Page 26 of The Dragon Queen

Was it?

Daisy fixed the wig in place and then stepped back, gesturing to the gilt-framed mirror set up at one end of the room.

I didn’t know the girl, no, woman reflected in the glass. She was a version of myself that had never experienced my step-family’s cruelty. There would’ve been no need for her to fight her way back into my family estate and rescue Glimmer’s egg from being smashed to the ground. This girl would’ve greeted the dragon riders when they visited my estate, be welcomed in before I was brought before Glimmer’s egg. Gods, maybe I would’ve been brought to court and bonded with her on the sands. No pigs, no lice, no need to shave my head, I wondered what sort of queen that Pippin would’ve been. I’d never know because I wasn’t that girl anymore, but for today… The wig felt odd, itchy, and hot already. Today I could pretend.

“You have done great work, Madame Daisy,” I told her. “The prince… the king will be pleased.”

“Really? Milady… Highness, you look like the queens of old.” Her teeth worried her bottom lip. “What was her name? I never paid attention in history. Inara?”

I wondered how long and hard she’d worked because the poor woman looked beside herself. The lines on her face were becoming more apparent as tears pricked her eyes. I moved forward to comfort her, to try to make sure Draven hadn’t pushed her too hard, but didn’t get a chance. The man himself came strolling in through the door.

His tailor had worked just as hard. The severe black of a rider dress uniform had been elaborated upon. Rich fabrics, intricate detailing, all subtle and yet making clear the sheer number of hours to make something like this, created a sombre gravitas. That was somewhat alleviated when he smiled at me.

“I realised when you were away that trying to turn you into the kind of queen my mother was would’ve been a nightmare.” He took my hands in his and then inspected me slowly. “You aren’t, will never be like that bitch, so why would I even try? No, you are the kind of warrior queen we need at this time.”

But I wasn’t, I wanted to tell him. I was a bookish queen. A queen of quiet corners and contemplation. He clicked his fingers, another footman scurrying forward with the final part of my costume. A sword of all things, it was slender and made from blackand gold materials. I suspect it was just for show because it was quite light as he strapped it to my side.

“You’re going to forgive me for everything I must do today.” This was whispered almost into my ear. “Tell me that is so.”

Telling anyone that was foolish, but… whether he mourned them or not, today Draven was burying the last of his immediate family and that earned him some leeway.

“I’ve forgiven you everything you’ve done thus far.”

He jerked back, eyes wide, the mask slipping for just a second, a troubled look crossing his face before he smoothed his expression into a neutral one.

“If you can do that, then we might just survive all of this.”

But at what cost?

We walkeddown the palace’s grand staircase to find the rich and the powerful forming an honour guard for us. We walked past Draven’s Nithian relatives, earls and marquis, but only Stefan winked at us. The representatives from each of the three remaining duchies were there as well, heads bent, only their finery identifying who they were. Then there were the officers of the dragon corp, standing military straight and staring straight ahead, perfectly at attention. Beyond that were the doors of the palace and the people of Nevermere.

Merchants and the upper middle class had found positions closest to the palace. We climbed into an open carriage, the black shrouded coffins to precede us. Darkspire landed on the ground at the rear, letting out a god-awful roar to alert all and sundry of his role. What Draven did, he did with the support of dragon kind.

Well, at least some of them.

Hadrian landed on the roof of the palace, several other male dragons I didn’t know staring down as we passed. They observed, but did they support us? We would never know unless they wished us too.

No sign of Cynane,I said to Glimmer, who sat perched up on the front seat of the carriage.

She conserves her energy,my dragon replied.

From the long trip, I assumed. That made sense. She’d lived in the world since before the reign of Queen Inara, someone Draven unconsciously had sought to draw parallels between in his choice of costume for me. I couldn’t ponder any other queen’s fate right now, not when I was required to pretend I was one.

Chapter 14

The procession from the palace to the church was like some terrible dream.

The city was usually a bustle of activity, the noise of it hard for me to adjust to after living all my life on my country estate, but now? I looked around, the silence growing thicker and denser by the second. The people of Nevermere had come out in force to mark the passing of their monarchs. Face after face turned into a blur, caps pulled off, heads lowered.

All but theirs.

Marcus stood in the crowd, several feet back from the road.

No forelock tugging for him, he stared across the heads of those crowded around him, a smirk spreading across his face. Draven caught the way I stiffened, following my gaze. His hand snapped out, gripping mine as he sucked in a breath, ready to break the silence. I tugged on his hand, shaking my head. A nod made clear that Marcus hadn’t come alone.

Lance looked so much older. This was a man standing by the side of the road, not a boy anymore. Jenkins was still too small, something that now made my teeth ache. Billy and Harley stood by their sides, arms crossed. I saw curiosity and question in theirexpressions, as well as some accusation. It was the pain in their eyes that had my throat working, my lips moistening, ready to say something, anything. I didn’t speak, instead raising a fist and then slapping it down on my chest in the salute we’d all learned as cadets. Marcus frowned as Jenkins looked at Lance, as if waiting for a cue as to how to react, but Lance returned the gesture, even sparing me a small smile. Marcus caught the exchange between us, frowning before drawing the boys away.

We passed them as well, the church looming larger the closer we got until finally we drew to a stop. Riders marched from their position in the circle that had formed around the church courtyard, approaching the two coffins. As they shouldered them, carrying the coffins into the church, Draven took my hand and helped me from the carriage. He went to do the same for Glimmer, but she launched herself from the side of the carriage, fluttering down to the ground. A small titter in the crowd rose but was quickly stifled before we turned to follow the coffins inside.

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