Page 22 of Their Queen

My mouth dropped open in shock as the pieces clicked together. “You’re Callum’s sister.”

Chapter Sixteen: Rhowyn

She smiled at me indulgently. “That I am.” She was flawlessly beautiful. Slender, tall, and elegant. She wore an understated dress that was clearly of high quality but had minimal design. Pulled back into a low, chic bun, her auburn hair gleamed with golden highlights and the same greenish, hazel eyes I had come to know and love. Her smile was easier to achieve than Callum’s, but I could sense the same fierceness and loyalty underneath.

“Does he know?” I asked as my mind whirled with the possibilities. A part of me feared he wouldn’t know how to react to this development, though I hoped he was happy to find out that he still had family left. From what he had told me, I had assumed that they had all died, but it seemed that I was wrong.

“That, I don’t know. I haven’t spoken or seen my brother in decades; too many years to count.” She said sadly before brushing it off. “But while he was gone, I managed to pull together what was left of our people, moving our castle and hiding it from that odious usurper, waiting for the opportunity that we could finally strike back. Seems like that time is now.”

I stood there, dumbfounded and unable to form a sentence, as I looked around. There was a blacksmith and armory, soldiers decked out in armor coming and going from various buildings, and women who hustled back and forth with stacks of items. All of them rushed about their tasks as if they were indeed preparing for a battle.

“It’s all yours now. Everything we have done has been for this moment. For you to lead us against Titania, to save Avalon from her clutches. My parents died trying to stand against her, but I believe it was all for a purpose. Avalonia has led us all here for this. My soldiers, my keep, my life. They are yours now to command,” she told me gently, kneeling with her last words to bow her head, a hand over her chest in fealty. As if the rest of the occupants had been waiting for her lead, they all stopped in their tracks, kneeling as well. “Our lives are yours to command,” she said.

If I’d thought I was dumbfounded before, then now I was completely flabbergasted. Sure, my men had sworn fealty to me, and the people in the village had done so only after I had proven myself, but this was the first time that so many strangers had done so without me proving my merit. I peered out at all of them, my mouth working as my brain searched for words. Cyerra nudged my shoulder with hers as she said, “They’re waiting for you, You’re Majesty.” She smirked at me before also taking a knee.

“Thank you. I don’t deserve this.” I told the crowd, “But I promise I will do everything in my power to stop Titania and save Avalon. I endeavor to serve you, the people of this land, and to restore balance back to the kingdoms. Together, we can see Titania removed from the throne she should have relinquished years ago to make room for the rise of peace and prosperity. Please, stand,” I said, my words spoken so honestly that I was fighting tears at the loyalty and belief they sent my way.

Seeing their faces, I knew just how important my task was. It had been easy to ignore or hide from the truth when I had been sheltered, first in the capital and then in Brannoc’s home, but now that I’d been out in the world. I knew just who I was fighting so desperately for. Now, I understood Avalonia’s reasonings, and there was no turning back for me. These people needed me. Needed what only I could give them, what they deserved. No one should ever live under the rule of tyranny such as this, fearing the fate of their families and lives as they watched the land fall to ruin around them.

Through my travels alone, I was forced to face the stark difference from the still flourishing capital. The further we had trekked from the center of Avalon, the more destruction and devastation we had seen. All the way out here, it was almost a wasteland. There was almost nothing that I had come to associate with Avalon, such as the vibrant and rich forests, fields, and animals. There was very little of any of those things, and yet, the people here had chosen to devote their lives to our cause and for what was right. Avalonia had wanted me to see this for myself, to rely on my own strength to get here, and to gain the confidence I would need to rule this land and lead it into the future. She wanted me to give her people the futures they deserved, the one that was currently being stolen from them by Titania’s quest for power and invincibility.

“Please, come with me, and I’ll show you to a place you can rest and clean up,” Aurelia said, and I turned to follow her, nothing left to say after a greeting such as that one. So much had happened over the last several days, and my brain was trying to process it all.

A din rose from the people below us as we climbed the stairs that were leading us inside the Keep. We paused and turned to find a soldier running up to Aurelia, huffing out with reddened cheeks. “There are riders approaching.” He managed to huff out the words between breaths.

“How many?” I questioned the soldier, instantly on high alert as my eyes narrowed and body stiffened in preparation for battle. Whatever was coming was the reason that Avalonia had pushed me so hard to get here.

He turned to me, eyes widening as if just realizing I was there, so used to reporting to Aurelia instead of his Queen. “Y..Your Majesty.” He bowed to me, now fully flustered on top of his breathless state.

Losing patience, I did my best not to shake the information out of him as I asked again, “How many?”

“Ten,” he said firmly, finally snapping himself from his shock. “And they’re wearing the livery of the Queen’s guard.”

“Just watch them for now. They can’t see through the shield and glamor.” Aurelia started to give orders before realizing what she’d been doing. She turned to me, yielding the decision to me. “Anything else, Your Majesty?”

“Is it possible to take me somewhere that I can watch them as well?” I asked her. She might have confidence in her shield and glamor, but I still hated to rely solely on magic for our safety and survival.

“Of course. Drakon, show the Queen to the post,” Aurelia instructed the soldier. “I need to ensure the children are protected just in case.”

“Thank you,” I told her, then added, “And please, call me Rhowyn.”

She smiled at me as Cyerra and I followed Drakon to where we could watch the riders’ approach. As the other soldiers realized who was following behind him, they cleared out, giving us plenty of room to squeeze into a box beside the gate we had previously entered through. There were no adornments or furniture, just a small room made of stone that had slivers of windows to watch the approach of friends and foes. It reminded me of medieval archer windows, wide enough to fire upon enemies but narrow to prevent return arrows from entering. Cyerra and I both took separate ones as we investigated the arrival of the Queen’s forces.

From here, I could clearly see the ten riders, dust from their horses kicked up and billowing out behind them. When Drakon had first mentioned riders, I couldn’t help my first instinct that it was my men, but ten was too many. Even with my father and grandfather, there would have only been seven. I wasn’t a fool that didn’t think they’d follow me. Of course they would. Which was why this contingent of Queen’s guards that now rode straight for us was even more suspicious. Had they been following us? Or were they deserters from the army who heard about Avalonia’s commands to abandon Titania and fight for me? I turned to Cyerra, my unspoken questions hanging between us.

She shrugged, just as at a loss as I was, but as they continued to approach, it became evident that they knew exactly where we were. I couldn’t stand by after having somehow brought danger to these people’s front door. This was my fight, not theirs. My fault that they were here, no matter their purpose for being here. For decades, they had been able to stay under the radar, and after minutes of my arrival, the Keep was being sought out. There was no other explanation except that they were here for me.

“They’re not turning around?” Drakon asked, fear tinging his words. Had he ever had to fight for anything in his life? As much as I appreciated their sacrifices, Aurelia’s soldiers still seemed soft and comfortable. Green. Their hearts were in the right place, but they had yet to see the horrors of battle.

“No,” I told him. “They know we’re here.” My words were confident as I turned to exit the box and make my way out of the front gate. I’d face these soldiers who sought to tear down what I was trying to build, knowing I could handle such a small contingent of guards on my own.

“Your Majesty, what are you doing?” Aurelia yelled at me, her voice frantic and cast from the top of the stairs. Knowing the children were now safe, she rushed down the stairs to stop me.

“Protecting my people!” I yelled back at her over my shoulder as I stalked toward the gate. Turning to Cyerra, I told her before stepping through the now-open door, “Keep them back, please.”

She nodded, and I heard Callum’s sister arguing with Cyerra, that I must be protected. I smiled viciously. Maybe the other queens needed protection, but I wasn’t them. I was raised a fighter, and I would die protecting those who needed it. After all, it’s why Avalonia had chosen me.

The barrier was just before me, nothing between me and the walls of the Keep except burnished dirt, so hard and packed that nothing could grow. I stepped across the line, now beyond the shield and glamor, stopping once I knew the guards could see me. Refusing to look back or away, I stared them down as they barreled toward me.

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