Page 4 of Crown of Iron
Esmeray takes the steps of the dais until we stand face to face. “I wish your sword would have pierced me. My army waits at the border, ready for the Statera Sibyl's wards protecting you this day to dissolve, so they can siege your land.” Esmeray looks back at my family and her eyes linger on my brother who looms over my mother with his hands on her shoulders. “I wouldn't mind adding him to the Stigian rankings one day. Has he come into his gift yet?”
“You disgusting bitch! Touch any of them and I will kill you,” I say.
“Enough!” the Sibyl says, nodding at my mother to release me.
Leif carefully takes his sword from my grip while the vines retreat to the rafters. I rub my arms and glare at the Stigian queen, hating her with every fiber of my being. If only I controlled fire like an Ignita; I'd light her up in flames and watch her burn.
“Let us get this over with, so you can be on your way,” Micah says, standing before me and forcing his sister to the side.
Now that the twin rulers are together, their similarities are clear: the warm tan of their skin, the slope of their noses, their matching bowed lips. They're the mirror image of each other. Except where Micah's eyes remain green, hers have permanently blackened with the unquenchable hunger for power which comes from siphoning.
“Are you sure this is your choice, brother? I could crack her pretty neck with a snap of my fingers,” Esmeray says, eyeing me over.
“Lay your hand upon her, say the words, and then leave,” Micah growls.
“Very well.” Esmeray places her palm on my head, leaving room for Micah to do the same. She studies my face and one side of her lip lifts, taunting me to make good on my threats.
Micah's hand joins hers and my anger eases. My shoulders relax and I release a breath, tilting my head into his touch.
My skin prickles as their dueling powers flow through me: hot and cold, earth and water, light and dark, life and death. It’s balanced… perfect. All the elements joining to be the embodiment of the Statera. This is the power meant for just one, the firstborn of their line. The birth of fraternal twins split the most powerful gift in two, leaving siblings who never see eye to eye to rule the land. A chasm may spread between them, but when together, they flawlessly embody the Statera's gifts to our people.
The Sibyl remains indifferent to the animosity between the siblings. They lift their arms over us and chant the ancient blessing that binds me to their line, proclaiming me as the next ruler of half of the land. My anointment can't be undone; Micah can never find me unfit to rule. As long as I live, the Lucent crown is promised to me. And when the time comes, Micah will travel to Stigian to bless the one Esmeray chooses to succeed her.
Until Lucent and Stigian reunite and become the Pliris kingdom again, the anointment ceremony will be the only times when our people will be at peace with one another.
I look beyond the shoulders of the king and queen to find my fatherstanding tall with the Stigian guards. He stares at me, but I don't find the love, strength, and comfort I once did. His eyes are void of all emotions, like he’s been drained of his feelings. Was his life here too much to bear? Were my sisters, brother, and I too much to care for? Was my mother's love not enough? He fought for the freedom of our people yet sold himself—his inaccessible power—in exchange for a simple, carefree life. Why?
Tears spill down my cheeks, and my lips form the wordplease.
A slight movement next to my father's thigh draws my attention. His fingers move with familiar gestures. He taught me sign language as a child. It was our special way of communicating. A little secret that we could keep from most of the world. The phrase slowly takes shape, and I meet his stony stare to still find nothing. But I know what I saw. He still loves me, my mother, our family, and Lucent.
The hands at my head move away, and I'm left cold and empty as the twins' united powers retreat. Or maybe it is the detachment on my father's face causing the hollow feeling. Either way, I wish I could fold in on myself. I'm aching to surrender to the violent emotions simmering deep within me. I'm desperate for them to replace the unbearable emptiness.
Esmeray leans into her brother. Revulsion seeps from her as she says, “Return what you have stolen, and I will return your general.”
“I have not the faintest idea what you speak of, sister.”
“Do not insult me with your blatant lies.”
Micah remains unaffected by his sister's outburst as he repeats the law granting both Lucent and Stigian the right to choose where their loyalties lie. “All who pass between our kingdoms may come andgoof their own free will.”
Hope rises within me; my father could choose to stay. If he loves us and doesn't want to leave, all he has to do is watch Esmeray walk out and remain here. I curl my middle fingers, holding my pinkie and thumb wide. With my palm down and at my side, I thrust it forward, signing for him to stay.
Esmeray spins, her long hair whipping my arms, and struts down the steps. My quiet plea goes unanswered as my father falls in line with her, as does the rest of her entourage. Like vapor in the summer sun, my hope dissipates.
My littlest sister's cries fill the sanctuary as my father passes without sparing my family a glance. My mother holds her back, and my brotherwraps his arm around Salone. All of them have tears trailing down their faces as the man we love so dearly walks away.
“I present unto you, the future sovereign of Lucent,” the Sibyl says. “May she rule with a pure heart, a just hand, a wise mind, and be the embodiment of the Statera's immaculate balance.”
A chorus of voices rings out, saying, “Blessed be Raelle, the princess of Lucent.”
The Sibyl places a heavy crown upon my head, and I fight to stand tall under its weight.
Two
Paper lanterns hanging from the branches of tall, bushy trees illuminate everything in a buttery glow… even the pity hidden behind the partygoers' smiles. The soothing music played by a quartet does nothing to drown out all the whispers.
“What a weak and selfish man to leave his family for Stigian.”
