Page 2 of Crown of Hearts
There was a soft tapping from above. A crow was outside, pecking against one of the high windows of the throne room. Its dark silhouette shadowed the stained glass, and I frowned in annoyance at the noise. I didn’t believe in omens but there was something eerie about the dark-feathered bird. Rhen didn’t appear to hear anything.
“Well, as long as Cordelia is safe and happy,” I said, matter of fact, and stood up, lifting the hems of my dress so I didn’t trip. “Let’s go for a walk, shall we?”
The throne room was an enormous hall with high ceilings and large windows, but it now felt stuffy and uncomfortable. It reminded me of the day I was captured and brought to the palace as the Masked Bandit. I could’ve never imagined that one necklace could bring me so much trouble. A necklace I still held in my possession, even if it didn’t truly belong to me. A necklace to serve as a reminder — of what, I wasn’t certain.
“Is that jealousy I sense in your tone?” Rhen enquired with a curious grin, following me as I walked away from the dais.
“Of course not,” I scoffed, clenching my jaw. “Why would you think me jealous?”
“Because my sister chose love over her friendship with you? And now you’re all alone here in Everness, with your kingdom at risk of falling apart.”
I halted at the threshold of the throne room. “My kingdom is not falling apart.”
Nor would my pride allow me to admit to any kind of jealousy. I really was happy for Cordelia. But coming to terms with how everything had worked out was going to take some time and adjustment.
“Well, it’s not falling together, Your Majesty.” He said the last part of the sentence with a hint of mockery in his voice and I refrained from rolling my eyes. Rhen had two ways of using my title when he spoke. The first was in public to follow protocol, and the second was with a specific tone when he was trying to get a point across.
“What would you like me to say? I wasn’t raised to be a queen.” Which we both knew all too well. Most days it was an effort just to remember the little formalities and which damn forks I was supposed to use at the dinner table.
“Don’t you see that it can be a good thing? It’s because of your past that you have a chance to make better decisions for the kingdom. You understand the lives of the people better than anyone raised in a palace ever could.”
What I wanted to say was “How am I going to be responsible for a nation of people when all I wanted to do was run away from it all?”
Instead, I said, “I know you’re trying to lure me into talking politics.” A subject I wasn’t extremely eager to discuss at that moment.
“Can’t blame me for trying.” He shrugged. “And you can’t avoid the subject either.”
“Fine. What would you like to discuss?” I hadn’t had proper sleep for days and every little thing pricked my temper.
Rhen didn’t respond with anything other than two raised eyebrows, annoying me slightly more.
“Why did your sister have to leave me here with you?” I said, more to myself than to him, as we exited the throne room. “Tell me how things are going in the city of Levernia, then.”
“Things have settled rather well this side of the kingdom. Most of the aristocrats are pleased you returned the land King Magnus took from them. You’ve won them over, if nothing else, but as you well know, they can be easily swayed.” He paused for a moment. “There are, of course, those who disapprove of your reign.”
“Who?”
We continued our walk through the long corridors. We passed the occasional servant with their head bowed, and I cringed inside. I wished they didn’t have to do that. I couldn’t care less if people bowed for me. It made me feel like some kind of imposter. Couldn’t they tell I was nothing more than a bandit wearing a crown?
“The grand dukes of Brett and Creston.”
I sighed. “I’ve already rewarded them for their loyalty and service to the Crown over the past decades. I can’t bleed the treasury anymore just because they have an attitude towards me. If I spend any more money, I’m going to run into serious debt.” It had been one of my first tasks as queen. I should have been less surprised that loyalty was bought in this place.
“It’s more than that,” Rhen responded. “They don’t believe you to be the true heir of Everness.”
“What do they want, some kind of proof?” I asked. “My parents are dead.”
“I’m serious.”
“As am I. Besides, I look exactly like Eloisa.” Or Eloisa looked exactly like me. I didn’t want to think about it too much.
“You’d be surprised how little the people actually see of her. I think if Eloisa were to walk the streets, no one would even notice.”
I momentarily stopped walking and turned to Rhen. “Magnus and Arthur are dead. Lance is behind bars and Eloisa is who knows where doing who knows what. What exactly do they want me to do? Who do they expect to rule?” Lance may have bought his popularity but only a fool would believe his reign could have lasted very long.
“Your identity as the Masked Bandit hasn’t been revealed, but it is known that you were raised as a commoner and then suddenly you show up out of nowhere during Arthur’s rebellion and put yourself on the throne.”
“I didn’t ask for this! The royal council gathered, and it was their vote that put me on the throne.”
