Page 73 of The Kingdom's Crown

One hand rose up to shield Bryony's eyes, but I saw her bottom lip trembling.

"Mistress, you'll make as fine a mother as you will a queen," Owen offered sweetly, but Bryony's lip only shook harder until she ground her teeth together.

"Bryony, there's more than one answer to this problem," I said softly.

Her hand whipped away, eyes glossy as she stared up at me. "Is there?"

"Do you…do you feelreadyto be a mother?" I asked carefully.

Bryony blinked up at me and the answer seemed clear on her face, but she took a slow breath and released it before speaking. "I could be. But, stars, not forthem! And I… This is not the Kimmery I want to bring a child into. Oh! And what if Camellia or someone connected to the council might try to harm them as they have me? No, I can't!"

I made soft hushing sounds, beating Daniel to gathering Bryony to my chest, wrapping my arms around her shoulders. "We should find out what your mother thinks of the proposal. At the very least impress upon her that it isherright to name succession, not the council's." Bryony nodded against me, breaths slowing again.

"I have to be careful with her, she'd probably be delighted at the idea of her daughters both trying to have children. She's delighted with everything," Bryony added in a dark mutter. "In the meantime though, I think I know what to do about Camellia."

"Do you?" Aric asked, he and I both frowning with surprise.

Bryony nodded and pulled away from me, smiling slightly at all of us. "Of course. Mourning ends in a week. I'll just have to keep her very busy. I've been thinking of this anyway. I'll host a ball."

My brow furrowed as I tried to chase the line of thought. "A ball?"

"A fencing tournament and then a ball, I think," Bryony said with a nod. She wiggled between Daniel and Owen, heading for Nora's writing desk. "A local hunt too, I think. We'll invite the noble families to the castle, they usually come this time of year anyway. A hunt, lots of feasts. Card games in the evening."

"Bryony…public events aren't known to prevent your sister from um…making a show of it with her Chosen. They won't necessarily keep her distracted," Cosmo said.

Finally I understood, a laugh breaking through the tight feeling in my chest since I'd left the council. "Youwanther to make a fool of herself," I said. "Like she did at the funeral."

Bryony was already busy scribbling her plans, but she spared me a wicked smile. "I will, of course, have to make a fewdiscreteexhibitions myself. Mother loves this kind of thing, and she's taken to whining a bit about the length of mourning. Aric, I'm afraid you'll have to reconcile yourself to some extravagance."

Aric scoffed and stalked to Bryony, bending over her in her chair and pushing her hair to one side to kiss her throat as she continued to write. "I'll do you one better, princess. We'll fill every event, every evening, with magical displays to dazzle your fool nobles."

"Oh!" Bryony gasped and arched as Aric's hand disappeared down her collar. "Yes, yes, I like that."

Thao grinned. "Finally, we get to enjoy ourselves again." I followed him toward Bryony, the others close at our backs, all ready to descend upon our clever princess. Thao sank to his knees, and Aric turned Bryony's chair toward him. "You'll have tigers at your hunt, Your Highness. What other Kimmerian queen could boast of that?"

I picked up Bryony's notes from the desk as Thao lifted Bryony's skirt and Aric fought the bodice of her dress down. There was a great deal of planning to do, but even more magic to be made first.

19

Bryony

“For the woman who trounced her way through more than half of Kimmery's best fencers, you look very much the delicate princess now."

I scowled at the mirror, even as I added a little extra stain to my bottom lip. "Don't remind me. I'm still sore over the losses."

Morgan laughed. "I imagine that's how many of the men feel."

"I've been too out of practice since I returned south. If I wasn't so rusty—"

"Stars, youarea sore loser."

I whipped around to glare at Morgan, but her jaw dropped as I faced her, gaze taking a very flattering path over me and back again. I glanced back into the mirror. I did think I looked pretty. It was nice just to be out of mourning and able to wear colors again, and while pastels might've been more appropriate, they were also the most popular shades in fashion lately. My gown was a deep shade of turquoise in a sheer fabric, pale and gauzy around my breasts and at the full skirt, and the color of dense evergreens in the mountains at my waist. It was beaded with vivid blood-red flowers and golden vines that caged my hips and waist, blooming up to my breasts to hide the sheer quality of the fabric. There was something almost gruesome about it at first glance, striking and shocking, but undeniably beautiful.

"Are you trying to make Kimmerian dressmakers go mad? That cut is…"

"It's new. Do you like it?" I asked, twisting side to side.

Morgan scowled at me, flapping her arms that were swallowed by the enormous volume of sleeves. My sleeves were just beaded lace cupped below my bare shoulders. "I am very cross with you for not sharing it sooner. I feel like a cream puff, and you look… It's a bit risqué somehow, though I can't place why."

---