Page 39 of Queen of Legends and Lies
Hands reach out to help, but I swat them away as I whisper his name. “Sterling… Please, please, please.” I blink hard, squeezing my eyes tight, trying to coax out tears.
Eldor crouches beside me. “Careful, Lark. He’s still corrupted.”
“But I can?—”
“If you try to heal him in his weakened state, it might kill him. His body needs non-magical attention first. In a safe place where he can be guarded.”
Though every fiber of my being screams to break the rules, to use my tears to heal Sterling immediately, Eldor’s right. I have to wait.
I stumble backward, watching helplessly as Agnar and two of the guards carry him inside. Alannah trails behind them, thanking the gods as tears stream down her wrinkled cheeks.
Bastian looks like he might follow but stops, glancing between my sister and me with concern.
The Tirenese people gawk, their eyes wide, their whispers buzzing like angry bees.
They’ve seen me fail, seen me powerless to cleanse Sterling of the corruption. Not a good morale booster in my first hour as queen.
“Lark.” Eldor’s grip on my arm tightens. “Remember who you are now. The queen. You can’t do anything for Knox just yet, but you must do something for your people before they lose faith.”
He’s right.
I gaze around, spot a maid, and gesture to her to bring me a drink. I need a moment to gather the shards of my composure.
The maid retreats and almost instantaneously returns with a golden goblet. “As you requested, Your Highness.”
“Thank you.” I have no idea where she found such a thing on short notice, but it’s perfect.
I sip, take a deep breath, and climb back onto the temporary dais, careful not to dislodge the heavy crown. When I raise my hands, the clamor dies down, giving way to silence, to attention.
Unexpected but welcome.
“Tonight, we’ve witnessed a miracle and reclaimed someone we feared was lost. Thanks to three brave Aclarians, KnoxBarda, the Crown Prince of Tirene, has returned. The gods have truly blessed us.” I lift my chin, fighting to appear steady despite the tremor in my soul. “As your queen, I will lead the fight against Xenon and the drachen to the best of my abilities, with Prince Knox at my side. Please, join me in praying for his swift recovery.”
As far as speeches go, I’ve heard better, but all around me, people whisper prayers to the gods, so at least they listened.
I give them a moment. When the prayers come to a close, I continue. “These are perilous times for Tirene, and I’m grateful to all of you for being here, for putting your faith in me. But above all, I want to thank you for your love and loyalty to Tirene. Tonight, please join me in celebrating our kingdom and every person who is a part of it.”
With that, I lift the glass and gulp down more wine as cheers swell around me.
“Long live Queen Lark! Queen Lark!”
The chant goes on for several seconds. All I can do is force a smile and stand there until it dies down.
“Long live Tirene!” I gesture to the closest musicians.
The music starts up again, hesitant at first, then blossoming with confidence. The scent of spiced wine drifts on the breeze, mingling with the perfume of night-blooming flowers.
As the crowd disperses toward the revelries, my gaze lingers on the path to the infirmary where Sterling lies beyond my reach. For now, I stand firm, Queen of Tirene.
While I was busy, the council arranged themselves like pieces on a chessboard. They’re all eyes and whispers as they grill Helene, Elijah, and Celeste.
With the crowd distracted, I step down and join them just in time to hear Celeste.
“When they came back to Flighthaven after checking on their families, they found me hiding. We formed a plan to get theprince away from Xenon, then waited for the right opportunity to escape.” Celeste tilts her head toward me, taking in my finery like she’s seeing me for the first time. “Lark, or, Your Highness,” color rises to her cheeks, “I'm so glad to see you’re safe. We didn’t mean to interrupt your coronation.”
“No need to apologize. I’m beyond grateful for what you’ve done.” I gesture to her companions. “For what you’ve all done. And Knox will be grateful, too, once he’s…himself. How did you manage to get him here?”
Celeste winces, ducks her head, and glances up at me through her thick lashes. “I had to tranquilize him but didn’t use a full dose. Only enough kerrymean to knock him out for the flight here. He should wake up very soon.”
