Shattered Crowns
Chapter Two
"An arranged marriage? Are you okay with that?"
I frowned from where I was perched on the windowsill of Sorina's room. The princess was lying on her bed, gazing so hard at the ceiling I thought she was going to burn a hole right through it. Her fingers drummed restlessly on the blanket.
"I don't know," she said finally. "I'm the future queen of Everglen. It's my job, my duty, to do what's best for my people. More wars with the vampires doesn't seem best for them, now does it?"
"No," I agreed. The seemingly endless wars with the vampires of Morandaal had claimed far too many lives from Everglen. My own parents had been lost to vampire warriors when I was just a baby. Then I had ended up at the castle with many other orphaned children, and even then I showed promise as a fighter when they tested my aptitude. My mentor had suggested to the king and queen that I be trained publicly as a future Lady-in-Waiting to Sorina, and trained in secret to be her personal guard. We grew up spending most of our time together, and no one ever suspected that I was anything more than a loyal handmaiden.
But I probably knew Sorina better than anyone, even the king and queen. So I knew that she was trying to hide how terrified she was, and I also knew that she would do whatever was necessary to protect Everglen. If that meant marrying this mysterious prince we'd never even heard of before, then Sorina would do it.
I shifted on the window seat, glancing out the window at the castle grounds and the forested mountains beyond. It was a beautiful kingdom, full of serene mountain meadow and crystalline streams. From here it was hard to imagine the sort of carnage that came from the wars with Morandaal. I didn't like the idea of Sorina wading into the viper pit, but Sorina would never shirk her responsibilities.
"Well then," I said, "I guess we'll be visiting the good King Desmond soon."
King Ailwyn waited to make the announcement to the kingdom. He said he wanted to contact Desmond and Gemma first, to inform them that Sorina had agreed to the marriage alliance. I had the distinct feeling that he was just stalling as long as he could. Once the announcement was made, it would become real. I stood at Sorina's side as he addressed the nation.
"Queen Esebel and I recently returned from a meeting with the king and queen of Morandaal and their council. And we have finally reached an agreement to end these wars that have plagued our kingdoms for generations."
A murmur went through the assembled crowd, people's faces brightening as they looked at each other. I noticed Sorina tightly clenching the fabric of her gown in her fists and I nudged her gently.
"Relax," I whispered. "You're going to wrinkle your dress."
She pried her fingers apart and held her hands still at her sides. Ailwyn waited for the excited ripple to die down before he continued speaking.
"It has come to our knowledge that the vampire rulers have a son and heir. We have agreed that our own Princess Sorina will wed the prince of Morandaal, uniting our two kingdoms in a much needed and long awaited peace."
This time the reaction was less enthusiastic, some people frowning or gaping at the king like he'd lost his mind. He held up his hands for silence.
"I know this comes as a shock. But Everglen will be better off having the vampires as allies instead of enemies. The fighting is already ended; a ceasefire has been called on both sides, and now we can move forward and begin a new age. One not tainted with war. My dearest daughter will make this future possible for us."
He glanced back at us, and Sorina took a quick breath before stepping forward to stand beside her father.
"Nothing would please me more than to bring peace to my kingdom," she said. Her voice was soft but the assembly below was so quiet I wasn't even sure anyone was breathing.
"The war is over," Sorina continued. "Spread the word, so that all of Everglen may hear the news and rejoice!"
Her words seemed to renew and bolster the spirits of her gathered subjects, and there were cheers and bows from the crowd. I slipped quietly forward to Link arms with Sorina as we walked back into the castle. She let out a breath, her shoulders slumping slightly.
"You were great," I assured her. "And you'll be great. You're going to be the queen who helped to unite Morandaal and Everglen. They'll write songs and epic poems about you."
Sorina smiled wanly. "Only if I can do this without making a complete fool of myself," she replied. "What if I trip on my dress and fall on my face at the wedding?"
"Then the songs will have a more comedic bent," I teased and she swatted my arm. We convened in the throne room with Ailwyn and Esebel. Normally there would be several guards and councilmen in attendance, but there was only Balin; the head and only advisor who knew what my true role was. That meant the king and queen had truly serious matters to discuss.
"The Morandaali king and queen are sending an ambassador and a troop of their own best knights to escort you to the vampire kingdom," Ailwyn told us. I frowned.
"The prince isn't coming himself?" I asked.
"No," Ailwyn huffed. "So secretive, those vampires. They're a strange sort. Something about it being bad luck for you to have your first meeting on any soil that isn't Morandaal." He didn't seem at all impressed at this.
"With all due respect, I don't feel especially safe with a vampiric escort," I said.
"Neither do we," Ailwyn said. "Which is why we'll be sending a few of our own best knights as well. And of course you'll be there, Rowan, to keep an eye on things."
"Two eyes, Your Majesty."
He smiled faintly at that. "Esebel and I will set out to follow you some time later. We did all think it best to give you and Andrei a bit of time to get acquainted with one another before hosting the wedding."
I felt Sorina flinch ever so slightly at the word "wedding" but it didn't seem anyone else had noticed.
"When will the ambassador and his prized knights be arriving?" I asked.
"They should be here within the next three weeks," Esebel answered. Her eyes were at once warm and troubled as she regarded her daughter and then me.
"I'll send Talon to keep a watch," I volunteered, referring to the falcon I had trained with almost my entire life. "He can alert us even faster than the knight-watch when the ambassador is approaching."
Esebel rose from her throne and swept forward to embrace both of us. "Dear, dear girls," she murmured. "May the woodgods protect you both."
I could see the faint flicker of fear in Sorina's eyes as she glanced toward the window; in the direction of Morandaal. I reached out to squeeze her hand reassuringly and she gripped it tightly, eyes still trained on the ominous mountains in the distance.
I frowned from where I was perched on the windowsill of Sorina's room. The princess was lying on her bed, gazing so hard at the ceiling I thought she was going to burn a hole right through it. Her fingers drummed restlessly on the blanket.
"I don't know," she said finally. "I'm the future queen of Everglen. It's my job, my duty, to do what's best for my people. More wars with the vampires doesn't seem best for them, now does it?"
"No," I agreed. The seemingly endless wars with the vampires of Morandaal had claimed far too many lives from Everglen. My own parents had been lost to vampire warriors when I was just a baby. Then I had ended up at the castle with many other orphaned children, and even then I showed promise as a fighter when they tested my aptitude. My mentor had suggested to the king and queen that I be trained publicly as a future Lady-in-Waiting to Sorina, and trained in secret to be her personal guard. We grew up spending most of our time together, and no one ever suspected that I was anything more than a loyal handmaiden.
But I probably knew Sorina better than anyone, even the king and queen. So I knew that she was trying to hide how terrified she was, and I also knew that she would do whatever was necessary to protect Everglen. If that meant marrying this mysterious prince we'd never even heard of before, then Sorina would do it.
I shifted on the window seat, glancing out the window at the castle grounds and the forested mountains beyond. It was a beautiful kingdom, full of serene mountain meadow and crystalline streams. From here it was hard to imagine the sort of carnage that came from the wars with Morandaal. I didn't like the idea of Sorina wading into the viper pit, but Sorina would never shirk her responsibilities.
"Well then," I said, "I guess we'll be visiting the good King Desmond soon."
=.=.=
King Ailwyn waited to make the announcement to the kingdom. He said he wanted to contact Desmond and Gemma first, to inform them that Sorina had agreed to the marriage alliance. I had the distinct feeling that he was just stalling as long as he could. Once the announcement was made, it would become real. I stood at Sorina's side as he addressed the nation.
"Queen Esebel and I recently returned from a meeting with the king and queen of Morandaal and their council. And we have finally reached an agreement to end these wars that have plagued our kingdoms for generations."
A murmur went through the assembled crowd, people's faces brightening as they looked at each other. I noticed Sorina tightly clenching the fabric of her gown in her fists and I nudged her gently.
"Relax," I whispered. "You're going to wrinkle your dress."
She pried her fingers apart and held her hands still at her sides. Ailwyn waited for the excited ripple to die down before he continued speaking.
"It has come to our knowledge that the vampire rulers have a son and heir. We have agreed that our own Princess Sorina will wed the prince of Morandaal, uniting our two kingdoms in a much needed and long awaited peace."
This time the reaction was less enthusiastic, some people frowning or gaping at the king like he'd lost his mind. He held up his hands for silence.
"I know this comes as a shock. But Everglen will be better off having the vampires as allies instead of enemies. The fighting is already ended; a ceasefire has been called on both sides, and now we can move forward and begin a new age. One not tainted with war. My dearest daughter will make this future possible for us."
He glanced back at us, and Sorina took a quick breath before stepping forward to stand beside her father.
"Nothing would please me more than to bring peace to my kingdom," she said. Her voice was soft but the assembly below was so quiet I wasn't even sure anyone was breathing.
"The war is over," Sorina continued. "Spread the word, so that all of Everglen may hear the news and rejoice!"
Her words seemed to renew and bolster the spirits of her gathered subjects, and there were cheers and bows from the crowd. I slipped quietly forward to Link arms with Sorina as we walked back into the castle. She let out a breath, her shoulders slumping slightly.
"You were great," I assured her. "And you'll be great. You're going to be the queen who helped to unite Morandaal and Everglen. They'll write songs and epic poems about you."
Sorina smiled wanly. "Only if I can do this without making a complete fool of myself," she replied. "What if I trip on my dress and fall on my face at the wedding?"
"Then the songs will have a more comedic bent," I teased and she swatted my arm. We convened in the throne room with Ailwyn and Esebel. Normally there would be several guards and councilmen in attendance, but there was only Balin; the head and only advisor who knew what my true role was. That meant the king and queen had truly serious matters to discuss.
"The Morandaali king and queen are sending an ambassador and a troop of their own best knights to escort you to the vampire kingdom," Ailwyn told us. I frowned.
"The prince isn't coming himself?" I asked.
"No," Ailwyn huffed. "So secretive, those vampires. They're a strange sort. Something about it being bad luck for you to have your first meeting on any soil that isn't Morandaal." He didn't seem at all impressed at this.
"With all due respect, I don't feel especially safe with a vampiric escort," I said.
"Neither do we," Ailwyn said. "Which is why we'll be sending a few of our own best knights as well. And of course you'll be there, Rowan, to keep an eye on things."
"Two eyes, Your Majesty."
He smiled faintly at that. "Esebel and I will set out to follow you some time later. We did all think it best to give you and Andrei a bit of time to get acquainted with one another before hosting the wedding."
I felt Sorina flinch ever so slightly at the word "wedding" but it didn't seem anyone else had noticed.
"When will the ambassador and his prized knights be arriving?" I asked.
"They should be here within the next three weeks," Esebel answered. Her eyes were at once warm and troubled as she regarded her daughter and then me.
"I'll send Talon to keep a watch," I volunteered, referring to the falcon I had trained with almost my entire life. "He can alert us even faster than the knight-watch when the ambassador is approaching."
Esebel rose from her throne and swept forward to embrace both of us. "Dear, dear girls," she murmured. "May the woodgods protect you both."
I could see the faint flicker of fear in Sorina's eyes as she glanced toward the window; in the direction of Morandaal. I reached out to squeeze her hand reassuringly and she gripped it tightly, eyes still trained on the ominous mountains in the distance.