Page 70 of Steeling Light
He shakes his head. “No, I’m not. That… that was Mother’s seat, and I’m not like her. My light doesn’t shine like yours does. Lee, she’d want you to have it.”
Rhion’s hand is on my back, slowly caressing me through my traveling leathers. “Your brother’s right,” he says.
Darian chuckles. “Is that the first time you’ve ever said that? Are we becoming friends, Rhion?”
My betrothed chuckles, but his hand doesn’t stop. Phantari watch us silently. Their nameless faces hidden behind their cloaks. I remind myself that, unlike the Great Houses, this isn’t necessarily permanent. Counts and Countesses may give up their crowns if they wish. The one who’d sat on the Crystal Throne before my mother waited until she came back from Draenyth to give up her seat.
A crown I could give up… The thought is strange, but as I look around the room at the multitude of people staring silently at the three of us, I have a hard time believing I could ever live up to my mother. She’d belonged here. She’d wanted this crown along with the responsibilities. I’m just… the most obvious successor.
My mother became the Goddess of Hope. What better person could have led the House of Light? I look to Rhion. “How do you do it? How do you know the shoes you’re trying to fill and still step into them? I feel like anyone in this room could do a better job than me.”
He shakes his head solemnly, all laughter gone from his face. “Ainslee, no one in this room shines as brightly as you. Plus, Sidon is the one who suggested you take this seat, and I’m more than a little hesitant to ignore him. I really don’t want to see him angry.”
With a deep breath, I nod. “I know, and maybe it is right. I think I’m just nervous.”
He takes my hand in his and raises it to his lips. He gives my fingers a soft kiss that feels both formal and silly at the same time. “You don’t have to be afraid of anything. You are perfection, and I have never known a woman more capable of surprising everyone, including herself. Plus, I’ll be at your side, rain or shine. And together, I know we can do anything.”
I give him a smile, and I don’t let the fear get in the way this time. I take the steps toward the throne made of zircon, and unceremoniously plop down on it. Immediately, one of the phantari steps away from the rest of them, carrying a crystal crown. “Ainslee Emlyn,” the creature declares, “daughter of Adelynne Emlyn, has claimed the Crystal Crown.”
A shiver runs down my spine, and I sit up a little straighter. “She claims dominion of the House of Light and all lands owned by it. She claims the rights given to her in the First According of Selithar to act on behalf of her people. She will be our monarch, our guide, and our primary caretaker. Her will is law within our House and Keep. Her words on the Council are our words made singular.”
The phantari moves behind me as he continues to speak. “She may step down if she wishes. She may freely give her crown to another, but until that day, she is our Countess, and we will obey her will.”
He places the crystal crown on my head, and it rests snugly across my forehead. The weight is more than I expected, and yet instead of feeling weighed down by it, I sit up even straighter. I am not just Ainslee Emlyn. I am not worthless. I am the Countess of Light. I will no longer be led by another. I will stand tall and be the voice of the House I was so terrified of for my entire life.
“Let her Light lead us through the darkness. Let her voice guide us. Let us trust in her as much as we trust the moon shall rise.”
The audience explodes in applause as the crowning ritual ends, and I smile, first at the crowd, and then at Rhion, and finally at Darian. The two people in the world I am closest to are beside me. Darian may not have been willing to claim the Crystal Throne, but he won’t leave me to lead by myself. And Rhion… Rhion will always be at my side.
I may not have planned to rule a House, but sometimes you can’t plan your life. Sometimes, you just have to accept the path that lies in front of you.
And mine includes following in my mother’s footsteps. I just hope I make her proud.
Tonight, Rhion isn’t with me. He’s gone back to Draenyth for the night through a set of enchanted mirrors he’s set up between the Houses that will allow us to quickly go to each other whenever we want. If I’m to rule the House of Light, and he’s to rule the House of Steel, we need to be available to both of our people.
Which means we needed a good way to move between the two. Luckily, Rhion happens to be the best enchanter in the world, and after he claimed the Steel Throne, he seems to be even better at it—according to him. I have no idea what he’s doing half the time, but being able to walk from Draenyth to Selithar and back any time of day is a very handy trick.
Tonight, though, I’m alone, and it doesn’t bother me at all. The City of Moonlight is quiet as I sit on top of the Keep of Light, my thoughts wandering. Tonight is a new moon, the only time that the city doesn’t shine, and because of it, no one is wandering the streets.
I’m the new Countess of Light. I’m going to be married to Rhion in only a few more days. My brother is happy and well, and he seems to be pursuing Maeve’s cousin. The world is free of Gethin, and already, the world is healing. There is talk of women becoming pregnant now that Echo sits on the Shadow Throne.
The only thing that’s missing is Cole. What happened to him was a tragedy. I’ve spent my life beside him, following his every word and wish. I’ve trained with him, laughed with him, and plotted with him. He was one of my best friends throughout my entire life. I know that if it cost him his life to heal the world from the Shattering, he’d have driven a blade through his heart a very long time ago.
So, I don’t mourn his passing into the void. But I miss him. He’d have loved to see Rhion and me. He may not have had as close of a relationship with Rhion as I did, but he didn’t blame my soon-to-be husband for the acts of his father. Cole knew what it was like to be raised by a madman.
“You look beautiful, Ainslee,” a soft voice says from behind me, interrupting thoughts of my best friend.
I whirl around to see my mother, who is so different from the woman I remember that it’s only her eyes that tell me who she is. Glowing with a golden light, she’s a beacon in the night. Her skin is alabaster white, and she’s wearing a nearly sheer dress that has to be made of gold with the way it shines in her light. From her knees down, the dress turns crimson as if soaked in blood, and yet, it still shines. Even though it’s so reminiscent of a woman who’s waded through a battlefield, it’s beautiful and makes me smile.
“Mother,” I whisper, and she smiles just like she always has. “You’re alive. Maerlix told me you were, but it’s hard to believe something until you’ve seen it. But here you are.”
She walks across the ramparts to where I stand between the stone crenels that protect archers from soldiers on the ground. Yet, when she walks, her feet don’t truly touch the ground. She floats like when I have pixie wings, but there are no wings on her back.
When she stands in front of me, her hand reaches for my cheek, and I understand it then. She truly is changed. Not like when Maeve became High Fae. No, this is… this is like a spider becoming High Fae. She is a goddess.
I sink into her touch like a sick child being held by her mother. “I’ve missed you,” I whisper.
“I’ve been watching. Always. You will make a wonderful Countess, Ainslee.” Somehow, her words and touch let me feel emotions I’ve never dared to accept. Praise. Love that’s so different, and yet just as strong as Rhion’s. “I am so proud of everything you’ve done. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you when you were hurt. It happened so quickly, and I… I did not understand my powers. I tried…”
