Page 5 of The King's Weapon

Myra whispered to Alyn, barely loud enough for Kallie to hear, "You don't look too bad yourself. Did you get your haircut?"

Alyn ruffled his hair. "Yes, lady Myra."

Myra scoffed though color flooded her cheeks. “I’ve told you before, Alyn, I am no lady.”

He merely shrugged sheepishly, as if titles were of no consequence, so Myra continued, "It looks nice though.” Myra then waved at Kallie and headed out of the room, not bothering to wait for them.

As Myra's giggle faded, Alyn's face became a shade brighter, something Kallie had not thought possible. The corner of Kallie's lips tilted upward.

"All right, fine. I don't need your forced compliments anyway,” Kallie said, strolling forward, her crystal heels fragile beneath her. “I don't want to hear my father complaining about how I was late to my own engagement." Placing a hand on Alyn's forearm, she let him lead her to the welcoming hall where the seven kingdoms waited for her to reveal her choice. A choice already made for her.

Chapter3

When Alyn and Kallie approached,the guards pushed open the tall oak doors at Kallie's signal. As the doors creaked open, the voices in the welcoming hall quieted to a hush, then to complete silence.

Kallie kept her gaze forward while Alyn guided them down the short marble path toward the dais. On the dais, her father stood with his hands behind his back and with a face of stone. Behind him sat the throne, hand-carved mahogany with silver finishing and the power of the kingdom sewn into the tufting of the white velvet cushion. She had always admired the beauty of his throne and dreamed of one day being able to claim one herself. When Kallie attended these ceremonies in the past, she had pictured herself sitting on the velvet cushion instead of standing off to the side.

Then her heart fluttered.

A throne that mimicked the king's (albeit a smaller one, but a throne nonetheless) now sat next to his on the dais.

When they reached the center of the dais, Kallie removed her hand from Alyn’s arm. He bowed, then positioned himself next to the captain of the king's guard, Lundril. Keeping her head high so her crown did not tilt, Kallie curtsied before the king.Her father took her hand when she rose and held it on his arm as they faced the crowd.

A long navy rug leading to the dais divided the crowd in half. Guards were positioned throughout the grand hall. Among the people in the crowd were many whom Kallie recognized, including some of the lords in Ardentol who had made frequent visits to plead their cases during court. Others she knew by the coat of arms embroidered on their jackets or by the paintings she had studied over the years. Then there were those whom she could not place and those who were unfamiliar to her altogether.

Either way, the people of the other kingdoms had followed suit. Colors of all the present territories were represented in the fabrics of the crowd, making it easy for Kallie to identify them. Ardentol's structured navy and white garments made up a large portion of the guests. Diamonds sparkled on many of the Ardentolians’ ensembles as an ode to their king who favored the stone. Among the sea of navy, Kallie spotted the Ragolians in icy aqua fabrics, the shade of their treacherous glaciers in the North. Kadia's stark white fabrics dripped with blood-red sapphires reflecting their tundras. Then there were the natural, woodsy tones to symbolize the divided, wood-covered lands of Borgania. And finally, sage green for Tetria, a land ruled by a queen who, according to rumors, practiced uncommon and eccentric rituals in the swamps to the West. The colors of Pontia, however, were nowhere to be found among the guests.

Her father's voice called her attention away from the crowd. "Welcome, all. I hope your journeys were uneventful. Today, we are here to witness my daughter, Kalisandre Helene Domitius, choose her husband at long last." King Domitius paused as the clapping echoed in the hall. Kallie gave a small, closed-lip smile, and the suitors straightened their posture as her gaze swept over them. Some remained stoic with blank faces, while others returned the gesture with their own shakier smiles.

"When she entered my life, she brought a sense of hope to our kingdom. Over the course of these years, she has grown to become a respectable, loyal woman deserving of a worthy suitor. It is our belief that a marriage between Ardentol and one of your territories, be it large or small, is one small step toward rebuilding those relationships we once had in Vaneria.After one hundred years, tensions remain stringent between the seven kingdoms. After one hundred years, our children still feel unsafe traveling throughout Vaneria. And after one hundred years, we have yet to mend what the Great War broke. So let today be the first step of a long road ahead of us toward acquiring the unity, peace, and tranquility that we all so dearly desire."

The crowd clapped, but some clapped with less fervor. Not everyone seemed as excited about the hope for a unified Vaneria as the king. And those reactions did not go unnoticed by Kallie. In due time, they would be dealt with.

While the seven kingdoms remained peaceful since negotiating the treaty to end the war one hundred years ago, it was a strained peace that would eventually falter. Many had already seen the cracks forming, the increased riots in some kingdoms, and in others, the building threat of a coup. Tensions were rising. Yet some kingdoms required more persuading than others, and King Domitius was bound and determined to restore Vaneria to its former glory.

But before he made serious strides in his plan, Ardentol needed a strong forefront. An alliance through marriage was the first building block.

When King Domitius finished his speech, he sat down on his throne and pointed an open hand toward the second throne. Kallie obliged, claiming her seat on the smaller throne beside him. Her palms ran over the smooth carvings of the wooden arms, her skin tingling with excitement. Yet it quickly dwindled when she reminded herself that this throne did not hold any power. This throne was only for show. She straightened and put on a face of indifference. Soon, the king would witness just how successful Kallie had been in her recent assignments. Then with his approval, she would acquire the power she sought.

The herald announced the first suitor: Prince Valrys of Kadia. And so the parade of suitors began.

Age had transformed the prince since the last time she had seen him. His beard was beginning to gray, his eyes wrinkled in the corners. As a prince of one of the wealthier Vanerian kingdoms, Valrys’s power dripped off of him. His crown gave the appearance of having been dipped into Kadia's pots of gold. Long, thin spikes protruded from the crown. But Prince Valrys wasn’t here for her hand. His purpose today was different from that of the other suitors—though equally, if not more important.

Valrys knelt before the dais. "King Domitius, Lady Kalisandre. I am here on behalf of Kadia. As I am sure you are aware, I am betrothed to Lady Tanzia of Kadia."

Kallie hid the smirk knocking at her lips as she waited for the prince to continue. Waited to hear the words she had planted in his mind when she had visited him a few days ago at the inn where he was staying. Her first target of the week.

"Yes. We are aware, Prince Valrys, but please do continue," King Domitius said from his throne as he tapped his fingers on the edge of the throne's arm.

Prince Valrys put his fist to his chest and fixed his gaze on the ground. "I bring no bribes, no personal suitors, only my word. Kadia has stood with Ardentol since before the Great War, and we will continue to stand by Ardentol in your pursuit of a united Vaneria. As such, Kadia vows to honor the suitor chosen here. And if anyone attempts to go against Lady Kalisandre or her chosen suitor, Kadia shall defend the couple to whatever end. And we encourage those here today who believe in the need for true peace to make the pledge themselves."

The silence broke as murmurs flew through the crowd, and Kallie forced a shocked expression onto her face. Even though Kallie had used her gift on the prince three days ago when he came to Ardentol, the effect had lasted. Now all they had to do was watch and see who followed in his footsteps.

And who did not.

"That is very noble of you, Prince Valrys. Your words will not be forgotten," said King Domitius. Besides the king, Kallie gave a slight tilt of her head.

The crowd shifted as Prince Valrys returned to his spot, then the second suitor with ginger hair strode forward.

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