat down. Zawne sat down beside Lordin, and I smiled as she slithered into the nook of his armpit and nuzzled her head against his chest. It looked cozy there. I thought for sure she would fall asleep.

  “Are you all right?” I asked. Lordin looked fatigued beyond reason. I noticed her eyelids were a touch red, as if she’d been crying.

  “Yes, I am quite all right. Sorry, Kaelyn, I just didn’t get enough sleep last night.” Lordin spoke with heavy eyelids, purring into Zawne’s side like a cat. “But you, dear.” She smiled. “You are beautiful, a true daughter of Gaard.”

  Now I was the one blushing. Could she mean it, that I was beautiful? Had Lordin never looked in the mirror?

  “We should get to business,” I said, suddenly awkward and clumsy. “You sent a letter saying you have a proposition for me. What is it?”

  Lordin tried to speak but was arrested by a long yawn. Zawne answered in her stead.

  “We have been watching what you’re doing with GMAF,” he said. “And truth be told, we love it. We love it a lot. With Lordin’s new position as my betrothed …” He squeezed her thigh, so intimately that it made me blush.

  “Sorry.” Zawne cleared his throat. “With Lordin as my wife-to-be, the fact is we may be raised to the status of king and queen. There is also a chance that I will become the next clan leader of Shondur. If that happens at the coronation next year, Lordin and I must relocate out of the capital and back to my native land.”

  I could already feel where this was going. I was anxious. Could they really want me to …?

  “We need someone strong, capable, and upholding of Decens-Lenitas to take over Lordin’s charitable works,” Zawne explained. “As the head of your own foundation, with your high-profile lineage and the fact that you’re unwed and, sorry to say it, have a low chance of being queen, we want you to begin transitioning Lordin’s beloved projects over to GMAF. This means a ton more funding, more manpower, a bigger office, more responsibility, and more ways you can change Geniverd for the better.”

  “Yes,” Lordin said, sounding so weak I was surprised she had the energy to speak, “my work must continue. It is imperative that you take over from me as the lead on all my charity projects and volunteer organizations. I want this very badly, Kaelyn. It is important to me that you make the decision now. I need to see you’re committed to helping the people. Only then can I …” She licked her lips and choked back emotion. Something was definitely bothering her, something other than lack of sleep. “Only then can I rest well tonight,” she finished.

  Whatever bothered Lordin had no effect on Zawne. He was all smiles, caressing Lordin’s back, stroking her hair. He loved her so much!

  “I say yes!” I declared, way too loudly. I was nervous and had lost control of my voice. It cracked as I said, “I mean, that would be acceptable, Lordin. I really appreciate the opportunity and your trust in me. As the most beloved woman in the kingdom—and the most visinized—your belief means a lot to me. Really, it does.”

  “I’m glad,” she said. “I feel that our interpretation of Decens-Lenitas is the same. I feel, Kaelyn, that we are of the same heart, the same cloth.”

  I couldn’t believe what Lordin was saying. She and I, of the same cloth? Could it be true? And the whole time, Zawne was petting Lordin and smiling at me. Was I in a freaking dream?

  “We need you to sign the papers right away,” Zawne said. “I’ve prepared the necessary documents to transfer ownership, funds, and other technical details from Lordin’s private work over to you.” He gestured to a small stack of papers on the table between us. “Will you sign them?”

  I beamed widely. “Do you have a pen?”

  “It went well,” I said to Tissa. We were in the office the morning after I had accepted Lordin’s offer, going through the insane amount of paperwork that had flooded in overnight. “Lordin was different in person. She was tired. Like, really tired. It made me wonder if something more hadn’t been going on behind the scenes.”

  “Like what?” Tissa asked.

  I crinkled my nose. “I’m not sure. It was just a gut feeling, you know? Something felt off.”

  “But how was Zawne? Is he as handsome in person as he is on the—?”

  I rolled my eyes at Tissa. “I can’t answer that, not with the way he and Lordin were totally in love with each other. It would be inappropriate of me to call Zawne handsome … which he was!”

  She giggled. “I knew it!”

  “Seriously,” I said, “Zawne and Lordin are the most lovey-dovey duo I have ever met. At one point, after I had signed all the documents, Lordin fell asleep, and Zawne quietly told me about their first date. It was so magical!”

  “Magical how?” Tissa asked. She had forgotten all about her work. “Tell me. I must know!”

  I straightened up. “Okay, here’s the deal. Zawne told me they first met at Prince Jaken’s homecoming ceremony, two years ago, after his Aska training. Zawne was in the crowd, and Lordin came out on stage with the Grucken. He told me how beautiful she had looked to him, speaking into the microphone, congratulating the bold warriors on their hard years of struggle and training. Lordin was showering the warriors with praise, telling them all how proud Geniverd was of them. But all that Zawne could concentrate on were the blue oceans in her eyes.”

  I sighed, getting soft at my own telling of Zawne’s story. “Once Lordin got off the stage, Zawne scrambled through the crowd, looking for her. He completely ignored the throngs of young women and heiresses keen on trying to seduce him and found Lordin on the other side of the room. He was out of breath when he got to her. Zawne pulled her aside and said, ‘I know this is inappropriate. You might not even know who I am, so I apologize. But your beauty has arrested me. I must see more of you, Lordin. Can we meet?’”

  I was giggling now. “Isn’t that great, Tiss? It was love at first sight. Obviously, Lordin agreed to the date, but they kept it secret. They met at Lithern Shrine in the Grucken’s training complex early one morning. Zawne arrived in his blue steel flyrarc like an action hero. Lordin made him tea. They lingered around Lithern Shrine all day and were in love before nightfall. They continued to see each other in secret for over a year.”

  “That’s kind of hot,” Tissa said, getting all flustered. “I wish I could have a secret romance … Well, any romance would do. A secret romance with a rich prince would do better.”

  “You will have your time,” I assured her. “Your day
is coming. Actually, I wanted to mention something to you about my brother, Raad. Maybe if—”

  “Be careful, Tiss.” Nnati entered the room and cut me off. “You could find yourself on the throne!”

  Tissa and I winked at each other. I’d save that conversation for another time. I knew that Tissa would absolutely gush if I told her my brother was interested in a date with her.

  Later that evening, when I was alone in my apartment, my mind returned to Lordin’s moist eyes and her sunken body. I turned my visin on and flicked to the celebrity channel, hoping to catch a glimpse of her looking more cheerful. I flipped onto the news channel for a moment first and saw that there had been another fire, this time a huge inferno that had swallowed some nobleman’s nine-story castle in the northern Lodden mountains, where he and his family went skiing in the winter. The fire was so strong it had melted the stones and left a brown spot in the snow, but somehow there were no casualties at all. The reports on the news were starting to call the arsonist “the Gurnot Dragon.”

  I finally reached the celebrity channel and gasped at what I saw on the screen.

  Lordin has been found dead on a walkway near Sud Cottage, where she lived with Prince Zawne. There are reports that she was decapitated with a cleaver.

  Chapter 4

  I was still in shock at the funeral a month later. It was hard to comprehend that Lordin was dead. I had watched her for so many years on the visin, then finally been invited into her home and embraced as a friend, only to have her gone the next day. I had spent the last month in shock. The only thing that had kept me sane was focusing on the overload of work that she had passed on to me. It made me wonder, Did Lordin know she was going to die?

  “Bad way to go, huh?” Nnati asked. He stood to my left, Tissa on my right. We were watching the crowd of mourners cry as everyone readied themselves for the traditional Gaard burial. We were to walk Lordin’s remains one mile to her ultimate resting place on land acquired by VondRust Palace on Zawne’s behalf.