Page 133 of Ashes of Gold
JHAMAL KYNTE MALIX
NONE MORE LOYAL.
NONE MORE BRAVE.
I take off my crown, setting it beside me, and bunch up my skirt fabric to fashion a pillow. I lie down beside his headstone and trace circles in the dirt.
“I dreamed of you,” I say. “It was both of us at the ceremony. You set a cloak on my shoulders and said, ‘I told you so,’ when they crowned me.” I chuckle, wiggling to get more comfortable. “I’ve been thinking on what to do with Kai and Shaun. You have such wise counsel. So I thought I’d come here and just talk through it with you.” I press my face to the earth and imagine his hand stroking my hair. “That sound okay?”
Wind whistles through the trees and I let my eyes close.
Sleep must’ve taken me because it’s Julius who finds me for the Council meeting.
“How’d you know I’d be here?” I ask.
“Rue, I know you better than anyone. From everything you told me, it’s clear that dude loved the shit outta you. And you loved the shit outta him.” He smooths a tear from my cheek I didn’t know was there. “That’s gonna take some time. I get it.”
“Thank you.”
“Of course.”
I slip my hand into his and we disappear back through the forest, my Queenly duties calling.
Six Weeks Later
Sights of East Row are just the pick-me-up I needed. I have much work to do here, too, but it’s been weeks and weeks of Council meetings in Ghizon. Julius and I have been back and forth between here and Ghizon, getting started on some of that work. But what I’ve really been craving is a day to just sit down with Ms. Leola’s pound cake and a side of mac and cheese.
I raise a fist to knock, but her door sweeps open and the room is full of people. Ms. Leola always has a packed house, but this is even more so. A banner hangs above.
WELCOME HOME, QUEEN!
“How did they…”
Julius cheeses.
“You…”
“I might’ve made a call.”
They usher me inside, and the house smells like heaven. I’m swallowed in hugs and cheek kisses. I can’t get a word in edgewise before my butt plops in a chair. The air is a congested mess of questions, and I try to answer as many as I can between bites. My stomach thanks me and I shovel in more. Notes of salty bacon pop on my taste buds. I’m warm all over when I notice Tasha sitting across from me, hand resting on her chin.
“So, like, does this make me a Princess now, or…?”
I laugh. “Actually, about that.” I scoop my last bite of mac and cheese from the plate. “I have something to show you.”
She perks up.
“Actually, all of you.” I dab the corners of my mouth and pushback from the table. “Jue!” I wink at him and he already knows. The project. What we’ve been coming back and forth to East Row these past few weeks for. The sign goes up today, so it’s time we give our peeps a peek.
“Aight, fam, this way,” he says. “Everybody form a nice neat line.”
Ms. Leola scoots to the front. “I’m a senior citizen, can I get the front spot?”
“You a Queen, Ms. Leola, y’all slide over.” The crowd parts like the Red Sea and Ms. Leola heads up the line. I stuff a piece of corn bread in my pocket and follow the crowd out the door.
The sun is beating over the concrete in East Row.
“How far we going?” Aunt Niecey says, walking arm in arm with Ms. Leola. “You know my arthritis can’t do these long walks.”
